#int -> marcus.

[rhysdasiorarchive]

closed starter for @king-marcus-cove

As the castle-wide panic surrounding the assassinations drew to a close and heat week became the primary focus, Rhys made a conscious effort to remain in the safety of his office for the duration of such a tumultuous time. He considered himself endlessly fortunate not to be afflicted by heats of any kind; he doubted he’d be able to survive that kind of humiliation. After a morning of relative relaxation, Rhys had only just begun busying himself with prepping a few tinctures for safekeeping when three sharp raps against his office door demanded his immediate attention instead. Setting the juniper and clove aside, Rhys wandered leisurely to the door, pulling it open with a polite smile. “Mr Cove. What a pleasant surprise. Please, come in.” Rhys stepped aside and ushered him inside, gently shutting the door behind him. “How can I be of assistance?”

[genortiz]

starter for @marcusbishop location: masquerade ball

It was almost funny to think that Genesis had once been looking forward to a night out, and now the woman wanted nothing more than to go home. The ghosts of her past were slowly creeping up on her and while there was nothing she could do to prevent the inevitable, it was becoming rather difficult to mask her sadness or anxiety.

Excusing herself from her date just long enough to mingle, Genesis searched for a familiar face in the crowd and immediately landed on Marcus. Despite his relation to her ex-husband and complicated past with her best friend, the man had always been a gem of a companion and someone she felt she could lean on for comfort in times of trouble. "Please tell me your night is going better than mine."

[maikabishop]

closed starter for @bea-knight & @marcusbishop location: upper hand tattoo studio

Monday mornings were always frantic. Especially after enduring a weekend of late nights and drinking out on the town. While Maika was lucky enough to be working a closing shift at Fresh Garbage, Bea had been up bright and early that morning with her first tattoo appointment booked for 9 am.

Not long into her morning routine, Maika had been in the middle of making themselves a cup of coffee when they noticed Bea's phone still sitting on the counter. If it had been anything else, Maika may have left it until her roommate got home. But knowing how much the woman relied on her device, Maika knew that it would be appreciated if she stopped by the shop to bring it to her, with a tray of coffees for Bea and Marcus as an added bonus.

As the bell chimed above their head, Maika stepped into the tattoo studio and marched straight up to the front desk, greeting the secretary with a quick 'hello' before making their way over to Bea's station. "Have you been looking for this? I'm a life saver, I know." Maika teased, playfully dangling the phone in front of their friend's face.

[intheaftcrglow]

" he thought that i'd rather be married to my job than to him, so he decided to sleep with his agent while i flew to london to be with heidi. " if anything, she assumed her fiancé would have understood the ins and outs of the industry. the pressure. the stakes. as an actor himself, he knew it took a village for his career to run smoothly. " she's only twenty-two and this was her first international tour. " heidi was the latest pop sensation that alara had been representing for the past two years. as a young star, she wanted to be there for her as much as possible. " he tried to pull the sex addiction card, but... it's bullshit. " a pathetic attempt to excuse himself for his behaviour. " anyway i need a glass of wine. do you want one ? red, white or prosecco ? "

         ❝   yeah   well,   i   still   am.   ❞   didn't   like   seeing   her   down   even   if   he   wasn't   the   biggest   fan   of   her   (   ex   )   fiancé.   suddenly   wondered   if   he   needed   to   kick   the   guys   teeth   in   ...   ❝   mind   if   i   ask   what   happened   ?   ❞   is   already   getting   comfortable,   leaning   large   frame   against   the   counter   behind   him.   marcus   hadn't   dated   much   since   his   relationship   with   alara,   sure   he'd   had   his   share   of   women   but   it   was   never   anything   serious.   didn't   do   serious   since   her.   ❝   yeah,   i   can   stay   for   awhile.   ❞

[missadangel]

The Heart of Rome (Marcus Acacius x OC)

All Chapters List

XVII. The Birth (Warning!Childbirth)

Suspicio semel excitatur, omnia pascit.

Once suspicion is aroused, everything feeds it.

They were laughing, muttering, glancing, and smiling in a way that could be seen as arrogant, sinister, cruel, or otherwise unkind. However, you find yourself unable to respond to their actions due to an overwhelming sensation of pain in your chest. Since you fell in love with Marcus, you'd felt the same pain in that spot many times for different reasons. When he fought in the Colosseum, when he was wounded, when you were separated, when he spoke of his past, when he went off to war, even every time he left home. But none of it was like the pain you felt now. It was a strange, intense, rage-inducing, all-consuming, aggressive, dangerous feeling.

The gentle touch of your aunt on your shoulder, Decima's concerned expression, the hesitant looks of the other women who respected you – these intense feelings absorbed all of that. As you felt the anger and suspicion spreading throughout your body, you couldn't stop the tears from flowing because of the situation you were in, and you hated it.

"I won't allow you to upset my niece, our princess, in my house! Don't you have any decency?"

Everyone except Julia averted their gaze. "You seem to have forgotten that you're talking to an empress. It was the princess herself who asked the question, Antonia."

Antonia's gaze was sharp. It was clear that there was an unresolved conflict between her and Julia, and you were certain it had something to do with your deceased mother. "It was you who made the insinuation, Empress Domna and everyone here knows it. To gain respect, you must first give it.”

“You're going too far.”

"Hah! Look who's talking! Weren't you the one who first accused your own husband, the emperor, and then a Roman general, of being unfaithful? That seems a bit impudent, doesn't it?"

You took a deep breath and stood up with your aunt's help, this was not the time to cry, this was the time to put your foot down and Julia had already crossed the line and exhausted your patience with her.

"Lady Domna, you should be focusing on your son's future, not my private matters and my husband's. It's a shame you've made a habit of it, but maybe you're influenced by this unfaithful woman at your side," you said, looking at her. You knew who she was. She'd told you sarcastically about Marcus' former wife months ago, but you never confronted her because you didn't care. But now it was time. Looking at her, you continued, everyone, including the slaves, had stopped murmuring and were focused on you two.

"Don't think I'm not aware of what's going on. I may seem patient, but I'm not stupid."

The woman was about to say something in protest, but Julia raised her hand to stop her. You weren't planning to deal with her anyway, you didn't even look at her face even once. Julia raised an eyebrow. "You're speaking to an empress, so watch your tone."

"I was here before you. I was born a princess! I earned my status by birthright, without having to marry an emperor like you."

You could feel your aunt smiling proudly beside you. The women began to murmur quietly. Julia was caught off guard by your harsh words, and the woman next to her shot you a look, but you didn't falter. Her silence emboldened you. You approached her and leaned into her ear. "I know my husband will be furious when I tell him about your slanderous words. You'd clearly forgotten what happened the last time you pissed him off."

"You're almost proud to say that," she said, narrowing her eyes, but you could tell she was tensing up.

"You're the last person to lecture me on pride. How quickly you forgot that thing you asked me for when you came to my villa. That's exactly what a woman without pride would do."

“Are you insulting me now?”

“No, I'm just describing you.” You said sarcastically.

Her eyes flashed with anger. “You little!”

"That's enough!" Your aunt intervened. "Please leave my house, you are no longer welcome here." She said to Julia and her companions. Then she looked at everyone. "Thank you for coming, ladies, but the banquet is over now."

Julia looked at you with a bit of a glare and turned away, and the other women with her followed her, without saying goodbye or showing any respect. You took a deep breath and put your hands on your belly. You could feel the baby moving inside you.

"Are you well, my lady?" Decima asked as she stepped towards you.

"They say if you cut the grass, snakes will appear." Your aunt mumbled. "You did well putting her in her place, Aurelia."

You gave her a half-smile in return. The other women greeted you one by one before leaving the courtyard.

"I think it's an ugly rumor. Everyone in Rome knows your husband Acacius would never do such a thing. If you don't feel well, it'll affect the baby, so it's probably best not to worry about it."

You trusted Marcus, of course, but suspicion had already crept into your mind.

"Thank you, Aunt Antonia. I'd like to take my leave now."

"Of course, my dear. You should go home and get some rest." She gave you a quick kiss on the cheek. "I hope I'm not mistaken, but I believe you said the baby is due next week?"

You nodded.

"I hope everything will be fine."

"Aurelia, I'm really sorry about all this. Thank you for coming," Paulina said, giving you a hug. "Please don't concern yourself with what those women say. You need to think about your child.’

"So do you," you said, looking at her belly. "I'll be fine," you promised with a smile. Then took Decima's arm. "Have a good night."

"Good night, cousin," Paulina called out to you.

Your aunt accompanied you to the carriage, and the midwife came along too. "Aurelia, the things they said..." Antonia said in a low tone. "Even if it's true, just remember that you're still his wife, and that won't change. I'm sure it won't affect a love like yours. So you need to make sure it won't damage your marriage. That's what Julia wants, after all. Once she finds out you've had a son, she'll be even more hostile towards you. But as your aunt, I will always be there for you. I'll make sure she doesn't hurt you or your child. I won't let that snake bite me twice." She kissed your cheek and stroked your belly with her hand. "Now go home and rest. Try to keep your mind calm until the birth."

You smiled at her. "Thank you. I appreciate it.”

By the time the carriage arrived at the villa, it was already getting dark. You were lost in thought the whole way through, mulling over the past week. Over the past few days, Marcus left the villa in a bit of a rush in the afternoon and came back late. He never wore his armour during that time. Was there any chance he was really going there? Could the mere thought of a possibility hurt someone so much? But it did.

With Decima and the midwife's help, you carefully got out of the carriage. "Please don't mention what's happened back there to anyone, especially not the General. Is that clear?" You looked at the midwife in particular who replied with a nod.

When you stepped into the courtyard, Tullia greeted you.

"Thank Gods you're back safe and sound, my lady."

"Is my husband here?" you asked, looking up at your chambers.

"No, my lady. General Acacius has not yet returned." She and Decima exchanged glances. She was worried and surprised by your behavior.

"I will rest in my room," you said, heading for the stairs.

Decima came to you and took your arm. After all, it wasn't as easy for you to climb the stairs as before. As you approached the door, you looked at her. "I'd like to be alone, please."

She gave a little smile and nod, but her eyes showed her worry. You closed the door and took a moment to survey the room. It was as if your mood had even changed the atmosphere of the room. You touched the tulle around the bed and, as you ran your fingers through the fabric, everything you heard echoed in your head. You removed your necklace, crown, hairpins, bracelets, and earrings, put them all in a wooden box, and placed them in the closet. Once you'd removed the palla and stola, you went over to the bed.

You noticed the burgundy tunic that Marcus had taken off before leaving was on the bed. You sat down and held the tunic in your hands, taking a deep breath to enjoy his scent. Since he got back from the war, you only had physical intimacy once in balneum, and you missed him more than ever. It was tough, but you managed somehow. That is, until tonight. While you missed him on his own in the room, he is with someone else now...

'No, no, no, Aurelia. That's not possible.' You thought to yourself, 'I don't believe he'd do that.'

Your thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. You were pretty sure they'd be back to give you a hard time later on. Decima looked over from the doorway with a tray in hand.

"I've made you some chamomile tea." She said with a smile. "Can I come in?"

You smiled back and put the tunic back on the bed. "Yes, please." You stood up and sat down on the bed with her help. She placed a pillow behind your back and handed you the cup with tea in it then sat beside you. "I hope you're not still dwelling on what they said,"

You shook your head, "I am not," you lied.

Decima squinted at you, she knew you well. "Come on now, Aurelia. This is the General we're talking about. His love for you is nothing like I've ever seen. Everyone else might be tempted to cheat, but he is not one of them."

You took a sip of your tea. "But I need to know where he goes in the evenings."

"Do you want me to ask Octavius?”

"No, not him. He can't keep secrets from Acacius." You took another sip. You and Decima then looked at each other and said the same name at the same time. "Cato."

You both laughed.

"I'll speak to him tomorrow," you said, handing her the tea. "I've had enough to drink for now. Thank you, my dear."

She took the cup and helped you lie down on the bed.

“Decima."

She looked at you before leaving the room.

"I'm so glad I have you in my life," you said. "Your friendship is really important to me."

"I value yours just as much, my lady. Get some rest now." She said and then closed the door.

It was already tough enough to get some sleep at night with a little warrior on the way. And on top of all that, you were plagued by unnecessary worries. You wanted to roll over, but even that was difficult now. After a while, you heard voices coming from the courtyard. You closed your eyes when you heard footsteps climbing the stairs. Why did I do this now? You thought to yourself. You couldn't manage to roll over, so you pretended to be sleeping. The door closed and footsteps approached. You felt Marcus's lips on the top of your head and opened your eyes.

"Forgive me, did I wake you up?"

You turned your head and looked at him, into his brown eyes. Was this the man who was unfaithful to his wife? It was impossible. You gave him a smile. "I can't sleep without you."

His smirked. "I'll be right back." He said and removed his shawl first, then his sandals. He ran his fingers through his hair, adjusting, and sat on the bed, crawling in next to you. He then gave you a kiss on the temple, then on the nose, and then on the lips. "I've missed you. Both of you." He put his hand on your belly and smiled when he felt a kick.

"We've missed you too. I suppose it's because you're always coming in late at night these days." You tried to keep your tone calm. His expression changed for a moment as if he was thinking about what to say, which made you a little confused.

"If I might ask for a little more patience, my lady? I'll be going at night less often very soon, I promise."

This left you feeling even more confused. Did he mean after the birth?

"How was the banquet? Did you have a good time?”

