#wbwkf

Songbird paused outside of Charon's office door, fist raised to knock on the door.

She couldn't believe she was about to do this.

What on earth was she thinking?

Taking a deep breath, she knocked.

"Who is it?" Charon's muffled voice came out from the other side of the door.

"413," Songbird said, wincing.

A long pause. Songbird figured he was probably laughing at her.

Gods, he probably knew what she was here for.

And then the door opened, revealing a very confused Charon on the other side.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Is someone hurt?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I just… wanted to talk," Songbird said. Charon looked even more confused at that, but nodded, allowing her to enter his office and shutting the door behind her.

"What do I, uh… owe the pleasure of seeing you here?" Charon asked, sitting down at his desk. Songbird took a deep breath.

Game face, Birdie. One step closer to freedom.

"I wanted to talk to you about a… promotion, of sorts."

Charon narrowed his eyes. "A promotion of sorts…" he repeated. "We don't do that here."

"Well, I heard a rumor, down the grapevine, that you were looking for someone to fulfill a certain position," Songbird said vaguely.

Charon stared at her, and, surprisingly, she could see a faint smile pulling on the corners of his mouth.

Was he expecting this?

"What kind of position?" Charon asked. "An assistant? Because I already have one."

"No, no, a more…" Songbird searched for a word she hoped wouldn't be too direct. "A more intimate position-"

"A mistress," Charon interrupted. Songbird blinked at him.

"...So you are looking for one."

Charon smiled fully. "Why is that of interest to you?"

Songbird sucked in a breath. "Look, I know you and me aren't… friends, but I think you should take me into consideration for your decision-"

"Why? So you can steal House documents?"

Songbird pursed her lips. "...No?"

"C'mon, 413, there's no way in Tartarus that you would choose to spend more than two seconds with me if you didn't have some ulterior motive," Charon said. "I've been around you long enough to know, trust me."

Songbird sighed. "Okay, fine, it's to get access to House documents. But I genuinely think that-"

"-You haven't thought this through?" Charon finished. "Because I don't think you have, either-"

"Would you let me finish?" Songbird snapped. Charon clicked his tongue.

"Are we talking about you finishing in terms of your sentence, or-"

"Ugh!" Songbird groaned. "You are insufferable!"

"What? We're on the subject," Charon said, winking. "I'm not an idiot, 413. I'm not going to give you access to something that would hurt my position, even if-"

He broke off abruptly, leaning back in his chair. Songbird tilted her head.

"Even if what?"

"Even if nothing," Charon said bluntly. "I forgot what I was going to say."

Songbird squared her shoulders. "Look, sir, maybe we can come to some sort of compromise."

"I don't see any way this would end well for me," Charon said.

"Shut up and listen to me," Songbird said, placing her hands on his desk. "You give me one book. Just one. Not two, not three, one. And in return, I'll give you any information you want on the rebellion."

Charon lifted his chin. "And?"

Songbird furrowed her brows. "And what?"

"I'm not asking you to be a spy, 413. You do realize what a mistress is, right?"

Songbird felt her face grow hot. "I'm not an idiot either, sir."

"So what are we going to do about that?"

The two stared at each other for a minute, with Songbird growing sicker and sicker each second.

She felt like he was mocking her. Daring her to back out.

But she needed this. And she would do anything to get it.

"Anything you want, I'll give you," Songbird said.

To her surprise, Charon did not grin, like how she was expecting him too.

Instead, he almost looked… sympathetic.

"Gods, you really are desperate," Charon said.

"I figured you'd like that in a woman," Songbird said. Charon shrugged.

"Well, we'll find out, won't we?" Charon said, sticking out his hand. "It's a deal."

Songbird beamed, seizing his hand and shaking it. "Fantastic."

"I'll have you visit my apartment tomorrow so we can negotiate some terms," Charon said as Songbird straightened herself. "I'll be waiting for you at the House."

"Do I get out of work for this?" Songbird asked.

Charon rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"Sweet," Songbird said, making her way towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Looking forward to it," Charon said.

Songbird went to leave, but paused as she opened the door, turning back towards Charon.

"You're not going to regret this," she said.

Charon just smiled. "I already am."

Songbird sighed, but exited the office, her stomach clenching with nerves.

What had she done?

Charon waited until he was certain 413 was gone before letting out a relieved exhale.

Gods, that was easier than I thought it was going to be.

Who knew that 413 would be asking to be his mistress, and not the other way around? Stubborn, tough, beautiful 413…

Charon froze. Can't be thinking like that anymore, can we?

