What kind of fool

He was missing her!

He should've returned earlier!

He should've talked to her!

Ares balled his fists – he simply couldn't believe it! Had taken any other god, he wouldn't have been surprised, not even that doofus Poseidon. But Hephaestos – his workaholic baby brother, who hardly poked his nose out of that workshop of his. HE had marched along and grabbed his Aphrodite while Ares was away.
"How did it happen – WHEN did it happen?" he asked with frustration in his voice.
"I dunno," Persephone shrugged and went on peeling her scrimp. "I was down under."
"But..."
"Half a year ago. I'd just left. I learned it upon my return and honestly, bro, I'm just as surprised as you are."
"Good! 'coz no one else seems to be. Nobody even bothered telling me, I learned it from a centaur, mind you. A centaur! One would think someone of the family should've bothered with informing me. But no! I have to find out on my own. Glad I didn't have to do so the hard way – by stumbling upon them!"

"You know," Persephone said and put the shrimp in her mouth, "Ares, perhaps most people though you two were history..."
"No. We weren't. I mean..."
"...in any case the two of you haven't been seen together since – when – since before Athens became Athens. And that's what – two years ago now?"
"Yeah... yeah... I frigging know!" Ares hid his face in his hands for a few heartbeats before looking up again, regarding Persephone sitting opposite of him by the lunch table. After that he let his eyes wander over the empty places where the nymphs had cleared away the plates after Apollo, Athena and Artemis and then his eyes darted over the rest of the few people who were still lunching in the hall that early spring day, since it was too chilly for sitting out in the Poplar Garden.

"So how's your life?" he then asked. "How's life down under?"
"I'm... getting used to it," Persephone responded and something thoughtful crossed her aspect. "You know it's... Hades is kind and sensitive. Caring. I just wish – he wasn't so unbelievable solemn all the time. That he could let his hair down a bit now and then. And down there – it's so dark all the time with no sunshine. Even if we do have enough phosphorous stones. But I guess... On the other hand I've been going there now for a bit more than a century. I should've gotten used to it by now."
"You know, some things you just don't get used to," Ares said and looked his little sister deep into her hazel eyes. "If you want you can always talk to dad and your mother about..."
"I cannot do that, Ares."
"Why not? I'm certain they would understand."

"It's not them."
"Then what?"
"Ares, it's about – well Hades. And me. I cannot abandon him."
"What do you mean, abandon?"
"He's all alone there! Can you imagine what that's like? Ok, there are other beings there but – they're not humans. Far from it. They're a strange ilk – creepy to say the least! Like cold, wet winds snaking around your ankles and whispering behind the corners."
"They scare you?"
"Not really. Not anymore, although I admit my first years down there they made me quite jumpy. Just imagine a cold bony hand suddenly on your shoulder, someone wheezing in your ear. And you never saw it coming. And Hades had to live with them all the time!"
"It's not like he didn't chose it for himself," Ares huffed.
"It's not that easy – and you know it. He tried living up here. He didn't make it."
"And when was that? During the Titan wars? 500 years ago!"

"Very little has changed since. There's still this bright sunshine, tidal gravity affecting his blood and mood – and most of all the open sky. The things we love but which makes him uncanny."
"But you, you shouldn't have to..."
"Ares, I want it!"
"You..."
"You're right, from the beginning I had no desire to go down there to him. I hated that place and I hated myself for following him head over heels just because I was pissed with mother and wanted to get away from her influence. But now – these days – I..." then Persephone's eyes lost focus and she craned her neck. "Ares, she's there!"
"Who?" Ares asked, although he knew perfectly well whom his sister was referring to.
"Aphrodite of course. Together with that new Muse. Maplewhatshername."

"Melpomene," Ares said absent mindedly while turning to look over to the yonder end of the hall. True, there she was – Aphrodite. Together with Melpomene, chatting gaily, as if there was no cares in the world. Quite different from what she had sounded like last time he had talked to her, back then she just had been complaining about those mortal royal houses she was working with.
"Excuse me," he turned to Persephone and stood up.
"Certainly," his sister leaned back in her chair. "I was done anyway."

