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His corner of the Underworld is quiet.
Tranquil.
Dark.
The silent waters of the Lethe flow at a steady pace, never wavering. An endless stream of midnight blue liquid; so potent that one sip will take away all the pain and pleasure that memories hold.
Hitoshi sits on his bed of ebony, deep black that blends in with the darkness of the cave around him.
The place where day and night meet. Where no sound or light can ever enter.
Thousands of years pass like minutes.
This is where he stays and he is content.
He thinks.
----------
The first time it happens is a shock.
Lightning flashes in a nonexistent sky and suddenly a man made of pure glowing light is standing before him. Thunder rumbles with every step he takes farther into the cave, as lightning crackles around his body.
The light somehow does the impossible, brightening the space like a sunrise breaking over the horizon. Hitoshi, who has only visited the mortal realm under the cover of night, is struck by the thought that this is what seeing daytime must be like.
A sparking hand reaches towards him and the god makes a peculiar expression, as if he's trying to grin through a wince.
"H-help me?"
Hitoshi finally notices how the man in front of him is twitching, his form glowing brighter and brighter by the second, the outline of his physical body phasing in and out with each explosion of lightning.
He knows what control looks like, and this isn't it.
Hitoshi steps closer slowly, his footsteps silent, and reaches forward to take the glowing outstretched hand. As their fingers brush, Hitoshi feels the surge of energy running through them, but he does not falter. His hand tightens around the god's and as he intertwines their fingers, he feels the hand made of light solidify in his grasp, feeling more like flesh than pure energy.
Hitoshi brings his other hand to the god's face and places two fingers where he presumes the man's eyes would be.
"Sleep."
The crackling and popping ceases abruptly and in an instant the body made of light materializes into a man. Hitoshi rushes forward to catch the body as it goes limp. He scoops up the god in his arms and carries him over to the ebony bed, laying him gently down on the black stone.
Hitoshi gazes down at the god on his bed, body still lit with a faint glow, allowing Hitoshi to make out his features. His hair looks like it was spun from gold, his skin tanned and cheeks dusted with freckles from a sun Hitoshi has never seen, his jaw is sharp and connects to a slender but sculpted neck and chest, half covered by a pearl white chiton with gold thread woven into the waist and shoulder.
An image of perfection only disturbed by jagged scarring that runs up and down the god's arms and legs, a memory of the lightning coursing through his veins.
And still it's strangely beautiful.
Soft pink lips are still and slightly parted while lifeless white pupils stare back at him.
Hitoshi wonders if when awake they would glow golden too.
----------
"Sorry I didn't knock, your dwelling lacks a door."
Hitoshi jerks back from where he was hovering over the golden god's sleeping figure. Most emerge from the trance slowly, as if stepping out of a fog, but this mind released from under his control snaps back into place like a whip.
He is reluctantly pleased to find he was right as bright gold eyes blink up at him, rapidly coming into focus.
The god is smiling wryly at him, almost as if he's ashamed, an expression not seen on many deities.
Hitoshi remains silent, unsure of what to say in response, and remains slightly stunned by the man in front of him.
"Normally when I wake in a bed not my own with foggy memories it's after a more...pleasurable experience," the god says, voice teasing to match the smirk tugging at his lips. "How disappointing that's not the case here."
Hitoshi corrects his previous evaluation, as he feels something like unwelcome heat creeping up his neck. This god clearly has no shame whatsoever.
Hitoshi steps away to a more comfortable distance, seeking refuge in the shadows and turns a skeptical eye on him. "You appear stable, so you may leave now," he says coolly.
The god sits up and stretches his arms lazily. "Ah, so the rumors are true about you. The mysterious and elusive Hypnos, right? Unless I stumbled into the wrong cave. It has happened before..." The god shakes his head and knocks the heel of his hand against his temple a few times. As soon as he does, a golden crown of light appears on his head.
Hitoshi swallows the surprised gasp that tries to breach his lips. "You're the King of Lightning."
The god shrugs. "That's one of many names I go by. It's not my true name though, as Hypnos is not yours," he responds slyly.
Hitoshi stiffens but masks it with a bored expression. "No one can truly know Sleep, else their minds would be shattered," he says darkly.
The god seems unphased and laughs as if Hitoshi made a joke. "Right, we'll work on it. But I think you know more about me than most already, so you're free to call me Denki, if you so desire," he quips back with a wink.
"Denki..." Hitoshi tests the word on his tongue and finds he doesn't despise it.
Denki whistles, an appreciative sound, as he fans his face. "The rumors don't mention anything about how dangerously sinful that voice is though," he teases.
Hitoshi frowns. "Are you always this..."
"Charming? Witty? Ethereally endearing?"
"Uncouth."
Denki smiles, seeming unbothered by the insult. "Only for gorgeous gods, such as yourself."
Hitoshi forgoes a response to that, as his mind temporarily goes blank.
In the silence, Denki finally rises from the ebony bed. "Well...I'll make my exit then. Thank you for your assistance and I pray we meet again under better circumstances. And..." his lilting voice suddenly takes on a more serious tone, "your discretion is appreciated."
With a flash of lightning, he's gone, just as quick as he appeared.
Hitoshi blinks into the growing darkness as the light from Denki's presence fades into nothing.
"And who exactly would I have to tell?" he mutters into the emptiness.
----------
It happens again a few days later, or maybe it's been centuries, Hitoshi can't ever be certain.
Denki stumbles through the cave entrance, far less graceful than the first time he appeared. He's erratic and wild, body phasing in and out of sight and each time he appears it's in a slightly different spot, like a lightning storm is raining down inside the enclosed space.
Hitoshi watches his movements, trying to find a pattern but none appears. All he can do is reach out a hand and wait. He stares at his own pale palm, lying face up and open for the lightning god to take.
The sizzling crackles and crashes of thunder get louder and louder, and the brightness is starting to become unbearable to look upon. Hitoshi squints but his hand doesn't shake or withdraw.
"Let me help you."
A hand grasps his own like a lifeline and Hitoshi swiftly puts him under.
The deja vu of it all makes something stir in his chest as he lifts Denki in his arms and sets him on the ebony bed. Hitoshi notes how his golden features and white chiton contrast starkly with the stone beneath him in a way that he finds strikingly beautiful. But he doesn't belong here, Hitoshi reminds himself of that.
Denki wakes in the same way as before, like a sudden jolt.
"We have to stop meeting like this," he says lazily.
Hitoshi asks the question that has been itching in his mind since their last encounter. "Why can't you control your own powers?"
Denki sits up on the bed and smiles when this time Hitoshi remains nearby, but it's only a fleeting expression before his face twists in displeasure.
"You try having all the strength of an infinite storm thrust upon you and always keep it contained."
Hitoshi looks away, ashamed to have offended the god, but he can't resist asking more.
"But you're..."
"A king? And so I must be perfect, yes?" Denki sighs heavily and grimaces at the new scars glowing on his arms. "That title is more of a burden than truth. I'm sure you can understand, Hypnos."
