Chapter Text
Human Hibernation Syndrome, Algogenic-Lethargica, Cold Sleeping, Snow Angel Disorder:
An extremely rare condition which causes people severe physical pain, excessive daytime sleepiness, and in certain cases, complete comatose states for weeks at a time when exposed to temperatures ranging from 16 Celsius (61 Fahrenheit) to 4 Celsius (40 Fahrenheit). The current cause is unknown, though it’s thought to be brought about by the hibernation gene no longer staying dormant within a persons' biology. The only known cure is to keep the afflicted above 16 Celsius in any conceivable way possible.
It was never my intention to get that close to someone again. It was never my intention to lie down in her bed and cuddle close to her like she was mine. I never thought I wanted to be in love again.
Before her, I was the quiet shut-in. A funeral director, buried deep in the bowels of a mortuary. I cleaned the bodies, dressed them up, and decorated the ceremony hall. I gathered the flowers to place on the mantelpiece, and stayed in the stomach of the funeral home, soaking in the stench of the dead.
Out of all my siblings, I had pulled the short straw in life as the oldest. My middle brother, Poseidon, was a Marine Biology student, and my youngest, Zeus, was the President of the Student Council at his sixth form. He was good at everything and waited for no one, not even our parents. He was already moved out into his flat at age seventeen and had four scholarships to whatever university he so chose. Poseidon was fairly quiet about his studies, much like myself. He much preferred to keep out of the limelight, only coming out on occasion to ask how everyone was or talk about how some new algae were found off the coast of Venice or about how “Dolphins are actually really predatory,” so on and so forth. Meanwhile, Zeus raved on and on in our family group chat about how hard he’s working and how difficult it is being so young and living on his own. I didn’t usually say anything, but I was included nonetheless.
Both my younger brothers felt the need to keep me in the loop about every and anything they desired. They both had beautiful partners, though I did not care for the way they looked if I am honest; they were smart and kind women. Women never appealed to me in the way they appealed to my brothers, as sex objects. To them, they were just means to an end, something to do and then be done with. I never found myself attracted to the women they wanted or found their young infatuations very healthy.
The one romantic engagement that made me feel anything was the Head of Mortuary Services’ beautiful daughter, Minthe. She had long since got over me after our constant heated nights of either romantic entanglement or haughty arguments. It was hard to tell where she stood with me at any given time, but she always dropped by at the worst of them. She was the same age as Poseidon, twenty-three. I only remember it because she constantly teased me for my preference for younger women.
It was that Monday, the twenty-fourth of April. Poseidon had privately messaged me earlier in that week to schedule a meetup with him and a friend of his. The fact that he felt the need to bring me along was strange, but not unwelcome. It had been quite a few months since I had hung out with him, without Zeus to cause a bothersome stir in public. He and I could at least understand each other on a base level, whereas the youngest was an outspoken maniac with a love for the theatrics in life. I pulled my black overcoat around my shoulders and started towards the coffee bar that stood in the middle ground between our block of flats.
The scent of spring was already heavy in the air as pollen and dust ravaged my senses. I would be lying to myself if I said I thought it was beautiful at the time. The flowers could only live for so long before withering away or being stomped on by someone who had no care for the smallest beauties in life. It was depressing to watch things grow since they would most certainly die in just a few months, so I kept my gardening habits to the utmost minimum. A few succulents on a nightstand with ample sunlight was all I could handle.
I waited outside for Poseidon, sweat beading down my arms from the weight of my coat. The bothersome thing was meant for autumn and winter, but I wore it everywhere, regardless of the weather. Zeus called it a comfort object, but I just found wearing it was comfortable. No one could see through it, and by proxy, through me.
Poseidon arrived in the distance not long after I had sat down. We looked nothing alike; Poseidon was gifted with a head of thick blonde hair, a lean and well-kept physique, and piercing green eyes. I was cursed with short and tattered black hair, a long and thin body, and dark blue eyes.
“I’m so glad you showed up, Hades. I knew you’d be here for your baby brother,” Poseidon beamed at me, ushering us both inside. I followed him as we were led to a small table in the back. It could seat up to four people, and the wood was dark.
“So where’s your friend?” I asked as I flipped through the menu. Poseidon took his seat against the wall, opposite me.
“Don’t worry about it.” he smiled, showing me his favourite item from this place. It was quaint, dark, and more gothic than I previously thought. “I missed you a lot. Classes are starting back up soon, and I am in hell.” he continued and pulled back strands of loose hair. It was always so long and carefree, the way he styled it. Gentle waves of platinum giving him the youthful glow he always had, unlike the mess I had given myself for the past six years.
“Right, you were saying that. Have you decided on any electives yet, or is it just going for the gold at this point?” I sipped on the icy water the waitress had left us. Poseidon shrugged his shoulders, playing with his straw and watching beads of water drip onto the wooden table.
“I have an idea, maybe equine studies or even seismology. Something unexpected and new. I want to broaden my horizons and test myself,” he said, the ends of his mouth curling into a devious grim. I smiled back at him, taking another long sip.
“Seems like something you’d do. And your girlfriend doesn’t have an issue with you doing nights?” My hands trace the soft joints in my knuckles as I speak. Poseidon leaned back and shrugged his shoulders.
