As the God of War and a student of death, Ares had always considered himself connected to the Underworld, unlike most of his godly kin. A longing to see the final resting place of those who perished in his violent wars constantly gnawed at the back of his mind, but due to the borderline hostile relations between the Olympian and Chthonic gods, Ares knew it would be unwise to consort with any of the residence of the Underworld (outside of his work-related dealings with Thanatos, of course).
So when the opportunity arose to help his Underworld kin escape from those dark, hellish depths, Ares was all too eager to lend his violent form of support. He couldn't be physically present of course, but just the thought of his blessings being used to help his dear cousin leave a trail of carnage in his wake always brought warmth to Ares' heart.
After sending multitudes of blessings and messages to the determined Underworld Prince, he was surprised to one day receive a message in return. It was incomprehensible at first, until Ares returned to Olympus to find that the rest of his kin had received similar messages, and they needed to be combined to be fully understood. With the news that the missing Persephone was actually living in the Underworld as its Queen, the Olympian gods were invited to a gathering at the House of Hades, and Ares was finally able to see the depths of hell for himself.
"...Ah, well, enjoy yourself, Lord Ares!" Zagreus said with a wave as he was dragged off by Dionysus, no doubt to partake in an obscene amount of Ambrosia; he hoped that Zagreus had a strong stomach. Ares watched them go as he took a sip from his own glass of the golden liquid, and soon his blood-red eyes moved to scan the bustling lounge. It was well furnished and cozy, a stark contrast to the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the rest of Tartarus, and Ares himself felt quite comfortable here.
As he went to take another drink of his Ambrosia, he finally caught sight of the one that he had been looking forward to meeting the most, slipping quietly out of the lounge. A slight grin crossed his face as Ares downed the rest of his drink and made to follow her, grabbing two full glasses of Ambrosia from the tray that the gorgon head maid was carrying around as he passed her.
Ares stepped into the great hall, just in time to catch a glimpse of black hair disappearing around the corner across from him. Ares paused briefly to observe the curious sight of someone sleeping, sprawled out over a chaise pushed up against the wall, before he continued on his way into the west hall.
The Night Herself stood at the opposite end of the hall, gazing out over the Pool of Styx, and Ares' steps slowed to a stop as he took in the sight. Of all the Chthonic gods who ruled over various realms of the Underworld, Nyx was the one that Ares held the most respect for. Her realm often crossed into his own, and those wars that were waged in the dead of night were usually some of the most brutal and violent. It was a bit overwhelming, finally being in her presence after admiring her from afar for most of his existence, and Ares found himself frozen in place as he continued observing her.
"Will you not come closer, God of War? Or are you going to continue to stand there watching me?"
Nyx's beautiful voice snapped Ares out of his trance-like state, and he shook his head, chuckling softly as he finally willed his legs to move; how unlike him to lose focus like that. Nyx did not turn as he approached and stopped at the railing next to her.
"Ah, please forgive my rudeness," Ares said, bowing his head slightly in her direction, "I was merely entranced by the captivating presence of Night Herself, someone that I have admired from afar for quite some time now." A heavy silence followed, causing Ares to chew at the inside of his cheek as an unfamiliar feeling of nervousness to creep into his gut. He hoped that his forwardness had not upset her; Nyx was not one to be trifled with. Ares would obviously never dream of doing so knowingly, as he assumed that the wrath of the Night Incarnate was not something that he would ever want to experience for himself.
Ares waited with baited breath as the seconds ticked by, until Nyx finally turned and gave him her full attention. When her golden eyes met his, Ares' breath caught in his throat, and for a split second, he thought that he might actually suffocate under the intensity of her gaze. Although she was a denizen of the Underworld, Nyx had an ethereal beauty that Ares could not recall ever laying his eyes on before. Yes, even those who frequented the halls of Olympus could not hold a candle to the splendor of Night Incarnate.
"You flatter me, son of Zeus," Nyx said, her head tilting slightly to one side. Ares watched, mesmerized, as her hair floated around her head, as black as a moonless night sky, and shimmering as if it contained the light of millions of stars, "...and yet, we've only just met."
