Érik

The wine was beginning to swirl his thoughts, almost as though the plumes of burgundy occupying his mind were wine in smoke form. It was alright, nothing was wrong, but Florus distinctly felt more relaxed. Everything was going well, and everything was going to go well. Swimmingly. They'd go to Alexius' home, and the former gladiator would explain all he knew to the gardener so he wouldn't come off as an inexperienced child to the man who would have him. Hopefully Tranquillus, but probably not. The body slave didn't see him, after all.

'Let's go to your place, then,' Florus said with a decent amount of cheer, more than his usual neutral expression contained. 'What kinds of things will you show me?' He was eager to learn.

@Atrice

Florus looked at the woman seriously, though not unkindly. He seldom did smile, and not for strangers. HIs gardens and Tranquillus got his smiles. They were worth it.

He considered her for a moment. She had showed him kindness, and she spoke his language, albeit with an accent he was unfamiliar with. She spoke with assurance and the confidence that told him she was far from being a slave. What was someone who spoke Britonic doing here, out of their own free will? He certainly wouldn't be here of his own accord. But now that there was Tranquillus... Well, it was all very confusing, wasn't it?

'Florus,' he said, after a moment. 'And you are?' He should know better than to speak to a free person in that manner, but the common language brought out some familiarity within him.

@Chevi

The second Cinnia grabbed his belt and started reaching for his front, Florus became immensely stressed. Not thinking about anything at all, least of all what she had told him to do, his instinctive reaction was to aim a punch to her jaw.

Realizing what he'd done, the gardener immediately took a step back and stared at the woman, wide-eyed. 'I... apologies!'

@Atrice

Florus let himself be used and hit, feeling like a straw doll. She wasn't hurting him, as promised.

'It does make sense,' he confirmed. He liked that he understood how the seemingly random movements were connected and could be used to defend himself. And now she was going to grab him, and he was going to have to try to defend himself, as she had just shown him. But then that meant that she was going to mimick his attacker, and grab at him the way the stranger had, and he didn't want that. He hadn't liked it then, and he didn't want it to happen again. Did he have a choice, though?

He tried to shake himself into position, but he was still uneasy. 'Alright, do it,' he said, though his tone was less inviting than his words.

@Atrice

Florus gratefully nodded to Alexius as he poured him some more wine, and soon brought the cup again to his lips. He took a sip, and then licked his lips, nonchalantly, not breaking eye contact with the former gladiator.

Alexius was an experienced man, he was saying so himself. And he had said he was there to give Florus a hand, if he needed. Well, that was just perfect, wasn't it? The gardener could totally ask for his help. It wasn't like he didn't need it, honestly. If left to his own devices, he was pretty sure he would never figure it out. And although he was certain Tranquillus would never, not in a million years, want him, he was also certain it wouldn't come off as attractive in the least, to Tranquillus or to any other man, if he didn't know what he was doing. Alexius could give him pointers.

'Didn't you want to go for a swim?' Florus asked, confused. He didn't mind either way, honestly, but he would probably prefer the option that allowed him to keep his clothes on. He'd been naked in front of the other man enough for today. 'We can go to your home, and then you can show me things?' That was bound to be a helpful discussion.

@Atrice

Florus nodded, looking at Cinnia's feet. He had been uncomfortable, and yes, afraid, if he admitted it to himself. He had escaped, but what exactly he had escaped, he wasn't sure. He gave the bodyguard a confused look as she explained the man might have wanted more. What more could he have wanted? He had neither a purse, nor money hidden elsewhere on his person. Florus bit the inside of his cheek, and looked up at the woman. Yes, changing the subject to the more practical aspect of things would be best.

'Okay,' Florus agreed, trying to clear his mind and put on a more determined front. The elbow. Elbows were pretty strong, she was right. Unless he pinched the nerve there, then it felt all weird, and he wasn't sure he could use it as a means of defense if he did. But if his elbow was normal, then sure. He mimicked her movements, not really sure how it all made sense, but he innately trusted her. She knew what she was doing.

He trusted her enough to repeat the moves his attacker had made, slowly. He didn't think she would hurt him.

