#you can tell that BBC's Merlin occupies space in my brain at all times

[racingliners]

1 and 11!

(Historical AU + Neighbour AU and I got to pick the ship so I went with Lewis/Jenson!)

So many settings bounced round my head but I've eventually settled on medieval!

Lewis and Jenson are both knights, but prior to which their childhood homes were right next to each other, and they practically grew up together (some days they would sneak off when their parents weren't looking to watch the knights training, and decided on the spot that was what they were going to go as soon as they were old enough).

They enlist on the same day, become training partners, and eventually become the King's most trusted knights.

When escorting the King to one of the neighbouring Kingdoms the party is ambushed and Lewis and Jenson fight the assailants in order for the rest of the knights to get the King to safety.

They succeed in defending themselves but Jenson gets wounded (not fatally, but bad enough for Lewis to realise that he's been in love with him this whole time).

(Lewis' family run the apothecary, so he knows how to patch Jenson back together)

The camp in the woods so Jenson can heal enough for them to make the journey back to the castle and Jenson immediately picks up that Something Is Wrong with Lewis but he can't figure out what.

They slowly make their way back to the castle, both because of Jenson's injury and because Lewis' feelings are affecting his sense of direction, and on the third night, when they're half a day away from returning to their lives as if nothing has happened, Lewis' resolve snaps and he kisses Jenson and tells him he loves him.

Jenson's brain freezes, Lewis panics and runs off into the woods, Jenson runs after him, realising when Lewis ran away that he just might be in love with him too.

Jenson doesn't say this, and instead tells Lewis to not be an idiot and get back to the campfire before he freezes to death (he tells him in the morning, when the sun rises instead).

When they finally make it back to the safety of the castle, the court physician tells Jenson that while he will recover from his injury, he won't physically be able to remain a knight.

Jenson and Lewis are heartbroken, yet they tell each other they will find a way to at least remain friends, as they're both too terrified to lose each other.

Jenson moves back home, Lewis always make an effort to visit, Lewis' father hires Jenson to train him as an apothecary.

At some point months later, when Lewis is sent out on another mission and Jenson is wrought with anxiety to the point where he goes to the castle gates every morning and night until Lewis comes home.

When Lewis finally returns with the rest of the knights, Jenson is there and runs so quickly towards him he almost startles Lewis' horse.

Jenson rather clumsily tells Lewis that he loves him, and they (in Lewis' mind, finally) kiss again, with Jenson saying that he could live without kissing Lewis at least one more time.

Lewis tells Jenson that he is never, ever letting him go again, and they very slowly walk back to the stables together.

send me two tropes from this list plus a ship and I'll describe how I'd combine them into a story