"Look, if we want her to consistantly sleep through the night we have to establish a bedtime ritual and stick to it."

"What? We gotta sacrifice goats aftah I put her in her jammies?" Cupid rolled his eyes. "Ya said ritual. Light candles? Burn incense?"

"I should have said bedtime routine. When did you get so literal?"

"Hey, ya go where tha most mischief can be created. Sometimes it's by bein literal, sometimes it's by bein fuckin obscure. So, bedtime routine, huh? Ya mean like with us? First we strip, then we grab each othah, then..."

"Stop it." He was grinnin, though. "You know what I mean, Strife. We can't keep changing everything around or she'll be, like, a total night owl, and Goddess of the Night is already spoken for."

"Whatta ya suggest?"

"Well... Okay, we know she needs to be fed not long before she goes to sleep--that makes her kinda dozey."

"Yer tellin me? Half tha time she drops off with tha nipple still in her mouth. That ain't so bad since she went ovah ta tha milk skins. Lemme tell ya, when she woke up sudden while she was nursin it was a startlin experience fah us both." He winced in sympathy. "Uh, she needs a bath, then to get put into her sleep shift, and some quality time with one, or both of us."

"Howsabout we combine that with Bliss's storytime? He's gettin ta where he can read some of those easy scrolls by himself now, an' I bet he'd be psyched..." I stopped an' shook my head. "What am I doin, usin that term? I bet he'd be pumped up ta read ta Imp an' us."

"Very good idea. He's still getting little bursts of jealousy about her occasionally, and that will make him feel superior."

"Yup." I used my 'pretend I'm talkin ta someone' voice. "Yah, Bliss, she's tha baby, an' she gets away with stuff you can't, but hey! Lookit all tha stuff you can do an' she can't!"

"Oh, great. We'll end up with the Godling of Smugness."

We both heard tha giggles at about tha same time. That's two sets of giggles, one kid an' male, tha othah infant an' girl. We watched tha door ta tha hall expectantly.

A second latah Bliss backed slowly inta tha room. He was bent ovah a little, an he was haldin tha edge of Imp's blankie with both hands. Impetua was layin on her tummy on tha blanket, facin Bliss as he dragged her along tha floor. She was rockin on her lil watermelon belly, wavin her arms an' legs an' gigglin fit ta bust.

Cupid was fightin down his own laughtah when he called, "Son, you're going to fall and break both of your necks going around backward."

He stopped an' looked back at us. "It's okay, Daddy. I checked first to be sure there wasn't nothing in the way."

Imp was kickin even hardah. "Bih gah! Bih gah!"

"Okay, okay!" Bliss backed up rapidly a few steps, pulling the blanket so that Imp slid along on her tummy. She squealed.

"Blissy, ya oughta know by now that things have a way of appearin an' disappearin without warnin on Olympus. Whyn't ya do that lookin where yer goin?" I asked.

"I tried that. Imp got excited and rolled off when I wasn't looking."

"Uh. Not good. Okay, but just do it a coupla steps at a time, huh?"

"Tell that to Imp. She's some sort of speed demon. She keeps trying to get me to run."

I went ovah an' picked Imp up. She flapped her wings while I was liftin her. Good thing they still weren't big an' strong enough fah her ta take flight, or I'd've had trouble hangin onta her. "I guess we bettah get started calmin her down if we wanna get ta sleep before midnight. What do we do first?"

"Food?"

I rolled my eyes. "Ya remembah what happened when ya tried her with parsnips?" He winced. He'd handed ovah tha spoon 'cause she kept tryin ta take it away from him, an' they ended up parsnips from head ta toes. I keep tryin ta tell him that tha kid is like me--not vegetable oriented, but he keeps on tryin, bless his stubborn, sexy heart.

"She eats her main meal earliah with us anyway," I said. "I'm thinkin a bottle last thing, when we're gettin ta tha serious tryin."

He nodded. "Okay, so I'd say bath, jammies, then bottle and story at the same time."

"Sounds like a plan, an' I think we oughtta go ahead an' start it." I wiggled Imp in tha air. "Baff time, sugar-boogah!" I tried ta hand her ta Cupid.

