I put out his fire

This is a reunion of old friends.

Rhodes walked over, walking quickly, and finally stopped in front of the bullock cart.

Nero stared at his active back and the two rows of footprints that were getting faster and faster on the snow, feeling sour in his heart.

He really felt that his life was supported by this sweet and sour feeling.

Virgil held the whip, and a fluffy piece of dry grass flew up and down, and finally stuck to his parted lips.He had put on a lot of weight, had the businessman's signature greasy hair, and wore a flamboyant gold necklace with jewels around his neck.

He stared at Rhodes in surprise, his big lips trembling, and he said nonsense: "Great God! Damn God! Who did I see..."

Rhodes put a hand on his shoulder, patted and said, "You have gained a lot of weight, Virgil."

Virgil was so excited that his face was flushed, he bared his teeth and claws, and stomped his feet on the ground as if he had been scalded, "You bastard...you bastard...I didn't expect that we would see each other again!"

He grinned, revealing a newly inlaid gold tooth, "You haven't changed at all."

They high-fived first, then touched shoulders and had a comrade-in-arms hug.

Rhodes swept the cows wagging their tails and the hay piled nearly two people high on the cart, thought for a while and said, "You really became a fuel dealer, Virgil. The winter in Rome will make you a lot of money." ?”

Virgil patted the goods behind him, and then patted his chubby belly, "It's not considered rich, it can only be said that it has no worries about food and clothing."

He rolled his philistine round eyes, and his gaze stayed on Rhodes' open collar.

"It's not like you, my old friend..." He grabbed Rhode's silk collar, where a section of snow-white neck was exposed.

"You're already wearing a shirt made of silk, even if it's only a finger long, it's worth a load of hay behind me. What's more..."

Virgil moved closer, rubbing the collar repeatedly with his fingers, "The material is also dyed with purple stripes that can only be used by noble people. I bet you have found a royal master who will dote on you..."

"Of course." Nero's lukewarm voice came over.

He shuffled over, his cross-laced leather boots covered in snow, looking sullen.His back was straight, his eye circles were red, and his thin chin trembled like a surge.

"His master is me..." he said in a bad tone.

The slaves in the bullock carts all jumped off the carts and knelt down on the ground.

Virgil let go of his hand quickly, and a clever smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.He moved his round belly, jumped out of the car very nimbly, and jumped to Nero's feet like a marble, with a smile on his chubby face.

"Rod's body and mind are your property, my lord." He said shrewdly, "When he was in the army camp full of mud, he lived a life like an ordinary pariah holding a water pot in his arms and going to the sewer to wash his hands. His comrades-in-arms, I have seen. And now, his hands can be washed in a copper basin, his collar is patterned with purple stripes, he is entitled to drink watered wine, and his diet must have fish and bird tongues to eat ...you gave him all this."

Rhodes smiled: "Your glib tongue makes me suspect that you are a person who eats the tongue of a nightingale."

Nero's jaw stopped shaking, and his face softened.He relaxed like taking off his armor, and his pale face gradually turned a little bloody.

"I accept your words." He moved his stiff neck unobtrusively, and looked up at the haystack. "It seems that you have become a fuel merchant after retiring."

"Thank you for your good eyesight! My lord." Virgil smiled flatteringly, "I have received an order from the Virgin, this batch of fuel will be transported to the temples in Rome within three days to ensure that the holy fire will continue day and night! "

Nero nodded, and said with a straight face: "Okay, you can now stick your face to my instep."

Virgil was flattered.His eyes lit up excitedly, a pride beyond money.

"Oh! It's really a great honor for me..." He wiped his face vigorously with his sleeves, until his cheeks were flushed, then he knelt down cautiously, and touched Nero's leather boots with his chubby cheeks.

Seeing his low self-esteem, Rhodes sighed and said, "Virgil, you can go on the road again now, the Virgin does not have much time left for you."

Virgil got up neatly, sat back on the car, and raised his round eyebrows at Rhodes.

He evoked a flattering smile, "If the adults of the royal family need to buy fuel, I hope you can consider me."

Nero nodded condescendingly.

……

It was already night when he set off again to return to his home.The slave lit the brazier next to the colonnade and took down the rattle hanging from the top of the pillar.

