Disclaimer - these characters are the property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures and no attempt is made to infringe the copyright thereof. We are just borrowing them and will give them back at the end of the story!
The blond hunter turned regretfully and
made his way back to the village. He had come looking for Hercules to ask
for his help with rebuilding the barn, which had burned down a few days
earlier. The two men had volunteered to help, but that was before Hercules
had met Genna. Now Iolaus could see that his tall friend had other things
on his mind, so the villagers would have to start the work without the demigodÆs
help.
By mid-afternoon the building was going well and Iolaus was about to pause
to quench his thirst, when a noise from above caused him to look up. Several
of the men were in the process of hoisting a huge piece of timber into place
and one of the ropes had snapped. The timber was hanging precariously over
the head of one of the workers and as it began to fall the hunter launched
himself at the man. He grabbed him round the waist with one arm and dragged
him to the ground. The heavy beam crashed down, bringing with it a shower
of debris and the two men disappeared from sight beneath a pile of splintered
timber. For a heartbeat, nobody moved, then everyone rushed forward to remove
the fallen material. Moments later the two men emerged and to everyone's
relief, neither man was seriously hurt. The other worker had a nasty bump
on his head and Iolaus had a sharp piece of timber protruding from his arm
just above the elbow. Before anyone could stop him the hunter gripped the
piece of wood firmly with his other hand and tugged it free. He gasped in
pain and
would have collapsed but for the supporting hands of two of the villagers.
He thanked them for their concern, insisted that it was a minor wound and
that he would be fine. Someone supplied a bandage, so he tied it around
the wound and then joined the rest of the men as they cleared away the damaged
timber.
As evening approached Iolaus made his way
wearily to the inn and having ordered some dinner, he sat alone and hoped
that Hercules might arrive to join him. By the time he had eaten, there
was no sign of his friend so the hunter pushed aside his disappointment
and went to bed. When Iolaus rose in the morning he noticed that his friend's
bed had not been slept in and he struggled to ignore the growing seed of
jealousy, which
always began to germinate in his mind, whenever his partner spent time in
female company. He would just have to get over it, so he headed out to spend
another day helping with the barn building.
By mid-morning, his arm was throbbing painfully
and he was having difficulty keeping up his usual pace in the fierce heat,
so picking up a water skin he retired to the shade of a nearby tree to rest
for a few moments.
As he sank down gratefully on the cool grass a familiar voice hailed him
from across the street. "Iolaus," Hercules said as he dropped
down beside his friend. "What happened to your arm?" he asked
and indicated the grubby blood stained bandage.
"Oh, not much," the hunter replied casually. "I hope you are here to work, we could certainly use your help," he said hopefully.
Hercules nodded, "Yes, I'm sorry I let you down yesterday," he began apologetically. "But Genna can be very persuasive," he said with a glint in his eye.
They toiled in the hot sun for the rest
of the day and by evening the barn was really beginning to take shape.
As they were finishing up for the day Hercules spoke briefly to his partner,
"I'm having dinner with Genna," he said. "So I'll see you
tomorrow." Iolaus just nodded, saying nothing and the demigod frowned
at him, "Iolaus, you've been very quiet this afternoon. Are you okay?"The
hunter was torn between lying to his friend and telling him he was fine,
or admitting the truth. For most of the afternoon he had been feeling
increasingly unwell. His arm was burning painfully, his head throbbed and
he felt dizzy and weak.
As Iolaus stood swaying in discomfort and indecision, Hercules reached out
and put a steadying hand on his friend's arm, "Iolaus?" he asked
again.
The hunter looked up into his friend's worried
face and muttered, "I'm sorry Herc," and promptly fainted.
The demigod scooped him up and carried him to their room. Iolaus moaned and opened his eyes as Hercules began examining the hunter's swollen arm. "You should have had someone look at this earlier," the demigod scolded.
Iolaus yelped as Hercules pulled something from the wound and held it up for him to see. It was a splinter of wood, "I don't think this is part of your arm," he admonished angrily. "But it could be part of your thick head."
Iolaus regarded him with pain filled eyes, "I'm sorry Herc," he said guiltily.
"What's the matter with you?" Hercules snapped as he continued to treat and bandage the hunter's injury."I can't leave you alone for one day without you doing something foolish." Iolaus didn't even think of arguing. Hercules was right, he had been stupidly careless, so now he was sick and his friend was justifiably furious. "I had better go, Genna will be waiting for me," the demigod said. "Can I trust you to stay in bed and not do anything else stupid?"
