==000==

"Why does Doctore not stop this?" Varro wondered speaking aside to Barca but not taking his eyes off the fight currently turning into a complete brawl. Slowly, one by one, the training men had come to a stand still to watch as Aurlus and Gnaeus swore, fought and tried to kill each other.

There was a combined wince as one of Aurlus' teeth shot across the sand in a spray of blood. Hidden grins and 'oowes' as Gnaeus received a knee hard into the groin.

Barca looked over at Doctore and saw the man's eyes fixed on the balcony. He was waiting for an order from the Master as he stood there, leaning against the wooden railing, ever present goblet in his other hand and conferring with his wife. He motioned slightly with his head at the pair and answered, "Looks to be waiting for direction." He watched the men now rolling in the dirt and added, "This has been long in coming. It needs be settled before they cause us harm in the Arena."

"Why do they not just share the boy?" They both knew, as did all the others watching, what this fight was about.

"You know Aurlus cares for the boy and after what that brute put his brother through, no doubt wanting to do same to him, you can not question his intent?"

They both winced as Aurlus, having gained the upper hand, knelt over Gnaeus and, after punching him in the face repeatedly, held him by the throat and with his free hand formed a fist and smashed it as hard as he could on his groin.

"Enough!" came from the balcony and all eyes turned to Dominus. "The matter is resolved," and with that, the Lanista placed his arm around his wife's waist and they moved into the cool shade of the house.

Aurlus fell back to sit breathing hard on the sand. He had wanted to kill the bastard but knew it to be unwise. They were all worth money to their Master and he did not have enough winnings saved up to be able to reimburse the cost of the fighter. Oh, but he wanted him dead. He prayed to the gods that the day would come soon when they would meet in the arena.

Gnaeus was curled on the ground, the pained expression on his face making Aurlus smile then wince at the sharp throb from where his tooth used to be. The bastard would not be brutalising anyone else for a long time after this, hopefully he would be permanently impaired.

He pushed himself to standing, tottering on unsteady legs and wincing at all the new aches and pains. Stretching, he looked down at the still groaning piece of dung. It had been a long time since he had been in a fist fight, a brawl, the wooden practice swords soon forgotten as the fight had descended into personal vendetta. As soon as he was released, he would go and whisper to the damaged boy, under the care of the Medicus, what he had done for him.

==000==

Cassius closed his eyes as all he could see was the dirt floor anyway, his head hanging as his arms reached higher. He stood bent over yet again for someone else's pleasure, some one else's use. His hands clenched tighter around the bars as Vibius thrust into him hard, again and again.

As his legs braced to take the assault, all he concentrated on were those thumbs slowly stroking over his lower back. He was not sure the gladiator realised that he was doing it but that small tender action was somehow more real, more present than the cock sliding in and out of him.

The hands holding his hips were strong and might well leave bruises now that they had a firm hold on him, but Cassius could still feel the fingers smoothing over his sides, his lower back, his buttocks as the man had actually taken time to enter him, for him to adjust and accommodate him. It was the closet anyone had come to showing him anything other than lust, power and pain since he had been brought here.

The man had him often now and Cassius still did not understand why he would not take him for his alone. Why he would look over at him during meals, intent in his eyes but would not give compliant or lift a finger to stop it if someone else should take him first.

And they still did. Where as all the other boys seemed to have managed to find themselves a protector, for some reason no one wanted him. He was passed around and taken by any that the mood struck and he suffered for it. Maybe that was why. Maybe no one wanted a fuck slave that others used too. That no one thought he was worth fighting over, if it came to that.

He knew that Aurlus had to keep a watchful eye and not let Sabinus too far from sight. The fighter had taken many a bruise and injury at practice after the match was ended. But the man thought that Sabinus was worth the threat and once again Cassius felt resentment and jealousy. He remembered with glee as Aurlus had fought Gnaeus, had almost cheered at the blow to the cock. It had been over a month ago and the man had not troubled him since. He would though. The man's cock maybe damaged but that did not stop the leers or taunts, the promise of future pain.

His mind was drawn back to the now as those hands began to move up his sides and his eyes shot open at the realisation that Vibius was leaning over him, his thrusts slowing as his hands began to search out and feel his stretched sides. There was warm breath on the back of his neck and he pulled his head up, turning it slightly, surprise clear on his face.

