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Zagreus shook off the blood of Styx once again, his feet dragging as he climbed the stairs into the House of Hades. Even the flames that flickered behind his steps seemed to burn lower and less bright than usual.

He was so tired. So very, very tired. Perhaps he could go to his room and sleep for a time. Even if his restless mind wouldn't still, Hypnos could probably help...

No.

No, he had to keep going. His quest was too important for rest. He was getting so close! He'd breathed the cold air of the world above. He merely had to beat his father, just once. Surely just once, and then he'd be free.

Zagreus deliberately straightened, squaring his shoulders, and strode forward. He wanted to talk to Achilles for a moment. He did not want to see his father, but thankfully Hades wasn't present, his desk standing empty.

Unfortunately Achilles wasn't there either. But Zagreus couldn't help but see the other figure at the end of the hall, where a balcony looked over the familiar hellscape beyond. He almost turned away. Thanatos was...complicated. But Zagreus couldn't resist the pull of the beautiful death god who he'd once thought was his half-brother and now... Well, now he suspected they'd be something else entirely, if only he had the time for such pursuits.

Or the energy. Gods on Olympus, he was so tired.

"Zagreus." Thanatos turned as he approached, though only half way, his hand still on the railing, his eyes not quite meeting Zagreus'. "Your father cut your thread this time, I noticed. You must have gotten far."

"Not far enough," said Zagreus, letting his bitter frustration show for a moment before stuffing it back down again.

Thanatos turned fully towards him then, his habitually neutral features creasing with a frown. "You look terrible. When did you last sleep?"

"Gods don't need sleep," said Zagreus, making an effort to straighten himself again. "Not even lesser ones like me."

"You're not--" Thanatos stopped, then shook his head. "Never mind. Gods may not need sleep, Zag, but sometimes they need rest. The mortal world will still be there if you take a break, you know."

Zagreus scowled, and stubbornly said, "I'll rest when I've succeeded. I'm close now. Just one or two more tries..."

Thanatos looked at him silently for a long moment, then shook his head again. "I've never been able to talk you out of something when you're set on it, so I suppose I won't try. Take care, though. I get tired of gathering up your cut thread."

"Hah. As if mine is anything amid all the dead."

"You are not merely another one of the dead," said Thanatos, and then he was gone in a flare of eerie light, leaving Zagreus without a chance to respond. That shouldn't have left him feeling bereft, but it did. Still, he had his quest, so after shaking himself, as if he could shake off his feelings the way he shook off the blood of Styx, Zagreus headed for his room, and the exit to Tartarus beyond.

He tried to fling himself into combat as heedlessly as usual, but Thanatos stayed in his mind. He'd grown up with the god of death as an older brother, believing them to share a mother in Nyx. So when they'd first fought side-by-side it had been as brotherly companions, and their closeness had seemed ordinary, easy, natural.

When he'd discovered that Thanatos was not his brother, he'd expected to find some distance opening up between them. Yet in those early moments when the elder god had helped him on his quest Zagreus had felt instead that Thanatos seemed to want to draw closer than ever.

Except for the times when he suddenly pushed Zagreus away.

It was all terribly confusing, but of late Zagreus had started to have some thoughts about what might be going on.

The flicker of yearning he sometimes saw in the death god's pale eyes. The way Thanatos kept helping him even while he still frequently asked Zagreus to give up and come home. The way Zagreus himself couldn't get Thanatos out of his mind. The odd flutter, like Thanatos' own gifted butterfly, he felt if their hands should happen to touch while sharing a bottle of nectar. Zagreus was young, as gods went, but he wasn't innocent. He knew the word for what that all added up to. He just didn't want that complication. He could think about falling in love when his quest was done. Thanatos visited the upper world all the time, after all. Surely he could see the death god again, once he had escaped Hell.

With that thought fixed in his mind, Zagreus was finally able to return his full attention to his quest. Kill lots of dead things, get up out of Hell, and find the other half of who he was. Find out how to be someone besides Hades' useless son. Then, perhaps, that someone could find and be worthy of love.

Blood and darkness, though, he was so tired.

