DISCLAIMER: This story was inspired by the film "Gladiator," solely and completely owned by someone else. No offense or infringement is intended.

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"Maximus"
by Thalassa

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Julia took a deep breath to relax before she was motioned into the small dusty cell. The gladiator she had paid well to see was chained to the wall. He looked up at the sound of the door, then a brief look of disappointment crossed his handsome face.

“I’m afraid you’ve made a mistake, lady,” he murmured respectfully. “I don’t know you.”

Julia forced a brave smile, and responded, “You’re right, you don’t know me, but I haven’t made a mistake. You’re the one I want to see, Maximus.”

He looked warily at her. She crossed the room slowly, taking in everything in the room.

“Not many comforts here. I suppose they don’t expect us to get too comfortable though,” she said, by way of small talk. Maximus continued to eye her as though he expected an attack. A wry grin crossed her face as she considered that he might well think this an attack, and the fleeting smile caught his attention even more.

“My lady? Why am I here?”

She stepped to a spot she judged to be just outside his reach. “I paid for your services, gladiator. I expect to be serviced.”

He surprised her with a low chuckle. “My lady, you have been cheated. I do not perform outside of the Colosseum. Please, forgive me, but I would like for you to call the guard back now.”

Julia stiffened her spine, and replied, “I don’t remember giving you a choice in this matter. You are a slave, and from what I understand, a slave that has been alone for a very long time. Your guards were quite vehement that you had not had the satisfaction of a woman since you’ve been in Rome. Were they wrong?”

At this, Maximus looked up with a glare. “My doings are no business of theirs. Or of yours.” He raised his voice. “Guard! I want to leave!”

Julia smiled. “They won’t come to your call. Only mine.”

Maximus suddenly leapt towards her, and only the length of the chains kept him from reaching her. “If you scream, they will take you away.”

Julia was frightened, but resolved. “If I scream, they will take you away. And they will execute you for insulting the honor of a lady such as myself. And then how will you have your vengeance?”

Maximus looked stunned. “My vengeance?”

Julia looked a bit more confident. “Yes. All of Rome is talking of your performance yesterday. There are people who would help you. Or, at least who would not stop you. Not everyone is as fond of our emperor as he would like to believe.”

Maximus was looking wary again, but still resistant. “Lady, I don’t know why you are really here, but it is not safe for you to come to me. Go now, before rumors get back to your husband.”

Julia turned to the door. “Guard! Bring me some water. This slave needs a bath!”

Maximus looked almost angry again. “I told you to leave me. What are you doing?"

Julia looked back at him again. “You do need a bath. You smell like dirt, blood, sweat, horse…” She trailed off, realizing just how much like a man he did smell. “I can’t have you like that.”

“You’re not going to have me. I do not want this. Do you not understand?”

The guard opened the cell door again and put an ewer of warm water and a ragged cloth on the stone table. He leered at Julia, and she gathered her robes around her more closely. After he left, she dipped the cloth in the water.

“Come closer. To the end of your chains.”

Maximus glared at her, and stood stock-still.

“Maximus, please. Come to the end of your chains. I don’t want to have to call him back in.”

He let out a frustrated sigh. “My lady-”

“Julia.”

“My lady,” he stubbornly went on. “I do not want this. I will not do this. You cannot force this. Do you not understand me?”

Julia sighed, and looked at him again. His eyes were steely blue, and quite determined.

“Maximus, will you at least let me wash you down? Give me some satisfaction for the money I paid?”

He stared at her a moment longer, then stepped forward. As she raised the wet cloth to his cheek, he stared past her at the wall. Julia hesitated, then gently washed the dirt from his face. She looked a bit perplexed at the tunic he wore. Not only was it filthy with blood and dirt, it prevented her from washing his body. She chewed her lower lip as she deliberated the best solution to this, and didn’t notice his eyes flicker her way. Finally she decided the tunic could be easily replaced with the money she had paid, and she struggled to tear the already ragged fabric from his shoulders. She looked back up at him, and he had resumed his distant stare.

She worried the fabric until it tore, then let it drop to the ground. She could barely conceal her arousal at his strong nude body so close to her. His face was set now like a statue.

She wet the cloth again, and proceeded to bathe his muscular chest and stomach, then instructed him to turn so she could wash his back. He turned without a sound, or flicker of emotion. Julia was almost frightened now. She had come this far, but she still wasn’t sure she could go through with it. At least she had no doubts that soon he would be unable to resist his own body’s need for release. She asked him to turn back around, and he did so. She was vaguely disappointed to see no sign that she was affecting him at all. She knelt in front of him, and looked up to see him once again fixated on the far wall. She washed his legs, and then moved up to his manhood. She ran the cloth over him, then dropped it, and took him in her soft hands. She caressed him gently, then with a bit more roughness, but he simply didn’t respond.

She stood up to look him in the face as she held him. He continued to look past her.

“Maximus! How can you stand there and ignore me? Ignore this?”

