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To dominate a kingdom was a more complicated task than it was said. Hades bore witness to that better than anyone else, his insomnia and the hectic pace he handled expressed it better than his own words. Nevertheless, the sweet queen with pink eyes left more than petals in her wake. Even the most neglected inhabitants of that midnight kingdom could notice how the arrival of the pink goddess caused a positive domino effect, both on the king and his inhabitants.
Despite being the mere underworld, the sweet presence of the fuchsia-eyed goddess caused a fascinating vitality, the air felt fresher, the atmosphere more pleasant and life less miserable. By her side he felt infinite, by her side Hades believed himself capable of caressing the happiness he had long thought forgotten.
Hades took his car keys from his desk, adjusted his tie and headed for the parking lot. He was there physically, but his mind was rejoicing with the sweet idea of returning to his little goddess, the simple sensation of having a reason to come home different from his faithful group of canines filled him with a happiness that even he could not understand, let alone describe. However, if there was one thing he was clear about, it was that with Persephone even the most mundane activities were tinged with a sweet, magical and captivating aroma. The imposing mocking smile of Hecate that stood before him brought his feet back to the ground. Even if Hades tried to hide from everyone the fact that Persephone was back for people like Hecate - well, people like Hecate and basically everyone - the dumbfounded smile and the lost look of those deep Sapphires was the clear proof that the joy of the kingdom itself was there.
The sweet smell of flowers and cinnamon embraced him and filled his senses upon his arrival home. Towards him, a hasty little pink goddess was running around releasing blue petals.
"Welcome home!” The sweet voice of Persephone denoted her emotion, a small gesture that Hades would not allow himself to ignore and that provoked a small jump in his heart. “We missed you so much," she mentioned as she picked up little Pomelia and placed her right in front of his blue eyes.
"I missed you too, sweetness" he mentioned with a slight laugh, deposited a clumsy kiss on Meli's head and then opened his arms and immersed both of them in a warm embrace, drawing soft caresses on his wife's back, appreciating her warm little body between his arms, getting drunk with her hypnotizing aroma, letting her magical presence wrap him in an ocean of protection, love and warmth. These moments, intimate, simple and unequaled, were the ones that filled Persephone's life. It was a pleasure for her to watch as the feared and brazen king of the underworld melted in her arms as he recited sweet words to her in an almost intelligible way, but somehow more captivating and moving than any poetry the goddess had ever read. For Persephone that feeling of having the sweet and loving side of Hades only for her made her feel exclusive, special and more loved than ever.
*
Each dish of Hades was a golden caress to Persephone's palate, she loved her home, but the food in the human world did not yet know the wonders of modern cuisine. Each dish was elaborated with detail and care, the best thing was that it was seasoned with the sweet sensation of being made exclusively for her. The loving midnight gaze of Hades -who more discreetly made sure that his wife's body language gave away the quality of his meal- provoked a capsule of joy around Persephone, who enjoyed each bite as if she hadn't eaten in months.
Huddled together, with Pomelia resting on the right side of the couch and Cerberus' head on Persephone's lap, the royal couple enjoyed the eternal night that the underworld gave them, immersed in the silent complicity of lovers. There were few moments that could be enjoyed like this, both had charges and duties to attend to, but at that moment nothing mattered. It was only the two of them and the soft beat of their synchronized hearts, which cried out I love you in a language that only they were capable of perceiving.
Persephone hugged the cotton blanket that covered her a little more, with a pout formed on her cherry lips. She had chosen the movie that night, the synopsis sounded good but it was just a fiasco, next time she would make sure to check the reviews first. Moments before she suggested changing it, defeated by the cinematic disaster they were witnessing, but Hades' pragmatic nature told her it would be a loss, as the film was more than halfway to that point.
Her eyelids felt heavy and the flat screen in front of her had magically raised its brightness, causing a tendency to close the eyes of the little goddess, whose blinks were getting longer and lazier.
The film was a mess, money thrown away. But Hades hadn't focused on enjoying it, he had rather focused on bringing out his critical side, judging and overanalyzing every detail he could, in his head he was roasting that film. His self-absorption was interrupted by a little goddess falling asleep on his shoulder, a tender smile on his lips as he watched his beautiful wife, even if she was one of the strongest people he knew -strong in every sense of the word- that deep feeling, that heartbreaking longing to protect her still haunted him like on the first day.
With his wife in his arms he went to the bedroom, still incredulous at the idea that this sweet and beautiful goddess was sleeping in that very bed, next to him. He placed Persephone with immaculate delicacy on the soft white sheets and proceeded to tuck her in when a little sleepy groan broke the nightly silence of the room as the little goddess raised her arms in search of the warmth of the king, in search of the embrace of her husband.
"I'll join you in a moment, sweetheart" mentioned Hades in a warm, soft voice as he quickly put on something more appropriate to sleep, as the groans of the goddess of spring only increased.
With his little wife resting in his arms Hades could feel the weariness of the day quickly take its toll on him, his sleep cycle was one of the most grateful for Persephone's presence. In contrast, her joyful and lively energy was transformed into a magical night-time essence that relaxed Hades' senses in a fascinating way.
It was then that hades remembered for the first time in months the reason behind the fact that somehow it did not bother him to stay awake, cold sweat ran down his forehead at the moment he recognized that familiar darkness consuming him, that ocean of fear and loneliness whose impetus did not allow him to swim, much less breathe. There he was, alone, overwhelmed and empty. The nothingness was so frightening, even for him. That emptiness ate away at his insides and caused a lump in his throat that drowned out his screams, sobs and cries.
As soon as he woke up the first thing he looked for was air, his eyes felt wet and his heartbeat was so out of control that he swore it could be heard just like an off-key song. His cloudy, galactic-looking Sapphire eyes screaming for help that his mouth could not pronounce were met by large, worried fuchsia eyes that looked at him in bewilderment and pain. It was then that Persephone decided to act, her dismayed gesture relaxed, and her lips formed the noblest of smiles, her hands slowly rose and began to caress Hades' hair that was slightly wet with sweat, little by little this basic gesture loaded with love gave the king back some of his stability. The goddess took her beloved's face in her hands and raised it a little so he could look at her, so he could see her smile and remember that she was there for him, regardless of everything. In a motherly gesture, Persephone guided Hades' head to her chest and embraced him even more tightly. That magical atmosphere that locked them in a sphere of magic and unreal bliss quickly made them understand that there was no need to open their mouths; everything else screamed how much they loved each other without measure.
Thus, in the sweet embrace of his wife Hades he felt good, he felt complete, he felt infinite.