Érik

It was crazy how little Florus had thought about his own heart until Tranquillus came into his life. It was always just there, pumping, and doing whatever it was supposed to do, he presumed. Nothing really noteworthy. Just there. But now, when he was with Tranquillus, he was constantly aware of it, pounding in his chest like it wanted to come out. Not in a bad way, like if he was especially winded, but in an indescriptible manner, like it was too full to contain everything he felt, He didn't know what purpose hearts had, except maybe be a receptacle for feelings, and a tell-tale symbol of what kind of person you were. Tranquillus, for instance, had a steady, calm heartbeat, and the young gardener loved nothing more than settling in beside him, head on the other man's chest, listening to his heart. When his heart rushed because the body slave looked at him a certain way, or touched him, Florus understood what it was. The older man made his heart bounce around erratically like a child's stray ball. And right now, as Tranquillus leaned over to kiss him, he felt it. The man's kisses were as intoxicating as wine, and left his head in a better, more blissful daze. The young Briton knew he'd do anything for more of those. Including learning all the letters in the world. 'I'd really love that.' He nodded, then returned to Tranquillus' palm. R-A-I-L-U-S came the familiar pattern, but he remembered it was wrong. He usually got in right, nowadays, but he was used to practicing with a stick in the dirt, not all flustered under the other man's steady gaze. 'No, wait, that's not it,' he said. He was really keen on a reward for getting it right. Especially if it was a kiss. He was fairly certain there was no punishment involved for getting it wrong, but why run the risk of not getting a kiss? T-R-A-M-Q-U-I-L-L-U-S. He thought that was not exactly correct, but even crinkling his features and frowning his eyebrows didn't give him a hint. 'Do I get one for effort?' @Chevi

Florus looked up at Tranquillus, eyes twinkling. It took more time than he would like, but he was succeeding. He was reeling Tranquillus in. The body slave was really intent on teaching him, and it was difficult to tear him away from that. Truly, he loved this. And Florus loved him for it. His intellect, his dedication... If Tranquillus didn't exist, the world would be a sorry place indeed. The gardener could sense in the older man's tensing back that he was winning him over. And right on cue, as predicted, Tranquillus rose and went to sit on the bed beside him. The Briton put a hand on Tranquillus' knee, smiling sweetly, as he cupped his own chin with his other hand. 'I told you I take my education seriously,' he said as the body slave praised him, trying to sound matter of factly, but entirely failing to hide how proud he was of himself. 'In all asp-' Tranquillus tracing letters on his back shut him up in record time, and from somewhere deep inside his spine, he shivered. Florus pulled himself upright, and took the body slave's hand in his own, tracing a T in his palm then looking back up at the other man. He loved it when they were this close. And he loved showing him that he had made at least some progress. @Chevi

Florus looked at Tranquillus with a pout. Maybe he was being too subtle? The fruit had seemed very efficient for distraction, but his words, definetely less so. He hadn't thought he was being subtle at all, so how did he get things this wrong? Time to think of a new strategy. Learning his letters was all good fun, but it was never as fun as any of the other things he and Tranquillus got up to. Most likely he would never read any kind of text whatsoever, but that was of little concern when there were all kinds of other things he could learn. Besides, he'd never wanted to become an erudite. Knowing his letters and being able to read what he came in contact with in the course of his everyday life was more than enough. And if he could, eventually, read something out loud to the body slave, without stumbling too much, just enough to be impressive, well, then he'd be all set. 'I don't think those kinds of poems lack educational value,' Florus replied, having taken a new strawberry, and fiddling with it between his fingers. Maybe this was his new angle. 'There are so many things I don't know about, and I really need a tutor to help me,' the young man said, his tone very much back to the mock-innocent teasing. He grazed his teeth slowly on the fruit, and looked intently at the older man. 'Oh, I'm very focused on my education.' Just maybe not the same kind of education Tranquillus had in mind. To show his good faith, and maybe to help the other man understand exactly where his dedication was coming from, he started tracing letters on the bed. Upside down, taking his time because it was still very hard, he was still razor-focused. L-E-C-T-S. There. Lectus. Bed. Hard to be any clearer. And he was pretty proud of himself. @Chevi

