There wasn't pain when Pietros kicked off from the stool. His body begged desperately for air, but his mind couldn't take any more of Gnaeus' abuse. The abuser was not his lover and would never be. Barca had left him alone with nothing more than the birds and the memory of their nights together. He closed his eyes as the god Charon welcomed him to the boat to the Underworld.
His brown eyes gazed around fearfully with the images of torture of the ones who had displeased the gods in their mortal life. Briefly, Pietros wondered where he would end up.
"Have no fear, boy." The ghostly voice of Hades' servant. It sounded gravely as though he had been without water for centuries. "My master has a special place for you to spend your eternity."
"What need does the Lord of the Underworld have of me?" He asked hesitantly for fear of being a bed warmer for the intimidating god.
"Nothing of too much discomfort. Just Elysium."
Elysium? There had to be a mistake. "I am just a boy who was too weak to be a gladiator."
"My orders come from my lord. His orders are quite clear." To further prove his point, Charon paddled down a river way toward a warm glow. Pietros could barely hold back the gasp that fell out of his lips. The grass was greener than Pietros had ever seen in his lifetime. Birds of magnificent color flew by in a hurry while a small waterfall rushed down a cliff nearby. The colors were vibrant and breathtaking.
"Why am I here?" Pietros asked. Charon didn't reply, but docked his boat near an embankment.
"He is waiting for you." Charon stated. "Beyond the hill." A spindly finger pointed over the side of the boat. It didn't seem too far to walk and Pietros exited the vessel.
"Wait, who is waiting?" He inquired as he turned back around, but Charon had disappeared from the riverbed. His curiosity got the better of him and he began walking to beyond the hill. Pietros wondered who he knew that would be in Elysium. As far as he knew, his family was dead long before he could walk and his siblings weren't dead. He also wondered if his siblings would find out that he killed himself. They probably wouldn't find out and think he was still living in the ludus.
When Pietros reached the behind the hill, he froze. The Beast of Carthage. His love. His Barca. Barca was tending to a large bird that was perched on his muscled arm. It cooed as its feathers were preened by the large callused hand. Pietros didn't know what to do or what to say. He felt like running into those arms that kept him safe and warm for many nights. He also felt like hitting him across his face for leaving him.
The bird had spotted Pietros before Barca had. It squawked at him and flew off. Barca looked over at where the bird had and slowly smiled.
"Pietros." He breathed and came forward. Pietros was frozen as he came closer and then slapped the face once it was close enough. Barca was stunned and looked like he was going to retaliate, but restrained himself. "I understand your feelings."
"Do you?" Pietros scoffed. "You left me. We made plans and you threw them all away!"
"If I can explain." Barca tried.
"Explain?" Pietros laughed bitterly as tears started to form. "You left me alone with no one to protect me from Gnaeus."
Barca's eyebrows knit together. "Gnaeus?"
"Why do you think I'm here?" Pietros asked. "After you left, Gnaeus came into our room. Our room! I tried to stop him, I tried." Pietros broke down and Barca embraced him with arms that Pietros was familiar with.
"Apologies, my love." Barca whispered. "But I didn't have choice in the matter of my departure."
"What do you mean?" Pietros whimpered.
"Why do you think I am here?" Barca pulled Pietros back and cupped his tanned cheeks. "Dominus killed me."
Pietros eyes widened. "What?"
"He was there the night Ovidius was killed. He was angry that there was word that the child was alive."
Pietros closed his eyes. "The fault is all mine then. I told Dominus what you told me. That the child was alive."
Barca smiled sadly. "I will never blame you. I never meant to leave you."
"But now we are together?" Pietros asked carefully.
Barca caressed Pietros' cheek with his thumb and nodded. He leaned in and placed a kiss on his forehead. Then his eyelid and finally his lips. It was slow and filled with the love that had started in the not-so private room of the ludus. Pietros' hands found their way into Barca's braids that fell down to his shoulders. With a swift movement, Barca grabbed Pietros by his waist and lifted him up and Pietros wrapped his legs around the strong waist. The pulled apart for air and Pietros gazed down from his vantage point at the giant of the man and smiled.
Barca smiled back. "Come, I'll show you where I keep the birds." Pietros giggled and buried his face into Barca's neck and let him carry him to where they would spend paradise together
I love this pairing and thought they should get a happy ending. Thanks for reading!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO-LMBYW1995