There's a hand on my belly. Was the first thought that managed to get through Harper's hazy mind come morning. Or was it afternoon again, as it still seemed dark? Either way, the hand had to go. 

Harper shifted his weight a little, trying to move away slowly without waking the owner. He only got a few inches, not nearly far enough to remove the hand, when he felt something firm block his retreat. 

Rule? Wait, no, Arthur? 

His cloudy mind couldn't remember which lord was on which side of him when he'd fallen asleep. 

"Darn it, Art. Will you get out of my bed already?" Rule's sleepy voice mumbled from the body he was pressed against. Immediately, Harper jerked away, only to be pulled right back by the hand he'd thought was coming from the other direction. "Where are you going?"  

"Rule, let the poor kid sleep. It's not even midnight yet." Arthur said, his voice sounding a bit more awake than Rule's. It wasn't much of a surprise that both lords were up considering all of the times they'd remained awake until dawn conversing on visits. 

"Go sleep in the other room." Rule grumbled, pulling Harper closer, to the point of being uncomfortable. 

A slightly audible exhale was heard from the other side of the bed, followed by the sound of a book being set down. "What are the chances of our little Hari losing his virginity before morning, if I go sleep in the other room?"

There was a coughing sound from Rule and his arm around his waist suddenly disappeared. Harper took his chance and scrambled closer to Arthur, not stopping until he felt the man's body against his left side. 

"That was cheating." Rule growled as the bed shifted, letting Harper know that he was likely sitting up. "Besides, you kissed him first." 

A scoff sounded from Arthur before the blankets were suddenly pulled back, making Harper squint at the light. It wasn't much, likely just from one candle, but after sleeping under the covers for hours, it felt nearly blinding.  

"That mistake won't be happening again." Arthur stated as he stared down at Harper with indifference. 

The look made him nervous, but not enough to move away. In fact, when he felt the bed dip and saw Rule moving closer, he scooted even closer to Arthur. "Really, Rule. Stop stalking him like some kind of animal. I'm taking him in the morning, then he'll be going to the magistrate in one week." 

Harper pulled the covers back over his face, only to hear Arthur give a quiet laugh. "Hiding won't do you any good anymore, Harper. Things are going to happen now, whether you want them to or not." 

The bed depressing next to him made Harper fidget, but when a gentle hand settled on top of the blankets on top of his head, he relaxed a little. 

"Don't scare him like that." Rule said, moving his hand softly over the blankets to try and soothe Harper's nerves. It pretty much had the opposite affect before being swatted away by Arthur. 

"Just go find one of your mistresses in town if you need attention that badly." Arthur said, earning a grunt from Rule as his weight on the bed shifted. "You're always such a bore." Rule replied.

Another chuckle sounded. "Is that why you've stuck by my side for so many years?" 

The bed shifted for several seconds before Harper felt Rule's searching hands on his bare skin. He tried to move away, but Arthur's body blocked any hope of escape. Harper squeezed his eyes shut as the hand began to wander. 

"Enough of this." 

Before Harper realized what was happening, Arthur was rolling onto him. Even though he couldn't see with the blankets over his head, he knew that it couldn't be Rule, because he had been the one touching him, until Arthur's body forced him to retract his hand or get hurt. 

"Oh, I don't like him, but I'm just going to pin him down with my body so that you can't touch." Rule mocked angrily. 

Arthur ignored him completely, however, and just got comfortable so that a portion of his body was blocking Rule and the other half was holding Harper down, but not to the point of being painful due to weight. 

"Arthur, come on. Get off him. You're acting childish." Rule chided, only to yelp when Arthur rolled off of Harper.

Hesitantly pulling the blankets away from his face again, Harper's eyes widened when the faint light from the one flickering candle in the room illuminated just enough of the two lords for him to realize what was happening. 

He's actually pinning Rule down...

"What's wrong, Rule? Don't like being forced to allow someone else to touch you?" Arthur cooed, though his expression showed the exact opposite of what his tone and words hinted at. 

 Tilting his head, Arthur leaned closer as Rule struggled. With little effort, he caught the lord's wrists and pushed them down against the pillow he was using. "Are you done, Rule? You are being quite the bore." 

"Arthur." Rule warned, narrowing his eyes as he scowled up at the other man, who simply smirked. "Get off of me, now." 

