Chapter Forty-Six

"He's safe."

I breathed out a quiet sigh of relief, stepping back from the bed and looking up at Hades. He stood on the other side of the bed, his gloves saturated in blood, sweat running down the sides of his face, causing the loose flying hairs from his tied back hair sticking to his jawline and nose. Exhaustion darkened the spaces beneath his eyes, the glow in those blue irises flickering faintly, almost like a candle preparing to go out.

Beside him, the machines had finished screaming and had lapsed into a steady combination of beeps and hums. The sound seemed to echo through the room, making my ears ring.

I looked down at my bloodied gloves, then shifted my gaze to where Zeus was laying quietly on the bed, unconscious and finally resting. While all his major, life-threatening injuries were now healed, scars lingered in their places, bruises and cuts still remaining. Anymore healing and I could damage his natural healing process, according to Hades. And thank fuck he was here to remind me, otherwise, I would've caused some major damage by letting my panic get the best of me.

Hades went over to the sink to strip his gloves off and wash his hands, and I followed him to do the same. Once we were cleaned up and had given Zeus a fresh blanket and pillow, Hades went to grab some supplies from the cupboards.

"He's stable for now," he informed me, studying the labels on the bottles and taking a few down, "Look, I can't stick around right now. I have to go figure out what the fuck that Titan bastard was thinking when he handed his ass gift-wrapped to Atlan. I need you to stay here and keep an eye on him, and contact me if his condition takes a turn for the worst." I frowned, immediately uncomfortable with the idea of being alone in the room with Zeus. Clearly Zeus would not want to see me upon waking, but rather Hades.

"You should let me go instead," I disagreed, making Hades pause and glance over his shoulder at me, "He'll want to see you when he wakes up. I can check in with everyone and see how things are going, and... And I'll tell Arikos the situation. It's the least I can do." Especially given it was probably my fault Menoetius had left in the first place. And Hades gave me a curious stare, and I could feel him attempting to probe my mind, but I slammed a barrier down and he cursed, reaching up to touch his head.

"I hate it when you do that," he ground out through clenched teeth. I gave him a flat stare.

"And I hate that you think you can just invade my privacy because you think you're all powerful."

"No," Hades said dryly, lowering his hand and cutting me a dry stare, "I was doing it figure out what the hell is going on with you."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid," Hades snapped impatiently, shutting the cupboards and taking a few of the bottles over to Zeus's bedside and shoving the rest in a bag that he threw over his shoulder, "I know there's something else going on. Something that involves Zeus. Something that doesn't have to do with this war." I eyed him warily, wishing he'd just keep his nose out of my business. However, I was too tired to argue with him and too tired to put up with his attitude.

"Look, it doesn't matter," I started and Hades rolled his eyes, doing a superb job at making me wish I could sucker punch him in the face, "We screwed up. That's all I'm going to say on the matter. We need to figure out a way to retrieve Menoetius as soon as possible. Sooner or later, Atlan will use the same toxin on him that he used on you. And if that's the case, the Source's prophecy will come true, and Menoetius will help Atlan the way he was destined to." Hades glared at me. He didn't speak for the longest time, which I wasn't sure was a good thing or a bad thing. When his stare became too much, I finally scowled at him and he seemed to be snapping out of a thought process, one I didn't bother to delve into, because his thought processes already gave me a headache.

"Nothing," Hades said at last, making me narrow my eyes suspiciously, "No. You're staying here. Besides, I have something else I have to deal with." A particular archangel, I managed to catch passing his mind and I frowned.

"Hades, leave Lucifer alone. As cute and cuddly as you may think you are, I will hurt you if you hurt him," I warned. Hades cast me a sour glare.

"It's none of your fucking business. You can spy on us all you want at home, but this is between me and him. So why don't you do the world a favor and sit your ass down, shut up, and take care of my brother. Also, if Poseidon comes in here, kick him out. I don't want him near Zeus right now. Not with the way things are. I'm running on fumes and I don't have time to strap Poseidon down and lock him in a padded room. We're done here."

Before I could say anything in protest, Hades was gone and I was alone in the room with Zeus. I glared at the space where Hades had stood, then took a deep breath, calming the frustration that god brought out in me. If anyone could make my temper rear its ugly head, it was that asshole.

Instead of hunting Hades down, I busied myself by cleaning up the room, putting things away, wiping up blood, cleaning supplies. I paused, wiping off the last scalpel to look at Zeus, who continued to lay in quiet peace on the bed.

He didn't look like the hotshot business man I'd first encountered. He looked... so broken. Defeated. The pride was gone, the macho suave aura appeared to have never been there. His beautiful shiny blonde hair was now damp, dirty, matted. A cut marred his brow, another cutting through his lips, definitely leaving a scar soon. Several more cuts ran the length of his left cheekbone, a bruise spread up from his neck, which was wrapped in gauze to hide the puncture wounds.

Suddenly, I found myself walking across the room to fill a small tub with water, grabbing a cloth, and going to the bedside. I dipped the cloth in the tub and gently wiped the grime from his face, washing the filth from his hair, the blood smears. Once I was finished, I poured the water out and used a fresh towel to dry his hair.

My eyes lingered over the rest of his body, where the blankets hid more cuts, more bruises, more injuries that we'd left up to his own healing process. Hades had wanted to perform a full examination on Zeus, to find out where the blood caked on his thighs had come from, but he hadn't been mentally capable of doing so. The entire procedure of saving Zeus's life had exhausted Hades enough emotionally. Several times, Hades had broken that stoic mask of professionalism, tears glimmering in his eyes before he blinked them back and focused on the task at hand.

He'd been too afraid to see what other damage had been done. Something told me, however, he was going to find out sooner or later.

In the meantime, the life threatening injuries were healed.

I went to wipe the blood from under Zeus's fingernails, or the ones that were left anyway. A few had been yanked from their beds and left behind marred bloody skin. I was careful with those ones in particular, gently patting them dry, adding a few bandaids and gauze here and there to make sure infection didn't set in.

And as I held Zeus's hand in mine, a strange wave of tears hit me so suddenly that I didn't realize it was happening until the droplets landed on my hand over Zeus's. I sniffed, reaching up to wipe at my eyes, giving Zeus's hand a squeeze, hoping to feel some kind of strength from it, but only fear surged through me as I squeezed his hand again. I brushed my thumb across his knuckles, savored the feel of his soft warm skin.

I forced myself to put his hand down before I broke down completely. I went to the sink to splash my face, leaning over it and staring down into the dark drain in the stainless steel basin.

