I put out his fire

Rhodes, who had been walking all night, felt deeply tired.He slept all day, and when he opened his eyes, it was already evening.

Nero was lying on the table beside the bed, with a scroll under his arm.

He lit a candle, and the fiery red flames flashed across his face, and his silver-like hair was flushed, as if it had been poured with a layer of gilt.

Rhodes looked at him quietly for a while, and said in a hoarse voice that had just woken up: "Have you rested?"

Nero, who was reading a book, was startled and raised his head to meet Rhodes' sight.

"I just woke up not long ago." He blushed uncontrollably, picked up the parchment and shook it, "While reading a book, I waited for you to wake up..."

Rhodes turned sideways, with one palm resting on his chin, with unfinished sleepiness on his face, "What are you looking at?"

Nero flattened the parchment, smiled at him and said, "It's the story we didn't finish reading last time."

Rhodes closed his eyes and said, "Read it to me."

Nero stood up and sat down beside the bed with the parchment.He moved closer to the candle by the bed, and the words on the old parchment scroll became clear.

He read softly:

"Minos has become an invincible warrior, coupled with his delicate and keen mind, he is invincible.

The people of the kingdom have high hopes for this invincible prince.They called Minos' name aloud, laid carpets on his path, sprinkled him with rose petals and hazelnuts, and kissed the ruts made by his carriages.The people look forward to the day when he ascends the throne more than kings and queens...』

Rhodes became interested, and said with a smile, "It looks more and more like you."

Nero froze for a moment, paused for a while while browsing the text, and continued to read:

"Just at the border of the kingdom, a Hydra suddenly appeared to stir up trouble.This strange snake has nine heads, and if one of the heads is cut off, two more will be born immediately.It crawls in the muddy swamp and lives by devouring fields, people and animals, and the poisonous gas it spits out can cause plague.Many people died in the belly of this monster.

As a brave man with divine power, Minos obeyed the wishes of the people and went to kill Hydra.

Clever, he came up with a way to burn the wound with a torch every time a head of the Hydra was cut off, so that it could no longer grow a head.

However, when the last snake's head was cut off, Minos' empty eyelids were spattered with venomous blood.

At this moment, the eyeballs that had been dug out grew back.Under the effect of the venomous blood of the hydra, Minos grew four eyeballs in total, two of which were crowded in one eye socket, and turned outward horribly.

In this way, Minos returned to the light, but at the same time he was burdened with deformed facial features.In order not to scare others, he had to cover his eyes with silk.

He is like a drowning man who is about to drown, he has just come out of the water to take a breath, and he is about to return to the dark bottom of the water...』

Nero was stunned for a moment by the strange plot, and subconsciously pinched the broken horn.

Rhodes smiled lightly and said casually, "Interesting."

Nero paused for a moment, then read on:

『Minos killed the strange snake, and won the support and pursuit of the people.He was so famous that even the kings of neighboring countries sent letters to him, hoping to submit to him when he became king in the future.His enthronement was well-received.

Just as Minos was getting closer and closer to the throne, a banshee named Ira suddenly appeared in the forest of the neighboring country.

The life experience of this banshee is very strange.

Her mother has an outstanding appearance, with stunning black hair, black pupils, and petal-like red lips.Jupiter, the father of the gods, was obsessed with her beauty and pursued her madly, but she rejected her by throwing stones.

The narrow-minded Jupiter turned from love to hatred, and cursed her to give birth to Ira with strange powers as a virgin.

Ira was born with the wrath of God.She was as beautiful as her mother, but had cursed black eyes.Anyone who looked into her eyes was turned to stone, including her mother.

While giving birth, Ira's mother also turned into stone because she accidentally looked into her eyes.

Ira, who lost her mother, grew up in the forest. Many people who passed through the forest died under her eyes and became stone statues.She was horrified and spurned by everyone, almost infamous.

The neighboring kings jointly asked Minos for help.Minos accepted their orders and went to the forest to assassinate this fearsome banshee...』

Rhodes asked casually, "He killed her?"

Nero paused for a long time, and said in a daze, "...No, they are in love."

Rhodes was stunned for a while, and his deep lips raised slightly.He asked thoughtfully, "And then?"

Nero put down the worn scroll and said regretfully, "This book is as tattered as a slave's clothes, and the rest of the writing is so damaged that the words cannot be read."

Rhode snorted softly, "It's really tantalizing."

Nero folded the torn scrolls, and the red candlelight covered his thin cheeks.

"I'll ask the slave to go to the manor and bring back the complete book we read last time," he said softly, "if you want to know the ending."

