Saturnalia thrice blessed [M]

[Sharpie]

"Well, I won't stop you," Rufus said. "Though I'll confess to being a little jealous that's how you get to spend your Saturnalia - both of you," he added, as if he wasn't clear enough and saying as much wouldn't see him go flying out over the balcony to the ground below. Or wishing he could shrink small enough to disappear between the cracks in the floorboards.

Bacchus, that wine couldn't have been as watered as he'd thought, if he'd actually come right out said it. Didia was probably going to hit him over the head with a saucepan or a rolling-pin. Theo, being a medicus, was likely to do something worse.

"I think the quiet night in might have been the joke, this being Saturn's season," he said to Theo, thoroughly prepared to have to make a run for it and find somewhere to spend the night.

Suddenly the flaking plaster of his own room didn't seem quite as bad as he'd first thought.

 

@Sara @Chevi

[Sara]

Didia let out a little giggle. Her skin felt warm, flushed and her mind felt...fuzzy. She didn't make a habit of getting drunk, not like some of her companions who spent the majority of their lives stumbling from one cup of wine to another in the various insula of Rome. Yet tonight was special, and tonight was a holiday and she felt buoyed...and giggly. 

"You're not really Greek," Didia protested with a wrinkled nose and a frown of drunken concentration, "Y-you've been here years, you must know which one was a joke..." Her lips twitched into a mischievous smile and she draped her arm round her husband's shoulders, fingers playing over the nape of his neck. Meanwhile, she tried to offer Rufus a flirtatious look, but given how much (strong) wine she'd imbibed, she wasn't sure if it came across more confused than flirtatious. "D-did you know Rufus l-liked me," She grinned and then looked back up at her husband, "He proper liked me..."

 

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[Chevi]

"I think the quiet night in might have been the joke, this being Saturn's season," 

Probably. Theo was not going to turn down any advances from his wife on any given night, but Saturnalia especially tended to get Roman women in the mood. And men.

"You're not really Greek. Y-you've been here years, you must know which one was a joke..."

"Don't let my parents hear that" Theo smirked. Didia was looking a bit tipsy by now. Gods, maybe the wine came out a little too barbarian. Her fingers played with the back of his neck, and his skin was covered in goosebumps. 

"D-did you know Rufus l-liked me. He proper liked me..."

Theo arched an eyebrow, looking at his wife, trying to see if she was playing another joke. Then he looked up at Rufus, then back at Didia. An amused smile played on his lips. "Well, now I do. What shall I do with this information?"

@Sara @Sharpie

[Sharpie]

Well, Theo looked amused rather than angry, which was something in Rufus' favour at any rate. "Didia's not the only one here I proper like," he said, and wondered if he'd taken complete leave of his senses. He must have done! "I mean, well, she chose you and anyone she likes is worth liking, and you've been very good to me, and - I should go before I make a worse fool of myself than I have already, if that's even possible."

He didn't, though, not immediately. He still felt odd and out of place, somehow intrusive, although he felt less out of place and intrusive than he just had and couldn't quite work out why, especially after that disaster of a speech.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he'd got up and pressed a very quick kiss to Theo's lips then stepped back. "Um. You two look very good together," he said and turned towards the door. He really would fare a lot better with the falling plaster in his own rented accommodation!

 

@Sara @Chevi

[Sara]

Didia let out a full laugh that rang from the beams of the room, echoing around the three of them. Her grin split her face, dimpling her cheeks as Rufus made his disaster of a speech. Bless him. He had always been sweet, sweet and kind and...something else she had shut down the moment she had taken her vows and married her husband. But standing here now - with flirtation hot and high in the air and with the wine flowing in her blood (and theirs), it didn't seem so odd or wrong to be musing on those past feelings. 

Her eyes widened though as Rufus crossed that very fine line between flirtation and action and kissed her husband. She expected to feel jealous, or aggrieved or confused but she didn't. She blinked and watched Theo's reaction carefully and when she found it inscrutable (the wine, no doubt), quickly pushed herself up from her seat and bolted to pull Rufus back, but she didn't see the stool in the way. Her foot caught it and she tripped, landing sprawled out in a heap at Rufus' feet. "N-No!" She managed, breathless through shock but with a drunken grin plastered on her face. She started giggling. She'd hurt tomorrow, be covered in bruises no doubt, but for now she was enjoying herself - even led on the floor as she was. She moved to clasp a hand around Rufus' ankle, refusing to let him walk away. 

