The very name, Demeter, seemed to draw the air from Hades' lungs, so much though that his expression dimmed, just a bit. Yes, he remembered Demeter well. He supposed that her disdain for him could not have been helped. After all, it was his influence that ruined her crops year after year. It was he who took babes from the arms of their mothers when they were not yet ready to be. He followed everything that she detested, and before his isolation, she had taken the opportunity to tell him so. He did not find her to be cruel-- he understood, though he would not apologize. But he did find her unpleasant, to say the least. But how had she mothered someone like Persephone? There was no comparison-- not even her appearance lent itself to her mother's. He was mystified, and admittedly curious.<br/><br/>But Persephone had drawn closer now, her wide eyes so full of something Hades was unfamiliar with, but could not help himself for wanting to know more about. He inhaled, and was immediately intoxicated by the perfume of blossoms on her skin. Fragrant, radiant Persephone had gotten so near to him that Hades felt that the world had shrunk to fit around them. His lips parted, and his eyes dropped to the rose between her delicate hands. It was beautiful, something he had never seen before, and now she was offering it to him.<br/><br/>It would not survive with him, he knew. He sighed softly, but a small smile curved his lips. "I've never heard it described that way." When was the last time he had heard a compliment? It was so simple, and yet so meaningful that it warmed him to the tips of his toes. It was a new sensation, one that he wanted to get used to. He brought his hands up to cradle the blossom, just barely letting its petals brush his palms, and the frost webbed across it, weaving around and across until the entire flower and its vines had been brushed with a light layer of ice, glistening in the setting sun.<br/><br/>It was beautiful, and yet so telling of why things had to be the way they were. Hades' smile dwindled. "I remain in my domain for the betterment of others. My strength is my influence," he said. "The other gods; my brothers, your mother-- they all hold dominion over the living, and I am the sole keeper of the dead." He met her eyes. "It is not fear that keeps my name from their tongues."<br/><br/>She was everything that he knew to stay far from. He did not wish to invoke Zeus' wrath-- the Almighty was a brash god, and his last bought of rage had taken far too long to repair. It was why there were no temples on Earth for Hades, no alters for offerings. Zeus made it very clear that he wanted Hades to have no stake in the claims of prayers sent to the gods. And yet, Hades remained.<br/><br/>And Persephone remained as well. It was still surprising to him that she had not turned tail and left. He drew his hands away, resisting the growing urge to touch her, to feel the warmth and life on the surface of her skin. He turned to look behind himself, back at the wall of trees and the darkness. "My place is there, in the shadows. It is my calling, and my honor. Until now, I did not think that you knew I saw you, and I did not want to impose." He hesitated, and met her eyes. "I am sorry that it has taken so long for us to meet. ...Would you...?"<br/><br/>The words were caught before they could pass his lips. A thread of anxiety pulled the corners of his mouth into a frown, and for a moment he considered leaving the thought open. But no, he could not disappoint her again, after she had given him so many gifts. "Would you like to meet again? I did not expect to be away this long, but... I would like to see you again," he said, and he meant it. He always wanted to see her, and now that he knew her at such a close distance, there could not be another time that he could watch from afar.