Assignment 11 - Muggle Studies - Task #5: Percy Jackson - Write a mythology!AU or a God/Goddess!AU
All I Want For Christmas - 47. When Christmas Comes To Town - The Polar Express - It's hard to be alone
I'll wait for you
Hades/Persephone!AU
Sirius, God of the Underworld has to watch his new husband leave for the next six months.
Sirius smiles sadly as he watches Remus pet Snuffles, his large, three-headed-dog that is supposed/ to be guarding the Underworld. He takes a ball and tosses it and the ground shakes as the dog chases it, all three heads fighting over which one will ultimately get the ball and return it to their new best friend.
He's never really considered this dog as playful before. It's supposed to be a fearsome protector of his domain, but he's all for Remus domesticating the dog if it's another reason for Remus to return.
"I'm sorry, Snuffles," Remus says, after a few more minutes of playing, in which Sirius just watches, "I have to go."
Two of the heads whine whilst the third attempts to lick Remus, and he laughs, reaching out to pet the dog. "I'm sorry, if I had my way, I wouldn't."
Sirius frowns. He has much hate for Remus' father, who is forcing Orion to return Remus to the Overworld. The other God had insisted the marriage be absolved completely, and Sirius and Remus had both been terrified.
It was all spur of the moment. Sirius was watching Remus from the shadows as Remus wandered the meadow, causing beautiful flowers and plants to grow. It was an accident that he came to that meadow. He had taken a wrong turn on his bike, and curiosity had caused him to follow the path and see where it led.
It's the Fates, he told himself, because he was so used to the one route, he can't see how he'd take a wrong turn. The three Fates had guided him to the wrong path, guiding him to the place where he'd meet Remus.
Six months of watching the other God, because he was too scared to approach. He knew immediately who this God was. God of Nature, a victim of one of the Tritons. Remus had suffered at Greyback's hand and had the scar across his face to prove it. Six months of seeing amber eyes directed his way, and soft smiles shared across the field - with Remus basking in the sunlight and Sirius hiding in the shadows.
And one day, Sirius goes there in the night, and finds Remus basking in the moonlight instead. The darkness of the night is what gives Sirius the courage to step from the shadows and approach the other man and confess the feelings that he's had from afar. Quietly whispering that he found Remus to be more beautiful than even Aphrodite.
The joy to hear Remus shyly admit to reciprocating those feelings, and the whirlwind of events to follow. The kiss, the proposal to run away and wed, and Remus willingly getting on his bike and ordering him to be quick, before Lyall tried to come between them. Because there would be no convincing him, Remus had told Sirius only earlier that day. You can't get blood out of a stone.
They called for Orion immediately, and the wedding was an hour later, with Lyall finding his way to them seconds too late to stop them. With whispered words, Orion told Remus to eat in order to tie himself to the Underworld.
But, after Lyall had a meeting with Orion about it, it was decided that Remus needed to keep up his duties as God of Nature too, so he'd be expected to split his time between the worlds. Spring and Summer in the above-world, and the rest of the year with Sirius.
Lyall had decided to retire as the other God of Nature altogether, and if Remus didn't return, the world above them would perish in an eternal Winter. Six months of the year was all Sirius would get with his beloved. He wanted to fight, to push for more time, but he wasn't going to fight his father. Orion did the best that he could in the circumstances.
It's all Lyall's fault for blackmailing them and forcing Orion's hand.
"We've had an hour together," Remus comments, moving towards Sirius. Snuffles whines once more but Remus' attention and focus has moved now. "And now I have to return to that world. We've not even…" he blushes and it's precious.
Sirius smiles. "There's no rush. Just think - in a few months you'll have my full attention for a whole six months. We'll rule down here together. We'll get our honeymoon. We'll get to know each other." He stops. This is too sad and he doesn't want to let Remus go. Ever. But if he tries to stop him, Orion might force him to let go of Remus permanently as a punishment.
"I'll visit you. Every week, I'll come and see you," Sirius promises. "Every Friday night - consider it date night."
