I'd never seen a child with so many worries.

Discovery: Winterheart Forest

---

He had woken first, admiring Persephone in a moment as the light of day began to catch in the soft speckles of color along her nape and snout. If she woke up then, he'd be just staring and that would be creepy immediately. So he stood up, careful to move away from her as he stretched himself out. He trotted off from her to go through his morning routine, trying to make it quick and all before she caught him. Then, an idea struck him. Maybe he'd run down some breakfast for her, take one thing off her plate. Smart idea, Hades. Inside he was cheering for himself, congratulating himself for such a genius idea. So he struck out a ways - close enough that he could hear her if she called for him - and started to try scouting out a meal. 

Before he'd truly focused on the trail he'd taken, he was further from the lake they'd used as a home base and then he'd broken into the massive expanse of trees. The forest itself they'd avoided for the first night, wanting to be able to see easier as they explored. Now however, there was part of him wanting to explore and the chance to see how kills were would be for them. It didn't take Hades too long to find a younger doe - and running her down wasn't long either. Thankfully winter was on their side and it wasn't too bad to bring her down on his own. He called out, hoping that @Persephone would hear him and join him in the forest.

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There had been some alarm when she'd woken up cold and alone, Hades' scent thick in the spot they'd rested together. Had he left her? Had something happened to him? Persephone roused quickly to her feet, unsure of how long he'd been gone but concerned all the same. His scent didn't seem terribly old or faded, though the little honey wolf couldn't tell if that was because he had only recently departed or because of how heavy it clung to her fur.

She had only just begun to track him down when a voice sang out to her, calling her name. “Hades,” She breathed, breath pluming in the cold winter morning. Her own voice delivered a response, short but full of relief to know that he hadn't left her behind. Hurrying in his direction, it wasn't terribly long before she crossed the forest's threshold in search of him.

Lifting her head to the wind, the female followed his scent, seeking out the man that she'd met only the night before. It was funny how quickly she'd grown comfortable with his presence, so much so that it was odd to not have him beside her then. The feeling wouldn't last long, however, finding the wolf of blues and greys standing over the carcass of a deer. That, however, mattered little to the girl, bounding over to him to nip his haunch and huff at him.

“Scoundrel!” She accused. “I thought you had left.” And the smallest little pout, a downward cast to her ears.
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His ears perked and waited for her response. If she didn't answer then it would take him a bit but he could probably drag the doe closer. That wouldn't be too bad. Might take him a bit, but, he'd be willing. He'd barely swung around to see her bright honey fur as it cut through the forest and his tongue curled to lick the blood of his maw. She nipped his flank and he gasped as if he'd been dramatically wounded, blue eyes narrowing on her face. "Scoundrel?!" He sounded incredulous, but that pout and the way she looked up at him just made him melt a bit too. "How could I leave you, little Goddess?" The question was genuine - as sincere as he could be. Considering how he'd already become so entwined with her since he didn't know anyone else there. He caught himself before he'd touched her forehead - aware of the blood still there. He had to cover that up, giving a slight bow as if he was welcoming her into the area. Yeah. Smooth. Not awkward at all.


He stepped back from the kill, looking at bit proud at the fact that he'd managed to catch them a meal. "I wanted to make our day a bit easier." He explained and gestured towards the kill. He welcomed her to take the first bite - stepping back so she could start to tear in and pick what she wanted. A moment later he'd started in on the doe, too, pleased that the forest had given them something good to start their day off on a good note. 

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“Yes!” He was definitely a scoundrel, making her worry, making her think that it had all been a ruse. For what purpose, she didn't know, but she didn't like waking up alone when she hadn't gone to sleep that way. Still, his question worked to placate her a touch, still pouting and huffing gently at him. Bright eyes watched him closely, making sure that he wasn't going to disappear when she moved towards the kill he'd made. When she was finally convinced, the petite female lowered her head to sniff at the doe, starting in on the breakfast provided by her companion.

