Bride of Hades

“I can’t believe I’m finally getting to meet your mother!” Persephone remarked as both she and Hades stood side by side making snacks and hors d’oeuvres in the kitchen. 

“I wanted to talk to her after the wedding but somebody wanted to rush off to the honeymoon.” she said with a playful smirk, giving her husband a side-eyed glance as she mixed a bowl of dough with a wooden spoon.

“Hey, can ya blame me? I was gonna be spending 14 romantic nights with my drop-dead gorgeous new wife in the tropics, okay? I couldn’t help but hightail it to the honeymoon.” Hades replied, matching her smirk as he spooned a dollop of tzatziki onto a crostini, topping it off with an olive. 

Hades placed the spoon back into the small bowl of tzatziki before sliding an arm around Persephone’s waist, stepping sideways to stand behind her as his other arm found its way around her waist as well.

“And as I recall…” he purred as he kissed her shoulder, “you weren’t exactly dragging your feet.”

Persephone giggled as she felt him plant another kiss against her shoulder. “That’s because you carried me to the chariot. I couldn’t drag my feet even if I wanted to…not that I wanted to.”

She then lifted his chin and looked over her shoulder to give him a sweet, loving kiss before turning her body around to completely face him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Hades pulled her closer as he deepened the kiss.

DING!

Persephone suddenly broke the kiss and gasped as she rushed over to the oven and grabbed a pair of black oven mitts with red flames embroidered on them, putting them on before opening the oven and pulling out a baking dish filled with karydopita (Greek walnut cake). The sweet aroma filled the kitchen and Hades’ mouth was practically watering from the scent.

“Oh, thank gods. It didn’t burn. I thought I gave it too much time in the oven.” Persephone said, relieved that the cake turned out okay. 

She then turned to Hades, “You’re sure your mom likes this type of dessert? ‘Cause I’m kinda worried I put too many walnuts in there and I—“

Hades smiled and rolled his eyes. “Babe, it’s fine. Relax. I don’t know why you’re stressing so much. You’ve been runnin’ around the Underworld like a hydra with its head cut off all morning.”

“I know, I know. I just really want to make a good impression, y’know? I want her to like me.” Persephone admitted as she placed the baking dish down on the counter and took off the oven mitts.

Hades then gently lifted her chin, looking into her eyes as he wrapped his arm around her waist once again, bringing her closer to him.

“Seph, sweetheart, I already know for a fact that my mom’s gonna love you, okay? I mean, ya married me, so you’re already in her good graces just for that alone. Do you know how long she’s been waiting for this to happen? She’s been nagging me to get hitched since Zeus got engaged to Hera and that was EONS ago! Trust me, babe. There is nothin’ my mom wouldn’t like about you.” Hades said with a warm smile and a wink. 

Persephone smiled as well as she let out a small giggle before leaning in close to give him another kiss…until she noticed the bowl of dough still sitting on the counter.

“Oh, I still gotta finish the cookies!” she remembered as she rushed away from her husband and towards the kitchen counter.

Hades, who was totally prepared for another smooch from his wife, looked at her with surprise as she hurriedly escaped his arms. He looked at her with a raised brow and a small smile as he watched her start putting the cookie dough onto a pan to put into the oven. He then walked over to help her with the hors d’oeuvres until his mother would arrive. 

X~X~X~X~X

It was nearly noon which meant that Hades’ mother would be arriving any minute now. Persephone anxiously rushed about the tea room overlooking the River Styx, adjusting flowers and furniture that she felt was “too out of place” as Hades walked in with the last of the hors d’oeuvres. 

Persephone then brushed her bangs out of her eyes as she adjusted her flower crown for the millionth time that day while Hades set the food down.

“Are you sure I look okay? Do you think I should’ve gone with the ‘Queen of the Underworld’ look? I didn’t want to look too different and put her off, but I also don’t want to look like I don’t support you, so—“

Hades smiled as he approached his wife. “Babe, you look perfect. I told you a million times already, my mom is gonna love you no matter how you look, alright? Re-lax.” he said as he placed his hand on her shoulders as if to prevent her from running around the room anymore.

Persephone took a deep breath to try and chill out as she closed her eyes. “Right, sorry, sorry. I’m just…really nervous.” She said, looking at Hades apologetically.

Hades gave her a playful smirk. “Yeah, I noticed.” he joked as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“Like, I said, I just wanna make a good impression. I’m about to meet the original Queen of the Cosmos, ‘The Mother of the Gods’, the woman that gave me you! I just want everything to be—“

“Amazing! I love what you’ve done with the place! All the flowers! It’s gorgeous!” 

The couple turned their attention towards the entrance of the room to find that Rhea had already arrived and was busy admiring the decor Persephone had set up before spotting the pair.

