Author's Note: Rated for sensuality, nothing explicit. This does involve an underage pairing, (it is based on Lolita) technically incest, but that's the ship and the Greek gods in general. I completely understand if any of that makes you squeamish, but if that's the case it would probably save you the time and emotional exhaustion of flaming me to merely skip this story instead. For everyone at peace with the concept, I think you'll very much like this. It's my first time playing in the steamy sandbox, so I've got plenty of pent up heat to distribute ;) Enjoy. *Bows low, biding the curtain rise*

Hades knew better, he really did. He had watched his brother chase skirts of all dispositions into varying predicaments and ruinations and Hades had always fancied himself above such diversions. He assessed new acquaintances in terms of worthiness as a prospective mate and always enjoyed the company of a beautiful woman, what man didn't? But he didn't fall all over himself for their sake; it was unwise and unbecoming of the prince of the dead. But when Persephone appeared in the doorway that damned summer afternoon, Hades was undone. He knew from then on, he would be consumed with an unquenchable curiosity regarding her and a desperate need for her presence. He would raise Hell to claim that girl, and as history so graciously tells us again and again, the god was forced to do just that.

It started innocently enough, with tea of all things. Demeter had invited Hades to her woodland cottage on a drowsy afternoon for civil conversation and imported tea, and while Hades cringed at the notion of a "woodland cottage" and all the fuzzy, miraculously tame wildlife and gaily bubbling brooks the phrase brought to mind, he was pleasantly surprised at the scene he found upon arrival. Demeter's "cottage" was indeed a handsome and distinguished château, hewn from ancient stone and crawling with ivy and heady honeysuckle. He was ushered through the carved doors by a pair of nubile nymphs, Demeter's familiars, and was greeted by the goddess of summer in her expansive kitchen, awash in sunlight from the open windows and swimming in the delightful scent of buttered scones and rosehip tea.

The two exchanged the warm greetings of old friends and Hades kissed Demeter lightly on the check, a cordial gesture, but didn't miss the way she leaned into the point of contact ever-so-slightly. The goddess had always held a certain fondness for him, he had no illusions about that, but the fact that Demeter's daughter had been sired by Hade's exalted brother and the simple truth that Hades had no romantic interest in the goddess had kept anything deeper than friendship from blossoming over the years. Still, it didn't stop Demeter from trying, and Hades noted with some amusement the flowers she had woven into her luscious chestnut hair for the occasion and the way she looked coyly at him from beneath her lashes as she shared what had been going on in her realm since they last spoke.

Hades smiled behind his teacup at her display, allowing her this little fantasy. Oh, Demeter. So charmingly blind to the desires of the other party.

Hades smooth reply to one of her inquires was cut off as his sharp eyes detected movement behind Demeter's shoulder, and whatever it was he intended to say died in his throat as she appeared in the doorway. A slip of a thing, all long, gangly legs and impossible amounts of honey-colored hair, candy-apple lips being tugged on by pearly teeth, wide green eyes and a dress that hugged her newly developed hips and budding breasts with unforgiving accuracy. Hades had no words, which was fine, because Demeter was too busy chastising her daughter to notice the god's speechlessness.

"Persephone! You were supposed to be gathering honey with the nymphs in the far fields! Who let you back so soon? And oh, darling, your dress! I just had that made…"

Persephone didn't seem to care about the grasstains marring her tangerine-colored dress, rather strolled into the room barefooted and precocious as always.

"I was bored. It's terribly dull there. I ran away. I'd wager the nymphs are still searching for me. Who's that man, Mama?"

Demeter didn't seem to know who Persephone was referencing for a moment, then glanced at Hades and laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot! Hades, this is my daughter, Persephone. Persephone, this is your Uncle Hades. Zeus' brother?"

"I know 'im," Persephone muttered, sauntering right up to Hades and looking down at him with folded arms. "You're the god of the dead, huh?"

"Persephone," Demeter gasped, shocked. "Manners!"

Hades merely laughed, a low, rich sound that sent the corners of Persephone's mouth twitching upwards. "That's right. You're a clever one, aren't you?"

"So they tell me," Persephone said, extending her sticky hand for a shake. Hades didn't think twice about plucking it up and bringing it to his mouth in a gentlemanly kiss, it was merely the way he was raised. He immediately regretted it, because the taste of honey on her supple skin and the way she squeezed his hand in delight sent an unwelcome spiral of heat curling through his stomach.

"You're not scary," She declared sadly. "I was hoping you'd be more threatening. "

"Aren't I? You're very brave not to be scared of me. I could steal your soul away at this very moment."

Persephone laughed. "I don't think you will. Is it true you have a team of wild black horses that draw your chariot, with eyes of flame?"

"Yes. They're incredibly intelligent creatures, quite tame. You'd like them."

"And if you're bad," Demeter put in teasingly. "They'll appear in the night and drag you down to the Underworld!"

Because she couldn't see the future and therefore, the irony in this statement, Persephone squealed in mock terror, hiding behind Hades' chair.

"Maybe then you wouldn't be able to banish me to the fields for hard labor!"

Hades couldn't help but smirk at the way Persephone purposefully acted out, goading her mother, and saw a taste for mischief in her sparkling eyes that rivaled his own.

"How old are you, Persephone?"