This wasn't a silly fantasy anymore. This was real. 413 was in his grasp, and he had to do everything in his power to make sure she stayed there.

For Hadestown.

Squaring his shoulders, Charon rolled his chair over to his phone, dialing the number to Hades' office and waiting for him to pick up.

"Hello?" Hades' deep growl came out of the receiver.

Living in Asphodel was an… interesting change of pace for Eurydice. She had spent her entire life, as well as her entire afterlife, struggling to survive. But now, life was simple. She could do whatever she wanted, with no consequences at all. If she wanted to go for a walk in the woods outside her home, she could do that. If she wanted to try her hand at baking a cake, she could do that. Hell, if she wanted to stay in bed all day, wrapped in Orpheus' arms, she could do that.

(She had to admit, they had taken that option more than once.)

But that didn't mean they didn't have their fair share of problems. Adjusting to having memories that weren't their own was difficult, especially for Orpheus. Songbird and Eurydice were pretty similar, so their memories blurred together. Orpheus and Charon, on the other hand, were two completely different people, and on top of him getting used to being dead, it was difficult to adjust.

There were some times where Orpheus would just sit on the foot of their bed, one hand rubbing the shoulder with the tattoo on it with a blank expression. Orpheus wasn't overly fond of either of their tattoos, but Eurydice didn't mind them. Having a scarily realistic version of her hand on Orpheus' skin was unsettling, though.

It was hard to get Orpheus out these strange "memory-merges," or so they called them, but Eurydice was starting to figure it out.

So, when she saw Orpheus resume his position one evening, Eurydice immediately walked over to him, slowly moving his hand away.

"Hey, honey," she murmured, wrapping her arms around him. "You okay?"

Orpheus leaned into her, squeezing her tightly.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice muffled by her shirt. "I'm sorry for everything-"

This was a common response: Orpheus apologizing for Charon mistreating Songbird in the past. Eurydice kissed the top of his head, bending down so she was level with him.

"Hey, hey, that wasn't you," Eurydice said. "You did nothing wrong."

Orpheus took a shaky breath. "But-but-" 

"You did nothing wrong," Eurydice repeated. "You want me to do your hair for you? It's a mess."

Orpheus nodded, looking down at the floor.

"Okay. Sit," Eurydice said, pointing to the floor. "I'll be right back."

She left into the bathroom, grabbing a comb and a bottle of water (they had run out of gel, unfortunately) before heading back into the bedroom. Orpheus had adjusted himself onto the floor, allowing Eurydice to take over his spot on the bed. Dripping some water onto her hand, she patted Orpheus' hair down, using the comb to make it look neat. Orpheus slowly relaxed as she did so, leaning against her knee.

"Thank you," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her leg. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"It's nothing," Eurydice responded, finishing off Orpheus' hair and joining him on the floor. "I just wanna make sure you're okay."

Orpheus sighed. "I wish these things wouldn't happen to me."

"I know," Eurydice said. "But hey, at least we got the celebration to keep your mind off it tonight."

Orpheus nodded, smiling slightly.

"Right," he said. "...I can't believe it's been two years already."

The people of Asphodel, hearing about the fall of Hadestown, decided to host a celebration on the anniversary each year, to commemorate the freedom of the workers as well as the reunification of Orpheus and Eurydice. Both of them had been asked to make a speech, but they had declined, deciding to stay on the sidelines for the holiday.

"I know," Eurydice said, kissing Orpheus' nose. "It's been a long time coming."

"I should get ready," Orpheus said, standing up and heading to the bathroom. "I'll be back in a few."

He shut the door behind him, leaving Eurydice alone on the floor. She sighed, pulling herself up and picking up some bracelets she had discarded onto her nightstand last night.

She could only hope that someday, in the future, Orpheus might be able to get over these mind-merges.

The streets of Asphodel were already packed with people by the time Orpheus and Eurydice arrived in the main square. Adults were selling homemade goods made special for the occasion, (Eurydice's favorites were the flower-shaped cookies, Orpheus' were the pretzels shaped like lyres.) and children were running around with sparklers in their hands. Eurydice giggled as they passed, gripping Orpheus' arm in case one of them knocked her over.

"Hey, watch where you're steering those things!" Orpheus called after them, an amused smile on his face. One of the kids stopped from where he was chasing his friend and gawked at them, the sparkler in his hand fizzling out.

"Oh, s-sorry, Mr. Orpheus," he stammered. Orpheus laughed as his friends pulled him away from them, all muttering to each other with wide eyes.

