Living the legend - part 3 of 6 (written by Harry and Jimmy)

Yesterday we discovered the legend of Pankration, and today we are witnessing the first interaction between our protagonists from the two different worlds created by Harry (author of the awesome Pankration series) and Jimmy (author of the awesome Gino and Jayden series). Harry and Jimmy - thank you so much, you are awesome! Now enjoy today's chapter, once again with a cameo appearance by everybody's favorite high school wrestler Logan.

Previous parts:
Pankration
Gino and Jayden

*** Picking Sides ***

When he woke up again, Gino could hear the sounds of wrestling practice in the distance. He must have dozed off for a while if Logan and the other guys were already at it. He was eager to join them, but he didn’t bother trying to move right away. He knew without even looking that Jayden was curled against him and had claimed his right pec as a pillow. Gino smiled affectionately at his little brother and ruffled his curly brown hair. Jayden didn’t stir.

‘You must be really tuckered out. Get your rest, champ,’ Gino thought as he carefully peeled himself out from under Jayden. He noticed that the gym felt much hotter than usual, and the soft skin on the insides of his brother’s arm was glued to his with a thin sheen of perspiration. Once he’d extricated himself and settled Jayden back down comfortably, Gino followed his ears to the wrestling practice.

As he walked Gino rolled his head around his neck to stay loose and slapped his pecs to get the blood flowing. He relished those little physical ticks and familiar sensations. But at the moment, the rest of his sensations were feeling less and less familiar. The slap on his pecs seemed to echo off of high stone walls. The floors, too, were stone instead of mats, and Gino was puzzled to discover that he was walking across them in bare feet.

‘Where did I leave my wrestling shoes?’ he wondered idly.

Just like any other locker room, he could hear guys laughing and roughhousing. A little farther off was a splashing sound that meant somebody was in the showers.

But the smell here is so weird. Not to say I miss the normal smell of the locker room...yuck. But this is almost like...

“Oof. Hey, sorry buddy,” Gino apologized. Spaced out and musing, he had walked right into a skinny guy and almost knocked him over. “Wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Gino patted the young man’s shoulder. He was surprised to find that he had never seen the guy before. Although he was still fairly new at Bartlet High, Gino made friends pretty quickly, especially among the jocks. The skinny guy was looking at him curiously.

“You new around here?” Gino asked. He extended his hand warmly as his eyes automatically scanned the new guy’s physique.

Gino assumed that the guy must have just come from the showers, because he wore some kind of white towel wrapped around his waist. His upper body was bare, and despite his initial impression, Gino had to appreciate his sinewy muscles and well-defined abs. His body was perfectly smooth. Even his head was shaved, and his deep copper colored skin shone like it was still wet.  

“No.”

Gino waited for a more conversational answer, but none seemed to be coming. When he noticed the skinny guy looking him up and down, Gino put his hand on his hip and drew his shoulders back. ‘Fair enough,’ he thought. ‘Guys always gonna look.’ He knew how perfectly his team singlet hugged his body, and he was used to drawing attention when he wore it.

“I’m Gino,” he said. He looked down at his hand, which was still extended and still left hanging. The skinny guy didn’t take the hint, but his dark eyes widened and he peered more closely at the varsity wrestler. Now that he had straightened up, he was every bit as tall as Gino.

“You’re Gino?” he asked. His deep voice was neutral and poised, but his eyes flashed with interest. “The Gino?”

Gino chuckled awkwardly, not sure if this guy was being a dick or if he was sincere. He dropped his hand back to his side.

“The one and only,” he said. His brown eyes were fixed on the strange guy, still unsure what to make of his non-existent social skills.

“Wait here.” The stranger’s voice sounded like it was a command, and he walked away with silent, rapid strides.

Gino gaped after him. He was not used to being ordered around by a random skinny guy in a towel. “Okaaaaaay,” he whistled sarcastically. “Guess I’ll just wait right here since you’re so much fun to talk to.” He started walking in the other direction, not listening in the slightest.

The sounds of wrestling practice were closer now. The slaps and grunts and tumbles were familiar. The stone columns lining the hallway—they were less familiar. Gino couldn’t shake the feeling that something weird was going on at Bartlet High today. He poked his head out between two of the columns and was immediately blinded. He squinted against the glare, creaking open one eye at a time to adjust to the intense sunlight. His jaw fell open in astonishment.

