AresJoxerCupidStrife - Caroline

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"Was that part of the floor show?" Ares asked, raising an eyebrow at Cupid
as he took his seat at the table again.

Cupid sighed and tore his gaze away from Strife's back long enough to glance
at his father. He was grateful that Ares had at least waited until Strife
went back to the stage to start in on him, but he didn’t really feel like
having this conversation right now. There was still a good chance that a
fight could break out onstage, not that there was anything he could do about
it. Still, he didn’t feel like justifying his boyfriend’s behavior to his
father.

“Strife and Hercules are friends,” Joxer interjected. "It just doesn't
make sense that they were fighting for no reason." When he was done he
looked over at Cupid, obviously expecting some kind of explanation. There
was no way he was going to get out of explaining what was going on, not if
Joxer was going to take Ares’ side.

“Fine. Strife’s cousin Xena has a thing for this girl, Gabbie. Hercules
was mad at Strife for going out with me, so I guess he slept with Gabbie to
get back at everybody. It doesn’t make any sense to me, but that’s what
happened.”

“Hercules was jealous of you and Strife?”

"No, not like that," Cupid answered, shaking his head at Joxer’s puzzled
expression. "He thinks if Strife’s going out with me that he’s not going to
be as focused on the band. I guess they made some kind of deal where none
of them would get serious about somebody until the band took off. It’s
stupid if you ask me, but they all agreed and now Herc’s pissed at Strife."

Cupid didn’t have to look at his father to know what Ares was thinking.
He’d heard the speech enough times to be able to read Ares’ mind, and he
knew that right now Ares was wondering whatever happened to all those ‘nice,
normal’ kids Cupid used to hang around with. What his father never seemed
to get was that ‘nice and normal’ meant totally boring, and there was only
so much student council and academic decathlon a kid could stand before he
lost it.

Joxer was nodding already, though, which meant that at least he was going to
try to make Ares understand. “Strife and Xena have always been close, even
though they didn’t grow up in the same city. Their mothers were practically
inseparable when they were growing up, they got along a lot better than any
other sisters I’ve ever met. It was hard for Eris when Athena moved to New
York, but she used to bring Xena back to visit every summer.”

“So you know Xena?”

“I did when she was a little girl. Athena never liked me much, I guess
because I reminded her too much of Jett. Then again Athena doesn't like
anybody much. But Xena and Strife used to come over to play the piano when
they were little. They always said they were going to start a band one
day.” Joxer smiled affectionately in the direction of the stage just as
Xena reappeared. “Of course nobody took them seriously when they were
seven.”

Cupid grinned at the image of Strife and Xena as kids, planning their future
as rock stars. He glanced up at the stage, his grin fading as he watched
Hercules walk back onto the stage and pick up his guitar. The tension
between the band members was obvious, but at least they were just ignoring
each other instead of throwing punches. He turned when he caught sight of
Psyche out of the corner of his eye, frowning as he realized for the first
time that she’d disappeared sometime during the fight.

“Everything okay?” he asked as she slid into the seat next to him.

She shrugged and stole a quick glance at the stage, but it was long enough
for Cupid to realize who she was looking at. “I guess. Where’s Auto?”

“I don’t know,” Cupid answered. “Last time I saw him was over there.” He
pointed in the direction of Strife and Hercules’ shouting match, scanning
the crowd for any sign of their friend. When he spotted Auto at the bar he
nodded in the other boy’s direction. “There he is. Should’ve known, I
guess.”

“I better go get him, we’ve gotta hurry if we’re gonna make the last train.”
She leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on Cupid’s cheek. “See ya,
Cupe.” She waved to Ares and Joxer before she disappeared into the crowd,
leaving Cupid to wonder what exactly she’d been doing while the rest of them
had been distracted by the fight. Something was definitely going on with
his friends, but he’d been so wrapped up in his own relationship that he
didn’t have a clue what it was.

Auto had been acting weird for awhile, and now Psyche was starting to act
strange too. He hadn’t realized how little he’d really seen of them for the
past few weeks until he stopped to think about it, but the truth was that
even when he was with them he wasn’t really paying any attention to them.
He knew at least Psyche understood that he was a little preoccupied with
Strife, but that didn’t make it okay to ignore his best friends. He turned
to see if they were still in the club, but there was no sign of either of
them anywhere near the bar. A heavy sigh escaped his throat as he turned
back to the stage, promising himself he was going to start being a better
friend as soon as he got home.

A loud yawn from Joxer’s direction interrupted his train of thought, and
Cupid smiled as he watched his father turn to frown at his boyfriend. “We
should get going,” Ares said, leaning forward on the table so Cupid could
hear him over the music.

“Sure, no problem,” Cupid answered. “Thanks for coming, I know it meant a
lot to Strife. He won’t admit it, but it did.”

Joxer grinned as Ares stood up and pulled him to his feet. “Tell him to
call me tomorrow. We’ll have him over for dinner sometime next week.”

“You’re sure you’ll be okay by yourself,” Ares asked, although it wasn’t
really a question so much as a challenge. Cupid stopped himself from
rolling his eyes, gesturing toward the stage.

“I’m not alone, Dad.”

Ares let out a dramatic sigh and glanced in the direction of the stage just
as the band started a new song. Cupid cringed when he recognized the music,
wishing Ares and Joxer had left just a few minutes earlier. He knew when he
glanced at his father again that Ares recognized it too, and he raised an
eyebrow at Cupid.

“What? They were doing this song before I met him,” Cupid said, answering
his father’s unspoken question. “It’s his mom’s favorite or something.”

“It is,” Joxer confirmed when they both looked at him. “Although I’m not
sure how she’d feel about this particular version.”

”She hates it. That’s the reason Strife put it in the show.”

“Just be careful,” Ares said, casting one last glance in the direction of
the stage. He opened his mouth to say something else, but when he glanced
at Joxer again he thought better of it and shook his head instead. “Call
before you leave the city.”

Cupid watched them walk out of the club, shaking his head as he watched his
father put a hand on Joxer’s back to steer him through the crowd. It was
still hard to believe that Joxer was Strife’s uncle, although if he’d asked
the right questions about Strife’s family he would have figured it out
awhile ago. In a strange way the fact that they were sort of family already
made him feel a little better about where he stood in Strife’s life. At the
very least it would be a lot harder for Hercules to coerce Strife into
giving up his relationship in the name of the band, because even if they
broke up Strife would still have to see him.

Not that he wanted Strife to feel obligated to be with him, but it was nice
to know that they were tied together by more than just a mutual attraction.
It made everything a little more complicated, but Cupid was more than
willing to face whatever complications they came up against. He’d already
overcome the first hurdle, getting his father to accept the fact that he and
Strife were a couple. He’d expected Ares to have a harder time with it than
his mother, but thanks to Joxer it had been relatively painless. Cupid was
positive that his mother would love Strife, so there was no reason to worry
about introducing them. She might have a hard time letting him come into
the city once she knew why he was spending so much time there, but she’d
come around eventually. And once she got used to that idea, he’d find a way
to tell her that he was planning to move there permanently right after
graduation.

~

Strife watched Cupid head toward the back of the club as they finished their
last song, smiling to himself at the thought of Cupid waiting for him
backstage. There was a time when he looked forward to hanging out
backstage, joking around with the guys and pretending they really were rock
stars. Their sudden rise to popularity in New York’s club scene was the
closest they’d come to celebrity so far, but it didn’t really feel the same
anymore. He still liked the music and most of the time he liked hanging out
with the band, but lately Hercules was hardly ever around and most of
Strife's free time was either spent with Cupid or thinking about the next
time he’d see Cupid.

Weekends didn’t seem like enough, not when there were five whole Cupid-free
days to face in between every weekend. Calling wasn’t the same, and it
wasn’t like either of them could afford to rack up a whole bunch of
long-distance calls. He’d take what he could get when it came to Cupid,
though, and that should have worried him. It did in the beginning, but he
knew he wasn’t getting over it any time soon so there was no use fighting
it. Especially after finding out that Joxer was living with Cupid’s father;
they were practically family already, so even if Strife wanted out it
wouldn’t be that easy to walk away.

Just the thought of walking away from Cupid made him want to throw up, so he
tried not to think about it. He wasn’t positive what was happening to him,
but he had a pretty good idea. And the funny thing was that he didn’t
really mind, at least not when Cupid was around. When he went back home to
his other life Strife had too much time to think about how different they
were, but not even that was enough to change the way he felt. He knew Cupid
was too young to get serious, he was going to college and he was going to
have a whole new life that Strife wasn’t a part of. So there was really no
way they could have any kind of future, but they had the summer at least
before Cupid figured out that he could do a whole lot better.

When the song finally ended he set the microphone back in its stand, not
bothering to wait for the rest of the band before he bolted off the stage.
He found Cupid leaning against the wall just outside the dressing room, a
grin tugging at the corners of his mouth when he caught sight of Strife. He
was still wearing the tee shirt he’d changed into at his dad’s, but he’d put
more eyeliner on so he could at least pass for old enough to get into the
club. Even with the makeup he looked younger than usual, though, and Strife
was even more sure than he had been a few minutes ago that things would
never work out between them.

“You ready to go?” Cupid asked, the concern in his voice telling Strife that
his emotions were written all over his face.

“Yeah, I just gotta grab my jacket,” Strife answered, closing the rest of
the distance between them and reaching for Cupid’s hand. “Come inside fer a
sec.”

Cupid’s grin returned as he entwined his fingers with Strife’s and followed
him into the room, squeezing Strife’s hand before he released it and sank
onto the couch to watch Strife rifle through the piles of stuff on the floor
for his jacket. “Do you guys move into every club you play at?”

Strife glanced up long enough to grin at him. “Beats my place. Ya sure ya
don’t wanna sleep here tonight?”

“I kinda like your place,” Cupid said. “I mean I wouldn’t want to live
there or anything but it’s not that bad.”

Strife snorted his amusement as he finally located his jacket under a pile
of Hercules’ clothes, shrugging into it before he crossed to the couch and
reached for Cupid’s hand. Instead of standing up Cupid tugged him forward,
sliding his other hand around Strife’s back to pull him down for a kiss.
Strife let Cupid pull him onto the couch, landing hard on his knees on
either side of Cupid’s thighs. He laughed against Cupid’s mouth, his hands
on the younger boy’s shoulders. “Cupe,” he murmured between kisses, “the
guys’re gonna be back here any second.”

“So? It’s not like they’ve never seen us kissing before,” Cupid said, his
voice vibrating against Strife’s neck.

A low groan escaped Strife’s throat when Cupid’s tongue traced the shell of
his ear, his hands tightening on the other boy’s shoulders. “Yeah, but
wouldn’t ya rather go someplace we don’t hafta worry ‘bout who’s gonna walk
in?”

Cupid’s mouth stilled on his skin, and Strife shivered at the sigh the other
boy let out against his neck. He was instantly sorry he’d even brought up
the inevitability of the band walking in on them, but the last thing he
wanted to do was go another round with Hercules. “You’re right,” Cupid
said, his hand sliding out from under Strife’s jacket.

Strife leaned forward and planted another lingering kiss on Cupid’s lips
before he pulled away completely, standing up and reaching for Cupid’s hand
again. This time Cupid let Strife pull him off the couch, but before they
made it further than a few feet across the room the door swung open and the
rest of the band appeared. Xena came in first, ignoring the rest of them as
she headed for her guitar case. Strife frowned as he watched his cousin set
her bass in the case and slam the top shut; a lot of people were afraid of
Xena because she looked so tough, but she was one of the most even-tempered
people he knew. It was rare to see her angry, but after Herc’s performance
with Gabbie Strife wasn’t really surprised.

"Well if it isn’t Yoko."

As soon as Hercules’ voice registered Strife turned to face him, pulling his
hand out of Cupid’s to step between him and Hercules. “Like ya can fuckin’
talk.”

“Herc, come on. Just leave them alone,” Iolaus said, tugging at his
friend’s arm in a vain attempt to get Hercules to back off.

Hercules shrugged out of Iolaus’ grip and took another step forward,
glancing from Cupid to Strife and then back again. “So it’s okay for you
but not for me?”

"It's not even close ta the same," Strife shot back.

"Sure it is. You went back on our pact, so I don't see why the rest of us
should stick to it. If I wanna go out with Gabbie it's none of your
business. That's what you said, right? So I'm just minding my own
business."

Strife's whole body tensed at the look in Hercules' eyes, and he felt
Cupid's hands curl around his arms to hold him back. He wasn't thinking
about hitting Herc yet, but he knew when Cupid grabbed him that he *looked*
like he was thinking about it. He probably couldn't even beat Herc in a
fair fight, but he'd never been the type to plan these things. Sometimes it
worried him that he had that much of his father in him, but when it came to
his family he didn't back down from a fight.

Of course Xena had never needed anybody to fight her battles for her.

She stepped between Hercules and Strife before either of them made a move,
glancing at Strife long enough to flash a grim smile. "Strife, you and
Cupid get out of here. It's not your fight."

"But…"

"You heard her," Hercules said, leaning around Xena to smirk at Strife.

"Shut the fuck up," Strife snapped, but he let Cupid ease him toward the
door. When they reached a safe distance Cupid stopped and released his grip
on Strife's arms, and he could have kissed the younger boy for wanting to
stay and make sure Xena was alright.

Once Cupid and Strife moved to a safe distance Xena turned back to Hercules,
bright blue eyes sizing him up for a long moment before she spoke again.
"Look, Herc, I'm not mad. I mean I knew it wasn't gonna happen, so no hard
feelings, right? As long as you care about her. I mean she's not just one
of your flings, is she?"

Hercules glanced over his shoulder at Iolaus, his forehead furrowed as he
tried to decide what Xena was up to. When his best friend just shrugged
helplessly Hercules turned back to her, shaking his head as though he wasn't
really sure what she was asking. "No, I mean yeah, I like her. She's fun,
you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Xena answered. She smiled wistfully and took a step
backwards, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Strife was still staying
out of it. A second later she turned back to Hercules, her smile fading as
she met his gaze again. "Oh, I forgot. Just one more thing," she said,
then pulled her hand back and punched him square in the jaw.

Four pairs of eyes widened in shock as they watched Xena turn and walk out
of the room without looking back. For a moment Strife was too surprised to
react, but when Hercules muttered something under his breath and reached up
to rub his jaw Cupid grabbed his arm again and began herding him toward the
door. "We should make sure Xena's okay," Cupid whispered against Strife's
ear, taking advantage of Strife's shock to get him out into the hallway.

They headed for the exit that led out the back of the club, but by the time
they reached the alley Xena was already gone. "She'll be okay," Strife
said, as much to convince himself as to convince Cupid. Most of the time
Xena was one of the strongest people he knew, but when she got her heart
broken it always hit her a little harder than most people. The fact that
she never talked to anybody about it just made it worse. "At least she's
got a chance ta get over it now, right?"

"Yeah. You know I think Psyche might have talked to her earlier. So maybe
she helped."

"Psyche?" At the mention of Cupid's friend Strife remembered the
conversation he'd had with Xena about Psyche, and he bit his lip
thoughtfully and glanced over at Cupid. "Ya think she might go fer Xena? I
mean I know she's got that thing with yer friend Auto…"

"I don't know," Cupid answered. "I know she was interested, but they've
both been acting kind of weird lately and I'm not sure what's going on.
Why, does Xena like Psyche?"

Strife shrugged noncommittally and glanced around, making sure nobody from
the club was following them before he slid an arm around Cupid's waist and
leaned into his body heat. "Dunno fer sure, but she was askin' some weird
questions earlier."

"Yeah?" Cupid grinned and Strife was tempted to stop in the middle of the
sidewalk and kiss him again, but he ignored the temptation and started
walking a little faster toward his place.

"That was before Herc decided ta be a jerk, though." He let out a derisive
snort and shook his head as Cupid slid an arm around his shoulders. "Yoko.
I mean come on. Yer not even close ta bein' a Yoko."

"No way," Cupid answered seriously. He tried and failed to stifle a smirk
as he glanced over at Strife, tightening his grip on the other boy's
shoulders. "Linda McCartney, maybe."

Strife rolled his eyes and sent up a silent prayer of thanks to the gods of
good timing when they reached his building, hauling Cupid up the front steps
and into the dark foyer to press him up against the wall just inside the
front door. He leaned up and met Cupid's waiting lips with his own,
groaning into the kiss as strong arms wrapped around his waist and tugged
him closer. "Upstairs, now," Strife gasped between breathless kisses.
Cupid mumbled something against his mouth that Strife couldn't make out and
pushed himself off the wall, letting go of Strife and running up the stairs.
For a second Strife stood at the bottom of the stairs shaking his head,
then he remembered how much fun all that energy could be and followed Cupid
up the stairs two at a time.


Maybe he should be used to it by now. They hadn't really known each other
that long, but Cupid had spent enough time at his place that Strife should
be used to seeing him stretched out on his bed. He should be used to the
complete trust in the other boy's eyes, at least enough that it didn't make
his stomach flutter every time he saw it. As soon as he looked down at
Cupid that feeling was back again, though, and he had a feeling it wasn't
going away any time soon.

He was pretty sure about one thing; he'd never get tired of just looking at
Cupid, especially when he'd already tossed his shirt somewhere on the floor
and he was stretched out with one arm behind his head. He wished he had a
camera so he could save that look forever, but he wasn't so sure he was
going to want any reminders when Cupid finally came to his senses and broke
up with him. He tugged his own shirt off and slid onto the mattress next to
Cupid, propping himself up on one arm to run a hand over the younger boy's
chest.

"When do ya hafta be back tomorrow?" he asked, watching the progress of his
fingers over Cupid's skin so he wouldn't have to meet the other boy's gaze.

"I’m supposed to be home by dinner time. My mom knows I don’t do any
homework when I’m in the city, so she freaks out if I’m not home early
enough to get it done on Sunday night." Cupid shifted onto his side,
catching Strife's hand in his and entwining their fingers together. "I can
come up again next weekend. If you want."

"If I want? Are ya kiddin' me? Course I want, Cupe. I just wish I didn't
hafta wait five whole days ta see ya."

"Well you can always come down to my house. I haven't exactly told my mom
about you yet, but as soon as I do she's gonna want to meet you."

Strife was pretty sure meeting Cupid's mom would be at least as bad as
meeting his dad, but Cupid looked so hopeful and he knew he was going to
have to get it over with eventually. It was kind of nice that Cupid wanted
his parents to know about Strife; he'd never been with somebody that cared
one way or the other whether or not his family liked him. From what he'd
heard about Cupid's mom so far he had a sinking feeling she was going to be
a lot less accepting than Ares had been; the chances were pretty good that
the only reason Ares hadn't thrown him out of his apartment on sight was
because he was Joxer's nephew, and he had a feeling Cupid’s mom was even
more overprotective. Still, they let him come into the city with his
friends, and considering who his friends were maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.

"I dunno, Cupe. Ya really think she's gonna let ya keep comin' ta the city
aftah she meets me?"

Cupid rolled his eyes and released Strife's hand to slide his own hand
behind the older boy's neck. Once he'd tugged Strife forward so they were
close enough to feel each other's breath he leaned forward, planting a soft
kiss on the other boy's lips before he pulled back to look at Strife again.
"Of course she will. She'll love you, you'll see. She's a couples
therapist, she knows a good relationship when she sees one."

Strife couldn't help laughing at that, because despite the strange
circumstances surrounding the beginning of their relationship, Cupid was
right. Compared to their friends, anyway, they had the most stable
relationship of anyone they knew. "Guess if she lets ya hang out with Auto
an' Psyche maybe she won't freak out too much when she sees me."

"Strife, come on. She'll love you, just like my dad's going to love you as
soon as he gets to know you. Which reminds me, you're supposed to call
Joxer tomorrow. He wants you to come over for dinner this week." Strife
swallowed a sigh at the thought of facing Ares and Joxer alone, but he must
not have done a good job of keeping the fear off his face because Cupid's
hand left his neck to trail through his hair. "My dad doesn't hate you, you
know."

He opened his mouth to point out that given time, he was sure Ares would
find all sorts of reasons to dislike him, but the sound of the apartment
door slamming distracted him. They both listened to the sound of a set of
keys being dropped on the kitchen counter, then a pair of footsteps moving
toward them. Strife figured one set of footsteps meant it had to be Iolaus,
and when he heard his roommate pause outside his closed bedroom door he knew
he was right. Hercules wouldn't pause outside his bedroom door; if he had
something else to say he'd just walk right in, he wouldn't care what he
interrupted. Iolaus pausing on his way to the bathroom made Strife wonder
what exactly his friend was thinking, but he didn't really want to dwell on
it while Cupid was lying next to him.

"Doesn't he ever go out? I mean he must date or something," Cupid asked,
drawing Strife's attention away from the door as the footsteps began moving
toward the bathroom again.

Strife shrugged and flattened his palm against Cupid's chest again, circling
a nipple with his index finger and eliciting a breathy moan from the younger
boy. "Usually he just hangs out with Herc. When Herc's got some chick he
ditches Iolaus pretty fast, though. He's been actin' kinda weird since he
walked in on me an' you in the shower, now that ya mention it."

"Do you think maybe he’s jealous?”

“Of what?” Strife asked, frowning as he propped himself up on an elbow to
look down at Cupid.

Cupid’s cheeks turned a flattering shade of pink but he didn’t look away
from Strife, shrugging as well as he could while he was flat on his back.
“I don’t know, the fact that Hercules is actually dating somebody. Or maybe
the fact that we’re in here together, and he’s out there alone.”

“What? Ya think he wishes he was in here?”

“No, nothing like that,” Cupid answered quickly, blushing even harder as he
pushed himself up until he was level with Strife. “Just…you know, he seems
kind of confused. Like he’s not really sure what he wants.”

“Maybe yer right, Cupe, but it’s not like we can do anythin’ about it. I
been tryin’ ta get him to admit he’s not as straight as he pretends fer
awhile now, an’ the closest he’s come ta admittin’ anythin’ is tellin’ Xena
he thinks yer hot.”

“He thinks I’m hot?”

If Cupid hadn’t looked so genuinely shocked Strife might have been jealous;
okay, so he was a little jealous, but he knew after the events of the
past few days that nothing was going to happen between his boyfriend and his
roommate. Cupid was so naïve that it would take Iolaus coming onto him to
even give him a clue, and Iolaus wasn’t that type of guy. In fact he was
almost as naïve as Cupid when it came to stuff like that, a fact that had
made Strife feel sorry for him more than once in the past. “Yeah, Cupe.
He’d hafta be blind not ta notice.”

The bright grin that lit up Cupid’s features made Strife’s heart skip a
beat, and he leaned forward and pressed his lips to the other boy’s just to
stop himself from saying anything he might regret. As soon as Cupid’s lips
parted under his Strife forgot all about Iolaus and the fact that Cupid had
to go home in less than twenty-four hours. His whole world narrowed to the
smooth, insistent press of hot skin against his, soft lips moving against
his and the tingling of his skin everywhere that Cupid’s hands touched him.

Gently he pressed the younger boy back against the pillows, tangling their
legs together and reaching between them to work Cupid’s jeans open. He
pulled his mouth away from Cupid’s to watch him gasp as Strife’s hand slid
past the waistband of his boxers, then he leaned forward and planted a soft
kiss on Cupid’s stomach. The muscles under Cupid’s skin rippled
reflexively, sending a wave of desire through both of them as Strife
straightened up long enough to tug Cupid’s jeans and boxers down his thighs.

Once Cupid kicked them off the rest of the way Strife swung one leg over his
thighs and flattened his palms against Cupid’s stomach, watching the motion
of Cupid’s chest as his breathing grew more ragged. And he could probably
spend the rest of his life just watching Cupid breathe, but he had a feeling
that eventually the younger boy was going to demand that he actually
do something. He leaned forward and captured Cupid’s mouth again,
groaning as Cupid’s tongue teased his lips open and a hand clamped down on
his neck to hold him in place. He had no idea where Cupid got the energy
after the day they’d had, but he’d never really been the type to look a gift
horse in the mouth.

Instead of pondering Cupid’s energy stores he focused his last few working
brain cells on telling his hand to leave Cupid’s inviting warmth long enough
to dig under the pillow for the lube they’d left there the night before.
When he finally found it he pulled his mouth away from the other boy’s to
trail kisses down the column of Cupid’s throat, grinning against warm skin
when Cupid’s fingers threaded through his hair to urge him back down his
chest. He trailed hot kisses down the center of Cupid’s chest, stopping
every time he found a particularly sensitive spot, until Cupid was panting
and murmuring incoherently.

He had to remind himself not to leave any marks on that golden skin; it was
tempting, but he didn’t want to run the risk of Cupid’s mom seeing them and
deciding he was a bad influence before she even met him. Instead he settled
for tasting every inch of Cupid that he could reach, lingering on his chest
long enough to suck on each nipple before he let Cupid urge him downwards.
His tongue circled the other boy’s belly button, eliciting a low moan and a
reflexive thrust of the hips trapped underneath him as Cupid’s body searched
in vain for some friction.

He traced the outline of one hip bone with his thumb as he ran his tongue
along the soft trail of hair leading from Cupid’s belly button to the
thicker, darker blond patch of hair surrounding his cock. Cupid’s fingers
were stroking through his hair, tightening reflexively every time Strife’s
mouth moved closer to the swollen tip of his cock. He was careful to avoid
coming into actual contact with the other boy’s erection, reaching down with
one hand to adjust his own cock before he moved down to nuzzle the inside of
Cupid’s thigh.

“Strife, please,” Cupid gasped, his voice trailing off into a moan when
Strife’s hand closed gently around his balls. “Strife…”

And he loved the sound of his name when Cupid said it that way; he’d do
anything to hear that pleading, needy tone coming from the boy stretched out
underneath him, and he knew if Cupid ever figured that out he’d be screwed.
He’d never be able to deny Cupid anything, but so far he couldn’t think of
anything he’d want to say no to. And Cupid wasn’t really the kind of guy
that made a lot of demands, so if he needed something bad enough to ask for
it Strife was happy to oblige.

He worked the top off the lube with one hand, pausing long enough to squeeze
a little onto his fingers before he dropped the tube back onto the sheet and
closed his hand around the base of Cupid’s cock. A low, tortured groan
punctuated the silence of the room when Strife finally closed his mouth
around Cupid, and he could tell by the way Cupid tensed against him that he
wasn’t going to last long. He squeezed the base of Cupid’s cock as he
nudged the younger boy’s legs a little further apart, pressing two slick
fingers against the entrance to Cupid’s body.

Strife thought he heard Cupid say his name somewhere in whatever else he was
murmuring, but he couldn’t be positive that whatever Cupid was saying was
even English. Slowly he worked his fingers in and out of the other boy,
keeping time with the rhythmic movements of his mouth. When his fingers
moved easily in and out of Cupid he pressed a little deeper, finally finding
the spot he knew would push Cupid over the edge. The first brush of his
fingertip over Cupid’s prostate elicited a startled cry, and when he
repeated the action Cupid’s whole body tensed and Strife had to fight the
urge to gag as wet heat hit the back of his throat. He pulled off a little
and swallowed again, using his tongue to lick Cupid clean before he
straightened up and slowly eased his fingers out of the other boy.

When he looked down at Cupid he was wide-eyed and panting, and Strife
couldn’t resist leaning over to press a gentle kiss to the corner of his
mouth. As soon as his lips touched the other boy’s Cupid turned into the
kiss, his hand leaving Strife’s hair to trace the curve of his shoulder
blade as he tasted himself on Strife’s tongue. Strife fumbled blindly on
the mattress until he found the lube again, his fingers curling around the
tube. And they definitely had to go get tested as soon as possible, because
he hated having to stop to find a condom when Cupid was open and willing and
way past ready for him.

He wrenched his mouth away from the other boy’s and stared down at him for a
long moment, his chest heaving in time with Cupid’s erratic breathing. He
was so lost in Cupid’s open, trusting gaze that it took him a minute to
remember why he’d pulled away in the first place, but when Cupid’s hips
shifted restlessly under him he groaned and leaned over the edge of the bed
to dig through the piles of clothes on the floor. Finally he found what he
was looking for and straightened up again, tearing the package open and
tossing the plastic somewhere on the floor. He had a fleeting thought about
cleaning up the wreck his room was quickly becoming, but it was gone as soon
as Cupid reached up and pulled the condom out of his fingers.

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as Cupid rolled the latex over his
painful erection, concentrating on the sound of the blood pounding against
his ears so he wouldn’t lose control and come from that touch alone. A
second later Cupid’s fist was moving rhythmically over his cock, and he
realized that the younger boy had somehow pulled the lube out of his hand
without Strife even noticing. He watched Cupid squeeze a little more onto
his fingers, swallowing hard when Cupid reached between them and spread the
slick gel onto the entrance to his own body. That image alone could keep
him hard for the rest of the week, and when Cupid’s cock stirred against his
thigh it was all Strife could do not to push his hand out of the way and
slam into him.

Not that he thought Cupid would really mind, especially when he pushed
Strife off him long enough to pull his knees up and apart. That was more
than Strife could stand, and before he even realized he’d moved he was
gripping Cupid’s ankles, pushing his legs even further apart as he lined
himself up and pushed the head of his cock into pulsing heat. He felt Cupid
relax around him almost instantly, opening to let Strife slide easily
inside. When he was buried as deep inside Cupid as he could get Strife
paused, leaning forward for a hard, almost desperate kiss before he pulled
back out and drove into the other boy again.

He knew he’d never get used to seeing Cupid like this; sweaty and panting,
his back arching into each thrust and his eyes closed tight against the
onslaught of sensations. He’d never get used to the fact that Cupid wanted
him to be the one that made him feel this way, that he wanted Strife
enough to keep coming back for more. And there was definitely no way he’d
ever get used to the sight of his own cock sliding into Cupid’s body, no
matter how many times they did this. In a way he hoped he wouldn’t ever get
used to it, though, because he didn’t ever want to forget how amazing it
felt when Cupid looked at him like he was the only other person on the face
of the Earth.

Way too soon he lost the fight for control over his body, burying himself as
deep inside the other boy as he could and collapsing against Cupid’s chest.
When the last wave of his orgasm passed he forced himself up far enough to
capture Cupid’s lips again, their mouths moving together lazily as they both
waited for their breathing to return to normal. Finally he forced himself
up long enough to pull carefully out of Cupid, planting one last soft kiss
on Cupid’s forehead before he pulled the condom off and headed for the
bathroom. He had a feeling Cupid would be asleep when he got back, but he
didn’t even mind. He’d probably never get used to watching Cupid sleep,
either, but he was definitely willing to try.

~

This was the part Cupid hated; not that he’d ever spent a whole weekend with
Strife before, but he’d said goodbye to him a few times now and he had a
feeling it was going to be even harder after spending forty-eight hours
together. When he’d showed up at the club on Friday night he’d been a
little worried that Strife would get sick of him before the weekend was
over, but they’d gotten along so well and had such a good time that Cupid
was almost sure Strife didn’t want him to leave any more than he wanted to.

They’d woken up together sometime after noon, and they’d both avoided the
subject of Cupid’s inevitable departure for as long as they could. In fact,
except for a quick trip to the bathroom they hadn’t even bothered to get out
of bed, and Cupid could definitely get used to spending his Sundays that
way. The day would be perfect if he didn’t have to go catch a train as soon
as they found something to eat, but he was going to be late getting home as
it was and he knew he couldn’t keep putting it off.

A heavy sigh escaped his throat as he pulled one of Strife’s tee shirts over
his head and ran a hand through hair still damp from the shower, listening
to the sound of the shower for a moment before he pulled open the door to
Strife’s room. He knew if he stayed there and listened to the sound of
running water he was going to give in to the temptation to join Strife in
the shower, and considering what had happened the last time he did that he
was pretty sure it would be a bad idea. He wandered down the hall in the
direction of the living room, forgetting about the possibility of Hercules
being home until he walked into the kitchen and saw Iolaus sitting at the
table flipping through a magazine.

“Hey,” Cupid said, smiling shyly when Iolaus glanced up at him. “Mind if
I…?”

The older boy shook his head when Cupid gestured toward a chair, looking
back down at the magazine as Cupid pulled the chair out and sat down across
from him. “Where’s Strife?”

“Shower.” Cupid flushed when Iolaus looked up and then right back down
again. “Listen, I’m sorry about that, I didn’t know you guys had a rule.”

“Forget it.” Iolaus shrugged and closed the magazine, pushing it aside and
stealing another quick glance at Cupid. “It’s probably a dumb rule. Like
the ‘no dating’ thing.”

“Guess that’s pretty much dead,” Cupid said. When Iolaus nodded Cupid
leaned forward a little, clearing his throat nervously before he continued.
“Listen, I probably shouldn’t ask this, and you can just tell me to mind my
own business, but is there something up with you and Hercules?”

“Me and…Herc?” Iolaus practically choked on his best friend’s name, his
cheeks flushing an alarming shade of red that made Cupid wish he’d kept his
mouth shut. “Why the fuck would you think that?”

“Sorry, I mean I didn’t think you were fucking or anything, just…” This
wasn’t coming out the way he’d planned, not that he’d really planned to
start nosing around in his boyfriend’s friends’ love lives. He couldn’t
help feeling sorry for the guy, though, especially when Cupid was almost
sure he was miserable. “…just that he seems pretty weirded out by me and
Strife, and it seems like it bothers you that it bothers him. You know?”

For a long moment Iolaus just stared at him, and Cupid was starting to
wonder if he’d even understood what he was trying to say when the older
boy’s face fell suddenly. “Strife must hate our fucking guts.”

“Strife? No…at least I don’t think so,” Cupid answered, frowning as he
wondered what he’d said to make Iolaus think that. “Why would he hate you?”

“Because we’re supposed to be his friends and we’ve been total dicks
about…you know. Herc’s been a complete asshole to you since you guys met,
and that whole thing in the bathroom…”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Cupid interrupted, part of him wishing he’d just
waited in Strife’s room. “I mean I don’t care.”

“No, I was an asshole,” Iolaus said. He let out a sigh and looked down at
his hands, his fingers twitching nervously against the table. “I mean I’ve
known forever that Strife’s into guys. I never really thought it was a big
deal until I walked in on you guys. I guess I just wasn’t expecting…”

“What?” Cupid prompted when Iolaus paused, forgetting to feel guilty about
bringing it up in the first place when he heard the hesitation in the other
boy’s voice.

For a moment Iolaus just stared at him with his mouth open, his cheeks
blazing as though whatever he wanted to say was more embarrassing even than
walking in on Cupid and Strife. Finally he let out a breath and shook his
head, leaning back in his chair and looking away. “It’s not important. The
point is that Herc was pissed about Strife breaking his word, so he hooked
up with Gabbie and now…well, Gabbie’s our friend, sort of, but especially
Xena, and now it’s just going to be weird.”

“So you don’t have a crush on Hercules.”

Cupid didn’t think it was possible for Iolaus to blush any harder, but as
soon as the words escaped his lips he found out how wrong he was. “Herc’s
so not into guys,” Iolaus muttered, refusing to meet Cupid’s gaze.

Cupid had been planning to take the question back as soon as he said it,
partly because he knew Strife was going to kill him and partly because he
felt bad for sticking his nose in Iolaus’ business when they didn’t even
really know each other. As soon as he heard Iolaus’ answer he knew he’d
been right all along, though, and he felt even more sorry for the older boy
than he had when he first sat down. He smiled sympathetically when Iolaus
stole another glance at him, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d
been holding when the corners of Iolaus’ mouth twitched.

“Listen, does me staying here bother you? Because…” He trailed off as soon
as he realized that he and Strife didn’t really have anywhere else to go,
not if they wanted any privacy at all.

Iolaus was already shaking his head, though, and Cupid was surprised at how
relieved he felt. “Nah, I mean it’s Strife’s place too. Herc’s never
around anymore anyway, so it’s not like you guys should have to feel weird
about being here.”

“So do you think this thing with Gabbie’s gonna last?”

“Who knows.” The older boy shrugged and relaxed visibly as the conversation
shifted away from Cupid’s sex life. “I mean Herc’s not really the type to
settle down with one chick for long, and considering he was just trying to
piss Strife off I doubt it’s true love or anything. It’s only been a couple
days, it’ll probably blow over soon.”

“It was kind of a shitty thing to do to Xena.”

“Yeah,” Iolaus said, a small sigh escaping his throat before he could stop
it. “Herc’s not a bad guy, at least not most of the time. And it’s not so
much that Strife being gay bugs him, it’s what it would do to the band if he
wasn’t so careful. So when you came along…we moved all the way out here to
try to get the band going, he’s just scared Strife’s gonna get distracted
and forget what we’re doing living in this shitty apartment in the first
place.”

Cupid grinned at the description of the apartment, glancing around at the
sparse furnishings before he turned back to Iolaus. “Trust me, it beats
living at home. As soon as I graduate I’m moving to the city, I can’t take
much more of the train ride from here to Neptune.”

As soon as he said it Iolaus glanced past him, and Cupid turned in time to
see Strife heading down the hall toward them. His whole face lit up in a
grin as he pushed his chair back and stood up, sliding an arm around the
older boy’s waist when Strife stopped in front of him. “Ready?” Strife
asked, his voice vibrating against Cupid’s skin.

Cupid was tempted to pout at the mention of leaving Strife’s apartment, but
they still had a little time together and he knew if he didn’t get home at a
reasonable hour his mother wouldn’t let him come into the city next weekend.
He nodded and leaned forward to press his lips against Strife’s jaw,
grinning when he felt a shiver roll through the body pressed against his.
When he pulled away to follow Strife toward the door he glanced back at the
table, wondering if Iolaus’ blush was going to be permanent.

“See you next weekend,” he called over his shoulder, grinning when Iolaus
nodded and waved distractedly. He was almost sure now that Iolaus was at
least curious about other guys, especially if just the sight of Cupid
kissing Strife’s cheek was enough to make his eyes glaze over. There had to
be something they could do to help him figure it out, he just had to figure
out a way to approach the subject without making Strife jealous. Iolaus was
a nice guy and he didn’t deserve to be so unhappy, not when he had friends
that could do something about it.


"Hey."

"Hey." Auto glanced over at Psyche as she leaned against the locker next to
his; judging by the way she was biting her lip it was obvious she wanted to
talk about something, and after the weekend he had a pretty good idea what
it was. He'd spent most of Sunday avoiding her just so he wouldn't have to
listen to the 'just friends' speech, and the last thing he wanted to do on
Monday morning was listen to her break up with him.

Where's Cupid?" he asked, hoping if their friend was around Psyche wouldn't
go through with it. He knew it was inevitable, but that didn't mean he
wanted to hear her say the words.

"Haven’t seen him. Listen, Auto, we should talk..."

"There he is," Auto interrupted, ignoring her frustrated sigh as he waved
Cupid over. He felt a little guilty for blowing her off, but not guilty
enough to actually hear her out. Not first thing in the morning, anyway.

"Hey," Cupid said when he reached them, frowning suspiciously as he glanced
at first Auto and then Psyche. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Auto answered before Psyche had a chance. "So how'd your dad
like the show?"

"My dad? He liked it okay, I guess. It's not really his kind of music. I
just thought Joxer might want to see Strife sing."

"Joxer? Why?"

"He's Strife's uncle," Cupid answered, casting another quick glance at
Psyche. "Don't you guys ever talk?"

"We haven't had much chance," Psyche interjected. "Speaking of which..."

"Joxer's Strife's uncle? Whoa, what are the chances of that," Auto said,
slinging an arm around Cupid's shoulders as he led him down the hall away
from Psyche. He'd heard them talking about it at the club when they thought
he wasn't listening, but he wasn't about to let on that he'd heard part of
their conversation. If he did Psyche might figure out that he already knew
what she was trying to get at, and then there would be no avoiding it. He
wasn't even sure why he was trying to avoid breaking up with her, but as
soon as she said it out loud it would be real and it seemed to him that the
longer he put it off the easier the rest of the school year would be.

Okay, and there was a small part of him that just liked messing with her to
see how far he could push her before she got really mad, but that had always
been the way they interacted. So in a way he was just upholding his end of
their friendship, and when she got tired of it she'd let him know in one way
or another. In a way he was hoping to avoid the conversation altogether; he
didn't see any reason they couldn't just go on the way things had always
been, and if they didn't sleep together anymore it was no big deal. It
didn't have to be, anyway, because even though Psyche was a girl she'd never
been the type to get all weird and emotional on him about stuff like this.
That was the whole reason he'd spent so much time with her during high
school, and he didn't see any reason they couldn't just go on being friends.

He half-listened to Cupid's rambling explanation of how he and Strife
discovered that they were sort of already family, and even though he thought
that was a bit of a stretch he didn't point it out. His friend sounded
thrilled that his boyfriend had turned out to be related to his dad's
boyfriend, and if Cupid thought that was a good thing Auto wasn't going to
burst his bubble. He'd find out sooner or later that it wasn't nearly as
cool as he thought it was going to be, but that wasn't the kind of thing you
could tell people. There were certain things they just had to learn the
hard way, and Cupid was one of those optimistic types that probably wouldn't
listen even if Auto did try to warn him.

"That's great, Cupe," Auto said vaguely when the other boy paused. He
glanced over his shoulder to make sure Psyche was still behind them, turning
away the second their eyes met. "Listen, I gotta run. Last-minute
homework, you know. Catch you guys later."

He turned down the hall in the direction of his homeroom without waiting for
an answer, leaving behind a frustrated and angry-looking Psyche, and an
equally confused-looking Cupid. "What was that all about?" Cupid asked as
he watched Auto disappear down the hall, oblivious to the look on Psyche's
face.

"He's avoiding me, that's what it's about," she answered, crossing her arms
over her chest as she watched her boyfriend practically run down the hall.

"Avoiding you? Did you guys have a fight or something?" Cupid asked,
finally turning to look at his friend.

"Not exactly." A frustrated sigh escaped Psyche's throat as she turned back
to Cupid, her shoulders falling when she took in his concerned expression.
"Listen, Cupe, this is just between us for now, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, Psyche. Of course."

"Good." She smiled reassuringly at him and looped an arm through his,
dragging him out of the flow of traffic before she continued. "The truth is
I've been thinking about breaking up with Auto."

"Really?" Cupid blinked back his shock and glanced down the hall in the
direction the other boy had disappeared. "But you guys have been
together…forever."

She stopped just short of rolling her eyes, dropping his arm and glancing
around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before she turned to face him
again. "It feels that way, anyway. Look, I know it seems like this is
coming out of left field, but the truth is that it's been coming for awhile
now. Auto knows it, that's why he's avoiding me. He just doesn't want to
deal with it because once we're not a couple anymore he has to deal with
what he really wants."

"Which is...?"

This time she did roll her eyes, but she stopped just short of saying 'you,
doofus'. That was the best answer to the question, but she couldn't just
blurt it out after she'd spent over a month protecting him from the truth.
And anyway she wasn't a hundred percent sure that Auto was in love with
Cupid anymore; she was starting to think that maybe he'd just latched onto
Cupid because he was a safe guy to have a crush on, and now that Cupid was
off the market he was scared to move on to somebody that could actually
develop into something.

"Not me, that's for sure," she finally answered. "Look, Cupe, just do me a
favor and don't tell him I told you this. I'll corner him eventually, I
just have to wait until his guard's down."

"Sure, Psyche," he said. "Listen, are you sure you don't want me to talk to
him? I could maybe drop a few hints..."

"No," Psyche answered a little too forcefully. When she saw Cupid flinch
she smiled as gently as she could and shook her head. "Sorry. It's
alright, I need to do it myself. Anyway you've got enough going on already.
How're things going with Strife?"

"Amazing," Cupid answered, a dreamy smile lighting up his features at the
mention of his boyfriend's name. Psyche couldn't help grinning back at him
when he smiled that way; she knew exactly how it felt to be infatuated with
someone, and she was happy for him that it was working out. "He's coming
down to meet Mom this week."

"You told your mom about him?"

"Not yet," Cupid said, frowning when he caught the skeptical expression on
his friend's face. "Why does everybody think she's going to freak out?
She's going to love him."

Psyche shrugged and swallowed the urge to argue with him. "Whatever you
say, Cupe, she's your mom. You would know. So are you gonna invite him to
the graduation party?"

"Is it okay?"

She rolled her eyes again and gave him a playful smack on his bicep. "Of
course it's okay, moron. It's my party and you're one of my best friends.
If you want to bring your boyfriend you should. In fact, he should bring
Xena and the guys if he wants. Well, maybe not the thick-necked one."

