Daughter of Death

40. Sly skeleton

Chapter Summary:
Atlas and Ares take a break, Blue is determined to spend a day with you - Stretch begrudgingly tags along.
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Ares' silence lasted for a long time. Staring at the floor with a distant look with his hand idly scratching his eye. Tugging at it and scratched hard, harder. Atlas didn't look all too good either. His expression was low and devoid of his usual cheeriness. A sense of dread settled on your chest, making the room spin and food threatening to rise once again.

Instead of letting yourself spiral, you quickly grounded yourself and sat straight. Clearing your throat to gain their attention but both Ares and Atlas continued to stare off into distance. Frowning softly, you got up. Making a lot of unnecessary movement to rattle them out of their daze, physically touching them would only end badly and with your current state, you couldn't afford that. Even if you knew they wouldn't dare to lay a hand on you.

Sighing softly when Atlas blinked rapidly, looking around the living room as if he forgot where he was. Little blobs of orange tears glistening over his small sockets as he hugged himself, taking large gulps of air. Without a word, you climbed to his side, pulling the abnormally large skeleton into a side hug.

Turning to Ares, you froze instantly at the bright red eyelight staring dead at you with a look of hidden rage buzzing in his eyelight. Despite this, you knew that it wasn't directed at you or Atlas. Whatever Ares was feeling, you encouraged him too. Mortal emotions were weird like that. Bottled up would only hurt others and himself if he kept it in. It so seemed that he had, hence the constant dissociation. The thought saddened you.

As a immortal, you didn't need to worry about what they worry on a constant level. Your schedule consists of work, heal, work, fight, work, and so on. Now? It felt strange to admit it, but now you had a reason to your dull routine.

These skeletons were your boys. And you'd be hades-damned if you let anything happen to them.

Pushing away the rising anger, you opened your arm to Ares. "I know it isn't much, but it might help."

Human emotions were weird. You never experienced this level of hurt. Anger. Sadness. For what? You hadn't known these two but they sure came a long way anyone has ever. The loneliness you didn't know you had was almost nonexistent with them around.

Ares stared at your outstretched hand for a long while. His brow bones furrowed deeply in thought. After another moment, he slowly moved himself to your side, not taking your hand but simply leaning into your comforts.

You didn't question, letting the two dwell for a moment.

It took nearly an hour before Ares started talking again.

Ares' POV

CRACK! CRAAACK!

A mechanical whirl pulled away from his face. Taking a magical eye and parts of his skull. Too numb to actually feel the pain as Ares laid motionlessly on the floor. The hotland labs' ceiling spinning while he laid perfectly still. The sharp pain over his skull was a sickening comfort he never wanted. The conversation was blurred and muffled as he tried to stop the room from spinning. His thoughts running towards Atlas in a nanosecond. What was happening to him? He couldn't move. He felt like laying underneath the underground rivers. Muffled and distant.

A bright light flickered on overhead. The same old machinery whirling back to life with clanks and pops, each over head light flickered on one by one.

For a second, Ares assumed he died. Died and went back to simpler, happier times. Where food wasn't scarce and power wasn't limited. Where everything made sense.