35. Birthday Boy

Sage woke up alone and groaned groggily. Drinking so much last night had been a mistake. A terrible mistake. She could hear sounds from the café below and she glanced at the clock. Half five in the morning, Jaz must be cleaning. He'd be happy at least. Sage pushed back the covers and that's when she noticed that she was still dressed, dressed but topless. Sage's cheeks turned bright red.

Ares... had seen her topless! She covered her face with her hands, mortified. He'd seen her stomach when she wasn't breathing in, he'd probably noticed her stomach rolls. Sage moaned and quickly scrambled out of bed. Her foot collided with the bin that had been kindly placed beside the bed for her to throw up into.

"Kill me now." She whimpered.

She put her head in her hands. Ares had returned, declaring his feelings for her at last. His real, not-arrow-induced feelings, and since then she'd managed to be a disaster. First, he'd seen her with no eyeballs. Now he'd seen her drunk and potentially flabby! If he didn't run for the hills it would be a miracle.

With these depressing thoughts, Sage grabbed a towel from the cupboard and trudged dejectedly into the bathroom. She glanced at the mirror but quickly looked away, unnerved by the sight of her intense blue eyes. She stepped into the shower and took a deep steadying breath. What fresh disaster would the day bring?

Ares materialised in Sage's room. He quickly saw that Sage was no longer sleeping. He smiled ruefully, and wondered if she'd remember him carrying her home. He could hear someone moving about in the bathroom and guessed that she was in there. His gaze roamed, looking for a space to sit and wait for her. Jaz's belongings were piled up against a wall – leaving just about enough room for Sage's bed. Her clothes were littered messily around the place. Ares' gaze narrowed in suspicion. He picked up an extra-large t-shirt, that had been crumpled on the floor, and took a closer look. It was definitely a man's shirt.

Ares breathed in its scent. His sharper senses were able to pick up a masculine musk, despite its many trips through the wash. This shirt had once belonged to Ezekiel. Ares heard the gurgle of the pipes as Sage turned the shower on. Whilst he had time, Ares quickly searched through Sage's belonging and found three more t-shirts with Ezekiel's scent.

Ares' heart quivered. He wanted to throw them away. Anxious thoughts scratched around his head. Did Sage have feelings for Ezekiel? After being cursed with an obsession with him, it wasn't an extra-ordinary idea...

The pipes rattled and Ares flinched at the sound, anxious like a thief, of being caught. He returned the t-shirts to their original locations, leaving no trace that he'd touched them, and quickly vanished from the room.

Downstairs, Jaz heard the shower running and guessed that Sage had woken up. He continued with his cleaning, a half-smile on his lips. Sage emerged a quarter of an hour later, with damp hair and wearing some fresh clothes.

"Happy birthday!" She greeted loudly. Jaz grinned at her and gestured to the thermos that was sat waiting on the table for her.

"Drink."

Sage didn't hesitate. She had complete faith in his brews.

Her headache lessened almost immediately and she helped Jaz in rearranging the chairs.

"I wonder if Markus will be back in today." Jaz mused. Markus had called in sick the day before.

"He'll come." Sage replied, her voice strangely soft and floaty.

"Oh, has he text you?"

Sage went very still and scratched her head. Why had she answered that Markus would be in, she didn't know that.

"Err..."

Markus did show up for work, feeling much better. Though he was quieter than usual, something which bothered Cesar a lot. Cesar moseyed his way over to where Sage was cleaning.

"Do you think something's happened?" He asked. Nodding his head in Markus' direction. Sage glanced up and shrugged.

"I don't know, Cesar."

"Do you think he likes someone and they've had a fight?"

"I don't know, Cesar."

"Do you think he's been dumped?"

"I don't know, Cesar."

"Do you think he wants me to go over and ask him about it?"

Sage hit Cesar on the back of the head.

"I don't know just...Let him be." She urged. Markus was the kind of guy who valued his privacy.

Cesar pouted but when Sage didn't relent, he finally sighed dramatically.

