[ graphic: @recklessrebellion- / me ]

a jar of secrets
15 | on the road again

"Patroclus, you're just jealous because in the Hogwarts world I'm Harry and you would be Ron. Get over it already."

"Excuse you! I'd be Harry because I'm the smart one and you'd be Ron because you're the annoying one."

"I'm not annoying!" The voice trails off before speaking again. "Well not that much, am I?"

"Eh only a smidge," Hermes speaks up making me smile before I remember that I'm meant to be mad with everyone here in the room.

"Hey I saw that smile..." An amused voice tells me quietly on my right.

"You must have been seeing things!" I hiss back angrily, crossing my arms over my chest even though I really did want to smile.

"Now we both know that's not true, that was most certainly a smile and now you're trying hard not to smile."

I glare at him.

"I'm not smiling."

"Don't be too hard on them..." Hades says suddenly, glancing towards my guardians.

"Says the one who threatened them a few hours ago." I remind him, raising my eyebrow.

He smiles sadly at this.

"We all make mistakes and mess things up sometimes. Holding a grudge doesn't make you any stronger, it makes you bitter. Just because the boys didn't tell you about any of this doesn't mean you should forget everything else they've done for you, they're good people - especially towards you and the others, they'll protect you till the very end."

I stop to think about what Hades has just said.

"... They were just trying to protect you sweetheart."

My chest tightens at the the mention of the nickname he's given me.

"Just like you've been trying to protect me?" I ask looking up at him.

He shrugs lightly before glancing back towards me.

"We're all just trying to protect you Persephone."

It's later that night when I hear something outside that startles me awake.

"It's just the twins," Hades answers calmly while sitting up in the usual chair beside the bed. "You don't need to worry, now go back to sleep."

"But you need to sleep too." I tell him seeing the dark circles under his eyes, sleep still clouding my own voice.

"I can't," he mumbles looking out towards the window.

"Why not?" I ask as we hear a door downstairs open and close.

"Because I'm worried..." he trails off looking over at me.

"Well worrying is bad for you, come." I say patting the spot beside me on the bed.

Hades raises an arched eyebrow at me and I sigh.

"Lay down and sleep, and no that is not a suggestion," I tell him crossing my arms firmly across my chest.

"Persephone," he sighs running his fingers through his hair as he stands up looking a little unsure.

"Hades." I say matching his tone, childishly.

He sighs again.

"Please." I mumble patting the spot beside me again. "Otherwise I won't be able to sleep knowing you're always up."

"Fine." He relents and I can't help the smile that makes its way onto my face.

I move over as far as I can on the single bed I've been laying in the last couple of days, trying to make as much room as possible for his tall frame.

"Please don't squish me," I whisper under my breath as I realise there's not going to be much space. Hades hears this as he slides his shoes off and places them down beside the chair.

"This was your idea in the first place remember," he jokes but goes serious again as he comes closer over. "But I promise I won't squish you," he swears as he lays down on top of the blankets, his shoulder nearly hitting me in the face.

Okay so maybe this wasn't the best idea I've ever had.

Hades must be thinking the same thing because he lifts me up gently making goosebumps appear on my arms and a trail of heat in his path as he lays me down on top of him.

"What are you doing?" I mumble embarrassed at the position he's put us in.

Hades just smiles down at me as he wraps his arms around me, resting them on the small of my back.

I try and move my arms around me so they don't go numb, the only somewhat comfortable position is to rest them on Hades shoulders like I'm hugging him which I guess is what I'm doing since my head is resting against his chest.

"Much better," he tells me tiredly.

I want to tell him that there's no way possible that I'm going to be able to go back to sleep now laying on top of him like this but I chose to stay quiet instead.

"Oh... Okay, that's good I guess."

He chuckles which makes me giggle too as his chest rises up and down beneath me.

"Persephone?" Hades says softly, lifting one of his hands up to play with a random piece of my hair that had fallen out of the bun.

"Yeah?" I say, too afraid to say anything else incase I sound like an even bigger idiot.

