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fellowshippers2006-01-03 06:59 pm
sairalinde.livejournal.com) wrote in fellowshippers2006-01-03 06:59 pm
Entry tags:
Title: Honor Bound 1/1
Title: Honor Bound
Authors:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sairalinde & anorienbean
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: David Wenham/Craig Parker
Disclaimer: No money was made from this fic, and we do not mean to imply anything about the sexual preferences of anyone mentioned within.
Summary: A knight in the King's service, attacked by thieves and lost in the forest in the dead of winter, finds himself on the doorstep of a kind farmer who takes him in and cares for him. Falling in love with his savior, the knight is bound by an oath taken years ago against his better judgment.
Craig clung desperately to his horse’s mane. He’d dropped the reins long ago, his fingers frozen and too stiff to hold them any longer. Burying his face in the coarse hair wound around his hand, he opened his eyes enough to see his breath clouding the air in front of him. He was going to die, he realized that now. Lost, and freezing, he’d hoped to find someone…anyone….to help him, but he’d not seen the first signs of life in over three days. His meager supplies had long been exhausted, and he’d not had the strength to dismount long enough to find berries, for fear that he wouldn’t be able to climb back up on his mount, Oudin, who was, no doubt freezing and hungry as well. So they’d plodded on, miserably, and without the slightest ray of hope to sustain them. Craig had let Oudin have his head, no longer even trying to see through the sheets of rain that had besieged them for several days now.
Days ago, he’d prayed for the snow to stop. Now, Craig would have given anything to have it back, instead of this never-ending rain that had soaked through his clothes and had chilled his skin, making him feel as if he’d never be warm again. His feet had become numb, then his fingers, and now, he could barely feel his legs. //It’s over. You were probably never expected to return anyway.//
Vaguely, Craig wondered when the other knights would notice his absence. Rarely was one of his station sent on such errands, but the message had been from the king himself, and he did not trust many, even among his guards. The king would miss him; he was sure, as he had served him well for many years. Karl might miss him too, he thought. He and Karl had been best friends since childhood, lovers since the age of seventeen. They’d always been faithful to each other, but Craig sometimes wondered if that was out of loyalty or comfort. He cared, there was no doubt about that, but he hadn’t hesitated to leave on this mission weeks ago, and Karl hadn’t tried to talk him out of it. Either way, Craig would miss him. He supposed one always thought about those they would miss after they were gone.
Closing his eyes one final time, he let his fingers loosen on Oudin’s mane and finally, blessedly, let himself give in to the lethargy that had been threatening to overwhelm him for hours. His last thought as he hit the ground that this strange numbness wasn’t so bad after all, as the impact with the cold earth didn’t hurt at all, even though he’d landed heavily on his shoulder.
~~~
David was sitting by the fire reading and listening to the rain pelting against the side of his home. Times like these, in the dead of winter he got lonely but such was his life. He had run the farm alone for so long after his father died that he simply didn't remember anything else. He was born in this house and he would probably die in it, or in the fields. The winter was always the hardest though; the only work to keep him occupied was tending the livestock, and reading. He had gone earlier in the week into the small hamlet of Oxmoor and gotten a few supplies and spent carefully hoarded coins on used books to keep him company on the long nights. After so many years he thought that he would grow accustomed to being alone, but he wondered if any person really could.
He was jarred from his thoughts by a dull thump outside and he wondered if the barn door had blown open again. Setting his book aside, he pulled his cloak on and opened the latch on the heavy door. Just as it swung open, he saw a large horse standing not four feet away. "Where did you come from?" he asked stepping out into the cold rain and pulling his hood up.
As he stepped forward toward the horse, he saw the animal’s rider on the ground, not much more than a dark form lying prone in the mud and cold water. "Dear God," he gasped as he quickly moved to the rider’s side. Rolling the form over, he realized the man was unconscious. Lifting the man up, heedless of the water and mud, he carried him into the house and closed the door quickly. Unsure what to do, he realized the man must be frozen from the cold. He set him in the chair that he'd been reading in earlier.
Tipping the man's head up David's breath caught in his throat. He was beautiful. Even in the dim light, and with mud splattered across his face and side, he was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen. Nervously, he reached out and wiped a bit of mud from the beautiful stranger's face. Taking in the man’s clothing he whispered, "My Lord? Can you hear me?" he asked worriedly.
Dimly hearing a voice that sounded leagues away, Craig forced his eyes to open. He looked up and tried to focus, finally meeting clear blue eyes that stared down at him with kindness and compassion. //Beautiful blue eyes. The eyes of an angel.// He tried to speak, but his throat was raw and swollen, the one part of his body he *could* feel, unfortunately. Trying to move his arms, he managed only to lift his hand slightly, and let his fingers nudge against his caretaker’s arm, though he could not feel the contact. //I must be dreaming. Or dead. I cannot feel the hunger or the cold or the rain, and those eyes could only belong to an angel.// Craig’s own eyes fluttered shut again and despite his best efforts, he drifted back into unconsciousness without uttering a word.
David felt as if he were caught in a dream as stunning blue eyes opened to stare into his own. Swallowing hard, he simply stared at the other man, feeling that his very heart was captured in that single moment. He saw that the man tried to speak but quickly fell unconscious again, the beautiful eyes falling shut and David leaned back against the small table behind him feeling as if a spell had been lifted. He felt as if everything he'd ever dreamed of, everything he'd ever wanted, had been staring back at him in those few seconds that the man was awake.
