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#zagreus x reader
written-with-blue-ink · 2 months
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Hey, what are your thoughts on how Zagreus would gain a crush on the reader? Just pure fluff please
Yeah, no prob hon! Since you didn't specify, I'm gonna do headcanons!
Zagreus X GN!Reader
He probably first saw you right before he went on his killing spree throughout the Greek Underworld, like every other shade who entered the House of Hades: waiting for a decree from his father.
I love Zag but he isn't the perceptive type. Many souls come through the Throne Room daily, an uncountable number that has to go through admissions, paperwork, etc.
The first time he ran into you though, he caught sight of someone at the entrance struggling to get used to the fire and smoke that Asphodel is engulfed in.
Being the gentleman his father didn't raise him to be, he offered to help you find a better place to make your space.
Taking one of the rafts together was weird for you to say the least. There is really only space for one so he pulled you close, making both of you blush in embarrassment.
I mean, a mortal soul holding onto the chest of the God of Blood and Rebirth? How sweet!
You have to admit, him fighting was brilliant and attractive. He was strong, graceful, and tried his damnedest to protect you (even though you are already dead and can't really get hurt)
About two stops later he introduces you to Euridyce, who is more than happy to take you in like a mother bird protecting her nest.
Zagreus' affection for you mostly grew over time with consistent visits to Euridyce's humble abode
The little things that came out of the three of you talking, you break out of your shell really.
Your laughter and wittiness with both him and Euridyce are major things.
Bandaging up a wound or giving some small drachma to help afford items at Charon's shop.
Your pep-talks and advice when it comes to strategy in the upper levels.
These small gestures of kindness mean the world to someone like Zagreus who didn't have a caring parent or many friends.
He brings little gifts for you too, especially when Persephone returns
Pressed flowers or little things he knicked from the palace for you to use.
He's not ready to tell his feelings yet but he just enjoys the moments he spends with you.
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pix3lplays · 5 months
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This is so silly lolol
Zagreus and playfighting with Underworlder!s/o but things go wrong and he accidentally kills you. So you come back down the River Styx and make him sleep on the couch for the night lol
I KNOW I should do requests in order, and I’ll get back to it but this request is living rent free in my brain, I can literally not stop thinking about it😭😭😭
Cw! Reader technically dies, violence, sharing a bed, just silly
-Zagreus accidentally kills you-
He hadn’t realized just how Strong fighting his way through the underworld was making him…he had never even hurt you before when you would play fight, but this time, after not sparring with him for a while…you couldn’t help but notice Zagreus’s fighting style had…Improved with time. And yeah maybe it’s Partly your fault for not backing down, or telling him he was playing too rough, but it wasn’t YOU who jabbed a pretty little spear into your abdomen. The last thing you heard was a panicked: “Whoops!” followed by your vision turning black and the sensation of being dragged into a liquid. And the second you regain consciousness, as you float down the river Styx…your only thought is:“Zagreus >:(“ When you emerge, guess who’s waiting for you there with an apology Towel™ and a bottle of ambrosia. He’s very much like: “I’m so sorry for accidentally killing you…are we…still sharing a bed tonight?” You accept the towel and ambrosia. And inform him that NO you will not be sharing a bed tonight. He can get comfy in the lounge. “How long are you going to stay mad at me?” he asks hesitantly, and you respond by crossing your arms and glaring at him. Yeah, you don’t share a bed with Zag that night, and admittedly your bed feels a little (a lot) colder without him, but the burning flames of your temporary hatred towards him kept you warm alllll night.
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h0ney-gl0ws · 1 year
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Hades Boys! Kiss Headcanons!
Hello! Here are some headcanons about how/where the hades boys like to kiss/be kissed. Now including Dionysus and Ares! Hooray! Thanks for reading, and be mindful of the content warnings. CW: Mentions of PTSD and Panic attacks for Thanatos’, Intoxication for Dionysus (Obv), and mentions of blood with Ares’, oh and angst all around, read with caution!
Word Count (Approx): 1,765
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Thanatos Hand Kisses|Soft
After a long shift of reaping souls Thanatos’ hands can get tired of holding his scythe. He’s not one for showing his emotions outwardly, and because of that they can seep through in more subtle ways. For instance, when Zagreus says something ignorant, or when he has to deal with a mortal whose not ready to go, or even when he runs into an Olympian he often finds himself subconsciously gripping his scythe tighter.
He does not realize until the time when he returns to your arms and he can catch his breath, the strain it puts on his hands. Aching and tired after long hours at work. Which is why he appreciates your kisses so.
You delicately ghost your soft lips across his knuckles in a most soothing way. He thinks your kisses are reminiscent of that of a butterfly’s wings. How fitting.
He would cup your face with a tired smile as you press a kiss into the palm of his hand. “Gentle kisses for Gentle Death!” You would proclaim in an attempt to make him laugh.
“My, I often wonder what it is that I did to deserve someone as kind as you…” Thanatos would say in return.
He does so much for the house the least you can do is try to relieve some of the stress. You may not be able to make less work for him, but you can show your appreciation to him by giving him the love and affection he deserves.
On certain days when Thanatos’ mood is dampened due to memories of terror from Sisyphus dirty tricks, the nights he wakes panic stricken with the phantom sting of shackles against his wrists. Your delicate kisses to his wrists help to soothe the burn. Snapping him out of his own mind into reality where he is safe, and you’re there to comfort him.
Your kisses are not only comforting to him, but you are a genuine anchor to him. He does not know how he was able to exist before you came into his life. And he is forever grateful he has you now.
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Zagreus Cheek Kisses|Affectionate
For someone who so rarely sees the sunlight he certainly challenges Helios for being the embodiment of it, and his kisses reflect that.
Bright and happy is he as he presses kisses into your cheek at every chance he gets. When he passes you in the hall you bet he’s taking a detour to give you a peck before he has to continue on. When he greets you after coming back from a successful run a celebratory kiss on the cheek is practically mandatory haha.
He loves it when you celebrate with him, nuzzling your face into the side of his. It’s such a small but caring notion that makes Zagreus feel as if he’s falling in love with you all over again.
When he’s preparing to head out for another run you meet him in the courtyard to wish him luck and see him off. He smiles when he catches your figure out of the corner of his eye dashing up to you for a final embrace before he returns once again. You give him another fond kiss on the cheek there whispering in his ear to give it all he’s got and to kick Theseus’ butt once again. Earning a laugh out of Zagreus and the promise that he will dedicate his next victory against the pompous champions to you.
On nights when he has scuffles with his father, or when he’s missing his mother, and words are too much in the moment. He wants nothing more than to relish in your embrace with your kisses there to provide the comfort his parents could not.
He often doesn’t let his inner turmoil bother anyone else, and did not have anyone to confide in until you came along. There’s a lot of things left unsaid, but you will be there for Zagreus to love and support him until he is ready. Even if that day never comes, you’re glad you can a least help to alleviate his troubles for a short amount a time.
If what he needs from you is not words, but doting kisses. Then kisses he shall receive. And when Zagreus is ready to speak with you, you will listen for as long as he needs. Zagreus is so glad to have found you, and would trade anything to be able to be by your side for the rest of eternity.
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Hypnos Forehead kisses|Loving
Whenever you get excited to share some news with your lover and rush to go tell him only to find him fast asleep per usual, it’s hard to not let an adoring smile come across your face as you decide to let him rest and that the news can wait, but you can’t just leave after coming all this way to see him. This often results in you giving him a caring kiss on his forehead followed by whispers for him to have sweet dreams.
Unbeknownst to you sometimes those sneaky kisses of your actually wake the sleep incarnate. He does not mind though, in fact its quite the contrary. He is able to discern your footsteps from others, and sometimes he is actually awoken but hearing you approach. Occasionally, he would pretend to be asleep if not for a bit longer in order to gain one of your tender kisses.
He doesn’t do it out of malice of course, it’s simply the thought that even when he supposedly can’t hear your or react to what you have to say, you are still kind and devoted to him.
Yes, he hears the whispers of Zagreus and his brothers. Even his own mother talks about him with distain, but when you are given the option to say or do whatever you want to him without repercussion you choose to be caring and loving.
Perhaps that is why he is so drawn to you, and why he appreciates your kisses in secret. It’s nice to have someone who genuinely loves him for him. Not someone who talks to him so “no one else has too” Nor gives him constant sarcastic and petty remarks when he’s honestly just trying to help.
Another addition of why he loves your kisses so, is they remind him of a sort of motherly love that he did not get from his own. Why when he was younger she was kind to him, yes, but as he grew and her attention divided he noticed that she began to treat him more as if he were a burden on others. Your kisses bring him back to a time when his mother still saw him as her son. It’s a warm, fluffy feeling Hypnos is always chasing more of.
So for now, he will continue to let you believe that only you can hear your words of love and adoration for him as well as your caring gestures of your love, at least until he can return the favor tenfold.
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Dionysus Lip kisses|Sloppy
Where Dionysus goes jolly festivities and merriment follow, as well as you of course. And what are these festivities if not without a little bit of wine. It’d be absolutely preposterous after all to attend a feast without an offering you know.
And we all know how Dionysus is with wine. You see, when you attend a feast with Dionysus by the hands of the mortals, or any feast with Dionysus for that matter, he loves to show you off. Constantly gushing about what an amazing partner you are.
And with that showing off can come with a bit of possessiveness. So when Dionysus gets to be clingy, you remind him just how much you love him with some kisses.
Dionysus loves to kiss you as he swears he can get more drunk off of your lips than the wine. He reminds you constantly of how you taste better than the finest ambrosia.
You don’t mind his kisses yourself. Yes it can be messy, with Dionysus being constantly in a state of intoxication, but you can always taste the remnants of the contents of his everlasting goblet against his lips. Making the sweetness of his kisses worth all of the awkward nose bumps and accidental teeth clashes.
All in all if Dionysus were to have to choose between never drinking wine again and you, he’d choose you every time, as you provide all the happiness he could ever need in his lifetime.
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Ares Neck kisses|Passionate
When the fires of war are blazing so are the fires of passion.
Yes, Ares loves nothing more than to watch the bloodshed of a raging battlefield with you by his side. He caresses your waist as he presses fiery kisses into your shoulder, trailing them slowly up to your neck.
The clashing of swords satiating his hunger for blood in the most intense way, leading him to sometimes get a bit too rough with you.
There are times when the battle can get to his head and that can cause him to almost lose himself, if only for a short moment. A bite, too hard for your liking. The sting against your neck intensifying the raging action on the war zone below. You gasp and flinch away, causing him to realize what he’d done.
He’d apologize by kissing you much more softer, but finds it hard to restrain himself when he seeing the droplets of blood seeping through the wound from his bite mark against your neck.
He holds back to the best of his abilities as he cleans the wound with his lips. It causes you slight pain, but this time you feel as if it is more tolerable when he is caring for you rather than going feral.
You know he never intends to hurt you, and if push comes to shove he will always try to fix it and take care of you afterwards. All you can do is be there when he needs you, when the hunger becomes too much for him to handle, and he needs someone to pull him back to reality.
