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[center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/07/d8/08/07d808df73b6505ef00f4ea77f90b616.gif[/img][/center]
[b][center]ɢ ᴜ ᴀ ʀ ᴅ ᴇ ᴅ[/center][/b]
[/h1][/sup][/color][indent][sub][COLOR=00CC99][I]The Gala[/I][/COLOR][/sub][/indent][indent][sup][right][COLOR=00CC99][b][i]Tlaz & Ares[/i][/b][/color][/right][/sup][/indent][hr][color=gray]
	The air high up was significantly colder than Ares had expected. He had been pacing across the roof, hidden from everyone below. Through the skylights he could see the classical gala proceed. Women were dressed in the most expensive dresses. This wasn’t some party where that meant extravagance. Many were part of high-society for their entire lives. Which meant they knew how to show their wealth through details. Uncertainty screamed, confidence whispered. High ranking men of all sectors were shaking hands and trading golf stories while holding their preferred drink. For half of them that meant a true, Scottish whiskey. From high above Ares had observed how they battled. These days the daggers and swords were replaced by veiled threats and humiliating knowledge. You could quickly see who was subservient to whom. A clap on the shoulder, a roaring laugh, a downcast smile. Social hierarchy established itself with every word spoken.

On the other edge was the entrance with the flown in paparazzi who didn’t want to miss this party. Who would walk up with what dress? Who would walk up with what woman? Are they dating? Are pregnant? Who has a bit of white powder sticking on their moustache? Jupiter’s security was capable enough to keep them away from any damning stories. Though they hadn’t been skilled enough to keep Ares out. Ares, who had been pacing on the roof for the better part of an hour. Looking at his phone and the countless calls he had ignored in the past two weeks. For two weeks he had been adamant that he couldn’t talk to her until he knew what words to speak. Then he had to tell her face-to-face. No matter how adamant he felt, he couldn’t help but feel doubt set in. Was he causing more pain than holding off by waiting so long? In hindsight… yes. Resigning himself to that guilt he realized his time was up. It was genuinely now or never again. And to an immortal god, never was just too long.

[b]“The moon is beautifully bright tonight.”[/b] He typed on his phone. [b]“You’ll have the best view from the gardens.”[/b] He was already going down the stairs when he pressed send. At the same time, several of his best dressed goons were ready to peacefully intercept anyone from going into the gardens. Anyone but Tlaz.

In the time that Hathor had spent away from her in search of another round of drinks, Laz had gracefully peeled herself from the dance floor towards a bar table before leaning against the sturdy material and taking a short breather. The two sun kissed goddesses were some of the few and only attendees to have found themselves dancing to the classical and occasional swing-esque numbers. Sin was taking place all around her and it took everything in her to not leer over the shoulders of mortals and prey upon their vices. Instead, she opted to gaze after them, enjoying seeing them toil around one another, hiding things from the likes of their "friends". It sent a shiver up her spine, one she felt pleased with.

A silent buzz emanating from her clutch that sat on the table pulled her attention away from the chatty humans and to dig in the accessory in search of the culprit. A simple text attached to a name she hadn't seen cross her phone in well over two weeks had her willing Hath to arrive sooner and with a heavy handed drink. Or two. Nevertheless, caramelized honey scanned the plethora of faces surrounding her in an instant, searching for the owner to the message. Scouring his location and wondering as to why [i]now[/i] of all times has he decided to reach out to her. Annoyance and indignation coursed through her at the message and it didn't abate anytime soon, taking her leave from the high table and gliding through the mass of bodies chatting it up like old friends. A dark humorous chuckle escaped her, [color=#00CC99][sub][i]'Old friends with fucked up relationships...'[/i][/sub][/color]

It didn't take her long to spot the well suited guards patrolling the party, sticking to the walls and conversing in subtly. Types of men who, with no fault of their own, would not be on Jupiter's payroll. Not hitting the kinds of standards fit for the Roman king. So she's heard. The Spartans had always been part of the frequent fliers that visited the club when Ares, or the rare, occasional blessing of Hades, popped in for business. One in particular gestures for the Aztec to follow him, pulling her from her from previous memories, his head craning to the french double doors leading out and into the well manicured gardens of the establishment. A roll of her eyes and she was pushing past him without so much as a glance in his direction.

