pride and Elpis: I choose you

Pride and Elpis: I choose you

A/N: I wanted something sweet and nice and lovely so here it is, even if it's not exactly what's happening between the two of them. I kept it short because it sincerely is all that came to my mind but I hope it makes sense and I hope you like:)

xxx

« Elpis. » -His voice broke the silence that settled in their little corner-

Pride didn't care about people. He never cared for anyone's feelings and wouldn't even think about them for he wasn't built for it. He was a SIN, a lethal weapon made by the king of the Underworld, Hades. He was meant to slay gods and destroy pantheons. He couldn't waste time trying to figure out what others felt and even less how he could help them feel better. Elpis challenged him. He noticed that when she was feeling down, her soft and warm aura became cold and distant. It was a striking difference, may be hard to notice for most but not for him. Elpis aura was something he wasn't used to. In the Underworld, there wasn't especially anything warm and soft. There wasn't kindness, there wasn't love so for him, Elpis was rare. She was precious. Her aura was the most noticeable and variations were easily perceptible for the sin. Ayasha and Ishtar discovered her relationship with Pride and they were trying to make her change her mind about him. They simply were « talking » but it was violent enough to shake the goddess to her core. She was sad, painfully sad and uncertain about the way to go.

« Pride....You shouldn't... » She didn't finish her sentence and simply closed her eyes.

Around her was cold and empty. Usually, animals always came around her to share a loving moment with the goddess where she would talk to them and pet them but not today. Not ever since Ayasha and Ishtar started to talk to her. Usually, it would be so warm and so vibrant around Elpis that the Flaura would also grow wherever she went. After all, she was the daughter of Gaea and therefore she was in tune with nature. It nearly decayed around her. Slowly but surely flowers were losing their petals, the grass became pale and rotten, the weather itself was gloomy. Pride noticed. What once would have been meaningless details became his priority. She was suffering in silence and it bothered him. The sin realized he didn't want to see her that way, he abhorred seeing her in pain and was missing her smiles and laughter.

« Elpis...Of course, I should. » He figured out that she didn't want to see him and he shouldn't have come but this was what she needed. She needed him and Pride knew it. He sat next to her frame, prompting her to sit as well to give her a semblance of control. Her hair cascaded onto her shoulders and on the grass, like pink streams of water and her eyes that once glowed were faintly glowing. « I should and here I am. » He spoke slowly, inches away from the goddess but unsure about whether or not he should touch her.

« We shouldn't see each other.... » She repeated, her eyes barely looking at him. « I don't know what to do. I don't know what's right anymore. » She looked up to his face, to his bright blue eyes she loved so much. I'm in between a wall and a rock...and I have to choose between my family or you. » Her lips trembled and she looked away once again. « I don't want to do that. » She whispered.

Pride was furious. He realized that her family was stressing his beloved out. She was scared, terrified even and he knew that the pressure her family was putting on her was hurting Elpis. They didn't approve of their relationship and while he understood their reasons -after all, he was their enemy- he didn't accept the situation. Elpis came into his life and turned it upside down, not enough for him to do a complete 360 but enough for him to welcome love in his life. She never saw him like a weapon. She never thought his fate was to be his father's tool. He was his own person and seeing so much confidence, trust and care in her eyes were something he would never accept to be derived from. Yet her light was fading away and while Pride made mental notes about laying waste to her family, what he wanted most was to comfort her. He didn't think about it, it just came through suddenly. A powerful urge to make her pain go away and replace her frown with a smile, one of those he loved so much. He cupped her cheek with his large hand and tilted her face up again so she would stare at him. Her golden orbs searched for his cerulean ones and she gave him a faint smile.

« I choose you. » Her eyes grew wide as he spoke those words. She didn't know what to make of them and kept staring at him with a questioning gaze. He cupped her other cheek with his hand and leaned his forehead against hers in an effort to give her some well-needed affection. She exhaled and grabbed his wrists with both of her hands. She wasn't as pale as she was when he found her and her eyes slowly but surely found their glow back.

« ...What ? » Her voice broke as she spoke. Her sobs were interspersed with gasps as she tried to understand the words he just said. Elpis couldn't believe her ears so she asked again, but Pride didn't flinch and instead, he cupped her cheeks tighter and rubbed her nose with his. She chuckled in between sobs and shook her head.

