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a jar of secrets
18 | aww youre cute... for a three headed dog

"Man I really hate flying..." Hades mumbles once we've been in the air for over two hours. He really doesn't, he's been sick ever since we first took off although now he's starting to get a little colour back in his cheeks.

"How many times have you flown?" I ask.

Hermes is sitting in the row across from us and in front one, he keeps turning around to make fun of Hades which I glare at him for.

"Once and that was enough for me," he answers, groaning as we come into rough winds again. I watch as Hades grips onto both sides of the seat, shutting his eyes as tight as he possibly can.

"Do you need another bag?" I ask preparing to get the flight attendants attention again.

"No... I think I'm okay," he says opening his brown eyes as the plane evens out steadily.

"Have you tried eating a lolly?"

He nods his head.

"It didn't really help, I told you I'm not much for sweets."

"God of The Underworld and you can't even fly without getting sick," Hermes laughs as the flight attendants announce something over the speakers.

"Shut up you!" I tell him which makes him laugh even more as he turns back around in his seat.

"Do you need some water?" He shakes his head.

"I'll be okay sweetheart, it's not much longer."

I'm guessing no ones told him that we've still got eleven hours to go until we land - I'm not going to be the one to break it to him.

"Do you mind if I..." he trails off as he leans down in the seat, just enough so he can comfortably rest his head in the crook of my neck.

"Oh uh nope, I mean yes... No um."

Hades chuckles and the hair on my neck stand up. More so when he moves his head to the side and accidentally presses his lips faintly against my neck as he gets comfy.

Shit! No that could not have been an accident.

"You're just adorable," Hades tells me softly, his lips moving delicately against my skin as he talks.

"Stop it..." I mumble trying my hardest not to moan cause that would be embarrassing, instead I curl my toes up in my boots and count to ten in my head.

"But it's fun teasing you sweetheart," he admits tilting his head to look up at me. "I can't help it, you're beautiful inside and out and you can kick ass."

I laugh at that which makes his smile widen.

"Just sleep already Hades," I tell him fighting the urge to blush. But I realise with a start that he's already sound asleep, snoring softly in my ear.

"Sweet dreams Hades..." And before I can stop myself, I gently move my head just enough so I can kiss his forehead and that's when the cameras flash goes off.

❦

"Hermes I am going to murder you!" I yell at him eleven and a half hours later.

"What? Why?" He cries innocently, dangling the camera in his left hand as we wait for Hades to come back with a rental car.

"Ugh you know why, that photo better not see the day of light!"

"But why not? It's a super cute photo of you both." I glare at him. "That's not seeing the the day of light while I'm alive... which is forever!"

I can't help but start laughing at that.

"What's so funny you two?" Hades calls out as he comes to park beside the curb.

"Nothing!" Hermes and I say at the same time.

"Right?... Well come on kids, we have some driving to do." Hades tells us unlocking the doors for us.

"I call shot gun!" Hermes yells already at the passenger side door but Hades has already locked it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you're in the back," Hades tells him with a hint of a smile.

"Ugh fine!" Hermes admits defeat and goes around the side of the car, pretending to sulk.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me we still had eleven hours to go," Hades sighs stretching his arms out in front of him while we wait for Hermes.

"If I had told you, you wouldn't have fallen asleep," I reply back putting my seatbelt over me.

"Hmm that's probably true, did I really sleep that long?"

I nod my head.

"See you're my magic touch," he says which makes me rolls his eyes. "What?"

"Nothing..." I laugh looking away from him and out the window instead.

"Persephone? Tell me," he pushes the subject also laughing.

"You've just been awfully..." I try to think of the right word.

"Smitten?" Hermes offers.

"Shut up!" Hades tells him making us all laugh. "Don't you have a job to do anyways."

"Ugh yeah yeah, I'll go and tell them the update." I feel Hermes place his hand on my shoulder before whispering something in my ear.

"Watch that one, he's smitten with you."