The moon hung low, still on it's ascent for the evening, foretelling of a very eventful night indeed. Especially if this is where Laz was finding herself so early on. Chilled air caressed at the exposed skin her dress saw fit to leave bare, nipping like teeth at her. But she was impervious to the bite, instead that annoyance quickly soured into a fiery rage as the silhouette of a man, a very familiar man, made himself known to her sight. [color=#00CC99]"Ares—"[/color] her voice caught in her throat and there was a moment where the thought crossed that he didn't hear her, but she knew him better than that. He would have picked it up, somehow, some way. But he would have heard. And he would have been able to [i]feel[/i] the fury of the words as she spat his name out like poison.

With one step he came out of the shadows. It was just them, alone and his heart whined. The way she spoke his name, it was sharp. Like a bullet meant to hurt him. That was understandable, after everything he did to her. In truth he was still expecting a slap or even a fist to the jaw. He’d deserve that too. [color=#ED1C24]“Tlaz, you look… beautiful tonight.”[/color] He spoke slowly, his mind for once going over every word and carefully choosing the right one. That was how it should be now, careful and cautious. Even if his heart was telling him to just shut up and kiss her again. But that would be unjust. A slight smile formed on the corner of his lips. A departure from his elsewise confident smirk.

[color=#ED1C24]“I’m sorry for what I did to you that night.”[/color] He started, fighting off the shame and desire to just look away. Running was coming up far too often in his mind now. He fought that too. The least he could do was look one of his best friends in the eyes when he apologized. [color=#ED1C24]“I shouldn’t have kissed you. But I had to see if Aphrodite’s mist was true. It wasn’t Julie who I saw then.”[/color] There were still small wounds on his face from his fight with Hathor. Wounds that refused to heal at the rate they should. A reminder of the truth, even if he disliked it. [color=#ED1C24]“I finished things off with her twelve days ago. Because what I did to her…”[/color] Even though he had trained the words for days, his mind kept turning blank. Again and again. [color=#ED1C24]“It was wrong, what I did.”[/color]

For a second he paused. The words he had to say now hadn’t fled him yet, but he right now he wasn’t so sure if he could say them. Life would be easier for him if he just shut up. But that’s what a coward would do. [color=#ED1C24]“But I did see you in that pink fog. I saw you and I knew it was true the second I touched your lips.”[/color] The memory alone made his heart rage in his chest. Like an addict it demanded more. He bit his lip, fighting every emotion that was going through him now as he still kept his distance.

Distance meant nothing to Filth as she easily narrowed the spacious gap between his words. a Well manicured hand rose and made contact with the side of his face that held the most amount of scrapes and bruises. The most physical pain she could bestow on him in this moment brought her a sense of comfort, but tugged at her chest in a way that said otherwise. Laz had to force that down and away, her form physically shaking with an enmity she thought was past.

[color=#00CC99]"You don't get to disappear on me because you [i]felt like it[/i]. We're supposed to have been friends, Ares,"[/color] surprisingly her voice was level, albeit on the brink of cracking, clearly holding herself back. [color=#00CC99]"All this time, and not [i]once[/i] did you mention you were spoken for? And then the other night?"[/color] A hallowed shell of a laugh escaped her but that was all she allowed for that incident, wiping at her lips with the back of a shaky hand. [color=#00CC99]"You think some fucking half constructed idea was going to make it better? How can I trust you anymore? What's true and what isn't?"[/color]

Relenting was something she wasn't prone to do unless the bedroom called for it. This was no bed chamber and he was no lover of hers. The onslaught of jabs, slaps and just general beatings she threw at him landing on arms, shoulders, face, were dwindling in steam as she stood there spitting questions and statements at him that have plagued her for the last two weeks. [color=#00CC99]"If it was a moment of weakness that's fine. I could live with that. Even we aren't above that, especially after the witch's meddling,"[/color] her thoughts traveled to Aphrodite's hand in this whole experience. If not for her and her trying to [i]"help"[/i] the Aztec and Greek wouldn't have been placed in this predicament. "[color=#00CC99]But then to just leave… [i]Really?[/i] Never the one to back down from an issue, so why the fuck with me? Why me? What wrongs have I done you?!"[/color] She rested her fists upon his chest and just diverted her eyes from him.

