Things Worth Living For

by RustEcho

Summary:

Henry didn't know what to do when Bartosch showed up at the Devil's Den. He was sure that he would never see the black clad knight again, He would stay with his Lord and that would be that, but fate had other plans for him.

Notes:

I can't get these out of my brain, this will be disjointed and badly updated.

My personal, mental hell

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Henry woke up to shouting outside of the window of the room in the Devil’s Den, it was early, too early for Kubyenka or Adder to be shitfaced, too early for Dry Devil to piss anyone off. The body next to him stirred, pressing a bit more against him. He pulled it a bit closer, his arms encircling the toned waist of his lord, eyes squeezed close in hope he could go back to sleep.
More shouting, it sounded like Zizka, the sleep slowly driven out of his brain. Zizka barely raised his voice, why was he doing it now and this early in the morning? ‘…see Henry.’ He slowly opened his eyes, Hans next to him groaning as he too got awoken by the commotion outside. More shouting, then metal that sounded like weapons being drawn. ‘I’ll go check what is going on…’ His voice still rough from sleep before getting out of the too hard bed. Capon shifted, only to turn his back on the room, making Henry chuckle. Quickly pulling on a shirt, he opened the door and slipped out.
The road aside the Devil’s Den was a stalemate, he saw Kubyenka with a crossbow, surprisingly steady hands with his aiming, Janosh telling Adder something, the Pole sliding his shield off his back, he saw the glint of Dry Devil’s armour somewhere through the balcony floorboards as he made his way to the corner, overlooking the crossroads.
Zizka was standing between the Devil’s Pack and the newcomer, dressed in blacks and reds, the early morning sun making it impossible for Henry to see the knight’s face. ‘You know we cannot let you leave now, right? How did you find us?’ Zizka knew who he was, maybe someone from his past?
‘I am not here to fight, like I said, I just want to see Henry, I will be on my way afterwards.’ That voice, he recognized–

‘Bartosch.’ His voice carried over the square, making everyone look up at him. He looked at the knight, gripping the railing. Bartosch stared back at him, his hand going slack on the hilt of his sword.
‘Henry…They said you weren’t here.’
‘Got some good friends then, what are you doing here?’ Henry wanted to go down, greet the knight in a more friendly manner, but the fact is: they were now on opposites sides, enemies. Bartosch was part of the supporters of Sigismund, in Von Bergow’s service and he himself was not and despite the very nice evening they spent together, he can’t change that.
‘Can you…come down? I rather talk to you in private.’ Everyone stayed on edge, but Henry nodded, going back into his room for his hose, boots and a weapon. Hans had pulled the covers over his head and Henry decided to let him ignore the world for now, slipping back out the door and down the stairs into the tavern. He walked out the door right by the stairs, clapping Kubyenka on the shoulder in reassurance and nodding at Adder and Janosh to calm them down too. Henry led Bartosch around the corner, where the horses were drinking water from the trough. They stood there for a moment, out of earshot of the others, hidden behind Pebbles from prying eyes.
‘So…if you aren’t here to fight, you want to parlay-’ ‘He found out about my preference for men.’ Of all the things that Bartosch could have said, Henry didn’t expect this one. ‘He had someone watch me the night of the party, he knows you visited me and it clearly bothered him. He intends to hang me, Littlehead got me out of the castle before he could order anyone to do so, repayment for saving his life in Nebakov, he said.’ With Ulrich dead, things have been chaotic at Trosky, which had worked in his favor.
‘And now you are here, you found us, what is your plan now?’ Henry crossed his arms, looking the knight up and down. Now that he was closer, he could see how badly the armour set was kept, scratches, dents and he could see that some of the leather straps were slowly unravelling. His beard had grown out a little too, the same as his mustache, but that was nothing a quick shave couldn’t fix. Better not tell him that Von Bergow was left like nothing after the raid on Maleshov.
‘I don’t know, Henry, I just knew you would understand, or might understand, I’ve been looking for you since Nebakov, they healed my injuries, Von Bergow was in Maleshov so I had time between the scribe receiving the letter and Von Bergow returning. I don’t expect to be welcomed with open arms, I just…I need help, I don’t know these lands, I cannot go home to Prague, I cannot stay in Trosky, I have nowhere to go.’ He sounded tired and there was a hint of freight in his voice, Henry concluded that he must’ve been traveling and barely sleeping in his attempt to flee.
Henry sighed, rubbing his chin in contemplation on what to do. On the one hand, he couldn’t trust Bartosch as far as he could throw him, but at the same time, the man seemed sincere and genuinely panicked. ‘Alright, here, take this and tell the innkeeper you want a bed for the week, this should cover it, we will figure something out, in the meantime I will talk to Zizka and Dry Devil to at least leave you alone and maybe come up with a plan.’ Henry handed Bartosch the groschen he had on him, it was enough for the room and some food, he had left the rest in his chest upstairs.
‘I will never be able to repay you for this.’
‘Oh come off it, it’s only, what? 50 groschen? You will be able to make that back in no time.’ He didn’t want to mention the bigger reason Bartosch said this. ‘Now, go along, it might not be luxurious, but it will be dry, warm and…relatively safe as long as Kubyenka doesn’t drink too much and stays away from dice.’

But Bartosch stayed, toying with the coins in his hand. He wanted to kiss the blacksmith, badly. In the little time they had known each other in the fortress they found much common ground and Bartosch started to feel deeply for the other man. He inched closer, his gaze flickering between Henry’s eyes and his lips. No drink to muddle either of their minds this time, immediate battle either, just them, horribly hiding behind the blacksmith’s grumpy mare.
‘Bartosch…’ Henry sounded a little nervous, something the knight also felt. He closed the gap carefully, pressing his lips to the other man’s firmly. Henry whimpered against him, whimpered, as he kissed him back, gripping one of the knight’s arms.

‘Henry?! Where are you? You promised we would go to the baths this morning!’ Capon’s voice sounded from somewhere in the inn. Henry pulled back quickly, cursing softly. ‘Go to the innkeeper.’ Was all he said before quickly making his way back to Hans with a smile. ‘Sorry my Lord, something came up, but I all yours now.’
Hans narrowed his eyes, looking around his escort in the direction of where he came from. Henry stepped back into his line of sight. ‘Let’s go now, I smell like horse and...you.’ His voice lowered to a mumble, a small smirk playing on the blacksmith’s lips. Hans looked back at him quickly, eyes widened ever so slightly at the boldness of Henry. The noble turned on his heels and quickly walked away, missing Bartosch stepping away from behind Pebbles with rosy cheeks.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Summary:

Henry leaves no secrets for Hans in the bath, but cannot stop thinking about the situation at hand.

Henry paid for a private bath, or as much as a private bath they could offer in the tents across the road of the Devil’s Inn. The bath maids knew not to tell anyone, but nonetheless, Henry paid then extra to keep prying eyes away from the tent.
The blacksmith got in first, down to his braies just in case something were to happen or someone were to wander in, holding up a hand to help Hans into the warm water as well. The lord settled against Henry’s chest and let out a sigh of contentment. ‘I’m still annoyed with you for being late.’
‘Aye, sir, I thought you were.’
‘What kept you that was more important than me?’
‘Well, you see..’ Henry started, reaching over to the chamomile smelling oil to pour into the bath. Henry always liked it when their baths smelled extra strong and preferably of chamomile.  ’Do you remember that knight in black at Trosky?’
‘Oh him, who was supposed to keep me safe all the way to Nebakov and back to Trosky? Some knight that is...gone the moment things went tits up.’
‘Right, well, Von Bergow is out for his head and he…sought me out in hopes I could help him.’ Hans grew quiet at that, watching Henry pour the oil in. ‘He needs to hide, get out of the country, anything…I doubt Von Bergow is going to let this go, though I suppose he doesn’t have much authority left now.’
‘What did he do to deserve the ire of his own lord? Is it because we survived?’
‘I don’t doubt that is part of it, what he told me is that Von Bergow isn’t too happy with his…bedwarmers.’
‘And you trust his word?’
‘I want to believe that Von Bergow would pull something as such…but it could very well be a ploy to get on our good side and learn of our plans. I told him to stay for at least the week, but I don’t think we can actually let him leave here now that he knows where we are.’ Henry sighed, ‘I want to be fully transparent here, my Lord, I want to help him, Bartosch was simply on the other side of the war but now…he is in deep shit, because of me and I cannot leave him in the dirt.’
Hans was quiet, mulling Henry’s words over. Fucking Henry and his bleeding heart, it is going to get him killed. ‘Do you have feelings for him?’
Henry didn’t quite know how to respond to that, he had known the knight for such a short time and with the war he didn’t think about it. The knight was attractive, he loved sparring with the man and during that night spent together they found much common ground in their stories and views in their duties to their respective lords. Hans nodded after a minute of silence understanding what has been left unsaid, resting his head back on Henry’s shoulder. ‘No matter what happens, we stay together, you are my squire and I will not release you from your duties.’ Henry chuckled at that and nodded.
‘Aye sir, I am not going to run away, I have a duty as your bodyguard that I don’t intend to slack on.’ With a deep inhale and exhale, Henry wrapped one of his arms around the noble’s waist, pressing a kiss to his hair. ‘And I will not bring him to our room, unless you ask me to.’
Hans chuckled, shaking his head. ‘Good, you can fuck him in the barn, that’s where you two belong anyways.’

Henry let out an offended scoff, rolling his eyes. He let his hand wander a little bit, tracing the noble’s pronounced abdominal muscles slowly. ‘If that is where I belong, my lord…how am I supposed to service you, hm?’ His voice was soft, a rumble in Hans’ ear. The blacksmith felt Hans tense up underneath his hand, his stomach pulling taut as his cock started to twitch to life. ‘Can’t ask you to come down to the barn, service you in the hay like a commoner.’ Hans bit his lip, maybe this was something he could try out, if only once. ‘Lords belong in big, soft poster beds.’
‘You haven’t given me that yet, that bed of yours here is horribly hard and cramped with the two of us.’ Despite the beds they pushed together, Hans tended to spread out further than the space comfortably allowed, leaving little space for the blacksmith. Henry’s hand stopped its advance down in response, making Hans whine a little. The fingers moved back up, going for Hans’ pecks instead. Henry’s fingers ghosted over Hans’ left nipple, watching as the noble shifted a little, spreading his knees a little bit more, rubbing against Henry’s own erection in the process.
‘Some things cannot be helped, my Lord, but it won’t be long now and then we can go back to Rattay and you will be back in your noble bedroom.’ They hadn’t spoken much of what would happen when they get back to Rattay, they were both eager to go home, but things would change between them again and neither of them were able to acknowledge this yet. ‘Until then, you will have to be happy with the hard bed of the Devil’s Den…I’m just happy we aren’t sharing a room with Janosh and Adder or anyone else really.’ Henry chuckled, using his other hand to trace shapes on the noble’s thigh. ‘Though, I suppose we haven’t been much more pious than any of them, have we?’ Henry’s mind flipped between all those nights they spent in each other’s arms, Henry on top of Hans more often than not. Hans shivered against him, probably imagining the same things and getting a little fed up with Henry’s teasing. Henry, however, had no intention of giving into Hans’ lack of patience. ‘So needy, I thought you said last night that you wouldn’t be able to even get it up for the next 2 days.’
Hans made an offended sound, sitting up, breaking away from Henry. ‘How dare you, I wasn’t in my right mind! That was twice in very rapid succession.’ Henry held up his hands in innocence and apology, but the smirking on his lips told another story.
‘You are right, how unbecoming of me, how could I ever make it up to you, my lord?’ It was a game they played a few times before, it was Henry’s way of giving up control to Hans, something to noble wasn’t always used to between the sheets with Henry. The blacksmith liked taking lead, whispering filthy things to Hans until they both were too needy to care about positions or just servicing Hans until Hans came.
‘Well, for one, stop teasing me.’ Hans huffed, plopping back down onto Henry’s chest, legs spread wide once again. ‘Do me like one of the bath wenches, that shall suffice.’ Henry chuckled and nodded.
‘Aye sir, as you wish.’ Henry let his hands drop down to Hans’ hips, leaving one hand to keep them steady whilst the other reached into the braies and around the hardened length. No more teasing was done, as per request, gripping Hans firmly with a familiar calloused hand. Hans gripped the sides of the bath in anticipation, biting his lip. Henry knew what the lord preferred when it came to this, not too rough, but firm strokes, start at a medium pace and when he starts whimpering go faster. Henry was a diligent student when it came to Hans, he knew exactly what his Lord liked. He kissed the other man’s shoulder, making sure that any marks could be covered up by clothing.

