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Thanatos had been absent for most of the year. He made a killing as a pilot and had a lot of pride in his work. It was the perfect job: lots of travel with not a lot of interaction expected from him, especially with passengers. He’d been promoted to a second officer that year, and his schedule reflected the change. He’d been all over the world. All major continents, a couple of locations he only dreamt of seeing. Of course, he rarely had time to actually sight-see, or to be a tourist. No, he mostly watched the landscape scroll by from the air, did preflight checks and handled systems monitoring. Still, he loved it.
The one thing that was a downside was how little he saw his friends, his family. He’d made a few close friends in college, people he tried his best to keep up with. Thanatos lived relatively close to them… when he was home. Which was, as previously mentioned, not often. Sometimes, he saw former classmates. Hermes was a pre-check pre-board pro, always doing PR for some company or another. Ares, in contrast, was the lux first-class type, spending as much of his girlfriend’s money as possible. She was some kind of skincare or makeup mogul, and she sent him to do quality control at her various product drop events. He was… abrasive, but it was nice to see a familiar face every now-and-then. Both flirted with him relentlessly, but he didn’t pay any mind to it. Whatever passed the time and sparked a conversation was good enough for him. They always made a habit to say hi to him and pull him aside for a chat during cruising periods, which he appreciated.
This time, when they landed and deplaned the passengers, Thanatos strolled off through the airport with his own baggage. He was headed home. It wasn't a holiday or anything, but he had a few weeks off after non-stop work, and he wanted to see his friends. Zagreus, mostly. He was planning on surprising Zagreus, actually. It’d been too long since they’d seen each other, and Than could admit to himself that he missed his brash, hotheaded friend. Who was currently going through law school, and about as reachable as Thanatos himself at any given time. They hadn’t spoken in… too long. To be honest, he was a little nervous. There was no certainty that Zagreus would be home, or have time to hang out, or… even want to see him. He hoped they hadn’t drifted that far, but his internal cynic wouldn’t let him forget the possibility. He spent most of the Uber ride home lost in thought before he was faced with the harsh reality that was Zagreus’ apartment complex. He climbed the few flights to his friend’s flat before knocking on the door. The doorbell hadn’t worked in years, and Zagreus still hadn’t gotten it fixed as far as he knew. There was the sound of motion behind the door before it swung open to reveal…
“Zag. You look… rough. Is everything ok?” Than’s carefully formulated and rehearsed greeting flew out the window when he saw Zagreus. The closer he looked, the worse it got. Zagreus was in his study clothes, the oversized sweats he wore when pulling sequential all-nighters studying at his house. His hair was flat and dull and he had the beginnings of dark circles under his eyes. There was a sheen of sweat over his face, and he had a flush from his face down his neck. He looked sick.
Zagreus closed his eyes and ran a hand down his face, grimacing at the sweat left on his hand. “Thanatos. I- Listen.” He stopped to clear his throat. “I need to… shower. And get dressed. Can I meet you at Ambrosial Brews on the corner in like,” He ducked his head into the flat, probably to find a clock, before popping back out. “An hour and a half?”
Thanatos carefully kept his face neutral. Zagreus seemed… nervous? Uncomfortable? Than decided to give him an easy out. “Sure. I’ll head there now, I have some emails to catch up on.” Lie. A stupid one too, considering how few emails he had to deal with at work. He had nothing to do except sit and deconstruct every piece of this interaction until there was nothing left to overanalyze–or until Zagreus got there. Whichever happened first.
Zagreus nodded, already shutting the door. “See you then, Than.”
He stared at the closed door, then down at his luggage and uniform, then back at the door. “Well, fuck.”
⭒⭒✦✧☽◯☾✧✦⭒⭒
Despite his time away, the delightful owner at the café remembered him from college. Eurydice agreed to watch Than’s bags behind the counter as he changed into street clothes in the bathroom. Settling into a corner table with a glass of water, he drummed his fingers against the countertop. Pulling his laptop out of his carry-on, he pulled up Zagreus’ social media, searching for anything to clue him in on why Zag looked like hell. No recent posts as of this month. The last was at a bar with Hypnos and Meg, unsurprising and normal. He scrolled back, and back, and back. The last post with him in it. Posted over a year ago. He sat back in his chair. Nothing out of the ordinary; no uncharacteristic periods without account activity, nothing in his posts or captions that pointed towards any long-term issues he’d missed while away. Thanatos shut his computer. Zagreus was probably just going through a rough batch of classes right now. That had to be it. He pulled up whatever book had been recommended to him most recently on his phone, idly skimming through it to pass the time.