Despite the darkness of the cave, Hitoshi feels more exposed than he ever has.
"Plus, we gods look down on mortals but we forget they were fashioned after our own image. Emotions may be the only thing more powerful than we are," Denki says flippantly, but his smile seems forced.
"I can teach you control."
Hitoshi is almost surprised by his own voice, the words just slipped out almost without his permission.
This time when Denki smiles, it's both genuine and blinding, and Hitoshi finds he much prefers it this way.
"And perhaps I can teach you how to let go of yours in return."
----------
After that, Denki visits more frequently, but somehow it’s always when Hitoshi least expects it.
He never appears quite the same way in his distressed state, but Hitoshi likes to think he’s getting better at reading what emotions are the root of each episode.
Frustration.
Excitement.
Shame.
Pride.
Exhaustion.
Fear.
He’s discovering there are many sides to the King of Lightning that not many get to see, and sometimes he wonders why only he is given this privilege.
And it is a privilege in his mind, never a burden, because despite the god’s sharp tongue and teasing flirtations, Hitoshi is beginning to enjoy his company.
He’s loud and bright, oftentimes vain, and incredibly forward. But at the same time he is surprisingly kind and he listens dutifully to Hitoshi even when he has few words to say. His playful touches are always gentle and Hitoshi finds it harder and harder to brush him off each time.
Denki never fails to get under Hitoshi’s skin, but every time he does, it brings a warm sensation with it, spreading from his chest and running through his veins, not unlike a sip of divine nectar.
The warmth stays even when Denki falls into his deep slumber. Hitoshi sits on the edge of the ebony bed and watches his chest rise and fall with an even tempo and stares into the glassy white pupils that see nothing.
Hitoshi selfishly allows himself to drink in Denki’s glowing features. When the god is asleep, he is peaceful, as if he’s stepped into the eye of the storm in his own mind. The crown of gold around his head dims and fades into nothing, and without it he seems lighter, more human even.
He’s no king here.
But as beautiful as he appears now, Hitoshi still prefers him awake and smiling brighter than the sun.
He can’t help but wonder why anyone, especially Denki of all the gods, would have a reason to smile at him. He is a servant of the Night. He was not created to be worshiped or loved.
And yet…Denki looks at him like he’s worth something more.
He doesn’t understand it.
Denki twitches in his sleep and Hitoshi reminds himself to focus on the current moment, returning his mind to careful blankness until Denki appears peaceful again.
Hitoshi lets his hold on Denki’s mind slip away smoothly, like running his fingers through golden silk. Still, Denki awakens in a flash, springing up from his prone position on the bed.
“That felt legions better this time! I believe we’re making progress,” Denki says while grinning proudly, way too happy for a god just freed from a forced trance.
Hitoshi stands up and retreats a few steps from the bed, putting some much needed distance between him and the golden god.
“Focus on the feeling of being in control before it fades, see if you can replicate it.”
Denki nods and closes his eyes, allowing his power to run wild as it did before. The air becomes charged with energy as thunder rumbles and lightning begins crackling around his body.
Hitoshi doesn’t step away even as the sparks draw near. “Good, now control it.”
He shouldn’t note how Denki’s nose scrunches in an unkingly adorable way as he concentrates on Hitoshi’s words.
Without golden eyes on him, Hitoshi allows himself a small smile as the thunder quiets to a soft rumble and the loud crackling simmers down to a faint buzzing.
Denki’s eyes blink open and Hitoshi puts on a neutral expression once more.
“Nicely done.”
Denk’s chest puffs up under the praise. “I was pretty amazing, wasn’t I?”
Hitoshi dips his head in agreement.
Denki slowly reaches a hand towards him, letting it caress Hitoshi’s wrist and tangle his fingers with his own.
“And now, perhaps I could convince you to loosen up?”
Hitoshi wishes he could remove his hand from that warm and gentle touch, but can’t bring himself to. And yet he can’t bring himself to break his silence either.
Denki’s other hand grazes his cheek softly, knuckles brush against his skin so lightly that it could be mistaken for a summer breeze.
“You know with a face like yours, you could have any goddess, nymph, or mortal that you wanted. Has anyone ever told you that?” he asks in his usual teasing manner, but there’s a softness behind it that Hitoshi doesn’t know what to do with.
Hitoshi closes his eyes and turns his face away, feeling confusingly both relieved and bitter when the warm touch leaves his skin.
“A shame, maybe next century then,” Denki says cheerfully.
Hitoshi turns back to watch Denki as he stands to leave, a growing part of him dreading the moment when he’s once again shrouded in darkness alone.
----------
With each visit to the Underworld, Denki is becoming better and better at mastering control over his powers.
So it comes as a surprise to Hitoshi when the King of Lightning comes crashing into his cave, much like their first meeting, lightning striking wildly and limbs twitching sporadically.
However, this time his body is entirely physical, a clearly solid form.
It’s perplexing but Hitoshi doesn’t hesitate to grab Denki’s mind in his power’s embrace, sending him off into sleep.
He almost fails to catch the god’s body, thrown off by how easily and willingly the mind falls under his control.
Hitoshi sets Denki’s body on the black stone, gently as ever, but frowns at the way Denki’s skin is unusually calm, no residual energy buzzing around him or hairs standing on end from the static.
Hitoshi furrows his brow in confusion as he stares into dull white pupils. Suddenly, understanding clicks in his brain and he rips away the trance, watching as the gold rapidly returns in Denki’s eyes.
The King of Lightning smirks up at him. “You usually last longer than thー”
“What are you doing? Did you really think you could fool me?” Hitoshi seethes, words hissing out between clenched teeth.
Denki’s smile turns sheepish as he sits up and the crown of light reappears.
“Ah, I was hoping you wouldn’t realize.”
Hitoshi backs away, finding fuel for his anger somewhere in the shadows of the cave. “This is not a game. I am not your toy to play with when you’re bored and desire distraction.”
Denki stands up quickly, face falling in shame and despair. “No! I know that! I’ve never seen you that way. You’re right, I shouldn’t have pretended I justー”
Hitoshi scowls. “Just what exactly? My powers are dangerous too, why would you want to put yourself under for no reason?”
Denki lowers his chin and looks away. “It’s selfish…but I just wanted an excuse to come to see you,” he whispers.
Hitoshi goes still, eyes wide from a different kind of shock than he’s grown accustomed to.
Denki takes a cautious step towards him, eyes glowing with a flicker of hope. “But maybe it isn’t selfish, if you want this too…?”
The shadows recede as Denki slowly closes the distance between them. Tanned hands gently wrap around pale wrists, pulling slightly so that Hitoshi steps forward to meet him.
Denki places Hitoshi’s hands around his waist and brings his own upwards to cup Hitoshi’s face. He smiles and little sparks of electricity dance around his face and hands.
Hitoshi is mesmerized. Every point of contact between him and Denki tingles with barely contained energy.
