"Hey, Herc, d'you think we could spare a little change for a room in an Inn this time? My back's really sore from sleeping on the ground."
"It has been a little rough, hasn't it?"
"No more than usual," Iolaus replied with a grin.
As they passed through the streets, they smiled and nodded their hellos to the townspeople who greeted them. Both men did a double take as they passed one of the local temples.
"Umm, Iolaus, that wasn't just..."
"Nah, Herc. We both know Xena's no virgin, let alone a Hestian one." Both men took another look. "Though the resemblance is amazing. I wonder how far it goes..."
"Don't even think about it."
They found a room at an inn and paid for the night. Their first objective was to find a bathhouse or a shower. Luckily, there was a makeshift shower stall out behind the inn, and Hercules was the first to take advantage of it. The demi-God entered the stall while Iolaus leaned against its outer wall.
"Iolaus, don't even think about it."
"How did you know I was thinking about it?"
"Because I know you. Trust me, you don't want to piss off my Aunt Hestia."
"But Herc..." Iolaus' words were cut off as Hercules' vest landed on his head. He knew it was useless arguing with his friend, so he tried to distract himself by watching the townspeople as they passed. His eyes widened as he saw a familiar figure coming down the road. Still holding Hercules' vest, he made a dash for the other side of the shower stall. He peeked around the side, hoping he hadn't been seen.
The man hadn't seen him. He seemed to be off in his own little world, which wasn't that unusual for him, whistling all the way. Iolaus had to admit he was curious as to what the man was doing in Arta without his two best friends. He began surreptitiously following the man down the street.
A pair of pants flew over the side of the stall, only to land on the ground. "I don't suppose you
can hand me that bar of soap, Iolaus. Iolaus?" Hercules sighed. "I just hope he doesn't get
himself into trouble this time."
* * *
Iolaus stood next to the door of the strange inn, wondering whether or not he should go in. He wanted to satisfy his curiosity about why the strange man was here, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to reveal his presence to the man. He could be quite -- persistent.
He was startled by a hand on his arm. He looked down and saw the face of an old woman looking at him with concern.
"My dear boy, you are much too good looking to need to visit Meg's."
"Meg's?"
"Yes. You have no idea what this place is, do you?"
"No. I saw a friend go in and was curious."
"Trust me, dear boy, you don't want to go in there. I feel sorry for your friend if he feels he must resort to Meg's, but you should not follow his example."
"Exactly, what kind of place is this?"
"It is a house of sin, dear boy. A brothel. Stay as far away from it as possible." With her final words, the old woman left.
Thinking about what the old woman told him, Iolaus felt a twinge of pity. The poor man had spent ages pining after a woman who didn't love him, and now he had to resort to hiring the services of a prostitute. No matter what anyone said, he was better than that. His mind made up, Iolaus opened the door so that he could save his friend...
...only to stop in shock at the sight before him.
"Meg, I can hardly breathe!"
"Aww, but Joxie, them tight leathers really show off your cute little butt."
"Yeah, but I can't exactly entertain when I can barely breathe, now can I."
"The boys like you whether you can breathe or not."
As Joxer rolled his eyes, Iolaus finally found the strength to close his mouth. His brain had gone into overload. Standing before him was Joxer in a white lace-up shirt and the tightest pair of leather pants he'd ever seen (which he had to admit did as the woman had said -- really showing off the man's ass), next to yet another Xena look-alike. What were the odds that there would be two of them in the same town?
"Ahhh, Joxie, it looks like you've got your first client. He can't keep his eyes off you."
As Joxer turned around, he jumped several feet in the air. "I-I-Iolaus! W-w-w-what are you doing here?"
"I was just about to ask you the same thing. I saw you walking down the street and followed you here."
Silence reigned in the air until the woman broke it. "Well, Joxie, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"
"Umm, Sure. Meg, this is Iolaus. Iolaus, Meg."
Iolaus simply nodded, but Meg walked over to him and pulled him down into a passionate kiss. "Hiya, blondie. Welcome to my place."