It was when he joined her that Persephone not-so-subtly shifted closer to him, honey-dipped fur mingling with steely blue; she didn't say anything, instead focusing on eating until she felt full. It was fortunate that by that time, she had cooled off a little, nudging him gently in silent thanks before settling down to clean herself up while Hades finished up.
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She had no idea. It was odd to think that he felt so protective over her immediately. And yet he'd fallen asleep next to her more swiftly and securely than he had in so long. Nightmares were a problem for him often and he could understand that entirely. He didn't remember sharing space with anyone else for so very long. Persephone was different in a lot of ways at how quickly she had managed to settle him but he didn't want to just blurt that out. She'd run and know he was crazy then. When she began to eat it was with a guarded look to him too - making sure that he remained in her eyesight until he'd finally taken to eating himself. 

He drew in a breath when he felt her against him, solidarity in the mingling of their fur, just more and more layers on top of one another when their scents were blended. He liked it. It was a primal thing, of course, she was beautiful but he was trying not to think of her that way. It was also that whole protector role and all, and he appreciated that too. When she'd pulled away to clean herself off he ate a bit more before he finally pulled back he sat down to clean himself off. "Did you want to explore more today?"

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The smooth, strident tones of his voice served to pull Persephone from the depths of her own thoughts, eyes lifting to find the man sitting near her. Their gazes met and she could swear she felt a flutter in her stomach or her chest. She wasn't sure which. Even though she'd been so alarmed before, she felt fine now, now that she was in his company again. For a moment, the little honey wolf completely forgot he had asked her a question, though she played it off as if she was thinking, giving a long, steady lick to her paw.

“Yes,” The girl answered finally, getting to her feet so that she could streeetch, a low sound leaving her throat as she released the tension from her muscles. Standing again, she looked to Hades again, a faint smile upon her face. “Deeper, today? Into the forest?”
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It was inappropriate how long his eyes were fixed on her tongue and how she just....languidly licked her paw. And then that stretch. That wasn't exactly fair. Hades decided to lick the blood from the random places it had landed on his legs. He looked back to the remainder of the doe, setting to bury it beneath the snow to preserve it a bit for them later. "We can explore more," He agreed one he'd finished covering up their kill. "Now that we can see a bit better - hopefully I won't trip over myself this time." He wasn't immune to teasing a bit - and it made him happy to give that to her, too. 

"We barely saw it after all before I'd almost succumbed." Again he was teasing, tail swaying behind him playfully. "Maybe today you fall. I'll catch you, I promise." He felt like he was laying it on thickly - but then, it felt almost startlingly natural with her in a way he couldn't really resist. Hades turned to look into the forest, again caught by how still and quiet it was. He let out a slow breath and marveled at it for a moment before he turned his gaze to Persephone again.

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“I have the utmost confidence that you'll be just fine.” Her tail flicked gently, the trailing ends whisking across the forest floor. Eyes alight with sudden mischief, she dug into the teasing a little more, trotting closer to him to nip him again. “Besides. If we both fall, then we'll both be hopeless messes.” Usually, Persephone felt like a mess anyway, always following what others told her to do and never quite feeling that happiness that everyone was always on about. Up until now, the little female had simply chalked it up to others just exaggerating to make themselves feel better. 

“Shall we?” A shake of her fur coat and she glanced at him for a moment before grinning playfully. And then she was off, bounding deeper into the forest that she'd been so hesitant to explore last night. A laugh tinkled through the air as she ran, calling back to him: “Come on, slowpoke!”
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She nipped him again and he let out a playful growl, bumping her shoulder with his own as his tail swayed behind them. Hers seemed so long and flowing - just endless. "Well now, that simply won't do." Hades said when she pointed out that they'd both be hopeless messes. Truly, that wouldn't stand at all. Before he could process much she took off, shooting into the trees and he let out a bark of laughter when she called him slowpoke. "Two steps from me will be four for you!" He called back quickly. He could see her standing out how bright against the snowy backdrop and the dense forest around them. She wove in and out, in and out, this beautiful honey flowing through forever. 

He was careful as he caught up to her, nipping at her tail. He was careful not to actually catch her but to make sure that she knew he was playing too. "That all you got?" He asked, muzzle bumping her flank before he turned and set off in another direction just to see what she'd do. It was astounding how the forest seemed to just go on. It was forever, endless, this sea of green and the stark white of the snow. All he could hear from the forest was the sound of their laughter as it echoed across the snow and through the trees.