"Thank you."

"For what?" I ask confused and embarrassed being this close to him.

"For just being you..."

I crane my neck a little to look up at him surprised, his eyes are closed and his breathing under me has slowed down. He's fast asleep.

"You're not too bad yourself mister." I admit snuggling into him but being careful not to wake him or pull the stitches out of my leg again.

For the first time in a while, I actually sleep well.

❦

"Mayday, mayday! We have a problem!"

Groaning softly, I wake up the second time that night still wrapped up in Hades sleeping form. I smile as I look up at him, his dark hair is tousled from sleep and his nostrils flare slightly as he continues to sleep on peacefully.

I glance around the dark room, trying to pinpoint what it was that had woken me up. I think it had been a voice or another small noise.

"Hades isn't in his room."

"Well wake up Seph immediately, Patroclus try and find that idiot will you," a loud voice calls from outside the room. "I'll get the twins."

I blink a few times trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Something is going on and it doesn't sound good.

"Hades," I whisper trying to wake him. I wish I didn't have to because for once he is actually sleeping. "I'm sorry."

"Sweetheart," he mumbles his voice deep with sleep as he opens his eyes to find mine staring right back at him. "What is it?"

"Somethings happening, the boys-"

I don't need to say anymore than that. Hades is already wide-eyed alert, looking around the room as he helps me up first before getting up himself.

Just in time too as the door opens to reveal Hermes peeking his head around the corner, he sighs happily as he spots me sitting up in bed.

"Oh thank goodness you're okay, we have to get moving," he explains stepping further into the room. His usual cheeriness is gone, replaced with fear and somewhat determination. "Do you know where Hades is-"

He than spots Hades beside me.

"Oh there you are, I should've guessed you'd be here."

"What's going on Hermes?" He asks glancing from me to the door.

"They've found us again somehow, they're surrounding the building as we speak," Hermes informs him.

"Who are they?" I ask confused but I'm ignored unsurprisingly.

"The guys are trying to secure the building hoping to keep them out until we can think of a plan B."

That's when the two blonde twins run into the room, Achilles and Patroclus close on their tails.

"Oh hi again P, I've heard you've had a fun last couple of days," Apollo laughs waving at me.

"Not the time for stupid laughs idiot!" Artemis tells her twin sighing in annoyance as she drops her bow by her feet.

"Are you two always joined by the hip?" I find myself asking.

"We're like a dynamic duo," she answers shrugging. "Sometimes."

"Bisexual and proud, lesbian and loud. Check!" Apollo adds with a smirk.

"Dude you've been drinking with D without me again, no fair," sighs Hermes sadly.

"Oh it was so much fun Hermos," Apollo continues walking over to his friend and throwing a drunken arm around him. "I accidentally made this straight guy question his sexuality... again. I really gotta watch myself huh."

I stare in shock at what I'm seeing and hearing, this is not the golden ray of sunshine I had met a few days earlier.

"Yeah and that's not all, you wanna hear what else happened?" Artemis asks him, in which Hermes nods.

"I found three naked guys in his bed this morning," she then turns to her brother. "Did we have a really weird break in or do you need to tell me something Apollo?"

Hermes is laughing just as hard as his friend while the rest of us just watch in silence.

"How drunk are you exactly?" Patroclus finally asks Apollo frowning.

"Uh... Serval," he mutters before finding it hilarious and laughing all over again. "Can we agree to not tell mum about this?" he asks his twin before giggling again.

"This isn't even the most disappointing thing I know about you," Artemis admits shrugging.

"Well he's not going to be much help here then," Achilles speaks for all of us as we watch Apollo start spinning around in circles like a ballerina around us. "And they're closing in."

"I can't believe I'm about to say this..." Artemis groans. "But what about Ares?"

"What about me?"

I jump in surprise as two other members join us in the small room, appearing out of nowhere. I recognise them as Adrain and April, or Ares and Aphrodite if I remember correctly.

