Part IV.
"That will be all, gentlemen," Percival insisted, trying to hurry the half-dozen soldiers out of his room. "No, really--my pillows don't need fluffed. I'm quite comfortable. No, Salome--no tea, thank you. Please! Just let me rest."
Finally the devoted men stopped trying to help and decided it would be better to leave Percival alone to heal. Well,
No one thought twice about leaving Rody with their commander. They knew the two were together, and if they wanted their leader on his feet and ready for battle, he needed all the comforts he could get.
Once everyone had finally left the couple alone and closed the door, Percival growled in exasperation and threw a pillow, knocking over a whole stack of bouquets and various gifts sent from get-well-wishers.
Rody had to laugh. "Stop that! If I'm going to be taking care of you for the next couple of days, I'm going to have to clean up that mess."
"Sorry, sweetheart," Percival said with an apologetic smile. "But honestly, I can take care of myself."
Rody looked hurt. "...You want me to go already?"
"Goddess, no!" Percival said quickly. "I just don't want you cleaning my room for me."
"Then what am I here for?"
Percival looked at the ceiling, pretending to be deep in thought. "I guess...you're just here...to...look pretty...and give me lots of hugs!"
"I can do that," Rody said softly, crossing the room to the bed.
Percival was surprised, but happy, to see Rody removing his boots and crawling onto the blankets. The injured soldier struggled to sit up, his head feeling somewhat heavier than it normally did, and reached out to hold the boy to him. Rody cuddled up next to his love's warm body, as naturally as if he'd done it hundreds of times.
"This is perfect," Percival murmured happily, wrapping Rody up in an embrace. "Unless you'd like to climb under the covers with me...?"
Rody smiled but shook his head slightly.
Percival kissed his temple. "Then this is perfect." He didn't mind Rody sitting on top of the blankets; if this was close enough for Rody, it was close enough for him.
"How badly does it hurt?" Rody asked softly. "Are you in much pain?"
"It will pass," Percival said. "I am rather tired suddenly. Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"
"Of course I will." Rody curled up comfortably in Percival's embrace, snuggling his head against the knight's strong bare shoulder.
This will be the best sleep I've ever gotten, Percival decided. He was right, but it didn't last for long. Sometime during the night, he awoke to tender kisses being placed along his throat and collar bone.
Oh, Rody... Percival thought. Why won't you do this while I'm awake? You've got to trust me not to hurt you...
It felt so good to finally have those warm, moist, secret kisses, but Percival wanted to give back a little of what he was taking. He slowly raised his arms to hold Rody to him, lifting the boy's chin to meet his mouth.
Rody was taken aback at first, regretful he'd been caught practicing on his sleeping lover, but he desperately wanted to be kissed. Percival knew just how to hold him, just how to kiss him... His mouth was so warm and inviting--!
What's wrong with me? Rody cried silently. Why can't I just let go? Why can't I let him take me?
Percival felt Rody's body tense and immediately stopped his prodding caresses. "...What time is it?" he asked, trying to sound calm despite that his body was on fire.
"...It's almost midnight," Rody whispered, using a little magic to illuminate the clock on the wall opposite the bed. "I...I guess I should go..."
"You don't have to," Percival said quickly. "I mean, we could stay just like this, couldn't we?"
Rody thought about it. He wanted to...but would it be right? "...I'm sorry, Percival." Rody felt his lip trembling as his throat tightened. Why couldn't he just stay?
"It's okay," Percival soothed. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
He sounds so hopeful. He really does love me, Rody realized. Why am I making it so difficult on him? He debated about staying, but it would make him look like a fool to suddenly change his mind. Instead he said, "Of course. I'll be in with your breakfast."
And so Rody went to his own room, sleeping alone and feeling very cold and lonesome all night long.
"I missed you!" Percival sang out the next morning when he heard the door opening. "I think I need a bath more than breakfast, right now, darling, so if you--what?!" Percival finally opened his eyes to greet his lover, and found Sir Borus standing at to his bedside instead. "What the hell do you want?"
"I came to see if you were all right," Borus said, making an obvious effort to control his tone of voice.
"Well, I'm perfectly all right--no thanks to you. Where's Rody?"
"How should I know? I'm not his keeper."
"Damn good thing, that. Now, mind telling me exactly what I'm doing here?"
"Sleeping, I wager."
"Sleeping!?!" Percival screeched. "If it weren't for you, I'd be on the field right now, training my soldiers!"
"Oh, really? Well, if it hadn't been for your nonchalant, bull-headed flaunting, I wouldn't have done it!"
"What the hell are you saying, Borus?!" Percival yelled. "You did this to me on purpose? Why? What did I ever do to you? And what do you mean 'flaunting'?!?"
"I'm talking about your relationship with Rody!" Borus shouted back at him. "You just had to rub it in, didn't you? Even after I told you how I feel, you still refused to listen to me!"
"You didn't tell me anything but that you were jealous! And I didn't believe you!" Percival cried in self-defense. "Besides, what if I had believed it? What did you expect me to do? Did you think I could ditch Rody like a rusty blade? Yeah, that's it, Borus. Of course that's what I meant to do. I'm just going to tell Rody that he's of no use to me anymore, and then, since you're such a sexy thing, I'm going to pull you right into my bed and give it to you as hard as I can!"
A sudden clatter made both men cease their heated discussion and jump, turning their blazing eyes to the door to see what was the matter.
And there stood Rody in the doorway with a shocked, hurt expression on his lovely face, and breakfast all over the floor.
