Archive of Our Own

There is no singular turning point in Zagreus and Hypnos’ relationship. 

No proud iceberg to scrape his ship and set him veering off course, no comet blazing across the sky and searing prophecy into the inside of his eyes with the flash. 

They are not thrown into love with a mighty splash, but they fall into it in ripples, smooth skipping stones on clear lake-water ripples, the dancing of raindrops until there is a veritable symphony of movement ripples. A journey, of sorts.

It goes like this.

It's the cool clutch of the floweriest season, and they’re playing outside. 

It's the sixth spring Zagreus has ever known— the seventh for the twins— and it's in this season of life– of rebirth and of virility, that they first meet Death. 

~

It takes the form of a corpse-still wren.

Of course, not that they know it’s a wren, young as they are.

Thanatos is so upset he flees back to the house to find his older brother.

Hypnos and Zagreus are left to stare at the little thing. As unmoving as the bird in front of them, and maybe, just as uncertain. 

The glassy look of its eyes and the crushed divot of its chest is frightening to them, the way it makes no effort to bat away the circling flies unsettling. It’s tiny beak is frozen open like it was mid song when it died, it’s wings are sprawled at an unnatural angle, with it’s once majestic red or black feathers mud-stained and scattered everywhere.

“We should bury him.” Hypnos whispers, finally.

“Bury him? Why?” Zagreus asks, inquisitive and never wrenching his eyes from the carrion. 

“ ‘Cause that’s what you’re sa-post to do when someone dies. You have to bury them in the ground so they can sleep poper-ly.”

Zagreus frowns and crosses his arms. “If they want to sleep, why don’t we just put them in a bed? Isn’t that warmer?”

Hypnos shrugs. “I dunno. That’s what Mama says. It’s just how things are.”

“Okay.” Zagreus agrees, nodding gravely. “Let’s bury him.”

It's still early September, so they are armed with gloves as their twin blades against the cold, scarves as their twisting shields and beanies as their plumed helmets.

But soon even their finely knitted chainmail gets soiled with dirt as they crouch down and begin their work. They grab long sticks and fashion them into humble farmer’s tools, employing them to claw and excavate the earth. 

It takes a while– the soil beneath them is quite compact– but finally there’s an appropriately sized hole for the bird. 

Hypnos stands up with a whew, then reaches for the corpse.

“No!” Zagreus shrieks, pulling Hypnos back. “Don’t touch it. Dad says you’ll get sick if you touch wild animals!”

“But he’s a bird! And I’m wearing gloves” Hypnos protests, still making grabby hands at it.

Zagreus giggles. “Birds are animals, silly! I’m the younger one and even I know that! And your gloves are touching you.”

“Whatever, I’m still older! I’m more re-ponsible than you!”

“Nuh uh!” Zagreus huffs, before his eyes widen. “Wait. How are we gonna move him?”

“Uhmmm. We can- Uhm. Ooh, I know! We can use our sticks!”

It is safe to say that unfortunately, the already vaguely crushed bird gets a little more squashed in the process of them nudging it into the hole. Then, a little bit more after that, as they sweep the dirt back into the hole until it is fully covered once more. 

“Hold on. We needa. Uhm.” Hypnos carefully heaves over a rather large rock, then another smaller one, placing them at the head of their newly covered grave.

“Whazzat?”

“It’s so- It’s so people know that there’s someone sleeping here, so nobody digs them up ac- aksy-dental-y.”

“What happens if they get diggen up?”

“I think- I think they wake up. And then- ooh, they turn into zombies !”

“Zombies?!” Zagreus gasps, horrified. “Oh, Hypnos, make sure it’s super duper obvious the little birdy is here, I don’t want my brain to be eaten!”

“Don’t worry, Zag! No one can eat your brain if you don’t have one!”

Zagreus sticks his tongue out at Hypnos, swatting at him. They dissolve into a bit of a back and forth of that, before settling down again.

“Okay. I think he’s asleep now.” Zagreus says, fidgeting on the spot. 

Hypnos wipes the remnants of their exploits on his pants, then gives a considering hum. 

Suddenly, he plops down at the base of the grave. “I’ll make even more sure he’s asleep! Mama always sings me a lullaby when it’s bedtime, so I can do it too!”

Lucky. Hypnos gets one every night?! Zagreus will only sometimes get a bedtime story if his babysitter Achilles is around at bedtime. 

But his jealousy is quickly abandoned and replaced with enraptured gawking as Hypnos clears his throat.  

“Sleepy-time, sleepy-time birdy. Fly really high in your dreams. Don’t let the nightmares catch you! Sleepy-time, sleepy-time for you.”

Then he leans forward and plants a kiss onto the stacked rocks. 

Hypnos stands up, blushing sheepishly. “Mama gives me a forehead kiss. Birdy can have one too.”

Forehead kisses too?! So not fair! Maybe if Zagreus asks Hypnos he’d give him one.

Zagreus opens his mouth to say something, but they’re interrupted by the sound of Thanatos calling for them. 

“Charon says we have to come inside now!”

Zagreus and Hypnos erupt in twin noises of disappointment.

“Okay, let’s go Hypnos.” Zagreus takes hold of his friend’s hand and begins to drag him away. Hypnos waves with his free hand and squeaks one last time to the bird.

“Bye-bye little birdy. Hope it’s warm enough for you under there to sleep!”

Then, they’re gone, back to the warmth of their version of the wren’s earth-cradle, home– enclosed with white walls instead of brown.

~

The passerine days go by, and Death is quickly forgotten.

But Zagreus never forgets the way Hypnos sang that final lullabye to the bird. Never forgets the kiss to the headstone, the little wave as they trudged away. The melancholy kindness of his warbly goodbye. 

Kindness, bright kindness that once he realises, he can never stop noticing.

It goes like this.

~

It’s the start of the summer holidays, a year before they graduate, and Hypnos catches Zagreus’ eye in a moment of quiet. 

They’d been wallowing in the kind of heat that makes everything look a little hazy, makes even the most formidable of minds melt. The kind that’s so thick and heavy even the air can be seen shuddering under its weight. Just him and the twins, sweating buckets on a playground swing set and chatting mindlessly about whatever next weighs their tongues. 

Not that the weather is completely without its merits. Occasionally little gusts of sea-tempered breeze slink out to curl around their feet, bringing with them a relief that can only be properly acknowledged in small sighs and the fluttering of eyelids.

Hypnos especially likes to exaggerate that pleasure, throwing his head back and sprawling his limbs out into a lanky, teenaged heap while he lets loose a contented drawl.

Then he’d say something stupid like “Wow, I am soo sweaty right now! I’m wetter than- than a fish! Or Thanatos when he sees a sexy little exam paper! I’m gonna have to shower for ages!”

And Zagreus would feel an odd fluttering in his stomach while Thanatos would promptly try to murder his sibling, when he imagines Hypnos slumping in the shower with streams of cool water running down his shoulders all the way to the small of his back, chirping a dramatic moan before–

Anyways, it’s a hot lazy day, and Hypnos looks right at him.

