Work Text:
Cold, wet stone covers both floors and walls of the tiny room our hero escapes into.His eyes jolt around from corner to corner. Finally. No more wretches.Zagreus takes a deep breath. Then suddenly he feels dizzy. Very dizzy. Maybe he's lost more blood than he had thought? He takes a step towards the fountain, but his legs falter beneath him. Cursed be Tartarus. Cursed be his father for sending more and more of his minions in on him for an entire minute, when he didn't even have a proper boon available.
I wasn't even able to call Than..., he thinks, blinking away some tears of frustration and pain.Just a couple more steps towards the healing water... Zagreus is gasping and panting with the effort every step costs him. Then suddenly his vision blurs.“Blood and darkness...”, he breathes, as he sinks to the floor and the world descends into darkness. His last thought is with Thanatos, hoping he will be there if he emerges from the pool of styx this time.
…
An alarmed little yelp echoes through the fountain chamber, as green light floods it.A body on the floor! But why? He's not meant to die in here!A cold hand reaches for Zagreus' forhead, then through his bloodstained hair.But if he's dead... Why didn't Charon come to take him back to the house yet? Thanatos looks around, examining the large amounts of red warm blood pooling on the floor. Definitely Zagreus'.
“Is this some sort of new cruel joke?!”, he whispers to himself. First, the ruler of the Underworld wouldn't let him enter the chamber in which his beloved was tormented and almost slain like this. And the Gods know Thanatos has tried, battering his fists against the walls and gates of this cursed chamber until he drew blood.
But why?
Punishment perhaps, for being with Lord Hades' son now? It very likely hasn't escaped his Master's notice that he's only recently visited Zagreus in his chambers. He blushes at the memory and with anger. So it is upon him now, to carry his most beloved back to the House in his defeat?
So he would have to humiliate Zagreus? Or so he would have to live through the pain of taking his boyfriend's soul and feeling him die in his very arms, losing him, over and over? It was unlikely to happen just this once and he shivers at the thought of this.
Wasn't it enough that he has to live with the fear of Zagreus escaping the underworld and never coming back here? Who could even blame him with a father like that... But still.
Thanatos buries his face against Zagreus' tunic and seeks comfort in this touch.
A little sob escapes his mouth.
“I am so sorry Zagreus... Please hold on! I- I cannot do this... I need you here with me...”
The lightest movement of Zagreus' chest makes Thanatos look up in hope. There was still breath in his love's dying form.
“Zagreus!”, he exclaims. “You're still alive!”
Quickly he jumps to his feet, flying over to the fountain and scoops up some water, his hands shaped into a cup. He tries to pour it into his lover's mouth, sip by little sip.
Zagreus stirs and moans quietly, but it's not enough. The water isn't that potent and even the entirety of the well won't fully recover Zagreus' vital energy, he knows that.
Lost in thought the God of Death stares at the shining source of water and then, slowly takes off first his hood, then his tunic, and everything else he carries, until he's left in nothing but his tight pants.
He sighs in defeat of his fate as he folds the largest piece of fabric that is his tunic into a pillow for Zagreus and gently pushes it under his head.
Then he dips his hood and the stole he usually wears around his arms into the well and wrings them both out.
One of them he pushes against Zagreus' lips.
He's seen the mortals do this with milk, whenever a mother, human or not dies and there's a baby that can't drink on its own yet.
Nothing happens.
“Suck!”, he demands of his unconscious boyfriend.
Still nothing and he sighs.
How in the underworld is he supposed to get the liquid inside of this man, for Tartarus' sake??
Impatient, he stuffs a piece of the fabric into his boyfriend's mouth, hoping that the healing liquid will somehow seep into him or that he'll subconsciously start sucking on it after all.
Then he gets to work, cleaning his wounds with the leftover fabric.
It takes a couple of washings, especially with the deeper cuts.
But the wounds heal nicely. Still Zagreus won't move, not even a twitch of his fingers.
Only the soft motion of his breath lifting and lowering his chest tells Thanatos that he hasn't lost him yet.
