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It had been a few weeks since the events that, Leon personally felt, could have torn their small group of friends apart. Lamia, they discovered, was a tricky creature that had affected their minds so they had turned against each other. She had seemed so innocent, so in need of protecting, that he doubted any of them thought she was anything but sincere in her pain. In a matter of a few days, she had managed to turn them against each other. Although at the time none of them would have been able to stop themselves – she had too much control over them – that did not stop Leon from feeling terrible as soon as he had come to in that small village where it had all started, with a full memory of what had happened.

His first action was to apologise to Merlin. The servant had been nothing but protective of the knights and they had treated him like scum, instead of the friend he was. It seemed everyone had the same kind of idea because Merlin soon found him self staggering under the weight of fine foods, sweet ales and all manor of treats which he happily accepted. Arthur did not seem quite so pleased about the gifts though and after one very extensive training session, the gifts seemed to dwindle and the King cheered up immensely.

His next step was to apologise to Percival, Elyan and Gwaine. He soon found that two out of three was much easier. A platter of the richest fruit he could find and a tankard of ale pretty much ensured that all was forgotten for Percival and Elyan. But with Gwaine…somehow he felt it was not as simple. Things with Gwaine had always been different. He could not explain it; he just knew it was there - an emotional bond, a friendship, which had recently developed into something more physical. Although he had tried to suppress his urges and feelings, it had proved fruitless and just seemed completely useless after their encounter during an extra training session. Leon had never intended it to happen, but he could not resist. Gwaine was there, panting and sweating in a more delicious way than he thought possible, looking as perfect as he was did. Next thing he knew he had pinned the brunet to the ground and had stolen from him something he had not realised he was so desperate for: a kiss. He had loved every minute of it. From then, their relationship had changed. They had become closer, more intimate. Leon knew he cared deeply for the other man, would never do anything to hurt him, so when he remembered the fight they had, he could not really believe it. Everything had been so amazing between them and now, because of some magical woman, they had turned against each other. He wanted to believe it was all a lie, but he knew it wasn't. It had happened and he had to make up for it anyway we could.

Silently, he hoped this was enough.

Gwaine entered the room, coming up short when he saw the filled tub. The water was steaming slightly and balanced along the edge was a sliver tray that had obviously come from the kitchens covered with a pile of his favourite sweet: apple slices drizzled with honey. His eyes darted towards the obvious perpetrator. Leon stood a little away from the centre of the room, dressed in a casual tunic and pants, and looked as if he was struggling to keep his nerves at bay. It was cute.

Gwaine arched an eyebrow and slowly continued his way into the room, closing the door behind him quietly. He gestured to the contents of the room. "What's all this then?"

"It's just um," Leon cleared his throat nervously, and shuffled forward a couple of steps, "I just wanted to, uh, apologise for b-before and um…" He fumbled over the words for a moment before admitting defeat and sighing, silently cursing his frayed nerves. He scratched the back of his head and shifted from foot to foot.

"Is that apples and honey?" Gwaine questioned, approaching the tub, purposely ignoring the awkwardness that his fellow knight was obviously feeling. Leon offered him a grateful smile and nodded in answer. He watched with avid interest as the confident man snapped up one of the fruit pieces and ate it in one bite.

"Nice," he nodded his approval.

"You like?"

Gwaine nodded. "So what's with the bath water?"

"I-I thought you might want…" he trailed off.

The room fell into silence. Both men stared at each other. Although nothing was said, it was as if the two had come to a silent agreement that only made sense to either of them. Suddenly, the room seemed too small; the air smouldering, almost suffocating. Electricity sparked and gazes darkened. Gwaine pulled away from the stare, shrugging once.

"Yeah, I could go for a bath," he agreed, turning away from the other knight. Without another word, he began to strip off his layers of clothing in front of him.