This is my fault, I thought in agony.

Atlan never would've done what he did to Zeus if I hadn't shown him any interest. Atlan knew, he knew how I felt about Zeus. He probably knew it before I did. I wasn't entirely sure how either. Perhaps there was a spy in our midst, or perhaps he was much smarter than I gave him credit for. Either way, he knew how deep my connection for Zeus ran.

This wasn't going to work, I told myself for the last time, standing up and turning to look at Zeus as I leaned back against the sink.

There were too many things standing between Zeus and I. I had to stop pretending the world was a fairy tale and that I, too, would receive a happily ever after, like all those I've helped, all those around me. It would be incredibly selfish of me to hold onto Zeus. Cruel, even. And downright stupid, because even if the entire war with Atlan wasn't happening, Zeus didn't love me. He loved someone else.

Hades.

What a stupid thing to be jealous about. Zeus had only known me for what? A few weeks? He'd known Hades so much longer. He'd suffered so much with Hades... even after the event that tore their relationship in half. They still stuck by one another. Because that's how powerful the love between them was, and while Hades didn't share the same kind of love Zeus had for him, he did love Zeus. Zeus was his little brother. Hades recognized Zeus's confusion, his fear, his pain. He saw it clearly and he felt it powerfully, just like his own.

And Zeus... Well, Zeus was obsessed with him. If the library dedicated to Hades's favorite biological studies wasn't enough proof of that, the way Zeus looked at him... The way Zeus thought of him in what he probably thought was his final hours.

Yeah. Zeus had someone he loved, and while he may not be able to be with Hades the way he wanted to be, he still had given his heart to Hades and no one else.

Exhausted from thinking, I went to a seat across the room and sat down, leaning my elbows on my knees and rubbing along the sides of my nose.

I didn't know what to do at this point. I definitely didn't want to be in this room, that was for sure. But everything was pretty much falling into place the way it was supposed to... Menoetius was going to join Atlan's cause, the way the Source had predicted... And hopefully, if the prophecy was to come to pass fully, Hannibal would win. Atlan would be vanquished at long last... and the universe would once again lapse into a comfortable balance.

And things would go back to the way they were supposed to.

And you'll be alone.

The way it's supposed to be.

The sound of voices approaching the doors to the room made me frown and look up, rising to my feet just as the doors flew open. Poseidon came into the room hard and fast, only to pull up short when he saw Zeus on the bed, hooked up to enough machines to make it look like a scene out of Frankenstein. Behind him, two nurses scurried in, only to slow down when they saw me in the room.

"We're so sorry," the first one stammered, "We tried to stop him--"

"But he is literally gigantic--"

"I have three kids--"

"It's alright," I told them gently, watching Poseidon out the corner of my eye, "I'll handle this. Thank you." The nurses shared nervous stares, but obeyed and left the room, both passing dirty looks at Poseidon on their way out. The doors closed behind them, but not even the sound made Poseidon snap out of whatever dark place he'd fallen into.

He was having difficulties coping with everything. He was so accustomed to avoiding the drama of his pantheon, he was drowning in it now. He didn't know what to do with it. And who could he talk to about it? He'd been so busy pulling away from the others that now he was alone. His only relationship had been with Demeter and even she had left him.

Everything was so messed up now. So much violence going on. It was piling up and no amount of mojitos on the beach were going to wash it all away. It was enough to make one wonder... why bother. Why stay in a universe so corrupted by chaos, so hectic and uncontrollable? Why stay here?

Poseidon's thoughts were drifting into dangerous territory.

I took my chance to approach him, coming to his side and he appeared startled out of his thoughts, looking at me, then back over at Zeus. His jaw locked before he took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"Is he alright?" He asked at last. I nodded.

"Hades saved him," I answered. Poseidon frowned.

"Surprise, surprise," he muttered. He went to the bedside, and I kept my eye on him, not that he was going to do anything to Zeus. For all his anger towards Zeus, it all boiled down to the obvious... Zeus was his little brother too.

Poseidon studied him for a long time, reached for his hand a couple times, then seemed to think better of it and hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans. He finally pulled a seat over and sat down slowly, reminding me of an old tired man that was not ready to deal with the world today.

"So Hades put you on guard duty, huh?" Poseidon asked bitterly, leaning his elbows forward on the bed and resting his chin on his folded hands. I didn't answer him, just arched a brow. Poseidon didn't seem to expect an answer as he accepted my silence. He stared at Zeus, waiting for Zeus to get up and yell at him, to call him a pussy for being shaken up by the recent events.

An a memory flitted across Poseidon's mind, one that I latched onto immediately and opened up to reveal the nymph village, shortly after Zeus had rescued his siblings. The village was alive as they celebrated the release of Hades and his siblings thanks to Zeus. Feasts were being prepared, glorious clothing of rich material and and music drifting into the air. The memory revealed a young Poseidon standing in the shelter of an open corridor with Hades adjusting his tunic. The scene reminded me a lot of a parent trying to help a child get ready for school. For every adjustment Hades made, Poseidon retaliated with one of his own until Hades stepped back and threw his hands up in exasperation.

"You can't walk around naked here," Hades told him at last, clearly aggravated, "Things are different in this world." Poseidon glared at him.

"I don't like it here. The air is too sweet and the sun is too bright," he said. Hades frowned, looking disturbed by Poseidon's disclosure.

"Then would you rather we return to that place?" He demanded. Poseidon averted his eyes and Hades sighed.

"Look, this is not our home, not for very long anyway. Zeus has promised us land on Olympus. Olympus, Poseidon. We'll build new homes. You'll have everything you've ever wanted."

"And what would that be?" Poseidon asked dryly. Hades hesitated, apparently not entirely sure how to answer that, then he shook his head and went to adjust Poseidon's tunic again and Poseidon reeled back, hissing at him and Hades grabbed him by the ear and pulled hard, making Poseidon snarl.

"Fuck! That hurts!" Poseidon protested, yanking free of Hades's hold to cup his ear. Hades gave him a droll stare.

"Yes, and it's going to hurt worse if you keep acting like a child. Let me fix your tunic. After this feast, you can run around ass naked for all I care. But for dinner, you'll remain clothed. Do you understand?" He demanded. Poseidon sulked, but didn't argue further. He even let Hades approach him again to adjust his tunic. Poseidon watched him, frowning and wrinkling his nose. And how oddly... adorable. He was pouting like a child, and with that baby face, it only made it more amusing.

