A/N: Yay! Nano day 2! ?ￂﾠ
Homosex themes later on. You've been warned.
Hades felt his hair whip around wildly in the brisk wind. He chanced a glance down and saw that he was miles above the ground. He was tangled in a mess of thick red ivy and lush greenery unlike anything the underworld had ever seen.
The pain behind his eyes made it impossible for him to recall when this tree had sprouted or why on Gaia's green earth was he climbing it. All he knew was the higher he rose, the less his agony became, and this gave him an immeasurable urgency to reach the top.
A light blue hue laid just beyond the final branches. He pushed the foliage roughly aside and felt a tension in his chest release at the sight of a stern albeit relieved Hecate. Her golden eyes wide with concern.
An azure hand reached out for arctic blue, and their fingertips brushed lightly. Just as each hand had gripped the opposing forearm, Hades let go and leapt back in fear.
The familiar and comfortable smile of Hecate split into the menacing grin of Cronus.
Hades felt himself fall back for what seemed like hours until his body gave a labored crack against the stone street outside of tower 4.
Hecate jumped back just in time to avoid the strangled grip of Hades as he shot upright. His skin resembled snowflake obsidian both in its color and slick, cold nature.
The witch had moved him back into his bedroom and locked both Zeus and Persephone outside. She could still sense them sitting against the opposing wall on either side of the closed door.
"Hades… it's me, Hecate. Can you hear me?"
The King covered his ears and let out a piercing, almost primordial shriek. The sound of her voice, the light coming in from beneath the crack in the door, the hushed whispers in the hall were too much. The pain in his head was unlike anything he had experienced before. It was blinding and burning. Like Cronus himself was scrambling his brain with a white hot poker.
Hecate had moved to the far end of the room near the door. She took a deep breath and summoned up her power. Golden fluid like waves of fabric swaddled the Kings arms to his sides.
As each band wrapped him tighter he struggled and tore the magical bonds with a series of jagged diamond. They left his skin, erupted from the plush of the bed and rained down on them from the ceiling.
Hecate was quick to clear them with a sweep of her arm. The Goddess tentatively approached the fatigued and still struggling God and placed two fingers between his brow- stilling him immediately.
She felt the pulse of terror shoot up from his subconscious and she knew at once what he needed.
"Hecate!" Persephone exclaimed and jumped to her feet quickly. The older Goddess pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for them both to be quiet.
She pointed towards the stairs and without another word the worried duo followed behind her.
Once Zeus had gotten ahold of the blue Goddess from Persephone's phone, he had taken a moment to rummage through their closet and grab something for the panicked and still naked woman to wear.
She was now adorned in a white silk slip that hugged her every curve. Zeus glared down at his shoes and cursed himself for not picking something more modest for his brothers soon to be bride. He sucked in a ragged breath and worried his lip between his teeth. She was also the daughter of the woman he had last laid with.
"He needs to rest."
Zeus was forced from his musing by her clipped words.
"W-what happened?" He didn't have the energy to concern himself with the waver in his voice.
"He needs to rest before I can question him. I've put him into a deep sleep, suppressing his power until he can regain some control." She glanced around and saw that the living room had not been spared his outburst. The couch was split in half by a sharp slate of onyx. The counters were littered with diamond dust.
Persephone absently kicked at a few loose gems with her bare feet.
"W-was this my fault? I…" She glanced back at Zeus. He flushed with sympathy as her large eyes brimmed with tears. "...lost control…"
Hecate's posture softened as it often did when she was addressing the young Goddess. "No, honey… what I sensed had nothing to do with you. It seems like it was just bad timing." She pulled the pink goddess into a hug and Persephone wasn't able to hold back her sobs any longer.
Zeus shifted uncomfortably, eyeing the perfectly undisturbed shimmering dust that covered the coffee table, racking his brain.
He was vaguely aware that Persephone and Hecate were talking again. It wasn't until he heard his name that he zoned back in.
"Hm?" He cleared his throat but didn't look over.
"None of you King's have had any contact with Cronus, yes?"
"Not since we locked the doors of Tartarus." He finally met her eye and understood what she was silently asking him.
"Call me if anything changes. I need to get home and call Pose." He pushed past the Goddesses and left the house without a single look back.
"I know you want to be here but he won't rest if your energy is in the house. Do you have anywhere you can go, at least for tonight?"
Persephone looked down at her phone, ignoring the anxiety and bile rising in her throat.
"I do." She opened the last message she had sent to Eros. She clicked out of it and glanced up, meeting the witch's honey colored eyes. "He'll be okay? Please.. Tell me he will…"
Piercing blue fingers caressed her cheeks in a maternal fashion that made her heart ache for her mother.
"Kore… he's going to be just fine. I promise. Call Eros, I'm going to go pack you a bag."
"Where the fuck have you been?" Zeus hadn't even set his keys on the counter before the fight started.
"Hades house." His voice was monotone and distant. His answer was almost an afterthought. His head was still swimming with everything that had transpired over the last twelve hours.
"On the night of his bachelor party? I'm sure." The Goddess had obviously been up all night, distraught. Her eyes were red, makeup smeared from hours of tears. He wasn't sure how she was able to take a drag off her cigarette with how violently her hands were shaking.
"There was an incident. Call Hecate if you don't believe me."
"I will." She hissed, eyes narrowed.
Zeus picked up his keys and turned to leave. Hera caught him by the shoulder. "Where the fuck are you going?"
"I need to talk to Poseidon." He stared straight ahead, watching her scowl from his peripheral.
"Why?"
"It doesn't concern you, Hera."