Florus was equal parts amused and fascinated by how easy it was to reduce his Tranquillus to a gaping fish with a few insolent words and a naughty tongue. That he could have such an effect on this brilliant man, so reasonable and clever and logical, it defied comprehension. But Florus wouldn't question it. He just wanted to enjoy it. Tranquillus' answer wasn't especially satisfactory to the young gardener. What did he mean by indecent? Was the detailing of sex something that was indecent? He liked sex, rather a lot, and he didn't think it was a bad thing. It had been amazing every single time. Well, except once, but he was certain that could happen to anyone. But in any case, Tranquillus was flustered, and that was fun. 'Why don't you give me an example of just how detailed?' Florus finished his strawberry, and turned around on his stomach, propping himself up with his elbows. 'Maybe you could act it out?' The tone was perfectly innocent, and his grin did its best to be that way, too, but the glint in his eye was nothing short of evil. He reached out for another strawberry, this time extending his arm out for Tranquillus to take it. 'That's a shame, a scholar like you,' he teased, then shrugged. 'It doesn't matter, though. You could read me a treatise on architecture and it would still be the most attractive thing I'd ever heard.' @Chevi

I seem to kinda be back! Yay! I am most likely gonna be slow, though.

'Alright,' Florus breathed, trying to focus. He knew her arms were going to be around him, he was expecting it. Still, he tensed as she moved to attack him, and it took him a split second longer than he would have liked to pull himself together and remember himself. Bend over. A bit awkwardly he did just that, unsure why that particular movement was necessary. Elbow to the stomach. That one was easier, and didn't require much thought. The movement was very swift. It connected with her belly, and then with her jaw with a precision that was unexpected for someone so inexperienced, and it was gentle. It made contact, and was efficient, but he was just touching, not hitting. If Cinnia wanted to be hit for real, she'd have to ask for that, because it wasn't a service the young gardener was keen to provide. @Atrice

'Oh, so you're like a tutor, then!' Florus exclaimed excitedly, already connecting some dots. 'My, er, um... I know a man in my domus who was a tutor.' The smallest of smiles found its way on the young Briton's face. He couldn't help it, even mentioning Tranquillus made his heart soar and beat more fondly. 'I'm a gardener in a domus,' he said, though she probably wouldn't have needed the explanation. His disheveled hair and dirt-caked hands spoke for themselves. Not to mention the fact he'd already mentioned the first part before. He got a bit light-headed when Tranquillus came to mind. Couldn't help it. 'I live in the villa too, but I don't have my own quarters.' Like Tranquillus did. Undoubtedly she did too, since she wasn't a slave. 'You wouldn't think it, though, because no one in the room thought to wake me up when the earthquake started.' Except Tranquillus. Wonderful, amazing Tranquillus. Fat lot of good the other slaves were, really. If the body slave hadn't had the presence of mind, and the gigantic crush... @Chevi

'I, um, yes?' Florus replied lamely. When Alexius said it out loud like that, it didn't seem reasonable. It made no sense, honestly. What sense did it make to hold out for something that was never going to happen, anyway? The other man was right, if he kept up with this, he would indeed be missing out. And how long, honestly, would it take for him to get over the body slave? Would he be saving his heart and his body forever, just in case? Would he let himself wither away and die, untouched, unloved, because he was unable to just let go? Alexius hadn't said this much, but it sent thoughts spinning in the young gardener's mind. There was no logic to it, and maybe he should just give in to the man, and let himself experience some pleasure. It wasn't as though he knew what that would feel like, outside of his hands. Was he really going to deny himself the touch of a man, just for a pipe dream? Something passed over his eyes as he looked at the ex-gladiator. He was sure Alexius knew how to please a man. By the gods, he spent so much time talking about it, he needed to be good at it! Pleasure. Florus bit his lip. The wine made his mind a bit of a blur. He remembered Alexius touching his hand, and shivering, then. Pleasure. The other man was looking at him the way Attis had looked at the honey cakes. There was a hunger there. Pleasure... 'I can't,' he said, after a too long moment of silence and staring. It wasn't that he didn't want the pleasure Alexius' words and looks promised. No part of him would let him go through with it. It was Tranquillus he wanted. Tranquillus he wanted to inhale with all his sense, Tranquillus he wanted to please in all the magnificent ways Alexius was promising him. 'I want... I want it to be him.' Clearly he was a fool. It was never going to be him. When Alexius offered to continue the conversation upstairs, Florus thought it only fair. Where else would they go to talk? It would probably be odd if they stayed here having conversations of this nature. 'We can talk,' the gardener agreed. He wasn't sure that with Alexius' clear interest, the older man would want to hear about Tranquillus, and what was holding Florus back, but talking was safe. He licked his lips. 'Maybe you can give me tips?' @Atrice

