iii.
Meowing erupted from Hypnos' messenger bag as he glided down the hallway toward his brother's apartment. With one hand he retrieved his meowing kitten, and found the keys with the other, his heart pounding so viciously against his rib cage. He barely had the patience to slide the key into the lock, but with a quiet clink, he finally was able to yank the door open and slide inside. Sausage was immediately lowered down to the floor.
"Thanatos?" He needed his brother so badly it hurt.
After having seen his brother need him, Thanatos had gone home from work immediately with the excuse of 'family emergency'. So when he heard Hypnos let himself in, he was right there. Worry was written clear as day on his face. First the incident with Pasithea that still puzzled him and now this? It was unsettling.
And, naturally, he had one of his solutions in hand - whiskey. The bottle itself was nearby with three glasses. But first things first - his other half, who would swept into a warm but perhaps too snug of an embrace.
Nyx had excused herself from her meetings for the day without bothering to explain. Her son needed her, she was not letting anything or anyone stand in her way. Her heart was in her throat as she made her way to Thanato's place, arriving at the door to see Hypnos in her other son's arms.
"Hypnos, Thanatos," the goddess of night swept in, worry clear on her face. "I'm sorry I'm late, what happened?"
Though Hypnos heard his mother's comforting voice, he didn't remove himself from his twin's arms, his own wrapped tight around that pair of strong shoulders. Words and thought were failing him for the moment, so he simply pressed as close to Thanatos as possible, the name 'Zeus' slipping from his lips in something that sounded suspiciously like a whimper.
Zeus. Thanatos immediately looked at his mother, his face darkening. No one here was a fool or could forget past incidents. And if Zeus had tried to lay a single finger on Hypnos...
"What did he do to you?" he demanded quietly. "Tell us everything."
Nyx's lips were set in a thin line at the mention of that name, her eyes dark and cold. Apparently Zeus had forgotten what happened the last time he had gone after Hypnos but things were different now. But nonetheless, she would not tolerate this and once she knew what happened, there would be words with the god.
"You're safe now but we need to know everything," she said calmly, taking a deep breath as she lay a comforting hand on Hypnos's shoulder.
Only then did Hypnos pull away, just enough to take his mother's hand from his shoulder and turn in such a way that he could sweep her up in a gentle hug, nose to her hair.
"I came home and he was there, in my living room. He touched my face, but he didn't hurt me." His words were soft, but they wavered. "He... talked about Pasithea, and said she was too good for me." Repeating what Zeus had said only hurt, if only because it wasn't true. He didn't place himself above her, and knew she did the same. They were equal, in his eyes.
"I don't know what he wanted... I think he was trying to warn me away from Pasithea. But I already made her leave..." The dejection painting his tone was something Thanatos would already be familiar with.
At the end of that story, Thanatos had moved to pour himself a drink. Once it was down, he bothered to pour some into the other two glasses and brought them over.
"He touched you." It came out in a growl, low and menacing. Only a shred of self-control kept the glasses in his hand instead of being flung toward a nearby wall. "He tried to warn you off from...who? A girl that his wife bore after fucking his own son? That Olympian is far from a nice stepfather. He fucked with you and that is unacceptable."
"The fact that he dared approach you and touch you alone is unacceptable," Nyx's voice was cold, dangerous. "If anything you are too good for her," she said, taking Hypnos into her arms, smoothing his hair gently. She didn't care what Hypnos had or might had done, he was still her son and she would protect him.
"I will deal with him, don't you worry," Nyx reassured him but under the calm tone, the anger shimmered.
Hypnos was content to be silenced by her arms, remaining in them for another few seconds before he pulled away, crestfallen. The topic of Pasithea was rather sore, particularly because he'd driven her away for a reason he couldn't explain, and so before he reached over to take the glass from his brother's hand, he settled one palm against Thanatos' chest, sensing his anger.
"It's my fault," he murmured, eyes falling to the drink.
"Bullshit. It's Zeus' and he will pay for fucking with you." And he knew, without a doubt, their mother would be able to handle that. No one went against Nyx. No one could compare to the woman she was. Had not history shown that much? Didn't people fear the night more than the day? "None of this is your fault. Don't even think about blaming yourself, Hypnos."
"You can stay with either me or Thanatos for now so we can make sure he doesn't try that again," Nyx decided, her tone firm but concerned. She would have something to say to Zeus but she wanted to make sure that he didn't dare lay a single finger on her son again. "It's not your fault though, you did nothing wrong."
Again Sleep fell silent, leaning into his twin with the glass in hand. There was nothing left to say. He wasn't the sort to get angry or defensive, and he most certainly hated being confrontational, particularly in a physical sense. His fear of Zeus could cripple him, and as such it was safer for him to hide behind his family, but was that cowardly, to let others fight for him?
He melted into Thanatos' side, tired head to his shoulder.
Thanatos' hand pressed to the back of Hypnos' head, fingers sinking into that lovely mess that was his twin's hair (well, at least he thought it looked like a mess). "Perhaps some sleep is best now." He looked to Nyx then. "Mother, stay with us as long as you like. You know we both would feel better if you were near right now. More can be decided later."
He trusted it would also give Hypnos a little more peace of mind.
She gave her sons a small smile, nodding. "Thank you, Thanatos, I think I will," she agreed. Zeus could, and would most certainly, be dealt with later but for now her sons needed her and that was more important for the time being.
[Filter: Zeus]
It seems I need to have a talk with you.