And he smiles.

Completely ordinary, that boy is the smiliest person Zagreus knows– cheerfulness trails behind every word and drowsy gesture like an obedient hound; and Zagreus, for as long as he’s known him, has never seen it part from its master. And he’s always known him.

But this smile- it’s not particularly wide, nor is it that energetic, and it’s honestly kind of brief. But it’s soft. It’s soft and lovely and a little playful— and most importantly, it feels like it was made just for him. Made because of him. Like they’re the only two people in the world, never mind Hypnos’ brother idly tracing patterns into the rusting chains a mere swing away, never mind the insistent, unwelcome pressing of their future like bored fingers to bruises into their little bubble of calm. That smile says, Hi there! I see you. I’m glad it’s just us. 

Zagreus feels the impulse to reply with an I hope it always is.

That smile burrows into some deep recess into his brain and he knows that someone could crack open his skull a hundred years from now and they’d find a snapshot of that scene carved right down to his marrow, detailed with ruddy blood-ink. 

Hypnos catches his staring. “What? I got something in my teeth?”

“No.” Zagreus says, when his brain catches up with his ears. “No, you’re all good.” 

“Great! You know, if someone does have something stuck in their teeth, you’re supposed to figure out the most discreet and grandiose way to tell them. Me personally? I have a bunch of letters I keep in my room to slip to a person at a moment’s notice, hahaha!"

Grandiose is a word Hypnos has learnt recently— probably in the rare moments he’s awake in class— and he’s been wearing it down via frequent usage until it stretches naturally against his tongue– like old leather, or the name of a dear friend. 

Thanatos rolls his eyes. “Ignore him, he's being ridiculous.”

Still, Zagreus frowns at the absurdity of Hypnos’ words and takes the bait.

“You’re pulling my leg, right mate? You don’t actually keep letters just to give to a person if they have something in their teeth. How come I’ve never seen one of them, then?”

Hypnos shrugs. “Maybe you’ve never gotten anything stuck! At least in front of me.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Well.” Hypnos starts simply, kicking his legs at the ground to propel him back to his creaky swinging. “You’re welcome to come over and check!”

And then he winks at Zagreus.

On a downswing, when their faces are level, so that Zagreus gets the best view of the action.

A heat-chill dances up and down his spine, before hewing a home into his sweat-soaked nape.

He swears his subsequent shiver is only because of that.

It goes like this.

~

It’s a few weeks after they officially graduate, and Zagreus gets a call.

“Oh ~Zagreus~” Hypnos’ sing song voice sounds from Zagreus’ phone piercing like the trills of birds at rosy dusk. Just as pretty as them too, he thinks briefly, before that thought is drowned. In the background he hears Than groan something about Hypnos being too loud for this early in the morning.

Zagreus glances at the time. It’s 8pm. 

Hypnos is the kind of person he’s learnt to dread a random call from. Not because the prospect of talking to him is bad, not in the slightest, but because the motives behind his calls are rarely innocent. Or bearing good news.

“Yes, Hypnos? What did you do this time?” Zagreus asks carefully, pausing the game he had been absorbed in. 

Hypnos gasps in mock affront. “Why, I haven’t done a thing! This time it was Than.”

This piques Zagreus’ interest even more. He furrows his brow.

“What, really? Is he alright?”

‘Yeah! Sort of! Okay, here’s the thing, so Than was obsessively refreshing his email as he always does, except this time, wouldn’t you know it, something actually came up! His application for that fancy schmancy scholarship to that fancy schmancy uni was accepted!”

“That’s wonderful!” Zagreus’ face splits into a huge grin. Many a time either Zagreus or Hypnos has had to reassure an anxious Thanatos that everything would be fine, and there’d be no way he wouldn't get in, lest he spiral into a panic fit . It’s spawned quite a few shared looks as they silently try to figure out how else they could assuage the neurotic man. “But why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Getting to that! So, we were both very happy, I mean, duh, and so I was like ‘Hey let’s raid Mum’s wine cabinet and have a drink to celebrate!’ And Than must’ve only agreed because it’s actually legal for us to now haha-”

It’s true, they’ve had alcohol before they were technically supposed to, though Thanatos always abstained, and they’ve had it often enough that Zagreus intimately knows the ways it treats the both of them.

Drunkenness takes the form of a rosy flush for Hypnos, and Zagreus has always maintained that it suits him well, wonderfully offshoots the usual pale-almost-pallor of his skin. 

For Zagreus, it takes the form of a thrumming need to do something impulsively stupid. Or in other words, he's really not that different, drunk or sober.

“-and I swear, cross my heart and hope to die, I only poured him one glass! But it turns out, Pft- Than’s a lightweight! And now he’s drunk! Very, very drunk, hahaha! So, I would’ve called you, but I’ve been a bit busy making sure he doesn’t spew all over himself. Aren’t I such a good brother?”

“Of course.” Zagreus agrees in a bemused tone, but really, Hypnos is a good brother. Even before the whirl that comes at the end of high school, where everyone gets at least a little stressed, sometimes Zagreus would stumble across a tender moment where Hypnos would be whispering soothing words to a near-tears Than, overwhelmed because of something or other, and he’d spy the way Hypnos would rub his back and stroke his hair, and feel the sputtering sparks of something jagged like jealousy.

“I suppose you need my help somehow?”

“Well if you’re offering. You see, I’ve been trying to move Than to his bed but he is like a rock. A really heavy, human shaped rock! I think if I tried to carry him up stairs I’d hit his head on the steps and then he would be pre -tty mad by the morning. Hmm…or maybe I could play it off as a hangover headache…”

“Is Nyx not around?” Zagreus interrupts, hopefully derailing that train of thought before it ends with Thanatos getting a concussion.

“Oh Mum’s-” Zagreus can practically hear the dismissive hand wave Hypnos probably does. He can picture it quite clearly, the way his deft fingers would spread out, and his hand would slowly jerk up in a half wave, because he can’t even be bothered to do the whole thing. Ergonomics, he’d say, if asked about it. People take shortcuts over text all the time! Why shouldn’t I take them in person too?  “Some business thing. She’s working late. I don’t know, I don’t ask!”

“Okay.” Zagreus gets up with a yawn. “I’m coming over.”

He throws on the nearest hoodie he has to be decent, not bothering to change out of his pyjama pants or actually put on a shirt. He won’t tell his father he’s going out either, if he really cares so much if or when he discovers Zagreus missing, he can call him or drag him home himself.

When he arrives at the twin’s home, his knock answered with Hypnos yelling that the door was open, he learns that Hypnos was not exaggerating in the slightest.

Thanatos really is drunk. He’s flopped on the couch, face down and mumbling about something or other. Hypnos is perched on the arm of the couch, humming while he scrolls through something on his phone.

“The help is here.” Zagreus announces, sidling next to Hypnos. 

