Breathing Heavy
 by Sandman 
 

"Hercules!"
 
The echoing call of Iolaus' voice from Bliss to Greece took Hercules' breath away.
 
One minute I saw Hercules wandering, head down, pondering the dish the fates had handed him and the next Iolaus was giving him a chance to change it.  But he didn't know that yet.  In this one strange and powerful day, Hercules' broken spirit would be handed back to him.
 
 
I am the Archangel Michael: Protector of the Light, given power beyond that of other angels and far beyond that of mortals, pagan gods or demigods.  The Light had chosen me as a protector eons before it ever chose the mortal Iolaus, and I possess powers which have made even the other Archangels envious. Lucifer fell because of his jealousy, and his minions seek even now and forever to destroy the Light.  It was and always will be my job to protect the Light.  But Iolaus of Thebes didn't seem to fully accept his own new role yet.  He was no longer Hercules' protector, but now was chosen to guard another god, the Light.
 
Iolaus of Thebes had a pure heart, and understood his earthly place and his duty, for that he'd been rewarded with a place in Bliss.  But he didn't seem to understand the restraints of his job here.  Instead, he spent much of his time in eternity simply staring down at his friend, the large and powerful demigod.  Even being in Bliss couldn't lighten the Greek guardian's heart, and his pain and sorrow and need for the other was always present, tucked neatly under the congenial surface he thought we couldn't penetrate.
 
It was because of this that I took a personal interest in watching the demigod also.  He could present a problem.  Lucifer was gone, and Iolaus was to replace the role of one of the fallen ones; a distracted guardian is a lax guardian.  Iolaus of Thebes had proved himself in life to be a lion hearted warrior.  And his eternal concern for his friend was getting in the way of the performance of his duties. 
 
 I could see the demigod traveling the dusty path away from town after having saved yet another virgin sacrifice.  (What is it with these pagan gods and their human sacrifices?)  In spite of his good deed, I could sense the heaviness of his heart.    The path was wide and easy to travel, and yet he walked without joy in his steps, feeling the loneliness of the empty path through the woods and carrying his pain on his back like a bedroll wherever he went.  And his friend Iolaus wasn't making the adjustment well either.  They were changed men.
 
I watched the two separately and came to see the problem.  They weren't separate; they were one.  And this is why neither was at peace.
 
Yes, Iolaus had been awarded an honor most souls could only dream of holding.  But this strange golden haired Greek acted as if this job was simply rote.  Perhaps his attitude of everyday duty came of not being raised to know the Light, to understand his omnipotence, to feel his omniscience.  Never the less, his casual attitude made me wonder whether we had made a mistake in bringing his worthy soul to Heaven.  The bond between these two men was so strong that even death couldn't break it.
 
I watched Iolaus of Thebes as he watched his friend, staring down mooning for the big man, his fingers against his lips, assessing everything the bigger friend did.  He still felt he was the demigod's self appointed guardian angel.  And I, of course, would know one.   After all, an archangel knows every thing that is going on.
 
** 
 
The road was lonesome and quiet.  No easy banter, silly jokes and meandering conversations to break up the distance between villages.  Hercules had only his regrets to keep him company.  His boyhood friend, his traveling companion, heart brother and yes, partner in every sense of the word was dead.  So there was no spring in Hercules' step.  Hadn't been in many months
 
He'd continued to travel, trudging through Greece from call to call, doing good deeds as he came upon them, knowing inside that his heart was gone.  Iolaus was dead, gone to the Light before his very eyes, no longer held by Dahok, no longer walking at his side, not in his Uncle Hades' dominion either.  Iolaus was simply dead, and his spirit had been taken by this unknown being which Zaresthustra enigmatically called "the Light".
 
Hercules had experienced such difficulty accepting the finality of Iolaus' death.  He'd always managed to get him back before.  This time the demigod tried to reclaim him by bullying strange gods, and by saving the Olympian gods but neither tack worked. This time Iolaus stayed dead, and so in blinding pain and weakness, Hercules ran away.  He had to; everywhere he looked, Iolaus was there.  Every darn rabbit that hopped past seemed to be smirking at its new found freedom.  Every battle Hercules fought, he would reach to feel him at my back, but instead, found himself alone.  Every lonesome starry night begged his tales; every tavern seemed to find Hercules' plate still heaped with a meal and no one to finish it for him.  Every moment seemed to last forever.
 
