Work Text:
The first time Zagreus returned to the Underworld and noticed that Hades wasn’t at his desk, he didn’t question it. It was normal for Hades to be gone sometimes; he didn’t actually work constantly, and he had a bedroom for a reason.
The second time Zagreus returned to the Underworld and noticed that Hades wasn’t at his desk, he did wonder where Hades was, but figured he’d just missed his father twice in a row. Zagreus wasn’t exactly spending excess time in the House after getting over his fever: he was itching to get back to work and was making back-to-back runs to get back into the groove of it.
The third time Zagreus emerged from the Styx to find that Hades’ desk was empty, he decided to ask around.
Well, he decided to ask Achilles, anyway. If anyone knew where Hades was, it would be his House guard.
Zagreus jogged over to Achilles, who looked a little tired but not exhausted. Probably just back from visiting Patroclus, then.
“Sir, do you know where my father is? This is the third time I’ve come home to an empty desk, I’m actually starting to miss being mocked and called “boy”, you know?” he asked.
“Your Lord Father is in his room, resting,” Achilles said, and Zagreus frowned at the tension in Achilles’ voice.
“Uhm… is everything… okay?” he asked slowly.
Achilles sighed, his shoulders sagging.
“Your Lord Father is… sick. I… lad, I think whatever you caught was transmissible. He’s been… in and out of consciousness for a while now.”
Zagreus stared at Achilles for a moment, then looked at the closed door, then back at Achilles with wide eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, fear and some vague sense of betrayal boiling in his stomach, “Had anyone come seen him? Have you called anyone - can you call anyone? Nyx, or- or- could one of the Olympians help?”
Achilles sighed again, then said, “I was asked to keep everyone from his room and not tell anyone about his condition. He fears starting a panic amongst the shades if they learn he is incapacitated, I think.”
“Or scared of looking weak,” Zagreus muttered, then ran a hand through his hair. “Can I check on him, at least? If he’s feeling the way I was when I got it, he probably won’t remember it anyway.”
Achilles almost looked relieved, and nodded quickly, moving aside to let Zagreus into Hades’ bedroom.
The room was dark and hot, and Hades was more-or-less just a massive lump under the covers, his breathing rasping in a way that made Zagreus shudder in sympathy. He didn’t remember much from the height of his fever, but he remembered the feeling of slime coagulating in his lungs and throat.
“Father? Are you awake?” he asked.
He got a low, wordless groan in response. Zagreus rounded the bed and paused, taking in the sight.
Hades was… remarkably pale, considering his normal skin tone, and his eyes were mostly closed but rolled vaguely toward Zagreus as if noticing the movement, but not the source. Zagreus remembered that, seeing shapes and colors and movement but not processing any of it.
“Hello Father. You look awful,” Zagreus said quietly.
Hades blinked sluggishly at him. Zagreus carefully reached out and placed a hand on Hades’ forehead, just to quickly snatch it back when he felt the heat radiating from Hades’ skin.
“I’m not sure you should be under the covers,” he said nervously, “Even if you can’t actually die from this.”
Hades mumbled something. Zagreus leaned in, his ear toward Hades’ lips.
“P’ease don’ ‘eave me ‘gain,” Hades whispered.
Zagreus straightened up and frowned at his father.
“...Again? Father, this is the first time I’ve seen you since you got sick, what are you talking about?” Zagreus asked, confused.
He was beginning to suspect Hades had no idea who he was talking to, which… would make sense given how sick he appeared to be.
“Please,” Hades whispered, and Zagreus sighed.
He didn’t really need to go anywhere right away, and if he had gotten Hades sick, well, it would be rude to abandon him even if Hades thought he was talking to someone else.
Zagreus sat down on the bed and cautiously leaned against the sheet. It was uncomfortably warm, but it wasn’t scalding like Hades’ bare skin had been, so he relaxed a little and exhaled slowly.
“Sorry for… getting you sick,” Zagreus said awkwardly, “I didn’t realize there were bugs I could catch that you could… also catch.”
Hades sighed, his breath catching oddly in his chest. Zagreus nodded.
