Nosy Neighbors

3

Minthe knocked over a bowl of receipts and clothing tags on her way to grab up the remote. Thank the gods, Hades hadn't turned off her TiVo yet. She couldn't press the rewind button fast enough. What the fuck was happening? Hades was supposed to be getting engaged to her. The lines on the tv waved as it speed in reverse. No, not engaged to her. He was supposed to be pining for her. He was supposed to be pushed away. Pushed. . . - Minthe crawled closer to the TV. Her big blue idiot moving oddly-Twitches across the screen. Pushed away. Did she push too far. Push. . . Towards her? A pink blur. A round baby face in the coat Hades wouldn't let her have. That ring in his pocket. . . Minthe sat back on the floor, her head resting on the coffee table.

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Hera paced behind the camera. Rage swelling up under her skin. She kept checking her reflection in her compact to make sure her eyes weren't popping out of their sockets. How dare he? Hades was supposed to be the reasonable one. The responsible one. The only man in the room that could keep it in his fucking pants. She puffed on a cigar. She looked at the camera. Hades was lucky these cameras were rolling. Once they turned off, Hera would officially be ending her friendship with him. They'd been drifting apart for years now. This was the last and biggest disappointment. Her husband fucked things up all the time. But she held Hades to a higher standard. He was supposed to be better. He had a lot further down to fall.

The red light blinked. The reporters in the audience buzzed. Hera turned around to see Hades ushered through the dark curtain. That fucking bastard.

Then Persephone stepped through, wrapped around his arm. Hades pulled out a chair for her. His eyes never left her face as she sat down and he took his place beside her. Persephone smiled sadly up at him. She never let go of his arm.

The fire in Hera's cigar went cold.

Hades cleared his throat and adjusted the mic on the table. "I'm supposed to say thank you for coming." He started dryly. "I'm also supposed to be honest and candid with you all." He adjusted the ruby cufflinks on his sleeves. "So if I have to pick between the two, I'll be honest and say I wish we didn't have to do this." He grumbled. "You," He looked into the camera, then at all the reporters. "You had no right to be on my property. You had no right to invade my or my guest's privacy." His skin started to darken and venom slipped into his speech. "So now you think I owe you the truth?" His eyes glowed red as fresh spilling blood.

Persephone placed her palm on the side of Hades face. Her thumb sweeping over the tensed angered eyebrow. She whispered something in his ear and Hades' candor changed. He held Persephone's hand and looked down at her with baleful eyes.

"You came to hear the truth." Hades spoke, but he only looked down at Persephone's direction. "But I know that no matter what I say, it will never be good enough for you. You want to know what happened to Persephone while she was in my care? Then she'll tell you herself. She doesn't need an old man to tell her story." He gestured to the mic. Hades and Persephone shared glances.

"But the script?" Persephone blinked, looking at the teleprompter. The nymph running it looked panicked.

"The only script is the truth. So tell tell it." Hades shrugged and smiled reassuringly. He squeezed her hand for comfort.

"It's true." Persephone turned to the crowd.

"What?" Someone yelled in the back.

"Oh. Sorry." Persephone readjusted the mic-stand for her height. "Ahem. Like I said it's true." She pulled on an authoritative voice that surprised even herself. "I was tricked into Hades' house. But not by Hades." She said hurriedly, sensing their fingers flashing on their tablets and notepads. They all came here with a preconceived idea of what happened. Her job was to redirect them. "I was a pawn in someone else's game of jealousy. I could name names, but they know who they are and until I speak with them privately of this matter, I will not broadcast their identity publicly. So," Persephone fiddled with the diamond button on her coat. "So, no. I didn't willingly go to Hades'. That much is true. But while I was tricked into going, I stayed on my own volition." Persephone smirked quietly to herself. "I wanted to stay. I was a welcomed guest, and was welcome to leave any time, but I didn't want to." She looked up through her long eyelashes. "To be honest, nothing that happened while I was Hades' guests is any of your fucking business." Persephone said matt'ofactly. "But just to be clear, that photo going around?" She leaned up on the mic. Her lips so close she could feel the static. "I was having a good time." She darted her eyes up at Hades. "A very good time."

The crowd rustled. Chuckles and load murmurs echoed in the live studio. Hades' blushed, embarrassed, but his lips curled up. He looked down at Persephone with his eyebrows raised as if to say, "Did you really have to say that?"

She shrugged back. "And what about it?"

Hades grabbed the mic. "That'll be all." He began to stand up and held his hand out for Persephone to do the same.

"Have you told your mother?" - "Persephone, what about your scholarship?" - "Hades did you know she is only nineteen?" - "Persephone, will you move back to the mortal realm now?"

"We're not taking questions at this time." Hades grumbled trying to shield her from the crowd that had all gotten up off their chairs once they realized Hades and Persephone were done talking.

"Persephone, what happens now?"

