Till death do us part
(c) 2023 by ihatemilk
_October 2015
As much as he disliked admitting it, this particular time Aphrodite had been right. He should've addressed the Julia situation a long time ago.
One night, as they were walking back from the beach, when they were almost home, his senses perked up for no apparent reason; then, taking a glance around the crowd, he couldn't shake a feeling that someone was looking at them.
"Ares..."
It was in the way she said his name; she knew, she damn knew, godsdammit — that was his girl, always vigilant, always on alert.
"You're fucking amazing, you know that...?" he shook his head, throwing her a sideways glance. She didn't look at him, but he saw how the corner of her mouth curled up in a smile and it made him grin, too. "How the hell? I can sense it being a god, but—"
"I have many skills..."
"Oh, that you do..."
"See anything?"
"Too crowded," he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I'll take you home first."
He saw the eyeroll, but she didn't argue.
He needed to get her to safety first; he wasn't going to be efficient in tracking anyone down if he had to worry about her life. Another reason was — he didn't know why, but he had a gut feeling it might lead him to Julia — and in that case, Xena being there with him would lead to no less than the end of the fucking world.
They were already upstairs when she asked "Who's been recently after you that you know of?"
"Xena — I own half of the Middle East oil business — half of the world is after me."
"So it's not just because you're an asshole."
"Nah, that's the other half."
"The one I'm in."
"That one," he grinned, catching her lips in a brief kiss. "Be good."
He laughed at her grimace before snapping himself out and reappearing in an empty restroom in the mall downstairs.
Walking over to one of the sinks, he rested his hands on the cold marble and stared in the mirror for a while, his chest rising and falling. He'd used to worry she might die in Yemen, yes, but this didn't even compare — the thought that something might happen to her now was a whole new caliber of paralyzing. But even if whoever just followed them didn't work for Julia, this whole double life was getting unbearable anyway.
He knew he was an idiot for not doing it sooner, but he couldn't help it — cutting ties with Julia would cost him at least a year's worth of his business efforts, depending on how pissed off she was going to be — and if there was one thing that he disliked wholeheartedly, it was when a long-time investment not only didn't pay off in the end, but was most likely going to cost him way more than he put in. Being the conscientious strategist that he was, it wasn't something that happened to him often, and he didn't take it well when it did. And this particular instance — how the fuck did he even get himself into such predicament? This was what he got for thinking with his dick. But it was time to end it once and for all. It was just business, for fuck's sake. He had a whole lot more to lose than that.
He snapped a portal open. What the hell was she doing in Brooklyn? But fine, Brooklyn it was.
The brownstone resembled the one Xena lived in; then again, they all looked alike, a narrow piece of wall with door in the middle and several steps leading up to it. How could anyone live in a house like this was beyond his comprehension; he'd rather live in a tent.
He pressed the doorbell twice, with no effect. The stores were drawn but he could see the lights were on; he could as much as sense her presence on the other side of the door. He pressed the doorbell for the third time.
Finally, the door opened slowly, revealing the petite silhouette with a pale, freckled face drowning in the sea of red hair, the green eyes wide with what must have been shock induced by both the unannounced visit and, very likely, the fact that he found a snob like her in a place of so little glamor.
"You could've called first..."
"My phone died."
He watched in silence as she bit the inside of her cheek and curled her toes.
"Come in."
The place was dark and smelled like cigarettes, but it was all he managed to notice before he realized she was wearing a very familiar-looking black silk robe. The unpleasant sensation spread in his gut.
"Care for a drink?"
"Nah, this won't take long," he lit up a cigarette. Seeing a flash of sadness in her eyes made him hesitate, and, just for a second, he felt a glimpse of regret about what he was about to do.
"So, what's so urgent that you couldn't have called first?"
"Well, let's see — maybe I just got fed up with your little spies following me?"
"And why would I do something as absurd as that?" she closed the distance between them, running her palms up his chest.
"That's a question your therapist will be asking," he closed his eyes as her fingers grazed his nipples.
"Someone's a little cranky today... I think you need to get laid."