Shaking himself, he decided the best course of action was to get the man warm and dry. With trembling hands, he set to work removing the man's clothing. He tried to force himself not to stare openly at his patient but the man was after all, unconscious. As layer after layer of soaked clothing were removed, he found himself trembling with more than nervousness. //Stop it. This man needs help. He needs to be cared for...he doesn't need you drooling all over him!// Finally stripping the stranger down to only his breeches, he realized those too were completely soaked through. "Dear God...is this a test? Because I'm really not sure I'm passing it," he murmured as he set to work unlacing the man's breeches and trying to keep his thoughts on helping the man and nothing more.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Craig noticed that gentle hands were caring for him. He felt light pressure on his skin, which was still icy and numb, but seemed to slowly be regaining it’s feeling. Moaning softly, he felt his hips being gently lifted and realized that someone was undressing him. //No!…cold….don’t take away my clothes…too cold…// Nothing made sense. Why would someone undress him when he was already freezing? Though he could no longer feel the rain beating down on his body, he knew it must still be there. //I’m hallucinating. There were no beautiful blue eyes, no angel,…there was nothing but the rain and the cold, dark air that still surrounded him. As feeling slowly started seeping back into his skin from the warmth of the room, he felt his legs being gently released and the wet, clinging cloth of his breeches sliding down over his calves and feet. He immediately began trembling violently, his teeth chattering and his arms stiffening at his sides, even as he remained unconscious.
Once David had the last of the soaked garments off of the perfect body before him, he quickly grabbed a quilt he kept near the chair for especially cold nights and wrapped it around the man. He thought that he'd be more comfortable lying down, thankful that he'd stoked the fire in the bedroom not long before the traveler had landed on his doorstep; almost literally, he scooped the man up carefully and carried him to the bedroom. Laying him down gently on the bed, he fussed with the covers trying to get them tucked around him tightly, and turned to the fireplace. He added more fuel, and then turned back to gaze at the unconscious man in his bed. "His horse," he murmured to himself. He wondered if the man would be all right long enough for David to care for his horse, but decided he should, before the animal froze to death.
Pulling his cloak tight around him, David rushed out into the rain and led the horse to the barn. He quickly cared for the animal; unsaddling and drying it with blankets and leaving fresh hay, oats, and water for the tired animal. Once he was finished, he rushed back to the house shivering from the cold rain. Returning to the bedroom he found the man was still unconscious and shivering violently. David changed from his wet clothes into a long nightshirt and decided that body heat might be the best way to warm the man. He shut his eyes for a moment, trying to will any sort of desire for the man away. Crawling into the bed, he pulled the dark haired man into his arms and whispered against his ear, "It will be all right. I've got you." He nearly hissed at how cold the man's skin was even though his nightshirt and simply held him tighter.
One moment, Craig had been wondering why someone was undressing him, and the next; he felt warmth…blessed warmth against his skin. He trembled even more violently and burrowed closer to the source of the heat, not even caring who or what that source was. Soothing words fell on his ears and he relaxed as much as he could in his current condition. His skin began to burn as the feeling came back, and he opened his eyes just enough to see soft, copper colored hair, and pale, perfect skin before him. Moving even closer, he gave another soft moan and closed his eyes as his teeth continued to chatter and strong arms held him close. “C…c….cold,” he murmured. “So…c…cold.”
Feeling the man burrowing against him, David tried to pull him even closer. He could feel him shiver and knew that he must be extremely cold. He wondered how long he had been traveling in such horrible conditions. David felt relieved as he heard the softly murmured words. "I know...we'll get you warm though," he whispered in return, wanting nothing more than to make everything right in the world for this man he didn't even know. //I don't even know your name and I think I've already lost my heart to you.// David closed his eyes and ran his hands over the cold skin trying to warm it as best he could.
Clenching his teeth together, Craig felt warmth slowly creeping back into his body. Moving to tangle his legs with his savior’s, he sighed softly and concentrated on staying awake. His breathing was labored, the result of too many nights spent in the cold night air, and his chest hurt each time he drew a breath. But the stinging pain all over his body told him that he was still alive, and he fought against the sleep that threatened to overtake him again. “T…thank…you…” he managed. “You’re…s..s…so…warm. I…thank…y..you...” His last words slurred and his trembling finally passed as he fell once again into an exhausted sleep, clinging desperately to the man next to him, even in unconsciousness.
David tried to will his body not to stir as the incredibly beautiful man tangled his legs with his and sighed, causing warm breath to ghost over his skin. It was his turn to tremble but certainly not from cold. Closing his eyes he nodded. "You're welcome," he whispered as the man slipped away again. David lay for long hours holding the man until his trembling had subsided. Afraid to wake him from obviously much needed rest, David continued to hold the man until dawn when dim sunlight from yet again overcast skies filtered into the small bedroom.
He needed to get up to rekindle the fire and make sure it stayed warm inside the small house but he did not wish to release the man. //You can't lie here all day, and you can't hold him forever even if you'd very much like to.// Carefully disentangling himself from the dark haired man, he started to crawl out from under the warm covers, tucking them tightly back around the sleeping form. He had sensed that the man’s breathing was ragged during the night, and after stoking the fire he moved out into the other room to stoke the fire there, and set water to boil. He picked up the man's discarded clothing and laid them in a basket to wash later.
