Spartans, Part 6

This popped into my head last night. Not sure if I'll continue on with it, or go a different direction that I've also been working on. Most likely, I'll mold the two together some how... Not smut, I swear!

Note: Arwan speaks “broken” Greek with the shop keeper, and Xander.

Spartans

The city was quiet, which in itself was kind of unusual. Training was going on in another part of town, but even the mid-morning market was particularly stoic. Arwan glanced around, almost nervous. No one had died…War wasn’t upon them. Why was it all so quiet?

“What’s the matter, dear?” The woman at the fruit stand caught his shifting look.

“Why so quiet?” Arwan asked. “No one die, right?”

She laughed, “No, no…just a quiet day, I guess. My husband may have said something about seeing some riders heading towards town, but it’s not like that would bring us any trouble. We are in Sparta, after all.” She laughed again, rather jovially.

Arwan nodded, continuing to fill his basket with fruit. He paid her with a few shinny coins, and went on his way. He wasn’t surprised to run into Helen who was sprinting away from home –obviously in some kind of a hurry.

“Arwan!” She grinned, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, spinning him around with her as she slowed down from her run. “You’re just who I’ve been looking for!”

“Oh?” Arwan raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Just so you know…there are riders coming towards town. They’re, well, they’re Persians. They’re nearly here. Sirius may be worried about you knowing them. He’ll want to see you before they get here.”

“Persia is a big place, Helen. I doubt that they are here for me,” Arwan shook his head. “But I have to go find your brother anyway. Even though the big doofus still isn’t talking to me.”

“He’ll get over it,” Helen shrugged. She hugged him again. “I best be off.” She kissed his cheek before continuing on her sprint.

Arwan continued with his morning shopping. The air was still eerily still, and it was making him uncomfortable. He did his morning routine as quickly as he could so he could go find Sirius and clear up and misconceptions they might have had.

“Oh, come to apologize have you?” Sirius looked up from where he was examining a broken sword hilt in the training encampment.

“No,” Arwan shook his head. “Helen told me there were Persian riders coming towards the city. She thought you might be concerned.”

Sirius looked up, raising an eyebrow, “Persian riders?”

“Yes.”

“Would they be here looking for you?” Sirius said the thing that was on everyone within earshot’s mind.

“I don’t think so,” Arwan shook his head. “As far as anyone knows, I’m dead. You well know I was the only survivor of that fight.”

“True enough,” Sirius nodded. “But that doesn’t mean there weren’t others. You hid pretty well, Arwan.”

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

Sirius shook his head, “If they’re here looking for you, they’ll have to come see me first. We’ll see what they want before we do anything about them.”

Arwan nodded. He paused for a moment to see if Sirius had anything more to say before turning to go. Sirius glanced up at his retreating figure, wanting to say more, but kept his mouth shut.

The group of four riders entered the town by mid-afternoon. They looked out of place, and obviously a little nervous. Sparta had its reputation for not being very open to visitors, which was true in a way. But Persian visitors had even more reason to be uncomfortable. Over five years ago, when their army had been desecrated by the Spartans. Since then, tension had remained high. The Persians recognized the Spartans as being more powerful, better organized, and unsympathetic. The Spartans had found the Persians to be sluggish, cowardly, and all-around low. It was easiest to say they didn’t get along together very well.

“What’s your business here?” The Ephors, the council of the King, were waiting to greet their visitors.

“I’m looking for my brother,” The sleek voice was surprisingly fluent. “I was told he might be here.”

“Oh really?” Xander, a very tall and regal looking man in his mid-thirties, spoke up. “And whom might your brother be?”

“His name is Arwan. He was in a battle against you five years ago. He never came home. But his body was never found either. The few survivors that made it back alive,” he spat, “said he was captured.”

“And even if your brother is here…what is your business with him.”

“Our parents have died. As well as our sister. He’s in for a large sum of money, as well as some land. I thought it would be appropriate for him to claim his inheritance, if he is still alive.”

The ephors turned to murmur together before Xander against addressed the newcomer, “Your brother is here, but we do not have the rights to allow you to him. You will have to seek out the warrior Sirius. He will be in the training barracks –but you cannot go there unaccompanied. Please, leave your horses to be fed and watered, and I will escort you to him. He will decide if you may see your brother.”

The men slid from their horses, and the bright-eyed Persian that had spoken, wasn’t shy about asking questions. “Who is this Sirius?”

“He is your brother’s master,” Xander explained. “Sirius saved him –Arwan will be the first to admit that.” He slid his eyes over to the strange man that walked beside him. “What is your name, Stranger?”

“My apologizes –I didn’t realize I hadn’t introduced myself,” The stranger shook his head. “I am Bast –my company is Atish, Cyrus, and Milad.” He introduced the bodies behind him, “I’m sorry –they don’t speak Greek. They simply came along for company, I’m afraid.”

“That’s alright. Your brother doesn’t really speak that much Greek either, but we’ve put up with him over the years.”

The walk was a short one. Sirius was surprised as the large group of foreigners, headed by Xander, that was headed towards him. He raised an eyebrow as they approached, setting aside the belt he had been working on repairing.

“What’s all this about, Xander?”

“This man,” he nodded towards Bast, “claims to be Arwan’s brother, Bast. He wishes to see him.”

Sirius tried not to show the panic that rose in his chest, on his face, “Oh really?”

“Yes,” Bast spoke for himself. “I realize my brother is a prisoner—“

“Your brother is not a prisoner,” Sirius stood up. “You know nothing of the life your brother has. You must be a younger brother, aren’t you?”

Bast looked taken aback, “Y-yes. But what does that have to do with anything?”

Sirius stepped closer, stabbing Bast in the chest with his finger, poking him backwards, “Your brother has never been my prisoner. I saved him from being killed by blood-thirsty soldiers from my own army. He is my servant, yes; my slave, yes; but never my prisoner.”

“Is there truly a difference?” Bast was not moved by Sirius’s speech. He turned his head away, ready, as Sirius lifted his hand to slap him. But Sirius stopped, shaking his head.

“You’re not worth the trouble,” he shook his head. “You can see Arwan if he has want to see you. But don’t cause any trouble. I will have no second thoughts about running you through.” Sirius’s hand went to the hilt of his sword on his hip for demonstration. “Xander –Arwan should be at home. You can take these visitors there… Keep an eye on them.”

“Of course, Sirius,” Xander nodded. “—Would you come this way then, please?”

Sirius watched their retreating forms. For the first time, he feel worry and fear creeping up into his chest. Two things that he hadn’t felt since he was a child.

“Xander?” Arwan opened the door to him. “Is Sirius all right?” A visit from a member of the Ephors was almost never good news. He looked up past Xander, into the faces of the Persians. His eyes widened and a grin opened on his face. “Bast!” He slipped through the door to hug his brother.

“I take it that he’ll see you,” Xander nodded. “Arwan –perhaps we could take this inside?”

“Ah, yes,” Arwan nodded, ushering them inside. “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to find you,” Bast took a chair in the sitting area of the room that Arwan led them into. “ I have some sad news for you.”

“Oh?”

“Mother and Father passed away almost a year ago. Sareh too.”

Arwan nodded, “Ah. I understand.”

“Then you understand that you’re coming into a large amount of their fortune, as well as a large piece of land. You are the oldest son, Arwan.”

Arwan shook his head, “My life is here now, Bast. I can’t go home. Even if I wanted to, Sirius would never let me.”

“How do you know, have you ever asked?”

“Why would I leave this place?” Arwan countered. “I have a life here now.”

“You’re a slave, what kind of life is that?”

“It’s my life,” Arwan shrugged. “Did you ever to stop to think that I may enjoy it? There have been many perks to being Sirius’s servant. I live in this house almost all alone, I get to go out of my own accord, I have friends. I have duties. I have a purpose.”

“You’re a wife,” Bast spat.

“Maybe I am,” Arwan shrugged. “Even if I am, what’s wrong with being a wife? Sirius is a good man –anyone would be honored to be his wife.”

“I didn’t come all of this way to fight with you, Arwan. I came back here to take you home, and that is just what I will do.”

“I can’t just leave,” Arwan shook his head. “I would need Sirius’s permission, and he would never allow it. I’m telling you that right now.”

“What about your inheritance.”

