"Hi, my little dazzle." He said gently. To anyone he would seem arrogant and carefree but I could see the real him. I could see the hurt in his eyes, the sadness at seeing me back here after all of these years. I could see his insecurities as he shifted slightly onto his other foot.
To anyone else it would look like he was just standing more comfortably but but paired with the way his jaw ticked slightly I could tell he was nervous. I hated him and he knew it.
I silently stared at him. Part of me wanted to jump into his arms and tell him how much I missed my big Fierce, but I couldn't. He hurt me worse than I thought was possible at that point. I almost let my walls down for him but I learnt my lesson.
I was here to keep my word to Coeus, nothing more. There was no way I could be with a man that cruel. The worst part wasn't even what he did. I knew he had pride and anger issues, but he never told me. He just let me start to fall for him and probably never planned on telling me.
How can I trust him? How can I be sure that he even feels bad about what he did? How can I possibly let my walls back down for him?
"Well, this is awkward. I'm out." Coeus said, throwing up a peace sign before disappearing.
I sighed. I was too tense to enjoy Coeus's weirdness.
"Ares." I said, stiffly nodding at him.
I stared at the ground, shifting from foot to foot. I couldn't look into his eyes. I couldn't let him see all the hurt he caused. I couldn't let him see that he had won, that he had managed to break me.
"Why?" He asked, breaking the silence.
I puffed shaking my head, knowing exactly what he was asking.
Why did I leave him?
I never told him why I left, I didn't think he deserved to know. I wanted him to feel even a sliver of the pain I had felt my whole life.
"Little dazzle, please. Just tell me why, please!" He said, his voice becoming a little desperate.
Now that there was no one else around he was letting his vulnerability show through.
He walked up to me and I turned my head away but refused to actually back away from him. He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, grabbing my chin lightly in his hand to face him.
I stared into his forest green eyes and I almost flinched at how filled with sadness and hurt they were. I could even see a slight glistening as he held back a tear that tried to fall.
I felt my eyes fill with tears, one sliding down my cheek as I took in the familiar sensations of his hands on my face.
"Just as dazzling as the day I met you." He said so softly it was almost a whisper.
I felt myself lean in slightly and that finally snapped me out of it. I felt my face harden and I shook my head, backing away, pushing his hands off.
"I'm not your little dazzle, Ares. Stop." I said coldly and he visibly flinched, his eyebrows scrunching together adorably.
He looked down at his feet for a minute before looking back up with new resolve.
"No, no, you're going to tell me what I did, this is enough. You are my little dazzle and I am your fierce. I was convinced we were going to be soul bounds, Eclipse, I'm sure we would've felt it soon but then you just left! No explanation, no nothing! Not even a note! You actually had my brother, Zeus come and tell me it was over because you wouldn't even do it yourself! I'm done with this bullshit, please, just tell me what I did wrong, let me fix it. I need my little dazzle, I need you!" He exclaimed but was careful not to raise his voice at me. I hated being yelled at and he knew that.
I scoffed, "You should've thought of that before-"
"Before what?" He asked, hope filling his eyes.
"Zeus told me."
"Zeus told you what?" He said, looking completely confused but I knew he was faking.
"Maybe if you had told me before we could have worked through it somehow but you kept it from me! We were together for 3 years and you didn't tell me! How am I supposed to trust you now?"
"Tell you what?" He asked desperately.
"What do you think? What could I possibly have found out you've done that would make me this mad? You know, you might let the world think you're dumb but I know you Ares. There is no way you don't know what I'm talking about. I don't want to repeat it I just want to leave. This date is over.
I went to leave but his hand wrapped around my arm, bringing him with me as I teleported to my safe place.
I sighed out in frustration as I shook his hand off me, trying to let the beautiful vista of Mount Everest calm me before I acted out and pushed him off of this mountain.
"Please, I don't know what I did. Truly, please I would never purposely hurt you. I don't know what my brother told you but it isn't true."
"It wasn't just Zeus, Ares. The stars confirmed it all."
He blinked at me.
"The stars?" he said, confusion all over his face and his amazing acting made me almost believe him. Almost.
