Genesis [malexmale]

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Something is going on and it's pissing me the fuck off."

I remained absolutely silent, cloaked by magic to be invisible, although I began to wonder why I even bothered considering I was pretty much invisible in the household anyway. In my snake form, I sat coiled up on top of the canopy bed in Lucifer's room, watching Hades lean back against the sofa, rubbing his hands on his face before dropping them to the back of the sofa. Meanwhile, Lucifer stood across from him, frowning with his arms folded over his chest, his stance both cautious and curious.

So much for staying away, I thought, watching Hades reach up to rake a hand through long black hair that fell like an oil spill over his shoulders, settled perfectly as if it had never been messed up in the first place. Lucifer was quiet, as Hades informed him that Zeus's palace had been completely locked down. Not even the all-powerful Hades could enter and that infuriated him and concerned him to a level that drove him back to Lucifer for help.

And stunningly, Lucifer's first reaction wasn't fuck him to Gehenna and back. Though, something told me his concern was more directed toward Hades than Zeus.

"Have you called Hera?" Lucifer asked calmly. Hades shot him a dirty look.

"Yes. She told me, and I quote, I'm done talking to whores. You and Zeus can just fuck off," he muttered, pushing off the back of the sofa. Lucifer winced, lowering his arms. Hades went to the balcony to glare outside, as if hoping to find answers in the dark depths of the Black Sea outside. Lucifer approached him, carefully as if he were afraid Hades would shove him away. On the contrary, when Lucifer put his arms around Hades's waist, the Greek god visibly seemed to relax. He was still frustrated, still concerned, still stressed, but having Lucifer support him was exactly what he needed right now.

"Perhaps it finally hit him that Hera left him?" Lucifer offered. Hades shook his head, and he didn't stop Lucifer from brushing the hair back from his neck and over his other shoulder.

"It's more than that. I may not have gone into that building, but standing there on the steps... something felt so wrong. I tried to get in, but he has it completely barricaded. Even Ares says he hasn't been able to get in all day. We feel him inside, he's there, but he's pretty much shut everyone out. I mean, he's fucking great at that psychologically, but to go as far as to physically keep people out? Something has him spooked. Zeus doesn't just make himself inaccessible for no reason." There was anger and underlying fear in Hades's voice. His thoughts were scattered, worrying about things so trivial as to maybe Zeus was finally going to kill himself, or maybe he was plotting to join Atlan or maybe this, or maybe that.

Try as he might, logic was not there to assure him of anything. Only that Zeus was in his home, but was keeping everyone else out... No, that's what was really bothering Hades, I realized. Zeus was keeping him out. Zeus always left his door open to Hades.

Guilt weighed in my gut like a heavy boulder, and I watched Lucifer hug Hades to him tightly.

"I'm sorry about before," Lucifer said gently, turning Hades to face him, "I didn't... I still don't understand this relationship you have with Zeus. And you may be able to see the good in him, but I can never do that... But I will tolerate him for your sake. Because I love you far more than I hate him. So... If there's anything I can do to help this situation, just ask." Hades stared at him for the longest time, those glowing blue eyes searching Lucifer's face for a sign of something negative, for a sign of Lucifer bullshitting him in order to use him. Instead, all he got was true honest love. Hades suddenly seemed to deflate, like he was exhausted, physically and emotionally. He averted his eyes, and Lucifer reached up to tuck a lock of his hair behind his ear.