It was quite obvious where Hades had gotten his good looks. Rhea was a very beautiful titaness. She had light aqua azure skin and long, deep-sapphire blue hair that fell past her shoulders in soft, flowing waves, and eyes that were a slightly lighter shade of blue from her hair. A muted blue chiton draped beautifully over her curvaceous figure with delicate silver accents shimmering softly with every move she made.

Persephone blushed as she immediately tensed beneath Hades’ hands. She took a small step forward as Hades took his hands off her shoulders, smoothing her palms down the front of her dress before lightly adjusting a lock of hair beside her face. 

However, before Persephone could even decide whether she should wave or curtsy to the former Queen of the Cosmos, Rhea’s eyes landed on her youngest son, her face immediately lighting up with joy.

“There he is!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms open as she hurried across the room. “There’s my beautiful boy!”

Hades smiled as he opened his arms and hugged his mom. “Hey, Ma.”

Rhea then let go and held his face in her hands. “Look at you! Oh, I’ve missed that handsome face!” she said before planting a kiss on one of his cheeks.

“Ma, c’mon.” Hades groaned as he rolled his eyes. 

“What? A mother can’t be happy to see her own son?” Rhea asked, still holding his face between her hands as she looked him over. “You’re lookin’ thin. Look at you. Are you eating?”

Hades nodded as he gently removed his mother’s hands from his face. “Yeah, Ma. I am.”

“Are you sure?” she said as she patted his abdomen with the back of her hand. “You just look thinner since I last saw you.”

“Hey, I’ve been workin’ out a lot. I gotta keep myself in shape.” Hades said with a smirk as he glanced over at Persephone who was watching the wholesome interaction with a smile.

It was then that Rhea finally looked beside him and noticed Persephone properly, her expression softening.

“Well, I’m sure you do, now that you’re married to this beauty.”

Persephone’s amusement immediately disappeared beneath a fresh wave of nervousness. She straightened again, clasping her hands neatly in front of herself.

“Hello,” she began with a polite smile and a nod, “it’s truly an honor to meet you, ma’am. Hades has told me so much about you.”

“Ma’am?” Rhea repeated with a raised brow.

“Oh, gods. I messed up. She hates me. What have I done? Should I have been more formal? I knew I should’ve curtsied!” Persephone silently panicked as her smile faltered ever so slightly. 

“Oh, sweetheart, none of that. We’re family now! Call me ‘Ma’! Or ‘Rhea’! Whatever you’re comfortable with. C’mere, honey!” she assured her as she pulled Persephone in for a hug.

Persephone blinked in surprise before slowly relaxing into the embrace as she glanced over at Hades who was smiling and giving her an unmistakable “I told ya so” look.

Rhea then pulled back, holding Persephone gently by the arms. Her eyes swept over her with immediate approval.

“Oh, just look at you! You’re so gorgeous!” she gushed, briefly lifting Persephone’s chin to admire her properly.

Persephone’s cheeks deepened to a rosy pink. “Thank you.” she said politely with a flustered smile.

“Oh, I knew my boy had found someone special,” she said, giving Persephone’s arms an affectionate squeeze. “I could tell by the way you two looked at each other at the wedding. You two are absolutely meant for each other.”

Persephone then glanced over at Hades, sharing an affectionate smile with him.

Rhea smiled at Persephone once more before glancing toward the table spotting the delectable spread of pastries, hors d’oeuvres, and freshly brewed hibiscus tea with a bouquet of flowers sitting in the middle of the table.

“Oh, and look at all this! Everything looks wonderful!” 

“Well, I had a little help from Hades. He told me about some of your favorite things, so I made sure we had them for you.” Persephone explained with a warm smile.

Rhea looked between the two of them as she put a hand to her chest, feeling touched by the kind gesture. “Oh, sweetheart, you didn’t have to go through all that trouble for me.”

“Oh, no, it was no trouble at all,” Persephone assured her. “I was happy to do it.”

“Well, it all looks delicious. Let’s dig in, huh?”

The three of them then settled into their seats at the table, Rhea taking the chair beside Persephone while Hades sat across from them.

Persephone reached for the teapot as she spoke, “Was the journey here very long?”

“Oh, not too bad,” Rhea replied. “It always feels longer coming in from the Isles, but I can’t complain. It’s really nice there. Beautiful weather, lovely beaches, and bacchanals almost every weekend.”

“Still livin’ it up, huh, Ma?” Hades asked with a smirk.

“What can I say? I’m a party animal.” Rhea joked with a playful smile.

“The Isles?” Persephone asked as she poured Rhea’s tea first.

“The Isles of the Blessed. That’s where I retired after the war. Lots of other titans live over there too,” Rhea explained before thanking Persephone for pouring her tea. 

“Now that I think about it, your grandparents live there too, don’t they, Persephone? Anytos and Eurynome?” Rhea asked as she dropped a couple of sugar cubes into her tea before mixing it with a small silver spoon. 

“Yes, that’s right. I didn’t know you knew them.” Persephone said as she poured Hades’ tea next.

