Wings

by Sarah Saint Ives

disclaimer] The characters do not belong to me, and I make no money writing slash fanfiction about them.

[slash, not my characters, PWP. Very short.]


Wings
by Sarah Saint Ives


Wings into sunset, wings
Leaving behind them
Silence for cedar boughs
Where wind cannot find them.

For ledges where currents of stars
Wash softly about them
For beaches under the cliffs
That were lonely without them.

Sure of their flight, unafraid
Of night that has drawn them
Home to be folded in sleep
With distance upon them.



Iolaus sat slumped on a rock overlooking the brown sea, his blue eyes clouded with tragedy. He had reached a turning point in his life. Something inside him had changed, felt ill at ease. Something was no longer at peace.

He watched sea birds, marveled at their effortless flight, and suddenly wished he could fly. To soar with the gulls…..such a wonderful fantasy. The yearning created a sense of loss he could not define, and it was unbearable. Tears flooded his cheeks unchecked.

"What's wrong?" The voice startled him. He had not heard his friend's approach. He rubbed viciously at his eyes, bitterly scrubbed away the tears.

"Nothing. I'm just having a little private depression." He explained. "Don't worry. I'll be fine, Hercules."

Hercules nodded awkwardly, stood behind him for a dubious minute before he took the single step closer and laid both hands on the back of the smaller man's shoulders. "Iolaus, talk to me. What's wrong?" His fingers gently combed through the golden curls.

Iolaus sobbed into his hands. "I don't know! I really don't know! I must be going crazy!"

Hercules put his arms around him and drew his back close against his chest. "You're not crazy." he said soothingly.

"You don't think so? Then why do I feel so lost?"

Hercules pressed his cheek to the top of the blonde head. "I don't know. Why do you feel so lost?" he asked. "I'm here for you, Iolaus. I love you."

Iolaus' laugh sounded more like a sob. "I love you, too, Hercules. You know that."

"Then tell me what's wrong."

There was a brief pause while the smaller man regained a bit of composure, then, as he spoke, it gave way again. "I want to fly!" He pointed recklessly in the direction of the gulls.

Hercules smiled and gave him a squeeze. "To fly? Iolaus, maybe you're right! Maybe you *are* going crazy."

"Yes, I am." The blonde turned in his arms and put his face against his friend's chest. "I'm completely crazy. All I can think about all day, every day, all night, every night….is you. I want you, you know."

The big man's blue eyes widened in surprise. "Me? You want me?"

"Don't act so surprised. You knew." Iolaus clung to him.

Hercules drew in a trembling sigh. "This isn't depression, Iolaus, it's loneliness."

"Use whatever word you want, I still want you!"

The strong man took him beneath the chin and lifted his face. "That's what you want? Would that make you happy?" he asked.

"Happiness is elusive, Hercules. You know how I feel about you. I want to know how you feel! Tell me, what do you dream about? Who do you dream of?"

"You're the most important person in my life, Iolaus, in dreams and in reality." Hercules answered.

"I dream of you every night, of you and me together. We go flying together every night, up in the air with the birds. We have wings like Cupid, so we fly around way up high and make love on the clouds."

Hercules smiled at him and, after a long breath, dropped a kiss on his lips. "So, that's why you want to fly."

Iolaus' arms went up and around his neck, brought him down for another kiss. "Come fly with me, Hercules." He said softly.

"But we don't have wings." Hercules said, and kissed him again.

"Let's get some."

"Get wings? How?"

"Cupid could fix us up, couldn't he?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Can you call him? Will he come for you like Hades and Ares do?"

"I never tried summoning Cupid before. Maybe Aphrodite…."

"Fine-- if she can give us wings."

"Iolaus, why do we need wings? Anyway, do you really want a third person present right now? I'd like to have you all to myself for a while."

"Really? You want me, Hercules?"

Hercules kissed him again. "Yes, I want you." he answered. "Come on. Let's go to bed, okay?"

"It's still daylight."

"Iolaus, we're not going to sleep."

Iolaus' smile was radiant as he stood and followed him toward the camp.

They kissed again as they crawled into the crude straw-and-fur bed overcast by a lean-to. They were expecting rain, and had prepared for it. "You're sure about this?" Iolaus asked as he rose on hands and knees to gaze down into the soft blue eyes.

"I'm as sure as you are." Hercules answered, and rolled with him, positioning himself above him and began to undress him. As the clothes came off, first the hunter's then the demi-god's, hands roamed over bare flesh with smooth abandon. Kisses continued, simmered until lips strayed to lower regions. As Hercules took Iolaus' erection in his mouth, the blonde turned on the bed and returned the favor. The 69 position soon took them to ecstasy. They shared an explosive orgasm, and, when it was over, they cuddled quietly together.

It was midnight before another word was spoken, and Iolaus was the one who broke the silence. "So, how was it for you?"

Hercules laughed. "It was great, Iolaus. Do you still want to fly?"

"Not any more." Iolaus ran a gentle finger down his cheek. "I'm perfectly happy on the ground, as long as you're here with me."

"I thought you would say something poetic like 'Your love gave me wings'."

Iolaus scoffed comically. "Yeah." He kissed him with renewing passion. "Right. Shut up and make love to me."



The end