Cupid laughed and pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning against,
sliding an arm around her shoulders to lead her down the hall in the
direction of their classrooms. "Somehow I doubt Hercules would be
interested in a high school graduation party. I bet the others would come,
though. Iolaus could use a little fun, even if it is just hanging out with
a bunch of kids."

"What's wrong with Iolaus?" she asked, frowning up at him as they stopped in
front of her homeroom.

"Nothing, he just seems a little lonely," Cupid answered, letting go of her
and shifting his books into his other arm as he backed down the hall. "See
you later, Psyche."

"Yeah, see you," she called after him, watching him go until she couldn't
see him anymore. Something told her there was more to Cupid's interest in
Iolaus than he was saying, but she didn't think she really wanted to know
what it was.

~

When he heard the door open Cupid tensed, then he blushed and forced himself
to relax again. There was no reason to be nervous, he'd been telling
everyone for days that his mother was going to love Strife. She knew he was
gay so the biggest hurdle was already past, and she wanted him to be happy.
He knew she did, and as soon as she saw how happy Strife made him she'd be
fine with it. He listened as his mother dropped her keys on the table next
to the front door and headed toward the kitchen, mumbling to herself as she
thumbed through the mail.

"Hey, Mom," Cupid said, grinning as casually as he could when she looked up
from the stack of bills. "Wow, you look great. Is that dress new?"

She frowned and dropped the mail on the table, setting her purse and
briefcase down next to the stack of envelopes. "Alright, what'd you do?"

"Do? Nothing," Cupid answered, working up the most convincing pout he could
manage. "Can't a guy just give you a compliment for no reason?"

"A guy, yes. My seventeen-year-old son, no." She grinned when he gave her
a look of mock hurt and turned away from him to reach into the fridge for
two sodas. He took the one she offered him and watched her sink into the
chair across from him, holding his breath as he waited for her to settle in
for an explanation. "So what's up? You've already asked about going to
your father's this weekend, so I know it's not that. You didn't get
suspended for something those friends of yours did, did you?"

He stopped himself from rolling his eyes at the way she said the word
'friends'; he was fairly convinced that she didn't really hate them, at
least not as blatantly as his father did. In fact sometimes he thought she
might actually like Psyche, but Auto seemed to have a negative affect on
parents no matter what he did. Cupid figured it had something to do with
the leather, or possibly the amount of metal in his ears. Which wasn't
going to endear Strife to her, but if she knew how much Cupid liked him
maybe she'd at least give him a shot.

"I didn't get suspended," he answered, swallowing a grin when she let out a
dramatic sigh and took a sip from her soda.

"Okay, well it's too late in the year for you to be failing any classes. Oh
God, that's it, isn't it? You're failing something."

"Mom, relax," Cupid said, reaching to pull her soda out of the way as he
watched her start to panic. "It doesn't have anything to do with school. I
met someone."

Okay, that wasn't exactly the way he'd planned to break it to her, but it at
least had an interesting affect. She'd gone completely silent, anyway, and
if he wasn’t mistaken she was doing an impression of the fish he'd killed
when he was six by trying to share his Kool-Aid with it. "Mom, breathe."

"You...what do you mean, you met someone? Someone at school?"

"No, Mom. Somebody in the city." He knew that word was going to set her
off faster than anything else he could have said, but he wasn't sure how
else to put it. It wasn't like he could say that Joxer had introduced them,
and if he brought up his father it might just make things worse. "He's
great, Mom. You'll love him."

"Where...in the city did you meet...what's his name?"

"Strife," Cupid said, holding his breath as he prayed she wouldn't ask his
last name yet. He'd break that part to her as soon as she got used to the
idea of him having a boyfriend. Which might take a little longer than he'd
predicted, judging by the color of her face. "He sings in a band that Auto
took us to see."

"You're dating somebody you met in a club? Oh, Cupid," she said, her
expression instantly turning sympathetic. He wasn't exactly sure what he'd
been expecting, but pity wasn't it. There was no reason for her to feel
sorry for him unless she thought he couldn't take care of himself, and he
didn't want to believe that his own mother thought he was as naïve as
everyone else did.

"What? So I met him in a club, what's the big deal? It's been a month,
Mom. It's not like I'm just some groupie."

"A month? You've been seeing this person for a month and you're just
telling me now?"

As soon as he realized what he'd said he flushed and looked away, wishing
there was a way to press rewind and start the whole conversation over from
the beginning. "Well at first it wasn't really anything, and then things
just sort of happened. It's kind of a long story."

"Does your father know about this?"

Her tone let him know exactly what she was asking, and he rolled his eyes as
he turned to look at her again. "Yes, he knows, and no, he wasn't helping
me hide anything. He just met Strife this weekend, and I was going to
invite him down for dinner to meet you this week."

"Well at least now I know why you've been spending so much time in the city
lately," she muttered half to herself. She pushed her chair back and stood
up, crossing to the counter to pull her favorite cookbook off a shelf. When
she returned to the table she set it down and folded her hands on top of it,
leaning forward and fixing him with her most serious expression. "You are
being safe, aren't you? I know we've talked about it but sometimes when
people get caught up in the heat of the moment..."

"Mom," he moaned, his cheeks flushing as she launched into her safe sex
speech. "Please tell me you're not going to do this when Strife's here."

She rolled her eyes and flipped the cookbook open, flipping to the index as
she muttered to herself. "Honestly, I don't know what the big deal is. You
kids can practically take off all your clothes in public and simulate sex on
a dance floor, but you can't talk about it with your own parents. It's not
like I'm not a professional."

"Just please promise me you're not going to do this when he's here."

"Fine, I promise," she said, letting out an exaggerated sigh and looking up
at him again. "Wednesday's best for me. I have group Thursday night and on
Friday I'm going out."

He raised an eyebrow but swallowed the question when she arched an elegant
eyebrow right back at him. "Okay, none of my business. I'm gonna go call
Strife and ask him if he can make it." He leaned down and planted a quick
kiss on her cheek before he bolted for the relative safety of his bedroom,
barely remembering to breathe until he closed the door behind him. He
leaned back against it for a long moment while he caught his breath, then he
forced his eyes open and crossed to his bed to pick up the phone and dial
Strife's number.

"Hello?"

"Is Strife there?" he asked when the voice sounded on the other end of the
line.

"No, he's out...Cupid? That you?"

"Yeah. Hey, Iolaus," Cupid said, swallowing a sigh of relief that Hercules
hadn't answered the phone.

"He's at his uncle's. Said something about dinner," Iolaus said. "Hey, is
it true his uncle lives with your dad?"

"Yeah. Small world," Cupid answered. "Thanks, Iolaus."

"Sure thing. Catch you later, Cupid."

He hung up and dialed his father's phone number, his heart pounding a little
harder at the thought of Strife alone with his father and Joxer. Granted if
they were going to tell embarrassing stories about him they wouldn't have
any problems at all doing it while he was sitting right there, but at least
he'd be able to defend himself. When the line connected he took a deep
breath, waiting impatiently while Joxer said something to Ares before he
answered the phone.

"Hey, Joxer. It's Cupid."

"Hi, Cupid. Your dad's right here."

"Actually I was looking for Strife. Iolaus said he was at your place."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, then Joxer cleared
his throat and Cupid was almost sure he was trying not to laugh. "Sure,
Cupid. He's playing the piano. Hang on just a second, I'll get him."

It felt like forever before Strife finally picked up the phone, but
according to Cupid's alarm clock it was less than two minutes. When the
other boy answered he sounded more than a little nervous, and Cupid couldn't
help wondering if it was a bad idea to call Strife while he was at Ares' and
Joxer's place. "Cupe?"

"Hey," Cupid said, relaxing marginally at the sound of the other boy's
voice. "Iolaus told me where you were."

"Yeah? I'll hafta remember ta say thanks." Cupid could hear the smile in
Strife's voice, and he felt the rest of his nervous tension ease out of him
as he stretched out on his bed. "So what's up?"

"My mom wants you to come for dinner on Wednesday," Cupid answered. "Think
you can make it?"

He heard a muffled inhale on the other end of the line, then Strife cleared
his throat and Cupid couldn't help smiling at the fact that his boyfriend
was nervous about meeting his mom. "Uh...yeah, I think I can get the van.
Ya sure she wants ta feed me? I mean I could just swing by or somethin'..."

"Strife." Cupid waited until he was sure the other boy wasn't going to
start babbling again before he continued. "She wants to feed you, trust me.
Besides, I want to see you. So you'll be here? Say around 6:00?"

"Yeah, sure, Cupe. 6:00. No problem."

"Good. I'll see you then. And Strife?"

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor and tell my dad I said hi." Cupid grinned as he pictured
Ares' expression when he realized Cupid wasn't going to ask for him, hanging
up the phone and folding his arms behind his head to stare up at the
ceiling. If anyone had asked him a few months ago if he thought his life
could be as perfect as it was he would have laughed at them, but now he
couldn't imagine a single thing that could make it better. Well, there was
the whole commuting to the city thing, but he had plans to fix that problem
as soon as he graduated. Once that was taken care of his life really would
be perfect, and there was nothing anybody could do to ruin it.

Strife hung up the phone and stared down at it for a long moment, his heart
pounding against his chest as he wondered what he'd just agreed to. He
liked the fact that Cupid wanted to see him in the middle of the week; more
than that, he loved it, because he'd been thinking about Cupid pretty much
non-stop since they said goodbye the day before. Hanging out at his uncle's
place where there were pictures of Cupid everywhere he looked didn't really
help, and it had been such a thrill to hear his boyfriend's voice on the
other end of the line that he hadn't really thought about what he was
agreeing to until he hung up.

He snapped out of it when a hand landed on his shoulder, looking up in time
to find his uncle frowning thoughtfully at him. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," he answered, swallowing hard against a fresh rush of nerves when he
glanced over at Ares and found the other man watching him. "Cupe wants me
ta meet his mom on Wednesday."

He didn't miss the glance the two older men exchanged, and his heart sank a
little further into his stomach as he sank into a kitchen chair and ran his
hands through his hair. "She's gonna hate me, isn't she?"

"No," Joxer answered too quickly, sinking into the chair next to Strife and
patting his shoulder reassuringly. "Dite's a wonderful person, and I'm sure
she'll see how much you and Cupid care about each other. She's very
perceptive."

Strife was tempted to ask how somebody that was so perceptive could have
missed the fact that her husband was gay all those years, but he bit his
tongue before he said anything he'd regret. "What if she does hate me,
though? Ya think she's gonna let Cupe come all the way ta the city knowin'
he's comin' ta see me?"

"She doesn't really have a choice," Ares interjected, his deep voice
surprising Strife and Joxer into looking up. He shrugged when he met
Joxer's gaze, clearing his throat before he turned his attention to Strife.
"Until Cupid's eighteen we share custody of him. And after his eighteenth
birthday she won't be able to tell him what to do at all. But I doubt she'd
forbid him to come into the city just because he's dating. She knew it
would happen eventually."

Joxer grinned at Ares before turning his attention back to his nephew,
running a soothing hand over the younger man's hair. "Ares is right, Dite's
a reasonable person. Besides, she's probably just as relieved as Ares was
that he's not dating Auto."

Strife flinched at the mention of Cupid's best friend. "Why would he be
datin' Auto?"

"He wouldn't," Joxer answered, his eyebrows raised at Strife's defensive
tone. "They just spend so much time together that for awhile we were a
little worried that eventually they'd end up together. Whenever Auto got
done using that poor girl to pretend he's not gay."

A soft chuckle surprised him into looking up again, and he couldn't help the
grin that formed when he saw Ares shaking his head. "He's young, he'll grow
out of it."

"Ares, did you just defend Auto?" Joxer asked.

Ares shrugged and turned back to the stove. "I'm just saying he's probably
confused, not that I think he'd be a good match for Cupid."

Joxer opened his mouth to answer, but before they got so lost in their
argument that they forgot he was even there Strife cleared his throat. "I
feel fer the guy, but can we get back ta me here? What do ya even wear ta
meet somebody's mom?"

"Depends on the mom," Joxer answered, stealing one last glance at the back
of Ares' head before he stood up. He took a moment to look Strife over,
frowning thoughtfully as he sized up his nephew. "You're probably too thin
for any of the clothes Cupid keeps here. Anyway Dite would recognize them,
she bought most of them. I might have something that would fit you, though.
Come on."

Strife followed Joxer out of the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder to see
if Ares was watching them as he followed the other man toward the back of
the apartment. He waited until they were in the master bedroom to ask any
questions, sinking onto the edge of the bed and watching while Joxer dug
through a closet for the right thing to impress Cupid's mother. "Hey Unc?"

"Yes?" Joxer asked, glancing over his shoulder long enough to raise an
eyebrow at Strife.

"Everythin' okay with you an' Ares? I didn't say anythin' ta mess things
up, did I?"

"No, of course not," Joxer answered without looking at him. Finally he
found the shirt he was looking for and held it out, frowning at it for a
long moment before he reached into the closet again. "I was just surprised
to hear him finally admit that he has something in common with Auto. To
tell you the truth, I think that's why he's always disapproved of that
friendship. He and Cupid's mother were together for a long time, and she
finally kicked him out. If she hadn't found out the hard way that he was
attracted to men they might still be married."

"Yeah, Cupe mentioned that." Strife took the shirt Joxer handed him,
setting it on the bed while he pulled his tee shirt over his head. He stood
up and picked up the gray button-down, stopping short of rolling his eyes at
the conservative shirt.

"Oh my…Strife, what did you do to yourself?"

"What?" Strife frowned down at his chest to make sure there was nothing out
of the ordinary before he craned his neck to try to get a look at his back.
"What, did somebody elbow me too hard at the club or somethin'?"

Joxer shook his head and dropped a blue shirt on the bed, shaking his head
as he looked his nephew up and down again. "I meant your tattoos. I guess
it really has been a long time since I saw you last."

Strife smirked when he realized it wasn't a bruise or a hickey making his
uncle look so horrified, reaching down to work on the buttons of the shirt.
"It started with just the arm band. Things just sorta happened from there,
ya know? It's kinda tough ta stop once ya get started."

"That’s interesting logic. Your mother must have had a cow when she saw all
this."

"Nah, she doesn't care. She wasn't that thrilled 'bout the piercings,
though." Strife grinned as he finished buttoning the shirt, shaking out the
sleeves to judge the length before he turned in a circle. "So? Ya think
this is the right look ta impress Cupe's mom?"

"You don't have to worry about impressing Dite," Joxer answered, but from
his tone Strife could tell his uncle was just trying to make him feel
better. "Just don't take off your shirt and you'll be fine."

Strife let out a weary sigh when Joxer handed him the blue shirt, slipping
the gray shirt off and handing it back to his uncle. "It doesn't matter,
she's gonna hate me."

"She's not going to hate you," Joxer assured him. "If she can forgive me
for getting Ares to move out of the loft above his karate studio and
settling down then she'll get over the fact that you're dating her son.
Besides, she's had a few years to get used to the idea that Cupid's going to
be dating. He was bound to bring someone home eventually."

"Yeah, but she was probably expectin' somebody younger. Like maybe somebody
that's still in high school."

Joxer sighed and took a few steps toward him, tugging on the collar of the
shirt until he was satisfied that it was hanging evenly. "You're worrying
too much. It's just a couple years, it's not like Cupid's bringing home
someone twice his age. Besides, she already knows part of your family,
that'll make her feel better."

"Does she know about Pop?"

"You're not your father, Strife." Joxer laid a hand on each of Strife's
shoulders, waiting until the younger man looked up at him before he
continued. "She's not going to hold that against you."

"Come on, Unc, how could she not? It's one thing fer you an' Ares, she's
probably glad ta have him off her hands. But Cupid's her kid."

A smirk tugged at the corners of Joxer's mouth, but he swallowed it as
quickly as it appeared and cleared his throat. "Dite's a very interesting
woman. You might be surprised at how well you get along with her." He
smiled at Strife's skeptical look, patting his nephew on the shoulder before
he stood back to study the image he presented. "Definitely the blue one."

"Thanks, Unc," Strife said as he unbuttoned the shirt and pulled his tee
shirt back on.

"My pleasure. Have you thought about what we talked about last time you
were here?"

"I dunno. Ya think he'd really wanna see me?"

"Strife, he's your father. Of course he wants to see you." Joxer sighed
again when Strife frowned at him, hanging the gray shirt back in the closet
before he turned back to the other man. "You don't have to decide right
now. I'm not trying to put any pressure on you, Strife. But he'd like to
see you. It's been a long time."

"Yeah, alright," Strife muttered, carefully folding the shirt Joxer had lent
him before he followed his uncle back out of the room. The truth was that
he hadn't thought much about Joxer's suggestion that they go back to Detroit
and visit his father since the last time he'd been there; he'd been so busy
thinking about Cupid and worrying about what was going to happen between
them that he'd managed to forget all about it. He didn't really want to
think about it, because thinking about it meant making a decision. Part of
him almost wanted to go, if for no other reason than to see if his old man
lived up to his memories. The rest of him was terrified about reconnecting
with someone who had become a stranger to him, so he'd been avoiding making
the decision.

He followed Joxer back into the kitchen, managing a weak grin when Ares set
a plate down in front of him. "Find something that you can use?" Ares
asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Strife answered, glancing over at Joxer and matching his
smile. "Now I just hafta get through the next two days."

~

Cupid jumped when the doorbell rang, practically vaulting off the couch in
his effort to beat his mother to the front door. He'd been completely
useless all day at school, and even his teachers had eventually given up on
trying to keep his mind on schoolwork. The day had dragged mercilessly, and
when he finally got home time had slowed down even more. He was sure he was
going to go crazy waiting for Strife to show up, and when the doorbell
finally rang he didn't even care if he looked too anxious.

He pulled the door open and immediately sucked in a sharp breath; it was
Strife, alright, but he looked…different. The wild spikes were almost tame,
and at least half the metal that usually adorned Strife's ear was missing.
He was wearing a blue cotton button-down that matched his eyes almost
perfectly, and Cupid was almost positive the black pants he was wearing had
been ironed. Either that or they were brand-new, because there was
definitely a crease. The only thing Cupid did recognize about the man
standing before him was his ratty black high-tops, and Cupid found himself
breathing a sigh of relief that at least Strife's shoes were recognizable.

"What?" Strife asked, his voice betraying his nervousness as he waited for
Cupid to shut his mouth and let him in.

"Sorry, you just…you look different. I mean you look good, but…different."

"Borrowed a shirt from Unc," Strife said, smoothing a pale hand
self-consciously over his chest. "I look like a total dork, huh?"

All Cupid could manage was a shake of his head as he closed a hand around
Strife's arm and pulled him over the threshold, kicking the door shut before
he wrapped his arms around the smaller man and breathed in the clean scent
of shampoo and Strife. "You look great," Cupid breathed against the other
boy's neck, stifling a sigh when he felt Strife's arms circle his waist to
draw him even closer. "You don't have to try to impress my mom, though.
She's gonna be crazy about you."

He had a feeling Strife didn't believe him, but he was happy to say it over
and over again until it finally sank in. It didn't matter what his mother
thought anyway; he wasn't about to give up Strife no matter what anyone
said, so his mother's opinion of his boyfriend was the last thing on his
mind. He'd been jumpy and nervous all day because he'd been anticipating
this moment, and now that Strife was within touching distance again he
didn't care what happened.

"Ya sure this is a good idea, Cupe?" Strife asked, pulling back to meet
Cupid's gaze. "I mean yer mom could walk in here any second…"

Cupid grinned and leaned forward, pressing his lips to the other boy's to
shut him up before he made himself any more nervous than he already was. He
felt Strife tense against him, but before long he forgot why he was worried
long enough to bury his hands in Cupid's hair and kiss him back. When they
parted Cupid was flushed and slightly breathless, a grin lighting up his
features. "I missed that."

"Yeah?" The other boy looked genuinely surprised, and Cupid had the sudden
urge to push him up against the door and show him exactly how much he'd
missed him. He knew even his mother wouldn't go for that, though, and he
didn't want to start the evening off on the wrong foot.

"Yeah," he answered, smiling when Strife flushed a little and looked away.
"Don't worry about my mom, Strife. She's totally cool with this, honest.
She just wants to meet you."

"Bein' cool with yer kid havin' a boyfriend and walkin' in on 'em is two
different things, Cupe."

"Strife, she's a couples therapist. She's seen everything, believe me,"
Cupid said, but he let go of the other boy and took a step backwards,
admiring the way his shirt brought out his eyes for another moment before he
caught Strife's hand and led him toward the kitchen. "You should wear that
color more often."

Strife was still looking down at his shirt in confusion when Cupid pushed
open the kitchen door and led him through, clearing his throat and waiting
until his mother looked up from her dinner preparations. "Mom, this is
Strife. Strife, this is my mom."

"Strife…that's such an unusual name."

"Yeah, and Cupid's so normal," Cupid muttered, but his mother ignored him as
she crossed the kitchen to take Strife's hand.

"Nice ta meet ya, missus…"

"Just call me Dite," Aphrodite said, pushing Strife into the nearest chair
before she moved back to the range and pulled the oven door open. "Where do
you go to school, Strife?"

Cupid flinched and sank into the chair closest to Strife, doing his best to
ignore the confused look the other boy sent him. "I don't. I was, but then
I dropped out."

He flinched again when he saw the flicker of shock in his mother's eyes,
imagining the lecture she was already coming up with on the importance of
education. He knew she'd find a way to bring up all his old friends from
back when he used to be a complete nerd; he just hoped she'd wait until
Strife left to get into that.

"Oh? And your parents…they don't mind?"

"My old man doesn't have much ta say 'bout what I do. Neither does my mom.
Not since I moved ta New York, anyway."

"Mom," Cupid interrupted before his mother had a chance to ask any more
questions, "Strife's from Detroit. He moved out here with his band just
before we met."

"I see," she answered slowly, her forehead creasing as she glanced from one
boy to the other. "So you're on your own?"

"Since I was eighteen," Strife answered. He shot Cupid another look, but
this time it wasn't so much confusion as a mixture of resignation and
betrayal. "I graduated from high school a coupla years ago. Did a year at
community college, then the band started ta take off and I dropped out."

Cupid held his breath while he waited for his mother's reaction; he hadn't
exactly been hiding their age difference from her, the truth was that it had
just slipped his mind. Granted it was only a couple of years, but his
parents could be weird about stuff like that and he knew if she thought he'd
purposely withheld information she'd be mad.

"So you're out here all alone? No wonder you're so thin. Cupid, you should
have brought Strife over for dinner before now. Someone's got to feed him,"
Dite said, setting a lasagna down on the table and reaching for Strife's
plate. She sent a sharp glance in Cupid's direction that let him know that
wasn't the end of the conversation, but at least she wasn't going to make a
big deal out of it in front of Strife. Cupid sent up a silent prayer of
thanks to the god of cool parents and handed his plate over, reaching under
the table to catch Strife's hand while his mother was preoccupied with
filling their plates.

"I've got an aunt that lives in the city," Strife said, dropping Cupid's
hand when Dite set an overflowing plate of food in front of him. "She's not
much of a cook, though. Cupe's dad, though…he can cook."

"So you've met Ares and Joxer?"

Cupid could tell by his mother's carefully controlled smile that she wasn't
thrilled to hear that they'd already had dinner at his father's place, and
he wished belatedly that he'd told her up front that Strife and Joxer were
related. It didn't seem like anything more than a weird coincidence until
he thought about his mother's reaction the first time Joxer had come down to
Neptune to meet her, and thinking back on it he knew he should have at least
prepared her.

"Funny thing, Mom. It turns out that Joxer's actually Strife's uncle.
Small world, huh?"

Dite's hand froze in mid-air, her fingers clutching her fork a little harder
than necessary. She swallowed and looked over at Cupid, raising her
eyebrows in an expression he knew all too well before she turned back to
Strife again. "I should have guessed. I can see the family resemblance.
But didn't you say you two met in a club?"

"Yes," Cupid answered quickly, stealing a quick glance at Strife as he
prayed the other boy would forgive him for handling this so badly. His
mother had been the last thing on his mind for the past few days, and now
that he had them both in the same room he was realizing how much he'd done
wrong. There was so much about being in a relationship that he didn't know
yet, and so far he'd managed to screw up almost everything about Strife's
first meeting with his mother. "We didn't figure it out until this
weekend."

"Well that's quite a coincidence," she said, folding her hands in front of
her as she watched the two of them push their food around on their plates.
"Joxer's been so good for Ares, don't you think, Cupid? Your dad's a whole
new man these days."

"Yeah, Joxer's great," Cupid said. "Runs in the family."

"I'm sure it does." Dite flashed a bright smile at Strife and picked up her
fork again. "You'll have to tell me all about this band of yours, Strife.
And don't forget to save room for dessert, I made Cupid's favorite."


Title: Stupid Cupid 23: Matchmaker
Author/pseudonym: Caroline
Fandom: X:WP
Pairing: Cupid/Strife, Joxer/Ares, Xena/Psyche, Herc/Gabbie, Auto/Psyche,
etc. etc.
Rating: NC17
Status: new
Archive: yes to list archives
E-mail address for feedback: caroline_crane@hotmail.com
Series/Sequel: Sadly, yes. Shouldn't there really be a "Universe" option for
this question? It seems more appropriate somehow. Anyway you can find the
whole mess at my web site.
Other websites: http://desiderium.slashcity.net/

Notes:

Summary and warnings can be found in various and sundry parts of this thing.
Or just go to my web site.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yer favorite dessert's got mini marshmallows in it?" Strife leaned close
to Cupid, dropping his voice to a whisper so Dite wouldn't overhear him.
His own mother came up with some weird food, but this was out there even for
her. Dinner at their house usually consisted of whatever wasn't frozen to
the bottom of the freezer, and dessert was practically unheard of.

"Since I was a kid she's thought this was my favorite," Cupid answered,
flashing an apologetic grin when he looked over at Strife. "To tell you the
truth I've always thought it was kind of gross, but I never had the heart to
tell her."

"What's it called?" Strife wrinkled his nose at the gelatinous mass of
white in front of him, poking at what might have been part of a tiny orange
with his fork.

"Ambrosia salad."

Strife frowned down at it for another moment before finally spearing an
orange and lifting it to his mouth. And the funny thing was that it
tasted…not that bad. It was pretty sweet, but he’d always enjoyed a good
sugar rush and it had been a long time since anybody had made a big fuss
over him. Cupid’s parents were nothing like his own mother, and the fact
that they weren’t together anymore just meant twice as many invitations to
dinner. That was, if they didn’t forbid Cupid to ever see him again. He
still hadn’t decided what Dite thought of him, although so far she’d
actually been nice. She seemed interested in what he had to say, anyway,
and that was more than he could say for most of the parents he’d been
introduced to in his life.

"You don’t have to eat it."

"I like it," he said, glancing over at Cupid in time to catch the other
boy's vaguely disgusted expression. "What? It’s good."

Cupid just grimaced and shook his head, shoving his own dish a little closer
to his boyfriend. "You can have mine too, then. Mom's really gonna love
you if you’ll eat anything she puts in front of you."

The idea of Cupid’s mother actually liking him hadn't even entered Strife's
mind; he'd been so busy worrying about how much she was going to hate him
that it had never dawned on him that she might trust Cupid’s judgment. His
own mother never liked any of his friends, even the ones that he thought
were pretty normal. She'd never liked Iolaus or Herc, and the only reason
she put up with Xena was because Xena's mom was Eris' sister. He'd decided
a long time ago that she just didn't like kids much, and once they'd all
grown up she just forgot to notice that they were adults now.

He stole a quick glance at Cupid's mother as she shut the dishwasher and
crossed back to the table, folding her legs under her as she sat down across
from them. She smiled at him and he couldn’t help grinning back at her,
gesturing with his fork toward his bowl. "This is great."

"Thank you, Strife. You haven't said much about your family since you got
here. I'm sure you must miss home, being so far away."

"Nah," he answered, shrugging and stealing a quick glance at Cupid. The
last thing he wanted to do was tell her about his family, but he wasn't sure
how much she'd already heard from Joxer. Chances were she already knew the
truth about his dad and she was just waiting to see if he’d admit it. "I
was never real close ta my mom, and I haven't seen my old man since he got
sent up. That was when I was just a kid. Unc's been bugging me ta go back
ta Detroit an' visit him, though."

He felt Cupid tense next to him, frowning as he stole a quick glance at the
other boy. Maybe he shouldn’t have just tossed it out there like it was no
big deal, but if Cupid had wanted him to keep it a secret he should have
mentioned it. He couldn't ask what was wrong while Dite was sitting right
there, though, and he wasn't sure he was going to get another chance to talk
to Cupid alone before the weekend.

"I think I remember Ares mentioning something about that," Dite said,
surprising Strife into looking back at her. She didn't seem bothered by the
revelation that his father was in prison, at least, and he wasn't sure if he
should consider that a good thing or a bad thing. "Back when he first
started dating Joxer. Lord, that was ages ago. It’s hard to believe
they've been together four years, isn't it, Cupid?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah," Cupid answered distractedly, tearing his gaze away from
Strife long enough to look over at his mother. "Mom, Strife doesn't want to
talk about his parents. He's gotta head back soon anyway."

"Okay, okay, I can take a hint." Dite rolled her eyes and stood up again.
"Go on, you two. Strife, don’t be a stranger."

Strife stammered a thanks in Dite's general direction as Cupid hauled him
out of his chair, stumbling a little when the other boy ushered him out of
the kitchen and toward the stairs that led to his bedroom. He could tell
something was bothering Cupid, but he didn’t get why the younger boy was so
upset that he'd brought up his father. Dite had asked him about his family,
after all, and it wasn't like he could lie to her about it. "Cupe, what's
the deal?" he asked once he found himself in Cupid's bedroom.

"So are you going?"

"Goin' where?" Strife asked, frowning as he watched Cupid cross his arms
over his chest.

"Back to Detroit. You just said Joxer was trying to talk you into going to
visit your father."

It was hard not to laugh when he figured out what Cupid was so worked up
about, but it was such a relief to know that they weren't about to have
another fight that he couldn’t stop the grin that formed. "Is that what yer
so uptight about? I thought ya were pissed I brought up my old man at all."

"Of course not," Cupid answered. His frown deepened but his shoulders
relaxed a little as he inched a little closer. "I'm not trying to hide
anything from my mom, Strife. Besides, she doesn't care about stuff like
that. She knows better than anybody that what your parents do doesn't have
anything to do with you."

He felt his grin grow a little wider and he knew he must look like a
complete idiot, but he couldn’t stop it so he finally gave up trying and
leaned forward to brush his lips across Cupid’s cheek. "Yer really
somethin', ya know?"

He watched Cupid roll his eyes and let out a little huff of air before he
slowly uncrossed his arms to pull Strife closer. "So are you going or not?"

"I don't know yet, Cupe. He just asked me about it when we were over there.
Unc seems ta think Pop wants ta see me."

"Well he is your father. He probably wonders what you're doing," Cupid
said. "How come you didn't tell me about it this weekend?"

Strife didn’t really have an answer for that, at least not one he could say
out loud to Cupid. The truth was that he hadn't really thought Cupid would
care, and he definitely hadn't been expecting such a strong reaction.
"'Cause it doesn't matter," he finally answered. "It'd just be a coupla
days if I did go, and Unc would be there too. I don't even know if I wanna
see him." The last thing he wanted to do was get into a big discussion with
Cupid about his father, but he could tell from the expression on the other
boy's face that that was the direction they were headed in if he didn't
change the subject fast. "So why'd ya look so freaked out when I said I was
thinkin' 'bout goin' ta see him, anyway?"

A hot blush crept into Cupid's cheeks as he looked down at Strife's chest,
and Strife couldn't resist splaying his fingers across the other boy's
cheekbone to let the heat of his skin warm his palm. "Cupe? What's the big
deal?"

"It just threw me," Cupid said, letting out a deep breath before he looked
up again. "I heard you say you were thinking about going back there and…I
don't know. I thought maybe once you were home you wouldn't want to come
back."

He swallowed the urge to laugh because he knew Cupid would take it the wrong
way, contenting himself with shaking his head and clearing his throat before
he answered. "Cupe, ya gotta be kiddin' me. Trust me, if ya ever get ta
Detroit and meet my mom, you'll know why that's never gonna happen.
Besides, I kinda like it here."

"She can't be that bad."

"She's worse, believe me."

Cupid grinned but didn't argue with him, sliding his hands a little further
around the older boy's waist and backing them toward his bed. "So if you do
go, when do you think it'll be?"

He thought about resisting the insistent pull of strong hands urging him
down onto the mattress, but it was hard to resist anything Cupid wanted and
he knew it was going to be a long wait until Friday night. Besides, it
wouldn't hurt to just sit with him for a couple minutes, even if Cupid's
hands were already working their way under his shirt. "I dunno. Why?"

"Because Psyche's having this graduation party in a couple weeks, and she
told me to invite you. Xena and Iolaus, too."

Strife had a pretty good idea why Psyche would want to invite Xena to her
party, but he wasn't sure what Iolaus had to do with it. Still, it was nice
of her to include them, even if it was going to be a bunch of high school
kids. He knew if Cupid really wanted him there he wouldn't say no, and
having his own friends around might make it a little less awkward. "Yeah,
sure, Cupe. Just lemme know when an' I'll ask Xena an' Iolaus."

"Really? You want to go? Even though it's just a high school party?"

"Yeah, course I'll go. Ya do want me ta be there, right? I mean were ya
just bein' nice or what?"

"No," Cupid said, and Strife had to bite back a laugh at the panic on the
other boy's face. "I mean yes, I want you there. Of course I want you
there, Strife. I…"

He didn't know for sure what Cupid was about to say. For all Strife knew he
could have been about to finish that sentence with 'I thought maybe you guys
could play a few sets'. He wasn't about to take any chances, though,
especially not with Cupid's mom just downstairs. There was no way he could
listen to Cupid say anything he wasn't ready to hear, not when he had to
drive all the way back to the city so Cupid could get up in time for school
the next morning. And maybe it was a rotten thing to do, but he felt
himself pulling away before Cupid had a chance to finish his sentence. "I
should get goin'. Yer mom's probably wonderin' what we're doin' as it is."

"She's fine," Cupid said, and Strife had to swallow a shudder when he felt
the other boy's fingers slide across his back. "It's not like she doesn't
know we're sleeping together."

"She…" Strife trailed off, his jaw dropping as he stood up and glanced over
his shoulder toward the door. "Ya talk to yer mom about that stuff?"

Cupid shrugged and followed Strife off the edge of his mattress, sighing
when the other boy took another step backwards. "It's no big deal, Strife.
I told you, she's a therapist. She lives to embarrass me by asking
questions about safe sex."

"Oh." He knew in theory that that was what parents were supposed to do, but
just the thought of sitting through an entire dinner with Dite when she'd
known the whole time…and Cupid hadn't said anything. Not that he'd really
had a chance, but still. She had a point, though, and he'd been meaning to
talk to Cupid about that himself. "Listen, Cupe, since ya brought it up, I
was thinkin'. We should probably go get tested…I mean I haven't gone since
I got here, an' it'd make things easier..."

It took a few seconds for Cupid to realize what he was getting at, but when
it finally sank in the younger boy grinned and closed the rest of the
distance between them. "Yeah, sure, Strife. Whenever you want."

"Well I was thinkin'…" That was as far as he got before Cupid's mouth
landed on his, effectively cutting him off. He realized his mouth was still
open when he felt the other boy's tongue slide against his, swallowing
against a groan when Cupid grabbed his hips and hauled him even closer. He
finally managed to wrestle his way out of Cupid's grip before he lost all
track of where they were and who might walk in on them, panting and dragging
the back of his hand across his mouth. "…we could go this weekend. Fuck,
Cupe, I really gotta get outta here."

"I know, I know," Cupid muttered, but he didn't quite pull off the pout he
was going for.

Strife grinned and stepped forward again, pressing a soft kiss to the other
boy's lips. When he released him again he reached for Cupid's hand and
tugged him gently toward the door. "Come on, I'll let ya walk me ta the
door."

~

Cupid sighed and threw himself down on his bed, crossing his arms behind his
head to grin crazily up at the ceiling. Okay, so he'd come a little closer
than he'd expected to saying something Strife didn't want to hear tonight,
but even if his boyfriend wasn't ready to hear it he knew Strife at least
felt *something* for him. He had to, because he wanted to go get tested.
Together. That was a commitment, sort of, wasn't it? He wasn't really that
good at this whole dating thing, but it had to mean something. Besides,
Strife had looked more scared about his mom walking in than he was about
Cupid blurting out something stupid like 'I love you'. It wasn't really
stupid, though, because he knew it was true. He'd never felt this way
before, but he'd asked Joxer and his dad enough questions about it to know
what he was feeling.

A knock on his bedroom door startled him out of his thoughts, and he glanced
up just in time to watch his mother push the door open. "Everything okay?"
she asked.

"Sure, Mom," he said, pushing himself up on his elbows to grin at her.
"Everything's great."

"He's a nice boy," Dite said, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned
against the doorframe. "Despite the age difference and a few other things
you neglected to mention."

"Sorry." His grin turned sheepish, but he could tell by her expression that
she wasn't really mad. "A lot happened this weekend, I guess. I just
forgot about Joxer and everything."

She smiled and pushed herself off the door frame, crossing to his bed and
leaning over to plant a kiss on his forehead. "It's alright, Cupid. You
know I adore Joxer. What he sees in Ares I'll never understand."

"Mom…"

"Sorry." She flashed a mischievous grin and backed toward the door,
reaching for the door knob just as the phone rang.

He waved absently as she pulled the door shut, reaching for the phone and
pressing the 'talk' button. "Hello?"

"Hey. How'd it go?"

Cupid smiled at the sound of Psyche's voice, dropping back down onto his
pillows to cradle the phone against his ear. "It went well. At least I
think it did. My mom really liked him."

"She did?"

"Yeah. I told you she would," Cupid answered, grinning at the disbelief in
his friend's voice. "I know she can be overprotective, but she's trying.
It helped that he's related to Joxer."

"I still don't get how she can love Joxer so much and still get so mad about
your dad."

"Beats me. Parents are weird."

"I'll say," Psyche said, her voice lowering a little as though she was
afraid someone would overhear her. "So did you invite him to
you-know-what?"

"Yeah. I still can't believe you think your parents aren't going to find
out about the party."

"How are they gonna find out? They'll be in Europe or somewhere. As long
as they don't hear about it before it happens we're fine."

He rolled his eyes but didn't bother to argue; he knew better than to try to
talk Psyche out of something once she'd made up her mind, and anyway he'd
been looking forward to the party for awhile. Besides, he'd known her long
enough to know that she usually got away with whatever she set her mind to,
and if her parents found out about the party after the fact they wouldn't be
able to do anything about it.

"So have you cornered Auto yet?"

"No," she answered, and he could hear the frustration in her voice. "He
knows it's coming, I can tell by the way he's avoiding me. Sometimes I just
wish he'd meet somebody else, then he could tell himself he was dumping me
and we'd both get what we want."

As soon as she said it Cupid sat up straight, a grin tugging at the corners
of his mouth as he wondered why he hadn't thought of it in the first place.
"Maybe he can."

"Cupe, come on. Who's gonna put up with Auto?"

"Granted it's a long shot, but it might work. You know how Strife's
convinced that Iolaus is into guys and just won't admit it, right?"

"Yeah, but Auto?" He knew she was getting ready to argue with him, but not
even the idea that Psyche thought he was nuts bothered him. It would work
if they played it right, but he was going to need her help to figure out a
plan.

"Why not? They're both good-looking guys, and Auto's the perfect guy to be
Iolaus' first."

"I don't know, Cupe. Auto's got this thing about being with another guy by
himself."

Cupe frowned at that, tucking the new piece of information in the 'think
about later' section of his brain. "Well Iolaus isn't exactly out either.
They're totally perfect for each other."

"Two closet cases? How is that perfect? We probably won't even be able to
get them to talk to each other."

"Sure we can. We just make them think it's not just them. You know, just
like you and Auto used to do all the time. That way he'll think you're not
about to break up with him, and Iolaus will just think it's a threesome. By
the time he figures out he's doing it with a guy it won't matter anymore."

"You're kidding, right? Cupe, I'm trying to break up with him here."

A frustrated sigh escaped Cupid's throat, and he shook his head even though
she couldn't see him. "I know, that's why they'll just think you're part of
the deal. All you have to do is get them alone in a room together. And the
party's the perfect place."

For a long moment Psyche didn't say anything, but just when Cupid had begun
to wonder if she'd hung up he heard a soft laugh on the other end of the
line. "I had no idea how sneaky you could be, Cupe. I have to say I'm
impressed."

"So you'll do it?"

"I'll think about it," she answered, but he could tell by her tone that she
was going to go along with his plan.

"That's all I ask," he said. He'd wanted to do something to help Iolaus,
and now he'd thought of a way to help Auto at the same time. Matchmaking
was something he usually left to Psyche, but it was so obvious that he was
surprised he hadn't thought of it right away. One thing was for sure; he
couldn't wait to run his idea past Strife.


Cupid fingered the Band-Aid covering the spot where they'd drawn his blood,
trying hard not to smile too much and let on just how much he liked the fact
that they'd gone to the clinic together. As far as he was concerned that
made them an official couple, at least as close to official as he'd ever
gotten before. Not that he'd had too many doubts about their status before
they got tested together, but sometimes when he was in New Jersey and Strife
was all the way in New York it was hard not to wonder a little.

He wasn't exactly sure what Strife did all day, and sometimes he caught his
imagination wandering to some pretty weird scenarios about how his
boyfriend spent his time. He knew it was just because he'd never had an
actual boyfriend before, but that didn't make it any easier to deal with the
fact that they hardly ever saw each other.

Of course that would all be changing soon enough, and if things went well
today then as soon as he graduated from high school his life would be
perfect. "You're sure you don't mind?" he asked for the tenth time,
glancing over at Strife again.

"I already told ya no, Cupe," Strife said, but the grin tugging at the
corners of his mouth ruined the effect of his exasperated tone. "What's the
big deal, anyway? We're just goin' ta see yer old man, right?"

"No big deal," Cupid answered, shrugging as nonchalantly as he could manage.
"I just need to ask him something. I'm not sure how he's going to take
it, though."

"Yer dad's crazy about ya. I bet he's never said no to ya in yer life."

"Are you kidding? My parents are both insane about some things. It took me
forever just to talk my mom into letting me take the train to the city by
myself. And you've seen the way my dad acts about Auto and Psyche."

"So what're ya gonna ask him that's so bad?" Strife asked, raising an
eyebrow when Cupid shifted nervously on his seat.

"It's kind of about college," Cupid said, looking away from Strife as the
train they were on rolled to a stop. He still wasn't sure how Strife was
going to react once Cupid announced that he was planning to move to the
city; he hoped Strife would want him around, but it was hard to know what
the other boy was thinking. "I'm going to NYU, and since I'll be taking
classes in the city I figured it would be easier if I lived here."

"So…what, yer gonna move in with yer old man?"

"It depends on what he says when I ask him." Cupid bit his lip and
pretended to be fascinated with the spectacle of the train doors closing so
he wouldn't accidentally make eye contact with Strife. He knew he was a
terrible liar, and if he looked at the other boy Strife would definitely be
able to tell he wasn't being completely honest. Not that it was a *lie*,
not in the strictest sense of the definition, anyway. It was up to his
father whether or not Cupid got his way, but he didn't want to tell Strife
his idea until he knew whether or not there was a chance his father would
say yes.

"He's gonna say yes, Cupe. He was just talkin' about how he wished he could
see more of ya the last time I was over there."

"What about you?" Cupid asked, his face flushing as soon as he realized he'd
said the words out loud. He hadn't meant to just blurt out the question
like that, but he was dying to know whether or not Strife wanted him around
as much as he wanted to be around. "I mean would you…you know…mind?"

"Mind? Why the fuck would I mind?" Strife frowned and sat up, forgetting
about the handful of other passengers on the train as he leaned forward and
rested a hand on the back of Cupid's neck. "Yer kiddin' me, right? Fuck,
Cupe, I'd ask ya ta move into my place if I thought Herc'd go fer it."

"Really?" Cupid knew his eyes were wide with shock, but there was no way he
could control his reaction even if he wanted to. He'd never expected Strife
to want him around *that* much; he'd hoped, sure, and he had some plans for
his move to the city that he hadn't mentioned to anyone yet. The idea that
Strife would actually want to be with him every day was something he hadn't
let himself entertain, though, and he was pretty sure the other boy was
going to hear his heart pounding against his chest.