Meanwhile, not far from them under the cover of a pavilion, Zeus was leaning against a column with his arms folded over his chest, dressed in a leather and iron warrior's garb, very traditional Greek, and the oil on his skin made it glisten in the sun, his blonde hair swept back from his face. At his side, Jericho stood with his legs braced apart and his ever present sneer marring his features.

"Are you watching this," Jericho growled, making Zeus shut his eyes as if he were trying to block his brother out, "Look at the way he coddles him, as if he were a child. He's a god, a warrior, they both are. Yet Hades acts like his mother and Poseidon like a child. He's babying them, Zeus. Next thing you know, he'll be sending them out to war with lunches and tablets." Zeus opened his eyes to pin Poseidon and Hades with a cold stare.

"I know that," Zeus answered, the aggravation thick in his voice, "I already talked to Hades about it. He... He grew up in a different place, Jericho. You know that. They don't know how things work here, not yet anyway. Let them adjust." Jericho scoffed and turned to face Zeus, who kept his eyes on Poseidon and Hades as Hades finally broke away from Poseidon and was speaking to him in a low voice.

"He needs to learn faster," Jericho told Zeus irately, "They all do. Speak to Poseidon first. Perhaps if Poseidon adjusts sooner, his siblings will fall in line with him. And for god's sake, tell them to quit doing that disgusting thing they keep doing." Zeus glanced at him questioningly, only for Jericho to nod his head in the direction of his siblings.

Zeus looked over just in time for Hades to cup the back of Poseidon's neck, drawing him in so he could hug his brother fiercely. Poseidon hugged him back hard, pressing his face in against Hades's neck.

"I'm sorry," Poseidon said roughly, pulling back and Hades smiled at him, brushing the hair out of his face, "I just... I'm nervous, Hades. I don't like Zeus's... friend. Jericho." Hades frowned curiously.

"Why not? He helped build us a place to stay while we prepare for the war," he pointed out. Poseidon shifted his shoulders uncertainly, glancing around until he spotted Jericho and Zeus watching them with judgmental glares. Poseidon looked back at Hades.

Poseidon was scared for Hades. I could sense it in the way he looked back at Hades, almost like he was tempted to just grab Hades and head for the hills. But he knew better than to protest against his brother. Hades was the smart one. Hades was the one who protected them. Surely if Hades trusted Jericho, he wasn't so bad, Poseidon thought. Yet, he couldn't shake off this feeling that Jericho was not here to help them.

"Mayhap it's not Jericho," Poseidon said at last, making Hades raise an eyebrow, "It's been difficult to sleep since we arrived here. Maybe that's it." Hades was silent for a while, considering Poseidon's words before he convinced himself that everything was fine, and maybe Poseidon was right. So Hades nodded and leaned in, giving Poseidon a kiss on the cheek.

"Get some rest, Poseidon. You are welcome to sleep with me in my quarters, you know that. Hestia is also having difficulties settling in, as is Demeter."

"Hera seems to be fitting in just fine," Poseidon said dryly. Hades smiled.

"She's younger. She's more sociable. Although, please keep an eye on her. I don't want her getting into trouble here. I'd rather she be with one of us at all times," he added. Poseidon nodded in understanding. Hades gave him one last hug before departing. Poseidon watched him go, still uneasy about something he couldn't quite place. He wanted to go after Hades. He didn't just want Hades there with him while he slept. He wanted Hades there during the daytime too.

Instead, he sighed and adjusted his greaves, loosening them up to a degree. At that moment, Zeus and Jericho chose to approach him, and he looked up, startled by how silent the pair moved and how close they'd gotten before he noticed them. Suddenly on guard, he stepped away from them as Zeus pointed at his greaves with a look of disgust.

"Those are supposed to be tightened," Zeus said, his voice deep and angry, and so sudden that Poseidon twitched, unaccustomed to the loud tone of voice. And even worse, it was scarier than Hades when Hades was angry. And Hades could be pretty scary when he was mad enough.

"I don't like it tight," Poseidon answered after a moment, eyeing Zeus warily. Zeus rolled his eyes and reached out, snatching Poseidon's arm and yanking him closer. Poseidon cursed, then gasped in pain as Zeus snatched the strings on his greaves and yanked them hard. Poseidon went to yank his arm back, but Zeus jerked on it hard and tore Poseidon closer so he could get in his face.

"If you think that's painful, it's going to be a whole lot fucking worse if that thing comes off in the midst of battle and a sword falls across it," Zeus sneered, pulling harder on the strings so the leather bit down into Poseidon's arm and he seethed in pain, "You think some string is painful? Have you ever had a sword falling across your arm before?" Poseidon tugged hard and Zeus finally released him, so he stumbled and caught himself to rake Zeus with a look of anger.

"No," he snapped, loosening the strings immediately, "You ever fall in a pool of acid before? It's not pleasant." Zeus frowned at that, but Jericho wasn't going to let Poseidon get away with it.

"Oh, please," Jericho sneered at him and Poseidon locked those blue-green eyes on him like a sniper rifle, "Don't be such a pussy." Poseidon scowled at him.

"Excuse me?" He demanded.

"A pussy," Jericho said in a slow mocking tone, "Weak. Pathetic. You know, like a female." Poseidon gave him a deadpan stare.

"I know not how your females are here, but I assure you that no female I know is weak or pathetic. If you wish to have a detailed conversation on the matter, I implore you to seek out my sister, Demeter. She just adores this male superiority around here. It gives her a chance to sharpen her wit. But then, I suppose you're all about brawn here, not brains, am I correct?" He asked. Jericho's eyes flashed and he came forward fast, grabbing Poseidon by the throat and throwing him up against a column.

Poseidon grunted and reached up to try and snag Jericho's wrist, but Jericho slapped his hand away and sank his fingernails into Poseidon's throat. Poseidon choked and slammed his fist back into the column, knocking a chunk of marble out onto the floor. Jericho raked him with a look of disgust.

"Seriously, this is all it took to pin you down? Christ, if this is truly the extent of your kind, perhaps it would have been best to leave you in that piece of shit world you came from," Jericho snorted. Poseidon glared at him, then looked past Jericho at Zeus, who just watched with a coldness that made Poseidon suddenly relax.

This bastard, Poseidon realized. Zeus was not going to help him, and why should he? He didn't want to admit Jericho was right. He was strong, he knew he was. Hades had trained him back in the realm they came from. He knew how to fight... he knew how to fight his environment anyway. He'd fought plants that tried to eat him, creatures that existed nowhere else, but that dank hole in the universe.

But he had never fought a thing with a brain, a brain wired for cold calculation, for emotionless evil, and goddamn, Poseidon could feel it radiating off Jericho in waves... and even worse, Zeus.