Ultimately, he had grown to know the pain and destiny of immortality, that he would lose everyone he loved, and would travel this world as either a loner or someone who knew that love and joy were simply transitory, afraid to give his heart.  He had come to realize that a loveless life would claim his soul, and perhaps this was why the gods merely dabbled with mortals; they were simply too afraid of losing their hearts.  And Hercules knew he didn't want life this way.  He wanted Iolaus.  He ached for Iolaus.
 
**
 
I followed the demigod's exploits with interest.  Nothing soothed the bigger man's pain, not even the arms of another lover.   The Druid Morrigan had seemed a nice dalliance, a blazing love which burned out too soon, someone to take his mind off his own pain, someone who needed rescuing. But before long she found herself realizing she had her own separate path to follow, one to which he, as a non druid wasn't destined to travel.   
 
 
I could hear his thoughts in the golden Greek's head, the link between the two unbroken even in death.  The hold they had on each other was so powerful that even the Light was aware of it in spite of my attempt to shield its distraction.  It was a problem, to be sure, and one we'd never experienced here.  Usually souls were so happy to be here, they rejoiced.  They were surrounded by family and friends, yet this man was always alone, or staring down at Hercules.   When Iolaus of Thebes first arrived I could see his confusion.  This wasn't his place; his people weren't waiting.  And Hercules belonged to the other gods, the ones he had known before the Light.  I could feel his fear, that he would always be alone here, and came to realize that even the Light wasn't enough for him.
 
**
 
Hercules' life plodded on.  Sometimes he dwelled on the pain of losing Deineira and their children, and losing Serena as well.   He'd never really get over their deaths.   But as bad as that was, Iolaus' death was worse by far, for Hercules had known him for what seemed like forever.  Over the years they'd grown up together, played together, and went to academy together.  The buddies slept side by side most of their lives, except during those brief periods of marital bliss.  And saved each other's lives a few times, fighting back to back.  Iolaus' impact on Hercules' life could not be measured, so profoundly had he affected the bigger man.  He taught Hercules many of the things a mortal father or big brother should have---how to hunt and fish, to stand up for himself and how to enjoy life. 
 
But the biggest lesson Hercules came away with was that mortality and humanity were greater by far than divinity.  Not that Iolaus had said anything even remotely to this point.  Hercules had just seen that, of the two of them, Iolaus was truly more powerful and more touching, with a heart and spirit bigger than any god, and fearless.   Hercules looked up to Iolaus. 
 
Iolaus was his hero.
 
And now, after months of trying to live without him, then unsuccessfully replace him, and finally simply existing Hercules was being plagued by visions of him so real he could almost make himself believe that his smaller friend was really back.
 
"Hercules!"
 
He thought he'd heard Iolaus' voice that day, not once, but several times urgently calling out for him.  The hunter's face came to him unbidden in the reflection of a polished mirror, in a pool of water, in a fountain, but then as quickly, disappeared.  He shook his head to clear it, breathing in the fresh air around him, and finally decided that his mind must be playing tricks on him.
 
Hercules resolved to ignore it if it happened again. But this last time, as he heard the anguished cry, saw the hunter's face framed in golden curls reflected in a puddle, a ghostly hand arose, waving and reaching up, slowly forming into a strong solid arm.
 
Hercules had no time to think.  Could this be real or was it simply a sick prank of the gods?  He'd never had a dream or vision seem so real!  Compelled, he reached out, touched it to see if it truly had substance.
 
 Leaning forward the big man grasped it in a familiar warriors clasp and felt its substance, strength, and need, being channeled from this arm into his very being, much like absorbing a bolt of lightning as he pulled to release the ethereal Iolaus from the depths of the pool.  And Hercules pulled hard, because this Iolaus was being held tightly.  He leaned back, using his body as a fulcrum and his arm as the balance and channeled his entire god given strength into one final tug.  The form came free with a pop and suddenly Hercules became unbalanced, as if he was a stretched rubber band released, flying out of control, with a projectile attached that was aimed straight back at him.
 