“I guess it’s yours now,” Arwan shrugged. “I’m in no position to claim it.”

“That’s a horrible thing to say, Arwan,” Atish spoke up. He had been listening to the brother’s quarrel with interest. He reached up to brush a lock of Arwan’s hair out of his face. “You should claim what is yours. This Sirius person seems like a good man –surely he would allow you time to mourn for your parents. Time to go home, and claim what is yours. You could come back.”

“People always want to go home again, Atish,” Arwan looked up at his old friend. “But there will always be something there that is holding them back. If I go home, I may not come back here. There are too many things there that are going to grab hold of me and keep me. I would rather not chance it.”

“Like what?” Atish prodded. “Bast is your only family left. Your wife left our city without child. She miscarried shortly after you left. All she could think of was how disappointed you would be when you got back…but when you didn’t return with the others, she disappeared.”

A pang twisted in Arwan’s stomach. When he had left to go to war, his wife Neema had been pregnant. He hadn’t thought much about her over the years since he had been gone. She had been a marriage of convenience. Arranged by their parents, and brought up closely together. They had been good friends but lousy lovers. She always thought he should expect more from her, and he found that she tried too hard to please him, when he just wanted her to be herself.

But in truth, Arwan had always preferred his male childhood friend to Neema. Atish’s soft words were always more helpful then hers. Even after they had both married, Atish’s marriage much more successful then his, he was surprised to find that they still had time for one another.

“What about you, Atish? If I go home, would you let me leave again?” Arwan looked up into his bright blue eyes.

“If it was what you really wanted,” Atish nodded. “I would let you go.”

“How charming,” Bast spat. “You two are just as queer as ever.”

Atish smiled, wrapping his arms around Arwan’s shoulders, “Ah, well, your brother was my first love, Bast. I may be married with five children, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love him any less then I did back then.” He pressed a kiss to Arwan’s cheek. Xander cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow.

Arwan reluctantly pushed Atish away from him, “Ah, Sirius would no like that, right Xander?”

“No, I don’t think he would,” Xander confirmed. “But I won’t tell him –so long as it doesn’t happen again.”

“Ach, what does the Spartan say?” Atish asked, scratching his forehead.

“Sirius is rather…overprotective. I don’t think he would like you touching me in such a way,” Arwan shook his head. “I’m sorry, Atish.”

Atish shrugged, “It can’t be helped.”

“So, you won’t come home?” Bast brought them back to the reason they had come all the way to Sparta. “Not for anything?”

“Brother, even if I wanted...”

“Is his heart made of ice?” Bast bit. “What harm is there in at least asking?”

“Sirius and I are…we’re not very cordial with one another right now. We’ve been arguing for the last couple of weeks. If I ask him now… Well, he’ll take the request the wrong way. You came at a bad time for us.”

“What are you? His lover?”

Arwan raised an eyebrow, “What if I was?”

“Then maybe it would be best if you didn’t come home,” Bast shook his head.

“You come all this way to ask him home, but when I tell you I may have a male lover you disown me? That’s a little critical don’t you think, Bast?”

“It isn’t that you have a male lover. It’s that you would choose him over your own family. I’ve known about your perchance for men since we were adolescents. Your marriage was always a kind of sham. I am not in the least bit surprised that you would have chosen a man to fall in love with.”

“Who said I was in love with him?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Sirius takes care of me. But he wants things I can’t give him.”

“But you love him.”

“Maybe I do. It’s complicated.”

“Everything is complicated in love and war. That is why they are so similar.”

“I wish love was as simple as war,” Arwan shook his head.

“I concur.”

The group turned to look at the voice in the doorway. No one had noticed Sirius arrive, and a blush crept up Arwan’s face, hoping he hadn’t heard too much of their conversation.

“Sirius, what are you doing here?”

“I was concerned,” Sirius stepped into the room. “Apparently I had good reason.” He put a hand on Arwan’s shoulder. “I am sorry, but Arwan can’t go with you.”

“Why not? You said yourself he isn’t a prisoner here.”

“Because I need him,” Sirius’s fingers tightened on Arwan’s shoulder. “Even if I were to let him go, I have no guarantee that he would come back. And I simply cannot live without him.”

“Are you really such a child?” Bast countered.

Sirius nodded, “I am. And just like a child, I don’t like to share. It’s never been something that I am particularly good at,” He gave a pointed look at Atish, sizing him up. “I respect that you have a past with Arwan –you’re his brother and his friends. However, that part of Arwan’s life is over now.”

“Sirius,” Arwan looked up at him, concerned.

Sirius shifted his eyes to look down at him, “Arwan, do you want to go home?”

Arwan shrugged, shaking his head, “There’s nothing there for me.

“The hell there isn’t!” Bast shouted. “What about me? What about Atish? Are you going to push him aside too?”

Arwan looked up at Atish’s hurt expression. Slowly, he lifted Sirius’s hand from his shoulder, and stepped closer to his best friend, “You know that I love you, Atish. But, you have a good family. You don’t need me anymore.” He turned to his brother, his eyes trying to hide his sadness. “Even if I came home to stay –I’ve always been weak. I don’t have a right to burden the rest of you. Life here is hard sometimes, but I can handle my duties. Starting a brand new life back in Persia… It’s not possible for me.”

“Then I came all of this way for nothing,” Bast shook his head. “I am sorry for wasting your time.”

“It was good to see you,” Arwan touched his arm. “All of you.”

Bast shrugged off Arwan’s hand, stepping towards Sirius, “You had best take care of him. If I find out he’s been hurt in anyway, I won’t think twice about coming back here and slaughtering you.”

Sirius gave him a curt nod, “I understand. Before you go…you’re welcome to stay and visit. My house is open to you for as long as you would all like to stay –if Arwan would like to see to guests that is.” He looked down at Arwan. “Would you like them to stay for a few days?”

Arwan nodded, turning to his brother and friends, “Please, you don’t have to leave so soon. You must be tired from travelling. Stay and rest for a day or two before you go back.”

“No,” Bast shook his head. “We were delayed on our journey here, so we should get back as quickly as possible. Arwan, if you change your mind, you know where to go.” He got up from his chair, and beckoned his compatriots to follow him.

Xander stretched, getting up from his chair once they were gone, “Well, that was certainly exciting. I had best go and return their horses to them. Sorry for all of this trouble Sirius.”

“No trouble, Xander,” Sirius shook his head. “Thank you for not killing them on site.”

Xander gave him a soft smile, patting Sirius’s cheek, “What can I say, I have a soft spot for the Persian boys myself.”

Sirius waited for the man to leave, closing the door to the house behind him. Once they were gone, his arms wrapped around Arwan’s waist from behind and his chin rested on the top of his head. The two stood in the quiet room in silence, Arwan lifting a hand to touch Sirius’s wrists at his waist.

Finally, Sirius spoke up, “I’m sorry for the strain between us lately. I don’t even remember what we were fighting about.”

Arwan shrugged, “It’s alright.”

“I want to make it up to you,” Sirius pressed his lips against Arwan’s neck. “Will you let me? Please, let me.” Arwan hummed, turning his face away from Sirus’s lips as he kissed his neck.

“Not right now. Perhaps later.” He reached up to touch the top of Sirius’s head. “It has been a trying day. And I’ve been distracted from my usual chores.”

“To hell with your chores,” Sirius shook his head. “Right now, I want to confirm that you’re all mine.” He turned Arwan around in his arms, tipping his face up to kiss him. “You may come willingly or I will resort to force. The choice is yours.”

“Sirius,” Arwan smiled, shaking his head. “You don’t need to force me to do anything for you.”

Point of View

A local art magazine (Volume One) is doing their annual fiction contest. This is the piece I am thinking about submitting, but I'm not quite sure about it yet. So far, people have liked it.

Point of View

The wind whistles outside and the door slams loudly behind me. I am late and he’s upset. I know because of the number of text messages and voicemails on my phone –which finally buzzes to life after I plug it in to charge. I half expect him to come racing down the stairs, frantic with worry. But he hasn’t.

His footsteps are calm as he comes down the stairs, ducking under the over-hang. I look up at him, silent. He’s not my keeper –I’m my own person. He can’t be mad at me just because I’m an hour or so later then I said I would be.

“Where’ve you been?” He finally says, crossing his arms over his chest, after getting comfortable on the couch. “I called. I texted.”