"Good to be famous, huh?" Eurydice asked, nudging his side. Orpheus shrugged.

"I liked it better when we weren't famous, to be honest," he said, guiding her along the several stands that had been set up in the square, stopping at one with sparkly red ornaments hanging from it. "I feel… everyone's eyes on me, all the time. It's scary."

"Everyone's eyes were always on you, Orpheus," Eurydice reminded him, spinning one bulb around. "Now it's just more… obvious."

"Right," Orpheus agreed. "But the only eyes I really care about are yo- hm?"

Orpheus suddenly whirled around, and Eurydice noticed a little girl tugging at his pant leg to get his attention.

"Oh, hello," Orpheus said, kneeling down to look at the girl at eye level. "Can I help you with something?"

The girl rocked back and forth on her heels, looking between Eurydice and Orpheus with a nervous expression.

"It's okay, sweetie," Eurydice said, kneeling down as well. "We're not scary, promise."

"Well, she can be kinda scary sometimes," Orpheus teased, prompting Eurydice to elbow his arm. "Ack, sorry!"

The girl giggled, and then pulled two red carnations out from behind her back, offering them to the two.

"These are for you," she whispered. "My Great-Granny grew this in her garden."

"Oh!" Eurydice said, taking the flowers from the girl's hand. "Why, thank you very much! They're lovely."

The girl blushed. "Great-Granny says that you rescued my uncle, so she wanted to say thanks."

Orpheus looked down at his hands. "Aw, man… it was nothin', really-"

"Orpheus," Eurydice hissed. "You're very welcome, honey. I'm sure your uncle is doing just fine."

The girl grinned before darting off to a middle-aged woman, who scooped her up and began carrying her away. Eurydice and Orpheus stood up, with Eurydice taking one flower and pinning it to Orpheus' shirt.

"That was sweet of her," she murmured as she did so. "I wonder who her uncle is."

"I hope he's doing okay," Orpheus said, taking the remaining flower and tucking it behind Eurydice's ear. Eurydice nodded, looking back towards the little girl, who was now pulling her great-grandmother towards the stand with the sparklers. She smiled at the sight.

"What're you thinking about?" Orpheus whispered in her ear. Eurydice shrugged.

"Nothin'," she said. "I was just… I was wondering what it'd be like if you and I had a kid."

Orpheus flushed. "I-I never knew you… wanted kids," he stammered.

"I never really did," Eurydice admitted, taking his hand. "Not until recently, but it's kinda hard to have a kid when you're dead."

Orpheus squeezed her hand. "I suppose," he said, tilting his head. "But- if you still wanted a kid, we could adopt, but... I don't know if I'm ready. Not with- with this."

Orpheus tapped his head, which, to Eurydice, meant Not when Charon's still in my head.

"We don't have to right now," Eurydice said, pecking a kiss to his cheek. "We can discuss it later, 'kay? Right now we can focus on the celebration."

Orpheus' shoulders relaxed, and he pulled Eurydice into a hug, hardly caring that they were in public.

"Right," he murmured, kissing her forehead. "You wanna get those cookies you like?"

"Hades."

The king of the dead looks up from his desk, piled with stacks of meaningless papers and contracts. His wife stands before him, her eyes showing hints of sorrow.

Hades sets his pen down.

"What happened?" he asks as Persephone sits down in one of the armchairs in front of his desk.

"It's… it's the boy, Hades," she says, resting her chin on her hands. "He… he died this morning."

Hades leans back in his chair, his expression unchanging.

Yes, the boy. The one Persephone favored so heavily.

The one that nearly brought the Underworld to its knees.

"I'm sorry," Hades says. Persephone scoffs.

"No, you're not."

He sighs. "No, I am not."

Hades never understood what Persephone saw in that boy. He was a good musician, sure, but music can only get you so far.

That's what he told himself, anyway. Hades didn't want to admit that the boy had made him cry. On multiple occasions.

"He'll have a good afterlife in Asphodel, if that comforts you," Hades continues. "Free to play his music until the end of time."

"Hades, he hasn't played a song since he left this place."

Hades frowns, but he says nothing.

"He was grieving, Hades. He was always so sad whenever I came to visit him. It was heartbreaking," Persephone says. her eyes welling up with tears.

"If you're implying that I should let him stay here-"

"It would make him happy."

"It wouldn't," Hades says. "The girl's already forgotten him. Forgotten everything."

Persephone pauses. "Can't you… make her remember…?"

"That's not in my capabilities," Hades says apologetically. "But… if you still want to extend a mercy on him-"

Persephone's eyes light up, and Hades feels his previously tensed shoulders relax.

