Work Text:
This is a very quick translated work, I am sorry for any unclear expression, but I think this story would still make sense.
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Long after Zagreus became Thanatos’ boyfriend, he starts to remember that there was something truly happened between he and Thanatos before he tried to escape from the underworld and that "I haven’t talk to Thanatos for a long time”. When the two of them weren’t as tall and strong as they are now, Zagreus always stay with Thanatos, they crawled through the fence at the end of the corridor when Nyx was not there, and they played in the garden left by Persephone.
There was no visitor in that garden for very long time, but it was not overgrown with weeds at all. In fact, when Zagreus first entered, he was surprised at the cleanliness of the garden because he thought that Dusa should not have the permission to come into here: no body really get the permission. This should be a very useful clue, but at that time, it did not ring the bell for the prince.
At the first few time, Thanatos was really careful, he kept saying something like “we should never be here”. he had not fully obtained the position of Death at that time, but he already had the rigorous and upright manner in the future. However, Thanatos was just a teen at the time, and his arm was not as long as his saber. He has long hair, which is often scattered. He is very lazy about combing his hair and tie them up, so he always wears a hood to make himself look neater.
Young Thanatos, he tried to persuade the prince to not come into here, but when he came to the garden for the third time, he became just like Zagreus, indulged in purple, soft bushes, and fragrant pomegranate fruits.
That thing happened in a normal night of underworld. They basically just sneaked in, and lay down on their favourite piece of grass, feeling the scent of soil and plants. Just at this moment, Nyx and Megaera walked into the corridor together (Zagreus and Thanatos just decided not to open this secret garden to Megaera for the time being, you know, "boys’ secret " thing).
Zagreus quickly got up, grabbed Thanatos' arm in the same second, then he rushed to the bushes aside. He seemed to be the one who dared to bring friends to somewhere blocked to play, but he was actually very nervous of being find, so at this moment, Zagreus stumbled first, then slammed his head into the bushes, he tired to stop himself from smashing to the ground, but Thanatos was following him just in a few steps.
Both was unable to stop immediately, they crashed into each other, and fell into the path behind the bushes. Reaper's elbow slammed Zagreus' head. The prince rubbed his forehead, and when he was about to say something, Thanatos suddenly covered his mouth and motioned with his eyes that Zagreus really should be quiet now.
While in the next few seconds, the two of them were basically pasted together, listening carefully to the voices coming from outside: Megaera was talking to Nyx, and neither of their two found that there are two intruders hiding in the garden at the end of the corridor.
Almost untimely, Zagreus quickly became distracted: Thanatos’s cold palms pressed against his mouth, and Zagreus’ body temperature radiated in this narrow gap between Thanatos’ palm and his lips, quickly heated up the palm of Thanatos.
Zagreus was not that nervous when he was almost caught breaking into the garden, but now his heart began to beat hardly.
“Zag? We need to wait lon…what are you doing?”
Thanatos retracted his hand, his hair slipped out of his hood just now. The silky, silver hair had a sharp gloss just like a perfect blade. Zagreus suddenly realized that he might have pulled Thanatos’ hair hardly just now, but Thanatos also slammed on his forehead, it hurts, he thought, clueless, so it would be even, right?
Thanatos rubbed his hands on his pants and looked at Zagreus suspiciously. The prince’s eyes were shiny, his forehead was still red, and his eyebrows were slightly frowned. He was slightly younger than Thanatos, and Thanatos thought that is why Zagreus face was still a tiny little childish. There was a soft and focused sight from Zagreus’ eyes of different colors, like he is looking at something that is fascinating. If Zagreus insisted Thanatos to describe this appearance for him, Thanatos would only tell him that you looked like you were sleepwalking, with a wonderful dream.
“Zag?”
Thanatos patted him on the shoulder, Zagreus immediately looked at him again. Prince Zagreus’ manners are not decent enough in most of the cases, and now the laurel crown on his head is also stuffing with two purple bush leaves.
The voices of Nyx and Megaera 's talking gradually drifted away. It was strange that they could no longer be found now, but Zagreus’ heart was still beating frantically.
“We can come out now, Zag.”
Thanatos reminded in a low voice.
He just can’t get it, isn’t he? Thought Zagreus, but, what is “get it” exactly?
Zagreus felt his lips beating at that moment, but he himself seemed to have been fixed by a spell. Zagreus stared at Thanatos, watching him took a few steps forward, Thanatos’ robe twitched on the blades of grass, and he stepped barefoot across the ground, with the sound of wet footprints. Zagreus thought of Thanatos, and suddenly felt a panic in his heart, or it was not a panic, but a hot itching on his chest. This is very unusual, at least till today, it has never appeared in Zagreus.
