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The first thing that Ares thought when seeing Percy Jackson was "cutie", but he could never tell him that; instead, he chose to call him a punk."Will you give me what I need?" he asked, his eyes fixed on PercyLike most demigod-God interactions, their relationship started with Ares asking for something from Percy and him giving it in return, nothing too hard, he never understood why most demigods got themselves killed in the process."And what do I get in return?" He respondedHis sea green eyes were fixed on him, calculating.Curse Aphrodite, she had sold him the idea of the young demigod as an easy bimbo, but he soon found out that not only was he pretty, but he was also brave. Two things Ares admired greatly in his lovers.And if you didn't think Aphrodite was brave you should see her throwing herself in the middle of an angry mob of women for the last pair of Chanel leather boots in a sale. Scary.They were at a lousy hamburger place in the middle of nowhere, sitting on the tacky plastic booths.He snorted"Why should I give you anything in return, punk?"Percy leaned back in his seat“Because you need me”“No, I don’t”“Then why are you here?” there wasn’t anything friendly now in Percy’s toneAres felt a surge of anger bubbling over the surface, but he kept it at bay, still, he stood up in a haze of heat.“Fine” he replied, once he was at the door and the heat had subsided a little he turned his head and said, “bring me what I asked for and I’ll see what I can do.” “Here you go”Percy tossed him the shield and Ares caught it in a quick motion, he grinned.“Not bad at all, punk” The boy just rolled his eyes.“Look, I have somewhere to be, so, if you would be so kind to tell me where is our ride”“You better follow me, punk” he loved saying that just to annoy the young demigodHe led them to the used van that stank like horse manure and raised his arms to the sky“Here you go!” a cocky smile displayed over his lips “Never say we Gods aren’t generous with the demigods”This won him the disapproving stares of the whole group and a long silence.At last, Percy spoke“Gee, Ares, thanks. You bested yourself on this one”The group proceeded to enter the car one by one, Percy last, he had a foot in the van when Ares called again“Oi, punk”Percy turned to look at him and Ares quickly tossed a bag at him.“For you,” he said “As a little thank you”The words came forced, it had been a while since he had spoken them. Percy dug at the backpack and took out the first thing he grabbed, a box of Double-Stuffed Oreos.“I was planning on baking a “thank you” cake, but it burned down”This seemed to humour Percy, the tension eased a little.“Never took you for much of a cook”“Hey, you don’t know me, Jackson” he smiled back Percy was about to reply when they heard steps and voices, the drivers were returning. Percy quickly hopped on the van.“Off you go kiddo,” Ares said as he closed the door with a “thud”, the last thing he saw was Percy looking directly at him, smiling. A little shudder passed along his body, and he thought I could get used to seeing that smile again. Unfortunately for him, the next time he came to meet Percy, there was anything but smiles, he was on the beach in LA and Percy had just appeared from the surf looking all cute and shit, but Ares couldn’t feel a thing, there was a black haze blurring the edges of his vision, and a voice, ominous, whispering a million things in his ear, he felt his body moving, his lips moving, but he didn’t know what was happening like he was watching from afar.Everything that happens next is a tragedy, them fighting, Ares cursing Percy’s sword, almost blasting him and his friends to ashes.Ares woke up in the middle of his house in Olympus, drenched in sweat and confused as fuck, the haze had gone, no idea where it came from. He reached the nearest wall, the one with his favourite wallpaper, and he started pounding it bare-fisted.“Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid” he repeated over and over again.He didn’t know how many hours had passed, but his fists were bleeding with ichor and the wall was mere rubble, he groaned, he loved that wallpaper. More importantly, he had fucked things up with Percy, no chance the demigod didn’t hate him now.It took several days for him to come out of his house, he was in a dull mood, and he figured that if Percy had spilt the beans on his participation in the Lightning Bolt’s disappearance (and he wouldn’t blame him), his Father would be waiting to punish him severely. But when he came out, everything was calm, like nothing had ever happened, he felt a surge of relief for the fact that Percy hadn’t ratted out on him, he also felt embarrassed, after the way that he had treated him.He ought to apologize, so he grabbed another box of Oreos, and some red roses he stole from Demeter’s garden and headed out to Camp Half-Blood.If it was a weird sight, seeing the God of War with a box of Oreos and a bouquet of roses in the middle of Camp Half-Blood, no one dared to say a thing, although the number of curious stares he received was unnerving, didn’t these demigods have anything better to do?He never felt nervous, but the moment he stepped in front of Cabin 3 his nerves were on point, he decided it was better to knock, but nothing happened, the Cabin was empty. He was thinking about where would Percy be when he heard the sound of hoofs and turned around, it was Chiron, having a stroll, he shouted and started running towards him“Oi, Chiron!” Chiron snapped and gave him a strange look while Ares got closer, but he didn’t comment on anything.