That wasn't really true but she knew Ares. Always with an ant-hill inside his pants. Especially when there were women involved. Persephone had to admit she had hoped it to last, she liked this Goddess of Love. Then again – Hephaestos! He was a bit peculiar but he was nice enough. And if he could win Aphrodite, then this truly was a world where everything was possible. Perhaps it was even possible to lure Hades up again. At least temporary, she thought when she regarded her brother walking up to where Aphrodite and the Muse had sat down.

"Hi, beautiful!" Aphrodite looked up as Ares addressed her and she groaned inside upon realizing he still affected her with his mere presence. She shouldn't have come here when she knew he was around. However she couldn't keep avoiding him forever, could she? Olympos wasn't that big.
"Hi, Ares," she replied coolly, watching him taking a chair and sitting down on the short end of the table between her and Melpomene. That panache of him! He never bothered with even guessing that he might not be welcome. Not surprising though, since he was Olympian by birth and most of those gods had never really bothered with the kind of politeness applying for 'normal' people. For good and for bad...
"Hi Mel!" he added and glanced over to the Muse, who blushed for an instance of a second before getting hold of herself. Anyone less sensitive than Aphrodite wouldn't have noticed that slight shift in countenance, but the love goddess could tell that Ares affected the young Muse as well. She also saw Persephone standing up and leave a few tables away, turning slightly back to cast a glance at them. That goddess also appeared to be concerned.

Oh, when did it all turn so complicated?

Ares didn't drop the cliché questions about 'how's it going' like everyone else. Instead he told about what Persephone thought about those creepy beings down under, telling it in a very dramatic way, almost making poor Mel scared even though it was in the middle of the day and the sun was shining brightly outside.
"I'm going to have nightmares now, Ares," Mel protested, but not without a glint in her eye.
"Imagine Persephone then! She's living it. At least half the year."
"The poor thing," Aphrodite said.
"I wouldn't say so," Mel protested and Ares did a double take. "I guess once you get used to it, it makes you feel kinda – special. Just imagine having your own pet ghosts running your errands."

"You want to see them?" Ares asked.
"Can I?"
"Ask Persephone! I bet she'd be delightful if you would come down and say hello next winter."
"Oh – well how about Hades?" Melpomene bit her lip, didn't seem that excited, not after the mention of the 'Scary God'. No matter that Ares promised her the god of the dead wouldn't be a problem at all. Actually, most gods and goddesses had a standing invitation with Persephone and her husband down under, although very few had taken advantage of it. The kingdom of the dead wasn't the most enticing last stop – not even for an immortal, who could return up whenever desired. Hecate was one of the few exceptions who tended to go down there now and then. While Melpomene was listening attentively to Ares, Aphrodite was on the brink of pouring her nectar over the head of that god who knew exactly what he was doing. Flirting with Melpomene just to trigger a reaction from Aphrodite. Well he was NOT going to have that pleasure, thanks a lot!

Instead she finished her meal as quick as possible and excused herself, told that she too wanted to go and say 'hi' to Persephone. Slightly taken aback, Ares eyed her with an inscrutable look on his face before he returned his attention to the younger goddess. As fast as possible, yet without running or showing any other sign of distress, Aphrodite hurried out of the room. Ares was certainly not going to have that pleasure from her!

As soon as she was home safe out in the hallway, she sat down on one of the settees lining the walls, resting her head against the wall and closing her eyes.
"What kind of fool am I," she asked herself. "To believe I can forget him!"

0O0O0O

She didn't encounter him until dinner the next day. That was too soon. She had all but received her glass of wine and began chatting with Hemera and Erato when the God of War arrived like out of nowhere and embraced her from behind, tickling her neck and breathing in her ear – like nothing ever had been wrong between them.
"Aaaares!" Aphrodite tried to wiggle away, but he was not letting her. "Don't be such a jerk!" Had he figured out that Hephaestos was not around?
"But you love it, pretty one!" She could tell by his voice he was smirking, which made her even more irate. "What makes you think you can come here and..." Her cup fell from her hand and clanged to the floor, red wine flowing out on the white marble and she noticed others who have turned to look at them.