“Yeah! I’ve known them for ages! I’ll have to tell them I saw you next time I see them.”

“I’m sure they’d love that.” Persephone replied with a smile before finally pouring herself a cup of tea.

Rhea lifted her cup, blowing gently across the surface of the tea before taking a small sip as Hades and Persephone began enjoying their tea as well. Her eyes then moved between the newlyweds, an eager smile spreading across her face.

“So,” she began, “when can I expect some grandkids from you two?”

The couple nearly spat out their tea as they both sputtered and coughed. Persephone immediately grabbed a napkin and covered her mouth as Hades tried to speak between coughs.

“Ma—ahem—we—ahem—we’ve only been married for a few months!”

“Well, I know that. I was just curious,” Rhea replied with a shrug as she continued sipping her tea. “I’ve been waiting ages for you to settle down and get married. Now I’m just waiting on the grandkids.”

“Ahem—um, well, we decided it would probably be best to wait a little while before we have kids." Persephone finally managed as she put her napkin down.

“Oh, of course,” Rhea said, setting her teacup back onto its saucer. “There’s no rush, sweetheart. You two should enjoy being newlyweds for a while.”

Persephone smiled sweetly as she picked her tea back up again and took another sip to help clear her throat.

“I can be patient,” Rhea added.

Hades gave her a skeptical smirk as he picked up a pastry. “Since when?”

Rhea gave him a quick side-eyed glance as she smiled before speaking again, “Besides, children can be a lot of work. Wonderful, of course. Best thing that can ever happen to you, but still a lot of work. I know I had my hands full with this one and his brothers.” she said as she nodded towards Hades.

Hades simply rolled eyes.

Persephone giggled as she placed her teacup back down on the saucer. “What was he like when was little?”

“Oh, honey, don’t even get me started.”

“Seriously, don’t get her started,” Hades warned, shaking his head.

Persephone gave him a cheeky smile before turning her attention back to Rhea.

“Hades was an absolute cherub,” Rhea recalled fondly. “He could be a little troublesome whenever his brothers got him riled up, but for the most part, he was the sweetest little Olympian you ever did see.”

She then turned to Hades and reached across the table to gently squish both of his cheeks with her hand, giving his head a small shake from side to side.

“And you still are, my little bubbele.” she cooed.

“Ma, c’mon!” Hades groaned as he pulled his face away from her hands.

Rhea then noticed a bit of icing near the corner of his mouth and reached for a napkin. “Oh, hang on. Ya got a little schmutz there. Hold still.”

“Alright! Okay! I got it! Sheesh.” Hades complained as he took the napkin from her and wiped his face himself.

Persephone pressed her lips together, doing her best to hold back a giggle.

“Anyway, he was always so affectionate,” Rhea continued. “Always climbing into my lap, holdin’ my hand, askin’ me to carry him…”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never did any of that.” Hades said as he put the napkin down and took a sip of his tea.

Rhea gave him an amused look. “Oh, please. You practically lived in my arms until you were five.”

Hades glanced over at his wife as he gestured to his mother with his teacup, “She’s exaggerating.”

Rhea shook her head as she looked over at Persephone as well before grabbing an hors d’oeuvre from the table to snack on. “He followed me everywhere. I swear, if I wasn’t holdin’ ‘im, he was clinging to the bottom of my dress.”

Persephone smiled at him. “Aw, I think that’s adorable.”

“I think that’s fabricated.” Hades said, taking another sip of tea.

“I have proof.” Rhea affirmed with a shrug.

Hades paused with the cup against his lips, his eyes widening.

“Proof?” Persephone asked with curiosity.

“Uh-huh, I brought some pictures with me. Hold on, they’re out here.” Rhea pointed toward the entrance of the tea room as she rose from her chair. 

“Ma, please don’t tell me ya lugged all those vases here from the Isles.”

“Well, of course I did! What? You think I’m gonna meet your wife for the first time and not show her adorable childhood pictures of ya?”

Hades lowered his teacup with a weary sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Oy, vey.”

Rhea then came in with an armful of vases, all with little Hades painted on them.

“Y’know, I think I’m gonna make some more tea,” Hades announced as he abruptly rose from his chair and took the teapot from the table. “This pot’s probably gone cold by now.”

Persephone opened her mouth, wanting to stop him from leaving, but Rhea had already settled back into the chair beside her and was starting to show her the vases.

“Here’s one of him and his brothers playing together,” Rhea said, lifting up one vase to show Persephone. “And then this one—”

Meanwhile, Hades stood alone in the kitchen preparing another pot of hibiscus tea.

“I knew I should’ve beseeched her beforehand. I knew it! She just had to bring the pictures. Oy, this is gonna be a long afternoon.” Hades thought to himself as he held one hand beneath the teapot, allowing the blue flame flickering across his palm to warm it. Within moments, steam began curling from the spout as the pot made a whistling noise.

He then took a deep breath before returning to the tea room, where his mother was still cheerfully showing Persephone the vases.

