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You never feared death. Whenever you prayed, you always included some prayers to the chthonic gods, the reaper of souls especially. It wasn’t that you wished to die, but rather you wanted every god to be appreciated. In your perspective, fearing the absolute was just a waste of time.
When war plagued Greece, you prayed to the gods and laid animal offerings in a nearby forest. You prayed to Death that your allied warriors would rest in Elysium were they to perish on the battlefield. Little did you know that those faithful gestures would be your last.
Going back to your home, the battle had already started. Those in their homes, massacred and robbed of their money and supplies. You had tried to defend your belongings as though your life wasn’t more valuable. It was stupid. Ladies were never taught to raise a weapon nor a hand, and you thought you stood a chance.
The most agonizing pain blossomed within your chest, then diminished just as quick as it had came. A bit of soreness lingered where you were impaled as you reopened your eyes. Your corpse was in front of you, and when you tried to shove away the robber who was grabbing a load of your money, your hands phased right through him.
“There’s no point in trying to stop them. They can’t see you.”
You jumped at the sudden voice. Glancing back, you saw a man in a dark hood wielding a large scythe. Though you became anxious, you were still unafraid.
“My time has come, has it?” you asked.
“Indeed.” His smile was more charming than you expected. “My name is Thanatos. Come. I will be escorting you to your resting place.”
The scenery of your home was immediately replaced with a river of blood with you on top of a boat. The eerie boatman was about to take you to... wherever, when Thanatos stopped him.
“May I take her to Asphodel, Charon?” he asked. You widened your eyes as the two of them had an awkward silence. “I’m sure there are worse souls you must send to their demise.”
“Hahhh...”
A slow nod from Charon, and Thanatos ordered you to follow him. You did so uneasily. As much as you welcomed death, you never thought about where you will be placed in the afterlife. And Asphodel was not Elysium. It was a place of scorching heat.
Thanatos lead you to a beautiful, calm place despite that. Butterflies flew in the air, and the land of greenery was a sight to behold. Mist tickled your skin as you passed by a few welcoming shades.
Enchanted by the sight, you stopped in your tracks and muttered, “It’s lovely...”
“It is.”
You snapped out of the trance and cleared your throat. “This isn’t Asphodel, Lord Thanatos.”
“No. This is Elysium.” He faced his back towards you. “I must go. The war takes more lives than I can reach.”
“Wait! Why did you bring me here? I’m not supposed to be here!”
Thanatos hesitated before saying, “To me, (Y/N), you do,” and disappeared.
***
The two of you didn’t get to talk much after that day, only exchanging brief smiles when you saw him. The sights were astonishing, the shades were friendly, and you watched Prince Zagreus fight Theseus and Asterius every so often. Yet, you couldn’t help but feel like you’ll be punished for having a peaceful afterlife. You were supposed to be punished in the area below, probably burning in the lava.
Did Thanatos break the rules just to let you rest in peace? If he did, why?
The familiar gong of Death’s bell rang around the place you were in, and the sight of him made you ecstatic. You waited for Thanatos to be separated from the shades he was dropping off before you ran to him, not even the slightest ashamed of yourself for acting so immature.
“Lord Thanatos!”
He watched as you stopped in front of him with a smile that could rival Aphrodite’s. “What do you need, (Y/N). I’ve no time to idle.”
“Well, I stumbled upon this the other day, and I wish to make one last offering to you. This time, face to face.” You took out a bottle of nectar and grinned wider at the sight of his shock. “It isn’t much, but the sweetness is nice! Or so I’ve heard.”
“What a nice gesture,” he chuckled, accepting the gift. “I’ve loads of nectar back home in Tartarus, but all of them are from Zag. He spoils everyone with them carelessly.”
“I’m glad my bottle has more meaning then.” The way he smiled sheepishly made you feel alive.
“You know,” Thanatos hovered slightly closer, “I appreciate the prayers and offerings you gave when you still lived, and you have my gratitude for not fearing me. I was only returning the favor once I’ve heard your life was cut short.”
“Lord Hades still hasn’t noticed?”
Closer did Death Incarnate hover in front of you. “He’s preoccupied with paperwork and his son’s escape attempts. A shade misplaced in the wrong area is nothing.”
His hand brushed the hair covering your face, making you inch closer to him. “Am I as unimportant as the other shades here, Lord Thanatos?”
“Not to me.”
His lips were about to skim yours when Hades’s voice echoed around the both of you. ‘Get back to work, Thanatos. The war isn’t going to pause itself for your undeserved break.’
“You should go,” you breathed out, still feeling his cold skin.
“My work can wait, (Y/N),” he responded quietly.
The way he seemed so keen on ignoring his boss surprised you. Thanatos always puts his work above anything else, and you being an exception made heat rush to your face. “But—“
You felt your back hit a wall and realized you’ve been backing away the entire time, the god only keeping himself against you. The palm of his hand rested on your cheek, and you surrendered to his cold touch with closed eyes.