Fuck, this wasn't what he came here for, but damn, she knew how to push his buttons.
Closing his eyes, he imagined the hot mouth on him belonged to — gods, she was waiting for him to come back home, what the fuck was he doing...
"This isn't working anymore," he pushed her off, meeting her hazy gaze as he buttoned up his pants. She sank to the floor, smirking.
"I can see that... Why, thinking of your girlfriend doesn't help anymore? A lot has changed in a week..."
"You should've stayed away from her..."
"Why, she giving you a hard time about it?" she leaned back, propping herself on her elbows.
"You're drunk..."
"And still less pathetic than you getting all worked up over a woman who doesn't even want you..."
"I appreciate the concern, but I really don't see how that's any of your business…"
"Oh, you made it my business – every time you fucked me with your eyes closed."
He picked her up and threw her on the sofa to his left.
"I wish it didn't have to come to this... if only you didn't stick your nose where you shouldn't..."
"Does she know you still fuck me?"
"See, that's exactly why it's not working anymore."
Her body was so tiny that it almost felt wrong to clasp his fingers around her neck.
"Wait..."
"Life is an art of making choices... you made some poor ones."
"I love you..." she sniffled, exhaling.
"What?" he leaned back, loosening the hold on her neck. Something told him he shouldn't look into her eyes, but it was too late.
Those damn green eyes, shining with tears, drilling him through, reminding him of the time when he tried so hard to feel something, anything for her. He should have been honest with her a long time ago. Aphrodite was right.
"I'm sorry," she blinked, sniffling. "I didn't mean to stalk you, I just... I just missed you..."
He clenched his jaw. Could he really blame her? He knew better than anyone what love could do to a person. Averting his eyes from her face, he saw the small hand clutching at his wrist, causing a pang of something annoying to gnaw at his gut.
The piercing sound of the old doorbell made him flinch.
"It's my dad..." her flushed face lit up with a faint smile.
He stood up and, without looking back, walked to the door and opened it.
It was a pizza delivery guy, but he didn't give it any more thought.
Annoyed with the knot forming in his chest, he snapped himself out of there.
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He meant to get back home but something obviously went wrong, because instead of Dubai, he found himself in the middle of the living room of his New York penthouse.
He used to like this place, but now he wanted to burn it to the ground, all of it, with every single piece of furniture that had Julia all over it. On second thought, it didn't matter; he wasn't coming back here, anyway. He might as well just have a glass of scotch and leave.
The thought of coming back home to her made the knot in his stomach reappear. A nice glass or two and a cigarette, that was what he needed now; and to think what he was going to tell her. It wasn't like he had a shortage of enemies to choose from; it came with the job. And with all the businesses he was involved with — even just the ones she knew of — it could be literally anyone. With a bit of a good backstory, no trace would lead to Julia.
Putting out the stub in the ashtray, he made it disappear with a snap of his fingers. With another snap, he was back home. His real home.
He didn't open a portal to trace her. Somehow, he knew he would find her on the terrace. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep, her palm on the swell of her belly; no matter how many times he'd seen the view, it would always disarm him. He wished he could snuggle up next to her without waking her, and just fall asleep, without having to lie about who it was that followed them; just hug her, bury his face in her hair and doze off. His heart thudding, he slowly joined her on the sofa, producing a thin blanket that he then wrapped around her gently. She stirred slightly, letting out a purr as her hand slid over his chest.
"You missed me that much or is that a heart attack?" she smiled with her eyes closed.
"I guess one leads to another..."
"I missed you, too..." she murmured sleepily, reaching under his t-shirt.
"You did?" He snapped the garment off, letting her hand roam freely. She stroked down towards his waist, grazing her nails around his lower abdomen, making him gasp as she slid her fingers under his belt. He snapped his pants off, closing his eyes under her touch; gods, she made him feel like a youngster with how his body reacted to her touch in just split second every time; and he wasn't even in the mood.
It wasn't much different for her, though; he gasped, feeling up her thigh. "By the gods, you really did miss me..." he nuzzled her neck, enjoying how her breath grew more and more heavy under his touch.