"Oh, no, you don't!" He backed up. "I bathed earlier. It would take my wings too darn long to dry if I did it now."

I follahed him inta Imp's room, bouncin her. "But she always splashes me."

"She's a baby, she's going to do that." He pulled the basin I'd been washin her in out of tha cabinet an' frowned at it. "Does she still fit in this thing?" He came ovah an' held tha basin up in front of Imp, tryin ta measure. She managed ta put her feet in it an' push it away.

"I think it's gettin ta be a pretty tight squeeze. There ain't much room left fah watah when I get her inta it, an' lately I hafta change watah ta rinse her off."

Cupid put the basin away. "I can get a larger one from Heph tomorrow. You'll just have to take her into the bathing pool with you tonight."

"Cupe! Tha othah time I did that she pooped in tha watah!"

*snicker* *giggle* "Stop laughin, you guys! Okay, I gotta admit it gave me some good ideas fah messin with new parents, but it happened tah me, an' it was just gross!" I wrinkled my nose. "It was that day we tried feedin her peaches tha first time."

Bliss squinched his eyes shut an' held his nose. "Eeeeewww."

"Right."

"She hasn't had peaches today," Cupid said reasonably, "and she needs her bath. Go on, Daddy. It'll be a wonderful bonding experience."

I held up Imp an' stared inta her green eyes. She stared back at me, an' gave me a toothless grin. I checked her diapah. Clean an' dry. "Yer savin it up, aren'tcha?" *coo* *sigh* "Awright."

"Bliss," Cupid said. "You haven't had a bath, either."

Bliss looked innocent (he's good at that). "But I haven't done anything today, really, Daddy."

"No? Then why do your feet look like you've walked from Rome to Athens through knee-deep dust? Go bathe with Imp and Strife."

Bliss's mouth dropped open, and he looked horrified, gazing at Imp, particularly her butt. I snickered. "Not so funny now, is it? C'mon, kiddo."

Bliss follahed, draggin his feet. In tha bathin room I tested tha pool an' made sure that tha watah was only skin temperature, then flashed off my an' Imp's clothes. I held her carefully, an' stepped inta tha shallow end of tha pool. We have benches along tha sides, an' I waded ta one where tha watah only came up ta my waist, then settled down. "C'mon, Bliss. Quit stallin. Get nekkid an' get in tha watah. Oh, an' bring some soap an' a cloth with ya."

Bliss grumbled, but he stripped off his pants, got some soap an' a cloth off the shelf that was specially fixed low enough fah him ta reach, an' waded inta tha pool. "Lathah that up fah me." He did, workin up a good handful of foam, then handed it ovah ta me. I started ta wash Imp. She started thrashin, wavin her arms, legs, an' wings like she'd just been fed a particulahly tasty bit of jealousy energy, but I think it was just 'cause it tickled her.

"Oh, geez, kid! Calm down! It's like tryin ta hang onta a greased octopus."

"Here, Daddy Strife." Bliss took hold of Imp's shouldahs, an' I felt safe enough ta finish washin her. She twisted her head, frownin an' squawkin at him. He giggled. "I think she's fussin at me."

"Yah, she likes ta have her way." I made a face at her. "Dont'cha, puddin?" She fussed at me, too, wigglin even hardah. Then she got real still, with an intent look on her face. Suddenly tha watah on my thigh, right where her butt was restin, got warmah. "Oh, Imp!" She giggled. I sighed. "Well, at least tha pool is filtahed." Bliss was tryin ta edge back, still keepin hold of Imp. "Hang on." I rinsed her quickly. "Okay, ya can move ovah."

He backed away an' I tossed him tha cloth. "Go ahead an' get cleaned." While he bathed I played with Imp. I held her on her tummy, with her head up ovah tha watah, an' she laughed an' paddled. I think maybe there's a little watah nymph in her somewhere.

Bliss finished washin an' decided that tha watah around us was clean enough ta risk again. He ducked undah, waddled ovah closah, an' popped up right in front of Imp. Watah sprayed up in her face, an' she gasped. Bliss yelled, "Boo!"

