Joxer apprehensively watched his husband, waiting for his reaction to whatever it was he was seeing in that dim hallway. Joxer had some idea of what that scene was--he just didn't know what level of intensity it was going to reach.

Still staring, Ares backed up, then turned and walked back to Joxer, his steps as slow and careful as those of a man who thinks he might be drunk, but isn't sure, and doesn't want to be busted if he is. When he got back to Joxer he just stood silently, looking into the middle distance. Joxer had the impression that he could have decorated Ares' face with the last of his birthday cake and still not gotten much of a reaction. Finally he decided that he wasn't going to broach the subject, but he ought to make some sort of conversation before someone came up to speak to his husband and Ares just blurted something out. "So, was it an animal?"

Ares blinked. "An owl," he said faintly.

"Oh. Hey, that's a pretty appropriate familiar for Accord, since he's going to have to exercise wisdom and judgement. I was feeling kind of disappointed about that oak tree over in the corner of the garden that was dying, but now we can put it to good use. It won't take any effort at all to hollow out a good nest space. Of course we'll have to make sure that the owl knows that Mjau isn't a meal, but..."

"Joxer?"

*Here it comes.* "Yes?"

Ares cleared his throat. "Now, I want you to remain calm, and don't make a scene. But Joxer, I just saw something..."

"Oh, Tartarus. Tell me you didn't peep on Bliss and Accord having sex."

"What?"

"Well, you stood there for a good, long look."

"I mean what made you even consider that... It wasn't, but it damn sure could lead to it. Maybe I should..." He made a move toward the hallway.

Joxer grabbed his arm, hissing, "Don't--you--dare! Do you want to embarrass them both to death? Damn, Ar, where's your sense?"

"But Jox..."

"Lower your voice. Athena just looked over here, and she has ears like... like... Tartarus. I can't think of anything reknowned for it's hearing. Lots of stuff for sight, and some for smell, but nothing for hearing. Okay, she has ears like someone with really, really keen hearing, and you don't want her knowing any more family secrets than are necessary."

Joxer was right, and Ares lowered his voice. "Joxer, they were kissing!"

"Kissing what?"

"You know--kissing?"

"On the lips?"

"I'd hardly be upset if it was on the cheek or forehead."

"Well, damn--the way you're taking on I thought you caught them kissing somewhere a lot more interesting, if you catch my drift."

"Joxer!"

"Stop it! Now Demeter is looking over here. Damn, Ares. You're being more of a drama queen than Jayce ever thought about being."

"I don't understand your attitude."

"And I don't understand yours, but this is hardly the place to discuss it, and... Cerberus poop--here comes trouble."

Demeter, a smile too sugary to be genuine plastered on her face came up, watching them with shrewd eyes. "Something wrong, boys? Hestia accidentally drop a nutmeg in the cake?"

"Why would you think that?" asked Joxer.

"Because Ares looks like he just swallowed one whole."

Ares opened his mouth, but Joxer broke in. (Joxer was sure that Ares wouldn't want to give Demeter any possible ammunition. She'd never admit it, but she blamed herself a little for the situation with Hades and Persephone. She thought, deep down, that if she'd just watched her daughter better... Demeter seemed to be dedicated to proving that every other god and goddess on Olympus wasn't that great a parent, either) "He's just a little disgruntled because of the gift Bliss gave Accord. It's an owl--you know, a familiar?"

Demeter made a face. "No wonder you look ticked off."

"I do not," Ares protested immediately. Joxer raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm not. I'm... surprised." He looked back at the hallway. "Bordering on stunned. Flabbergasted might not even be too far off the mark."

Demeter gave him a puzzled look. "Well, they're a nuisance with the hooting, and the dropping pellets filled with nasty hair and bones business, but they're not that bad. Just don't let it fly around inside. If you take my advice..."

"My, Sephie is looking glowing today," said Joxer brightly. "Hades just conjured up a nice chaize lounge for her and he's insisting she sit down." Joxer looked thoughtful. "No, she couldn't be... We'd know if she was..."

