Solangelo One Shots

Dinner in the Underworld

Will's POV

I tugged nervously at my tight shirt collar, trying to make the tie loosen up a bit. 

"Are you sure we have to do this?" I whined. 

"Sorry, Will, but my dad said he wants to meet you. And if you want to meet my dad, than you're going to have to wear nice clothes. He'll probably blast you to bits if you don't make a good first impression." Nico looked relaxed, much more relaxed than me. His sword, as usual, was hanging loosely at his waist, and he had on his black aviator jacket over a white button down and some black jeans. He didn't have any reason to be nervous. He wasn't about to meet his boyfriend's dad, who just happened to be the God of Death, for the first time. 

"Thanks for making me feel better," I muttered, attempting to loosen my red and yellow striped tie, but only managing to pull it tighter around the collar of my white button down. Nico shrugged. 

"That's what I'm here for." 

"You're insufferable," I sighed. 

"You'd better not let my dad hear you say that, or you might have to stay down in the underworld with him forever." He stood up on tip toes, giving me a small kiss on the cheek. "But don't worry, I'll still visit you on holidays." He laughed when he spotted my fearful expression. 

"Oh, don't worry. It'll be fine, I promise." 

"Can we just go?" I pleaded. I just wanted to get this dinner over with. I had heard a rumor that Hades got moodier as the night went on. 

"Hold on tight," Nico instructed. He grabbed my hand and together, we melted into the shadows. 

After the few seconds we were in the shadows, we were spit out in a simple, white room with a receptionist in a fancy suit standing behind a desk. Chairs lined the room, and each one was filled with a different person. Except, they weren't people. At least, not anymore. They were paler than anyone I'd ever seen, even paler than Nico. And their skin was translucent, turning invisible when you looked at them in the right light. 

"Nico," I said cautiously, turning around to get a full view of the room. "Where are we?" 

"Lad, you are in the space between life and death," said the receptionist behind the desk. His name tag read Charon. 

"The space between life and death is a recording studio waiting room?" I asked suspiciously. 

"It's one of the entrances to the underworld," Nico explained. "Souls board the elevator, and from there they travel to the underworld." 

"Very good, Mr. Di Angelo," said Charon. "Here to see your father, I presume? And is this your boyfriend? Perfect. Lord Hades has been expecting you two. Would you like a ride?" 

"Yes, thank you." Nico said. I was to nervous to say anything. Usually when the God of Death is expecting you, it doesn't end well. 

"Why couldn't we have just shadow traveled to the underworld?" I asked as we rode down, down, down. As we went farther, I could hear my heart beating. 

"If I did that, you wouldn't get the whole experience," Nico said. "Besides, we would have missed the view. And the sounds are always lovely this time of year." He pointed off to the distance, where we could just see a tortured soul in the Fields of Punishments being ripped apart by hellhounds. I shuddered. 

"Charming," I muttered. "Are we almost there?" 

"Just arrived," Charon said. Over the course of the ride, his clothes had transformed from a sleek suit to a hooded reaper's cloak. He was carrying a scythe, who's sharp tip glinted in the fiery glow of the river Styks. "Well, I've got to go. You kids have fun now." He gave one last nod to Nico. "And give your dad my best. I haven't seen him in a millennium."