READ AND REVIEW takes place seven months after psyche and eros were married, except in this aphrodite never gave them her blessing and just sort of sucked it up and eros didn't speak to her
Ares, god of War, walked through the halls of Olympus, very happy with himself. After months away from Olympus, causing war, bloodshed and death, could leave a man very cheerful. Well, this one anyway.
"Ah, Ares, my son, welcome home." Hera greeted warmly, a forced smile- but still rare- gracing her lips, as Ares walked into the throne room. Zeus nodded in greeting, while the gods had who were gathered greeted him as well, some with irritation the hotheaded god was back.
Ares caught the gaze of Aphrodite, who's red lips quirked up in a smile, her eyes boring into his. Ares smirked, things appeared to not have changed much.
Two of his sons, Phobos and Deimos, were currently poking fun at one another, very immaturely in Ares's eyes, but still amusing. They looked no different, unchanged. The same fair hair from their mother and their masculinity and terrifyingly large statures from him. He was rather surprised when he saw a young immortal leaning against the door way, a deep glare set on his face, staring at Aphrodite with displeasure.
Ares didn't recognize the man at first, thinking him unimportant, rude and odd, and turned his gaze back to his sons, deciding to set the youth straight later. Now Phobos and Deimos were now complaining about how he should've taken them with him to war, instead of leaving them here with their mother and brother who were always going on about nonsense and overly-sentimental things, and their mother's ever rising irrationality.
As they said this, Aphrodite strolled over, taking her sweet time, and Phobos and Deimos bowed respectfully to their mother, before Phobos pointed out a few pretty nymphs and they went off toward them. Aphrodite gave Ares a simple- but close- hug, far too long and tight for Hephaestus' liking, though thankfully he wasn't present at the moment.
"It's wonderful to see you again, dear." Aphrodite murmured as she pulled away from the hug. Lightly grazing his cheek with her lips as she did so. Ares smirked again. Hera's eyes narrowed at Aphrodite,
"Don't you have some poor mortal girl's love life to make a mess of?" Hera said though gritted teeth. Ares noticed the young man at the door tense.
"Oh, I think she's done her fair share of that for a while." Hissed the man at the door. Aphrodite glowered at him, Ares felt a slight pity for the man, to be brave enough to go against the goddess of love, though of course now he was doomed a terrible fate worse then death, no doubt. Ares sighed as he realized this probably consisted of Aphrodite forcing him to torture the man or something along those lines.
"Son, haven't I suffered enough?" Aphrodite pouted, playing the sympathy card. That jolted Ares, Son? He looked the man over again, he was lean but with muscular, long limbs, with a cloud of dark curly hair falling slightly over his sky-blue eyes.
No, there was no way this could be him. Eros? His son? His son didn't look that old! Especially this son, whom the mortals- to Ares' absolute embarrassment and fury- had painted as a chubby baby in a diaper,
"I don't know, Mother, have you made it up to Psyche? Or me, for that matter?" Ares quirked an eyebrow, Who in Hades is Psyche? Aphrodite sighed softly,
"Is it so bad I wanted the best for my child?" Eros crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, like Ares did, often.
"It wouldn't be if that was the case- your rage was driven by vanity and jealously, and you know it, Mother. On the other hand, nice to see your home again, Fa-, uh..." Eros's voice wavered as though he didn't know what to call the man who spawned him.
"Eros! You look...different." Ares rubbed the back of his neck, no way should this be this awkward. He was the god of war! He should never be uncomfortable around anyone!
But Ares hadn't seen Eros in several years, he remembered his youngest son, as an immortal toddler at the gathering of the gods on the winter solstice and deciding it would be funny to repeatedly poke Apollo with an arrow, and giggle while he did it. Everyone, excluding Apollo, had found it adorable. And the last time he'd seen him he'd just been a small and lanky boy screwing around with Apollo's emotions for calling Eros a wimp, then made the sun god chase after some poor nymph...Diana, was it? Danae? Daphne? That's it- Daphne. Well, anyway, the girl ended up as a tree, and Apollo very unhappy and furious. And still quite clingy to said tree.
"Yes, he's changed quite a bit, Ares. He's not only taller- but has also turned on me, practically eloped with a mortal girl, managed to let Zeus allow her on Olympus and gotten her pregnant. And even after I've approved, given my blessing, thrown his wife a shower- your hotheaded child still won't even say one kind word to me." Aphrodite ranted, sticking out her lower lip childishly. Zeus coughed to get her attention. Eros clenched his fists,
"Then she decided it would be fine to just hide my wife from me!"
"Yes, Aphrodite, but, what's done is done. And lets not turn this into another family feud like last week...Eros, I will make your mother return your wife again. So please, take a seat, then we can put all this idiocy behind us. Inclusive to you two!" Zeus barked over at Phobos and Deimos, who were now flirting with the frightened, vulnerable young nymphs.
During the meeting, Ares couldn't keep from looking over at his son a few times, how in Hades had he missed that? Married, and nearly a father, too? Ares could hardly see passed the Eros he'd seen barely a decade ago. He never thought he'd miss the embarrassing diapered boy. This hot-tempered young man simply was alien to him.
Everything is too different, Ares thought, slouching in his throne as the argument started, But why do I care? This boy has never been anything to me. Ares thought, perplexed suddenly as why this all interested him in the slightest. Zeus glared at Eros,
"You may start," Eros smiled, charmingly at his grandfather,
"Thank you, Lord Zeus, sir," He dipped his head, respectfully, "My mother has taken my very pregnant wife and hidden her away from me under the ultimatum I either leave Psyche forever and find some other girl. Which I will never do," Aphrodite let out an appalled gasp, "Or she'll kill my wife and baby. Or something along those general lines," This surprised Ares, what did this girl ever do to Aphrodite? It angered him, too, she would let her immature jealousy drive her to this insanity. Since this was apparently his daughter-in-law and grandchild at stake here to. Not that I care! Ares internally shouted. Zeus nodded and waved his hand to Aphrodite to plead her case.
"Firstly, I would never harm my granddaughter-"
"It could be a boy, too, mom!" Eros objected, Aphrodite rolled her eyes,
"Please. Anyway, I'd never hurt my granddaughter," Eros shook his head, disdainfully, huffing as his mother continued, "Even if the woman who gave birth to her is a vain little bitch!" Eros' face colored with fury, his fists balled and sparks of flame sputtered from them. Ares raised his eyebrows, this could get interesting.
"And secondly, I refuse to return your wife. You could have done so much better, Eros! You'll have to kill me before I return your little whore to you!" Eros' fist balled and sparked again,
"I will if it means getting my wife and child back."
Definitely way too different.
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