He could take the slaps and jabs. Hell, he could take that much better than her words. The hollow laugh tore through him like no sword ever could. Each word was worse than a bullet ripping through him, and Ares had many pieces of lead shot at him. Truth was that she was right. On almost all counts. They were best friends and he kept his secrets from her. He kept Julie from her, even though he would’ve introduced them to each other in due time. But it wasn’t the intent that counted, it were his actions right now he had been lacking to say the least. But there was one thing, one thing that worked like a bellow to his flame. He didn’t just disappear because he felt like it. When she said that, a glint of flame appeared in his eyes. His jaw remained clenched shut as he felt the muscles in his neck tightened. He didn’t just vanish because he felt like it. His heart begged him to roar back, but he fought it. Tonight was not a night for fire.

[color=#ED1C24]“I’m trying…”[/color] He said, his voice strained. Words failed him again. Inside he fought his fire. His body begged to just grab her and push her against the wall so she would listen. But her onslaught of questions continued. Why her? Why with her? He wasn’t prepared for that. It build up pressure inside of him. Why? Why? Why? [color=#ED1C24]“Because when I kissed you I knew I loved you!”[/color] He finally roared as he grabbed her by the arms to make her stop hitting him. The breath was knocked from her chest in the same moment the words rolled off his tongue. [i]Love.[/i] How foreign a word and concept. An emotion she thought she felt so deeply for others, was a feeling that never was reciprocated on their end. [sub][i][color=#00CC99]'A beautiful lie,'[/color][/i][/sub] she thought as memories danced before her of a silver haired healer left in a town because words on her part were left unspoken. Shaking the painful memories of the past away, her bite was back as the fire in her eyes rivaled his own, [color=#00CC99]"Love isn't something you push away from though…"[/color] How hypocritical.

[color=#ED1C24]“And I had to leave you…”[/color] In an instant the flame was covered up again, though his entire body trembled. She scoffed, arms still trapped in his ironclad grip, refusing to release her, trying to make her listen. However, she didn't fight to get away. Succumbing to the position they were in. [color=#ED1C24]“I left before I made things worse. Tlaz… that night... after the kiss. There were no right choices. I failed that night. I don’t… want to fail again.”[/color] That’s why he broke it off with Julie. That’s why he was now here after that, confessing everything instead of following what his heart wanted. There were no easy paths to follow. Nothing to be beat up or that should beat him up. [color=#ED1C24]“I waited because I had to be sure of what I was going to say. I waited so I wouldn’t make things a hundred times worse. I waited because I don’t want to force what I felt on you again.”[/color]

[color=#00CC99]"Nothing would have been forced had you just reached out to me; [b][i]talked[/i][/b] to me."[/color] Her voice broke, barely above a whisper, and the words caught up in the small breeze that picked up around them. Though she felt not the cool, biting wind, too wrapped up in the fury and ire of the two of them standing chest to chest. Blood pumping through their veins at an insane speed, it was clear their emotions ran hot, passionate, for the subject of debate. Laz could feel him shutter and shake beneath her. She wanted so much to fall into him and wrap herself in his presence, his warmth. But she couldn't. Not fully and not with the hurt still evident within her.

It may have been his words, or the timing or the place, but it didn't [i]feel[/i] right. Didn't feel whole. She didn't feel right and it was driving her mad. Because this is what she ultimately wanted right? Rolling her tongue between her painted lips and pearly whites she couldn't help but sigh. This was not how she foresaw the evening going. [color=#00CC99]"I had resigned myself to fucking you, the brilliant ideas of others. To get you out of my system as it were, since we hadn't seen or spoken to one another in some time and you quite literally pushed me away."[/color] A small smile at her attempt at humor in this situation was laughable on it's own.

Ignoring his heated stare she continued on, [color=#00CC99]"Thoughts of you, and I, have plagued my mind every night since. Us tangled with one another, a life together, even one not permanent. And-and it isn't fair to me. I thought you wouldn't be here. Too busy with your put together life with your mortal... so sure was I that it meant nothing to you, that [i]I[/i] meant nothing to you. How easy I was cast aside."[/color] Topaz gems peered through long lashes up into his face, her righteous fury bubbling softly beneath the sultry facade she carefully crafted and wore on display.

