Chapter 6: Heartfelt Admission, Halted?
"Hello Xena," came Ares' strong and confident voice, locking the door behind him. Xena flinched. The pool area was surprisingly empty. Ares took a seat on the poolside next to Xena but not too close, cautious of not wanting to run her off.
"Hello Ares," her sultry voice greeted him back. Xena looked Ares up and down, he looked as delicious as ever. The room was not brightly lit. Only a few lights were on inside of the pool, briefly highlighting random parts of their faces and eyes. Ares wondered why Emma didn't put all the lights on in the first place but dismissed the thought, as the dim room surrounded by water made the room warm and romantic, well in his eyes at least.
"So," Ares said, looking her up and down, Gods she was so beautiful.
"So," Xena replied in the same questioning tone.
"How have you been enjoying this new world?"
Xena sighed, while kicking her feet in the water, "It's been a major adjustment. Nothing is the same here. I actually have a job now; can you believe it?" Xena looked at him slightly smiling and then back at the water again.
Ares, already knowing all this information about her life, tried to act surprised. "Whaaat the warrior princess has a job? Doing what, a police officer?" Xena chuckled lightly, "Outdoor Adventure Guide," they both burst out laughing. "You were always the best tracker I've ever known." Xena sighed, turning towards Ares somewhat...
"Ares, I really don't wanna..."
"Yea, I know, you don't want to discuss our past lives and I can't blame you one bit." To keep the mood from going sour, he materialized a deck of uno cards in his hand.
"Care to join me?" he asked, giving her his signature smile.
Xena arched her eyebrow at him and then gave him a cunning smile. "Teach me the rules so I can wipe the floor with ya." Ares explained everything she needed to know to play uno and then their game began.
Ares shuffled the deck and dealt each of them seven cards. Ares went first, throwing down a blue "5" card. He looked hungrily at Xena, while the gears turned in her head. She responded by playing a blue "Skip" card, skipping Ares' turn. Ares grinned, delighted to see how sharp his princess was, catching on so swiftly.
Xena, seizing the opportunity, used her next turn to play a blue "Reverse" card, changing the direction of play back to her. Playfully smiling, she followed it up with a "Draw Two" card, forcing Ares to draw two cards from the deck.
Ares changed the color to red using a "Wild" card, but Xena challenged him by playing a "Wild Draw Four" in blue, forcing Ares to draw four cards and allowing Xena to choose the next color. Ares thought about using his divine abilities to subtly influence the game in his favor but chose not to. Observing her strategic smile and realizing she was enjoying herself with him, he opted to allow the game to unfold naturally. He knew she would somehow find out he cheated and be once again disgusted with him.
Xena, holding a solid advantage, continued to play consecutive cards in the chosen color, quickly reducing her hand while maintaining control of the game. Ares attempted a comeback, playing cards strategically to challenge Xena's lead, but Xena countered each move with well-timed plays. "What's wrong, Ares, scared of getting beat by a girl?" Xena exclaimed excitedly, teasing him with her last 3 cards, while Ares still had a handful.
Holding a blue "Reverse" card and a blue "Skip" card, Xena strategically combined them to create an unbeatable sequence. She played the "Reverse" to switch the direction and followed it up with the "Skip," effectively locking Ares out and leaving him unable to play. With a triumphant grin, Xena confidently played her last card, declared "Uno out," and secured her victory in the game.
"I win," she said more seductively than she had wanted.
Ares clapped his hands. "That's my girl," he beamed proudly.
Xena blushed at the statement, for only a second, before composing herself. She couldn't let Ares know this soon that he still had an effect on her.
Ares softly touched her hand. Xena looked down at his strong hand on top of hers. Her breath caught in her throat. She slowly looked up at Ares. When they finally made eye contact, she saw something different in his eyes. They weren't cold, as they usually were. They were soft, warm, and inviting as if — as if he were human. Ares leaned in closer to her, ready to capture her soft lips. Xena quickly jumped up from her spot and tried to change the subject. "Care to go for a swim?" she eagerly asked.
Ares, remembering Aphrodite's words, tried not to get upset. "You don't quite have on swimming clothes and neither do I."
"Well change them then, you still remember HOW to use your powers don't you?" Xena said in the most challenging voice, giving him her cunning smile.
Laughing, Ares snapped his fingers and instantly changed their clothes. Her personality was one of his favorite traits about her. He dressed Xena in a wine colored two piece that left little to none to the imagination. He put on a matching pair of swimming trunks. Xena smirked and dived into the water, already starting her lap. Ares dived in behind her. When Xena reached the other end of the pool, she didn't see Ares anymore. She looked all around her but couldn't find him. Then, out of nowhere, Ares rose up out the water in all his Godly power — slowly, with water pouring down his body, directly in front of Xena.
He was so close to her now, their noses could touch. "Xena," he said her name huskily, breathing rapidly. Entranced, she wrapped her arms around his strong neck as if moving to an unspoken rhythm. Ares looked deep into her eyes. She felt as if he were looking into her soul. He leaned towards her slowly, hoping that she wouldn't deny him this time. Xena closed her eyes in anticipation. Ares seized her lips in a soft kiss, slowly savoring their taste, waiting for Xena to respond. Xena parted her lips, allowing his tongue access to her mouth, deepening their connection.
