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Being lord of the underworld has never been easy, not even after a few millennia of ruling it. It has, however, gotten a little... boring. The dead always came and went, but matters urgent enough for Lord Hades's attention were almost nonexistent.
Even his wife, Persephone, who's supposed to spend 3 to 4 months each year with him as ruler of the underworld has gotten sick of keeping her oath and decided to spend more time with her mother, Demeter. Hades didn't mind, in fact, he felt somewhat relieved. He had developed a new habit over the last 50 years that Persephone wouldn't be too happy about.
These days, Hades preferred spending time in the mortal world. There were too many countries, too many places but only one underworld. He would sneak away, not that anyone noticed his absence, to a new place every time and spend time amongst the mortals who never ceased to impress him.
Some would argue that Hades already spends time with mortals in the underworld, but he would argue that there was a huge difference between spending time with mortals and mortals' souls. Their souls were loud, always begging to not be punished or to be brought back to life or whatnot, but alive and well mortals, that was something else.
Hades decided to explore a new country every time he pulled off sneaking out, the last time had been Peru and he might have caused a few problematic things that made him determined to 'leave the Americas alone for the time being'.
To his surprise, his little shenanigans did not come to Zeus's attention, or maybe they have, but Zeus deliberately ignored them because he had similar shenanigans of his own. Either way, Hades knew exactly how to avoid Zeus, and most importantly, how to merge with mortals.
Hades finally decided his next destination, and being an immortal god and all, he didn't need to pack. He went to pet his giant three-headed dog, Cerberus, and gave him a jumbo-sized treat before making his way out the gates of the underworld. Cerberus was one of the few things Hades liked about the underworld, he was vicious and deadly, but not towards Hades.
Once he was past the gates, he willed himself to travel to the location he had in mind. Being the god of the underworld, he could shadow-travel anywhere he wanted to, and with a little concentration, he could blend right in, unnoticed by any passersby.
He landed in the middle of a busy area, lined with shops and restaurants in every direction he could see. He took a deep breath, getting himself used to the air around him. He had many useful tricks thanks to being a powerful, almighty immortal god, but the one he focused on right now was changing his appearance to look like an ordinary young man, with similar looks to the people of the area he's in.
He took a look around, focusing on the people of Seoul, Korea. He examined the young, probably famous men in the poster ads lining the windows of shops and got a clear idea of how he wanted to look like and how he should be dressed.
Even if he wanted to blend in, he was still a god, and he had too much pride to look like any ordinary mortal. No matter how he chose to look like, he only wore fancy black suits, his hair was perfectly styled and his skin glowed, a healthy glow that might have given away his godly presence. He didn't care, though, he wanted to look better than the average, hell, better than all, but still somehow blended in, like he was one of them, only better.
He made his way around town, familiarizing himself with the area. He got into one of the better districts, filled with high-rise hotels and luxurious looking buildings, the perfect place to find a decent house semi-fitting for a god roaming the mortal realm.
Hades found a suitable hotel, where he rented the penthouse for an unknown period of time. He learned that hotels did that to the uber-wealthy costumers, and being the god of riches, Hades had all money in the world.
***
He would spend the days exploring the city, and the nights enjoying all types of beverages that were more or less derived from wine, either way, he was thankful to Dionysus for them.
He'd found a bar fitting of his status not too far from his home, even though distance wasn't a problem for a god, he was determined to travel the human way as long as he was amongst humans. The place was beautiful, marble, and glass harmonizing together making the space fitting of lord Hades's aesthetic.
He liked this bar in particular not just because of the interiors, but because of the people who were there. There weren't many, but the ones who came always amused him. There was a thing about rich people in every culture he'd encountered, they all loved to drink, and they all put on a wonderful show once they were drunk enough.
But maybe it wasn't just the people the visited the bar that made him drawn to it in particular, maybe there was something more.
Hades usually preferred to sit at a table alone observing the mortals he loved these days, but today he had a different plan. He decided to sit on one of the stools placed right in front of the bar, taking a new interest in the bartender working behind it.
In a way, the bartender reminded Hades of ancient Roman princes he'd dealt with a few millennia ago. He was pale under the dimmed lights, and his black hair was neatly parted in the middle and styled to nicely frame his very handsome face.
Every time Hades came to the bar, he had noticed the handsome bartender frequently looking at him, or was it staring? Hades was no stranger to turning heads his way, but for some reason, he enjoyed that particular form of attention.
Being the lord of the underworld, Hades was almost never praised or loved by mortals, so it felt like a nice change of pace every time someone had taken interest in him, even though every time that had happened, Hades had been disguised as human, careful not to reveal his true self. From experience, he knew that mortals didn't really handle the news of 'being with an actual god' very well.
He loosened the tie around his neck and ruffled his usually perfect hair, hopefully giving the bartender a reason to start a conversation with him. He resisted the urge to laugh at how stilly his action was, an almighty god trying to get the attention of a mere mortal when it should be the other way around. He didn't dwell on that for long, as his plan seemed to work.
"Rough night?" The bartender asked.
"You could say so", Hades replied, thankful for his ability to understand and speak all human languages.
"Can I get you anything to make the night easier?", he smiled, a sweet smile that intrigued Hades.
"Your finest 25-year-old whiskey", Hades returned the smile.
"Good choice", the bartender chuckled and went to pour the drink.
Hades couldn't stop himself from staring, there was something about this man drawing him in and Hades haven't felt that way in a long, long time.
"You've been coming here a lot lately", the bartender said once he set the glass of whiskey in front of Hades. "Is there a particular reason for that?"
"You've been keeping track?" Hades asked in a teasing tone.
"Only cause I'm interested", the bartender replied, leaning against the bar a little closer to Hades.
"Are you saying you're interested in me?" Hades raised an eyebrow, excited to hear the bartender's response.
