Érik

Florus breathed a sigh of relief as Tranquillus reassured him. He wanted to ask if the body slave was sure, but he had no reason to think he would be wrong. The other man was aware of everything that happened in the house, anyway. His eyes closed for a second, and he continued stroking the older man's beard. When he was fairly certain no crucifixion was in the works for either of them, he looked at Tranquillus.

'I always do my job well,' he replied, a little stung. Not at the other man, of course, but at the Roman's implication that he could perform a less than perfect job. He soon realised the childishness of his retort, however, and felt like he had to amend it. 'As do you.'

Florus looked around them. The place Tranquillus had dragged them to was well enough hidden from the house and the main path, with the tree and the generous shrubbery, that someone would really have to want to look for them to find them. He wasn't too worried. What did discreet mean, anyway? That they couldn't kiss in front of the Roman? He wasn't sure he would have wanted to, anyway.

Lightly, teasingly, he planted a kiss on Tranquillus' lower lip. 'Is it discreet here?' He kissed the corner of his mouth. 'Are we alone enough?' Their insular location made him grow in confidence, sure, but being along with the man and feeling the effect he had on him, well that was just too hard to resist.

@Chevi

The more they kissed, the more Florus remembered that there was something other than just the frenzied beating of his own heart when Tranquillus was beside him. Pressed onto him. They kissed, and he thought it wasn't possible to be closer to another human being, yet his instincts were telling him he was a short while away from discovering just how close they could possibly be. Kissing Tranquillus was a feeling so pure, so wonderful. It was just... right. It was what made sense. Nothing else possibly could.

Feeling Tranquillus pulling on his tunic awakened something else in him before he realised the other man was bringing him away from, well, the middle of the path, and into a more secluded area. It was probably wiser. Tranquillus was so smart. Grinning into the kiss, the gardener thought he had read the body slave's mind, and rough hands made a grab for the other man's belt. Excitement made his hands unsteady. How were belts so difficult to work with?

Tranquillus pulled away, probably to try to breathe a bit, which couldn't be a bad idea. He loved the intimate position he had adopted: his forehead resting on the young Briton's, so close. And then a kiss to his jaw, enough to make him lose track of what his hands had been trying to achieve. Gods, this man.

'Did you still want to wait?' He asked, though cut himself short as they both had started speaking at the same time.

The body slave was not going in the direction Florus had hoped for, nor expected. He blanched. 'He... they what?' If the Romans knew, then it was the end, and he had just been given a farewell kiss. Well, that was a wretched life. He knew he was in loads of trouble, but he hoped somehow Tranquillus would be spared. 'Apologies,' he whispered, reaching his hand to stroke the older man's beard. 'What will become of us, then?' He was ready to endure his fate, any fate, as long as it meant Tranquillus was safe.

@Chevi

He thought Tranquillus might pull away so that they could continue speaking, but he didn't. And he didn't mind. This, this kissing, it was perfection. He knew, of course, how much he had missed the older man, but now, with their bodies and their lips pressed against each other, it felt like there was an entirely new level of him becoming whole once more.

Florus found himself holding Tranquillus' face in his hands, pulled closer by the man who was touching his hair. His hands slowly dropped to the body slave's waist, and he grabbed his belt, pulling him closer too.

'Missed you,' Florus mumbled into the kiss, though as they were sucking face they might not have been the most intelligible words. He meant it, though. So, so much.

@Chevi

Tranquillus pulled himself back slowly enough so that Florus didn't feel they were being ripped apart again. He liked being able to contemplate the other man, and even with this small space between them, it didn't feel like there was any distance.

He nodded. 'I did,' he confirmed, as though it needed to be said. 'I thought of nothing else but you.' It was comfortable, this being here, saying sweet things to one another, basking in each other's warmth. He could really stay like this forever.

The body slave's words made him chuckle. 'It's alright. I can't read, anyway.' Tranquillus was so attentive, so adorable. Florus couldn't resist any longer, and went in to plant a kiss on the body slave's jaw. 'I wrote you, though,' he said. It wasn't much of a letter, really. It was just Tranquillus' name, over and over, in Florus' unsteady hand.

