Chapter Text
Happy Birthday Joxie
by Caliadragon
Joxer sighed and shifted onto his side trying to get comfortable. Now seven months pregnant, he was having more difficulty getting around and getting comfortable. The fact that he was extremely bored didn't help things any. He sighed again and wished for the hundreth time that day that he hadn't tried to go see Xena and Gabby earlier in the week.
A flash and sparkle of reg and gold brought him out of his thoughts and he turned to see his bestfriend appear. Dite took one look at Joxer and growled. "Joxie, why are you chained up?" She asked shocked.
Joxer sighed and blushed. "I tried to go see the girls a few days ago. Ares and Apollo didn't like it so they chained me up. Heph gave them the chains." Joxer told her pouting slightly. "I'm bored Dite! i just wanted to spend sometime with them before my birthday."
Dite growled. Her nephews were idiots! Possessive idiots at that. Of course Joxie was bored. No one was allowing him or strife to do anything. Since they were the first male pregnancy's in over two millinea everyone hd gone into overprotective mode. Even Zeus, now that they had broken the spell that Hectate had placed on him in one of her bad moments. Zeus was the man he was when he saved them all from the Titans so long agao.
Dite sighed again. She really should have suspected this would happen. After all Cupid had done the samething to Strife not a month ago. And wasn't it just frightening to think that Ares was following his sons example, not the other way around.
Turning her attention back to Joxer she shook her head over the image he made. Ares and Apollo had a thing for leather and long hair. Joxie couldn't wear leather comfortably, so they got the long hair. It fell in a light pool around his shoulders. It was held off his face with a gold circlet that bore the emblems of both his husbands houses. In the middle was the symbol of his godhood. His dark eyes shone with an inner light and he looked so cute with his lip stuck out in a pout. Deciding that enough was enough she summoned Heph to her.
At that moment Heph was actually with Ares and Apollo. "Dite's calling me. I think she found Joxer." The three gods shifted nervously and looked away. "She sounds pissed." Heph told them when another call cae through their link.
"We'd better go face her together. Maybe Joxer will keep her from hurting us to bad." Apollo said hopefully. Both of his brothers snorted at that. Joxer was more likely to help her inflict pain after the chains were removed.
When they appeared, both Joxer and Dite grinned evilly. While the three men were debating facing Dite, Dite had called in reinfocments. All three men gulped when they were faced with not only Dite and Joxer but Hestia, Hectate, Eris and Hera as well.
The three wondered if it would be to late to disapppear. From the looks on their mates, mother and aunts faces it seemed highly unlikly. "Boys what exaclty were you thinking?" Hestia asked sternly.
The three gods had to resist the urge to squirm like naughty boys. Aunt Hestia was so good at being stern. "He was going to go to Xena." Ares growled. He was war damnit. He wasn't supose to be scared of a pregnant god and a buch of goddesses. On the other hand as War he knew when he was out numbered and in deep shit. Like right now.
Hestia raised an eyebrow. "So you decided that the your husband the one you promised to cherish and protect should be chained up instead of visiting your daughter?" she asked sternly.
"If I didn't cherish him I wouldn't have chained him up!" Ares bellowed suddenly. "Its to dangerous. Xena was in the middle of a war zone. Do you know what could have happened? I wasn't going to take a chance of him being hurt. I don't care if it does make everyone angry. He's mine and no one hurts whats mine!" Fire flickered in the volitile gods eyes.
Apollo stood beside his brother in support. "He could have been injured or been taken by someone. We're not going to let that happen." Apollo's voice was cold and calm. Heph decided to continue to throw his lot in with his brothers and stepped between them to indicate his support.
"I just wanted to spend some time with them before my birthday. I do know how to do a time buble spell you know." He told his husbands, then looked away. They were never going to treat him like an equal. He sighed and looked down at his stomach sadly. Was he only a bed warmer and a baby factory to them?
"Perhaps you did only wish to protect him, but in the end you showed him no respect. That was not only foolish, but an on going theme with the two of you recently. I think we should take Joxer away from you the way we had to take Strife away from Cupid." Hera said quietly.
It was definalty the wrong thing to say. the next thing the goddesses knew they were expelled from the temple and a barrier had been erected that none of them could get through. "Mommy!" Harmony cried as she suddenly appeared beside them. On the other side of her was Ate and several other female goddesses.
"All the guys just disappeared and we can't get back into the temple." Ate growled. She had to figure that the women had found out about Joxer and had threatened to take him away. "You threatened to take Joxer away didn't you?" Ate asked them.
When Hera nodded Ate crossed her arms and scowled. "Great now how are we going to finish getting Joxie's party finished? Daddy and Uncle Apollo won't let a female within a hundred yards of that the temple now." Harmony pouted.
"Party?" Eris asked confussed.
"Yeah Daddy and Uncle Pol are planning a sirprise party for Joxie to make up for him not getting to go spend time with Xena and Gabby." Harmony giggled. "Daddy said Joxie was a little upset with him cause they used the chains to keep him in the temple."
Eris groaned. "Man did we blow it." she groused.
Joxer stared in shock as Hera said she was going to take him away from Ares and Apollo. Before he even realized it he had expelled every woman in the temple and erected a barrier. The male gods in the temple all suddenly appeared in the main room.
Phobos looked over at his dad with a raised eyebrow. "Pop was that you?" he asked. When Ares shook his head everyone looked over at Cupid. The Love god was holding his largly pregnant husband against his left side and his son against his right.
"It wasn't me, but it was a good idea. I felt the hags arrive." Cupid growled. He still hadn't forgiven them for taking Strife from him. He wasn't even speaking to his Mother or Eris.
The gods all winced at the anger in Cupid's voice. Strife snuggled deeper into his husbands arms and grinned up at him. If he had ever doubted Cupid's feelings for him, his doubts were quelled by Cupid's full out asault on the goddesses that got between the pair.
Apollo was watching his young spouse. Joxer looked extremely upset and exhausted suddenly. He stepped away from his brothers and walked to his husband. He was pleased and surprised when Joxer burrowed into his arms. "I only wanted them to get you to take the chains off. I didn't think they'd try to take me away after what Cupid did to their temples." Joxer said in a small, weak voice.
Apollo just kissed him gently and removed the chains. Joxer sighed in relief and snuggled closer to Apollo. He hated being chained up it always made him feel helpless. Now though all he could think of was how nice it was to be held by his love. "Joxer?"
"Hmm?"
"Did you throw them out of the temple?" Apollo's words froze everyone. As did Joxer's response.
"Yes, not going. They can't make me. Sick Gabby and Auto on them." Joxer murmured before falling asleep. Ares' laughter filled the temple. Afew minutes later the barrier fell. Ate and Harmony immediately came back to them.
"Ah Joxie's all worn out. You should put him to bed Daddy." Harmony said laughter in her voice. The gods all grinned. The Goddess of Innocent Pleasures always managed to lighten the mood around her.
end