Author's website: http://www.geocities.com/pitapattr

Disclaimer: Wish they were mine, but last time I checked, they were still Alliance's!

Author's Notes: Dedicated to Nona, for her birthday.

Story Notes: There is a glossary at the end in this one, too. It's grown thicker!

This story is a sequel to: The Cubicle

"We can discuss this tomorrow," he insisted.

The streets were crowded, with magistrates were climbing down the stairs of the Roman Forum, their clients waiting for them. Vendors shouted their goods, passers-by crowding the streets, wagon carrying vegetables, woods, and fish from Ostia. The sun was well above their heads, indicating it was past the seventh hour. Magistrate Crinius Julius Vecchius did not stop, but his fellow magistrate Fulvius followed him.

"I think you should consider this a little more, Vecchius."

Vecchius then stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "I will, Fulvius. That is why we will return to the Forum tomorrow. I have no intention to discuss this until then. Perhaps if the matter rests during the night, all its aspects will become clearer by sunrise."

The older magistrate seemed reluctant, but decided no to pursue the matter any further. "Well, I suppose you are right. Besides, with the festival coming, it is very unlikely something will be done." He gestured for his servant, who came quickly. "I think I will indulge in a game of Trigon. The team is already formed, but we wouldn't mind a fourth man. Would you care to join us?"

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure, but at the moment I am headed for the baths. I thought I could swim at least until noon. Maybe some other time we can play Trigon."

"Certainly. May the gods grant you a nice day, Vecchius."

"I wish you the same, Fulvius."

The magistrates went separate ways, their servants and clients following. Gracchus immediately gestured the slaves to bring the litter, and came closer to Vecchius, to protect his master from street muggers and annoying vendors. It was the time of the day when they were most likely to attack. But the magistrate was quiet, intent on his thoughts, and oblivious of his surroundings.

"If I may say so, master, you seem really upset from the session." They climbed together on the litter, six slaves carrying them above the crowd, the noise and the mud.

Vecchius tried to hide his restlessness. He kept his voice low so the other servants wouldn't hear them. "I am worried, Gracchus. The law will pass, and there is nothing I can do about it. I am running out of arguments, and now Titus changes his position, weakening our defence. If we don't postpone the vote, we will lose. And you what can happen should it occur."

"Let me tell you what can happen if the law concerning private life passes. There will be no difference form the hazard that can arise now. This is a dangerous situation, master. Perhaps you should consider my suggestion."

"Out of the question. I will not give him up", Vecchius hissed, even more annoyed. "You know I treasure Behni as much as I treasure my heirs, Marcus and Clodia."

Meekly, Gracchus said, bowing slightly. "My only concern is your safety, Master. I am sorry if I displease you."

"I know." Vecchius was touched. "I am glad for such a friend, Gracchus. Sometimes I think I don't say it enough."

"You educated me, fed me, and then you set me free," he remembered. "Loyalty is the least I can give you in return, master."

The Roman knew and was grateful. Gracchus would die for him. He would do that not only because that was job as a stipator, but out of friendship. "Come, my friend. Let me treat you to a bath. Let's forget about these woes and have a good time at the thermae."

They stepped out of the litter and entered the huge building, which stretched at least three blocks. Followed by his servants and slaves, Vecchius marched princely in the lofty entranceway covered in marbles from Numidia and Alexandria. Ignoring the shops, they headed for the apodyterium, where they changed clothes and got oiled before heading for the palaestra. Gracchus insisted on personally giving the servants orders to care of their clothes before they went to the exercise area. Vecchius wanted to work off all the tension from that horrible day at the Forum with heavy exercises. He worked out often, and this particular public bath, at the north part of the city, was his favourite. The floor was so hot that the sandals with thick soles were even thicker. It made exercises harder, and Vecchius, who had already slender and elegant body, got even more out of the work out.

The Roman magistrate won a few races from Gracchus and also lost a few, because his friend would never consider letting the nobleman win only for his higher position. Many of the patricians exercising at the palaestra regarded the gesture as tactless, to say the least. After that they wrestled noisily and lifted weights.

Sweaty and oiled, the men got inside to the tepidarium, for a warm time, and then went quickly to the caldarium, right above the furnace. As Vecchius expected, the place was sizzling hot, and the steam in the hot room seemed to make all worries just flow away in his sweat. At least once, he asked his servant for drinks and snacks. Other one was scraping his skin with a strigil.

"Feeling better, master?"

"Oh, much better, Gracchus. I guess all I needed to improve my mood was to spend some time in the baths. Of course, it is not as good as sex, but you can't have everything."

The two friends laughed out loud, and nearby patrons who heard the exchange joined in the laughter. One of them offered, "Your Excellency does know that there are shops in the baths, near the palaestra. Well, some of them have freemen with servants and slaves who can take care of this problem. I can point you to a particularly discreet one, if you want."