He’d be lost without you, a friend, a lover, and a lifeline. He would fight to the ends of the earth for you, and you would do the same. Truly, all is fair in love and war.
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pupkou · 7 months
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✧ Blood and Darkness ✧
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✦ Zagreus (Hades 2018) x Gender Neutral Reader. ✦ Warnings: slight mentions of gore (no details; in the game, Zagreus is killed over and over and is often covered in blood), head injury (reader is hurt, non-fatally, and is knocked out by hitting their head), mentions of Zagreus’ sexual escapades (no descriptions), reader is a servant of the house of Hades and is described as a shade, no smut (😞)... yet (😏). ✦ Word Count: 2.2K. ✦ Read on AO3. ✦ Part 1 / ?
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You've heard rumors about Hades' son.
They say he's not in possession of a particularly impressive stature; he's of average height, with dark hair, and he's quite thin, really, for a God. That's what he is, after all, just a God of the Underworld. One of many. And one who looks like he's not indulging himself in ambrosia and nectar as much as he should be at that, it almost seems like he's ungrateful for all the blessings and curses that come along with being the Prince of the Underworld.
They describe him as far smaller and more pathetic than Achilles, their blush showing on their ghostly complexions as they describe how his hair is cropped close to his neck and black and unflowing, not at all like the golden locks that fall around Achilles' nape.
Oh, Achilles, why must you torture us with your divine beauty and arrogant sneer? We know our ghastly, hellish faces are unworthy of your gaze, but a small, simple kindness-- in the form of a smile from your handsome face-- would satisfy us for eternities to come. By Achilles, by Thetis, and by Zeus, please let him stroll by and be pleased by something enough to smile for us, even if his pleasure comes from our misery. Surely, one of us can think of something to poke fun at Hector... much like the spear of Achilles' poked at his neck... surely so, surely so...
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They... say a lot of things, but they always call him Zagreus, which means 'great hunter'. But by the rumors you've heard, it... doesn't seem like Zagreus' name fits him very well. In Tartarus' maze, everything becomes prey to those that inhabit the different levels of death and despair that come before you feel the sun's warm embrace, or so you've heard. You've never actually felt the sun, but you have heard Achilles brag about it to Hades, reminding the king of his very eventful life on earth. The sun doesn't reach this far down, though, and is unable to illuminate the depths of Hades' realm or comfort those who call it home. Here, predators lurk around every moss-covered turn, under every magma-concealing rock, behind every skullified hero's dug-up grave, and even amongst the distinguished guests that frequent the house of Hades.
From the whispers you've strained to hear, it seems like Zagreus wants out of this place-- the Underworld, that is. The shades, your main source of information on Zagreus and the other residents of the house, love to gossip, and they say he's still not been successful in escaping the darkness that has consumed him since he was born. Some root for him, hoping that one day his laurels will know what it feels like to soak in the blazing sun like the blessed olive trees they were harvested from, while others laugh at his failure, joining Hypnos' chorus of dramatic mocking, when they see him rise from the blood once again.
He's always covered in it, head to toe, deep red and maroon coating his limbs and soaking from his limbs as if it were his own. Much of it is, considering the amount of times he's died, but that doesn't make it any less pitiful to see the Prince rise from the fluid of life (and death), unrelenting in his attempts to escape his home. He'd hardly call it that, of course, as you've heard him say as he climbs the marble steps leading from the pool of blood, wiping his glowing feet on the carpet that you think was one of Arachne's (hence its purpose being for Zagreus to wipe his bloody feet on.)
The thing about marble-- what the house of Hades is made out of-- is that it doesn't absorb sound in the slightest. It's a curse for embarrassed shades trying to quietly explain how they arrived in Tartarus early because their pet goat rammed them in the stomach, but a blessing for beings like you who get most of their daily excitement from the things that they hear refracted off of the cool stone walls.
Marble also doesn't quickly absorb any liquid poured onto its surface, despite being a porous stone, which means that you, one of the poor shades tasked with cleaning, have a lot of work to do. Guests in the house get rowdy at the kitchen bar sometimes, drinking too much ambrosia and leaving various liquids behind. Sometimes water from the river Styx drips from cracks in the ceiling, pooling and causing problems for anyone whose flesh comes in contact with the liquid. And on the worst days, the most stubborn of fluid comes in contact with the objects you're in charge of keeping tidy.
One of Cerberus' heads is a particularly messy eater, which means that sometimes droplets of blood from a cut of meat (or carcass) he's eating are flung onto precious objects. Another guest, who is said to be armed with a barbed whip, has been said to make her victims cry blood on occasion, staining the good dinner napkins and frustrating you profusely. But by far, the being who makes the worst, bloody messes, is Zagreus himself.
Despite him wiping his feet on the carpet and despite your polite suggestion to him-- a sheet for him to dry off with laid over the marble railing, Zagreus continuously trails blood all over the house. And it doesn't help that the Prince behaves like a dog, prodding at his ears when they're clogged with blood and scratching at his head to dislodge it from his scalp. He's even shook like a filthy mutt before, letting drops of blood fly from his dark hair and unknowingly creating hours of cleanup for you. You've always been forgiving, though, considering that for one, you don't have much of a choice, and two, that you've never actually spoken to Zagreus in all of your years working for the house. You've heard his name boomed in anger from Hades' decision chamber, whispered by a loose-lipped shade with an audience to entertain, and uttered during more private affairs when you shouldn't have been pressing an ear to the dark wood of his bedchamber.
But things happen. And you've never met him, so you don't feel too bad or worry too much about ever being in his presence. He's always gone anyway, wooing an undead maiden when he's not fighting to flee the house, you presume. So when you enter his bedroom dust off his belongings and collect his blood and gut soiled robes, you pay little attention to your surroundings.
You've been in his sleeping chambers many times since you've been trusted with entry, something the other cleaning shades consider a privilege. You scoff at the idea that cleaning up the Prince's dirty laundry, various collected knickknacks, and... bodily fluids is at all a privilege, but you do as you're told anyway because admittedly, it is interesting to be provided with such an intimate view of someone you've never met. There's so much to be told by someone's bedroom, or in Zagreus' case, the state of someone's sheets (his always are in various stages of disarray from his frequent activities held within the bedchamber), and you don't at all mind the exclusive perspective on the Prince.
You do, however, mind that he tracks blood everywhere. Usually, you're more aware of it, considering how much of your life you spend cleaning it up, but this time, you're not so lucky as to notice its presence. Abnormally, the carpet that cushions the foot of Zagreus' bed is kicked up in one spot so that when you move to straighten the books on his bookshelf, not only do you trip on the carpet, but you slip in a pool of blood, streaking it across the tile as you fall hard onto the floor. The force with which your head hits the hard, stone floor would surely have killed you had you not died ages ago, but in this extended lifetime, all it does is send the lower half of your body into the bookshelf's feet, knocking books, scrolls, and what are surely precious artifacts from Zagreus' journeys flying to the floor in a great crash that shakes and echoes through the room.
Although you're thoroughly disoriented and on the verge of passing out, you still hear a gravelly, skeletal voice in the distance say, "Maybe you'd better investigate that, boyo. Unless you don't got the guts! I sure don't! Ha ha ha!" before your eyes close and your mind descends to darkness.
✧✧✧
Rest, even when injury is involved, is rare for a servant of Hades like you, and it feels like only a moment has passed before your eyes are opening again, drowsy and weak as the lids flutter open. While you can't quite understand why yet, you notice that you're lying on a bed softer than a cloud and warmer than the sun (as you imagine it), and that soft voices are speaking in hushed tones nearby. One is older than the other, and commands the other to be more quiet as he worries, as though he's fretting about you.
Your sight comes back to you gradually, and you see that a red blanket with golden lining is draped over your legs and midsection comfortably, keeping you warm and still as the shocks of the pain from your head pulse through your body. Your neck hurts too, but it retains just enough of its strength that you're able to lift your hurting head and see the two forms hovering at the bedside, far enough to indicate that they were worried you might spring up like an undead warrior looking for revenge, but concerned enough that they needed to stay close.
The one on the left, who's farther from you, is a reanimated human's skeleton. A Bloodless, as they're called, was once a mortal warrior that did not receive a proper burial, and is now forced to roam the Underworld aimlessly, looking for a fight that might bring them eternal peace. It's a foolish game to play, of course, as all wise men know that no war will ever bring peace. This Bloodless doesn't seem mindless like the others though, and is able to make eye contact with his bright red irises, although he seems uncomfortable doing so. He looks at his partner when you meet his gaze.
His partner stands closer to you, his face full of concern as it points at you, studying you. He's not very tall, but he's muscular as if he uses his body more than the average God trapped in Tartarus for all of eternity, and the half of his torso that's revealed lacks scarring-- in the dimness of the room, it's almost like his skin is glowing faintly. His face is kind and handsome, unlike anyone you've ever seen before. On top of his short, dark hair rests a loop of multi-colored laurels whose crimson color fades into red, which fades into copper, which fades into gold.
It sits on his head like a crown, much like the dark-haired child in the portrait of Cerberus that hangs in the great hall wore, you think. Identical to it, even. You've never actually stopped to read the plaque that hangs beneath the masterpiece, so you're not sure who the child or his companions are or what their names could be-- you just know that he is of the utmost importance to Hades considering he is the center of a few artistic representations, which Hades isn't often fond of. But before you can begin your quest to discover the identity of the child in the portrait, he speaks.
"Hello, dear friend," he says softly. "Can you hear me?"
You swallow, hoping your voice still works, and say, "Yes."
"Woah! This one's got no respect for royalty! They just employ any- body these days! Ha!" the Bloodless jokes, elbowing his partner in the ribs humorously. Unfortunately for him, his partner doesn't laugh, he just keeps his attention steady on you, his heterochromatic eyes caring as they watch you. In any other case, he would push the Bloodless over and reduce him (temporarily) to a scattered pile of bones, but there are things more important to worry about than someone’s mistimed joke. 
At the skeleton’s words, your stomach drops as all the blood rushes to your head all at once, and your heart starts beating so hard you can hear it in your ears, a pounding rhythm usually reserved for life-or-death situations. Suddenly, the room becomes familiar again-- the picture frames you've dusted and the knickknacks you've arranged and the blankets you've straightened thousands of times become clear to you.
You're in Zagreus' bedroom.
Prince Zagreus' bedroom.
And you're lying in his bed.
And the man, who was once a baby with a crown of laurels forced (by magic) to sit still for a portrait, is right in front of you.
The one person in the house of Hades who you've never come in contact with is standing at your bedside because you slipped in his blood.
You are so extremely damned. Somehow, even more than the first time you got damned to Tartarus for all eternity.
Blood and darkness.
✧✧✧
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tagging people I think might like this <3
@vampireloverz @allright @transchainsawman @moonsong1027 <3
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short comfort fic: reader(m/f/enby) x hades | fluff, morning cuddles, sleepy kisses
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Scene: You wake up to him watching you sleep under his covers, but it turns out something is on Zagreus's mind.