With a final chuckle, Arthur shrugged one shoulder, then moved to Rule's side. The other lord sat up immediately, only to lunge forward. Harper nearly fell off the bed trying to get out of the way when Arthur grabbed Rule's wrist and swung his body around, pinning the other man again with, what appeared to be, little effort.

"Dammit, Arthur!" Rule yelled, making the other lord clamp a hand down over his mouth abruptly. "Stop screaming. You want someone to come in here and see you like this?" 

Rule's eyes narrowed before reaching up to try and punch Arthur with his recently freed hand. Arthur leaned back to dodge, but in order to do that, he had to release Rule's other wrist. Harper wasn't sure if he should try to stop them or run, but when Rule just fell back down against the blankets and Arthur grinned down at him with a raised eyebrow, still sitting on the man's waist, Harper realized that they weren't really fighting. 

"Well, this brings back memories." Rule said before yawning. 

Arthur mirrored the yawn as he fell to land beside Rule on the bed. Harper wasn't sure how the situation had diffused so quickly, but his attention turned away from them abruptly when his stomach growled with the ferocity of an angry beast. 

Both lords turned to look at him, making Harper duck his head to hide his blush in the dim light. "Oh. We forgot to feed him again, didn't we?" Rule said as Harper saw him start moving closer. 

He fidgeted as Arthur moved to follow, only for Harper to move a little too far against the edge of the bed and drop to the floor. A moment later, both lords were looking down at him, grins on their faces as Harper did his best to make sure he was covered by the oversized shirt he wore as he stumbled to his feet. 

"Does he remind you of a rabbit, Rule? Is that why you stalk him?" Arthur questioned. 

Harper frowned, taking a step back as he watched the two lords laying at the edge of the bed, propped up on their arms like two young children. 

Rule tilted his head slowly, licking his lips. "Something like that." He said before pushing himself up and getting off the bed. 

Harper pursed his lips and took another step back, only to hear Kite growl as his ankle brushed the dog's fur. He hurried to jump forward and spin around, apologizing to the animal, though it didn't even bother to raise its head after its warning. 

"It's pretty late, so I'm not sure what the kitchen will have, but we'll get you some food, Harper." Arthur said as he got up and made his way over to the call bell. He tugged the rope once, then headed out into the dimly lit sitting room to drop into one of the large armchairs with another yawn. 

Rule took the second chair, leaving Harper to stand by the door. He knew that Rule would want him to sit with him, or near him, but he was hesitant to get close to him again after what had happened when they'd woken up. 

A maid appeared before he could make a decision on where he should go. 

"Is there anything left over from dinner?" Arthur asked, earning a head shake from the maid. 

He nodded, then asked. "Can you please bring up water, three cups, and some fruit and bread?" 

The young maid nodded right away, then disappeared back out the door. She returned not ten minutes later, a large tray in her arms as she tried to get the door open. Harper hurried to help her before either lord could get up. He took the heavy tray with a smile and got a confused, yet appreciative one in return. 

"Thank you, Hari." She said, bowing her head before excusing herself. 

Err, hopefully she didn't think something was odd with me just wearing a large shirt...

Harper carried the tray over to set between the lords, then stepped back. He knew that they had gotten at least some of the food for him, but he wasn't used to just taking things. 

"Come here." Rule said as he tapped his right leg. 

Awkwardly, Harper shuffled forward, only to drop to his knees to the right of Rule's right leg. The lord's eyes jerked open wide and his mouth dropped slightly, but Harper didn't seem to notice his reaction as he got comfortable on the floor, then leaned his head up against the chair to stare at Arthur, who was chuckling for some reason. 

"He got you without even realizing it. I think I'm starting to like him." 

Harper frowned, looking up at Rule with confusion. The lord was scowling down at him before he crossed his legs and grabbed an apple from the tray, only to hand it down to him. "Eat. Then get back in my bed." 

Stealing a glance at Arthur, Harper reached up and took the apple, but barely tasted the sweet fruit as he bit into it. He nibbled at it for a few more moments before Rule suddenly dropped down from the chair to sit beside him, then snatched the apple from him to take a large bite. 