As Hades began refreshing their cups, Rhea placed the vase she had been showing Persephone onto the table and reached down for another.

“Oh, you have to see this one!” she said excitedly.

Hades glanced at the vase in her hands, and his expression immediately fell. “Ma, please. Not that one.”

“This was right after one of his baths.” Rhea explained, turning the vase toward Persephone.

Painted on it was a baby Hades lying facedown on a blanket with his bare bottom in the air.

Persephone gasped as an affectionate and amused smile spread across her face. “Aww, look at him!”

“And look at those little buns!” Rhea gushed. “I remember that little tuchus looked like two round blueberries! It was precious! I tell ya, I wish this one had been painted in color.”

“Ma! Can ya not?!” Hades exclaimed as he set the tea pot back down on the table.

“What?” Rhea asked innocently. “You had the most adorable little tuchus.”

Hades let out an exasperated sigh as he slumped into his chair and covered his face with his hand, practically trying to hide his shame as Perspehone and his mother carried on.

The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly for the most part, after Rhea showed Persephone the remaining vases and shared a few more stories from Hades’ childhood. Thankfully for Hades, none of them were quite as humiliating as the bath-time portrait (though, he still found himself correcting his mother’s “exaggerations” whenever he felt she had taken too many “creative liberties”).

By the time the last of the tea had been poured and most of the pastries and hors d’oeuvres had disappeared, it was time for Rhea to head home.

“Well, I suppose I should be going,” Rhea said reluctantly as she rose from her chair. “I’m supposed to be hosting Mega Bingo tonight.”

“What’s Mega Bingo?” Persephone asked.

“Oh, it’s like regular bingo, but ten times more fun. Five hundred cards, live musicians, an open ambrosia bar. It’s a whole event. We know how to have a good time on the Isles.” Rhea explained.

“Yeah, and if ya think that’s wild, you should see the place during shuffleboard season.” Hades added with a smirk, playfully nudging his wife.

Persephone laughed as she and Hades helped Rhea gather the vases. Together, they made their way toward the River Styx, where Charon waited beside his boat.

After carefully loading the vases aboard, Hades and Persephone turned to say their goodbyes.

“Well, thank you so much for coming, Rhea,” Persephone said. “I’m really glad we finally got the chance to meet properly.”

“Oh, so am I, sweetheart,” Rhea replied as she pulled Persephone into another warm embrace, which Persephone eagerly returned. “I hope you two come and visit me soon.”

“We will, Ma.” Hades said with a smile as he stepped forward to hug his mother.

Rhea held him tightly for a moment before placing a little kiss on his cheek. She then boarded the boat before turning back to the couple.

“Hades, you take good care of her. And remember, Persephone, if he ever gives you any trouble, you know where to find me.” Rhea said with a wink.

Persephone nodded with a giggle as Hades pulled her to his side.

“Don’t worry, Ma. She’s in good hands.”

“I know she is.” Rhea replied with a warm smile.

Charon then pushed the boat away from the shore as Rhea waved and blew a kiss.

After the boat passed through the open wall gate that blocked off the entrance to the Underworld, watching it slowly close, Persephone then released a long breath.

“Well,” she said, looking over to Hades. “I think that went really well.”

“Mm-hm.” Hades simply replied as the pair headed back to the tea room to clean up.

“I can’t believe I was so nervous.” Persephone said, shaking her head as she started collecting any leftover onto a large tray.

“See? I told ya there was nothin’ to worry about.” Hades told her with a small smile as he found another tray and started piling dirty dishes and cups onto it.

“Yeah, you were right. Your mother is wonderful.” She replied, returning his smile.

“Mm-hm.”

Persephone paused and looked over at him. She could tell something was off about her husband, but decided not to push as they collected all of the dirty dishes and leftover food.

Hades remained silent as they went back to the kitchen, Persephone putting the leftovers away as he started to clean the dishes in the basin sink.

“Are you okay?” Persephone asked as she closed the ice box.

“I’m fine.” Hades replied, staying focused on his new self-assigned task of washing the dishes.

“Are you sure? You’ve been kinda quiet since your mom left.”

“Yep. I’m just peachy.”

Persephone watched him continue washing the dishes for another moment until she realized…

“You’re embarrassed.”

Hades stopped scrubbing and glanced back at his wife, shaking his head. “I’m not embarrassed, babe.”

“You are.” Persephone insisted as she walked over to her husband.

“I’m not.”

“Hades.” 

She gave him a knowing look. They may have only been married for a few months, but she already knew him well enough to tell when he was lying.

Hades hesitated before letting out a long sigh. He then washed his hands before drying them off with a dish rag.

“Alright, alright. Maybe…I kinda…sorta…am.” he admitted, avoiding her gaze.

“Why? Because of your mom?” Persephone asked.