“What are you doing here, Lord Ares?” asked the centaur“Looking for Percy Jackson” he groomed his hair unconsciously when saying this “have you seen him?” Chiron arched a brow, and Ares started feeling nervous, he probably knew about the incident at the shore in LA. He felt red all over.Nevertheless, Chiron raised his arm to the forest and said “He went for a stroll in the woods with Luke Castellan”Ares's smile faltered, but he gave Chiron thanks and followed the trail.All the while thinking about this “Luke Castellan”, Was he handsome? Why was he alone in the woods with Percy? Couldn’t Percy just ask him instead to go for a stroll? That’s when Ares hit reality, he had only talked to Percy a couple of times, and one of those times he had tried to murder him and his friends. He guessed he wasn’t on the top of the list of “Friends to Call to Go For a Stroll”. While he was cursing himself he stumbled upon a clearing with a river flowing between it, and what he saw made him drop everything and start running towards the river.“Percy?” he shouted “Percy!”There was a body in the river, unmoving, Ares recognized the mop of black hair, and the beautiful sun-tanned skin that now had an ugly purple tint all over, when he got to his side and kneeled he saw Percy was babbling something, but it seemed weak, that’s when he saw the ugly red welt in his knee, and his stomach plummeted, a Pit Scorpion. Without thinking twice he bowed, put his lips around the wound and started sucking.Holy Hell, it was the most disgusting thing he had ever tasted, he immediately spat it out into the river and started again, and again, until only blood came out, still, Percy looked to be on the brink of death, he hoped this act had bought them time to get him to Chiron, but he needed to hurry. Quickly, he grabbed him bridal style and started gunning it at full speed through the forest, careful not to let Percy's head bump into any trees. He got to the Big House in less than 33 seconds and when he saw Chiron he shouted at him for the second time today.“I need help here, Pit Scorpion Bite!”Chiron opened the door of the house and led him to a couch, where deposited Percy with great care, he couldn’t help but think the demigod weighed very little, how fragile he looked at the moment. He spent the rest of the evening pacing back and forth just outside the big room, waiting for Percy to wake up until Chiron told him to stop stomping over the wood, he was burning it lightly, leaving footprints everywhere. Embarrassed, he sat down.Of all the people Percy expected to see just after waking up, Ares was not even in the remote possibilities. After having a start and hurling to his feet, he got a nauseating wave that made his knees weak, he fell to the ground or was about to when strong arms grabbed him and carefully deposited him on the couch back again.“Woa calm down buddy, you’re gonna hurt yourself,” Ares saidIt took some time to decode the words and, more importantly, from who they had come from, he looked around the room, Chiron was also there, looking at Ares as if he had just grown another head, he felt like it was the same expression he was giving Ares, but the God didn’t seem to care, his eyes were fixated on him, a pink blush came over Percy’s cheeks, he hoped they would think it was because of his near-death experience. After that Chiron was the one asking questions, and Percy told what happened in the woods.Ares felt a surge of relief at the fact that Luke hadn’t brought Percy to the woods to smooch him all over like he would have, but then a wave of uneasiness came over him at discovering his true intentions, the Kronos plan, as he called it, and suddenly it all made sense, the voices whispering while he slept, the name of Percy scrabbled into his mind, impossible to forget, the weird fixation, the way the black haze took over him when the plan failed, angry. He blushed in his seat, more embarrassed than ever, he had let a Titan enter his dreams and appeal to his bloodthirsty side for war. Worse than anything, he had let it hurt Percy, the most competent demigod he had seen in thousands of years.Some hours passed, the talk lasted until midnight, and then Chiron went to talk the news with other Olympians and Percy decided he wanted to go to his Cabin, Ares suggested taking him there at once.“Uhm okay,” Percy said, he hadn’t forgiven him for the incident at the beach.The first few meters after leaving the Big House were filled with awkward silence, I mean, what do you say after you almost killed each other the last time you met?