Stardust tears (Zagreus x Hypnos)• Hades

Chapter 1 | the state of dreaming

Dreams are strange, at least to a mortal they are. But for Hypnos who has some control over them being sleep incarnate, he used them as a way to do what he pleased when he pleased. Hades and the other gods of the underworld often though him sleeping on the job was 'slacking off'. But in truth, Hypnos did a lot of work in his sleep. Hopping from dream to dream and making sure the mortals got their rest, occasionally sending a prophetic message through them, using them to understand what was going on up on the surface. And of course he used his own dreams as a way to escape to underworld and focus on himself when he needed to.

And after a certain someone commissioned the house contractor for the lounge at his post, he couldn't help but fall asleep more often. It was too comfortable not to fall asleep.

And yet every time he was asleep, no matter what he was doing in his dreams he could always hear when the waters of Styx sloshed around, and Zagreus had died and returned to the house of hades.

Jolting awake and almost dropping his quill, Hypnos was met once again with Zagreus dripping wet with the bloody waters of the river.

"Hey you're back! Looks like you got..."

He glanced down at his scroll to see the cause of death, finding it was his older brother Charon.

"... oh ouch! Whacked by Charon's oar again huh? Maybe don't steal from him? Or if you do don't stand right where he's going to whack you" Hypnos said.

"He got me fair and square that time, that'll teach me for trying to sneak a few coins" Zagreus replied, not fussed about it at all.

"Hey, before he killed you... did he happen to mention my mother, Than... me?"

"Sorry mate I don't really know what he was talking about. He's... not a man of many words..."

It did take a while to understand the boatman, since all he ever said were strained sounds of raspy breathing. Which did actually have meaning and translations, although not many people understood it.

"Ah, fair enough! He's not that talkative" Hypnos replied.

Although he did wish his brothers were closer to him like back when they were all godlings, he tried not to let it bother him. It did... but he tried.

"Although I did see Than out there, killed some creatures and such. And before you know it off he goes back to fetch souls from the surface. Your brother is quite a workaholic" Zagreus mentioned.

Hypnos felt a pang in his heart, but he continued to smile for the prince. Zagreus had been mentioning Thanatos an awful lot lately...

"Oh I know! He's always been that way. Even back as a godling, mother would have to get me to make him sleep because he just wouldn't stop trying to finish whatever task he had to do, wore himself out all the time!" Hypnos replied.

"You might have to start doing that again at this rate" Zagreus replied.

"What about you huh? You haven't slept in ages, sleep is good you know? Makes your mind sharper"

"I'll sleep when I'm dead"

"But you just died"

Zagreus paused, realising his mistake in the phrasing and simply responding 'ah...'

"I'll sleep once I'm on the surface how about that?" He tried again.

"Well with how close you are that might just be soon, I expect to see you dreaming then!" Hypnos replied.

"If I do dream when I sleep you can come see for yourself so you know I am really asleep"

"Promise?"

Like a child he held out his hand, pinky up for a pinky promise. Zagreus snickered, taking his hand and shaking on it.

"Promise. What are we godlings again?" He smiled.

"You can never go wrong with a pinky promise" Hypnos replied.

Zagreus' smile dropped when he felt an intense gaze looming over him. And just as he thought, when he turned to inspect he found his father giving him a disapproving look from down the hall.

"Ah... probably shouldn't be talking to you while you're on the clock. My father will have our heads" Zagreus said.

"As much as I love talking to you he made it pretty clear I would loose my job if I keep slacking off" Hypnos replied.

"Gods he's so harsh on you, I better see what he wants. I'll see you later Hypnos"

"Bye Zag!"

They waved each other off, Hypnos watching him leave and as soon as he was out of sight the smile he'd been holding up dropped. He sighed, turning back to his scroll and the line of shades that had accumulated. He loved talking to Zagreus, he loved Zagreus in general. But as soon as he left all the things that bothered him just came rushing to the front of his mind.

His family never mentioned him, let alone checked up on him. Zagreus was getting so close to Thanatos it felt like his own brother was stealing him away. Hades was probably going to reprimand him for talking to Zagreus on the clock...

Ever since Zagreus started his escape attempts, it was like all of the underworlds issues including his own baggage had started to surface. Zagreus being gone for so long then showing up out of the blue with no warning has started to not only worry Hypnos that they'd drift apart, but that he'd loose him all other. If not to the surface then to his brother.

Of course he wanted Thanatos to be happy, he loved his brother even if they barely saw each other nowadays. But Zagreus was the only light in his life at the moment, he didn't want to loose that.

He had so many conflicting emotions that he couldn't figure out. Thinking about it too much made him upset, and he was thinking about it alright. Feeling the strain behind your eyes you get when you hold back tears, he didn't want to break down in the middle of the hall. He quickly checked in the few shades that had shown up, and as soon as the coast was clear he knocked himself out into slumber again. Sure he'd probably get told off for it, but it was better than crying in front of everyone.

Opening his eyes to his delicately crafted dream world, he took a shaky breath and just let everything out. He felt warm tears start to stream down his cheeks, he looked down at his hands where the drops landed. Each one was full of fine dustings of stardust, making them shine in the light. He hated crying in front of people, and he couldn't hide when he was crying either because his cheeks would be stained with sparkles. Different ones to the stars on his cheeks, it was very obvious.

The way dreams worked, anything could happen and everything felt surreal. So when his tears started to flood the area around him, and the ends of his chiton started getting wet as he floated above the slowly rising flood, he just felt worse. He was upset enough to fill up the realm with his tears, and he had no idea how to fix it.