"You're always here, and you're always alone" the bartender answered. "You always ask for the same bottle of whiskey and no matter how much you drink, you never look drunk. Of course, I'm interested"
"I'm just tough like that" Hades smirked. Alcohol never had an effect on him, thanks to his godly powers, he enjoyed it for taste, or for passing time. "And, you're wrong. I don't always ask for the same bottle of whiskey"
They spent the night talking about alcohol, the bartender who finally introduced himself as Min Yoongi, told Hades about the ridiculous drinks people ask him to make, and Hades told him about the different types of alcohol he's tried from all over the world.
Hades enjoyed Yoongi's company. He had guts, which was appreciated, and he seemed to be really interested in Hades. He wasn't sure if Yoongi was interested in why Hades never got drunk or just in Hades, he hoped it was the latter.
Time flow was something an immortal god had barely noticed, mostly because they've been alive for what seemed to be forever, but once they're in the mortal realm, they try to keep track of it. Talking to Yoongi had made that a little... difficult.
No, not difficult. Yoongi had a way of keeping Hades's attention on him, all of his attention, so keeping track of the passage of time was no option. Usually, a couple of hours only felt like minutes in a god's perspective, but a good conversation with someone interesting sure made spending 5 hours at a bar seem like only seconds had passed.
"I didn't get your name", Yoongi stated before Hades could leave.
Hades thought for a moment. He had an urge to tell him the truth, that he was 'the Hades', but he knew how mortals usually didn't handle that news well. On the other hand, they were in Korea, where ancient Greek and Roman civilizations didn't have much of an impact, as the people here believed in their own gods. So he might not even know who Hades is.
"Hoseok", Hades answered. It was the name he chose for himself to blend in with the people, and of course, for the official documents mortals seemed to be obsessed with. "Jung Hoseok"
"Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Jung Hoseok", Yoongi flashed a sweet smile that made Hades, no, Hoseok want to stay with him a little while longer.
***
Hades had gotten more used to the 'Hoseok' persona he had created, in fact, he had liked it a little too much. Unlike Hades, Hoseok was more approachable, a little more lovable, but he was still a 100% the lord of the underworld. There are some things you can simply not get rid of.
Hoseok found his visits to that particular bar increasing in quantity and in time, that goddamned bartender had Hoseok's interest hooked on him, but Hoseok wasn't complaining. He was, however, disappointed to know that Yoongi didn't work there every single night. The first time he noticed another bartender in place of Yoongi, Hades almost burned the place down with a snap of his fingers, but luckily, Hoseok's persona had a way of rationalizing decisions before taking actions.
But the nights Yoongi was there, those were Hoseok's favorites. He had completely abandoned all seats in the place that wasn't the stool in front of Yoongi, and Yoongi always seemed happy about that.
There was something about him that changed over time, his attitude. The first night they had talked, Yoongi might have just been just a friendly bartender, but now, he seemed to become a different kind of friendly, and being amongst humans for eternity, Hades knew exactly what this change meant. And maybe, just maybe, Hoseok was getting just as 'friendly'.
"So, what do you do when you're not working here?" Hoseok asked. Their conversations were about many, many things, but they were almost never personal. He didn't really count their preferred beverages as personal information anyway.
Hoseok found Yoongi's expression interesting, his lips were turned in a smirk, but his eyes had a hopeful twinkle in them. "I have a lame daytime job if that's what you mean".
"But that isn't what I mean", Hoseok felt the need to return the smirk.
"I'm usually booked and busy, doing things that a respected, probably a businessman like yourself wouldn't be too interested in."
Hoseok suddenly had an urge to go do all these things Yoongi was usually booked and busy with, even if they weren't fitting of the standards of Hoseok or lord Hades. He only knew he had an urge to fulfill and he wasn't eager to see what would happen if he didn't.
"Oh, but I am interested", Hoseok smirked once more, something he found himself doing quite often while talking with Yoongi. "Even more so since you assumed I wouldn't be"
Yoongi returned the smirk, only bigger and cockier and Hoseok had to physically push himself down to stop himself from leaning over and kissing the young bartender right then and there.
"If that's the case, I have tomorrow off and if you're free, I can take you with me", Yoongi's tone was inviting, and almost as if challenging Hoseok to back out. "But you can't go dressed like... that."
He gestured at all of Hoseok, which was confusing. He was wearing a simple navy blue suit with a matching dress shirt, tie, everything really. He liked monochromatic suits and didn't really know what Yoongi meant by saying he can't dress like that.
Yoongi let out a laugh that he seemed to be holding in for quite some time now. "I'm guessing that you only own fancy Italian suits, right?"
Hades wanted to protest, saying that his suits weren't exactly Italian since he magically got them with a wave of his hand, but he couldn't really go through that without explaining his whole backstory, and he wasn't ready for that. Both of them weren't ready for that, really.
"Tell you what, I'll take you shopping first, then we'll go out and have fun, sounds good?"
Hoseok liked Yoongi's proposal, he seemed confident, like he had every detail planned out. Hoseok couldn't simply say no, he was curious as to what event didn't really allow suits waited for them tomorrow. He also liked how Yoongi wanted to be in charge of everything, even Hoseok's wardrobe choices, it gave him a sense of leadership that Hades enjoyed, after all, he liked it when mortals were confident in themselves when they wanted to take control.
One thing he hated about the Olympians was how much they needed mortal's love to feel superior. Hades has never been an Olympian himself, even though he was just as much as a child of Kronos as were Zeus and Poseidon, Hades was always different.
He was tricked into ruling the underworld, tricked into not being an Olympian, and was always 'the odd one out' amongst other gods. He liked to think he was better than that, sure, he was the lord of the unpleasant underworld, but he never depended on mortals to feel any sense of value, mostly because he was never really loved by mortals, not as Hades anyway.
Maybe that was why Hades liked it when mortals acted confident, sure, mortals needed the gods just as much as the gods needed them, but not Hades. He liked mortals company, he found himself accepted and sometimes loved, even though they almost never found out who he actually was.
