The next morning, Sadiq wakes up first, feeling a little better, but when he moves to sit up, he feels the weight on his shoulder, and the source of warmth at his side. He looks next to him, and blinks in surprise when he sees Gupta curled into his side, his wrist still captive in Sadiq's hand and sound asleep. "..." Sadiq lets go of him, and runs a hand through the Egyptians hair, looking over his features. The smaller (and older) man was beautiful, with large eyes that could almost cause harm when angry, but a deep and alluring gold all the same. While he always wore the white kaftan, Sadiq can now see the curve of his body under the fabric, as Gupta had fallen asleep on top of the covers, curled into a slight "C" shape. Sadiq sighs softly, having fallen in love with the mysterious desert nation long ago. He pauses, then wraps his arm around Gupta, hugging him. Gupta stirs, and his eyelids flutter slightly as he wakes up. Sadiq quickly removes his arm, smiling crookedly. "Uh, good morning!" Gupta fully opens his eyes, and gives a silent 'Good morning' in that strange way of his. The Egyptian sits up, then stands and takes the rag that had fallen from Sadiq's forehead as well as the bowl and leaves without a word. Sadiq blinks slowly, wondering if he had overstepped his boundaries by hugging him. He lies back down, hoping that Gupta will still come back.
Soon, Gupta is coming back into the room, carrying a bowl of soup and a spoon. "Can you feed yourself, or are you still weak?"
"..." Sadiq weighed his choices; either he saved his dignity and fed himself and Gupta left, or he let Gupta feed him and have him stay longer. "... Could you feed me, please?" He asks, and Gupta nods, sitting back on the edge of the bed. He blows lightly on a spoonful of soup, and puts it to Sadiq's lips. The Turk eats it, and is fed this way, until it was gone. "... Oi, Gupta... You knew the Roman Empire, right?" Gupta glances down at him, and nods. "Yes, I did."
"Then….. What happened to him?" Sadiq asks, and props himself up on his elbows. "He was so strong. Why did he die?" Gupta studies him for a second, then pushes him back down. "Lie down, Sadiq. Don't push yourself." Sadiq pouts "Then tell me what happened!" Gupta rolls his eyes, and sighs in that silent way of his. "He was invaded, and hurt. Then he died." He says bluntly, and Sadiq blinks. "…. That's all? Really?" He asked, and Gupta nodded. "Oh….. But I thought he was unbeatable….."
"So are you. See the similarity?" Gupta says, then stands and leaves the room. Sadiq stared after him as he realized that this was true. He had thought he was unbeatable, and here he was, sick and weak, and being taken care of by a country much older and wiser, a country who had seen the Persian, Roman, and even his own mother's empires fall. He had probably watched the Byzantines fall, too. And would be there to see him fall. A pang of fear hit Sadiq's chest at the thought of his empire dissolving. The others, Grecia, Egypt, Rome, Persia, Byzantium, Germania, even as far back as Assyria, had all died when their empires fell. All of them, without fail. Sadiq was already ailing, he would probably be dead soon too, and this frightened him. He had never thought that he would lose his power. He had thought that his reign would last forever, and now that it was reaching an end, it frightened him.
حب
However, he did not die. The months dragged on as he was confined to bed with Gupta looking after him, the man gentle and caring. But as soon as Sadiq seemed to be recovering, he suddenly took a turn for the worst, barely able to lift his hand or keep food down. One morning, he opened his eyes as Gupta came in. "Hey, Gupta…. You keepin' me company cuz I'm dyin'?" he asks, and Gupta's eyes widen slightly before he shakes his head. "No, Sadiq. You're not dying."
"Like hell I'm not. Feel like shit, an' I can't eat anymore. How d'you think I'm gonna get better?"
"There's no need to curse, Sadiq..." Gupta says quietly, as always, and lays the back of his hand on the Turks forehead. "Go to sleep. You'll feel better, I promise..."
"... Alright, Gupta... You'll be here when I wake up?" he asks, and Gupta nods. "Yes, Sadiq. Right here." Sadiq smiles slightly, and closes his eyes, quickly falling asleep.