@Atrice

Florus waited for Alexius to be shocked by his revelation, but it didn't happen. Instead, the former gladiator revealed his own penchants, and the gardener merely stared back, uncomprehending. So he knew? And he liked men too? And women, as well, which he didn't know was possible, but it seemed irrelevant to his own interests.

'Can I have more wine?' He asked. Would that make the red upon his cheeks disappear if he had another cup? He bit his thumb, pensively looking at Alexius. 'I didn't mean to stare, but...' he trailed off, shrugging. He couldn't help it. Attractive men just caught his eye, and he knew this, now. And Alexius certainly was an attractive man.

'I am inexperienced,' he said in a low voice, looking at the table between them. The blush hadn't faded from his face. 'I have a friend who explained to me the mechanics of, you know, sex,' he said, the last most a mere whisper Alexius would have to lean in to understand. 'So I know how it works, but I don't know the rest.'

If the other man was there for him, as he said, maybe he would be able to help him with the matter of Tranquillus?

@Atrice

Florus blinked a couple times as the merchant's attitude dramatically changed towards him, handing him the iris for only half the price. His eyebrows raised, he handed the money over, and grabbed the plant, nervous that the man would change his mind. He held the iris to his chest, supremely satisfied. It was a beautiful variety, and he hoped Tranquillus would like it. He didn't have much money of his own, and he didn't spend it on anything other than the baths, but he still wanted to get the other man something. Why, he wasn't sure. He just knew that his heart was full, and he needed to get it out somehow. He wasn't very good with words, especially in a language that wasn't his own, but hopefully this plant would do some of the talking. Hadn't the white heather done just that?

Florus walked away from the merchant until he was behind the woman who had intervened. 'Gratitude,' he said. 'You didn't have to do that.'

@Chevi

The Roman seemed off for a brief moment, and Florus wondered what was wrong. Had he said anything that could be misinterpreted? He quickly analysed what he had just said, along with his facial expressions, but no. Nothing jumped out as something that could warrant this strange expression on Rufus' face. So then maybe it wasn't him. Did it mean trouble for him, though? There was no way to tell until the Roman composed himself.

What was the problem with cherry trees? They had cherries on them, and he couldn't see what could possibly be wrong with that. Maybe he thought the Roman girl ought not to have yet another fruit tree planted for her? It was all in the air, and Florus didn't really care enough to devine the reason, unless it was something to do with him. 'Yes, dominus, gratitude.'

The Roman was too lost in thought to care much about his childish question, and it came as a relief to the gardener. At least he didn't know of Florus' feelings for Tranquillus. Good.

What was less of a relief was the solemn tone the other man was now taking. This conversation had gone from the awkwardness he always felt when intereacting with Rufus to just plain strange.

'She didn't come to me, dominus. Tranquillus told me a few months ago that she had a liking for cherries, and he wondered if planting a cherry tree might please her,' he explained. 'Apologies, dominus, but I told him I would await your explicit instructions,' he said, lowering his head.

@Liv

Since his enslavement, Florus was not a very confrontational person. He knew what happened when you defied the Romans, and this man's reaction reminded him of it. He had forgotten himself, and that was a foolish thing. The merchant was yelling, and calling him a barbarian, and the young gardener reflexively recoiled. He didn't want to make a scene. He would just forget about the iris, and slowly slink away. Irises weren't even that nice, anyway. Not worthy of getting in trouble, at any rate. His plan was to just go back to the domus, and try again another day, when he didn't feel so overwhelmed.

And just like that, his plan was cut short. A woman, not much older than he was himself, had barged in. For a split second, he thought it meant he could slip away unnoticed, but then her words registered. She was talking about him. Taking his defense, sort of, and drawing all the attention to him. Supremely uneasy, Florus looked at his toes. 'I'm no one,' he muttered back at her, wishing he could disappear in the hot summer air. She seemed like she wanted to help, but she was going to get him crucified...

@Chevi

EJDER

FLORUS - HERE

'I'm not like the Romans,' Florus countered. He closed his eyes, recalling the events of that moment. All this for a few coins? He just didn't get it. Very obviously he wasn't carrying anything, but that hadn't stopped his attacker. He was lucky to have been able to get away. And he did need Cinnia if he was to avoid a repeat of the situation. What if another time he couldn't manage to just push the other man off? He didn't want to be beaten for not having any money on him, which he surmised was what might have happened.