No Spoilers (because I haven't finished the game yet lmfao)
For a place in the depths of hell, it's sort of ridiculous to wake up to streaming light. But you do anyway, stirring in the warmth of silk sheets as your eyes crack open to see dimly lit candles placed in the crooks and crannies of the room.
"Morning, sleepyhead," a gravelly voice whispers from behind you. You turn over to see Zagreus' elbows on a pillow as he shifts his weight to accommodate your new position facing him. He holds his chin in the palm of one hand, head tilted to the side as a strand of black hovers on his eyebrow. The trademark curl of his lips linger, but through your sleepy haze it takes a moment before you register that it's somewhat of a frown. "Zagreus?" you call tentatively, voice soft. "Something wrong?"
His shoulders stiffen slightly, eyes drifting to the space on the bed between the two of you. His hand free hand reaches for your fingertips, holding onto just two and running his thumb along your skin.
"Nothing much, don't worry yourself," he offers, giving a kiss to the back of your hand to satiate you. But to his dismay, you press on, shifting to your elbows so that your faces are closer.
His eyes looked wearier than usual, like he hadn't gotten much sleep. You kiss him lightly on the cheek and he lets out a sigh. The tension in his shoulders faded a little, too.
"If you won't tell me, I'll worry more," you whisper into his ear before pulling back and looking at him. He cups your face with his hand, brushing a thumb over your cheekbones before returning his own kiss to the warmth of your forehead. He's silent for a few heartbeats.
Then, he says softly, "What if you wanted to leave?"
Your face scrunches in confusion. "What do you mean? Like, leave you?"
He's hesitant, his cheek twitching for just a second before answering. "Leave here. You might not want to stay in hell with me forever, right?" Zagreus throws his head back in a scoff, before he looks down to his fingers still holding yours. "Of course you wouldn't."
You watch him sit and squirm in his seat on the bed, anticipating your answer. It takes a moment for the underlying message of his words to click for you, but when they do, you decide it's better to respond to those instead. You reach out to brush the strand of hair on his eyebrow, noticing that his eyes lock onto your parted lips while you're doing so. "I will follow you no matter where you are or where you go, Zagreus," you say. "As long as I can wake up to you like this every morning, I wouldn't want it any differently."
Zagreus's eyes widen for a moment before going soft with a look you've seen a million times. The sort that hitches your breath and makes you remember why you fell in love with him in the first place.
"I love you," he whispers so softly into the flesh of your lips, before grabbing your waist and pulling you into his lap to kiss you until you want to breathe nothing but him.
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lovelybrooke · 8 months
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You should definitely do the self aware hades game😊
I really like the characterization of Zagreus done by @yandere--stuck (Aka masochist Zagreus). He'd been the type of yandere that proves their devotion through pain, in his eyes there's no better way to prove how devoted he is than spilling blood for you. When he realizes you're controlling him, he starts to seek out pain more and more. The more blood he spills, the harder he works to escapes, the more he proves that all your hard work will not go to vain.
I also like the idea of the Gods taking an interest in the player. They're barely able to sense Zagreus in hell, so I imagine it take a while for them to take notice to you. Maybe once Zagreus obsession becomes more obvious, then they'd actually point it out. Image picking up a boon from one of the Gods just to get dialogue mentioning you by name, asking what you're going controlling the Prince of Hell. The longer you play the game, the more twisted their dialogue becomes as it's the only way they can communicate with you.
---
A/n: Please send in Hades asks, I'm begging of you.
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love-toxin · 1 year
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Your yandere zag hcs are so JFNEJJCKDJF I love them sm I can't stop reading that post 💔
Could we permahaps have an outline of what would happen if Zag DID manage to get an afab mortal partner pregnant? His reaction and how it goes, etc?
heheh! ur ask could not have come at a better time, I'm replaying Hades rn!! <33 sorry i kinda went off on a tangent ehe 👉👈
(cws: a mere twinge of yandere zagreus, f!mortal!reader, canon-typical death mentions, childbirth, violence, a plot twist!)
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It's during one of those escape attempts, which have become pretty routine by now, that he gets word from one of his godly relatives about what's happening on the surface. It'll probably either be Hermes or Athena delivering the news, the former more blunt and the latter breaking it gently to her cousin for fear that his heart may break. Those on Olympus have little to no idea about his rendezvous with you save Aphrodite, who supposedly can see the glimmer in his eyes that betrays a post-coital love affair--so while they know that Zagreus is in love with a mortal girl, they're shocked to find out that he's delighted to hear the news, because he knows that the baby is his and you haven't moved on to some other, more easily accessible lover. You're simply too loyal, and you've waited too long to ever consider pursuing another after your beloved. Word will spread quickly on Olympus after that first encounter with him in Tartarus, and the deliverer of said news watches in shock and awe as Zagreus zips around them and barrels straight through the next door before they can even help him with a boon. Because now starts the sprint--he has to get up there to be there for you.
It seems as though every floor he hits, he feels the presence of one of the gods helping him, and it only grows stronger the higher up he goes. Every so often when a boon appears, one of his relatives will be clamouring to congratulate him; Dionysus, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Zeus, even Ares has the smallest of smiles as he offers a particularly wrathful power to help him cut through the lakes of Asphodel and burn into the fields of Elysium. Each one of them is so excited for a new arrival, a new member of the family--except, of course, for Hades.
His father is absolutely appalled when the news reaches him via overhearing Hypnos, and in that moment of swiftly oncoming fury, Zagreus' journey to you immediately becomes ten thousand times as dangerous. He can't stop, he can't turn back, and he cannot die before he gets to you, because based on the tremors and the ominously encroaching dread at his back, Zagreus will be in for an eternity of suffering if he allows his father to stop him from seeing you. Even if it's the last time, he has to see you and his baby just once--he doesn't want to pass on his own tumultuous upbringing to his precious, innocent child, nor the feeling that their father has abandoned them completely. Between his godly relatives helping him out and his father doing everything in his power to sabotage him, this journey is the most perilous he's ever faced by far. And time is so nebulous in the Underworld, so he doesn't want to waste any second he has because they mean much more to you mortals up there than it does to a demigod down below--what if he falters, or fails, and he misses not only the birth of his baby but their whole childhood? What if he finally gets to the surface only to find that you've waited your whole life for him, and wasted away without an ounce of comfort simply because he couldn't get to you in time? He can't have that happen. He won't.
So up he goes, and not once does he stop. Meg takes it easier on him at least (though she never admits it) the Hydra falls as hard as it always does, and Theseus barely gets through half of his spiel before Zagreus is lunging at him to start the battle. Even the Minotaur is impressed at his fervor, though the reason won't be clear until Zagreus comes back--but they weren't the real challenges. Up there, when his flaming feet hit the snow-covered surface, he finally feels some surge of insurmountable pressure as he faces off against Hades himself.
And to say he fights for his life in the name of that sliver of freedom he desires is an understatement to the highest degree. Zagreus can barely get a hit in, his father is so furious--if not for Athena's shields and Zeus's lightning he probably would have lost his head about a dozen times. Hades is determined to stop him from not only meeting his own child, but to bar him from ever associating with you again, and one of those underhanded ways is to send his own courier ahead as a failsafe of sorts--and when Zagreus finds out that Thanatos is headed your way, he loses it. While it was meant to break his spirits, it has the opposite effect--his son is thrown into a rage so violent that even he can't withstand it, and when Hades has been slain Zagreus is pounding dirt as he sprints for your home, the path engraved into his head so deeply that he's on his way before his father even hits the ground. He remembers these hurried marathons to your home, the jubilant excitement at getting to see you and touch you and hear his name on your lips....but this time, it's panic that drives him forward as your garden comes into view, and he leaps over your rickety little fence to pound his shoulder into the door and burst into your tiny, quaint little cottage.
The first thing he sees, rather than you, is Thanatos standing near the door--and although he's already raising his sword with nothing but fear for you in his mind, his childhood friend doesn't bother even flinching, and just turns his head to cast a knowing look at him that betrays the truth of what he was told.
"Oh, please, Zagreus. Ruler of the Underworld or no, you know I cannot reap a soul before it has withered, no matter whether Hades wills it." He mutters quietly, and tilts his head towards the other end of the room that he's facing. And when Zagreus hurries closer to his side, and moves to look towards the spot where he knows your bed always sits, his heart is sent soaring into his throat at the sight that awaits him.
There's one thought running through his mind: I missed it. He missed the birth, and just by a hair, as evident by your mussed clothes and sheets as you sit back against your pillows, your lap covered with a blanket while you're still heaving with breath. And in your arms, flushed and cradled gently, is a gurgling little bundle of tiny features and your beautiful skin tone that Zagreus could never believe he helped make.
Your eyes soften so much at the sight of him, the sweetest "My love!" croaked out of your throat that draws him to move closer to your bedside. Joining you in the room besides the two of them is another woman, a stranger that seems to be a midwife from the local temple, and quite surprisingly three of his relatives; Aphrodite, Dionysus, and Zeus. While he himself is preoccupied with kissing you and taking his baby into his arms for the first time, and his cousins are joyously encouraging a wine-soaked feast and a celebration of your eternal love respectively, his uncle stands still and uncharacteristically quiet at your side, though a smile breaches his lips as he watches the two of you share tears and a sweet embrace as you're reunited once again.
"Is this..?" He whispers, voice cool though his touch is so warm--and fading, ever so slightly, as he sits on the edge of your bed with your child wrapped up in his arms.
"Isn't she beautiful, my love?"
She. A daughter. He couldn't be happier, couldn't be more proud of the little life in his hands, even though she's barely taken her first breaths and nothing else. To see her alive is victory enough, but the high isn't lasting as long as he'd like, and he's forced to pass the baby back to you as he starts shuddering and falling into that terrible feeling of dread in the pit of his chest. He's barely been able to hold her, barely been able to get to know her, to bask in her sweet, gurgling whisper of a voice and the feel of her tiny fingers gripping around one of his. It isn't enough, and it dawns on him now that it will never be enough.
"I...I must leave you waiting, once again..." His cousins are at his side in a moment, Aphrodite holding him up by one arm while Dionysus grabs the other, the two unusually sobered by the moment as your newborn starts to cry, and so do you. "I won't be long this time, my love...I...swear, I won't abandon you...or my little Melea..."
It's such a long time to wait, and the days grow more agonizing as each one passes, even with the shocking amount of information his cousins offer--it's surprising even for a relative for a god to spend so much of their time visiting you in the mortal realm, which may also be the reason why he hasn't seen hide nor hair of Zeus since that fated day. Perhaps he's quite busy stepping in for him in his absence, which Zagreus can only hope is a good thing.