Denki looks up at him and tilts his head as if asking a question. “So, do you?”
Hitoshi tries to speak but his words are buried somewhere deep in his chest under a layer of yearning so heavy that he feels like he could crumble under the weight of it and yet a voice of stubborn apprehension screams at him to step away.
“Tell me to leave and I will,” Denki whispers and begins to pull away.
Hitoshi feels his own hands tighten around the King of Lightning’s waist almost against his will, as if they have a mind of their own.
“Stay.”
If Hitoshi labeled any of Denki’s previous smiles as blinding, he must’ve been mistaken because the one he’s gifted with in that moment is indescribable.
Then Denki’s golden eyes fall closed and Hitoshi only has a second to note the streaks of lightning scarring on his eyelids before soft pink lips are pressing against his own.
His eyes close on impulse as his hands travel up the back of Denki’s spine to tangle them in golden hair as that barely suppressed yearning overflows.
Denki’s lips buzz with static energy sending faint shocks as they move against Hitoshi’s, who willingly answers the call.
His mouth parts with a sigh as the last bit of tension leaves his body, giving himself fully over to the embrace. Denki hums in contentment and deepens the kiss, tongue gently exploring inside Hitoshi’s mouth, causing even more electricity to crackle through his veins that Hitoshi isn’t even sure Denki is producing himself.
Denki slowly steps backwards as they kiss and Hitoshi follows each move like a dance. The lightning god’s hands have found their way into Hitoshi’s hair and he uses the leverage to gently tug Hitoshi down onto the ebony bed on top of him.
Hitoshi’s hands brace either side of Denki’s head as his palms press to the cool black stone, arms slightly trembling to hold the weight of his body and the feelings exploding in his chest.
Denki finally breaks the kiss, lips popping slightly as he pulls away. Hitoshi looks down at him and is instantly breathless at the sight of the god positively glowing with joy beneath him.
Denki surges forward and begins softly kissing down Hitoshi’s jaw and neck, leaving tingles of electricity in his wake. Hitoshi feels his heart rate quicken and his breath comes out in short bursts, it feels heavenly but at the same time almost too much to bear.
Surprisingly perceptive, Denki pulls away to look up at Hitoshi with careful concern.
Hitoshi takes a long slow inhale before speaking but his words still come out a jumbled mess. “I apologize IーI’m not used to…I mean I’ve neverーand I don’t know if right now IーI’m sorry if it’s not enough for you…”
Denki hums to quiet him, hands wrapping around Hitoshi’s wrists and rubbing soothing circles into them, smiling gently up at him.
“Everything, anything, or even nothing is enough for me with you.”
Hitoshi looks down into warm pools of gold and finds only sincerity.
He swallows roughly. “Are we…what do the mortals call it these days? ‘Courting’ now?”
The King of Lightning has the audacity to giggle and Hitoshi flushes both in his own embarrassment and delight at the sound, mouth twisting downwards in feigned annoyance.
Denki’s eyes crinkle with mirth at the sight. “Gods don’t really ‘court’...” he says with a chuckle.
Then his eyes flash with energy, growing more serious as he gazes up at Hitoshi in a way that makes him feel like there is no world outside this small cave.
“We just fall together, sometimes for eternity.”
And so, Hitoshi lets himself fall.
----------
Time seems to slow down for Hitoshi. Something about Denki’s presence stretches out the days that used to pass in an instant.
The King of Lightning’s visits to the Underworld become more frequent, sometimes still seeking assistance with his power, but more often than not to just spend time with Hitoshi.
He sometimes wonders if Olympus misses its king but can’t pretend he dislikes the constant attention.
“Hypnos, stop daydreaming! As your king, I command you to watch this!” Denki says with mock authority, ruining any seriousness of the request with the laughter that bubbles out of him.
“Technically Hades is my king, but as you wish,” Hitoshi says with a smirk.
Denki pouts and sticks out his tongue. “Ugh my brother is so boring and morose, forget Tokoyami you should serve me instead! Then you could come live on Olympus and I could ditch this dreadful commute.”
Hitoshi chuckles and rolls his eyes. “You had something to show me?”
Denki’s eyes light up once more as he grins. “Ah yes, loyal subject, thank you for reminding me!”
He holds his hands out, palms facing one another but set a short distance apart, his fingers spread out and little tendrils of lightning jump from each finger tip to the other, making a small cage of electricity between his hands.
“I’ve been practicing control more on my own, it seemed wise to learn a few more tricks besides full-body shock and smite,” Denki says smugly, clearly pleased with himself.
“That’s actually quite impressive, concentrating that much power on such a small scale,” Hitoshi says with a small smile.
“Wait, it gets better!”
Denki begins moving his fingers rhythmically, crossing the tendrils of lightning under and over like he was weaving thread instead of electricity. He works meticulously, tongue poking out slightly as he focuses, and Hitoshi finds the whole display equal parts amazing and adorable.
When he finishes, Denki has created a band of woven lightning stretched out between his hands. He grins proudly at Hitoshi as he holds the crackling masterpiece out for him to see.
“It’s beautiful.”
Denki smiles. “It’s not finished.” He brings the two ends of the band together so that it forms a circle and leans forward to gently place it atop Hitoshi’s head.
The crown of lightning sparks and buzzes around his skull, but he only feels a slight tingle of static, barely perceptible if he wasn’t looking for it. Hitoshi reaches up slowly, eyes sliding upward in astonishment, as he lets his hands graze against the glowing band.
“Whaー why…?”
Denki turns his body so he’s facing the water. Hitoshi looks down to find his own reflection in the dark waters crowned with lightning smiling up at him. He presses his fingertips to his mouth in awe, not even aware he was grinning so fully.
“There. Now you’re a king too,” Denki utters softly beside him.
All words escape him at that moment, so Hitoshi turns to Denki and captures his lips instead.
----------
Although Denki has mastered an impressive amount of control, lightning remains unpredictable, and there comes a day where Hitoshi can tell the King of Lightning is completely drained and yet somehow still generating massive amounts of energy.
“I- I think I overdid it t-this time, Hypnos. I can’tー I can’t stop it,” Denki chokes out as he enters the cave.
Hitoshi aches with phantom pain, having grown to hate seeing Denki in this state.
“It’ll be okay, I got you,” he says gently before brushing careful fingers to Denki’s twitching eyelids and sending him off to sleep.
Hitoshi carries Denki’s still body and places it on the bed, like he's done countless times before.
He sits down on the black stone, as close to Denki as he dares without disturbing him, only allowing his hands to trail lightly through golden hair and caress down a tanned jaw.
Denki sleeps for days, and Hitoshi knows this exactly because he counts the minutes as he watches over his sleeping form. Everytime Hitoshi begins to pull away the control on his mind, lightning immediately starts to crackle and Denki winces in pain. So Hitoshi resolves to keep him under for as long as it takes.
