CHAPTER XIII

WARNING: Mature

Athena looked down at Ares and watched him breathe for a while. Silently, his chest rose and fell with all the bones repaired and fully operational. Once again, Athena had caught Ares, a god with enormous presence who relished in a life of grandeur, performing such a small meaningless task like breathing. And it was beautiful.

In light of everything that had just happened, it was fantastic that he was breathing at all of course but it was different this time – or at least in Athena's eyes.

He wasn't scheming or charming, boasting or fighting. He was just breathing, and Athena thought it was beautiful.

A fire quivered at the back of the room, ebbing in its neat hearth, and its weak light emitted a glow onto Ares' face that reminded Athena that his health had been restored.

Athena swallowed. Hesitantly, she lifted her hand and allowed her fingertips to brush a bright violet bruise on Ares' chin. He didn't move, he just breathed. Slowly she let her fingers explore the curve of his cheekbone, the hidden shore behind his ear where his sea of thick red hair began, the ridges of his lips.

Athena retracted her hand, clasping it tightly with the other and turned away from Ares for a moment. She swallowed again, finding it harder to do the second time around.

What came to her mind suddenly was her trip from her temple to Ares' palace. It was almost all a blur from the moment her steed was ready to the moment her sword first sliced through that beast. All she could remember was her heart crashing against her ribcage, her sword bouncing desperately at her hip and a cloud of dust trailing behind her as she rode hard towards Ares' domain.

She remembered being frightened. Very frightened.

Athena released her hand and both hung at her sides idly as she watched the meagre fire tremble at her gaze. She thought about leaving the room to get more wood when she felt warm fingertips grazing her palm.

Ares' fingers curled around hers, his grip tight and familiar.

Athena whipped around, a sharp feeling passing through her chest as she approached Ares hopefully.

His eyes were still closed, but his lips parted momentarily, before he released a dry, spluttering, cough.

'Ares,' Athena said breathlessly, 'wait, let me…let me get you some water! I'll be back,' Athena shot up.

'No,'

Athena stared at him. Ares' voice was course from disuse, but clear. Athena turned to look at him.

'No,' he said again, 'wine. Just…wine.'

Athena stared at Ares, and then broke into a smile. She couldn't help but smile. That was typical of Ares.

With one call out of the door, there were enough wine jugs to serve a banquet being delivered to Ares' bedside.

'Tell Apollo he's woken up.' Athena said to one of the servants, who scurried off, 'Bring me another basin of warm water and a cloth.' She said to another servant who followed the first. Pouring the wine into a goblet, Athena made sure to fill it up only half way. The dark red liquid sloshed quietly in the goblet as Athena turned to Ares.

She approached him and, with a little apprehension, slid her fingers beneath his neck and lifted it. Ares raised his head a little, his eyes opening partially and then closing.

Athena lowered the goblet to his lips, slipping the gold into the parting between them. She tipped the goblet slowly and watched Ares' throat roll down the wine in small sips. When there was barely a sip left, Athena lowered Ares' head.

Ares cleared his throat a few times. He smacked his lips.

'I thought that might do the trick,' he opened his eyes and Athena gawked at him, surprised by his articulate speech. His bloodshot and weary eyes wandered over to Athena's face, inspecting every feature and every lock of hair that hung carelessly before her face. Athena blinked. Her mouth opened to say something, and then closed promptly.

Apollo burst into the room flustered, his white robes billowing behind him.

'He's awake?' he rushed over to Athena with a few servants lingering behind him, 'Good, we can start the second session of healing.'

'Second?' Athena looked at Apollo, baffled.

'Of course,' Apollo turned to Ares, his milky skin and flaxen hair glowing a golden colour in the fire's dim light, 'the first session focused primarily on repairing the bones, muscles and organs vital for fundamental body functions. The second session is really to repair the rest of the bits and pieces.'

'I didn't think…' Athena looked down at Ares, who watched the two, their words seeming to pass over his head, 'I didn't know the damage was that extensive.'

'Well it wouldn't have been if Ares had been doing what I have been telling him to do for centuries,' Apollo threw an uncharacteristically stern glance at Ares, 'One would think millennia of fighting would build a certain immunity to broken bones but in truth many of his bones which had been repeatedly broken in battle, training or whatever else, snapped like twigs when that creature attacked him. I've said it before and I will say it again,' Apollo now fixed his harsh gaze on Athena, 'to you both. After a battle or an incident in which you have been injured, whether it is a bruise or a broken bone, you need to report to me for immediate healing to prevent long term damage. In fact…'

Apollo continued his lecture as his ephemeral servants floated into the room, trailing one behind the other with cloths folded over their arms and jugs of sweet smelling oils and ointments held firmly in their hands. The servant Athena had ordered away earlier returned with her slender arms encircling a shiny brass basin. The water sloshed dangerously close the edge of the basin but withdrew before spilling over. The servant placed the basin on the bedside table and stood before Athena.

