Honey and Nuts

The rhythmic clang of metal against metal echoed through the forge. The fire blazed, sparks flying.

Iolaus had stripped to the waist while he worked. His body gleamed with sweat, small rivulets marking the occasional trail down his chest; his blond hair hung damp and tightly curled, framing his face.

It had been some time since he'd been home long enough to clean and stoke the forge, and he was enjoying this chance to reacquaint himself with the work he loved. Plus, he acknowledged to himself, when he was busy working, it was easier to, at least temporarily, push aside how much he missed his demigod partner.

But Herc's due back any day now, Iolaus grinned to himself. And he knew that his partner would be as hot for him as he was for Hercules. After the long lonely week apart they'd just had, Iolaus doubted Hercules would even wait long enough for them to get back into the house. He chuckled softly. As if he'd object when the demigod threw him to the dirt floor and fucked him senseless right here!

Iolaus' cock jumped at the thought.

"Damn," he muttered, striking a blistering new series of blows to the metal he was working. "Save that thought 'til he gets back."

Hercules stood silently in the doorway of his partner's forge just watching Iolaus work. The lean muscles rippled and bunched as Iolaus swung the heavy hammer, blow after blow. His body gleamed with the sweat of heat and hard labour, casting a burnished glow over his smooth torso in the flickering light.

His cock began to swell at the sight of the luscious curves of Iolaus' ass, cradled in tight leather, perfectly displayed for his hungry eyes. It had been a long week but it was over now, and Hercules intended to make sure that Iolaus remembered this reunion for a very long time. In fact, he hoped, if everything went according to plan, this would be one birthday Iolaus would never forget.

Leaning casually against the doorframe, arms folded lightly over his chest, legs crossed at the ankles, he waited for a break in the clanging blows and then cleared his throat, loudly.

Iolaus whirled, dropping the hammer as he heard someone behind him.

He grinned when he caught sight of the demigod lounging in the doorway. With a wicked gleam in his pale blue eyes, Iolaus stalked sensually over to where his partner stood. "You're home." He looked up at the demigod, his eyes heavy-lidded with promise, reaching to pull Hercules down into an embrace.

He felt the vibration of the demigod's deep groan at the same moment as Hercules' fingers threaded through his hair pulling him into a heated, devouring kiss.

Iolaus moaned, arching against his partner. After a long week apart, he couldn't get close enough to his big lover. He could feel the press of Hercules' erection through the demigod's leathers. He whimpered, his own cock ached, constricted in his codpiece. He grasped at Hercules' belt, expecting at any moment to feel the demigod's large hands tearing at his own.

Hercules groaned, fingers clenching around Iolaus' shoulders, holding him away.

"Herc?" Iolaus frowned slightly, a small niggling worry growing.

The demigod smiled, brushing his knuckles softly down Iolaus' cheek. "Why don't you go take a quick dip in the river?" Hercules chuckled, "I've got a birthday surprise for you."

Iolaus grinned, heavy-lidded eyes sparkling as he leaned closer. "You could just give it to me now," he murmured seductively.

"Clean first," Hercules teased, wiping at a sweaty smudge across the hunter's cheek, "then the surprise."

Grasping the demigod's fingers in his own, Iolaus pressed a kiss into Hercules' palm. "Race ya to the river!" he challenged, bursting into a run, leaving his startled partner behind. He didn't even hear Hercules call his name.

Iolaus struggled with his belts, fumbling to get them open before shimmying out of his trousers as he hopped the last few feet to the water's edge. Throwing his leathers aside and stripping quickly out of his clout, he dived naked into the cool, clear running water.

Surfacing with a gasp, the hunter flipped his head back sending a misting arc of water droplets flying, sparkling like a miniature rainbow in the bright noonday sun. He grinned, scanning the water around him for Hercules' submerged form. No doubt his big partner was hoping to sneak up on him and start their fun here in the river.

He spun to look behind himself; sure he would see Hercules submerged there.

There was no one behind him. In fact, there was nothing anywhere nearby but a small twig, carried swiftly past by the quick current.

Scowling, puzzled, Iolaus scanned the river one more time, "Herc?" Still no sign of his partner. He ran his hands over his face, pushing the long wet curls out of his eyes. He couldn't have been that far behind. Not with those long legs.

Iolaus grinned. Obviously his partner was hiding somewhere in the bushes, planning to ambush him after he got out of the river. 'Clean first and then the surprise' he'd said. Iolaus chuckled, quickly rubbing the sweat and soot off his skin. Two could play at that game. The prey was about to become the predator. "Who does he think he is?" Iolaus snorted to himself, "Trying to hunt a hunter?"