Then he was pulled back to standing, the arms encircling and holding him up as Vibius pushed his face into the back of his neck before shifting their weight and began to push up into him, searching for and finding that place inside of him that actually gave Cassius pleasure. He could not help but let out a surprised gasp and the man laughed and ensured to hit the spot again and again, one of his hands coming around to grasp at his cock.

His legs trembled and his head fell back at the sudden attention to his pleasure, to his needs which he was equally amazed to find that he had, his cock instantly responding to the touch, not just to the forceful fucking he usually received.

He had never understood why his body responded to the harsh treatment, to the rape that he had been subjected to, and he despised himself for it. But this was different and so surprising that he found himself cumming, jerking and shuddering almost immediately, receiving a strangle grunt and a deep chuckle as Vibius held him tight, held him still and enjoyed the clenching on his own organ.

The gladiator thrust into the convulsing passage and stilled then jerked the youth off more causing him to whimper and spasm and contract afresh on his cock. Thrusting one last time deep into the tightening channel, he too came, sinking his teeth into the stretched neck, not hard enough to break the skin but just enough to trap him.

Pulling back but still holding the boy in his arms, he licked at the bite mark and felt the youth shudder. He smiled and ran his hands over the flesh, surprisingly smooth, and thought that, "I prefer you without blemish."

Cassius wanted to turn around but had to wait, twisting at the waist, until the man slid his slick cock from him. He gazed into the grinning face and wanted to scream at him but knew if he had any chance of getting this man to keep him, he could not voice the bitter words burning on his tongue.

He had been taking him more and more. Sometimes he just got him to suck his cock but more often he would take him all, always from behind, never face to face. But he had never hurt him in intent and he often pulled him to the ground before he left him there to sleep by his side.

He had never prevented anyone from taking him after he had finished with him but occasionally he would sleep with a hand on his hip or waist in possession. Cassius longed for those times because he would wake in the same place, no one having come for him. That small gesture was enough to tell others, 'he is mine this night'.

But he did not always do that.

Then again, he had never held him like this before either, never touched him, bringing him off in this way. Cassius held his breath hopefully, waiting but had to let it out on a moan as the sizable column was slipped from his arse making him shiver.

He turned but it was too late to turn in the man's arms as Vibius stood back, collecting and replacing his cloth. As he moved back into the cell the man was forced to call home, Cassius too bent to retrieve the scant covering he had been given, matching the other boys who shared his role, his own tunic having been ripped from him months before.

Dressed, he looked over at the man wondering just what he had to do to get him to take him in, to keep him. All he wanted to do was sleep, sleep safely. Was that really too much for him to ask? But the man had already laid down on his side and appeared to be settling into slumber.

He dreaded trying to go though the dark tunnels to get outside, to hopefully slip into the Bringer of Rain's room without waking and thus annoying the man. He could not risk that. The man only tolerated his presence and then only if he made no sound.

He had a moment of hatred, hatred for them all, hot and acidic in his gut where he had thoughts of stealing Medicus' herbs and poisoning the morning 'meal'. Of course he would not do it. He was not a killer and also, just because all his tormentors were dead, it did not mean safety for himself and Sabinus.

He needed to find a place now. This was the most dangerous time for him, between the evening meal and the locking of the cells and he would not have time to make it to Spartacus' cell before some guard just pushed him into the nearest cage even if he tried. His arse still feeling the presence of the man lying along the hard ground of the floor already appearing to sleep, he feared to be taken again and even more to be locked in with such as Gnaeus.

There was a gap between the wall and Vibius so, holding his breath, he decided to risk it. Stepping over another sleeping body, he moved as nimbly as he could and then crawled into the space, hardly daring to breath in case the man should take exception and forbid him this.

There was a grunt of complaint as he lay against the man's back and he waited for the blow, but the fighter just shuffled forwards, his head resting on his own bent arm and merely mumbled, "Be still."

Shifting barely enough to get comfortable, Cassius let out a breath of relief and that led him swiftly to long overdue and much needed slumber moments before the guard appeared. Such was his exhaustion, the squealing of the cell door closing and the key clanging in the lock did not even make him fidgit in his sleep.

==000==

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