Bitter Sweet

Ares stared at him so blankly that Joxer was inclined to shake the figment of his imagination. He sighed feeling a deep ache swelling up inside him, it was all he could do to hold figment-Ares gaze, the disappointment was almost unbearable. The sad reason that it was slightly bearable was that Joxer had never truly believed in his wildest dreams, that Ares would come to love him. Obviously he'd hoped and imagined, but never believed his dreams would turn true. Joxer believed deep down he wasn't a great catch or any kind of catch really given his past romances but he thought the War God could at least become fond of him and want to keep him around.

He bit his lip, knowing Ares did care for him didn't change the fact he would never fall in love with him, he could never become that fond of him or their child. Figment-Ares was still looking extremely confused.

Joxer sighed "This place?" he hesitated "It knows what you want, what you want more then anything- even if you don't truly know it yourself. I never believed Ares could love me, so the halls created something of him for me I suppose." He frowned slightly trying to put the pieces together "This is where I came once before when something tried to attack us." He explained carefully "The baby must be linked to this place because my Godhood has nothing to do with it really."

Figment Ares seemed to be varying for confused to thoughtful, back to confused again. He reached out to touch Joxer but the man backed away. "Umm sorry don't mean to offend but it's a little too hard when you look like him." Joxer explained "Can't you pick another desire of mine and turn into that." He rubbed his stomach slightly "Like maybe a bathroom?"

Ares could see the hurt in Joxers eyes as he moved to touch him and he drew back as Joxer did. At first he couldn't keep up with what Joxer was saying, then he'd been a little annoyed, then deeply amused, and then very happy. He knew who he was whether Joxer believed it or not, all he had to do was convince him. He guessed flashing them back to Olympus would work but something seemed to be blocking him. He felt a small swell of relief and smugness within him. Joxer obviously was really in love with him if he believed Ares was his dream come true.

Then a nasty thought struck him as he thought about what his lover had said, and he looked around him. If he was indeed in the halls of imagination then who was to say he was the figment. What if his need and grief had driven them to seek him out and create this fantasy world with his lover and child in it, to placate the deep rage he had felt.

Ares didn't like where his imagination was leading him. Maybe you're the figment Joxer," he spoke quietly "Maybe they made you to try to satisfy my anger." He looked into Joxers eyes "Maybe you're a figment of my imagination." He murmured as the unwilling reality started to step in.

Joxer looked dumbfounded, it was one thing for his imagination to make believe a loving Ares but it was another to make it paranoid. He wasn't sure what his twisted mind was coming up with- it was laughingly warped.

Both Gods sensed the arrival of another as they held each other's gaze. Both knew the god to not be a figment of the halls because they could sense him enter it, but it was another to actually see him enter in a swirl of red.

Hephaestus stared at both gods as he appeared. The relief he felt radiated off him and he started forward to tell them of it, he only paused when he noticed the tension between the two. Both Joxer and Ares's confusion and stubbornness were apparent as the two gods faced each in an apparently tense standoff. Hephaestus raised an eyebrow looking from one to the other "Something tells me this isn't the happy reunion I thought it would be," he murmured "Well I'm glad you're both alright."

Joxer looked confused "Something's?I'm confused." He looked at Ares. So he didn't believe that Ares loved him and this was like a dream come true. If he thought about it was possible that the halls had made him an Ares who did love him, but a paranoid Ares? Joxer didn't believe that, he'd never thought nor imagined that Ares would have any doubt, any real worries. He was a God and Gods never showed that kind of weakness. He paused in his thought, except he was a God and he showed it. He was a lot younger then Ares, that was true and he didn't know the Gods, the real Gods that well. He's based his imaginings on hearsay and gossip, and he knew that to often be wrong. He'd got Cupid and Strife wrong, he'd never imagined them to be a couple and yet they were a good couple at that. So maybe Ares did feel doubt, maybe he had wanted Joxer and the baby as much as Joxer wanted him. Maybe it wasn't love but it was close enough.

He smiled, if he'd not thought of this till now then the Ares across from him, the Ares who'd cared for him back was standing across from him, looking decidedly suspicious. He smiled and looked at Hephaestus. "This place had me a little confused, it's hard to tell what's real and what's what you want." He stepped closer to Ares "Who's real, and who you want." He corrected.

Hephaestus sighed "Without a God to control it the halls have a mind of there own hence why." he broke off and looked at Ares who still looked suspicious, as comprehension dawned on him he smiled. He knew Ares too well, a simple `this is Joxer' wouldn't do, he had to have proof. He thought for a moment, flashing Joxer away wouldn't work, Ares would just become convinced he was living his fantasy and wallow in self-pity within the halls. He knew of one method but it was risky. Carefully he weighed up the chances. If things went horribly wrong he could flash Joxer away before he was hurt, but knowing his brother he doubted things would go wrong. Ares was War, and part of that meant he was good at weighing things up and making decisions. Hephaestus took a chance and stepped closer to his brother gesturing to Joxer to come forward.

"I know you're unsure Ares, so if you really believe this isn't Joxer then get rid of him." He smiled at both of their startled expressions "Think about it, you can't hurt an illusion can you?" he said innocently, stepping back so Joxer stood directly in front of Ares.

Joxer had a moment of mental panic at the thought of being `gotton rid of' but he quashed it and focussed firmly on his love. Now he knew that things were real and he could be hurt his fear told him to leave The rest of him screamed at him to stay and take a chance, he looked into his lovers eyes "Its your choice." He murmured.

Ares looked into Joxers eyes feeling a multitude of emotions, part of him wanted to rip apart the fake Joxer and scream rage at the loss of his lover and unborn child the part of him that believed Joxer would never love him or endanger his child. As he formed the fireball, the other part of him began working overtime, screaming at him that his lover would never run from him like this, that it wasn't who Joxer was. His lover didn't have the co-ordination or build of a warrior, but he had a warriors heart, and would never run away from a direct confrontation; *unless severely pissed off* he amended mentally. He couldn't take the chance, he wanted what was before him, he needed his lover and child and he refused to believe that he was so cursed, not to experience what was before him.

Slowly Ares dissipated the fireball, he felt rather then heard the collective sighs around him from Hephaestus and Joxer, and even the halls themselves seemed to join them. In a swift move he pulled Joxer too him and kissed him, he deepened the kiss as Joxer responded.

Hephaestus sighed and thought up a chair to rest himself on. He was extremely relieved that's things hadn't gone wrong. He heard his wife's mental summons and smiled, the boost she had received had been immense enough to carry her to the last trimester and she was feeling more then a little in need of releasing her pent up energy. He grinned at the two in front of him, obviously she wasn't the only one. He coughed as the two began trying to have sex with their clothes on, much as he wouldn't have minded watching it, it was a private moment and Aphrodite needed him. He smirked as the two turned to him, Ares in annoyance, Joxer bright red with embarrassment and flashed back to his naked-and-waiting wife.

Joxer blushed deeper and looked around him "Bedroom?" he asked hopefully, there was a lot they needed to say and speak about but it wasn't the time, all he wanted now was Ares and from the feel of things, it was mutual. He blushed deeper at his husbands' smirk as they flashed back to their temple, Ares thoughtfully removing their clothes on the way.

The halls grew silent and slowly changed back to their natural state as the soon to be Goddess of imagination left with her daddies.