Title: Amor vincit omnia
Summary: AU. When Gregorius, a Servant for an influential Senator, is thrown into the life of Nikolai, the greatest gladiator in Rome, their lives and the Roman society around them are cast into turmoil. Nick/Greg slash.
Warnings: Suggestions of dub-con
Disclaimer: CSI is not mine, neither are the chapter titles
Chapter 10/10
Chapter X: There is Always Someone Left to Fight
Nik ran as fast as he could while carrying a grown man in his arms, Greg was slight, his frame thin yet broad, he wasn't as light as he looked. Nik's feet thudded heavily on the floor, sweat trickled down his forehead and his breathing laboured into short wheezy breaths.
When he reached the tunnel entrance he squeezed his grip on Greg's arm, "We're here, you're going to be fine." He whispered in reassurance to the sleeping man.
Archie opened the hatch to the tunnel and held it open for him to step down into, placing a hand in support on Nik's back as he passed. Candles sparsely lit the dank conditions under the floors of the kitchen.
"Al, Alberto! I need your help!" Nik called.
Al limped his way through the crowed tunnel, walking passed a group of young servants who cowered when a loud bang was heard above them.
"Nikolai, I'm here." Al said as he approached. "Gregorius…" He breathed when he saw the form in Nik's arms.
"Place him on the floor, Nik." Al instructed, and Nik gently laid him down on his back.
Al immediately ripped open Greg's tunic at his shoulder and inspected the wound. Greg's head lolled to the side and to all intents and purposes he looked dead to Nik. Nik's breath caught in his throat at the thought, he forced the thought away and had to remind himself that Greg was still alive and in the best hands possible. He focused on the slight movement in Greg's chest as he breathed in and out.
"Archibold, go find Mari, we need lots of water and cloths." Archie ran down the tunnel as soon as Al stopped speaking.
"Here," Al gestured at Greg's good hand, "take his hand, it will give him strength." Nik was grateful to have something to do to help, how much help it would be he wasn't sure, and he suspected Al had suggested it more for his own good than Greg's, but anything that could keep Greg alive was worth trying.
"What are you going to do?" Nik asked without taking his eyes away from Greg's face, mesmerised by his innocence and vulnerability, he laid still and peaceful, unaware of the chaos surrounding him.
"I need to remove the arrow to reduce the chance of infecting the wound, but it will make him bleed more, so we need to be ready to stem the flow." Al explained. Nik nodded absently, he'd understood and taken it in but it was as though there was a cloud surrounding his head and all he could see was Greg.
"Gregorius you better not die on me!" Mari shouted as she ran towards them. Nik's cloud lifted and he saw the crowd of onlookers they'd attracted, all concerned about Greg.
"Let me through." Mari pushed her way to Greg's side, grabbing his other arm above the wrist.
She caressed his cheek, "My boy." A tear dripped from her eye and landed on Greg's skin.
"You're going to save him Al." She said more as a statement of fact than a request or order.
"I know I am dear." Al stated with a calmness that told of the years he'd spent dealing with Mari's worry over her son.
"Archie, bring the water and cloths to his head. We need to sit him up, so that his shoulders are off the ground." Al directed towards Nik.
Al soaked one cloth in the water while Nik got one arm beneath Greg's back in order to lift him. Mari started mumbling a litany of soothing words into Greg's ear, he wasn't shocked that in a time of worry she resorted to saying whatever came through her mind, like mother like son.
Al soothed the wet cloth around Greg's wound; Nik could feel him flinch at the first touch of the cold liquid.
After cleaning the blood and dirt away from around where the arrow pierced Greg's skin, Al threw the cloth away and looked Nik in the eyes. Nik gulped in apprehension.
"You're going to need to hold him very still, this will hurt him." Al said sympathetically.
"I've got him." Nik said with a steady voice.