Last time someone fell in love with him for who he was, Hades, things didn't go so well... Flashbacks of the fates and Zeus trying to destroy his children in front of his own eyes... He quickly shook the memory out of his head, quite literally, and reminded himself that right now, he wasn't just Hades, he was Jung Hoseok, and Jung Hoseok was different.
"I'll meet you here tomorrow, then", he told Yoongi as he got up from his seat, ready to head home. "At 6?"
Yoongi simply nodded, a gentle smile framed on his beautiful face. "Have a good night, Mr. Jung."
***
Hoseok didn't want to admit it, but he was fairly excited for today. He found it a little ridiculous, the lord of the dead, excited to go shopping with a random mortal on a random Tuesday. He also found it ridiculous that mortals had names for days, but he didn't dwell on that for long. Of course, he could just skip shopping altogether and have less fancy clothes appear magically in his closet, but he wasn't sure that what he had in mind would fit the image Yoongi had.
He found Yoongi waiting for him right outside of the bar, somehow looking better in simple black jeans and a black shirt that was a few sizes too big for him, than he had looked in his dress pants and white button-down, the uniform he wore while bartending. Yoongi greeted him with a smile that had a way of warming the coldness inside of him, and they made their way to the shopping district that was right around the corner.
They got inside one of the smaller shops, and Yoongi began searching for the perfect outfit for the hopefully long night ahead of them. A few minutes later, Yoongi came with a pile of clothes in his hands and a devilish grin on his face, a grin well suited for a companion of the devil himself. He urged Hoseok to go try them on in the changing room and instructed him on which shirt went with which pants.
The first was a simple t-shirt with simple jeans. Not too bad, Hoseok thought, but when he got out of the changing room, Yoongi shook his head and told him to try the other outfits he had picked out.
Hoseok wasn't too fond of being told what to do, but he obliged anyway. He wondered how Yoongi managed to do that, or how he picked out pants that actually were Hoseok's size. When he put on the next outfit, he felt it looked silly. Baggy black pants with huge pockets on the sides and way too many unnecessary zippers, paired with an oversized dark grey shirt, Hoseok almost didn't want to step out of the changing room, but he did when Yoongi kept urging him to.
"Perfect!" Yoongi exclaimed, proud of his choice.
"I look absolutely ridiculous", Hoseok rolled his eyes. "Why can't I just go in my suit?"
"You look good in these, Mr. Jung", Yoongi smiled reassuringly. "And suits aren't appropriate for our night, you need to be in comfortable clothes in order to have fun"
Hoseok argued that his suits were in fact comfortable, and just didn't see the need for baggy clothes, but Yoongi politely brushed it off.
"At least don't call me 'Mr. Jung', not when I look like this" Hoseok suggested.
"This is good, don't worry too much about your looks for a while, yeah?"
"What are we doing tonight, anyway?" Hoseok asked once they were out of the store.
"We'll have dinner first, then we'll meet with a couple of friends and hopefully get you out of your shell" Yoongi answered.
Get me out of my shell? Hoseok wondered.
"Right, there's a good restaurant around-" Hoseok began to say, but was interrupted by Yoongi, and to his surprise, he didn't seem to mind it that much.
"We're going by my schedule, remember?" Yoongi grinned. "And my schedule includes barbecuing pigskin at a cheap restaurant far from here."
"Pigskin?" Hoseok mused. "Have it your way. My car is parked in front of the bar, we can drive there."
"No driving, we're going to get seriously drunk later" Yoongi had his devilish grin back on, and Hoseok was growing quite fond of it. He, once again, resisted the urge to argue that no amount of alcohol could get him drunk, and would be perfectly fine driving them back, but kept that to himself.
Yoongi led the way, taking the subway then a few buses and a semi-long walk until they reached their destination. Hades wasn't at all comfortable with public transportation, which was way, way beneath him, but Hoseok didn't mind it that much. He did, after all, come here to try new things, things he didn't have back home.
Pigskin wasn't at all bad, Hoseok thought. He got to see Yoongi grill it and demonstrate 'the right way' of eating it, and how it was 'perfectly paired with soju'. It was fun, but apparently, that was just the beginning. The more time he spent with Yoongi, the more he wanted to get to known him, the real him and not the bartender part of him.
He had a way of keeping Hoseok on his toes, making him eager to try all the ordinary things he never tried before, things he usually thought weren't fitting for a god, but maybe that was because he hadn't met a mortal like that in a really long time. He wondered what would Yoongi be like if he ever learned the truth about him, would he be scared away, or would he take advantage of his powers as most mortals would.
He wondered if Yoongi could see through the Mist, see the world how it really was, and not through a magical veil keeping mortals safe from the dangers of immortals and monsters. He knew for a fact that Yoongi was just a mortal and not a demigod, otherwise, it would have been weird to interact with him. Of course, he would have been too busy fighting off monsters and most likely wouldn't be hanging around with a normal job and a normal life.
Once they were done, and Yoongi had insisted on paying for the second time this evening, they made their way to their next destination where they were met with Yoongi's friends. They were an odd group, Hoseok thought, but they were a part of Yoongi's life that Hoseok wanted to get to know. They introduced themselves as Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook, and the three of them seemed a little too young to hang out with Yoongi, but Hoseok didn't comment and they all made their way inside.
A club usually had everything Hoseok liked about the mortal world; alcohol, loud music, and crazy mortals, but he hasn't been to many of them on his adventures in the moral world. He figured that in order to enjoy his time in a club, he would need company, company similar, if not exactly, like the one he had right now.
They began their night with small talk, and of course, a lot of alcohol, trying to get to know each other a little better. The younger men didn't really ask how Hoseok and Yoongi met each other, and Hoseok figured they either didn't really care or that they already knew. Regardless, their night was fun so far, that was until Yoongi asked him to dance.
Lord hades does not dance.
***
There was something different about Hoseok, something Yoongi couldn't quite put a finger on, but he knew that the first time he saw him. He wasn't sure if it was his godly beauty, or his charming personality, or how naive he seemed at times, or something completely different. He just knew that Hoseok was different.
