Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2017 19:17:20 +0100
From: Nifty Boy <niftyboy01@gmail.com>
Subject: Tiberius and Anik, Chapter 11

Tiberius and Anik

By Niftyboy (niftyboy01@gmail.com)


Chapter 11: Passage to Rome

Anik and Tiberius arrived at the harbor. Despite the late hour, there were
still hundreds of people milling around. A dozen large boats were in the
harbor, and many small ones. Slaves from Brittany were walked out in chains
from a large boat and being led to the slave market. Workers were carrying
amphorae with wine into another boat. Taverns and market stands were still
making excellent business with sailors who were drinking and singing
raucously.  Everything was illuminated by large torches. Nobody was
concerned about two boys who were hiding behind a wall.

The harbor enclosed nearly the entire bay. The bows of sleek warships stuck
out of hangars, ready to leave the harbor within minutes and to pounce on
pirates. Another part of the harbor was given over to huge, wide cargo
boats.

Suddenly they heard the creaking of leather on leather and the sound of
quick steps approaching.  They watched as a centurion entered the harbor,
followed by a centuria of soldiers. He barked out orders and they fanned
out in pairs.

The boys quickly ducked behind a large amphora and watched the soldiers
talk to market tenders and workers.

"They must have been sent by Marcellus" Tiberius whispered to Anik.

"Yes, we have to find a place to hide" Anik replied anxiously.

"We can't. We have to leave. If we stay here they will find us eventually"
Tiberius said.

Anik lifted his head and looked around, then quickly crouched down again.

"The soldiers are getting closer. We have to leave soon. I have an
idea. Just do what I am doing" Anik whispered.

Without further ado Anik grabbed an amphora and lifted it up. Tiberius was
confused but followed his lover and quickly lifted a large amphora too.

Anik walked swiftly towards a smaller boat that was being loaded. It was a
brightly painted pleasure boat that was being readied to leave. Slaves and
workers were bringing food stuff and crates down into the hold and came out
emptyhanded. Anik and Tiberius tried to hide their nervousness and walked
purposefully towards the boat. A seaman looked at them quizzically but did
not stop them and the two boys walked over the plank on the boat and then
down a ladder into its cargo hold.

They put the amphorae down, then quickly squeezed into the dark cranny and
hid. It was dark and musty and they heard slaves swearing and muttering as
they brought down more cargo. But after a while it became quiet and then
they heard the cargo door being closed and it became pitch dark.

The two boys sat down close together and it did not take long before they
fall asleep. It was late in the morning when they stirred and they slowly
woke up. Bright light entered through cracks in the hull and they could
make out the voices of sailors and the tapping of feet on the deck above
them.

The two boys tensed when they heard the door of the cargo hold being
opened.  A sailor climbed down the ladder and grabbed one of the amphora
behind which they were hiding. He yelled in surprise when he saw the two
boys sitting before him and trembling.

He was huge and burly with bulging muscles and hands as big as dinner
plates. He grabbed the boys by their necks and glared at them.

"Look, look, what have I found?" he growled.

"Do you know what we do with stowaways?" he asked in a deceptively gently
voice.

The two youths stared at him, both unable to speak.

Without any further word, the sailor pulled them up and pushed them up the
ladder and then threw them down on the deck of the boat. The sun was
already high up and all the sailors on the boat stopped what they were
doing and stared at the two boys.

The captain stepped forward and looked down at them. He was tall and
muscular, with a black beard and deeply tanned skin. If possible, he looked
even more unsympathetic at the two lovers than the sailor who had
discovered them.

He waved his hand imperiously at a sailor and pointed to the sea.

"Throw them overboard" he commanded and walked away.

"But...but..." Tiberius stammered when rough hands lifted them up and
pushed them towards the railing of the boat.

It went all so fast that the two boys did not even have time to think or
protest. Anik only managed a desperate scream when he was bent over the
side of the boat and his upper body was dangling over the water.

