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Xena hadn’t expected to be whisked away to a temple. It belonged to Ares; she could feel it. She could feel him. “Ares,” she called out to him. The supernatural shiver ran up her spine, alerting her to his arrival. “What am I doing here?” she asked, turning to face him when he appeared.
“Do you like it?” Ares asked, wearing a wolfish grin. He stood before her feeling pretty pleased with himself and the soft seductive atmosphere he’d created.
Xena sighed, looking around. The bed was covered in fur blankets, there were candles everywhere, and a table laden with food and wine. It wasn’t over the top, but it wasn’t Spartan either. It was comfortable to suit whatever they needed. “Yes, it’s very nice, but what am I doing here?” she asked again, crossing her arms over her chest.
Ares closed the distance between them, invading her personal space in a way he knew had her fighting the sensual pull they had to each other. “This place is somewhere we can go to be alone with each other and do whatever you want,” he offered in a husky whisper. “In here, there are no gods, no heroes, no monsters. No darkness and no light. It’s only you and me.”
Xena knew this was a trick. It had to be. Ares never offered anything without serious strings attached. When she looked into his eyes, she saw something there she’d never seen from him before. Honest hunger. He craved to let it all go to be with her in any way she chose. “What makes you think I want to be alone with you?” she asked. It was tempting. He was tempting as he’d always been.
“Hunger,” Ares whispered in an erotic growl. “You crave me as fiercely as I crave you. What we have has nothing to do with good or evil. It’s primal.” He leaned into her, barely brushing his lips against hers.
Xena kept a little moan contained, but she couldn’t keep her bottom lip from trembling. The heat of him licked over her skin and silently she cursed all the leather between them. Giving in, she pressed her brow to his, sighing in need. “I get to decide when we meet and all I have to do is call out your name in that way I know you long for,” she bargained.
Ares claimed her lips, pumping his tongue into her mouth, ravishing her. Xena reciprocated, trying to take charge of the kiss. This was how they sealed their deal.
MANY NIGHTS LATER:
It had taken Xena weeks of long, lonely nights to work up the nerve to call out to Ares. She wanted to prove to herself that she didn’t need him to find satisfaction. Yeah, that didn’t turn out the way she thought. Her body only wanted the heated touch that belonged to Ares. She would find no relief except in his arms. Xena stole herself away into the dark forest, making sure she was far enough away before she whispered longingly, “Ares.” His power enveloped her, whisking her away.
“It took you long enough,” Ares scolded when she appeared.
“I didn’t want you to think I was too eager,” Xena responded lightly. She looked him up and down, shocked to find him in simple black cotton pants, and no shirt. Her right eyebrow arched in appreciation.
“Oh, baby, no,” Ares said softly. “You do things in your own time and in your own way. I know that better than anyone,” he said as he came close to her.
Xena brought her hand up, cupping the back of his neck, her fingers curling into the silky black strands of his hair. She didn’t kiss him. She brushed her lips against his, moaning lightly and in need. “I have to have you,” she confessed, giving herself over to her desire to kiss him.
“Then have me,” Ares growled seconds before the hunger took them both.
HOURS LATER:
Xena lay on the bed, resting on her side with the black fur blanket draped over her hips. Ares was next to her, on his back, his eyes closed, and a sated grin on his kissable lips. The tension that had existed between them lessened a little. It was still there, and now, she knew she would never be rid of it. She and Ares burned hotter than Greek Fire when they were together. At one time, she’d been afraid of what would happen to her if she gave in to her need for him, into the all-consuming hunger that plagued her. Looking at him now, in bed with her, sated and exhausted, the world was still in one piece.
Ares opened his eyes, turning his head to the side, seeing the contemplative look Xena had on her face. Her beautiful blue eyes were alight with introspection. His heart sank as he wondered how long it would be before the recriminations started and the demands to be released. Letting go of the glow, he sat up, and prepared to get out of bed. “I’ll take you back if you want,” he said softly.
Xena, visibly confused, sat up. “I’m fine right here,” she responded honestly.
“Tell that to your face,” Ares commented, turning back to her. “I thought we’d finally reached a place where it could just be us. Not a war god and a hero seeking redemption.”