She trusted him, she said. Okay. He took a deep breath, and positioned himself on her left side. The attacker had lunged at him from an alleyway, and so he lunged at Cinnia himself, grabbing her belt and pulling her towards him. Once she was facing him, he looked up at her with an apologetical expression. 'He must have been reaching for my purse, but I didn't have one,' he said, pawing at her front, and pretending to grab her crotch. Even if she said it didn't matter, he didn't want to do it to her.

'And then I shoved him away,' Florus said uneasily, taking a step back.

@Atrice

Alexius was behaving in a comforting manner, and Florus wasn't sure whether he was reassured or whether he ought to brace for the worst. He was going to have to explain it to the former gladiator, and he was going to need to get more wine down his throat in order to procede.

'You aren't making me feel uneasy, Alexius,' Florus said. Not in the way the other man expected, at the very least. Searching for his words, he finally drained his cup. That was a mistake, since it was nowhere near empty, Alexius having just refilled it. The wine was nice. Not quite as bracing as he would have liked, but it would have to do. Honesty was important, after all.

'I, um...' How did he begin? 'I don't know if you know this,' he started. 'But some men like other men.' He rapped his fingers on the table once or twice, and then his gaze met the other man's. His cheeks were still rosy. 'I like other men.' There. That wasn't so hard.

'And the reason I was looking at you in the baths...' By the gods, suddenly it had gotten more difficult. He pursed his lips. Where had the wine gone?

@Atrice

July 75.

The markets were bustling with activity, as they always were, but Florus didn't care. They made him uneasy, most of the time. Too many people, and too many things going on at once. Sensations, colours, noises, smells... Eventually it all set him on edge. There was a reason why his only outings generally were restricted to the baths, and why he preferred to stay in the gardens when it was possible. There was no peace outside. Not with so many Romans around, that was for sure. Not to mention everything else...

Today his mind was focused on something else, however, as it had been for the past two weeks. Tranquillus. Oh, he'd been thinking about him for a long time, now, but it had been two weeks since they'd shared their first kiss and Florus' world had become that much more beautiful. The world made more sense now that he had an anchor. It had also been almost two weeks since Tranquillus had left, and Florus missed him enormously. He hadn't known that he could feel so happy and so sad at the same time. Just as he had been able to touch the body slave, he had been taken away. It was so difficult.

The only thing he could do was throw himself entirely into his work. He'd been a devoted, caring gardener before, but now he threw all his energy into it, working all the hours where there was sunlight, and barely stopping to eat. He didn't really notice a difference in the outcome yet, but that wouldn't stop him from working. It was that, or sit around the gardens feeling sorry for himself. That had never been his type.

So he'd had an idea to make the domus more flowery. Large clay pots, which he had found in storage, somewhere, could be used to host plants and put around the doors leading to the gardens. It would be beautiful. And he'd even found a smaller pot, which he thought he might use to put beside Tranquillus' bedroom door.

All he needed to do was shop for the plants that would go in that pot, now. The young gardener browsed the flower and plant merchants, occasionally stopping to smell them. Interested, he pointed at a very nice iris. The merchant told him the price, smugly, and Florus exhaled incredulously.

'Are you serious? That plant is not worth that price!' He was indignant, now, and found his Latin to be failing him, so he reverted to Britonnic. 'Do you take me for a moron? You're a thief, that's what you are!'

@Chevi

Florus nodded. 'That would be great, dominus.' Peaches were very good. As much as he preferred the fruit, he too enjoyed their blossoms, though he wouldn't admit to having something in common with the Roman. Except for the fact they both breathed air, and stuff like that. 'I think I could manage the culture of a peach tree. And a cherry tree, too, if the young domina is still partial to them.' Hadn't Tranquillus mentioned something about the Roman girl wanting a cherry tree, a few months ago? If she had spoken to her father about them, then it might be on the cusp of becoming a reality. The young gardener liked the fruit trees. A lot of them didn't grow in Britannia. The same went for many of the plants. He was discovering so many things, here, that he wouldn't really have had the opportunity to learn otherwise. His gaze was soft as he thought of the plants, and of someone wandering through his gardens. The Briton hoped he liked them.

