{Aboveworld}

And so, three agonizing seasons passes.  From the sun-filled days of spring to the rich leaves falling in autumn, Persephone works tirelessly by her mother’s side from dawn to dusk.  She kept her thoughts busy during the day, having a daily routine of tending the gardens, answering prayers and reaping each harvest.  By nightfall however, she would be as eager as a lovesick young maiden waiting to confess to her first love.

Since the adjourned trial at Mt. Olympus, Hades had run down to the palace gardens where Persephone was sitting unsupervised and confessed everything to her.  He told her his reasons for the kidnapping, his regret for making her feel unhappy in the Underworld, and the pain he felt when she was gone. 

“…I wanted to die.”

He whispered desperately in her ear.  “To die right there and now to stop you from leaving me.”

With a sob Persephone threw herself at Hades, her eyes glittering with happy tears as she clung on to her new lover, her other half, her soulmate.

“I-I love you.”  She choked through a stream of tears.

Hades just held her tighter, relinquishing all his feelings by the golden strands cascading down her shoulders.  Then he gasped, feeling a strange force expanding his ribcage considerably.  His heart felt finally free of its bindings and wanted to thump soundlessly with her own.  Hades pulled back to gaze at her beautiful face, and pressed his lips to hers.

“And I you.”  

From that day on, Persephone lived her remaining days above the Earth and Hades returned to his palace underground.  But that did not him from visiting her every night, as a sly messenger god had suggested oh-so-innocently. 

“Just because she can’t be down here, doesn’t mean you can’t visit her…”

Needless to say, their relationship was shy at first.  

Persephone blushed every two minutes of their small chats and Hades always felt tongue-tied about what to say next.  It was puppy love, but gradually the bud of their affections grew and as the days fly by, they learned to trust and rely each other more.  It wasn't long till the fruits of their labour had nurtured a beautiful narcissus flower in full bloom.