"She's back."

"And better than ever."

"Thanks Jox." Ares went to hug his lover, but the younger god shrugged him off.

"What's wrong?"

"Gabrielle and Xena told me."

"Told you what?"

"That you were trying to seduce Xena, again. And in a tub! That you almost kissed her!!!"

"So? Jox, you knew I was gonna try to get her back."

"Do you have to seduce her into your bed, to get her into your army?!?!"

"Joxer, you don't have to be-"

Joxer cut him off. "I'm *not* jealous! She's your daughter for the gods' sake!"

"So?"

"So? So? Arg, you Olympians are so sick!"

"Us Olympians?!?! You're a god too!"

"Yeah, but not of your blood."

"Thank goodness for that!"

"What's that supposed to mean."

"Look, I don't have to explain my affairs with Xena to you."

"Affairs? Affairs?!?! You sure as Tartarus do!"

"Business affairs, Joxer. You know that."

"No maybe I'm to stupid to know that. Find a true Olympian to warm your bed tonight. I'm going back to the camp."

Ares grabbed Joxer before he could leave.

"Oh, so *I* try to get Xena to join my army again, just doing my job, and you get mad. But you go confessing your *love* for Gabrielle and I have to take *that*? Call me crazy, but I don't think that's fair."

"Hey, it's not *my* fault Bliss used for target practice with Cupid's arrows. Maybe if your son was more intelligent he could find a way to take the damned spell off me!"

"Don’t insult my son!"

"Oh so you *do* admit it. I was beginning to think he wasn't. He calls you Uncle more than Dad, that's for sure."

"Oh don't give me that! You know full well why's that."

Joxer struggled to get his arm free, only succeeding in having Ares grab both his arms.

"Let me go, Ares!"

"No."

"Ares!" Joxer tried to inflict the word with all the menace he possessed.

"No." It wasn't enough for threat for Ares. Joxer stopped struggling and let himself go limp, turning his face so not to see the war god.

"Do you know what Joxer?" When the god didn't answer, Ares continued. "We sound like an old married couple." There was laughter in his eyes if not his voice.

Joxer couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips, but kept quiet.

Ares caught hold of Joxer's chin, and turned his face to look into his eyes. Joxer was captivated by the expressive brown eyes, and was unable to break eye contact.

"Oh, Jox. You know you're all I need. All I want. I'd never cheat on you. Especially with Xena. She's my daughter for Zeus' sake."

The younger god didn't know whether to frown or laugh, so he settled on the laugh.

Ares let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding when he saw Joxer willing to let go the discussion. But he needed to ask. He knew, from experience, that Joxer may look like he was okay with something, when in reality it was eating him alive.

"Look Joxer, I'm not gonna say I'm sorry for trying to seduce Xena into my service again, into giving me the chakram. But I am sorry for doing that way. Xena and I have never been 'together'; never will be. But hey, I have an image to keep."

Joxer laughed again.

"It's okay Ar. I overreacted. I'm sorry too."

"Kiss and make up?"

"I can think of a better way to make up, but a kiss is a good start."

Joxer moved into Ares' arms and gave him a soft kiss. When he started to pull away, Ares grabbed him and claimed his lips forcefully. With a deep moan, Joxer opened up his lips, allowing his lover's tongue to plunder and pillage within his mouth.

Pulling away for a much needed breath longs minutes later, Ares whispered to Joxer.

"I sure hope that projection you left of yourself at the camp lasts all night, 'cause you're not leaving here before dawn."

Joxer shivered in anticipation.

***************************************

Ares saw the effect of his words on his lover. It never ceased to amaze the war god, that after all these years . . . decades together, they hadn't lost the passion, desire and lust that complemented their love so well.

Coming out of his musings, Ares chuckled and bent slightly. Grabbing Joxer by his knees, he threw him over his shoulder. It was a move he liked to save when he was feeling possessive and horny, knowing how much it inflamed the younger god.

When Ares started to walk towards their chambers, Joxer lent a helping hand by making their clothes disappear. The suddenly bare ass cheeks before him proved to be too much of a temptation. With his hands he grabbed Ares' hips to gain balance and bit down on the cheek closer to his face. Darting his tongue out, he laved the mark he left, enjoying the growl of approval that came from deep in the war god's throat.

Reaching the oversized bed, Ares dropped Joxer on the middle of it, white skin a nice contrast from the night blue silk sheets. The moment he took to think his next move was abruptly interrupted when Joxer reached up took his hands and roughly pulled Ares down onto him.

Hissing at the sudden contact of hot flesh against hot flesh, Ares sought the pliant lips of his lover, which parted readily to him. Joxer hooked his legs around Ares', grabbed Ares' ass, and pushed up, bringing their cocks in contact. The older god levered himself on his hands on either side of Joxer, and with each thrust of his lover, he pushed down. When Ares felt Joxer start going stiff beneath him, he hurried up the pace, wanting to bring them both to completion. He felt Joxer come, and fastened to the offered neck that arched back, muffling his own cry when he came a few seconds later.

Collapsing on top of Joxer, Ares went limp.

"Ares?" the younger god asked, a little breathless.

"Um?"

"You're heavy."

"Oh, sorry, love," Ares said, rolling over on his back, bringing Joxer to lie half on top of him.

"I hate it when we fight, ya know?"

"I don't," Ares said, watching carefully for his lover's reaction.

"Why not?" The look in Joxer's eyes told him to explain himself, fast.

"Two reasons. One, I've learned that you've got to let your emotions out, and all the insecurities and things that bother you, or they'll eat you alive. Two, the make up sex is great!"

The younger god moved to straddle Ares' waist.

"You're so right! So, about that make up sex?"

"Well, move up and back a bit and we'll see about it, um?" Ares said, pushing up enough for Joxer to feel the hard cock rub against his ass.

Joxer bit back a soft moan and said instead, "That can be arranged." He felt Ares prepare him with a thought and he raised up on his knees. Grasping Ares' cock behind him, he position it and pushed down, hard, taking all of Ares at once.

The war god's reaction was immediate. He took hold of his lover's hips and pulled him down as he pushed up, tilting him enough to hit Joxer's pleasure spot. Ares moved his right hand to Joxer's cock, milking it in time with his thrusts.

Lights exploded behind Joxer's eyes as the dark god teased the head of his cock. He ground his hips down on the cock impaling him, as he came, anointing Ares' chest with his seed, moaning his lover's name.

The combined stimulus of the contracting muscles of Joxer's ass, feeling and seeing him come and his name of the kiss swollen lips drove Ares to the edge and over.

***************************************

"Joxer, wake up."

"Um."

"Come on, you've got to go to the camp or Xena will start looking for you."

"Uh-hu." He made no move to get up.

"Joxie…"

"Oh, okay. Later love." Joxer stretched his well used muscles and sat up. He materialized invisibly in the camp and took his image's place. He knew they'd only gotten about an hour or so of sleep and that today, like many other days, he'd lag behind Xena, Gabrielle and Amarice. But hey, a night like that was worth it.