Florus' jaw hardened imperceptibly when the Roman spoke about embarrassing the household. Who cared? Of course, he ought to. The Roman meant business. He'd make him regret embarrassing him, if he did. Honestly, though, he couldn't imagine being in a situation where he would need to talk about current authors and poetry. He could barely read his own name, let alone poems. Who would expect him to read poems about fruit? And anyway, no one really talked to him. Both here and outside the domus he kept mostly to himself. He preferred it that way. It hadn't yet happened that anyone threw verses his way, and he doubted it ever would. Still, he had to play the part of dutiful slave.

'I will do better, dominus.' The Roman could never fault his servility, that was for sure. 'I will ask Tranquillus to read me the poems about the fruit. Do you think he would mind, dominus?' Instantly he regretted asking the question. It had sounded childish. The Roman didn't care about Tranquillus' feelings, much like he didn't care about Florus', either. If he ordered something, he expected it to be done. He knew for certain, though, that under the guise of having agricultural poetry read to him, he wouldn't mind spending more time with Tranquillus. And that, Rufus ought not to know about.

@Liv

Florus was enthusiastic about it all. He was going to learn to defend himself, and no one would ever try to steal from him again. Or, well, if they tried, he was going to kick their ass all the way back to their domus! Or something like that. He was invincible, or something, now, wasn't he? Not quite, of course, but all the same, it felt great that he wouldn't be a defenseless child anymore. Sure, he'd killed a man or two in the battle, but that was all the sword's doing. It was pointy and sharp, and all you really needed to do was stab people. That wasn't skill, though. He was going to be learning a skill now. And that was exciting! He gave her a bright smile, something that didn't altogether happen that often.

His face immediately became more somber as she asked him to do to her what had been done to him. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't a very good memory. He hadn't liked being pawed at like that, along his belt to find the purse he hadn't been carrying, and elsewhere, for better hold, he assumed. 'But I don't want to touch you there, Cinnia.'

@Atrice

Florus thought he was doing a fine job of being comfortable around Alexius when he brought up that he'd seen the gardener look his way. He nearly choked on his wine, and coughed, looking at the other man in alarm. He was suddenly bright red. 'I... Apologies,' he stammered.

He hadn't been expecting to be caught. He didn't think Alexius would have picked up on it. Nor any man, really. Much like Tranquillus didn't notice. Attis had told him men could like other men, sure, but he hadn't known before. That of course had to mean that most men were unaware of the fact, and wouldn't be expecting another man to be looking at them in that manner. He'd thought he had a relative safety about it.

Florus looked at his fingers, not daring to look up. Alexius wanted to drink his cup, and he did, but the gardener didn't feel like doing that. Drink more wine, sure, but not in as joyful a manner as the other man.

'Apologies,' he repeated. 'I didn't mean to make you uneasy.'

@Atrice

Florus was uncomfortable under the Roman's stare, but he didn't let it show. Why was he looking at him like that? It wasn't as though he had done anything with Tranquillus. To Tranquillus? The body slave didn't return his feelings. It was obvious, and there was no need to have it confirmed. Attis had known, and it seemed like the Roman also knew. By the gods, everyone knew except Tranquillus. Well, if Rufus knew that Florus felt this way, then he must also know Tranquillus didn't. His jaw hardened slightly as he was reminded of it, but he still looked on neutrally.

'I am not well versed in that, dominus,' Florus said, lowering his head. What was an epigram? Was it some kind of disease? If they were prominent, maybe Landicus ought to have them seen to by a medicus. Were they stories about a medical condition? Florus didn't understand why the Roman thought it would interest him.

Oh. They were stories, he realised. Stories about fruit. That sounded right up his alley. 'I would love to hear him read about that, dominus.' He nodded. 'I do know these fruits.' They both had pits. 'Peaches are juicy, and sweet. I quite like them.' The juice did dribble from his mouth, and make his hands sticky. Cherries, he enjoyed a little less. They were smaller, and definetely not as sweet. He preferred strawberries. They reminded him of Tranquillus' lips somehow. Inexplicably.

