Ordinary Days?
By JoeyRZ
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Sequel/Series: Sequel to “Hermes' Favor”
Notes the first: This is for the Joxerotica 2005 Challenge. This is June’s entry - ruling god: Zeus.
Notes the second: Many, many thanks to Kerensa and Jaime, for the super fast beta they both did! Love you lots! 
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The mismatched group of family and friends stood in uneasy silence outside of Athena’s cell. They watched in horrified awe as the goddess changed from a weak and scared shell of her former self into an almost demonic, furious, red-eyed creature when Hera and Zeus joined the assembled group.

Athena’s possessed body continuously threw itself onto the energized barrier that held her, even as it drained her. Joxer latched onto the back of Ares’ vest when her blood red eyes had locked on his with one last hateful growl before she was thrown to the back of her cell when the barrier overpowered her.

Half an hour later, Joxer had yet to release his hold on Ares, as the group of Joxer’s fellow time traveling companions recounted the events that had transpired a thousand years in the future with Dahok.

“How can you be sure that this is the same Dahok you’ve encountered before?” Hera asked the mortals.

“When you’ve been forced to carry, give birth to and kill his spawn-”

“And lost your child to him-”

“Been possessed by him-”

“And almost died fighting him-”

“Then you’re sure,” Joxer finished for his friends. A strong wave of protectiveness had risen inside of him as his friends told of their experiences with Dahok. It took all his strength not to give into the strong desire to take his friends as far away from Dahok’s destructive presence as he could. He could already feel the strain the old memories were placing on the bonds of friendship that connected the four heroes before him.

Zeus tore his gaze away from his beloved daughter. He hardly recognized the small, shivering figure that had retreated to a corner of the cell, curled into a tight ball. Taking in the anxiousness that thickened the air around them, he decided it was time for him to take control of this situation. Starting by changing their location to a more comfortable and relaxed setting. 

“Come, we can continue this in my den. We’ll be more comfortable there.” Reaching out a hand toward Hercules, Zeus frowned when the mortal hesitated, looking at Ares for silent advice.

Ares noticed the demi-god vacillate between obeying the King of the Gods and the newfound loyalty he had towards Ares. All of them had witnessed Zeus’ callous display towards his son when they first arrived here. He wondered how Hercules felt, setting asides old kinships and rivalries and building new ones. Joxer had, over the months they’d had together, told him all about their history, their troubles and encounters with his future self, one that now would never come to be. He didn’t know how to proceed. Zeus was already included in this and his power could prove necessary in defeating the demon.

“No, Father,” Ares spoke for Hercules, gut instinct guiding his words.

“What do you mean, no?”

“You can’t expect us to just go willingly along with whatever you say. They,” he said, waving his arms to indicate the mortals gathered in the dungeon, “trust me to do what’s right by them. They don’t feel the same about you.”

“I’m trying to resolve this situation in the best manner possible for all who are involved.”

“Don’t you get that I don’t trust you to do that anymore and they don’t trust you at all? What you did to me, taking my godhood like you did... I can’t forgive you that easily. You threatened my kids for standing up for me. And this is your fault too! You’re responsible for what’s happened to Athena.”

“My fault? Did I invite this Dahok character to possess my daughter?”

“You might as well have. You made her power hungry. You made her susceptible to him!”

“You watch your tone with me, son.”

“That’s rich. Now that you need our help with your precious Athena, I’m your son.”

“Ares, you’ve always been-”

“Don’t bother. We’ll go with you to figure out how to help Athena, because whether I like it or not, she’s my sister, and unlike you, I take care of my family. Meet us at the Great Hall.”

Without giving Zeus a chance to respond, Ares grabbed Xena, motioned for Joxer to take Gabrielle and left for the neutral territory the Great Hall offered the gods of Olympus. 

Zeus wouldn’t meet his wife’s eyes, knowing he’d suffer that damned, disapproving glare of hers that would cut him open and leave his soul bared and his faults exposed for anyone to see. Shame raced through him as the truth of his son’s words imprinted itself forevermore in his mind. He almost sighed in relief when he felt her leave a few seconds after Joxer, taking Iolaus with her.

“Am I really that bad a father?” Zeus asked himself, momentarily so lost in thought that he’d forgotten that Hercules was still besides him.

Hercules closed his eyes. He didn’t want to reveal his parentage right now, yet he couldn’t help but comment. “Apparently,” he said simply, cuttingly. 

Instant recognition was shadowed with a guilt deeper than any he’d ever felt as Zeus looked up Hercules’ eyes. “How did I wrong you, son?”

