Family (Hades)

[badass_tiger]

Title: Family
Prompt: Big gesture
Fandom: Hades
Characters: Hades & Zagreus, Hades & Nyx
Summary: A young Zagreus wants to surprise his mother.

Where Zagreus got his ideas was a mystery to Hades. The King of the Underworld did his best to ensure that his son received the finest education the finest education the Underworld had to offer, which should have comprised of only those subjects pertinent to the Underworld. If he could, he would have stopped Zagreus from learning anything about the world above except as it pertained to governing their subjects, but Zagreus would go off and come up with ideas for himself.

'Come on, Father, you can't tell me you've never done anything for Mother?' Zagreus said.

'What I have or haven't done for Nyx is none of your business,' Hades replied coldly.

'I bet that means you haven't. I don't know what Mother sees in you,' the young prince scoffed. Despite his youth, he already had a great talent for speaking disdainfully. Hades bristled. 'She's beautiful and kind, while you're nothing but a tyrant.'

'Go ask her yourself if that'll make you leave me alone. I have enough work without you getting in the way.'

'No! We're a family. We have to do something together, just once. Come on, Father!'

'If you won't stop wasting my time, at least refrain from wasting Nyx's with your frivolities,' Hades snapped back.

He would have ignored Zagreus thereon, but Zagreus muttered, 'You're not only the worst father ever, but the worst husband too.' The words struck him more than he cared to admit and he threw down his quill with a barely suppressed growl.

'What exactly do you intend to do? If it is something that will interfere in either mine or Nyx's work, then you can go back to sulking in your room immediately.'

'So you'll do it?' Zagreus said brightly.

'What is "it"?'

'Flowers! That's what women like.'

'And you would know what women like?' Hades said.

'Do you have a better idea?'

'Where do you plan to get your flowers and how will you bring them down here?'

'I was hoping you would help with that part,' Zagreus said. Hades rolled his eyes. 'They have flowers in Elysium! You can order some shades to bring you those, right?'

'What were you going to do with the flowers?'

'Give them to her! In a pretty way. Somehow. Do you have any ideas?'

Hades swiftly came to regret agreeing to Zagreus' idea, especially as more of the workload was pressed on him. But Zagreus' mutterings and the topic of flowers had made him think, however reluctantly, of Persephone. In different circumstances, she would have been the one they were presenting flowers to, and if that had been the case, perhaps Hades would have been more willing. But Persephone would never return, Zagreus believed that Nyx was his mother, and there was no point in thinking on 'what if's.

'I'll set it up,' Zagreus offered magnanimously after doing next to none of the work. 'I have a better eye than you anyway.'

'I beg your pardon? Just who do you think designed this House?'

'Just keep Mother occupied for ten minutes!'

Hades had half a mind to detain Nyx just to tell her about Zagreus' plan, thus ruining his carefully constructed surprise, but that would probably get him an earful from both of them. All the same, once he had stopped her as she was crossing the hall, he couldn't think of anything to say to her.

'Yes?' she said when a handful of seconds passed between them in silence.

'Wait. Just ... wait there a moment.'

'Why?'

'Because I told you to.'

'I have business about this House, Hades. I cannot simply stay here until you decide to release me.'

'Can't you? You seem perfectly capable of performing your work from just about anywhere, so you can do it here if I tell you to.'

Nyx gave him what was currently a puzzled frown that threatened to turn into an icy glare at any moment. 'What do you want from me, Hades?'

He gave up. 'It's Zagreus. He wanted me to keep you here for a few minutes.'

'I see. Is this about his perceptions of your failings as my partner? I did my best to assuage his doubts, but he appeared unconvinced.'

'So he did talk to you about that?' Hades said contemptuously. 'Well, it's no surprise that we are an unconvincing couple.'

'You must not be complacent simply because it is the truth. It was your directive that Zagreus believe me to be his mother and your wife.'

'Well? He has no reason to doubt that.'

'He does not doubt it now, but that may not always remain the case. As he doubts our connection to one another, he may begin to doubt other things. You must assure him in your own words.'

'I see no need for that. He never hears more than half of what I say and he usually ignores most of it.' When Nyx gave him a sharp look, Hades said, 'All I'm saying is that he is more likely to be assured by your words than mine.'

'Do your best to assure him anyway. I cannot bear the responsibility of raising him alone.'

Her words were a reminder of what he owed her by asking her to take up the mantle of Zagreus' mother on the day Zagreus was born. He relented by saying, 'Well, what am I supposed to tell him?'

'Convince him of our connection. I told him that our relationship does not require external displays in order to remain true. He must have no reason to question our affection for one another.'

'Why should he be convinced of that? Tell him that our marriage is a matter of convenience.'

'And that convenience gave birth to him?'

'Why not? I needed an heir.'

'It is too late for that. I already told him that our relationship is one of love,' Nyx said breezily. Hades rolled his eyes. 'I am doing my best to raise him as the Queen would have. Is it not the truth that Zagreus was born of love?'

Hades didn't want to answer that, to think on his loss, but as Nyx continued to look at him expectantly, it became increasingly clear that she wouldn't release him without an answer.

'Yes, it is,' he said without meeting her eye.

'Then you know what you must -'

'Father!'