Tiberius trashed around wildly and screamed hysterically. But however much
he fought, he was unable to break the iron grip of the sailor holding
him. It was finally too much for him. Even during their captivity he had
never lost hope. He could not comprehend how it could all end like this,
after what they had endured. He had been full of hope just before and
looked forward to many more adventures and a long life with Anik. And
despite his anxiety, he had been resolved to present his lover to his
parents and was hoping for their approval. His strength left him and a
feeling of despair overcame him. He went limp and began crying
desperately. The sailor held him up easily while he stared
uncomprehendingly through his tears how his lover was hanging precariously
over the water.

Then suddenly they heard the voice of a young woman.

"Ha...I will never forget these buttocks" she said in an amused tone.

Anik was pulled back and thrown on the ground. Both he and Tiberius where
too much in shock to understand what was happening. The woman was in her
early twenties and expensively dressed in a light silk tunic.

"The last time I saw these buttocks, a rather stiff member was being pushed
in between them" she laughed and grinned at the two boys.

"Don't you remember me? I was at the reception of Marcellus, where
you...ah...performed outside the entrance of his palace."

Tiberius and Anik were still dazed and looked at her blankly. Then her
sister appeared and laughed gleefully when she saw the two boys.

"Oh no...the two rutting boys..." she grinned at them and stood next to her
sister.

"They are stowaways, we have been ordered to throw them into the sea" a
sailor explained.  "That would be a pity, they are so cute..." she remarked
and crouched down and looked deep into Anik's eyes.

She let a finger slowly glide down from his collarbone along his abs until
it brushed lightly against the root of his penis.

"I have never seen it so small..." she smiled as she glanced at the flaccid
member while Anik was still breathing hard and close to go into shock.

"What is that?" a deep voice boomed.

Her parents have walked out of their cabin and looked astonished at their
two daughters and the boys.

"Lyria, get up at once" he barked at his kneeling daughter.

She got quickly up and smiled embarrassedly.

"Ha, I remember you. You are the two boys who dishonored Marcellus" he said
with a trace of smile.

Anik and Tiberius remained sitting and looked up at Roman. The father was
wearing a white toga with a purple border which was only allowed for
senators. They realized that they had snuck on the private boat of a rich
family. Their situation looked bad, but at least they have not yet been
thrown into the sea. Tiberius held Anik's hand tightly while the senator
and his daughters and the sailors all watched them. Everyone realized that
the fate of the boys was in the balance, and that the next words of the
senator would decide over life and death.

Finally the senator chuckled and grinned.

"Well done....Marcellus disgusted me...his party was boring, the guests
common and the food mediocre...only you hammering into your boy was
memorable" he explained dryly and smiled at Tiberius.

"Get them up and let them clean up and give them some food. They can help
out on the boat. It would be a pity to feed them to the sharks" he told the
sailors and then walked back into his cabin.

His two daughters smiled happily and waved at them and then followed their
parents.

The big sailor who had captured them lifted them up, this time more gently.

"You boys are really lucky. There is no boat on the sea where you would not
had been thrown to the fishes" he said without rancor.

"Go and clean yourself. You are all grimy from lying in the hold" he
pointed to a large basin with water at the stern of the boat.

The two youths nodded and quickly walked over to the basin and cleaned
themselves. They had to admit that sitting in hold really had made them
filthy. After their stay in Marcellus' palace, Tiberius had lost all
shyness and modesty and took off his tunic without the slightest
hesitation. They quickly wiped each other clean and Tiberius remained naked
as Anik.

They were fed and then helped the sailors with their chores. The boat was
sleek and fast and seemed to fly over the mirror-smooth water. The boat was
a private pleasure craft and not very big.  It was luxuriously appointed
but narrow and with a single sail. In the daylight it became clear how
beautiful it was. The hull was painted in a deep blue with golden
decorations. The sail was bright white with SPQR written on it, framed by
two painted laurel wreaths. At the aft of the boat were the private
quarters of the senator and his family and their scribes and favored
slaves.

There was not that much work to do for the two youths and time went by
quickly. Tiberius and Anik made fast friends with the sailors who took them
under their protection. The crewmen did not give them much to do and the
youths had many hours each day to relax and recuperate. They slept on the
deck and the warm nights and the sounds of the waves breaking against the
bow of the boat was hypnotic and helped them to sleep deeply. Soon they
were refreshed and the bad memories of their captivity were behind them.