And with that, he disappears in a white flash.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing," I mumble trying not to laugh.

"Persephone?" he questions, glancing over at me but I keep my mouth shut with a smirk. "Fine I'll let it slide this time," he sighs before refocusing back on the road.

So for the next three hours as we drive through the Greece countryside from kalamata to Athens, I take out the thick mammoth of a book and get to work studying up on my heritage.

❦

"You really weren't kidding when you said our family trees are fucked, huh!" I comment laying the book across my legs as I glance in the back to see Hermes laughing.

"Nope!"

"You swear way too much for your own good, you know?" Hades huffs as he keeps an eye out for a cheap motel that we could stay for the night.

"I'm an eighteen year old, sarcastic, stubborn, boss-ass wom-"

"Goddess!"

"My bad..." I say acknowledging Hermes's comment. "Boss-ass Goddess whom feels the need to swear every now and again and you can't stop me." I inform Hades who just grunts in annoyance.

"She's right Uncle," Hermes continues grinning at me in the front mirror. I grin right back.

"Hey guys, do you think my laundromat will notice that the bloodstain on my sheets is in the shape of a face?"

"Fucking Jesus!" I shout looking behind me to see that a fourth person has joined our little trio.

"Actually it should really be, 'fucking Ares.' I'm no sweet Jesus," Ares tells me lounging back in the chair.

"Hi to you too Ares," Hades says rolling his eyes which makes my lips turn up into a teasing smile which he sees.

"Ain't that the truth! And to answer your question, nah! I'm sure they'll just overlook it, thinking someone's just smeared red paint in the shape of a face on your sheets," the trickster goes on ignoring us in the front. "Ooh now that's something I gotta try out..."

"Hermes!" Hades warns in his big uncle voice. "There'll be none of that happening, thank you."

The miserable look that Hermes gives his uncle breaks my heart.

"Hades Hades," his other nephew sighs leaning over the gear box. "It's all a part of growing up, like throwing rocks at cars."

"You used to throw rocks at cars?" Hades raises an eyebrow at him, not finding it any bit amusing.

"Well duh. After I did that cars wouldn't even come drown my street after a while 'cause they knew I would get 'em." Ares laughs and I can't help but grin at that one myself.

"Oh c'mon you big meanie! Let there be fun and a small bit of mayhem around the place! It won't hurt anybody," I say out loud, getting a grin from both boys in the back.

"She's now my favourite Goddess!" declares Ares patting my shoulder with pride.

"She's always been my favourite Goddess!" Hermes jokes coming up on the other side of my chair.

"She's always been mine so back off you two." Hades tells them both in a low tone. I frown as I turn to face him, but he won't look my way.

"Somebody's a little jelly." Ares whispers in my ear.

"A little? I'd say more than that." Hermes adds in my other ear. I begin to laugh finding this all very amusing.

"Okay that's enough." Hades cries coming to a stop on the road, upsetting the other drivers behind him. "Ares go back to whatever you were doing before coming here and Hermes-" he turns to face his other nephew, annoyed. "Shut the hell up would you."

"Aww looks like somebody's on their time of the month." Ares tells him wickedly, sending a quick smile my way before disappearing from sight.

"I think he's always on that time of the month cousin." Hermes says and I can hear Ares laugh before he goes completely.

I glance over towards Hades to see that he isn't laughing or even smiling, instead he starts the car back up and continues looking straight at the road ahead ignoring the car horns behind.

"They were only joking around Hades, they don't mean anything by it." I try to tell him but he just shakes his head not looking at me. My smile slowly turns downwards as it's clear I won't be getting anything more from him.

"It's okay ducky, don't worry too much about him." Hermes whispers to me from the backseat.

But that's the thing, as I find myself watching Hades I realise that I do worry about him, even when he is being a grumpy old God.

Forty-five minutes later and we've finally arrived in the beautiful Athens or at least I think we have, Hades still isn't talking to either of us.

