Title: Hold Your Position
Rate: T
Genre: Romance, Slash, Humor
Summary: Apollo needs a timeout. He felt utterly destroyed one time, and no one knows why. Really, it's not because he's sick or something. He just really misses his mom. (Not the real Summary)
Warning: Innuendos and an odd, OOCed Ares because of a potion. Hints of slash(gayness to be blunt), cursing, and very disturbing gods having an OOC streak... sometimes. Criticism and flames are allowed.

Prompt: Apollo hearing perverted things when Ares orders him around.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything... not at all. Well, you would not even be reading this if you do not know, right? I don't own anything. Not at all. You can contact my secretary and writer.

*READ AUTHOR'S NOTE BELOW*

Hold Your Position

Ares

Ares agreed to himself that the boy should feel at home, just because he looked like he was about to cry by the way his elite supervisors stared him down. He slowed down his pace and the kid hesitantly matched his pace. He obviously wanted to reach the canteen immediately.

Ares stopped completely right in the middle of the hall, watching as Apollo stopped, too, and trembled as he waited for him to continue. He even reached out a hand to hold on to him but dropped it at his side when one particular supervisor sneered.

"Don't hesitate," Ares ordered. Apollo swallowed and nodded, reaching out to grab the back of his shirt. "Better?"

Apollo nodded slightly and wiped his eyes with his other hand. "Thanks," he muttered softly.

Damn, what kind of life did this kid have to make him so insecure and afraid? "We're going to work on that, too."

Ares continued his walk, glaring at anyone who dared to look at him weirdly. Apollo matched his pace, watching him curiously. Ares could feel his eyes probing his stance, his walk and everything he did. The boy was observing everything, and he sometimes copied his confident walk.

In a matter of minutes, Apollo was walking straight, his eyes were looking straight and he looked like he belonged right there beside him, with a hand clutched at the back of Ares' shirt.

"How old do you think I look?" Ares questioned.

"You're twenty-seven right now," Apollo answered, blinking. "Oh, I guessed again." He sounded guilty, and even sad.

"Well, you're right anyway," Ares muttered, making sure no one heard him. Nobody knew his human age, and his subordinates always thought he was some kind of intimidating superior. "Keep that to yourself, alright? You're the only one who I'll allow to know that information."

Apollo nodded and smiled at him.

"What's the name of my mother?"

"Hera," Apollo answered, furrowing his brows. "Did I get that wrong? I don't usually guess things like that one."

"You're right again, kid." Ares chuckled quietly and glanced at him. "Do you feel confident now?"

Apollo blushed and looked down. "I, um, thank you. I didn't even guess that you were training my confidence."

"Well, I would have never guessed that my mother's name is Hera. That's her real name, by the way."

"My mother's name is Leto," Apollo admitted. "Her second name is Latona. My father's name is Zeus."

Ares smirked but said nothing. Apollo and he had the same name for their father.

Ares' second name was Mars, but no one ever guessed that. The interrogation was fun because he could go as the god of war.

"Mars," Apollo murmured under his breath. He blushed and straightened up, saying, "I'm sorry."

Ares shrugged. His name and age did not even matter to him. So long as he always became victorious in sieges and wars, he was content. "You can keep that, too, since they always never guessed it right. Do I look like a Jason to you? Seriously, one was Perseus."

Apollo giggled—or maybe it was a laugh, but he could never tell with the boy. He always sounded so girly, but he was all right. Ares felt like he was dreaming when he giggle-laughed. It sounded so pretty, so... delighted. It was as if he was in a large field, a meadow, and there was only peace. Apollo had a peaceful laugh, something calming. It would surely brighten up the agency.

They reached the canteen in no time, Apollo walking calmly beside him while trying to avoid their looks. Ares knew a few of his people lounged in the canteen, but not this much. The canteen brimmed with people, as if the canteen was serving food. People were throwing glances at Apollo, and sometimes they stared too much. Apollo tried hard to ignore them, but he started getting nervous again.

He was gripping the back of Ares' shirt like crazy, and Ares was starting to wonder if his nails would leave holes after. He almost laughed at the thought but shook his head. He grasped the boy's wrist and the hand reluctantly left his shirt alone.

"Hold my wrist and check if your fingers left holes in my shirt," Ares ordered, watching as Apollo did as he said. He was gripping his wrist as if his limb was the only thing that grounded him in reality. He even actually checked if his nails left holes in his shirt.

Ares found his reserved table and placed the lunch bag there, making sure to direct Apollo to sit at the other side. The boy stiffened in his seat, and his eyes were wide as he stared at Ares with panic.

"Calm down," Ares murmured, opening the lunch bag. The boy nodded furiously and clasped his shaking hands together tightly over the table. Ares sighed. "Stop shaking, too."

Apollo's eyes watered, but he stopped shaking. "I'm sorry, boss." He wiped his tears away and started a deep-breathing technique to calm him down.

Ares nodded. He knew Artemis for a very long time, and he was thankful that she taught his brother deep breathing. Ares could not ever calm anyone unless he had to fight them first. Apollo seemed like he would wilt before he could even fight him. He did not mind that he was a very good guesser, as he was the God of war himself.

