Work Text:
Ballister opened the door to their home with struggle, holding around half a dozen bags of groceries in his hands.
He set them down on the counter before letting out an exasperated sigh to himself.
Ambrosius must be home by now. He wasn’t an hour and a half ago when Ballister first arrived home himself.
He dug into a bag, pulling out a beautiful vase that Ambrosius had commented on a few weeks ago at the marketplace.
The vase was a quartz/pearly white, with flicks of gold peppered in it.
It was perfect.
Ballister filled it with water and grabbed a few yellow roses he decided to impulse buy on the spot, properly trimming the stems to fit in the vase beautifully.
He looked at his work of art.
Though not a creative man himself, he was impressed with his ability not to kill the roses by simply looking at them.
He happily took the vase from the counter with his left hand, and walked all around the house.
Maybe his lover was showering? No, he only takes showers in the morning.
Maybe he’s sleeping?
Is he organizing the attic again?
“Ambrosius?…Goldie?” The dark eyed man called and was given no response.
Finally he walked back to the counter, and set the vase down.
He stared at his phone. Thumb hovering over the call button.
If he’s not home, he must be busy. Right?
Oh who is he kidding, he’s surely overthinking this.
Ballister chuckled to himself as he shut his phone off, deciding to finally put away the groceries.
The dark haired man constantly peered over at his phone to make sure he hadn't gotten a text from his lover.
All the groceries had been put away. Now what?
He might deny it if someone called him clingy or paranoid, because that was simply all Ambrosius’ personality.
Ballister recalls a time he came home late from a wild goose chase of his house key, while chasing a literal goose. He acquired the key, and shuffled in the door quietly, he thought maybe if he had just snuck into their room, and cuddled close, maybe there wouldn’t be any trouble.
As soon as Ballister opened the door, Ambrosius was in a skincare mask and comfortable pajamas, one singular light above him while sitting in a chair.
“And where have you been this evening?”
The blonde had his arms crossed in front of his chest, a condescending glare on Ballister.
“I- hun, is this an interrogation?” The other asked,
“That’s not a valid answer.” He huffed.
“I..” The man with jet black hair is too ashamed of his chase tonight to tell.
“You weren’t by chance… around other geese without me knowing were you?!”
How Ambrosius knew he was chasing geese, was a puzzle to Ballister.
—
After that, Ballister always appreciates the concern his lover has for him after work.
—
But Ballister picked up his phone and dialed Ambrosius’ number, contemplating whether or not the hit send.
He bites his nails, and goes to press the-
Keys jingle at the door, and the door opens.
Ballister practically throws his phone to the counter as he rushes over to his lover, and takes his face in his hands, and leans in for a long kiss.
“Welcome home.” Ballister sweetly blushed.
“You’re home La-“ he cut himself off,
Ballister placed his hand on Ambrosius’ forehead, the other on his cheek.
“Hermoso, you’re burning up.” He flipped the hand on his forehead to the backside of his hand.
“I know.. I tried to tough it out today.” He smiled, his face paler than usual.
“Let's get you to bed, come on.” Ballister took the other’s hands, but Ambrosius’ hands pulled away.
“I can take myself Bal. I have been sick before. Plus, you might become sick as well.”
“You’re always taking care of me, let me take care of you…” Dark brown eyes met the gaze of piercing blue, they both softened, weak to the other’s plea, yet who can deny them?
“Fine, you can take care of me.” Ambrosius nodded, his sleepy eyes groggily closing.
——
Ambrosius changed into comfortable clothes while Ballister grabbed a thermometer to check the other’s temperature, and walked back into the room.
“I guess the stress from work recently has caught up to me.” He lightly smiled, his body under the thick covers of their bed. Ballister sat at the edge, the mattress sinking down at his weight.
“I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long.” Ballister placed the device on Ambrosius’ forehead, and it scanned.
“102.2..” he frowned. “And you tried to tough it out?”
Ambrosius gave a guilty shrug.
“Cariño, you could get hurt.” He placed his hand on the other’s cheek again.
“I’m going to be fine. Just a little-“ he yawned “-sleepy, I trust you can take care of me.” He closed his eyes and sank into the bed.
Ballister should go grab a damp cloth and try to bring the fever down.
——
As Ballister left the room with a small kiss to Ambrosius’ forehead, a wave of guilt washed over the blonde.
He didn’t tell Bal that he was sick. He didn’t tell him that he would be home later, and now, Bal has to take care of him because he can’t take care of himself.
Those thoughts slipped his mind as he became more and more tired.
His eyes were closed as he tossed the blankets from his torso.
‘It’s too hot…’ he groaned.