'I will ask him if you wish me to, dominus, but I shouldn't like to bother him.'

@Liv

Tranquillus was kissing his temple, but already he seemed poised to leave. There was nothing so annoying as duties right now, Florus thought. Oh, that they were free, and could kiss and do all manner of things whenever they pleased! The gardener continued to run his hands on the other man's face, and leaned in for a short kiss. It wasn't one to keep the other man there, and it wasn't one to test his new resolve of waiting, but it was still sweet, and it invited for more. Later.

'Will you be back?' Florus was fairly certain Tranquillus would, but he still wanted the other man to say it. It felt good inside him.

@Chevi

Florus nodded in understanding. 'Alright, Cinnia,' he said. Instantly his face became more serious as he envisioned the faceless person who had grabbed him the other time. They wouldn't have as much success with that once he properly learned how to defend himself, he thought. Cinnia was going for his throat, but the stranger had gone for his waist. And, well, not just his waist, but he figured it was all an attempt to grab a nonexistant purse from him anyway. Maybe Cinnia would next teach him how to protect his middle? He had managed to push the man off, but what if he wasn't as lucky the next time? Maybe he'd get beaten once they realised he didn't have anything on him. No. He wasn't going to let that happen. He'd learn.

He looked at Cinnia, who was putting pressure on his throat already, and decided to do as she said. She was no longer Cinnia, Brigantes Briton, but a faceless, nameless man, who wanted his purse. Florus brought his arms between Cinnia's, and pushed them outwards, effectively freeing himself of her grasp. 'It worked!' He exclaimed, barely hiding his excitement.

@Atrice

'It is,' Florus replied. There really was nothing quite like feeling clean. And the massages, too. There wasn't really anything quite like it in Britannia. To soothe an aching back, the remedy seemed to be having someone kneed their fists in your back. It really was nowhere near as gentle or as efficient as here in Rome. That was at least an area where they knew what they were doing. 'I go for the baths and the massages,' he said. Not the other thing. But if he did happen to see people worth a glance, he wasn't going to complain. Why did gladiators need to be so... there, and so naked? It was so terribly distracting.

Alexius had an idea, though, for after their jar of wine. They'd both only come out of the baths, so it was a bit odd to want to go back in the water so soon, but it sounded like fun, and fun wasn't really something the young gardener afforded himself. He wanted more wine down himself, though. Now that his cup had been refilled, he took a sip. He could get used to this, he thought.

'Sure. That would be refreshing.' Would they undress for it, he wondered. The other man had already been dressed as Florus had wandered in, and he reasoned that he might not be disappointed to see more of the former gladiator again. 'But in the meantime, I'm not opposed to more wine.' Especially not when wine made things less awkward, and made him less shy.

@Atrice

'Erm,' Florus replied. It was the only thing that came to mind. She was being weird, and he didn't know why. He had barely ever spoken to her before, if at all, in all the months he'd been here. Fair enough, Tranquillus and Attis were the only ones he'd had real conversations with in the household. He'd never spoken to women much, outside of his mother and sister, but but it was also fair to say he'd also never spoken much to men, either. For all his life, the gardener had mostly kept to himself, and that had been fine. Opening yourself up to other people made for a flurry of emotions, and he was needing to learn to deal with them. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't so much fun. It had been easier when everyone had just left him alone and not really cared to talk to him. Back in Britannia, there was no one like Tranquillus to make him feel like this. Easier. It had been easier before.

'What do you mean, bloated?' Did women feel bloated? Why? Aside from genitals, was that the difference between men and women? That women were bloated? He didn't remember the women in his family being bloated, or saying something to that effect, and Cinnia didn't look especially bloated, either. But then again, he couldn't tell by looking at Nymphias.

She called his attention back to the shadows in the rain, but try as he might, he couldn't see what she was pointing to. 'Are you sure?' Florus asked, still squinting. 'It's raining. If there's someone out there, they should come and shelter themselves.' What if it was Tranquillus, though? Tranquillus, walking through the rain, to check whether he was alright... He was so kind, after all. 'Tranquillus?' He called out. If the body slave was out there, he should get out of the rain. Or else his tunic would be soaked. Hmm. Well.

