Chapter Five

I woke up to the absolute worst sensation in the world.

Strike that, a combination of the worst sensations and the horrible odor of alcohol on my breath. First came the headache that assaulted my skull like Mjolnir, Thor's hammer. The second thing to hit me was the nausea that churned my empty stomach. I felt dribble down my lip and onto the pillow. That was all I could manage with my stomach being so empty. I quivered at the heat wrapped around me, a mild comfort to the agony wracking my body.

I sniffed at the congestion blocking my nostrils, reaching up to rub my hands gently against my eyes that felt like they were sinking into the back of my skull. I dropped my hands, sniffing again and risking the process of opening my eyes. It felt like trying to pry apart two steel doors.

Even worse was the vicious assault of bright light in the room. I could only manage a low whimper of pain in the back of my throat. I buried my face below the blanket, curling up into a ball to escape it. I smelled something vaguely sweet through all of the alcohol and heard a footstep thump, making me squirm under the blankets. I lifted a small part of the blanket, just enough to peer out and see Alexion standing in the doorway. I was a little confused as to what he was doing here, still.

He'd had two chances to leave, but he still stayed.

I wanted to be suspicious, but I felt horrible as I managed to pull the blanket back down to hide from his scrutinizing glare.

"Turn off the lights." I croaked, voice hoarse and dry. I needed water, I thought miserably. I listened to Alexion click the lights off and I sighed in relief, crawling back out a bit from under the blankets as Alexion approached me with a small metal tray. A warm hot cup of chicory coffee and a slice of toast made up my breakfast.

"Sit up." He ordered. He sounded upset. Was he mad at me? I wish he wouldn't speak so loudly. His voice sounded like it had been plugged into a faulty amp and was blasting, but I didn't want to tell him to be quiet. I was feeling too awful to speak. I carefully slid further out from the blankets, propping myself up on my elbow. I picked up the coffee, shivering at the warmth of it in my hands, savoring the goosebumps of pleasure. I took little sips of it, swallowing hard to get it down past the nausea and dryness.

"You came home drunk." Alexion's voice was tight. I looked up and for some reason, the anger in his eyes stung me. Why was he angry with me? I was an adult. I could drink when I pleased. At least, that's what I tried to tell myself. I struggled to remember last night, but only picked up bits and pieces. Although, it was enough to know that I had completely and utterly humiliated myself, probably Cerberus and Leon as well. I forced the blush of shame from my face, taking a deep gulp of coffee and nibbling at the toast.

"Where did you go? Why did you get drunk?" He demanded. Irritation brewed inside me as I shot Alexion a scathing glare. How dare he shoot me these questions so early in the morning-- and so rudely!

"Last I checked, you were not my keeper." I replied tightly. Alexion's eyes narrowed further and I feigned stoicism, despite the pain tightening in my chest at being looked at like an insect.

Please stop looking at me like that.

You remind me of Hades.

"I may not be your keeper, but I can give you a piece of advice-- Drinking won't make the pain go away, or make anything easier. It'll just make you feel like shit." Alexion said bitterly. I could sense experience in his words, but decided not to open that can of worms right now. Besides, I wasn't feeling well enough to interrogate him. I sipped at the coffee, trying to ignore the fact that Alexion was standing there, watching me intensely. I glanced in his direction, ready to tell him to go away when I suddenly noticed how clean and organized my desk was. I gave pause at that, squinting to make sure I was seeing what I was actually seeing.

"Did... Did you organize my desk?" I asked, looking up at him. Alexion looked like he was trying to be angry with me, but he reluctantly gave up and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I managed to fix and clean up most everything. Well, except that blood stain I found you sleeping on. I didn't touch your journals either. I got a little bored and may have filed some of your papers. It should make things a little easier. It'd be infinitely simpler if you just got a laptop." He added. I looked away, trying to ignore my reflection in the coffee that grimaced back at me.

"Hades won't do it digitally. He says he likes it the old-fashioned way."

"So he does all of his work through computers... but you have to do it by hand."

"I don't want to talk about it." I responded monotonously. Alexion sighed, obviously frustrated, but much to my relief, he didn't harass me about it. I finally managed to sit up against the headboard of the bed, taking sips of the coffee and nibbling toast. Alexion stayed in my room and watched me. I wasn't sure if that made me uncomfortable or mildly pleased.

