Beauty and His Beast [MxM] (UNEDITED)

Fortis POV

For some reason, I always thought death would be a cold lonely and dark place. At least that's what it sounded like in all those scripts I was made to read over and over. Never in a million years would I have ever thought that death would feel so..

Warm.

It felt like a kind of warmth that had wrapped itself around me. Blanketing me and warming me to my very core. The feeling so incredibly indescribable, that all I could so was lay there and hope that I never left this warmth.

I wondered where I had gone after I died. The place being something that I had never read about. I wondered briefly if was a different realm of some sort, or whether it was some version of the place people called 'Paradise ', for it seemed oddly peaceful. Almost too peaceful.

There seemed to be no aspect of time where I was, nor had there been sunsets and sunrises for me to count the days. If anything, the entire realm was just filled with this calm, serene light that spread throughout this place filling it with tranquility and warmth.

I had wandered around briefly in the beginning, trying to figure out where I was, only to end up walking in circles and coming back to the place I stared at. Eventually I gave up and just laid in one spot since .

I hadn't felt hunger, fatigued, the need to sleep. Nothing. I hadn't even felt lonely at all, given that I was the only one here. All I felt was warmth.

Warmth that covered my body, seeping into my bones and warming my very core.

Occasionally I would hear voices around me for a few seconds before they were gone again. None of which I could hear long enough to distinguish who it belonged to, and yet, I felt a tugging sensation pulling me towards those voices.

I laid on my back, just like any other usual day, looking up at the bright light above me, my fingers moving in a circular motion against a spot in my chest that had begun to throb a bit, the reason unknown to me as I stared up.

That occasional humming sound around me that seemed to be quite louder today and usual. So much so, I could actually make out that it was a lullaby sung by the most beautiful voice I had ever heard before. I closed my eyes and listened to the sound, feeling it begin to dull the throbbing in my chest.

I turned my gaze when I noticed that brightness seemed to be a bit bright in a particular spot near my left. I narrowed my eyes and got up from my laying position, walking towards it in hopes of finding out what it was that was shinning so bright.

I stopped at what looked like a door, frowning as I had never seen it before. The knob of the door, shining so bright, it looked like a it was lamp. I placed my hand on the knob, turning it slightly as I pushed the door open, greeted by so much of bright white light, that I had to close my eyes when it felt like the light was burning my eyes.

I blinked a few times after opening them again. Frowning when I noticed a ceiling engraved with ancient pictures, instead of the usual bright light I always saw, more over, the feeling of a warm hand touching my own felt so incredibly shocking, especially since the hand felt so..

Small..

I turned my head slowly and gasped slightly when I noticed a small head of thick black hair who seemed to be looking at something in a book. His hand in mine as he whispered what he was reading. He snapped his head in my direction when he heard me gasp, his tiny eyes widening probably at seeing me awake. I widened my own eyes when they locked with his tiny bright green ones that glowed.

"Wow! Hey! Your eyes are like mine! No one has eyes like mine. Daddy says it's because I'm special, does that mean you're special too?" He asked with his eyes so wide.

He continued to mumble on , most of which I hadn't heard as I watched him with awe. He was so tiny and energetic, unlike any child I had ever seen before. His eyes darted to everything as he spoke to me, his hands flying about in different motions indicating to what he was talking about.

"Oh yes, my name is Eros. What's yours?" He asked as he hopped on to the bed beside me, a wide smile spreading across his face, revealing tiny white tusks.

"Um, Fortis. My name is Fortis." I answered as I watched him smile at me, his tiny hand moving toward my face where pushed back a few strands of my hair that had fallen down over my forehead.

"You have really nice hair. I've been coming to sing to you, my flowers say they feel better when I sing to them, but Daddy says I shouldn't disturb you. I'm not disturbing you am I?" He asked as titled his little head to the side.

I shook my head, feeling my chest swell with emotions as my eyes teared up. Looking at his little face that looked so much like mine. His tiny hands on my own that held so much warmth as he touched my chest.

"You're so beautiful." I whispered as I touched his cheek, seeing him smile shyly at me.

"I've been practicing." He said with a wide grin on his face as though he was so proud of himself.