“No, it’s not her. It’s…” Hades trailed off, struggling to find the right words. “Look, you just sat through hours of stories about me, and my childhood, and how I used to cling to my mother like a baby possum. Heck, ya even saw my butt immortalized in pottery! I’m mortified, babe!” Hades explained.

Persephone looked at him sympathetically before wrapping her arms around him. “Oh, honey.”

Hades immediately accepted the embrace, holding her close. “I…I just didn’t want ya to see me differently after all that, y’know?”

Persephone pulled back just enough to look up at him with an affectionate smile on her face. 

“Sweetheart, I don’t think any less of you because of any of that. You’re still the big, bad God of the Underworld I married, and you always will be. A few childhood stories and some baby pictures aren’t going to change that.”

Hades’ expression softened as she gently held his chin.

“In fact, they just make me love you even more than I already did,” she continued. “Because now I know you’ve always had a sweet side.”

Persephone then leaned up and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. Hades returned it without hesitation, holding her close as the kiss lingered for a few moments.

When they parted, he gave her a small, crooked smile.

“Yeah, well…don’t go spreadin’ that around, y’know? I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

Persephone giggled as she cuddled against his chest. Hades held her close for a moment until an idea suddenly occurred to him.

He leaned back and looked at his wife with a mischievous smile.

“Actually, y’know what would be a fantastic idea, babe? How about I invite your mother to come visit, huh?” Hades suggested playfully.

“No way!” Persephone replied, still smiling.

“In fact, I’ll see if Ma can get in touch with your grandparents. We’ll invite them too. And hey, I know it’s winter, but Despoina can’t be that busy, right? I’m sure she’s got plenty of good stories about you.” 

His grin widened. “Oh, and I bet your mother has some terrific baby pictures. Can’t wait to see those.” Hades said as he began walking away.

Olympus City was full of gods, mortals, demigods and all kinds of creatures in between living together in…toleration at best. It was the kind of place where nobody looked twice at a god grabbing a quick coffee and a muffin at the café, a centaur “jaytrotting” across the street, or a mortal casually walking to work while listening to The Muses’ latest hit song in their earbuds. 

The evening rush had swallowed the streets whole, pouring everybody out beneath the glow of the digital billboards and neon signs that lit up the city. Hades, attorney at law and owner of one of the biggest law firms in the city: Underworld Law, stalked toward his car with his phone pressed to his ear, his flaming blue hair flickering red at the ends as his patience wore thin with the imps on the other line.

“I told you two bozos to get some dirt on that guy, SO DO IT! Wha-- shovels?! Why would you need—?” Hades snapped as he unlocked his car with his car remote. He then pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out an exasperated sigh.

“Let me spell it out for you two in plain Greek, okay? Get me some incriminating evidence on this guy by Monday morning, or I’m gonna rip your heads off and mount them in my office, comprendé bonditos? Great, now don’t bother me again until ya got somethin’ good.” 

With that, Hades hung up the call and promptly opened the door to his black sports car before getting inside, letting out another sigh, this one sounding more tired than annoyed. He then pushed the ignition button as his car rumbled to life and proceeded to pull out of the parking lot and out into the busy after-work traffic.

However, just when Hades thought he could relax and get an early start on his weekend, he received another phone call, the name “Zeus” popping up on his car’s entertainment system screen.

“Oh, gods. What does he want?” he asked out loud before accepting the call.

“Hades! My little brother! How have you been?!” Zeus asked in a jovial tone.

Hades rolled his eyes, knowing his older brother didn’t actually care how he was doing. “Oh, y’know. The usual: running my business and charging my clients outrageous prices so they can walk free.”

“Oh, right, yes. Your little law firm business…it is a law firm, isn’t it? I always forget.”

Hades’ grip tightened on the steering wheel.

“Yeah, it’s a law firm, alright. Though, I wouldn’t exactly say that having over a thousand clients since starting the business and being named the city’s biggest law firm by the local business magazines is little, but hey, I guess when you’re powering the entire city, everything is considered ‘little’.” 

“Oh, well, I’m very glad to hear your enterprise is doing so well. Sounds like you’re working hard. Just be sure to take a break once in a while. Don’t work yourself to death! HA! Y-You get it? Because you were originally the Lord of the Dead! Ha ha! I kill myself!”

“Heh, yeah…if only.” Hades muttered under his breath as he clenched his jaw.

“In any case, I do actually need a favor.” Zeus said as his laughter died down.

Hades threw his head back against his seat and rolled his eyes. “Oh, great. Great! I knew it would only be a matter of time before he’d be asking me for freebies.” he thought. 

“Just what kind of favor are we talkin’ here? Lawsuit? Cover-up job? Breach of contract? Because I gotta tell ya, babe, I usually charge extra for family, okay? My firm is strictly ‘nepotism-free’.”

”No, no, nothing legal. This is a personal favor.”

Hades raised a brow as he looked at Zeus’ name on the entertainment system screen before looking back onto the road.

