Archive of Our Own

Zagreus couldn't tear his eyes off his hand.

The ring encircling his left index—a return gift from Thanatos to seal their engagement—shimmered under the living room's lamp. He played with the light, testing out every angle, as mesmerized as a child would be, and smiling sheepishly when the garnet stone shone like an ember. Both his head and heart were too full of happiness to pay attention to anything else, and he didn't mind at all.

"You're going to get a cramp," Thanatos warned.

"Maybe," Zagreus responded with a little giggle. "But it would be worth it."

Thanatos stifled a laugh. Then, a few seconds later, a loud thud made the coffee table tremble and Zagreus jumped from his seat. He finally glanced away from his hand, only to have his gaze fall on an impressive pile of papers and magazines.

Ah. Yes. This.

"I'd rather you keep your strength for this," Thanatos said as he sat beside him, shoulder to shoulder. "We need to start listing the guests and sort out a sample for the invitation, then find a place for the ceremony and organize each table and—"

"Or we could just elope," Zagreus cut with a fake innocent tone. He risked a glance to the side to check the effect of his tease.

It went beyond his expectations. 

Thanatos threw him a disbelieving wince, his brows knit together and lips slightly parted, as if petrified while attempting a speech. Zagreus bit the inside of his cheek to suppress a laugh. 

After a good minute of silence, Thanatos resumed sorting the pile all naturally, with an expression close to a pout. "Hypnos and Megaera would never forgive me if I did. Especially Meg."

"Yeah, I figured as mu—wait. What?" It was Zagreus' turn to look dumbfounded. Thanatos arched a brow at him. "I mean… okay, Hypnos is your brother and Miss Megaera is a dear friend of yours, but them aside… well, I expected you would mention your mother."

Zagreus had met Thanatos' mother once; that single meeting had been enough for him to state that the relationship between them was closer to idolization. Madam Nyx was the complete opposite of Persephone. If Zagreus compared his mother like a flower in bloom—full of life and sparkling with vitality, then Nyx was as inscrutable as the night. The woman was tall and noble, her smiles were scarce and furtive like a shadow; and yet she wasn't unapproachable. Her way of speaking was a bit cryptic, but she had welcomed Zagreus warmly, taking him in a soft embrace and giving her blessing for their relationship the second they had parted. Somehow, Zagreus felt he knew her, though they had never met before.

Thanatos made another scoff and flipped one of his bangs. "You will be surprised to know my mother wouldn't be that upset. Charon did the same long ago; she was a bit more disapproving when Hypnos tried to elope with Pasithae though—that girl was a bad influence."

"I see, huh…" Zagreus said pensively. Then, the spark of an idea lit up. "Wait. So you're not against the idea of eloping? I mean… you have principles and all, so—"

"The same principles that led me to be over-dramatic and step on that red line between work and personal matters?" Thanatos smirked. "I mentioned it before, but back in my teens, I was a bit more… prone to show how little I cared about conventional opinions."

The image of the photo Thanatos had shown during his first visit at his parents' place flashed in Zagreus' mind. A young man, with a tall and thin silhouette, long arms and long hair, piercings adorning the shell of his ears, and wrapped with dark and flouncing clothing.

A content smile drew across Zagreus' face. "Hm, hm. I see what you mean."

Beside him, Thanatos shuffled a bit, accompanied with a brief cough. "Anyway," he said, "I'm not sure your father will approve of such behavior from us."

Ah.

Thanatos wasn't wrong here; though his relationship with his father had improved lately, Hades still had principles as well, and wasn't one to ‘live a little’, so to say. Running away to get married in their own corner would certainly ruin that fragile peace that both Hades and Zagreus had struggled to build.

"I suppose you're right," Zagreus conceded with a resigned sigh. "So, what's the plan now?"

In lieu of words, Thanatos shoved a couple of paper sheets at him. "First off, we ought to list every person we would like to attend the ceremony. That alone should keep us occupied for a while."

"Oh." A hint of disappointment pointed at Zagreus' throat. "Well, let's go then. The faster we're done with this, the earlier we can enjoy time together!"

"Hardly," Thanatos interjected. "Because after that we will have to brainstorm ideas for the food and suppliers."

This time, Zagreus' smile faded, replaced with a light wince of reluctance. Thanatos was already staring at his own paper, his brows slightly furrowed in focus and his hand scribbling a few names. With a renewed sigh, Zagreus looked down as well and began to write his parents' names.

