Royals and Rule-breakers

Repetition and Repose

"Oh, hello."

Klaus glanced at Y/N, who was rubbing her eyes with a sleepy smile.

"You're still here." She noted with a yawn, shifting a bit to rest her chin on his chest.

"Of course! I would never just leave you without telling you." Klaus smiled back, brushing her hair out of her face. "Have the painkillers worn off?"

"Hm... I think they're starting to." Y/N admitted, sitting up a a bit and frowning.

"Well, Bridget brought you some soup while you were asleep since your porridge got cold. You can try to eat a bit and take the meds."

"Already? How long was I asleep?"

"Only about..." Klaus glanced at the clock, "Seven hours. I don't mean to berate you so soon after your nap, but you could do with another snooze later."

"I shan't argue with you on that today. That was a nice few hours of rest."

Klaus laughed a little, gently shifting Y/N onto the pillows so he could grab the tray Bridget had left on the nightstand.

"Second time on soft foods." Y/N noted, sitting up. "You've really had to baby me these past months."

"With no less protest than before, I see." Klaus joked affectionately. After a moment, he noticed Y/N struggling a bit to hold the spoon with her bandaged hands. "Here..." He gently took the spoon from her and raised it to her lips, and she pressed them shut, raising an eyebrow.

"You're absurd."

"I just want to make things easier on you."

"I am not about to be spoon fed!" Y/N exclaimed, but Klaus could see her holding back her laughter.

"Please Y/N?"

"Fine, fine." The painter reluctantly opened her mouth and let Klaus feed her the soup, shaking her head. "Humiliating. Is this how you were raised?"

"Ouch." Klaus laughed, shaking his own head, but admitting, "For a time, yes- for a time longer than a child should normally be spoon fed, unfortunately."

"Goodness, how do you do it your Highness."

"It is not like I had ever known much else."

"I suppose."

After a moment of silence, Y/N quietly asked, "Do you ever wish you had never known that your life could be different than the way it is now?"

Klaus let the spoon slip into the bowl, pausing. "What?"

"You know..."

"No, I'm sorry, I know what you meant." Klaus sighed, fiddling with the spoon. "I- Well... perhaps sometimes I do think that- that maybe things would be easier if I knew less- but what good would that do anybody besides myself?" He smiled a little shyly, still gazing at the bowl of soup, "And if remaining ignorant were to mean never meeting you... why, I could not ever wish that."

Y/N blushed a little. "Valid answer." After a moment, she added, "Er, can I finish the soup?"

"Oh!" Klaus embarrassedly looked back up at his partner, holding out more soup for her on the spoon. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's alright." Y/N giggled, then the two fell into a comfortable quiet as she finished up her lunch and took the pills.

"Oh! And here, Bridget brought this as well..." Klaus reached for a pail of ice beside the bed and wrapped up some ice in a cloth, "For your jaw, to help with the swelling and the pain." He carefully pressed it to Y/N's cheek after she nodded in approval.