Pia Fidelis - Chapter 6

[ainsoph15]

Title: Pia Fidelis
Author: ainsoph15 
Pairing: Esca/Marcus
Rating: PG13/R (this chapter)
Summary: In between the lines of a story about honour is another story about love. This is an attempt to fill in those lines and to tell that story, with all the scenes that weren't shown.
Warnings: Behaviour that could be interpreted as (mutual) sexual harassment.
Word count

Comments

[elzed]

I love this story so much! Wonderful, rich in details, beautifully written (both your Marcus voice and your Esca are fab), and generally awesome. The whole Saturnalia thing, Esca's standoffishness, the crown, the carving, everything. Love it.

*blows kisses*

[ainsoph15]

Thank you so much! Oh god, I am so glad to hear you think their voices work - they are so hard to get right and I fret about it so much - especially Esca. I always feel like he's saying too much when I write him, and when I edited this section, I cut out loads of his dialogue. If I let him be as uncommunicative as in the film, though, there wouldn't be much story there ;)

*blush* :D *blows kisses back*

[carmarthen]

Marcus stripped off his bracae, and out of an impetuous, inebriated desire to regain some semblance of dominance, he went and stood by Esca's side still unclothed, leaning down to see which of the tablets Esca was looking at.

BAD IDEA, MARCUS.

“Make yourself ready for bed. I won't leave you to lie on the floor and wait until you're cold and shivering.”

OUCH, SNAP. Marcus really doesn't read Esca well, does he?

“You spent Saturnalia carving these for me, instead of drinking or gambling?” Marcus felt an odd fluttering in his chest, as his heart thudded against the bars of his ribs, like feathers beating against a cage that was too small for the creature it contained

[ainsoph15]

OH LORD, ANOTHER COMMENT THAT MAKES ME GRIN LIKE MARCUS GRINS AT ESCA AN IDIOT ♥

Um, why would you ever think that Esca could be duplicitous in any way? HMMMM??? *g*

~FEEEEELIIINNNGS~ ALL OVER THE PLACE ♥

:D SO MUCH LOVE FOR YOUUU ♥ ♥ ♥

[carmarthen]

Um, why would you ever think that Esca could be duplicitous in any way? HMMMM??? *g

GEE I CAN'T IMAGINE. MAYBE IT'S HIS FACE. :-P

[sineala]

Io, Saturnalia! (Yeah, it's June, so what?)

FYI, this is the chat reaction to your story:

[19:39] Sineala: YAY NEW PF
[19:39] Sineala SOUNDS THE SQUEE ALARM
[19:40] carmarthen: omgomgomgomg
[19:40] carmarthen: eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
[19:41] Sineala: THE SQUEE ALARM SOUNDS LIKE THAT

This story is amazing and I love all of it and OMG the UST is killing me. When they finally get together I am sure I will be dead. Dead! The characterizations are awesome and Saturnalia is awesome and everything is awesome.

Also +10,000 points for the mention of a camelopard! They are my favorite!

My current favorite bit is the end, with:

“So you have waited until we are evenly matched before you stab me in the back.”

“No, Centurion. I would do you the honour of stabbing you face to face,” Esca said, and looked at him levelly for a moment. His mouth twitched at the corners, which Marcus knew was Esca's way of smiling. Marcus dipped his head and snorted.

Oh Marcus. Oh Esca. Awwwwww. ♥

[ainsoph15]

Ha ha ha, oh, you guys :) (I must try to make it to chat soon!) I need to sound the squee alarm for your comment, because EEEEEE! - I am so happy you like this part! IO, SATURNALIA!!!

Lol, the cameleopard was one of the last things that went in there, because when I was a very small child I thought for a long time that they weren't real - like a cameleopard was actually a chimera, or some Roman version of a Push-Me Pull-You, and not just a really awesome name for a giraffe *g* And funnily enough, the bit at the end was actually the very first thing I wrote for this section, where they are getting to the kind-of sort-of not-friendly oh-this-is-awkward why-can't-I-just-hate-you-it's-simpler stage.

OMG the UST is killing me. ME TOO. AND I'M WRITING IT. EVERY WORD IS LIKE TORTURE. And I know you know exactly what I mean ;D

[captsparrow4evr]

Not to push you or anything but the sexual tension in this is getting so thick, you can't even cut it with a knife. I can't wait to see the next chapter. Esca and Marcus doing hand-to-hand? Be still my little slashy heart!

I worship you!! Hail Ainsoph!!

[ainsoph15]

Oh sweetheart, I'm actually blushing for real ♥ You are too kind. Thank you so, so much for all your lovely comments :)

[augustbird]

OK TO PROCEED, ALL OF THE KEYBOARDSMASH IN THE WORLD: ALKJSHDFOUAHDSHOSDFKSFADKHJASDJHAFDSHSAKDFJKASD

omg this fic. omg this fic is amazing and i just want to draw a MILLION HEARTS AROUND IT <33333

esca's characterization and the begruding way that he does nice things for Marcus and obvious distaste for roman rituals and Marcus not quite understanding and the UST between the two of them and the way that you delineate esca vs. other slaves without being overt about it and marcus's insecurities about his future and basically just EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS FIC. IT'S AMAZING. *_________*

LOOKING FORWARD EAGERLY TO THE NEXT PART, SOB, WHICH MAKES ME GREEDY BECAUSE YOU JUST PUT UP A MILLION WORDS ALREADY BUT I CAN'T HELP WANTING MORE. ;_____; thank you so much for writing and brb going to go reread a million times. <3333

[ainsoph15]

AAAAAAAH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO RESPOND. HOW ARE YOU SO LOVELY??? You get it all, completely, and that makes me so happpppyyy :D :D :D

Oh, my heart :) THANK YOU FOR BEING SO AWESOME AND KIND AND STUFF *inarticulate with joy*
♥