Ares laughed and shook his head. "I do not believe it counts as flattery if it is true, Lady Nyx."
"Please, Ares, feel free to refer to me just as Nyx. There is no need to be so formal."
"...If you insist, Nyx." Ares held up one of the glasses of Ambrosia that he had almost forgotten that he was carrying. "Would you like to share a drink with me?"
"Yes, thank you." As she reached out to take the glass, her slender fingers brushed against Ares' hand. The amount of warmth that he felt at the point of contact almost caused him to drop the glass, but he managed to keep his hand steady until it was fully in Nyx's possession. As she slowly lifted the glass to her amethyst lips, her eyes never left Ares' as she took a drink. He followed suit, but the sweet Ambrosia washing over his tongue did nothing to remedy the sudden dryness of his mouth, and he barely managed to swallow past the lump that had formed in his throat.
"I do hope that you and your family are enjoying yourselves here," Nyx said after she had lowered her glass and let it rest on the railing in front of her.
Ares nodded, and his gaze passed over the red waters of the Pool of Styx. "Oh, of course. I cannot speak for the others, but I have always longed to visit the depths of the Underworld myself, and it is every bit as interesting as I imagined. In fact," Ares mused, his gaze returning to Nyx, "I do believe that I feel much more at home here than I ever have upon Olympus."
Nyx raised a curious eyebrow at him. "That is...a rather surprising claim."
"Indeed, but it is an accurate one." Ares shrugged as a brief silence fell, before his own curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "But what about you, Nyx? Are you enjoying yourself? You seemed to be in a bit of a rush to leave the lounge."
His inquiry was met with silence, and Nyx averted her gaze from his as her fingers curled around her glass. She stared down at the godly liquid for a moment, before she lifted the glass to her mouth once more and took a sip. It was such a simple and mundane act, but Ares nonetheless found himself completely mesmerized by her once again.
"I must admit," Nyx finally said, a small sigh passing her lips as her eyes shifted briefly back to the river before wandering back to Ares, "I feel a bit...uneasy, mingling with those who until very recently held such disdain for the underworld...and for me, specifically."
"It is indeed a shame that you are ill-liked by my kin, but not surprising." Ares' brow furrowed and he shook his head. "Those who reside upon Olympus do not understand - or even try to understand for that matter - those who orchestrate death, and those who deal with their souls afterward."
"It cannot be easy for you then, living among those who would shun you for the very purpose of your existence." Nyx frowned slightly and her voice dropped in volume. Ares studied her face for a moment, wondering if she was pitying him, but the look in her eyes seemed to reflect something more akin to empathy. To think that the great goddess Nyx could empathize with him of all deities...the very thought honestly took Ares by surprise, and that was a rare thing indeed.
"I pay no mind to those who attempt to look down upon me," he said, "but it does get a bit...lonely, having no one to see things eye-to-eye with. As the only Olympian - well, besides Hermes - to deal so closely with matters of the dead, I've always felt a connection with the underworld, and, more specifically, with you."
"Me?" Nyx's eyes went wide as she slowly blinked at him. "How so?"
"Our realms intersect more often than you may realize. The wars that are raged at night are something quite magnificent. And yet…" Ares paused to take a long, slow sip of his drink. "...We are both often misunderstood. I do not know what your fellow denizens of the Underworld think of us, but as you and I already know, Olympus frowns upon our work for the most part. But I know that you support my realm and I am truly grateful for that."
"The night supporting war…" Nyx mumbled, as she twirled a finger in her hair thoughtfully, "You have also supported us down here; we are always kept busy when one of your wars is being fought. It seems that there is a common ground between night and war. How...curious."
"Indeed. I must say that it is quite an honor to have something in common with the wondrous goddess Nyx." Ares fought the urge to smile as Nyx narrowed her eyes at him.
"Ah, more of your flattery?"
"I recall saying it was not flattery before, and it certainly is not now."
Nyx did not look the least bit convinced by his words, and Ares couldn't help but smile this time. She truly was a remarkable goddess, and he would not let her forget it.
