Bitter Sweet

Ares stared at his sister and lover as he entered the room. The two didn't even seem to notice him at first they were so engrossed in each other. Eris had obviously suffered a power boost. She was all but glowing and almost bouncing off the walls, her stomach had doubled in size and her clothes were straining over the bump. It took a second for Ares to realise exactly why his sister wasn't trying to ease off the excess energy, why she hadn't changed her clothes and why she held Joxers head in her lap. Then he looked at his lover.

In an instant he was at his side holding the clenched fists as Joxer tried to keep himself still. Ares felt panic rising within him and he called for his mother, Apollo and Acelepious at once.

Joxers face was bone white and he had his eyes clenched shut. He was obviously trying to block out the pain he was feeling from the energy backlashes. Ares had assumed his new godhood would protect him from them, even Bliss, the youngest of the Gods had no trouble. He'd assumed trouble would come if and when a god and goddess of Joxers Godhood ceased to exist. His lovers body showed him how wrong he'd been.

Joxer was sweating though as Ares touched him all he could feel was coldness. He glanced up at his twin and was struck by her look of fear and worry; he'd only ever seen that fear once, when Strife could not be found in Tartarus to be brought back.

As Joxers twitches changed into full blown shakes and body contortions, Ares screamed again trying to hold his lover down. Neither he nor Eris could comfort Joxer as his body started to shake of its own accord.

**

Agony. Joxer was in pure agony. From the bottom of his shoes to the top of his head the pain had struck. At first he'd thrown off the momentary twinges but they'd grown stronger after Eris's power burst. As the Goddess had tried to hold her pain and transfer the energy with her lovers' help, so had he. He'd pushed the feeling aside and concentrated on helping the exhausted Goddess. He couldn't transfer energy or work with Acelepious but he'd held her firmly, despite the pure death look he'd received until her shaking had subsided.

Despite her hard exterior his baby's future aunt didn't seem too bad, although she had threatened to hurt him severely once the baby was born if he told anyone she'd screamed. Still Joxer could understand her a little better especially when he felt the sheer Tartarus she'd gone through. The first proper pain had started after Acelepious left saying `Aphrodite needed him'.

That's when he stopped hiding them and started trying not to scream himself. He couldn't feel anything except a deep furious burning from within him, his body moved on it own accord as if he'd sat on one of Zeus's many thunderbolts. He barely realised the arms holding him were Ares's, he couldn't hear his lovers' words, or those of the others surrounding him. He tried to scream the pain burning to the backs of his eyes but all that escaped his throat was a harsh choking sound. He tried desperately to do something, anything to remove the power and protect the baby. His fear grew as his body started to feel numb and weightless and as he tried to scream the name of the man he loved, he felt a slight pulsating within him before, for a second time in his lifetime, the world faded to a bright turquoise.

*******

Ares stared blankly at the empty spot in his arms, feeling the loss of the weight within them. It took a second for what had happened to register and he screamed out his anger and pain, punching the floor with all his might. He gripped at the marble tiles digging his fingers in deeply, causing blood to drip onto the floor as he clawed.

He clawed at the floor as if Joxer and his child had slipped into it and could simply be dug up. He threw off his mothers soothing embrace to grip his sister tightly, something he hadn't done in well over three centuries. As the baby within her kicked in protest at his grip it truly hit him, what he had lost. The man he'd slowly been falling in love with despite knowing Joxer could never truly loved him back, that he would bore of a lover and his child once the novelty wore off and he realised what eternity truly meant, when he realised mortal problems were behind him. And the child he'd tried to ignore believing that it would only drive them apart or worse still, make it care for it and then be taken away.

He couldn't listen to the babbling around him, the hands trying to pull him around and talk to him. All he cared for, all he knew he wanted and needed was lost to him, and he wanted it back. In the instant peak of his rage Ares vowed to spend the rest of his godly life searching for Joxer and his child, in that instant he felt the strongest flush run through him and a sharp pull before he too disappeared in a flash of turquoise light, leaving an extremely hysterical goddess, her equally hysterically mother and two very worried Gods behind.

*****

Joxer didn't want to open his eyes. He was afraid the dream would end and the pain would come back in full force. He didn't want to consider whether he was dead or alive. He felt free, almost to the point of floating. He felt the arm encircle him and he leant back into it, nuzzling in and pulling it around his abdomen so they could share the first flutterings of the child within him, he couldn't make sense of the murmuring around him. He could honestly admit that the only feeling that came lose to the euphoria he felt was post sex snuggling with Ares.

He leaned back into the touch, and then his brain kicked in causing him to still. "I thought I'd lost you, both of you." The voice repeated, a strange catch to it. Joxer didn't have to listen to know whom the voice belonged to. He'd sensed it as he floated; he opened eyes slowly, blinking as the blue light faded and stared up at Ares, God of War. Who looked like he'd been to Tartarus and back. His fingers were bloody, his face stark white, he even had suspiciously shiny eyes though Joxer didn't focus on it.

Joxer tried with difficulty to lever himself up, his body felt vibrant but his balance was slightly off. He felt Ares pull him into his embrace and felt momentary confusion and worry, which soon dissipated as Ares rested his hand on the slightly more distended belly of Joxer. Joxer felt the strange movements within him as the baby nuzzled against her fathers' hand. They didn't need any words; Joxer could almost feel them coming from his lover as they shared the closeness. "It's a girl Ares, we're having a daughter." He murmured leaning back against him. Questions could wait. He didn't want to know what had happened or how Ares had saved them; he just wanted to enjoy the moment.

"I know." Joxer turned his head slightly at the answer looking extremely perplexed. "She linked to me, the same way Strifes child linked to Cupid. She linked us together; she trusts me." Ares murmured holding Joxer closer to him "I guess she trusts who her father trusts." He said simply looking at Joxer.

Joxer felt a flush run through him but he couldn't stop the words as they came out "She loves who her father loves." He corrected and then blushed deeply, almost miserably "Whether it's a good idea or not." He expected Ares to pull away but he felt his lover turning him around. Their faces only centimetres apart Ares answered "I guess then she loves who both her parents love." He murmured kissing Joxer softly.

Joxer didn't bother responding with words, despite his slight reluctance to believe his mind was too busy doing a happy dance while his body responded by wanting to get horizontal?. Or vertical?or anything which involved him and Ares. He kissed Ares back with enthusiasm almost knocking the god backwards.

Ares caught Joxer firmly about the waist making sure his stomach didn't smash into anything and smiled "We should get back before all of Olympus descends down here." He looked around, "Not that I'm sure where here is."

Joxer grinned puppy like as he scrambled up leaving the bemused god sitting on the ground. He stared around at the lush forest scene. Something about it was nagging familiar at him. Ignoring Ares for a moment Joxer moved up to a fallen log watching the line of ants marching beneath it. An ache entered his body starting from his heart and moving downwards as he closed his eyes realising why the place felt and appeared familiar. He thought about the next place he felt safe and opened his eyes, the walls of the temple laughed almost mockingly back at him and he swallowed hard trying not to show his pain as he turned to Ares.

"I've been here before, we're in the halls of imagination. They show you the safest places and your deepest desires." he said steadily looking Ares up and down.