He limped his way from another fight with Tisiphone--hell but she was creepy--and up into Asphodel. The brief drink he got from the fountain between the two realms did little to refresh him.

That was probably why the megagorgon got him. He'd fought it at least a dozen times already and had always won without too much trouble, but not this time. This time the monster was the victor, and the familiar darkness of death closed over Zagreus once again.

Zagreus was so used to passing through this blackness that it took him a few moments to realize something was different. Normally he felt the black nothingness of death, followed almost immediately by the bloody embrace of the Styx, which he then climbed out of. But this time there was no red, no river of blood, only empty dark.

He tried to open his eyes, but he wasn't sure he even had eyes to open. He tried to hold his hand up in front of his face, but there was no sense of motion or response. Perhaps he didn't have hands either. He floated in nothing, *as* nothing, and he thought perhaps he might have found this terrifying, but he also had nothing to feel fear with.

Zagreus didn't have ears either, but he nevertheless heard a familiar voice. "Do you know what the word 'liminal' means, Zag?"

*It means something in between,* he tried to say, but he had no voice to speak.

Still, it seemed he was heard, for a response came. "Indeed. The gods of Olympus rule the land of the living. Your father Hades rules the land of the dead. But the liminal space that lies between them is my domain. It is thought, among mortals, that if Death refuses to pick up the thread of your life, then you will live forever. It's not so, though. The fates cut the threads, I merely carry them between the worlds. Should I refuse to do so, a thread will remain here, until I will it to move on."

*Oh. So, er, could you, please, Than? I have things to do.*

"No."

*You're just going to leave me in this disembodied nothing, then?*

"If I take you on to Styx, you'll merely jump back into Tartarus again, and probably get killed even more stupidly than you were this time. You're tired, Zagreus. You need to rest."

*I'm not exactly finding the disembodied thing restful. Bodies rest. How can I rest like this?*

There was a sourceless chuckling, and Thanatos said, "Don't worry. I did say the liminal realm was mine. I have a home here. Come, I'll show you."

The formless dark flushed gradually with eerie green light, that coalesced into a room, with a familiar person standing in it. A sense of weight and shape returned, and Zagreus couldn't keep from holding up his hand, just to see that it was there, and that he had eyes to see it with again.

"Welcome to my home," said Thanatos. He stood on the floor, as he usually did in the House of Hades, rather than refusing to touch the ground as he so often did elsewhere. He wasn't wearing his armor, only the gray hooded chiton he normally wore beneath it, and his scythe was nowhere to be seen.

Zagreus looked around the place. The room where he stood was an atrium, an open central chamber with arched doorways leading to several other spaces. In Hades an atrium's open ceiling might show a view of some upper realm, and Zagreus knew that in the world above the limitless sky could be viewed above one, but here the space above showed a swirling mingling of black and red, as if Thanatos' liminal nothingness were mixing with the bloody flow of the Styx.

Zagreus might have expected the rest of the place to be as dark and uncanny as that, yet it was in fact light and airy; well-lit, with high ceilings, graceful arches, and light colors, especially silver-gray, predominating. Looking at Thanatos himself standing there, though, Zagreus thought that it suited him perfectly. It was perhaps a little cold, but also elegantly beautiful.

"So, ah..." Zagreus scuffed a foot on the floor, leaving a line of flame behind.

"So now you rest," said Thanatos firmly. "Here, I'll show you to the bed."

"Than--"

Zagreus' protest was immediately cut off. "No. I'm not returning you to Hell until you've rested. I will not be moved on this. Now come." He beckoned, and Zagreus gave up and followed.

The bedroom was in cool silver-gray as well, but there were more personal touches here. Books and scrolls were scattered about. A coverlet in black was draped over the bed's foot, and Zagreus thought it had once been Nyx's. A collection of butterflies in a framed display decorated one wall.

The bed itself was large, larger than Zagreus' certainly, and had a huge headboard carved with a motif of skulls and wings. Thanatos turned down the blankets and gestured.

Zagreus bit his lip. "Than... I really shouldn't stop here."

