Chapter Text
Charon laid there, crumpled and small. He didn’t know what had happened. The lump in his throat that had been haunting him for the last few months was now overwhelming, completely choking him. The shock of the crowd, the cameras, everything but him and the ground buzzed out into white noise. His eyes were still screwed shut, still braced from the impact. He didn’t need to open them to know that he was bleeding, the sickening crunch of his face hitting the ice confirmed that well enough. Charon instinctively tried to lick at the blood pulsing through the inside of his mouth, but where were his teeth? Everything started to crush in on Charon. It clenched on his lungs with an iron grip. Why did his nose feel like that? Why didn’t the blood stop?
He didn’t know what had happened.
Where was everyone?
Persephone? Than? Hypnos?
Mother?
Charon always thought that the kitchen he shared with his brothers was a bit too bright in the mornings. He liked the fact that the windows were large, letting in plenty of light and air and giving the space a sense of freshness, but first thing in the morning it felt like being dragged out of bed all over again. Rubbing his eyes, Charon trudged over to the kettle and prepared his usual black coffee as if on autopilot. He fished inside the nearest drawer for a small gold box, flicking it open and prying out an assortment of pills with his fingers.
He needed to cut his nails.
Kettle boiled, Charon poured a little too much of the boiling water into his mug. The instant coffee tasted like shit and was far too hot, but he couldn’t be bothered to prepare the cafetiere just yet. He felt the usual drag of his pills as he swallowed them, his coffee doing little to ease the lump they caused in his damaged throat. It was too soon for the medication to start easing the uncomfortable clench in his chest and the need for nicotine started clawing at the back of his skull.
Charon always thought he looked somewhat ridiculous with a vape pen in his mouth. That being said, he had promised his brothers that he would quit smoking so there he was, leaning against the frame of his back door and puffing out grape-scented clouds. The familiar cotton-ball of comfort nestled its way into his head and through his veins, and Charon allowed himself to start his work for the day.
Charon had heard every single stereotype of accounting there was, most of them pertaining to how tedious it was. He wished that he could turn to them and give them the “ well, actually”, but it turned out that they were correct. His job was repetitive, and there wasn’t much exciting to do. While Charon didn’t particularly enjoy his work, he took pride in it. He could work at home, he was very good at it, and it gave him money . He had only been working for Cthonic Industries, his grandparent’s company, for a few years; Charon’s efficiency and diligence had meant that he was already able to comfortably pay for both himself and his brothers. Thanatos could study for his doctorate, Hypnos could take some time to find what he wanted to do with his career, and they could rely on him.
He would be there for them.
Charon worked methodically, as he always did. The soft clacking of keys kept his mind occupied; it allowed him to get lost in the task in front of him. Hours would blend into each other with just Charon and the screen. He didn’t even know what time it was until he heard a knock on his office door.
“Charon?” Thanatos called through. “Are you still working? It’s gone 10pm.”
Charon’s hands froze in place above his keyboard. Was it? Charon had hidden the clock on his computer, he didn’t need the distraction. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw that it was indeed past 10pm, almost half past. Charon rubbed his eyes, saved his work, and shut his computer down for the day. He walked over to the door and opened it, the sudden influx of warm light from the hallway causing him to squint.
“Have you eaten yet?” Thanatos barely waited for the door to open before he was staring at Charon with folded arms, foot tapping on the wooden floor. Charon blinked a few times, adjusting to the onslaught of brightness before he replied to his brother.
“ Good evening to you too. ” He signed, letting out a small yawn. “ How was dinner with the in-laws?”
Thanatos huffed at that, swatting at the idea. Charon ruffled his hair, a quick ‘ I’m joking’ before walking his brother through to the living room and taking a seat on a plush sofa.
“ But I do hope you had a nice time.”
“I did.” Thanatos’ face softened a little. Charon didn’t need the answer, he already knew that he’d enjoyed himself. Thanatos, Megaera, and Zagreus had been almost inseparable from the moment they had met as children, long before they had realised that their feelings for one another were romantic. It had brought their families together. It had allowed Charon to--
“Persephone asked about you, by the way.” Thanatos brought Charon out of his train of thought. “She says she’d like to see you again, but that you’re always working.”
Charon knew every single micromovement his brothers could make, and he knew in an instant from Thanatos’ glare that he had not forgotten about how long Charon had locked himself in his office.
