Archive of Our Own

Like most bad habits, it started with a concession. Hades possessed the ability to observe things above the surface in a general and limited capacity; Nyx was the same, with the capacity to observe anything above the surface, but only during the night, when she drew her veil over the Earth. Thanks to their partnership, she could lend her ability to Hades in order to extend his powers of observation wherever he wished during the night. He had always been aware of this ability, been tempted to use it to watch Persephone in the past, but always restrained himself for the sake of her continued concealment.

Things were different now. Persephone was away again, but not because she was in hiding. She was in Olympus with her mother, Lady Demeter, who insisted on her presence several months out of the year in order to continue the cycle of the seasons above. So if Hades simply wanted to check on her, to make sure that neither of his blasted brothers were bothering her, or that she wasn't too miserable in the company of her awful mother ... well, why shouldn't he? Add on the fact that Nyx was not the type of person to laugh at such a frivolous use of their powers, there almost seemed no reason not to.

Indeed, Nyx didn't even raise an eyebrow at the suggestion. She generally had no need to question Hades' decisions; in this case, too, it was easy enough to guess his intentions, and they did not seem strange or frivolous to her. It was a somewhat involved process, requiring their respective consciousness to occupy the same space, even if they were physically in different places. In that state, Nyx would acquire an awareness of Hades' feelings and reactions which he would not have of hers, but she didn't mind that either. Besides, it was far better for her to be cognisant of his bodily feelings than hers. For reasons she did not have to divulge to anyone.

The first time Hades exercised this power, it was an hour much like any other hour in the Underworld, but the darkest hour of the night above the surface. Nyx couldn't suppress the shudder that went through her when Hades looked through her eyes. Even though he was in the master bedchambers and she was in the west hall, she felt as if he was thoroughly occupying her physical space. She did not have to guide his sight either. He lifted her eyes to Mount Olympus as much as she raised her gaze herself. Then, they could both see Persephone, taking her rest in a large white bed as if they were above her, or next to her, or surrounding her, as was more the truth. The covers had fallen down to her waist, her dress falling loosely about her shoulders, her hair spread out behind her head like a crown. Nyx felt Hades' reaction as clearly as if it were her own: a skip of the heartbeat, a breath almost like a sigh, and a small drop of the shoulders as the slightest bit of tension lifted.

It was impossible to say if the tender feeling that arose within her was Hades' or her own.

Having succumbed once, it was infinitely easier for Hades to give in to the urge to do it a second time. Once again, Nyx made no comment, not even when it happened a third time, and a fourth, until Hades didn't even bother asking her beforehand except to prod her in the metaphysical sense, when she could allow or deny him access as she willed. She continued not to mind - not, that is, until the time they caught Persephone awake.

There was nothing strange about that because it was still fairly early in the evening (Hades did not even bother to wait until a deeper hour of the night anymore). Persephone was turning away from her mother after bidding her goodnight, then headed towards her private bedchamber. Nyx guessed what would happen next, but what surprised her was Hades' reaction. Persephone passed through a door in her room which opened into a private bath - a rare luxury afforded only through the indulgence of the Olympians, of course. She then quite naturally began to slip out of her dress, which gave Nyx no embarrassment, but why was Hades blushing? One would hardly believe they had been married for an aeon. As Persephone descended and relaxed into the clear water, Nyx felt the sharp intake of breath, the racing of his heart, and realised that she had misinterpreted his blush.

She bore it until Hades withdrew, thankfully sooner rather than later - or she was thankful until a possible reason for his quick departure occurred to her, and she felt her own blush of discomfort come on.

It wasn't that Nyx was disturbed by such matters, of course not. She presided over the night when people tended to do this sort of thing, and they were gods, after all, who were far less bashful of such matters than the mortals. But she was not as indifferent as she pretended. Some mortals believed that Hades had the power to bring any creature into his thrall, which was why all mortals swore loyalty to him once they entered his domain, and if that was true, Nyx was no exception to his power.

Some time later, a little longer than usual, Hades asked to see Persephone again. He would not have asked why if Nyx had said no. She did not.

