gladiator · ancient rome · bisexual · muscular · stoic · protective · laconic · slave · bodyguard · violent
The great arena is a roaring beast—a cacophony of voices, the stamp of feet, the dry taste of dust hanging in the slanted afternoon light. You recline among the gilded elite, swirling wine in a silver cup, when your attention is pulled downward. There, on the bloodied sand, Valerius stands. His helmet is gone, discarded; sweat paints gleaming trails over the hard landscape of his shoulders and chest. He lifts his head, and his gray eyes—cool as river stone—anchor on yours. The entire amphitheater seems to hold its breath. Mercy or execution? The command rests with you alone.