Chapter Text
---
Christmas was approaching faster than Charon would have liked. The stores were now filled with all sorts of Christmas junk so he couldn't escape it when they had to go grocery shopping.
Even Hermes had wanted a chocolate calendar. Which now sat on a shelf in the living room.
Not to mention that the twins kept sending him messages about their usual Christmas visit. He had forgotten about it once, and now he would never hear the end of it.
Charon wasn’t sure what his plan was for this year. What he intended to do with Hermes.
Tell his brothers that he had someone else currently visiting him and couldn't have them over? Send Hermes to stay with Zagreus while Thanatos and Hypnos were visiting?
He was getting along better with Zagreus. Like a wild animal getting used to people. If you spend a few hours a couple of times a week in the same space, you are bound to get along eventually.
And something had changed with Hermes. He was much more energetic, more comfortable in the house. It was no wonder he was opening up to Zagreus more.
Charon was expecting Hermes to eventually ask if he could go with Zagreus. It still made more sense that Hermes would have an easier time with his neighbor. Yet the short man never brought it up or showed any interest in leaving.
It was odd, Charon would have expected him to grow bored fairly soon. Hermes didn't look like he was made for a life in the middle of nowhere.
Still, Charon wasn’t going to bring up the future. Hermes was always visibly agitated if he was asked what he was going to do. And Charon could understand how hard it might be to think further than a week into the future when you essentially had nothing.
Least he can do is to help Hermes get back on his feet.
It had started to snow a few days after independence day. They had spent the evening watching the presidential party on TV with Zagreus. Nothing big, but a nice evening nonetheless.
By now Charon had to actually shovel the snow, so he could walk in his yard. Thanatos still thought he should buy a snow sling, but the shoveling was excellent exercise when he wasn’t able to row. As long as his back worked he would shovel snow.
He only really bothered to shovel the driveway, clearing it of snow completely. Then he simply made paths from the driveway to the house, from the house to the sauna and from the sauna to the shed.
Hermes had helped sometimes. For someone who looked like he came from Greece or Italy, he really seemed to like snow.
Didn't mean he dressed appropriately for the weather though.
More than once Charon had to tell Hermes to put on proper shoes. By now they had bought him a more fitting winter coat as well, so he had no excuse not to wear something warm.
Now if only he could get Hermes to wear a hat, then he would be happy.
Charon froze for a moment as he was bringing his cigarette in for another drag.
Since when had he started to worry so much about Hermes? Worried how he might catch a cold or slip on ice?
He very rarely paid any attention to people who weren't blood related to him. Much less worried about their well being or thought about what present to buy them for Christmas.
Some ashes fell to the snow under the railing, a small grey patch having formed there after a day. No doubt an earlier pile of ash could be found under a layer of snow.
He might be spending more time than usual just leaning against the wooden railing and thinking. Not really even smoking.
He took a long drag of the cigarette before stamping out the rest in the ashtray. Breathing out the smoke when he could feel a slight burn in his lungs.
Charon knew where all of this was going, what he was going to feel eventually. He might not want to admit it, but he knew.
Even Zagreus was starting to see through him. His lighthearted jabs hit a little too close to home, but Charon was sure Zag wasn’t doing it on purpose. Didn't actually know how unusual this was for Charon, what he felt.
Charon rubbed his face, the cool air not yet cold enough to have a bite but he still felt his skin burn.
Should get back inside, maybe get some work done.
He knew that wasn't going to happen, no doubt he'll sit back on the couch right next to Hermes. Let himself be doted upon once again.
-
"Charon, can I have this?" Hermes asked as he held up what looked like a keychain in his hand.
Charon picked up the keychain and looked at it. It was a seal sculpted from wood. The surface was smooth and the seal had a mouth and eyes painted on its face. Probably made by a small independent shop in the city.
[Why do you need a keychain?] He signed after handing the small wooden animal back to Hermes.
"Well, I don't really need it? But it's so cute. We could put it on the key to the sauna since it's so small and could easily get lost." Hermes didn't actually have to justify himself, a keychain wasn’t going to bankrupt Charon.
He motioned Hermes to put it into the cart before they continued moving.
Charon had bought most of the essentials a week ago already, even a couple extra towels. He extremely rarely entertained three guests at the same time, and had them stay for a few nights even less.
Nyx didn't enjoy traveling or Christmas parties, so they had kind of an agreement about Charon visiting her in the summer and the twins visiting him for the winter. He wasn’t big on parties either, but Hypnos enjoyed the holiday. So that obligated him to do the bare minimum, like a big brother should… according to Hypnos.
This week they still had to do their normal grocery shopping. They'll buy all the holiday food when they pick up the twins.
Though, he might have to leave Hermes at home for that trip. Thanatos was less than happy about some random person staying with him… or had stayed with him for a month already. They had argued about it over text for days now.
Charon really didn't want to be mean to his brother, but he was getting frustrated.