Hercules fell hard, driven into the ground by a familiar sturdy form, whose taut musculature and sweet sandalwood scent was all too familiar.  NO!  It couldn't be! From the hard dirt of the path he looked up into those sparkling cerulean eyes and felt his breath catch in his throat.  Speechless, Hercules could only stare.  This being lying across him looked too familiar.
 
**
 
Iolaus! 

It couldn't be Him!   My first thought was the gods were messing with me yet again.  I stood in disbelief, pushing Iolaus roughly off, but Iolaus came right back, calling my name, reassuring me that it was indeed Iolaus. I felt myself paralyzed, staring at Iolaus' curls, his sturdy body, his sparkling blue eyes, as he approached once again.  In astonishment and disbelief, I finally let Iolaus crush me in a bear hug, burying his face into my chest and crying out my name over and over.
 
"Hercules!"  The words came out as a sob of relief tinged with joy.
 
His breath was warm against my skin, but still I stood shuddering in disbelief, my mind flashing back to the last time I'd felt Iolaus this close.  His breath had been icy when Dahok claimed him. 
 
"It's me." Iolaus said as he pulled away, with a quirky smile, eyes questioning, as if he couldn't understand why I would be skeptical. 
 
My heart skipped a beat as he stared back through narrowed eyes.  I could feel it though.  This WAS Iolaus!   No god could ever fool me as far as Iolaus was concerned.  We had known each other too well, and for too long.  We were heart brothers and we were bound together by the fates, threads entwined, giving each a special awareness of the other. 
 
"It's me!" The hunter reaffirmed, touching his chest as he again embraced me. Tighter if possible than before, holding me so fervently that I could feel his heart beating against my ribs.  And this time I hugged him back, grabbing him up, turning in a dance of joy and holding his feet dangling above the dusty path of my deliverance. 
 
"Iolaus!  My Iolaus!"
 
I let Iolaus' sparkling clean boots reach back down to solid earth, never losing my grip on him, actually afraid to let go, lest he suddenly be swept back into the strange puddle I'd pulled him from. 
 
"My friend, my heart brother, my lover!"
 
I couldn't help it, I let my arms encircle Iolaus and his body envelope me as I dropped my head down onto the blond curls, smelling the sweet scent of Iolaus' hair.  Almost as if by instinct I found myself sliding a hand up the worn purple vest, up the warm flesh of his neck and tangling his fingers into the silken mass of golden curls.  And almost without thinking, I pulled Iolaus's head back and stared hungrily into those laughing blue eyes.
 
"Iolaus," I growled, then without waiting, leaned down and planted a big one on Iolaus's lips.  I couldn't help it, the feelings I'd refused to acknowledge for so long came flooding to the surface and I let all that I felt for him show, holding nothing back; and Iolaus responded in kind.  Time stood still and the months melted away as we, two lovers, held each other in tight embrace, bodies pressed so tightly that neither could take a deep breath.  But I couldn't, wouldn't hide the fact that I had an erection bigger than Mount Olympus and stronger than anything Hephestus could have forged.
 
Iolaus ground his hips against me, making sure I could feel his own substantial erection before he pulled away. 
 
"I'd like to continue this, but I'm here because we have work to do," he sighed as he reluctantly backed away and put a restraining hand on my chest as I reached in vain to stop him.  "But don't think I haven't missed this." 
 
I heard myself groan, wanting nothing more than to yank him back, to throw him down on the soft grass, make love to him, but Iolaus took control.  He kept me at an arm's length as he told briefly about being with the Light, about his escape and why he'd come back.  It was as if he was afraid to let himself enjoy these few moments, as if it would bring back a longing that would go for eternity unfulfilled. 
 
I truly knew the feeling.  I let him speak uninterrupted.
 
Then he dropped the anvil onto my heart.  He told him me had to go back.
 
I wanted to fall to my knees, cup my face in my hands and weep, but I couldn't.  Iolaus was strong, and though I knew his heart, too, was broken he gathered me together by reminding me that even minutes were better than nothing, and tugged me along like a kite tail into the adventure of my life.
 
