Movement IV: The Appian Way

Esca awoke to a soft bark to his left. The sunlight and odd room threw him off for a second before he remembered agreeing to sleep with Marcus for the night. He hadn't even thought about his alarm clock until just now.

Cub was smiling next to the pulled out bed, dressed in his standard wolf costume. He let out another soft bark.

"Lance," Esca whispered. He didn't want to wake Marcus just yet. There was really no easy way to explain to his son what was happening, but it seemed Cub didn't mind. "Did you eat breakfast already?"

Cub nodded and let out another soft bark. His son could handle fixing a bowl of cereal, but that didn't make Esca feel any less of a terrible father for having slept through the morning. "You off to school?"

Cub nodded and gave Esca a hug. Esca smiled, as he did every morning when Cub would hug him before running out the door. So he'd awoken Esca simply to give him his hug. Esca felt all warm and fuzzy like only Cub could manage.

Esca sat sleepily on the edge of the bed taking a moment to stare at the sleeping form beside him. Damn, Marcus was a heavy sleeper. Looking past him for just a moment he saw a small attaché case with a single slip of paper sticking out. This was wrong, Esca knew that, but his curiosity seemed to be winning over. He snuck around the couch and silently pulled out the sheet.

Esca felt his stomach sink. He also thought he felt a punch in the face and a knife in his spine, but those were in his head. What wasn't in his head was the one point five million dollar offer on the villa. The villa Marcus had claimed he wasn't selling.

Esca was on a warpath.

When Marcus woke up he was initially disappointed that Esca was not in the bed with him. He hadn't expected it, but he'd secretly hoped. The disappointment deepened when he made his way into the kitchen and found it too was empty.

There was movement in the cottage. Screw boundaries, he wanted to see his Esca this morning, it was technically his cottage any way.

For the first time since arriving at the villa, Marcus made his way across the yard towards Esca and Cub's home. The old, wooden door seemed out of a different era. He knocked strongly on it.

Nothing.

He knocked again, "Esca?"

The door flew open. A crazed and enraged Esca stood tall in front of Marcus. He almost felt as though he was shrinking in front of this new and terrifying Esca.

"What's wrong?"

"Get out!" Esca managed.

"What did I do?"

Marcus was answered with a door slamming in his face feeling the ground shake from the force of the slam.

"Fine!" Marcus yelled at the door. "I am so done with all this fucking shit."

Esca stood in the cottage. It wasn't much. He and Sarah and Cub had lived here. It'd been a wonderful home. It had been theirs, maybe not in deed but definitely in heart. Nothing about this cottage matched the rest of the villa. Chances are this millionaire buyer was just going to tear it down anyway.

This was where his last memories with Sarah were. This was where his last memories with Uncle Aquila were. This was everything. After all that Esca had been through, it was so nice to just have a home. Just like Marcus never visiting his uncle, Esca figured this cottage would always be there. And now four days after getting here Marcus has torn that out from under him.

Fucking Marcus.

Marcus who'd won him over in three fucking days. He'd never been one to jump into bed with anybody, much less spend the night. He'd foolishly though Marcus had been special.

Forget the amazing body, beautiful face, and sexy as fuck voice, he was so sweet. He was always happy, strangely trusting, and just a little bit odd for someone with such classic good looks.

Everything between the two of them had been a surprise. Their first meeting, their first time, their first full night together, and now Marcus had decided to save this surprise for last… the sale of the villa.

"You look unsure about this," Mr. Norton said taking the signed sheet from Marcus.

"I'm not," Marcus sighed. "I want to do this."

"Okay, well then we'll get the ball rolling. How about you take everything you want from the home and leave what you don't want and we'll allocate it as you see fit.

"What about Esca?"

"The one living there?" Mr. Norton shrugged. "We talked about this, he'll just have to find something else."

Marcus nodded, but he still felt sick to his stomach.

"Hey buddy," Esca said handing Cub a grilled cheese sandwich.

"Are you sad, daddy?" Cub asked blowing on the sandwich in preparation of his first bite.

Esca pressed his eyes closed. "No Cub, everything's going to be okay," he lied.

"No Cub, everything's going to be okay."

Marcus closed the door behind him as he entered the home. This was the worst he'd ever felt. Not when he'd lost his parents, not when he'd lost his uncle, not when Steve ditched him. Marcus had an idea of why that was so. All those times were out of his control. He'd had control over this one, and he'd screwed it up. Majorly.

"Hey Esca," Marcus almost whimpered.

"Mr. Aquila," Esca's voice was cold and unforgiving. "Would you like lunch?"

"Please let me talk to you about this," Marcus tried.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"You saw the bill of sale?" Marcus had figured that earlier.

"I saw the evidence of your lie," Esca spat.

"Well," Marcus shrugged. "It's final."

All the anger and fury in Esca's face melted, all that remained was absolute and utter sadness and defeat. That killed Marcus on the inside.

"Lancelot and I will be off the villa grounds before this evening," Esca almost bowed.

"No, Esca…" Marcus slouched. "You can stay for as long as you need. Nothing is going to be final for a few weeks.

"Then we'll leave tomorrow morning," Esca said turning and leaving Marcus alone in the kitchen.

Marcus looked around the kitchen before entering the living room. Surveying each room he looked for what he wanted from the villa and what he'd just give up. In the bedroom he grabbed the picture of his father and his uncle. Then standing in the hall he knew immediately the one other thing he'd take. He walked into the locked room and picked up the album of Jane.

That was all he needed, was pictures.

