Love Had Its Ways

Well, remember months ago, when I published Family, Nothing More, Nothing Less and said that I'd be publishing anotehr story related to that? Or do you remember when I said that I'd publish a story in which Hades was a nice, caring father? Well, here you have it! This is that story!

So, apart from telling you that I'm sorry it took me this long to actually have it ready, I also want to tell you that spring break is coming! And what does that mean? Well, it means that I get a lot of time to write for you guys!

With nothing more to say, I really hope you anjoy this!

Love Had Its Ways

If there was one thing Hades hated above everything —and he in fact hated a lot of things— but yet was very used to, that was rejection.

And no, he wasn't talking about how the Greek gods had become mostly ignored by common mortals. And no, he wasn't talking about how he had been denied a throne in Olympus although he was one —the first one, in fact— son of Rhea and Kronos or one of the Big Three. Oh no, he was talking about how his so-called brothers had left him to rot in the Underworld and never asked for him. He was talking about how Demeter —his sister and mother-in-law, his former friend— and her constant reminder of how much she hated him. He was talking about his son and how he didn't even spare a glance in his direction, about how Nico di Angelo —or anyone else, for the matter— never answered his calls.

And really, what else could he do?

He was aware —pretty much, in fact— that he was not the winner of the Best Dad of the Year Award, sure enough he wouldn't even be nominated. But he was still that child's father and that made him responsible of the demigod's welfare and that meant that Nico should obey him, at least from time to time.

But no, it just didn't work that way for him, nothing worked the way it should with him. Or with his demigod children for the matter.

It was a law —one even surer than Newton's gravity— that his children were to suffer. Not because they were wrong, not because they were mean—plainly because of their luck, Hades' luck, was nasty. Which was why he had agreed to not have any more demigod children when the time for the oath came; which was why he had actually succeeded at it while his brothers hadn't.

Although not before Bianca and Nico di Angelo were born, with what already was a curse of unhappiness, misery and wrenching suffering.

What a great being Hades was, really, he thought bitterly.

Maybe, Hades dwelled on somberly, it was good that his spawn was so focused on ignoring him. Maybe it was for the best that he cut relation with the exact same one who had brought such misery on him to start with.

On the other side, though, not only was Nico cutting relation with him —the self-named cause of his suffering—, but with everyone around him, with the ones who could hurt him, sure, but also with the only ones who could stop that chain of miserable events from unleashing itself.

And that was what had Hades worried, bizarre as it sounded.

On the other side, perhaps... perhaps he couldn't blame his son for closing himself from the others, not when he did the exact same thing on a regular basis, especially not after what had happened with Bianca and Maria, not after he'd lost every single anchor he'd had of a normal life, normal as it could be for a demigod, anyways.

But Maria, that beautiful, loving woman, was gone, just like that young, cheerful daughter of her and of his—just like Nico's ability or desire to communicate with him or with pretty much anyone.