“You haven’t. Not yet, or not ever, now.” Hercules didn’t want to make this about him. “But you have hurt Ares so much, I can’t help but wonder how he ever became the great person he is. You aren’t exactly a great role-model.” Looking at the tiny cell that held his half-sister, Hercules reached a hand out to Zeus. “We should go. They’re waiting for us.”

Nodding mutely, still deep in thought, Zeus transported them out of the Olympian dungeons.

~*~*~*~*~*~

They had talked for hours as Gabrielle and Iolaus recounted their experiences with Dahok, with Hercules, Xena and Joxer adding from time to time to their parts in the story or to further explain their actions. By the time they’d finished talking, night had fallen on Olympus. Moving to the dining room, they divided up into smaller groups to converse over the simple feast Hera had arranged for them.

Ares looked on fondly as Joxer chatted animatedly with his oldest friends, knowing he was steering the conversation away from Dahok and into safer anecdotes of Erin’s adventures in discovering his powers alongside Joxer. A small laugh escaped him as Joxer’s animated gesturing toppled over a glass and the new god joyously demonstrated his newfound abilities to clean up his spills with a wave of his hand.

“It’s good to know he’s okay now.”

Hercules’ observation snapped Ares from his thoughts. Turning his attention to Hercules, he smiled. “Yes it is,” he answered simply, love emanating from every word.

Hercules knew that this was a thousand-year younger Ares. One that hadn’t suffered the maddening effects of having just half a godhood. One that had received the calming and loving effect of Joxer’s presence. He knew all that, yet it was still uncanny to see his brother really smile.

“We were really worried about him, when he was hurt,” Iolaus said after swallowing a rather large piece of bread. “All I could think of was when I first met him. He was so annoying at first, but he proved to be a true friend before long. We’re so happy he’s okay now. More than okay! A god.”

“What is his godhood, by the way?” Hercules asked. Before Ares could answer though, Zeus spoke up.

“It’s still unknown,” he said as he sipped from his wine goblet. “Some gods’ godhoods are determined as soon as they are born, like Aphrodite. Most have to wait to grow into their powers and their godhood.”

“How do you know when it happens?” Iolaus asked, trying to ignore Ares and Hercules’ unease at having Zeus intrude in their conversation. He was curious to know how godhoods were assigned.

“We just know,” Zeus explained, shifting all his attention to Iolaus. “The god or goddess will start manifesting parts of his or her godhood, through either feelings or actions. It can be a gradual or spontaneous process, either way as soon as it occurs all the gods in Olympus will know it happened and the god’s symbol of his or her godhood will come into being, becoming their power center.”

“Like Ares’ sword,” Iolaus said.

“Yes, though mortals aren’t supposed to know what they are,” he said, carefully keeping accusation from marring his face as he looked at Ares.

“Mine would have been kept a secret if you hadn’t seen fit to give it to Athena and refuse to make her hand it back over.”

“I made a mistake, I admit that, Ares. There’s no reason for you to continue attacking me.”

“Attack you? You think I’m attacking you? I’m ignoring you to the best of my abilities. You’re a self centered old goat, Zeus. Making everything about you. You may be the King of the Gods, but that doesn’t make you the center of the universe.”

“Ares, this is not the time or place for discussing your issues with me. Can’t I have a conversation with you without it ending in your incessant whining.”

“Zeus!” Hera admonished her husband as she stood up, moving faster than the mortals present could imagine and standing between her husband and son. It tore at her to see their only true son, the Prince of Olympus, hurting so much. “You should check on Athena. See if you can talk to her.” Her tone brooked no room for argument. With an irritated huff, Zeus left the room with a shower of red tinged, golden sparkles.

Joxer came up behind Ares and bent down to whisper to his lover. “As much as a success this dinner has been,” he said with as much sarcasm as he could inject into his words, “the girls are tired and I’m sure Hercules and Iolaus would like to get some shut-eye also.”

Nodding slightly, Ares pushed away from the table, throwing his napkin on his plate as he got up. “I have rooms for you in my temple,” Ares said, addressing the mortals. “We’re within walking distance or if you’d rather we just take you there.”

“Uhhh... we’ll walk,” Gabrielle said, remembering how her stomach had rebelled against her when Joxer had transported her earlier. Her friends agreed with her, and Joxer left with all four of them to walk to the temple that had become his new home during the past few months, leaving Ares alone with his mother.

“Your father is trying, you know, to mend broken bridges.”

“The problem is, Mother, that we’re not talking about bridges, but of trust, loyalty, honor... love. He’s never bestowed any of that upon me, but expects me to willingly deliver them back to him.”

“Don’t say never. Don’t you remember being a child? All the time you two spent together... good times you spent together.”