Hypnos looks up at him, smiling sunnily. “Hey you! Awh, did you wear a red hoodie just for me? You shouldn’t have!”

Zagreus rolls his eyes. Hypnos always does this, whenever Zagreus dares to wear a single article of red clothing. Well, maybe Zagreus returns the favour plenty when Hypnos wears something red, but that’s beside the point. 

“Sure.” Zagreus agrees. “Not like it’s also my favourite colour or anything.”

“A crazy coincidence then!” Hypnos jerks his head towards Thanatos. “He was conked out for a bit but he woke up again.”

“Well that’s good, maybe he’ll cooperate.”

He kneels down to Thanatos, gently tapping his shoulder. “Hey there Thanatos. It’s time to get up now.”

“Urghh. Why?”

“So we can get you to your bed.”

“What…but I need. We need to. I can't do that!”

Zagreus begins to haul Thanatos up, ignoring his protests.

“Stop- Stop that you…you gnat! We’re. We’re going to be late for school.” Thanatos manages to level Zagreus a glare, fruitlessly batting at him. Then he nearly stumbles, and he clings tighter to Zagreus. 

“Than, we don’t even go to school anymore.”

Hypnos snickers, and he hears the distinctive sound of a camera shutter. 

“Oh wow I am so glad I called you! This is great.” Hypnos chimes in as they go careening to the side briefly from Than’s struggling.

“Glad you’re- erf, come on Than- enjoying the show Hypnos.” 

They manage to reach the stairs, with Hypnos trailing behind, offering unhelpful remarks.

“Okay come on, we’ll take this one step at a time. Lift your left foot for me.”

Thanatos blinks, before sluggishly raising his right foot.

“Erm- The other one.”

“I knew that.” Thanatos snaps.

Eventually, Zagreus manages to deposit Than in his room, and he’s out like a light pretty quickly.

“Hold on.” Hypnos fumbles out his phone just as they're about to shut the door and leave, and snaps a picture. “For the blackmail collection. Tonight’s given me a ton of new material.”

Zagreus chuckles but doesn’t comment. 

And then it's just Hypnos and Zagreus.

They settle next to each other on the couch, and Hypnos presses his head to the side of Zagreus’ arm until he relents and slings it around Hypnos. 

“Why am I beginning to think that you could have done all that yourself?” Zagreus asks quietly, a smile just as soft as the person it's aimed towards donning his lips.

“No way! He’s too bulky! You and Than both. You gym rats need to calm down with all that muscle business.” 

The tearingly artificial lamplight is harsh, and it washes out Hypnos’ features, but even its valiant efforts can’t dampen the sparkle in his eyes. 

“You might be the only person in existence to have complained about that, mate. I mean-” Zagreus playfully flexes his arm. “The ladies love this.”

Hypnos eyes his movements. “Ohoh, not just the ladies, hahaha!’

Zagreus flushes, lowering his arm. “Ah. Right, of course, gentlemen as well, and anyone else. Inclusivity, and all that.”

Hypnos flashes him a particularly sharp grin, keeping those lidded eyes trained on him. “Sure. Anyways, my acceptance letter came in too! I got in!”

Zagreus’ eyes widen to the size of saucers, and he inhales sharply.

“Wait, really? So we're going to the same uni then?”

“You betcha!”

Zagreus laughs and squeezes Hypnos in a constricting hug, and Hypnos lets out a little squeak but lets him. 

They fall back into comfortable silence once again.

“I owe you one, don’t I?”

Zagreus starts to refuse. “Oh no, it’s no big-”

“How about this?” Hypnos interrupts. “If your brother ever gets drunk and you require help to move him, I’ll be there, no questions asked!”

Zagreus’ brows furrow. “Er- I don’t have a brother though..?”

“Mm you never know! Life works in mysterious ways.”

“...Right. Well, thank you Hypnos, for the offer.”

He sighs and snuggles further into Zagreus’ side, making his heart go a little haywire. “No problem.”

It goes like this.

~

It’s three nights before his second major exam of the year, and Zagreus is already sure he’s failing it.

It’s the kind of late that blends into the morning, just a swirling fuzz of time to sleep time to sleep time to sleep. The kind that’s so chillingly void of noise or peeps of life that anybody would feel stripped naked and laid bare and vulnerable to the unfathomable dark circling outside their dim lamplight.

“Hypnos.” Zagreus groans, head slumping onto his textbook with a dull thud. “I don’t think my eyes are working anymore. And my brain…I think it got off this impending train crash a while ago.”

As the silence after his reply stretches into suspicious territory, Zagreus looks up. 

Sure enough, his friend’s head is buckled over, one arm limp beside him and the other equally limp but braced on the table. His pen has probably long since rolled from his grasp.

Zagreus huffs. Watches the rise and fall of Hypnos’ chest. Then shuts his textbook with a resonating, deplorably loud crash.

Hypnos jerks upright like he’s been shot, arms thrashing wildly as he nearly slips out of his seat. He manages to right himself, before glaring scorchingly at Zagreus. 

“What the fuck, Zag. Did you even try to be quiet? It is way too late for that kinda noise!”

“Technically mate, I think it’s far too early by now.”

“Uhuh.” Hypnos yawns obnoxiously loud, then props his feet onto the table, where Zagreus notices for the first time that his socks are patterned with marijuana leaves. He’s still wearing a disgruntled expression. “Look, mate, if you want me to stay up and provide emotional support for the exam you just started studying for-”

“-Yours is also in three days, Hypnos. And I’ve done more than you, anyhow.”

Hypnos squints at the interruption.

“Yeah, like I said, emotional support! Anyways, if you want me to stay up, you’re gonna have to offer me some sort of incentive. There’s some helpful advice for you! Bribery goes far. ”

“Isn’t our deep bond of friendship not enough to incentivise you into keeping me company?” Zagreus asks with a raised eyebrow, leaning closer. 

Hypnos reclines back in his chair, grinning cheerily. “Nope!”

“Alright.” Zagreus hauls himself up, meanders over to his tiny pantry. It’s not long before he fishes out his prize and holds it up for Hypnos to properly behold.

It’s just instant ramen, the kind you can get for bulk at Costco, but Hypnos’ eyes light up when he sees it.

“See? Now we’re talking!”

And then they’re standing side by side, watching a pot boil and proving dumb old sayings wrong. The way the water purrs and rumbles provides a mesmerising melody, and the way it lashes at the sides of its confines, looking for escape, makes Zagreus a little sympathetic. Or maybe it’s just late. Early. Whatever.

Hypnos hums a tune that sounds distinctly, soothingly familiar in a way he can’t quite grasp. Something about it makes him want to hum along. 

He feels the weight of eyes on him, and turns to see Hypnos staring right at him. 

“You know, Hypnos is such a mouthful! Everyone calls you Zag, so why don’t you just call me Hyp?”

And there’s a stutter in Zagreus’ breath as he mouths it silently, rolling the syllable around his tongue. 