When the dark, ill feeling finally overtakes him, and the voice of Zeus bellows something he isn't able to catch, Zagreus burns the image of you and his daughter in his mind as you hold his hand before he feels the warmth of Styx surround him entirely. The world above falls away, and even before he reawakens in the House after being carried by Thanatos, he braces himself with the knowledge that it may very well be a long, long time until he fulfills that oath to you two. It's despairing, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that his father will make it nigh impossible for him to get out again, and surely enough Zagreus suffers a great many deaths very close to the surface, almost in reach of you two--but each time he's thwarted more aggravatingly than the last. The only comfort he's allowed is to hear news of you and his daughter from the gods that were present for your daughter's birth, the two that more or less insisted on being the literal godparents of your baby girl. They regale him with tales of her exploits, of how she's fussy with peas but she can't get enough of mush carrots, how she once nearly rolled out of her cradle in the night, and how she even said her first word. And it stings Zagreus right in his heart when he's told what it is. Papa. You must be working in a frenzy to care for her alone, and yet you haven't let her forget the presence of her father even when he can't seem to get up to the surface to see her. It makes his clashes with his own father more violent, even though the two of them are no longer on speaking terms.
That all changes on a day like any other, however. When he jumps down into the lowest level of Tartarus, eager and ready for another try despite how weary it makes him, the potential boon waiting for him is unlike any of the ones he's encountered before. The handful of gods he's never really interacted with might have news for him, he thinks, or maybe had their curiosity piqued at their counterparts investing so much time in the mortal wife of a bastard demigod. But when he touches it, and the distinct sound of ticking fades in and out of his mind, he's confused more than curious as the image of the god slowly comes into view, like water rippling back into stillness once a stone has been thrown into it. Something else stirs up in him as well--the sounds of laughter, but smaller, sweeter, as if the voice of that jubilant person hasn't fully formed yet. And it's familiar. It dawns on him just in time of how familiar it is, when he hears that darling voice soothing him with a reassurance he hasn't felt in ages.
"Hello again, my love. It seems as though our wait is finally over, isn't it?"
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madwomansapologist · 9 months
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rocky road — which soulmate!au would be perfect for them? + zagreus
rocky road — which soulmate!au would be perfect for them?
⤷ with: zagreus
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See color for the first time when you touch them + Star-crossed lovers. In this essay I will-
Okay, hear me out. Zagreus is the most determined deity. That's a fact. He's literally compared to Sisyphus all the time. Even when things seem to work against him, when people he loves don't support him, when his own father fight him to death: Zagreus don't stop trying.
It don't matter what separates you both. Maybe you're a nymph that lives with Persephone far away from the Underworld. Maybe you're another chthonic entity that have so much to do to prove yourself for Hades. Maybe you're an hero(ine) on Elysium responsible for killing Zagreus again and again.
When you touched (maybe in accident during work, maybe during a fight, maybe you tried to help him while he died on the surface), colors exploded in front of his eyes. Since that, Zagreus knows he won't give up on you. He won't stop trying. It don't matter if he ends up dying just to see you for a few minutes, if Hades himself declare that you both will never be alowed to have a relationship, if you're the one killing him again and again: Zagreus will never stop trying.
Chaos can say that will never work, Gaia can wake up and separe you both, Cronos can get rid of his chains: Zagreus will never let someone else decide his fate for him. He would never challenge the Moires out loud, but he does beg. And the only person he actually fears is Aphrodite. Don't matter what she demands, Zagreus will do everything to be on her good side and make sure that she also likes you.
After all, the stars and the rest of the world can say and do whatever they want, but Zagreus got plenty of time to make you his. And he isn't a man give up on the first few thousand attempts.
if you enjoyed, please reblog! i promise it makes a difference ♡
@ madwomansapologist.tumblr.
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levmada · 1 year
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I saw your post for Zagreus and would like to request a fluff one shot of Zagreus x reader where he just collapses into his s/o’s arms after failing to escape the underworld yet again and they just comfort him? Thank you!
yesyesyesyes yes thank u!!!!!!! i was looking for an excuse to write him hehe
//blood, gn!reader
You must look odd, Thanatos and you both, side-by-side watching the bloody River Styx lap lazily at the entrance to the House. Like a welcoming committee. It’s always bothered you, the set of several steps that souls must ascend when they arrive. The recently dead.
"I don't want him to succeed or fail necessarily," Thanatos relents in a quiet tone. The goody two shoes as always. "I want him to quit this foolish quest. There is no escape."
You scoff. "Zagreus isn't exactly known for his obedience to Hades, Brother, let alone anyone else. That includes Death." You smile at the irony. "In more ways than one."
"I'm aware," he says dryly. His bright yellowish eyes flicker to you. "Yet I... I can’t help but aid him. You have more faith in him than I.”
“I know.”
“Then I'll leave you to it, Coma.”
Always so impersonal. You roll your eyes. "Death."
You don't know how likely it is, this time versus all the others. Zagreus always exudes the same determined sheen in his eyes on his way out, after a kiss goodbye. You never quit wishing him luck. All the times you can get away it, you meet him in Erebus for a trial to his strength, then a reward... But you couldn't fine the time, this time.
At last, the thick, bloody waters ripple and undulate at the arrival of a powerful soul. That fluffy tuft of dark hair, dark as night, appears first, before the rest of him wades out of the shallow Styx.
You sigh tightly at the dreadful sight of him. “Zagreus.”
“It's you,” he murmurs. He seems even paler than usual—and the blood that clings to certain wounds doesn't help.
To your surprise, he stumbles at the top step. You shoot out to brace his fall when he collapses to his knees, right into your arms.
"Agh," he grunts softly. "As... if I need one more injury. Damn... Damn Theseus."
"Oh, Zag." You throw a glance over your shoulder at the wide hall laid out behind you. Hypnos is sleeping on his seat as usual. No one is looking, much less the shivering, pathetic shades in their cloaks.
He slurs his next words severely, muffled by your neck and its nightly collar adorning it. "I’m used to it. It's... Having someone waiting on me isn’t a bad deal.”
Your heart trembles for Zagreus in his current state. You simply kneel and hold him, stroking underneath his sash, his toned back. The weakness lasts only a little while. Dying is disorienting, normally. Not that he even shows that measure of weakness.
Time passes. Too much time for your comfort.
"I shall help you," you murmur. "It's the least I could do."
Both his arms wearily rise and touch your waist, surprising you with how quick he is to allow help. In a whispered flutter, the faint shift in space, you appear on the wrinkled rug before the foot of his bed and the massive, overstuffed trunk that sits there. As before, you’re embracing on the floor.
"...That's enough shifting time and space for one day, I think," he sighs, already sounding like the usual headstrong, dry-humored Zagreus again. He leans back, and braces himself on one knee to rise back to his feet.
Although wary, you let him be. He drops to a heavy sit on the side of his bed.
"There are other ways to aid you, love," you say warmly. "Speak to me."
He gives you a lazy stare. "Theseus."
You chuckle bitterly.
"Blast…" He touches his regal sash. "It ripped. Again. That’s what I get for—”
“For not wearing armor like not only Achilles, but I advised?”
With a huff, he nudges the frayed silken cloth off his shoulder, until the blood-red sash entirely drops to his lap. He’s left more or less shirtless. What’s left holding the rest of his garb together is the skulls, fashioned into a belt above his waist.
You stare, a little longingly. Across his chest, a heavy gash you hadn’t seen before is now out in the open. “You’re too fashionable, Zag.”
“Something like that… Maybe if I dressed like a shade I could sneak my way past Theseus and his companion, you think?”
With fresh linens in your arms, you approach, and wipe away the blood dutifully. Zagreus is no simple man—no simple shade, either—but that doesn’t mean he has to bleed all over his bed. “I’m sorry. I hear he’s insufferable.”
Not one for conversation anymore, he grunts, and delicately places his crown aside. It’s hues like autumn, shared between himself and Hades. And once upon a time, his mother Persephone. It’s extraordinary to you that he continues to wear it despite him. But then again, if Zagreus cared not for family, he wouldn’t pursue his mother. Again and again and again and…
Less care is taken to sliding down the two golden rings on his arm. When he leans, he wavers precariously for a moment, as if he’s moments from falling on his knees to the floor, but he—and you, your arm slung across his chest—catch him just in time.
His one crimson eye never shines so brilliantly as the green. Both are dull now. The most lively thing about his appearance now is the dull flames seething under his feet, which doesn’t say much at all.
“Sit still,” you say firmly. You should’ve added, and that is final.
You kneel down in front of him, and click free his skeletal belt, followed shortly by the rest of his royal garb. Obediently, he raises his bottom up so you can collect the ruined clothes. Dusa will have them mended in no time.
“I suppose if there’s anyone in this world—or under it…—I’d be willing to obey, it’s you.”
You huff fondly. "The highest of compliments, coming from you."
You ease him onto his back, bundling up the thick duvet and silken sheets around him like a sort of cocoon. You're tempted to tie the ends in a sort of knot, if it meant he'd rest for once. He watches you tend to him through lidded eyes until you toss his moppy black hair off his forehead, and they finally close. He's not even at liberty to complain that you should stay, he was so exhausted.
You lean down and kiss his forehead. Luckily for him, you already planned on it.
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superhero--imagines · 2 years
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A/N: So I am weak, here is the first part of the Waking up in PJO Series, I drew inspiration from a lot of different series and I’ll credit them all at the end. I hope you enjoy this and if you want to be added to the tag list please drop a comment :)
* Your first thought when you wake up is:
* Oh geez, not again
* ‘What is this, the thirtieth world?’
* You’re starting to get tired of this
* To make matters worse you’re never the same age
* One day you’re nineteen, the next time you’re twelve, the time after you’re twenty-one —
* And this time you’re an infant, a handful of months old at most.
* You’re swaddled in a thick blanket, held against a woman’s pillowy chest.
* ‘What kind of backwater system am I going to have to fix this time.’ You wonder, bitterness ringing through your thoughts.
* You aren’t allowed to be bitter for long, the gentle sensation of a warm chest and familiar scent lull you back to sleep again.
* ‘I have an entire life in this body this time, I should do it right.’ You think
* You’re three years old the next time you’re able to process cognitive thoughts.
* ‘Well this hardly seems fair.’
* You look straight ahead, staring into the abyss, and your father looks back at you.
* He doesn’t look like your original dad, but that’s hardly surprising. You’ve been in a dozen or so worlds where your parents don’t look like your parents—
* ‘At least I always look like myself though.’
* This time your father is a younger man, in his early twenties, he has jet black hair that seems to stick in every direction, skin the color of pale moonlight, and heterochromic eyes; one amber and the other green, both remind you of swirling galaxies.
* But the most noteworthy thing about him is that he seems to be tinged in red. The hue saturates his knuckles, flushes across the bridge of his nose, and stains the whites of his eyes.
* ‘He doesn’t look angry though,’
* “Daddy what’s wrong?” You ask, your small hand resting on his face.
* ‘Just sad.’
* His large, calloused hand, covers your own.
* “Nothing baby, I’m just so happy you’re here.”
* You’re four when you realize you’re stuck in Percy Jackson
* Your teacher is crouched on the ground, her blue apron soiled with the playground dirt
* That much wouldn’t be all that surprising, the power of despair always stays with you regardless of what body you’re in, radiating from you like an aura to everyone around you if you let it.
