A Roman Heart

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes again, enjoying those moments when, after sunset, Ahkmenrah's tablet brought them back to life.

Most of the time those moments were somewhat disconcerting, because they had spent the whole day in a rigid position and, although it seemed delusional, their bodies felt the fatigue of that immobility, even if they mutated from matter.

Usually, when this happened, he would slowly rotate his shoulders and head, after removing his helmet, and then he will say to his legionaries that they have one hour to rest and feed, before the exercise routine began, indicating to his commanders that, they had half an hour, since he would receive them one by one, to check reports and answer demands, while he took his own food in his room.

From there, he would deconcentrate the troops and will drag his own bones to his quarters, where he would change his display clothes for a home-grown tunic, until the time for training came, where he would put on his already worn combat clothing, so not to affect the image of the exhibition, since, before dawn, he would put on his best clothes again so that this would face the day.

As he had told Larry and Teddy, he was a General.

And not just any General.

He was a General of the glorious Rome.

Unlike the other dioramas, his people had created things to improve his life in the midst of combat and bewilderment. One of them had been to obtain funds, another of them to obtain supplies and items for feeding, clothing and footwear.

As he had also said: people left things behind in the museum.

Handkerchiefs, scarves and any fabric that could be turned into clothing was used by his men, since no self-respecting legionnaire would refuse to sew. This ability was essential in the raids, since it facilitated the creation of elements and allowed independence. In addition, of course, to the small group of tailors who participated in his troops and who had taught all of them the details to self-make simple tunics and training garments, which replaced night after night, the formal uniform with which they dressed for the day, which the aforementioned tailors had already the responsibility of taken care of.

Those little details had helped them keep their sanity at first, when they saw a possible enemy in everyone. Especially the cowboys from the Wild West diorama. Make your robes as well as ropes, nets and other elements of protection and assistance had occupied part of their nights.

However, those times had passed and, now, he could feel the orders of his commanders in the distance, giving his same speech, but with a greater extension of time for rest: two hours.

The legionaries would have two hours of rest before any practice and their commanders an hour and a half.

Naturally, the news was followed by an exclamation of celebration, causing both he and his partner to laugh softly.

_Your troops are worse than my boys, Ockie.

Jedediah told him humorously, as his lips placed a kiss on the bare shoulder of the cowboy he was hugging on his bed.

_ I do not blame them - he commented - I have been in their place.

_ Did I hear well? The perfect and responsible General Octavius celebrate sometime not to do nothing?

Jedediah asked in amazement, rolling over in bed to meet his eyes.

_No - he replied caressing the cheek of the blond leader of the cowboys - I have also been a young officer, with many responsibilities under the orders of a very strict General, who fell madly in love and reduced the demand a bit, because he realized that he was exaggerating if he didn't have time to enjoy with his partner.

Jedediah shook his head and held his hand in his.

_I swear that I do not know how to respond sometimes to the things you say – Jed said sighing - In my land we do not have the romantic bones that you in Rome have and I feel that I always fall short.

_Your nation its young, Jedediah - he reminded him - You don't need words when you’re so young. You communicate better through action.

_That is not always better, compadre

The other commented with a new sigh as he sat on the bed and raised an eyebrow at seeing him hesitate a couple of times, as if looking for the right words to say something.

So, he was finally going to tell him why he had arrived at his diorama in the moments before dawn, demanding that his troops take charge of their own training as the grown men they already were, that he needed the General and that the first who dare to come over to tell to his quarters that dawn was coming, was going to be kicked out of the room.

His men laughed at the cowboy's explosive comments, but they had struck him as a little strange and had worried him.

Jedediah had cornered him against the door as soon as they reached his quarters in central Rome and demanded that he make love to him until dawn and stay by his side, holding him until the next night.

The note of urgency and need in the voice of his beloved did not correspond to that cheerful and somewhat annoyed mood that he had on the beginning of that same night when he had said to him that he wasn’t too happy with his “lazy ass romans taking time from us, darlin’”. It sounded even desperate.

Which was odd, since Jedediah was not a person of enjoying carnal pleasures without a sentimental preamble. Behind the doors of the room, he did not rush things normally. Yes, he was a person who loved pleasure and yes, he had his totally playful side in the sheets, but that kind of surrender that he had witnessed, in which he had practically not spoken but had clung to him seeking to feel without thinking, almost like needing to occupy his mind only with their bodies, it did not bode well.

But he hadn't stopped him.

He understood those kinds of moments.

He was a soldier.

All soldiers had them.

One comforted first and asked questions later when those moments came.

