Genre: Forum

Welcome to Rome, the Eternal city. In a place where the streets are running thick with wine, blood, scandal, ambition, and lust, events happen so quickly that rising to power one day and falling the next is expected. Sweet words, honeyed speeches, and purses of money might milk your way to the top, but one wrong move and it's all over. This is a place where one forges alliances to survive and where enemies can seem as friends until they stab your back. A place where lust and wine are entwined so quickly that marriages are made and dissolved in months. A place where Caesar fights the Senate for his power while trying to find those he can trust. Welcome to Rome, the Eternal City. Where will you go in such a place as this? The night passed all too quickly, and soon the first lightening to gray of the pre-dawn sky showed around the slatted wooden doors at the end of the room giving on to the street below. The room was longer than it was wide, and could have served as a store house. So doors and not windows ran from floor to ceiling for the easy passage of goods into this "loft." But it had been converted into a bedroom/living room when John and Hypatia had arrived. Hypa had done a lot to make it quite cozy and homey, and it now seemed truly to be "their space." As John blinked awake in the dim light, he felt a good deal comforted and very pleased to be in "his own home." And to make things even better, here was his beautiful little wife by his side, and the typical morning happenstance of the male anatomy all ready and waiting to resume what had been so unfortunately interrupted the night before. John's hand went to rub down the length of Hypa's outer thigh, and then back up, pulling the material of her night shift with it. Her skin was so soft and silky under his fingers. He shifted to press against her, and his hand slid between her thighs. His lips went to her neck, and felt her soft breath on his cheek. "Hypa . . . " he murmured softly, leaning to lay half on top of her, his lips moving to hers. A soft moan escaped as John touched her still half asleep. Her body rubbed up against his, but her eyes were still closed. Her husband knew exactly where to touch her to make her open up completely to him forgetting what had transpired last night including her decision on giving him the cold shoulder. Despite his command and Hypatia's silent disagreement, she was a hot-blooded woman and still desired her husband physically. His lips made her melt and his whispered words woken her fully aroused by her husband's expert ministrations. "John..." She purred softly as she kissed him very aware of where his hand had began to wander hoping for more. Hypatia needed to be touched, and knowing if done right she was rather feral in her hunger which was always and forever just for John. He was the only one she had ever wanted. Having come to him a maid, it was difficult not to cry out with pleasure as his sweet assault began and all her body wanted was more until he gave her that release and she his... Her own hands began to roam, stroking his skin teasing it with her fingertips. She could feel exactly how much he needed her and encouraged it, wanting what he wanted, needing what he wanted to giv... "No.." She gasped and began to pull away in a panic as she felt nausea set in enough to lose whatever was left in her stomach from the night before. "John.." Hypatia gasped as she tried to get out of his embrace by struggling looking a bit desperate and a sickly green. She fell out of bed half rolling half of a stagger as she ran to the chamber pot and vomited several times rather violently. Then when she felt as if she was finished she groaned as she lay against the wall a bit pitifully not entirely confident that she would not hurl again. Hypatia responded in a way that was achingly familiar yet startlingly arousing. They had been married less than a year, so that might have explained the rush of surprise that John still felt every time they came together like this. It was comforting and erotic at the same time -- a reaffirmation each day that they were still discovering one another. They moved together in an easy synchronization of hands and lips and he pressed against her, ready to . . . All of a sudden, Hypa began to struggle in his arms. John was already so lost in the sensations coursing through every part of his body, it took him a moment to register that something was wrong. Hypa was not wriggling with sensual delight. She was fighting to get free of him, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out what was wrong. He didn't even have the presence of mind to try to hold on to her, and she finally managed to slip out of the bed and almost fell on the floor. By this time, it was sinking in that she was acutely distressed and he scooted after her, his own alarm bells sounding wildly in his head. "Hypa! What's wrong?" he exclaimed loudly, as she half stumbled away, to the chamber pot, and hurled her stomach's contents into it with an awful retching noise. His feet were on the floor and he leapt to her, kneeling to help to hold her long, pretty hair back and away from the noxious bile. His other hand gripped her arm lightly, as he tried to support her, emotionally if not exactly physically. He knew there was no point in asking her anything, until she was done, but his mind raced. In a near panic, he could not but help think about Eustacia. What if the illness that had struck his aunt by marriage was contagious? What if his lovely, loving, lovable wife was coming down with the same horrible fever and pain? God, what could he do? How would he help ease her misery? How serious was the malady? His mind was running away from itself in terror at such thoughts and he had to fight hard to push them away and concentrate on Hypa and her immediate needs. As she slowly eased back, his arm went around her shoulders, and