“ I like working.” Charon gave the same answer as he always did. Charon wasn’t intentionally lying, he had been just repeating the same cycle of work, sleep, coffee for so long that he had forgotten what it meant to actually like things.
“That may be true, but--” Thanatos started with a sigh before he was interrupted by the swing of a door from down the hallway. Hypnos, wrapped up in a red quilt, marched over to them with a grin on his face before wrapping his arms around his twin’s shoulders.
“Well hey there, Than!” His lazy smile permeated his voice. “You’re back early, huh? I guess your date musta gone real bad, considering we’re not hearing Zag get his back blown out right now.”
“Do you mind ?” Thanatos’ head whipped back. “We were having dinner with his parents . Zag’s staying with them for the weekend.”
Charon almost wished that he had popcorn.
“So?” Hypnos draped himself and the quilt along the back of the sofa, unbothered by his brother’s anger, “You could just tell ‘em ‘Hey! We’re three consenting adults who’ve just had a really nice date! It’s been lovely, but we’re gonna go fuck now.’”
“Please tell me that was a joke.” Thanatos’ face grew redder and redder with every word. “I’m not about to go up to Hades and tell him that I’d like to go and have sex with his son.”
Hypnos laughed, thrilled at just how easy it was to push Thanatos’ buttons.
“You could always just ask Persephone. She’s cool, I’m sure she won’t mind that you and Meg want to spitroast her kid.”
Thanatos sighed, covering his burning cheeks. “Can we stop talking about my sex life, please?”
Charon could see the gears turning in his brother’s brain, trying to find anything that could distract from the current conversation.
“Charon!” Thanatos blurted out a little too loud, “You didn’t answer my question earlier! Have you eaten yet?”
“Oh hey Charon!” Hypnos waved to him with a cheery smile as if he hadn’t even realised that he was there. “Nice to see you out of the office! Anyway, as I was saying, I’m sure Persephone--”
“Charon I’m going to make you some dinner!” Thanatos stood up suddenly and marched towards the kitchen before Hypnos could say anything else. Hypnos tumbled over the back of the sofa to curl up in the warm indent that his twin left. As Thanatos left the living room, he poked his beet red face back in but was too embarrassed to even glare at either of his brothers.
“And make sure you text Persephone!”
Hypnos couldn’t resist one last dig.
“So you’re getting Charon to ask if you can have sex with your boyfriend? That’s low, Than!”
A huff of laughter left Charon’s lips, and he saw Hypnos smile at him as he snuggled up under his quilt. Sighing, Charon pulled out his phone. He never could say no to his brothers.
Persephone was just as warm as Charon remembered her. It must have been six months since they last met, but the sight of her was always a welcome one. Charon couldn’t even remember the last time he went for coffee but here he was, walking out of Asphodel Grounds side by side with Persephone and with a chai latte warming his hand. Just like old times.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t arrange for a more private meeting,” Persephone had a soothing lilt to her voice, just as she always did. “I’m sure you’ll have figured it out, but the Showcase is coming up. You don’t mind watching practice, do you?”
Charon responded that no, he didn’t mind, but honestly he wasn’t sure how he felt about watching practice. He had completely forgotten about the rink’s annual Pride Showcase, and that was a tradition that he himself had been a part in starting. It was strange that something so integral to his past had become so hazy. Persephone continued to talk to him about her students, and it made Charon happy to hear that she was still so proud of all of them, but he let himself get lost in his thoughts. It had been a long time since he had seen the ice rink, let alone been on the ice. He remembered how it felt, after the accident, after his illness and recovery. He remembered the acrid taste in the back of his throat as he could only watch his fellow skaters float by while he stood there, a shaking mess. Every time he tried to reach out, to join them, to float again, he’d be left with an iron grip in his chest that no amount of nicotine or propranolol could ease.
He could still feel the pain in his mouth sometimes.
Persephone seemed to know that Charon wasn’t paying attention, not really looking at him as she talked. After all this time she remembered that the best way to ease Charon’s anxiety was to give him some background noise. Something to zone out to. Charon let himself focus on the sound of Persephone’s voice more than the words she was saying. He listened to gentle up and down bubble like little waves in a stream, and he felt his shoulders relax somewhat. They reached the last corner before their destination, and Persephone turned to Charon and smiled.
