I Will Cover You (Luna) (Rated: M)

Hades made his way up the stairs after his talk with Morana and finally seeing his daughter he felt a bit lighter then he did before. Passing Luna's room he faltered as the fierce woman filled his thoughts, staring at her door for a few moments he then walked to his door pushing it open.

Sleep has always been a struggle for Luna, even as a child but now, it was worse than ever. Either she watched her blank ceiling, having told herself to at least paint it to make it more entertaining, or she slept with haunting nightmares that made her wish she never closed her eyes again. Tonight was the latter, having thought with how exhausted she was, no nightmare would come.

The nightmare was recurring. The image of every single one of her family members dying the deaths they died in real life before Celeste came last, a hole in her stomach from the large blade piercing her whilst Luna just watched as her youngest child died. Of course Luna killed the man after but she didn't do her job. She did not protect her own child and it haunts her to this day, unable to even blink without seeing Celeste blaming her for her death.

Luna threw the sheets as she wriggled in her sleep, hitting the mattress and the headboard with so much force it cracked beneath her fist and she at first mumbled but now the screams left her throat, punching and kicking the air to get Celeste's image from her mind to leave but no luck. The shouting continued, Luna copying Celeste's words but twisting it to be her own. "IT'S MY FAULT, MY FAULT, MY FAULT. I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY IT'S MY FAULT, IT'S ALL MY FAULT." She continued to scream, shaking her head frantically as the pillows now were thrown across the room.

Hades hand rested on the door nob when he heard a crack, then screaming, at first wordless but then words, he turned and ran to Luna's door and threw it open, in moments he assessed the situation quickly recognizing a lack of actual threat and he grabbed the small woman in his arms, kneeling on her bed he pressed her hands down on either side of her head as she struggled and bucked under him, he stradled her, holding her down with all his strength but she still fought back fiercley. "Luna!" he cried out to her "Luna, my star its me, its hades love, its hades"

Luna heard the voice calling out for her, the image in her mind only filled with blood until a hand pulled her out from the darkness. She screamed as she awoke, wanting to shoot up but found herself restrained which did not help. Her instincts screamed at her to attack but she was too weak to remove herself, telling herself it was a stronger being and she only knew of two that she had stayed with. Opening her eyes, she saw Hades on top of her and she realized she was panting for air, tears rolling down her cheeks as her body shook off the last bits of fright. "Hades..." She whimpered, turning her head to side in shame.

"Luna.." he said softly as she finally woke, sliding to her side he pulled her to him, putting her head in the crook of his arm he stroked her tear stained cheeks. He wrapped her up in his arms and pressed his forhead to hers "your safe my star, i'm here...i'm here.."

Luna threw herself at his chest, clinging onto him for dear life as the tears wracked her body. With Hades, she wasn't so afraid to show emotion, to show weakness and she knew that even though she was, she wasn't going to be judged. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.." She whispered, too scared to close her eyes in case the image of Celeste showed itself once more. "I'm sorry.." She mumbled, gripping Hades' shirt as she hid her face in his chest, letting his scent calm her.

He held her tightly his arms pulling her as close as possible. "Your safe Luna" he promised her as he ran his free hand through her hair. "Your okay, your safe, i'll never leave you. i promise"

Luna panted for air, on the brink of hyperventilating if it wasn't for Hades' comfort. She slowly glanced up, tears welling up in her eyes once more. "I'm sorry, demon...I'm sorry. I fell asleep by accident, I'm sorry, If you want, you can go back to your room..." She mumbled, the image of shocking blonde hair being covered in thick blood hair that belonged to its owner still stuck in her mind.

He continued to drag his fingers through her hair, pulling her up against him he kissed her temples. "No, i'll stay with you" he said to her softly his piercing eyes looking down at her "I want to protect you from your own bad dreams"

Luna found all of her muscles relaxed at the running of his fingers in her hair and she leaned into the kiss on the temple. "I don't deserve you.." She mumbled into his chest sleepily and looked up at him, her once electric blue eyes having dulled over the years were starting to brighten up little by little. "I'd gladly let you.." She said honestly, unsure as to where these words were coming from.

He nuzzled her gently his arms holding her tightly, with a flick of his wrist the heavy blankets covered them both and he settled into the pillows so she could comfortably lay on his chest. "You don't deserve me" he conceded as he returned to running his fingers through her hair "you deserve far better"

Luna liked the strange affection, unsure of where all of these actions had came from as before, they'd just hug and that'd be it. Now she felt her heart swell at the fact he moved to make her more comfortable or when he ran his fingers through her hair. "No I don't. I never have. I don't deserve people's kindness after what I did to Kronos. I don't deserve comfort after what I failed to do with Celeste. I most certainly don't deserve a man who is willing to destroy his home to protect many, many people."

