Behind Closet Doors (A Rome-ance)

Chapter 10: Why Couldn't You Talk to Me Like a Normal Person?

               The next week, Brutus received an ominous letter on his desk.

"Meet me at the market at twelve o'clock sharp. Alone!!! We have business to discuss."

Brutus was confused. Was this supposed to be an ambush? Was someone trying to hurt him? Regardless, Brutus figured he would meet up with this person to try to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.

At eleven-fifty, Brutus left the palace to go meet up with the author of the letter in the marketplace. He told both Decius and Casca to come looking for him if he wasn't back by one. Brutus waited at the market at twelve and looked around for whoever wanted to meet with him.

Antony came up to him.

"You wrote me that note?" Brutus asked. "Why couldn't you just talk to me? You know, like a normal person."

"We need to talk in private. Follow me," Antony whispered.

Not knowing what was going on, Brutus followed Antony into an alleyway. He figured Antony would need to be more creative if he wanted to kill him. Killing someone in an alleyway was by far the most boring way to kill someone. As they walked, Brutus noticed Antony was limping. That was weird.

"So, what is so important you had to meet up with me here, alone?" Brutus asked, exacerbated.

"I have something to show you," Antony replied, holding up a piece of paper.

"What is it?" Brutus asked, reaching for the paper.

"I found it on Cassius' desk," Antony replied, giving him the paper.

Brutus stopped and stared at Antony, "Why were you looking on Cassius' desk? And when did you do that?"

"Doesn't matter," He replied quickly.

Brutus's eyes grew big with realization. "You broke into Cassius's house last week. You're the thud I heard. You fell out of the window, and that's why you're limping."

"Okay, so yeah, that was me, but read what I found."

Brutus scoffed, but opened the letter to read it. It was weird. It was the exact letter he had received from Artimidorus, but in Cassius's handwriting. He also made notes in the margins. "What is this?"

"I'm guessing you received a letter similar to this one recently," Antony responded. "Well, there's a simple answer. Cassius wrote that letter, and this is his first draft."

"Why should I trust you? You broke into his house! You were Caesar's best friend! How do I know this isn't some elaborate plan to bring us down?"

Antony rolled his eyes, "You think I would go as far to fake a letter in Cassius's handwriting to pass it as him trying to pass it as a letter you received from some random stranger that I didn't know about just for revenge?"

What Antony was saying did make sense. It was weird why Cassius was so anxious to have Brutus open mail...and why Caesar never told him about Artemidorus. Or why Caesar denied cheating on him after he said he was fully committed. If what Antony said is true, then that meant Brutus killed Caesar for no reason. Well, he was a bad ruler, but Brutus... fuck it, Brutus loved him.

"I can see the gears in your head turning," Antony said. "You believe me."

"I might believe you," Brutus snapped.

"You should, because it's the truth," Antony replied calmly. "And if you don't, ask Cassius. He loves you after all. He'd never lie to you, right?" With that, Antony walked away leaving Brutus with the forged note.

Cassius was waiting at home for Brutus. It was past nine o'clock and he still hadn't come home. He was getting a bit worried. A quarter past nine, Cassius hears the door open. He runs to the front door, to see Brutus walk in looking annoyed.

"Where were you?" He asked, angrily. "I was worried."

Brutus laughed bitterly, "You know, I thought I was done with people I was dating lying to me. It turns out, that never ends."

Cassius stared at him, dumbfounded, "What the fuck- nevermind. Where were you?"

"I was out, walking around. Thinking about my life choices and what led me to leading this life."

Cassius stared at him for a bit, "Are you drunk?"

"No, I'm perfectly sober. I'd like to be drunk, but unfortunately I'm not."

"What are you getting riled up about this time?"

"I know you forged that letter from Artemidorus, and the one from Caesar. You probably also forged all those notes from the people of New Rome for all I know!"

Cassius stared at him with wide eyes. How had he found out? He did a very good job of keeping that a secret. There was no way he could have found out. Hell, he didn't even think Brutus suspected anything weird was happening.

Brutus shakes his head, "You're silent. So I'm right?"

Cassius sighed. He knew there was no point in denying it, "Brutus, please, let me explain-"

"How the fuck are you going to explain that? You manipulated me into killing my current boyfriend, and for what? So you could fuck me?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that-" Cassius cut in.

"How?" Brutus crossed his arms.

"Be-because," Cassius stuttered. "I love you. I always loved you. I hated seeing you in a relationship with Caesar because I knew he'd eventually hurt you!"

"Well, you hurt me!" Brutus yelled.

I knew," Cassius continued. "That he would treat you like shit after a while. Everything I did, I did out of love!"

"Bulshit!" Brutus yelled.

"Why can't you just love me back," Cassius yelled.

"I did love you, at one point," Brutus exclaimed. "But you ruined it!"

"You never loved me. You always criticized me, and made me feel bad."

"I did love you, I just hated your flaws!"

"If you loved me, you'd love my flaws too," Cassius exclaimed.

"That's not how that works! Only a flatterer loves your flaws. I was being real with you!"

"Whatever it is that you call love! Whatever it is that you claim to have felt for Caesar. I'm glad I talked you into killing him!" Cassius yelled.

"You didn't talk me into killing him. You fucking manipulated me," Brutus shouted.

"That wasn't manipulation," Cassius scoffed.

"Oh really," Brutus exclaimed. "You fucking forged two notes to trick me into doing something that benefitted you. That's the literal definition of manipulation!"

"What I did was for the good of New Rome!"

"But, you didn't have to manipulate me to do it. There were other ways."

"Those ways wouldn't have worked!"

Brutus paused, fuming with anger. "You know, I don't know why I ever liked you. You are clearly a self involved narcissist with no morals, who will stop at nothing to get their way."

"And you're a naive asshole who is unrealistically optimistic. If it weren't for me, you'd still be Caesar's little bitch!"

Brutus, overwhelmed with anger, punched Cassius in the face.

Cassius barely had time to recover before Brutsus attacked him again, this time kneeing him in the gut. Cassius fell to the ground. Cassius kicked Brutus' knees when he came close. Brutus lost his balance and fell over. Cassius climbed on top of him and started punching him. He hated every punch he had to throw, but he knew he had to fight back. Brutus had absolutely lost his mind, and he wasn't thinking straight. Cassius punched Brutus until his nose was bleeding.

Brutus managed to roll over so he was on top of Cassius. He started punching Cassius, who now had a bloody lip. Brutus made one fatal hit to Cassius' head, and that was the end of it.