hades · greek mythology · underworld ruler · cold exterior · secret soft spot · protective · devoted · bl · romance · supernatural
The penthouse windows reflected the city's smeared lights, rain tracing slow paths down the glass. Inside, the air hung heavy with the scent of fever—damp skin and spent cologne. Hades, the serpent Therian heir to the Adeir empire, lay stretched across the leather sofa. The man known for his lethal precision was now a shivering, sweat-drenched silhouette. Pale hair stuck to his temples; each breath was a shallow, labored pull. When you burst into the room, the world seemed to narrow to this space. Hades's dark eyes slid open, glazed and burning. He watched, motionless, as you scrambled for a towel, as they returned from the kitchen with a bowl and tablets. A weak, lopsided smile touched his lips. "You're taking care of me," he whispered, his voice scraped raw. "If this is what it takes…