Oh, right. I had a great time, indeed!

"It would have been better if Julia hadn't been there."

Marcus frowned. "Or did she say something to upset you?"

You looked him in the eye, but he wasn't asking questions or seeming to expect anything. He seemed genuinely concerned and sincere. "No, she's her usual self, never mind her. Besides, she is the one who got upset. I might have said some harsh things to her." You grinned.

He raised his eyebrows. "You? My Aurelia? Did you really do it?"

"Yes, sir. I did.”

He laughed. "You did well. I love my princess even more when she is tough," he said with a grin, putting his hand under your chin and kissing your lips.

Gods, his mouth tasted so good, and your tongue felt truly blessed. You couldn't help but wrap your arms around his neck and pull him closer. Marcus placed his hands on either side of you. He was almost starting to undress you, but he managed to stop and pull back. He broke the kiss, gently pushing your hands away. In response, you gave a little frown and pursed your lips, as you always did. He smiled and placed his hand on the back of your neck, guiding your head towards his chest.

'We should get some sleep now, my love." He was breathing heavily. Trying to calm himself down, stroking your hair with one hand while the other was just above your belly. He spoke to the baby for a while, feeling the kicks, and then he fell asleep. You watched him in his sleep, admiring his perfect nose, chin, eyebrows, and his curly grey hair. You had to get rid of this suspicion that was spreading like poison inside you. You fell asleep too, thinking about how to do it. You woke up more than twice over the rest of the night because your growing uterus was putting pressure on your bladder, leaving less room for urine and more frequent urges to pee. Fortunately, you had a devoted husband who was kind enough to wait for you at the door of the latrine while you peed. It must be a sin to slander this wonderful man.

When you opened your eyes in the morning and realised Marcus wasn't in bed, you had the urge to look up. However, you let out a slight groan when you felt a rather strong kick in your stomach.

"Good morning to you too, little one." You mumbled sleepily.

"Another kick?" Marcus asked. He was at his desk, looking like he was busy with some papers.

"Yes. It seems our child is eager to come out. Well, I'm really looking forward to it." You said with a sigh.

"Are you certain? I'm just afraid we won't be able to hold him once he starts walking. He's going to tire us out."

You giggled. "I agree." You said you had a hard time trying to sit up in bed. Marcus got up from his desk and came over to help you. "And I am certain."

“Hm?"

You grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. "You asked me if I was certain. So, yes I am. I would like to give birth to our child as soon as possible so that I can be able to touch you in the way that I desire."

He swallowed, his heart starting to race. He then lowered his head and whispered into your ear. "I must say, my lady, you try my patience too much. Be sure my revenge will be great.’

‘'I am eagerly awaiting." You giggled.

"You are quite mischievous." He chuckled and kissed you on the cheek.

After breakfast, you accompanied Marcus to the stables to visit Unio and Dromos. Once you had finished feeding them, Marcus proposed that he teach you how to groom. First, he made sure Unio stayed still then he handed you the brush. Unio sniffed the brush, her hot breath made you giggle.

"I think she wants to eat this. I believe you've already eaten quite a lot, have you not?"

Marcus laughed. "Start with her withers, right up here," he guided your arm to the top of her.

"I haven't seen Mau since we returned," you murmured as you brushed Unio's mane. Marcus put his hand on yours, and the other hand on your waist. Unio let out a soft whinny, it seemed that your movements were helping to relax her.

"I didn't see her either."

"I asked everyone but no one saw her," you said, pursing your lips. You missed her as much as everyone and everything else. She was one of the things that reminded you of your days in Egypt, after all. Marcus noticed your sad expression.

"It's possible she went elsewhere when the villa was abandoned. I think she'll be back."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, I do." He touched your cheek. "Listen, I really don't want to see you upset about it. You've been feeling a bit worried about everything lately, which is a concern for me.”

Well, he was right, but there was nothing you could do. "I have to admit that I'm feeling a little nervous as the big day approaches, but it's been worse since you went off to war. Those days were pretty tough for me." He could hear worry in your voice. "I'm scared, Marcus. I'm scared that at if something might happen and we'll be separated again."

He put his arm around you. "We don't know what the future holds, but I'll do what I have to do. If I have to fight, I will." You bowed your head he put his hand under your chin, lifting your face up. "To fulfill our dreams. For our child." His gaze fell to your stomach. "Or should I say, for our children, dozens of them," he said with a grin.

You giggled at him and then nodded. "We'll have a bright future, Marcus. You'll be winning victories, and I'll be raising our children."

"My beautiful Aurelia," he cupped your face gently. "As the Gods are my witnesses, to have won you is my greatest, most glorious victory."

You smiled and he kissed your lips passionately, lovingly. You put your arms around his neck and he put his around your waist, but your belly prevented him.

"It looks like I'll have to wait a little longer to wrap you in my arms the way I did before." He said with a laugh. You place your hands on your waist. "I suppose I'll have to wait until I get my waist back, too."

He laughed again, and you joined in. Unio also let out a whine, as if they wanted to share in your joy.

In the evening, Marcus wore his white tunic and red shawl just as he did on other evenings and left the villa. You found yourself grappling with the same feelings of unease as you had the day before. You needed to put an end to it, and tonight was the night. That's why you sent one of the slaves and asked Cato to come to the villa. Norell spotted you and Decima on your way to him, but you made an excuse and avoided her. You were sure she'd tell Tullia everything, which would make things more complicated. Cato was in the stables and greeted you when he saw you.

"My lady, may I ask why you sent for me? Are you well?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I hope no one realized you coming here."

"No, they didn't. The training was over anyway. It's usually quiet in the evenings."

"Not for your general, apparently," you said, squinting. "Cato, I'm going to ask you a question and I need you to be honest with me, alright?”

He opened his eyes as wide as he could. "How could I possibly deceive you, my lady? Or  maybe I have made a mistake?"

"No, this has nothing to do with you. It's about the General, my husband."

Cato looked at Decima and then back at you, surprised.

"I'm all ears."

"General Acacius... he... at night…" You took a deep breath to continue. "I want to know where he spends the whole night.'"

He scratched his head, looking thoroughly confused. ‘'You mean, somewhere other than the barracks? He does meet with the legates from time to time. And then..." he said, "And…" You got the feeling he wasn't being entirely truthful when he suddenly averted his eyes.

"And what else?"

He took a deep breath.

"Tell me," you demanded.

"He doesn't usually tell me where he's going, but over the last few days, he's been leaving in the middle of the night with Sir Octavius in an incognito outfit. And the other night I heard them talking..." He shook his head. "Maybe I misheard."

"You said with Octavius?" Decima enquired.

Now she looked as concerned as you were.

"Tell us what you heard.”

He took a moment to swallow. "Once I'd helped him take off his armour and closed the door on my way out, Sir Octavius asked if they were heading somewhere. The general said to him that they need to get going..." Cato bowed his head. Was he embarrassed?

Your heart started to beat faster. "And where is that place they're heading to?"

"Tell us quickly, Cato." Decima was annoyed.

Cato answered without looking up. "Um... Whore house. Forgive me, but they said they were going there."

Hearing those words again made your body tremble with anger.

There was silence for a short time. It was only when Decima touched your cheek that you realised you were crying.

"Are you alright?"

You looked at her, unable to speak.

"Forgive me. It's a stupid question, isn't it?"

You wiped your tears. "He..." Your voice was a little shaky. "And where are he and Octavius now?"

Cato lifted his head, but he still couldn't meet your gaze. "They left just before I did, my lady, but I really don't know where they went this time.”

"Go and let them know I need the carriage to be ready."

They looked at you with their eyes wide open.

"My lady, but..."

"Or did you not hear what I said?"

Cato swallowed. "I'll get it ready, my lady."

"One more thing. I want you to keep this between us. This conversation never happened. Do you understand?"

He nodded and strode purposefully towards the courtyard to find the coachman. "What are you thinking?" Decima asked.

"We're going there. I need to see for myself."

"You are mad. How are you going to go there like this?" she asked, looking at your big belly. "What if something happens?  They might not even be there..."

"Decima. I have to get rid of this suspicion that torments me. You understand me, don't you?

She let out a sigh. "I understand you perfectly. Alright, I'm coming with you to make sure Octavius isn't betraying me."

"We need to change our outfits though. If I come in, the others might get suspicious, so you go and bring cloaks for both of us."

"I hope we're not doing anything wrong, my lady."

You crossed your arms. "We'll see soon who's doing the wrong thing."

"Still, I really hope it's a misunderstanding." She said with a sad tone.

"I do hope so, dear.”

At your own request, Coachman took you to a location that was a considerable distance from the whore house. You told him to wait for your return and proceeded to head towards the street.  You were waiting at the corner, which afforded you a clear view of the entrance.

"This is rather absurd, don't you think?" Decima whinnied.

"There's no need to be concerned. We'll simply observe from a distance."

This street, which was quite lively at this time of night, was much the same tonight. The sounds of people laughing and walking by could be heard echoing throughout the street. Given the lack of light, it was unlikely that you would attract attention, although it was possible that the guards at the door might notice you.

"I'm sorry," you murmured as you gazed at the gate, hoping against hope that you would not see the face you expected to see, every time someone new came in or out. "I can imagine it must be hard for you to come here again."

Decima shook her head. "What happened in the past is not something that affects me any more. I suppose that everything changed for me after I met Octavius.

"Decima," you smiled at her, but your expression changed as you remembered why you were there.

"Ah, there they are." She said, pointing forward.

You looked over and saw Marcus and Octavius, wearing their black cloaks, coming out. You turned on your heel and leaned against the wall, not because you wanted to hide but because you were pretty shaken. Decima kept her eyes on them.

"I can't believe it, Decima. They were right. How could he do this to me? Am I not attractive anymore? Am I ugly? Does he no longer love me?"

"Aurelia-"

"Couldn't he have waited a little longer? I just don't understand why he did this to me. What am I going to do now?"

"Aurelia-"

"No, don't say anything. There's nothing more to say-"

"Aurelia, shut up for a minute, please." She shushed you.

You looked at her in surprise.

"Forgive me, but you'd better take a look at this.'‘

"I've seen enough." You said, shrugging your shoulders.

"Actually, you haven't. Please, take a look."

You did as she said and took another look, and you were just as surprised as before. Right next to them was a blond-haired man wearing a cloak, just like them.

“Geta!?”

Decima covered your mouth and pulled you behind the wall. "Shhh. You'll get us caught."

You kept your voice low. "But I don't understand. Geta is here too? I am greatly disappointed to find that all the men in my life are so unreliable."

"Gods! Aurelia, try to stay calm for a minute." Her voice was almost pleading. "I don't think the situation is as it seems."

"How do you mean?"

"That's Felix and Aris over there. And those are the Praetorians with Emperor Geta."

You peeked and saw that she was right.

"I think it's like a secret mission or something." She looked at you nervously. "We came here for nothing."

You bit your lower lip. "So.. We've got it all wrong."

Suddenly, they all looked in your direction, and you felt your heart racing as you stepped back behind the wall. "Decima, we have to get out of here now."

"Indeed."

You had just stepped into the street when a familiar voice called out from behind you making you freeze.

"You two! Stop right there!" Octavius’ voice was sharp.

Decima looked at you with concern from under the hood, but you took her arm and guided her forward. Aris and Felix stepped in front of you. Someone drew their sword, and the sound of it ringing out echoed through the street. It was Marcus. He tilted his head to look at you, reached out, and pushed back your hood, a playful look on his face as he did so. He'd already figured out who you were.

The others looked at you in surprise and bowed their heads.

"My lady, no matter how much you try to hide your pretty face, your belly gives you away." 

You averted your eyes, and he sheathed his sword.

"I really wonder what you are doing here."

You looked at Decima and saw that Octavius had come to her side. You then looked back at Marcus with a hesitant look. He was waiting for your answer, raising his eyebrows.

"I have the same question for you, General." You said stubbornly.

Marcus ordered the others to go to Geta's side, then turned to you again.

"You never cease to surprise me, Aurelia. How could you come here like this?"

"I had to," you snapped.

"Did someone mention they saw me here? And instead of trusting me, you came here to check on me?"

"Those women are shameless. They were being pretty mean, laughing and joking. I didn't want to believe it, but you were being so mysterious. I thought maybe you wanted to come here because you've stopped touching me. I thought... maybe... you don't love me anymore."

Suddenly he grabbed your shoulders, his expression was stern. "You silly woman." He gave your cheek a little nudge with his nose, looking at you quite tenderly now. "All those wretch women would drown in a single drop of my love for you. Don't ever believe them." He took your face in his hands. "Don't you know that my days and nights all belong to you? My moon, my sun, my spring... Don't you know how much I love you?" He bent down and kissed your temple, his beard tickling a little, making you smile.

"Marcus, I love you too. You are the breath I take, without you I am incomplete, wounded. But suspicion has driven me mad. Forgive me.”

He smiled and then grabbed your arm. "We'll talk about this when we return home. Now I have to complete my mission."

"What mission is that?"

"I came here because your brother asked me to keep an eye on his cousin. He has been meeting secretly with members of the Senate. It's a bit of a long story."

"Sister?" Geta laughed. "Acacius, it's pretty amazing you could recognise your wife from that distance. Remarkable!" He gave a little grin and turned up his thumb like when he does at the Colosseum, which you found a bit annoying.

"So my husband had to come here because of you?" You asked, frowning.

