Hestia (heart_h) wrote in olympian_rewind, @ 2008-05-19 21:04:00 |
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Entry tags: | children, dante lot, hades, hestia, npc, tessia sloac |
Who: Hestia and Hades (twins and Julie guest-starring)
What: The truth
Where: Hades' office
When: After Hestia talks to her assistant, so BACKDATED to May 14th, evening
Warnings: Minor emo, baby!cute
Hestia managed to stem her tears for once; her anger in Aaron had helped a little, and seeing her sons had helped a lot. But the confusion and hurt from his words remained even as she pulled up to Hades' building and headed inside. "Hello, Julie."
Julie looked up from her WoWing… er, work, quickly pressing a foot pedal on the floor and the game hid away replaced by a spreadsheet with some numbers on it, "Hello, Tessia. Long time. Lookin' for the boss?"
Forcing up a smile, the goddess nodded and held up the twins. "Here for a visit."
At that moment, Hades strolled… well, as much as a person can stroll when using a walking stick to move about, in and paused directly behind the hearth warmer.
Julie smirked seeing him and pointed over Tessia's shoulder.
"Huh? Oh!" Hestia squeaked when she turned and nearly smashed her face into his chest. "Good heavens." What had she told him about sneaking up on her?
"Hello, Tessie," He said softly, shifting his complete weight from the walking stick to his good leg, "Was thinkin' about callin' you. Come on into the office." Hades waved a little to Julie in greeting, not wanting to hear how he was late coming back from lunch. He had heard her late speech when he came late for work start. He limp strolled passed the desk and opened his darkened office.
She nodded, eyes falling to his leg as she followed him. He was hurt? How? It made her want to sigh. Really, now what?
He was just lucky most of the bruising on his head had been in his hair. The cut along his face had healed when he awoke from exhaustion in the morning. Unceremoniously, he plopped himself down on one of his two leather couches and stretched both his legs. "Close the door."
Hestia sat down on the other, putting the boys between them. They were starting to wake up, squirming against each other and looking around in the distracted fashion that babies do. "Are you all right?" she asked.
That was the third time he had heard that question today. Hades looked down at the injured leg and poked it before looking back at Hestia, "Yeah, don't worry. [I get to watch the boys again? A little late in the day for that…]"
"[I thought you'd like to see them.]" She scrunched up her mouth with concern but he said not to worry... "[Unless you're busy.]"
"[I just took a three hour lunch after coming in here an hour and half late.]" Hades simply shrugged. If he wasn't living in the office, he probably wouldn't have come in at all with these kept hours, "[I did want to see them. I miss them.]"
"[Well, there they are.]" Right on cue, Edward spotted him with his short baby vision and cooed, reaching up to him.
Hades reached down and brought his young and awake son to his chest, for once not wrapping him in a blanket before he did so. Kissing the boy gently atop his head in greeting, he brought his eyes back to Hestia. Her eyes were red, "[What's wrong?]"
Edward squawked and clung to his Dad's shirt, babbling nonsensically. Or at least to his parents, anyway, he seemed to think he was perfectly literate. "[Huh? Nothing.]"
Tenderly, he stroked the baby's soft blond hair as he eyed the mother sitting so near by. The lights were still off in the office, and the room was only lit by the muted sunlight of the afternoon sun, but it was more than enough, "[You've been crying. Someone died or I did something.]"
"[Oh...]" She put a hand to her cheek, shaking her head then tucking back the hair the movement loosened. "[It's nothing. Just... a little stress at work.]"
"[Must be some stress…]" Hades sighed and let it go. He had no right to pry. He bounced the babbling baby lightly in his arms to bring the child to giggles before focusing on Hestia once more, "[How have you been? Last time I saw you, I was a little crazy.]"
"[I've been okay. Work, home, work, home. The usual.]" Shrugging, she tried to focus on the happiness of her own son.
"You're always going to see him, but you know it's only 'cause of the babies. If they weren't born, he wouldn't even give you a second thought."
Shit. That wasn't working. "[Speaking of that... You said you were going to explain it.]"
"[Did I?]" Hades considered that. He wasn't quite sure, but his memories were suspect. He took a deep breath and unconscious his hands moved to play with his wedding band, but there was no ring there. Instead there was only a pale six month long mark where it had rested. "[I had what experts like to call a small break with reality.]"
She hadn't noticed the loss of the band. Maybe she was used to it being there... or not being there. "[Caused by?]"