Iolaus nodded miserably.
"Good." Hercules said and he stalked angrily out of the room.
Iolaus flinched as the door slammed shut
and he lay for some time staring dejectedly at the ceiling. His fevered
mind filled with echoes of Hercules' angry words and images of his beloved
friend in the arms of a woman and he felt thoroughly wretched. As the fever
took a firmer hold of his body he huddled shivering under the blankets and
tears of pain and frustration flowed down his face, as he sought the comforting
oblivion of sleep.
As Hercules strode down the dark streets his anger gradually subsided to
be replaced by a growing feeling of guilt. He shouldn't have been so hard
on Iolaus, but when his friend acted with such irresponsible recklessness
he didn't know how else to react. The demigod knew that he had neglected
his partner over the last few days, in fact he had let him down totally
by not turning up on the first day, to help with the barn and part of his
anger had stemmed from his own guilt. The demigod realised he couldn't possibly
leave his sick and injured friend alone. So he made his excuses to Genna
and returned to the inn to care for
his partner. Hercules sat down gently on the edge of the bed and his heart
lurched as he observed his sick friend.
Iolaus was shivering, his pale face was streaked with tears and he was muttering in his fevered sleep. "I'm sorry," he was saying, over and over.
Unable to watch his dearest friend in so much distress, he gently reached out and brushed the damp blond hair from his partner's forehead. "Iolaus," he said gently.
The hunter's eyes fluttered open, "Herc?" he asked uncertainly.
"Yes Iolaus, I'm here," Hercules replied softly. "I'm sorry I was so angry with you earlier. Try and get some sleep and I'll be right here if you need me"
Iolaus realised that his friend had given up spending the evening with Genna to take care of him. "Thanks, Herc," he said gratefully.
The hunter was shivering uncontrollably
now, so Hercules retrieved the blanket from his own bed and wrapped it around
his friend. When a while later, Iolaus was still shaking with chills, the
demigod lay down on the bed beside his friend, gathering him into his arms
and eventually the fevered hunter fell into a restless sleep.
Iolaus was happily snuggled against his lover's body. He reached up and
wrapping his arms around his neck He kissed his cheek and whispered, "I
love you, Hercules."
"Iolaus!" The hunter's eyes flew
open as he snapped out of his dream and he realised with growing horror,
what he had just done. Hercules disentangled himself from his friend's embrace
and scrambled off of the bed. "I'm going to get some breakfast,"
he mumbled and rushed out of the room. When the demigod arrived downstairs,
he sat down shakily at one of the tables and struggled to come to grips
with what had just happened. Perhaps Iolaus had thought he was someone else.
No, his friend had said his name quite clearly. Hercules was stunned as
the implications of his partner's unguarded declaration finally sank in.
When they had met, Hercules had fallen in love with Iolaus almost instantly.
For years he had fought the desire to reveal his feelings to his handsome
friend, but he was afraid that Iolaus would be horrified. The blond man
had never shown any interest men and had in fact, seemed intent on bedding
every young woman who passed his way. As the years went by, Hercules had
settled for having his friend by his side and had kept his secret
yearnings to himself. Now he had to know if Iolaus had meant what he said.
Was it possible that his friend harboured secret feelings for him? There
was only one way to find out.
When Hercules had fled from their room,
Iolaus had wanted to die. What had he done? Would his friend even bother
to come back, or had he already left town in disgust? If he did come back,
how could he face him? When the door opened and Hercules walked back in,
Iolaus wanted to sink into the mattress, to become invisible, anything rather
than look at his friend's face. He turned to face the wall and held his
breath as Hercules sat on the edge of the bed. "Iolaus, look at me,"
the demigod demanded. When the hunter didn't move, Hercules reached out
and gripping his friendÆs shoulders he forced him to turn and face
him.
Iolaus swallowed nervously and his blue eyes regarded his friend apprehensively
from his pale face.
Hercules took a deep breath, "Iolaus, did you mean what you said?"
The hunter lowered his eyes, "Yes," he whispered and then waited anxiously for his friend's response.
The demigod reached out and putting his hand gently beneath his friend's chin, he lifted the hunter's head and looked into his eyes, "I love you too," he said simply. "I always have."
Iolaus blinked and a single tear rolled down his face, "Really?" he asked. Hercules tenderly wiped the tear away with his thumb and nodded. For a few moments the hunter just gazed at Hercules in wonder, then he took a shaky breath and smiled. "So what do you want to do now?" he asked coyly.