Zagreus arrived right on time, slipping in the door and murmuring a greeting and order to the Eurydice behind the counter. He idled there, making small talk until two drinks were ready, before walking over to Thanatos’ claimed corner. He sat down the drinks before seating himself. He nodded towards the cup, “Your usual, if it hasn’t changed.” He fiddled with his own beverage; too hot to drink, but unable to sit still. He looked better than before, but still worse than he usually did. The sheen of sweat and lounging clothes were nowhere to be seen, replaced with a fresh shave, baggy jeans, and a light sweater. He was still pale and the flush was still high on his cheeks, but his hair was cleaned and the laurel hoop earrings he always wore were dangling from his ears. Zagreus was never the type to be described as ‘put together’, but he looked more like himself than before.
Thanatos pulled his cup closer to him, inhaling the earthy citrus tea with a small smile. Zagreus had always been good at remembering the little quirks of the people he knew, to everyone’s surprise and delight. “Thanks, Zag. I didn’t mean to startle you earlier, I was hoping-” Thanatos cut himself off with a sarcastic little laugh. “I was hoping to surprise you, but I obviously picked a bad time. My apologies.”
Zagreus shook his head, shifting in his seat. “No it’s… a hard time for most people to get a hold of me right now. But I always have time for you, Than. It’s- it’s good that you’re home.” Almost as an afterthought, under his breath, “I missed you.” He looked away, his eyes shifting to the side. Thanatos wanted Zagreus to look at him. He’d always loved Zag’s eyes; one a deep green and the other a russet brown that gleamed red in the sunlight, both always full of mischief and care.
Than wrung his fingers, trying to be transparent with the one person who had always respected him, who always saw him for who he was, what he needed. “I… I missed you too. I missed everyone, of course. It’s hard being away for so long.” He looked down at the table. “But I missed you most often. That's why I sent you so many pictures.”
Zagreus snorted at this, Thanatos looking up to find him rolling his eyes. “No, seriously. I would see something and think: Zagreus would love this, or whatever else, and I would send it to you.” His heart skipped a beat at Zag’s soft smile, falling silent. To fill the space, he began talking about his trips: recalling where he was when he had sent the photos, all of the landmarks he’d seen, funny stories with coworkers and the way they handled nightmare passengers. He watched as Zagreus grew distant, nodding when appropriate but otherwise occupied. Zag was restless too, constantly shifting his weight or adjusting how he was sitting. There was something he was missing… he just didn’t know what it was.
The man across from him relaxed minutely after he finished, shifting in his seat once again and running a hand through his still-damp hair. “I did like the photos. I… Hermes and Ares would come by for drinks, sometimes. I would always get jealous when they talked about you.”
Thanatos waved a hand idly. “They both barely saw me. Maybe an hour tops for each over the entire time I’ve been gone.” When he looked back at Zagreus, his eyes were both hard and yet sad.
“That was more time than I got with you. They would talk about how hot, or thoughtful, or decent of a guy you are, and I would just-” Zag sighed. “I always wished I was the one who was seeing you.”
“I-” Than started but stopped himself. “Thank you for telling me. I don’t- Hermes and Ares don’t interest me like that. Mostly they flirt with me as a joke, I think.” He almost missed Zag’s eyeroll, but chose to ignore it. “And they tell you to get under your skin–you’ve always been very protective of me.” He added.
Zagreus laughed a little, bitter. “Well, they achieved their goal. Whatever.” He looked away, finally picking up his drink and sipping from it.
Thanatos took a deep breath. He had questions, he may as well ask them. “Are you sick? You… I know I caught you off guard earlier. You look tired, and you’re still flushed. Do you have a fever?” He gripped his cup tightly despite the lingering heat, just to have something to do with his hands.
Zagreus choked a little, setting his cup down a little harder than was necessary. He didn’t meet Than’s eyes, rubbing his chest as he recovered. “No I… I’m not sick.” He replied quietly. He looked even more flushed now, out of embarrassment? Gods, sometimes it was just so difficult for Thanatos to pick apart the subtext of things. Usually, it was easier with Zagreus, but right now he was hiding for some reason. Than couldn’t figure it out. He sat quietly with mounting tension until Zagreus spoke again. “I’ve… I have a lot going on right now, and it’s stressful.” He fiddled with his cup. “It’s been a while since I’ve gone out, or seen anyone, or done… anything really.” He looked up at Thanatos meaningfully before glancing back down at his hands and adjusting his seat again.
Thanatos himself flushed as he caught on. Zagreus has always been a physical person. He was very touchy with friends and family, and relieved stress often by going to the gym. Or the club. It was the center of a few good-natured jokes within their friend group, but not at all in a judgmental way. When Thanatos was home, the two of them would often fool around casually to let off some steam–nothing serious, and nothing more than heavy petting. Except for the time they were both drunk, but Than had always got the feeling that they were ignoring that. The fact that Zagreus had… apparently been celibate? For the entire time Thanatos was gone? An image was beginning to emerge, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. He’d been alone too, which was worrying by itself. For an extrovert, self-isolation to the extent that Zag was describing couldn’t be healthy.
