𝖌𝖗𝖊𝖊𝖐 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖊𝖉𝖞 [barnes//james]

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

"ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙʀɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴇɴᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪɴꜱᴛᴇᴀᴅ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʟɪꜰᴇ".

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

"Hello, Hades".

They were in Persephone's garden in the underworld, the familiarity of her surroundings brought warmth and a sense of home to her. She was not afraid to see the God of Death in front of her.

"Hello, Orpheus", Hades smiled at her.

"I see that Persephone had made such a beautiful garden here", she traced the flowers the goddess made with her hand, "did you help her?"

He found it amusing that the half-blood was more focused on the flowers instead of her own fate, "I did".

"Orpheus—", Hades breathed out.

She sighed, "I know", looking up from her feet to meet God's eyes, "I guess no Valhalla for me", she pulled her lips to a smile, "but it's okay, I like it here with you and 'Phone".

He stared at her in pity, "Oh my poor, sweet, child, how do you keep your heart kind with everything the gods put you through?"

Her smile was sad, "I did terrible things, Hades. If I was one of them I would put myself in the same misery as well", they stopped walking and she looked up at him with hopeful eyes, "will you make sure that they will be happy? Let Persephone grow a flower beside them, so they'll know that I am in Valhalla, at least. I don't want them to worry".

"I'll let Persephone know", he assured, which brought a small smile to her face again, "do you— do you want to meet your father? Apollo's in Olympus, I could take you up there".

She licked her lips as she considered the offer, it took a moment until she shook her head, surprising the God, "I used to dream about getting back there. Not just to see my father, gods know he would be too busy to see me. I wanted to apologize to Artemis, to let her know that I am sorry and have forgiven her too. I spent a hundred years telling them that, if they wanted to see me, they would've visited me— or at least given a sign that they heard my prayers".

"I heard you", he softly said.

"If I go to the Olympus, I would be as alone as I used to be, what difference would it make?" She took a seat under the tree in the middle of the garden, for an underworld, it looked peaceful for her in here, Hades sat beside her, "They don't know I'm here, do they?"

He shook his head and she let out a sigh, her heart shattered once more.

"I made a family on earth, Hades, do you know that?" she was starting to tell him like a little child retelling her day at school to her parents, she looked hopeful and filled with excitement as she told him her stories. The way she made refugee camps for women and children and the elderly through all the wars she was part of, the way she made some friends and shared platonic relationships with historical figures, the way she saved a family of animals, the way she fell in love again with James Buchanan Barnes in the 1940s. Hades knew all about it but he chose to listen to her stories.

"—it was the best 932 years of my life—"

"—933", he corrected, she turned to him, and he had a proud smile on his face, "it's your birthday today, sweet child. Happy Birthday".

"Oh", she whispered, "thank you, Hades".

They continued to sit in silence for some time until Hades brought her to stand and they started to walk again, "are you taking me to cross the lake?"

"Actually", he smiled, "I'm taking you back to your world".

She was taken aback, "why?"

He inhaled before breathing out to start explaining, "the gods have been cruel to you, my child. The way they were to Aamon, but unlike him, you kept your heart kind. Despite all of that, the gods haven't forgiven you yet and wanted you to suffer here, but they didn't know how much you've grown, how you redeemed yourself and loved the world the way your father did to his lovers. It'll be cruel of me to let you suffer with mine and Persephone's marriage arguments—", a chuckle escaped his lips, "—I want you to live, to love James all over again, to have that epic story, tragedy, or not, you were born out of love, Orpheus. It would be cruel to take you from what you were made of".

Being the God of the Underworld, Hades never knew how it felt to be hugged before, especially by a human. Andromeda wrapped her arms tightly around Hades' waist as he was taller than her, it surprised him for a second but he wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Thank you, Hades".

His heart warms, he never heard the words spoken to him before, and to hear it from someone that loved him dearly and someone whom he loved greatly was comforting.

"I will see you again when it'll be your time, promise to make a great story for me, Orpheus".

She giggled and nodded.

Andromeda had welcomed death like an old friend because he was. The only great love she had with the gods. The ones that were supposed to bring an end to her life instead brought life.