Florus watched Tranquillus' facial gymnastics with mild bemusement. Clearly the older man knew the poet, though why mention of him would elicit such a reaction was lost on the young gardener. Meh. It was far more interesting to try to get some specific reactions from the body slave by taunting the strawberry. Florus was highly amused. He'd never thought he'd have this effect on anyone, let alone this beloved man. Much more fun than poetry, at any rate. 'Or else?' The young man's grin was a couple notches more than mischievous, and his pale eyes issued a dare. 'What do you mean, indecent poems? Like how?' It was confusing, thinking that poems that so obviously sounded like they would be about gardening might be about something else entirely. In what kind of universe were fruits like peaches and cherries sexual? Fruit weren't sexual. It was only when he placed the strawberry between his teeth that it clicked. Strawberries certainly had an erotic potential, when they were used to lure in body slaves, the way Florus was unabashedly doing. But peaches and cherries? He didn't get it. Maybe it was in the manner one ate them? Either way, it was flustering Tranquillus, and that was something he could use. 'Why don't you read them to me,' he said, finally taking a bite of the red fruit. 'And I'll be the judge of that?' @Chevi

Though Florus had been a slave for some years now, he had never partaken in the celebration of Saturnalia. These were not his gods, on one hand, but on the other hand, he'd always just been the gardener, and had never really mixed with anyone. No one bothered with the gardener, no one bothered to tell him that there were things going on. And, quite frankly, for all the other years of his servitude, it had suited him just fine. This year, however... When he'd learned there existed a day where he could just relax right beside Tranquillus without having to worry that either of them had completed their tasks, it had seemed too good to be true. And yet, it didn't seem like a prank. It was too elaborate for the whole house to be in on it, and Tranquillus wouldn't lie to him. He'd accepted the bowl of whatever that was, expression neutral as always as he sniffed. It didn't remind him of anything, but he didn't really believe someone who was waited on hand and foot all other days of the year could wind up being a perfect cook during that one day. Still, though, it was food, and it was warm, and he was not in the habit of complaining. 'Gratitude,' he told the Roman, too distracted by Tranquillus' mere presence beside him on the couch to pay all that much more attention to the man who'd handed him the food. He traced patterns on the body slave's back, very content with his day so far. The Roman wouldn't hold that against him, surely. He wasn't the one who was complaining about everything, after all. Surely that drew more attention than his affection for the older man. Surely everyone heard the surly woman's remarks. She always seemed to have something nasty to say. Although he wasn't afraid of her, he preferred to stay well out of her way. No reason to interact with her, really, was there? @Chevi@Liv@Sara@Sharpie

Florus' tongue tickled the strawberry as he stared insolently at Tranquillus, eyes twinkling. There really was nothing quite like being here, with the older man, his heart feeling so full. He never, ever would have suspected it was possible to feel this good. But here he was. 'Poetry, yes,' he said. 'He said something about you teaching me about Landicus?' The gardener looked at the body slave with some confusion. There was no reason why the Roman would be suggesting poetry to him, and it had seemed weird to him at the time, too, but then again, it was about fruit, so why not? 'He said his poems about, erm, peaches and cherries would be of particular interest?' @Chevi

It was a lazy day, and Florus was exactly where he seemed to be spending most of his time nowadays, which was sprawled on Tranquillus' bed, still dressed, but eating a strawberry in a manner that suggested he might not be so for very long. 'I don't need to be educated,' the gardener replied, frowning. He was educated enough about plants, what more did he really need? Anything he lacked, Tranquillus could help him with. Romans were ridiculous. As if he would ever aspire to get closer to the man who kept him enslaved. How self-centered and oblivious. 'You're a great teacher, Tranquillus. Always teaching me something, even when it's not letters,' he teased.

As you guys will have noticed, I'm a bit all over the place. This was not planned, and I don't intend it to be that way, I promise, and I will be back, but since I don't have a definite date, this is the heads up.

Florus pursed his lips and nodded. It was high time for him to stop asking impertinent questions. That was how he would get in trouble, he was sure of it. He always acted irreproachably, and he was gradually learning to hide the expressions of defiance in his eyes, but he really needed to learn to keep his tongue in check. He had heard of people who'd had their tongues ripped out because they'd said things that weren't to the Romans' liking. If he wasn't more careful... Well, suffice it to say, he had no plans on having it be his fate. Nope. He wanted his fate to be something good, with Tranquillus. He nodded to concede her point. Part of the empire, sure. Did it mean she had to act like the Romans and side with them? He needed to agree to disagree. It was the wisest path here. 'Of course we do,' he said, a glint of defiance in his eyes. 'We're Britons.' Florus cleared his throat. He desperately needed to stop while he was ahead. Somewhat confusedly, he grasped at the first topic that entered his mind. 'Do you live in a palace?' @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

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' 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