After a few pleasant days, Anik and Tiberius were standing at the bow of
the boat and watched the sun rising at the horizon. The sea was flat as a
mirror and the boat was gliding over the smooth water. Anik pointed
excitedly to a dolphin that was jumping joyfully out of the water. Tiberius
sighed happily and put his arm around his lover who purred contently and
leaned against him. Tiberius was happy and relaxed even though he was
slightly anxious to meet his parents soon. But after all the adventures
they had experienced together, he felt confident enough to face his
father. And somehow he had the feeling that the exuberance and joyfulness
of Anik would win over his parents in the end.

He placed his hands on the smooth chest of his lover and felt Anik's heart
beating slowly. He began gently rubbing Anik's nipple and felt it soon
stiffen slightly. He smiled lovingly at Anik who snuggled even
closer. Tiberius' finger circled the erect nipple and Anik parted his lips
slightly and began panting. Tiberius glanced down and watched the member of
the boy beginning to harden and rise. It slowly lengthened and he felt the
heart of Anik beginning to beat quicker.

Anik pressed against him and smiled and soon his penis was hard and erect.
Tiberius hand slowly slid down along flat stomach of the boy until the edge
of his hand brushed lightly against the engorged glans. Anik whimpered
softly and stood on the tip of his toes, trying to rub his cockhead against
Tiberius' hand.

Tiberius watched Anik's glans darken as blood began pumping through it and
engorging it even more. The Roman youth placed the tip of his finger gently
on the slit of Anik's phallus, eliciting a lustful moan from his
lover. Tiberius pressed slightly with his finger against Anik's glans and
felt it give slightly, then precum began oozing from the slit. He slowly
spread and rubbed it over the cockhead which soon gleamed in the morning
sun.

Anik tautened his abdominal muscles and moaned softly. Tiberius cupped
Anik's cockhead in his palm and squeezed it lightly, eliciting louder and
more urgent moans from the boy. The Roman began squeezing his lover's glans
again and again and it did not take long before he felt Anik shuddering and
thrusting up urgently. Then the boy ejaculated and warm semen seeped out
between Tiberius's fingers. Tiberius continued squeezing and stimulating
Anik's cockhead while he felt the boy spurting his seed again and again
until he was spent.

Anik was flushed and leaned his head against Tiberius' shoulder and sighed
contently. Tiberius' palm was coated and sticky with semen. He licked it
off and savored the taste of his lover's cum. Anik parted his lips and the
Roman kissed him deeply.

While they were kissing, he felt Anik's hand wrapping around his own
phallus. Anik began stroking him and he realized how excited he himself
was. It took not long before he felt an orgasm approaching, then he
exploded. A glob of semen hit his chest, while Anik squeezed his member and
made him cum all over his abs.

Both boys slowly relaxed and smiled at each other, just before a sailor
screamed that land was in sight. After a short while, they could make out
land too. First they could only discern a narrow green line but soon they
could see that the all along the shore were buildings and villages and
towns.

There were more and more boats around them and soon they entered a
seemingly endless line of boats that were heading towards the shore. A bit
farther away to port they saw an equally huge line of boats heading out to
the sea. There were fisher boats, sleek triremes, huge cargo boats
transporting grain and other food stuff, pleasure boats and many more types
of ships. It was beyond anything that Anik had ever seen and he was
standing there with his mouth open as he watched the procession of ships.

They were heading towards a huge harbor with innumerable docks, warehouses
and other buildings and a huge lighthouse that dominated the view.

"Oh...Rome...the eternal city..." Anik whispered when he saw all the
buildings.

"Ah...no...this is merely Portus, the harbor..." Tiberius informed the boy
and grinned.

Anik squeezed Tiberius' hand and was clearly overwhelmed already.

Since they were a senatorial vessel, they had priority and they raced by
the other boats who had to wait to enter the harbor. Soon the boat slowed
down and entered a smaller part of the harbor that was reserved for the
very rich. Sailors climbed up the mast and took in the sail and within a
short time workers at the harbor threw over ropes to fasten the boat to the
pier. A plank was pushed over to the boat and the senator and his family
stepped out of their private quarters. The senator talked for a while with
the captain, then thanked him and the crew before addressing the two boys.

"I guess you will find the way to Rome from here, but try not to be
captured on the way" he grinned.

