Well. Where the hell was I now? It was a small room, somewhat sparsely appointed, but comfortable. The carpet beneath me was dark blue, thick and soft. A fire crackled reassuringly in the fireplace in one corner. But the centerpiece of the room was a low, wide bed with a fuzzy-looking blanket.

And Strife, in a loose linen smock (black, though. Duh!), sprawled on the bed. He looked almost lazy, but for the intent way he was gazing at me.

"Hey," I said. "What the fuck was all that about back there?"

He smirked. "That was the squeaky wheel getting the grease."

I raised a single quizzical eyebrow at him... a gesture I'd been trying to perfect for MONTHS.

"It's, like, standard. Ares spends a lot of time with me, Discord feels ignored and does something bratty, he focuses on her for a while." He rolled over onto his belly, crossing his arms. "Starting with punishing her for whatever obnoxious thing she did do get his attention. They've been at it for weeks, and I don't think they're gonna come up for air anything soon." He kicked his legs aimlessly in the air. "Don't feel particularly ignored. He's been blowing me off too."

"Ah-HAH. So that's why you've been visiting me so often this month."

Before the words had finished leaving my mouth I knew I'd said the wrong damn thing. Strife's face changed... his eyes narrowed, and his whole expression hardened. Fuck fuck fuck.... I'd done this to myself, let myself forget that I was, after all, talking to a god. They don't act like humans, can't be expected to, and whatever happened next, I deserved, for not keeping that in mind.

He was on his feet before I knew it, and grabbed my arms, his fingers digging into my flesh with so much force that I was afraid he'd snap my bones. I didn't, couldn't, move. I think I tried to say something, but no sound came out. He pushed me down onto the bed, straddling me. I could feel his hard cock grinding against my belly through the thin shirt he wore. He was still staring down at me with that hard, cold look.

"Is that why I've been coming to see you." It was almost a snarl.

Then he kissed me. It wasn't anything like Ares' kisses, confident and possessive. He kissed me like I was air and he was drowning, his tongue probing every particle of my mouth as if he were memorizing its contours.

By the time he pulled back, I was gasping for breath. He hadn't loosened his grip on my arms, and my hands were starting to go numb. I was afraid to look at him.

"Is that why," he muttered into my ear. He scraped his teeth down the side of my neck, not exactly hard, but fiercely. I think I was trembling. He let go of my arms, but I didn't move. He pulled off the smock thing he was wearing. I wondered inanely why he didn't just vanish it.

He cupped my chin in one hand, forcing me to look at him. I expected him to say something, but he only stared at me. He slid his other hand up between my legs. He touched me so gently, and I wasn't expecting that, couldn't understand why he was handling me like a porcelain statue when my arms still throbbed from the rough way he'd grabbed me and thrown me down. Even though my brain was frozen, my body responded of its own accord, and his light touch was maddening.

"Just FUCK me," I choked out.

He grinned down at me. I was suddenly afraid that I'd just guaranteed myself a few hours of being teased, but a heartbeat later he drove the length of his prick inside me in a single, smooth motion. His eyes never left my face. I pushed up against him, trying to get him to fuck me harder, needing it hard.

Still that maddening grin. "You want it, huh?" He laid down flat on top of me, pressing his face against my neck. "You want me to fuck you, huh?"

And then, yes, finally, he was fucking me, slamming it to me as hard as I could want, and I was shoving back up against him, rising off the bed to meet each thrust, and I was gripping his ass, groaning out with deep, wordless cries that I knew would leave my throat raw…

It seemed to last forever, but it was probably over pretty quickly. I lay back, panting and exhausted. Strife rolled onto his side. He ran his index finger down the length of my nose.

"The stuff you…acquired… is in your bag, by the fireplace." The light, casual tone of his voice didn't match the intent way he was looking at me. "I'll take you back to Athens in the morning, unless you think you can fence the stuff for more somewhere else." He chuckled, starting to sound a little more like himself. "Maybe I'll even help ya spend the money. But for now, why don't you get some sleep."