“You see, Hera is tied up with work and is going to be home a bit later than usual tonight, and I have some rather important business to take care of this evening, so I was hoping that you’d be able to pick up our little Hercules from nursery school.”

Hades was dead silent for a moment as he let the baffling request sink in.

“Excuse me?”

“By the time you get him back to our house, Hera should be home soon enough. If she isn’t, just keep an eye on him until she gets there. She shouldn’t be long by then.”

“Uh-huh. Yeah, I would just love to waste my gas driving all the way out to the little sunspot’s nursery and play babysitter, but I—“ Hades began with a sarcastic tone before Zeus cut him off.

“Fantastic! I’ll send you the address right away. I already informed the staff you’d be picking him up, so they should have your name in the system.”

“Woah, woah! Hold on a second! I didn’t say I’d—“

“Thanks so much, Hades! I don’t know what we’d do without you! I better get back to work. Talk to you later!”

“Hey! Zeus! I’m not—“

With a few soft beeps, Zeus’ name disappeared from his car’s screen as the call abruptly ended. Hades stared at the screen in disbelief.

“I can’t believe that just happened.” he said to himself in bewilderment.

“So much for starting my weekend.” he sighed as he leaned back fully against his seat.

Once he reached a stoplight, Hades picked up his phone and found that Zeus had already sent the address to Hercules’ nursery school.

He then connected to the GPS app on his car and pressed the “BEGIN ROUTE” button.

“Starting route to ‘Golden Apple Nursery School’.”

~X~X~X~X~

By the time Hades finally pulled into the parking lot of the nursery school, the place was already crawling with parents collecting their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers for the evening.

Just one glance at the place (and a few of the clientele) told him everything he needed to know. This was one of those nursery schools. The crazy expensive, extremely polished type of nursery schools where the city’s insufferably wealthy elites sent their children to finger-paint in luxury. 

“Of course it is,” Hades thought sourly as he eased his car through the crowded lot in search of a parking space. “Why else would Zeus send his kid here?”

By some miracle, he managed to snag an open spot near the front entrance, wedged between a minivan and a shiny little SUV sporting a bright yellow “BABY ON BOARD” sticker on the rear window. 

“Oy, vey. This is gonna be a regular trip through Tartarus.” he mumbled under his breath as he cut the engine, unfastened his seatbelt, and got out of the car.

With a weary sigh, Hades adjusted his suit jacket and started toward the entrance, his black polished shoes clicking against the pavement as he weaved past a stroller and a demigod father crouched beside his son, praising a scribbled drawing like it belonged in a museum.

The lobby was just what he imagined it would be like (if not worse). Everything smelled faintly of crayons, baby powder, and disinfectant. Soft pastel colored walls were covered in painted murals of clouds, flowers, and trees, while upholstered furniture and neatly arranged toy baskets sat nearby, looking almost like a waiting room at a pediatric doctor’s office. A child-sized reading nook sat in one corner with tiny chairs, low bookshelves filled with picture books, and a plush rug that looked almost too clean to have ever been stepped on by an actual child. 

Doting parents helped their toddlers put on their tiny backpacks, put their babies in strollers, and held the hands of their preschoolers as they talked endlessly about their exciting day at nursery school.

Hades then noticed the reception desk was momentarily empty and decided to seize the opportunity to talk to the nymph behind the computer so he could get out of there as soon as possible.

“Hi there!” she said with a polite smile. “Are you here for pickup?”

“Yeah,” Hades said flatly. “Hercules.”

The nymph gave him a quick onceover before turning to her computer and typing something into the system. Hades ignored the suspicious and slightly judgmental glance as he casually leaned his arm against the desk.

“Oh,” she said at last, her expression brightening. “Right, here we are. His father called earlier to let us know his uncle would be picking him up today. You must be Hades, then.”

Hades rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately, yes, I am. So, what? Do we need to do a background check while we’re at it or are ya gonna tell me what room he’s in so I can get on with the rest of my night?” he asked with dry sarcasm. “C’mon, I got a busy schedule.”

The nymph simply blinked at him. “Uh…the…infant room is just around the corner. First one on the right.”

“Great.”

With that, Hades turned on his heel and headed down the hall, already more annoyed than he had been when he first walked in. The nymph behind the desk stared at Hades in astonishment for a moment before shaking her head, promptly turning her attention to the next parent approaching the desk. 

It seemed to him that the farther he went, the worse the place became. Nearly every inch of wall in the hallway was plastered with poorly drawn pictures, construction paper crafts, and aggressively cheerful posters about kindness and sharing. Tiny cubbies lined one side of the hallway, each one crammed with tiny backpacks, lunchboxes, and little jackets that were no bigger than dish rags.

Somewhere nearby, a toddler started crying as another one followed suit as if they were competing to be the loudest kid in the building. Hades couldn’t help but cringe at the noise.

“Just get in and out then drop the kid off at his house. That’s all ya gotta do.” he thought to himself as he finally reached the infant room, only to stop short at the doorway. 