**
 
I couldn't believe he'd done that.  We'd never had anyone escape from Bliss before, never had an unsatisfied soul since Lucifer and his followers.  Yet this Iolaus, found a way to use Hercules' need and desire, to link them to his soul and search out an appropriate portal.  He would never have even escaped if it wasn't for the demigod's great strength.  Imagine being able to pull a soul from Bliss to Earth!  But maybe we are all better for it.  Alone they were both exceptional, but together they were magnificent. 
 
They seemed to know just what I would do next, and even though they missed the mark on the first three tries, they were there when it counted.  The demigod fought like a full god, harder than I'd ever seen him do in all the time his friend was gone, and in the end he showed us all, that one needn't be a follower of the Light to care so deeply about humanity.  He taught us a humbling lesson.
 
When it was done, he had died.  I could see it was hard for him to imagine, an immortal who suddenly found himself powerless against an omnipotent being, dying.  But he had come to realize that the Light was stronger than Zeus, stronger than Dahok was as well.  And when the adventure ended, Hercules, the son of a god, had sacrificed myself for humanity, as Iolaus had sacrificed himself for Nebula and Hercules before.  And the Light found his actions noble, worthy of a reward.  And the Light, although not thrilled, approved of Iolaus' reasons for leaving and his results, if not his action.  For Hercules' reward, he was given back his life.
 
I saw Hercules watching with pain in his eyes as he saw Iolaus standing with his head low, a hand over his eyes, waiting to be condemned to eternal fire.  I could read Hercules' thoughts in my mind, his caring was so strong. But when Iolaus heard me sentence him to spend his time away from Heaven at his best friend's side, I could see the joy light his eyes.   His sagging shoulders grew ramrod straight and his bowed head shot up. He spun to face Hercules with unbridled joy in that expressive face of his.  I could tell that he could hardly believe his good fortune.
 
And I, The archangel Michael, whose actions they had battled through out the day, delivered the Light's judgment, spoken in terms dictated by the Light itself, couched in hidden meanings, and I found Hercules wondering if Iolaus had also been given the gift of immortality.  I opened my eyes in surprise as I heard his silent prayer to the only being he had EVER prayed to, - - - The Light - - -, that this would be true.
 
**
 
And so it came to be that Hercules was able to spend his first night in what seemed like ages with Iolaus, feeling the warmth of his touch, hearing the laughter in his voice as he regaled his friend with tales, and smelling his sweat and sweet scent.  This was to Hercules, pure bliss, as Iolaus had described his time with the light.
 
**
 
Our first night together in what seemed like eternity.  The sky was moonless, but the stars shone with a brilliance that provided enough light to see each other and the gentle twinkle lent a celebratory air brighter than any I'd seen since Iolaus died.   They hung overhead like a canopy of diamonds on velvet, sheltering us from watching eyes.  The crisp, cool breeze reached its feathered fingers to stroke us as we lay side by side, shoulders touching and legs entwined like Siamese twins.
 
Iolaus had been jubilant during the walk to our campsite, and happy to catch a few rabbits as I started the campfire.  He ate quickly, ripping into the roasted flesh and letting the juices flow down his chin.
 
"Herc," he said between bites.  "You know I didn't eat the whole time in the light."  He rubbed his palm across his jaw.  "And I didn't have to shave either."  
 
I watched the juice slip in droplets down the rough new growth he was rubbing thoughtfully and wished I could lick it off, but Iolaus focused on the meat. 
 
"And I wasn't hungry either.  But I still thought about eating."
 
"Must have been torture," I commented dryly, knowing Iolaus' proclivity for eating.
 
"For a while," he answered with food in his mouth.  He reached for a piece of cheese I had pulled from my pack.  "I never really got used to it, but I guess if I spent much longer there I would have."
 
"Hmm," I answered, not quite knowing what to say.  I sat with my rabbit meat in my hands, not eating it, just staring at Iolaus.  The fire danced and cast its flickering glow across the golden curls, making them seem bronzed.  His eyes glistened in the flickering light, but he didn't cast them my way yet. 
 
