A/N: This is dedicated to my big sis (she adopted me lol) Lady Dragon 808. She likes the AphroditeXDeathmask pairing, and since it honestly doesn't bother me (I really can't see Aphrodite as a heterosexual, especially after seeing Albafica and noting (with joy) that Albafica did not wear makeup and actually looked like a man), I figured I'd try my hand at it. Maki, I hope you enjoy this one. If not…well, I have other pairings. Hehe. I hope they don't seem too OOC here. I am trying to present them as human beings with actual feelings and emotions…

This is my New Year's Resolution fic, as one of my resolutions was to update my crap more regularly. As I have 9 original pairings and 8 Lost Canvas ones for this collection, I will be alternating. Next chapter will be one off my Lost Canvas list. I will put a complete list and when I will be updating in my profile, so you can keep track of this project. Enjoy!

Title: You're Still Beautiful

Pairing: Aphrodite and Deathmask

Aphrodite groaned, the carelessness of a long night of drinking himself to oblivion taking its toll on his head. He cursed as he struggled to his feet, swaying dangerously and almost falling back down. He hadn't even made it to his bed. His hair was tangled and frizzy, the result of sleeping on it wet. His shirt wasn't properly buttoned, his pants were gone-probably he had been trying to undress for bed, but had been too drunk to manage. He could feel the mascara he hadn't bothered washing off clinging to his eyelashes, and he noted, to his absolute dismay that he smelled like a water buffalo on a hot day. The combination of sweat and alcohol was not pleasant.

He pressed his long, pale, trembling hand to his head, as the full weight of the night before rushed back to him, forcing him back to his knees. He'd been dumped. Thrown out like a sack of potatoes. Even worse, he'd found out his boyfriend had been cheating on him with a woman. The rejection hurt a lot worse than he expected it to hurt. He would not cry, though. He had cried enough. Even if he wasn't feeling particularly pretty at the moment (or pretty at all, really), he had to pick himself up, put on a brave face, and go about his business as if nothing was wrong.

He grabbed hold of his vanity table and pulled himself back to his feet, determined to stay upright this time. He caught sight of his face in the mirror and cringed. It was worse than he could ever have imagined.

He gazed back at his reflection-pale, puffy cheeks, rimmed with dark circles and caked on mascara. His eyes were blood-shot and swollen, his lips were chapped. He looked as if he had a bad case of the flu-which is exactly what he felt like. His head was pounding, and everything hurt. His stomach most of all.

Suddenly, he had a race to win. He staggered to the bathroom as fast as his clumsy feet would allow and made it just in time.

As his insides twisted out, he felt warm, calloused fingers pull his tangled mess of hair away from his face and hold it out of the way. The brush of the fingers against his neck sent involuntary shivers down his spine.

"Well, looks like you had fun last night without me", the all-too-familiar voice said. "I'm disappointed. If you were going drinking, you should have invited me. Here I was thinking you were going out with Marcello."

Was it Aphrodite's imagination, or was there venom in his friend's voice at the name Marcello?

He pulled away from the toilet and gazed up at the tall, well-built man behind him. They'd been through so much together that he didn't hesitate. Maybe talking to someone would help.

"We broke up", he whispered; flinching at how pathetic he sounded. "Well, he broke up with me. He was also cheating on me with a woman."

"That's his loss then, isn't it? You could have any man you wanted, why waste tears over this asshole? Want me to go scalp him for you? It's been years since I added a new face to my wall."

Aphrodite chuckled.

"What am I going to do with you, Angelo?"

His visitor looked thoughtful as he tapped a tanned finger to his chin.

"Hmm…You could start by not calling me Angelo. It's Deathmask now."

Aphrodite rolled his eyes.

"I refuse to call you by that ridiculous name."

Deathmask smirked.

"Well, how about going into town for breakfast with me?"

Aphrodite frowned.

"Breakfast?"

Deathmask rolled his eyes.

"You know. The first meal of the day? You've got to eat something. Consider it repayment for not inviting me to drink with you last night."

"I didn't drink for fun!" Aphrodite huffed.

Blue-violet eyes narrowed and Deathmask pursed his lips.

"You can't mean you actually cared about that son of a bitch?"

Aphrodite pulled himself to his feet, his baby blue eyes blazing.

"Of course I did! Why else would I have dated him?"

"I don't know. Why would you date a talentless reject like that? You could do much better."

"Better?"

The fire died from Aphrodite's eyes.

"You know. Someone who will treat you properly?"

Aphrodite snorted.

"Like you know the first thing about treating people properly."

Deathmask cocked his head.

"Don't I?"

"You're rude, you're arrogant. You lack empathy, you can be downright aggressive at times-"

"I stand by and am loyal to the people who matter. I might not be "sweet", but I do stick with the few people I wish to be bothered with until the very end."

Aphrodite nodded. That much was true. Come Hell or high water (both terms quite literal for them), Deathmask had always had his back.

"I'll give you that", he conceded.

A smile lit up the Cancer Saint's face, and Aphrodite blinked, as though seeing him for the first time. Had he always been so handsome?

"So, are you going to come to town with me, or do I have to drag you by your hair?"

Aphrodite flinched.

"Now? Like this! I look horrible. I need to shower and get dressed, and fix my hair, do my makeup…"

Deathmask gently reached over and fixed the buttons on Aphrodite's shirt.

"You still look beautiful to me. Wash up, throw some pants on, and put your hair up. I expect you ready in fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen!"

"Fourteen…"

Aphrodite shoved Deathmask out of the bathroom and turned on the shower.

The Cancer Saint settled himself on Aphrodite's bed and smirked.

It had been quite easy to persuade Marcello into breaking up with Aphrodite-the man had no backbone after all. All he'd had to do was hold a knife to his face and threaten to slit his throat. Marcello had become putty in his hands-he didn't want to die, you see.

In Deathmask's eyes, if the man wasn't willing to die for Aphrodite, he wasn't worth anything. If you weren't willing to die for the one you loved, then could you honestly say you loved them?

He felt a little bad that his intervention had put Aphrodite through pain, but if he had his way, he would have the rest of his life to make it up to him.

Enough time had been wasted, and he had died with regrets twice already. He would not die a third time with heavy weights on his heart. He would make his feelings known this time around.

The shower turned off, and Aphrodite appeared a few minutes later. His hair was wet and hanging loose. His shirt was wrinkled, his pants were awkwardly cuffed.

At first Aphrodite stared at his feet, as though he were self-conscious. Slowly, he lifted his head. Deathmask drank in the sight of his face-soft, pale skin, wide baby-blue eyes, and naturally pink lips. The Pisces Saint had absolutely no makeup on his face at all-he'd never looked more stunning.

"I feel so awkward", Aphrodite admitted, pulling his hands through his hair.

Deathmask smiled.

"You're still beautiful."