Ares

Chapter 11 || I love that you got daddy issues, and I do too.

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"Go ahead and cry little girl, nobody does it like you do. I know how much it matters to you, I know that you got daddy issues."

— Daddy Issues, The Neighbourhood

Ares stared at the open folder on his desk, his eyes blurring the words together until they formed a fuzzy block of unintelligible letters. His finger spun a pen on the desk's slick surface, his thoughts leaving the office in a hot air balloon and sailing off with the wind. He wondered if there was an old family curse he wasn't aware of. Maybe his great, great grandpa had made one too many promises to a secret lover, scorning her into cursing his children and their children and so on until the end of time. Or maybe it was his own punishment for leaving.

Ares spun the pen again and watched it blur like a rotating helicopter blade.

"Ares?"

His eyes snapped to the black phone on his desk. He hesitated before reaching out and pressing a button. "Yes, Gina?"

"There is a man here to see you. Mid 50s. Greying hair, brown eyes, around 5'11. Says he knows you?"

His eyebrows dipped together as he scanned his mental rolodex. He flipped to the calendar on his iPad and came up empty. No appointments.

"Says he's Aphrodite's father?"

Ares tried to swallow the lump in his throat but it wouldn't budge. He whispered a stream of swear words and pressed the button again. "Send him in," he said, slapping the folder shut and sliding an open packet of M&Ms into a desk drawer. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing pulse. Just when he thought things couldn't possibly get any worse...his 'father' had found him.

The door clicked open and Gina greeted him with an arched eyebrow, the unscheduled appointment lurking just behind her. The tall man in a tailored suit smiled at her as he whisked past, entering Ares's office with a confident stride. "Hello Ares," he smiled warmly, extending his hand with his fingers splayed. "I'm sure you know me."

Ares got up on rubbery legs and rounded the desk, accepting the man's firm grip and admiring the way his fathers cold brown eyes set off his distinguished head of gray hair. "Have a seat." He gestured to the two chairs in front of the desk and smiled at Gina. "Thank you, Gina."

She stared blankly at him for a few seconds before slowly shutting the door and leaving them alone. Zeus sat down and Ares returned to the high back chair behind the desk. The leather creaked as Ares sat down and quietly exhaled a pent-up breath. Zeus crossed his legs like a girl and folded his hands on one knee, smiling at Ares from across the desk. A wall clock ticked off audible seconds that seemed louder with each successive click. They held each others' gaze, no one willing to commit to speaking first. A foreboding cloud of gloom rolled through the pit of Ares's stomach. He could feel sweat forming across his upper lip and hoped Zeus didn't notice. Ares shifted in his chair. Another loud groan pierced the awkward silence between them as Zeus' expensive cologne washed over Ares like a swarm of angry insects burrowing into every orifice they could find.

"I apologize for the pop-in; I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

Ares shook his head, working to maintain a polite smile. "I'm in between meetings."

A grin tugged at the corner of Zeus' mouth. His eyes wandered the office, taking in the generic paintings, framed degrees, and thick law books lining two walls. "Marquette huh?"

Ares pressed his lips together and nodded.

"Great school. What kind of law do you practice, Ares?"