Title: Raising Mischief - Morning
Fandom: Hercules The Legendary Journeys/Xena Warrior Princess
Characters: Strife
Prompt: #098 Writers Choice - Morning
Word Count: 678
Rating: PG13
Summary: The next morning
Author's Notes: 18th in the series.
Big Damn Table

Anteros was the first to wake the feeling of eyes on him. He cracked one eye open and realized he wasn't the first to wake. Persephone and Erin were staring at him. Erin with a mischievous glint in his eye. Looking at the god and at the Ares doll tucked under his arm he waved his hand.

He could feel the tingle of the child's power on him centering near his head but he wasn't sure what Erin had done.

"Erin," Ares growled waking at the short burst of power. "Did you make snacks in bed again?"

"No unc," Erin said crawling over Anteros' knees to get a morning hug. Anteros sat up wondering what the boy had done when he turned to him and opened his arms. "Hug?"

"Sure squirt," the young god said easily. His hand drifting to his hair, it seemed to be the same texture and length so he still wasn't sure what Erin had done. He glanced at his father as Erin pulled away from the hug and Ares raised a brow at him.

"Interesting look you have there," Ares said simply and Anteros conjured up a mirror. His hair was the exact color of his wings or to be correct colors of his wings as they varied in hue from blue to purple and now so did his hair.

His jaw dropped, and he just stared at Erin and Persephone who both smiled.

Ace chose that moment to wake up and the boy took one look at Anteros and clapped.

"Pretty!" He then turned to Ares. "Breakfast?"

"Sure squirt, baths firs," Ares said tucking the child under one arm and grabbing Erin under the other. "Coming you two?"

"I don't want to get my feathers wet right now I'll just zap myself clean."

"Persephone?"

"Come on we have ducks!" Erin said as if this was the greatest thing in the world. Apparently it was enough because she slid out of the bed and ran after them.

Ares watched with good humor as the children stripped down and dived into the bubble filled water before he joined them. This he felt was one of his best signs of achievement with Erin. The boy now loved baths.

Ares had started small. Having Erin stand by the door as he bathed, then handing him items, a foot in the bath here and there. Finally it had been Erin himself who had asked to join his uncle in a bath.

Ares kept a close eye on the children splashing around in the tub, noting that Persephone acted more like a child the longer she was away from her mother.

Halfway through the bath Anteros popped his head into the room a honeyed roll in his hand.

"Hermes just popped in, class is cancelled, and Zeus sent you this," Anteros said approaching the tub and getting hit between the eyes with a handful of bubbles. Wiping his face he was able to see just in time to get hit with a second.

Ares laughed at his son as he exited the bath taking the scroll. "Keep an eye on them for a few minutes."

When Ares returned Anteros previous wish not to get his wings wet was gone and forgotten as he flung suds at the children already drenched in water. He leaned against the door arms crossed and waited.

Erin spotted him first and attempted to throw a handful of suds at him. It fell short by a few feet and the child pouted.

"We'll work on your throw when I get back. Anteros are you busy?"

"I have a few things to do tonight but I'm free right now," he said ignoring the fact that Ace was using his distraction to pelt him with suds.

"Alright there's a small skirmish near our borders between opposing bandit factions father wants squashed. He doesn't want to lose some whor…er company he has living there."

"Of course. Don't worry we'll have breakfast and find something to do."

"Good, I should be back by midday," Ares said flashing out.