"Did Artemis hand you the file?" Ares asked as he pulled out the lunch box. He popped the lid open and found chili beef stew steaming on his face, as well as a side of rice. It smelled delicious as it looked, and now he only had to taste it.

"Yes, she made sure I had it," Apollo murmured, pulling out a folder from the first-aid kit. He brushed back his fringes and nodded. "It's all in there, everything. She wrote it though, so I can only guess—" Apollo grimaced "—whatever nonsense she wrote."

Ares found the silverware utensils by then. "You'll stay honest with me, alright?"

Apollo blushed red. "I, uh, will. I mean, uh, boss."

Ares flashed him a smirk. "So, now why don't you guess who I really stand for?"

"Okay," Apollo breathed, closing his eyes. Almost immediately, his eyes snapped open with disbelief. He was that fast in guessing he was the god of war. "Are you—I mean should I—?"

"Nah," Ares waved him off, taking a bite from his dinner meal. He hummed and closed his eyes, savoring the spicy taste in his mouth before he chewed slowly and swallowed. "Should I say that you guess what I'll say, or should I tell you?"

Apollo grinned slightly. "I don't like guessing much, boss."

"Well, this is something we should discuss in private, Apollo," Ares said, smirking when he noticed a few ears turn back where they were needed. He already noticed that the canteen focused on them solely, and he knew a lot of them were listening into their conversation. Maybe he should never mention that Apollo was his new second-in-command.

"Geez, what a kiss-ass," someone from the crowd muttered.

Ares' sharp ears picked it up and he scowled. He glanced at Apollo and saw that he slowly drained of confidence. He probably heard what he did, so he looked so sad and scared. The boy's hands were clasped together again, stark white.

Ares figured he should initiate contact this time, and grabbed one of the boy's hands with his unoccupied hand. His other hand handled the silverware expertly as he ate, ignoring the looks of disbelief that he gain. He usually arranged paper with his other hand when he was eating, so he did not mind.

Slowly, the boy flushed red at the contact and gripped his hand. "Sorry," he apologized, looking ashamedly down on his lap. "I get really panicky when that happens."

Ares hummed and continued eating, staying alert. He finished his meal in a few minutes. He took the tissue from the lunch bag that he saw earlier and wiped his mouth, throwing it accurately at the trashcan. He placed the silverware back to its case and fixed up immediately with only one hand.

The blushing boy opened and handed him the water bottle. Ares nodded his thanks, taking the water bottle and taking a few gulps before he let the boy cap it shut. He licked his lips and blinked.

"I think you know what I'm going to say, but I'll still say it. Thank you for the food," Ares murmured, watching as the boy sat straight with a newly regained confidence.

"It wasn't that good, though, since it's like cheating. I knew what to throw in, and what you would appreciate eating."

"I bet you guessed that I ate with one hand and one utensil, huh?" Ares said, taking the file from the boy when he handed it to him with his other hand. Ares opened the file with his unoccupied hand and read the file, skimming. He glanced up and saw the boy looking at him curiously. "Well, don't correct me if it's wrong or a lie, alright? You can keep that to yourself if you don't want to share it."

"Yes, boss." Apollo flushed red and looked down.

"It says here that Artemis personally trained with you, and that you're eighteen. She wrote that you have several amazing skills that the boss will not mind at all." Ares stole a glance at the boy and saw that he wore an angry smile.

"That girl, I swear she wants me dead," Apollo grumbled.

"I think we should continue this in the office," Ares murmured, pulling him up as he stood. Their hands innocently clasped together tightly, Apollo still gripping his hand to death. "We'll work on that, so you'll be used to it. Someone might challenge you if not for my presence though." He murmured the words quietly near the boy.

Apollo nodded obediently. "Yes, boss."

Ares took the strap of the lunch bag and flipped it over his shoulder so the bag hanged from his side. They walked out of the canteen hand-in-hand, Ares trying to calm him every now and then when a few of his supervisors burned Apollo with their stares.

"Ares," Apollo murmured quietly under his breath. Ares felt oddly pleased at the way he said his name.

"You finally guessed I don't like second-in-commands calling me boss?" He made sure they were out of hearing range, and he said it quietly.

"No," Apollo stuttered, blushing. "I, um, just wanted to thank you for helping my stupid panic attacks calm down. And, I, um, wanted you to know that some of your subordinates think you're batting for the other team."

"Is that a way of thinking that I'm a spy?" Ares muttered, amused. "I'm not a traitor though."

Apollo blushed very red and muttered, "I mean, they think I'm turning you into a girly guy?"

Ares' mouth twitched. "Let them thank their luck that they keep it in their minds, Apollo. Otherwise I would've introduced their faces to cheese graters thoroughly."

Apollo scrunched up his nose cutely—wait, what?—and smiled. "Well, some of them are whispering right behind you, about how you're going to turn into a fairy and shoot them with pixie dust."

Ares let go of his hand and turned around abruptly.

