Title: A Mother Knows Best
Author: Kiku
Fandom: Xena: Warrior Princess
Pairing: C/S
Status: Finished
Type: AJCS Solstice Scribbler Fic
Feedback: starseed007@hot.ee
Disclaimer: I do not own them...Strife tried to convince me that I do, but I do
not.
Rating: Um, PG-13ish :)
Summary: A "How It Happened" story of Strife's point of view. Short!
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Wish List
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Category(s): Romance/Humor
Couple(s): Cupid/Strife, please. Backup pairing of A/J if you feel the urge.
Desired Rating(s): Any rating is fine with me.
Squick(s): I'd rather not read a Non-Con/Rape or a character death
Brief Summary of Desired Plot: Hera is, you guessed it, not a fan of divorce.
So, when Cupid and Psyche split up (amicably or not, it's your choice), she
decides she's not going to let Cupid mess this marriage bit up again. She's
taken it upon herself to find him the perfect wife. Aphrodite wonders what the
old cow is up to, when Hera starts making herself friendly with Cupid and asking
him all sorts of personal questions, so she corners the Queen of the Gods and
demands an answer. Then she thinks it's a lovely idea (one of the only things
they've agreed on for a long time). They set out together to find the perfect
wife for Cupid, after all... a mother knows best!
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I remember the face that Cupid had when the divorce was done. There were many
emotions - anger, sadness, tiredness and then the most peculiar one, relief. The
love between him and Psyche was not real. An arrow struck him and she was just
drunk on the right attention and love that Cupid gave her. She even gave a child
to him. Though Psyche loved Bliss she couldn't be a mother to him.
And after few years they decided that it was through, they couldn't do it
anymore. Everyone was surprised when Psyche also requested mortality and a total
memory loss of what had happened on Mt. Olympus. Cupid was horrified at first
but it dawned to him quite quickly why. She couldn't have a life on Olympus, it
was just not her home, her place to be. And when she would become a mortal she
couldn't live with the knowledge of never seeing her son.
Aphrodite and Hephaistos led later a still rather shocked Cupid out. Ares and I
were going to orb out before Psyche's memories were erased but she stopped me
with a look. As I felt Ares orb away I watched Psyche in her eyes and I
understood the look in her eyes. Take care of them. It was a message. But why
me? I couldn't understand it.
Few days later I orbed to the House of Love. Aphrodite had called me and asked
me for some help. I was surprised because she had never asked me for help ever.
It came out that Cupid was burying himself in work, leaving Bliss with her
grandmother - Aphrodite. Then Hera had gotten rather strange, hovering around
Cupid, asking rather strange questions. Aphrodite now wanted to know what
exactly was going on but couldn't take Bliss with her.
I was honored that I was asked to babysat Bliss. Aphrodite left with a giggle
and pink sparkles (something that you got used to after some time). I found
myself watching the little sleeping boy, a peculiar feeling in my chest. I
started thinking about Bliss and Cupid. I had a crush on Cupid for a long time,
when he married I didn't know what to do, I felt crushed in another way. But I
accepted it, after seeing the most beautiful child they had. Now Psyche had
left, leaving behind two very important gods in my life.
I stroked Bliss' hair and smiled softly as the boy snuggled to my hand. He
missed contact; I know that particular move, that feeling. I never had a father;
mother didn't notice me much. Only Ares sometimes spent time with me other then
training. I promised myself right there that I would be more around, help Bliss
and Cupid.
I spent more days with Bliss from that day on, Aphrodite suddenly joining Hera
in whatever she did. Both of them traveled around Olympus, scaring most of the
Goddesses with rather strange questions. Cupid never showed himself when I was
with Bliss, until one day.
Cupid was tired, I could see it. I didn't know that Gods could get circles
around their eyes, I just thought it was something that mortals had. His wings
were kind of droopy, rather dirty and messy. He was slightly surprised to see me
but then just walked to Bliss, who was sleeping again, and brushed some hair
from his face.
"You need a bath..."
I didn't know why it escaped from my lips. Cupid looked at me and chuckled
rather shortly, a smirk on his lips. I arched an eyebrow and he arched one back.
I stood and grabbed his arm, dragging him at the direction of the bathing rooms.
In short time he was naked and in hot water. Naked and hot in one sentence is
bad when concerning Cupid. I had to hide myself behind the side of the small
pool, leather was not very good at concealing what I wanted to be concealed.
Cupid just leaned at the side of the pool, closed his eyes and seemed to be
enjoying himself. "Join me..." It really wasn't a question or suggestion. More
like an order and I found myself doing just what he told me.
Without a word I started to wash him, biting my lip I didn't ignore anything and
I was through. Through but not exactly clinical. I did not know what was going
on but I was more bolder, not in words but in actions.
Finally I pulled him and myself out of the pool and with a slight surprise I
found that he was as well turned on. He seemed to ignore it, so I ignored it
too. I pulled him to a small warm bench and dried him with a fluffy towel,
something that Hestia had made for the House of Love. One wrapped around my
waist and one around his, we sat there. His eyes were closed and I was combing
my fingers through his wings, trying to put them in order. Suddenly Cupid turned
around and just looked at me for some time. A flush crept on my face and I bit
my lip.
"What?"
"Nothing..." he leaned closer and gently kissed me. I shrudder went through me.
If I had looked back at that moment I would have seen Aphrodite and Hera. "He
was just under our noses...how could I have missed it..." Aphrodite had
whispered, as Hera later told me. They had been looking for the perfect wife,
after some time, when realizing that there were no Goddesses for Cupid that fit,
a mate. They had come back, to talk to Cupid and had found us.
Three months later we stood in front of Hera's and Zeus' throne. Aphrodite had
Bliss in her arms and Hephaistos' arms around her, Ares and Eris stood a bit
back from her. Cupid and I were married finally, a dream of mine coming true.
Married and waiting, waiting for a small goddess of our own.
Later at the party I sat down at the fountain, waiting for Cupid to bring me
some food when I heard some voices. I recognized Hera and Aphrodite. I heard the
last sentence.
"A mother knows best..."