Was this really what had become of his brother in Greece? Had Zeus been turned into a monster as well?

Jericho released Poseidon roughly and stepped back, putting a hand on his hip before he looked at Zeus.

"Teach your brother what we do to pussies in the real world," he told him, walking past Zeus, who kept his eyes on Poseidon, who glared back at him.

"What are you doing to do?" Poseidon demanded. Zeus approached him, scanning him from head to toe before he met Poseidon's eyes. For a brief moment, Zeus considered stepping down. In his mind's eye, he saw Hades's gentleness toward his siblings. Even with Poseidon's mouth, Hades never actually hurt Poseidon. Oh sure, Hades pulled his ears or slapped his wrist, but never did he actually beat Poseidon.

And he knew Hades would panic if he saw his brother injured.

So instead, Zeus drew up close and Poseidon reared his head back to glare down his nose at Zeus, who watched him with narrowed eyes.

"You're disgusting," Zeus said and Poseidon stiffened, "You simply stand there and look around for help. Do you truly expect me to come to your rescue? Hades as well? It is not his job to drop everything in his life to come help you. Nor is it my own. So allow me to gift you one final warning, good brother mine." He swung his fist up into Poseidon's stomach and Poseidon gasped, doubling over, only for Zeus to slam him back up against the wall and punch him several more times hard in the stomach, until blood dribbled past Poseidon's lips to the ground.

Poseidon grunted and collapsed to the floor, and Zeus stood back.

"You decide who you are," Zeus told him as Poseidon peered up at him with hate glowing in those eyes, "Are you going to be a pussy and run to Hades for help, or are you going to get back on your feet and train like the god that you are?" Without another word, Zeus departed with Jericho behind him, and Jericho threw Poseidon one last smirk, then made an obscene gesture with his fingers and tongue that made Poseidon look away.

He laid there in utter agony, breathing hard and struggling to cope with the way his body was rushing to heal his fractured ribs and bruised kidneys.

Fuck you, Poseidon thought furiously, his breathing turning ragged as anger flooded his veins, fuck you, asshole. I am not a pussy. I don't need Hades. And I don't fucking need you either.

The memory faded and I pulled out to see Poseidon clenching his fists tight against his knees, back bowed as if he were still feeling the pain of Zeus's blows, both physical and mental. He studied the floor, as if hoping to find answers in the tiles, yet to no avail.

He was angry that Hades hadn't raised them the way they were supposed to be raised.

He was angry that Zeus turned him into the bitter asshole he was.

He was angry that this had happened to them.

He was angry that everything that happened to them had turned them all into cold hearted pricks. He burned for Hades, for Zeus, for Demeter, Hestia, and Hera.

He didn't ask for this to happen to them. Why did it have to happen to them? Why did Zeus have to grow up in his own personal hellhole? Why hadn't Hades taught them better? Why had Rhea saved Zeus and not the rest of them? Why had Zeus become evil enough to attack his own brother, and what sort of stupid goodness possessed Hades to forgive him? What the fuck was wrong with their family?

The questions were only going to drive him insane.

And I found myself realizing that Zeus wasn't the only one who needed to be saved.

"Poseidon," I said softly, and he looked up at me. I took a moment, taking in his features. How soft and young he appeared back then. So innocent. So impressionable. Now he looked older, and not just in the obvious older way, but in the way experience had aged a person. Dark stubble ran along his jaw and upper lip, dark circles clouding beneath his tired green-blue eyes, lips no longer slightly tilted at the corners in a mischievous impish smirk, but rather occupied by a long standing frown made by pale, chapped lips.

He was so tired. So angry, confused, frustrated, scared. He didn't want any of this happening. He wanted to go back home and hide, to go back and pretend he was safe, to pretend everything was okay again.

Unfortunately, the truth had been revealed and times were darker. It was as if the very dealing with Atlan was sucking the life out of everyone, including Poseidon himself.

He needed help. Desperately.

If he stayed like this, he could do something stupid. He could go into battle, not with the intention to gain victory, but the intention to die.

"Poseidon," I said again, and his frown deepened, "Do you know what I do?" He sat back in his seat, rubbing his hands on his thighs.

"You're a therapist?" He asked dryly. I shook my head, then paused before shrugging.

"You can call me that," I admitted, making him glance at me curiously, "But I do much more than just listening to people when they do, and I do more than conduct interviews on behalf of my clients. What I do... I help people become the best that they can be. I help them forgive not only others, but themselves as well. It's what I started to do with Zeus. What I did for many, many people since the beginning of time. And every single person I have helped has successfully become what they are capable of being." Poseidon blinked at that, then looked down.

"Why would you offer to help me? I'm just as shitty a person as Zeus is," he said bitterly, rubbing his hands together to relieve the tension there before he looked at me, "I did hurt that Atlantean god. I may not have been... the one who did it, but I watched it happen." I stared at him, delved into his mind to seek the memory he spoke of, and sure enough... The memory was horrid. A flurry of images and the Atlantean god Teslius screaming, and the images were burned into Poseidon's conscious, a stain there, among many other stains in which had had partaken in the act.

He finally looked away, rubbing at his jaw before closing his eyes.

"I don't deserve to be helped," Poseidon said quietly. And I can't forgive Zeus. I just can't. Hades... His thoughts trailed and he rubbed at his eyes before sitting forward again. I shook my head and got down in a crouch so I could meet Poseidon's eyes.

"Everyone is allowed redemption, Poseidon," I told him gently, watching him swallow hard, "I know many, many people who have made mistakes. I know many people who have blackened their souls and thought that was where it all ended. But I've seen the light shine through them once more. I've seen them find peace and rest easy in the universe... If you had the chance to find peace, if you had the chance to forgive yourself, to forgive Zeus, would you take it? Would you take a chance at redemption?" Poseidon stared at me for the longest time in silence, his mind attempting to process my questions. He understood the full load that came with my assistance. He'd seen me with Zeus, seen me carve the path for him to his own salvation. He knew an incredible amount of effort went into it, but gods, it was so much more than just talking about feelings.

It was about facing our worst fears. Our worst nightmares. It was about recognizing that all of us are capable of incredible evil, but also incredible goodness. It was about learning what was right and what was wrong. It was about forgiveness, not only unto others, but to yourself as well. It was about moving on.

Because in a universe where our kind lived for eternity, why dwell upon our miseries for the rest of time? It would be continual pain, and no one deserved that. No one. And hiding was not going to make it disappear. It would always be a looming shadow. It was time to face our darkness... and move on. Hatred was a poison that infected everyone around us, not just ourselves.

