You know, I *should* do something about this. Help them somehow. I'm not the God Of Love for nothing. And they *do* love each other. They just don't know it yet. They're together, but they're blind to each other's true feelings. I'm gonna do something. The thing is *what* to do.

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

He is so perfect. The way he makes me feel, *what* he makes me feel. I love these nights. When I'm not traveling with Xena and Gabby, and I get to spend the night in his arms. When he takes me to this home of his, away from everything, everyone, mortal and gods. When we love each other to exhaustion and collapse together and he doesn't have to leave and leave me alone. . .

Love? Is it love to him? When he comes to me like tonight, full of passion and desire, I wonder if love's also in his eyes. I try to pass through all his masks, try to clean away the years of neglect left from a family who doesn't appreciate him. I know how that feels. You put a barrier around yourself to protect from the hurt. But his barriers are stronger, centuries old. I wonder if I could love him enough to break down the walls.

Would he let me? Let me love him?

Does he even know how much he means to me? How much it means to have him by my side? Does he have any idea?

Gods, if I could only have enough guts to tell him how I feel.

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

Boy, am I glad Unc gave me the night off. I mean, getting to spend the night here in my cabin, with Jox in my arms. Shit, I wouldn't give it up for nothing.

Sometimes I wish I could read his mind. Like today. He was *so* quiet. It's not like him, ya know? I know him, know that he's probably thinking of a thousand things that he just can't put into words.

He looks so beautiful tonight. With the moonlight shining of his bare back. He's so pale, like me. Zeus, I love him so much it's scary. I love everything about him. His, his. . . everything. His body, his smile, his hair, his skin, his eyes. His personality. His innocence. His incredible ability to find something good in every situation.

Not every situation. Gods, I wish I could turn back time. I wish Unc hadn't sent me away to that war. Joxer needed me then, and I couldn't get away. We shoulda been here, away from Xena and mega-bitch. Away from Cryton.

Damn, I wish I could just tell him I love him. Love him and make it better.

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

Part 2

Cupid "popped" into Strife's cabin to find the young god with Joxer asleep in his arms. Strife felt the disturbance and woke up to see the winged god looking him over with interest. Realizing he had Joxer with him, and they both were naked, he materialized a blanket over them.

"Get lost, fly boy."

The love god sat in a nearby couch and said "Later. We need to talk."

"I said get lost. I wanna be alone with Jox."

"It's about you and him we gotta talk about."

At that Strife got off the bed, carefully, trying not to awaken his lover. "What 'bout him."

"He loves you." Cupid decided to make it fast and painless.

"Wha'"

"Look. I'm the god of love. And it's my gig to make sure happy couples stay like that. Well that won't be happening here if ya don't fess up 'bout you're feeling to each other." Strife opened his mouth to speak but Cupid kept on talking.

"Don't gimme the 'I don't love him' line. Ya talking to me here. I *know* ya love him. Tell him. He loves ya too, ya know?"

Strife opened his mouth and closed it again. He tried again, but it came out as a squeak. "He loves me!" He cleared his throat. "He *really* loves me?"

"As sure as the sun rises. Tell him ya love him, you'll see."

Strife turned to the sleeping figure on the bed. They didn't even have to whisper, Joxer could sleep through an earthquake.

"Ya sure?"

"Strife, come on, we've been best buddies since our child hood. Ya know me. I wouldn't lie to ya 'bout this. Trust me," he said as he vanished in a flurry of glitter, "tell him."

Strife sat on the bed, intentionally shaking it. Joxer just mumbled and turned on his side. The god shook the bed again, this time adding a "Rise and shine," intentionally imitating his impossibly cheery lover.

The mumble was somewhat coherent this time around and the mischief god could make out a "wanna sleep" from the mortal.

Turning the mortal back on his back, Strife straddled his hips. "Come on Jox, I gotta tell ya something."

"Later, sleep now," Joxer said, obviously trying not to wake up.

Strife knew only one way to make Joxer wake up. And he had no problem exercising the knowledge. Running his hands over the pale skin of his lover, he moved lower down his body, sitting on the warrior's legs. Massaging the chest before him, he started with long downward strokes, each time coming closer to the slowly rising cock. He finally reached it, and stroked the length of it once, moving back to the chest. He continued the massage until Joxer was fully erect and moaning continuously.

"Strife. . ."

"Yeah?"

"Fuck me. . . please."

"Not until ya open yer eyes and let me tell ya what I want to tell ya."

Joxer groaned but did as told. He looked up at his lover and pulled him down for a good morning kiss that took the immortal's breath away.

"Whatcha wanna tell me?" The young warrior said as he broke the kiss and let Strife sit back up.

Strife looked at his lover and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes and sending a quick prayer to Cupid, letting him know just what he'd do to him if he was wrong about this, he opened them again and gazed at Joxer.

"I, uh, I wanted to let ya know something."

"What is it?"

"I, uh, Iluvya," he finished in a rush.

Joxer took a moment to separate the words. When he finally made sense he opened his eyes wide and hesitated.

Strife mistook his hesitation. He rushed in before Joxer said anything.

"I, uh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, I thought ya felt, and then Cupid came around and he told me to tell ya, and. . ."

The rest of his monologue was lost when Joxer pulled him down onto him and kissed him fiercely. Breaking the kiss, but keeping his tight hold on the god, he whispered into Strife's mouth, "I love you too."