He didn’t know what to say. “...The whole time?” He asked quietly.
Zagreus chewed on his lip and nodded. “No one… no one touches me like you do. It just stopped being satisfying. I didn’t really know what to do about it.” He laughed a little, still looking into his cup. “Meg will tell you I was insufferable for a while. I could tell I was being annoying, and didn’t want to bother anyone so I just… stopped going out eventually, and I’ve kind of been holed up at home since. Studying, mostly.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Pathetic, I know.”
“Wait, Zag. Look at me please?” Thanatos asked. Zag complied, his smile a little too tight to be natural, something aching lurking in his gaze. “It’s not pathetic. I- It mostly just worries me,” Zagreus winced, but Thanatos pushed on. “Considering that I know it's the main way you… cope with things. Not just… partners, but touch in general. I worry that you aren’t taking care of yourself.” He tried to put enough force, enough emotion behind his voice to get his point across. He knew he came off as flat or disinterested, and the last thing Thanatos wanted was for Zag to take this as some kind of judgement. His chest felt tight when he looked at Zagreus. “I… we could go back to your place. If you want.”
The answering scoff was half incredulous and half despairing. “I don’t need your pity, Than.”
“And I’m not offering because of that.” He looked at his cup, taking a sip before continuing. “I missed that too. Us.” Thanatos looked up to watch another layer of blush bloom high on Zag’s cheeks. “I’ve been too busy to go out, and you know how I… feel about that.” They’d spoken at length about their sex lives, how Than preferred anonymity and quick interactions. It left him feeling hollow emotionally, but felt safer than taking strangers to some bedroom where they would see him in all that naked vulnerability. He was generally ambivalent towards sex, but loved making Zagreus feel good. He tried not to think about that too hard.
Zag sighed. “My place… it's a mess. I haven’t cleaned in ages, it's basically a cave of studying and despair.”
Than nodded, expecting nothing less. Zagreus was always less regimented about taking care of himself without others to remind him. “You know I don’t mind. Here.” He swung his bag over a shoulder, rising to his feet. Grabbing his luggage in one hand, he offered the other to Zagreus. “Lead the way.”
Zag rolled his eyes, but took his hand. “Like you haven’t found my place at 3 AM drunk off your ass before.”
Thanatos just smiled softly. They chatted about small things on the way there, around fifteen minutes of walking. Zagreus was walking stiffly, but Than tucked the thought away for later, not wanting to call attention to it right now. The time passed quickly and comfortably, until they were back on Zagreus’s front step as he unlocked the door. He took a deep breath before opening it and letting Thanatos inside.
It was about as bad as Thanatos was expecting. There were random piles of clothes everywhere, papers and textbooks strewn about. A pillow from Zag’s bed and a mountain of blankets were piled on his armchair, suggesting regular use of the nearby couch as a bed. The smell was a little musty, not bad, but definitely a while since the apartment had been aired out. He picked his way over to one of the windows and cracked it open, Zagreus shuffling behind him before the pop of a flame and light scent of a candle floated through the space.
When Thanatos turned Zag was sitting on the couch, looking down at his feet. “I told you it was a mess.”
Than shrugged and walked to join him on the sofa. “I’ve seen worse. At least you don’t leave food around, like Hypnos.” They both shuddered in mutual distaste. He sat closer than he did with most people, letting one knee brush Zag’s. Zagreus himself was sitting strangely on the soft cushions, legs tight together and hands braced on his thighs. He normally slouched and spread out, ‘becoming one with the couch,’ as he so often claimed. The tension he carried in his frame was worrying. “No slump today? Good to see you finally working on your posture.” Thanatos joked, trying to lighten the dampened mood that seemed to have settled back on the other’s shoulders. He winced internally when Zagreus didn’t have a sarcastic response for him. He took a deep breath.
“We should talk, before- if we do this.” Thanatos began. He wanted to leave room for Zag to back out if he didn’t want it without making him do all of the work to shut the situation down. “I’ll… start with recapping our previous arrangement?” It was half a question and half a statement. Zagreus nodded, which was enough permission for Thanatos, for now. “I prefer to keep my clothes on, and we both keep our boxers on at minimum. Touching is ok under the shirt and over the boxers, playing with leg openings and waistbands is on the table. Am I forgetting anything?” As he sorted through their mutual boundaries, the various times they’d fooled around began floating through his head. Kissing all over Zag’s bare chest and his hips through thin cloth, teasing his dick through wet briefs. The one time Thanatos had stripped off his jeans and let Zagreus grind on his cock until they both came. His ears grew hot, and he fought to keep his voice even and his thoughts on track.