He rubbed the mark anyway. Maybe rubbing it would make indents go away faster, "[I lost the last tie I had to everything I had ever known and toiled for…]" It was the fullest summary he could come up with. It was not about Persephone. She was an influential part, but that had not been it… Maybe he could convince one person about it.
His sister watched his movements, admittedly confused by them, seeing then there was no ring. "[What happened?]" she whispered, wondering even as she said it that she probably had little business asking.
He didn't mean for the words to come out so dark, but his explanation was tied to a much darker tale. "[She asked me one last time to release her and I finally did.]"
... No....
"[Hades... are you saying...?]"
He stopped rubbing the mark to expose it. That was answer enough. After all, it had been on his hand, not removed for six months or so.
Hestia stared. What else could she do? The silence in the room was overpowering, as if all of Miami had shut itself off just for the moment. Even Edward stopped giggling to look up at his body. "Mmgah?" he queried.
"No," he whispered to Edward, gently nuzzling his head with his nose. "Dog racin' ain't on yet." As if that was what the baby was inquiring about.
Oh gods. He couldn't be serious. "[She left you?]" murmured Hestia in horror. There was just no other way she knew how to put it.
"[I wasn't making her happy.]" It all seemed so matter-of-fact to him now. It hurt so much, but at least she was happy. And he knew she cared about him. That was a better ending than some of his endings he had come up with over the years… They didn't usually include six months of him being beyond happy, but… they really should have. "[I was causing her nightmares even.]"
It was a struggle not to shake her disbelieving head. It explained everything. "[I... I'm so sorry.]"
Sure, it did. Hades didn't have the strength to make her really understand. His leg hurt too much for it. "[Nothing to be done about it. Don't let it weigh you down… And please, try not to spread it around. Everyone will know eventually, but… I don't want to have a parade of people choosing sides and saying things to me.]"
She shook her head, hair falling out of place again but she didn't notice this time. "[Of course not! We're all allowed our secrets...]" Ignore the fact that she had been demanding to know why he'd been alone and invisible in an abandoned house.
Well, he had thrown a remote and a fan at her. It even things out. Hades glanced up at her and sighed softly, before reaching over and putting that stray hair back behind her ear. That was just going to drive him nuts otherwise, "[Thank you, Sister.]"
How could she not help but blush a little. His fingers were as cold as she remembered. "[It's no problem... Do you need anything? Anything at all?]"
Hades shrugged. For a few moments he didn't say anything, only to remember that words were necessary. "[Can you stay for a little bit?]"
She nodded and bent to pick up Eric, who was beginning to whimper at his loneliness. "[Of course.]"
Reaching out, Hades placed a cool couple of fingers against the back of Eric's neck, "[I thought you were still asleep, my little precious one.]" He shifted Edward in his arms so the boy wasn't just choking him with his shirt. "[My office feels like a cell sometimes.]"
Eric tensed at the touch then stilled. Hestia paused to marvel at him... So young, so innocent to the world, needing only his father's familiar chilled touch to calm him. "[Do you want to go somewhere else?]"
Now Hades just shrugged. He didn't have anything else to say, just like how he had no where else to go.
"[Ah.]" She sighed and reached over to take his hand in hers carefully. She remembered their early days, when she'd been so unsure of how to touch him. "[Let's go get something to eat. Away from here. I know a restaurant who has private rooms for diners.]"
Hades frowned. He just came in from lunch… but more importantly, he just sat down all stretched out like. But that didn't stop him from nodding a little, "[Can we wait a little bit though?]"
Hestia nodded again. What could she do? At home, in another time, she'd spring up and get him tea, offer him a kiss and a gentle touch, try her best to make him smile... but this pain was caused by her. If she hadn't looked at him and wondered if he could be something more than a brother... She shook her head. No need to get upset now. "[Okay.]"
Leaning back, he half laid down now with Edward rested against his chest. Stretched out he tried to relax. His body ached and he was just emotionally exhausted. But his eyes drifted to her and his youngest son. His wife had left him and closed a door on a life and now he looked at the other closed door. It was like all he had was some tiny window to see the futures he could have had play out without him. No past and no future… Visibly he shook his head. That wasn't right. He had a past. He wouldn't erase the tiny pieces he could still hold on to. Persephone cared about him and Hestia had been there for him, too…. For the moment, he just looked to her.
Maybe feeling the distress between his sire and dame, Eric whimpered and clung to her chest.
"Shh, shh..." She nestled him closely, not noticing her brother's glance. Once Eric settled, she looked to the door. "[Do you have a coffee machine here? I have a bag of tea in my purse... I could make you some.]"