Hypnos had only been mildly curious to hear about Hermes.
But Charon knew his brother and knew that he was going to be watched very keenly. He wouldn't be surprised if Hypnos already knew about his budding feelings from just a facetime call.
Hopefully Hypnos was going to act… appropriate. He'll probably have to buy chocolates as an offering to keep him quiet around Hermes, and not to make Thanatos freak out more than he already had.
He'll just have to play his cards right to keep the peace during Christmas. Possibly tell Hermes to be extra nice to Thanatos.
Maybe get him a gift?
Which reminded him, he had no idea what to get for Hermes. He had ordered presents for the twins months ago, since the post usually took a while to get to him.
But he hadn't originally even thought that Hermes would stay with him for the holidays. He probably didn't have to get anything, but it still felt impolite if Hermes got nothing on Christmas eve.
[Did you want a Christmas present? I know it won't be a surprise, but I could still get you something.] Charon decided to ask directly. There could be a chance that Hermes didn't even want anything, or wanted to get something for the twins.
"A present? Aren't you already getting me this?" Hermes held up the keychain again, seeming confused why Charon would want to get him something else.
[Yes, but do you want something else you can open when my brothers are visiting? I already have presents for them.] If Hermes really didn't want anything, then that's fine. He didn't ask for much anyway, so Charon wasn’t surprised that he wasn’t demanding for a present.
Hermes turned to look around the supermarket, actually thinking about the offer. Charon didn’t want to admit it, but it was very endearing how Hermes visibly bit the inside of his lip whenever he was thinking about something.
"Can I get a shirt? Like the yellow one you have?" Hermes asked when he turned back to Charon. He was smiling, like he had the best idea in the world.
And Charon couldn't deny that kind of request.
[Sure, we'll have to go to the city after this. The supermarket doesn't sell that kind of shirts.] Charon really wanted to avoid going to the city, but he knew the cheap Christmas jumpers here wouldn't be what Hermes wanted.
Charon had noticed how Hermes would more often than not go for the cable knit sweaters he owned. Not really sure why the mustard yellow one had become his favourite.
Maybe that one had alpaca wool in it? Charon couldn't remember.
But he knew a small shop where he had bought a sweater before. They should have something similar. Charon just had to hope the shop still existed.
-
It had been a quieter day in the city, so driving through the old cobblestone roads hadn't been as much of a hassle as Charon feared. The snow still made things difficult, but there were less people around to make it harder for him.
They found the shop Charon had in mind and ended up buying two shirts for Hermes. One orange one and another which had more neutral grey and brown colours.
Hopefully now Hermes didn't need to raid Charon's wardrobe again.
He didn't mind exactly, but he still wasn't sure how he felt about seeing Hermes wearing his clothes.
Something he shouldn't and wouldn't have to think about again.
Charon glanced over to Hermes who was sitting on the passenger seat, holding the paper bag with his new shirts on his lap. He was talking about the different Christmas decorations people had on their houses. Wondering why Charon didn’t decorate his house with lights. Not actually expecting a response as he kept looking out the window.
Charon wanted to reach out and hold Hermes' hand, and he wasn’t sure why. Sure, Hermes was very touchy considering everything, so he probably wouldn't mind, but it was never anything romantic. Everything he did reminded Charon of the casual way Hypnos would drape himself over people.
Charon didn’t want to cross any boundaries if Hermes saw him as an older brother. Or simply as a friend.
Charon's hands tightened around the steering wheel.
And he shouldn't even try to cross any boundaries. Hermes had nowhere else to go, and he trusted Charon. It would be inappropriate at the very least if he asked for more out of their relationship.
He'll just have to keep stomping out these feelings. Hermes will want to leave eventually.
People rarely enjoyed his company for a prolonged time, Hermes would probably be no different.
"Were we supposed to buy a present for Zagreus?" Hermes piped up next to him, drawing Charon out of his thoughts.
Generally he didn't exchange gifts with Zagreus, but he probably should get his neighbor something this year. The unusual circumstances were a good enough reason to get him a packet of coffee or something.
Charon shrugged his shoulders as an answer before nodding, since the answer wasn’t as straightforward as Hermes probably hoped.
"He's nice, so we should get him something." That was surprising to hear. It made sense though. Hermes wasn't as shy around Zagreus, and seemingly had a change of heart about the man. Maybe asking if Hermes wanted to spend the holidays with Zagreus wasn’t out of the options.
It would certainly save everyone a few headaches.
It had started to snow again by the time they got back home, which meant he'd have to shovel snow in the morning.
They probably weren't going anywhere, but it was always preferable to shovel more often than spend an entire day getting huge piles off the driveway.
Besides, he didn't want Zagreus to get stuck if he decided to visit… or pick up Hermes.
When they had all the groceries put in their correct spots, Hermes didn't waste any time putting on his new jumper.
