sheep_game | Counting Stars

[ There's a pause on Kevin's side of the door, then a faint, wet sort of noise, like someone trying to hold in tears and/or distressed noises. Then, slowly, the door cracks open. ]

... Ananke?

[ His voice wavers. ]

[ Not bothering holding in tears at all. The first of them spill over when he hears that quiet little noise, with more following at the waver in Kevin's voice. He stares silently for a long moment, one hand on the door frame while he struggles for words before finally— ]

... You pushed me.

[ oh. Ananke's crying. Over him? Over himself? Both? Does it matter?

He carefully opens the door wide enough for Ananke to fully see both himself and the bedroom beyond. Kevin's own cheeks are wet, and those dark circles under his eyes are especially haggard tonight. Past him, his bedroom is reasonably neat, if only because he hasn't had much time to accumulate much clutter yet. A few stray shirts on the floor, a bunch of pillows and blankets piled on his bed.

He's quiet a moment as he debates how to answer. ]

That was always the plan.

[ he tries to sound cool and collected about it but his voice breaks somewhere in the middle. ]

Edited 2024-05-11 02:41 (UTC)

[ His mouth tightens and a few more tears leak from the corners of his eyes. He wishes he were more surprised. Wishes he'd seen it coming. He reaches towards his face—reconsiders and puts a hand on his hip—starts to cross his arms—

Finally, he reaches out to try pulling Kevin into a clinging, desperate hug ]

Stupid.

[ Kevin's stiff at first, but he allows the gesture - and then clings back just as hard all of a sudden, fingers bunching into Ananke's shirt. ]

They - they have to close from both sides. That was ... why I went down there to begin with.

[ a small, choked sob. ]

I th-thought I could handle Tartarus on my own.

[ Good. Ananke wraps him in a crushing hug, one hand on the back of his head and the other pressed between his shoulder blades ]

Are you— Did...you really go down there?

[ honestly? good. Kevin doesn't get many hugs like this. Kevin may have never received a hug like this before. ]

... Yeah. I did. I -

[ he sucks in a shuddering breath. it's so fresh and raw in his mind again. ]

I was there for weeks of surface time. At least. Probably months.

[ But Ananke FELT how time had passed exponentially faster down there. ]

[ THAT'S SO LONG? Squeezes him tighter ]

...I know it was just a dream, but you should've let me stay.

[ he opens his mouth to apologize. pauses instead. ]

Do you - do you want to stay now? for a little while?

After that, I'll stay as long as you let me.

Please.

[ Gives him one more squeeze before releasing him so they can actually move into the room ]

[ good call. It gives Kevin maybe a moment to compose himself. the bed is the only real piece of furniture in here; He winds up curling up on one half of it, arms hugging a particularly fluffy pillow. Still plenty of pillows and blankets for Ananke to borrow some. ]

... Are you feeling okay? After ... after that.

[ Grabs a blanket to throw over his shoulders and climbs into bed next to him, close enough to bump shoulders. He considers the question for a long moment, fidgeting with the edge of the blanket until he finds a stray thread to fuss with instead. ]

I really want to say I'm fine, but...no. ...I thought I was from there.

[ Slowly, Kevin lets his head rest against Ananke's shoulder. More than anything, he needs that little bit of physical contact right now.

He nods helplessly. ]

That's what it feels like. Everything in that environment is trying to dissolve you. It's ... it makes you feel like that's reality and this is the dream.

[ He shudders at that explanation, swallowing thickly and wrapping his arms around himself ]

It felt—so real. ...I... I'm really glad you found me when you did. I dunno how you dealt with it alone for so long.

[ Kevin hesitates, then puts an arm gently around Ananke as well. He's VERY chilly, as always, but maybe that's a relief after the acidic heat of Tartarus. ]

Being a son of Hades gave me some protection. Not enough, but still way more than what you had.

[ Human contact > caring about how cold he is ]

But still not enough. ...How long did it take for you to finally get out?

I - didn’t. Not on my own.

[ He leans his head against Ananke’s shoulder. ]

I was captured instead.

[ oh he hates that. Frees up an arm to loop carefully around Kevin ]

By Nyx? Or did someone else show up?

[ he hesitates, but at this point Ananke gets nothing but the truth from him. ]

Nyx handed me over a pair of giants. They took me back in a jar to be bait for all of my friends.

[ Takes a slow breath ]

I'm a little glad it got you out of Tartarus, but in a jar?

It was a big jar?

[ He gestures, indicating a jar roughly person sized. ]

It was still - I had to use pomegranate seeds to get through it.

It could have two bedrooms and a swimming pool and it'd still be a prison. Why couldn't your dad just get you out? Or any parents of the other kids being led into a trap?

Edited 2024-05-11 19:43 (UTC)

… that’s not how it works. The gods don’t interfere like that.

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