Corrupted Love

Jos stared down at the man beside her. A sour scowl blemished his hauntingly beautiful features. "Are you referring to your wife… or Hera?"

A sardonic smile curved Hypnos' lips as held her gaze and licked the tear from his finger. "Perhaps you're more perceptive than I've given you credit little sparrow." He lifted, resting his weight on one hand against the bed, and caressed her face. He leaned in, leaving only mere inches between their faces. "Perhaps I shall show you."

"Show me what?" Jos murmured, not backing down.

His lips curled into a seductive smile as he leaned even closer and slid the hand that had been caressing her face around the back of her neck. "Perhaps I should show you…" His cool breath tickled her lips. "You see seduction feeds desire, and desire nurtures love…" He leaned in more, hovering his lips over hers. Her soft gasp caused his smile to widen. At the last second, he shifted his lips to her cheek. He placed a lingering kiss there before brushing his lips across her cheek, stopping directly beside her ear. He placed another light kiss there, letting the curve of his tongue tease the tip of her earlobe as he whispered, "It is incredibly difficult to differentiate between the three once the physical stimulus has been introduced."

Jos pressed her palms against his bare chest, pushing him away. "So, what you're trying to say is you were seduced into thinking you were in love with Hera… by Hera?"

His eyes narrowed giving his smile a wicked twist as he clasped his hands over hers. "You are correct. Before you judge, you should understand how easily it is to be seduced. Though I'm sure you have some inkling already." He sent her a wink as he slid her hands across his chest. He guided one around his neck and brought the other to his mouth. He nipped her fingertip before sucking it into his mouth.

Jos's brows furrowed as she tugged her hands from him and pressed them against his chest once again. "I believe you're forgetting one thing in your attempts."

He grinned as he dragged her hands lower, across the smooth velvet of the muscle of his abdomen. "And what is that?"

It was Jos's turn to narrow her eyes. She pulled her hands away again and, this time gave him a firm push causing him to fall backward onto the bed. She wasn't surprised when he caught her hands and tugged her down with him. She threw a leg over his waist and straddled him. "You forget that I already know this is just an act, that you're not going to do anything." A chuckle rumbled through his chest rattling her body as well.

In a blink of an eye, he'd reversed their positions. He gripped both her wrists tightly, his taunting, mesmerizing gaze pinning her to the bed. "I hate to disappoint you, little sparrow, by you gravely misread the situation. I do not merely tease you out of boredom… nor did I release you because your offer was unflattering…" A delightfully devious grin curved his lips. "No… quite the opposite…" His vivid violet eyes shut as he bent down to press his lips to hers, but to his surprise and disappointment, his lips only met the fine satin of his sheets. He groaned as he collapsed onto the empty bed. A smile curved his lips as he stared up at the shimmering ceiling of his cavernous home. He didn't fight against the laughter that rumbled through his chest. "You are a fun one to tease, little sparrow…"

Jos woke with a gasp. A large hand rested against her shoulder lightly. She involuntarily jerked away.

"Kitten?" Arei searched her, worry heavy in his eyes. "Are you alright?"

Jos swallowed hard, forcing her heart rate to return to normal. She slowly nodded as she adjusted her clothes. "I… was having a… dream…"

His brows furrowed. "Apparently not so good of one…"

Jos cleared her throat as she looked away, guilt heavy in her chest. She clasped her opposite arm and rubbed it unconsciously as she struggled for a replay, but Arei saved her the trouble in the end.

"The girls are back. We can say our goodbyes and get going… That is… if you've decided to come back home with me…"

Jos forced down the growing lump in her throat as she turned her attention back to him. She bit into her lower lip, pulling the full swell of it into her mouth and sucking on it. With a heavy sigh and a resolved nod, she found herself being pulled forward and tightly squeezed against his chest. She pressed her palms against his chest but, as guilt build once again, found herself balling her hands into fists. She pressed her face into the fabric of his shirt and breathed deeply of his sent. "Arei…" She whispered his name almost inaudibly, but he heard her still.

Arei held her away from him slightly, the relief of seconds ago rapidly turning to worry once again. "What is it, kitten?"

She squeezed her eyes tightly closed and pressed her face against his chest. "No…nothing… I just missed saying your name…" She pressed away from him and forced a smile. "Take me home, please."

He smiled back at her before lowering his lips to hers. He savored the sweet taste of her lips for several lingering seconds before finally releasing her. He stood and tugged her to her feet. "I can't tell you how much I've missed hearing you say my name. Let's go, kitten."

He had nearly dragged her all the way to the front door when she tugged him to a stop. "Wait, we have to tell Chary and Scylla goodbye."

He glanced over her shoulder. He arched a brow in thought. "Ah, they'll figure it out, besides we'll see them soon enough. I figure dad will make a big deal out of celebrations for our dear puppy prince." He began moving toward the door once again, but she dug her heels in. His brows furrowed as he glanced down at her. "What is it kitten?"

She chewed her lip. "Um… You are still going to finish telling me the story from back then on the way… aren't you?"

Arei chuckled as he blew out a sigh of relief. "You had me worried for a minute. I thought you'd already changed your mind…" He turned and brushed back her hair. "Of course, kitten. I'll tell you every last detail that I can remember."

She frowned. "Even the details you aren't particularly fond of?"

The corner of his lips perked. "Every last detail. You can verify them with Chary later, though I promise I'll be able to provide far greater details than she could."