Their sire was making idle circles along Edward's hair with his fingers, never letting the boy catch him do so. "[Yeah, its on top of my microwave.]" Tea would be good right now. It was always the right time for tea. But he felt the need to add, "[You don't need to take care of me.]" Gods, he was going to be disgusted if he ended up being pitied.
Hestia looked down to him and smiled honestly. "[Honestly, brother. When was there ever a time I didn't enjoy taking care of someone?]" Standing, she put Eric down next to him to prepare the water.
Taking the second twin, he brought both of them together on his chest. Be reunited, boys. Hades tried not to sigh to not disturb them with limited results, "[As long as you're not doing it out of pity.]"
"[Hades, I feel sorry for you because it's a bad time for you. I want you to be happy.]" The water warming, she sat back down, skirt billowing out around her legs. "[And I want to help.]"
His eyes drifted down to her skirt, but only for a moment. He usually really liked when skirts billowed out, but right now he wasn't in the mood for such thoughts. But her words struck a chord. It wasn't only a few hours ago, he had promised to try to be well and happy… "[I'm trying to be happy. It's just hard.]"
"[It is,]" she murmured. "[It is... I'm sorry.]"
Again Hades shook his head, but it was just easier not to explain right now. "[Stop apologizing, Hestia. There is no reason for it.]"
"[S--]" Whoops. She bit her lip to silence the oncoming apology. "[Can't help it.]"
He would have snickered if he was much in the mood for it. But even that brief moment of amusement mellowed, "[I feel like I'm pulling you into my depression…]"
She shook her head. "[Trust me, it's not you. I've just been worried about you. But I usually am.]" She did chuckle lightly at that, but it died away soon.
"[Not in the mood to laugh?]" His eyes focused on her, trying to figure her out. It gave himself to do as he waited for tear while infants tugged at his shirt.
"[Not really,]" she admitted. The water began to boil so she stood and got a small bag of green tea out of her purse to add to it.
"[You know…]" He tried to watch his boys for the moment but they seemed too focused at either playing the most uncoordinated game of patty-cake ever or were randomly pawing at each other. Either way, he was glad he was able to focus on an adult and not be dragged into the adorable spiral, "[When we first met again, all you could do was smile and laugh…]"
"[More innocent times, I think,]" she replied softly, tilting her head to him. Pouring the tea into a pair of cups she found, she handed one down to him.
Part of that sentence didn't help his depression. It was not an uplifting sentiment. Thousands of years Hestia had managed to remain happy and joyful. Ten months or so in the same city as him and… He reached up careful to take the mug and wrapped his hand around it to cool it a little before bringing to his lips, "[I'm not being very good company, I guess…]"
He was forgetting the Subrosa, Persephone, the Egyptians... "[No no! It's not you. I... I expected I would change, when I released my vows. I think I could be so much worse.]" She smiled. Yes, for him. See, she could still smile! "[And that makes me feel better.]"
Hades would be the first to admit he could be very self-centered when it came to taking responsibility for things. It was a very odd combination of things. He nodded at her smile as if to imply she didn't have to force it if she didn't want to. But now he was honestly curious, "[Makes you feel better?]"
Hestia nodded and sipped her tea before replying. "[Yes. I feel bad about something and then... I try to remember the good things I have. My sons. My family. My home.]" She shrugged. "[Some other things may be bad. But if I can think of what I haven't lost, then I know I'm not completely bereft.]"
He took another sip of his tea and nodded. "[I'm glad you're well. Sometimes I worry. I figured if I gave you some space you would find your feet. Seems like you did…]"
Her smile fell but only a fraction, not enough to see in the distance between them. "[So... What are you going to do now?]"
"[What do you mean?]" Both babies seemed to coo not too long afterwards as if imitating the question themselves.
She shrugged. "[I don't know. Are you going to stay where you are?]" She feared he would flee Miami in his pain.
If he didn't flee before today, he wasn't going to do so now. Ignore the suicide attempt and the disconnect with reality when he thought he was a ghost, "[I will be staying here.]" And he meant that as the city and his cell of an office. "[This is where my family is. I have no interest in exile.]"
Hestia let out a deep sigh of relief. "[You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.]"
It was almost a smirk. Almost. But it still was not. "[Don't want to have to track down your ninja of a brother for child support?]"
"[Hades! Don't be so cruel... I'd be worried sick if you left. So sad.]"
He reached out to her now, "[That was my attempt at a joke. I see I haven't gotten better at them.]"
She paused in surprise before she laughed and took the offered hand. "[I don't think I"ll ever learn. Will I?]"
