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As the God of the Underworld, He Tian had to deal with a lot of annoying people during the day. But nothing, absolutely nothing, was worse than having the God of Love whining in front of him trying to disturb him with his last failed attempt of dating his childhood friend. He Tian always thought it was kind of ironic that Jian Yi was the God of Love when he could not get Zhan Zheng Xi to go on a date with him in the same way the God of Wisdom did not seem to notice that his friend was head over the heels for him. But well, that was none of his business. It was not as if He Tian was secretly jealous of the deep relationship those two had. Of course not.

“Please, you need to help me,” begged Jian Yi.

“Look, I don’t know why you want to sneak into Demeter’s garden,” said He Tian walking along the Styx. “But is probably the worst idea you ever had.”

“Why? Demeter loves me!”

“She loves everyone,” he rolled his eyes. “but the moment you try to enter her garden she will rip your balls off.”

Jian Yi had at least the decency of looking scared although He Tian did not know if Demeter’s famous rage would be enough to convince him. The God of Love was usually, for the lack of better words, an idiot, but the moment Zhan Zheng Xi appeared on the picture he became a brilliant mastermind with too much imagination. If he really wanted to enter the garden, he will find a method which piqued He Tian’s curiosity because no god was ever allowed inside the garden and he wanted to see what Demeter was protecting so much.

“Why the interest anyway?” Jian Yi flinched at his question.

“It… it’s just a rumour,” started saying. “I heard Xiao Hui told some nymphs that in the garden there is a flower that can make the people you like fall in love with you,” confessed Jian Yi speaking as fast as he could.

“Seriously, you are that desperate?”

“No! I only want to make sure Xiao Hui isn’t going to use it herself,” pouted the blonde god. “She is a nymph and Demeter always let them run around the garden.”

“And you aren’t going to use it?” asked He Tian raising an eyebrow.

“Of course not! I want Xixi to like me for me, not because of some weird flower.”

Jian Yi crouched at the edge of the river and He Tian was tempted to tell him just how many unfortunate souls sailed with Charon every day in the Styx just to see him jumping around in disgust. But the expression his friend at that moment was one of pure despair. He Tian had to admit he kind of felt pity for him, poor Jian Yi was just unlucky enough as to fall in love with someone who only saw him as a friend. He blamed the fact that Jian Yi was one of the few gods who dared to visit him in Hades to his decision.

“Fine, I’ll help you,” groaned He Tian.

“Really?” his eyes were practically sparkling. “Thank you! Thank you! You are the best, He Tian!”

The other only groaned again after Jian Yi tried to hug him. It should not be so difficult to sneak in the garden after all, the most problematic thing was to leave undiscovered by Demeter. Because if the Goddess of Harvest ever knew they were there he will probably discover the paradigm of what happens to a God of Death when they are murdered.

As expected, entering the garden was not so hard especially because He Tian could open a hole from Hades to every part of Gaia. So, with a simple snap their door to the garden was opened. Another thing was to go unnoticed because of course Jian Yi would be a noisy bastard. In his defence, He Tian had to admit he had never seen such a beautiful place in his life. The garden was covered in green trees and crystal-clear rivers full of colourful flowers everywhere. Some of them were the ordinary ones that you could find outside the garden but most of them were some unknown species that none of them had seen before. The fragrance of the flowers was not so strong as to nullify others but lingered in the air with such a fresh tinge that He Tian was tempted to lay on the grass for a quick nap.

“It’s so beautiful!” said Jian Yi trying to touch a random flower for the umpteenth time.

“Don’t touch anything,” scolded He Tian. “Do you know where this flower is?”

“Mmm, I think in the centre of the garden probably?”

He Tian sighed stopping his urge to hit Jian Yi. The bastard could at least gather better information about the stupid flower. They started walking through the garden, hiding behind the trees every time some group of nymphs passed by. It did not take long for them to reach what they believed was the centre of the garden. The only reason why they believed so was the small cottage covered in flowers that stood close to a beautiful lake. Both gods looked at each other with suspicion. Demeter was the Goddess of Harvest, she did not need a house, she already had the Olympus pantheon. Their thoughts were interrupted by some footsteps behind them. Jian Yi and He Tian flinched noticing the power of a god close by. Not waiting for a second, He Tian sank himself in the shadows of the trees, leaving Jian Yi to deal with Demeter’s rage. However, to their surprise (and Jian Yi’s relief) it was not the Goddess of Harvest but no other than Zhan Zheng Xi.

“Xixi!” jumped Jian Yi while He Tian stuck his head out of the shadows. “What are you doing here?”

“That’s my line, idiot!” the God of Wisdom punched Jian Yi on the stomach. “I knew you were acting weird, but I never thought you were stupid enough to sneak in Demeter’s garden.”

“You were following him?” smirked He Tian seeing the slight blush on Zhan Zheng Xi.

“Shut up, He Tian,” barked the god to his friend in the shadows. “Why are you even here?”

“Well, you see…” they could almost hear the gears moving inside Jian Yi’s head.

“Who the hell are you two!?” interrupted a roaring voice.

Noticing the stranger only had seen Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi, He Tian stepped inside the shadows again, ready to step out if needed. None of them felt any godlike power coming from him but he was definitely not human. With his fiery red hair and a deep frown on his face, He Tian thought he was probably a demi-god, maybe put there by Demeter to protect her garden. The boy stood there with his arm crossed expecting an answer for them.

“Oh, hi!” smiled Jian Yi not noticing the bad mood of the newcomer. “I’m Jian Yi, God of Love and I…”

Not even He Tian could have reacted as fast as Zhan Zheng Xi when he pushed Jian Yi away for Redhead’s punch. His fist had been aiming to his face and had enough strength to give him a black eye. But Zhan Zheng Xi was not the God of Wisdom for anything, so he had been expecting a violent answer the moment they mentioned they were gods. He took his arm and pushed the redhead away. The angry boy tried again this time scratching Zhan Zheng Xi on his cheek, but the god took his chance to knock him to the ground.

“If you dare lay a hand on him,” threatened Zhan Zheng Xi with his fist raised. “I will never let you off…”

Redhead did not seem to mind his warning because then he grabbed him by his collar and rolled punching him in the face. Zhan Zheng Xi used the difference of weight to push him down. The redhead smiled then and suddenly a green flower sprouted from the ground. He grabbed it and threw the petals against Zhan Zheng Xi. To their surprise, the god retreated and fell flat on the grass.

“Xixi!” screamed Jian Yi.

“He is only asleep,” said the redhead sitting on the grass to catch his breath. “You better fucking leave before I tell my mom.”

“Your mom?” He Tian jumped outside the shadows.

“Ah! Who the fuck are you!?” the redhead crawled away from him.

“So you are Demeter’s son,” He Tian smirked. “That’s why she doesn’t let any of the gods inside the garden, she is trying to protect you.”

“Shut up, you chicken dick! I don’t need anyone to protect me!” shouted the boy. “My mon just knows you gods are all assholes.”

“Can’t really say is a lie,” shrugged Jian Yi. “But, wait, what you did to Xixi… you are the one who makes the flowers!”

“You got a problem with that!?” frowned the boy.

“I heard you created a flower that makes the person you love to reciprocate your feelings, is that true?” Jian Yi used his best puppy eyes against the redhead.

“Fuck, yes, but it doesn’t really work,” he scratched his hair. “So you can all fuck off.”

“Can you create any type of flower?”

The redhead turned to He Tian with even a deeper frown, he seemed to have decided he did not like the underworld god for some reason. He did not know why He Tian was suddenly so interested in his ability to create flowers, but he did not trust him. So, he just shrugged and repeated his first threat to make them leave. Jian Yi took Zhan Zheng Xi on his back pressuring He Tian to leave the garden before the redhead called Demeter. But there was a strange pull setting He Tian there. After a few moments, he smiled with a strange smirk and waved goodbye to the redhead. The poor boy suddenly felt a chill on his back. Those guys were surely bad news.

He did not expect to see the gods ever again. After all, no gods were allowed in the garden since the day he was born. Demeter had always told him how selfish and cruel the gods were. She did not want his only son to be the new plaything for them, so she created the garden all for him where he could create all the flowers he wanted. The problem was that after all his childhood spent there, he had to admit the garden was becoming a little bit dull. He spent most of his time hanging out with some of the nymphs and fauns that visited the garden. But none of them were truly friends, too scared of calling the rage of Demeter on them if they said or did something wrong. So, his only way of spending time was creating weird flowers with even weirder properties. Although at least he had She Li once in a while to feed his curiosity for the outside world. He must have been the one who spread the rumour about the flower.

The spirit and he had met when he was a little kid trying to run away from the garden because of a petty fight with his mother. She Li was about the same age and had recognized the redhead almost instantly. Nobody wanted Demeter drowning the whole planet because her kid ran away, so She Li made a pact with him. He would come with news from the outside world and he would give him some of his flowers. The redhead did not know how his flowers could be useful for someone like She Li, but at least the boy did not ask anything out of the normal. Some flower with strong smell or one that made you sleepy like the one he used against the god. But nothing out of the ordinary. The only time he had asked a rather strange request was the love flower.