“Sure thing, mate.” He says out loud. “ Hyp. Sure thing.”

~

Thus, a tradition is born, of frantic all-nighters and cheap instant ramen, and if it’s especially cold– of huddling close to Zagreus’ gas heater, noodle bowls in tow, until the scarlet heat burrows into their skin and strips their limbs, leaving them feeling raw and sensitive.

Sometimes even days after each of these meetups, Zagreus swears he can still smell the distinctive cozy scent of those spice packets wafting from Hypnos, or maybe it’s just the memory of it twining around, all teasing and cloyingly rich in his sinuses.

It goes like this.

  ~

It’s early in the morning when Hypnos comes knocking at his door.

It’s a surprise when he sees him, Hypnos is never one to wake up this early. Zagreus is still in his pyjamas! Hypnos rushes inside, frantic. He looks frazzled, his hair is at odd angles and his dark circles are especially pronounced.

“Zag. Zag . I need your help. How am I gonna cover this? ” Then, he pulls back his weirdly positioned hair, and angles his neck up to Zagreus like he would if he were offering a vampire a quick bite and ah that’s why he positioned it like that.

Zagreus’ mouth dries a little when he sees the mark, but he still manages to force out his words.

“Hookup gone awry, Hyp?”

“Huh? No it went very …wry. Unawry? Come on Zag, you don't sport these bad boys if the hookup went wrong.”

“Yeah, no, you're right, I don't know what I'm saying.”

He reaches out to trace the bruise, lingering on the soft skin. It’s too easy for his mind to imagine how Hypnos got the hickey, too easy for it to start racing with the possibilities. 

Were they a man, or a woman, or something else entirely? He knows Hypnos isn’t particular about that sort of thing. 

Were they a little younger than Hypnos, like Zagreus, or did Hypnos manage to find someone far older and far more experienced to treat him right? Were they taller than him– and was that by a decent, smaller margin like him and Zagreus’ height difference, or did they absolutely tower over Hypnos?

Were they sweet as they sucked that bruise into his skin or rough? Are there more, did they leave a whole constellation marking him as theirs to be discovered under his clothes, did they pin him down and fuck him into the mattress until his whole body was aching and sore, until his voice was hoarse from his cries, or was it soft lovemaking, whispered praises and honeyed words and languid movements until he came in their- 

“Well careful now.” Hypnos giggles nervously. “Still a little sensitive there.”

Zagreus withdraws quickly, embarrassed. “Right. Sorry.”

He clears his throat. “You're going to have to use concealer for that one, mate. Could probably find some in the pharmacy. I can come with you if you like?”

“Sure thing! In that case, can we use your car?”

Zagreus nods his assent. Hypnos gleefully hooks his arm through Zagreus’.

Throughout the journey, Zagreus feels this churning, terrible sensation in his gut that he decides must be over-protectiveness. 

It’s as they’re perusing the aisles, holding various bottles of concealer up to Hypnos to see if it matches– therefore forcing Zagreus to stare quite intensely at his face and skin–that he lets some of this slip in the form of a question.

“Did you, Erm- Did you make sure to use protection?” Zagreus asks hesitantly and completely out of the blue.

Hypnos snorts. “Oh gosh Zag, what are you, my mum? Of course I did!”

“Yes, of course, that’s good.” His chest tightens impossibly as he moistens his lip in preparation for his next question. “And Er- Is this just a one night thing or is it more…serious?”

Whatever it is, they can’t be any closer to Hypnos than Zagreus is. Zagreus is pretty sure he’s the only person in the world who calls him ‘Hyp’. The only one!

Hypnos studies him for a little while, before grinning wicked sharp. “Nah. It’s not serious. In fact, I don’t think that guy’s coming back.”

“And why’s that?”

“He really didn’t appreciate my advice on how to improve his weak thrust game.”

Zagreus bursts out in laughter, and he feels the tension in his lungs unravel quickly. 

It is, perhaps, the most relieved he’s felt his whole life.

Odd. 

Something about the way Hypnos giggles and leans his head on Zagreus’ shoulder makes him want to go out, fuck someone, then come back with a prominent bruise and ask for Hypnos’ help in covering it up.

Just to see how he’d react.

Very odd.

It goes like this.

~

It’s a random day of the week, and Hypnos and Zagreus go out to get a bite together. 

It’s not a date. It’s just a friendly outing between the two of them. Alone.

They’re seated next to each other at the table, and Hypnos winces. His posture is usually awful, but right now he seems to really be trying to curl up on himself. 

“Hypnos?” Zagreus frowns. “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah I-” Someone drops their fork with an unpleasant crash and Hypnos cringes even more. “It’s just- It's a little loud here ahah.”

Huh. Zagreus hadn't really noticed that. He supposes it is a bit loud, not overwhelmingly so, but there are a lot of different clashing sounds coming from the bustle of the people and the cars outside.

“A little.” Zagreus nods. “Do you want to go someplace quieter?”

A table a couple seats down starts in a particularly raucous laughter, and Hypnos’ hands snap to cover his ears. “Oh hahaha I'm all good I'll just- I can just do this.”

Zagreus raises an eyebrow. “You plan to eat like that?”

“...Yeah!” Hypnos squeaks.

“That won't do at all, mate, come on. I know a better place to eat anyways.”

Once he’s properly navigated them both to this lonesome little kebab place, and they’ve soaked in the gentle breeze and the quiet unbroken except for the rustling of the trees, Hypnos finally lowers his hands from his ears.

“Thank you.” He manages quietly, looking down at the table.

“Of course.” Zagreus replies warmly, squeezing Hypnos’ hand. “It’s no fun for me if you’re uncomfortable.”

“No, not just that. Thanks for always putting up with me, Zag.”

“What? What on earth do you mean?”

“I mean.” Hypnos laughs, high and self-deprecating. “I know I’m weird. I know I’m a lot. But you’ve still stuck around, huh?”

“Weird? You?” Zagreus teases lightly, before his expression grows more solemn. “No, Hyp, you’re never too much. Not for me at least. And I wish a massive ‘fuck you’ to anyone who might have said otherwise.”

Hypnos exhales a little through his nose in humour.

“Well alrighty then. If you say so!”

Zagreus places his hand on Hypnos’ shoulder. Rests it there for a little, smiling until Hypnos stops tensing underneath him and properly meets his eyes.

“You’re perfect, Hypnos. Utterly perfect. Don’t you ever forget it.”

Hypnos gives him a wry twist of the lips. “If I’m perfect, then what the hell are you, haha.”

Yours. He almost wishes to say. Yours.

~

It’s the last time Zagreus sees him for a while.

It goes like this.

~

It’s his first day back from his…half a year long impromptu trip to Greece. The tensions are high, to say the least. Summer has yielded to the nipping winter, and it seems people’s expressions have taken on the same frostiness as the air. 

And, by people, he means Thanatos, who he’s been arguing with at the door of Than’s home for quite a while now.

