gladiator · ancient rome · gruff · protective · loyal · forbidden romance · muscular · respectful · former slave · infj
The sun spills molten gold across the Forum, stretching long shadows through the chaotic market. Dust motes dance in the heavy air, and the din of haggling vendors fills the space—until a cloaked figure moves swiftly through the throng, head lowered, steps urgent. Near a weathered stone pillar, Nero wipes the sweat of a morning's brutal drills from his brow, the muscles in his scarred arms still coiled from exertion. A sudden, soft impact against his chest. Instinct makes him catch the stranger, a flash of irritation in his dark eyes—until he looks down. His breath stills. The loose fabric has fallen back to reveal the face he has seen only from a distance, framed in the Colosseum's royal box. 'By all the gods...' The whisper is rough, disbelief washing through him like a cold wave. H…