Zag thought for a moment before responding. “No, I think that’s it. I usually just let you lead.” He shrugged, looking over at Thanatos and leaning back a little on the couch. At Than’s raised eyebrow, he huffed and continued. “You have more boundaries with touch and clothing than I do, and I never wanted you to feel pressured to do anything you didn’t want to. I would’ve been fine fully naked in front of you from the beginning, but I didn’t want you to feel like you had to be, too.” As he spoke, his voice got softer and more genuine. That was Zagreus to his core, caring for others before he thought about his own needs.
Thanatos winced, fiddling with his long fingers. “Sorry for being such a prude. I-”
Zag stopped him with a hand on his, gently taking one into his grip and brushing his thumb against the back of his hand in a soothing motion. “You aren’t a prude, and you aren’t weird for having boundaries and expecting them to be respected. I wouldn’t have cared if you never wanted me like that anyway. I value you too much as a friend for that bullshit.”
Than turned and threaded his free hand through the soft hair at the nape of Zagreus’ neck, moving slowly in case Zag felt like stopping him. When his hand was resting against Zag’s scalp, Than leaned his forehead against Zagreus’ with a sigh. “I… don’t really have the emotional bandwidth to respond thoughtfully to that. …Can I kiss you?”
Zagreus laughed, his breath tickling Thanatos’ jaw. “Yes, idiot.” Despite his bark, Zagreus had no bite. He met Than’s lips gently, melting a little into the kiss. When they pulled away, a little of his usual spark had returned to his eyes. He still looked nervous, but set his jaw in that determined expression Thanatos loved. “Do you still want to do this? You really don’t have to.”
Than let his hand slide down to cup Zag’s neck.
He met Zagreus’ mismatched gaze with an equal determination and heat blooming in his face. “Yes, I really want to fuck you. Is that enough to convince you?”
Zag nodded, his lips parted slightly as his breathing picked up. “What are your new limits for this?”
Thanatos hummed. “Let’s… take it slow. We can strip as we go and I’ll see how I feel, if that’s ok?”
“More than ok. Any way you want –or don’t want– me to touch you?”
“I’d like to take the lead, I just want you to relax and let me make you feel good. Meg says that I’d make a good ‘service top’, but I really couldn’t care less what that means.”
Zagreus laughed lightly, resting his hands on Than’s waist. “Good thing that I do know what it means, then. It’s helpful to know.”
Thanatos let one hand reach for Zag’s shoulder, trailing lightly down his arm until Than’s hand comfortably rested around his bicep. “And you?”
The grin Zag gave him was just shy of wicked. “Not much to say. I don’t prefer anal but I could be convinced.” He shrugged and grinned wider at Thanatos’ responding slack-jawed look of surprise. “I like being held down and overpowered, so you being in charge and taking care of everything sounds good to me.” His grip tightened just a tad around Than’s waist. “Can we get started?”
Thanatos laughed. How could he say no, when Zagreus was so pretty and so eager in front of him? Instead of responding, he leaned close and kissed Zagreus again. He wanted to take his time, so he did. Trailing his hands all over Zag’s arms and chest, reaching beneath his shirt to grip his waist and feel smooth skin under Thanatos’ hands. He pushed his hands up, taking Zag’s shirt with them. In response, Zagreus briefly pulled away and lifted his arms, diving back to Than’s lips as soon as the fabric was past his head and thrown somewhere on the floor to join the other piles of clothes. He moaned and shivered as Thanatos touched him. Zagreus had always been sensitive, and Than had always loved the tactile sensation of Zag’s skin, his scars, the moles dotting his toned body. Thanatos brushed along the scars bracketing Zagreus’ chest, thumbing his nipples, before reaching around his back to trace the ridge of his spine down to the dimples low in his back.
Zagreus was equally eager, his touch warm and needy. He focused at first above Than’s clothes before Thanatos felt rough, calloused hands flat on his back. He arched a little into the touch, torn between the feeling of Zagreus under his hands and Zagreus’s hands on his back. Zag focused where he knew Than was most responsive, his sides and back. After he seemed satisfied with the small noises he was pulling from Thanatos, his clever fingers found the small happy trail leading into Than’s jeans and began to brush through it in a maddening rhythm. Thanatos wanted more. This was usually where he abandoned ship, distracting Zagreus with his own pleasure until he forgot himself. Instead of the discomfort that usually filled him, there was only a small twinge of fear–one he pushed aside easily. He rose on his knees before standing, kicking off his shoes and stripping off his jeans in a few practiced motions. Zagreus watched him for a moment, wide-eyed, before following suit in a decidedly more hurried fashion.
Than laughed at him lightly. “Eager, Zagreus?”