"It was meant to be a secret meeting, so he hid from you. I mean, I know how stubborn you are, but I didn't expect you to do this."

"Secret?" You laughed hysterically. "You caught by Horatia's husband."

Marcus crossed his arms squinting at Geta. "See? I warned you, but you were insistent."

"I couldn't trust anyone else but you, Acacius. Besides, It only made it easier for them to think you were unfaithful."

"How could you say that so easily? He would never do such a thing, I trust him, but you made him look like he did!" You barked.

Marcus smirked.

"Hah but yet you are here, sister."

"Your mother made me!" You took a step towards him, Marcus grabbed your hand. "That shameless woman accused my husband!" Suddenly warm water ran down your legs, you looked down with wide eyes and saw your legs all soaked including your sandals.

You froze.

"Gods!" Decima cried out.

It took the men around you a bit longer to figure out what had happened.

"Sister, did you just… pee on yourself?"

You grabbed his collar angrily. "The baby's coming!" You yelled.

Then they all froze.

A strong contraction in your womb made you groan in pain. Marcus was unsure of what to do for a moment, but when he heard you moan, he came round and wrapped his arms around you.

"Aurelia! My love, are you alright?"

You shook your head and you grabbed his collar this time. "Marcus, I can't give birth here. Please take me home now, please!"

He nodded, "You're right," he said before taking you in his arms in a hurry.

Another contraction hit you. "Aah! Marcus, please!" You begged.

"What if she gives birth before you get to the villa?" Geta asked, sounding anxious. "Maybe here," he said, glancing behind him.

"I won't give birth to my child in a whore house!" You yelled at the top of your lungs. The whole street was looking at you, but you ignored them.

"Sir, we need the midwife," Decima said.

"I'll get there before you," said Octavius.

You were having lower back pain along with contractions making you writhe.

"Acacius! Palatine Hill is closer to here than the villa. You would not want her to give birth on the street, are you?"

You moaned loudly in pain. Marcus frowned, thinking.

You clenched your jaw and tried to speak. "No, Marcus, I want to go home, please. Ow!"

"There's no time for a discussion, Aurelia! Octavius, go to the villa and speak with the midwife. Then bring her to Palatine Hill."

"Yes, sir!" He said and rushed towards his horse.

"Damn Palatine Hill!" You shouted.

Marcus grinned nervously, whispering into your ear. "Just hold on, love."

"The carriage is just over there," Decima said, pointing ahead.

Marcus ran over and helped you into the carriage, carrying you in his arms. You held his other hand tightly the whole way, and he held yours back just as tight. He was kissing your fingertips one by one, trying to soothe you as you groaned in pain.

"Breathe in, my love, take deep breaths."

You did as he said, but when the carriage reached Palatine Hill, you started to feel a bit scared. Marcus hurried down from the carriage, holding you tightly. Decima got off right after you. The guards at the entrance to the grand gate looked at you with surprise.

"Open the gate now!" Marcus yelled at them.

"General. Princess," they greeted you as you continued to moan. Then they opened the gate for you to enter, looking worried for you.

Soon Geta arrived with the other guards. He immediately dismounted his horse and ran after Marcus. The guards struggled to keep up with him. Julia heard the voices from the other courtyard, heading there. She realised Geta first.

"Your Majesty! Where have you been? Elagabalus is nowhere to be seen and- What is this?”

Marcus ignored her and headed for the stairs to your chambers, your moans and screams accompanying him all the way.

Julia was left gaping after you two, while Geta followed at a brisk pace.

"Not now, mother! Aurelia is in labor! My nephew is coming!"

Julia ran to catch up with him. "But why is she giving birth here instead of her house?"

You could hear them talking as Marcus carried you upstairs with you in his arms, but you didn't care.

"If you're going to keep complaining, please stay here!"  Geta shouted at her which made Julia give up climbing the stairs. She smiled as she looked at the slaves hurrying upstairs. "Since your midwife isn't here, you might even die, Aurelia," she muttered to herself.

As soon as he got into the room, Marcus put you on the bed and put lots of pillows behind you.

"Marcus, please don't leave me."

He grabbed your hand again. "Never, my love, I'm here.”

Decima helped you take off your sandals while Marcus held your hand tightly.

Geta came over to you. "How are you holding up, sister?"

"The contractions aren't that frequent, but I can feel the baby's coming."

"Octavius will fetch her right away, just hang in there, please." Marcus kissed your hand.

You smiled at him. "Decima, you know what's needed. Make sure everything's ready for the midwife when she arrives."

Decima nodded and stepped towards the slaves. "Bring warm clean water, oil, a basin, and lots of clean clothes!"

"You heard her! Move! Quick, quick!" Geta gestured for them to leave the room.

Marcus stood up took off his black cloak and sat next to you on the bed and put his arm around. You rested your head on his chest. The contractions were becoming more frequent and painful, but Marcus holding his hand helped you to stay strong.

"It seems you two have somehow ended up here again," Geta said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

You gave a forced smile. "That may be true, but let's not forget this is all because of you."

He frowned. "Am I the one who told you to spy on your husband in the middle of the night with your big belly? Even a place like that…"

"Don't even think about mentioning that place!" You barked. Your voice was louder than you intended because of the pain.

Marcus pressed his lips to the top of your head, you could feel him smiling.

"However. My nephew wants to be born here so he can meet his uncle first. I like him already." His famous smug smile appeared all over his face.

After a few pretty intense contractions and the pain they caused, you were relieved to hear that the midwife had finally arrived at the palace. Marcus stood up when the midwife came in the room. 

The midwife greeted you both and asked permission to lift the hem of your tunic. Marcus made Geta out of the room and then himself. The Midwife examined you vaginally to see how your opening was and how close it was to your cervix. She knew you were a medicus, of course, so she asked.

"My lady. How far apart are the contractions?"

"Five minutes apart." You replied.

"A walk will do you good, my lady. I'll prepare what you need."

You nodded and got up with Decima's help. Marcus came in to talk to the midwife through the door.

"There was still time. But it looks like our child will be born early. Has something happened to him?" He kept his tone low and gave you a quick look.

"Keep your heart at ease, general. Your child is fine, thank the Gods. Something seems to have triggered the labour. I hope your child will be born in good health. I'll make sure Lady Auelia has everything she needs for labour, if I may."

"I hope so."

She nodded and headed for the stairs accompanied with the slaves.

"Don't worry, Acacius," Geta said, putting his hand on his shoulder. "You know how strong and stubborn she is. I'm sure everything will be fine."

They were looking at you, both concerned about you and excited for the baby. And you looked at them both and smiled, maybe for the last time before the birth.

After walking around the room with Marcus for a while, you started to feel too much pain making you unable to stand up.

"The contractions are a minute apart now," you told the midwife.

"Please sit on the bed, my lady." She glanced at the slaves. "Could you pour the water?" She washed her hands while Marcus helped you to get settled on the bed. The midwife then looked at the men in the room, her gaze timid. "General, labour has now begun. Rest assured, I'll do everything I can for our princess."

Marcus nodded, stroked your head, and kissed the top of it. "Be strong my love. I'll be right outside the door."

You would have liked him to stay with you, but you had never seen or heard of a man doing that. So you didn't ask him for it.

"You won't believe it, but I'll pray for you and my nephew, sister," Geta said with a smile. Then they left the room together.

You let out a scream as Marcus left the room and the contraction intensified. Your chest felt tight and you got a sharp pain from your tailbone to your lower back.

With the help of the slaves, the midwife rubbed olive oil on her hands and pressed them on your belly. The baby was running out of time, as your waters had broken hours ago. The pain was getting worse by the minute. Decima was wiping the sweat from your forehead and giving you soothing and encouragement. As your screams echoed throughout the Domus Severiana, Marcus realised he'd never felt so scared and helpless in his life. Octavius watched his friend anxiously as Marcus balled his hands into fists and paced back and forth. Geta was just as wound up as well. Your screams, which were getting louder and louder by the minute, were making them things worse for them. At last, Marcus could bear it no longer.

"That's enough," he hissed and stormed into the room. Geta was going to stop him but his expression made him give up.

Marcus closed the door behind him. When he turned round, he was taken aback to see the slaves soaking cloths in water and handing them to the midwife. They were in such a hurry that they didn't even notice he'd entered the room.

“My lady, push a little more,” the midwife said in a pleading voice.

"Marcus! It hurts! Please make it stop! Please!"

He wrapped his arm tightly around you. "I know, love. I know. I'm here. You can do it. You're the strongest woman I know.’"

Another push and another scream. "Something's wrong, isn't it?" You asked the midwife.

"The baby's not in the right position for labour." I feel a foot. I'll have to turn him. "Just hang in there and push when I tell you to."

When the next contraction hit, you screamed with the most horrible sound Marcus has ever heard. Then you leaned against him you cried out in horrible, broken sobs, your whole body trembling with the effort.

"You're doing so well," Marcus whispers into your sweaty hair, "So well, my love, just a little more."

Once the midwife had managed to turn the baby, you could feel her fingers inside you. Your uterine walls were now ready to push the baby out. You grabbed Marcus's hand and squeezed it, then started pushing with all your might. But it didn't work. The baby wasn't cooperating. Something was wrong, and everyone in the room knew it. But that wasn't the worst of it. You were running out of strength. You weren't sure how much longer you could hold on.

"Bring some more hot water," said the midwife. Decima wiped the sweat from your forehead, Marcus gathered up your sweat-soaked hair, pushed it behind your neck and kissed your forehead.

"Deep breaths. Come on, my love." You breathed in and out with him.

"Could you get our princess some water and honey?" The midwife asked one of the slaves.

The midwife smiled at you as Decima helped you drink water. "Your child is going to be very stubborn, my lady. He insists on not coming."

You and Marcus looked at each other and smiled. But the pain returned and took your breath away. You gripped Marcus' and Decima's hands tightly and took a deep breath. The midwife checked between your legs under the covers and her eyes lit up.

"My lady. Now, push with all your strength. I can see the head is crowning!"

For some reason – maybe because of the unbearable pain – you couldn't help but get annoyed at her cheerfulness and want to choke her. But Marcus's kiss gave you the courage you needed, and you took a deep breath and pushed with all your strength. Then you turned your face away from his and screamed again, hoarse from the effort of so many hours. You screamed and screamed, feeling his cheek against your racing pulse, his lips on your cheek. And finally, your screams were replaced by a high-pitched wail, and…

The midwife stood up with the most beautiful little thing in her arms. "A healthy boy." She said cheerfully, holding the baby out for you to see. Then she gave the baby a little shake which helped him to take his first breath, and he let out a loud cry that filled the room with joy. "You did it, my lady!"

Marcus kissed your temple. "You are marvelous, my love. I’m very proud of you."

“My lady! He’s beautiful!” Decima squeezed your hand.

You smiled at them, feeling exhausted. Your legs were shaking and aching, and you could barely feel your body, but at least now you were no longer in pain.

Geta came bursting into the room. "Has it been born? Has my nephew been born?" He was looking for the child who had just been crying. He stopped suddenly when he saw that the bed was wet with your blood. The midwife carefully cut the baby's cord and wrapped it in a cloth with Decima's help. She placed the baby in Marcus's arms, and he smiled at him. You started to cry as you watched them. You'd never seen anything so beautiful in your life and you were pretty sure you never would. Marcus came over to you with your son in his arms. You looked at the little one who had just caused you hours of pain and were amazed at how beautiful he was.

The beautiful infant who had given them all such a scare was big in size, adorably chubby, and had a sprinkle of brown hair covering his crown. He was extremely healthy-looking... and had a cry very similar to yours.

He was perfect…

“Gods!” Geta clasped his hands. “Look how tiny he is!”

You were weeping with joy, and relief, too, that the ordeal was finally over.

From the moment you laid eyes on his sweet little face, all your tiredness just melted away. You reached out, and Marcus gently placed the baby in your arms. This feeling... It was the most amazing thing you could ever imagine. When you first felt that magical moment of motherhood, everything around you disappeared for a moment. It was just you and your baby. Then you looked at Marcus, who was sitting next to you. The baby grabbed his father's finger and held on tight, and a big smile appeared on Marcus's face. Everything was just perfect, beyond amazing, and you felt like you were finally complete.

‘"Thank you," he whispered in your ear.

It took you a moment to look up and realise what he was saying, as you were so overwhelmed by the baby's beauty that you couldn't take your eyes off him.

"For what?" you asked, your voice clearly showing how tired you were.

"For giving me a family, one I could never have dreamed of."

You looked at him and smiled. He kissed you on the lips, but your kiss was interrupted by a throat-clearing sound coming from someone else.

"I want to hold my nephew too." Geta held out his arms.

You looked at Marcus, after receiving your approval, gently took the baby from you and carefully placed him in his uncle's arms.

"He looks just like you, Acacius! I'd like to congratulate you both. Thank you for making me an uncle."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Marcus said sincerely.

"Your Majesty, general, if you could excuse us, we need to clean up Lady Aurelia. And the baby needs to be breastfed."

Geta gave the baby to you and rubbed your head. "Rest now. You must be tired from all that screaming, you noisy."

You rolled your eyes at him and smiled. Marcus came over and kissed your cheek. "I will be back, my love."

You nodded and watched them leave the room. With the help of the midwife and Decima, you removed your bloodied tunic and they cleaned you up and quickly put you into a new one. The slaves were changing the bed sheets at the same time. Then you lay down on the bed to breastfeed the baby for the first time. He was already hungry and opened his little mouth wide, easily grasping the nipple. You were both very tired, so you fell asleep together. Decima gently laid the baby down next to you and covered you with the bedcover.

