Designed Destiny

10. Frenemies?

Planet: The Underworld

Persephon startled awake with a jolt, his head still throbbing, vision swimming...and where the hell was he anymore? He anxiously sat up and looked around frantically, hopefully. Mommy–! Oh. He was still in the God of the Dead's manor. Speaking of the devil, Hades was at his bedside leaning back in a chair, he for once wasn't clad in his menacing armor. Persephon's eyes briefly darted over him with interest; his "casual" clothes were particularly striking on him with an ab-hugging black leather jerkin over a long-sleeved mesh of fine chains, completing the number were tall black fingerless gloves and black leather trousers, his long white hair haphazardly pulled back loosely by a leather string so most of it fantastically floated in mid-air as if underwater. Low-key was definitely a good look for him, Persephon noted absently.

"You're staring," Hades reminded him.

He blinked rapidly and flushed with embarrassment. "Me? Well, what the hell are you gawking at? And by the way, I didn't need your high and mighty ass to swoop down and save me, okay?" He snapped and threw the blankets off and scrambled out of bed. "I'm not some helpless diva -" he cursed as he tripped over the blankets on the floor and fell. "I fucking planned that!" He snapped, then managed to do a quick set of push-ups as if that had been the intention all along before he pushed himself back up to his feet. Hades had no comment and arched an eyebrow as he looked him over. "Look, if you're snooping around here looking for a thank you or something, forget it. You can fuck yourself before that happens."

"Feisty," he smirked.

Persephon blushed again, then snapped, "bite me." He hastily gathered up some clothes to throw on. He couldn't believe Hades seen him undressed while he was unawares; he was currently dressed in some plain black oversized shirt that vaguely smelled like Hades' cologne. Why the God of the Dead even wore cologne was beyond him, but he didn't mind the scent, it was...actually really good. "What the fuck even happened anyway? You patched me up, gave me a shirt to wear, that's all weirdly decent and, by the way, I never asked you for a damn thing."

"Meh. Don't overthink it," he shrugged and slowly stood up.

Persephon scowled and self-consciously held his bundle of clothes to his chest; his different colored eyes flickered over the god as his thoughts raced. "I've never been accused of overthinking things -"

"Or thinking in general, I'm sure," he sneered.

"Urgh, has anyone ever told you you're such a prick? C'uz if not, I'd like to be the first," he retorted. "You're a prick."

"Ooh, spoiler alert, I've heard that before." He winked.

"Doesn't surprise me!"

Hades rolled his eyes. "Whatever. See you around, Nysian," he turned for the door.

"No, wait!" Persephon blushed when Hades glanced over his shoulder at him. "Errr, I mean," he rolled his eyes. "What I was trying to say before you had to interrupt me like a jerk was: why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" He turned to face him again. "Not let you get eaten?" Persephon scowled but nodded, gesturing for him to go on. "I don't know, maybe my moral compass's needle just so happened to be pointing in the right direction for once."

The demigod made a face of disgust, unimpressed with the answer. "Ugh, you're repulsive."

"You're welcome," he shot him a look, then smiled faintly.

"I never said thank you!"

"I know!" He called over his shoulder as he left the room.

"And I never will!" Persephon yelled after him. "Jerk," he huffed.