"Archie," Archie looked up eagerly at the sound of his name, he seemed relieved to have something to do. Nik knew the feeling, he hated being helpless in healing Greg, but he had to leave the decisions to Al, he had more than enough sense to know that it was important to have a healer who knew what he was doing, love and faith could only do so much. "Be ready with those cloths, as soon as the arrow is out I need you to put pressure on his wound to stem the blood flow. Do you understand?"
Al had a softness and sternness to his voice that demanded obedience without patronising.
"I understand." Archie said, already organising the cloths at the ready.
"Ok," Al squirmed his was behind Greg so that he firmly in place, "I'm going to pull it out, hopefully in one go, but more likely it will take two. Are you ready?"
"Ready." Nik, Archie and Mari all answered affirmatively.
Nik held his breath.
Al wrapped his hands around the arrow and pulled.
Greg screamed and his eyes flew open. Nik struggled to hold him still as Greg's body jerked forward out of reflex.
Greg's breathing heaved and he moaned in pain. "Shh, it's alright, you're alright." Nik soothed.
"We're all here Greg, I'm not leaving your side." Mari told him.
"I know, you wouldn't." Greg said in a small voice between breaths.
The arrow wasn't completely out. "I'm going to pull again, Greg." Al informed him, and he pulled before Nik even had the time to process what he'd said. Greg screamed again and went limp in Nik's hands. Mari screamed with him, fearing the worst. Nik could still feel his heartbeat, though, beating in time with his own.
Archie was suddenly there, pressing his cloths against the wounds, both on Greg's back and his chest. Mari let go of Greg's arm to help him.
"Keep the pressure there, whatever you do, don't let the pressure wane." Al instructed.
They sat there in the silence of their own thoughts for what seemed like hours to Nik. Eventually Al looked Greg over again and told Archie to remove the cloths.
"What now?" Nik asked.
"Now, I patch him up and then, we wait."
Nik jerked around when the tunnel's hatch opened and sunlight streamed in, it was morning already.
Sara peered from around the door. "Hey everyone," she said when she saw them all starring back at her. "How's he doing?"
"He's alive." Nik squeezed Greg's hand, hoping for a squeeze back to prove that what he'd said was true, it didn't come but he knew Greg wasn't letting go yet.
"Good. The fighting's over, the Emperor is asking for you."
"But Gr…" Sara interrupted Nik before he could air his thoughts.
"I told him about Greg, he said to bring him to his house, he can rest better there."
"Thanks Sara."
Sara helped them make a stretcher to carry Greg once Al had finished bandaging him. The Emperor had generously let them use one of his guest rooms and Nik gently moved Greg from the stretcher to the bed. Nik almost smiled at the thought that Greg would be amused by the irony of it taking him to get to deaths door in order for him to sleep in the comfiest bed of his life.
Nik had persuaded Al to come along and continue his care for Greg, despite the Emperor offering his most experienced healers; he didn't give Al much choice to say no, though.
Mari was off getting some of Greg's belongings to make him more comfortable. She'd nearly broken down on their way to the Emperor's house, so Sara had suggested the task to give her something to concentrate on.
Nik settled in by Greg's bedside, gently taking his injured hand and resting it in his own.
"How long will he be out, Al?"
"It looks like fever may be setting in, and he's lost blood, so he could be a while. I'm sorry son, he will get through this, he's strong, be patient." Al left to clean up.
Nik would wait forever if he had to.
…
I shuffled nervously into the arena. My hand gripped tightly to the handle of my sword, despite my sweaty palms threatening to let go at any moment. Dust scuffed up around my sandals as I strode towards my opponent. My huge, overbearing and overwhelming opponent! He was prowling in circles, the sun gleaming off of his armour as he moved, awaiting me to begin our fight to the death.
What? Wait a second, what in the name of the Gods is going on here? I don't do this, Nik does, I can't fight! I panicked and tried to turn back the way I'd come, to get the hell out of there. But every way I turned I saw the same dusty floor and empty seated amphitheatre, there were no exits. I spun until I was dizzy. My vision blurred and my surroundings reverberated around me, closing in until I couldn't breath from the claustrophobia. I put my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut. I stared into the darkness, praying that I would wake up from this nightmare, it had to be a nightmare, it couldn't be real, could it? When I opened my eyes, I was still there, in my dusty, open plan prison, with only a huge, scary gladiator for company. A Gladiator who started running towards me.