"Rufus can stay, can't he?" She queried to Theo with a mischievous, flirtatious look on her face.

 

TAG: @Chevi @Sharpie

[Chevi]

"Didia's not the only one here I proper like... I mean, well, she chose you and anyone she likes is worth liking, and you've been very good to me, and - I should go before I make a worse fool of myself than I have already, if that's even possible."

Theo blinked. Rufus was clearly feeling awkward in the middle of their little Saturnalia dinner, and he did not mean to make him feel like that. Sure, they were all on uncharted waters, but that was the beauty of Saturnalia, as far as he understood it: venturing to do things that one would not do on any other day. And Didia seemed to be enjoying herself.

Rufus got up to leave. Theo opened his mouth to tell him to stay, there was no need to break up the little party they had going... but before he could speak, Rufus pressed his lips to his, and then turned to flee.

"Um. You two look very good together,"

Theo blinked again, mouth still slightly open. Didia acted faster. But not with more grace. She fell, and Theo winced, finally jolted out of his surprise.

"Rufus can stay, can't he?"

"Yes" Theo chuckled, getting up to help his wife up from the floor where she was holding another man's ankle "Yes, Rufus can stay. If he wants to." He looked up at him, one arm holding Didia, and extended his free hand. "Rufus?"

@Sharpie @Sara

[Sharpie]

Rufus was a little puzzled at first to find that there was a hand clasping his ankle, and then realised the reason for it. "You don't have to fall at my feet. I wouldn't like Theo to be jealous."

Though maybe Theo wouldn't be jealous. That was an interesting thought. "I'll stay," he said, accepting Theo's free hand and turning to help Didia up. It seemed quite natural to turn whatever-it-was into a three-way hug, and he did so, grateful that he didn't seem to have made as big a mess of things as he had somehow expected.

"So, um, I don't want to insert myself where I'm not wanted," he told them, a little uncertain of what was going on now.

 

@Sara @Chevi

[Sara]

The benefits of being married to a medicus far outweighed the annoyance at the constant bloodied clothes to wash and bottles and vials everywhere, because as she lay prone on the floor with scuffed knees starting to sting, even in her drunken haze she realised her husband would be able to tend to it tomorrow. If he wasn't emptying the contents of his stomach from a hangover, that was. 

She refused to accept his hand though until Rufus confirmed that he'd stay. She grinned, dimpling her cheeks and glanced up between the two men from her position on the floor; "You see? I'm e-ever so persuasive." Reluctantly she released the grip on Rufus' ankle and took her husband's hands, being pulled up onto wobbly feet. "I need to sit down." She frowned and shrugging off Theo's assistance, wove her way to the small couch they kept next to the bed. It was barely big enough for two people to sit on - although she determinedly made Theo squash on there with her. Nonetheless, as she deposited herself down, she reached up both her hands; "Both come and sit with me s-so I don't seem so sad sat here by myself." Poor Rufus looked like he was going to have a heart attack, she wanted to calm him down. 

 

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[Chevi]

Well, there they were. The three of them, holding hands or whatever this was supposed to be, with Didia looking both wobbly and cheerful.

"I'll stay. So, um, I don't want to insert myself where I'm not wanted," 

"Yeah, I think we are past that now" Theo chuckled, watching as his wife made her way to the couch, plopping down. 

"Both come and sit with me s-so I don't seem so sad sat here by myself."

"Does she look drunk to you?" Theo glanced at Rufus. She had definitely had wine, and was unsteady on her feet. Theo walked over, and since the couch was way too small, he scooped Didia up and sat down with her on his lap. "Sorry, gotta save some space for our guest. Are you feeling alright?"

@Sharpie @Sara

[Sharpie]

"That wine must have been stronger than you thought," Rufus said, though quite which of them he meant was anyone's guess. He still couldn't help feeling like an interloper as he sat down next to Theo on the couch. "You are drunk, Didia - shall I get you some water or something?"