Marcus and Geta left the room together and went downstairs. When Octavius and the others saw them, they nodded.

"Congratulations, sir."

"Thank you, brother."

They embraced each other. The others also offered their congratulations to him and Geta.

Geta smiled at them and turned to Marcus. "I know it's not the right time, but... Elagabalus... Tomorrow, I will exile that bastard from Rome. I have a good reason to stand my ground against the Senate too. I owe you all one, Acacius. I shall reward you. Whatever you want is yours."

"Your Majesty, I already have everything I want. You simply need to be an emperor who keeps his word to his people."

"I'll make sure I do." He promised and then left his side.

As he walked toward his chambers, he noticed his mother sitting in the courtyard.

"So it's a boy." She gave the wine glass a little shake.

"I can hear the sadness in your voice, mother."

She stood up. "Apologies! I'm not as pleased as you are! Your throne is under threat. You must wed. Refuse no longer.”

"I'd love to be here listening to your nonsense, but I'm really tired." He said and turned away.

"You'll have to get rid of him sooner or later."

Geta stopped and turned around, looking annoyed.

"Are you out of your mind? I've already got enough on my plate, and now you're telling me to kill a little baby, my nephew? The real threat is Elagabulus, thanks to your false wisdom.”

She folded his arms. "We overcame Macrinus' dominance in the Senate thanks to him, but I was unaware of his true intentions. Fortunately for us, you caught him in the act."

"Thanks to Acacius, mother!" Geta snapped. "You may have forgotten or ignored his sacrifices and heroism, but I will be grateful to that man for the rest of my life. Also, I care deeply for Aurelia and my nephew." He looked at his mother with a cold, threatening gaze. "I am warning you. If you ever say anything mean or do anything to upset her, I will exile you from Rome like my brother Caracalla did. Don't think I can't."

Julia froze. She was taken aback by his reaction. She watched him walk towards the stairs, her anger evident in her trembling body. She then threw her cup forward in a gesture of frustration. As soon as it hit the marble floor, it made a loud clatter, wine spilling over the surface. Geta looked down from the balustrade. Before going into his room, he called one of the guards over. "Keep an eye on Lady Domna. I want to know every step she takes. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Highness.”

You opened your eyes in a state of panic, gasping for breath. When you realised the baby wasn't with you, it felt like your heart had been ripped out of your chest.

"Marcus!"

You sat up in bed but groaned as a sharp pain shot through your womb.

Marcus turned towards you in shock, and you took a deep breath when you saw the baby in his arms.

Decima rushed in to check on you.

"Forgive me. I heard your voice..."

"It's alright," Marcus said. When she left the room, he approached you. "Are you all right, my love?"

"I had a nightmare," you said, your heart still pounding in your throat.

"They were taking him away from me, Marcus." Your eyes filled with tears.

In your dream, you saw someone taking the baby away. Your legs were a little shaky, still affected by the dream.

Marcus looked concerned and handed you the baby. "As long as I'm here, no one can take him or hurt him."

"I can't stay here. Not when Julia is around." You brought the baby to the breast, with your nipple aimed at the roof of his mouth. Marcus sat on the end of the bed next to you.

"My love, you've lost a lot of blood and you're battered. You need to recover your strength. Let's stay here tonight. We'll return tomorrow if you feel better.”

"Is it not still morning?"

"I suppose you didn't realise how the day went by because you slept in. The little one looks hungry too." He said with a grin. The sounds he made while sucking were so beautiful that Marcus couldn't help but sigh. "I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life." He stroked the baby's head gently with his hand.

"That's what you said about my beauty once." You teased.

He looked at you. "That's because he has some of his mother's beauty in him." He smirked. "Speaking of beauty." He stood up and walked over to the table. He took something out of the leather bag.

You were curious about what it was. The baby seemed to be full, so you pulled your nipple back and made your baby's back lie along your arm. Marcus sat back down on the bed and handed you something wrapped in a fancy cloth.

"I brought this for you from Aleppo. I had intended to give it to you earlier, but unfortunately, it fell and broke along with other items during the return journey by ship. I had it repaired and I thought it would be nice to give it to you after the birth."

"What is this?"

"Let me hold the child. You open it."

With great care, you placed the baby in his arms and opened your gift which was wrapped in a bluish cloth. It was a circular object, crafted from silver and featuring a flower-shaped relief. You turned it over and were somewhat taken aback to see your own reflection on its shiny surface.

"Much better than the bronze mirrors. I wanted you to see the beauty I see. Are you pleased?"

You looked at him. "Marcus, this is beautiful."

He smiled and carefully placed the baby next to you. Then he sat down next to you again and kissed you on the lips. "It pales in comparison to your beauty, my love." And he kissed you again, passionately, with love and a little longing. "You know, you're much more beautiful now. Your breasts have grown a lot." He swallowed hard. "They keep coming to mind, making me want you even more."

Your cheeks flushed. "Like you said before, we'll have to be patient a little longer, General." Your fingers ran along his collarbone.

"But I really want to return home tomorrow."

He nodded and kissed your hand. "As you wish, my lady."

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[queers-gambit]

The Strength in Honor [ part 2 of 3 ]

prompt: it's hard to plant seeds of revolution with snakes in the garden and Icarus blocking the sun.

pairing: General Marcus Acacius x female!Aurelius!reader

fandom: Gladiator II -> no masterlist

word count: 5.4k+

note: this was originally 11k+ words but let's break it up. part three on the way.

warnings: spoilers, kinda reader insert, AU timeline, Aurelius reader, essentially nicknamed reader, use of Y/N, cursing, inaccuracies, deception, kinda villified!Lucilla, Geta's a creep. i think that's it?

part one: read here part three: read here

You slunk around the city, keeping your hood up and scarf wrapped around your face to cover yourself as you navigated towards the Colosseum. You recognized the guard on post, greeting, "Augustus."

"My Lady," he blanched in confusion when you came into the torchlight and wrangled the scarf from around your nose, mouth, and chin. "What're you doing here at this hour?"

You offered him a gold coin, "I understand your job requires a fair amount of discretion, friend. It's paramount in the here and now."

He nodded and accepted your coin, "Which gladiator do you come for? Most ladies are requesting Hanno these days, uh, Macrinus's man."

"What? Oh," you shook your head, "no, no, no, nothing like that, Augustus, Gods - "

"Hey, I'm not one to judge, Lady, we all have our pleasures," he held his hands up in defense, snickering with you. "What can I do you for?"

You sighed, "I do need into the Colosseum, friend, to have a private word with one of the warriors who will fight on the morrow."

He eyed you with suspicion, questioning, "Does this have to do with the rumors of the General's army?"

"It might," you allotted, eyeing him now. "If it did... Where might you stand on the matter?"

"Where my Lady Venus tells me to," he smirked. "Should you ever require us to stand, it would be at your side, my Lady."

"Perhaps either in front of or behind me, preferably," you teased, both smirking in understanding. "Can I count on your discretion tonight, friend?"

"Always," Augustus promised, glancing around the streets before nodding, "come with me."

You followed the man with a torch, hiding in the shadows of the flickering light as you were granted access into the arena and lead towards the cells. You did not need speak after, nodding in thanks and pressing another gold coin to Augustus' hand; dropping a wink while keeping your scarf up over your nose. You eyed each cell slowly, Augustus following silently with his torch.

When you located this "Hanno", you nodded and Augustus returned the gesture. From his workbench, Ravi looked up in interest when a hooded figure entered the creaking cell of Lucius. When you did, the Gladiator stood at attention and Augustus hushed, "I'll wait by the tunnel, Lady. Agreed?"

"Agreed. Thank you, friend," you hushed, watching him nod and take his leave; shutting the cell door, but did not latch it. You turned to the warrior.

"Why do you hide your face?"

You snorted and pulled down your scarf, leaving your hood in place. "Because revolution is a dangerous business," you mused, smirking slightly when his face lit up in recognition.

"Venus," he greeted with a smirk.

"Lucius." He froze, eyes widening, watching your lips spread wider, "Oh, I fucking knew it."

"How - "

"You know, I wasn't sure first few times I saw you," you admitted, shaking your head, "but it's in your eyes, you've got Father's eyes. I wanted to see your reaction to the name... I fucking knew it."

"Auntie," he mused, rolling his eyes in humor.

You chuckled, "There's a label I've not heard in ages. My, my, how you've grown, nephew."

"That's what happens when almost two decades pass," he scoffed gently, eyeing you. "Why have you come tonight? You spoke before of giving the truth, so do it again, here and now."

The quiet filled the space between you.

"It's happening," you told him quietly. "Rome's tides are turning, the General and I are leading the revolt. We're going to allow his men into the city during the Games and I need you to know, there will be blood. There will be chaos. You need to make a decision about your future here and now, Lucius, because the time has come. Tomorrow, the gladiators will be freed. Tomorrow, Marcus and I will take Rome back from the Twin's tyranny, from their greed and corruption. Now that I know it is you, I tell you this in confidence - should you refuse your grandfather's throne, the General will sit. Your time is now, Lucius, and while I have no right, I beg for your understanding - "

"You need not beg," he interrupted. "I will stand with Venus. The whole of the Colosseum will, too."

"That was... Suspiciously easy..."

"Since your last visit, I've been thinking. Talking to the others, learning about what's happened since I've been gone. You are the common denominator to all stories - your name, your aliases, all spoken with reverence. All stories match, detailing your work with the citizens, how you've been trying to orchestrate your father's vision of Rome from behind the scenes. Influencing where you can. Doing the work men won't, or can't."

"Hm," you nodded. "Well, it's always flattering to hear such flattery. But I am plagued by a question, Lucius; if your mother came...? To ask you the same as I?"

He considered what you'd asked for a long moment, then eased, "I have nothing to say to her."

"Yet you do me?"

"You did not send me away."

"No... No, I did not, though, you were not my child. I feel the need to point out, Lucius, you were the next in line for the throne and still so young. You were a target, still are to some being the last male descendant of the Great Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Your mother felt she couldn't protect you from the turmoil to come, the violence and anger, the threats to your life. So, she sent you away. I will not say if I agreed with her decision or not, but I do know the pain it caused her the past 16 years. She loves you, Lucius."

"And you? You love me, too?"

You scoffed and spat, "I do not know you, boy." You held each other's eyes for a long moment before both broke and started chuckling. You sobered first, telling him casually, "Tonight, the revolution begins; we will meet with the Senators and orchestrate tomorrow's treachery. You will need to make a decision about what comes after you're all freed."

"How can you free us all?"

You smirked, "Call for Ravi, would you? I fear I might be too recognizable in this place, even my voice carries."

Lucius did as you bid, waiting only a couple of moments before Ravi entered the cell; eyeing you with mistrust before realizing who you were. He breathed your name, "What're you doing here?"

"I need a favor, friend," you looked between the two; keeping your back to the door for animosity. "Outside the city, there waits the General's troops. Could you carry a message to them?"

"I could," Ravi nodded slowly, "but what does the contents of this message say?"

You looked at Lucius, "Hm. What would it say, nephew?"

Ravi's eyes widened, but Lucius just held your gaze and smirked. He turned to Ravi, "Tell them... The Prince of Rome has returned and calls upon them."

"So does General Acacius," you added with a small snort of amusement. You removed the small velvet drawstring bag from under your skirt, opening it to reveal the ring Acacius gave you to hand off if needed for extra persuasion. You explained it was the ring your father, Emperor Aurelius, gave to General Maximus and later passed to General Acacius. You told Ravi that the ring would serve as validation of your letter; which was penned quickly in Lucius' cell.

"You're sure about this?" You asked your nephew, both reviewing the contents of the letter. "You know what this will mean for you?"

"I do," he nodded slowly. "Actually... I was hoping to anticipate you sticking around Rome after this. Maybe help me lead our people the way Emperor Aurelius would've wanted?"

"An honor you present me," you breathed, "though it will mean being around the General."

"I'll find a way to deal with it," he snorted. "Ravi," he handed over the letter and ring.

"A moment, friend," you paused his leave. "We need your keys."

Ravi looked between you two nervously, "They will know it's me."

"You will not be in the city, you will be protected," you assured, "and I will update Augustus to keep pretenses."

"Augustus... The guard?" Ravi asked, watching you nod. "Good, good, uh, yes, he-he is trustworthy." His eyes shifted nervously, questioning Lucius quietly, "Who are you - truly?"

"My nephew," you smirked, "Lucius Verus Aurelius, Prince of Rome; home again. Come, there's little time t'spare, I've much to do, many to update, coups to plot. But before I go, I need confirmation - are you with us?"

Lucius offered his arm, "We're with you, my Lady."

Your hand slapped to wrist to lock forearms in agreement, another wink dropped as your scarf was pulled back up and Ravi was escorting you towards Augustus - who listened intently to your instructions. The keys were left with Lucius; the trio of you disbanding once outside the Colosseum. Augustus remained on post, you rushed for the palace grounds, and Ravi made for the stables; selecting whichever horse was ready and taking off through the city.

"Who would rule instead?" Senator Gracus asked, leaning both fists to the table for balance. "You declare the Twins unfit, we have no objections; but if neither Emperor, who would you see sit your father's throne, my Lady?"

"The only answer is General Acacius," you answered strongly, shock rippling around the room. Obviously, you had yet to divulge on anything regarding Lucius and this was more or less a contingency plan.