There was something different about the way Hades watched his wife that night, too. Something almost ... hungry. Exasperation crept over Nyx at the thought. Again, she was no more discomfited by such matters than any other god, but he knew that she was there, right? He knew that she could feel what he felt, didn't he?

Nyx would have borne it without complaint, or at least without complaint until Persephone's return, except for the uncomfortable feeling that she was doing something wrong. It wasn't even the fact that she was complicit in spying on Persephone without her knowing. It was something about the way she felt whenever she allowed Hades to use her eyes.

She couldn't explain it, or rather, she didn't want to explain it without Persephone's permission. Thus, the solution was quite simple. The next evening, Nyx took the opportunity to speak to her. She couldn't go to Mount Olympus in the realest sense, but as long as the night covered the realm, she could visit it in a way that was enough to communicate with the Queen of the Underworld.

Persephone was delighted to be visited by her friend. She couldn't see Nyx, only hear her voice and feel her presence, but that was enough.

'I feel like I'm losing a piece of my mind every day I'm up here,' Persephone said. 'They haven't changed one bit from back then. I miss you all so much.'

'I'm sorry to hear you are unhappy, but pleased to hear that you will be glad to return,' Nyx replied.

'How are you, Nyx? I know you're always alright. But how is Zagreus? And Hades? Not fighting too much, I hope? That's not why you're here, is it?'

Nyx didn't mind taking a few moments to alleviate Persephone's worries. The King and Prince had not been fighting any more than usual, and were sometimes even cordial to one another. The lines around Persephone's eyes softened and she laughed when Nyx told her about the stilted thanks and congratulations exchanged between them when Zagreus' portrait was placed in the lounge. Their conversation was so pleasant that Nyx would have reconsidered spoiling their conversation by confiding in her, except that Persephone then asked, 'Is there another reason you're here?' and there was no escaping it. Nyx told her about Hades watching her at night.

'That's positively bad behaviour coming from him!' Persephone said. 'I can imagine him thinking he only wanted to check on me the first time, but to do it repeatedly makes him no better than a peeping tom.'

She appeared shocked at first, but as she spoke, she began to smile, until she was laughing. Well, there was nothing strange about a woman being flattered by the attentions of her husband.

'I never would have guessed it of him! He has depths I don't know about even after all this time, it seems,' Persephone laughed. 'I'm sorry that he troubles you to do that, Nyx. You can tell him that I don't want him to bother you like this.'

'I have no objection to his actions,' Nyx said.

'Is that right? But you look unhappy about something.'

'I ... am not sure how to explain myself. Somehow, I feel the need to apologise.'

'Well, don't apologise until you know what you're apologising for! Why don't you begin at the start? When did Hades first ask you to do this?'

'In the words of surface-dwellers ... about a month ago. He does not watch you every day and it is only for a few moments at a time. The first time he looked at you, I was glad to have helped him, because it had a positive effect on him. He was put at ease simply for watching you. Yet I felt strange as well because I feel what he feels while he looks through my eyes. The way he feels for you is more powerful than I had previously realised.'

Persephone said nothing. But Nyx easily detected the mixture of embarrassment and pleasure in her silence.

'The way I feel for you is not dissimilar so that is not what poses a problem for me,' Nyx continued. ‘Truthfully, I am slightly uncomfortable whenever I grant him access to my sight, but that is bearable too. Only -‘

‘Wait a moment. It bothers you when he uses your eyes? You don’t mind him watching me so do you mean it makes you physically uncomfortable?’

‘Yes.’

‘Is it because it feels invasive?’

‘No. I do not mind that. That is to say, I do not mind granting him access to my sight. What concerns me is that when he ... that is, it is a peculiar feeling ... I feel as if ... whenever I allow him to see through my eyes, it feels as if he is inside me ... or physically close to me ... I mean ...'

She trailed off, disconcerted by the fact that Persephone's smile was growing.

'What do you mean?' Persephone prompted.

'You are smiling,' Nyx said instead.

'I'm sorry. I've never seen you so flustered before.'

