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Liam fell into a light nap. His wide back rested against the tree trunk, legs straight out but bent slightly, and arms crossed over the fall and heave of his chest where his chin was slightly touching. To an acute mind, or even an empathic Demigod, it was riddled with emotions in direct contradiction with one another. It neednāt be said what those emotions were, as they were all those conflicting feelings that came with the territory of being a dominant Ares child trying to sort out what to do with the submissive Sloane. It almost felt like pitting fire against a piece of paper - he knew that he would find some stupid way to burn her by what he said, did, probably even thought or imagined. Nothing about him could ever be harmless to anyone. It was completely his fault because he, alone, made his choices and his life. Blaming them on Ares was easy, but the truth was that everyone had the freedom to overcome that. Itās easier to say the apple doesnāt fall far from the tree than make the hard decisions.
He stirred only at the sound of footsteps coming his way, and popped open a single eye to catch the glimpse of Wes coming to view in his peripheral. As the Aphrodite child sat, Liamās eye closed again. Awake, but not looking at him. Maybe it was shame. Defeat. It was certainly something along those lines. The man wasnāt always the most empathic of the lot, but any guy could tell when he fucked up when it comes to women. There was just something innate about it. Maybe it was a sixth sense - the impending feeling of doom that comes with knowing that she would hold it in her mind forever.
ā"You know... She is grateful for what you did,"ā Wes informed him, and Liam wasnāt sure that heās supposed to feel good about that. At first, he thought that was true. It probably was - is - but he let it all go to his head. Heās still a man, and deep down inside, heās ingrained with a sense of protection over what was weaker in this world. Even animals do that. To him, love him or hate him, thatās how he felt about Sloane. She was weak, but he had only ever thought about physical strength. He had never considered her mental strength, and thatās where he messed up. He really didnāt understand that concept fully anyway - mental strength. Only physical strength has ever mattered to him. While Liam wouldnāt respond to Wesā comment, the more empathic man would likely note the emotions that came with acknowledging, yet also being aware that he really, really couldnāt understand the concept of āgratefulā. It was his duty. As a man. That might sound sexist and crazy, but that was Liamās truth. No one had to tell him to do it, and no one had not thank him for it. He just did it because he is programmed that way.
After a few moments of silences, and Wes likely trying to sift through the emotions being thrown at him, Wes went on to explain, "I think she's scared. Before it was just her. I'd imagine you get numb to that kind of life after a while. But now... She has someone she cares about. That raises the stakes. Now it's bigger than her and she can't control it anymore. I think for the first time she feels helpless, and is terrified that something will happen to you. Since she's been at camp you are the only person I've seen her confide in and trust. And maybe it's hard for you to see. But I felt it, under all that anger she had. Maybe for a moment, you should imagine it's possible she worries about you just as much as you worry about her."
Sloane scared for him? Now, he knows that this wasnāt a laughing matter, but the notion that he had anything to fear from Sylas was funny. In this brief second, Wes might feel the light weight of laughter in the air, even if Liam was only slightly smirking at that particular comment. Everything that slipped past Wesā lips defied understanding because, in Liamās world, there was him and there were the weaklings. Of course, now there is also Trinity, but thatās another conversation for another time. For now, there is still him, and he is physically imposing, unconquerable, and no one has ever scared him. In fact, Liam can be so frightening that he scares himself, and that is the only reason he stays away from others. Maybe this is arrogance and a bit of a knee-slapper for others to fathom, but Liam genuinely believed this. It wasnāt absurd to him. He wasnāt just a talker. He knows himself inside and out.
But that was just it, wasnāt it? He only knows himself. To comprehend another personās actions or thoughts was something he could not do. His view is akin to a horse with blinders, or like a young child that has yet to develop Theory of Mind. He believes people see what he sees or think how he thinks, and thatās that.
The silence persisted for a long, long time, and Wes might have almost given up on having any sort of conversation with the son of Ares. But Liam soon confessed the root of all of his problems in life, āI just donāt understand what itās like to not be like me. I donāt get people that let things happen to them. Those things never mattered to me because I just let the world eat the weak as itās supposed to do.ā He opened his eyes to look at Wes, āThen thereās Sloane, and sheās different to me. I donāt knowā¦ why sheās different. I do, but I donāt - you know what I mean.ā Then he held out his hands, both palms facing him and close together as if just staring at them as though they only brought discord, āBut I donāt know what to do for her without making her feel indebted to me, angry, or whatever. I certainly donāt need her to be scared for me. Iām a big boy, I can handle myself.ā His arms crossed back over his chest. No, heās not even going to acknowledge that Sloane shoved him multiple times. Okay? That just hurts his pride.