He had meant to kiss along Tranquillus' jawline, but found he had no more restraint anymore, and kissed the other man's lips. By the gods, he had no words to say how much he'd missed this. Tranquillus.

@Chevi

Florus nodded. Greece. Yes, he thought he'd heard that word before. Where it was, though, that was entirely beyond him, and he didn't care enough to extend his knowledge of the topic. What good would it do him? He had an interest in plants and in Tranquillus, and, slavery aside, things were fine just the way they were, thank you very much.

'Ah, yes, I see,' he said. He did not see. What he did see, though, was that she had been on the wrong side of the war. She had been with the bad people. 'Why did you fight on their side?' She wasn't a Roman; he couldn't imagine a world where there'd be any reason to be loyal to the Romans.

@Chevi

Florus knew the past two months had been incredibly difficult, but as his head found its spot at the base of the other man's neck and he breathed in his scent, he realised just how much pressure was being alleviated right now. He should never, ever be without Tranquillus. Otherwise it was just too cruel. His head was made for resting there. His eyes were meant for seeing him. His nose was meant for breathing him in, and his arms were meant to hold the body slave. This was how things were meant to be. Just the natural order of things.

He didn't want to let go. His eyes were closed, and he pressed a small, contented kiss against the other man's throat. 'Now that you're here it is. By the gods, I've never missed anyone this much in my life.' He let out a deep breath. Did he really have Tranquillus back, or was it the most cruel dream? The warmth he felt, and the other man's smell told him it was all too real. He gave Tranquillus' throat another kiss, this time a bit more playful, but still happy to just linger there. 'You can't imagine how much I've missed you.'

@Chevi

These had been the two hardest months in his life. Of course, Florus acknowledged his first few months as a captive of Rome had been horrendous. Every single day, he'd thought he was going to die. Every single day, he wondered what new horror would be visited upon him. But that was mostly physical pain. The Romans hadn't been able to get to his core, he didn't think. But this, this having Tranquillus ripped away from him the moment he had finally gotten him, with only the vague promise that he would be back sometime in the future, this was hard. It didn't have a fixed deadline. It could be as soon or as far as the Roman pleased, and Florus would have no way of knowing.

It was unfair. They'd had each other for mere seconds, and then the other man had been ripped away from him, when the gardener would have liked him to stay forever. Every day began with the memory that Tranquillus was his, and he was Tranquillus', and then it hit him that the older man wasn't there. And then he was sad about it all day, hoping that this would be the day the body slave would come back. And that hope sort of carried him through the day, until he went to sleep, all alone, sad.

It had been hard. He had been sad. All he had to distract himself were his gardens. And he'd given them his all. They were gorgeous, lush and green. If he couldn't put his love and care into the person he wanted, then the gardens would have to do. And it showed, really. Even if he did say so himself, they had never looked this great. There were more plants than ever, and he hoped the Roman wouldn't mind once he got back. His gardens occupied his mind all the time. It was easier than to constantly dwell on Tranquillus' absence, at the very least.

Today had been different, though. The family had come back. Most importantly, Tranquillus had come back. He hated that he had to stand at attention and be calm while the Romans arrived, as though they were introducing themselves to the household. How stupid. All he wanted to do was run to Tranquillus. Beautiful, sun-kissed Tranquillus, whose warm eyes looked directly at him, awakening something in the pit of his stomach that he'd missed horribly. By the gods, he'd missed him. He looked at him, unable to hide his joy.

And of course, dumb Romans, everyone had to get them unpacked, and he went back to his gardens, waiting for Tranquillus to finally be done with his day. Gods, this was even more difficult now that he knew the other man was here. Here, yet unable to touch him. That was awful.

Florus busied himself with washing up. It wasn't like there was much to do here tonight anyway. With his careful ministrations earlier on, it seemed like the gardens were going to start taking care of themselves, for the most part. He chewed on a few leaves of mint, and grabbed his thyme water amphora, pouring it over his head, and rubbing his face with his hands. He'd even cleaned his hands, as best he could. What else could he do while he waited for Tranquillus?