“So… uh,” Ares said, “How are you doing?”Percy eyed him suspiciously “I just got back from the brink of death because I got betrayed by my best friend, how do you think I feel?”Ares blushed a little, and he turned his head sideways, hoping Percy wouldn’t notice.“Listen,” Ares started “I didn’t mean it, any of it, you know, the fight on the beach, that, that wasn’t me, I’m not sure how to explain it, but something was-”“Kronos” Percy said, interrupting him “I know”Ares shook his head “Still, it doesn’t make it okay, you know?”He came to a halt, and Percy, noticing, stopped and looked at him, he realized suddenly that Are’s eyes were no longer two pits of fire, they were blue, and at this moment, they showed remorse.“I’m sorry,” Ares said “I’m so fucking sorry”Percy knew, just by the tone of his voice, that it had been a long time since Ares had said those words, if ever, just like that time at the van, and at that moment he knew he was sorry.Ares didn’t know what to think, Percy’s face was like a blank slate for a moment, and he couldn’t decipher anything in those beautiful eyes of his.And then Percy’s face broke into a grin, such a beautiful smile, he also punched him in the arm.“No worries, just never do that again”Ares couldn’t help but snicker a little and that left Percy with the question of why didn’t he do that more often. They kept walking“Thanks, pal,” Ares said“Pal?” the little names Ares kept calling him was not at all overlooked by the sea prince.Ares took his time to respond“Well yeah, I rarely talk to demigods, the ones that are badass I always struggle calling them something-”“You think I’m badass?” Percy asked amusedAres stammered ”Well uh yeah, you retrieved my shield, you even survived to tell the tale”Percy smiled, fuck, he’s so cute.They had arrived at the porch of Cabin 3 and they looked like a couple that just had had their first date, all shy looks and banter, it was comfortable, but Ares soon realized that this was the end of it, there was no way he could see the demigod without needing to make an elaborate excuse.While Ares was thinking of that, it started raining, or that’s what he thought until he extended his hand and saw that instead of drops of water they were seeds. Uh oh.“Are you okay?” Percy asked more intrigued than worried“Oh yeah I’m fine, Demeter’s just pissed at me”“Why so?”“You could say I borrowed some roses from her extra special garden”Percy raised an eyebrow at him “You mean you stole them?”“I didn’t think she would care!” Ares said, protecting his eyes from the seed storm that was pouring only over him. “She is the goddess of harvest after all” Percy tilted his head “Is it your anniversary with Aphrodite or something?”“They were actually for you!” Ares had to shout over the loud pouring of seeds, now each one almost as big as the palm of his hand, that was falling all over him.He had to take a break to think about what he had just said and blushed, hard. For his disgrace, Percy; who had taken refuge on the porch of the Cabin did hear him, and at that moment, the rain stopped.There was a long silence until Percy decided to speak again “Why flowers?”Ares sighed and made his way to the steps on the porch until he was eye to eye with the sea prince.“It was an “I’m sorry, I’m an idiot who only knows violence” kind of apology”A grin hadn’t left Percy’s lips since he mentioned the flowers, a grin that made itself bigger every time Ares spoke.“Apology accepted” he replied, and punched him again in the arm, this, in turn, made Ares smile.Percy toyed with the knob of the door, it was obvious that he wanted to go to sleep, Ares could see the bags under his eyes, and knew that the Pit Scorpion venom must have left a toll on his body. He decided to show himself out first, he walked out of the porch and onto the gravel path backwards, his eyes never leaving Percy, and said “I guess I’ll see you around, mate”He made a little aussie accent when saying mate, and Percy laughed “ See ya” he replied Percy could see Are’s back as he walked out and decided to make something reckless “Hey, Ares” the god turned around as Percy said:“Would you like, too, uh dunno, watch a movie sometime?” lameHe was nervous but Ares responded eagerly“Yes!” he shouted, and then regained his composure “I mean, yes, I would love to”Percy felt a smile forming on his lips, gods he forgot how good smiling felt, suddenly this god came crashing into his life and now he had smiled more with him than he had smiled all year round.“What about tomorrow, my treat” he repliedAres raised an eyebrow“I didn’t know the Poseidon cabin had a TV”Percy shrugged“It’s one of the benefits of stopping a war between two gods and not getting killed in the process”They laughed“Goodnight Ares,” said Percy“Goodnight Percy”Those words made him shiver all over, finally, he shot a smile at Ares, turned around and closed the door.He stood against the door with his eyes closed and his heart fluttering and asked himselfWhat the fuck?What he didn’t know is that Ares was doing the same thing 5 meters apart from him.
