the song of persephone ♡ ziall/niam au [COMPLETE]

quatre

"mother," niall called as he ran back to the house. he was so excited it was almost embarrassing. "mother!" he pushed the front door open, hair tousled from the wind. he received no response from his mother, and ran up the steps two at a time to start packing his things.

"niall?" demeter questioned, pushing his door open. "what on earth are you doing?"

"i'm going," he said, lifting his mattress to grab the drachmas he'd hidden under there.

"going? where?"

niall hesitated. he knew she would be angry, so incredibly angry, and he didn't know how he would be able to handle that. "with liam," he said finally, frozen there on the floor, eyes searching her face.

"with liam?" demeter repeated, voice trembling. she was angry. niall couldn't see it in her face, she was too good at hiding it there, but thunder rumbled across the sky and dark clouds rolled in. niall glanced over at the window, heart in his throat.

"mother," he said carefully, watching her face. the sky was dark, but the clouds hadn't burst forth with rain yet. everything was tense and dark, and it suddenly was so hard for niall to breathe. "mother, i–"

"after everything i've done for you," demeter snapped. lightning cracked, striking a tree in their backyard. "everything i've given up for you!" niall still cowered there on the floor, and then flinched as demeter's face turned angrier and she rose both arms, causing vines to rip up through the floor, entangling niall.

"mother–" he gasped as the vines tightened around him, choking him.

"demeter," liam's voice suddenly said, coming out of nowhere, sounding so disappointed. "tsk, tsk. you sure do treat him poorly for saying you love the boy."

"i..." demeter looked surprised at herself, at her anger. she dropped niall from the vines, stepped toward him to see if he was okay. he flinched back from her outstretched hands and she stepped back, surprised.

"i want to go," niall said quietly, breaking the heavy silence.

"let him come with me," liam said gently. "i'll keep him safe for you."

"will i...?" demeter swallowed. "liam, you must let me see him again."

"once a year," he nodded, and demeter actually hissed at him.

"he's my son," she snapped, "i am willing to compromise, liam, but i will not surrender him to you!"

"a compromise," liam nodded. "half the year he stays with me. half with you."

niall just sat there silently, mulling this over. he wouldn't interfere with their argument – it wasn't his place – but he would be okay with whatever was chosen. he wasn't too happy about having to come back here, what with his mother having just tried to kill him, but maybe it would be okay.

"okay," demeter finally said. liam helped niall off the floor, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "i'll see you soon, niall," she said, her voice trembling. niall knew she was going to cry, and he let her hug him. "you take care of my son, liam."

"i will," he nodded, pulling niall close to him, wrapping an arm around niall's shoulders. niall felt so small and fragile in liam's hold, but he liked it. he wasn't used to feeling this way.

"soon," niall said to his mother, and she nodded, and then they were falling through a portal. niall's heart was in his throat, and he grabbed desperately at liam's coattail, and then they weren't falling anymore, and he could breathe. "that was so scary," niall gushed, hands pale at the knuckle from holding onto liam so tightly.

"you're okay," liam cooed, unable to keep from doing so. niall was just so cute, it was almost painful.

"are we here?" niall asked nervously, smoothing down his hair as if he needed to impress the dead.

liam nodded. "welcome to the underworld, niall."