"So, what happened last night?" Alexion asked after a moment of silence. I tightened my grip on the mug, debating whether to tell Alexion everything that happened. It was embarrassing to admit that I had gotten drunk, and even worse, let myself believe that someone actually wanted to have sex with me, but I didn't particularly care anymore. My life seemed a bit wretched right about now and nothing could possibly make it worse.

I told Alexion about the strange tasting drink and the bartender that refused to stop serving me. Then my encounter with Akin.

"You let a Dom paw at you?" Alexion demanded almost angrily. I looked at him in surprise.

"I have no idea what that is."

"A Dom, Charon. A dominant. As in, a guy who's into BDSM."

"I don't know what that is either. Stop acting as if I'm an idiot. I don't waste my time studying silly terms like that when I have better things to do." I snapped impatiently. Alexion gave pause at that, studying me for a moment before sighing heavily, running a hand through his hair.

"BDSM is a form of sex play, Charon. It ranges from softcore to hardcore and to me, it sounds like this guy was hardcore, especially with the way Cerberus reacted. You're not ready for that." He added, which irritated me.

What gave him the right to tell me what I could and could not do? How did he know I wasn't ready? Granted, I agreed with him. I wasn't even ready for the kiss, let alone anything else. I hesitated at that, reaching up to brush my fingertips over my lips. They still felt a little sore from Akin's biting and pulling. I had never seen anyone kiss like that before-- and I'd never been kissed either.

I hated Alexion's ability to pick up on how I was feeling. The more he watched me, the more his eyes widened slightly.

"Do not tell me you've never been kissed." He stated. I shot him a dirty look. Why did he have to keep saying it like that? I hated the assumption that people my age should have experienced it by now, but I hadn't really considered the idea. If I couldn't even purchase myself a prostitute, what made him think someone would actually be willing to touch me out of free will? It was proposterous, and to be honest, I wasn't sure what I was missing. My life wasn't perfect, far from it, but I didn't feel the necessity for a relationship. Sure, it had crossed my mind once or twice, but everyone was there to reassure me that no one would be willing.

Or rather... No one was there to remind me.

"It doesn't matter," I said at last, making Alexion frown, "It won't happen again. I just want to get back to work." Alexion's expression softened, much to my surprise.

"Charon, it's all right that you've never done anything. In fact, I envy you for that. I'd gladly trade places with you if it meant being clean again." He said, and despite his sad eyes, his voice was monotone, as if he was afraid of letting it spill that he was in pain. I didn't understand quite what he meant, but I had a feeling he didn't want me to ask.

But I could never understand why he would want to trade places with me. It wasn't so much that I was clean either. It was just being unwanted that stung.

We didn't speak anymore about the subject as I got up and showered, relieved as the hot water showered own on my head, soaking me. I could smell Alexion making food again out in the kitchen. He kept making it and tucking it away, like he had nothing better to do than cook. He could leave at any time. He was probably just staying because there was nowhere to go, but surely there were better places out there than here.

I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, dabbing at my face, then pausing to glance in the busted mirror of the bathroom. It was only broken because, out of anger, I had smashed it a few months ago, or would that be a year and two months considering the time I spent in the Labyrinth? That trip had rattled me and confused me on time, something I had never particularly paid attention to in the past. Once you reached over three thousands years old, things like time began to matter less and less.

I changed into a black long sleeved V-neck and black jeans before I sat down at my desk while sliding my cloak on, pulling the hood up.

"Why do you like wearing a hood all the time?" Alexion's voice asked from behind me. Without looking at him, as I readied my files and papers to begin filling them out, I replied,

"Because I feel invisible." I didn't particularly think about that answer either. I had grown so accustomed to going unnoticed anyway that, now, if someone did happen to notice me, I would become uncomfortable and nervous and sweaty. The cloak made me feel protected and more hidden. It was a subtle way of saying "leave me alone", and most people understood it.

I supposed it was contradictory. I hated being ignored, but when I was paid attention to, I wasn't used to it and panicked. It was pathetic, I thought miserably.

"I should try that," Alexion said, making me cock my head at him curiously as he set tea down on my desk, "It'd be nice to actually walk around without people trying to arrest me or molest me." I looked up at him as he paused at my glance at the tea.

"I didn't do anything to it." He added. I still didn't take it. He sighed and picked up the tea, taking a sip and setting it back down. We waited in a short silence before I reluctantly agreed to sipping at the tea. I savored the warmth that pooled in my stomach. It actually made me hungry, but I was afraid of asking Alexion to make food. Not that I needed to because a moment later, my stomach growled and I grimaced. Alexion nodded.