Then he let go, and she could feel – was he actually ashamed?!
"So sorry," he admitted. "Didn't mean to startle you!" He withdrew and before any nymph made it up to them to clean away the accident, he made a motion with his hand and the wine dried up, the other hand catching the cup again as it levitated back to him. Before Aphrodite knew it, he had refilled it with new beverage.
"I..." she stammered as she accepted the cup from him. "I guess I became –startled."
"And I shouldn't have been so raucous, dear. That was imprudent of me!"
"Apology accepted," she sighed and both Erato and Hemera were giggling. Though it was a kind and benevolent titter. As if no one was at fault, just that part of human interaction which could turn so funny from time to time.

Laying his arm upon her shoulder, Ares spun her slightly around.
"Aphrie, can we talk?" he asked. "After dinner?"
"About what?"
"I think you know, honey." At the same time she noted Erato taking Hemera's arm and steering her gently but firmly away, ostensibly comprehending that Aphrodite and Ares needed a few words together in solitude.
"You ended it," she said in a hollow voice, while looking into those dark brown eyes, feeling her cheeks heat up by the undesired fire burning inside of her.
"Yes, and that is something I regret deeply," Ares replied and regarded Aphrodite with a sad expression.
"What's done is done, Ares," she sighed although it hurt her so deeply to say that.
"That might be true, but it doesn't stop any of us from doing something about it."

"What makes you think I want that?"
"Everything about you, dear," Ares answered as he came to rest both his large hands on her slender shoulders, the heat of them smoldering through the thin fabric of her lavender tunic, affecting her. "We belong together, honey, can't you see it?"
"That might have been true earlier, Ares. But since – well – two years back, when you went down to Egypt and I didn't hear a single word from you..."
"I was busy, dear. I told you that could happen!"
"...I met someone else."

"Huh?" Ares looked really startled at the comment. Apparently he hadn't heard. Or was it just all pretention from his side?
"Yeah –'huh'. In case you haven't noticed I didn't come running to you the way I used to. Besides, after hearing that you and Ciresia..."
"Ciresia? So that's your problem. Well, let me tell you that broad didn't have anything against you. I admit I screwed her just to trigger some kind of reaction from you, Aphrodite. That was stupid and immature of me and..."
"And you expect I should forgive you just like that?" she snapped her fingers for emphasis.
"Not really. However I'm used to work hard to get what I want. So who is it this time? Zephyros again?"

Aphrodite considered the wind. She had been with him three times since she had begun her relation with Ares. All of those times had happened when he had been off warring and both she and the wind had agreed upon it being nothing but a friendly encounter. Some pleasure without obligations from any side. However, with Hephaestos it was a completely different matter. He had made a lasting impression upon her, one of the kinds unable to shake.

"No, Ares, it's your brother."
"My brother," he snorted. "Which one of them?" Yes, of course, he did have a few.
"Your other... Ares, it's Hephaestos."

She guessed she had expected rage, anger and accusations. But Ares' reaction was the complete opposite, he begun laughing like mad, apparently he thought she was pulling his leg. She had to call out his name several times before he listened.
"Ares, this is real!" she said when he had cooled down a bit. Biting her lips she noted some others staring at them. But not for long, they soon stopped paying attention and returned to what they'd been discussing before. At least one benefit with Olympos, people here were so used to outbursts and dramas of all kinds that they had stopped caring. As late as yesterday Nyx splashed her wine in the face of Poseidon over something.