Hans always tensed up a little when it became too much or too rough, but Henry was getting too lost in his thoughts to notice this time. The continuous, rhythmic motions had his mind wandering back to the events of earlier: Bartosch and his predicament, how Zizka and Dry Devil might react to Henry’s offer to help him the best he could. He could take the knight under his own strict supervision, but the Pack needed him to help out during missions, and Bartosch couldn’t go with him then. He could ask Hans to do it for him, but the noble was lukewarm at best towards the man and that is not something he wanted Bartosch to endure as well. He had been too stagnant the past few days as well, after getting Hans back he had stayed at the inn, keeping Hans in their bed in more and more creative ways, but he really needed to head out again, he had a list of people that he needed to help.
‘-Henry!’ Hans’ strained voice and an elbow in the gut brought Henry back to the present. Letting out a low groan, he stopped moving his hand. ‘You are hurting me, I’ve already finished, where was your head at?!’ If Henry didn’t know better, Hans sounded angry, but anger and concern were a very fine line with Hans.
‘Sakra, I’m sorry sir Hans, I…my mind wandered.’ Hans was pulling on his arm now and Henry quickly pulled his hand back out Hans’ braies. Henry was beyond embarrassed now, pushing Hans off of him and getting out of the bath. He quickly grabbed his clothes and sped out of the tent, leaving Hans behind, making the embarrassing walk back to the inn in his soaked underwear.

Notes:

Poor Henry, he is trying to hard to keep himself together, but there is so much on his plate.

Thank you for all the love you all have shown this little thing! I didn't expect people to actually like the little brainworm that had started

I might not update that often, but I will try to write as much as I can!

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Summary:

Hans tries his best to figure out what is happening with his squire and Bartosch finally gets some rest.

Bartosch had paid the innkeeper like Henry had told him to do, but there had only been beds left in the communal spaces; not that the knight could complain, it was better than under a thin blanket out in the open. He put his small travel bag down by his assigned bed in the loft and sat down. He had been on the road for weeks, going from town to town in hopes of gaining insight and information on finding Henry or maybe Hans. Where one was, the other was close by usually, but it took a while for either of them to pop up in the talk of local taverns. Bartosch had followed the rumours of Henry’s deeds, helping in Suchdol with poachers, the dice players in Belany, up to Pschitoky and to the miners in Grund; it had taken the knight a while to finally find him. He had made do with the little money and belongings he had, selling most of it for discounted prices just so he could go for another few days. He had made it now, everything would get better now, he had a place to stay for a little while, he could lend his sword to the locals to make some coin to keep going and hopefully he could sit down with Henry soon to talk things over. His fingers trailed to his lips that had pressed to Henry’s not that long ago, his mind slowly catching up on everything that had happened. He had no doubt in his mind Hans and Henry were seeing each other aside of their duties to each other now, he had watched how Henry brightened when seeing Hans right after their shared kiss. Henry had been strained seeing him again, but hadn’t pulled away from the kiss - no, he had leaned into it.
Bartosch groaned, the mixed messages are messing with his head. A nap might help, hopefully they can stay quiet around here for an hour or two. Bartosch laid down in his fully armour, something he had gotten used to since leaving Trosky. He fell asleep rather quickly, the days on the road wore him out more than he had liked to admit.

 

Hans wasn’t worried about his squire running out in his braies, it wasn’t the first time he had ran out in his braies from a bath with him after all, but he was worried about the reaction. Henry was normally calm and collected, a rock in stormy weather, but this…wasn’t that. Hans got out right after Henry left the tent, listening to his hurried footsteps before the hollering at the inn started. Hans dried himself off, something Henry should be doing, and dressed himself quickly, opening the tent up so the bath maids it was ready to be used again. He slowly made his way back, enjoying the sun piercing through the leaves of the forest canopy. He rounded the corner back to the inn, glancing around quickly.
Kubyenka, Dry Devil and Zizka were sitting at the first table, eating their breakfast with smirks on their faces. Adder and Janosh were behind them, sitting together at their own table, speaking in hushed voices. The rest of the tables were occupied by other patrons and craftsmen from the makeshift camp across the road.
Hans walked up to the door into the tavern, hoping none of the men would see and calling him over. His hand was just about to reach the door when Dry Devil saw him, a grin slowly spreading on his face. ‘Lord Capon! Join us!’ Hans groaned, knowing these men won’t leave him alone until he has spilled all that happened. He slowly made his way over, dragging his feet until he sat down next to Zizka. ‘We saw Henry running from the baths just now, trouble in paradise?’ Hans knew he wasn’t getting out of this one.
‘Paradise is quite alright, thank you very much.’ Hans sighed, rolling his eyes. ‘He just…had to go.’ I can’t even make up a good cover for him.

Hans heard the familiar hoof fall of Pebbles behind him, making him frown. Henry was leaving for the day without saying anything, he made to turn around and get up, but Zizka stopped him. ‘Leave him be, lad, he’ll come back.’ The captain rumbled, taking another pull from his water. Hans frowned at the table, he knew Henry always came back to him, thats just who he was, but that didn’t mean he liked this. He watched as Henry sped down the road towards Kuttenberg, the blacksmith not looking back. Hans sighed, shaking his head.
‘I don’t know whats up with him, he just got this distant look in his eyes and left all of a sudden.’ Hans was trying to figure out what was wrong with the blacksmith, but he drew a blank.
‘He has been under a lot of pressure, and he seems like a lad who needs a tender touch at times.’ Zizka had a point, no doubt, but what could Hans do about that?
‘And what do ye suggest, aye? One of us fecks him like a lover? Take im out on a wee date?’ Dry Devil cackled, shaking his head. Hans pursed his lips, the comment giving him a pause. That wasn’t such a bad idea, Henry had been exceptional to him; bringing him gifts he made in the smithy or clothing from Kuttenberg, being attentive, serving Hans’ every whim, he even pays for everything. And what did Hans do in return? Moan about being bored and missing the comforts of Pirkstein.
He got up abruptly, stalking off into the inn and into their shared room, leaving the older men confused and slightly amused. Hans was on a mission now, find something Henry would enjoy, something thoughtful. Hans’ lover didn’t have many belongings, mainly extra pieces of armours and shields didn’t seem to use much and going through his chest, he mainly found smithing materials and herbs. No good, Hans let out a sigh and let the lid fall shut again. For how much time they had spent together, Hans felt he barely knew his friend - sure, he knew about his heritage, his want for revenge for Skalitz and that he loved his Mutt, but all that didn’t help him out at all now. A poem? No, that would fall flat on Henry, he is still a commoner at upbringing, maybe I can carve something for him? But that would take too long… Hans loathed to think about it, but asking Bartosch started to sound like more and more like a viable last resort. He looked around the room again, unsure where to go from here.

 

Bartosch woke up from the sound of stumbling feet. ‘Ostrożnie, skurwielu, rycerz może się obudzić.’ ‘No worries, my sweet, Janosh is quiet as mouse.’ Bodies falling into the bed next to him, whispering in quiet voices, but Bartosch didn’t fancy sticking around to hear what they were saying. He rolled out of the straw on the ground quickly, making a run for the stairs, followed by laughing from the two left in the loft.
Bartosch fled out of the first door he could find, which led to the balcony he saw Henry on when he first arrived. He sighed and leaned on the railing, looking over the crossroads. The coming and goings of other people always soothed the knight when troubles - life continued, wether he wanted it to or not. One of the doors on his right opened and in the corner of his eye he saw a flash of yellow. ‘Lord Capon, good afternoon.’ Bartosch kept an easy smile on his face, though he didn’t feel it on the inside.
‘Oh, its you.’ Hans seemed on edge, seeing the knight again. Bartosch just nodded in response, keeping his eyes on the road. ‘If you are looking for Henry, he left earlier on horseback.’
‘Thank you for telling me, but I am quite alright.’ Bartosch could feel the tension between him and the other man and he shifted a bit awkwardly. ‘I’m not here to drag you back off.’ He quickly supplied, looking down at his hands. ‘That time is behind me now, I’m no longer his knight.’ He didn’t expect a response from Hans, but he needed to tell him.
Hans just went and stand next to him instead, looking at the road himself. ‘Henry told me about what happened between you two and the aftermath. I am surprised Von Bergow even cared enough to sent a message over it.’
‘Things weren’t going the way he planned, I assume, with you and Henry joining the mercenaries in Nebakov after the ambush, having to use the Finger of God, then the news of Henry and Zizka escaping with the priest…Istvan found dead with a broken window…He might have wanted to blackmail me once he got back, but he never got the chance for it.’ Bartosch rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. ‘You two were quite the force against him.’
‘Well, it was mainly Henry and Zizka’s doing, I was…in a cage.’ Hans sighed, shaking his head. ‘I have to be rescued in the cover of night, broken out like some kind of criminal.’
‘Well, you are…treason as far as king Sigismund is concerned.’ Bartosch chuckled. ‘But then again, so am I now, wanted for treason and laying with men.’ Bartosch was somewhat happy that those two foreigners stumbled past him, it was easier now that he knows that this Devil’s Pack didn’t mind it much. They shared a less tense silence for a few minutes, watching the people below. ‘Those two foreigners…’
‘Janosh and Adder? Is that why you are out here?’ Bartosch nodded. ‘I think we have all walked in on them at least once. They got no decorum.’ Hans huffed with a smirk. ‘I think they like being caught and watched.’
‘That…would make a lot of sense.’ Bartosch chuckled, shaking his head. ‘So…you and Henry?’ He ventured carefully.
‘I prefer not to get caught, if that is what you are asking.’
‘Not exactly, but thats a good enough answer…You better treat him well.’ Hans scoffed at that.
‘Of course I am treating him well, he is my closest and..only…friend.’ Hans chewed his cheek, crossing his arms. ‘Although…I heard you were quite the lover, I might need to require your services.’

