Title: Live Forever 1/?
Author: RainWolf
Fandom: Xena/Herc
Rating: Nc-17
Pairings: A/J C/S P/C
Summary: The Prequel to "Living Forever" The story of how the couples got together and how they were separated.
Warnings: Character death violence and language.
Part One
///Temple of Love///
Aphrodite sat at her vanity brushing her hair. She sighed and sat her brush down. Both Ares and Cupid were moping around and it was bumming her out. She hated to see her brother unhappy and alone. He made more wars that way. Cupid was just devastated with Psyche leaving him for Callisto. The Love God had spent days on end in his Temple with Bliss.
All of a sudden a smile crept across the Love Goddess' face. She would just have to make her boys happy. With a flash she disappeared in a shower of golden sparks and rose petals.
///Cupid's Temple///
Cupid smiled as his son played on the floor with his blocks. The little godling was Cupid's entire world, now that Psyche and he were divorced. He tried not to think of the day when he'd found out that his wife was cheating on him.
///Flashback///
Cupid flashed into his Temple and looked around. The place was quite. He assumed that Psyche and Bliss were already asleep. Cupid flashed into the nursery and found it empty. Thinking Bliss was with Psyche he flashed into the bedroom. No Psyche and no Bliss.
Maybe she went to visit someone, while he was gone. Finding their signature Cupid followed them to Callisto's Temple.
Now it wasn't that Cupid didn't like his cousin, he just didn't trust her. He knew that Psyche and Callisto were friends and he didn't mind, as long as Bliss wasn't with her. Flashing inside Cupid found Bliss asleep in a cradle. Why had Psyche brought him with her?
Hearing sounds coming from the bedroom Cupid left his son were he was and followed the sound.
Cupid pushed the door open a bit and could have died where he stood. Callisto and Psyche lay in the center of a giant bed, both naked. The demented war goddess was between Psyche's legs.
Psyche had her head thrown back and seemed too be having the time of her life. He stood there watching and his hear broke as he watched his wife climax and pull Callisto into her arms.
"I love you." Psyche whispered as she licked her cum from her mouth.
"I love you too. What about Cupid?" Callisto asked.
"What about him? I can't stand his ass and he's gone most of the time anyways. He won't miss me." Psyche said, her voice hard and cold.
"Okay then." Callisto snuggled into Psyche's arms and the pair drifted off to sleep.
Cupid closed the door and ignored the hot tears streaming down his face. He couldn't believe Psyche had betrayed him. He was hurt and angry and also very disappointed. Not with her, but with himself.
How could he have not seen that Psyche didn't love him? Better yet why hadn't he seen her interest in Callisto? He could feel their emotions. The two of them were really in love.
Cupid walked back into the main room and picked his son up. He couldn't stay there and Cupid refused to let his son stay there.
Cupid then transported them to the one person he felt could cheer him up. Strife
///Mischief Temple///
Strife wasn't surprised when Cupid flashed into his temple with a sleeping Bliss in tow.
What did surprise him though was the sight of his cousin crying. What had upset the normally cheerful Love God?
"Cupe, what's wrong?" Strife asked as he walked over. As he got closer he could feel the other emotions coming of his cousin. Anger, sadness, and pain.
"Psyche." Cupid said flatly.
"Hey Cupe why don't you put Bliss down in my room and then we can talk about Psyche." Strife watched his cousin walk over to the bed and lay his on down.
"Come on. We'll talk outside." They left the room and strife closed the door. "all right, now tell me what's wrong."
Cupid wiped his face and said, "I went home and couldn't find either of them so I went looking for them. They were at Callisto's and I was shocked cause Psyche knows I don't want Bliss around her. I went looking for her and...and...I found the bitch getting eaten out by Callisto!" Cupid screamed the last part. The entire time his voice had steadily risen.
Strife's hands balled into fists. He couldn't believe Psyche had been so stupid? How could she have cheated on cupid. Truth be told Strife had been in Love with Cupid for the longest time. He would have made his move, but Cupid had fallen for Psyche and well the rest was Greek history.
"What'd ya do?" Strife asked.
"Nothing." Cupid answered sadly. He materialized a chair and sat down.
"Nothin'! What do ya mean nothin'? Cupid how could just leave them there and not do anything?" Strife walked over and looked at his cousin. He regretted his words though. It was obvious that Cupid was hurting.
"Oh Cupes, I'm sorry." Strife put his arms around cupid and held him. "Look I just don't see how you could just walk away?"
"Had to. They're in love and what right did I have to get mad?" Cupid sighed and asked, "Can I stay here tonight?"
"Sure Cuz. I don't think you want to be alone anyways." Strife transported them to the bedroom and the pair fell asleep with Bliss between them.
///End Flashback///
The next day Cupid and gone to Hera's and had his and Psyche's marriage dissolved. Psyche moved out with no complaints and in with Callisto.
Cupid was surprised when Psyche had put up no fight when it came to Bliss. It was like she didn't even care what happened to him.
Now Cupid and Bliss were doing just fine. They had everyone else in the family to love them.
"Daddy." Bliss said looking up at his father with a smile on his face.
Cupid smiled and crouched down to pick his son up. Cupid kissed Bliss' forehead and asked, "What is it little man?"
"Wanna go see Stwife."
"Strife? Okay then. Your cousin always has a new toy for you doesn't he?"
Bliss nodded and clapped his hands. He also wanted to go cuz his cousin Stwife made his Daddy feel good and Daddy wasn't feeling happy today.
"Okay then, Bliss. Let's go see Strife." The pair flashed out of their Temple and went looking for Strife.