“Please Zagreus... I'm sorry. I wanted to come and help you... I swear. But he wouldn't let me...!”
Tears stream down his face freely now and he clings to his boyfriend's body, shaken by his cries.
“Please don't make me do this, Zag...”, he's pleading.
“I can't take you. I can't do this or follow you to the surface, it would kill me... Please! Stay with me!”
Sniffling he tries to regain his composure and squeezes a bit of the water contained in the clean cloth into Zagreus' mouth.
The young man beneath him seems to swallow.
Eagerly, Thanatos gets up to drench the cloth in fresh water, not even bothering to wring it out now and squeezes more of it onto his patient's tongue.
Gulp, by little gulp he drinks it up.
Then it stops.“Oh, Blood and Darkness, Zagreus! Swallow!”, he snaps.
And Zagreus starts coughing.
His eyelids flutter and Thanatos quickly turns him to his side to help him cough up the water that got down the wrong way.
“Should've lifted you up I suppose...”, he mumbles and Zagreus reaches for his hand.
“Th-Than? You're... here”, he whispers weakly with a smile on his face and Thanatos cradles him.
“Of course, I'm here, dumbass!”, he hisses and sniffles again, tears running over his cheeks again.
“That's good”, Zagreus mutters and runs his finger's through his savior's white hair and over his face to wipe them away.
Embarrassed Thanatos jumps up to get him some more water and lets him drink from the soaked cloth again, his boyfriend's head bedded on his lap this time, so he won't misswallow a second time. Afterwards, Zagreus smiles up at him, in obvious relief.
“I'm so glad you came after all, Than. I thought you were angry, because I tried to call you, but it didn't work... I really could've used your help in there...”
Thanatos stares at him, with his golden eyes wide and then howls and shakes in pain.
Zagreus has no clue how much he struggled and how sorry he is for this.
“I'm so sorry Zagreus, I swear I tried, I just couldn't get in there, I- I- your father- I-”
“Shsh... it's alright, Than. He's an asshole”, the son of the Lord of the Underworld tries to calm him.
But Thanatos only bends over him further and squeezes him against his chest, positively crushing Zagreus' face with the embrace.
“You have no idea how happy I am that you came to! I thought he'd have me claim your soul and take you back there! I couldn't have... Oh Gods, Zagreus...”
His crying and shaking dies down to a relieved whimpering when he feels his love's hand caressing his back and his kisses against his bare chest.
Many long minutes full of those tender touches pass until Thanatos hears Zagreus' voice from beneath him.
“I can't say I mind that he got me in this situation, though”, it sounds muffled against his chest and he realizes that Zagreus may not be rubbing his cheek against his chest only to show his affection, perhaps.
“What?”, Thanatos asks, voice toneless and loosens his hold on the other man.
Zagreus giggles beneath him.
“Well, I bet my old man's plan hasn't exactly been for us to get all close and cozy here, huh?”
Playfully he runs one of his hands up Death Incarnate's tight little waist and reaches for his pecs, positively set to feel its size and the nipple in the palm of his hand.
Thanatos freezes and lets Zagreus continue his happy groping for a while, before he wipes the remnants of tears from his eyes and his expression becomes grave again.
His eyes carry an outright death glare, when he looks down at Zagreus, immediately causing the young man's hand to withdraw.
"So you're doing well enough for that again, huh, Zagreus?", his voice sounds coldly through the room.
Zag, obviously embarrassed to be caught, stutters an apology, his cheeks burning almost as hot as his lava feet.
But Thanatos just gets up and lets him slip off his lap, rather ungently, to hover his face dangerously over Zagreus', looking dark.
"Are you telling me, you're good to go back to fight again, after letting me cry over you, thinking maybe you won't even make it out of this chamber alive?"
"I- yes, basically. You did a great job, Than. Aha. And I really should be on my way now, bye-", Zagreus babbles, trying to scramble away on all fours from his obviously angered boyfriend.
Thanatos however turns into a bobble of green light and jolts right in front of the chamber exit, blocking Zagreus path, before he can even manage to get close to it.
