It was a quiet afternoon in the imperial palace, and the air in the Senate chamber was thick with tension. Commodus sat at the head of the long table, the senators around him arguing about matters of state—things that, to him, felt distant and unimportant. His gaze, however, was elsewhere, his mind preoccupied with the only thing that seemed to ease the storm inside him: you.

"Emperor Commodus, with all due respect, this bill—" a senator began, but Commodus immediately waved a dismissive hand.

"Enough," he said, his voice more authoritative than usual, but his eyes never left the door to his chambers. "This matter can wait. You are dismissed."

The senators exchanged confused glances, but none dared challenge him, especially not with the emperor's notorious temper. One by one, they gathered their papers and left, muttering under their breath, no doubt relieved to escape his unpredictable mood.

The moment the last of them filed out, Commodus stood and straightened his robes, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. Without waiting for a moment longer, he made a beeline for your chambers, his pace quickening as he passed through the halls. No one dared stop him—not when he was like this.

You had been sitting by the window, looking out over the gardens of the palace, lost in your thoughts when you heard the sound of the door creaking open. You turned, and there he was, Commodus, standing in the doorway with an eager, almost childlike expression on his face. His gaze softened as soon as he saw you, and he stepped forward, not bothering to mask his neediness.

"You're still here?" he asked in a voice that was almost too soft, like he'd been holding his breath.

"I was waiting for you," you replied with a teasing smile, though your heart melted at the sight of him. Commodus rarely let his guard down, but when he was with you, all the walls seemed to crumble.

Without warning, he closed the space between you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you into a tight embrace. His head tucked against your shoulder, his breath warm against your skin. For a moment, he was completely still, as if he were trying to absorb your presence, to remind himself that you were here, with him.

"Senators. Meetings. They're all so... tedious," he murmured against your neck. "I don't want to think about them anymore. I just want to be with you."

You chuckled softly, running your fingers through his hair. "You're the emperor. You can't just excuse everyone to come spend time with me whenever you feel like it."

Commodus pulled back slightly, his eyes searching your face. There was a vulnerability in his gaze that few ever saw. "But I can, though, can't I?" he asked, his voice low and almost pleading. "They don't matter as much as you do. You're the only one who understands me."

You smiled and cupped his face, gently running your thumb along his jaw. "I do understand you, Commodus. But you don't have to make excuses. You know I'm always here for you."

He sighed, clearly relieved by your words, and leaned into your touch. But then, his hands roamed, pulling you back into his embrace. He wasn't just seeking comfort—he was craving closeness, the warmth of your body pressed against his.

He nestled his face against your neck again, his arms tightening around you like a lifeline. "I don't want to be without you. Not ever."

"Commodus," you whispered, your heart swelling at the rawness in his voice. "I'm not going anywhere."

His breath hitched slightly, and for a long while, neither of you spoke. He simply held you, content in the silence that only the two of you could share. Commodus, the mighty emperor, wrapped in the arms of the one person who could make him feel safe.

Time seemed to stand still. He could've stayed like this forever, wrapped in your warmth, but there was something else he needed to say, something that had been lingering at the back of his mind.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" he asked, his voice unusually quiet, filled with a kind of pleading desperation. "I need you. Please don't leave."

You stroked his hair again, feeling his body relax as he melted into your touch. "I'll stay as long as you need me."

A small smile played on his lips as he pulled away just enough to look at you, his eyes shining with an intensity that few ever saw in him. "You're the only one I can't live without. Do you know that?"

You nodded, feeling a wave of affection for him. "I know."

For once, Commodus wasn't the emperor. He wasn't the ruler of Rome or the man who feared weakness. He was just a man in your arms, clinging to you for comfort and reassurance, and that was all he needed.

As he lay beside you later that evening, the softness of his touch and the way he sought your presence reminded you of just how human Commodus truly was. In his arms, you both found a peace that neither of you had known in the chaos of your worlds.

And in that moment, he finally allowed himself to be the needy, dependent man he had long hidden—because with you, he could be exactly that.