He was on his way to meet with the spirit at the border of the garden when he felt three familiar presences walking around the lake. With a groan, he turned to deal with the three idiots again, palm resting in his bag of seeds. Truth is that he had not told his mother about their last visit in fear Demeter could even put stronger barriers to the garden. But if they were going to keep bothering him maybe he should tell her. As expected, the three gods were just near the lake, laying on the grass as if this was a holiday spot.

“You better leave right now or my mother is going to be really pissed,” he warned.

“No need to be so angry, Little Mo,” suddenly said He Tian.

“How the fuck do you know my name!?”

“Your mother told us,” Zhan Zheng Xi at least had the decency of sitting down to speak to him. “She has given us permission to visit the garden whenever we want.”

“What!? How!?”

“Oh, well, I was just telling kind Demeter how lonely we three were without a place to hang out safely away from the other gods,” smirked He Tian. “You know how awful they are, always taking what they want. We are so different from them, aren’t we, Jian Yi?”

“Sure!” smiled Jian Yi. “You don’t have to worry about us, Mo Guan Shan, we are super nice.”

“There is no way that’s true,” frowned Mo Guan Shan.

“How would we know your name, then?” He Tian got up and walked to stand in front of him. “Your mom is worried about you mixing with the wrong people so she was more than happy to invite us to her garden when she saw what good boys we are, Don’t Close Mountain.”

“Who are you calling that, you chicken dick!?”

He Tian only laughed as if he had just told him a hilarious joke. Mo Guan Shan groaned thinking it must be a lie. There was no way his overprotective mother would allow these three in the garden. Although is true she had always been worried about his friendship with She Li and the fact that he never spent time with anyone. He Tian was another story, but Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi had an excellent reputation among the gods, so he was starting to see how his mother had agreed to let them inside. But why He Tian? He was the God of the fucking Underworld and author of many mischiefs in the pantheon, like that whole issue with Orpheus. Her mother had come home that day complaining about his childish way of testing human. So, there must be another reason.

Mo Guan Shan turned around ready to ask her mother herself what was all of this about. He had barely walked two steps when He Tian put an arm on his back pushing him against his chest.

“Hey, Little Mo!” called the god. “Why don’t you make a flower for me? I have been thinking about decorating the Underworld a little bit.”

“Scram,” spat the boy struggling to get away from him.

“That’s not very nice of you to say,” He Tian only grabbed him stronger. “By the way, do you know how to cook? I’m sure your mom gives you the best ingredients.”

“Fuck you! If you think that because you are a major god I’m going to do shit for you…”

He Tian suddenly pushed him against a tree with a hand dangerously grabbing his neck. His eyes were pitch black and Mo Guan Shan had the sudden revelation that he was talking with the God of the Underworld, the brother of the God of War and the second son of the supreme God. He could feel his power lurking around them at the same time the shadows seemed to become larger. Mo Guan Shan tried to summon some of his flowers, but they withered turning into grey dust.

“That’s not going to work with me,” smirked He Tian. “Now, you better watch how you talk to me.”

“You wouldn’t dare, my mom would kill you.”

“Maybe, but you would be dead by then,” there was a threat hanging in his tone like a knife about to fall on his neck. “And my father and brother would probably kill your mother later.”

Mo Guan Shan pushed him away and started running. He Tian was tempted to run after him just like Apollo with Daphne, but he was not stupid. The boy needed some time to adjust to their presence. He Tian was fine with that, he only wanted to know the redhead a little bit more. There was something in the way he refused to bend to anyone, not even his mother. The fact that a boy with so little power could stand in front of him and look at him with that fire in his eyes had him completely obsessed. He wanted to find out more, what he did enjoy, what made him angry, what made him happy. He Tian wanted to study every single feature of the angry demi-god until he was a complete expert. While he watched the redhead leave, Jian Yi stared at them with interest. As a God of Love, he could feel when two souls had a connection, but he never expected to see that between a god and a demi-god. Zhan Zheng Xi raised an eyebrow knowing well that Jian Yi was planning something. The God of Wisdom sighed hoping that someday Jian Yi would put such interest in their own relationship.

His mother was more than happy to see that Mo Guan Shan had met Jian Yi and the others. Demeter fussed about him finding new friends to hang up because “I was so worried about you”. Mo Guan Shan decided not to mention the fact that it was her mother the one who created his own prison. But he knew that would hurt her and after all, Demeter was just trying to protect him. After his father’s death, his son was the only thing Demeter had. A quiet and hardworking goddess by definition, Demeter did not like the boisterous character of the major gods, and she would rather spend her time on Gaia with the humans than in the Olympus. That was how she met his father the first time, a simple shepherd that offered her flowers he found on his walks. Mo Guan Shan was born a spring day on a mountainside, his father giving him his surname while Demeter decided his name. However, his father was human after all and when he was just a kid an illness took him away. The former God of the Underworld, He Cheng, came to reap his soul in front of Demeter. Her mother still had a grudge against the new God of War although she did not think the same of his brother.

He Tian was born the same year and soon took his brother’s job as the God of the Underworld while He Cheng climbed to the upper pantheon. Everyone knew that ruling Hades was not the most desirable job inside the Olympus. Demeter never told Mo Guan Shan, but the reason she felt pity for He Tian was that his mother died the same day he was born. The boy had barely known what a mother truly was and only had the ruthless Mr He as a parent. But it seemed their relationship was not so good as he had sent his younger son to such a place when he was barely a kid. It was said in Olympus that Mr He blamed He Tian for the death of his wife, and that was something Demeter could not forgive. When the poor kid told her about how lonely it was in Hades and how his friends did not get on well with the other gods, Demeter could not feel more represented. So of course, she would offer them to play in the garden. After all, nothing could happen to his son inside the garden without her knowing.

Mo Guan Shan wanted to gouge his own eyes because the only opportunity he had to kick those dumbasses out disappeared the moment they won his mother’s heart. Stupid assholes. So, his new strategy was to ignore them like the pest. Which proved to be completely useless because He Tian could move inside the shadows. The bastard found him every time he wanted to run away. The first time He Tian let him go to give him some time, but now he was always constantly pestering him asking the redhead to cook for him. Mo Guan Shan decided to finally make him a dish so the god would shut the fuck up, but his plans proved to be counterproductive.

“This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” said He Tian filling his mouth. “What it is?”

“Beef stew,” answer Mo Guan Shan frowning.

“Little Mo, you’re an amazing cook, I’m going to have to marry you.”

“What the fuck are you saying!?”

He Tian chuckled obviously amused by his expression. The boy only frowned deeper turning to leave but He Tian grabbed his arm and made him sit next to him. Though the truth was that he did not need to eat, He Tian truly enjoying his meal. As expected for the son of the Goddess of Harvest, all the ingredients were extremely fresh. He Tian enjoyed the thought of the redhead picking the vegetables from his mother’s garden just for him. A voice inside his mind told him Mo Guan Shan only was doing it so he could finally get rid of him but well, He Tian was nothing if persistent.

“So, did you think about the flower for Hades?” asked He Tian.

“I’m not going to make a flower for you,” growled the redhead.

“Why not? We are friends,” his arm quickly leaning on his shoulders.

“We are not even familiar with each other,” Mo Guan Shan slapped the hand away. “Stop annoying me.”

“You hurt me, Little Mo,” the other only gave him the finger. “Come on, is a job only you can do.”

“Everything that grows in the Underworld wither, there is no way I can make a flower for your stupid place.”

“I’m not going to give up, Don’t Close Mountain.”

“Good luck trying then, chicken dick.”

“Little Mo, can the flower be red? I like the colour red,” He Tian winked at him.

“What the fuck are you doing here at 3 am!?”

“For fuck’s sake He Tian, I’m taking a shower,” groaned Mo Guan Shan from the other side of the other.

“If you want, we can take one together.”

“Fuck off!!”

“Look, Momo, that squirrel frowns just like you.”

“Yeah? Well, his shit has your face.”

“…”

“…”

“Little Mo…” his eyes turned completely black.

“I’m sorry,” whispered the demi-god.

“I wasn’t!”

“It’s okay, Little Mo, you can look at my ass every time you want,” smiled He Tian floating in the lake with his stupid black trunks that did not leave anything to the imagination.

“I’m telling you I wasn’t!”

“It looked like you were.”

“Shut up, Jian Yi.”

“Xixi! He told me to shut up!”

“Shut up, Jian Yi,” said Zhan Zheng Xi.

“Xixi!”

Two weeks later, Mo Guan Shan woke up with the dreading feeling that today was not going to be an ordinary day. He was sure that bastard and his friend will pester him again just like they had been doing since Demeter let them visit the garden. Personally, he did not mind Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi that much. Jian Yi was practically a charismatic dumbass, so it was difficult not to end up like his presence. And after a small chat, he discovered Zhan Zheng Xi was not the pretentious prick he thought but actually a good friend. The one he could not stand was He Tian. The asshole was bothering him non-stop either demanding Mo Guan Shan to cook for him or insisting about the stupid flower for Hades. What annoyed him the most about all of that was that no matter how hard he tried; he could not run away from the stupid idiot. He Tian was not just stronger; he was faster and also smarter than him. Whatever he thought to avoid the God of the Underworld, He Tian had already thought about it and was waiting for him there. Mo Guan Shan could not understand how he knew the garden better than him.