"Yes..." she brushed her lips against his forehead, pushing his face down her cleavage, stroking his head, arching herself into him as he kissed around her chest slowly, the way he knew she loved it most.
But when she guided him in, he pulled back, kissing her neck, making her grunt in frustration, teasing her until she was shaking underneath him.
"Marry me."
"What?"
"Be my wife," he looked up and their eyes met; hers cloudy with such desire that he knew he wouldn't be able to hold himself back for much longer if he didn't look away.
"Whatever happened to taking things slow?" she breathed, grinding herself against him.
"I'm trying, baby, but you're not letting me..." he pulled back. "Xena… we've done that for years, don't you think?"
"Ares..."
"Say yes."
"You're crazy..."
"Say yes, or so help me, I'm gonna fuck you till you do," he pushed himself in, slowly, all the way in.
"Fuck, yes..." she wailed softly, shivering, sinking her nails so deep into his shoulders that if he hadn't been immortal, his blood would be staining her chest by now.
"See, wasn't that hard, was it?"
"You... oh gods... fuck... you're so going to pay for this..."
"It will be worth it," he shut her up with a crushing kiss, his own desire getting the better of him as he felt her squirm beneath him. He only snapped out of his trance when he felt her relax, her hold on him loosening. He pulled back, catching a breath. She was panting, head thrown back, eyes closed, her body limp beneath him, her muscles contracting uncontrollably.
"Did you just come...?" he slowed down, eyeing her in disbelief.
"Well, it does happen when we have sex — thought you might get used to it by now..."
"It hasn't even been a minute!" he said as she eyed him with amusement.
"It's usually a woman who says it..."
"Gods, you're unbelievable..." he shook his head, leaning to kiss her neck.
"Shouldn't have kept me waiting that long," she grabbed his hips, urging him to speed up.
He pulled back, taking her hands and bringing them to his mouth. "I don't think you're gonna need these for a while," he kissed each before pinning her wrists with his hand above her head, loving how she just let him do it, loving how her lids shut when he did that, how she contracted around him.
"See? You love it like this..." he nuzzled her armpit, drunk with her scent.
"Fuck… yes..." she panted, her voice shaky, on the verge of sobbing.
"Tell me you love it," he nibbled on her earlobe.
"I do..."
"Say it."
"I love it... I love... everything you do... everything you do to me..."
"I love it when you give yourself to me like that," he breathed, pressing his forehead against hers. "You get me so high, baby," he brushed her nose with his, "I've never felt like this... fuck," he gasped when she contracted her muscles on him so hard it sent a current through him. "Gods, I feel I never really had sex until I had it with you..."
"Yes... fuck yes... talk to me... I love it when you talk to me..."
"I'm serious, Xena... marry me. No conditions, no strings attached... All I want is... just be my wife... my family..." he breathed, burying his face in her neck as she shuddered, biting into her neck when he felt her freeze again; this time she screamed out, the sound of it sending waves of fire through him.
"If I knew that proposing makes you come in sixty seconds, I would've done it sooner," he grinned, nuzzling her neck when they were both still fighting for breath.
Slowly, she stroked up and down the back of his head. "I'm gonna kill you, I swear..."
"How about a shower first?" he pressed his lips onto hers, and, quite contrary to her words, she kissed him back softly.
"I can't move..."
"I'll wash you," he gave her a little smooch on the tip of her nose. She blinked, looking sideways, wet trails shimmering on the sides of her face.
"No."
"No?"
"Stay with me until I fall asleep," she rolled to her side, turning her back to him and wrapping herself with the blanket. And it wasn't a request.
She reached behind her, looking for him. For a moment, he watched the scene with amusement. Then, still grinning, he shook his head and scooched behind her. She grabbed his arm and wrapped it around herself. And then, she stirred some more, before finally settling against his chest with a quiet grunt; and gods, being ordered about never felt so good. And this — jeopardizing this — he would have to be an idiot to risk it.
The night was still young. But they were home, she was safe here. She was here. Everything else could wait.
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