Aeneas couldn't sleep. Though he was grateful for the bed Evander had set
up for him with no prior warning, he was getting a little pissed off with
the leaves getting stuck in annoying places. He also couldn't help feeling
guilty about promising to protect Pallas. He wasn't entirely sure
Evander's ideas of protection were the same as his. To make matters worse,
the one time he did fall asleep, he was woken by a disturbing dream in
which his mum and his half brother were sprawled across a bright pink sofa,
stuffing their faces with buttered popcorn and laughing at him.
Getting up from his bed, Aeneas wrapped his cloak around his shoulders and left for the city. He wondered what it was about Pallanteum that made him feel so at home. He liked the place, the atmosphere was so relaxed and the people so friendly, despite the fact that their spare wreaths evidently weren't made for human heads. He would miss it when he left. Still, at least he was taking the best part with him.
He was startled out of his reverie by the sound of a splash in the river. Walking towards the Thybris, Aeneas parted the trees in time to see Pallas emerge to the waist, pushing his hair back as the water ran down his spine. The young man's lightly toned back gently tapered down to the surface of the dark water, where a perfect reflection rose up to meet it.
'Shouldn't you be in bed young man?' Aeneas said, half joking, half stunned at the sight of the naked youth bathing before him. Pallas spun round, mouth open in shock, the moonlit ripples reflecting on his torso.
'I...um...' A steady blush crept up the boy's cheeks.
'Couldn't sleep?' Pallas shook his head. 'Me neither.' He was tugging at his earlobe and avoiding Aeneas' gaze, obviously embarrassed at the situation.
'Come on, we should get back. It's getting cold.'
'Yeah, You're right.' Pallas waded towards the bank and stopped. 'Um... would you...uh...'
'Oh. Sorry.' Disappointed, Aeneas turned his back as his Adonis climbed out of the water, looking back only once to see the hem of a tunic slide over perfectly rounded buttocks.
Grinning silently in the dark, Aeneas waited for Pallas to tie up his sandals before heading back to Evander's palace. The boy walked up to Aeneas and smiled sheepishly, still shivering slightly from the cold, and trying not to show his embarrassment at what had happened. Dutiful Aeneas couldn't help but wonder whether chivalry worked on men. Unsure whether it was Pallas' vulnerable Andrex puppy eyes, or the sudden desire to strip in front of him that spurred him on, he undid his cloak and tied it around the boy's shoulders, perhaps leaving his hand there a little too long before he carried on walking.
The awkward silence between them was broken by Pallas.
'What were you thinking about?'
'When?'
'When you couldn't sleep I mean.' Aeneas was a little thrown by this. He couldn't remember much beyond the river incident.
'Lavinia I suppose.'
'Oh.' Pallas looked crestfallen. Something flipped in Aeneas' stomach thinking about what he had just said to him.
'I mean, she may be an irritating bint but I guess I'm not really being fair on her.'
'Really?' The young man had perked up a bit at the 'irritating bint' part, 'What do you mean?'
'Well, I'm still engaged to her, but,' Aeneas stopped and turned to face the Prince of the Arcadians, 'I've fallen for someone else.' Their eyes locked as a peal of thunder burst above their heads. The great Trojan rolled his eyes.
'Bloody meddling mother,' he muttered 'I can do this by myself, thank you very much.' He smiled as he turned back to Pallas.
'That's a sign, you know.' Pallas' brow furrowed.
'A sign of what?' Aeneas smiled and shook his head.
'Never mind, come on.'
It didn't take long for the aftermath of his mother's pointed hint to catch up with them. They started to walk faster in a vain attempt to get back indoors before they were completely soaked, but it appeared that someone had other ideas. They ended up running to get under cover as the rain came down heavier and heavier. Suddenly, Pallas grabbed Aeneas by the elbow and dragged him under some trees.
'We can find shelter under here.' Aeneas looked up and laughed. The rain still poured down on them through the canopy above.
'A fine shelter this is young hero! What exactly were you planning to do next?' He turned back just in time to see the nervous expression on the young man's face before Pallas lunged forward to kiss him. Aeneas had to admit, he was quite impressed, albeit surprised, that this shy young man was making the first move, although a little put out that he hadn't come up with it first. Pallas' lips were pressed tightly against his, and were trembling slightly until Aeneas realised too late that he wasn't responding to the kiss. Pallas jerked away, and seeing the look of shock on the Trojan's face stared at the ground and bit his lower lip in shame.
'I'm sorry. I thought. I didn't. I mean.... Oh Fuck. You're not going to tell my father are you?'
'Well I don't know Pallas.' Aeneas smirked shamelessly. 'We haven't done anything worth hiding have we? Yet.'
Pallas looked back up, flushing with renewed hope as Aeneas stepped closer. Slowly he snaked his hand up the Trojan's neck, and twisting his fingers in his dripping hair, pulled him close to kiss him again. Their lips met, already wet from the downpour, and leaning into the kiss, Aeneas wrapped his arms around the prince's waist. Pallas' inhibitions fell away to be replaced by passion as they kissed more fervently, a desperate moan rising in his throat. He ran his tongue along Aeneas' top lip, gently parting his mouth and tasting the Trojan hero, the lust burning up within them.
Aeneas sighed deeply as he pulled Pallas into his chest, his hands sliding ever southwards. He felt the young man tense momentarily before Pallas pushed him to the ground and devoured his throat, following a trail of water down the Trojan's collarbone with his tongue...