* Even more unsurprising is that this small body can’t handle your emotions very well yet. Small outbursts are to be expected.
* What is surprising is the snake strangled in your small fist.
* ‘Normal four year olds can’t strangle snakes.’ You think numbly as your pre-school teacher fluctuates between hysterics and crippling despair.
* You calm yourself down enough after loosening your hold, soothing your teacher the best you can.
* “It’s okay see, we’re both okay.”
* You doubt this is some anime world where even children are overpowered and people seem to heal in a couple of minutes.
* And it doesn’t seem like an original world either, this is a very American landscape.
* ‘What city is this again?’
* New York, Manhattan to be exact
* Something about strangling a snake felt awfully familiar, not to mention that warm golden hue when you were a baby.
* Think about this objectively, your mom is not around, you’re strong but not anime or video game overpowered, and you’re in an American setting.
* You’re about to fall asleep for your afternoon nap when it hits you
* ‘Oh shit, I’m in Percy Jackson.’
* It seems unlikely, but wilder things have happened
* ‘Maybe it was only a matter of time. Still there’s only one way to confirm it.’
* “Hey Daddy,” your father glances at you from the rear view mirror in the car. “Why don’t I have a mommy?”
* You feel bad asking your father a question you know will bring him pain, especially when you see hurt flash in his eyes.
* Your father is a handsome man, well built with beautiful eyes, you wouldn’t be surprised if a goddess found him appealing.
* “Your mother went somewhere far away, somewhere you and I can’t follow for a long time.”
* On one hand he makes it sound like she passed away
* On the other hand this is a very vague statement, for all you know your mother is in Olympus or seducing her next victim.
* “What was she like?” Your legs swing underneath you.
* “Your mother was, is, the love of my life.” He reaffirms. “She brought warmth with her into every room she entered, and she was the kindest soul I ever encountered.”
* Even now he looks positively dazzled when he speaks about her.
* ‘So my mom is a goddess, great.’
* His description doesn’t help either, at best it’s a vague description and at worst they’re the words of an unreliable narrator.
* ‘So his love sickness aside, maybe my mom is a minor goddess like Hestia, or maybe Nike or Themis.’
* Though who knows, maybe his description’s completely off and your mom is someone like Athena or Artemis.
* Regardless of who your mom is,
* “Come on baby, I heard you had a bad day at preschool today, I’ll make you something yummy to make up for it.” Your father promises, holding you tenderly against his chest as you make your way up to your familiar Apartment in Manhattan, waving hello to the doorman of your building.
* You’re glad you have your dad
* He may not be a parent your recognize from a previous life, but the way he holds you so gently, the familiar scent that wafts over you — like spring and amber mixed together — has your eyes drooping close
* “I love you daddy.” You yawn against his neck
* “I love you too baby.”
* You’re seven years old when you meet the black dog for the first time.
* You’re walking home from elementary school, sighing as you cross the street.
* ‘I have to be more careful, Dad practically had a heart attack last night when he saw me reading the book about Greek mythology.’
* “W-why are you reading that book sweetie?”
* “The pictures looked pretty.”
* “W-w-well what about this one? Don’t you think these pictures are prettier?”
* You’re going to have to start handling your research with more tact.
* ‘I get about 30 minutes a day for silent reading, but if I choose a book about Greek mythology everyday my teacher will mention it to my dad, I’ll need to limit myself to one day a week.’
* You’re thinking of making a schedule of things to study every day so you might just appear like a very organized child, instead of the freak you are.
* That’s when you see it.
* On appearance alone it doesn’t seem like anything all that special, the dog is large, a black Great Dane with big brown eyes and a tail wagging a mile a minute.
* And in its mouth is a bright red ball.
* Despite yourself a smile twitches on your lips as you get closer, you’ve seen dog body language enough to know when an animal is uncomfortable
* “Hey boy, what are you doing out here all alone?” You hold out your hand expecting to receive an introspective sniff, but instead the dog placed his whole face on your hand.
* You laugh as you pat his head
* “Why’d your owner leave you alone like this?” You wonder aloud, the dog looks like a purebred, and he’s friendly and social too — it doesn’t appear to be abandonment, but he doesn’t have a leash, just a collar with blue gemstones embedded into luxurious leather.
* ‘Whoever’s dog this is, they must be rich.’
* Not that your father seemed to be hurting for money either considering he’s sending you to all the best schools in Manhattan
* The dog drops the ball into your hand when you still
* Does he want to play fetch?
* It’s only when you look down you see it’s not a ball at all.
* “A pomegranate?”
* Before you can think about what kind of person gives a dog a pomegranate to play with, the dog gives you one final lick before leaping away, leaving you standing alone in the middle of the street.
* “Well that was weird.”
* You meet her when you’re eight years old
* She’s adorned in a varsity jacket, a flip phone in one hand and a dog leash in the other
* The black dog from earlier wags it’s tail
* ‘So this is the bad owner.’
* She looks like a college student, maybe twenty at most. With jet black hair and bright green eyes.
* ‘She looks familiar’
* There’s a certain tint to her though, a gold tint that lingers on her skin, gold flecks in her eyes, a golden sheen to her hair, you don’t know what to make of it.
* “Hey kid, do you know me?”
* “Yeah you’re the lady I’m going to report to my teacher when I get to school.”
* The woman sputters with laughter, her hand covering her mouth as her dog shuffled towards you, pressing its nose against your hand. You pet instinctively.
* ‘You really deserve a better owner. How hard would it be to incapacitate this woman and steal her dog?’ You muse.
* “Looks like Cerb has taken a liking to you.” She states, the dogs practically curled around you it’s head in your small hands.
* “You named your dog Cerb? Like Cerberus?” You feel like the name fits a Rottweiler better than a soft hearted Great Dane.
* “I didn’t pick the name, I inherited him from a distant family member recently.” She shrugs, patting her side, the dog pouts but obediently returns to her side.
* “I’ll see you around kid.”
* ‘This is starting to get weird.’
* You wonder for a second if that was your mother but dispel the thought.
* ‘Dad could do better.’
* You stumble into adolescence without a hitch, running into the college student and her Greek mythology named dog.
* You learn her name is Maki and she’s a sophomore at a local university.
* “So are you in college?” You ask.
* “I guess you could say that, I’m getting a degree in architecture at NYU.” You nod.
* You mainly put up with her to pet her dog.
* And you continue your research into the gods, hoping you might find a clue about who your mother is.
* “They seem very interested in Mythology, they even have a schedule on what type to learn more about everyday, it’s still early but archeology may be a good field of study for them.” Your teacher tells your father during the semi-annual parent teacher conference.
* Your father can barely contain his joy, a wobbly smile over his mouth as he ruffles your hair.
* “They’ve always been fairly independent, but if there’s anything I can do to support them as a parent please let me know.”
* ‘I wonder what dad does to be able to afford all this.’
* It’s something you’ve never really thought of much until now, but the penthouse apartment in Manhattan, the elite private schools, even the designer clothes you wear — the money has to come from somewhere.
* ‘He does seem to work a lot.’
* Your dad is always there for you before school and after school, but you’ve seen him mulling over a stack of paperwork a handful of times when you woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, a heavy sigh heaving from his lips as he leaded through the documents.
* ‘Maybe he’s an executive and he just has really good boundaries.’ You think to yourself.
* You’re also growing fairly certain that your mother was a minor goddess, for one you don’t seem to have any special powers aside from your usual despair aura, and second…
* The monsters are few and far-between. There’s been the odd occasion naturally, a snake that tried to poison you, an Eagle that latched onto your arm and refused to let go, a man with only one eye that eyed you from outside the playground, but one look from you was enough to make them scamper away.
* ‘I must not be worth the trouble to them.’
* Besides it’s not like you need protecting, as long as you have your despair no monster on earth can harm you.
* As you walk home, slightly disappointed that Maki and her dog aren’t at the park today, you think maybe this is okay.
* You don’t need to know who your mother is, your blood is weak enough that you won’t need to go to camp half-blood, you can live a nice long life with your father.
* You smile at the doorman as you walk into the marble lobby of your apartment building.
* ‘Maybe this time there aren’t any problems I need to fix.’ You think as you step onto the elevator.
* ‘Maybe this time I can live a nice peaceful life with my super rich dad.’ You decide, tapping the key code into your door before turning the handle.
* You’re greeted with the usual sight of your father, but instead of his usual place on his favorite armchair, he’s seated on the sofa, his mouth stretched in a tense fine line.
* Across from him is a woman, if you had to describe her you’d say she resembled a peony. Everything about her felt like a blossoming flower, pink cheeks, perfectly well manicured pink fingernails. She has long brown hair the color of tree bark, and bright green eyes.
* She’s adorned in a white pantsuit, and stares at you with an amused smile twitching on her lips.
* “(Y/N), come sit by me very quickly.” Your fathers words are strained and tinged in urgency, the woman rolls her eyes.
* “Oh come now Zagreus, you think I would hurt my own grandchild?”
* “It’s never seemed to stop you before.” He grumbles.
* Your eyes flick from the woman to your father.
* The last puzzle piece fits into place.
* All this time you’ve been fixated on your mother, believing her to be of godly lineage.
* ‘But that’s Persephone, and if she’s my grandmother—‘
* ‘Then I’ve been looking at this wrong the whole time.’
* “It was just the one time Zagreus, and I already told you I don’t approve of Thanatos as a son in law, naturally I wouldn’t approve of their children either.”
* ‘Because that means my dad is Zagreus.’
* This entire time your godly parent has been right under your nose, a mere hallway across from you in your own home.
* “Well shit.”
A/N: Thanks for reading! I wanted to credit a few series that I drew a lot of inspiration from which include Hades, Circe by Madeline Miller, and Lore Olympus.
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Also a shout out to the anon who guessed it below, hope it was still a surprise! As always if you want to be added to the tag list please COMMENT and I’ll add you until it’s full! 💖
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aether-bun · 3 months
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Happy Birthday!
To celebrate my birthday, here's a drabble of assorted Hades characters and how they'd be on your birthday! You are in a relationship with Zagreus in this one :)
Characters: Nyx, Orpheus, Eurydice, Zagreus, Thanatos, Hypnos, Dusa, Megaera, Achilles, Patroclus, Cerberus, Asterius, Sisyphus, Bouldy
Warnings: None! Good wholesome times all around ♡
You wake up to Zagreus kissing your face!!!!
I believe in Zagreus caring deeply for physical touch and quality time your honour. Once you warm him up to it, it's his heaven in Hell. He adores it.
He's very warm, but it's never really been a problem, given the consistently nice temperature of the House
"Good morning, [Y/N]. Happy birthday~" He cooes gently, his voice is smoother than the finest ambrosia and you revel in it, snuggling into his chest.
"What would you like to do today, my dear?"
"Mmh....Is sleep an option...?" Zagreus chuckles at your drowsy response, his chest rumbles pleasantly and you find a contagious smile growing on your face.