"Really?" Remus asks as Sirius steps closer, moving into Remus' space and letting his lips brush over Remus' jaw. "I know the journey tires you. I found it exhausting moving between realms."
"It doesn't exhaust me as much as I've done it so many times now," Sirius tells him. "You need rest, love. You should have been able to rest after the wedding, and I'm sorry this has all happened."
"And now to do the journey back," Remus mutters angrily. "When I just want to be here, with you."
Sirius nods. "I'll come back with you," he says.
Remus starts to shake his head. "The journey—"
"It'll tire me, but it's worth it to spend every moment with you that I can," Sirius insists. "And I'll come and visit you weekly, maybe more if my duties allow me to take more time off. I'm sure James can cover for me."
Remus tries to smile.
"I suppose we should go. The mortals are going to suffer if I don't," he says. "I can't believe my father would go as far as blackmailing yours in order to get what he wants."
"He's not the most jolly of people," Sirius mutters. "There's no-one else who can take over your father's duties on Earth, except for you. We just have to hope that one day your father realises that we're happy together and he lets go of you and allows you to be with me. There is no winner in this situation. Your father hasn't stopped us from being together, because he still loses you for six months of the year. No-one is able to be happy and one day, he'll realise that."
"He's stubborn."
"Then we wait. We wait until a God or Goddess is born that shows powers in nature, and we ask for their help. If we can find someone who can tend the lands, then your father doesn't have his bargaining chip. It'll happen one day."
"But for now, we part for half of the year," Remus sighs. "I suppose it'll just make the time we have together that much more amazing."
Sirius smiles, leaning in to kiss him. "Just you watch. The first day of Autumn, I'll be waiting for you with a suitcase and we'll do a mortal honeymoon. I'll find someone to run things down here. We'll go on a holiday wherever you like. You have six months to think about what you'd like to do and where you want to go."
Remus' smile widens at this. "Is your bedroom an option?" he checks.
Sirius laughs. "Luv, wherever we go, we'll have a room to share. So every night, our bedroom will be an option." He reaches for the cardigan draped over the chair, clutching the butterscotch-coloured cardigan in his hands for a moment before holding it out.
Remus laughs softly. "I'll hold you to that." He takes the cardigan and sets it back down. "Keep it to remember me by," he insists.
Sirius nods his head. He grabs his precious leather jacket and holds it out. "You can have this too," he murmurs, and Remus moves to slip his arms into it. It's adorable, and Sirius' smile widens as he admires the wonderful sight of Remus wearing his jacket.
Remus silently takes Sirius' hand and leads the way to the doors of Sirius' estate, towards where he knows they left the bike. It's time.
The ground is white when they walk from the trees, and Sirius looks around, frowning as he does so. The smell of pine from the trees is still heavy in the air, but he's used to the scent of flowers, which isn't there anymore.
"Hold me, it's chilly," Sirius murmurs, causing Remus to laugh softly as he glances around.
"Father made true on his threat," Remus mutters. "Spring will continue now I'm back."
"What is this?" Sirius asks, leaning down to scoop some of it up. It's cold, wet in his hands, and he's not sure he likes it.
Remus reaches out, a snowflake landing on his hand and disappearing instantly. "Snow," he murmurs. "Have you not seen snow before?" He catches some more, smiling at the cold touching his hands. Sirius is baffled as Remus sticks out his tongue, allowing the flakes to land there. He could think of much nicer things for them to do with their mouths, though he can't help but smile at the enjoyment Remus is taking from this.
"Underworld," Sirius offers. "I don't get to see these wonders." He glances around at it and sighs. "I've been so selfish, Remus. By marrying you, I'm stopping you from seeing—"
"Nope," Remus says, effectively cutting Sirius off. "You're not stopping me from anything. When I chose to go with you, when I said yes to marrying you, I chose you. I know there are wonders in your world which I have yet to discover. Rather than take me away from the ones up here, you've offered me a whole other world to explore." He reaches out, brushing some snow from Sirius' dark curls. "And more than that, you're willing to bring me to explore the mortal world - something I've only ever dreamt of."
