For Services Rendered

"She did a good thing, helping the King as she did. How surprising
that it would take a simple tavern girl to set things right after all
these years."

"It was for only selfish reasons, Athena. She wanted a baby, and
so she stole the King. She knew nothing of the secret of who he really
was."

"Whatever her motivations, she deserves some reward, I think. She
strongly desires a child, you say?"

"Indeed. I've heard her prayers for one for years, but it was not
within my powers to grant her wish without proper reason."


"Hmm. And the father?"


The god considered the two choices before her carefully. "Tough
call. Which one do you favor?"

Soon after they came to a decision.

---

Autolycus awoke with a lazy stretch the next morning, the
unexpected feeling of another body draped against him startling
him for a moment. Meg was nowhere to be seen, but Joxer still lay
there, sound asleep at his side.

Joxer. Who would've guessed? He seemed a surprisingly adept lover
for someone who seemed so inept at everything else, though Auto
hadn't had a full chance to sample what the kid had to offer. Yet.
Autolycus found himself growing hard at the thought that he was
lying here naked with Joxer, remembering the sensation of this
man's lips wrapped around his cock...the look in his eyes as he'd
done so that had hinted perhaps at something more than simple
lust...? Or had he been imagining that in his still-sleepy haze?

A few minutes passed and he felt Joxer stirring against him as
well--and an increasing hardness announcing itself against
Auto's side. The thief decided that turnabout was fair play, after the
way Joxer and Meg had snuck up on him last night while he'd been
sleeping. He slowly turned himself around untilwas was facing the
other man and brushed his lips against Joxer's. Joxer sighed softly
but didn't awaken. Auto was more insistent the next time, and
slipped his tongue into Joxer's mouth as he let his hands explore
the naked body alongside his own as he had not had the chance to
do the night before. Now Joxer began to respond, his own tongue
meeting Auto's, tasting, exploring...his hands starting to move
about over Auto's chest and sides...

And then he pulled back, eyes fluttering open to meet Auto's with
some apparent surprise.

"Mornin'," Auto said.

"Auto! Um...morning."

"Something wrong?" the thief asked at the rather odd look he was
receiving from the younger man.

"No! No. I...didn't know you'd still be here."

"Well, I just woke up myself, and I don't have anywhere else I
need to be. You?"

"No, can't say that I do..." Joxer trailed off as Auto slipped a hand
lower against the other man's body, sampling the feel of his cock.
"Mmm," Joxer managed with a shiver.

"That feels good?"

"Yeah. Real good. I'm just...surprised. I thought..."

"What?"

"Well, I knew you wanted to be with Meg. Didn't think...you really
wanted to be with me, too."

"Guess I surprised both of us, then." He really is kind of cute,
Auto found himself thinking, though he couldn't quite put a finger
on why. If the man could go around naked all the time, instead of
wearing that foolish armor...well at the least maybe Auto could
pick out some better attire for him. Stealing some good armor
wouldn't be too much trouble. "Meg won't get mad at you if I,
well...spent a little time gettin' to know you better this morning,
would she?"

"Mmm. Dunno," Joxer answered, but with a wicked smile he
added, "But if she does, let me tell you, she's really good at dishing
out punishment."

"Oh, ho, I'll, um...take your word for it," Auto said, deciding he
wasn't quite ready to go there. He leaned in for another kiss, this
time finding Joxer responding eagerly to him, urging him on.

They took their time, Joxer obviously more relaxed now that he
seemed certain that the thief really wanted to be with him. After a
time, Autolycus recalled the vials of oil on the dresser near the bed
and was inspired. "Got an idea," he murmured to Joxer.

"Mmm?"

"Roll over."

Joxer raised an eyebrow but looked rather pleased at the
suggestion. That wasn't exactly what Autolycus had in mind...for
now...but at least he knew he probably wouldn't face any resistance
to the idea later.

"Now, let's see..." Auto sat up and reached for one vial, lifting the
top to sniff the contents. This first one smelled like vanilla.
Pleasant, but not what he had in mind. "Nope, how about...this
one..." The second was too flowery. He might try it on Meg later,
though. But the third, "Ah...this is more like it." The scent of
cinnamon and other strong spices filled his nose. "This one seems
like you," Auto declared, then he straddled the young man's hips
as he dripped some of the scented oil onto Joxer's back.

"Oh!" Joxer jumped a little as the first drops fell. Then, "Ooooh,"
he groaned appreciatively as Auto began massaging the oil across
the prone man's back and shoulders.

"Yeah, thought you might like that..." Auto answered with a grin.
The oil glistening on Joxer's pale skin was a terribly enticing sight.
The kid had skin that would make most women envious and was
certainly pleasing to this man's touch.

Trying to find out a bit more about his new pair of lovers as he
worked, Auto asked, "So what's the deal with you and Meg,
anyway? I gotta say, you two have a somewhat...unusual
relationship going on here."