“I see,” I wiggle my charging phone at him. “My battery died. I would have called. You don’t need to worry about me all the time, you know.”

“But I do have to worry, damn it!”

He’s mad. It’s understandable. I’ve been late like this a lot lately. Once I had been in an accident, and now all he could do was fret. He was the type of guy who would lock the person he loved in a tower if he was able. And I guess I had somehow ended up being that person.

“Look, I have things to do. I can’t be exactly here you want, or think I should be all the time.” I shake my head. “I was at work and then I picked up some groceries. The bags are in the car.” I don’t mean that to come out as a challenge to my word, but it seems like it comes out at as one.

He sighs, “Do you see the weather out there?” He gets up from the couch, crossing the room. His hands feel heavy against my hips as he pressed his forehead against mine.

“It’s raining,” I say.

“Yeah. For all I know, you could have been struck by lightning or who knows what else.”

“Paranoid much?”

“I just care about you; why do you chastise me for that?”

“Because sometimes, I think you care too much,” I break his hold on me. His hands fall to his sides. I turn away from him. I can’t look at him anymore.

Now I’m mad. He’s so fucking clingy all of the time. He’s not controlling, but he’s got this habit of neediness. It pisses me off.

I stalk back to the kitchen and open the fridge. It’s kind of bare and I remember that all of the groceries I just bought are still out in the car. I sigh and the fridge creaks as I close it, shaking slightly on its base.

“You want help carrying that stuff in?”

His voice is soft now. He knows he made me mad. He’s not sure why, but he’s trying to make up for it. I’m not going to let him, though.

“I didn’t need your help getting it into the car, so why would I need your help getting it out?”

I try to ignore the wince at the corner of his eyes. He probably things I don’t notice that it hurts him, but I do. It was kind of the point of saying it.

“Okay,” he nods. “I get it. I’ll just go back to work then.” He turns around and I hold back my sigh. I’ve always thought he looked damn fine from behind. I don’t call him back. I don’t need him. I don’t like feeling like I need him.

The rain hurts as it pelts against my bare face. My hair flies into my eyes and I brush it away only to have it back where it was a moment later. My trunk is filled with plastic bags. I load up my arms with as many as possible so I don’t have to make two trips. I fail miserably and have to come back out for the gallon of milk.

I hear him walking around upstairs. He is probably pacing while on the phone with a client. We keep the floor between us for a couple of hours. After putting the groceries away, I putz around downstairs. I fold the laundry that has been sitting in the living room for the last two days. I watch a little television. I poke our little hamster awake and watch him zoom around the room in his purple ball.

I hear the door to his office open upstairs and I can hear him talking.

“Yeah, yeah. Well, we’ll deal with it tomorrow. I’m going to sign out for the night, man. It’s getting late…” His laugh is intoxicating. “That prolly means you deserve a break. –Yeah, have a nice night.” The phone beeps and a minute later, he is taking heavy steps down the stairs.

“Folding socks?” He ducks under the overhang again.

It’s a stupid question. He just wants to hear my voice. I don’t reply, just keep my eyes trained on the TV. My hands are busy with the folding. He sighs heavily when he sees that I won’t be responding to him. He sits on an empty portion of the couch and takes a pile of socks from me to help.

“Are you going to be mad at me all night?”

“I was never mad at you,” I lie. “You were mad at me.”

“Is it wrong for me to worry about you,” he asks. He tosses a mated pair to a basket across the room. It misses and rolls across the floor. It stops short of where our hamster has paused to wash is face. “I don’t get your attitude lately.”

“You’re fucking clingy and it drives me nuts –that’s my fucking attitude lately.”

“You don’t have to yell at me. I’m sitting right next to you.” His face is turning red and I don’t really understand why. I tend to be a little robotic when it comes to feelings. That’s why I don’t understand how I found such a great guy like him. Not when I’m just a soulless idiot. He deserves someone better. Someone who isn’t me.

He doesn’t agree with me though. When we fight, he tells me I’m just looking for an excuse not to be with him. He tells me I don’t have the right to decide if I’m the one for him. He tells me that he loves me.

I tell him he’s full of shit and if he knew any better, he would just run away from me. As far, and as fast, as he could.

The couch shifts as he leans back against the arm. We’re out of socks except for a few straggler “lost-in-the-wash” singles that will turn up the next time one of us does laundry.

“You want to do something fun tonight?” He asks. He folds his hands behind his head, like his cranium us too big for his neck to support.

“What did you have in mind?” I bite. He does this when I’m mad at him, Suggests something fun. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn’t. But by the time we’re in bed, I’m not mad anymore.

“Arcade? You can take out all of your frustration on the gophers,” he teases.

The arcade does sound like fun…

“I don’t have any money. I just spent it all on groceries,” I turn away to idly watch the television again.

“Hello…who’s your sugar-daddy?”

“Baby, if I had a sugar daddy, I wouldn’t be here folding your stupid socks.” I throw one of the stragglers in his general direction. It lands haphazardly on his shoulder, and he brushes it away.

He sighs, “I’ll pay for the arcade. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t intend on paying. Now stop being a little bitch, go change out of your work clothes into something sort of slutty, and let’s go out.”

I look at him. I know he’s reconsidering what he has just said because of the way I am looking down at him. He starts to say something. Starts to say that he over-stepped his bounds. That I’m not a bitch. That I can dress however I like. But before he can, I nod.

“Okay, fine. Give me five minutes,” I get up, and hoist my clothes basket onto my hip. “Put hammy back in his cage.”

He watches me, his mouth slightly agape as I climb the stairs. I don’t look back at him.

Even through the bathroom door, I finally hear him move downstairs to do as I had directed. I take my time changing. No reason to make him think that I am doing this for him. I don’t dress as sluttish as he would probably have liked, but it’s enough to get a low whistle as I descend back down the stairs.

The arcade is loud when we walk in the door a while later. It is still raining heavily outside so it’s not busy as it might normally be, but it’s still busy enough. He goes to the counter and gets us tokens and puts fifty dollars on each of our gaming cards. I wonder where he gets all the cash he throws around.

“What do you want to play first?” He asks. His arm slides around my waist as we approach the games. I look around at all of the flashing lights and bright candy-like colors.

“Give me your tokens.” I’m not shy about reaching into his back pocket to take out a handful of the little gold coins.

“The token-slots? Really…”

“Easiest hundred tickets you can make, baby,” I tell him. I sit down in front of one of the machines. He shakes his head, kissing my cheek.

“I’m going to go play the claw machines. Back in a bit.”

I nod, watching the pile of gold coins fall into the slot. The tickets click as they begin their pile on the floor.

Half an hour later, I’ve only spent a fraction of his money, but I’ve won a few hundred tickets by now. I move to the redemption machine and put the tickets on my gaming card. I look around for him while I wait for the tickets to disappear back into the machine to be recycled.

I see him across the room, brushing off some girl trying to hit on him. She touches his arm and laughs, throwing off his concentration. I notice he’s got quite the pile of winnings from his claw machine –those are his favorite. He’ll present his toys to me later, like they were a breeze to win. But I know the truth. He works hard to uncover the item he really wants if necessary. The other winnings are just bonuses.

With my tickets redeemed, I make my way over to him, sliding my arm around his waist. He relaxes, knowing my touch across his back.

“Hey baby, win me something pretty?” I kiss his cheek as the machine dings, signifying a win. He turns to smile.

“I think I got some stuff you’ll like.” He kisses me back and his little friend, the flirt, looks surprised. Like a guy who hangs out in an arcade on a Tuesday night could never have a significant other. She scurries away like a cockroach after the lights have been turned on. “How’d you do?”

“About 500 tickets,” I shrug. “You want to play something with me? Free-throws or something?”

“Sure,” he nods. He takes my hand, linking my fingers with his.

I beat him twice, once very narrowly. We claim our tickets and move on to a trivia game which we fail at miserably. Then we try a couple of racing games and before we know it, we’ve only got a few dollars left on our gaming cards. Since we got there, I’ve forgotten that I was mad at him. I think he has too. I suggest we go to dinner before heading home and he agrees.

We leave the arcade and step back outside into the pouring rain. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to be letting up anytime soon, but it feels…different. Before we had left the house, it was heavy. Now it feels refreshing, even though it’s the same amount of rain.

