Author's Note: Sorry for the enormous delay, I lost my muse for a couple of weeks and as many writers will sympathize with I lost the inspiration to get up and write something with any sort of quality. Thank you so much for all the reviews and hurry ups along the way that I got and for my wonderful Beta Gaslight who has helped so much with helping me fix up my errors and give me indispensable suggestions. Much gratitude! Hope you enjoy the next chapter and keep sending in reviews - I love those! Balrog Pimp xox
Chapter Four:
Hector lay in bed. After blacking out
(embarrassingly), he guessed Paris or someone else had
decided to return him safely to his own bed. Sighing,
he looked towards the doorway and, to his surprise,
found Andromache standing there. She was completely
naked.
"Hector… my love," she began, walking towards him,
"are you feeling well?"
Hector smiled, "All the better for seeing you here, My
Heart."
Andromache's smile widened. "I think you've been
fighting too hard. You need to care for yourself
better," she said as she sat down on the edge of the
bed, caressing her husband's face.
Hector found himself repeating the same words which
had driven him to blacking out in the first place,
"Perhaps you could care for me better?"
Andromache tilted her head and her soft lips met his.
Hector began to sit up to hold her but she pushed him
back down, lying him flat. Through tired, lidded eyes
he watched her as she climbed atop him, getting into
the bed with him. It was then that he realised he was
naked too as he felt her cool body come in contact
with his hot skin. She blew out the candle beside
their bed and the room was plunged into darkness.
Hector grinned. He knew that if he couldn't see, other
senses would be heightened. He kissed his clever wife.
She ran her hands down his firm, muscular chest,
circling his dark nipples lightly with her fingertips.
Hector moaned and arched his back in pleasure.
Grabbing his wife by the shoulders, he guided her to
lie flat against his stomach.
His lips met hers again, but he noticed something
different now. There was a smell of salt of the wind,
and the body lying on top of him was much broader and
heavier. Hector almost yelled in surprise, but the
rough bearded mouth, scraping his cheek gently, felt
so good, he realised, in comparison to the woman's
smooth, soft lips. Large hands were now cupping the
side of his face, pushing him deeper and more
aggressively into the silk pillows. The want was a
man's want. The passion was quickly becoming steadily
hotter as the man's other hand stroked down his neck
to scrape his nails over his pert nipples. Strangely,
he did not find the other man's hardness on him
disturbing. It felt remarkably good to him as his
hardness rubbed against the others. Hector once again
moaned, but it was muffled against the mouth of the
man on top of him as he kept kissing him.
Hector was becoming delirious with sensation and lack
of oxygen. All he could think of was that this man
felt so good with him, it was so right; he couldn't
help but notice also the trademark salty taste of him
either. It was foreign to him, never had he tasted
anyone like this before, and he wondered who he was.
Pushing at the man's chest he pulled away enough to
ask him:
"Who are you?"
In the darkness he could just make out the shine of
grey-green eyes and a small chuckle.
"Prince Hector, I am surprised you would ask."
Hector gasped at the voice and the sudden realisation
that hit him.
"I am Odysseus."
Hector yelled out and sat bolt upright to push the
other man away from him. But found there was no one
there. The candle had not been put out, he was not
naked; there was no one else in the room. What
happened? Had that been a dream?
Breathing deeply to regain his wits from the shock, he
realised it must have been a dream. But it felt so
real. He lay back down again realising he was sweating
and still hard. He had had dreams like this before but
never so vivid, and never with a man. They had gone
away when he had left his teens behind and had
married. What did this mean? Was he no longer happy
with his wife? Where was she anyway? He figured they
must have left him alone, believing him to be sick and
rightly so, he had passed out, by Zeus! But what did
this mean about Odysseus? There was no hiding it now;
he was clearly infatuated with him, and the dream had
proved that to him all too clearly. He thought back on
it. The dream was still fresh in his mind. Yes, he was
definitely more excited by the idea that the mystery
man could have been Odysseus, and he had felt so much
better than with his Andromache. He had liked it
rough, much the same way that he himself liked it, and
the fire between the two warriors had been incredible.
Hector now wished that he hadn't woken up so suddenly,
now that he thought about it, he rather liked where
that had been going, he had enjoyed it. He smiled
slightly and sighed:
"Odysseus…"
He made up his mind. Tomorrow, he would warn the Greek
about the attack on the ships.