"Birthdays only happen once a year, darling...Come on. Eurydice made you some cake."
"She did?"
"Yes! When I told her it was your birthday this week, she jumped to the opportunity."
"Then I suppose I must get up?"
Zagreus kisses your head lightly, and you melt from the tender care
"I suppose you must, yes."
You wake up and get into some nicer robes, and walk out with Zagreus to see Nyx regard you.
"Happy birthday, child. As a token of this occasion, I managed to convince Hades to give everyone a moment off, to greet you." Nyx's voice almost sends you to sleep again, but you're much more awake now, and you feel too sheepishly happy to rest.
"Lady Nyx, you really didn't need to...!" Your voice is as incredulous as you feel. "But...Thank you."
"Of course. I believe Hypnos wanted a word, so perhaps you should see to him first."
You and Zagreus walk over to Hypnos, who is currently not sleeping, which shocks you both, though he looks about ready to knock out for the next week at the minimum.
"[Y/N]!! Happy birthday! Dusa and I made you a little something, here here!" He exclaims, all tiredness wiped from his aura entirely as he hands you a small box.
Gingerly, you take off the lid, and inside you are happy to find a new laurel, woven carefully with your favourite colours and plants. You find yourself beaming at the beautiful heartfelt gift, before giving Hypnos a tight squeeze.
"Thank you so much, Hypnos. The detail is incredible!" You say as you part, and Hypnos giggles with a mischevious grin. "It was mostly Dusa, to be perfectly honest, but I helped weave it, so getting the first hug of appreciation for it feels fair."
You laugh, before Sir Achilles approaches with a calm smile of his own, before placing a hand on your arm.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any gifts for you myself, but I do wish you a happy birthday nonetheless. Do spend today well, yes?"
"Thank you, sir. I'll do my best." You smile, remarking mentally that your cheeks are starting to hurt, but also that you don't find yourself minding.
Next stop is to Meg and Dusa, who are waiting in the lounge with Thanatos. When they see you approach, Dusa is the first to float to you. The snakes that make up her hair affectionately grasp onto your arm as you hold Dusa affectionately. "Happy birthday!" She skitters, almost purring in a strange, Dusa-like way.
Meg is next, though she holds her distance as per usual. She's smiling, and her whip is stowed. "I've gotta hand it to you, [Y/N], I don't usually tend to care for birthdays, never mind my own...but you got me a morning in the lounge. So...thanks for that."
It was a strange way to go about saying happy birthday, but for you, it was more than enough. You nodded. "I can't believe Nyx pulled it off. Surely there are some wretched shades out there being overworked now, no?"
Megaera simply shrugs, but the creeping grin on her face tells you she hopes it's the case.
Thanatos clears his throat, and you realise he's held something out to you. It was a bottle of nectar. You gasp, taking the weighted spherical bottle in awe.
Zagreus squints at it, still by your side, before suddenly looking at Thanatos. "I gave you this bottle of nectar yesterday!" He says, indignant. Thanatos smiles - a rarity on its' own - and simply dismisses the Prince.
"Regardless of where you got it from...Thank you, Than, this...this means a lot." You say, your voice still awestruck by the honey gold liquid you're holding.
Zagreus of course brings you plenty, but even so, its' beauty never ceased to amaze.
You visit Sisyphus, who gives you Pebble (one of Bouldy's brothers, who has a delicately punched smiley face on one side), then you visit Orpheus and Eurydice, who gives you a kiss on the cheek and some cake, then you meet with Patroclus, who takes your hand very hesitantly and prays for you, for your good luck this year. He says he'll see you at the house, and on your way back, you find Asterius.
Zagreus prepares for a fight, but Asterius is unarmed, and he quickly realises.
"Asterius? What are you doing here, without your axe?" He asks. Asterius chuffs.
"Your father gave us a small break this morning, small one. You said something about celebrating someone's birthday last we clashed blades, and so, naturally, I assumed it would be your lover's. Was I correct?"
Zagreus stows his blade and you nod a little. "That's right, Asterius sir." You clarify. "It's good to know he gave even you and Theseus a break, too."
Asterius snorts, though it's not one of amusement or malice, simply a noise. He rifles through a pouch he has, before handing you a weighty box. Inside is a handaxe, crafted by the minotaur.
"You have no weaponry when you wander out here, I've come to notice. This is for when we meet in the stadium. For if you need more than simply the blessings of the Olympians." The bass voice of the bull rumbles, and you hold the axe firmly with a grin. Zagreus chuckles next to you.
"I appreciate this, Asterius. Thank you. Send our regards to King Theseus?"
Asterius laughs.
"I don't think he'd take it well, but I wish you a good day despite."
Asterius leaves, and you and Zagreus are amusedly quick to do the same.
Eventually, after a day of exploration, you cuddle up to Cerberus and thank Nyx on your way through, before laying down with your Zagreus.
"Today was fantastic, dearest." You say. Zagreus holds you close, playing with your hair. "I'm glad. But there's still one present you've yet to receive, my dear~"
It's 1AM right now. Use your imagination.
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randoimago · 3 months
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I see you’re doing Hades again! Could you do something with Zagreus x Reader where the reader is a smith in asphodel who offers to make Zagreus armor (maybe as a payment to get out of a contract of some kind?) and over a bunch of escape attempts they fall in love? Bonus points if reader is friends with Eurydice and Eurydice is So Done with the pining and obliviousness (it’s not like Zagreus shows up randomly, he picks which doors to open)
Mutual Pining
Fandom: Hades
Character(s): Zagreus
Note(s): I had a lot of inspo with this request so I hope you enjoy what I wrote <33
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The first time he stepped through your door and saw you instead of Eurydice did cause some surprise to appear on his face. But he still greeted you politely. You introduced yourself and when he learned you're an armor smith, well that intrigued him.
And then he found himself visiting you more, bringing nectar as thanks for the upgraded bracers or shoes or whatever armor piece he chose when you gave him the options. He learned more about you and in exchange talked a bit about himself.
Then one day, he's going through the door in hopes to meet you. But then he sees Eurydice instead. It shouldn't surprise him too much since the doors don't exactly have the faces of who he'll be visiting. But he can't help feeling a tad let down. Zagreus still puts a smile on because he does like Eurydice a lot. She still sees through it and asks him about it.
Eurydice can't help but visit you after Zagreus leaves, you explaining that you were very busy and that's why your door wasn't available for him. But she sees through that to the fact that you're sulking too. She is very intrigued to see where this relationship goes. Only for it to go nowhere because you're both too shy or scared of whatever excuse you both have.
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"So the kid visited you again?" There's a hint of smugness to Eurydice's voice as she asks you this question. She knows that Zagreus visits you often. He's mentioned it a couple times when he has visited her because your door wasn't around (it was amusing to see the prince sulk a bit).
You already know where she's going with her question, but she continues before you can say anything. "Look, I get it. Love is scary, you don't want to admit you're in love. I will spill everything if I have to deal with you both sulking because you haven't seen each other the next time he runs through."
While Eurydice is the sweetest lady you know (the only one really besides the few that Zagreus has told you about), she can be very scary when she starts threatening. So you, reluctantly, promise that you'll at least attempt to say something the next time he comes through.
Of course, what you don't know, is she gave this same speech to Zagreus before. He had said he was trying to find a nice gift in exchange for all the armor you give him. Something that isn't the same nectar and ambrosia. Eurydice gave him a list of things you like and he has been doing his best to find some of the items.
Zagreus had personally asked his father if he could do something so that your room showed up in Asophodel. While he tried to dodge any questions thrown his way, he saw his mother giving a knowing smile and she helped persuade Hades for him. Zagreus was relieved to get out of that situation and now his heart pounds as he feels the blistering heat around him with the icon of the door that leads to you.
Zagreus did bring some nectar for you, but he also has another gift. What he didn't expect is to see you having something more than armor for him. He takes the bracers from you before sitting down as you present him with some food. You explain that Eurydice helped you make it and that you hope he likes it. And of course he does, as he hands you a gift from Elysium, his own explanation being that Achilles and Patroclus helped him pick out something worthy enough for you.
While it's not quite a confession from either side, it's obvious that the feelings are there and there's more than just pining. Zagreus promises that you both will go fishing for his next run when he looks like less of a mess. He isn't expecting the kiss you give to his cheek, but his bright smile lets you know that he very much enjoyed it.
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May I please request a Zagreus x Persephone's Priestess Flower Nymph! reader who Zag meets when he successfully completes a run while Persephone's in the underworld, find her tasked for caring for the house and garden while she's away? Please and Thank you.
Take me to the garden
(And bury me where I am loved.)
Fandom: Hades
Zagreus X Female Reader
Word count: 3K
Warning: Kissing, no beta. 
Notes: Hi, sorry for the long wait! Been dealing with a combo of flu and work. I hope this was close to what you wanted and that you enjoy it! There is an index of plants/flowers I choose and their symbolism at the end.
Enjoy!
~
The tall stalks of wheat swayed in the gentle breeze, golden in the fading sunlight. In the coming days, it will be harvested for food. Bread, porridge to fill the belly. 
It was a time for the daughters to gather, to work together and provide. The warm sun on their back. And proud smiles on all of their faces. Your mother had worked in the garden just as her mother did and her mother before her. The history was carved in your bones.
Only now it will be just you and your sisters, their eyes on you for leadership. 
You heard Persephone’s soft footstep, the grass growing taller with each of her movements. Little daisies will follow, bright white against the grass. You loved the sight of it, little flowers growing. 
Even your grief, the low boil of anger in your stomach, you couldn’t ignore Persephone. She had a mother to you in ways your own mother never was. You would not deny her. 
So you stood, your empty basket at your feet and turned to face her. 
Persephone’s face crumbled when she saw your expression and she held her arms open. “Oh, little one. Do not despair.”
Like a child, you went to her. Her hand rested on top of your head, careful to not disturb the carefully made crown, colorful with ribbons, wheat and small wildflowers weaved in. The sweetness of lavender and her warmth smoothed the ache in your chest just so and you closed your eyes.
There was a moment of silence, the faint brush of a cool breeze then you spoke. “I know why you must go but I won’t lie, my heart won’t let me. I am going to miss you greatly.” 
Persephone squeezed you, “I know. I will miss you as well. It's just… I think Zagreus needs me. And I wish to know my son.”
“Of course, my lady.” You told her. “We all know he brings you great joy.”
You closed your eyes, and silently cursed your own weakness.
~
Persephone left on a beautiful morning, the cheerful skies seemingly uncaring of your grief. Your sisters murmured and some wept, but there was the harvest and the garden that needed tending to. As well the house.
So that what you did, you cared for the land, to the solid wood of the home. The sun drifted on, and the wheat fell under the scythe and new seeds were planted. It didn’t help the pain in your heart but at least you could do this for Persephone. 
One by one, each of your sisters left after the harvest.  They will return next year, some rounded with children, some with tales of far away places and for some, it will be their daughters in their places. 
Then it was just you. 
~
It was when you saw the burnt grass that you knew you weren’t alone. Your mouth thinned in disapproval, you have seen it before. 
