Work Text:
called to the devil and the devil said
"hey, why you been calling this late?
it's like two am and the bars all close
at ten in hell, that's a rule i made.
anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself,
and you don't want no help,
oh well- that's the story to tell"
it's called: freefall by rainbow kitten surprise
"is it ever painful?" he asks out of no where.
"huh?" i say, looking up from my book and into his void-like eyes.
he takes a second to think about how to phrase whatever he means, looking out the large window on my west wall. past the glass is the river styx, illuminated by the moonlight of a waning crescent. there are no creatues in this place except for the ones in this room, but the willow trees sway as if they're dancing. soft music by a human musician named toshifumi hinata plays on an old gramophone by the bookcases as candles flicker warm light around the room.
me and pluto been having these "dates" where he meets me at my riverbed house whenever he wants, which is usually close to sunset, for a long time. by then, the gates have closed and everything is still. sometimes he'll bring something for my familiar, a relatively large cat that's similar to a lynx but she's fully black, like pluto's eyes. other times, he'll bring something like the hell equivalent of herbs and fruit for me, or a book, or something small he found somewhere. today, he brought a bone from a creature i'm not familiar with for my familiar, and is sitting on the floor, playing with her.
our relationship is unexpected at best. me being the ferrier of souls does give me many oppurtunities to interact with the ruler of the underworld, but we're still so different. after all this time, i still don't understand why he still visits me. it's true that there aren't really that many other beings he can talk to except for those in the underworld, but i'm not his only option.
"having to take all souls to their final resting place. you learn everything about them before you meet them, right? and you have to choose where they go?" he asks, furrowing his brows.
"oh," i hum, setting my book down onto the small table beside me.
if i'm being honest, it can be intensely painful. but emphasis on the "can". some humans are impossible to have empathy for, which is most of the ones i meet. though some others are a very different story.
"it can be, yeah. you know how horrible human beings can be, 'cause of, y'know, since you're stuck with the worst of them. it's usually pretty easy to assign them their places, since i know everything about them, but that doesn't mean it's easy to know everything. some humans have gone through hell already, on earth, and it's horrible to have to learn about all of that. but some humans have made others go through hell, and that's also horrible to learn about. for both instances though, i'm comforted by the fact that they're getting what they deserve, thanks to you and the others,"
"oh i definitely give them what they deserve," he smirks, watching me sigh and smile a little bit.
"i know," i respond lightheartedly, "why do you ask? if it's painful, i mean,"
his face gives something away, and i'm not quite sure what it is but it doesn't look like an expression many souls give me. i tilt my head slightly, looking into his eyes.
"i... i know you care a lot about people-" i'm about to correct him, because i don't care about everyone, but he cuts me off before i can, "and yes i know it's not everyone, only the people who deserve care in your eyes. but i just, i don't want it to be painful for you,"
in confusion, i raise a brow and narrow my eyes. was he worrying about me? the ruler of the underworld, worrying about me? that can't be true, he's a friend to no one. we've been hanging out for ages (literally) but i don't think he sees me as a friend. he doesn't see anyone as anything except a stranger.
"why do you care if it's painful for me?" i ask.
he sighs and smiles, but not in a happy way, or his usual malicious way. setting down the little bone he was using to entertain pluto, he gets up and stands before me, leaning down and resting a hand on the back of my chair. this way, his face is closer to mine than it ever has been- and then he uses his other hand to hold my chin gently.
my face feels hot and my chest tightens but it's in a new way and i don't know how i feel about it. but i let him lift my head to look into his eyes, biting the inside of my cheek. my hands are on the armrests of the chair, tightly gripping them in fear? i don't know what this feeling is.
"charon," he hums, his thumb rubbing my cheek lightly as he leans in more, "how much more obvious do i have to make it for you to understand?"
i look away nervously but he squeezes my face, nonverbally scolding me, "understand what, pluto?"
"that i care about you, i enjoy being with you, you're literally the only person i ever want to talk to. how do i make that any more clear than it is for you?" he explains in an oddly calm voice, watching my face intently.
"why? why do you care about me?" i ask, narrowing my eyes as i look up at him.
he sighs softly, giving me a gentle smile that reaches his eyes, before his hand brushes against my forehead pushing my hair away, making me almost flinch. his lips press against my forehead for a second.
when he pulls back, his eyes somehow look lighter, and he smiles at me while he says, "it's called love,"