Roman of Interest - Chapter 16
Title: Roman of Interest - Chapter 16
Author: kmmerc
Pairing: Finch/Reese
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 1100
Harold comes to an understanding with the Captain.
Claudia was impressed by Harold’s dab hand at caring for Leila.
“How do you know so much about babies?” she finally dared to ask the secretive man. Harold smiled, sadly. “I raised a little boy, after his mother died in childbirth,” he answered. “And now, I’ll never see him again,” he trailed softly.
“Because you are a slave? You weren’t, were you, for a long time, I think,” guessed Claudia. Harold nodded, wearily, surprised that the young woman had seen so much.
“Why don’t you go back to Rome? I heard about your bag of coins.”
“Benno?” Harold guessed.
Claudia nodded, suddenly blushing. Harold took the baby and propped her on his shoulder. A shiny bubble of milk formed at her mouth as he coaxed out a loud burp. They both laughed.
“Who is John?” asked Claudia.
Now Harold almost dropped the baby. Claudia must have overheard Root’s torturous, humiliating interrogation of him. Just hearing that man’s name made him feel sick inside. He clutched the baby, trying not to vomit.
“John is a monster, Claudia. He’s the reason I’m trying to move as far as I can from Rome, even if it costs me my freedom and my family,” he said simply.
She placed a gentle hand on Harold’s shoulder. “Are you sure he’s evil, Harold? I heard you yelling, screaming for hours that he wasn’t. Why would she have to torture you so brutally to convince you of something that was true? Maybe she was the monster, Harold.”
No, thought Harold, it couldn’t be true. John was a volcano waiting to erupt, ready to destroy everything, everyone in his path. Harold’s body and emotions reacted, adrenaline coursing through his veins at the mere thought of his enemy. But somewhere, a logical part unscathed by Root’s evil remembered soft, comforting words and gentle, loving hands. He cuddled the baby. Suddenly things didn’t seem quite so clear cut. What if John wasn’t a monster?
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Will hired a Carthaginian ship, one of the fastest available, crewed by the finest sailors in the Mediterranean. Harold had been gone almost two months now and everyone was feeling his loss, John most of all. It became obvious, within the first hour of travel, that the former gladiator was not a sea-fairing man. He spent his first day hunkered over the rail until exhaustion claimed him. Lionel, who traveled with them, spread a warm wool blanket over the sleeping form, hoping John would feel better in the morning.
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It happened before Harold had even a chance to blink. Leila, now one month old, had fortunately been in his arms when Captain Lapidus stormed into the dark recesses of the ship’s hold, catching Benno and Claudia in flagrante delicto. What little light in the small, dank space was reflected on the Captain’s sword as he killed both his unfaithful lover and the kitchen slave. Leila chose that moment to wake up, crying lustily, her voice obvious above even the din of voices.
“What is that?” growled Lapidus, yanking at the blanket that covered the infant. Harold stood his ground.
“That, Captain, is Leila, my baby,” he said imperiously. The Captain looked the smaller man up and down, taking stock of the situation, which wasn’t quite as it had first appeared. He pressed his thick index finger hard against Harold’s chest. “You and the baby, in my quarters in thirty minutes. Now start cleaning up this mess!”
Harold sadly straightened Claudia’s bangs as he helped Captain Lapidus’s men drag the corpses to the deck. He could only do so much because of his bad leg. He tied Leila into her pouch next to his hammock and quickly, secretly went through Claudia’s small box of things, retrieving a small silver necklace, which he hid. He used her second-best shift to mop up the blood before going to meet the Captain.
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“A ship is no place for an infant,” Lapidus growled, half-heartedly, already regretting the impulsive murders. “I’d just as soon toss her overboard with her parents.”
“No.”
“No? What makes you think you can tell me ‘no’, slave?” asked the shocked yet amused Captain.
Harold’s eyes turned steely as he stared down the Captain, over the baby’s head.
“It’s true that I came to Rome as a slave, Captain, and find myself in that position again. But rest assured I am not someone to treat lightly. I am a favorite of Minerva and trust she’ll soon restore me to my proper station in life. You will keep me and Leila free from harm aboard your ship and allow us to disembark in Alexandria, with the gold Root gave you. I, in return, promise to make this proposition worth your while, both here on board, as well as after I send for my fortune.”
“And how do you propose to do that,” asked the Captain, leering at the smaller man.
“I can re-plot your trade routes, for starters, making you at much more efficient…and much richer.”
“And?”
Finch sighed. “If you will allow me the milk of the ship’s dairy goats and freedom to take care of the baby, I’ll be available for your…needs. You might want someone as skilled and amenable as I am, now that Benno is dead.”
The Captain smiled. “Put the baby down, here in this basket.”
Harold warily obeyed the order, placing the sleeping baby in the snug container. He limped over to the Captain, stiffly dropping to his knees. He carefully placed a hand on either of the Captain’s thighs, looking up to make sure. Lapidus groaned hungrily, spread his legs. Harold pushed up the Captain’s tunic and took his thick, uncut cock into his mouth. Harold closed his eyes - he’d done this act hundreds of times, so why were his body and mind balking at the task before him? It hadn’t been difficult, not with Nathan and…not with John. He pictured John, moaning softly underneath him as he flicked his crown and sucked hard, filling his mouth. John, who was so sweet and clean and gentle, brushing the tips of Harold’s ears as Harold licked and sucked his cock. Lapidus grunted loudly, spilling into Harold’s mouth. Harold pulled back, swallowing as he wiped his mouth. The Captain grinned.