Zagreus emerged from the lounge with a huge grin plastered all over his little face. Hades barely repressed a flinch at the sight of his green eye. Nyx's words had brought on a wave of powerful memories he had been struggling to put aside for too long.

'Oh, Mother, you're here! Father and I are going into the lounge. Can you follow us inside after a minute?'

'I can follow you now,' Nyx said.

'No! Wait there. Come on, Father.'

Hades tried to shoot a glare at the bemused Nyx before Zagreus towed him away.

'Blood and darkness, boy, what have you done to the room?!' Hades demanded when he witnessed the state of the lounge.

'I made it look nice. You ever heard of looking nice, Father?'

'No!'

'Just take this and get ready to give it to Mother.'

He handed Hades a bottle which threatened to make him apoplectic with rage. 'What is this?! You know this is contraband in my realm!'

'That's why I'm getting rid of it.'

'Boy!'

'Can't you go along with it for just a second? I don't care if you hate me but I'm trying to do this for Mother.'

'I -'

'Zagreus?' came Nyx's voice from the door of the lounge. 'I do not understand what you wish me to do.'

'You can come in now!' Zagreus said eagerly.

He picked up an enormous bouquet of flowers he had placed aside. Hades couldn't recall ordering that many flowers. When Nyx opened the door and looked inside, Zagreus leapt forward, shoving flowers into her face. 'Surprise!'

'Thank you, child,' Nyx said mildly, taking the bouquet before they could be squashed in Zagreus' enthusiasm. She looked around the lounge, adorned with flowers and drapes over the furniture. It wasn't particularly elegant but it was the best Zagreus could muster from about the House. 'What is this?'

'It's a surprise! To say "I love you, Mother".'

'I love you too, child. This is very kind of you.'

Zagreus beamed, satisfied with a job well done.

'Father has something for you too, but I don't know if he loves you.'

'If I did, I wouldn't give her contraband,' Hades said imperiously.

'So you're not going to give her that? After all the work I put into getting it and making the bottle look all pretty?'

'You call this pretty?'

Vines had been wrapped around the bottle, making it difficult to hold, and almost completely obscuring the liquid inside. Flowers were tucked between the vines here and there.

'You may give it to me for disposal, Hades,' Nyx said before the argument could go any further.

She stepped forward, giving Hades a warning look. Right. Something about convincing Zagreus about their relationship. But Hades didn't understand why. As imperative as it was to make Zagreus believe that Nyx was his mother, Hades didn't see that his relationship with Nyx had anything to do with it, or that any show of affection would help to convince him.

'Take it, then,' Hades said, thrusting the bottle at her with even less ceremony than Zagreus had with his bouquet.

'I appreciate the effort both of you put into this gesture,' Nyx said.

'Who said I had anything to do with it?'

'Zagreus could not have done all of this himself.'

'That's right. Not that it was easy to convince Father, let me tell you,' Zagreus said.

'He seems to believe that this kind of grand display is the only way to prove one's feelings. But what he really wants is for me to prove my feelings to him. I don't need to do this for you. You already know how I feel about you.'

Nyx smiled. 'Indeed, I do.'

'What? Hey! How are you suddenly making this into something I've done wrong?' Zagreus demanded.

'You have not done anything wrong,' Nyx said soothingly. 'I will not ask you where you obtained this bottle but to refrain from having anything to do with further contraband.'

'Alright, Mother. I'll make sure to clean up the lounge, don't worry.'

'You will? Or will you "make sure" to pawn the responsibility off on the servants?' Hades said.

'Perhaps you can bring some to my corner of the House. They make a lovely sight,' Nyx said. 'Just one or two displays.'

'Yes, I'll do that!' Zagreus said happily. Giving Hades a triumphant look as if he had done something to be pleased about, he sauntered off.

'Don't indulge him,' Hades said to Nyx.

'I have done no such thing. He has promised to ensure that the lounge is cleaned, however he may choose to do so. Besides, you are the one who allowed him to do this.'

'You think I'm indulging him?'

'I did not say that. As a matter of fact, I believe it quite suitable for you to allow him to do this. Zagreus is still a child and it is natural for him to wish to express his feelings in his own way. He will not think of such gestures when he is older.'

'I hope you're right about that.'

After a moment's hesitation, before storming back to his desk, Hades said, 'What you said about ... raising him as ... she ... would have. Is that the truth?'

'Yes. That is what I try to think at every moment with Zagreus.'

'I always thought you treated him differently from your other sons. You don't even let them near him.'

'I intend to introduce them someday, when the time is right. As your sole heir and Prince of this realm, however, Zagreus must learn that his status is completely above everyone else in this House.'

'You'll have to work hard to make him see that. A more carefree and careless child I can scarce imagine, and don't wish to for fear of manifesting it within him.'

'Do not give up on him before he has even grown out of adolescence,' Nyx said, her voice a light rebuke.

'Right. Well. If you can teach him as she would have ... well ... I appreciate what you are doing for him. For us.'

'I see. Is that why you did this?'

'Don't delude yourself,' he snorted. 'If I could have avoided the trouble, I would have. I don't even want to think about all the shades who had to be pulled from their essential duties in order to play fetch at his whims.'

'I am glad you did.'

Hades glanced at the bottle and flowers in her hands. In a different world ... but there was no point in thinking of it. He shook his head and left.