"Is that so? And how has that been?" I asked as I moved to sit up, wincing slightly at the pain in my chest.

He hopped off the bed and helped me to sit up, shoving a pillow behind my head as he dragged a chair near the bed and climbed on it. He sat at the edge of the bed, his legs dangling off as he smiled at me.

"Well I'm not as good as Daddy, but I can take some of it away." He replied to which I titled my head, not understanding what he meant when he placed his palm against that throb in my chest.

I looked down, and watched as bright glow emanated from his palm, warmth filling me as that pain slowly eased into nothing at all.

"Like that. Daddy doesn't know yet. I'm sure he'd tell me to stop if he did." He said as he pouted causing me to smile as I pinched his cheek.

"Have you been doing that quite a lot?" I asked as I rubbed the spot on my chest.

"Every night! I've been using you as my practice tool" he said with wide smile on his face causing me to laugh at him.

So that was the warmth I was feeling..

"Well you've been doing I great job" I replied as I ruffled his hair, my head turning in the direction of the door when I heard it open.

"Oops" he uttered softly as he too turned and saw Ares standing there, not at all pleased.

"Eros, I told you let him rest." Ares said as he walked toward the bed and sat down on the chair.

"Yes, but he said he felt great. Right?" He asked as he looked at me with a hopeful expression.

"More than great. Not a wink of pain." I replied and winked at him seeing him grin as he looked back at Ares.

"See!" He said as he pointed at me, causing Ares to shake his head and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Eros, go and eat your breakfast. And for the love of nature can you please not terrorize anyone on your way?" Ares asked as he picked Eros up and placed him on the ground, ushering him out.

"Can I come back when I'm done?" He asked as he turned to face Ares.

"Yes sure. Now go" Ares replied with a sigh.

"I'll be back soon!" He said to me with a wave before he dashed out of the room, banging the door closed behind him.

The room filled with silence as Ares turned to look at me. Dark circles circling his eyes. His pale complexion even paler as he sat down on the chair and placed his hand on my forehead.

"How do you feel?" He asked as he moved my hair out of my face.

"Like I've been laying here for centuries." I replied with a laugh only to stop when I noticed his grim expression.

"Fortis, you've been laying here for six months." He said, causing me to fall quiet.

"What happened?" I asked as I looked around the room, noticing that I was not in my castle, but rather a place I had never seen before.

"When Kronar stabbed you, he pierced the dagger through your heart." He answered, causing my eyes to widen at that.

"Then I shouldn't be.. dead?" I whispered watching him look at me with expression as though he had stared death in the face.

"You were. Fortis you died right in front me. In my arms." He whispered back, a dark shadow dawning his face as he took my hand in his.

"I had no idea what to do. In that moment it felt like my entire world had fallen apart, and I.... I don't know how I did it.. I.. couldn't think.. I-" he began to mumble on as he looked down, his fingers shaking as he recalled something that terrified him.

"Ares, what did you do?" I asked as I placed my hand beneath his chin, making him look at me as tears rolled down his face.

"I brought you back from the dead. I brought you back to life" he answered, my eyes widening as I looked at tear filled ones.

Was that his God powers?

"After that you screamed. Such an agony filled scream. Telling me to let you die. I didn't know what to do. It was like my mind and heart knew all their own, and then you fell down asleep. I would come here everyday telling you how sorry I was hurting you like that. I just.. I just couldn't lose you. I'm so sorry." He said as the tears rolled down his face.

I pulled him towards my chest, feeling his tears soak my bandages as he cried against me, mumbling his words of apologies.

"Ares shhh. Don't cry. I'm not angry." I whispered, watching him look at me, his eyes searching my own for indications of falsehood.

"If anything, you've given me another chance at life. To right the mistakes I've made. You've given me the chance to meet and see the beautiful creation we made. Our son" I whispered as I held the side of his face, watching as a slow smile spread across his face.

"He's really something isn't he?" He asked as tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and sniffed as he wiped his nose with his sleeve.

"He really is. Truly" I replied, both our heads turning to the door when we heard a knock, a few seconds later. The door opening to reveal none other than..

Aven..