His prospects of getting let in are not looking good.

But then he hears a voice he hasn’t heard in far too long.

“Than, you know what Mum says about debating with the mormons-”

Hypnos squirrels his way past Than then abruptly stops when he sees Zagreus. He stares at him, face white with shock, mouth slightly agape.

“Hey, Hyp.” Zagreus greets weakly.

“You know, Hypnos is such a mouthful! Everyone calls you Zag, so why don’t you just call me Hyp?”

And then Hypnos is blinking off his stupor, faster than a lightning flash. “Hey you.”

Silence between the three of them, jagged, horrid silence, as Zagreus flails for what to say.

“You know.” Hypnos begins again, balancing his elbow on Thanatos’ shoulder, which Than only looks slightly disgruntled about. “There’s this neat little device called a phone– truly one of the greatest inventions of modern times, I have to say– and the sweet thing about them is that you can use them to call, or even, god forbid, send a little text to someone who’s number you have saved, which is hopefully, both of us. And that’s especially useful if you’re planning to randomly run off to another country for six months. Without explanation.”

“That is exactly what I’ve been saying, Brother.” Than grumbles, scowling at Zagreus.

Zagreus’ hand twitches in agony, and he bites his lip. “I- I know. I’m sorry, Hypnos, I really am. I just- You know I’ve been trying to find out what happened to my Mother my whole life, and once I found out that she’s been alive this whole time– Because of you , remember? You- you helped me and I can’t thank you enough for that and- I- I couldn’t live with that knowledge, and not do something about it. And I couldn’t- I was so scared that Father would find a way to drag me back, I couldn’t even bear to keep my phone with me, out of fear he’d find some way to track it. I would’ve. If I could. Called, texted, anything to explain myself.”

Hypnos blinks at him, before he sighs wearily. “Well, knowing your dad, I guess that does make sense.”

“Yes!” Zagreus perks up. “Yes, exactly. And you know what, I’ll never do something like that again. I promise . Pinky promise. Because Mother- she’s come back with me! She missed everyone–you guys too even though you were really little when she left–and we talked with Father, and there was this whole big misunderstanding that all started because neither of them really explained anything to the other-

“I know the feeling.” Thanatos intones drily.

Zagreus ignores the jab, forging onwards with a pleading look.

“-But the point is, she’s back, for good. And so am I. I swear I’ll make it up to you guys, anything you ask for, it’s yours. I never meant to hurt you. But I know I did and- my words aren’t going to be enough to erase that. So, please, at least give me the chance to make it better.”

Thanatos’ face contorts with rage, and he snarls. “After everything you’ve done you want us to pity you . Tsch, I’m not dealing with this.”

And he storms off.

Zagreus makes an effort to follow him with a protest, but it’s aborted with the shake of Hypnos’ head.

An achingly familiar scene. Thanatos would get mad and run off in a huff and Hypnos would stop Zagreus pursuing with a Don’t. It’s not worth it. He’ll come around. 

And he does usually, though this time Zagreus is scared he won’t.

Hypnos leans heavily on the doorframe. He still looks a bit skeptical, but there’s kindness in the slow softening of his expression, the kind of blooming, lambent kindness Hypnos so likes to hide behind cheer and sarcastic wit.  “I...guess you’ve always been a free bird, huh? Never liked to be chained.”

“It was killing me.” Zagreus agrees. “I…I would have taken you with me, if I could have. But that wouldn’t have been fair to you.”

“And my best friend abandoning me out of the blue was?” Hypnos asks softly.

Zagreus' eyes dart away and back again to him ashamedly. “No. No, it wasn’t. I’m sorry.”

Then, blurted impulsively.

“I missed you. I missed you so damn much sometimes my head would ache from it and my vision would turn- turn red.” Like your clothes. Our favourite colour. “I…thought about you a lot, is what I mean to say.”

Then, finally, finally, Hypnos smiles.

And Hypnos’ smile is like the warmth of a blanket– warmth Zagreus desperately wants to retreat under. He wants to tuck himself into all the crooks of Hypnos’ body, like the way he tucks himself into his covers when he’s deep in the throes of the harsh winter night, and revel in the draping safety of it.

“Well. That’s a good start to your long road of properly apologising, hahaha!”

And fuck whatever he’s said before, when Hypnos throws his head back and laughs in a pink glow, this is the most relieved he’s ever been.

It goes like this.

~

It’s a while after Zagreus has settled back into his tentative new normal, and Hypnos invites him for a walk in the park. He’s holding this big bulky book that Zagreus is half sure will cause him to double over from the weight at some point.

It’s calm, their stroll through the trees, traipsing under their cool shadows with only the stubborn winter sun to warm them through streaks of dappled light. Hypnos never once explains the book, and Zagreus inquires about it once they settle on a bench for a break.

“This? Ah, I finally found the bird!”

“The…bird?” Zagreus repeats with a tilt of his head.

“Yes, the bird, Zag! You know the one! We were like, eight or something, and we came across this tiny bird that had just keeled over and died, or maybe a cat got to it or something. It was totally tragic. We gave it a funeral and everything! You remember, right?” 

Zagreus leans back. Puffs out a breath and watches it collect into mist, like a child pretending to suck a cigarette. 

“Yeah.” How could I forget? How could I forget, when it was with you?

“Well, I’ve spent my whole life trying to figure out what kind of bird it was. To no avail, until now!”

“What changed?” Zagreus asks, resting his cheek on his palm. He finds that the excitement in Hypnos’ gaze is utterly mesmerising.

“I stopped looking! I decided to just-” He splays out his fingers.  “-read about birds casually, yaknow, instead of obsessively searching through only birds that could be found in our area. And lo and behold, it was right there!”

“Huh. There’s probably some philosophy in that. Or poetic irony.”

Hypnos chuckles in a way that suggests to his heart to try doing jumping jacks. “Oh, everything is poetry, Zag.”

“Is that so? Even right now?” Zagreus asks with a quirk of a brow, even though he thinks he understands– Hypnos’ eyes crinkle as the wind sweeps his hair into his face and he thinks he understands.

“ Especially now! What’s more poetic than two best friends reminiscing on their shared memories. Memories of death, no less! Shakespeare is salivating! T.S Elliot is gnashing his teeth and jerking off, simultaneously!”

Zagreus snorts. “Alright, alright! I get your point. So. What bird is it?”

“Oh!” Hypnos perks up, flips to a bookmarked page in his book, and dramatically clears his throat.

“The red-backed fairywren, or more specifically, the cruentatus subspecies of red-backed fairywrens! It’s a passerine bird a part of the Australasian wren family. They’re known for being socially monogamous but sexually promiscuous–so yay, polyamory– and the males do this odd but totally cute thing where they give the females red flower petals for courtship! Or, well, odd for birds, I guess, haha . But you wanna know the crazy thing? We shouldn’t have even seen that bird, it’s habitat is way up north! So our poor little guy must have gotten really, really lost!” 

