Part XI - A Scream, A Dream and At Last, A Scheme
Hephaestus, the steady, even tempered, well-liked God of Fire, almost lost it.
It took him forever to limp back to the main room of the home temple he shared with Aphrodite instead of just flashing in. He�d learned quickly enough when they�d first been married that redecorating was one of her passions and that furniture wasn�t always going to be where you last remembered it. So, it was always easier to appear outside and then walk in. Easy if you weren�t the lame god of the forge, that was. Every step seemed to take twice as long as it should have and he made a note to change those stairs to a gentle incline. At least it was a good scream coming from inside. Had there been anything else, he�d have just popped in, fru-fru sofas be damned.
"OOOH HEPHIE!" He wasn�t even through the door when he had armloads of wife. It�s a good thing I�m strong. Her ass is like lead when she does this. Heph chuckled to himself, only barely noticing the scolding swat he caught on the shoulder. "Heph, he does! He said so! And I know Ares does, so they both do! I mean, I knew anyway, right? Goddess of Love, how could I not know? But now HE knows and I could just slapAres for making me stay out of this!"
"He probably had a good reason, Love," Hephaestus grunted and shifted her in his arms until he could hold her more comfortably. His wife snorted and pouted, crossing her arms over her ample and nearly uncovered chest.
"Fine. Take his side." She wriggled once and slipped out of his grasp, though to be fair he was about to set her down anyway. She often forgot that, although she was lithe and lovely, she wasn�t six years old. If he wasn�t ready for it, she�d been known to knock him flat on his bum with that little leap-maneuver.
"I�m not taking anyone�s side," Heph rolled his eyes and followed her as she stomped over to the pink satin settee that served as her main piece of furniture in her outer chamber. "I just know Ares. And I should hope you do too, after having how many kids with him? Ten? Twenty?"
"Just the five, thanks," but Aphrodite couldn�t help smiling. Ten kids. Really! "And I do know him. I know he�s gonna sit on his leather-clad duff and not do one single thing about this because he doesn�t wanna screw it up. He wants it to happen �naturally�. HA!"
"Well, it might. You yourself told me that you don�t control every match that gets made." At his own less frantic pace, Heph joined his wife in sitting, conjuring up his own favorite leather high-backed chair with a snap of his fingers.
"I know, but�"
"And tossing a spell out wouldn�t be fair for either Ares or�" Heph paused, raising his eyebrows to prompt his bride.
"Joxer. And you KNOW he�ll never do anything. I mean, look how long he sniffed after that wench and didn�t do anything. And this is ARES, for gods� sake. You can�t blame the guy for being a little shy�"
"Joxer?" the fire god scrunched his brows in thought. "Not that little fellow who�s been over in the hall? The one who�s been running errands for Strife?"
"Yah. You�d think they�d get a clue being in the same house together, but noooo."
"Love, they�re not in the same house. Ares is off in Polyphystos. I visited him there two days ago. He wants me to make a sword for Joxer with some pretty particular specifications." Hephaestus couldn�t help but smile. "I think it�s supposed to be a thank-you present for something. Probably straightening up the temple. Joxer�s been busting a nut around there."
"House of War is SO weird." Blue eyes rolled, but she had to grin along with her husband. "Sweet, but weird." She clacked her teeth together a few times, a nervous habit she�d picked up as a child when she needed to stop and think. "We really need to get them together. It would be a great match."