+1 Discovery Point

---

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A delighted squeal left her as he snipped teeth gently at her tail, spinning to face him when suddenly he was veering away from her. “Hey!” She laughed again, a constant thing around him it seemed, chasing after Hades. While his legs carried him farther, faster, Persephone was small enough that she could weave between the great evergreens with little trouble, catching up when he had to detour around some of the bigger ones. The smell of pine was so thick here, an almost cloying smell as she raced after him, breathing hard as she worked to close those last few feet and --

She leaped, aiming for his back to throw him off balance, tumbling into the snow afterwards, only to devolve into a fit of giggles, laughing as she hadn't in so, so long.
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There was a freedom in this childish play. Since they had met, she'd relieved a considerable amount of tension in him. Maybe there was the freedom in not feeling as vigilant since he wasn't alone anymore. Maybe it was something about a pretty woman being around infinitely lifting his spirits. He wasn't particularly worried on the details at that moment and instead just focused on not running into trees right in front of her. He had to be more careful, managing an elegant leap over a large downed branch, and then skirted around the massive tree it belonged to. 

He wasn't expecting her to run around the other way and leap at him. She struck her target squarely in the side and he rolled into the snow. He didn't remember laughing like this - certainly not any time recently, at any rate. They skidded to a halt in a massive clearing, a few larger rocks settled in the middle almost like a throne. It was big enough a couple wolves could stand on it. "That doesn't count. You knocked me over." Hades pointed out quickly, batting at her with one paw as he remained flopped in the snow on his side.

+1 Discovery Point

---

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“There were no rules!” Her exclamation was loud and playfully defensive, her laugh following quickly on the heels of her weak defense. Whether he fell or simply crumpled there, Persephone's reaction was quick and effortless, rolled to throw her forelegs over his side and "trap" him, giggling again as she looked down at him. “Caught you again~” She crowed in a sing-song voice, tail sweeping the snow as she continued to lean upon his larger form.

Oh, the heart attack Mother would have had if she could see her now. And yet the thought was not enough to slow the young woman down, settling down with him still beneath her as she half sat, half leaned on him. Bubblegum eyes lifted from him to look around them, taking in the in the view of the clearing, the boulders sitting as the focal point, almost like the forest was telling them that this was an important place.

Entranced and intrigued, Persephone rose and skipped gracefully over Hades' form, trotting closer to the small mountain of stones, marveling at how there were trees growing on the rocks. She'd never seen anything like it — not that she could remember — and did not hesitate to leap up on a boulder next to it to get a closer look.

+2 Discovery Points

---

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Fair enough. She was right  they hadn't laid down any sort of rules or expectations. He was too aware that his long legs and his bulk over hers would take her down too but her quickness more than made up for it. Not like he was trying to keep her off him, either. He let out a playful growl and reached up to nip her cheek carefully, holding her gaze with an intensity. "Because I let you." He said and smirked up at her. She was off him all too quickly and Hades watched her shamelessly for a moment. They'd been alone for a day so far, no one else around, not a scent but the sharp pine and snow and each other. It was almost this sort of paradise on it's own. Hades didn't know if he wanted her to see his interest yet, he was a bit creepy after all if he made moves on her. Still, his eyes tracked her as she hopped up onto the boulder to have a vantage point. 

Hades swung his legs under himself, shaking out the snow that was clinging to his dark fur. "Impressive," He said as he approached, looking up at her for a moment. "We're almost the same height now, little goddess." He rumbled with a smirk. He leapt up on the boulder near her and then up onto the next, taller rock. "Look!" He nudged her shoulder gently and pointed back into the forest. A small river crossed through the trees too, quiet in the silence of winter. "I bet plenty of pretty flowers would grow there." 

+2 Discovery Points

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The little thump of her heart shocked her as he rumbled at her, as his teeth grazed her cheek bone started her, the weight of his gaze holding her in place as if she had been commanded to freeze. Perhaps it was that weight, that heat, that flutter in her breast that made the little honey wolf skip over him to put a little bit of space between them. Not because she didn't like it, but because she did like it, because being so close to him like that had felt so right, so quickly. 