He squeezed her hand gently, "[Probably not. We seem to have very different senses of humor.]"
"[As long as you're honest about not leaving...]" Hey, he'd lied to her before! Usually about little things, but still. Her eyes showed what her words didn't suggest, how shattered she would be if he really did leave now.
Hades flinched a little as he heard what she did not say. His forearms burnt along with the flinch as if the look in her eyes had inflamed the carefully glamoured scars. She would have gotten over it if he had disappeared in the middle of the night but… She shouldn't have to. He had made his bed, the least he could do was sleep in and not have other clean up after him. "[I am not going anywhere.]" He placed the mug of tea on the ground and cuddled the babies close to him again as if for proof. The Dark One knew what symbols were important to Hestia after all.
He knew her too well. She wished she knew him as well. Nodding, she sipped down the last of her tea, content with his answer.
Watching her, something suddenly dawned on him. A theory about himself that he had not considered before. He eyed her carefully and then kissed both his sons before speaking, "[Do me a favor. Even though you're worried about me and that makes everything all somber, try to put on a happy front?]" Because he was pretty sure he was an emotion mirror, reflecting back whatever was the strongest emotion available, but he had no proof to prove such a hypothesis.
Hestia blinked. "[Um, okay?]" What an odd request... that was what she was trying now...
Now he just had to wait and see. The worse that could happen was he was wrong and Hestia seemed happy. Either way, it would lighten the mood and for once, it was something the Dark One desired. "[I'm sure this isn't what you came over here to discuss. Did you have anything actually on your mind?]"
She gave pause. Um, besides the fact that her assistant apparently loved her though she felt nothing for him? At least not that way... "[Not really. Though...]" Hestia glanced down to the cuddling babes.
Her hesitance and general posture told him that 'Not really' had more to it, but he couldn't hear what. Instead, Hades entertained his mind with what she actually said as he gave his sons a gentle squeeze. They were finally big enough for him to hold them without needing the blanket to protect them at all times, "[Though?]"
"[I came to let you see them. It'd be a shame to take them away so soon, once they start getting sleepy... Do you want them for the night?]" If having them for a few hours while she worked cheered him up, maybe having them all night would?
Have them all night? Maybe he wouldn't have to continue to burn out his magical medicine balls while having his affair with his old friend, Jack Daniels to sleep… Though it had worked on Monday surprisingly and ironically well. He would figure out how to block nightmares now. He woke up Tuesday morning with the 'Of course' fresh on his lips. However… He looked around his office. "[Are you sure?]"
She nodded, thinking he was still dwelling in his own home. "[Very. Who else would they be safer with?]"
Oh dear. He could almost see in her eyes. She thought he would be bringing these children to his large mansion in their cute little basket. Hades could only sigh and the rise of his chest seemed to annoy little Edward as he swatted at him before settling again. "[Sister, close your eyes and concentrate as hard as you can.]" He'd be damned if he was going to be yelled at for 'not speaking the whole truth' to her in regards to these kids.
Oh dear, indeed... She nodded, looking confused, and closed her eyes as told.
The Dark One closed his eyes and braced for it. This was office was his dwelling now. It was a full, horrible, circle.
... Ah. She could feel it. The sense that she wasn't just in a building, but a home... or at least the semblance of one. A mule was partly horse, but that didn't make it a horse. "[Oh, Hades...]"
"[And here I am again…]" It was almost funny in a sick way. It was almost like the last some months hadn't happened. If it wasn't for the twins on his chest and pale mark on his finger, he could easily believe he had been asleep and just woke up.
Despite his request to put on a happy front, her face fell and her chest ached. But how else could the goddess of the hearth react to someone feeling unable to live in their own house? "[You can't sleep in here. It's not right.]"
"[I won't sleep in an empty house. I already tumbled off the edge of sanity.]" Hades paused there to whisper something seemingly secret to his sons, which made them coo in delight before continuing with his serious words. "[I don't have mental strength to dance upon the edge like that right now.]"
"[Then--]" Hestia paused and forced her words to stop. Wait. Hadn't inviting him into her home been the cause of all his trouble?
No. Him being an inconsiderate asshole was what caused all of his trouble. It was never the simple answer, and it would be better for Hestia to begin to understand that. But the pause in her words caused him to close his eyes. He heard what she did not say and why did not say it, "[You are not the cause of this.]"
"[I am in a way,]" she murmured. "[If I had never looked upon you as anything other than a sibling, you wouldn't be here in this position.]"