Notes:

Translation for Adder: Careful, you bastard, the knight might wake up

s/o to a mutual that speaks Polish for the translation, even if she didn't know what it was about, a real one

Thank you all for the love as always <3

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Summary:

Henry pours his heart out
Bartosch and Hans conjure up a plan

Henry’s mind was troubled all the way to Kuttenberg, the ride on Pebbles’ back did little to calm his thoughts, which was unusual for the blacksmith. He sped past Grund, much to the disgruntlement of the miners, down the road past Old Kutna and into Kuttenberg, avoiding as much as the main roads as he could. It took him half as long as normally, skipping all the usual side distractions in favour of getting to his destination quickly. Making his way to the Jewish quarter quickly, he dismounted in front of the tavern Samuel usually occupied. He stumbled in quickly, eyes wild as he searched for his step-brother. ‘Henry! Good to see you!’ The tavern keep shouted, grinning. Henry tried to smile back, but it didn’t quite reach his ears. ‘Samuel is downstairs, if you are looking for him.’ Henry nodded in thanks and quickly made his way down the stairs and into the basement.

He first noticed John, drinking from his goblet, his posture without care for once, then he noticed Samuel in the corner of the basement, leaning against the wall with a small smirk on his face.
‘Henry! What a pleasant surprise!’ John smiled, pulling back one of the chairs next to him in invitation. Henry gave him a grateful nod and sank down into the chair heavily.
‘I’m sorry for bursting in like this…I didn’t know where to go.’
‘Are you being followed? Broke the law? Don’t tell me, did you finally kill that councilman?’ Henry chuckled, shaking his head in response.
‘No, nothing drastic like that, though, we might face the wrath of Sir Hans soon.’ He sighed, taking the tankard Samuel offered him with grace.
‘Sir Hans? Your lord? Whatever did you do to invoke his wrath? Last time I checked he liked you.’ John frowned, sitting back in his chair.
‘Smitten, more like.’ Samuel snorted into his tankard, taking a sip of the ale.
‘It…is complicated.’ Henry murmured, taking a drink before continuing. ‘We were fine but then…someone from my past showed up and is has thrown me off balance, I don’t even know where to start.’
‘Well, start with the beginning, so we might have a grasp on what is going on.’ John smiled, not too unkindly.

 

‘My services?’ Bartosch asked, his eyebrow raised to his hairline, looking at the lord without turning fully to him. ‘I won’t deny I have plenty of experience with lovers, but whatever do you need my services for, Lord Capon?’
Hans shuffled a bit awkwardly. ‘It has…come to my attention that I have not been fair on Henry, that is…I have done nothing for him in return for his attentions.’ Hans cleared his throat awkwardly, pointedly not looking at Bartosch.
‘Neglected your lover? My, that is grave indeed.’ Bartosch chuckled, looking back at the trees across the road. ‘And you think Henry is unsatisfied with this?’
‘I know Henry, I’m sure and I do not know how to fix this without throwing poetry at him…’
‘Never been in a long term relationship?’
‘No one ever caught my eye as much as Henry did.’
Bartosch was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. It must be a big step for Hans to ask him for help, seeing their history. ‘Well, Henry seems like a practical man, if you want to buy him a gift weapons would be a start or new armour.’
‘He has all that he needs, makes most of it himself in the smithy out back…and there is no way I can make him something that surpasses his craft.’ Hans sighed.
‘Well, if there is one thing nobles are good at, it is picking out the most expensive gifts, how about brandy? He liked the bottle back when, I could help you find one similar.’ Strangely, the knight didn’t feel any jealousy towards Hans, happy to help him put Henry back at ease. ‘Don’t go for perfume, he might take it as an insult, alcohol and going out together for something to eat might be enough.’ Bartosch added, smiling a bit. ‘A nice picnic in the forest where no one can see you, fields are too open, folk might find it strange and tell the bailiff. Alcohol, company, food, what else could someone wish for.’ It had been a while since someone had taken the knight out on a date, but he remembered the feeling of being treasured well - there was nothing quite like it.
Hans mulled the words over, nodding slowly. ‘That sounds like a good idea, but where will I find alcohol when they won’t let me leave the inn? And you, knight, aren’t allowed to leave either.’ That did make their mission a little more complicated.
‘We could ask someone to escort us? I’m sure one of the guys would love to stretch their legs.’
‘And who do you suggest? Dry Devil? Zizka? Don’t make me laugh.’
‘The foreigners, the old men can stay here and scheme, we might even do them a favour taking those two off their hands for a day if what you said was true.’
‘As you say, think everyone can agree that they could breathe easier opening doors without the chance of seeing them during their…passions.’ Bartosch laughed in response to that.

Hans was taken aback by the sight of Bartosch laughing, his head was thrown back and he had these little wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, he looked beautiful cast in the light of the afternoon sun. ‘Quite…we will leave first thing in the morning, I will tell those two when they…emerge again, in the meantime I will tell the captain that we will be going to Kuttenberg for a few days, under strict supervision of course.’ Hans quickly squeezed past the knight and into the tavern, the starting of a blush on his face. He quickly made his way downstairs and outside. ‘Captain! A word, if you can, please.’ Hans waited for Zizka to walk over to him and quickly explained the plan Bartosch and he came up with.
Zizka just looked at Hans, his arms crossed. ‘Are you out of your mind? Leaving with Von Bergow’s knight?’
‘And Janosh and Adder…Henry trusts him, said he had to flee because he is a traitor now, just like us, that is enough for me.’
‘Henry is a fool sometimes, Capon…but you would give the lads a chance to see the city…Take Kubyenka with you as well, he will keep an eye on all of you, just keep him out of the taverns.’ Hans nodded quickly, thanking Zizka before running off to check on his horse to make sure she is ready for the trip ahead.

 

‘And that is where we are now…I don’t know what to do with this, Sir Hans was already on edge when mentioning Bartosch, but I can’t leave him to the wolves.’ Henry was deep into his fifth tankard now, the room was starting to spin.
‘So you fled and now you are here, lets drink to that!’ John grinned, throwing back the rest of his wine. Henry did the same with his ale, groaning. ‘So! You are stuck between two paramours, desperate for your heart or mind to pick one, which logically would be your Lord.’ John went on.
‘Bartosch was a better lover though, from what I can gather.’ Samuel smirked, draining the last bit of his fourth tankard. ‘Though, that would also be short lived long term.’
‘Is that a jab at me, Sam? You wound me….but you are right, you have been at Lord Capon’s side for a while now, you two know each other as well as brothers…but that knight…’ John refilled his goblet again. ‘There is always the third option.’
‘Third?’
‘Depending on how greedy you are, you could accept both their advances.’
‘You’re mad, Lord, Sir Hans would never let anyone else have me like that.’
‘So you admit you have thought about it!’ Samuel grinned, leaning closer over the table. ‘You want them both, don’t you, little brother? Willing to share your precious Lordling?’
Henry groaned, slamming his tankard down. ‘Listen here, you might be family but I will still fuck you up!’ Samuel had egged Henry on all afternoon, filling his drink again and again to get the man drunk. ‘Of course I have thought about it! They are totally different people and they both like me and…I think I like them both back.’ Speaking the words out loud, slurred as they were, made it all too real for Henry. ‘Sakra, this is a mess.’ He let out another groan and dropped his head on the table. ‘As if one male lover wasn’t enough, I had to go and get a second one.’
‘Now now, Henry, don’t despair, everything will work out, as God intends.’ John smiled, patting his back gently, making Henry burp. ‘But I think that is enough drink for you now, it is getting late, Samuel, could you go upstairs and get us all some food?’ Samuel sighed and nodded, getting up.

‘He isn’t sleeping in our bed, tonight.’

Notes:

I love Samuel and John so much, cuties

Last chapter for the week, hopefully I have energy next week to write the next chapter <3

See you all then!

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Summary:

The boys go shopping

They left for Kuttenberg as the sun was still coming up, Bartosch had made sure the horses were ready to go before the others arrived. ‘Why we have to go this early, eh? Adder is still drunk from last night!’ Janos whined, pulling himself onto one of the horses.
‘Nie jestem pijany, czuję się świetnie.’ Bartosch didn’t understand what the Pole said, but the tone made it clear that he was making a joke towards Janosh.
‘We want to be back tomorrow, so we set off early so we have plenty of time to do whatever we all need to do.’ Hans sighed, pulling himself onto his own horse. ‘We got a room at The Hole in the Wall, Hynek sent a letter ahead for us.’
Janosh, Adder and Kubyenka snickered, but didn’t say anything else, setting off down the road. Bartosch brought up the rear, keeping his head on a swivel whilst they traveled. He listened to Janosh and Adder’s banter, though he only understood one of the two. Kubnyenka was leading the travel band, but was barely keeping in his saddle as is. ‘Are we sure about this, Lord Capon? They seem…distracted at best.’
‘All the better, Sir Bartosch, keeps their eyes off of us.’ Hans smirked in his direction, ‘Gives us time to sniff around the richer merchants without them thinking we are there to rob them.’ Bartosch chuckled at that, nodding, though he wasn’t so sure he still fit the image needed to blend in.

It was noon before they reached Kuttenberg, they had lost their way twice and Hans was fed up with the three from the Devil’s Pack. ‘Absolutely useless.’ He groaned, bringing his horse to the stables of The Hole in the Wall. His ass hurt from the saddle and it had been too long since he had anything to eat. Bartosch led his horse next to Hans’, nodding along.
‘The country side was beautiful though, can’t deny that.’
‘Farming peasants and caravans that were pushing us off the roads, not my kind of beauty.’ The noble huffed, making his way into the tavern with the knight on his heels. Kubyanka was already inside, sitting at one of the tables with a drink, Janosh and Adder were off somewhere else. Probably to fuck again, Bartosch thought, shaking his head. The two joined Kubyenka, calling for the Tavern wench for lunch. They ate quietly, buying Kubyenka round after round until he stumbled on to play dice. The two gave each other a knowing glance and slipped out of the tavern unseen, hitting the busy streets of Kuttenberg, first getting cleaned up at the bathhouse before going to the markets.

 

Henry groaned, rubbing his head, his brain pounding in the skull prison. He made his way down from the room he was staying, Samuel smirked at him, pushing a cup of water towards him. ‘It sneaks up on you when drinking with John.’ Henry took the cup and drained it in one go, closing his eyes.
‘He is no joke.’ He rumbled, shaking his head carefully. ‘Thanks for the water…and the room.’
‘Least I could do for my step-brother.’ Samuel seemed sincere, if only for a few moments. Henry smiled in response before ordering some food to fill his stomach. ‘What is the plan for today? Returning to your lord?’ Henry sighed, shaking his head.
‘I can’t return without an apology…and an apology with my lord means some kind of gift.’ Henry looked down at his bowl, frowning a bit. ‘I would normally make him something, but I don’t have the time for that.’
‘You could go to the markets, plenty of merchants.’
‘You’re right, maybe I can find something in his house colours…’ Henry got up with a groan, his head still spinning a little. It doesn’t have to be that special, just something thoughtful. Henry gave Samuel a thankful smile before making his way out of the tavern. Henry stumbled out of the Jewish quarter, greeting and smiling to people that greeted him. People knew Henry, even if Henry couldn’t remember any of them.
The market was bustling with people, craftsmen calling for people to buy their products - it was killing Henry. He spared little glances at the stalls, but most of it all was not what he was looking for for Hans. No Hans had expensive tastes, his lord needed something special. He kept browsing the stalls before hitting the regular shops. He passed by the tailor first, looking through the catalogue, but nothing grabbed his attention. He picked up a tailor’s kit just to be sure and moved on to the next shop with a sigh.

