Prologue: Recovery
A few days turned into nearly three weeks of utter torture, trapped in the hospital after waking up drowning on his own blood. Turned out, he'd torn open his wound internally by getting up and moving around when he really ought to have stayed in bed like the doctor said. His lung collapsed again, blood seeping into the space where only air was meant to go—and air going where it was never supposed to, filling the cavity around his lungs. The damage was small, at first, barely bleeding and still able to pull in air, but as he slept, his breathing sedated and his pain numbed by narcotics being pumped into his veins, he didn't notice until it was too late.
They had to perform more surgeries on him, rushing him out of the room and away from a terrified Ares. Charles had barely understood what the doctors and nurses were saying to him as they moved him through the halls to the operating room. He'd lost consciousness before they even got him into prep. Panic swept over him every time he woke up in pain, surrounded by beeping machines, and tubes shoved down his throat—later replaced by a confining oxygen mask. Instantly flooded with the same, terrible memories being in the hospital inevitably tried to suffocate him with, each and every time he found himself in one.
Then, Ares would be there, hovering over Charles, the scent of his cigarettes lingering in the air. He'd lay a hand on Charles' shoulder to keep him from jumping out of the bed and press their foreheads together. He always stayed there, rumbling a soothing tone Charles felt as much as heard, until the sound of his heart monitor slowed to a healthier, steadier pace.
Once, a nurse made the mistake of suggesting they use bed restraints to keep Charles from hurting himself when he woke up crazed, scrambling to pull the tubes from his mouth. The look Ares gave her when Charles' heart rate instantly jumped … well, she was lucky the turian let her walk out of the room of her own volition and in one piece. She never stepped foot in Charles' room again.
Being back home, in his own bed, surrounded by his and Ares' things definitely made him feel better. Just not better enough. He was fucking miserable. Everything ached from a mixture of injuries and bedrest—which Ares was all too keen on enforcing, especially after Charles scared the ever living shit out of him in the hospital. Charles' words, not Ares', though Ares never really bothered to try and deny it. What would be the point? Charles saw the fear in his eyes, heard the horror in his voice, felt it in the useless flutter of his hands as he clung to Charles and called out for the nurses.
It was a moment neither of them would ever forget.
The beast didn't care if he was hurt, didn't care who wanted him to stay in bed, though. It paced the cage of Charles' mind, snarling and growling, making him want to snap at every little annoyance. The beast was hungry and pissed; Charles had promised it a trip to Omega where it could run free for a little while, but being shot tabled his plans indefinitely.
Shifting again, trying for the hundredth time to find a comfortable position to no avail, he let out a frustrated growl. He puffed up his cheeks, blowing a breath out forcefully enough to make his lips flap and a twinge of pain shoot through his chest and shoulder. Who was he kidding, there was no such thing as comfortable. Not anymore. The only time he felt anything even remotely resembling comfort was when Ares stretched out on the bed next to him for an hour or so at a time. He never stayed there much longer than that, and Charles knew the turian wasn't getting shit for sleep, either.
Every little sound Charles made seemed to worry Ares. It worried Talak, too. As if on cue, the kid opened the door a crack and stuck his head inside. Mandibles fluttering softly, he watched Charles for a second without saying anything.
Forcing a smile on his face, Charles checked himself to make sure his voice wouldn't carry the strain of the helpless frustration he actually felt. "Hey, kid."
"Hello, Charles." Talak flared his mandibles. "Do you need anything?" He'd barely strayed within four feet from the door, even though he checked in on Charles regularly, as if just being close might somehow make the pain worse.
Wanting to let the kid feel useful, Charles suppressed a sigh and said, "Yeah, can you grab me another Paragade?"
Flashing a smile complete with flared mandibles, Talak bobbed his head before nudging Eezo out of the way and disappearing again, closing the door behind him. So excited for Charles to come home, the first thing Eezo did was nearly kill him by walking under his feet as he tried to make his way to the bedroom with some dignity. Then, as soon as he'd laid down, she promptly jumped right up on his chest, making him cry out and then hiss with pain.
Ares growled at the dog and told Talak to 'get that damn thing out of here'. Talak hurried to do as Ares commanded—his motivations a pretty solid toss up between either wanting to help, feeling concerned, or just plain flustered by Ares' tone. They'd kept Eezo out ever since, much to her dismay. Every now and again, Charles heard her sniffing around the door and letting out little whines.
