Don't let the tower fall

[gwenchan]

 Fandom: Hades

Prompt: Jenga

Tongue between his teeth, Zagreus carefully places the last wooden block in place. The third Saturday of the month is game night and since this round was his turn to choose he picked jenga. The rules are easy, it's quick, funny, doesn't require any maths or complex strategy while still managing to be sufficiently challenging.

The perfect group game. Sometimes he plays alone too, but in a group it is definitely better.

"That doesn't look too stable," Than comments, carrying a tray of snacks from the kitchen. 

"It isn't meant to be," Zagreus replies. The more unstable the tower, the funnier the game.

He quickly counts the chairs around the table.  "Is your brother coming?"

"Last time I asked he said yes, but knowing him he must be napping. I'm going to give him a ring.

Then Meg and Dusa. Achilles, Zagreus' downstairs neighbour, and his husband. Finally Asterius and unfortunately his boyfriend, Theseus, who insists to come even after having profusely declared his distaste for Zagreus. 

He adds a couple chairs more in case Meg's sisters decide to come along with the excuse of free food.

"Hypnos will be a little late," Thanatos informs him. "He says to start without him."

“Did he fall asleep again?” Zagreus chuckles. Thanatos rolls his eyes. “I still don’t know how he hasn’t been fired yet.”

“You should give your brother more credit.” 

Asterius is the first to arrive  with Theseus in tow,  already ranting about how Zagreus better not to cheat.

"I don't need cheating to beat you."

Besides he decided the order of the turns to be sure he won’t be right before Theseus. 

The pair has just sat down when the doorbell rings again. 

Sorry for being late," Achilles says, "Dash vomited."- Dash being one of Patroclus' dogs. 

"I'm sorry. Is he alright?" 

"Fine," Patroclus assures. "He always eats too fast. This goes in the fridge," he adds, passing Zagreus a bottle to be shared later. 

Dusa and Meg arrive a little after. To Zagreus' chagrin, there's Alecto too, Meg’s younger sister. He would have definitely preferred Tysiphone.

"Hello, redblood."

"Charming as always, Alecto."

Behind her  Meg rolls her eyes, while Dusa sinks her head in her shoulders as if Alector was her fault. Zagreus gives what he hopes is a big, reassuring smile. 

“Hypnos will be a bit late,” he informs the others as they gather around the table. 

They chat while they wait for him, small talk about school and work and Theseus proclaiming he's jenga champion but will be magnanimous with them and try not to win too many times. 

To which Pat replies Achilles' too is very adept with his fingers, the joke turning the man the same shade of Alecto crimson skirt. She sneers.

"And you, redblood?" 

"Why don't you ask your sister?" He replies, unphased, ignoring Meg's glaring. He'll probably pay for his long-tongue in the near future. 

"I bet you're terrible," Alecto insists.

“Aren’t you just jealous?”

They would go on bantering for hours if the doorbell didn’t ring once again. On the threshold Hypnos spots the sleepiest of sleepy heads and he definitely has his sweater backwards.

"Sorry! I meant to close my eyes for just like five minutes  I swear.”
“I know, Hypnos, don’t worry. Come. There’s paprika chips.”

Hypnos lights up, then gives Meg a quick peck on the cheek in greeting before sitting next to Dusa. 

“So,” Zagreus reprises. “I think we can go in alphabetical order. Alright with everybody?"

They all nod and mutter in agreement. First round goes without any particular complications. Despite what Than claimed earlier, it will take a while to make the tower crumble. 

Second round things begin heating up. “Pat, stop that,” Achilles yelps while his husband feigns innocence.

“Stop what?”
“Stop kicking me under the table

“I’m definitely not doing that,” Patroclus says, grinning mischievously. He isn’t the only one trying to sabotage the others. Alecto snorts loudly each time her sister tries to remove a piece. It does little: Meg has the firm hand of a surgeon and is the type who can sit through jumpscares without batting an eyelash. Patroclus too is not doing too bad.

Theseus is a whole different matter. As Zagreus by now has learnt, the man is all talk and no action. “It’s your fault,” he mutters, struggling to pass his turn without having the whole tower fall. “You sabotaged me,” he accuses Zagreus, claiming he built the tower wrong.
“As if I needed it.”

The tower wobbles but still resists and Theseus' turn lasted long enough Zagreus had had plenty of time to decide where to do his next move. 

After him Achilles plays perched on his chair and eyeing wearily Pat for any undertable kick, even if Patroclus is animatedly chatting with Dusa.

She giggles loudly at a joke and eyes Achilles who pouts, ears an intense pink. He'll have his revenge.

“Be careful, Asterius,” Theseus urges. Asterius snorts. For someone his size, he has surprisingly delicate hands, for Theseus’ delight.
“Wonderful,” he exclaims as if he had already won. But as Than pokes his brother who has dozed off already, it’s clear the tower will hardly survive another round. Hypnos hitting the table jolting awake doesn’t help. 

“Seems you’re out of luck, Meggy,” Alecto laughs, leaning forward and pretending to blow onto the tower. 

“Save it,” Meg replies, taking out another piece and placing it on top of the tower with a soft “click”, never breaking eye contact. 

“Just luck.”

“I don't need it.”
“Neither do I,” Patroclus retorts. “So, Achilles stops muttering jinxes.”
“Worth a try."

Thanatos’ turn passes overall quietly, Pat more interested in teasing his husband than in winning. And Than is too polite to disrupt Theseus. 

Theseus, on the other hand…

“Ah, beat that hellspawn,” he shouts so loud it’s a miracle the tower doesn’t fall. Zagreus takes  a long, deep, breath. He won’t let Theseus win. It’s a matter of principle. Slowly, he brushes the pad of his finger against the highest possible centrepiece and gently pushes. Nice and slow. Again his tongue finds his way through his teeth. Little bit at a time till the block easies out of his slot. 

Zagreus gives Theseus the smuggest of grins, not even being upset when his victory slips from him at Achilles’ hand. Alecto’s face is worth it all. She coughs and sputters around her mouthfuls of chips, enraged.

“That’s ridiculous. I can’t accept it.”

“Oh, cease the dramatics, Alecto.”
Unable to suppress another grin, Zagreus begins gathering the pieces. “We’re doing a rematch. Right?”
Everybody cheers.