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Thanatos doesn’t mind his work.
He is Death Incarnate. Integral to the function and form of The Underworld. The first step of many in a mortal’s journey into the depths of the ever expanding realm overseen by Lord Hades. Thanatos must do his part to make sure that things run as smoothly as possible. Perhaps a little part of him takes pride in his work, thankless as it is. This does mean though that when events cataclysmic to mortal lives-- such as war or famine-- happen, Thanatos finds himself busier than normal.
It hadn’t been a problem before. Thanatos would gladly work himself harder to keep up with the influx of souls in the past. It is a problem now, but not because Thanatos tires of his work.
It is a problem because his heart, long thought buried, aches when he is apart from his prince for too long. It is a problem, because as one among the Chthonic Pantheon, Thanatos is beyond physical exhaustion. Yet when he’s away from Zagreus, away from the prince’s mischief and rebellion and sheer affection, Thanatos feels the weight of his work. How lonely it is. It is that part that exhausts him.
He hasn’t been able to return to the House to see Zagreus in some time. Time that should mean little to immortal beings like Thanatos, yet he finds himself counting the sunrises he’s witnessed since he last departed from the House as he severs souls from their mortal forms. It’s nearing fifty total.
The buzz of those at Death’s door is constant in the back of Thanatos’ head. He wishes they would silence themselves, that he didn’t have to seek out each soul to send them on their way. He wishes he could just go see Zagreus. That of course, is easy to simply decide to do once the thought starts wriggling into the back of his mind.
How strange for the ever hard-working Thanatos to desire to skip out on work, if only for a little while. Yet, Thanatos is a God. He has all the time he needs to play catch up after he takes a break. Spend some time with Zagreus, if only for whatever moment he can steal with his beloved.
Maybe even silence the clamor of souls calling out for that moment, Thanatos admits to himself and himself alone. Already his cheeks flush with gold as the memory of what Zagreus and he had gotten up to last time the prince had convinced Thanatos to take a break with him. At the very least, Thanatos hopes it means that Zagreus would be more than happy to receive his attention should he go to the prince’s side.
With that thought, and before he can talk himself out of it, Thanatos’ ethereal wings unfurl and he wills himself to Zagreus’ side. Not before a very brief jump to the prince’s room to grab a certain vial of oil, that is.
The bell tolls to signal his arrival, this time in the lush rolling fields of Elysium. Zagreus of course is surprised to see him, and the prince brightens even as he’s locked in combat with one of the remaining greatshields in this chamber. Thanatos simply swings his scythe and dispatches the shade, and Zagreus immediately runs over to him.
“Than!” Zagreus leaps up into Thanatos’ arms and Death intercepts him readily. “You’re a little late for a competition, but it's so good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too, Zag,” Thanatos says gently before he shoves his scythe away to float midair so both of his arms are free to wrap fully around Zagreus. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you as well, Love. You’ve been so busy lately.” Zagreus strokes Thanatos’ face, and he can’t help but lean into Zagreus’ warm touch. “Did you come all this way just to see me?”
“Yes,” Thanatos answers truthfully, turning his face to press a kiss to Zagreus’ palm. Quietly, he adds in a soft tone full of suggestive promise, “I thought that perhaps you and I could take a break.”
It takes only a moment for Zagreus to catch on, but then his mismatched eyes are bright with promise and mischief. Zagreus playfully butts his head against Thanatos’ before he rests his forehead against his lover’s. Thanatos can’t help but let himself rest there briefly, to just feel Zagreus in his arms and pressed against him after so long.
A brief moment is about as far as Zagreus’ patience allows, and he’s the one to initiate their kiss. Sweet and soft, only at first, before Zagreus seems to scramble to get impossibly closer yet to deepen it. Thanatos allows Zagreus this, though there’s not much he wouldn’t disallow, especially when it comes to Zagreus.
Thanatos goes where he is tugged, which by Zagreus’ insistence is down from floating to fall into a heap on the lush grass of Elysium. He sinks willingly, into the grass when Zagreus rolls them both over, sinks deeper into the warmth of Zagreus’ kiss and the fire that alights in him wherever Zagreus’ hands wander to loosen the folds of his clothing. Thanatos has become addicted to this, he admits privately.