Something was wrong, really, really wrong.
…
"Al, I think he's getting worse." Mari said, putting the back of her hand against Greg's forehead. Nik thought it too, Greg's face was flushed and his features looked restless.
Al inspected Greg's temperature for himself. "He's got a fever, like I suspected."
Al filled a bowl full of water and brought more cloths, he soaked one and handed it to Mari. "Place this on his forehead and replace it when it starts to get warm. I'm going to clean his wounds again. May I?"
Nik moved out of the way at Al's request, losing physical contact with Greg for the first time since they entered the room. He urged to get it back.
…..
I turned and ran, if the Gladiator could run at me, then I could definitely run away! Not that I'd thought this through, there was nowhere to run for me to get away from him. I could hear his thundering steps getting closer and closer behind me.
"Stop running you coward!" Was that him or me that shouted? I wasn't sure, either way, he, me, whoever, was right. I couldn't run forever, round and round in circles until my legs gave way, and I was pretty sure mine would give way before his tree trunk of legs would.
I stopped and turned to face him. He was tall, taller than me, which was no mean feat. Broader than me too, built more like Nick but without the narrow hips. His armour was black, a helmet covered the features on his face, white designs were intricately painted across the solid material, and 'Demetrius' written across the chest. Well at least now I know the name of the man who will be the death of me.
…..
After Al finished cleaning Greg's wounds Nik resumed his vigil at Greg's bedside. He watched as every bead of sweat formed on Greg's forehead and trickled down his skin.
Mari frantically cared for Greg, her hands fretting uncontrollably when they had nothing to do. She'd started mumbling again and Nik had tried keeping up with her in conversation but she hadn't paid attention to him. Now her mumbling was so incoherent that he wouldn't know what to say.
She jumped out of her skin when Archie entered the room to check on Greg's well being.
"Sorry, Mari." Archie apologised and cowered next to the door, peering around her to get a look at Greg.
"Come on in, Archie. You didn't do anything wrong. Sit here." Nik stood up and offered Archie his chair. "Rest his hand in yours." Nik instructed once Archie had sat down. That's all Nik had being doing, he was sat by Greg's injured shoulder and wrist, he couldn't grip hold of his hand without potentially causing further damage, so he'd let it rest on his palm. The contact enough to make him feel like he wasn't letting go.
For now, there was another person that needed his attention. He walked around the bed and put a hand on Mari's shoulder.
"Mari, look at me." He said gently.
"No, I need to look at him, need to be ready in case he needs me." She said firmly.
"He always needs you Mari, but for his and your own sake I need you to look at me, just for a moment, I promise." He crouched down to her seated level.
She turned slowing, hesitantly bringing her red rimmed eyes to meet his.
"I can't do this!" She almost squealed at him, tears forming and falling in an instant.
"You can Mari, you're the strongest woman I know. You brought Greg up all by yourself, and look what a fine, young gentleman he became, that was down to you, and that makes you stronger than anyone."
"I love him so much, he's my world… I just can't do this without him." Nik wrapped his arms around the sobbing woman, resting her head on his shoulder.
"You're not doing this without him, he's here, he's fighting. But he needs his mother to be strong, like you've always been."
"I know." She said simply, swallowing another sniffle. "You're right." She looked up with a new determination in her eyes. "I'm strong, for him, I'll do anything for him. And you, my dear. Thank you."
"And you," She turned her sharp gaze on Archie, "I'm sorry if I scared you, you've been good to my boy all your life, don't think I don't appreciate it."
Archie nodded stoically.
"Give his hand back to Nik now." She instructed.
Nik smiled, glad that Mari was back with some semblance of control over herself.
….