~|~

The next weekend at his parents' place felt like a breath of life to Zagreus. Feeling freed from thinking about guests, placements around the tables, food suppliers and menus for the reception and dinner, he very much enjoyed giving his mother the greeting embrace she deserved.

"Oh my, son!" she chirped with a pat on his back. "We are living just a few blocks away, how has it been this long since we last saw each other beside work? I'm glad to know you’ve  missed me so much."

"You have no idea," Zagreus breathed out in her hair.

"Really? Then let's talk about it with a good old cup of tea," his mother chimed.

Soon Persephone's laughter rang against the walls of the living room, much to Zagreus' dismay.

"Is it this funny, mom?" he pouted. "Maybe you, well, can you give me a few pieces of advice about how to handle this? Than is completely capable, but I really feel like a dead weight to him…"

It took a few moments for Persephone to calm down. Then, after whipping one last tear of laughter, she gathered herself and grinned. "Well… I may not be the best to guide you about managing a wedding. Sorry, son!"

A disbelieving scoff caught in Zagreus' throat. "What? Are you serious? You're so great at managing the shop, why wouldn't you be able to help us with the wedding?" He blinked, realizing something. "Oh yes, I know; it's father, right? I guess he took care of everything, considering his, huh… temper?"

"Oh, you would be surprised, Zagreus." The echo of the entrance door then echoed from the corridor. A mischievous smile drew on her lips. "Speaking of which—"

The impressive silhouette of his father appeared in the doorway.

"Greetings, boy."

"Good afternoon to you too, father."

Despite all his efforts, Zagreus couldn't fully erase the hint of cynicism in his voice. Hades didn't seem to mind, though, and merely nodded back at him, before sitting at his usual place at the table.

"Perfect timing, dear," Persephone said. "Zagreus was just talking about his wedding, and how much he wants a little advice from us." 

A strange breeze went through Hades' beard. Zagreus blinked; was it a tremble ? Was his father having actual emotion aside from sternness and formality? Silence grew in the room then; but strangely, there wasn't any tension in the air. Only this odd feeling that Hades, his ever stone-faced father, was feeling… uncomfortable?

"It is a tough task, indeed," his father eventually observed. "However, you may not seek anything from me or your mother."

"What?" Zagreus felt blood run hot in his head. "So what, you're going to say Than and I should do it by ourselves? That getting help is, I don't know, proof of failure or something?"

"Please, Zagreus, you're getting the wrong idea," Persephone intervened. He turned his face to her; for some reason, her smile hadn't faded. "What your father is trying to say, is—"

"—we didn’t have a proper wedding in our youth," Hades finished.

Zagreus gaped. For a long while—or so how it felt to him—he stared at his parents in turn, too stunned to be able to formulate any cohesive thought. Hades and Persephone remained silent, apparently patiently waiting for him to make any comment. Then, after a couple of minutes, words managed to find their way out.

"Wha— But how— and when— I mean, what ?"

Persephone giggled. She stood up to walk around the table, and patted his shoulder; like she would with an old man. "Yes, my son, it appears your dear mother isn't as perfect as you thought.

"When I turned twenty, I was already so sick of my mother. She wanted the best for me, she said. So she controlled everything in my life; school, hobbies, friends… When I entered university, I felt like I was finally free, but I knew nothing of socializing from scratch with people. All I got until then were fake friendships, so how was I supposed to behave with people I never met?

"And yet, thanks to your father's dedication, we got together. Alas, my mother heard about it and of course, tried to step in our relationship. But before she could, we decided to flee; to get away, as far as possible from her."

"And where did you go?" Zagreus asked, still exchanging glances between his parents.

"England," Hades said. He sighed, visibly annoyed at himself for stepping in. "Your Grandmother holds great pride in her Greek parentage. She, however, never thought as much about her late husband. England is an island, doesn't want to meddle with others; they are selfish, per her words. That is precisely why your mother chose this place."

"Yes, and I'm so glad we did. We stayed just for our secret ceremony, and came back to Greece when it was done. Mother was furious," Persephone added with a hint of pride in her tone. 

"I don't get why you never told me this," Zagreus said with a frown. "I'm your son!"

Persephone rolled her eyes and shrugged. "You never asked."

Scandalized, Zagreus opened his mouth to counter, but no words came out. Well, true, he never had asked; but eloping wasn’t like any other random topic to talk about either. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, still trying to process the whole thing. His parents regarded him, obviously both amused by the situation—to some extent, concerning his father.

"So I suppose I'll have to look on the net to get some advice then," Zagreus eventually said. "Blast, this is more stressful than I imagined."