Nyx said nothing, more discomfited than ever.

'Please continue. You said that that's still bearable? Tell me about the part that you dislike.'

'Very well. He asked to see you last night as well. Before that, he had not asked to see you for several days. I was glad for that for what is possibly the same reason that he postponed seeing you for longer than usual.'

'What was that reason?'

It was becoming more difficult than ever to speak but Nyx ploughed on to the best of her ability. 'The time before last, what he saw when we looked at you ... interested him very much. I thought that he was embarrassed.'

'Oh, Hades! What did he see? Was I undressing or in the bath or something like that?'

'You were in the bath.'

Persephone turned pink but she didn't seem able to stop herself from giggling. 'He was embarrassed? As he should be!'

'I thought he was. The way he watched you last night, however, made me think otherwise. I can feel what he feels when he looks through my eyes. I felt his interest.'

'For goodness' sake! I never would have thought it of him.'

'In principle, I do not mind it. Perhaps you dislike it.'

'Oh, well, I don't know what to think. I suppose - I mean, it's nothing he hasn't seen before. And I suppose he's lonely. Knowing him, I'm sure he's secretly afraid that I'm not coming back. He can watch me if it makes him feel better.' Having talked herself into reason, Persephone's blush cleared, and she returned her attention to the plight of her friend. 'But it's too bad that he has to involve you in this. You don't have to apologise for his feelings and actions.'

'It is not his feelings I wish to apologise for but my own,' Nyx said.

'Your own?'

'I will be honest with you, Persephone. I cannot guarantee my actions if he continues on this line of conduct.'

The Queen of the Underworld was silent for a moment. Nyx was relieved to see that she didn't look angry, only thoughtful.

'I could keep asking you questions, but I think I understand now,' Persephone said. 'I always thought there was something between you and Hades, you know.'

'There is not,' Nyx said swiftly. 'Nor has there ever been.'

'Oh, I know. It was just the insecurity of new love back then, you know, and then it was ... well, after Zagreus first met me at my cottage, I was looking everywhere for answers, and you know how treacherously the mind wanders. But now,' Persephone's expression lit up, 'I think you should give him a piece of your mind. As a matter of fact, I insist on it.'

'I don't believe I understand.'

'No? Am I wrong then? Is the reason for your guilt not the fact that you like being close to Hades more than you think you should?'

A few moments passed before Nyx could find it within herself to reply. 'It is.'

'Alright. First of all, don't be. Secondly ... how much control do you have when he watches me through your eyes, Nyx?'

'I can choose to turn away if I wish.'

'Can you force him to stay if he tries to look away?'

'Perhaps. Our power is equal in many ways.'

'Then the next time that he wants to watch me, drop me a sign and I'll be sure to show him something he'll like. Don't let him look away. Help him instead.'

'H-help him?' Nyx faltered.

'Yes. You know. However you like.'

The ancient goddess was at a loss for a reaction, discovering that she was far, far less accustomed to matters of intimacy than she had previously asserted. If she had heard anyone other than Persephone speak such words to anyone but herself, she would not have batted an eyelid at them, yet to be confronted by such matters herself was so different that she could not speak for several moments.

She settled for, 'I don't think I can do that.'

'Really?' Persephone was taken aback. 'Then I've misunderstood. I'm sorry.'

'No, you have not. I only mean that I - I cannot force myself on him.'

'But I thought that was what you meant when you said you couldn't guarantee your actions.'

'I meant that I would become angry and reveal my feelings to him.'

'That's the same thing, surely.'

'No. It would cause unpleasantness between us.'

'Maybe - probably - at first. But I think it'll be alright.'

It was easy for Persephone to be self-assured, Nyx thought. Hades would do anything for her. But not all his love for the Queen meant he would find it so easy to forgive Nyx if she did anything he deemed unacceptable. The smooth running of the Underworld depended on their working relationship, and it rocked every time they had an argument.

'Did you say that the way you feel for me is similar to the way Hades feels for me?' Persephone said brightly.

'Yes.'

'I'm so glad! And for Hades too?'