“You and I have a deal, Harold.”
Author: kmmerc
Pairing: Finch/Reese
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 1100
Harold comes to an understanding with the Captain.
Claudia was impressed by Harold’s dab hand at caring for Leila.
“How do you know so much about babies?” she finally dared to ask the secretive man. Harold smiled, sadly. “I raised a little boy, after his mother died in childbirth,” he answered. “And now, I’ll never see him again,” he trailed softly.
“Because you are a slave? You weren’t, were you, for a long time, I think,” guessed Claudia. Harold nodded, wearily, surprised that the young woman had seen so much.
“Why don’t you go back to Rome? I heard about your bag of coins.”
“Benno?” Harold guessed.
Claudia nodded, suddenly blushing. Harold took the baby and propped her on his shoulder. A shiny bubble of milk formed at her mouth as he coaxed out a loud burp. They both laughed.
“Who is John?” asked Claudia.
Now Harold almost dropped the baby. Claudia must have overheard Root’s torturous, humiliating interrogation of him. Just hearing that man’s name made him feel sick inside. He clutched the baby, trying not to vomit.
“John is a monster, Claudia. He’s the reason I’m trying to move as far as I can from Rome, even if it costs me my freedom and my family,” he said simply.
She placed a gentle hand on Harold’s shoulder. “Are you sure he’s evil, Harold? I heard you yelling, screaming for hours that he wasn’t. Why would she have to torture you so brutally to convince you of something that was true? Maybe she was the monster, Harold.”
No, thought Harold, it couldn’t be true. John was a volcano waiting to erupt, ready to destroy everything, everyone in his path. Harold’s body and emotions reacted, adrenaline coursing through his veins at the mere thought of his enemy. But somewhere, a logical part unscathed by Root’s evil remembered soft, comforting words and gentle, loving hands. He cuddled the baby. Suddenly things didn’t seem quite so clear cut. What if John wasn’t a monster?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Will hired a Carthaginian ship, one of the fastest available, crewed by the finest sailors in the Mediterranean. Harold had been gone almost two months now and everyone was feeling his loss, John most of all. It became obvious, within the first hour of travel, that the former gladiator was not a sea-fairing man. He spent his first day hunkered over the rail until exhaustion claimed him. Lionel, who traveled with them, spread a warm wool blanket over the sleeping form, hoping John would feel better in the morning.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It happened before Harold had even a chance to blink. Leila, now one month old, had fortunately been in his arms when Captain Lapidus stormed into the dark recesses of the ship’s hold, catching Benno and Claudia in flagrante delicto. What little light in the small, dank space was reflected on the Captain’s sword as he killed both his unfaithful lover and the kitchen slave. Leila chose that moment to wake up, crying lustily, her voice obvious above even the din of voices.
“What is that?” growled Lapidus, yanking at the blanket that covered the infant. Harold stood his ground.
“That, Captain, is Leila, my baby,” he said imperiously. The Captain looked the smaller man up and down, taking stock of the situation, which wasn’t quite as it had first appeared. He pressed his thick index finger hard against Harold’s chest. “You and the baby, in my quarters in thirty minutes. Now start cleaning up this mess!”
Harold sadly straightened Claudia’s bangs as he helped Captain Lapidus’s men drag the corpses to the deck. He could only do so much because of his bad leg. He tied Leila into her pouch next to his hammock and quickly, secretly went through Claudia’s small box of things, retrieving a small silver necklace, which he hid. He used her second-best shift to mop up the blood before going to meet the Captain.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“A ship is no place for an infant,” Lapidus growled, half-heartedly, already regretting the impulsive murders. “I’d just as soon toss her overboard with her parents.”
“No.”
“No? What makes you think you can tell me ‘no’, slave?” asked the shocked yet amused Captain.
Harold’s eyes turned steely as he stared down the Captain, over the baby’s head.
“It’s true that I came to Rome as a slave, Captain, and find myself in that position again. But rest assured I am not someone to treat lightly. I am a favorite of Minerva and trust she’ll soon restore me to my proper station in life. You will keep me and Leila free from harm aboard your ship and allow us to disembark in Alexandria, with the gold Root gave you. I, in return, promise to make this proposition worth your while, both here on board, as well as after I send for my fortune.”
“And how do you propose to do that,” asked the Captain, leering at the smaller man.
“I can re-plot your trade routes, for starters, making you at much more efficient…and much richer.”
“And?”
Finch sighed. “If you will allow me the milk of the ship’s dairy goats and freedom to take care of the baby, I’ll be available for your…needs. You might want someone as skilled and amenable as I am, now that Benno is dead.”
The Captain smiled. “Put the baby down, here in this basket.”
Harold warily obeyed the order, placing the sleeping baby in the snug container. He limped over to the Captain, stiffly dropping to his knees. He carefully placed a hand on either of the Captain’s thighs, looking up to make sure. Lapidus groaned hungrily, spread his legs. Harold pushed up the Captain’s tunic and took his thick, uncut cock into his mouth. Harold closed his eyes - he’d done this act hundreds of times, so why were his body and mind balking at the task before him? It hadn’t been difficult, not with Nathan and…not with John. He pictured John, moaning softly underneath him as he flicked his crown and sucked hard, filling his mouth. John, who was so sweet and clean and gentle, brushing the tips of Harold’s ears as Harold licked and sucked his cock. Lapidus grunted loudly, spilling into Harold’s mouth. Harold pulled back, swallowing as he wiped his mouth. The Captain grinned.
“You and I have a deal, Harold.”