(Thanks for your patience :3 I had to get another story out of my mind before I could get my focus back on here. If you have a moment, please check it out. It's called Mimic and already has three chapters on it ^^. Happy holidays!)

The next morning was a bit of a blur. He thought that because he had a broken foot and several burns, that he'd be able to relax for at least a day or two. He was wrong. There was evidently a lot of things a crippled person could do to help out around the house. 

His first task was to fold laundry. You'd think that with only three people living in the home, that there wouldn't be too many garments to deal with, but it would appear that they had, for some reason, been saving up folding the items until they could find someone else to do it. 

Lucky me. 

Thankfully, he didn't have to retrieve the piles or put them away, but it took him a good two hours to get everything done well. His next task was helping prepare lunch. He was given a wooden board and a knife, along with two onions, carrots and apples to chop.

He cut the apples and carrots first, but the entire time he was dreading the onions. Also, he couldn't figure out a single dish that required all three ingredients together. 

Still, he didn't want to cause any problems and if he was staying with them without doing any of the important chores, he wanted to at least complete the simple things he was asked to do. 

The onions, for some reason, were the worst he'd ever had the displeasure to be around. His eyes were watering before he even got halfway through the first one and by the time he started the second, they were stinging pretty badly. 

"Could you maybe cut those a bit smaller, hun? Kirin doesn't like them much so I have to hide them in his food out of spite." Lady Lelynn said as she came inside and checked his work, having taken a stroll through the garden. 

This is torture. 

"Of course, ma'am." He said, returning his attention to the diced onions. He wasn't very quick with the knife, so cutting them even smaller took nearly twenty more minutes, and by the time he was done, he desperately needed to wash his eyes out. 

As soon as Lady Lelynn came and took the tray, Harper hopped up onto his good foot and hurried to the washroom. The water he pumped from the bathing tub was still freezing, but he didn't even consider it as he splashed it on his burning eyes until the sting slowly diminished.

Breathing out a relieved sigh, he finally stopped pumping water and slid down against the wall near the tub, closing his eyes to let himself relax for a few minutes. 

"Harper?" Kirin called a short while later, drawing him from his rest. 

Rubbing at his left eye, he used the wall to help himself stand, then hopped out of the bathroom. "Here, sir." He said, earning a raised eyebrow from Kirin before the man blew out a breath and looked toward the kitchen. 

"My lady, if you are mad at someone, you could always use actual words to express yourself, instead of attacking them with a cane, yanking their chairs out from under them, or forcing them to cut onions you have no intention of using because you think they are as vile as I am." 

Wait. What?

Lady Lelynn came around the corner a few moments later with Abel trailing her, carrying a large bowl of mixed greens. 

"Ma'am, why are you upset with me?" Harper asked, unsure of what he did to offend her. 

Kirin helped him to the table as Abel finished setting it and Lady Lelynn took a seat. When everything was done and they were ready to eat, she crossed her hands over one another on the old wood before her and turned her attention to him with eyes that felt closer to that of a predator's as opposed to a sweet old grandma. 

"I am disappointed in you a great deal, Harper." 

Disappointed? Had I not folded something well enough? Did I say something improper? 

He couldn't think of a single thing that he had done while in their home to warrant dislike. 

"It seems that you are confused, so I shall enlighten you, and pray that you see the error in the path you have chosen. I asked you to cut those onions because of the pain and discomfort it would cause you to do so. The ones that grow around here have a strong pungency to them that forces even the greatest of men to bawl, yet they tastes absolutely vile."

Harper nodded slowly, understanding that she had wanted to teach him a lesson, but it still escaped him exactly what the lesson was. 

"My dear boy, you have caused much greater pain, and are causing even more by the minute, to the lords you have left behind. They likely believe they have lost you to a fire, yet here you sit, enjoying a meal worried about your own circumstances. I know for a fact that lord Rule searches tireless for you, and if lord Arthur were allowed to leave the hospital, he would be riding right along with his friend." 

She paused for a moment to take a sip of water, then cleared her throat to continue. 

"I will not allow you a week to figure out your decision." 