"Do you have family and a place to stay in Rome?" he asked.

"Yes, we will go to my family and stay there" Tiberius replied.

"Ah...and does your father know about you two?" the senator asked gently.

Tiberius smiled sheepishly and shook his head. The senator tousled his hair
and smiled.

"Do not worry too much. Ever since Greece is part of the Roman Empire, Rome
has become more Greek. It sometimes seems to me that the Greek have taken
over us and not us them. A Roman having been taken over by passion for a
Greek boy is not that rare. And I am sure he will win over your father as
he did the sailors and my daughters" the senator laughed and patted Anik on
his back.

"We look forward to your visit. We reside on Capitolian Hill."

With this the senator nodded and turned and walked from the boat. The two
daughters embraced the two youths enthusiastically and kissed them on their
cheeks and then left too.

The two boys helped the sailors to unload the boat. Then Tiberius put on
his tunic and after saying goodbye to the seamen and the capital they
walked out into the harbor.

Anik held Tiberius tightly. Workers were running to and fro, everybody
screamed and shouted and gesticulated. People bumped into the boys and shop
keepers shouted at them, trying to sell their wares.  The area around the
harbor was a labyrinth of shops, inns, warehouses, garrisons and
administrative buildings. The two boys squeezed through the crowd of people
and finally reached the Via Portuensis, a road constructed during the reign
of Claudius which led directly to Rome.

Anik stopped and stared disbelieving at the road. As far as one could see
it was crammed with carts that were heavily loaded with cargo and heading
to Rome. Drivers were swearing and exhorting the oxen to pull the heavy
wagons. Further along the road, the wheel of a cart had broken. At once
drivers jumped down from their wagons pushed the cart unceremoniously from
the road to clear the way. Nothing was allowed to stop food and goods going
into Rome.

The two boys walked beside the road on a well-trampled path for
pedestrians. Rome was about five leagues away and they expected to arrive
there in the early afternoon. Tiberius had conflicting feelings. He was
elated to soon see his parents again but also anxious. As much as he loved
his father, he was rather old-fashioned and traditional and had voiced
often his expectation that Tiberius sire a male offspring. Fathers in Rome
had a lot of power of their sons and legally Tiberius was considered fully
grown up only at age twenty-five. That still was nearly ten years away,
which seemed like an eternity.

Anik looked around excitedly. Everywhere were villages, villas, roads and
aqueducts. He could barely wait to see Rome with his own eyes. He ran back
and forth and was bubbly with excitement. But after a while he felt the
tension of Tiberius and walked beside him and squeezed his hand.

"Tiberius, does something trouble you?

"No, it is fine..." Tiberius replied, not wanting to worry his lover.

Anik glanced at him questioningly, not really believing him.

"Is it because of your father? Do you think he will not approve of me?"
Anik asked softly.

Tiberius blushed and was ashamed to have thought that he could keep a
secret from his lover.

"You are right...but do not worry...everything will be fine..." Tiberius
said and tried to sound convincing.

"I am sure you will win over my parents too...everybody loves you...except
for Marcellus..." Tiberius added with more conviction and grinned.

"I can't wait to meet your parents. They must be wonderful if they have a
son like you" Anik said and leaned his head on Tiberius' shoulder.

The two youths continued walking. The farms gave way to villages and then
to smaller towns until they saw Rome before them. It was a dense mass of
buildings that seemed to go on forever. On both sides of the road there
were large buildings, now that they have entered the outskirts of Rome.
The building seemed to go on forever, and some were five, six or even seven
stories high.

"These are insulae. Most Romans live in them, as does my family" Tiberius
commented when Anik inquired about the tall buildings.

They looked rather dilapidated and were built close together. Anik did not
want to tell Tiberius, but he found everything he had seen until now quite
shabby and loud and dirty. The people also did not look like he had always
imagined Romans to be. He had thought that everyone was tall and walking
around in flowing togas. But most people he saw were dressed in tattered
clothes of any imaginable kind. Some wore trousers in the habit of the
Gauls, others were dressed in tunics similar to Greeks, while workers often
were clad only in loincloths. Women usually covered their entire body.