His suspicions became reality when he saw the blackbird hitting the glass of his window and felt the looming aura of He Tian just outside his house. Mo Guan Shan cursed behind his breath. Could not She Li choose a better day to meet him? No, it had to be the same day that asshole was around. After thinking for a while, he picked a little paper bag with the seeds and a canteen with water. She Li and he always met at the farther border of the garden so his mother would not hear what they were talking about. It was half a day walking but usually Mo Guan Shan did not mind as he had nothing better to do. The problem now was how to arrive there without He Tian noticing. He stepped out of his house and almost knocked against a familiar chest.

“Good morning, Little Mo,” smiled the damn God of the Underworld.

“Get lost,” maybe if he frowned enough He Tian would pick the hint.

“Do you want to play basket with us? I need someone to beat Jian Yi’s ass.”

“No, I have things to do,” he started walking to put some distance. His best bet was to just keep walking ignoring He Tian until he grew tired.

“What? Working on my flower?”

“I’m not going to do your stupid flower, now let me alone.”

If he expected that He Tian would for one listen to him and actually leave him alone, he was obviously wrong. Because of course he would be following him with that stupid smile as if this was a trip. Mo Guan Shan feared he would start singing random songs at some point. After some hours of He Tian tailing behind him, he decided to stop in a clearing to drink a bit before meeting She Li. He needed to think of a way of getting rid of He Tian as fast as possible.

“I’m thirsty,” suddenly said He Tian picking his bottle. “Give me some.”

“Hey! That’s mine!” Mo Guan Shan grabbed his hand. “I don’t want your disgusting spit on it.”

“Oh… could it be you’re thinking about an indirect kiss?” Mo Guan Shan could almost see the horns and the tail wagging behind him.

“Shut up and stop annoying…”

It took him a while to process what was happening. His whole body froze as He Tian pushed him into a kiss. The God of the Underworld did not waste time to press his lips and explore his inside claiming his mouth. He had been dreaming about this for a while now. Finally having the chance to close that gap between them felt so good. But then, Mo Guan Shan was punching and moving him aside. He Tian noticed that the boy did not answer to the kiss. His eyes were red from the tears while he struggled against his hold. Mo Guan Shan threw him a look of total disgust before finally releasing himself. In a fit of rage, he threw the bottle against him. He Tian did not dodge it but let it hit his face, maybe Mo Guan Shan would calm down if he let him.

“Hey, you cannot be that mad,” he said confused. It was just a kiss, a mere idea he wanted to taste. He did not see the problem in that.

Mo Guan Shan did not answer to him, only looked at him as if he was a monster. He Tian knew his presence was not always welcome by the redhead, but that kind of animosity against him was completely new. He had never felt so much hate towards him. Those intense eyes surrounded by red twisted his heart in a way he did not believe possible.

“D-do I disgust you that much?”

“Yes,” Mo Guan Shan whispered. “Quickly disappear from my sight.”

He Tian stood there for a while watching Mo Guan Shan disappear behind the trees. Since he was a kid, he had always had whatever he wanted. No question asked, no second thoughts. No consequences. Of course, this would be different. Mo Guan Shan had been different since the first moment he settled his gaze on him. He should have known better; the boy was not going to let him take whatever he wanted just because of who he was. That was part of the charm, although his interest had swiftly changed during the first days.

At the beginning he only wanted to know him, but as he spent his days with him something deeper grew inside him. Mo Guan Shan was not just demi-god he bothered to entertain himself. In the short time they had been together there was not a single moment He Tian felt alone. How he cooked for him and asked about how was Hades doing while frowning at the same time made him feel strange at ease. Mo Guan Shan was never going to look at him for what his family meant, he only saw him as he was without cutting his words because of his powers. Jian Yi had whispered his curses on him, he was sure of it. Because he was starting to fall in love with Mo Guan Shan. Because he had screwed everything and now, he did not know how to fix it.

Mo Guan Shan ran until he reached the border. His heart was beating so fast he feared it would stop at some point. Memories of the forced kiss repeated in his head non-stop, remembering him how he should not have trusted He Tian. Although he was always complaining about him, the truth was that his presence did not bother him that much. He did not have any measure whatsoever but since he arrived, there was never been a dull moment in his life. After all, if his mother trusted him maybe he could do the same. It was obvious he was wrong. He Tian was just like all those other gods that took whatever they wanted without asking for permission, leaving a trail of destruction wherever they walked.

“You look upset,” a voice hissed behind him. “Is something wrong?”

She Li was leaning on a tree eating an apple. His poisonous fangs bit the fruit with the corrosion quickly dying it in a nasty green. The snake spirit had never been exactly nice to him. But he had been his only link with the outside world all these years, so he would be lying if he said they did not know each other. So he did not mistake the question as worry but as an attempt to get his hands on some juicy gossip he could use on his deals. Mo Guan Shan was not always sure when She Li was telling the truth but his whole presence was powerful enough to notice he was not some lesser spirit. The fact that he could enter and leave the garden as he wanted was just a clue of his status inside the forces of nature.

“It’s nothing, what do you want?”

“Mmm, you know what I want,” he scratched his scales as if he was bored but his golden eyes were fixed on him.

“I told you, the flower doesn’t work.”

“We both know that’s not true.”

Mo Guan Shan stopped for a moment feeling the seeds on his bag burn behind the cloth. She Li was right, of course the flower worked. The problem was it worked too well. As always, he tested his flowers first on the animals that lived in the garden. His first trials had been a complete failure until he achieved to create the perfect one. The deer that smelled the flower became completely dazzled with the bird in front of him. However, the happiness on his success soon turned into grief as he saw the deer refusing to eat the next morning. The poor creature followed the oblivious bird everywhere and became so obsessed with it that it stopped doing anything that was not following it. It did not take long for the deer to die and for Mo Guan Shan to destroy the flower. That level of power over someone was too dangerous in the hands of She Li.

“I heard you have new friends in the garden,” suddenly said She Li. “Powerful friends.”

“They are not my friends,” turned Mo Guan Shan letting his rage run through his blood.

“Oh, let me guess, He Tian? That man is way too dangerous for you,” smiled She Li. “You know, if you helped me with that flower, I might help you with him.”

In any other situation, Mo Guan Shan would have ignored his offer. But at that moment he was still shaken by what had happened. That bastard had dared to steal his first kiss as if it was nothing, as if he did not care about his consent at all. In his mind, there was only hate and a deep grudge towards him. Although his pride demanded revenge, the only thing Mo Guan Shan wanted was for He Tian to disappear or at least apologise. But he was a major god, son of the king of the Gods and brother of the God of War. If he wanted, he could take whatever he wanted for him and the only relief Mo Guan Shan could have was the conviction of his death by his mother’s hand. Though she would probably perish later. Contrary to all his beliefs, suddenly She Li seemed his only safeguard.

“Why do you want the flower?” hopefully asked Mo Guan Shan.

“For starters, to save you,” smiled the snake approaching him. “I could use it to focus his interest to another person, one of his many fans.”

There was an invitation in his tone, a safety that Mo Guan Shan wanted to hold. His hand started to move to his back at the same time She Li smiled at him. However, a soft hand stopped him before he could open his bag and give him the seed. Jian Yi was even paler than usual starting at She Li with obvious horror on his face. He pushed Mo Guan Shan behind him putting himself between them.

“Don’t give them to him, he is deceiving you!” said Jian Yi.

“What are you doing here?” asked Mo Guan Shan.

“He Tian was worried about you, so he sent us to check on you.”

“Us?”

She Li’s question was answered the moment a golden sword pressed against his neck. Zhan Zheng Xi was practically throwing daggers at him from his eyes, ready to put an end to his life if he even dared to move. Mo Guan Shan had never been so happy to see him in his life. Because since Jian Yi had stopped the smile had disappeared to welcome a dangerous frown that left an uneasy aura around them. She Li looked at him again, a threat hanging from his eyes.

“There is no need to be so rude,” started saying She Li.

“You deserve rude, Keres,” spat Zhan Zheng Xi.

“This is between the demi-god and me.”

“His business is my business,” interrupted a voice from the shadows.

He Tian was standing there but did not look at Mo Guan Shan. Although the redhead barely registered his presence and the words of Zhan Zheng Xi repeated on his head. A Keres? He always knew that She Li was a dangerous entity, but now it was more than obvious he had been playing with fire. His mother had told her several times how the Keres were spirits of evil, cause of the most violent deaths on Gaia. They fed on anguish and pain as it was believed they could not feel it. He Tian was awfully aware of his surprise without even looking at him, his body talking by itself. She Li seemed to notice it too as he smirked, dodging the golden sword and pushing Zhan Zheng Xi against a tree. He disappeared and appeared in a cloud of smoke right behind Mo Guan Shan, grabbing his neck.

