Work Text:
The song crackled, hitting a high pitch that made her ears ring. Ares moved automatically, breaking away from Yue’s grasp, positioning himself to face where the sound originated while placing Yue at his back.
The speakers let out one less squeal before the music abruptly cut off, sparks flying as the speaker circuitry finally fried due to the rain.
His shoulders were rigid, his hands twisting into fists, readying for an unexisting fight. Yue knew that reaction; it was the same as her father's had with any loud, unexpected noise. Military instincts that are ingrained for survival. Ares must have served; he still had fresh scars.
“Looks like the water fried the speakers.” Yue kept her voice light-hearted, drawing him through reasoning instead of response.
Ares's fingers flex, shoulders slumping lower, understanding there wasn’t any real threat, but having to convince his body. His voice leveled. “Agreed.”
The night was over; the speakers' deaths were the last nail in the coffin. No music meant there was no dancing, and with no one around, it seemed weird to stand chit-chatting in the rain.
It was time to thank Ares for the wonderful dance and head home, but Yue didn’t want their conversation to end. Ares was captivating. Observing the world through a lens, appreciating life, and not taking it for granted.
“Want to see something remarkable?” Yue asked, feeling a tightness forming in her chest. Uneasy if she trusts Ares with her favorite secret.
“What is it?” Ares questioned, eyes slightly raising in curiosity.
“A surprise, but it's something worth the travel.” She bounced on her feet while slowly walking backwards, towards her recaty truck. “You in?”
Ceriousity peaked over concern as Ares smirked.
Her truck wasn’t anything fancy; it was sort of the opposite. Chipped paint and a rusting bottom, but it got her from A to B in one piece, and that was all she really needed.
“What music do you listen to?” Yue asked as her fingers fiddled with the knob, changing between radio stations while keeping the truck driving on the road.
“I like Just Can’t Get Enough by Depeche Mode. It has a feeling.” Ares spoke weirdly, like confessing, speaking what he really thought instead of popular opinions.
“’80s, I like it.” She smiled while finding the radio station that played all ‘80s music. Yue tapped her fingers on the steering wheel while keeping her eyes on the road.
Ares' eyes lingered around the truck, taking in the ambiance. It wasn’t a standard truck; Yue had made some modifications to it. The backseat sported a cramped living space, a bed, and storage underneath that had only the necessities for living. Then, in the tailgate of her truck sat a rough-looking motorcycle, a fun toy she took down trails.
“Do you reside here?” Ares questioned while his eyes drifted to the ceiling. The truck's roof was covered in Polaroid photos, an array of scenic images or photos of friends that she had taken during her travels.
“Yup, I live off the grid.” She couldn’t help but smile at Ares' expressions, a mix of pure curiosity and astonishment. “I limit my technology use and just enjoy existing.”
Ares' fingers glided across one of the photos that had started to fade, her first Polaroid. One that had a horrible angle of her sitting in the back of her truck with two other girls.“Interesting, who are all these people?”
“Rose and Charlet, meet them on the Alaska highway. My truck had broken down, and they were kind enough to help and gave me the camera.” Yue feel into fond memories of spending several days at the sister's house, them teaching her about the surrounding wildlife.
Ares’ eyes lingered on the photos, taking in the still moments of the life she has so far lived. What did he think of her lifestyle? Some judge the instability, but he seemed like the kind to appreciate the simple things in life.
“That’s why I travel, you get to experience everything life has to offer.” Her fingers moved to tap a switch, turning off the windshield wipers just before parking.
The rain had let off for some time, which was perfect timing. The view wouldn’t have been the same.
“Where are we?” Ares questioned as they exited the vehicle, eyes scanning the grass dunes of the area.
“You’ll see, it’s just over this dune.” Yue teased, leading him just over the small hill. The smell of salt stained the air, a trace of the ocean before they even laid their eyes against the water.
His breath caught in the back of his throat, and his eyes widened into huge saucers. The beach stretched underneath the starry sky while waves crashed against the sand, an untamed roar of the ocean. It was breathtaking, and by Ares' reaction, it was literally.
The tightness in her chest vanished and was quickly replaced with joy; she’d made the right decision in taking him here.
“Have you ever seen the ocean before?” Yue asked, while her eyes scanned the beautiful scenery- Ares was very handsome.
“I haven’t,” He spoke softly as if speaking could shatter this moment. Was seeing the ocean for the first time, so emotional for Ares?
Yue slipped her heels off, letting the wet sand squish between her toes. Ares watched her movements, eyes lingering a moment too long before copying her. Ares crumbled into a hilarious expression at the sand texture against his skin, a mix of revolt and intrigue.
“It's a little cold for swimming.” She playfully bantered before taking off running down the beach, unable to contain her excitement and not wanting to be late. “And the view isn’t the best part!”
Ares caught up almost instantly as he followed her down the backshore and didn’t even hesitate when they climbed over the edge of the sheer side of a rock cliff to get into a hidden cove.
Yue narrowed her eyes as they walked across the sand. It was difficult to see exactly where the spot was in the dark. The moment she recognized it, Yue knelt, feeling the nice cold sand press against her knees as the skirt slightly hiked up.