“Yeah, I know, I’m a foolish boy who never thinks before he impulsively does things…”
Zagreus trailed off as Hades shifted, and wormed a hand out of the blanket toward him. He watched as it clumsily patted Zagreus’ hand, making him flinch at the heat.
“Good boy,” Hades managed to say in his cracking, wet voice.
Zagreus twisted around so fast he almost fell off the bed. He stared wide-eyed at Hades for several seconds.
“I- what?” he asked.
Hades’ unfocused eyes drifted over him as if he were invisible.
“Good… boy…” Hades said with more effort, “Proud… of… you…”
Zagreus actually felt something in his chest clench at the words.
“I- I- I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, Father, but you’re clearly a lot worse off than I thought. I’m- I’ll go get Nyx and she’ll- she’ll help,” he babbled, getting up from the bed shakily.
Hades let out a low, despairing sound and reached toward Zagreus. Zagreus hesitated, glancing at the door, then against his better judgement sat back down on the bed.
“I wish I could just kill you and have you wake up better,” he muttered.
Hades exhaled, but Zagreus wasn’t sure if it was a sigh or if it was because it was hard to breathe when he was so sick. He chose to interpret it as agreement.
“Anyway, since you want me to stay so badly, I’ll just… talk to you about my last few runs!”
Zagreus began describing the state of the Underworld as he’d seen it, and tried to ignore both the fact that Hades seemed to relax as he talked, and the warm feeling it sparked in his chest. He left only once Hades had fallen asleep again, and only to tell Achilles how Hades was doing.
When Hades woke up again, he seemed much more aware of himself, which Zagreus was glad to see. His eyes actually focused on Zagreus, although they then narrowed in confusion.
“Boy? What are you doing here?” he asked in his still-ruined voice.
Zagreus shrugged.
“You asked me to stay,” he answered easily.
Hades blinked slowly, then sighed and started to sit up. Zagreus placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back down.
“Ah ah ah! What was it you told me? No leaving the bed until your voice is fully healed?” Zagreus said, getting an annoyed look in return.
Tellingly, Hades didn’t try to sit up again. He laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling as if it had personally offended him.
“Now that you’re aware, do you want me to get you anything? Soup? Pillows? Water?” Zagreus asked.
“Some peace and quiet?” Hades growled.
Zagreus smirked.
“Of course! I wouldn’t disappoint you after you finally said you were proud of me!” he said, waiting to see how Hades would flail to try and cover that little slip-up.
Instead, Hades sighed.
“Of course I am proud of you,” he said softly, “You have done so well these past years, and endured much before them.”
And then, as if the admission were just too much, Hades rolled over so his back was facing Zagreus, then said in a louder (but still very hoarse) voice, “Leave me be, boy. I will be back to work shortly.”
Zagreus swallowed hard, and managed to say, “Alright Father, rest well,” without sounding like he was close to tears. He quickly left the room, closing the door behind him, and sank down to the floor.
“Lad?” Achilles asked, “Did something happen?”
Zagreus nearly sobbed as he whispered, “Father said… he was proud of me…”
“Oh, Zagreus…”
Achilles knelt down and scooped Zagreus onto a hug that he gladly returned.
“I suspect he’s always been proud of you, but you deserved to hear it long before now,” Achilles murmured, holding Zagreus close.
Zagreus nodded, clinging to Achilles as tight as he could.
“I’m sorry, I know- I know it shouldn’t bother me so much-” he started, but Achilles shushed him.
“Of course it’s going to bother you. I would be worried if it didn’t. It’s your Lord Father, and as much as you two clash, I know how much you wanted a better relationship with him.”
Zagreus closed his eyes and let himself cry. It wasn’t fair that Hades could still unbalance him like this. He thought he’d lost that capability years ago. And yet here Zagreus was, sobbing into his mentor’s shoulder like he was a child who didn’t understand why he never got to spend time with his dad.
“It’s alright, Lad. It’s alright. Let it out.”
Zagreus didn’t want to let it out. He wanted to keep it all to himself and not be a crying mess because his father had said he was proud of him.
Even so, he eventually relaxed into Achilles’ arms. He liked being held like this. He could enjoy that much, at least.