For Whom the Belle Tolls

by Jaysea Lynn

She’d shaken Persephone’s hand. That hand had probably shaken Hades’s cock at some point—

Did he notice? Did it bother him? Would it bother him? Her lack of a heartbeat, of life.

“Bel, you are enough. You make existence better, just by being you.” She swallowed. “And nothing about you feels temporary.”

“I was just thinking that you keep redefining Paradise for me.” She smiled even wider when his eyebrows furrowed slightly. “I thought that the building I live in was my Paradise. But then I met you, then I met Sharkie, and I’ve had so many moments since then that I’ve thought put the physical location of Paradise to shame. You have no idea how many of those moments have been with you. Almost every time we’re together, you redefine what is actually Paradise to me. And right now?” She ran her fingers down the side of his rugged face, and he leaned into the touch. “Paradise,” she said quietly.

“Please don’t make me bury my baby,” her mom wept brokenly. Lily was destroying her. She could see it in her eyes. “Please. Please.”

No im not okay

“Can I call you ‘Mom’? I really want to call you Mom, because, like, you basically are, even though you didn’t grow me, but you’re helping make me into who I am, and that’s a really mom thing to do, and also you’re there for me and you love me and I love you and stuff. And I wanna call Luci ‘Papa’ and Bel ‘Dad’ too, but I wanted to ask you first because it was you and me first and that felt important,” Sharkie blurted,

“You stood in the archway of Heaven—which I know how you feel about—saw a gegony, beheaded a chittahi with the sword I gave you, then turned around and gave God—who I also know how you feel about—a piece of your mind. And then you haven’t stopped doing incredible and thoughtful and loving things since, and you think I’m mad? Princess, I’m so fucking proud of you I could burst.”

“Nothing about us feels temporary, and things that aren’t temporary require effort. I can’t do this for you, Bel, but I will do it with you, and I am honored to do so.”