* * * * * * * * * * *
The faint scent of the rain was still in the air as the two men curled around each other, far too exhausted to be bothered about the cold. Aeneas smiled and laced his fingers with his lover's.
"Greek hospitality rocks." Pallas turned to him and gave a wry laugh.
"You should see what goes on at the symposia."
Getting up from his bed, Aeneas wrapped his cloak around his shoulders and left for the city. He wondered what it was about Pallanteum that made him feel so at home. He liked the place, the atmosphere was so relaxed and the people so friendly, despite the fact that their spare wreaths evidently weren't made for human heads. He would miss it when he left. Still, at least he was taking the best part with him.
He was startled out of his reverie by the sound of a splash in the river. Walking towards the Thybris, Aeneas parted the trees in time to see Pallas emerge to the waist, pushing his hair back as the water ran down his spine. The young man's lightly toned back gently tapered down to the surface of the dark water, where a perfect reflection rose up to meet it.
'Shouldn't you be in bed young man?' Aeneas said, half joking, half stunned at the sight of the naked youth bathing before him. Pallas spun round, mouth open in shock, the moonlit ripples reflecting on his torso.
'I...um...' A steady blush crept up the boy's cheeks.
'Couldn't sleep?' Pallas shook his head. 'Me neither.' He was tugging at his earlobe and avoiding Aeneas' gaze, obviously embarrassed at the situation.
'Come on, we should get back. It's getting cold.'
'Yeah, You're right.' Pallas waded towards the bank and stopped. 'Um... would you...uh...'
'Oh. Sorry.' Disappointed, Aeneas turned his back as his Adonis climbed out of the water, looking back only once to see the hem of a tunic slide over perfectly rounded buttocks.
Grinning silently in the dark, Aeneas waited for Pallas to tie up his sandals before heading back to Evander's palace. The boy walked up to Aeneas and smiled sheepishly, still shivering slightly from the cold, and trying not to show his embarrassment at what had happened. Dutiful Aeneas couldn't help but wonder whether chivalry worked on men. Unsure whether it was Pallas' vulnerable Andrex puppy eyes, or the sudden desire to strip in front of him that spurred him on, he undid his cloak and tied it around the boy's shoulders, perhaps leaving his hand there a little too long before he carried on walking.
The awkward silence between them was broken by Pallas.
'What were you thinking about?'
'When?'
'When you couldn't sleep I mean.' Aeneas was a little thrown by this. He couldn't remember much beyond the river incident.
'Lavinia I suppose.'
'Oh.' Pallas looked crestfallen. Something flipped in Aeneas' stomach thinking about what he had just said to him.
'I mean, she may be an irritating bint but I guess I'm not really being fair on her.'
'Really?' The young man had perked up a bit at the 'irritating bint' part, 'What do you mean?'
'Well, I'm still engaged to her, but,' Aeneas stopped and turned to face the Prince of the Arcadians, 'I've fallen for someone else.' Their eyes locked as a peal of thunder burst above their heads. The great Trojan rolled his eyes.
'Bloody meddling mother,' he muttered 'I can do this by myself, thank you very much.' He smiled as he turned back to Pallas.
'That's a sign, you know.' Pallas' brow furrowed.
'A sign of what?' Aeneas smiled and shook his head.
'Never mind, come on.'
It didn't take long for the aftermath of his mother's pointed hint to catch up with them. They started to walk faster in a vain attempt to get back indoors before they were completely soaked, but it appeared that someone had other ideas. They ended up running to get under cover as the rain came down heavier and heavier. Suddenly, Pallas grabbed Aeneas by the elbow and dragged him under some trees.
'We can find shelter under here.' Aeneas looked up and laughed. The rain still poured down on them through the canopy above.
'A fine shelter this is young hero! What exactly were you planning to do next?' He turned back just in time to see the nervous expression on the young man's face before Pallas lunged forward to kiss him. Aeneas had to admit, he was quite impressed, albeit surprised, that this shy young man was making the first move, although a little put out that he hadn't come up with it first. Pallas' lips were pressed tightly against his, and were trembling slightly until Aeneas realised too late that he wasn't responding to the kiss. Pallas jerked away, and seeing the look of shock on the Trojan's face stared at the ground and bit his lower lip in shame.
'I'm sorry. I thought. I didn't. I mean.... Oh Fuck. You're not going to tell my father are you?'
'Well I don't know Pallas.' Aeneas smirked shamelessly. 'We haven't done anything worth hiding have we? Yet.'
Pallas looked back up, flushing with renewed hope as Aeneas stepped closer. Slowly he snaked his hand up the Trojan's neck, and twisting his fingers in his dripping hair, pulled him close to kiss him again. Their lips met, already wet from the downpour, and leaning into the kiss, Aeneas wrapped his arms around the prince's waist. Pallas' inhibitions fell away to be replaced by passion as they kissed more fervently, a desperate moan rising in his throat. He ran his tongue along Aeneas' top lip, gently parting his mouth and tasting the Trojan hero, the lust burning up within them.
Aeneas sighed deeply as he pulled Pallas into his chest, his hands sliding ever southwards. He felt the young man tense momentarily before Pallas pushed him to the ground and devoured his throat, following a trail of water down the Trojan's collarbone with his tongue...
* * * * * * * * * * *
The faint scent of the rain was still in the air as the two men curled around each other, far too exhausted to be bothered about the cold. Aeneas smiled and laced his fingers with his lover's.
"Greek hospitality rocks." Pallas turned to him and gave a wry laugh.
"You should see what goes on at the symposia."
