Will More Strongly

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be.
Distrobution: Want. Take. Have. Just leave me the URL.
A/N: This part takes place before Paris finds out he's Paris. He's still Alex the shepherd.


Will More Strongly

Prologue

"You are doing it again, Alexandros! Keep your elbow down!"

Alexandros scowled in the other man's direction and blew out a puff of air to force his curling bangs from his eyes. "How can I be expected to keep my elbow down when you insist on attacking me from overhead?"

"Ahh, but if you are not careful, I can do... this." The statement was punctuated by a closed fist being pressed to Alexandros' abdomen at the same time his opponent delivered a blow from above with a wooden practice sword. "Had this been a real battle you would be dead now."

"Had this been a real battle I would not be fighting against you and would not have to worry about your prowess," Alexandros smirked as he covered the hand pressed to his abdomen with his own free one.

The sun-browned hand turned over so that his fingers slid through Alexandros' olive-skinned ones. "You seem quite certain of this, little one."

"I am," Alexandros confirmed, a wide grin splitting his face. "I would protect you with my life."

"Those are very noble sentiments from a shepherd," his companion teased him. "Would you clout my attackers with that great stick of yours?"

"You laugh now, but one day I will save your life rathean ian it always being the other way around," Alexandros promised as he squeezed the hand he held within his own.

"I look forward to that day."

"You laugh now, mighty Achilles, but it will happen," Alexandros assured the older man as he used all his might to tug the renowned warrior towards him so that they stood pressed chest to chest.

Both men had shed their tunics some time ago, Achilles insisting that young Alexandros would learn better were be able to clearly see the way his muscles moved under his skin. Achilles offered up his own upper body as a way of further example. It was often a distraction for Alexandros who would often forget what it was that his friend was attempting to teach him and instead focus entirely on the way the muscles in Achilles' arhoulhoulhoulders flexed with each movement.

Alexandros dropped his wooden practice sword to the ground and slid his now empty hand along Achilles' arm upwards to grip his shoulder, his thumb playing along the dip of his collarbone. "Will you be staying long this time?"

"I must leave at first light," Achilles murmured against the brunette's forehead. "My men are waiting for me the next town over."

The curly-haired shepherd let out a moan of protest, gripping Achilles' tighter to him. "Longer, please. You have only just returned to me this day. I cannot wait months to see you again. I beg of you, do not leave me."

"It is the way it must be," Achilles said softly as he stroked his fingertips along Alexandros' spine. "But I will return to you again. I always do."

Alexandros shook his head, bringing his hand up so that he could press his fingertips to Achilles' lips, silencing him. Knowing that he would be without the other man in a very short time, Alexandros wanted to make the most of their remaining time. The memories were all that he would have in the coming months while his lover was off waging other men's wars.

Alexandros had been in his eighteenth year when he had first met the legendary warrior. Achilles and his men, the Myrmidons, had been camped in the hills where Alexandros customarily took his father's sheep. The young shepherd had come upon them unawares and had nearly been killed by one of the sentries, having only a simple wooden staff to defend himselainsainst both sword and spear. Achilles had saved him, snatching the spear out of midair just as it had been about to penetrate his stomach.

In the three years that had passed since that morning, Alexandros and Achilles had met only five times. The pair had been lovers since the evening of Achilles' second departure.

"I would spend this night in your arms, my love," Alexandros whispered as he fingered the ends of Achilles' flaxen hair. "Agamemnon steals you from me far too often."

"Then we shall make the most of this night," Achilles' swore as he led the slighter man away from the clearing and into the small copse beyond.

Along the way, Alexandros snatched up his satchel which contained not only food and wine, but the small vial of oil that he was never without since he never knew just when Achilles would appear. Their cloaks, which Achilles gathered up, would serve nicely as their bedding for the night.

"I do not understand why you insisted we waste our precious time together in silly combat," Alexandros said to the warrior as Achilles began to spread the cloaks upon the grass.

Achilles stayed silent as he arranged the two woolen cloaks to his liking then he turned to Alexandros, cupping the younger man's face in his palms. "I insisted on it because I want you to be able to defend yourself. I do not want you harmed. Ever."

"I would say the same of you, but it is too late for that," Alexandros murmured as he traced the scar on the older man's shoulder with a fingertip.

Achilles touched their foreheads together, his nose brushing against Alexandros' before each instinctually sought the other's lips with his own. The kiss started out as barely more than the brushing of their lips. As he tilted his head upwards, though, Alexandros caught Achilles' upper lip between both of his, sucking on it lightly while his own lower lip received the same treatment. The tenderness, while welcome enough, was not enough to satisfy Alexandros who had been nearly six months without his lover. So while Achilles busied himself with feeling out the texture of the shepherd's dark curls, Alexandros deftly unknotted the cloth that hid the remainder of the warrior's body from him. Achilles shivered slightly as Alexandros' fingertips ghosted over his hips before moving to his flat belly.

