Visiting Relatives I: Aunt Hecate

Title: Visiting Relatives I: Aunt Hecate
Author: Scribe
Summary: Impetua has spent the night with a relative, and her dads dread the results.
Rating: Fan rated teenagers
Pairings: Cupid/Strife
Characters: Cupid, Strife, Impetua
Betas: None
Author's Notes: Impetua is about sixteen in this story. That makes Cupid about twenty-one or two, Accord about seventeen, and Polytimos about fifteen.
Disclaimer: I did not create, and do not own the rights to, the recognizablemedia characters that appear in this story. I have no legal or bindingagreement with the creators, or owners. I do not seek, and would not accept,profit from this fiction. I have nothing but affection and respect for thecreators, and the actors and actresses who portrayed these characters. This story is in no way meant to reflect on the actual lives or life styles of the actors and actresses who portrayed the characters.

Visiting Relatives: Aunt Hecate
By Scribe

Cupid was nibbling around Strife's bellybutton. He was nibbling AROUND it because the resulting tickle was causing Strife to giggle so hard that Cupid had a moving target. Cupid intended to shortly move his efforts South, because what was down there was a lot easier to target--and even more fun. But before he did that he paused and glanced up his husband's pale torso. "Where are they again?"

Strife rolled his eyes. "Same place as evah. Geez, Cupe, if ya don't know by now... I mean, you bein a passion god an' all..." Cupid nipped him sharply. Strife yelped. "Awright! Bliss is visitin at Unc's, an' Imp is still ovah at Hecate's. Ya know that when Bliss an' Accord get tagetha we're good till supper, an' Imp ain't s'posed ta be back till tomorrah."

"I love and miss them, but--great." Cupid swooped. Strife whooped.

Impetua, Goddess of Jealousy and Envy, bounced (and the girl COULD bounce--her grandma was Aphrodite, so she came by the attributes and the attitude naturally) into her fathers' bedroom. Her gown was dark green, and filmy enough to please 'Dite, even if it wasn't pink. The color brought out the green tints in the wild crop of deep brown curls (her hair reached her waist when it was wet, but was so curly that it drifted around her shoulders when it was dry). It turned her eyes almost exactly the same shade as the fabric. Her eyes were like her father Cupid's--changeable--but she tended to stay in the green and gold range.

"Yo, Pops? Dad? Anybody t'home?" she called. There was an immediate scrambling and swearing from the large bed on the far side of the room. She giggled at the sheet covered pile in the middle of it. "It's yer own fault. You should know by now t' at least leave up a 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign if yer gonna have an afternoon playtime."

The sheet lowered enough for Strife to pop his head over. "Like ya pay any attention tah them."

"Sure I do." She continued over and plopped down on the edge of the bed. "I read 'em all before I go right ahead." She stuck out her tongue at him.

He grinned, and did the same. "I'm proud of ya."

Cupid, right beside Strife (and a little irritated, because he'd been right ON TOP of him a few seconds earlier), lowered his side of the sheet. "She's never going to learn any manners if you keep encouraging her."

Impetua tipped her head toward him and said fondly. "He never gives up, does he?"

"Be grateful for his stubbornness, kiddo," said Strife. "It's a big parta yer own personality, an' if he WASN'T a stubborn cuss, ya might nevah have got here. I thought ya were gonna be with yer Aunt Hecate anothah day?"

She scratched under her arm (a charming habit Aphrodite accused Strife of deliberately teaching her. Strife expressed surprise that Dite took offense--he'd resisted teaching her to pull her underwear out of her crack. Of course he didn't mention that this was helped by the fact that Impetua only wore underwear when she felt like 'dressing up'.) "I was, but Priss gave me a hard time."