The sleeves were the correct length and he didn't look like he was drowning in it. The bright cheery colour fit him better as well.
[That probably feels nicer to wear than my oversized sweaters.] Charon commented and he went to pick up the now discarded shirt. It was still warm as he folded it.
"They're both equally nice, yours is just softer." All of his shirts were well worn by now, so Charon supposed they could be softer than a new one.
"This one just smells weird." Hermes said while he had his head half covered under the collar. Rubbing his face against the fabric.
They haven't washed it yet, so it probably did smell like the store or whatever storage it had been sitting in previously.
He should ask about where Hermes wanted to be for the holidays… or maybe ask Zagreus first if he could even host anyone. His own family and friends were probably visiting him, or he was visiting them.
Charon picked up his phone and sent a quick text to Zagreus. Inquiring if he had plans for the holidays and if he could house Hermes while the twins were visiting.
While he had been writing the text Hermes had moved to try and add the small wooden seal to Charon's keyring.
He knew Hermes hadn't actually wanted the thing for himself.
Charon watched amused as Hermes tried to push the ring of the keychain open enough to slide it among the keys.
[Wasn’t that meant for the sauna key?] Charon mused, holding out his hand as an offer to put the keychain on himself.
"Well… you don't have anything on your car keys either. And you use these more. We can get another one for the sauna key." Hermes fumbled with the keychain a moment longer, before giving up and handing the whole pile to the older man.
Charon hummed amused in response while he put the wooden seal next to his house key. Holding the keyring up to show Hermes the entire thing.
His phone buzzed with a text back from Zagreus. Explaining that his mother was going to visit for a day, but otherwise he was free and fine with Hermes staying. Adding how it was also probably better for Thanatos' health.
Charon wasn’t sure if Zagreus meant Thanatos not having to deal with him or Hermes.
Charon wasn’t going to interfere with that, since he could guess Thanatos was just overthinking everything like usual. After all he did get moody sometimes rather easily.
They'll talk when the time is right… or when Thanatos eventually warms up to Zagreus again.
Now he just had to ask if Hermes wanted to stay with Zagreus.
[You know that my brothers are visiting for the holidays? They'd be here for several days.] Charon started, waiting for a nod or some kind of affirmation before continuing.
[Do you want to go and stay with Zagreus?] Best to be direct about it. Let Hermes make his own decision.
Hermes was quiet for a moment, several subtle emotions passing through his features, but mostly he seemed confused.
"Like… permanently?" He looked troubled as he fidgeted with his sleeve. The action was now much more visible when his hands weren't hidden under too long sleeves.
[If you want to? But you have to ask Zagreus about it.] Charon found it difficult to stay neutral. He didn't really want the younger man to move out, but he shouldn't weigh in on something that only affected Hermes. If Hermes wanted to move out, then that was how it was going to be.
"Do you want me to leave?" Hermes was getting that same expression as last time when he thought Charon was going to kick him out.
[I just thought you'd want to stay with Zagreus while my brothers visit. There would be less people at his place for one.] Hopefully that was enough of an explanation. No, he wasn’t kicking Hermes out, nor did he want him to leave. But it was still better to make sure if Hermes even wanted to stay.
"I want to stay with you? And you said your brothers are nice." Hermes' frown deepened in confusion. He seemed to actually want to stay here, even when he could go with Zagreus and avoid all the hassle.
[Like I said, if you want to stay, you can. And if you want to leave, you can go. Just wanted you to know that you can stay with him if you get overwhelmed.] Better to give Hermes the options, considering how he reacted when he first arrived here. He hadn't been exactly fond of Charon or Zagreus. Or extra people in general.
But maybe it was different now that he knew and trusted Charon.
"Okay." Hermes replied simply.
Well, that told Charon nothing. He waited for a moment longer, just in case Hermes was going to elaborate further. When he got no extra commentary on what Hermes had decided, Charon signed again.
[Are you still going to stay here for the holidays then?] Charon asked patiently. He knew he had to sometimes pry simpler answers from Hermes. His tendency to ramble usually gave him so much extra info that he couldn't make out what Hermes actually wanted.
It was strange when Hermes said too little.
"Yes? I want to stay here with you." Hermes still seemed confused about why Charon was asking him about this, but seemed to relax when Charon smiled slightly.
It was good to know that Hermes wasn't staying here against his will, considering the circumstances.
Charon looked down at his keys, now decorated by the wooden seal. He wondered if Hermes was going to stay long enough to see the seal that lived on these shores. He'd probably get a kick out of a seal coming to sleep on the pier or beg for food.
[Did you know that one of these kinds of seals lives here?] Charon signed, amused. Hermes looked at him confused again before looking down at the keychain as well.
"Really?" It was probably odd to hear how a ringed seal lived so close to humans, so Charon couldn't fault Hermes' confusion this time.
[Yes. It should return in the spring.]
---