He then noticed a large poster with neatly printed text next to the room’s entrance: PLEASE REMOVE OUTDOOR SHOES OR USE PROVIDED SHOE COVERS BEFORE ENTERING.

Hades looked down and saw a shelf with a few pairs of adult shoes. Next to it, sat an automatic shoe cover dispenser along with a small waste basket half full of previously used covers.

“Oh, you gotta be kidding me.” he muttered as he shook his head, looking at the shoe cover dispenser with disdain.

It seemed one of the caregivers (who also happened to be a nymph) from inside the room had heard him or noticed him (or both) and approached him at the door, the closed bottom-half of the Dutch door keeping them separated. 

“You can stay there if you’d like. We can bring him to you.”

“Please do.” Hades replied flatly.

The nymph caregiver then gave him a polite and slightly nervous smile before turning back toward the room and saying something to one of the other workers inside.

Hades glanced over at the other caregiver to find that she wasn’t another nymph, but a goddess. A very pretty one at that.

She was a plump, pink deity with dazzling (at least, Hades thought so) amethyst-colored eyes and long, hot pink hair put up in a ponytail. Her clothes were surprisingly neat and tidy despite working all day with infants, but that was most likely due to the cream-colored apron with the small golden apple (the nursery school’s logo) embroidered on the corner that she wore over the top of her outfit.

Hades couldn’t help but stare as she gently held his nephew in her arms, softly cooing at him with a sweet smile.

“Woah…how in the Underworld could a gorgeous goddess like that be working in a place like this? Seriously, she should be some sort of fashion model or a business owner, not a professional diaper changer and drool wiper for a bunch of rugrats!” Hades thought as he absentmindedly watched her put Hercules into his carrier as she gathered his things.

Before he even realized it, the goddess had already approached him at the door, Hercules buckled into his carrier in one hand, and his diaper bag slung over the other arm.

“Here he is,” she said politely. “All ready to go.”

Her voice snapped Hades out of his trance so suddenly that it took him a second to remember where he was and what he was even doing.

“Huh?” Hades glanced down at his nephew in the carrier and frowned slightly. “Oh, yeah. Right.”

The goddess took note of his reaction to the infant as she carefully handed everything over to him. He acted as if he had never been around a baby before in his life as he awkwardly held everything in hands, trying his best to keep it all off his nice suit as if they would somehow get it dirty just by being near him.

“He did really well today. Took all his feedings and had 6 diaper changes.” she informed him with a warm smile as she looked at the content little Hercules in his carrier.

Hades hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond to the random update. “Uh…good,” he replied, awkwardly adjusting the diaper bag in his hands. “Good to know he had an, uh…eventful day. I’ll be sure to pass that along to his folks.” he said as he glanced down at Hercules.

“Oh, his daily report is in his diaper bag, so you can just give that to his parents when you see them.” she told him as she pointed to the diaper bag.

Hades lifted the bag up a bit and found that there were indeed a few papers tucked between some spare diapers and a small, folded blanket.

“Daily report? Seriously?” Hades asked with a raised brow as he glanced up at her.

She gave him a small, patient smile. “Yeah, it just lets parents know how their baby’s day went,” she explained. “Feedings, diaper changes, naps, that sort of thing.”

Hades gave a slight shrug. “Hey, whatever helps the parents feel like they’re getting their money’s worth around here.”

He then shifted the carrier in his hands and started to turn, then stopped himself. “Anyway, thanks, uh…”

“Persephone.” she answered with a smile.

“Persephone…I’ll uh…see ya around,” Hades said with a charming smile before glancing down at the bag and carrier in his arms and frowning once more. “Or not.” 

Persephone gave him a slightly suspicious glance before looking down and smiling at Hercules. “Bye-bye, Hercules! Bye-bye!” she cooed softly as she gave a little wave to Hercules who giggled and kicked his little feet in his carrier.

Hades refrained from rolling his eyes as he made a bee-line for the exit while Persephone watched him disappear down the hall.

Persephone then closed the top half of the Dutch door and secured it to the bottom half with the latch, making it whole again before turning back to the room.

“Well, that’s everybody. Hey, Chryseis, did you want me to start vacuuming?”

“That’s okay, I got it. You can head out if you want.” Chryseis replied as she went to the closet to get the vacuum. 

“Are you sure you don’t need any help with clean up? I can stay longer.” Persephone asked.

“Nah, I’m all good here. You worked through lunch today; you should go home early. Go enjoy your weekend.” Chryseis said with an easy smile.

Persephone returned her smile as she gave her a small wave. “Alright, I’ll see ya Monday. Have a good weekend!”

So, Persephone walked out, gathered her things from the employee break room, clocked out, and headed for her car…until she heard some irate grumblings from not too far away.