Iolaus wrenched a hunk of muscle off the rabbit and chewed noisily, swallowing and licking his lips.  "This is SO good Herc." He popped an almost stripped bone into his mouth, sucking it, sliding his tongue along its length and pulling it out of his pursed lips while his teeth ran across it, stripping the last loose flesh away. 
 
"Oh yeah, that's good," he groaned and glanced briefly my way.
 
I crossed my legs and tried to fight back against the rising firmness in my codpiece.  I could hardly bear to sit by and watch him when I had waited so long.  I wanted to tackle him, toss him back and feel him against me, firm and wanting, but my instincts told me to wait.
 
The crickets chirped and insects buzzed in the darkness, as bullfrogs added their basso profundo to the orchestra of sound.  The light breeze moved the flames in a slow waltz, dancing across from Iolaus and I, warm for a moment, then cool again.  I could smell the thick scent of burning oak, the moist dew on the crushed grasses where we sat and pungent odor of leaves decaying in the late autumn coolness.  And I could smell Iolaus, his sweat, his sweetness.  It was driving me wild.
 
Iolaus finished his rabbit and tossed the last bone into the fire, watching it fervently devour the last juices.  He leaned back, propping himself up on strong arms and stared into the night sky.  He sighed heavily, wiped his face clean with the back of his hand and dropped back flat against the cool earth, placing his hands behind his head.
 
"Herc, you can't see the stars from up there," he said quietly.  "You don't know how disorienting that can be."
 
I could hear the confusion in his voice, and so I simply lay down beside him and let our shoulders touch, our legs entwine.  He needed to talk, and I would listen.  I would listen forever to the fine soft voice with the barely hidden laugh, emotions raw and close to the surface, to the jokes and tales that I had missed so much.  The voice of my heart brother had been missing from my life for far too long, and in truth, I had feared that over time I would no longer even remember it.  Not so, I suddenly realized.  His voice in my ear was as if he'd never left.
 
"The Light's a strange place, person, god, whatever.  You know, it was so all encompassing that it was hard to tell where the Light ended and where Bliss began." 
 
His voice was soft, a gentle whisper like a lullaby in my ear, or the shush of river rapids. 
 
I stole a glance at Iolaus' face.  He was staring upward and his eyes coursed across the night sky, stopping on various constellations, then moving on, almost as if he had to re familiarize himself with them.
 
"At first I was overwhelmed," he confessed.  "I thought I'd go to Elysium, see Ania and the boys.  I felt kind of panicky when I realized I was somewhere else, but everything is so soothing up there that I adjusted pretty quickly." 
 
He scooted over closer to me, as if that was possible, and I could feel the press of his muscular ribcage against mine.  I slipped an arm around him and he lifted his head to rest it on my arm like a pillow.  I heard his sigh and felt him turn so his cheek rested against my bicep.
 
"I missed you Herc," he whispered. 
 
I squeezed his shoulders and turned my face to his, surprised to see that his eyes were damp.
 
"No matter how busy the Light kept me, I couldn't stop thinking about you."
 
"Even in Bliss?"  I met his stare with a small smile of satisfaction.
 
He nodded his head.  "Michael says that the Light is omniscient.  If that's so, then he got a mindful from me."  Iolaus chanced a knowing smile, and then added, "And Michael said all my desires would be fulfilled simply by being in the Light.  But he didn't know about you, your pull on my soul, even up there."
 
I felt my breath catch in my throat and my heart skipped a beat. He reached over and placed my hand on his full codpiece.
 
"And Michael said that THIS wouldn't happen, that I would be too fulfilled already."  He tipped his face up, letting his lips brush against mine, tantalizing, then pulled away but allowed my hand to stand guard over his erection.  "But it did, whenever I thought about you---us."
 
I didn't know what to say at first.  His loyalty struck me like a hammer blow to the chest, and I realized that I needed to confess.  I hadn't been true to him.
 
"Iolaus," I took my hand off his codpiece, although I really wanted to keep it there.  My voice was choking, but I had to get this out.  "I wasn't true to you."
 
I felt his rough hand, calloused from hunting and smithing rub gently against my cheek.  "I know," he answered.  "I could see.  It was torture."  His voice was soft and knowing, yet I could hear the forgiveness there.
 