He never moves from his place on the edge of the ebony bed, gazing down at the golden god whose still subtly glowing figure is the only thing bringing Hitoshi a sense of comfort.
“I think I may be in love with you,” he whispers into the dark, only because he knows no one can hear him.
Silence echoes in answer as lifeless white eyes stare back at him.
He sighs and forces his mind back to blankness, knowing his own emotions could filter through into Denki’s mind as he sleeps.
However, the thought has the opposite effect, as a trickle of doubt starts running like ice cold water through his veins.
Where does Denki's mind go when he's deep in this slumber? Hitoshi cannot control dreams, but still, when under his power the two minds are linked and emotions can bleed through, blending together.
His anxiety builds and despite every effort to quell his distress, the uneasy thoughts keep slipping through the cracks.
What if his own longing and affection had seeped through the connection? What if…he had unknowingly forced Denki to feel something for him?
The King of Lightning came to him looking for assistance, not companionship. Why would that change? Unless it was just something Hitoshi had dreamt so strongly that he made it real.
His mother's words resurface deep from the waters of his memory.
'Control over others comes easy, but the self is the most difficult to master. Your emotions are your weakness, never let them control you."
The stinging sensation of failure takes over as panic grips his chest.
He attempts to calm himself but the emotions fall out of his grasp like grains of sand, and build at his feet until he feels as if he's sinking through the floor.
He doesn't truly care for you.
You are a crutch.
He doesn't belong down here.
You are not meant to be loved.
He won't need you one day.
You invented this relationship in your mind.
He feels only what you made him feel.
You made him fall for you.
He deserves so much more.
You deserve nothing.
You should be punished.
He should punish you.
Denki sits up suddenly and Hitoshi stumbles back in surprise, knowing he has yet to wake the god himself.
His eyes are still unblinking and white but they crackle with energy as Denki slowly raises a hand.
Hitoshi is frozen in place, and can only look at Denki in horror as the hand comes down.
Lightning flashes and a moment later an earth-shattering clap of thunder booms inside the cave.
Hitoshi falls backward, head smacking against the cold stone floor as his nerve endings explode in excruciating pain.
His body twitches violently, the aftershocks of being smited by the King of Lightning sending him into a fit of spasms.
He hears more than actually feels himself screaming from the intense agony of it.
He must've relinquished control in the moment he was struck because Denki is suddenly awake, body still smoking from the aftermath.
Hitoshi scrunches his eyes open and closed, desperately trying to focus even as everything around him blurs. He can only make out a golden form approaching unsteadily towards him.
Denki is saying something but he can barely hear it over the shrill ringing in his ear.
A body collapses next to him and Denki's face comes into better focus.
Tears stream down his face and his mouth is moving rapidly, but Hitoshi only picks up some of the words.
"ーhappened? …you're hurt! I…so weak… No no noー going to be okay!"
Hitoshi takes in a shaky inhale and the ringing finally starts to die down.
"I'm sorry I'm sorry please forgive me I never wanted to hurt you please please stay with me…" Denki mumbles fervently as his body shakes with uncontrollable tremors.
Denki tries to reach for him, even as his hand shivers and twitches. Hitoshi can't bear it, seeing him in such pain, so he dredges up any adrenaline he can muster to grab Denki’s wrist, stopping him from moving.
"N-not your f-fault…mine…"
A sob breaks free and Denki's voice cracks as he speaks. "What are you talking about? I struck you! I- I don't know what happened…gods I- I'll never forgive myself for this. I don't know why I break everything I touch."
His words tumble out faster and faster, words falling from trembling lips wet with his own tears.
Hitoshi's mind struggles to stay conscious but he forces himself awake, the overwhelming need to end Denki's suffering far stronger than the weakness of his own body.
A final thought sneaks through. A way to take the pain away. Like it never even happened.
Hitoshi's hand crawls forward on the black stone, arm straining to reach despite his limbs still shaking rapidly.
Fingertips brush against the edge, curling over the lip of the black stone and slipping into the midnight blue waters of the Lethe.
He brings his other hand to Denki's eyes, using the last bit of strength to summon a trickle of power.
"No…" Denki whispers in a half-asleep state.
"It'll b-be okay," Hitoshi replies.
"Hypnos…" Denki mumbles, trying to fight the slumber.
"Hitoshi."
A brief moment of awareness flashes across Denki's features. "Hitoshi…Why would you tell me…"
Hitoshi remains silent, bringing his hand from the water forward, keeping it as steady as possible. He brushes a dripping thumb across Denki’s lips, watching as the drop of river water mixes with the salty wetness of his tears.
Hitoshi blinks as a tear runs down his own cheek.
"Because you won't remember."
----------
Silence fills the darkness, only the sound of Hitoshi's shallow breaths interrupt the quiet.
Denki remains asleep next to him, whether from his weak control or the lightning god's own exhaustion, Hitoshi isn't sure.
He groans as he finally finds the strength to sit up, joints stiff and smarting with pain from every little movement.
He looks over to inspect Denki’s form, fear seizing him as he notes how unnaturally pale the god's skin appears.
He needs to be above ground. He needs the open air and sky.
Hitoshi forces himself to move, ignoring the unbearable ache in his muscles. Drawing strength from some shallow pit within, he unsteadily gets to his feet and slings Denki's sleeping body across his back, crossing the god's arms around his neck and gripping his wrists to keep him in place.
The first step outside of the cave is excruciating, and so is the next. But he keeps going and somehow it gets easier.
Or maybe he's just gone numb.
Hitoshi thanks his younger self for exploring every corner of the Underworld so he knows the correct route to take.
When they finally break through to the surface, dawn is just beginning to break over the horizon.
And there stands Apollo, broad-chested with light blonde hair and eyes bluer than the sky, standing in his shining chariot, preparing to drag the sun across the sky.
The bright god drops the reins in shock when he sees Hitoshi limping towards him.
"Hypnos, son of Night, what brings you to daytime?"
It's then that he finally notices the King of Lightning's limp head hanging over Hitoshi’s shoulder.
"What happened to Denki?!"
Hitoshi doesn't have the energy or time to explain as he feels his powers and body growing weaker in the presence of day. "Please, just bring him to Olympus, quickly."
He passes the sleeping king into Apollo's waiting arms and immediately steps back from the glowing chariot.
Too weakened to maintain control, Hitoshi lets Denki awaken, relieved to see some of his color returning already.
Denki blinks up bleary-eyed at Apollo, confusion twisting his features. "Mirio? W-where am I?"
Apollo, or Mirio as Denki called him, gently sets the golden god down on the floor of the chariot and passes a glowing hand over his body.
"I'll heal him as we ascend, he'll be fine, he's just exerted way too much power," Mirio says.
He then turns back to Hitoshi. "I'm going to heal you now, don't try to refuse, you need it desperately."
Hitoshi wants to argue but Mirio is right, he's in no position to.
The sun god approaches slowly and Hitoshi notices how he dulls his shine to spare him more discomfort.
