Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:37:45 +0000 From: Jeffrey Fletcher Subject: The Centurion's Story This is a story that involves sex between males. If such a story is offensive, or illegal for you to read where you live, then do not continue, go and surf elsewhere. This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any specific person or persons. If there is any similarity to any real persons or events it is entirely coincidental. The work is copyrighted (c) by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the written permission of the author. My thanks to John and Brian who have read this through and made a number of corrections and suggestions. Any remaining errors, grammatical, spelling historical or whatever are entirely my fault. Thank you to those who have commented on my stories. If you want to comment on the story then do contact me on Jeffyrks@hotmail.com. I aim to reply to all messages. The scene is a Bathhouse close to a fortress on the Northern frontier of the Roman Empire about the year 45AD. ** Centurion Gaius Petronicus entered the bathhouse, letting in a blast of cold air and driving snow. He took off his cloak and shook the melting snow off it. One of the bathhouse attendants came forward and took it from him. "Bad night for the watch, Centurion!" "You can bloody well say that again.. I need to get into the warm pool and thaw out. Many in there?" "Only Centurion Paulus. He came in a few minutes ago." Gaius went through into the room where clothes were removed. "Bloody fingers all thumbs," he muttered to himself as he tried to undo the fastenings of his tunic. "Let me help you, Centurion." The attendant reached out and undid the fastenings. Very soon Gaius was naked and he stepped through in the next room and down into the warm plunge pool. Through the steam he saw his fellow centurion, Paulus, leaning back against the side. They gave each other an informal salute. Gaius got down into the water. He ducked under the water, and held his breath for as long as he could, before coming up spluttering. "What we do for Claudius Caesar! I thought my balls were going to drop off with bloody frost bite. . I was thankful I wasn't standing around on duty for my watch, I was able to walk around." "If we're not freezing up here in the north, we are being grilled by the sun on some desert border of the Empire. I don't think there is any border region where the climate is pleasant, and the country good." "Still it's good to get warm in here. I am beginning to thaw through already." "Yea, you're warm, when your bloody balls are swinging around, and no longer tucked up your arse." Gaius laughed. "I suppose you want your balls swinging. That's a good looking young boy you've got with you at the moment." "As you can see, he's a Celt. Bought him at a slave market in Gaul. Quite cheap, and he knows how to do the necessary. He really knows how to satisfy me, a good sucker, and good to fuck. I screw him most nights." "You're onto, or is it into, a good thing then?" "I should say. Are you interested? I'll let you have him for a night for a small consideration." "No thanks, I'm more than happy with what I've got." "How long have you had that Greek of yours. Gossip said you first had him when he was a lad." "I got him some twenty or more years ago. He's something special to me." "I like to get a new one when they start shooting their cum all over the place, and I start getting hairs in my mouth if and when I suck their pricks." "Yea, there a lot of Centurions who are into boys that like to trade them in for a younger model every year or two." "Why is he so special for you?" Gaius paused for a moment, wondering whether he wanted to tell Paulus the whole story. But Paulus was a fellow Centurion, they had been comrades in arms for a number of years now. "It all started when I was in Greece on my way to my posting in Judea. I was newly promoted to Centurion. It was in Corinth. I was on the look out for a servant, a dual purpose one." "An armour polisher and prick comforter." "Exactly. I went to the slave market in Corinth. There was the usual motley collection of slaves on sale. Some fellow soldiers were bidding for nubile young flewsies; but not for me. I like a nice tight male arse for my prick. Get the right boy and you're made, I don't trust the female of the species -- always more deadly than the male. And they always seem to start dropping unwanted sprogs, and expecting you to pay for their keep. They both laughed. "There were these kids for sale, among them one Greek lad of about ten. You know the type. Thick black hair, and colossal brown eyes. Our eyes met, and held each other. He seemed the most beautiful boy I'd ever seen. My cock stirred, and I put my hand down to adjust it. This lad saw my hand, and the slightest of smiles appeared at the corner of his mouth. Those eyes and that smile did it for me, I knew I had to have him. So I decided to bid for him. But there was a great fat merchant from Rome who also had his lecherous eyes on the lad." "I suppose the idea of sex hadn't really entered your innocent mind?" asked Paulus. "I wouldn't like to put it exactly like that. It bloody well nearly bankrupted me bidding for the lad. But I got him in the end." "'What's your name, sonny?' I asked as we walked away from the slave market. `Apollo, Centurion' he answered. `I hope you bloody well know how