By kirasmommy

Disclaimer: I don't own them, I don't make any money off this. Okay very little angst (I just don't do angst well ) and it's a h/c story, Cupid isn't very happy with me. come to think of it Strife isn't very happy with me either. Hey I promised them I will write about their date next time and then they can have fun, they should give me a break. I didn't name which fury because I figured we could use our imagination (plus I couldn't think of one and I can't find my mythological dictionary) Hey there's some bad language and () is for translations and* * is for thoughts. I think that about covers it. Let me know what you think!

Part 1

Strife was bored he needed a new project. His job of course is to cause strife and that doesn't mean he has to confine it to mortals. Mortals, Demigods, Gods, Goddesses it doesn't matter he's an equal opportunity troublemaker. And to top it all off everyone had been called to Olympus for some celebration, a birthday or something. He would have ducked out but that would have been pushing it. You don't say no to the king of the Gods. Strife looked across the table and saw Cupid sitting with his mom. They were discussing love in general, Strife rolled his eyes *goody two shoes*. He looked around *maybe I can find something to stir things up that won't get me into too much trouble* He looked at Ares *Not a good idea ever* He looked at Apollo *typical pretty boy but he could still break me in half* He looked at Hera *Someday but not today* The prospects didn't look promising.

Strife heard a sound from the table and turned back around in his seat. Cupid had taken his quiver off his back to get more comfortable and put it on the table. Strife looked at the arrows *now there's an idea* He glanced around for a diversion but he needn't bother when one of the muses asked Cupid to dance and Aphrodite also left the table to dance with Hep. He stood up and walked around the table looking for all intents and purposes as though he was mearly wandering around and then when he got in front of the quiver he grabbed it and hurried to the nearest exit.

Cupid saw a flurry of movement and looked over to see what it was, He saw Strife leaving and wondered *what's that sneaky bastard up to now* he glanced at his table to see if his mom was there and saw that she wasn't he was going to ask her if she had any idea what he was up to but as he was looking at the table he also noticed that his arrows were gone *Oh damn, damn, damn, damn, double triple damn* He turned to the muse and said "Excuse me" and ran out the door after the other god.

He about caught up to Strife in the corridor when Strife realize he had been caught *Shit it's starting to get to the point where I can't get away with anything what's wrong with me have I lost my touch?* He started to run and Cupid tackled him.

While Cupid looked like he would be heavier because of him being more muscular the truth is the opposite as his bones are actually hollow like that of a bird and they ended up wrestling on the floor Strife was about to get the upperhand when all of a sudden he stopped struggling and froze. Cupid stood up and looked down at him. "Hey dude you okay?"

Strife looked up at him and gulped, "No, yes, I don't know" *He has beautiful eyes......Oh no! no no no I can't believe this*

Cupid picked up his quiver and looked at it thinking *geez what's his problem?* He made an automatic inventory of his arrows *20,21,22, ....huh I'm missing three arrows.* He looked down at Strife who was staring at him as though he had just discovered the most wonderful work of art ever made. *UH OH* "You were just hit with all 3 arrows weren't you"

"Yes..." Strife whispered and blushed slightly as he stood up.

"And now you ... have ... feelings for ... me right?"

Strife looked away, looked back, looked away, and then nodded. *Just what I don't need too. To think I should end up in love with a goody two shoe like him*

Cupid thought to himself *This isn't good, I need to talk to Mom* "Stay..." But before he could say stay here I'll be right back Strife had disappeared in a flash of light.

Cupid ran a hand over his face, *Oh this is NOT good, damn double damn triple damn....* by the time he walked back into the main room he had come up with *damnity damn damn to nth power*

Aphrodite saw the storm brewing on her son's face and came over "What's wrong hon?"

"Not here, I can't tell you here."

"Well we can go to my temple if you like," she said giving a peck to Hep's mouth. "Come on."

Her temple wasn't too far and she laid down on the couch and waited for her son to stop pacing. "Well kiddo what's wrong don't ruin my rugs."