‘We can try the tailors? Noticed his current shirt has holes in it.’ Bartosch offered, walking next to Hans.
‘Holes? Where? I didn’t notice anything.’
‘On the back, he probably got caught on something and never patched it.’
‘Very well, have you been here before?’ Bartosch nodded in response, already anticipating what came next and set off down the street to lead the way. Hans followed silently, taking in the sights of the city around him. The tailor wasn’t far luckily, Bartosch letting Hans step into the shop and out of the harsh sun first. The artisan behind the counter perked up at their arrival, noting the golden yellow pourpoint Hans was wearing.
‘Good afternoon, my lord! What can I help you with today?’ The smile on the artisan’s face screamed fake customer service, but Hans ignored it. He was used to it in a sense, they all did it.
‘I am looking for a new tunic for my squire, yellow with black details.’ Hans’ belly warmed at the thought of Henry in his house colours.
‘But of course sir, I will see what I have.’ The artisan disappeared to the back and Bartosch chuckled.
‘Subtle, maybe get him a neutral coloured one as well, black perhaps.’
‘Talk about subtle, but you are right, some more neutral colours are in order.’ When the artisan came back with the perfect tunic in his colours, here ordered a few more neutral tones, dirty whites, greens, reds and Bartosch bought Henry two black tunics. Hans rolled his eyes at it, but didn’t say anything further.

Henry visited a few blacksmiths next, but again, there was nothing he got excited about. He frowned, looking at the different daggers one of them had on display. Maybe a new whittling set? The knives were getting a bit old, Henry thought, he would appreciate that, I will get him a higher quality- ‘Buy something or leave.’ A gruff voice pulled Henry out of his thoughts.
‘Huh?’ He looked up at the shop’s guard, who already had one hand on his sword.
‘I’m not telling you twice, either buy something or leave the shop.’ The guard sounded hostile, something Henry wasn’t used to. With a frown, he quickly left the building. He would go somewhere else with his business then.

‘He was complaining that he was running out of armourers kits, we should pick some up.’ Hans said after collecting the tunics into a bag that Bartosch ended up carrying. The knight was debating bringing the garments back to the tavern, but it was too far out of the way to justify.
‘As you say, he has quite the knack for fixing things..’ Bartosch nodded, following Hans to the next place. It took 2 blacksmith places to find good kits, but the eager blacksmith sold them with a small discount to boot. Hans had a satisfied smile on his face as he walked back out, holding 3 kits in his hands. ‘I know he will be happy with these.’
They walked along the road at a slow pace, enjoying each other’s company properly for the first time. ‘So how did you two meet?’ Bartosch ventured carefully. Hans let out a laugh, shaking his head.
‘I challenged him to a series of tests when he first arrived in Rattay, sword fighting and archery, he din’t know what hit him!’
‘That seems hardly fair, he was a commoner.’
‘He provoked me…but we didn’t properly meet until the bar fight.’ Hans smiled at the memory. ‘He was assigned to me afterwards as punishment, he was to escort me on a hunting trip!’ Hans was beaming now. ‘He absolutely thrashed me catching rabbits, him and that Mutt of his made quite the team.’
Bartosch nodded, smiling along with Hans. ‘I’m glad it worked out in the end.’

 

Henry ended up buying the whittling supplies on the market, the blacksmith was a man of little words. ’The knife won’t break easily, it will be able to be used on the toughest of wood.’ The blacksmith nodded, his arms crossed.
‘Toledo steel, this will do nicely.’ Henry nodded, pulling out his coin purse.
‘Good eye, sir, have you worked with this before?’
‘Once or twice, I am a blacksmith myself.’ Henry grinned, opening the strings. ‘Made a sword for my lord out of that a bit ago, he was well pleased.’
The blacksmith started to smile, nodding. ‘Aye, that would do it for most, your lord is a lucky man.’
‘Don’t I know it.’ Henry looked around the stall a bit more, looking over the pieces on display. He wanted to get something for Bartosch as well, seeing as he had to sell all his items to survive. He had kept his longsword and most of his armour. ‘The whittling set and 2 kits to fix armour.’ I could at the very least fix his protection for him.

Bartosch led Hans through the streets, he was now carrying more than he had bargained for, but he didn’t complain. They only needed to get Henry the bottle of booze that they had set out for. It was getting late by now, the streets winding down, women were making dinner and the men were slowly making their ways home or to the taverns and inns. Bartosch couldn’t quite remember where he had found the luxury merchant last time they had passed through Kuttenberg exactly, but as the buildings got nicer, he knew he was on the right track. Hans had perked up a little since their ride here, but it was clear on his face that he had grown tired of the walking and the people. ‘Almost there, I know this merchant has the best spirits in the region.’ He pressed on, Hans shuffling behind him. The door opened right before they reached it, the smell of expensive bath oils and soaps wafting into the streets.
Hans’ eyes widened slightly before renewing his place, catching the door before it could close fully. The shop was exactly what he needed; luxurious, expensive and totally not Henry. ‘Welcome, my Lord, let me know if I can be of help.’ Hans decided to ignore the merchant and looked around.
Bartosch moved into the building after him, smiling at the merchant and looking around himself. He didn’t have the money for any of this, his last few groschen now left saved for an emergency. He didn’t regret buying the tunics though, he knew Henry would appreciate them.
Hans ended up buying just a bottle of booze, deciding that the usual chamomile scent that Henry preferred was more than enough for them. Chamomile now reminds me of him, so I better not change it.

Tired but satisfied with the results of their afternoon, the knight and noble made their way back to the tavern they would be staying at, the two falling into an easy silence. They rounded the corner together, watching as some poor sod got thrown about. Flashes of green and yellow were seen as men surrounded him. Bartosch flinched as a particularly nasty kick hit the guy in the stomach, making him throw up. ‘Poor sod, he is going to feel that tomorrow morning.’ Hans retorted with a snort, watching it go down from a save distance.
It didn’t take much longer for the guy to fall over face up. ‘

Lord Capon? I’m afraid that is our poor sod.’

Notes:

Nie jestem pijany, czuję się świetnie - I'm not drunk, I'm feeling fine

Things will pick up steam again soon, I promise! <3 Thank you for reading as always!

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Summary:

The road back to the Den can be a long one.

Sharing a room with a knight was nothing new for Hans, it was however, the first time he had shared it with Bartosch. Hans didn’t feel shy when taking off his hood and pourpoint, he knew he was physically well kept with his training and hunting trips. Besides, Bartosch didn’t have an eye for him, only for Henry.
He watched out of the corner of his eye as Bartosch pulled out a flask from his bag, taking a swig, spilling a little bit out of the corner of his mouth. Hans swallowed thickly, following the drops that fell down his chin and neck onto the knight’s tunic. Bartosch cursed softly, quickly wiping the liquid away from his chin and putting the flask back. Hans turned away quickly, shame burning his face. The time they had spent together both on the road and in the city made Hans’ respect and affection for the knight grow a little. He was kind, straightforward and seemed loyal, not much different than Henry in the biggest sense. He untied his hose quickly and climbed into bed, taking his book out of his pack and leaning back against the wall. Hanush had drilled into him that he needed to read for at least half an hour before bed, it settled the mind, he would say. Hanush wanted him to read latin, or books that taught him something; but Hans preferred poetry, flowery language about romance and knights. He tried to concentrate, he really did, but his eyes kept wandering to the other knight in the room, the knight who had taken his shirt off now and was getting ready to go to sleep.
Bartosch had his back to Hans, the candle light caught the knight’s muscles just so to highlight them, the shadows creating beautiful shapes as he moved around.
Hans felt his chest heat up, slowly spreading throughout his entire body. He was horrified by his body’s reaction, but couldn’t tear his eyes away as Bartosch started working on taking off his hose. It is just because Henry and I are fighting, he tried to tell himself, it is out of spite, because Henry still wants him. He let out a small sigh and closed the book again and throwing it aside, laying down on his bed with his back to Bartosch, trying his best to ignore the tightness that was forming into his braies rapidly.

Henry left early that next morning, Pebbles in a light canter, enjoying the light breeze that blew over the countryside. Mutt was yapping next to him, chasing mice in the tall grass. He took his time riding back, the conversation with John and Sam still fresh in his mind.
‘Just tell him what you feel, Henry, that is all you need to do.’ John had grinned at him, taking another ship of wine. ‘I’m sure Hans will understand and if not, you at least told him before running off with your knight clad in black.’ He had meant it in jest, but it made Henry think; what if Hans didn’t understand and didn’t accept? The choice would be an easy one, even if it did hurt him - he would always follow Hans, he is loyal to Hans and not just because his father and Hanush forced him. He loved Hans, as a friend, as a confidant, as a lover.
He watched Mutt run around, the dog happy after the scraps of sausage he had given him this morning. In a lot of ways, I am much like him, Henry mused, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. He didn’t dwell on it anymore, his attention being pulled away to a caravan coming his way.

Hans groaned, trying his best not to yell at the Devil’s Pack members to hurry up and get on with it. ‘I will leave you all behind if you don’t hurry up!’ Hans bounced his leg nervously underneath the table, it was getting later in the day and he was anxious to get back to the Devil’s Den - back to Henry. Kubyenka gave him a look, not to be rushed this day after the night he had. His right eye was nearly swollen shut, a deep shade of purple staring back at the noble.
Janosh and Adder stumbled into the inn an hour before noon and at the sight of the two, Hans all but jumped up to go. ‘Finally! Time to go.’ He stormed out, almost running to the stables. Bartosch was already there, holding the reins of both of their horses.
‘She is ready to go, Lord Capon, all the gifts are packed as well.’ Bartosch smiled, easily slipping into the role of squire now Henry isn’t around. Hans gave him a grateful nod before clambering on, turning the mare towards the road out of Kuttenberg. Kubyenka, Janosh and Adder stumble out once Bartosch is onto his own horse, bringing it next to Hans.
‘We shall speed down the roads, our horses can run for a while before needing a break, we shall be back in half time!’ Hans declared.
‘We don’t need to do that, lord Capon, we still got plenty of time to get back before supper.’ Bartosch placated the blond, making Hans huff. Bartosch threw a look at the other three that were getting on their horses, surprisingly steady for how hungover they looked. ’We will be back before you know it and I am sure Henry will be delighted to see you again.’