Yoongi had kept an eye on Hoseok unknowingly ever since he became a regular at his bar, and he was more than surprised when Hoseok approached him that one night. He didn't know if Hoseok just wanted someone to talk to, most people who sat right at the bar did, or if it was something more. But as soon as he saw him up close, he was drawn to him. No, he was pulled to him, a pull that was almost physical, and Yoongi knew that he needed to get closer, or else he would explode.
To his surprise, Hoseok seemed to have a similar interest in Yoongi, when usually handsome rich men weren't drawn to mere bartenders, not even for casual affairs. But Hoseok was different, he didn't act like the usual handsome rich men Yoongi had encountered before, at least not all the time.
But if Yoongi was sure about something, it was that Hoseok was out of this world. Maybe quite literally.
Yoongi almost regretted asking Hoseok to join him on his day off, he was nervous he'd screw up and have his life ruined. He knew how powerful people like Hoseok could be, and he needed to be careful, but the pull he felt towards him was almost more powerful. He mostly wanted to show Hoseok a good time, he'd noticed that he always came to the bar alone, even when Yoongi wasn't working that night, Hoseok would still show up at the bar alone, and that made Yoongi wonder if Hoseok had any friends if he had anyone to have fun with.
He was, however, thankful that Hoseok joined. When he saw how ridiculously good he looked under the afternoon sun, getting out of his luxurious car in his tailored suit, Yoongi almost lost his mind. But when he saw him in regular, comfortable clothes, Yoongi actually lost his mind. He had no idea how could someone look ethereal in simple pants and a shirt, but Hoseok did.
As much as Yoongi hated it, he kept reminding himself of the boundaries between them, even if he could call Hoseok by his first name instead of 'Mr. Jung', Yoongi knew that he couldn't be too comfortable around him. He knew that he couldn't simply make a move on him, no matter how hard restraining himself was.
Keeping those boundaries was especially hard tonight. The more he drank, the more Yoongi got confident, and the more Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook drank, the more they urged Yoongi to shoot his shot.
The three younger men were Yoongi's close friends, and of course, he had told them about Hoseok. He wasn't really someone who got 'crushes' and talked about them to his friends, but Hoseok was not like anyone he'd met before. He simply wasn't able to stop himself from telling his friends about him.
"Hyung", Jimin whispered as he scooted closer to Yoongi. "Now's a good time, you have to ask him to dance"
Yoongi sighed. Jimin had told him that the best way to tell if Hoseok was interested in him was to dance with him, as 'dancing together can be very intimate' or so Jimin had claimed. But Yoongi wasn't so sure. With the right amount of alcohol, he was a fairly good dancer, not as good as Jimin, but good enough.
He just wasn't sure if dancing with Hoseok was the right move, after all, he didn't take Hoseok for someone that enjoyed dancing in a crowded club. On the other hand, Jimin's idea was slightly better than Jungkook's 20 questions game and Taehyung's 'be straightforward' plan. Only slightly better.
Jimin handed him a newly poured shot and clapped his shoulder. "You can do it, hyung"
I can do it, he thought as he took the shot and got up to shoot his shot.
"Let's dance!" Yoongi called out to Hoseok, who was sitting on the opposite side.
Hoseok didn't seem to like Yoongi's idea, as he made a face that was half disgusted and half horrified, but that didn't stop Yoongi from getting up and actually dragging Hoseok to the dance floor. He needed to dance with him before the alcohol's effect subsided, he needed to make a move, to shoot his shot, despite all the alarms ringing in his head telling him that he should stay away.
"Yoongi I really can't-" Hoseok wanted to object, but Yoongi didn't let him.
"You wanted to do things my way", Yoongi reminded him. "Dance with me, Hoseok!"
Before he could lose his courage, Yoongi took Hoseok's hands and pulled him a little closer, encouraging Hoseok to move to the beat of the song, just as he was doing. It took a while, but Hoseok finally got the hang of it, and he looked so, very good, to the point where Yoongi could believe that dancing was created for Jung Hoseok and Jung Hoseok alone.
They danced for a while, the more Hoseok got comfortable with it, the better he was at it, which was great for him, but not so great for Yoongi. He could barely keep it together. Hoseok's body moved smoothly, in perfect harmony with the song it seemed like the song followed Hoseok's moves and not the other way around.
Yoongi couldn't deny that Hoseok had an effect on him, a weird effect he didn't quite understand. His mere presence made Yoongi more confident, his words made Yoongi curious, wanting to know more, but his movements made Yoongi feel things he definitely shouldn't, feelings of lust and need so intense, it physically ached.
Yoongi felt Hoseok's hand on the small of his back, pulling him closer, and he wondered if Hoseok sensed Yoongi's feelings, or if he had similar feelings of his own. Their dancing got, just as Jimin claimed, intimate. Hoseok's hands traveled all over Yoongi's back, and Yoongi couldn't stop himself from doing the same.
He was exhausted, but not just from dancing. He felt his feelings grow more intense with each passing second and his whole body ached. He couldn't take it anymore, he needed to do something before he combusted into a thousand pieces, he didn't care if he might regret it. His body completely took over as his mind went black, he couldn't control his actions and for a second, he saw the world in slow-mo.
He felt himself put a hand behind Hoseok's head, gently pull him down, and kissed him so passionately, he almost felt himself calm down.
"Shall we go home, Min Yoongi?" Hoseok's smirk made Yoongi's eyes widen. It was breathtaking, but there was something about it. Something different.
It finally hit Yoongi. He had been dancing with the devil.
***
Hades had an effect on mortals, his presence made them act out of their desires, but what happened tonight wasn't simply because of his effect on Yoongi. He could sense Yoongi's emotions and how they grew over time, and how they seemed to grow and intensify tonight. Maybe it was the alcohol, Hoseok thought, mortals did a lot of things under the influence of alcohol that they would never admit once they were sober, but maybe it wasn't just the alcohol.
