The Longing Of Rebirth

"You're not human." The voice noted, more to himself than Stiles.

Stiles raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do any humans regularly stroll down here unannounced?"

"No, humans can't use the gateway freely." Stiles heard the sound of fingers snapping together, causing the candles adoring the walls to light up.

He blinked to allow his eyes to adjust to the new light, rubbing them and listening to the sound of footsteps. Fingers brushed against his shoulder and he lowered his hand and gazed up at the man.

His eyes were no longer red, but still drew Stiles in with the medley of greens and brown. He found it ironic that the fascinating colors reminded him of the monotonous earth he had been craving to escape. This time, the colors didn't remind him of a road he'd been trapped on. This time, they filled him with wonder.

"So you're like me then." The man mumbled, brushing his thumb against the mark on Stiles shoulder. Stiles' considered the mark little more than a brand on his skin. The mark was in the shape of a P, only visible to other Gods so they could identify each other when they'd first meet. He shuddered as the man brushed his fingers over the ugly letter.

"I know who you are. You're him, aren't you? The one in charge of this place?" The man jerked his hand away as if he'd been burned.

"Does that scare you?"

Stiles only smiled and stepped closer. "Should it? What should I call you? Calling your God name is too obvious and frankly boring. I want to refer to you by your name."

The man probably thought he was crazy. "It's Derek."

Stiles nodded and looked over this Derek person standing before him. Jet black hair, a somber expression, black clothing, it was easy to see why this man was Hades. Although...

"Perhaps you really are like me." Stiles whispered.

"Meaning what, exactly?" Derek asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Meaning you don't want to be this way. You're tired of the role you that was given to you. You think it's a mistake too, don't you?"

Derek scoffed at Stiles' words. "What could a spoiled brat like you possibly know about that? You're free to explore as much as you'd like without fear."

Stiles wasn't upset by Derek's comment, it was a fair statement. "Just like you, what I was given is not what I wanted. Yes, I am on the outside, but I'm still limited. I'm confined to the same tasks every single season and nothing ever changes. It feels like there's a leash tight around my neck, and all I'd like to do is break the binds." He sighed and tapped his foot on the floor for a brief moment.

An idea popped in his head and he smiled again. Derek raised his eyebrows at Stiles' smile and wasn't sure if he wanted to know what ideas were lighting up those clever eyes. "Maybe things can change. Maybe we don't have to let things continue this way."

"How would we change it?"

Stiles shrugged and looked Derek over. "You're lonely, aren't you?" The way Derek's posture went rigid confirmed Stiles' question. "You crave what I help with, I'm interested in what you control. It's what drew me here in the first place and brought me to you. If you think about it, our existence brings us together. Life and death, so it's only natural for one to be intrigued by the other." He whispered as he stepped close enough to feel Derek's warm breath on his face.

Derek didn't step back and instead watched Stiles' every movement as he held his ground. Stiles was right, both of them seemed to torment themselves with tedious infatuation of what the other had grown exhausted of.