Finally Ares stopped laughing.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that it is real."
"You've been having an affair with Hephaestos?"
"Yes," she nodded her head.
"I should have known, since that was the only brother left, right? Left, right, left, right – hahaha."
"Oh, come on!" Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "This is nothing to kid about."
"Well you did have both Hermes and Apollo already your very first week here if I remember correctly. And since then there has been..."
"That matters little now, Ares. I know I've been a bit too eager in that department. Field testing my abilities in a way that – well – perhaps became a bit over the top. Regardless, you and I were always on to something special. Until we blew it. I'm not going to blame either you or me for what happened, but face it, Ares, it did happen. And fact remains..."

"Fact remains this!" By these words Ares pulled her towards him and then he gave her one of his trademark kisses, those which made her hair stand on its edges and her toes curl. Had always done – and did this time too. When he let go of her, he continued his speech as if nothing had happened. "Fact remains that he cannot give you this. No matter if he made those earrings you are wearing now. Yes, I noticed them. But he does not kiss like this? Or I would've heard about it. Think about it!"

With those words Ares let go of a stunned goddess and with elongated steps he walked over to where hungry gods had started to file into the dining hall. Aphrodite remained standing in the same spot, dumbfounded and with a painful realization in her chest. No matter what had happened between her and Hephaestos, she was still in love with Ares. Madly, deeply and irreversible! She felt tears burn behind her lids at that awareness. What was she going to do? Indecision plagued her like a wild fire in her chest as she stood there, fingering her lips absent-mindedly, feeling that tickling reminiscence of his kiss. His kiss... Ares' kiss...

The next moment she swirled around. To Tartarus with the dinner! With more angered than sad steps she walked out of the large building.

0O0O0O

"Ares!" Hephaestos said and regarded the woman sitting on the other side of his desk, eating a sandwich, her eyes swollen from tears, the soft headlight falling over her hair which floated like golden waves down her shoulders. His beautiful beloved was in tears, and that made him feel guilty for some strange reason. "He's hopeless, can't take a defeat, being it war or love. Or just some stupid game with the family for that matters."
"This is not a 'game', Hephaestos," Aphrodite angrily stated.
"I know that, honey. But you may discern what I mean!"
"I think I do..."

"Hmmm... My brother is playing you. For his own benefit. He's always been a prick in that sense. A selfish brat who cannot see that he's hurting other people."
"So what do I do about him?" she asked and put down her cup of wine to be able to dry another tear. Then she took a bite of her sandwich as Hephaestos answered:
"Don't let him annoy you. Let me reason with him."
"He'll..."
"He won't mess with me," Hephaestos said dryly. "Not even he is that stupid." Then he leaned over and caressed her skin gently and in an instance it all felt much better.

"He affects me," she had to admit, looking the inventor into his kind, brown eyes. "I don't know what to do about it. But I guess I have myself to blame. I sampled too freely from all the gods available up here. So much beauty, so many clever minds. I guess I couldn't help myself. Even that thickheaded brute Kratos found his way to my bed. After a lot of wine I admit, but it's a lousy excuse. I shouldn't have behaved like that. I should've been more mature. Saner. More restrained. And I guess that's what I'm paying for now." Angrily she tore another bite off the bread.

"Don't think like that, honey!" Hephaestos leaned his chin in his hands, elbows on the desk as he regarded her thoughtfully.
"But it is true. I did quite a lot of mistakes upon coming here."
"But we all do. Definitely not the same mistakes, but we all make our fair share of slipups. That's a part of life, that's what makes us develop, turn us into humans. If we shouldn't make those mistakes ourselves, we become unable to forgive other people when they make theirs."
"You're saying... that?" she whispered. "You're so wise, man! I don't know what I'd done if I hadn't had you to talk with in this."
"You'd figured it out yourself, dear." He reached out and caressed her hand. "Eventually."

0O0O0O

Yes, Hephaestos was clever of mind. But when it came to Aphrodite's situation in this game of human interaction, wisdom of the brain was not enough, at least not since her heart wasn't listening to that reason. She was still aching after Ares. Still desiring him, still longing for his large hands all over her body, his lips which so skillfully and passionately used to cover hers, his voice whispering lovely words in the shells of her ears. There was no denying that she still wanted him. She wanted to be with him, hold him, kiss him, make love to him. No matter that his younger brother Hephaestos was tender and kind – it wasn't the same consuming fire of desire as between her and Ares. How could she have forgotten that just because he had been away and she had been angered with him? Stupid!