“C’mon, ya stupid—grraah! How the hell do ya get this thing in here?!” Hades exclaimed, his hair crackling and glowing a frustrated shade of red as he crouched beside the open back door of his car, wrestling with Hercules’ carrier and the seat belt.

Hercules, meanwhile, just giggled at Hades’ struggles as if he were putting on a little show for him while loading him into the car.

“Wow, this guy really isn't used to being around babies, is he?” Persephone thought as she watched him from a distance. “I better help him out before I go.”

Quietly, she approached Hades from behind. “Um… do you need a hand with that?” 

Hades jerked upright so fast that the top of his head smacked hard against the door frame.

“OW! Son of a—!” he hissed, holding his hand to his head as he swiftly spun around with an expression of pure rage, his hair flaring up so much that it reached his broad shoulders.

Clearly, he was ready to chew out whoever was speaking to him…until he noticed that it was Persephone that was speaking.

As soon as his eyes met hers, his flaming hair almost immediately died down and went back to its default shade of blue. Any signs of anger or frustration had suddenly disappeared from his visage.

He was almost embarrassed that she had seen him so ticked off with something so menial as he bashfully adjusted the collar of his button up shirt. “Uh, no, I—” he glanced back at the crooked carrier wedged awkwardly in the backseat with the seat belt tangled up around it, then sighed in defeat. “Actually, yeah. Sure. I could…probably…use some help.”

Persephone smiled, pretending not to notice how flustered he suddenly looked. “These things can be a little tricky at first.”

“A little tricky?” Hades said as he stepped aside to make room for her before leaning on the side of the car. “I’ve seen legal contracts simpler than this thing.”

Persephone giggled as she grabbed ahold of the seatbelt and untangled it from Hercules’ carrier. She then showed Hades how to properly and securely buckle him into the backseat as Hades watched attentively.  

Once she was done, Persephone gave the handle a little test to make sure the seat was fully in place. “That’s it. You two are ready to hit the road.” she said as she stepped away from the back seat.

Hades gave her a genuine smile as he stopped leaning on the car and went towards the open door. “Hey, thanks, babe. I appreciate that. Obviously, I’m not used to all this baby stuff. I’m just doin’ a favor for his old man.” he said as he closed the door.

“It’s no problem, I understand. Just happy to help.” Persephone replied with a warm smile and a small shrug.

She then gave him a small wave as she turned to walk to her car. Hades gave her a little wave back before getting into his car and starting it up.

Once Persephone had finally reached her car, Hades had already left the parking lot.

“Hey, do you know who that was?” someone asked from beside her.

Persephone looked over to see one of the nymph toddler teachers, Admete, heading to her own car for the evening and just so happened to be parked next to her. 

“Oh, yeah,” Persephone said as she unlocked her door. “That’s Hercules’ uncle.”

“No, that’s Hades. From Underworld Law, that big law firm downtown.” Admete replied.

“Oh…” Persephone paused. “I didn’t know that.”

“I guess that explains the legal contract joke he made back there.” She thought to herself before Admete started speaking again.

“Yeah, he’s notorious for representing the low lives of Olympus City. He’ll defend anyone if they pay him enough. The god’s a total scumbag if you ask me.”

Persephone frowned slightly and glanced out toward the exit of the parking lot where his car had been just moments ago.

“Honestly, I can’t believe Hercules’ parents let him get picked up by him even if he is family.” Admete added as she unlocked her car and tossed her bag into the passenger seat.

“Wow, I really had no idea. That’s…kinda shocking.” Persephone said as she opened her car door.

“Yeah,” Admete agreed with a nod. "Well, anyways, have a good weekend! I’ll see you Monday!”

“Bye!” Persephone gave her a small wave as they both got into their cars and began making their way out of the parking lot.

So basically, I decided to do online college classes so I’ve been busy with that for the most part (only have this semester and 2 more and I’ll be done ☺️) and I was busy with work but uhh…I was let go last week due to the business failing, so that kinda stinks. But, it was kind of a blessing in disguise because I HATED working there due to horrible management plus I really needed a long vacation away from that place so I guess I got my wish in an ironic sort of way lol.

Anways, while I’m job searching and doing school work, I have a lot of free time to actually do stuff I want to do like writing fics and working on posts which I’ve actually been doing after forever lol! I’ve been working on the next part of my little “Dreamlight Valley Persephades Playthrough” video and I’ve been working little by little on my next fic. ☺️

So yeah, that’s about it. I’m just trying to get used to actually having free time and a life besides school and work again lol.

But as far as my birthday goes, I’m not sure I’ll be going to the Disney store this year. They usually don’t have any good clothes left in my size and they barely have any Hades merch since it’s spring. It’s mostly Toy Story, Disney Princess, and Stitch stuff as far as I can remember and they usually don’t have much on their online store either. Just gotta rely on eBay for good Hades merch I guess lol. But I’ll try to find/get SOMETHING Hades related for my birthday this year (either tomorrow or some time after) and show it to you guys when I can. 🥰🔥💙