"Yeah, really. This weekends only thing is kinda old already. I mean I'll
take what I can get, don't get me wrong. But if ya moved ta the city…even
if ya were livin' with Unc an' Ares, at least I'd get ta see ya more."

Cupid grinned and opened his mouth to answer, but before he got a chance the
train stopped again. He'd been so distracted by worrying about Strife's
reaction to his news that he'd almost managed to miss their stop, and when
he realized where they were he stood up abruptly and grabbed Strife's hand.
"Come on, this is our stop."

Strife didn't pull his hand away when they got off the train, and Cupid
couldn't help smiling at the fact that the other boy was actually touching
him. In public. It was something they usually had to be careful about,
especially at the clubs where the band played. Being able to do whatever
felt right was a weird feeling, but at the same time it was nice. Anyway
Cupid had been coming to this neighborhood since he was a kid, so he felt
comfortable enough not to worry about what anyone would say if they saw him
with his boyfriend.

He led Strife through the neighborhood to his father's dojo, pointing out
his favorite places along the way. Since his father had moved in with Joxer
he hadn't gotten a chance to spend much time there, and it was nice to be
able to show it to Strife. They walked through the door of the karate
studio just as the last class of the day was finishing, and Cupid caught
Ares' eye and waved to the older man.

"So this is what yer old man does all day?" Strife asked, his voice low as
he took in the pictures of Ares and various members of his staff and
students.

"For as long as I can remember," Cupid answered, grinning at the vague worry
in Strife's eyes. "He teaches Kempo. Street fighting."

"And yer some kinda karate expert too?"

"I'm not an expert," Cupid answered, his gaze falling on the same picture of
Cupid and his father that Aphrodite had hanging in their house. "That was
the last year I took lessons. It got hard to fit it into my schedule once I
started running on the track team. Dad wasn't happy, but he got over it."

"Still, ya said ya got yer brown belt, that's pretty close ta expert,
right?"

Cupid nodded, swallowing his surprise at the fact that Strife had remembered
that conversation. It had been almost a month since he told Strife the
picture was taken when he got his brown belt, and he'd just assumed the
other boy would have forgotten. He felt a rush of something not altogether
unfamiliar in his veins, and he squeezed Strife's hand a little tighter
before finally letting go. "It's close enough, I guess."

Strife turned to grin at him, and Cupid was tempted to lean forward and
plant a hard kiss on his lips. The only thing stopping him was the fact
that they were waiting for his father, and he knew if Ares had to witness
any real affection between them he wasn't going to be all that eager to
agree to let Cupid move to the city. Convincing his mother depended on
getting his father in his corner, so he had to play his cards right or he'd
find himself stuck in Jersey with a daily train ride ahead of him.

Right on cue Ares reappeared in front of them, crossing his arms over his
chest as he looked them both over. "I wasn't expecting to see either of you
here," he said. "Are you coming for dinner? I can pick some things up on
the way home…"

"Actually I needed to ask you something, Dad," Cupid interrupted, casting a
nervous glance at Strife before he turned back to his father. "It's about
college."

"I see. You're still planning on going."

It wasn't a question so much as a commandment, and Cupid stopped just short
of rolling his eyes at his father's tone. "Of course I'm still going. It's
just that it seems stupid to commute from Jersey every day when I could just
move up here."

He held his breath as he waited for Ares' reaction, hoping that just
blurting it out like that wasn't the wrong approach. He could tell Strife
was trying as hard as he could to pretend he wasn't even listening, but he
could feel the other boy tense as they both waited to see what Ares would
say.

For a long moment Ares just stared at him, and Cupid had a sinking feeling
that his father had somehow figured out a way to read his mind. Then he
shrugged and turned toward the front desk, reaching for some paperwork
before he answered. "You know you're always welcome at our place, Cupid.
Your mother will have a hard time with it, of course, but even she has to
see the advantage to not commuting four hours a day."

"So you're okay with it? Me moving into the city, I mean," Cupid amended
quickly, careful to choose his words so they wouldn't be held against him
later.

"Of course, son." Ares looked up from his paperwork long enough to smile
indulgently at Cupid. "You know I love having you around. Besides, that
way you'll be able to see Strife without it taking time away from your
studies."

Cupid did roll his eyes at the last part, but his bright grin ruined the
affect. "Thanks, Dad. I'm gonna show Strife around before you lock up,
okay?"

"Sure," Ares answered absently. Cupid reached for Strife's hand again as
soon as Ares turned back to his paperwork, tugging the other boy in the
direction of the locker room. They were halfway across the studio when Ares
cleared his throat, and Cupid froze and turned slowly to look over his
shoulder at his father.

"Yeah?"

"You know you're still welcome for dinner," Ares said. "Both of you."

"We can't," Cupid answered automatically. "But we'll try to stop by
tomorrow before I go home."

Ares nodded and turned back to his paperwork, and Cupid took a deep breath
and ushered Strife toward a door on the other side of the room. He opened
it as quietly as possible, glancing back at his father one last time to make
sure Ares wasn't watching before he pushed Strife through the doorway and
closed it behind them again.

"Cupe, what's with all the sneakin' around?" Strife asked as soon as they
were out of sight. "I mean it's just a karate studio, right? What's there
ta see?"

"Come on and I'll show you," Cupid answered, grinning when Strife frowned at
him. He led the older boy up a narrow staircase, stopping when he reached
the landing and reaching above the doorjamb for the key his father kept
hidden there. Once he had the door unlocked he set the key back in its
hiding place, pushing the door open and stepping aside to let Strife brush
past him.

He followed the other boy into the loft and closed the door behind him,
looking around at the few pieces of furniture still left over from when his
father had called it home. It looked pretty much the same as he remembered
it, right down to the sagging couch he'd broken when he was just a kid. His
dad's old TV was in his room at Ares' and Joxer's place now, but the coffee
table and his father's old bed were still stored up here.

"Nice place," Strife said. "Big."

"Yeah, my dad used to live here before he moved in with Joxer," Cupid
answered. "Come on, I'll show you the rest."

"There's more?" Strife asked, sounding a little surprised to hear that the
single room wasn't the whole loft.

"Just the bedroom and bathroom." Cupid grinned and nodded in the direction
of the door that led to the bedroom.

"Cupe," Strife said, his tone a mixture of reluctance and anticipation.
"Isn't yer dad gonna come lookin' fer us soon?"

"It always takes him forever to catch up on his paperwork on Saturday,"
Cupid answered. "He lets it all pile up all week and ends up buried in it
over the weekend. Besides, we don't have to stay long. I just wanted to
look around."

"How come? I mean ya been here before, right?"

Cupid nodded as he led Strife toward the bedroom, his hand on the small of
the other boy's back to guide him toward Ares' old bed. He pushed Strife
down gently on the edge of the mattress, his knees on either side of the
other boy's thighs as Strife stretched out on the bedspread. "Sure, I used
to stay here with my dad on his weekends. But I haven't been up here in a
few years. From the looks of things my dad hasn't either."

"So what?"

"So do you really think I want to move all the way to the city just to move
in with my dad and your uncle?" Cupid grinned as Strife's eyes got a little
wider, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on the other boy's lips before
he pulled back again. "I mean I love them both, don't get me wrong. But I
don't really want to live with them. Besides, this place is just going to
waste. Dad never got around to renting it out, so why shouldn't I move in?"

Strife's hands were already moving up Cupid's thighs, finally landing on his
waist to tug the other boy forward. "Yer dad's never gonna go fer that,
Cupe. Movin' into his place is one thing, but this…"

"That's the beauty of my plan," Cupid answered, smiling sweetly at Strife's
confused expression. "This *is* his place. And once he gets used to the
idea of having me around all the time he's not going to say no."

"Ya know, yer sneakier than ya look," Strife said, an amused grin lighting
up his features as Cupid leaned forward and captured his lips again. He was
tempted to push their luck, to see how much of Strife's skin he could
uncover before Ares got curious and came looking for them. Giving his
father a visual of what Cupid planned to do with his new-found independence
probably wouldn't help his cause, though, so he settled for a long, languid
kiss as he ran his hands over Strife's stomach under his shirt. Not that he
was complaining, because he didn't get that many chances to just kiss Strife
this way and he definitely wasn't tired of it yet.

"Cupe," Strife groaned against his mouth, his tone half pleading, half
warning. Cupid pulled away reluctantly, hovering just inches from the other
boy's mouth. "This is a bad idea."

"What? The loft or the kiss?" Cupid teased, grinning when Strife scowled at
him.

"Ya know what I mean."

"I know," Cupid answered, leaning back until he was sitting astride the
other boy's thighs again. "But think how much fun we could have once I move
in here. And we can do whatever we want in the shower."

That earned him a bright grin, and Strife pushed himself up on his elbows
and let his gaze wander over Cupid's chest. "I could think of a few things
ta do in the shower."

"Me too. In fact, I've already thought of a couple." Cupid shifted his
weight slightly, just enough to shock a gasp out of Strife. "You wanna hear
them, or do you want to wait for me to show you?"

"You start talkin' like that now and we're never getting' outta here,"
Strife warned him. "Seriously, Cupe, yer dad'll kill me if he catches us
messin' around up here."

"He wouldn't kill you. He loves you. Besides, if he killed you Joxer would
never speak to him again, and I don't even want to think about my dad trying
to pick up the pieces if Joxer kicked him out."

Strife raised an eyebrow at the mention of his uncle, his barely disguised
amusement fading into a slightly awed expression. "They're really crazy
'bout each other, huh?"

"You have no idea," Cupid answered. "They're perfect for each other.
Before Joxer my dad was a totally different person. Majorly uptight about
everything, and *way* too interested in my life. If it wasn't for Joxer
there's no way my dad would have been so cool about me meeting somebody at a
club, let alone staying at your place every weekend."

"So if it wasn't fer Unc yer dad woulda hated me?"

A soft sigh escaped Cupid's throat at the question; Strife was trying to
sound nonchalant, but Cupid could tell he really worried about what his
parents thought of him. No amount of assuring Strife that his parents liked
him had even made a dent in his insecurity, and Cupid wasn't sure how else
to convince Strife that he had nothing to worry about. It wasn't like his
parents' opinion really mattered anyway; Cupid was crazy about him, and as
long as he was happy his parents weren't going to try to ruin things for
them.

"He could never hate you, Strife," Cupid said, his fingers trailing down the
other boy's neck as he spoke. He watched as a soft shiver rolled through
Strife, smiling at the effect he had on his boyfriend. "Besides, it doesn't
matter what my dad thinks."

"It matters," Strife answered, reaching up to catch Cupid's hand in his own.
"Yer folks are crazy about ya, Cupe. That's a good thing, yer lucky."

"I know." Cupid's smile returned, but it was tempered by the nervous
tension balling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure if he was
handling any of this right, but it *felt* right, and that had to count for
something. "They just want me to be happy, and they know you make me happy.
I love you."

As soon as he said it he let go of Strife's hand, looking anywhere but at
the other boy as he scrambled off the mattress and stood up. He saw Strife
slowly sit up out of the corner of his eye, but he couldn't bring himself to
look over and see his reaction to Cupid's confession. "We should probably
get back," he said as he backed toward the door. "Dad's probably about
ready to go."

"Cupe," Strife said, stopping Cupid in his tracks as he reached the entrance
to the bedroom. He froze and slowly turned around, leaning back against the
doorframe as Strife stood up and crossed the room. "Say that again."

"You heard me." Cupid winced at the way his voice trembled, half of him
wishing he'd thought fast enough to make a joke out of it. He hadn't really
planned for any of this, though, and thinking on his feet was never that
easy when his emotions were involved.

"Yeah, I did," Strife said, and Cupid couldn't help flinching at the hand
that landed on his shoulder. "I kinda liked the way it sounded when ya said
it, though."

When he finally looked up Cupid saw exactly what he'd expected to; fear and
shock were shining clearly in Strife's eyes, but underneath it was another
emotion, something Cupid hadn't let himself hope for. "I love you," he said
again, his fingers betraying him long enough to curl around Strife's shirt
at his waist. "I wouldn't have said anything, but I hate it when you worry
about my parents. It wouldn't matter if they did hate you, not when…"

"Cupe, relax," Strife interrupted, a nervous grin tugging at the corners of
his mouth as Cupid took a deep breath and stopped talking. "I mean I wasn't
really expectin' it or anythin', at least not like this. But it's okay…I
mean it's good. I mean…I mean I love you too."

The last part came out in one long rush of breath, and if Cupid hadn't
already been grinning from the sound of those words coming out of Strife's
mouth he would have laughed at the nervousness in his voice. He knew nobody
would believe him if he told them that Strife was actually afraid to tell
Cupid he loved him, but in a way it was kind of nice. He let himself be
pulled forward for a hard kiss, his other arm sliding around Strife's waist
to pull him closer. This hadn't been part of his plan for the weekend, but
so far things were working out a lot better than he could have hoped for.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cupid still hadn't quite managed to convince himself that Strife had
actually said the words out loud. He'd only said it the one time, after
all, and Cupid had a feeling that he wasn't going to hear it often enough to
get used to the sound. Still, once was really all he needed, because even
if Strife never said it again he knew it was true. It wasn't something they
needed to talk about or rehash or even waste a lot of thought on; it was
just something they both knew now, and all it meant was that they were in
this thing together for as long as possible.

Strife had said something about tickets to some show or something earlier,
but that was before Cupid had blurted out 'I love you' without even stopping
to think about what he was doing. After Strife said it back they forgot all
about going out, they forgot the plans they'd made for the weekend and even
the fact that Strife had said something to Xena about stopping by later.
All they'd been able to think about was each other, and it was hard enough
to keep their hands to themselves until they made it back to Strife's
apartment.

He knew he wouldn't be able to sit in a crowded club next to the other boy
and not touch, so it was just as well that Strife didn't seem to be in any
hurry to go anywhere. He didn't seem to be in a hurry to do much of
anything, really, but Cupid wasn't complaining as long as he kept up the
soothing motion of his fingers through the younger boy's hair. They'd been
stretched out on Strife's bed since they got back to the apartment, neither
of them bothering to stop even long enough to kick off their shoes before
they collapsed onto the small bed together.

"So do ya really think yer dad'll go fer ya movin' into the loft?"

Strife's voice was low and just a little uncertain, and the sound warmed
Cupid from the inside out. He shifted a little closer to the other boy,
lifting his head off Strife's shoulder long enough to plant a kiss on the
edge of his jaw. "He'll come around once he gets used to the idea."

"And yer mom?"

Cupid sighed and settled back down onto Strife's shoulder, turning his face
into the warm cotton of the other boy's tee shirt and inhaling the mixture
of warm fabric softener and Strife he'd come to love so much. "She'll be a
little tougher to convince. But between Joxer and Dad I think she'll give
in."

"She really listens ta Unc?"

"Are you kidding? You should see them together." Cupid grinned and pushed
himself up far enough to roll onto his stomach, resting his chin on Strife's
chest and staring up into amused blue eyes. "She's crazy about him. She
likes him way better than she likes Dad. Sometimes I think if it wasn't for
Joxer they wouldn't be able to be in the same room."

"I thought yer folks were friends."

"Sure, they've known each other forever. But Mom's still pissed at Dad for
lying to her for twenty years, and Dad's still pissed that Mom likes Joxer
so much. I think he was secretly hoping she'd disapprove of his boyfriend."

"Why?"

Cupid shrugged as well as he could considering his position, sliding a hand
down Strife's chest to work its way under the other boy's shirt. "I don't
know. They've always been like that, it's like they don't know what to do
if they're not pissing each other off. I mean I love them and everything,
but sometimes I wish they really didn't talk to each other anymore."

"But yer mom's got a life, right? I mean she's not still hung up on yer
dad, is she?"

"She goes out. Don't ask her about her love life, though. She gets
seriously pissed if I even ask who she's going out with. She says it's
nobody's business but hers." Strife snorted and Cupid frowned, his hand
freezing on the other boy's stomach. "What?"

"Nothin'. Just sounds like something my mom would say."

"What, she wouldn't let you meet her boyfriends either?"

"Oh, she brought 'em around," Strife answered, his grin fading as he reached
out and buried his fingers in Cupid's hair again. "She just didn't like me
tellin' her who ta go out with. Believe me, some of 'em were real losers.
Try tellin' her that, though."

"So she didn't care if you didn't like them?"

"She used ta say that she didn't tell me who I could fuck, so she didn't
want me tryin' ta tell her who she could fuck."

It was a struggle not to react to that, but somehow Cupid managed not to say
anything he'd regret about Strife's mother. He didn't want to ruin what had
been a perfect day so far by saying something Strife wouldn't appreciate,
especially when Cupid knew that Strife loved his mother. It was hard to
tell sometimes from the way he talked about her, but Cupid got the
impression that Strife thought their relationship was normal.

"Yeah, well, my mom thinks she's got every right to tell me who I can and
can't go out with."

"Yeah? What'd she say 'bout me?"

"I already told you, she likes you," Cupid answered, grinning at the other
boy's skeptical expression. "What? She does. She thinks you're too
skinny, but she likes you."

Strife frowned and glanced down at his stomach as Cupid pushed his tee shirt
up, his fingers tracing the other boy's ribs where they jutted out against
pale skin. "I'm not too skinny."

"No," Cupid said, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the center of
Strife's exposed abdomen. His tongue darted out to taste the slightly salty
skin, then he let out a hot breath over the spot that sent a shiver through
the other boy's body. "I think you're perfect."

"Cupe," Strife said, his voice a mixture of pleading and warning.

"I do," Cupid said, ignoring the fact that he was probably embarrassing
Strife as he pushed his shirt up a little further to flick his tongue over a
taut nipple.

"I love the way you look. I love your hands." He shifted his attention away
from Strife's exposed chest long enough to catch one of his hands and press
a kiss to the center of his palm. "And I love your arms," he said, his
mouth leaving Strife's hand to taste the skin just inside Strife's elbow.
He entwined his fingers with the hand that was still clasped in his,
shifting against the body pressed underneath him until he found his way back
to Strife's mouth. "And I love the way you kiss."

Strife's lips parted automatically underneath his, his free hand tightening
in Cupid's hair to pull him even closer. He knew he wasn't supposed to say
stuff like that, that it made him seem too young or too sentimental. He had
a feeling Strife wouldn't mind just this once, though, and besides he wanted
the other boy to know exactly how crazy Cupid was about him. He wanted
Strife to know that he meant what he'd said - everything he'd said - and
that he wasn't going to change his mind no matter who tried to make him. It
didn't matter what happened now, they were together and as far as Cupid was
concerned, that was the way it was going to stay.

When he finally pulled away to let them both catch their breath Strife's
eyes were open, and Cupid didn't bother trying to fight the broad grin that
lit up his features. He couldn't remember ever being this happy, and he
didn't care who knew about it. Strife's lips turned up into a smile that
matched his own, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw his own feelings
mirrored back in the other boy's eyes.

"Yer crazy, ya know that?"

"You're not the first person to say that," Cupid answered, grinning even
wider when Strife let out a chuckle. "Maybe I am."

"Nah." Strife's hand left his hair to trace his jaw line, his thumb tracing
the curve of Cupid's lips as he studied the younger boy's features. "Yer
the perfect one, Cupe."

He had a feeling it was an argument neither of them could win, so he just
smiled and shifted until their legs were entwined and he was resting half on
top of Strife. "Do you think Herc's gonna be mad when he finds out I'm
moving to the city?"

"Herc?" Strife frowned at the sudden subject change, shifting under the
other boy so he could catch a glimpse of Cupid's expression. "Why would he
care?"

"Because of the band. I mean he didn't want you dating me in the first
place, right? So if I live here and we can see each other more often…"

"Cupe," Strife interrupted him, a hint of amusement in his voice as he
tilted Cupid's chin up so he could look in the other boy's eyes, "would ya
forget that stupid pact already? Nobody's seen Herc in days anyway. Last I
heard he was shackin' up with Gabbie."

"Really? So they're…like a couple now?"

"Beats me." Strife sighed and let go of Cupid to fold his arms behind his
head, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. "I guess it's kinda my fault. I mean
I feel bad fer Xena, ya know? But I think Herc's just hangin' out with
Gabbie so he won't hafta deal with me."

"I don't get it," Cupid said, his hand on the other boy's stomach again to
trace random patterns on the pale skin there. "I mean you guys are supposed
to be friends, why can't he just get over the whole pact thing and go back
to playing music?"

"I dunno. I mean the band's great and all, ya know? That's the whole
reason we moved out here in the first place. But nobody's talkin' ta
anybody, and after Xena decked Herc…I dunno if he's comin' back. He's not
even talkin' ta Iolaus right now."

Cupid sighed and rested his head against Strife's chest again, listening to
the sound of the other boy's heart beating steadily against his ear. "I
feel bad for Iolaus," he finally said, his voice slightly muffled by
Strife's tee shirt. "I mean none of this is his fault, but Hercules is
taking it out on him."

"He'll get over it, Cupe. It's not like it's the first time Herc's gotten
his nose outta joint about somethin' stupid."

"Still, it must be kind of lonely." Cupid's hand started moving against
Strife's skin again, raising goosebumps on the other boy's skin as his
fingers ghosted over Strife's ribs. "I mean Herc's his best friend, right?
And when I'm here he probably feels weird about just hanging around in the
apartment. Where is he, anyway?"

"I think he went someplace with Xena," Strife answered, shifting out from
underneath Cupid to turn onto his side. He rested a hand on Cupid's chest,
fisting the material of the other boy's shirt to pull him gently forward.
"Why?"

"I just feel bad for him, that's all." Cupid allowed himself to be pulled
forward, lips parting automatically when Strife's mouth claimed his again.
His hand left Strife's stomach to slide around his back, pushing Strife's
tee shirt a little further up in the process. A low groan escaped his
throat when Strife slid his leg over Cupid's hip, fitting their bodies
together.

"Ya don't hafta feel bad fer Iolaus," Strife said when he released Cupid's
mouth again. "Trust me, Cupe, he can take care a himself."

Cupid nodded and leaned forward again, fusing their lips together and
pulling Strife flush against him. He rocked his hips against the other
boy's, smiling at the answering groan that escaped the Strife's throat.
This was his favorite part of being with Strife; he loved everything about
their time together, but there was nothing he liked quite as much as the
feeling of Strife's mouth moving against his. Kissing was definitely
underrated, as it turned out, because he'd never thought much about it until
he met Strife. Now that he knew what it could be like he knew he'd never be
able to go back to the way he'd been living before Strife stumbled into his
life, not that he wanted to. There wasn't much he wouldn't do to keep what
they had, as a matter of fact, and he wanted everyone around him to be as
happy as he was right now.

He closed his eyes when Strife's mouth left his to trail down his neck,
stopping just below his ear to press a soft kiss to the sensitive skin
there. Cupid shuddered and pressed his palm flat against Strife's back,
holding him in place as he opened his mouth against Cupid's neck. "I just…I
think he should…" Cupid paused and fought to open his eyes, summoning the
few brain cells that weren't currently focused on the intense pleasure
centered at the base of his neck. "He should meet some new…new people."

"Who?" Strife murmured against his skin, releasing Cupid's neck with one
final kiss and slowly working his way back up to the other boy's mouth.
Cupid's lips brushed against Strife's mouth before he pulled back again,
forcing himself to focus long enough to get his point across.

"Iolaus," he finally breathed, reaching down to catch the hand that was
wandering down his hip. "Don't you think he'd be happier if he got out
more?"

"Cupe, why're we talkin' about this now?"

He wasn't sure he could answer that question, but he could tell from the way
Strife was looking at him that he wasn't really mad. Deep down Strife
probably felt a little guilty about Iolaus too, and Cupid knew how much
Strife cared about his friends, even if he wouldn't admit it. "Because I
feel bad for him. He's got a total jerk for a best friend and having us
around all the time isn't helping him figure things out. I think he needs
to meet some people that can help him figure out what he wants."

"That's a bad idea," Strife said, pulling far enough away to meet Cupid's
hopeful gaze. "Look, Cupe, I know ya wanna help, but ya don't really know
him. I mean Iolaus has been like this fer as long as I've known him. It
takes him forever ta do anythin', he's always too busy worryin' about what's
gonna happen ta just let himself have any fun. Ya can't just introduce him
around an' hope fer the best. It won't work."

"That wasn't what I had in mind," Cupid said, grinning at Strife's skeptical
expression. "Look, I told you about Auto and Psyche, right?"

"I thought she had a thing fer Xena."

"She does, but she hasn't exactly told Auto yet. So all we have to do is
make Auto and Iolaus think that they're hooking up with Psyche, and then
they'll take care of the rest."

"Ya mean trick 'em into sleepin' together?"

"Well, yeah." It didn't sound as romantic when Strife put it that way, but
it would work. Cupid was almost positive that this was the best answer for
everybody, and even if Auto and Iolaus didn't fall for each other at least
Iolaus would finally know one way or the other what he wanted. Not to
mention it got Psyche out of a dead-end relationship, and then Cupid
wouldn't have to feel guilty anymore about being happier than he'd ever
thought possible.

"What if it doesn't work?"

"What could go wrong?" Cupid asked, frowning at the prospect of something
interfering with his perfect plan. There was no way it wouldn't work; he
already knew Auto was into guys, and he couldn't think of a better person to
help Iolaus figure things out. It was just a matter of making them see that
they were perfect for each other. Well, perfect enough, anyway, and at this
point Cupid was willing to overlook a few flaws in the plan if it meant his
friends would come out happy in the end.

Strife just shook his head and pulled his hand out of Cupid's to run his
fingers through tousled blond hair. "Ya know they'll probably kill ya when
they figure out ya set 'em up."

"They'll thank me when they realize how right they are for each other,"
Cupid said, his confidence wavering a little when Strife laughed. "What?"

"Nothin'. Just don't forget I told ya so."


He might have been able to talk some sense into Cupid if he’d really wanted
to, but it meant a lot more talking and a lot less kissing, and it wasn’t a
trade-off Strife was willing to make. Maybe later it would seem more
important to try to talk Cupid out of interfering in their friends’ sex
lives, but the last thing Strife wanted to do when he had Cupid alone in his
bed was talk about other guys. Especially not Auto; it was one thing for
Cupid to feel sorry for Iolaus, but he still didn't trust Cupid's friend and
he wasn't sure how much he wanted Auto around them.

It would be one thing if Strife wasn't positive he had a thing for Cupid,
but he wasn't sure just pushing Iolaus and Auto together would do the trick.
Chances were it wasn't going to make Auto forget he wanted Cupid, and the
last thing Iolaus needed was some high school kid using him to make Cupid
jealous. There was no way he could say any of that to Cupid, though, not
without making the other boy think he was jealous. And he wasn't; he just
didn't want Auto around any more than he could help.

"Strife," Cupid murmured against his ear, sending a warm shiver down
Strife's spine and momentarily chasing all thoughts of Auto and Iolaus out
of his head, "you're all tense. What's the matter?"

"Nothin'," he answered, telling himself it was close enough to the truth,
anyway. Cupid didn't need to hear what he'd been thinking about, especially
not when his hands were still busy mapping every inch of Strife's chest.

He knew Cupid wasn't buying that answer when the other boy's hand left his
chest, a soft sigh escaping his throat as he pulled away from Strife and sat
up. Strife followed him up, but when he opened his mouth to try to convince
the other boy that everything was fine Cupid just shook his head. Strong
hands landed on Strife's waist, tugging his tee shirt up and over his head.
His pants were next, and the entire time Cupid was undressing him he didn't
say anything, leaving Strife to wonder whether to be grateful that Cupid
didn't want to talk or worried about the fact that he was being so quiet.

"Cupe," he finally said when he couldn't stand the silence anymore, "come
on. Say somethin'."

For a long moment Cupid didn't answer; he reached for the hem of his own
shirt and pulled it over his head, dropping it on the floor before he pushed
Strife gently onto his back. A shudder rolled through Strife when Cupid
straddled his waist, and he couldn't help remembering lying in the same
position in the loft, listening to the other boy say 'I love you' for the
first time. It was a moment he would never forget no matter what happened
between them in the future.

He started to reach for the button on Cupid's jeans, but before he made
contact strong hands closed around his and gently pushed his hands back down
to the mattress. Smooth, golden skin slid against his chest as Cupid leaned
down, pressing his lips to Strife's for a soft kiss. When he pulled back
again he was barely a few inches from the other boy, his expression
thoughtful as he pushed a few strands of dark hair away from Strife's
forehead. "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" Strife asked, his mind racing as he tried to remember what he'd
said last.

"Earlier, when you said you'd ask me to move in here if it wasn't for
Hercules."

Had he really said that? He couldn't believe those words had actually made
it out of his mouth, but he knew he meant them. It wasn't the first time
he'd thought about what it would be like to wake up with Cupid next to him
every day; in fact, it was the first thing he thought of every time he woke
up alone. "Yeah, Cupe. I meant it."

"So what if…I mean you could, if you wanted…you could move in with me. In
the loft."

Listening to Cupid stumble over his words would have made him smile if he
wasn't so busy reacting to what the other boy had just said. He'd meant it
when he'd said that he'd thought about Cupid living with him, but it was one
thing to talk about it when it wasn't even a possibility. Actually thinking
about moving in together…that was a big step, one he'd never taken before
with anyone he dated. He'd never liked anybody enough to want to keep them
around longer than a few weeks at the most, let alone felt the way he did
about Cupid. "Ya don't even know if yer dad's gonna say yes," he said,
hoping it didn't sound as much like an excuse to Cupid as it did to him.

"He'll say yes," Cupid answered, but his voice was softer than it had been a
minute ago and Strife knew he had to be careful if he didn't want to ruin
everything.

"Cupe," he began, pausing and letting out a deep breath when he saw the
other boy's earnest expression, "ya really think ya could live with me?"

He could tell Cupid hadn't thought this through when the other boy grinned
and rolled his eyes. "Of course I could. I love you."

And he had to admit that he loved hearing Cupid say that; he loved it so
much that there was no way he was going to be able to tell him no, not even
if he had a feeling they were getting in over their heads. There was no
guarantee it would happen, though, and until Ares gave Cupid the go-ahead on
the loft he wasn't going to worry about it. "Ya know yer dad's gonna burst
a vessel when ya tell him ya want me ta move in with ya."

The grin that lit up the other boy's features sent a shiver through Strife
that wasn't entirely desire, and he knew things were going to get really
complicated before they got any easier. "That's why we're not going to tell
him," Cupid answered, leaning forward and opening his mouth to breathe the
last few words against Strife's neck.

He swallowed against another shiver and worked his hands between them,
finally getting Cupid's jeans open and pushing the denim a little lower on
his hips. "Cupe…"

"Shh," Cupid whispered near his ear, the sound vibrating against his skin.
He gasped and arched up automatically, trying and failing to find some
friction to ease the ache of his quickly hardening cock. Finally Cupid took
the hint and pushed himself up long enough to get his jeans and boxers off,
dropping them on the floor with the rest of their clothes before he climbed
over Strife again.

He reached above him, feeling around on the mattress until he found a stray
condom floating around. As soon as he held it up Cupid pulled it out of his
grip, leaving him to search for the lube while Cupid closed a fist around
the base of Strife's cock and slowly rolled the condom down. His almost
frantic search for the lube they'd lost in the sheets the night before was
enough to distract him from the sensation of Cupid's hand stroking his
length, and he finally located the tube and reached down to run a slick hand
over his cock.

He hadn't needed to be inside Cupid with this kind of urgency since that
first night at the back of the club, before he had any idea who he was
fucking or even if they'd ever see each other again. In practically no time
at all everything had changed; his whole life revolved around Cupid now, and
even though he'd never admit it he kind of liked it that way. He sucked in
a sharp breath when Cupid pushed himself up on his knees, squeezing more
lube onto his fingers and reaching between the other boy's legs to press two
fingers inside him.

Cupid sighed and sank down onto Strife's fingers, his eyelids fluttering
closed and his head rolling back as Strife pushed all the way inside him.
Just watching Cupid ride his fingers that way was enough to bring him close
to the edge, and he reached down with his free hand to close his fist around
the base of his cock. When he was sure he wasn't going to come he pulled
his hand away again, pulling his fingers out of Cupid and watching as the
other boy's eyes opened again. Their eyes locked as soon as Cupid looked
up, an almost shy grin lighting up his features as he took hold of Strife's
cock again and lined himself up.

Strife was almost sure he was grinning back with nearly the same expression,
but he couldn't make himself care whether or not he looked like a
love-struck teenager. That was pretty much how he felt, after all, and it
wasn't going to hurt anything now that Cupid knew how he felt. A second
later Cupid sank down onto his length, and he forgot all about how he looked
and focused everything in him on the sensation of tight heat engulfing his
cock.

He was sure he was babbling something, but he had no idea what he was saying
or if it was even English. It could have been Greek for all he knew, but it
didn't matter because Cupid understood what he meant anyway. He'd always
known how Strife felt, maybe even before Strife did. And maybe that should
have bothered Strife, but for some reason it just made him want to grin like
an idiot again. Right now, though…right now Cupid was slowly pulling off
him, pausing when only the head of Strife's cock was still buried inside
him. Strife remembered the lube long enough to squeeze a little more onto
his hand, pushing himself up on one elbow and reaching out to close a slick
hand around Cupid's cock.

A low groan escaped Cupid's throat as he sank back down, impaling himself at
a torturously slow pace as Strife's fist closed around him. Strife wasn't
sure how Cupid could stand to move that slowly, but he was pretty sure it
was going to kill at least one of them before it was over. He lost track of
everything; the thought of moving in with Cupid, what Ares was going to say
and even what Joxer was going to say about how fast they were moving. None
of the things that had mattered just a few minutes ago seemed important
anymore, not when he could still hear Cupid saying 'I love you' over and
over.

It took him a few seconds to realize that the reason he could hear it was
because Cupid was saying it again, his voice a low murmur that Strife was
almost positive the younger boy wasn't even aware of. He couldn't help
grinning at that, because the fact that Cupid didn't even realize he was
saying it just made it that much more believable. He tightened his grip on
the other boy, speeding up his strokes a little in an effort to encourage
Cupid to move faster. He wasn't sure it would actually work until Cupid
picked up his speed, his face flushed with the effort of pushing himself up
and down Strife's length.

He couldn't remember ever seeing anything quite as beautiful as Cupid
flushed and panting, his eyes shut tight against the almost painful pleasure
as he rocked back and forth between Strife's cock and his fist. There was
no chance of him ever seeing anything that beautiful ever again, no matter
how long he searched. At least he was pretty sure no other guy would ever
measure up to Cupid, not that he had any intention of finding out. Whenever
he caught himself thinking like that he usually got a little nervous about
how far in over his head he was getting, but for some reason now the thought
didn't even bother him. Maybe it was the tight heat gripping his cock with
every downstroke, or maybe it was the fact that Cupid had finally said the
words Strife had been dreading for so long.

It was the first time he'd ever heard anyone besides his uncle say them out
loud to him, and even Joxer hadn't said it since he was a little kid. He
knew his mother loved him, but it wasn't the kind of thing they said to each
other. His father hadn't even tried to get in touch with him since he was a
kid, and none of his relationships had been what he'd call serious. The
fact that Cupid really meant it still blew him away, and there was no way he
could have stopped himself from loving somebody that knew so much about him
and still wanted him anyway.

"Cupe," he groaned, his back arching a little further when Cupid's muscles
contracted around him, "I can't…"

That was as much as he got out, trailing off with a low groan when the other
boy shifted and started moving even faster. He'd always admired Cupid's
strength, but he'd never gotten the chance to really watch it up close and
personal before. Every muscle in Cupid's body was straining with the effort
of seeking just the right angle, driving Strife's cock a little more
forcefully into him with every stroke. It was a sight Strife definitely
wouldn't get tired of, and when he felt the other boy tense he tightened his
grip and twisted his wrist just enough to surprise Cupid's orgasm out of
him.

A second later wet heat hit his chest and fingers, and he waited until Cupid
stopped shaking before he pulled his hand off his cock and lifted his
fingers to his mouth. Cupid's eyes opened just in time to watch Strife suck
his fingers into his mouth, his lips turning up in an almost predatory grin
as he began moving again. His movements were rhythmic and designed to
torture, muscles contracting every time Strife was buried completely inside
him. The combination of Cupid moving against him and the bitter taste of
the other boy on his tongue was enough to push him over the edge, and
Strife's hands clamped down hard on Cupid's hips to hold him in place as he
came inside him.

He was still buried deep inside the other boy when he finally caught his
breath, and he bit back another moan when Cupid lifted up and let Strife
slip out of him. He stroked whatever part of Cupid's skin he could reach as
the younger boy carefully removed the condom and stood up, leaving Strife
alone in the bed long enough to toss it in the trash. When he returned
Strife summoned enough strength to move over, turning toward the other boy
as Cupid stretched out next to him and slid a strong arm around his waist.

Strife's hand landed in tousled blond hair, stroking lazy patterns against
Cupid's scalp as he listened to the sound of their mingled breathing. He
felt like he should say *something*, but he wasn't sure what or even why he
felt the need to talk. It wouldn't be the first time they'd both passed out
right after sex, but something about the strength with which he'd needed
Cupid made it feel more intense than usual. Maybe it was just because it
was the first time neither of them had held anything back, but if that was
what it felt like when Cupid knew how he felt, Strife should have just said
the words a long time ago.

He grinned at that thought and shifted enough to catch a glimpse of the
other boy, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of long eyelashes curling
against Cupid's cheek. His chest was rising and falling steadily against
Strife's, and he found himself almost disappointed at the fact that Cupid
had fallen asleep. As soon as he thought it Cupid's eyes opened, though,
and a moment later Strife found himself returning a sleepy, affectionate
grin.

"You never answered me," Cupid said, his hand seeking out Strife's to
entwine their fingers together.

"'Bout what?"

"About moving into the loft with me."

It was so unbelievable that Cupid had to ask that it took Strife a minute to
realize he was waiting for an answer. When he finally did he grinned and
shook his head against the pillow, drawing their entwined hands up to rest
them against his chest. "Course I do, Cupe. If yer crazy enough ta want me
around."

"Strife, I…"

"I know," Strife interrupted, his chest suddenly tight. He wasn’t sure he
could listen to Cupid say it again without losing it, and the last thing he
wanted to do was explain why he was suddenly bawling like a little kid. He
waited until he was sure his voice was back under control, his other hand
leaving Cupid's hair to trail down his cheek. "Me too."

"I know." Cupid's smile returned then, and Strife didn't bother to try to
stop the soft laugh that escaped his throat. He pressed a quick kiss to the
other boy's temple before Cupid settled back against his chest again, his
fingers flexing against Strife's skin. "Are we still going out tonight?"

"If ya want," Strife said, part of him hoping that Cupid would say that he'd
rather stay right where they were. They still had most of the afternoon
ahead of them, though, and he'd told Xena they'd meet her later. She was
handling the Gabbie situation okay so far, but Strife wasn't sure whether or
not she was just putting on an act and he didn't want to stand her up.
"Xena wants us ta meet her at The Underground."

"Sounds good," Cupid said. He could hear the hesitation in the younger
boy's voice, and he braced himself as he waited for whatever was coming.
"Is Iolaus going to be there?"

"I guess. Why?" he asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew the
answer.

"No reason," Cupid answered, glancing up at Strife long enough to blink
innocently.

"Cupe…"

A heavy sigh escaped the other boy's throat, but he didn't try to
disentangle himself from Strife. "Fine, I figured it wouldn't hurt if
Psyche and Auto happened to show up. What harm would it do just to call
them?"

It was tempting to give Cupid a whole laundry list of all the potential harm
he could do by trying to set up two guys who didn't know each other and
didn't really seem that interested in the first place. He had a feeling it
wouldn't do any good, though; somehow Cupid had gotten it into his head that
Auto and Iolaus were perfect for each other, and nothing Strife could say
was going to convince him otherwise. "Fine, call 'em. No way is Iolaus
gonna go fer anything with me an' Xena sittin' right there, though."

"Nothing has to happen tonight," Cupid answered, a smile lighting up his
features when he realized that Strife was going to go along with his plan
after all. "I just thought it would be fun for us to hang out."

Strife could think of a few things that sounded like more fun; introducing
Cupid to his mother, for one, or possibly having his fingernails pulled out
with a pair of pliers. The last thing he really wanted to do was hang out
with Auto, but he had a feeling he was going to have to get used to the fact
that he was more or less a permanent fixture in Cupid's life. At least for
the time being, and until that changed Strife wasn't going to screw up what
they had by acting like a jealous idiot.

He was going to try not to, anyway. Cupid didn't need to know it, but there
wasn't much Strife wouldn't do to make him happy. And if that meant
throwing Iolaus to the wolves…well, he'd try his best to make sure Cupid
didn't do anything really stupid, but if it made him happy to play
matchmaker the least Strife could do was go along with it and try to make
sure nothing really bad happened.

She wasn’t really sure why she was doing it. Her first instinct when Cupid
brought up the idea was to tell him he was crazy and hang up the phone, but
part of her was hoping that he was right. Psyche wanted Auto to give up
the delusion that they were still a couple, partly so she’d be free to see
where she stood with Xena, but partly because she wanted Auto to be happy.
He was still her friend, after all, and she knew if someone didn’t give him
a little shove he was never going to admit to himself what he really wanted.

That was the reason she’d showed up at the club with Auto in tow a few hours
after Cupid called her, and it was the reason she was going along with
Cupid’s plan to fix up Auto and Iolaus. She knew there was a good chance
that it would backfire on all of them, but as long as she played her cards
right Auto wouldn’t figure it out. There was a chance that Iolaus was
smarter than he looked, but she was pretty sure he wouldn’t guess what they
were up to. Xena, on the other hand - she might figure out at least part of
it, and Psyche really didn’t want Xena to think that she was actually
planning to sleep with Auto and Iolaus.

Cupid had promised her that nobody would know, though, and there wasn’t much
she could do besides trust him. Well, that or call it off, and now that
they were actually in the club it was probably a little late to take it
back. She couldn’t back out without disappointing Cupid, anyway, and that
was a hard thing to do face-to-face. Maybe over the phone she could have
said no, but once they were actually in the same room she knew she’d let him
talk her right back into it.

She sighed and glanced around the already crowded club, looking for any sign
of Cupid and Strife. There was no sign of them yet, but when her gaze fell
on Iolaus she nudged Auto in the ribs and gestured toward the bar. “There’s
Iolaus."

"Who?” Auto shouted over the music, frowning as he scanned the crowd.

"You know, Strife’s friend,” Psyche shouted back. She rolled her eyes when
she realized Auto didn’t even know his name; she hadn’t expected it to be
all that easy, but she’d at least thought Auto knew who he was.

“Oh, him,” Auto said when he finally spotted the boy in question, and Psyche
glanced up at him long enough to determine that he looked about as
interested as he usually did during math class.

“He’s kind of cute,” Psyche prompted. “He’s pretty nice, too. Way nicer
than that other one…what’s his name? Hercules?”

“He’s alright.” Auto watched Iolaus order a drink before he turned back to
the crowd, glancing toward the door every few seconds as though he was
waiting for someone. Finally he looked at Psyche again, raising his
eyebrows when he found her grinning at him. “What, you mean you like him?
He doesn’t really seem like the type that would go for it.”

“Sure he does.” Psyche turned her grin up just enough to look enthusiastic,
stealing another glance at Iolaus. He was still standing at the bar looking
around, and she couldn’t help thinking that he looked an awful lot like a
lost puppy. She felt a little bad about what she was about to do to him,
but Cupid kept insisting that he’d thank them for it in the end. Even
Strife seemed to not completely hate the idea, at least according to Cupid,
and Strife knew Iolaus better than either of them. “He’s probably just
never thought of it.”

Auto didn’t answer, but she could practically see the wheels turning in his
head when she looked up at him again. She’d known he’d be the easier of the
two of them to convince, but she wanted him to at least like Iolaus. It
wouldn’t do her much good to set this whole thing up if Auto was just going
through the motions because he thought she wanted him to. Conversation
wasn’t usually a prerequisite to any of their conquests, but considering the
circumstances she was hoping it might help. “Let’s go say hi.”

She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward through the crowd, not bothering
to wait for an answer before she made her way to the bar and stopped in
front of Iolaus. “Hey,” she said, turning on her most charming smile when
the blond glanced at her. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”

"Oh. Hey,” Iolaus said, glancing from Psyche to Auto and then to the door
again before he turned back to her. “Yeah…uh, Xena said they’d be here. I
haven’t seen them yet, though.”

