Chapter 14: The Date

Xena frantically threw outfit after outfit out of her closet, not pleased with anything in her wardrobe. Sighing, she fell backwards onto her bed. She would need to make a trip to the store. She didn't have anything remotely close to sexy in her wardrobe. Most of the clothes weren't even hers to begin with. At that moment, Aphrodite appeared.

"Hey warrior babe, what's happening in here?" she asked, looking at the mess around the room.

"Your pestering brother and I have a date tonight and I have absolutely nothing to wear." Aphrodite picked up each article of clothing to exam them. Little by little her face turned up in pure disgust. Once she walked to look at what was left in the closet, she gagged.

"Sweet Gaia, this has to be the saddest wardrobe if ever seen, like ever. Where did you acquire all these hideous pieces?" Xena just sighed, shaking her head.

"Luckily, you have me for a friend," Aphrodite giggled and with one wave of her hand, the room was all cleaned up. She then grabbed Xena's hand and led her to the closet. Xena put her hands up to her mouth in shock. All those old clothes Clifford's daughter left were all gone. Aphrodite totally replaced her wardrobe with articles of her choosing. Xena went through each piece and threw out everything she knew she would never wear. Aphrodite groaned.

"Babe, some of these items will look really hot on you," she protested while holding a shirt up to Xena. Xena snatched the shirt down.

"I'm not wearing pink or ruffles Aphrodite!" Aphrodite threw her hands up, "Whoa, no need to get all defensive, I'm only trying to help you," Aphrodite stressed while rolling her eyes.

"I also added some shoes in there, since they were totally lame as well," Aphrodite smiled. Xena looked at her new shoes and clothes again. She turned back to face Aphrodite and said, "Thank you."

"Xe, I just had like the best idea ever! Let me help you get ready, oh please please please," Aphrodite whined, and placed both of her hands together in a begging stance. Xena rolled her eyes, "Okay, but nothing too over the top, like how you always look." Aphrodite giggled, "Babe, I wouldn't dare have you looking THIS smoking hot on your first date. Stud muffin would drool the whole night."

~XA~

Aphrodite waited on the bed, while Xena was in the shower, looking at her outfit to make sure she had everything just right. Suddenly, she heard Ares voice calling her. She ignored him the first few times but once he didn't stop, she materialized to where he was, in his condo.

"Ar, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? I'm kind of in the middle of something," she protested.

"Your many men can wait! Me and Xena have a date tonight and I need..."

"...you need my help," she completed his thought. "What are sisters for?" she replied while smiling at him. She looked in his face and could tell he was nervous, excited, anxious, all in one. She understood that he didn't want to mess this up. For so long, he desired Xena and now she was all his. It was a scary feeling, wanting everything to be perfect, while trying to impress the woman of your dreams. Ares began to pace the room.

"Ar, everything will be fine, trust me." She rubbed the sides of his arms in a comforting motion.

"What do you have planned so far?" she inquired as she led him to the couch. The pacing was going to drive her crazy. Ares explained how he had a presidential suite booked at the finest hotel downtown and her favorite meal planned but he was still feeling insecure, as if that wasn't enough.

"Take me to the room and let's work this out together." Ares grabbed her hand, and they disappeared together in a bright blue flash. Once they arrived to the room, she observed Ares left out a few details. He had dark red rose petals laid out from the door that led to the hot-tub and more petals trailed to the bedroom. Aphrodite sniffled; she was so proud of him. She then made a mental note to pick out a swimsuit.

"Ares, why this ugly color of rose?" Aphrodite asked while changing the petals pink. Ares groaned and changed them back.

"Change one more thing without my permission and you're out of here," Ares threatened as he walked away from her. Aphrodite huffed as she materialized a pink fluffy throne and took a seat. Ares materialized a black one next to hers and they both discussed the rest of the plans to make the evening perfect.