"What if I can't," Poseidon asked, making me tilt my head curiously as he looked down at his hands, "What if you can't do your whole hero thing on me, huh? What if it doesn't work? What if I fail?" His last question impressed me, and I couldn't help smiling at it.

Every time I encountered a client and I approached them with my offer to help them, they always asked the same question; what if you fail? You meaning me. What if it was my fault they couldn't reach salvation, and yet here was Poseidon asking me what would happen if he were to fail. While all the others had planned to blame their failures me, Poseidon already knew he had been the one to fail, and only he could make himself fail further.

It would seem Poseidon was already on the right path.

"You can do this," I told him softly and he looked at me curiously as I smiled at him, "Believe me, Poseidon. You're already taking steps to your own redemption. And by accepting my help, you are only furthering yourself in the correct direction." Poseidon considered that as he leaned back in his seat again and I rose to my feet as he wiped a hand down his face and dropped it to the arm of the chair.

He finally looked up at me.

"So what now," Poseidon asked, "Do we find an office and you sit me in a pretty chair and ask me if I was molested as a child?" I smirked at that, folding my arms over my chest.

"No," I answered, "First of all, I know you weren't. Hades protected you. Second of all, my methods are not typical. I have an alternative path to redemption, one we can work on slowly and steadily at your own comfortable pace. And hopefully, we can survive the war long enough to actually finish your sessions." Poseidon snorted, rising to his feet.

"Yeah, let's hope Atlan does win. Otherwise, I don't think I'll be needing your help since I'll probably be dead," he said flatly, then rubbed at his jaw before sighing, "Agh. I'm heading back to my place for a shower. Lemme know when this asshole wakes up. Oh, and tell Hades to go fuck himself. I wasn't going to kill him or anything, jeez. How screwed up does he think I am?" I watched him shake his head and walk out the door, a smile lingering on my lips.

At least something was going right.

"Are you going to fuck him too?"

Or not.

I blinked and turned to see Zeus's eyes open, staring straight up at the ceiling. My eyes widened in surprise, because there was no way he could be awake already. He should still be unconscious. I went immediately to the machines to check his vitals, but everything was stable, no screaming alarms, no sign that he was still in critical condition. Impressed with Hades's methods, but still worried about Zeus's condition, I turned back to him, studying him to see if there was sign of pain or distress, but his expression was flat and bored, and his blue eyes seemed much colder than usual.

"Are you alright? Does anything hurt? I should probably get a nurse," I murmured, stepping back to glance over at the door. Zeus's hand shocked me with an icy cold grasp on my wrist when I moved, and I froze in place, staring down at his hand before looking at him. Those cold blue eyes were locked on me, his expression now hard.

"Answer me," he commanded. I frowned.

"What?"

"Are you going to fuck Poseidon now too?" He demanded. I stared at him, caught off guard by his question before I forced myself to relax. My instant reaction was anger at the accusation. Who the hell did he think he was, talking to me like that? Why would he think for one second that my offer for assistance was the equivalent of sex? Why did it matter to him what I did anyway? He didn't give a shit who I slept with. It was none of his business to begin with.

And then a part of me thought... why not? Why shouldn't I sleep with Poseidon? Maybe that was how I could fix all of this. Maybe that's how I could regain my professional sense of thinking. I needed to take on a second client to balance things out. Perhaps I didn't love Zeus, and it was only explosive sex.

Or you love him, a strange voice in my head told me that sounded suspiciously like Satanika.

I pried Zeus's fingers off my wrist and tucked his hand back down on the bed, taking a step back to clear his grabbing range. I ignored the telltale signs of anger sweeping through him, the heat, the electrical crackle that tickled my skin, the way his brows twitched and his blue eyes darkened like storm clouds in the sky.
"Poseidon is a client," I answered calmly, watching those brows slam down hard and mouth twist tight with anger, "What I do with him is none of your concern." Zeus glared at me, didn't speak right away, then turned away.

"Slut," he ground out. I narrowed my eyes on him.

Come on, Joxeia. Hold back. Don't hurt him. He's already hooked up to machines.

"Zeus--"

"Oh, fuck off," Zeus seethed, "I'm gone for fucking what? Not even a day and you're already eager to jump on the first dick that asks for it?"

"I beg your fucking pardon--"

"Beg all you want, because we're finished," he snapped and I stiffened, "Yeah. Sorry, but I don't like sharing and I especially don't like fucking sharing with Poseidon. Fuck, I should've known you'd be just like Hera. Were you planning to poison me too, or were you hoping Atlan kept me in his dog cage?" My eyes widened at that. Where the hell was this all coming from? Did he seriously think I planned to sleep with Poseidon? Was this seriously his reaction to that? Him, of all people?

And he was fucking up his own redemption because of what? Petty jealousy?

Hypocrite.

Fuck it.

"Fine," I said, too angry to argue with him, "Be a petulant child." I went to the chair to snatch my jacket up from the seat nearby.

Little prick. I didn't have to stand there and be yelled at by a mere god. He could be the king of whatever the hell he wanted, but no one spoke to me like I was a common harlot. And it wasn't just offense taken by his words, but an unbearable sting that struck me straight in the chest. It felt like being slapped.

Gods, I wanted to grab him and throw him into a wall... and straddle his waist and chain him up again, rake my nails down that skin and bite his lip-- Fuck, are you kidding me? A hard on, now of all times? I really was beginning to hate this body of mine more than usual.

And things got better when the door to the room opened and Arikos came bursting in.

Son of a bitch.

Nothing said firecrackers like the expression on his face when he saw me. I barely noticed Akin, Xenon, and Anexius coming in behind him because his aura was so wrathful. And one needn't wonder why he was so angry.

He knew what had happened to Menoetius, and he knew exactly who to blame.

So I said nothing as Arikos came at me without a word, taking long strides so he could build up enough momentum to reel his fist back and slam it hard into my face. My nose instantly busted and blood filled my mouth and poured down from my nose as I stumbled and caught myself on the bed railing. And somehow, Zeus was sitting up and grabbing onto me to steady me, much to my surprise. I cupped my palm beneath my nose to capture the blood, and I grimaced as I felt a tooth pop loose, which I rolled around before spitting out onto the floor.

"You son of a bitch," Arikos burst out, rapid angry gasps bursting forth between his curses, "You bastard! You told me you were just going to talk to him! You said you weren't going to let anything happen to him! I should've known you'd just talk him into saving your piece of shit god!"