"What?" Marcus asked, stepping forward in confusion; missing the conversation burning in your eyes. "What did you say, my Lady?"

"I would see you lead our people, Marcus," you stated boldly, stood at the large strategy table the Senators took places around. "Before my Father passed, Emperor Aurelius would've seen the Roman Empire helmed by General Maximus Decimus Meridius; a man you personally revered and trained under. They were both betrayed by Commodus, and the Throne usurped - we all know this to be true." The Senators nodded in agreement. "I would see General Acacius lead us into a new era - as Maximus would have. Father is no longer here, but I should hope my judgment might be enough to sway your support, Senators."

"What if I do not wish to sit the Throne, my Lady?" Marcus asked, looking heavily displeased with you.

"There is Strength in Honor," you reminded, "and the most honorable leaders are never the ones who covet it."

The Senators agreed and left Acacius no room to object or accept his new position; a slow plan taking form as the Games were meant to continue in the coming days. There were only so many opportunities for revolution and you had to be sure in your decision.

To your shock and horror, towards the conclusion of the meeting, Marcus stepped up to the table, "Might I make a suggestion to this counsel before we agree to move forward with tomorrow's plan?"

"Of course, General," Senator Gracus, your father's oldest emissary and confidant, permitted.

"I would see my divorce to the Lady Lucilla both drafted and approved with swiftness," he announced, obliterating any semblance of peace. "Not as means to bring dishonor unto her, but because this Republic deserve an Empress worthy of the title. And with caution, I feel I can speak honestly and say this isn't the Lady Lucilla, but Lady Y/N - the People'e Princess, their Should-Be Empress left too long in the shadows. Citizens trust her and would find the transition of power easier with her at my side."

"No," you denounced, eyes widening in panic as the Senators mumbled their agreement, "you cannot divorce Lucilla, I will not have my sister outcasted from society!"

"We would never, my Lady," Gracus gasped.

"With respect, we all know what becomes of divorced women in our city, Senator. She would find misery, not freedom! Not justice!"

"I will not consent to this plan less it is with you at my side," Marcus growled, stepping closer to you much to the shock of your audience. But apparently, tonight, all veils were pulled back. "Rome has been through enough, would you see her suffer further without you? The people, this Republic needs you. I cannot rule this nation alone, least of all lead a revolution without the known agreement we are standing in this together." Then, he boldly admitted, "I need you at my side through this, Lady Aurelius."

"I cannot not take my sister's husband and societal position in one swift go," you all but hissed, tears gathering, "no matter my own feelings on the matter. Rome will thrive under her rule as much as mine, Acacius. I still stand with you now! We need not implode her life."

"Then I cannot agree."

"Don't fucking do this to me," you hissed quietly to him, "not now."

"General... What're you saying?" Gracus asked aloud. "Speak plainly, you two."

"I will lead, I will rule, I will do what is required of me for the glory and preservation of Rome," Marcus declared, "but only with Lady Y/N Aurelius as my wife."

"And I am refusing to humiliate and outcast my only surviving sibling," you rejected, Marcus looking angrily at you.

"Why are you being so difficult? I will not allow her to be outcasted, I have sworn that to you. And the Senators - " He gestured around the table, "Would our union have your support? Would my divorce?"

There came a wave of silence as you glared at Marcus while he surveyed the Senators. "Aye," Gracus declared strongly, "I would support your divorce of Lucilla in favor of marriage to Y/N."

"Aye," another Senator voiced, and soon, the entire table was in agreement: Acacius would divorce Lucilla after the usurpation of the Emperors and marry you instead.

To soften the blow, Acacius nodded in thanks and then reminded, "Lucilla is a Lady of Rome and daughter of Emperor Aurelius, she will be treated as such. I will not have her outcast from the city or society, as I have promised her sister. Hear me, I will not tolerate her disrespect following what comes next."

"We are in agreement," another Senator assured, "but if I may ask, how do you intend to take the city? Not with a pack of guards, you can't; you need an army."

You huffed and looked away from Marcus, simply feeling caught off guard by his declaration - feeling it might've been premature, considering the circumstances - only to note the Senators looking to you for answers. They now looked where the General did; so, you answered, "The gladiators are with us, but we will need more than a rabble of rapid men. So, word was sent ahead to the 2,000 men posted outside the city limits, all loyal to Acacius, to march into the city whilst the Games commence tomorrow. The General sent his ring along as proof of validity. Are we all in understanding?"

"Aye," it was echoed.

"In this time, Acacius and I will be traditionally seated with the Emperors and others in the spectator's box to keep appearances."

"When the time comes, I can subdue them myself," Acacius assured, "but my men will be posted with us should they... Turn unmanageable. I do not wish to execute them should it not be necessary, but I will not risk harm to my ladies."

Oh, how you loathed that plural term. Perhaps out of pure jealousy, that you wanted to be his only lady - to never share the role. Not even with your sister, who "had him" first in a way. Though, if one were to examine the sequence of events, he was yours to begin with and he will be yours to end with.

Details were ironed out. Divorce decree drafted. Agreements arranged. A plan formed.

However, unknown to anyone, the new maid had found the man who paid her, a wealthy socialite by the name of Macrinus; being relaid instructions at the same time Lucilla was being awoken to the news of her husband and sister's plots. The maid was outside the hidden room after trailing you from the villa following your visit to the Colosseum, listening and taking mental notes as her employer instructed; rushing to inform him of the contents discussed behind closed doors.

You dismissed the Senators in a hushed rush, insisting tomorrow was the day as it left no time to back out or change minds. If this was happening, it was happening now. Finally, you and Marcus were left alone; rounding on one another the moment the room had cleared, each snarling in union, "Are you crazy!?"

"ME!?" You barked, pushing his armored chest with flat palms. "What the hell was that, Acacius!?"

"Oh! Don't you start! Why do you bite at me when you're the one who named me successor? Which was not apart of our original plan!"

"Because I did not get to see you before the meeting! There's new developments I could not inform you of, so, I panicked. Okay? Yes, I panicked because for the sake of Rome, Acacius, I could not risk you refusing me - and for that, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for forcing that on you in front of them all. But you all but confirmed our affair!"

"Why does that bother you? Huh? Why are you so afraid to step into the light that radiates from you? My star, after tomorrow, it won't matter the means of our relationship, nor how it came into fruition." He stepped closer, either hand lifting to caress your cheeks, "All that will matter is us. I'm sorry I sprang that on you, too, but... All for a reason, my love, right? For us?"

"Of course," you sighed in agreement, still unhappy. "But going forward, we discuss everything, we don't do what just occurred. Gods, how embarrassing - our first order and it's a spat before the others."

"Neither of us have politically lead like this before, we've only room to grow," he promised, thumbs sweeping across your cheeks. "For tonight, stay with me. Please."

You agreed easily, nuzzling his nose with yours before pressing a kiss to his lips and tangling his hand with yours. Before you departed the room, you whispered, "Hey." His eyes met yours in curiosity, relaying, "I don't want to drink the tea."

Acacius had started opening the door, pausing to whisper, "No? You're sure?"

"I'm sure," you affirmed, rocking to your toes to peck his lips as you squeezed his hand. "C'mon, dawn will come swift now that we've much to prepare for."

With a dark hood drawn over his greying curls, Acacius lead the way back to your villa; managing to strip for an evening in lounge and begin informing him of Lucius' living state, his agreement to not only stand with you, but also take his rightful place on the Throne when there came a slashing clatter.

You whipped around in shock, seeing the main entrance of your home casting shadows of an obvious (also audible) struggle. "Marcus?" You whispered when a cry was heard, the sound of bodies hitting the ground making you shy into his embrace. "Think we're caught, love," you backed into his chest.

"Fuck," he breathed when a procession of the Emperor's guards rushed into the room. He looked, but his weapons were too far; opting to gather you in close at his side as the Praetorian Guards surrounded you with bloody weapons drawn. "Stay close to me," he rushed, then loudly demanded, "the hour is late, what is the meaning of this?"

"Lady Y/N Aurelius is required before the Emperors."

"Surely, it can wait until morning?"

"Hardly," one guard sneered as another moved forward to wrangle you from Acacius' grip.

"How is this necessary!?" Acacius tried to stop them, but was unsuccessful; being punched multiple times to the ground as you were roughly clapped in irons. He demanded while finding his feet, "Release her! She is a Lady of Rome, this is unforgiving treatment to a woman of her stature!"

"Just move along," one of the guards shoved Acacius by the shoulder as another yanked you forward. His temple bled from their beating, other blemishes blooming over his face as neither was allowed to dress properly; forced to file out of the villa.

Marcus, who magnetized to your side, advised quietly, "Stay quiet, let me do the talking."

"They did not send for you, I do not think that's an option," you worried, trying not to look but being unable to as the guards lead you through the massacre of your slaughtered guards. Your bare feet stuck in warm, slippery yet tacky blood, leaving an ominous trail behind you, hissing to yourself, "They know - I fucked up, I had to've fucked up, I must've if they know."

"We don't know anything yet - "

"What else could it be?" You snapped. "Fucking Ravi? Augustus? Not Lucius? Who else knew? Who did we mistrust? Who betrayed us?"

"We'll come to find out," he mumbled.

When you were lead through the dark halls of the palace, you caught sight of the man who owned your nephew, Macrinus, sharing a toast of wine with another lesser man of high society; swearing you saw a Senator's robe, too. They were in a side room, enjoying the spoils of their rumors and deception.

"Lucilla?" You asked when faced with her enraged expression beside the Emperors - who were wrapped in bed sheets, obviously interrupted from their night. "What's going on? What's the meaning of this? Why have I been shackled like a common criminal?"

"Because you have behaved as such!" Lucilla snarled.

"Oh, this should be good," you batted back to the amusement of the Twins. "Please, pray tell, what offense have I caused?"

"You spoilt little bitch," she seethed, turning to the Emperors. "I want her on trial! It is as I've said, as I've warned you! She is the one with plot to overthrow you, to take our father's throne for herself! She's been plotting to overthrow you this whole time, the fool even left her maid as witness - we have witness of her deception! I demand she stand - w-wait, Acacius? Wait, I don't - what's happening?" She asked as you felt the General move to your side, his hand silently caressing down your spine. "W-Why are you here?" Her eyes widened, looking between the pair of you frantically now.

"Sister," you sighed, bowing your head in shame.

"Ohhhhh, I do think we've uncovered something uncouth, brother," Emperor Geta mused. "Uh, guards? Tell us where you happened to pick up General Acacius this evening?"

"With Lady Y/N, my liege."

"Oh, in her villa?" Caracalla gasped, dropping the sword he had been toying with as if in consideration to use it against you. "Of an unmarried woman?"

"They were discovered in their night clothes and standing in an embrace."

"So," Lucilla interrupted whatever crack Geta had charged, "what Macrinus says is true? The pair of you have been sneaking around? In an affair? You've been sleeping with my husband, little sister?"

Marcus opened his mouth, but you answered first, "Yes. Since before your engagement, while you were married to Lucius and loving Maximus, I've loved Marcus." You shrugged meekly, "I love him, Lucilla - I don't know what else to say. I always have and no matter what, I always will."

"Obviously, you harlot," she snarled, "since even my marriage could not keep you away!"

"Away from the man I love!? What cruelty you would have me endure when he lives! You lost your general, so now you would seek to take mine!? I know what fate did to you, sister, what it took from you, but the least you can do is remember all that was stolen from me, too! I will not apologize for holding onto the one thing I could! My one semblance of normalcy, of reality, of both happiness and sadness; the reason I am who I am, because you should know, to be loved by Acacius is perfection. Life changing, eye-opening, heart-pounding. It's what every woman wants, what she hopes and yearns for; he is who mothers want for their daughters, who fathers endeavor their sons to grow into. So, no, no, I will not apologize for loving him - but I will grovel for the rest of my life for causing you pain."

"Then why do it?"

"Because he's all I have."

"Try again."

And finally, you had enough of your sister's pushy manipulation, snapping, "No."

Which made her scoff and repeat, "'No'? No, you won't try again? To offer me better explanation for your sins? For fucking my husband, you insolent little whore?"

You just spoke evenly, ignoring her jab, "He's everything to me, Lucilla, and I'm not letting him go."

Her head shook, "You are aware this offense can result in your execution?"

"So can secret abortions," you challenged, watching her eyes widen a fraction; for her hips to shift weight; for her shoulders to square. Caught. You lifted your chin a fraction, looking to Acacius sadly, whispering, "I'm so sorry, my love, I didn't want to believe it."

His head shook as if to silence your woes, but you saw the way his eyes now worriedly glanced at your own belly.

"There could be a trial," Geta mused to his brother, earning the attention of the room, "but it's not very exciting, is it? I mean, a cheating scandal? Who cares about that?"

"The people love Acacius, perhaps hearing of his infidelity might be enough to cause a stir?" Caracalla considered, his pet monkey squealing and chittering on his shoulder.

"No, not with Venus," Geta waved off, Lucilla looking angrier by the ticking second. "The people might even support it."

"Could just put her to death?"

"For just fucking a man?" Geta scoffed. "Hardly an executionable offense." Then, the Emperor gasped, telling his brother in near glee, "Instead of a trial... We could have a wedding."

This made you and Marcus both freeze with panic.

"You suggest we let the General marry Venus?" Caracalla croaked in boyish confusion. "Brother?"