We choose a restaurant close to the house. Not for any particular reason other then that we both like the food. But even the restaurant is quiet tonight. No one wants to chance the rain. We are obviously a pair of crazies.

It’s a little strange having the restaurant to ourselves, but it’s also kind of nice. We don’t have a problem hearing each other over the din. We apologize for earlier. He was just worried. I was just being an idiot. I thank him for a fun time. He thanks me for being so damn cute, and kisses me over the table. His foot presses against mine underneath the table.

Later when we’re in bed, I listen to him breath against the back of my neck. He’s not quite asleep yet. I can tell because of the grip he’s got on my t-shirt, his fist placed against my hip. He is relaxing, and his breath is beginning to slow. Once his hand has relaxed against my shirt, and his breath is coming in shallow beats, I know he is finally asleep.

It’s been a trying day. I’m glad that it’s over. My hand reaches up and touches his. In his sleep, his fingers tighten around mine, and I can’t stop my smile. Even though we have our problems…and we’ve been fighting a lot more then usual lately… As soon as he’s asleep next to me, with his hand resting across the stretch of skin my twisted t-shirt leaves uncovered, none of that matters. For a few moments before I drift off to sleep, I remember that I love him…and that’s why I stay.

Spartans: When A Boy Loves a Man (Chp. 3)

Note: Spacing is wonky. I apologize.

Spartans: When A Boy Loves a Man

Part III

“I don’ think he likes me.”

“Don’t be silly, Arwan. He likes you fine.”

“He looks at me with resentment. He hates me.”

“Arwan…”

“No,” Arwan sighed. The two of them were in the bathhouse after Cole had scurried off to his lessons. “I’m your slave. I know my place, but he thinks that there’s more to us then that.”

“Arwan,” Sirius turned in the water, taking the cloth from his servant’s hand, and tossing it aside. “You are more then that. You’re my best friend.”

“That doesn’t change my position, Sirius.” Arwan shook his head. “Turn back around. You’re covered in dirt. You’re like a child, when will you grow up?”

Sirius barked with laughter but complied, turning around again, “Sorry Mama.”

“Don’t make fun of me,” Arwan resisted the urge to pinch him, scrubbing harder at Sirius’s back. “Tell me about your boy. I’ll be seeing a lot of him, I take it?”

“I am his mentor,” Sirius shrugged.

“Mentor?” The word sounded foreign on Arwan’s tongue. “What is a mentor?”

Sirius thought for a moment, deciding how to explain it to his friend, “Boys need a guiding hand. So, they go under the wing of an older solider, and we teach them how to be great warriors and men. We are like their surrogate fathers.”

“But you have sex with this boy.”

Sirius nodded, “Yes, I do.”

“Then, you aren’t his father. You’re his lover.”

“In a way,” Sirius nodded.

“I don’t understand,” Arwan shook his head. “Was that the kind of relationship you had with Argus?”

Sirius pursed his lips. He hadn’t talked about his own mentor since his death a few months before. He had mourned and moved on. He hadn’t wanted to talk about his mentor, a person who had meant more to him then life itself.

“When I was younger, I did. Argus didn’t focus on the sexual aspect of our relationship for long though. He taught me what I needed to know, and that was it.”

“But that isn’t your plan with this boy, is it?”

“I’ve admired this boy for a long time, Arwan. I would like to have a deeper relationship with him. Please, don’t judge me because of that.”

“Is that what he wants?”

Arwan was quiet, and he finished scrubbing the dirt away from Sirius’s back and shoulders. “Alright, you’re clean. Get out of the water.” He stood up, tossing the damp cloth into a laundry bin along the wall. He moved towards the tray he had set out earlier, and picked up a fresh towel. He started patting Sirius down with it, drying him off. Sirius looked down at the top of his head, setting his hands on Arwan’s shoulders for balance.

“Arwan?”

“Hmm?” Arwan didn’t look up at him, moving away again to pick up a bottle of oil.

“Arwan,” Sirius stopped him, lifting his face up. “What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing,” Arwan shook his head.

Sirius nodded, “Alright, go on then.”

Arwan went back to work, coating Sirius’s skin in a thin layer of the oil that made his skin so glossy. Sirius let him move him the way he wanted, much like a little doll. He liked the way Arwan’s fingers felt, stroking across his stomach. As the dark haired servant moved behind him, he had to suppress the groan that threatened to leave his throat. Arwan seemed completely unaware of the effect he had as he continued to just go about his work.

“Arwan?”

“Hmm?”

“Stop that for just a moment,” Sirius turned round. Arwan lifted his oil-coated hands, little beads of which started to run down his wrists. Sirius drank him in for a moment before leaning forward and kissing him. Arwan’s eyes widened, and he used the back of his hands to push on Sirius’s shoulders.

“I’ve told you before, that’s not allowed. Do you want to get me killed?”

“Don’t be such a worrier. We’re the only ones here.” Sirius rolled his eyes. He grabbed a hold of Arwan’s roughly made shirt, pulling him forward. “I like the way your hands feel on me.”

“You’re just a pervert,” Arwan replied coolly. “Let me finish, you have other duties to attend to today you know.”

Sirius sighed, but obliged him. Arwan always got mad at him when he tried to peak his interest. He wasn’t sure if it was because he really wasn’t interested, or if it was because he actually was. Either way, their little game had been going on for years, and Sirius didn’t personally see the harm in it so long as no one found out.

“What did Xenos want?” Arwan changed the subject as he finished with his oil. He wiped his hands on a cloth before picking up the fresh set of clothes, moving to fasten them around Sirius’s waist.

“Xenos has a problem with my mentoring Cole. I wouldn’t worry about it. The ephors as a whole believe it is a good match. Xenos is just jealous that the boy didn’t ask him. He tends to be, as you say, a pervert.”

Arwan hummed in understanding, fastening the last bit of cloth, “Alright, you’re all ready. Go on about your business.”

“Arwan,” Sirus turned, putting his hands on Arwan’s shoulders. “Can I ask you a serious question?”

“I can’t very well stop you, now can I?” Arwan raised an eyebrow.

“Are you angry with me, because I took you away from your home?”

Arwan furrowed his eyebrows, “Why do you ask such a question?”

Sirius brushed his thumbs over Arwan’s high cheeks, “I’m sorry I ruined your life, Arwan.”

“You didn’t ruin my life,” Arwan shook his head. “You saved me.”

Sirius smiled, and pressed a kiss to his lips, “I love you, Arwan.”

Arwan looked at him confused, not understanding the Greek. He sighed, pushing Sirius’s hands away. He didn’t ask him to repeat it, he had a feeling he didn’t want to know, “You have things to do.”

Sirius nodded, watching Arwan move away from him to clean up. He shook his head after a moment and left him to his work.

--The Past—

The entire encampment was surrounded in a heavy layer of dust. Arwan’s eyes watered and and his ears pounded. He knew that his battalion was no match for these monsters –these Spartans. Death cries could be heard from every angle –and here he was. A coward with his hands over his ears, tears in his eyes, and bleeding from more wounds then he could count. But he was alive.

“You! Are you alive?”

Arwan knew he would regret it the second after he realized he had turned towards the foreign voice. The warrior in front of him was marred in dirt and was bleeding profusely from a spear head still lodged in his arm. Arwan’s eyes widened, and the man looked at his shoulder.

“Just a scratch,” He held out his hand. “Come on. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Arwan stared at him, and the man sighed again, thrusting his hand out further. Hesitantly, he took it, and allowed the strange man to help him to his feet. Arwan was struck by how gentle he was, even nursing the injury, and the fact that they were on opposing sides. The battle was over. Spartans were the clear winners, but they just kept coming in droves, slaughtering until all of the Persian soldiers were gone. Arwan’s back felt wet with blood as the man pulled him up to his chest, holding him close as they stumbled through the field.

Arwan saw very few survivors from his troop. He averted his eyes as he saw them mowed down, desecrated for no other reason than to leave no survivors.

“Who is this?” The voice as gruff and came from behind. The man who was still holding him so tightly turned slightly.

“Not sure, I haven’t gotten around to asking,” His voice was cool.

“You should kill him.” Arwan’s eyes widened. Had this man taken him from his hiding place only to kill him like the rest of his people? If there was one Greek word that he recognized it was “kill”, and he certainly didn’t want to be referred to in the same sentence.