Zagreus above him, under him, it matters not so long as Thanatos can have him.
Zagreus shifts above him, and the movement slots their hips together to allow for a far better angle as they rut against each other. Thanatos twines his fingers into Zagreus’ dark hair and returns the passionate kisses Zagreus bestows with more kisses paid in kind. The motion knocks Zagreus’ laurel askew while the claws of Thanatos’ gauntlet dig first into Zagreus’ hip and then the swell of his ass as their hips increase pace.
Zagreus parts from their kiss with lips kiss bitten and pulled up into a smirk. It only grows wider when Thanatos pulls the oil into his view, and those mismatched eyes alight with knowing.
“I was going to tease you for your impatience, Than,” Zagreus murmurs low as he plucks the vial from Thanatos’ grasp, “But clearly you think I could be doing something more productive with my time. You are always so efficient.”
“If I were any more efficient, you’d be out of your clothing already,” Thanatos responds, though his cheeks still burn gold with ichor. He doubts he will ever not respond to Zagreus’ teasing so easily. He doesn’t think he ever wants to become used to it, to be honest.
Thanatos has come to like the heat that rises in him too much at Zagreus’ words.
“I doubt we can get that far today,” Zagreus laments, setting the oil aside briefly to run hands appreciatively down Thanatos’ chest as he sits up, “This is only a break, after all.”
It’s not a barb, but a promise for something more later, when they do have more time. It burns in Zagreus’ heated gaze as it pins Thanatos in place where he’s sprawled across the lush grass for his prince. There must be something Zagreus likes in Thanatos’ expression because he’s hungrily kissing him again not long after. They don’t bother to stop either to divest each other of what clothing would be in the way of their intended activity either, fumbling clumsily with armor and cloth and rolling around in the grass as they do so.
Pauldrons and greaves are tossed aside to be collected later, leggings are clumsily tugged down. Chitons come loose but not fully removed in impatience. Thanatos’ gauntlet, of course, stays. Thanatos knows better than to remove it during quick trysts like this. Zagreus is rather fond of the claws. However, his hood was pulled down long ago to let Zagreus get a fistful of snow-white hair, which he tugs meanly to control their heated kisses. Angling Thanatos’ head the way Zagreus wants to lick greedily into his mouth.
The aforementioned claws on his gauntlet raise red lines into the meat of Zagreus’ hip as Thanatos reorients the two of them so their hips slide deliciously together once more. Zagreus moans appreciatively into Thanatos’ open mouth, the corners of his mouth curling up wickedly as he rolls his hips down against Thanatos. The slide of their cocks between their bodies sending waves of pleasure through them both.
“I could make you come just like this, I think,” Zagreus all but purrs, “But that isn’t what you want, is it?”
Thanatos already knows where this is going and is flushing gold all down his chest. Zagreus’ growing grin confirms his suspicions. It takes all of Thanatos’ willpower not to avert his gaze in preemptive embarrassment.
“It would be rather rude to not hear you out on your exact desires though, right?” Zagreus has to stretch over Thanatos to reach for the vial where it was left behind while they were rolling around in the grass. He waves it in Thanatos’ face when he pulls back. “You went and got this after all when you could have just appeared right at my side. You must have something very specific in mind then.”
“Perhaps.” Thanatos voices when he finds his speech.
“Then do tell, Than,” Zagreus purrs, rolling his hips against Thanatos’ for further, delicious encouragement.
Thanatos feels his face burn, but what is one more competition between them both? He starts with a kiss, pulling Zagreus close roughly to kiss him with that same fervor. To allow himself to collect his thoughts and kiss that hungry gaze that Zagreus sports off of the prince’s face so he may do so.
When they part, Thanatos all but growls, “I want you to fuck me , Zagreus, and if you don’t I will pin you and take my own pleasure. Leave you wanting.”
“Mean.” Zagreus pouts before he nips Thanatos’ lip, “But you did ask so nicely.”
