Work Text:
On occasion, Hades had the pleasure of having his very tired son crawl into his bed at night. No matter how old he was now, it still reminded him of when he was just a toddler looking to his Mama and Papa for comfort when Zeus was stirring up something unreasonable outside his window. He'd come to find that this newfound habit in the present day occurred on the nights his son's boyfriend was working a late night shift at the infirmary. Nights were not always kind to him in this respect. Night terrors slipping through the cracks of his dreams often made his son into quite the insomniac.
Tonight brought his boy a lot earlier than expected. It was usually around 3AM he'd feel the weight of his bed shift, but tonight here he was at 12AM. Hades was lounging in bed, looking through some paperwork that was sent for him to review. Wisps of shadows materialized Nico right next to him, curled up and hugging his knees tucked up to his chest. He shook lightly as the remaining cold from the shadows evaporated into the air like smoke.
Looking down from his paperwork, his gaze held his son's much sleepier one.
"You're getting better at landing at your destination." He brushed a hand through the boys messy hair, his long fingers ruffling it with a reserved gentleness. A warmth plays in his eyes as he remembers all the times he had to catch his falling child who shadow-traveled several feet above his destination, papers flying as he caught his son onto his lap. Moments of chaos he once took for granted and now look to with a form of gratitude. His boy was growing up so quickly before his eyes.
"M'been practicing." He sighed. He sounded relieved now that he was curled up in his father's bed. He let out of wide yawn that was drawn out for longer than a well rested boy's yawns should. He really must need him. That moved something within the god and pushed him to make a decision. He set his papers to his side and pulled up one side of the comforter. Nico seemed surprised to say the least. After all, the last time the boy was on the receiving end of a cuddle with his father stemmed all the way back to when the boys shoe could still fit onto his palm. At age 16, he was sure to be taken aback.
"Come, you need rest." He left no room for discussion as he guided the boy to lay on top of him. In fleece lined Spider-man pajamas, he laid like a hot water bottle across his torso. Hades held him there, one of his hands setting a languid rhythm of rubbing his back in soothing circles. They stayed like that for a long time in silence. Nico took in his scent of pine and wet earth until his his senses were filled with a warm static around the edges. His mind was finally starting to feel still enough to rest and with that his inhibitions faded until he was left with it's most vulnerable parts.
"Papa.."
Hades blinked like the world had just become a little brighter for his eyes to adjust to. He could feel the pang of panic and the faint clawing of shadows from his sons body before he believed the boy could even register it. Hades held the shadows at bay and didn't allow him to be whisked away. He carded his fingers through his hair and held him closer to press a kiss to the top of his head.
"My Angel." He spoke into his hair, soft like a secret between the two of them. A small, vulnerable token of himself that he was finding more and more ways to afford nowadays. The world seemed to spin in a new way when the boy called him "Papa" and that was something he would be a fool to push away again.