A few seconds later, Talak always popped his head into the room with the dog in his arms. Charles was so damn grateful for Talak; God only knew what would happen with Eezo if the kid wasn't there to take care of her while Charles remained woefully bedridden. Though, he supposed, Cammus probably would've stepped up and taken her to his apartment.
Returning with a bottle of orange Paragade, Talak cracked the lid open and set it down on the nightstand within easy reach. "Ares wants to know if you're hungry?"
Charles waved a hand at the bottle of pills on the dresser and took a drink of the cold, sweet sport's drink. "Mmm. Getting there. I don't know. It's hard to tell with these painkillers." He popped open the bottle when Talak brought it to him and dumped two out in his hand before giving it back to the kid. "Leave them over here so I can reach them." Setting the pills between his teeth, he brought the Paragade to his mouth and used his tongue to pull the pills to the back of his throat.
"Okay." Putting the lid back on the pills and then setting the bottle down, Talak asked, "Do you need anything else?"
Hearing Eezo whimper at the door, Charles gave the kid a brief nod and said, "Bring her here for a minute."
Whispers in the darkness turn into demonic hands, grabbing him, tearing his clothes and flesh as they pull him through the halls of hell. Fire burns, yet gives off no light, just sears through his skin, melting fat and roasting muscle. All around him, people scream. Agonized sounds promising unfathamable torture worm their way through his skull, feeding his beast and making his pulse thrum with a hunger only fresh blood can sate.
Empowered and enraged, the beast bursts through him. Shredded and broken beyond all repair, he withers and dies. Now, there is only the beast.
Charles hissed, eyes snapping open as a sharp pain shot through his wounded shoulder. Gaze locking on to the turian standing over him with bags of takeout, he narrowed his eyes. "Ow. Gentle."
"I got you food," Ares said, obviously ignoring the reprimand.
Wriggling in the bed, Charles shifted a little more upright and huffed at the annoying-ass-pillows for not automatically doing what he wanted. "Did you get yourself something, too?" He smoothed out the blanket, ready to set the box on his lap. With a softer voice, he glanced up at Ares and added, "I want to make sure you're taking care of you, too."
Ares hummed as he sat a new bottle of Paragade on the nightstand before handing over a box and a set of chopsticks, the savory steam wafting off the container making Charles' mouth water. "Not hungry, but I got something for the kid. He's in the living room," Ares said, nodding his head back toward the door.
Ares was never not hungry. So, he wasn't sleeping for shit or eating enough. And it just made Charles feel that much more helpless. Still, he knew better than to push the subject again.
Instead, he watched Ares while he opened the container of ramen and prepared his chopsticks. "Sit with me while I eat?" He'd hoped getting to spend a bit more time together at home might help ease some of Ares' worries. But at the same time, he completely understood why the assassin seemed restless as all hell and didn't want to spend every minute sitting at Charles' bedside.
With a long, drawn out breath, Ares walked to the other side of the bed and sat down, adjusting the pillow behind his cowl. Charles gave him a soft smile, hating the fact that such a simple request irritated Ares, but he loved Ares' willingness to do it for him anyway. Carefully wedging the box between his chest and arm, Charles situated the chopsticks between his fingers and started eating.
After a couple of bites and an appreciative hum, he glanced at Ares and asked, "How's the room coming?"
"Slow. Can't really concentrate, but once you're up and moving, I'll get it done quicker," Ares said, and although his voice didn't carry any particular emotional inflection, the words still stung.
Holding another bite of ramen in front of his mouth, Charles fought back the sound of his dead father's voice, telling him that he was really nothing but a burden on Ares. "Are you still worried about me?" He wanted to set his food aside and just cuddle up next to his turian, apologize for making Ares have to carry him all the damn time.
"Yes." Straight and to the point, Ares rested his hands on his stomach and laid his head back against the pillow, rumbling. "I don't like you being bedridden."
Something about the rumble and the simple honesty of Ares' statement soothed Charles. "Me neither," he said with a sigh. "I feel useless … and whiney, and I know it's putting a strain on you." Charles took a slow, deep breath. "Thank you for being here, though. Taking care of me." Shoving another bite in his mouth, he chewed a couple of times before tucking the noodles into his cheek to talk around his food. "I think I might be starting to actually get used to having someone care enough to stick around when I need them the most."