Gino looked across a wide, sun-drenched courtyard ringed with stone columns. The open blue sky above was calm and regal but pestered by a few cranky-looking clouds. Apart from a couple fountains ringing the courtyard, the whole expanse was bright, soft sand that seemed to radiate its own heat. And all across this magical arena, pair after pair of teens were practicing wrestling. Gino had never seen such a rag-tag group of wrestlers in his life. Some were dressed in towels like the skinny guy, while others were wearing some kind of official uniform. At least one guy was totally nude and painted blue.

“What the absolute fuck.”

Watching them drill clinches and throws with such joy and focus made Gino feel immediately that he belonged here. He prepared to step between the columns and into the arena when he was halted by a familiar voice.

“I told you to wait.” The skinny guy had the nerve sound offended that Gino had ignored his instruction. Gino reluctantly pulled himself back into the hallway of the colonnade, prepared to tell the no-handshaking, scrawny-ass dude exactly what he could do about it. But now there were two more unfamiliar faces regarding him curiously.

“Uh, what’s up guys?” Gino looked over the strangers and raised an eyebrow. “Did I miss the invite to the toga party?”

“Hey, Theo?” The youngest of the three had choppy black hair that stuck up in a colic. He seemed deferential to the guy who stood in the middle of the group, but his whisper might as well have been a shout. “What’s a toga party?”

“No idea, Sander,” the guy in the middle answered, dismissing the question along with Gino’s attempt at humor. Theo was medium height, fit and toned but not built like Gino. His smooth, olive colored skin was only partly wrapped in a plain white toga, which is apparently not a joking matter, Gino thought ruefully. The toga guy’s intelligent brown eyes fixed on Gino from under a mop of brown curls.

“Are you Gino?” Theo asked.  

“Man, I could get used to all this attention,” Gino joked, nodding.

“Yes! Hey, Theo, should I go tell Nico that we found him?”

Shaking his head firmly at his friend, Theo held out a rock and handed it to Gino. Sure enough, it bore the name GINO.

“Uh, thanks. That’s nice I guess.” Gino shrugged and looked around. “Sorry I didn’t get you anything.” The black haired boy snickered, while Theo and the skinny guy still looked stern.

‘Alright, at least one of these guys has a sense of humor. We’re making progress,’ Gino thought, winking at the black haired one.

“But Nico said that if we found him, he wanted the first fight...uguguguguuu...”

Without breaking eye contact, Theo reached backward and grabbed his companion by the nuts. From where Gino was standing, it looked like the brunette had both good aim and a strong grip. The black haired teen was at a disadvantage, since the thin cotton garment he was wearing allowed his buddy easy access to his junk.

“Theo-oo-oo, my privates...” he complained in a raspy voice. “Okay! Okay I won’t tell Nico just don’t twist my...” Before he could finish his request, his clear gray eyes bugged out.

With Lysander up on his tip toes, Gino took the opportunity to check out the unlucky guy. Although he was younger than his antagonist, he was a little taller. He evidently worked out quite a bit, and his muscles wrapped around his wiry frame appealingly. His abs and serratus stood out under his dark tan so clearly that Gino felt like he was looking at an anatomy text book. It wouldn’t be long before Lysander would be a stud to be reckoned with. But at the moment he was wriggling in his buddy’s grip.

Gino grinned. ‘Maybe I’ll get along with these guys after all,’ he thought, rubbing the bulge in his singlet absentmindedly. Then he remembered something.

“What did you mean to say about fighting?”

Theo cocked his head at Gino. “Well, you got picked for Pankration. It’s time to get ready. I’m going to choose your opponent next.”

“Theo, pick me!” Lysander put on a fierce expression and tried to stare down the bigger varsity jock.

“Shut up, Sander.”

“It’s my turn anyway,” the skinny guy interjected in monotone. His companions looked surprised.

“Amun, are you actually picking a fight?” Theo asked in surprise. The Egyptian sniffed and looked coldly at Gino. They’d gotten off on the wrong foot, apparently. Theo whistled. “Better be careful, Gino. He acts like a prude, but if you let him get too close he’s a real pervert.” He grinned impishly as Amun’s cheeks flamed and he stared at his feet.

“Wait, wait, wait. I’ve got to fight and you get to pick? How is that fair?” Gino asked.

“That’s the rule. Besides I would never rig a drawing for a match.” Theo put his hand over his heart. His expression was so earnest that Gino knew right away that he was not altogether sincere.

“Too bad,” Gino scratched the back of his neck, showing off the mounds of his biceps. “There’s one of you I’d especially like to get my hands on.” The stretching caused his singlet to ride up, outlining his plump package in his singlet. The three guys all swallowed simultaneously.