“Cupid’s probably having hair issues or something,” Psyche said, rolling her
eyes dramatically. “He called this afternoon and said to meet them here,
but I haven’t heard from him since. You wanna see if we can find a table?”

“I don’t know, it looks like they’re all taken,” Iolaus said, but before he
even finished speaking Psyche turned away from him. She caught Auto leaning
toward the other boy out of the corner of her eye, swallowing a smirk when
she heard him stage-whisper.

“There’s no such thing as ‘taken’ when it comes to Psyche,” Auto said. “She
can get a table any time, anywhere.”

She couldn’t see Iolaus’ reaction without turning around and looking at him
again, but she could tell from the way Auto’s voice changed that he was
already slipping into his role in the game. She pushed down another surge
of guilt and squared her shoulders, flipping long hair over her shoulder
before she marched up to a table at the center of the room. There was a
couple huddled so close together they were practically sharing a chair, and
she rolled her eyes as she planted her hands on the edge of the table.

“You son of a bitch,” she growled, just loud enough to get their attention
without attracting the attention of everyone around them. The couple looked
up simultaneously, and she swallowed a smirk at the fear that flashed in the
girl’s eyes. “Who the fuck is she?” she snapped, nodding curtly in the
direction of the girl.

“Who the hell are you?” the girl snapped right back, but she shook off her
boyfriend’s hand as she glanced from him back to Psyche.

“I’m his girlfriend, you stupid whore. At least I was until I saw what bad
taste he has. Jesus, if you’re gonna cheat on me at least find somebody
decent. This is insulting,” she added, casting another quick, dismissive
glance at the other girl.

“Your girlfriend?” the girl said, her voice rising an octave as she turned
to look at her boyfriend. Psyche almost felt bad for doing it, but it was
always so easy that she couldn’t help wondering if she was doing the girl a
favor. Anybody that was that sure their boyfriend would cheat on them
probably needed to rethink their relationship.

This time it was almost too easy, because the girl was already up and out of
her chair. Psyche watched her go, a smirk turning up the corners of her
mouth when she looked down at the shell-shocked boyfriend.

“Who…what the fuck are you doing?” he asked, confusion winning out over the
anger in his eyes.

“You better go after her,” Psyche answered, nodding in the direction of the
door. “She looked pretty pissed.”

“Hell, I’ll go after her,” Auto interjected, grinning over Psyche’s shoulder
at the other guy. “She was pretty hot. And she’s probably gonna want a
shoulder to cry on now that she knows what a scumbag her boyfriend is.”

For a second the guy looked torn between staying and taking them both on or
going after his girlfriend, but as soon as he stood up and realized just how
big Auto was he muttered something they didn’t catch and took off in the
direction of the exit. Psyche sank into the chair the girl had vacated and
looked up at Iolaus, grinning at his slightly dazed expression. “Best seat
in the house,” she said, raising her eyebrows as Auto put his hands on the
other boy’s shoulders and pushed him gently into a chair.

“That was…really fucked up,” Iolaus said, shaking his head when they just
grinned at him. “You guys do this a lot?”

“That’s nothing,” Psyche answered, glancing at Auto in time to catch his
amused grin. “We’ve got tons of tricks. If you’re nice to us maybe we’ll
show you a few of them.”

She’d never seen anybody turn quite that shade of red before, but Auto
looked pretty amused by Iolaus’ blush so she figured it was worth it.
Besides, he had to be smarter than he looked if he’d already caught on to
the fact that she was flirting with him, and that meant this might not be so
hard to pull together after all. He opened his mouth to say something, but
the words died on his lips as he looked over her shoulder. Psyche felt
someone standing behind her as soon as Iolaus looked past her, and she
glanced over her shoulder in time to see Xena frowning down at them.

“What’s the matter?” Xena asked Iolaus, ignoring Auto and Psyche as she
watched Iolaus turn an even deeper shade of red.

“Nothing,” he muttered, dropping his gaze to the table as Xena pulled out an
empty chair and sat down next to Psyche.

It was obvious from Xena’s expression that she didn’t believe him, but she
let it go and nodded at Auto before turning to Psyche. “Have you guys seen
Strife? He was supposed to meet me here.”

“Cupid called and told us to show up,” Psyche answered. “We’ve been here
almost twenty minutes and they haven’t showed yet. Think we’re being stood
up?”

Xena shrugged and glanced toward the door again, but it was hard to see much
of anything through the crush of bodies in the club. “They probably just
got distracted. I swear you could drop a bomb on them when they’re together
and they wouldn’t even notice.”

“Men,” Psyche whispered conspiratorially, evoking a small smile from Xena.
She grinned back for a long moment before remembering herself and stealing a
quick glance at Auto, but he and Iolaus both seemed to be oblivious to the
conversation on the other side of the table. They weren’t looking at each
other, but they were both sitting with their arms resting on the table, and
if Psyche didn’t know better she’d swear they were doing everything they
could to get as close together as possible without actually touching. She
knew it was just wishful thinking, but it was kind of cute to watch Iolaus
catch himself and stop just short of coming into contact with any part of
Auto whenever he reached for his beer.

Sitting at the table without Cupid and Strife felt weirder than she would
have expected, and for the first time in her life Psyche wasn’t really sure
how to act. Normally she’d just turn on the ever-present charm and flirt
with everybody around her, but she didn’t want to give Xena the wrong idea
and she really didn’t want to give Iolaus and Auto the wrong idea. So she
wasn’t sure what to do with herself, and she ended up by clasping and
unclasping her hands over and over as she looked around the club.

Evidently everyone else was just as uncomfortable as she was, because a few
tortured moments later Auto cleared his throat and stood up. “You guys want
drinks?” he asked, glancing at Psyche and Xena.

“Yeah, sure,” Psyche answered, placing her beer order and then listening
while Xena requested something called a Blue Cowboy.

“I’ll help you,” Iolaus offered, standing up to follow Auto through the
crowd. Psyche swallowed a grin as she watched the two of them disappear
together, hoping it was a sign that Cupid was right about Auto and Iolaus
being right for each other. Then again, Iolaus might just be an especially
nice guy, or maybe he was just freaked out about the fact that she’d been
flirting with him. He was definitely hard to read, and considering Cupid
and Strife weren’t around to help her figure it out she wasn’t sure what to
think.

Then there was Xena. She hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to the other girl
since that night in the alley behind the club, and she had no idea if Xena
thought about her at all, let alone what she thought. Xena was even harder
to read than Iolaus, and Psyche had been with Auto for so long that she
wasn’t really used to having to guess whether or not someone was interested
in her. They really hadn’t talked at all, and just because she was
attracted to Xena didn’t mean Xena was attracted to her. It was entirely
possible that Xena just thought of her as ‘Cupid’s annoying friend’ or ‘that
high school chick’.

Psyche had never really been the type to back down from a challenge, though,
and she could have sworn there was at least a tiny spark of interest in
Xena’s eyes that night in the alley. It was easier with guys; all she had
to do with them was bat her eyelashes and act like they were smarter than
her and they were putty in her hands, but she was up for the challenge of
someone like Xena. She had a feeling it would be worth the effort, anyway.

“I haven’t seen you since that night with Herc and that girl,” Psyche said,
stopping just short of rolling her eyes at herself when she heard the words
come out of her mouth. It was probably the worst subject she could have
brought up, but it wasn’t like she could take it back. “How’s that going?”

Xena shrugged noncommittally, her lips turning up in a wry half-grin. “I
haven’t seen either of them, so I guess that’s a pretty good sign that
everything’s going okay for them.”

“Sorry,” Psyche said. “Sore subject?”

“I guess Strife’s right, it’s probably just as well that it’s all out in the
open. That way I won’t waste any more time wanting something that’s not
going to happen.”

“Still, rejection is never fun. And when your friend moves in on someone
you like…” Psyche trailed off, willing herself to shut up before she said
anything else that would make Xena never want to talk to her again.

“It’s really not that big a deal,” Xena assured her, shifting in her seat
and glancing in the direction of the door again. It was obvious that she
was a little uncomfortable, and Psyche could have kicked herself for opening
her mouth and pouring salt in the other girl’s wound. She wasn’t used to
tripping over her own tongue, and for once she understood how Cupid must
have felt the first time he talked to Strife.

“So did Strife mention the graduation party I’m having? I told Cupe to tell
him to invite you.”

Xena shifted her attention back to Psyche, her blue eyes dancing with
amusement. “No, he didn’t mention it.”

“Well you’re invited. It’s not that big a deal, just the usual. Food, a
band, that kind of thing. We’ve got a pool too, so if you want to swim
bring your suit. I’d offer to let you borrow one of mine, but I don’t think
we’re the same size.”

As she spoke Psyche’s gaze wandered over the other girl’s form, and she was
struck for the first time by how close they were sitting. She knew Xena was
strong; watching her on stage for a few minutes was enough to tell anyone
that, but she’d never really thought about how small she must seem in
comparison. She swallowed against the shiver that rolled through her when
their gazes locked again, hoping she didn’t look as flushed as she felt as
she waited for Xena to say something.

“Thanks,” Xena finally said. “I’ll try to make it.”

Psyche felt herself nod jerkily and turned abruptly away from the other
girl, pretending to scan the crowd for any sign of their friends. She had
no idea what it was about Xena that reduced her to a babbling idiot; this
had never happened to her before, not even with the other girls that she and
Auto had been with before. Then again, their usual system was that he’d
pick out the guys and she’d pick out the girls, then she’d seduce the guys
and leave the girls to Auto. So she’d never had to work at a conversation
with any of the girls she was attracted to, and the whole thing was a little
overwhelming.

She was so relieved when Auto and Iolaus finally reappeared and set their
drinks down that she grinned a little too eagerly, closing her hands around
her beer and leaning forward. “Iolaus, did Auto invite you to my graduation
party?”

Iolaus stole a quick glance at Auto before he looked over at Psyche again,
shaking his head when he met her gaze. “He…uh…he didn’t mention it.”

"Well you're invited. Strife's coming, and so is Xena. So it's not like
you won’t know anybody there. Oh, and Cupe too, but you probably already
figured that." She knew she was babbling again, but somehow she'd lost
control over her own tongue. As soon as she focused her attention on Auto
she felt Xena tense next to her, and she instantly wondered if Xena was in
on Cupid’s plan to set up Auto and Iolaus. Strife might let her in on it;
she was his cousin, after all, and suddenly Psyche wished she’d figured out
a way to ask instead of bringing up Xena's crush on the blonde girl from the
club. Pretty much anything would have been better than bringing up Xena’s
crush, but she couldn’t do anything about it now. She just wished she knew
where the hell Cupid and Strife were.

Right on cue the happy couple appeared at her elbow, grinning like a pair of
idiots as they pulled the last two chairs away from the table and sat down.
"Hey," they said in unison, prompting eye rolls from at least half their
friends.

"Where the hell were you two?" Psyche snapped, then she made a face and
shook her head. "On second thought, I don't want to know."

"We got a little hung up," Cupid answered, matching her mock disgust with an
unrelenting grin. "So did we miss anything?"



Confusion was a natural state for Iolaus. He'd gotten used to it a long
time ago; seeing Strife make out with a guy for the first time had totally
confused him, and watching Hercules go through girls like they were
disposable confused him even more. Walking in on Cupid and Strife in the
shower together…confusing was an understatement. Sure, it was possible he'd
mentioned in passing that he thought Cupid was a good-looking guy, but that
didn't mean he was attracted to him. He could appreciate a good-looking guy
on a purely intellectual level, after all, but walking into that bathroom
and seeing Cupid dripping wet and…

He shivered and closed his eyes against the memory, picking up his beer and
draining half the contents of the bottle. It was definitely a bad thing to
picture, especially when Cupid and Strife were sitting right across the
table from him. Besides, it wasn't like he wanted Cupid. He was a good
kid, but Iolaus wouldn't do that to Strife, even if he thought there was any
chance in hell Cupid would go for him. Besides, he wasn't into guys. He
was just…curious.

It was natural, right? One of his best friends was gay, so it was natural
for him to wonder what it was that attracted Strife to other guys. He'd
clung fervently to that theory for years, but after walking in and seeing
Cupid washing Strife's hair…that shouldn't have made him hard, should it?
Wasn't there something wrong with that? It was just hair, after all; it
wasn't like he'd walked in and found Cupid on his knees…but there went his
imagination again, careening into areas best left buried deep in his
subconscious.

Everything about Cupid was strange, even the kids he hung out with. He'd
been pretty sure Psyche was sleeping with Auto, but if he didn't know better
he would have sworn she was flirting with him earlier. Then when they were
standing at the bar waiting for the bartender to mix Xena's drink he was
almost sure he'd felt Auto's hand on his ass. It lasted barely a second,
and when he'd looked over at the other guy Auto was staring straight ahead
like he didn't even remember Iolaus was standing next to him. Hell, it
could have been an accident; the club was crowded, and they were both
getting jostled from both sides as kids fought their way to the bar.

That didn't help him any with the fact that he'd kind of liked it, though.
Okay, he'd *really* liked it; he liked the idea, anyway, only he didn't know
what to do about it. It changed…everything, starting with the fact that
Herc was never gonna talk to him again. Not that he was doing much of that
lately anyway, but they were still best friends and Iolaus didn't want to
lose that. Eventually Herc would get sick of listening to Gabbie's mouth
and he'd come around, and then they'd go back to playing shows and acting
like nothing had ever happened. Maybe it would take him awhile to get over
Xena punching him, but once he was done licking his wounds he'd be back,
Iolaus was sure of it.

So he couldn't get all worked up about some guy that may or may not have hit
on him, especially a guy that had a girlfriend. And what the fuck was that
about, anyway? Shouldn’t Auto have been looking to pound the crap out of
him just for looking at Psyche? He didn't seem phased at all that his
girlfriend was flirting with another guy, though, and Iolaus had no idea
what to make of any of it.

What he really wanted was to talk to Xena, or at the very least Strife. One
of them would probably be able to figure out what was going on; they were
better at this stuff than him, and at least they could tell him he was crazy
to think Auto was hitting on him. He'd just been trying way too hard not to
think about Cupid and Strife lately, and it was starting to get to him. But
he didn't have a prayer of getting a few minutes alone with either of his
friends, because they were all still gathered around the table talking over
the band.

Well, Cupid and Strife were whispering to each other, and Auto and Psyche
seemed to have some kind of weird nonverbal communication thing going with
their hands and eyes. Xena was actually watching the band, but she was the
one that had wanted to see them in the first place so it wasn't that
surprising. He still wasn't sure what he was doing there; lately he felt
pretty much like the third wheel even in his own apartment, and it wasn't
any better tonight just because he wasn't the only one without a date. Auto
and Psyche were a couple, sort of, which left him and Xena, but she was
pretty much focused on the show. So he'd spent most of the evening trying
not to think too hard about what was going on with everyone else at the
table, alternating between pretending to be interested in the band and
seeing how much beer he could drink and still find his way home.

He wasn't sure how he felt about the possibility of Auto hitting on him.
Sure, he liked the idea of a guy being interested in him, but he wasn't sure
if he was brave enough to do anything about it. And he wasn't sure what to
make of Auto in particular; they'd barely even spoken more than a handful of
sentences to each other, and what he had seen of Auto so far he wasn't all
that crazy about. Which meant he shouldn’t want to do…whatever, at least
not with Auto. He didn’t think so, anyway, but the more he thought about it
the more confused he got.

Was it okay to be attracted to somebody that he didn’t really like? And was
he actually attracted or was he just jealous that Strife and Herc both had
somebody and he didn’t? If that was the case wouldn’t he be focusing on
Psyche, though? She was pretty; she was one of the prettiest girls he’d
ever seen, and even if she was a little scary he’d feel better about having
a hopeless crush on her than he would about having a thing for her
boyfriend. Only Auto was the one he kept thinking about, and Auto was the
one he kept stealing glances at whenever he thought nobody was looking.

It was just curiosity. He’d told himself that at least ten times since he
felt Auto’s hands on his shoulders; that particular touch had surprised him
so much that he didn’t even put up a fight when the other boy pushed him
into a chair and sat down next to him. Since then he’d been trying his
hardest not to think about that touch, but every time he found his hands
wandering anywhere near the body next to his he could feel the pressure of
fingers against his shoulders all over again.

There was definitely something wrong with him, because guys had touched him
before and he hadn’t freaked out about it. Hell, Strife had touched him a
million times and he’d never thought twice about it, but suddenly this kid
from the suburbs that he didn’t even like had him questioning his entire
world view.

Okay, so he’d questioned it before, and he’d had a few thoughts about his
best friend that Hercules would kill him for. But that was somebody he knew
and liked, and this kid…maybe it was just because Iolaus had a feeling Auto
swung both ways, and he’d never actually met a bisexual guy before. That
was even more confusing for him than hanging out with Strife, because if
Auto could be comfortable being bi that meant it was possible Iolaus wasn’t
just confused after all.

“Hey.” The voice buzzed close to his ear, and he swallowed hard and looked
up to find Auto watching him. “You okay? You look like you’re gonna puke
or something.”

Iolaus nodded briefly, forcing his expression back to neutral. “Yeah,
I’m…I’m gonna get another beer. Anybody else want one?”

He barely listened to his friends as they shouted drink orders over the
music, turning away from the table and making a beeline for the bar. He
just needed a minute to pull himself together, either that or he was going
to lose it and embarrass himself even more than he already had. When he
reached the edge of the room he stopped and took a deep breath, willing his
pulse to slow down. There was no way his heart was racing just from the
sound of some guy’s voice in his ear; Auto had only been talking directly
into his ear to make himself heard over the music, it didn’t mean anything.

He’d almost convinced himself that he believed that when he felt a hand land
on his back, and he looked up to find Auto standing next to him. “Figured
you could use some help,” Auto said, grinning in a way that made Iolaus
wonder what he was missing. “Look, are you sure you’re alright? You don’t
look so good. Seriously.”

“Thanks,” Iolaus muttered, running a self-conscious hand over his face.

“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that,” Auto said as Iolaus shoved through the
crowd to the front of the bar. A moment later Auto was next to him again,
leaning against the bar as he turned to face Iolaus. “I didn’t mean you
look bad. Psyche thinks you look pretty good. She likes you.”

“What?”

“I said she likes you,” Auto repeated, smirking at Iolaus’ shocked
expression. He knew his eyes were wide and his mouth was probably hanging
open, but there was no way he could have heard Auto right.

“I thought…isn’t she your girlfriend?”

Auto shrugged and leaned forward a little, close enough for his breath to
warm Iolaus’ cheek. “We have an understanding. Didn’t Cupe tell you about
that?”

Iolaus shook his head, the drinks and pretty much everything else he’d ever
known forgotten as he tried to wrap his mind around what Auto was telling
him. “So you mean you don’t care? I mean if she hooks up with other guys?”

“Why should I? I mean as long as I’m invited to the party, right?”

As soon as he said it Auto turned away, catching the bartender’s eye and
shouting out their drink order. Carefully Iolaus closed his mouth, then he
swallowed hard and shook his head to try to clear the fog that was
threatening to settle in his brain. The strangest part was that it actually
made sense; the flirting from both of them, and the way Auto acted whenever
he was around Cupid and Strife…really he should have guessed it, and maybe
he would have if he’d bothered to think about it. But that meant that they
both wanted…him? At the same time?

“So you guys…before, when Psyche said…she meant…?”

Auto shrugged again and picked up one of the beers the bartender set in
front of him, taking a long pull from it before he handed it to Iolaus. “If
you’re interested.” He paused and looked the shorter boy up and down, a
grin slowly spreading across his face. “Could be fun. I’ll take these
back, you wait for whatever that is Xena’s drinking.”

All Iolaus could do was nod, staring down at the beer in his hand as Auto
walked away from him. He had no idea what had just happened, but he was
pretty sure he was in way over his head, and he had a feeling it was only
going to get worse.

~

Auto grinned to himself as he walked away from Iolaus. He hadn’t even
thought about the blond before, but things had been a little slow lately and
if Psyche was into him Auto was happy to go along with it. Not that he
would have needed much convincing; Iolaus was kind of cute when he was
confused, and even though he was a little shorter than Auto’s usual type he
was pretty strong. Auto could tell that just from the grip he’d gotten on
the other boy’s shoulders earlier, and he had a feeling if Iolaus was
interested it wouldn’t be a waste of his time.

Usually he let Psyche be the one to actually come onto the guy; she was
better at it than him, and he didn’t like to approach strange guys in the
clubs they hung out in. There was no telling when one of them would turn
out to be some kind of homophobe, and the last thing he needed was to get a
reputation for coming onto straight guys. Not that he was ashamed of the
fact that he was bi, but he knew how the punk scene worked and he was
willing to play the game. It wasn’t like he was gay like Cupid or Strife,
so he didn’t think of it as hiding anything. It was just a question of
discretion.

He had to admit he got off on the way Iolaus kept stealing looks at him all
night, though, and when the other boy left the table Auto couldn’t resist
following. It was just so easy to get a reaction out of him, and Auto kind
of liked the way he looked when he blushed. If they hadn’t been standing in
the middle of a punk club he might even have leaned over and kissed Iolaus
just to see what he’d do, but he knew if he did they’d end up fighting their
way out of the crowd or worse, getting jumped as soon as they left.

So he was biding his time, but he was pretty sure Iolaus was going to go for
it. He’d leave it to Psyche to seal the deal at her party, and by then
Iolaus probably would have thought so much about it he wouldn’t be able to
say no if he wanted to. It was something to look forward to, anyway, and it
meant maybe Psyche had changed her mind about breaking up with him after
all.

He’d been avoiding her for most of the week because he didn’t want to have
that conversation, so he hadn’t been expecting her to point out Iolaus and
start flirting. From the way she kept looking at Xena he’d figured maybe
Psyche wanted to give that angle another try, but she hadn’t said a word to
him about it. He wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth, though,
even if he hadn’t picked Iolaus himself.

When he got back to the table Cupid and Psyche were whispering about
something, but as soon as he set their beers down Strife nudged Cupid in the
side and the blond looked up, smiling sheepishly at Auto. “Hey,” he shouted
over the music as he picked up a beer, “where’s Iolaus?”

“He’s waiting on Xena’s drink,” Auto answered, sinking into his chair and
picking up his own beer. He had a feeling he was missing something, but he
couldn’t tell from Cupid or Psyche’s expression what it was. It always
bothered him when Cupid and Psyche acted like they had a secret, but for
some reason lately it was really getting under his skin. Maybe it was the
fact that Psyche had been talking about breaking up with him just last week,
or maybe it was the fact that she and Cupid spent so much time talking about
him like he wasn’t sitting right there. Either way it was starting to annoy
him, and he wasn’t sure how much more of it he could take. “What’d I miss?”

“Nothing,” Cupid answered, stealing a quick glance at Psyche. “We were just
talking about the party.”

Auto nodded and let the subject drop, glancing over his shoulder in the
direction of the bar. Iolaus was still standing there, and it was hard not
to laugh when the other boy looked up and caught Auto staring at him. He
turned an interesting shade of red and looked down at the bar again, but it
was enough to make Auto forget to be annoyed at his friends.

A few hours ago he wouldn’t have been able to picture Iolaus from memory,
but at least he provided a distraction. It was something to do, anyway, and
flirting with somebody that was obviously a little freaked out by the
attention was always fun. Kind of like the way Psyche got off on scaring
girls into giving up their tables. Anything was better than watching Cupid
and Strife doing everything short of making out at the table, something they
both knew would get them attention they didn’t really want in the club. As
it was he was pretty sure they were doing something sappy like holding hands
under the table, and it was a struggle not to roll his eyes every time he
looked over at them.

He was starting to wonder if Iolaus was ever coming back when he felt the
other boy sit down next to him, and he glanced over long enough to raise an
eyebrow at the blond. Right on cue Iolaus blushed and looked down at the
table, picking up his beer and draining half its contents. Auto grinned and
shook his head; he’d seen Cupid blush that way before, but Iolaus was at
least 20 and Auto had a feeling he’d been around a little. So he wasn’t
sure why the older boy was so nervous, but he was definitely looking forward
to finding out.

“Where’s that other guy?” Auto asked, using Hercules as an excuse to lean a
little closer. “Don’t you guys usually play on the weekends?”

Iolaus glanced over at Xena before he turned back to Auto, blinking when he
realized how close the other boy was to him. “Yeah…uh, Herc’s kinda pissed
right now. That whole thing with Gabbie.”

“What’s the story there?” Auto asked, resting his elbows on the table to
give him an excuse to lean a little further into Iolaus’ personal space.

Another glance at Xena let Auto know that Iolaus was worried she’d overhear
them. “It’s a long story. It’ll blow over as soon as Herc gets tired of
being mad at everybody.”

Auto nodded and stole a quick glance at Psyche, smirking when he caught her
watching them out of the corner of his eye. “So are you coming to Psyche’s
party or what?”

“Yeah…uh, yeah. I guess,” Iolaus stammered. He wouldn’t win any awards for
being a great speaker, but Auto wasn’t really interested in the way he
talked. Still, the longer he spent looking at Iolaus the more he was
interested in what he could do with his mouth, even if it was just because
he didn’t have anything better to think about. It beat being pissed that
Cupid was ignoring him, anyway, and it sure as hell beat trying to find new
ways to avoid getting the break-up speech from Psyche.

That was the part he still didn’t get, but he was hoping she’d just lost
interest in Xena and decided it wasn’t worth the effort of breaking up with
him. He was pretty sure that should bother him on some level, but the truth
was he didn’t care as long as it meant everything stayed just the way it was
for a little while longer. He just wanted things to stay the same until
after graduation, then they could all go their separate ways. Cupid and
Psyche would be ditching him for college soon enough, so he just wanted to
hang on to what he had until he couldn’t anymore. He didn’t think that was
so much to ask for.



As soon as he rang the buzzer for his dad's apartment Cupid had the
strangest urge to turn and bolt in the opposite direction, but he knew if he
left Strife standing there by himself he'd never live it down. Besides, he
wanted to get this over with. It wasn't even that big a deal, not really.
It was practically like moving in with Ares and Joxer, only this way he
wouldn't cramp their style. That was the argument he was hoping would work,
but the closer he got to having to say it out loud the less confident he
felt.

By the time Strife steered him into Ares' and Joxer's living room Cupid's
heart was pounding so hard that he was sure they'd all be able to hear it,
but if Joxer thought there was anything wrong he didn't show it. Instead he
grinned at both of them and led them toward the kitchen. "Ares got up at
some ungodly hour this morning and started cooking," Joxer said, his voice
hushed so Ares wouldn't hear him. "There's enough food in there to feed an
army."

He wasn't exaggerating, as they discovered when they followed Joxer into the
kitchen. Cupid felt Strife's hand squeeze his convulsively, and he looked
over at the other boy in time to see Strife choke back a laugh. The table
was piled with at least three different kinds of eggs, a tray of blueberry
pancakes and two different kinds of syrup, and Cupid was pretty sure he saw
his great-aunt Hestia's cranberry scones on a plate on the counter. There
was fruit salad and fruit juice, sausages, sliced ham, and from the smell
emanating from the stove, Cupid was pretty sure Ares was frying bacon.

"Geez, Dad, we didn't bring the whole city with us," Cupid said, letting go
of Strife's hand to cross the kitchen and pat his father's shoulder
affectionately. "Think you went a little overboard?"

"Considering what passes for nutrition in your eyes, I seriously doubt it,"
Ares answered, turning off the burner and carefully arranging the bacon on a
plate before he turned to face his son. "If I know you, you haven't eaten
anything all weekend besides pizza and beer."

"I didn't have *that* much beer." Cupid grinned at his father's
disapproving look; it was obvious that despite his attempts to look annoyed,
his dad was happy to see him. That would make it easier to broach the
subject of the loft, anyway, and he was hoping that Joxer would take his
side and help convince Ares that it was the best solution for everybody.

He waited until they were all seated around the table, plates piled high
with food, before he tried to bring it up. He'd already warned Strife that
he was planning to try to catch his father off-guard over breakfast, but he
knew Strife wasn't going to be much help in trying to convince Ares. Strife
was still too scared of Ares to try to talk him into anything, and Cupid had
no idea when he was going to get over that.

"So I've been thinking about what we talked about," he said, glancing
pointedly at his father over the rim of his glass.

"Oh?" Ares asked, a single eyebrow raised expectantly.

Cupid swallowed hard and put his glass down again, glancing down at his
plate and clearing his throat before he forced himself to look up again.
"Yeah. Seeing the dojo yesterday made me think of it. I mean it makes way
more sense for me to live in the city, but I don't want to cramp your style.
This place isn't that big, after all, and the loft's just sitting there
empty. Plus it's already furnished and it'd almost be like having me living
with you. I just wouldn't be sleeping in your guestroom."

"And this just occurred to you yesterday."

Okay, so he hadn't expected Ares to be so calm about it, but then again
he'd never actually considered the possibility that his father might be way
ahead of him. He should have known that Ares would have seen this coming,
and he felt his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach along with all his
hopes for the best summer of his life. "Well, no…I mean I've thought about
it a little, I just wasn't sure…"

"You thought if you just asked me directly I'd say no."

"Well, yeah." Great, now he sounded like he was whining, and suddenly he
felt like he was fourteen again and trying to con his parents into letting
him ride the subway to New York by himself. He stole a furtive glance at
Strife, but his boyfriend's gaze was trained carefully on the food he was
currently pushing around his plate.

Ares shook his head and stood up, crossing to the counter to pour himself
another cup of coffee. As soon as he realized his father was just going to
dismiss the idea without any discussion whatsoever Cupid's temper flared,
and he had to dig his fingers into his thigh under the table to keep from
yelling at the back of his father's head. "Aren't you even gonna hear me
out?"

"Cupid…" Joxer began, reaching across the table to cover Cupid's hand with
his. Cupid knew the older man was just trying to calm him down before he
and his father got into an argument, but he was already too angry at Ares to
listen to Joxer.

"No," he interrupted, pulling his hand away from Joxer's, "he always does
this. He doesn't listen, he just hears what he wants to hear and then he
decides it's a bad idea just because he knows it's what I want."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Ares turned around, his
expression a mixture of amusement and anger as he stared down his son. "I
see. So you deliberately tried to manipulate me to get your way, and I'm
being unreasonable? What's next? On moving day you tell me Strife's moving
in with you?"

He was so busted, and he felt all the color drain from his face as he
watched his father sit down across from him again. And it wasn't fair,
because he'd had this whole thing worked out for weeks and now it was all
gone. There was no way his father was going to let him move in with his
boyfriend, and there was no way his mother was going to let him move to the
city unless she knew he was at least sort of under Ares' roof.

"Well in all fairness, Ares, you haven't seen Strife's apartment," Joxer
interjected, smiling innocently when Cupid shot a glare at him. That wasn't
what Joxer was supposed to say; Cupid always counted on Joxer to help him
convince his father when he was being stubborn, not make matters worse by
bringing up the condition of the apartment where Cupid had been spending his
weekends for over a month.

"It's not that bad." Strife's voice was low, almost as though he was afraid
to remind any of them that he was still sitting there. His gaze wandered to
Ares for a split second before he turned his attention to his uncle, his
expression plaintive. "Ya really hate it that much, Unc?"

"No, of course not," Joxer answered, smiling reassuringly at his nephew.
"It's not your fault that the cost of housing in New York is ridiculous.
But if you boys are determined to move in together you're probably going to
end up sharing a studio. The only reason Ares and I can afford this place
is because it's rent-controlled. Once it goes co-op we'll have to move
again."

"Can we please get back to the subject?" Ares said, his voice a little
louder than necessary considering how close they were all sitting. "Cupid,
do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Dad, come on," Cupid answered, ignoring the fact that he really was whining
now. He didn't care how young he sounded, it just wasn't fair that his
father dismissed the idea just because he didn't like the fact that Cupid
was in love. "You and Joxer don't want me around all the time, this place
isn't big enough for any kind of privacy. And if I move in with you I'm
just gonna be over at Strife's place all the time anyway. At least if we
move into the loft you can keep an eye on us."

For a long moment Ares stared at Cupid without saying anything, then he let
out a little snort of disbelief and looked over at Joxer. "Did you coach
him?"

"Do you really think I'd go behind your back and put words in your son's
mouth?" Joxer asked.

"Yes."

The grin that tugged at the corners of Joxer's mouth only made Ares smile
even more brightly, and by the time Ares leaned forward and kissed Joxer
Cupid was thoroughly confused.

"Okay, I might," Joxer said when Ares released him, "but he didn't call and
ask for my advice."

"Wait a second," Cupid finally managed to spit out, turning his accusing
glare from his father to Joxer and back again. "You mean you both…"

"Please, Cupid, give me a little credit," Ares interrupted, spearing a piece
of pineapple on his fork and waving it in his son's general direction. "You
think I didn't know what you were up to when you showed up unannounced
yesterday? Asking to give Strife a tour of the dojo…I'm disappointed,
Cupid, I really am. There's only one room aside from the locker room and
the loft, and I doubt Strife has any interest in a tour of a locker room."

"So you knew the whole time and you were just messing with me? That's
really sick, Dad. How could you do that to your own son?"

"Cupe," Strife said, his voice low as he leaned toward Cupid and laid a hand
on the younger boy's arm, "now's probably a good time ta just shut up."

"Good advice," Ares said. "Smart kid."

"That's what I've been telling you," Joxer answered, glancing over at Strife
long enough to smile indulgently before he turned back to his breakfast.

"I never doubted you," Ares assured him. He glanced over at Cupid again,
raising his eyebrows at the sight of his son staring back at him with his
jaw hanging open. Then he reached across the table and picked up a plate of
scrambled eggs, piling a little more food on his plate before he turned his
attention back to his own breakfast. Just like that the conversation ended,
almost as though it had never started in the first place.

Cupid watched the two older men for a few minutes, both of them absorbed in
their food as though nothing had happened. He was positive he was missing
something, but he seemed to be the only one that was confused. Strife's
hand had left his arm almost as soon as it appeared, and when Cupid looked
up at his boyfriend Strife was engrossed in his breakfast again too. None
of them seemed at all surprised by what had just happened, not even Strife.
It didn't make any sense to Cupid, and even though there was a voice in the
back of his head telling him to take Strife's advice he just couldn't let it
go.

"I don't get it."

Strife started laughing first; a choked, muted sound as the other boy
pressed a hand to his mouth to try to hold in his laughter. Joxer was next,
followed quickly by Ares. It wasn't long before all three of them were
helpless, leaning against the table and each other as they struggled to
regain their composure. Cupid had a feeling they were all laughing at him,
and he was caught between wanting to get up and walk out of the room and
wanting to stay and find out what the joke was. He really, *really* wanted
to believe that Ares was going to let him and Strife have the loft, but
nobody had actually said it out loud yet and with his father that could mean
anything.

"Dad," he said through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching a little harder when
Ares started to laugh again.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Ares finally managed to choke out, sobering a little when
he saw how miserable Cupid looked. "You have to admit that you deserved it,
son. If you'd just been honest with me in the first place we could have
discussed this like adults."

"Somehow I doubt that," Cupid muttered over the sound of Joxer and Strife's
muted snickers. He shot a glare at his boyfriend but it had absolutely no
affect at all, and suddenly Cupid wondered if Strife had been in on the joke
from the beginning. "So can we have the loft or not?"

"Joxer and I talked it over last night," Ares answered, finally managing to
get his own laughter under control. "It's a big step, have you both really
thought this through?"

"Of course," Cupid lied, carefully avoiding Strife's gaze. Cupid had
thought it through, but he wasn't sure how much consideration Strife had
given to the reality of actually living together. He knew it would work,
though, so it didn't matter that they hadn't actually talked about it before
yesterday.

Ares glanced over at Strife and then back at Cupid, letting out a resigned
sigh when he took in his son's determined expression. "Alright. As Joxer
pointed out, I'd rather know you're safe and have a decent roof over your
heads than worry about you getting shot in your own hallway."

"Thanks, Dad," Cupid said, his features lighting up in a bright grin.
"You're the best."

"Sure, I give him what he wants and suddenly I'm up for Father of the Year.
A few minutes ago he was ready to disown me." Ares rolled his eyes and
looked over at Joxer, smiling at the other man's amused expression before he
turned back to Cupid again. "Don't thank me yet. You still have to
convince your mother."

The mention of his mother was enough to dampen Cupid's good mood, but not
enough to ruin the moment for him. He looked over at Strife again, his
heart skipping a beat when he found the other boy watching him. As soon as
their eyes met the reality of the situation sank in for the first time, and
he swallowed hard as he realized that they were really going to move in
together. That was more than a big step; it was huge, possibly the biggest
thing that would ever happen to him. He had no idea what he was getting
himself into, but he was sure it was the right decision. He'd never wanted
anything so much in his life, and once he convinced his mother there would
be nothing standing in their way.

"There's a lot of work to be done before you can move in," Ares said,
drawing Cupid's attention back to the fact that his father was still sitting
across from him. "The whole place needs new paint, and I'm not sure if all
the appliances are still running. I haven't used that space for anything
but storage since I moved in here. You're both going to have to put in some
long hours working on it before it's even livable."

Cupid nodded automatically whenever his father paused for breath. He hadn't
really thought about the actual logistics of moving in, but the loft had
looked okay to him when he and Strife were up there the day before. Of
course they hadn't really spent a lot of time looking at the décor, but it
wasn't like they needed much. There was a bed, a bathroom and a fridge;
that was pretty much all Cupid cared about.

"I'm serious, Cupid," Ares said, frowning when Cupid nodded a little too
enthusiastically. "There's a lot to do up there, you can't just move in and
live in the mess. You're going to have to help me move a bunch of old
equipment out of there, and you'd both better be prepared for a lot of
painting after graduation."

"No problem," Strife interjected, glancing quickly at Cupid before he looked
up at Ares again. "My old man was in the contractors' union before he got
sent up. He taught me how ta do a whole bunch a stuff. Drywall, a little
plumbin', that kinda thing."

Cupid didn't miss the flicker of pride in Ares' eyes before he schooled his
features back into a frown. "Weren't you eight or nine when your father
went to prison?"

"Yeah, but Pop used ta take me ta work with him startin' when I was six or
so. Ma doesn't have a lot a patience fer kids, so during summer break I'd
hang out with Pop on the job. 'Til he got sent up, anyway. I picked up a
few things, and my granddad's a carpenter so he showed me some stuff too."

"Right, your grandfather the carpenter," Ares said. He ignored Joxer's
muted laugh and reached for Strife's plate, piling some more food on it
before he handed it back. "You boys better eat then, you'll need your
strength. We've got quite a project ahead of us."

Cupid had no idea what to make of Ares' smug expression, but Strife didn't
seem worried so he decided not to worry either. He didn't know anything
about any of the stuff they'd been talking about; in fact, he wasn't even
sure what drywall was, but he was impressed by the fact that Strife knew.
He could tell Ares was impressed too, and if renovating the loft was going
to make Ares like Strife more then Cupid was all for it. There was no way
his mother could say no if they went to all the trouble of cleaning up the
loft, at least that was what he told himself as he listened to Strife and
Joxer trade stories about Joxer's father.

He looked up and caught Ares watching him, a grin tugging at the corners of
his mouth as he met his father's gaze. Ares grinned back at him, and Cupid
knew from his father's expression that if they weren't sitting across from
each other Ares would have reached over to tousle his hair by now. For once
he almost wouldn't mind the gesture of affection; he wasn't sure what that
meant, but he decided to keep it to himself. It was enough that his dad had
decided to be cool about his living arrangements once he moved to New York.
Everything was starting to fall into place; the hardest part now would be
waiting for graduation to finally roll around.


“I can’t believe he actually went for that.”

Psyche was perched cross-legged in the center of her bed, grinning at
Cupid’s expression. The shock still hadn’t worn off, and he’d spent the
entire day at school wandering around in an elated daze. Once they’d
finally gotten out of him that his father had agreed to let him move into
the loft they’d understood why he was practically giddy, but it wasn’t until
he’d mentioned that Strife was moving in with him that they really
understood what Cupid was grinning about.

“I know,” Cupid said, turning his head just enough to flash another grin at
Psyche. He was lying flat on his back across the end of her bed, arms
folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. She had a feeling he
wasn’t actually *looking* at the ceiling; in fact, she was pretty sure he
didn’t even know where the hell he was. “I guess he figures at least this
way he’ll know where I am.”

“Still, that’s kind of fucked up, don’t you think? I mean shacking up with
your boyfriend in the same place where your dad…”

“Auto.” Psyche’s voice was dangerously low as she interrupted the other
boy, looking away from Cupid long enough to cast a warning glare at Auto.
She couldn’t believe he’d bring up the way Cupid’s parents split up,
especially not when Cupid was obviously happier than he’d ever been. They
hadn’t been friends with him for most of high school, but they’d heard the
stories and they knew enough about the amount of crap he’d taken about his
father to know better. At least she’d always assumed Auto knew better, but
he was staring back at her with an expression that clearly said he didn’t
know what her problem was.

“It’s okay,” Cupid said, but his boyish grin was gone and Psyche could have
kicked Auto for tossing a figurative bucket of water on Cupid’s good mood.
Okay, so he was a little too caught up in his own romantic notions, but that
was nothing new. He’d figure out soon enough that living with Strife was
going to be hard work, he didn’t need Auto raining on his parade before it
even got started.

“What?” Auto asked, slumping a little further into the chair in the corner
of Psyche’s bedroom. “Come on, Psyche, not even your folks would go for
that.”

“They never say anything when they see you dragging your ass out of here in
the morning,” Psyche shot back, raising her eyebrows when he opened his
mouth to argue with her.

“No, he’s got a point.” Cupid pushed himself up on his elbows and glanced
over his shoulder at Auto. “I don’t know how my mom’s gonna take it. She’s
always hated that loft, she even hated sending me to stay there with Dad
after they split up.”

“Yeah, but it’s not your dad’s place anymore,” Psyche offered helpfully,
hoping to bring back some of Cupid’s good mood. “It’s your place now.
Well, yours and Strife’s, anyway. It’s gonna be great, Cupe. I’m really
happy for you.”

She was rewarded with a slightly less brilliant version of Cupid’s grin, and
she smiled back at him before she looked over at Auto to make sure he wasn’t
going to open his big mouth again. She wasn’t sure what his problem was,
but she suspected it had something to do with the fact that Cupid was
planning to move in with Strife. He hadn’t said anything, but he’d been
quiet since Cupid announced his plans, and she knew Auto well enough to know
that he still hadn’t let go of his hang-up about Cupid.

Auto had been in a pretty good mood that morning at school, and Psyche had
been hoping it had something to do with the fact that Iolaus had agreed to
come to her party. As soon as he heard about Cupid’s plans to move in with
Strife his whole attitude changed, though, and she had to face the fact that
he wasn’t nearly as over his crush on Cupid as she’d hoped he was. That was
the only explanation that made sense, anyway, but she couldn’t just come
right out and ask him about it while Cupid was in the room.

“So when are you gonna tell your mom?” Auto asked, ignoring the look Psyche
shot him and focusing on Cupid.

Cupid sat up and glanced at the clock next to Psyche’s bed, frowning when he
realized how late it was. “She should be home from work, I guess I better
get it over with.”

“You don’t have to go already,” Psyche said, standing up to follow Cupid to
the door. “It’s still early.”

“Yeah, but if I don’t go now I’ll just chicken out." Cupid grinned and
leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek, straightening up and glancing over
her shoulder long enough to wave at Auto. “See you guys later.”

She waved absently and watched until he was all the way down the hall before
she shut the door and turned back to Auto. “What the hell did you do that
for?”

“What?”

Psyche rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the door, crossing back to her
bed and sitting on the edge of the mattress. “What’d you bring up Cupid’s
dad for? That was totally a cheap shot.”

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Auto asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his
knees. “I mean it’s not like it’s a big secret.”

“Yeah, but you know how hard all that was for Cupid. I know you don’t like
Strife much, but Cupe’s supposed to be your friend.”

“I’m trying to be his friend,” Auto shot back. “Come on, Psyche, you’re not
gonna sit there and tell me you think they should move in together. He
barely even knows the guy.”

“They’re in love,” Psyche reminded him, shaking her head when he opened his
mouth to argue with her. “No, Auto, I mean it. I know you’re jealous, but
you’ve gotta back off or Cupe’s not gonna stick around for long.”

“I’m not jealous.”