“I am not going to kill him. He’s mine.” The arm came tighter around his shoulders, and Arwan groaned as his savior’s grip tightened around his bruised chest. The new pressure on his broken rib wasn’t that pleasant either. The man looked down, and loosened his grip when he saw Arwan’s discomfort. He turned to address the second stranger. “—He’s pretty, I think he’ll make a good servant.”

The other man laughed, loud and barbaric. He clapped Arwan’s rescuer on his good shoulder, “—As you will, Sirius. You should probably go get that shoulder taken care of.”

“It’s just a scratch. I want to get him cleaned up first.”

“Just don’t let it go too long, you’re risking infection.”

“I’ll be fine.”

In a moment, Arwan and the man were moving again towards a group of shabby tents. Sirius pushed him in front of him, and they were almost immediately parted, but not before he heard him say, “Take care of him –you hurt him and I’ll see personally to your death.”

Arwan stole a glance over his shoulder as he was pushed towards the other side of the tent. The medic that taken him seemed preoccupied, tearing away the last remains of his clothes, and started cleaning his wounds. Arwan couldn’t stop the groan as he was pushed back on the cot, and the medics fingers felt for the broken rib.

“Weak,” the medic rolled his eyes. Arwan cursed at him, and the medic laughed. Arwan let his head roll to the side, trying to ignore the cruel hands that worked across his body. He watched the stoic man across the room not even flinch as another physician pushed the spear head the rest of the way through his shoulder, yanking it out the backside. He could practically feel the sting as ointment was poured over the impressive wound…and yet nothing crossed the man’s face. He laughed at a joke, but he never swore or flinched as his shoulder was bandaged

His attention was brought back to himself as the medic pulled him off his back. Thin pieces of fabric were wound across his stomach to brace the rib, and another person had appeared from somewhere and had started to wash away the dried blood from a few of his other wounds. He felt a needle stitching up a gash in his head. Their hands were rough –he could tell that they didn’t care about him. They probably didn’t even know why they were being made to fix him up while others of their own countrymen were being made to sit and suffer.

“How is he?”

“Well, he’s not dying,” The medic sounded annoyed. “You really know how to pick out the runts of the litter, don’t you, Sirius?”

“Don’t judge me, Jason,” Sirius prodded him in the side.

“Anyway, a better question is, how are you? You came in here with half a spear in your shoulder.”

“Just a scratch,” Sirius shrugged. “Are you almost finished with him?”

“Yes, just a few more stitches. –Don’t do anything strenuous with him. He’s got a broken rib –and there may be something wrong with his arm. He seemed to be favoring it when you brought him in.”

“He’ll be safe with me,” Sirius caught Arwan’s eye. He blushed red, and looked down at his filthy hands.

“Here, take him,” the physician prodded Arwan off of his cot. “Take him to the river in a couple of hours and give him a bath. Careful of the stitches –come and get some supplies and you can wrap his rib again later.”

“I will,” Sirius put an arm around his waist again, leading him out of the din of the tent. He turned to address him for the first time, “Are you hungry? …Food?” Arwan looked at him wide eyed, still not understanding until Sirius made eating motions with his hands, looking exasperated. Arwan nodded, and Sirius sighed, relieved at the understanding, and steered him towards a smoking area, filled with the battered and bruised, but jovial.

“What’s this? Pick yourself up a rugrat, Sirius?” The man dolling out of the food looked amused, splattering hot stew into two bowls, passing them to Sirius. “He doesn’t look to well –don’t get your heart set on him making it through the night.”

“Don’t be an ass,” Sirius muttered. He snitched a piece of bread from the end of the table, pushing Arwan gently towards an unoccupied area of the Spartan camp. Once they had settled on the ground, he pushed a bowl of the hot stew into Arwan’s hands along with half of the stolen bread. Arwan ate slowly, dunking his bread into his bowl. Sirius was less careful, drinking directly from the bowl, not caring at all for manners. When he had finished, he watched Arwan eat, picking out the pieces of meat and vegetables with his fingers.

“What’s your name?” Sirius finally asked as the final dregs were being lifted from the bowl with the last piece of Arwan’s spongy bread. Arwan raised an eyebrow and Sirius repeated himself. “What’s your name –I’m Sirius,” he tapped his chest. “Who are you?” He tapped Arwan’s shoulder.

“Arwan,” he finally said. He had considered giving him a fake name, but he decided it would probably not be in his best interest –he had the sinking feeling he would be spending a lot of time with this Spartan.

“Do you speak any Greek, Arwan?”

Arwan shrugged, “Little, few words.”

“Well, Arwan, I’m taking you as a prisoner. Do you understand?”

Arwan shrugged.

“You’re mine now,” Sirius stood up, tugging on Arwan’s arm, pulling him up against him. “Slave –do you know that word?”

“Slave,” Arwan repeated. He knew exactly what it meant, and it felt dirty on his tongue.

“Yes.” Sirius nodded. “Arwan, Sirius’s slave.” He tipped Arwan’s face up under the chin with his thumb. His lips pressed against Arwan’s and while his eyes drifted slightly closed while the Persian’s flew open wider, shocked. His first instinct was to push him away, but then the fear of being killed for rejected filled his body. His fingers were pressed against Sirius’s chest, and flexed –torn between putting up with the kiss or fleeing. Before he could even decide, the kiss had ended and Sirius’s arm had wrapped around his waist again. “Come, I think you need rest.”

Arwan followed along like a lost puppy, Sirius’s fingers linking with his as he pulled him through more of the encampment. Spartans turned to stare, and some said hello to his captor. He gave them brief nods, and his grip on Arwan’s hand tightened. Even though they had spent less than an hour together, Arwan could tell this man was a force to be reckoned with. And oddly enough, he felt safe with him –safe with the enemy.

“Lay down,” Sirius pushed him towards a pallet along the wall of the stuffy tent. The tent was mostly empty except for a few wounded soldiers –mostly young men. Arwan sat down on the pallet Sirius had indicated. Then he watched him pull a nearby pallet closer to his.

Sirius let out a sigh of relief, stretching out on the pallet. Arwan watched him close his eyes for a few minutes. He realized he was being watched and opened one eye to stare back. He let out a more annoyed sigh, and reached out to tug Arwan down next to him, against his right side. Arwan was surprised at how relaxed Sirius seemed, and he wished he could be so calm and peaceful in this encampment of men he had been instructed to kill…

“You look better,” Sirius had been watching him sleep. He hadn’t even noticed he had fallen asleep, but he did feel a little better. His stomach was still full from the stew, and the throbbing in his head had mostly subsided. The only thing that still ached was his rib.

“Do you want to take a bath? …The River. Get clean?” Sirius’s voice brought him back.

Arwan nodded –another word he understood. Clean. And he desperately wanted to feel clean. Even though they had scrubbed him down at the medic tent, he was still caked with blood and dirt.

“C’mon then,” Sirius pushed himself to his feet with his good arm before holding out his hand to Arwan. Arwan took his hand without a second though. He was growing accustomed to following him around like a child.

Arwan’s eyes widened as Sirius began to disrobe on the short beach to the river. There were a few other Spartans around, horse-playing in the water, a reward for a battle well-won.

“Well, c’mon. Take your clothes off,” Sirius stepped towards him, already nude. Arwan thrust his hands away as he started to try and undo the fabric around his waist. “Arwan, you can’t get clean like that.”

Arwan swore at him, pushing Sirius’s hands away as he tried a second time, “No!”

“Why not?” Sirius looked quizzical. “You have something funny down there?” He tried one last time and was rewarded with a swift kick to the shin. He put his hands up in surrender. “Alright! Come in when you’re ready then,” he turned his back on him, wading into the water.

Arwan waited on the beach for a few minutes before slowly making his way towards the edge of the water. He knelt in the cold, wet sand and scrubbed at his arms and face with wet hands. The water felt good against his skin and even though he wasn’t getting as clean as he would have liked, it was definitely an improvement. He dunked his head into the water, scrubbing out his hair, careful of the stitches in the gash on his head.