Iolaus looked up to see Joxer hiding a grin. "Joxer, you never did quite tell me what it is you're doing here." The grin fell off the man's face.
"Ummm, well-I, well-I..."
"Aww, Joxie's so modest. He's one of my best workers. All the girls, and the guys, love him. I don't know what I'd do without him."
"You work here?" Iolaus started laughing until he saw the look of shame that crossed the young man's face. He began feeling guilty. Joxer was a poor warrior and could barely even defend himself, let alone another person. Even he needed a way to get by, didn't he?
Iolaus felt a stinging sensation on his arm and turned, realizing Meg had just hit him. "How dare you laugh at my Joxie. He's a good man. The best!"
Iolaus had the decency to look sheepish. "I'm sorry, okay? Joxer, I really am sorry. It was just a shock." He tried a grin when the man finally looked him in the eyes and received a shy smile in return. He felt a slight stirring in his groin and realized there was more to this man than he'd thought.
"Good. Now that you two boys have made up, I've got to get dinner started for the evening crowd."
They smiled at Meg as she made her way out back, then stood facing each other in uncomfortable silence.
"So," Iolaus began, "I'm guessing Xena and Gabrielle don't know about this." Joxer's eyes widened in fear as he shook his head. "Don't worry, I won't say a word." Joxer heaved a sigh of relief. "So, wh..."
Iolaus' words were cut off when the door opened, admitting a stream of loud-mouthed soldiers. Most of them settled themselves into a pair of tables, however one of them recognized Joxer and headed towards him. Blushing furiously, Joxer turned his eyes away from Iolaus and grinned at the man.
The soldier reached a hand behind Joxer, cupping his buttocks, and pulled him into a kiss, his other hand stroking him through his leathers. "Hiya, Jox. Long time no see."
Joxer found he couldn't speak. Normally, he responded naturally to the men's advances, but he couldn't knowing Iolaus was right there. He'd hoped none of his friends would ever find out what he did when he wasn't traveling with them.
"You okay? You look a little out of it."
Joxer nodded. "It's been a long day." The soldier smiled a knowing smile and laughed, then with a final smack to Joxer's backside, he returned to the table to join his friends. Joxer didn't look back to Iolaus, afraid of what he'd find expressed on the blond's face.
Meg burst out of the back room carrying a tray full of mugs. As she passed Joxer, she noticed him looking a little out of sorts and quickly squeezed his arm in support. Once she'd distributed the drinks to the men, she walked over to another doorway and yelled at the top of her lungs. "Get your butts out here! You can't leave Joxie to do all your work!" She headed back for the back room as several scantily clad women came out of the other entrance. Each one greeted Joxer with a kiss before they moved to the table to entertain the soldiers.
Watching the scene unfolding, Iolaus realized he'd had enough. He couldn't stand to see Joxer in such a place. He walked over to the leather-clad man and grabbed his hand. "Come on. We're getting out of here."
Joxer resisted as Iolaus tried pulling him towards the door. "But Iolaus, I have to work..."
"There's no way I'm letting you go through with this, not when I can do something about it."
"He's right, Iolaus," a voice shouted from the back of the room. Both men turned to see Meg looking at them expectantly. "He's gotta work. Nothin's free around here."
Iolaus puffed out a breath, then felt around his waist for his change-purse. He tossed it to Meg, then resumed dragging a less reluctant Joxer to the door.
Meg counted the money in the purse and smiled. "It's been nice doin' business with ya, Blondie."
* * *
As Hercules headed back to the inn where he and Iolaus were staying, he receive many strange looks from the townspeople, particularly the women. He felt relaxed and refreshed after spending a while under the water. He opened the door to the inn and, spotting the familiar blond head at a far table, headed towards his friend.
As he approached, he realized there was another man at the table and recognized Joxer immediately, even though he wasn't wearing his usual armour. As he came to the table, neither man noticed his presence until he coughed loudly.
"Um, oh, hi Herc."
"Iolaus. Did you forget something?"
"Me? I don't r... oh." Iolaus looked on the seat next to him and picked up the vest he'd been carrying around with him. "Sorry."