It meant that Persephone’s son, Zagreus was in the garden. 
You never saw him despite him visiting Persephone. The visits were never long, just a few hours and typically by the time you knew there was a stranger in the garden, all that was left were Persephone’s tears and blood.
And the lingering smell of burnt grass.
Carefully you followed the footsteps, thankful that he had stuck to the beaten dirt path.  Maybe it was unkind, but you were planning on a firm word with him. Just because Persephone was fine with him going and coming whenever he pleased, didn’t mean you were. 
It didn’t take long to find him, kneeling on his knee and his fingers carefully touching the pale petals of the lilies. 
He didn’t look anything like you expected. It was rare to see a man, only women and children were allowed to be in Persephone’s sanctuary. It would be easy to mistake him for a mortal at first glance. However, there was a strength to his form, broad shoulders and a fluid grace to his movements that spoke of his godhood.
“Their petals are fragile. I suggest not touching them.” Your voice came out sharp and Zagreus jerked his hand away like a guilty child. He stood quickly, turning to you. 
The god looked battle-worn, deep marks on his chest, barely healed cuts on his arms and face. There was a lingering exhaustion in his eyes. He looked surprised, his eyes unwavering from you, then he smiled, slow and warm.
Warmth flooded inside your very core at the sight but you held your head high, your scowl unfading.
“I know you.” Zagreus said, his voice a rumble, a contrast against the gentle birdsong and quiet ruffle of grain. “You’re my mother’s high priestess.”
“And you’re Zagreus. Her son.” You replied. 
There was a pause then you asked. “What are you doing here?” 
Zagreus looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah. Mother asked me to check on the garden. And on you. She suggested that you might need help.” 
“I do not.” You said brusquely. Zagreus gave you a startled glance and you sighed. Guilt was an unwelcome guest but you felt its weight in your chest. 
You sighed, “Forgive me, I am not used to strangers. It is very kind of you to fulfill  Lady Persephone’s wishes.”
Zagrues chuckled, a grin on his face. It made him appear boyishly sweet. “Truthfully, it's probably better if you didn’t need my help. I never gardened before. I would have killed anything I touched.”
You clicked your tongue, “Never?” You couldn’t imagine such a thing, you had been born among the trees and flowers. You had grown up side by side with the plants, learning the cycles of the seasons and your role in it.
“Never. The underworld is nothing like this. To me, not even the beauty of Elysium comes close to this place.” Zagreus said. His hand waved toward the lilies, to the trees. His face was thoughtful. “The work my mother -and you- put into this place is amazing.”
Your fingers curled over your stomach as pity grew. You still resented him for the pain he caused but…
“Would you like to see the rest?” You offered. “I have finished most of today’s chores and the apple trees are fruiting.”
Zagreus’ mismatched eyes locked on yours and you held your breath, awaiting for a judgment you just now only aware of. You wondered if Zagreus resented you the same you did to him.
Then the same warm smile returned. 
“I would like that very much.” Zagreus said quietly. 
Not sparing a moment to think about the warm flush on your cheeks, you turned on your heels. Without missing a beat, Zagrues fell in step with you. This close, you felt the warmth of his body. There was a faint smell of copper and smoke. 
You kept your eyes forward, not letting him see how off balanced he made you.
You pointed to each and every plant as they walked past. Persephone understood plants in a way no else could as far as you were concerned. Every spot was carefully chosen to maximize the plants’ growth and health. 
You told this to Zagreus, pausing in front of the yarrow, the flowers reaching high up to the sun. 
“These are yarrows.” You paused, glancing toward Zagreus who offered you a raised eyebrow. “They are also known as the warrior plant. Perhaps I can make you some medicine, it will help you heal.”
At your words, Zagreus’ lip quirked up, a false smile. “I appreciate it. I do but these won’t help me. Nothing will.” 
You frowned, mouth parting in question when without a single word, Zagrues walked past you, nodding toward the tall sunflowers. “Now tell me, what are these lovely things?”
Normally you would scoff at such words, what man would think himself above such needs? But the memories of Persephone weeping, her hands, bloody and trembling, hovering over nothing flashed in your mind.
You should have asked more questions but Persephone, for as much as you had cared for her, kept many things close to the chest, Zagreus the closest of all. The said god was looking at you, his black hair ruffled by the soft breeze. 
Like this, he wasn’t the villain you thought he was, tearing through the garden and breaking your Lady’s heart. There was a gentleness to him, most would have stomped through the garden, picking apart the flowers but Zagreus had been careful with every single touch. 
“Sunflowers.” You told him, moving to stand by his side. “They are always searching for the sun. They follow its path though the skies. Always looking but never able to touch.”
Zagreus frowned, “What a sad story for a cheerful looking plant.” 
You inclined your head in quiet agreement,  “Come along, I shall show you the apples. Some food will lighten the mood.” 
He nodded, however his eyes lingered on the sunflower. The flowers only swayed the breeze, unaware of the god staring at their dark faces. 
The apples would help that you were sure of, the sweetness unlike anything. The sight of the trees, colorful and lush, would be a treat of itself. 
Only Zagreus never made it. 
Among the pale yarrow and yearning sunflowers and quiet birdsong, he collapsed. Your body moved before you realized it, your arms around his chest as you were dragged down with him. 
His firm chest was under your ear and there was a moment of embarrassment, your cheeks flushed. Then you heard it, the slowing of a heartbeat. That he wasn’t quite as warm as he was before and when he let out a breath, it rattled.
You shifted quickly, placing a spread hand over where his heart was as you sat up. One your ribbons brushed against his shoulder when you moved to study his face. “Zagreus? Are you alright?” 
His eyes met yours and he offered up a weak smile. “Forgive me. You can leave me here. This isn’t the worst place to die alone.”
Your brow furrowed, and Zagreus sighed, the rattle stronger. “My mother didn’t tell you, did she?” 
“Don’t speak. Save your strength.” You ordered, your mind scrambling for solutions. Yarrows were only good for when there was a wound, but there was no wound that you could see.
Zagreus huffed out a laugh, his hand reached up to cover yours and your breath hitched at the casual intimacy. His hand was warm and dry, his calloused fingertips brushing your skin. 
“Thank you for showing me. The flowers are almost as lovely as you are.” Zagreus said, his words slurring together. You stared down at him, the beating of his heart fading. 
“I-“ you tried to say, but there was a thick knot in your throat. It was one thing to know plants and animals die, it was the natural course of life. 
Born, live, die. 
It was another thing to feel the fading of life itself. 
“Can I come back?” Zagreus asked softly. If you said no, you knew he would never step into the garden again. 
And you found that you couldn’t bear the cruelness of it, of him never knowing his own Mother’s garden. To not know how the cool, damp earth felt against sun warm skin, of teeth sinking into the sweet flesh of apples or the cool water down a parched throat. 
Persephone had chosen you to serve her until your last breath. In that moment, you knew your duty belonged to Zagreus as well, in whatever way you could help him. 
How odd things change so quickly.
With your uncovered hand, you brushed his dark hair, silky smooth between your fingers. 
“I will come get you myself if you don't return to me.” You said, your voice painfully gentle. Zagreus smiled.
In the next breath, he was gone. 
~
Fat, lazy clouds rolled past, casting long shadows across the land. The sunlight shone through the trees and the sunflowers chased after it. The birds were singing their songs, coaxing mates to them and feeding their babies. 
Dirt on your bare feet and the wind in your hair, you worked with a low hum. It was an old song, one that you heard Persephone sung before. You didn’t know the words but you knew the rhythm of it. 
Plucking the ripe tomatoes, you placed them in the basket next to the cucumbers, you checked over the rest. Like all of Persephone’s plants, the tomatoes grew strong and healthy.
A memory of mismatched eyes going dull came to you, a weight of pity grew in your chest and you sighed at your foolishnesses. There was a cycle to everything, even for gods.
Yet the memory lingered. 
It was when you were cleaning the front porch, your boom sweeping the dust off when you felt eyes on you. Your hands tightened around the wood, more than ready to chase away any unwelcome guest. Whirling around, your mouth parted with a warning ready but you stopped short. 
Zagreus flashed you an easy grin, already just a few steps away from you. There was a moment as you and him studied each other, and you wondered if he was struggling with what to say just as you were.
“So how about those apples huh?” Zagreus said, an amused glint in those mismatched eyes. Red and green, they were bright with life. It was beautiful and you found you couldn’t look away. 
You huffed in annoyance but your lips twitched, giving away your smile. And Zagreus just laughed, warm and full of life. 
~
A new cycle began. 
Just as the sun rose in the east and sunk into the west, so did Zagreus. So did you.
You taught him how to plant seeds, taking his hands and pressing them against the cool earth. His amazed face when he saw the spouts, tiny and bright green and helpless, made you laugh. 
You had forgotten the joy of a new discovery. 
You shared everything with him, the taste of apples, the golden barley in the sunset and the quietness of early mornings and the songs of crickets during twilight. Often, you caught his eyes lingering on you but you only turned away, not quite ready to… you weren’t even sure what. 
There was an unfamiliar ache in you, one that you thought you would never feel and you thought how sunflowers chased after the sun, forever pinning and you felt a kinship with them.
In turn, he told you of the underworld, of the shades and gods that made their home there. You tried to imagine it but it all seemed so far away even if you knew you would be among the shades yourself someday.
For now, however, there was the garden. There was you and Zagreus. 
~
"My mother had been asking about you." Zagreus told you one day, his hands were dirty from working the earth but he seemed pleased. His shoulders relaxed and there was a smile that never left his face.
“Oh? What did you tell her?” You asked as you moved away from the roses, freshly pruned and the red petals were bright in the daylight. With a sigh, you joined him under the shade of trees. You folded your hands in your lap as you settled down.
“The usual. I think she misses you, she talks about you often.” Zagrues said, tugging at the grass. There was a hesitation in his tone and you glanced at him with a frown.
“But?” You prompted. It was one of the first things you learned about Zagreus, he was an open book unless he had no choice. 
“She worries about how you are going to handle the upcoming season.” Zagreus said. A breeze came by, and with it, dozens of leaves followed. There was a chill to the air that wasn’t there before. 
With the power of Persephone, the garden only knew everlasting bloom. The life here was lush and full and there had been flowers planted by generations of mothers and daughters that had never been touched by rot or death. 
There was a cycle, and not even the garden of life would be spared. 
Rough fingertips brushed against your knuckles, and you were struck by how much bigger he was. You didn’t pull away. Carefully, he shifted and took one of your hands, his thumb brushing across your skin.  There was dirt but you found that you didn't care, especially since your own hands were marked by the earth.
“I told her I wish I could stay up here with you.” Zagreus said, his voice held an intensity that you weren’t used to. Slowly, you met his eyes and your breath hitched at the closeness. 
“Can you?” You asked quietly. Your heart raced at the thought of having Zagreus with you for longer, that you and him would survive together with the winter to come. That maybe you might allow for more if he could.
