Chapter 68

The pre morning light was softly making its way through the window, gently caressing the two fast asleep lovers who were tightly wrapped around the other. The War God's grip did not ease up at all throughout the night and he kept his Princess locked nice and snug firmly up against himself, immersing her within a circle of comforting warmth and complete safety. A few moments later, despite how blissful everything seemed to be, a pair of splendid eyes gradually began to flutter open and they slowly looked around for a moment, taking in exactly where they were.

Taking in the familiar surroundings, and after a sleepy yawn escaped from her lips, Xena's groggy sapphire eyes sluggishly drifted back to Ares' chest. She instinctively shifted closer to him, trying to stretch a small amount while at the same time lightly digging herself a more perfect spot alongside him and the action caused his arms to constrict even tighter around her. It was a pleasant feeling, one that made her moan out softly while she faintly snuggled her head firmly against his chest as she continued to try and get closer.

After the previous days' encounter, one would think that she would be trying to keep the unruly War God at a safer distance, that was definitely what one who didn't have a death wish would have done after all. But Xena relished in his dark power and warm embrace and it was certainly going to take a lot more than an unintentional outburst to scare her away.

At the thought, her brows knitted together and she slowly gazed up at him, instantly noticing the slight worry that was still engraved on his handsome face. Was that concern that he had for her? She just couldn't believe it really and it simply told her that Ares really didn't mean to hurt her and a soft smile formed on her face and then she tilted her head up more and placed a gentle kiss upon his lips. The feeling of it had made him relax significantly, his tense form unwinding from the concern that had plagued him throughout the night. He looked so at ease after that, as if some burden had suddenly just been lifted off of him by her doing that and she couldn't help her soft chuckle as his grip began to grow a little tighter from it.

After lightly tracing along his cheek for a few uninterrupted seconds, daydreaming about outrageously unrealistic fantasies that plague her during these quiet moments with her War God, Xena quickly shook that nonsense from her head and attempted to prop herself up a bit, as much as his insanely tight embrace would allow her to anyway and her subtle movements caused Ares to stir.

Just like the Warrior Princess had done just minutes before him, he awoke to a beautiful sight, one that seemed to have taken his breath away with how unbelievably gorgeous she looked to him at that moment while she leaned over him like that. His auburn eyes searched hers relentlessly, and he moved his hand up and tenderly smoothed back her hair from her face so he could see her better. There was this extremely strong hold that had come over him at that instant and it was unusual but at that moment he was just so happy to see her awake that he didn't pay any attention to it.

His movements became gentler, seeming as if he was too afraid of touching her too roughly-so that he barely caressed her silky flesh. As his fingers softly stroked her cheek, his eyes stayed locked with her mesmerizing sapphire moons the whole time and he was actually starting to make the Warrior Princess a little uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her and a light blush filled her cheeks from it. That was like an unspoken confirmation for the War God and his grip around her waist tightened as he cupped her gorgeous face and swiftly captured her mouth with his own, relief filling him even more at feeling her respond to him as her sweet lips moved against his with just as much desire.

Despite the initial urgency that started it, it was slow and sweet and held a tenderness that Xena had never experienced before as his lips brushed against hers. Within seconds of them leisurely losing themselves in the moment, Ares hastily rolled them until his darling Princess was tucked securely beneath him and gradually, his kisses grew even more heated. At that instant, he just wanted to feel her, taste her and he ended up kissing his way along her jaw, down her neck, feeling that throbbing vein that was going absolutely wild for his attention before he teasingly made his way back up and possessively claimed her mouth again.

Completely immersed with what was happening, Xena softly moaned into his mouth, trying to keep up with his hungry kisses and the passion that was held behind each and every one of them was overwhelming her. She wasn't sure where this was going to lead, though she was selfishly hoping for one specific scenario, and she snaked her hands around his neck, pulling him closer. Much to her disappointment though, Ares did not take things any further, on the contrary, his frantic kisses began to turn slow again.

He softly nipped at her lips, capturing them in short sweet sensual encounters that still kept her mind spinning before he inhaled deeply against the side of her neck, breathing in her intoxicating perfume and letting the scent run through his system like an untamable wild fire before placing a chaste kiss against her skin and then leisurely trailed a path up her throat before just resting his forehead against hers.