Imp screamed, jerkin in my hands. I was ready ta chew Bliss out good, but tha scream turned inta a laugh. Imp laughed so hard she started hiccuppin, an' that made her laugh even more. "Yer lucky, Bliss," I said. "If ya had scared her, I might've had ta tan yer hide." Imp was wavin her arms excitedly, beatin at tha watah, an' she managed ta splash Bliss in tha face. He laughed. "Ya think that's funny, huh? I got news fah ya--she was so excited that she just peed again." Bliss hollered and tried ta back away. Too fast, cause tha feet went up an' tha butt went down, an' he dunked himself.

Me an' Imp were both laughin when he stood up, splutterin. He spit frantically, wipin his mouth. "Ack! C'mon, Bliss! It's, like, one hazelnut shell fulla baby tinkle ta all this watah. I think you'll survive. In fact, considerin some of tha stuff ya put in yer mouth when you were little..."

"Okay, okay, okay! But I'm done."

"Good. Go get Cupe. I don't wanna try ta carry this squirmmin squirt up tha wet steps. We could both end up brained."

Bliss climbed outta tha pool an' stood there for a minute, flappin his wings briskly. It was like gettin caught in a sprinkle. Imp looked up curiously, like she was expectin ta see lightnin. When he was done, Bliss trotted outta tha room... butt nekkid. I sighed, lookin down at Imp. "Tell me that yer gonna be easiah ta civilize than him." She grinned at me.

It took a little while. I guess Cupe had gone off somewhere in tha temple ta attend ta something. After awhile Cupid came in, herding Bliss in front of him. "Yes, I know that Grandma Dite thinks it's cute, and I know that the priests smiled, but you still have to start putting on your clothes when you come out into the public rooms."

"Why?"

"The only reason I have to give you is 'because I said so'. But it's because you've reached that awkward stage. Little bitty kids can get away with it because they're too young to know better, and full fledged gods can get away with it because... Well, because they're gods. You, my son, are a godling, and you just have to wait for awhile."

"Okay, but it sounds kinda silly."

"Gotta agree with him there, Feathahs." I handed Imp ta him, then climbed out myself.

"Some of my priests had come for a late consultation about the chance of offering a love spell to a random worshipper at my next festival. They almost burst something trying not to laugh when Bliss streaked in and told me I had to come get my daughter out of the bath."

I materialized a towel and started ta dry off. "Sounds like a good idea."

"You would think so. No, I'm not promising a love spell to any random worshipper. It could screw things up for generations if it got into the wrong hands. I told them they could have a lust spell instead. Speaking of which..." He gave me a leer. "Lookin' good, Strife."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Beddie-bye fah tha rug rats first, lover."

Cupid smiled, an' suddenly Imp an' Bliss were both dry an' dressed in their sleep wear (both of 'em wore loose, floaty shifts that only had one shouldah, leavin their wings free). He took Bliss's hand, and reached toward me, then paused. "Put some clothes on, Strife, before I grab the most tempting handle to lead you."

I flashed on a pair of loose linen pants, and we walked back ta Bliss's room. Inside I sat on tha bed an' Cupe swatted Bliss's behind, pointing him toward tha shelf that held all his scrolls. "Pick out something." Cupid sat nexta me while Bliss dug through tha scrolls. "And don't pick one of those epics Gabrielle sent you."

He tickled Imp's feet while Bliss made his choice. She chortled, tryin ta kick him in tha face when he nibbled her toes. I knew she wasn't really tryin ta hurt him, but I kinda hoped that she'd remembah that tactic when she started datin.

Finally Bliss came trottin back, clutchin a scroll, an' climbed up on tha bed. Cupid took tha scroll. As Cupe took it, I conjured up a milk skin an' tested it on my wrist, makin sure it wasn't hot enough ta burn her or cold enough ta give her colic. "What did you pick this time, Bliss?" He unrolled tha scroll, then sighed. "Pokey Little Cerberus. What a surprise."

Bliss squirmed up on Cupe's lap, arranged himself comfortably, an' plugged his thumb inta his mouth. I held Imp where she could see tha sketches on tha scroll an' popped tha nipple inta her mouth. She started suckin lustily, but she was watchin tha scroll outta tha corner of her eye.

