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[b][center][color=#2AA6A6]ᴜ[/color] [color=359B9B]ɴ[/color][color=418F8F] ᴄ[/color] [color=4C8484]ᴏ[/color] [color=577979]ɴ[/color] [color=626E6E]ᴅ[/color] [color=6E6262]ɪ[/color] [color=6E6262]ᴛ[/color] [color=795757]ɪ[/color] [color=844C4C]ᴏ[/color] [color=8F4141]ɴ[/color] [color=9B3535]ᴀ[/color] [color=A62A2A]ʟ[/color][/center][/b]
[/h1][/sup][/color][indent][sub][COLOR=gray][I] 𝓒𝓪𝓷𝓵𝓲𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓾𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓽 11:40 AM[/I][/COLOR][/sub][/indent][indent][sup][right][COLOR=gray][b]te amo[/b][/color][/right][/sup][/indent][hr]
[sup][right] interactions:  [@gothelk] x [@icy hot] collab mentions:[@fledermaus][@smarty0114][/right][/sup]




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Between Vulcan’s arrival and their untimely exit, Mars had made a terrible mistake. Perhaps it lay somewhere in the many glasses of wine he’d offered to someone standing in the midst of a volcano. Time not being on his side, Mars forwent the self-flagellation for finding the woman caught in Janus’ well placed eruption. 

A hand through his hair, Mars felt the brisk cool of October sweep over him. He didn’t feel it pertinent to question of Venus’ whereabouts, just kinda let his feet take him. She couldn’t have gotten far when Mars fell just behind Jupiter’s steps. Pride cracked in his chest knowing his own responsibility in her actions, however small they may have been. It hurt to know what Janus had done and Mars hadn’t raised a finger in retaliation or defense for a woman who had captured his heart in years past. She still had it, albeit in a different way, today, which Mars prided himself in. He kept those he trusted with something so precious dangerously close to his chest.

Mars clenched his fist, feeling the wave of a breeze brush through his hair. The chill of Seattle burned him far hotter than the Italian summer heat. It coursed through his bones to remind him of the ache of loss, one that connected him to Venus far more than his other siblings. The bitter failure of caring for a friend sliced harder at the reminder.

Venus had only made it as far as her bottle of wine took her. When it’s contents were drained, her motivation to stumble over her own two feet quickly dissipated into a cloud of frustration and sadness that hung over her. The bottle slipped from her careless fingers, shattering upon impact with the concrete below her and drew an exasperated groan from the drunk goddess.

[color=2aa6a6] “Littering is bad Venus... Pan will hate you if you ruin anything else, and the fan club is getting slim.”[/color] Venus’ volume was louder than it should have been for someone talking to themselves, but given the location and scarcity of cars passing by, she’d be spared from stares and whispers. Not that she’d care about them anyways.

With her focus on the small and large glass pieces, she crouched down, balancing herself on her expensive heels and leaning her chest into her bent knees. With the sun peeking through the clouds, the fragments of glass glittered, [color=2aa6a6] “Just like the sea views from home…”[/color] Her heart pangs for the loss of her home, her thoughts were drifting again as she picks up the pieces of the mess she created,[sub][color=2aa6a6] “why am I always making these messes of myself.”[/color][/sub] Her voice has gotten small, her hands trembling as she stacks pieces her open palm, there is a wetness on her cheeks she has convinced herself is rain, despite her shoulders being dry.

Seattle noise fell out, replaced only by the crinkling of glass and the crunch of shoes to the concrete. Mars stood in the light glare of the sun above Venus, complexion rigid and the taught line of his lips faltering. The numbness Venus subjected herself to all those years allowed the pain, the emotions, all of it to simmer in its own icy pressure cooker until it exploded. Mars witnessed it all fall apart before him as Venus crouched to pick up those pieces alone.

Mars bent to her level to rest a hand on her shoulder. [color=#A62A2A]”Would you like help with that?”[/color] he asked. Pushing someone on the edge didn’t appeal to Mars and, knowing Venus, he was rather certain she’d more appreciate having a choice in the matter or not. [color=#A62A2A]”Let’s get you something to eat. Something less haughty, hm?”[/color] Mars said, soft as the breeze while a finger lifted her chin. With a handkerchief retrieved from his inner jacket pocket, Mars dabbed away at the tears on her cheek.

[color=#A62A2A]”Funny, didn’t think there was rain in our forecast today,”[/color] Mars joked, giving Venus a sad smile, [color=#A62A2A]”Well, can’t be helped. What is Seattle without its  rain, after all.”[/color]

Venus blinked slowly; she wasn’t surprised to see him standing in front of her, illuminated by the sun behind him, he looked like the angels loved by Hollywood. But the Roman in her heart knew his godly name was worth more than that, the Father of Rome had always been her rock when they were lovers and even now as friends. However, her current state of mind did not have the capacity to follow down the path of optimism. Instead, she questioned herself. For all Mars had done for her in their long existence, what had she done for him out of her heart’s goodness or even as repayment? 