Jos nodded as she let him continue leading her from the large home. They were silent most of the drive to the airport until a thought crossed her mind. She studied Arei as she debated on whether she should ask or not. Finally, curiosity won out. "Arei…"

He gave her a reassuring grin as he met her gaze with the corners of his eyes. "What is it?"

She chewed her lip as she fumbled with the fabric of her skirt. "Um… So… What job… or punishments will await me this time?"

Arei's smile faded. He thought over her question for a long while before finally blowing out a heavy sigh. "I'm not sure…" He reached over and took her hand, stopping her fidgeting. "I wish I had better answers for you… but right now I'm just as in the dark as you are. Triton is set on his response, and dad will hold his decision in high regard… but…" He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I don't think he'll try to punish you more for what you did… It was his idea to send you in the first place. He really can't hold that against you."

Jos let out a troubled sigh. "Yeah, but I don't think he expected me to mess up so quickly…"

He clasped her hand and brought it to his lips and placed a light kiss on her knuckles. "Don't worry too much about it. Worst case scenario, things will go back to the way they were before you left."

Jos frowned as she turned her attention out the car window. "Yeah… that's what I'm afraid of…"

Arei's smile faded. He carefully released her hand back into her lap. "I'm sorry… I wish things could be different for you… that I could be different for you…"

Jos sighed as she rested her head against the window. "It's not your fault… had I been born differently then surely things would be better now… I can't hold that against you…"

Arei was quiet for several long minutes, stealing glances when he could until he finally whispered. "You're the only one who thinks you should change… I love you just as you are…"

Jos scoffed. "No one in this world could ever possibly mean that…"

Arei frowned as he slowed the car. His hands tightened on the stirring wheel as he drew in and let out a deep breath. "Jos… If you told me you wanted to burn down the world, I wouldn't question you. I'd simply light the match and ask you where you'd like to start… I love you. There is no condition or requirement to that love."

"You say that while setting limitations…" She didn't bother turning to face him, instead, keeping her focus on the passing landscape.

"Jos, you're kicking a dead horse here. I've already given you perfectly good reasons and by the time I finish telling you the rest of that story Chary started, you won't need any other reasons." He rolled his stiff neck from side to side against the headrest of the car. "Beside… I've said I'm willing to… consider kids… once things are stable… I don't know what else I could possibly promise you. Do you want to open an orphanage? Fine… Hell, puppy palace is half one already."

"You'll never understand…" She murmured as she fought back the sting of tears.

Arei let out a heavy sigh. "Perhaps I won't… but I'm willing to try… as long as you're equally willing to try seeing my side of things." He paused for a few seconds before adding. "As of now… I don't feel like you have… not really."

She finally turned her gaze to him, feeling the many raw emotions that were building behind her eyes reflect outward. "Fine… if you're so sure I'll understand… start the story."

Arei frowned. "I will as soon as we're on the plane. We'll be to the airport before I could even get good into it."

Jos's eyes narrowed. "Well then maybe you could answer some questions about the parts Chary has already told me." Tension built in her body as she waited for him to respond.

Arei finally nodded, not taking his eyes off the road. "Far enough. What are your questions."

There was no shortage of questions she had. Her brain had made a massive list as Chary spoke, but she hadn't dared interrupt. "Why had you and Athena been so convinced your plan was going to work? What had you planned to do with Zeus had your plan worked… Why go after Zeus in the first place? Surely you had to know there wouldn't be a win there… just like now… and all the times before. Was it because you guys had the support of some of the most powerful gods? Or were you blinded by your thirst for revenge… Did Triton ever forgive you? He still seems so angry all the time… it's hard to tell…"

Arei chuckled, a smile curving his lips as she involuntarily turned her body to face him as she sent out questions in rapid fire. He reached out and cupped her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Alright, I know I said to ask away… but slow down. One at a time… Let's see… Hum…" He thought over her questions. "Athena has always been an excellent strategist. The plan would have gone perfectly had she taken into account the unpredictable variables of the others involved. She'd assumed Hera would want the throne but hadn't counted on Apollo trying to fight her for it… Also, no one could have counted on Themis's interference… As to our motives? Athena and I were both driven by the children of Nyx… as was Hera…"

Jos frowned. "But I thought it was Hera who seduced and tricked Hypnos…"

Arei sent her a curious glance. "She did… but I wasn't referring to him either… The same forces drove her that drove us. She would have done anything to be free of him and his philandering ways. It was a huge source of embarrassment for her… still is…" He paused for a minute before continuing. "Let's see… As for what we planned to do with him? The goal was to seal him away for a time, but Themis had predicted a civil war among the gods if something were to happen to him. So, she stopped us. She left punishments up to Zeus, which was a nightmare for everyone involved and even some who were not…"

Jos's brows knitted. "Were you punished even though Poseidon sent you away before Zeus woke up?"

Arei nodded. "I was… We all were in our own way, and it didn't end there. The events of that night led to another argument among the gods. The civil war Themis had predicted happened in the form of the Trojan war. The gods took sides and forced the rest of us to follow suit."

Jos's eyes widened. "You fought in the Trojan war? I don't remember reading about it in your journals…" Her brows knitted as she thought back over what she'd read.

"That's because I didn't… I knew when to avoid leaving evidence behind…" His eyes found hers. "If you want to hear the entire, bloody story. I'll not spare you a single detail, but I'll warn you…" He shook his head to emphasize his words. "It was a long brutal battle. There really wasn't a clear win for either side… and…" He sent her a concerned glance. "A lot of the story involves your father…"