Hades pulled her towards the gap in the curtain to escape, but she stood still. For the first time since coming out behind the curtain, Hades and Persephone lost contact. He watched as she slowly turned back to the mic.

"I don't know what happens now." She said honestly. "I only know that I'm done pretending to be something I'm not. I'm done living out someone else's version of me. I know I can't go back. My life won't ever be the same again. And I don't want it to."

"Hestia has revoked her scholarship. She's not allowed back to live with Artemis." - "Persephone, how does it feel going from a prude to a slut?"

Before Persephone could really process that extremely offensive question, Hera stepped out from the shadows and grabbed the mic from Persephone. "Alright here, you little fuckers. Did you really just call The Goddess of Spring, the daughter of Demeter, member of the six traitors, founding mother of the world as you know it, a fucking slut?" Hera's eyes glowed with the intensity of molten lava. "This Goddess is nineteen years old and has been handling all of your bullshit with more grace than any of you deserve. No matter what a women does, it is NEVER enough for you. Either she's a prude or a slut. Really? Are you fucking kidding me?" Hera drew in a deep breath and stared down the audience while she lit another cigar.

"He's ruined her reputation!"

Hades tensed. Deep down he knew it to be true. Her association with him, in any regards, would stain her. The people feared Hades. The people didn't speak his name. He was untouchable and that's the way he liked things. But not her. Persephone shuffled her feet. No. Persephone was kind and soft, and happy.

Hades, his kingdom, was cold, not because its ruler was cold, but because the world turned its back on it. When the world turned its back on her, would Persephone grow cold?

Homeless. She said.

He had to get her out of here. The longer they stayed the more dirt would be flung and the deeper the grave they dug. He dipped his hands into his pocket, but before he remembered that he didn't drive and his keys were still hanging up next to the dog leashes back home, his fingers found something else.

Persephone took back the mic from Hera. "I have no reputation. Who even knew my name before it was plastered in headlines? Hades didn't ruin anything. You did. All of you. If not for you I would still be enjoying my evening, playing with dogs and making cookies in Hades' kitchen. Hades isn't a cold hearted monster. You all just like to perceive it that way. So no matter what we say. No matter if we defend ourselves or not, you're only going to believe what you want to. Believe he's a monster. Believe I'm a monster's whore. So be it. But leave us alone."

Hades made eye contact with Hera. Hera nodded, a grin on her cheeks.

Persephone continued on. "Hades makes me happy and I don't care what that looks like. I don't care what that makes me!"

"A Queen." Hades said softly behind her.

"What?" Persephone turned around. Hades bent one knee to the ground. Their eyes met at the same level. He pulled the velvet box out of his pocket.

"Persephone." Hades started, his voice just above a whisper. "You don't know what tomorrow brings. This new life of yours, was born from a storm. I can't foresee the future, but I can offer you a sacred promise. That you don't have to face it alone." He opened the box.

Persephone tilted her head. "Um." She steepled her fingers. "There's nothing there."

"No there's not." Hades blushed. "There was a ring in there. But it wasn't good enough for you. I didn't feel right offering a symbol of my. . . of my love, with something not reflective of it. I have too high of standards. If you accept me. If you accept my proposal, I promise to give you a ring worthy of you. Worthy of my heart."

"Oh Hades." Persephone stepped forward.

"Marry me." Hades breathed. "Live with me. Stay with me. Be my Queen. My wife. My heart. I'll be your husband. I'll be your heart. That is." He paused. "If you want me."

"If I want you?" Persephone bit her lip. "Was I not clear earlier? You're so uncertain." Persephone ruthfully smirked. She clasped her hands on both sides of Hades' face. "What do I need to do to make you understand," She kissed his forehead softly. "That you're everything I want?"

"Say yes." Hades begged.

"Are you sure about this?" Persephone paused. Genuinely curious. "This is a huge decision." She sat on his bent leg. "Isn't this a bit sudden?"

"Do you want to slow down?" Hades raised his eyebrow.

"Yes." Persephone said resolutely.

"Yes, you want to slow down?"

"Oh. No." She blinked, seeing the confusion. "I-I meant. I'm ready." She grabbed Hades hand in hers. "Yes. I'll marry you."

Hades pulled her into a hug. They stayed there like that on the stage. Both sitting on the ground, not caring at all about the others around them. It was just the two of them in the whole universe again.

"I won't hurt you." He whispered into her ear.

"I love you." She whispered back.

"I love you more." Hades kissed her.

"I wish we could stay like this forever." Persephone sighed resting her cheek against his.

"We can." Hades played with her hair. "We will." He promised.

"Let's go home." Persephone grinned up at him. Hades wrapped her up in his arms and took her off stage. Home was with Hades now. "Speaking of home." Persephone played with his tie. "I was thinking about doing some redecorating."

"Already?" Hades balked.

"Yeah. I'm thinking we should install curtains on the kitchen windows." Persephone bit her lip seductively and winked up at him.

AN: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it!

xoxo - Goldie