“You are horrible,” Sirius reappeared at his side, dripping wet but clean. “You need to learn to listen.” Arwan ignored him, which wasn’t hard because he didn’t really understand what he was saying anyway. “Oy,” Sirius tapped him, “are you listening to me?” He sounded annoyed, and Arwan raised an eyebrow at him, continuing to scrub at his skin. Sirius sighed, “Forget it, this is pointless. I should have just killed you and saved myself the trouble.”

Arwan’s eyes widened again, and he fell backwards onto his butt in the water, crawling backwards away from Sirius. He knew there was no chance for an escape. He was in the middle of the Spartan camp. Any survivors from his own army where already being slaughtered or forced into conditions worse then he could ever dream.

“I’m not going to!” Sirius stepped towards him. “Melodramatic much?” He reached out to touch him, and Arwan’s hands came over his head, protecting his face. His knees pulled up against his chest, pulling his body into a ball. His eyes squeezed shut and he waited for the blow –would Sirius beat him to death? Would he gather a weapon and run him through? Would he drag him towards the river and drown him?

“Arwan!” Sirius’s hands were on his wrists, pulling him away from his head. “I’m not going to hurt you! Arwan…” Sirius grunted as an un-aimed fist came down on his injured shoulder. “Shit…we have to do something about his language barrier.” He pulled a very stiff and inflexible Arwan up to his feet. Arwan kept his gaze down, jerking his head out of Sirius’s hands as he tried to get him to look at him. Sirius was determined though, jerking his head up to look at him. Arwan tried to avoid looking him in the eye but the pressure on his jaw made him change his mind. Sirius’s eyes struck him as being very blue and they bore down into him.

“I will not hurt you,” Sirius shook his head.

“No kill?” Arwan whispered.

“No kill,” Sirius confirmed.

Arwan let himself breathe a sigh of relief, and Sirius laughed shaking his head, “C’mon –you’re all wet now. Let’s get you dry clothes.” Sirius pressed his lips to Arwan’s softly for the second time that day. But this time, Arwan had no second guessing about trying to push him away. He let it run its course, trying not to look flabbergasted when it ended.

Spartans: When a Boy Loves a Man (Part II)

Note: Again, I am in NO WAY going for historical accuracy. Got that? THIS IS NOT HISTORICALLY ACCURATE. I know, you know. We all know, and accept it. If you don’t like that, well then I suggest you find something else to read. Italics are “foreign”. Oh, and there is more set-up then sex here. Just trying to give this some direction/plot.

Spartans: When a Boy Loves a Man

Part Two

“Where have you been, Cole?”

“Nowhere,” Cole was still recovering from his first tryst with Sirius. After they had finished in the class room, they had gone back to the bathhouse to clean up again. Sirius had invited him to help rub the oils into his skin that helped keep him so sleek and supple. He had been rewarded by being given similar treatment afterwards for a job well done. Cole could still feel Sirius’s expert hands running across every crevice of his body. He turned over onto his stomach on his meager pallet to hide his excitement from his bed-mates.

“You were gone for a long time –did you get into trouble?”

“Trouble for what, Markus? If you really must know, I was in the bath-house.”

“For two hours?” His best friend looked bemused.

“I…I ran into Sirius.”

“Oh?” He sounded interested.

“If I tell you something, will it just stay between us?” Cole sat up, scooting closer to his friend. His voice was quiet, barely audible in the noisy din of chatter and snoring.

“Of course,” Markus nodded.

“Sirius was flirting with me. I asked him to be my mentor. He agreed.”

“He what?!” Markus’s reaction was greeted with a peal of annoyed out-cries. He repeated himself, more softly.

“He’s my mentor.”

“But I thought you were just going to pay the fine.”

“I was, but…well, I really look up to him, and he accepted the offer.”

“So, when you were at the bathhouse, you were really being…mentored?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Ever the late-bloomer, aren’t you, Cole?” Markus clapped a hand on his shoulder.

Cole blushed red, “Shut up.”

“So, how did you like it?”

“It was odd… I mean, I liked it, but it’s just, well, we’re always taught to be dominate and not let people take advantage of us. We’re taught to be fighters. But I felt like water in his hands.”

“With our mentors is the one place we can let our guard down. We should trust them with our lives,” Markus shrugged.

Cole nodded, “I guess so.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I just… I wanted something else.”

“More? Like what?”

Cole leaned over to whisper in Markus’s ear, “I really wanted him inside of me.” He backed away to see Markus’s expression. “Is that sick?”

Markus shrugged, “It’s forbidden, it can’t happen.”

“Well, what’s the worst that may happen?”

“Exile…Death.”

“It may be worth it.”

“No, no… Sirius would be exiled. YOU would be killed.”

“It may be worth it.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, can’t I?” Cole raised a belligerent eyebrow.

“You shouldn’t say that kind of thing. Get to know him better before you go willing to toss your life away.”

“I’m not stupid, you know.”

“The pretty ones are always stupid,” Markus turned away from him, pulling his scratchy blanket up over his shoulders.

“If that’s true then you must be the dumbest one of all!”

And with that, the two friends went to sleep with their backs to each other.

“Sleep well?” Sirius’s voice as warm against Cole’s ear at the breakfast table the next morning.

“Well enough,” Cole nodded.

“I spoke with the ephors this morning. They are quite pleased with the match. –You have free time this afternoon, right?”

Cole nodded.

“Meet me out side of the dormitory. We’ll start your training,” Sirius’s strong hands tilted Cole’s face upwards to press a chaste kiss to his lips. He looked up, grinning over the din of people. “I think you’ve gotten yourself some enemies.” Cole shivered slightly, feeling dozens of eyes boring into his back.

“It would figure. You’re rather popular.”

“Be careful,” Sirius patted his head before moving along to sit back at his table.

“So, what you said last night was true?” Markus looked up at him over his bowl, across the table.

“Oh, so you are still speaking to me?”

“You made mad last night, but of course I’m still talking to you,” Markus kicked him under the table. Cole resisted the urge to rub the pain out of the spot.

“Anyway, yeah, of course it’s true. When have I ever lied to you?”

Markus shrugged, “Why did he say yes to you and no to all of the others who asked?”

Cole shrugged, “I don’t know. I asked him that myself, he just said that he’s noticed me. That he’s been watching me.”

“That’s kind of…strange, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” Cole shrugged. “I’m confused. I don’t understand what is happening.”

“What are you confused about? He’s going to teach you how to be a warrior.” Markus shrugged.

Cole lowered his head over his plate, and glanced around the table. For the most part, they were final stragglers. There were a few men on the ends of the table, but he didn’t know them well. He looked back up at Markus, “But what does that mean?”

“He’ll train you, personally. Battle procedure, weaponry, armor, behavior. He’ll refine you. He’ll make you as great as he is –and Sirius is a great warrior.”

“I know that he is, which is why I am all the more confused at that he wanted to be my mentor!” Cole sighed.

“Relax,” Markus sighed, shaking his head. “You’ll be fine. He’ll take care of you.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of…”

The wrestling ring had never been one of Cole’s favorite places. He didn’t mind watching matches between skilled hand-to-hand combat warriors. But hand-to-hand wasn’t exactly his area of expertise. He felt best with a sword in his hand, and a shield over his shoulder. And how Sirius was trying to coax him into the ring with him.

“You’re going to slaughter me,” Cole furrowed his eyebrows.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Sirius laughed. He was already naked and sleek with oils. “Take off your clothes and get in here with me.”

“Why?”

“Don’t be belligerent,” Sirius warned.

Cole sighed, shedding his scraps of clothing, setting them aside, he stepped into the ring, and crossed his arms over his chest. “Alright, fine. Now what?”

“Now we oil you up,” Sirius motioned for a servant to approach, holding a large clay jar. The servant was careful about being wasteful as he poured cold, amber colored oil from the pot down Cole’s back and front. The servant set the jar aside, rubbing his hands down Cole’s back. Sirius stepped forward, his rough hands slicking the oil down across Cole’s front.

“Now, aren’t you glad I made you come out here?” Sirius’s hands coaxed down lower over Cole’s hips. He was teasing him now.

“You shouldn’t do that here,” Cole whispered. He felt awkward between the two men, and he couldn’t help but grow excited as Sirius’s palms stroked oil between his thighs.

“Don’t worry…he doesn’t speak our language. He won’t tell anyone.” Sirius knelt down as his hands stroked up Cole’s thighs and down his calves. “I trust him, you should too.”