“Give me a break. I know you better than anybody, and I’ve seen the way you
look at him when he’s with Strife. You can’t tell me that’s not jealousy.”
She knew he was going to deny it, but she was tired of pretending she didn’t
know what was going on. And even if he had a point about Cupid and Strife
moving too fast that was no reason to bring up something he knew Cupid was
embarrassed about.

“I’m not…fine,” he relented when he looked up and saw her determined
expression. He let out a heavy sigh and ran his hands over his face,
closing his eyes for a long moment before he looked up again. “Maybe in the
beginning I was. He was always around, you know? And as soon as he met
this guy it was like he didn’t even know us anymore. But it’s not just
that. I mean he’s moving to New York to live with Strife, then you’ll be
moving to New York for school, and I’m gonna be stuck here.”

She closed her mouth as soon as his words sank in, her response dying on her
lips as she realized he was serious. They’d always talked about her moving
to New York and staying in the dorms to get away from her parents, but he’d
never wanted to go to college. She knew he probably couldn’t afford it
anyway, but he’d always hated school. It had never occurred to her that he
felt like he was getting left behind. “Come on, Auto,” she finally said,
“it’s not like we’re moving to Mars or something. It’s just a train ride
away.”

“Yeah, I know.” Suddenly he sounded tired, like there was a lot more he
wanted to say but he couldn’t work up the energy to say it. “Look, Psyche,
forget it, okay? I’m sorry I brought up Cupid’s dad. I’ll tell him sorry
next time I see him.”

And now she felt bad for the way she’d been trying to break up with him for
the past few weeks, for the fact that she hadn’t even stopped to think about
how he felt, and for conspiring with Cupid to set him up with a guy he
didn’t even know. “Listen, if you want we can just forget the whole thing
with Iolaus and the party. It can just be you and me, if you want. Like it
used to be.”

He looked up when she said it, and for a second she thought he might
actually take her up on it. It meant giving up what she was hoping would be
the perfect time to get to know Xena better, but Auto was her friend and if
he wanted things to be the way they used to be for one last night she wasn’t
going to turn him down. A second later he shook his head, though, and if
she didn’t know better she would have sworn his grin was a little
self-conscious. “Nah, I mean…if you like him, I don’t mind.”

“He’s pretty cute,” she answered noncommittally, leaning back on her hands
in an attempt to look nonchalant.

“Yeah. He’s a little shy too, you know? I was talking to him at the club
this weekend and he’s got this whole innocent thing going for him. I mean a
guy like that has to have seen some action, don’t you think? There's always
a ton of kids screaming at their shows.”

Psyche shrugged, barely managing to swallow a smirk. “Cupe says Strife’s
pretty sure he’s never done it with a guy.”

That got her exactly the reaction she'd been hoping for; slack jaw, wide
brown eyes, and she wasn't positive, but she might even have seen the
beginnings of a grin before he opened his mouth and ruined the affect.
“Never?”

"Well it's not like it's abnormal or anything. Most guys don't, you know."

"Yeah, I know, but…" He trailed off, blinked a couple times, and looked
down at the floor. "I guess that explains the shy routine."

"Maybe. Or maybe he's just shy." She did grin that time, but it didn't
matter because he wasn't looking at her anyway. For a few minutes she'd
been worried that Auto really was having a hard time with the thought of
them breaking up, but now she was almost sure he was just upset about being
left behind. That wasn't going to happen, but she knew telling him wasn't
going to make him feel any better. He'd just have to see for himself that
just because he wasn't moving to the city didn't mean they'd stop being his
friends, and maybe he'd get sick of hanging out in Neptune eventually and
move to the city with them. "So are you ready to be somebody's first?"

He looked up sharply at that, frowning as he slumped down in his chair
again. "I don't know. You think he really wants to go through with it? I
mean he looked pretty freaked out when I was talking to him at the bar. At
first I thought it was kinda cute, but if he's not sure…"

"Trust me, Auto, that guy's the poster boy for repressed homosexuality.
You'd be doing him a favor." She was careful to omit herself from the
equation without making it obvious; Auto was never big on details, so
chances were he wouldn't pick up on it until it was too late. She didn't
want to outright lie to him, though, so if he asked her she was going to
have to tell him about the set-up.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, and she stifled a relieved sigh when his eyes took
on a far-away cast. She could tell he was already anticipating the evening
even though it was still a couple weeks away, and she couldn't help smiling
as she watched him. So maybe Cupid wasn't so crazy after all and this would
actually work. It would be nice if Auto had somebody, at least that way she
wouldn't have to feel so guilty about moving on.

~

Cupid managed to hold himself together until he got outside, but as soon as
Psyche's front door closed behind him he felt his hands start to shake. He
didn't want to let on to his friends how nervous he was about talking to his
mother, but Auto's comment had made things a hundred times worse. Until
that point he'd managed to forget exactly why his mother hated the loft so
much, but now that he'd been forced to remember he wasn't sure if he could
go through with this.

He wanted to move in with Strife; he wanted that more than anything, and he
really didn't want to move in with his father and Joxer. He wasn't sure he
could walk into his mother's house and announce that he was leaving her,
though, not when he was planning to move into the one place she couldn't
even stand to think about. She tried to act like it didn't bother her
anymore, but he saw the way she reacted every time Ares called for him or
showed up at the house. Now that Cupid could get himself to the city it was
better; they didn't have to deal with each other much anymore, but he had a
feeling that seeing Ares would always bother her a little.

By the time he found himself on his own doorstep he was so nervous that he
thought about turning around again, but before he got his feet to work with
him the door swung open and he found himself face to face with his mother.
"Cupid, what are you doing standing around out there?"

"Nothing, I was just…"

"I thought you were somebody else," Dite interrupted, standing on her
tiptoes to look over his shoulder. "Come on in, I need to talk to you."

She herded him inside and closed the door again, forcing him to crane his
neck to try to get a look at her as she shoved him less than gently in the
direction of the kitchen. "Mom? What's going on? Did somebody die or
something?"

"What? No, of course not. We're having a dinner guest, that's all. I
thought you'd be home earlier. Where were you, anyway?"

"I went over to Psyche's after school to talk about the party," Cupid
answered, letting his mother push him into a chair at the kitchen table. He
sniffed the air, the unmistakable aroma of his mother's roast wafting
through the air. "Is Grandma coming over?"

"Grandma? What makes you think that?" Dite asked, pausing long enough to
look up from the salad she was tossing.

"The only time you make roast is when Grandma comes to dinner," Cupid
answered, frowning at his mother's slightly flushed expression. "Mom, are
you feeling okay? You look a little sick."

Instantly Psyche dropped the salad tongs, all the color draining from her
cheeks as her hands flew to her face. "Oh no. Do I look terrible?"

"No, Mom, it's not…" he began, but before he could get the rest of his
sentence out she was already out of the kitchen and on her way upstairs to
her makeup mirror. "…that bad," he finished, sighing in the sudden silence.
This was not the way this conversation was supposed to go, and now they
were having company and he'd never get a chance to tell her he was planning
to move out.

The doorbell rang and he pushed his chair back, shaking his head and pushing
the kitchen door open. "Mom?" he called from the bottom of the stairs,
waiting a beat before he decided she was probably too engrossed in making
herself look perfect to even hear the doorbell. He had no idea who it could
be; the last time he'd seen his mother act like this was the time his Aunt
Artemis brought her much younger boyfriend Adonis around. Cupid still
hadn't told her that Adonis made a pass at him while everyone else was
upstairs looking at some family junk; he was pretty sure his mother would
freak if she heard that, especially since he had a feeling she'd been into
the guy herself.

Finally he gave up waiting for her and crossed to the front door, pulling
the door open and coming face to face with his Shop teacher. Cupid frowned
and glanced over his shoulder, but his mother was still missing in action.
"Hello, Cupid," the older man said, grinning nervously and thrusting a
bottle of something Cupid probably wasn't old enough to drink into his
hands, "is your…uh…is your mother home?"

Cupid nodded mutely, his eyes still wide as he took a step backwards and let
the high school Shop teacher into his house. And now he was really
confused, because he'd passed Shop when he was a sophomore, and as far as he
knew his mother had never met his teacher. "Uh, Mr…"

"Please, Cupid, when we're not in school you can call me Heph."

For a long moment Cupid stared blankly at the other man, but as soon as he
snapped out of it he turned on his heel and ran up the stairs two at a time.
"Mom!"

"Geez, Cupe, you don't have to yell," Dite said, appearing at the end of the
hall just as Cupid reached the top of the stairs. "I guess you've met our
dinner guest."

"Mom, what's the Shop teacher doing in our house?" Cupid demanded, finally
remembering the bottle still gripped in his hand. "And why'd he give me a
bottle of wine?"

Dite smiled and took the bottle out of his hand, resting her other hand on
his forearm. "I imagine the wine was meant to go with dinner. I wanted to
wait until after graduation to introduce you two, but Heph didn't see any
reason to wait. He's not your teacher anymore, so there's no conflict of
interest."

"Have you been dating my Shop teacher since…God, since I was a sophomore?"

"No," she answered, frowning at Cupid's horrified expression. "Honestly,
Cupid, you're not a little boy anymore. You know I've been dating."

"Yeah, but…the Shop teacher?"

Dite rolled her eyes and let go of his arm, pushing him gently out of her
way. "He's not *just* a teacher, you know. They all have lives when they
leave the school, believe it or not. Now go get washed up, dinner's almost
ready. And I expect you to be polite."

For a long time after she left him alone in the hallway he just stood there,
staring at the space in front of him where his mother had been standing a
few moments ago. He knew she dated, sure, but she'd always told him who she
spent her time with was none of his business. He'd never met any of her
boyfriends, but he'd never suspected that it might be because he already
knew the boyfriend in question. His mind was swimming suddenly with a
hundred different questions; like how serious they were, how long they'd
been dating and what exactly this dinner meant.

Then there was the little matter of him moving out to deal with, but
suddenly it didn't seem nearly as daunting to bring up. His mother couldn't
kill him in front of her boyfriend, and if things between her and Mr…Heph -
and that was going to take forever to get used to - were serious…

His lips curved into a wide grin, and he bounced on his heels as he made his
way to the bathroom to wash up for dinner. This unexpected dinner party
could work to his advantage, especially if his mother was so distracted by
her boyfriend that she didn't really pay much attention to what Cupid said
to her. He could probably get her to agree to anything tonight if he was
the type of person to take advantage of the situation. All he really wanted
was for her to be okay with him moving to New York, and if he could get her
to agree to that while she was preoccupied with Mr…Heph, then it would be
worth sitting through a boring dinner with his mom's boyfriend.

By the time Cupid finished washing up and made it back downstairs his mother
was in full flirt mode. He hadn’t seen her like that for a long time, and
he wasn’t sure how he felt about the fact that she was flirting with
somebody he knew. Somebody who’d given him a C+ on the spice rack she still
sitting on the kitchen counter and blown his GPA for the first half of his
sophomore year. The whole thing was just a little weird, starting with the
fact that his mom actually invited her boyfriend to the house, and ending
with the fact that it was someone Cupid already knew.

It hadn’t really bothered him when his father introduced him to Joxer for
the first time. This was his mom, though, and he was used to having her
more or less to himself. He knew she had a life, but she’d kept it away
from him for so long that he couldn’t help thinking that having her
boyfriend over to meet him meant…something. He hadn't figured out what
exactly it meant yet, but in a way it made him feel a little better to know
that she wouldn't be completely alone once he moved to the city.

When he got to the dining room Heph was already sitting down, and Cupid slid
into the chair across from him and crossed his arms over his chest. "So how
long have you been dating my mom?"

Heph had that sickly nervous grin going, like he was either going to start
laughing his head off or throw up on his shoes any second. Cupid wasn't
sure what his mother had told the guy to make Heph so nervous about having
dinner with him, but he had to admit it was kind of funny to watch. He'd
always been nice enough when Cupid was in his class, but Cupid had never
been all that good at carpentry so he hadn't paid much attention in Shop.
In fact he'd spent most of his time in Heph's class wondering how he'd
gotten the scar that marked one side of his face and most of his left arm.
There were a lot of different stories around school about it, but most of
them he was pretty sure weren't true. Now that he knew his mom was dating
the guy he could finally found out the real story, anyway.

"We've…uh…I guess we've been seeing each other for about a year now," Heph
finally answered, the nervous grin giving way to a thoughtful expression for
a second before it came right back again. Cupid decided that he looked
better when he didn't smile; the jacket and tie pretty much ruined the
affect, but when he wasn't grinning like an idiot the scar kind of made him
look dangerous.

"So are you guys gonna get married or what?"

That did the trick; Heph definitely wasn't smiling anymore, but he didn't
really look all that dangerous while he was staring at Cupid like a deer
caught in somebody's headlights. He almost felt sorry for the guy until he
remembered that they'd more or less ambushed him with this dinner party, so
he shrugged off the guilt and held the other man's gaze as he waited for an
answer.

"We've talked about it," Heph finally said, and Cupid had to give the guy
points for honesty. Most people would have stammered through a few
half-sentences before they finally came up with an excuse about having
something caught in their throat and high-tailed it for the kitchen. "Does
that bother you?"

He'd almost forgotten how good teachers could be at turning the tables in
the middle of an interrogation. They were a lot like therapists in that
respect, but Cupid had lived with a therapist long enough to keep himself
from getting caught off guard. Instead of answering he just shrugged
noncommittally and leaned back in his chair, raising a single eyebrow at the
older man. "She told you I'm gay, right?"

Heph's mouth opened, but before he managed to squeak out an answer the
kitchen door swung open, and both of them looked up in time to watch Dite
carry the roast into the dining room. "Oh, Cupid, good," she said,
oblivious to the tension hanging in the air between the two men, "I was just
getting ready to send out a search party. I think we're ready to eat."

He grinned indulgently, completely ignoring the fact that both of them
looked nervous now. "Looks great, Mom."

"Here's hoping," Dite muttered under her breath. Suddenly Cupid wondered if
this was the first time she'd ever cooked for the guy; if they'd been dating
for a year she must have showed off her cooking skills before now, either at
his place or while Cupid was in New York visiting his father. She seemed
kind of jumpy, though, and he couldn't imagine it was just because he was
meeting her boyfriend for the first time.

He'd never been one of those kids that was particularly protective of his
mother; she wouldn't stand for it, for one thing, and anyway he was usually
too busy worrying about the next time his father was going to screw up his
life. But suddenly he felt like kicking Heph under the table until he said
something nice about his mom's cooking.

"It looks fantastic, Dite," Heph said almost as soon as he finished the
thought, and Cupid blinked and reached for his glass of water to hide his
smile. "You've really outdone yourself tonight."

And okay, the guy couldn't be all bad if he could make Cupid's mom smile
like that. She looked younger with her face all lit up, kind of like she'd
looked when he was a kid and they were all still pretending that they were a
normal family. It made him wonder how long she'd been in love with his Shop
teacher, and more importantly, if Heph was the kind of guy that deserved a
woman like his mom.

"So how'd you two meet?" Cupid asked, glancing up from the food his mother
had piled onto his plate.

"Your grandfather introduced us, actually," Dite answered, glancing at Heph
long enough to give him a shy smile that would have made Cupid roll his eyes
under any other circumstances. "Heph does antique restoration when he's
not teaching, and he fixed that old Hoosier cabinet that your Grandma loves
so much. Dad thought we'd hit it off, so he gave Heph my number."

"It took him another three weeks to convince me to call," Heph added,
grinning sheepishly when Dite reached over and squeezed his hand. "He
showed me a picture of your mom and I knew there was no way someone as
beautiful as her would ever go out with me. I'm still trying to figure out
how I got so lucky."

Dite shook her head, smiling a little sadly before she let go of Heph's
hand. "Please, I'm the lucky one. I owe Dad for setting us up, and he
hasn't let me forget it yet."

Okay, that was a little too cute for Cupid, but if his mom was happy he
wasn't going to ruin it for her by acting like a kid and getting all grossed
out. Not tonight, anyway; there would be plenty of time to make fun of both
of them once he'd spent a little time with Heph. "So what's the occasion?"
Cupid asked, drawing their attention back to the fact that he was still in
the room. "I mean why the introductions finally after a year of keeping it
a secret?"

Dite arched her eyebrows at Heph, but he just shrugged helplessly. "He
asked me how long we've been seeing each other," he admitted, and Cupid had
to struggle not to laugh at the way Heph shrank a little under Dite's stare.

"We weren't trying to keep it a secret, Cupid," she said when she turned
back to him. "Not really. But while you were still in school I thought it
would be easier for you this way. Just to keep things as uncomplicated as
possible."

"What your mom means is that she didn't want you to have to see me around
school all the time if it turned out you hated the idea of us going out,"
Heph added, matching Cupid's smirk with one of his own. Dite sighed
dramatically at the two of them, but she didn't argue because all three of
them knew that it was true.

"And now…?" Cupid prompted, turning his attention back to his mother. He
really wanted to get back to the subject of potential wedding bells, if only
to confuse the conversation enough to bring up the fact that he was planning
to move out. He didn't want to just blurt it out again, though; his mother
would see right through that tactic.

"And now we think you're ready to deal with the fact that Heph and I are
getting serious."

"Getting?"

"Yes, and that's all you need to know for now," she answered, giving him a
look that told him he wasn't getting anything else out of her.

He stifled a sigh and frowned down at his dinner for a moment. Okay, so
distracting her with wedding plans wasn't going to work, but he could try a
different tactic that might work just as well. "I'm happy for you guys,
really," he said, looking up and smiling innocently at both of them. "I
mean I was a little worried about leaving you all by yourself, but now that
I know you've got Heph I don't need to worry about it."

"Leaving? What are you talking about?" Dite asked, the hand that was
holding her wine glass freezing in mid-air.

"Come on, Mom, you don't expect me to commute all the way to the city for
college, do you?" he asked in a tone that implied that even suggesting it
would be ridiculous. "It'll be a lot easier if I just move up there. Dad
already said I could use the loft, that way he'll be around to make sure I
don't do anything stupid and you won't have to worry about me taking the
train home every night."

For a long moment Dite just stared at him without saying anything, and he
began to squirm uncomfortably under her gaze when she finally shook her
head. "No. Absolutely not. I won't have you living alone in the city,
Cupid. You're too young."

"Mom, I just told you…"

"Living above the karate studio isn't the same as staying with him. If you
were planning to move into Ares' and Joxer's place it would be one thing,
but all by yourself in that loft? No."

"But that's the thing. I won't be alone. Strife's moving in with me."

Later he'd probably realize that that wasn't the best way to break the news
to her, but at the moment he was too busy enjoying the spectacle of seeing
his mother speechless for the first time. For as long as he could remember
she'd always had something to say about every situation, regardless of
whether or not it was any of her business. It was such a novelty to see his
mother staring at him with her mouth open that he forgot all about the man
sitting across from him until Heph cleared his throat.

"Strife?" he repeated, his expression telling Cupid that he regretted
drawing attention to his presence as soon as he'd said it.

"My boyfriend," Cupid answered before turning his attention back to his
mother. "Mom, you didn't really think I was going to stay in Neptune
forever, did you?"

"Of course not," she said, finally snapping out of her shock long enough to
answer him. "I knew you'd want to move to the city eventually, but…moving
in with Strife? Honey, have you really thought this through? You haven't
been seeing him for that long, and this is a big step."

He managed somehow not to roll his eyes at the question that everyone seemed
to be asking. If they knew how he felt about Strife they'd understand, but
there was no way he could make them see what he was feeling. He knew things
would work out exactly the way he envisioned them, and everyone else would
see soon enough that he'd been right. "I've thought about it. We both
have. This is what we want."

"And your father's okay with this?"

"Yeah, he's helping us fix up the loft." Cupid frowned at his mother's
expression, unable for once to tell whether or not she was going to put her
foot down. Not that she really had much to say about it once he turned
eighteen, but he didn't want to alienate her if he didn’t have to. "Come
on, Mom, this way is best for everybody. You can even help with the
decorating if you want."

"I have to talk it over with Joxer," she said, shaking her head when she saw
his hopeful expression. "Don't get too excited, I said I'd talk to him. I
haven't made a decision yet."

"Joxer?" Heph interjected. "I'm sorry, I know it's not really any of my
business, but wouldn't you want to talk it over with Ares?"

"Please, Ares is completely useless when it comes to things like this. He
gives Cupid whatever he wants, always has. Joxer's much more sensible,"
Dite answered. "Besides, he's Strife's uncle. If anybody's going to know
whether or not this is a bad idea, it's him."

"Mom talks everything over with Joxer," Cupid added, grinning at Heph's
surprised expression. "What, she didn't mention that? I bet she's already
told him all about you."

He laughed at the blush that colored the older man's cheeks, shaking his
head and turning his attention back to his dinner. There was nothing to
worry about now; when Dite said she was going to talk to Joxer that meant
that she just wanted to hear him tell her it was okay before she gave in to
whatever Cupid wanted. She hated saying no to him just as much as Ares did,
she just didn't want to admit it. So they both used Joxer as an excuse to
give in and Cupid played along. It wasn't hard, and as long as everybody
got what they wanted he was happy to keep his mouth shut and pretend he
didn't know what was going on.

~

"I can't believe they're just giving you guys a place, just like that."

"I know." Strife grinned at the hint of jealousy in Xena's voice; he knew
she'd give anything to move out of her mother's place, but it cost a fortune
to find a decent place in New York, and she didn't want to move in with a
bunch of people she didn't know. "Ya know, fer a guy who's always sayin'
how strict his folks are, they give him pretty much whatevah he wants."

"Face it, Strife, your boyfriend's totally spoiled," Xena said, smiling
innocently when he scowled at her. "You sure you know what you're getting
into?"

The truth was he had no idea what he was doing, but he wasn't worried enough
about it to back out now. He'd never lived with someone he was sleeping
with before, but he didn't see what there was to worry about. It just meant
they got to see each other a lot more often, and he was already kind of
attached to the idea of waking up next to Cupid every morning. Besides,
there was no way he could change his mind without making Cupid think Strife
didn't want to be with him, and it didn't hurt that the loft was a lot nicer
than the dump he was sharing with Iolaus and Hercules.

"Yeah, course I do," he answered. "Hey, if it means seein' less a Herc, I'm
there."

"There's a great reason to move in with somebody," Xena muttered, but when
he glanced at her again he saw the corners of her mouth twitching.

"Jealous?"

She set her bass back in its case and looked up at him, finally giving in to
the grin that was threatening to form. "Nah. Cupid's not my type. Now
Psyche, on the other hand…"

"I knew ya had a thing fer her," Strife said triumphantly, leaning forward
on his chair and resting his arms across the backrest. "She likes ya too."

"She does not."

"Sure she does. I saw her tryin' ta talk to ya at the club the other night.
Ya coulda acted a little more interested, ya know."

Xena shrugged and looked down at her bass again, pretending to adjust the
strings so she wouldn't have to meet her cousin's gaze. "What's the point?
She's still going out with that guy, right? I'm not stupid, Strife, I saw
the way they were looking at Iolaus."

Strife rolled his eyes and let out a dramatic sigh, pushing himself out of
his chair and crossing the stage to sit on the floor next to her. "Ya don't
know everythin', Xena. Look, Cupe's got this idea in his head that Iolaus
just needs a little shove outta the closet, right? Meanwhile Psyche's been
tryin' ta come up with a way ta break up with Auto, so Cupe talked her inta
killin' two birds with one stone. She pretends she's in on the whole
seducin' Iolaus thing, but once she gets him an' Auto alone together they
forget all about her."

"How does Auto outing Iolaus help Psyche break up with him?"

"Cupe says Auto's just got a little problem with the whole idea a bein'
alone with a guy. He figures once he does it once, he'll quit tryin' ta
hide behind his girlfriend."

Xena frowned and sat back on the wooden floor, leaning back on her hands as
she contemplated Cupid's plan. "That's almost as dumb as Herc's 'no dating'
rule."

"Tell me about it." Strife grinned when she shook her head at him. "Look,
it ain't my idea, I'm just goin' along with it. I mean Cupe's got a point
about Iolaus, right? We've been sayin' that forever. And even if he's
wrong about this thing with Auto, Psyche still likes ya. She's breakin' up
with him one way or the other."

"Yeah, but just because she's breaking up with him doesn't mean she's
interested in me."

Strife rolled his eyes again and fell back onto the stage, stretching his
arms out in a 'why me?' gesture. "Did ya not just hear what I said? She
likes ya. She told Cupe in those exact words."

"Oh. Well why didn't you just say so?"

Strife frowned and turned his head to look at her, opening his mouth to tell
her in no uncertain terms exactly who had the communication problem. Before
he got started the stage door slammed, though, and he let out a sigh and
pushed himself back into a sitting position. "'Bout time," he snapped,
glancing over his shoulder and scowling when he realized Iolaus was alone.
"Where the fuck is Herc? We're runnin' outta rehearsal time."

"He's not coming," Iolaus answered. He sat down heavily in the chair Strife
had vacated, staring at his friends without really seeing them. "I just
talked to him."

"He's not still pissed that I hit him, is he?" Xena asked. "Jesus, he had
it coming."

"No, it's not that," Iolaus answered. "Look, guys, I don't know how to tell
you this. Herc's not coming back."

"Whadda ya mean? One fight and he's just takin' a walk? He's the one that
wanted ta move out here in the first place," Strife said, turning so he
could see Iolaus. As soon as he registered his friend's shell-shocked
expression he forgot all about being mad at Hercules, a frown marring his
features as he pushed himself onto his knees and leaned forward to touch
Iolaus' arm. "Hey, are ya alright? Ya look like yer best friend just…shit,
Iolaus, is Herc okay?"

"Yeah…I mean I guess." He paused long enough to cast a guilty look at Xena,
taking a deep breath and looking down at Strife again before he continued.
"He's quitting the band. He's gotta get a real job, one that actually pays
something."

"Herc, get a job? What the fuck for?" Xena asked, a nervous grin tugging at
the corners of her mouth as she tried to imagine Hercules working.

Iolaus glanced at her again, the shock in his features fading into an
apologetic expression. "Gabbie's pregnant."


A week after Iolaus broke the news to them about Herc and Gabbie, Strife was
still trying to make sense of everything. Things had changed so fast for
all of them, and now Herc was leaving the band and having a kid. It still
hadn't really sunk in for him, but he wasn't the one he was worried about.
What he was really worried about was the fact that Xena had barely even
reacted. She wasn't really the emotional type, granted, but so far she
hadn't said anything at all about Gabbie and Herc, and he knew better than
to think it didn't bother her.

Then there was Iolaus - he'd been acting kind of weird ever since he gave
them the news, and a week later he still hadn't snapped out of it. It was
almost like he was blaming himself for the mess Herc was in, but he had to
know it wasn't his fault. Strife had tried talking to him about it a couple
times, but every time Iolaus just said he was okay and went back to brooding
in silence.

Going to some graduation party in Jersey was probably the last thing any of
them needed to do, but Strife was hoping it would take all their minds off
Herc's problems for awhile. Besides, he didn't want to disappoint Cupid.
He knew his boyfriend would pretend to understand if Strife told him the
timing was bad, but he'd still be hurt and Strife couldn't bring himself to
be the one to hurt Cupid. Xena and Iolaus hadn't said anything about
bailing on the party, anyway, and if they'd really wanted out they would
have told him. That was what he'd told himself during the whole drive down
from the city, anyway, only now that they were finally at the address Cupid
had given him Strife found himself wishing that he had backed out.

Psyche's house was huge; he'd never seen a house like this one, not up close
and personal anyway. He checked the address again, half hoping he’d told
Iolaus to turn onto the wrong street or something. They were in the right
place, though, and when he saw a group of teenagers tumble out of a car and
head up to the house he was sure this was the right address.

“Whoa. Somebody’s loaded,” Iolaus said from the driver’s seat, his gaze
fixed on the massive brick house.

Strife nodded and glanced over his shoulder at Xena, but she was staring at
the house just as raptly as Iolaus. He swallowed a sigh and told himself
again that it was just a party and there was nothing to worry about. Just
because Psyche lived in a mansion didn’t mean they’d be totally out of
place; Cupid and Psyche hung out here all the time, after all, and Cupid had
promised her parents wouldn’t even be in town.

He pulled the van door open and stepped out into the warm evening air,
swallowing a fresh rush of nerves as they made their way up the sidewalk to
the front door. It felt weird to be going to Cupid instead of him coming
into the city, and it felt even weirder to have another weekend where they
weren’t playing a single show. He had a feeling he was going to have to get
used to that part, though, at least until they found a new guitarist. If
they even decided to look for one, because for the first time Strife wasn’t
sure if he really wanted to go through the hassle of looking for somebody to
replace Hercules.

Before he had a chance to knock the front door swung open and he forgot all
about the band. He didn’t resist as Cupid closed a fist around the front of
his shirt and pulled him forward, barely managing to move out of the doorway
before he found himself pressed up against a solid chest. And obviously
he’d wasted a lot of time wondering if he was supposed to pretend they were
just friends in front of Cupid’s classmates, at least if the way the younger
boy was kissing him was anything to go by.

“Hey,” he said when Cupid finally let him up for air, registering vaguely
that Xena and Iolaus had closed the door and made their way into the party
at some point in the last few minutes.

“Hey,” Cupid answered, his slightly dazed grin making Strife’s knees wobble.
“I was starting to think you guys decided not to come.”

Strife shook his head, glancing over Cupid’s shoulder in a vain attempt to
pick Iolaus and Xena out of the crowd. “Nah. Had ta look twice at the
address, though.”

“Yeah, Psyche’s parents are loaded. She’s gonna have to get used to living
like a normal person soon, though. They won’t pay for her to have a fancy
place once she moves to the city.”

"Speakin' a which, what'd yer mom say?" Strife asked, doing his best to keep
his nervousness out of his expression. Cupid had been telling him all week
that there was nothing to worry about, but it was hard not to worry when
everything else in his life was upside down. If Cupid's mother put her foot
down then his father might change his mind about the loft, and then not only
would Strife not be waking up next to Cupid every morning, but he'd have to
find someplace to live. He and Iolaus probably couldn't afford their place
on their own, and there was no way he'd ever talk Xena into moving in with
them.

Not that he even wanted to try; what he really wanted was for Cupid to hurry
up and graduate from high school so they could start working on getting
their new place ready to move in. If it was up to Strife they'd already be
living together, but technically Cupid was still a high school student for
another week and he had a feeling even the best pout his boyfriend could
work up wouldn't convince his mom to let him commute his last week from the
city.

"She hasn't said anything yet," Cupid answered, reaching up automatically to
smooth away Strife's frown. "I told you not to worry about it. She's gonna
say yes, she's just making me wait because she can. Anyway, it doesn't
matter what she says. It's not like she can stop me."

He didn't answer that because he had a feeling whatever he said would come
out all wrong. It was nice to hear Cupid say that he'd stand up to his
mother for the chance to move in with Strife, but he had a feeling it wasn't
just a matter of Cupid defying his mother's wishes. It was his dad's place,
after all, and if his mom talked Ares out of letting them have the loft
there was no way they'd find a decent place they could afford. There was a
lot riding on whatever his mother decided, whether Cupid wanted to admit it
or not.

The party wasn't really the place to worry about it, though, especially
since they couldn't do anything about it until Cupid's mother made a
decision. So he opted not to say anything at all, leaning forward instead
to press his lips against Cupid's again. And even if he'd remembered that
they were still standing right next to the front door he wouldn't have
cared, not with Cupid solid and warm against him and pressing him into the
wall. He knew they weren't going to last long before they were looking for
someplace more private, but for now it was enough that they didn't have to
struggle to keep their hands off each other in front of other people.

His fingers stroked through Cupid's hair as the other boy's mouth left his
to trail down his neck, planting soft kisses along the skin just below
Strife's ear before he pulled away and looked up again. "I really missed
you," Cupid said, his smile lighting up his eyes as he met Strife's gaze.

"Me too." It was all Strife could manage around the lump in his throat, but
he knew it was enough when Cupid grinned and leaned forward again. His lips
just brushed Strife's again before he pulled back and looked over his
shoulder, frowning when he didn't find what he was looking for.

"Where'd Iolaus and Xena go?"

"Beats me," Strife answered, following the other boy's gaze long enough to
register that his friends had disappeared. "Probably got sick a watching us
already. Anyway it's not like they're here ta hang out with me an' you."

"Do you think Iolaus is really gonna go through with it?"

Strife shrugged, swallowing his own fears about what would happen if Iolaus
did play into Cupid and Psyche's hands. They hadn't talked about it, but
Strife had a feeling from watching his friend with Auto and Psyche that he
was interested. Iolaus had been acting weird all week, and Strife wasn't
sure how much of it had to do with Hercules and how much of it was
anticipation of the party. Still, he hadn't tried to back out of coming, so
that meant at least part of him wanted to go for it. Strife wanted to
believe it was a step in the right direction for Iolaus, but he couldn't
help worrying that this wasn't the best way for him to figure out what he
wanted.

"I dunno, Cupe. I haven't talked ta him much this week. He's been pretty
wrapped up with Herc's problems."

Cupid frowned at the mention of Hercules, letting out a small sigh and
pulling Strife a little closer. "I still don't get what he thinks he can do
to help Herc. I mean what can anybody really do?"

"Listen ta the big guy bitch about his rotten luck, I guess. Give him
somethin' ta aim for when he starts throwin' shit."

"Nice friend," Cupid said, but he was grinning again. "Well if anybody can
help Iolaus take his mind off other people's problems, it's Auto."

Strife did his best to smile at that and reached up, catching the hand that
was tracing his jaw line. "Hey, Cupe?"

"Yeah?"

"Can ya do me a favor and not sound so much like yer speakin' from
experience?"

A soft laugh escaped Cupid's throat as he nodded, leaning forward to plant
one last kiss on Strife's lips before he straightened up and pulled the
other boy away from the wall. "Come on, I want to show you something. Then
you can decide for yourself if I'm right."

Strife frowned, but he let the other boy pull him forward into the house.
He had no idea where they were going or what Cupid wanted to show him, but
he had a feeling he was going to find out whether he liked it or not.

~

Psyche spotted Iolaus first, but it wasn't until she spotted Xena right
behind him that her heart skipped a beat. Her stomach fluttered at the
sight of Strife's friends and she wondered if that was a sign that she
shouldn't go through with this. She didn't have much choice now, though,
because she'd already talked Auto into one of the guestrooms and if she
didn't show up with Iolaus in tow he'd get suspicious and come looking for
her. The last thing she wanted was for Xena to figure out what she was up
to; she had no idea what the other girl would think, but she didn't really
want to find out.

The fact that she wasn't planning to sleep with Iolaus didn't really matter,
because Xena would think she was planning on it, and then the damage would
already be done. For the first time she found herself regretting the way
she'd lived her life for the past few years, but there was no way for her to
erase her past. She wasn't even sure what it was about Xena that made her
feel weird about the games she and Auto had always played, she just knew she
didn't really want Xena to hear about any of it. Not if she could help it,
anyway, although it was possible that she already knew.

"Hi," she said when she finally reached them, smiling at Xena for a second
longer than strictly necessary before she turned her attention to Iolaus.

"Hey," Iolaus answered, and when he glanced over her shoulder she found
herself hoping that he was looking for Auto. If that was the case this
might be even easier than she'd hoped, provided Auto didn't do anything to
screw it up. That was a definite possibility, but she was doing her best
not to dwell on it too much.

"Where's Strife?" she asked, glancing around for any sign of Cupid or his
boyfriend.

"He got waylaid by Cupid the second we walked in," Xena answered. "Last we
saw they were making out by the front door."

"Oh." She'd been hoping that Cupid and Strife could keep their hormones in
check long enough to distract Xena until she got Iolaus and Auto taken care
of; Cupid knew she was interested in Xena, and this whole plan was his idea.
The least he could do was help her, but there was no sign of him anywhere
in the crowd around her. "You guys want a drink or anything?"

"Sounds good," Xena answered, turning in the direction Psyche indicated and
making her way through the crowd. Iolaus turned to follow her, but before
he could Psyche reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" she asked, turning on her most flirtatious
smile when he turned back toward her. As soon as he registered her
expression he swallowed hard, and she had to stifle a laugh at the mixture
of shock and fear in his features. Auto was right, he did have that
innocent thing going for him. Only she had a feeling it wasn't necessarily
an act, at least not where this particular experience was concerned. He'd
probably never had a couple come onto him before, and the novelty was just
enough to make him play right into her hands.

"I probably shouldn't ditch Xena," he said, but he didn't look like even he
believed that.

"She'll be fine," Psyche answered dismissively, forcing herself not to
glance in the direction the other girl had disappeared. "It's so loud in
here. Let's go find someplace more quiet."

She didn't bother waiting for an answer; instead she took his hand and
pulled him through the crowd, leading him out of the living room and up a
set of stairs. She glanced over her shoulder when they reached the second
floor, grinning at his dazed expression as she stopped in front of a closed
door and pushed it open. He followed her into the room and she let go of
his hand long enough to close the door behind them, turning around again
just in time to watch Auto push himself up onto his elbows to look at them.
He was stretched out on the bed in just a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, and
Psyche had to admit that he looked good. He looked more his age than he
ever did when they went out, and without all the makeup and gel in his hair
he looked almost normal.

"You remember Auto, right?" she asked Iolaus, smirking when he nodded
without looking back at her. It was pretty obvious from his rapt expression
that he thought Auto looked pretty good too, and judging by the way Auto was
staring back at him she might have been able to just let herself right back
out of the room without either of them ever noticing. She knew better than
to try it, though, so she took a few steps forward and reached out to touch
Iolaus' forearm. "We thought it'd be easier for us all to get to know each
other better somewhere private. If you want we can go back to the party.
Just say the word."

Finally he tore his gaze away from the bed long enough to frown at her, his
forehead furrowed as though he was having trouble understanding what she'd
just said. "No…I mean I…"

That was as far as he got, and for a second she felt a little sorry for him.
She could tell he wasn't really sure exactly what he'd gotten himself
into, and even though part of him wanted to be there the rest of him
obviously wasn't so sure. Still, he was old enough to take care of himself,
so if he wanted to turn around and walk right back out of the room he could.
She did feel kind of bad about leaving him alone with Auto; her boyfriend
wasn't known for setting people at ease, and from the way he was watching
Iolaus she could tell he wasn't that worried about it. At least he'd sat up
and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, that seemed to relax Iolaus
enough to keep her from worrying that he was going to have a heart attack in
her parents' guestroom.

She stole a quick glance at Iolaus, hoping he wouldn't be able to see what
she was thinking from all the way across the room. "Maybe I should get us
something to drink," she said, backing toward the door as she spoke so
neither of them would have a chance to answer. "I'll be right back."

And okay, it probably wasn't the most graceful exit she could have made, but
once she was safely on the other side of the door she didn't care. All she
really cared about was the fact that neither of them had followed her, and
with any luck Auto would get tired of waiting and take care of the rest.
She sighed and pushed herself off the door only to stop short when she
realized someone was watching her.

"You sure it's safe to leave them alone in there?" Xena asked, gesturing in
the direction of the guestroom with her drink.

"Xena…I…"

"Relax," Xena interrupted, an amused grin tugging at the corners of her
mouth. "Strife told me about Cupid's idea. I'm guessing they're gonna kill
both of you when they figure it out, but in a way it's kind of sweet.
Twisted, but sweet."

"I know," Psyche whispered, glancing over her shoulder as though she
expected one or both boys to appear suddenly. "But have you ever tried
saying no to Cupid?"

"No, but considering the way Strife's been acting since they met, I'm
guessing it's not that easy." Xena's grin got a little brighter as she fell
into step next to Psyche, but when they reached the top of the stairs she
stopped and glanced back toward the guestroom. "So that's it? We're not
even gonna listen to see if they go through with it?"

For a second Psyche considered pretending to be shocked at the fact that
Xena wanted to listen to their friends having sex, but she was too busy
being relieved that Xena wasn't disgusted with her for setting them up in
the first place. "I've got something way better," she answered. "Follow
me."



Auto wasn’t really sure where Psyche said she was going because he was too
busy wondering if Iolaus was going to turn and bolt out of the room. It was
hard not to laugh at the expression on the other boy’s face, but he knew if
he did he’d probably just piss Iolaus off, and that wasn’t the way he wanted
to start things between them. He could understand being nervous about the
situation, he’d been pretty nervous his first time. It hadn’t showed nearly
as much as it did on Iolaus, but he remembered what it felt like.

"Relax," Auto said, patting the mattress next to him in invitation. "Take a
load off."

He didn't think it was possible for the other boy's eyes to get any wider,
but as soon as he patted the mattress they did. A second later Iolaus'
cheeks blushed a shade of crimson Auto had never seen before, and he glanced
over his shoulder in the direction of the door.

"She'll be right back. She probably just went to get beers or something."

Iolaus nodded as though it was a perfectly reasonable explanation, turning
back to Auto and hesitating for another moment before he crossed the room
and sat down a few inches away from the other boy. "Do you guys…do you do
this a lot?" Iolaus asked, stealing a quick glance at Auto and blushing even
harder.

"What?"

"You know...this," Iolaus said, gesturing vaguely between the two of them.
"Call in for reinforcements."

Auto laughed at the euphemism, shaking his head and leaning back on his
hands. "Not as much as we used to." He paused and tilted his head to one
side, watching the other boy's profile for a moment before he continued.
"You ever done this before?"

"Which part?" Iolaus laughed nervously, looking up at Auto again and
flashing a shaky grin.

"I mean have you ever done it with a guy," Auto answered, returning the
other boy's smile. He hadn't admitted it to Psyche, but he kind of liked
the idea of being somebody's first. He knew it didn't really mean
anything, but it was kind of nice to pretend that it did. Ever since Cupid
met Strife Auto had found himself wishing he could find something like that;
he wasn't expecting to fall for Iolaus or anything, but sex that meant
something would be a change, at least.

"No," Iolaus admitted, and Auto couldn't help reaching out to run a finger
over the tip of one bright red ear.

"How come?"

Iolaus shrugged and looked over at him, his expression a mixture of fear and
anticipation. "Guess I didn’t want to admit that I wanted to."

"So now you're admitting it?"

A shaky nod was his only answer, but it was enough to encourage Auto to push
things a little further. He leaned forward slowly, giving Iolaus plenty of
time to pull away if he wanted to. He felt the body next to his tense as he
closed the distance between them, but Iolaus didn't try to move away and
finally Auto's lips brushed against a warm mouth. He barely touched the
soft, slightly parted lips before he pulled back far enough to meet Iolaus'
gaze, his hand resting on the other boy's shoulder. "If you wanna wait for
Psyche to come back…"

"No," Iolaus said, swaying instinctively closer to the warmth emanating from
Auto's body. His gaze was fixed on the other boy's mouth, and Auto couldn't
stop the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He was caught
between amusement and relief at the whispered answer; the truth was that he
wasn’t sure he could wait, and he was afraid if he went to find out what was
taking Psyche so long that Iolaus would change his mind and take off.

He leaned forward again, stopping less than an inch away from the other
boy's mouth. "Good," he murmured right before he covered Iolaus' mouth with
his again, his free hand tangling in blond hair to tug Iolaus even closer.
He'd kissed other guys before, but Psyche was always there when it happened
and it had never felt this…intimate. This kiss was intense in a way he
wasn't used to, and he wasn't sure if it was because they were alone or if
it was because Iolaus was kissing him back with a desperation he could
almost taste.

Part of him wanted to push the other boy down and get him out of his clothes
before he changed his mind about what they were doing, but the rest of Auto
really wanted to take his time. He wanted to savor each reaction, learn
what made Iolaus whimper or moan or wince against the almost painful
pleasure of each new sensation. He wanted to take his time learning the
other boy's body, to know what it felt like to have someone's undivided
attention for once. He forgot all about the fact that Psyche was supposed
to be there with them; the only thing on his mind at all, in fact, was
making sure Iolaus enjoyed this as much as possible.

Slowly he lowered them onto the mattress, never breaking the kiss as he
stretched out more or less on top of Iolaus and braced his hands on either
side of the other boy's face. He expected Iolaus to be a little hesitant,
maybe even self-conscious about the idea of being trapped underneath him.
But there was nothing shy about the hands moving over his back, gripping at
his shoulders and sides as though he was afraid Auto might disappear. He
was holding onto Auto so tightly that it took some effort to pull away
enough to reach between them, but finally Auto managed to shift enough to
work open the top button of Iolaus’ shirt.

