Grim Olympian Tales: The House of Flickering Candles (Part II)
The boy talks only to his wife, unceasingly fearful and upset with him, but there is nothing he can do. Persephone glances at him in sadness and shakes her head, tends to the boy and whispers soft assurances. He hears her and is grateful for her help.
“He is a hard man, and sometimes difficult to get along with, Perseus. But soon, you too will grow used to him, if not grow to love him as I have.”
She doesn’t ask him why has he imprisoned yet another in his dark prison, but he is amused and happy to know she is glad for Percy’s presence. She worries about him too much, about how lonely he gets when she is away with her mother. Though she pities the boy’s plight and is sad for the boy, she is relieved that Percy is there to tend to her husband and keep Hades company.
Poseidon rages and rages above, mourning for his son and it is worse than when Demeter loses Persephone. There is no escape from Poseidon’s wrath and the people’s plight is worse than starvation and crops dying. Now they have things to survive Demeter’s mourning. There is no escape from disaster after disaster, mortals losing their homes, lives, family, and so much more.
He ignores his nephew.
“Zeus has demanded the return of Perseus,” Hermes has pursed his lips and glares at him, and never before has the messenger god looked and acted so angry at him.
He is indifferent to it.
“You must return Percy, Uncle,” Hermes insists, and Hades turns his head away uncaringly.
“Fates damn you, Hades!” Hermes shouts and Hades finally acknowledges his nephew with a look. “Are you so cold-hearted that you would trap an innocent boy here?”
Hades laughs coldly and gives an equally cold smile.
“Fool, he’s saved your son. Isn’t that enough for you?”
Hermes grimaces and his face grows stony. But of course, the other god is there for more than the demands of Zeus and Poseidon. He is there on his son’s behalf, who cares a lot more for the Son of Poseidon much more than the traitorous boy has cared to reveal. And perhaps he is there for himself as well, guilt and for the fact he too had come to like the boy on his own.
“At least let me see him, see if he’s alright,” Hermes sighs tiredly.
Hades rolls his eyes, but decides it is alright. His newest companion is lonely and there is only so much company Persephone can give, especially considering her gender and that Percy would relate more to a male. He will allow Percy this one visitor, if only to appease the boy.
He directs Hermes to the boy’s new room, and doesn’t see him until it is probably hours later, his nephew glaring reproachfully at him and obvious wet stains on the man’s shirt from tears that Hades ignores.
Hermes leaves, but it is not the last of him.
Poseidon floods the entirety of Hawaii without mercy.
Hermes returns several times, with the same demands, and when Hades doesn’t give in he asks to see Percy. And Hades admits that one request only, and though Hermes is upset about Percy’s imprisonment, tries to make things better with his visits and his presence.
It is not too long until the second Titanomachy begins.
Then Zeus becomes more desperate to have Percy return to them, for the boy is the key to their survival and victory, but Hades stubbornly denies them all Percy. The boy is his. And will remain his.
The children try to sneak into the Underworld once more, using the same journey they had undertaken with Percy once so long ago, but their parents and guardians stop them. Hermes comforts Luke, Grover is quietly reprimanded by Dionysus but not too harshly, and Annabeth just cries on her mother.
Hades smugly takes pride, because he knows he’s a cruel bastard.
When he grows tired of Percy’s insolence and insistence on avoiding him, he searches for him and finds the boy has found Hades’ daughter in the Fields of Asphodel. Bianca typically liked to roam around, and he wasn’t surprised to see his daughter choosing to enjoy the mundane place. The two are talking easily, with huge smiles on either face, and he is pleased to see the camaraderie between Percy and one of his children, as he’d wished for.
Now they needed Nico and they would be a family.
“Percy,” he calls his godson over, and the smile is quickly wiped off the boy’s face. Bianca is still smiling and clasps Percy’s shoulder reassuringly. She turns to her father and smiles brightly, and one he returns slowly. He sees Percy is surprised at the action, but also curious and fascinated. It is a good sign, and Hades resigns that maybe he should take note to try smiling every once in a while. At least it catches his godson off guard.
Soon, Percy is near him and they start walking side by side. It is quiet between them, and he sees Percy fidgeting beside him, unsure what Hades wants with him. But Percy quickly grows relaxed and they are walking in comfortable silence. It is the first of many comfortably quiet walks they share.
Percy starts attending meals. He chats enthusiastically about things with Persephone, and he listens in quietly and speaks up rarely. But Percy starts taking care on including him in the conversations, and he realizes something very obvious. Percy doesn’t like leaving anyone out, and he likes to interact with others. Percy isn’t the type to be surrounded all the time, but he does crave being with others.