~XA~

When Aphrodite materialized back to Xena , Xena was slipping her shoes on. She looked absolutely radiant. She put on exactly what Aphrodite had picked out too. She felt proud. She wore a dark burgundy mini dress that had a halter top neckline and stopped just below her upper thigh. The dress had a gold trim that sat right below her boobs. Xena didn't have any jewelry, but Aphrodite fixed that with a snap of her fingers. She materialized a gold chakram necklace around her neck with a simple gold bracelet on each arm. Xena didn't have any makeup on yet and her hair was just hanging straight down. Aphrodite sat Xena down in front of the mirror and materialized all the accessories she would need to complete Xena's look. This part was her favorite part so she wasn't going to snap her fingers to complete the job. She styled Xena's hair into gentle waves, cascading down her back like a goddess. She applied light make up to her face, since she was already beautiful, all she wanted to do was enhance her beauty. The lip stick matched her dress perfectly, dark cherry. Xena looked at the clock. 5:50pm. She gulped noisily knowing that Ares would be arriving any minute now. She looked at herself in a full body mirror and was pleased with her reflection. Aphrodite sensed her nervousness and gave her a slight hug.

"Xe, everything will be okay. Try not to think about the past, babe."

"Yea," Xena replied sourly. Thinking about the past would make her want to change out her clothes and cancel the whole thing.

"Don't worry about Gabby, she's at my place and we're going to hang out tonight. And before I forget.." she materialized a small overnight bag onto Xena's shoulder. Xena looked at her quizzically.

"Just a few extra items you might need later on tonight, don't worry yourself trying to look in there now." Before Xena could reply, a bright flash of blue light appeared in the room. Before them stood Ares, dressed like she'd never seen him. His curls were moist and perfectly placed. He wore a dark burgundy dress top, that he left unbuttoned to show off his God of War necklace. Along with a pair of black slacks and dress shoes. Xena couldn't believe her eyes! Ares had on dress shoes?! Who was this delicious man standing before her? Ares was also speechless when he saw Xena. Her dress, hugging her curves flawlessly and her hair curled made her appear like a goddess. Ares walked up to her and pulled her into his embrace tightly. Her smell hit his nose like a giant wave and for a moment, he couldn't think. He thought he was going to drown in her presence. He thumbed over her chakram necklace. She would always be his warrior queen, whether she liked it or not.

"Are you ready my princess?" he whispered breathlessly in her ear. Aphrodite stood back in tears. The sight before her melted her immortal heart.

"You two kids have fun," she advised before she disappeared leaving back her pink petals.

"Yes, I'm all yours." Xena's reply made Ares' knees weak. He held her tightly and they both disappeared.

~XA~

When Xena opened her eyes, they were standing outside of the door to a hotel room. Before Ares unlocked the door, he turned Xena to face him and placed a deep red rose on the side of her hair. Xena smiled at his gesture. It's been so long to truly see her smile at him the way she did just now. Ares swiped the card to unlock the room. When Xena turned around to enter, her mouth dropped. She walked in slowly taking in everything. There were hundreds of dark rose petals on the floor, the same color as the one in her hair, they led to various locations in the room. The room itself was massive. It had a full-size kitchen, that held various size bouquets of roses that lined the cabinets. When she entered the front room, the TV mounted on the wall was humongous. On the screen, a fireplace burning played, in 4k. The couch had one king size black fur blanket that draped lazily on one side. She pictured her and Ares laying under there naked in each other's arms. She looked back at him and smiled. He walked to her and took her hand, leading her towards the bedroom. The bed was a king size bed, covered in rose petals. The petals were shaped in a heart and spelled out "I love u."

Xena's heart raced as she walked past the bed, still following Ares. He led her to the best room in the whole suite, the upper balcony. Once she stepped onto the balcony, there was a cozy hot-tub, big enough only for the two of them. She dipped her hand in the water, it was the perfect temperature. Ares pulled her into his arms and kissed her lovingly entangling his fingers into her hair. She pulled back, out of breath. Ares whispered to her, "I love you." She whispered back to him, "What's for dinner?" He snickered as he led her back into the living room area. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Xena asked Ares, "Who could that be?"