āI guess you could say weāre one in the same. Our tiny worlds just opened up to something bigger. Whoādāa known?ā He kind of laughed at the realization. It would probably be the first and last smart thing heād say today.
He stirred only at the sound of footsteps coming his way, and popped open a single eye to catch the glimpse of Wes coming to view in his peripheral. As the Aphrodite child sat, Liamās eye closed again. Awake, but not looking at him. Maybe it was shame. Defeat. It was certainly something along those lines. The man wasnāt always the most empathic of the lot, but any guy could tell when he fucked up when it comes to women. There was just something innate about it. Maybe it was a sixth sense - the impending feeling of doom that comes with knowing that she would hold it in her mind forever.
ā"You know... She is grateful for what you did,"ā Wes informed him, and Liam wasnāt sure that heās supposed to feel good about that. At first, he thought that was true. It probably was - is - but he let it all go to his head. Heās still a man, and deep down inside, heās ingrained with a sense of protection over what was weaker in this world. Even animals do that. To him, love him or hate him, thatās how he felt about Sloane. She was weak, but he had only ever thought about physical strength. He had never considered her mental strength, and thatās where he messed up. He really didnāt understand that concept fully anyway - mental strength. Only physical strength has ever mattered to him. While Liam wouldnāt respond to Wesā comment, the more empathic man would likely note the emotions that came with acknowledging, yet also being aware that he really, really couldnāt understand the concept of āgratefulā. It was his duty. As a man. That might sound sexist and crazy, but that was Liamās truth. No one had to tell him to do it, and no one had not thank him for it. He just did it because he is programmed that way.
After a few moments of silences, and Wes likely trying to sift through the emotions being thrown at him, Wes went on to explain, "I think she's scared. Before it was just her. I'd imagine you get numb to that kind of life after a while. But now... She has someone she cares about. That raises the stakes. Now it's bigger than her and she can't control it anymore. I think for the first time she feels helpless, and is terrified that something will happen to you. Since she's been at camp you are the only person I've seen her confide in and trust. And maybe it's hard for you to see. But I felt it, under all that anger she had. Maybe for a moment, you should imagine it's possible she worries about you just as much as you worry about her."
Sloane scared for him? Now, he knows that this wasnāt a laughing matter, but the notion that he had anything to fear from Sylas was funny. In this brief second, Wes might feel the light weight of laughter in the air, even if Liam was only slightly smirking at that particular comment. Everything that slipped past Wesā lips defied understanding because, in Liamās world, there was him and there were the weaklings. Of course, now there is also Trinity, but thatās another conversation for another time. For now, there is still him, and he is physically imposing, unconquerable, and no one has ever scared him. In fact, Liam can be so frightening that he scares himself, and that is the only reason he stays away from others. Maybe this is arrogance and a bit of a knee-slapper for others to fathom, but Liam genuinely believed this. It wasnāt absurd to him. He wasnāt just a talker. He knows himself inside and out.
But that was just it, wasnāt it? He only knows himself. To comprehend another personās actions or thoughts was something he could not do. His view is akin to a horse with blinders, or like a young child that has yet to develop Theory of Mind. He believes people see what he sees or think how he thinks, and thatās that.
The silence persisted for a long, long time, and Wes might have almost given up on having any sort of conversation with the son of Ares. But Liam soon confessed the root of all of his problems in life, āI just donāt understand what itās like to not be like me. I donāt get people that let things happen to them. Those things never mattered to me because I just let the world eat the weak as itās supposed to do.ā He opened his eyes to look at Wes, āThen thereās Sloane, and sheās different to me. I donāt knowā¦ why sheās different. I do, but I donāt - you know what I mean.ā Then he held out his hands, both palms facing him and close together as if just staring at them as though they only brought discord, āBut I donāt know what to do for her without making her feel indebted to me, angry, or whatever. I certainly donāt need her to be scared for me. Iām a big boy, I can handle myself.ā His arms crossed back over his chest. No, heās not even going to acknowledge that Sloane shoved him multiple times. Okay? That just hurts his pride.
āI guess you could say weāre one in the same. Our tiny worlds just opened up to something bigger. Whoādāa known?ā He kind of laughed at the realization. It would probably be the first and last smart thing heād say today.