“We have,” Xena stated resolutely. “I was thinking about how the world hasn’t ended because you and I shared this bed and our bodies,” she told him, moving closer. Reaching out to him, she caressed his cheek gently.
Ares placed a kiss to her palm. She chuckled when the bristles of his beard scraped against her skin. Relief washed through him. “I thought you were regretting what we’d done,” he confessed, moving in closer until she was astride his lap as they sat in the center of the bed. He wrapped his arms around her hips, holding her close to him.
“I thought I would,” Xena responded. Whatever else they were, they were always honest with each other. At least, they were when they were alone.
“But you don’t?” Ares asked carefully.
“No,” Xena confirmed with a little nod. It was hard to describe what she was feeling. She almost wanted to call it peace – but nothing between them was peaceful. Calm… maybe. It was the calm before a raging storm.
Relief washed through Ares. “Don’t worry me like that,” he teased darkly. A playful threat lingered on the air between them.
“Or you’ll what?” Xena asked chuckling, looking defiant.
Ares took her to the bed beneath his, settling between her welcoming thighs. Drawn to her, he kissed her deeply, possessing her mouth, branding the taste of her – wild and untamed – into his memory. When their lips parted, he answered, “Or I’ll ravish you until you want no other but me.”
“Already there,” Xena confessed breathlessly.
“Oh, yeah…” Ares mused, finding his way back inside her body. They moaned together; her closing her eyes, pressing her head back into the bed and him burying his face in the side of her neck. The pleasure that overwhelmed his mind was unlike anything he’d ever had before. Not even the thrill of war was as good as Xena’s body welcoming his.
Xena rolled them, taking the top position. She knew Ares loved to be looking up at her. Slowly at first, she moved her hips in a back and forth motion. He rested his hands on her hips, his fingers digging in lightly. She gazed deeply into his eyes, letting the power of his gaze ensnare her as she rode him towards another mind-altering release.
WEEKS LATER:
Ares was used to going months without seeing Xena. It made him burn with a need to see her, to have her, to kiss her passionately. The anticipation of having her in his arms was nearly driving him crazy. He started to pace back and forth, casting a side long glance at his throne almost willing her to appear. Then, he felt it. Her call. Something about it was different. In an instant he was at her side and the bottom dropped out of his stomach.
Ares went to Xena. She was lying on her bedroll, nearly as still as death. Her color was sickly, and she started to shake. Kneeling down next to her, he pulled back the blanket, seeing the wound across her upper left arm. It was black and oozing pus. He barely touched the wound, making her moan in pain. Ares lifted the tips of his fingers to his nose, sniffing. He hissed. She’d been poisoned with corpse oil. It would kill her if he didn’t get the cure for her.
Xena fought to open her eyes. It was almost impossible in the state she was in, but she knew she had to do it. She wasn’t alone and she hoped I was who she thought it was. “Ares…” His name tumbled from her lips lighter than a whisper.
“I’m right here, Xena,” Ares said softly, taking her hand in his, lifting it to his chest. The weak sound of her voice broke his heart. She had tended to his wounds when he’d been made mortal and had expected nothing in return because she knew him. Now, it was time to change what she knew. It was time for him to show that he could take care of her. “You called out to me,” he told her, leaning down to brush his lips over her icy brow.
“I really must be dying,” Xena joked and then half coughed, groaning from the effort.
“That’s not funny,” Ares scolded. “I got to get you to the cure,” he said, moving to life her into his arms.
Xena tried to stop him. “Don’t…” she fought feebly.
Ares looked at her, his eyes full of pain. “You can’t leave me. Not yet… not when I need you too much.”
“I’m mortal. I’ll be gone soon,” Xena replied, tears coming to her eyes.
“But not today,” Ares argued. He lifted her into his arms, knowing he was causing her great discomfort. “I’m not losing you to something as stupid as a cut on your arm,” he stated with a little bit of a growl in his voice. Casting one more look around, he didn’t see the annoying blonde and he was thankful for that. In the mood he was in, he’d rip her to shreds, and that would damage the bond he had with Xena. He took them to their temple where he tucked her into bed. Ares had to force himself to leave her side. He had to get the cure and give it to her.