"-I can take him in. Make him forget. He can work under me."

Persephone tilts her head. "...I suppose that's the best option."

"Yes. I have been looking for another overseer," Hades says. Persephone nods, standing up and walking over to Hades' side of the desk.

"Thank you, husband," she says, kissing his cheek. Hades feels one of her tears press onto his face, but he doesn't comment on it, instead cupping his wife's face reassuringly.

"Persephone, if you want to talk about the boy, I'm here-"

Persephone shakes her head. "I'm afraid you wouldn't understand," she says, giving him a sad smile. "I'll leave you to your work."

Wordlessly, she exits Hades' study, leaving him alone with his paperwork. Sighing, he grabs the phone on his desk and dials three numbers before holding one end up to his ear.

"Alecto, there'll be a new arrival on the train that I want you to bring to me… the boy, yes… No, I don't want him gagged, just… bring him to me… thank you."

Hades sets the phone down and leans back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face.

Prelude

1: The Promised Land

2: The Little Songbird

3: The Mighty King

4: The Poet

Interlude 1

5: The Crack in the Wall

6: The Lady Stepping Off a Train

7: The Sunshine Up on the Shelf

Interlude 2

8: The Brave and Stupid

9: The Birds of a Feather

10: The World Sang it with Them

11: The Pull Like Gravity

12: The Chips Are Down

13: The Love Blooming Through the Cracks

Interlude 3

14: The Ones Who Bloom in the Bitter Snow

15: The Way it Looks Like to Forget

16: The Rain on Tap at the Bar

17: The Purpose of a Man

18: The Wind Will Never Change on Us

Interlude 4

19: The World We Dream About

20: The Way the River Runs

21: The Flowers Bloomed

22: The One I Left Behind

23: The Poor Boy

24: The Sound of the Pickaxe Ringing

25: The King on the Chromium Throne

26: The Jack of Hearts

27: The Big Wheel Groans

28: The Sunlight, Bright and Warm

For the first time in an incredibly long time, Charon had started to enjoy his time in Hadestown. It wasn't really the work itself, but rather the people there. He had learned so many names, so many personalities of the people he couldn't have cared less about the month prior.

But, above everyone else that he had met, Charon would always prefer Songbird's company. She was fun, if a little wild at times, and seemed to always know the right thing to say to make him laugh. Charon didn't think he could ever be upset when she was around.

It occurred to him, during one of the many drunken nights he spent in the speakeasy, that maybe he was falling for her.

Falling fast, and falling hard.

It wasn't something he wanted to admit out loud, but it was getting impossible to hide.

But he'd try to as much as he could.

Charon arrived at the speakeasy a little later than he normally did, so everyone was already there.

Everyone except Songbird.

Frowning, he approached the bar, where Persephone was serving up drinks as usual.

"Hey," he said, leaning on the bar. "Do you know where Songbird is?"

Persephone nodded, a mischievous grin appearing on her face that appeared every time he mentioned Songbird.

"She's up on the roof," she said, gesturing to a door near the corner of the speakeasy. "She could probably use the company."

Charon nodded, a little confused as to why the roof had been hidden from him. He crossed over to the door and opened it, revealing a flight of stairs that led him up to the roof.

There wasn't really anything on the roof, just an overlook of the town. What there was, though, was Songbird, sitting with her legs dangling over the side of the building.

"There you are," Charon said, causing his friend to whirl around. She smiled as she saw him, patting the space next to him.

"Here I am," she responded as Charon sat next to her. "Persephone tell you where I am?"

"Yup," he said. "Do you come up here often?"

"Sometimes. When I need to clear my head."

"Oh," Charon said. "...Does that mean you wanna be alone-?"

"No," Songbird interrupted. "You can stay."

Charon fought back a smile, staring down at the ground beneath them. "What's on your mind?"

Songbird shrugged. "Nothing, really."

Charon smiled. "So you're thinking about Orpheus."

Songbird glared at him. "I am not! I don't know where you got this idea about me having a crush on him, but I've never even met the guy-"

"But you know that he's a big, strong, hero who's destined to save you, right?" Charon said. "I'd be head over heels if I were you."

Songbird snorted. "That makes me sound like a damsel in distress, which I'm not."

"Of course."

"If he does end up falling in love with me- which he won't- I want to be treated like his equal."

"...But you want him to fall in love with you."

"No I don't."

Charon laughed. "Okay, okay, I get it, he's not your type either, huh?"

"Nope."

"Then who is?"