Little goddess. Her head turned, eyes and ears focusing on the man that had followed her over to the pile of stones, grinning lightly as he commented on their height. “Not used to looking up to someone else, are you?” Persephone doubted that she'd ever met someone taller than him, even if his imposing form did nothing to dissuade her from poking fun at him.

Climbing up next to him, and then further, she scaled the stones, careful to make sure she did not misstep. Only when she had a proper vantage point did she focus on the river he pointed out, tail waving gently in soft excitement. “Oh, I bet it's beautiful in Spring!” Looking back down at him, Persephone all but pranced in place, impatient as she waited for her companion to draw closer so they could move on to exploring along the river.

+1 Discovery Point

---

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He didn't mind at all when she moved away, space was good, and on a personal level he understood needing to have space just from his size alone. He tended to scare other wolves - dark and wraith like, with his size it was just a lot. Hades couldn't help but grin as she spoke and asked him bluntly if he ever looked up at people. He shook his head, looking her right in the eyes. "It would take someone quite special." He agreed. Was that her? It was a literal matter right this moment but he could already see the ways he admired her. She was fearless. She didn't care about him or regard him as an immediate danger the way that so many others did. 

Maybe that made her more foolish than fearless but Hades knew enough never to tell a woman that anyways. He watched her steps, and his own, making sure that neither of them collapsed and injured themselves as they continued on to explore the forest. He let her lead the way this time, only offering a little nudge to her shoulder when he was on solid footing again. It was okay to keep going, she didn't have to wait much longer. When they'd made it closer to the river itself the sound wasn't overwhelming. It was calm. The water didn't rush violently. This was all good. "What types of flowers do you think would be here?" He asked curiously, deflecting to her knowledge over his own.

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The river still flowed despite it being winter, telling her that it didn't get quite cold enough to freeze moving water. That was good; Persephone wasn't a huge fan of the bone-chilling winters she'd heard Mother talk about, and though she'd never experienced one, she already knew she didn't want to. His question did draw her closer to the river, however, stopping every so often to nose the snow away from the banks. She wanted to see the soil, to see if she could tell its consistency even though it was mostly frozen. “Hmm. It seems like there's more silt than dirt, which means...”

She trailed off, pausing to lift her head and peer around, looking for what she suspected she would find. “Ah!” Excited, Persephone made her way across the river by way of a fallen log, to a patch of snow in the sunlight, where a handful of flowers stuck out of the blanket of white. “Snowdrops!” She exclaimed brightly, tail waving as she looked to him. “Hellebore likely grow around here too, Crocus... Maybe even roses closer to Spring. I can't wait to see it then! We'll have to come back then.” Assuming, of course, that they still traveled together by then.
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With her attention fixed more on the river's edges and the snow itself, it left him a moment to breathe and think. Persephone was so much smaller than he was, it was hard to imagine her being the same age. Maybe she was, they hadn't exactly talked too much about it after all. They'd barely talked since it wasn't even twenty four hours they'd known of one another and yet....it was alarmingly easy to be around her. That was cause for more internal consideration and at that point, Hades wasn't quite sure he had it in him to figure things out. Shit shit shit she's talking. Stop thinking and just focus. Hades approached her and followed her gaze to the little blip of a flower just barely poking out of the snow. He leaned down to sniff it, then looked at her again. "They're lovely," He offered her - although it seemed a little lackluster compared to her enthusiasm just because he didn't have the same knowledge that she did. 

We'll have to come back then. In Spring. Spring wasn't that far away - they were on the downward slope at least. And yet it was a presumptuous thing to think they'd stick together that long. He found he liked the idea immediately, gently nosing the underside of her chin. "You'll have to teach me all their names." Hades had never stopped to think of the names of all the tiny minute lives along the edge of the trees. He glanced back to the other side of the river - where they'd come from. He didn't even remember walking along the fallen tree trunk because he'd been so fixated on her. "If you haven't gotten sick of me by then." Hades teased - trying to give her an out and to not feel pressured by his particular brand of clinging. 