He had dealt with enough drunk and hungover free people (his masters included) during his time as a slave that he knew how to alleviate it - not that many of those drunk people had complied with his suggestions. Not that he'd ever really felt comfortable making suggestions, although his last position, as his master's body slave, had allowed more freedom to suggest things than most slaves ever had.

"Why would you be sad?" he asked, genuinely curious. Didia was not a sad sort of person, and Saturnalia was supposed to be a happy time for everyone. "I'm not sad and Theo isn't either - you're not, are you? - so why should you be?"

 

@Sara @Chevi

[Sara]

"I can hear you!" Didia protested with a frown and a grumble as she was picked up by her husband, but settled into his embrace with a small sigh of contentment. "I'm feeling fine," She said as she wrapped one arm round her husbands neck, "I'm not sad - I would have been sad had you both not decided to join me."

She looked between the two of them then, taking the time to study their faces with a quizzical look in her big hazel eyes and a frown on her forehead. Their faces were slightly fuzzy around the edges, but as she took a long hard look at them in turn a smile crept on her face. So handsome. So equally useless. The tension was palpable in the room, not even slightly diminished by her drunken tumble, and yet neither of them would do anything about it unless she prompted them, it seemed. Besides, if either man rejected the proposal she'd just claim it was drunken foolery and they were reading too much into it. Win-win...-win. 

Gently she reached out her spare hand to stroke Rufus' face softly, as the other remained wrapped around Theo, her fingers playing on the nape of his neck. 

 

TAG: @Chevi @Sharpie

[Chevi]

They were sitting on the couch, all three of them. It was not the most comfortable seating, but having Didia on his lap freed up some space for Rufus to join them. Didia was tipsy but not sad. Not now that she was sharing the couch with the two men. Rufus still looked a bit out of sorts, but to be fair, so was Theo. He did not expect Saturnalia to go quite this way.

Didia's fingers traced the nape of his neck and Theo shivered. Her other hand reached out to Rufus. Theo found he did not mind. He fit into the picture well. The medicus tilted his head and pressed a kiss to his wife's neck. "Io Saturnalia" he smirked against her skin "We do what you want. It's your festival. Have fun."

@Sharpie @Sara

[Sharpie]

It was quite a small couch and they were slightly squashed, with Rufus' arm trapped between himself and Theo. He shifted so that he could free his arm, finding that he had nowhere else to put it except around the other man's shoulders, the couch not having much of a back to it.

"Io Saturnalia," he said, echoing his friend. "I believe we are yours to command, oh fair Didia Nonia. What is your command - I don't think either of us will object to whatever you desire."

 

@Sara @Chevi

[Sara]

Didia glanced between the men. Good. She grinned a lascivious grin to herself and giggled at the feeling of Theo kissing her neck. This had not been what she intended, and certainly not something she thought herself capable of. She loved her husband, deeply, but Rufus...always the one that got away. Or rather, the one that was enslaved. 

But something was off and she frowned, even as Rufus embraced Theo with an arm around the shoulder. She abruptly, and without a huge amount of initial success, pushed herself up from her husbands lap to stand up. The room was a bit fuzzy in her peripheral vision but her annoyance was hot and the slightly fuzzy situation could wait. "Why is-is it always the women that have to do everything?" She frowned and gave an overly dramatic, exasperated look at each man. "At my command indeed. Did the Gods n-not give you brains to think for yourselves?" She gave them both a look that said; 'seriously?' and then let out a harumph sort of sound. "If neither of you want to, then I'm not going to force it! Io Saturnalia indeed!" She reached and poured herself another large cup of wine. 

 

TAG: @Chevi @Sharpie

[Chevi]

Everything seemed to be going well for a moment; they were in agreement to give Didia what she desired. And yet, suddenly she was off Theo's lap, looking kind of miffed.

"Why is-is it always the women that have to do everything? At my command indeed. Did the Gods n-not give you brains to think for yourselves? If neither of you want to, then I'm not going to force it! Io Saturnalia indeed!" 

