The reunion
Fluffy Sullobius (that’s what it’s called right?) fic! I managed to write something and it did not turn into angst, yay me.
Summary: Sulla and Metrobius meet again when Sulla briefly returns to Rome during the war against the germanic tribes. Length: 1011 words
This is for @gayusoctgayvius; my bro, the Silo to my Drusus, my companion in researching sexy Sulla’s sexiness
Ever since he had heard that Sulla would return to Rome, he had told himself that he would not be scared. He had tried the old actor’s trick, had replayed this scene in his mind a thousand times, had experienced the feelings of the character as if they were his own.
Yet, as Sulla’s house finally came into view, he was scared. Of what exactly he was not able to tell, it was more a cold fog hugging him from behind, a deep unsettlement that became even harder to bear as he could not rationalize its source.
It was far from the first time he visited this house. In his youth, while the two mistresses of the house, Sulla’s stepmother Clitumna and Nicopolis, the lover of both stepmother and son, had still been alive, he had come here often with his mentor and others from his sphere of society. The parties they had had were still alive in his mind, not only because he had met Sulla this way, but also because he had genuinely liked the two women. They had been of modest birth and prone to far less modest life choices and Metrobius had thought their freedom strangely inspiring. He had certainly never feared them.
Now he tried to pinpoint what had changed to make him feel so dreadful now. Was it Sulla’s wife? Definitely not lowborn that one, a Julia of the Julii Caesares, the younger of two sisters, which was why she was called Julilla. Of the girl he knew virtually nothing, save that she was beautiful and that her older sister had married Gaius Marius. And, of course, that it had been her who had changed Sulla. Metrobius slowed down, considered this. No, he decided, she had not truly changed him. Merely she had acted as a catalysator for the wishes Sulla had always harbored. Sulla, who could be tragic when he managed to break free from the shackles of melodrama, had married her because he could see his future in her eyes. Poor girl. Then again, the Juliae were said to be descendants of Venus, so it was probably fit to pity Sulla too as Venus was not famous for making particularly many men happy.
Metrobius shook off the thoughts about Julilla and accepted that he could not use her as an excuse. He was not really scared of the skinny blonde girl he had seen from afar on the markets. He was scared that there was no place for him in that house anymore. He was not really scared of the hollow silence that was bound to rule the place now that both Clitumna and Nicpolis were gone. He was scared that Sulla had decided that he did not want him in his bright future anymore. He was not scared of the steward who asked him who he was and what business he had with the master. He was scared that Sulla did not love him anymore.
But Metrobius was an actor, one of the best the city owned, and he wore confidence like armour. When the steward announced him and led him into the study (still the same room as in the old days), he stopped shortly behind the door.
Sulla looked up from his desk and Metrobius had barely managed to realize how good he looked, when he became too overcome with the way Sulla looked at him to form a coherent thought. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Then Sulla broke the silence.
“Metrobius.”
Sulla’s eyes left his face only for a moment and darted to the door. Metrobius understood and moved to lock the door like in a dream. He loves me, he thought warmly and smiled.
They met halfway and embraced, Metrobius noting with some amusement that he was taller than Sulla now.
“Are you taller than me?” asked Sulla from below and Metrobius grinned.
“So it seems.”
“Fate does not spare me.”
“So it appears indeed, Lucius Cornelius” said Metrobius with his most tragic voice. Sulla laughed quietly, a dark and breathy sound against Metrobius’ shoulder, and he felt himself shiver.
Sulla took a step back, his hands on Metrobius’ shoulders, and looked upwards.
“This is terrible” he said and proceeded to stand on his tiptoes in order to kiss Metrobius. Laughing softly, Metrobius returned the kiss, then decided that he could try his luck a little. Now it was him who took a step back and Sulla, seeing the glee in his eyes, shook his head but could not keep the smile out of his face.
“Don’t even think about it!”
“Don’t ruin a perfectly good scene” said Metrobius and lifted Sulla up. They kissed again, parting only when Sulla felt it was necessary to complain.
“I’m spared nothing, am I?”
“I don’t think so.”
Metrobius carried Sulla over to the couch, overestimated his strength only a little and managed to settle them quite gracefully, Sulla on top of him.
Sulla grinned.
“I need to tell you about the Germans” he said and Metrobius lifted an eyebrow.
“We’re here in this position, we locked the door and you...want to talk?”
Sulla rested his head on Metrobius’ chest and patted his biceps.
“It’s a good story, you’ll love it.”
“I’m in love with an old man.”
Sulla lay very still for a long moment, then raised his head to kiss him deeply and Metrobius understood what he would not say aloud.
“You’ll love me even more after you’ve heard my story. I mean, it’s of course always exciting to bed Lucius Cornelius Sulla but won’t it be even more so after you’ve heard how I managed to become a German thane?”
Metrobius, accepting his fate, rolled his eyes.
“Even more exciting? How will my poor heart stand it?”
“I believe in you.”
Metrobius grinned and wrapped an arm around Sulla.
“Tell me then. How did you manage to make them believe you were a German in the first place?”
Sulla settled more comfortably on Metrobius’ chest and began to tell his story.