In the middle of the night Severus woke with a start, his body drenched in cold sweat, heart pounding. He looked down at the linen sheets, reached out to touch them, a tangible reminder that he was free now - he had never known such luxury in his days as an enslaved gladiator.
He had been reliving those days in his dream. Not just the battles, the necessary evil of killing other men, each fight to the death another step towards freedom - but the trickery of Justinian not freeing him after all, when he'd promised, when they'd had an arrangement. Justinian had indeed been fond of his arse, and Severus shuddered with disgust now as his mind's eye recalled the worst parts of his dream - not the killing, but being bent over, having to take it, the burning pain as Justinian used him, plunging in and out.
Severus walked over to the balcony and looked out at the moon, reflected in the rolling tides. Even the view was luxury, something he'd never seen before, beauty beyond his wildest imagination. He wished there was a way to capture the moment so he could enjoy it back at the villa, so he could share it with others to enjoy. Such beauty made him ache, tears misting his eyes, hair standing on end as he watched the waves break against the shore and pull back, endless, infinite. He wondered what lay beyond the waves - other realms, other people. What other wonders the world held.
There was a wonder right in the room. Severus glanced over at Marcus, and admired him in the moonlight, with his long waves of silky blue-black hair fanned out, and the defined, sculpted muscles of his chest and abdomen and arms. Arms that had held him as he fell asleep. Arms that had made him feel safe and protected, not like the way Justinian had held him down.
Marcus's eyes opened, and their eyes met. Severus's cheeks burned, conscious of having stared at him. "I didn't mean to wake you," Severus said, hearing the huskiness in his voice.
"I'm a light sleeper," Marcus said. "It would have been something else in time."
Severus tried to look back out at the view from the balcony - it really was superb - but he couldn't help notice Marcus sitting up and stretching. And then Marcus said, "You had a bad dream." It was a statement, not a question.
Severus didn't answer immediately - he didn't know what to say, or how to say it. He knew Marcus was aware he was a freed slave, and they had sometimes spoken of their lives before they came to work for Tyrannus, but Severus had never discussed that particular facet of Justinian's cruelty.
And yet... "You cried out in your sleep," Marcus went on. "You yelled at someone named Justinian, and told him no. Told him to stop."
Severus had not been given the right to refuse, as a slave, but of course in dreams he could speak the truth of his heart - that he didn't like what Justinian was doing, that it hurt, that...
"He forced himself on you," Marcus said, another statement. Their eyes met again, and Marcus raised an eyebrow. Severus looked down at his feet, face even hotter with shame.
When Severus continued to say nothing, Marcus rose from the bed and walked slowly and purposefully to stand beside Severus at the balcony. They looked out at the ocean together, and Marcus quietly took Severus's hand - a simple but powerful gesture of kindness, of understanding rather than scorn. Severus could have wept with relief, but Justinian had enough of his tears and Severus's pride held him back.
They took ientaculum with freshly baked bread and a platter of grapes, berries and figs, watching the sunrise together on the balcony. After they finished the morning meal, they dressed, went out to give food and water to the horses, and then it was time to visit the beach. The inn allowed its guests to borrow canopies for shade from the sun, and Marcus put down a canopy once they found a spot close enough to the waves yet not so close that they would be caught in the high tide.
Severus was intrigued by the sand, reaching down to grab handfuls of it, watching it spill between his fingers. He did this several times until he was aware of how ridiculous he looked, and yet Marcus was smiling at him fondly. Marcus also picked up handfuls of sand, but instead of letting it sift through his fingers, he began to pack it into mounds. Severus watched, intrigued, and before his eyes Marcus made a column out of sand, and used a washed-up piece of driftwood to trace patterns in the column, like a smaller sand version of structures in Rome.
"Now you try," Marcus said.
Severus studied Marcus's column of sand, and made one just like it a couple meters away. Marcus gave him another fond smile, and once the column was built, they began to build a sand colosseum together. Severus laughed with happiness, and Marcus's eyes sparkled like the sea.
All sense of time stopped, as Severus was lost in the simple joy of building a sand sculpture with his best friend. He felt almost young and innocent again, idling away the morning. There was a touch of sorrow when the colosseum was complete, but the sun felt warm even through the shade of the canopy, and Severus needed to get up and stretch. Marcus rose with him, and looked out at the shining waves, then back at Severus. With a grin, Marcus began to undress, letting his clothes fall into the sand. Severus's breath caught at the sight of Marcus nude, and his cock stiffened, unable to help his desire. And yet, even though there was no way to disguise his arousal once his clothes were off, Marcus encouraged him, "Join me in the water!"
Severus's hard cock bobbed with each step, and as they got closer to the waves, Severus saw Marcus's cock stand at attention as well. Severus's mouth went dry and his heart beat faster, wondering if Marcus was aroused by him, too.