"Oh, Zagreus." His mother embraced him from behind, patted his hair tenderly. "I'm sorry we can't be of any help. But I know Thanatos and you will do great. He's a very capable man, right? Organized and studious as he is, and voluntary as you are, you will do a perfect job. And if money is an issue, your father and I can provide you some help. This we can do."

Zagreus risked a glance to his father, who nodded and coughed a little. A strange wave of heat rose to his face, and a weird feeling made his gut twist. Something like… pride. Admittedly, Zagreus couldn't just erase the past and forget how rude Hades had been during his youth; but seeing him now… perhaps he had always been like this. Just… in his own way, but not always the best one.

But still; this didn't answer his questions.

~|~

Thanatos was busy frying onions when he heard the entrance door. He lifted his head towards to the opening to the living room and saw Zagreus let himself fall heavily on the couch.

"Was your evening that exhausting?" Thanatos inquired with a smile. A faint, cushion-muffled groan came as a response.

Thanatos frowned. Not that he believed there was any serious matter at stake, but when it was about Zagreus, no one could be sure. He turned down the induction plate and joined his fiance to the couch, sitting on the arm just near Zagreus' head. A fond smile drew across Thanatos' lips, as he watched the dramatically-unmoving shape of his boyfriend.

"What is the matter, then?" Thanatos pressed gently. "Was it your father?"

A brief headshake.

"Then what is it?"

After another plaintive groan, Zagreus finally rolled over and offered Thanatos the funniest pouting expression he had ever seen. Thanatos stifled a laugh and started a futile attempt at brushing Zagreus' hair with his fingers.

"I asked my parents about the wedding," Zagreus mumbled. "I just wanted a little advice, some vague guidelines to know what we should focus on first."

Thanatos hummed. "I see. Then considering your current position, I suppose their response wasn’t satisfying?"

"Not quite," Zagreus said with a nod. "They said they eloped."

Thanatos stopped his motions. He blinked. "...I beg your pardon?"

"Yeah, right?" Zagreus observed as he propped on his elbow, his gaze searching for approval. "Would you believe my father and all his principles about failure at managing, sticking to the rules, and all that stuff, went away to England with my mother so they could get married?"

"I… confess it's a hard thing to believe, indeed."

"That's what I kept thinking," Zagreus sighed as he laid back on the couch. "It wormed in my head for the whole dinner, and the worst part is; I'm pretty sure my mother had fun in this."

Thanatos pursed his lips and looked away; for the year they had been together, he had had plenty of occasions to see that Mrs. Persephone's main hobby was teasing the two of them constantly. While his own mother remained collected around them, Zagreus' mom was more prone to show her joy in seeing them living their life together.

"You know," Zagreus spoke again to break the silence, "I'm having… complicated feelings, about our marriage."

"Which are?"

Zagreus shifted uncomfortably. He rolled over again to meet his eyes. "Which are… I want us to be married, but without the stress of organizing a whole ceremony."

"Zagreus, we talked about this already—"

"I know, I know ," Zagreus repeated, looking away. "It's important to you, to us, and our friends and families. I too, feel like we wouldn't feel truly married if we don't go by the official ceremony and all."

"So you've talked to Elysia's owners about civil partnership as well, right?" Thanatos guessed. 

Zagreus groaned. "As much as I appreciate Mr. Patroclus and Achilles, their situation is their own. So I can't relate to them about our own case in the end." He grew silent and propped up so he could snuggle his arms around Thanatos' waist and rest his head on his lap. "I didn't expect it would get so complicated."

"I would be lying if I told you it would be easy," Thanatos confessed. "It's another hardship we have to get through. You already made me open up; and I daresay that’s an achievement itself." 

Beside him, Zagreus huffed a laugh. "Yeah, right," he said. "Point taken. I can't believe you're starting to make jokes and puns."

"I have a good teacher," Thanatos said as he weaved his fingers in Zagreus' hair. "We haven't fixed a date yet, so we have still plenty of time to figure out what is coming, okay?"

"Hm, 'kay."

~|~

Days and weeks began to pass. May ended with warmth and sunny days, and June started under heavy rain. Things had hardly changed then; if not for patient visits being scarce, as of late. As summer was around the corner, people were getting healthier and thus Thanatos, Hypnos and Megaera could enjoy more free time.