At this, Zagreus squeezed your hand. “I want to. But…”
Just like your hope was dashed but you didn’t resent him for it. Zagreus was a bit like a sunflower, blooming only once to chase after the golden rays of light before returning to the earth. 
“Tell her I will be fine.” You said, returning the squeeze. “Tell her I have planned for it. That I am looking forward to resting. I don’t think I've ever seen snow before.”
“And you will stay warm?” Zagreus asked sharply, leaning in closer. You felt like you saw every hues of green and red in those beautiful eyes. He reached brushing a stray hair from your face. 
“Yes. I will.” You said quietly. 
“Good.” Zagreus said, just as quiet.
Then he kissed you. 
It was gentle but warm sparks went off in your core as you carefully returned it. You leaned more into him, just wanting to feel him. Your other hand pressed against his chest, his heart strong under your palm. You felt weightless, like nothing but Zagreus could keep you grounded. 
Even when the kiss broke, the feeling remained. He smiled at you, his cheeks flushed.  
And you kissed him under the canopy of trees, the smell of roses drifting through the air and you felt like the winter itself would never touch you.
~
Flower/plant index
Wheat: Staff of life, Resurrection
Lavender: Devotion, Grace
Lily: Devotion, Purity, Associated with Hera and Zeus
Apples: Love, Good health, Associated with Aphrodite
Yarrow:Courage, Love against all odds, Associated with Achilles
Sunflowers: Unwavering faith, Loyalty, Associated with Apollo and Clytie
Roses: Romantic Love, Passion, Sacrifice, Associated with Aphrodite.
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Zagreus, holding a rock: (Name) just gave this to me and said "I feel like you deserve the moon but all I can give you is a rock."
Hypnos: If you don't marry them, I might just steal them.
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pupkou · 3 months
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✧ No Lights To Tell Us ✧
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✦ Zagreus (Hades 2018) x Gender Neutral Reader. ✦ Warnings: slight mentions of gore (mention of beheading), mention of blood, mention of swords/blades. ✦ Word Count: 900. ✦ A standalone one shot, set within my "Blood and Darkness" universe (but not yet somewhere specific in that story's timeline). ✦ Link to part one (parts are not yet connected).
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Zagreus is nothing if not devoted.
That sentiment applies to everything he's interested in-- but really 'obsessed with' is a better way of putting it, because he doesn't lightheartedly ponder or enjoy anything. He's too intense for any lighthearted observation and studying because he connects too deeply with the stories of others and the worlds that they live in, his heart too big to live without sorrow. Despite his attachments, he lives to find a place of his own, to feel like he belongs, and his ambition to complete this quest has not been strained.
While living in the Underworld provides him with so much inspiration for adventure and reasons to dash around, defeating friends and foes alike, Zagreus can say that his favorite adventure has been knowing you.
Before you, Zagreus trained with Achilles for as many hours as the great hero allowed-- starting their sessions back when it was revealed to him in a dream that there is a world outside of the house of Hades. Zagreus obsesses about his trainings, the way he moves is careful and planned because one wrong move could send him plunging back into the depths of red blood that always seem to greet him eventually-- warm, but not kind. His movements matter because you can only get beheaded so many times before it gets old, and Zagreus prefers to spill blood with a slash of his blade than to be the one lying cold and hard against the stone floor.
But he's also devoted to you, his most beloved (as he calls you).
He did all of the outdated courting rituals, like inviting you over for a grand feast, gifting you ambrosia won in battle, and demonstrating the best way to remove the sweet beads of fruit from a pomegranate (as any good prince would do for a prospective partner) but Zagreus didn't need all those formal actions to be sure of how he feels.
Zagreus, since the moment he laid eyes on you, was obsessed with you. Like a hunting bird watching its soft, warm-hearted prey from above as it flies steadily above, Zagreus set his sights on you, and needed you more than anything. His desire for you outweighed any other, so strong that he lent Orpheus a few words on longing and tenderness. He didn't need time to love you; because his devotion to you was formed in an instant, rendered unchangeable and strong within the blink of an eye like a blacksmith plunging a sword into dark, cool water.
You are his main devotion, his beloved, his favorite shade, and it is through Zagreus' obsession with you that you learn what it is to be loved by a God.
One night, under the living stars and lying on the plush earth of his mother's garden, he rests his head in your lap as you comb your fingers through Zagreus' dark locks of hair. His laurels are set to the side, simmering with crimson and glittering with gold, and he is at peace in your embrace.
"Zagreus?", you say softly, pulling him out of his trance and drawing his bicolored eyes toward you. His eyes of garnet and emerald shine at you inquisitively as his mouth smiles, pleased at hearing his name from the mouth of his lover, the sweetest song he knows.
"Yes, beloved?", he answers, kind and warm.
"Did you hear that the villagers of your mother's hometown have built a temple in your honor?"
"I did, love," he beams, proud of their efforts and appreciation. "Their offerings were quite impressive, I need to remember to reward them with a bountiful season of hunting for their efforts."
"That's kind of you," you muse, petting his hair still as he leans into the soft press of your hand against him. "They're lucky to have someone who is as generous as you, Zagreus."
"You flatter me, darling. I just.. try to give everyone what they deserve," he says, sighing as he looks up at the stars dancing through the night sky, "and to be someone they can believe in."
"I know it isn't easy, my love. After all, if all Gods are worshipped, who is left for the Gods to believe in? Who is there to guide those whose hands mold mortality?"
"It's a bit late to get philisophical," he jokes, although it is without much humor behind his voice. "But I believe that the answer is that we are left with only what we cherish. For me, you are cherished-- so I have you to believe in, to lean on, and to worship in this infinite strand of life. You love me even when I have no offerings, and not even any blood to spill into your cup, and it is not because of my power. You know better than anyone that Gods only have what they have been given-- we have no lights to tell us our fates, only stars."
"I do love you, Zagreus," you affirm, leaning down to kiss his forehead. So many thoughts swirl within his mind, and your kiss helps to soothe his celestial thoughts of life and love. "And I thank the stars that they have led you to me."
Above your heads, in silver and gold, the stars sparkle brighter in their carefully planned formation, as if they are content with the way the scroll of fate has unfurled perfectly.
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lmk what you think plz <3 love you
@allright @transchainsawman 💜
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h0ney-gl0ws · 1 year
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Hi! I was wondering if I could request Hades boys (Zag, Than, and Hypnos) x reader hcs where the reader loves to bake? ^^ Thank you!
Yes you can! Awww this is such a cute request! Thank you for the request, and your patience lol.
Word Count (Approx): 1,080
Hades Boys! With an s/o who loves to bake!
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Zagreus Zagreus first found out you loved to bake when you got hired to be an assistant to the head chef.
Your services to the lounge made it much more livelier than usual. Many of the shades who had no interest in food before, just had to see what the fuss was about with your baked goods. They were the talk of the house for quite some time after all.
And Zagreus doesnt let you forget that fact, reminding you constantly about how good your treats are, emphasizing how popular they are, as well as relaying the compliments he’s heard in whispers amongst the shades.
One day (or night) he asks that you teach him your ways. He knows how much baking means to you and wants to be able to share in that special little hobby of yours.
Of course Zagreus’ attempts end up with a fire, a horribly charred lump of something that was meant to be bread, and another hefty work load for Dusa in order to clean up the lounge…again. (You offer your best cupcakes as an apology to her afterwards haha)
The fire fiasco also got Zagreus banned from stepping foot into the kitchen again at the insistence of the head chef.
Zagreus would miss being able to steal tastes of your baked treats (and seeing you at work ofc) so much, that he commissioned the house contractor to start selling your treats in Charon’s shops. That way when he’s on his runs he can have a little reminder, and assist from you along the way.
He even took one of your recipes all the way to Eurydice, in return she gave him one of hers for you to try out. You were so impressed by her recipe, the goods made from it tasted like nothing you’ve ever had before! From then on Zagreus became a bit of a messenger between you two, he’d gift you one of Eurydice’s recipes when she gave them to him and you send her one back. You formed a cherished friendship over the shared love of creating food even without having met face to face.
You made sure to express your gratitude to Zagreus for taking interest in your hobby, connecting you to new friends in the afterlife, as well as being a great partner by giving him all the treats he could ever ask for, but the only treat he really needs in the end is you :)
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Thanatos Thanatos was never one for sweets. The taste was too intense and the pure sugary monstrosities reminded him way too much of the surface. Bright, euphoric in the moment, but also very bad for you. All in all he can’t stand the stuff.
So when you first told him about your hobby he admits he had some concern. He’s seen what treats do to mortals first hand and does not understand the appeal.
Until, one day or night he returned to his usual spot in the house, and upon the polished round table that Zagreus got him was a basket of freshly baked bread rolls. In his hasty opposition to sweet foods he forgot that not all baked goods were of the sweet variety. Your baking opened a new door for him that day.
He praised your baking skills the next day. Expressing his gratitude of you accommodating his culinary preferences. You told him that’s what partners are for! That you want to be able to share this part of you with him and are overjoyed that he liked them. He laughs at your enthusiasm telling you he would happily accept any more treats you decided to make him.
And make him things you did, from breads to pastries to savory pies you made him all sorts of amazing goodies. Thanatos thanked you profusely after each gift, pressing tender kisses to your temple.
One evening, he admitted that he didn’t always hate sweets. When he was younger he actually liked a few of them, but after seeing greedy mortals, stuffing their faces and throwing away much excess while others starved and perished. Sweets never quite tasted the same, becoming a suffocating syrupy substance that he cant handle, but he was willing to try again if you made it.
You told him he doesn’t have to try your sweets and you wouldn’t be offended if he didn’t, but he assured you he wanted to, that anything important to you was important to him. And besides if he likes someone as sweet as you then he can handle any sweet treat you make.
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Hypnos Alright, Hypnos sleeps a lot so there not a lot of time for him to eat the goods you make. He claims that the sugar would have him awake for weeks and he’d hate to have that happen. So he appreciates your hobby in a different way.
For instance he loves just watching you bake. The way your hands move so gracefully as well as confidently is super soothing. Your so precise in everything you do its very impressive to watch. You often catch him leaning against the edge of the counter your working on, fast asleep after a few minutes of watching you bake. You find it really cute how much he admires you ^-^
Not even to mention the smell! When Hypnos cuddles with you after you’ve been working a long shift with sweets and freshly baked goods, he practically feels as if he was in Olympus! Nuzzling his nose into your hair he can just fall asleep relishing in your sweet scent as he holds you close.
Well, eventually you are able to catch him at a time where you can convince him to actually enjoy your baked goods. And he was right… He talked faster than usual that day, and was way more clingy than you were used too. Why he rivaled Hermes in how fast he completed his work. His sugar rush antics made quite the entertaining feat. I don’t think he nodded off once for quite a while after that.
But when he did crash, he crashed It caused quite the backup in his work, and he wasn’t allowed to have your treats over a certain sugar level after that. Ordered by Lord Hades himself XD.
But Hypnos doesn’t mind, you’re the only sugar he needs in his life :P
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