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Ares was happy, happy when he saw Percy, happy when he thought of spending time with him, happy when he learned there were only ten minutes left for their first date, it wasn’t a date, technically, but Ares couldn’t help but think that if all things went ok, it would become a date somewhere in the future, and that made him happy.He was also a little bit surprised of how little he knew of the sea-eyed prince, he didn’t know his favorite color, the name of his mother, whether he liked summer or winter, first kiss, first love, although he wasn’t so keen in asking those last two.But mostly, Ares was unaware.Unaware of the nervous smile displayed on his lips as he knocked on Cabin 3 and Percy welcomed him in, unaware of the weird tidiness that Percy’s room had on it, of the massive amount of debris that had just a few seconds ago been shoved under the bed.The only thing that occupied his mind was Percy’s eyes, and the way they looked a little bit uncomfortable in the sunset light coming from the window.“Sorry, I don’t have like, a big TV or something,” he said while he scratched his head.The object he was referring to was a small TV that fit in the corner of Percy’s room. I was definitely small but it wouldn’t stay like that for long, he snapped his fingers and the TV attached itself to the wall just opposite from the bed and covered the whole thing, while the bed became a loveseat (Ares mentally blushed when summoning it).“Popcorn?” he offered Percy when the stunned Demigod looked at him in awe.“How did you do that?” he asked while he popped a popcorn in his mouth.Ares just shrugged, trying to act cool, “being a God has its perks too”“Haha ok showoff,” Percy said, ”what should we watch?”“I don’t know, your favorite movie?”“What’s your favorite movie?”“What’s your favorite movie?” Ares retaliated.“I’ll say it if you say it first”“Nope you go first”“At the same time”“No,” Ares said“C’mooon” Percy beggedBegrudgingly, Ares gave in “Fine”“Okay, at the count of three”“One”“Two”“Three!”“Kill Bill!” said Percy“The Notebook!” said AresThere was a moment of tense awkward silence, that was broken by Percy’s laugh, which sounded like a thunder throughout the whole cabin.“No way!” Percy howled “the God of War crying in the rain scene”Percy was shaking with laughter, they were seated in the loveseat by now, but Percy had just fallen off.Ares felt red all over, “So what? You have watched it too!”That shut him off, “I’m not afraid to say that” he said rather nonchalantly “I’ve watched it at least a dozen times or so”“Ha! Then you have nothing to laugh at me for!” Ares pointed a reproachful finger at him “you have watched just as many times!”“Fine, I won’t hold it against you, it’s a pretty great movie”“I never watched Kill Bill though” Ares blurted outPercy’s mouth fell agape, and it stayed like that for so long Ares popped a popcorn into his mouth.“But that’s exactly the kind of movies I thought you would watch” replied Percy“That’s a bold assumption from your part Percy,” said Ares jokingly“Well, let’s watch it”“I double dog dare you”And that’s how they ended up on the loveseat fighting with foam Hanzo katanas, and laughing when they bumped each other in the head.“Isn’t this what we do daily?” asked Percy“Yup, but with far less stress of dying”The night went on and the popcorn was used also as ammunition while the loveseat became Percy’s fortress. By the time they ended the movie, the moon was high up in the sky reflected in the black stillness of the lake.The credits rolled on the second volume.“That’s a good movie right there” said Ares pointing his finger at the screen, he turned his head around to see Percy, who was looking directly at him, and his breath got caught in his chest, he looked beautiful under the soft warm light of the room, with that beautiful sleepy glow all over his face and a smile directed right back at him. Percy opened his lips and whispered so low that if Ares hadn’t been so close he wouldn’t have been able to hear him.“Did you like it?” he asked“Like what?” Ares asked, his heart was beating very fast now, he could hear it in his ears.“The movie” Percy inched closer to him“Oh yeah, the movie,” Ares reacted by doing the same“I really” Ares inched closer“really” closer“Liked it”It was the final stretch, they could feel each other's breaths with their half-closed eyes.But there was a shriek and something bumped loudly in the other side of the cabin, waking them up from the daze, putting them on high alert.“What hour is it?” asked Percy, his voice had changed into a more raspy battle ready kind of voice, it gave Ares goosebumps, he wanted to hear all of Percy’s tones now. He took a look at his skull-shaped clock and said “Midnight”Percy relaxed “It must be the harpies, they always make a mess after midnight”They both left the swords they were carrying, Ares, by willing it to disappear and Percy by turning it into a pen. Ares turned to watch Percy one more time.“I guess that’s my cue to leave”Percy looked abashed “I guess so”After a few seconds of heavy silence, Percy shyly said “we should do this again sometime”Ares smiled, he was anxious that he wouldn’t be welcome back after what just almost happened.“Any time” he took the opportunity to give Percy a little silver skull bracelet “Just touch it and think of me when you want to talk”Percy smiled, Ares clicked his fingers to disappear.And nothing happened.Nothing.Ares started to freak out at the third time it didn’t work.“Why doesn’t it work?!” he asked, annoyed“I have no idea,” said PercyAres started pacing around, touching the walls of Percy’s cabin, like a caged animal. Suddenly he turned to Percy.“Did your Father bless your cabin, Jackson?” Ares asked, a scenario playing in his head“Yes” Ares groaned, Percy was fast to reply “b-but aren’t all cabins blessed? What does that have to do with anything?”“Normally it wouldn’t mean a thing, but it’s different with you because you’re so frequently sought at by gods, Poseidon must have put a special blessing in your Cabin, I cannot appear or disappear inside the cabin” he groaned again.“And, now what will you do?” Percy asked, worried“I guess I’ll have to go out,” Ares said and walked straight for the doorPercy stopped him right in his tracks “Wait!”“What’s wrong?”“There are harpies in the front door”“So what? I’ll kill them!”“No you listen to me,” Percy grabbed him by the arm before he reached the knob “if you kill a harpy an alarm system will blow off and alert all the camp”Ares stopped this time, no plans left for him to go back to Olympus tonight, he looked sheepishly at Percy.“May I crash in?” he asked“Uh- yeah man, although I don’t have another bed if you don’t mind sleeping together…” Percy said, talking in every direction except Ares, a blush on his face.