"Arikos," Akin exclaimed, looking startled by his rage before he went to grab Arikos to calm him down, but Arikos swung his arm back to hit him. Akin just barely cleared the attack with Xenon grabbing him and hauling him back.

"Arikos, stop," Xenon started, but Arikos pinned him with a glare that made the Atlantean god rigid. And I could see why. The wild fury in Arikos's eyes was a chilling reminder who his father was, and it was enough to even scare Xenon into silence.

"Fuck you," Arikos snarled, turning back on me, "Menoetius is a good person! Menoetius is the one who should be here, not him! Menoetius never hurt anyone! You told me one you thought of him as family, and yet you let him go to Atlan?! Just because you have a fucking crush on Zeus?!" I froze at that, and so did Zeus, who immediately took his hands off me.

Well, I suppose that was one way for Zeus to find out, but at least now he would understand why we needed to put distance between us. It was better for him. And he seemed to agree, given the way he recoiled from me so fast, you'd think someone told him I had a virus.

I took a deep breath, keeping my balance just find now as I straightened and swept the back of my hand across my nose. The bones in my face mended, and the tooth replaced itself, so I was left with nothing, but an unsightly amount of blood.

"Menoetius was going to make the decision with or without my help," I told Arikos hollowly, "It's like you said, Menoetius is a good person. He couldn't stand the idea of another person being hurt because of him." Arikos glared at me.

"You expect me to fucking believe that? Zeus tortured him, Joxeia!"

"Menoetius isn't the type of person to let his own personal feelings get in the way of saving someone, especially someone who has nothing to do with this war in the first place," I answered calmly. Arikos's breath hitched and he choked on a sob, tears filling his eyes, and my heart ached as he choked on another breath.

"Shut up," he managed, "This is all your fault. He never would've-- He'd still be here if you just-- Fuck you, Joxeia! Fuck you and your whole stupid war and everything that involves you! Fuck, hasn't Menoetius suffered enough for you and your stupid cosmos? Hasn't he suffered enough for this stupid universe? Why do you people keep bringing him back into it? Why can't you just leave him the fuck alone? He was happy! He was... oh gods, what do I tell Amenti? How am I supposed to tell his daughter that he's been taken, again? Do you have any idea how traumatizing it was for her to lose him the first time? She watched him get taken away by Tiberius and his men! She watched them hurt him, watched them kill her own mother, for fuck's sake! We told her she wasn't going to be alone again and now she is and I just... I can't...!"

I swallowed hard as Arikos's pain cut me to the quick. Even worse was the image of Amenti's precious face. The grief that would fill that once smiling face with tears and agony when she realized Menoetius wasn't with her anymore, that he may never be... Gods, the pain of it stole my breath away and all I could do was stand there like a fool as Arikos finally collapsed to the floor and wailed like his heart was shattered to pieces and no amount of I'm sorrys could mend it. He wrapped his arms around himself, melting to the floor. His strength was in Menoetius and now Menoetius was gone and there was no one to hold him up anymore, no one to hold him and tell him it was going to be alright.

Because as much as Menoetius needed Arikos, Arikos needed Menoetius just as much and he was falling apart without him.

He didn't even notice Akin, who had approached him and got down on the floor with him to hold him. Arikos could only sob for everything he was worth.

I looked up at Anexius and Xenon, who appeared just as stricken as Akin. They wanted to do something for their brother, but they couldn't. They didn't know Arikos well enough yet to be able to join him in his grief. And they knew all too well how far Atlan was willing to go to make sure Menoetius remained at his side.

Finally, Akin managed to get Arikos onto his shaky legs and walk him out of the room with Anexius and Xenon trailing behind them. I watched them go in silence before I cleared my throat and scooped my jacket up again.

"That wasn't unexpected," I said, more to myself than Zeus, who remained silent. I glanced at him and he turned his head in the opposite direction.

Ouch. That hurt more than I hoped it would. I remained stoic, however, and went to the sink to splash my face and clean the blood off before shutting the faucet off.

"Joxeia--"

"My apologies for dragging this drama into your room," I cut Zeus off, not wanting to hear anymore accusations about my extracurricular activities, "It was highly inappropriate. I'll have a nurse come in here to check on you. I'm going to find Hades and ask him to come see you, then report to the military base." Zeus didn't speak now, and I didn't really give him a chance to because I vanished from the room, appearing at the nurse's station to report Zeus's current condition and the medications left behind by Hades for Zeus to take for the pain.

I left the hospital and went into town to search for Hades. In the process, I found myself witnessing an incredible sight. Olympus was basically in ruins, with only a few buildings still standing, all of which were occupied by refugees and military personnel as well as a few medical bases. Tents were also set up for those who couldn't find space in the buildings. Olympus military were scrambling all over the place to help feed the homeless and tend to the injured. It was certainly surreal to see the troops working so well together, considering it wasn't just Olympian forces at work here. I recognized uniforms from Hades and Hell, even a few from Duat and Mictlan.

I suppose all it took was the threat to the universe that brought foreign forces together.

I managed to pick up on Hades's location at the military base, and judging from the raging strength of it, he had found Lucifer and was tearing him a new one. Worried for Lucifer's sake, I pinpointed the location exactly went in, not in my humanoid form, but my snake one. I cloaked myself as I appeared in the room with Lucifer and Hades.

The room was cramped, at least, considering the amount of power Hades was putting off. A meeting room, private and supposedly discreet, but I noticed personnel outside the room cutting the door a wide girth, as if afraid of angering Hades further.

Hades was currently standing in one corner, arms folded over his chest, blue eyes glowing brightly. So much for running on fumes, I thought grimly. And of course, Lucifer looked guilty and angry at the same time.

"You were only thinking about yourself," Hades was saying upon my entry, and Lucifer made a noise of disbelief.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I was thinking about you! It's not fair that you have to suffer because of stupid rumors when they aren't even true! You lost your whole family because of those rumors and now the air is cleared! Now they know Zeus is the monster, not you!" Lucifer exclaimed. Hades laughed.

"You think that's how that shit works? You think now people are suddenly gonna realize that I'm somehow a good person and Zeus is the monster? Do you think they're just gonna toss him off the mountain and make me king and everything is going to live happily ever after? What kind of fucking warped reality do you live in where things always work out the way you want them to?" He demanded, pushing away from the wall he was leaning against. Lucifer glared at him.