“Or maybe.” Zagreus starts, a strange emotion washing over him. “Maybe it made the conscious decision to fly out here. Maybe it was tired of being stuck in the same place it’s always known. Maybe it- maybe it thought it could find something new out here, something it’s always been looking for.”

Zagreus bites his lip, suddenly embarrassed. Hypnos gives him a long look. Then a longer look after that. Then he shrugs in agreement. 

“Yeah. I guess.”

There’s an awkward silence now, as Hypnos picks at the wood of the bench, hugging his knees closer to his chest, and Zagreus mentally kicks himself. Tentatively, he breaks it. 

“Maybe we’ll be able to find another one.”

Hypnos looks up at him, then scoffs. “Wow, your listening skills are horrible. Didn't I just say it doesn’t live around here?”

“Yeah but if one’s decided to run off in the past, I’m sure it won't be long until another makes that same choice.”

Hypnos squints at him.

“Is, uh, is this your way of telling me you're feeling flighty again?”

“No, no.” Zagreus assures him, holding his palms up. “Just- Life works in mysterious ways, after all.”

Hypnos splutters, but there’s humour in his eyes. again “You can’t just quote me to me! That’s like- illegal. How do you even remember that anyways, hahaha! ”

Zagreus doesn’t answer, just smirks. “Is that a no?”

Hypnos sighs heavily in faux exasperation. “No, it’s not.”

“Well then, my indelible friend.” Zagreus gets up and offers his hand to Hypnos. “Shall we go birdwatching?”

Hypnos accepts it with a shy little laugh.

~

They never find it, as expected, but Zagreus doesn’t think their day was completely wasted.

It goes like this.

                                                                    ~

Laundry day, as is commonly known, is one of the worst events a person must inevitably go through.

So when Thanatos texts him a Please check on Hypnos he has dropped off the face of the earth, he recognises the signs of that particular battlefield the moment he unlocks Hypnos’ apartment with the spare key Hypnos gave him. 

Namely the fact that there are piles of unsorted clothes everywhere; some wet. Some dry, and some in a curious state in-between. Sporadically, there are stacks of relatively neatly folded clothes, and one couch has been absolutely consumed by a spread out coverlet. The entire apartment smells vaguely damp and starchy, with the slightest hints of some floral soap. Jasmine, maybe.

“Hyp?” Zagreus calls out, picking his way through turned over laundry baskets. “You alive in here?”

Hypnos’ disembodied voice sounds from further into the apartment. “Zag! Oh wow, you will not believe my luck. My washing machine broke. On laundry day, no less. And not just any laundry day, the laundry day, where I wash and sort everything. ”

Zagreus huffs, then navigates towards his voice. “Oh yes, I know about your laundry days. And the fact that they always happen to coincide a couple days before your mother visits.” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, hahaha! But anyways, I’ve been hand washing everything, so in order to get everything done in time– for my own, self-imposed, completely random deadline of course, aha– I would really appreciate some help in folding stuff.”

“Well, I suppose I have some free time, though you really ought to stop leaving this to the last min-” Zagreus yelps, slamming his hand over his eyes. “Hypnos!”

Because from what little he saw, to Zagreus’ mortification, it seems that his best friend has been strolling around in just his birthday suit.

“Oh please, you’re acting like those itty bitty gym shorts you wear don’t cover even less than this.” He can hear the way Hypnos rolls his eyes. The damn gremlin.

This new information does not do much to help the heat in his cheeks. “Well, apologies , I wasn’t trying to ogle you to check if you were wearing an appropriate amount of clothing. You seemed pretty naked to me.”

Bravely, Zagreus lowers his hand from his eyes. And the sight in front of him leaves him dumbfounded in more ways than one. 

“Hypnos.” Zagreus asks weakly. “What are you wearing?”

“Oh, this?” Hypnos wiggles his hips, showing off the accursed article of clothing. Zagreus’ face heats up even more. “I got it for half price! Can’t say no to that deal, not with the current climate of the market!”

“Right. And just why are you in the market for…neon polka dot granny panties?”

Just stringing that sentence together causes him a similar pain to gargling battery acid.

“They’re comfy!” Hypnos chirps with a stretch. “Seriously, you should try some Zag! I have a ton of spares!”

Zagreus balks, then shakes his head. “Ah, no thanks, mate. I’m good.”

“Really? ” Hypnos gasps, eyes going wide. There’s a mischievous glimmer in them that Zagreus has long since learnt to be wary of. “Because from the way you’re blushing I figured you like what you see!”

Zagreus swallows, eyes darting around nervously. He tries not to look down the length of Hypnos’ chest, not to the smooth plane of his stomach, nor to those lithe, long legs. “No, no it's not that at all. I don’t want…those.”

“You sure?” Hypnos stalks closer in three long steps; his hands are clasped behind his back and he bends the upper half of his body but tilts his head up to Zagreus. 

He reminds him of those videos he’s seen of lions or tigers or other usually terrifying predator playfully and curiously stalking around in their zoo enclosure. It would be cute, if it weren’t for the fact that often their muzzles are still stained with dripping, crimson blood. 

Hypnos straightens once he’s properly in Zagreus’ space, leaning closer. “Then why are you blushing?”

“It’s- I'm not, I-” Zagreus’ stutters falter to a stop when he bites his tongue. 

Hypnos merely watches with that wide, easy smile, tilting his head to the side just as a dog does when it's confused.

Hypnos takes Zagreus’ hand and carefully guides it to hover over the dip of his hip bone, barely covered by the cloth of that weird underwear.

Gently, he moves Zagreus’ fingers and presses them into that indent. Zagreus’ fingertips alight at the sensation of the soft cotton underneath them, and that combined with the softly radiating body heat makes him shiver from an electric sensation that first sparks in his fingers but courses a twitching path throughout his whole body. 

“See?” He murmurs, puppeteering Zagreus to trace a circle into the fabric, baring down firmly yet lightly all the same. “They feel just heavenly, don't they?” 

Zagreus’ tongue darts out to wet his lips. He slowly lets his gaze travel down to where their hands touch, and where his fingers meet Hypnos’ body. It takes every drop of willpower not to move his thumb so it brushes against Hypnos’ bare, smooth skin instead. That liquid gaze a roiling sea in eyes that turn almost golden in the sunlight, the crooked grin that splits a soft, soft face. It makes him feel like he’s the one barely clothed. 

And Hypnos looks so kind, and he looks so patient, so teasingly playful, so sly, and yet he’s absolutely shining with anticipation.

And he looks so beautiful. 

Zagreus’ breathing is heavy as he screws his eyes shut, overwhelmed. He opens them, and Hypnos is still looking at him, still waiting.

But the prettiest man Zagreus has ever known is wearing the ugliest underwear he’s ever known and it’s the only thing he’s wearing and he’s batting his eyelashes at him and for fuck’s sake his blood feels like honeyed, oxygen-hoarding, clot-sludge soup in his veins and it is not fair-

Zagreus swears under his breath.