That night she had turned down Hephaestos' advances, blaming tiredness, and now she was lying alone in her bed, tormented by insomnia as the moon was itinerant across the sky and the window rectangle kept sliding across her floor. She balled her fists in anger and despair. What was she going to do? Wasn't there any reasonable person in the world she could ask for advice?

No, as a matter of fact, people used to come with HER asking the same kind of questions. Poor souls stuck between two choices and unable to pick. People who had tangled up their love life beyond reason. Turning over in bed she asked herself what she really used to say to these people. To follow their heart... however why was it always easier offering advices to others than to try to coach oneself? Her own situation felt hundredfold more complicated than any other she had ever encountered, still she knew that was not the case. It only felt that way because she was standing in the middle of it rather than regarding it from the outside.

"Ah - to heck with this night's sleep!" she cursed when she turned once more – for what time in order she had no clue – only to discover that the sky had taken a slightly blue hue – the first signs of impending dawn. Sighing she sat up in bed and put her bare feet down on the floor – darn, it was chilly. And probably she felt it more because she was moody and overtired.

Standing up she picked a shawl from the chair it was hanging over, sweeping it around her slender, naked alabaster-pale form. She put her feet in a pair of warm woolen slippers, went over and pushed the balcony door open and soon she found herself standing outside, head tilted slightly back and regarding the stars, trying to memorize some of the stories told about the constellations. The Milky Way – or the Silver Bridge as it was called where she came from – was spanning the sky and hundreds of other stars were pinpointed up there, looking down upon her like so many curious eyes, probably wonder what this goddess of love was doing up in the late of the night.

This early in spring the nights were still a tad chilly and she felt herself shield against the damp coldness as she walked over to the railing and looked out over the lake, which was covered with a thick layer of moonlit mist, slightly undulating and whirling in the wind. A forefinger traced a line in the dew of the railing, painting a snaking line as she tried to collect her thoughts. However it wasn't easier just because she had gone out here, it changed her perspective just a little but it didn't help.

The moment she was about to turn and go back inside she heard a soft voice call her name. Turning her head, she wasn't sure if she had heard it or if she was just imagining things. No, there it was again.
"Aphrodite? – Aphrie?"
"Ares? That you?" Dumb question, she did recognize his deep baritone after all.
"Honey – may I... come up."

"I'm sorry. We need to talk things over." the voice down there went on as she hesitated in her reply.
"You think so?" she walked over to where she was hearing him and looked down to the ground. Yes, there he stood by the tree line, his open right hand holding a flame of green divine light, which reflected in the dew-wet leaves and his faint divine aura shone red and white around him. Seeing him like this if felt like the most wondrous thing she had ever beheld. As if cut right out of her wishful thinking. Still...
"May I come up?" Ares repeated his question. "Please?"
"Ares, I... I couldn't sleep."
"Neither could I. I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. I behaved like a dork before dinner today. I should've been more – well – considerate of your feelings and not just ambled right into your life as if nothing had happened. Now, please – let me come up to you! Standing down here feels so – inadequate."

"But come on then," she beckoned him with her hand and as a response he took one graceful, levitating leap up to her balcony, landing just about an inch from her. Before she knew it, he had swept her into his arms and his lips were ravaging hers, filling her veins with a storm of desire.
"Ares," she hesitated when he disconnected to draw breath. "I thought you meant TALK."
"I lied," he replied before he was kissing her again. Protestingly she repeated his name while she tried to push him away, knowing this to be her last chance before she exploded in a blaze of passion and became swept away with that ardor. But the war god's fervor was unrelenting. For a short second he disconnected to whisper.
"Oral activities or oral activities, they're just the same anyway."

