Marius moaned, pulling him closer. “Oh, gods... what a fucked-up mess!” He leant down and kissed Kyle then, deep, claiming his mouth. “You’re so mine... I won’t let anybody touch you again, ever...” Kyle moaned into his mouth, pushing against him, but Marius broke the kiss, gently pushing him away. “I won’t do anything with you tonight, not when you’re hurting.”
Kyle shrugged, a shy smile on his lips. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does matter to me. You are not an object, Kyle, you’re my lover. I love you and I won’t hurt you.”
The young slave’s eyes welled up and Marius’ thumb brushed his trembling lips. “Outside of this room, we will play master and slave though, alright? No need to piss my fucking family off even more.”
Kyle nodded, and they kissed again, slowly drifting into sleep.
IX
Twodayslater,Mariuscame back from the emperor’s palace, his face grim, and he went straight to the garden where he could find Kyle. He slowed and stopped, watching him knee-deep in the small pond, weeding it, and arranging the waterlilies. Bri and Brandan were sitting on the ledge, feeding the golden fish, their feet in the water. Brandan could still not speak Latin, but he was picking it up fast with Bri, a shy smile on his face when she made him repeat the words: fish, flower, water, food... They laughed when the bigger fish tickled their hands with their mouth, their bulging eyes on the children.
Bri beamed at Kyle. “They are so soft, their mouths... they want to eat our hands.” Kyle just glanced at them, smiling, and Bri grinned at him. “Look... there’s one eating your leg!”
“There’s more than one...” He gently swatted the fish away, but they came back, looking for something to nibble on.
The scene was so peaceful, sunlight reflecting on the soft waves, making their faces glow, Kyle’s hands gently plucking at the weeds, his body glistening with sweat. He only had his shorts on, and his skin glowed in the pouring golden light. Marius sighed, his mind on his impending marriage and travel...Why could things not just stay simply happy, like in this perfect little moment? Fucking family...
He reluctantly walked forward, and the kids turned around, hearing his steps on the gravel. They flung themselves on their knees, Brandan so scared still that he put his forehead on the ground, too. Bri, though, knew him and stayed with her face up, smiling.
He sat down on the ledge, pulling her up. “Ask your friend to get up. He should not be afraid of me.” Bri tugged at Brandan’s arm, and he got up, his face lowered, trembling. Kyle walked to them, talking to him in Celtic, and he relaxed, lifting his eyes. Marius smiled. “Much better...”
The children left then, running, Brandan still too fearful, and Marius turned to Kyle who had gone back to weeding the pond. His lips curled into a small smile. “Are you deliberately provoking me bent down like this?”
Kyle turned his head. “No, dominus, not at all. “
But he was smiling, and Marius sighed. “Get out of there... let’s go to our room?”
Kyle straightened, looking a bit concerned. “I need to finish this, but it can wait I suppose, if you don’t keep me all afternoon. “
Marius grinned. “I can’t promise anything...”
Back in their room, Marius stood, his face taut, leaning on one of the columns leading to the terrace. “I need to do the wedding ceremony fast...”
Kyle looked up, surprised. “Why? I thought it could wait...”
Marius couldn’t look at him, his emotions raging. “My divine, fucking uncle is sending me away... on a campaign to supervise the building of a fucking fort and some roads with a small cohort.”
Kyle’s face fell. “When...?”
“I have to leave next month...” They looked at each other, Marius’ misery plain on his face, his blue eyes blazing with anger and despair.
Kyle walked up to him, his voice barely a whisper. “For how long?”
Marius pursed his lips. “Fuck knows... it could be from six months... to a year.”
The slave’s eyes grew wide. “A year...?”
Marius brushed his knuckles on his cheek. “Yes, maybe... gods, even the thought of being away one day from you is killing me...”
He kissed him, his lips barely brushing his, but Kyle pulled away, worried. “What will happen to us? Your house?”
Marius tried to sound reassuring. “You will stay here, of course, all of you. I’ll be married by the time I leave, so Seraphina can take care of you...”
He watched the slave pale, his face shutting down into a mask of indifference, his eyes cold. “Of course, dominus.”
Marius grabbed his shoulders. “Don’t play this bullshit game with me... I don’t have a choice.”