So he tells Charon to send word to Hermes. The messenger god is allowed to stay in the Underworld, permitted in and out privileges, but he is the only one accepted to this arrangement. Failure to do so results in complete cut off from Percy. Hermes accepts and stays in the Underworld in a room close to Percy’s but not close enough, and definitely not close enough for them to be accessible to each other. Percy lives in lavish royalty suites, as himself and Persephone shares one, but Hermes is a step down in a nice but not as extravagant room. The messenger god goes back and forth, from the Underworld and the world above, trading news with the other Olympian gods, and especially Poseidon, who is desperate for any news of his lost son.
Hades permits it because it is within the agreements they have made.
Percy frequently spends time with Hermes, and Hades grows upset. So he arranges for Percy to move to a room even closer to him, and they spend time outside, beside their walks. They sit under one of the many trees in Elysium and Hades insists on a picnic-esque situation, with Percy’s favorite chocolate strawberries. Percy doesn’t mind being fed those by Hades, and he doesn’t question it. Hades is glad for it, for it is very unusual of him and not like him at all.
Hermes frowns at him at dinner.
Hades inwardly huffs, knowing that nothing is kept secret between he and Percy, for Hermes has become sort of like a personal confidante to Percy, especially when Persephone is gone and Bianca is off roaming around. Hermes almost always accompanies Percy, even when he’s with Persephone or Bianca. It is annoying.
And Hades, admittedly, hates it.
He’s grown closer to his godson, but it isn’t enough.
One day on one of their outings, Hades leans in and kisses him forwardly under a cherry blossom tree, flowers tainted by the blood of the dead. He pulls back to see Percy looking at him with those wide sea-green eyes of his, a hint of fear and confusion as always. Hades’ lips turn upwards harshly and he pushes his godson against the harsh bark of the tree (bark that screams and cries of tortured souls quietly in the background), the bark unsympathetically chafing against the boy’s skin, and he ignores the boy’s cries of pain. He roughly kisses the boy again and again and again, and greedily takes what isn’t his and technically is his now. Has been since the boy traded his life selflessly.
He’s owned Perseus Jackson from the moment Poseidon baptized him godfather.
He doesn’t take the boy that time, but he takes everything. Kisses, rough caresses, and harsh clothed thrusts.
Hades already knows Hermes has heard about it, even before the messenger god comes storming into the throne room and glares at him.
“Do you delight in acting the monster?” Hermes hisses, his lips sneering.
The Lord of the Dead smiles derisively.
“It is no different from the rest of you gods pursuing your many conquests. Have not many of you refused to accept no’s from them?”
Hermes growls, “This is completely different! Those were old times! Zeus does not go around raping mortal men and women, Apollo does not turn his refused pursuits into trees! It’s archaic. And he’s 17, Hades. Newly turned this fall. How dare you just force yourself on the boy?”
“Why? Trying to preserve him for your son?” Hades asks in a bored tone. “Or perhaps you have taken a liking to him yourself?” He mocks and does not regret, especially when Hermes sputters in indignation. He wonders at the hidden shame he does see in the other god’s eyes, but does not let himself linger or ask further about it. Let it be unanswerable, and stay unanswered.
“He is mine, and as his godfather, I make the rules.”
It is final and decisive, and Hermes pales.
“Godfather?” the messenger god blanches, but stays quiet, turning silently and leaving him alone.
He is not surprised to find Percy is now knowledgeable about their relations now. Just as Percy does not keep anything from Hermes, neither does the god keep anything from the boy.
And with Persephone gone with her mother, Percy has no one but Hermes to look to, especially since Bianca’s presence is more and more missing these days.
“Godfather…you’re my godfather,” Percy murmurs, facing Hades in the throne room.
Hades doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t need to.
And he is astonished and gleeful to find that Percy finally gives in to him in resignation at the revelation. If he had known, perhaps he should have revealed that piece of knowledge earlier.
His wife returns, and she smiles sadly at Percy and comes back with reassurances once more. She tells him things will be all right and it’s not that bad. She tells Percy not to worry too much, and that Hades can be a very kind and loving man. He snorts at that, but is glad for her intervention.
Hermes tells Percy to fight back, and Persephone whispers faithfully and slyly into Percy’s ears to give in.
He loves his wife more than ever, and she nods at him loyally and devotedly. He always could count on her to be on his side.
Percy is momentarily undecided, and leans to Hermes for the meantime. Hermes steers him wrong, completely away from Hades, and to his life above with his mother and friends and Luke. And Poseidon, of course.
Percy becomes more homesick than ever.
But Hades catches a break. Hermes defies him and breaks their agreement.
The messenger god has attempted to bring another from above into his domain. And not just any person. Hermes’ own son.
Part III