For Lin. Happy Birthday my dear!

Prompts: (pairing) Aphrodite/Hephaestus

"You would not believe me if I told you." "Try me." "Do I have to?"

(word) brother (word) ridiculous

(object) knife (emotion) fear

Words: 525

Hephaestus wiped the sweat from his face and looked at the sky again. He was sure that his wife was with his brother again. But honestly, what did he expect? He she didn't love him and she probably will never will. He wasn't ...her type.

Hephaestus knew that he shouldn't have married her. It was silly for him to even hope….Ridiculous. Simply ridiculous. But he hadn't wanted to let her go. He hadn't wanted to see her marry someone else. He didn't want to think of her being another man or god's eyes. And yet, despite of everything, she was his brother's. Everyone knew that. Everyone. Immortal or not, they treated her like she was his wife and Ares, like he was her husband.

Few tears fell from his eyes, but he wiped them furiously. It was no point in crying now. It was not worth it any longer. He couldn't pretend any longer that every escapade of his wife was not a knife in his heart. He couldn't pretend that it didn't hurt or that he didn't wish for it to stop.

That's why he had taken the decision to free her of this...marriage and also free himself. He wasn't like the others. He hadn't….he never….he had been faithful to her. And will probably take more to free his heart, but freeing his mind was a good first step, wasn't it?

At least, that's what he hoped so. And when he heard her through their shared house, one she hadn't been in months, he turned and called her name.

"Aphrodite! Aphrodite!"

"What is it now? I'm in a hurry, deary!"

"I won't retain you"he said.

Soon enough she appeared in his face, looking with disgust at the dirt on his clothes.

Hephaestus open his mouth and then closed it again. This was it.

"Well?" she asked, looking at him with those beautiful eyes….

"You're free to go. I'm tired of this."

She stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"What do you mean?"

Hephaestus took a deep breath.

"I mean...you can no longer be my wife. You're free. You don't have to come here any longer. You can go stay with my brother. Or wherever you want. You can take if there's anything to take from here anytime you wish, I will be away for quite some time so I won't stay in your way."

He looks at her and he can see she's shocked; she hadn't expected it. But honestly, he hadn't expected it either. He had never thought that he would ever have the courage to break things with her.

"You...you," she started, her eyes wide,"you're breaking up with me?"she asked, her tone incredulous.

He nodded, feeling his heart ache even more. He had to leave. At first he hadn't meant to say he would leave, but Hephaestus realised that he needed to leave. He couldn't stay and watch the aftermath, even if he will have to deal with it later.

"I am. I believe it's long overdue. I wish you a happy life, Aphrodite."he said before leaving and letting her alone with her thoughts.