Within Their World

BNO: After Enchanted

Ares' POV

"Kitten, I don't need to go out! Why can't I stay in for cuddles and netflix or something?" I groan to Thomas as he tries to push my body off of his, but I only make myself heavier in protest, not wanting to have some stupid 'fun' night with stupid people that are still very much on my shit list.

"You can't, because we do that almost every night and you're smothering me. I need me time." He says as he gives up, but I can hear the sternest in his voice that I'm trying to ignore.

"Fine. I'll go sit in the living room." I tell him, attempting to comprise but he's having nothing of it.

"Zachary, I'm losing my patience with you. If you don't let me have tonight, you're sleeping in the guest room for the rest of the week so I can get my space." He threatens and I find myself raising myself in my elbows to frown and pout.

"Don't say my name. And stop being mean." I tell him but his eyebrow shoots up, clearly unimpressed. Accepting defeat, I get off of my kitten's body and give him a quick kiss before I sigh and make my way to the closet to find myself some clothes. Once I have some in hand, I shoot Thomas one last pout before I'm heading into the bathroom and closing the door behind me.

I make quick work of undressing, leaving my clothes in a pile on the floor as I turn on the water, waiting for it to steam up the bathroom before I step in.

The warm waterfall flows down my body as I brood about the night to come.

It's been about three months since Thomas has come home and only a few weeks ago had I stopped checking up on him at work and constantly worrying about him, as hard as it was. We're trying out best to go back to normal but our separation issues are a bit of a problem, hence why boys night out hasn't been something done since before Thomas left.

At least on my end.

But that's not the only reason why.

I still haven't forgotten what Thomas' family did to him when he went missing, two months ago. How I came to them the day of and they brushed it off as if I was overreacting and it was nothing. How I asked for their help and they turned me away.

No, I haven't forgotten that, even if I spared them the hatred and distrust from Thomas by keeping this from him, a decision I made to ensure my spitfires sanity and not the assholes friendship with him.

In the two months since everything has gone down, not one of the people that I so freely called friends a few months ago, have tried to call or meet up to apologize. And since I did nothing wrong, I refuse to be the first one to reach out and mend the broken bridge, not even for my kitten. Though I'm sure to act civil in front of him, if only to keep the peace.

But I know that tonight, I have to go out with them, as if nothing ever happened. And though I don't think it's possible and I would rather stay home with my sweet kitten and cuddle, I will do whatever he needs me to do in order to keep him happy and here.

As I turn off the shower and turn to get ready, I just hope, things go smoothly tonight and I don't have to fuck over our already fractured friendships.

✨✨✨

I pull up to the familiar house that I haven't been to in over four months and sit in the driveway for a moment. Just as I was leaving the apartment, I got a text that asked me to meet them all, except for Chan who will meet us when he wakes up, at Alex's house.

Though I can already see where this is going, and anticipate it going wrong, I turn off my car and get out, shutting the door behind me before locking it.