Okay this is a story I've been working on for quite some time, and since I've gotten it mostly done I think it's about time to start posting. This first part is a prologue of the past that helps to set up the rest of the story.

Since the moment his brother died during the first battle of the rebellion in the Ludus of Batiatus Agron had been sure of only one thing: Everything could change in an instant, Everything.

Such realization came with some small sort of freedom for Agron. Nothing was forever, everything was subject to change, and all his careful planning was worth spit in the face of the ocean's tides. His brother was dead, and Duro took with him a piece of Agron's heart, leaving the rest of it a shattered mess in his chest.

That was how Nasir found him: Shattered, reckless, and without a thought for a future beyond the coming dawn.

But, as the flames of war burned, blood flowed, and death claimed all it could reach; Nasir put Agron's heart back together.

It was slow at first, so slow neither realized. Agron only noticed the change in himself when he one day caught himself watching Nasir sleep. His large scarred hands twisted and toyed with the long dark locks of his lover's hair while he watched the man sleep at his side as he thought about the life they could have. One where they were both free of Rome, free of the blood, the fighting, and free to spend their days without fear. It was the first time Agron planned beyond the coming dawn since his brother's death.

It was a strange moment for Agron, he could vividly remember, not too long ago, bashing a man's head against a stone till his face was little more than blood and shattered bone. Agron remembered laughing, he remember that he thought nothing of his own safely and only of killing as many Roman Shits as he could. But, here he now sat, watching his lover sleep, thinking wistfully of a day when they might both be free of Rome's shadow.

Then Nasir stirred, Agron was looking deep into his lover's eyes, a brown so dark they could almost be black. And the moment had passed. And Agron was back to taking each day as it came.

~~o~~

Being in love, was to say the least, new, to Agron. Worrying about whether or not he'd survive the coming battle was less new. Agron once worried if he'd survive to see his family again, then he worried if he'd survive so he might continue to look after his brother. Now he worried if he'd be there to hold Nasir again.

It was worries like this that kept Agron up, the eve of battle upon him and Agron couldn't help himself from tossing and turning as Nasir slept beside him.

"Sleep," Nasir groaned, rolling over to wrap his arms about Agron.

Agron cuddled closer to his lover, burying his face in thick dark hair. "I woke you, apologies."

Rubbing sleep from his eyes Nasir pulled back just enough to look fully at Agron. "No need, but what thoughts keep you up so? Share burden and see if we can put troubled mind to ease."

"I am merely restless," Agron said, he didn't want to admit that he was worried. Nor did he want to tell Nasir that he would be going to Rome and Nasir would be bound for the Alps. There would be time enough for such talks tomorrow.

Despite his words, Nasir saw right through Agron. "You worry," it wasn't a question but Agron wasn't about to answer either way. Instead Agron looked away, burying his face in Nasir's hair.

"You worry for nothing." Nasir informed him, taking Agron's face in his hands and making the larger man look at him.

"You do not worry enough." Agron countered, his voice unusually thick. Agron couldn't put his finger on it, but something told him that it was quite likely this could be their last night together for a long while, if they had another night together at all.

For Nasir, it was easy to see all of Agron's fear written clear as day on his lover's face. Even in the dim light, still half asleep, Nasir could tell exactly what Agron thought about, for the same thoughts hunted Nasir. Everytime Agron left Nasir's sight the syrian worried, somewhere deep in his heart, where he refused to admit it, that he might never see him, hold him, kiss him, again. That was how Nasir could know exactly what Agron worried about.

"I do not worry, because whether in this life, or the next, I know my place is at your side." Nasir's words both warmed and broke Agron's heart. He knew that come morning he would have to tell his lover how he planned for them to part ways. The path Agron would walk was one that gave little chance to return to Nasir.

Taking Nasir's face in his hands Agron kissed his lover as if it was the last time he would ever kiss him. In the backs of their minds, both feared that every kiss might very while might be their last kiss. Both had seen and delivered enough death to know that survive was far from certain.

"This life," Agron murmured, his eyes shut, fingers tangled in Nasir's hair, his forehead pressed to Nasir's, and breathing deeply. "This life or the next, my heart is forever yours. I will love you so long as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Nasir, I promise you, I will always wait for you, I will forever search for you, and not even the gods could stop me till I find you. This life or the next, I'm no longer complete without you."

Anxiously Nasir held on tight to his lover, something about the way he spoke made it sound as if he didn't mean to survive. "Do you forever mean to challenge the Gods over me?" Nasir joked, though his voice was thick and his heart wasn't in it.

"If it means even one more moment at your side I would challenge every man that walks the earth. I would challenge the very winds, and the tides, and every God in every land." Agron's grip tightened, one hand wrapped around Nasir's waist, the other tangled in his hair. "For you Nasir, I would climb the highest mountain and collect the stars from the very sky if you so desired them."

Though he didn't know it at the time, the very Gods took note of Agron's words.

For Nasir, who had only known life as a body slave before being freed by Spartacus, being loved by anyone was new, he could hardly understand why Agron was forever promising to go so far for him. Swallowing hard Nasir searched Agron's face, taking in the close cropped hair, growing beard, and pale green eyes, Nasir was trying to sniff out just how serious Agron was, looking for any sign that everything was a joke and little more. No matter how long Nasir spent with Agron he could not shake his worry that Agron's love for him was little more than passing lust. It was fear born of his lifetime as a slave, and though his heart knew better Nasir's traitorous mind had a hard time letting go of the past, leaving him with a fear that only seemed to fade but never truly leave him.