Cupid frowned. "How did that cut your visit short?" Priss, a small black-and-mostly-white cat, had been Ares and Joxer's first natal day gift to Impetua. In the normal course Priss would now be to the toothless and tottering stage, if not passed on to Kitty Elysia (or Kitty Tartarus, as Cupid had predicted when Priss had amused herself by demolishing a large stock of his fletching arrows). That was the normal course. However, this was Olympus, and normal was a relative concept. When she was just past two Impetua had proudly informed her daddies that kitties did SO like fruit, 'cause Priss had helped her eat a golden apple. Gaia had warned the household that all ambrosia was to be strictly guarded from then on. The last thing they needed was a divine cat. Scribe, Goddess of Erotica and Cats, informed them that cats already THOUGHT they were gods, so why give them a solid debating position?

"She wanted to visit her boyfriend, natch." Just after Imp had been scolded for giving golden apple to Priss, she asked what the fuss was all about? Mjau hadn't been hurt by the bit she'd given HIM. Joxer didn't bother to act disapproving when he heard this. Ares muttered something about it wasn't just the people Caesar nailed to crosses who were martyrs. There were rumors about a certain incident involving Ares squatting to retrieve a towel when he was fresh out of the bath, not realizing that Mjau was in the room... and bored... Do the math.

Cupid sat bolt upright. "Did Hecate--?"

"Chill, Dad. Auntie Heck gave Priss her quarterly no kittens charm. Geez, when are you going to let her get knocked up again? It was so much fun the last time."

Cupid snorted. "She may be a feline, but she's a bitch when she's pregnant. Besides, you know what Gaia said about that."

Impetua nodded wistfully. Since the tom involved was Mjau, and both parents were immortal--so were the kittens. Gaia had explained it to Imp as simply as possible. "Dear, they won't ever die, and if they have babies together, the babies won't die. And if THEIR babies have babies together, THEY won't die. Do you understand?"

Imp had been four at the time. She nodded, and threw her arms wide. "Kitties ALL OVER!"

Strife chimed in. "We could quit worryin about the Twilight, cause we'd... Well, we'd probably get eaten at some point."

"So, dear, this time can be allowed. Priss only had two kittens, and both were boys. As long as they don't have babies with Priss, all kittens will be mortal cats."

Imp thought about this, then frowned. "But Priss their mama."

Strife was giggling. Gaia said simply, "You'll learn eventually that in some ways, cats and Olympians aren't that different. Family relations, for instance."

"Anyway..." Impetua frowned, then shifted so that her back was partially turned to them. "I got a wild feather. One of you fix it for me?"

Strife knelt up (not forgetting to flash on a pair of pants first--this was his daughter, after all, and he wasn't QUITE catlike in that area). "You got more'n one, baby girl. I'll fix it."

Cupid watched with a feeling of warm affection. Preening Impetua and Bliss was one of the greatest joys of their childhood years. There'd been hours of warm, thoughtful interaction as Strife or Cupid had groomed their children. But when they reached the teenage years these together times had almost disappeared with the surge of adolescent independence. Bliss usually turned to Accord these days, but Impetua, thank Zeus, still felt the need to be a 'daddy's girl' occasionally.

Strife carefully straightened and smoothed all ruffled feathers, occasionally wetting his fingers to repair a split. While Cupid and Bliss had wings of snowy white, Imp's were silvery-gray, with a green tinge. Cupid had teased her most of her life that she was lucky because she could go longer without looking like she needed a bath. Depending on her mood that wouling ing a smug giggle, or cost him a few feathers. "Awright, hon--yer good." He gave her a hug before sitting back. "Did ya have a good time at Heck's? Didn't drink or eat anythin but what you made yerself, huh?"

"Duh, Pops. I'm not a dumb bunny." She giggled. "Not like Aether last month. He ended up with the longest ears I ever saw. I had a cool time." She tipped her head, grinning at them. "She took me t' visit Janus."

There was apprehensive silence. Strife put a hand on Cupid's arm. "Don't panic--her nipples aren't pierced."