Anik was the only one naked and many stared at him. His nudity was highly
unusual and shocking to the Romans. But these being Romans, nobody
commented and everybody pretended to be unfazed.  Living in the largest and
most famous city in the world, they were indifferent to the habits of
foreigners. And quite a few enjoyed the view of the youth who went naked as
if it was the most normal thing for him, which was actually the case for
Anik.

Shortly after midday they approached the center of Rome and the insulae
gave way to temples and larger, newer buildings. Rather than built from
brick, these were clad in marble and were gleaming in the sun.

Tiberius proudly pointed out the names of the temples and buildings. The
roads became wider and the people better dressed and prosperous
looking. Anik was not the only tourist. There were people from all over the
Empire and even beyond, gawking at the monumental building and statues.
Egyptians, Britons, Gauls, Nubians, all could be seen staring in awe at the
splendor around them.

The road widened even more and opened to a large plaza and before them rose
a huge structure.  Anik stopped and just stared at it, not really believing
that mere mortals could have built such a structure.

"This is Flavian Amphitheater" Tiberius told Anik proudly.

"Some call it the Colosseum because of the statue over there" he pointed to
a gargantuan statue close to it.

The statue was tall beyond belief and coated entirely in gold. It reflected
the light of the sun so that it was difficult to look directly at it. Anik
had to squint his eyes to see that it was a naked god, with a crown on top.

"It is the Colossus Solis, our sun god Sol" Tiberius explained.

"It was built during the reign of Emperor Nero and depicted Nero. After he
died the crown was added on the head since he was not in fashion
anymore. It is nearly as high as twenty grown men" Tiberius added.

The two youths walked closer towards the Amphitheater. It was even higher
than the immense statue. All around were market stalls and tourists
admiring the structure. People shouted to announce the coming attractions
at the Amphitheater.

"There will be games the day after tomorrow" Tiberius said excitedly.

"Perhaps we can go. Father might pay for it. And we might even see the
Emperor if he watches the game too" the Roman youth added.

"Look, there is the door for the Emperor. There are eighty door in all,
seventy-six for visitors, one for the gladiators to enter and one to bring
the dead ones out and two doors for the Emperor and his family" Tiberius
explained proudly.

"We are soon at our place, we live close to the Amphitheater" Tiberius said
and entered a smaller side street.

On both sides of the street loomed again insulae. They looked quite new and
well kept up. After a short walk they arrived at building with an inn at
the ground floor. Tiberius stopped and pointed up.

"The first and second floor belong to my family" he explained.

They entered the building and walked up the stairs to the first
floor. Tiberius felt his heart beating quicker as the meeting with his
fathers approached. Anik felt the nervousness of his lover and held his
hand tightly.

"Tiberius, do you want me to wait below?" Anik asked and kissed Tiberius
tenderly on his cheek.

"No, I want us to be together" Tiberius replied and tried to smile.

"My father is strict, but at the bottom - the very bottom - of his heart he
is kind" Tiberius added, trying to give hope as much to himself as to Anik.

They arrived at the entrance door.

"And whatever he says, I will never be parted from you" Tiberius said and
looked deeply into Anik's eyes.

Anik felt a warm glow spreading through his body and kissed his lover
deeply. Anik stepped behind Tiberius and gently patted his back to give him
strength. It took a while before Tiberius found the courage to knock at the
door.

They heard shuffling inside the apartment and after a while a distinguished
older man opened the door. His eyes widened when he saw Tiberius standing
before him.

"Tiberius...you....? Are you not at the school....?" he stammered, both
confused and surprised.

"Come in...but...who is that...?" he said, even more surprised when he saw
Anik half-hiding behind his sun and completely naked.

"This is Aniketos..." Tiberius explained.  "Why is he unclothed...?" his
father asked, more astonished than outraged.

"He is from Angistri...the island..." Tiberius answered, trying very hard
to sound as if that explained everything.

"Ah, yes...a Greek ..." Tiberius' father nodded.

"Clean your feet and enter...you and your...companion...must be hungry..."
he said.

Tiberius and Anik cleaned their feet which were rather dirty after the walk
through Rome. They walked into the entrance room. Tiberius' family was
quite well-off and the apartment was large and spacious.

