"How can you love me without resenting me? I feel like I've m-manipulated you into it." I'm definitely still drunk but the sad, boring, depressed sober me is starting to surface again and if I'm being honest she's kind of annoying. "Which either makes me completely unlovable-"

Which we all know I am.

"-or a unlovable genius. Personally, which I hope I get a v-vote, because, cause I'd vote for the smart me."

Ares is still frowning, and I hate the way it changes his pretty face. "Did you take your medicine tonight?"

"Yep!" I giggle out. "But saying that might make it so I'm not a genius, so shh."

Pulling me towards him, the giant carefully takes me in his arms before lifting me off the ground -carrying me into my room where he sets me on my bed. I pout as he goes to pull away, clutching at him. "Please don't, you've been g-gone for so long."

"It's okay Ev," My boyfriend gently kisses my temple. "I'll still be here when you're wake up. You're too drunk right now to talk seriously."

With that he leaves.

And it feels more painful than if he never came home.

I don't know about him but even drunk I would be able to be serious, I'm able to cry. I like Bambi but I'm still self aware, even if I don't want to care. I'm not too drunk, he's just too unavailable.

God, I can be serious.

Even drunk I could tell him that him leaving made me feel empty. 

Even drunk I could tell him I knew something was wrong.

Even drunk I could tell him that I wanted him to tell me about it.

Even drunk I could let him know that I'm still human with human emotions -even if sometimes, I don't want to be.

I don't think I've ever been more embarrassed to wake up after a night of making myself an inch away from getting alcohol poisoning, taking medicine I'm definitely not supposed to mix with alcohol, half naked and my hair a complete mess and being able to hear Ares making something in the kitchen.

Unless it was a robber who was looking for something worth-while to steal, in which case I would prefer the robber.

Dio, please let it be a robber.

I can handle a robber- -I think- -but I don't think I can handle my grumpy boyfriend who will probably leave again soon, scolding me for being irresponsible even though nothing technically bad happened.

And I took Blink to the twins!

He must have known that I was going to feel like shit in some way, because there was already ibuprofen and water on my nightstand when I woke up.

Taking that, fixing my hair and getting dressed gave me so much anxiety it was insane. I literally stayed freakishly silent the entire time, moving slow, and doing that somehow made it worse -which made me realize I was just making this up in my own mind.

Ares isn't scary to me.

He doesn't make me afraid.

I'm just scared of myself -scared of people leaving me, scared of being alone.

So I find myself doing something that I haven't done since I first moved in with Ares, I texted him before even attempting to step outside.

Me
I have the bravery of a chicken nugget
please don't ask me anything
10:23

3rd Planet From The Sun
I realized that Ev 
but it's 10 in the fucking morning
and I'm making chocolate pancakes
get the hell out here
10:27

Well...no robbers would make me pancakes.

Especially chocolate pancakes when they're repulsed by chocolate in every form and like waffles more than pancakes anyway.

Opening the door, I keep my head down even when I'm handed a plate and sit down but the silence is quickly broken when Ares sighs. "What happened last night Ev?"

"What's been happening all week, Mars?" I question in reply, looking at his jaw instead of his eyes. "You've been gone and when you're not gone you've been snappy. I feel like you're only being nice to me right now because I have a hangover. It feels...it feels like it did when you hated me, and I hate that feeling."

"Just because you hate a feeling doesn't mean you should try to drink the feelings away."

Did I say that last night?

Shit, what did I say last night?

"I got drunk, so what? You're going through someone and even if it has nothing to do with me, I'm still your girlfriend. You can't just ghost me. What's wrong enough that you don't want to be around me again? Did I do something wrong-"

"No! No," Ares reaches across the table to grab my hand. A sick part of me, that constantly feels like I'm doing something wrong, wants to pull away. "You've done nothing wrong, it's all on me."

"Then tell me!" I know I shouldn't shout but I can't help it. "You can't push me away like this, you just can't. If this is really just about you then you shouldn't let it affect us. I can help you, let me help you."

"You can't help me!" He shouts in reply, throwing his hands in the air.

For once, I don't finch.

"It's my dad, okay?" Ares falls back into his chair, defeated. "My selfish, stupid, prick of a dad wants to be in my life suddenly and I have no idea why but it's fucking annoying and he makes me so mad. So mad, Ev. I lose control half the time I see him and I didn't want to act like that around you. If the fact he raised Santiago doesn't tell you what you need to know about him, I don't know what will."

His dad?

We've never really talked about his dad before -we haven't really needed to.

I know he's not a good guy -I know he's homophobic and left his family. He's not a good father and he's definitely not a good husband.

This was surprising, yes.

But nothing could prepare me for what the giant said next.

"I think he knows what kind of money you have and where it would go-" To Ares. "-because that's the only thing that would make sense. He's a banker, a dirty one that hides all kinds of stolen money, drug money, on off-shore accounts. For a good payout, he'd do anything. That's why...I thought if he thought we weren't together anymore, if I couldn't come home, he wouldn't do anything."

He pauses and I can't help but to gasp at the tears in his beautiful hazel eyes.

"But I was wrong."

"W-what do you mean you're wrong?" Asking this, I abandon my plate of foot and round the table to hug him. "What's really going on?"

"I think he wants your money." He finally admits. "And I'm scared what he's going to do to get it."

"He -what?"

This is not where I expected this conversation to go.

"I don't know how but he had Santiago investigate both of us when he was over and the idiot actually found something. I don't know if you're in danger or need to take extra precaution legally but I know something is about to happen. It's my fault, Everly, it's my fault." His large hands gently hold onto the sides of my neck as he pecks my cheek. "And I don't think I could live with myself if something did happen to you."

Don't cry, Everly, you're fine.

"It's not your fault, it would never be your fault. We're just trying to be happy, we will be happy." The determination in my tone surprises me. "And your father, he can't take that from us unless we let him."

I look him in the eyes a brief moment before leaning in to kiss him.

"Stop letting him control you." My lips press into his again, causing his hands slip down to my waist. "Let us be happy Mars."

"We can be happy." He confirms.

Nothing more is said as I climb over the sides of his chair to sit in his lap. Kissing him again, I wrap my arms around his neck to press into him.

I just want to be loved.

His hands press me closer to him, lips moving down my jaw to the base of my neck making me gasp out from shock -from pleasure.

And Ares seems to be doing good at that.

Now feverish, I trail my hands down his body until I can lift up his shirt, pulling it off his body.

Aries reaches up and pulls the sweatshirt from me, groaning softly into my mouth when he realizes the long sleeve still between me and him. His fingers twist into my hair as his other hand splays across my hips.

It's as if the missing week between us turned from hurt filled rage into lust.

I'll admit that when I slow my pace down but press into him harder, it's purely to mess with him.

And it's a decision I instantly regret. All due to the way he bites down on my lower lip as a punishment of sorts, making me gasp out into his mouth.

Feeling him smirk against me, I kiss him twice as hard until we both have to pull away for breath.

Not having any of it, Mars kisses down my skin until he reaches my collarbone. I squeak loudly, not expecting it at all, when he lifts me up to put me down on the table.

Thumbs dig into my hips, spreading my legs apart. Slowly, as if to tease me, he tugs my shorts down.

"You had your first meal," He says cockily, hazel eyes moving along my frame until he meets my eye. "Let me have mine."

Flushing bright red, I nod.

It's about time.