“Nonsense,” said Ares, he snapped his fingers and a sleeping bag appeared “I’m a guest here, I’ll be ok on the floor”Percy knew this was a lie, for a God, they would have all expected him to offer his bed completely and sleep on the floor, it surprised him a lot how different Ares was from the other gods.“Well then, goodnight” he switched off the lamp light and the world became shadows and the ray of moonlight gleaming and sneaking in by the curtains, Ares entered his sleeping bag and closed his eyes, but couldn’t sleep, he remained like this for some time, the silence felt like peace.“Hey, Ares” Percy whispered from his bed, and Ares turned around to see him better “you’re still awake?”“Yes” he responded in a whisper, they both loved the silence, and they hoped that by whispering slow, they wouldn’t break it. As a demigod, the moments of silence were few and far between.“Did you really like the movie?” Percy asked Ares breath hitched when he remembered that moment, so close but so far.“I did,” Ares said frowning “why would you ask again?”“I already did?” Percy said, a cheeky smile plastered on his face.“Now’s my turn, why did you like the movie?” Ares retaliatedThere was a long silence, Ares even thought Percy had gone to sleep but then, the answer came, unannounced:“My mom,” said PercyAres took a second to process this “It’s her favorite too?”“No” Percy formed a little smile in his lips “it’s just a reminder of a strong woman fighting for her child, even in the toughest of times”That left Ares speechless, and Percy continued “My mother is that kind of hero, she has faced horrible injustice and problems both in the god and the human worlds for her son to be alive”A long pause, a sigh.“That just makes me love her more” Percy finishedAres was so taken aback, by the simplicity yet strength of that declaration of love that he realized something, you don’t have to shout to the whole world that you love someone, it’s the day to day demonstration of affection, the constant reminder of love, what really keeps our relationships growing, the dedicated passage of time with someone that cares for you.“I-I don’t have anything” Ares repliedPercy rushed in “You don’t have to say anything ok? It was just a silly very personal thing for me to say, I don’t want to make you uncomf…”“No,” Interrupted Ares “I really don’t have anything, everything I’ve ever gotten was either my birthright or by the sheer power of other people, giving their strength in the sake of war, I never worked hard for anything”He paused for a second, Percy had gone still in his bed“I think, that’s why I like Ryan Gosling in that movie, he had everything, even when he had nothing, even when he was poor as dirt, he had love, he worked hard, he got the girl, he made a house, he was happy”Ares continued “And here I am, I’ve got the most beautiful goddess, and the most beautiful house in Olympus, others may say that’s debatable, but I know it is, and yet sometimes I go home and seat on my couch and stare into nothing for months straight, until someone, probably a war, calls to me, and then I’m only half alive again, until I come home again anyway”The silence was the longest this time, and it was filled with many things, Ares couldn’t think of a single thing to make the heaviness of the air go away“Well, I guess that’s my cue to sleep, Goodnight Percy”He turned around and went to sleep.Yet he was so unaware of such little things, like the way Percy’s eyes looked at the nape of his neck, or the way that secretly, in the dark, Percy made a promise to help him find the love that he missed.He was so unaware.
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Summer days passed by in a blur, in between Percy healing from the Scorpion's sting and the Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros nights with Ares, soon there was only a week left before the summer at Camp Half-Blood was over, Percy was thinking this while he was walking to his cabin, with the sun setting in the horizon when he saw a strange figure leaning in a tree at the start of the forest. His suspicions were confirmed when a grinning, smug Ares shouted at him."Oi Perce!"Percy didn't know if this was a normal conduct of Ares, to show so much happiness when he saw someone, but it just made the butterflies in Percy’s stomach tingle, they were just good friends but, sometimes Percy caught himself glancing at Ares for a little bit too long, or noticed how his hands would get fidgety when Ares looked directly at him, and he would wonder things that never occurred to him before. The feeling of soft lips or strong hands around his waist. He caught himself daydreaming and snapped out of it with a quick head twist."Everything ok Perce? " Ares looked at him with genuine interestPercy realized how foolish he was being, and forced a smile."Everything ok"Ares frowned with his bad boy look, raising an eyebrow to add dramatic effect."You sure?""Yup, all's good"Ares shrugged then, not wanting to push the subject further."Do you smell it, Jackson?" He asked"Smell what?" Percy answeredHe turned around and inhaled dramatically"There's a boar in the woods tonight"Percy chuckled, "And why is that important for us?""We must hunt it!" He said with the most energy filled voice he could command, and the air brimmed with sheer power "Come with me, young prince!"Percy blushed a little, no one had ever called him something of that sort before, and with just a little hesitation, he asked: "But, aren't the woods forbidden at night?"Ares rolled his eyes "C'mon Prince, it's the last day of Summer"Ares stretched his hand for him to take and, after a few seconds of indecision, he took it."G-great" said Ares, he turned around and led them into the woods, Percy hadn't noticed, but the tip of Ares’s ears had turned red, he had expected a handshake or a fist bump, but this exceeded all his expectations and he felt light-headed just from feeling Percy's hand on his.They walked for some time, unlinking hands to pass over trees and rocks, Ares feared Percy would not take his hand whenever that happened but every time Ares offered it back Percy took it, and Ares felt a tingle run through his body.Half an hour later they were crouched behind some shrubs, watching the gigantic boar stumble through the woods, it had been struck with a spear before on one leg and it stumbled while carrying his whole body through the woods. Percy felt sorry for the poor animal, but as Ares had said "It's better to rid him of his pain now than to let him die slowly"Percy couldn't argue with that.Ares was ready with his bow, soon the animal stepped on a field with no trees or bushes, it was the perfect moment, Ares breathed in, strung the arrow, breathed out.And before Percy could blink, the boar was already cooked and the night had fallen on the forest, sprinkling the night sky with stars.