'Thank you,' Athena wasn't sure what else she wanted. The servant bowed and extended both her hands,

'Come with me, My Lady,' she said in a small, lyrical voice.

'Ah yes,' Apollo suddenly spun around, ignoring his lecture completely, 'I've instructed my servants to tend to you and your wounds Athena. If you don't mind following her to the hot springs, your healing process will begin there.'

And suddenly Athena was being whisked out of the room, twenty odd wisps tugging her along to the hot springs.

She was undressed, and plunged into the water. Many hands caught her arms and legs, swabbing the dirt, sweat and blood from her skin. They dunked her limbs in the bubbling water and repeated the routine thoroughly all the while singing hauntingly delightful and barely audible songs. Their songs reminded Athena of the chants the humans sang – so distant and precious.

Immediately Athena felt her tense muscles loosen in the water. Her bruises, old and new, slowly started to disappear and the aches and pains she had acquired over the last few weeks disappeared with them.

Closing her eyes, she allowed her senses to be filled with the delicate scents of thick, warm oils, and the sounds of healing chants all around her.

Pulling her silk robe about her protectively, Athena crossed the hall from Artemis' private quarters to the room prepared for Ares.

The temple was quiet now and only the sounds of fountains recycling themselves idly filled the night time, along with creatures silently hooting and scurrying through the dark forest.

After her healing session, Athena spent the next few hours with Artemis in the private quarter Apollo had readied for her. Whenever Artemis visited Apollo, she was treated like a queen, so Athena always wondered why she didn't just stay with him. But Artemis always made sure to make her point clear that she did not need to be taken care of by Apollo because she was her own goddess et cetera, et cetera, and Athena almost always had to sit through this sermon.

After a few goblets of wine and a selection of delicious fruits harvested by Artemis nymphs, Athena decided to retire.

'You don't have a room to stay in do you?' Artemis said curiously as she watched a servant clear up the goblets and dishes.

'No, I should check on Ares though, I'm sure Apollo has completed the second session of healing.'

Artemis smiled cryptically.

'Planning to stay there are you?'

'Stay where?'

'Ares' room,' Athena glared at her, and Artemis pursed her lips, trying terribly hard not to break out into a wide grin. She turned away shrugging.

'You could just stay in my room,'

'I'm just going to check on him,' Artemis turned to Athena, chewing furiously on her lip, fighting back that grin. Athena scowled at Artemis, and Artemis couldn't help but grin broadly, a little giggle escaping her.

'I'm not talking to you anymore,' Athena said waving a hand and stomping out of the room.

'Goodnight!' Artemis called out of the door as Athena made her way down the hallway. Athena turned briefly to pull a face and then continued.

Athena entered Ares' room timidly, only to find Ares on his back and unconscious again. She approached his bed and carefully placed herself on the edge beside him. She watched him for some time. His breathing fell in and out of rhythm as one's does when asleep. The fire in the hearth was much bigger now, dancing ardently and spewing gold embers from its depths.

Athena slowly inched towards Ares and placed her hands on either side of him. Carefully, she leaned forward until their faces were just a few inches apart.

'Ares,' she muttered softly, and with a sharp intake of breath Ares awoke unexpectedly. He shot up and Athena withdrew just in time.

'Relax, Relax! It's just me,' Athena whispered, hushing Ares, 'it's just me…'

Gradually, Ares' breathing transitioned from a harsh puffing, to a slow and deliberate expansion and retraction of his broad chest. His eyes scanned Athena's face and Athena noticed two scarlet blots in his eye where blood vessels had burst.

'What are you doing waking me up like that?' Ares rubbed his eyes. His voice was still a little hoarse from disuse, but Athena could hear that it had returned to its deep velvety tone. Athena smiled.

'I just wanted to see how you were.'

Ares retrieved his hand from the thick covers and spread out his fingers, flexing the tendons and curling them in.

'Wow,' he muttered to himself, 'all patched up already? I remember thinking it would take ages for Apollo to heal me. What time of day is it? Night time? The same night? It's quite late I'm sure…and you,' Ares looked up at Athena with wonder, 'your entrance was quite something! It was brilliant, I only saw you out of the corner of my eye and everything was quite hazy but—'

Ares caught Athena as she swung her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder.

The fire swayed at the back of the room casting a single light over the two.

Ares, with an unbearable apprehension, slid his palms across her back, his fingers threading through her wild hair, and encircled her, pulling her in.

