Entweder/Oder -- Joker

[der_jemand]

Team: D.A.V.E.
Challenge: Entweder/Oder -- JOKER (fürs Team) (inspiriert durch gehen oder bleiben von fischgraete)
Fandom: The Eagle
Charaktere: Marcus, Esca
Wörter: ca. 615
A/N: Für servena, auch wenn es nicht in Ansätzen das geworden ist, was ich gerne gehabt hätte.
Kurz nach Ende des Films.


Esca wants to leave. No, he needs to leave, Marcus knows. Esca may be a citizen now, but he is not a Roman and this house, Marcus' uncle's villa, is one that Esca had entered a slave. There's no way that he can stay here any longer. Marcus knows that despite his best efforts to close his eyes to the fact.

Of course, Esca doesn't say anything. He smiles, he tends to the horses and plays latrunculi with Uncle Aquila. Marcus thinks he may be watching him fade away.

Esca cannot go back north, not with the role he played in retrieving the eagle, not without any family to return to and he certainly won't want to follow Marcus south to Etruria. "You decide," Marcus had said and trapped his best friend, his brother, his-- Esca in an impossible position with nowhere to go. So much for "You are free, my friend".

"Have you made your decision on the farm in Etruria?" Uncle Aquila's asks one afternoon with all the patience in the world.

Marcus has done no such thing. The papers have been sitting on the little bench in his room for the past month. "I'll be out of your hair soon, it's just..."

"Nonsense. You may stay here as long as it pleases you. Stephanos and I have gotten used to a bit of life in the house. I only assumed you were in a hurry to leave for Etruria."

"I do long to return home to my family," Marcus confirms but even as he speaks the words he doesn't believe them. He has restored his father's honour, he has the money to buy the farm back and return to the world he knows and loves and misses. It's everything he always wanted and yet... And yet.

"Your aunt and uncle would certainly be happy to see you return. But you hesitate."

"It's... It's of no consequence."

Uncle Aquila chuckles softly. "If you say so. Well, this uncle would be happy to see you happy." He squeezes Marcus' shoulder, under the disguise of needing the support to get up from the bench. "I'll be here for you, always."

When said like that, it sounds so easy. But Marcus can't stay here. Esca can't stay and Marcus certainly won't be able to stay in the villa without him, to live with all the little reminders of their time together... But maybe it is that easy. Maybe Marcus can stay and Esca can leave and they can be together all the same.

He'll have to talk to the magistrate.



"Esca, do you know the pastures in the hills north of Calleva?"

Esca is busy with a knife and a whittling stone and doesn't look up from his work but hums appreciatively. "Behind the forest? Great framing land."

Marcus nods his agreement. "What would you say if I told you I had bought land there?"

"I'd recommend you to raise horses there."

"Don't you think that's a lot of work for one cripple?"

At that, Esca does look up, his eyes squinting with confusion. "Probably. What is this about, Marcus? I thought you were planning to buy land in Etruria, buy your family's farm back, even."

"There's little that would bind me to that land."

"And there's more binding you here?"

Marcus takes a deep breath, preparing to jump. "There may be."

Esca tilts his head. "I need to leave this place," he intones, slowly, carefully.

Marcus isn't quite sure what to make of that or the way his heartbeat appears to be trapped in his throat. He swallows. "Northwards?"

"Hm." Esca nods, thoughtfully. "About seven kilometres would do."

Comments

[fischgraete]

OOOOH! I LOVE! LOOOOOVE. Damn. This is good o.o