Overheard Conversations, Part 13

for ratings and warnings please see Part 1

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Cupid stroked Strife’s face and sighed in relief. He couldn’t believe he had been *so* stupid. After all that he had learned about Strife’s past, (And didn’t it look like there was a *lot* more to learn) and it never occurred to him that Strife would still feel insecure about their love. Cupid resolved to be a lot more observant from now on.

He ran a hand over his husband’s thin-thin body. There was no way Strife was going to get this run down again if he could help it.

Jayce walked over to stand in front of Cupid and the sleeping Strife. He had just come from giving Joxer his baby present. Jayce smiled at Strife and then looked up and smiled at the glowering Cupid. He didn’t seem fazed at all that a very powerful and *very* pissed off god (Not to mention jealous husband.) was glaring at him.

“Chou are so lucky.”

That was the last thing Cupid expected to hear. “Yeah, I know.”

“I wich I were that lucky.” Jayce sighed dramatically. (As usual.) “Here, I have a present for chou too.” Jayce giggled and handed Cupid a small jar. “Acsually it is a present for both of chou.” With a wink, Jayce turned and walked away. After a few feet he looked back over his shoulder and gave Cupid a saucy grin. He sauntered away with a distinct wiggle in his walk.

Cupid blinked. “Maybe I can see what dad sees in Joxer,” Cupid muttered to himself. He glanced over at Joxer and saw him laughing with Ares. Okay, he could definitely see the attraction. Not that he thought Joxer was good looking or anything, although he was. That kind of thinking was dangerous and icky. It was like thinking Heph was good looking or something.

Oh boy. Now he was thinking about Heph and Jayce. Quick, think of something else. Cupid opened at the jar that Jayce had given him. He started to laugh and had to clamp his lips down tight so he wouldn’t wake up Strife.

It was a jar of honey.

Looking across the room he smiled at a grinning Jayce. Honey. Now he had some really good pictures in his head. Only this time they involved Strife and a paint brush.

Strife felt the movement of Cupid’s chest and stirred. He opened his eyes and sat up. Strife blinked confusedly and with a shaky hand he pushed the hair out of his eyes.

“What did I miss?”

“Nothing, we were waiting for you to wake up.” Joxer smiled at his tousled friend.

Strife was surprised and touched. “Ya didn’t hafta wait on me.”

Joxer frowned at Strife. “You’re my best friend, of course I wanted to wait for you.” Strife smiled and blinked away the tears that this sentiment caused. Gods he was turning into sappy twit.

Joxer turned around and acknowledged the gift Poseidon was giving the baby. It was a baby bed shaped like a sea shell; covered in pearls and lined with the softest blanket made from sea weed.

Cupid pulled Strife back against him, again supporting his bad side. Strife sighed happily. Cupid gave him a drink and then picked up the plate and offered it to his husband. “Here, you need to eat some more and try eating some of the vegetables this time.”

Strife grinned and picked up a carrot. He wasn’t really hungry, but if it would make Cupid happy he would try to eat more. Strife began nibbling at the vegetable; going as slow as godly possible. Maybe if he ate leisurely Cupid wouldn’t notice that he really wasn’t eating very much.

Athena came up and gave Joxer a book. (Big surprise.) “This book contains all the knowledge that a young person will need to understand intellectual problems. If the child asks the book a question it will answer it. Within reason, of course. The book will be able to discern how old the child is and if he or she asks a question that is inappropriate for their age the book will tell the child to defer to the two of you.”

Joxer blinked at the long-winded explanation. “Thank you, that sounds wonderful.” Athena nodded her head in reply.

Cupid was enjoying the relaxed mood when he felt Strife tense up. Cupid looked around the room, trying to see what had upset his husband. He couldn’t see anything or anyone that could be causing the problem. Then he realized that Strife was looking at himself in a mirror on the far wall. Cupid remembered Strife’s earlier words about being ugly.

“Baby, I love you so much. You are the hottest looking person I have ever seen. I can’t wait until you feel a little better and we can try out that jar of honey.”

Cupid was worried when instead of making Strife feel better, his words made him start crying. Joxer leaned over and gently patted Strife on the arm.

“Hormones,” he said quietly.

