Accident at the Munera (part2)

"Now you just need to stand here, and show your face" Lucius reminded him.

"Remember to C-A-T-C-H his gaze", Lucius spelled it out. They have been at it eversince they first arrived at the entrance outside of the Circus Maximus after their frantic walk-run and overtaking Caligula and his company.

"You are quite the looker if you just.." Lucius words trailed off as he licked his thumb and forefinger, then used them to style Lepidus's bangs. "..hmmm.. i dont think this will do, your hair is a wavy mess" Lucius grabbed Lepidus's hair, trying to smooth it out. "Can't help it, this won't do." He shook his head.

"Take off your cape", Lucius said, grabbing it a bit aggressively and pulling it off Lepidus.

"I'm really nervous", Lepidus admitted, and as if proof, his hands started to sweat and shake. The thought of introducing himself and talking to Caligula, while gazing at his piercing blue eyes is making his heart goes *badump* *badump*.

"I don't think i could do this for real.", Lepidus said, snatching his cape back from Lucius's hand and trying to walk away.

"No no no no! You're not going anywhere, hey Lepidus!", Lucius ran after him, grabbing his shoulder and stopping him in his tracks.

Just then, Marcus's urgent voice cut through the air. He still has the wooden tray with streetfood that almost got thrown away from how fast Marcus is running. He's the lookout. "Guys, guys, guys! It's Caligulchen! He's here!".

The three friends scrambled to their feet, unsure what to do. Lepidus who already wore his cape back and put the hood on his head that hides his face, stood awkwardly while the two, Lucius and Marcus pretended to arrange the streetfood on the tray that's already a jumbled mess.

The three who has no real experience in this kind of situation tucked there tails. They silently bated their breath and watch as Caligula and Asprenas pass by, Caligula's gaze swept past them. Lepidus felt a pang of embarrassment. They must have looked ridiculous in Caligula's eyes!

When Caligula and Asprenas already disappeared from their view, Lepidus, Lucius, and Marcus finally let go of their breath with a relief. Lepidus, still feeling embarrased, sat down on the ground, he could still feel the shaking of his hands. He buried his face in his hands, feeling his cheeks burn with shame.

Lucius and Marcus unsure of what to say, patted him on the back. The only sound aside from the noisy crowd inside the arena was Lepidus's loud sigh. "Whew..."

Marcus tried to encourage him. "Don't give up yet, let's follow them inside!", But Lepidus just shakes his head. "I'll probably never be able to introduce myself for as long as i live, why am i like this.?.", He grabbed his hair in frustration, feeling dejected.

Lucius and Marcus exchanged worried glances. "It's not too late you know." Marcus said. "We can still follow them", Lucius chimed in, "Let's sell them all of our food! and then introduce ouselves".

But Marcus shot down the idea. "Are you dumb? We're pleabians. We dont stand a chance!", Lucius looked crestfallen, and Lepidus just shrugged, feeling more hopeless by the minute.

"No.. im just gonna give up", looking sad the two cant help but feel bad for Lepidus. And no matter how much they tried to convince him, he just looks at them like he had really given up.

Then Lucius, suddenly sprang up from sitting on the ground, remembered one of the gossip he heard in the grapevine. He looked at Lepidus in the eye and said, "You know....", he whispered to Lepidus, his voice barely audible. But whatever Lucius said, it had an immediate effect on Lepidus. His eyes snapped back to life.

*************************************

****Back to the present time..****

**(Same time happening in the middle of Gracchus and Atticus Fight in the arena)**

Eversince Lepidus spotted Caligula sitting infront of the fighting gladiators when they came inside the Circus Maximus, he has never took his eyes off him.

Caligula sitting on the tiered marble benches near the stairs, his pretty back on him, he stared at his back, that he's seen a million times, memorized even. He's been looking at that back for what felt like an eternity. He'd been doing it for years, whenever he spotted Caligula in the crowd of people or when he sneaked into the castrum to watch him interact with Germanicus or the other soldiers that Caligula knew, while inside his head he is imagining the two of them talking. It's crazy how fixated he is to him. The way his back move when he started to laugh at something someone else said, his back that looks tense when the crowd goes 'whoaa' and 'boo' at the fight, and when his back that indicate that he is excited at what's happening, his back that sometimes hunch when he feels bored, all of it is etched into his memory.

As he walked slowly at the stairs towards Caligula's seat, trying to get closer to Caligula, the crowd's deafening roar has faded into the background, it does nothing to his ears. All he could hear is his heart that goes *thump* *thump thump*, just breathing the same air with Caligula feels amazing, he cant smell the thick air mixed with sweat and food.

There is nothing, it feels like it's only him and Caligula with his back on him.

When he finally reached Caligula's seat, time seemed to stand still. It's as if it's only him and Caligula. He was just a hand's breadth away from his God! Then, a shove came from behind him, his hands that's stretched out in front of him, touched something smooth and soft, the magic spell he is in, suddenly stopped, startled he look at Lucius who's behind him, but Lucius isnt looking at him but staring past him, he then realized that he just touched Caligula's back.

He dramatically tried to looked back infront of him, he can feel it in his hands that Caligula turned half of his body to look at him, but then something caught his eye at the same time the crowd seems to gasp.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh"

*Boom* *boom*

A glint of metal, a thracian sica was hurtling towards him, no, to Caligula's turned head, His adrenaline surged as he realized, its too late to avoid it. He couldn't hug Caligula and take the blow with his body, he'd only end up getting blood all over Caligula, 'he'll get dirty', he thought.

Then he remembered the wooden tray, it's thick and sturdy, luckily Marcus who is next to him has an almost empty tray, he reached for it in a split second throw away what remains of the food, and used it to deflect the sword away from Caligula's head, the blade bit into the wood mere inches from Caligula's face, the great force of the impact sent a shockwave through his shoulder and arms that deflected it.

Then his green eyes met a pair of blue eyes staring back at him.

***********************************

*EDITED VERY SMALL DETAIL*