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This creative work of fanfiction is written by the author miseria81, and this work is only posted in AO3 nowhere else. If you see this work posted anywhere else aside from AO3 then it was stolen. The author miseria81 does not allow any reposts of their works. They do not allow their works to be fed into generative AI machines or any AI whatsoever. Long live the creative human spirit. Fuck AI.
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It was a little after lunch, with the sun high up in the sky making the temperature the hottest it will be that day. The soldiers have just finished eating after an entire morning of intense training. While most were off to relax and recover for the afternoon before the next batch of training rounds up, two young men were sitting off to the cluster of trees near the nourishment area to get some things sorted out. They found a spot where the shade from the trees were wide enough to cover them from the harsh sunlight. Elpenor was sitting on a rock while Perimedes was sitting on the ground in front of him, face scrunch up in concentration.
“Ouch!” Elpenor hisses as the damp cloth lightly grazed over one of his wounds.
“I told you that you shouldn’t have challenged Eurylochus to a spar.” Perimedes chided while lightly treating the wounds that required patching up on Elpenor’s body, thankfully none were life-threatening or in need of more treatment than cleaning and bandaging. Though Perimedes is still upset which was made clear by the frown set on his lips.
“I thought it would be great practice,” Elpenor nearly whined, sounding petulant.
“He could beat you with a single punch.”
“Hey, I survived more than a single punch! I gave back as much I got!” The younger man rebutted, turning to look down at Perimedes who was currently cleaning the wound on Elpenor’s leg.
Perimedes let out a longsuffering sigh but continued to gently wipe off blood from the gash. “Yes I saw. Just don’t get yourself unnecessarily injured.”
Elpenor was about to retort something about not being able to control what happens in a fight but he freezes immediately upon seeing how the sunlight fell on Perimedes. It was almost like something out of a painting. His long brown hair appeared to glow in the golden sunlight, some strands falling over his forehead like a cascade of vines over rocky cliffs. The sun kissed his skin, highlighting all the scars, bumps, and blemishes but that only made Perimedes look more attractive. And his eyes, soft brown almost amber in its color, shone with obvious concern and care that Elpenor forgets about his retort and instead thinks of something else.
He thinks of the way Perimedes has been there for him from the very beginning, his very first training buddy, and the one who stuck by him to teach him the ropes while he was adjusting to soldier life.
He thinks of the way Perimedes would have walls built high around him, but then slowly but surely let his guard down with Elpenor. Trust, such a sacred and precious gift was bestowed on Elpenor and he could tear up with just that being truth between them.
He thinks of the way Perimedes is rough around the edges, harsh with his words sometimes, but when it really came down to it he was reliable, trustworthy, and fiercely loyal. Perimedes was the type of friend that you’d want on your side when you get into a brawl.
He thinks of Perimedes’ smile, his laugh, and the glow that he gives whenever they spend time together. Elpenor’s eyes trail down to Perimedes’ hands tending to his wounds oh so considerately and carefully, hands he wouldn’t mind holding all day if we was allowed to.
I like you.
His heart skips a beat and his mouth falls open, nearly spouting the words aloud. But then he snaps his mouth closed, stopping himself in time.
The realization of what he was thinking hits Elpenor like a ton of bricks and he’s momentarily struck into silence. A light flush slowly spreads in his cheeks and he was thankful that he could use the heat and the extraneous training as an excuse if Perimedes notices anything.
Luckily, Perimedes doesn’t notice anything amiss and he goes on with the treatment perhaps discerning that Elpenor was thinking his reckless decisions over.
Meanwhile Elpenor stares at his friend with the weight of his feelings swirling in his mind, taking this time to truly reflect on what he had just found out about himself. And what this meant for the future…