Love Between War and Fire

Chapter 21

Ares didn't wait any longer to make it home. He teleported to the double doors and without a second thought, pushed it open. With great strength they slammed into walls creating a sound like thunder that echoed into the home.

He was greeted with a familiar warmth instead of the dreadful cold that use to haunt the place. He frantically searched for her, desperate to see his wife again. Looking through the halls and rooms, he couldn't find her, couldn't even find it in him to shout her name. He just wanted to see her.

Aries: Ares?

Hearing his name, Ares stops in his tracks and turns to see the goddess he's been longing to see. Aries stood not far. There was a warm silence that emerged as they took each other in. Ares took steady steps towards her, like if she would run from him.

Ares, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions, couldn't hold back his tears as he knelt before Aries. The reunion with his wife, after what seemed like an eternity, was a torrent of love, relief, and longing.

Aries, understanding the depth of her husband's emotions, gently caressed his tear-streaked face. "You're home, my love," she whispered, her voice a soothing melody in the midst of their shared joy.

Ares, still on his knees, looked up at Aries, his eyes reflecting the vulnerability he seldom showed. "I thought I lost you. I thought I lost everything," he confessed, his grip on her waist tightening.

Aries, ever the pillar of strength, knelt down to meet Ares at eye level. "You didn't lose me. I'm here, and we're together again," she reassured him, brushing away his tears with a tenderness that belied her own relief.

In the embrace of their shared love, Ares and Aries found solace. The weight of loss lifted, leaving room for the warmth of their reunion to fill the void. They stayed locked in each other's arms, finding comfort in the simple yet profound truth that they were finally together again.

Aries felt the intensity and dread that clung to her husband and took his hands and guided him to rise. Her eyes never left his as she brought them into the bathroom. Using her powers, Aries commanded the room to prepare everything for her husband, who still hadn't said a word.

With a tender touch, she undid the armor that clung to Ares, revealing the toll that time and battles had taken on his body. As she removed his helmet, she saw the weariness etched into his features, a map of the hardships he had faced in her absence. Ares, feeling exposed and vulnerable, cast his eyes downward, anticipating judgment in Aries' gaze.

To his surprise, Aries cupped his cheeks with delicate hands, her touch a balm to his wounded soul. She showered his face with kisses, each one a testament to the enduring love she held for him. "You're home, my warrior," she whispered, her voice carrying the weight of years spent apart.

Ares, overwhelmed by the tenderness of her actions, felt a mix of gratitude and shame. "I must look like a monster," he mumbled, afraid that the battle-worn exterior might repel her.

Aries, unswayed by his self-perceived flaws, pressed her lips against the scars and wounds that adorned his body. "You're my god of war, battle-scarred and magnificent. I missed every part of you," she confessed, her words carrying a depth of affection that went beyond the physical.

Undressing herself, Aries guided Ares into a tub filled with steaming water. The warmth enveloped them both, a soothing embrace that mirrored the comfort of their reunion. Ares, hesitant to let go, clung to Aries as if afraid this moment might slip away like a fleeting dream.

Aries continued to whisper words of love and reassurance, her kisses a promise that they were now, finally, together again. As she bathed him, Ares remained silent, savoring the intimacy of the moment and cherishing the fact that he was back in the arms of the one he loved.