Chapter Nine

I curse myself for doing this, but I can't help it. It's almost two months since the wedding. He hasn't seen me or texted or called. I just get lilies. No note, it's driving me mad. What is he doing? He spends all that time trying to make me fall for him then disappears? Oh no, we are going to have words.

Without hesitation, I knock on his door, trying to make it sound angry. The door opens and.. a bedraggled Ares stands before me, wearing no shirt and sweatpants. It looks like he hasn't shaved in a while, his hair while clean isn't it's usual tame. Words fail me as I stand before him.

Pathetic. I shouldn't have come here.

He steps aside and I walk in, his previously pristine apartment has broken glass on the floor and the flower arrangement is strewn everywhere, beer bottles litter the floor and low lying table.

"What happened?" I ask, gesturing to the mess.

His eyes hold none of their usual humor, no smile graces his soft lips. "You didn't come here to ask that." His voice is cold and tears sting my eyes and I smooth my hand over the couch.

"I was worried."

He scoffs. "After all the grief you gave me about pursuing you I thought you'd be happy to be rid of me." Each word is a punch to my stomach.

"Is that what this is? You ridding yourself from my life?"

He shrugs.

"Ares, why are you doing this?"

"There's nothing good about me, Aphrodite. I am the God of war, what do you not understand?"

Ares words slice through me, but, undeterred, I step closer to him, sliding my hands over his torso. "I don't care," I whisper.

"What of your husband then?"

"He's nothing to me. He doesn't hold my heart."

"You can't make me have feelings for you and then try to pull away," I say, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He cups my cheek, forehead leaning down on mine. "I don't want to let go. I don't know how to be the man you need me to be."

"Then don't. You are, without even realizing, you're a good man."

He closes his dark eyes, hands come to rest on my shoulders. "This isn't a good idea. People will find out. They will use this against us. The Gods are scornful and jealous and they will humiliate you," his voice is deep and rough like gravel.

"Let them," my words come out breathless and I lean up, brushing my lips across his. "They don't matter. There is nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to this," I say, gesturing between us.

He lets out a long breath, squeezing my shoulders. "What is this?" He asks, opening his eyes to meet mine, hands making their way down, skimming over my hips to my lower back.

"I don't know." I pause, searching his face. "But it's something." And it is. As much as I wanted to deny him as much as I didn't want to have feelings for a God, here we are. There's no way to ignore the way he makes me feel. With just a few dates he has made me open myself to things I closed myself off to long ago.

He takes my lips with his, sliding his hands under my shirt, calluses scraping against my skin, swiftly slipping my top off. He lifts me up, pulling my legs around his waist and walks towards his bedroom. Hands roam and my body heats up with pent up desire, my nails drag along his back and through his hair, gripping it with my fingers. He lays me out on the bed and I make quick work of his pants and this time, he doesn't stop me.

His hands take off my remaining clothes and with the first brush of him against me, the breath leaves my body, I push up against him and he takes the opportunity to slip his tongue in my mouth, hands touching and grabbing, lips devouring and tongue exploring the depths of my mouth.

His hips move and I move along with him, our bodies molding together as he pushes and, for fuck sake, it's been a long ass time. Our bodies move in a punishing rhythm and quickly heat climbs from my toes straight to my head until I am bursting at the seams with him falling over the edge soon after me.

Heavy breathing fills the air and his breath slides over my shoulder and neck, harsh in my ear. His arm trembles slightly with the effort to keep his weight off me, but I press on his back accepting his large weight.

His nose presses under my jaw and my chest heaves with great breaths. I run my hands over his back and through his hair, running my nails along the muscles in his back and along his scalp and slowly the tension in his body eases and his arm comes fully around my body. I press a kiss to his shoulder and temple, waiting for the words that I know must be brewing inside his mind.

For a moment there is nothing but the beat of his heart against my torso. Then I feel him shake his head, his nose bumping against my neck. "After I left you, Jez was in bad shape, but it was nothing a ride through the back roads couldn't fix and when I got home Zeus got in contact and said I had to get involved in a war." He lets out a long breath, squeezing me against him. "A lot of men died, Aphrodite." His voice is distant and far away.

My heart aches with the sadness in his voice. "I had to kill a lot of men and not just the bad ones, I don't... there was a village and..." he crushes me against him, sitting up, back to me.

Instantly I sit up, sliding one hand to his back and the other to his knee, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "You're a good man," I whisper, smoothing a hand over his back in circles, trying to ease the weight on his shoulders. "What can I do?"

He turns to face me, and I smooth the lines on his face, pressing a soft kiss to his lips and pressing myself against him, lending him my strength and understanding.

"I just need time, don't worry." He assures me, laying back down, draping an arm over my stomach.

Anger flares in my veins. This is Zeus's doing. He is the cause for Ares feeling so desolate and sad. He puts Ares in this situation, to watch over war... and this is what it does to him. Coward. Can't fight his own battles yet wants to take advantage of... I close my eyes and rest my forehead against his. One day someone will put Zeus in his place and he won't be able to force his will on others, I'll make sure of it, not just for Ares sake, but mine.