He met her declaration with silence as he listened to her breathing, he ran his fingers through her hair slowly in thought, "No my little moon" he said giving voice to thoughts he had carried for some time "Kronos was as much to blame as you were, it takes two to fail a marriage and while you left him, he neglected you and your children" his voice was steady and heavy with years of experince, "As a parent we expect to be able to save our children from every bump or stumble in the darkness, but sometimes we cannot save them, and that is not our own short comings, it merely is sometimes how things happen for us. I lost my son, some years ago. Long before you were born, he was my pride and he was beautiful. His mother died giving birth to him so he was all i had truly. I was not as strong then as i am now, so when the witch hunters found me, they managed to restrain me and force me to watch as they tore my beautiful little boy limb from limb" his voice took on a hollow tone as he spoke, "i never thought i would have a child again until Rhea, a happy unexpected accident. But a surprise all the same. I struggled to allow myself to love her because i feared my love would curse her. but sometimes you must accept that even an immortal fails sometimes and though we give life to our children we are not gods nor masters of there fate. You did not fail celeste my love, despite the brutality she was met with, it was her time to go. Her death let it not be in vein and let it strengthen you."

Luna could not help the tears that welled up in her eyes and she hid her face in Hades' neck, her body shaking slightly. "I could've. I could've saved her, It was not her time. I was told by a prophet. I asked many on when my children would die, and would I be there? All spoke yes when it came to Celeste. They saw her death as clear as day and I could've saved her because I had given her killer mercy a few years before hand." She whimpered and looked up at Hades. "You are no longer alone and I am thankful for your daughters presence in your life for it has strengthened you, like my children had strengthened me. I do wish I had been there at your son and wife's losses, helping you carry that pain, my little demon." She admitted, holding him tighter to ease both of their pain.

He pressed a kiss to her hair "No amount of forsight could have helped you sweet." he said "its like blaming yourself for losing her to diseases, you may have seen it coming but in the end you were powerless, and you are not to blame for her loss."

Luna leaned into the kiss, smiling to herself at the peace that seemed to settle over her tortured soul. "Thank you, Hades....Your words, your comfort and help mean a lot." She said honestly, looking up at him with a faint smile. "I can't believe i'm getting comforted by a really old vampire...who can take down anyone he pleases yet here he is, holding a mortal woman who had a nightmare." She decided to tease him, lightening the mood.

He chuckled darkly resting his chin in the crook of her neck, "this old vampire happens to have a soft spot for a certain mortal woman" his breath ghosted over a skin and without thinking he pressed a soft kiss to her neck, her pulse radiating beneath his cool lips.

Luna blushed furiously and rested her own face in the crook of his neck, their limbs intertwined. "I do believe that the..mortal woman holds a flame for the old vampire also.." She whispered, a shiver running through her body at the kiss on her neck and she returned the gesture, feeling his cold skin with her warm lips.

Growling softly he pulled back and looked down at her, rolling so he was ontop of her, "Luna..." he whispered not daring to speak loudly "I have loved you for so long" his finger tips trailed along her face.

Luna's body shivered at the sound of his growl and on instinct, raised her legs around his waist as he laid on top of her. His words shocked her but pleased her nonetheless, her hand slowly cupping his cheek. "Despite having had a husband, I always felt a connection with you. Your soul understood mine and my heart longed for that connected to deepen. I realize now that I have loved you this entire time.." She cooed, closing her eyes as a crooked smile took hold of her lips.

He felt her pulse quicken under his finger tips and his soul sang at her words, Without warning he leaned in and kissed her, this time his lips expressed his hunger, his desire, his passion for her.

Only a few moments ago, Luna had been crying from nightmares and now, Hades' cold body covered hers in the most pleasant of ways. The sudden kiss shocked her happily, her stomach twisting and flipping and she returned the kiss with eagerness. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she sunk into the moment, a grin forming on her lips.

She tasted just like he dreamnt, like whiskey and vanilla, she opened up to him, like a flower eager for the sun and he felt her smile and mirrored it with one of his own. Kissing down her neck he moved her arms so they were above her head, his own hands holding them gently but firmly. Intertwining there fingers he returned to her lips, kissing her again, softer this time as he poored his love into the moment. Breaking it he looked down at her, brushing her lips lightly with his, "i have longed for this, even when i was lost in my own darkness, every time i saw you i knew i had to have you, but you were so far away, so hard to reach."

He tasted like she imagined, like darkness and warmth all the same, like spices and pine, her favourite scents. His smile on her lips caused her heart to swell and she allowed him to move her arms, squeezing his fingers with joy. Staring up at him through her eyelashes, her breath ragged at the excitement that pulsed through her body. "I felt the same...Even as a young girl, I was attracted to you but I did nothing to act, feeling I was just a child to you. Every time I stepped closer, you took a step back and I attempted, failed, to move on. I was happy at first in my marriage but I saw you almost every day. It did nothing to help the growing love I felt for you. I've dreamt of this for so long, Hell...for so, so long..."

He dove for her lips once more kissing her with a ferocity he had spent the last years trying to keep at bay. For this moment there was no blood in his past, he was just a man in love with the wonderful woman lying beneath him. He kissed down her neck his lips teasing the sensitive skin, his hands slid down her body, one hand cupping her breast as he returned his lips to hers, kissing her like she was the water and he was the dying man. 

Rolling her nipple between his fingers he parted her lips with his tongue and tasted her mouth, a soft but feral grown escaping him.