And then, of course, he'd heard him. Tranquillus. Immediately Florus shot towards the other man, holding him tightly to his chest, feeling oddly like he was only just beginning to breathe again.

'I missed you.'

@Chevi

This was embarrassing, this was. Alexius was kind, to pay him any attention whatsoever, but he was wrong if he believed that he would get anywhere with Florus. It was stupid, really, and maybe he ought to just go with it, and take part in the pleasurable things Alexius was promising, but somehow it felt wrong. He was never going to have Tranquillus for himself, so wanting him to be the first was ridiculous. Was he going to spend all his life refusing other men, on the off chance the body slave would suddenly see him? Still, try as he might to convince himself otherwise, he still didn't want it to be someone else.

'I don't... I don't want to... I mean, I do want to do these things with you, Alexius, but I won't.' He looked at the other man, gauging whether his refusal was going to be an issue. 'He hasn't kissed me because he won't ever do it,' he said. 'I know it's stupid, I... Apologies.'

@Atrice

His words only made Aia laugh, and he was relieved. He didn't know to what extent he ought to trust her, but he was fairly certain that, even if she was a traitor -though was she really a traitor to the Britons if she wasn't a Briton to begin with? That raised complicated issues- she wouldn't turn him in just for speaking out of turn. She seemed a bit more free than he was. Probably literally, too. As much as he liked to think he had free run of his gardens, at the end of the day, they were not his, and he didn't have any freedom whatsoever. The only liberty he had was one he'd reached out for himself, almost accidentally. Tranquillus. The Roman could never know.

'Achaea? I don't know what that is,' he said. He didn't know a lot of things, he'd come to realize the second he left his village. Back there, he knew all he needed to know about nature and crops, and everything. Out here, everything was new and everything was a distraction he had to ignore to better focus his energies on his plants.

'Did the Romans kick your ass, then?' He thought his question might be too bold, but judging by her use of language, he thought he might still have a bit of leeway.

@Chevi

Florus nodded, ready. He was bracing himself. He knew what was coming, this time, and he knew she wouldn't make him feel uncomfortable like before. He was learning to make sure he would never be uncomfortable again. Of course the important thing was not to have his purse stolen, since that was clearly what the other man had been after, but there was also the part about never wanting to feel uncomfortable in his body again. It was a novel feeling, and he didn't care to keep it lingering around in his mind.

'Alright,' he said brightly. He was strong, he could do this. 'So, I have to bend over and elbow you in the stomach, and then in the jaw?' He just needed to make sure he had everything down correctly.

@Atrice

Florus stared at Alexius, stopping dead in his tracks.

'I, erm, gratitude?' He didn't know how to respond to the other man's compliments. Not when it was possible they were an overture and meant Alexius wanted to do more than just discuss pleasure. That... that hadn't been what the gardener had had in mind! He'd just wanted to be more educated, in case anything ever happened.

Of course, the anything in question could very well be today, with Alexius, but he knew he was foolish, and he knew what he was holding out for. Very foolish. Especially when the man in question would never want him to begin with, and there was a perfectly acceptable replacement right in front of him.

'No, no one has.' People tended to not talk to him when he avoided them. And as for other people who might want to interact, his cold demeanour was generally offputting enough that he was left well enough alone in most cases. 'I am... flattered, Alexius.'

Florus looked at his feet, expecting them to come up with words as he himself failed to. Face no longer flushed, he looked up at the older man. 'My heart belongs to another.'

@Atrice

Florus peered at Aia, still curious, but still fighting to keep his questions in a box inside his mind. Most things weren't any of his business. And most business he didn't want anything to do with. He knew what he cared about, and generally it was not about other people's matters.

He analysed her words, pensive. So it meant the Britons were the enemy, then. That wasn't a thought he enjoyed. But then again, if she was teaching Roman children, of course they would see his people as the enemy. Romans saw everyone else as the enemy. Maybe because they turned everyone into their enemy.

'Wouldn't it be better to teach them languages to make them diplomats, instead of warriors?' Quickly he erased his defiant expression from his face. His words, though, were impossible to take back. Sure, count on him to speak too much.