“Not even this garden is going to keep you safe from me,” he whispered. “You will give me that flower, sooner or later.”

Mo Guan Shan struggled against his hold, searching for a way out until a shadow stepped between them. Jian Yi did not waste time and grabbed Mo Guan Shan by his arm. They started running to the centre of the garden, escorted closely by Zhan Zheng Xi. He Tian was left behind dealing with She Li. Before they were shielded by the trees, Mo Guan Shan could see how the God of the Underworld charged at the Keres. They did not stop their escape until they reached his house. Jian Yi fell on the grass too tired to even try standing while Zhan Zheng Xi approached him.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes… thanks,” he whispered still shocked about how the day had turned. He took the seeds on his bag and gave them to Zhan Zheng Xi. “Please, you have to destroy them.”

“I will,” he took the bag. “But that doesn’t mean he won’t go after you.”

Although he did not need to be told that, Mo Guan Shan thanked his worries with a small nod. He knew better than anyone that She Li was not going to stop there. The Keres wanted that flower no matter what and destroying the seeds will only put more danger on him. But he could not let someone like She Li have that, who know how he will use them. For the moment, he would be faced in the garden until the Keres finds a way to step deeper than the border. Mo Guan Shan did not have any doubt that the snake demon will get a way to pass his mother’s protection. His better option was to talk his her but then he would have to tell her about the fact that he had been helping an evil spirit during years. It was not information he wanted to share with Demeter. Especially because he did not know if that would be the solution. His mother had to check all the harvest on Gaia, she barely made it home every night. Telling her about the true nature of She Li would make her use more of her power on the defences of the garden, taking time from her deity responsibilities. If there was something Mo Guan Shan hated more than selfish gods was making his mother work more than she deserved. His problems pilling up like a tower, Mo Guan Shan waved a silent goodbye to Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi and entered inside his house. The look that both gods threw him only added more weight on his shoulders.

The next morning, he still had not talked with his mother. It was difficult to find the exact moment to tell her and after the whole She Li fiasco he had been sleeping the rest of the day. He was walking around the garden rehearsing what he wanted to say when he noticed the huge hole in front of him. Mo Guan Shan sighed because of course He Tian would leave a gate to Hades lying there. Cursing his name a thousand times, he approached the hole so he could scream at the idiot to shut it down. But the moment his foot stepped close to it, a part of the ground collapsed propelling his body down the opening. He quickly grabbed to the grass in an attempt to avoid falling into Hades. To his disdain, a hand grabbed his ankle and started to push him down.

“Shitty bastard!!” he shouted knowing what He Tian was trying to do. “Don’t you fucking dare!!”

His cursed fell on deaf ears as the hand only pressed harder. Mo Guan Shan did not stop struggling until his hold started to faint. With a simple push, his hand released the grass and he fell down to the Underworld hole. The moment he crossed the gap, the ground covered the entrance cutting the sunlight that was illuminating the tunnel.

He screamed sinking deeper and deeper until he lost his conscious on the fall.

With only darkness around him, Mo Guan Shan last thought was about dark hair and dark eyes smirking at him.

He Tian observed the boy laying on the bed, his cream skin contrasting with the black sheets and his fiery red hair giving a touch of colour in the monochrome room. Before that same night, he did not even bother to have a bed. Gods did not need to sleep or eat although they could do it if they wanted, just like Demeter and he did when they ate Mo Guan Shan’s food. But considering he was now going to have a demi-god as a guest, He Tian had brought everything necessary for him and built a comfortable room. He only hoped it was enough to placate his rage because he was sure Mo Guan Shan was not going to be happy about this.

Yesterday had been a stressful day for He Tian. First screwing his growing relationship with the redhead with that kiss and later finding out that fucking Keres was trying to deceive him. He had crossed his path with She Li several times and the snake demon was never good news. It did not take long for him to remember the rumours Jian Yi told him about the flower and the careful look She Li was throwing to Mo Guan Shan. And it might be true that it was none of his business, but he will be dammed if he let that Keres touch a single red hair. So, when the evil spirit finally decided to retreat, he swore to himself he was going to find a way to keep him safe. Hence the situation he was right now. After all, he was way more powerful than Demeter and he could protect him better in Hades.

“W-where am I?” groaned Mo Guan Shan finally waking up from his slumber.

“Hi, Little Mo, welco-” He Tian could not finish his sentence as the redhead threw a pillow to his face.

“You fucking chicken dick!” he screamed. “What do you think you are doing?”

“Calm down!” He Tian dodged the hourglass that was on the nightstand.

“I don’t want to!”

“Why do you have to be so difficult?”

Mo Guan Shan was about to throw another random object at him when he noticed the injury on his hand. There was a red scar right on his palm still with some dry blood. The moment his eyes noticed the wound he knew it was She Li the one who caused it. Maybe it was because he was an evil spirit, but it was taking longer for the injury to heal. But what truly upset him was the fact that He Tian had gone that far to help him. He did not like the idea of owing to the God of the Underworld but a voice deep inside him told him probably He Tian did not want anything in return.

After a few seconds thinking about it, Mo Guan Shan sighed and jumped out of the bed. He grabbed his hand and checked the wound closely. Tearing a bit of his white gown, he made a quick bandage while taking some seed out of his bag. Nothing could really grow on Hades but maybe he could get enough healing power from the seed to heal it. Putting the small grains on top of his hand, Mo Guan Shan pressed them against the white cloth while whispering a simple enchantment. He Tian felt a warm feeling coming from the seeds that cleaned the poison of the Keres cleaning the wound. Mo Guan Shan stepped back checking his work.

“Idiot,” he whispered.

“Wow, your powers are amazing,” He Tian said.

“They are just flowers,” Mo Guan Shan shrugged. “So, are you going to explain to me what the heck are you doing?”

“Well, first of all, this is not a kidnapping,” he sat on the edge of the bed. “I know I took you without much announcement, but we could not risk She Li having spies inside the garden.”

“We? You mean Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi?”

“A bit, but I meant your mum and me.”

“What does my mum have to do with anything?” he frowned again but at least sat next to him.

“I told her,” he confessed. “Demeter and I agreed that the Underworld is right now the safest place for you. The Keres can’t enter here without my permission and if he tries it would be easier to catch him.”

“So I have to stay here with you?”

“It won’t be long, I promise. Think about it as a holiday,” smiled He Tian. “You can even work on that flower you promised me.”

“I didn’t promise you shit.”

They both stared at each other for a second and He Tian burst laughing followed shortly by Mo Guan Shan. The redhead did not even know why he was laughing, it was a mixture of despair and ridicule of his own situation. Though it was kind of a relief knowing he still had that dumbass around. He Tian got up from the bed and offered him a hand. Mo Guan Shan looked at it for a moment. He still had not forgiven the god for what he did, but after all, he had fought against a Keres and was now offering his own home for him to stay. He decided to ignore the current that shook his body the moment he touched his hand. He Tian dragged him outside the room to make him a quick tour around Hades.

Used to living in the garden of Demeter, Mo Guan Shan found the Underworld strangely beautiful. It did not have any other colour that was not from the black and grey spectrum. There was absolutely no vegetations, only dust that moved around with invisible currents. But what took his attention was the walls. Pure black stones that shined with a tenuous white light. From the ceiling, a thousand stalactites were hanging acting as lamps through the whole Hades. There was an eerie atmosphere all over the place that most people would find creepy but that for Mo Guan Shan was wonderful. All his life living in a secluded garden where the most exciting event was the birth of some animal, the Underworld whispered secrets and danger to his ears. And he could not be happier with what he heard.

“And this is the Styx, Charon crosses the river every day with the souls of the dead,” explained He Tian while they walked along the river. It seemed just like yesterday he was listening to Jian Yi complaining about his love life.

“Then you judge them and send them to Tartarus, Asphodel or the Elysian Fields,” remembered Mo Guan Shan. Tartarus was the most feared destiny and although the Elysian Fields were a paradise, he thought the aspect of a neutral place as Asphodel was quite appealing.

“I don’t exactly judge them,” complained He Tian. “It’s really easy, you just have to put their good deeds against their bad ones and then the decision is made by itself.”

“No offence but you are really negligent with your job.”

“None taken,” shrugged He Tian. “Is not as if I had chosen it.”

“My mum told me your brother used to do all this, what happened?”

“Well, you know how your mum is super nice and all? My dad isn’t, he is an asshole. So, he decided me taking charge of Hades would teach me a lesson at the same time he became sure that nobody dared to take his seat with my brother as the God of War.”

“An asshole, huh? So just like you.”

It was not surprising that He Tian pushed him into the river. Mo Guan Shan cursed while trying to reach the border again. The water of the Styx was of a deep greenish colour that shined thanks to the black rock at the bottom. A smell of incense covered the clear surface which was only perturbed by his attempts at swimming. He Tian jumped into the river splashing green water all over and causing a small ripple. He swam around Mo Guan Shan while the other complained about how gross was to swim in the river of the dead. He Tian did not seem to mind as he could not care less about the souls that Charon carried. But seen as his Little Mo was not comfortable in the water, he picked him up from his armpits and lifted the demi-god over the river. The water ran through his body like a waterfall directing his attention on how the white cloth stuck to his skin.