And the more Thanatos enjoyed his free time, the more his mind was occupied by wandering thoughts. Thoughts about spending some good and quality free time with Zagreus. He had surprised himself more than once by scrolling on some travel agency websites; looking at sea resort pamphlets; dreaming of walking on the beach holding hands with Zagreus, and other similar cheesy stuff.

Their wedding plan, on the other hand, was going slowly. They had finally managed to sort out the list of the guests, and had started to look for places to hold the ceremony. That's when Thanatos began to consider the actual significance of a wedding.

It was going to cost a shockingly huge amount of money.

Wherever they had looked, it was either fully booked for a year or two, or scandalously expensive, or too far for everyone to get there with ease. They both had thought of asking their parents for financial help; but then beside the ceremony's location they also had to think about the reception, hire for table service, purchasing their wedding attire. They couldn't bring themselves to ask them for money. Principles, again, Thanatos had thought sourly. 

"Hey Thanny, have you thought about taking vacation?" Hypnos asked during one of their breaks. "Look at this."

His twin almost shoved the pamphlet in his face and with a groan, Thanatos picked it and unwrapped the paper. His eyes widened at the picture.

"Nice place, huh?" Hypnos commented. "I instantly thought about my favorite twin brother when I saw the thing. I'm sure a one-week break there would do you the greatest good! And also, mind you, they have a discount for couples. Just saying."

Thanatos threw his head back and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright Hypnos, get to the point."

"Oh, no big deal!" Hypnos mused with a smile. "I just passed by this pamphlet by chance, so I read it because y'know, summer is around. So I read it and saw the discount offer and, what a coincidence, I'm just right having a betrothed brother who needs a good break! I like coincidences, don't you?"

"No one knows you better than I do, brother. Speak up."

This time, Hypnos' grin faded, quickly replaced with a stupidly dramatical pained expression. "Come on, Thanny. You know big wedding stuff isn't our thing. Just stick to the family tradition."

Thanatos made a quizzical frown that deepened when he began to realize. "Family traditions…? Wait, you don't mean— "

"Just run there with your boyfriend!" Hypnos said. "It's cheaper, it's simpler, and no one is going to bother you."

"...You are surprisingly compliant about this," Thanatos remarked dubiously. "What is Meg's opinion on the matter?"

"Oh, you don't need Meg's approval, you're grown up. So, what do you think? Take or leave? The offer ends by the end of the month."

~|~

One month later, both Thanatos and Zagreus arrived at the main gates of the luxurious resort. 

"Lindos Princess Beach Hotel," Zagreus read aloud. "It's a bit funny, but I like it. I still can't believe you changed your mind, though. Did something happen?"

"No, nothing in particular," Thanatos replied dully. "Come, let's check-in."

"Sure."

It wasn't before they finally put their luggage in their room that Thanatos fully believed it wasn't another Hypnos' jest. While Zagreus was busy unpacking, he approached the balcony to look around.

The sight was stunning.

They were on the highest floor, from where they were able to catch sight of the nearby sea. Below them was the resort's exterior pool and the fountains, all lights turned on and illuminating the whole place in gold and blue.

They were going to get married there, he thought. The next day they will be husbands for real. 

The thought made Thanatos tighten his grip on the balcony guardrail; who would have thought, one year prior, his life was going to have such a turn? A smile drew across his lips as he recalled how it simply started with a simple appointment at his office, of a young man blighted with a strange illness. How their relationship grew over time, seeing each other on a daily basis, until the day he finally asked Zagreus out for a drink. How Thanatos accidentally got tipsy and let his deepest feelings speak by kissing Zagreus. How his sense of duty and his habit to be overdramatic drove him to act on impulse for the sake of the man he loved.

"Are you alright?" Zagreus asked from behind. "You've been staring for a minute now."

"Y-yeah. Yes, I am," Thanatos replied absently. 

Only then did he notice how tight his throat felt, how his eyes stung. He tried to collect himself but failed, feeling a sob coming up when he tried to cough away his discomfort. 

Two strong arms snaked around his waist and brought him closer to Zagreus' chest. 

"You know, I've been feeling like this lately, too," Zagreus breathed against his back. "How it started then, and how it's going now." He pulled back and Thanatos turned around. "It feels weird, but… It's pleasantly weird. I know it doesn't make any sense, but—"

Thanatos said nothing and brought their lips together, encircling Zagreus' shoulders for a tight embrace. They parted only when they heard the faint knock against the door, feeling as if time had stopped for them and just resumed all of sudden.

"Room service," the feminine voice said from the other side. "You've asked for champagne and amuse-bouche."