"You're ok…" the words softly slipped their way from his mouth without Ares even realizing it, thinking that thought had simply ran through his head instead of actually voicing it.

"Hello to you too…" she whispered breathless against his lips, choosing to ignore what he had just said, realizing that the War God was unaware that he had even said it out loud to begin with and not really sure how to deal with it herself.

She really did have an effect on him and at that moment she knew exactly how much with the way he started to fondly stroke her hair as he continued to place innocent kisses against her head. As much as she was enjoying his tender ministrations, not to mention the way his body would shift against hers, causing an unbearable friction that was really driving her insane since he had no intention of acting on that more primal need, Xena attempted to move before she ended up doing something completely crazy.

Suddenly adamant about not giving in to this Olympic temptation, she pushed against his chest a little, only to indulge on how unbelievably strong it felt against her palm for a few seconds too long and really not wanting to lose the contact but if things continued the way they were then she was going to completely lose her mind with how much her body was yearning for his. As if to counter act what she so unwisely was trying to force her body to do, Ares started to kiss against her throat again, causing her eyes to drift shut faintly from the pleasant feeling.

After indulging in the sensation for way longer than she should have really though, her completely disloyal body plainly began to give off its subtle hints with how much it dreadfully wanted the War God. Every touch of his lips against her flesh caused her to arch into him, her limbs little by little entwining with his to keep him as close as possible as soft moans broke free from her mouth…. In other words, the Warrior Princess was completely turned on and her small gasps and moans appeared to be slowly working that into Ares' mind as the anticipation within her started to transfer to him and a low lustful growl of his own formed deep in his throat as he continued to taste her.

"Ares…" she managed to whisper out, trying to shake herself free from this utterly inebriating hold that he always seemed to be able to cast over her.

His hand- slowly roaming its way over her body - had a different effect though, one that made her bite her bottom lip viciously while she tried not to react to where it was headed. Her nails dug into his skin a little, a defense mechanism that she tried to apply to keep her body from pleasantly shivering from his slow descent. But that reaction only told the War God that his darling Princess was eagerly awaiting for him to touch her and the slight buck of her hips was all he needed to know with how much she wanted it and he was more than inclined to fulfill her every desire.

"Ares…" she lowly repeated, more than determined to keep a leveled head but his reaction was one that she was not really expecting and it left her a bit confused.

"What are you doing here?" he suddenly asked, pulling back from her so he could look in her eyes and denying that much wanted contact that her body had desperately craved and it showed its displeasure as she lightly sunk back into the bed annoyed and a small pout formed on her face.

"I thought I was always welcomed here." she murmured out, holding his gaze for a few more seconds before tearing her eyes away from his and hastily trying to re-erect that wall that he had somehow completely demolished and she wasn't even sure when he had done it exactly.

Was this some sort of a mistake? Perhaps he really didn't mean what he had told her the other day. Maybe she shouldn't have come after all but she wanted to get Argo and since he was abruptly gone when she woke up, there was no other way for her to do that. Now she wasn't sure what to think, he had seemed genuinely happy that she was there but now he was questioning her about it as if she was a stranger that had suddenly broken into his temple.

Meanwhile, Ares couldn't help the light smile that pulled at the corner of his mouth as he watched her. She just had to overthink everything all the time and she completely took his question the wrong way. It was so adorable though, with the way she seemed a little embarrassed to be in this situation with him now and he gently hooked his finger under her chin and softly tilted her face back towards his. She refused to look at him though, preferring to find something interesting just over the top of his left shoulder. He had eternity though, and he patiently waited until she finally decided to grace him with the sight of those crystal blue eyes of hers, not being able to take his piercing stare any longer.

"Of course you are…" he whispered out, tenderly brushing his knuckles along her cheek

"… whenever and for however long you want, my sweet… but why are you here? If I recall correctly, I left you with your army."

Xena felt completely ridiculous at that moment, why did he always make her feel like some hormonal raging teenager? He was just a little surprised to see her there since he had in fact left her somewhere else and he was not expecting her to be here.

"Argo…" she mumbled, still not believing that she was being so foolish and wishing to just disappear at that moment for her silly thoughts, she really needed to pull herself together when he was around.

