Kyle sat on the cart, his heart racing.
Clavius grabbed his hand. “Come, let’s surprise my brooding friend. I am sure he is in a wine induced coma, wallowing in self-pity over our untimely deaths.”
He pulled him to Marius’ room, knocking hard, his voice drifting through the wood. “Come in.”
Kyle felt like suffocating, his heart in his throat, and Clavius’ smiled at him, full of mischief. “Lets’ go...”
Marius watched the door open from where he was standing near the window, expecting one of the slaves, or Julius, watching the two men walk in holding hands, and for a split second, he couldn’t recognize them, his mind having buried them, the ceremony still fresh from the previous day where he had made peace with his loss, clutching Tertullia’s hand.
Clavius grinned. “Speechless, my good friend? That’s unlike you...”
His voice knocked the breath out of Marius, the shock too big, the blood draining from his face.Clavius. But his parted mouth couldn’t form his name, watching in a haze as he approached, tugging somebody behind him, grey eyes lifting to meet his.Kyle.
His world darkened, and they caught him before he would black out, heaving, clutching him into their arms, kneeling on the floor as they could not hold him up.
“Hey, big boy... don’t faint on me!”
His voice dragged Marius back, their warm arms around his body, Kyle’s scent invading him, feeling his neck under his mouth. “Oh, gods... oh gods...”, he could only moan, a cold sweat breaking down his back as he was struggling to remain conscious.
Clavius grew alarmed, disentangling himself, gently shaking his shoulder. “Hey... come on, I’m sorry, maybe we should have asked somebody to come in and tell you... hey...”
Marius raised his glazed eyes at him, trying to focus on his face, his features sharper, that huge scar marring the left side. Marius’ hand flew to it, the flesh warm under his touch, his voice a mere breath.
“You’re alive...”
“No shit... Thanks to your love boy here...”
Marius’ eyes flew to Kyle, his love bursting him apart, he clutched at him, pulling his body close, slamming his mouth on his mouth and Kyle opened up to him, hungry for him, their tongues meeting in their warm pool, the feeling overwhelming, making them cry softly as they kissed, out of breath. Clavius watched them with a small smile, waiting until they parted, panting, their eyes locked, clutching at each other, Marius’ voice a mere whisper. “My love... oh gods...”
They hugged, and Clavius rose. “I should leave you alone.”
Marius looked up at him. “Don’t you dare...don’t you dare disappear...”
He raised his hands. “Ok, ok... besides burying me, did you also reallocate my room?”
Marius sighed, his eyes twinkling. “I’m afraid so.... your good wife has moved in there...”
Clavius blanched. “Tertullia is here?! Why didn’t you say so?”
He whirled when the door opened and she stood there, struck, her eyes wide, taking in the scene of Clavius standing over Marius and Kyle kneeling into each other’s arms.
She couldn’t speak and her hand flew to her mouth, tears spilling. They rushed into each other’s arms, Tertullia collapsing onto Clavius’ chest.
A little while later, they were all sitting in Marius’ room, Tertullia on Clavius’ knees, and Kyle leaning against Marius, the Roman’s arm around him.
Tertullia turned to Clavius, stroking his face. “You have to tell us everything... I still can’t believe it...”
Clavius gestured towards Kyle. “They boy knows more... I woke up to the smell of grilled fish.”
Kyle blushed when he felt Marius tighten his arm around him. “Tell us, love...”
He sighed, recounting what had happened, Tertullia’s eyes wide.
“You can swim?”
Kyle shrugged. “Yes, we swam a lot when I was a kid...”, he shut up, and she understood, Marius gently holding him.
“And then?”