…
Hector took flint and tinder and cast the shower of
sparks onto the dry grass and wood he had piled
together to construct a fire. There would be no chance
of them getting cold tonight. Patiently he awaited the
arrival of his Argive companion. He did not have long
to wait. Odysseus was soon in sight and he moved more
briskly towards the chariot as he saw the small blaze
going up.
"Ah, I see you have remembered to bring along the
firewood," Odysseus remarked rubbing his hands
together as he lowered himself to the sand.
"As promised," Hector grinned.
"I am most grateful. I fear it will be become much
colder before this night is through." Odysseus inched
closer in a crouch, rubbing his shoulders and arms in
the warm glow of the flames.
"You guess rightly," Hector assured but broke off as
he noticed the slight grimace pass over the handsome
features of his companion. He recognised it to be one
of physical discomfort and his guesses where revealed
to be correct when the older man reached to rub at his
lower back slightly. Not wanting to embarrass the
other man by drawing attention to this weakness he
said nothing, but felt slightly helpless at being
unable to offer any help. He needn't worry for
Odysseus' pride.
"I am starting to feel my age it seems," he laughed
softly at himself. "My prime has peaked and is moving
on in the years we have spent here. I understand
Nestor's complaints now. O' that I were the man I once
was…"
"That cannot be true," Hector rebuked. "You are not
much an older man than I and you seem to be in fine
form. What truly ails you?"
"I know not. This war does not seem to be doing any
good for it, though."
"Let me see." The Trojan prince now took on a tone of
command and even though he was not in the least
Odysseus' superior he felt compelled to obey him.
"Lie down."
He did so. Lying prone on his stomach before Hector,
Odysseus could not quell the uncertain excitement of
what was about to befall him. He felt worms squirming
gently inside his belly.
Hector raised the clean tunic and gazed at the strong
expanse of muscle that lay before him. His attention,
however, was pulled towards a dark purple and greenish
blotch on the other man's lower back.
"'Tis not the pain of age you feel, but the ache stems
from ferocious bruising. How did this happen?"
Odysseus chuckled at this. "You expect me to remember
which blow caused this particular injury? It could
have been from lying on a stone, for all I know!"
Hector could not help but smirk at the sense of humour
of the green-eyed Greek.
"No matter the cause, I could help cure the pain if
you desired?" The question was left in the open for a
moment, a moment that seemed to span much longer than
such an offer is entitled to.
"Thank you." Odysseus gave his assent and arranged
himself more comfortably in the sand.
"You really must learn to take better care of
yourself, my friend," Hector said matter-of-factly as
he laid his warm hand lightly on the darkened skin.
"Perhaps I could care for you better."
Hector felt the slight intake of breath as this
venturing remark was heard. So, Odysseus had said
those words the other night. He smiled as he began to
tenderly work the muscle around the bruising. He saved
Odysseus from a possibly awkward reply by prompting a
pleased sigh from a well-placed rub of his fingers
into tense muscle.
Hector also sighed quietly as he relaxed into making
the other man more comfortable. He couldn't stop his
heart from fluttering slightly as he watched the lean
shoulders slump before him as Odysseus relaxed
further, his muscles becoming more supple under the
heat from both the fire and the Trojan's hands.
An unknown amount of time passed and Hector slipped
into a blissful state of unconsciousness as he kept
busy on his task without thinking of anything but
gazing at Odysseus, now on the verge of sleep. His
dark hair framed his face with such effortless beauty
he seemed godlike; his breath ghosted softly over
slightly parted lips that looked as silken as rose
petals blooming from the weather beaten visage. Hector
could not help himself; almost hypnotically he was
drawn to the delicate lips of Odysseus. At that moment
a small ember popped in the fire and caught Odysseus'
leg. His eyes flew open and he sat up in surprise
almost colliding with the Trojan Prince.
"I am sorry!" he cried as he looked upon the startled
expression of Hector.
"No, it is I who am sorry," interrupted Hector, a
blush now stemming hotly across his cheeks, "I should
have been watching the fire,"
"But you became distracted, I deem," Odysseus finished
with the throwaway remark which caused Hector further
embarrassment. He avoided Odysseus' gaze and tried to
concentrate on concocting an excuse to explain his
closeness to Odysseus' face when he was supposed to be
focusing on his back. Looking up he chanced a look at
the Argive. Odysseus was smiling compassionately and
his eyes twinkled with warmth. There was no silent
request for explanation, only caring and amusement
shone from him.
"Thank you for caring for me, Hector," he said now
looking to his leg, "but it seems some other accident
has afflicted me."
