A/N: So… yes. I have a more erm… erotic version of this chapter, but I didn't want to post it unless my friend read it for me and told me it wasn't cheesy. If she reads it and says its good, I may post it. But for now, you will just have to let your mind make that part up. xD Yes, I love this story. And Eros. 3 Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own this original myth, and nor am I quite sure who does. It just isn't me, haha.

CHAPTER FIVE

Eros

It pained me in the morning to wake up as Helios started his daily journey through the sky, signaling it was time for me to leave. I could not allow her to see me in the light, as much as that aggrieved me. I grabbed off of the bedside table a helm of invisibility, one I had… borrowed, so to say, from Hades, and slipped it on so as not to be seen in case my fair wife happened to wake up. As I slipped out from beneath the bed sheets, she stirred slightly, turning her perfectly sculpted face towards me, her lips upturned in an innocent smile from some sort of dream she was having. I in turn smiled as well, and gently let my fingers caress her cheek once more, allowed my lips to ever so slightly touch her forehead before placing my small gift to her on my pillow. It was a trinket, really, but it was so that she might keep me in her thoughts while I was gone. It was nothing much, just a golden chain with a ruby dangling from it. Nothing big, flashy or gaudy. All I wanted was for her to be thinking about me all day, until I returned to her later tonight. Sighing softly, I allowed my fingers one more touch. I brushed a few stray chocolate brown curls off of her face, and with that flew out of the window, wings spread wide, allowing Zephyrus to carry me for a bit.

As soon as I reached Mt. Olympus again, my mother was immediately at my side. She looked rather upset and pained as I landed softly beside her. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, one of the most beautiful goddesses that ruled the fair land… she paled in comparison to my beautiful wife, my Psyche. My lips spread into a smile as I thought back on the previous night, and it caused my mother to smile also. She must have assumed I was smiling to see her, and I wasn't going to correct her. She needn't know about Psyche. She would probably throw a royal fit if she knew that we were now wed. She lovingly stroked my bronze locks as we stood, looking down on the mortals below. All that was in my mind, though, was Psyche. She would be waking now, no doubt, finding the necklace and hopefully wishing I were there by her side. But alas, I was far away, and all I wanted was for her to wake up and see me there. That would never be able to happen, though. Never. I chewed my lip as my mother chattered on about her night, the new mortal man she had bedded, and other frivolities.

"Are you in need of my services today, mother?" I asked her. She stopped mid-sentence and looked over, curiosity in her eyes. This was not how things usually were between us. We were more of siblings or friends than mother and son on a normal day. Usually she explained everything about the man whom had been lucky enough to have her last night, and I would describe to her the woman I'd had that night, or the mischief I had made. To think that I used to go through sexual partners faster than a merchant went through clients… Now all I could think of was the flame that now fueled my life, Psyche. I wanted no one but her, and I knew, deep down, that I would never want anyone but her.

My mother's eyes surveyed me before she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the city below. "Yes, I am in need of your services today, son, but first what mischief did you manage last night, hmm?" She arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me and surveyed me with her piercing blue eyes, the blue eyes we both had. "What girl has gotten you in such a tizzy that you have no time to talk to your dearest mother? Have you such little patience? Is she really that beautiful that she has ensnared the god of love?" My mother arched her brow a bit higher and smirked. She knew the signs of love when she saw it, and I was unsure of how to cover it up.

"It was a girl in Delphi." I said, putting as much feeling into the lie as I could.

"Not one of Apollo's priestesses, I'm sure," She scolded me slightly, but smirked nonetheless. My mother was rather fond of my mischievous ways, and if that meant taking the virginity of one of Apollo's sacred virgins, she would laugh along with me on the joke.

"No, mother," I snapped childishly. I rolled my eyes and folded my arms over my bare muscled chest. "I have had my fun with Apollo. Besides, all of his virgins are dull and rather ugly. There is a reason they are his priestesses," I snapped. My mother laughed, one of the loveliest sounds that graced the ears of gods and mortals alike. She nodded in agreement, and I continued speaking before she could start. "She was beautiful, but nothing compared to you, my lady," I smirked slightly, falling back into my normal pattern, though Psyche was still on my mind. It was easy to fall back into my customary routine, but that didn't mean I loved Psyche any less.

