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Larry has noticed the tension between the two miniatures. They weren’t the friends that Larry had saw just weeks before. But he couldn’t do anything to help them. The last time he forced them to get along, it took quite a while to stop them from killing each other. He’d let them figure it out by themselves. They were grown men. Not as big as he was, but surely as mature.
While Larry was wandering the halls, hoping to not have to break up any fights, he heard a whisper coming from the miniature Rome display.
“Larry!” The voice was coming from none other than Octavius, who stood in the centre of his display case, holding tiny pieces of parchment in his hands.
Larry stepped forward and leaned in to listen closely to what the Roman was trying to say.
“I- I have a message to send to Jedediah. It’s very important that you don’t smudge the ink or read it before giving it to him. Please, Larry.”
“Sure, Octavius, but even if I tried, I wouldn’t be able to read a word of what it says.” Larry reached for it, but Octavius held back.
“Don’t let anyone else read it, okay? I’m being serious.”
“Okay, okay, I get it. No one will read it except for Jed.”
“Promise?”
“I don’t have all night, Octavius, just give it.” Larry rubbed the bridge of his nose. Octavius, uncertain, handed the paper to him.
Jedediah sat at the top of the mountains farthest away from the wall separating him from Octavius. The last few days have been agonising. He found it odd and annoying. When Octavius and him used to fight all the time, he was always kept busy. He never craved seeing the Roman’s face. Even when they became friends, he was able to keep himself busy when he wasn’t with Octavius. Why is it that now that he’s gone, he wants him the most.
Larry walked over, and it took him a while to find Jed. Jedediah was lost in his thoughts, and didn’t even notice the giant head his way.
“Oh! Jed, what’re you doing up there?” Larry asked, setting the paper down by his side.
“None of your business. What’s this?” Jedediah held the piece of paper up to read it.
‘Dearest Jedediah…’ It began with, the handwriting in all uppercase, and slightly messy as if rushed.
“Who is this from?” He scowled, turning back to Larry.
“Uhm, Octavius?”
“No it’s not.”
“Why? What does it say?”
“Who is this from.” He demanded, on the verge of tears. Larry didn’t notice the cowboy’s distress, and said ‘Octavius’. Jedediah angrily dismissed the giant, before continuing to read the letter.
‘I’m sorry I shut you out of my home. I crave for your touch. I want to hug you and tell you what our friendship means to me, but I’m afraid I cannot.’
Jedediah wanted to rip the paper up and never talk to him again. This was a break-up letter. A long awaited message. Jed knew that this was inevitable. They are too different. A handsome Roman soldier and a scruffy old cowboy. They were never meant to be friends. Jedediah urged himself not to cry as he continued to read the letter.
They were just friends. Nothing else. No need for tears.
‘You are beautiful, Jedediah. You might not understand that yourself, but I can barely control myself when I am near you. Your soft blonde hair and shimmering blue eyes put me in a trance. Don’t take this the wrong way. I would never let myself lose composure.’
Jedediah had to place the paper down again. Could the Roman have loved him? Could he have had romantic feelings for him? Or do all Romans write letters like this to their friends? But believing there was a possibility that his best friend was in love with him was crazy.
He is just a friend. Nothing else.
‘I have bad thoughts. I have bad dreams. About you. Unholy dreams too explicit to put into words. Forgive me for telling you, but I must be straightforward. This is why I can’t continue as your friend. If you are disgusted by my unclean soul, then be disgusted. Hate me. Never talk to me again. I will understand.’
Jedediah read that paragraph over and over in his head. His heart was racing. ‘Explicit.’ His mouth went dry and his jeans felt tight. Just thinking of the dreams Octavius might have been having. His face went red and he let out a grunt of a moan. There were tears pooling up in his eyes and he let them go, clutching his hat and pulling it over his face. He felt what Octavius felt. And he loved it.
But they were just friends.
‘Forgive me again for believing there is a possibility of you having similar feelings for me. But if you do, I beg you not to try and inform me. I don’t want things to go wrong. I don’t want you to fear of people finding out. So I’m leaving you with this letter. I miss you. And if you miss me, please understand that this is for your own good.
I love you.
Octavius.’
Jedediah was still hard, but not horny. He was crying. He didn’t care if anyone saw. He didn’t care about anything at the moment. The whole museum could see him passionately kissing that damn Roman, and he wouldn’t be fazed at all. He just wanted to be happy. And nothing can make him happy in this hell-like cage. Nothing but Octavius. The man who opened his eyes. The man who made him love again. The man who was going to be his.
He didn’t want to be just friends.
Jedediah searched his town for another parchment and some ink, and began writing a letter back. He spent all night finding the right words to say, and he liked to believe that Octavius did that as well. He couldn’t wait to bring it to Octavius, he waited and waited for Larry to come back around and hand the letter off, but he did not. So, he was forced to wait until the next night. And it was quite hard to keep the paper out of the sight of wandering eyes.
Octavius didn’t talk to his warriors the rest of the night. He had just confessed his love to his best friend. But it didn’t matter. He couldn’t take the aching in his heart. He did the right thing. It didn’t matter if he was ridiculed or laughed at. He just needed to let it all out. And it made him feel better.
But he couldn’t help but miss the cowboy. His accent, of which he’d never heard before, was music to his ears. He wanted Jedediah to whisper sweet nothings into his ear as he drifted off to sleep. He wanted to feel his warm, rough hands against his nude back as he laid below him, beads of sweat dripping down his crooked nose and across those slim pink lips. He wanted to stare into those eyes and feel whole again. Feel loved. Be loved.