"I'm sorry."  It was my time for damp eyes.  "I missed you so," I babbled.  "I tried to replace you, but couldn't."  I couldn't go on and he must have sensed it.
 
"It's okay," he soothed as he stroked my face gently.  "You couldn't remain celibate forever, and I WAS dead."
 
"I should have waited---"
 
"But I had that thing with Nebula going on," he reasoned. 
 
"Shhh, it's not important now.  All that matters is that we're together."
 
He turned onto his side and leaned into me, pressing his body close and his lips urgently against mine.  I felt the insistent probe of his tongue and opened to it.
 
Around us crickets chirped, the leaves rustled in the cool autumn breeze, and insects buzzed, a symphony of sound.  My skin tingled with his touch, with the caress of the breeze, the waving of the grass on which we lay.  The stars kept twinkling and a few stray clouds raced across the darkness. 
 
"Iolaus," I groaned as he slid a strong arm around me, his hand slipping up under my shirts, tugging them loose from my pants.  I wanted him.
 
"Shhh!" He commanded.  "Talk is for later.  Right now I only want this."  He had my shirts off and began caressing my chest, letting his fingers slip through the coarse hair of my chest, stroking the ridges and swells of my muscles.   He let his other hand massage the back of my neck and I leaned my head back into it, knowing how he liked the soft straightness of my hair against his skin.
 
His lips were against my throat, soft, moist, a gentle nip, a hard suck, a kiss over the reddened mark of ownership and I was his, always would be, forever if the Light deemed that so.  He moved up to my jaw line, soft kisses of tender lips on the rough line of my unshaven beard, as if testing that he truly could once again feel everything.  He pressed his compact body close to mine and I could feel his excitement, like a pulse of lightning, heating and energizing him.
 
I arched into him and was rewarded by his tossing a leg over my waist and pulling himself up until he straddled me.  He didn't pull away from my jaw though, instead moving in a slow wandering line up to my lips, each delicate brush of his own lips against my skin made my erection more demanding.  And he knew it.
 
Iolaus pushed against me, letting me feel his own desire.  He nipped my lower lip, and then pressed with an insistent tongue against my parting lips. 
 
I accepted him into my mouth eagerly, sucking on the probing tongue, trying to prove myself once again.  But I didn't need to.  By his very gentleness, his slow strong rubbing against me, the warmth of his fingers in my hair and breath against my face he showed me that he too accepted me.  In spite of Morrigan.  In spite of my flight from Greece, my cowardice in the face of my own mourning.  And he still wanted me.
 
He pulled away and I reached my arms around his waist to make sure that our bodies would stay in contact.
 
"Michael may not have known about us, but the Light sure did," Iolaus whispered as he kissed my ear.  "Why else would he have returned me to you?"
 
"Iolaus," I grunted.  "Maybe you were such a pest he wanted to get rid of you."
 
"Maybe," he breathed back.  "Or maybe he could see that our hearts were linked and that neither was strong enough or complete without the other."  
 
He slipped his lips up across my temples, over to my eyelid and gently kissed it.  "I tried to do my job"
 
"I think you have a job to do now," I groaned and wished he would reach to release my codpiece.
 
"But the Light is so amorphous, I wasn't quite sure exactly what I was to protect."  Now his lips moved up to my forehead and his fingers massaged my scalp.  I tipped my head back into it.  He breathed hotly against my hairline.  "It wasn't like I was with you, when I knew what to do by instinct, when your body, your moves were mine, and mine yours, one in the same." 
 
"Protect."  He moved back and stared into my eyes, his azure eyes unblinking, serious.  "A place, a being, an ideal, what was the Light?"  His eyes dropped, roaming my body.  "Not corporeal, like you."  He grinned and let his right hand wander away from my hair and trace a path to my belt, reaching to loosen it.
 
"The Light was everything---it was physical, mental, it was spiritual.  It was one with us, and yet it was much more than us."  My belt was off and I felt his small agile hands pushing at my heavy pants.  I raised my hips and felt him push the woven leather down to my thighs.
 
