Persephone Dower

Sofia sighed as she sat playing with her hair, another day had gone by but she was bored and wanted to have fun. “I wonder what fun thing I can do at night that doesn’t involve me drinking.”

“Does it show my age if my first thought is sleeping?”

It wasn’t often that Phobe was all smiles but, this afternoon she was. In fact, she felt great for the first time in a long time. Her head lifted to look at the other when she heard another person walking up to her. “What?” She asked as she did her best to wipe the smile off of her face as quick as she could. 

Her mom had taken Duncan for the day, so Persephone was spending time with Lily. She always tried to have a mother daughter and a mother son day, so that each of the twins knew that they were both loved and cherished on their own as well. Today was Lily’s day and tomorrow would be Duncan’s. Both of them loved spending time with their grandma as well, so it worked out as a grandparent day for the one that she wasn’t taking out. Lily’s little legs had gotten ahead of her and she ran towards the stranger for a moment. “Little legs, you can’t run off like that.” Persephone said softly to her daughter as bent down to her daughter’s level. “I love you, my little princess. However, I cannot have you going too far. Okay?” Her hazel eyes gazed up at the other woman. “Sorry. She sometimes thinks of the world as one of her story books.”

The next hour was incredible. Oliver hadn’t felt this good about spending time in bed with someone for two centuries. He had had his share of encounters with a variety of women, but this felt somehow different. As it turned out, the half elven woman was just his type. When they were finished, Oliver laid with Persephone’s head nestled into his shoulder. They hadn’t mustered the will or desire to put their clothes back on yet. 

Persephone looked up at him through her lashes, her chin was lightly resting on his bare chest. She allowed herself the moments of peace before she finally broke the silence. “Thank you. For everything, Oliver.” She said softly, almost a whisper.

“You don’t say,” he said with a coy smile. “Well how late would you like to stay, I must say, I’ve only got one bed. I think it’ll fit both of us if we stay…very close.” He pulled her into him, then took her hand, leading her off to the bedroom. 

“I mean if you don’t mind sharing a cramped bed with me then I can stay all night.” She chuckled softly as she allowed him to take her to the bedroom.

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the attitude.  Spotting the young woman in the cafe, Robert felt like her knew her, and this confirmed it.  “Just thought I saw a familiar face.  Still as feisty as ever it seems.  Penelope, wasn’t it?”  He waves down the barista as they call out his order, reaching to pick up the coffee cup before returning his focus to Persephone with a smug smirk.

“Not even close, Persephone. You know like the Goddess of Spring and queen of the underworld. Anyways, now give me two reasons I should continue this conversation instead of walking away from an asshole from my past to go meet up with boyfriend?”

She felt all words stuck in her throat, unable to be spoken aloud.  All Hannah could do was shake her head and continue crying.  “N-no one ever compliments me,” she eventually managed to say after a fit of sobs.  

“Then that is their loss and their problem. It is not your fault that people are dicks.” Persephone responded as she shook her head. “You deserve all the compliments you got. Just because he ended up with someone else doesn’t mean they were meaningless.”

So I fucked my professor when I was in college? We aren’t all saints. I don’t care that they are in the same town. They can be roommates for all I care.

Legally, I don’t have much of a choice if he wants to be in their lives then he could take me to court over it. Personally, I don’t think I would trust him with my children. I want them to have a good male role model and I don’t feel Dr. Graham is one from what I remember. Hell, he blew off my phone calls about the kids. So. Truthfully, I’d only want him in their life as long as it is healthy and safe for them. My children’s happiness is all that matters to me in a situation such as this one. If he’s going to be a dick to them, then he can fuck right off. I’m a mother. I just want what is best for my kids.

Robert only cares about himself. I am not dealing with that shit in my life. Oliver actually cares about me and the kids. I don’t have time for a guy who isn’t going to treat me right. I am quite happy with my new boyfriend. 

He laughed. He was never very good at asking someone out, even before these undead complications came into effect. Before he turned he was just as awkward and timid. “I would very much like that.” He smiled as he laid a hand on her cheek and leaned in for a long, passionate kiss. 