But like everyone of Nasir's searches before all the Syrian could tell was that for some reason or another Agron truly loved him, and meant every word of it.

Finding talk of challenging Gods to be like kicking a bee's hive and expecting to not get stung, Nasir wasn't sure if he should be impressed or worried that the Gods might actually take offense this time; Agron did challenge them much too often in Nasir's opinion.

"It is good then that I wish for no stars." Nasir informed Agron, and to their shared amusement Nasir reached behind Agron, grabbing a good handful of his lover's ass. "Only for you to warm my bed."

~~o~~

Crixus meant to lead his group to Rome come dawn, and Agron meant to leave with him. It was the eve before Crixus and his men left when Agron finally confessed his plans to Nasir. Waiting so long to tell Nasir that Agron meant for them to part ways had been a mistake, to say the least.

"My place is forever with you." The Syrian was declaring, sounding more hurt than anything.

"Not in this." Was Agron's pained reply.

It was plain on his face that Nasir neither expected nor agreed nor even understood Agron's plan. "You once swore the Gods themselves could not wrest me from your arms. And now you fucking cast me aside?" He asked, sounding both hurt and insulted.

For a moment all of Nasir's old fears came back; perhaps his mind had had the right of it all along? Perhaps Agron's affection had really turned from him? That Nasir could understand, that would mean that the man was only looking for anyway to rid himself of the Syrian he now saw as a burden. It was an old fear for Nasir, one he had yet to shake. But, like he had countless times before, Agron once more smothered that fear without having even known it had come to his lover's mind.

"My heart will never beat for another." It was hard to say who was more upset by the parting, but Agron would not lead Nasir to his death, no matter how much it would hurt to leave his lover. "Yet it would cease within chest if I were to drag you to your doom."

"I am a warrior!"

"One I am most proud of." Agron's voice was thick, the tiniest glittering of tears sat at the corners of his eyes. "Set skills to aiding Spartacus and see those less able to true freedom." Agron was almost pleading now, but the path he meant to take was one with little chance of survival and Agron cared more for Nasir's life than his own.

Agron had always cared more the lives of those he loved, than he cared for his own.

Unshed tears decorated the corners of Nasir's eyes, "Do not ask me to turn from you."

"I ask only that you live, and wrest what joy may be found under remaining days."

With a passionate kiss goodbye Agron left, he had much to ready before dawn and many more goodbyes to say.

When Agron returned to his bed that night he found Nasir already there and fast asleep, but he woke enough to curl himself about Agron when the ex-gladiator joined him. The goodnight kiss they shared held everything neither could say. It was bittersweet with fear for each other, hurt at being apart, and confirmed for each that they were stilled loved.

Not even Agron could truly say if he ever meant to survive to see Nasir again when he left that day, but the God's seemed to care more for Agron's life than he did, for Agron managed to find his way back to Nasir's arms. He was beaten, half dead, and so wounded he could hardly hold a blade ever again, but Agron found his way home. With Nasir once more at his side, Agron didn't mind the wounds, the scars, or the filth to Agron he was home.

~~o~~

It felt, almost sudden, but Agron knew that wasn't right. It had been three days since Spartacus had been put to rest. Three days were hardly 'Sudden' anything. But that's how it felt, because, suddenly, Agron and Nasir were both free. Free of Rome, free of crucifixion, free to live.

It didn't take long for Agron to realize he had no idea where he and Nasir ought to go next. Agron's family -save his brother Duro- had been killed by Roman's before Agron had been taken as a slave. Duro had later died in Agron's arms at the start of the rebellion, leaving Agron with no kin, and Nasir without any memory of his own save a brother who once upon a time had called him 'Nasir'.

When Agron failed though, Nasir did not.

Eventually the ragged band of rebels and ex-slaves made it through the mountain pass, where they all split into large groups and scattered to the wind, each making to leave at far from Rome as they could. Agron and Nasir traveled with Sibyl and many others for a time. Slowly, in groups of mostly two or three -sometimes as many as six or seven, and once even eleven- people broke away from Nasir and Agron's group, no one was really sure where their band was heading, but Nasir kept them moving North, until one day, only Nasir, Agron, and Sibyl -her belly now heavy with Gannicus' child- traveled together. It was then that Agron realized the familiar flora and fauna.

"My home?" He asked Nasir as they walked through the forest, Nasir helping Sibyl over a fallen tree.

Sibyl smiled, "I do not know how close we are to your old home, but it is your homeland at least."

The look the pair shared told Agron that they had planned this. But neither of them had a home of their own save their old lives as slaves. It made sense to go to Agron's homeland, he was the only one of them that still remembered ever being free.

Four days later they crossed the Rhine, heading north and east. Sibyl was growing so large that they stopped at they first town that would help them and before Agron and Nasir noticed, what meant to be a small stop so Sibyl might find a home for her and her coming babe became their home.

Years upon years later, when illness and age finally claimed both Agron and Nasir the Gods remembered Agron's promise to love Nasir so long as the sun rose in the east and set in the west, and his promise to forever search for his lover in the next life. Despite Agron's near constant challenge of the Gods, they didn't feeling like being cruel, more so because Nasir would apologize for any offense on his lovers part than anything.

So, the Gods gave Agron a gift in his next life, they gave Agron his memories so he might have a hope of finding Nasir again.