Theo blinked, mouth open in bewilderment, then looked at Rufus for help. Something had clearly gone wrong with offering her the freedom to be in control of things, but he was not entirely sure what it was.

"What just happened?"

@Sharpie @Sara

[Sharpie]

"I don't know," Rufus said,and grasped Didia's hand. "Don't be angry. I was teasing, I'm sorry. And... I do want to, but whether or not anything does happen is your choice, yours and Theo's, and if either of you doesn't want it, that's fine too and we'll all still be friends tomorrow, because I don't want to spoil that."

He swallowed. It would have to be put into plain Latin, obviously. "If anything does happen, it's all three of us, or just you two. I'm not doing anything with either of you that the other one wouldn't be happy about."

 

@Sara @Chevi

[Sara]

Didia felt more exasperated than ever by their reactions. She wasn't genuinely annoyed - not really - merely irritated that the two of them couldn't seem to put two and two together and actually do something rather than waiting for her to make a move. 

"Idiots." She mumbled under her breath with a glower at each of them but her expression softened at the feeling of Rufus' fingers stroking her own and she squeezed his hand. "Just don't expect me to do everything." She glanced at both of them and reached her spare hand to Theo to pull him into their little huddle. She didn't hesitate though this time and leant up on her toes to capture his lips in a kiss whilst moving Rufus' hand to her hip. 

 

TAG: @Chevi @Sharpie

[Chevi]

Rufus reacted first, while Theo was still trying to grasp what had gone wrong. Gods bless him, he was a caring person. He talked to Didia, soothing her annoyance.

"If anything does happen, it's all three of us, or just you two. I'm not doing anything with either of you that the other one wouldn't be happy about."

Theo stood to join them at the table. Rufus was right, this was about all three of them, but Didia had started it. She had to be in control. And right now, her control meant delegating things. Complicated.

"Idiots. Just don't expect me to do everything." 

"That's fair" Theo agreed, right before his wife kissed him again. This time, with more conviction. Theo kissed her back, wrapping an arm around her. She was an amazing woman, and he did not want her any less than the first time they fell in love. But this Saturnalia was not just about the two of them. Theo hoped Rufus was picking up Didia's cue as well. He pulled back, smiling at his wife before he turned her towards Rufus, running his hands down her sides, and pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

@Sharpie @Sara

[Sharpie]

"Looks like you're in the middle, Didia," Rufus said, finding Theo's hand stroking over his own as it rested on Didia's hip. He took both of Didia's hands and pulled her arms around himself, not caring where her hands went, even as he bent his head to give her a kiss, the first one they had ever shared. It somehow felt right to feel Theo's breath on his cheek as he did so, and he wrapped one arm around Didia and sought Theo's hand with his own free hand, pressing Didia between the two of them.

"I think I'm in love, with you both," he murmured. "How does a man get so lucky?"

 

@Sara @Chevi

[Chevi]

Didia was comfortably wedged between them now, and Theo smiled against her shoulder as Rufus kissed her. He wondered if they had kissed before. Either way, they could take their time. Rufus' hand found his, and the warmth between the tree of them was both comfortably and slightly maddening.

"I think I'm in love, with you both. How does a man get so lucky?"

"Never let the gods hear you say those words" Theo warned him, looking over Didia's shoulder. Being too lucky was usually frowned upon by divinity. Voicing it, even more so... But it was Saturnalia. Crossing boundaries was to be forgiven. "You know what, don't talk at all." he added with a smirk before he leaned over to kiss him too.

@Sharpie @Sara

[Sara]

They finally did something and as Rufus reached to kiss her, she blinked. Was this actually happening? She wanted it - that much was obvious by the way she returned the kiss with the redhead with a passion that had been brimming since she had met him that first time, but what about Theo? As she broke the kiss she glanced back around to her husband. "How did a man get so lucky?" she was asking herself the same question as she reached a hand to stroke Theo's jaw. Few men would be content, even in Rome, with sharing the person they loved - but both of them tonight seemed more than happy to do so. 

As Theo reached across  her shoulder to kiss Rufus she grinned, genuinely joyous. Now that was an attractive pairing and being of a slight stature, she managed to slip out from between them as they continued their embrace. Admiring them for a moment she smiled to herself and then cleared her throat, "Gentlemen...you know we have a perfectly serviceable bed...?" She waggled her eyebrows with a wide grin. 