"Hey, I'm sure we can talk about this. There's no reason to resort to violence. I'm a good listener you know, I know it may not seem it right now but I only overtalk when I'm nervous, and I'm nervous right now, well, way more than nervous, which is probably why I'm not shutting up even though you're clearly not listening to a word I'm saying."
I jumped when Demetrius twirled the sword in his hand, proud of myself that the high-pitched yelp was only in my head and hadn't come out of my mouth. Demetrius moved like a cat in the night, his sword swinging through the air as his eyes pierced into my skull from behind his metal helmet. My shoulder and my wrist screamed in pain when the sword connected with them. I was frozen to the spot, I knew I should fight back but my body refused to the listen.
Demetrius hit me around the face with the butt of his sword; I fell back to the floor, my back thudding into the dust. He loomed over me and raised his sword above his head, ready to strike.
The first moment I laid eyes on Nik flashed through my mind, this was it, this was my last breath on Earth.
….
Nik brushed his thumb over Greg's neck. His breathing had become more laboured and his skin hotter and sweatier to the touch.
"It's getting too much for him." Nik stated.
"Nothing is too much for him, he's a fighter, especially with you and me by his side." Mari tried to lift Nik's spirits, he was glad she was optimistic now, she needed it and so did he, Greg's optimistic outlook on life had given him new perspective that he didn't want to lose, but he wasn't sure he could keep it up without him.
Greg's chest hitched and stopped moving, Nik returned his fingers to Greg's neck to confirm his fears. "Al, he's dying!" Nik yelled.
Al rushed over and placed his hand at Greg's neck where Nik's had been. "He's still here, he's just weak."
Nik slumped back in his chair and Al reassuringly squeezed his shoulder.
"He's given up, he's not fighting." Nik said, he hated how resigned his voice sounded.
"He'll fight, he'd do anything for you." Mari argued, but Nik could see the tears threatening in her eyes again.
"I know he'd fight for me, he needs to fight for himself. I don't think I can do this without him, I know we haven't known each other long, but I feel like he's part of me, like I'm not complete without him."
"It's called love sweetie, he feels the same way. I knew you were the one for him the first moment I saw you. I saw the connection between you two, it wasn't just on a physical level, it was spiritual too. With you by his side he'll never give up."
Nik leaned over and kissed Greg's cheek. "I hope you're right."
"I'm always right, dear."
….
No, I wasn't going to take this lying down, literally. I couldn't let go of that image in my head. I may have been frozen when it came to fighting for myself, but I could fight to the death for Nik and my Mother.
As the sword hurled towards me I willed my muscles to move and rolled to the side, using my momentum to spring back onto my hind legs and rise to my full height. I could do this; yeah, just swing the sword as hard as you can. But Gods, the sword's heavy, how does Nik fight with two of these things?
Demetrius had twirled around to face me again, so when my sword finally swung it hit the hard metal across his chest. I was prepared for that, though, I was never going to beat him with the strength and speed of my body, so I would have to out think him with the strength and speed of my mind, always staying two steps ahead. As he stumbled from the impact of my sword on his chest I spun and thrust the sword at his legs. I smiled with pride when the blood tricked down his leg from the shallow but long cut on his exposed thigh.
My arms felt like they were flying through the air on the wings of an eagle, as our swords clashed together. I watched his movement, saw the indicators in the dip of his shoulder and twitch of his knee, I read him like a book, knowing where he was going to move before even he knew.
I was winning! I was going to win! I couldn't help the glee from forming on my face as we continued to battle. The newfound confidence gave me strength I never knew I had. He fell to his knees, and this time it was me who loomed over him.
…
Nik felt the muscle twitch in Greg's arm. "Al, he just moved, is that good?"
Al came over and rested the back of his hand on Greg's forehead as he inspected the wound on his shoulder. Al smiled. "Yes, it's good, I believe his fever has broken. He is through the worst, we just have to wait until he is ready to come back to us."
