Work Text:
One look. One look at her warm skin and wintry gaze was all it took for Orpheus to fall for Euridyce. She took a bit more convincing, having been taught the ways of the world from a young age. She knew how to survive, and knew that a relationship just meant one more mouth to feed, so she never bothered.
A single rose is what changed her perspective, ever so slightly. This flower, bloomed by the magic voice of Orpheus, was just enough for her to consider the idea that there’s more to life than just surviving . She began to toy with the idea of living .
***
The world grew brighter once the Queen of the Underworld resurfaced, and with the warmth came celebrations. Every night the train station was full of people dancing and drinking. One peak of these celebrations came with Persephone offering to marry anyone who asked, promising a gift for each couple.
Orpheus and Eurydice weren’t the first or the last ones to take up the goddess’ offer, but those congregated showered the couple with joy just the same, leaving rice in the flowers around both their heads.
Persephone considered the couple, lips pursed and eyes slightly glazed, as they often were on her visits. She suddenly clapped and reached deeply into her suitcase.
“For the poet and the survivor, I have a bit of a more… personalized gift,” she said, a giggle beneath the surface. She finally retrieved a small box, which she opened for the newlyweds. Inside were two rings, wooden and engraved with small music notes, hearts replacing the note heads.
“May you always have a beat to sing to,” she finished with a flourishing wink. Orpheus and Eurydice donned the rings, feeling the smooth wood against their skin, along with an unnatural pulsing. It was Euridyce who understood first, and she took her husband’s hand, laying it against her chest, showing him the matching beat to his ring.
***
The Goddess of Spring was gone, and the world was dark once again. Orpheus was determined to finish his work, determined to make the seasons right for his new wife. Eurydice began her search for supplies, cursing all the time she had wasted during the summer that could have been spent growing crops, preparing for the season’s change. It came too soon anyway , her subconscious helpfully reminded her.
The weeks passed like this, the once happy couple now spending most of every day apart, focused on their individual goals. Neither of them were prepared for the storm, the wind and snow turning the once familiar roads into a labyrinth, where Eurydice had no golden thread to follow.
***
One moment. One moment of desperation, or hunger, of cold, and Eurydice chose what she thought would lead to survival. The vibrations of the strings on Orpheus’ lyre disguised the moment that the pulsing of his ring stopped.
***
The ruler of the Underworld, the owner of Eurydice, has given the lovers a test. Orpheus must walk back to the surface, with Eurydice behind him. If he turns to look at her, she is trapped forever.
The tunnels are long and dark, more so than they were on his trip down. He tried to focus on the sound of their footsteps, walking together. Tried to believe the reassuring words she gave him. But who was to say that Hades wouldn’t trick him? Orpheus remembered the tales of the gods Hermes told him as a child. He knew the tricks they played.
What could one glance hurt? Came a voice in the back of his mind. Just to be sure. Came another. Orpheus brought his hands to his ears, trying to block out the laughing voices, taunting him. The pressure allowed him some solace, as he was able to focus on his own heartbeat, along with the pulse of his finger.
Orpheus’ eyes, which had been squeezed shut, shot back open, his gaze going to his hand, to the ring gifted to him and his wife by Persephone. It was faint, yes, but there was definitely a pulse, and the closer to the surface he was, the stronger the pulse.
This pulse, the heartbeat of his love in his hand, kept him sane, all the way until he reached the train station. Before the door could even close behind him, he felt a smaller body rush into him, more force than he thought possible. Hermes looked at him from behind the bar, nodding, telling his charge It’s okay. You made it.