“Let me down right now!” Mo Guan Shan noticed that He Tian was not listening to him but rather staring at him. “Where are you looking at, chicken dick!?”

“Ah, sorry, sorry, I got distracted.”

He Tian let him on the shore of the river, but Mo Guan Shan took his change to kick him into the river again as a payback. However, instead of enjoying the face of He Tian, a powerful force pushed him down. He screamed in surprise suddenly finding a huge black dog with three heads pinning him to the grown and growling at him. The main head had its teeth aimed at his face while the other two were looking around, but the animal did not move a muscle waiting for the direction of his master. Finally, He Tian got out of the river with a smile and whistled.

“Calm down, Cerberus, he is a friend,” at his words the dog changed his approach and started licking his face.

“Argh! Get him off me!” shouted Mo Guan Shan.

“Come on, Little Mo, Cerberus only wants to play with you,” teased He Tian.

Cerberus jumped off of Mo Guan Shan wagging his tail at the new visitor. The demi-god stared at the three heads with red eyes staring at him. He sighed and finally pated his heads ruffling the black hair. The dog barked in happiness while He Tian gaped at him. Cerberus was not exactly a friendly dog and not even Jian Yi could get close to him without fearing one or two bites. But Mo Guan Shan had the fiery beast completely tamed with just a few strokes. For a long time before meeting Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi, Cerberus had been his only friend. The dog had belonged to his brother previous to him, but He Cheng left him into his care when he became the God of War. Sometimes he still visited the Underworld to see them both, but He Tian still felt terribly lonely. That was one of the reasons why Cerberus was so protective of him, in the same way Demeter was of Mo Guan Shan. If he ever saw anyone troubling He Tian in Hades, Cerberus never doubted of ripping their heads off. However, it seemed that both master and dog felt the same easiness around the demi-god.

Not for the first time since Mo Guan Shan woke up, He Tian thought about telling him the truth. But then their first kiss popped in his mind and he decided against it. He had already betrayed his trust one, if Mo Guan Shan found out that He Tian was lying about his stay in Hades, he would probably hate him forever. His decision had not been easy to make but he would put his safety first no matter what. He Tian had finally found someone who made him forget about his loneliness and he would be dammed if he did not do his everything to keep him safe.

The smell of beef stew covered the kitchen with the smoke of the pot. After the tour, Mo Guan Shan felt he had to thank He Tian in some way, so he promised him his favourite dish. Cerberus was waiting patiently next to him hoping to catch some dropped meat. He Tian stared at them in awe. The scene was so beautiful and domestic, he wanted to stop time for a second to truly enjoy the essence of it. He was so distracted by his own daydreams that he did not notice what Mo Guan Shan was saying.

“What?” asked He Tian.

“I asked if you could give my mum some letters,” said Mo Guan Shan stirring the pot. “I thought about writing to her, so she doesn’t get too nervous.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea!” lied He Tian. “It would take a while for her to answer though, she is really focused on the search of She Li.”

“It’s okay,” he shrugged putting the beef stew in the plates. “I have made a lot maybe you could tell those assholes to come tomorrow.”

“You mean Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi?” He Tian did not wait a minute and started eating. “I don’t think they can, but I will ask them.”

I’m sorry, Little Mo, but they aren’t going to come, thought He Tian. His friends had been really against his idea.

“Aren’t you going to eat with me?” casually asked He Tian.

The question could seem harmless but for how Mo Guan Shan stiffed, He Tian knew his intentions were not so hidden. He only needed one bite, a simple brush of teeth and Mo Guan Shan would be linked to the Underworld forever. But the demi-god was not stupid, he knew if you ate something made there you would have to stay. So, he only threw a look at He Tian thinking it was probably a prank. After all, he was not entirely human so he could spend longer without food. With a bit of luck, it would be enough to catch the Keres and if not, maybe he could convince He Tian to let him visit the garden.

“At least drink something,” He Tian offered a jar of water. “Promise the curse doesn’t work on liquids.”

Mo Guan Shan stared at the glass in front of him. He Tian was right it did not work on drinks, but he still was a bit on edge. If he ended up in Hades for a stupid joke he was going to make sure to send He Tian to Tartarus. Although the water seemed clear enough and He Tian was drinking from the same jar, so he took a sip as a taste. It was fresh and with no distinguishing flavour, which meant no poison or weird substance to piss him off. Mo Guan Shan drank the whole glass not noticing a pair of black eyes studying his every movement. The sigh that escaped from his lips however picked his curiosity.

“Is something wrong?” asked Mo Guan Shan.

“No, not at all.”

There was a lie painted on his face, so blatantly evident that it was impossible to hide. Mo Guan Shan frowned with his characteristic expression, but Cerberus took the chance to jump on him again wanting to continue his games. Although the topic was not forgotten, he decided to push it away in order to play with the animal. He Tian was hiding something, and he will be dammed if he did not discover what was it.

A few days later Mo Guan Shan had already got used to his life in Hades. He usually got up early thanks to He Tian annoying him. The god had to leave shortly to do his godly duties after convincing him to prepare some breakfast. The moment he disappeared; Cerberus found a way to sneak inside his room to play. The dog had  gotten attached to him and was constantly following him around. Mo Guan Shan could not complain as he was a great company while he worked on the stupid flower. His progress was until now completely null as every plant he tried to grow on the ground of the Underworld withered without remedy. Frustration was quick to take him on those moments, so he walked close to the Styx to search for inspiration. When he came back a few hours later the solution was still to come. He Tian usually appeared after lunch with some new spot to show him. He offered him to visit the Elysium Fields and even the Asphodel, but Mo Guan Shan was still not ready to the idea of meeting the deceased souls of so many people. Especially if his father was one of them.

He was tempted to ask He Tian many times if he knew where the soul of his father had gone, but he always cowered back. The fear of his dad being in such an awful place like Tartarus was too heavy to ignore. Mo Guan Shan knew himself better than people thought and if his worst fear became true, he would sooner or later dare to go to the deepest place of Hades just to rescue a father he barely remembered. So for the moment the question kept unasked, not daring to cross his lips.

Apart from Cerberus and He Tian, the only person he truly talked with was Charon. For what the man himself told him, he was the 1346^th Charon that worked on the Styx and seemed to be very proud of that. Because of his bald head, Mo Guan Shan had mentally put him the nickname Buzzcut, but he still needed to know his true name. The guy seemed to be afraid of He Tian as he never appeared when the god was present, but just as Cerberus, he favoured the redhead company. He even started calling him Boss Mo and informed him of how many souls he had been driving during the day as if he was reporting to a superior. Mo Guan Shan never knew what to do with that information, so he just murmured something along the lines of Keep the good work. Buzzcut seemed happy enough with his answer and always promised to return the next day, which he did.

The only thing that was starting to get him on his nerve apart from the obvious missing his home and family, was the fact that He Tian kept insisting on him eating. Every time he cooked for him, he always expected him to sit down and share the meal. Mo Guan Shan did not understand why he insisted on the prank so much if it was obvious, he was not going to fall for it, oblivious of the true intention of the God of the Underworld. Because He Tian was more than anxious to have at least that to hold before all his lies became evident. The letters that Mo Guan Shan gave him became a heavy weight on his pocket. He knew he should burn them or at least send them as he was saying, but that would probably only made things worse on the outside. And He Tian already had to deal with enough goddess rage to add more to the fire.

“Haven’t you seen my mum yet?” asked one night Mo Guan Shan only drinking water.

“Eh… yes! I saw her the other day, but she told she would take some time to answer the letters,” lied He Tian. “She is super busy.”

It made sense that his mother was so busy to find the Keres as soon as possible. She was probably wishing for his son to come back soon. And Mo Guan Shan missed the garden, of course he did. But he also did not mind his new life in Hades. The new challenge of creating the flower kept him busy and his interaction with Buzzcut and Cerberus filled his social needs. And then there was He Tian. Annoying He Tian making him forget about his problem with his jokes and teases. Stupid He Tian smiling at him as if he was the most important thing in the world. Bastard He Tian casually touching him once in a while but never truly letting himself get lost in the feeling of another skin under his hands.

Mo Guan Shan did not know if this was the reason why he had that weird dream. But when he woke up with his skin burning and the memory of another body pressed against him, he panicked. He Tian had already left, and Cerberus was waiting for him on the door as always. He was too distracted to even try creating anything, so he decided not to work on the flower that day. However, the dream was not the only thing that had him in his current bad mood. There was a strange alarm on his head, a voice telling he was forgetting something important. Or someone. He arrived at the river still trying to figure out what was missing in the memories that had him so upset. Did not he meet other gods along with He Tian? Two shadows were scrabbled in his mind but no matter how hard he tried he could not distinguish them.

