Unexpected things happen when you’re married to a god. It must be said, therefore, that Ariadne is not entirely surprised when she finds herself in a new place. It is plain enough to see that is not the Underworld, though Pluto and Persephone’s gardens are impressive, they certainly do not hold a candle to anything one can find in the mortal realms. She is in a garden, she can tell that much; but it has been so long since she has felt the warmth of the sun¹ that she cannot help but linger in it for a while before she sets to business. Ariadne is clever enough to realize that when unexpected things happen, her husband is usually somewhere at the center of it, and in a new place (without some yarn to guide the way), the best thing for her to do is wait. Surely he’ll be along sooner or later. She sits in the gardens, then, enjoying the too-long-missed feeling of the sun in her hair and the smell of flowers, awaiting the presence of Dionysus.

It’s getting cooler out, and as a result Dionysus is spending fewer hours each day outside. Once he finally thinks the sun has warmed things sufficiently for him to handle it, he heads outside, and as he approaches his garden he immediately regrets not coming out earlier.

For a moment he can’t believe what he’s seeing. He forgets to breathe, he wants to cry, and he’s not even sure how exactly he crosses the distance to her but suddenly he’s there, she’s there, he’s wrapping shaking arms around her and pulling her in for a very, very deep kiss.

She makes a slightly startled (if pleased) noise at the sudden arms and the kiss, wrapping her own arms around his waist with a smile. “Hello, dear.”

He draws back from the kiss just far enough to rest their foreheads together, both of his hands cupping her face. He can’t bear to stop touching her, to stop looking at her, because then she might cease to be. “You’re here,” he says. “You’re really here?”

“Yes,” she says simply, nuzzling a little closer. “Not – not permanently, I think this is just a visit. But it’s better than nothing.” It’s better than the underworld. Come to think of it, she’s certain it’s not the underworld, but she doesn’t exactly know where she’s ended up. “Where are we?”

Not permanently. Ah. So this is just… just what, exactly? It feels crueler than the normal pranks the mansion plays on them. It feels more wonderful than the normal gifts the mansion gives them. To only have her for a day. Well, it’s longer than the, what, five minutes they had twenty years ago? He should be grateful. He is grateful. He wants to scream and argue and fight with the mansion spirits to let it be longer than a day, please let it be longer than a day, she was so young when she died.

Rather than answer her question, he gives her another long kiss, then finally says, “Don’t know. A bunch of people just sort of… wind up here. Different dimensions.” And, because that’s clearly enough talking for now, he goes in for more kissing.

She returns it, of course, but she would like a bit more explanation than just kissing. The kissing is pleasant. It’s more than that, in fact, but she has pressing questions. “And how does a god come to wind up in a different dimension?”

“Don’t know,” he says, shrugs, and kisses her again. Oh, but she deserves more of an explanation than that. It’s really a shame he can’t kiss and talk at the same time. “Something – someone, I suppose, pulled me here. There’s no way to leave. …Except, of course,” he adds, bitterly, “for occasionally, when they bring us visitors.”

He grabs both of her hands and brings them to his mouth to kiss. “Love, I never thought I would see you again. And now – to only have you for a day--”

She smiles and squeezes his hands, coming to a decision. They can’t just sit in the gardens all day, after all. So, ever-practical, she replies: “Well. If we’ve only got a day, let’s make the most of it, hmm?”

“Of course,” he says, smiling back. And after another kiss he wraps his arm around her waist and starts leading her to his rooms.



¹ Hello, brother-in-law.