Furrowing his brow in frustration as the man next to him stirred, then moved away, Craig snuggled down under the covers, coveting the warmth they offered, and simply refused to wake up until absolutely necessary. He shivered a few times, despite the warm blankets, his body seeming to remember the cold night air that had almost seemed to become a part of him in the past few days. In all his years, he’d never been this tired, or hurt this much. His stomach had stopped clenching from the hunger days ago, and his skin no longer burned, but he was sore and aching from head to toe. His breath rattled in his chest, and he held perfectly still, trying to quell the coughing that had began to weaken him shortly after the rain had began somewhere far from this place, wherever he was. It was a losing battle though, and his eyes flew open as he coughed loudly, finding it harder and harder to draw a breath, and still too weak to even sit up in the bed to make his breathing easier.
Hearing harsh coughs coming from the other room, David quickly finished with the broth he was making and poured a cup of tea. He quickly dumped some healing herbs into the tea before setting the clayware on a wooden tray. Then he returned to the bedroom and set the items on the bedside table. Going to his own wardrobe, he pulled out a clean soft nightshirt thinking the man might want to have something to cover him, and silently David thought for his own sanity, that might be best. His own body longed to crawl under those warm covers and feel the man's naked body wrapped around his again. Shaking off the thoughts he moved to the bedside. "Good morning," he said softly as the man looked at him tiredly. Sitting down beside the bed he laid the nightshirt across the man's stomach and smiled, "I have some tea with some herbs that may help that cough," he whispered hoping that the man would be able to take a drink. He still looked so weary.
Craig studied the man before him and nodded weakly. Even in his sick and exhausted state, he could see that the man was no one he knew; yet he had held him all night and kept him warm. He swallowed past the rawness in his throat and tried to sit up. His muscles didn’t seem to want to cooperate and he fell back against the pillow, clenching his fists in frustration. The effort made him cough again, he felt already sore muscles clench in protest at the sudden, violent movements.
David frowned as he saw how weak the other man was from his illness. "Here, let me help," he whispered leaning forward and helping him to sit up, fluffing the pillows behind him slightly. "I brought you a nightshirt too if you'd like to be covered up. I...I didn't think of it last night," he whispered slightly embarrassed. If the man wasn't so sick, he might be highly offended by sharing his bed with another man without a stitch of clothing to cover him. "Your clothes were soaked," he murmured as he sat back down and picked up the tea. "I'm David," he said after a moment, realizing they still had not exchanged their names.
Breathing hard, Craig smiled gratefully at the man sitting beside him. He could breathe easier now and his coughing slowly subsided. He listened to the other man’s…David’s…words and looked down, remembering that he was naked. He’d never been naked with anyone except Karl, but the thoughts of actually moving enough to put the nightshirt on seemed too daunting. “Craig,” he whispered hoarsely. “I’m Craig. A knight in His Majesty’s guard.” He started to ask exactly where he was, but his small introduction had exhausted him again, and his breath wheezed in his chest. His stomach growled at the sight of food and he looked down shyly. “Sorry,” he murmured, resting his head back against the pillows and closing his eyes. “So….tired. So tired I can hardly move.”
David's mouth dropped open when Craig said he was a knight in the king’s service. He had thought that he was a noble of some kind when he'd undressed him, but he never expected a knight! Then again the horse, the saddle, the broadsword he'd removed...he should have guessed, though it was rare for him to ever meet someone of Craig's station. As Craig leaned back, obviously weakened just from the few words they'd exchanged, he picked up the cup and brought it to the other man's lips. "Here, let me help you. Are you lost? You are an awfully long way from Court...just nod if you need to," he whispered not wanting to tax the man with conversation but wanting to learn how he'd ended up on his doorstep.
Craig felt the warm liquid sliding past his lips and down his throat. This man, whoever he was, was being so gentle and attentive, he couldn’t help but wonder why he was caring for him so tenderly. //So handsome. And I have never felt such a gentle touch. I will have to see that he is rewarded for his help, if I make it out of here alive.// He nodded slowly, still afraid that speaking would cause his chest to rattle again and the cough to take hold. He’d fought a band of thieves on his way back to the city, and had managed to kill several of them. He had only two items of any value, and they were now long gone. His messages had already been delivered, but the mere idea that they could attack anyone who happened by made him furious and he’d given chase to the remaining thieves. He’d fallen so far from his course during the chase; he’d been unable to find a road or path and had ended up hopelessly lost and alone.
Seeing Craig's nod in answer to his question, David leaned back and let him rest a bit before offering him some broth. "You are about a half days ride from the hamlet of Oxmoor. I guess, somehow you wandered off the main road and ended up here at my farm. I found you just moments after you'd fallen I think, right outside my door really. I pretty much came face to muzzle with your horse," he grinned. "I put him up in the barn last night, and I will need to check on him soon when I go out to tend the animals. I'm already running a bit late but I wanted to get you taken care of first," he smiled. "Would you like some broth?" he asked wondering if the man wouldn't rather just go back to sleep.
Craig nodded again as his stomach growled. Just as he was about to reach for the broth, he began coughing again and wrapped his arms around his stomach, feeling the sore muscles ache even more than they had before. //At least Oudin is in good hands. Gentle hands as well.// After a few moments, he looked longingly at the broth and took a shallow, raspy breath. “I will leave you in peace by nightfall,” he whispered. “I know you must have much to do…and do not have time to take care of a stranger.” He couldn’t even sit up to take a sip of broth, yet he didn’t want to burden this kind, extraordinarily handsome man any more than necessary. “I…I am sorry to have taken up so much of your time already.”