"That's fine. I made a snack for you while you were in the shower. It's not heavy, but don't eat too much. Just as much as your stomach can handle. It takes almost twenty minutes for your brain to get the message that it's full." He left me alone and I watched him leave, turning back to stare at my reflection in the tea. Despite the dark tea, I could make out the fact that my features weren't as sunken in and sickly.

Part of me was relieved to have Alexion here. I was actually able to eat again, and I wasn't sick constantly from the amount of filth that accumulated in the house. While it was difficult to adjust to someone else living in the house, it was oddly more comforting to know that someone was here by choice... or so I hoped.

But another part of knew better than to be at ease with Alexion here. I couldn't be sure that what he'd told me was the truth, able Prometheus trying to use him. It could just be a ploy to lure me in, so they could cut my heart out.

Alexion brought me the snacks, a plate made of pita bread with a light layer of hummus spread across it and olives dashed around on slices of goat cheese. I glanced up at Alexion.

"This looks more like something you'd eat at an expensive restaurant." I pointed out. Alexion shrugged, looking a bit perturbed at my compliment. He was touchy, but then, I suppose I also came off as such.

"It's just food." He answered. I almost smiled at that, almost, if someone hadn't of knocked at the front door. Alexion cursed and shot me a warning look as he backed up into my room. I got to my feet and went out, closing the door behind me as I went to the front door, opening it up and stunned to see Blaine standing there-- alone. His tiny little form swelled with child, dressed in a long sleeved green sweater with a hood and brown corduroys, his eyes looking more upward than directly at me.

"Blaine?" I asked confused. He perked up when he heard me.

"Hi! Sorry. I didn't hear the door open. Don't be so quiet around me." He added with a scowl. I looked around, double checking to make sure Cerberus or Leon weren't with him, maybe even Ayo, but there was no one else in sight.

"Did you come here alone?" I asked. Blaine's frown deepened.

"I'm blind, not stupid. I know where your place is. Are you gonna invite me in or make me stand outside with swollen feet?" He demanded. Most people would be offended by Blaine's forwardness, and vulgarity, but I'd grown accustomed to it, despite his being pregnant making it possibly ten times worse. I stepped aside, reaching out and taking his hand to help him inside. He sniffed at the air, cocking his head.

"You have olives?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow, glad he couldn't see my awkward stare. I led him over to one of the small brown leather sofas, letting him sit down slowly.

"Yes," I said, catching myself before I nodded, "Did you want some?"

"With cheese and mayo." Blaine added. I grimaced, but said nothing about it as I went into the kitchen and grabbed the jar of olives Alexion had left out, as well as the jar of mayo and a knife spread. I brought it back and set it on the small end table near where he sat. He reached his hands out for it and almost knocked it over, but I managed to catch it and replace it on the table. I saw a tinge of pink glowing on his cheeks from frustration.

"It's all right." I told him quietly. Blaine hesitated, poking an olive in the mayo before popping it in his mouth, rolling it around to get the seed out of it.

"So I wanted to talk to you about last night." He said right off the bat. I sighed.

"Blaine, I'm s--"

"Don't apologize," Blaine commanded, making me frown, "It's not your fault; it's Cerberus's. I knew it was a bad idea and kept telling him to just invite you over, but the bastard was whining and bitching all day. He was really excited about it, but he was upset when he came home and told me about what happened. Are you all right?" I blinked, surprised at his concern and had trouble trying to find something to say in return, so I managed a mumbled "yes". Blaine sighed, sounding relieved as he spat the seed out and set it on the plate before taking another olive into his mouth, licking mayo off his fingertips.

"I've Akin before, not too long ago. He's actually not that bad once you get to know him; he's just kind of like those dogs that hump the sofa. Once you tell him to back off, he'll back off. He doesn't want to scare you-- he just knows what he wants." He explained. I chewed the inside of my cheek at that, shifting a bit uncomfortably. So Akin had done the same thing to Blaine as well. It made my heart sink for some reason.

Of course I wasn't special. How could I be? I was just one of a hundred people and just happened to be the one that bumped into him first.

"So, Cerberus said you looked totally lost when Akin was about to face fuck you." Blaine said casually, making me choke on my breathing. Heat climbed into my face as I tried to find a way to defend myself, even though what he had said was probably correct. Blaine smirked at me, shrugging lightly.

"It's all right. I was at a loss the first time too," He responded, then paused to wrinkle his nose in disgust, "Fortunately for you, Akin would've probably been gentle with you since it was the first time. Me? Not so much. My master dislocated my jaw because I wouldn't open my mouth. Anyway, I just kinda wanted to come over and check on you."