Songbird tilted her head. "...Well, his name starts with Charon-"

Charon's face turned bright red, and he scooted away from her. "What- You- I- What-"

"I'm teasing, Charon!" Songbird laughed. Charon relaxed, moving back to his position beside her.

"Har, har," he said, rubbing his neck and trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"You should've seen the look on your face!" Songbird said, continuing to laugh. "You turned as red as a carnation!"

"Shut up."

"Serves you right," Songbird said, letting out a sigh and staring out at the sky. A wistful expression appeared on her face, and Charon raised an eyebrow.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Songbird said. "...You ever think about what night looks like up Top?"

Charon tilted his head. "Not really."

"Persephone says that there are these little lights in the sky called stars," she said. "And then there's a big one, they call that the moon. They make everything all bright and pretty."

"That sounds nice." Charon said. Songbird nodded.

"I'd love to see them again one day," she said, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Cuz I know I did when I was alive."

"I hope that you get to," Charon said.

"You don't want to see them?"

"No. I mean, I don't think I'll ever get out of here," Charon said. "Your rebellion isn't for me, after all."

"Oh, Charon, of course it's for you," Songbird said. "It's for all once-mortals down here."

Charon widened his eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah. If you wanted to, you could join it right now."

Charon glanced up at the sky again, thinking about the decision. If did join, he would be guaranteed a new life up Top.

But then he would go against Hades, the man who had given him the mercy of not working below-ground.

Would he really risk losing a God's favor so he could live on the harsh, cruel surface?

"...I'll think about it," he said finally. Songbird grinned.

"Yay," she said, resting one hand between them as she looked back up at the sky. Charon turned his gaze towards her, suddenly becoming engrossed in how pretty she looked right now. Her eyes sparkling in wonder, her hair moving in the wind, her lips curving up in a small smile…

He really wanted to kiss that smile.

Stop that, he scolded himself. She already said she didn't like you. Stop pushing it.

But what if she was lying? What if she just didn't know how to communicate how she really felt?

Songbird's head suddenly snapped his direction, and it occurred to Charon that his hand was now resting on top of hers. He widened his eyes, a million apologies bubbling up in his brain, but none of them escaped his lips. He just sat there, watching Songbird slowly bring her gaze from their hands to his face.

Her expression showed no trace of annoyance, of fear, anger, anything like that.

In fact, it almost looked… inviting.

Deciding to risk it, Charon slowly brought his face closer to hers, his nerves tightening with every inch.

She's not saying no she's not saying no she's not saying no-

A little closer and he would be kissing her-

Songbird sucked in a breath.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, with Charon feeling her breath on her face. Before he could even process what the apology meant, she stood up and walked away from him towards the door that led back to the speakeasy.

She was leaving him.

"Wait- Songbird-'' Charon began, standing up as well, but she was already gone by time her name escaped her lips. He stood alone on the roof, his stomach sinking to places even lower than the Underworld.

He had messed up.

Orpheus was alone.

Again.

He stood on the train tracks, almost as if he was waiting for it to come back.

But it did not. The train, and Eurydice, was gone.

And he had sent her away.

Oh, gods, why did he send her away?

He needed her. He needed her more than anything else in the world, and he just gave her up because he thought she didn't deserve him.

But the sound of her last desperate plea before the car door shut made him regret that thought.

Of course she wanted to be with him. Why wouldn't she?

And now she'd spend the rest of her life resenting him for what he'd done, and how was he supposed to deal with that?

Gripping his lyre, which was now the only comfort he had, Orpheus allowed himself to cry. Cry over his losses, cry over his past, cry over his resurgence of memories that came way too fast, his emotions just became too great for him.

He wanted to collapse, but the feeling of someone's presence behind him made him reconsider.

"Did… Did I do the right thing?" Orpheus whimpered.

A brief silence.

"I don't know, hon," a voice that he identified as Persephone came behind him. "Sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest option."

Orpheus turned his head to face her, surprised to see Hades standing next to her. The Queen's face carried loads of sorrow, while the King's carried no expression at all.

Persephone took a step forward, reaching her hand out towards Orpheus.

"I-I'm sorry, Orpheus," Persephone said. "I know it was hard."

Sniffing, Orpheus took her hand and allowed her to pull him into a hug, with her rubbing his back like a mother would to her child.

Orpheus sunk into it, burying his face in her shoulder, sobbing his heart out.

"You're okay, baby," Persephone said soothingly.

"I-I loved her so much," Orpheus murmured. "How could I do something like that?"