David sat back wishing he could do more to help the man. Without even realizing it, he had slid forward on his chair and began to gently rub the man's back, knowing it probably wouldn't help his cough but might ease him to know someone cared. "Don't have time? I'm a farmer...in the dead of winter...I've all the time in the world once the animals are fed," he whispered teasingly. "You can stay here as long as you like, Craig. You don't need to go out in this cold weather, not with that cough," he said as Craig sat back up gasping. "Maybe this broth will help?" he asked sitting back and picking up the bowl and spoon.
Leaning back into the soothing touch, Craig felt tense and painful muscles relax instantly. “I think it would help,” he managed, relieved that he wouldn’t have to go back out in the cold again so soon. “It has been a long while since I last had food in my stomach.” He reached out a shaking hand and wrapped his fingers around the spoon. He was so weak, that simple movement alone tired him and he shook his head, letting his arm fall back down to his side. “I…I cannot. I will try again later,” he whispered. He was a knight….and usually a hale one, not this sick and weak excuse that could not even feed himself. His face flushed and he felt himself starting to shiver again. He felt feverish and cold at the same time and looked at David. “I have never been this weak before.”
Thinking about the strong arms that had wrapped around him in fitful sleep the night before David knew that Craig was not weak. "It's all right, Craig. You're sick, you rode in that cold rain for far too long I imagine. I'll help you...if you wish it? Please, do not feel ashamed," he said holding up the spoon in a sort of offering and smiling kindly. He didn't want Craig to feel worse about not being able to help himself, but if it had been a long time since he'd eaten and with him so weak he needed it, plus the healing herbs in the broth and the tea would do much to help ease his illness.
Craig studied David’s face for a moment, seeing nothing but sincerity and compassion in his eyes. There was no ridicule or laughter, as he expected, and he nodded again. “Thank you….David,” he said softly, accepting the spoonful of broth, which was, without a doubt, the best thing he’d ever tasted in his life. As his new friend slowly fed him, Craig’s embarrassment drifted away and he relaxed, letting himself be taken care of. The ache in his stomach and throat eased and he found himself getting sleepy again. After being fed the entire bowl of broth, he relaxed against the pillow and closed his eyes. His skin felt warm and clammy, though to him, the room was slowly growing cold once again. Clutching David’s nightshirt to him, desperate for the warmth, he fought off the urge to cough again and slid back down underneath the covers. He’d thought the worst was over, but his fever seemed to be growing and his brain was getting foggy. “I’m just so tired,” he said softly, wishing David would crawl back into bed with him and simply hold him again. //Karl would understand. Wouldn’t he? I simply need David's warmth, though it is no chore to lie next to him...//
David had kept his questions to himself as he fed Craig, knowing that the other man simply wasn't up to answering them. So he fed him silently, until all of the broth was gone. The herbs in combination with Craig’s illness were quickly putting the man back to sleep and David frowned as he saw him shiver again. As Craig slid down in the bed, he leaned over him and tucked him in under the covers and put another log on the fire before he slipped out of the room with the dirty dishes and threw on his cloak to go take care of the animals. It would take him roughly an hour to break the ice on the pond if there was any, milk the cow, feed it, collect the eggs, feed the chickens and check on Craig's horse. Then he would come back, start a soup for the midday meal and check on Craig.
David finished all of his morning chores, as he walked in he was talking to the cat that had followed him inside. "You think you deserve some milk after letting that mouse get away?" he asked as the yellow tabby sashayed around his feet. Setting a bowl of milk for the cat aside he continued on with his chores and soon had a pot of vegetable soup going. As he returned to the bedroom he found that Craig had shoved the covers down to his waist and was shivering but covered in a light sheen of sweat. His shoulders sagged and he shook his head. "I'd hoped he wouldn't get a fever," he murmured. Stripping down to his underclothes, David crawled into the bed again not knowing what else to do but hold the shivering man and pray that the herbs and his body heat would be enough. As soon as his body lay beside Craig's the other man shifted and wrapped around him. David pulled the covers up as best he could and held him tight. He could feel the trembling throughout his own body and had to keep his mind focused on healing the man and not that a warm naked body was pressed against his own. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?" he murmured halfway for Craig's benefit but also his own. He'd never felt this deep of an attraction toward any other in his life, and he knew deep down somehow his entire world had changed last night.
In the throes of his fever, Craig wondered who was holding him, keeping him warm and safe. //David? Karl? I don’t care…as long as they don’t move. So warm…// One arm wrapped around David’s chest and Craig’s head rested on his shoulder, as he practically climbed on top of his bedmate, craving every bit of contact he could get. As his body moved, he was completely unaware of his arousal beginning to harden as it pressed against David’s hip. His hips shifted unconsciously, until he was dragged back down into sleep, relaxing into the comforting embrace and murmuring softly to himself.
David found himself slightly amused as Craig practically crawled on top of him, and he thought for a moment if he could crawl *inside* him the man might have tried. After a few moments however, he felt Craig's hips shift against him and a thick arousal pressing against David's hip. Gasping he stared at the ceiling. //It's the fever; he doesn't realize it's me. Just his body reacting is all.// He bit his bottom lip and tried to think of anything but the incredibly beautiful body shifting against his. None of his tactics worked however and he felt his own arousal growing against Craig's thigh where his leg was draped over David. He tried to ignore it but each time Craig shifted his body against David's the pressure and friction against his own arousal was enough to drive him insane.