"That's how you eat an apple. Why are you just picking at it when you're clearly hungry?" He asked before chewing and swallowing the piece he'd bitten off. 

He offered the apple back to him, but when Harper just stared, biting his lower lip, Rule leaned in closer, trying to catch his downcast eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?" 

Sniffing, Harper shook his head. He really didn't know exactly what was wrong, just that he felt exhausted and couldn't keep the saltwater from running down his cheeks. 

"Hey now. It's okay, Harper." Rule whispered as he brushed away a tear, only for it to be replaced with another. 

For once, Rule seemed to be at a loss for what to do. He made a move to try and pick him up, but Harper flinched, making Rule sigh and sit back on his heels. 

"You pushed him too far tonight. Again." Arthur said as he moved to kneel beside Harper. With gentle fingers, he took the apple from Harper and set it back on the tray, then carefully lifted him into his arms as he sat back against the chair.  

The only reason Harper hadn't reacted like he had to Rule was because Arthur had never been the type to be so physical. Besides when he'd forced a kiss on him. It had always been Rule who had invaded his space. After a few tense moments, he actually found himself relaxing against Arthur's chest as he wrapped one of the large throw blankets around them both like a cocoon. 

Warmth spread through his shaky body, calming his nerves until he was able to take a steady breath again. "There. Now, let's eat a bit, hm?" Arthur said as he reached back up to the tray, grabbing a handful of purple grapes. 

"Open." He mused with a hint of a smile on his lips. 

Without a reason to say no, and because he honestly was really hungry, Harper did as told. He ate the entire handful before Arthur reached for more. While he was getting them, Harper glanced over at Rule. He had been surprised that he hadn't tried anything else, but when he saw him, he realized why. 

He fell asleep against the chair. 

"He might be an ass most times, but he stayed up when he was really tired. He was worried you might have caught a cold." 

Harper looked back to Arthur. He opened his mouth to respond, but Arthur just pushed a grape between his teeth. "That's all I'm going to say on that matter. Let's finish eating, then get to bed. We don't want you getting sick." 

Harper was going to question why it would honestly bother Arthur, if he planned to be rid of him soon anyways, but held his tongue. He was tired, and really hungry. Neither issue would be solved by talking, so Harper agreed that he should just finish what he was offered, then get some rest. 

When he finished a few more grapes, then split an apple with Arthur, he felt much better. The lord unwrapped the blanket from around them, suddenly cooling Harper's skin with the chilly temperature of the room. 

"Go back to the bed. I'll get Rule." Arthur said as he stood, helping Harper to his feet before nudging him toward Rule's open bedroom door. 

Harper was hesitant, but Arthur just pushed him again gently. "You know that he'll find his way into your room if you bother to try and go there. Humor him. He's asleep and I'll be between the two of you." 

Uncertain, but still unwilling to argue, Harper nodded and hurried into the room and beneath the heavy blankets, if only to chase the chill from his bones. Arthur appeared a few moments later, an out-cold Rule slumped in his arms. He managed the man's weight easily, maneuvering him into bed after Harper got out and pulled the blankets back for him. 

Once Rule was settled, Arthur climbed in, then patted the spot beside him. Harper hesitated, but his need to sleep made him step forward until he slid in beside the lord. He unintentionally scooted closer to Arthur for his warmth as the man got the blankets back over them. When his arm slipped around Harper's waist, he fidgeted, but Arthur just chuckled. 

"Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything. I just don't need you trying to disappear." 

The fact that the lord actually thought he would run away after everything he'd been through, hurt. He has no reason to trust me though, so I can't blame him. Harper thought as he sighed, getting comfortable against the man. It didn't take him long to fall asleep, even with the faint feeling of warm breath brushing against the back of his neck every few seconds. 

As fast as he was able to drift off, he awoke in half the time. His lungs burned and his eyes stung when he tried to open them. What's going on? His brain couldn't process that he couldn't get in a full breath of air without feeling like he was choking on glass. 

Pushing himself up and shoving the blankets away from his head, Harper sat up in the darkness as heat buffeted his face like he had just stepped into a fire. Wait. Fear shocked him into moving. He shoved toward where Arthur should be. When his palms connected with what felt like his shoulder, Harper pushed, slapped, and shook him as hard as he could... but got no response. 