"Agrippina...our son is here..." Tiberius' father shouted.

Within seconds an elegant woman clad in a flowing gown rushed into the room
and cried out happily and embraced her son.

"By the Gods...look at you...you grew so much..." she said when she finally
managed to let go of Tiberius.

"Yes, indeed...the sport at the school did you good..." his father agreed.

"And who is your friend..." the mother asked curiously.

"This is Aniketos...he is Greek" the father said and wiggled with his
eyebrows.

"Indeed, yes...and what a beautiful necklace you wear..." the mother said.

"Thank you very much...I received it from Tiberius..." Anik replied and
smiled.

"He is from Angistri...they go naked there..." the father added.

Tiberius and Anik remained silent and did not correct the father. They
followed the parents into the dining room and all reclined on couches. The
mother instructed a servant to prepare the dinner and all began eating
fruits.

The parents urged the boys to explain why there were in Rome and not at the
school. Tiberius told them a somewhat sanitized version of what happened at
Olympus and their captivity at the palace of Marcellus, and glossed over
their erotic adventures. But as a mother, Agrippina began to suspect quite
soon that Anik might be more than a mere travel companion to her son. She
watched the two boys quizzically as they exchanged glances again and
again. The father was oblivious to the bond between the two youths and was
outraged about Marcellus and had to be held back to storm out of the
apartment to seek an audience with a senator he knew.

The food arrived and the two youths had a hearty meal while their parents
interrogated them. The dinner went on for several hours, but then they were
finally sated. Tiberius and Anik yawned and were both exhausted from their
long march from Portus to Rome and the food.

"You must be both tired. Anik can sleep in the guest room" Tiberius' father
suggested.

"Perhaps Anik prefers sleeping Tiberius' room. We can have a cot brought in
there..." Agrippina said with a small, knowing smile.

"Yes...why not..." the father said, still oblivious to the relationship
between his son and the Greek boy.

Tiberius blushed and smile gratefully at his mother. The two boys went up
and said good night, with Anik bowing deeply before the parents.

"Aniketos seems to be a good boy. Of course he is Greek....but he has a
good influence on Tiberius.  Our son matured a lot..." the father remarked
to his wife.

"Yes, the two make a nice couple. Tiberius seems to care deeply for Anik
and Anik seems to be quite smitten with our boy too" his wife added with
her cryptic smile.

The father grunted and nodded.

"I am sure they have to tell us more tomorrow" Agrippina said and yawned
and retired to the sleeping room.

The father felt tired too and emptied his glass of wine and follow his
wife, not yet suspecting anything.

Tiberius and Anik were lying in their room and talked to each other in a
low voice. The door could not be locked, and Anik was sitting on his cot
and Tiberius had disrobed and was laying under a blanket in his bed.

"I am so sorry, I did not find the right moment to tell them" Tiberius said
and smiled embarrassedly.

"I know, it is not easy. But I think you mother knows" Anik replied.

"Are you sure...really?" Tiberius asked nervously.  "Yes, I am sure. But I
also feel that she approves" Anik said and reached out to gently pat
Tiberius' arm.

They sat there for a while, both silent and lost in their own
thoughts. They heard the door of the sleeping room of the parents close and
after a while the loud snoring of the father.

Without making any noise, Anik got up and slid under the blanket of
Tiberius. He felt Tiberius getting tense, then he moved on top of his lover
and looked deep into his eyes. He did not say a word, but Tiberius felt the
hard member of the boy pressing against his stomach. Tiberius remained
silent too and gently caressed Anik's cheek. It too not long before he was
fully erect too.

He smiled and nodded. Anik spread his thighs and slid slowly down. Anik
pressed and Tiberius felt the tight anal ring of his lover expanding and
then taking him in. Anik winced and Tiberius reached out to hold the hands
of the boy.

Once he felt Anik having gotten used to his member, he began slowly and
steadily thrusting in and out. The two boys stayed like this for a long
while, their climax building up unhurriedly. Both tried to be as quiet as
possible and only the increasing raggedness of their breathing gave an
indication of their slowly approaching orgasms.