"No. That is not at all what I was expecting. Your family will realize that they were wrong, they will realize that Zeus is the bad guy, and they will realize that you're the one who's fit for the position of king. Not him. Nobody wants a psychopath as their king," he argued, and Hades's expression became a twisted smile, like he was highly amused by Lucifer's conclusion. He even laughed a little more, then covered his mouth for a moment as he paced a bit, and Lucifer watched him.

"Wow," Hades said slowly after a while, lowering his hand and turning to look at him, "You know what? I'm not sure how I even thought this was going to work out." Lucifer frowned.

"What?"

"This," Hades snapped, gesturing to himself, then Lucifer, who stiffened, "What the fuck happened to you? I mean, I get you were pissed, but at least you fucking thought about me. At least you tried to help us move on. At least you were willing to be at peace for awhile, and you know what? It was nice." He stopped. Lucifer was silent. He clenched his jaw tight, watching Hades rake a hand through his hair. The black locks fell in a beautiful waterfall over his shoulder as he finally came to a stop in the middle of the room, studying the floor. Hades looked up at him and Lucifer held his breath.

Those blue eyes glowed, and not just with the light of power, but with a light of pain that stabbed Lucifer so hard that he looked like he was going to collapse from it.

"And then all this shit gets stirred up," Hades went on, blinking and looking away from him, gesturing to the air around them in general, "First it was the thing with Tsukuyomi, which fuck, fine, whatever. I guess it bothered you or some shit. I get that. We sorted it out. Then it was the thing with the hybrid, and let me fucking tell you right now that I don't like Hannibal at all, but Akin does, and I can't believe I'm fucking saying this, but I like Akin a lot more than I hate the hybrid. And it was not our fucking place to get involved with those two. They have their own thing going on. But apparently it was way more important than what was going on between us--"

"Hades--"

"Shut up," Hades snapped and Lucifer sighed, "And you know what? I could handle that, because at least I knew that you were thinking about me, thinking about Akin. But this shit right here? You had no fucking right, no fucking right, to tell anyone what happened between Zeus and I. That was my business, mine and his. I never intended for anyone to find out, not you, not my sons, and definitely not the rest of this fucking pantheon. It was my shit to carry, not yours, not theirs." He stopped now, like he needed to collect himself before he did something he regretted, and I saw the feeling flit through his mind. I saw the pain in his eyes, the confusion, the anger, the hurt, the betrayal.

Christ. It was like Zeus all over again.

That same intense pain that permeated the air around him. And the only thing that was keeping him standing was his anger. And the bitter beratement, not at Lucifer, but at himself.

I should've never trusted him. I should've never done this. I should've never let him in. This isn't about me anymore. This is about him. He doesn't give a shit about anyone, but himself. He didn't care what he did to this pantheon when he opened his big mouth. He wasn't thinking about freeing me of some bullshit burden. He was thinking about turning me into some kind of representation of his own personal hatred against his own fucking brother. This is about him and Michael, not me and Zeus. Not at all.

"You want to know what you've done," Hades said after a moment, turning to face Lucifer, who frowned, "You did not make the pantheon realize their mistakes and go goo goo over me. You made the pantheon realize their vulnerabilities. You scared them. And you made them lose trust in their king. You scared them and you confused them and you made them angry, and nothing is more fucking dangerous than a pantheon that can't trust itself, that can't straighten itself out and focus on the task at hand, like saving the fucking universe. You're making them question why they're even bothering to. And no, nobody is gonna fucking hug me and tell me it's alright, because that's not how things work in reality, Lucifer. And no, nobody is going to offer me the throne, because I don't fucking want it."

"You're a better leader than he is," Lucifer spoke up angrily, getting frustrated as well, "You know what it's like to sacrifice for the mass majority. You carried that burden for centuries, told no one, allowed your own name to be tarnished, so that your pantheon could live in peace with a lie. You even let your own sons hate your very existence. You opted out of your own happiness for others. And you were willing to die for your pantheon. You were willing to put everything on the line to save people. That is what makes a good leader. That is what makes a good king. Not a bully who preys on the weaknesses of others to get a foothold on power. Zeus is a tyrant and he is a soulless monstrosity with power, and that is the worst kind of antagonist, Hades. The worst."

"No," Hades disagreed coldly, "The worst kind is the one you spent years with thinking they had your back and watching them stab you. Over and over and fucking over again. The worst kind is the one who thinks he's justified in being an asshole. At least Zeus knew he was awful. At least he didn't try to convince himself he was a good guy."

"I'm not saying I'm a good person," Lucifer seethed, "I'm not a good person. Who is? You are."

"You're kidding me, right," Hades snorted, "Don't feed me bullshit. You know, this entire time, I thought maybe you actually listened to me when I talked, that maybe you actually knew who I was, that you were the only person in the universe who did. And it turns out, we've been with strangers all these years." Lucifer sucked in a sharp breath.

"Hades, don't say that."

"Truth hurts, doesn't it? You're forgetting I'm the god who kidnapped his own niece and married her. I'm also the god that punished his own sons for his own problems. I also raped my own son-in-law so he would give me a son, who I then spent sixteen years torturing because I didn't trust him for a second. And you think I'm done? Remember Raven?"

"Hades, stop," Lucifer snapped.

"No, no," Hades exclaimed, "I'm on a roll here, don't stop me now. You're right, Lucy, all this truth is really making things better. See, I couldn't even control my own general. The guy took off on a rampage and kidnapped and raped your son--"

"Hades, shut up."

"And I didn't even bother to check to see if the body was legit, because I didn't care! I really didn't! And it just gets better from there, see the whole reason Alaric died in the first place? Me. I did that. Oh sure, I brought him back, but do you think I did that for you out of some sense of kindness? Absolutely not. I did it because I could. Because I can control life and death. Oh, and did I mention that I'm bossy as fuck? I took over your whole fucking realm and all I had to do was get you into bed!"

Lucifer lunged at him and slammed him hard against the opposite wall, jamming his arm up against Hades's throat. I tensed at the violence, but didn't dare step in, because it wasn't my place, but fucking hell, it was making me nervous. And the weird part was that I felt for both of them, wanted to protect both of them.

"Aw," Hades sneered at him, "What? Did the truth hurt? Don't worry. According to your logic, you're going to feel so much better, any minute now. Any minute we'll go back to this fluffy fantasy world of yours where everything turns okay. Come on, Lucy. Bring it on." Lucifer clenched his teeth and Hades narrowed his eyes before he swung his fist up into Lucifer's ribs. Lucifer grunted and stumbled back, doubling over in pain. Hades pushed off the wall and grabbed Lucifer by the hair, throwing him backwards and landing a solid punch to his face that sent him sprawling to the ground.