Ares hummed but didn't speak.
Refusing to put meaning to Ares' silence, Charles took a couple more bites before asking, "Think you'll still want to go to Omega with me once I'm back on my feet?" He'd been afraid to broach the subject, worried Ares might demand he not go at all after everything he'd been through the last few weeks.
Ares flicked a mandible and glanced at Charles. "Not like I'm letting you go to Omega alone."
A tight knot deep in the center of Charles' chest began to ease. The fear of losing Ares a constant whisper of dread in the back of his mind since the shooting, tears threatened to well up in his eyes to learn Ares' plans for the future still definitely involved their being together. He thought Ares might blame him for being shot, find some way to make it Charles' fault, maybe because he reacted too slowly or wasn't as aware of his surroundings as he ought to have been. Even if he didn't hold Charles responsible, there was always the chance Ares might decide loving Charles just came with too much risk.
"What about Jasmine and your thing with her?" Charles also really didn't want Ares to miss out on helping Jasmine if she still needed him and he wanted to go. The last thing Charles needed was for either Ares or Jasmine to resent him, even just a little, because Ares was afraid Charles couldn't take care of himself.
Ares shrugged. "They'll be fine working without me for a while."
"Well … if you decide you need to get back to work, I can find someplace other than Omega to go if you want me to." Charles shifted the box of noodles carefully back to his lap and grabbed his Paragade, took a drink, and then set it back down.
"No," Ares grunted. "Omega is the best place for what you need. No one will care when people go missing."
Charles hummed in agreement and started eating again. He chose Omega for that very reason; it was the best place to take the beast off the leash. And … with Ares there, he actually stood a real chance of getting the leash back on it again. "Have you talked to Garrus since the hospital?"
"Sparse messages." Ares' mandibles fluttered softly along his jaws.
"You good with that?" Charles asked, sure to keep his tone neutral. He wanted Ares and Garrus to reconnect. He thought it might … he didn't know … give Ares back some of what was stolen from him, Charles guessed. But he knew better than to try and urge Ares in any given direction; not when it came to his family.
Ares shrugged and rumbled deep in his throat. "It's good for now. I know he wants to meet sometime, but I'm not ready for that."
"Good, don't push yourself, you know? I'm sure he'll get it." Charles left it at that and let silence take over.
It was good, but what really pleased Charles was Ares' use of the word 'yet'. He didn't rule out the possibility, not completely, which meant some part of him still held hope. Maybe hope carried the bite of danger, it certainly ripped Charles apart in the past, but since Ares came into his life …. He just wanted Ares to be happy. Wanted him to see a future for himself that wasn't just killing, fucking, and eventual death.
Once he'd eaten all he thought his stomach could handle, Charles closed the box and set it aside. Letting out a long, slow sigh, he readjusted himself so he laid a little flatter. "I'm dying for a cigarillo."
Ares grunted. "Too bad."
Fully expecting the response, Charles smirked and tugged at the corner of Ares' shirt. "Maybe you should go smoke one outside and then come back in here so I can at least smell it on you."
Ares stared at Charles for a moment and then stood up without a word. He headed to the balcony door leading off from the bedroom and stepped outside, leaving the door opened behind him. Picking up Charles' cigarillos from the table, Ares stuck one in his mouth plates and turned sideways, leaning against the guard wall, his good eye toward Charles. He lit the cigarillo, and a moment later, the sweet, musky scent of cloves drifted into the bedroom.
Filling his lungs with as many particles of the heavenly smoke as possible, Charles held his breath a moment. Annoyed by the achy, tugging feeling in his chest from still healing wounds, he exhaled with a soft groan. He wasn't entirely sure whether the smell helped his cravings or made them worse, but he sure as hell savored the taste it left on the back of his tongue.
In addition to getting as close to a smoke fix as Ares allowed, Charles also took advantage of the rare opportunity to devour the turian with his eyes. He knew Ares felt him staring, but for the time being, Ares didn't seem to mind. He wished the bullheaded turian understood just how in awe he left Charles. He was utterly stunning to Charles. Tall and strong, fast and deadly. Ares moved with the silence and precision of the apex predator he was, but he also just had an air of pure, raw sex about him. Anyone looking at him would know Ares could rock their world in the bedroom if he took an interest in them.
The scars only accentuated that for Charles.