Ares led Xena to the chair at the small dining table, set for two, and with a snap of his fingers, lit the candles that were perfectly placed in the middle of the table. After she was comfortably seated, he answered the door. To her surprise, a waiter walked in pushing a cart with covered plates. Behind him, a musician with a violin. Ares took a seat at the table as the waiter began to unload the cart. After the waiter expertly arranged their plates, Xena was pleasantly surprised to find that Ares had selected all her favorite dishes. A lavish spread unfolded before them, with a full-sized tray adorned with an array of fruits and dips, complemented by a buffet-style selection of main courses. The offerings included succulent steak, flavorful salmon, perfectly cooked potatoes, fresh salad, and a delightful assortment of breads.

As Xena crafted her plate with the delectable choices, the talented musician began to play soft Greek melodies on his violin. The enchanting music set the perfect ambiance as Ares and Xena savored their meal beneath the warm glow of candlelight. The evening unfolded into a symphony of flavors and harmonies, creating a memorable dining experience for the couple.

~XA~

Xena's curiosity got the best of her, and she couldn't wait any longer to see what Aphrodite had packed in the bag she gave her. Xena dumped all the contents out at once over the bed. To her surprise, she noticed a black bikini with gold greek keys symbols. Xena rolled her eyes. The next item she picked up was a black lace lingerie. Xena stuffed that item back in the bag. She knew if she put that on, there was no way she wasn't going to get laid tonight. Then, she noticed a bottle of perfume, that smelled heavenly, to Xena's surprise. A small makeup bag that contained all the makeup Xena had on, in case she wanted to refresh her look, and a note. She also saw a few more articles of clothing that she was not ready to bother with at the moment, so she put them back in the bag. The note read as follows:

Dear Xena,

Wishing you a night filled with passion and enchantment as you embark on this romantic journey with Ares. May the stars above witness the love that blossoms between you two tonight. Embrace the magic, my warrior babe, for love is the most powerful force in the universe.

With love,

Aphrodite

Xena took a deep breath, holding the note to her chest. She carefully folded the note back up and tucked it neatly back in the bag. Ares was on the upper deck waiting on her. She decided to change into the overly revealing bikini Aphrodite packed for her. After spraying a few sprays of perfume on, she headed to meet her man. Ares sat in the water with the fruit tray and spreads next to him. He took Xena's hand to help her into the water and positioned her in front of him.

"Hmm, you smell like a goddess." Xena smiled. He then began to massage her shoulders and place light kisses, as he worked her muscles.

"Hmm, that feels great," she complimented him leaning back into his touch.

"I knew you would like it." he replied softly. Xena turned around to face him and straddled his lap. Taking the top off the fruit tray, she grabbed a strawberry and dipped it in some honey. She popped the whole piece in her mouth, never taking her eyes off him. Ares watched her lips hungrily as she chewed the fruit. She then grabbed a grape and dipped it into some honey letting her fingers get drenched by the honey. As she brought the fruit towards Ares mouth, he ate the grape out her hand and started to lick the honey from her fingers slowly, letting his tongue savor the taste of the honey mixed with her skin. His hot mouth set Xena's whole body ablaze. Her heart was about to beat out of her chest. Noticing Ares now had honey on his lips, Xena leaned into him and licked the sweet nectar. Not being able to control himself any longer, Ares captured Xena mouth in a possessive kiss, as he held her hips in place on his lap. Xena kissed him back passionately. Suddenly, Ares pulled back from her and turned her around to face the city. Xena's vision was still a blur from the hypnotic kiss, she wasn't sure what Ares was trying to show her. All of a sudden, before her eyes, the full moon rose and shined brightly on them. It was a breathtaking view. She completely relaxed in Ares' arms, fully embracing both his strength and the effort he had put into their date. At this moment, she knew she had made the right decision.

"Ares," she whispered his name, never looking back at him.

"Yes, my sweet?" he replied while nuzzling her hair.

"I love you too."