Work Text:
He'd been John's favourite since the moment he'd been assigned the job, standing tall and proud at his post each morning and each night, his skin black as night, flattered by the chainmail he wore bearing John's insignia, his build more lithe than a tank and more handsome than anything John had ever seen. And he was John's, and John's alone.
Rolling over, John traced a finger down the length of Dave's arm, admiring the muscles that lay underneath his harmless looking exterior. Everything about Dave fascinated him, but the way he managed to look so young and innocent while concealing hidden strength and a tongue sharp enough to cut steel enticed John. It was hard not to feel his heart beat faster when Dave looked at him, his lips quirked up and those ruby red eyes twinkling with mischief.
Letting out a long sigh, his head rested on Dave's bare chest again, eyes closing as he breathed him in. This wasn't the first time they'd fallen into bed together, kissing desperately and clutching at every inch of clothing they could reach.
Dave twitched underneath him then, and when John peeked up at him he met sleepy eyes that he smiled at, pressing a soft kiss to the spot above Dave's heart. “Morning, sleepyhead. Don't you have some protecting to do?”
For a moment, Dave looked panicked, but then he'd snorted and rolled onto his side, dislodging John to pull him into a hug that John more than eagerly returned. “Fuck off, ya dick. You're the one who told them to dismiss of my duties for the next day and night.”
“Oh, gosh... Did I really? Silly me, so forgetful!” His hands trailed their way down Dave's arms, until they could meet Dave's own, gripping them firmly. “Did you have any good dreams?”
With their hands still entwined, Dave pulled them up to kiss both of John's, letting out a monster yawn onto them after that made John's skin feel damp. He scrunched his nose up in distaste, but Dave wasn't letting go, trying to lick the sleep out of his mouth instead before he spoke. “Dreamt about how you seduced me, a loyal knight, into flying off the goddamn handle to join your weird pile of lovers.”
“You're my only lover, I'll have you know.”
“I bet you say that to all the lovers.”
John rolled his eyes, freeing his hands to touch Dave's face, “I remember that though. I remember thinking you were the most regal, handsome thing I'd ever seen, and I wanted you naked in my bed undressing me with your eyes as soon as possible.”
“What, you only wanted me for my body? That's goddamn scandalous, what would the court think?” Dave was smiling though, and John smiled right back, kissing him softly.
“Shut up! You know that you didn't even pretend to have a personality until I flirted with you so hard you started hyperventilating!” He still remembered that one pretty vividly as well, and he laughed a bit. “I fell in love with your personality after, when I realised they let a stupid jackass nerd into the castle.”
“...Love you too.” Of all the things to pick up, John's heart beat a little faster to know that even after all this time, Dave was so quick to make sure he knew that. He was so stupidly affectionate, it made everything easier to get through.
“Come on, you took it pretty rough last night, let me massage you,” he started lightly patting Dave's hip until he heard a noise of complaint, and watched his knight obediently roll onto his back, bare skin littered with discoloured scars that John traced with gentle fingers. “Lavender or orange blossom?”
“Orange blossom, what the fuck, do I look like some sort of sleep loving jackass to you? Just gonna waste my life away bathing in sleep flours and snoring harder than grandma after you started shoving lint up her nose for fun cause you're some shitty kid, and goddamn, grandma just wanted to take a nap while watching the jester and now she's dead. Nice going.”
“Alright, lavender it is!” The noise of complaint Dave made was so clear that John burst out laughing, letting Dave sniff the lavender bottle before drizzling it onto his skin. He hissed at the temperature, but then John was rubbing the oil around and all Dave's complaints melted into relieved sighs.
John massaged Dave with skills he'd picked up secretly watching servants do the same for him in the mirror, and while he was sure he was only doing a faulty imitation of their technique the way Dave melted and moaned as he relaxed onto the mattress assured John that he couldn't really be doing that badly.
“So you're really going to fight in the tournament, aren't you?”
“Gotta. It'll look like some sorta scandal if I don't do it.”
“Right, right. 'Cause you're my lover, right? Even though it's supposed to be a secret.” He rubbed at Dave's shoulders until the knots there untied, and Dave groaned as he nodded.
“Secret my sorry ass, you blew that one when you decided you wanted to makeout in the garden. And yeah, they'll play up some shit 'bout me going soft if I don't do it.”
“You are soft! You're a giant sap, Dave. You're just a really good fighter too,” massage finished, he kissed the back of his shoulder, ignoring the bitter taste of orange blossom that lingered on his lips. “I'll be cheering for you.”
“I know,” his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, and John rolled off to better look at it, leaning in to rub their noses together affectionately.
“You better. Besides, you know how open they'll be to letting us get... A little more diplomatic if you're a powerful tournament fighter,” his flirtatious touches had Dave raising an eyebrow, before he tugged John closer with a firm hand on his ass that had John snorting out a laugh and pressing close right back.
“Taking me to bed politically too?”
“You know it.”
The two of them curled up close for a while longer, before they both began to get ready for the tournament in their two separate ways. After a lingering kiss goodbye Dave was gone, and John sighed to himself. He loved Dave more than he'd ever loved anybody, and even after a year of teasing touches shifting into genuine confessions of adoration, his feelings hadn't grown dull. Something about Dave made him feel at ease and alive all at once, like he was floating on a cloud. He was so sure of his feelings staying constant that he was really willing to push for Dave to be recognized as his lover, with the understanding that he'd still marry diplomatically, he wanted to keep Dave by his side forever.
He'd play a lot of dirty political games if he had to, just so he could enjoy more lazy mornings and heated nights like he had.