The time line appeared so clear to Hades before his eyes. He had been with Hestia for four months... And had wandered across Europe for decades, Lived in India, traveled across the land touched by the Mediterranean... Persephone had avoided him for years. She had never found another... but never tried to seek him out after venturing into Hell... He sighed, “[You don't know that. A lot of time passed. I hurt her long before you ever stepped into the picture. No one knows but the Fates... But really? What's the point of trying to figure out alternate versions?]”
He had a point... So she took a breath and let it out. "[Hades. If you have no where to stay, I would want you to stay with me rather then be alone in this office.]"
He suddenly had the urge to get his tennis ball from his desk and begin to pounce it against the wall. Maybe it was just to hear the sound. Instead, he continued to whisper seeming secrets to his sons and watched as they failed their limbs about with baby delight. “[That will make you uncomfortable. You'll get all weird.]”
She couldn't help frowning. "[Would not,]" she pouted.
His heard turned and rested on his shoulder, almost like a zombie in a bad film, and he locked his eyes on her, “[Are you honestly trying to get me to believe that? That me sleeping in your house wouldn't be awkward?]”
Eek! "[Awkward, yes. But I'd rather you be there then alone in your office.]"
“[Awkward leads to resentment.]” Hades dropped his eyes to his boys. That was the last thing he needed right now.
"[I could never resent you,]" she sighed, kneeling down next to his head. "[Please... Just long enough for you to get back on your feet. I'm not asking you to stay.]"
He reached out and touched her softly. She just looked so sad, “[I'm on my feet, Sister.]”
"[You're living alone in an office after you thought you were dead, Hades.]"
“[I lived in my office when I first moved to Miami, too. Was I on my feet then, Hestia?]”
"[This is different!]" she groaned.
Hades was lucky he didn't sort of sigh quota or he would be in trouble. He touched her face again and then brought his attention once more to the cooing babies, “[You are not going to let this drop until I agree, are you?]”
She tried to smile. He'd asked for that, after all. "[Yes.]"
“[Maybe I was wrong. Its sad when you try to smile.]” Maybe he wasn't an emotion mirror. Or maybe he reflected the deeper emotions, not the surface ones. Oh well. “[It would make you feel better to watch me for a couple of nights then? I will not be a burden, but refusing you is just as stressful it seems.]”
Ah-ha! He was catching on. "[I would like that, then, yes.]"
“[Fine. Until the weekend then.]” Hades leaned his head back and stretched his whole body again to keep his one leg from settled in place too long. This time the boys seemed to paw at their father in wonder. He got all straight for a second... “[How about that?]”
She considered, then nodded. "[I accept.]"
Even time for her to get this worried/caring out of her system, he hoped. Hades picked up the children and offered them to her.
Hestia took them and placed the squeaking babies into the carrier, tucking them in before standing. "[Need a hand up?]" she asked their father.
“[I can get up...]” He had the ability and wanted to hold onto his pride. Hades scooted back and boosted himself off the couch, grabbing his walking stick as soon as his feet touched the ground to balance himself There. “[We were going to get something to eat, right?]”
She smiled and nodded, turning to open the door with her free hand for him. "[We can order in, if you like.]"
As soon as the door opened, Hades shifted his speech, “Goin' to your house and we're orderin' in? Now I just think I'm dreaming all this...” Carefully, but as quickly as he could manage he moved out the door and back into the main office to leave this place.
Hestia couldn't help but laugh. "Hey! I said it was your choice. I don't know what I could make you that I know you like. The boys aren't demanding lamb dinners."
“Never made those demands, you know...” Hades said in quick reply as he tried to get passed his assistant's desk without her mentioning anything. However, he was not a luck god.
Julie actually shoved aside one of her monitors to get a better look at him, “So, ya came in here an hour and a half late, took a three hour lunch and now leavin' early? Yer kiddin' me right?”
He shrugged as he kept moving, “A benefit of bein' the boss. When Raven and Odofeck come back, tell them I know.”
The assistant was about to say something to that, but she just didn't know what to say. She decided to just sigh.
Hestia gave Julie an apologetic smile. Sorry! But she couldn't help a small sense of triumph that he was at least going to let her fret over him for a while. No matter how well he claimed to be, he said that all the time, and she just knew he wasn't right now. He needed an ally. And while Mel had done well, but she had her own life, too... She only hoped she was making the right choice.
Summary: After her upsetting talk with Aaron, Hestia goes to visit Hades. She manages to finally get the truth about his situation out, and has to make a hard decision whether or not she should try and help.