she settled a bit against the wall, her legs bent under her. John wiped at her mouth with his fingers. "I'll get a cloth, my love. Hang on." He rose to fetch a towel from the table, and brought it to her, dabbing again at her poor, pale lips. Trying to keep the alarm from his voice, he asked in a slightly shaky voice, "What is it, love? Are you -- do you think . . . is this what Eustacia has?" His hand held hers gently, and he kissed her clammy forehead. "Oh God, let it not be so." He prayed in a soft voice. It was the second time that something had managed to interrupt their love-making and she would have craved him rather desperately if she did not feel as if the nausea would cause bile to rise again to be expelled. She heard his concerns as she made it to the chamber pot to find a certain amount of relief and felt him comfort by pulling her hair back while holding her to steady her. Hypatia could sense John's panic, but he continued to hold her as she hovered close to the chamberpot if the urge to retch was felt. He wiped her mouth and her body trembled as it tried to work through the shock and change of her body. She leaned and half snuggled against John with his arms about her as she gathered herself. "No, my love, I do not think what my aunt has is contagious." Hypatia must look a bit grey, but there was no blood and she just felt nausea, but none of the pain that she could read from her aunt's sickness. Her body was changing and she recalled that she had been several weeks passed her monthly flux and gripped her husband's arm. "J-john...I think I am..." The nausea pressed into her and she felt herself gag and she leaned over quickly to throw the rest of the contents of almost nothing into the chamberpot and groaned again as her body shook and ached. "I think I am pregnant." She managed to say a bit tiredly if not a little pathetically. "This is not how I would have wanted to tell you, but I had not put it together sooner." The urge to vomit had subsided as she was held by her husband giving herself a bit of time to recuperate in case it happened again. His poor, lovely wife! John felt so bad for her as she sagged against him, and he saw how ashen she looked. Her first tremulous words did little to reassure him, for what he had seen of Eustacia's condition the night before was so alarming that he felt no-one could really be sure it wasn't catching. So his mind was already on that point, when the next words barely seeped out and then another bout of hurling ensued. Once again, all he could do was to hold her gently, support her and be there for her, wishing that he could somehow take on this illness himself, to give her relief. And then, still hovering over the nasty contents of the pot, she spoke those soft, strained words, and John's heart stopped. I think I am pregnant. It took a moment for it to sink in, past his fear. It took another moment for his bain to put two and two together, and see how what she had just said tied in with this episode of vomiting. It took one more moment to realize really what she had just said -- that she might be carrying their child . . . Hypa had sank back again, leaning against him. John sat up a bit, trying not to jostle her in his excitement. He craned forward to look into her face, drawn and colorless as it was, and his smile was huge. "Hypa! Are you serious? Pregnant?" Ok, so men are a bit dumb. Obviously this was what she had just said. But he could be forgiven, yes? It wasn't every day of a man's life that he was told he would be a father for the first time. It was just amazing that he didn't leap up and let her fall back against the wall while he jumped up and down. But no he was still tender and solicitous, wrapping his arms about her and cuddling her to his chest. "Oh, Hypa -- this is fantastic news! I can't believe it!" Really John? Despite all the shagging you've been doing the past nine months? C'mon. He hugged her gently and pressed a kiss to her clammy brow. "Oh Hypa, I'm so very, very happy. I . . . " He recalled with some guilt that she had just hurled quite violently and was obviously feeling quite horrible because of this tiny new person to be now growing inside of her. "I'm sorry that you are sick. How -- how long will this last, do you think?" As John's own mother had birthed his younger brother only a few years after John, he had little experience of pregnancy, other than the removed knowledge from the general population of pregnant women who he saw in Jerusalem and then Antioch. Basically, he was clueless. But if nothing else, John had a good heart and a good outlook. "Perhaps it will be short lived, hm?" He frowned against the side of her head. "It will be hard to have both you and your aunt ill at the same time." His hand slipped around to lay on her lower belly. "Hopefully this one won't keep you sick for long." His head dropped so that he could kiss her cheek. "I love you so very, very much Hypa. I'm so excited!" Hypatia's body ached from all the heaving and she moved away from the pot to snuggle up against her husband even though it was on the floor. She did not feel completely confident it would not sneak up at her. The dark-haired woman knew that this could have been a tender moment, but she was busy trying not to vomit all over the two of them. Despite the nausea and occasional vomiting, she did not feel as if there was anything else wrong with her. Finally, she met his gaze as he seemed to be allowing what she had just said to fully sink in. She managed a smile as his own smile grew huge. "Yes, my love," was given as a reply as his feeling of joy was infectious. In fact, she would have wanted to celebrate their good news by going back to bed and restart what she had reluctantly stopped. "It was bound to happen. I mean the inability to keep your hands to yourself. Well once it makes its way up my tunic, all is lost." She teased feeling a