Words seemed to catch in Leon's throat as he stared, wide-eyed and shocked. As each expanse of skin was revealed, his eyes traced every contour, every dip of the defined muscle that had been enhanced by the daily work out. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth and his throat dry. When Gwaine finally turned back to him, naked as the day he was born, Leon cleared his throat loudly and averted his gaze purposely as if to ensure he would not be caught. Somehow he thought he had.

He waited until he heard the sloshing and settling of the water before he finally turned around. Gwaine was relaxing against the edge of the tub in the lounge position. The man glanced at him over his shoulder and silently beckoned him forward. He soon found himself at the brunet's side, on his knees so they had eye contact. Shakily, he reached across to grasp a piece of apple and brought it closer to the man. Gwaine appeared surprised for a moment but still he willingly opened his mouth. Leon brought the food closer, pressing the fruit to his lips so the honey smeared across them as he bit into the food. He fed him slowly, watching every movement with darkened eyes, until the tips of his fingers brushed those lips. He felt the tip of Gwaine's tongue across the roughened pads before he pulled back. Leon watched the honey that was creating a trail from Gwaine's lips to his chin and became even more interested when that teasing muscle licked it away. The room seemed to increase in temperature. Leon breathed in deeply, struggling to keep calm, as he reached across for another piece.

His breath caught when he felt the strong grip on his wrist, cutting off his movements. There was a moment of intensity, where neither of them could speak, could only stare at each other. It was as if they were waiting for something to happen. Gwaine's lips parted and Leon tilted his head slightly. Neither of them was sure who instigated it – maybe it was both of them – but soon enough, the pressure of each others lips, chapped yet still soft, was all they could think about; all they could feel. The kiss was gentle, slow. It was nothing like what they had shared previously – the heat, the forcefulness – but this was perfect. Everything they wanted to say, everything they were feeling, was demonstrated in the synchronised movement of their lips. The need for oxygen drew them away from each other. Foreheads touched and noses brushed against each other, comforting.

"Forgive me…" Leon whispered his voice emotion filled.

Gwaine gave him a crooked smile. "Nothing to forgive."

Leon let out a soft, breathy laugh and his smile widened. His hands came up to grasp the strong jaw and connected their lips once more. He felt the noise of surprise vibrate against him but he did not care. Gwaine did not seem to either as he instantly turned in the bath water so that he was facing his companion. It was forceful and demanding as Leon relinquished control. A pleasured moan escaped him.

Gwaine pulled back and gazed down at him with diluted eyes. His chest heaved. He took in the flush of Leon's pale cheeks and the bruising of his lips; he watched his eyes flutter as a shiver coursed through his body. He made his decision with little thought.

"Get in the bath," he ordered in a husky voice.

Leon appeared shocked for a moment – he had not been expecting that – but he complied almost automatically.

The bath water was still warm but Leon found that he cared little about the temperature. His attention was solely focused on the man before him. Everything seemed to fade out from around him, leaving only the two of them. He felt so weak, almost boneless, and was more than happy to let Gwaine to take control of the situation; to move his body in anyway the bronzed knight saw fit. Leon just allowed his eyes to close and to just feel everything. Feel the hands splayed out across his upper thighs. Feel the steady, lingering thrust of their hips moving against each other. Feel, perhaps most importantly, the fullness of the man inside of him.

Leon clung to his broad shoulders tightly, nails piercing the skin as he rode through the feeling. Although his eyes were becoming heavy and fluttering, he still managed to keep them open enough that he could see the darken pleasure on his lover's face. There was something so animalistic and raw watching the emotions splayed across his handsome face, knowing that he had caused it. The determination to keep that wondrously beautiful look on his face seemed to become his number one goal. His hip movements increased in frenzied and frantic need.

"I'm sorry," Gwaine whispered his voice husky and rough and so emotion filled that it made Leon's breath caught in his throat.

Leon leant forward to nudge their noses together. He offered the man a reassuring smile and clenched his arse muscles, loving the strangled groan that forced its way past Gwaine's perfectly shaped lips. He spoke quietly, honestly.

"There's nothing to forgive, my knight…"