“I trust no one,” I shook my head. “Isn’t that something you drill into our heads everyday?”

“Cole, I’m the one person you can trust,” Sirius assured him, standing back up. He said something discernable to the servant, who nodded at him, and picked up his oil pot to go sit on the sideline until he was needed again. “Now…how much do you know about wrestling?”

“Just what I’ve seen from others doing it,” Cole shrugged.

“Well, okay…basic rules of wrestling: no hitting or kicking, no eye gouging, no pulling of the genitalia. Points are scored when someone’s back hits the ground, someone stops the match out of pain or fear, or someone is forcibly removed from the ring. Understand?”

“I think so.”

“Then shall we begin?” Sirius gave another foreign bark to the servant who nodded. A moment later, Sirius pushed Cole into a stance and a bell tinkled.

“Oof!” Sirius’s shoulder introduced itself to Cole’s stomach. Cole was easily overtaken, despite his best efforts to conquer the older man. He found himself shoved onto his back less then a minute after the bout had started, and he started up into Sirius’s sparkling eyes.

“You aren’t trying very hard,” Sirius countered.

“You’re bigger then I am,” Cole argued.

“I’m bigger, but you’re younger. You’re spryer. Use my weight against me,” He suggested. “Get up, start again.”

With a thin layer of dirt across his back, Cole stood back up. A moment later, the little bell tinkled again, and he was on his back once more.

“You’re not even trying now,” Sirius teased. His lips brushed Cole’s in a neat little kiss. “How are you going to be a great warrior if you can’t even defeat a foe twice your size?”

“I’ll use my wiles and charm?”

Sirius laughed, “I hardly think that would get you out of a war, my darling boy.” He stood up, holding his hand out. Cole took it, letting him pull him to his feet. “Now…when I come at you this time, remember. Use my weight against me.”

Cole nodded, repeating it to himself. The bell tinkled, and Cole tried to focus more as Sirius stepped towards him. He took the initiative this time, slipping underneath Sirius’s arms, pulling them behind his back. Their legs intertwined, and Cole was tugging Sirius out of balance. The two were on their knees a moment later, the dirt and rocks digging into their knees. Sirius’s skin was slippery and hard to hold onto. He found himself losing his grip, so he moved quickly to grasp Sirius around the waist.

“Pinning me on my stomach isn’t going to help you, Cole,” Sirius reminded him. “It has to be the back.”

Cole sighed, backing away from him. He let Sirius get up and recompose himself for he started his attack again. This time he went for Sirius’s waist right away, plowing him over. Sirius pushed back. Cole felt like he was in a pool, feeling the way Sirius’s hands moved down across his back.

He wasn’t sure how it happened. Sirius’s hands found their way under his thighs, and he he just lifted him up totally effortlessly, flipping him upside down. He landed on his shoulder, suppressing his groan as he rolled onto his stomach. Unlike him however, Sirius used it as an advantage, kneeling over him. His knees locked to Cole’s sides, and his hands starting trying to pry at his shoulders, pulling him onto his side. Cole bit his lip, trying to reach around looking for a way to reverse their position. Sirius wasn’t having any of it though –he was playing to win. Finally Cole couldn’t hold back anymore, so just let him turn him over.

“That was pathetic,” Sirius was grinning. His chest was rising and falling in heated pants, as he caught his breath. “You’re a horrible wrestler, Cole.”

“I thought that was point –you’re supposed to be teaching me,” Cole tried to ignore the sharp pebble that was biting into his back. “I’m better with swords.”

“We’ll get there,” Sirius nodded. “You can’t be a truly great warrior until you’ve skill in the ring.”

“What if I don’t want to be a great warrior?”

“Then you were born in the wrong society of people,” Sirius stroked his thumbs across Cole’s cheeks. His hips adjusted, sitting squarely on Cole’s stomach. “You’re right in a way. You’re too pretty to be a Spartan.”

Cole flushed red, “I’m only half Spartan. You know that.” He pushed on Sirius’s stomach, trying to push him away.

Sirius captured his hands, holding them down against his chest. He looked up at the servant who was still sitting there, watching with only a mild interest. Cole’s face contorted in confusion as Sirius spoke to him. The servant stood up, gave them both a low nod, and disappeared. He closed the gates behind him, and disappeared.

“What did you say to him?”

“I told him to go keep watch,” Sirius forced Cole’s chin up to kiss him squarely. “I wanted some privacy with you. While I don’t mind if Arwan watches, you seem rather chaste.”

“Does he watch you often?” Cole’s knuckles were turning white as he tried to forcibly wrench Sirius’s hands from his face.

“Sometimes,” Sirius nodded.

“Where did you find him?”

“He was a prisoner of war when we fought Persia. I liked him, so I kept him.”

“You learned his language for him?”

Sirius laughed, “I picked it up. He’s not a quick learner.” He lifted his hands from Cole’s face, letting them trail down his chest. “Does he bother you? He’s just a servant.”

“But you do things with him, don’t you?”

“He’s a servant,” Sirius repeated.

Cole shook his head, “That’s not answering the question.”

“Yes, I do things with him. But it doesn’t mean anything. He knows his position.” Sirius covered his body again, forcing Cole’s mouth open to accept his tongue. Cole’s fingers flexed against the bigger man’s chest, torn between pushing him away and welcoming the attack.

“What’s wrong?” Sirius finally asked, backing off. “You’re not as receptive as you were last night…did something happen?” His hands stroked the oil that beaded with sweat and slipped down Cole’s chest. His hands felt firm and hard against

“You’re hurting me,” Cole admitted.

“Spartan’s feel no pain. Let that be your first lesson,” Sirius gripped Cole’s arms, pulling him up against him. “Do you understand?”

“It’s not that you’re hurting me,” Cole corrected himself. “I’m just uncomfortable what with all of the dirt and rocks against my back.”

“You’re so dainty…perhaps we should throw you to the women and bring you up as a girl,” Sirius teased. His lips found Cole’s again, his hands more gentle when tipping up his chin then they had been before.

“Now…are you ready to try again?” Sirius asked.

Cole looked confused, “I thought we were..”

Sirius laughed, “We will. But right now, I’m teaching. We’ll do that afterwards.”

“Why send your servant away, if we weren’t—“

“His name is Arwan,” Sirius corrected. “I sent him away because I thought you might do better without an audience. Are you ready to try again?”

Cole nodded, “I think so.”

Sirius leaned in closely, “I’ll give you a reward when you pin me.

“What kind of reward?” Cole asked.

“That will have to be a surprise,” Sirius teased. “Now c’mon. You’ve’ seen how this is done. Think about how the younger boys over take the larger ones.”

Cole nodded and a moment later they were grappling again. Three more times, Cole found himself pinned onto his back. Over an hour had passed, and the oil on their skin had long ago coated them with dirt and sweat instead.

“One more time,” Sirius urged.

Cole was panting, but he nodded, “Just once more…anymore then that and you’ll kill me.” He brushed a streak of blood off of his cheek from where he had gotten a small cut some time before. “Okay…I’m ready.”

Sirius stepped towards him, but Cole was quicker. He closed the space between them, and pressed his lips to Sirius’s. His arms wrapped around his neck, and he pushed up closer to him. Sirius groaned against his mouth. His fingers dug into Cole’s hips, and a few moments later he found himself kneeling on the ground. Cole’s mouth urged against his harder, and he used his full weight to push him onto his back.

“Dirty cheat,” Sirius shook his head.

“Hey, I followed the rules,” Cole shrugged. “And I told you I’d use my wiles to win. I never dreamed it would work so well though.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“I won the way I saw fit,” Cole shrugged.

“That’s not going to work for you in the field, I’m sorry to say.”

“I still won…what’s my reward?”

“I’ll give you your reward once we’re cleaned off –Arwan!”

The servant appeared at the gate again, and Sirius said something Cole didn’t understand. Arwan nodded, giving him a short reply. He disappeared again a minute later, and Sirius pushed on Cole’s stomach.

“C’mon, let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“The bathhouse. You need a good scrub down,” Sirius picked up his clothes from the ground outside of the ring, tying it around his waist for the trek outside. Cole followed suit, following closely behind him as Sirius pulled him by the wrist out of the enclosure.