Vecchius couldn't even think about going to a prostitute when he had his Behni always ready for him. But he answered his solicitous stranger - probably a pimp himself. He forced himself to smile to the man, because he was not in the mood to discuss with anyone. "Yes, I know about these places, good man. But unfortunately, I have quite a jealous wife with excellent sense of smell. She can sense another woman's perfumes from a long distance. I am not in the mood for an argument, especially during the cena, which is my favourite meal."

Gracchus was already poised to strike the stranger, in case he tried to attack his master. Frustrated, the man bowed wordlessly and looked at Gracchus. The stipator glared at him, and the man lost his colours, despite the heat. The stranger quickly left the room. The matter seemed to be settled.

Gracchus arranged his towel in his waist and stood up. "I think I will go to the frigidarium now and refresh myself."

"Already, Gracchus?" Vecchius teased. "So can't you stand the heat?"

"I was thinking I could cut the caldarium short and go to the unctuarium. I always find massages relaxing." He asked, "May I suggest a massage for you, too, Master? You would certainly benefit of one. Besides, you can also have oils and perfumes, so your lovely wife won't get so... disturbed." There was a not of sarcasm in his last word.

Vecchius liked the idea and laughed at the jest. "I could really use a massage today. Go on and prepare everything, my friend. I will meet you in the frigidarium a bit later.

Gracchus seemed delighted. "Excellent. I will have everything ready." And he disappeared.

Vecchius kept on sweating a few minutes more, chatting with another patrons, discussing light things such as the weather, the upcoming holiday festival and the possibility of the next games. He loved the games and wished they could be played at least once a week, instead of only during festivals.

Finally, the temperature became a bit beyond the bearable and Vecchius went to the frigidarium, to readapt to the room temperature. There he took a refreshing dip in the pool, where Gracchus met him.

"Finally, Gracchus," Vecchius greeted him, towelling off. "I thought you had rented the place and left me out of the massage.

Gracchus's eyes widened. "I wouldn't dream of that, master. I was just getting everything ready especially for you." The stipator pointed to a corridor at the right side of the colonnade. "The unctuarium is this way. Let me take you there."

The patrician followed his servant around the huge public facility. They came to a narrow hallway that had a few double doors. Gracchus stopped in front of one of them and said, "This is it. Unfortunately, there aren't many slaves available, but I could find an attendant. He will be with you momentarily, and I will be guarding the door." He said, "I hope you relax, Master."

"Thank you, Gracchus. I won't be long."

"Take as long as you want, Master."

Vecchius went inside the humble, small room, which had merely a flat wooded table covered by a towel for the client and a smaller table with oils and perfumes. It was so small it had no windows, and an oil-lamp hang from the wall to illuminate it. As Gracchus said, the attendant was not there. The Roman took his towel from the waist and lied naked on his stomach, waiting for the man.

In seconds, he heard the door opening and steps behind him. The attendant had come. Vecchius crossed his arms as pillows where he rested his head, with a deep sight. Closing his eyes, he asked. "Please, I would like just a massage with unscented oil. I am not in the mood for perfumes."

The Roman heard the man stepping closer and prepared for the massage. He wished he could be with Behni. He could at least pretend the man's hands were his handsome barbarian's, caressing his skin, making him feel relaxed.

Unexpectedly, he heard a husky voice whispering right in his ear, "If you are not in the mood for perfume, perhaps I can offer you something to get you in another mood."

Vecchius thought his heart would stop, and he spun around. "Behni?!"

The Caledonian put a hand over his mouth. "Shh. We can't be loud."

Vecchius put his hand over the slave's and hissed, "What are you doing here?"

There was a sly grin on the beautiful face. "I was summoned to make use oils, massage or any other mean to make you relax." His oiled hand slid on Vecchius's naked side and he nibbled on his earlobe before whispering, "It was an order I could not disobey." He licked the ear, and Vecchius shuddered lightly. "But now I am the one who has orders for you... slave."

He suddenly bit said ear. Hard. Vecchius suppressed a yelp of pain. Suddenly, before the Roman could react, Behni had grabbed his arms and turned him once more on his stomach, his agile body on top of the nobleman's. Vecchius was trembling, excited and helpless. There was no doubt about who was the master now.

"Stand still." Behni ordered. "Stand very still."

Behni got rid of his tunic and Vecchius lamented missing the splendid vision of his disrobing. But the Roman knew better than to move a muscle.

Besides, it seemed Behni was in a nice mood. His hot member felt quite hard, but not fully erect, as it came to rest on the cleft between his ass cheeks.

"Rock."

Awkwardly, trying to get a better leverage, the Roman began to gently hump the oily erection between his cheeks, feeling Behni doing the same. The movement caused a bit of friction, since only Behni's organ had been oiled, not Vecchius's ass. If Behni penetrated him now, there would be such sweet pain that the nobleman would probably be forced to recline for his meals for the three next three moons.