Rhodes sat up, the messy pajamas opened up to his white collarbone, almost dazzled Nero's eyes.

"Forget about a fictional story." He rubbed his unkempt hair, and looked at Nero with a questioning look, "Don't you still have to go out to play today?"

Nero slightly raised the corners of his lips.

……

On the night of the Muse Festival, even every grain of dust is dyed with artistry.

Chefs push food carts to sell food, and bake wheat cakes shaped like flutes.The carnival Romans hung wooden harps on the eaves and tied wind chimes between the branches. The sound of wind chimes resounded like dust over Rome.Gorgeous female slaves played the harp on the side of the street, and there were performances of Greek dramas on the temporary stage built on the street.

Everything is very happy.

Rhodes and Nero walked among the crowd, habitually interlocking their fingers.Just such a simple holding hand, Nero has a sense of satisfaction that is about to burst.

Street flower vendors remove the thorns from red roses, wrap the stems in ocher red tulle, and make a fresh bouquet.

Rhodes has black hair and black pupils, and his external expression is also a kind of cold and not easy to get close to.His red lips were always moist, which gave him a touch of coquettish elegance.

His appearance is too conspicuous, and he will always get attention from strangers.

The flower vendor approached Rhodes with a smile, took his hand, and presented him with a bouquet of flowers.

The corners of Nero's mouth twitched, his face blushed with intense jealousy, and the hand that clasped Rhodes was suddenly tightened.

Rhodes took the bouquet, dragged his stiff arm, and walked to a place where there were relatively few people.

"Are you jealous?" He stared at the roses and said lightly.

Nero said sullenly: "I don't want to see you getting close to others at all..."

Rhodes couldn't help smiling.He doesn't show his emotions very much, even when he smiles, the corners of his eyes are slightly curved, and there is some soothing meaning between the brows.

He wrapped his arms around Nero's neck, pressed his face close to his ear, and whispered, "Don't forget, I belong to you..."

This claim of ownership made Nero shudder from within; like a drop of water seeping into a nearly parched tongue, Nero felt thirst quenched a little, and thirsty more at the same time.

Driven by this thirst, he put his arms around Rhodes' waist.

The two hugged each other like this, their chests were pressed against each other as if they were glued, and their ears were filled with each other's hot breath.

Rhodes buried his face in the crescent of his neck.Nero's carotid artery was beating strongly, and now it was pressing against his eyelids, beating his eyes one after another.He rubbed his lips against Nero's neck, where every bare skin gave him a hot touch.

He suddenly stuck out the tip of his tongue and lightly licked Nero's Adam's apple.

Nero was teased by his licking, and his heartbeat immediately became disordered.He felt full of hunger, and instinctively kissed Rhodes' black hair, his arms tightened, almost letting Rhodes blend into his body.

He felt the gradually violent heartbeat in Rhodes' chest, creating an illusion of sharing the same heart with him.

Pedestrians passed by one after another.Rhodes didn't let Nero hold him for long, and pushed him away quietly.

Nero was still immersed in the lingering just now, his face flushed.He swallowed involuntarily, staring at Rhodes blankly, his expression still unfinished.

Rhode's cheeks were also a little red.He lowered his eyelashes, and his voice was very soft: "Go somewhere else."

The two walked into the noisy street again.

The Carnival of the Muses is in full swing.Boys and girls who act boldly will splash glitter on the body of passers-by they like; actors play flute or harp, and slaves play drums with them.

Rhodes, who was in a good mood, drank a few glasses of beer, his long black hair was covered with shiny silver powder.His face was sweaty and glowing red, so beautiful that Nero couldn't take his eyes off it.

His pirate habits reappeared, and he dragged Nero to the theater to watch the beast fight on a whim, and bet on winning or losing a few games by the way.

A gladiator wearing an iron helmet holds a trident and steps on the yellow sand to deal with a tiger.He lures the tiger with a brightly colored shield, and as it swoops, he stabs it with a halberd into its exposed belly.Blood was poured onto the yellow sand like a torrent.

As an administrator, Nero looked around the theater.

The corroded marble pillars, the thin and dirty yellow sand, and the rusted swords on the weapon rack made his mood even heavier.

"This old theater needs to be refurbished." Nero said, "It's like a snake that can't shed its skin."

"Indeed." Rhode's complexion darkened, "But it takes a lot of effort to raise funds for a bathhouse, let alone a theater that is three times as big."

Nero sighed softly: "This is a tricky problem, but I have to do it. My succession depends on the common people in Rome who are greedy for fun. A theater that can't satisfy people will make the common people think that I am a vegetarian..."