When they arrived, Charon immediately noticed that the rink had been redecorated since the last time he had been there. It seemed that Demeter, as stubborn as she was, was open to change after all. Charon felt one of the knots in his stomach ease up a little. Things may have been just like old times, but this was not then. Things were different.
The rink was full of chatter, bright lights shining upon the ice. There were several clusters of people dotted around; people taking a moment to rest their feet, people lacing up skates, two young women laughing and chattering while they stretched. Zagreus was there too, leaning over the railings and watching a single skater run through his routine.
There was a twinge of nostalgia in Charon’s stomach. It felt like homesickness.
Persephone approached her son and Charon followed suit, waving a quick hello as he came to stand by his side.
“Hey Charon, mate.” Zagreus had inherited his mother’s warmth. It had taken a while, but Charon was rather glad that his brother had chosen to follow a relationship with him. “It’s been a while.”
“It has. It’s good to see you.” Charon replied.
Zagreus gave him a nod, a quick you too , before he turned to his mother.
“I’m going to go and stretch. Hermes is probably going to be done before too long.”
“Don’t overdo it!” Persephone called after him, but he was already gone, waving a quick hand at her to confirm that he’d heard. Persephone turned her attention to Charon and shook her head. “I do not trust that at all.”
Charon couldn’t blame her.
“I’m going to go after him and just watch. You don’t mind sticking around here, do you?”
Charon shook his head. “ It’s fine, I’ll just watch.”
“Alright,” Persephone nodded, “but don’t be afraid to make friends!”
She took off in the direction that Zagreus did, correcting the form of a couple of her students as she did. Charon didn’t feel in the mood to “make friends”, so he did as he said he would and he watched.
The man on the ice was dressed in a garish set of sunset coloured leggings and a white long-sleeved shirt. He moved quickly, almost too quickly to see. He danced across every inch of the ice, lost in the rhythm of the song blasting into his headphones. He looked so bright, so vibrant, so full of joy that Charon couldn’t help but want to know what song was playing so he could dance along. His technique was nothing short of incredible, strong legs carrying him with a graceful ease. Charon always remembered how it felt to skate, how he felt as though he was floating, but this man did not float. It was obvious with every step, every spin, every jump, every loop that this man did not float. He flew . He was like a little bird, soaring at breakneck speed. He looked so free. Charon couldn’t help the smile that crawled across his lips.
The man looked over in Charon’s direction, as if he could feel him watching, and he grinned as their eyes met. His smile was like the sun. He tilted his head to Charon, as if saying “watch this” , and gathered speed as he made a circuit of the rink. Charon had never seen anyone skate quite so fast. The man let himself get close to Charon, a showman making sure that his audience of one had a good view, and he jumped. He spun in the air, a laugh like a summer breeze just hitting Charon’s ears over the general bustle of the rink. Charon watched as he finished his third rotation and started his fourth and his wonder was quickly stifled by a sense of fear. A quad axel was an incredibly difficult move, not to mention it was the last manoeuvre that he himself had attempted before he...
The skater missed the landing. His ankle rolled and he let out a yelp as he fell onto his back. Charon leaped into action and rushed out towards him before he even realised what he was doing. He felt his heart in his throat as he stepped out onto the ice, in his shoes of all things, but he had to make sure he was okay . He kneeled next to the small man, signing to ask if he was okay and if he needed medical attention before he realised his mistake and froze. What was he doing? There he was, on the ice, with some guy he’d never met, signing to him. He scanned the man’s face, looking for any kind of comprehension and was met only with a shallow laugh.
“Hey there, boss. I’m alright, don’t you worry. Just a bit of wounded pride is all!”
Charon’s eyes widened in shock. He wanted to ask if the man had really understood him, but he thought that right now that wasn’t really a priority. He stood up again, offering his hand to help the man up. He took it, his skin warm despite having just been touching the ice. Charon pulled him up, and noticed that the man was indeed fine. Nonetheless, he made sure to keep a hold of his companion’s arm as they made their way off the ice and into a locker room to sit on a bench.
“Thanks for that, by the way.” The man said, as he untied his skates and rolled both ankles. “Bit embarrassing, really.” The man’s voice was high and clear; it was pretty, Charon thought. “Here I am, showing off to the pretty man watching me, and I fall flat on my ass. That’ll teach me, eh boss?”
