hades doesn’t break in composure, even when earth shattering words leave hecate’s mouth. his gaze tilts - away from her red eyes. and instead, he studies the wooden grooves in his desk, charred from the occasional fits of anger. 

“i just keep thinking about it... and it hurts, so much.” she all but whispers. the dam breaks and pressure of ‘who hurts less’ gives under the weight of hecate’s words. she doesn’t need to say what it is. there are countless memories that hang between them; lived within the confines of shared cigarettes, and wordless touches. it had always been easy to laugh and go to who might as well have been an advisor of sorts. but now, hades keeps his hands tucked into his elbows. 

“i know i shouldn’t, but i miss you.” and oh, hades wishes she hadn’t just said that. he searches for words, but only comes up with a sigh that catches in his throat. moments like these are stark reminders of how deep his wading has gone in every god’s pool of selfishness. 

“i didn’t think i would have left such a mark on you.” he admits, practically feeling the jagged edge of hecate’s glowing, red stare of disbelief. she is a product of the power and despair that had initially come with hades’ crown. there is temptation in the never-ending wealth that pours from his fingers, and far too many weak souls to use and abuse for his own pleasure. hecate; a friendly, beautiful face to a royally minted king that had just been poisoned by the sinful luxury of a disgusting underworld. 

oh...he’s the asshole, isn’t he? but he must be, it’s too late in this mess not to be - 

“...look -” hades’ attempts to salvage are met with a frigid wall as hecate looks away. he forces himself to not focus on the tears brimming in her eyes, ignoring the slice of guilt that wiggles into his chest. 

“ - hecate.” he says softly. “...i never should have...changed our professional relationship the way i did. and, where we are right now...” idly, his thumb brushes across the golden band around his ring finger. “...professional...is where we need to be.”

hades closes his eyes, making it so much easier to force his voice to err transactional for both of their sakes. “so please...have your latest necromancy report on my desk by tomorrow’s sunrise.” the slight tremor in hades’ fingers is stilled when he grips his lapels, straightening an invisible wrinkle. 

his eyes don’t open until long after hecate disappears from his office.