"And you really think that I will let you go, just like this, Zagreus? You are wrong... Death will have you, Zag. You cannot escape my grasp."
Zagreus stares up at the white-haired young man's ominous expression with mixed emotions, wondering if Thanatos will actually kill him now.
Until... Thanatos bursts into quiet laughter, bowing down to kiss Zagreus, who's still on his knees before him.
"You had this built as an impervious chamber, I take it? We can dwell here as long as we want without any wretches interfering?", he whispers and Zagreus can only nod, a bit speechless by the sudden turn things have taken.
"So you- so you... You want to- I mean. Do it? In here?", he asks, pointing to the stone-walled chamber.
Thanatos gives it an inspecting glance, then nods.
"I mean, of course you could have invested some of those gemstones into making it a bit more comfortable, a rug, something to sit or lie down on. Instead of wasting them all on useless decor for the House of Hades. But... It'll do."
Zagreus, blushing, stuttering, gets dragged to his feet by Thanatos and is drawn into a deep kiss, the white-haired man, leaning back against the portal behind him.
He smirks mischievously at a breathless Zagreus, reaching for his hands and pushing them against his chest.
"You liked that, didn't you?", he whispers.
"How about you show me exactly how much you enjoy squeezing them?"
There's a light flush on his face, but to Zagreus, Death's dirty smile and wishes are still more than he could stand to disobey.
"Than...", he moans, voice rough with desire and slips down, to press his face against his lover's chest, breathing in his warm scent of herbs and spices once more.
Gently his mouth travels to his nipples, kissing there, sucking there, licking the hardening nub with his tongue until he feels Thanatos shiver and tense under his touch.
Then the other side, all the while he's palming his hardening member through the fabric of his own clothes.
He feels how the tunic draped around him is undone, as his mouth wanders deeper. Then Death is reaching up to hold on to the bars of the portal behind him with a firm grip.
Only when the fabric falls to the floor and he's bare but for his pants as well, Thanatos stops the God of Blood and his kisses.
"Wait, Zagreus. We can't go all the way unless..."
He looks uncomfortable.
Zagreus gets back up to look at him.
"What do you mean?", he wants to know, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend's neck.
"I- I mean we need something if you want to enter me or..."
Zagreus pauses. "Like lube you mean?"
Thanatos nods. "I doubt it will be much fun without it..."
Zagreus nods and looks around.
"Well... I got a bottle of nectar here, we could try and-" - "ARE YOU INSANE", Thanatos glares at him again.
"You can't put Nectar up my ass, that stuff is alcoholic and also, you could just use water if it was that easy!"
"Well, there's always the fountain water, if you-"
Thanatos hits his palm against his face.
"Oh Gods, why have you given him so little brain and such a huge...", he mumbles to himself and bends over to reach for his tunic.
Zagreus stands back, a big bulge visible begging for attention under what little clothes are left to cover his body and starts apologizing in a small voice.
"I'm sorry Than, I just don't know what else we could use, I don't have anything-"
"Shut up", Thanatos interrupts him, pulling a small flask out of the folds of his tunic.
Embalming Fluid it reads.
Zagreus stares at it. "That stuff?? Isn't that what they use on corpses?!"
Thanatos blushes angrily.
"It's just oil with a couple of herbs and spices. You can use it for all kinds of things!"
Zagreus takes the small bottle from him and pulls out the stopper.
Sure enough, it smells good.
Frankincense, cinnamon and cloves and many more scents fill his nose.
It's the same warm smell that lingers on Thanatos' skin.
"So you're using that as... What? Perfume?", Zagreus asks, but Than does not look like he's going to answer any more questions.
"Are you going to use it or not? I don't have much time left before I have to leave again, so you better make up your mind fast!"
Zagreus doesn't have to think, to answer that.
Chronically underfucked and decidedly seeing his boyfriend much too seldom, the Prince of the Underworld undoes his pants and rubs the fluid on his member without a second thought.
(Hope you read this in the narrators voice)
Thanatos sighs in relief and undresses as well.
