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Octavius stood silent, looking up at a sculpture of Venus, one that has been here ever since the first faithful night they were granted life once more. He sighed, looking to the altar, countless pieces of paper, flowers and other offerings sat, a thin layer of dust held on each item, He felt almost foolish, setting the red cloth down beside the rest, the paper tucked neatly inside.
He looked at the goddess once again, speaking only above a whisper “ I wish for him to kiss me, kiss me true so I can be set free from this dull ache, the push and pull, I wish not for him to hurt me, I wish he does not hurt himself either, if you cannot grant me my side of my desires I understand. ” The sound of footsteps echoed through the room…..
….
….it wasn't unusual for the exhibits to dream, being in some odd in-between state of consciousness and disassociation. It was unusual for it to be this vivid, for them to remember it clearly. Jedediah looked around, he was in a garden of some sort, it looked like the ones back over in rome.
There was a fountain in the middle, a woman stood in front of it. Jedediah felt compelled to talk to her, so he walked closer. “Hello?” He asked, she looked at him. He was star-struck, she was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen, but somehow we felt as if he'd seen her before. “Where am I?” He stuttered
The woman looked into the fountain, water rippling from the flow, and spoke softly, “where you desire” she said, the cowboy was utterly confused, why would he ‘desire’ to be in Rome? “You do not know the reason, I know” she relayed
Looking into her eyes Jedediah knew he had seen those beautiful eyes before, it was Octavius's, her hair too, it was the same short, curly brown hair, although not dusted with his greys at the temples. “ Kiss me on the mouth and set me free, Sing me like a choir ”
Jedediah stumbled back “w-what? Sorry, miss I'm sure you're kind but I don't just go around doin' stuff like-” her stern face shut him up, the cowboy shuffled nervously, her lips quirked up slightly in amusement
“Do not…how do you mortals say? ‘shoot the messenger’?” Jedediah didn't know he could get anymore confused, “sorry?” She chuckled “I am only saying what I have been told, like echo, may she see an easy night” echo must be a story ‘ill ask Octy ‘bout that sometime’ he thinks
The woman smiled as he thought of Octavius for some reason, the cowboy looked around again “it's the only place I know, my apologies” she apologized, “you brought me here?” She nodded “why?”
“ I can be the subject of your dreams, Your sickening desire ” the woman unsheathed a weapon Jedediah didn't know she had, looking at it he recognized almost instantly that it was Octavius's “ Don't you wanna see a man up close?” Jedediah blushed, knowing it was the truth
“A phoenix in the fire ” She handed Jedediah the sword carefully, watching fondly as the cowboy traced the patterns in the handle, gliding his hand across the flat metal with an adoration tinted gaze “ So kiss me on the mouth and set me free, But please, don't bite ”
Looking forward Jedediah realized the woman was gone, yellow petals fluttered down into a pile on the ground.
It wasn't until one of his workers was shaking his shoulder that Jedediah even realized he woke up, “yeah yeah, I'm goin'”....
….
…Octavius’s eyes fluttered open, realizing in seconds that something was wrong. He sat up, confusion overtaking him as he felt grass below him “you alright there partner?” A familiar voice called, Jedediah.
He looked at the man beside him, admiring his features “yes, I'm..I'm alright” the cowboy chuckles, moving closer to the general. He laid his head on the others shoulder, wrapping his arms around his waist “je- Jedediah?” Octavius asked, flushing
Jedediah sighed contently “ You can coax the cold right out of me. Drape me in your warmth ” he muttered uncharacteristically, Octavius furrowed his brows “are you…quoting something?” He questioned
“M’yeah, somethin’ I read way back when, reminded me of you” the simple sentence made the Romans heart pound in his chest “do you, remember anything else?” He inquired “ The rapture in the dark puts me at ease, The blind eye of the storm. Let's go for a walk down Easy Street, Where you can be reborn ”
The cowboy lifted his head to look the other in the eye, raising his hand to cup the generals face, thumbing his lower lip slightly. “ And kiss me on the mouth and set me free, But please, don't bite ”
The last words replayed in Octavius's mind once he woke up, staring up at the ceiling above him, tears forming in his eyes ‘ I'm pulling on your heart to push my luck, 'cause who's got any time for growing up? ’ he thought bitterly
“Kiss me on the mouth” he wished….
…..
…“ Kiss me on the mouth ” he wished, once again since he woke up from that dream many days ago, Jedediah didn't know why or when he started wishing that the general would stop talking only to lean over and press his lips to his, but he wished it, desperately.
Night after night it repeated, he wanted this torture to be over, he knew the general didn't feel the same, he knew that he shouldn't feel this way, his mind trailed back to the first dream he had “ Kiss me, kiss me on the mouth and set me free”
The next night the words branded in his mind “ Kiss me on the mouth and set me free ”
She said she was a messenger, someone wished for him to “ Kiss me on the mouth and set me free ”
Kiss me on the mouth and set me free…
…
…The general was worried, anxious beyond belief, for some reason Jedediah has been acting.. strange, he acts different around Octavius now and the roman doesn't know why
He found himself standing in front of the statue once again, a flower held softly in his hand “ I'm sorry, my goddess, if I've angered you ” he started to pray, voice wavering as tears welled in his eyes “ I'll forget my desire for him if that is what's wrong just please, don't let him hate me” tears flowed silently as he stared at the statue
“ If I can't have his heart at least let him stay ”...