"That will be all, gentlemen," Percival insisted, trying to hurry the half-dozen soldiers out of his room. "No, really--my pillows don't need fluffed. I'm quite comfortable. No, Salome--no tea, thank you. Please! Just let me rest."
Finally the devoted men stopped trying to help and decided it would be better to leave Percival alone to heal. Well,
No one thought twice about leaving Rody with their commander. They knew the two were together, and if they wanted their leader on his feet and ready for battle, he needed all the comforts he could get.
Once everyone had finally left the couple alone and closed the door, Percival growled in exasperation and threw a pillow, knocking over a whole stack of bouquets and various gifts sent from get-well-wishers.
Rody had to laugh. "Stop that! If I'm going to be taking care of you for the next couple of days, I'm going to have to clean up that mess."
"Sorry, sweetheart," Percival said with an apologetic smile. "But honestly, I can take care of myself."
Rody looked hurt. "...You want me to go already?"
"Goddess, no!" Percival said quickly. "I just don't want you cleaning my room for me."
"Then what am I here for?"
Percival looked at the ceiling, pretending to be deep in thought. "I guess...you're just here...to...look pretty...and give me lots of hugs!"
"I can do that," Rody said softly, crossing the room to the bed.
Percival was surprised, but happy, to see Rody removing his boots and crawling onto the blankets. The injured soldier struggled to sit up, his head feeling somewhat heavier than it normally did, and reached out to hold the boy to him. Rody cuddled up next to his love's warm body, as naturally as if he'd done it hundreds of times.
"This is perfect," Percival murmured happily, wrapping Rody up in an embrace. "Unless you'd like to climb under the covers with me...?"
Rody smiled but shook his head slightly.
Percival kissed his temple. "Then this is perfect." He didn't mind Rody sitting on top of the blankets; if this was close enough for Rody, it was close enough for him.
"How badly does it hurt?" Rody asked softly. "Are you in much pain?"
"It will pass," Percival said. "I am rather tired suddenly. Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"
"Of course I will." Rody curled up comfortably in Percival's embrace, snuggling his head against the knight's strong bare shoulder.
This will be the best sleep I've ever gotten, Percival decided. He was right, but it didn't last for long. Sometime during the night, he awoke to tender kisses being placed along his throat and collar bone.
Oh, Rody... Percival thought. Why won't you do this while I'm awake? You've got to trust me not to hurt you...
It felt so good to finally have those warm, moist, secret kisses, but Percival wanted to give back a little of what he was taking. He slowly raised his arms to hold Rody to him, lifting the boy's chin to meet his mouth.
Rody was taken aback at first, regretful he'd been caught practicing on his sleeping lover, but he desperately wanted to be kissed. Percival knew just how to hold him, just how to kiss him... His mouth was so warm and inviting--!
What's wrong with me? Rody cried silently. Why can't I just let go? Why can't I let him take me?
Percival felt Rody's body tense and immediately stopped his prodding caresses. "...What time is it?" he asked, trying to sound calm despite that his body was on fire.
"...It's almost midnight," Rody whispered, using a little magic to illuminate the clock on the wall opposite the bed. "I...I guess I should go..."
"You don't have to," Percival said quickly. "I mean, we could stay just like this, couldn't we?"
Rody thought about it. He wanted to...but would it be right? "...I'm sorry, Percival." Rody felt his lip trembling as his throat tightened. Why couldn't he just stay?
"It's okay," Percival soothed. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
He sounds so hopeful. He really does love me, Rody realized. Why am I making it so difficult on him? He debated about staying, but it would make him look like a fool to suddenly change his mind. Instead he said, "Of course. I'll be in with your breakfast."
And so Rody went to his own room, sleeping alone and feeling very cold and lonesome all night long.
"I missed you!" Percival sang out the next morning when he heard the door opening. "I think I need a bath more than breakfast, right now, darling, so if you--what?!" Percival finally opened his eyes to greet his lover, and found Sir Borus standing at to his bedside instead. "What the hell do you want?"
"I came to see if you were all right," Borus said, making an obvious effort to control his tone of voice.
"Well, I'm perfectly all right--no thanks to you. Where's Rody?"
"How should I know? I'm not his keeper."
"Damn good thing, that. Now, mind telling me exactly what I'm doing here?"
"Sleeping, I wager."
"Sleeping!?!" Percival screeched. "If it weren't for you, I'd be on the field right now, training my soldiers!"
"Oh, really? Well, if it hadn't been for your nonchalant, bull-headed flaunting, I wouldn't have done it!"
"What the hell are you saying, Borus?!" Percival yelled. "You did this to me on purpose? Why? What did I ever do to you? And what do you mean 'flaunting'?!?"
"I'm talking about your relationship with Rody!" Borus shouted back at him. "You just had to rub it in, didn't you? Even after I told you how I feel, you still refused to listen to me!"
"You didn't tell me anything but that you were jealous! And I didn't believe you!" Percival cried in self-defense. "Besides, what if I had believed it? What did you expect me to do? Did you think I could ditch Rody like a rusty blade? Yeah, that's it, Borus. Of course that's what I meant to do. I'm just going to tell Rody that he's of no use to me anymore, and then, since you're such a sexy thing, I'm going to pull you right into my bed and give it to you as hard as I can!"
A sudden clatter made both men cease their heated discussion and jump, turning their blazing eyes to the door to see what was the matter.
And there stood Rody in the doorway with a shocked, hurt expression on his lovely face, and breakfast all over the floor.