"No," he smirked, pale, boney fingers twinkling in the streaming, silver moonlight, "but perhaps it's high time I take a wife. Hmm? Yes?"

"Oh," Caracalla straightened upright to giggle, "that's an exciting idea! Well, if you take one, shouldn't I, as well? She's such a pretty little thing, you know, brother? Would you like to share her, too?"

Geta looked displeased at the offer, but fixed his face into a bright, almost sarcastic grin before Caracalla could see him, "What an idea, brother! Yes, perhaps we will share her - "

Acacius stepped forward to interrupt with a growl, "Absolutely fucking not." The Emperors turned to regard him stiffly; sunken eyes glaring at him.

"You wot?" Geta snapped, eyes almost bulging out of his skull.

"You'll both sooner die than touch her, let alone marry her."

"Acacius," you begged, chained hands reaching for his bicep to try to pull him back, "don't - don't make this worse, please!"

He remained facing the Emperors but collected your hands and arms into his. "I won't give her up, not for you, not for my wife, not for anyone; not even for Rome herself. So... I ask... As Rome's General, grant me one last honor and however you may choose to pass judgment, let me fight as her champion in any combat you might select."

Lucilla appeared purely offended by his defense of you, even demanding, "You'd die for her?"

Acacius shook his head, telling his wife, "Without hesitation. But I'd rather live for her, instead."

"Well, this is just so sweet, General," Geta mocked, "but also so very interesting."

"What're you thinking, brother?"

"You know, this little - " Geta twiddled his fingers at you and Acacius with an amused smirk, "lover's triangle might draw the people into the Games."

"So?" Caracalla groaned, rolling his eyes as he did his neck to roll his head around his shoulders. "Why do we caaaare about that?"

"Because we can charge higher rates to watch these Games with such high-stakes players," he tossed over his shoulder to his brother while stalking across the floor. "How's this?" Geta offered Acacius, "You fight tomorrow every gladiator under the Colosseum, and if you win, we will personally divorce you and marry you again ourselves!" He laughed loudly, "The Lady Venus gets to live happily ever after with her General! But you will be fighting for her literal life, Acacius, against every man in my arsenal, every Praetorian Guard I have to spare. Lose, and you both perish for your transgressions. Less the Lady survives, then how could I not marry her? Eh? After you fall, think making her my bride would be enough to soothe the woes of the commoners?"

Marcus scoffed, "All this...? Because I did my duty to the Empire and married the wrong woman? A mistake I wish to now rectify?"

You smacked his arm, "Do not call my sister a mistake."

Geta ignored you to seethe at Acacius, "The laws of our city are clear - the laws written by your wife's and lover's father - which apply to all citizens of our great Empire; the terms and sanctity of marriage are legally binding." Geta got in Marcus' face, snarling, "And you broke those laws, General, when you bedded - "

"Kill me if you want," Acacius interrupted with his lip snarled, "but do not lecture me. I know the laws. But like my star has said - I will never apologize for loving her, either. So let me fight tomorrow and prove, I will stop at nothing to have her."

"And what will you say to the talk of mutiny; usurping the throne?" Lucilla reminded, making Caracalla disstressed. The pair yelled in agony about deception and betrayal, Geta listening to their words hurled at a silent you and Acacius.

Eventually, Geta smirked and waved the pair off as if rapid dogs on chains, "Their plans matter naught - they won't make it out of the arena alive."

"I will gladly die fighting for her," Acacius smirked in return, "but should I fall, I'll take her with me - if only to ensure you can't touch her. I'll fight tomorrow for immunity; where should we survive, we are expunged of our crimes and given leave of our duties. We will start our life anew elsewhere, you'll never hear from us again. We disappear."

Geta laughed as Lucilla and Caracalla protested, claiming this was an unfair bargain; but the Emperor agreed, "That's honorable, but are you strong enough to fight them all?"

"You've no idea - "

"NO! NO! NO! I WANT THEIR HEADS!" Caracalla cried, sword back in hand and swinging wildly. "NO IMMUNITY! NO MERCY!" You took the opportunity to press closer into your man's chest for what could've been the last time; Geta forced to catch his brother and wrangle Caracalla onto one of their matching thrones.

Geta was panting by the end, dismissing the entire room angrily - bellowing that tomorrow would go on as planned. "No," you breathed, looking to Acacius and tightening your hold on him as the guards closed in, "no, no, please, I-I can't say goodbye yet, Acacius, please - "

He used the last of his freedom to caress your cheeks in both hands to bring you in for a final kiss; desperate yet passionate. "I'll find you again; wherever we go in this life or the next, I'll find you," he rushed, guards seizing his shoulders to try to pry the pair of you apart. "Strength and honor, my star."

"Strength and honor," you repeated, seeing the flicker of amusement on his face - seemingly relieved you were not giving up without a fight.

"I love you," he just managed to promise before grunting when a guard socked him in the gut; deflating the air from his lungs. He was restrained in his own shackles.

"I-I love you, I love you, Acacius, don't do anything rash!"

"Y/N!"

You were yanked apart, but you held each other's gaze until literally cut off by separate rooms.

You were to be confound to your villa for the night under Geta's guards; Acacius taken to the cells under the Colosseum; Lucilla dismissed; Caracalla soothed by his brother's loving hand.

Macrinus lingered in the shadows; maids and Senators left in the side room to eavesdrop. His own plan formed as the Emperors were left alone. As if playing a game of chess, Macrinus made his move and slunk into the room.

[ part one: read here ]

[ part three: read here ]

requesting rules and masterlist -> no Gladiator II masterlist

[officiallydriedkelp]

Så ja tekniskt sett skickade vi norrmänn förra året och nu skickar vi finländare, men asså jag tycker verkligen inte det är jämförbart

Like, all the disrespect till Marcus och Martinus, de var här men de snackade ju bara norska och var generiska och sjöng på engelska. They really had no business att vara i svenska melodifestivalen.

Medan KAJ kommer från en svenskspråkig del av Finland, och både pratar och sjunger på SVENSKA. De förtjänar all the respect, och jag tycker det är rimligt att de var med i mello. Vi älskar dem och jag är så glad att de vann

[brckensociety]

"And here I thought vampires were notorious for being alone compared to... Your kind. But don't mistake my looks for a lack of capabilities to take care of myself," the blonde replied with a smirk on her lips mirroring his. The yellow in his eyes should've scared her off, her father told her often that werewolves were their enemies and doing anything other than eliminating them was idiotic. Salem didn't share those beliefs, despite the tension of her presence in the bar so far from her territory. Of course, she didn't want to go out near her territory because it meant being caught was more than likely. "What if I'm just a girl looking to let loose? Maybe both a little brave and a little foolish," she spoke out knowing she wasn't worried for her safety, her father might've thought her weak but she was far from it. Fangs exposed themselves in her grin as she watched him bleed into her drink, the joke earning a soft laugh. Salem paused as she lifted her drink to her lips, licking them as she placed it back down, all whilst keeping her gaze locked on his. "I think you need to start charging a premium for that, although I wonder how many vamps you bled for, on the house."

"Vampires shouldn't be alone in a place like that. Especially the pretty ones." Marcus smirked at her. They way his eyes glowed yellow showed he was an werewolf. The war between the species was not at its most intense, but it had never truly ended. And that bar, despite being a neutral zone, was much closer to the wolf area than the vampire area. "Are you brave girl? Or just a foolish one?" He bit his own wrist and spilled a good amount of his blood into her drink when it was delivered. "Courtesy of the house," he joked.

[lovingf]

﹙ WARNING – MARCULEI。﹚(´◞ ✚𓏼 )།໒꒱ྀ

══╬ marcus x lorelei X﹡twitter layout、、int && credit to use ! ॱֺּׅ𓏽ִ

┣▇▇▇═── ⨾ all of utsu's work is f2u with proper credit。 kin﹡ID﹡me tags are all okay !

[creedslove]

RE-ENCOUNTER 🎨

Marcus Pike x f!reader

"I'd rather get divorced while still loving you, than remaining together and risking to hate you"

Summary: you and Marcus had a brief but loving marriage, until it wasn't anymore. Choosing an amicable divorce you both moved on with your lives until destiny made you run into each other once more, with a difference this time: your ex-husband was engaged now

Warnings: mentions of divorce, a little bit of angst, fluff, some jealousy, age gap (their ages are not specified but he's 10 years older than her)

A/N: besties, I'm so happy I finally managed to write something for our husband Pike. I've always wanted to do so, but I knew I couldn't just force myself into it otherwise it wouldn't work properly, and just like that, this idea came up and I couldn't get it out of my mind ❤️ also, I know some people don't like age gap, but I can't imagine reader being Marcus age mostly because reader is me 🥴 and also because it would make sense to the story, so although it's not specified, I pictured them getting married around early 20s(reader) early 30s (Pike) and running into each other again around late 20s/early 30s (reader) and late 30s/early 40s (Pike)

3.9k words

You weren't fond of getting married young, to you, it sounded nothing like madness, as you simply couldn't wrap your head around the fact that people often abdicated from their lives, plans and dreams to get stuck in a relationship. It made no sense to you, especially since you had been working your ass off during all your years in college, the prospect of having a successful and promising career motivated you to go after your dreams. Relationships, marriages, building up families hadn't crossed your mind at all, a little affair with a cute guy here and there were the only things that ever got remotely close to dating, at the same time you only saw yourself as someone who wouldn't settle down.

And that was before Marcus Pike walked into your life.

If someone asked you to explain what exactly happened, perhaps you wouldn't be able to understand it yourself let alone explain it to someone, but that man swept you off your feet. You'd met him during a history of art lecture at campus one Thursday evening. He had just joined the FBI in the art department, fresh in his new job but still assisting his former professor and mentor in college lectures. He was probably ten or so years older than you, and yet, you couldn't keep your eyes off him. He was by far the most handsome man you'd seen in those four long years you'd spent in that institution, there was something so captivating in his beautiful eyes, his breathtaking smile and how smart and sweet he was towards anyone. And he caught you staring; it seemed you took his attention as much as he took yours, and even if you needed that lecture for extra credit, you couldn't give a single crap about medieval art, because that man was everything you could see in front of you. That was so unlike your personality, usually, you'd be focused on everything else, but you simply couldn't look away from that handsome assistant.

When the lecture was finally over, you were sure you'd missed at least half of it, being too busy concentrating on someone else instead of the subject, you still had a few doubts about the matter and you walked to the stage, willing to ask the professor some questions and clarify any doubts you had, and that was the moment you both locked eyes for the first time. The handsome guy that caught your attention, whose name was Marcus, soon found out the moment you shook hands and realized how big his was compared to yours and how truly handsome he was, even more so than you had already noticed when you were a few meters away. He was also mesmerized by you and he couldn't hide it, he knew you were younger than him, but at that moment all he could process was how gorgeous and smart that girl was in front of him. He kept around while you talked to his mentor, being polite enough not to interrupt him but holding himself back so he wouldn't add his own comments. He just wanted an excuse to talk to you, see if he could approach and see where things could go, so the moment he had the opportunity to be with you alone for a while, he immediately threw his charms - and Marcus was a charming guy - in your first conversation you liked how intelligent and nice he was, he made you laugh and when he invited you to have pancakes some dinner nearby the campus, you couldn't say no.

And that was the beginning of your love story.

Everything you believed went through the roof from the moment you met Marcus. He was incredible, the most fascinating man you'd met and whereas he was older than you, that only seemed to spice things up both in the sexual and emotional sense. You had never been treated like that before, he made you feel like a queen, as cheesy as it may sound, that's just how you felt through your relationship with Marcus. He was a gentleman, sweet and he didn't know what to do in order to please you; he went slowly at first, even if his intentions were clear from the very first time you went out to eat, he was a little afraid you would be weirded out by him, and he couldn't be further from the truth. Each time he took you out on a date, it felt like you were living the plot of any sweet but cliche rom com movie. It felt just too good to be true and a part of you feared that it wouldn't work. But it did, for as long as it lasted.

The dates with Marcus were so special, he was thoughtful and he always made sure to take you somewhere nice; it was either a nice restaurant so you could get to know their different menu, or art galleries in which he would show you his favorite works and tell you as much as you wanted to hear about them. He was always afraid of boring you with his subjects but on the contrary, you always enjoyed listening to him talk, it was entertaining, soothing and you could spend hours watching how his eyes sparkled whenever he addressed anything he truly enjoyed. And even if he put some effort into them, your favorite date by far was whenever you two would spend some time just hanging out together in his apartment. Dim lights, old movies on TV and Marcus' protective grip around your body, always pulling you closer and making sure you were warm in his embrace for the rest of the night.

The first kiss you shared with him after you both went to the movies together. It was a classic movie rerun and even if Casablanca wasn't your favorite, you knew he enjoyed it, and seeing it on a big screen was definitely a nice experience. Besides, he promised you that once Titanic hit the theaters in the next classic session, he would definitely take you.

At the end of the movie, you walked out the theater holding hands, you were silent, but instead of reflecting over the story you'd just watched you reflected over your relationship with Marcus; you were falling deeper and deeper for him, deeper and more intensely than you ever thought you would, and when he stopped and placed your hands on your hips you couldn't resist being kissed by him.

It felt right.

The first night you both spent together was right after he took you to see the concert of his former band; he'd left the band when he graduated from college, but he still remained friends with the guys and eventually enjoyed visiting them on stage. And that night he insisted on taking his bass for a last ride and even risked a song on the microphone, all of that for you.

