#Dori x Geta

[arickaandherfictionalothers]

Time for another AU!

Vetera et praesens (past and present)

Main Characters:

Aricka and Dori- twin siblings who love the Gladiator II movie

Caracalla and Geta- the twin emperors and two of the main characters of the Gladiator II movie.

———————

Aricka and Dori are watching the gladiator II movie. Suddenly, the lights begin to flicker.

The room begins to shake.

And then-

The two characters they like the most pop out of the movie into their living room-!

What happens when Caracalla and Geta wind up at the end of the year 2024, having to work through the year 2025?

@astralshipper @rosieshipper @hyperionshipping @yeehawselfshipping @letsgofoletsgo @purifierkisser @callsign-revenge

[arickaandherfictionalothers]

Vetera et praesens (past and present)

Chapter One: An Unexpected Surprise

(Eventual Aricka x Caracalla, eventual Dori x Geta)

(Aricka and Dori are watching Gladiator II. What happens when two of their favorite characters fall into their living room-?)

“How did this happen?”

“I don’t know; the lights flickered; the movie flickered, and now they’re here-!”

Caracalla was the first to come to, and quickly realized that he wasn’t in the Imperial Box anymore- he was leaned against something- or someone. He looks up- into the bluest eyes he’d ever seen.

The owner of said blue eyes gasps, “oh, you’re awake! Emperor Caracalla, are you okay?” Their voice is soft; feminine. She helps him sit up, and he grips her hand.

“Yes- I’m just- where am I?” The girl bites her lip, a worried expression in her eyes.

“That’s… a bit complicated. But I promise you’re okay. You’re safe. Neither of us are going to hurt you or your brother.”

Geta was here-?

“Geta..?” He looks over and sees another lady with his brother; who had just woken; it seemed, helping him stand up and walk over to where he was.

Geta was still taking a minute to process what just happened, having gone quiet, twisting the ring on his left hand. Aricka noticed, from where she was helping Caracalla sit on the couch. She looks at her twin, “is he okay?” She mouths, motioning with her eyes to the younger twin emperor.

“I think he's in shock." They mouth to her. They look back at Geta, clearing their throat to get his attention. "Emperor Geta?"

He jumps slightly as he's pulled out of his thoughts. "Y-yes?" Dori gives him an assuring look.

"Why don't you sit down with your brother? Just take a minute."

He hesitantly nods and walks over to the couch. Dori gently helps him sit down. "I'm sure this is a lot for you two."

Aricka was sitting in Calla’s lap, the older twin having pulled her down into it, still a bit unsure but she smiles at Geta as assuringly as possible. “My name is Aricka. This is my younger, twin sibling, Dori.”

Caracalla runs a hand idly up and down her back. “That’s a pretty name.”

She blushes. “Thanks… I got it for my birthday.” He laughs- not unkindly- at her and she blushes.

“It was the perfect choice.” She smiles.

“Thank you…” she squeezes his shoulder carefully. “You’re safe here…we won’t let you get hurt…”

“We'll protect you...We'll be like your personal guards,” Dori was absentmindedly rubbing Geta’s shoulder, and it made Aricka smile to see him lean into her twin’s touch.

Caracalla leans his head against Aricka’s shoulder, his other arm wrapping around her. “We don’t have much of a choice but to trust you….”

“We will earn that trust. I assure you. She begins running a hand through his hair, and he leans into her touch, too, and it made her heart twist and flip flop.

“While I find your promise of our safety comforting," Geta says, "one thing still has me at unease...how exactly did we arrive here?"

Dori looks over at Aricka, "Well...we don't really know, ourselves."

Aricka shrugs. “I mean… this stuff usually doesn’t happen in our world. But I have an idea?”

The two boys look at her, waiting for her to continue.

“I mean… time travel is the best way I can think about it. But how you guys time traveled through the movie…”

“Movie?” Caracalla asks. She shares a panicked look with Dori, before relaxing and looking back at Caracalla.

“We were just watching a movie featuring the two of you. You were characters in it. It was based on your real lives.” He nods. “Dori and I really liked the two of you. I guess the movie decided to do something about it?”

"Yeah,” Dori agreed, “Maybe it decided that you two needed something good in your lives." They look over at Aricka, "And I guess that something was us."

The boys sit quietly for a moment, then Calla’s grip grew stronger around Aricka’s middle. “Now what?” A quiet question. Aricka wrapped her own arms around his neck, leaned so her lips brushed against ginger curls.

“Now-?” She grins, “Now, we teach you how modern life works.”

—————-

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[arickaandherfictionalothers]

“Stay awake...please... I'm ordering you to stay awake!"

(Aricka x Caracalla, Aricka and Geta, Aricka and Dori)

(When one of the gladiators (NOT HANNO) shoots an arrow at the royal box, treachery occurs. Geta and Caracalla scramble to aid the newest member of their family- Caracalla’s beloved, Aricka.)