'Wait, are you from Britannia too?'

@Beauty

In Tranquillus' arms, the world seemed to quiet down. Since they had kissed, everything other than the two of them had been some sort of blur, but now, with the man's arm around him like this, Florus felt like it was really only them both, alone in the universe. And he wouldn't have had it any other way. They fitted so well together, he realised. It was as though his body had been made to fit the other man's arms. As though his lips had been made to kiss the body slave. The gardener wondered what other parts of him had been made to be with Tranquillus. At this point, all of him was entirely willing to find out, right now.

Tranquillus muttered something about Attis, and Florus was debating whether or not to tell him exactly what he had been told -would he dare, though, when he couldn't even be brought to say the word sex in front of the man he so badly wanted to have it with?- when the body slave kissed him, touching his face as he did so. The gardener found his mind completely empty. Gods, where had this sensation, and where had Tranquillus been all his life?

'I want you,' Florus replied to the older man's words once the kiss had, very unfortunately, ended. Tranquillus wanted them to take their time. Part of Florus, the part that very physically reminded him how much he wanted this, was disappointed. The biggest part of him, though, wanted Tranquillus exactly as he was. Beautiful, intelligent, kind, patient Tranquillus. If he wanted to take his time about this, then it was going to be that way. It wasn't even a debate. Florus found that he wanted to do anything and everything for the man to be happy. 'Then we will,' he replied simply. It was as easy as that.

And then it felt like the body slave was going to pull away, to return to the dull, dull real world, with his talk about the market, and everything. No, he didn't want to leave this perfect space with this perfect man. He ran his fingers through Tranquillus' beard. 'Don't go,' he said.

@Chevi

This was the exact definition of awkward, Florus thought. If awkward meant walking a tight rope where the slightest misstep might have him crucified. The Roman reminded him of a beast he had seen at the markets, once. Greenish brown, long, scaly, with unkind eyes and a neverending mouth that was full of teeth. He didn't remember how it was called, but it came from the land of Aegyptus, and the vendors had beaten it with a stick when it had attempted to bite a patron's leg. Rufus was like that, he thought. All teeth, and with the sole purpose of biting when the gardener was least prepared for it.

He couldn't help his red cheeks, but he could keep his back straight. He wasn't sure how much the Roman read into his posture, but it helped him feel less small. Even if he was in front of someone who only wanted to bite.

'He was that for me then, dominus,' Florus said, somehow even redder. Did he have any blood left in the rest of his body, when so much of it was busy fuelling his cheeks?

'I don't know what that is, dominus, but it is not that way.' Tranquillus didn't see him, really see him, after all. 'Tranquillus is kind, and he has been supportive, but it is not that way, dominus.' Much to his chagrin.

@Liv

Florus resumed his polite expression as the Roman explained how earthquakes came about. Yeah, sure, the gods. Whatever. The gods lived in Britannia, everyone knew that. Or, well, everyone who was intelligent. Couldn't really accuse the Romans of being intelligent. The earthquake didn't have anything to do with the gods, he knew as much, now. Tranquillus had told him so. It had something to do with the way the Earth moved. He hadn't really understood it, and he'd been in shock when the body slave had told him, but still, he knew Tranquillus was wise and brilliant, and had the answers to things like that. It seemed likelier than Italia being the centre of the universe, at any rate.

Rufus gave him some advice about earthquakes, and his face remained neutral. If something like that ever happened again, he wasn't stupid. He was going to find Tranquillus, and hope for it to be over soon. He had made things awkward in the end, but it was still preferrable to hiding under a sturdy table, as far as he could tell. When the Roman mentioned Tranquillus, Florus became quite red, possibly the reddest he'd been in front of someone who wasn't the body slave.

His surprise was impossible to hide for all the opening and closing his mouth he was doing. He probably looked like a fish.

'I, uh, dominus... Apologies? I, uh...' Why was his mind so blank? 'T-Tranquillus was very, erm, supportive,' he finally stammered.

@Liv