A/N: Hi this is completely platonic, even though reading it back it may not seem like it. Will and Horace's friendship. Please read, review and requests/ suggestions of what I should write next are always welcome, enjoy!
Horace and Will were out on a scouting mission in Picta when they had discovered a group of bandits raiding and taking control of a small helpless village just on the borders. On the way they had acquired the help of the only guard who had escaped from the ruthless team of bandits, a man named David Feckel. He was of average height and had quite a stocky build, the knight could tell why he was a guard, he had jade green eyes and short brown hair that was shaved only a few inches from his head. As of now Will was practising shooting into various tree trunks while Horace and David went over the plan one more time, both looking at the plan the guard had drawn of the small town.
"Okay so we'll come in here," he pointed to the east entrance that involved journeying through the woods that they were currently situated in. "and then hopefully they will-"
"What's that?" Horace pointed to a small set of numbers in the top right hand corner of the paper.
"Nothing important, it's just the date." he waved the question aside and continued his final debrief of the plan, if all went well, the bandits would be out by sunset.
"The date?" he sighed and looked up at the strangely young face staring back at him.
"Yes sir, the date."
"Oh my gods," Horace ran his hand through his hair and looked nervously back to where Will was collecting his arrows from various tree trunks, "I'm gonna need a favour."
"If this plan goes well, you can have all the favours you want."
That night the two friends were sitting by a campfire when the bandits were apprehended and sitting in a castle on the edge of Picta, Horace's mind was in planning overload, he seriously didn't think he'd ever planned for something more than he had in the last 12 hours, granted he nearly never planned for anything, but this was a special occasion. He yawned and inconspicuously rubbed his eyes, but in the dying fire light he wanted it to seem like he didn't want Will to notice when in reality, he needed to take second watch for his plan to work.
"I can take the first watch," Will nodded to where their bedrolls were set up. "Go get some sleep."
"Thanks," he nodded appreciatively and went to sleep for the night, after all, his morning was going to take a lot of work.
Will woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs and, was that bread? He rubbed his eyes and sat up groggily, he looked around the campsite, Horace was by the fire, frowning at the sizzling bacon in the pan. There was a shape of something circular in the hot coals of the fire which Will assumed to be the bread and looking around he could now see a spot of pink among the usual green foliage of the forest, with a familiar whinny reaching his ears he then realised that Tug had multiple coloured balloons tied to his saddle. Will stood up confused, the sound making Horace look up from where he was debating what colour bacon should look like when its cooked. He smiled at Will. "Morning,"
"Morning." He walked over to the campfire where his friend was pouring eggs and bacon onto two plates and crouched down beside him. "Horace,"
"Yes,"
"You hate cooking." he said it like a statement but Horace knew what he was trying to ask.
"Here," he set the two plates down and reached into the saddle bag behind him pulling a small package wrapped in brown parchment and handing it to Will. "I got something for you, happy birthday." Will was shocked, sure growing up people did give him presents but there was something different about waking up and seeing it all laid out for you, that someone cared enough about him to do this. Not to mention the fact that with the mission and everything going on he had forgotten his birthday was coming up, let alone knowing it was today, but Horace hadn't, he had gotten balloons and made him breakfast, even though he despises cooking and got him a present. He felt a familiar warming sensation in his heart, the kind you get when you eat hot food and it warms you from the inside, or someone hugs you and in that moment it represents a token of your friendship. Will couldn't help it, he smiled and launched himself at his best friend, gift still in hand. Horace had to put his hand down just to stop himself falling over.
"Thank you," he said and released him from the hug.
"You're welcome, open it." He gestured to the present still clutched in Will's right hand. He ripped open the packaging to reveal a hand crafted wooden mug with a boar in the center, the reason why they became friends. He couldn't think of anything more fitting for the occasion.
"I love it," he clutched it to his chest.
"I'm glad." he smiled and handed him a plate. "Eat or we won't get back home in time to celebrate." Will ate happily laughing with and at Horace when he nearly fell off the log he was sitting on and when they started to pack up their camp, he was careful to put the mug in his satchel before riding back home.