After another two minutes, he tossed the covers all around him again.
‘Too cold.’
His eyebrows pinched, on the verge of sleep now, trying to find a comfortable way to sleep.
Moments later, his mind drifted off to sleep.
…..
Ballister opened the door quietly.
With a new damp cloth in his hand, and the vase of flowers in the other, he walked over to the bedside and set down the vase.
Ambrosius’ face was pinched, his lip twitched to a frown.
Ballister’s face softened, he replaced the cloth and he whispered,
“It’s alright. I’m here.”
His lover’s face relaxed, and he looked like he was able to sleep soundly.
He wished he could just cuddle close with the blonde, but he can’t become sick as well. Then both of them would just be wallowing in their misery.
Ballister stepped out of the room, and fell asleep on the couch that night.
————
When Ambrosius woke up the next day, he almost felt worse than he had the previous day.
He groaned as he pressed a hand to his forehead, and pinched between his eyes, trying to soothe the rippling headache he had.
It hurt to move his eyes to the light in the room.
He sat up, a half-dry cloth dropping from his forehead.
As he looked around, he spotted an elegant vase sitting on the stand next to his bed…
Yellow roses happily smiled back at his gaze, adorning in sunlight.
There was a note on the stand as well…
‘Ambrosius’
It read in elegant cursive, and a little heart after his name.
He picked up the note despite his spinning head.
‘I went out to grab some medicine for you, I left at 10 A.M. will be only an hour. Please drink water before I get back.
— Your Dearest, Boldheart’
Ambrosius always found it adorable when Ballister referred himself to his knightly name when it didn’t call for it.
And flowers…
His heart melted.
He remembers when they both went on their first date back in training.
They both bought each other the same flowers that day, and laughed.
Of course flowers were a simple gift, but it was always the simple things in life that had a way to his heart.
He kicked his feet off the bed while glancing at the note…
Hang on.
10 A.M?!
“What?” He spoke, and slapped his hand over his mouth.
Did he really sound like that?!
He didn’t even sound like himself!
Regardless! He never wakes up past seven!
He went to stand slowly, knees weak against his own weight.
Ambrosius shuffled out of the room, heat rolling off of his skin, and goosebumps wracking his body.
Ballister said he should drink water. Yeah. Water.
He squinted as he tried to see straight, he saw two cups- no- four.
Almost blindly reaching and fumbling for a cup, he grabbed firm hold of one, and brought it to the faucet, filling it up and bringing it to his lips.
“Ambrosius, I’m home!”
The blonde took a sigh of relief, he was home.
He saw Ballister turn the corner into the kitchen where he was, and saw his jaw drop, then held back a snicker.
Ambrosius raised an eyebrow, what is it?
“Your hair…” he covers his mouth with his hand, and walked over to the blonde, taking a hair tie from his wrist.
Ambrosius huffed, turning around and allowing Ballister to pull his hair back into a small bun.
“I brought you home some medicine, I would like you to take it.”
His lover nodded as he dug into the bag that he brought home.
“This one will try to ease your fever, and this should help with sinuses, also this one will try to avoid a cough. Take this one for a headache.”
He nudged the medicine towards Ambrosius.
“Shouldn’t I eat something?”
“Don’t worry! I have that too!” He pulled out another thing from the bag, and he beamed proudly at Ambrosius.
“Let’s eat, you should.” Ballister offered, bringing both boxes of food to the table. He set the down and reached to his right arm with his left, and detached the prosthetic arm from its cuff.
They both sat down at the table together, and ate in near silence, other than the blonde’s occasional sniffles.
“I called into your job, don’t worry, I already told them about it, the lady was very nice, she told me that you looked like you needed the day off when you left work anyways.” Ballister said, swallowing his food.
Ambrosius didn’t even think about work!
“What would I do without you?” Ambrosius smiled, he rested his head on his hand, looking at his lover. Even though he might be a bit disoriented from the sickness, he gazed lovingly at him,
“You’re beautiful, you’re smart, and caring.” The words slipped from his lips.
Their house is bright, windows letting the afternoon sun leak into the room and shine bright on the both of them.
Ballister looked almost surprised, his cheeks swiftly turning pink as he turned his head, his ears giving away his flustered expression.
“Well what’s a knight without something to protect?” Ballister retorted with no venom back at the blonde.
“Are you flirting with me? Still flirting after two years?”
Ballister let out a little laugh,
“Well of course my liege, have to make sure you still fall for it just as you did back in training.”
Ambrosius scoffed with a smile.
“Is it working?” Ballister leaned forwards, looking for any sign that he is winning this playful argument.
Ambrosius hid his pink face with his hands.
“Yes. Yes it is.”