Hoseok's own feelings intensified tonight, his interest in the bartender grew into fondness, and as hard as it was for a god to admit that they liked a particular mortal, he still did. He knew that catching feelings for mortals always brought trouble, and always ended in a harsh, brutal way, but he didn't care right now. He liked Min Yoongi.
With a wave of his hand, Hades had a car and a driver waiting for them outside the club, ready to take them away. They had said their goodbyes to the three younger men that accompanied them and rode in the backseat together. Yoongi kept his arm wrapped around Hoseok the entire duration of their ride, and Hoseok could clearly read his emotions. Lust, need, fear, and anger. He could almost understand why Yoongi would be scared and angry, and he was determined to reassure him, to put his mind at ease.
A lot of mortals felt that way towards Hades, fear, and anger, he was used to it. He was always the bad guy that took their loved ones away, the one that tortured their souls in the Fields of Punishment. But they were wrong, Hades was the lord of the dead, not the lord of death. He wasn't responsible for collecting mortal souls when they're time came, and wasn't necessarily the one responsible for their punishment, either. He was the ruler of the underworld, his responsibility was to keep order amongst the souls, to protect the creatures of the underworld. He had gotten used to all the faulty accusations, after all, humans needed someone to blame, they always did.
But Yoongi's fear and anger weren't because of Hades, as he didn't know the truth about that. He thought of him as 'businessman Jung Hoseok', powerful enough to ruin his mortal life if he messed up, which justified his fear. But his anger wasn't directed at Hoseok. He was angry with himself. He was angry that he let his desire control his actions.
They made their way to Hoseok's penthouse, which Yoongi was in awe of.
"How come you live in a hotel?" Yoongi asked, barely keeping his jaw from dropping to the floor.
Hoseok chuckled at the remark and went to pour them two glasses of whiskey.
"Yoongi, I need you to understand something", he said as he handed Yoongi his glass and took a seat on the couch next to him. "I won't hurt you, in any way, shape, or form. There's nothing to be scared of."
Hades wanted to laugh, he felt like an idiot, getting attached to a mortal, reassuring him that he wasn't going to hurt him. But it was true. This wasn't the first time Hades had protected a mortal he'd gotten fond of.
"I'm-" Yoongi began to say, but quickly stopped himself. He took a sip of the drink in his hand and looked at Hoseok, his eyes scanned every inch of him, and when Hoseok sensed his emotions, the fear that was once there seemed to be almost completely gone.
"I'm not scared", Yoongi admitted after a few moments of silence, filled only by emptying their glasses. "Not anymore."
He leaned forward and kissed Hoseok, somehow, even more passionately than the previous one, and this time Hoseok didn't hesitate. He could feel Yoongi's desire through his skin, and he could feel his own desire for the man that was practically on top of him now. He wanted to control himself for Yoongi's sake, but Yoongi kept urging for more.
Their breathing got heavier, their kisses spread from lips to necks to collar bones and their lust only got more intense. They had somehow made their way to the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind them.
***
Yoongi felt unbelievable guilt eat him up. He liked Hoseok, there was no denying it, but something wasn't sitting right in his stomach, and he knew it was more than a simple hangover.
He took a few moments to remember the events of the previous night, the shopping, dinner, and the dancing. Oh, the dancing, it was magical. But what happened afterward... It was a different kind of magic, darker, filled with lust and sin, and Yoongi sure as hell enjoyed every second of it, but he still felt guilty.
He felt like he had used Hoseok just to fulfill a hole in his chest, a hole formed by loneliness and desire. He also felt like he was being used, even though Hoseok had reassured him he wouldn't hurt him, he still felt uneasy. He tried to shake those feelings out of his mind before he got out of bed.
He was alone in Hoseok's ridiculously large hotel penthouse bedroom, Hoseok nowhere to be seen. He silently cursed himself for going to bed butt-naked, even though he so exhausted he couldn't walk the night before. He slowly got up, trying to wrap the blanket around his body then he noticed a pile of fresh clothes sitting on the elongated seat in front of the bed with a note on top of them.
The note read 'Time for you to dress according to my style. - H' in a beautiful handwriting fitting for a beautiful person such as Hoseok. Yoongi chuckled to himself, his cheeks turned a pale shade of pink before he took the clothes into the bathroom and got dressed after a quick warm shower.
He felt a little better, his guilt subsided ever so slightly. He took a look at himself in the mirror, dressed in grey dress pants and a white dress button-down that fit him perfectly. It wasn't too different from his bartender uniform, but it looked a hundred times better. He wondered how Hoseok got these clothes ready for him so early in the morning, or how he managed to get them in his exact size, but he was thankful.
He got out of the bedroom and found Hoseok sitting in the living room, dressed in a monochromatic suit as per usual, and reading a newspaper. Yoongi wanted to take a picture of that scene, to keep it with him for a long time. Hoseok looked nothing other than perfect, as usual, and it might have made Yoongi's heart skip a beat or two.
"Good morning, Mr. Jung", Yoongi greeted him as he walked into the living room. He felt the need to go back to calling him 'Mr. Jung'. Hoseok looked up at him and his eyes seemed to sparkle with joy.
"Ah! I love your style", Hoseok beamed, obviously proud of his clothing choices.
"Thank you for these", Yoongi blushed, hesitant to say the next line. "And thank you for... last night."
Hoseok smiled at him. He resisted the urge to tell Yoongi how much he enjoyed himself, how Yoongi did get him out of his shell, but he thought no mortal deserved that much praise from a god, not yet anyway.
"There's breakfast in the kitchen", Hoseok told him. "Go eat so I can take you to your 'regular daytime job'"
Hoseok wouldn't deny that he wanted to spend a little more time with Yoongi, but something had changed last night. Both of them had changed. Hoseok could feel Yoongi's emotions get mixed up and tangled the moment he walked into the room, and Hoseok's own emotions confused him. He wanted Yoongi, but he also wanted to stay away from Yoongi, to protect him from the terrible fate that usually came to those who associated with gods.