‘What do you mean, sir Hans left yesterday with Bartosch and hasn’t come back?!’ Henry was besides himself, Hans was gone - again. ‘Zizka, I have a lot of respect for you as a captain, but sakra-’ Henry was turning red in the face, panic gripping at his inside.
‘Calm down, lad, your lord is fine, I sent Kubyenka, Janosh and Adder with him.’
‘How is that supposed to make me feel any better?’ Henry grumbled, looking at the road to Kuttenberg in hopes of catching a glance of them returning. It was still early in the day, maybe they left after me.
‘Sit down, Henry, I’m sure he will return soon.’ The captain sighed, forcing Henry to sit down next to him and ordering him a drink. ‘I’m surprised you didn’t run into him.’
‘Kuttenberg is big and busy, and I didn’t know he was here.’ Henry retorted, checking on his bottom lip and running a hand through his hair. If only I had known, I could have apologised immediately for leaving. He cursed softly, thanking the maiden when she brought his ale. He drank it out of obligation, knowing that tonight was going to be a long night of waiting.
‘Cheer up, Henry, ye can do whatever you want now, how about some sword practice, ye need to keep yer skills up.’ Devil grinned as he walked over from the abandoned house. Henry took a second before nodding, getting up.
‘Better get ready to get your ass beat, Devil.’

‘I told you, we needed to go right at that junction.’ Bartosch sighed, getting off his horse to go ask for the directions. Hans watched the knight with his nose upturned.
‘I must’ve misheard you.’ They had passed 2 towns, and none of them recognised where they were now. If Bartosch was annoyed, he didn’t show it in a way Hans recognised. The knight left the horse with the group and walked into the local inn, out of sight.
‘I know, Adder, I too would like drink.’ Janosh sighed from his horse, rolling his head to loosen the muscles.
‘You can have a drink when we get back to the Den.’ Hans sighed, crossing his arms, staring at the door where Bartosch disappeared through. It was nearing dinner and they weren’t back yet, the sun would be setting soon and Hans did not want to spend another night in a random tavern or worse, out in the open, under the open sky.
‘I’m sure we aren’t far off the Devil’s Den, Sir Hans.’ Kubyenka chimed in, an easy and unconcerned  smile on his face. ‘We didn’t leave the region, and all roads lead back to the Devil’s Den, as they say.’
Hans was pretty sure no one ever said that, but didn’t dignify him with a response. Bartosch came out of the inn not much later, quickly pulling himself back on his horse. ‘Miskowitz, we can take that road and we will be on our way again.’
‘Janosh thought he recognised village!’ Janosh piped up, grinning. ‘This is where Janosh spent night in stocks!’ Hans shoot him a scathing look, this all could have been avoided if they had helped out. Bartosch opted not to say anything and started leading the way towards the Devil’s Den.

Notes:

A bit of a short one, but the next one is going to be big! The boys are reuniting! I am adding more tags!

See you all then!

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Summary:

Henry and Hans talk things out

Bartosch sensed Hans’ anxiety with how long it was taking, but he wasn’t sure if it was smart to speed up, not with the other three barely hanging on to their saddles. At the same time, however, at this speed, they would never get back in time for sundown and the woods are crawling with bandits. ‘Lets speed up everyone, we have spent enough time on the road.’ Bartosch called out, looking over his shoulder to Hans. Hans gave him a grateful nod and pushed his heels into his mare’s flanks. Bartosch did the same and they sped up from their canter into a gallop, trying their best to out speed the lowering sun.
They reached the Devil’s Den with little daylight to spare, coming to a halt at the crossing, panting from the journey. Bartosch got out of his saddle stiffly, taking both his own and Hans’ reigns, letting the noble rush to his room to find hopefully find Henry. He set up the horses next to Pebbles, taking off the saddles and brushing them dry before taking the gifts inside for safekeeping. He avoided eye contact with everyone in the downstairs area, quickly making his way to the little rented bed, putting the bags behind the flat pillow. He mulled over the last day’s events as he did so, a frown on his brow.
He could certainly see why Henry was loyal to Hans, he was fun to be around if he was comfortable and he was knowledgeable on a range of topics - rivalling his own scholarship. The conversations had flowed easily during the travel and meals, they had even played a game of dice after dinner last night - the winner however, was still unclear; Bartosch was sure Hans had counted wrong and Hans was sure Bartosch was trying to throw him off his game. Hans was nice to be around, and so was Henry.
He sat down on his bed and closed his eyes, images of Hans flashed through his mind. He had seen the noble when going to bed, and though he normally preferred the muscles of a fellow knight, the lean muscle’s in Hans’ body god him excited.
His imagination quickly taking the better of him, devolving his mind to images of Henry and Hans in their shared room, in their shared bed even. His mind supplied the noises, Hans would sound more high pitched and Henry…Henry would let out those deep growls again. Bartosch groaned, remembering the noises Henry had made for him, his braies quickly tenting as the images kept flashing. He tried his best to keep quiet as his hand slid beneath the band hugging his hips, his hand gripping his hardened length firmly. Would Henry service his lord, on his knees in front of the bed? Or would Hans be tamed instead, the image of the noble on his knees instead making him groan softly; he would pay good money to see and experience that.
His hand sped up, his legs tensing up from the stimulation. Henry hadn’t needed too much prep back when, would he take Hans that easily as well? Bartosch felt his curiosity mounting, he was yearning to go to their room to peek inside, just a glimpse would satisfy his thoughts. He bit is lip, slowly pulling out the hand from his braies. Just a quick look, he couldn’t even justify it to himself as he got up and made his way through the door and down the walkway, peeking through the open window.

Henry gripped Hans’ hips, looking up at him from his laying position on the bed. Hans had come rushing in, door slamming against the wall before kicking it closed, ordering Henry to stay right where he was. It turned into a desperate pull of hands, clothes haphazardly throwing through the room. ’You worried me, rushing off like that.’ Hans grumbled, grinding his ass against Henry’s  still clothed hips. Henry groaned softly, pushing his hips against Hans. ‘Seriously, what were you thinking, leaving me behind like that, who would defend me huh? Zizka? The Devil?…Bartosch?’
Henry frowned up at him, finally really looking him in the eye. ‘I didn’t think, sir, I trusted that you would be safe here at the Den, they are bastards but they know how to protect their own.’ Henry gripped Hans’ hips a bit harder, making him stop moving. ‘I want to apologise, truly, I was out of line leaving you like that, Sir.’
‘You were, I ought to punish you.’ Hans had that glint in his eyes, Henry had seen it before - it meant little good. ‘But, we need to talk first.’ Hans stilled his movements on the urging of Henry, looking down at him. ‘I want you to stay away from Bartosch.’
Henry’s insides froze, eyes widening slightly. ‘What brought this on?’
‘It became clear to me over my trip to Kuttenberg that he is smitten with you and I won’t have it.’ Hans took Henry’s hands and pinned them to the bed next to the blacksmith’s head. ‘You are mine and mine alone.’
Henry tried to make sense of it, the sudden shift in demeanour about Bartosch - Hans had sounded so unconcerned before, before they had gone to Kuttenberg. Hans said he noticed Bartosch was smitten with him, would it be that Hans is…scared he would run off? He had told him before he wasn’t going to leave him, so why bring this up now? ’I am not sure if I can do that, sir.’ Henry replied instead. ‘I promised to help him, I am not breaking that.’
‘You are going to defy me, Henry?’ Hans sounded hurt, insecurity flaring over his face. Henry wrestled his arms free, gripping Hans and quickly switching positions with him.
‘How many times do I have to prove to you, Sir, that I am yours.’ Henry sighed, kissing Hans’ neck  and shoulder softly. ‘No other person will take me away from you, my Lord.’ He pushed his hips against Hans’ own, making him feel what the noble did to him. ‘I am your loyal dog, yours to command.’

Hans groaned at the declaration, his eyes closing and fingers gripping the blacksmith’s shoulders. The pit in the noble’s stomach didn’t let up - Henry liked Bartosch, he knew this and it had become clear now that it was a point of concern; certainly now that he was sure that given time, his own feelings for the knight would grow. His mind drifted back to that night in The Hole in the Wall, the games, the talks, the oogling he did when it became time for bed.
His mind was becoming muddled as Henry kept grinding his hips against him. ‘H-Henry.’ It came out as a whine, gripping Henry even harder. ‘We need to talk about this.’ It was important to the noble that Henry knew where his pain laid. ‘I don’t want him to become between us.’
‘He won’t, sir, nothing will make me stray from you, I’m yours.’
‘He is better at courting than me.’ Hans grind out, trying to ignore the pleasure Henry is already giving him. ‘He is planning to court you, Henry, with gifts.’ Zizka’s words came back to him, he needs a tender touch sometimes. Taking Henry out for a picnic with gifts certainly falls under a tender touch and he would be left out of those plans.
Henry stilled at that. The way he said that-
‘Is that what is bothering you? That he might be a better lover?’ Henry started to understand it now. He raised back up, looking Hans in the eyes. ’Hans…’ His voice laced with pity. ‘It is no secret that I like the attention, but if you forbid me from returning it, I will not do so.’
‘Henry…I trust you, but you are mine, Bartosch can’t have you.’

 

 

Bartosch stumbled back from the window, his back pressed against the wall between the door and the next. His heart was racing, his eyes cast towards the sky. He hadn’t known what to expect when sneaking over, but them talking about him while grinding on each other wasn’t it. His breath was slightly laboured, his cock straining painfully against his braies. He quickly made his way back inside the inn, trying his best to find a quiet corner to process what he had heard.
It was clear that Hans didn’t like him, and Henry…Henry hadn’t pushed back. It stung, if only a little; he should’ve known that Hans would be possessive over Henry and the chances things would work out were slim. He felt a little used, after he gave his advice to Hans freely. He was the one who suggested the picnic, but for a way for Hans to show Henry what he meant to the blacksmith, not for Bartosch to steal Henry from him.
He found the quiet corner he was looking for rather quickly, sitting down against the wall, pushing his braies down enough to free his cock. His hand was firm and sure, knowing exactly what he needed to take care of this little problem.

