HIS GOD COMPLEX | under construction!

21 | είκοσι ένα

21 | είκοσι ένα

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ERIS HAD BEEN abducted by the huntress goddess Artemis, who also happened to be Apollo's twin sister. Ares explained that Artemis had come like a thief in the night and shot Eris with her legendary arrow, which transported her to Mount Olympus before he could do anything. He felt useless. He was distraught.

We were all three of us gathered around a fire Ares had started to cook the fish I had caught for us earlier on. He was shirtless, for he had lended me his t-shirt without the burden of uttering a single word to me.

Apollo had fallen asleep, after hours of pacing and trying to concoct a plan to save Eris from his huntress twin sister.

I was seated on the grass nearest to the fire, warming my hands by it, shivering. Apollo was snoring next to me and I was envious of him. How could he sleep at a time like this?

"I just don't understand why they would take her and not you." I said as Ares sat at a reasonable distance away from me. He said nothing in return, though his honey brown eyes met mine for a split-second before he tore them away from me, glaring into the flames. He placed the thin silver chain around his neck between his teeth, playing with it to distract himself from the awkwardness.

He hadn't uttered a single word to me since he told me Eris had been taken. It was now hours later, and I knew the wound was still fresh.

My heart was beating rapidly against my chest as I cleared my throated, waiting for him to finally acknowledge my existence. A glare, a scowl, a snarky remark... anything. Alas, Ares didn't even glance in my direction, for he was too preoccupied playing with the chain between his teeth and staring into the fire, like he was in some deep reverie. He finally released the chain, and it fell onto his chest.

I couldn't take it anymore, the silence was driving me insane. I shifted closer to him. He didn't move. We once again sat in complete silence. I was never that good with apologies. Nobody would ever stick around long enough for me to make a mistake I'd have to apologize for. I shifted closer to him, so close that my leg was brushing against his. He breathed in, still trying to pretend I didn't exist.

I opened my mouth to speak but shut it immediately, shaking my head at my own stupidity. Running a hand through my now dry hair, I opened my mouth to speak again, index finger in the air and once again shut it right away. It was probably best we sat in silence for the time being.

My heart was beating so rapidly. Say something, anything. I had opened my mouth to speak for the third time when finally, I heard Ares groan from besides me. He, too opened his mouth to speak. I found myself sitting up eagerly, awaiting the words he would finally speak to me. I felt so guilty for chasing him away. It was my fault Eris had been kidnapped. I'd been dancing around that fact ever since I heard the news but it was the truth. If I hadn't told Ares to leave, then she wouldn't have had to chase after him. She'd still be here.

We weren't the closest of friends, but with all I'd learned about her from Persephone, I had hoped that we could have been. But now she was somewhere up in Mount Olympus for reasons unknown, and I couldn't help the words that repeated in my head with every single heartbeat. It's all your fault.

I had hoped that maybe reconciliation with Ares would help me feel better, but the god was making it extremely difficult for me, he wouldn't even glance in my direction. I couldn't shake the sinking feeling that whatever bond I had formed with him was lost, all because I couldn't handle a little bit of violence. He was the god of war! Of course that entailed violence.