Zagreus just rolled his eyes, gently hitting Than in the shoulder with his palm. The motion was weakened by the smoldering heat in his eyes. “Seems you have that effect on me. Get back to it, prettyboy.” He kneeled over Thanatos, forcing him to look up into those gorgeous eyes as Zagreus found his lips again. Than brushed past Zag’s hips with a smirk, kneading his ass instead. Zagreus squeaked, the sound only encouraging him to keep teasing Zag’s hips and thighs. Borrowing Zag’s motion from earlier, he dipped his fingers beneath the waistband of the other’s boxers, playing with those dimples in his back and the dark hair trailing into his shorts. When trailing his hands up the front of his thighs causes Zagreus to break away, panting for air, Thanatos took the opportunity to press soft kisses all over his chest, biting and sucking lightly as he went. He teased Zagreus’ nipples with his mouth. Thanatos knew he mostly had sensation on the scars surrounding them and not the nipples themselves, so he made sure to give both attention for their mutual pleasure. Zagreus sat on his heels with a whimper, one that could’ve been caused by the new pressure on his hole or the way Thanatos followed him down while sucking a hickey into his chest.
When Zag spoke, Thanatos almost mistook the sound for another moan. “Can I- fuck, Than-” He took a shuddering breath. “Can I take off your shirt?”
Thanatos hummed in response before moving away, eliciting another small squeak from Zagreus. Before he could overthink it, Than lifted his shirt over his head and set it behind him on the couch. He closed his eyes as the cloth passed over them, unwilling to see Zag’s immediate reaction. He never did this. Sex for him was dark corners and cocks pulled out of unbuttoned jeans, not the vulnerability of nakedness. Zagreus was different, though. Thanatos knew he had nothing to be afraid of, and if he felt more uncomfortable than sexy he knew Zag would have no problems with him putting his shirt back on. Holding this thought in his mind, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes. And laughed.
Zagreus was practically drooling, eyes roving over his bare chest. His hands reached out slowly, alighting on his skin once Than gave Zagreus a small nod. Thanatos looked down, watching Zagreus’ hands connect the feeling of his chest –of which Zag was deeply familiar– with the new sight of it. He breathed heavily as Zag brushed over his hips, his waist, his chest. When Zag paused, he looked up to find those mismatched eyes on his own, full of care and trust. “Gods, you’re incredible. Thank you for trusting me, this is-” Zagreus cut himself off with a small noise, leaning in to kiss Than’s stomach. “You’re beautiful.” Thanatos felt his flush race down his face and neck, and he looked away. The couch shifted as Zag stood, offering a hand to him. “Bed?” Zag’s grin was intoxicating, his eyes practically glowing. When he took Zagreus’ hand, he yelped at the force that was used to practically yank him off the couch and drag him into the bedroom. If he wasn’t taller than Zagreus with the legs to match, Zagreus might’ve dislocated something in his excitement to move them both.
Once the pair reached the bedroom, Zagreus sat down stiffly on the edge of the bed. Looking around, the room was in a similar state to the rest of the apartment: wrinkled sheets, clothes tossed haphazardly around the room. Thanatos noted the bottle of lube sitting on the bedside table with a raised eyebrow. He tapped his fingers against his outer thighs. He felt Zagreus watching him. Thanatos turned back to face the bed, and Zagreus. He looked beautiful, alive and wanting, clouded eyes and panting for breath. Just as Than preferred him to be.
“Do you have condoms?” Thanatos asked, trying to remember if he’d seen any before in the apartment.
With an impatient wave of his hand, Zag pointed him to the bathroom. “In the… wait-”
It didn’t take long for Thanatos to reach the ensuite and push open the door before Zagreus’ warning reached him. Once he had an unobstructed view into the room, he immediately saw what Zag had obviously forgotten about. An array of toys lay drying on a towel across the sink. Every color, size, and shape of dildo, plug, and vibrator seemed to be neatly cleaned and left out to dry. Zagreus’ voice stammered out explanations behind him. Shooting a glance over his shoulder, Than just laughed at the bright red blush spreading across his face before turning and searching through the drawers. He quickly found what he needed, a box of condoms and some latex gloves. He grabbed a few of each before turning towards the door again. Zagreus was looking helplessly between him and the toys on the counter, his gaze unable to settle on his face or crotch. Than felt his cock twitch. It’d been half-hard as they were fooling around but was now filled out, straining against his boxers. Zag licked his lips.
Thanatos laughed helplessly at Zagreus’ frozen form in the doorway. “Are you planning on admiring the view or can we get back to your bed?” He gently took Zag by one shoulder, spinning him around before giving him a gentle shove towards the door. As he watched Zagreus move towards the bed, he gave in to the urge to tease. “I think those toys are probably the cleanest part of your apartment.” Zag sent him a glare over his shoulder, but it lacked any true anger. He chuckled, following the other towards the edge of the bed. When Zagreus sat, he knelt before him and brushed his hands up his shins to cup his knees. “You’ve been hiding your pretty hole from me this whole time, I want to see how wet you are.” Zag squeaked as Thanatos pushed him back further on the bed and spread his legs.