"Why?" I asked honestly. Cerberus hadn't bothered, and I knew why. He was embarrassed and upset... and probably hungover. Blaine gave me an odd look.

"Uh, because we're friends?" He offered, confused as I was.

"Friends?"

"Yeah," Blaine agreed, sounding hesitant now, "I mean, if you want to be. If you don't, I understand. I'm such a pain in the ass, and it's gotten even worse with this kid. Hades could've warned me that god children kick the shit out of you more than fae children. Christ. I feel like I have a Mexican jumping bean caught in my stomach." I blushed at that, but still wasn't sure what to say. I did want to be friends with Blaine.

I liked talking to him. I liked how witty and clever he was. He was smart and confident and determined. He knew what he wanted and he went for it. Even better was that, somehow, he managed to remain content with being blind and Hades's surrogate. It took an incredible amount of strength and courage to be able to put up with such things. I suppose it was the fact that Blaine would do anything to stay with Cerberus, when once upon a time, it would've been the opposite.

"Yes," I said at last, making Blaine look in my direction, "We're friends." Blaine slumped in relief, then perked right back up as he popped another olive into his mouth, piling the seeds up on the plate, probably so he could take them back home. He'd turned Cerberus's back yard into a jungle with the amount of plants he was growing.

"Aw, cool. I have more friends. This is great. I should get a Facebook, that way, it'll remind me how many friends I have and I'll feel like Lindsey Lohan before she went downhill. I think it was, like, I dunno, after Kurby Fully Loaded... I don't know. I hate her movies. God awful."

"I have no idea what a Facebook is."

"Good. Don't bother with it. It's a terrible website. I can't count the amount of people I want to bitchslap because of them. Wait until I see their souls down here. I'll kick them one by one into the river Acheron."

"You just don't like people."

"I don't," Blaine exclaimed in agreement, sucking on an olive seed, "They're horrible. Some days, i wonder how any gods would want them in their domain. Souls or not, they're annoying. And sorry I keep talking. Cerberus pissed me off this morning. The stupid bastard actually wanted to have sex at six in the morning. Fuck that. I'm sleeping! I'm pregnant! Leave me alone!" I smiled at that, amused by his rant. Blaine's life always sounded so exciting and interesting. I loved hearing about the things he did, even if they were simple day to day things, or even rants that flew off topic bit by bit.

"So, I was thinking," Blaine said after a moment, making me glance up at him to see him licking mayo off an olive, "We should go into town today." I hesitated.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"I'm not taking you to a club. I hate those places. I was wondering if you'd come with me to the market. It's like a Farmer's Market. All the food is organic, and I'm talking from the mortal realm organic, not the magical soils of the underworld. I've been looking forward to it all week, but Cerberus won't come with me because he's hungover and Leon went to Kat's and Ayo's at preschool and I need something to do, damn it. And I can't go alone." He added, sticking out his lower lip in a pout that was meant to sway me. Somehow, it did.

I didn't like the idea of Blaine wandering around Styx all by himself, pregnant and blind. Especially if Prometheus happened to be there. I would have to protect him.

"All right," I agreed reluctantly, making Blaine grin, "Just let me put my work away. I'll be right back." Blaine nodded and I got up, heading to my room and walking inside, shutting the door to see Alexion standing behind it, making me grimace.

"Don't do that." I whispered. Alexion glared at me, his arms folded over his chest.

"Where are you going?"

"Blaine needs me to go into town with him."

"Make him go by himself."

"Have you seen Blaine lately?"

"No. Last time I saw him, I was quite literally stabbing him in the back." Alexion responded bluntly. I gave him a warning glare and daringly took a step toward him, making him pull back in surprise.

"That won't happen a second time. Touch him, and not only will I not be merciful and kill you, I'll toss you into Tartarus." I threatened. Alexion's eyes glowed dangerously.

"Do that and I'll rip your heart out."

"Go ahead. I don't need it." I snapped. Alexion frowned. I ignored him as I put my work away before leaving my room and slamming the door shut. I went over to Blaine, who was standing up and looking around, frowning curiously. I hesitated. Had he heard us? His other senses had become a lot more acute since he'd gone blind.

"You're angry." Blaine said after a moment, sounding disappointed. I winced.