He latched onto the side of Iolaus’ neck while he worked his shirt open,
tasting the salty skin under his mouth as his fingers explored each bit of
newly exposed skin. It never occurred to him to wonder where Psyche was or
if she was actually coming back; it didn’t seem to matter as much as he’d
always figured it would, especially when he felt the other boy’s fingers
flexing against his skin underneath his tee shirt. He sat up long enough to
pull his shirt over his head, dropping it on the floor before he swung a leg
over Iolaus’ hips to straddle his waist.

“How do you wanna do this?” he asked, one hand trailing down the center of
the older boy’s chest until he reached the last few buttons of Iolaus’
shirt. He felt the shiver roll through the body still pinned underneath
him, and he didn’t bother trying to hide his grin. He had no idea why he’d
been so freaked out by the idea of being alone with another guy; it was just
another kind of game, and knowing that Iolaus was nervous just added to the
challenge. When he didn’t get an answer right away he pushed Iolaus’ shirt
open, running his hands over the expanse of warm skin before he leaned
forward and pressed their lips together again.

He took his time kissing Iolaus, moaning against the other boy’s mouth at
the pressure quickly building at the pit of his stomach. As nervous as he
was, Iolaus kissed him back with a certainty that let Auto know how much the
other boy wanted this - him - and he couldn’t help thrusting against the
body underneath him. Iolaus arched against him automatically, shifting in
the process and allowing Auto to settle a little further between his legs.
The change of position brought them even closer together, and Auto pulled
his mouth away from Iolaus’ lips to let out a hot breath against the other
boy’s ear.

“Do you wanna fuck me?” he whispered, grinning at the shudder that rolled
through the other boy. “Or maybe you want me to fuck you.”

That got him another shudder and a convulsive thrust of the hips pinned
neatly underneath his own, but the challenge was to make Iolaus say it and
Auto wasn’t giving up until he heard the words. He had a feeling getting
the other boy to say what he wanted out loud would be more of a challenge
than getting him to admit that he wanted Auto, but he’d never had a problem
with patience. Besides, they had all night, and he wasn’t planning to go
anywhere until Iolaus decided that he’d had enough.

“Whatever you want,” he said, planting one last kiss on the other boy’s neck
before he pushed himself up far enough to meet Iolaus’ gaze. He shifted a
little further and slid a hand between them to cup Iolaus’ groin, applying
enough pressure to surprise a gasp out of the other boy. “I can suck you
first if you want, take the edge off.”

“You’d really...” Iolaus’ voice cracked on the words, and he had to stop
and clear his throat before he tried again. “You’d really let me fuck you?”

“Yeah, sure,” Auto answered. His hand moved slowly up and down the other
boy’s length through his jeans, coaxing Iolaus’ hips into a shallow,
rhythmic thrusting motion. “Maybe you should let me suck you first, though.
You’ll last longer if you come first, and I want it to last as long as
possible.”

Iolaus’ eyelids fluttered closed when Auto squeezed one last time before
shifting off the other boy to reach for the waistband of his jeans. “Yeah,
okay,” he answered when Auto hesitated with his hand on the other boy’s
zipper.

“Okay what?”

For a second when Iolaus opened his eyes again he looked confused, but when
he finally focused on Auto he realized what the other boy was waiting for.
“I want you to...to suck me,” he said, the words coming out in a rush of
breath followed immediately by another blush.

“That’s all I wanted to hear,” Auto murmured, leaning forward to fuse their
mouths together again.

~

Psyche led Xena downstairs and toward the back of the house, away from the
crowd in the living room. When they reached a set of heavy double doors she
pushed one open, frowning when she realized the room wasn't empty. "What
are you guys doing?"

"Oh, good," Cupid said, ignoring the glare his friend was directing at him.
"I can't figure these stupid things out."

"That's because you're not supposed to be in here," Psyche shot back, but
she pushed him out of the way and glanced up at the row of screens on the
opposite side of the desk he'd been standing in front of. "If my dad saw us
in here he'd freak out."

"It's a good thing he's in France, then," Cupid reminded her, grinning when
she rolled her eyes at him. "You didn't put them in a room we can't see,
did you?"

"Yeah, that's exactly why we're in here," Psyche answered, shaking her head
at the question and pushing a few buttons on the console in front of her.

"Wait a second," Xena said, her gaze fixed on the screen at the center of
the row of monitors. "Are you guys planning to spy on Auto and Iolaus?"

"Yeah, what'd you expect?" Cupid shrugged and glanced over at Strife,
grinning at the shocked look on the older boy's face. "Psyche's dad is nuts
about security, he's got the whole house wired. There's at least one camera
in every room."

"That's totally creepy."

"Tell me about it." Psyche glanced up at the screens every time she hit a
button, grinning triumphantly when she finally found what she was looking
for. "There they are."

Four sets of eyes were trained on the monitor in question as Auto pulled
back and looked down at Iolaus, saying something that made the other boy
squirm. "There's no sound?"

Psyche looked away from the monitor long enough to smirk at Xena. "So
you're shocked that we're spying, but you wanna hear them too?"

"Well if we're gonna watch anyway…" Xena trailed off with a sheepish grin,
lifting her drink to her lips and turning back to the monitor.

"Sorry. Dad's into watching, but the system doesn't pick up audio. It
records, but I took the tape out so nobody would get any ideas about
blackmail or anything." Psyche cast a pointed glance at Cupid, but he was
too busy watching the monitor to pay any attention to her.

"Whoa. Guess Iolaus decided ta go through with it," Strife said, drawing
all their attention back to the monitor just in time to watch Auto slide a
hand inside the other boy's jeans.

It was hard to make out exactly what was going on; the screen was small and
the camera was far enough away from the bed to encompass most of the room,
but they could see enough to tell that Auto's hand was moving inside Iolaus'
jeans as he whispered something against the other boy's ear. It wasn't hard
to tell that Iolaus was enjoying himself so far, at least if the rhythmic
movements of his hips were any indication. Psyche found herself wishing
that they really could hear what was going on, but it was quite a show even
without any sound.

"They look good together," Xena murmured, but when Psyche glanced over at
the other girl her eyes were still glued to the monitor.

And it did feel kind of weird to be spying on them, but Psyche was glad to
see that Cupid's plan had worked. She'd been terrified since she left them
alone together about what would happen if Auto came looking for her. She
had no idea how to explain what was taking her so long, and she really
didn't want to go through with what Auto thought was going to happen. It
wasn't that she didn't like Iolaus; he was cute and as far as she could tell
he was a nice guy, but she wasn't interested in sleeping with him. Then
there was the problem of encouraging Auto's delusions about their
relationship; that was a really bad idea, and the sooner he realized they
weren't a couple anymore the easier it would be to deal with him.

She wished she could tell what Auto was whispering, but knowing him he was
just telling Iolaus in vivid detail exactly what he was planning to do to
him. Auto had always been a talker, so maybe it was just as well they
couldn't hear. She wasn't sure she could stand in a room with all of them
and listen to Auto describe everything he was going to teach Iolaus. "I
hope Auto doesn't scar him for life or anything," she said half to herself,
but all three of them looked back at her when she said it.

"Why, what do you think he's saying?" Cupid asked, frowning at the thought
that Auto would find a way to mess up the plan.

"Beats me," she lied, shrugging and doing her best to look convincing. "I
just meant I hope he doesn't go too fast or anything. He can be pretty
enthusiastic once he gets going."

Strife looked back at the monitor and cocked his head to the side, his mouth
dropping open as he watched Auto sit up and pull Iolaus' jeans over his
hips. "I dunno, looks like he's havin' a pretty good time. Anyway, it's
not like Iolaus is a virgin. He knows how ta tell somebody when they're
goin' too fast."

By the time he finished talking Auto had gotten Iolaus out of everything but
his shirt, and he dropped Iolaus' jeans on the floor next to the bed and
crawled back over the other boy. They watched as he leaned forward and
pulled Iolaus toward him, planting what looked like a hard kiss on him as he
pushed his shirt off his shoulders. Once he got Iolaus out of his shirt
Auto pushed him back against the pillows again, his mouth leaving the other
boy's to work his way down the center of his chest.

None of them said anything while they watched Auto explore Iolaus' chest,
using his hands and mouth to cover every inch of exposed skin he could
reach. They could see that Iolaus was panting and straining against Auto's
body, but the other boy seemed determined to take his time. He lifted his
head from IOlaus' stomach and caught one of the hands that was tangled in
his hair, sliding two of the other boy's fingers into his mouth and sucking
while he watched Iolaus pant. When he finally released Iolaus' fingers he
worked his way up the inside of his forearm, stopping at the inside of his
elbow and lingering there.

Psyche had been almost sure that Auto would be in a hurry, so she was more
surprised than anyone to see her ex-boyfriend taking his time. Xena was
right; they did look good together, and the fact that Auto was moving slowly
made her wonder if he'd been more interested in Iolaus than he let on. They
hadn't seemed to notice that she'd never come back, anyway, so at least part
of the plan was working.

"I'm never gonna be able to look at either of them again," Xena muttered as
they watched Auto retrace his path toward Iolaus' stomach.

"Serves him right fer not knockin' before he barges inta the bathroom,"
Strife said without looking away from the monitor.

"What's the big deal about him walking in on you in the bathroom?"

Cupid looked away from the monitor long enough to grin at Xena. "He walked
in on us in the shower. But it's not like we were doing anything. If you
ask me he freaked out for no reason."

"Yeah, I guess that would be enough to freak him out," she said, smirking at
the glare Strife shot her. "Still, I don't think they should ever hear
about this. I mean knowing they slept together is one thing, but knowing we
watched..."

"Xena's right," Psyche interjected. "Everything we see in this room should
stay in this...room." She trailed off distractedly as she watched Auto
slide his mouth as far down Iolaus' cock as he could. She probably
couldn't count that as moving slow, but Iolaus definitely wasn't complaining
about it so far. In fact, he looked like he was having a pretty good time.
There were murmured agreements from the rest of them, but she barely
registered the sound of voices as she made her way around the front of the
desk and reached into the small fridge her father had built into one of the
bookcases.

She produced a bottle of chilled vodka and a bottle of cranberry juice,
setting them both on the desk and reaching for four of the highball glasses
her father kept on his shelf. "Anybody want a drink?" she asked, glancing
over at the monitor again as she unscrewed the cap on the vodka bottle. She
poured four drinks and passed them out, wishing she'd thought to bring some
food into her father's office before Iolaus got to the party. She didn't
want to leave long enough to go find something to eat, though, and
considering the rest of them were settling onto the couch to watch it was
obvious none of them were willing to make a snack run.

She sank into one of the chairs in front of her father's desk, folding her
legs underneath her and balancing her drink on the arm as she turned her
attention back to the monitor. This was definitely the strangest thing
she'd ever done; stranger than any of the seductions she and Auto had ever
dreamed up, and even stranger than some of the stunts they'd pulled to get
tables or just to amuse themselves at the clubs. It was the first live porn
show she'd ever watched, anyway, and the fact that it was two people she
knew made it feel even weirder. The fact that she was supposed to be in
there with them made her feel a little better, though, and as long as Auto
and Iolaus didn't know then no one would get hurt. It was just a little
harmless fun, after all, and there was no reason for them to find out about
it.

She stole a quick glance over at Xena before she looked back at the monitor,
smiling to herself at the pretty blush coloring the other girl's cheeks.
Blushing was one of those things she'd never have expected to see on Xena,
but it definitely looked good on her. She hadn't had a chance yet to find
out of Xena was bothered by the fact that Psyche had set up Xena's friend
and her ex-boyfriend, but considering how raptly she was watching them she
had a feeling she didn't need to worry. Besides, there would be plenty of
time for talking later; they couldn't watch Auto and Iolaus all night, after
all, and it didn't look like Xena was getting a ride back to the city any
time soon.



Auto closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his own heart beating,
focusing on every spot on his body that was still in contact with Iolaus'
skin. He hadn't expected the other boy to dive right in with so much
enthusiasm, but he'd said he wanted to try, and Auto had never been the type
to discourage people from trying new things.

He grinned at that thought and peeled one eye open, turning his head just
enough to catch a glimpse of blond hair and flushed skin. "You sure you've
never done that before?"

"I think I'd remember," Iolaus answered, his voice infused with the nervous
laughter Auto had heard earlier. The truth was that it was pretty obvious
Iolaus had never given anybody a blow job before, but Auto wasn't about to
tell him that. He didn't want to discourage the guy, and anyway for a first
time it was definitely a great effort. A little uninventive, maybe, but
he'd obviously given it a lot of thought, and that counted for something.

Auto pushed himself up on one elbow, turning on his side to take in the
other boy's profile. "So?"

"What?" Iolaus asked, his forehead furrowing in confusion for a moment. A
second later he blinked and pushed himself into a sitting position, flushing
and turning away from the other boy. "Oh. Yeah. We should probably get
going."

"No, that's not what I..." Auto paused and reached out, closing his hand
around Iolaus' arm and pulling him back down onto the mattress before he
could stand up. "That's not what I meant. We don't have to go anywhere,
nobody's waiting for us. Besides, we just got here." He grinned and eased
the other boy down onto his back again, letting his gaze wander over all
that flushed, warm skin. He'd never met anybody so pliant before, but
Iolaus seemed willing to let him take over completely. Maybe if Auto had
been a girl it would have been a different story, but as long as Iolaus was
still a little nervous about the whole 'gay' thing Auto wasn't above taking
advantage of it.

That thought gave him pause, because he'd never really thought of himself as
gay before. He'd always told himself and anybody else that asked that he
was just into trying new things, and he didn't like to get hung up on
labels. If he was honest he'd have to admit that he preferred guys, though;
in fact, aside from Iolaus he'd chosen every guy they'd ever slept with.
And where the hell was Psyche, anyway? She had to have been gone for almost
an hour by now, and he couldn't even remember where she'd said she was
going.

"What's the matter?"

Auto blinked and looked down at Iolaus, shaking his head when he realized he
must look like he'd just seen a ghost or something. "Do you get the feeling
we've been set up here?"

"Set up? How do you mean?"

"Psyche seemed pretty anxious to ditch us, didn't she? I mean this whole
thing was her idea, at least she made it sound like it was. But as soon as
she gets us in a room together she takes off. What I don't get is why she'd
bother."

"I think I know," Iolaus answered, sitting up again and drawing his knees up
in front of him. "Jesus, this is embarrassing."

"What?"

"My so-called friends have been trying to out me forever." He sounded
miserable, and his shoulders slumped a little further forward as he rested
his forehead on his hands. The way his back flexed when he did that was
irresistible, and Auto found himself sitting up and sliding a hand down the
center of the other boy's spine. "Now I know why Strife wanted me to come
to the party so bad."

The misery in Iolaus' voice made Auto wish he'd never brought it up,
especially since he had a suspicion that it wasn't just Iolaus they'd been
trying to out. Besides, he was working on killing the mood, and the last
thing he wanted to do was ruin what they'd started. He liked Iolaus, maybe
a little more than he'd expected to, and he wasn't really looking forward to
watching the other boy get dressed so he could go kill Strife.

He turned his face into the older boy's shoulder, ghosting his lips across
the top of Iolaus' spine as his hand traced lazy patterns over the small of
his back. "Does it matter?" he whispered, half-afraid of the answer. "I
mean you can go if you want, but we just got started here. I don't care why
you're here, do you?"

"I guess not," Iolaus answered. The noncommittal answer wasn't exactly a
testament to Auto's irresistibility or anything, but when Iolaus turned to
look at him he was smiling again. Auto smiled back and moved a little
closer, sliding a hand around the back of the other boy's neck to pull him
forward for a kiss. There was barely an inch of space left between them
when Iolaus tensed suddenly and pulled back to frown at him. "Wait a
second. If this was all Psyche's idea, does that mean you didn't...?"

Auto could have kicked himself for saying that out loud, but at the time he
hadn't really been thinking about whether or not he was going to hurt
Iolaus' feelings. "I didn't say I didn't think it was a good idea," he
answered quickly, swallowing a sigh when Iolaus pulled out of his grip. "I
just didn't think you'd go for it. I mean I'm glad you did, but until that
night at the club I just figured you'd tell us both to fuck off."

"Why'd you think that?"

"Because you and that other guy always seemed kinda freaked out by Strife
and Cupid whenever I saw you."

"I wasn't freaked out," Iolaus said. "Herc's not crazy about Strife and
Cupid, but it doesn't make a difference anymore."

"So is he gonna freak out if he finds out about this?"

Iolaus shrugged and shifted a little closer to Auto, bracing himself against
the mattress and swaying close enough to brush their lips together. It was
the first time he'd made any kind of move without Auto initiating it, and
Auto couldn't help grinning when he pulled back. "I don't really care right
now," Iolaus finally answered, his gaze locked on Auto's face as he waited
for the other boy to react.

"Me either," Auto said, his smile growing a little brighter when Iolaus let
out an amused snort. He slid a hand around the older boy's neck and pulled
him forward again, parting his lips under Iolaus' mouth to taste the mingled
flavors of himself and Iolaus on their tongues. He had no idea where this
was going; it was the first time he'd ever entertained the idea of sex
leading to something more, but he hoped that this wouldn't be a one-night
thing. It surprised him more than it probably would have surprised any of
his friends to know that he actually wanted to see Iolaus again, but there
it was and there was no use denying it. It wasn't like the brooding
obsession he'd nursed for Cupid for the past few months, but he liked Iolaus
and he was getting tired of messing around with people he could care less
about.

This was...nice. Different from what he was used to, but he was pretty sure
he could get used to it. Being the sole focus of the other person's
attention made things way more intense, but in a way that made it all even
better. And it meant he could spend as much time kissing Iolaus as he
wanted, which was something he could definitely get used to. He loved the
way they fit together, the solid weight of a strong, masculine chest pinning
him down and the rhythmic thrust of hips moving lazily against his own. He
loved that he could make Iolaus whimper just by sucking the other boy's
tongue into his mouth, and he loved that Iolaus didn't even know how needy
he sounded.

He parted his legs a little more to let the other boy settle more completely
against him, sliding one leg over Iolaus' thigh to pull him even closer. He
had no way of knowing how long they'd been in the room, but he had a feeling
nobody was looking for them. Chances were their friends really had arranged
this whole thing, which meant they had all night to do whatever they wanted.
And there were a lot of things Auto wanted to do, but he'd be happy with
just kissing Iolaus for as long as they could stand it.

Iolaus was a great kisser, but it was more than just that. It was a
combination of the warm weight holding him down and the hands moving over
every bit of his skin that Iolaus could reach, the mouth moving possessively
against his own and the knowledge that they had all the time in the world.
It was enough to make Auto's head spin, but it was a good kind of dizziness,
like he was floating or just really, really high. He laughed at that,
breaking the kiss to gasp for breath as he wondered if Psyche had slipped
him something before Iolaus got there.

"What?" Iolaus asked, grinning down at Auto as he waited for the other boy
to let him in on the joke.

The confused grin on the other boy's face made him look younger than he was,
and once Auto's laughter finally subsided he shook his head and ran a hand
through thick blond hair. "I don't remember," he said, leaning up to plant
another kiss on the corner of Iolaus' mouth when the older boy frowned at
him. "Just something dumb about Psyche."

"What's the deal with you two, anyway?" Iolaus asked. It was a weird time
to bring up that subject, and Auto would have laughed again if Iolaus didn't
look just a little jealous. That was enough to make him wonder if they
really were going somewhere with this thing between them, and he found
himself swallowing a healthy dose of hope along with his laughter.

"No deal. We were going out and now we're not. I think we're both pretty
ready to move on."

"So she's not your girlfriend?"

Auto grinned at that and fell back against the mattress again, shaking his
head against the pillow. "I just told you, we broke up. I mean she didn't
say she doesn't wanna be my girlfriend anymore, but I'm guessing setting me
up with you is a hint."

"And that doesn't bother you?" Iolaus asked, frowning as though he thought
Auto should be more upset about the end of his relationship.

"Why should it? Like I said, we're both pretty much over it. She's my best
friend, but I don't need to sleep with her. Besides, she's got a thing for
Xena." He wasn't sure how anybody could have missed that, but Iolaus looked
like it was news to him. Then again, maybe it was only obvious to people
that really knew Psyche. "Why are we talking about this right now?"

"I have no idea," Iolaus admitted. He let Auto pull him down for another
kiss, stretching out over the other boy again. Auto groaned at the slide of
answering hardness against his own quickly hardening cock, wrapping his arms
around Iolaus to pull him closer. He didn't want to talk about Psyche; he
didn't want to think about her, and he sure as hell didn't want to see her
any time soon. The only reason he planned to get out of this bed in the
next few hours was to fish the tube of lube out of the pocket of his jeans,
and he was already wondering if that was really worth it. He wanted to make
Iolaus' first time as good as possible, though, whichever way he decided he
wanted it. Maybe he'd even decide he wanted to try both ways; Auto could
definitely get behind that plan, but no matter what Iolaus wanted he was
more than happy to go along for the ride.

~

It was kind of like watching a TV show, Cupid decided. It wasn't just that
they were watching Auto and Iolaus on an actual TV screen; that helped, but
there was so much drama going on in that room that he couldn't help getting
caught up in the storyline.

Not that he could actually hear what they were saying, which could have been
part of the reason it all seemed so dramatic. He might have felt a little
guiltier if they could hear what was going on, though, so in a way he was
just as glad they couldn't. Watching was one thing, but knowing what they
were talking about seemed like more of an invasion of privacy. He knew
there were things that he'd said to Strife when they were alone together
that he wouldn't want anyone else to hear, and there were things Strife had
said to him that would lose some of their meaning if he said them in front
of other people.

Thinking of Auto and Iolaus as a couple was probably a little premature, but
they really did look good together and they seemed to be getting along
really well. Things between him and Strife had started out a lot less
romantically, after all, and now they were moving in together. So maybe
Cupid had been right all along and Auto and Iolaus really were perfect for
each other. He smiled at that thought and glanced over at Strife, letting
his hand settle on the other boy's thigh.

Strife jumped at the contact and looked over at Cupid, his expression one
that Cupid recognized instantly. He knew the feeling; watching Auto and
Iolaus was kind of weird, but it would have been impossible not to get a
little turned on after watching them together. He cleared his throat and
nodded in the direction of the door, grinning when Strife nodded
emphatically and stood up.

"We're gonna go...uh...find something to eat or something," Cupid said,
standing up and glancing at Psyche long enough to realize she wasn't even
looking at him. In fact, judging by the rapt expression on both girls'
faces, he could have announced exactly what they were going to do and they
wouldn't even have blinked.

"Sure, whatever," Psyche answered distractedly. "Just not in my room."

Cupid flushed and rolled his eyes, grabbing Strife's hand and pulling him
toward the door. "Yeah, I know," he muttered as he pulled the door open and
led Strife into the hallway. As soon as they were safely out of the room he
stopped and leaned against the closed door, tugging on the hand still caught
in his until Strife took the hint and leaned against him. "I hate it when
she does that."

"What, tells ya not ta have sex in her room? That happen a lot?"

"No," Cupid answered, flushing all over again when Strife smirked at him.
"I mean she could pretend she doesn't know where we're going, couldn't she?
It wouldn't kill her."

"Maybe she does it 'cause ya look so cute when yer blushin'," Strife said.
He leaned up to plant a placating kiss on Cupid's lips before he pulled away
to look at the other boy again. "Seriously, though, Cupe, can we find
someplace a little less public ta talk about it?"

Cupid nodded and pushed himself off the door again, leading Strife down the
hallway and up the stairs. He stopped not far from the room Auto and Iolaus
were in, opening the door and glancing around to make sure the room was
empty before he pulled Strife in behind him. He barely had time to turn the
lights on before he was being pushed toward the bed, Strife's hands already
under his shirt and pushing it over his chest.

"In a hurry?" he asked, raising one eyebrow as he hit the edge of the bed
and sat down.

Strife rolled his eyes and tugged on Cupid's shirt until he lifted his arms
long enough to let Strife pull it off. He pulled his own shirt off before
climbing onto the bed and pushing Cupid backwards, bracing his hands on
either side of the younger boy's face and leaning forward to fuse their lips
together. Cupid had just begun to relax into the kiss when Strife pulled
back abruptly and glanced around the room as though he was looking for
something. "Ya don't think she'd watch us, do ya?" he asked when he finally
looked down at Cupid again.

"Who, Psyche? She seemed pretty focused when we left, she probably wouldn't
think of it. Besides, she doesn't know which room we're in, it would take
her too long to find us and she'd miss what Auto and Iolaus were doing."

"Ya know, Cupe, yer friends are weird," Strife said, grinning as he relaxed
and leaned forward to press a soft kiss to the other boy's lips.

"Hey, Xena's the one who wanted sound," Cupid shot back, but he matched
Strife's grin with one of his own as he slid a hand around the other boy's
neck and tugged him forward again. They kissed more slowly this time,
Cupid's fingers stroking through Strife's hair as the other boy moved
against him. Finally Strife let him up for air, shifting a little to tug at
the button on Cupid's jeans.

"Do you think they'll figure out that we set them up?" Cupid asked, pushing
himself up on his elbows to watch Strife slide his zipper down.

As soon as he got the words out the other boy's hands stilled, and Strife
let out a frustrated sigh when he looked up at Cupid again. "Cupe, yer
killin' me here. Why're we still talkin' about our friends?"

"I just wondered. I mean they looked like they liked each other, don't you
think?"

"Yeah, I think ya could say that," Strife answered, grinning in spite of his
frustration. "Look, Cupe, it's done, so what they figure out now is outta
our hands, right? If yer worried that they're gonna be pissed, from the
looks of it I don't think ya need ta worry. If anybody's pissed, it's gonna
be Herc."

Cupid frowned at the mention of Hercules, but before he could register his
opinion on that subject two fingers pressed against his lips. "Cupe, can we
talk about it tomorrow? Like maybe on the train back ta the city?"

He grinned and nodded, pressing a kiss to the tips of Strife's fingers
before they disappeared only to be replaced by Strife's mouth. He groaned
and lifted his hips to let Strife tug his jeans down, all his worries about
their friends disappearing as Strife crawled over him again. This beat
watching Auto and Iolaus or anybody else, for that matter; he didn’t even
care if Psyche decided to turn on the camera in the room they were in,
because as long as he was with Strife nothing else mattered.

~

"They really are kind of sweet, aren't they?" Psyche said, tilting her head
to the side as she watched Iolaus stretch out on top of Auto.

Xena grinned and glanced over at the other girl, but Psyche was too
engrossed in the show to notice the other girl watching her. It was an even
more interesting view than the one on the monitor, and Xena wasn't about to
pass up an opportunity to watch Psyche while she wasn't paying attention.
She really was beautiful, and now that Xena had spent a little time with her
she didn't seem nearly as strange as she came off at first.

"Yeah. It's kind of romantic, really."

"I know," Psyche said, tearing her gaze away from the scene in front of her
long enough to smile at Xena. "I can honestly say I've never seen Auto like
this before. He's usually way more...something. Detached, maybe. Anyway,
he's always in a hurry. Do you think that means anything?"

"Maybe he's trying not to scare him," Xena offered. She didn't really
believe it, though, because from what she could tell Auto seemed completely
focused on Iolaus. If she didn't know better she'd think they were an
actual couple, and for the first time since she heard about this little plan
of Cupid's she found herself wondering if somebody was going to get hurt.
From the little she knew about Auto he wasn't exactly the faithful type, and
Iolaus was one of the most loyal guys she knew. If he went and fell for
Auto because of one night that their friends had arranged...well, it was too
late to take it back now, so all she could do was hope for the best.

They watched in silence for a few minutes, both of them absorbed in the
slow, sensual kiss. Xena had to admit that she wouldn't really have
expected that from Auto, and Psyche sounded as surprised by his sudden
personality shift as Xena was. Not that she really knew him, but he didn't
really seem like the romantic type. Iolaus, on the other hand...he'd always
been popular with girls, and she suspected part of the reason was because he
knew how to treat them. It had to be different with two guys, but when it
came to making somebody feel wanted there wasn't that much difference.

The funny thing was that she used to joke with Iolaus that if she was
straight he'd be the perfect boyfriend. Only now, watching him with Auto,
it was obvious that she wasn't his type at all. They'd always wondered
about him, but until she saw it with her own eyes she hadn't really believed
he'd go through with it. He worried way too much about what Hercules
thought, for one thing, and if Herc could see him right now he wouldn't see
anything romantic about it at all. She let out a sigh and sent up a quick
prayer to whatever god was in charge of sexually confused drummers that Herc
wouldn't cut Iolaus out of his life the second he found out.

"What's the matter?" Psyche asked, turning away from the monitor as soon as
she registered the sound of Xena's sigh.

"Nothing," Xena answered, granting the other girl a weak grin. "I was just
thinking about what Herc's gonna say when he finds out about this."

Psyche frowned at the mention of Iolaus' best friend, glancing up at the
monitor again before she answered. "Does he have to find out?"

"Well, Iolaus is still his best friend, and I'm guessing he's not gonna be
able to chalk tonight up to curiosity. I mean we've teased him about it
before, but now that he's gone through with it..."

"He's gonna have to come out to Herc," Psyche finished for her, letting out
a sigh of her own. "Do you think he'll really freak out? He's friends with
Strife, that should count for something."

Xena nodded and shifted her weight on the leather couch. "Yeah, they've
been friends forever. Iolaus is his best friend, though -- Herc might see
it as a betrayal or something. Then again, maybe he'll be too busy with
Gabbie and the baby to care."

"Cupid mentioned that," Psyche said softly, sympathy shining in her eyes
when Xena looked up at her again. "If you want to talk about it...I mean I
know you liked her, it's gotta suck to find out something like that."

"It's gotta suck more to know you're stuck with Herc," Xena said, matching
Psyche's sad smile with a smirk. "Seriously, Gabbie and I were just friends
-- we still are, I guess -- so it's not like I really lost anything.
Besides, I knew it wasn't going anywhere. It was definitely time for me to
get over it."

"So are you? Over it, I mean."

During the few conversations they'd had before tonight Xena had spent so
much time telling herself Psyche wasn't interested that she'd missed the
hope in the other girl's voice. She heard it clearly this time, though, and
she couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I'm
over it."

Psyche's smile practically made her glow, and for a long moment Xena forgot
what they were doing in the room in the first place. When she saw something
move out of the corner of her eye she glanced over at the monitor again,
flushing when she realized what was going on. "Maybe we should..."

"Yeah," Psyche answered, standing up and rounding the desk to switch off the
monitors. She cleared her throat and looked up at Xena when she finished,
smiling sheepishly as she met the other girl's gaze. "I guess Cupid was
right about Iolaus after all."

"He definitely seems to be enjoying himself," Xena said, grinning when
Psyche laughed. She had a feeling that was the biggest understatement of
the night, but the sound of Psyche's laughter made it worth it. If Iolaus
was in over his head he was at least making up for lost time, and Auto
definitely seemed willing to help him along. She was a little surprised
that he was letting Iolaus top, but she wasn't going to spend a lot of time
thinking about the psychology of Iolaus' sex life. At least she was going
to try not to, but she was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to get that
image out of her head any time soon.


The party was still in full swing when Xena and Psyche emerged from her
father’s office, but they managed to find some junk food in the kitchen and
a relatively quiet corner on a couch near the back of the family room.

"Are you sure you shouldn't be mingling or something?" Xena asked as they
settled onto the couch, glancing around at the roomful of teenagers before
she turned back to Psyche.

"Nah, half these people hate me anyway. To tell you the truth I don't even
like parties all that much, I just throw them because I know it makes my
parents crazy." Psyche grinned at Xena's expression and pulled the top off a
pint of Haagen Daz, digging a spoon into the ice cream and folding her legs
up underneath her on the couch.

"You mean you invited a bunch of people you don't even like to your house?"

"I didn't really invite anybody," she answered, shrugging and glancing
around at the faces of her classmates. "Word just kind of gets around. You
know, 'party at Psyche's place, her parents are off pickling their livers in
Europe again'. Everybody shows up, it's not like there's anything else to
do around here. Besides, they don't have to talk to me. I just provide the
house."

"That doesn't bother you?"

She grinned again because she couldn't help thinking of the first time Cupid
had come to one of her parties. He'd said almost exactly the same thing
when Psyche told him she didn't like most of the kids at their school, and
he'd looked even more confused than Xena. "Why should it?" she finally
answered. "I mean it's not like I wanna talk to them either. Besides,
staring at Auto gets a little old after awhile. We have to do something or
we'd go crazy."

"Is that why you two…?" Xena trailed off with a tight, embarrassed smile,
and even though the flush in her cheeks made her look a little softer than
usual Psyche was too busy kicking herself to notice. She'd assumed the
subject would come up sooner or later, but she'd been hoping for later. If
she hadn't brought up Auto she probably wouldn't be explaining herself
already, but maybe getting it out of the way was for the best. At least
that way she'd know where she stood; if Xena was grossed out by her
relationship with Auto she wanted to know now, before she got her hopes up
any higher than they already were.

"Auto was the one that first thought of it," she said, wincing when she
realized she already sounded like she was trying to blame him. She'd never
really felt the need to explain herself before, but for some reason the
thought of Xena judging her bothered her a lot more than the whispers she
heard at school. "I think it was his way of getting around admitting that
he liked guys. I guess I was curious, and after awhile it just seemed
normal. Plus, it was kind of fun freaking out the girls at school. They
all thought I was such a slut anyway, even though Auto was the first guy I
ever slept with. So I guess I just proved them right."

"Being curious doesn't make you a slut," Xena said when Psyche stopped to
catch her breath. Her voice was low, but she was smiling a little
self-consciously and it was easy for Psyche to convince herself that Xena
wasn't just being nice. She wanted to believe that; more than anything she
wanted to believe that, but she knew how easily she could be wrong.
"Neither does a little experimenting. You're supposed to do that when
you're young, right?"

Xena reached over and pulled the ice cream out of Psyche's slack hand,
trying and failing to hide a smirk as she dug the spoon into the container.
Psyche knew she must be grinning like an idiot, but she didn't even mind
that Xena was sort of laughing at her. As long as she wasn't disgusted
Psyche was happy to put up with a little teasing. There was one thing Xena
had said that they needed to clear up immediately, however, and she managed
to swallow her surprise long enough to find her voice again. "I'm not that
young."

"Younger than me."

"By what, two years?"

"Four." Xena grinned again and handed the ice cream back to Psyche. "I'm
21. Strife's the baby of the group."

"Oh." For a second Psyche looked a little crestfallen, but a moment later
she brightened and shifted a little closer to the other girl. "Girls mature
faster than boys, though, so that doesn't really count. Besides, I'm 18, so
that's only three years."

She flashed a smug smile at the older girl when Xena rolled her eyes. She'd
never really thought about their age difference; it didn't matter to her,
and she had a feeling Xena didn't really care either. In fact, she was
almost sure of it, because every time she glanced over at Xena she caught
the other girl watching her. "I guess you've got a point," Xena conceded.
"You have a fake I.D., anyway; Gabbie says you're always at the clubs."

"How come I've never seen you before?" Psyche asked, remembering suddenly
the question she'd been dying to ask since she first laid eyes on Xena.
"You're from the city, right? So how come you were never at the shows
before you joined the band?"

"I used to be. When I was first out of high school I went to all the shows.
You probably weren't hanging out at the clubs yet then, so you wouldn't
have seen me. Then I met…someone, and after we broke up that whole scene
just reminded me too much of her. So I stopped going to shows until Strife
begged me to fill in for their bassist. He knows the band's not my whole
life, though. I'm starting my senior year at NYU this fall."

"Really? I'll be a freshman," Psyche said. "I'm not really sure if college
is for me, but if it gets me out of my parents' house I'll try anything."

"You'll like college. It's totally different than high school. The people
that are there want to be there, and people don't waste a lot of time
gossiping about stuff that's none of their business." Xena glanced
meaningfully at the people around them; a few of Psyche's classmates had
been giving them weird looks since they sat down, but Psyche was used to
ignoring it by now. She forgot until Xena brought it up that not everyone
got that kind of attention almost all the time.

She smiled and managed not to follow Xena's gaze, unwilling to ruin the
moment by acknowledging the fact that there were other people in the room.
If it hadn't been for Auto and Iolaus she might have bailed on the party and
just thrown a private party for the six of them, but she knew they never
would have tricked Auto and Iolaus into getting together if there hadn't
been an actual party. They would have been way too self-conscious to go
through with it, so in a way Psyche was glad her house was still full of
kids from her high school.

"So who was the girl? Unless you don't want to talk about her," she added
quickly, hoping she wasn't crossing some line by asking about Xena's past.

For a moment Xena's eyes darkened, but almost immediately she blinked and
managed a small smile. "Just someone I met when I was too young to know
better. Her name was Callisto."

"Did you love her?"

"I guess so," Xena answered, looking down at the cushion between them as she
spoke. "Like I said, I was only 18 when I met her, so I didn't really know
what I was doing. Neither of us did. We were together for almost two
years, then things just kind of ended. It was just one of those things, you
know?"

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean," Psyche said, smiling sadly at the
thought of all the time she and Auto had spent lying to themselves and each
other. "Do you still see her?"

"She graduated last spring. I haven't seen her around since then, at least
not in the few months we've been playing the clubs." Xena paused and for
just a second Psyche thought she might have pushed too hard; she wasn't
really all that good at talking about stuff like this, and she had no idea
if she was allowed to ask questions about Xena's past. "I guess that's why
I got hung up on Gabbie even though I knew it wasn't going anywhere. It was
easy because I didn't have to worry about screwing up another relationship."

"I'm sure you didn't screw anything up." For all Psyche knew Xena really
had made a complete mess of things with her last girlfriend, but she wasn't
about to sit there and let the other girl blame herself. It didn't really
matter whose fault it was, the point was that it had been over for at least
a year and with any luck, Xena was finally ready to move on.

Xena looked up then, her smile chasing the sadness out of her eyes. "Thanks
for saying that," she said. "Even if you are just trying to make me feel
better."

"It's a talent," Psyche answered, her grin faltering a little when Xena
laughed. "What, didn't it work?"

"It's starting to," Xena said, and for the first time all night Psyche
actually believed her.

~

There had to be something seriously wrong with him. It was the only
explanation for the past few hours; he'd gone temporarily insane, or maybe
there was something in his drink that made him lose his mind. Only he
hadn't had anything to drink, and three long, sweaty hours later Iolaus had
to face the fact that he'd wanted to do this. He'd wanted to have sex with
a guy, and not just once. If it had stopped with Auto sucking him off he
could have called it sexual frustration; it didn't necessarily make him gay
or bi or whatever the hell he was just because he let some guy get him off.

Only it hadn't stopped there, and not only had he given his first blow job,
but he'd actually fucked another guy. And he'd really, really liked it,
which was so not the way this was supposed to go. He was supposed to be
getting these weird urges out of his system, not magnifying them until all
he could think about was the smell of sweat and come and the feeling of a
well-muscled, masculine body moving against him. This was supposed to be a
threesome; he'd talked himself into going through with a threesome, because
sex with a couple was kinky, but it didn't make him…whatever he was. That
he could have written off as an experiment, but this…this went way beyond
the experiment stage.

And the worst part was that Auto had offered to fuck him, and part of Iolaus
wanted to go through with it. Part of him knew that it would be way better
than the few clumsy experiments with his own fingers that had always left
him feeling confused and just a little dirty. He knew Auto would take his
time, too, that he'd make sure Iolaus was as relaxed as possible and that he
knew enough about what he was doing to make sure it didn't hurt any more
than it had to.

He wasn't getting hard again just thinking about it. He'd already come
twice, and Auto had passed out pretty much as soon as he came the second
time. What he should do was get up, put his clothes back on, and drive back
to the city. Strife and Xena could find their own way back; they were the
ones that had set him up, after all, and it would serve them right for doing
this to him. Only he wasn't sure he could drive right now, because his head
was swimming and his legs felt sort of rubbery and he had a feeling if he
tried to stand up right now that he'd wind up flat on his ass.

There was no way he could just stay there and watch Auto sleep, though,
because even looking at the body stretched out next to him made him want
more. More of something he was pretty sure he shouldn't want, and if he
stayed…well, if he stayed he just might get it, because Auto seemed
perfectly happy to go along with anything Iolaus wanted. It was possible
that if he reached over and shook the other boy awake that Auto would just
grin at him and roll over, either that or do that thing where he got Iolaus
to say out loud exactly what he wanted. And if that wasn't totally
humiliating he didn't know what was, but at the same time it was really sexy
and at least part of him was really interested in more.

It just didn't seem fair that he was getting hard just watching Auto sleep,
not when this whole thing had been a big mistake in the first place. At
least if Psyche had been there…but if she'd been there she would have been
just another obstacle, and Iolaus probably would have been left wondering
what it would have been like if she hadn't been there. There was no denying
to himself that he was definitely attracted to guys, no going back to lying
to himself and pretending the fantasies and dreams were just some weird
trick his mind played on him. And even though it was never going to happen
with his best friend, it had happened with *someone*, and now Iolaus was
going to have to face Strife and Xena and Cupid and even Psyche. But worse
than that, he was going to have to come clean with Herc, and then he
wouldn't have a best friend anymore.

A sigh escaped his throat before he could stop it, punctuating the silence
in the room and making the body next to his shift restlessly. He wouldn't
have taken Auto for such a light sleeper, but as soon as he moved his eyes
opened and a moment later Iolaus found himself staring back at a sleepy,
sated expression. "Hey."

"Hey," Iolaus echoed, stopping just short of rolling his eyes at his own
stupidity. "I didn't mean to wake you up. Go back to sleep."

Auto grinned again, but instead of listening to Iolaus' advice he rolled
onto his side and reached out to run a hand along the curve of the older
boy's hip. "Nah, I'm good. Besides, looks like you're not done yet." He
glanced down at Iolaus' quickly growing erection, raising an eyebrow and
smirking as he met the other boy's gaze again. "You want some help with
that?"

Iolaus opened his mouth to say no, that he was okay and Auto should just
please go back to sleep before the situation got any more confusing than it
already was. The words never came, though, and a moment later it didn't
matter because Auto's mouth was moving against his and his tongue was doing
things that really should be illegal. He heard a groan and he knew it was
his own, but he ignored the sound and the blush rising from his toes to
spread through his extremities. *All* his extremities, and now he had
something new to be embarrassed about, because until tonight he'd had no
idea that his dick could blush.

He'd had hand jobs before; he'd never had a real problem with girls, and
back in high school that was kind of the compromise to keep their virginity
intact. He'd always preferred jerking himself off over letting some girl
fumble around with his dick, though, and now he knew why. Auto's hand was
firm on his dick, his fingers long and masculine and his palm a little rough
against the silk of Iolaus' cock. It was nothing like the soft, delicate
hands that had touched him this way before, and none of those girls knew
half of what Auto knew about how fast to move or how firmly to squeeze. And
the fact that even a hand job from another guy did more for him than sex
with a girl should have told Iolaus something, but he wasn't going to think
about it. He wasn't thinking about anything except the way that strong hand
felt moving on him. Then there was the way Auto's tongue felt against his,
the way his free hand threaded through Iolaus' hair and the surprising
softness of his lips against Iolaus' mouth.

Later he'd think something corny about mirror images and matching body
parts, but for now he was too caught up in sensation to think about what any
of it meant. And that was the problem, because he'd known the second that
Auto woke up and looked at him that he wasn't getting out of this easily.
It wasn't just a question of standing up and walking out the next time Auto
fell asleep, because even if he took off in the middle of the night he'd
have to live with the memories. This…need of his wasn't going away no
matter how hard he wished that it would, and one night wasn't going to be
enough to exorcise it from his system.

He came embarrassingly fast considering he'd already come twice in the past
few hours, spilling moist heat over Auto's hand and both their stomachs. He
was still panting and flushed when the mouth that had been moving against
his disappeared, and he forced himself to open his eyes in time to watch
Auto lift sticky fingers to his mouth and slowly lick them clean. And
suddenly he had a brand new mental image to plague him every night, because
there was no way he'd be able to forget the site of Auto licking his come
off his fingers any time soon. His dick twitched almost painfully at the
sight, and he was caught between wanting to get up and lock himself in the
bathroom until he was sure Auto was gone or burying his face in the other
boy's neck so he wouldn't have to see him.

The choice was taken away from him when Auto pulled him forward again,
taking advantage of Iolaus' indecision to press their lips together and coax
the older boy's mouth open with his tongue. And he still hadn't gotten used
to the taste of himself on another guy's tongue, but he hadn't really had a
chance to get used to the fact that he was kissing another guy in the first
place. It was another thing that he was pretty sure he wasn't going to be
able to forget, and all of it added up to the one thing that he'd been
trying not to face about himself since high school.