“Then you have me.” She responded with a smile on her face. When Oliver kissed her, she kissed him back deeply. When they parted lips, she chuckled softly. “You know. Since mom has the kids, I can stay out as late as I want.”

His eyes drifted. His mind ran back and forth between turning away and letting her be with a mortal, and his selfish desires of staying with this woman that made him feel so right. He felt whole here, with her. He felt like this was what he’d been missing. He looked her in the eyes, and her words struck him. It was better to hold onto this now while he could, than to lose it and never know what it could become. “Persephone. You’re right. Of course you’re right. I don’t think I could let you leave here and not have you back again. If you’ll have me…” He held her hands tightly in his own. “I would like you to stay with me. Now and however long you’ll stay. I can’t say what later will bring, but for right now, you make this life less painful.” He looked deep into her eyes for an answer. 

The brunette took a beat to make him think that she was pondering his question. “Well... I will have to go home eventually. Seeing as you don’t have any cribs.” She teased trying to lighten the mood just a little. The half-elf then smiled a small smile at the vampire. She leaned in to kiss his cheek before leaning back to look into his eyes. “But yes, I will be your girlfriend if that was your vampire way of asking me to be that.”

“That is sweet,” Ash said truthfully, not knowing if she’d ever have kids herself. “I don’t think I could stand being pregnant. The idea kinds of freaks me out.”

He brought her a glass of cold water and sat down right next to her, close enough that their legs were toughing, and he held her hand in his. “Um…so I wanted to talk to you about something. And you can be totally honest.” He added the part about honesty, not knowing for sure if he did want the truth, because in his experience, this kind of thing didn’t go the way he wanted. “So…I’ll get right to it. I really like you Persephone. I’ve had more fun and felt…safer with you than I’ve felt in quite some time. I just…there’s something that’s been eating at me and…well…” He stared at the floor for a minute collecting his thoughts and his courage. He didn’t want to ask the question to be proven right. He took in a deep breath, “so I’m a vampire, which means I do not age. Like…at all. But you….you’re a half elf, which to my understanding means you….you will age. Right? You’ll grow old and eventually you’ll pass on. I guess what I’m saying is… I don’t know how to go about this. I really like you but it’s….so unfair.” His eyes welled up as he looked at her. 

When he took her hand in his, she immediately looked up at him. Persephone was typically honest and she hoped that he realized that. The brunette was not the type to pull too many punches, even if he had not said that. A small smile came to her lips and she felt her heart jump a little when Oliver told her that he really liked her. However, she smile soon fell when she saw that he was struggling and realized what he was struggling with. “You’re right, Oliver. I am mortal. I will age, grow old, and eventually die. I am not immortal like you are. It is part of the reason I am able to have children. But yes, I will die some day.” Her hand reached up and cupped his cheek when she saw his eyes well up with tears. Her thumb rubbing gently against his skin in an attempt to comfort him. “I am sorry. I cannot change what I am. But maybe you’re right. Maybe it would be better for you to be with an immortal woman or one that doesn’t age as fast as I do. Or... We could try to take it slow and see how things progress on their own. I know it isn’t fair and I don’t want to sit her and ask you to watch me grow old... But I’m still young right now. I’m only 25 and maybe getting to experience something for a little bit might be better than not having it at all?”

Hannah felt as if she had been hit by a car all over again.  Her heart hurt beyond words, and nothing left her lips but a tiny gasp as the tears continued to fall.  Sniffling, the ghost’s head lowers, she’s unable to look at Persephone anymore.  “A-all those compliments were empty.”  It wasn’t a question; she was certain of it.  She backs up slightly, not realizing that she was starting to phase through the shop window.  “M….maybe I’ll try for the job.  But not today.  I-I can’t.  I really can’t.”

Persephone knew how to deal with crying children better than crying adults. However, she seemed like she was one of Oliver’s friends... So the brunette wanted to try and help if she could. “They might not have been empty. Just because a guy calls you pretty and starts seeing someone else, doesn’t mean that you are not still pretty or that he didn’t believe you to be the words that he said you were.” She sighed softly. “I’m glad that you will try for the job though.”