Tiberius leaned in and Enzo shifted closer. His breath hitched in his throat as he tilted his head upward. As his mind hearkened back to a cool spring night -the sweet scent of holly blossoms in the hedges all around them, concealing them- Enzo's eyes closed. Crashing waves, their roar drowning out any thought of the world beyond that coastal cottage, echoed in his mind. Salt and sweet wine on his lips... Memories he'd surrendered to time flooded back and Enzo's hand tightened at Tiberius' neck.
“I– No, I’m not.”
His eyes fluttered open. As Tiberius continued, shrugging away from his hand, Enzo's weight shifted back with a shuffled step. His rejected hand went to his own face, wiping downward over the stubble of his jaw before his arm dropped feebly to his side. Envy tumbled joyously inside of him, luxuriating in his failure. Enzo turned away, fearful that Tiberius might see the venom in his face, shamed by his futile anger.
“But most of all, Enzo..." He could hear the sincerity in Tiberius' voice. Again, the temptation to reach into his mind pulled at Enzo. He could know for sure. He could see what Tiberius had seen. He could blot it all out entirely... Enzo pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, biting down hard.
Taking several deep breaths, Enzo followed Tiberius up the stairs. Both annoyed and thankful at the forced end of the conversation, he mutely set the bottles into the basket and helped to gather up the food. His silence continued as they made their way back to the tower. Inwardly, he raged at Tiberius' perceived naivety, at his own carelessness. Back in the tower, he uncorked one of the bottles and filled their two glasses. He drank, sour as it tasted in his mouth, and picked up one of the wax tablets.
"I think-" he cleared his throat. "Let's try this." he said, scratching out a different equation into the wax.
@Ivy requesting a new cryptography roll please!
“I– No, I’m not.”
His eyes fluttered open. As Tiberius continued, shrugging away from his hand, Enzo's weight shifted back with a shuffled step. His rejected hand went to his own face, wiping downward over the stubble of his jaw before his arm dropped feebly to his side. Envy tumbled joyously inside of him, luxuriating in his failure. Enzo turned away, fearful that Tiberius might see the venom in his face, shamed by his futile anger.
“But most of all, Enzo..." He could hear the sincerity in Tiberius' voice. Again, the temptation to reach into his mind pulled at Enzo. He could know for sure. He could see what Tiberius had seen. He could blot it all out entirely... Enzo pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, biting down hard.
Taking several deep breaths, Enzo followed Tiberius up the stairs. Both annoyed and thankful at the forced end of the conversation, he mutely set the bottles into the basket and helped to gather up the food. His silence continued as they made their way back to the tower. Inwardly, he raged at Tiberius' perceived naivety, at his own carelessness. Back in the tower, he uncorked one of the bottles and filled their two glasses. He drank, sour as it tasted in his mouth, and picked up one of the wax tablets.
"I think-" he cleared his throat. "Let's try this." he said, scratching out a different equation into the wax.
@Ivy requesting a new cryptography roll please!
06-22-2024, 12:11 PM