Thanatos scowled. "So instead you should go on like this? What do you think will get you next time, one of Tartarus' wretches? Rest, return to your obsession after. I know what I think doesn't really matter compared to that, but Zag... I really, truly am getting tired of picking up your thread. I would like you to come back home, but if you must be about this madness then I want you to succeed, if for no other reason than perhaps I might need to do so less often once you have."

"I..." Zagreus didn't even know how to begin to address any of that. What sprang to his lips unbidden, though, was, "Than... What you think does matter. It matters a lot. But surely you understand? If Nyx were somewhere else, lost to you, you'd seek her out."

"I would." Thanatos smiled. "Though I'd like to think I'd be more sensible about it then you've been. You'll do better if you're not falling over your own feet with exhaustion."

Zagreus couldn't help but smile back. "I'll admit you have a point. Very well, I'll rest." Zagreus set his sword aside and started shedding armor and clothing.

"Thank you."

Zagreus paused. "I should probably be thanking you."

Thanatos merely shrugged silently, still smiling.

Zagreus, having stripped down to just his undershorts, climbed into the bed. He put his head on the wonderfully soft pillow and closed his eyes.

"Sleep well," said Thanatos, his voice soft, and then the lights in the room went out, and Zagreus could hear the sound of quiet footfalls leaving. He let out a long breath, trying to relax. Thanatos was right, he should rest. He'd reach the world above and find his mother sooner if he were rested and prepared. Blood and darkness, though, he ached to be there. To see the sky above, to breathe that cold, fresh air, to hear his mother's voice... What would she sound like? He was certain she couldn't sound anything like Nyx, yet it was impossible to picture "mother" and think of any other voice.

What would she look like? She would have green eyes, he knew that much. Thanatos had said once that Zagreus' one green eye looked like hers. He should ask Thanatos to tell him more about how she looked, what she was like. He knew so little. But that would be wasting time he could be using to go find her for himself.

Ugh. He was supposed to be resting, not lying here wide awake, with his thoughts churning.

Zagreus rolled over, resettling himself. If he could get comfortable enough, relax enough...

He groaned. It was no use. His mind refused to shut up. "Arg. Dammit." He sat up. What point was there in wasting time if he wasn't even going to sleep? He should go see if he could get Thanatos to let him leave.

"Zagreus? Is something wrong?" Thanatos stood in the doorway, a mere silhouette against the light from the atrium.

"Can't sleep. I keep just thinking and thinking and can't relax," grumbled Zagreus. "I might as well just go if I'm not going to get any rest here."

"You've tried for all of five minutes," said Thanatos, nearly laughing. "You're staying in the bed until you sleep if I have to tie you down to it." Thanatos came over to stand beside the bed, his expression--smilingly determined--just visible in the gloom.

"Ah..." Zagreus blinked, and felt his cheeks flush as his mind immediately wanted to make a raunchy joke about tying and kinks. With anyone else he probably would have. Saying something like that to Thanatos felt dangerous, though.

Thanatos put his hand on Zagreus' bare chest, pushing him back into the bed. "Lie down."

Zagreus felt his flush deepen, and was glad Thanatos probably couldn't see it in the dark. Other than the occasional brush of fingers, this was the first time they'd touched skin to skin. That butterfly-flutter was at it in his gut again, and he felt himself tense. "Than..."

"Maybe I can help." Thanatos sat down on the bed. "When I was...well, not 'little', I wasn't incarnated quite the way you were, but when I was new to having a corporeal form, Mother Night used to help me relax enough to sleep by rubbing my hair. I can do the same for you."

Zagreus thought the butterfly must have invited friends. Feeling incredibly flustered, he fumbled for words, then somehow found himself blurting out, "Uhm. You. Yes. That. Sure. Yeah. You can...do that." Oh hell. He was making an utter fool of himself, he just knew it.

