Reporting for Duty
As Alex stirred from his slumber on the couch of his luxurious yacht, the gentle hum of his vibrating phone roused him from his sleep just as the first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon.
With a groggy sigh, he fumbled for his phone and silenced the alarm, removing the earplugs he had hastily inserted the night before to drown out the noise of Drayvos and Tiffany's lively antics. The yacht had been anything but quiet.
As Alex busied himself preparing his morning coffee and lunch, he suddenly felt the warmth of two strong arms envelop him from behind, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Good morning," Drayvos whispered softly into his ear, his tousled bed hair and scant attire adding to his disheveled charm.
Amused by the playful intimacy of the moment, Alex chuckled as he attempted to focus on making a sandwich while Drayvos continued to nuzzle and nibble at his ear.
"It sounds like you and Tiffany had quite the night," Alex remarked, his tone teasing as he felt Drayvos's warm breath tickling his skin.
"It was... an experience," Drayvos admitted, his hands roaming over Alex's waist and lower back. "Enjoyable, yes, but..." he trailed off, his voice tinged with a hint of longing. "It was missing something," he murmured, planting a soft kiss on the nape of Alex's neck before delivering a playful yet powerful slap on his rear.
"Oh, jeez, Drayvos!" Alex exclaimed, caught off guard by the unexpected collision, his body swaying from the impact. "Hey," he greeted his towering companion, quickly shifting gears into a more business-like demeanor. "I've got to get to work, and before I go, I need to snap a few photos of you in statue mode," he added, casting a critical eye over Drayvos's modern boxer shorts. "Ancient Greek statues didn't sport... those."
"Easy fix," Drayvos chuckled, dropping his briefs to the ground and tossing side with a carefree shrug, leaving nothing to the imagination. "There, problem solved."
"You're comfortable striking a marble statue pose naked?" Alex inquired, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "Not even tempted by your Perizomas?"
Drayvos smirked mischievously. "Marble's not exactly known for its warmth. Besides, I am not one to shy away from a little exposure," he quipped, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Fair enough, big guy," Alex conceded, pulling out his phone and preparing to capture the moment. "Go primp your hair like you're prepping for a marble sculpture, then meet me on deck." Giving Drayvos a playful wink, he added, "And pick a pose you can hold steady. The last thing we need is the newsrooms blowing up over a shifting statue that can't seem to make up its mind."
Perplexed by Alex's words but undeterred, Drayvos headed to the washroom to freshen up, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Changing poses causes explosions in newsrooms?" he muttered, his innocent humor once again shining through.
"Just go!" Alex laughed, shaking his head at Drayvos's innocence as he made his way out.
—
In the soft morning glow of the rising sun, the rear deck of the yacht transformed into a makeshift studio, where an artisanally crafted marble statue of Drayvos stood proudly, bathed in the golden light. The intricate details of the sculpture glistened, casting a radiant glow that seemed to breathe life into the stoic figure.
Alex moved around the statue with practiced precision, capturing every angle and nuance of Drayvos's majestic form through the lens of his camera. Each click of the shutter immortalized the timeless beauty and power exuded by the Greek god-like figure before him.
As he focused on his task, Alex was interrupted by the arrival of Tiffany, still clad in yesterday's attire, her curiosity piqued by the unusual scene unfolding before her.
"Well, well, well. You guys DO have a ton of fun don't you?," she remarked with a playful grin.
Alex flashed her a smirk, his attention briefly diverted from his work. "You have no idea," he replied, snapping another shot of Drayvos from a different angle. "But I still needed to take some photos for Dr. Girkin, and we're shipping this 'statue' to the museum today. Care to lend a hand?"
Tiffany's gaze wandered over the imposing figure of Drayvos, standing tall and proud. "And how exactly do you plan on transporting... him?" she inquired, her tone laced with skepticism.
Drayvos, his head quickly returned to its human form, interjected with a hint of mischief in his voice. "By riding in truck, of course," he quipped, a playful glint in his eye, then returning to a statue.
Alex's mind raced as he formulated a plan on the spot, his confidence masking any trace of doubt. "And then we'll have to sneak him into the back artifact storage and place him on the posing platform before Dr. Girkin arrives," he declared, his words tinged with determination.
Tiffany arched an eyebrow, a hint of skepticism coloring her expression. "Good luck with that," she remarked dryly. "You do realize we're not the only ones who work there, right?"
Alex shrugged nonchalantly, his facade of confidence faltering slightly. "I've got it covered," he replied with a wry smile. "Well, sort of."
—
Alex pulled up and parked his large truck, Tiffany following suit right behind him.
