Chapter Text
When Persephone had said she was visiting soon, I thought it would be a day or two, no, she arrived only shortly after Nico and Will left. I had managed to fold the blankets that had been brought out to living room before I realized that she was home.
She found me all too quickly, she stood in the doorway a moment, as she studied the room. She was beautiful as always.
Her hair was free as she normally liked it, she was wearing a pair of jeans with fresh dirt stains on the knees, and a plain faint purple shirt that brought out the blue in her eyes.
"Are you feeling alright?" She asked, walking up studying me sharply.
"Yes, I'm fine." I reassured.
"Good, are the demigods still here?"
I shook my head slightly, "You've only just missed them."
"That's okay, I'll catch them later."
At my questioning look she said, "To say thank you."
"I already did."
"I still need to thank them all the same." She said.
I didn't argue.
"What's that?" She asked noticing the pictures on the coffee table.
"Nothing."
She grabbed the photos before I could stop her. The first one was of me playing in the grass, the one I'd looked at earlier.
She grinned, and I made a grab for the photos. She danced away from me, as she looked at the next one. That one was of Mrs. O’Leary carrying me back from the forest. Nico stood beside the massive dog, carrying my blanket, as I was carried by the hellhound. I looked mostly bored, arms crossed over my chest, my face was tear stained, and my hair was ruffled on the side of my head. I was on the thinner side but not unhealthily so.
Persephone smiled at me, and held it up for me to see, "What was this?"
I felt heat rising to my cheeks, "The hellhound had taken me to the forest, and I stumbled over a root."
She didn't look surprised.
"She picked me up before I could get to my feet, and wouldn't let me down."
She laughed, not meanly, just at my cursed luck.
"You've had quite the adventure. Haven't you?"
She flipped to the next one and cooed.
I stared in horror.
"You were so cute." She held up the photo.
I stared at it. I sat curled in Will's chair, blanket hugged tightly to my chest. Head rested lightly on the chair arm. Fast asleep. I could see where she was coming from, and if I didn't remind myself that it was me in the picture, I might even have agreed with her.
She looked at the last one and with faint amusement showed it to me. I was once again asleep in this one, tucked between Nico and Will at the camp fire, I was leaning heavily on Nico one hand tucked under me the other was clutching the fabric of Will's sweat shirt, as if to keep him from leaving.
I blinked, and she laughed gently, "I figured you hadn't done that on purpose."
"No. I don't even know when that was taken."
She smiled, and set them down. "I'll help you clean this up."
"If you want to."
It only took us twenty minutes to have the entire room done. I'd only just finished when Will's voice echoed in my head.
"Hades!" He sounded stunned and maybe exasperated. I could hear his thoughts because he was so surprised, but they were too muted to truly understand. He went silent a little later, then I felt a sudden understanding from him.
"Please don't do this again."
I didn't grace him with a response, but I made sure that he knew I had been listening.
Persephone studied at me, "What did you do?"
"Nothing." I said, not very convincingly.
I could tell she didn't believe me, she hummed, unconvinced, "If you say so."