Son of Hades

Control

A small moan leaves my dry lips. My head is aching and darkness dances beneath my gaze. Confusion is everywhere and clouding every thought. What the fuck happened? This feels like the worst hangover ever. The last thing I remember is being in that room with Persephone, and then . . . and then it all went dark.

           What happened? Did I dream it all? I'm laying in my bed, staring at the dark ceiling. I reach up to touch my neck, feeling only cold skin. Castiel's all-access card is still in my back pocket. I'm still wearing the same jeans and T-shirt. Why would I just fall asleep like that? Did I drink her wine?

           The dull ache that something is wrong fills the back of my mind. We were talking about something important. I think I told her about Jasmine, and about loving Xavier and needing to drop out of the competition. Instead of all that, she wants me to spy for her. The more I think about what happened, the more the back of my skull begins to throb.

            I should change clothes, visit the bathhouse and see if its almost time for lunch . . . or is it dinner? I stupidly glance outside my bedroom window, but see only darkness.

            Darkness. Persephone said something about darkness, but its at the very edge of my memory. I want to grab onto it, but I can't seem to hold onto it. Its like watching through a TV screen. Frustration and anxiety build from my stomach to my chest. I pull the covers over my head, trying to just imagine that I'm back home for just a moment.

            A knock comes at my door. Can I just pretend to lay around and play dead for a little while? “Ariel,” It was Xavier's voice and he sounded so much lighter and happier. But I still didn't want to get out of bed yet. When the door creaks open, Xavier stands alone in the doorway. “Ariel?” he asks again. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to just — ”

          “Come here, Xie. Please come lay with me. Shut the door.”

           I hear the door quietly closing, and moments later I feel Xavier crawling under the blankets with me. “I can't stay long,” he says, and he kisses me on the cheek. “you weren't at breakfast or lunch this afternoon. Persephone said that you weren't feeling too good. I just wanted to check up on my sweet girlfriend.” Xavier wraps his arms around me, and we're still underneath the blankets. I can still pretend like we're a normal couple.

          I turn to face him in bed. He took his jacket off, and has the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled to his elbows. I want to touch his chest to feel for the wire, but I won't. Instead, my lips meet his in the darkness and I lay against his chest. I want to tell him about being in Persephone's office, but I can't. As soon as those words try to leave my lips, I forget everything from Persephone's office. Instead, I lie which has always come easily before. “Just feel really sick.”

         “I can bring dinner to your room tonight?” he asks. “you don't have to eat with the others.”

           “I think that'd be best,” I don't think I wanted to face the other girls tonight after what happened at the bash last night, and Persephone after what happened this morning.

         Xavier kisses my cheek. “Anything in particular you want?”

          “Surprise me.”

           “Oh, surprise you? I thought you didn't like surprises.” Xavier's fingers caress my body, and his lips touch my neck. I yearn to touch him, letting him press his lips to mine. “don't you think I could make you feel a little better?”

          Its so hard to control myself around him. But I have to. Persephone and Castiel (used to) have an all-access key card. That means the Gods could walk in on us at any time, and that made nervousness churn through my growling stomach. I push Xavier away even though I don't want to. “Wait, please,” it was hard to say those words, hard not to get lost in his touch. But he immediately leans back. “I — I hardly know you, Xavier.”