#kanthony dragged everything out too long and we all know it

[mot-hesbian]

People have to understand that the show has a formula that each story follows. The final 2 episodes always involve fighting until a last minute reconciliation, at least Polin had a realistic journey to that reconciliation.

[prncesselene]

I can’t get enough of kanthony fics at the moment so I was v excited to see that you’re taking prompts 🤩 I know it’s been done loads, but I just adore protective!anthony fics after the carriage incident and would love to read your interpretation of it 🥺 loved your last kanthony drabble btw 💓

ahh thank you anon! 🥺i’m glad you’ve been enjoying!

i hope you enjoy this very soft, domestic take on protective!anthony hehe

(ao3)

Kate felt Anthony before she saw him.

She hadn’t yet opened her eyes, her body still clinging stubbornly to the very last bits of sleep that were left, when she felt the warm press of his lips against her forehead.

“Good morning,” he murmured.

She could smell the fresh biscuits and preserves that Anthony had brought into the room on a silver tray, much like he had done everyday for the past week or so since the accident.

There were few things Kate enjoyed about being confined to her bed as her ankle slowly healed, but one thing was true: her husband was a very, very good nurse.

Kate hummed indulgently, pulling the covers close to her as she watched him set up a tray with her breakfast, strikingly handsome in the morning light. “Good morning.”

He was only half-dressed himself in a shirt and waistcoat, his neck bare and the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. She loved seeing him like this, at ease and relaxed. As though the two of them were the only people in the world.

In this tiny world they'd created in their bedroom as she healed, it almost felt like they were. 

They had both needed to adjust, in the first few days after the accident. The pain had been most severe then, and Anthony had been beside himself with worry, slipping spoonfuls of laudanum into her mouth every few hours and verifying with any professional that would lend an ear that her ankle was the only issue. Anthony had made it very clear that he was to be Kate’s caretaker, and as such it was up to him to see to her daily needs.

Soon enough, the pain had settled into something slightly more manageable, and thus their new routine had formed.

“Tea?”

“Please,” she said, sitting up and dabbing at her face with the washcloth on the table closest to her. Anthony had set up a makeshift desk near her side of the bed, and that was where the tray was currently located.

Kate smiled as she watched Anthony wordlessly pour her a cup, setting it on a tiny dish with biscuits, just the way she liked it.

Oh, he believed himself the rogue, absolutely. And there was surely a time when Kate would have enthusiastically agreed. But the more she came to understand him — the more they came to understand each other — the clearer it became to Kate that while it might have been the persona he’d chosen to show the world, the person within was wholly kind and generous. One that only a lucky few were able to truly see.

“Here we are,” he said, taking the tray and placing it on her lap. “What would you like first?”

Kate bit her lip, smiling up at him. "You know, if I recall correctly, it was only my ankle that was injured," she said, waving her hands in a show of their dexterity. "I can feed myself."

Anthony tsked. "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. It is of the utmost importance that you rest as much as possible."

When he raised a biscuit to her mouth she took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. “Now, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you just enjoy the idea of feeding me.”

“I’ll happily admit it, so long as you don’t tell my secrets.” He winked at her with a charm and suavity that she was sure had made many a young lady weak in the knees in the past — only now, they were reserved just for her.

“My lips are sealed,” she smiled, leaning over to kiss him.

After breakfast had been cleared away and Kate had changed into a new shift, the two of them took their places: Kate lying on the bed, her foot raised while she tried to read or embroider or answer correspondence; Anthony at his makeshift desk, his concentration torn between any important documents he’d brought from his study and Kate’s comfort.

It was almost amusing: if she so much as sighed too despondently, he was up in an instant, asking if there was anything she needed, if the pain was alright, what he might do to make her feel better.

Most of the time, everything was fine — but Kate would have been lying if she claimed not to use this condition to her advantage.

For example, if she dropped pillows so that he might get up and replace them, guaranteeing that he might kiss her upon their replacement, well… she couldn’t very well be blamed for that.

And if she groaned about pain even when there was none so that he would adorably furrow his brow in worry and concentration, massaging her leg briefly to assuage her discomfort, it was merely her right as a patient, she believed.

Anthony was spending all of his time there, after all. He needed to feel useful. Really, she was doing him a favor.

At least, that was what she told herself.

“Anthony,” she mumbled, capturing his hand. “Would you…”

He stood up before she could get the words out, his hands ruffling the pillows behind her and mindlessly resting on her shoulders. “Yes? What do you need?”

She placed her book down in her lap, pouting in an act of meek helplessness. “I’ve grown tired of reading alone. Would you mind reading to me instead?”

He took the book from her and studied the title. “And this is a medical necessity?”

Kate smiled sweetly. “Indeed.”

She knew he wasn’t entirely fooled — never was, if she were being honest — and he seemed to know that she knew, but that didn’t stop him from taking a seat by her side anyways and opening the book to where she had last opened it.

“The night was dark and stormy as Mrs. Eversham’s carriage rattled away from the bustling streets of London…”

As he read, Kate had to admit that she wasn’t really paying attention to the contents of the novel.

How could she, when there was so much else to focus on — Anthony’s concentrated stare as he read, the way his lips moved to form the words on the page, the movement of his bare neck whenever he swallowed or spoke. That was much more entertaining than whatever was happening in the book.

When he was finished he snapped the book shut, bringing Kate back to reality and drawing her gaze away from his forearms — they were lethal, really, it wasn’t at all fair — before turning towards her.

“How was that? Did I do well?” He asked, looking a little bit like Newton when he was looking for a treat.

“You did wonderfully,” she beamed, pulling him closer to her. “So wonderfully, in fact, that I think you deserve a reward.”

“Oh?”

“Not just for the reading, I suppose,” she bit her lip, shifting and dragging him down so that he was sitting on the bed next to her. “But for everything, really… taking care of me, staying by my side everyday. You do know you don’t have to do all of that, don’t you? We have a lot of help.”

“As if I would ever let anyone else try,” he said. His hand moved to cradle her chin. “You might be surprised to hear this, Kate, but I do this — work beside you, read to you, feed you, entertain your fancies and tricks — because I enjoy spending time with you, even if we aren’t doing anything special. Just existing with you is enough.”

His fingers were running soft circles around her waist, the thin fabric of her shift doing little to mitigate the intoxicating feeling. “And taking care of you is my first priority, of course.”

Kate felt her chest grow warm. The accident had been a most unfortunate event, but ever since it had happened — ever since Anthony had told her he loved her — it was like they had gotten married all over again. Now that they could both bask freely in this new, beautiful thing that perfumed the air and sweetened pastries, making the grass a little greener and the sky a bit bluer.

“What would I do without you?” Kate whispered, more to herself than to him.

“Continue to be a plague on society, most likely,” he grinned, leaning over so that he was lying next to her on the bed and snaking an arm around her waist, very careful not to hurt her ankle. “It’s a good thing I'm here to keep you in line. Master of the house, and all that.”

“You wish,” she scoffed, pushing him away from her gently, only for him to cling to her tighter. “I will continue to be a plague upon society, and there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it.”

“I know,” he said, planting a kiss on her brow. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Kate leaned into his embrace, closing her eyes. Perhaps they might take a nap; they were certainly at their leisure to do so.

“Now, about that reward…”

She grinned. “The reward is— well, I was going to let you choose. Is there anything you’d like in particular?”

“I can think of a few things,” he murmured, kissing his way down her neck. “How much time do we have?”

Kate giggled when he reached a particularly ticklish spot. “All the time in the world, I suppose.”