"Excuse me." Demeter, eyes narrowed, stalked toward her daughter and (unwanted) son-in-law.

Ares said, "Joxer, you're the God of Peace, and you did that?"

"Hades and Persephone can handle her--they have a lot of experience. And I had to get rid of her before you blurted out something that would make our son want to run and hide."

Ares eyed him. "Why don't you seem surprised?"

Joxer rolled his eyes. "Now is not the time and place."

"Well, where and when?"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Ares glared at him. "Thought not. Okay: back home, in about two or three minutes. We just need to say good-bye." He looked past Ares, waving, and Ares turned around to see Bliss and Accord emerging from the hall. "Cord," Joxer called. "We have to go now."

Accord looked a little flushed, a little dazed, but very happy. "So soon?"

"Not you, Cord--us, your Dad and I. You stay as long as you like. I'm pretty sure that your official studies are over now." He gave Zeus a firm look, and Zeus correctly interpretted it as 'cross me here and you have no domestic peace of any kind in the foreseeable future.' Zeus nodded. "I'll try and have a cozy hollow tree set up for your owl by the time you get home. If not, it's welcome in your room only, till we learn how it's going to deal with Mjau."

"Gotcha."

Joxer hooked his arm through Ares'. He was smiling at his son, but he whispered out of the corner of his mouth through clenched teeth. "Tell our son happy natal day and good-bye, or I'll crawl all over you when we get home, and not in the good way."

Ares cleared his throat. "Happy natal day again, son. Good-bye and... be careful."

"I will."

*Flash*

Accord gave Bliss a look that spoke volumes. "Parents."

Strife was on the dais, trying to teach Cupid some sort of 'done in unison' dance with Scribe. She was chanting, "One, two, three, do the Hustle!"

Bliss nodded. "Yep."

Right Around the Time That Ares Went Back to Joxer...

Accord wanted like crazy to put his arms around Bliss, too, but that would involve either dropping Sofia's cage on their feet, or letting go long enough to put it down safely. He didn't really want to do either. He'd just managed to move the cage out of the way when Bliss hugged him, so that it wasn't trapped between their bodies, but his grip was getting a little precarious.

He stopped worrying about that when he felt Bliss' tongue dabbing at his lips. His eyes flew open in surprise. He knew that people did this sort of thing, of course. Last year Imp had offered to teach him how to do it, and he'd turned her down with as polite a 'ew, that's gross' as he could. She'd informed him archly that he was more of a baby than she was, and if Polly didn't mind learning how to smooch with her, what made him so squeamish?

Somehow this didn't make him feel squeamish at all. *Okay, do I just open my mouth and see what he does, or should I... How wide should I open my mouth? I wonder what he tastes like? I bet I could find out if I...*

Bliss let him go and stepped away, blushing and mumbling. "Um, sorry if I went too fast."

"Huh?"

"I mean, after all, that was sort of our first kiss, and I should have realized that you wouldn't be ready for the deep kind. You..."

Accord sort of lunged at him, again getting a semi-wrestling lock on his neck, and pressed an open mouthed, moist, and only slightly awkward kiss to his mouth. The Accord stepped back, saying, "I was surprised, okay?"

"Okay." It was a little stunned. "We... We'd better go back out, before someone comes looking for us."

"Okay. I guess you're right, and have you noticed that sometimes we have a little echo thing going?"

"I noticed." They started walking toward the opening.

"It doesn't bug you?"

"No, I kinda like it."

"Good, because I don't do it on purpose."

"I know. That's what makes it cute."

Accord snorted. "Cute."

Bliss tugged at his braid as they stepped out into the sun. "Don't knock cute. I was cute up till my voice dropped, and I'm still accused of it on a regular basis."

Accord grinned at him. "Yeah, I can see that."

Bliss looked around and said, "Why does your Dad Ares look so funny?"

"Probably because the baby just moved."

"Cord," Joxer called, "We have to go now..."