 

TAG: @Sharpie @Chevi

FTB?

Edited July 4, 2021 by Sara

[Sharpie]

It was a nice kiss, if a little unexpected on some level (though if they really were going to do this, why should kissing Theo be at all unexpected?!) Didia managed to squirm out of the three-way embrace, leaving Rufus and Theo holding each other as they kissed. Eventually they had to come up for air, though, and Rufus looked over as Didia commented about the bed.

"No, I don't know that at all," he said, feeling a grin come over his face. "We might have to try it out to see whether it is serviceable or not." As his hands went to his belt, he looked between the other two. "There's too many clothes for this experiment, though, don't you think?"

Nudity was not something to be ashamed of, not in their society, and it wasn't long before Rufus was discarding his tunic - although he had watched the others begin the same process.

"Dearest Didia, and Theo - who should be in the middle?" he asked. If they were, all three of them, going to do this, simple logistics dictated one of them had to be, after all.

 

@Chevi @Sara

[Chevi]

Didia had been right, kissing Rufus was definitely a pleasurable experience. Theo smiled happily as his wife wiggled out from between them, and cleared her throat. The only problem with this situation was going to be sharing attention when there was so much to... do.

"Gentlemen...you know we have a perfectly serviceable bed...?" 

"No, I don't know that at all. We might have to try it out to see whether it is serviceable or not." 

Theo grinned at the both of them. That bed was going to get tested for sure. It was going to be a bit small for three people (it was just big enough for two), but something told him they were going to make it work.

"There's too many clothes for this experiment, though, don't you think?"

"Definitely" Theo nodded, discarding his own tunic. Rufus did the same, and hopefully so did Didia. Now there was going to be much to look at.

"Dearest Didia, and Theo - who should be in the middle?" 

Theo blinked, realizing he had never considered the logistics of something like this before.

"Um... let's try and see?"

It was Saturnalia, after all. They had all the time in the world. And Theo was definitely willing to try new things.

FTB.

@Sara @Sharpie

[Sara]

Didia woke up, curled in containment - curled being the operative word here. Or maybe wedged was more appropriate. Theo wasn't wrong about the bed, it was barely big enough for two let alone three and despite all of them being slender enough, she now found herself pressed up between two sleeping, naked men. Not that she minded, of course. In the light of day everything seemed...just as it had done, and she thought that a sign that everything about what they did last night was fine, good even. She felt no guilt, no shame, just...contentment. 

Of course, what the men made of it she didn't know although she was dying to find out. Clearing her throat, she managed to wriggle enough to free both of her hands and then poked them both simultaneously in their sides; "Lazy, lazy men, still asleep at this hour?" She grinned at both of them from her stuck position, shaking her head. "I'm afraid I can't offer you water or wine, I'm stuck here which is...fine by me." 

 

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[Sharpie]

Rufus sighed in his sleep. The dream he was having was a very pleasant one, following on the heels of some extremely pleasant sex with two of his very favourite people in the Empire. He blinked his eyes open - his lifelong reflexes were still there, trained into him at a very young age that his wants and needs were subservient to his masters' - and it was a moment before he recollected that I. he was a free man and II. he was in bed with two good friends, and III. the person who had poked him was not his ex-master but Didia Nonia, and he was as naked as she was. And that she seemed to have no regrets at all about what they'd been up the previous evening.

Which was enough of a relief that he propped himself up in the narrow bed so that he could kiss her.

"Maybe we could try me in the middle next time?" he suggested with a smile at her and a fond glance at Theo, who, being Greek, would probably prefer the Greek method to the Roman method between himself and Rufus, which was OK with Rufus who would prefer the Roman method.

Hopefully, if Theo didn't have second thoughts about everything, they could try it both ways?

"Ah - did you want water, or wine, then?" he asked, realising her words had probably been a hint to him to get up and let her slake her thirst, rather than just stay there dreaming about Round II.

 

@Chevi @Sara

Edited July 18, 2021 by Sharpie