The Final Dance

He took her hand in his, pulling her closer gently. She turned to him. Her eyes meeting his. The unspoken words filling the silence. And they danced.

***

(Two weeks prior)

It started with a letter.

The first of many.

I guess you can say that's romantic,well if it's a love story... as one would assume.

Their story was complicated. One that not many would understand. To understand would require a look into the depths of one's own self, a depth that not many are ready or willing to face.

What lies there in the darkness?

And why are you afraid?

***

Her reply went something a little like this:

Hades mi amor,

Thou many think you a villian

that doth not mean you are my foe

i think we have misunderstood

all my love, Persephone

Xo

***

He knew he had to reach out to her, especially since he now knew the "truth". And, he kinda owed it to her. He really owed it to her and there was something else he wanted her to know.

He never planned for it to get to this. All of this. This 'chaos' that surrounded him. And she, his only escape. The irony of that realization. The fucking irony.

What the hell was he going to tell her? And how? She was as elusive has the spider away from it's web these days.

And then she was everywhere. She was all he thought about when he'd let his mind wander away from the 'nightmare' that had become his life. What even was he doing here?

***

She knew this was the only way. She'd made the appropriate consultations and held the council meeting with the elders. This would be fair. She had never been unfair. He knew this to be true. And in many ways that was something that he admired about her. Yet, it led to the same crash and burn in the end. It almost broke his heart to watch her grieve. It made him feel. Made him feel something he couldn't define; but something that he knew was worth 'loving' her for. Love not in the usual way... he was afterall Hades, god of the Underworld aka dude with a bad rap.

But maybe that was not how she saw him in her eyes... maybe she saw something that was 'worth loving' in the way that defies reality, to grant a wish to the queen and goddess of the underworld Persephone, the story that's been misunderstood.

***

She awaited his response.

She knew, that he knew exactly what to do to make this right. Something he wanted to do, yet struggled to do. Somehow unsure which part was the struggle. As one was 'right' the other 'necessary' and which was which. And did it even matter?

She had evolved magically with all the beauty and grace of goddess, in the midst of a really 'tortured hell". He couldn't help but see how beautiful she was. In a way that he wouldn't admit. She was his favorite character. A badass. The hero and the villian. The girl that they desire. They, those fucking clowns, they played it all wrong. And she totally 'took em", they never saw it coming.

She really was a queen. She never was his foe.

He tried to remember the interaction that made him certain... it was something in her eyes, a look, a clue? Or was it something that she said?

***

She knew there had been a 'vibe'. She ignored it of course. But that did not make it untrue.

So here she was. Waiting on him to move the chess piece forward. Were they playing chess? Or were they just studying eachother.

***

(Present day)

"Dance with me darling", he said, speaking just above the music.

Still holding her gloved hand in his own, he led her to the beautiful candle lit dancefloor.

And then the song began to play, the one that she'd heard in her dream. The one that she was meant to hear.

It was hard to see this moment coming. All possibilites considered, this was not one that either had arrived at prior. And somehow, here the answer was. Now he just had to tell her. He wanted and needed for her to know the truth and he wanted her to understand. He hoped that she somehow would. And then he could make it right. That's how the 'story' should end.

But not yet.

First he wanted to dance with her and feel the way the music moved them. An attempt to make her understand.

***

Dearest Persephone,

I received your correspondence

i assume that means you understand

we can negotiate the details

Eternities of love, Hades

***

"A dream

A dance

a time

a chance" -Persephone

***

In that moment when the music started; she realized that now would be the moment where she knew the truth. Maybe she already knew. Maybe that's what scared him, but she had never given him a reason to fear her. She had always been kind to him. Not just kind, she had been; something more magical. If he were ever to believe in magic, it would be because of her. Somehow she managed to cultivate this 'otherworldy' 'vibe', as she would say. And being in her presence, well, you somehow felt magical too. Maybe he should start there.

She had rather enjoyed talking to him. Those times when they had spoke alone. He was more relaxed in those moments. Almost like he enjyed her presence. He'd never said that of course. And he was always 'pleasant' to her. In a way that she had felt calm in his reassurance. Whatever that meant to her.

She did calm him. Near her, he felt as she, invincible.

He could smell the sweet and spicy notes in her perfume. The perfect blend. Her favorite scent.

She couldn't deny that his hand felt good holding hers. And the thought of being near him felt exciting. She knew he felt it too. The moment getting more intense. The anticipation of touching, of being that close. The moment he had looked forward to, since he knew.

***

(Two weeks prior)

Their first 'meeting' ironic. Not where anyone would expect, but the 'place' that made all the sense in the world.

The room lit with candles.

Technically neither of them was supposed to be there.

But honestly, when did that ever stop either of them. Something they were both about to learn about eachoter.

Delightful.

***

They had agreed to meet and settle a score or 'settle up'. That was the pretense anyways. I mean, that was not untrue.

And now they danced.

The closest now that they had ever been. He could feel her heartbeating aginst his chest and she felt like she could hear his every thought, and he hers.

In that moment they were transported, as if they were in the song, or in the stars somehow. Floating above the city, flying amoung the stars. Feeling free. Feeling on fire, the kind that is worth knowing.

The kind of fire that you walk through hell and become. The one that you transform to gold. And build your kingdom. And he the first to worship the queen. A journey that they both had to take.

To become who they were about to be...

A possibility that nooone could have predictied.

To be continued...