The black boxers Zagreus was wearing were soaked through, clinging to his skin and an odd lump right over his entrance. Than smirked. Some type of plug, he mused, pressing on it gently. Judging by Zag’s responding shivering and quiet whimpers, he was right. A wicked thought crossed his mind. “... Did you put this in just for me? You must’ve gotten yourself all worked up on the way to the cafe, no wonder you couldn't sit still. That's why you’ve been walking and sitting strangely, you’ve been hiding this present in your pussy just for me.” It wasn’t truly a question, but Zagreus nodded anyway. His hair fell damp onto his forehead as his chin met his chest, breath hitching with his small noises.
Thanatos traced the rim of the plug, leaning in to give Zag’s small cock a few open-mouthed kisses through the wet fabric. Hooking his fingers into the elastic waistband, he paused for a moment to give Zagreus time to protest. Instead, muscled arms planted themselves onto the bed, giving Zagreus the leverage he needed to lift his hips. Than nudged Zag’s knees back together to tug the boxers down off his legs. When he spread them again, he pulled back with a start and a small laugh. The silicone was a metallic gunmetal, one of Thanatos’ favorite colors. A fact that Zagreus knew, and likely chose the toy with that in mind. He quickly pulled on a pair of the gloves while admiring how the toy peeked out from the dark curls framing it, reaching in to spread Zagreus open once the latex was securely in place. Than grinned at the slick noises from Zag’s hole as he clenched around the toy, watching his cock throb. Unable to stop himself, Thanatos leaned forward and gave a few gentle, sucking kisses to Zagreus' thick clit. The responding deep groan that ripped itself from Zag’s throat had his own dick throbbing in sympathy from where it remained trapped in Than’s underwear.
He pulled away, momentarily distracted again by the shimmer of the plug against Zag’s pink pussy. “I’m clean, I’m assuming you are as well?”
Zag looks down at him, blinking as he focuses on Thanatos, his words. “I meant it when I said I haven't fucked anyone since you left, but I got tested last weekend anyway. I’m clean. Papers are in the bedside table.” His voice was rough, but sure.
Thanatos felt like someone had replaced his blood with some carbonated drink. His head felt full but light, his very veins seeming to spark with lust. “Just for me, huh?” He let his fingers trail along the edges of the plug, watching Zag’s muscles twitch in response. He spreads zag open again, letting his tongue trace the base of the plug where it rested in his folds. Once he reaches zag’s clit, he pulls back the hood with two fingers and circled it with his tongue, closing his lips around it. Zag bucks into the wet heat of his mouth, groaning.
Two fingers pushed his forehead back, and Thanatos let go with a parting suck and trail of saliva connecting them. He looks up at Zag, who gazed down at him with unfocused eyes and a slack mouth. When he spoke, it was so breathless Thanatos almost missed it entirely. “Please Than, take it out. I want to feel your mouth and fingers all over my pussy and cock.”
“When you ask so nicely, how can I refuse?” He purred in response. Still, he wanted to see how far he could push Zagreus before he was truly begging. He tugged gently at the plug, releasing it and letting it settle back inside Zag’s pulsing hole. He did this a few times, pulling the toy out further on each pass, until he worried that Zagreus was clenching so hard it would be painful for the plug to slip out if he continued. He braced one hand against Zag’s thigh, squeezing gently. With the other, he carefully gripped the base and slowly began to pull. As the toy fully emerged with a slick noise and a deep, stuttering moan from Zagreus, his eyebrows shot into his hairline as the width of the thing. It was wider than nearly every cock Thanatos himself had seen, but not too large to be entirely unrealistic. When he spoke, it was more of an external thought than a real question he expected Zagreus to be able to answer through his whimpering. “Bloody hells, how were you walking with this? Fuck.” He ran a hand through his hair, setting the plug aside on the bed. Sitting back on his heels for a moment, his gaze was locked onto the gaping entrance of Zag’s throbbing cunt. It seemed to pulse, clenching down on nothing, begging for his mouth, hands, cock–anything to fill it back up. Gorgeous.
He looked up at Zag, who had thrown back his head and was panting at the ceiling. Thanatos set the toy on the bed, rising to stand between Zagreus’ spread thighs. He cupped the back of Zag’s neck, supporting the weight of his head and gently tilting it back into a comfortable position. He watched Zag’s eyelashes flutter for a moment, one hand shifting to brush a thumb across his cheek. Those piercing eyes, light and dark, met his, clouded with pleasure and the wetness gathering on his lashline. “You ok, Zagreus?” Than murmured, watching the breaths heaving his chest slow and deepen.