Cupe read tha scroll. He's a good reader--he does voices an' stuff. I gotta admit that tha idea of Cerberus as a puppy, tryin ta shove his brothah an' sistah pups away from tha milk wagon 'cause he was late gettin home was pretty funny... tha first few hundred times ya heard it.

It was a slow night. Bliss only demanded three readins. Imp finished tha skin an' dropped off somewhere in tha middle of tha second readin, a trickle of milk runnin down her chin. Before tha last line of tha third time Bliss had fallen asleep, goin so boneless that his thumb dropped outta his mouth. Cupid carfully moved him off his lap as I got up with Imp.

He pulled a sheet up ovah Bliss, leanin down ta give him a kiss. Bliss snored. As we tip-toed out I whispahed, "He takes aftah his daddy."

"I do not snore," Cupid whispered back.

We sneaked inta Imp's room. "Yah, right. Some strange, invisible woodcuttah slips inta our room at night an' saws logs." I tucked Imp inta her bed. She squirmed a little, but her eyes didn't open. We held our breaths. She blew a milk bubble, then was still. We tiptoed out as quietly as Autolycus creepin toward a treasure room.

In our room I said, "I'm afraid that Imp is bein indoctrinated, Cupe. By tha time Bliss gets old enough ta do without Pokey Little Cerberus, I think she'll start cravin it."

"Hopefully it will have disintigrated by then."

I put my hands flat on Cupid's chest an' pushed him so that he sat on tha bed. I sat on his lap, with my back to him. I let my head drop back on his shouldah an' gazed up at him, flutterin my eyelashes. "Tell me a story, daddy."

He grinned at me, leaned down, an' nipped my throat. "Once upon a time there was a naughty, naughty God of Mischief." I squirmed. "And he sorely tried his patient, loving husband by insisting on acting in the most provacative, sexy way when they were with others, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it." He nipped my earlobe. "And then his husband finally got him alone."

He put his hands on my waist, then slid 'em around an' down till he had a firm, double-handed grip on my crotch. Oh, did I mention that our pants had disappeahed somewhere along tha line? He stroked me firmly, an' I got hard fast. I wanted ta squirm some more, but he had his teeth set right where my neck joined my shouldah. Oh, not hard enough ta hurt, mind ya, but enough ta pinch, lettin me know who was in charge of this little escapade. "What happened then?"

He didn't reply, but I suddenly felt oil seepin in my back passage. One hand left my cock an' slithered undah me, probin. I moaned happily as one fingah slid up inside me an' started pumpin slowly. "Cupe, what happened then?"

He let go with his teeth, lickin tha little love bite he'd made, an' I felt a second fingah press inta me. "Lean forward," he said hoarsly.

I braced my feet an' leaned forward a little. He pushed hard. Tha change in angle had been just right, an' he hit my sweet spot. I yelped an' jerked, but he used his arm ta keep me from pullin away, an' he nevah missed a stroke, front or back.

Damn, it felt good, but I wasn't ready to let go of tha play actin yet. "Cuuupe! Tell me tha resta tha story! What happend next? Does it have a happy endin?"

"Sure it does." He pulled his fingahs outta my ass, grabbed my hips, an' slammed me down. I was spitted on his thick, rigid cock, filled almost ta burstin. I howled happily. Between my bouncin an' Cupid's buckin it didn't take long before I was spillin my seed ovah his hand. When I did I clamped down hard, an' Cupe came with a grunt, fillin me with heat.

We both went limp. He wrapped his arms around me, keepin me from slidin off his lap, an' fell backwards till I was layin on toppa him. "That was great," I panted. "But ya didn't finish tha story."

He threw me off onta tha mattress beside him, then rolled on toppa me, pinnin me down, an' kissed me. "If I finish the story, are you going to demand that I repeat it over and over and over again?"

"I dunno. Tell me an' we'll see."

"Okay. He got his husband alone and fucked him clear into the middle of next week, and his end was very happy." I giggled, huggin him. "I'm afraid I just got a brand new favorite story."