They found him sleeping in bed with his not to often seen or well known about stuffed bear, Mr. Fuzzums.
Bliss smiled to him self as he felt his Daddy's bad mood leave when he saw Stwife. "Stwife, wake up!"
The God of Mischief jumped at the sound of Bliss's voice and looked around. He saw Cupid and Bliss standing there watching him. Realizing he had Mr. Fuzzums with him Strife hid it behind his back much to the amusement of the two love gods.
"Is there a reason ya two came a woke me up?" Strife asked as he stretched and sat up.
"Bliss wanted to see you and well I wasn't doing anything." Cupid said. In truth he loved spending time with Strife. The younger god and he were very close and Strife loved taking care of Bliss.
"Yeah." Bliss tried to wiggle out of his father's arms. Cupid relented and smiled as the little god launched himself at Strife.
Strife let out a whoop and caught Bliss mid air. "Hey, you're getting good at that. Now if you just learn to fly you'll be a real terror."
"'M not a terror." Bliss remarked with a pout.
"I know I'm just joking with ya. Here look." Strife waved his hand and on the floor and whole set of wooden figures appeared. They were little armies complete with soldiers of every rank and kind.
"Toys!" Bliss squealed and strife set him down.
"Yeah, now you've got your own armies just like Unc Ares does. O'course yours are made out of wood, so they can't really die." Strife said.
Bliss nodded his head and started to play with his toys. Cupid looked at Strife and said, "Thank-you."
"No prob, cuz. I love Bliss and making him happy makes me happy." Strife said.
"Really though, thanks. Strife you spend more time with him than anyone else I really appreciate it. You're like another father to him." Cupid said with a smile.
Strife blushed. "Yeah well it's not like he can go visit you know who. Bliss is a great kid."
Strife loved spending time with Bliss and Cupid. It was like they were a little family. As much as he wanted to Strife couldn't muster the courage to tell cupid he was in love with him.
Strife didn't think he could handle it if Cupid didn't feel the same way he did. So he kept his mouth shut.
At that moment Aphrodite flashed in with her usual sparks rose petals. "Hey sweeties." She smiled and hugged them both.
"Mom."
"Aunt 'Dite. So what brings you by?"
"Boys I need a little help with his project of mine." Seeing Strife's look she continued, "You see I was thinking we could get Arry to lighten up a bit."
"And how do you suppose we do that? The only that makes Dad happy is making wars." Cupid said.
"Not true. Joxer makes him happy." Strife said without thinking. Unc was gonna fry him when he found out that spied on him in the first place and secondly had told what he'd seen.
"Joxer?!" Cupid and Aphrodite asked as one. Both the Love gods were surprised. The last person they expected Ares to be interested in was Joxer, the God of Peace of all people.
"Yeah well if you think about it, it ain't that surprising. I mean War and Peace the two need each other to survive really."
"Yeah, but that's like impossible. Joxer is so not into Ares." 'Dite said.
"Don't be too sure about that." Cupid spoke up. He'd seen the looks Joxer had given Ares when the god had thought no one was looking.
"What are you talking about?" Strife asked. He looked at his cousin waiting for an answer.
"Well you see the thing is I've seen the hot and heavy looks at Dad and I think he's just a bit put off by the whole BIG BAD GOD OF WAR thing." Cupid said. He watched as the light went off in his mother and cousin's heads.
A smile crept onto Strife's face. "I've got an idea." The God of Mischief looked at his relatives, "Of course it's gonna take some work. You in?"
The Love Gods looked at each other and then nodded. "Yeah."
"Well then we got some work to do." Strife smiled at the thought of making his uncle happy and spending more time with Cupid.
///Temple of War///
Ares sat on his throne and growled. He watched as his armies moved off the battle field and headed for home. The war had been short and bloody. The god of war was not happy.
Summoning a goblet of wine to his hand he sighed and drank. Eris was off pestering Athena and strife was off with Cupid working on a project for Aphrodite.
As much as it annoyed him, Ares wouldn't deny his nephew some fun. The younger god had always been rather withdrawn, unless he was Cupid. It was the few times Ares had ever seen his sister's son smile genuinely.
Since as long as he could remember Ares had known strife was in love with Cupid. Many times he'd pushed the godling to tell Cupid, but Strife had always said that it wasn't time yet. And then Psyche had shown up.
Strife had practically drowned himself in his work. He ran Ares and Eris's errands and stayed in his temple. When Bliss had been born Ares had clearly seen the defeat and heartbreak in his eyes.
When Cupid got divorced, the God of war had expected Strife to make some kind of mood, but the Mischief god had just stayed on the sidelines watching over cupid and Bliss.
"Hey Unc'." Strife greeted as he flashed into the room in a shower of sparks and light. He had a golden scroll in his hands.
"Strife." Ares nodded to his nephew.
"Got an invite for ya. It's from Aunt 'Dite." Strife walked over and tossed the scroll to Ares.
"What is she up to now?" Ares asked opening the scroll.
"She's having a party." Strife answered. Her grinned to himself as his uncle read the scroll in his hand.
Ares groaned silently and asked, "Why did she invite me? She knows I hate her parties. They always end as orgies and I refuse to end up in Apollo's bed again."
“Well she said she had a surprise for you.” Strife said, baiting his uncle a bit. He knew Ares’ curiosity would get the better of him.
“Yeah well ‘Dite can think again. I have no time for her little games.”
“Whatever Unc’ Gotta jet.” Strife flashed out before Ares got any more suspicious. He went to see how Cupid was doing.
Ares looked at the spot his nephew had just been occupying. Something told him Strife knew more than he let out. The War God went back to sharpening his sword.
tbc