The patrician certainly wouldn't mind. The soreness would remind him of their illicit rapture in a public place. He would only have to be careful not to have an erection in an inappropriate hour.

Right that moment, though, Vecchius could feel his member engorging, although it was getting crushed under both their bodies combined. The pain made him move his butt even faster, and his orgasm was building in no time. The patrician panicked. If he climaxed, the barbarian would have no mercy.

Suddenly, Behni stopped, climbed down the table and ordered. "Turn around."

Relieved to free his erection, Vecchius obeyed and lay on his back. He could feel his faces flushed, and his body sweaty once more. Dizzy with excitement, he wondered what his master would do next.

The barbarian climbed on the bed once more and sat on his slave's legs, watching with an amused expression his erection pointing to the ceiling. "Oh, that is nice. Yes, you keep that Roman spear straight and ready for my pleasure, slave." Behni bend to kiss his hard, throbbing member, and Vecchius tried to suppress a shudder and a sob. He failed on both efforts.

Behni laughed.

Moving on all fours, lusciously, his own hard member gently brushing with Vecchius's for a second, Behni settled to set his thighs on the patrician's shoulder, practically sitting on his chest. The Roman's green eyes met the fierce blue ones that kept him enslaved. Fingers squeezed his chin hard, and the eyes sparkled a command.

The silent order had been issued.

Vecchius had no choice and no desire to do anything else than to lick the fat, leaking cock head. The scent and taste were overwhelmingly inviting, and after laving the rosy knob in front of him, he gladly opened his lips to take more of that wondershaft from distant Caledonia.

"Yessss.... Good boy."

Behni wasted no time to feed Vecchius all of him, then began to thrust in his mouth. He gasped and moaned, and the Roman could feel his own erection getting harder as the rhythm increased. Sometimes the Roman felt the gag reflex trying to win, but he could not do that. Behni was not worried about him. He was taking his own pleasure, as it was his right as master. All Vecchius could do try to control himself not to climax while making his dominus got his satisfaction. Not that it was easy, of course.

As Behni pounded with even more intensity his rod inside his mouth, Vecchius knew his master wouldn't last. In seconds, the floods of bittersweet seed inside his throat proved his predictions correct. The patrician suckled all of it with gusto, until Behni sagged above him.

The barbarian did not even try to recover his breath, climbing down the massage table and ordering harshly, "Get up!"

Vecchius scrambled to obey, getting on his feet, his erection painfully reminding him of his needs. But he couldn't ask for anything. It was up to his master to satisfy his needs - if he wanted to. The Roman stared at his feet.

Behni must have been reading his thoughts, because his husky voice said, "You hope I will let you squirt right now, don't you? Well, let me ask you a question: what would you say, slave, if I ordered you out of this room with no towel on your body?" He circled Vecchius, his voice lecherous and enticing. "Your spear straight, and all other men in the bath staring at it, maybe lusting for it. What would you say, slave?"

The magistrate's face got as red as if he had returned to the caldarium. "P-please... Master..."

"I should do it," he threatened. "Maybe I should let every man in this thermae have you. Anyone: freeman, slaves, citizens. Dozens. What do you say?"

Vecchius panicked and looked at him, trembling. "No... No, Master... Please..."

"Will you be a good boy? Will you obey me?"

"I will do anything you want, Master. Just don't do that to me," he pleaded, imploring eyes cast on the handsome, commanding face.

There was a minute of silence and tension. Vecchius trembled, fearing his master's answer.

"Being a generous master, I will grant your request", he nodded. "Now, in retribution, do as I command, and don't hesitate."

"Always, Master!" he asked eagerly.

Behni bent on the bed, his back to Vecchius, his legs spread, his delectable ass offered to his slave. "Ride me," he ordered hoarsely, his breath harsh. "I want it hard and fast."

Wide eyes, the Roman wavered for a second. During his fleeting hesitation, Behni turned his head to look at him, and Vecchius saw so much love and lust that he snapped out of his stupor. The Roman swiftly positioned himself between the spread legs and grabbed the hips, then caressing the firm globes of pristine, pure and silky skin.

"Now!", Behni backed his ass towards Vecchius in pure impatience. "Do it hard!"

No sooner said than done. The Roman nobleman rammed his achingly erect member deep inside Behni, who tensed at the intensity of the invasion then relaxed, letting his breath out with a quiet, satisfied moan. The penetration alone had Vecchius gasping, sensations whirling, blood pooling in his crotch.

"More," Behni rasped. "Give me more."

The Roman obeyed, intoxicated with excitement. He tried to make it last, but Behni began to move with him, making the patrician's stabs deeper within him, hitting his most sensitive spot, renewing his erection in record time. The world revolved around the patrician in totally wild speed, out of control, and he felt himself growing near the edge.