"You did what you thought was right," Persephone said. "Now why don't we take you back to the house and clean you up? We can figure out what to do from there."

Orpheus nodded, breaking away from Persephone and beginning to walk back, not bothering to look at Hades when he passed. 

Oh, Eurydice…

Orpheus could still hear her screaming his name, trying to fight against the workers' grip.

He tried to block out the sound, but it remained in his brain, steadily getting louder.

"Orpheus!"

The footsteps behind him stopped, which made Orpheus stop, too. Hades and Persephone faced the distance, confused looks on their faces. Confused as well, Orpheus squinted as he looked through the dust, noticing a figure sprinting towards them.

"Orpheus!"

There was Eurydice's voice again, but this time it sounded… real.

Suddenly, it all clicked.

Eurydice had come back.

"Eurydice…? Eurydice!" Orpheus exclaimed, running over to her and meeting her halfway. Orpheus took her into his arms and spun her around before collapsing into a weepy, lovey-dovey heap.

"You came back!" Orpheus sobbed, cupping her face in his hands.

"Of course I did!" Eurydice said. "You think I was just going to leave you?"

"But… but what about your life? What about home?"

"Orpheus," Eurydice murmured, taking his hands in hers. "You are my home. You're the only thing in this world that's truly made me happy. Without you, I'm just as good as dead."

Before Orpheus could say something back, Eurydice grabbed his face and kissed him, her fingers tangling into his hair. Orpheus wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing kiss after kiss all over every piece of bare skin he could touch.

It wasn't until they broke apart, smiles a mile wide on their faces, did they remember that they were being watched.

"Well," Persephone said awkwardly, clapping her hands together. "I think this is a good time to discuss your new living arrangements, don't you think so, Hades?"

"I do," Hades said. "Anyway, as you can probably tell, this place has… gone out of business, to put it simply."

Eurydice nodded, hugging Orpheus tighter.

"It costs too much to try and restart it, so I think I'm just going to take it down for good."

This brought a smile to Persephone's face, but Orpheus and Eurydice remained unfazed.

"As for you two, I'd like to offer you an afterlife in Asphodel."

"Elysium," Persephone argued.

"Asphodel," Hades repeated. "I don't think you two would like it in Elysium. Too many war heroes. Asphodel is… comfortable. Homey. I think it's a good fit for you."

Orpheus smiled. "We'll take whatever we can get, Hades."

"As long as it's not Tartarus," Eurydice objected. Hades cracked a smile.

"Oh, no, I'd rather do anything than visit my father again," he said, exchanging a look with Persephone. "Well, then, it's settled, isn't it? Once the train comes back, we'll send you two on your way. I'm sure someone's already building a house for you."

Orpheus and Eurydice grinned at each other.

"A house," Eurydice repeated, resting her forehead against his. "A home of our own."

"With everything you could ever want," Orpheus added. "I'll make sure of it."

Eurydice shook her head. "The only thing I want is you," she said. "Nothing else would make me happier."

Orpheus kissed her, giving her hand a squeeze. "I love you, Eurydice."

"I love you, too, Orpheus," Eurydice echoed, standing up and reaching a hand towards him.

If Orpheus had a heart, it would be pounding out of control right now.

He had never expected that he would face Hades again. He never expected to end up in Hadestown, really.

No tragic poet ever got to spend the afterlife with their muse, anyway.

He couldn't help but notice that he was one hundred percent less prepared than he was when he last confronted Hades. He had no song, no group of workers to back him up, no Eurydice to squeeze his hand reassuringly…

He had nothing, really.

But he still had to try.

The elevator dinged, the door opening to reveal the dark hallway that he spent years passing through.

Years that he could barely remember.

Straightening his spine, Orpheus walked down the hallway with fake confidence, stopping once he reached the closed door at the end of the hall. Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

"Come in."

Orpheus opened the door, being met with a sight that chilled him to his core: Hades, standing with a glass of whiskey in his hand.

"Hello, Charon," Hades said. "I was hoping my wife would set you free. Care for a drink?"

Orpheus clutched his lyre tightly. "No," he said. "I've had enough."

Hades chuckled. "Thought you'd say that," he muttered, sipping his own drink. "Nice lyre you got there. Where'd you get it?"

"It's mine," Orpheus said. "You stole it."

Hades shook his head. "You don't know who that belongs to."

"Pretty sure I do," Orpheus said, taking it off and resting it against one of the armchairs in front of his desk. "It was a birthday present. I got it when I was ten."

At this, Hades choked on his drink, pulling it away from his lips and setting it on his desk.