~XA~
Emma was heading towards the swimming pool room to place the "Closed" sign on the door. Before she could hang up the sign, she heard voices, one being Ares'. She softly pulled on the handle, but it was locked. "Weird," she thought. She peeped through the double doors crack in the middle to see what was going on. To her horror, she saw Ares passionately kissing a woman against the wall of the gym. Her mouth fell to the floor as she covered it. Her eyes bulged out her head. Her mind screamed in agony. How? How did he find her? She was sure she scanned the gym before letting him pass her. She didn't understand how Xena was able to sink her claws into Ares so fast! She's been trying for weeks to get his attention and he would barely look her way. Yet, here he was, encasing Xena in his arms. She's never seen Ares this affectionate with anyone. Emma was boiling with jealousy.
"Is this hideous woman the reason he wouldn't even look my way? UGH!" she stomped her foot and charged off to the front desk. She had to find out more about this wench.
Emma pulled Xena's file up on the computer and scanned over her information. She slowly looked around the gym to make sure she didn't have prying eyes. Swiftly, she pulled out her phone and took a quick picture of Xena's information and closed everything up within the next second. She remembered Xena obtained a guest pass.
"Oh Gabrielle, where are you?"
~XA~
Ares slowly pulled back from their kiss, eyes closed. He was hoping he wouldn't see regret within her eyes. He felt Xena rub the side of his face slowly. When Ares finally opened his eyes, he saw acceptance staring back at him. Ares knew THIS was his one in a billion chance! "Xena," he said while rubbing his face along hers, inhaling her scent.
"Yes?" she replied hesitantly. Emotions ran high for them both. Xena could tell from his nervous stance that he had something important to say. Her heart raced. The anticipation while staring at his face was driving her insane but it also scared her. Ares has always been arrogant and proud. She could tell he was struggling internally with his words. She unconsciously linked her fingers between his and squeezed his hand for encouragement. Looking at her, he thought of a poem he read online and felt it was perfect.
"O my Luve is like a red, red rose; That's newly sprung in June;" He materialized a beautiful deep dark red rose in his hand. He held it up to her nose so she could smell it. Xena wrapped her hand around his inhaling its sweet scent. Ares then placed it in her hair.
"O my Love's like the melodie ; That's sweetly play'd in tune." Ares materialized them onto the side of the pool, all dry and clothes changed. He put back on the same clothes he arrived in but changed Xena into a long-sleeved red dress she wore in her past life. He pulled Xena's back towards him, against his body and then whispered in her ear, "Melt into me." Xena turned around in his arms. Her mind was spinning so fast, it was making her vision blurry. She snaked her arms around his waist.
"Ares...Ares what are you trying to tell me?" she asked while vigorously searching his eyes for the answer, for any deceit, for any sign she shouldn't trust him. Ares stared back into her searching eyes. He wondered if he should continue, if his words would be in vain. He didn't trust himself at what he would do if she downplayed his honesty and tried to twist it. He took a deep breath and stared directly into her eyes. He linked both of her hands in his bringing them up to his heart. Xena could feel his heart mirroring hers, racing at the speed of light. Her breath quickened. If he didn't speak now, she didn't know how much longer she could continue to breathe at this pace without passing out. Her anxiety was through the roof.
"Xena, I love you, from the very pits of my immortal soul, I am in love with you." There! He said it. His brain screamed at him. At this moment, he wanted to take all his words back. Wanted to just disappear back to his condo.
He held his breath while staring into her beautiful eyes, searching for anything. Xena dropped her eyes to the floor. Tension was starting to build within him to the point he felt like he was going to pass out if she didn't say anything soon. Xena looked back up to him, wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him into her embrace, stroking him with intense passion.
"Ares, I ...
BAM, BAM, BAM! Suddenly, a loud banging at the doors startled them. "Xena! Xena! Xena are you in there?" Pulling and banging at the doors followed. Xena looked at Ares questionable, "You locked us in here?" Leaving his embrace, she walked to the doors to open them. Ares followed behind her and changed her back into her gym attire before she could open the door. "Xena, omg are you okay? The lady at the front desk came to get me. She said you were being attacked by a man in here." Gabrielle pulled Xena out of the room to get a better look at her. Xena closed the door behind her, not allowing Gabrielle to see Ares. "No, Gabrielle, it must've been some sort of mistake. I'm perfectly okay."
"Well, I've worked up an appetite, let's go find somewhere to sit and eat."
"Sounds good, I left my phone in the pool room. You go ahead and I'll be right there, no need for both of us to turn around," Xena smiled at Gabrielle. Xena walked into the pool room to find Ares standing there with rage in his eyes. As Xena hurriedly hugged Ares, she uttered, "Ares, I'm so sorry. I must go. You'll text me?" Her eyes held a questioning gaze. Ares responded with a swift kiss on her lips, affirming, "Anything for you." She smiled appreciatively and left the room, carrying the weight of the world on her back. The door closed behind her, leaving Ares alone with his thoughts, contemplating the complex emotions that lingered in the air.
