Work Text:
Singing was not a sound often heard in the underworld. Hades himself had not heard it in millennia. Those in the fields of punishment had nothing to sing about, those in asphodel had long since lost any memories of music. Maybe in Elysium they sang, but it was not something he could claim to have heard. Persephone did not sing in the underworld, the best would be a tuneless hum in her garden to help her flowers survive. But singing outright had never been heard in his castle. That had been the case for millenia and should have been the case for many more. At least, until one Will Solace entered the underworld.
Unlike many demigods, this one was not dead, in fact, he was in the castle of Hades’ own invitation. The underworld had not seemed to deter the boy much, he seemed to bring his own source of sunlight, and for that, Persephone adored him. Hades did not quite understand the appeal if he was honest but the boy was not completely unbearable, so he was allowed to stay and visit.
But this was unheard of.
The boy's voice was not terrible, it was not something a mortal would pay to go see in a concert, but he could hold a tune. The song was terrible, it was a song that he knew would be described as pop in this millenia. Hades had never understood the musical trends of the world, they all moved so fast and they never seemed to be very good. He found himself seized with the need for the noise to cease, and made his way toward it. This was of course, his domain, and he had every right to stop it.
Although he could simply appear in his son's room, he had been told by Nico that this was in fact, inappropriate and one should always knock. Human customs were strange. He stormed his way through the halls, getting himself ready to “raise hell” as it were. When he heard a new noise. One that was also seldom heard in the underworld, and one that he had never heard before, not from the person it was coming from at least.
Laughter.
The purest kind, timid and soft but full of joy came through the open door, from his son’s mouth. Hades found himself frozen as he looked at the scene in front of him. His son being pulled around in something that vaguely resembled dancing, by the son of Apollo. Too bright and calm for the underworld. Hades found himself watching for what could have been minutes, or hours. Time, afterall, worked differently in the underworld. His son, Nico, had a smile on his face. It wasn’t as wide or obnoxious as the one on his boyfriends’ face, but it changed his face. One so much like Hades’ it was strange to see the expression on it.
When he eventually turned around, he was met with the sight of Persephone, her eyes shining and a soft smile on her face as she looked over his shoulder at the two boys. This was another sight that was rare in the underworld. Persephone did not dislike her time in the underworld anymore, but smiling was hard for her, without the sun, she was drained, wilted, like her flowers. She put her hand on his shoulder and smiled once again before turning and walking back to their throne room. He turned back to the scene of his son and the son of Apollo before softly closing the door and following her.
Maybe just this once, he would allow bad pop songs to be sung in the underworld.
Just this once though, of course.