"Ah, well. Try harder to do better next time, my son." She said with a sigh. "Now, here is what I need from you today." I listened as my mother rambled off a list of people who were to fall in and out of love today, my thoughts only focused on my dearest Psyche who was too far away for me to ever be happy.

Psyche

I fell asleep in my husband's arms, and woke up utterly and completely alone as the sun was reaching through the sky. I looked around timidly, and was surprised to find a small wooden box on his pillow, where his head had rested all night. Within was a pretty golden chain with a ruby hanging from it. It was a small gem, one that I favored very much. I hurriedly put the trinket around my neck before crawling out of bed.

The day dragged by slowly. I spent most of the afternoon lazing out in the sun on a blanket with a book I had found in a small side room. Surprisingly, I knew how to read Greek in this life. It had been a romance story, and I had willingly read it, wanting to distract myself. I had eventually fallen asleep there, in the soft afternoon grass, and I didn't wake up until the birds chirping overhead woke me up in the evening. I felt rather lazy as I headed inside for dinner and the sun started setting. I decided that a bath would be nice right now, and once I had finished off my meal, I headed into the bathroom.

The warm water soothed the slight aching from last night, and just calmed my body in general. I let out a contented sigh as I sunk deeper into the water, and let my eyes flutter shut and just allowed my body to enjoy the soothing feel of the water as it gently caressed my skin. I sunk down to the bottom of the pool, ruffling my hair a bit and allowing the water to get into each and every curl and clean it of any dirt that might have snuck onto my body during the day. I let the air out of my body in a stream of bubbles before resurfacing and seating myself on the bench in the pool again. I looked out the window and noted that the sun was almost beneath the horizon. I hadn't realized how late it was getting, and rushed to jump out of the pool and dry myself off. For some reason I was eager for tonight, and ready for my husband to come and make his presence known. I hummed a soft tune to myself as I towel dried my hair, and began singing instead. It was an old folk song I had learned in school, and my voice echoed quite nicely. One of those stringed instruments started, then, accompanying me as I sang.

"Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free…" I continued drying my hair and looked into a full length mirror that was on the wall opposite me. I shook my curls out, allowing them to fall freely around my shoulders and down my back. On one of the small tables in the room was a bouquet of flowers, and I delicately picked a bloom from its stem and tucked the bright pink lily behind my ear. It enhanced my green eyes quite a bit, and accented my slightly tanned skin nicely. I ran my fingers through my hair, looking my appearance up and down once more. I was looking thin, as usual… I didn't feel as awkward, though, standing there completely naked. It was then that all of the lights went off in the room, as if ushering me a bit faster into bed. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I ran my fingers through my hair and headed into the bedroom, ready for my husband to come home.

Eros

My mother had a long list for me today, and I had done each task carefully and precisely, not wanting her to go back to inspect and find something wrong. Even doing each task as fast as possible, it was still sundown by the time I was done with everything. I was ready to head back to the palace I had created, ready to slink in with the shadows and curl up next to my pretty little wife. Before I could fly off, though, my mother stopped me. "Did you do everything I asked you my son?" She twirled one of her luscious golden curls around her finger. She looked bored. I nodded and was about to take off when she continued speaking. "Might you stay here with me tonight? I miss your company my son…" She trailed off, and I looked over at her curiously. I couldn't stay, I had to get back to my Psyche. I laughed gently and brushed some curls from my mother's face.

"Mother!" I laughed a bit louder and shook my head. "You know there are places I must be, and women I must bed," I winked playfully at her before kissing her amiably on the cheek. "And I know there are men who are waiting for you as well," I winked one more time for good measure before taking off, soaring on my bird-like wings. My heart was pounding and I was ready to get back. It wasn't even about the lovemaking, it was about lying with her, holding her close, and just knowing that she was mine. I landed a good ten feet from the house and treaded lightly through. As soon as I entered a maiden was at my side, holding up a bowl of bread and fruits for me. I took an apple and a small bit of bread, devouring both before entering the bedroom.