Thanatos cleared his throat, a sound that made Zagreus suddenly wonder if the death god had a gut full of butterflies too. "Very well. Ah. I'll just..." He shifted, his shadowy form moving to sit at Zagreus' head. Then he reached out, fingers just brushing Zagreus' hair. Zagreus had taken his laurel from it when he undressed, so there was only the plain, unruly black of it. Thanatos seemed hesitant, the long fingers that were confident and strong on the handle of his great scythe now trembling for a moment before finally pressing in to comb through Zagreus' hair.

The touch was as much electrifying as relaxing. Zagreus felt tense, his heart pounding. Yet Thanatos continued to slowly stroke his hair, the death god's touch becoming more sure, and did nothing else. As the nervous butterflies began settling when nothing else happened, Zagreus did in fact relax. His mind wasn't racing, it was focused entirely on the feel of Thanatos' fingers working through his hair. The caress was wonderful, soothing, and Zagreus hardly even noticed when Thanatos shifted again, resting his back against the headboard, the death god apparently relaxing as well as he continued.

"Feeling calmer?" said Thanatos eventually, his voice soft.

"Yeah..." Zagreus sighed, eyes sliding closed. "Thanks."

Thanatos chuckled. "It's my pleasure. Shall I continue?"

"Yeah, please."

Thanatos did, seeming relaxed by it himself as he leaned back and stroked Zagreus. Zagreus let out another long sigh. Why was this so soothing? It was, though. Such little, flitting thoughts were all that danced in his head, and soon even those quieted and he slipped at last into blissful slumber.

---

Zagreus woke feeling rested. How long had it been since he'd felt truly rested? Something was somehow off, though. He remembered falling asleep in Thanatos' bed, but something had changed. The pillow had gotten firmer and...warmer? And there was a warm weight along his side?

He blinked his eyes open and immediately knew what had happened. It was still dim, but enough light came in for him to see that he had his head pillowed in Thanatos' lap, while Thanatos was still leaning back against the headboard, but seemed to be asleep as well, and had his arm resting on Zagreus' side.

Zagreus felt his cheeks heating again. What was he supposed to do now?

Then he heard a soft sigh, and Thanatos shifted, straightening and looking down at him. Thanatos bit his lip, his expression uncertain. Finally he smiled softly and lifted his arm, but only to stroke Zagreus' hair again. "Are you rested?"

"Yeah." Zagreus looked up at Thanatos, some of that nervousness returning. He should probably get up. He never wanted to move again. "Thanks. Looks like you needed some rest too?"

"Indeed."

"Do, like, souls stop being collected while you sleep?"

Thanatos smiled. "No. My active work is a kind of symbol. If I stopped for long enough, yes, souls would remain in the limbo between. But ordinarily I am only required to personally collect the threads of those who are specially marked by fate. Such as yours. Which does mean I have been doing extra work of late."

"Oh." Zagreus found himself reaching up, touching the ends of Thanatos' hair where it hung down. "I'm sorry."

Thanatos shrugged. "Fate plays out as it will." His hand slid down from Zagreus' hair to cup his cheek.

The nervous butterflies still flitted, yet Zagreus found he was less nervous than perhaps he should be. He'd never been this intimate with Thanatos before. Hell, they'd barely ever touched. Yet there was something right about it, something like how two pieces of armor slotted together, or how a sword fit into a sheath. Maybe it really was fate. Maybe it was only that he'd finally realized how much Thanatos had done for him over the years. Whatever it was, he knew he couldn't just rush away, back to his quest. Not when the death god's cool, strong, gentle hand was cupping his cheek like that, not when there was so much care shining in his pale eyes.

Zagreus wasn't even sure if he'd moved first, or if Thanatos had, but in a single moment he was lifting himself up, while Thanatos was bending, and their lips met in a ridiculous, awkward, nearly-upside-down, *wonderful* kiss.

After just a moment Zagreus broke it off, but only to get up to his knees and kiss Thanatos properly, pushing him back against the headboard, unable to keep from being passionate, demanding. Gods above, he'd wanted this for *so long*. He'd pretended he hadn't, but he had.

Thanatos wrapped his arms tightly around Zagreus, clinging to him, and kissed back with a matching intensity. It went on for a wonderful age, lips meshing, tongues twisting together, bodies pressed close. Zagreus couldn't even describe how good it was, how amazing the taste of Thanatos on his tongue and the feel of the death god's body pressed to his was.