…
…Jedediah looked around, it was that place again, where the lady told him everything he's been thinking about for the past few weeks, footsteps echoed behind him, he whipped around to see Octavius, in his usual red tunic, a white toga slung around his body, and a laurel crown that hugged his temples. The roman gave the cowboy a fond smile.
“Hello, Jedediah” he greeted, Jedediah, at a loss for words at the feelings he held, stuttered out a greeting, looking around awkwardly “would you like to accompany me?” He asked, holding out his hand
Jedediah took it without hesitation, staring into the others eyes for a beat before looking away. They started off, walking into another section of the garden, Octavius hummed softly as they walked, a content smile on his face. Jedediah tried to ignore the fact that they are still holding hands.
They arrived at a statue of sorts, Jedediah swore he had seen it before, or maybe the person? “I wish I could stay here forever” Octavius murmured sadly, “why you wish that, Oct?” The general looked at him “at least here I get what I desire, I don't wish for much and yet the things I yearn for are so far away”
“Well, what do you want?” The roman looked into the cowboy’s eyes, a pain he's never seen before in the others “ you ” Octavius whispered, “ive always wanted you Jedediah, its the only thing i want, the only thing i cant have”
Jedediah felt his heart pound, he couldn't breathe or make a sound, he had the urge to run but something slowed in his head, and he gave into the feeling he'd tried so long to ignore and repress, he cupped the Romans downturned face and lifted it up to see the others eyes “who says you can't?”
Something flickered in the others eyes, but he pushed it away “you don't understand, I want you, I want to-” the cowboy cut him off, knowing the words by heart “ Kiss me on the mouth and set me free, Sing me like a choir. I can be the subject of your dreams, Your sickening desire. ”
The general put his hand over the one holding his face, muttering the words softly “ Don't you wanna see a man up close, A phoenix in the fire? So kiss me on the mouth and set me free, But please, don't bite ” Jedediah leaned in, closing his eyes
His eyes snapped open when he heard the deafening honk of their train, ‘ a dream, again ’ he thought, rushing to Rome with burning in his chest…
…
…Octavius woke with despair, he knew it wasn't real but even so it felt cruel, like Venus was mocking him more and more. He decided to retire to his domus, asking the guards to let no one in, for the time being. Once inside he took his armor off, annoyed at the weight that still lingered after.
The general laid on his bed, thinking, when noise was heard loudly from outside, then a knock- more like pound- sounded from his door. He opened it to see Jedediah , looking almost angry, and two of his guards, flushed and winded “we- we tried to stop him, my apologies sir w-”
“No, no, you go back, it's fine I can deal with this, Jedediah, why dont-” the cowboy did not need to be told twice, he pushed his way in, knocking shoulders with Octavius. The guards shrugged and walked off, Octavius closed the door and turned around, walking over cautiously to the cowboy “Jedediah are yo-”
“You did somethin’ didn't ya'?!” He accused, the general was confused, and concerned but mostly confused “about?” The cowboy looked exasperated “i never used to have dreams never in the 50 odd years of bein' here I could count on my hands how many dreams i had and then here i go having dreams almost every night for weeks!” The cowboy gestured wildly as he talked
“...and what do I have to do about it?” Octavius asked “because they are about you!” The roman was taken aback “you…dream about me?” Jedediah crosses his arms, “apparently!” The general thought hard, furrowing his brows “dreaming about me…how?” He questioned
The cowboy spluttered, looked around before huffing out a sigh “i-it ain't…i mean I..” it told him enough, the embarrassment tinting his face. The emperor looked at his bed, feeling Jedediahs eyes on him “I'm sorry”
Jedediah looked at the general with sympathy, he realized all too late that it wasn't anger that burned in his chest and stomach, warming his face, making it hard to think. “I…I thought that…nevermind, I'm sorry I didn't mean to-”
The cowboy walked closer, cupping the others face like he did in his dream “Octavius” he said simply, pronouncing every last syllable oc-ta-vi-us it cut him off from his ramblings “I..I did do something, I prayed”
“Prayed?” Jed asked, the roman nodded “to…to Venus she's..” the cowboy remembered, having heard all of Octavius's retellings of their mythology “the goddess of love” Octavius nodded, looking away
Jedediah took the plunge, finally setting his lips to the others, after a few moments of shock Octavius kissed back, firmly, a bit desperate, like he was worried it would be another dream. When they finally pulled away Jedediah smiled, dazed, pressing their foreheads together “ive…I've been wanting to do that for so long”
“Really?” Octavius asked, voice wavering with emotion, Jed nodded “did always realize it but, yeah” they stood there for who knows how long when the cowboy spoke up “do you have any ideas on how to thank this goddess o’ yours?” He asked, the roman smiled warmly, pushing the hair out of the others face “yes, I believe I do” he said, kissing the cowboy once again