Part VIII - Yearning, Learning, and Keeping the Home Fires Burning
"Here. Let me take a look at that."
"It�s fine, really. I�ve had worse."
"If you sit still, you won�t even have this."
"I�m really� It�s OK. It�ll go down eventually."
"Joxer."
How someone, even a god, could sound so stern and so sexy at once was beyond Joxer�s comprehension. But then again, this was Ares so he figured it was all too possible. It was also all too persuasive, though he couldn�t be sure if it was the growly part or the purr that made him sit still and behave for at least a little while.
Either way�
His head was throbbing too hard to really enjoy this, which almost killed him. The chance to be sitting in the Hall of War on a cushy little ottoman while the God of War himself fussed over you was only going to come around so often - once in a lifetime, he assumed. To be waylaid by an aching, screaming knot on your head and a bout of the dizzies� well, it just wasn�t fair. As it was, all he could muster was matching Ares' stern look with the best one he owned.
"I'm just a little rattled, that's all," Joxer managed to not fidget as those large, sword-worn hands examined his noggin for any further damage. "I'll be fine in a day or two."
"You ran face-first into one of the shields Hephaestus made for me. The big one. You're lucky you're not scrambled," Ares sent a little boost of power through his fingers, healing the concussion Joxer would have been plagued with for at least a week or two. He ran a fingertip over the bump and made it sit back down.
"I misjudged the distance. I didn't think I'd wheeled around that far," the purr in his voice was out of his control. The God of War's touch was so soothing, it was all Joxer could do to keep from just oozing onto the floor.
"So, that little stunt was planned?" Ares couldn't keep the smile away, his fingers creeping along Joxer's scalp to 'check for any other injuries', feeling that soft brown hair tickle his palms in the nicest way anything had in a while.
"Kind of. And just for the record, it's harder when you have to try and stumble."
***
Ten Minutes Before
The colors. Oh, the colors. He understood why he needed to keep his eyes shut on one of Hermes' jaunts, but since Aphrodite asked so nicely, he worked at keeping them open. It had done the job before, so why not now? He just hoped that wherever they finally stopped, the owner wouldn't mind the mess too much.
All that flying and zipping was starting to get to him. Walking would be boring from now on when he knew how this could be. His whole body tingled with the residual energy and his cock and balls throbbed like crazy. What a rush!
But, of course, all that ended when they screeched to a halt inside a beautifully dark temple, threads of red winding through black marble and weapons on the walls between lush tapestries. As before, everything slammed into focus too quickly and the slick, polished floor made him skitter even worse than before, which was actually good since he'd promised the Goddess of Love that he'd do this for her.
The twin dark gods of the House of War were there, waiting for them. Eris was halfway through a growly greeting when Joxer lurched and grabbed his airborne chaperone by the too-short chiton. For balance. Right.
"Easy duzzit, Jox! I tol' ya to - YAG!" Hermes' polite scolding turned into a yelp as he was unceremoniously flung a few feet in the right direction. All he had the chance to see was pale and black and wide-set blue eyes before he collided with a leathery soft obstacle. "OOF!"