Nik heaved a sigh of relief and hung his head, the weight suddenly too much for him to keep aloft. He wanted to fall on the bed next to Greg and hug him until he woke up, but he knew that wasn't appropriate, not that Mari would mind, she'd probably encourage him, it wouldn't be good for Greg's wounds, though.
Nik regained his composure and looked up, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. Mari beamed back at him. "You don't have to say I told you so."
"I would never dream of doing so, my dear." Mari jutted her chin out defiantly; her face couldn't hide her happiness. Nik knew she'd been considering how best to tell Nik he should have had more faith in him, he was disappointed with himself, but right now, he couldn't care less about himself because Greg was going to be ok, and that was all that mattered.
Nik spent the next few hours nodding and smiling while Mari talked to him; he hoped he was choosing the right moments for each action as he really had no idea what she was saying.
"And then the Lion leapt through the air and bit your head clean off. Nikolai?"
"Huh?" Had she really just said what he thought she had?
"Nikolai?" Mari tried again.
"Yes, Mari?"
"I've just spent the last hour discussing with you the different ways a Lion might have killed you in the arena, it's been quite clear you weren't listening to me, and while I found that very entertaining and amusing for longer than I care to admit, I think it's time you came back to the land of awareness."
"I'm sorry, I couldn't seem to focus on anything."
"Anything but Greg." Mari smiled, happy that she'd seen straight through him, and happy that he was so distracted by her son.
"Why… shouldn't he?"
"Exactly." Nik agreed with Greg. Greg. Nik starred into the dazed, brown eyes of the man lying before him. "You're awake." He pointed out the obvious, just in case it had taken everyone else as long to figure it out as his brain had.
"I am." Greg smiled drowsily.
Mari kissed Greg on the forehead, "I'll get you some water."
"Thanks."
"I love you. I was scared I would never get to say that to you again." Nik opened his heart.
"I was more scared than I ever thought possible." Greg yawned as he tried to talk.
"Sleep if you need to, we have the rest of our lives to talk."
…
Nik walked down the hall of his new home. The Emperor had gifted him a small property on the edge of his own grounds, as a thank you for his loyalty and help in thwarting Senator Atwatus' Coup d'etat.
It had been three weeks since Greg had woken up and he was excited that there was a small annex to their property, and it was definitely their property, the Emperor had insisted Greg knew his assistance was appreciated too, where Greg could set up an office.
Today, Greg was organising the room to prepare for his first clients tomorrow. Mari had told Nik to stay away, as it was something Greg wanted to do by himself, to prove that he was ready to go back to work. But there were tables and shelves to be moved, Greg's shoulder had barely healed, there was no way Nik was going to let Greg damage his still healing wounds because he'd tried too much too soon.
Greg was sat on a table in the middle of the room when Nik walked in.
"Hey." Nik paused in the doorway.
"Hey." Greg paused and looked around. "I can't move this stuff." Nik thought Greg had never looked cuter when he looked up from under his lashes, a pout threatening on his lips.
"I have some free time, I can help." Nik shrugged nonchalantly.
Greg narrowed his eyes and Nik knew he'd been figured out. "You knew I'd need help, that's why you came." Greg accused.
"I…" Nik considered how best to own up without getting Greg more annoyed.
"Fine, never mind." Greg interrupted him before he could continue. "I'm just being stubborn anyway." Greg sighed and looked down at his arm still wrapped to his chest. "I should be happy that you cared enough to check up on me."
"I…" Nik tried again, but was interrupted before he got anywhere.
"You can however, move this table with me on it, as I'm not moving now." Nik was sure Greg would have crossed his arms if he could.
"You know, I could move the table with you it." Nik pointed out.
Greg smiled and stared at Nik's biceps. "Oh, I know."
"I have a better idea, though." Nik walked up to Greg.
"You do?"
"I do."
Nik leant in and kissed Greg gently; as the kiss deepened he wrapped his arms around Greg's torso and lifted him off the table.
Greg rested his forehead against Nik's when their lips broke apart. "Thank you. For being here."
"Wouldn't be anywhere else, G."
The End.