Hercules grabbed the vest and slipped it on over his head. "Thanks. I think I was starting to make the women nervous."
Joxer held back a laugh. "That's not the word I'd have chosen... Ouch!" He reached down to rub his leg where Iolaus had obviously kicked him.
Hercules sat next to Iolaus and examined the two men who were barely looking at each other. "It's nice to see you again, Joxer."
"Umm, same here Hercules."
"So what's up with you two?"
Joxer seemed to glare at Iolaus, as if daring him to speak. "Nothing. We just met up in town and I thought Joxer could join us for the night."
"Well, Iolaus, I'm sure he's already got someplace to stay."
"But Herc, it has been a while since we've seen each other." From the looks of both men, they didn't exactly seem pleased to see each other. Hercules decided he needed a different strategy to figure out what was going on.
"So, Joxer, did you know there's a Hestian Virgin in town that looks just like Xena?"
"Oh, Leah? Yeah, we ran into her a while back. She's the priestess of her temple."
"So how many does that make it -- two lookalikes with Diana?"
"Actually, it's three. There's also Meg."
"Meg? I don't think I've met her."
"Oh, well, she's a -- friend."
Hercules noticed that both men traded guarded looks as Joxer talked about Meg. This problem between them must have something to do with her. "Well, Iolaus, it must have been a shock to meet her."
"Yeah, tell me about it - Ouch!" It was Iolaus' turn to rub his leg where Joxer had kicked him.
Hercules had had enough of the two children. He got up from his seat and grabbed each of them by the backs of their shirts, dragging them upstairs to the room he was sharing with Iolaus. He tossed them both on the bed and closed the door behind him.
"All right. That's it. I've had enough of the two of you acting like children. Now, tell we what's going on."
Joxer and Iolaus moved so that while they were sitting on the bed, they were still as far away from each other as possible. They both folded their arms over their chests with stubborn looks on their faces.
"Okay, if that's how you want it. Joxer, who's Meg?"
"She's a friend in town."
"Iolaus? Who is she?"
"She owns the local whorehouse." Iolaus sighed. He'd never promised he wouldn't talk about Meg.
Hercules bit his bottom lip as he considered this little tidbit of information. How did Joxer know this woman, and what did it have to do with the animosity between the two men? He decided to try another tactic.
"Joxer, what happened to your armour? This is the first time I've ever seen you without it."
"It's with Meg."
"Did she choose that outfit for you?" Joxer nodded. For the first time since meeting up with the two men, Hercules took a closer look at what the wannabe warrior was wearing. His leathers looked painfully tight and did little to hide his, ahem, assets. Slowly, he began piecing together the clues and didn't care much for the conclusion he came up with. He desperately hoped he was wrong. "Joxer, do you work for Meg?"
Joxer's answer was to jump up from the bed and make a dash for the bedroom door. Hercules backed up against it before the man could make it. "Please, let me go."
"Joxer, it's okay." He grew concerned when the man began trembling, his eyes growing wet with tears. Hercules pulled the man into his arms and held him until the tears finally fell. He laid his chin on Joxer's head as he comfortingly stroked the man's back. His eyes met Iolaus' over the crying man's head.
"It's not something I'm proud of. I know I'm not good at anything, but even I need to eat." Joxer mumbled and sniffed against Hercules' vest as the demi-God held him tighter.
Iolaus rose from the bed and walked over to the two men. He placed a hand on Joxer's shoulder, adding his support to Hercules'. He felt a stirring of feelings inside: sympathy and compassion, as well as something else. He'd recognized his attraction to the wannabe warrior at Meg's, but he'd also been harbouring feelings towards his best friend for ages now without saying a word. However, standing here, sharing this tender moment with the two of them, was getting to be too much for his self-control.
Iolaus' hand slid from Joxer's shoulder up into his hair, his fingers tangling through the dark strands. Joxer's head lifted from Hercules' chest until he was able to look Iolaus in the eye, only to see the smouldering look the blue eyes gave him. His breathing quickened as he felt all the blood in his body shoot straight to his cock.