Some moments passed before Nyx could reply. 'Most of the time, no.'

Persephone burst into laughter. 'He can be so difficult, can't he?'

'Even with you?'

'Far less for me than for anyone else, I'm sure. But if you sometimes can see what I see whenever I look at him, then I'm happy. There are times when I think I'm crazy to love him. It would be nice not to be alone.'

'He is honest and passionate. It is easy to understand why you love him.'

'What about you, Nyx? Is he honest and passionate with you?'

'He is honest. And better with you than without. He thanked me the other day. It was unexpected, but I didn't say so to him.'

'That's wonderful! You see, he's not so indifferent to you as you fear.'

'What makes you think I fear that?' Nyx murmured.

'Oh, nothing. I know your work comes so naturally to you that you would do it even if Hades was entirely ungrateful.'

'No. I would not stand by a fool.'

'No, quite right.'

Glad that Persephone could not see the colour on her cheeks, Nyx said, 'You show a frightening intuition at times, Persephone.'

'You're not frightened of me, are you, Nyx?' Persephone said smilingly.

'I fear that you underestimate your own power and insight.'

'Then let's not say any more of that.' Persephone clapped her hands together. 'Let us instead plan for the future. I'm so glad you're here, Nyx. Everyone feels so far away from me while I'm here. Knowing you and Hades are spying on me makes me feel closer to you.'

It was still a little more time before Nyx could be convinced that Persephone did not mind her feelings for them.

'When I'm back, I want you to tell me everything,' Persephone said. 'Tell me how you feel for Hades and let's see how similar or different we are in that regard!'

'How about my feelings for you?' Nyx returned.

'Maybe it can be a point of conversation between you and Hades?'

'It would not be a conversation. I would speak and he would agree.'

Persephone laughed. They continued to speak until dawn itself arrived and Nyx had no choice but to leave. The Queen's final words of the night were, 'You'll do it, won't you? For Hades and me, if not for you?'

'For my Queen and for Lord Hades, then,' Nyx acquiesced. She left as the first light of dawn was touching the peak of the mountain.

-

The ancient gods tended to introspection even less than their descendants; having fully accepted a course of action, Nyx did not attempt to reconsider. She had Persephone's permission to continue and all that was left was to act.

Or to wait, because it was such a long time before Hades asked to see Persephone again that Nyx began to think nothing would happen between them until Persephone returned from Olympus. But at last, after several long nights during which hardly anyone below slept, Hades retired to his room of an evening, and Nyx felt the familiar questioning nudge. As she granted him access, a shudder more powerful than usual went through her at the sensation of Hades slipping behind her sight, intensified by the rapid beating of her heart.

Nyx raised her eyes to the Heavens, more specifically known as Mount Olympus, and located Persephone in her room. It was deep in the night and she was asleep. Her head was nestled on her arms, the covers drawn up to her chest, her bare shoulders indicating she was wearing nothing underneath. It was a good time to act. Nyx gave her a small but meaningful prod and Persephone started awake.

Instantly, Nyx realised she had underestimated how much awareness Hades had of her consciousness while in this state, because she felt his alarm and anger at her. He made to withdraw, presumably to berate her in person, but she held him fast. Confused, he didn't resist.

Persephone took her time getting up, propping herself up on her elbows, allowing the covers to fall down her back. The spike in Hades' heartbeat as he took in Persephone's naked form was even more gratifying than the signals Nyx received from her own body. Persephone climbed out of bed, tied her hair up above her head, and walked into the next room, the bath. There, she sat on the edge of the still water, and began to cover her body in oil. Nyx completely forgot herself, forgot that Hades was watching through her eyes, as Persephone's hands stroked up her smooth pale arms, making her skin glow in the dim light. Her fingers glided over her chest, kneading her breasts in a way that seemed to have very little to do with cleaning them and everything to do with accentuating their shape to any onlookers.

A sudden, forceful jerk from within herself reminded Nyx of Hades' presence. He almost slipped out of her grasp then, but she held onto him by what felt like the tips of her fingers.