Zag exhaled slowly. “Yeah I- I’m good.”
He hummed in response, eyes alighting on the verifiable mountain of pillows Zagreus kept on his bed. “Want to get more comfortable? Lay you down?” Zag sighed and nodded, watching Than stride over to the headboard and take a few pillows and a throw blanket before perching on the side of the bed, patting where he wanted Zagreus to lie down. He did so, dutifully lifting his hips to be propped up by pillows, until Than was once again kneeling between Zag’s spread legs, looking at the godlike beauty spread before him. He let his hands rest on Zag’s hips, thumbs reaching the hollow of his hipbone and gently brushing the sensitive skin there. “Ready, Zag?” He nodded. Than leant back down, letting the flat of his tongue glide over the whole of Zag’s cunt from hole to his throbbing cock, and back down. He traced Zagreus’ folds, following the shape of them around his clit, his opening. He pressed kisses to the inside of Zag’s thighs and hips, breathing in deeply the smell of his smokey body wash, light sweat, the salty musk of his slickness. He returned to Zag’s opening, breathing cool air over his wet skin and watching him squirm with a light laugh. He rested his fingers right below Zag’s entrance, looking down at him. “Can I..?”
Zag snorted, smirking. “Can you ‘come inside’? Yeah, go for it. I’m pretty-” His breath hitched as Than’s fingers started gently massaging his hole, spreading it and gathering his pre to help what was going to be an effortless slide of anything that went in. “Pretty stretched. Prepped.” Zag rolled his eyes at the raised eyebrow and small smile. Zagreus was never the most verbose person, it was unlikely that he would’ve gained the trait when mindlessly lost in pleasure. Than, with Zag’s permission, swiftly replaced his fingers with his tongue, dipping inside and fluttering the tip against the sensitive entrance to Zag's pussy. With each pass he went deeper, spreading Zag’s hips and folds wide with both hands. He felt all the ridges, the smooth spots, savoring the mild taste of Zagreus on his tongue. Thanatos pulled out to a whine from Zagreus, one that was quickly replaced with a moan as his mouth encircled Zag's clit and two fingers slid inside. Than was quick to begin moving, gently massaging that smooth stretch that made Zagreus groan. He kept his fingers consistent and slow, adding more and more pressure and suction to Zag’s clit as he got closer to his orgasm. Zag begged, so he added another finger, pushing deeper. Zagreus came more quietly than he expected, more a drawn out whine than any loud pornstar moan. Than left his cock with a soft kiss, leaving his fingers until Zag came down from his orgasm. He watched with a blooming sense of care as Zag’s breathing evened out, as his legs went from shaking to the occasional spasm. Eyes blinked open and met his own, a crooked grin spreading across his face.
“You’re… really good at that.”
Than barked out a laugh, running his free hand through his hair. “Sleeping with Meg a few times will do that. She really likes-”
“Sitting on her partner’s face. Yeah.” They paused before laughing. “Of course we both fucked her.”
Than smiled as Megaera’s face flashed in his mind. She was a good friend, a better lover, and not at all interested in long-term romantic partnerships with men. “She likes her sex to be convenient, I’ll give her that.” Zag laughed a bit, relaxing further into the mattress. “What next, pretty boy?” Zagreus flushed and turned his face away, looking up at Than from his periphery through dark lashes.
“Fuck me?” He mumbled, mouth barely moving.
Than snorted. That wasn’t going to fly. He wanted Zagreus to say what he wanted, name it, and demand it with his full chest. “What was that, Zag? Couldn’t catch that one.”
Zagreus huffed. “I want you to fuck me. There, happy?” He demanded.
Than leaned over him, arms boxing in Zag’s broad chest and lips brushing the side of his throat. “Immensely.” He murmured, smiling at the goosebumps that spread over Zagreus’ skin in response to his breath. Than leaned back. He gently slipped his fingers out of Zag’s cunt, who simply hummed and wiggled his hips a little in response. One of the pillows propping his hips was thrown to the floor somewhere at the foot of the bed. Finally, Than slipped out of his boxers. A wet spot had formed at the front, and they were starting to chafe. He groaned as the air hit his cock, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, Zagreus had his eyes locked on Than’s cock, and looked hungry. He flushed. Thanatos knew he was attractive, he just wasn’t often in a position where his partner could see enough of him to comment. Club bathrooms, quick alleys, a corner of someone’s house party. Anywhere fast, where he could slip away quickly afterwards. But that wasn’t here, and those men weren’t Zagreus. Than shifted closer, grabbing one of the condoms–the wrapper joined the pillow on the floor as he rolled it on. Thank the gods, Zagreus had lubed condoms. Not that Zag himself needed them, he made enough lubrication on his own, but it made the process more pleasant on his aching dick. Hooking his arms under Zag’s toned calves to lift and spread his legs, he leaned forward so his cock was resting gently on Zag’s cunt. Zagreus rolled his hips, eyes clouded with desire. The heat from Zag’s hole was already enough to take his breath away. When Zagreus reached for his length to guide it into his waiting entrance, Than had to stop and close his eyes after a scant few inches. How was he so tight after the toy and an orgasm? Zag was so wet Thanatos felt like he was going to fall in and be eaten cock-first by Zagreus’ hungry pussy. Opening his eyes again, Zag met his gaze with a molten desire that took Than’s breath away all over again. When he started rolling his hips ever so slightly, Than groaned and snapped his hips down, sheathing the rest of his cock inside Zag’s delicious heat. One hand flew to the base of his cock, staving off the sudden wave of his orgasm threatening to peak before he’d even started. Zagreus laughed.