"I'm not mad at you," I assured, making him frown some more, "I just... It's nothing. It's personal. Anyway, let's go before I have to do another run." Blaine only nodded. I took his hand and teleported us from my home to the market at Styx. As usual, it was bustling with hundreds of people from all different races, all of them chattering and moving about with shopping bags. The market was set up in a usually less crowded place of Styx, but because of the market, people from all over the underworld were here for a chance to get food that was made in the mortal realm.

Popular music from the mortal realm was playing, making the place sound more like an Egyptian market place than a farmer's market. Hundreds of booths were set up along the street side in the empty lots. Fruits, vegetables, cut meat, self-canned foods, and all other sorts of mortal objects were being sold for relatively decent prices. Not that it would matter to Blaine considering Cerberus gave him access to all his money.

We walked along the street, with me indicating which booth sold what so Blaine could squeeze in between people to get to the booths. He picked up an apple and held it to his nose, breathing the scent in and sighing.

"I love apples," He told me, probably sensing my curious stare, "My people practiced a lot of apple magic. How much are they?"

"Looks like a thousand drachma for a pound." I responded, glancing at the sign. Blaine nodded slowly, reaching out and picking up another apple. I figured he planned to purchase some, so I grabbed a brown sack. I watched him squeeze them, running his fingers over the bright red skins, bringing them to his nose every so often to sniff them before he handed me five apples. I put them in the bag as Blaine frowned, handing me the drachma.

"Could you find the vendor and pass these on to him?" He asked. I nodded, not having to go very far, with Blaine holding onto my cloak sleeve so he didn't get lost. I handed the vendor his money and we started to move to the next booth when I heard someone call Blaine's name. Blaine cocked his head and we both turned, my eyes widening and Blaine cursing under his breath.

Akin was walking across the street to us. He was dressed a lot less flamboyantly today. White-blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail with a ring of blue feathers holding it back, bangs neatly framing his face and covering his forehead. He wore a short black jacket with padded shoulders, giving it almost a staunch military appearance, especially with the cargo rings running across the shoulders and down the front on either side of the zipper. Underneath was a concert t-shirt and black leather pants, blue and black designed Doc Martens. His eyeliner was particularly light today compared to how thick it was last night.

"Hey, guys," He greeted brightly, "I was hoping to see you here, Blaine! And... Wow. You look different, Charon." He looked at me. I frowned, then twitched when I realized he knew my name.

"You know my name?" I asked quietly, not wanting to raise my voice and attract attention, like Akin had done when he called out to us. Akin grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I was gonna lie and say I already knew it, but I can't lie when you're looking at me like that and Blaine looks like he's seconds from castrating me. Cerberus told me when he came back to the bar last night." He answered. My stomach sank even further and Blaine scoffed.

"Only because you jumped him, you creep. You really need to stop. What about Paulina? How would she feel knowing her favorite Dom is running around looking for more Subs?" He asked dryly. Akin waved a hand idly in his face.

"Paulina left me last night when I got back. She found out about the thing with Charon and got fed up. The slut. She runs around with other Doms too-- and most of them are women!"

"You were doing the same thing she was." Blaine accused. Akin grinned.

"Yeah, so it was good for both of us... Also, hey, can I talk to Charon alone for a second?" He asked, looking a little more serious now. Blaine looked in his direction suspiciously.

"What're you gonna do? Kidnap him and leave me here?"

"I'd never do that to a pregnant woman."

"I'm a man, cocksucker."

"I know what I said," Akin grinned, making Blaine roll his eyes, "It'll just be for a couple minutes. I'm meeting someone here anyway." Blaine seemed reluctant, then sighed when I touched his arm, letting him know it was okay. He stepped off to the side, reaching out to a booth and touching the fruit there, mostly just feeling them and sniffing them. Akin and I watched him for a moment before Akin looked at me with an apologetic smile.

"Hey, I just wanted to apologize for last night. If I'd known who you were, I wouldn't of jumped you like that." He said. That stung. How stupid was that? It was the type of situation where you wouldn't want someone to come onto you so strongly, and yet, it was still rejection. Akin picked up on it right away and shook his head quickly.

"No, no, sweetie, I didn't mean it like that. I just... I meant that you were a virgin," He added, making my cheeks fill with color and Akin laughed, "God, you're so fucking cute. It's so unfair. I just mean that I'm sorry for getting so rough with you. Cerberus wasn't lying about me liking the hardcore stuff, but I usually stop when a newbie says no. I just had a little too much to drink last night. That's probably no excuse, but I still wanted to apologize. I hoped I didn't scare you or anything."