'Relax, Hades,' Persephone said. Her voice was as clear as a bell and Hades froze in the act of pulling away from Nyx. 'I want you to enjoy yourself. If you are watching me through Nyx's eyes, why don't the two of you enjoy watching me together?'

The burst of emotion this caused in Hades was almost as powerful as his attempts to get away from Nyx. She couldn't even name all of the feelings coursing through him, but what rose above all was bewilderment. It wasn't exactly the encouragement she was hoping for but at least he was no longer trying to withdraw. Nyx rose from her spot in the hall and went into the master chambers. The Night did not even need to open the door to get inside.

For a moment, they looked at one another, Nyx by the door and Hades sitting on the bed. It was not at all strange for them to simultaneously see Persephone up in Olympus and one another in the dim light of the room; it was much like holding two different objects in each hand, paying attention to each by turn while being aware of the other. A deep frown furrowed Hades' brow, but he didn't look like he was about to start shouting. Nyx was closely acquainted with Hades' angry shouting face.

'Explain,' he said. His voice was completely calm. Only the storm of emotions she could still feel brewing inside him indicated to her that anything was amiss.

'I can feel what you feel when you use my sight,' Nyx said.

Embarrassment, and an almost violent attempt at checking it, rose within Hades. 'Did you not see fit to tell me this earlier?' he thundered.

'I hoped it would not pose a problem.'

'Why - why is Persephone - Can she hear us?'

'No.'

'You planned this with her.'

'It was her plan. I only meant to confide in her when your interest in watching her awakened certain feelings in me.'

'Awakened -'

'Are you two watching?' Persephone said. Nyx focused on the sight of her once more and discovered that she had lathered her abdomen in oil and was rubbing the top of her slightly-parted thighs with slick palms. 'Don't argue, Hades. Just let Nyx take care of you.'

'What - what -' Hades stammered.

Seeing that they wouldn't get anywhere as long as Hades was allowed to questions, Nyx crossed the floor to the bed, placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him. She was surprised to feel in him not fury but a deep well of embarrassment. It was the exact same embarrassment she had experienced while explaining her feelings to Persephone. She was pleased to realise that his feelings were not dissimilar to her own.

'Is this what Persephone wants?' he mumbled, averting his gaze from Nyx and not really looking at Persephone, either.

'I think what she wants is to be here too,' Nyx said. 'But for now, yes.'

'Fine. I will not bear responsibility for my actions.'

A shiver went through her as Hades internally surrendered to his growing arousal, a shiver he felt as he took hold of her hips, tentatively, then pulled her onto the bed. This was much better. Nyx was giving in too, and it was a relief after holding it back from the first time they had seen Persephone in the bath together. When she fell against him, the collision of their bodies made his heart stutter, and Nyx realised sex was going to be so much better when she could feel her partner's feelings in addition to her own.

He kissed her this time, giving her a sense of release. She could not remember the last time she had felt so free and at liberty to indulge in her feelings. Nyx had never allowed herself to imagine (imagination was not in the nature of the ancient gods), but if she had, the hard muscles under her palms and the rough scratch of his moustache as he kissed her would have been everything she hoped for. At the same time, they watched Persephone, licking the tips of her fingers, then trailing down her chest to pinch a nipple. Her other hand trailed up the inside of her thigh and Nyx moved her - their - sight closer as she spread her legs, revealing her pink pussy, shiny with arousal.

Hades abruptly bit down on Nyx's lip and she jerked back in surprise. Perhaps it was a mistake on his part because he chased after her, kissing her tenderly, drawing her bottom lip into his mouth to suck on it soothingly. She could feel the rapid beating of his heart, physically from their close proximity, and within herself from their shared bodily experience. Hades drew in a sharp breath when Persephone squeezed her breast and released a moan.

'I've never seen you like this before, Persephone,' he muttered.

His eyes, glazed over as he watched her, were suddenly sharp as he focused on Nyx. 'What do you -' He swallowed, still uncertain. Nyx's heart stuttered in a way that was simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar. As she had described to Persephone, it was rare that she experienced any tender feeling for Hades, but the fact remained that she experienced them at all. 'What do you want me to do?'