"Now," he growled lowly, "if you guys don't shut your fucking traps about me being a fairy, I'm going to make my pistol shoot freaking pixie dust through your brains and I'll make sure your heads are hung on the front of my fucking door!"

People scrambled out of the way when he pulled out his pistol, aiming it at a random subordinate. He pulled the hammer and the subordinate fainted even before he pulled the trigger, falling to the ground harshly. Who is the fucking fairy now?

"Pick that asshole from the ground, you dimwits!" he snarled. He pulled the trigger and not even a bullet passed from his barrel. "Idiots," he muttered, tucking the pistol back behind him.

He turned around to see a very amused Apollo staring at him with awe. He raised an eyebrow at his expression and smirked. "Amazed, kid?"

"That was amazing," the boy murmured. He beamed at him and the hallway seemed to light up with his smile. "Can you teach me that? I can live without the cursing."

"Seeing as you are my student now, you're going to need your wits in keeping that confidence locked there." Ares took his hand unthinkingly and dragged him to the elevator.

Ares pulled the boy in his office and let his hand go, turning to see the boy blushing bright red. "Although I don't want you to force yourself, can you check if anyone is listening or anything inside this office is used by someone else for spying?" Ares made sure to keep it quiet.

Apollo nodded. "There's one microphone under your desk," Apollo whispered, "And there's something, like a hidden camera, at the plants."

Ares successfully found the two devices and destroyed them. "You don't need to tell me who did this, just as long as they know that we've discovered their seeds."

Apollo flushed even a brighter shade of red. "Thank you."

"Just call me Ares," he suggested. You need to have more confidence and spirit, kid.

"Thank you, Ares."

They both stayed in a stunned silence, Ares awkwardly willing the blood in his face to go away while Apollo placed his already blushing face in his hands. He did not even think of how Apollo would say his name in that same tone and softness that he used. It completely passed his mind that the boy would thank him sincerely, mentioning his name much more gently. It made his face feel warm, and he did not even know why.

"Well, then, I need you to check what your sister wrote." Ares handed him the folder that he skimmed and Apollo took it shyly, biting his lip as he did. "You can keep what you want to keep, and that's the thing I will trust you with. I don't think I should warn you though, since you already know what regulations I gave Artemis."

Apollo nodded and opened the folder, reading his file. At some lines, he frowned and gave a shake of his head, but at the lines that he deemed correct, he nodded gently. Apollo closed the file and looked up at him with his shimmering blue eyes.

"Someone will have a surprise visit for you tomorrow and aggravate you."

Ares' lip twitched into a smile. "And now, you're like my own personal secretary. Well, now that you say that, the only one who gives me surprise visits is..." He grimaced. "It's that woman, Aphrodite."

Apollo nodded and looked down. Ares blinked at his insecure action and smiled slightly. "Don't worry, she won't throw herself at you... much. I'll make sure to protect you or something."

The boy blushed again and groaned, covering his face with his two hands. Ares mused, as even Apollo's ears were red as his face. When the blush subsided, the boy looked up hesitantly and blushed once more. "I'm... trying not to guess that she'll jump you in front of me."

Ares laughed, unable to stop himself. "That woman may spare me if I asked... probably. That does sounds like her. Maybe you should protect me instead?"

Apollo sniffed. "But you're practically more strategic—" Apollo's eyes widened with excitement. "Ares—?" he called hesitantly.

Ares was curious. "What is it?"

"Can I plant... traps for you?"

Ares' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're going to make traps... for Aphrodite?"

Apollo bit his lip and looked up from his fringes shyly. "Can I? I mean, Artemis never appreciated that impulse of mine."

Ares thought about his suggestion and chuckled. Aphrodite would be livid, perhaps, if Apollo's traps were well made. "Well, that will be a first. Where do you want to plant these mines of yours?"

Apollo's blue eyes glittered with an idea. "Can I trap the other subordinates who insulted us earlier?"

"As long as you battle them fairly afterward," Ares conceded, smirking. Apollo nodded eagerly, accepting his command. "Well, now let's discuss this amazing trap maze of yours. Where do you need it and what materials do you need?"

Apollo gave him an evil smile. "Do you want her to be livid, annoyed or frustrated?"

Ares chuckled and ruffled his hair. "You're amusing me. What happens if we put together all the three of them?"

Apollo blushed and whispered his plan.

Now, if you like the sound of more Ares and Apollo, review, "War god and sun god needs to have an assignment together! All review Hold Your Position!" If you hate it, you can tell me in a pm.

If you absolutely want to see an awesome Hades and Percy, in another fanfic, review, "I wanna see Death on Sea!"

If you want Hephaestus being more awesome than any other straight god, in another fanfic, review, "I want to see Hephaestus turn good-looking for no reason!"

If you want Ares to stop being OOC, actually, you can tell me if you like Ares calm, or irritable, but I have two more chapters to redit... Not that I'm forcing him to go OOC...

P.S.: Ares is thinking very innocently.

P.P.S.: REVIEW BUTTON WORKS FOR ANONYMOUS PEOPLE :D!