Fuck, the whole being injured shit sucked. He couldn't fuck the man he loved, couldn't soak his hands in blood, couldn't even take his own goddamned dog for a walk. He couldn't do shit. Letting out a soft growl, he followed it with a sigh.
Turning to face Charles completely, Ares took a deep drag. Smoke trickling back out as he spoke, he asked, "What's your problem?"
"Just tired of lying in a bed all the damn time and it not even meaning I'm getting laid." Charles did his best to put a teasing smile on his face and a jovial lilt to his tone, not wanting to make things any harder on Ares.
Humming, Ares took a long drag from the cigarillo before slowly blowing it back out. "Do you need relief?"
Charles lifted an eyebrow, the mere suggestion stirring his arousal and longing. He knew Ares wouldn't be willing to do too much, but the prospects of feeling Ares' hands and tongue and teeth trailing over all the right spots as he worked to get Charles off—by whatever means—damn near made him whimper and plead. Fuck, yes, he needed relief. He needed to feel Ares' cock buried deep inside of his ass, teeth scraping over his throat and sinking into his shoulder. He needed to hear the sounds Ares made as he came undone, pumping Charles' ass full of hot cum, as Charles tightened around his cock, riding the waves of his own orgasm.
Knowing his scent betrayed the casualness of his words, he kept his response neutral anyway, "I wouldn't say no, but it's not the end of the world." The tightness of the crotch of his sweats and the heavy feeling of his balls said otherwise. "I'll survive." He winked, trying to keep things light. "Probably."
Ares took one last, long drag before stamping the cigarillo out in the ashtray. Blowing the smoke out over his shoulder, he stepped inside and pulled the door closed behind him. "You aren't allowed to exert yourself. If you do, I stop," he said with a low growl as he moved to Charles' side of the bed.
Watching him like a hawk, Charles slowly nodded while licking his lips. His cock twitched with anticipation, and then his heart fluttered in his chest. The sensation made him realize it wasn't just an orgasm he craved but also the feeling of reconnecting with Ares on an emotional level; something he often found through sex with the turian.
No … something he found when Ares sank his teeth into Charles' bondmark, which only happened during sex.
Thrumming, Ares put a knee on the bed beside Charles and leaned forward, pressing their mouths together with an urgent insistence. He licked Charles' lips before slipping his tongue inside, fingers buried in his hair. Charles let out a hungry moan, schooling himself before he lost control and clawed at Ares, dragging him closer and begging to be fucked. Instead, he wrapped his tongue around Ares', whimpering at the taste and feel of Ares and the lingering hint of cloves and nicotine. Slipping his fingers beneath Ares' crest, Charles pulled him in just a little closer and kneaded the exposed hide.
Ares growled, tightening his hold on Charles' hair and tugged, pulling his head back to expose his throat. He dipped his head, dragging his tongue and teeth along the column of Charles' neck as he shoved the blankets off of Charles. Shuddering and offering up more of his throat, Charles worked to keep his breathing as steady as possible.
The feel of Ares' teeth on his skin sparked a fire inside of Charles like nothing else, ever. He wanted Ares inside of him, wanted to be fucked long and hard. He needed to be made to scream Ares' name and feel the man's teeth sinking into his bondmark. Instead, he did his best to be good and follow Ares' lead, terrified one wrong move and the turian would pull away, leaving Charles blue-balled and brokenhearted.
Apparently content with Charles' act of submission, Ares released Charles' hair and dragged a hand down his side. Pushing Charles' shirt up, Ares licked and nipped his exposed stomach, making the muscles jump and twitch beneath his teeth. Charles groaned, fingers digging deeper into Ares' hide. Despite his best efforts, Charles gasped and held his breath for a second or two when Ares' other hand slipped inside his pants, warm fingers wrapping around his throbbing cock and giving it a firm stroke.
Ares let out a deep growl as he dragged his tongue up the center of Charles' abs, one long, hot, wet lick from the waistband of his pants to the bunched up fabric of his shirt. Eyes rolling back in his head, Charles let a moan slip through him, but then Ares' hand disappeared from his cock, ripping a whimper from his dry throat. Letting go of Ares as he moved out of easy reach, Charles fisted the blankets in his hand. He lifted his hips a little when Ares slid a hand beneath him. Bracing Charles, Ares used his other to gently tug his pants down to mid-thigh.