"You are not going to believe this and if you do you are going to laugh." He stated taking a swig of wine.

"I will not laugh I promise." She said trying to prepare herself for goodness knew what.

"Strife fell on my arrows and is in love with me." He said in a rush.

Aphrodite blinked. she blinked again, one corner of her mouth went up then went back down and it looked like her breath was hitching. The other corner of her mouth went up then down. she covered her eyes hoping that would help.

Cupid watched this and thought *Well at least she's trying, she might as well stop torturing herself* "Mom let it out, laugh before you hurt yourself"

She said "Thanks," and bust out laughing. She laughed and apologized at the same time "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Finally she felt better, "Well silly, why don't you just reverse it?"

He looked down at his feet and took a breath before looking back up at her. "I can't"

"Why not?"

"One arrow I can reverse with ease, No problem. TWO arrows makes the love forever and can't be reversed."

"Oh so he got hit with 2 arrows huh?"

"Worse he got hit with 3 arrows!!!!"

"What does 3 arrows do?"

He sat down and rubbed his face again, "You aren't going to like it."

"What do three arrows do?" she said getting serious.

"Three arrows ... Well you've heard about love eternal and how sometimes people supposively die of a broken heart and all that."

"Yeah" she said suspicious.

"Well three arrows does that."

"Oh shit!"

"Mom!"

"Sorry but it took me by surprise is all ... What's going to happen to him?"

"I don't know ... but it can't be good."

"Well you know Strife, out of sight out of mind, stay out of his way maybe that will help."

"I don't think so but I really don't need to deal with his problems now, I've got enough of my own."

"That fury hussy still chasing you?"

"Yeah."

Aphrodite chuckled "stay out of her sight too, I've got to go back to the party now why don't you just go on home."

He nodded.

Part 2

Ares was getting concerned his nephew was getting thinner the last few months and looked miserable. His usual pranks on mankind and godkind were not what they used to be. It used to be that they were annoying or caused ... well strife ... but now they were more cruel and petty than usual almost spiteful and sullen and even that was tapering off to the point where he wasn't doing anything. He wouldn't eat and he wouldn't talk about what was bothering him, He even had nerve enough to yell at Ares. Now that took balls. It was almost like he had a death wish. Ares sat down across from Strife. "You know I've started a new war you want to help out?" *He used to like doing that*

"No, I couldn't care less." *Just go away or kill me just put me out of my misery*

"Why don't you come along anyway? Have some fun for a change." *Come on I'm really starting to worry*

"No." Strife left in a flash leaving Ares alone in the room.

He talked to the air "Well that went well."

Cupid had problems of his own, that fury he was so worried about was past being amused by his lack of attention, now she was on to pissed and as they say 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' well imagine hell having no fury like a fury scorned. He was in constant hiding now, and the fury had hired others to help her capture him. They caught him as he was coming out of a temple. A sharp blow to the head and he was out.

When he came to he had no idea were he was. His shackles were glowing in the dim light. He wouldn't be escaping anytime soon.

The fury came in. "You should have went out with me when I asked."

"Wanna go out, my treat."

She hit him across the face, and through the white pain he heard a distant twang, When his vision cleared he saw she held a piece of metel in her hand.

"You know I sense that you're not happy."

This time the metal hit home on his ribs. Hollow bones breaking easily. *Shut up you're making it worse ... idiot I'm an idiot I should have taken this up with Zeus a long time ago.*

"You know the wonderful thing about torturing a god?" She asked evilly.

"What?" Not really wanting to know.

"Their wounds heal fast even near fatal ones and sometimes even the fatal ones." She smiled again. "And then you can start alllll over again."

He closed his eyes *Oh I'm in trouble* further thought was made impossible as she broke more bones and he finally passed out.

ELSEWHERE

Strife was pacing, his stomach fluttered and he felt sick. He couldn't stay still for too long. He left his home and went up to Olympus unable to stand it anymore. His hands shook as he hurried to Aphrodite's temple. When she saw him she was torn between being annoyed and sympathetic. "If you're looking for Cupid he's not here and I haven't seen him."