"It was kind of like you, only less approachable."  He broke eye contact and leaned down, pressing me into a fiery embrace.  I felt his cock, sheathed in a confining codpiece, pressing had into my abdomen.
 
"Approach me," I whispered.  "I've waited forever."
 
"And I feel as if I've been waiting for this moment for an eternity," he spoke fervently as he pushed my pants down below my knees.  I kicked them completely off.
 
"Iolaus."  My erection pointed to Bliss like a celestial compass, and I pressed it up, finding the leather seat of his pants.  "These have got to go," I growled and reached for his belt, fumbling with trembling fingers.
 
"Slow down," he whispered with a half grin.  I don't think I'm going anywhere."
 
"It's been too long," I pleaded.  I was breathing heavy as I fought to control myself, and lost.  I felt the buckle snap off Iolaus' belt which fell away.
 
"One down, one to go.  You do sew if I remember," he grinned.
 
"Just for that" I warned and snapped the second belt, releasing his pants. 
 
"Wait a minute," he protested.  "Now how am I supposed to get dressed again?"  I could hear the puzzlement in his voice.
 
"You're not," I answered, and was done with words.  I pulled him down; my fingers twisted in his golden curls, and pressed a bruising kiss on his willing lips.  I could feel him melt against me, almost into me, as if we were in fact one being.
 
I couldn't let go.  I needed the feel of his skin against mine, the brush of the ratty purple vest against my ribs, the press of his leather pants against my pelvis.  Skip the leather pants, I thought and unknotting my fingers released his hair and reached for the pants.
 
"Don't rip em, Herc," he warned.
 
I slipped my thumbs under the edge and pushed them down without difficulty.  The codpiece flapped loose against my groin, but Iolaus lifted his hips away and let me push the entire leathers down as far as I could.
 
 "I'll take it from here," he intoned huskily as he slid off me before I could grab him back.
 
He stood up, silhouetted by the light of the stars, with the campfire behind him flickering and casting an otherworldly glow off the sheen of sweat that coated his muscles, and let his pants drop.  The gold of his hair shone, more precious than any ore or gem, and every muscle on his sturdy frame rippled with his movements.
 
"Should I lose the vest, or will that take too much of your time?" he teased. 
 
Even in the dark I could see his arousal, as big as any god's and more substantial than I ever remembered.  The grasses whipped around his feet as the coolness of the autumn breeze toyed with his hair.  The world seemed to still as I stared at him standing powerfully above me.  It was as if I was dreaming, as if the long months of torture trying to accept the finality of his death were merely a nightmare.  He was here, alive, and he wanted me as much as I wanted him. 
 
"Lose it."
 
He let it slip off his shoulders and I watched as it hit the soft grass.  Anya made that vest for him, and that he could toss it so easily down spoke volumes to me.  But I knew he'd also put it back on, as I would want him to.  But now was for us.  And he wanted this as much as I did.
 
I held my breath as he dropped down to his knees straddling my hips.  So in control, so confident.
 
"I'm going to take you, Hercules," he informed me patiently.
 
I understood.  He'd waited long enough, certainly longer than I had. 
 
His hands were at my shoulders.  "Herc," he whispered.  "I missed you."
 
"I know," I answered.  "Take me.  Now."
 
And before I could take in a single breath he was on me, cock wet, ready, pressed firmly between my bent knees progressing forward to seek the warm welcome I so wanted to give him.  His lips were on mine, his moist body, slipping sensuously up my skin, rubbing my own substantial erection and forcing it down against my belly.
 
His legs moved from straddle position, levering instead against my thighs, which I didn't hesitate to part.
 
"Skip the foreplay," I commanded. 

He gave me an amused grin and a small knowing nod of his head.
 
I felt him shift then, sitting back on his legs, feet tucked beneath him.  He grabbed my hips and pulled so that my buttocks rested on his thighs.  I could feel the heat and wetness of his cock slipping under my balls, progressing with determination to the entrance of our Elysium.
 
As wet as he was, and as ready as I was, it was still a tight and painful entry. But a moment's discomfort was nothing after having seen Iolaus with a dagger protruding from his chest.  I gasped as he gave a groan, pushing through the tight ring that would have kept him out.  And he didn't stop.
 