The thought made her jerk back from his gentle affection, she wanted to thank him and yet her words were thrown out as hasty barriers to protect her heart, [color=2aa6a6] “I-I… I don’t need help, I’m almost done.”[/color] Her brown eyes returned to the ground as she picked up the last of what she could. When she stood she didn’t meet his eyes, delivering a quick, [color=2aa6a6] “I’ll meet you at your car,”[/color] before seeking out an appropriate place to dispose of the broken shards in her hands.

All Mars provided was a nod as he stood. For a moment, he watched Venus stroll away, staring after her with a pinch in his brow. What could he provide her now in their fragile states? Would he be doing this for the sake of their friendship and their past, or did Janus again tug the strings in his favor?

Mars clenched his fist. It didn’t matter what Janus did or wanted. That was something to worry about later. It wouldn’t do Venus any good for Mars to mull over the implications of their own circumstances and the consequences of such manipulations. So, Mars carried himself to his vehicle, folded his arms over his broad chest and leaned against the dark maroon of his car.

Lucky for them, the food at Canlis remained cold, and Mars’ stomach empty and grumbling. He could use a fucking burger right now, and he supposed Venus would prefer to stuff her face with something just as gross and greasy as he wanted. To shed away sensibility and decorum for good ass food and the sound of life cascading around them.

The view of the scenery just past the parking lot makes her return to his side easier. The weight of the world she placed on herself melts away as she times her breaths with the trees’ sway and the caress of the breeze on the surface of the lake. The warmth spreading to her fingertips is an indication of her still [i]very[/i] inebriated state, but as her feet carry her forward she feels truth wiggling between the binds of sadness that grip her heart. There’s a brief pause in her steps as she awkwardly bends over to release her feet from her heels but once they’re gathered in her hand she’s running towards the man waiting for her. Patient and stoic like he’d always been.

Venus drops her shoes when she’s close enough to wrap her arms around his waist, ignoring the arms he has crossed over his chest. The thoughts from before don’t plague her as the truth echoes in her mind, encouraging her to lean into his warmth and rely on his strength. Love was unconditional and immeasurable; it was not about huge moments of sacrifice but the consistency of showing up when no one else did. In that sense Mars was infallible, and treating him like he’d ever been the cause for her broken heart wasn’t fair or honest, [color=2aa6a6] “I’m sorry-”[/color] Venus’ voice was muffled but the sincerity of her tone not lost in the fabric of his suit coat. The smell of crisp citrus and blazed Cyprus eased the remaining tension from her chest, her arms squeezing around him a little tighter as if he’d fly away in the moment.

 Surprise overtook Mars, feeling the sudden warmth envelope his lower torso. A wave of nostalgia crept into him, seeping into his bones in remembrance at their heightened glory. Yet that came awash in the tide of a better time, full of smiles over coffee that swept the numbness away. Love graced even the gods in a number of ways and the one shared between them they’d wrought in the stardust that burned into the very fabric of this star, stalwart beneath their feet.

The imprint of her against his suit jacket creased his forehead and tugged his lips into a frown. [color=#A62A2A]”No apology needed,”[/color] Mars stated. He leaned down to press his lips against her head and wrapped her tight in his arms. The words from his throat fell soft, like the hum of summer air through the trees. [color=#A62A2A]”Your words may have bit deeper than I expected, but that doesn’t mean they don’t carry truth to them,”[/color] Mars said, [color=#A62A2A]”I lament the apathy I’ve carried for Rome, for it needs and desires the fire and compassion that burns in your chest. The ashes of our hearts serve no purpose to an empire, and none to those we care for especially. I’ll have my cake and eat it too. Jupiter can shove his up his ass.”[/color]

Mars added, after a pause, [color=#A62A2A]”Janus, too, as a matter of fact.”[/color]

Venus giggled at his choice words for their brothers, nuzzling her face in his chest for a moment before gently pushing her palms against him, the warmth of his comfort reflected in the pools of honey that met his gaze. A soft smile pulled up at the corners of her mouth, there was a lingering sadness she still needed to deal with, but she undeniably felt better. [color=2aa6a6] “In vino veritas, and my truth happens to be-’[/color] the aggressive rumble of her empty stomach interrupts her words, and her cheeks gain a tint of pink as she chuckles at herself, [color=2aa6a6] “that I need something Joseph would never put on the menu.”[/color]

Stepping away from the safety of his arms, she feels lighter and appreciation for Mars brightens her smile. Venus scoops her heels up and walks around to the passenger side of the maroon car, leaning forward a moment to gaze at his handsome face. [color=2aa6a6] “thank you, and te amo.”[/color] The gentle words float in the passing breeze as Venus situates herself in the plush leather seat, her thoughts already moving on to deciding what size shake was appropriate for the amount of sad she had conquered.

Only Venus, among a few, could force Mars to chip away at the stone that held his face together. Presentation mattered to the man, but in good company that concern fell away. To which Mars gladly bared teeth in a smirk as he spun on his heels to open the door. [color=#A62A2A]”Tonight is a wonderful night to clog our arteries,”[/color] Mars said.

The engine roared to life with the burn of Mars chest. To be reminded of what Rome stood upon, the pillars set there by two stalwart souls, gave Mars what he needed to earn the heart he so carelessly tossed aside.

The question arose that night, even through milkshakes and burgers: what did Rome need?

[right][color=#A62A2A][sup]...what did he need?[/sup][/color][/right]

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