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She nodded, agreeing with him wholeheartedly. “They're  not my favorite but they are fascinating. One of the only flowers that can grow in Winter like this.” Persephone could talk forever about flowers, sometimes; Mother had taught her so much about them, about caring for them. And herbs too. How to grow them, nurture them, and she had even been learning how to put them to use before now. 

She hadn't been expecting his touch, gasping softly as he touched her jawline with his muzzle, pink eyes widening just a touch as they flickered up to meet his blue ones. Endlessly blue, she noticed. Like a summer sky. “I will,” She whispered, hesitating for a moment before leaning over and nuzzle the thick fur of his throat. “I couldn't get sick of you,” Persephone promised him, which she knew was just absurd. They had only just met! And yet...

“I like spending time with you.”
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He listened to her eagerly - he couldn't recall ever seeing a plant in winter like this anyways. He trusted her words, she seemed confident enough, and he had no knowledge to counter her words afterall. The little gasp made him hold his breath - worried he'd stepped too far, that the boundary was too crossed and he'd done to much. But she didn't reject him. She held his gaze and then even dared to nuzzle into his chest. He smiled and let his head rest over hers for a moment as she admitted she liked spending time with him. "Hopefully I won't do anything to change that." He said with a little laugh before he'd pulled his head back in order to look at her properly. 

"Tell me something, Persephone, about something you enjoy." He wanted to know about her - and not just the little things like knowing about plants. He had to wonder what else she knew, what else he enjoyed. She was a mystery to him and wanted to unravel more of who she was. Why she was here - why he was here, for that matter, but he was less concerned about himself. He still strangely didn't feel alarmed at all. It wasn't too different from now. He existed there, and now here, with the same connections it seemed. He knew he had family but had no idea where they were. 

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A light huff came and went at his statement, sure that nothing would change her mind. Mother would be calling her naive and silly, she knew, but there was just something so easy about being in his presence. She hadn’t even felt like that with the other girls before.

Something she enjoyed? Being close to him was the immediate thought, and she couldn’t help but look away, wanting to hide her own bashful gaze by instead looking at the flowers. “I like summer storms and laying in the sunshine. Learning. Gardening.” Honey head tilted as she thought, humming softly. Oh! “Singing.” Those were the easy things, weren’t they? But they were a start.

“Its only fair if you tell me things you enjoy, too.”
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Singing. He could see that - flowers around her, like she was ushering in the warmth and the new life. Like the flowers grew for her. "I love the night - watching the stars, especially if they're shooting stars." The vaguest memory was there, tucked away, with stars splintering and streaming across the night's sky. Beautiful to watch, different, enchanting. "I love to learn, too. I love music, but, I don't have a singing voice of my own. It's too deep." It didn't sound good to his own ears, at least. He offered her a little smile, listening to the sounds around them for a moment. Everything was quiet. The world had seemed impossibly full and yet empty save for the two of them. 

He'd seen no one else, nor thought of anyone else since they'd met. It seemed like the hours were placeholder for years. "I don't think I've met anyone like you." Hades admitted with a soft smile. "I don't know why I'm here, but, I'm glad you're here too." It was scary to broach a subject that he didn't quite understand. Feelings had never been something that he really could handle on his own. He might have been tall, but, his emotional growth had been stunted as a child. Even just saying that much seemed monumentous. 

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Shooting stars. There was a gentle sparkle to her eye, a fascinated and warm weight to her gaze as she looked up at him, still sitting so very close to him. “I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a shooting star. You’ll have to point one out to me the next time you see them.” Again, a subtle bid for his time and attention, something he’d lavished so much of upon her already, something she drank at greedily as if she’d never experience it again. Perhaps it was foolish of her to be so... so...

Ears perked, breath stilling in her throat as he spoke, feeling heat rush to her face as he went on. “I...” Persephone paused, trying to string her words together properly. “I’m glad,too, Hades. It’s silly but I— I’ve never— It’s so easy to just Oh never mind,” She huffed, moving to stand as she grew frustrated with herself. Focus drawn to the flowers once more, the little honey wolf stewed in her embarrassing exasperation as she used her nose to push some of the snow away from the flower, hoping it would flourish a little bit more.
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"Never ever?" He asked with a smile - that was something he'd like to share with her, then, the chance to see the shooting stars he favored so much. Already he could see it - her curled against him, leaning back into his warmth as he showed her the stars as they blasted across the sky. He was getting so far ahead of himself but it truly felt so natural to think that way and he had no idea why. "I'll show you, then." And who knew when they'd happen again, for that matter? Clearly it meant she'd just have to stay with him for the foreseeable future then. Problem solved. She needed him to show her shooting stars. They had a reason, not just a random stroke of chance. 