“Alright then.” He concedes, his voice embarrassingly unsteady. “You- you're right. I do want some.”

Hypnos grins even wider, baring his teeth with a satisfied gleam. He pats Zagreus on the shoulder and turns away to grab a pile of clothes and deposit them into Zagreus’ arms. 

“Okie dokie! Well then you can get folding now! I’ll give you them when we’re done. It can be your payment, hahaha! ”

And cruel Hypnos, horrid Hypnos, does not deign it necessary to wear more layers the whole time, no matter how much Zagreus tries to hint at it. The effect is that he is often very distracted, especially when Hypnos stretches to shake off the creeping fatigue that no doubt crawls over his limbs, or when he bends down to pick up or drop some clothes, giving Zagreus a very nice view of his-

Finally though, they’re done, and Hypnos digs up a fresh, unopened packet of those god-awful panties, and seriously, Zagreus needs to track down the manufacturer of these and murder them for crimes against humanity, because who thought making these was a good idea.

Except…when Hypnos practically skips over to press them into Zagreus’ hands, he’s absolutely radiant with joy. And well, if the cursed things make him happy, and the idea of Zagreus…wearing them happier, can he really begrudge Hypnos that?

Hypnos gives him a hug, frying Zagreus’ brain beyond repair. “Thanks for the help, Zag!”

Zagreus stammers something in an approximation of a reply, and Hypnos makes a little noise of amusement.

He goes on his tiptoes to whisper into Zagreus’ ears, looping his arm over Zagreus’ back to balance himself, the act pushing Hypnos’ chest and pelvis more firmly up and against Zagreus. “I really hope that when you wear them– and you will, right? I hope when you do–” He giggles softly, and it tickles Zagreus’ ear. “You think of me!”

Then he pushes Zagreus away, and Zagreus stumbles out the door.

~

It turns out he does think of him. He blushes the whole day and can’t bear to look at himself in the mirror–even though he’s wearing plenty of outer layers– but he does, very much, think of Hypnos. 

It’s the only thing that makes wearing them bearable, really.

It goes like this.

~

It’s a couple weeks after the fateful Laundry day, and Thanatos corners him while he’s on lunch break.

“You’re in love with my brother.”

“I am-” Zagreus blinks. “Not in love with your brother.”

“You are in love with my brother.” He repeats, in the same monotone drawl. 

Zagreus rubs his face. “...I might be in love with your brother.”

Thanatos hums, self satisfied, and Zagreus cocks an eyebrow. “Are you here just to make sure I know this or is there an impending shovel talk coming up? Because unless you count the time we played spin the bottle in high school, we- I haven’t done anything about it.”

Thanatos snorts. “No. I’m here to ask you when you plan on doing something about it.”

Ah. 

Okay, so maybe Hypnos and Zagreus had been dancing around each other for the past few weeks.

And okay, maybe they’ve been dancing around each other their whole lives, and lately especially so.

Zagreus sighs, tapping his foot. “I will, I just- I don’t want to fuck things up, you know?” 

Thanatos gives him an unimpressed stare. 

“Enlighten me. How could you possibly mess up? He thinks the blasted world of you. You’d have to be uniquely incompetent to ruin that .”

“We-well, he might not-”

“If you’re about to tell me he might not be interested in you, I swear-” Thanatos interrupts warningly.

“-Want the same kind of relationship that I do. I mean, I really, really like him, but he might-”

“Tsch, please. He’d have your babies if he could.”

“Than!” Zagreus squawks, face immediately colouring a bright red. “You can’t just say stuff like that!”

Thanatos ignores him. “Do you have any other valid concerns, or are they all just you being an idiot?”

“I’m not, I’m just-” Zagreus cuts off, frustrated. Then, he starts again.

“Listen. Your brother is the best thing that ever has and ever will happen to me. I- I learned what freckles are because he has them. I know the moon and stars are white because that’s the colour of his hair. I know that people are warm because I’ve held his hand.” 

Zagreus barks a laugh. “I- I still remember random information from the countless topics he’s ever gotten interested in, because on the off-chance he references one of them I can mention what I’ve cobbled together- and then I can be the reason he smiles. 

That’s all I’ve ever wanted. To make him happy. Because he doesn’t just make me happy in return, he made me me. 

And I could spend my whole life trying but I could never come close to repaying that. So forgive me, if I don’t want to put the most important relationship of my life and any life before or afterwards, on the line because of something as unimportant as a crush.”

There’s a long silence. Zagreus is breathing heavily, and suddenly afraid of Than’s reply. But when Thanatos speaks, he’s surprisingly soft. “All that, and you still want to do nothing? You won’t mess it up, Zag. You won’t, because this- ” He gestures to Zagreus. “- is more than a crush. Clearly. So take the risk of losing everything because it’s better than knowingly condemning yourself to never getting what you so desire.”

Zagreus stares at Thanatos. Thanatos meets his challenge unwaveringly. 

Zagreus throws his hands up.  “Fine, damnit, I’ll do something.” Say- something. I- I’ll confess, alright? Happy?”

Thanatos nods approvingly. “Very. And do it soon. I would prefer to be alive by the time you two get married.”

“What?! We- I’m not- I-” Zagreus splutters, ears burning. “You are the worst, Than.”

The corner of Thanatos’ mouth twitches. “And you’re crazy, you know. I mean, Hypnos? ”

Zagreus smirks. “Tell me something I don’t know. But hey, Hypnos is a very respectable choice of romantic interest. Yours isn’t that much better. You’re dating my cousin. A man who is obsessed with war and murder. He has a true crime wall. Right next to his collection of mounted historical weapons!”

“That’s not- He’s quite charming when you get to know him!” Thanatos defends with the crossing of his arms. 

“Sure. Him and his list of favourite wars and international conflicts. Very charming. Tell me, is the Taiping Rebellion still on top or has another taken his fancy?”

Thanatos scowls at him. “Hmph. And Zagreus?”

“Hmm?”

“Perhaps you should invest in…journaling, or something. You seem to have a lot of built up emotions.”

After dropping perhaps the most hypocritical bomb in existence, he stalks off.

It goes like this.

~

It’s a normal day, any day, every day and Zagreus is thinking of Hypnos. 

Everything reminds Zagreus of him. He looks at the sun and he thinks of his eyes, his smile, his devastating warmth. He looks at the moon and thinks of his hair, his skin and his glowing laugh. He cuts his finger on a kitchen knife, and all he can think of as blood wells from the wound is the soft drunken evenings when Hypnos' cheeks flush as red as the wine they'd been drinking, and how well they'd fit into the curve of Zagreus' hand. It’s like his base state is thinking about him, and life just happens in between.

And the tension between them is a drawn out plucked note waiting to either crescendo or fade.

It does, eventually. Crescendo that is. 

