When In Rome #ONC 2020 [COMPLETED]

4. Panem et Circenses - Bread and circuses

The rays of sunshine that poured through the small window demanded entrance into Liv's eyes. As her mind still clutches onto fading dreams, she stirred away from the light, with little success. The entire bed was engulfed in sunlight, leaving her little choice but to face the start of the day. Rubbing the remainders of sleep from her eyes, she gazed around the painted room in confusion. This wasn't her apartment?

"Good morning, beautiful." Zach yawned, placing a tender kiss to her bare shoulder before he noticed the confusion in her eyes. "We are in the Domus, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I guess I'm still sleeping." She turned around to face Zach, her jade green eyes glistening with excitement in the morning light. "How does my paterfamilias like his breakfast?"

Zach tenderly brushed some of her fiery loose strands away from her face, "Well, we should eat like Romans. But I'm craving some of your famous wheat pancakes. Do you think you'll be able to make them with these pans? You don't have to if it's too much trouble."

"No, no, I'll be fine. I just have to see if we have milk in one of the amphorae standing in the kitchen." Liv yawned as she pulled the long tunic over her sleep-deprived body, strolling barefoot out of the room.

"I think those are for olive oil or maybe wine," Zach yelled after her.

"I guess we'll just have to find out," she yelled back. "Why don't you take a bath while I cook."

The idea of a bath was very tempting. His limbs were sore from the long flight and the cramped bed. Soaking in some hot water might be just what he needed, Zach figured as he made his way to the granite bathtub. His mind was already preoccupied with sliding himself in some scented water as his hands try to turn open a faucet that wasn't there. For a moment, he just stared at the empty bath, unsure of why there was no way to fill it with water. When his mind finally clicked, the idea of a relaxing soak evaporated before his very eyes.

"No," Zach shook with determination, "if they could fill a bathtub by hand, so can I. I just need a bucket."

With a wooden bucket in hand, Zach made his way to the pool in the atrium. Surprise stopped him in his tracks when he found Liv there, scooping water in an earthware bowl. "What are you doing, babe?"

"Getting some water for the tea? What are you doing, weren't you going to take a bath?"

"I am," he answered, shaking the bucket in his hand, "but firstly, I'll need to fill it up."

"With cold rainwater?" Liv wheezed, "You might as well jump in the pool here."

Zach groaned in annoyance as he stared at the pool that was ankle-deep at most, "never mind. It's too early for this much work."

"Are you not going to wash?"

"We'll just find a bathhouse in the city."

Liv held back a laugh as she looked at Zach's sleepy form pouting on the edge of the pool like a sad kid. His tousled brown hair and slight stubble always made him look so unlike himself. So unkempt, wild and free, and Liv loved it. It was what attracted her to him all the way back in Egypt, and she still felt that feeling bubble up in her chest when she saw him like this in the morning.

"What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?" He asked worrisomely. Liv shook her head, "no, nothing's wrong. I just thought about how-"

"Oh my god!" Zach interrupted as he ran past Liv and into the smoke-filled kitchen. The smoke billowed black across the room, filling his lungs. The coughing was instant, as were the tears that washed over his eyes as he doused the pan with water. The charcoal pile inside the terracotta pan might have been a pancake a few minutes ago, but now it could hardly be called eatable.