Hercules had noticed the change in atmosphere and had proven not to be immune as his cock twitched. He felt one of Joxer's hands slowly move up his chest, toying with the edges of his vest. The three of them seemed to be locked in a single moment in time, waiting to see who would make the first move.
Hercules' hand moved to capture Joxer's and bring it up to his lips. As he lay gentle caresses on the palm, both Joxer and Iolaus turned their gazes upon him. He saw the same smouldering look Joxer had seen in Iolaus' eyes, and saw it echoed in Joxer's.
Hercules let go of Joxer's hand, only to bend his head down to capture the man's lips with his own. As Joxer melted against Hercules' hard body, Iolaus moved up behind him, hand still tangled in the dark hair, and began kissing his way along the long neck. Joxer began running his hands along the inside of Hercules' vest, slowly pulling the edges apart to gain more access to the tanned flesh beneath.
Hercules' lips moved from Joxer's along his chin, eventually savouring the taste of the long neck. He kissed along the flesh until he was nose-to-nose with Iolaus. Joxer's hands brushed up against Hercules' nipples, causing the demi-God to gasp. Iolaus took advantage of the open mouth, pressing his lips to Hercules' and exploring his mouth with his tongue.
It was Iolaus' turn to gasp when Joxer rolled his hips, rubbing his ass against Iolaus' cock. Joxer managed to slide Hercules' vest off the wide shoulders, giving him free reign to the tanned skin. Iolaus pulled away from Joxer's back to move around to Hercules' backside, sliding his own hands along the tanned flesh. Joxer took advantage of the extra room to kneel before Hercules and begin unlacing the demi-God's pants.
Hercules was lost in sensations as he felt his best friend's hand reaching around to his chest and brushing against his nipples. He sighed as he felt his pants loosen and eventually fall away from his now-freed cock. His eyes sprang open as he felt his cock engulfed in a moist heat. He looked down and only grew harder at the sight of Joxer's lips moving up and down his cock. A tiny voice in the back of his mind wondered how many times Joxer had performed this very act. He reached down to grab Joxer's shoulders and pull the man up to his feet, then pushed forward until Joxer fell onto the bed with Hercules leaning over him.
"Not here. Not tonight. And not with us." Joxer's eyes closed for several seconds, then opened, comprehension shining in the brown orbs. Joxer raised a hand and gently traced Hercules' jaw.
Iolaus came over to Hercules' side and exchanged a look with the demi-God. Iolaus then bent down to kiss Joxer's full lips as Hercules' hands slid under the white shirt. One of Joxer's hands slid around Iolaus' neck, holding him close, as the other tried to touch as much of Hercules as it could, considering the demi-God was pulling the white shirt off Joxer's pale body.
Hercules laid a hand on Iolaus' arm, and as they exchanged a look, a plan was formed. Iolaus climbed onto the bed, and once he was sitting comfortably, he pulled Joxer's shoulders up onto his lap. He bent down to kiss the man again, his hands running along the newly uncovered skin. Hercules began working on the ties of the tight leather pants but found he couldn't undo the knots. Using his strength, he pulled at the laces until they ripped, finally releasing Joxer's painfully hard cock.
Joxer exhaled loudly as Hercules peeled away the material that clung to Joxer like a second skin. He began rubbing Joxer's cock and balls in an effort to increase their circulation, though he noticed there certainly was no lack of circulation in the area. He blew lightly on the cockhead, causing Joxer to arch under Iolaus' skillful hands. Hercules' tongue snaked out to taste the pearly drops of pre-cum, then began licking up and down the shaft, his hand still fondling the sensitive balls.
Iolaus' lips moved down Joxer's neck. He smiled against the pale skin as he saw Joxer's hands twisting the bed sheets as he panted his need.
"Iolaus."
"Yes, Joxer?" Iolaus answered huskily.
"You still have your clothes on."