He woke up in the evening and waited. He waited for the rebellious cowboy to run up to him and throw off his helmet, kissing him until he couldn’t breathe. He wanted this cowboy to take his breath away, as well as his virginity. These thoughts were swarming through his head, as they always did. He felt dirty. He wanted to feel dirty. He liked it.
Red from embarrassment and turned on by thoughts of Jedediah, Octavius stayed inside and did not notice Larry going to talk to Jedediah. As he struggled to contain his composure, sitting in the corner of one of the large buildings in his display case, Jedediah gave Larry his letter.
“You two still aren’t talking?” Larry asked, leaning into the display a little to talk to Jedediah, who was sitting on the same cliff as the night before.
“Just give him the letter, Gigantor. I need him to read this before the sun rises.”
“Oh, we’re back to that nickname again, tiny?”
“Larry. I’m serious. This is important.”
“Okay, Okay, fine. You two better not be starting a fight.” Larry grabbed the small parchment and Jedediah started to walk away, before turning back again.
“You promise not to read it, okay?”
“What’s with you two with your private letters? It’s suspicious, but either way, I can’t make out this tiny lettering.” Larry walked over to Octavius’s display, with an urge to peak at the letter, even though he was sure it was illegible.
Jedediah watched him leave, before falling back onto the rocks, closing his eyes.
Larry, without thinking, gave the letter to another soldier, since he couldn’t find Octavius. As the small soldier started to read it, Larry snatched it away again. “Don’t read it! It’s supposed to be private!” The soldier didn’t reply, he just snickered and ran off to the others. The giant squinted as he searched the temple-like buildings. “Octavius? There’s a letter for you!” He called out, and he heard the clanging of armour, before the Roman ran out, covered in sweat.
“A letter? From Jedediah? Give it!” He reached up frantically, and Larry uneasily placed it in the man’s hands. “Now shoo, shoo!” Octavius ran back into the building, though there was little light.
Larry rolled his eyes. “God you two are handfuls. Metaphorically speaking at least.”
Octavius’s eyes scanned the sheet quickly, barely processing anything. And so he squinted his eyes and began to eye the words carefully, trying not to miss anything.
‘Octavius, my love. I cannot write a love letter for the life of me. I’m sorry in advance.
I’ll start with this: I love you. You’re the love of my life. You can’t leave me, Octavius. I want you. I want you so bad. I don’t care if people talk. I don’t care if people see.
What else can I say, Tavius. I need to see you again. We don’t have to do anything, just talk. Meet me at the desk at the main entrance tomorrow once night sets in.
- Jedediah Smith’
“He wants to see me.” Octavius accidentally said aloud. A couple people turned, but paid no attention. He panicked. He didn’t want to see him so soon, but at the same time, he was more than ready. Impatient, even. He crumpled the paper so no one would see it, and hid it. Standing up, he took off his helmet and walked out. There, he was confronted by a group of his soldiers, all with smirks on their faces.
“Seems as though you have a secret admirer, ‘Octavius, my love’” One of the men said, and the others chuckled.
“What--What are you talking about?” Octavius asked, taking a step back.
“I saw the letter, Octavius. So who wrote it? That Sacajawea lady? Or maybe...someone more your size?” The same soldier questioned. Octavius turned red.
“No! It’s no one!”
“You and Jedediah seem pretty close…” The soldiers laughed again, and Octavius shoved him away.
“How dare you mock me like you do.” He growled, placing a hand offensively on his sword.
“I’m warning you, Octavius. If you’re thinking about courting him--”
Octavius didn’t wait for the man to finish. He unsheathed his sword, and stabbed the soldier in the centre of his chest-plate. The force dented the metal, but did not go through. Instead, it forced the soldier to the ground, while a tall, angry Roman general stood above him. “Don’t act like you know everything. If any of you want to ridicule me some more, your breast-plate won’t be able to save you.” He yanked his sword away and stormed off. He was undisturbed the rest of the night.
The next night, Jedediah raced to the entrance of the museum as fast as his little legs could take him. It was barely even sunset still when he got to the front desk. Octavius, on the other hand, was delayed quite a while, having to cut off the heads of two soldiers who criticised him. They didn’t die, of course. They’re just laughing stocks now.
“Hey.” Octavius said as he climbed up onto the desk, where Jedediah sat, staring at a picture of a sunrise on the computer.
“I thought you wouldn’t show.” Jedediah said, not taking his eyes off the screen.
“Of course I would.” Octavius sat by his side, looking up at the photograph. “What’s this?”
“The sunrise. The utter beauty we’ll never be able to witness first-hand.” Jedediah sighed. It was the new lockscreen of the computer at the main desk, and it hurt a little to look at.
Octavius took Jedediah’s chin in his hand, forcing his eyes off the screen. “Look at me, Jed…”
Jedediah swallowed hard. He had been trying hard not to look at the Roman’s chiseled face and soft, sad eyes. His heart beat fast in his chest, and he teared up a bit. He cursed at himself for his behaviour.
Octavius used his free hand to rest on top of Jedediah’s, which sat between the two. “All I want to see is you.”
Tears started to stream down Jedediah’s face. “T-tavius…” He cried, and the Roman shut him up with a kiss. Passionate, but loving. The lust they both felt was contained, as they separated, catching their breath. Octavius smiled wide, using his thumb to wipe the tears of his lover.
“Be mine.” The Roman breathed, squeezing the cowboy’s hand.
“I’m already yours.”