Cole bowed his head as they passed by groups of other boys and soldiers. He felt like a puppy being pulled along by its master, but he didn’t have the courage to pull away from Sirius’s grip. He refrained from rubbing away the soreness as Sirius dropped his hand to usher him into the bathhouse.

“Where are you going?” Sirius grabbed his wrist again as he started to head towards the main pool. “That’s not where Arwan is waiting for us.”

“Where are we going?”

“To my private bath,” Sirius pushed him through a door he hadn’t really noticed before. Arwan was already there, laying out towels, oil, soaps, and fresh clothes. He kept his eyes averted, saying something to Sirius before he bowed out, closing the doors behind him.

“Did you send him away again?” Cole asked.

“No, he left on his own this time,” Sirius pushed him towards the small pool of cool water. “He doesn’t like to watch most of the time.” He stripped Cole of his clothes, before picking up a clean cloth from nearby. “Go on, get in.”

Cole took his time, slipping into the shallow pool, “Aren’t you getting in?”

“I will,” Sirius nodded, sitting on the ledge just under the waterline of the pool. “Come here. You’re filthy.” He dipped the cloth into the water before wringing it out. “Close your eyes.”

Cole squeezed his eyes shut, and Sirius rubbed the rough cloth over his face, scrubbing the dirt roughly away from his skin. Once he was pleased, he rinsed it off, and started to make long strokes across Cole’s chest, getting rid of the dirt from the ring.

“Are you alright? You’re not bleeding anymore, are you?” Sirius’s hand dipped under the water, his cloth moving across Cole’s hip. He looked at the clotted cut that decorated Cole’s cheek. “It’s not exactly a battle scar; it’ll heal.”

“Is that what these are?” Cole reached up to touch Sirius’s shoulder. A large white star-like mark adorned his skin.

“That’s what happens when a spear runs through your shoulder,” Sirius reached up, touching Cole’s hands. “But you’re too pretty to worry about that just now.”

“Does being pretty mean I’m not suitable to be a warrior?”

“Of course not,” Sirius shook his head. “I was pretty once…my mentor decided it would be best to beat it out of me. I won’t do that to you.”

Cole’s face flushed red, “You’re very beautiful, Sirius. No one could ever take that away from you. It would be impossible.”

Sirius hummed, slipping off of the ledge to stand over him. “Are you ready for your reward?”

Cole was hesitant but he nodded. Sirius lifted him easily under the butt, and set him on the edge of the pool. He brought their lips together, and Sirius’s hands found their way into Cole’s lap. He jerked forward as Sirius’s hands wrapped around him.

“What are you doing?”

Sirius smiled against his lips, “Giving you your reward for a job well done. What did you think I was doing?”

“Is this…is this going to be like last time?” Cole asked.

“Do you want it to be?”

Cole shrugged, “I don’t know. I…I’ve never done this before.”

Sirius shrank back, looking at him, “Never? Nothing?”

Cole’s face turned redder, and he shook his head, “No…is that bad?”

“Of course not,” Sirius shook his head. “I’m just surprised. You’d think that the boys would be all over you.”

“The other boys avoid me…except for Markus.” Cole’s chin sank down to his chest.

“Why?” Sirius turned serious, tilting Cole’s face towards his own. His eyes didn’t hold their usual soft-playful sparkle. They were hard, and dominate. Angry.

Cole shrugged, “I don’t know. I don’t fit in with the rest of them. Because my mother isn’t Spartan. They don’t think I’m cut out to be a warrior.”

“Do you love this city?” Sirius coaxed.

“Of course I do, I was born here.”

“Then you are strong enough to be a Spartan.” Sirius kissed him soundly. “I’ll help you prove it.”

“Why did you want to be my mentor so badly?” Cole put his hand on Sirius’s chest, holding him back as he tried to move closer. “Why are you so interested in me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Stop answering me in riddles! I want a straight answer from you!”

“I wanted to be your mentor because we’re similar; you and me.”

“Similar?”

“My mother fell in love with a traveler from Athens. While he was killed in a fight, my mother was allowed to live and I was raised as a Spartan.”

“So…you really are kind of like me.”

“In a way,” Sirius nodded. His fingers brushed Cole’s hair back behind his ear. “I knew your father. He was very proud of his woman. And of you.”

Cole cast his glance away. And Sirius was quiet, letting his hands stroke up his thighs. He pressed his lips to Cole’s stomach, and looked up at him expectantly, “Do you still want your reward?”

Cole took a moment, looking down at him before nodding, “Yes.”

Sirius’s eyes regained their familiar sparkle as he grinned. His lips pressed against Cole’s stomach again, starting a little trail further down until his lips fell to the tip of his student’s member. Cole bit his tongue and watched with excited interest as Sirius’s lips descended over him. His eyes widened as Sirius’s hand wrapped around him and his tongue circled his very tip, probing underneath his foreskin. His mouth opened in a suppressed gasp, his fingers twisting in Sirius’s hair as he began stroking his shaft while suckling softly at the head.

“Have you done this often?” Cole finally managed to ask. He was fully erect and Sirius had removed his mouth, instead using his hands, looking intent on doing a good job.

“I enjoy doing this, if that’s what you’re really asking,” Sirius looked up at him. “It’s one of my favorite things to do with another man. Now, why don’t you just lay back,” he pushed himself up out of the water to kneel on the ledge, and pressed his palms against Cole’s stomach, “and just enjoy?”

The tile floor felt cold against his skin, but he didn’t let it bother him as Sirius’s warm mouth enveloped him again. His entire mind was focused on that mouth…the pleasant way he used his teeth and lips. The way his hands felt against his thighs.

“Sirius?” The voice caused Cole to jerk back up and Sirius laughed, pulling him close into his arms, shielding him from the servant’s eyes, even though they both knew that if there had been anything to see, he would have seen it already.

“What is it, Arwan?”

Arwan replied, and Sirius sighed. Cole looked confused, as he listened to their banter, frustrated that he couldn’t understand what they were saying.

“What’s wrong?” He asked after Arwan had disappeared again.

“Xenos from the ephors is outside, he wants to speak to me. I assume about my mentoring you… Why don’t you finish getting clean. I’ll send in Arwan for you if you like.”

“That’s okay, I can do it myself.”

Sirius leaned forward as he pulled himself out of the water. His breath felt warm against Cole’s ear, “Stay hard for me. I’ll be back to finish in a few minutes.” He ruffled Cole’s hair as he walked away, pausing only long enough to pull a towel around his waist.

Once he was alone, Cole went to work scrubbing himself clean. Dirt still clung to his skin from rolling around in the wrestling ring for such a long time. He dunked under the water and scrubbed his hair with his fingers to loosen the sand. He was scrubbing the wet cloth down his throat as Sirius slid back into the room, looking annoyed.

“Are you clean now?” Sirius asked, holding an arm out to him. Cole nodded, taking Sirius’s hand and letting him pull him up out of the bath. Sirius smiled, pulling him close. “Good, you know how to listen. …Now, about your reward,” His fingers slid down Cole’s sides as he knelt down in front of him again, starting exactly where he had left off. His arm snaked around Cole’s waist, and he used his free hand to stroke his length while he used his mouth and tongue to work the tip.

“Sirius…” Cole’s fingers pulled through Sirius’s hair, coaxing him on. “I think I’m going…” Sirius’s eyes raised with interest, but he didn’t remove his mouth. “Sirius, I’m almost, I’m going to…” Sirius didn’t say a word, but his mouth turned in a mischievous grin as his removed his mouth to lap his tongue along Cole’s length. “Sirius!” His mouth dropped open as Sirius’s mouth devoured him just as his body peaked. His muscles tightened, and his arms wrapped around Sirus’s head for stability as he rocked forward. His breathing came out in heavy pants, and he slowly regained his composure. Sirius lifted his head away, pressing his mouth against Cole’s stomach. He stood back up, and pulled Cole close to kiss him softly on the mouth. The younger boy could taste himself in his mentor’s mouth, and he wasn’t sure if he liked the taste or not. But what he was certain of was that he had liked the experience itself.

“Was that satisfactory?” Sirius brushed Cole’s hair off his face. He smiled as Cole nodded. “Good. Why don’t you get dressed and get off to your lessons?” He squeezed Cole’s backside, and spoke quietly in his ear. “We’ll get together for another lesson tomorrow.”