After what must have been an eternity, though it was also too short, Thanatos pulled back. "Zagreus..." He was breathing hard, and Zagreus found himself panting too.

"Thanatos. I... Gods above, I want you. I shouldn't, but..."

"Yes, *please* yes."

Zagreus felt his breath catch, his heart skipping a beat. Oh gods. He kissed Thanatos again, swift and hard, then grabbed the belt that tied his chiton and tugged at it. Thanatos eagerly aided in removing the garment, leaving him in only his underthings. Zagreus felt his heart pounding like it would burst, but he couldn't resist, couldn't stop now. He put his hands to the ties that kept Thanatos' undershorts on, undid them, and yanked down, Thanatos himself lifting and shifting to help them come off. That left the death god wonderfully, gloriously nude, and Zagreus hardly knew what part of that amazing body he wanted to touch first.

Thanatos sprawled on his back, looking up at Zagreus, breathing hard and fast. Zagreus almost wanted to just dive onto the already erect cock that inevitably drew his gaze. But that seemed like missing out on several wonderful, fascinating things that might come first, so he finally managed to straddle Thanatos' thighs and bend over him, pressing another hot, hard kiss to him.

Thanatos moaned into it, hands gripping Zagreus' shoulders.

Zagreus moaned too, pressing down on Thanatos, feeling his body--the hardness of his muscles, the softness of his skin, the pressure of his cock against Zagreus' belly, the head of it leaving a smear of pre there--every bit of it perfect.

"Zagreus," moaned Thanatos. "Oh, gods, please..."

"Yes," breathed Zagreus, grinding his hips down on Thanatos, aware suddenly of his own erection straining his undershorts as he did. The warmth of Thanatos' body was separated from him by only that thin scrap of fabric. He couldn't help a groan of pure pleasure, and Thanatos let out another moan and wrapped his arms around Zagreus, lifting his hips to grind his cock up against him. It wasn't enough, though, Zagreus wanted more. He sat back, panting hard, trying to gather his scattered wits. "Thanatos. I want you too. But how should..."

"Here, a moment." Thanatos wiggled out from under Zagreus, leaving him feeling oddly bereft. Still, Zagreus took the opportunity to strip off his already damp underthings and free his cock from their confinement. A moment later Thanatos climbed back into the bed, a little bottle clutched in his hand. He pressed that into Zagreus' hand. "There. Use this."

Having done that, Thanatos stretched himself out on the bed, his body on display, his eyes filled with both passion and fear as he looked up at Zagreus.

The passion made Zagreus' breath catch, but the fear... "Oh, Thanatos. I... I don't want to hurt you."

Thanatos looked up at Zagreus, his expression terribly vulnerable. "You've already broken my heart a hundred times. You can do what you like with my body."

Zagreus sucked in a shocked, horrified breath. "I... I'm so sorry, I..."

"Fuck. Forget I said it. I know you didn't mean to. But please, Zagreus. *Please!* I've wanted you for so long. Please take me!"

"Yes. Yes, of course," said Zagreus, his heart racing.

Thanatos drew his feet up, spreading his legs, exposing himself. Zagreus needed no further hints, no further encouragement, though part of him cringed thinking about how much he must have hurt Thanatos, acting as though they were no more than distant friends, expecting their brotherly bond to fade rather than transmute. Still, he couldn't change that, he could only give Thanatos what he desired now. So he slicked his fingers with the oil from the bottle he held and pressed them into Thanatos, probing slowly, gently at first, spreading a generous amount of the oil within.

"Ah... Ah, yes..." Thanatos shuddered, even that little making his expression rapturous. Zagreus felt his desire burning brighter to see it. Thanatos was beautiful, laid out like this before him, already half-lost in bliss. Zagreus had meant to be slow, careful, gentle even, but he suddenly couldn't wait. He pulled his fingers out and pressed forward, spreading Thanatos' legs further, lining himself up.