“Yes, but then he stripped me of my godhood, gave it to Athena, shipped me off to Egypt with Menthu, then refused to return me my godhood when I came back. I did all he asked. I studied hard with Menthu... trained and worked my ass off with manual labor... human labor. And when I come home? He didn’t give a shit. He sent me away to get rid of me, not to teach me.”

“That is not true, Ares! He asked about you almost everyday. But then Athena started to shower Zeus with affection and he just-”

“Forgot about me.” It wasn’t a question.

“He never forgot you!” Hera denied uselessly. 

“But he did. He loved Athena more. She was everything he wanted. Intelligent, collected, sophisticated, power hungry. I was just a warrior son who loved to take care of his sons and nieces and nephews.”

With all her motherly instinct rampaging through her, Hera felt helpless when all she could do was hug her son tightly, before letting him go back to his lover.

~*~*~*~*~*~

With a sleepy smile lighting up his face, Joxer decided in that instant that he wanted to wake up just like this every morning for the rest of his life. 

After making sure all their guests were settled and comfortable in their rooms, Joxer had intended to wait for Ares to arrive, but had fallen asleep as soon as he stretched out across their bed. He’d woken up sometime during the night to find himself tucked under the covers, Ares’ soft breath on his neck, his heavy body warming his back as they laid spooned together tightly. He had curled back into his lover’s embrace and fallen peacefully back to sleep.

Yawning widely, Joxer blinked the slight drowsiness he still felt away as he basked in the soft light of morning, loving the way Ares’ heavy arm felt draped over his waist, the way the sheets twisted around their entwined legs and the soft tickling sensation of Ares’ shaggy mane brushing across his neck. For a few delightful minutes, Joxer laid contentedly as his mind slowly started to catch up with the rest of his body. 

Reality reared it’s ugly head abruptly into his mind as he remembered the past day and all that happened. Suppressing a shiver of fear, he wondered how would they defeat Dahok this time.

“What’s got you so tense?” Ares’ sleep heavy voice broke into Joxer’s musings.

“Nothing much... just the stuff from yesterday.”

Rising on his right elbow to lean over Joxer, he snorted. “You call that nothing much?”

“*You* travel with the Warrior Princess and a pacifistic amazon for more than three years, then get sucked into a time portal that hurtles you a thousand years into the past and then suddenly become a god. You’ll know why yesterday was ‘nothing much’.”

“Good point.”

Joxer lifted his hands to softly stroke Ares’ cheeks. His hands moved further back, entwining his fingers around soft locks of hair in order to pull his lover closer to him. 

“Did I wake you?”

Shaking his head softly in denial, Ares pressed a soft kiss to the side of Joxer’s mouth. “Not really, I wasn’t really asleep... but I was dreaming,” Ares said as he gave into Joxer’s soft tugs and laid down partially on top of his lover.

“Good dreams?”

“The best.”

“About me?” Joxer asked innocently.

“Not quite.”

An indignant ‘hey’ escaped Joxer’s lips as he pushed Ares off of him, rolling him onto his back and straddling his thighs. “About what, then?”

Sliding his hands across the soft skin of Joxer’s arms and back, before finally resting on his butt, Ares smiled lustfully up at his lover. “Your ass,” he said.

“Really? And what did you dream you were doing to my ass?” Joxer asked as he ran a single finger over firm skin, tracing hard muscle indentations and twirling the short, black hairs that led downwards.

A soft growl escaped Ares as he reversed their positions, rolling Joxer under his weight, using his knees to spread Joxer’s legs apart, allowing him to settle comfortably over his lover. Thrusting down slightly, Ares’ moan was echoed by Joxer’s as their cocks met, sliding one against the other, trapped between the heat of their bodies. 

“Should I answer you... or show you?” Ares asked, breathless, as he continued to thrust down against Joxer, holding himself up on one elbow as he used on Joxer’s hip in order to match their rhythm. 

The only answer he got was Joxer’s legs wrapping around his waist and back, pulling Ares closer to him, his lips crushing fiercely over his own. Preparation happened quickly as their passion mounted and patience was nowhere to be found. Joxer moaned into the kiss as Ares entered him in one, smooth thrust, his long, pale fingers digging into strong arms. Their pace quickened with every thrust, pushing them faster into completion, culminating in one perfect moment that left them gasping. Ares collapsed on top of Joxer, panting harshly in his ear, as he regained enough strength to roll over onto his side, pulling his lover with him into a loose embrace.

Joxer snuggled up against Ares’ chest, determined not to move for the rest of the day. “Wanna stay like this today. Can we?” Joxer asked in between yawns.

Closing his eyes, Ares settled his head more comfortably on the pillow, pulling his hair from beneath his face. “Sure, why n-”

His response was cut short as Hermes burst into their room.

“Athena escaped!”