OLYMPUS:
Since the twilight of the gods, Olympus felt like a tomb. Ares walked through the halls of the main temple towards the workshop Hecate had taken over. He could already hear her puttering around, brewing some new concoction to gift to her followers. With a dark, menacing cloud of energy surrounding him that snapped and crackled, he walked in. “Give me your cure for corpse oil,” he demanded. His tone conveyed he would not be denied by the goddess of witchcraft. It was her poison that put Xena so close to death.
Hecate was used to the mercurial, often unpredictable, mood of her brother. Today, she was in no mood for it. “I don’t have time for you,” she remarked without looking at him.
“Give me the cure I know you have squirreled away, or I will tear this place apart,” Ares threatened, his voice low and deadly, echoing off the walls of her workshop. He would follow through on his threat.
“My, you’re in a mood today,” Hecate snarked, turning to face her brother. His face was set in a murderous scowl. Even she knew better than to provoke him when the air was foul around him. With a wave of her hand, she produced the cure he was after. “The only reason you’d be so worked up is if your favorite had been struck down,” she mused, hold it out to him.
Ares growled and snatched the vial, glaring at her. It was no secret on Olympus that he was in love with Xena. None dared to use it to their advantage, however. The one who were left didn’t want to incur the wrath of the war god. He could be nasty. Using his powers, he vanished.
“You’re welcome,” Hecate remarked snidely and then turned back to her concoction.
THE TEMPLE:
Xena knew she was floating between life and death. Each slow exhale brought her closer to breathing her last. She didn’t have any regrets about dying, only being alone when the time came. It was creeping closer with each passing second. Then, the shiver down her spine told her he was back. “Ares…” she tried to speak.
Ares went to the bed, sitting down beside her, resting his hand on her side. “Xena, I have the cure, but I have the open wound…” He was running out of time. She could yell at him later for the pain he was about to cause her. Ares set the wax sealed vial down on the bed and took one of Xena’s small knives from the sheath inside her boot. Using it, he excised the dead skin. She groaned weakly. He grimaced, knowing the discomfort he was causing her. Tossing the knife to the floor, he used both his hands to squeeze the wound until it bled red. Without wasting another second, he took the vial, removed the wax, and poured half the cure into the open laceration. Then, opening her mouth, he helped her to ingest the other half. All he could do now was wait and hope he’d gotten to her in time. He used his powers to change her armor and leather to a light black silk shift.
Hours went by without Xena regaining consciousness. Each time he feared she had breathed her last, Ares would check and be relieved that her chest was still rising and falling. She was still in the land of the living and still with him. When the worry finally to its toll on him, changed from his usual leather attire into a black pair of cotton pants. He stretched out on the bed next to Xena but was careful to keep space between them. Ares watched her until he fell asleep.
Xena’s first conscious thought was the lack of pain her body was in. She was relieved not to be dying. Shifting slightly to her right side, she opened her eyes, seeing Ares next to her. He had his arms crossed and a scowl on his face even as he slept. She reached out slowly, noticing her left arm wasn’t numb. Lightly, she traced the bridge of his nose with the tip of her nail. He grumbled, shook his head, but didn’t wake. She tried again. When she saw him like this it was hard to recall all the terrible things he was capable of doing. When she was seeing him like this, she was seeing a man her heart yearned for. “Ares,” she called to him softly, letting that yearning seep into her voice.
That sound. Ares opened his eyes seeing Xena awake. He hadn’t been too late to save her. Sitting up, he took her left arm, inspecting the wound he’d opened. The potion had cleansed it of the poison and had done much to close the deep laceration. “You’ll have a scar here,” he informed her lightly.
“I’ll add it to my collection,” Xena remarked sarcastically.
Ares leaned down, barely touching his lips to her arm. Then, he rested his head on her shoulder, begging, “Don’t ever ask me to let you die.”
Xena had never wanted to say she was sorry to him more than she did in this moment. The agony she could hear in his voice was unlike him. Lying on her back, she brought her right arm up, draping it over his shoulder, pulling him down on top of her, holding him close. “I won’t,” she promised, unsure if it was a lie or not.