Strife laughed and seemed to feel better. That, in turn, made Cupid felt better. Of course, hormones. He had forgotten about them with everything else that was going on.

^^^^^^

“Strife!” Eve, Xena’s young daughter came running up. The little girl jumped up and down by Strife’s chair, her long black curls bouncing. “Hi Strife, can I feel the baby?” At Strife’s nod she put her hands on his tummy.

Xena smiled at her daughter’s antics. Eve and Strife had a close friendship and Xena could see more than a little of the imp in her daughter’s personality. It was funny, with her black hair, blue eyes and mischievous personality, she was more like you would expect a child of Strife’s to be than she was like the Warrior Princess.

“Here you go Joxer, just a little something for the baby.”

Xena gave Joxer a small, gaily wrapped present. Joxer unwrapped it and laughed happily. It was a small, leather wrapped chakram.

“It’s a teething ring.” Xena explained to the delighted Joxer. Xena looked at her father and was amazed to see him surreptitiously wiping a tear from his eye.

“Oh Xena, thank you. I love it.” Joxer impulsively gave his daughter-in-law a hug. “This is so sweet.” He placed the favorite gift a place of honor beside him on the chair.

Somebody, nobody knew who, had given them all a gift earlier. Gabrielle had *mysteriously* gotten laryngitis when she threatened, I mean offered, to read them all *another* story.

A musical laugh and a giggle caught their attention. Eve was showing Cupid and Strife how well she could juggle. She seemed to have inherited her mother’s dexterity and caught all of the thrown objects unerringly.

^^^^^^

“Joxie, here’s my gift.” Aphrodite held up a little, very little, dress for them to see. “I made it to look like my favorite outfit.” Aphrodite beamed at the two gods.

Ares scowled. “Dite…what if it’s a boy.”

“No prob Bro. The outfit will automatically change to match the baby’s sex.”

Ares didn’t look reassured. Joxer hastily thanked Aphrodite, biting the inside of his lip the whole time.

“What’s sa funny?” Strife looked at the dress Joxer was holding and shuddered.

Joxer reached over to one side and pulled up another dress. “Here’s Jayce’s present.”

Strife looked at the two outfits. “Thay’re tha same.”

“Yep.”

Strife began to giggle. The Goddess of Love and Joxer’s drag-queen brother had given the baby the exact same present. “Dite would have ah fit if she knew they was tha same.”

The two pregnant gods and their spouses all huddled together, laughing at the situation.

^^^^^^

Time passed and more people brought up their gifts.

Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt, gave the baby a miniature unicorn. It stood less than 2 feet high and had long curly hair.

“The hair will change color once the baby is born. It’s hair will then match the baby’s hair color.”

Gaia, the Goddess of the Earth, gave a flower that would never die to Joxer and a garden to the baby.

“The garden will have grass and blooming flowers all year long. This will be a pleasant place for the baby to play in and will keep your unicorn happy and fed.”

Hercules and Iolaus came up. Hercules and Ares were trying not to glare at each other. The bonding they had done a few weeks ago had helped their relationship, but they were never going to be buddy-buddy.

Iolaus smiled at Joxer and Ares and gave them his present. It was the cutest little pair of booties and a baby blanket made from rabbit fur. “I caught the rabbits and cured the fur myself. I made it nice and soft so it won’t irritate the baby.”

Joxer smiled and rubbed the soft blanket against his face. Ares was delighted with the tiny pair of shoes.

Hercules gave them a mobile to hang in the baby’s room. It was a hand-carved wooden moon with stars floating around it.

Joxer spun the mobile and was captivated by how delicate it looked. Ares smiled (Yes he smiled.) at his brother in appreciation.

^^^^^^

Jett slid up behind Joxer and handed him a package before slipping back into the crowd. His gift turned out to be a very beautiful jeweled dagger. It was covered with gold, emeralds and rubies.

Jett came up to Strife who was, for a change, by himself. Cupid had gone off to get a sampling from the desert table, hoping to tempt Strife to eat more.

“Hey.”

“Uh, hey.”

“I just wanted to thank you.”

“Fah what?” Strife was puzzled.

“I know how much you’ve helped Joxer over the years. I heard about that time when you saved him from those men. If it weren’t for you he would have been raped and probably killed.”