As if her words had signaled someone outside, a frantic knock sounded on the door. Before anyone could even get up to answer it, the heavy wood was shoved inward on its hinges, hitting the wall as it swung. Kite strode in with a haughty saunter, and behind him...

Harper's body froze when his eyes locked with Rule's. The man looked as if he hadn't slept in days. There was still ash in his dark hair and considering that he was panting heavily, he must have come the second Kite had reached him. 

"Oh come now. Best come get him or I'll put him to work. I have plenty of onions and still more than enough ire to make him chop them, my lord." Lady Lelynn taunted with a smirk. 

Rule didn't even seem to acknowledge her words, but he did finally move. His steps slowed as he got closer to Harper, his last few visibly barely holding up his weight until he dropped to his knees beside Harper with his arms and head in his lap. 

He looks absolutely exhausted. 

Without a second thought, Harper settled his hands on Rule's dirty hair and cheek, trying to give him comfort. The lord's eyes remained closed for several long minutes as everyone sat quietly, besides Kite, who was pulling chunks of meat from a plate too close to the edge of the table. 

"I'm sorry, my lord." Harper whispered eventually, trying hard not to let his aching eyes loose tears. 

He sniffed a few times before leaning down to press a kiss to the man's hair, then straightened, only to see lord Rule slowly lean back and look up at him. Harper felt the man's eyes as they moved along his body, taking in his burns and his broken foot. The appraisal brought a slight blush to his cheeks before the man's eyes returned to his, shining with such a large amount of relief that Harper instantly felt ten times worse than he had when Rule had shown up looking half dead. 

"I am forever grateful that you are well." Rule said with a wide smile before turning his attention to Kirin. "Would it be possible to send a message to lord Marksworth and the hospital, for Arthur, to notify them that he is alright? They are both worried to sickness." 

Harper's stomach sank at the idea of either lord in such a state over him, but especially lord Marksworth, whom he knew was already not faring well. Now I feel like an absolute cad. 

"Of course, my lord." Lady Lelynn said as she nodded to Abel. "Eat up, then go deliver that message, lad?" 

Abel smiled and nodded, turning his attention to his meal. Harper knew that his wouldn't sit well if he even thought to take a bite, so he calmly scooted back his chair and stood with help from the table. When Rule didn't rise with him, he turned to the lord and reached down. 

"I am sorry, again, my lord. Come please, you need to rest." Harper said as Rule took his hand and he helped the man back to his feet. 

It clearly took effort for Rule to move, but he managed to take slow steps, with Harper's limping help, until they were steadily climbing the stairs. They somehow made it to one of the spare rooms before they both fell onto the bed. Harper's broken foot ached from having to help catch some of Rule's weight on more than one occasion, then the jarring from getting up the stairs, even with the railing to help. 

Several minutes later, and only really at the sound of Rule's quiet snores, did Harper stir. He forced himself to climb from the bed, but couldn't manage to leave the room. Rule was face down on the bed, and while he was mostly on it and would likely not roll off, he looked like he could be quite uncomfortable if he slept in that position for any decent period of time. 

Sighing, he began tugging the lord into a more comfortable position at the head of the bed. It took a good amount of effort and by the time he had finished, his foot was radiating pain throughout his whole leg, but as he looked down at the young lord, he couldn't help but smile. 

"I truly am sorry for what I put you, lord Arthur and lord Marksworth through by disappearing." 

Shaking his head, he crawled forward and dropped down against Rule, snuggling into him. He must have dozed off at some point, because the next time he opened his eyes, he was wrapped up in Rule's arms and his head was tucked beneath the man's chin. He tried to get up again, but the arms around him only tightened, then he felt Rule's chin brush against his hair. 

"I'm not letting you disappear again." Came Rule's gruff, sleep-heavy voice. 

He was asleep again in a matter of seconds, the tell-tale signs of his slowing breathing giving him away. Harper considered getting up at that point, but the man's warmth made his body disagree with his mind. 

No harm is coming to you or him... 

Resigned, Harper yawned and allowed his eyes to close. He would rest, and hope that the next time they opened, things would have all settled into place. 

One can dream.