Hacking as smoke filled his lungs, Harper scrambled over Arthur's form and practically began punching Rule to try and get him to respond. It took a moment, but Rule shoved himself up with a horrible cough of his own before jumping out of bed, dragging Harper with him. 

The sound of crackling timber and roaring flames was far too loud to hear anything else, but as he was tugged blindly toward the door, he knew that he couldn't let Rule take just him. With as much strength as he could, he yanked Rule back, making him stumble until they were by the bed. 

Harper hurried to reach with his free hand, grasping at the covers until he caught Arthur's upper arm. He could barely move the man's dead weight, so he yanked Rule again, then lifted Arthur's hand toward Rule until he felt it touch him. 

The other lord seemed to register what he was trying to get him to do, because he quickly released Harper and took Arthur. Harper held onto Rule's arm just to be able to make it out of the rooms and into the burning hall. The fire was worse in the narrow passageway, but thankfully, the smoke rose far above, making it a little easier to breathe and see. 

Rule started running, but each time he glanced back at Harper, he slowed. You can't slow down! "Go!" He rasped, then coughed as he stumbled, but managed not to fall. "I'm coming!" 

The look on Rule's face was torn with terror lurking in his gaze, but one look down at Arthur, whom they both knew sometimes had breathing problems under extreme stress, made him act. 

"I'm coming back!" He yelled as he darted for the stairs, disappearing down them in seconds. 

Shaking his head hard, Harper pushed himself forward as fast as he could manage. His steps were becoming uneven, but he managed to make it to the stairs right as ash began to rain down from the ceiling. Gathering his courage, he began down the stairs carefully, not trusting his wobbly legs as he clung to the banister. 

He was about halfway down when Rule ran back inside, immediately spotting him up on the stairs. Harper felt like he could actually breathe again as the lord sped toward him, only for a loud explosion, followed by a roaring boom sounded overhead. The ceiling began to drop in giant chunks down into the foyer at the same time fire erupted from beneath the stairs. 

Rule skidded to a stop just in time to avoid a chandelier, but Harper couldn't afford to watch him any longer. The ceiling was caving in, heading directly for where he stood. Summoning up what remained of his strength, he staggered up the steps and back into the inferno in the halls. He lifted his shirt to his face and took in as good a breath as he could manage, then ran. He swiped the walls a few times and tripped more than once in the near-pitch blackness that surrounded him, but when he found his feet suddenly floating in the air and a sharp gust of frigid air hit his body, he realized that he had just run through the window at the end of the hall that must have been burst from the heat. The window on the second floor. 

His landing was less than graceful, but thankfully there was a store of spare hay bails behind the estate. There weren't many, but the few that had been placed there had saved him from a harsher exit. When he slid down from them, his left foot sent a shock to his system and nearly made him fall.

Broken, then. 

He could also feel his skin beginning to send pain through his system, letting him know that he had quite a few burns, but he knew that he had no time to cry over them. Flames were already starting to lick at the grass outside of the giant house, but running wasn't an option any longer. His heart thundered in his chest as he watched the fire grow around him. 

Not this way. I don't want to die like this! 

It wasn't until the fire was raging in the woods around him, only stemmed from where he stood by a thick patch of mud and rainwater left over from a previous storm, that he saw someone approaching from the one side where the flames had yet to grow too high. 

Rule? 

He was on horseback, Arthur's form unconscious as he held him. 

"Harper, get on!" He yelled as he pulled his horse, and another he had been leading, to a halt and jumped down after balancing Arthur. 

Without even getting a chance to reply, Rule threw Harper up onto the other horse, then jumped back onto his. Harper knew the basics of how to work the reigns and he was just getting his horse to turn and follow Rule's when the wall to his left blew out, sending splintered wood, burning hay, and ash shooting out in front of them. 

The events that happened next were impossible to anticipate or respond to. The horse jerked back, the rope Rule had been holding to help guide it, whipping free of his hand. It reared back, nearly throwing Harper, had he not already gotten a death-grip on its neck when the wall had blown out. 

When the animal dropped back down to its hooves, eyes wide and nostrils flaring, it turned, then bolted into the woods, away from Rule, where the raging inferno was already eating away everything and anything in its path. 

(Uh, well, there was a little bit of cuddling? Kinda? >...>)