@Chevi

Florus nodded once, keen to get out of the Roman's presence. 'Dominus,' he said, staying still one further second before he decided Rufus had indeed dismissed him. And then, of course, the Roman decided it was he who was taking his leave. Well, fine. He stayed put.

'I can take all the tile and stone you need disposed of, dominus,' the gardener said. He waited for the Roman to leave, eager to be alone, and also eager to see how his idea would work. But of course the Roman still wasn't leaving. Florus was beginning to grow restless. Why did Rufus bring out so much tension in him? Oh, right, the whole ownership thing. That was why.

And suddenly, a compliment. Florus couldn't hide his proud smile, though he did try. 'Gratitude, dominus,' he said, his tone a lot calmer than the jubilation he felt inside of him. And then Rufus finally left, and Florus was alone in the room with the ugly sculpture, a broom, and his pride. He was doing a good job.

@Liv

Yes, wrap! Thanks for the thread!

Florus' eyes widened as the former gladiator almost casually revealed his body had been used by the Romans. He knew it happened to the whore slaves, because that was their chore, and he knew some body slaves were used that way too, but gladiators? Surely not any and all slaves could be taken against their will? It was shocking to hear, and even more shocking that Alexius didn't seem as fazed by it as the young gardener was. Maybe that was because he was much older now, and enough time had passed that he wasn't enraged or traumatized or sadened by it anymore. Or maybe it hadn't been such a traumatic experience. Or maybe Alexius kept his feelings to himself. Whatever the reason, Florus didn't know, and he didn't know if he could understand, either. He had enough outrage for the both of them, at the very least. Something dark passed in his eyes, briefly. Bloody Romans.

'I'm sorry it happened to you,' he said. 'And now you know about pleasure.' His expression was neutral, and he scrutinized Alexius' face and eyes as he spoke. It wasn't his place to try to divine what was going on in the other man's head. And then he said something genuinely puzzling. 'What do you mean, sharing pleasure?' Florus wanted to discuss pleasure, the giving and taking of it with this man, but nothing else.

'I, erm... Are you flirting with me, Alexius?'

Florus pursed his lips as he considered her request. He didn't especially want to grab her. He didn't really want to attack anyone, even if they were just pretending. But it was a learning exercise, and he understood that. Besides, she was giving him permission. What if it ended up being like the first time, and he punched her, though? No, that had been in self defense. He should be just fine.

'Alright,' he said, then did the motions. The elbow to his stomach and his jaw still came as a surprise, despite his best preparations. After all was said and done, he looked at her with wide eyes. It took a moment for him to process all of what had happened, but after a few times of running the scene through his head, he thought he had it down.

'Do I get to try, now?'

@Atrice

Aia's reassurance brought the twitching inkling of a smile to Florus' mouth. Hopefully Tranquillus would indeed. There was not much he knew about the other man, come to think about it. He knew his eyes, his smell, his lips... He knew the body slave was a great kisser, he was patient, kind, steadfast and attractive... But he didn't know what his favourite flower was. Or if Tranquillus cared enough about flowers to actually have a favourite. There was so much they had to learn about one another.

'I am a gardener,' he confirmed. 'That's why I was named thus.' He resisted the urge to tell her Florus wasn't his name. It was someone else's, that had been bestowed upon him because the Romans didn't even care enough to learn his actual name. He was more guarded than when he had met Cinnia, though, and wasn't about to share information that could potentially get him in trouble. 'And what is it that you do?'

@Chevi

Florus nodded seriously. 'Gratitude.' It was a weird thing, that someone grabbing at him like that stressed him this much. It wasn't as though it had been anything other than an attempted robbery, right? Couldn't very well be anything else. Still, it had set him on edge, and even recreating the event to teach him about self defense brought him anxiety.

She explained to him the next move, and he nodded, serious as always. 'That makes sense. I'm ready.' He didn't know whether he'd be any good at that, but they'd just have to see. Florus assumed his combat-ready position, and looked at Cinnia, chin held high, somewhat defiantly. It gave him a measure of confidence.