"Will me and Markus ever be a thing?" He moaned. Sage's eyes glazed over.

"When defensive barriers crumble, beware missing out on a romantic opportunity."

Cesar rose an eyebrow at her.

"You what?"

Sage blinked and frowned in puzzlement. Why had she said that?

"I-I've no idea. I must just be tired." Sage mumbled. Cesar studied her.

"Where did you get those eyes from again?" He asked suddenly. Sage quickly looked away, feeling flustered.

"I told you. Sophia got them for me, through a friend in some... biotech thing. They're a trial product that isn't available yet." She lied. Cesar looked unconvinced. He'd hadn't forgotten the hoof-shaped scorch marks on her old living room floor, or her flimsy story for why they'd been there...

"Ah, Jaz!" Sage called out, thrilled for the distraction. Jaz had emerged from the kitchen, litter-picker in hand. "Great, you're ready."

Sage quickly scurried away from Cesar, and his line of questioning, and linked her arm with Jaz's. A fresh kind of hell awaited her now. Voluntary community service.

**

"Thank you for doing this with me today," Jaz said as they headed back for the café – the sun setting behind them. "I know this isn't your thing."

Sage grimaced but smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"I think one day a year, I can manage to care about the environment and stuff."

Jaz grinned.

"And," Sage continued. "The fun isn't over just yet."

"What do you mean?" They rounded the corner and Jaz saw the café, decked out in birthday balloons and bunting. Jaz saw all the people through the windows and he whooped excitedly.

"A party!?"

Sophia had pulled out all the stops. If she threw a party, then it had to be one that nobody would forget. She had an outfit prepared for Jaz – in the flamboyant style he loved. A live band, caterers and servers. The place was rammed and Sage struggled to find a quiet corner that she could hide in. Every nook seemed to be filled by props and fancy dress.

Sage smiled in relief at the sight of Ezekiel.

"I brought this?" Ezekiel spoke as if it was a question and showed her a bottle of wine.

"Jaz will love it." She reassured him. Ezekiel looked around for the birthday boy and eventually spotted him on the makeshift dance floor, dancing as if it 1821.

Jaz didn't ask people to dance with him. He wrestled them onto the dancefloor, before proceeding to waltz whilst guiding their limbs like a puppet master. But Sophia was almost just as bad. Sage ducked down whenever either of them passed by – not wanting to be the next victim. She nursed her cocktail and discreetly used Ezekiel as a human shield.

"I was worried you wouldn't come." Sage admitted, handing him a beer.

"I promised that I would."

"I know." They smiled at one another. "You're reacting better to my eyes than anyone else has." She commented. People tended to stare at them.

"I saw them on FaceTime." Ezekiel reminded her.

"I know, but's different – seeing them for real."

"Are you happy?"

"Yes. Very."

A drunk Sophia nearly collided into Sage, but Ezekiel was quick to pull her out of harm's way.

"Sorry!" Sophia slurred, already sliding her way back to the dancefloor. Ezekiel's heart skipped a beat at having Sage suddenly so close to him. "I want to give you something." Sage spoke softly. She produced a small box from her purse. "It's not much and I'm not sure if you'll like it but..."

Ezekiel opened the box. Nestled inside was a fancy watch. He quickly pulled it out to admire it closer. "I thought about getting you a watch ages ago, after yours broke. But going into a shop, back when I was blind – I wouldn't have been able to tell what would suit you. So, this morning I headed into town. You don't have to wear it if you hate it."

"I love it." Ezekiel put it on immediately, determined to wear it every day.

Across the room, Ares was trapped by a gaggle of admirers (or 'worshippers' as Sage called them). He hadn't minded at first. Secretly, he'd been hoping to spark some jealousy from Sage. But now, watching her with Ezekiel – it was Ares who was in the grip of jealousy. He cursed himself. He'd been an arrogant fool to think that Sage's obsession being over solved everything.

Fear and uncertainty gripped his immortal heart.

He'd been gone too long.