Hades climbed on top of him, pinning him down as Lucifer writhed beneath him.

"Huh," Hades said, shoving Lucifer back when he tried to sit up, "Weird, where are all the flowers and rainbows and sunshine, Lucy, huh? How come everything isn't all better? I told you the truth, didn't I? Or did you think I was like one of your wives? Fragile and delicate and ready to let you take charge?" Lucifer growled and his eyes flashed red. His fist shot up and caught Hades under the chin, sending him falling backwards onto the floor.

Lucifer heaved himself to his feet and landed a kick hard in Hades's ribs, and Hades barked out a laugh, clutching at his side and breathing hard as he looked up at him.

"Wow, touchy, huh? Was this part of your fantasy too, Lucy? Beating the shit out of me?"

"Shut up," Lucifer snarled, reaching down and grabbing Hades up off the floor, shoving him back onto a table in the room, "And stop fucking calling me that before I break your jaw!"

"Do it," Hades taunted, leaning back on the table on his elbows, "I dare you. Or, oh wait, you can't hit me anymore than this, can you? You'd hurt lil' ol' me." Lucifer slugged him in the face and sent his head snapping back against the desk. Hades winced and Lucifer froze instantly before he released Hades's shirt and took a step back, his hands shaking.

"Hades--"

"Don't stop now," Hades challenged, getting off the table and getting up in Lucifer's face, "We're only getting started. If you think I'm not gonna kick the shit out of you before I dump your ass, you're sorely mistaken. And I don't care if you don't defend yourself, asshole, I will kick your ass." Lucifer blinked rapidly, looking up at Hades, who was breathing hard, his muscles coiled and ready to fight. Lucifer stared into those blazing blue eyes, his chest rising and falling before those sapphire blue eyes became liquid.

Hades went absolutely still as Lucifer blinked and tears fell down his cheeks, his hands still shaking. He reached forward and touched Hades's chest. Hades tensed, seemed prepared to snatch Lucifer's hands off him and break them, only for Lucifer to step forward so their bodies were together, and Lucifer's arms wrapped around Hades's torso.

Hades appeared completely caught off guard. He sucked in a sharp breath, blinking as he seemed to struggle to piece together how exactly to react to Lucifer's embrace, and even more so, the sobs that left Lucifer's lips as he pressed his head down on Hades's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," Lucifer choked out, squeezing his eyes shut and letting the tears spill down his face, "Goddamn it, Hades. I'm sorry." Hades blinked hard, then swallowed once, twice, then hesitantly lowered his arms. He didn't wrap them around Lucifer. He just stood there, looking confused and uncomfortable.

"I just... I wanted things to be perfect. I want things to be normal. I wanted Zeus to pay for his sins and I wanted you to get what you deserve, because goddamn it, no matter what you've done in the past, I still... I still love you so much that it hurts sometimes and I don't know what to do with it and I'm still so angry with Michael, and I was being selfish, but I was also thinking about you, I swear I was. I just... I wanted things to be perfect." Lucifer took a shuddering breath and held onto Hades tighter, as if he felt someone would just swoop in and take Hades away, or worse... Hades himself would just leave.

But he didn't.

He stood there. Processing Lucifer's grief, his pain, and yes, his selfishness.

"You should've known when you met me that I'm not perfect," Hades said coldly. Lucifer tightened his hold on him.

"And that's why I love you so much. You're so perfectly imperfect. I just... I don't know how to explain it, Hades. I'm sorry. I just... I wanted things to be perfect."

"They can't be," Hades said, his voice quieter now, "That's not how reality works, Lucifer. Nothing is perfect. Why do you think we're trying so hard to stop Atlan in the first place? We can't live in a world that lacks balance. Just like the universe, we're also imperfect. You think I haven't considered everything you've ever done?" Lucifer shook his head.

"I don't want you to see those things in me. I don't want you to see the curse--"
"But I do," Hades answered softly, pushing Lucifer back so he could look at him, "I do see the curse. And I do see that you're not exactly a fairy tale good guy either. You didn't fucking ride in from a unicorn's ass rainbow to save the universe, Lucifer. You've killed, and you've tortured, and you've opened that big stupid mouth of yours more than enough times."

"Gods," Lucifer covered his face, "I don't know what made me think this was going to work either. Hades, you're right and I'm sorry. I can't... You don't deserve this. You don't deserve to be--"

"Don't do that," Hades snapped, making Lucifer wince, "Don't turn yourself into some bad guy either. Christ, Lucifer, the world isn't black and white. You're not good and you're not bad. You said it yourself, that's why I love you so much." Lucifer looked up at him.

"Yes, but--"

"You're the one who showed me that even if you've done a lot of stupid shit, you can still want happiness," Hades told him gruffly, then cleared his throat uncomfortably, "And sure, we're going to fight. That's normal. I fight with my kids all the time. That doesn't mean I hate them. And you and I fight over some pretty stupid shit. Now is a pretty good example of that. But that doesn't make me not, you know, not want to continue this. Whatever this is." Lucifer swallowed hard.

"But, I thought you didn't want whatever this was."

"I never said that."

"Yes, you did, you just--"

"Don't remember saying anything about breaking this off. I said I was going to kick your ass."

"Yeah, but," Lucifer paused, then heaved a long sigh before he looked up at Hades, pursing his lips for a moment before he reached up to cup Hades's face in his hands, "Will you at least let me kiss you before you sucker punch me again?" Hades rolled his eyes, but didn't speak as he leaned forward and captured Lucifer's lips in a gentle kiss that had Lucifer moaning low in his throat.

They broke apart and Lucifer shut his eyes, as if waiting for Hades's punch to come, and it did-- in the form of another kiss, this one harder, hotter, and involved biting hard at Lucifer's bottom lip, making the archangel wince.

"I'm still mad at you," Hades said under his breath, studying Lucifer's face, "And you better still be pissed at me."

"You're just so good at it."

"I know... What's that song again? It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine? Yeah, something like that. That's my excuse."

"Usually they're better than that."

"Yeah, well, I'm kind of turned the fuck on and I still want to slam your head into a wall, so we'll do it at the same time," Hades muttered, snatching Lucifer's leather jacket open and shoving it onto the floor. Lucifer seemed far more relieved than he did anything else, but he wasn't going to deny Hades what he wanted most.

And I wasn't going to stick around to watch the next scene unfold. I think I'd spied long enough, and it looked like neither one of them was going to die-- hopefully.

Now I just had to figure out what to do next, because the second that sun came up, it was all over and we were back to war.