Before Achilles could reciprocate, Alexandros had shed the remainder of his clothing so that the two men stood pressed together from their knees to their shoulders with no barrier between them. Alexandros could do nothing to contain the moan that escaped his lips as he felt the heat of Achilles erection against his hip. He could not stop himself from arching against the other man either.

"I feel as though my knees are about to give way under me," Alexandros rasped as his fingers resumed tracing patteoverover Achilles' tanned flesh.

In a movement that he could not track with his eyes, Alexandros found himself lying on their shared cloaks, Achilles kneeling between his spread thighs.

"Such beauty laid before me," Achilles whispered as he slid his hands up the insides of the younger man's thigh, coming dangerously close to, but not touching his groin.

Alexandros' head dropped back and he squeezed his eyes shut tight as though he would escape the tantalizing pleasure his lover was bestowing on him with gentle touches. With each brush of Achilles’ callused hands over his heated flesh, Alexandros felt his passion growing until he was writhing wantonly on the dark cloak.

"Please, love, do not torment me so," Alexandros practically sobbed as Achilles wandering fingertips once again bypassed his now weeping shaft. "I cannot endure it."

Taking pity on him, Achilles shuffled through the satchel in search of the vial of oil it contained. Reaching up, Alexandros threaded his fingers through his lover's shoulder length blonde hair, attempting to guide their bodies closer together. When that did not work, Alexandros hoisted himself up on one elbow and brought his lips to the hollow at the base of Achilles' throat. He placed a soft, open-mouthed kiss there before allowing his tongue to dart out and taste the damp flesh.

Alexandros had been in the process of kissing a trail down to Achilles' left nipple when he felt some of the oil dribbling down over his scrotum, the gentle touch of a fingertip following in its wake. The shepherd gasped when that same finger began to dance about the edges of his entrance, rarely brushing directly over top of it.

"Achilles...." Alexandros moaned, arching his hips towards that questing finger.

The sound had not even faded from the air when Achilles' middle finger slipped past the outer ring of muscle, disappearing halfway into Alexandrobodybody. Achilles took great care in preparing him, loosening him first with one, then two, and finally three fingers, all of them working in concert to stretch the tight channel.

Alexandros' eyes shot open when the fingers slid from his body, his mind knowing what was to come next even as his flesh mourned their loss. Achilles' hand cupped his cheek then, forcing their eyes to meet as he positioned his cock against Alexandros' hole. He kept his gaze locked on those stormy depths even as he gasped and trembled while Achilles slowly eased his way into his body. The motion was slow and steady and Achilles did not stop until he was buried completely inside the smaller man.

"To be with you in this moment I would return from even Hades itself," Achilles gasped as he slowly began to draw his hips back.

Alexandros arched his hips to meet Achilles' downward stroke back into his body. "The warrior becomes the poet...."

The two men continued to move against one another, seeking their release through their combined pleasure. However, for Alexandros it had been far too long. Six months without the feel of his lover stretching him full was too long and before long he could feel a tingling sensation in the base of his stomach. He fought it off as long as he could, not wanting it to end, but the head of Achilles' penis moved against somethinsiinside of him that sent stars dancing before his eyes. When it happened a second time, Alexandros let out a keening wail that only increased in volume as his entire body began to hum.

"Look at me, love," Achilles murmured when Alexandros' eyes drifted shut once again. "I want to watch your every expression for as long as I am able."

The words and the husky voice in which they were spoken were very nearly Alexandros' undoing.

In the end, despite his best efforts to prolong their lovemaking, Alexandros' senses became overwhelmed, his mouth falling open in a silent scream. The scream was very nearly made vocal when his climax was followed by a warm gush of fluid spilling into his bowels.

For several long moments, the two men continued to hold one another's gaze, both of them trembling and struggling to draw a full breath into their body. Finally, Achilles sagged, his body blanketing Alexandros' completely. Achilles' panted breaths against the side of his throat caused Alexandros to tremble even more, his arms sluggishly lifting to embrace his lover. He tightened his grip when it seemed as though Achilles would roll aside and sever their connection.

"Stay within me but a while longer," Alexandros pleaded, not yet ready to be separated from his lover. "Till the hammering of my heart returns to normal at the very least."

"I would stay within you forever," Achilles sighed as he relaxed completely against Alexandros' body.

"And I would never be parted from you," Alexandros whispered as he felt consciousness slipping away from him. He attempted to hold Morpheus off, but sleep claimed him just the same.

His last waking sensation was Achilles' lips brushing against his temple.