Men like Mars are of the belief that everything is owed to them. Although, this statement in itself may be a lie, as it would be an extremely difficult task to find anyone quite like the man who sits in front of CIAN MAHER on this sleepless night. This is no compliment. Nor are the following:
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Stylish clothing, intentionally tousled hair, a perfect smile that could have belonged in a toothpaste commercial…
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”Ouch. I think I can almost hear my heart breaking,” he jokes flawlessly, his words coated in an accent that is subtle yet noticeably not Hoennian – it’s as if they have been dipped in honey, or made out of soft velvet. His gaze finds that of the other man, and a glass of wine is slowly swirled in his hand. A well-practiced motion that comes with a fondness for such a beverage.
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”Though maybe I just thought it would be nice to go out of my way for you.” A smirk. ’Thought’ is true, as he probably wouldn’t mind putting in the effort if there’s ever the need, but it’s also true that for a man like him, gaining access to places like this restaurant is no feat. But, of course, Cian doesn’t need to know this. There’s no benefit in it.

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+ CIAN MAHER

They could have been honest with each other, but that’s not how any of this works. Not when Mars himself had stopped caring about speaking the truth all too long ago.
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‘It's been a while since I've been on a date.’
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Cian’s good.
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Maybe they’re both actually two sides of the same gilded coin.
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”Really?… Then I must be lucky, huh?” He laughs lightly because it’s soppy and a cliché, yet he holds Cian’s gaze, his words seeming like the truth all the same – perhaps because, in a way, Mars does feel lucky to be at this place.
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Not because he thinks Cian is out of his league, of course, nor because dates like this are a rare occurrence for him. But, once again, there’s no need to mention any of this.
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”You’re right though… it is nice. I’m glad you agreed to coming here with me tonight.” For a man who doesn’t care about speaking the truth, this is also not a lie.


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+ CIAN MAHER

Things like these are easy to navigate. There’s a familiarity to it, a comfort; the rich taste of a reserve wine being as welcomed as the compliments and the smiles are. In situations like this one, Mars always thrives.
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’There's nowhere else I'd rather be.’
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Now who’s the one with the sweet clichés here?
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Hearing this, he smiles, because fake as Cian might think his words to be, Mars knows he’s right. After all, Cian is actually the lucky one.
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”Oh yeah? And what exactly do you want to know, Cian?” A brow is raised with this small challenge, but he smirks playfully, for it’s not as if they both don’t already know what the goal actually is with all of this. In a way, it’s almost as if they have already agreed to it. Though, the question remains: by the end of the night, who will come out on top here?



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+ CIAN MAHER

‘I want to know something no one else does.’
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‘A secret that'll be kept between us.’
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How many secrets does Mars have? How many things has he kept from Cian? How many times has he lied, twisting the truth until creating new realities that had never really existed in his life? Too many. There’s so much Cian doesn’t know about him.
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Mars could tell him though. He could talk about his life, about his family, about the horrible things he has done…
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But, why would he want to push him away like that? On a night like this? When he's enjoying his company as much as he is?
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Ignorance is bliss, and so, Mars laughs. He leans in, eyes of gold amber watching Cian, and perfectly matching his tone, he whispers back: “Mm… Why do I have a feeling telling you something like how I hate Beedrill and used to be afraid of them as a kid just won’t do? Never told anyone that one, mind you. It's like my one true weakness.” He smirks.



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+ CIAN MAHER

Mars is not one to easily trust people. How could he be, when those who are supposed to be closest to him are the ones who have hurt him the most? The only person he can truly trust in this world is himself, and he has learned that the hard way.
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But Mars’ distrust is not Cian’s fault, and he doesn’t deserve to be pushed away for asking a question any normal person would ask in this sort of situation...
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Fun secrets though? He doesn’t have those. His secrets are not the kind one could laugh and joke about during a date. It makes all this difficult. It makes it serious.
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Still, he complies and takes Cian’s hand, gently caressing the back of it with his thumb as he silently looks down at it for a second.
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“Ha. You’re so demanding. Hmm… How about this then…”
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Date as this is, out of all his secrets, the one Cian probably deserves to know about the most is the only one Mars often wishes he could speak of. The one he hates having to work so hard to keep hidden. And, also the one that can so easily change the way someone sees him.
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”I used to be married once.” He smiles faintly, but for once, this smile doesn’t completely hide the pain that lies within his eyes.


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+ CIAN MAHER

It’s only fair.
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Mars will do a lot for the people he likes. He will shower them with gifts and compliments, and share amazing moments that could be the envy of anyone. But, let them see everything that lies beneath all the sweet words and smiles? Make them privy to every small truth about Martín Marzán? There’s only one person for whom he has done this, and that person is long gone now...
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”I don’t blame you… I guess I was a really different person back then.”
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Inevitably, he thinks of her. Of her smile, of her laugh, of every single moment they spent together since they were children. Mars would have given up everything for her, and in truth, he almost did. That’s why she’s no longer here with him.
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”...She died.” These words are but a whisper, one said without looking at Cian. Yet he finds his gaze again, staring for a short moment. “I bet that’s not the kind of secret you were looking to hear, huh? Sorry about that.”
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How could it have been, when there’s no sign of it? There is no ring upon his finger. There isn’t even the marks left behind by years of wear. No, the marks Cosima has left behind in his life are invisible to the rest of the world, yet they haunt every single moment of Mars’ existence.

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+ CIAN MAHER

He didn’t ask for a trade off, but the words come all the same. Is it because he feels obligated to, or because he wants him to know these things about himself? Mars chooses not to dwell on this, and instead, this time he’s the one who listens quietly to what Cian has to say…
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Calm as he may be, the words are filled with pain, and they make Mars wonder about what Cian had been like all those years ago, before he lost so much of what he cherished. He wishes he could have seen it. He wishes there’s something he could say to take all those painful moments away.
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But, there’s nothing.
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Mars knows this. Just as he also knows that sometimes you don’t want that pain to go away.
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Just like him, Cian has likely heard it all too, so Mars doesn’t provide the usual empty words of comfort. Instead, he simply holds his hand, letting the weight of the words linger between them for a second.
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”...Thank you, Cian.” A gentle smile, one different from all the dashing and confident grins that Mars is so prone to giving to everyone. ’Thank you for sharing that with me,’ is what he means.
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”I bet she was an amazing person.”
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He wonders what his own mother was like, but this in itself is something that should be left to be spoken of some other time.
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”...I think we’re going to need more wine.”
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+ CIAN MAHER