"I noticed. And Imp, I've asked you to wear a top when you go out in public," said Cupid.

Imp shrugged. "Oops." There was a shimmer, and she was wearing a halter top--the only kind that was really possible with her wings. "I can understand for when I go to visit Earth, Dad," she complained, "but up here..."

"You're still underage, and there are people around here who don't NEED any encouragement to get ideas," he said firmly. "When you move into your own place--then you can dress as you see fit."

"Great!"

"As long as you don't mind killing your poor old father."

She rolled her eyes. "Great."


"And to get back to the subject--as you well know, there are OTHER places for piercings."

"I didn't get a piercing, though I think a little silver ball on my eyebrow would be..."

"What DID you do?"

She blinked at him innocently. "What makes you think I did anything?"

"I know you." He glanced at Strife. "I know who bore you."

Strife giggled. "So, if it ain't a piercin, it's a tattoo. An' it obviously ain't on her boobs. She's sittin too easy fah it to be on her ass. Spill, kid. Where an' what?"

Impetua hopped up, placed her left foot on the mattress, and daintily lifted her long skirt. Cupid didn't squawk, but he suddenly was BEHIND Strife. "Imp, I've asked you to keep Hiss away from the bed!"

"Dad?" Imp pointed to her throat. Hiss was in his necklace form, dangling there like any other respectable piece of jewelry, jaws clamped around his own tail, garnet eyes glittering.

"But..." Cupid leaned over and looked closer. There was still a slender, bright green snake spiraling around his daughter's lower left leg. The tip of the tail was half-way up her calf, and the head rested on her foot top. "Imp! What possessed you?"

Strife shrugged. "If she was with Heck--no tellin. But it ain't like tha lil poot needed encouragement. Just be happy she din't end up lookin like wunna those Nippon ganstahs--tha Yahoozahs, or whatevah."

Cupid sighed. "I guess you're right." His voice was a little reluctant. "And it IS kind of pretty."

Imp pounced on him, giving him a big hug. "Who'ere the two coolest guys around? My two dads!"

Strife looked at Cupid. "I have a feelin I'm gonna use that some day. Imp, go show that to ya brothah. He's at Unc's, with Accord."

She grinned. "Natch." She disappeared in a shower of silver and green sparks.

"Now..." Strife slanted a look at Cupid. "Where were we?"

"About here." *pounce*

The previously interrupted frolic reached a sweaty and satisfying conclusion. Afterwards, when he'd regained his breath, Cupid said, "Natch?"

"Pahdon?"

"When I mentioned that Bliss was with Accord, Impetua said 'natch'--almost like she did when she mentioned that Priss wanted to visit her boyfriend."

Strife rested his chin on Cupid's chest and gazed up at him. "Ya find that odd?"

"Not at all. I've known for quite a while now that there's potential between them. I just didn't think Imp would have noticed."

"Ya weren't there when Bliss saw wunna tha mermen tryin ta coax Accord inta lettin him comb out his hair. Imp did loop-tha-loops ta burn off tha energy jolt she got."

"Oh." He glanced at Strife. "It doesn't bother you?"

"Heck no! I love both tha lil boogers. If anythin comes of it, I couldn't be happier." He gave Cupid a sly look. "Oughta be interestin ta see Unc's reaction. Like we said about feline-ish family relations, we're flexible on Olympus. But Ares' son gettin tagetha with his grandson?"

"But I'm Accord's half-brother, so wouldn't that make Bliss justord'ord's half-nephew?"

"We don't gotta worry 'bout that--certainly not right now. I don't think all tha nuances of formal family relationships have been hashed out. That'd be, uh, Hera's department, I think." He chortled. "I gotta get her ta let me help lay out tha rules." He settled into Cupid's arms, saying dreamily, "Just thinka tha mischief possibilities--wedding guest lists, table seating at holidays..."

"More instances for you and Imp to work together."

"Take yer daughtah ta work..."

The End