After a few more minutes, Craig stopped moving and relaxed against him and David sighed in relief. He closed his eyes and slipped off to sleep having gotten very little the night before.
~~
TBC
Authors:
sairalinde & anorienbeanRating: NC-17
Pairing: David Wenham/Craig Parker
Disclaimer: No money was made from this fic, and we do not mean to imply anything about the sexual preferences of anyone mentioned within.
Summary: A knight in the King's service, attacked by thieves and lost in the forest in the dead of winter, finds himself on the doorstep of a kind farmer who takes him in and cares for him. Falling in love with his savior, the knight is bound by an oath taken years ago against his better judgment.
Craig clung desperately to his horse’s mane. He’d dropped the reins long ago, his fingers frozen and too stiff to hold them any longer. Burying his face in the coarse hair wound around his hand, he opened his eyes enough to see his breath clouding the air in front of him. He was going to die, he realized that now. Lost, and freezing, he’d hoped to find someone…anyone….to help him, but he’d not seen the first signs of life in over three days. His meager supplies had long been exhausted, and he’d not had the strength to dismount long enough to find berries, for fear that he wouldn’t be able to climb back up on his mount, Oudin, who was, no doubt freezing and hungry as well. So they’d plodded on, miserably, and without the slightest ray of hope to sustain them. Craig had let Oudin have his head, no longer even trying to see through the sheets of rain that had besieged them for several days now.
Days ago, he’d prayed for the snow to stop. Now, Craig would have given anything to have it back, instead of this never-ending rain that had soaked through his clothes and had chilled his skin, making him feel as if he’d never be warm again. His feet had become numb, then his fingers, and now, he could barely feel his legs. //It’s over. You were probably never expected to return anyway.//
Vaguely, Craig wondered when the other knights would notice his absence. Rarely was one of his station sent on such errands, but the message had been from the king himself, and he did not trust many, even among his guards. The king would miss him; he was sure, as he had served him well for many years. Karl might miss him too, he thought. He and Karl had been best friends since childhood, lovers since the age of seventeen. They’d always been faithful to each other, but Craig sometimes wondered if that was out of loyalty or comfort. He cared, there was no doubt about that, but he hadn’t hesitated to leave on this mission weeks ago, and Karl hadn’t tried to talk him out of it. Either way, Craig would miss him. He supposed one always thought about those they would miss after they were gone.
Closing his eyes one final time, he let his fingers loosen on Oudin’s mane and finally, blessedly, let himself give in to the lethargy that had been threatening to overwhelm him for hours. His last thought as he hit the ground that this strange numbness wasn’t so bad after all, as the impact with the cold earth didn’t hurt at all, even though he’d landed heavily on his shoulder.
~~~
David was sitting by the fire reading and listening to the rain pelting against the side of his home. Times like these, in the dead of winter he got lonely but such was his life. He had run the farm alone for so long after his father died that he simply didn't remember anything else. He was born in this house and he would probably die in it, or in the fields. The winter was always the hardest though; the only work to keep him occupied was tending the livestock, and reading. He had gone earlier in the week into the small hamlet of Oxmoor and gotten a few supplies and spent carefully hoarded coins on used books to keep him company on the long nights. After so many years he thought that he would grow accustomed to being alone, but he wondered if any person really could.
He was jarred from his thoughts by a dull thump outside and he wondered if the barn door had blown open again. Setting his book aside, he pulled his cloak on and opened the latch on the heavy door. Just as it swung open, he saw a large horse standing not four feet away. "Where did you come from?" he asked stepping out into the cold rain and pulling his hood up.
As he stepped forward toward the horse, he saw the animal’s rider on the ground, not much more than a dark form lying prone in the mud and cold water. "Dear God," he gasped as he quickly moved to the rider’s side. Rolling the form over, he realized the man was unconscious. Lifting the man up, heedless of the water and mud, he carried him into the house and closed the door quickly. Unsure what to do, he realized the man must be frozen from the cold. He set him in the chair that he'd been reading in earlier.
Tipping the man's head up David's breath caught in his throat. He was beautiful. Even in the dim light, and with mud splattered across his face and side, he was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen. Nervously, he reached out and wiped a bit of mud from the beautiful stranger's face. Taking in the man’s clothing he whispered, "My Lord? Can you hear me?" he asked worriedly.
Dimly hearing a voice that sounded leagues away, Craig forced his eyes to open. He looked up and tried to focus, finally meeting clear blue eyes that stared down at him with kindness and compassion. //Beautiful blue eyes. The eyes of an angel.// He tried to speak, but his throat was raw and swollen, the one part of his body he *could* feel, unfortunately. Trying to move his arms, he managed only to lift his hand slightly, and let his fingers nudge against his caretaker’s arm, though he could not feel the contact. //I must be dreaming. Or dead. I cannot feel the hunger or the cold or the rain, and those eyes could only belong to an angel.// Craig’s own eyes fluttered shut again and despite his best efforts, he drifted back into unconsciousness without uttering a word.
David felt as if he were caught in a dream as stunning blue eyes opened to stare into his own. Swallowing hard, he simply stared at the other man, feeling that his very heart was captured in that single moment. He saw that the man tried to speak but quickly fell unconscious again, the beautiful eyes falling shut and David leaned back against the small table behind him feeling as if a spell had been lifted. He felt as if everything he'd ever dreamed of, everything he'd ever wanted, had been staring back at him in those few seconds that the man was awake.