I felt him slip his length in an unrelenting progression deeper, harder until it brushed past my pleasure spot, causing me to arch back and groan.
 
"Not a dream, not a dream," I gasped softly like a treasured mantra, as I pushed back against him, drawing him in to his full length.
 
"Not a dream," he whispered back.
 
I chanced a glance at him. He kneeled between my thighs, strong muscles sweat soaked and trembling.  His head was up and by the light of the stars I saw a glittering trail of tears moistening his cheeks.
 
Gods!  I wanted him even more then!  I started to move rhythmically against him and he answered me with thrusts of his hips.  Then with a speed and strength that I'd never thought he had, he was down, arms around my chest, biceps tightening and with a deep groan he pulled me upright.
 
I could feel the sweat trickling down his thick neck and trailing across the ridges of his muscular chest.  I could feel the sway of his belly as his hips kept their thrusting, drawing him deeper into me.  And I could feel the rapid beating of his heart as he drew me ever closer.
 
I opened my eyes, looking down though a veil of my own hair and saw him there, beneath me, holding me; head tipped back, eyes closed and smile of pleasure gracing his lips.  His golden curls lifted and fell like ocean waves on the tide of the night breeze.  The undulation of his body matching mine so perfectly it only confirmed that we were simply two pieces of the same being, and the Light had recognized that.
 
That I had missed this didn't even need to be said.  My cock stood at attention, sandwiched between our bellies, being massaged as tightly as any hand could.  I didn't think I could hold out much longer.  I was simply too needy, too overwhelmed by all that was Iolaus.
 
And Iolaus felt the same way.  I could see it in the tightening around his jaw, the fine lines around his eyes growing deeper with the exertion of holding back what he wanted to spill, his desire to make our coupling last longer.
 
And I wanted to feel him in me all night.
 
But not tonight.  I couldn't hold back any longer.  All the months in the Light had not diminished Iolaus' capacity to touch all the right spots, the most sensitive and most arousing.  He had, if anything grown even more adept in his abstinence and I simply couldn't hold out.  Every nerve tingled with need, my body burned in spite of the coolness of the night.  Every muscle fiber was as taut as the bowstring of my great golden hunter when he took aim at his prey.  And finally I allowed myself release as I felt him simultaneously throbbing with in me, the heat spreading from within and engulfing me, shooting through like an arrow true to its mark.
 
I was struck.  By Iolaus, by my own need and desire fulfilled, by a feeling of bliss that was more precious than any previous. 
 
Iolaus held me close as he shuddered to completion.  I placed my cheek on top of his head and cherished the silken hair that cushioned me. 
 
"Oh, man, I waited a long time for that," he groaned against my chest, his breath warm and comforting.  All the months we had spent separated seemed to melt away like an April snow.
 
I felt his lips feathering against my flesh, brushing over my heart as if to dust it off once again.  Neither one of us moved, choosing instead to keep this position of kneeled deference and humility.
 
"Don't they say: Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder?"  Iolaus queried, tipping his head back to look up at me.
 
I let my hair drop against him, pressing my forehead to his, curtaining us together and keeping us separate from the surrounding world.  "Not quite that," I grinned.  "Although I like your version better."
 
Iolaus laughed that silly giggle that always got to me; it had such pure unbridled joy to it, an honesty of spirit.  I felt a lump rise in my throat, and pulled him tight against me.  I needed to feel the beating of his heart, the drawing of his breath, the sweat of his skin against me.  I needed to reassure myself that he was indeed alive and that today had been no dream, and certainly not one of the nightmares that had plagued me so frequently of late.
 
"I'm back Herc, I'm really back," he whispered up at me reassuringly.
 
"Prove it to me again," I growled.
 
"Okay," he laughed with a twinkle in his eye.  "But first you'll have to get off me.  You're crushing my legs." 
 
"My turn on top," I informed him.
 
"Any way you want it," he whispered back, releasing his grip on me and letting me slide off his thighs.
 
Above us I heard the flap of wings and an owl called "whoo, whoo".
 
You, Iolaus, I thought, and no one else.  Ever.
 
 
END