Psyche was already curled up under the blankets, her small, child-like hands gripping at the sheets. I leaned against the doorframe, admiring the way her hair fell around her shoulders, the pink flower in her hair and the way it brought out the slightly tanned color of her skin. I was in over my head, that was for sure. With soft feet I made my way over to our bed and, as silently and gently as I could, slipped myself under the covers and folded my wings in close to my body.

My subtle movements must have woken her, for suddenly, those wide green eyes were open and staring straight at me. I don't think she realized what she did to me, or that she was looking at me, because I was sure the slight hex I'd had Hecate put on the room that made everything darker to her at night didn't affect my eyes. I sighed contentedly as I felt her small arms wrap around my waist and her head come to rest on my shoulder. "I missed you today…" her words were muffled seeing as she spoke into my shoulder, and I kissed the crown of her head, inhaling her rich, flowery scent. I wanted her in so many more ways than one. The fact that she had missed me caused my heart to thump a bit faster, a new sensation to me. I was the God of Love, and yet I had never felt it in such a pure, innocent form. This new side of love caught me off guard, and I felt like I was a small boy again. She made me feel foolish and headstrong. This really weren't meant to be, but somehow we had fallen into each other and resided in the warmth of a forbidden embrace.

"And I missed you, my dearest. Did you find what you needed here today?" I kissed her forehead, and then the tip of her nose, and then gently touched my lips to hers. There seemed to be a passionate hunger as she pressed her lips to mine and ran her fingers up and down my spine. I smiled slightly and pulled away, teasing her only a bit and waiting for a reply.

"Yes, I did. I slept most of the day, and read a book." As she reiterated her day to me I smiled happily. She seemed content at least. Happy? Not until I got here, but content, and that was enough for me. "I guess I am not allowed to ask what you did today?" She arched an eyebrow at me, and her expression was one of sheer curiosity. She looked splendid, clothed only in the bed sheets, bathed in the soft moonlight streaming in from one of the curtains that was slightly cracked. I hesitated for a moment before smirking. Her fingers came to my face and boldly traced at my lips, the contours of my nose, cheekbones and eyebrows, and then my clean-shaven chin.

"I worked," I said simply, glad that I didn't have to lie to her. My fingers softly traced up her side, and then down to her soft breasts. She was a perfectly proportioned woman, unlike my mother, who had very voluptuous breasts and the thinnest of waists. My wife, my Psyche, had a thin waist, but wasn't brimming over up top. Not the normal kind of woman I would go for, for Psyche was a very athletic girl, but her beauty surpassed all of the women I'd bedded before. I gently caressed her as she kissed at my neck, then moved her lips up my neck to my jaw line, which she smothered in kisses as well. I smiled brightly, loving every second she touched me and responding with the softest of kisses along her jaw, down her neck and along her chest. I continued kissing further down her torso, lavishing her stomach with kisses, then kissing my way back up the middle of her torso, stopping at her neck and smiling down at her. "You… are so beautiful…" I murmured, my voice heavy with emotion, though what emotion I was unsure. Maybe passion, or lust, or just pure love. I felt all of these right now, but I felt that I needed to appreciate her pure, exquisite beauty a bit longer. She wiggled beside me, her fingers finding my face once more. Her gorgeous green eyes stared straight at me, though I knew she could see nothing more than my silhouette.

"I wish I could say the same for you…" She muttered under her breath. Her fingers traced down my chest, leaving a trail of burning heat where her fingers had been seconds ago. I smiled sadly and shook my head.

"I am sorry, my love, but isn't trust the most important component when it comes to a relationship? You must trust that I am doing this to keep you safe…" I ran my fingers through her still slightly damp curls. They were softer than the land's finest silk.

"I trust you…" She sounded like a child who had been punished and I laughed my musical laugh. She stiffened slightly then, and pushed back a bit. I furrowed my brow and pulled her back close to me. Her arms were folded over her chest, and she had a slight pout on those beautiful lips. I clicked my tongue at her.