Yoongi obliged, thanked Hoseok once more, and went to eat. He was starving, extremely dehydrated, and had a terrible headache, but he found that Hoseok had prepared for all possible scenarios. There was a feast on the table in front of him rather than a simple breakfast, there were plenty of juices to choose from, and a few hangover cures that will surely work. The only thing that's stopped Yoongi from pigging out was his brand new probably very expensive white dress shirt, but other than that, he ate until he couldn't anymore, making sure to take enough of liquids and hangover cures in between bites.
Hoseok didn't join, as gods usually preferred ambrosia and nectar, and mortal food wasn't a necessity to them. With a wave of his had, Hoseok had Yoongi's clothes from last night 'dry cleaned' and neatly folded inside a small carry-on, which was magically ready once Yoongi finished eating and was ready to go. He had also pulled out a new pair of shoes to match his elegant look and replace the tennis shoes Yoongi had worn the night before, which were also tucked into the carry-on.
Hoseok insisted on driving Yoongi to work, even after the other tried multiple times to refuse. He couldn't simply let go of him, and he knew that he wouldn't be seeing him soon, anyway. He needed to clear his thoughts, and even though Yoongi didn't mention it, Hoseok knew that he needed to sort out his feelings as well.
Yoongi explained how he worked part-time in customer service at some big company, and Hoseok told him that with his looks he should have been a news reporter, or a sports reporter, or an actor, or anyone that appeared on TV. Hoseok thought that more people should see Yoongi's beauty and not just the people who barely noticed him at the bar.
Once they reached Yoongi's destination, Hoseok felt it was appropriate to give Yoongi one small parting gift.
"Thank you, once again, Mr. Jung-" Yoongi was saying but was interrupted by Hoseok's quick peck on the lips.
"I might not come to the bar these days", Hoseok said, looking away from Yoongi.
"Oh" Yoongi's energy changed, and Hoseok could feel a mix of sadness and relief in Yoongi's emotions.
"I'll come once I'm a little less busy, okay?" Hoseok quickly suggested, suddenly trying to please the mortal, to which he nodded.
"Have a good day, Mr. Jung", Yoongi said just before he exited Hoseok's car, leaving him to a weird mix of emotions a god shouldn't really feel towards a mortal.
***
Hoseok had completely avoided going to the bar, but Hades hadn't. In the past two weeks, he had visited the bar multiple times but had willed himself to go in Hades's usual mortal form, which, according to his son, looked like a classic Italian man.
He could barely admit it, but he missed Yoongi. His feelings towards him were mixed up between admiration, and confusion. He didn't want to hurt him or see him get hurt. He also felt like he shouldn't care, that Yoongi was just a mortal, and whatever happened, happened. That he's a god, and he can't just protect every mortal he took interest in.
But he also knew that Yoongi was different, and the last time he felt that way about a mortal, he was ready to take her home to the underworld and keep her safe there. He hadn't spent much time with Yoongi, barely a few months, but he knew his feelings were stronger than they should have been.
He's been keeping his distance, instead of his usual seat, or stool, at the bar, he switched back to the table he used to sit at when he first came here. But today, he might have missed Yoongi a little more and decided to finally go the stool he'd been longing for, even if he didn't look like Hoseok, he still wanted to to be close to Yoongi, to talk to him while still giving him the distance he had promised to give.
Yoongi might have been confused with his feelings a couple of weeks ago, but not anymore. Each day that had passed without seeing Hoseok, he felt worse. He'd missed him, a lot, and with each day, his guilt grew bigger, but the reason for his guilt had changed. He felt guilty of not asking for Hoseok's number so he could call him and check on him. He felt guilty of not going to the penthouse Hoseok lived in. He even felt guilty for being confused with his own feelings.
Yoongi felt like a lost child, waiting by the swings for someone to pick him up. He came to work every day, even on his days off, in hopes to see Hoseok, but with no luck. Anytime someone would take a seat at the bar in front of him, Yoongi's heart would ache a little. That was Hoseok's seat, and no one else should take it.
Yoongi's heart ached a little more today, not just because an older foreign gentleman had taken Hoseok's seat, but because he was wearing a monochromatic suit that looked a lot, if not exactly like the suits Hoseok usually wore. Even if he wasn't in the mood for it, he still had to be hospitable and polite, even if the foreign man's order made Yoongi's heart ache more.
"Your finest 25-year-old whiskey", the man had ordered and a tick went off in Yoongi's brain.
Hoseok's seat, that was one tick.
Hoseok's suit, that was another tick.
Hoseok's drink, that was the third tick, and Yoongi was barely keeping it together.
"Rough night?", the man asked Yoongi once he set his drink in front of him, and a fourth tick went off in his mind. That was the same question he had asked Hoseok the first time they spoke. It has to be a coincidence, Yoongi thought. Its the only explanation.
"No, sir", Yoongi tried for a warm smile. "Please enjoy your night."
"You look sad", the man stated, and Yoongi felt like it was a pry on his privacy, but he couldn't deny it. He was sad. This man reminded him of Hoseok in many ways, which made him miss him even more. "Is something bothering you?"
"No sire", Yoongi hesitated. "You just... remind me of a dear friend, someone I haven't seen in a while."
Hades felt bad. He could sense Yoongi's emotions, and he knew how much he was reminded of Hoseok, and how much Yoongi missed Hoseok. Hades tried to talk to him, to cheer him up, but the more he tried, the worse Yoongi's emotions had gotten. He decided it was best for Hades to leave him alone, so he went back to the table he'd often use the past two weeks.
He was deep in thought he didn't even realize someone had approached him until he heard a familiar voice that snapped him out of his train of thoughts.
"Dad? Is that you?" His son, Nico di Angelo, asked. He was the son of the last woman Hades had truly loved, the one he failed to protect.