His eyes came back to hers with a hint of sadness in them.

“I told you. I do not want this. You cannot force this. I’m sorry.”

Julia threw the cloth down angrily, then roughly pulled his mouth down to hers. She thrust her body against him, trying to feel something, anything other than the total disregard she sensed from him.

Maximus tensed as her warm mouth pressed against his. Her hands on either side of his face were cool from the moisture on them, and he could smell the delicate perfume of the oils that had scented her bath this morning coming from her chestnut hair. He closed his eyes and willed himself to resist. Just as his body was about to betray him, she pushed him back against the wall and turned angrily away.

“I can’t believe this. You’ve not had a woman in months, since the last time you saw your wife, some say, and yet you do not want me. You do not find me attractive.”

Maximus saw how she still held her head proudly up, but he could hear real pain in her voice. “Lady, I was always faithful to my wife, even on campaign. I do not intend to dishonor her memory with someone else’s unfaithful wife.”

Julia turned, real fury in her dark blue eyes now. “Unfaithful? Is that what you think me? I am not unfaithful! I am a widow, my husband murdered by the same monster who took your wife from you! I thought you would understand!” Then she burst into tears and dashed to the cell door. The guard was not in sight.

“Guard!! I want out of here now!”

Maximus stood helpless across the room. He paced, watching her cry out fruitlessly. Finally he spoke.

“Lady?”

She ignored him.

“La-,” he hesitated. “Julia.”

At the sound of her name, soft and low, she felt her breath catch. She still didn’t turn away from the door, but she grew quiet. He tried again.

“Julia. Come here. I… I’d like to talk to you. I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

She turned then, tears streaking her cheeks. He held out his hand to her, and nodded gently. “Come here. I promise, I only want to talk to you.”

She looked up at him with eyes that finally showed him her earlier haughtiness had simply been false bravado. She stepped closer to him, but she still wasn’t close enough to take his hand. He gave her a smile.

“I don’t bite. I promise. And I’m sorry. Come here.”

She couldn’t help but return the smile with a small one of her own, then she stepped forward enough to let him reach for her. He drew her against his chest and held her there. She began to cry softly again at the feel of his strong arms around her. He stroked her hair and murmured soft words to her, as he had his wife years ago when her beloved father had died. He felt her sobs slow, then stop. She finally pulled away from him enough to look up at him again.

“I’m sorry. I just- I never thought you would think I would come here to betray my husband, and I know how it seemed, but I really just wanted to be with you because I thought you would understand and I hate him and…”

He silenced her with a kiss.

When he lifted his head, she opened her eyes again with a stunned look. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her.

“I shouldn’t have done that. I promised you that I would only want to talk.”

“No,” Julia stammered. “No, that was… nice.”

He smiled at her warmly.

“Now, talk to me. What happened? What did he do to your husband? And why?”

Julia composed herself and began to explain.

“My husband was a member of the Praetorian Guard. He had always waited here in Rome for Marcus Aurelius to come home. When word came that the Emperor was dead, he was heartbroken. Especially when he heard that monster would be assuming the throne. He was certain that as soon as Commodus arrived back in Rome, he would be assassinated, but no one seemed to care. So, my husband began to plot. Commodus found out, and well… you can imagine the rest.”

Maximus looked troubled. “Forgive me, but why did he let you live?”

Julia sighed. “Because of my family. I am the only daughter of a high placed Senator. A Senator who knows enough about Commodus to make him nervous, but who is fanatically loyal to him. He dares not kill my father, and he cannot kill me as long as my father lives. I have disowned my father, and he knows I am a widow because of his ruler, but he does not care. He only let me marry Flavius because I insisted. My father could not say no to me. Then, anyhow.”

Maximus nodded again. “I understand. Do you have children?”

Julia looked at the ground. “No, I had always hoped, but it never happened.”

He lifted her chin gently. “My wife and I were married for years before she bore our son. Of course, it didn’t help that I was gone to war most of that time.” He chuckled again, with a remorseful note to it. “I wasted so much time away from her.”

Julia looked up at his sad eyes, and she saw how they had softened and darkened to green. She reached up to caress his face, then reached up to kiss him again. His mouth came down on hers gently, then hungrily. His arms closed around her waist with a clank of the chains on his wrists as her arms came up to wrap around his neck. He groaned as he pulled her harder against him. He lifted his face for a moment, desire hot in his eyes, and he murmured, “Lady, before I dishonor you, you should leave.”

Julia swallowed, then shook her head. “ I want you Maximus. I want you right now.”

He looked deeply into her eyes, then let his gaze drop to her full lips before he claimed them again with his mouth. She made a soft little noise as his hands began to roam over her lush body, and he answered with a growl in the back of his throat that sent goose bumps all over her. His large hand came up to cup and knead her breast through the silk she wore. Her hands slid up to wind through his short dark hair as he lowered his mouth to her neck. He bit her gently, then licked before biting more roughly. She was gasping for air as she writhed in his embrace. His hand moved up to tug at the neckline of her dress futilely, then he looked up at her with an animal light in his eyes.