She seemed almost flustered and he wondered for a moment if he'd pushed to far and said to much. Right then, no one else even existed for him. It was just her, champagne and honey and those saccharine eyes. "No! I -" screwed up died on his lips and he let out a sigh as she moved away. He wasn't sure what he'd done, exactly, to upset her but he wasn't going to push her for more. Instead he watched for a moment and saw the attentive way that she focused on clearing the snow away from the flower. As carefully as he could, he joined her, particular not to touch the delicate plant. "I don't think you're silly." He said after awhile of quiet. "You are whimsical, but, not....frivolous. Free it seems." Which was ironic, although he didn't know just how much. "You have helped me feel better, considering we're both lost." 

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His promise to show her the stars drew a light wave of her tail, a smile so warm it might have melted the snow around them. Persephone knew nothing of the stars, though she'd always held some interest in them. Vaguely, a memory trailed through her thoughts, one of laying in the grass and staring up at the great, dark expanse, wondering what life would have been like had she not been resigned to the fate she'd been dealt. Was this her chance at that life? The one she'd dreamed of, out from under Mother's paw, out of sight from Daphne and the Dryads watchful eyes? It sure felt like that opportunity and she was more than happy to take that leap of faith.

If only she could say as much. An ear flicked in his direction as he came nearer to her once more, sighing gently as she finished clearing the snow from around the snowdrop, wishing suddenly that there were more for her to give the same treatment to. His words were so gentle and warm, her stomach performing another small flip. “Ohhh... Sugar snaps,” The curse whisked from her gently as she rocked back on her haunches, glancing at him for a moment before looking away again. “I was trying to tell you that I--”

“I've enjoyed my time with you. A lot. You've helped me, too, and you're nice to me, and I just -- I feel so comfortable with you and it's silly because we've barely known each other a whole day! It doesn't make sense but I don't care.” Her words were rushed, stumbled over, her gaze very intently diverted away from him, tail curled around her paws to keep them warm. This was stupid. She was stupid.
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It seemed instantaneous when they'd both begun to scoop the snow away to see how quickly they had freed the little plant. Helping with life wasn't something he was familiar with but he liked the feeling. Helping her was even more important to him, he quickly found. Somewhere in his head was a nagging dread that he would do something to ruin this. Eventually, as he often did, he'd be the cause of her turning away. He just....didn't know when. He didn't know how. This peace - this little life they were starting to circle, it was so promising. It was more good than Hades could remember having for a long, long time. She was more good than he had any rights to hope for. 

Sugar snaps. Hades blinked back his shock as he realized why she'd said it. That instead of saying fuck, or damn, or any other variant she'd settled on a phrase that frankly he found adorable. But she looked away like it was shameful - or maybe that she'd realized that being alone with him for so long, and how awful that would be if anyone saw her with him. He drew in a breath and felt his claws press further into the snow until he'd hit the cold ground beneath it. His claws raked nervously at the ground, fidgeting despite trying to be as calm as he could be. It was okay. She could tell him she wanted to find somewhere else - find someone else and he'd understand. He braced himself but then what she said was so shocking to him.

For a moment his blue eyes just blinked at her - near dumbfounded. And he'd fallen silent, maw slightly hanging open in a near comical look if it wasn't for the sheer dumb written on his face. "Persephone," The way he said her name could only be described as lovingly - tender and gentle in a fashion a family member would address a loved one. Tender, without overtly sexual, just as soft as a longed for hug. "You don't know me - but....but as you do learn me, I only hope I don't scare you away." He admitted as he drew closer, pressing his cheek against hers tenderly for a moment before he nuzzled against her - the move naturally bringing his head to tuck just behind her ears. "I don't care either. I like how you make me feel."

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