He didn't realize that somehow he'd gotten his arms around Auto's waist
until the other boy squirmed a little closer and Iolaus' arms automatically
tightened against him. Auto didn't seem to mind, though; he might not even
have noticed, because he seemed to be intent on memorizing every contour of
Iolaus' mouth. Kissing had never been quite this intense, at least not in
that way that made part of Iolaus want to bolt and the rest of him want to
crawl inside Auto and stay there forever. He knew he couldn't do that; this
was just sex, that much was clear. Auto was a great kisser and an even
better lover, but regardless of whether or not he was still with Psyche it
was pretty obvious he wasn't looking for more than one night.

That was fine with Iolaus; it was, because this had all just been an
experiment to see if he could get it out of his system. Now that he knew he
couldn't he'd deal with it, but in the meantime it probably wouldn't hurt
anything if he just let Auto keep kissing him for awhile longer. Besides,
it felt nice to be tangled up together in the center of the bed, their hands
exploring hot skin and their bodies touching in exactly twenty-three
distinct places. It felt right in a way he really didn't want to think
about; not now, while it was all still new enough for him to pretend his
whole life hadn't just been turned upside down. He knew tomorrow everything
was going to be different, but for now he had this thing that was just
between the two of them, and it wouldn't really hurt if he just held onto
that for as long as he could.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Auto didn’t wake up feeling magically different just because he’d finally
been alone with another guy. In fact, he woke up feeling sticky and a
little sore and warmer than he could really call comfortable, but he didn’t
really mind any of that. What he did mind was the fact that he woke up
alone.

He reached out before he opened his eyes, expecting his hand to collide with
warm skin covering solid muscle. When all he felt was sheet he cracked one
eye open, frowning when he realized the other side of the bed was empty. It
was still warm, which meant Iolaus had spent the night, but there was no
sign of the other boy in the bedroom.

Auto pushed himself into a sitting position, wincing a little at the twinge
of pain that accompanied the movement. He hadn’t been sore from sex in a
long time, but Iolaus had been pretty enthusiastic and at the time it had
felt really good. Besides, the reminder of their night together didn’t
bother him nearly as much as the thought that Iolaus might have left without
saying goodbye. He knew he shouldn’t be expecting anything, but it was hard
not to hope for *something*. An acknowledgement, at least, a ‘thanks, maybe
I’ll call you’, even if it was a lie.

He wasn’t proud of the fact that he would have taken a lie like that and
hoped maybe Iolaus meant it. He wasn’t used to feeling like this; usually
when he slept with somebody it was a relief to wake up in the morning and
find them gone, but he didn’t usually sleep with people he knew. The one
exception he would have made before now was Cupid, and that would have
complicated everything for all of them. Iolaus wasn’t a complication,
though - not really, anyway, but if things were awkward between them now it
might make hanging out with their friends kind of weird.

In a way they all deserved the awkwardness for setting him up in the first
place, but he wasn’t really looking forward to it. Then again, it was
possible he wouldn’t really be seeing Iolaus around all that much anymore.
Psyche and Cupid would both be gone soon, they’d both have lives that didn’t
really include him and he wasn’t planning to hang around acting pathetic and
hoping they’d make a little time for him. His life wasn’t over just because
his friends were moving to the city, after all, so he wasn’t about to start
acting like it was.

That went for Iolaus, too; if he didn’t want to hang around to say goodbye
that was his problem, Auto wasn’t going to waste a lot of time worrying
about it. They didn’t mean anything to each other, they weren’t even
friends so it wasn’t like he’d lost anything. He liked the guy, sure, but
it wasn’t like he was going to fall for him or anything. They barely even
knew each other, for one thing, and he was pretty sure Iolaus wasn’t looking
for a relationship. He hadn’t even come out to all his friends yet, so
there was no way he’d be able to handle a relationship even if he did want
one.

He swallowed a sigh and threw the covers back, pushing himself out of bed
just as the bathroom door swung open. As soon as he realized he wasn’t
alone after all he sat down hard on the edge of the mattress, watching
Iolaus flush and look away from him as he crossed the room. He was already
wearing his jeans again, and judging from his wet hair Auto assumed he’d
been in the shower. “Hey,” Iolaus said once he’d gathered the rest of his
clothes, pulling his shirt back on and working on the buttons with fingers
that Auto could have sworn were shaking a little. “I was trying not to wake
you up.”

“You didn’t.” It was almost the truth; what had really woken Auto was the
emptiness on the other side of the bed, which technically wasn’t the same
thing as Iolaus waking him. “I thought you were already gone.”

Just for a second he imagined he could see something like guilt in Iolaus’
eyes, but the other boy looked away so fast that Auto couldn’t tell for
sure. “Yeah, I’ve gotta get back. Told Herc I’d help him move some stuff
to Gabbie’s place today.”

Auto nodded slowly, his mind wandering as he watched Iolaus finish buttoning
his shirt and reach for his shoes and socks. He didn’t want to be
disappointed at the fact that the other boy was in a hurry to get out of
there, but he couldn’t help regretting the fact that they hadn’t done nearly
everything he would have liked. And now it looked like there wasn’t going
to be a next time, so he was just going to have to deal with the fact that
there were certain things about Iolaus that he’d never know.

Finally Iolaus finished tying his shoelaces and stood up again, stealing a
quick, nervous glance at Auto. “Well, listen, thanks,” he said, his cheeks
flushing a little brighter red when Auto grinned at him.

“Any time,” Auto answered, leaning back on his hands to watch Iolaus fish
his keys out of his pocket. He knew the older boy felt completely awkward,
and the fact that Auto was still completely naked probably wasn’t helping.
He didn’t want to let Iolaus off the hook, though, because he was enjoying
the fact that he had that kind of affect on the other boy. Besides, Iolaus
was pretty cute when he blushed, and it wasn’t like Auto was going to get
another chance to see it.

He thought about standing up and crossing the room to plant one last kiss on
Iolaus, but he was no match for the speed brought on by the mixture of
Iolaus' nerves and embarrassment. Before Auto could move the older boy was
backed up against the door, his hand gripping the doorknob as though it was
taking everything in him not to turn and run. “So maybe I’ll see you
around.”

Up until that moment Auto hadn’t thought it would be that bad to hear those
words. They didn’t really mean anything, but something about the way Iolaus
said them like he was hoping for exactly the opposite made Auto’s stomach
clench in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. “Yeah, sure. See ya,” he
answered, his gaze never wavering as he watched Iolaus turn around and pull
the door open. Less than five seconds later he was gone, and Auto was left
staring at the closed door and wondering how he could have thought there
might be something between them.

He’d known it was wishful thinking; it was just because he’d been watching
Cupid and Strife for almost two months now, and every once in awhile he
caught himself wishing he had something like that. With Psyche it was
different; he loved her, sure, but he wasn’t crazy head over heels in love
with her like Cupid and Strife were. He still didn't get how Cupid could be
so crazy about somebody he hadn't known that long, but he was willing to
admit that he was a little jealous. Mostly he just wondered what it was
like to feel that way, but he wasn't naïve enough to think he was going to
find out with Iolaus.

It wasn't worth worrying about anyway , because Iolaus was already gone and
he couldn't lie around in Psyche's guest room brooding about it forever. If
he wanted to brood he had to go home, either that or Psyche was going to
come looking for him eventually and start asking questions he wasn't in the
mood to answer. A heavy sigh escaped his throat when he finally stood up,
willing his mind to go blank as he gathered his clothes and slowly got
dressed again. He still reeked of sex but he couldn't bring himself to take
a shower yet, because he knew as soon as he did he wouldn't be able to smell
Iolaus on him anymore. It would wait until he got home, anyway, and the
sooner he got out of Psyche's house the better.

When he was dressed he let himself out of the room and back downstairs,
scanning the remnants of the last party of his high school career. A party
he'd completely missed because he was locked in a room all night with some
guy he'd probably never see again, and he wasn't sure whether or not he
regretted it. Part of him felt like he should, but the funny thing was that
he really didn't. Mostly he was just relieved to know that he didn't have
to lie to himself anymore, and he found himself hoping that Iolaus had
gotten at least that much out of their night together.

He'd almost made it to the back door when something caught his eye, and he
couldn't help smiling when he stopped and glanced into the family room.
Psyche was curled up on the couch that stretched across the back wall of the
room, her hand tucked under her cheek and her legs tucked under her. Xena
was fast asleep next to her, Psyche's head almost touching Xena's leg in the
center of the couch. He chuckled softly to himself and crossed to the
couch, being as quiet as possible so he wouldn't wake Xena.

When he reached Psyche he crouched down next to the couch, reaching out to
push a few strands of hair away from her forehead. She stirred at the
contact and her eyes slowly fluttered open, a smile tugging at the corners
of her mouth when she found herself staring back at him. "Hi. Good night?"

"Yeah. You?" he asked, glancing pointedly at Xena before he looked back at
her.

"Getting there," she answered, stretching and pushing herself into a sitting
position. "Where's Iolaus?"

"He left already," Auto said, ignoring the worry that clouded her features
momentarily. "Look, I'm gonna bail, but I just wanted to say thanks. I get
what you were trying to tell me."

The worry marring her features was eclipsed almost immediately by guilt, and
for a second he thought about letting her suffer. He knew she was probably
worried he was going to be mad at her, but he didn't want to ruin whatever
was happening for her with Xena by making her think he was upset. "I mean
it, Psyche. Thanks." He grinned and leaned up to brush his lips across her
cheek briefly before standing up and clearing his throat a little more
loudly than he needed to. Xena stirred at the sound of the noise, and he
grinned even more brightly when Psyche glared at him. "See you guys later."

He left without waiting for an answer, laughing to himself at the memory of
Psyche's expression. He knew he was in for not only a lecture but a lot of
potentially embarrassing questions the next time she got him alone, but it
was almost worth it just to see her expression. Besides, she would have
asked him the questions eventually anyway, and if he was going to tell
anyone about what it was like to sleep with Iolaus it would be her. She was
still his best friend, after all, and no matter who they dated nothing would
ever change that.

~

Psyche wasn't really mad at Auto for waking Xena up. She would have woken
up eventually, after all; it was just that Psyche could have used a little
time to prepare. Like maybe run to the bathroom to wash her face. Brushing
her teeth would have been nice, too, and possibly a fresh coat of makeup.
None of that was going to happen, though, because Xena was already sitting
up and shifting awkwardly on the couch next to her.

"Morning," Xena said. "Was that Auto?"

"Yeah, he was on his way out."

"Where's Iolaus?"

"Auto said he left already," Psyche answered, frowning as she remembered her
friend's vague answer. "I don't know when. Do you think he left last
night?"

"I don't know," Xena said, not quite managing to keep the worry out of her
features.

Psyche instantly felt guilty for her part in setting up their friends, but
she was pretty sure things had gone well. If they hadn't Auto wouldn't have
been smiling at her the way he had, and he wouldn't have thanked her for
setting him up. At least she was pretty sure he wouldn't. "I'm sure he's
okay," she said, hoping to alleviate some of the other girl's worry. "Auto
was in a pretty good mood when he left, anyway."

"Yeah, he probably just needed to clear his head or something." Xena
managed a smile that was almost convincing, and for a second Psyche forgot
that she wasn't allowed to just lean forward and kiss her. She remembered
before she did anything embarrassing like sway into the other girl's body
heat, clearing her throat and standing up to put a little distance between
them.

"If you want to take a shower you can use mine. It's the first door right
at the top of the stairs," she said, gesturing vaguely in the direction of
the staircase as she spoke. "I think there's an extra toothbrush in one of
the drawers, too. There are clean towels in there already."

"Thanks," Xena said, smiling self-consciously as she stood up and stepped
around the other girl. Psyche wasn't used to feeling so nervous
around…well, anyone, really, but she'd never met anybody like Xena before.
She had no idea when the butterflies in her stomach would stop revolting
every time she saw the other girl, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be any
time soon.

Once Xena was gone she let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been
holding, shaking her head at herself and crossing the family room to the
powder room opposite the kitchen. She brushed her teeth with the spare
toothbrush she kept downstairs before she wandered into the kitchen, smiling
in spite of her own nerves when she took in the scene in front of her.

Cupid was standing in front of the stove in a pair of jeans and the gray
Neptune High tee shirt he'd been wearing the night before, his hair
hopelessly tousled and his feet bare. Strife was standing next to him, and
as she watched the older boy reached up and wiped a smudge of what looked
like flour off Cupid's cheek. Neither of them heard her come in, obviously,
because as soon as Strife touched him Cupid leaned forward and covered the
other boy's mouth with his own. She wasn't sure how long she watched them
before she realized why Cupid had flour on his cheek in the first place, but
when she smelled something burning she cleared her throat to get their
attention.

They both looked up at once, twin expressions of shock coaxing a laugh out
of her. "Cupe, you might wanna check whatever you're cooking."

"Oh, shit," he muttered, turning back to the stove just in time to pull a
pan off the burner. He scowled and carried the pan to the sink, dumping
three very black pancakes into the garbage disposal before he turned around
again. "Guess I forgot what I was doing."

"Yeah, seems like that's going around," she said, grinning at the looks they
both sent in her direction. "So did you guys have fun last night?"

They exchanged glances before they answered her, and it was all she could do
not to roll her eyes at Cupid's dreamy expression when he looked at her
again. "It was great. How about you and Xena? Did you guys watch Auto and
Iolaus all night?"

"Not all night," she answered, pulling one of the bar stools out from
underneath the island at the center of the kitchen and taking a seat across
from Cupid. "After awhile we decided they probably deserved a little
privacy."

"So are they still asleep?" Strife asked, leaning against the counter next
to Cupid while the younger boy worked on not burning the rest of their
breakfast.

"No, Auto just left a little while ago. He said Iolaus left earlier, but he
didn't say when."

"What about Xena?"

"Shower," Psyche answered, her smile fading at the thought of Iolaus' abrupt
departure. "You should probably know that Auto figured out we set him up.
You don't think that's why Iolaus left, do you?"

"He figured it out? What makes ya say that?"

"Because he woke me up before he left and said that he wanted to thank me.
Then he said he got what I was trying to tell him."

Cupid's forehead furrowed at that, forgetting the new batch of pancakes long
enough to look over at her. "What does that mean?"

"I guess he meant because we kind of tricked him into doing it without me
around. The idea of being alone with another guy always kind of freaked him
out, maybe he just needed that extra push to see that it wasn't that big a
deal."

She hadn't meant to worry either of them, but she could tell by Strife's
expression that his mind was already reeling with the possibilities of what
had made Iolaus leave before the rest of them woke up. It could have been
something as simple as him not wanting to have to face them yet, but she
could tell there wasn't much she'd be able to say to set Strife's mind at
ease. "But hey, if they figured it out and went through with it anyway
that's a good sign, right? I mean they wouldn't have done it if they didn't
want to."

"Right," Cupid said, nodding and turning back to the stove. "He's fine.
They're both fine, Iolaus probably just wanted to get back to the city or
something."

"He's probably helpin' Herc move his stuff outta our place," Strife added.
"I heard Herc talkin' 'bout movin' into Gabbie's parents' place with her,
there's an apartment in the basement a their house or somethin'."

"Wow, they're moving in together?" Psyche asked, glancing over her shoulder
as soon as she said it to make sure Xena hadn't suddenly appeared.

"Relax, she already knows," Strife said as he followed Psyche's gaze.
"She's cool with it. Lately she's been thinkin' 'bout other stuff besides
Gabbie's problems."

He grinned when Psyche blushed, letting out a soft laugh at her reaction.
"Don't tell her I said that, though. She'd kill me."

"She'd have to go through me first," Cupid said, smiling and leaning over to
plant a quick kiss on Strife's cheek. Strife snorted but his grin was
genuinely affectionate, and Psyche found herself smiling again at the sight
of the couple standing in front of her.

"Somehow I don't think that'd scare Xena," Strife said, laughing again when
Cupid stuck his lip out in a mock pout. "Yeah, that's not real scary
either, Cupe."

It didn't take long before they were kissing again, both of them so wrapped
up in each other that Psyche didn't bother pretending she wasn't watching.
It was obvious they were crazy about each other, and it was sweet even if it
was a little sickening to watch sometimes. Besides, she was happy for them
that they'd found each other, especially after listening to Cupid lament for
almost a year that he was never going to find anybody he could really love.

Maybe Auto and Iolaus weren't exactly the love connection Cupid and Strife
were, but at least it was a step in the right direction. Auto knew now that
he didn't need her to help him keep up some charade, anyway, and in the long
run that was the best thing she could have done for him. So maybe he and
Iolaus wouldn't become the next couple to live happily ever after, but at
least setting them up hadn't totally backfired.



Iolaus felt a little guilty for leaving Strife and Xena without even telling
them he was taking the van back to the city, but he knew they could catch
the train back and he needed the time alone to think about what had
happened. He still wasn’t sure what any of it meant, and he had even less
of a clue what to tell Hercules. He wasn't even sure if he should tell his
best friend anything; maybe he didn’t have to, at least not until he knew
what it all meant.

Part of him was still hoping he could just put the whole night behind him
and pretend it had never happened, but every time he tried to convince
himself he could he'd remember something that would make his whole body
flush. He could still feel those strong, callused hands against his skin or
hear the sound of a deep voice whispering in his ear, asking him over and
over what he wanted. He’d tried everything to chase the memories out of his
head, but not even knowing he was going to have to face Hercules soon was
enough to stop his mind from wandering.

He hoped that going back to the city early meant he’d beat Hercules back to
their apartment. There was no sign of his friend when he pulled up outside
the building, and he relaxed a little as he climbed the stairs up to their
place. He just needed a little time to collect himself, to push the
memories of the night before to the back of his mind and shift back into his
normal life. It shouldn’t be that hard; granted, he'd had sex with a guy
for the first time, but it was still just sex. There was no reason Hercules
should be able to tell just by looking at him.

When he reached their floor and saw that their apartment door was open he
slowed down, his heart in his throat as he realized that Hercules had beaten
him home after all. He stopped in the center of the hallway and took a deep
breath, telling himself for the hundredth time since he woke up that
Hercules wouldn't be able to tell. There was no way he could know, and even
if he suspected something there was no reason Iolaus had to admit it. He
was going to tell Hercules - he was, he just needed a little time to work
things out for himself before he started having to explain himself to his
friends.

He was still standing in the center of the hallway when Hercules walked out
of their apartment, frowning when he caught sight of Iolaus. "Where the
fuck were you?"

"I...there was this thing. A party. In Jersey. Strife drug me to it."

"You went to a party with those high school losers?"

Iolaus resisted the urge to roll his eyes at himself for opening his big
mouth and telling Hercules the truth. He should have made up something
about where he'd spent the night, told Hercules he met some girl at a club
and gone home with her. Anything probably would have been better than the
truth, at least if his best friend's expression was any indication. He
should have known Hercules would take it as a betrayal if Iolaus hung out
with Strife and Cupid, even if it was just a stupid high school party. "I
told you, Strife made me go. He probably just wanted a ride."

"Well were there any hot high school chicks there?"

"No. It was totally lame," Iolaus answered, hoping Hercules wouldn’t notice
the blush creeping into his cheeks. "So are we moving your stuff today or
what?"

He brushed past Hercules without waiting for an answer, leaving the taller
boy to stare after him. Iolaus didn't have to look at him to know Hercules
was giving him that suspicious look; he'd never been very good at lying to
his friends, and if he stood there and let Hercules ask any more questions
he was going to figure out that something had happened at the party. There
was no way Iolaus was going to tell him what it was, though, so the best
thing he could do was change the subject and hope Hercules didn't push the
issue.

And it wasn't really a lie, because the party itself hadn’t been all that
interesting. Not what he saw of it, anyway, but he'd barely been in the
house five minutes before Psyche dragged him upstairs and left him alone
with Auto. His blush deepened as he remembered the sight of Auto stretched
out in the center of the bed in just his jeans and a tee shirt, propped up
on his elbows and staring at Iolaus like he was…well, edible. He couldn't
remember anybody ever looking at him that way before, but as soon as Auto
kissed him the first time he felt more wanted than he ever had in his whole
life.

It was a pretty amazing feeling, but it hadn't really meant anything. So
Auto wanted him; it was flattering, sure, but it wasn't some big
earth-shattering event. It was just sex - great sex, even better than he'd
been hoping for, but it didn't mean anything. Right now he needed to focus
on helping Hercules figure out how to deal with Gabbie, and when that was
straightened out he'd have time to worry about his own life.

"So you're sure you wanna do this?" he asked when Hercules walked into the
living room.

"What, move into Gabbie's folks' basement and raise a kid? No, I'm not
sure," Hercules shot back, his frustration evident in his voice and his
expression. "What the fuck am I supposed to do? She already said she's
keeping the kid."

"Just 'cause she's keeping the kid doesn't mean you have to move in with
her. I mean anything could happen in the next eight months. Do you even
know for sure if it's yours?"

The look Hercules gave him made Iolaus take an involuntary step backwards;
they hadn't really talked about what Hercules was doing with Gabbie, but it
was obvious from his best friend's expression that there was more going on
than just Herc getting even with Strife and Xena. "Of course it's my kid.
Do you think I'd be moving in with her if I wasn't sure?"

"I guess not." He shrugged and reached for one of the trash bags Hercules
had filled with clothes, waiting until the other boy had picked up his
guitar case and another bag before he followed him out of the apartment and
down the stairs. "So what are you gonna do?"

Hercules threw his stuff in the back of the van before he turned to look at
Iolaus again, some of the anger fading out of his expression when he
realized the other boy was being sincere. "I don't know yet. I was
thinking about asking Jack if he needs another bouncer."

Iolaus nodded and shut the van doors, turning to follow Hercules back
upstairs. "Is covering the door at a bar a few nights a week gonna pay for
a kid? I mean I don't know anything about them, but I hear it costs a lot
for diapers and stuff like that."

"Yeah, Gabbie's parents keep telling us that every time I see them,"
Hercules answered, rolling his eyes and grinning over his shoulder at the
other boy. "I'm not sure what else to do, though. It's not like I'm good
at anything except playing the guitar, and you know how much that pays."

They still hadn't talked about the band, but Hercules had always been the
one that really cared about whether or not they made it, and Iolaus couldn't
believe he was okay with just walking away. But he didn't really have a
choice, and if he was just trying to make the best of it Iolaus wasn't going
to rub his face in it. Not that he even knew what was going to happen with
the band, because Strife and Xena didn't seem worried about it. For all he
knew they were ready to call it quits.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that; on the one hand the band wasn't
really going anywhere, no matter how badly Herc had always wanted to believe
that they were the next big thing. If they did give it up Iolaus had no
idea what he was going to do, though - he'd never really thought about the
future, but unless he wanted to go back to Detroit and work for his father
he was going to have to figure it out. The thought of going home was too
depressing to consider, especially after last night. There was no way he
could just forget it and talk himself back into only dating girls, but he
couldn't go home and sleep with guys. At least in New York he only had
Hercules to worry about; at home he had his parents, his brothers, and all
his other friends, and not one of them would understand why he suddenly
wanted to date guys.

If that was even what he wanted. He definitely wanted to sleep with guys,
but the dating part he hadn't really thought about. He and Auto had talked
a little, but it wasn't really what he could call a conversation, and it
definitely hadn't been a date. Actually going out somewhere with a guy
would be totally different, even if he knew where to meet guys that might be
interested in dating him. When it came right down to it he didn't know
anything about being gay, and he had no idea how to learn.

"Hey."

Hercules' voice penetrated his thoughts and Iolaus looked up, his cheeks
flushing when he realized that his friend must have been trying to get his
attention for a little while. "Sorry. Tired, I guess. Didn't sleep much
last night." And that was definitely the wrong thing to say, because it
conjured up a fresh set of images that made him blush an even deeper shade
of red.

"Whatever," Hercules answered, frowning suspiciously at the other boy.
"Just do me a favor and grab my CDs. I think that's pretty much
everything."

Hercules was already carrying a heavy box full of the rest of his
belongings, and Iolaus nodded and picked up the box full of CDs before he
followed the other boy back downstairs. Letting his mind wander like that
was a bad idea when he was around his best friend, at least when he still
hadn't told Hercules the truth. Not that he expected to be around him much
once Hercules moved in with Gabbie, and he wasn't sure whether to be happy
or sad that his best friend was moving on without him.

There were a lot of reasons to think of it as a good thing; for one, it
meant that maybe he wouldn't have to tell Herc the truth after all, but at
the same time he didn't really want to lose his best friend. He still had
Strife, but Strife had Cupid now and it just wasn't the same as it was when
it was just Iolaus and Hercules. At least when his best friend was just
sleeping around Iolaus could pretend it was just the two of them, but now
that he was moving in with a girl and talking about a kid there was no room
for Iolaus. Feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to do him any good,
though, so he was just going to have to find a way to deal with all the
changes going on in his life.

~

"Xena seems happy," Cupid said as he led Strife up the stairs to the loft
above the karate studio. They'd caught the train back to the city with Xena
when they figured out that Iolaus had taken his van and left without them,
and Strife had spent almost the entire train ride trying to get Xena to
admit that something had happened between her and Psyche. Cupid wasn't
convinced that anything had happened, but even if it had Xena wasn't
talking. Not that he really blamed her; after the way they'd all set up
Auto and Iolaus he wasn't sure any of their friends would trust him with
personal information again.

"She sure likes Psyche, anyway," Strife answered as he followed Cupid into
the loft. As soon as they stepped inside they both stopped, looking around
the room at all the changes that had taken place already. There were paint
cans sitting on a drop cloth under the window, and at the center of the room
was a couch covered in a drop cloth. Cupid could tell before he even looked
that it wasn't the couch he’d broken when he was a kid, though, and he
dropped Strife's hand and crossed to the couch to pull the cover back.

"They bought us a couch?" he asked no one in particular, his eyebrows raised
as he took in the dark blue upholstery. "Why'd they buy us a couch?"

"Probably 'cause the one that was in here was a piece a shit," Strife
reminded him, grinning when Cupid glanced at the other boy. "Wanna try it
out?"

Cupid returned his grin and let Strife pull him down onto the newly
uncovered upholstery, leaning forward to press their lips together as he
pressed Strife back against the couch. He knew there was a risk his father
would come upstairs and catch them making out on the couch, but he didn't
really think Ares would mind. Besides, it was a pretty comfortable couch,
and he liked the idea of having brand-new furniture to start their new life
together. At least this way he wouldn't have to wonder whether or not his
dad and Joxer had ever had sex on their upholstery.

As soon as the thought occurred to him he laughed against Strife's mouth and
pulled away, shaking his head when Strife raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, I
was just thinking…at least we know Dad and Joxer never fooled around on this
couch."

"How do we know fer sure? They picked it out, right? Maybe they gave it a
test run," Strife said, grinning at Cupid's disgusted expression.

"Way to ruin the moment," Cupid muttered. "Now I won't be able to sit on
this thing for a month."

Strife grinned even harder and pulled Cupid back down onto his lap, his arms
around the other boy's waist to hold him in place. "Yer the one that
brought it up," he reminded the younger boy. "Besides, ya know they're
sleepin' together, so what does it matter?"

"Just because I know it doesn't mean I like to think about it," Cupid said,
but he gave in to the grin that was threatening to form and let Strife pull
him closer. His arms slid around Strife's neck, fingers trailing through
the hair that brushed the older boy's collar. "Don't tell me you like to
think about Dad and Joxer doing it."

A startled laugh escaped Strife's throat, and it took him a minute to
swallow his surprise long enough to shake his head. "Thinkin' 'bout Unc's
sex life ain't really my idea a fun," he finally answered, his expression
remarkably similar to the disgusted expression Cupid had been wearing a few
minutes ago. "Speakin' a which, yer dad's gonna be up here any minute."

"So?" Cupid murmured, smiling at the mixture of longing and exasperation in
Strife's eyes as he leaned forward again. As soon as he fused their lips
together Strife forgot to worry about his father, and Cupid forgot all about
being grossed out at the thought of his father's sex life. All he could
think about was Strife's mouth moving against his, his hands on Cupid's hips
and his fingers flexing restlessly against the denim of his jeans. Neither
of them heard the door open, but when the sound of a throat clearing
penetrated their collective daze they pulled away from each other and cast
guilty glances in the direction of the sound.

"Aren't you two supposed to be painting?" Ares asked, raising an eyebrow as
Cupid stood up and hauled Strife off the couch.

"We were just…"

"I saw," Ares interrupted, rolling his eyes and crossing to the kitchen.
"Pull that drop cloth back down before you start painting or you'll ruin the
couch Joxer picked out for you."

"I can't believe you finally got rid of the old one," Cupid said as he
helped Strife pull the drop cloth back into place. "I mean we're grateful
and everything, but you've had that old couch since I can remember."

"And it's been broken since you got it into your head to try flying," Ares
answered, glancing over his shoulder long enough to smirk at his son. "The
sooner you get started on the painting the sooner this place will be ready
for you to move in. I'll help you when I'm done making lunch. Joxer should
be up any minute to help."

"Okay, okay, we get it," Cupid muttered. Strife was already busy stirring
paint when Cupid crossed the room, and even when Cupid knelt on the drop
cloth next to him the older boy didn't look up. He knew it was because
Strife was embarrassed that Ares had walked in on them, and he couldn't help
laughing at the intense expression on his boyfriend's face as Strife avoided
looking at him. "He doesn't really care, you know."

"That ain't the point," Strife said without looking up.

"Then what is?"

Strife let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes, finally stealing a quick
glance at Cupid. "Nothin'…it's just…he's yer dad, Cupe."

"So? I mean we were just kissing, it's not like he caught us having sex on
video or anything." Cupid tried and failed to suppress a smirk when Strife
glared at him. They'd all promised not to tell anyone about watching Auto
and Iolaus on Psyche's dad's security camera, but it was hard just to forget
about it. "Besides, we're moving in together. I'm guessing he already
knows we're sleeping together."

"Real funny." Strife scowled and looked back down at the paint, stirring it
a few more times before he looked up at Cupid again. "Ya know how ya don't
like thinkin' 'bout Dad and Unc? Well I don't like thinkin' 'bout them
thinkin' 'bout us."

Cupid opened his mouth and then closed it again, turning the logic over in
his mind as he tried to make sense of what Strife had just said. In a weird
way he could sort of understand; he knew Strife worried a lot about what
Ares thought of him, and he probably didn't want to give Cupid's father
anything to hold against him. Instead of answering he reached over and
rested his hand on Strife's knee, giving it a quick squeeze before he pulled
away again. When Strife looked up at him he grinned and gestured toward the
paint. "So are you gonna show me how this works or what?"

"Don't tell me ya never painted a wall before."

"Well Mom turned the house into a giant cotton candy factory before I was
old enough to be trusted around her furniture. She hasn't changed the color
since, and you can see that Dad hasn't really bothered keeping this place
up."

He smiled when Strife rolled his eyes and reached for the paint tray and a
roller. "Fine, I'll show ya. Guess there's a first time fer everythin',"
he said as he stood up. Cupid could tell he was trying to sound annoyed,
but he didn't quite manage to hide the smile tugging at the corners of his
mouth. He'd experienced a lot of firsts in the two months that he'd known
Strife, and he had a feeling Strife was looking forward to more just as much
as Cupid was.



"Geez, Cupe, I swear you've got more stuff than me," Psyche said between
gasps for breath as she dropped the last box of Cupid's belongings on the
couch.

"Hey, hey, watch the upholstery," Auto called from behind her. "You know
how weird he is about his new couch."

"I'm not weird about it," Cupid shot back, but his frown betrayed him as he
crossed the room and lifted the box off the couch. "This stuff goes in the
bedroom."

"In that case I'm glad I didn't look in the box." Psyche smirked when Cupid
glared at her. "Aw, come on, Cupe, just because I don't want to look at
your sex toys doesn't mean I don't love you."

Auto and Psyche both laughed at the sound of a grumbled 'hilarious' from the
direction of the bedroom. They'd spent the entire day helping Cupid move
his things from his mother's house to the loft, and both of them had gotten
in as many jokes at Cupid's expense as they could think of. Psyche knew
Cupid didn't really mind; at least she hoped he didn't, but he had to have
expected it when he asked them to help.

In a way she was glad they'd gotten the chance to spend the day together,
though, because she wasn't sure how many more times it was going to happen.
They still had the summer before she went off to college, but Cupid would be
all moved into his new place before long and then it would be just her and
Auto again. And that was a problem all on its own, because she'd been
worrying about him since he spent the night with Iolaus. He hadn't really
said much of anything about it since he left her house the morning after the
party, but she had the feeling it wasn't exactly the love connection Cupid
had been hoping it would be.

She hadn't figured out yet whether that bothered Auto or not; between
graduation and helping Cupid they hadn't had much of a chance to talk in the
past week, and every time she'd tried to bring it up he'd found a way to
change the subject. Normally she'd think that meant he just wasn't
interested, but something about the look in his eyes every time she
mentioned Iolaus' name made her wonder. What was even weirder was that
Cupid had told her Iolaus was avoiding Strife completely. The whole
situation made her wonder what exactly had happened in that room after they
turned the monitors off, but so far she hadn't been able to get a straight
answer out of Auto.

When Cupid reappeared she shook her head to chase away the memory of
watching Auto and Iolaus. The last thing she needed was to slip and let on
that they'd all watched; she didn't think Auto would be that mad, but she
had no idea how Iolaus would feel. The chances of Auto getting a chance to
fill him in were getting worse, though, and she couldn't help being a little
disappointed that it hadn't gone the way Cupid had expected it to.

"So can you guys hang out for awhile?" Cupid asked. "Strife's gonna be here
soon, we can order pizza or something."

"So Strife shows up just in time to miss out on doing the hard work, huh?"
Auto said, shrugging when Psyche shot him a look that told him to shut up.
"What? He's probably gonna be kinda pissed when he gets here and sees
there's no space for any of his stuff."

"Strife doesn't have any stuff," Cupid said. "I'm pretty sure the furniture
came with their apartment, so all he's got is some clothes. They drove out
here in Iolaus' van, after they got the band's equipment in there they
couldn't fit much else."

Psyche stole a glance at Auto when Cupid mentioned Iolaus, but if the name
bothered him he didn't let it show. In fact he didn't react at all, not
even to smile at the memory of what he'd told her was a pretty good night.
She'd assumed that he at least enjoyed himself with Iolaus, but now she
wasn't so sure he'd been telling her the truth. She didn't realize she was
still staring at him until he glanced over at her, frowning at her intense
expression.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," she answered automatically, shaking herself and turning toward
Cupid again. "I wish I could stay, Cupe, but I gotta get back. Xena's
coming over tonight."

"Oh yeah?"

She rolled her eyes at the hopeful expression on Cupid's face. "Save it,
we're just friends. Not even, I barely know her."

"Right, that's why you're on the phone with her every time I call you
lately," Auto interjected.

"That only happened twice," Psyche reminded him, but she didn't quite manage
to hide the smirk turning up the corners of her mouth. She'd talked to Xena
a few times since the party, but neither of them needed to know that. In
fact, the less they knew about her and Xena the better, because the last
thing she needed was for her cheering section to push too hard and
accidentally ruin everything. She was grateful that Auto seemed okay with
the fact that she was sort of seeing someone new, but she didn't need him or
Cupid - especially Cupid - trying to help.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs interrupted whatever Cupid was about to
say, and she sent a silent prayer of thanks up for Strife's excellent
timing. Cupid forgot all about her budding friendship with Xena when the
door opened, and she smiled as his whole face lit up at the sight of his
boyfriend. He still hadn't lost that shy smile where Strife was concerned,
and Psyche found herself hoping he never would. As far as she was concerned
Strife and Cupid were the perfect couple, and as long as they stayed
together she could still have faith that she'd find the right person
someday.

Not that she'd ever say that out loud; her friends would just laugh at her
for being such a girl, for one thing, and she didn't want to make Cupid
self-conscious about his relationship. That didn't stop her from enjoying
the sight of Strife's hand on the back of Cupid's neck, though, or the way
Cupid's arms tightened around the other boy's waist as though he'd been
anticipating this moment all day long. For a long moment it seemed as
though they'd both forgotten there were other people in the room, but before
she decided to clear her throat Strife pulled away and glanced over at her
and Auto.

"Hey," he said, his gaze falling on Auto and his shoulders tensing so
imperceptibly that Psyche was sure no one else had even noticed. "You guys
stayin'? Dropkick Murphys are in town, I can probably get yer names on the
list if I call the club now."

"Psyche's got a date," Cupid supplied for her, grinning over Strife's
shoulder when she glared at him.

"It's not a date." She could tell from Strife's grin that he already knew
who her 'date' was with, and she hoped her cheeks weren't as red as they
felt.

"Guess that's why Xena can't make it either."

"Guess so. Auto, you coming or am I catching the train?" she asked,
ignoring the questions she knew Cupid was dying to ask about what she was
planning to do with her evening.

"Nah, I better get home," Auto answered, stealing a quick glance at Cupid
before he turned back to Psyche. Things between them were a lot better than
they had been when Cupid first met Strife, but it was easy to see that Auto
still felt a little weird around them. Not that she could really blame him,
especially since going to the show meant playing third wheel. She knew how
much he liked the band they were going to see, though, so she was a little
surprised to hear him pass up a free ticket.

"Ya sure?" Strife asked, surprising both of them into looking over at him
again. She could tell that their surprise showed on their faces when Strife
blinked and glanced at Cupid before continuing. "I mean it's not like ya'd
be crashin' or anythin'. Iolaus'll probably show, Herc's workin' the door
at the club and wherever he goes Iolaus usually shows up."

Psyche saw Auto wince out of the corner of her eye, the split-second gesture
answering every question she'd had about his feelings for Iolaus. She
wasn't sure if Strife meant what it sounded like he meant, but obviously
Auto had taken it that way. It made sense that Iolaus would have a thing
for his best friend; they were together all the time, and even if it was
hopeless he probably couldn't help being attracted to Hercules. That didn't
exactly make things easy for anybody else that might be interested, though,
and Psyche couldn't help wondering if Auto and Iolaus had already had that
conversation.

"Thanks, but I gotta get my old man's truck back before he notices it's
gone. We'll see you guys around," Auto said, taking a few steps toward the
door. Psyche met Cupid's gaze and shrugged in answer to the question he
hadn't said out loud, closing the distance between them and leaning up to
plant a quick kiss on his cheek.

"I'll talk to him," she whispered, giving Cupid a reassuring smile. "Call
me."

"You can count on it," Cupid whispered back, wrapping his arms around her
for a quick hug before he let her go again. "Thanks for coming today."

"No problem."

She matched his grin with one of her own, waving to Strife before she
crossed the living room to follow Auto out of the apartment. When they were
gone Cupid turned to Strife again, pulling the older boy close and fusing
their lips together for the kiss he'd been waiting for all day. Since the
first moment Strife agreed to move in with him all Cupid had been able to
think about was the first night they'd finally be able to fall asleep in
their bed - and he'd never get used to saying that - and now that the day
had finally arrived he could hardly wait for it to be over just so they
could lock their door and forget about the rest of the world.

"So we're going out?" he whispered when they finally came up for air, his
mouth moving across the softness of Strife's neck.

"We don't hafta," Strife answered, his breath tickling Cupid's ear as his
hand left the younger boy's neck to trail through blond hair. "The band
came inta the club ta practice while we were auditionin' replacements fer
Herc. I didn't think they'd remember us, but they offered ta put us on the
list."

"Wait." Cupid tensed and straightened up far enough to meet Strife's gaze,
his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You know the Dropkick Murphys?"

"Sure. We played with 'em at one a the punk fests in Detroit a couple a
summers ago. We sucked pretty bad then, they probably remembered who we
were 'cause everybody at that show was laughin' at us."

Cupid smiled at the image of their band being the butt of all the other
bands' jokes; he couldn't imagine them being bad enough for other bands to
make fun of them, but he knew he was more than a little biased where Strife
was concerned. Besides, as much as he loved watching Strife perform, even
Cupid had to admit that he was a better pianist than he was a singer. "You
should've told Auto you know them, if he thought he'd get a chance to meet
them he definitely would have gone to the show."

"Yeah? He a big fan?"

"They're one of his favorite bands. I'm surprised he didn't want to go just
to see the show. It's not like he gets a lot of chances to see them," Cupid
answered, his smile fading at the thought of his friend's strange behavior.
Auto had been acting a little weird all week at school, but Cupid had been
too excited about moving to the city to give it much thought. When he did
notice he'd told himself it was just graduation jitters, but now that they
were done with school Auto was still acting weird. "Do you think it had
something to do with you mentioning Iolaus?"

"I dunno, I haven't seen Iolaus much. It's like he's avoidin' everybody."

"But you saw him today, right? I mean he had to show up for auditions."

"Yeah, he was there," Strife said, his arms tightening around Cupid as the
younger boy backed them toward the couch. "He didn't say much, though. It
was kinda like he didn't wanna be there but he didn't wanna tell us why.
There's somethin' up with him, I just can't figure out what."

"But you think it has something to do with Auto."

Strife shrugged and shifted on the couch until he was facing Cupid, a soft
sigh escaping his throat when he took in his boyfriend's miserable
expression. "I dunno what else could be buggin' him, Cupe. I mean he was
okay 'til this whole thing with Herc started, then we sprung Auto on him.
It's a lot ta deal with, and he doesn't wanna talk ta me about it. I don't
even know what he's gonna do about a place ta stay. I know he can't afford
our place on his own."

"Wait. He doesn't have anywhere to stay?"

"Beats me. I tried ta ask him today, but he didn't wanna talk about it."
Strife frowned at the memory of that particular conversation; he could tell
there was more going on with Iolaus than he was saying, but no matter how
hard he'd tried he couldn't get his friend to talk. It was almost like he
didn't want to be around Strife or Xena, and if that was true Strife wasn't
sure why they were looking for a new guitarist. He knew Xena's heart wasn't
really in the band, and if Iolaus wanted out there was no way they were
going to make it. "Maybe he's crashin' with Herc an' Gabbie or somethin'.
He doesn't hafta get outta our place 'til the end a the month, anyway."

"Well if he needs a place to stay…I mean it's not the best arrangement, but
he could always crash here, at least for a little while."

Strife smiled and reached up to run his hand through Cupid's hair again.
"Yeah, I was gonna ask ya if havin' him around would bug ya. I dunno if
he'd even go fer it, though, considerin' he won't even talk ta me."

"Maybe he's just embarrassed that we all know about him and Auto."

"Yeah, maybe," Strife said, but Cupid could tell he didn't believe that.
Cupid wasn't sure he believed it either; it was one thing to be mad at them
for setting him up, but he had a feeling Iolaus was too worried about what
happened now to wonder what his friends thought. Sleeping with Auto was a
huge step for him, and he was probably having a hard time coming to terms
with the fact that he was at least bisexual. Maybe it would have been
easier for him if Psyche had been there too; maybe it would have been less
intense or something, but Cupid couldn't have asked Psyche to do that. Not
that she would have done it even if he'd asked her to, and anyway Iolaus had
looked like he was having a pretty good time when Cupid saw him on the
security monitor.

"So we'll talk to him when he comes to the show," Cupid said, sounding a lot
more optimistic than he felt about the chances of Iolaus showing up. It was
to convince himself as much as to convince Strife, but he was rewarded by a
grin and a soft kiss pressed against the corner of his mouth.

"Ya sure ya wanna go out?" The words were whispered against his mouth,
sending a shiver of anticipation down his spine. A large part of Cupid was
screaming at him to say no, that he didn't want to go anywhere except to
bed, preferably for the next month or so. He couldn't ignore the tiny,
rational voice in the back of his mind telling him that this was all his
fault, though, and in the end his guilt over Iolaus won out.

He turned his head far enough to capture Strife's mouth, his hand on the
back of the older boy's neck to hold him in place while Cupid explored his
mouth. When he finally released Strife again he let out a small sigh,
closing his eyes and telling himself he was doing the right thing. "We
should at least go for awhile and see if he shows up," he finally said. "I
mean you told him you'd be there, right?"

"Yeah," Strife answered, his fingers tracing the curve of Cupid's throat as
he spoke, "but he won't care if we bail. I mean it's our first night here."

"The first of many," Cupid reminded him, his lips curving into a mischievous
grin when Strife looked up at him again. "We've got forever, right?"

"Yeah, Cupe," Strife answered, his expression turning serious at the
hesitation in the younger boy's voice. "I'm not goin' anywhere."