Aphrodite is wearing a pale blue dress today with high heels, completely different from the short black dress she had been wearing last time I saw her.

"Why did you bring her here, she's no bloody help unless she plans on whooing them all," Artemis scoffs and I get the feeling they're not good friends.

"Hey! I'll let you know that I'm pretty good with a bow, thank you very much," she turns to me with a bright smile. "I'm kinda like Cupid really."

I raise my eyebrow but she doesn't notice as Artemis is already talking again.

"You're a whore with my bow and arrow. If you want a weapon, go and complain to your darling husband."

Ouch. Ares is glaring at Artemis with so much hatred that I think we're about to have world war three on our hands when Hades step forwards.

"Enough! Aphrodite can stay if she wants, the more the better," he looks towards Artemis as he says this, who glares at the other girl.

"I'm the slutty bisexual glue that holds this friendship together!" cries Apollo suddenly making us all turn to watch him.

"Someone please help me..." I hear Hades sighs as he runs his fingers through his hair. That's when I get an idea.

"We need a distraction and fast," I say out loud making everyone turn to look at me. "Are any of you good at jumping up and down and making annoying noises?"

"Hell yeah! My time has finally come," Hermes and Apollo say at the same time.

"I wish I could have magic flying shoes!" The little girl says watching as the older boy lands back down beside her - they had just been playing down near the river with the nymphs when he brought her back home.

The girl must be only four or five years old, her hair is shorter than before as well but it's definitely the same girl I've been seeing.

"You don't need them, you have me to take you places and when you're old enough your mum will teach you how to use-" the boy trails off as he appears to be hearing something no one else could.

"I'm needed somewhere ducky, never a days rest for a big important messenger of the Gods like myself," he tells me ruffling the young girls blonde hair with a wink before disappearing.

So that's who Hermes is, that's his job that he's been trying to tell me all along. He's a messenger of the Gods.

"Actually I have jobs for you both..." I say as the plan starts to form in my head. Hades watches on in amazement as I list off the things they need to do.

"So if you're downstairs in that light form you were in when we met Apollo, that'll give us enough time for Hermes to get us out of here."

"How is he going to that?" Artemis asks watching me cautiously.

"Because he's a messenger of the Gods, he can puff us downstairs where the car is while the bad guys are distracted with Apollo," I explain shrugging.

"She knows?" Artemis says shocked as she looks to Hades who nods before glancing over at me with a slight frown.

"You remembered me?" Hermes questions appearing right beside me, a hand on my shoulder.

"A little, just one scene though... it had to be you because you called me ducky," I mumble looking up at him to see him smiling.

"Well you do swim like one," he shrugs and I hit him playfully as he laughs.

"We've got trouble!" Artemis cries hearing something we all couldn't. "They're downstairs about to hit the door down."

Just as she says this, we hear a loud bang downstairs.

"Get her to safety!" Achilles yells at Hades and Hermes as he rushes to open the door.

"We'll meet them head on downstairs," Patroclus adds. "We'll try and buy you as much time as possible."

"Come on My Lady, it's time to put those training lessons to work," Ares tells Aphrodite as they both go out the door.

"Apollo snap out of it, we need you!" Artemis cries grabbing her brother and all but push him out the door and down the stairs, she grabs her bow on the way out.

"Wait..." I yell out watching as my guardians go for the door as well.

They are going to be fighting the bad guys, who are they really? My legal guardians or my guardian angels?

"They'll keep you safe Seph, and if they don't we'll hunt them down." Achilles glares at Hades mostly as he says the last part, making him growl as he takes my small hand in his.

"We'll see you again real soon," Patroclus adds in before disappearing behind the door. Achilles gives me a small smile before also leaving, pulling the door shut behind him.

"They won't get hurt, will they?" I ask Hades as he lifts me up in his arms so I won't pull the stitches out. I wrap my arms around his neck to hold on as Hermes places a hand on Hades shoulder.

"Just hold on tight Persephone."

"And on the road we go.. again," I hear Hermes say off tune as a blinding white light appears around us.