On Your Back

"We really should give him a break." Arthur said from behind him as they road on horseback across the countryside. 

They'd left right after having lunch, much to Lady Lelynn's disapproval. She had wanted to kick the lords out but keep him. Staring down at the shovel in his hands, Harper couldn't help but grin. She'd gifted it to him in case he was ever in need of it, but he doubted that he'd be doing any gardening anytime soon with his broken foot. 

Ahead of them, Rule finally slowed his panting horse. Arthur's came to a stop beside it, both beasts gasping for air as they began to walk. 

"We don't need to rush, my estate isn't going anywhere." Arthur noted as his arm loosened around Harper's middle, allowing him to move forward a bit and get a little more comfortable since they weren't galloping anymore. 

"Must you bring that shovel with you, Harper?" He asked as he leaned over his shoulder, his hair brushing softly against Harper's cheek. 

Turning his head, their noses bumped each other as Harper replied with a smile. "Of course. She said I might need it, and gifted it to me. It would be rude to just leave it along the side of the road." 

"I think she would actually love it if you left it on the side of the road." Rule says as he reaches for the shovel, only for Harper to move it out of his reach. 

He earned a scowl for taking it away, but he wasn't going to let them get rid of one of the few presents he'd ever gotten. 

"Alright, keep it. Just uh, leave it outside, okay? Shovels aren't made to be inside." Arthur said, earning a nod from Harper. He could settle with that. His shovel could live outside. 

They traveled in a calm silence for a while until Arthur's home finally came into view. It was large, like Rule's, but where the other lord's estate was a maze of trickery and humor, Arthur's was classy and simple. The hedges were all in line. Everything was trimmed and proper. The building was clean and there was a soft scent wafting through the area that couldn't have been anything but the beautiful beds of flowers Harper could see even from so far away. 

"Do you like it?" Arthur asked, offering him a small smile when Harper looked up with one of his own. 

"It's beautiful." He said.

Arthur reached up before Harper could turn back around and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. "Not as beautiful as..." He bit his tongue, making Harper tilt his head, confused. 

"As what?"  

Arthur ignored him, making Harper eventually turn back to face forward. As they approached, several people appeared from the house. Two of them took the horses after they dismounted. Thankfully, Arthur reached up for him, catching him as he slid down so that he didn't have to land on his bad foot. 

"Thank you." He said as Arthur set him down, then offered him an arm so that he could hop inside without having to balance much. 

Once in the house, Harper looked around as they moved. He noticed several maids from Rule's place, and stepped a little closer to Arthur. "Is something wrong?" He asked, earning a hesitant head shake from Harper. 

The lord didn't look like he believed him, but thankfully he dropped it. "Would you like to get cleaned up before an early dinner?" Arthur asked. 

Harper nodded quickly, holding onto the lord's arm as they began heading up the stairs to the left. Unlike lord Rule's home, the stairs for Arthur's were smaller and place off to the left of the entrance, leaving the foyer more open. 

It was also carpeted, making it easier to hop along. Rule followed hot on their heals, ignoring any servants that tried to take his coat or offer him any assistance with the small bags they had brought. 

When they stepped into a giant room at the end of a short hallway, Harper couldn't help but stare at everything. The door opened into a sitting room that was tastefully decorated with soft greys and light blues. Instead of having two rooms, though, there was only one off to the right. 

Where there would have been another room at Rule's home, instead, there was a large fireplace that was already lit and held several logs. Harper hadn't realized how cold he was until he felt the warmth the fire had created in the room. 

He hopped over and carefully sat in front of the protective grate, sighing as the heat warmed his chilled skin. "Just want to relax here?" Arthur asked as he sat down beside him a moment before Rule did the same right behind Harper. 

Why isn't he sitting next to me on the other side? 

He was about to ask him that exact question when Rule reached forward and pulled him back into his lap. It wasn't exactly comfortable... and something was poking him that he really didn't want to be near. 

"Lord Rule..." Harper mumbled awkwardly. He tried to climb off the man's lap, only to be tugged over to Arthur's. 

It's still not comfortable, but at least nothing's poking me. 