“Help me. I don’t know how this all comes off.”

She guided his hand to the brooch on her shoulder, and he fumbled with it for a moment before roughly ripping it from the material and casting it aside. He frantically untied or ripped anything else he found holding the robe on, then stood back as it dropped to the floor of the dirty cell.

As he looked at her lustily, she took advantage of the opportunity to see his body again. He was fully erect now, his cock straining at her as if it knew what it would soon be feeling. His breathing was rapid and his eyes… Oh, his eyes. Dark now, pupils dilated, and looking her up and down, then he pulled her abruptly back against him.

He lifted her with his arms around her waist while his tongue plunged into her mouth again. She could feel his hardness seeking her opening, but they just weren’t quite lining up. He moved towards the table in the room, only to growl loudly as the chains drew him up short.

Julia gasped in his ear, “The floor. Put me on the floor.”

Maximus seemed to shake off the initial insanity, and answered, “It’s filthy. You smell too good… taste too good to put you down there.”

Julia put her hands on either side of his face again, and commanded, “Fuck me now, Maximus. On the floor, or anywhere. Just have me.”

The general knew when he’d been conquered, or at least when temporary surrender was the smartest move. He knelt, with her legs still wrapped around him, then lowered her back onto the floor. She winced for a second at the feel of the dirt on the cold stone, then forgot it entirely as he finally slid the length of his thick cock between the wet lips of her sex. She arched her back, taking him in. He groaned at the feel of her tightness closing around him, and buried his face in her neck, fighting the overwhelming sensations. She moved under him, and he growled, “Wait. Not yet.”

She froze, understanding, and caressed his temple and the back of his neck as she felt a shudder pass through his body. He was already covered in sweat, and she waited until he kissed the sensitive skin where her neck joined her torso. He moved in her then, and she sighed in relief as she began to move with him.

They rocked back and forth on the floor, bodies covered with sweat, picking up the dirt as they made love furiously. When she gasped and cried out, he pulled back enough to watch her face, eyes taking her every movement in as she shivered and tightened on him. When she had finished, he kissed her deeply again, and felt her nails clawing down his back and over his muscular ass. She clutched him then, pulling him harder against her.

“Fill me up, Maximus. Please….”

He thrust harder, deeper, as his breathing grew rougher. The veins on his neck were standing out as he snarled a groan against her neck when he came hard into her. She held him as he thrust again, then once more, then eased his tired body down onto hers. She caressed his back, his neck, then his face as he lifted his head to look down into her eyes.

“Julia,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

She kissed him softly, letting her tongue play lightly over his lips. He kissed her back until he seemed to realize where they still were.

“Oh gods, I’m crushing you. Let me get off you.”

She laughed softly. “I love it. Stay here.”

He smiled at her lovingly, but still disengaged himself and stood up. He reached to help her up and pulled her against him again. They kissed languorously, and he ran his hands over her back, stroking and brushing her off at the same time. She began to laugh against his mouth when she realized what he was doing. He pulled away from her with an almost boyish grin.

“Caught me I guess.”

Julia smiled happily, and said, “You’re quite the gentleman, gladiator.”

At her words, he seemed to almost awaken from a dream. His face hardened again, and he reached for her robes on the floor. “You should leave, Julia. It’s dangerous for you to be here with me.”

Julia stood still, looking shocked. “You want me to leave now?”

He looked almost ashamed as he held her robe out to her. He refused to meet her eyes as he firmly stated, “You must never come here again. Promise me that. It’s too dangerous for you.”

She reached out for her robe, and pulled it on. She hid the tears in her eyes by searching the floor for her discarded brooch. As she fastened it back on her shoulder, he watched her, his eyes troubled. She looked up and caught his gaze. She stepped back to him, although he stepped back against the wall and seemed as distant as he had when she first came to the cell, a lifetime ago.

She drew close to him, then reached up to whisper in his ear, “I will not come back Maximus, because I am too dangerous for you. You deserve your vengeance, and I will not interfere, but remember, you made me love you this afternoon, and I will mourn all my life that I will never touch you again.”

She kissed his ear, and heard his breathing hold, then start again. As she started to pull away, he turned his mouth to her. “I will hold you in my heart for as long as I have to live. Forgive me for leaving you.”

She stepped away from him, gave him one last loving look, then turned to the door of the cell. She called for the guard, and realized he had been standing close enough to have heard their lovemaking. He gave her a leer as he unlocked the cell door, then called to Maximus, “Just cool down slave! I’ll come back to take you back to your pen after I let her out of here!” He laughed in a callous way, and directed Julia to the door of the holding area.

As Julia stepped into the sunshine outside, she ran her hand over her belly, and sent a hope winging to the gods that she carried his child, then she walked away from the Colosseum forever.

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