“Uhm,” Theo licked his lips and interrupted in a strained voice. “I guess maybe we could bend that rule a bit.” Gino gave him a roguish smile. “Just as a courtesy, since you’re new here and don’t have much of a chance to win,” Theo finished more confidently.

Gino stepped forward directly between Theo and Amun. Looking left and right, he tapped his chin, as if evaluating their potential prowess.

‘I like the brunette. Theo’s his name? He’s cheeky, and he’s the leader. And I wouldn’t mind getting my fingers on those cute brown nips either.’ As usual, Gino was glad that nobody could hear his private thoughts. ‘But I’d love to take this surly Egyptian guy down a peg. He takes himself way too seriously.’

With a last glance between the two, Gino made up his mind. He pointed past Theo and Amun to where Lysander was shuffling his feet in the back. It took the young Spartan a moment to understand that he had been chosen to compete. When he did, his grin threatened to spill off the sides of his face, and he nearly made the mistake of hugging Gino. Puffing out his chest, Lysander collected himself and tried to play it cool by pulling an appropriately warlike glare onto his face.

“You’re lucky you get to have me show you the ropes. Everybody knows that Spartans are the best warriors, after all.”

“Well, then in that case, isn’t he not lucky? Since you’ll beat him so easily?” Theo interjected. He was feeling peevish at both of them. Gino for snubbing him, and Lysander for getting to match up against the studly new guy.

“Yep,” Lysander nodded enthusiastically, “Exactly what I was saying. Thanks Theo!”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Since you’re SO lucky today, why don’t you go tell Nico that we found Gino? And don’t forget to tell him who will be fighting.”

Lysander hesitated. Suddenly telling Prince Nico the good news didn’t sound so fun. As he looked around for an excuse to delay, the Spartan noticed something odd.

“Hey, Theo? Who’s that?”

Jayden had just walked around the corner. He was peering around anxiously.  

“Gino!” The younger jock scurried over to his brother. “Where are we bro? I just met the craziest guy...” Jayden pushed a chunk of curly hair out of his eyes, and his cute features were currently pinched in concern.  

“Also, have you seen my phone anywhere? I thought I put it in my gym bag, but I can’t find that either. And I promised Chase that I’d text him after practice, and you know how he gets...”  

“This kid babbles as much as you, Theo,” Amun observed quietly, earning himself a dark glare from his companion.

Jayden paused for a breath and looked up at the trio of athletes his brother was talking to. “Oh. Sorry. You must be Gino’s friends. I’m Jayden.” He smiled shyly, revealing a flash of gleaming white teeth against honey colored skin.

Gino draped an arm casually over Jayden’s shoulder. Even to the strangers, it was obvious that the two were brothers. Except for his slightly darker skin tone and shorter stature, Jayden could have passed for a leaner, less cocky version of Gino.

“Guys this is my brother...”

“...Jayden.” Theo completed Gino’s introduction for him. “Jayden, I was afraid you were gonna be too late, man. We were just finalizing the draw for today’s matches.” The Athenian’s eyes twinkled with mischief.  

“Matches?” Amun asked pointedly, emphasizing the plural.

“Of course, silly. I picked Jayden’s name too,” Theo patted his toga as if looking for it. “But I guess I misplaced the stone.” He shrugged casually.

Lysander was thinking hard. “But if his name was second, then wouldn’t that mean...” Theo made a claw gesture with his fingers, which sent Lysander scurrying away, cupping his groin protectively.

“Anyway, like I was saying, Jayden. You made it in the nick of time. And since Gino just picked his opponent that makes it...my turn. Looks like it’s you against me in the Pankration.”

Jayden looked Theo up and down out of the corner of his eye. The older brunette was good-looking and well-built, but there was something devilish in his smile. Not to mention Jayden wasn’t sure what ‘Pankration’ meant. The word was weird, but he felt like he’d heard it somewhere before. Jayden turned back to Gino in utter confusion.

Gino tightened his arm around his brother and smirked at Theo. “You picked wrong. Your toga party is about to get crashed.”

Jayden’s warm brown eyes darted around the testosterone-fueled group. He smiled uneasily, feeling like he needed to be the peacemaker. “Uh, Gino, if I find my phone, should I tell Chase we’re gonna be running late?”

“Yeah bro, I think we might be.”

*********

“You’re sure you’re not disappointed?”

“Of course not! Why would I be disappointed?”

“Uh...it’s just that sometimes you can be...”
 
“Come on, Theo! It’s not like I can fight every single new stranger. That would be crazy!” Prince Nicomachus laughed loudly. Too loudly.

“Fuck me,” Theo mumbled under his breath. “I knew he was faking it.”