Mirio smiles and places a glowing palm on Hitoshi's chest. The light grows from his hand and spreads all over Hitoshi's body, making him feel warm and very awake despite his exhaustion.
After a moment, Mirio steps away and scans Hitoshi with those blue eyes and sunny smile.
"You'll survive, but the scars will remain, I'm sorry."
Hitoshi doesn't even look, he doesn't even care right now.
"Thank you, now please just take him."
Something in Mirio's smile shifts as he glances at Denki before looking back at Hitoshi. "You don't realize how lucky you are..."
Hitoshi isn't sure what he means so he doesn't respond.
Mirio moves to return to his chariot but then pauses and turns back to face Hitoshi.
"Hypnos, do you ever visit the Elysian Fields?"
Hitoshi frowns, confused by the sudden strange question.
"No. The dead don't sleep."
Mirio's incessant smile fractures a bit at his answer. He reaches into the white cloth pouch by his waist and pulls out a flower with curling dark purple petals.
He presses it into Hitoshi's hand.
"If you ever find yourself there, give this to a man with hair the same color as the petals. Consider any debt to me paid then."
Hitoshi looks down at the flower and then back up at Mirio, finding sorrow swimming in his blue eyes.
Understanding dawns on him.
"What's his name?" Hitoshi asks.
Mirio sighs heavily and steps backwards into the chariot, gripping the reins so tight the veins in his hands swell. He smiles again, but the light doesn't reach his eyes.
"Tamaki…but you can call him Hyacinth."
----------
Hitoshi isn't sure why he accepts Apollo's request, but he does.
Something about the grief in the sun god's eyes made him ache with sympathy. And it provided a good distraction from his own pain.
So he finds himself wandering the Elysian fields, passing the souls of the heroic and virtuous in a blur, searching for hair a few shades darker than his own.
He almost misses him as he weaves through a field of sunflowers. The man is sitting on the green grass, staring up at the blue sky above, completely still.
Hitoshi crouches in front of him, making sure to approach slowly to avoid spooking the soul in front of him.
He clears his throat softly to get the man's attention, who in turn looks up with sad glazed eyes, as if in a daze.
"Are you Hyacinth?"
The man shrinks away slightly but nods. "Y-yes," he stutters out in a whisper.
Hitoshi carefully presents the purple flower to him, waiting patiently as trembling fingers reach forward and curl around the stem, and then pull it gently from Hitoshi’s grasp.
"It's very beautiful," Hitoshi says softly.
Tamaki nods but then sighs. "I prefer sunflowers."
Hitoshi can't help it, he asks the question. "Are you happy here then?"
Tamaki raises his head to the false sky again.
"There is no sun here. I want to go home."
Hitoshi nods solemnly, heart twinging with sadness for him.
"The sun misses you too."
----------
When Hitoshi finally returns to his cave, he feels numb.
Mirio's healing light took away all his physical pain but the ache in his chest remains.
He kneels down in front of Lethe and looks into the dark water. His reflection stares back but it's different.
Hitoshi's fingers graze his cheek, passing lightly over the new marks.
Jagged streaks of gold, lightning imprinted on his skin that runs down his neck, spreading out like branches all over his chest and back up his jaw and cheek until it hits his eye.
His right eye has changed.
Gold mixes with purple, like divine ink spilled in his pupil.
His breath catches as he takes in his new appearance. Mirio had sounded apologetic for being unable to remove the scars but… Hitoshi is glad he couldn't.
They're beautiful.
And a painful reminder.
That some things can't be forgotten.
"Mother?" Hitoshi whispers into the dark.
The shadows in the cave slowly shift and roll as the darkness materializes into a woman.
She seeps out of the night, never truly leaving the shadows, more like an extension of them.
Her dark midnight blue hair cascades down her back and curls around her face, almost obscuring the eyes bright like stars piercing through. Red poppy petals grow from the skin around her eyes, contrasting with her pale white skin.
Nyx tilts her head in question, hair bleeding more into the dark as she does so. She smirks slightly as her eyes rove over the golden marks on his skin.
"You never did listen well."
Hitoshi ignores her remark, too tired to entertain her.
"May I sleep?"
Nyx's eyes narrow in interest and then soften in sympathy.
"It's been quite a long time since you asked for that."
Hitoshi bows his head, not wanting to see pity in her eyes.
"Please."
He hears her sigh gently. "Of course, my child."
Hitoshi watches the poppies miraculously grow out of the cold hard stone around him. Their stems break through the rock and the buds quickly unfurl into deep red petals.
The petals open further and sweet pink mist drifts upwards, wrapping around his head and as two tendrils enter his nose he inhales deeply, letting the scent take control.
The last thing he sees is Nyx blending back into the shadows before his eyes fall closed and everything goes darker than the night itself.
----------
Denki wakes on a bed of clouds, golden light streaming through the sheer white curtains that hang from the stone columns of his room.
He blinks, eyes squinting from the bright glare, as if he hadn’t seen the sun in days, which is confusing to him since he’s certain he was on Olympus just yesterday.
His body aches terribly, like it does after he loses control completely, but that hasn’t happened in awhile now, he’s sure of it.
Everything looks the same as it always does.
But something inside him feels different, like he lost something but he can’t even remember what it was.
“Ah, welcome back!” a chipper voice startles him.
Denki sits up to find Hermes hovering nearby, the red wings of his sandals fluttering rapidly.
He stares dumbly at him and the messenger god takes that as his cue to keep talking. His words come out casual, like he’s discussing the weather, but fast-paced as if he has somewhere to be. Denki supposes that’s true, he is always on the move.
“Apollo said you’d be waking any moment now, told me to tell you to take it easy too. But moving on, everything’s been fine for the weeks you’ve been asleep. Quite a cat nap, I have to say! Well fine is relative, the mortal world is not doing so spectacular.”
Denki holds up a hand to pause Herme’s speech. “Wait what? I’ve been asleep for weeks?! Why?”
Hermes cocks his head, messy dirty blonde hair flopping to the side as he does so. “Beats me,” he says cheerily, but the way his lips press together hints how unhappy he is to be out of the loop. “Apollo just said you overexerted yourself again, doing what I guess only Kronos knows!”
Denki nods slowly, trying to mask how his head was spinning from all the information. “What’s wrong with the mortals?”
Hermes lays backwards, arms crossed behind his head as he reclines on nothing but empty air. “While you were snoozing, they’ve all been wide awake. Not a single living soul can sleep.”
With that piece of news, Denki’s foggy head is suddenly very alert.
“Now you’d think that’s not a tragedy, right? But oh no, sleep deprivation is proving to be a rather dangerous catalyst for a whole host of other problems. It’s chaos down there, honestly! People go berserk without their daily Z’s I guess,” Hermes shrugs and chuckles, like he was telling a funny joke and not reporting disaster.
“So obviously, Hypnos is slacking on his duties. But what can you expect from those Underworld duds, huh? I went down there myself to speak to Tokoyami about it, but he said it’s ‘not his problem’ since it technically ‘concerns only the living.’ Can you believe that?!”