Rhodes was soaked in a half-person-high wooden barrel, and the hot water steamed his face rosy.He leaned against the barrel wall, his wet black hair plastered to his shoulder blades and chest.He closed his eyes, resting his head against the edge of the barrel, his eyelashes were covered with moisture and looked white.

A pinch of cooled wax oil was piled up on the copper candlestick, and the candle flame formed light clusters, suspended in the steam-filled room like bubbles.

Rhodes turned his face slightly, opened his wet eyes a crack, and then drops of water flowed down the line of the eye sockets.

Through the rising heat, he saw Nero standing at the door.

Nero wore a pajamas embroidered with silver thread, the neckline opening loosely below his collarbone, and a brick-red ribbon tied around his flat waist.He ran downstairs to find Rhodes just after taking a shower, his hair was still dripping, and his back was wet.

Rhodes looked at him through the slits as thin as a thread, and said lazily, "Are you going downstairs?"

Nero opened his eyes wide without blinking, staring at Rhodes in the tub.The candlelight from one side penetrated the crystals of his eyes and reached the brownish-yellow iris like a crater.

"I'll come to you..." he said, "at noon, you promised me."

Rhodes raised one corner of his lips, and said with a chuckle: "There is no precedent for the master to run downstairs when he is lucky enough to come down."

"This is not luck." Nero said seriously, "I came to meet my lover on a date."

His earnestness infected Rhodes and became serious.

Rhodes swam to the side of the barrel close to Nero, and put one arm on the edge of the barrel.He pressed his chin to the crook of his elbow, and his wet black hair stuck to half of his back.

"You're in too much of a hurry," he said.

Nero's eyes were bright, "I don't want you to wait."

Rhodes first submerged himself in the hot water, then suddenly stood up straight, and with his white legs, he stood on the wool carpet.

He raised his hand and brushed the ends of his hair sticking to his chest to his back, fully exposing his chest.He was meticulous and stood there confidently, without any sign of shyness.

Wearing nothing and not covering the body, there is a kind of intentional exposure of weaknesses invisibly.Just like a ferocious wolf, in order to show friendliness, it voluntarily turns its back and reveals its soft belly.

"Look at me, Nero." Rhodes said commandingly.

Nero vaguely saw his white body with drops of water on it, and his face flushed instantly.He felt hot, and his vision flickered like molten wax.

"Look at me with wide eyes like a man," Rhode said sternly, like a teacher admonishing his students, "Don't you dare to look at me?"

"I..." Nero stammered, "I... I didn't expect you to be so active, Rhodes..."

Rhodes stepped on the wool carpet with the pattern of ears of wheat, passed through the steaming water vapor, and moved his body in front of him, as if an extremely devout believer wanted to use his own body to sacrifice.

"Oh..." Nero blinked nervously, his eyes moving around.The water droplets on Rhodes' skin refracted light spots, which fell into his eyes like small thorns.

He didn't know where to look.Rod was close at hand, and he smelled soap made of plant ash and suet.The nerves seemed to be densely scattered in the air, and the slightest movement of Rhodes could shake him.

"Raise your hand and put it on my shoulder." Rhodes lowered his voice, like a mythical siren tempting the crew with his voice.He rubbed Nero's temple hair, fingertips dabbed at the small light brown spot on the bridge of his nose.He stared at the freckles for a long time before sticking them on, kissing his eyelids.

Nero couldn't help but hugged his shoulders tightly.

Rhodes quickly untied the red ribbon around his waist and wrapped it around his eyes, "Don't be nervous."

Nero moved his hand to his left chest, feeling his heart beating inside.He actually kissed Rhode's heart with joy, producing detached satisfaction.

"You are so beautiful... Rhodes." Nero sighed.

Rhodes was blindfolded, with shiny black wet hair sticking to his cheeks, his lips were darker red than the ribbon, like some kind of deep entrance, and his skin exuded the cold and clear woody smell of plant ash.

"Be less pretentious," he said urgently. "I want you to start right away, right now!"

Rhodes' tone was extremely firm.His untamed wildness, his temperament of "standing up" all the time, his toughness with a breath of suffering, and the sense of fate and tragedy inherent in the profession of a soldier, made Nero have a sense of sensuality in an instant. crave.