"Arthur." Rule growled, earning a smirk from the other lord as he wrapped his arms around Harper's middle, tugging him closer against his chest. 

Harper wasn't sure why they had started getting angry at each other again. It was like they couldn't just both be around him without one of them trying to stake claim. Over what, though, he had no idea. Neither should want to claim him. 

"If you don't like it, go back to your estate, Rule." Arthur said, making the anger in Rule's eyes flare, but then slowly subside to something that looked almost like uncertainty. 

That was pretty mean. 

Looking over his shoulder, Harper bit his lips, then nudged Arthur with his elbow to draw his attention. "Apologize. That was mean." 

Of course, he didn't need to, as he was a lord and Harper was just a servant, but it felt wrong to say something so hurtful to someone who had just lost about everything they had. Sure, he still owned a lot of land and would eventually build up his home again, but still. 

Arthur sighed and looked over at Rule, who honestly did look pretty hurt. His shoulders were hunched and he was leaning back on his hands as he stared into the fire, unblinking. 

"Dammit, comere." Arthur grumbled as he gently set Harper aside, then reached over and pulled Rule into his lap. 

The two lords were nearly the same height, but Rule somehow managed to fit against him pretty well. He looks like he's about to cry. 

"Hey, look at me, Rules." Arthur whispered as he wrapped one arm around Rule's middle while the other lifted up so that he could gently grasp the man's chin and turn his head enough so that he could look into his eyes. 

"I'm sorry, hun." He said as he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss against the other lord's lips. 

Harper fidgeted at the gesture, but when Arthur pulled away and they both saw tears running down Rule's face, he couldn't help but scoot over and get up on his knees to wrap his own arms around Rule's shoulders. 

"It'll be okay." He said. 

Of course, he could promise nothing, because he had nothing besides himself, but Harper hoped that somehow, that would be enough.

"Sit back for a moment, Harper." Arthur said, gently pressing against Harper's chest until he was back on the carpet. 

When Arthur winked at him, then took Rule's face in his hands and leaned forward, Harper felt his face heat. Isn't this an intimate moment? Shouldn't I not be here? He wondered as he tried to look away while the two lords slowly kissed far longer than would ever be appropriate in the presence of another person. 

"Stay." Arthur mumbled against Rule's mouth right before he pushed the lord over onto his back. 

Stay? Surely he doesn't mean me?

Harper covered his eyes with his hands right as Arthur moved to begin pressing kisses to Rule's tear-stained cheeks. That wasn't why he stopped looking, though. That reason was because of where his right hand was wandering. 

The sounds he soon heard coming from lord Rule's mouth made his own body shake as his heart accelerated. I shouldn't be in here during this! He started getting up, but was suddenly grabbed by Arthur and forced onto his back right next to where Rule was already panting heavily. 

Oh god. 

Harper tried to keep his eyes from the lord, but while Arthur kept one of his hands in Rule's trousers, keeping him gasping and squirming, his other one reached up and grasped Harper's jaw, forcing his head to turn. 

To his surprise, Rule was watching him as he panted. Arthur's hand moved from his chin and returned to tend to Rule, but Harper couldn't move his eyes from Rule's until he noticed the man being pushed every few seconds, and Arthur's grunts of effort, as if... 

He's... Arthur's...

Harper was about to get up and run out of the room, broken foot be damned, but Rule reached forward and pressed a hand to the back of his head, pulling him closer until their mouths melded together. 

Unsure how to respond, he just let Rule do as he wished with his mouth. The lord seemed to be extremely hungry for it, because his tongue never stopped exploring as his body jerked more and more frequently. 

When the man groaned loudly into his mouth, Harper forced himself away and to his feet. That's when he knew that he was sure what had just happened. Arthur was leaning over Rule on his hands and knees, panting heavily just like the lord on his back... and they were connected quite snugly below the waist. 

They just... right in front of m-me...

Without another thought, Harper darted from the room, limping awkwardly, before his overheated body made him do something he'd definitely regret. 


(Not quite sure that's how you comfort someone, Arthur...)

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