Ares looked at him from across the bonfire, where the boar was sizzling with a delicious smell.
“Liking your last day Prince?” Ares asked
“Yeah, it’s actually lovely”
The silence was comfortable, and Percy felt more relaxed than he had been since he had been told he was a demigod, everything had been a rollercoaster from then on, but somehow, sitting there in the middle of nowhere with Ares, he felt at peace.“Pork’s all cooked up” Ares announced
They started eating and talking, drinking soda (blue for Percy; Ares had caught up on Percy’s food preferences pretty early on). Soon, the sky had moved and the moon shone brightly upon them.Percy stared at the moon for some time “Do you think Artemis is watching?”Ares thought of his answer: “Probably”
“She’s going to come down and whisk you away” Ares wiggled his eyebrowsPercy giggled and Ares made himself a mental note, to make Percy giggle more often.“Boys can’t become hunters” the sea prince answered“Hmm…” Ares thought “there are, a few special exceptions…”“...would you like to be one of them?”Ares didn’t even know where the question had come from, but now that he asked, it seemed to be extremely personal, and he realized it was the greek equivalent of asking “Are you single?”.Percy blushed slightly, and he hoped the darkness would hide it, he puffed and tried, with the steadiest voice he could manage, to say:“I don’t think so, I would miss a few things”Percy’s eyes were sincere and sharp, Ares felt a rush of relief flood him, so much he smiled, he filled their cups and made a toast:“For the last day of Summer”“For the last day of Summer,” Percy answeredHe thought about all the campers sitting around the bonfire, sharing their last day, but being with Ares sharing food, talking. He almost felt normal, happy. No quests no Godly affairs, just him, Ares and the moon, this was a lot better.A yawn escaped his mouth, he hadn’t realized he had made himself comfortable in a patch of grass, Ares too, was lying sideways. They were silent, just looking at each other’s eyes. A chill ran down his spine, the breeze was too cold, and the bonfire had been reduced to ashes.“Cold?” Ares askedPercy could only bring himself to nod before yawning again.With a snap of his fingers, Ares made a big patch of furs and blankets appear and fall over them, Percy noticed that there was a pillow behind his head too, the softest pillow he had ever felt and dreamingly said:“The privileges of being a God”Ares chuckled “Goodnight Perce”“Goodnight Ares”
Under normal circumstances, Percy would have blushed at the thought of being in the same bed as Ares, but he was too sleepy to care, regardless, the thought made him feel warm all over while he drifted asleep.
The next morning Ares woke up to Percy snuggling on his chest and realized that his arms were wrapped around the demigods. His breathing stopped, he didn’t want to move, he didn’t want to make a single movement that would wake Percy up.
After a few minutes he dared to sneak a peek at Percy and was astounded by how beautiful he looked, with his hair a mess and his sleepy face on Ares' chest, he wished he could stay like that forever. At last, Percy opened his eyes, rubbing them.“Good morning, sleepy head”Percy groaned, his eyes focusing on Ares, he gave a start, he just came to the realization of the position that they were in, with their legs tangled together, and the closeness of their lips, when he looked up to the war God.He gulped before speaking, afraid his voice would fail him mid-sentence.“Good morning”Silence ensued, both of them waiting for something to happen, a signal, a nod of approval, and they would close the gap between them, the one that was brimming with static.The snap of a twig in the silence of the forest broke them off the reverie, and they sat up, Ares scratching his head awkwardly and said:
“We should probably head back, you know before the harpies eat all your stuff and so”Percy’s eyes widened, he had forgotten everything about the harpies. After gathering himself back up, he and Ares were running around the forest skipping rocks and stones to get there on time, they spoke in a rush:“I guess we will see each other until next summer!” said Percy“Don’t be foolish” Ares replied, “I’ll come by around Brooklyn from time to time, does that sound good?”“Oi,” said Perce, mimicking Ares, he got a friendly shove and a laugh.They were at the end of the forest now when they stopped abruptly and said in unison:
“We should probably…”
“Not be seen together” Percy finishedThe words hurt when Percy said them but Ares knew they were true, attracting unwanted attention to the demigod wouldn’t do him any good, Ares was thinking this when he realized he had been staring at Percy for way too long.“Sorry” he apologized“Don’t be” replied PercyThey locked eyes and the static that they had left in the bonfire lit up again, and none of them dared to speak in order to not break the spell.At last, Percy spoke, it was barely a whisper, but they had been closing in on each other this whole time, and no they were merely some inches apart.“Thank you for the evening,” he said, and before Ares could blink Percy kissed his cheek and was walking away. It took him a second to find his voice again.“I guess I’ll see you around then”Percy turned but kept walking backward“I guess I’ll see you around”Ares only needed to hear those words to keep himself smiling as if he had just cured cancer, all the way up to Olympus, scaring the living hell out of a very confused Apollo.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It had been a month since Percy had last seen Ares, after that goodbye that left them both breathless Percy hadn’t seen the God of War in what felt like an eternity, the school moved slow and everything seemed so, normal. Percy should appreciate normal because the other alternative always left him almost dying in some shady part of the country, but if it meant he could hang out with Ares it would have been worth it.