to clean boots and polish armour.' `What I don't know I can soon learn.' I think at that point I ruffled his hair. He looked up at me with those great big brown eyes and gave me a full smile. "When we got to my quarters, I flung myself down on the bed. Rather angry with myself for spending so much on a young slave, who would probably turn out to be bloody useless, doubly useless, and a thief into the bargain. There and then he started to take off my boots. He rubbed my feet, and it felt bloody good. He did appear to have one good use, even if was only massaging my feet." "Not the most pleasant of jobs, knowing your feet!" "You can say that again!" "How long was it before you got your great dick up his arse. That night I bet." "That was the strange thing. It was five days." "You were bloody slow. I always believe in showing them what's what as soon as possible. Get it up them whether they like it or not." "When I went to shove it up him, he said to me, `You'll be the first real man. Please do not hurt me this first time, then I will try to give you great pleasure every time.' He looked at me with those great beseeching eyes. "I bet he'd had plenty of cocks up him. Greeks are at it before they get out of the cradle, it's in their blood." "I don't know about that. I don't think anything, not even the thinnest taper had been up him. When my finger went probing around there he was as tight as it's possible to be. I think I got one finger half way up that first night." "What a waste. I'd'ave got my cock in there pronto if he'd been my slave." "Probably you would've. Something about his words `I will try to give you great pleasure', and those eyes did it for me. He knew exactly why I had bought him, and seemed to be wanting it, but yet offering something more, if you know what I mean." "I always suspected you were a bloody softie at heart, Gaius." " `At least you can toss me off, Apollo'. `Certainly' he said, `I've done that before, with older boys.' `Will you suck me off?' I asked. `Yes. I done that a few times. But never had a monster like yours in me.' `Not even a little monster?' He laughed. `No, all the older boys had big monsters.' "Did he suck you off?" "Yes, Paulus, he did." "Any good?" "He had a bit of a problem getting it into his mouth, but he gave me as good as he was able." "Was the bloody fuck worth waiting for those five days?" "It was, and what's more it's got steadily better." Paulus guffawed with laughter. "Expect me to believe that. Has he found a way to tighten it up?" "You've got a filthy mind, Paulus. I've found there is more to it that just shoving my prick up his arse." "And what's that?" "Many little touches. When we do things together we lead each other on. He can keep me on that wonderful point of just about shooting my load for ages. Whether my prick's in his arse, or his mouth. Some of the best times have been just with his hand, believe it or not." "I don't go in for any of that fancy business. Get my cock in there, fair enough try not to shoot at once, then once I've shot my load it's pull it out, onto my side, and a good night's sleep. Been like that with every boy I've had." "Don't you think of giving your boy some pleasure?" "Don't be a bloody softie, Gaius. He's a slave, he's a Celt, he doesn't expect, and certainly doesn't get anything like that from me. He's mine, to do with as I please. You bought your Apollo as a dual purpose slave as you put it. Why have you kept him so long? You must be breaking all records for a centurion to keep a boy." "Maybe. It's a long story. I nearly lost him once, and that's perhaps why I've kept him." "Why what happened?" "We were in Judea, you may remember. A horrible corner of the Empire. Climate bad most of the time." "And food not much better. And as for the people!" "A lot of squabbling religious fanatics. Give me the Brits or the Germans any time." "That's saying something!" said Paulus. "We'd been there about a year. Guy called Pilate was the Governor. But I was with a small detachment up in the north, Galilee." "Wasn't that ruled by a puppet King, Herod?" "Yea, that's right. That made it all the more difficult. Apollo was now in his middle teens. Lovely looking lad. Yes, he was shooting his cum all over the place. That's had made our relationship even better." "You didn't let him...?" "Yes, I must admit I did. Still do as a matter of fact. Why not? There's pleasure in both giving and receiving." "Not when it comes to cum up MY arse," said Paulus. "Then Apollo was taken ill. First, we both thought it was of those calentures, that you can pick up so easily in such places. Just a mild fever, here today and gone tomorrow. For two or three days he was just slightly hotter than usual. Complained of a slight head ache, and a bit of ache all over. "Then after four days, he began to get worse. I knew several of the local Jewish leaders. They weren't as bad as the leaders in Jerusalem. We lived and let life as much as possible. I even gave them some help when they were building their synagogue." "More fool you," muttered Paulus. "Far from it. I had heard about ths prophet fellow they had. Everyone was talking about him. There were stories going round about him healing all sorts of people. I wondered if he would do anything for Apollo. The next morning in the town I ran into three or four of their religious leaders, Rabbis, they call them. `Where's your slave, haven't