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She swayed against him, her breath smelling of absinthe and champagne. It was clear to him that Persephone was too drunk to care that there was no music for her to keep time with, but it didn't matter. He wouldn't say anything, and they both knew it.
Hades knew what this was, why she wrapped her arms around him, even as one hand still carried the wineglass that had been with her for the last several hours. Neither of them were ready, not yet. She would go back to the world above,coax out the springtime and he would wait, biding his time in whatever ways he could,until they found each other once again.
This is how the story goes, the paths worn in from the same old journey that they can't ever fully break free from. Small things might change, little details here and there that put things into a different context, but certain things have always been hard to break away from.
"You should be getting ready," he murmured against her hair. His arms stayed around her waist though,and he breathed in the scent of her. Fruit and flowers, soil and sweat from a day outside.
"You should have a drink," she countered, stepping back just enough to push her glass into his chest. "It's been too long since you drank with me."
"Not today." However, as he said it, he put his hand over hers, but that was as far as he went
They were both silent after that, Hades wondering which of them was going to start the argument this time.
Cycles, circles, and the same damn scripts they could never break free of.
Persephone eventually pulled her hand away from him, bringing the glass to her lips and polishing off what was left. Then, because his wife was nothing if not talented, he watched the glass refill itself.
"Can you not–" he began, but she cut him off with a sharp look. He sighed and watched her take another drink. This would not be one of the easy departures.
It might not be loud, or the kind that people wrote songs about, but it would leave him aching all the same.
Her expression softened after a moment. Maybe she saw how tired he looked, or she too could feel the way this was going to go.
"I'll tell you something." She placed the glass on his desk, but instead of keeping her distance, she moved so that her palms rested against his cheeks.
His eyes closed at her touch, reveling in the feeling of her warmth as it found its way into every part of him. Yes, this was definitely going to be one of the long waits.
Persephone had started swaying again rather than finishing her statement. For a moment, he wondered if she'd lost the train of thought, the alcohol in her system winning out over whatever had been on her mind.
"This is going to happen and we both know it." As she spoke, her voice sounded more steady than he'd expected. "We both have our parts to play and our songs to sing."
"I know."
"Hush and let me finish."
He nodded, and he knew he would wait for as long as she needed him to. It helped that she was still in front of him, still touching him, a silent and steadfast promise.
"You're letting it get to you. I can see it in the way you look at me. But you knew this was coming. We do this every year."
Hades almost opened his mouth, but caught himself and offered a small nod instead.
"And every year," she continued. "I come back. Every single year we find each other over and over again."
"For better, or for worse," he remarked, even though he'd intended to keep quiet.
She smirked. "Exactly. But that's part of how this goes, isn't it? That's the part of the story we have to be grateful for."
He stayed silent, turning her words over and seeing how it all weighed out in his mind. No, she wasn't wrong, but feeling like he should be grateful didn't mean he actually was.
"Hades."
"I won't be grateful for the fucking story." he started. "But I'll be grateful for you. Every single year, I will be grateful to see you again."
Hades reached for the abandoned glass, taking a long drink, and handed it back to his wife.
The way she laughed at him, bright and holding the echo of music that he normally felt, was more mocking than anything, made him feel almost dizzy.
"I've already got everything together."
"There's still time before you have to leave." Which is to say, he was hoping she would stay there with him for just a few moments longer.
"But not much, and you know how the train can be." And for all her talk of being grateful and knowing how things work, Hades couldn't help but note the disappointment in her voice.
Tilting his head toward the drink, Hades gave her the smile of a much younger man. "I bet there's enough time to share a drink or two."
He knew he'd never be able to keep her to himself, that he has to share with the whole world, but when she kissed him, laughing while her hands tangled in his shirt, he could almost be grateful for what got them here.