@Atrice

'No,' Florus replied pensievely. 'I shouldn't like to get into something with someone and not know what I'm doing.' Of course, Attis had explained the bare bones of it all, but there was bound to be more. Presumably one didn't just jump on the object of their affection and do the deed. Presumably there was a lead up to it. At least he hoped. And with any luck, Alexius would explain it to him.

His cheeks had been doing a fine number today, with all the blood flowing through them, but they seemed to be returning to normal, at least until Alexius asked him how he had stumbled upon his knowledge. At least it was only pink, and completely unnoticeable. Hopefully.

'A friend told me. I said I'd never found a woman I was interested in, and he said it didn't have to be a woman. I didn't know that! How did you find out?'

@Atrice

Alexius let go of his hand, and Florus felt something grumble inside him. Was it disappointment? That was silly. Alexius was just trying to show him something; the gardener had no business getting overly excited. He stood up at the same time as the former gladiator did, very much as eager as the other man was. Just imagine, if Tranquillus could feel the way he felt, with just a slight pressure on his hand... He was going to get carried away now, and he knew he ought not to. He wasn't going to get Tranquillus, after all. For so many reasons.

'Alright, let's go,' Florus urged the other man. Maybe he was being too enthusiastic. Was that alright? It was a good thing Alexius lived close by: he didn't want to wait a second longer. It was also a good thing that they were going to be alone. It felt like it would be embarrassing to have someone else witness his inexperience and Alexius' coaching. Of course, he didn't have anything to prove to anyone, but if something ever happened, with Tranquillus, or, more likely, with someone else, he didn't want to be seen as the one who had needed coaching.

'I haven't,' Florus replied. Of course Alexius would need to know these things if he was going to teach him all about them. 'By a man or a woman.'

@Atrice

Cinnia's words and kind smile seemed to rouse something inside of Florus, and he found enough energy to brace himself, and enough enthusiasm to want to go on with the lesson. A shy, small smile appeared on his face, proof of his good faith. He was ready to do this, and yes, he was willing. He needed to learn so that no one would ever try to steal from him again. Or, if they tried, he'd ensure they knew he could give them what was coming to them, swiftly and without so much as breaking a sweat. Alright, that last part might be wishful thinking, but being prepared was always a good thing.

'Gratitude for your help, Cinnia,' the gardener said, his tone serious. Florus was serious most of the time. He found it difficult to disengage from a train of thought, and levity and wit often went by too quickly for him. It wasn't just the language barrier. Sometimes he felt like he inhabited his own head more than the outside world. But these lessons were grounding him in the moment. The moment to kick some ass.

'I think... I don't mind what you think is the best option. I just... please don't touch me there anymore.' He really didn't like it.

@Atrice

Gaul. He'd heard about the Roman province, but he'd never met anyone from there. As always when he encountered people from new places, Florus examined her, expression still neutral. Yes, she looked like a regular person. People didn't tend to have the name of their country of origin stamped on their face. Except for the one slave he'd seen once at the market. He couldn't read, of course, at least not really, not yet, but he knew some letters, and he assumed the F on the man's forehead was short for wherever he was from. Thrace, maybe? No, F didn't make that sound.

What was a Gaul doing in Britannia, he wondered. Then again, merchants existed, and he supposed they had to learn each other's languages in order to do their merchant stuff. Maybe she was part of a merchant fleet? She seemed to be a free woman, at any rate. Florus closed his curiosity up in a box. It wasn't his place to wonder about other people. All he really wanted to worry about was his plants, and a certain special someone.

His cheeks were still quite pink, but as she incorrectly assumed his someone was a woman, he raised his eyes to meet hers, somewhat defiantly, though his expression remained altogether polite. 'I like irises. I hope he does too.'

@Chevi

The Roman's reaction left Florus relieved. At the time, he'd been highly annoyed by Tranquillus' constant interventions in his gardening plans, and considerably flustered by the other man's presence and gaze, without knowing why. He'd thought he'd answered the body slave curtly, rather rudely, and had been so very afraid that his impoliteness would have him reported to the Roman, but he'd been lucky. He'd learned to know Tranquillus, in all that time, and now he knew the man was just kind. So kind. And so attractive. And now was not the time to think about his brown eyes.