By then, there was no fighting or convincing otherwise, you were head over heels for Marcus; especially when you two had sex for the first time after that. One could think Marcus is too soft, but not when it comes to that; he knows how to act, how to please and how to demand what he wants and after you tried him, a real man, there was no way you could go back to college boys ever again.

Your relationship evolved fast and in less than a year he proposed to you; he was sure you were what he wanted in the future, just as you had thrown away all your beliefs and you'd surrounded yourself completely to the man you loved, so you said yes. Even if your whole life you said you wouldn't get married, not while young at least, not without having a consistent, successful career.

And there you were, fresh out of college, with very little work experience, a job in an area you didn't want but had to take in order to gather experience and knowledge and walking down the aisle in a white dress, feeling as happy as you could be, in order to become Mrs.Pike. The honeymoon had to be in Paris, a few people told you that couldn't be more cliche, and even if they meant it out of spite or if they were actually right, it didn't really matter to you; it felt so right for the two of you. Surrounded by art constantly during the day and making love at night, it was like a dream coming true, and you remember hoping your entire marriage would be like that: light, fun, full of love and happiness. And it was until it wasn't anymore.

You couldn't tell exactly when things started to go downhill, but if you had to guess, it would probably be due to the lack of time you both faced towards the end of your relationship. It just started getting harder after about a year, when the two of you really began struggling for your own careers. You, in your area, and Marcus with the FBI, it seemed to have become an obsession for you both, as date nights, walks in the park and gallery visitations simply stopped happening in order to focus on your extra tasks, overtime, solving cases. At some point it became a looping of excuses and promises to spend more time together:

"We'll go next weekend honey"

"We can have dinner together tomorrow"

"I promise I'll take you with me next time"

Needless to say, they never truly happened.

Just as you two distanced yourselves without even realizing, the bickering also started, adding another venomous sting to your relationship. Suddenly, small things turned into bigger ones, sources of stress and fights; if someone ever told you one day you'd have heated arguments with Marcus over a dropped sock, or an unwashed plate on the sink, you would call them crazy, but when that unfortunately happened to the two of you, you were shocked for a while, not believing you had become the kind of couple to argue over stupid things like those. It was heartbreaking. As you two barely had time for each other, sex was also off the table most nights, being too tired to do anything else other than sleep, Marcus suddenly came up with the idea of having a baby; he had a deep hope of fixing your marriage by getting you pregnant, after all, having kids had always been part of his plan and he was sure it was part of yours too.

At the same time you hadn't really thought it through. Technically, you had. You wanted kids. At some point, in the future, it wasn't rocket science to figure that adding a baby to a troubled marriage could not be the best idea. And yet, you couldn't bring yourself to tell him that, not when you saw the spike of excitement in his eyes, not when he held you and kissed you like in the beginning of your relationship, how he made time for you even if his FBI work was killing him, he still managed to bring you flowers, kiss you and made love to you. Perhaps he was trying to save your marriage, or he was just trying for the baby, you weren't so sure, but you could see the effort. And it was why it broke your heart to know you couldn't get pregnant at that moment, not with your job finally taking you places, the new opportunity of actually building a career and how young you still thought you were, being married was hard, but it was about you and Marcus, two adults who could handle yourselves but a baby? It was way too much responsibility. You couldn't find a way to tell him that, even if you were being a coward, it pained you you felt so hopeless to simply lie to Marcus and tell him you'd stopped taking your birth control pills, and even more so each time he looked at you with those disappointed, sad eyes, month after month of excitement and longing for that baby to be there, just to get a negative test after another. It was eating you up alive and after his insistence on taking you to a doctor - which you immediately refused - he managed to find your hidden stash of pills among your stuff. You tried explaining everything to him; how you weren't ready, you were scared and how broken you'd been at seeing him so upset. You cried, you opened your heart to Marcus and told him you wanted to be a mom to his child, some day, not at that moment, but in the future because things were finally working for the two of you once more. But you had lied to your husband, and lying to Marcus had no turning back.

He had no other option other than asking for a divorce after you lied and broke his heart, he felt upset, he could've forgiven you for many things, but not for playing with his heart when it came to the kids he dreamed of every single day.

You were tired, upset and at some point during your divorce process you'd convinced yourself you didn't love him anymore, but the reality was that you were just so empty you weren't able to feel things, you were numb.

The day you both signed the divorce papers in front of your lawyer and you were questioned whether you two wanted to go ahead with that decision, your heart shattered into a million pieces, more than any fights, when you heard Marcus' justification to why he was asking for the divorce.

"I'd rather get divorced while still loving you, than remaining together and risking to hate you"

When you heard those words, you had a sudden urge to get up and tear those papers into pieces, tell him you were both making a huge mistake, that toyover him and that you could make it work, you wanted to tell him you still had a beautiful future ahead of you, you and the gorgeous family you would have together. And the moment you took a deep breath to finally say all that out loud, you looked at Marcus signing the papers and officializing the divorce.

That was the last time you saw your ex-husband Marcus Pike, you just had no idea the next time you would run into him again would be in a few years later, while he was taking his new fiancee on a date.

•••

Marcus sighed as he could see the lack of excitement in Teresa's face the moment they got to the exhibit, he just didn't know why she agreed to go out with him if she didn't like it, it would be so much easier for the two of them if she was honest and told him she'd rather stay home and read a magazine, that way they would both be happy, and Marcus wouldn't have the feeling he was trying too hard all the time. Teresa liked him, she must have liked him, otherwise she wouldn't have accepted his proposal and moved to DC with him. It was still early, she'd been there for a few weeks but he was confident things would work. He was hitting his forties now, one divorce, no kids and even if he finally got the position he had not only dreamed of but also worked so hard for in his dream job, he still felt something was missing. It took him a failed marriage to realize that money wasn't everything he needed, he simply missed the family he never had.

When he found Teresa he was still trying to pick the pieces of his heart, still trying to make things work on his own and when he saw her - an attractive, mature and intelligent woman, he thought that maybe he wouldn't be alone this time. You'd been the love of his life, he was convinced of that, but you two had gone way too fast and too intense, you were still young, you had so much to live so it made sense to him he would let you go and be free. He vowed himself not to rush into things, but this time it wasn't his choice, he was liking Teresa more and more and even if they weren't compatible most of the time, but when the opportunity of a lifetime came up he had to take his chances and she'd said yes. Still a little unsure and divided between him and Jane, but she said yes.

As they walked through the exhibit, he paid close attention to all the beautiful paintings scattered around the long hallways. He loved that atmosphere, the pictures so beautifully made by talented hands years or sometimes centuries ago.

"So it's just flowers?!" Teresa broke the silence as she looked around unimpressed and dragged his attention back to reality

"It's not just flowers, it's Monet… don't you like it? You told me you liked his paintings on our first date.." Marcus stated confused until the realization that she was just lying so she wouldn't appear ignorant or perhaps try to impress him a little. He saw how she cleared her throat and tried fixing what she just said but he stopped listening the moment he caught a glimpse of someone else crossing the same room and standing next to Rouen Cathedral, admiring it intently. He didn't even need to look twice to know it was you. You, who always loved that painting, even if it wasn't Monet's best in your ex-husband's opinion, you who had a fascination with old constructions such as cathedrals and would always snap several pictures of them, you, who was never exceptional at art but managed to get by and eventually fell more and more in love with art because of Marcus, not because you wanted to impress him or have him thinking you were smart, but because he actually made you see why he had that passion for it. And the moment that you turned around, his heart skipped a beat.

You looked the same, and yet, you also managed to look even more beautiful; more mature, more confident in yourself and for a brief moment Marcus was frozen in time, it was just like the first time he saw you, in which he could only see you in front of him and nothing else. He had no idea you still had that effect on him, it was so unusual and surprising and even if he had stalked your social media profiles here and there over the course of your separation, even if he wasn't proud of it, it was completely different than seeing you right there in front of him. He wasn't sure what to do, should he approach you? Talk to you? Pretend he didn't see you?

However, he didn't time to think any further about it, not when you turned around and spotted him, your eyes widening at the moment you saw him. Much to your surprise your heart also raced at the sight of your ex-husband. Was it your mind playing tricks or was he even more handsome? You hadn't planned on approaching him, but you felt as if you were being taken involuntarily towards him.

"Marcus?! Hi!" You said with a sweet smile as he politely greeted you, expressing how surprised he was to see you and even more so to actually talk to you

"Wow, you look great… So beautiful" he smiled as you blushed softly and giggled

"You too, still very handsome… so what brings you to D-" you interrupted by a woman who walked in and wrapped her arm around his waist. She eyed you up and down, even if she still tried to be polite and discreet about it. You swallowed hard feeling awkward and Marcus turned to the other woman

"This is Teresa, my fiancee and this is my ex-wife" he cleared his throat as he said your name and Teresa simply nodded her head. You returned the gesture and the moment you meant to ask him a question she barged in

"You're his ex-wife? But you're so young…" you could see the light pink spreading through his cheek and groaned at how dumb she really was.

"Yeah, I'm younger than him… and are you a little older than Marcus?" You returned the sting with the same amount of poison and she scoffed, looking at him and groaned

"I'll go to the restroom" she said without looking into your eyes and walked away, making you chuckle as Marcus shot you a questioning look which you just shrugged and went back to the question that was lingering on your mind

"So, what are you doing here in DC? Having a romantic getaway or vacations?"

"Actually, I've moved here after I was promoted to the head of the new art department" he said with his typical smile and you could see how his eyes crinkled, your heart warming up as you expressed genuine surprise and happiness to know that. You were a witness to how hard he had worked for that and it just filled your heart with pride to know he made it. You weren't sure how to act, perhaps it wasn't right, but you had already wrapped your arms around his neck and given him probably the tightest hug you'd ever done. Even if it was brief, you couldn't help but feel how built up he was, how stronger he'd become and his characteristic scent made you so warm on the inside, it felt like you could've stayed forever in his embrace.

"I'm so happy for you, Marcus! Honestly, you deserve it! I know I haven't been the most supportive wife and I'm very sorry about everything that happened, I should've been nicer to you, but well, all I'm trying to say is that I'm so proud of you!"

You said wholeheartedly and even if there were so many other things you needed to tell him, you knew it wasn't the right time and place. He just smiled and nodded, taking your hands into his big ones and thanking you for the support.

"Do you think we could grab a coffee or something? Just catch up?"

"I'd love to, but I don't know if it's a good idea, I mean, I can tell Teresa isn't my biggest fan and being honest with you, I wouldn't like my fiance's ex-wife around very much, but it's amazing to see you Marcus, truly, it makes me glad to know you are somewhat closer" you smiled again but let go of his hands the moment Teresa returned. Once more she just lingered around him, almost territorial as if she wanted to show you who owned Marcus. He also felt that, and it made him quite uncomfortable, so he cleared his throat and looked at you, saying goodbye and explaining they had dinner reservations.

As you watched them both leave, you felt a pang in your chest, thinking of the wonderful place he was probably taking her, the elaborate dates he had planned, the beautiful family they would probably build together. It could've been you, it was you for a while, unlike he might have thought you wanted all that with him, but it took you a divorce to realize it was a situation of the right person, wrong time. Perhaps if you tried again, it would work, you would like it to work, but Marcus had moved on, found himself someone he cared about and you had no right to break his heart and ruin his happiness once more.

____

A/N: my besties, I really hope you enjoyed it! I don't know if this is just a one-shot or if there'll be a continuation but I am so happy how this turned out. I love Marcus and I'm so happy our handsome FBI boyfriend finally got his own piece here! ❤️ remember that feedback is life, I'd love to hear what you all thought of it ❤️

[grxmincvdescxnce]

contrary to how some may assume, given it rarely strayed from her side, the knight's massive broadsword was nowhere in view. in fact, rather unusually, veyn's weapon of choice remained hidden away during the entirety of her excursion into town — and explanation as to why would not be revealed until she happened across the blacksmith, thankful that her journey into the throng of selphia's plaza remained one without incident, thus far, and perhaps even fruitful.

"i find myself in need of a favor, old friend." leonore displays something of a rueful expression at her approach of the stand following the last customer who seemed to try his patience a fair bit, aware her 'favors' ( however rare ) often asked a fair amount of those she involved. still, the happy accident of finding them here, of all days, almost fills her with a sense of preemptive relief. "any chance you may be able to give a girl a hand?" a partially shattered yet evidently intricate, barely intact sliver of metal, tiny enough to fit in the palm of her bandaged hands, is brandished next. it’s pulled from the depths of her worn cloak and placed gently against the counter — a miniaturized version of the very broadsword often at her backside, free of its usual coverings. 

any familiarity marc has with the weapon would undoubtedly be from past occasions where they’ve crossed paths, as it was never a piece marc had his masterful hand in. the state of it indicates an unfortunate bout of bad luck despite the enchantments her sword naturally held. this was nothing new for someone like her, however, as bad luck seemed to trail her wherever she next turned.

"i’m told the miniaturization will fade in a few hours, but the damage .." the knight had risked a fair bit in making this call to scour the city, and hoped her judgment paid off with some form of direction to one who could, in fact, assist if not her old acquaintance. leonore found herself coming up short on options while on the road, however, now believing her favored blacksmith and his wonderful talents were a last resort. "anything you require for repairs or recommendations, i'll provide." somehow. of course, this latter part, specifically regarding ‘recommendations’, is mentioned a bit cheekily. the former executioner was quite certain there was no one better than marcus. and they both knew it.

status: open @cagliostrostart | locations: cagliostro plaza

Everything’s in a tizzy with everyone being the source of it. Trips to and from Orre Town were arduous as is. So to have such a blockade of Selphians lose their everloving marbles at the break of dawn was, well, really fucking shitty. The gossiping he could deal with. But the sudden fear mongering and general lack of awareness concerning space? Yeah, today's outing is bound to be a long one.