Shaking himself, he decided the best course of action was to get the man warm and dry. With trembling hands, he set to work removing the man's clothing. He tried to force himself not to stare openly at his patient but the man was after all, unconscious. As layer after layer of soaked clothing were removed, he found himself trembling with more than nervousness. //Stop it. This man needs help. He needs to be cared for...he doesn't need you drooling all over him!// Finally stripping the stranger down to only his breeches, he realized those too were completely soaked through. "Dear God...is this a test? Because I'm really not sure I'm passing it," he murmured as he set to work unlacing the man's breeches and trying to keep his thoughts on helping the man and nothing more.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Craig noticed that gentle hands were caring for him. He felt light pressure on his skin, which was still icy and numb, but seemed to slowly be regaining it’s feeling. Moaning softly, he felt his hips being gently lifted and realized that someone was undressing him. //No!…cold….don’t take away my clothes…too cold…// Nothing made sense. Why would someone undress him when he was already freezing? Though he could no longer feel the rain beating down on his body, he knew it must still be there. //I’m hallucinating. There were no beautiful blue eyes, no angel,…there was nothing but the rain and the cold, dark air that still surrounded him. As feeling slowly started seeping back into his skin from the warmth of the room, he felt his legs being gently released and the wet, clinging cloth of his breeches sliding down over his calves and feet. He immediately began trembling violently, his teeth chattering and his arms stiffening at his sides, even as he remained unconscious.
Once David had the last of the soaked garments off of the perfect body before him, he quickly grabbed a quilt he kept near the chair for especially cold nights and wrapped it around the man. He thought that he'd be more comfortable lying down, thankful that he'd stoked the fire in the bedroom not long before the traveler had landed on his doorstep; almost literally, he scooped the man up carefully and carried him to the bedroom. Laying him down gently on the bed, he fussed with the covers trying to get them tucked around him tightly, and turned to the fireplace. He added more fuel, and then turned back to gaze at the unconscious man in his bed. "His horse," he murmured to himself. He wondered if the man would be all right long enough for David to care for his horse, but decided he should, before the animal froze to death.
Pulling his cloak tight around him, David rushed out into the rain and led the horse to the barn. He quickly cared for the animal; unsaddling and drying it with blankets and leaving fresh hay, oats, and water for the tired animal. Once he was finished, he rushed back to the house shivering from the cold rain. Returning to the bedroom he found the man was still unconscious and shivering violently. David changed from his wet clothes into a long nightshirt and decided that body heat might be the best way to warm the man. He shut his eyes for a moment, trying to will any sort of desire for the man away. Crawling into the bed, he pulled the dark haired man into his arms and whispered against his ear, "It will be all right. I've got you." He nearly hissed at how cold the man's skin was even though his nightshirt and simply held him tighter.
One moment, Craig had been wondering why someone was undressing him, and the next; he felt warmth…blessed warmth against his skin. He trembled even more violently and burrowed closer to the source of the heat, not even caring who or what that source was. Soothing words fell on his ears and he relaxed as much as he could in his current condition. His skin began to burn as the feeling came back, and he opened his eyes just enough to see soft, copper colored hair, and pale, perfect skin before him. Moving even closer, he gave another soft moan and closed his eyes as his teeth continued to chatter and strong arms held him close. “C…c….cold,” he murmured. “So…c…cold.”
Feeling the man burrowing against him, David tried to pull him even closer. He could feel him shiver and knew that he must be extremely cold. He wondered how long he had been traveling in such horrible conditions. David felt relieved as he heard the softly murmured words. "I know...we'll get you warm though," he whispered in return, wanting nothing more than to make everything right in the world for this man he didn't even know. //I don't even know your name and I think I've already lost my heart to you.// David closed his eyes and ran his hands over the cold skin trying to warm it as best he could.
Clenching his teeth together, Craig felt warmth slowly creeping back into his body. Moving to tangle his legs with his savior’s, he sighed softly and concentrated on staying awake. His breathing was labored, the result of too many nights spent in the cold night air, and his chest hurt each time he drew a breath. But the stinging pain all over his body told him that he was still alive, and he fought against the sleep that threatened to overtake him again. “T…thank…you…” he managed. “You’re…s..s…so…warm. I…thank…y..you...” His last words slurred and his trembling finally passed as he fell once again into an exhausted sleep, clinging desperately to the man next to him, even in unconsciousness.
David tried to will his body not to stir as the incredibly beautiful man tangled his legs with his and sighed, causing warm breath to ghost over his skin. It was his turn to tremble but certainly not from cold. Closing his eyes he nodded. "You're welcome," he whispered as the man slipped away again. David lay for long hours holding the man until his trembling had subsided. Afraid to wake him from obviously much needed rest, David continued to hold the man until dawn when dim sunlight from yet again overcast skies filtered into the small bedroom.
He needed to get up to rekindle the fire and make sure it stayed warm inside the small house but he did not wish to release the man. //You can't lie here all day, and you can't hold him forever even if you'd very much like to.// Carefully disentangling himself from the dark haired man, he started to crawl out from under the warm covers, tucking them tightly back around the sleeping form. He had sensed that the man’s breathing was ragged during the night, and after stoking the fire he moved out into the other room to stoke the fire there, and set water to boil. He picked up the man's discarded clothing and laid them in a basket to wash later.