"Argo? What about her?" he inquired, softly tracing her lips and then gently descending along her jawline- finally succeeding in sending that downright pleasant shiver through her gorgeous body that she had been trying so hard to deny. The thought had never even crossed his mind of even bothering to remove himself from on top of her as he shifted more comfortably against her crotch, the sensation only causing a lustful gasp to escape from her luscious mouth.

Seems like his little temptress was barely holding on and a wicked little gleam started to form in his eyes at the thought. One of the things that he was starting to love was watching Xena trying to fight against her barely kept in check want that she constantly denied she had for him. It was a most rewarding pleasure to get her to succumb to it and before she had the chance to answer his question, Ares seductively placed a kiss at the base of her neck and then lightly ran his tongue upward along her throat.

The hitch in her breathing only made him even more determined and he started to kiss against her neck passionately, causing a shaky exhale of breath to come from his excited Princess, knowing just what the sensation was going to do to her and it wasn't long before her body bucked into him slightly with need.

"We… we left her…." she moaned from the unique feeling, "… I came back to get her… I didn't want to leave her behind." she informed him right before he eagerly took ownership of her mouth.

Try as she might, there was just no way for her to escape that much wanted desire of feeling him deep within her. Not with Ares being deliciously on top of her, his body slightly moving against hers in such a satisfying friction as he eagerly kissed her into oblivion. As the space between them slowly started to become less and less, Ares pulled back from her, putting a stop to something that never should have come to an end to begin with, at least not so unsatisfied anyway.

What was he doing to her? Gods, she just craved him all the time and she really didn't appreciate him toying with her like this. She could see the hunger behind his eyes, she knew he wanted her just as much as she was craving him but it was as if something was holding him back. Now what in Tartarus could that have possibly been because the War God had certainly had no problem before with making love to her. It was so frustrating, what had changed between then and now and then she thought back to what had happened when she was on her way to get her pendant that he had given her.

"Why were you so angry?" she suddenly asked, letting her finger run along his cheek for a moment when his gaze turned from hers as if he were ashamed, but that was just completely ridiculous.

Her question made him stiffen nevertheless and a rather unpleasant scowl came across his face as he thought back to what he had done to her when he was mad and the reason that had put him in such a foul mood to begin with. He let out an annoyed breath, bringing his eyes to hers once again after she had gently coaxed them her way and his features soften a little as he looked into those endless blue pools.

They were just so hypnotizing, luring him in with that unheard song that was just for him as he got lost within their sparkling depths even more. Then, for no other reason that he just wanted to, he captured her mouth with his own in a kiss that he wasn't even sure how to describe but it certainly took his Princess by surprise nonetheless.

"Athena seemed to think that she still had some sort of claim to you and she tried to get Zeus to make me give you up to her…" he told her, instantly seeing the conflict of emotions that became more than obvious on her face with his words as her questioning sapphire eyes searched his.

"That… I won't… the nerve of that conniv…" she quickly started to protest but Ares' comforting stroke along her cheek ceased her objection and she just stared up at him, bringing her hand up to his and he swiftly laced their fingers together before placing a kiss against their joined hands.

"Her plan failed, it didn't work. You are my Chosen and anything that might have given her some kind of right to you as her warrior was destroyed the moment she tried to kill you. It was made even more impossible the instant we were bound to each other with our vows as God and Chosen."

"So now she knows that I am still alive? There goes the element of surprise." she joked, casting him an unamused smirk with her words.

She just still couldn't believe that the Goddess was actually still trying to lay claim to her anyway after what she did. Oh, Xena knew the reason she had behind that little sneaky ploy but the thought that Athena was trying to play the victim just made her sick and it only fueled her need to destroy her the way she tried to do to her even more. She would soon learn what it was to really be hunted down like a dog and by the time the Warrior Princess was done with her, the Goddess would just be a footnote in the pages of history.

Ares' touch against her cheek once more brought her out of her vindictive thoughts and she looked up into his eyes. He liked the fire that was shining in them and he was going to do whatever he could to help his Princess carry out her plans.

"Trust me, sweetheart…" he murmured against her lips, taking the moment to capture them with his own for a few seconds, "… she is not going to see us coming and by the time she does, it will be too late."