Aphrodite snorted out a curt chortle before she finally gave in to her own emotions and let the war god have his way. It didn't take long before he had steered her back into the bedroom and somewhere along the way she had dropped her shawl before helping him off with his short tunic and then pulling him with her down into bed. Still with his lips connected to hers had she landed on top of him. No matter that they had done this an endless amount of times earlier, she was still almost surprised by the shower of emotions which began flowing as her lover kept on exploring her body with hands and with lips, sending waves and waves of desire through her while she did her best to evoke his bodily lust – it didn't take that much. To tell the truth he had been hard already on the balcony...

0O0O0O

"Can we talk now?" Aphrodite asked as they rested in the lethargy of love making's the aftermaths. The sun was coming up, colouring the room in soft secondary light as it was reflected against the greenery outside the bedroom windows.
"Uhm – what is there to talk about?" Ares returned as he traced her cheek-line with an index finger, sensing the peachy softness of her skin beneath his fingertip.
"You ask me? It was you who wanted to talk. Remember saying that?"
"Maybe. Still – I don't think you and I really need to talk that much. We've always been aligned alongside each other anyway."
"Uh?" she wrinkled her brow at Ares' words.
"We are so much alike. We know what the other one thinks. You and I - we understand each other, Aphrie."

"That's... your impression." Picking her words carefully Aphrodite went on. "I still feel a bit at loss at your antics last spring when you just left without saying goodbye. And words had it that you had a tryst with - Ciresia. Of all people. When you know I cannot stand her. To me that felt almost like – you wanted to... hurt me."
"It did?"
"Yes, Ares it did." Looking in his brown eyes she could tell that these were not the words he had expected from her. Still he didn't seem put off by them – or even irritated. Just confused. "What happened really?" she pressed on. "What did you do with Ciresia."

"A tryst," Ares confessed matter of factly. "Yes, I put it inside of her. Being drunk as a skunk and horny as a goat I found my way inside of her skirts and took advantage of the fact that she was barely sober either. Or she wouldn't have let me touch her with a stick."
"Why?" Aphrodite asked.
"Because I just needed to put it somewhere, you were not around and she just happened to be in handy. I know that's not a good excuse, but that was what happened. Then I guess I was a bit incensed with you as well, and sort of used this tryst to get even with you. Childish, I know, but I was not really within my wits at that time."
"I understand," she huffed. "That doesn't mean I'm fine with it, far from. Only that I comprehend what took place. Now, what I wonder is what you mean with that statement that she wouldn't have let you touch her with a stick."

"Oh, miss prudent herself!" Ares huffed.
"Did I just miss something?" Aphrodite's confusion showing in her voice. "She should be prudent? Are we talking about the same Ciresia, because she doesn't come off that chaste in my eyes."
"Oh, well I believe she thinks she can score some points with Hestia by playing virtuous. How little does she know, they all think Tia is some kind of virgin. Just because she's not out there very much."

"I've always wondered about that. How come?"
"I don't know. Frankly, that's none of my business. But I guess she's never really been that interested in playing around. Perhaps she's waiting around for Mr. Right, what do I know? She's my aunt, so I don't really care! Whatever, I was with Ciresia – and then I got ambushed by my bad conscience. Defeated, humiliated, my pride cast by the way side, the only thing remaining being the burning shame of my inability to face you. So I just split. Went off that war, because I didn't know what to say to you. I behaved like an ass – I know. Can you forgive me, dearest?"

"I guess I can," she replied in earnest. "But let's just forget it happened."
"How about my brother then?" he asked.
"Whom? Hephaestos?"
"Exactly."
"I've... It was never... what I mean is... He was an adventure. Someone to comfort myself with when I felt that you had abandoned me. Besides, he needed some good sex as well, to get over the feeling of being worth so little. I think he can find someone one day, if he just goes out there more and partake in life instead of just isolate himself in that workshop."
"But you're not that one?" Ares asked.
"No," Aphrodite said. "I'm yours. I love you, Ares!"
"And I love you, Aphrodite."