 

Henry tried to search Hans’ face, as if he could figure out where the problem lied underneath the words. He had reassured Hans that he wouldn’t leave and that he was his. He knew Hans, there was something else, something more- and the way he had said that- court you with gifts.
‘Hans, you don’t happen to have…grown your own affections towards him, do you?’ The widening of the noble’s eyes gave him enough of an answer, Henry had hit the nail on the head. ‘You are not afraid of him taking me away from you…you are afraid he will take you away from me and I will leave because of that.’ The realisation hit Henry hard, his heart stuttering in excitement. ‘You want him for yourself. Whilst keeping me.’
’N-no! No that isn’t it at all, I…’ Hans groaned, slightly frustrated that he had to explain it to Henry. ‘I want to share him with you, Henry.’
Henry groaned, grinding his hips against his Lord’s once again. His face was flush, the excitement tenable in the air, thickening between them. ‘Sakra, Hans.’ His voice was hoarse from the restraint he was showing. ‘You have no idea how happy that makes me, sir.’ Henry started kissing down his body, giving small licks over his nipples whilst starting pulling down the noble’s braies. ‘I was dreaming…hoping that I could keep you both.’
He dragged his lips over the noble’s hardened cock, starting from the root making his way up to the head where he wrapped his lips around his lover. Hans let out a strained moan, trying his best to keep quiet so no one would hear them. Hans’ hands made their way into Henry’s hair, gripping the roots, urging him to move. Henry’s tongue quickly got to work, drawing circles around the head and swiping over the slit. Hans shuddered, pushing on Henry’s head to move down now, which Henry happily complied with.
Henry wasn’t able to take all of Hans, but that was alright for both of them, it was a process that they could work on. Hans used Henry’s hair as leverage to slowly fuck his mouth, letting out little gasps of pleasure each time Henry’s tongue put pressure on the underside of his cock. Changing the angle slightly, Hans hit the inside of Henry’s cheek, a quiet moan leaving his mouth at the sensation on the head. Henry held on to Hans’ tight, letting him use his mouth of the noble’s pleasure, happy to enjoy the feeling of giving Hans this pleasure and release.
Hans sped up a little, feeling Henry’s fingers grip his legs a little tighter to keep himself still. Hans threw his head back, his orgasm rushing towards him. The hum Henry let out was enough to fall over the edge for the noble, holding Henry’s mouth onto himself as much as he could as he came down his squire’s throat, his back arched.
Henry pulled away, letting go of the softening length, looking Hans in the eyes as he swallowed the load. Hans groaned, biting his lip at the sight, it was obscene. Henry waited for Hans to come down from his high again, shifting to give his own cock as much room in his braies as possible. Hans noticed his discomfort and smirked.

‘Do not touch yourself Henry, you are not coming until I wish you to, that is your punishment for leaving me behind here.’

Notes:

And here is where we slowly start going off the rails, I had written this one basically at the same time as the last one.

I always try my best to stay a little true to the characters, but sometimes, we gotta do what we gotta do to make things keep moving along.

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Summary:

Sometimes, boys just need to fight it out.

Henry awoke late, his body sore and slow from the day before. He slowly groped next to him, expecting the warm body of his lord, but instead found cold sheets. He groaned and rolled over onto his front, hugging the pillow. Hans was never up before him, but between the horse ride from Kuttenberg, training with Devil and pleasing his lord, it was little surprise that he needed the extra rest. He sighed, trying to relax into the mattress, but his mind was waking up, leaving the hope of more sleep behind. After half an hour he pushed himself out of the warmth of the bed, getting dressed and making his way out and down to the kitchen to eat.
The Den was quiet, maybe too quiet, but he didn’t quite notice until he sat down with his bowl and no one had greeted him yet. He looked around, but only the innkeeper Treadlight was around. ‘Where is everyone?’
‘The pen, something with that newcomer and the blond noble.’ He didn’t sound concerned about it, but Henry’s heart dropped. His breakfast forgotten, he quickly burst through the door outside.

Everyone had gathered around the pen, hollering and shouting in the early morning air. Hynek was standing in the pen, together with Hans and Bartosch, the two of them sizing each other up. ‘What is happening? Why are they fighting?’ Henry came to a halt next to a smirking Zizka.
‘Peacocking, that’s what’s happening.’ The captain replied, glancing over to Henry. ‘Asserting the pecking order, seems like you are their driver though.’
Henry watched, dumbfounded as the two men got into position. They were using practice swords, fortunately, so there was no risk of real injuries. ‘Who challenged who?’
‘I wasn’t there, but from what I gathered, Bartosch challenged Capon, why I couldn’t tell you.’
Henry frowned, moving towards the fence to call all this off, only to be held back by Kubyenka. ‘Let them fight it out, lad, your lord can take care of himself.’ He looked calm even underneath the bruises that were slowly fading. ‘Sometimes you just have to let them get it out of their system.’ He patted Henry on the shoulder, turning back to the pen.

‘Don’t fight dirty, ye cocks, ye go until one of yous bows out or is knocked out, understood?’ Dry Devil was standing between the two fighters, nodding when he got his answer. He stepped back and the two wasted no time stepping into each other’s range. They sized each other up, walking in circles until Hans got impatient, attacking Bartosch first. Bartosch parried the noble’s strikes easily, reposting with grace. Hans groaned when the wooden blade hit him on the arm, stepping back quickly, reassessing the situation. He is more agile than Henry, but his short sword is pulling him out of balance, could it be the weight? Hans waited, waited for Bartosch to make the next move. It didn’t take Bartosch long to attack Hans, a concentrated look in his eyes. Hans blocked the incoming slash, yelping as the force of the hit vibrated through his arms. He quickly stepped back, but Bartosch didn’t let up, going for hit after hit on the noble. Hans tried to get around Bartosch whilst blocking the strikes, but every step was met with a counter step, every attack with a counter attack – there was no way the knight was going to let him win. Why did he feel the need to challenge me to a duel when he knows I stood no chance.
He was panting, slowly started to panic, he had to win this, he couldn’t lose. I challenge you, for a chance to take Henry out on a date. What a stupid idea, he should’ve said no really, but his ego, his pride couldn’t decline the challenge. He had to win this now, for Henry, like Henry would and had done for him.
Bartosch pressed the attack again, driving Hans into a corner. His back hit the fence, Bartosch bearing down on the practice sword raised above his head, pushing him down, threatening to push him onto his knees.
‘Yield, Lord Capon.’ Bartosch didn’t show any hint of exhaustion in his voice, even as the sweat was pouring down his forehead.
Hans thought about it, truly he did, but he wasn’t about to lose like that, not whilst kneeling before the Black Knight. He crouched down quickly, swiping out his leg to trip the knight. Bartosch stumbled, not prepared for the change in tactics and Hans launched himself at him, tackling him to the ground. There was nothing pretty in the action, it was definitely dirty fighting, but the noble didn’t care, he needed to win.

Henry looked on with exasperations as Bartosch and Hans grappled in the dirt of the pit, their wooden swords thrown aside in favor of their bare hands. ‘Idiots.’ He mumbled, leaning on the fence. He knew he had no place to say anything about this, he would’ve done the same in his Lord’s honour. Devil made eye contact with him across the pen, raising an eyebrow; the question was left unsaid, but Henry understood, Do you want me to stop them? Henry shook his head, watching on as Bartosch and Hans rolled over the ground, let them get it out of their system. A few more minutes of this passed before Henry hopped the fence. ‘That is quite enough you two.’ He sighed, grabbing Hans by the hem of his pourpoint and pulling him off Bartosch with surprising strength. ‘What has gotten into you two?’ Henry grumbled, watching Dry Devil leave the pen in the corner of his eye. ‘Please get up so we can talk.’ Henry let go of Hans and crossed his arms, watching them both get up onto their feet.
The two didn’t look guilty, staring daggers at each other. So much for wanting to share Bartosch with me, Henry thought, looking around to see if any of the others were sticking around. He led them into the ruins of the house that was adjacent to the pen for some privacy. He leaned against one of the remaining walls, looking at his companions. ‘Talk.’
Hans and Bartosch talked at the same time, each trying to be louder than the other. ‘One at the time, I cannot follow either of you when you speak at the same time.’
‘He challenged me to a duel and as a noble, I cannot refuse.’ Hans quickly injected, his nose in the air.
‘And why did Bartosch challenge you?’ Henry had a feeling that Hans had said something cause this.
‘I did nothing against him, if that is what you are implying, blacksmith boy.’ Hans huffed, looking away.
Henry raised an eyebrow and looked at Bartosch for answers instead. The knight was burning holes into Hans, defiance in his eyes. ‘Bartosch?’ Bartosch’s head snapped to Henry, he looked unsure of himself now that the fight was over. ‘Captain Zizka said something about fighting over me? Care to explain?’
‘Well…The captain is well informed. I…overheard you two talking last night-’
‘You were spying on us?!’ Hans interrupted, frowning.
‘Hans, let him speak.’
‘And I cannot simply…sit by and keep my distance, Henry.’ Bartosch looked, almost panicked to Henry. ‘I needed to do something, I cannot…I can’t lose you, Henry not after…everything that has  happened.’
Henry gave a sidelong glance at Hans, giving him a silent pre warning to keep quiet before stepping over to Bartosch. Bartosch looked him in the eyes, the normally jovial knight disheveled and now that Henry was closer, he could see the dark bags under his eyes. These weeks truly have taken a toll on him. He reached up gingerly, cupping Bartosch’ face. ‘You two are idiots.’ He gave Bartosch a small smile and a chuckle, leaning his forehead against that of Bartosch, pulling him closer. ‘I am not going anywhere.’ He sighed softly. ‘I suppose you left before the end of the conversation. I don’t hate a little rivalry between you two for my attention, it is flattering really, but Bartosch, there is no need to fight for me, we will freely give you me and Hans if you wish.’ He stepped back again, letting Bartosch go.

Bartosch mindlessly reached for Henry again, catching his tunic in a weak grip, but it was enough to make Henry stop moving. He wanted that connection as his mind was in turmoil, like a rock in a storm, from both the waning adrenaline and the revelations before him. ‘Hans is…willing to share you?’
‘Only if you treat him right.’ Hans smirked, watching the two from his spot by the wall. ‘If not, I will make sure you will never see him again.’
‘Of course! I will treat him right.’ Bartosch quickly replies, looking at Henry with big eyes. Henry smiles back at him gently, nodding.

‘I don’t expect anything less from you.’

Notes:

I never expected this fic to actually take over my brain, but here I am, 13k words later.

More Bartosch and Henry, they will get their quality time soon.

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Summary:

Henry and Bartosch take a bath together.

Notes:

It took a while, 3k+ words, mainly Bartosch and Henry, enjoy!

Peace - as far as it could be peaceful at the inn - settled back over the Devil’s Den, Bartosch and Hans had settled their animosity for now and Henry finally had a moment to breathe. 
The breathing, however, did not last long. ‘Henry! Spar with me.' Zizka smiled, holding his mace on his shoulder like he tended to do when challenging someone.
Henry looked up at the man, shrugging and getting up. 'Sure, I could use a bit of movement, loosen the muscles, kick your ass.' He followed the older man to the pen, stretching his arms above his head, groaning as his unused muscles popped. 
Zizka had noticed that Henry was slacking, something the captain had to be wary of during times of war. They both hoped the fence and Henry picked up one of the longswords. Getting into position, Zizka didn't hold back on the blacksmith - he had seen Henry fight before, he knew the limits of the boy. Henry smiled at Zizka and responded in kind, bearing down hard on the captain. 
'Glad to see you haven't lost all your fire, Henry!' Zizka grinned, swinging the mace into his side. 'But you are getting sloppy, how do you expect to fight Sigismund's army if you can't even beat me!' Henry frowned, rubbing his side where the mace had hit him. He wanted to say so much, how that seemed unfair, the captain sat around a lot and Henry was always on the road to solve problems or get supplies. 
He sighed instead, nodding. 'I understand, captain.' *The captain is just concerned*, Henry rubbed his side once more before getting back into position. *Focus, remember that technique Hynek taught you,* he watched Zizka carefully, mirroring the man's positions. A calm fell over Henry again, a stark difference compared to the unfocused movements from before. Zizka swung and Henry easily diverted the move and struck Zizka in the face with the pommel of his sword. 
'Better!' Zizka groaned, rubbing his face and getting back into position.