But he wasn’t here, he was somewhere among the stars that shone on the polluted light of New York while he took the trash out. Another day was over, bleeding seamlessly into the other, everything was boringly normal.
Until he realized he wasn’t as alone as he thought he was in the dead-end street of the trash cans, he felt an ominous presence, right behind of one of the steely swamp green trash container. He was ready to take his sword, at that moment a pen, out of his pocket and to be ready to fight, when a car passed by, flashing light over the lost alley and he saw something that surprised him even more.
“Hi Perce,” said Ares
Percy was always happy to see the War God, but the circumstances were a little bit too shocking, Ares was crouched in the shadows, a dead gargoyle at his feet, its body slowly disintegrating into dust. Ares was all soaked in blood and ichor, and his blue eyes shone with an icy danger that made Percy want to take a step back. Another car passed by and now Percy could notice that the whole street was covered in fine dust, it wasn’t only one gargoyle Ares had been fighting.
It took Percy a moment before he could arrange words into sentences.
“Are you ok?” he said timidly
“Yes,” Ares said in a breathless whisper
Darkness had engulfed them again, and it felt weirdly personal to be here, standing next to Ares in the veil of the night. So Percy opted to alleviate the tension by throwing the trash and sitting next to Ares in the pile of dust that moments before had been a gargoyle.
“Fancy meeting you here,” said Percy
Even if it was dark Percy could hear the smile in Ares' lips.
“I told you I would meet you in Brooklyn didn’t I?”
Percy giggled and they sank into a comfortable silence. Finally, Ares spoke:
“You’ve got popularity in Tartarus you know?”
“Is that so?” Asked Percy.
Ares huffed.
“No, I actually was having a party with thirty gargoyles before I decided to kill them all”
Percy laughed at that one and was about to reply when suddenly a penny fell from the sky, it didn’t even rattle as it landed right at Ares' feet.
“What’s that for?” asked Percy
“It’s a call, for Olympus” Ares replied, his eyes grew a little colder again, now that Percy was so close he could see the sheen they gave in the dark “I have to go now”
“Wait!” Ares had lurched for the penny so fast Percy panicked a little and shouted, thankfully Ares stopped, inches away from the penny.
“I mean, I..” Percy stumbled, sighed and simply leaned in and kissed Ares cheek “thank you”
Ares breath stopped for a second, he hadn’t expected that, but after keeping an eye out for Percy for a month and having killed so many monsters in the process, it felt so nice.
“Sure Perce” they had been looking at each other’s eyes for some time now “Maybe, maybe we can go out some other time, dontcha think?” he said making a bad accent.
Percy giggled, and Ares felt warm all over “Of course,” he said.