By the time Marc’s set up shop on the outskirts of the plaza, he’s already exhausted with the stupid questions. Don’t get him wrong, it’s great that business is booming ( the lesser weapons are already swept up within an hour ), but he swears each request gets more and more stupid. Thus, when yet another body blocks the sunlight under their humbly crafted tent, he’s the first to give a sour greeting.

“Daggers are all out, karambits a close second, don’t care for your theories ‘cause I’m not runnin’ a guess who’s gonna get picked Bingo night, only requests I’ll be taking are legit and good ones— got it? Got it. Feel free to peruse and shit.”

[irradiatedsnakes]

i need to know more about pennybun i have fallen deeply in love

PENNY MY BEST FRIEND PENNY!!!!

(by @/skypiea)

penny is my first tav and i love her. she's a white dragonborn circle of the spores druid. i finished her first playthrough a couple weeks back, and i've started on a second playthrough with her! slightly edited, and now that i understand more about the game and the story i'm refining her character and story. i missed a lot of stuff on that first playthrough!

pennybun's name comes from the mushroom, by the way. i'd decided on that before i knew that there was a mushroom-themed druid circle in this game, i was GOING to choose moon, but, like. it's perfect. penny buns aka porcini aka king bolete aka Boletus edulis are an edible mushroom that symbioses with the roots of pine trees. they're part of my research and they're quite adorable

she's from a circle of druids located in the shelterwood- a dense forest near baldur's gate. she grew up in the city proper- or at least, on the edges of it- before moving out to the woods to pursue life as a druid.

she's solidly good-aligned- as my first playthrough, her story is kind of the best-case-scenario for everything, savescumming the hell out of some fights (good god the last light fight with marcus). everybody gets their good ending, everybody gets saved, that kind of deal.

she had a generally good relationship with everyone in the party, but gale, wyll, and karlach are her best mates for sure. i missed out on romancing karlach the first go around, but we're doing it on penny's second save file. it's happening.

she's also quite close with shadowheart, especially after the events of act ii. her relationship with lae'zel is more tense.. but i'm still working on figuring out that exact trajectory- missing a lot of lae'zel's storyline was one of the biggest mistakes i made in the first go-around. she and astarion never get close, but there's not any malice there, either.

she's good friends with jaheira, the two get along like a house on fire, and she looks up to jaheira a lot. she didn't have a lot of time to get to know minsc and boo, but they were plenty friendly in the short time they crossed paths. halsin, i need to work on, i also kind of fucked up his stuff first go-around by neglecting to fix the shadowlands. to be updated when i reach act ii in Penny The Sequel.

overall, penny's a big ol goody-two-shoes. she wants to help as many people as she possibly can, and feels a massive weight on her shoulders because of it, having been thrust into this leadership role by apparent pure chance.

while i'm still working it out, the central theme of pennybun's story is trust, and who she puts it in. an early decision i made before knowing anything about the story was that penny trusts the Mysterious Dream Guardian completely and totally, which made for some EXTREMELY fun character moments later on- utilizing the tadpoles (her and gale both), becoming partial illithid, and eventually in act 3 losing her trust in and culminating with her turning on the emperor, plus her own ceremorphosis to wield the netherstones against the netherbrain.

gear-wise, she uses the default druid armor for most of the game, switching to the armor of the sporekeeper in act 3. she assembles the mourning frost in the underdark in act 1 and it remains her favored weapon for the rest of the game. she also wears the key of the ancients, and just before the start of the finale gains the nymph cloak.

other assorted Penny Facts:

she keeps a detailed log of every camp dinner the group has. good food is very important

she has a soft spot for parasites. part of why she was receptive to the idea of utilizing the tadpoles, and also part of why she lets astarion take a bite from time to time.

she got her eye poked out by volo

she has a -1 int modifier

she's a lot keener on necromancy than you might expect a druid to be. she views necromancy and the undead (for the most part) as a natural part of the cycle of life- after all, everything will eventually return to the dirt to be eaten by the fungi and the other decomposers, no matter how prolonged it is.

it is imperative that all her friends (karlach excluded for reason of cool hair) wear fun hats. ive posted about The Hat Tax before but everyone in the party gets a funny hat. it's so important.

she's my best friend and i love her

[ladamedusoif]

Hot Chocolate (Marcus Pike x gn!reader)

A Merry Fic-Mas - December 3

Part of A Merry Fic-Mas: A Holiday Fic Calendar - click for masterlist. FYI: I'm having so much trouble with taglists at the moment that I'm not going to use them for now - if you want to keep updated, turn on notifications for my posts.

Pairing: Marcus Pike x gn!reader

Rating: Mature

Word count: 1280 words

Warnings: Implied smut, some heavy making out, Marcus being an adorable foodie romantic art nerd, fluff city. No use of Y/N and no physical descriptions of Reader whatsoever. 

Summary: Snowed in and forced to stay over at your colleague’s Georgetown apartment, Marcus whips up a sweet treat to keep you warm.

“I don’t have much by way of dessert,” Marcus muses from the kitchen, where he’s peering into his fridge. 

You finish gathering the last of the takeout boxes from his dining table and begin cleaning them out at the sink. “You’ve given me a room for the night, Marcus, I don’t need dessert. Hey, where’s your recycling bin?” 

He gestures to a cupboard near the sink and leans back on the counter, thinking. “Actually, would you like some hot chocolate? I think I’ve got everything I need.”

Everything he needs?, you think, wondering what more you could possibly need for hot chocolate beyond some powdered mix and milk. Marshmallows, if you were feeling fancy.

“Sure, sounds good to me.” 

He grins in delight and starts rummaging in a cupboard, emerging with bars of dark chocolate and a jar of ground cinnamon, before delving into the fridge and retrieving milk and heavy cream. A heavy-bottomed saucepan is produced and positioned on the hob as Marcus mutters something about finding his grater.

This isn’t going to be cheap-ass powdered mix, is it.

Alright, full disclosure: if someone hooked you up to a polygraph machine and asked you if you had a teeny tiny harmless little workplace crush on Marcus Pike, you’d have to answer in the affirmative.

And who wouldn’t? He was kind and funny, and smart as hell, quietly undertaking a PhD in art history and cultural policy at Georgetown while continuing to work full-time. He was one of the few people in the team who actually kept up with the art world, regularly seeking you out after a new show opened at the National Gallery to exchange your thoughts on it over coffee in the canteen. 

The fact that he was also really cute didn’t hurt, either. 

When snow and ice blocked the routes out of DC back to your place in Alexandria, leaving you stranded, Marcus immediately suggested that you stay over at his place. See? Kind. 

“I’ll be fine, Marcus, really,” you’d protested, searching for hotel rooms in the city and recoiling when you saw the prices - and the lack of options. “Anyway, isn’t your place a one-bed?”

Marcus shrugged. “I’ve got a big couch, spare blankets and pillows, and I won’t stand by and see you hunkering down here for the night. C’mon. We’ll get takeout - I know a great little Korean place.”

He carefully grates the dark chocolate into a bowl while you whisk most of the cream. 

“Y’know, I really thought you were going to pull out a couple of sachets of Swiss Miss? I should have known better.”

Marcus chuckles to himself and checks the saucepan of milk. “Usually I’m a Swiss Miss kinda guy, I have to admit. But when you have guests, you do the Viennese hot chocolate. I like to make a fuss.”

You hold out the bowl of cream for him to inspect and he nods, eyes crinkling as he smiles at you. You put it down and fold your arms as you watch him work.

“Is it really Viennese, or is that just a name they use to make it sound all fancy?”

He laughs and looks at you in mock horror. “Of course it’s really Viennese! I even had it for the first time in Vienna.” Marcus takes the saucepan off the heat and adds the chocolate along with some sugar, a little cinnamon, and a dash of heavy cream. He begins to whisk the mixture carefully.

“It was one summer when I was a student - I had almost no money, but I did have one of those European Interrail tickets and I tried to see as much great art as I could. Took an overnight train to Vienna to see the Klimts at the Belvedere.” He pauses his whisking to assess the texture, then resumes.

“Like I said, I was down to my last few dollars - or Euros, or whatever the currency was at the time - but the one thing I was gonna do besides see the Klimts was go to a real Viennese café.”

The hot chocolate is frothy now, thick and glossy. Marcus nods in the direction of a cupboard and you open it, finding some mugs.

“So I’m guessing you got to a café.”

He turns off the stove and smiles at the memory. “Sure did. Café Central. It was like something out of a Stefan Zweig novel.” He takes a ladle out of a drawer and proceeds to fill the mugs with the steaming chocolate. “And I had a mug of something a bit like this - but much, much better - and a slice of apple strudel, and it was heaven.”

Marcus finishes off the chocolate by placing a large dollop of whipped cream in each mug, and hands one to you.

“This is…incredible. I don’t think I can ever go back to Swiss Miss.”

Marcus chuckles and sips his chocolate, sitting beside you on the couch. “I’m glad you like it. Perfect drink for a snowed-in night.”

You take another deep draught of the delicious, smooth drink and hum happily to yourself. “And I’m checking out flights to Vienna first chance I get.”

He looks at you intently. “Uh, you’ve… uh…”

You can see a giggle rising in his chest. He can’t suppress it, and he laughs out loud. 

“Why is the thought of me going to Vienna so funny to you?”

Marcus’s expression shifts to one of concern and he quickly shakes his head. “No, that sounds wonderful - you’ll love it - it’s just…” He reaches over and gently rubs the tip of your nose with his thumb, removing a large blob of whipped cream. “You had a little, uh, something.”

“Oh. Oh. I’m sorry.” You look down into your mug, a little embarrassed, but try to lighten the mood. “Feels like we’re in a scene from a cheesy holiday movie, y’know?”

He quirks his head. “How so?”

“Oh, you know. The whole ‘one character has whipped cream or something on their face and the other has to swipe it away and then…’”

You stop short, realising what you were about to say - and becoming very aware of just how close you are to him now.

Marcus’s voice is warm and low. “And then?”

Is he moving closer?

“And then… um. And then they usually, uh…”

He finishes your sentence by leaning in and kissing you, softly, gently at first. Your breath hitches as you feel the softness of his lips on yours. 

He breaks away for a second, staying close. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah, it’s…it’s great.” 

He takes your mug and puts it on the coffee table before cradling your face in his big hands and leaning in to kiss you again: a little harder, now, his tongue seeking entry to your mouth as your hands reach for his body and you lean back on the couch. 

You moan and whine with pleasure as you feel Marcus’s hands caressing your body, taste the bittersweetness of the chocolate on his lips and tongue. As he moves his mouth to your neck, sucking and nibbling and licking his way along the sensitive skin, you begin to unbutton his shirt and reach for his belt buckle.

“Marcus?”

He looks up for an instant, hair tousled and eyes as deep and dark and shiny as perfect hot chocolate.

“You’re not sleeping on the couch tonight. You’re keeping me warm in bed.”

Divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

[jagexisterar]

Alltså åååååh jag hade verkligen uppskattat marcus och martinus om de inte vore för att de va norska

[brckensociety]

Salem had heard the rumours about biting wolves, how doing so would give them a high. She also heard about how good wolves tasted and although she'd tasted him in her drink earlier, getting it straight from the vein? Was fucking incredible. Her eyes flicked down to his member, noting how fucking badly she wanted to feel it inside her. Hands clawed at his shoulders, humming as she heard his reaction to her. Her excitement was growing by the second. The blonde pulled back slightly at his question, licking her lips. "Very fucking much," the vamp purred, gasping as he teased her sex. "Please fuck me."

@brckensociety

last reply - marcus x salem

Marcus opened her ziper and soon he sent his clothes down. The big cock pointed at the air, already very hard. When he felt her bite. Fuck... It was intense. They didn't lie... It was like her bite was activating his whole body, like a powerful drug. He felt so fucking alive and horny. "God..." Marcus murmured, panting. He exposed more of his neck and let her feed at will. "Your bite is power…" The wolf smiled, tossing her panties aside. God bless skirts. "Enjoying yourself so far?" He muttered for her, his cock stroking her slit. Just teasing her a little more.

[fishareglorious]

the bingle banner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

okay. pulling for the sondaughtergirlboy today. marcus please come home we have many books in the suitcase i think

50 pulls!!!! took a while but who cares!!! marcus!!!!

NO. REGULUS I SWEAR TO GOD

REGULUS YOU LITTLE SHIT. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME YOU'VE RUINED A 50/50???????? VERTIN NEEDS TO DOCK YOUR DR PAPPER BUDGET

lesbian jesus get out i dont wan you here i want anxiety mark(us)

YES. YEESSSSSSSSSSSSS.

MMMMAAAAAAAARRRCCCUUUUSSSS!!!

welcome home.

D:

no. oh no marcus why would you make the two of us sad rigt now. oh god. tonight i will proceed to drown my sorrows in whatever i can get int he fridge.

hofmann really will haunt this girl's narrative for the rest of her days huh.

all in all it took me eighty pulls to get her home. should i.... pull in the 37 and jessica banner? i have 224 pulls to spare i think