"I know that you do not quite believe me, but know that I say this from the bottom of my heart: It has brought me the greatest pleasure to have finally met you, Nyx." Ares dropped to one knee and took Nyx's hand, his eyes never leaving hers as he guided her hand to his face. As he pressed a tender kiss to the back of her hand, with a gentleness that he did not usually possess, the warmth of her skin against his lips made them curl upwards into a ghost of a grin.
Nyx gazed down at him silently, her golden eyes seeming to bore into his very soul, and an amused smile crossed her face. "How very bold of you, Ares." She moved to pull her hand away, and Ares' eyes widened when her fingers slipped under his chin. She tilted his face upwards, as if she was searching for any signs of mockery or disrespect, but Ares knew that she would find none. "I never would have expected the God of War to bend his knee to anyone."
A deep, rumbling chuckle bubbled forth from within Ares' chest, and he shrugged. "For you, Night Incarnate? I would not hesitate to bend so much more at your request." Nyx laughed softly at that, and Ares was caught off guard. The sounds of war and bloodshed may have been music to his ears, but the laugh of Night Herself...might give him reason to rethink his taste in music.
"You should be more careful with your words," Nyx voice dropped in volume as she brushed her thumb over his bottom lip to slightly expose his teeth, causing Ares to swallow thickly as his heartbeat quickened, "as they may come back to bite you one of these days."
'Well, that sounds less like a threat and more like an incentive,' Ares thought, and he made the wise decision to keep that to himself. Instead, he said, "I will take your generous advice to heart."
"That is very wise of you." Nyx smiled as she relinquished her hold on Ares, and he stood, following the movement of her hand like an obedient puppy. As they both finished off their drinks, Ares channeled the last of his Ambrosia into liquid courage and cleared his throat.
"If you would indulge me, Nyx, I would like to humbly request to meet with you again, preferably somewhere a bit less...disruptive." Ares glanced over his shoulder as he heard distant, exuberant laughter erupt from the direction of the lounge. He turned back to Nyx, and a small smile crossed his face. "I feel as if I could learn a lot from you." She was silent for a moment, and Ares was worried that the very idea of seeing him again had offended her, but that fear was apparently unwarranted as she nodded slightly in response.
"I think that I would like that. You are a curiosity to me, Ares, and I would like to learn more about those wars that you are infamous for." She looked down and her gaze met his, and Ares was sure that he would never get used to the intensity that was ever-present in those enchanting golden eyes.
"I am surprised to hear you agree so readily! We will have to make some arrangements, then. But, for now…" Ares turned away from the Pool of Styx and bowed slightly before Nyx, offering his arm to her, "...we should probably return to the lounge. No doubt the festivities have become rather dull without the presence of the most beautiful deity in existence."
Ares raised an eyebrow as Nyx cleared her throat and averted her gaze, and he managed to catch the faintest hint of a blush rise high upon her cheekbones. Oh, how kind the Fates were being to him, allowing Ares to bear witness to such an undoubtedly rare and delightful sight. When Nyx's eyes returned to his, he saw a dubious look in them, so when she opened her mouth to speak, he quickly interrupted her.
"And no, again, that was not flattery." Nyx pursed her lips, and the look on her face made a chuckle slip out of Ares. "It never is and never will be when it comes to you, Night Incarnate." She stared at him, the intensity of her gaze sending a shiver down his spine, and Ares grinned when she finally placed her hand on his arm.
"You are a surprisingly smooth talker, God of War," Nyx said, a smile returning to her face, "I think that I shall have to keep my guard up around you."
"Why? Do you think that I will steal you away from here the moment that you let it down? Because truthfully, I would much rather be stolen away by you. I rather like the Underworld, and at least one of its inhabitants."
Nyx's laughter filled the hall, and Ares' soon joined in as they made their way back to the lounge. His first encounter with the Night Herself went better than he could have ever imagined, and Ares was very much looking forward to seeing what the next meeting of night and war had in store for the both of them.
Of all the things to be canon in the game, I didn't expect MILF-lover Ares to be one of them jasfslkjdhfksljdh and here I am writing about them together, I just...don't even know my dudes lmao Thanks for reading!