WHO: Friar Tuck, Saint Francis WHEN: Saturday Afternoon WHERE: Francis and Andrew's WHAT: Feast day cuddles WARNINGS: Very brief mentions of sickness
"I'm really glad you're here," Andrew said, as Tuck leaned in to kiss his cheek. "He's awake. He could do with some cheering up." Andrew frowned and Tuck took notice of just how tired he looked. Thank goodness it was almost over.
Tuck patted the other man's shoulder and made his way down the hallway into the room where Francis was stretched out on his bed. "Hey, Frannie," Tuck said warmly. The scent of blood and sick still hung in the air, but Tuck felt a little more resilient against it today. He hated seeing his dear friend so sick and in so much pain, but he didn't completely crush him.
"Michael," Francis smiled weakly from his bed. "You came."
"It's your feast day," Tuck said, closing the distance between them. Then he climbed right up into the bed and pulled Francis (poor, thin Francis) into his arms. "I haven't missed your feast day for thirty years." It was always like this, a far too thin Francis, bleeding from the stigmata, and blind with fever, Tuck trying to distract him from the pain on the worst day of it.
"Your whole family is back with you," Francis said, referring to the Merry Men. "And you have Will. I didn't know if you would come."
"You are my family too," Tuck whispered, rubbing Francis' back as the other man curled up against him. "Stop being ridiculous."
Francis chuckled a little and he let himself relax as much as he could. "Well I'll give that a go. Don't know how good I'll be at it."
"Fair call too," Tuck said fondly. He planted a kiss on Francis' hair and then said, "speaking of family...Frannie, we found my kids. Both of them. They're both alive and happy and here in the city! And I have a granddaughter. And I don't even remember the last time I felt this complete."
Francis, who had been the one to pull Tuck out of his depression so many years ago, after he had lost his kids a second time, knew just how much this meant to Tuck. "Oh, Michael. That's so amazing. Tell me everything?"
Tuck smiled to himself and he settled down to do just that. It seemed the perfect story to keep away the badness and pain.