Charon sighed with relief, the tension that had gripped his body from what had just happened flooded out of him as quickly as it had come along.
“ It’s fine, ” He signed again, hoping that his understanding wasn’t just a lucky guess. “ Do you have a water bottle anywhere?”
“Sure do.” The man nodded, gesturing to a group of lockers by the door. “Second one down, third from the left. It’s always unlocked. I’d get it myself, but I must say I’m enjoying all this attention.”
Charon found the locker and sure enough, there was no lock on it. He reached in and grabbed a garish orange water bottle when his brain finally started processing the conversation he had just had.
The pretty man watching him?
Charon froze. His hand went up to his scarred neck, his broken face, he couldn’t mean…
That was ridiculous. Nobody looked at Charon and thought pretty. There was either someone else watching, or this man was making a joke. Probably the latter.
That was it. It had to be.
Didn’t mean that it didn’t sting a bit.
Charon took a deep breath and turned back around, walking back over to the bench and handing the bottle to its owner.
“Thanks, boss!” The grin from when their eyes met returned to his face, Charon was worried he might get burned from this distance. The man, completely oblivious to Charon’s internal panic, popped the lid of his bottle and took a long sip. “Name’s Hermes, by the way. And you are?”
“Charon.” Charon couldn’t really reply much more than that. Luckily, Hermes was talkative enough so that he wouldn’t have to. He happily patted the seat next to him, beckoning Charon to take a seat. Charon did as he was asked, only for Hermes to say the words he feared the most. “Oh, you're that Charon."
Charon knew that Persephone would have most likely spoken to her newer students about him, or maybe he'd been watching when the accident happened. The thought of that made him cringe. Either way, a wash of relief fell over him when Hermes didn't press the matter further.
"Well it’s nice to meet you, Charon.” Hermes ruffled at his windswept hair, as if trying to keep it in some resemblance of tidiness. “Though I might keep calling you Boss too. Adds a bit of variety, a little excitement. What do you think?”
Charon huffed out a laugh at that. Partially from genuine humour and partially because Hermes was absolutely right. A nickname really was the most exciting thing he got nowadays.
“Glad you agree!” Hermes bounced his leg as he talked, unable to be still for even a second. “I can normally land that jump, by the way, I just got distracted.” He gave Charon a playful wink. Charon huffed out another laugh and rolled his eyes.
Still going with that joke, huh?
“Well you can see me land it properly on Friday at the Showcase. You’re coming to watch, right?”
Charon didn’t even think before he responded.
“Of course.”
"Great!" Hermes flashed that sunshine grin again. "And you'll have to join us for drinks after, watching everyone get wasted is a real treat. You absolutely need to see Zagreus when he's drunk enough to do karaoke, it's really something. You know, last year he sang 'Like a Virgin' and you can not even imagine the look of embarrassment on his boyfriend's face."
Charon could definitely imagine it.
"His boyfriend's my little brother, you know?" Charon signed, not really surprised that he still loved dealing with other peoples' secrets after all these years. He wasn't sure if he should divulge this information with Hermes, but it seemed that Hermes was just as well versed in gossip and secret-keeping as he was. "We live together. They came back to ours that night and I assure you, he enjoyed it."
"Boss, that's..." Hermes' expression became feral. "You got any more dirt on anyone here?"
Charon paused for a second, racking his brain. It had been years, and he found himself searching through memories he'd forgotten that he even had but sure enough he found a story worth telling.
"Did you ever hear about that one time with Achilles and Patroclus at the 2007 World Championships?"
"I did not." Hermes practically jumped in his seat. Charon couldn't help but think it was adorable.
They stayed there for quite some time, passing stories, rumours, information on bets past and present between them. By the end of it, Charon felt less as though Hermes' grin would burn him and more as though it was kind and welcoming. He also thought that it was strange to think that only after they'd been gossiping about everyone behind their backs, but he pushed that thought away. All too soon, Persephone came in and told Hermes off for being so unsafe, making sure to look at his ankle herself before telling him that they were going home for the day.
That night, Charon sent out emails declaring that he would be taking Friday off, and asked Persephone if it would be alright for him to take the front row with her at the Showcase. He dreamed of fluttering wings and sunshine smiles and gossip whispered in a summer wind.