A quiet breath escaped him as Athena pressed up against his chest.

'Ath—'

'Don't say anything,' Athena's voice came from deep within Ares' shoulder, 'just don't. Not yet, just…don't.'

Ares complied and merely nuzzled his face passed Athena's hair and deep into her neck. She smelt irresistibly sweet.

Athena shivered at the feeling of Ares' nose and lips brushing against her skin. She could feel her face heating up; this was so embarrassing, but she couldn't help express how grateful she was that he was alive and well. Athena wouldn't lie to herself this time around.

She was really, really happy that he was alive.

'You don't have to say 'thank you' either,' Athena said, refusing to lift her head fearing that Ares would ridicule her bright red face.

'I wasn't going to,' Ares said, and Athena tensed, 'you owed me, remember?'

Athena remembered the basilisk incident and smiled to herself.

Ares, with a strength so familiar to Athena, tightened his grip around Athena's waist and pulled her into him. His fingers explored the soft silk on her back.

'But thank you, anyway,' he said in her ear. Athena felt Ares' voice rumble down his chest and through hers.

She pulled away from Ares, resting her hands in her lap, her head bowed.

'It was nerve-wrecking,' she said, wringing her wrists, 'I guess this Psychí Syndetikó is really…it really has changed me.'

'What do you mean?' Ares raised his knee and propped his arm up on it, listening curiously.

The room was silent for a moment. Ares cocked his head to the side, wondering what Athena was thinking.

'It's just that, when Apollo sent the message that you might've been in danger, I was anxious of course…I mean the very fact that Apollo, knowing your strength, thought you might have been in danger warranted enough anxiety but…as I rode out from my temple to your palace I couldn't…' Athena struggled to speak, a ball forming in her throat, 'I was riding out and… I just felt so scared. I was… scared, and ironically,' Athena laughed bitterly, 'it wasn't for you. It was for me. I was afraid that I would be alone. I was afraid that if something happened to you, I would feel…and be alone.' Athena looked up at Ares, clutching her chest. The gold light emitting from the fire glinted off of the tears welling in her eyes.

Ares swallowed.

'I could feel it already,' Athena said, 'it felt like a part of me would be lost. And I've never felt that way before…I've never feared being alone.'

Athena placed her hands in her lap again, shaking her head.

'Why would Zeus do this to us? I wasn't made for this. And for all these centuries I thought I was the epitome of strength, able to fend for my own, on my own. How arrogant. I'm only strong enough to be a whole, not to be a part of a whole,' Athena looked up at Ares again, 'I'm not strong enough to lose you.'

The room was unbearably quiet.

Ares dropped his knee and leaned forward. It seemed like the room was suddenly flooded with cool, murky waters that made everything move so slowly.

So Deliberately.

Ares, pushing through the waters that divided them, grabbed Athena's arm, pulling her towards him, into a kiss – a simple kiss that transcended the complexities between the two of them. Athena withdrew, apprehensive, and Ares murmured something inaudible in the depths of the murky waters, but reassuring.

Athena wrapped an arm around Ares' neck and Ares once again encircled her with steady arms. That heat re-emerged in Ares as he felt Athena's ardent breaths on his face. That inescapable heat, matched with the scent of Athena's warm skin made it incredibly difficult for Ares to think clearly. But he didn't want to ruin this. He really didn't want to. He kissed up her arm, to her shoulder, and finally to her neck, his favourite place, where he melted into its heat and the scent of rose oils.

Athena threaded her fingers through Ares' thick, red hair, making sure to capture every lock between and around her fingers. Many escaped and cascaded down his neck like fiery waterfalls. She wasn't sure of what to do, or where and how to begin but her uncertainty only excited Ares.

Ares hoisted Athena up and her legs found themselves wrapped around his waist as he explored the places hidden protectively by her silk robe, which started to slip and float off into the murky waters.

One step at a time – one kiss at a time. From one shoulder, across one collar bone and to the other, and to the other shoulder. Every scratch and mark Athena made on Ares' back only gave him the incentive to continue. He wouldn't stop now even if she begged him to.

When the kisses were done for the moment, Ares caught Athena's lips with his, forcing their tongues to meet, hidden away in their cheeks. He grabbed Athena's thighs, his fingers pressing deep into the flesh, and slid her up his torso, making sure to keep her lip firmly between his teeth.

And finally, it began.

Athena's eyes flew open, a rattling gasp escaping her throat as she pressed Ares close to her chest. Ares closed his eyes. He clamped down on Athena's lips with his teeth, pulling her into breathless kiss.

Finally, she was his. No one else's but his.

And relentlessly, he reminded her again and again and again, as they drowned in the crushing sweetness of the black night.