bit more confident but not so confident to try to start her day. The kiss was accepted as well as the hug. Despite her current state of being, she was happy as well. "It is okay, John, it is all a part of this miracle. The sickness is temporary, my love maybe several months?" She recalled her own mother eventually getting better and stronger than ever even while pregnant with her daughters. It was her hope that Hypatia took after her mother in that. "No, John, I should be fine. I think it is passing and we should begin our day." She said softly as his hand slipped against her still flat belly. Her eyes closed as she accepted her husband's kiss and smiled, "I love you so very, very much as well John. Our first child, my love." Her own excitement shone through as a bit of color seemed to have come back. John smiled at her observation that her condition was a rather inevitable result of his trying to get a leg over every chance he could. Well, a man could hardly be blamed -- with a wife that was as gorgeous and sweet as Hypatia was. The fact that she reciprocated his passion with a burning flame of her own only served to ignite his desire that much quicker and more fully -- something like gasoline and matches. "I suppose you are right. I know it happens every day -- wives becoming pregnant -- babies coming into the world. But still . . . " His arm tightend a bit around her slim body, though he was careful not to squeeze. "It's amazing. You're amazing." "I hope it's not that long," he said, when she gave her best estimate of how long the morning sickness might plague her. "But I want you to rest, as much as you can. Now that you are carrying a child -- our child -- you shouldn't be overdoing things. We'll just have to hire some extra help, if Eustacia isn't able to be up and about." When she made a reference to getting up, he shook his head gently. "No, just rest. The world can wait, Hypa. Wait until you feel a bit better." He cradled her against his chest a good while longer, several minutes at least, and it felt so perfect, to have her in his arms and both their hands pressed over where this new life was growing. Finally she made as if to rise and tenderly he assisted her to get up. Holding onto her as if she'd tumble right back down to the floor, he tried to steer her to the bed. "Come, lie down. Rest. I'll get one of your cousins to bring you some food and something to drink, then I'll check on your aunt -- see if she is any better." His eyes locked with hers. "Take it easy, until you really feel you can get up and not feel sick, OK?" Hypatia always adored John's smile. It was what had drawn her to him in their first meeting. Even though it seemed rather odd to most, she had wanted him since the first moment that he had smile at her. Charming, sweet, and knew exactly what to say to make her smile back and blush. His kisses prevented her from thinking of anything else and her body responded causing their groping and stolen moments for kisses to become more and more desperate and teasing until their wedding night which she had thought would never come. They were to have a child now and they were also running a business. So much excitement yet her aunt was sick and the celebration would also be rather premature. It was bad luck to be jump to the conclusion of the child's birth. A smile appeared as he hugged her and told her that she was amazing. "You helped you know." She teased him as she tilted her head to see his eyes and smile. "I will not overdo things, my love, but until we get extra help there is still too much that needs to be done. I will be cooking and helping in the kitchen, I believe I could manage that at least." She protested as he meant to treat her as breakable. Hypatia hd a feeling he was going to be stubborn in this as well as not allowing her to serve. The words failed to come out as he hugged her, she did not wish to mar such a beautiful moment. His hands upon her belly made her wish to pull him back into bed with her so he knew that she was going to be all right despite having vomited a few moments before. "John, I am fine." She said firmly, "We all need to pull our weight, I will not become a burden and my mother had worked every day that she was pregnant. We need to get to work, my love. Especially because you would not let me serve, then I still need to oversee to the cooking. The nausea has passed and I should be fine for the rest of the day. I shall rest a little bit easier when you have hired more help if that is even possible, but having both my aunt and myself out and in bed will stress the entire family even more." She then changed her tone to plead. It was well known how stubborn her husband could be, but she used logic as her own weapon against it as well as his concerns for others. The serving demand would at this time not be addressed, but she would not lay in bed especially when she felt perfectly fine. His jaw was fixed in a stubborn line, but her words finally began to penetrate even John's thick skull. He was well and truly worried about her. But he knew logically that, as he said and Hypa reassured him, women did this all the time. His dark eyes darted away, thinking about how blessed they were, and then came back to meet her earnest stare. "Alright, my love. It seems the needs of the taberna must win out today. But I will begin looking for some help immediately. And when they are hired, you shall rest." His hands curved around her back, and as they always tended to do, they slipped a bit too far down for it to be considered her waist. He gave a gentle squeeze, as his lips slipped over hers, despite that she probably would be cringing to have him kiss her so soon after she had hurled up her stomach. "My beautiful Hypatia. How I do love you so very, very much," he said, his hands slipping even lower to give her one more intimate caress of his passion for her, his lovely wife.