While Theo broke the news that Nico was not selected to fight, the friends flanking him tried to disappear into the background. Amun stared resolutely at his feet, while Lysander scanned the colonnade ceiling for cracks. All three knew how desperately the prince loved to compete. He cherished races, swimming, riding, arm wrestling—and especially Pankration. And while Nico was nearly always cheerful, playful, and generous, he could become unruly if he was denied the chance to pit his strength against an opponent.

Let’s not sugar-coat it, Theo sighed. He pouts like a freaking toddler.

But to their surprise, Nico straightened the olive laurel that circled his mop of strawberry blonde curls, and he just shrugged his shoulders. Amun and Lysander released a relieved breath. Theo narrowed his eyes at his happy-seeming best friend.

“Actually guys, I’m really busy today. I couldn’t even fight if you wanted me to.”

‘Here we go,’ Theo thought.

“There are two new guys in the Pankration today. They don’t know how we do things around here. So I’m going to be their coach.” Nico beamed at his friends with a dimpled smile, while their jaws fell open dumbly.

“But, me and Sander are...”

“Fighting,” Nico nodded sagely. “I know. You’re busy too. That’s why I have to help the new guys as much as I possibly can.” Nico kept nodding as he spoke. His hazel eyes danced with amusement and challenge.

Theo scowled at the prospect of his best friend coaching his opponent on how to beat him. Lysander’s cool gray eyes followed Nico like a chastened puppy. The studly prince was his idol, but today he would be rooting against him. It was bad news.

Nico clapped a heavy hand on each of their shoulders. “Nothing to worry about, guys. You’ve been fighting in Pankration forever. It would be really messed up if a newbie beat you.”

“Fuck me,” the boys mumbled in unison as Nico went to greet the newcomers.

*********

“Wow,” Nico exclaimed for the third or fourth time. “I’ve just never seen anything like it.”

For the third or fourth time, Gino was spun around in a circle by the prince. ‘Or coach? Or whoever this guy was.’ Even though Gino was not inclined to be modest about his body, he was beginning to feel like his ass was getting a bit too much attention.

“And you said everybody where you’re from wears these clothes?”

“Uh, no. Not as clothes. Just for wrestling.” For a second Gino imagined everyone wearing singlets as everyday attire. He shook his head and pushed the thought away. He was still trying to get his head around the unusual rules of this wrestling tournament, and he didn’t need any further distractions.

“Ah, sure. Special clothes just for wrestling.” Nico raised his eyebrows at their third companion, making it clear that the notion was crazy to him. He scratched his cleft chin. “I guess you don’t need Tallus to help dress you for the match then?” He jerked his thumb in the direction of a hulking, red-haired jock.

“The barbarian?”

“Hey!” Nico objected, frowning. “Tallus is not a barbarian! The Gauls are actually very...”

Meanwhile, Tallus was NOT trying to defy the stereotype. The enthusiastic warrior was beating on his own drum-like chest and smearing blue paint down one side of his face, as if he was the one preparing for battle.

“Great. So, you guys figure out the wardrobe, and I’ll go help the other newbie.” Nico gave Gino a cheerful thumbs up, while Tallus approached him with a handful of blue paint. The varsity jock looked down at his shiny red singlet and clear, bronzed skin.

“Oh no, no, no,” Gino waved, retreating from the grinning barbarian. “Blue is SO not my color...”

*********

Nico’s other protégé was pacing nervously. Jayden was a top athlete for his grade, an accomplished swimmer and a natural wrestler. Whether by choice or by luck, he’d found himself in a lots of fights. Jayden was scrappy and smart, and he could take care of himself. But the Pankration was different. Out there it would be just him and a more experienced fighter. No Gino or Chase or Bill to help him. He didn’t feel totally comfortable being the center of attention.

“Butterflies?” Nico asked, jogging over to the young wrestler guessing accurately. Jayden didn’t answer, just looked up at the blonde prince. He didn’t understand why the stud was being so nice to him, but his kindness seemed authentic. Nico waved somebody else over to join them.

“Not to worry, man. You’re gonna do great, you just gotta keep loose. Amun, will you get some oil on our next champ here?” The tall Egyptian appeared behind Jayden moments later and began to massage some oil into Jayden’s shoulders.

“I like to put some oil on before every match,” Nico continued, trying to distract Jayden from his anxiety. “It makes me feel just a tiny bit faster.” He stepped back and looked over Jayden’s athletic form and gripped the boy’s modest bicep. “But I bet you’re quick as lightening already. You train hard, huh?”