"Fuck." Half whispered and half silent, the word tumbled from his lips as Ares rubbed his thumbs into the grooves of Charles hips, making his cock jump and twitch, begging for attention.
Ares let out an agreeable hum before lowering his head and licking Charles' cock from base to tip, swirling his tongue around the head. Charles moaned, a faint whimper rattling his chest. Even though he didn't mean to, he lifted his hips off the mattress, instinct driving him to seek out more of the glorious sensations of Ares' warm, rough tongue. He watched Ares through hooded eyes, wishing desperately he felt up to the task of laying Ares down and returning the favor.
Taking Charles' cock completely into his mouth, surrounding him with warmth. Ares dragged his talons down Charles' thigh, the pain surprisingly still pleasant—even though he'd had more than his fill over the past few weeks. Charles let out a hiss, his cock twitching in Ares' mouth as he watched the red welts rise up on his leg. Ares growled, the sound sending vibrations through Charles, making him moan. Hips writhing just a little, he pushed a fraction of an inch deeper into Ares' mouth.
He wondered if after he came, he'd be able to convince Ares to let him jack him off if he used the hand on his good side. He wanted to wrap his hand around Ares' cock, sliding his fingers up and down to coat them in Ares' natural lubricant before grabbing tight and fist-fucking the hell out of the man. The thought tore another moan from him, and he let go of the blanket.
A second's hesitation was all he allowed himself before settling his hand down on Ares' crest, ignoring the slight tug in his other shoulder and chest even such a small amount of reaching caused. His heart thundered against his sternum for a few beats before slowly mellowing out once again. Ares wanted Charles to grab his crest and pull his head into the movements. He liked it. Even if Charles didn't, even if it made him panic. He wanted to give Ares the encouragement the turian found in the gesture, so he fought against the bad memories.
Lowering his head, Ares slid Charles' cock deep into his mouth and swallowed a few times, throat fluttering and squeezing Charles' erection. Bobbing his head, his tongue twisted and swirled around the cock in his mouth as he rumbled and purred.
Body shuddering, muscles straining with the demand of more, Charles licked his lips. "Fuck." The word came a little louder, a little more needy from Charles' mouth.
He swallowed, slowly wrapping his fingers around Ares' crest. He didn't squeeze, just held two of the spikes loosely in his hand. He knew it was tantamount to teasing Ares, but he also knew Ares understood just how difficult it was for him to even get that far without freaking the fuck out. He just needed to build his courage a little more.
Pulling his head back until just the tip of Charles' cock remained in his mouth, Ares tugged at Charles' pants. Pulling one of his legs completely free, Ares spread Charles' knees and lipped a hand between his legs. Ares cupped Charles' balls, massaging as he rolled them in the palm of his hand, head moving up and down around Charles' cock. Breaths coming staggered, Charles bit his lip and closed his eyes, the sensations building the pressure in his balls.
A moment later, Ares moved his hand and spread Charles' legs further, rubbing the pad of a finger against his asshold instead. Moaning, Charles shifted his legs further apart and bent a knee, using his foot as leverage to push against Ares, giving him permission as much as begging for the penetration. He wanted Ares' cock inside of him, but he'd gladly take a finger or two, something to give his prostate a little attention and feel a part of Ares inside of him.
Ares hummed, reaching down to tug open his own pants, giving Charles a glimpse of his rock hard cock as it slid free. He stroked himself a couple of times, wetting his fingers with his slick fluids before returning to Charles' asshole. A lust-filled, guttural groan seeped out of Charles as Ares' finger slid inside of him. He started rocking his hips, pushing Ares' finger deeper until it pressed against his prostate.
"Fuck, I want you inside of me so bad," he whispered, voice croaking, and tightened his grip on Ares' crest just enough to be felt, testing the waters with Ares as much as himself.
Growling, Ares looked up at Charles with dark eyes, nothing but pupil and undeniable hunger. He curled his tongue around Charles' cock, massaging his prostate with the pad of a finger. Charles held his gaze, the look in Ares' eyes guaranteeing it'd only be a matter of seconds before the pressure building in his balls burst through the dam.
Giving Ares' crest a tug, he tightened his grip. "I'm close …" he warned, though the words sounded more like a plea.
Ares sucked harder, taking Charles' cock completely into his mouth and flexed his throat around it, thrusting his finger firmly against Charles' prostate; a silent command for him to cum.