"Take a seat, Nico", Hades simply told him. "Why are you here, so far from camp?"
"We heard from a demigod that lives here, a son of Hecate, and I came to escort him to camp", Nico explained.
"Isn't that a satyr's job?"
"Well", Nico swallowed, suddenly nervous. Nico always acted nervously around Hades, and maybe Hades hadn't been the best, most understanding father in the world, but he wasn't the worst either. "He's rumored to be really powerful and satyrs would take a long time to come here, I came with Mrs. O'Leary to keep him safe until his keeper arrives."
"Very well. But why are you here, in this bar? Besides, aren't you too young to be here?"
"I felt something powerful here like I was drawn here by some powerful force", Nico said, his voice slightly shaking. "But I didn't think it would be you. The energy, your energy... it's different somehow... and I'm 18, I can get into bars here"
Hades was always surprised at his son's powers, at his intuition. He had always seen him as a little boy, no matter how old or big he's gotten. Hades thought about the last time he'd seen Nico, it's been almost 4 years and Nico has changed a lot. He used to be a scrawny, pale kid that almost looked like a ghost, but ever since he stopped spending his time in the underworld and stayed at camp Half-Blood instead, he looked better, healthier and had grown about a foot longer.
"Something had changed, Nico, I think I changed as well", Hades admitted. He felt lost and maybe talking to his son could help him figure something out. "I feel conflicted"
Nico stayed silent and Hades knew he wasn't comfortable talking to his father, but he kept talking anyway. He knew that Nico could help him understand his emotions better.
"What would you do if you wanted to be with someone, but being with them can put their life in danger?" Hades asked his son, who stayed quiet for a long time.
"I would do everything to protect them", Nico finally answered. "I'm a demigod, danger will follow me wherever I go, but that can't stop me from being with the people I want to be with."
"Even if it was a mortal?" Hades asked.
"Dad", Nico sighed, this conversation had sucked a big amount of his energy already. "Just follow your heart. You can protect anyone, easily. Nothing will happen like... like what happened to mom."
The mention of Maria di Angelo broke his heart, even 60 years after her death. But things were different now. There were no threats of wars, no great prophecies, and no hard promises to keep. Yoongi would never be put in that situation, he was able to foresee that much.
Hades waved his hand and a backpack appeared on the table, filled with all the supplies that his son could need on his trip. He thought it was the least he could do for him, after all talking to him helped clear Hades's thoughts a little.
"You're under packed", Hades said. "Good luck on your quest."
"Th-thank you", Nico stuttered before walking out of the bar, leaving Hades once again, alone with his thoughts.
***
Watching the strange man that reminded Yoongi of Hoseok sitting in the bar, talking to an even stranger kid made Yoongi curious, but it reminded him that he could sit and talk to his friends about what's been going on, maybe they could help him.
It was his day off and his friends, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook, had agreed to go out for breakfast with him. He'd told them, briefly, about what happened over two weeks ago when they left the club together. He'd told them about how Hoseok hadn't shown up since. He'd told them about his feelings, about his guilt.
They reassured him that Hoseok was probably really busy, or out of town, and would come around in time. They told him that Hoseok seemed like a decent man who would keep his promises, and if he promised Yoongi he wouldn't hurt him, he would keep that promise. Reluctantly, he explained how much his feelings got intense, how much he missed Hoseok, and how he desperately wanted to be around him.
"Hyung, I think you should go see him", Jungkook said. "Just go to his house."
"I can't go unannounced", Yoongi said, silently cursing himself, again, that he didn't take Hoseok's number.
"Sure you can", Jimin encouraged. "This might put your mind at ease"
"What if it didn't?" Yoongi sighed. "What if it blew up in my face?"
"It wouldn't!" Jimin answered.
"You have to try, hyung." Taehyung insisted.
Yoongi thought about it. Seeing Hoseok would definitely make him feel better, but what if Hoseok didn't want to see him? Or what if Hoseok wasn't there? What if Hoseok had found someone else and moved on? Yoongi couldn't shake these feelings out of his head. He knew from the start that if something were to happen between him and Hoseok, it wouldn't be permanent, he just knew. But he didn't expect it to be that short.
His friends finally convince him to go, and he figured that there was literally nothing for him to lose.
Hades decided to go back to Hoseok's persona tonight, as his talk with his son helped him understand what he needed to do. 'Follow your heart' Nico had told him, and his heart told him he needed to go see Yoongi.
'You can protect anyone' Nico reminded him. It was true, Hades could protect whoever he wanted. Nothing was threatening the gods anymore, no by a long shot, anyway. This land was far from most ancient Greek and Roman monsters, who, even if they were present, can't harm mortals. It was far away from the gods themselves, they wouldn't cause much trouble, anyway.
He knew that today would have been Yoongi's day off, and he wondered where Yoongi would spend a cold, rainy night, like tonight. He didn't exactly have a mortal way of contacting him and suddenly popping up next to him could give him a heart attack.
Hoseok opened the front door of his temporary home, ready to go out but he was greeted by a soaking wet, shivering from the cold Yoongi, who was about to ring the doorbell.
"Mr. Jung I-" Yoongi began to say, but Hoseok dragged him inside, into his arms and kissed him a warm, warm kiss that made the shorter boy stop shivering.
"I'm sorry I dropped by unannounced" Yoongi apologized once they pulled away from each other. "I just... I needed to see you."
Hoseok smiled. He wondered if Yoongi coming to him at the same time he was about to go find him was a weird game of the Fates, but he didn't really care. He was happy to see Yoongi.
"Why don't you go dry yourself in the restroom?" Hoseok suggested. "I'll give you clean clothes and make you tea, then we'll talk"
***
It was only after Yoongi was dried up and changed that he realized how stupid he must seem in Hoseok's perspective. He had shown up unexpectedly, completely drenched in rainwater because he was the idiot who left without an umbrella even though he knew that there was a chance of rain. He wanted to go back to his confident, not-giving-two-shits attitude that he had on his way to Hoseok's place, but that had almost completely been wiped out.