“Uh, that’s okay I…”

“So, I owe you one. A freebie. Any assassination. Of *anybody*. All you have to do is tell me their name.”

“That’s real nice Jett, but I’m a god, I can kill anybody I want ta.”

“I mean *anybody*. I’ve got the means. If I can find them and you want ‘em dead, they’re dead.”

Strife looked into Jett’s eyes and gulped. He obviously had hind’s blood and was willing to use it for *him*. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jett nodded once and disappeared back into the crowd.

^^^^^^

Joxer looked exhausted, after all the party had been going on for *4* hours. Strife, who had been tired to begin with, is so far beyond exhausted it wasn’t even funny.

Aphrodite and Jayce looked at their loved ones and their respective, worried spouses and stuck their heads together, whispering. (Yikes!) In ten minutes the party went from booming to where everyone but the main four gods and Athena were the only ones still there.

“Now, what to do with all this food?” Athena peered at the bounty that was left on the tables.

“Theah’s an orphanage in Athens that could use tha food.”

Athena smiled at Strife and snapped her fingers. The food immediately vanished. Strife smiled as he got a burst of energy, emanating from the good feelings coming from all of those happy children.

“Let me handle the clean up.” With that Athena again snapped her fingers and everything was clean and back in order. “Well that took a lot.” Athena laughed at her own joke and flashed out.

“I think you’ve been a good influence on her Strife.” Ares smiled at his young nephew.

“Thank you for the wonderful party.” Joxer smiled at Strife. He reached out and gave his good friend a hug. “Are you okay now?” he whispered. Ares and Cupid had moved to one side and were talking themselves.

“Yeah, I’m okay now. Sorry about earlier.”

Joxer just shook his head and gave Strife another hug. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

^^^^^^

“Do you have any idea what happened to Strife 40 years ago?”

“No, but I intend to find out.”

“Yeah, me too. Can I make a suggestion son?”

“Sure.”

“Let’s not ask him for a while yet. He’s been through enough strain for right now.”

“I agree Dad, but soon.”

“Oh yeah…soon.”

^^^^^^

Ares walked over to his *very* pregnant husband and picked him up. Joxer giggled as Ares carried him to their bedroom. Over Ares’ shoulder, Joxer waved goodbye to Cupid and Strife.

Cupid wrapped his arms around Strife and hugged him close. Strife looked over Cupid’s shoulder and saw a mirror. He frowned and thought to himself, “still ugly.”

Strife’s thoughts were interrupted when Cupid flashed them home. Strife’s legs gave way when they arrived. Cupid wasted no time and emulated his father by scooping his sleepy husband up in his arms and carrying him to the bedroom. By the time Cupid had walked the 20 or so feet, Strife was nine-tenth’s the way asleep. Cupid laid Strife on the bed and flashed on some clean sleep clothes for Strife.

Strife always wore clothes to bed. He never felt safe sleeping in the nude, like Cupid. (Let’s face it, he never felt safe at all.)

Mindful of Asclepius’ warning, Cupid eased Strife’s shoes off and put his feet up on a couple of feathery soft pillows. Cupid lay down beside his husband, spooning up behind him, and gently rolled Strife back so that he was half-way reclining on Cupid. In this way, Strife’s back and ribs are supported without Strife having to do anything.

Strife sighed at the comfortable position he was in. He was able to relax and sleep (mostly) pain free all night.

^^^^^^

Neither god hears the bedroom door open.

Bliss walks in; his curly hair tousled, rubbing his eyes. He stops when he sees Strife and Cupid asleep on the bed.

His sweet expression drops off and he snarls.

The boy backs out of the door that silently closes in front of him. Bliss ripples and elongates until he is…Cupid-shaped. “Soon little one.” His voice was much deeper and rumbling than Cupid’s normal voice. “You are *mine* and I will *deal* with you before long.”

The Cupid-shape strode down the corridor…to Bliss’ room. He snarled again when he couldn’t get any closer to the bed than the doorway, because of a barrier that glittered in the dark.

“And you will pay for that one too, Little One.”

The Cupid-shape leaves the temple with a flash.

^^^^^^

Strife frowned and began to whimper in his sleep. Cupid woke up enough to comfort him and feeling safe, Strife snuggled back against his husband. They both fell back asleep.