"Fuck … fuck … oh, shit …." The first euphoric spasm hit, releasing some of the pressure. Charles squeezed Ares' crest hard, only distantly aware of the fact, and lifted his hips off the mattress. He pushed his head back into the pillows, trapping his lip between his teeth to fight off the urge to cry out as the pressure started to build again, ready to pump more of his cum straight down Ares' throat.
Ares tilted his head, pressing his crest into Charles' grip without taking his mouth from Charles' cock, groaning deeply as he swallowed down the next spurt Charles fed him. When the last wave crashed over Charles, leaving him drained and tranquil as he fell back to reality, he shuddered with the last of his spasms. One final, muted moan of contentment slipped out with his heavier breaths.
Opening his eyes again, he looked at Ares and smiled, loosening his grip on the turian's crest to stroke his fingers down over Ares' temple. "Come here," he said, voice soft and crackling, "let me see you, let me touch you." A slow, lazy smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. "Let me get you off."
Growling, Ares licked Charles clean before letting his cock go, sliding his hand free from Charles' ass and wiped his hand on his pant leg. Tongue darting out to lap at his mouth plates, Ares moved closer and kissed Charles. Greedily tasting every inch of the turian's tongue, Charles pulled him closer.
As soon as the turian's beautiful, blue cock came within reach, Charles wrapped his hand around the shaft. Squeezing as he twisted, he pumped his hand up and down, making Ares' subvocals deepen into a resonate thrum. Ares threaded his fingers through Charles' hair, rubbing his scalp while thrusting into his hand. Nipping Ares' tongue, Charles tightened his grip and worked his hand to the rhythm of the man's bucking hips.
Needing air, Charles broke the kiss long enough to fill his aching lungs a couple of times before diving back in and scraping his teeth over Ares' mouth plates and tongue. Wrapping his other hand around Charles', Ares clamped down, adding more pressure and started fucking Charles' hand harder. He gave Charles' tongue one last swirl with his own before pulling away and offering Charles his throat with a growl.
"I want you to cum on me, mark me with it," Charles said against Ares' ear, voice low and throaty, before sinking his teeth deep into Ares' hide.
Groaning, Ares tightened his grip in Charles' hair before shifting to perch over Charles, moving their hands together faster over his cock. "Harder. Bite harder."
Charles carefully lifted his other arm, gauging his pain to ensure he wasn't causing actual damage. He grabbed Ares' crest, squeezing and pulling as he locked his jaw down as hard as he could. Grating his teeth back and forth, he used his incisors and canines to gnaw his way through Ares' hide until he tasted his lover's blood. He rumbled, a demanding growl against Ares' throat, and Ares responded in kind.
Releasing Charles' hair, Ares gripped the headboard and arched his back. He bucked his hips harder, thrusting a few more times before the first gush of hot cum splashed against Charles. Letting go of Charles completely, Ares grabbed the headboard with his other hand, a drawn out purr rolling through him as he covered Charles' stomach and groin with his cum.
Charles continued to stroke him, milking the last of Ares' orgasm, movements turning slow and lazy in the end. Freeing his teeth from Ares' hide, he licked the droplets of blood from his turian's throat before kissing the marks left behind. Mouth next to Ares' ear, he whispered, "Thank you." Then, he kissed Ares' temple and pressed his forehead to the same spot.
Ares hummed and rubbed his mouth plates against Charles, just below his ear, before shifting and pressing his forehead to Charles'. He stayed like that for a moment before moving off the bed, standing over Charles. "Do you want a towel?"
Thinking about it for half a second, Charles swept his fingers through the mess Ares left behind. Holding Ares' gaze, he licked his fingers clean and then rubbed the remainder into his skin. "Nope. I'll have to get up and take a shower soon enough anyhow. Let me smell like you for awhile."
Ares growled and nodded before helping Charles back into his pants. "At least put these back on in case Talak comes in."
"Hmm. He's probably already paced past the door five times, waiting for it to open again so he can stick his head in here and stare at me." Charles grinned, catching hold of Ares' shirt before he moved away from him again. He tugged Ares to him for another quick kiss, saying, "I love you, Ares. Hopefully you're not tired of hearing me say that yet."
"I'm not," Ares said with a rumble before straightening himself. He gathered up Charles' leftovers, glancing back down at him with a stern flick of his mandible. "Get some rest. You've exerted yourself."