Denki’s stomach turns over and his head pounds at the sound of Hypnos’ name leaving Hermes’ lips.
“Hypnos?” he asks warily.
“Yes, you know him?”
“I do…” Denki responds quietly, feeling strange about his own answer.
He knows Hypnos, of course he does, but when he tries to think about it more his brain feels waterlogged, his memories are murky and unable to fully form in his head.
“Thank you for attempting to handle it, but I’ll go speak to him myself…” Denki says, trying to sound king-like and not like a man drowning in his own confusion.
Hermes straightens up and gives Denki a quick two-finger salute. “As you wish, and keep me posted,” he says quickly before flying off in a rush.
After Hermes makes his exit, Denki rises slowly, muscles straining from the stiffness that comes with lack of use.
As he descends Olympus and travels to the Underworld, he searches his own mind, trying to grab hold of whatever he’s missing.
The journey is really only a flashing moment for him, but the action still brings a tidal wave of deja vu.
He’s been here before; he’s so certain of it.
He stops outside of Hypnos’ cave, watching the river water flow with the silent current.
Something in his brain twinges.
He makes a decision, and he knows it’s likely a foolish one, but this feels too important to ignore.
He lets electricity concentrate in his palms, clenching his fists and building the energy until his hands buzz and vibrate with it. He carefully extends two fingers from each hand and pushes them to his own temples.
The shocks reverberate through his skull and the nerve endings in his brain go into overdrive. He scrunches his eyes closed and reaches forward with his mind, desperately clawing at the threads of memory he’s sure are somewhere in there.
Bits and pieces start to come back. His first visit to the Underworld and then the second. The full-body shiver he felt the moment he laid eyes on Hypnos. The calm and peaceful comfort of being under the god’s power. The patient way Hypnos talked him through controlling his power. The barely-there smiles that felt like a blessing each time he caught sight of one. The way he craved the god’s presence more than the sweetest ambrosia. The sound of his name on Hypnos’ lips. Even better, the feeling of those lips on his own.
How could he forget all of that? And yet, he still feels like he hasn't gotten it all back. No matter how hard he shocks himself, he can’t seem to grab onto his most recent memories. It was almost like a river had separated himself from his own thoughts and he had waded as far as he could dare.
He shakes his head rapidly as if trying to dispel the mental fog, but it remains. The last thing he remembers is being overwhelmed with a surge of power and then nothing.
Just sleep.
He forces his nerves to quiet, telling himself to not freak out. He must’ve shocked himself so bad it completely wiped him out. And some of his memories too, apparently…
His hands shake but he stills them. It’s okay, he remembers now, he got the memories back. Everything is fine.
It’ll be okay.
The voice in his head doesn’t quite sound like his own when he thinks that, but where else would he have heard it?
He shoves the lingering confusion away, brain jolting from one anxiety to the next, too preoccupied with his growing worry for Hypnos and the desire to see him immediately.
Denki walks through the cave entrance, eyes adjusting to the dark and finding Hypnos turned on his side, sleeping on the ebony bed.
It’s unsettling, how still he is and Denki realizes in that moment he’s never actually seen the God of Sleep asleep himself.
“Hypnos,” he says softly, letting thunder rumble after he speaks.
He watches as Hypnos’ shoulders tense and then he slowly sits up, with his back to Denki.
“What are you doing here?”
Denki frowns at his tone, he sounds exhausted and almost…sorrowful.
“Well a little birdie told me all the mortals have suddenly become insomniacs, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that?” he tries to ask teasingly, hoping to shift Hypnos’ mood.
“I apologize, I’ll return to my duties now,” he responds coldly.
Denki’s smile falls. “I’m not mad! I’m just worried about you…Why are you sleeping?”
Hypnos stands and turns slightly, so Denki can only see the left side of his face, the rest of him still shrouded in darkness.
It passes across his face so quickly, Denki isn’t even sure if it was real or imagined, but for a moment the god looks utterly broken.
But Denki blinks and his face is emotionless once more, like stone.
“That doesn’t concern you, King of Lightning.”
Denki steps forward slightly, reaching a wary hand out to him. “Of course it does! I care about yー”
Hypnos’ fist clenches in the cloth of his chiton as he shuts his eyes and turns away, like he can’t bear to even look at Denki.
“No, you don’t. Now leave.”
Denki’s hand drops back to his side.
“Hypnos please…”
He seems to wince at the sound of his own name.
“You can control your powers just fine. You don’t need me anymore.”
Denki still refuses to leave, but stays rooted in place, feeling his heart start to crumble away bit by bit.
“You once said to me if I told you to leave, you would.”
Any protest dies on Denki’s lips, as his body aches with a bone-deep sorrow that somehow feels both foreign and familiar.
“So leave.”
----------
Hitoshi expected to be alone when he finally awoke. Nothing could prepare him for the salt in his still open and bleeding wound that was waking to the sound of his name on Denki’s lips.
Just the short glimpse of that glowing beautiful face with the golden hair and eyes was enough to rip away any of the fragile solace that sleep had brought him.
Hitoshi didn’t even think he’d ever see him again. The Lethe water is unpredictable but potent, so he thought all traces of him would be gone from Denki’s mind. He supposes he shouldn’t have underestimated the strength of the King of the Gods.
But now he is truly alone and he hates it.
He keeps reminding himself that this is for the best. Whatever remnants of false affection Denki has for him will fade with time and then he’ll be free to be happy on his own, without Hitoshi getting in the way.
Without prompting it, the images of Apollo’s smile cracking and Hyacinth alone in the sunflower fields of Elysian surfaces in his mind. He shoves them away quickly.
Those two may have been meant for one another but fate tore them apart.
Hitoshi tried to force fate to his desires and make himself mean something to Denki.
They are not the same and they are better apart. He repeats it like a mantra in his head.
He ignores how it feels like he’s just desperately trying to convince himself.
He busies himself with fixing the mess that he created on Earth. Letting the mortal realm finally rest, hoping it will ease some of the chaos that ensued.
He doesn’t feel too bad though, that his actions brought death and destruction. Putting some lucky mortals out of the misery of existing seems like more of a blessing than a curse to him right now.
A pathetic thought, he at least recognizes it as such.
But Hades won’t complain about more souls and Nyx couldn't care less about mortal sufferingーprobably enjoyed it actually. So the only person he has to answer to is himself.
And given that he already absolutely loathes himself right now, it doesn’t make much of a difference.
He bends over the Lethe once more to gaze at the lightning scars that dance across his skin and the drops of gold that fill his right eye. It’s borderline masochistic but he doesn’t care.
There is a sick sort of comfort in knowing that he gets to keep this one trace of Denki with him, inscribed into his skin forever.
“I agree, they are lovely and difficult to tear your eyes from.”
Hitoshi jerks his head up at the sound of a silky sweet voice speaking.