(TRIGGER WARNINGS: heavy blood mentioning, description of arrow injury, fainting due to blood loss; heavy angst!)

*Geta*

Everything was going so well. Geta, his brother; and Aricka, Caracalla’s beloved “little dove” as he called her, were gathered in the Royal Box with Acacius, Lucilla, and several of the senators.

Aricka was resplendent in a golden dress, matching the one she made Caracalla two days prior. She was holding his hand, perched on the armrest of his throne, the pair talking as though they had known each other for years. It made Geta smile.

And then it all went so wrong, so fast.

“Aricka? How are you enjoying the games?” Geta asks, looking over at her. She leans over; having not heard.

“What, Get-?” She couldn’t finish her sentence, because at that moment; she jerked back with a cry of pain, and with a start Geta realized she had been pierced-

With an arrow from the coliseum.

She falls backwards, and Geta, not caring if another arrow was heading towards him, lurched for her, scrambling to pull her against him so she wouldn’t hurt her head.

She grips his hand and he lets it happen, intertwining their fingers. “Geta…?” She sounds so confused, so- far away.

"Aricka?!" His eyes widen in fear as he scrambles to catch her, "Oh no... Oh no, no, no, no!" He glances over at Dori, who's frozen with fear for her sister, before looking back at Aricka. "It's alright. You're going to be alright." He presses his hand against the wound, crimson red blood pooling around his fingers as he does.

It was staining her dress… the blood was staining her dress and her skin…

She gasps as she looks at her shoulder, breath quickening, causing more blood to gush out. “Geta…!”

“Shh... I-It's alright. Steady your breathing. You will be fine." He frantically looks over at Caracalla, frozen with fear just like Dori. "Brother!" He yells to snap him out of it, "Go find a healer, quick!"

“Healer-!!” Caracalla yells, “you-!” He grabs a soldier. “You will go and find the best healer the palace has to offer, bring them here immediately. Or suffer the consequences if you fail.” He does the same with several other soldiers.

“My… my arm…” He begins wiping her hair from her face as sweat begin to seep down her face. She struggles to breath, vision already blurring. “Dori…?”

"We will get her for you, Aricka. Right now just-just focus on your breathing, alright? Caracalla's fetching a healer for you now."

She blinks sluggishly, “so.. tired… Sorry… Geta…” panic fills him at those words. She couldn’t.. she just couldn’t…

"No, NO! No," He holds her face in his hand, patting her cheek to keep her alert, "Stay awake...please... I'm ordering you to stay awake!"

Her blinking, gasping. “You.. are…” she hesitates. “Geta… I’m so… tired…”

Tears begin to sting Geta's eyes as he chokes back a sob, "Please! ... I'm begging you to stay awake, Aricka... Please... If not for me, than for your sister. Just don't give in! PLEASE!"

Blue eyes meet brown. A shaky hand-the one holding his-presses to his cheek. “… I love you.. and Calla… you.. m’family…”

Geta squeezes his eyes shut as tears begin to flow down his cheeks. He sobs, "I love you too...as does Caracalla... He adores you..." he brushes another section of hair away from her face, "And Dori loves you... so much... P-Please hold on..."

“Let me have her, brother.” Caracalla scoops her up, and he does a scream rips from her throat, a gut wrenching horrible sound that silenced the entire coliseum, and the older twin begins running to the palace

Aricka manages to lock eyes with Geta, before blue eyes roll back and she passes out, blood loss overwhelming her body.

———

*Dori*

Dori was frantic. She hadn’t seen the traitor gladiator, hadn’t seen him lift the crossbow and aim at the box. She did, however, see the arrow pierce her sister’s shoulder, saw her sister flail back into Geta’s arms, saw the twin emperors immediately react and close ranks around her.

Geta and her shared an unreadable (to anyone else) expression. They nod; and immediately begin looking for a way to escape the arena.

Then the scream reached her ears. She became more frantic, "MOVE! I need to get to my sister! I need to get to her, please!Tears gush down her face. “ARICKA-!”

————-

*Caracalla*

Caracalla was- despairing. He held Aricka, whose precious lifeblood was pouring out from her like a river to the ocean, and he had no way to save her. He couldn’t heal her. He would have to set her down, let her go, so she could be tended to.

He looks down, and he pales even more to see her unconscious. “No…” he begins to move faster. Pushing to his own chambers, setting her on his bed. “BROTHER-! Where is DORI-?!” He holds her hand, gripping onto it for dear life. “Don’t leave me,” he says around a sob. “I still have so much to tell you…”

————

*Aricka*

Burning. Aching pain. And then- nothing.

Aricka woke up. She felt no pain. She looked around- she was in Caracalla’s room. Something prickled on her shoulder, and she felt a faint scar when she investigated. She looks down- her stomach was swollen- she was pregnant?

