Tartarus. He hated feeling so powerless. He wanted to break down the door, but he didn't want to hurt her as she was on the other side of it. So close, yet so far away. How poetic. He snorted. This was getting him nowhere. The trouble was, he didn't know what direction he was supposed to move in. This campaign was impossible to plan. He didn't want to conquer his enemy. He wanted to…
He moaned softly as his mind filled with images of just what he wanted to do to Athena. But he knew it wasn't just that. He would be happy just to sit with her, talk with her, not fight with her. They were constantly arguing, except for those few brief moments of bliss during what seemed like an eternity ago.
As he lifted his hand to knock on the door, it opened before he could. "She doesn't wish to speak with you," Aëdon sniffed.
"Yeah!" added Cleodora from behind the door.
"Cleo, shh," whispered Merope.
Ares sighed. "Listen, girls, could I just talk to Athena."
"I'm afraid you can't Ares," said Merope with a sympathetic look in her eyes.
"We know about you," accused Aëdon.
"Why would you want to hurt Athena?" asked Cleodora.
"I…I never meant to hurt her…It wasn't what it looked like…," stuttered Ares.
"What was it then?" asked Merope softly.
"Don't believe a word he says," said Aëdon haughtily.
"Ares?" Cleodora prompted.
Gaia, this was giving him a headache. "I…Aphrodite sent for me. Of course I went and she told me she wanted to rekindle the affair, which I had ended," he paused at the look in Aëdon's eyes, "really, I had ended it before Athena and I…uh…before we," he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, a red flush starting to creep into his cheeks.
"Consumated your relationship?" provided Merope helpfully.
"Yes," responded Ares with a grateful smile. "Anyway, she was sitting on the bed with nothing on but the girdle, but I didn't feel affected by it as I had before. I just leaned over to give her a kiss goodbye, and before I knew it the net fell over us. My tunic was torn from…uh…just having come from Athena's. It looked bad. But," he raised his voice in hopes that Athena was listening, "nothing happened. I loved you too much to let anything happen. I love you, Athena."
They turned when they heard a little cry from the back of the room. As the girls rushed to comfort Athena, Ares took advantage of the open and unguarded door.
"Athena," he said gently, pulling her into his arms. "Athena, sweetheart look at me," he insisted.
She stubbornly kept her gaze on the floor.
"Athena, please," he said exasperatedly. He gently put a finger under her chin and lifted it so he could look into her face. Her eyes glittered with tears. "Oh, Olive."
She buried her face in his chest.
He lifted her into his arms and carried her to a couch where he settled her on his lap. Then he proceeded to gently kiss the tears from her eyes. "Athena. Isn't there something you'd like to say to me?"
She lifted her head from where it had been pillowed comfortably against the wide expanse of his chest. He looked so adorable, like a sad puppy desperate for attention. She smiled slowly.
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I hope you liked it. I'm trying to wrap this up. Maybe one or two more chapters after this. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!
Much love, Cat.