"Thirteen and a half," She declared proudly, and Hades felt shock, disappointment, and shame riddle his heart with tiny bullets. Thirteen…She was just a baby. Even his brother wouldn't think of touching her, even if she weren't his daughter. That was too low, too detestable. But the way she slid her arms around his neck, resting her tiny chin on his shoulder and giggling into his ear, made everything moral and principled in his mind go suddenly fuzzy.

"Protect me from my wicked mother," She whispered with a smile.

"Of course," Hades indulged, winking at Demeter. "Shall I return her to the nymphs?"

"Oh, that's sweet," Demeter cooed. "But you don't have to. She's my daughter, I can manage her fine."

"Can't can't cant," Persephone teased, and every syllable sent a little gust of breath against Hades neck that he craved to take directly from her mouth with his own.

"Allow me, Demeter," He forced out, wanting to go just so he could stand and unwrap Persephone from his person. "I insist."

"Well, alright," The goddess said. "Thank you. Oh! Will you be staying with us tonight, Hades? I've had the nymphs prepare the guest house just in case…"

"That's very gracious Demeter, but it's no trouble. I had planned to return to the Underworld-"

"It's half a day's ride and twilight is starting. Please, stay as long as you like. It's terribly quiet around here, just me and Persephone. I insist."

Hades looked into the eager eyes of Demeter and felt the nimble fingers of her mischievous daughter entangle in his hair and sighed, resigning himself to his fate. For the sake of courtesy and no small amount of personal curiosity, he supposed he could vacation from the Underworld for a few days.

"That sounds marvelous. Thank you."

"My pleasure," Demeter cooed, finishing her tea. "The nymphs are in the upper field. Persephone will show you. And no tricks, girl, I'll be waiting here to make sure your uncle Hades returned unscathed within the hour."

Persephone muttered something about tricks and the time, then looked up with wide, inquisitive eyes as Hades stood and thanked her mother for the tea. Then she gave a little curtsey and led him out the French doors onto the rolling hills of her mother's forever fertile property.

"I'm glad mama brought you here," Persephone said casually, retrieving a tiny jar of fresh honey from the deep pocket of her dress as they strolled down the dusty country road.

"Why's that?" Hades said, watching with a little more interest than was proper as Persephone retrieved a wooden honey wand from the other pocket and thrust it into the golden treat before popping it into her perfectly shaped mouth.

"It's boring here, just mother and I and the nymphs. There's never anyone interesting around, and no men. Mama doesn't want me around any men, she says that's "trouble waiting to happen". What does she mean by that?"

Hades recognized the hard edge to her eyes, those found in children old enough to understand an adult concept but who played at being innocent simply to make the grown-up in the situation feel uncomfortable. It was a way of gauging this newcomer into her life, Hades recognized that, heaven knew he had done it enough as a child, he was always the guarded, too-smart-for-his-own-good one, and he wasn't about to play along.

"Why don't you tell me?" He challenged.

Persephone wasn't expecting this, and she hopped up on a nearby rock wall and sucked on her honey wand, only slightly out of sorts. "It means Mama's afraid I'm prettier than her," She declared, with all the usual arrogance of a pre-teen. She batted her eyelashes at Hades, not flirting, still trying to ruffle his feathers.

"Who do you think is prettier, Uncle Hades?"

"Your mother is beautiful," He answered, honestly. "You are lovely. They are two very different things and cannot be compared properly."

"Liar, they're the same."

"Not to a man."

Persephone pursed her lips at this, appropriately baffled for someone her age, then gave in to the fact that maybe he was more clever than she and began to lick the honey from her hands. The honey wand had done nothing to hold most of her sticky treat, and it had dripped over her fingers and palms as she spoke.

"Help me," She ordered, not looking at him, thrusting out her left hand as her tongue went to studious work on the right. Hades arched an eyebrow at this, because she was making misbehaving far too easy, then glanced around unconsciously as he considered his options. He really shouldn't…

"Hurry, it'll dry!" Persephone whined.

Hades sat down next to her on the wall and took the offered hand delicately, leading the sticky tip of one finger into his mouth. He sucked the honey off with a dry pop, then dragged the tip of his tongue along the length of her palm, wiping it clean. He continued along this vein for a few moments until he realized Persephone had stopped working on her hand and was watching him with something close to wonder.

"What is it?" He said gently, afraid he had crossed some line even though she had asked him to.

"Nothing," She said quietly, smiling lightly. "It just tickles."

Hades grinned and rather brazenly took all of her pinky finger into his mouth, dragging it out again slowly. Persephone laughed, retrieving her nearly dry hands and wiping them on her dress.

"You're strange."

"So are you," He shot back, grinning.

Persephone stuck her tongue out at him, then hopped off the wall and began to skip down the path.

"Where are you going?" Hades demanded. "Your mother told me to see to it you made it to the far fields."

"Maybe I'll go there," Persephone sing-songed. "And maybe I won't. It's not your concern anymore, silly man!"

Then she broke into the teasing laughter that would haunt Hades' dreams and disappeared around the bend, leaving Hades to savor the taste of honey on his tongue and wonder at this strange creature.

"Sephne," He murmured, adapting her unwieldy name to his tastes and making it his own. That's what he would call her. And she would be his.