Hadestober #8
Man With Feathers on His Feet - Hermes comes to Hades office with questions. Mr. Hades offers him a drink. (T; post-canon, Hades/Persephone and Hades & Hermes¹)
Mr. Hades watches Hermes; it is not often that his nephew comes into his office. Mr. Hermes, by now, has surely heard the girl’s fate: gossip never seems to last long before it arrives on Mr. Hermes doorstep. Hades is not and has never quite been sure whether Hermes goes out of his way to find it, or if he’s just simply so fast he’s always running into the drama first hand. Either way, ain’t quite his business, and Mr. Hades doesn’t suffer from the terrible desire to know every little thing on earth the way most of his relatives do. Never was curious beyond his measure. Get burned that way.
“Quiet here now,” Hermes says. What he means is: Hadestown’s quiet, the mills and the mines not going overtime. And that is true. He has not gone there to crack the whip. He cannot, not just as of yet. Even a dog as old as he needs time to lick his wounds.
Or run a victory lap, as the case may be. Suppose he’s won the day, ain’t he? Proved his case. Love ain’t enough, no matter how much he wants it to be.
“Always quiet, this time of year.” He shoots back; what he means is: my house is empty. What he also means: you yourself is the cause, always taking her away from me. Not his fault entirely but Mr. Hades keeps his grudges. “Missus does make her absence known.”
“Yeah, I know.” Hermes’ mouth shifts into a grin that once might have been cocksure; now, it’s too weathered for that. They’re all too weathered for that. “Sister makes herself known in all contexts.”
“That she does.” He smiles. Always liked that about his bride. Most girls played demure, but not his. Never his. First time she looked at him, he felt the ring of fire ‘round his throat and he had liked it. Knew right then and right there that he would marry her, whatever the gossip on Olympus.
Already misses her. His throat tightens. Funny how the icy absence of the woman hurt more than the scalding heat of her gaze.
