Title: Raising Mischief – Bowls and Baths
Fandom: Hercules The Legendary Journeys/Xena Warrior Princess
Characters: Strife
Prompt: #51 Water
Word Count:
Rating:PG13
Summary: Ares learns more about Erin's short childhood and
makes a good memory to replace the bad.
Author's Notes: Eighth in the Raising Mischief series.
Erin woke slowly, noticing the Ares doll in his arms and smiled
squeezing it tightly to his chest. "Unc," he whispered giggling as he
made the plush wings flap. Smiling he looked about the room. Before he
could even think about moving off the bed there was a flash of light.
Looking up he grinned at the appearance of Ares followed by the
appearance of Apollo a moment later. He smiled as Ares approached the
bed, eying his hands.
"What's that you have there?"
"Unc!" Erin replied with a giggle, shaking the doll so the wings
flapped. Apollo snorted and Ares arched a brow.
"Are you trying to tell me Ace doesn't have an Apollo?" The sun god's
avoidance of eye contact was all the confirmation he needed. "Though so."
"So did you have fun with your Aunt Hestia?" Erin nodded as Ares
pulled him into his lap. "What did you do?"
"Had chock'late, and, soup, there were things in it, and milk, its
white too but not lumpy," Erin said his doll in his lap as he wrapped
his arms around the real thing. Ares and Apollo shared a look, the
bother's having a common goal for the first time in a long time.
"I'm gonna grab Ace, maybe I won't have to fight the muses for him
this time," Apollo said with a grin, as he vanished in a shower of gold.
"Ares dear, why don't you bring Erin in here and he can lick the
bowl," Hestia called voice traveling into the bedroom.
Ares smiled remembering Cupid's bowl licking and how the boy had
always managed to get streaks of cake batter on his wings. Ares was
sure he had been more neat and calculating. Carrying Erin he made his
way to the kitchen, smiling as the smells washed over him. He saw the
blue bowl sitting there as Hestia moved through the fires, checking on
the meal.
"Help yourself boys, you can have the spoon Ares dear."
Ares sat Erin is his lap and placed the bowl and spoon in front of the
boy. Erin looked at Ares in confusion and Ares slid a finger through
the rich thick batter and licked it off his fingers with a smile of
pure bliss.
Erin mimicked this action and let out a sound of amazement. Ares
smiled and pulled out the spoon as Erin slid his finger in again and
licked it clean a small giggle escaping the young god as Apollo
flashed in Ace on his hip. Ace's eyes narrowed on the bowl and reached
for Erin and Ares.
"Cake!" He shrieked as Apollo winced at the abuse to his ears. Placing
his son down he watched as he toddled over to Erin, who lowered the
bowl so Ace could have a taste as well. Ace looked into the bowl and
an expert in Hestia's kitchen stuck his entire hand into the bowl and
then proceeded to lick it clean.
Hestia approached then with another bowl of cake mix smiling as she
poured out the golden mixture into one of her many pans. Winking at
the older gods she handed the mostly clean bowl to Ace who dived
headfirst into his bowl. Popping up for a moment the toddler recalled
Erin and offered him a taste as Hestia handed Apollo the spoon now
that she was sure of an even spread.
After a few moments both children were sticky with streaks of cake
batter everywhere, faces, hands, and in both cases hair.
"Well it looks like its bath time," Hestia said. "We will have to be
quick to be done before the guests begin to arrive."
Erin begun to shake and tried to crawl into Ares' vest. Ares' could
feel the shaking and wrapped his arms around the now distraught child,
hearing him chant one word over and over.
"Clean, clean, clean," Erin whimpered letting loose a burst of energy
that had him spotless and exhausted all in one turn. He collapsed
against the war god.
Confused Ares carried Erin back to the bed room not noticing when he
dropped `Unc', though Ace did lifting the soft plush and placing it
carefully in the chair. Not fully understanding what was happening he
looked to his father.
"Ares will take care of it. Its time for someone to take a bath!"
Apollo said forcing cheerfulness in his voice not even wanting to
think what kind of trauma baths had been to cause such a reaction.
In Hestia's room Ares carefully searched Erin's memories much like his
mother had done and was horrified at what he saw were the times Eris
had bathed Erin. Nearly drowning the boy, scalding, freezing him or
rubbing him raw. Ares held the tiny body close sure now that he and
Apollo hadn't done nearly enough to Eris.
Hestia walked in then a small cup in one hand and Unc in the other.
She placed the doll on the bed and handed the small cup to Ares.
"Its flavored ambrosia, I'm still working out some kinks, but this one
tastes just like hot coco. When he wakes up he can have some. Hera
told me some things, but he seemed alright, if a little shy. What
other surprises do we have waiting?"
"I want to ask Uncle Hades, to look into it, he's the best at this and
I don't want him to have to relive it."
"That's a good idea; maybe they will hit it off. He will be coming to
the dinner as well so you can talk to him about it then.