« I choose you Elpis. Despite the odds, despite Hades, despite your family Or mine... I choose you. » His voice was firm and she could tell he was determined to keep his word. Her heart was filled with a joy she couldn't describe but it was his chest that felt lighter as if he'd gotten rid of a heavyweight he didn't know he was carrying. He chose her, despite everything against them and for the first time in a long while, he actually said the words. In such an uncertain time, the elder goddess needed reassurance. She needed to make sure that Pride did feel something for her, strong enough for her to fight for them.

« Despite. » She trailed off and stroked his wrists with her hands before she chewed at her plump bottom lip.

He smiled at her, which again, was rare enough to be noted. It made her smile and slowly shook her worries away. Pride's wasn't into big claims about his feelings for Elpis. However, he always made a point in showing her how much she meant to him. He always made sure she knew she was his everything and he would tear the world apart to protect her. She saw it when he rescued her from Ares. She saw it later when she was attacked by survivors of the Egyptian Pantheon who sought revenge on Pride and his siblings. Pride always found her, he always protected her and always made sure she didn't soil her hands with blood from their enemies. He endured her anger, her outbursts at him and always noticed when she was upset and tried to fix it. No other soul made him compromise the way she did. No other soul made him want to be better and to always bring a smile to their face. No other soul but her. She mattered and while at times, it flew past his head that she needed reassurance about « this », he always made sure she knew. Elpis was still shocked by his words and couldn't help but gasp and smile as she tried to compute them.

« Despite... » She repeated again, this time looking at him straight into his eyes as she wanted confirmation of his words. Pride chuckled and kissed her forehead before he pulled her into a tight embrace.

« Despite the odds against us Elpis, I choose you. I know you're not sure whether or not I feel for you the same way you do. I do. I told you once and I'm telling you now. I share your feelings for me. I want a future where I will rule with you by my sides. »

He admitted out loud. Her heart skipped several beats and she held him tighter. He petted her pink locks and kissed the tip of her head. Yes, Pride wanted to rule. He wanted to be king and he wanted her as his queen by his sides. He couldn't think of a future without the primeval goddess, He couldn't think of a future where he would be deprived of her undying love, loyalty, and affection. He couldn't think of a future without her laughter, her singing voice, and warmth. As he held her tighter against his frame, Elpis grinned softly, thus positively impacting the flora around them, bringing back its color and its life. Animals once again started to gather around them while she, herself, regained her colors.

« I will rule by your sides as a queen if you'll have me. » She said in a solemn voice as she pulled away from his embrace and took his hand.

«Of course I will. Besides.... » He grinned and brought her hands towards his lips to kiss them gently. « Who else would drag me on Earth so we could have a little walk? » It was a feat nobody but Elpis was able to pull out. Superbia hated Earth, humans and all of that crap that existed there, but Elpis was fascinated by humans and regularly spent time there. They even found their special spot, away from civilization, almost in pristine condition since no man had set foot there. They would meet there, hidden from both his siblings and hers and free to explore their relationship.

« You /hate/ Earth. » She said in a chuckle while her lips met his in a coy kiss.

« Not when I walk it with you. » He grinned at her, relieved that she was feeling better. « You make it tolerable. » He said as he pulled some hair behind the goddess ear. She grinned at him

« You make life tolerable. » She whispered while she pressed her forehead against his once again. « I...I choose you too. » She finally said, her golden eyes glowing brightly as she spoke. His eyes softened as he heard her. Pride realized that despite what he might have thought, knowing she actually felt the same way felt good. His hand stayed on her cheek and his smirk turned into a smile.

« You do? » She nodded quietly.

« Yes, I do. I love my family but I am in love with you and I want to build a future with you. My future King.» She said with a soft smile before her lips found him again.

« We will have that future. I will build it for us, I swear. I love you. » He rarely said the words, because he wanted the moment he'd say them to count and mean something. Her eyes glowed brighter as she listened to him and a coy wet smile due to tears rolling down her cheeks graced her features. He cleaned her face off of her tears and smiled at her as she wrapped her arms around him and nodded frantically.

« I love you too. » Elpis managed to reply and pressed her lips against his. Her worries were gone and the promise a bright future filled her heart with joy. She had found in the whole universe, someone to call her home.