"Ah," he muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It's you."

"It's me," Orpheus said. Hades scowled.

"Suppose you got a song for me?"

"I don't, actually," Orpheus said. "I'm just here to talk."

"Well, then, talk away."

Orpheus sighed. "I expected things to change around here, Hades. I expected…"

"What you expected is not who I am, boy," Hades said. "I only promised to be less… strict with my wife. My Underworld was not part of your desires."

"What I desire is peace for everyone," Orpheus countered. "Even the ones that are dead."

"Peace for everyone is impossible."

"It won't be eventually," Orpheus said. "I believe that the future will be brighter for everyone, and that starts with you letting them go. All five hundred and eight of them."

Hades sighed. "That's the thing, boy. It's too late for me to hold them back."

Orpheus raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Look for yourself."

Hades gestured towards the window, which Orpheus approached warily. In the distance, the wall was beginning to crumble. Orpheus held his breath.

Please let Eurydice be safe.

"I have to admit, this snuck up on me," Hades said, not facing the window. "I thought I had you under control. Turns out I was wrong."

"Why would you do something like that to me?" Orpheus asked, watching the wall fall. "Why bother to keep me as your servant?"

"It was a mercy, boy," Hades said. "It was either this, or you live the rest of your afterlife away from the woman you love."

Orpheus swallowed, imagining spending eternity knowing where Eurydice was: away from him.

He could barely spend half a year like that.

"Which, reminds me of something I have to let you know," Hades continued, making Orpheus turn to face him. "You cannot leave the Underworld."

Orpheus paled, looking worriedly out the window.

"They- they can't-"

"No, they can," Hades said. "I got rid of all their contracts. You, however, don't have one."

Orpheus balled his hands into fists. "I-I don't understand."

"When people like your wife come down to Hadestown, they sell their souls to me. Therefore, I own them, follow?"

Orpheus nodded.

"However, when someone dies, like you, they sell nothing to me. They come here because Fate wills them to. You can't rewrite your fate if you no longer have one."

"But… but they do," Orpheus said, his voice fading. "They don't have bodies on the surface, but I…"

"Still do," Hades finished. "And you can't have two poets running around."

Orpheus ran a hand through his hair, tears forming in his eyes.

He couldn't leave.

There goes his new life with Eurydice.

There goes his second chance.

"So," Hades said. "Now that you know that, I suggest you run along and tell your little wife that there's a slight change of plans."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Orpheus crossed over to his lyre and slung in around his shoulder again.

"This isn't a trick," he said.

"No," Hades said. "I think you've had enough tricks."

Orpheus stared at him, scanning his expression for any sign of a lie, of a trick, something that wouldn't make him believe him.

But there was none. 

"What, are you going to tell me that I'm a monster for keeping you back?" Hades said. Slowly, Orpheus shook his head.

"No," he said, holding back a sob. "This is the way it is."

And then he left, this time not looking back.

He had to go say good-bye.

Charon returned back to his apartment after what felt like days, his thoughts weighing him down. 

He had to make a decision, stay here or join Songbird and her rebellion.

It was a hard decision to make when all members on both sides seemed to hate him.

He flopped down on his couch, too mentally exhausted to crawl into bed.

For the first time, he longed to fall asleep so he could dream that dream again. At least the person in there enjoyed his company.

And he was about to drift off until he heard a very rapid knock on his door. 

Knock knock knock.

Groaning, Charon stood up and opened the door, freezing when he saw who stood there.

Songbird was there, her fist raised mid-knock.

"Hi," she said, smiling at him. Charon quickly seized her wrist and pulled her inside, glancing around the hallway to make sure nobody saw her before shutting the door.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed, crossing behind his kitchen counter. "You could've been seen!" 

Songbird's eyes showed a flash of hurt at his tone, but she shrugged.

"I just wanted to talk to you," she said defensively. "Is that a crime?"

"No! Of course it's not a crime!"

"Then why are you yelling at me?"

Charon opened his mouth to shoot something back, but seeing the hurt in her eyes made him reconsider. Instead, he took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," he said. Songbird widened her eyes.

"Woah," she said. "Did you just apologize?"

"...Yes?"

"You never apologize."

Charon flushed. "Well, do you want me to take it back? I can-"

"Charon," Songbird interrupted. "Why are you getting so upset? Is something wrong?"

Charon rested his elbows on the counter. "Everything's wrong," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "Everyone hates me and I'm betraying Hades and now you're not talking to me and Tisiphone wants me to be one thing but everyone else wants me to be something else and I have a really bad headache and-"

"C-Charon?" Songbird stopped him again, her eyes now showing concern. "Do you wanna sit down?"