That still hurt. I was glad he apologized, but it still hurt that the one encounter I had, had been a drunken mistake. I swallowed down the hurt and just nodded. Akin gave me a smile as he reached out and brushed the hair back from my face, making me blush harder and I hated myself for it. I just hoped the shadows from my hood hid some of it.

"You should stop hiding your face, cutie. You have a lot to show off. I'm sure you'll find a way nicer guy who'll be gentler... and not wasted." He added with a grin, probably trying to cheer me up, but it didn't really help. I just appreciated his attempt.

"No," I said at last, making him tilt his head in confusion, "No, it doesn't matter. I'm just here to help Blaine. I'm going back home after." Akin's smile fell.

"Charon, if it's something I did--"

"No. It's not that, but thank you for apologizing. I guess." Yeah, it's okay if he was sorry about getting involved with me. I assumed most people would be. Akin still looked sad now.

"Don't do that to yourself," He said, making me frown, "You're a great guy. I'm not trying to hurt you. That's why I'm apologizing. If I were a nice guy, you bet your sweet ass I'd be crawling on hands and knees to get to you, but that's just it. I'm not a nice guy. You are. You're super adorable. You need someone who'll be nice to you back, someone with more patience...and someone who isn't obsessed with whips and chains and spiked handcuffs." I felt my face heat at that. It didn't sound like a very appealing experience to me. It was just the fact that he was rejecting me is what hurt. I didn't like how it felt. It was one of the reasons I had avoided making any attempt at a relationship.

Rejection stung like a vicious slap at your soul. You feel hope rising and you're excited for the fantasizes you've been having. Then all it takes is a simple "no, thanks" and suddenly it comes crashing down on your head. Even worse was how nice Akin was being about it, so I couldn't even hate him to make me feel better.

"It doesn't matter," I said after swallowing down a lump in my throat, "I'm okay. Having friends is okay." Akin studied me for a while, then smiled.

"If that's what you want, I can totally be your friend. I can never have too many friends." He said brightly. I let myself smile very faintly at that.

"Gross," Blaine said, making Akin and I jump to see him glaring in between us, "Nobody wants to be friends with you, Akin. Go away." Akin snorted and surprised me when he took my hand and pulled me closer to him.

"And nobody wants to be friends with you either, ya homo. Charon's gonna be my friend." He declared. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. They were teasing me, but they were doing it playfully. It reminded me of Alexion and I suddenly found myself wanting to go back home to him. He was upset with me, and granted, I was upset with him. He hurt Blaine. Blaine was my friend too.

"He was my friend first," Blaine argued with a huff, "And you hypocrite. You're homo too."

"I don't believe in labels."

"Now you're just being stupid," Blaine scoffed as he came over, reaching his hand out until he found me, his hand bumping my chest, "Come on, Charon. I think I smell dog meat. Let's get some and see if Cerberus figures it out." Akin burst out laughing at that, holding his stomach and Blaine grinned, satisfied with his reaction. Thank goodness he was joking. Cerberus would cry himself to sleep if he ate a dog. It was a rare delicacy in the underworld and any time someone brought the subject up, Cerberus would panic and make everyone shut up. Suffice it to say, dog was on Cerberus's list of "Do Not Eat". Although, said list was quite short.

"Okay," Akin said after he sobered, still grinning as he looked at me, "I'll see you guys around. Stop by the club again sometime, Charon. We don't have to stay. We can go to the bar down the block. So much quieter." He gave me a little wave before disappearing into the crowd. I watched him go, then turned to Blaine, who was tilting his head and looking at me oddly.

"What?" I asked. Blaine frowned, reaching his hand out until he found my chest.

"Your heart is turning blacker." He said. I sucked my breath in sharply at that. I wished he'd stop that. I hated it when he read my emotions, even now. He couldn't see them anymore, but he could feel them and I had no doubt I was burning off pain like a furnace.

It wasn't that I liked Akin in such a manner. I think it was the fact that someone liked me is what I liked. It was a stupid, pitiful reason to want to have a relationship... And yet, it was better than being alone.

"Let's go see if they have anything else of interest." I said instead of answering him. Blaine frowned, but he was also considerate. He knew I didn't want to discuss it, so he respected that with a nod and took a hold of my sleeve, letting me lead him from booth to booth. I carried most of our items, because he couldn't risk carrying more weight than he already was. I still couldn't resist staring at his distended stomach, wondering if it hurt. It looked so swollen and tight.

"Does it hurt?" I asked without thinking. Blaine looked up from the peach he was sniffing, his gaze missing by staring over my head a few inches.

