Hades and Persephone Ch 11 3.docx

Hades and Persephone Ch 11 3.docx

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HadesandPersephoneCh113

Shenoddedsilentlyandcasthereyesdown."WhatdoIhavetodo?

"

Hesteppedbackandbentslightlytoresthisforeheadonhers."Openyourselftome."

Persephoneshudderedandlookedupathim,hiseyesdarkandfixedonhers.

"Yourprivatethoughtsareyours,"hewhispered."Iwillnotpryintothemortakethem.ButIcanatleasthelpeaseyourturmoil."Aidoneuswaitedforhertoconsentandheardhersnifflebeforeshenoddedandclosedhereyes.

Shefelthisfingersthreadintoherhairbesidehertemples.Beyondhistouchshefelthispresencesinkinevendeeper.Memoriesandvisionsweregivenaplaceandaname.Sheexhaledastheonecontainingthevisionofherdefilementwasunwoundandpulledapart,itspoweroverherremoved.Hershouldersslumpedforwardandsherestedhersupportentirelyuponhim.

"That'sit..."hewhisperedinencouragement,hiseyesshut."Justletitgo."

Aidoneussiftedthroughherthoughtsasthoughtheyweregrainsofsand.Withinherconsciousness,hefoundscatteredyearningsforlarkspurandroses,forhermother,thesunlight...andloominglarge,thewell-guardedboundariesofthoughtsandfeelingstiedtohim.Hecouldn'treachallofherpain.Muchofitwasinextricablytiedtoplaceshe'dpromisednottogo.Hefelthischestconstrictwhenherealizedthatthepainwastiedto him.Aidonscowledforamoment.Hisplaceinherthoughtswasfilledwithfearandmistrust.Disquietandsadness.Hedidn'tventurefurther.He'dpromisedher.Hisheartwantednothingmorethantostripthatdoubtandpainawayfromher,tosortthroughitallandrevealinperfectclaritythatshehadnothingtofearfromhim,andshowherhowmuchhelovedher.Butifheweretodothat,hemightaswellhavegiveninandlainwithherbytheLetheaftershe'dtemporarilylosthermemories.ItwouldbejustasmuchaviolationofPersephoneaswhatCronushadforcedhertowatch—worseinfact,sinceshe'dputhertrustinhim.

Persephonefeltherbreathingmatchhis,slowing,hermindcalming.Heopenedhiseyesandshefollowedsuit,feelinghimgentlyretreatfromherthoughts.Hishandsmovedfromthesidesofherheadandstrokedhercheeksbeforehisarmswrappedaroundhershoulders,drawinghertohischest.Heexhaledandswayedagain,rockingher.

"Thankyou,"shesaid,hervoicesmall.

"Ofcourse."

"Howd-didyou—H-howcome you're socalmafter...andI..."

"Practice."Hebrushedhisthumboverthelineoftearsdriedontoherface."Experience.Youwitnessedwhathappenedto me inthegrove—Tartarusdoesn'tleavemeentirelyunscathed.Ijustpushmostofittotheforefrontinsteadofdelayingit."

"Idon'tknowifIcandothat,Aidon."

"You'llfindyourownway.LeavingTartarusinthePit,sloughingoffitshold,didn'tcomeeasilytomeatfirst,either.Bytheverynatureoftheplace,it'sbentonchippingawayatyouandfillingyouwithfearandgriefeverytimeyougodownthere.Ishouldhavepreparedyoufor that better.ButIwasusedtoit—immunetoit—andhavebeenforaeons.You...you'llgetusedtoittoo,sweetone."

Hereyeswateredagainatthetaintedendearment.

Helookeddownandthinnedhislips,angerrollingthroughhimatthethoughtof him sayingthattohischerishedwife."YouwantIshouldcallyousomethingelsenow?

"

Persephonebitherlip."Idon'tknow."

"Maybeashortenedname?

IlikeitwhenyoucallmeAidon,"hesaid,smiling."Sephia,perhaps?

"

"Sephia..."AdiminutiveofPersephone.Shewrinkledhernose.

"No?

"Hechuckled.

"It'spretty,butit'snot—Idon'twantyournameformetakenawayfromus.Especiallynotbyhim.Ilikethatyoucallme'sweetone'."

"ThenIwillcontinuetodosountilyoutellmenotto."

Aidoneusstrokedhercheekandkissedthetopofherhead.Thismightbetheextentofhisrolenow,heconsidered,inherrealmandinherlife.Tocatchherwhenshefell.Tohealherwhenshehurt.TocomfortherwhentheburdenofrulingtheUnderworldbecametoogreat.Buthewantedmorethanthat.HisneedforPersephone,hisloveforher,demandedit.Perhapshewouldgrowaccustomedtothis,justashe'dgrownaccustomedtothevividnightmaresthatprecededandtheemptinessthatfollowedanyvisittoTartarus.Butknowingtheirrelativestatusineachother'slives,couldsheeverlovehimasthoroughlyashelovedher?

DidshethinkthathisfeelingsforherwerejustacausalityoftherolegiventohimbytheFates?

Shehadsomuchsadnessattachedtohim,howcouldshetrulycareforhim?

Aidoneusputitoutofhismindfornow.Despitetheirweariness,hewantedtowraphimselfupinher—tofeelthatintimacywithherthathadbecomeasnecessaryasair.Withoutanotherword,Aidonsupportedheraroundhershouldersandscoopedherupbythebackofherknees,thencarriedheracrosstheroomtotheirbed. 