'Gratitude, dominus,' Florus said. 'I would be glad to work with any fruit tree of your choosing.' Any tree, really. Or plant. Of course, it was much more fun when he could decide the plants he wanted, but he didn't hate the imposition, either, if he forgot for a moment that he didn't have any ounce of choice in his life whatsoever. Thinking about the gardens usually helped in that regard. When it wasn't he who chose the plants, it felt like a game. Oftentimes they were plants he wasn't familiar with, and the goal of the game was to figure them out by himself.

Incomprehension coloured Florus' usual neutral glance as the Roman urged him to destroy the ugly statue even more. He didn't quite understand why the man was so keen to have his own property even further destroyed, but he also didn't care too much. Part of the statue's face was still intact, and its eyes seemed like they were uncomfortably peering into the young man's soul. Sure, he would destroy it. No problem. 'I think smaller bits would be preferrable, dominus,' he said.

@Liv

Florus looked at his cup of wine, and might have been about to drink when he noticed Alexius' eyes on him. Something about how the man looked at him was warming his cheeks. It was exciting, arousing even. He would learn so much! He was a good deal more cheerful than he usually was, and not sober at all, but he was still in control. Or, well, his pulsions seemed to have a better control of the situation than his mind. Alexius was a good-looking man. Very experienced. Good.

'It is,' he confirmed. 'I didn't know what I wanted until two months ago.' He didn't know when he would get the chance to thank Attis for it, but he felt like he should. He'd never understood why women had no appeal for him, and had always pretty much figured everyone else was also pretending they liked them as much as they did. 'But now I know,' he said, raising his head to look into the other man's eyes. And it was very good to know that he was not alone with his desires. It was good to know that someone like Alexius understood.

Something pulled from his navel as Alexius caressed his hand, and he repressed a shiver. That felt really nice. The former gladiator was going to teach him how to touch, and maybe then he'd learn how to elicit such a reaction from someone like Tranquillus. Or most likely not. But still. And then the other man spoke of pleasure, and Florus had to bite his lip. Alexius was very good at this. If one day Tranquillus could feel just half of how the former gladiator was making him feel, right now...

Florus finished his cup of wine, but found that swallowing presented a bit of a challenge. 'So, erm, do you want to go now?' They needed to go now, really, because it was already bordering on indecency, as far as the gardener was concerned.

@Atrice

Hitting someone, anyone, and especially a friend, it turned out, made Florus miserable. The blow had landed, and it seemed like he had hit well. She'd stumbled back, and seemed to touch her jaw gingerly. It seemed painful. She gestured that it was alright, fine, but he still felt incredibly guilty. He hated that he had hit her, especially since it wasn't the move they'd practiced. He wasn't sure how he could make it up to her. He'd have to find a way, because surely this would not do.

He shook his head at her words. 'I didn't mean to, Cinnia. I didn't want to hurt you.' Permission to do it or not, he hated it. He hadn't liked fighting in the battles either. He felt so out of his depth, far away from what made him him. He liked plants, not violence. 'I don't think I would have made any kind of warrior,' he said. 'But I don't think I'd feel sorry punching someone who grabbed me, though.'

@Atrice

'Aia,' he repeated. It wasn't a name he was immediately familiar with, and that, coupled with her accent, made him wonder where she was from. He had only once, since leaving Longinus' household, met a Briton in Rome, and that was Cinnia. He wondered if any of his tribe, the Silures, were wandering the city, enslaved as he was. Probably. He couldn't fathom being the only one left. It was a depressing thought, for one, but honestly it just seemed supremely unlikely. 'Where are you from, Aia?'

Aia's perceptiveness brought a pink tinge to Florus's cheeks. Or maybe it wasn't really perceptiveness, and the gardener just felt called out? He was, after all, totally arguing about the price of flowers, for his special someone. 'Erm...' Well, she certainly had her answer.

@Chevi