I don't know what's going on with him but I believe he's worrying about something, and that's because of the wrinkle near his eye. Hermes had left us a little bit ago to go check up on our friends and bring them up to date with everything.

"Do you really think I can get us-" I point up to the darken sky above our heads. "Up there."

"With some practice, I believe you could Persephone but only if you believe." Hades tells me after a few seconds of silence. "We'll stay here for tonight."

I glance out the darkened windows, only catching a little bit of light let off from the street lights and the near full moon. I barely make out a little three story white building with four sliding doors on the second and third balconies.

Nodding my head I get out of the vehicle as Hades does the same, slinging the bag over his left shoulder as we begin walking up to the main door.

"Do you think they're still open?" I ask glancing around the street, it's pretty dark out as its past midnight by now.

"One thing you should know about Athens Persephone." Hades starts putting his hand on the door handle and turning to face me a few steps behind him. "It's not always what it seems and that goes for everything," he tells me with a small smile as he pushes the door wide open for us.

"Hi there and welcome to ---'s, how can I help you two tonight?" I look up as we enter into a small round room and the older man behind the counter.

"We'd like a room for tonight and perhaps the rest of the week if that's no problem." Hades tells him going over to the desk.

"Of course that's no worries sir, we have two rooms left. One has a queen and the other has a double and single, did you want the queen?" The man asks glancing at me standing behind Hades, looking around the room in wonder.

"Uh yes the queen would be gr-"

"Don't forget me Uncle!"

I laugh as Hermes comes running into the building and comes to stand beside me, sending a cheeky smile at me. Hades grumbles something under his breath before turning back to the owner with a fake smile plastered on his face.

"I guess we'll take the second room, thank you."

As Hades waits to get the keys, Hermes takes my hand and pulls me towards the stairs laughing.

"Did you see his face? Oh my god, it was hilarious!" He goes on chuckling.

"I think he's planning on killing you Hermes." I explain but it goes to death ears which makes me laugh too. "How do you know which room we're in?" I ask him as Hermes leads me to the second story and along the small hallway to the last door.

"Because I kind of went ahead and moved my bag in there before I saw you guys." He explains as we come to a stop in front of room three. "Now would you happen to have a something straight in your pockets.

I raise my eyebrow but check my pockets finding nothing in them.

"Oh never mind, this will do just fine." Hermes says bending down and snapping a twig off the little plant beside the door.

"You know Hades will only be a second with the keys, right?" I remind him but he ignores me as he bends down to the lock.

"Watch closely."

And I do as the twig in his hands slowly bends and curls into something that resembles a key, I gasp as he pushes it in the hole and turns it. As he stands back up, he pushes the door open for us with a flourish.

"Wow!" I exclaim as he walks in, dropping the twig by my feet as he goes in. I bend down to pick it back up, it's turned back into an ordinary twig but I could somehow feels it's sadness from being away from its home.

"There there little one." I tell it turning to hold him back in his place beside the other twigs and somehow when I remove my hand, it stays in place like I glued in there. Someone starts clapping behind me and I jump falling backwards onto the floor as I was only bending over.

"You alright there sweetheart?" Hades asks as I look up into his bright brown eyes as he leans over me, offering a hand. I take it laughing at my clumsiness.

"Yes I think s-"

"Bad dog! Bad bad dog!" We hear Hermes yell from inside the room.

Hades and I look at one another worriedly before quickly pulling me up and running into the room to see Hermes pointing at something on the single bed.

"That is my bed not yours, get off!"

Hades and I look at each other again, watching Hermes shout at something on his bed.

"No, no don't set my socks on fire again ugh!" Hermes cries jumping and down in annoyance.

"Hermes?" I call out to him as Hades stands back watching rather amused at the scene in front of him. "What's going on here?"

"His stupid dog is-" Hermes gets cut of by a bark of joy on the bed and I turn to see not one but three puppies jump out of Hermes bag. No wait, one puppy with three heads?

"Cerberus!" I cry out when spotting the little guys, they bark happily as they run and jump into my arms.