Page 16 of Midnight Pleasure

Apollo shifted again, his arm brushing against Ares’s, a slight gesture but one that spoke volumes. It was as if he was silently asking Ares to hold the line, to not let Rafael get under his skin. And Ares wasn’t about to disappoint.

Rafael’s lips curled into a thin smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. “Well, Apollo,” he said, his voice dripping with false warmth, “It looks like you’ve found yourself some… interesting company.”

A surge of protectiveness raised in Ares chest. The urge to step forward, to stand between Apollo and Rafael, was almost overwhelming. But instead, he kept his composure, his tone light but laced with a cutting edge.

“Interesting doesn’t quite cover it,” Ares said, his smile widening. “But I’m sure you have plenty of other things to keep you occupied, Rafael. The wilderness can be a dangerous place if you’re not paying attention.”

Rafael’s eyes narrowed, clearly not missing the undertone in Ares’s words. But after a beat, he simply shrugged, as if conceding the moment. “You’re right,” he said, turning his attention back to Apollo. “I’ll leave you to it, then. But remember, Apollo, some things… you never really escape.”

With that, Rafael turned on his heel and walked out, leaving a heavy silence in his wake. Ares could feel the tension still thrumming between him and Apollo, the remnants of Rafael’s presence lingering like a rotten taste in the air. He turned to Apollo, their eyes meeting, and in that gaze, Ares saw the conflict, the unresolved past that still haunted him.

“Well,” Ares said, trying to lighten the mood, “He’s charming. I can see why you two…didn’t work out.” The sarcasm in his voice was clear, but so was the concern that lingered beneath it.

A knot formed in his stomach, tightening with every passing moment. His heart pounded in his chest, the rhythm echoing in his ears. The air in the room seemed to grow denser, as if the weight of his emotions was physically tangible.

His eyes briefly darted towards Apollo, but he immediately shifted his gaze, unable to endure the overwhelming emotion radiating from him. Jealousy and doubt swirled within him, a tempestuous storm threatening to consume his thoughts. It mingled with the confusion that clouded his mind, leaving him feeling trapped in a web of conflicting emotions.

“Who was that?” Ares blurted out, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them.

Apollo turned to face him with an expression that Ares couldn’t read. “An old friend—nothing more.”.

“Nothing more?” Ares echoed with a slight rise in his voice. “Seemed a lot more than that. I’m not that fucking innocent.”

Apollo felt his eyes narrow as the frustration flashed across his face. “What do you want me to say, Ares? That there was something between us? Fine. There was. But that was a long time ago.”

Ares swallowed thickly; the admission hit him harder than he had expected. The thought of Rafael and Apollo together, closer than he and Apollo had ever been—the wave of jealousy that crashed over him at that moment was blinding. He knew it was irrational; he couldn’t help it. Thinking of someone else claiming Apollo—the thought made his blood boil.

“And now?” Ares demanded, his voice sharper than he intended. “What about now?”

Apollo took a step closer; his eyes seemed afire. “He’s just someone I used to know. Nothing more.” The words were firm, but there was a tension in Apollo’s voice that Ares couldn’t ignore.

Each passing second pulled the tension tighter until it was almost too painful to bear. His heart pounded relentlessly, the thudding beat echoing in his ears like a war drum. The room was heavy, the air thick with unspoken tension, as if his emotions had taken on a weight all their own.

He stole a glance at Apollo, but the magnitude of what he felt—the uncertainty, the raw need—made him look away just as quickly. The sight of Rafael still lingered in the back of his mind, fueling a jealousy that churned within him, dark and volatile. It mixed with the turmoil that clouded his thoughts, leaving him feeling ambushed in a storm of conflicting emotions he couldn’t seem to control.

Ares’s voice came out harsher than he intended, lashing out before he could stop himself. “What was that all about, Apollo?” The words were sharp, a defense mechanism against the fear of what he couldn’t quite name. “Do you just let him walk all over you like that?”

Apollo didn’t flinch, his eyes steady as they met Ares’s. There was a calmness there, a quiet strength that only made Ares’s frustration flare hotter. “It’s not what you think,” Apollo said, his tone gentle, soothing, trying to ease the tension, trying to pull Ares back to the connection they’d shared before Rafael’s interruption.

But Ares wasn’t ready to let it go, the uncertainty gnawing at him. “Not what I think? Then tell me, Apollo. What am I supposed to think?” His chest tightened with the words, the vulnerability in them too raw, too close to the surface.

Apollo took a step closer, his voice softening. “Ares, look at me.” The plea in his voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but it cut through the noise in Ares’s head. “It’s just you and me here now. Don’t let him ruin that.”

For a moment, the tension between them wavered, a crack in the storm that threatened to tear Ares apart. He wanted to believe Apollo, wanted to reach out and grasp the comfort in his words, but the doubt still lingered, dark and consuming. Ares clenched his fists, resisting the urge to retreat, to push Apollo away before he could get hurt.

But the warmth in Apollo’s gaze, the sincerity in his voice, was like a lifeline, pulling him back from the edge. “Don’t let him ruin what we are starting here, Ares,” Apollo repeated, his tone insistent but tender, a reminder of the fragile connection they’d built.

The conflict in Ares’s chest surged, jealousy, fear, need, all crashing together until it became too much. Before he could stop himself, he reached out, grabbing Apollo’s shirt and pulling him close. The tension that had been choking him found its release as he crushed his lips against Apollo’s in a frantic, desperate kiss. It wasn’t gentle, wasn’t careful; it was raw and urgent, an explosion of everything he’d been holding back.

Apollo froze for a heartbeat, surprised, but then he melted into the kiss, his hands sliding up to cradle Ares’s face. The tenderness in Apollo’s touch contrasted sharply with the force of Ares’s kiss, grounding him even as the storm inside him raged. Ares couldn’t help the way his body trembled, the way his breath hitched as he poured every ounce of confusion, frustration, and longing into that kiss, unable to hold anything back.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathing hard, foreheads resting against each other. Ares’s grip on Apollo’s shirt loosened, but he didn’t let go, couldn’t let go. “I don’t want him to take this from us,” Ares whispered, his voice cracking with the intensity of everything he felt but couldn’t fully express.

Apollo’s thumb brushed along Ares’s jaw, his voice a steady reassurance. “He won’t,” Apollo promised, his eyes holding Ares’s with a conviction that cut through the doubt. “Not as long as we don’t let him.”

Without another word, Ares spun on his heel and bolted from the room—his footsteps echoing down the empty hallway, fleeing a storm of emotions he couldn’t control.

No matter how hard he scrubbed, he couldn’t wash away the tempest raging within. The memory of that kiss was upon him, played in front of his eyes with colorful detail. Truth would not deny itself, and it would not depart either. He wanted more—a feeling as apparent as it was overwhelming.

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