“Hellooo Hypnos!” the voice lilts appreciatively. “Mhmmm Denki didn’t lie, you are just as beautiful as he described.”
A gorgeous woman steps into the dark cave, her teal chiton dress trailing gracefully as she practically glides into the space.
Hitoshi can only stand in awkward stunned silence as the goddess walks in a slow circle around him, hand playing with his hair and caressing up his scarred arm.
“Hair like the lavender that lulls you to sleep, check. Strong jaw, skin like porcelain, check and check. Surprisingly built arms, mhmm check!” she sings happily.
She stops in front of him and grabs his chin, tilting it so she can inspect his eyes and neck. “Nothing was said about the half-gold eye and all these interesting scars, I wonder how far down they go…” she hums mischievously as she trails a finger down his chest.
Hitoshi backs away from her, crossing his arms defensively. “Aphrodite, I assume.”
She smiles smugly and brings a perfect hand to her chest. “What gave it away? Oh and please, call me Mina, darling!”
“What do you want, Aphrodite?” he responds stiffly.
“What do I want? Hmmm not sure! What you want is more intriguing to me,” she says slyly.
Hitoshi shifts uneasily, avoiding eye contact with her and saying nothing.
“Oh sweetie that really won’t work on me, but it’s cute that you try!” she giggles.
“I actually do have a reason for this visit though, besides tormenting you, of course.”
Hitoshi looks back at her, eyes skeptical. “Oh really?”
Mina’s eyes narrow yet her sweet smile remains, the result is something simultaneously lovely and scary. “You see, our king returned in quite a distressed state from his little field trip down here.”
Hitoshi lowers his gaze. “This is for the best, just let it be.”
Mina’s eyes sparkle with interest but she presses on. “I have no knowledge of what happened between you two, all I know is Olympus and Earth are being terrorized by the most fatal lightning storm I’ve ever seen. And no one can stop it.”
Hitoshi’s head snaps back up. “What? Is Denki okay?”
“No he’s not and he’s running out of time. Can you help him?”
Hitoshi grips his hair and breathes heavily, overwhelmed by the situation unfolding, or more accurately, unraveling before him.
“Y-yes, I can try. Bring me to him,” he says in a rush and steps towards the cave entrance before she even agrees.
“One more thing.”
A soft hand grabs his wrist and pulls him back, drawing him impossibly close while whirling him around to face her.
Mina’s hand caresses up his arm to his neck and her fingers twirl in the hair at the base of his neck. “I hear time works differently here, so perhaps we could waste a few minutes before we go,” she whispers seductively.
Hitoshi immediately scoffs and brushes her hand away roughly. “Not interested.”
Mina steps away lightly and grins proudly at him. “Good!”
Hitoshi pauses in confusion, suddenly feeling like he’s being tested.
“Just one last question I promise,” she says too innocently.
Hitoshi glances at the exit once more, itching to leave and get to Denki as soon as possible. “What?!”
“How do I look?”
Hitoshi almost falls over in surprise. “Are you serious? You can’t possibly be that vain at a time like this,” he says exasperatedly.
Mina rolls her eyes, seeming unbothered by the insult. “Just answer, please!”
Hitoshi sighs and finally gives her appearance a good look, eyes scanning over her entire body. “Uh you’re very…pink,” he finally replies lamely.
He covers his ears swiftly to dull the piercing squeal that erupts from Mina’s lips.
“Pink skin and curly pink hair? Golden eyes?” she asks excitedly.
“Yes! What does it matter?” Hitoshi grumbles.
Mina places a finger under his chin and lifts it so he’s forced to make direct eye contact with her. “It matters, sweetie, because I take on the appearance of what the viewer finds most beautiful.”
“Well I think your powers are broken because you’re definitely not my type,” Hitoshi replies bluntly.
Mina’s fingernail pokes harshly into his skin. “Careful! I’ve tied maidens to cliff sides for less,” she retorts darkly. “But,” she continues, voice sweet once again, “that’s alright because that’s not what you saw!”
“Huh?” Hitoshi replies dumbly, quickly finding her way of speaking rather dizzying.
“You saw my true form!” she practically shouts it. “Only those who are in love with their other half see this version of me, because nothing I can conjure will compare in their eyes,” she finishes knowingly.
Realization hits Hitoshi as he processes her words. “No…no, no you’re wrong, like I said your powers must be failing you,” he protests weakly.
Mina ignores him and grabs both of his cheeks, pinching lightly. “Nope, sorry sweetie! If there’s one thing I know it’s love and soulmates. You got it bad for him and lucky you, you’re tied together by Fate’s string.”
She smiles, and this time it seems a little sad. “I’d like to see the ends of those strings tied together, before one gets cut, wouldn’t you?”
Hitoshi’s head is reeling, so much that he can barely respond. But if the Goddess of Love herself is telling him this is real…
“Just take me to him.”
----------
When Hitoshi gets to Olympus with Mina, he’s almost convinced he never left the Underworld. The storm clouds are so heavy that the entire world is covered in darkness. The only light that breaks through are the streaks of lightning flashing through the sky, one after another, over and over, seemingly with no end in sight.
Ear-splitting claps and booms of thunder tear through the atmosphere, so loudly that each one vibrates Hitoshi’s bones. The air itself is charged, humid and full of static, as the energy courses around them.
Hitoshi’s heart breaks all over again when he spots Denki kneeling on the ground in the center of the dais. His ankles and wrists changed to the floor, struggling to hold him in place as his body shudders and writhes in place.
“He insisted we chain him up. Said he couldn’t stop it and this was the only way!” Mina shouts over the howling of the winds.
The other Olympians are gathered around, weapons ready to take down their king when the time comes.
Denki screams in pain as his back arches from the force of the energy shooting out of him. Pure lightning erupts from his mouth upwards into the sky as his eyes burn electric gold. His whole body is already losing its physical form, limbs turning into pure energy like they did when Hitoshi first met him.
Hitoshi doesn’t think, he just runs towards Denki.
A hand grabs him and pulls him back. “You’re a minor god, you can’t get too close! You’ll be smited immediately!” Mina shouts.
Hitoshi wrenches out of her grip. “I don’t care! I have to help him! Even if it kills me.”
He ignores the shouts of warning from the other gods and runs up to the dais, dropping to his knees in front of Denki.
The King of Lightning doesn’t even see him, too far gone to understand his surroundings anymore. He tugs at his chains, some primal part of him trying to get free and let the energy run wild.
“I’m so sorry, I did this to you, it’s all my fault,” Hitoshi says, even though he knows Denki can’t hear him.
The electricity sparking around them jumps to Hitoshi’s body, sending him into a fit of jolts and spasms. It’s painful, so so painful, but he grits his teeth and holds his ground. He never hesitated when it came to Denki’s lightning and he isn’t about to now.
Rain falls down on them, instantly drenching Hitoshi’s body and increasing the agony of the electrification tenfold. The wind whips his hair and every time the thunder sounds and lightning flashes, his body involuntarily shakes but he pays it no mind.