There was a breath of hesitation, a moment when Zagreus wondered if this was the right thing to do. Then Thanatos said, "Gods, please, Zagreus!" and Zagreus responded by thrusting in, sinking his cock into Thanatos in one single stroke.

"Ah!" Thanatos arched under him, an absolute picture of passion. He grabbed Zagreus' shoulders, digging his fingers in, and locked his legs around Zagreus' waist too as Zagreus ground down, buried deeply within him. "Oh, *yes!*"

Zagreus couldn't even find words for how he felt. Thanatos was hot and tight around him, and his sounds of passion and obvious eagerness were amazing. Zagreus couldn't hold back even a moment, he started thrusting immediately, taking Thanatos hard and fast right from the start.

Thanatos cried out with each stroke, and lifted his hips to each, too, more than willing. Zagreus bent further over him, pressing a hot kiss on him as he thrust, feeling his pleasure build. He wasn't going to last long at all, this was much too intense, much too wonderful. Yet Thanatos was obviously equally lost, his nails digging into Zagreus' shoulders, his whole body tensed, his breath coming fast as he moaned and cried out.

"Oh, Thanatos," groaned Zagreus, his thrusts almost frantic. "You are so perfect. Oh, yes... Ah... Ah... Yes!" With a final thrust and a shudder that went through his whole being Zagreus came, an explosion of hot seed pumping out from him, filling Thanatos beneath him.

With a high, gasping cry of, "Ah, Zagreus!" Thanatos came too, untouched, his seed spilling over his own belly and chest, and painting Zagreus as well.

There was a long moment when all Zagreus knew was the mingled bliss of having come, having experienced that amazing intimacy, and knowing he'd brought Thanatos such pleasure. He floated in it, braced over Thanatos, still within him as well, for a long time as his breath gradually slowed.

Thanatos blinked open his eyes and looked up at Zagreus with a happily dazed expression. He reached up and cupped his cheek, then pulled him down and kissed him sweetly. "Thank you," he murmured against Zagreus' lips.

"I don't know what you're thanking me for. I should be thanking you."

"No. I... I know I've been difficult, Zag. I said you'd broken my heart, but I broke it myself, pushing you away. That you hadn't given up on me after all this time..."

Zagreus kissed him again, softly. "I couldn't possibly. Admittedly, I wanted, well... I wanted to wait until I knew who I was, what I could be other than Father's failure, before daring to even try. So thank you for..." Zagreus suddenly came to a halt as a terrifying word trembled on his lips. It felt more dangerous than fighting his way through Hell ever had, but he knew he had to say it. "Thank you for loving me. Thank you for letting me love you."

Thanatos drew in a shocked breath and his eyes went wide. "Oh, Zagreus... I... It's hard for me to say it, but I do. I love you so much."

The only answer Zagreus could find for that was another kiss, sweet and deep and lingering.

Eventually, though, as he broke off the kiss, he became a little too aware of the fact that they were both an utter mess. With a reluctant sigh he pulled himself off of Thanatos and said, "So, ah, does this liminal home of yours have a bath? Because I really need one."

Thanatos laughed. "It does."

"Oh good. And, well..." Zagreus sighed. "Once I'm clean I have to go. I don't regret coming here to rest, or any of this, but..."

Thanatos nodded, pulling himself upright and climbing out of the bed. "I understand."

"Still, er, I think you're right about my needing to rest more often, so, ah..." Zagreus rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed at how hard it was to find words to say any of this.

Thanatos smiled. "Any time you find yourself growing tired, my home and my bed are yours for the asking." He leaned in, giving Zagreus one more brief kiss. "My body and my heart are yours also." Then he stepped back and looked down at himself with a laugh. "We definitely need that bath, though. Come on."

As Zagreus followed Thanatos to the bathing room, he found himself thinking about the reasons why he'd wanted to wait. His quest was one, but as for the other... Maybe he already was something other than his father's failure. Maybe he was something other than the prince of a place that didn't need a prince. Maybe instead of Prince of Hell he could say he was Thanatos' lover. It wasn't the sort of thing one usually claimed as a title, but he thought it might perhaps be the best title he could possibly aspire to.