At about 5:30 Marcus felt his stomach grumbling. He went into the kitchen and immediately felt a hankering for some grilled cheese. It didn't surprise him that he'd crave it after having seen Cub eat it the last four days. He mirrored the things Esca did when preparing for Cub's arrivals.

As usual though, Marcus got distracted. It wasn't long until Esca ran into the kitchen and grabbed the pan yelling "What the fuck's wrong with you?"

Marcus had wandered into the living room. Entering the kitchen the dense smoke hit his senses immediately. He'd completely burnt the sandwich to a crisp and almost set the villa on fire.

"Oh man," Marcus whined.

"What were ya going for? Extra crispy grilled cheese?" Though Esca seemed to be cracking a joke, his voice was still humorless and angry.

"I… I…" Marcus gave up.

"Let me do it," Esca sighed grabbing the bread and cheese and going through the motions again.

"What happened?" Cub laughed as he entered the kitchen.

"Nothing buddy," Marcus laughed putting on a face for the little one.

"I made a drawing today," Cub said handing it to Marcus. "It's for you."

"Yeah?" Marcus said crouching down and accepting the picture. Esca stared in shock, this was obviously a big deal for Cub having opened up this much to Marcus.

Marcus looked down at it. There were three figures holding hands. On the left was obviously Marcus as he was the tallest by at least half a foot. He was holding hands with Cub who even drew himself in the costume in the picture. To Cub's right was Esca.

"This is fantastic little guy!" Marcus felt himself almost choking up.

"Can I play outside for five more minutes?" Cub said seemingly forgetting the interaction with Marcus now.

"Five more minutes, but then you got to come in for dinner," Esca replied.

After Cub sprinted out of the kitchen Marcus stood back up feeling his joints crack.

"It's us," Marcus said.

"I see that," Esca was angrier.

"Esca…" Marcus took a deep breath. In the breath Marcus thought about the first time they'd literally run into each other. Everything between the two of them had been a surprise. Their first meeting, their first time, their first full night together, and now Marcus had decided to save this surprise for last… "Move to Texas with me."

Everything between the two of them had been a surprise. This was certainly the biggest surprise of them all. "What?" Esca almost dropped the pan.

"You and Cub could move to Texas with me. My house is big enough, I have plenty of money and Cub could get a fantastic education there."

"You've got to be joking," Esca laughed.

"I'm serious," Marcus replied. "Esca, I am serious about this." Marcus tentatively touched Esca's arm. When Esca didn't fight it Marcus decided it was safe to go in for more. He softly touched his lips to Esca's, receiving no kiss in return.

Esca felt a surge of passion, he couldn't resist this man and now he was kissing him. It was all Esca could take. He grabbed Marcus and began to press against him harder than he had ever before. He slammed Marcus against the wall and kissed hungrily as they rubbed against each other. Esca hadn't intended on this being an answer to Marcus's proposition, but it seemed by Marcus's excitement that he had.

"It's burning again," Cub said walking into the kitchen.

Esca launched off of Marcus and looked at his son. It seemed little Cub hadn't noticed a thing except for the fact that yes the grilled cheese had yet again begun erupting in black smoke.

"Shit!" Esca grabbed at the pan but it was too late, the grilled cheese was done.

"Well it looks like neither of us can seem to make one," Marcus laughed.

Esca felt ashamed for what he was about to suggest, "Maybe we should just order a pizza?"

Cub was exceedingly excited about the pizza. Marcus figured he probably didn't get it much due to the fact that his father was an expert cook. Sitting around the kitchen table enjoying the greasy delivery pizza seemed a perfect end to the evening. However Marcus and Esca still had their nightly beers to attend to.

After clean up and the eventually getting Cub into bed, Esca did in fact come back over and join Marcus who'd already stationed himself on the porch. He had hoped Esca would come.

"They're Roman Pines," Esca said.

"Huh?"

"The trees…" Esca pointed to those amazing trees that surrounded the villa. "They're Roman Pines. Your uncle loved them."

"They're incredible."

"They're not in Texas," Esca replied immediately.

"True," Marcus nodded. After a minute he continued, "But I am."

"You are something else Marcus Aquila. You've known me for four days and now you're all ready to shack up with me and let my son, who has no blood relation to me move in to your home in Texas."

"Well I mean… you've seen me try to make grilled cheese…"

"Yeah, and you've seen me try to make grilled cheese when you're around," Esca laughed.

"I figure there's no harm in it," Marcus shrugged. "We're both in the same boat."

"What do ya mean?"

"I'm jobless… you're jobless…"

"You have a shit ton of money though," Esca replied.

"I have what I'm getting from the settlement from the sale of the company," Marcus nodded.

"And one point five million from the villa," Esca added.

"No," Marcus shook his head. "You're getting that."

Esca froze not letting himself believe he heard what he'd heard.

"I put you as the primary and sole benefactor to the sale of the estate."

"Why?" Esca seemed defensive. Marcus figured it was because he didn't want his charity.

"This was more yours than it was ever mine. That and you knew my uncle… I didn't. Why should I get anything of his?"

"He was your blood."

"But he was your family."

Silence fell between them. Comfortable silence, but complete silence nonetheless.

"I don't really have any family… not anymore," Marcus shrugged.

Esca placed down his beer, "You have us."

Everything between the two of them had been a surprise. Their first meeting, their first time, their first full night together, and now their living arrangement. This wasn't going to be the last surprise… they both knew that. Life's a surprise and Esca and Marcus figured that they're just along for the ride.