"Good. So we can spend a few hours getting Iolaus to tell us what his
problem is before we start on the rest of our lives." His smile returned,
his heart skipping a beat when Strife grinned back at him. "What?"

"Nothin'. I just can't believe I almost let ya get away," Strife said. "I
mean if I'd let ya leave that day after Iolaus walked in on us…"

Cupid leaned forward to cut Strife off with a kiss. "That never could have
happened," he said when he pulled away again. "You wouldn't have been able
to forget me."

"Ya think so?" Strife asked, raising one eyebrow as he struggled not to
laugh at Cupid's self-satisfied grin.

"I know it," Cupid answered, his voice softening as his smile faded into an
earnest expression. "You wouldn't have been able to forget any more than I
could have. I knew from the minute I saw you up on that stage that it would
be different between us."

He'd never told Strife any of that; the only person he'd really said it to
was Psyche, and he was never sure if she believed him or if she just didn't
want to be the one to tell him he was delusional. He knew he wasn't,
though; he'd ended up with Strife, after all, and they were in love. So the
jolt of whatever that feeling was when he first laid eyes on Strife meant
exactly what he'd thought it did, and he wasn't surprised that they were
talking about the future just a few months after they first met. Maybe it
seemed fast to the rest of the world, but considering Cupid had known before
they even spoke he didn't think it was too fast at all.

"I know what ya mean," Strife said, his voice so soft that it took a minute
for Cupid to realize that he'd even spoken.

"What?"

"I said I know what yer sayin'," he repeated, his cheeks a little more pink
than usual when Cupid lifted his head to meet his gaze. "When I first saw
ya I thought 'now that's the most beautiful guy I've ever seen', but once I
got past how gorgeous ya were I could tell there was somethin' different
about ya. Like I already knew ya, even though we'd never met."

And Cupid was sure he was grinning like an idiot, but he couldn't make
himself care. That was exactly what he'd always hoped Strife would say when
they finally got around to talking about the first time they'd laid eyes on
each other, but he hadn't let himself believe Strife had felt the same
connection he did from the first moment. He knew Strife felt it now, but
he'd never really expected to hear that his boyfriend had felt that way
about him when he first saw Cupid from the stage in a crowded night club.

"See? It would have worked out no matter what," Cupid said, swallowing
against the tightness in his throat as he leaned forward to meet Strife
halfway. His arms slid around the older boy's shoulders, pulling him
instinctively closer as Strife explored his mouth. The kiss felt exactly
the way it always did; like he'd finally found his way home.

Auto contemplated trying to ditch Psyche on the way back to the truck; if
they'd taken the train home it would have been easy to lose her, but he
couldn't bring himself to strand her in the middle of the city. Not that
she couldn't get home on her own, but he knew if he left her there he'd hear
about it for at least the next month. That didn't mean he was looking
forward to the ride home, though, especially when he knew she was dying to
ask him why he'd turned down Strife's invitation to the show. She waited
until they were safely on the freeway before she started in on him, turning
to look at him as soon as they pulled onto the onramp.

"So what's the deal?" she said, keeping her expression carefully neutral as
she studied Auto's profile. "I mean there's no way you'd borrow your dad's
truck if he was in town, so there must be some other reason you didn't want
to stay for the show."

Auto gave her a long, hard look before he turned back to the road. "Two
reasons, actually. Their names are Cupid and Strife."

"Oh, come on, I thought you were over that," she said, rolling her eyes at
his answer. "Besides, you'd chew glass for a chance to see Dropkick
Murphys. Don't try to tell me you'd turn that down just because Cupid and
Strife are gonna be there."

"Look, I can't go, alright? It's no big deal," he answered. "Besides, if I
wanna see Dropkick Murphys I can just go to Boston. They play there all the
time."

"Right, and you hang out in Boston all the time."

"I might." He rolled his eyes at the petulant quality of his own voice,
ignoring the unflattering snort that escaped Psyche's throat. He knew she'd
already figured out exactly why he didn't want to go to the show, but he
didn't want to talk about it. As long as neither of them said it out loud
he didn't have to feel weird about it, but the second she let on that she
felt sorry for him he wouldn't be able to forget. And he really, really
wanted to forget, because there was no use dwelling on something that was
never going to happen.

The truth was that he just didn't want to see Iolaus. It would be too
awkward, and Auto didn't do awkward. Then again, he'd never actually wanted
to see somebody again after sleeping with them - nobody except Psyche,
anyway - and he wasn't sure what it meant. He'd tried telling himself that
it was just because everybody he knew had suddenly gone crazy; if he wasn't
around people talking about love and all that romantic shit all the time he
wouldn't be acting like such a girl. He was getting as bad as Cupid, and if
anybody back home found out about it he'd never live it down.

He didn't even know the guy, so there was no reason to keep thinking about
him. It was just one night of passable sex - okay, maybe it was a little
better than passable - and he'd never let sex affect him this way before.
He wasn't letting it affect him now, either, and if his friends would just
shut up about it he'd stand a chance of putting it behind him. Not that
he'd seen much of Cupid, but he could tell during the few times they'd
talked at school that his friend was trying to hint around about what Auto
thought of Iolaus. He'd considered saying something obnoxious about what
Iolaus was like in bed just to embarrass Cupid, but when it came right down
to it he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

It had felt too much like he'd be betraying Iolaus, which was ridiculous
considering they didn't even know each other. He'd never had a problem
talking about his conquests before, but for some reason he wanted to keep
this one to himself. Maybe it was because it was the first time he'd ever
been alone with anyone besides Psyche. Or maybe it was just a knee-jerk
reaction to the fact that everybody already knew about the whole thing. It
wasn't so much that he cared who knew, but the fact that they expected him
to spill all the details kind of bothered him.

Besides, this was all new for Iolaus, and he had a right to keep it to
himself if he wanted to. Which meant Auto couldn't go around telling
everybody what happened, and Psyche and Cupid were just going to have to
deal with it.

"It's okay if you like him, you know."

Psyche's voice sounded louder than it should in the silence of the truck,
and Auto found himself wishing not for the first time that the radio worked
so he wouldn't have to listen to her try to get him to admit to something
that wasn't even true. "I don't."

"Auto, come on. You've been moping around since last weekend. If it's not
him, what's the problem?"

"I keep telling you, there's no problem." He let out a weary sigh and
ventured a quick glance at her, his eyes narrowing when he registered the
pity in her expression. "Look, I haven't been moping around, okay? And
even if I did like him, it doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters," Psyche said. She scooted a little closer on the
bench seat and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder and
twisting her neck so she could look up at him. "If you like him you should
do something about it. Ask him out or something. The worst that could
happen is he says no, right?"

"It's not that easy." He rolled his eyes at himself when he realized he was
playing right into her hands; he'd already as good as admitted that he was
still thinking about Iolaus, and if he let her think he actually cared about
the guy he could forget ever hearing the end of it. "I mean yeah, okay, we
had a good time and all, but he's still in the closet. His best friend's a
homophobe, and until a few days ago he wouldn't even admit he was attracted
to guys. Why would I want somebody like that around?"

"Beats me," she said, grinning when he glanced down at her. "You do,
though, so there must be something about him you like."

He laughed and shrugged the shoulder she was leaning against, but instead of
knocking her off his arm he only managed to let her nestle a little closer.
"You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

"Can't. I'm your best friend, it's my job to harass you 'til you do
something about it."

"There's nothing to do…I mean…oh, you know what I mean." He paused to take
a deep breath, venturing a quick glance at her only to find her still
watching him expectantly. "It was a great party, everybody got what they
wanted, and it's over now, right? So what's the point of hanging out with
him? I don't want to see him again and he sure as hell doesn't wanna see
me, so just let him figure it out on his own."

"Maybe he could use a friend to help him figure it out."

"He's got friends."

"You said it yourself, his best friend's a homophobe. Cupe already said
he's not talking to Strife…"

"What are you guys doing, holding a conference?" he interrupted, looking
over at her when she sighed and lifted her head off his shoulder. "I can't
believe you don't have anything better to talk about."

"What, we can't worry about you now? I know we shouldn't have set you up
like that, but it seemed like you had a pretty good time with the guy. Cupe
was kinda hoping…well, you know. He thought maybe you guys would hit it off
the way he and Strife did. We just want you to be happy."

"Now you sound like Cupid's mom," he grumbled. The sound of her laughter
weakened his resolve a little, and he found himself smiling in spite of his
mood. "I know why you guys set us up. At least I think I do. But Cupe's
gotta understand that it's not that easy for everybody. Just because he
fucked Strife and then decided he was in love doesn't mean every one-night
stand's gonna turn out the same way."

"Yeah, I know," she said, and he was almost sure he heard disappointment in
her voice. It didn't make any sense that Psyche would think he'd fall head
over heels for Iolaus after one night, though, so he wasn’t sure exactly
what she was so disappointed about. "You know how Cupe's brain works,
though. He's probably just worried that Iolaus is gonna get left behind and
he thinks it's his fault."

"Cupe worries too much." It was true; but that didn't make Auto feel any
better about the thought of Iolaus getting left behind while all his friends
moved on with their lives. He knew how that felt, after all, and even
though he wouldn't admit it he wasn't looking forward to the day when Psyche
moved to the city. "He's still got that homophobe hanging around,
though…what's that guy's name again?"

"Hercules. And he's not hanging around either. Didn't I tell you? He
knocked up that girl from the club, he's moving into her parents' basement
with her."

"Talk about depressing," Auto muttered, focusing on the road so Psyche
wouldn't notice his expression. He didn't want to worry about Iolaus; he
didn't even want to feel sorry for the guy, but he couldn't help it. There
was nothing worse than being stuck in the same place while all his friends
moved away and got lives, and it sounded like the same thing was happening
to Iolaus. "So Iolaus gets stuck with that rathole they've been living in?"

"Beats me." He could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't look over because
he was pretty sure he didn't want to know what she was thinking. He wasn't
going to get involved in whatever little drama she and Cupid had come up
with to amuse themselves; he had plans for the future, and even if they
weren't as glamorous as anybody else's he wasn't going to let that stop him.
There was no way he was spending the rest of his life stuck in Neptune,
and he wasn't about to let Iolaus or anybody else distract him from his
plans.

~

Iolaus wasn't sure exactly how he was supposed to feel, but he was pretty
sure this wasn't it. Wasn't he supposed to feel at least a little
different? His whole life had changed last weekend - okay, so aside from
that one night everything was pretty much still the same, but it was going
to change any minute now. It had to, right? He'd finally come to grips
with something he'd been avoiding about himself for years now, there was no
way that everything could just stay the same.

He felt like there was something he should do, something to make it official
or something. For the life of him he couldn't figure out what, though; if
sleeping with another guy didn't make it official he wasn't sure what could.
A nagging voice in the back of his head piped up every once in awhile to
remind him that telling people might help make it feel more real, but he
wasn't ready to take that step yet. There was too much going on; with Herc,
with Strife and Cupid moving in together, with his own family back home.
There was always some excuse to stop him from coming clean to the people
that it would affect the most.

Strife and Cupid already knew, but he couldn't talk to them about this. It
would be way too embarrassing to go to either of them for advice, and he
knew whichever one of them he talked to would automatically fill the other
one in on everything he said. He'd thought about talking to Xena; called
her even, but she was out and her mother didn't seem to know when she'd be
back. So he'd showed up at the club hoping that she'd be there, that maybe
he could talk to her about what he should be doing differently now that he
was…whatever the hell he was.

He sipped his beer and searched the crowd, hoping to spot Xena before any of
their friends spotted him. The last thing he needed to do was listen to
Herc bitch about life with Gabbie, or worse, have to watch Cupid and Strife
slobber all over each other. He'd already promised himself that if Xena
didn't show up by the time he finished his beer that he'd bail; going home
to stare at the walls in his empty apartment had to be better than acting
like everything was okay so nobody would figure out what was on his mind.

The glass on his table was half empty when he spotted them, and he swore
under his breath and drained it before he stood up. He might have managed
to get out of the club before either of them spotted him if the waitress
hadn't chosen that moment to come by, blocking his path as she set drinks
down on the table next to his. He was seriously contemplating just shoving
her out of the way when Cupid spotted him, and Iolaus swallowed a groan and
managed a weak wave as Cupid grabbed Strife's arm and pulled the other boy
toward Iolaus' table.

"Hey," Cupid said when they reached him, "we weren’t sure you'd show."

"Yeah, neither was I," Iolaus answered, his heart sinking as he realized he
wasn't getting out of the club without coming up with a better excuse than
'I just remembered I hate this band'. "I was just gonna get another beer.
You guys want anything?"

"I got it," Strife offered, backing away from the table before Iolaus could
argue. He watched helplessly as Strife walked away, sinking back into his
chair and sparing a quick glance at Cupid.

"Have you guys seen Xena?"

"She can't make it," Cupid answered, leaning forward to fold his arms on the
table. "She's got a date with Psyche. We tried to get Auto to come with
us, but he had to get home."

And it just figured that Xena would pick the one night he actually wanted to
talk to her to go out with Psyche. Not that he could really blame her, but
he couldn't help being a little annoyed that he was stuck sitting through
the show with Cupid and Strife for nothing. He knew he should be grateful
that they hadn't showed up with Auto in tow; that would be awkward, and with
Hercules working the door it would have been even worse. He wasn’t sure how
he'd feel about seeing Auto again, but he knew he didn't want the first time
to be in front of his best friend.

"Too bad," he answered distractedly. "Listen, you don't happen to know
where Xena and Psyche went, do you?"

"I think they're hanging out at Psyche's house," Cupid answered, frowning as
he watched Iolaus shift nervously in his chair. "Are you okay?"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine," Iolaus answered, stopping just short of rolling his
eyes at himself. He was supposed to be acting like nothing was wrong, not
like he was waiting for the first chance he got to make a break for it. "I
just need to talk to Xena about something."

"Look, Iolaus, I understand if you're mad at me."

He'd only been half-listening to Cupid since the other boy sat down, but his
last words were so far from what Iolaus had expected that he forgot about
glancing at the door every three seconds and looked over at the other boy.
"Why the fuck would I be mad at you?"

"Because of Auto. I mean it was my idea. I was just trying to help, I
thought you guys would hit it off, you know? Be good for each other. I
guess I was wrong."

Cupid looked so miserable that Iolaus instantly felt guilty for trying to
avoid him and Strife all week. He wasn't sure what to say; he'd assumed
that Xena and maybe Strife had been in on the plan to set them up, but it
had never dawned on him that it had all been Cupid's idea. If anything he'd
assumed that Psyche was the one that came up with the plan and gotten his
friends to go along with it. "Why? I mean why'd you set us up? You barely
even know me."

"I knew enough to see that you weren't happy. I mean it was pretty obvious
you had a thing for Herc, and I figured if you met somebody else maybe it
would help you get over it. I'm really sorry, I should have just asked you
in the first place."

"I don't have a thing for Herc." Denying the truth was second nature by
now, but for the first time since he'd started lying about his feelings for
his best friend he felt a twinge of guilt. "Look, Cupid, I'm not mad. I
mean I guess in a way I should be grateful. I know what you were trying to
do, but it was just one night."

"Sometimes that's all it takes," Cupid said, a hopeful smile turning up the
corners of his mouth. "I'm not saying you have to fall in love with him or
anything…"

Iolaus rolled his eyes because he could tell that that was exactly what
Cupid had been hoping for. He could deny it all he wanted, but it was
obvious that Cupid had been hoping to pair off all his friends until
everyone was as disgustingly infatuated as he and Strife were. "Auto's a
good kid," he said, lowering his voice and glancing around to make sure no
one was listening, "but that's as far as it goes. He's just a kid, Cupid."

"I remember hearing that same line from Strife a couple months ago when he
was still trying to tell himself the band came before everything else."
Cupid raised one eyebrow, watching as Iolaus scowled and looked away.

"Yeah, well, I'm older than Strife."

"By one year. Big deal." A heavy sigh escaped Cupid's throat as he leaned
back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "If you don't like
him that's fine, but don't give me that age excuse. I'm not buying it and
neither is anybody else."

And now he knew why Strife was moving in with Cupid, because he had the
sudden urge to apologize to the other boy and he wasn't even sure what he'd
be apologizing for. Strife probably never stood a chance, not when Cupid
looked at him with those big brown eyes and that pout he probably practiced
in the mirror every night. He wasn't even sure why it was any of Cupid's
business, especially considering Auto hadn't said a word to him since the
morning after the party. If he was interested he would have called or
something, it wasn't like he couldn't get the number from Cupid.

"Did he say something about me?"

Before Cupid could answer a beer appeared in front of him, and they both
looked up in time to watch Strife sink into the chair next to Cupid and push
another beer toward the younger boy. "What's goin' on?"

"Nothing," Cupid and Iolaus answered simultaneously. He knew Cupid would
fill Strife in on their entire conversation later, but he couldn't bring
himself to care. All he really wanted to do right now was go home and
forget tonight had ever happened. He'd started out confused enough, but
after talking to Cupid the past week made even less sense. And the worst
part was that now he felt guilty for sleeping with Auto in the first place,
and he knew he was going to spend the rest of the night wondering what he'd
done wrong. None of it made any sense; he didn't know the rules for this
sort of thing, and he had a feeling it was just going to get more confusing.



It was obvious from the silence hanging over the table that Strife had
interrupted something, but he was going to have to wait to find out what it
was. For some reason Cupid and Iolaus weren't talking, at least not to him,
and even though he had a feeling he knew what they'd been talking about that
didn't really make him feel any better. There was no reason they had to
shut up just because he'd come back from the bar; he was involved in this
whole mess too - whether he liked it or not - and whatever they had to say
about Auto they could say in front of him.

He was trying not to be jealous, but it was hard to keep his emotions in
check where Cupid was concerned. Not that he thought Cupid had anything to
hide from him, but he obviously didn't want to talk about whatever he'd been
talking about in front of Strife. And then there was Iolaus - they'd known
each other since they were kids, and suddenly Iolaus was confiding in Cupid
instead of him? None of it made any sense, and he was starting to feel like
the third wheel with his own boyfriend.

To make matters worse he had the feeling Iolaus didn't even want to be
sitting there, and he couldn't help wondering why the other boy had shown up
at the club at all. It was obvious he wasn't looking forward to the show,
so there was no reason for him to hang around unless he was hoping for a
chance to hang all over Hercules. Unconsciously Strife's gaze shifted in
the direction of the door, but he couldn't see his former roommate through
the crowd. Herc had barely acknowledged them when they'd stopped at the
door, and Strife could tell that his friend wasn't in any hurry to put the
past behind them and make up.

What he didn't get was why Iolaus wanted to hang out with a guy like that,
especially after the way Hercules had treated him and Cupid. He'd always
ignored it in the past because he knew things back home were different, but
now that they were in New York Strife didn't have to worry about his family
or his friends hassling him about who he dated. At least that was what he'd
assumed, but Hercules had turned out to be a lot less tolerant than he'd
thought. That was the only reason Strife could come up with for the way
things were between them now that he and Cupid were a couple, and he
couldn't help worrying about what was going to happen when Iolaus finally
came out to his best friend.

The whole situation made him feel even more guilty about leaving Iolaus with
nowhere to live. The worst part was that he hadn't even bothered to ask the
other boy yet what he was planning to do, and now it was going to sound like
pity when he offered their couch as a place to crash. Still, he had to ask,
and if they weren't going to tell him what they'd been talking about before
he came back then at least he could change the subject.

"So what're ya plannin' ta do at the end a the month?" Strife asked, leaning
toward Iolaus and raising his voice over the noise of the crowd. "Ya found
a place ta crash yet?"

Iolaus looked up at the sound of Strife's voice, frowning as though he was
just remembering that he wasn't alone at the table. "I don't know yet," he
answered, not quite meeting Strife's gaze. "I thought about going home."

"What, back ta Detroit? Are ya nuts? It took us long enough ta get outta
there, why the fuck would ya go back?"

"At least I know I'd have a job waiting for me." Iolaus shrugged and looked
up at the stage, watching the band set up. Strife followed his gaze for a
moment, frowning at the thought of his friend going home just because
Hercules had moved in with some girl.

"Yeah, some job. Pumpin' gas at yer old man's place. What about the band?"

"What about it?" Iolaus looked over at him again, his expression unreadable
in the low light of the bar. "That was Herc's thing and you know it. In a
couple months Xena's gonna be back in school, and then we'll play a gig
every couple weeks if we're lucky. That's not gonna pay the rent, and not
everybody's got a boyfriend whose daddy just hands over the keys to an
apartment."

Strife hadn't expected that reaction; all he'd really been trying to do was
remind Iolaus of why they'd left Detroit in the first place, but he couldn't
really blame his friend for being mad. "We're payin' rent on the loft," he
answered, dropping his voice so Cupid wouldn't hear him. "Ya think I'd just
shack up with somebody an' let 'em pay my way? Ya know me better than
that."

A heavy sigh escaped Iolaus' throat, and Strife saw a flicker of guilt in
the other boy's eyes before Iolaus looked away again. "Yeah, I know. I
didn't mean it, Strife. But I still need a job and I need to find a place
to stay. I doubt I can even afford the rent on our place by myself. This
isn't exactly what I thought it would be like when we decided to move out
here, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Strife said, forcing what he hoped was a cheerful grin and
raising his voice again. "Listen, until ya work it out yer crashin' with
us, okay? The couch is comfortable an' there's plenty a room."

"Thanks, Strife, but I couldn't do that. You guys just moved in together,
I'd just be in the way."

"No ya wouldn't," Strife insisted, reaching across the table and nudging
Cupid's arm to get his attention. "Yer cool with Iolaus crashin' at our
place, aren't ya, Cupe?"

"Yeah, of course," Cupid answered, and Strife found himself relaxing a
little as he watched a genuine smile light up Cupid's features. Whatever
he'd been arguing with Iolaus about earlier couldn't have been that serious,
not if Cupid was still willing to let the other boy sleep on their couch.
"As long as you want."

"Thanks, guys," Iolaus said, "but I'll work it out."

Strife nodded and picked up his beer, catching Cupid's gaze out of the
corner of his eye and shrugging. He felt a hand land on his knee and
squeeze briefly before letting go again, and he found himself wishing that
they'd just stayed home tonight after all. In a way he was glad he'd had a
chance to talk to Iolaus, but he wasn't sure how much good it had done. If
his friend was determined to go home and ignore everything that had happened
to him in the past few months Strife couldn't stop him, but he hoped that
Iolaus would come to his senses before that happened.

"Have ya talked ta Herc lately?" Strife asked, hoping he sounded more casual
than he felt as he stole a quick glance at Iolaus.

"About what?"

Strife shrugged as nonchalantly as possible, stealing a quick glance at
Cupid before he looked at Iolaus again. "About anythin'. He know yer
thinkin' 'bout goin' home?"

"No," Iolaus answered, his eyes narrowing a little as he glanced at Cupid
and then back at Strife. "Look, guys, I know what you're getting at. No, I
haven't told him anything, but it doesn't have anything to do with whether
or not I go back to Detroit. Herc's got a lot on his mind lately, he just
moved in with Gabbie and the baby thing's freaking him out more than I
thought it would. He's got enough to deal with without me laying my
problems on him. I'll work it out, don't worry about it."

"Yeah, but goin' home?"

"Strife's right," Cupid added, making it obvious he'd been listening to
their conversation since Strife got back to the table. "You can't go home
just because Hercules moved in with Gabbie. You can get a job here just as
easily as you can in Detroit, and there are always people looking for
roommates. Psyche's moving to the city soon, if you want I can talk to her,
maybe…"

"No thanks," Iolaus interrupted, and Strife was almost sure he saw the other
boy's cheeks flush just before he looked away. "Psyche's cool and all, but
the last thing she needs is me hanging around."

"She wouldn't care," Cupid began, but he closed his mouth as soon as he felt
Strife's hand close around his under the table. Strife glanced sharply at
the younger boy, relaxing a little when he saw that Cupid understood what he
wasn't saying. It was one thing for Iolaus to crash with them until he
found a place, but staying with Psyche meant running into Auto a lot more
often than he probably wanted to. At least Strife assumed that Iolaus
didn't want to see Auto; he hadn't really gotten a chance to talk to his
friend about it, and he had a feeling now wasn't the right time to try.

"It'll work out," Strife said, squeezing Cupid's hand one last time before
he let go again. "Long as ya don't throw in the towel before ya even see
what's out there, ya know?"

He grinned when Iolaus looked up at him and nodded warily, hoping the
flicker of surprise in the other boy's eyes meant that Iolaus understood
what he was saying. He had a feeling that part of the reason his friend was
thinking about going back to Detroit was so he wouldn't have to deal with
what had happened between him and Auto, but Strife couldn't let him go back
to pretending he was something he wasn't. At least he had to try to help
Iolaus figure it out for himself, otherwise he couldn't really call himself
much of a friend at all.

~

Iolaus woke to the sound of a shrill ringing, groaning and sticking one arm
out from under his sheet to feel around on the floor for the phone. Finally
he found it sticking out from under the jeans he'd discarded the night
before, clearing his throat before he pressed the 'talk' button and lifted
the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"

"Did I wake you?"

"Don't worry about it," he muttered, although Xena didn't sound exactly
apologetic. In fact, if he wasn't mistaken she was laughing, which meant
that he really must sound pathetic. "What time is it?"

"Around 11:00. My mom said you were looking for me last night. What's up?"

It took him a minute to remember why he'd called Xena, but as soon as he did
he groaned and pulled the sheet back over his head. He hadn't stopped to
think about it long enough to be embarrassed the night before, but if he had
he never would have gone looking for her. It was bad enough that he'd been
desperate enough to actually leave a message with her mom, but he couldn't
talk about it in the light of day. "Nothing, just a moment of weakness.
Forget it."

"Aw, I'm flattered," she said, her voice taking on a teasing quality that
made heat creep into his cheeks, "but you know you're not really my type."

"Funny. That's not what I meant," he muttered. "Seriously, just forget
it."

"Oh, come on, I was just kidding." She paused and for a moment he couldn't
hear anything except for the sound of his own breathing, but just as he'd
decided that they'd somehow gotten cut off her voice sounded in his ear
again. "Iolaus? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He rolled his eyes at the half-truth and pushed the sheet back
again, forcing himself to sit up and running a hand absently over his bare
chest. "I will be, anyway."

He could tell by the moment of silence on the other end of the line that she
didn't believe him, but he wasn't going to overplay his hand by trying to
convince her. Let her believe what she wanted; Cupid and Strife already
did, and there was no way he was going to convince any of them that he was
fine until he started acting like he was.

"Does this have anything to do with Auto?"

"No," he answered, ignoring the defensive tone that crept into his voice.
"Why does everybody keep asking me that?"

"Because you've been acting weird ever since Psyche's party," Xena answered
matter-of-factly. "You should call him. He likes you."

An unflattering snort escaped Iolaus' throat, but he ignored the sound and
told himself he didn't believe it. And even if he did it didn't matter,
because he wasn't interested in getting involved with some kid fresh out of
high school. Maybe the rest of his friends had lost their minds, but he
wasn't going to do something stupid just because they all were. "Whatever.
Look, just forget I called last night, okay? It was nothing."

"Iolaus, come on."

He couldn't help grinning as he pictured her arching one eyebrow at him,
hands crossed over her chest in her most menacing 'tell me or else' posture.
"Alright, alright. If you really wanna know, I had a question. But I ran
into Strife later so don't worry about it."

"What kind of question?"

"I just told you not to worry about it."

"I'm not worried, just curious. So tell me the question and Strife's answer
so I can tell you why he's wrong."

Iolaus rolled his eyes at that, but he knew he wasn't going to get out of
this with the half-truths he'd been feeding her since he answered the phone.
He'd never asked Strife any of the questions that had been weighing on him
the night before, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to ask Xena now. It
helped that he couldn't actually see her, though, and he closed his eyes and
fell back against the pillows again as he tried to think of the best way to
phrase what he wanted to ask.

"Okay. The thing is this. I don't really know…well, *anything* about - you
know. And after the party I think I might want to know, but I'm not sure
how you find out about that stuff. I mean is there some book I should be
reading or what?" He felt the blood begin to pool in his cheeks before he
even started talking, and by the time he was done with his rambling,
nonsensical question even the tips of his ears were burning. Still, he felt
strangely better for having gotten the words out, even if Xena didn't
understand a bit of it.

"So let me get this straight. Are you asking me where you go to learn how
to be gay?"

A heavy sigh escaped his throat as he discovered that he could blush even
harder after all. "Sort of. I mean…I guess so. Maybe?"

Soft laughter on the other end of the line made him even more aware of the
heat creeping through his entire body, but there was a hint of understanding
in Xena's voice and part of him knew that if she was sitting next to him he
would have kissed her for not laughing him right out of the room. "There's
no rule book or anything," she finally answered, and he did his best to
ignore the pity he could hear creeping into her tone. "I mean there are
places you can go to meet people, if that's what you mean."

"What, like gay bars?"

"Well, yeah. I mean that's the most obvious place, right?"

He knew she was right, but that didn't mean he wanted to admit it. The last
thing he ever expected to find himself doing was contemplating going to a
gay bar, especially when he still hadn't told anyone that he was even
considering the possibility that he might be bi. So far everyone that knew
had found out in spite of his best efforts to keep the truth to himself, and
he still wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"Look, Iolaus," Xena said when he didn't answer, "if you want we can go out
this weekend. I know a few places, I don't hang out at them much but I know
some people. I can introduce you around."

"I don't know. I mean I'm not even sure if I'm gonna be staying in town,"
he said, his heart sinking at the thought of actually going all the way back
to Detroit. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but if he didn't figure
something out quick that was exactly where he was headed.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've gotta be out of the apartment at the end of the month," he answered.
"Cupid and Strife offered to put me up, but I really don't wanna camp out on
their couch. I mean it's one thing for Cupid to stay here with Strife, but
it's their place now and I'd just be in the way."

"Why didn't you tell me this last week?" Xena asked. "Is that why you've
been so freaked out every time I see you lately? Jesus, Iolaus, I live
right next store to a boarding house. In fact I'm pretty sure they've got a
room open right now. I can find out if you want - it's not the Ritz or
anything, but it's cheaper than a whole apartment and the lady that runs the
place is pretty cool."

"Seriously?"

"Sure." He could hear the amusement creeping back into her voice, but he
resisted the urge to snap at her. She was the first person that had offered
him actual help, after all, and if he pissed her off he'd regret it later.
"Tell you what, come over and I'll introduce you to her. While you're here
I'll talk you into going out with me and Psyche this weekend."

For a second Iolaus was too stunned to answer. He'd dismissed the idea of
even talking to Psyche about sharing a place because he knew it would mean
dealing with a bunch of stuff he wasn't sure he was ready for, but renting a
place right next to Xena and her mom was a different story. It meant seeing
a lot more of Xena, but of all his friends she was the one he was the least
worried about facing right now. Plus it meant he didn't have to go home and
face his family, and there wasn't much he wouldn't do to avoid that. He'd
even sleep on Strife and Cupid's couch before he went back home and admitted
to his father that he couldn't hack New York, so this seemed like the
perfect solution to his problem.

"Let me just take a shower and I'll be over," he finally answered.

"Sure thing, Iolaus. I'll be here."

He could hear the smile in her voice and he couldn't help smiling back,
actually feeling the sentiment behind the expression for the first time in
days. "Thanks, Xena. See you soon."



Cupid knew there was no reason to be nervous about his father and Joxer
coming over for dinner. It was hard to turn off the feeling, though,
especially when he knew that his father still wasn't thrilled about the idea
of him and Strife living together. The only way he was going to make Ares
see that they weren't making a mistake was to make things work between him
and Strife, though, so as soon as they'd settled in he called and invited
his father and Joxer over.

Strife hadn't been thrilled with the idea, but he was willing to go along
with it if it meant making Ares see that they weren't just screwing around.
Granted, a few weeks of living together wasn't going to convince Ares of
much, but it was a start, and if he saw how normal their life was he'd start
to come around. Then there was the other reason Strife had agreed to
tonight, but Cupid was trying as hard as he could not to think about that.
He wasn't going to think about whatever Strife and Joxer were talking about
in the corner of the living room, just like he wasn't worrying about his
friends or wondering if Iolaus was ever going to come out of the closet
again.

A warm, strong hand landed on his shoulder, and he flinched slightly and
looked up to find his father studying his profile. "Son?"

"I'm fine, Dad," he said in answer to the unspoken question, smiling
sheepishly and turning back to the vegetables he'd been slicing for the
salad.

"It's only a few days, you know."

"Yeah, I know." He stifled a sigh and stole another quick glance at Strife,
his heart skipping a beat when the older boy looked up and smiled at him.
"Doesn't it bother you at all?"

Ares shrugged and followed Cupid's gaze, a smile tugging at the corners of
his mouth when he took in the sight of Joxer and Strife talking quietly
together. "I miss him when he's gone, if that's what you mean. But it
doesn't bother me that he's going to visit his brother. Why, does the
thought of Strife going to see his father bother you?"

"It doesn't bother me exactly."

"Well something's obviously on your mind." Ares tore his gaze away from
Joxer to frown down at Cupid again, reaching around him to pull the knife
out of his hands. "Let me do that, you're liable to cut off a finger and
then your mother will never let me hear the end of it."

Cupid sighed but let his father push him gently out of the way, crossing his
arms over his chest and leaning back against the counter. "It's not that I
don't want Strife to see his dad. I do, it's just…what if he goes back
there and sees his friends again and doesn’t want to come back?"

"I thought all his friends moved here with him."

"Just Iolaus and Hercules, I'm sure he had other friends back in Detroit,"
Cupid answered.

"But Iolaus and Hercules are still here?"

"Iolaus thought about moving home for awhile, but then Xena found him a
place near her," Cupid said. "I don't think he really wanted to go back,
but I don’t know. None of them ever really talk about what it was like back
there."

"Well that should tell you something," his father said, glancing at Cupid
long enough to raise an eyebrow at him. "If Strife doesn't talk about it
there must not be much he misses about it. Besides, he's got his friends
here, and his cousin and his uncle, and then there's you. I'd say you don't
have anything to worry about."

"But what if he just doesn't realize how much he misses it?" Cupid asked,
his gaze wandering back to Strife again. He'd told himself he wasn't going
to spend the whole night staring at his boyfriend, but he couldn't stop
himself from making sure Strife was still there. He was going to be gone
soon enough, and then Cupid would spend the rest of the week driving himself
crazy wondering what Strife was doing every minute of the day.

A soft laugh startled him out of his reverie, and he scowled as he looked up
to find his father shaking his head. "Cupid, they don't leave until Monday.
If you keep this up you'll drive both of you crazy before he even makes it
to the airport."

"What was it like the first time Joxer went away?"

Ares laughed for a different reason this time, the sound much more
self-conscious than it had been a few moments ago. "You mean you don't
remember? You were right here for part of it."

Cupid frowned in concentration, thinking back to the weeks he'd spent with
his father over the past few summers. "Was that the week we never did
anything because you were on the phone for hours every night?"

"Well I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it went something like
that."

"You guys moved in together right after he got back, didn't you?"

Ares nodded, a smile lighting up his features at the memory. "I asked him
to move in with me during one of those phone calls. When he turned me down
I thought I'd die. I was so horrified that he'd said no that it took him
ten minutes to convince me that he hadn't said no to living with me, he just
didn't want to live *here*."

Cupid laughed at the image of Joxer trying to live in the loft; after
spending as much time as he had in Joxer's apartment, there was no way he
could see the other man living in his dad's old bachelor pad. "I guess I
don't really blame him," he said. "It looks a lot different now."

Ares nodded and followed Cupid's gaze, smiling proudly at the improvements
they'd made over the past few weeks. It was true that the loft didn't look
much like it had when Cupid first showed it to Strife; the walls had all
been painted, they'd re-stained the coffee table to go with the new couch,
and Cupid had brought his TV and stereo from his room at his mother's house.
They'd even given the fridge a fresh coat of paint and replaced some of
the fixtures in the kitchen and the bathroom, so the only thing that was
still the same was the bed. It had taken Cupid a little while to get used
to the idea of sharing his dad's old bed with Strife, but he'd gotten over
it after the first night they spent together in the loft.

"Strife did a lot of the work himself," Ares reminded him, meeting Cupid's
gaze with a reassuring smile. "He wouldn't have done all of that if he had
any doubts about where he wanted to be."

"I guess," Cupid said, frowning suspiciously at the older man. "Why are you
being so cool about this? I thought you didn't like the idea of us moving
in together."

"I never said that. You can't blame me for having a few reservations,
Cupid. You two haven't known each other that long, and you're young to be
making such a big commitment. But your birthday's coming up soon, and a few
weeks after that you start college. I'd rather have you settled somewhere I
know you'll be safe so you can focus your attention on your schoolwork and
not worry about when you're going to fit in time with your boyfriend."

Cupid couldn't help but laugh at that; it was exactly the kind of logic he'd
expect from his father, and the conversation had managed to distract him
from worrying about Strife's trip to Detroit. He knew that as soon as they
left he'd go right back to worrying again, but for now he could almost
pretend that everything was normal and Strife wasn't going anywhere in just
a couple days.

"If I promise not to flunk out of school will you quit worrying about me?"

"I just told you, I'm not worried. Your mother, on the other hand…"

Cupid rolled his eyes at the mention of Dite; she'd called nearly every day
since he moved to the city, and he was getting to the point that he wished
she would get married again just so she'd have something to think about
besides what he was up to. "How many times has she called you?"

"At last count I think it was up to ten," Ares answered, grinning when
Cupid's jaw dropped. "She'll calm down as soon as she realizes that you're
really gone. Right now it just seems like any other summer when you'd come
to stay with me. It probably hasn't sunk in yet that you're all grown up
now."

"How long do you think it'll take her to figure that out?"

"I'm guessing she'll come around just in time for you to graduate from
college," Ares answered, grinning at his son's expression. "Don't worry
about your mother, it takes her awhile to let go but eventually she catches
on."

"Maybe she'll marry Heph. At least then she wouldn't be alone."

"Maybe." Ares shrugged and picked up the salad bowl, thrusting it into
Cupid's hands. "I think we're ready to eat. I'll go round up Joxer and
Strife."

Cupid grinned and shook his head at his father's retreating back, carrying
the salad over to the table they'd rescued from Dite's basement. Even after
a few weeks in the loft it still didn't feel real; he kept waiting for the
moment he'd wake up from the dream he was having, or for Strife to announce
that it had been fun, but it was time for him to move on. He wasn’t sure
when it would finally sink in that Strife wasn't going anywhere, but he was
hoping it would happen before his boyfriend left for Detroit.

~

"Now I know why my dad said yes to dinner over here so fast," Cupid said,
sighing as he eyed the pile of dishes in the sink.

"How come?" Strife asked, his voice buzzing against Cupid's ear as he slid
his arms around the taller boy's waist. Cupid leaned instinctively into the
embrace, his eyes falling closed as he focused on the sensation of Strife's
mouth moving against his neck.

"Because of the dishes," he murmured, craning his neck to give Strife better
access to his skin.

"Want some help?" Strife asked, his mouth leaving Cupid's skin long enough
to whisper the question.

Cupid grinned and turned in the other boy's arms, flattening his palms
against Strife's chest. "Do you even know how to do dishes?"

"Hey, that was a low blow," Strife muttered, trying and failing to hide the
smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "'Sides, course I know how. Ya
think Ma'd lift a finger ta wash anythin' when she had a kid around ta do
it?"

"Do you miss her?" The question escaped his lips before he could stop it,
and Cupid's smile faded as he waited for the other boy to answer. Strife
was sort of frowning at him, but Cupid couldn't tell whether it was because
of the ill-timed question or if he'd already guessed why Cupid was asking.

"Who, Ma? Not really," Strife answered. "I mean she's alright an' all, but
she was never exactly what ya'd call real maternal."

"Are you going to stay with her when you go home?"

"Nah. I'll probably stop by ta see how she's doin', but she's not gonna
want me crashin' on her couch the whole time. I'll just stay at the hotel
with Unc."

Cupid had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything about Strife's
mother's parenting skills. He always found himself on the verge of saying
something he knew Strife wouldn't appreciate whenever the subject of his
mother came up; it was hard for him to remember that not everyone had
parents like Ares and Dite, even though his best friends' parents were more
like Strife's mother than they were like his own. In a way he was the
freak, but that didn't stop him from feeling sorry for anyone who didn't
have parents just like his.

"You must miss something about it." He stopped himself from wincing at the
sound of his own voice; he'd never really learned when to shut up, and he
knew if he kept pushing Strife was going to figure out why he was asking
stupid questions. Part of him had a sick need to know what his boyfriend
was going back to, though, and that was the part of him that had kept him
awake ever since this trip came up. "Don't you have other friends there or
something?"

"Not really. It was pretty much just me, Herc an' Iolaus," Strife answered,
his fingers tracing random patterns on Cupid's back as he pulled the other
boy a little closer. "Cupe, if yer worried 'bout old boyfriends or
somethin'…"

"No," Cupid interrupted, looking down at his hands as he willed himself not
to blush. "I'm not…I'm not worried about anything."

Before Strife could argue with him Cupid leaned forward, one hand leaving
Strife's chest to cup the other boy's cheek as Cupid covered Strife's mouth
with his. He knew it was stupid to worry about Strife getting back to
Detroit and suddenly deciding he wanted to move back there, but he couldn't
help the way he felt. He took his time kissing Strife, focusing on the
warmth of the other boy's mouth and the familiar hands moving on his back.
When they finally had to part for air Cupid buried his face in the curve of
Strife's neck, pressing his lips against warm skin before he whispered in
Strife's ear. "When are you coming back again?"

"I gotta leave before I can come back, Cupe," Strife answered, a nervous
laugh escaping his throat as he pulled back far enough to meet Cupid's gaze.
"Cupe? Come on, what am I missin' here?"

"Nothing," Cupid said, wrapping his arms a little tighter around Strife.
"I'm just gonna miss you, that's all."

"It's only like four days. I go with Unc, I say hey ta my old man, an' I
come back. Ya won't even know I'm gone."

As soon as Strife mentioned his father Cupid felt guilty for worrying about
himself; he should have been worrying about how Strife felt about seeing his
father for the first time since he was a kid. "Are you nervous?"

"About seein' my old man? Nah. I mean if he hates me it's no big loss,
right? Not like he's been around my whole life."

Cupid heard the edge in Strife's voice and he knew the other boy wasn't
nearly as relaxed as he was trying to sound, but he decided not to call him
on it. Strife wasn't really the type of guy that liked to talk things out,
and if Cupid tried to force him into a conversation it would just turn into
a fight. He'd talk about it when he was ready, whether that was the morning
he left or two months after he got back. All Cupid could do was wait and
hope that when Strife finally did decide to talk that he'd find the right
thing to say.

"Come on," he said, pushing himself off the counter as he tightened his grip
on the other boy's waist. "Let's go to bed."

"I thought ya wanted ta do the dishes," Strife said, a grin tugging at the
corners of his mouth as he let Cupid half-pull, half-push him toward the
bedroom.

"It'll wait 'til morning," Cupid answered, returning Strife's lopsided grin
with a bright smile of his own. They managed to make their way across the
living room without tripping on any of the furniture, and by the time they
reached the entrance to the bedroom Strife had already gotten Cupid's shirt
unbuttoned. He let go of the older boy long enough to shrug out of his
shirt, dropping it on the floor and sitting on the edge of the bed to watch
Strife pull his own shirt over his head.

Once Strife's shirt hit the floor he stepped forward again, stopping in
front of Cupid to run a fingertip over the other boy's swollen lips.
"Listen, Cupe, if ya don't want me ta go …"

Cupid's heart skipped a beat when he realized what Strife was offering.
Part of him wanted to take it, to pull Strife close and tell him that he
didn't want him to go. He knew he couldn't do it, though, not if it meant
asking Strife to give up the chance to finally get to know his father. He
pressed a soft kiss to the finger that was still pressed against his lips,
reaching up to close his fingers around Strife's wrist and pull his hand
away. "I don't want you to cancel your trip," he said, sending up a silent
prayer of thanks when his voice didn't catch in his throat. "Just hurry up
and go home so you can come back, okay?"

Strife grinned and pulled his wrist out of Cupid's grip, catching the other
boy's hand in his and entwining their fingers together. He lifted their
hands to his mouth and kissed the top of Cupid's knuckles, his smile growing
a little wider at the shiver that rolled through Cupid's body. "I'm already
home, Cupe."

fin (for now, until I think of a title for the sequel)