Ares’ heart hardened in his chest when she told him she wanted to fuck him out of her. It was as if ice crawled over it, pulling it away and trying to protect it. The feeling worsened when she told him what she thought all those days. His life, in the last two weeks, was far from the well-put together one he lived before. His world had been crumbling. Yet right now, in this moment, he only pain and guilt. He wanted to step away. Give her space. Tell her farewell. Remove himself from her life and stop inflicting so much pain. She didn’t deserve that. He even swallowed deeply, trying to push away the guilt for a second.

But he didn’t step away. Suddenly Ares was much too aware about the heated blood that coursed through his body. A fire erupted in his chest, breathing new and arrogant life in his heart. His expression, soft and careful a second before turned into something intense. Hate or love, he wasn’t sure. Right now they felt like one and the same. He was done being icy, distant and careful. The fire between them was too evident, and he was done denying it. “I’m done pushing [i]away[/i].” He thrust her backwards, pinning her hands next to her. Exposing her as his breath turned hot. “Fuck me then.” He said. “Fuck me and then see if you never want me again. Cast me aside like I did to you.” His heart was raging in his chest as heat began to radiate from his body. He was close to her, and he could smell the sweet, earthy and musky scent on her.

[color=#00CC99]"Ares—"[/color] this time when she voiced his name, it didn't crack, only escaped on the wind of a whisper. Air was knocked from her lungs as he pinned her to the outside wall of the gardens, holding her in place with arms at her side. There was nothing left for her to do but look up into the fire burning in his eyes and she would be embarrassed to admit she didn't know if it was fury or lust induced. Her ire had diminished though she tried to keep her flames from dying out. Trying to feed off his own fire to keep hers alight. The warmth emanating from his touch was enough to burn, but she kept still, refusing to pull out of his grasp. Again his name fell from her lips but nothing more followed. What was there to say, what could she do? Laz expected to be met with resistance, a fight, [i]something[/i], but not this.

There was a twitch upon her skin that told her he was going to pull away soon, something she felt she didn't want. Before he could move she grabbed the fabric of his shirt and pulled him down to her level effectively connecting their lips. A sense of warmth enveloped her traveling throughout her body as she pressed herself closer to him. Melting into the scene. Lithe hands, decorated in hammered bronze, carded through his dark locks, tugging him even closer, attempting to steal the breath from his very lungs. This was her moment. Her chance. To convince herself and release the signs put in place by an outsider for what love should be for her. Here was a [s]man[/s] a god, who seemed to love her. He said he did. He ruined his life for her. Couldn't she do the same for him? Truly?

She didn't want to be alone once more. Not with her thoughts, or questions. Not for anything. But to force him to be with her in something she herself wasn't even sure was true or not, didn't sit right. Wouldn't be right. A furrow of her brow was set in pace as these thoughts danced behind her eyes. Giving a final nip to his bottom lip, hands sliding down to cup his face she pressed their foreheads together. Breath colliding between them in the cool night air around them. [color=#00CC99]"You will always hold a special place in my heart. I owe you so much."[/color] Where once her voice shook out of rage, it now cracked under sorrow, tears welled along the lash line threatening to spill over [color=#00CC99]"I'm sorry, Ares."[/color]

He wished she hadn’t said those words. He wished the moment would’ve lasted an eternity. For a split second he felt complete again. He felt what he felt two weeks ago. When he kissed Tlaz for the first time it paled any memory of love he had. It was the reason why he broke up with Julie. Now he had it in the palm of his hand. He had [i]her[/i]…yet like sand she slipped between his fingers again. He took a step back, looking at the paved ground below him. His heart first ached, then felt as it collapsed into an all-consuming black hole. Ripping a hole that could never be filled in his chest. A shiver ran across his back, he trembled as a sob went through him. But no, he couldn’t show that. Not here. Not now. Not in front of Tlaz. [color=#ED1C24]“I understand.”[/color] His voice was weak. For a moment he looked her in the eyes. There were tears in his, though he hoped he could fight them off long enough. [color=#ED1C24]“I’ll be seeing you, Tlaz.”[/color] Deep down he knew it was true. Eternity was too long and the cities they were forced to reside in too small. In a year, a decade, a century, it didn’t matter. They’d see each other again. Each with other people. Each smiling their knowing smiles perhaps. But now the pain was too raw for that fact to help. He walked away, heading towards a quiet, silent and lonely place for the night.[/color]