“Hey, Boss,” waved Charon.

“Hey,” growled Mo Guan Shan.

“Wow, someone is in a bad mood today,” said the ferryman.

“That chicken dick,” he complained. “I couldn’t sleep because of him.”

“Bro… you aren’t in love, are you?” joked Charon.

A strong hand grabbed the neck of his tunic and suddenly an angry face was shouting at him.

“Fuck you! You are in love! Your whole family is in love!”

“S-s-sorry,” tried to apologise Charon.

Fucking He Tian, making him blush like a stupid nymph in love. He did not even like that bastard, that dream was just all the time he had spent with him. That was all, there were no feelings between them more than an awkward friendship. And the god surely felt in a similar way. He Tian was just useful for him at that moment in order to hide from the Keres, and so the God of the Underworld could keep a good relationship with his mother. Talking about love was stupid, who the hell would be in love with He Tian? Only because he had that weird dream it did not mean anything. He did not need He Tian for anything, he could protect himself perfectly fine. He Tian did not have any power on him, he could do whatever he wanted. He could face whatever he wanted.

“Oy, Charon,” an idea popped into his head. “Can you take me to Tartarus?”

“Tartarus? Why would you want to go there?”

“Just answer me.”

“I mean, yeah, I could take you there but bro, that place is really dangerous and…”

Mo Guan Shan did not listen to him and jumped into the boat without any doubt. Cerberus threw him a strange look, asking himself why his new friend was leaving with Charon. He tried to follow him, but the dog was too big for the small ship. Taking Cerberus would be a great advantage, though Mo Guan Shan would rather for the animal to stay there. After all, he wanted to show that stupid chicken dick just how well he could do without his help. He did not need him nor anyone to take care of himself. Charon raised an eyebrow but pushed the boat down the river, with Cerberus starting to bark when he saw where they were heading.

It took them two hours to arrive at the border of the abyss that led to Tartarus. The place was even darker than the Underworld and lacked that mystic charm Mo Guan Shan liked so much. Instead, the air was full of sulphur and red smokes covered the entrance giving it a creepy image. Charon threw a look at the demi-god who jumped out of the boat with his head high. He had come here to prove himself he did not need that chicken dick for anything. After all, he was not even going to really enter Tartarus, he was not that stupid. He only wanted to take a look to check if his father was there or not. As long as he was not in Tartarus, he would be happy. Not wanting to step back, Mo Guan Shan started walking to the abyss, with Charon waiting in the river.

He had been walking on the edge for a minute when the whispers started to get closer and closer. Mo Guan Shan took his seeds on his hand, ready to make a swift escape if needed. However, the shadows did not jump on him as he expected but crawled outside their hiding spot as cockroaches. They were a group of big men with dark robes and rusted jewellery, probably kings of another era. Their eyes were ready for a fight, but the demi-god decided to keep walking ignoring them.

“Look what the ferryman brings today,” laughed one of them. “Such a pretty boy, what are you doing here?”

“Whatever the fuck I want,” frowned Mo Guan Shan without turning. “Leave me alone.”

“The boy had a cursing mouth,” said another one approaching him. “You better show some respect, kid.”

“Why should I lose my time with scum like you?”

“You kiss your mother with that mouth?” the third one smiled. “Poor woman, having a son like you.”

“Don’t you dare to speak about her!” finally turned Mo Guan Shan.

The group of men started laughing, they had found his sore spot. The first one was already preparing a taunting comment to make his lose his nerves when Mo Guan Shan punched him in the face. His rage and confusion spoke for him while he started fighting against the shadows. Although he was by no means weak, it was a bit difficult to hit ghosts who were constantly appearing and disappearing.

“I know who you are!” suddenly said one. “You are the son of Demeter.”

“The one the Keres is searching for?”

“What a lucky day for us, then.”

It was obvious the kings had stopped playing with him and now were ready to really face him. The air suddenly turned cold as the three ghosts surrounded him. If they achieved to capture him, they could give him to the Keres in return to free them from Tartarus. They had nothing to lose and too much to win so they did not doubt in using dirty tricks. Although Mo Guan Shan tried to shout for Charon to help him, one of them put a hand on his mouth while the other used an old sword to hit him on the back. He fell on the floor while the pain ran through his body. The kings were already picturing their victory when a huge black mass jumped over them.

“Cerberus!” Mo Guan Shan had never been so happy to see the dog in his life.

“Mo Guan Shan!” called a voice from afar.

In a mere second, the God of the Underworld was there, helping him to his feet. Cerberus had run to him while in the middle of a trial and almost instantly he knew there was something wrong. The dog had led him through the shadows until they had met Charon at the river. He Tian was going to have a serious talk with the ferryman about carrying his guests into dangerous places, but he needed to focus on Mo Guan Shan right now. If he was human the fight against the shadows would have injured him badly, but his divine blood allowed him fast healing. The boy stood up with a scowl sculped on his face. He Tian would love to have another moment to admire the mere look of disposition that he had, especially if it was about kicking the ass of some spirits. The three old kings did not seem to mind the arrival of He Tian, they were already condemned to Tartarus, there was nothing worse than that.

“Let me deal with it, Little Mo,” whispered He Tian, knowing that he was not going to receive an affirmative answer.

“Don’t even think about it,” frowned Mo Guan Shan. “I’m going to beat the fuck out of them.”

He did not wait for He Tian to follow him but pushed forward against the one that had hit him with a sword. The man tried to dodge him, but Mo Guan Shan was way too fast and moreover, he was pissed. In another situation, He Tian would have let him deal with them alone, but those people were too dangerous. And he was also a bit angry, so he took his sweet time with the other two. The three kings realised too late that they were dealing with two powers they could not face. However, their fight was waking forced inside Tartarus that stirred at the movement on its entrance. Spirits started to crawl outside the abyss scratching their ankles. To his surprise, it was Mo Guan Shan who grabbed his hand and started running until reaching Charon. They both jumped on the boat and the ferryman sailed away from Tartarus. None of them talked during the trip, He Tian and Mo Guan Shan too tried from their sudden escape and Charon too uncomfortable of interrupting their moment. Cerberus followed them from the shore until they reached Hades. Charon and Cerberus stayed at the river while He Tian took Mo Guan Shan to his room.

“What were you thinking?” he asked the moment they were alone. “They could have hurt you; they could have…”

“That’s none of your business. If you think because you are hiding me I owe you something, you are wrong.”

“I’m not doing this because I want you to owe me anything,” said He Tian visibly angry. “I’m doing this because I care about you.”

“Nobody asked you to care!”

“Well, sorry about that then!”

An uncomfortable silence fell between them, with a wave of regret washing the anger in a swift movement. Mo Guan Shan sighed and closed his eyes. This was not going to take them anywhere. He was only confused because he could not understand his own feelings. Because if he acknowledged what he truly felt, then he would not know what to do. He was not oblivious after all, he had caught the hungry looks He Tian threw at him, the way his hands always lingered in his touch. But it was probably just that, a mere lust for someone he could not have, the charm gone the moment he accepted to feel the same spark. Mo Guan Shan suddenly felt so tired, the whole situation with the Keres and now being imprisoned again in another cage because of his apparent safety. The worst was that he understood why his mother and He Tian were keeping him there. But was it too much to ask to see the outside once in a while?

“I… I just wanted to see if my dad was there,” he confessed still not opening his eyes. He felt the presence of He Tian getting closer.

“He is not there,” his voice whispered. “He is in Asphodel; we could visit him someday.”

“I just want this to end,” tears were threatening to fall from his eyes.

A finger took them away, caressing his cheek in the process and Mo Guan Shan leaning into the touch. He could feel the breath of He Tian on his neck so close but without touching. A smell of mint and tobacco covered his nose and he was sure that if he opened his eyes, he would find black ones staring at him. But he was not as brave as people believe him, so he kept his eyes closed. He Tian put his other hand on his back and softly pushed him against his chest, drawing circles on his back to relax him. Mo Guan Shan buried his head on his neck letting the finger go down his neck. There was a slight pressure when He Tian lips kissed this spot. The god stood there for a second waiting for refusal, a struggle and an insult. But it never came. Encouraged by the response, he opened his mouth and sucked the skin there. Mo Guan Shan left a soft moan feeling his body answer to the attentions of He Tian.

It was suddenly too hot, too intense for him and his mind reacted trying to run away. But He Tian was not going to let him retreat when he had given him a taste. He wanted more, so much more but he was not going to push him to do anything he did not want. The only thing he desired was to Mo Guan Shan to acknowledge his feelings. So, he took his chin, fingers caressing the warm skin, and waited. After what seemed an eternity, Mo Guan Shan opened his eyes. His red fire met black darkness that swallowed him. When he did not turn away, He Tian got closer his nose brushing against Mo Guan Shan. And he stood there, letting him make the decision. The redhead cursed him for giving him such a role because it would be easier to blame it all on He Tian later. But there was no escape there, so with a deep sigh he closed the gap between them.