“You’re a god,” you stuttered out. “You’re Death itself, and I’m just a dead human. A shade, a...”
“A lovely shade who values me dearly. But if you wish to discontinue, I shall return to my work.”
Your positioning between Thanatos and the wall was compromised. Any more hesitation and he would be gone, letting you free from his chilling self.
“That’s... not what I wish to happen,” you said timidly.
And with that, he closed the gap between you.
Death’s lips were as cold as his embrace. Thanatos knew he stole your first kiss, and the fact nearly made himself feel smug. Your hands rested against his chest, the way he dazed you with passion making your legs turn to jelly. He caught you before you could fall and kept you against him.
“How cute...”
“My apologies,” you croaked, voice squeaking as Thanatos’s tall figure hoisted you up to his height with you sitting on his arms. “I...!”
“Am I too cold?” he asked softly against your ear.
The shiver you gave him wasn’t from the low temperature. “You’re perfect,” you answered.
He smiled before continuing to pepper your lips with kisses, indulging himself in your taste. You were as sweet as the nectar you gave him. Hands clinging onto Thanatos for dear life, your giggles echoed, reminding the both of you that you were in public. Any shades who would pass by would see the God of Death acting oddly with another shade. They would see his affection for a mortal who was below him.
The rush of excitement from how dangerous this was didn’t suppress Death’s common sense. He paused himself and transferred the two of you to a chamber Elysium had, any enemies quickly eliminated by Thanatos’s magic. He left the stash of coins on the floor and kept his entire focus on you, wanting to reward you for being so faithful to him.
Thanatos rocked his hips against yours for friction. “I would prefer to end this quickly, but we can take our time if you so desire.”
“No, it’s alright.” You undid the toga that was loosely around your figure. “Let’s hasten the pace before Lord Hades finds us like this.”
Your bare figure left Death staring. His eyes showed admiration, every curve you have riling him up further. He pleasured your breasts as your hand went down to palm at his covered erection, his response being a choked out groan. You removed his tunic impatiently and dropped to your knees to coat his shaft in your saliva.
Though you were already giving him a hazy mind from your actions, you stopped as soon as you felt him tense up, wanting release. His glare didn’t intimidate you the slightest.
You got back up with his assistance, guiding his length towards your folds. Both of you shivered and moaned as the god pushed himself in, his sounds being more audible than yours. He stopped whenever you winced and continued when you managed to relax. From the way he seemed so cautiously uncertain, you smiled weakly. You were most likely his first. He was your first as well.
Your body trembled against his once he was fully inside. How you managed to maintain stability with your feet was impressive. Thanatos kept waiting until you were ready to continue, showering your neck in chilling kisses and soft marks. A sigh came from your lips as you relaxed once more, the sound making Death return his attention at your face.
“Ready?”
You couldn’t respond, or rather, you didn’t want to. The sight of Thanatos being flushed was yours to remember, and only yours. You pushed his hood off and gazed at his silver locks adoringly. He closed his eyes when your hand cupped his cheek, your lips just as warm as your lower ones.
His hips thrusted upwards as the two of you pressed your foreheads together, breathing out gentle gasps. You laced your hand with the god’s as you did your best to keep quiet. Thanatos was having more difficulty. His gasps became repressed groans when you tightened your walls around him. The grip on your hand became tighter as well.
“Blood and darkness,” he sweared through gritted teeth. “(Y/N)...”
You felt him twitching within, jolting your back to arch slightly. “Already, my Lord?” He merely answered with a sound that was identical to a whine.
Death, out of everyone who you knew in life and in the afterlife, was the one who’d take away your first. He would do it lovingly, no less. Despite the short amount of time you two had, even during the brief moments of seeing his face before he vanished, you both sparked. Thanatos was grateful to have you as his own. Your daily acknowledgment, prayers, and offerings made his days better.
He always felt something with you.
He always felt more important with you.
He wanted to show you how much your devotion meant to him.
You pressed against him and prayed as the god rammed into you more harshly, desperate to please you both. You prayed for him to finish making love to you, to make you his dirty little secret. To be his beloved shade for the rest of eternity.
‘I love you, Thanatos.’
Groans of your name fell from his lips. He fulfilled your prayers by shooting his load into you. Your folds dripped of his release as you milked him dry with your pulsating walls, unable to withstand the high you felt. Crying out Thanatos’s name, you went limp between him and the wall. He stayed inside to bask in your warmth, and his cold body helped you rejuvenate as he did so. Never before did Death feel as sleepy as his brother was. He didn’t even bother to think of what Hypnos would say, or worse, Hades or Zagreus. Particularly anyone who he worked with.
You were his loving secret.