Tiberius and Anik

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.