Past-Part Fills Post 1 -- CLOSED
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But Rome was too tired to make any use of that privacy this night, not when he still had much left to do. He just barely managed to tuck a blanket around the boy before flopping onto his back beside him and drifting off into slumber.
During the next few days of the march, Rome discovered something very important about his charge, something he wished he had realized sooner, although it would not have changed the outcome in any way.
When Gallia was good, he was very good; obedient, sweet, and perfectly delightful in every way. But when he was bad, oh, he was absolutely, shamelessly, irrefutably evil.
Regrettably, there was little he could do, since Gallia more or less behaved in his presence, and only got to his mischief whenever he was unattended, and Rome simply could not watch over him every hour of the day. The witnesses specifically referred to him as the perpetrator, and Gallia himself did not deny that he was the one behind the minor stampedes, the release of three prisoners who thankfully were caught several hours later, the emptying amphorae of wine and then putting live frogs into them. Soon, several of the officers looked ready to murder their captain in his sleep for keeping the little savage around in the first place.
He was quite sure Germania was laughing at him deep down inside and would have accused him of conspiring with the boy but for the fact that Germania disapproved of mischief in general. Still, Rome had to talk to someone about this situation.
“He acts like any boy would,” Germania said at last, after Rome finished his long list of complaints about Gallia.
“And how would you know? Have you ever been a boy, Germania? I sometimes feel you came into this world fully grown, a frown permanently etched onto your face.” Rome shook his head, rubbing at his hair in frustration. “At any rate, how do you suggest I discipline him? I have to do something, before another captain tries to.” Gods only know how that might turn out.
Germania shrugged. “When he wants to behave, he will.”
“…Do you think a spanking will work?”
The cold blue stare spoke volumes, and Rome snorted in amusement.
“What? Gallia is mine to worry about, not yours. In fact, you should be thankful I took him out of your hair, now that you’ve seen how much trouble he has caused!”
If anything, Germania’s scowl deepened, and he rode off without even a salute.
[Sorry about the wait, I rewrote these parts several times and just wasn't happy with them. Hope this is okay and not too boring. Sigh.
Note: Julius Caesar suffered from seizures.]
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“Why are you doing this, Gallia? Why create so much trouble? Do you really hate us so much?” He had seemed so sweet and malleable at first, Rome should have known better, should have suspected he would act like his mother, resistant to the end.
“I don’t really know…” he admitted, not quite meeting Rome’s gaze. “…But if you are so upset with me, does that mean I can go?”
Ah… “Is that what this is all about?” Rome reached over and ruffled the boy’s hair, smiling despite his earlier resolve to look stern. “Gallia, as much as I would love to let you have your way, I can not grant you that just yet. You must earn it, as all new citizens must earn their freedom and place in society.”
“What do I have to do then?” And when he spoke like that, when he looked like that, he was impossible to resist.
“Come to Rome with me,” Rome answered without hesitation. “Learn to speak and read and write Latin, practice the necessary customs, accept the jurisdiction placed over your people. In every other way, the provinces are left to their own, to live however they want, as long as they do not disturb the peace. This is a great generosity that few other empires are willing to give to subject nations. Certainly it would not be beneath your pride to accept this, for your people?”
Gallia pouted, as if to imply that yes, it would be quite beneath his pride. Then it seemed as if he changed his mind, and finally he announced, “I could have escaped at any time, as soon as you gave me Avell. But I did not. Is that answer enough for you?”
Laughing at his stubbornness, Rome promised to untie him when they broke for the midday meal.
Though Gallia continued to sulk occasionally, he at least restricted his pranks to only bother Rome, which was an improvement overall. But to the republic’s disappointment, Gallia did not show any especial affection for him, and was eager to innocently flirt with anyone who caught his eye, which was almost everyone, asking for hugs from whoever might grant them. Rome quickly made it clear to the other soldiers that they were to keep their hands off of the young Gaul, no matter what, and it was a credit to their sense of discipline that they obeyed him despite Gallia’s charms. Though of course, keeping their hands off did not exclude them from admiring him and giving him flowers and whatever little treasures that might have been acquired during the campaign, and if the young nation had not already been in love with himself, he certainly was now.
“You are incorrigible,” Rome whispered one night as they lay together under the blankets.
“What do you mean by that? You’re the one that’s incorrible!”
“Incorrigible,” he corrected, smiling and tapping the boy on his nose. “I mean that you are my student, and thus you should show me respect as your benefactor. And I would appreciate it if you would stop flirting with the soldiers and mercenaries. They are good men, but not all men in the world are so trustworthy, and I fear for your safety if you continue such behavior.”
“Fine. I shall stop,” Gallia said, still looking rebellious.
“Kiss me, and I will believe you.”
“You drive hard bargains,” Gallia muttered, and obediently turned his face up towards the other’s. Rome leaned over and kissed him thoroughly, perhaps a little harder and more possessively than before, but he could not help it, not with such a prize he had fought so hard to claim. Hopefully one day, Gallia would make the first move, but until then, he must make do with what little progress they had made, vowing to carry on their lessons in this particular area as soon as possible.
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Gallia is just too adorable. ♥
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