“Wait, you're going to step on it.” Yu hushly spoke while flinging her arm out just in time to stop Ares from taking another step.
His eyes snapped to the ground, meticulously studying every single piece of sand, but when he noticed nothing out of the ordinary, he turned his sight back to Yue.
“What is it?” Ares asked while kneeling beside her, eyes following her glance back to the sand.
“Just wait,” Yue assured him. Though she herself didn’t know if the timing was correct, there were no signs that they were late, but they might be too early.
A small portion of the sand started to slowly cave in, creating a small crater in the sand. Her heart leaped in her chest while Ares' eyes locked onto the spot, curiosity as the sand bubbled like it was suddenly alive.
A tiny beak broke the surface as its little flippers struggled against the sand, pulling its small body out of the beach. It started with one, then another, and in the blink of an eye, there were dozens upon dozens.
“Baby turtles!” Yue announced proudly while taking in all the cuteness before subtly glancing, hoping to catch his reaction.
Ares stared down in fascination as the little turtles crawled around in circles, trying to figure out their surroundings. It takes them a moment before they start heading down the beach to the crashing waves.
“How did you know?” Ares questioned her, though his eyes never left their tiny shells.
“Townfolks were talking about this cove being off limits due to it being a natal home. People being careless can cause them harm.” His face twisted into slight anger and annoyance. “Don’t worry, we were careful.”
His expressions softened, knowing they hadn’t harmed the little creators. Ares' hand reached forward, fingers gently brushing against one of the turtle's smooth shells. Not petting, but instead giving it a slight push to overcome a particularly large twig.
Yue’s heart fluttered in her chest, threatening to slip out, making her cheeks red. Tough guys were so cute when they cared for animals. Specially.
Ares hadn’t noticed, but a smile crept across his face as he watched the little turtles march across the beach. Maybe that’s what attracted her to him. That he didn’t take the abundant life around him for granted, that he appreciated the small things.
One by one, the turtles reached the shoreside before being engulfed by the ocean waves until there was only one straggler, the runt of the litter.
“Should we give him a hand?” Ares asked, seeming slightly concerned about the turtle making it to the ocean.
“He needs to gain strength, get coordination, and strengthen his fli-“ Her words strangled out of her mouth, her eyes catching white against the moonlight.
Feather wings of a seagull as it majestically swooped down, beak catching the runt turtle before racing back into the sky. It was a reality that not all the baby turtles made it to the ocean, just a part of life.
That didn’t stop either of them from moving, springing to their feet. Ares' hand slipped underneath the back of his shirt while Yue took off running down the beach.
She hadn't planned this. How was she going to get the seagulls to dro- An electrical hum overrode the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, as something bright, stunning blue sliced through the air.
A triangle frisbee with glowing blue edging, by the sound, it wasn’t an ordinary frisbee. A needle through water. She could smell the scent of burnt feathers as the disc grazed against the bird.
Fear triggers instinct, and the seagull wasn’t an exception, quickly dropping its meal while desperately trying to run from its attacker. From Ares.
Turtles are terrible flyers; his tiny body was plummeting down to earth. Yue's legs ached, feet trembling from dancing the night away, but she pushed through. Diving forward with her arms
outstretched, hoping that she was quick enough.
Her knees scratched across the sand, and her teeth chattered against each other as her shin hit the beach. The pain was worth feeling the baby turtle wiggling in the palms of her hands.
The flying disk soared through the sky, arching its way back into Ares' waiting hand. Yue had seen it before on the news when Center City was attacked by programs, highly intelligent AIs. Everything made sense, the way he was in awe about the rain and ocean, it’s his first time seeing the world outside of the digital one.
The way Ares reacted to the speakers' blowing. ‘Dangerous, highly violent.’ The news anchor said But Ares…. The god of war just saved a baby turtle.
“Hey, is he alright?” Ares asked, voice cutting her thoughts as he approached. His weapon was already tucked away, back underneath his shirt.
Pulling her body away from the sand, she held out her cupped hands, offering the baby turtles.
“Here.”
Ares hesitated, weighing his action before moving closer. Gently cupping his hands around hers, his skin was warm against the chilly night's air.
Their hands touched longer than they should have before Yue slowly slipped her hands away. Letting the little baby flop into his hand, Ares' face scruched up in a weird panic excitement when the turtle wiggled.
Unlacing his fingers, his eyes twinkled like the starry night as he studied the little life that sat in the palms of his hands with such awe.
The turtle protested the confinement, twisting and flaying in Ares's hold. He crouched beside Yue, carefully placing the baby turtle on the sandy beach. Making sure to face him towards the ocean to keep the turtle from getting lost.
The turtle didn’t hesitate, scuttling himself across the sand before disappearing in a large wave. Yue hopes that the little turtle would make it out there in the big world.
“Thank you for showing me this-” Ares seemed to struggle to find the right words. “It was worth the travel.”
Yue was thankful for the darkness in the night, which worked well to cover up her rosy cheeks. “Yeah, it is… beyond words.”