'Would you like me to guide you?' she said.

'Do it.'

What was he afraid of? Her? Or Persephone? Or perhaps it was simply his overthinking tendencies which refused to let him believe that he was allowed to have this. Fortunately for him, having done away with her own doubts, Nyx had no objection to taking the lead.

Her clothes slipped away like the dark before the rising sun. It only occurred to her that he might have enjoyed watching her take them off afterwards. Next time, perhaps. She brought his hand to her chest, and as they watched Persephone play with her own breasts, Hades mimicked her movements on Nyx. She felt his appreciation and wondered if he was comparing her form to Persephone's. Nyx was interested to see Persephone scratching her nails across her skin, thinking that it was a rougher sensation than she expected Persephone to enjoy. Hades didn't imitate that, probably fearing he would draw ichor, kissing her instead, which was more to her taste anyway.

Persephone drew a hand down her side to her thighs again, and this time, it was Nyx copying her movements, sweeping down Hades' side then around the front to find the very definite line of his hardening member. Hades didn't react physically, but Nyx felt a swell of discomfort within him. Sensing that it wasn't the type of discomfort she needed to heed, she stroked the shaft through the fabric, and was rewarded by his vicelike grip on her hip.

'Should I ...'

He didn't seem able to make himself speak. Nyx took pity on him, saying, 'Yes, take off your clothes.'

The process was simpler than one might have expected from looking at the elaborate ensemble of skulls and fabrics. Nyx watched him focus on Persephone as he undressed, clearly finding that easier than thinking about what he was doing. He started, almost flinched, when she tried to help him, but didn't push her away. That sped things up a little. Finally, he was naked before her, and Nyx was free to appreciate the view. She found it even more pleasing than anticipated, expanses of pale skin over hard muscles, leading down to his large, half-hard member. Now Nyx could see both the King and the Queen of the Underworld naked in front of her, one shy, the other bold, both an invigorating sight.

'Are you two ready?' Persephone said. 'You're not dithering about anymore, are you, Hades?'

'Are you sure she can't hear us?' Hades mumbled.

'She knows you - us - too well,' Nyx replied.

Hades was not quite ready. Nyx leaned against him, kissing him, trailing her hands down his back then around to the front to take him firmly into hand. He let out a hissed breath against her lips. But he was still holding back even as she stroked him to full hardness, swallowing back his groans of pleasure despite Nyx's best efforts. She adjusted her position so that his cock was pressed against her stomach as she continued to fondle him. Inside herself, she felt Hades squirming, urgency building, yet still he checked himself at every turn.

'Your restraint is making this difficult,' Nyx said. That irritated him. 'Do whatever you wish. I never expected you to be gentle with me.'

'Fine,' he snapped.

His fist curled in her hair, tugging her head back, and he bit down on her neck. Nyx let out a cry, her first uncontrolled reaction of the night. But this was good, she liked this. Encouraged, he continued to worry the skin of her collarbone with his tongue and his teeth, and Nyx continued her attentions on his cock, her long fingers twisting about, as much revelling in the smooth, hard texture as in the heat she could feel from him inside herself.

They both watched Persephone, who slipped into the bath, submerging herself to the neck. Candlelight danced through the clear water, creating an interesting prism through which to observe her body. She leaned back against the wall and spread her legs. Hades bit down especially hard on Nyx's skin.

'I wish I could see the two of you,' Persephone murmured. Her eyes slid shut as if she was calling up their images, as if she could see them right now. With how well she knew them, it seemed likely that she could envision exactly what they were doing.

'I wish you were here too,' Hades said. Despite his quiet tone, Nyx felt his yearning stretching open like a chasm within him. She almost spoke, to find words to comfort him, but there was nothing she could say that he did not already know. But he knew that she knew now. Perhaps that was enough.

Persephone let out a sigh, ghosting her fingertips over the lips of her entrance. Hades needed no more encouragement now. He kissed the bruises on Nyx's neck so gently that she couldn't say if it was the emotional or the physical sensation that made her squirm. One of his hands curled around her back and Nyx found his fingers touching inquisitively against her own pussy. She pushed down against them, urging him on.