“Then get on with it, Zagre--”
Thanatos cuts himself off with a moan when Zagreus teases a slick finger around his rim. Already Thanatos’ hips jump to try to encourage Zagreus to give him more, and it is apparent that Zagreus’ own impatience is wearing thin. Thanatos rolls his hips, hissing his pleasure as Zagreus sinks a finger in fully and begins to stretch him. Prodding at that one spot that makes Thanatos toss his head back with a groan and dig his claws into Zagreus. It only spurs Zagreus to hurry.
He decides to be mean about it though, sinking down Thanatos’ body where they are debauched in the grasses of Elysium to put a wicked mouth on Thanatos’ cock. Bobbing his head in time with the thrusts of his fingers as he spreads Thanatos on them. Not bothering to pin Thanatos’ hips when they jump as Zagreus finally eases in a third finger and prods that spot again pointedly.
“Now Zagreus. ” Thanatos tugs the prince up into a kiss, rough and needy and impatient.
Thanatos spreads his legs as wide as he can as Zagreus presses closer, letting Zagreus get a hand underneath his knee to help hold Thanatos spread as Zagreus eases himself inside. Zagreus swallows the moan Thanatos makes when he begins to move, and Thanatos allows himself to lose himself in the feeling of Zagreus.
Zagreus is making it easy, driving as deep as he can into Thanatos over and over, coaxing soft sighs and moans from Thanatos’ lips. Thanatos feels Zagreus’ own lips brush the pleasured furrow between his brows the same time Zagreus hits his prostate hard and draws the loudest sound from Death himself yet.
“Wish you could see what I’m seeing. How beautiful you look like this,” Zagreus groans out between moans, those mismatched eyes lidded as he catches Thanatos’ gaze. “You’re so gorgeous Than.”
Thanatos didn’t think his face could flush gold any more than it already is, but between Zagreus’ embarrassing words and the pleasure overtaking him, he’s proven wrong. If Thanatos scratches the claws of his gauntlet into Zagreus as he holds a little too tight in both retaliation and his throes of pleasure, that’s just his prerogative.
Zagreus certainly doesn’t mind, the moan that tears from his throat is proof enough. He tugs Thanatos’ leg to spread him wider, so Zagreus can drive in deeper and grind against that spot. It sends pleasure blazing up Thanatos’ spine, gritting his teeth against the onslaught of it. He barely registers Zagreus’ gentle encouragement to let go, Than, I have you before his orgasm blindsides him completely.
Zagreus takes him in hand, strokes Thanatos through it until he is oversensitive. Zagreus himself fucks into Thanatos until he himself stills and spills deep inside his lover. They both catch their breath, though Thanatos throws his arm over his face to avoid Zagreus’ smug smirk as he pulls out and admires the mess he’s left.
“That was fun,” Zagreus chuckles as he flops next to Thanatos in the grass, tugging his arm from his eyes as he leans over his lover, “I think we should seriously consider making this a recurring thing. It certainly seemed like you needed that.”
“I did,” Thanatos admits, leaning up enough to accept the kiss Zagreus presses chastely to the side of his mouth, “As for making this a habit, I would not recommend it.”
The knowing look Zagreus sends him tells Thanatos that the prince does not believe that one bit. Thanatos isn’t sure he even believes himself. Zagreus is an addicting presence he finds himself missing often, especially lately with his endless work.
Speaking of. The buzz of souls calling for him slowly fades back into his consciousness as the pleasant buzz of the afterglow fades away. Thanatos sighs through his nose and Zagreus sends him a sympathetic look.
“You’re going?” Zagreus asks even though he already knows the answer.
Thanatos finds his gaze not trailing off to look for where he’s tossed his armor and leggings, but to Zagreus’ face. Those mismatched eyes, full of adoration and warmth.
“I think I can spare a moment more,” Thanatos responds instead, reaching for Zagreus.
Zagreus arches an eyebrow but curls readily into Thanatos’ hold. Their legs twine, skin tickled by the grass of Elysium. Zagreus radiates warmth and contentment in spades, for once content to remain still. Thanatos closes his eyes and just focuses on his lover in this stolen moment between them.
Perhaps he will indeed steal away for more breaks in the future.