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

cinq

"it's..." niall was quiet. he looked around carefully, expecting it to be a horrific, gross sight. he'd expected dismembered zombies running out, blood splatters, and more gore. "it's beautiful," niall hummed, surprised.

hell was organized, which surprised niall a lot. it reminded him of a hotel, with the same layout, and the same clean, safe scent. the two of them stood in front of an elevator, waiting for it to come to the lobby.

"i know," liam smiled, sheepish. "it's not like you pictured, huh?"

"not at all," niall smiled. "it's lovely, though, i like it. i really like it."

"thanks," liam grinned. "so...yeah, this is the underworld. my domain."

niall hummed as they stepped into the elevator, still smiling shyly up at liam. then, all of a sudden, he was hugging him, face nestled against liam's chest.

"thank you," he breathed, pulling back and going up onto his tiptoes to press a kiss to liam's cheek.

liam's cheeks went pink, surprising them both. "what for?"

"you didn't leave me there with her," he said quietly, "and...i don't know...you're..." niall squinted up at him. "we're friends, right?"

liam's heart sank at those words. "yes," he said, because he could do that. he could be that for niall. he really did care about the kid, and if a relationship wasn't what niall wanted/needed right now, he could be a friend. (a/n: liam ain't no fuckboy y'all).

"so how did you become the ruler of the underworld?" niall questioned as the elevator climbed. they were slowly reaching the penthouse, where liam lived.

liam sighed. "simple answer? zeus is an asshole."

niall giggled. "he is?"

"totally, kid. he was splitting up the earth, right? so everyone could have equal parts. so he gives poseidon the water, the oceans, cool. he takes the sky for himself, the asshat. and me? what do I get?" liam rolled his eyes, still mad as hell. "hell. that's what I fucking get. asshole."

niall tried not to laugh, but liam was so legitimately angry, it was too funny. he  hid his face in his shirt sleeves, trying to laugh quietly, but a few giggles escaped, and liam looked over at him, a small smile on his face.

"you laughing at me?" liam questioned, but he was teasing.

"nooooo," niall chirped innocently, cheeks pinking.

"of course you weren't," liam chuckled fondly, rolling his eyes. the elevator dinged and the doors opened on the penthouse floor, and niall trailed liam out into the room. his eyes were the size of saucers and swept from side to side, looking at everything. the penthouse was modern, all white and silver, and niall immediately loved it. then he heard a snuffling noise, and cried out in joy when a corgi puppy waddled its way into the room and over to liam. "hi, cerberus!" he cooed, petting the puppy.

"that's cerberus?" niall questioned. "i thought he was three-headed." the puppy waddled over and sniffed niall, and the boy giggled when the puppy licked at his toes.

"just don't make him angry," liam smiled with a wink, and niall smiled.

"i think i'm gonna like it here," he said softly, and liam grinned right back.