Steadily, Iolaus moved toward the river's edge. With barely a ripple, he lifted himself slowly from the water, balancing on his fingers and toes, staying low in the grass. Scanning the immediate area, he saw no sign of the demigod or Hercules' clothing. His own clout and leathers lay where he'd dropped them. Bait?

The hunter grinned. He wouldn't be snared so easily. Besides, what would he want his clothes for? To tear them off again as soon as their fun began?

Iolaus scanned the area again. If his clothes were the bait, then.... the demigod would be hiding behind that stand of berry bushes, expecting Iolaus to just saunter right into his trap. Swift and silent, the hunter made his way around to sneak up behind the bushes.

But no one was hiding there.

Disappointed, Iolaus crossed his arms over his chest with a scowl. Where was Herc? He'd had more than enough time to get here by now.

The hunter shuffled over to his clothes, pulling them on. He trudged off in the direction of home with a sigh.

Wait, Herc must have big plans there. He brightened, picking up his pace. Candlelight, maybe some wine. He just wanted me out of the way to get the surprise ready. Iolaus grinned, anticipation restored.

Not bothering to knock, Iolaus swung the door wide, eager for whatever Hercules had planned. His eyes scanned the small room. Nothing looked any different. The demigod sat leaning on the kitchen table as he had countless times before, fully dressed. Seductive visions of Hercules reclining naked on a fur-draped bed went up in smoke.

Iolaus tried to swallow his disappointment. With something less than his usual bright smile, he called, "Herc?" He stepped up to the table, settling beside his partner. "You said something about a birthday surprise?"

The demigod paused in the act of lifting a handful of nuts to his mouth. Blushing slightly he nodded, "Mother sent you these. They're Macadamia nuts," he swallowed. "They're... uh... they're very good." He looked wryly at the nuts in his hand, then back at his partner. "You don't mind..."

Iolaus grinned, "No, go ahead Herc." He picked up his own handful, tossing them into his mouth. "Yeah," he mumbled as he chewed, pushing his disappointment down deep, "They are good."

"She did send something else." Hercules grinned. "I'm hoping you'll share with me."

"She did? Of course I'll share," Iolaus shrugged.

The demigod set down a large jar.

Iolaus pulled it closer, sniffing. Dipping in a finger and lifting it to his mouth, he licked at the liquid sweetness coating the digit. "Honey."

"Share it with me?" the demigod grinned lasciviously.

Iolaus nodded, returning the smile with wide eyes and a bright grin.

Kneeling on the bed, braced on his knees and elbows, Iolaus clutched a pillow in his tight fists.

Hercules picked up the heavy jar, letting the thick liquid honey drip over the hunter's wriggling behind, dribbling down his crack, inching a slow sweet trail down his scrotum. "Hmmm," the demigod chuckled, "honey and nuts, my favourite."

Iolaus gasped, bucking against the warm pointed tongue that swooped across the sticky sweet confection, laving at his buttocks. "Oh Gods, Herc."

Hercules grinned, loving how responsive his hot-blooded little partner could be. He leaned across to set the honey jar on the floor beside the bed, never releasing his grip on Iolaus' thigh, wanting to save the rest of the sweet treat for another time.

Iolaus shifted, arching his back, waving his honey-covered cheeks in the demigod's direction. "Herc?" he whispered, questioning.

"Right here," Hercules murmured, licking another stripe along the sweet curve of muscle. "I'm far from finished with you." Large hand clamped around Iolaus' hips, holding him in place, as the demigod went to work, using firm strokes of his tongue to clean the honey from his partner's skin.

Iolaus groaned softly, trembling in his partner's tight grip.

Shifting his grip to his partner's ass, Hercules used his thumbs to pry apart Iolaus' cheeks, baring his small entrance to the demigod's hot gaze. Trails of liquid honey coated the hunter's crack. Bending low, Hercules brushed his tongue softly against the loose skin of Iolaus' sac, lapping at the honey. He drew one heavy ball into his mouth, rolling it on his tongue, sucking every drop of the sweet liquid off before releasing it to devote equal attention to its twin.

Iolaus muffled a shuddering moan against the pillow clutched in his desperate fists, trying futilely to shift in Hercules' grip and press back against the demigod's lips.

Hercules grinned, working his tongue roughly across the sensitive spot behind the hunter's sac, licking his way up Iolaus' crack toward his grasping opening. He pressed his tongue into Iolaus, licking and sucking on the ring of flesh, feeling it relax and open to him.