"Coming!" Zagreus replied quickly. "Sorry," he added to a puzzled Thanatos, "when you were busy doing the paperwork, I kind of jumped on the occasion."

"I have no idea what I'm going to do with you," Thanatos said fondly.

They shared their aperitif on the balcony, enjoying the moon rising from the sea on the horizon. The plate of amuse-bouche didn't last for long, and by the time the moon had fully risen from the dark waters, it, as well as a good part of the champagne bottle, was empty.

Heat was starting to swirl in Thanatos' head; he had only drunk a couple of glasses, though. Beside him, Zagreus was propped on the guardrail, casually holding his own glass as if it were water.

"How do you hold alcohol so well?" Thanatos asked, as he attempted to chase away the uncomfy feeling by rubbing his temple.

His voice came out more abrupt than intended, but thankfully Zagreus didn't seem to mind it. "A cousin of mine is a famous vintner, he owns a few fields, somewhere in France," he replied with a smile. "I met him when my mother organized a whole family gathering to try to reconcile my father with his brothers."

"Your father's family looks wealthy, for having properties in another country."

Zagreus scoffed. "You have no idea. I think there is not a single person there who doesn't have a big place, or isn't a big name. I felt so… insignificant, compared to them."

"You're not insignificant," Thanatos said immediately. "Not to your parents. Nor to me."

"Thank you, Than." Zagreus beamed like the sun in the night.  "It's just… On their side, it's either being a politician, or a legionnaire, or an actress… I can't even count. Meanwhile, my mother just wanted to own a nice flower shop in a quiet town in the countryside, while my father was taking care of administrative business management. Neither of them meant to reach for fame."

"Then it might be our common field," Thanatos said. "When I obtained my degree, I immediately went for a place in the countryside. Most doctors prefer recognition and comfort of the city, while I wished to be present to help people in need. It's more work for me, but in the end, this is the life I wanted."

"Heh, after one year we found something we have in common," Zagreus grinned. 

They grew quiet for a while, just looking at the sky and pointing at constellations from time to time. They gently bumped each other's shoulders when they recognized one, and laughed when the other would make a silly joke. When the moon reached the top of the sky, the temperature became fresher, enough to elicit a slight shiver from Thanatos. It was then that he felt Zagreus' hand sneak around the waistband of his summer pants.

"Zag."

"What? Just bringing you some warmth. Remember that I'm a natural furnace?"

"I know what this means, and I already told you; no public demonstration. What we do in bed will always happen in bed." His scolding was half-biting, though, which only led Zagreus to laugh fondly at it.

"Then you don't mind if we skip dinner?" he suggested. "We ate enough snacks anyway."

"I heard this suite has a jacuzzi," Thanatos said fake-innocently. "If it's fine with you, we can give it a try."

Zagreus immediately perked up and stared at him with round eyes. "I'd love to see it."

Thanatos flicked his forehead and followed with a small peck. "Of course you would, little demon."

~|~

The next morning, Thanatos jumped awake when a knock echoed somewhere in the room.

"Room service," a masculine voice said. "Breakfast for you, as you requested yesterday."

Thanatos groaned and fell back on his pillow. His hand fumbled on the nightstand to find his phone, while behind him Zagreus rolled over and wrapped an arm around his waist. He retrieved it just as the knock started again, and Thanatos winced at the time; it was past eight in the morning.

"Coming," he tried to respond, though his hoarse voice certainly didn't go further than the threshold of the bedroom. "Damnit," he hissed.

After a struggle to get past Zagreus' dead weight—the latter snoring loudly when he rolled to the other side—Thanatos looked around, in search of whatever clothes he could put on, and his eyes fell on the shirt from the day before. His smile of relief instantly faded though, when he noticed the evidence of the events that had followed their bath last night.

Resigned and tossing aside both the sullied shirt and his pride about good impression, Thanatos grabbed a bathrobe hanging on a chair and dashed to the door. 

The employee remained very professional when he handed over the rolling plate, but it didn't stop Thanatos from feeling mortified all the while. He could swear he saw the shade of a grin when the young man bid him goodbye and turned away.

"‘Morning," Zagreus slurred sleepily when he entered the main suite.

"Good morning, Zag." Thanatos greeted him with a peck on the cheek, then they both sat at the coffee table. "When did you find the time to make such a big order? We only spent a couple of minutes in the reception hall."

"Well, I… just asked them for a french themed breakfast, for two. I didn't expect there would be so much; but I'm not going to complain."