_I did something I shouldn't have done, Ockie - Jedediah finally told him.

_Can I know what you did that you shouldn't have done, amore? - he questioned to his cowboy sitting on the bed too.

_All these days that have passed, I saw you go with part of your legions to the Doctor's office and lock yourself there leaving them to guard the door. And, I swear to you that I would not have gotten into what you were doing, if you had not always returned disturbed - the blonde explained - Although it is my fault, as the Pharaoh and Sacajawea say, I got into where I shouldn't have and make my own bed of nails because that was something that you had asked Nick and for something you did not show it to me and I should have more confidence on you but... the experience I have in this that we have it’s the same that a mouse has in snakes and obviously I was going to do something that I shouldn't have and... now I don't know if you're going to forgive me and if I didn't throw us into the bin, but I want you to know that I had a very bad time seeing what I saw and that, of course, you have every right to punish me and…

He rolled his eyes and held the nape of his partner to bring his face closer to his and seize his lips effectively silencing him.

Now he understood everything.

He didn't like it at all.

But he understood everything.

_ Jedediah, I forgive you - he said joining his forehead to hers after the kiss - Just promise me that next time you are going to ask me or you are going to wait for me to comment on certain things.

_ I swear it better half. Not more playin’ the ostrich with your things without askin’

The cowboy affirmed, breathing with such relief that it made him laugh. He was a lovable fool.

_Hey! Ockie! Don’t laugh! I was seriously worried that you would kick me for being a nosy boyfriend!

Exclaimed his partner narrowing his eyes clearly offended, after which he got up from the bed and began to look for his clothes.

_What are you doing? - he asked, still laughing a little when he saw him try to put on his pants.

_I'm going to my diorama - he said seriously – This ol’ cowboy is here apologizing for everything, scared to hell and back and you are laughing at me.

_I am not laughing at what you did - he clarified, holding his hand to prevent him from leaving - but rather that you think I'm going to leave you at some point, amore. It's... humanly impossible that I could get mad enough to give you up. That's how enamored you have me.

_Really? - the cowboy asked, blinking.

_Really - he confirmed, patting the mattress – Come back to bed.

The leader of the Wild West diorama smiled when he heard him and dropped his pants, letting them fall to the floor again and returned to the bed settling between his arms.

_How did you know that young Nick had helped me? - he asked while stroking softly his back.

_Because that page receives you with the name of the user. And asks you who is watching.

_That’s true, I had forgotten about that - he observed - And... I presume from what you said that Ahkmenrah and Sacajawea watched the series with you.

_I needed where to find out what you had been seeing and I could not use any of the available computers, so...

_You asked him for the tablet that Tilly gave Ahkmenrah - he finished smiling.

_Yes, the little pharaoh did not want to know much about the whole bussiness, but I told him that if he were in my place and Larry in yours, he would want a friend to give him a hand.

_Jedediah, did you extort an Egyptian pharaoh in to be your accomplice in spying on your boyfriend?

_Well, it's not like he resisted a lot because he was also dying of curiosity, but yes.

He laughed again in amusement and placed a kiss on his hair, since the other's head was resting on his chest.

That man had no remedy.

He was going to be an adventurer for eternity.

_He looks like me - Jedediah confessed in a low voice.

_He is identical to you, not just similar. I suppose that the actor who plays him must be a distant relative of the flesh and blood Jedediah Smith of those times - he commented - Although, I must point out that the resemblance is reduced to two aspects: your twin from the series is physically your carbon copy and he’s also too good of a person to be healthy. But in everything else, you and Mobius are like night and day.

_Loki is in love with him.

_I know.

_And Mobius also loves Loki.

_I know.

_I hate who wrote that story.

_I supposed that if you ever saw the series you were going to say exactly that.

_It's not fair, darlin’ - said his partner, getting up a little to see his eyes - No story should be like that.

_They have planned a second season of it, amore. I think the tone is going to become more hopeful in it - he pointed out smiling.

_The Loki that lives here is not going to live that second season - Jedediah observed.

_No - he admitted - but I think we will be able to help him create his own second chance

_I do not know if it is possible, Ockie - said his partner shaking his head - He almost does not leave his exhibition. Not even to see me. And, knowing what I know now, I don't know if I want him to see me again, because I will continue to hurt him and...

_With Larry and Teddy, we arranged for a wax sculpture of Mobius to be sent from London to the museum - he said placing a finger on his lips - We just need to make sure that Loki stays in as good condition as possible until it arrives and that, when it arrives, the Mobius that it reaches us have all the tools to understand what is happening.

