Hello again readers! I know the last chapter made some of you awfully
sad, and uh, I actually didn't think about that until know so, if
you'll just pretend that this chapter is cheery and joyful, you can
stop being sad. Actually this one is probably happier than the others,
but I'll stop here before I give it all away. Enjoy!
Ares lay on his bed, arms spread out to his sides. His eyes were closed, but dry. Tear stains ran down his cheeks but no new tears came. How long had he been here? Hours? Days, even? Long enough for his grief to rid his body of all tears able to spill from his eyes. Now an emptiness filled him, overcame him, paralyzed him. As the God of War, Ares knew he was being absolutely ridiculous, letting himself be distracted by a woman like this. He knew that he should get up, push the past into the past, and engage in some kind of bloodshed. He also knew that he was incapable of doing any such thing. Try as he might, Ares could not get Xena out of his mind. I love her, and yet I can't be with her. What am I doing wrong? Ares thought, clenching his hands into fists. Well we don't exactly have a perfect history together, mainly my fault, but...
Ares paused, distracted by another voice echoing through his head, one that was not his own...
Xena was standing a small way from the camp where Gabrielle lay peacefully sleeping. "Ares!" she called again to the darkness, "I need to talk to you." A moment later Ares appeared before her. Xena was slightly taken aback for a moment by his appearance. He looked as though he had had his soul torn from him and was just a shell of a being gazing wearily at her through dark eyes. He looked hollow.
"Ares, I..." she faltered, took a deep breath, and pressed on, "I know you love me and I think you know that I love you too, but we can't be together, I'm sorry." She said all this in one breath then fell silent, waiting for his reaction. But Ares said nothing. He did nothing. He simply continued to gaze at her with those lifeless eyes, as though he could not even hear her.
"Ares," Xena began again, not knowing entirely what she was going to say. Then she broke off; Ares had taken a step towards her. He took another, then another, until they were so close that Xena could feel his heart beating. "Ares," Xena tried again, but her voice was no more than a whisper and she realized she was having trouble breathing.
As Ares leaned forward he could feel the world dropping away, leaving only him and Xena and the rapid beating of their hearts. Then their lips met, a moment of uncertainty, and Xena parted her lips, accepting him. In a matter of moments they were entwined in each other's arms, Ares moving from Xena's mouth to kissing every part of her face he could find. Then down her neck to the area above where he breastplate began. Between kisses he murmured, "Xena... I love you," Xena closed her eyes.
This was too much, far to much,
"We can't be together, Ares," she whispered. Ares rose back up to look directly into Xena's eyes.
"I know," he said, then he fell upon her lips once more.
Ares lay on his bed, arms spread out to his sides. His eyes were closed, but dry. Tear stains ran down his cheeks but no new tears came. How long had he been here? Hours? Days, even? Long enough for his grief to rid his body of all tears able to spill from his eyes. Now an emptiness filled him, overcame him, paralyzed him. As the God of War, Ares knew he was being absolutely ridiculous, letting himself be distracted by a woman like this. He knew that he should get up, push the past into the past, and engage in some kind of bloodshed. He also knew that he was incapable of doing any such thing. Try as he might, Ares could not get Xena out of his mind. I love her, and yet I can't be with her. What am I doing wrong? Ares thought, clenching his hands into fists. Well we don't exactly have a perfect history together, mainly my fault, but...
Ares paused, distracted by another voice echoing through his head, one that was not his own...
Xena was standing a small way from the camp where Gabrielle lay peacefully sleeping. "Ares!" she called again to the darkness, "I need to talk to you." A moment later Ares appeared before her. Xena was slightly taken aback for a moment by his appearance. He looked as though he had had his soul torn from him and was just a shell of a being gazing wearily at her through dark eyes. He looked hollow.
"Ares, I..." she faltered, took a deep breath, and pressed on, "I know you love me and I think you know that I love you too, but we can't be together, I'm sorry." She said all this in one breath then fell silent, waiting for his reaction. But Ares said nothing. He did nothing. He simply continued to gaze at her with those lifeless eyes, as though he could not even hear her.
"Ares," Xena began again, not knowing entirely what she was going to say. Then she broke off; Ares had taken a step towards her. He took another, then another, until they were so close that Xena could feel his heart beating. "Ares," Xena tried again, but her voice was no more than a whisper and she realized she was having trouble breathing.
As Ares leaned forward he could feel the world dropping away, leaving only him and Xena and the rapid beating of their hearts. Then their lips met, a moment of uncertainty, and Xena parted her lips, accepting him. In a matter of moments they were entwined in each other's arms, Ares moving from Xena's mouth to kissing every part of her face he could find. Then down her neck to the area above where he breastplate began. Between kisses he murmured, "Xena... I love you," Xena closed her eyes.
This was too much, far to much,
"We can't be together, Ares," she whispered. Ares rose back up to look directly into Xena's eyes.
"I know," he said, then he fell upon her lips once more.