It’s hard to tell with the rain, but Hitoshi can make out the tears streaming down Denki’s face and mixing with the rainwater.
“Denki!” he shouts, voice breaking as he fights to be heard.
Hitoshi smiles through the pain as Denki’s eyes land on him, praying some recognition will get through to him.
Crackling golden eyes, pupils expanded so wide the entire eye is just glowing light stare back at him.
“Let me help you. It’ll be okay,” Hitoshi says with conviction.
Denki’s body crackles with more lightning and destabilizes even more, but he doesn’t look away.
Hitoshi closes his eyes and takes a deep breath for a brief moment, steeling himself for the agony to come.
He searches deep within himself, drawing up all the power he can muster. As he does so, every moment spent with Denki flashes through his mind, every precious smile, laugh, and kiss. He holds onto those images tightly and lets his overwhelming affection for the man in front of him overflow. He’s almost knocked over by it, the urge to care for and soothe coursing through his veins.
He raises an arm, the one covered in golden streaks of lightning that he’s grown to cherish.
“If I never get to say it again, let me say it now,” he whispers.
Hitoshi places his scarred fingers over Denki’s glowing eyes.
“I love you.”
The moment his fingertips connect with Denki’s eyelids, he’s hit with a force of indescribable excruciating pain like he’s never felt before.
Denki’s lightning is fighting the slumber with everything it has, refusing to be quelled by the trance.
Hitoshi fights back, pressing forward with his mind and pulling Denki under inch by inch.
Storm resists sleep, but Hitoshi persists.
He bites his tongue to stop the screams of pain that want to break free, separating his mind from his body by sheer will.
And then the world goes white.
--
Denki’s eyes flutter open but everything is dark. He looks around and waves a hand through the darkness in front of him. It weaves through his fingers, almost like a mist.
He’s asleep.
He barely remembers this state, each time he experiences it, like a dream that fades upon waking, but the sensation is familiar.
He’s under Hypnos’ power.
It’s always the same, every time he’s put under.
A constant that is always reliable.
The darkness is soft and soothing, a cooling comfort that wraps around him and lulls him into calmness. It’s gentle, like a caress, and never asks for anything in return.
This time it feels slightly different though. The feelings are the same, but stronger, like they’ve been amplified.
It only lasts a moment though, before he’s torn away and back to reality.
Air fills his lungs in a rush as his eyes fly open to reality and light explodes in his vision.
He tries to move but then realizes his limbs have been chained down and the rest comes flooding back.
Leaving Hypnos in the Underworld. Being overcome with the grief and despair of heartbreak. Losing control and not because he couldn’t contain it but because at that moment he just didn’t want to. How good it felt to let the sparks turn to crackling until they became uncontrollable shocks that wracked through his whole body. Realizing too late what a mistake it was.
The rest of the Olympians drift closer, whispering and approaching him as if he were a wild animal as they slowly unchain him.
“Did he do it?”
“I think so.”
“How? It shouldn’t even be possible.”
“I healed him as much as I could, I’m sorry.”
Denki is confused for a moment as to why his friends are talking about him as if he’s not there but then his eyes drift down to the ground.
Hypnos is slumped in front of him, body smoking and breath coming out in shallow puffs.
“No! No, no, no!” Denki chokes out, falling forward to push Hypnos onto his back.
The god coughs and his eyes blink open slightly to gaze up at Denki.
“You’re okay…” He grins, but it’s a bit delirious.
“But you’re not!” Denki exclaims, voice cracking.
“Doesn’t matter…as long as you’re okay,” he whispers back.
“Hitoshi please! Stay with me!”
Hypnos’ eyes widen in surprise. “How did you…?”
Denki is almost as shocked as him. “I- I don’t know…I just know that’s your real name.”
Hitoshi smiles softly this time, eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m glad you do.”
Denki leans forward and presses his head to Hitoshi’s chest, body shaking with the force of his sobs.
“You can’t go, please you can’t go yet.”
Hitoshi chuckles wetly. “What do you have against me sleeping forever, huh? Why not?”
“Because I love you!”
Denki feels Hitoshi’s chest still underneath his head and sits up in horror, his own chest feeling like it was tied in a knot.
He places a palm to Hitoshi’s heart and immediately chokes on a sob.
The beat is still there.
Hitoshi pushes himself up into sitting as the other gods look on in astonishment.
“How? A minor god could never survive that!” Artemis exclaims, pushing back dark purple bangs in awe.
“Tch. Stubborn piece of shit just wouldn’t die, I guess,” Ares retorts, red eyes flashing in approval.
“The power of true love! Obviously!” Aphrodite squeals happily.
“That’s illogical, Mina,” Athena answers, but she smiles as she sheaths her spear back into her forearm.
“It seems you truly are stuck with me forever, I hope you’re fine with that,” Hitoshi says, voice still strained but happy.
Denki’s crying breaks into laughter, one that bubbles up uncontrollably from deep in his gut. “If that’s my punishment, I’ll gladly serve that sentence.”
Denki surges forward and kisses Hitoshi, their lips molding together perfectly like they were cut from the same clay.
Hitoshi kisses back with fervor, like Denki holds the air he needs to breathe behind his lips.
They finally break away, breathless and smiling without restraint.
Denki draws back, finally noticing the lightning scars on Hitoshi’s arm, chest, and face, and his right eye now completely golden.
“I did this to you? I’m so sorry.”
Hitoshi shrugs and smiles slightly. “Don’t be, I like them.”
Denki runs his hand over the jagged puckered skin. “How can you? I stained you with imperfection.”
Hitoshi gently grabs his wrist to stop his movement, and brings it to his lips, placing a soft kiss there, at the very tip of a branch of lightning painted into Denki’s skin. “I have to disagree. They’re beautiful, just like yours.”
Denki flushes but then smiles brightly. “I suppose they are.”
“Plus, I was already imperfect. I convinced myself I hypnotized you into loving me and erased your memory because I thought that was the right thing to do…” Hitoshi mutters.
Denki starts to feel outraged but finds he’s almost too exhausted to muster up the energy. He could only feel the intense relief of having Hitoshi here with him. “Huh. That actually explains a lot, so thank you.”
Hitoshi stutters. “Y-you’re not upset?!”
Denki shrugs. “I smited you…twice actually I think, so that makes us even in my eyes,” he replies sheepishly.
Hitoshi laughs openly, eyes squeezed shut and body shaking from the force of it. It sounds like a symphony to Denki. “You really are a strange god.”
Denki grins and pulls Hitoshi close once more, pressing a gentle kiss to his still smiling lips. “Well how unfortunate for you then, to fall with me for eternity.”
Hitoshi tangles his fingers with Denki’s, and squeezes gently, gazing at the golden god before him, glowing with love that he was somehow blessed to both give and receive, and he finally feels content.
“For eternity you say? I’ve never felt more lucky.”