Rhodes was silent, and there was a hint of depression on his calm face...

When I came out of the noisy theater, it was already midnight.

The two cuddled each other and walked on the street where the voices gradually faded.

Rod was so hot that he tore off his collar.Nero bought him a glass of cold beer, put his arm around his shoulder and asked, "Are you having fun?"

"It's okay," Rhodes said flatly after drinking the beer, "it's just to pass the time."

Nero lightly brushed off the glitter that fell on his shoulders, took his hand and said, "Where else do you want to go?"

After thinking for a moment, Rhodes said, "Go home."

He said, pressing his chin on Nero's shoulder, "Today is Muse's Day, but actually I just want to hear you play a harp piece."

Nero felt the happiness that hit his heart directly.

……

They rode home in a carriage.

Rhodes jumped up the banyan tree with ease, and Nero sat next to him holding the harp.

The moonlight flows down from the gaps in the leaves like thin silver pillars, very holy.In late autumn, the bitter taste of the leaves intensifies.

Nero tuned the strings, and stuck the armor that Rhodes had given him to his fingertips.

"This is your birthday present to me." He touched these little things made of turtle shells, "Do you remember?"

Rhodes leaned against the tree trunk, smiled and said, "Of course, I don't want to see your fingers bleeding from the strings."

Nero smiled shyly, and with a flick of his slender fingers, he dialed out a beautiful melody.He played the music very seriously, more like he was addicted to it.

Nero's silver-white fingertips moved across the strings nimbly.He closed his eyes slightly, and a thick black eyeshadow swept down his eyelids, melancholy and elegant.His curly hair is very well-behaved, his slightly gloomy eyebrows are very delicate, and his thin light red lips are raised.The music he plucks is very elegant and full of artistic beauty.

Rhodes allowed his heartbeat to be controlled by the plucking of the strings. After all, art is infinitely sensual.

He made a sudden move and pressed Nero's plucking finger.The sound of the piano stopped abruptly.

Nero suddenly panicked.His breathing became difficult, and he asked nervously and humblely: "You...don't you like it?"

Rhodes didn't answer, he raised his hand around his neck and pressed against his forehead.

He leaned close to Nero's lips, cunningly, and licked his trembling lips.

Nero was as stiff as the blood in his body had solidified into cement.

Rhodes withdrew, his slightly flushed face looking very gentle.

He chuckled and asked, "When do you want to hold back and kiss me again?"

Nero froze as if dumbfounded.

Rhodes leaned forward slightly, nibbled his red earlobe, and then licked it with the tip of his tongue, moaning and saying in a low and sexy voice: "Don't you want to kiss me? My dear Lucius... ...my dear Nero..."

Nero cupped the back of his head like he was drunk.

Rhodes stared at him for a while, smiled and closed his eyes.

Nero leaned over cautiously and kissed him.

The torrent of fate that never retreats lingers at this moment.

The moment he touched Rhodes' lips, many beautiful images appeared in front of Nero's eyes, such as the new shoots in spring, the warm sunshine in winter, and the golden sunrise.A white mist appeared in front of his eyes, and his whole body felt a strange lightness, feeling that time was infinitely elongating.

A thick, indescribable sense of happiness took root in Nero's heart, like a rapidly growing giant, almost swelling his soul.

The overjoyed Nero suddenly wanted to cry.

His throat was sore, trembling uncontrollably, making a small choking sound.

Rhodes opened his eyes, pushed him away worriedly, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I kind of want to cry..." Nero rubbed his nose, the tip of his nose and throat were blocked by soreness.

He covered his face and made a hissing gasp from between his fingers, like a patient struggling to breathe.

Rhodes looked complicated.He held Nero's shoulders and kissed his side lightly.

"Why?" he asked softly.

Nero turned around and hugged him tightly.He knew very well that his heart was pounding, and he could clearly feel Rhode's.Their hearts were beating so violently that they almost collided.

"Because I'm so happy... Rhodes..." Nero said incoherently, "I know I'm not a person who deserves happiness, but I got it..."

Rhodes kissed his sideburns, slipped his fingers into his silver hair, and comforted him a little sadly: "You deserve it, Nero...you will always be happy..."

Nero was shaking with excitement.He buried his face in Rhodes' long hair, desperately absorbing the refreshing scent from him.

The author has something to say:

The story of Minos needs to note two points: the prototype of the Hydra is Hydra in Greek mythology, and Ira is based on Medusa, the Gorgon.