"Sniffing fruit?"

"No... Your stomach." I added, wishing I hadn't brought it up. Was it rude to ask? I was curious. Blaine smiled, though.

"No, not really. Gets in the way sometimes, but it doesn't bother me. I've been pregnant before." He added, his eyes flickering with hurt as he turned away. I felt horribly guilty for bringing it up, but he continued talking as he picked up a few peaches, touching them and sniffing them to make sure they were good, passing them off to me to put in a sack.

"I think the only thing that really bothers me is that Cerberus is trying to ignore it," He muttered bitterly, "He knows it's not my fault and he's not blaming me for it... He just doesn't like that it's Hades's, or that Hades will stop by to check on things to make sure the baby's fine. He contacted us yesterday to let us know he's staying a couple more days in Olympus. He actually told me he'd slit my throat if I left the house, but he can't, since I've got his kid, so he can suck my dick." I almost smiled at that. Blaine was so fierce, maybe stupidly so from time to time, but it was still admirable, still amusing.

"Does Hades expect more than one?" I asked. Blaine hesitated, a grimace coming onto his face that made me regret asking, but he answered anyway.

"No doubt. He'll probably keep forcing me to pop out kids until he's satisfied. It's got me kind of nervous. The more it happens, the riskier it gets. I want to be able to give Cerberus a kid before I die." He sounded pained.

"I'm sorry." I murmured. Blaine blinked, then gave me a forced smile as he dropped another peach in the bag I was holding.

"Don't be, it's not your fault. I don't really mind. Even if I can leave Cerberus with a kid, I'd be really happy. I just... really, really hope he takes care of it. Like, if I live to see my own kid, the one Cerberus and I make, I'm going to spoil that kid shitless, like I do with Ayo. It's driving Cerberus insane, but the shit's doing the same thing. He bought Ayo one of those bed's shaped like a space shuttle. And he calls me the lenient parent? He can fuck himself. I just do Ayo's laundry and feed him constantly. That's one thing I hate about Cerberus not having servants. I hate doing laundry. I can do it, sure, but gods it's a bitch, especially with this guy in my way." He explained, gesturing to his stomach. I cocked my head.

"It's a boy?" I asked. Blaine nodded.

"How do you know?" I asked. Blaine looked at me with an eerie glow in his eyes, but a smile on his face.

"Always know." He responded. I wanted to know a little more, but he changed the subject to the price of the plums and complained how expensive they were. I let him go off on his rant as we finished shopping in the market. I took Blaine back home after that, when he decided he had enough and his feet were killing him.

When we arrived at Cerberus's mansion, it looked significantly different. Same old, same old on the outside, but upon entering, it was like a day care center. Well, object wise. There were toys strewn about, a little spotted puppy running by, barking and whining as he stopped to sniff us, then kept running. It smelled like burnt food and rice crispy treats. Even from the foyer, we could hear the television playing a children's show.

I had a feeling it was a good thing that Blaine couldn't see the mess, but he smelled it and twitched.

"Cerberus," He shouted angrily, "Why does it smell like you burnt half the house down?! Jesus Christ, I told you not to go near the stove! You can't cook! Where's Leon?!" Cerberus's voice came from the living room, but it was muffled. Blaine started forward and almost tripped on a small space set, but I caught him and helped him maneuver through the messy foyer, smelly kitchen, and into the living room.

All the sofa cushions had been torn off and set up like a giant fort along with blankets and tables and chairs. There was a mini castle on one side and another on the other, except the second castle was destroyed and a pile of cushions. Cerberus was laying near that one with Ayo poking at him with a toy sword. Ayo, a little black boy with his hair braided back from his face, wore a white t-shirt that was designed to look like a space suit, with matching leggings and slippers.

He made a sound of delight when Blaine came into the room, so he stopped and ran over. Blaine grunted when Ayo collided with him, almost knocking him over if I wasn't there to catch him again.

"Ayo, I told you to be careful." Blaine whined. Ayo put his arms around Blaine, as best he could with Blaine's stomach in the way.

"Sorry! But, look, look, mama! I killed da!" He exclaimed. I was perplexed that he'd taken to calling Cerberus his father. Cerberus didn't seem to mind, though, as he sat up and grinned.

"Sorry, we were playing space battles." He told Blaine, who rolled his eyes. Ayo pouted.

"Da, you're dead! Dead people don't talk!" He exclaimed. Cerberus groaned.

"I don't wanna be dead. I've been dead for the past half hour. Why can't I win?"