"We're friends. Good friends. It...doesn't really go much beyond
that."

"You could've fooled me."

"I mean, besides sex. I like her, a lot, you know?"

"Huh! Who wouldn't?"

"Actually, a lot of people. They look down at her because of the
life she's led, the things she's had to do to get along and survive.
They don't understand that she's got a good heart, too. She never
makes fun of me or puts me down, even when I screw up. I like
that, 'cause not many other people ever treat me that way."

"Sounds like all the ingredients for life, love, and happily ever after
to me."

"Maybe. I dunno. I think in a way we do love each other. We're
just not, you know, in love. I want her to find someone who can
really do right for her, someday. Better than a screw-up of a
'hero' like me can do."

"Well, listen buddy, I think a gal like Meg could do a lot worse
than a guy like you. You don't hear me complainin' right now
either, do you?"

"Nope."

"Mm hmm."

"Ow!"

"Sorry, you got a muscle knot right there...better?"

"Mmm. Much."

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Mmm hmm..."

"Good," Autolycus answered. He wasn't having a half-
bad time himself.

After a while, he shifted back, so he was resting lower over Joxer's
thighs and he could take the younger man's firm backside in his
hands. "Now here's a nice handful." Joxer moaned and squirmed
suggestively, lifting his ass as best he could with Auto holding him
down. The invitation was clear, especially when Auto let one
finger slide between Joxer's cheeks, finding the puckered opening
between them.

"Autolycus..." Joxer sighed.

"You like that?"

"Oh yeah."

"And this?"

He heard Joxer suck in his breath as Auto slipped the oil-slickened
finger into the opening. "Oh gods, yes, Auto..."

"What do you want, Joxer," Auto asked, his finger teasing in and
out of Joxer's tight opening. "Hmm?"

"I want you...to fuck me. Please, Auto. Want you...insme..me..."

"I think that can be arranged," the thief agreed, taking only a
moment to reach for the vial once more to sufficiently lubricate his
ready cock. "Roll over," Auto insisted, after kissing his
way across Joxer's shoulders. "I want to see your face when I'm
taking you."

Joxer readily accommodated his wishes, rolling back over and
lifting his legs, which Autolycus grasped for support as he
carefully eased the head of his cock past the tight ring of muscle.
Joxer's eyes widened, his mouth open in a stifled "Oh!" as the thief
slowly worked his way in deeper.

"Oh, nice..." Autolycus hissed. "Gods, you feel good." If Meg had
been an oven, enveloping him in her warmth, Joxer was like a
volcano, the heat almost threatening to melt him to his core. It had
been a long time since he'd been with a man like this, and he
couldn't remember it ever feeling this good befor

"You feel...incredible," Joxer sighed, arching up and trying to urge
Autolycus even further inside him. "Gods, don't stop
that...yes...take me hard and don't stop..."

Auto had no intentions of stopping now. The King of Thieves gave
Joxer what he wanted, thrusting in to the very base of his cock,
over and over, reveling in the heat and the animal passion of man-
on-man sex. He lost himself in Joxer's depths, his eager body, in the
darkls ols of his eyes that held his own gaze without waver until
the man was overwhelmed with the pleasure Autolycus gave him. His head
jerked back against the pillow, his eyes squeezing shut as he
gasped out Auto's name, and soon his cock spurted and covered his
stomach with his come.

It was too much; simply feeling and watching Joxer come beneath
him pushed Autolycus over the edge soon after. If possible, he
swore he almost blacked out for a moment, because the next thing
he was aware of was lying down in a tight embrace with the other
man, holding each other through the still-pulsing tremors of
pleasure coursing through their bodies.

"I think..." Auto breathed shakily... "I must've died and gone to
Elysia."

"Does that mean you'll be sticking around for a few more days?"
Joxer asked wryly.

"Hmph! You just try and stop me."

---

Meg had arisen at dawn, surprisingly early for her considering the
late hours she kept--and the rather exhausting night she'd just
enjoyed. Her stomach had been doing flip-flops and she
couldn't sleep any longer, and she didn't want to disturb the two
men who seemed definitely in need of a little more rest. Maybe
some time alone together too, she'd mused with a grin. They'd both
been so good to her last night, and shew hew her Joxie wanted a
chance to get to know Stink--Autolycus better.

Therefore, she'd gone outside to catch a little fresh air, and figure
out why she was feeling kind of under the weather. She hadn't
eaten anything unusual yesterday, nor even had too much to drink.
Though the night's activities had been strenuous, she couldn't
fathom why it should be making her feel ill this morning.

Unless it was the dream...a strange one it had been. She had
recalled it hazily when she'd awakened. The two women hovering
over ber bed, talking about her, talking about how badly she wanted a
child... Why, if the healer hadn't told her years before, after she'd
lost her first and only child, that she'd never get pregnant again,
she'd almost think she was feeling a touch of morning sickness!
But that was impossible...

...Wasn't it?

* End *