As much as he promised himself to control his impulse, He Tian forgot about it the moment Mo Guan Shan kissed him. He pressed the boy against the wall, letting his hand finally swim in red locks. Mo Guan Shan did the same thing, getting himself lost in a passionate kiss with both of them soon opening to let their tongues play with each other. They stumbled until they fell on the bed, letting only the need of air separate them. He Tian paused for a second wanting to ask if this was okay, if he did not want to take things slower but Mo Guan Shan closed his mouth with his before the words could escape. He pressed his body against him and opened his black tunic, his intentions more than clear for the God of the Underworld. Mo Guan Shan dragged his teeth on his shoulder not wanting to hold back anymore. He was tired of hiding, of being trapped in colourful cages that restricted his freedom. This is what he wanted, dark eyes and dark hair looking at him as if he was everything. Hands gripping his skin, teeth biting his neck and moans echoing in the silence of Hades.

His routine changed a bit after that. He woke up in his arms, cuddled a little bit until finally Mo Guan Shan grew tired of him and kicked him out of bed. He Tian always invited him to the trials if only to spend more time with him. And sometimes Mo Guan Shan accepted if only to distract himself of the failures of his own project. The days he was on the court, He Tian seemed to be fairer and kinder, so the sighs of relief covered the place every time they saw a flash of red hair. He also took the liking of bringing him weird presents that Mo Guan Shan always refused. Shiny jewellery with beautiful stones, weapons of sharp edge with intricate designs or even clothes that were too tight or too revealing for his taste. It was their domestic bliss. When he did not follow He Tian, Mo Guan Shan worked on making his flower grow. After many unsuccessful attempts, he focused on working before on the ground that on the seed. Charon and Cerberus had helped him built a small portion of healthy land. And although the flowers always ended up withering, at least they grew to the point of almost blooming. Mo Guan Shan believed he was becoming closer and closer to final success.

It had been a month since he started living in the Underworld that He Tian came home with a small black box on his hands. Mo Guan Shan was ready to turn around and ran because for him it was still too soon for that kind of compromise. But He Tian only laughed and assured him he was not so desperate (although both knew it was not exactly true). Instead of the feared ring, the box contained inside two pure black studs. The right one had HT carved on the back and the left one MGS.

“They are made of pomegranate seed,” smiled He Tian. “I carved them myself, so technically I haven’t spent a single coin of my fortune on it.”

“Where is the trick?” Because there was always a trick with He Tian.

“Well, they may be permanent,” his mouth twisting into his characteristic smirk.

Mo Guan Shan frowned at him because of course He Tian would get him some kind of ring that was not a ring. But he had to admit he liked the present a lot. Though he was not going to give He Tian the satisfaction of seeing them on him just yet. He kissed his cheek lightly as a thank you for the present and put it on a shelf. He Tian seemed a bit disappointed but at this point, he knew when Mo Guan Shan only wanted to tease him a bit. So, he let it stay, hoping that his lover decided to wear them soon. He was about to suggest again a dinner date with the idea that maybe then Mo Guan Shan would eat something, but the presence of another god took his attention. He Tian got up from the bed as fast as he could and giving Mo Guan Shan a hasty kiss he told him he had to deal with important business.

The redhead raised an eyebrow watching him ran in a hurry. It was not typical of him going with such a rush, especially because He Tian usually tried to sneak out of his job. He shrugged deciding that maybe finally they had sent someone to kick his ass for being a lazy asshole. His eyes went immediately at the box on the shelf. Mo Guan Shan bit his lip but finally went to take it. He only wanted to take another look, that was all. Cerberus chose that moment to bang on his room and jump on him. Bad luck seemed to be on his side because he could not keep his balance and had to grab one of the black tunics that were hung on the wall.

“Cerberus! How many times have I told you…” he let the sentence unfinished as his eyes focused on the letters that had fallen from the tunic.

For a second he did not even recognise them, it had been weeks since he did not write one. But his handwriting was scribbled in each one of them and suddenly a memory popped on his head. His mother. This letter had been written for her and He Tian told him he had given them to Demeter. Which was obviously a blatant lie as they were hidden in his pocket all this time. In the middle of the rage, a question raised. How could he have forgotten about the letters? He had been so adamant in keeping in touch with his mother it seemed impossible for him to forget about it. But he had. With the box still burning in his hand, he pushed the earrings on his pocked and picked the letter. His eyes fell on the jar of water He Tian liked to keep around for him to drink. Grabbing a glass, he ran to the Styx where Charon was waiting for his daily report.

“Hey, boss, today I…”

“This!” he gave the water to him. “What is it?”

“Wow, bro, did you drink this?” questioned Charon. “You shouldn’t, this is water from the river Lethe, you know? The one that makes you forget stuff?”

“I’m going to fucking murder him!” he shouted throwing the glass to the floor.

Charon decided it was best not to ask what Mo Guan Shan was talking about if only not to anger him more. The redhead was practically screaming murder from head to toes while he walked to the court of the Underworld. When he entered the plaza, his eyes focused not only on He Tian but on the two familiar gods that were with him. Now that he had realised why his mind had been so foggy, the memories started to fall in cascade, fuelling his fury. Jian Yi was currently screaming at He Tian while Zhan Zheng Xi waited behind him, ready to act if needed.

“Demeter has lost her mind!” was saying Jian Yi. “There is no harvest and it’s raining all the time; you have to give him back!”

“He is safer here!” shouted He Tian.

“That doesn’t give you the right to fucking kidnap him!”

If He Tian was going to answer that afront he did not have the time as Mo Guan Shan punched him in the face at that moment. Jian Yi first smiled seeing the redhead and then gaped watching his fist attack the God of the Underworld. Zhan Zheng Xi was faster than him and took Mo Guan Shan before the boy could continue kicking He Tian.

“Let me go! I need to kill him!” he struggled.

“Killing him will not solve anything,” calmly said Zhan Zheng Xi. “Please, calm down.”

And it was only because Mo Guan Shan deeply respected the god and his friendship that he stopped struggling but he still glared at He Tian with the deepest frown he could have. His lover watched him with a look full of regret. He knew what he had done was not right and that he had probably broken the trust Mo Guan Shan had given him. His brain worked to find a way to fix it, any possible way as long as he could keep the redhead close to him. Jian Yi sighed feeling the strong connection those two had developed. When at the beginning He Tian had told them he planned to take Mo Guan Shan to Hades without his mother consent, he and Zhan Zheng Xi expressed their discomfort. They understood that his friend only wanted to protect the redhead from the Keres but taking him away from his home was not the answer. From that day, He Tian had forbidden their entrance in the Underworld, fearing his friends would tell Mo Guan Shan the truth. It had taken them one month to finally convince He Cheng to open a gate so they could free his friend and put some sense in the head of his younger brother.

“Explain, now,” demanded Mo Guan Shan.

“He was going to find a way in the garden,” quickly said He Tian. “Your mother didn’t listen to me, she wanted to put more barriers to the garden but… I couldn’t let her do that to you. You hate being trapped there! So I thought I could take you here while I found the Keres, protect you until the threat was over. I never thought it would take so long!”

“That the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard,” glared Jian Yi.

“What your intentions were don’t matter anymore,” stated Zhan Zheng Xi. “Demeter demands his son to be returned immediately.”

“I know, but he is still out there,” He Tian turned to the God of Wisdom. “If Demeter gives me more time.”

“There is no more time,” interrupted Mo Guan Shan. “I don’t care what your true intention was, the truth is that you trapped me just like her!”

“Little Mo, I…” He Tian raised his hand to touch his cheek, but Mo Guan Shan slapped it away.

“I don’t want to hear any of your excuses,” he turned to Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi. “And you two, tell my mother I’m tired of his overprotectiveness too.”

“Wait, you can’t just leave, she will kill us,” screamed Jian Yi.

At that moment, Mo Guan Shan could not care less of what his mother would do to them if they returned without him. With a whistle, Cerberus stomped inside the court jumping over Jian Yi. As he expected, Zhan Zheng Xi changed his focus to the God of Love and Mo Guan Shan took the chance to make his escape. He ran as fast as he could until he reached the gate He Cheng had opened. He Tian called for his name trying to stop him, but a mere look of hate from the redhead was enough to have him standing there, his heart breaking into a thousand pieces. The landscape that welcomed him when he stepped outside Hades was different from what he expected. Most of the greenery had disappeared in its place plants withering wherever he looked at. The floor was covered with a strangle white substance that was cold to the touch and a small cloud left his mouth every time he breathed. Brown and white covered all Gaia as he observed while he walked.

He did not have any destination in mind, which probably was a mistake. But right now, Mo Guan Shan only wanted to get away from the people who insisted on having him locked away. It was a bit sad that this was the first time he was truly walking in freedom, his feet soon getting red from the cold. His whole body was shivering when he reached a huge tree. Mo Guan Shan let his power run through the earth and a few flowers bloomed around him, warming the spot a little bit. He leaned against the tree, tired of lies and with a pang in his heart. He Tian had lied to him after he had trusted him with his life, with his heart. His finger touched the black box still in his pocket.