Furrowing his brow in frustration as the man next to him stirred, then moved away, Craig snuggled down under the covers, coveting the warmth they offered, and simply refused to wake up until absolutely necessary. He shivered a few times, despite the warm blankets, his body seeming to remember the cold night air that had almost seemed to become a part of him in the past few days. In all his years, he’d never been this tired, or hurt this much. His stomach had stopped clenching from the hunger days ago, and his skin no longer burned, but he was sore and aching from head to toe. His breath rattled in his chest, and he held perfectly still, trying to quell the coughing that had began to weaken him shortly after the rain had began somewhere far from this place, wherever he was. It was a losing battle though, and his eyes flew open as he coughed loudly, finding it harder and harder to draw a breath, and still too weak to even sit up in the bed to make his breathing easier.
Hearing harsh coughs coming from the other room, David quickly finished with the broth he was making and poured a cup of tea. He quickly dumped some healing herbs into the tea before setting the clayware on a wooden tray. Then he returned to the bedroom and set the items on the bedside table. Going to his own wardrobe, he pulled out a clean soft nightshirt thinking the man might want to have something to cover him, and silently David thought for his own sanity, that might be best. His own body longed to crawl under those warm covers and feel the man's naked body wrapped around his again. Shaking off the thoughts he moved to the bedside. "Good morning," he said softly as the man looked at him tiredly. Sitting down beside the bed he laid the nightshirt across the man's stomach and smiled, "I have some tea with some herbs that may help that cough," he whispered hoping that the man would be able to take a drink. He still looked so weary.
Craig studied the man before him and nodded weakly. Even in his sick and exhausted state, he could see that the man was no one he knew; yet he had held him all night and kept him warm. He swallowed past the rawness in his throat and tried to sit up. His muscles didn’t seem to want to cooperate and he fell back against the pillow, clenching his fists in frustration. The effort made him cough again, he felt already sore muscles clench in protest at the sudden, violent movements.
David frowned as he saw how weak the other man was from his illness. "Here, let me help," he whispered leaning forward and helping him to sit up, fluffing the pillows behind him slightly. "I brought you a nightshirt too if you'd like to be covered up. I...I didn't think of it last night," he whispered slightly embarrassed. If the man wasn't so sick, he might be highly offended by sharing his bed with another man without a stitch of clothing to cover him. "Your clothes were soaked," he murmured as he sat back down and picked up the tea. "I'm David," he said after a moment, realizing they still had not exchanged their names.
Breathing hard, Craig smiled gratefully at the man sitting beside him. He could breathe easier now and his coughing slowly subsided. He listened to the other man’s…David’s…words and looked down, remembering that he was naked. He’d never been naked with anyone except Karl, but the thoughts of actually moving enough to put the nightshirt on seemed too daunting. “Craig,” he whispered hoarsely. “I’m Craig. A knight in His Majesty’s guard.” He started to ask exactly where he was, but his small introduction had exhausted him again, and his breath wheezed in his chest. His stomach growled at the sight of food and he looked down shyly. “Sorry,” he murmured, resting his head back against the pillows and closing his eyes. “So….tired. So tired I can hardly move.”
David's mouth dropped open when Craig said he was a knight in the king’s service. He had thought that he was a noble of some kind when he'd undressed him, but he never expected a knight! Then again the horse, the saddle, the broadsword he'd removed...he should have guessed, though it was rare for him to ever meet someone of Craig's station. As Craig leaned back, obviously weakened just from the few words they'd exchanged, he picked up the cup and brought it to the other man's lips. "Here, let me help you. Are you lost? You are an awfully long way from Court...just nod if you need to," he whispered not wanting to tax the man with conversation but wanting to learn how he'd ended up on his doorstep.
Craig felt the warm liquid sliding past his lips and down his throat. This man, whoever he was, was being so gentle and attentive, he couldn’t help but wonder why he was caring for him so tenderly. //So handsome. And I have never felt such a gentle touch. I will have to see that he is rewarded for his help, if I make it out of here alive.// He nodded slowly, still afraid that speaking would cause his chest to rattle again and the cough to take hold. He’d fought a band of thieves on his way back to the city, and had managed to kill several of them. He had only two items of any value, and they were now long gone. His messages had already been delivered, but the mere idea that they could attack anyone who happened by made him furious and he’d given chase to the remaining thieves. He’d fallen so far from his course during the chase; he’d been unable to find a road or path and had ended up hopelessly lost and alone.
Seeing Craig's nod in answer to his question, David leaned back and let him rest a bit before offering him some broth. "You are about a half days ride from the hamlet of Oxmoor. I guess, somehow you wandered off the main road and ended up here at my farm. I found you just moments after you'd fallen I think, right outside my door really. I pretty much came face to muzzle with your horse," he grinned. "I put him up in the barn last night, and I will need to check on him soon when I go out to tend the animals. I'm already running a bit late but I wanted to get you taken care of first," he smiled. "Would you like some broth?" he asked wondering if the man wouldn't rather just go back to sleep.
Craig nodded again as his stomach growled. Just as he was about to reach for the broth, he began coughing again and wrapped his arms around his stomach, feeling the sore muscles ache even more than they had before. //At least Oudin is in good hands. Gentle hands as well.// After a few moments, he looked longingly at the broth and took a shallow, raspy breath. “I will leave you in peace by nightfall,” he whispered. “I know you must have much to do…and do not have time to take care of a stranger.” He couldn’t even sit up to take a sip of broth, yet he didn’t want to burden this kind, extraordinarily handsome man any more than necessary. “I…I am sorry to have taken up so much of your time already.”