Ares sank into her embrace, savoring the feel of her warm and alive in his arms. “I really thought I was too late,” he confessed and then shifted off of her. He got out of bed, stalking away from her. As relieved as he was that she was alive, he was mad that she let herself get this bad.
Xena sat up carefully, cradling her left arm in her lap, seeing they were in their temple. It was their hideaway from the world where they could be them. No one would see her loving him. No one would see him being weak with her. “Ares, talk to me, please…” she said, hoping he’d look at her. His back was straight, his left arm resting against the volume of black skulls, and his head was lowered. She could see the anger in his body.
“You know better than to allow yourself to be injured in such a way,” Ares growled. “I taught you better than that.”
“Accidents happen,” Xena responded.
“Not to you,” Ares snarled and whirled around. “Not to you,” he repeated, his voice calmer, but still tinged with the edge of anger.
Xena gave him a soft look as she got out of bed. “The day will come when even I will be bested by an enemy,” she said knowing it could provoke his anger.
Ares shook his head. “Don’t fight with me on this,” he stated.
“I’m not fighting. I’m simply stating a fact. One day, I will die. What then?” Xena asked, her voice breaking a little.
Ares felt the darkness fall across his face. “I will murder my way across the world to avenge your death,” he responded gravely.
“Then my future murderer better savor what little life he’ll have after the deed is done,” Xena replied sarcastically.
Ares drove his fist into the column of black granite skulls. The force of the blow cracked it, making a sound like thunder. He dropped to his knees, the strength going out of his legs. The world without his warrior princess was one hardly worth thinking about. He’d been through that once when she faked her death.
Xena went to him without fear. She cupped the underside of his chin, tipping his head up so she could look into his dark eyes. He was in agony. She pulled him close, his head resting against her belly. He wrapped his arms around her hips, holding her tightly, shuddering against the force of his own conflicting emotions. She only held him, caressing the back of his head. Xena was the only mortal capable of bringing the mighty war god to his knees. It was an achievement she never wanted.
JUST AFTER DAWN:
Ares had taken Xena bad to bed so that she could rest and recover her strength. He stayed with her until he was sure she was deep in sleep before he left her side. There was still so much fear coursing through him. Ares needed to pace, to work through it. She was no stranger to death, having faced it, and come back on more than a few occasions. This was only the second time he’d been faced with her mortality. Being one of the last Olympians alive, he would admit to himself just how weak Xena made him when he was alone.
Ares didn’t know how he would let her go when the time came. That tore at him. The raw grief compelled him out into the main temple where a black skull throne waited. He sat there for a span of time that he hadn’t realized was passing. Time to a god was different than it was to a mortal. It seemed like yesterday when Xena was honoring him in battle. She had been proud and fierce, adding to his immortal power. Then, today, she was seeking redemption. And yet, for each battle she fought against injustice, she still was honoring him because she always was the victor. He didn’t know how he was going to let her go when the time came.
“Are you still moping?”
Ares looked up, seeing Xena standing there, pale against the black of the silk and the fall of her hair. Then, his head turned to the windows, seeing the yellow glow of the morning sky. “I don’t mope. I brood,” he growled and then got up. “You should still be resting,” he urged her to go back to bed.
“When did you turn into my nursemaid?” Xena asked in a snarky manner that she knew he enjoyed.
Ares smirked and then leaned in to kiss her softly. “Consider it repayment for all the times you nursed and bandaged my wounds,” he said, pressing his brow to hers. When she didn’t pull away, he slipped his arms around her, keeping her close to him.
“You never needed to repay me,” Xena whispered, snuggling closer to him. In this temple, she got to be in love with him without any judgment. The world didn’t matter in here. It was just them.
“Maybe I wanted to show you I’m not all the bad things you think I am,” Ares responded, kissing the side of her head.
Xena said nothing in return. She simply held on to him, savoring the tender side he so rarely let her see. He took care of her when she needed it. This was not the Ares she was used to. Today he was someone she truly cared for.
THE END