Nyx gasped as his finger penetrated her, slow and gentle, yet she had not so much as thought about this sort of thing in so long that it came as a surprise. She had not realised that she would need to be prepared too. But it didn't take her long to compose herself and start wanting more.

'Faster,' she said.

'Alright, alright.'

That he could still be so characteristically annoyed in this situation amused her. Her amusement was quickly dashed, however, as Hades obeyed almost too vigorously. Another finger joined the first and, heedless of the cry that escaped her, worked her open quickly. She had not thought that having only two fingers inside her could stretch her open so much. His hand was ruthlessly huge but his cock, still pressed between them, was even bigger.

'Watch me, you two,' Persephone said. Her hand splayed over her beautiful entrance, she slid a finger inside. At the same time, Hades withdrew his hand (trailing Nyx's juices on his fingers up her back), Nyx positioned herself over his tip and began to descend on his cock.

Hades made a strangled sound, eyes screwed shut, but gaze trained on Persephone. 'Nyx,' he groaned and Nyx felt a jolt in her stomach to hear Hades calling her name like this. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing their lips together. Impatient with the pace she had settled on, he took hold of her hips, thrusting into her sharply. Nyx let out a cry that seemed to mix with Persephone's, who was squeezing one breast so firmly that her nails dug into the skin, while she opened herself up with slender fingers.

'Persephone ...' Hades said on a sigh. He was incapable of saying her name with anything other than deep affection.

As if she had heard him, the Queen began to finger herself faster, and Hades matched her pace. He tore into Nyx with a ferocity he surely didn't show Persephone, but if that was to be her role in their relationship, then Nyx was happy to accept. Hades seemed to reach so deeply into her that she felt his thrusts rolling through her body, from her abdomen to her chest, coming out in the form of a moan on her lips - or perhaps it was his own feelings which wracked her frame, his love and desire and longing filling her as surely as his cock did. If he touched her or kissed her, she didn't know it, drowning in sensations both real and metaphysical. Nyx could no longer focus on the image of Persephone, leaving it to Hades to watch as she ground her thumb against her clit. It was Hades' name on her lips, of course it was, and it was Persephone's name on his. With a groan, Hades' orgasm crashed over Nyx, who didn't know that she had come herself until the sensations faded.

Nyx regained consciousness to her face pressed into Hades' shoulder, a faint trace of a metallic taste on her tongue. She had bit him so hard that it pierced the skin. But it only seemed fair as she discovered that the side of her waist was moist with ichor from where Hades' fingers had dug in. He was still halfway inside her and she lifted herself to faint groans from both of them.

Persephone's head lay back on the edge of the bath as she regained her breath. Slowly, her eyes opened, a smile curling her lips.

'Now I'm really looking forward to coming home. Did you like that, Hades?' she said. Hades did not seem inclined to answer her this time. 'I'm going back to bed now. Goodnight, you two.'

They watched her until she had towelled herself dry and returned to her room. Then Hades withdrew from Nyx's sight. She allowed it without resistance, but not before she detected his growing embarrassment.

'I can't believe ... the two of you ...' he muttered. Nyx pulled back to look at him but he avoided her eye.

'Do you have any further objections?'

'As long as Persephone ... if this is what she wants ...'

'She will be able to personally assure you of that soon enough.'

'Yes, well, let us not do this again while we wait.' She frowned and he quickly said, 'Not because of you. I want to wait until Persephone is home. That is all.'

'I understand. I would like to wait for her too.'

Nyx detached himself from him, stepping off the bed. In the next instant, she was clothed in her usual ensemble once more.

'Goodnight, lord,' she said.

To her surprise, he leaned over the bed to kiss her on the cheek. His way of assuring her. The rapid beating of her heart told Nyx that she would soon come to experience tender feelings for Hades much more often than usual.

'Goodnight,' he said, determinedly looking away. Perhaps some things would always stay the same. Nyx smiled and left.