"There, there. No reason to be mad at me," I went to kiss her, but she moved her head, causing me to instead kiss her cheek. "Is it games you want to play?" I asked her, arching an eyebrow. I bent my head to kiss her lips and once more she dodged me, causing me to kiss her other cheek. She had a devilish grin on her lips, leading me to believe she was doing this on purpose now. "Fine, have it your way," I murmured as I sat up and got on top of her, pinning down her legs. I then grabbed her thin wrists and crossed them in one hand, pulling them up and over her head and restraining them there. She pouted and glared at me, and I laughed my musical laugh once more. "Don't be sour with me," I said softly, my free hand gently caressing her cheek. While she might have been athletic, she was no force to mess with me. I easily had her pinned down with one of my hands. Her thin body writhed beneath me, as if she wanted to get free. But I could see in her eyes that she loved the game just about as much as I did. A soft purr rumbled forth from deep in my throat as she continued squirming. The part of me that was god of sexual love was taking over, and I couldn't really stop the transformation. Lust clouded my thoughts, and with that I let my mind become clouded with lust and the love I had for my wife.

Now that my lustuous side had been fulfilled, I cradled her closely to my chest, afraid that the sooner I let her go, the sooner dawn would break and I would have to leave. I let out a soft, sad sigh and held her close, only suddenly remembering the message I needed to convey. "Psyche, my dearest, fairest in the land…" I trailed off, running my fingers through her hair and ever so softly kissing her cheek. "There is evil coming, and it is in the form of your sisters…" I trailed off, watching as confusion over fell her face. "They will come to mourn you, but do not cast an eye on them. Do not even speak to them. Only then can we be truly happy together…" I trailed off, watching as realization bloomed. Conflict overcame her face, and she nervously chewed on her lower lip, a habit I had taken note of. I bent to kiss her gently, and she let out a sigh as I pulled back. "Whats wrong, my love?" I asked her, brows furrowed as I angled her face up towards me with two gentle fingers.

She chewed her lip once more. "It's just that… I get so lonely here all day long. If I could only see my sisters, it might make my days a bit more bearable…" She trailed off, and my throat felt tight. That was my entire fault. I made her feel lonely… Oh, god. I ruffled my hair and sighed nervously. It wasn't worth losing her. I didn't want to lose her, ever.

"Psyche, my dearest… love of my life, I beseech you," my voice sounded very serious, but she didn't seem to be budging. Her eyes were swelling with tears, something that knocked me off guard. I quickly wiped tears from her cheeks, and kissed her forehead. "Please, think about this. They will try and sabotage you, you will fall prey and then we shall be parted forever…" I trailed off quietly, looking down at her. She furrowed her brow and shook her head.

"I won't let them convince me of anything. I just need some sort of comfort as I sit here in this golden prison. I am all alone but for the serving maids, who are naught but voices. Please, husband… I need someone…" She trailed off, her eyes wide and pleading. She cuddled in close to me, her fingers running through my hair in a soothing manner. "You yourself said trust is the greatest component of a relationship. Trust that I will not betray you to my sisters." She hesitated and placed a soft kiss on the tip of my nose. "I love you, I would never try to hurt you…" She murmured quietly, her fingers still running through my hair.

I let out a sigh, knowing that she needed this. I nodded. "I will tell Zephyrus that if you command it, he is to bring them down to you. But my loving wife, I implore you to think about this before you act upon it… Think of the life you have and what you will lose." It was a harsh thing to say to her, but I was afraid to lose her. I didn't want to lose her, but I knew that if she looked upon my face, we could no longer be together. My mother would find out soon enough, and things would spiral down from there. I didn't fear for myself in that situation; the wrath of my mother was a harsh one, and she would be sure to punish Psyche for everything she had surely done. I pulled my wife closer to me, holding her tightly. I didn't want to lose her or give her up. I was unsure if my heart could stand that.

I sighed softly and gently kissed the top of Psyche's head. "I love you," I murmured into her hair. She smiled gently against my shoulder.

"I love you, too." She responded. It didn't take either of us long to fall asleep that night.