Iolaus smiled. He pulled away from Joxer and got off the bed. Joxer's eyes were still on him, and he noticed that Hercules had turned his head so that he could watch Iolaus as his tongue bathed Joxer's cock. Very slowly, Iolaus began pulling off his clothing in a private striptease. As he pulled his vest off, he ran his hands along his chest. As he began unlacing his pants, he saw Hercules open his mouth to take in Joxer's cock, all the while watching Iolaus' act. As Joxer tangled the fingers of one hand into the demi-God's mane, Iolaus hurriedly pulled off his pants, anxious to rejoin the action on the bed.
As Iolaus came back to the bed, Joxer tugged on Hercules' hair, silently asking the demi-God to come up. Joxer kissed Hercules once, tasting himself on the heated tongue. He reached out a hand and wrapped it around Iolaus' cock, gently pulling the man towards the bed. Joxer's lips released Hercules as he bent over to take Iolaus' cock into his mouth. Iolaus felt his knees growing weak and knelt up onto the bed beside Joxer's head. He leaned over the young man to kiss Hercules' waiting lips.
Iolaus made his way downward, kissing Hercules' face, down his chest, and finally reaching the demi-God's weeping cock. He felt Joxer's tongue run along the slit of his own cock, and moved his tongue to do the same to Hercules. Every motion Joxer's mouth made, Iolaus copied it until both Iolaus and Hercules were ready to burst.
"Stop," Iolaus cried reluctantly. At the matching looks of confusion on his lovers' faces, Iolaus explained. "Joxer, I want you in me."
"I, but I, but I've never done that before. Been in a man, I mean."
Somehow, Iolaus knew that would be Joxer's response. "It's all right. I trust you. And anyway, there's no better time than the present." Iolaus bent down and kissed Joxer before whispering in his ear. "Where do you want me?"
"But, we have no oil, nothing..."
"I trust you, Joxer."
The lean man gulped, taking in a deep breath. He saw the sincerity in Iolaus' eyes and knew he wanted this more than anything. "Lay on the bed, on your stomach."
As Iolaus positioned himself, Joxer retrieved a pillow from the head of the bed and placed it under Iolaus' hips. Then, under Hercules' watchful eye, Joxer began kissing his way down the blond's back, eventually reaching his round cheeks. Joxer took a cheek in each hand, spreading them wide before running his tongue along the puckered hole. He heard Iolaus gasp and saw Hercules placing a hand on the man's back, rubbing it lovingly. Once he felt Iolaus was relaxed enough, Joxer gently pushed his tongue through the tight muscles.
Iolaus was writhing on the bed, ablaze with the sensations of Joxer's tongue in his ass. He whimpered as the tongue was taken away, only to be replaced by a wet finger slowly sliding into him. Soon two, then three fingers were pushed into him, moving in him and stretching him. All of a sudden, one of the fingers brushed up against a place inside him that sent him into spasms.
"Oh Gods, Joxer."
Joxer brushed the spot one more time just to watch Iolaus' reaction before pulling his fingers out of the still tight hole. He knelt up behind Iolaus, rubbing the ass cheeks that were slightly bruised from his holding them apart so long. Iolaus moaned as his cock brushed up against the puckered opening.
"Are you ready?"
Frantic nodding was his response and he began slowly pushing his cock into the oh so tight passage. He paused several times, worried he was hurting Iolaus, but a wiggle of the man's hips was enough to make him continue. Finally, he was fully sheathed inside the other man. He waited several moments until they had both adjusted to the new sensations, then he began rocking back and forth.
Iolaus felt as if every nerve was on fire. At first there had been blinding pain, but the pain had soon turned to immense pleasure. As Joxer began rocking, his cock slid against that spot inside Iolaus about every second thrust. Joxer began sliding almost entirely out of Iolaus, then thrust back in. The men found an even rhythm, Joxer moving in and out until he'd brushed that spot one more time, pushing Iolaus into a mind-blowing orgasm. As the muscles pulsed around his cock, Joxer fought against his own orgasm and won.
As Joxer pulled his still-hard cock out of Iolaus' ass, Hercules couldn't help but notice his condition. "Joxer?"
"I'm not finished yet."