Following his words, he grabbed an incredibly big croissant, all puffy and crispy, and still lukewarm from the oven.

"Oh-gods-delifious," Zagreus huffed with contentement after the first bite. "And we even got coffee, orange juice… this is royal!"

The room was soon filled with the sounds of munching, soft laughs and chatting, and before they noticed, the whole plate was emptied of its contents. They took their showers in turn and in the next hour they were sorting their clothes to wear for the day.

"So," Zagreus said in a long breath. "Today's the day. How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," Thanatos replied tightly. "Are all the papers ready? The rings? Have you called the—"

"Yes, Than, I did," Zagreus interrupted with a reassuring smile. "I can't wait," he added excitedly. "By the end of the day, we will be married."

"Just a couple of hours, yes. I'm still unsure about what to wear, though. What do you think of this?" 

He showed a loose white jacket and a rather see-through shirt, loose as well, and a pair of shorts. Zagreus tilted his head and scratched his chin. "Hm… I don't know why, it looks kind of formal, I'd say? Wait, I know!"

Zagreus fumbled in the suitcase, shoving shirts and pants until he dragged out one in particular with a victorious smile. "This one!"

Thanatos made a quizzical frown, when realization sparked on his face.

It was the shirt he had for their very first date.

The lavender color was as vivid as before, and the butterfly-shaped fast snappers were still all shiny. Simple and elegant, it would fit perfectly for the occasion. Wait, if Zagreus suggested this outfit, then—

When Thanatos looked up, Zagreus was already wearing a familiar short sleeved crimson shirt, with a fancy dog skull print on the left shoulder.

His heart soared.

"I thought it would bring back memories," Zagreus said, almost apologetically. "But I will understand if it makes you feel uncomfortable, so—"

"I want us to go like this," Thanatos said in a single breath. "I want to." 

His chest and throat felt so tight it hurt. Zagreus smiled fondly and softly his hand in Thanatos' own, bringing them together in a close embrace.

~|~

The next couple of hours felt oddly slow and quick at the same time. By two in the afternoon they met the officiant at the city hall and exchanged their rings.

"Do you wish to have Mr. Chtonikós for your husband?"

"I do," Zagreus murmured. His eyes were shining like the sparkling sea under the sun.

"Mr. Chtonikós, do you wish to have Mr. Prasináda for your husband?"

"Yes, I do," Thanatos responded, lips drawn tight.

"May your days, good or bad, keep you united for this life and after."

Their kiss felt like their very first one, under the street lamp; so light and tender it felt like it was stolen, and as if it was the demonstration of long repressed feelings. The night that followed, though, didn't resemble any other they previously had. Their hands remained joined all the while, their words concealed as murmurs and soft breaths. They hardly slept, either going on again and again, or staring and smiling giddily at their wedding rings in the dark, using the lights from the outside to catch a tiny glint.

It ended way too soon to their taste. On Friday they arrived, Saturday they married, and by next Tuesday they were back at their cozy apartment in town.

"What a weekend," Zagreus commented sheepishly as he unlocked the door. "I wonder how we're going to tell the news to everyone, though. Have you said a word to your family?"

"My brother is aware, since he talked me into this trip," Thanatos replied as he pushed open. "As for Meg, though… Well, I will know soon enough."

Zagreus laughed.

They abandoned their suitcases in the corridor and directly went to the living room, Zagreus dragging him eagerly to the sofa where they comfortably laid in.

"You know, now we are married, we should think about our honeymoon," Zagreus said. "I could show you England, where I grew up."

"Honeymoon is supposed to happen shortly after the wedding, Zag," Thanatos reasoned. "We won't have the time to set a trip overseas in such little time."

"Then let's have a day at the mountain! Like, say, Mount Olympus?"

Thanatos scoffed and pinched Zagreus' nose. "Silly one."

"Or we can spend it here; as long as we both remember it, location doesn't matter, right?" Zagreus asked mischievously.

"Fine," Thanatos conceded with a smile. "We will find something, though I won't be able to take off as many as I've been able to for the trip to Rhodes." 

Zagreus grinned victoriously and stole a peck from him.

They shifted in a more comfortable position so Thanatos could wrap an arm around Zagreus' waist, while the other maintained his neck. Zagreus laughed, brought himself closer and rested chin on Thanatos' chest, his hair tickling his husband's jaw.

Giggles began to rise in the living space, and other gestures as well. When Zagreus embraced him tightly, breath erratic and body hot against his skin, one single thought sparked in Thanatos' mind;

Summer was definitely his favorite season.