Exiting his truck, Alex dashed inside and swiftly returned with a heavy-duty transport truck designed for moving the museum's precious artifacts.
As Drayvos casually stepped out of the vehicle, his hair styled in curls reminiscent of a Greek god, he stood tall and unashamedly nude, embodying the timeless beauty of classical sculptures.
"Alright, big guy," Alex said, gesturing towards the small wooden platform mounted on the transport rig. "Hop on."
With a graceful yet imposing gait, Drayvos climbed onto the platform and assumed a stoic pose, towering over them like a true statue come to life. Alex hurriedly draped a white bed sheet over him, concealing his nudity from prying eyes. "Just stay under this until I give the signal, and try to hold your pose. Remember, you're a statue," Alex instructed, his words punctuated by the unmistakable sound of Drayvos shifting into marble.
Feeling the weight of the transformed Drayvos, Alex grunted as he pushed against the now significantly heavier transport truck. "Oh, sweet mercy, Drayvos! And I thought you were heavy as a human!" he exclaimed, straining against the immense load as he maneuvered the several-thousand-pound statue across the parking lot. With each painstaking step, he was acutely aware of the monumental task they had undertaken, and the stakes of their clandestine mission only grew higher with each passing moment.
—
After an arduous journey hauling his prized artifact across the parking lot and into the back storage bay, Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead and secured the transport in place, only to be jolted by a piercing screech emanating from the nearby office.
"WARD!!!! MY OFFICE NOW!!!" Dr. Girkin's voice reverberated through the air, laced with fury and frustration.
Turning to Tiffany with a look of sheer panic, Alex felt his blood run cold. "You don't think she saw him getting out of the truck, do you?" he whispered, his voice trembling with apprehension.
Tiffany shook her head, mirroring his confusion and concern. "I don't know, Alex."
Summoning every ounce of courage he could muster, Alex called out to Dr. Girkin, injecting a hint of panting and exhaustion into his voice. "Out here, Dr. Girkin! I've just delivered 'The Last Son of Ares'!" he announced, hoping to distract her from whatever impending storm was brewing.
Emerging from her office like a tempest of fury, Dr. Girkin brandished a white piece of paper, her face flushed with anger. "A trashed hotel bathroom, torn bathrobes, a dismantled hotel bedroom... and how much room service does one man need!?" she bellowed, waving the paper in Alex's face accusingly. "Do you have any idea how exorbitant this hotel bill is!?"
He had a month-long trek across the planet to come up with an explanation of the chaos left in his wake, Alex met Dr. Girkin's fiery gaze head-on. "Are you certain they had the right room? The one next door was hosting a wild bachelor party, and those guys were... exceptionally loud!" he fibbed, his heart racing with the weight of the lie. "And as for the room service, well, I was in Greece—why bother with room service when the streets are lined with artisans of Greek cuisine?"
"Then submit every single gleaming one of your receipts for your artisans of Greek cuisine by this afternoon!" Dr. Girkin's voice cut through the air, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as she scrutinized Alex. She wasn't buying a word of his explanation.
With a dismissive glance, she turned her attention to the imposing figure under the sheets. "Is this him?" she asked, unimpressed. "This better be good, Ward. I spent a fortune getting that here," she grumbled, striding over to the bed and ripping the sheet off in one swift motion.
"Oh my…" Dr. Girkin gasped, her eyes widening in astonishment as she looked up, and up, and up at the seven-foot-tall, naked Greek god standing before her in all his masculine glory. "You were… not kidding…"
The museum doctor approached Drayvos with an air of reverence, inspecting every inch of his marble form with awe. She poked, prodded, and verified the authenticity of this remarkable sculpture brought before her.
"This is… This is…" Dr. Girkin trailed off, at a loss for words.
"Fascinating?" Alex interjected, sensing the doctor's genuine awe.
"Discovery of a lifetime?" Tiffany chimed in, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Yes…" Dr. Girkin gasped, her breath catching in her throat. "Oh yes, very much so, Alexander…" Her use of his full first name signaled her genuine astonishment.
"This… changes everything we knew about the end of Greek religion and mythology…" Dr. Girkin's mind raced with possibilities, her imagination ignited by the monumental discovery before her. "It must be the new centerpiece of the museum!" she declared, her eyes gleaming with ideas of grandeur. "The Long Lost and Last Son of Ares!" Her voice brimmed with excitement as she envisioned elaborate museum advertisements and gala events to celebrate the artifact's unveiling.
As Dr. Girkin outlined her grand plans for the statue, Alex and Tiffany exchanged worried glances, knowing the truth behind the museum's newest centerpiece and the implications it held.