The door opens and she looks over to see- “beloved,” she hears herself say.

“My little dove, you are as radiant as the day I first laid eyes on you.” Caracalla walks over, hands on her shoulders, carefully, and kisses her temple. A ringer hand comes to rest on her stomach. “How is our little prince?”

“He is eager to join us in this world,” she replies. Caracalla laughs.

“So impatient,” he said.

“Like his father,” Aricka hears herself jest. “And where is our little Aelia?”

“Right here, mother-!” A little girl with blonde hair, blue eyes and the sweetest smile- Caracalla’s smile, Aricka realized- appeared. “How is baby Caius?”

“He is growing and so ready to meet his big sister!” Caracalla scoops her up, swinging the little girl around, making her giggle.

“I’m dizzy now, tata-!” She giggled. Caracalla perched the child on his hip, one arm around her back.

“Is that better, dulcedo?” She laughs and nods.

Aricka stands and joins them, her chin on Caracalla’s shoulder, her hand on Aelia’s back. “I never thought, when you asked me to join you in your royal box that day…”

“That we would get all this? I didn’t either, my love.” He smiles so softly at her, making Aricka’s heart thump painfully.

And then- she woke up.

———————

She woke with a gasp, eyes fluttering open as she takes in her surroundings- she knew this room. Not only had she just dreamed about it; she had been in here before.

Caracalla’s room. She scans the room further and sees-

“Dori-? Geta..?”

"Aricka!" The two gasp in unison, having just walked in to check on her. Dori practically launches themself onto their sister. Needing to hold her after fearing that she would never wake up again. "Oh, Aricka..." They sob, "I thought I was going to lose you..."

Aricka winced, one hand coming to her sister’s hair. “Sh…” she looks at Geta, standing behind Dori. “… it’s okay. Come on..”

That's all Geta needs before leaning in to hug her as well. "We were worried sick about you..." he sigh

She runs a weak hand through his hair. “I.. I’m sorry…” she whispered. “I tried to stay awake…” she pressed a kiss to both of their heads.

"It's alright. You did as best as you could," he whispers back, "I didn't know what your fate was going to be... I was just scared that you wouldn't make it..."

“You told me to fight… I did.” They sit in silence for a moment. “What.. what happened? To me?”

"After you fainted, Caracalla brought you here and the healer dressed your wound. Then Dori came to stay by your side and we both watched you for the night.” Geta allowed himself to run a hand through her hair, this girl who (along with her sister) had come to mean so much to him and Caracalla.

“… how many days…?”

"Two... and a quarter, if you count this morning." Dori lightly chuckles. Aricka giggled even though it hurt, but then went silent.

“…. Caracalla?” She whispered. “Is he…?” She was afraid to ask.

"He's perfectly fine," Geta says, "He has been just as worried as we have. He would watch you during the day while Dori and I watched you at night. It should be time for him to be here soon."

She smiles, not even trying to hide how please she was at that. “Good… I missed all of you. When I was sleeping.”

"We missed you too." Dori says, squeezing Aricka's hand.

The doors swing open, and Aricka looks up to see- “Calla-!” She says as loudly as possible- which isn’t as loud as it usually is, but enough for him to hear.

He sees her; and it seems like she is the only thing he sees at that moment. He staggers towards her, and she opens her arms just as he falls into them

Geta and Dori move out of the way. Giving Caracalla all the room he needs to embrace Aricka.

His shoulders are shaking, and the wetness gathering on her skin let her know all she needed to. “Oh.. oh Caracalla…” she tugs him close with one arm, “I’m -!” She couldn’t finish, because he surged forward to slot his lips against hers; hands grasping her neck.

“I love you,” he says once he pulls back. “I love you. I cannot- I will not- go another day without making my affections for you known.”

Without giving her a chance to reply he was pressing his lips back against hers, fervently; desperately kissing her, as though she would vanish if he didn’t. Aricka is vaguely aware of Dori dragging Geta from the room.

“Calla… my beloved Caracalla…” she whispers against his lips. “I never thought, when you asked me to join you in your royal box… oh…. Oh beloved…”

“Stay… stay with me.. be my wife. My Empress. Stay, stay, don’t leave me, just stay….”

“Yes, yes, absolutely, of course I will, yes, yes…” she whispers, cupping his face in her hands so she can look him in the eye. “I love you,” she whispers. “I love you, as a lover, and I love Geta as a future brother in law…. I love you. My Caracalla…”

He pressed his forehead against hers, their eyes both closed. She sighs softly. He does too. “My Aricka…” she blushes at that. “Marry me…”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes…”

“Yes-!” He removes the ring from his pinky; slides it onto her finger. “This is yours. As is my heart. For all time.”

And it always was.

——————-

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