Moments later, he feels his boyfriend's slippery fingers gliding into him, preparing the tight space between his legs for their passionate union.
Gentle kisses against his collarbone back him up against a wall again and he spreads his legs, starting to float a bit to give Zagreus easier access to him.
“Yess, that's it. Relax...”, the Prince whispers and kneels down before him, his fingers burying themselves deeply inside of Death Incarnate and his hot mouth wrapping itself around the bone-hard member of the young God.
Thanatos sharply sucks in the air at this sensation and throws his head back into his neck.
The hot wetness is so sudden and intense against his cool skin and he wishes he could wrap himself in his tunic to not feel so naked and vulnerable for a hot second.
He has done quite some experimenting on his own, but this is only the second time he is like this with Zagreus or anyone, really, with exception of some darker tales from his past that he really doesn't want to count or think of right now.
He closes his eyes to push away the thought and seconds later feels how Zagreus' warm body wraps itself around his in a tight embrace to warm him up.
The red cloth of Zagreus' tunic is drawn over his shoulders before a wet kiss pushes him back against the wall again.
“Don't worry... I'll be gentle, Than...”, Zagreus promises, his mismatched eyes dark and full of love now.
Thanatos wraps his arms around his neck to hold himself up, still floating, legs enclosing his boyfriend's hips little by little, as he feels him enter him.
A little cry of surprise falls from his lips when he feels his body's tightness being overcome and then he's inside of him and Than holds on to him, his mouth pressed against Zagreus' shoulder.
Neither of them moves for long minutes, in which Zagreus just keeps kissing him, his mouth, his face, his neck and Thanatos just feels himself sink deeper and deeper into the softness of this union.
A hand on his still-moist member brings him back to reality and his body tenses up against Zag's with a hiss from his lips.
“Are you good?”, he asks. “Can I start thrusting, Than?”
Thanatos can barely bring himself to answer.
He moans instead. And then...
“Yes... take me!”
And with a kiss to the sensitive side of his neck and strong arms wrapped tightly around his waist, Zagreus starts moving into him, sending jolts throughout his body and Thanatos only has half a thought to hope that impervious also means that this chamber is soundproof as in the next one, Charon has set up his shop and he can't quiet the sounds and calls for more that come out of his mouth until he erupts eventually against Zagreus' abs, his silvery juice tangling with the dark hair of the Prince's happy trail.
Panting he can feel his lover finish inside of him and his eyes are wild when he lets go of him.
“Zagreus!”, he blurts out and pulls up his pants blushing, becoming uncomfortably aware that he has very little left to wear that isn't soaked in fountain water.
“I- I have to go. I have to wash my clothes and who knows how many souls I have waiting for me now, this took quite a lot longer then I-”, he rambles, picking up his clothes and will only stop when he feels Zagreus turn him around and push a kiss against his mouth.
“ Than, please, don't leave, just yet. I still want to hold you and cuddle and-”
“No! No, I'm sorry Zagreus, I don't have time...”, Thanatos answers and rubs the mess he left on his lover's skin off with one of the wet clothes.
“I really, REALLY have to leave now!”, he says, picks up his scythe and smashes in the little symbol that locks the gate to the next chamber, walking out there, forgetting for a moment that he can just vanish.
Blinking for a few moments, he looks at Charon who groans in surprise.
Then he shrieks in horror and poofs immediately.
Zagreus, who has meanwhile emptied the last of the fountain, steps into Charon's shop a moment later, fixing the last of his tunic.
“Sorry about that. He just helped me with the fountain. I was pretty battered”, he explains to the Stygian boatman, who only raises a dead eyebrow and groans: “Huaarhhhahhh...”, in disbelief.
After all, it was quite obvious what the Prince of Blood and his own little Brother, Death Incarnate have been up to in there. Not that he minds... He's sure the Prince must be hungry after such physical exertion and offers him a gyros wrap for only 50 oboles...
And Hermes will definitely LOVE to hear about this, he thinks and grins his skeletal grin on his face, while Zagreus swallows the food whole and storms off to fight the furies. Not that he will make it. But all the better for business.