Hector looked to the burn mark and understood the
reason behind Odysseus' sudden wakefulness. The mark
was also a harsh reminder as to why he had also come
here tonight. He had to warn Odysseus of the plan to
set alight the Greek ships. Swallowing, Hector
prepared to betray his own country.
"Odysseus, there is something you must know," he began
steadily, meeting the other's eyes with grave
solemnity. Odysseus immediately matched his mood.
"What is it, Hector?"
"The Trojans, I mean my men and I, we plan to raid
your ships tomorrow night. They want to burn your
ships and have you killed-"
"Why are you telling me this?"
Hector's thoughts flagged and he gaped, unable to
conjure a quick, acceptable answer. He was astonished
at the amount of emotion that was threatening to
overwhelm him.
"I… I don't believe in taking people unawares. It is
not right." Hector found the excuse he was looking
for. Odysseus was not taken in. He silently regarded
Hector for several long minutes. Hector had to break
his gaze with Odysseus under the penetrating stare.
"You realise what you have done in telling me this,
don't you?"
The silence was broken almost silently and Hector's
head shot up to make sure he had even heard Odysseus
speak.
"Yes," Hector replied almost as silently.
A dreamlike haze seemed to fall in the air and Hector
would almost have noticed the sweet, godlike laughter
had not Odysseus been leaning forward towards Hector.
The Trojan prince froze, for once uncertain in the
face of a somewhat different attack. Odysseus' eyes
fluttered shut as he drew nearer, his hand now resting
on Hector's thigh, caressing lightly. Hector could not
help but sigh and lean in too.
Their lips met.
It was nothing but a chaste kiss but behind that
gentle façade were so many other kisses, touches and
loving words that left Hector hungry for more. A
lop-sided grin graced Hector's features, allowing a
peek at a younger, more innocent and love-sick
teenager.
Odysseus pulled away, settling his cheek upon his
hand. It was then that Hector snapped out of whatever
spell he was put under and started to hurriedly babble
further instructions to Odysseus.
"You must be out of the camp when we come, but tell no
one straight away until after you see me or there will
be roused suspicions against us both and-"
He was silenced once again as Odysseus swooped in for
another kiss. A soft, wet tongue lapped delicately
along Hector's lower lip and slipped in comfortably as
his mouth opened for a gasp. Hector became aware that
powerful arms had reached up behind his back and were
cupping the back of his head, melding their lips more
closely together. All too soon it was over again, and
Hector was once again left short of breath.
"I knew that would quiet you…" Odysseus trailed off
wistfully. "You taste just like I dreamed you would.
Spicy," he added as an after thought as Hector was
overcome with a fierce fire in his cheeks. "Thank you,
Hector. This means… so much more…"
Hector nodded, "I know…"
The two men sat in silence, unsure of what now to say.
It seemed all had been said.
"I had best get back to camp. They will miss me at
supper…" Odysseus offered, but he didn't move.
"Yes, maybe you should…" but he didn't enforce it, nor
sound keen about the suggestion.
They moved as one. Hector from a more stable position
crashed on top of Odysseus, pushing him to the ground,
lips slamming together like mighty waves against an
ancient cliff. Sand was flung up about them as they
rolled around like lions, fighting for supremacy.
Hector sustained his hold, lying across the Greek's
broad chest, plundering his mouth for all it was
worth. His hardened length ground itself into the
bronze armour. Odysseus was now spread out before him
as a banquet and Hector was quite content to have his
supper here when a long, low tone reverberated from
the direction of the Greek camp.
Odysseus caught Hector's shoulders and pushed him away
from his lips so that he straddled him. He looked wild
as he came back to himself and cast a panicked glance
towards his encampment. He uttered a curse in Greek so
thick with the Ithican dialect that even Hector could
not catch it. Already Hector's heart bled at the
approaching parting.
"Hector, I'm sorry, I must leave now. That was the
signal for a council to be held. It will surely be
noticed if I do not attend. I am most sorry, I wish I
could stay…"
"I know. And so do I. I understand… but please,
Odysseus, remember tomorrow night. Escape the ships
after you see me. I don't want you to get hurt."
Odysseus smiled with such warmth it caused Hector's
heart to melt for him completely. "Never you mind. I
have been called a wily creature, and you shall see me
safe tomorrow night. I am forever grateful for your
sacrifice." Odysseus pulled Hector to him suddenly and
embraced him tightly.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"Tomorrow night, Odysseus, tomorrow night…"
TBC