Bartosch watched from the balcony, impressed by how far Henry had come. 'You still got our gifts?' Hans' voice was quiet, as if it was a secret - *but I suppose it is.* 
'Of course, did you manage to arrange the cheese, meats and wine?' Bartosch glanced over to Hans, who replied with a nod. 'Good, we need to wait until Zizka is done with him, but at this rate that won't take long.' Hans sidled up next to the knight, watching Henry with him. 
‘Captain Bernard would be proud of him.’ Hans mused, watching as Henry hit Zizka in the gut, the captain doubling over by the sheer strength of the blow. ‘Back in Rattay, Henry took a week to get a proper grip on a sword.’ He chuckled, leaning onto the balcony railing. ‘Though I must say, they work him like a common soldier here, both the captain and Dry Devil.’ 
‘It is how the best of us learned.’ Bartosch glanced over to the noble. ‘Well, most of us, Henry is of common born, correct?’
‘His adoptive father was a blacksmith, so technically yes.’
‘Then it is only natural that he needs to learn fast now, most commoners don’t get swords training from nobles or captains and he is behind when compared to other knights like you and me.’
Hans gave a small huff. 'I suppose, but they could give him a little grace, seeing as he is a noble's bastard.'
‘So that’s how he is trying to become a proper knight? Through his father?’
‘Once we get back to Rattay and I take my rightful position as lord of Pirkstein, I will give him the official title.’ Hans grinned, watching Henry wipe the swear from his forehead with his shirt. ‘And I promised him a forge in the keep, I’m sure he won’t let me forget that.’
Bartosch chuckled in response, nodding. ‘Aye, if that means he can stay around you, he will make sure you won't forget.' 
Hans just smiled, pushing himself off the balcony railing again. 'I will go check if we are missing anything, make sure he takes a bath before meeting me at that clearing, he should be proper for our lunch.' Hans quickly left down the walkway, back into the inn and out of sight. 

Henry groaned, but smiled at Zizka before hopping the fence. 'Really got me good there, Captain.' 
'You looked like you need it, got too comfortable, we are still at war.'
'I am well aware, sir, I will aim to do better in the future.' Zizka nodded at Henry, releasing him from training. Henry made his way back to the inn slowly, still nursing his bruised side. 
'Henry!' Internally, Henry groaned, just wanting to lay down now, but he smiled instead, looking around to locate the voice. 'Wait there, I'm coming down.' Heavy footsteps were heard up above, rushing down the walkway. Henry sighed, leaning against one of the supporting pillars. Bartosch came rushing out, a bright smile on his face as he walked past the tables. 'Good form out there, you really improved since we last trained together.' Henry gave him a gentle smile and a nod in reply. 
'He got me good though, I will be feeling that for a while.' Henry chuckled, standing up straight. 'Anything I can do for you?'
'Accompany me to the baths, I think we could both benefit from a wash and a shave.' He smiled. 'My treat.' 
'Your treat? Where did you get the money?' Henry chuckled, but let Bartosch lead him to the baths across the road. 
'Don't you worry about that, it was all perfectly legal and no one got hurt too badly.' The knight grins and goes over to one of the bathmaids to rent one of the baths. Henry watched Bartosch, noting the easy smile that was set on his face. *It is nice to see him so relaxed,* Henry followed the bathmaid that was showing him where to go. Bartosch followed the pair, closing the tent behind him. The bathmaid made sure that the water was warm enough before leaving, letting the two men do whatever they wanted.

'The maids here seem used to people wanting to be alone with you.' Bartosch chuckled, helping Henry out of his armour. Henry laughed in response, nodding.
'Aye, I tend to ask them to leave me and my lord alone.' Henry toed his boots off, going for his hose next. 'They don't mind when I pay them a little extra for the secrecy.' 
'You do that often?'
'Every now and then, when I get back at a reasonable time and Hans wants to have a bath, which is often enough.' Henry quickly got out of the rest of his clothing and got into the bath, groaning as he sat down. 'He likes getting his hair washed by someone else, but he prefers someone he knows, nowadays, that is only me.' 
'Do you? Like it when others wash your hair?' Bartosch dragged a stool closer to the tub.
'I uhm, never really let them, feels awkward you know, having one of the maids do it, I normally just wash it myself.' Henry pointedly didn't look at Bartosch, going for the different soaps instead. 
Bartosch waited for Henry to select one before taking it from him. 
'Let me, Henry.' His voice was gentle, his hands firm as the knight pushed him back against the side of the tub. Henry's eyes widened slightly before relaxing a little more. Bartosch poured a little of the soap into his hands, lathering it up before getting to work. 
Henry's hair was thin, but plenty, so Bartosch took his time, scratching Henry's scalp as he went. Henry completely melted underneath Bartosch' hands, his eyes closing slowly. 
'How long has it been since someone truly took care of you, Henry?' Bartosch didn't sound wholly unaffected by the display of affection either, his voice sounding a little rougher and lower than his normal tone. Henry looked up at him, keeping his head as still as possible.
'A very long time, though it was my ma who did it and only if I was sickly, no one else.' Henry mumbled, letting out a little noise of contentment, sliding down a little more into the water. 
They were quiet again after that, Bartosch continued his ministrations, taking longer than necessary to ensure Henry could take a breather. Henry’s mind had gone blank, thoughts of Sigismund, von Aulitz, even Erik faded away, only the strong, steady hands combing through his hair remained. Bartosch rinsed the suds out once he was satisfied with the coverage, holding his hand on Henry’s forehead to shield his face from the water cascading down. Bartosch let his hands wander a little afterwards, finding the crook between the blacksmith's shoulders and neck, his thumbs digging into the tight muscle. 
Henry let out an obscene moan when the knight hit a extra tight knot, his head dropping forwards. Bartosch dug around a little while longer, rubbing the knot in the muscles out. He moved down slowly, working his upper arms with precision, keeping a close eye to Henry's reactions.
Bartosch was the one to break the silence next, his voice gentle to keep Henry in his blissful haze. ‘I’m going to do your hands next, do you want a different soap for those?’
It took Henry a few moments to register what the knight asked. He looked up at the shelves. ‘There is one with chamomile…that tends to soothe me.’ Henry didn’t know why he said that, his tongue must’ve been loosened by the safe atmosphere they had created. 

Bartosch got up to look for the flask, smelling a few before finding the right one. He used his foot to pull the stool into a new position and when he sat down, he was now facing Henry. Not another word was spoken as Bartosch reached for Henry's right hand first, laying it on the rim of the tub before gathering some of the soap onto a rag. With his free hand, he gently took Henry's hand and started cleaning the first fingers. It was no surprise to the knight that Henry's fingernails were black, most likely from his work at the forge in combination with training and the general running around. He tried to gently pry the dirt from underneath the fingernails, but some of it was stubbornly stuck. 
Henry watched on, his eyes drooping a little from the combination of the heat of the steam and the gentle cleaning Bartosch was doing. His mind drifted a little, his stare fixed on the other man's hands. *His hands had felt good back then as well*, a small blush crept onto Henry's cheeks at the thought of that night spent together. He shifted a little, hoping that the erection that was awakening between his legs wasn't too noticeable or distracting. This was the first time he allowed himself to truly think about that night again, instead of quickly in passing.
Bartosch moved on to the palm of Henry's hand, starting with cleaning the skin. The blood and dirt from the earlier fight was cleaned away, revealing the slightly red skin underneath. Bartosch rubbed in gentle circles, pressing down a little into the muscles and tendons to help loosen them. He listened to Henry's breath; how it hitched and whined as he continued. Bartosch gave him a soft smile, rubbing on a particularly tender spot. Henry gasped, his hand seizing up a little before falling limp once again. Bartosch slowly moved up to his wrist, rubbing the same soothing circles into them whilst cleaning away the more stubborn dirt. Once done, Bartosch raised the hand to his lips, giving Henry a small kiss on the back of the hand before moving on to the other one. 
He repeated the routine with the other hand, not skipping any steps, taking his time to clean it fully.
Henry was staring at the other man's lips, the ghost of the feeling of them still on the back of his hand. His mind was covered with a pleasant haze, something he hadn't felt in a very long time. He was always on edge ever since Skalitz, but he supposed that was just part of being a survivor and a warrior. He watched as Bartosch raised his other hand to his lips, a gentle kiss pressed to his fingers and then the back of his hand. He sighed blissfully, crossing his legs a little to hide how much it affected him. His hand was gently put back on the rim of the tub and Bartosch got up.

‘Mind if I join you to clean up myself as well?’ It was just a whisper, barely audible over the noises outside, but Henry heard it.
He thought it over, he didn't have anything else planned for the day and the attention the knight was giving him felt nice, plus, Hans knew what was going on between them so he didnt need to hide it from him either. 'Aye, join me.' Henry reached for Bartosch' hand. Bartosch let him grab it, giving it a gentle squeeze before stepping away from the bath.
'Alright, make space.' Bartosch smiled and started working on his armour. Henry sat up more, pulling his knees up to make space for the knight. Bartosch climbed in not much later, just as naked as Henry and from Henry's spot, he could see how much this time together affected Bartosch as well.
The knight sunk into the bath across from him, leaning his back against the rim of the tub. The knight had gained some new scars since their night at Trosky, most likely during the ambush and then the jail of Nebakov. It should’ve bothered him how much it turned him on - these are marks of suffering after all, but Henry felt his cock throb, looking them over. Every mark told a story, a story Henry was more than eager to hear and explore.
‘You look like you are going to devour me whole, Henry.’ Bartosch chuckled, trying to catch his eye.
Henry shifted a little, looking away. ‘That uh…is not what I was thinking.’
'Then pray tell, were you thinking?'
'Your...scars, you gained more since...well..'
'Aye, just a few more, do they bother you?' He didn't sound insecure, almost proud of the marks. 
'No, quite the opposite actually.' Henry confessed, cleaning his throat. 'You wear them well.' Henry looked back up to Bartosch' face, his own now bright red. 