David sat back wishing he could do more to help the man. Without even realizing it, he had slid forward on his chair and began to gently rub the man's back, knowing it probably wouldn't help his cough but might ease him to know someone cared. "Don't have time? I'm a farmer...in the dead of winter...I've all the time in the world once the animals are fed," he whispered teasingly. "You can stay here as long as you like, Craig. You don't need to go out in this cold weather, not with that cough," he said as Craig sat back up gasping. "Maybe this broth will help?" he asked sitting back and picking up the bowl and spoon.
Leaning back into the soothing touch, Craig felt tense and painful muscles relax instantly. “I think it would help,” he managed, relieved that he wouldn’t have to go back out in the cold again so soon. “It has been a long while since I last had food in my stomach.” He reached out a shaking hand and wrapped his fingers around the spoon. He was so weak, that simple movement alone tired him and he shook his head, letting his arm fall back down to his side. “I…I cannot. I will try again later,” he whispered. He was a knight….and usually a hale one, not this sick and weak excuse that could not even feed himself. His face flushed and he felt himself starting to shiver again. He felt feverish and cold at the same time and looked at David. “I have never been this weak before.”
Thinking about the strong arms that had wrapped around him in fitful sleep the night before David knew that Craig was not weak. "It's all right, Craig. You're sick, you rode in that cold rain for far too long I imagine. I'll help you...if you wish it? Please, do not feel ashamed," he said holding up the spoon in a sort of offering and smiling kindly. He didn't want Craig to feel worse about not being able to help himself, but if it had been a long time since he'd eaten and with him so weak he needed it, plus the healing herbs in the broth and the tea would do much to help ease his illness.
Craig studied David’s face for a moment, seeing nothing but sincerity and compassion in his eyes. There was no ridicule or laughter, as he expected, and he nodded again. “Thank you….David,” he said softly, accepting the spoonful of broth, which was, without a doubt, the best thing he’d ever tasted in his life. As his new friend slowly fed him, Craig’s embarrassment drifted away and he relaxed, letting himself be taken care of. The ache in his stomach and throat eased and he found himself getting sleepy again. After being fed the entire bowl of broth, he relaxed against the pillow and closed his eyes. His skin felt warm and clammy, though to him, the room was slowly growing cold once again. Clutching David’s nightshirt to him, desperate for the warmth, he fought off the urge to cough again and slid back down underneath the covers. He’d thought the worst was over, but his fever seemed to be growing and his brain was getting foggy. “I’m just so tired,” he said softly, wishing David would crawl back into bed with him and simply hold him again. //Karl would understand. Wouldn’t he? I simply need David's warmth, though it is no chore to lie next to him...//
David had kept his questions to himself as he fed Craig, knowing that the other man simply wasn't up to answering them. So he fed him silently, until all of the broth was gone. The herbs in combination with Craig’s illness were quickly putting the man back to sleep and David frowned as he saw him shiver again. As Craig slid down in the bed, he leaned over him and tucked him in under the covers and put another log on the fire before he slipped out of the room with the dirty dishes and threw on his cloak to go take care of the animals. It would take him roughly an hour to break the ice on the pond if there was any, milk the cow, feed it, collect the eggs, feed the chickens and check on Craig's horse. Then he would come back, start a soup for the midday meal and check on Craig.
David finished all of his morning chores, as he walked in he was talking to the cat that had followed him inside. "You think you deserve some milk after letting that mouse get away?" he asked as the yellow tabby sashayed around his feet. Setting a bowl of milk for the cat aside he continued on with his chores and soon had a pot of vegetable soup going. As he returned to the bedroom he found that Craig had shoved the covers down to his waist and was shivering but covered in a light sheen of sweat. His shoulders sagged and he shook his head. "I'd hoped he wouldn't get a fever," he murmured. Stripping down to his underclothes, David crawled into the bed again not knowing what else to do but hold the shivering man and pray that the herbs and his body heat would be enough. As soon as his body lay beside Craig's the other man shifted and wrapped around him. David pulled the covers up as best he could and held him tight. He could feel the trembling throughout his own body and had to keep his mind focused on healing the man and not that a warm naked body was pressed against his own. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?" he murmured halfway for Craig's benefit but also his own. He'd never felt this deep of an attraction toward any other in his life, and he knew deep down somehow his entire world had changed last night.
In the throes of his fever, Craig wondered who was holding him, keeping him warm and safe. //David? Karl? I don’t care…as long as they don’t move. So warm…// One arm wrapped around David’s chest and Craig’s head rested on his shoulder, as he practically climbed on top of his bedmate, craving every bit of contact he could get. As his body moved, he was completely unaware of his arousal beginning to harden as it pressed against David’s hip. His hips shifted unconsciously, until he was dragged back down into sleep, relaxing into the comforting embrace and murmuring softly to himself.
David found himself slightly amused as Craig practically crawled on top of him, and he thought for a moment if he could crawl *inside* him the man might have tried. After a few moments however, he felt Craig's hips shift against him and a thick arousal pressing against David's hip. Gasping he stared at the ceiling. //It's the fever; he doesn't realize it's me. Just his body reacting is all.// He bit his bottom lip and tried to think of anything but the incredibly beautiful body shifting against his. None of his tactics worked however and he felt his own arousal growing against Craig's thigh where his leg was draped over David. He tried to ignore it but each time Craig shifted his body against David's the pressure and friction against his own arousal was enough to drive him insane.
After a few more minutes, Craig stopped moving and relaxed against him and David sighed in relief. He closed his eyes and slipped off to sleep having gotten very little the night before.
~~
TBC