Ares' POV

It's been three weeks since Thomas has come home and though we are both broken and no where close to normal, we still made so much progress between the two of us and within ourselves.

Thomas still has his nightmares and still has panic attacks when he wakes up and I'm not there. He second guesses himself sometimes and I have to reassure him one simple things. Crowds make him nervous and he's developed anxiety and PTSD. He refuses to go underground and sometimes his eyes get this far away look that lets me know that he's somewhere from a month ago.

And that's okay.

I convinced him to get a tracking app installed on both of our phones. I panic when I come home and he's not there, even if I know that he's at work. Sometimes I don't sleep at night because I'm too busy watching over my sweet kitten that brought so much light into my life. Sometimes I leave work in a middle of the day to go check up on him to make sure that he's home and safe.

And that's okay.

The two of us are still continuing to heal. And though we are not as strong as the people we were when we first met, we are more resilient and prosperous than I ever knew myself to be.

Last week I planned a surprise trip for Thomas for us to go back to the beach where the last good thing happened to us. It was hard trying to sneak around when Thomas had new abandonment issues and mine only got worse, but I managed. This morning I woke him up at the crack of dawn just like the first time and packed up our car before we were on our way.

This time though he stayed up with me and we talked as the sun falls and we learned more and more about each other.

No matter how long you're with someone or how much you think you know, there's always something new you can learn about the love of your life.

We arrived at the beach house almost an hour ago and the two of us are lounging around the house quiet enjoy the uninterrupted time together. Thomas is leaning against my side with his legs propped up on the table and I can't help the swell of pride that comes along with it. When I first brought him back home he was always so stiff and hesitant as if the wrong move would earn him pain to his  already sore and scarred body.

It was like Silas has shoved  him back into his childhood and he was struggling to come back to me.

I look over at the beautiful man loving the way he's gotten more comfortable with wearing short sleeves and T-shirts around me. I still haven't seen the full damage of what was done to his body, but I don't mind knowing that he's trying his best.

And his best will always be good enough for me.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Thomas asked me suddenly and I shake my head to myself to clear my thoughts before turning my attention to my sweet little Spitfire.

"Of course I do." I tell him with a small smile as I think that the night that it all started. I remember praying to the goddess that I wouldn't run into him that night knowing how close he was getting. I was so sure that I didn't need a Lock and that it would only in bad for the both of us. I wish I could go back in time and laugh at my past self in the face. "We were some stubborn people."

Thomas chuckles before nodding his head in agreement sighing as he relaxes further into my hold. "I thought I had it all figured out. I would have me a nice sweet little be like Cody and settle down with a family within a few months." He tells me and I laughed before gesturing to my body.

"I'm not quite sure I look like Cody." I tell him and he shakes his head as he chuckles.

"Oh no. Definitely not." He tells me and I throw my memory back to the way he reacted when he realized it was me. Not just any man, but Ares. He did not sound happy about that fact at all.

"You know, you never quite answered my question from that night." I tell him and he turns to me with a shy smile, the one that occupies his lips lately as he gets back comfortable in his body. He scrunches his face up in adorable confusion as he
thinks.

"What question?" He asks and I tell him.

"After you reacted the way you did towards me, I ask you what was so wrong about being Bonded with me." I tell him and though I brought it up for laughs, I'm curious as to what was going on in his head that night.

"Oh!" He says with red cheeks and an embarrassed smile. "Since you always won the game I figured you were just a cocky asshole that like to have power over people. That and the fact that you just scream dominance paired with my daddy issues made me hate you instantly." He tells me and I nod along knowing that it makes sense.

"I mean, you were right. When you met me I was an asshole. But once I saw you and you were standing in front of me, I couldn't reject you like I had planned for all those months. And I tried my best to love you how my mom never loved my dad so that you wouldn't leave me." I tell him honestly. I've been trying to work on opening myself up to him more hoping that it would help him with his process.

" Even though you got on my nerves and you were a stubborn bastard I would have never left you. Though if anyone asks I will deny it, I began falling in love with you that night." The words he tells me our unexpected and so very much appreciated even though he had to add his own sass to it. I turn my head and looked down at him with a wobbly smile and tearful eyes.

     "You're still a little brat." I tell him and he laughs. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know that?" I ask him and he sighs before squeezing me tighter.

     "Yes. But only because the same goes for me." He tells me and I smile before I groan in mock annoyance.

   "Let's go to the beach. Too much sap." I tell him and he hits my chest with his hand, but I catch it as he pulls it away before kissing his palm. I don't let it go as I get up, and pull on it instead it make him follow my movements.

     We leave our shoes by the door and leave out the back, descending the stairs straight on to the back. I hiss and hop from one foot to the other as the sand burns my feet and Thomas just stands there and laughs. Once I'm able to walk calmly, I grab his hand and we walk tenderly towards the water. The sand trust form hot and dry to cool and wet, and we walk along that little strip as we swing our hands between us.

     "So you thought you would have kids by now?" I ask my kitten, not taking my gaze off of the horizon in front of my even as Thomas' head whips towards me. There's a few moments where he pauses and I have to keep my body still from the nerves that's flood through me.

     "Yeah I did." He says as he turns his head to watch the horizon as well, both of us stiff with nerves.

    "Do you still want some? Not now. But you know, in the future like when everything is okay and you don't have to get pregnant because I can and..." I ramble on as he stays quiet not realizing that he's waiting for me to finish but I continue on until he cuts me off.

     "I would love to start a family with you someday." He tells me pulling on my hand to stop me from moving forward. I let him in turn my head to look down at his precious pale eyes and those beautiful dark freckles that splatter his face. I will never get tired of loving this man in front of me, and I want to get on my knees and thank every decision I've ever made to get him in my arms in my life.

      "I love you so fucking much. You're my everything." I tell him and he smiles at me like I'm the most important thing in the world to him. And it's that smile that lets me know that whatever we face, we're going to be alright.

     "I love you. To our someday." He says, raising his pinky for me to grab with mine and I don't hesitate as I do.

     "To our someday."

~~~~~~~~~
Gah this was almost too perfect. I low key just want to end it here but it's tradition to end the book in the bottom's POV. The next chapter probably won't be a full one since it's the end.

Thoughts?

Comments?

QOTD: Did you cry?