“Doesn’t really matter, does it? She’s got day classes and I get night classes. We like the even rotation. Just sucks that we don’t get much time together any more. Maybe I should find someone to hang out with after class.” he sipped his coffee before looking over my shoulder and beaming even brighter. Standing up, he rushed over to greet someone. I turned my head and there she stood.
She was short with shoulder-length black hair. Her olive skin gave her the glow of an angel, her button nose was perfectly placed above two bright pink lips. She was wearing a light pink top and a navy blue pencil skirt. And the smile, the perfect gentle smile she had across her lips. It was like she was a Greek sun, and I was debris caught in her orbit.
Poseidon brought her over to our table and I froze, immediately. My hands quivered as I watched her glide over to me. She extended her hand as Poseidon spoke.
“Hades, this is Persephone. Persephone, Hades.” Poseidon’s introduction felt like it was taking forever. I stood up, towering over both of them, as I took Persephone’s hand and shook it gently. She felt as though she was made of silk and flower petals, soft and inviting to my death singed hands.
“Pleasure to meet you.” was all that could escape my mouth without my face becoming any pinker.
“Oh, please. The pleasure is mine. Poseidon has told me so much about you!” Persephone chirped as she took the seat in front of me. Poseidon looked around a bit before nudging Persephone’s shoulder.
“Where’s Artemis?”
“Oh, decided to ditch again. She doesn’t really like these sorts of setups, y’know?” Persephone rolled her eyes. Poseidon laughed and I hesitated with a chuckle. Her eyes still lingered on me as we sat down. She had her hands tucked beneath her chin and smiled even wider.
“What about you, Hades? Minthe couldn’t make it?” Poseidon teased, and I gritted my teeth.
“I would rather not talk about my love life in front of your friend.” I must have sounded curt because Poseidon threw up his hands and backed off. The two of them began to babble to one another, and I got lost in their conversation. Persephone was a pinnacle of beauty, in all respects. Her giggles and coy smile made her all the more gorgeous.
“My mum wants me to start working with her at Gaia,” Persephone mentioned, and my ears perked. That was directly next to the mortuary. I smiled at her and finally spoke.
“Oh, I know that place. The shop-owner is an absolute hag.” Poseidon looked at me as though I had just committed a cardinal sin, and I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion. Persephone laughed, and Poseidon looked at her as well. She was laughing with her whole stomach. Adorable.
“You can say that again!” Her voice rang through the restaurant as she settled down, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. I smiled at her and continued, ripping the old woman to shreds. She was a haggard old thing, her black hair always kept in a tight bun, a tight-fit suit against her shapeless body, and skin that was kept tight only by the fear she struck in the hearts of her follicles if they dared step out of line. She was the definition of a witch.
“My mum is truly a crazy old bat,” Persephone giggled, finishing a sip of her water. I hesitated to speak.
“Your mum?”
“Well, yeah. Why else would she want me to work at that crusty old hole?” She took a bite of whatever she had ordered previously.
“It’s such a depressing little crevice. Even more depressing than my workplace.” I swallowed the need to say what it was. It wasn’t important.
“He works at a funeral home,” Poseidon spoke up, and I rolled my eyes. Persephone’s eyes went wide as she repeated the words ‘funeral home’, and was met with both Poseidon and I nodding.
“The worlds’ most depressing career, I know.” I groaned. But she didn’t seem to care. She didn’t care about anything. We just continued talking about something distant. Something I can’t quite recall. But she hung on to every word I spoke, every little thing I said.
After the brunch, Persephone slipped me a piece of paper and I walked with Poseidon back to my car.
“You really know how to put the moves on a girl,” he chuckled. I unlocked the door and shrugged.
“I was just being kind, she sounds like she’s doing fine without a grandparent like me.”
“She was flirting with you, dork. I have to head back for some lab testing on new samples, so I’ll text you later. See ya’ 'round, blobfish.” he turned, and I waved to him.
“Later, you sea urchin.”
The drive home was slow, painful. The urge to message Persephone was rampant in my chest, and even more so in my fingers. The minute I locked my flat door behind me, I plugged the number into my phone and messaged.
Hey, it’s Poseidon’s older brother, Aidoneus. (13:24)
I stared at the message, realizing my full name was in the text rather than what she knew me as, and frantically texted again.
Hades* (13:24)
The screen stayed the same, my two messages the only interaction. With a heavy sigh, I sat my phone on the kitchen counter and plopped onto the couch, pulling my overcoat off and rubbing my temple with both palms. I shouldn’t be texting her. Her mother would kill me if she found me fraternizing with her daughter. The old crone was terrified of me even touching her precious flowers, lest they wilt and die before her very eyes. I flicked on the television and walked back into the kitchen. There was a message from Persephone.
lol hey! is that your full name?? its suuuuuuuper cute! (13:26)
My heart throbbed at her message. It felt strange seeing someone call me cute, especially her, someone whose entire being embodied cute. My cheeks flushed bright red and I watched as another message popped up on the screen.
soo I was wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out, just you and me at some point? :d we dont have to you just seem really cool and nice and aaaaaaaaaa (13:27)
She was asking me on a date. Just me and her, alone together. I nod my head rapidly, responding as quickly as my fingers can move.
That sounds lovely. Where would you like to go? (13:27)
:) (13:27)