They’re at a park, the park, sitting on two adjacent swings, because Zagreus couldn’t fucking take it anymore and Thanatos’ words were ringing in his head like prophecy so he said:

“Hey. I have something to tell you. Come with me to the park later today? ”

And Hypnos, because he likes to make breathing difficult for Zagreus, had replied with:

“Sure thing! It’s a date!”  

Anyways, they’re sitting on a swing, just like they used to all those years ago, except that Thanatos isn’t with them this time.

There’s a slight creaking as Hypnos swings just a little–more of a rocking forwards and backwards– but otherwise, there’s not a peep of noise. 

Zagreus keeps his eyes trained on the sky. Hypnos keeps his eyes trained on him. 

There’s a messy swirl of red bleeding everywhere, like someone dragged a mangled corpse across the length of it. It’s so beautifully red, Zagreus thinks he can taste the copper-rust of it. 

He is, undeniably, distracting himself from the task at hand.

Hypnos, though, apparently grows tired of it.

“Alright then, Zag. You’ve lured me all the way out here! Whaddya wanna say?”

Silence. Zagreus looks at his hands in his lap. A magpie erupts into a harsh cawing, setting off a chain reaction for other birds to start their own songs.

“Zag? Zagreus? Hellooo? You fall asleep there buddy?”

Hypnos waves a hand in front of Zagreus’ face. Zagreus, begrudgingly, looks up. 

Hypnos’ brows are slightly knitted in concern, though his smile is still stretched across his cheeks. 

The rosy glow of the evening light has painted Hypnos’ skin and hair in lovely, warm tones. The shadows are beginning to lengthen and stretch around them, masking his eyes slightly. Hypnos presses his cheek against the chain closest to Zagreus, eyeing him still. 

He’s beautiful. Fuck, he’s beautiful. And it’s a baneful thing, that beauty.

They are surrounded by the full glory of nature, the full grandiosity of life– and beauty is dripping from every little thing. From the vast sky that encloses them as stars wink to existence, from the proud, leaf-weaving eucalyptus trees, from the cries of the soaring birds and from the slow, slow meandering of the breeze.

Yet still, the most resplendent thing Zagreus’ puny, mortal eyes can behold right this second, is irrefutably, Hypnos.

Oh, fuck it.

“I’m in love with you.”

Silence. More bird cawing. Mocking kookaburra laughter. A whole civilization births and collapses in the wait.

Hypnos blinks at him. Grins.

“Sick! Me too!”

Zagreus thinks he nearly passes out.

“...What? That’s your reply. I just confessed to you and that’s what you say?”

Hypnos shrugs. “What else is there to say, Zag?”

“I- I don’t know. I guess I imagined something a little more…dramatic.”

“Ah. Okay. Well hey, why don’t we both do something flirty. To make some tension. I’ll go first!”

Then, Hypnos fishes out a flower from somewhere in his pocket, and hands it to Zagreus with an exaggerated bow. “A pomegranate flower, for you.”

“ –and the males do this odd but totally cute thing where they give the females red flower petals for courtship!”

Zagreus takes it as delicately as one might take a crystal cup, or perhaps a ticking bomb. He inhales sharply, feels a little fluttering in his chest.

“For me? Hyp, you shouldn’t have. Er, did you have this the whole time?”

“Of course! I had the whole day to prepare!”

At Zagreus’ confused expression, he adds. “You weren’t subtle, you know. Inviting me to a romantic location at a romantic time of day to tell me something, I mean, what else could you have been planning on saying, hahaha!”

Zagreus flushes, embarrassed. “That’s true. And my favourite colour too. You spoil me.”

Hypnos’ eyes light up at the recognition of the reference. “Sure thing! Not like it’s my favourite colour too or something!”

Zagreus smiles at him. “A crazy coincidence.”

Hypnos giggles lightly. “Yep! Okay, your turn now. Come on, get me all hot and bothered!”

Zagreus takes a deep breath.

“You are the strangest man I’ve ever known.”

Hypnos squints at him. “That’s what you call flirting? Maybe you should try actually complimenting me? It might get you better results!”

Zagreus catches Hypnos’ hand and tugs him closer. Unbalanced, Hypnos grabs onto Zagreus to steady himself, and keeps one hand on the chain of the swing.


They’re face to face, and so close. 

 “That is a compliment. Thanatos said I’m crazy for falling for you. But you’re a constant plague on my mind. You drive me mad. I can’t think of the last time I dreamt of anything other than you. Thought of anything then you.”

His heart is pounding. Hypnos’ eyes widen, and his gaze keeps flitting down to Zagreus’ lips.

“Kiss me.” Zagreus finishes, wrapping a hand around the front of Hypnos’ shirt and pulling him even closer still. “Kiss me, you wonderful weirdo, so we can both be the crazy ones.”

And Hypnos laughs. And he leans in.

Hypnos, he discovers, tastes like cheap ramen and dead birds and sunlight; and he tastes like that aching feeling when Zagreus finishes a good movie, and a memory and a promise all wrapped up in one.

They say the eyes are a window to the soul but maybe the mouth carries a few hints of it too, because he’s sure that’s what this warmth is, he’s sure that’s what’s spreading from where their lips meet to every cobwebbed corner of his body. 

HIs lips are as soft as his down-feather hair, soft as the skin on the cheek that Zagreus has started cupping, soft as all the looks he’s ever given Zagreus when it’s just the two of them.

When they part, Zagreus is so frozen with elation he simply stares at Hypnos for a little while.

Hypnos rolls his eyes. “Hey, you know that pink fleshy thing in your mouth? That’s called a tongue, and if you flap it around a bit, you actually say words, which are pretty useful in communication. Maybe instead of just gawking at me, you should give that a try!”

Zagreus, for once, follows his advice, and flaps out a coherent sentence. “You’re a good kisser.”

Colour rises in Hypnos cheek, and he ducks his head. “You’re not too bad yourself. Though, I think I’ll need to try you out again if I want to form an opinion.”

But Zagreus is already leaning back in.

"Why, of course!"

And he does try him out. Over and over and again and again

Again; they’re clinging onto each other as they make their way back to Zagreus’.

Again; Hypnos cries Zagreus’ name and clutches the sheets as Zagreus fucks into him roughly.

Again; they’re at each other’s places every day, the words I love you are never far from their lips.

Again; they’re moving into a fancy new apartment together, they both look so good in suits, twin rings shine on entwined hands.

And again and again and again. 

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

Yes, Hypnos’ ways are strange and his words are strange and his underwear is stranger. Yes, the both of them can barely afford their apartment, and the fact that they cling to it is also strange. Yes, his life and his friends and his family are also, so very strange.

But-

Well, love is a strange thing anyway, and he thinks they’ll be alright.

More than alright, as they sit at the park once more for their anniversary, as the supernova of their souls in each other’s eyes and mouths and chests settle into a hum, as the air between them creaks in the absence of the other— until Hypnos moves to cross that distance, and fretful equilibrium is restored.

And again and again and-

It will go like this.

~

It is the dawn of the rest of Zagreus’ life, and he is in love.