The demigod groaned, knowing he couldn't last much longer. His own cock was throbbing. His need to claim Iolaus' willing body was overwhelming his normally cautious nature. "Iolaus," he gritted, "I'll be right back."

"WHAT?!" The hunter twisted his neck around to stare in shock at his partner. "Just where in Tartarus are you planning on going?"

Hercules flushed slightly. "I don't have the oil. It'll only take a minute to get it."

Iolaus grinned, relieved. "Forget it."

"No," Hercules scowled, "I can't. I'll hurt you."

"Herc," Iolaus let the longing and loneliness of the last week blaze from his pale blue eyes, "please, just take me." Before the demigod could protest any further, he interrupted again, "You won't hurt me."

"Iolaus," Hercules shook his head.

"Herc, how long have we been lovers? Years, buddy. I need this. I wanna feel every inch tonight, and I wanna still be able to feel it tomorrow." He grinned lasciviously. "Please?"

Hercules groaned, unable to refuse the wide-eyed pleading look his partner directed at him. "All right," he mumbled his agreement. In his head, he knew Iolaus was right. They were far from first time lovers. Their bodies were well accustomed to each other.

His heart though... his heart was still worried, afraid of hurting the man who looked at him with such trust, such love in his bright blue eyes. Each time he had lost Iolaus, only to have the hunter miraculously returned to him time after time, whole and alive, the demigod's heart had clenched tighter. He wished he could just wrap the hunter up, warm and safe, and keep him from all harm. But Iolaus would never be happy that way, and so neither would Hercules.

The grind of the hunter's ass against his aching cock brought Hercules' attention sharply back to the present. "Herc, please," Iolaus groaned.

The demigod drew in a hissing breath. His head and his heart might have conflicting opinions about the right thing to do, but his body had no doubts about what it wanted. Reaching under Iolaus, Hercules wrapped his hand around his partner's arching erection, coating his fingers with the hunter's slick pre-cum.

Iolaus gasped, thrusting into Hercules' fist.

"No, not yet," Hercules growled, pulling his hand back and quickly slicking his own leaking erection with his wet fingers. Centering his aching cock against Iolaus' opening, he gritted his teeth. "Ready?"

"Gods, Herc, please!" Iolaus shuddered, pushing back against the strong grip holding him in place.

"I'm... coming... Iolaus," the demigod ground out, as he held tight to his control and pushed slowly into his partner's smooth passage.

"Not without me, you're not," the hunter growled as he clenched around the cock filling him, grasping tightly as Hercules pulled back and pushed in again with another torturously slow glide of flesh on flesh. Iolaus gasped, arching against the demigod's hips as the flared cock head brushed across his sweet spot, shooting bolts of pleasure to curl his toes.

Hercules pumped faster, driving into his partner, pushing them both higher and higher, closer to climax.

"Herc, Herc, HERC!" Iolaus gasped with each thrust, spiralling closer and closer to the edge of his control.

"NOW!" the demigod growled, holding his partner's hips in a tight, bruising grip as he arched into Iolaus, shuddering in the throes of his orgasm, pushing the hunter into his own violent climax.

Iolaus collapsed to the bed, his shuddering limbs no longer able to support his own weight nevermind that of his heavy partner. "Herc," he mumbled into the sheets. "Can't breathe. Off, please."

The exhausted demigod rolled to his side, pulling Iolaus back against his chest as he did so. "Better?" he murmured, eyes closed.

"Mmmm hmmmm," Iolaus agreed, snuggling back against Hercules' chest. "Herc?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Thanks."

The demigod's tired chuckle shook both men as Hercules grinned, pulling Iolaus even tighter to breathe against his ear, "my pleasure."

Iolaus snorted. "For coming back to celebrate my birthday, I mean. For the gifts."

"I haven't given you my gift yet," Hercules nuzzled against the hunter's soft curls. "It's outside."

"Really?" Iolaus perked up a bit. "Let's go then." He pushed against the demigod's arm.

Hercules groaned, pulling Iolaus back into his arms. "Let's rest a bit first, huh? It'll still be there in a couple minutes." He curled his arms around the smaller man as he threw his leg over the hunter's hips, snuggling close, enveloping Iolaus in warmth and comfort. "Right now, I just want to lay here in your bed, holding the man I love in my arms."

"Sounds like Elysium to me," Iolaus murmured, lulled by the soft rise and fall of Hercules' chest. "Later is good."

Two pairs of blue eyes drifted closed.