Surely such loneliness couldn't be natural.

Zeus stood in the centre of the Olympian Throne Room, the congratulations of the other Gods echoing loosely in his ears. Aphrodite's flirting, Apollo's shameless dancing, Poseidon's... okay, Zeus had to admit he didn't have a clue what his brother was doing.

But Poseidon wasn't the brother currently on Zeus' mind.

Hades' eyes were blank and dark as ever as he stared out at the river Lethe, thoughts swirling in their depths. I could start again, he thought. I could be reborn. I could...

...not fall in love with my own brother.

"Zeus, what's wrong?" Athena's grey eyes stared earnestly at her father. Out of his many children, she'd always been the one that knew immediately when something was wrong. But this time, there was nothing she - or anyone - could do.

"Nothing, Athene. Go and enjoy the party. In fact, go educate Dionysus on the lesser merits of drink before we have to deal with his morning after the night before." He managed a weak smile, and Athena returned it softly, laying a hand on his arm for a second. "You should go and see Hades," she said quietly. "You haven't been the same since he left."

Without another word, she walked away, leaving her soft voice meandering hallucinogenically around Zeus' mind.

Hades shut his eyes as a torrent of memories flooded into his consciousness. Zeus talking away his nightmares in the wee hours when the terror struck hardest; Zeus wrapping his arms around Hades' waist as he broke down on his brother's shoulder; Zeus whispering his name as if it were a blessful symphony, not the curse it really was - in Hades' own mind in any case.

Without conscious thought, his feet moved, and a current of water sloshed around his feet, dampening the bottom of his toga.

I could start again.

Zeus' eyes snapped open as he arrived in the Underworld, loosing around in a sudden panic for Hades. Despite nothing having told him that anything was wrong, a primal worry for his brother's safety flooded him.

Hades. I have to get to Hades.

Knee-deep now, the Lord of the Dead could feel the very essence of himself leaking away into the River Lethe, a deep sense of serenity replacing it. Inching further into the water, confidence growing by the second, he smiled. Goodbye...

Abruptly, though, he felt another presence, and then hurried footsteps. An unmistakable voice rang out. "HADES! NO!"

In shock, his footing slipped and Hades crashed into the water, the depth instantly feeling like fathoms as the cold water raced over his head and into every orifice. Bubbles raced up as another form swam beside of him, pulling at his toga, frantically dragging him across what was now becoming the sands of the shallows. Coughing and spluttering, with his sense of self rushing back to him fast enough to make his head spin, Hades clutched Zeus' hand and collapsed into unconsciousness on the outer banks of the Lethe.

"Hades. Hades, come back to me!" Even to Zeus, his voice sounded raw, needy, everything the King of the Gods should not be. Yet the emotion was choking him, clawing up his throat in an exodus of pure pain. Olympus, no, Hades couldn't be gone, forgotten, whatever it would be. He couldn't be, otherwise Zeus simply couldn't go on.

Hades gasped, air rushing into his lungs, a gasp of life that surprised him in its vehemence. Sitting up slowly and trying to stop his head from spinning, he looked at the electric blue eyes that were filled with a tangible relief. Zeus stared at him; Hades could see the tears pooling in his eyes. "You're back," the younger God said, pure emotion rushing to greet his heart in a bear's hug.

"Of course I am. I will always be for you, my brother," Hades managed to choke out, before collapsing with racking sobs into Zeus' open arms. "I'm so sorry. For everything."

Hours later, Zeus felt Hades lean back out of his arms, and immediately he felt cold without the warmth of him there. "What were you thinking? I couldn't've gone on if you weren't here - as you," he murmured. A softness entered Hades' eyes, and he swallowed. "That's exactly why. You know exactly why. You know every feeling of mine upside down and backwards and inside out. You're a part of me. No one will ever take that away." His voice grew louder towards the end, and his vulnerable eyes looked up at Zeus, hardening in resolve. "No one," Hades growled.

And then their lips were locked together, fire dancing with fire as the Gods let go of all their inhibitions. Golden hair tangled with sable, full lips with bloodless, malnourished body with muscled.

Hours later, two gods lay on the bank of the Lethe, breathing slow and bodies tangled tenderly. "I know why you wanted to restart." Zeus said quietly. "You're not the only one."

Hades moved his hair out of his eyes, looking directly into his brother's. "Do you still want to?"

"Only if I'm with you." Zeus murmured, swallowing.

Slowly, they stood up, hands gripping together, resolve growing with each second they held on to each other. "Goodbye, my love," Hades whispered, bringing their intertwined hands to his mouth and kissing Zeus'.

"Goodbye," his brother replied, lowering their hands and taking a step forwards. Gradually, both Gods moved forwards until they were almost submerged in the water.

And then the river took all.