_How…? - asked the cowboy lowering his hand - How did you achieve that? I thought the museum was at zero on the numbers. The other day I saw a discussion of the Doctor with the moai because he had to reduce the chewing gum because it was very expensive and he told him that there was not a penny and even I know those statues cost one eye out of the face.

_We paid for it with Roman money - he admitted

_The one of the little machine that you and your boys are so proud to have?

_Exactly.

_And did they agree that you will spend it on that?

He nodded.

_You said it Jedediah. Romans... we are romantics. It was not necessary that I tell them all the argument of the series. I simply told them that Loki was like this because he had lost his great love and that if they allowed it, I would use the money to get his love back and from my second in command to the last legionnaire voted to support the plan.

His boyfriend blinked for a few seconds and then held his face to kiss him with intensity and joy, which put a smile on his face.

The blonde had been mentally punishing himself for everything.

For Loki.

For him.

For the little deception with the series.

For not being able to work things out on his own so that everyone was happy like he always try to do for all of them.

Jedediah Smith was just that good.

_Will your assistant be in his room or will already have gone to practice? - asked the cowboy when he finished the kiss, looking at the door.

_The hour and a half has not passed yet, so... he should continue in his rooms... Amore? Where are you going?

He asked him when he saw him descend from the bed to roll a sheet around his lower body.

_To ask him to get me a... do you have priests or ministers? - asked the cowboy doubtfully.

_Priestesses. Vestals. It is the only temple in the diorama.

_Ah, yeah, those older ladies.

_Yes, but... why do you need them?

_Because you and I Laredo - said his partner pointing a finger at both of them – are goin’ to tie the knot before I screw it up again and some good lookin’ romantic Roman of yours stole the opportunity from me.

_Jedediah, it's not like that, I already told you that...

_So, you don't want to marry me?

He swallowed hard when he saw the deep blue gaze of his partner when he asked him that question.

He was serious.

_I do, but... now? Seriously?

_There is no better time than the present

Jedediah affirmed giving him a new kiss, to then go to the door and into the hall, from where he felt him knock on the door of his assistant to say: “I need a couple of favors, Sergio? Sergio was it, right? You see, boy, I just proposed to your General and he said yes and before he connects his brain again, I want to have him lassoed and secure on my stable. So, I need you to tell the ladies at the temple that we need someone to marry us and to your fellow legionaries that we need someone to bring the news to the rest of your boys and mine and, if possible that someone tell Teddy and Larry to come with Sacajawea and Ahkmenrah, it would be great"

He put a hand to his face, laughing softly as he shook his head as he heard the stuttering assent of his assistant at the speech and the sound of the loud slap on the back that he received as a reward of the cowboy.

-----------------------------------------

His General's lover retired to their room again, leaving him for a few brief moments astonished at the open door of his own rooms.

Marriage?

Now?

His eyes widened when he heard laughter and the sound of kisses in the next room.

Not because the General's private life affected him in the least. In the diorama the walls were too thin because they were made of hollow plastic and the leader of Rome himself had had to endure the noise when he had brought lovers of his own into his rooms, never complaining or berating him for it.

But because Octavius Augusto had heard what the cowboy said and, it was more than obvious that he agreed with what was happening. His General had accepted the proposal of the other diorama leader and had authorized his requests.

He hurriedly closed the door then and quickly took off his clothes to put on his gala clothes and half-leaped out of the room tying his sandals.

A wedding in the diorama of Rome was very rare and usually involved a lot of work.

But if the General wanted to be married in hours and not weeks, he was not going to argue. In fact, he coincided with the cowboy, or the man hurried things or the chief of the legions could reconsider and cancel everything. And not because he didn't love the blonde from the neighboring diorama, but because duty guided him and it made him miss opportunities at times.

_Catulo! - he yelled to the cook through the window - Put your people to work! We need food and drink for our whole diorama and the one next to us! And a piece of panis farreus for the altar! The General is getting married in a couple of hours!

_What?! - asked this approaching the window.

_What you heard. Ask for extra help if you need, there will be no practice today.

The man nodded in amazement and turned to begin bellowing orders that he did not stay to hear.

His mind, as an experienced field aide, was already set on the following objectives: the Vestals presiding over the emergency marriage and the commanders summoning the camp and sending messages to the guests.

In a hurry, yes, but he hadn't fulfilled his role for almost sixty years, for someone to tell him that he would not be able to organize even the smallest detail so that no one would perceive even a degree of disorganization or improvisation.

Rome had not been built in a day.

But the Romans had learned to work miracles ever since.