At long last Tiberius shudder and suppressed a moan and ejaculated into
Anik. At the same time his lover sighed and warm semen spread between
them. They smiled at each other and Anik remained lying on top of
Tiberius. After a while Tiberius's penis became soft and plopped out. Anik
buried his head into the Roman boy's shoulder and it did not take long
before Tiberius felt the slow and deep breathing of the boy as he began
sleeping.

Tiberius remained awake for a long time, thinking about how to tell his
father about his love for Anik. But sleep eventually came and both youths
slept, snuggled closely against each other.

It felt as if he had slept only for a few seconds when the light of the
morning sun woke Tiberius. Anik was laying on his side, a leg and an arm
draped over Tiberius. Tiberius did not move and savored the feeling of the
heat and the tautness of the naked body of his lover against his.

Then he heard a knock at the door and was instantly wide away. Cold sweat
broke out all over his body and he groped around in panic for the blanket
to cover himself and Anik. He just about managed to pull it over their hips
when the door opened and his mother entered.

"Ah...I thought it would be better if I were to wake you rather than your
father..." she said with a grin and put a bowl with warm water and a few
towels on the table next to the bed.

Anik yawned and sat up and smile sheepishly when he saw the mother.

Agrippina sniffed and smiled tolerantly.

"I think it is better if you clean yourself before you come for breakfast"
she said, but her eyes sparkled and took the sting out of the comment.

"And Tiberius, do not procrastinate. It is better to tell your father
earlier rather than later. He is sometimes a bit thick, but I think deep
down he knows about you two" she added and Tiberius blushed furiously.

"I wanted to tell this Tiberius too, but it is not easy for him" Anik said
as he got out of the bed and stretched languidly like a cat.

"But I felt the kindness of your father, and I am convinced he will accept
it when you tell him that you have claimed me" he added, making Tiberius
blush even more.

Agrippina nodded and smiled and then walked to the door.

"The breakfast is ready and your father is already waiting. I let you clean
up now and please do not take too long..." she said with a grin and left
the room.

Tiberius quickly jumped out of the bed and began wiping himself down. Soon
both boys were clean and the traces of their lovemaking washed
off. Tiberius put his tunic on and looked over to Anik.

When he saw the boy standing by the window, illuminated by the morning sun
and gleaming, a feeling of deep love came over him. He walked over to him
and took his hand and held him tightly.

Anik looked at him surprised, then Tiberius opened the door and stepped out
of the room, still holding his lover tightly. Tiberius took a deep breath
and then walked quickly towards the dining room. Anik was dragged along as
they entered the dining room where the parents were already reclined on
their couches.

Tiberius felt his blood pounding in his ear when he stood before his
father, holding his lover tightly.  His father looked up, astonished and
also not saying a word. After what seemed like an eternity, Tiberius let go
of Anik's hand and put his arm around the slim waist of the boy. They stood
there for a few seconds, the Roman's arm wrapped possessively around Anik's
waist. Anik had to suppress a wince, so tightly did Tiberius clamp his hand
around his side. Finally Tiberius let go and the two boys sat down on their
couches.

Nobody said a word and time seemed frozen.

But after what felt for Tiberius like an eternity, the father harrumphed
and cleared his throat.

"Well...I fear Aniketos will not be able to supply me with a
grandchild...but...but he seems to be fine...even though he is Greek" he
said.

"You have chosen well....I am glad for you that you have found your
love. Do not think that I did not know since long that you spilled your
semen incessantly to staring at depictions of gladiators" he continued with
a smile.

Tiberius blushed and wanted to interject but his father raised his hand.

"No, do not argue...it is as it is. And you have matured and soon will be a
man, thanks to Aniketos."

Anik smiled happily and nodded.

"Yes, Tiberius has grown up a lot since he had claimed me a few months ago"
Anik added and smiled lovingly at the Roman youth, who squirmed and
blushed.

"Did he claim you...whatever that means...or did you let him claim you?"
the father asked with a knowing smile.

"That is difficult to say now...and to claim means...." Anik started to
reply until he felt Tiberius gripping his arm.

"Ah, we can talk about that another time" Tiberius quickly stopped Anik
from explaining further.

"Whatever...I approve of Aniketos...as does I think your mother" the father
said and Agrippina nodded and smiled.

With this they all started with the breakfast. Anik already felt as part of
the family.