"Zeus! You can't just-" She was cut off by a zap of static on her tongue. Zeus turned slowly, his gaze locking with hers. His pupils were electric and blown wide. She felt a sting shoot across her stomach where she bore scars from the time she tried to defy him. A very real fear knocked her back a step as his dangerously even voice whispered. "I can, and I will."
"Zeus!" She reluctantly choked out after him.
"Don't you have -work- you've been neglecting?" Hera's retort died on her tongue as the door slammed shut behind her husband.
"Oh hello there…" Ares looked up from the kitchen counter as the magenta Goddess snapped the door shut behind her.
"Sugar snaps…" She whispered. Eros said the house would be empty tonight. She glanced around. No children. 'I guess this is what he means by empty…'
"Ares." She nodded at him, curtly. His full lips, weathered with scars pulled up in a charming grin.
"So… I heard you and Hades went supernova."
She set her bag down on the couch and turned back to him, stammering.
"I saw the mountains." He chuckled at her visible discomfort and offered her a spoonful of peanut butter. She waved him off politely.
"What do you think we'd create?" He asked through a mouthful of the peanut paste, his brows waggling suggestively.
"Or Kill… Dad stop being a creep." Eros said with a huff. He pulled off his sweater and dabbed his glistening face with it. "Sorry I'm late. Hermes asked for my help. He was bugged out about something, but it could just be Apollo kicking him out."
"Oh no! Where's he going to stay?"
"Didn't say…" Eros shrugged and tossed the sweater in the direction of his bedroom. "He just asked me to help move a few things into storage and then bolted.
"I'm honestly bummed that I didn't get to fuck BBD. Zeus ruins everything…" Eros downed the rest of his wine and sulked.
"Tell me about it..." Persephone's vision was focused on the chipped crystal glass before her. Between Ares and Aphrodite's tempers she was surprised they still had any glassware intact.
"What's bothering you honey? Wanna tell me why you're here and not at home?"
"Are you sure I can stay? Your mom and Psyche won't mind?" Persephone sidestepped towards the door, fully prepared for the God of Love to change his mind.
"It's funny that you already know Dad won't mind." He chuckled and handed over a spare pillow and blanket. "Mom and Psyche are out with the kids for the week. You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like."
"Should I..?" She motioned passed the door of his bedroom, and towards the living room couch. Eros let out a bark-like laugh. "If you want Ares up your ass all night, by all means. You're welcome in here though, if you are comfortable." He gave her a lopsided smile and excused himself to the adjoined bathroom.
"Do you have work tomorrow?" The magenta God peeked his head out from behind the door.
"I have to take Zeus some paperwork but otherwise I'm off. Thank Gaia."
"Zeus -is- a shit boss…" Eros chuckled around his frothing toothbrush.
"My mom has a meeting with him tomorrow. I don't think I can handle them both in the same building together." Eros stared off absently as Persephone carefully laid out the bedding given to her and stripped out of her shoes and outer clothes.
Eros had tuned out Zeus' sexual conquests and desires after the King had blamed his adultery on the influence of himself and Aphrodite. He didn't want to know anything about any of it, but the mention of Zeus and Demeter together struck a cord and Eros was flooded with visions of desire that had awoken in the Barley Mother.
He choked on his toothpaste and muttered, "Yea… it's best if you're not there."
The God watched as Persephone settled into the bed before he disappeared behind the bathroom door and turned on the shower tap.
The Goddess was lulled away by the even sounds of splashing water. She replayed Hecate's words of comfort like a mantra. She felt the exhaustion of the day overcome her and before Eros had returned she was already fast asleep.
Hermes felt the buzz of his phone go off in his pocket. He had been expecting a message from a certain violet scaled beauty but instead he was greeted by a text from someone else entirely.
Thanatos: 3rd floor. URGENT.
"Fuck. What now?" He dropped a mountain of paperwork on his desk and pocketed his phone.
He hadn't heard from Meg since the morning before and he felt an unfamiliar panic bubbling in his gut.
'What if you hurt her?'
'What if she didn't like it…'
'You probably snore too loud.'
'You could always text her…'
He swung down the stairs to the third floor and just as he stepped off the landing into the main entryway he felt himself ripped into a nearby supply closet by the long end of his tie.
"The fuck?" He hollered as his back hit a wall of dusty and cluttered shelves. He didn't have time to process his current relocation before a set of strong lips were smashed against his own.
"You've been avoiding me." The God of death whispered as they both broke for air. The silver skinned man was working the knot of Hermes tie diligently while the messenger took in the scene.
"I… wasn't intending too…" He tried to quell his arousal but the excitable man was making it difficult, what with covering his neck and collar with firm pecks and nips.
"It's okay. You can make it up to me."
"I… Oooo… I-Uhh don't think I can."
"Are you seeing someone?" Thanatos held his hands back, inches away from the other man's toned chest. His collar was popped open, revealing a generous amount of crimson skin beneath the standard white button up.
"W-we haven't talked about it yet."
"So you're not exclusive?" Thanatos wasted no time in starting in on the other man's fashioned belt.
Hermes gripped the lithe pale fingers, stilling them on the buckle. He inwardly groaned as the shorter God dropped to his knees. "Anything I can do to help make this decision… harder?" His fingers skated up black slack clad thighs and over the growing bulge contained within them.
"I don't… Ooooh." His fingers gripped the messy white bun tight as he felt the other man's warm mouth envelop his now exposed length.
"Fuck. Fuck. Ohhhh fuck." Hermes swore a little louder than necessary, gripped both sides of the other man's head and bucked in. Scarlet eyes locked unblinking with piercing black as he felt the narrow throat open, fill and choke around his swollen and weeping cock.