Page 31 of Axios

Stories I’d heard, told by men around the fire on cold nights, mostly involved women, but some spoke of other men. What transpired between them when cravings arose, how different it felt than being with a woman. I had listened to their tales, intrigued, attempting to visualize what they said.

When Eryx shifted his weight and lay on top of me, I moaned against his lips and wrapped my arms around him. It was the first time we’d been in the position while kissing. Other instances had been accidents—like when we’d tackled one another during play or the time I pulled him from the tree and he’d landed on me the same way.

Something ignited within me, a stirring in my body that flowed from the top of my head and to my toes. An ache. A need to have him closer.

At the turning of our sixteenth year, we had been provided tunics once again, so we were no longer in the nude. But I could still feel the heat of his skin through the material, and I yearned to have his warmth envelop me.

“Ery,” I said breathlessly. “I… I need to feel you.”

He stopped kissing my throat and lifted his gaze. Desire was ablaze in his eyes, and absent was the hesitance he normally carried. His body hardened against mine right before he captured my lips in a feverish kiss. An all-consuming action that had me gasping and panting against his mouth.

His hands roamed down my sides and stopped at the bottom of my tunic, his fingers playing at the soft fabric. My heart hammered in my chest as I anticipated him touching me in the place I craved him most.

“Axios? Eryx?”

Haden.

Eryx stilled his traveling hand and a low growl formed in his throat.

No one apart from me and Eryx had ever wandered to our spot by the stream, but it wasn’t too difficult to find—if you knew where to look. It was enclosed by trees and was accessible by going through the undergrowth, but one had to be careful to avoid the shrubs with thorns. And if not careful, one could easily become lost trying to navigate through the maze-like path. Once walking a ways, the dense forest opened to our own form of paradise.

Haden had asked before where we went during free time, and we’d told him—intentionally leaving out the precise location.

“Eryx?” Haden called again, his heavy footsteps echoing through the trees. “Axios?”

The big, clumsy oaf.

“I’m going to kill him,” Eryx whispered as he shook his head and slid off me. “Perhaps slit his throat in his sleep. Or bind his arms and legs and throw him into the river. Both options would suffice.”

I chuckled and attempted to calm my racing pulse. The ache between my legs made me grind my teeth, and I had my own thoughts about killing our friend. It had finally been the perfect moment to explore each other—secluded and away from all prying eyes and listening ears—so Haden had awful timing.

Before he could call out again, Eryx and I stood and went back through the wall of trees and into the forest to find him.

Haden leaned against a tree with one leg braced against the trunk, grinning at us as we came into his line of sight. His hair caught the sun, revealing the paler traces hidden within the lighter shade of brown. “There you two are.”

“Yes. Here we are,” Eryx said in a dry tone, stopping in front of him. “What is it you want?”

With a smirk in place, Haden answered, “What would you do if I said I only wanted to pester you like the nuisance I am?”

“Probably strangle you,” Eryx said, but the corner of his lips lifted and removed the threat from his words. “We were… occupied. The interruption best be of dire importance.”

Eryx looked over at me and touched my hair, pulling away a small twig that I must’ve gotten from rolling around in the grass.

“I would not quite call it dire,” Haden spoke, pushing away from the tree and starting to walk back toward the city. “But it is a thing you will wish to see.”

***

The day was coming to an end. As we walked home at a leisurely pace, I couldn’t contain my smile. Training might have toughened me physically, but it didn’t take away my joy of life. I liked how everything thrived during the spring.

Insects buzzed and the green grass—darkened by the sunset—felt slightly damp beneath my feet. The sun had sunk below the horizon, but its light wasn’t completely absent yet. A golden streak still touched areas of the mountainside, creating a contrast of shadows at the peak.

Haden was right.

When we returned, laughter and music filled the air. Fires were lit and both men and women danced around it while others sat and partook in conversation.

In Sparta, the focus remained on our training and nothing was viewed more important than the army, but we also valued art and song. With the arrival of spring, a festival was held to thank the gods for all the blessings they’d bestowed upon us, such as the passing of the bitter cold and the celebration of life yet again.

Poets performed their verses and the lyre was strummed. Girls danced, as did some of the boys, and for one evening, it was as if the horrors of war, fighting, and brutality were but a distant memory.