As if sensing it, Behni increased the pace to fling himself in the maximum pleasure. His climax made him clench the muscles of his ass around Vecchius's erection, and pushed the Roman in an orgasmic precipice. Hurled from the highest altitudes, the patrician saw bright yellow pinwheels behind his eyes, his breath shortening, his chest exploding as he tried to muffle the cries of one of the biggest climaxes he could ever remember.

Vecchius's body slumped in Behni's soft and sweaty back, where he panted for a few minutes, his breath trying to slow down to a normal rate. The Caledonian himself was not in a better shape.

It was the barbarian who stirred. "Are you alright?"

"Mhmm."

"I will take that as yes," he joked. "I am glad you are relaxed now."

Vecchius's speech was still slurred, and he had his breath short. "You are... very talented."

Behni spoke in a dark voice. "My love, I am sorry, but you better go now. This is not a safe place."

Magic words. Vecchius stood up and helped Behni do the same. They looked at each other.

Behni could not resist capturing those full lips, thrusting his tongue inside that sensuous mouth, and tasting his own seed as he did so. When they surfaced for air, Vecchius took his hands in his. "Oh, Behni."

"Please, my lord, go now." He seemed distressed. "I worry about you."

"Gracchus is at the door. He will alert us."

"Still, it is not safe. The real slaves who rub oil in the bathers are due at any minute."

Vecchius smiled. "This was Gracchus's idea, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Behni blushed.

"May Jupiter bless him. He shall have the highest couch at dinner tonight. How did he contact you? And when? He was with me all the time."

"Before you entered the palaestra, he sent a slave to Flavius, telling him about your distress and ordered Flavius to let me come to help you." Behni's eyes were greyish now, peering into Vecchius's, filled with affection. "I came as soon as I could. Did I help in anyway?"

Vecchius smiled at that beautiful, concerned face. "Yes, you did help. In more ways than you know." He kissed their joined hands. "I regret I must leave now. This was really a pleasant surprise."

"I am glad you enjoyed it." Behni put his hand on the Roman's face, then kissed the patrician nose. "Call me if you need me."

"I will." He brushed his lips. "I have to go, Behni."

"May the gods bestow all their blessings upon you."

Vecchius put the towel in his waist and went to the door. He turned for a last look at his barbarian and whispered, "Stay safe, my love."

"I will be thinking of you."

Hard as it was, Vecchius opened the door and walked out of the small room. He just wished he didn't have to meet Behni like this: as if they were criminals. The problem was that, according to the Lex Scatina, they were.

Gracchus appeared instantly, as if from thin air. The corners of his lips were raised, and he tried to contain his grin.

Vecchius greeted him, "Ah, Gracchus, you are here."

"Yes, master", they walked towards the colonnade. "Did you enjoy the massage?"

"Thoroughly, Gracchus, thank you." He whispered, "And I really mean thank you."

Gracchus bowed slightly. "I merely wished that you... uh, relax, master".

Vecchius smiled, feeling really at ease, clean (at least in spirit) and refreshed. "I am thoroughly relaxed now. Come, I want you at my side at tonight's dinner."

Both men went to get dressed and they strolled around the gardens, where they engaged in social activities. The noones had passed, and there was plenty of time before dinner to chat and gossip. They thoroughly took pleasure from the extensive activities of the public bath.

In good mood, Vecchius enjoyed the pleasant afternoon at the baths. He just wished he could be with Behni by his side.

Gracchus looked at his master, smiling with his lips, yet his soul was troubled. He dreaded the days to come.

The days when the new law would come to pass.

Finis

Glossary
Crinius: ray of sun :-)
Trigon: game consisting of three players and a ball. Stipator: more than friend, protector, and almost a bodyguard. Thermae: public bath sponsored by the State. Palaestra: open-air place for exercises inside a bath. Tepidarium: warm room.
Caldarium: hot-air room, almost a sauna. Sometimes there was a hot-boiling pool there, too. Frigidarium: cool room, to get used to room temperature after the caldarium. Strigil: Roman instrument to scrape the skin, making it smoother. Cena: main meal of the day, eaten late in the afternoon. Unctuarium: room inside the baths where the bather can get a massage, perfumess. Colonnade: row of columns to separate ambient Barbarian: anyone born or living outside the Roman sphere of influence Dominum: master
Noones, noon: the ninth hour, which meant 3 p.m. at the time. The hours lasted usually the same they do in our days, depending on the time of the year. The fifth hour was 11 a.m. Men usually went to the baths at 2 p.m. Women used the facilities in the morning, for the vast majority of public and private baths would not have both men and women at the same time.

End Hot day at the baths by Pita Patter: pitapattr@yahoo.com

Author and story notes above.