Sometimes Surprises Are Best

weepingwillow9

There’s a little something on Galahad’s desk after Mordred’s left. Wrapped in red and green, with a little gold ribbon bow. Galahad calls him back, and it’s so urgent that Mordred all but runs to him.

“You- you didn’t need to,” Galahad says, trying to hand the present back to him.

Mordred shrugs and keeps his arms firmly crossed.

“Just take it.”

“But you never-”

Mordred just glares at him, and Galahad finds himself tearing at the wrapping paper.

It’s a bracelet, made from plaited leather, held shut with a sliding knot. Along each leather strand runes sparkle when Galahad’s fingers brush over them. Galahad holds it and his wrist out to Mordred to put it on for him. Wordlessly, he slides the bracelet over Galahad’s hand and ties the knot around his wrist, tight with the words of a spell to keep it from falling off.

Galahad takes his hand and leans in to kiss him when it’s done.

“It’s beautiful. Did you make it?”

Mordred nods. “Magic and factory-made objects don’t mix.”

“I love it,” Galahad says, kissing him again, hard, “I love you. And I don’t have a present to give you. I didn’t know what to get.”

Mordred takes the discarded ribbon and ties it in a bow around Galahad’s wrist. And, looking up into Mordred’s eyes, he knows exactly what he means. So he kisses him again, and pulls him straight back down into the rumpled sheets of his bed.