"URGH! JUST STOP! STOP! STOP TRYING TO GET IN MY HEAD!" I screamed, blocking my ears and closing my eyes. "HOW COULD YOU? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME WHEN YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ME? HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME? HOW COULD YOU LET ME BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU? YOU SAID I NEEDED TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU BEFORE I AGREED TO BE WITH YOU BUT YOU LEFT OUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!"
I felt gentle hands on my hips and something lay against my stomach. I opened my eyes to see Ares, the proud god of war, on his knees in front of me, his head resting on my stomach as pleads spilled from his mouth, his entire body trembling slightly.
"Please, please, my little dazzle, I don't know what Zeus said but its not true, please, I told you everything I don't know what to do. I don't know what you're talking about with the stars, please I need you, please." He said quietly, his voice strained and shaking slightly.
I wanted to believe him. Believe if he had nothing to do with it but I couldn't. The stars we had imprisoned had no reason to lie. I couldn't let myself fall for any more of his charms. I would never let my walls back down again. Not for anyone, and certainly not for him.
I closed my eyes for a second, relishing the familiar feeling of being in his arms before disappearing. I teleported away but this time I was sure to leave him behind. He didn't have the mind tracking abilities I had so unless I let him in he'd have no idea where I am, and there was no way I was letting him back in.
I teleported myself back to earth and to where I felt Donny's presence. As soon as I saw him I burst out into tears. He immediately engulfed me into a hug before leading me to go sit by a nearby stream.
I explained to him who Ares was and what had just happened and he just listened and rubbed my back, throwing in a joke here in there to make me laugh through my tears. He really was a good friend. If I let my walls down for anyone, it would be here, but even with Donny I couldn't find myself able to tell him everything.
There is one thing that I haven't told anyone. Not my parents, not my friends, not Zeus. I even blocked it out from Coeus. If anyone ever knew what I knew they could destroy my in seconds, and I would never let anyone have that kind of power over me ever again.
I spent a couple days hanging out with Donny and Killian. They had finally officially gotten together and I couldn't be happier for them. While it was awkward sometimes being the third wheel I didn't want to have to see or deal with anyone else.
I needed some space and Donny and Killian respected that.
Finally, once I was feeling more like my confident self again I went back to Coeus's cabin. I explained to him what happened and he was completely fine with it.
"Are you ready for you next date?"
I nodded, "Ay, ay, captain!" I explained and he smiled widely.
"Alright, I'll let Fire know to meet you in about an hour. Maybe go for a run or something before then if you're feeling antsy?" He said and I couldn't help the sparks that lit up my stomach when he brought up going on a date with that grumpy, scowling hot ass idiot. He had really started to grow on me. He may have tried to kill me the first time I met him but he certainly wasn't the first and will very likely not be the last.
I realized that Coeus was definitely leaving the worst for last. After Fire was Jacob and I couldn't help the dread building up in my stomach. Unlike Ares I didn't have a single good memory to hang onto. Just raw anger.
I pushed that all aside for now and concentrated on Fire. I was honestly really excited or this date. He was definitely attractive and I really liked spending time with him. If Ares hadn't betrayed me like he did I might have had a harder time choosing but since he did, Fire was definitely in first place for me.
Ares and Fire were probably equally attractive, hell they even looked alike, but looks were not everything and to do something that I couldn't forgive took a lot.
I did as Coeus said and went for a run in my tiger form, taking my time and enjoying the beauty of India. I even came across the real monkey man that Coeus had recreated in the hallucination about Alpha Green.
I don't want to be mean but honestly he was just as annoying in real life as in the hallucination.
Finally I went back to the cabin and got myself ready, the excitement coursing through me.
I met Coeus outside and he teleported us to some beautiful private restaurant overlooking the ocean. It was near where Fire's base was on earth, I could tell.
"Eclipse." He said with a nod, sitting at an adorable table for two by the window.
"Sparky." I greeted back, walking over and sitting across from him as he graoned.
Coeus didn't even say anything when he left this time, just disappeared with a small genuine smile on his face, not tricks or games, just happiness.