He sat on the couch opposite to Hoseok, who looked as ethereal as ever, with a teacup in his hand and a blanket wrapped around him, engaging in small talk of how they've been the past couple of weeks.
He tried to regain his courage, to summon it from the depths of his soul just to be able to bring up the topic he so desperately wanted to talk to Hoseok about. Facing Hoseok made it hard, a part of Yoongi had forgotten how beautiful Hoseok was, how much power he radiated, and how his presence made Yoongi only think of certain things that weren't exactly what he wanted to talk about right now, or ever.
He must have looked funny, because Hoseok's expression softened a little, and he asked him if he was okay. Yoongi then knew he couldn't delay the talk anymore. Fuck his courage, he had to force himself to speak, whether he was ready or not.
He took a deep breath, telling himself he can do it before facing Hoseok. "I need to tell you something, it's actually the reason I came here."
Hades knew what Yoongi was about to say before he said it, and not because he could see the future. He felt the change in Yoongi's emotions, in his energy. It became almost too similar to Hoseok's. Yoongi was about to say exactly what Hoseok wanted to.
"After that night, I got confused and my feelings were all over the place", Yoongi admitted, and Hoseok knew this was hard for him, he knew he was forcing himself to speak. He knew that Yoongi wasn't too fond of expressing such deep feelings, and neither was Hades. He was a little relieved that he wasn't the one that initiated this conversation. "At first, I was glad you told me you would be busy. I thought that would give me time to figure things out. But when you didn't show up..."
Yoongi paused, maybe longer than he had intended, but Hoseok didn't mind. He thought that Yoongi didn't need to pressure himself into this, after all this was just a conversation, not a sacrifice for lord Hades. "Yoongi, there's no need-"
"I want to say this", Yoongi insisted, taking Hoseok by surprise. He wasn't used to being cut off mid-sentence, and Yoongi seemed to be doing that often, half of him wanted to smite the little mortal on spot, but the better half liked him a little too much to do that. "When you didn't show up, I felt sad. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I like you. And I don't want to pressure you or anything, just maybe consider coming by the bar again."
When Hoseok smiled, Yoongi's heart almost melted. His smile wasn't mocking or cold in any way. It filled Yoongi's whole body with warmth. He didn't need to say anything, because Yoongi understood him perfectly. He knew he wouldn't lose Hoseok, not this time, at least.
***
Days passed, or weeks, or even months, Hoseok didn't keep track, nor cared. Keeping track of time didn't matter anymore. He knew he wasn't missing anything important down in the underworld, otherwise, the Furies would have come to find him, and he knew no wife was waiting for him, and it was already summer, anyway.
All that mattered was Yoongi. How can one mortal fill the lord of the dead's heart with joy, he had no idea. Not just any mortal, a mortal that didn't know the real him, a mortal that didn't believe in him, nor his entire culture believed in him. And still, Yoongi was the only one that mattered.
Yoongi didn't just pull Hoseok out of his shell, he got him into doing things so mortal he never thought about doing them. Wearing sweatpants and something called a hoodie? Hades didn't understand the logic behind them, but Yoongi insisted he tried them. They were comfortable, sure, but his usual suits were just as comfortable and not as baggy.
Yoongi got him into eating pizza, something everyone raved about back in New York but Hades never cared enough to try. When he did, he almost understood why modern mortals were so obsessed with it. But the most ridiculous thing that Yoongi had gotten him into was drinking beer. He specifically instructed that beer was best when wearing sweatpants and eating pizza, or 'just chilling', even though Hades didn't fully understand what that meant. He did it, anyway, just for Yoongi, and he was once again surprised at how Yoongi's ideas were good.
Years could have passed and Hades wouldn't even bat an eye, because at this moment, sitting on Yoongi's couch, a beer in one hand and Yoongi wrapped in the other, nothing else mattered. The underworld could be turned into chaos and hell and Hades would give a rat's ass. He was happy, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long, long time ago. Hoseok was happy.
Yoongi had no idea how he had managed to convince Hoseok to do, well, anything. He would often wonder, how a man that would only wear suits and drink the finest wines and whiskeys can be sitting on his couch in sweatpants, eating cheap pizza, and drinking even cheaper beer. Or how that same man, a man of high status in society, agreed on going to the most regular places for dates or even dance with Yoongi at average clubs. Or how he managed to look godly while doing anything, really, is beyond Yoongi.
"I know this isn't going to last forever", Yoongi thought, but when Hoseok turned to him with a raised eyebrow, he realized he'd unintentionally said it out loud. He swallowed, too embarrassed by his action. But, fuck it, it's Hoseok, right? Yoongi could say anything he wanted, now. He wasn't scared anymore. "I mean, it isn't, but I'm happy. One day we'll have to go our separate ways, but I know I won't have any regrets."
"No regrets", Hoseok agreed, his smile as warm as ever. "Let's just enjoy what we have, and not worry about what's to come."
Yoongi looked confused, he could have sworn he'd seen something... something he can't quite place, but his confusion disappeared as soon as it came, and he pulled Hoseok into a kiss.
Hoseok almost cursed all of humanity into its doom. At some point in history, mortals actually believed that Hades was the lord of death, the angel of death. They believed that he had a pair of huge, stupid, black wings and one day, a pair of huge, stupid, black wings appeared on Hades's back. He could will them to disappear, but they would sometimes pop up out of nowhere just to spite him. He hated being confused for Thanatos, and he definitely wasn't an angel with wings.
When Yoongi said was he said, Hades's wings decided to appear. Maybe they'd sensed his emotions changing, his heart sinking at the thought of losing Yoongi one day. He willed them to disappear and wondered if Yoongi's confused expression meant that he noticed something.
Hoseok brushed it off, and pulled Yoongi in for another kiss, and then another kiss.
"No regrets", Yoongi repeated and kissed Hoseok once again.