“You the type to come after putting it in, Than? I wouldn’t have taken you for a one-pump-” He cut himself off with a gasp as Than began thrusting, small movements at first that slowly pulled out farther, pushed in deeper. Zag laughed, breathless. “Asshole.” Than hummed, leaning forward to kiss Zagreus.
“You like it.”
A sigh. “I do.”
For a while, there was little sound but for the wetness of Zagreus’ cunt, the slap of skin-on-skin, and the gentle moans slipping from both of their lips. Something about Zagreus like this was holy. The way he had no qualms about his body, about taking his pleasure from someone else without return, always letting Thanatos lead the way with his comfort in mind. Zag was the kind of person to take up space, demand attention, light up a room… but he always made sure everyone was included and heard. He was the same way with pleasure. It made something deep inside Thanatos bloom, a sense of belonging and safety he rarely felt during sex. This wasn’t some stranger he was using as a consensual cocksleeve. This was Zagreus. His prince. When Zagreus came and Thanatos tried to slow down, to stop, Zag pulled his head down and whispered in his ear, “I want to feel you come.” The small moan that slipped out of him couldn’t have been stopped if he tried. He nodded more out of instinct than anything else, his hips stuttering as he felt Zag’s pussy flutter with the aftershocks. He closed his eyes, lips parting as he focused on finishing. When Zagreus’ clever fingers found his nipples and lightly began toying with him, he was gone. His head dropped onto Zag’s chest as he thrusted once, twice, before burying his length as deep as he could inside that slick heat, groaning quietly as his cock throbbed with his release. He could hear Zagreus’ quiet laugh, felt his fingers find their way into his hair and gently start rubbing his scalp.
Thanatos took a moment to catch his breath before slowly pulling out of Zagreus, slipping off the bed and padding unsteadily to the bathroom. He slipped off the condom with a small hiss, tying it off tightly and tossing it into the small trashcan in the corner. His gloves followed. He braced his hands against the counter and let his gaze unfocus as he stared into the sink. His body felt heavy. This was usually the time that he slipped away, ignoring how uncomfortable his jeans felt as he found his way back to his apartment. How empty he felt. He startled as warm arms wrapped around his waist, mussed hair soft against his shoulder blade where Zagreus rested his head on Thanatos’ back. He tried to relax, but his arms still felt stiff, his jaw ticking.
Zagreus breathed deeply before speaking. “You’re doing a lot of processing over here. Which is perfectly fine, by the way.” His voice was carefully playful, softer than he normally spoke. It made Than’s chest tight. “Is there anything I can do? I would… I would like it if you could come back to bed with me.” The laugh that came next was self-depricating to its core. “I don’t do well when people… leave. Right after. But if you need to, I understand.”
It was quiet for a moment as he thought, his muscles finally unclenching as his chin fell to his chest. He took a deep breath. It was Zagreus. He turned slowly, leaning against the sink and letting his hands rest on Zag’s shoulders. After a moment, he pulled Zagreus close to his chest. Murmuring against the crown of his head, he offered: “Maybe a shower first? And then I’ll throw the top cover in the wash, and… and I’ll sleep here tonight. If… if that’s ok.”
Zagreus nodded quickly, his breath soft against Than’s skin. “More than ok,” He breathed. I might need some help with balance, though.” He added with a laugh, looking up at Than with a wry expression. Thanatos quickly realized that Zag had been leaning on him the whole time, one of his legs spasming slightly as he kept his weight off it.
Thanatos laughed. It wasn’t as lighthearted as either of them wished, but it was a start. “Next time maybe we can stop after you come, and I can finish off by not torturing your hole?” Zagreus laughed in response, breathless and grateful.
“I could agree to watching you finish yourself off. Or we could figure something out, you’re smart enough.”
“We’ll see about that.”