A/N: And here we start to earn the 'M' rating. Thank you for those who left reviews, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
"There's no way that doesn't hurt" Dionysus fussed over Ven's bandages. Her chest remained a cacophony of color, her arm was now swollen and warm to the touch. Only her spleen seemed to be healing in proper order.
Ven winced, "I've had worse and others have survived worse than I"
"That doesn't mean this isn't bad. I don't care what kind of other injuries have been survived, you need to rest"
She raised an eyebrow, indicating exactly what she thought of that. D pouted, looking up at her through his eyelashes, "It hurts me to know that you hurt"
"Oh, that was outright manipulation. You should be ashamed"
"But did it work?"
Ven sighed, leaning back gingerly on the pillows, "I do have lesson plans to write. Do you have other plans or will you keep me company?"
D was about to answer when his stomach made it's displeasure loudly known. Ven laughed it off and kissed his cheek but Dionysus was blushing hard. But it gave him an idea. "I'll stay. In fact, I'll make breakfast"
"Gods I've missed your cooking. What did I do to deserve that?"
He gave her a shy smile, "It's my apology for calling Apollo"
"Oh, you bastard"
"Did that hurt?"
"It'd hurt a lot less if you didn't poke it"
Apollo smiled, "that may be so but that'd make my job a lot harder. Little bro, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room for a minute. Doctor patient confidentiality"
D looked like he wanted to argue but Ven smiled at him, "it won't be long". Somewhat put out, he left the room in silence. Ven looked to Apollo, "Ask away"
"Okay, in no special order: Did he cook? And are you two banging yet?"
"Yes and not yet"
"Not yet"
"You see, I kind of need medical clearance"
"Ah, that's a problem. Especially the ribs, the arm you could get away with but not both. I think the venom is slowing down tissue repair. It's only been a few days and you've got him cooking. The only cooking he's done in the past sixty years has been exclusively microwavable"
"Are you sure about that?"
"And camp food" Apollo conceded, "Even Dio wouldn't want to eat enough microwave food to gain that much weight. But if I remember right you're probably not opposed" he smirked.
Ven shrugged on a loose shirt, "Not at all. Looks good on him don't you think?"
"I have to admit, he's got a better rack than most women. Shall I tell him that him wearing a push up bra and a nurse outfit are vital to your healing"
"Tempting, but it seems he's shy these days"
Her cousin finished securing her sling, "He'd do it for you. Just do us both a favor, keep it gentle until your ribs are a reasonable color"
"Thanks cos, I will"
Ven had dozed off with her lesson plans in her lap. Dionysus was curled up in the chair beside her when Chiron rolled his wheelchair in. "Ah, what can I do for you my good centaur?" D whispered.
"Just came to check in. Though I'll have a word since you're here. I'm deeply disappointed"
D's mind went on high alert, "Disappointed about what exactly?"
"How bad you two are at sneaking around. Truely. I thought I taught you better" he grinned, "I'm not going to tell your fathers. I think you two bring out the better in each other"
His relief was palpable, "Di immortales. I- thank you" he said meekly.
Chiron smiled at him, "It seems like yesterday it was her sitting at your bedside. Mind you, you were in much worse shape… Her shoulder. Does it pain you?"
Surprise crossed his face, "How long have you known?"
"My boy, no one in the world has complex communications with only their eyebrows"
It was a few days before Ven's ribs healed. In that time she took up teaching the basic survival class, albeit in a less boisterous way than was her convention. Not that it took much time, maybe a few hours total.
Nonetheless, she was exhausted. Wearing the sling when she went to see her father had softened his temper but he was none too find out he was the last to hear she was home. Even less to hear that she and Dionysus would be working closely.
"He's a drunk"
"And here I thought you hated him because of his father. He's quite sober at the moment"
Hades snorted derisively, "I did. But Dionysus is nothing like his father. To his detriment, he's not as insufferable but he's not worthy of your time"
"How many millennia have to pass before you accept that I won't let him go?" Ven asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Hades stiffened, "All of them"
She found Dionysus in the gardens after dinner, lying among the strawberries. Silently, she sat beside him, running a hand through his hair. He shifted so that he could lay his head in her lap, only to get kissed.
His heart jumped into his throat, blood rushed to his cheeks, and he kissed back with a hunger. When they broke apart he was dizzy and breathless. He didn't even notice her hand on his stomach until a few moments later, he then gently moved it to his chest instead.
"Sorry babe, stomach ache?"
Thankful for the dark that hid his blush, he nodded, "You weren't back yet. I was worried and I might have done a bit of stress eating"
Ven moved her hand up his thigh, "That better?"
A little gasp of surprise preceded a soft moan, "Mhhmmm…"
She nuzzled his ear and nipped at it playfully, "Aw, I didn't know it'd be so easy to get you going"
"I feel like a whale and you're propositioning me" he laughed at the wonder of it, "You have an unfair advantage"
"Oh really? And what's that?" she asked, sliding her hand further up his leg, pleased to see that his sweatpants betrayed him so easily. The plants around us shot up with him, providing a decent amount of cover.
"You're- mhhhmmm gorgeous. Oh! And we're going to get caught" his voice had risen an octave and he was almost panting for breath.
"Come on now. Where's your sense of adventure?"
He moaned, "My sense of adventure has her hand between my legs"
It was a wonder that they made it unseen to Ven's bedroom, where they fell back onto bed kissing once again. This time however, D wasn't being shy about where he kept his hands, one on her ass and the other clutching the back of her shirt. He watched wide-eyed as she straddled him and, excruciatingly slowly, undid her shirt buttons. When he leaned forward to get a more intimate look, she held him down with a hand on the chest, "Hmmm, you look so sexy when you're getting desperate" she teased.
The next thing he knew his wrists were pinned above his head. Her mouth was on him; undoing his pants button before moving north. Self consciousness nagged at the back of his mind but she didn't try to take his shirt off, every kiss gave him a pang of pleasure. By the time she reached his neck he was writhing underneath her, feeling as intoxicated as if he'd just chugged a bottle of Merlot.
Clothing landed in a crumpled heap at the end of the bed. Their mental connection opened, making it difficult to tell whose body was whose. When they came together it seemed the rest of the world came to a stop.
Dionysus wandered downstairs, dazed and content. He even listened while Chiron talked about how the plants were growing wild.
Some time later Ven came down from her shower and wrapped her arms around his waist. That's when he noticed he was floating an inch off the ground.