Charon nodded, crossing over to his couch and flopping down on it again. Songbird sat down next to him, awkwardly patting his shoulder.

"Do you, uh… do you want a hug?" Songbird murmured. "That always cheers me up when I'm upset."

Charon sat in silence for a moment before leaning into her arms, trying to calm himself with deep breaths.

Although he found it hard to remain calm while she was touching him.

Songbird began rubbing his back slowly, resting her cheek on the top of his head.

"For the record," she began slowly. "I don't… hate you."

"Yes, you do."

"I promise you, I don't," Songbird said. "It's just… when awkward things happen, like what happened last night, sometimes we have to distance ourselves for a bit."

Charon sighed. "I'm sorry about last night."

"Don't be," Songbird said quickly, breaking away from him and standing up. "I'm the one who should be sorry."

She didn't add anything to that sentence, walking over to the bookshelves on the opposite side of his couch, pulling one book off and flipping it open.

"You ever read any of these?" she asked.

"No," Charon said. "They're written in a language I don't understand."

"Oh," Songbird said, squinting at the book's contents. "I don't know how to read at all, if that makes you feel better."

"You don't?"

"Nope. Must've never learned," she said simply, putting the book back on the shelf. She began examining the other books, with Charon's gaze travelling over to the tattoo on her back. He knew what the shape was supposed to be now, but he had never seen the full thing. He knew that it would be weird to ask what it looked like, but his curiosity got the best of him.

"Hey, Songbird-" he blurted. "Can I ask you something?"

Songbird whirled around, her eyes wide.

"Yes?"

"What's the tattoo on your back?"

Songbird tilted her head. "It's of the carnation. Everyone has it."

"I know, but… um…"

An amused grin spread across Songbird's face. "You wanna see it?"

Charon flushed. "Well, I mean- You don't have to show me, you could just describe it-"

"No, no, it's fine," Songbird said, sitting down on the couch again. "I never get to show it off. Close your eyes."

Charon did, covering his eyes with a hand for extra emphasis. He heard some rustling, and then as it stilled…

"Okay, open."

Charon opened his eyes, noticing that Songbird's overalls had been removed from her back, the white cloth that covered the worker's chest now being replaced by a pillow hugged to hide her front.

The tattoo was probably the most vibrant one Charon had seen, the reds and greens popping out at him like the mural did. However, what separated Songbird's tattoo from the others was a hand grasping the stem of the flower.

"Who's hand is that?" Charon asked.

"Orpheus'," Songbird muttered. Charon snorted.

"Wow, you love him so much you got his hand tattooed on you-"

"Can you drop that for one second?"

Charon laughed. "Okay, okay, fine."

He stared at the tattoo for a couple of moments, the shape drawing him in once again.

"Is it… is it okay if I-"

"You can touch it."

Nodding, Charon lightly placed his finger on the bud on the flower, surprised at how soft Songbird's skin felt on his hands. He slowly traced the bud's shape, prompting a giggle from Songbird.

"Ah, sorry-"

"No, no, you're good," Songbird said. "It's just… you have funny hands."

"I do?"

"Yeah. It's… it's weird. Hold on-"

She grabbed the white cloth from beside her and pulled it back into its place before turning back to Charon, pulling one of his hands in front of him.

"Your palms are really soft," she said, tracing the lines on his palm with a finger. Charon fought back a blush. "But your fingers are all hard and calloused. I wonder why."

Charon nodded, really not understanding a word she was saying. Right now, all he could focus on was how perfectly her hand fit in his. Slowly, he wrapped her fingers around his, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. Songbird tilted her head, but said nothing. Charon took this as an invitation to bring her hand to his lips and kiss it.

Songbird gave a small smile. "What are you doing?"

Charon shrugged. "Doing what I should've done last night."

"Kiss my hand?"

"No," Charon said, feeling a little bit braver. "Fall in love with you."

Songbird sat in silence, staring at their clasped hands.

"Of course, unless you have a reason I shouldn't," Charon added.

Songbird let out a tiny laugh. "I'll get you into trouble."

"I know," Charon sighed. "But I think I'm willing to risk it."

Songbird grinned, leaning forward and pressing her lips against his.

Oh, it was everything Charon had ever hoped it would be. Soft, sweet, tender… he could've drowned in that kiss.

He pulled Songbird closer to him, one of her hands lightly caressing his scar.

He liked the way that felt, an angel-like hand touching something that gave him so much pain.