But as they waded into the water, from their ankles to their calves to their knees to their thighs to their hips, the shock of the cold sea shrank Severus's erection. The cool water still felt good under the hot sun, once Severus's body adjusted to the temperature - and more than that it felt cleansing, refreshing. As if the ocean was washing away the past... and Justinian's touch. Marcus held out his arms and tilted his head back, smiling as the waves rolled over their chests. "It is a good day," Marcus said.
Then Marcus bent slightly. "Climb on my back!"
Severus grabbed onto Marcus with his arms and legs, and rode Marcus's back as Marcus waded in the waves. Severus looked out as far as he could see - the ocean seemed to go on forever, and it felt almost as if he could touch the sky.
Then Marcus began to play with Severus's toes and tickle his feet. Severus squealed and thrashed around, helpless, while Marcus laughed. Severus fell back into the water with a big splash that got Marcus in the face and plastered his hair, which Severus found a comical sight - now it was his turn to laugh. And then he splashed Marcus himself. "Serves you right," he teased.
Marcus splashed him back.
They splashed and chased each other, until they were both drenched and looked like they were drowned. Then Marcus picked up Severus and began carrying him like he weighed nothing, walking out of the water...
...walking on the water.
Severus felt like he couldn't breathe, as he watched Marcus's feet on top of the waves. He had never seen anything like it, and he was certain Marcus was possessed of some sort of power, even as he hadn't really believed in such things before now. He felt a mixture of wonder, admiration and terror, in the presence of something sacred.
On the shore, Marcus put Severus down. They stood for a moment, looking at each other - Severus looked back at the waves, and then at Marcus's feet, and up at Marcus. "What are you?" Severus asked.
Marcus smiled. He took Severus's face in his hands. "Someone who loves you very much." With that, he leaned in and kissed Severus.
It was the first time Severus had ever been kissed - Justinian had never been one for that - and though Severus didn't know how, he had watched men kiss, and it seemed to come naturally, their tongues swirling and sliding together. Severus ran his hands down Marcus's bare chest, down to his stomach, and back up, then over Marcus's muscular arms, enjoying the feel of him. His hands went back to Marcus's chest and his thumbs rubbed Marcus's hard nipples as the kiss deepened; Marcus trembled to Severus's touch. Then Severus felt their cocks together for the first time, hard cock rubbing hard cock, slowly. The kiss broke for a moment so they could catch their breath, then their tongues licked together open-mouthed, before their lips met again and their tongues twirled and brushed. Severus's cock pulsed with need, and he shuddered when he felt Marcus's cock pulsate against his in return.
Marcus tumbled down into the sand, taking Severus with him. They rolled around, kissing, and after several rolls Severus lay on his back with Marcus on top of him. Severus smiled as he looked into those beautiful silver eyes, and Marcus smiling warmly back at him. They kissed again, deep and needy, and both men moaned into the kiss as their cocks pulsed again. Then Marcus started kissing and licking Severus's neck. Severus cried out with pleasure and his hips bucked urgently, clutching at Marcus, desperate for relief. Nothing had ever felt so good - he didn't know his neck was so sensitive. Severus's breath came out in ragged little gasps as Marcus continued kissing, licking and nibbling up and down Severus's neck and throat, one side then the other. Marcus rolled his hips and cock rubbed cock, slow and languid and sensual. Severus lost himself in the delicious pleasure, his hands roaming over Marcus's strong body, wanting to feel every inch of the man he loved.
It was exhilarating, to know that love was returned.
Their mouths met again, kissing passionately as cock teased cock. Severus looked down and moaned at the erotic sight of their hard cocks together, making streamers of flowing pre-spend. Then their eyes met and Marcus kissed him again, and again, before his mouth was back on Severus's neck, driving him wild with pleasure. Marcus's teeth nipped harder this time, and his tongue slid all the way down to the sensitive hollow where neck met shoulder before he nipped there, too, then kissed it. Severus cried out, almost undone.
Marcus's mouth claimed his once more as Marcus reached down and took both their cocks in his hand, stroking them together. The tight grip of Marcus's fist working up and down, the silken steel of Marcus's cock against his... it felt so decadent, and as badly as Severus needed release, he wanted to stay in this space where all that existed was sensation and lust, the pleasure and tension building and building, nothing else mattered but this, their cocks, their bodies, their hunger.
But it was too much, too good, and Severus heard himself whimper as the tension climbed to the shatterpoint, his balls almost painfully tight. When Marcus licked his neck again Severus lost control, coming with a cry. He looked down just in time to watch Marcus climax with him, their seed spurting together, cock coming on cock, creamy spend flowing down their shafts. Marcus's voice echoed over the waves as he spasmed with pleasure, and Severus sighed at the wonderful feeling of relief, and pure contentment.
They kissed and rubbed noses, and held each other, watching the waves glitter in the sun. Severus had never been so happy in his life.
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