Bartosch extended a hand to Henry, coaxing him over. Henry stared at it for a few moments before taking it, letting the knight move him into his lap. Henry felt unusually graceful, the water helping with lessening the usual weight of his body. He looked down at Bartosch, trying to maintain the eye contact they had established, their faces close together in this position. His eyes flitted to his lips and back, a silent question that they both knew he didn't have to ask. Bartosch gave him a soft smile before leaning up, pressing his lips against the other's. 
Henry let out a soft sigh of contentment and longing before melting into the kiss, his hands coming up to rest on Bartosch' shoulders, angling his head a little to deepen the kiss. Henry let the other lead, happy to give up the control to keep the tranquil pace. Bartosch' hands made their way down his back, grabbing the muscled thighs, digging his fingers in a little. Henry moaned in response, digging his own fingers into the shoulders underneath them. 
Bartosch left his mouth, kissing down Henry's neck, down to his shoulders and back up, settling in the crook of his neck. Henry's breath grew heavy, his hips seemingly having a mind of his own as he started to grind his hips against the other's. Bartosch' hands tightened on his thighs, his teeth scraping against the side of his neck. 'Henry...' Henry sped up a little hearing the whine coming from Bartosch' lips, putting more pressure onto the man beneath him. 'Sakra.' The curse spilled from Bartosch' mouth, his head thrown back, eyes closed.
Henry leaned down and kissed the knight's throat, kissing down to his chest. His hips stilled, focusing on the right nipple, scraping his teeth over the hardened peaks. One of Bartosch' hands flew to Henry's head, holding the back of it, tangling into his soaked hair. Henry tugged gently before letting go, sitting up more and moving back. 'On the rim.' He whispered, his voice rough.
Bartosch frowned a little but complied - he wasn't used to others leading or ordering him around during these kind of activities. It took him a second to find his balance, his legs spread wide, wide enough for Henry to kneel between them. 'Henry you don't have t-' He was cut off by Henry's lips wrapping around his length, giving a tentative lick over the head of it. Bartosch gripped the tub to keep his balance, hunching over a little towards Henry. 
Henry didn't let him adjust to the sensations for a second, not letting up as he starting to take Bartosch to the root. He had to take a second, Bartosch was slightly wider than Hans was, but it was nothing he couldn't take. Taking a few deep breaths and relaxing his throat as much as he could, he took the knight to the root, his eyes closed in concentration. 
Bartosch fought to keep his hips still, letting Henry take his time to get used to the motions. Henry laid his hands next to Bartosch, using the wooden tub to leverage himself, taking the strain off his neck. He hummed softly, slowly moving his mouth back up to the tip before moving back down. He tried a few different angles before settling on the most comfortable one. He sped up a little, feeling Bartosch’ thighs tense up. He worked his tongue in tendem with the rest of his mouth, coaxing moans and gasps from the man above him. 
‘Henry s-slow down I’m going to-‘ Bartosch rasped, trying his best to stave off the inevitable orgasm. Henry, however, did not feel like slowing down, doubling his efforts. 
Bartosch wove one hand through Henry's hair, keeping him still as he started thrusting into his mouth, panting slightly, chasing his release. It didn't take him long, his hips stuttering, pulling Henry closer, spilling down his throat. His breaths came in short pants, slowly sliding back into the water.
Henry sat back, giving Bartosch space to sit down. The knight looked at Henry and watched as Henry made a show of swallowing, making him groan. 'You are going to be the death of me.' He laughed, shaking his head. Henry just grinned back, pushing himself onto his feet. 'Give me a moment to catch my breath, then I can tend to you.'
Henry shook his head, stepping out of the bath. 'Can't, lord's orders, not until he says so.'
'He ordered you to do what? When?'
'2 days ago, punishment for leaving him behind in the baths before your treap to Kuttenberg, it is not so bad, he will come around.' Henry's smile was a little tight, clearly wishing he could do more. 'And I will let you know when, okay?' He grabbed one of the towels to dry off.

'Good thing we are seeing him after this then.'

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Summary:

Gifts are presented, words are exchanged.

Hans had checked the basked three separate times: blanket, meat, cheese and wine, the gifts and wooden playing swords for if they wanted to get some energy out, it was all there. Bartosch and him had scouted out a place before, a small grove not far from the Devil’s De , it would give perfect cover from prying eyes without feeling suffocating.
He fiddled with the blanket before deciding to just lay it out, surely they won’t take long. He was meticulous, making sure the blanket was perfect; covered by the shades of the trees and not far from a tree trunk so they could rest against it. Now look casual, Henry doesn’t need to know you are nervous. He sat down, leaning back against the tree and waited.

‘Follow you into the woods right after we cleaned ourselves? Are you hearing yourself, Bartosch?’ Henry chuckled, shaking his head. He had changed into clean clothing, a tunic he had to patch with a simple hose, forgoing a coat but adding a hood against the sun. ‘You can also just ask me for a second bath, you know, or we could go somewhere more comfortable if you are still pent up.’
‘No, Henry, it is nothing like that, promised.’ Bartosch laughed, 'Though, I would not mind it.'
'So trust you, again?'
'Trust me.'
And Henry did, even if he knew to be more cautious, he followed the knight into the forest behind the Den. Their boots crunched on the forest floor, settling into an easy rhythm. Henry glanced up at the sky, *still before noon, but barely, we must've taken our time in the baths.* A slight blush worked its way up Henry's neck again, the bath Bartosch has provided him had left him truly calm for the first time since, well, before Skalitz. Henry watched Bartosch' back, the knight had forgone armour as well, so where they were going must be close by and relatively safe. The walk itself was pleasant enough as well, the sun streaming through the leaves, not too hot, not too cold and no rain. 
'Not far now, you will love this.' Bartosch had a boyish grin on his face when he looked back and Henry couldn't help but return it. 

Hans huffed, crossing his arms, He had been sitting in that grove for what felt like hours and those other two still hadn't shown up. 'How dare they make me wait, their lord!' He grumbled, digging into the basket to pull out one of the bottles of wine. 'How long can one bath take, honestly?' Nothing wrong with having a bit whilst I wait. He uncorked the bottle and poured himself a goblet full. It wasn't the most expensive wine they could find, so he didn't feel bad for not savoring this bottle. 
He had finished his first goblet full when 2 figures appeared from between the trees. His hand instinctively reached for his sword, but he quickly recognized Henry's silhouette - the broad shoulders, sturdy waist and thick thighs, Hans would recognize them anywhere. 'Took you two long enough, I started without you.' Hans shook the bottle at them with a grin. 
Henry quickly made his way over and took the bottle, taking a swig right from the source. 'So what is all this? A picnic?'
'Yes, a date, in fact.' Hans smiled, looking rather chuffed with himself that he was able to keep this secret from his squire. 'I had been thinking and after everything you have done for me, you deserve something nice.'
'The bath was to help you relax and to freshen you up.' Bartosch smiled, taking a seat next to Hans. 'The ending was all on you.'
'Ending?' Hans asked, glaring at the knight. 
'Henry has quite the mouth on him.' Bartosch smirked, giving Henry a wink.
Hans turned his glare to Henry quickly, who looked away. 'I'm not apologizing, I enjoyed it.' He mumbled, dropping himself down on the other side of Hans. 
'As long as you aren't doing it because you feel obligated.' Bartosch said gently, reaching over to give Henry's knee a squeeze. 'You don't have to repay me for any kindness.'
'Its not like that, not at all.' Henry mumbled, taking another swig from the bottle. 'I just enjoy...serving, is all.' The confession felt strange on his tongue, he had felt that way towards Hans for a while now, but it was new towards Bartosch. ‘Nothing else to it.’

Bartosch and Hans shared a look, shocked at the confession that seemed to just tumble out of Henry. They had an inkling before that Henry felt this way, but hearing it spelled out like this was a different matter all together. Hans let out a sharp exhale, turning towards the basket instead. 'As you should, peasant...and we will talk about this more later.' The words didn't have any of the normal bite, the word peasant felt more like an endearment than the usual distain Hans used. 
Bartosch cleared his throat, helping Hans with taking things out of the basket instead, the silence surrounding them felt charged now with unspoken desires. 'We got you something...well him more so than me.' The knight says softly, pulling out the tunic he bought for Henry. 'I noticed you had to mend yours so...here.' He quickly handed over the tunic, dropping it in Henry's lap. He felt entirely too warm now and he knew it wasn't because of the sun. 
Henry picked up the fabric and held it up with big eyes. 'You shouldn't have.' He gave Bartosch a grin, pulling his current tunic off quickly to try the new one on. The lord and knight stopped what they were doing, staring at Henry's full disregard of modesty in that moment. Eyes roved over Henry's chest before it was covered by the black tunic. 'Fits like a glove.' Henry smiles, looking down at himself, pushing the sleeves up a little to see if they would get stuck on his forearms. 
Henry didn't see the way the others' eyes followed the movements, their attention stuck on Henry's arms. 'Thank you Bartosch, this is fantastic.' Bartosch smiles back at him before sitting back once again, leaning on his arms to enjoy the view.

Hans looked at Henry and he had to admit; Henry looked good in black. He pulled out his own yellow tunic. 'I got you one as well, of course.' Henry held up the tunic to fully see it, his eyes tracing the black detailing. 
'Thank you, my lord, I will be sure to wear this on occasions where others should know my affiliation.' Henry smiled at Hans, lowering the shirt. Not exactly what I was going for, Hans thought, but I can settle for it.
'We thought more neutral colours were in order as well, but they were a drag to bring here, so they are back in the inn, be sure to try them when we get back.' Hans added, diving back into the basket. 'I also resupplied the kits to repair your tatty armour.' He continued, his fingers wrapping around the bottle he bought. 'And here, this one is for you as well.' He thrusted the bottle into Henry's hands without looking, instead focusing on getting the food out. 
Henry took the bottle out of Hans' grip gently. 'My lord I...don't know what to say, thank you for your generosity.' He was clutching the bottle to his chest, his eyes slightly widened by the overwhelmed feeling of care he was feeling. 
'Well, you deserve it.' Hans muttered, pointedly not looking at Henry, half in mind to turn his back on the smith. 'You have done much for me the last few weeks, Henry.' 
Henry just looked at Hans, lowering the bottle to the blanket next to him. 'Can't say I disagree, but that barely makes up for the times I had failed.' He sighed, rubbing his neck. 'I appreciate it nonetheless.' Hans turned to Henry suddenly, an incredulous look on his face. 
'Henry, you have done more for me than anyone...every, surely you know this.'
'That's my duty as your...not-knight.' Henry leaned forward a little, drawn to his lord. 'But I appreciate it- I mean you, I appreciate you, Sir.' He was fumbling and Hans looking the other way wasn’t helping him either. 

Bartosch noticed, ever the observer and pushed Hans gently towards Henry. Hans yelped, catching himself on Henry, his hands gripping the smith’s biceps. Henry quickly caught him, stabilizing him before shooting Bartosch a look, who just shrugged back with a grin. ‘Are you alright, my lord?’
‘Yes, its nothing.’ Yet, he did not let go, letting his fingers dig into the muscle of Henry’s bicep. Henry let him, glad that Hans was no longer refusing to look at him. He noted the blush on Hans’ cheeks matching his own.
Hans always had admired Henry’s arms, but it was his hands that always pulled his focus. The hands that were currently on his waist, gripping his pourpoint ever so slightly. Hans leaned in a little closer, Henry was warm, scorching underneath his hands. Must be left over from the baths, Hans thought, or maybe…his blood is running hot from my touch, yes, that must be it. Hans let his hands wander a little bit, one going up to Henry’s shoulder, the other one down to his elbow. I could kiss him, no one would see us even out in the open like this…Bartosch would see, he would see that Henry would kiss me back, how Henry would hold me instead of him, there would be no denying that Henry is mine. Hans sat up a little more, shuffling closer to his squire, closing a little more of the distance between them, soaking up more of Henry’s heat. He is so close, the hand going up was nearing Henry’s neck now, just a gentle tug and he would kiss-
‘So uh, what did you bring for lunch? I’m getting quite hungry.’ 

Moment ruined.

Notes:

Oh my god I struggled, I won’t lie.
Between the trip to my parents and sickness, I just did not have the energy to write this chapter.

But it is done! Hopefully I can write out the next one a bit faster!

Thank you all for your lovely comments throughout the fic, I really appreciate it <3