Seeing Recovery in the People You Care About Is More Than Enough Reward for Helping Them
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Just as Edwin was pulling on the portal to open it, the door opened on its own and Erik walked through. “Hey,” Edwin said.
“Good morning.” Erik looked exhausted, and he leaned down to kiss Edwin. “You’re leaving really early, aren’t you? I thought you’d have time for breakfast.”
“Yeah,” Edwin said, feeling a bit bad. Erik had been working night shifts the last few days now. “Sorry. I’m going to see Rudy before my shift.” It had been a few days and he wanted to check on him.
“Right. Okay, I’m going to go sleep for a bit, but I should be awake by the time you get back this evening,” Erik told him. Edwin was going to try and convince Elaine to put Erik on fewer night shifts—at least when Edwin wasn’t also working them. “I don’t have the night shift tomorrow, so I’m going to try to get back on a normal sleep schedule.”
Edwin nodded, looking behind him. Sure enough, there was Nigel in the doorway, just in case Edwin needed anything. “Nigel,” he said. “Wake Erik up after three hours, okay?”
“Yes, sir,” said Nigel. “I can do that.”
“And when he tries to go back to sleep, make him feel really bad by reminding him of the delicious lunch you guys made that’s going to go to waste if he doesn’t eat it.”
Nigel giggled. “Yes, sir.”
“There,” said Edwin. “I will see you tonight. It’ll be just us, I’m pretty sure.”
Erik smiled, touching Edwin’s breastplate for a second. He was wearing the armour Erik had given him, of course. “I’d like that.”
“Me too. The, uh, the other night, when I was with Millicent. You came in, didn’t you? Just for a second, then you left.”
“Shit,” Erik said, flinching. “Sorry. Was I too loud? Or maybe I should have knocked?”
“No, no.” Edwin held his hand for a second. “It’s your bedroom too, Erik. And I’m glad I knew you made it home safe, even if we didn’t make it to the same bed. But I appreciate you not making a big deal of it in front of Millicent the next morning and stuff. So thanks for that.”
“Course,” said Erik. “Okay, I’m going to die if I don’t go to sleep soon.”
“Right,” Edwin said, letting him go. “Goodnight, Erik.”
“Have a good day, Ed,” Erik said, giving Edwin a pat on the ass on his way to the great hall.
Edwin watched him go, taking a minute just to be grateful to him for everything he’d done. And then he waved goodbye to Nigel, turned around and went to Pelican Bay.
Owen and Gavin had painted their foyer purple. Or rather, Edwin figured, Ian had done it, since it didn’t look tacky. It was a soft colour, letting the gold ven Sancte crest shine on the wall facing the front door. The banister on the staircase had been replaced with some darker wood, and there were carved dragons crouching on the newel posts.
Ian himself was sitting on a small couch on one side of the foyer, reading through a stack of papers. “Hello, Sir Edwin,” he said, when he looked up. He stood. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, thanks,” said Edwin. “I’m just here to see Rudy. Is he awake?”
“Yes, sir,” said Ian. “Princes Grey Rain and Greg are with him right now, but I’m sure he’d be happy to see you. He’s been feeling much better lately.”
Edwin blinked. Really? “It’s only been three or four days since I was here, right?” He’d come the day after his anointing, and once or twice since then.
“Yes, sir.” Ian shrugged. “The other day he just woke up and was feeling energetic. He came downstairs and ate in the kitchen. He’s been talking to me and some of the staff.”
“That’s awesome,” Edwin said, feeling light. “Wow, holy shit. You guys must be doing an amazing job here to have helped him so much.”
Ian smiled. “I’d like to think we helped, yes. The kind of unwell that Rudy was feeling doesn’t go away, really. But I think he wants to feel better, which can only be good. I think he’d be happy to see you, though he might be busy with the princes.”
“I’ll just poke my head in and if they’re busy I’ll leave, and I know sometimes people like to go too fast.” Edwin thought about something Gavin had been hinting at the other day. “But I promise I’ll be careful. But really, thank you. He’s my friend and I really appreciate you helping him out.”
“That’s kind of you to say,” said Ian. He was too humble. Edwin would have to remember to tell Owen and Gavin, too. “If you need anything while you’re here, just let me or one of the staff know.”
“Okay, thanks,” said Edwin, and he headed for the stairs. “I like the new paint, and the new banisters,” he said, as he went.
“Thank you, I’ll be sure to tell Vlad you said that. He’s hoping to get a job as a decorator, and I figured he could show off this house as a testament to his skills. And now that this foyer is to be the main entrance for the prince’s far-flung guests, it needed some touch-ups.”
Edwin didn’t know who Vlad was, but he nodded. “I think he did a great job.”
He went up the stairs, enjoying the smoothness of the new banister on his hand. He headed for Rudy’s room, slowing his step a little as he approached. There was no guard outside the door. Robert and Evan were supposed to be with them today, which meant the princes must have slipped them. Again. And here he’d been so sure Greg would be responsible.
He didn’t hear voices or anything, but he heard movement, breathing. Grunting? Sex, he was hearing sex. Huh.