"Because I win."

"Why?"

"Because it's my game." Ayo replied confidently. Blaine laughed at that as Cerberus huffed, pushing himself to his feet. He dusted himself off and came over to kiss Blaine on top of the head, shooing Ayo away to go watch the show. Cerberus smiled at him, the affection there lighting up his whole face, only for it to shut down when he saw me. It was depressingly amusing to see all the light get sucked out of his face just because he saw me. Now he just looked guilty.

"Hey, Charon... How ya feelin'?" He asked. I didn't need to answer, Blaine did it for me.

"Like shit, you dick," Blaine said quietly so Ayo wouldn't hear the swear words, "You better apologize to him. And me. I almost tripped on my way into the house, you jerk. What did I say about leaving toys everywhere? And what happened to your horrible hangover, huh? Was that just an excuse so you wouldn't have to take me out?" Cerberus winced.

"Aw, come on, baby--"

"Don't you baby me. Clean this shit up while I go put this food away," Blaine ordered, then turned to me and smiled, "Thanks for all your help today, Charon. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you. Call me up this weekend, maybe we can go out and do something else. Better than going to those stupid clubs anyway." With that, Blaine felt his way back to the kitchen. Cerberus and I watched him to make sure he made it into the kitchen safely before I turned back to Cerberus, who squirmed under my gaze.

Good.

"Listen, Charon, I'm sorry I blew up on you last night... I wasn't mad at you. I was just mad at Akin and kinda worried he might do something." He explained. I gave him a droll stare, glancing out the corner of my eye for a second to see Ayo clapping excitedly at something on the television before I locked my gaze on Cerberus again.

"Doesn't matter. Akin apologized today." I replied flatly. Cerberus sighed in relief.

"Good. He's pretty hardcore sometimes, so I didn't--"

"Are you saying I couldn't handle it?" I demanded, suddenly offended. Why did people keep talking to me like I was a child? Cerberus stopped abruptly, confused.

"Well, because you can't? Obviously, last night he was all over you and you were just staring at him like a deer in the headlights, Charon. I was just--"

"I can handle it," I snapped impatiently, clenching my fists in an attempt to rein in my temper, but it hardly did anything, "In case you're forgetting, as much as you think you can wear the crown as older brother, I'm far older than you. I've seen just about everything and if I wanted to do something with Akin, I could've. I don't need you to come to my rescue. Besides, it'll only embarrass you further to have me around. Just stop trying to act like you care when you don't." Cerberus's red eyes glowed angrily at that.

"It's not an act! And yeah, so what if you're older? That doesn't mean you have to be a prick, or that you're super intelligent. Any smart person would've known Akin was about to rip you to pieces. You're a tight ass virgin. You wouldn't have lasted two seconds with Akin. I was just trying to help you. That's all I've been trying to do."

"Help me," I sputtered, embarrassed by his vulgarity, "You think inviting me to-to that kind of situation was helping me?"

"Yeha, because you need to get out of that fucking house! You've locked yourself away even more since Kyros died! Kyros is dead, Charon! Get over it!" Cerberus snarled, then stopped and paled at his own words.

Pain rocketed through my chest and I felt the sudden urge to scream, but I didn't. I held my breath for a second, trying to fight the pathetic tears that threatened to surface. I knew Cerberus regretted what he said. He had a temper. It wasn't his fault. But it still hurt.

"Don't you think I know that," I managed at last, unable to stop my voice from shaking, "I'm reminded of it every time I walk into the living room."

"Then just get rid--"

"No," I cried sharply, making Cerberus's eyes widen in surprise, "No... If I do that, I won't have him with me anymore." Cerberus's expression became pained and he went to touch me, but I drew back quickly and swallowed at the lump in my throat.

"Just, please stop trying. Everyone else gave up. Why can't you?" With that, I vanished from Cerberus's mansion and returned to the quiet little house on the river Acheron. I walked inside, but stopped just as I came inside.

The house was empty.

It was still warm, there was still food sitting out, still a rat chewing on cheese in the corner, but it was empty.

I couldn't feel Alexion's presence.

I went to my room and opened the door, but he was gone. I looked around the house, but he was nowhere. I came back to stand in the living room again.

"He's gone." I said aloud. My voice practically echoed back at me, reminding me of how really alone I was-- again. I looked down at the rat that paused its eating to look up at me, tilting its head, almost like it understood me. I looked back up, shoulders slumping.

Of course he's gone.

Everyone leaves.

Always.