“See ya,” Ares said back, and he was about to leave when an idea occurred to him. He turned his head around and kissed Percy softly in the cheek, the corners of their mouths almost touching. He had only a second to register the audible gasp Percy evoked when the penny blew him away into Olympus.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ares always had a hard time keeping track of time, again, War bled time and he could get lost in scarlet fever. But when he grew restless and tired of the violence he went looking for a place where he could be gentle, even if he would never admit that to himself.He saw it once and he needed it more, that moment when he was playing video games with Percy both staring at the screen intent on winning and yet; he didn’t want to. In war, few people win and let’s just say that it’s not the best of us who make it through. And yet he felt at peace with losing or winning, it didn’t matter, no lives were at cost. It was just him and Percy and when they crossed the finish line he just dropped his controller, and ever so silently he set his chest in Percy’s back, he had just come from the rain outside, when he found the god waiting for him sprawled in an awkward position, trying his best to look casual. Ares didn’t know but Percy found that really charming.And now Ares’ arms hugged Percy from behind his nose on his neck, enjoying the warmth while the rain fell on the pine trees. He didn’t know how warm he was making Percy feel, Ares’ pecs rubbing against the demigod’s back, it was hard to concentrate.“Do you want to play another round” asked PercyAres groaned “Not really”He had been tired for a while, he knew Percy had seen him shouting at his sons sometimes, he tried to keep those things separately, but it was just natural, you can’t be sunshine and thunder all in the same sky at the same time, Ares didn’t know how his father did it.“I’m going for some water,” said Percy.He went to stand and Ares followed never losing his grasp.Percy laughed “Let go”“No”Percy wiggled under his grasp stronger than last summer, a few years more and he could give Ares a run for his money. They battled until they were both face to face. Ares looked away, he was never good at hiding his desire, too much for most people.But not Percy, softly the demigod put his hand on Ares’ cheek, inviting him to share his thoughts. And after everything, their first kiss was that, a second that Ares’ would’ve exchanged for his whole godhood. Their lips connected in the most simple of ways, Ares was a little forceful, he had wanted this for so long he was still thinking of kissing Percy without realizing that it was already happening right at that moment, but when he did, he relaxed. With his arms on Percy’s shoulders and the demigod’s hands on his hips, he let himself enjoy his lips.And that was infinity, the tv on and the rain in the background and the sound of skin touching and hands roaming. Even the most innocent would’ve known what they were doing if they had been curious to listen outside Percy’s cabin, but it didn’t happen and they continued their dance. Ares touched his skin, now full of scars Percy didn’t have the first time they met.“Don’t leave again” Ares blurted.Percy had been gone for so long and he could tell, the scars spoke to him. And even though it had been a few hot flashes for him, he could see that Percy was different. Growing up a demigod changes you in ways few people can see, surviving demigods had the same look as every man that goes down to war with him and sees the darkness of pooled blood in the hills. Few men survived that look, and fewer demigods did.“It’s important that I do” Percy answered, their hands had stopped moving, and all was still.“You know nothing about that labyrinth, I know little of it” Ares argued “ It smells of old blood, people get lost there Percy, forever”Percy sighed “If I don’t go, Annabeth and Grover will die for sure, if we go together, we have a chance”Obviously, Ares knew this, but hearing it from Percy was the sentence, tomorrow he would leave to return only if he made it, and he wasn’t of the gods that had hope.Ares reclined his forehead against Percy’s, his eyes closed “I’m going to miss you”Silently their lips touched again and the warmth returned to their little world.They kept kissing, Percy on the bed, Ares straddling him. The demigod’s erection rubbed against his ass, and Ares kept slowly moving his hips, making Percy moan.Ares changed positions, now he was face first in Percy’s crotch, enjoying his hardness through the jeans, he fished out his cock, and was surprised when it hit his face with a heavy thud. Percy was hung! His dick was white with an angry red head that desired to be licked, a drop of precum was already forming at the tip when Ares’ tongue made contact. It was intoxicating, Ares took the head in his mouth, licking the head like a lollipop, he looked at Percy who was watching him with his mouth open, and with a smile, he deepthroated Percy’s dick in one go. Percy moaned so loud that the next morning Ares wondered how no one had heard them. And with that he dedicated himself to the task of taking Percy’s dick on his throat, again and again, when the whole dick was coated he stood up, and removed his shirt and jeans telling Percy to do the same. And once they were naked he straddled Percy’s hips, his anus touching the demigod’s shaft, slowly going up and down, the movement made Ares’ legs tremble a little, it had been a while. They stayed like that for a while, forming a rhythm, by now his whole ass was wet and Percy grew impatient.“You tease,” said Percy“Well, why don’t you fuck my h-”Ares hadn’t finished the sentence when Percy lined his cock against his hole and pushed, all 8 inches going inside him in one go, if he wasn’t a god he would have ripped something, but now he just felt himself stretch to his limit to accept Percy’s giant cock inside him, but before he got comfy Percy was pounding him with strength, the only thing he could do was grab the poster in the bed and accept the pounding.Several minutes passed like this, the only sounds were the thighs slapping and the small but firm sound of Ares’ pecs rising and falling while the god tried to meet his lover’s dick. Now every time Percy’s cock entered him the felt the tip of his dick hit his magic button and with the friction of his dick in Percy’s abdomen, he could feel his orgasm building.“Percy- Percy I’m close,” he gruntedPercy grunted and started slamming his hole, and just when Ares’ thought he couldn’t take it anymore Percy grabbed both his nipples and pulled. And that was enough, Ares came and with his hole spasming Percy came too. For many minutes they wouldn’t speak, Percy’s chest was full of the god’s cum and Ares had rested his head against his neck, his hole gaped by the pounding he just received.“That was amazing,” Percy said, still a little breathless.That’s when Ares looked up at Percy, and Percy’s dick jumped a little. The god looked so hot with precum all over his face, a dazed flushed look on his face, Percy could probably go again, but he needed to save strength for his quest in the morning.Slowly, they pulled apart, and Percy went to the bathroom for some towels, they cuddled in bed, Ares being the little spoon, and they talked softly until they fell asleep.At least the demigod wouldn’t go to the labyrinth as a virgin.