#decadcntdecay

The modern prometheus || Accepting

"Am I ill, Tiberius? Or am I just done with your fucking bullshit?"

Marcus grits his teeth (or, rather, bares them), having shoved Tiberius up against the wall. One hand grips the front of his tunic, the other holding a knife to his throat. It typically takes quite a lot to push Marcus to this point, but this has been building up for quite some time. Push all the right buttons, and Marcus will snap.

"You don't own Caelestis, you don't own my wife. You understand that? She is her own person. Not a piece of property. You can whine and cry and piss and moan about her not marrying your worthless son all day, but guess what? It won't change anything. I didn't need to ask for your permission because you are not her father. You are not her master. Do you understand? Do you know what you've done to yourself by making an enemy of Rome?"

He lets him go, but not before spitting at his feet. "You'd be wise not to cross me again, Tiberius. It may just be the last time you speak at all."

It's difficult. More difficult than anything Clive has ever had to do in his life. He'll admit that he invited Maurice to stay on a whim, some kind of impulse that he ought to have known better than to do because now it's hard. It's hard to see him and not think of what they were before he was pressured into marriage, before he was forced to hide a part of himself that all the ancients that lived before him considered natural and part of life.

It's the middle of the night. He hovers outside of the guest bedroom, debating, wondering if he should even bother. Clive can admit he said some cutting things when he ended their relationship. Would Maurice even want to talk about it? Should he even bother? Clive swallows hard, his hands trembling. Sokrates loved Alkibiades and Alexander loved Hephastion, but even they had wives, in the end. Because that's what you're supposed to do, isn't it? Have a wife and children and a lovely home and, and...

He knocks.

quotes that broke me starters / @decadcntdecay

the corners of his mouth pull downwards into a frown, gentle fingers grazing the soft skin of her cheek. the cards she had been dealt with were rather cruel if aemon had possessed the authority to prevent what was to come then he would not hesitate to do so. he would do anything for his sister. her marriage to their brother was arriving quickly, and he could not help but feel hopeless in regards to it. selfishly, he was grateful that naerys would not be married off to some lord and forced to live away from the keep. but he knew none would envy her position. the thought of aegon having her as his wife . . . it was an unbearable one.

Marcus had been hoping to avoid Tiberius, just for the fact that he didn't have it in him to play their game today. Unfortunately, he was caught up in a conversation with Cicero (about what, he wouldn't be able to tell you now, as fast and as much as that man talks), and it seemed that the fates would find it funny to make him suffer just a little more before going home.

Sunday prompts || Accepting

Robert almost spits out the water he's drinking, so sudden is the statement from Andrei. He coughs a few times, wiping off whatever managed to dribble down his chin. Christ alive, he still hasn't gotten used to how forward he is, so he shoots him a glare and shoves him a bit, clicking his tongue.

"We are on duty, you know, and while it may be apt for a married couple to want to be all over each other, you ought to have some subtlety about it." Nevermind how red his face has turned. Some days it really is obvious that he's come from some moral Christian upbringing, even if his father wasn't exactly strict about things and even encouraged Robert's career.