Jayden was blushing from the attention and compliments, and he managed to nod in the affirmative. The combination of the oil, Amun’s massage of his shoulders, and Nico’s positive energy were putting him in the zone. His blood was flowing, and he felt limber and strong. He was ready to fight.   

Nico noticed the change in the young wrestler’s posture. He gave two thumbs up and jogged back to see how Gino and Tallus were getting along.

Jayden relaxed under Amun’s strong hands. He closed his eyes and imagined the arena full of people cheering for him in the fight. Like he was some kind of hero. He chuckled at his own goofy thought. Amun’s hands withdrew, and Jayden thought he was finished. He could hear him shuffling for a moment before his hands returned, massaging Jayden’s hips, the small of his back, and the tops of his glutes.    

‘Prince Nico sure was right about this oil,’ he thought.

The warm sun shone on Jayden’s closed eyelids, reflecting his newfound confidence. As he daydreamed of glory in combat, he barely even noticed how the massaging hands had traveled across his obliques, his lower abs, and his pubis. At some point the hands dipped inside the straps of his singlet, slicking his abs and making the singlet slide over his skin which had become sheerer than ever.

Jayden’s warm brown eyes shot open. He was wrenched out of his daydream when a hand wrapped around his cock. He hadn’t noticed that while his muscles relaxed, the stimulation had set another muscle hard and throbbing. And there was one other important detail he hadn’t noticed: at some point Amun had left and Theo had taken his place.

“Wow,” the Athenian deadpanned. “I assumed you were the shy one, and yet here you are all ready to fight.” He slid his palm down Jayden’s hot shaft, making the wrestler moan. Despite telling himself that he was operating strictly on the business of psyching out his opponent, Theo was enjoying groping Jayden’s goods. And although he would never admit it, he was impressed at the size of what his adversary was packing.

“Did Nico tell you how to submit in the Pankration?” Theo’s mouth was directly in Jayden’s ear, and his breath smelled sweet. Jayden nodded. Theo’s hands dove deeper, wrapping around Jayden’s testicles. Jayden went to call for his brother, but the breath hitched in his throat.

“Careful,” Theo cooed. “It’s a rookie mistake to submit too early.” He could feel Jayden’s fat testicles pulse in his palm, and he gave them a testing squeeze.  

“My...boynuts...” Jayden whispered.

Theo cocked his head. “And Nico told you these guys are fair play in Pankration?” Jayden nodded again, reluctantly this time.

All at once Theo released him, and spun him around so they were face to face. The Athenian looked nonchalant, as if they’d just been talking shop.

“Well, looks like Nico covered everything. Good luck out there. I’m sure you’ll be ready.” He nodded at the bulge that Jayden was trying unsuccessfully to cover with his hands. With a cheeky wink, Theo was gone.

Jayden found a shady column and leaned against it, letting the smooth marble cool his hot blood. He was breathing heavily. He closed his eyes and tried to summon that relaxed, confident feeling that he’d had after talking with Nico, but it was long gone.

“Jayden?” Gino was hollering at him from across the courtyard, and Jayden waved him over. He blinked as Gino got closer, observing that some of Gino’s wavy, dark hair was streaked with bright blue paint.

“I never thought of you as an emo guy, Gino,” Jayden quipped.

“Ugh, I know.” Gino rolled his eyes. “I guess there’s nothing to be done now but quit wrestling and start a band.” Jayden laughed. “I promise you, though, that blue guy got the worst of it.” Gino looked fierce, and Jayden did not doubt his words for a second.

Gino examined his clean red singlet and craned his neck to see the back. “Did he get any other paint on me?” He spun around, and Jayden saw a big blue hand print across Gino’s right ass cheek. It was unmistakable. Gino spun back around, looking at his brother for confirmation. Jayden’s eyebrows shot up and he choked down a laugh.

“Nope. All good.”     

“So what are you doing over here in the shadows? Aren’t you supposed to be warming...”

Upon closer inspection, Gino could see clearly how Jayden’s oil-soaked singlet clung to every ridge and crevice of his body. And that his little brother was no more successful at hiding his boner now than he ever was. Gino had an eye for certain things, after all.

“Bro! What the fuck? Our coach...or Prince Charming...or whoever-he-is told you to warm up! Not get all hot and bothered over here by yourself!”  

Jayden protested and pointed around accusingly, but neither Theo nor Amun was anywhere in sight. Before he could come up with a plausible explanation, Gino had reached forward deftly and tweaked the moist tip of his erection. Jayden yowled at the sharp pinch. Gino grinned. He’d never get tired of that sound.

“Anyway, play time’s over. We’ve got some matches to win.“

*********

Part 4 is coming tomorrow!