Edwin got closer, found the door ajar. He poked his head in, and there was Rudy’s bare ass, going in and out of Grey Rain at a good speed that suggested they’d been at it for a while. Greg was there too, watching them from a chair not far from the bed, hand in his pants.
The door creaked, and Greg and Rudy looked over, Greg removing his hand. “Hi, Edwin,” he said.
“Edwin!” Rudy said, pausing. He climbed off Grey Rain, patting his butt. “Just give me one second,” he said, Greg translating for him. Grey Rain was pouting until he saw Edwin and his tail started to wag. Rudy came over and gave Edwin a full-contact hug. “Hi. Thank you.”
“For what?” Edwin asked, hugging him back. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”
“Yeah. I don’t know about better,” Rudy said, smiling. It didn’t look all the way there, but Rudy’s smile had always been infectious. “But I’m feeling cooped up and horny. I just woke up the other day and…” he shrugged. “Was tired of sitting in bed staring at the wall all day. And I wanted to say thank you, because you saved my life and I never did. So, thank you.”
“I’m just glad you’re feeling better,” Edwin told him, as Rudy stepped back. “You look good.” He was still skinny and pale, but the fact that he was out of bed, talking, smiling, just made him look alive in a way he hadn’t since at least before Edwin had rescued him.
“You do too, the armour suits you.” Rudy grinned, looking over his shoulder. “Look, I want to hang out, but I’ve got this boner and I want to put it back in this cute wereboy before he runs off, you know?”
“I do know,” Edwin laughed. “He won’t run off, but go on. I’ll hang out here for a bit?”
“Sure, that’s awesome. You just get off a shift?”
“Starting one in a bit, so I can only stay for a while.” Edwin paused, looking at Rudy’s dick, at his smile, weighing those against what he’d said to Ian earlier. “Hey, listen. I don’t want you doing stuff you’re not up for, but the prince is having a party to celebrate our anointing in a little while if you want to come. It’s mostly going to be an orgy, but Leo and Ty and the rest of our group will be there and they’ve been asking about you. I don’t think anyone else from the order is coming.”
“At the castle?” Rudy asked, looking unsure.
Right, that made sense. “No,” Edwin decided. “At my new place.” He’d run it by Owen and Gavin later, but why should they object? He had more than enough room.
Rudy brightened. “Okay. Well, if I’m still feeling cooped up or horny when it happens, I’ll keep it in mind. I’m coming, I’m coming.” Grey Rain was pulling Rudy back to the bed now, and Rudy let him.
Once they were on the bed, Grey Rain signed at Edwin. Come fuck me too!
Maybe in a bit, said Edwin with a chuckle. His armour was already white-ish, but he didn’t really want to get any cum on it until after his shift. You have fun with him first.
Grey Rain nodded, and rolled onto his belly. Rudy slid back inside him like he’d never left.
Edwin looked at Greg, who was smiling too. “Hey. Glad you’re feeling better too.”
“Me too,” said Greg. “Thank you, but I’m more glad Rudy is. I hadn’t been to see him in a while.”
Edwin nodded. “I guess he just needed time. If you’re not comfortable with me here I can go back outside.” Greg looked a bit confused, so he continued, “You took your hand out of your pants.”
“Oh.” Greg blushed a little. “It just felt rude to talk to you with it down there. But you can stay, as long as you don’t mind all this.”
“Being with three good friends while they make each other happy? Why would I mind?” asked Edwin, pulling another chair over to sit beside Greg. “Besides, I noticed you don’t have any of your bodyguards here.”
“Oh. Uh, sorry about that,” Greg said, having the decency to look embarrassed that he’d been caught. Edwin should have known that Greg was going to pick up some of Grey Rain’s bad habits. “It wasn’t Sir Robert or Sir Evan’s fault. We left the castle with Owen but then I decided to come here. I didn’t think Rudy would like it if there were knights he didn’t know, since they still don’t know he’s here, right?”
“You’re right, but next time I want you to at least tell someone where you’re going, even if it’s just me. The portal you took to get here goes to my house too, remember?”
“Right.” Greg looked at the floor for a second, but then back up. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s really okay.” Edwin smiled at him. “You wouldn’t be a prince if you didn’t make my job hard sometimes. Since I’m here now, I’ll stick with you guys until it’s time to go back.” He had to go by the fortress for a bit and sign some sort of paper to let everyone get paid, but it didn’t need to be done until tonight and he’d go after they were done here.
“Okay. Thank you, Edwin.”
“Just doing my job.”
“I don’t mean that,” Greg said, eyes sliding back to Rudy and Grey Rain. “Thank you for…always trying to make the people around you happy. You’re very good at it.”
Edwin loosened his belt so he could have a reason not to tear up. “You’re not so bad yourself. Plus, you guys are doing all the hard work,” he said, knocking Greg’s shoulder with his own. “I’m just doing my best to help you out.”
“If you say so,” Greg said. He was watching Grey Rain.
Edwin was watching Rudy, just thinking about how happy he looked. How alive he looked. And that made Edwin feel better than anything.
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How Best to Use a Sword 