Hercules' eyebrows rose. He pulled his hand away from the back of the boneless Iolaus and settled it in his lap, where his other hand had been stroking his cock in time with Joxer's movements. Joxer crawled over to where Hercules was sitting cross-legged and kissed the demi-God. Joxer's hands moved down to pull Hercules' away from the painfully hard cock. Joxer moved himself onto Hercules' lap and slid his legs around the demi-God's waist.
"Joxer, what are you doing?"
"Shhhhh." Joxer's eyes held Hercules' as he reached down to hold the man's cock and position it at his own entrance. He took Hercules' hands in his and slid them down to his ass. "I want you to hold me open for you." Hercules did as he was asked. Joxer, using his legs for leverage, slowly slid down Hercules' cock. Joxer's arms wrapped around the demi-God's neck as he began moving himself up and down the cock within him. He could feel his own cock sliding up and down the demi-God's torso with every motion. On one downward move, Hercules' cock slid up against Joxer's special spot, causing the young man to arch against him.
Soon, both men were grunting and moaning until finally, Hercules came in hot spurts inside Joxer. Hercules' hand reached out for Joxer's cock, and the simple touch was all it took to spur Joxer on to his own orgasm.
Hercules moved to lay Joxer's limp form onto the bed, his spent cock slipping out of the man.
He checked on Iolaus, who had already fallen asleep, then too tired to think, he pulled up one of
the bed sheets that had fallen off of the bed and covered his friends. He fell asleep under the
sheet with them, spooned up behind Joxer's sleeping body.
* * *
*BANG BANG BANG*
The commotion was greeted by three loud groans. Iolaus tucked his head further into the pillow beneath his head as Joxer tucked his own head under Iolaus' arm. Groggily, Hercules realized it would be up to him to answer.
"What is it?"
"We have your breakfast."
"But we didn't ask for our breakfast to be delivered to our door."
"We know, but with all the racket last night we thought you wouldn't be up to leaving the room just yet." With a final laugh, the man on the other side of the door seemed to leave.
Hercules reluctantly pulled himself away from Joxer and slowly lumbered over to the door. He opened it a crack and, seeing only a tray on the floor of the hall, he opened it further to pull in the tray. He set the breakfast on the bedside table, pleasantly surprised that there was enough food for the three of them -- that was if he didn't consider Iolaus' amazing appetite.
"Come on, guys. It's time to get up." Two whining moans answered him. Joxer was the first to move, stretching like a cat then smiling up at Hercules. "Morning Joxer."
"Morning, Hercules." Iolaus finally moved, showing signs of life. "So, Iolaus, d'you think you got your money's worth?"
Hercules looked appalled at the words, but Iolaus only laughed. "If you ask me, Meg undercharges." Iolaus turned his face to his best friend, only to see a grimace. "Ummm, well you see Herc, Meg wouldn't let him leave, saying he was supposed to be working, so the only way to get him out was to..." Hercules nodded, understanding, and Iolaus sighed.
"So, Joxer, what are we going to do about this little situation?"
"What situation, Hercules?"
"Joxer, no matter what anyone says, you're too good to be working at Meg's."
"If you think that after last night, imagine if you guys actually let me do something." Both men on the bed began giggling at Joxer's words.
"You know what I mean. Iolaus and I, as well as Xena and Gabrielle, we're all your friends. You can come to us."
"I know, but I can't live my life relying on you guys either."
Hercules sighed. "Well, we'll just have to find something else for you to do, now won't we." Iolaus nodded. "And if we ever catch you doing this kind of thing again..."
"What would you do?"
"Well," Iolaus chimed in, "we'd have to punish you."
"Yeah, right. I can really see that." Joxer collapsed in a fit of giggles.
Iolaus and Hercules exchanged a glance, then both looked over at the breakfast tray. Hercules picked up a small pot of honey. "Iolaus, I think we need to give this man an example."
"You're right, Herc. He obviously doesn't believe us."
"What do you feel like having for breakfast, Iolaus?"
"Honey flavoured Joxer sounds just about right to me."
"You read my mind."