"Really? Look ... something ... is really really wrong, I think he's in trouble."

"Why do you say that?" A little worried.

"I don't know ... just a feeling."

She smiled "You are just feeling the effects of the arrows, I'm sorry I can't help you." She shut the door.

He laid his head on the door jamb. "She's most likely right," he said to himself and returned home.

He didn't leave his home for the next two days. When Ares found him he found Strife twirling a knife like a baton. *No, I refuse to believe it* Ares thought as he took the knife "What is wrong with you? You don't eat you have stopped even doing the amount of work you were doing and now I find you with a knife?"

"It doesn't matter does it?"

"Yes damn it, It does matter!"

"Whether I kill myself with a knife or wait, I will die soon anyway."

"WHAT?!?! Are you sick? What's wrong? Is that why you don't eat? You're sick." Ares came over and sat next to Strife grabbing his shoulder feeling bone under his hand.

"Unk I really don't want to talk about this..."

"Tough we are talking, now what's all this about?"

Strife groaned. "Unk have you ever heard of dying of a broken heart, or dying from unrequited love?"

"Yeah in ballads mostly."

"Well guess what, those ballads are based on truth, you can die of those and that is what is happeining to me."

"Why don't you start at the begining."

Strife told him everything including about feeling that Cupid was in danger.

He stroked his beard "hmm that's tough, but I think you're going about this the wrong way."

"What?"

" If you really love him go after him." Ares shrugged.

"Yeah right." Strife said sarcastically.

"Yeah and further more I think you're right he's in trouble, he hasn't been seen in about three days."

"He hasn't!" Strife jumped up and started pacing. "Does he have enemies?"

"Yeah recently he has pissed a fury off and she's been missing for about three days too."

"Wha... wha what should I do?" He said looking for his boots.

"Well I think it's obvious ... go rescue him."

Strife nodded and flash he was gone.

It took another day to find Cupid. Luckily the fury had left to go see her sisters. Strife entered the dim cell and his heart stopped. "Oh no no no I'm too late." He rushed over and nearly cried with relief when he felt Cupid move in his arms.

Cupid looked up and spoke from busted lips "Wha u doin heh?"(what are you doing here)

"Oh darling I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." He bent down and kissed his brow.

Cupid closed his eyes and leaned into him. "Geh me ou o heh peas." (Get me out of here please)

"Oh course." But Strife couldn't break the bonds so he pulled them out of the wall. He gathered Cupid up in his arms and looked down at him. even his wings had been broken and at one point the bitch had apparently pulled his feathers out.

*I have to get these shackles off him they are leeching his powers, I know I'll take him to his mom's boyfriend, he's a blacksmith*

When the blacksmith saw them he immediatly ran for his tools.

Unfortunately Aphrodite was there too and screamed "NO what's happened to him who did this?" She started stroking his head while Strife held the bonds to keep the extra weight off his delicate body while Hep cut the bonds with special tools.

"fuy di i." (fury did it)

"What?" she said unable to understand him.

Strife looked down and said "He said a fury did it."

"That bitch I'll kill her!!!"

"Don't bother, Let me handle her." Strife said in a growl. Cupid looked up, *Oh Gods and Goddess' look at him, he looks terrible too ... I did that to him ... I did that by ignoring him ... and he still came to save me*

Cupid reached up and took Strife's hand, "tank ou or avin e"(thank you for saving me)

Strife stood for a second silently translating what he said then frowned, "I should have come sooner."

Cupid thought *well he can really say all the right things that's for sure* he smiled or tried to "ey anna o ou ome ime?." (Hey wanna go out sometime?)

Strife thought real hard and finally understood what he had said and smiled "Can we go out to eat?"

"ure!"(sure)

A certain fury found life suddenly filled will stress as strife started tearing apart her life. Her life became like an old spartan song in a way. Lost her home, lost her dog, lost her new man, got kicked out of the furies club, and finally stripped of her powers. Tough, she deserved it!!

THE END

E-mail the author at kira@q-com.com