Persephonefeltcalmedbyhim,curledupagainsthischest,andcomfortedwhenhesetherdownandlaybesideher.Hiscaresseswerewarmandsoothing,anddidn'tarouserightaway.Herbodyached.She'dspenttoomuchenergytryingtobestrong,tryingtobeQueen.Aidonshapedhishandtohercurves,fromherhiptoherwaistandupward.Removedfromtheheatofthefire,herskinhadstartedtocool;hishandreachedthesideofherbreast,andboththeirtipspeaked.Athrobstartedlowinherbellywhenhetracedherthighsfromherkneetoherhipbone.Thepalmofhishandwaswarm,andhistouchfeatheredacrossher.Thiswassoothing,butitusuallysetherablaze,causedherlegstowriggleandherbacktoarch,drewherclosertohim.

Whenshetiltedherheaduptoaccepthiskiss,itwasgentle,butdistant.Persephonelookedintohiseyeswhenshepulledawayfromhislips.Nothing.Sherememberedlastnight,howhe'dpassionatelygrippedhershouldersandlockedthebacksofherkneesintothecrookofhiselbows,hislipsdevouringherswithinsistenceasthoughthereweren'tenoughofherthatcouldpossiblysatisfyhim.Itwasalsoafarcryfromthetendernessandreverencehe'dshownherthenightbeforethat.Thiswasdetached—almostlikehewasn'tthere.Andwiththatdetachment,shefearedhisresentment.

Heloweredhislipstoonebreast,pullingthepeakintohismouthandsuckingupward,makingitrisetoapointbeforehistongueranaquickcirclearoundit.Thisneverfailedtoinflameher;he'dlearnedhereveryfavoritetouch.Evennow,herbodywasresponding,andsheknewthatifshehadn'talreadysharedsuchadeepconnectionwithhim,thiswouldsuffice.Butintuitively,itdidn't.Itlackedthebondtheyhadsocarefullyforgedthispastmonth,theconnectionshecraved.Didheresentherenoughthatthiswashowitwasalwaystobe?

Mechanicalandreserved?

Aidontracedhercurves,hismindamaelstrom,hisfaceamask.Afterwhatthey'dlearned,hefelttherewasn'tanyreasonforhertolovehimequally,thewayhedesired.Atbest,hewasherconsort,herservant.Herpet.Heworriedthatshemerelytoleratedhisaffectionsandreluctantlysurrenderedtowhatcravingshecouldrouseinherbody.Orworse,thatthiswholetimeshehadonlysubmittedtowhateverhusbandlyrightssheassumedhehadoverherbody,andhadlearnedtomakeitenjoyable,butultimatelyhehadbeentakingheragainstherwill.Hisstomachturnedatthis.Herecalledherpuzzlementastowhyhedidn'tasserthimselfoverheraftertheirfight.True,shehadinitiatedsexmanytimesinthelastmonth.Butnow,Persephonehadnoreasontoneedhim,orwanthim.Orlovehim.Thedesireforpleasurewasthere,tobesure,butwithoutloveshewouldtireofhisattentionseventually.Theywouldcurlupnexttooneanotherinlistlessfamiliarityandobligationuntiltheawful,inevitabledaycamewhenshegrewboredandlefthisprivatelifealtogether.

Hishandroundedunderthecurveofherotherbreastandtraileddownherstomach,finallystoppingatthecontourofhermound.Fingerstrailedgentlyoverthesofthairofherouterlips,pettingher,strokingher.Histouchwaswispyandgentle,makingherinsidesacheuntilshecouldtakethelightcaressnomoreandrockedherhipsforwardintotheheatofhishand.Adigitsunkintohercrease,drawingalongsighfromher.Whenitdelvedfurtherintoher,hermusclesinvoluntarilyclenchedandtwitchedaroundit. 

Persephonefeltfrissonsofpleasurecoursethroughherbody,herstomachtensingfromhistouch,curlingherforward.Whenshe'dfirstarrivedhere,whentheyhadmadeloveinthedarkandbarelyspoketooneanother,thiswashowitfelt.Theyhadbeensountriedandsoveryunsureofoneanother,theirbodiesaloneactingintherolesofhusbandandwifewithoutsharingtheirthoughts,theirpassions,theirsouls.Shecouldn'tgobacktothat.Aidoneuskissedherneckandmovedoverher,partingherthighswithhisknees.Shesighedatthefeelofhischestbrushingagainsthers,hisweightproppedupononeelbow.Hereacheddownandpositionedhimselftojoinwithher.Whenshefeltthetippressagainstherfolds,shelookedupathim,searchingforsomething,anything.Hisfacewasstillblank,thebarrierhe'dcreatedaroundhimselfimpenetrable.

"Wait,"shesaid,pushingherfingersagainsthisforearm."Stop."

Aidonhaltedandslowlysatback,hisfaceasemptyaswhenhewastouchingher.Herestedonhiskneesandsaidnothing.

"Please,Aidon.Justtalktome,"shesaid.

Hemovedtositbesideher,coveringhimselfwiththesheet.Shecouldreadhimsoeasily,herealized.Itwasfoolishtobelievethatshecouldn'tseethroughhimwhentheyweresointimate.Aidonmulledoverwhathewasgoingtosay,andhowhecouldsayit,chewingontheinsideofhislip.He'dswornontheS