Hercules raised his eyebrows, "Honestly?" he said.
"Yeah," said Iolaus hopefully.
The demigod took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "I'd like to get into bed and show you exactly how I feel about you," he stated simply.
Iolaus didn't say anything, but his face spoke volumes as he moved to make room for Hercules in the bed. The demigod paused long enough to remove his boots before he settled himself on the bed and propping himself on one elbow he looked down into the hunter's face. Iolaus gazed back and whispered pleadingly, "Show me how much you love me Hercules."
The demigod leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against the hunter's while his fingers ran lightly over his friend's chest. Iolaus groaned and his lips parted to allow Hercules' tongue access to the sweet recesses within. The hunter's arms coiled around his friend's neck and he pressed closer until he could feel the heat of the demigod's body through his clothing. Hercules deepened the kiss to a bruising intensity and when their mouths finally parted, both men were thoroughly breathless. Hercules stood and rapidly divested himself of his clothing and then he knelt on the bed and unfastened his partner's leather pants. Iolaus lifted his hips and wriggled out of the restricting garment, then the demigod straddled his friend's waist. Hercules bent forward and began to plant feather light kisses across the hunter's forehead, eyes and nose and Iolaus entwined his fingers in the bigger man's hair. The demigod continued his trail of hot little kisses over the hunter's chin to the base of his neck and then on down to his chest. He rolled his tongue around a hard nipple, teasing it gently and then nipped at it firmly with his teeth. Iolaus gasped as a wave of pleasure rolled through his body to his engorged cock. Hercules continued his erotic journey over his lover's torso and by the time the demigod's chin brushed over Iolaus' erection, the hunter was ready to beg. "Please Herc," he beseeched breathlessly.
Taking his friend's swollen member part way into his mouth, the demigod began to run his tongue teasingly over its tip, until Iolaus moaned and thrust his hips upwards, needing more. The hunter's hands were twisted into the sheets and his fists clenched and unclenched as his friend gradually took him deeper into his mouth. As Hercules finally engulfed his partner's cock all the way from tip to base, the hunter could hold back no longer. He gasped as his seed spurted into his lover's throat and Hercules swallowed as the hot fluid filled his mouth and flowed over his chin. As the hunter recovered from his shuddering climax, his lover dipped a finger into the spilled seed and gently pushed his lover's legs apart. When he glanced up he noticed Iolaus regarding him apprehensively. He was fairly certain that his blond partner had never had a male lover and so he sought to reassure him. "Trust me Iolaus, I would never hurt you, you know that."
The hunter nodded and moved his legs further apart to afford his friend better access to his tight anus. Hercules smiled reassuringly and leaning forward he kissed his friend tenderly. "Take a deep breath, then release it slowly and relax," he instructed.
The hunter complied and as he breathed out, the demigod pushed his finger smoothly past his lover's tight ring of muscle. His digit continued its probing exploration until Iolaus groaned in pleasure and the demigod knew he had found the right spot. His finger was quickly joined by a second and then a third, as he thoroughly prepared his partner for what was to come. Coating his turgid member with some of his friend's previously spilled seed, the demigod withdrew his fingers and positioned himself between his lover's firm buttocks. He pressed forward, sliding gently into the hunter's clinging warmth and proceeded until his hard shaft was more than half buried. He hesitated for a few moments to allow his friend to become accustomed to the initial discomfort. As the brief pain of his friend's entry passed, Iolaus was assaulted by a wave of new sensations and his cock stirred with renewed life. He pushed forward, wrapping his legs around his lover's waist, pulling the demigod's hard shaft all the way into him.
As Hercules settled into a steady rhythm, sliding in and out, he reached between them to take his lover's throbbing member into his tight grip. He matched the movement of his hips to the pumping of his hand over the hunter's cock and for a while nothing else existed except the incredible sensations coursing through their joined bodies. "Harder, Herc, please," The hunter gasped breathlessly and their pace increased as they rocked and pounded towards an explosive crescendo. Iolaus gripped the crumpled bedclothes tightly and cried out, his body convulsing, as his hot seed spilled over the demigod's fist. Hercules thrust forwards one more time.
"Gods, Iolaus!" he gasped and his whole body shuddered, as his semi-divine seed flowed into his lover's body. Hercules withdrew and rolling onto his side he pulled the hunter protectively against him.
Iolaus rested his head against his lover's strong shoulder and a lone tear escaped as he whispered, "I love you , Herc, I always have and I always will."
FINIS