Back At the Temple of War *Flash* *whack* "Ow!" Ares rubbed the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"'Be careful.' Ares!"

"What? It was a perfectly reasonable farewell. How many times have I told him to be careful when we said good-bye?"

"Yeah, but this time you didn't mean that he shouldn't drink from a horse trough or take a stroll along the edge of a roof."

"He didn't know that."

"Then what good did it do to say it?" Ares sat down and put his head in his hands. Seeing how confused his husband looked, Joxer relented and sat beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Ar, there's nothing to get excited about."

"But Joxer, they were kissing."

"So you said."

"My son and my grandson were kissing, and not that 'you're my relative so I have to' way. That doesn't bother you?"

Joxer thought about it. "It might have if there was a greater age difference, or if Accord wasn't so close to being grown up. Or if it hadn't been coming on for so long."

Ares stared at him. "What the Tartarus is that supposed to mean?"

Joxer sighed. "Oh, Ar..." He hugged his husband. "I love you, and you're the greatest military tactician in history, and a pretty fine judge of character in most cases, but when it comes to romance--" Joxer gently tapped a knuckle against Ares' forehead. "Thick as a brick."

"I am not."

"How long did it take you to realize that you were in love with me?"

Ares opened his mouth, then closed it. "I love Bliss," he said. "But I was sort of counting on grandchildren, and..." His eyes opened wide as Joxer started to stand up, face darkening. He grabbed Joxer's arm. "I didn't mean that! The mouth was in gear before the brain was warmed up. I'm sorry, Jox." His hand crept down to rest over his own slightly mounded belly. "I'm still not used to the concept, okay? Not even after you and Strife. I expect that giving birth will drive home the reality, though, and I don't know why it took me so long to realize how I felt about you." He shrugged. "So sometimes I'm an ass."

Joxer relented, and sat back down again. "Don't feel too bad about not having snapped. I didn't know it right away either. Dite knew before either of us, and the Muses, and Bliss, and I think Cupid. It was the same way with Bliss and Accord."

"Am I the last person to be told everything?"

"Oh, come on. Look, you can't be all that shocked, or you'd have tossed a major league hissy fit back there at the Acropolis. If you think back you'll probably realize that you've sort of known in the back of your mind--you just didn't want to face it because... Well, it is a little more complicated than most relationships Accord could have gotten into. Think, Ar. Who have either of them spent more time with than each other? They've grown up together, been best friends since... Since I was carrying him. You know we used to joke about Bliss talking to him when he was still in my belly? I think that might not have been as far-fetched as we thought."

Ares said slowly, "It's a crush." But his voice lifted a touch at the end of the sentance, making it a question.

"It's possible, but I don't think so. Accord went through the whole hero-worship bit when he was younger."

"Maybe they'll outgrow it."

Joxer's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you want that?" Ares looked down. "Who would Accord be safer with than Bliss? Who would be better for Bliss than Accord? Give me examples." Ares sighed. "Ar, I know that it's going to be hard, but you're going to have to just take a step back and let what happens--happen. You've seen for yourself how much pain can be caused when a parent tries to dictate their child's love life. If you need a reminder, just remember how I got rid of Demeter." Ares winced. "Exactly." He hugged Ares again. "We raised Accord to be a responsible and fairly sensible young man. And he is that--a young man. Very young, but he's not a little boy any more, and he has to start making his own choices. If he chooses Bliss... I think everyone involved could do a whole lot worse."

They were silent for a moment, then Ares said, "I was sort of looking forward to having 'The Talk' with him."

Joxer smiled. "After all the time he's spent hanging around the House of Love? And you know darn good and well that if he asked either of us anything but the most basic biologically functional questions we'd have dropped through the floor."

"No I wouldn't." *pause* "I'd have said I didn't have time, go ask your father, and left the room."

Joxer rolled his eyes. "Figures." They were quiet for a while longer, and Ares chuckled. "What?" "I was just thinking... I bet the Fates have been sweating rings under the arms of their togas, trying to decide whether or not they should spill the beans about this situation..."