I eventually persuaded Ares to hurry up, but he insisted on sweeping me into his arms and carrying me for a while.
It was a ridiculous gesture, but I slung my arms around his neck and rested my head against his chest because I could tell he wanted to be close to me and the sound of his heartbeat against my cheek was comforting and I didn’t feel so ridiculous when there was nobody else around.
It made me giggle and I felt rather childish, but he looked down at me and smiled, and I clung to him and played at being helpless because he clearly found the game amusing himself.
He shifted me slightly so that he could lean down a little and kiss me.
I squirmed, and he set me down again at last on a patch of tall grass near a cluster of trees.
He looked rather serious, and I worried that I ma