"Every year," Sirius promises. "Each year when I come here to collect you, we'll take a few weeks to travel somewhere new in the mortal realm before going back to the Underworld." He leans in to kiss Remus, their lips eagerly moving together because they know that this is the last kiss until they're reunited in six months.
Remus' fingers tangle in Sirius' hair and Sirius pulls him closer, deepening the kiss and never wanting it to end. He's desperate to keep Remus with him, and he's sure Remus can feel it in his kiss.
"I think that's enough," comes a voice from a short distance away, and reluctantly, they part, Sirius glaring coldly at the man who interrupted.
"I'll miss you, and I'll be here every week," Sirius whispers, before taking a step back. "I love you, you know. I've only ever felt this way for you."
Remus' face lights up at the words. Sirius smiles as Remus whispers his own love for Sirius, before he turns and walks through the snow to where his father is waiting, and he watches the snow land in Remus' hair, some disappearing, but a few snowflakes finding purchase.
Lyall gives Sirius a smug look, as Remus reaches him, before he turns to leave, and Sirius can't help himself. He reaches down and scoops up a large amount of snow and curls it into a ball.
He brings his arm back, and throws, hard, and takes great delight in the ball of snow splattering against the back of Lyall's head.
The God turns, furious, and Sirius bolts. He's knackered and now has to make the trip home, which'll wear him out even more. On top of that, he's sure Cerberus… or Snuffles, as Remus has named him, will be pining after Remus too, and he doesn't want his dog to be sad. Remus won't like that at all.
Tonight, he'll curl up with the cardigan and start counting down the days until he's reunited with his beloved Remus. He looks at the simple ring on his finger and sighs heavily. Remus can't be seen through the falling snow, and Sirius is hurting so much at the loss of his husband.
Alone, he gets on his bike and sets out for the Underworld once more.
2031 words
Seasonal
Days of the year - 9th October - National Motorcycle Ride Day: Write about someone's first time on a motorbike.
Jewellery Month - 2. Dog: (animal) Dog
World Farm Animals Day - 3. Sheep - (trait) Obedient
Colours - 7. Butterscotch
Being Sorted - 3. (idiom) can't get blood out of a stone
Moony's Neon Cafe - Food - 11. Moon Cake - (setting) Moonlight
Writing Club
Gotta Catch Them All - 20. Cryogonal - (item) snowflake
Showtime - 3. What's This? - (weather) Snowy
Lizzy's Loft - 13. Lost in the Wild - You belong out here with me
Elizabeth's Empire - 11. (action) catching snowflakes
Angel's Archive - 3. Icicle (DC) - (action) giving a cold glare
Amber's Anime - 6. Abandoned God (Noragami)
Sophie's Smut Bucket - 4. (word) Desperate
Lyric Alley - 10. But in my heart it's spring
Throwback - 23. Goddess - God/Goddess!AU - alt: Mythology!AU
Artist Appreciation - I Just Can't Stop Loving You (with Siedah Garrett): Prompt - (action) whispering
Buttons: word: 4. Selfish / Emotion: 2. Loneliness
Christmas Fight Club - (word) jolly
Funfair -
Naughty/Nice - 18. (trope) First Love
Guess the Name - Elf - 2. Happy - (Word) Holiday
Decorate the Christmas Tree - Tree Topper - 9. Moon - (Character) Remus Lupin
Snowman Dressing - 8. Straw - Pine
Postal Panic - 28. Sirius Black / 7. Children - Write about someone adding to their family
Hot Chocolate Station - Section 4 - 2. (word) Admire
Fill a Christmas Stocking - word count
Treasure Hunt - three-headed dog
Shoebox to Charity - 23. Play-Doh: (action) catching snowflakes on your tongue
12 Days of Shipmas - On the 5th Day of Christmas my 5th ship gave to me, five golden rings: (Object: A ring)
Magical Mistletoe - 7. Astronomy Tower - (weather) snow
Winter Bingo - First time seeing snow
Christmas Karaoke - 14. Lonely This Christmas - Mud / (Dialogue) "Hold me, it's chilly."
Writing Month
Dragons