“Than, wait a sec…”
Zagreus bit his lip, and after saying this, he began to regret: He originally wanted to ask Thanatos if he had ever experienced this kind of feeling. Thanatos is a little bit older than him, he might know something about this, but then Zagreus realized that Thanatos would not understand, he was different from himself, Zagreus is the only one who has body temperature and a beating heart in here. Thanatos would only think he asked a stupid question without an answer.
The young Thanatos turned his head, then looked at his best friend, he stared at Zagreus' sweaty cheeks, his warm skin was constantly passing heat towards Thanatos. Sometimes when Thanatos and Zagreus are together, the former always feels that he has been integrated with the air around Zagreus, they accept the heat from the prince together.
Death is so equal, and the fire of life of Zagreus is also illuminates everything around him equally.
“Are you okay?” said Thanatos, “Does your forehead feel better?”
Thanatos’ tone was very calm, he looked into prince’s eyes, ignorant of the suffering in the prince’s heart, and asked as if persecuting, “And, why did you kiss my palm just now?"
"I...I don't know..." Zagreus replied, he really had no idea.
Thanatos came closer, and stood with him in the shadow of the pomegranate tree.
They only looked at each other for two seconds, and then they rubbing each other quickly into their arms together, faces came so close, that they started kissing each other immediately. Zagreus was truly puzzled in his heart, but he kissed Thanatos fiercely and anxiously.
Their teeth collided, front teeth pressed against their lips, Thanatos frowned in pain, he did not step back, but grabbed Zagreus’ neck and pressed the prince’s lips against his lips. Thanatos’ fingers were cold, holding the prince's jaw line like pliers, putting his index finger behind Zagreus’ ear, and Thanatos just poking the finger tip into prince’s sweaty hair.
Zagreus was ecstatic for his response. He tore off Thanatos' hood and plunged his fingers into the thick silver: he wanted to do it a long time ago!
Those hairs were cool against his fingers, now his fingerprints are beating with the heart as well. My God, my God, Zagreus feels like he's going to burn all over. If he wasn't really that greedy for the touch, he would just want to take his fingers out of Thanatos’ hair now, otherwise the heat would be burn both of them.
Thanatos took a bite on the tip of Zagreus’ tongue, and brought the warm tongue into his own mouth. He felt his knuckles trembling, along with his heart that would not beat at all. The young Thanatos gradually couldn't hold the prince's face hard anymore, now it is more like a gentle touch.
In order to make up for this, he squeezed Zagreus' lips with his own lips, so that all the lip lines were stretched out and tightly fitted, as if there was no such thing as tightly fitted in the world. Mouth was pressed between their lips, wet and squeaky.
Zagreus couldn't help but imagine that a little blood appeared on Thanatos' lips. He was dizzy: oh my god, HE IS KISSING THANATOS, he was kissing his best friend Thanatos! And Zagreus didn't even know where this enthusiasm came from.
Thanatos responded enthusiastically to him-it was a great fortune! -the cold mouth of Thanatos almost encapsulated Zagreus’ tongue, Thanatos rubbed his teeth against Zagreus’s tongue, and touched nape of prince’s neck with his fingers. He had discovered that as long as he rubbed back and forth there with his fingertips, Zagreus would sigh intoxicatedly when kissing, as if Cerberus was touched on his chin.
Zagreus gasped and slowly let go of his lips. The prince's face flushed, and the sleepwalking look was gone, his eyes were brighter, and he kept staring at Thanatos' shiny lips.
So they really kissed, Zagreus couldn't imagine this. Of course, Zagreus knows what kissing is, he also knows exactly what do people do when they are kissing, and he is pretty sure Thanatos knows this too, but why? Why kiss? Why should he kiss him? Will friends like them kiss each other?
“…I don’t think friends will kiss like that…” Thanatos said, just answered the question in Zagreus’ mind.
Thanatos licked his lips, his hair was a little messy, and Zagreus could still see the silver light reflected between the curled hair: Thanatos responded, and Thanatos didn't think his friends would kiss... Then, what are they? If they kiss and friends will not kiss…what are they?
Thanatos looked at him, in this forbidden garden. The light shone from behind him, drawing a silver border, as bright as his golden eyes. Thanatos is slightly taller than Zagreus, but still has the thinness of his youth.
Zagreus looked at him, speechless.
All he thought about was the hair he had just touched, Thanatos’s hair, the thick, blade-like silver hair. Under Tantaros’s gaze, the prince faltered, his palms were cold, as if his beautiful hair was still in his hands.
I must find another chance to touch his hair again. Zagreus thought.