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Elyan groaned, his head throbbing.
He was vaguely aware of someone running a cooling cloth over his forehead, of soft words being spoken.
He turned his head as gently as he could, and the face of his boyfriend filled his vision, a soft, worried smile adorning Mordred’s face.
“What happened?”
The other knight shook his head softly, reaching over to fill up a goblet of water, which was then gently raised to Elyan’s lips.
“The patrol was attacked, you took a blow to your side, just a scratch, but it got infected before we could get you to Merlin or Gaius. You’ve been down with a fever for the past two days.”
Elyan winced, the slight pain in his side making itself known as he tried, and failed to sit up.
With gentle hands, and a scoff at Elyan’s attempt, Mordred pushed him back down, hand moving up to brush lingering sweat from Elyan’s forehead. “Oh no you don’t. You’re staying on bed rest until Gaius says so. Physician’s orders. And your boyfriend’s orders as well.”
Elyan grinned up at him. He would never admit it out loud, but he loved when Mordred got bossy like this, when he was trying to take care of him.
Elyan had spent many years on his own, with only himself to rely on. When he had returned to Camelot, he had of course rekindled a relationship with his sister, but they had both grown up in the time he had been away, and she had already found her own love. Then of course, there had been the knights and Merlin and the king, Arthur, but even then, Elyan had longed for someone to love him, someone who he could take care of, and who would take care of him. There had been a few women, and men, who he had shared a bed with on his travels. But none of them had quite satisfied that deep longing within him.
And then he had met Mordred.
Sweet, kind Mordred, who had just enough of a bastardised streak in him to be fun. Mordred who seemed to get along with everyone. Well everyone who wasn’t Merlin really.
It had taken a few weeks for Elyan to realise what he was feeling, and another month to act on those feelings.
Then one thing had led to another, and here he was, currently feeling like he had been punched in the gut by a sword, and Mordred looking after him, a soft smile adorning his lover’s lips, as he wiped the sweat away from his face.
“Stay?”
Mordred nodded, understanding in his eyes as he helped Elyan to sit up slightly, enough for Mordred to slip beneath him. Resting his head on Mordred’s chest, Elyan smiled. He wished things would always stay this way between them. He didn’t want anything to change, it was all just perfect.