seen him around for a few days?' one of them asked. `He's not well,' I replied, `Not at all well, bad fever. I'm beginning to feel worried about him'. I hear there is a man who can heal all sorts of diseases among your people." "The prophet from Nazareth, you mean?" "I believe that's where he comes from." "Why don't you take him to the prophet, last I heard he wasn't far away. He does heal people, though whether he'd heal a Gentile for a Gentile is another matter." said one of them. "Or for a bastard Roman centurion?" muttered one hard faced one on the fringe of the group. "I bet he wouldn't even let me get the words out of my mouth. I know your religious leaders don't like speaking with any Gentile, let alone a Roman centurion." "And quite right too," muttered the one on the outskirts of the group. "Would you go for me," I asked. They stood for a moment looking at each other. Then one nodded. "Yes, we'll go and ask him," said one . "We can tell him how you helped with the synagogue," added another. So they went off to find this prophet for me. I went back to my house, where Apollo seemed even more ill. He was very hot, and his breathing sounded like ancient leaking bellows. I sat by his bed, and wiped his head with cool cloths, and tried to get him to drink a little. It was late in the afternoon when someone rushed into the house. "Jesus is coming this way, with the group you were speaking to earlier today." I went out of the house to meet him. In those few yards I did some serious thinking. I started to tell him about my servant. "I will come and make him well," he said. I then realised he was a holy man, he was a Jew, and it would contaminte him in their eyes for him to enter my house, the home of Roman Gentile. "Oh no, Sir," I said, "I do not deserve to have you come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. I, too, am a man under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, 'Go!' and he goes; and order that one 'Come' and he comes; and I order my slave 'Do this' and he does it.' The prophet turned round and spoke to everyone there, "I haven't found faith like this, not among any in Israel." Then the prophet came up to me. It was an amazing moment, it was as though there were just the two of us. He put a hand on my shoulder, and looked at me. I felt he knew everything about me." "Everything?" asked Paulus. "Yes, everything. He knew all that I had ever done wrong. The innocent unnecessary people I've killed. The young boys I've raped. The things I've looted." "Do you think he knew that your servant was your fuck buddy?" asked Paulus. Oh yes. He knew all that. But he looked at me with such love. He gave my shoulder a slight squeeze, and there was a hint of a smile on his face. "Go. Your boy is now well." I knew what he said was true. I think, I hope I said thank you, but I'm not sure. I turned to run back to the house. It wasn't far, and when I burst into the room there was Apollo sitting up in bed, looking as right as rain, with his usual cheeky grin on his face. "When did this happen?" I asked one of the servants. "Just a few minutes ago. He was suddenly better." I threw myself down on the bed, with my arms round my boy, and I wept. I have wept for sadness, I have wept even with guilt, but never wept for joy before. I wept and I wept and I wept. I managed to tell Apollo exactly what had happened. His arms were round me, I couldn't get rid of him. He is special. If I got rid of him, exchanged him for a younger boy I know I'd be seeing that prophets eyes looking at me again." "Angry with you?" said Paulus. I thought for a moment. No, not angry, hurt, sad. That night we made love. Yes, Paulus, I know you'd use a cruder word, but it was now in an even fuller expression of the love that there was between us. We determined we'd go and say thank you to the healer. But before we could go to him, the next day my cohort was posted north into Syria to deal some problem there." "Do you know what happened to the prophet?" asked Paulus. "Yes, I found out about him about eighteen months later when I was posted back to Judea. The governor, Pilate had had him crucified. But I have been hearing that there are some followers of his around who believe he rose from the dead, and meet to worship him. Apollo and I are going to find out more. **-**-**-** This story is based on two passages in the Gospels. Matthew 8v5-10; Luke 7v1-10. There are three straws in the wind, none conclusive, but the three make up a possibility. 1.Homosexuality was far from being unknown among Roman centurions. 2.The centurion in Matthew refers to his servant as a pais -- a boy, a servant boy, not the more usual doulos -- slave or servant. He is he paid mou -- the boy of me. Though in Luke it is doulos. Pais is the word used by an older Greek man for a younger friend or lover. 3.The servant is 'dear' to him; honoured, prized. There is a full discussion setting out these and further points in T.W.Jennings' The Man Jesus Loved. This story came to me a couple of years ago when visiting Hadrian's Wall, and thinking of the facilities at the Housesteads Camp. It must have been a bleak place to be stationed. I wanted to set the story at Housesteads and then realised Hadrian's Wall was constructed in the AD70s, too late for the Centurion to have been stationed there. So , rather sadly, I had to move the location. ***** Jeffrey at jeffyrks@hotmail.com