“I’m not going to love anyone ever again,” he whispered ready to throw them away.

“Isn’t that interesting,” hissed a voice behind him.

Before he could react, a hand grabbed his neck and pushed him against the tree. She Li was in front of him, although he looked worse than their last meeting in the garden. It was obvious that the hidden life did not suit him well. His golden eye shone with even more madness than usual, his grip getting tighter and tighter. The Keres finally softened his hold when he noticed the lack of air on his victim.

“So long no see, Red,” he smiled showing his fangs. “Here I was thinking I would never catch you alone. The odd are truly on my favour.”

“Fuck you,” cursed Mo Guan Shan.

“Come on, there is no need for such harsh words,” said She Li, taking a black knife out of his tunic. “We used to be partners.”

“You only saw me as a puppet.”

“Maybe, but you weren’t exactly complaining,” the knife started to dance on his fingers. “Look, this doesn’t have to be so hard. I know Zhan Zheng Xi destroyed the seeds, but you can still create a new one for me.”

“Why the fuck do you even want a flower like that?”

“Mmm, does it really matter?” She Li laughed while caressing his lip with the knife. “You say you don’t want to love again, and I can help you with that. Give me the flower and I promise you won’t.”

“Because you will use it on me, so I keep creating them for you.”

“In part,” shrugged She Li. “You said it yourself, the flower doesn’t work, it doesn’t create true love.”

“I would rather die than become your puppet again.”

“And here I was thinking we would make a wonderful couple,” he lowered his knife until it rested on his neck. “But if that is what my love wants, who am I to deny it.”

Mo Guan Shan closed his eyes ready for the blade to take him to his end. He expected his life to run in front of him but only a smug face appeared behind his eyelid. Even after what he had done, that asshole still covered his thoughts. And it was curious how he knew in that instant that he was there. Opening his eyes again, he kicked She Li as strong as he could, pushing him away. The Keres reacted too fast, his knife pointing at his chest. But it did not sink on his skin, because He Tian had jumped outside the shadows and shielded him with his own body. Red blood flowed out of his body while She Li smiled in triumph.

“How the mighty have fallen, He Tian,” teased the Keres while He Tian fell to the ground.

She Li prepared his knife to give the final stab when Mo Guan Shan grabbed his hand, twisting his wrist. The weapon fell while trumpets started to sound from afar. An army of warriors was approaching them, led by He Cheng. She Li paled at the sight and turned to run but he could not make it far as Cerberus jumped biting one of his legs. In another situation, Mo Guan Shan would have been more than happy to see how the dog captured the evil spirit, but his attention was completely focused on the body of He Tian. The wound was too deep for his abilities and had the same green glow from the poison of the Keres.

“No, no, no, no,” he tried to stop the bleeding while He Tian raised a hand to touch his neck.

“I’m sorry, Little Mo, I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Shut up! Don’t talk right now.”

 “I won’t ask you for forgiveness but promise me you’ll never forget me.”

“How could I forget someone as annoying as you?” Mo Guan Shan cried. “Please, He Tian, you still have to pay me back for what you did.”

“I should have told you, but I was scared I couldn’t see you again,” confessed He Tian.

“Fucking dramatic bastard,” he picked the earrings and put them on his ears. If the asshole was scared of losing him, how did he dare do the same to him? “See? I can’t take them out now, so please, please, stay with me.”

“That sounds lovely,” cracked his voice. “I should have let you work with me to find the Keres, maybe then it would not have ended like this.”

There were so many things Mo Guan Shan wanted to say. How he hated him for lying to him. How he loved him for what he had given him. But his mind was too focused on finding a way, something he could do to stop the bleeding. The pomegranate seeds burned on his ears, a vain attempt to keep He Tian’s conscious awake. He touched them feeling the initials craved in them when an idea popped in his head. Mo Guan Shan saw the blood in his hands and took a seed from his bag. Letting his power run through his finger, he put it on the wound and let a single tear fall over it. The moment it touched the seed, it started to absorb all the blood around them, cleaning the wound in the process. He Tian felt his body becoming stronger again, while on his chest stood a flower he had never seen before. It was fiery red with petals that curved backwards and long stamens.

“You wanted it red, right?” said Mo Guan Shan. “Here you have your flower.”

“Little Mo, I love you.”

Mo Guan Shan blushed and slapped him on the head, but not with all his strength. He took the flower away from his chest and let it grow until it became a bouquet. That would be enough for He Tian to plant them in Hades. He offered them to him while he helped him stand up. The God of the Underworld took the flowers on his arms but his hand stood on his chin, his face already lowering to meet his lips when a cough interrupted them. The happiness for his recovery soon washed away as He Cheng approached them.

“Brother, Father has dictated the son of Demeter must be returned to his mother to end this madness.”

“It’s okay,” said Mo Guan Shan when he felt He Tian tense. He took his hand to guide them to the studs. “Something tells me I will be back.”

“I will wait for your return then, my love,” he leaned to whisper in his ear. “And for your response.”

He Cheng rolled his eyes promising himself not to meddle into his brother love life ever again. The redhead kid followed him without protesting but his hands went to his ears every now and then. The God of War had ruled on Hades long enough to recognise the material of the earrings and sighed. Stupid horny brother. He could not be like the other gods and change partner every moon and then. No, he had to fall in love with the son of another goddess and made Gaia suffer the lack of spring during a whole month. If everything turned as he expected, they would probably have to get used to this thing people were starting to call winter.

Six months with his mother and six months in the Underworld. That was the deal he could reach with his mother after their reunion. Demeter was not exactly happy with the outcome of his kidnapping, especially seeing the studs that adorned his ears. But after talking long with his son about her overprotectiveness and the pain it had caused on Mo Guan Shan, Demeter decided to at least try. For starter, he was allowed to leave the garden whenever he wanted. She also demolished the walls of the garden and invited everyone to visit it whenever they wanted, although the majority of gods had the entrance limited. The only ones that were not affected by the ban were Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi that now spent most of their dates walking through the garden. Mo Guan Shan was happy to see them finally together and was even more surprised knowing it was his escape what initiated the relationship. It seemed Jian Yi had finally noticed he had a chance with his childhood friend when Zhan Zheng Xi had prioritized saving him than capturing the runaway son of Demeter. However, He Tian was another story.

In the beginning, the God of the Underworld was completely forbidden to enter the garden for obvious reasons, but Demeter even condemned him to never step a foot on Gaia again. Mo Guan Shan did not even try to excuse him, the asshole deserved the punishment. But then, because he was a charming motherfucker, he had somehow convinced Demeter to at least let him walk freely on earth, although the garden was still off-limits. Jian Yi had mentioned once that after all Demeter and He Tian had the same interest in mind and Zhan Zheng Xi even admitted hearing them talking about him more than once. So now, his mother was starting to even like He Tian because apparently, they were the only person on Gaia with whom they could talk about their favourite topic: him.

However, he could not exactly complain about this friendship as He Tian was the one who convinced Demeter to let him go outside the garden alone. His mother had insisted at the beginning on putting a guard with him or forcing Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi to go with him, but she later retreated her surveillance after He Tian convinced him Mo Guan Shan could perfectly go outside alone. The redhead thought this was just because now He Tian popped out of nowhere every time he left the garden. Though it was true the god always left him his space if he asked him to. So even though he spent six months in Hades, he saw He Tian almost every day.

He still enjoyed his time there, as Cerberus was always patiently waiting for his return and Charon had become one of his great friends. Apart from that, Mo Guan Shan decided to become more active in his role as advisor of He Tian. In the six months he spent there, he was almost always on the trials if only to make sure the God of the Underworld does his job. Opposite to what he believed; He Tian was more than happy with this as it meant he spent more time with his redhead. And as a way of paying him for his wrongdoings, He Tian made his personal mission to visit every corner of Gaia with him. Whether if it was the Elysian Fields, or Asphodel to visit his dad or even the Mount Olympus, they had been there. Their relationship was still delicate as Mo Guan Shan still refused to answer to his confession, but at least he still accepted to sleep on his bed and share some intimate moments together. Though it was true they saw each other outside his stay, He Tian still favoured those six months of winter in which Mo Guan Shan was just for him.

“And therefore,” said one day He Tian showing him the whole shore of the Styx covered in red flowers. “I have decided to call them Red Ball of Fluff.”

“No fucking way, they are called spider lily, chicken dick,” groaned Mo Guan Shan.

“Fine, but I still think my name is better.”

The redhead rolled his eyes capturing the landscape in his head. The red contrasted against the ordinary grey of Hades but added a pinch of colour in the usually dull picture. Both colours complemented each other supporting their imperfections in the same way Mo Guan Shan and He Tian did. He gave the god the company he longed and the view of others that were not as fortunate as him. And He Tian gave him the freedom and the protection he needed. AT that moment, walking along the Styx covered in a flower that was born of sacrifice, with Cerberus playing with the small petals that fell from the flowers, Mo Guan Shan thought that without a doubt one day he will answer to the confession He Tian had given him that day. But until that day, there was nothing wrong with a small lesson of patience.