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 Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:21 pm
Bataar didn’t think he was a very irritating person at all, but he guessed that there was no real arguing with Jianyu at this point. He didn’t think doing so was actually going to get him anywhere, and so, in an act of sheer willpower, he shut his mouth and attempted to ignore the issue at hand. They didn’t need to come to blows at this point, and Bat wasn’t sure that he could manage even if he wanted to. There was no way around it if they continued arguing, either.
He just wasn’t very concerned about his own well-being-- in the eyes of others, at least. In Bat’s mind, it all depending on fixing up his terrible appetite. He’d survived this long with his garish chest-wound, and he suspected he could survive at least an hour or two more, enough time to fetch some food. Lunch was an important meal, and he wasn’t about to miss it just because Jianyu was making him change his bandages!
He glanced over at the other man, his lips pursed. ”It could be useful, I suppose.” he muttered, relaxing a little as Jianyu sat down. Maybe he wouldn’t have to take a bath after all, but that still didn’t take care of the issue of food, which he wanted quite badly. If he’d been able to make his own, he would have, but cooking was certainly not the Mongol’s forte, and--
His thoughts were cut off as he tumbled awkwardly into the bathtub, nearly landing on his face. He spluttered and coughed, looking supremely irritated as he turned to face Jianyu. ”I should kill you for that.” he growled, the wound on his chest stinging in the warm water.
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:36 pm
Jianyu could not believe that his last second, hastily thought, and slightly ridiculous way of getting Bataar into the bath had actually worked. He was more than a little astonished, to say the least, since he had not expected it to work in the least. However, now that the sputtering, drenched, and yes, angry Mongol was in the water, he was going to take full advantage of that fact. Reaching down, Jianyu kicked off his shoes, rolled his pant legs up to his knees, and moved to sit behind Bataar, on the edge of the bath. He yanked the Mongol back against him, his hands going down Bataar's strong, muscular back to remove his shirt and start to undo the bloodstained bandages.
"You're not going to kill me." Jianyu said easily, untying and then unwrapping one layer. "Mostly because if you move too much right now, it'll pull against your wound and that would hurt much more than you already do."
Once he was finished, the bandages lying in a heap on the bath floor, Jianyu looked down, over Bataar's head, at his chest. A small wave of nausea hit him at the massive, jagged slash left behind from whoever it was that had attacked him. It would leave a scar, that was for certain, and a large one at that. The skin around it was reddened and spotted with blood. Jianyu's fingers ran lightly down along the edge of it, barely touching it.
"Bataar," he said. "Tell me what happened to you."
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 3:03 pm
Bataar somehow suspected that it would be quite a lot harder to get out of the bath with the wound on his chest than it would normally have been and so, accepting the fact grudgingly, he didn’t bothered trying. He hurt enough as it was, with the water making such contact with the deep cut; it was all he could do not to decide to pass out then and there. He silently allowed Jianyu to remove his bandages, although he looked less than happy about it-- they were, after all, perfectly serviceable, in his opinion. He could’ve gone a few more weeks with them, at least!
He hated to admit Jianyu was right about his inability to kill him, and so he didn’t. ”Shaddup.” he snarled uncomfortably, moody just because he was in so much damn pain. Besides that, his wound was now completely visible and it was making him a little squeamish. It looked inflamed, to say the least, and it was indeed fascinating to peer at, but he was having to face the fact that it was on his body and not someone else’s.
It would leave a good scar, he suspected, as he continued studying it. The type of scar you’d want to show off, if it hadn’t been created under certain circumstances. And this had certainly happened under the certain circumstances he never wanted to brag about. He felt himself lapse into silence as he leaned back against Jianyu, shutting his eyes for a moment. He didn’t want to explain.
But he probably had to.
After drawing out his hesitation as much as he could stand, he spoke. ”It‘s just a little cut.” he mumbled, reassuring himself way more than he was making an excuse than Jianyu. He had been powerless, then. He’d nearly died.
Bataar didn’t want to think about it.
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 3:49 pm
It was one of the first times that Jianyu had ever seen the Mongol looking so serious. Bataar was rarely somber, and spent most of his time with a cheerfully idiotic grin on his face. Either that, or a snarl from when he was irritated with things like having to take a bath. But this kind of intensity was different, unlike anything Jianyu had ever seen from the Mongol before. It was quiet, and it made Jianyu's stomach knot with anxiety - another feeling he was getting used to having when it came to Bataar. His hands stilled on Bataar's chest for a moment.
"It's not a 'just' anything." he said softly, and then, as if his body was moving on its own, Jianyu's fingers touched Bataar's chin, raising his face. He leaned over and pressed a light kiss to Bataar's lips. Then, leaning back, he reached over and poured a generous dollop of shampoo onto the top of the Mongol's head. Jianyu's fingers worked through the kinks of Bataar's thick, dark hair, and he went on as if he hadn't done what he just had.
"Was it a Legionnaire?" Jianyu asked as he scrubbed, not certain he wanted to hear the answer. He was, after all, a Legionnaire himself. But despite his alternate alliance, Jianyu had never held any antagonism towards the Nobles. His relationship with Bataar was evidence enough of that.
But that wouldn't make it any less painful to hear.
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:25 pm
Bataar had often taken on a more serious attitude as of late, but the Mongolian man hardly noticed. It was just something layered beneath all the idiocy that showed itself at any place or time nowadays. He’d hardly intended for maturity to creep into his head, but apparently there was no way to stop such a thing. He made a face as Jianyu tried to continue pursuing the subject, and remained silent, enduring the kiss with a slight response of his own.
He continued to allow his body to relax as Jianyu worked his hands through his hair, almost completely unaffected by the bath now. The only thing he wanted right now was to drop their current subject; the only thing it did was make Bataar feel weak, and that was one of the last feelings he needed to experience at the moment. Apparently, though, there was no way that the legionnaire behind him was going to stop; he wanted to know, and Bat was too exhausted to even bother resisting.
That was why he finally decided to answer.
”Yes.” he muttered tightly, concentrating his gaze on the surface of the steaming water. He was clearly deeply uncomfortable, although he did his best to keep his feelings on the matter hidden. That day had been a whirlwind of confusion, in truth. The child, the legionnaire, Shizuka…
Bat closed his eyes again, his face paling as he saw each of their faces in turn, as if they had been burned into his eyelids. He saw near-death, and then the sword. Reliving it was always almost as bad as when it had first happened. ”We don‘t have to talk about this.” he murmured, trying to keep a firm tone.
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:57 pm
Jianyu had been pouring a bucket of water over Bataar's head when the Mongol had answered him. His hand slipped, and he nearly dropped the pail, but managed to stop it from falling at the last second. So it had been a Legionnaire. Jianyu's fingers shook slightly - the only sign of his anxiety - as he pushed back Bataar's streaming hair from his face, brushing it behind the fins on each side of his head.
"I..." he said, then stopped, unsure of what to say. Absently one hand rose, touching the cloth over his eye again before dropping it back to Bataar's hair again. The Mongol's expression had grown both wary and closed off, as if he were trying to hide the emotions he was feeling, or the story he was being asked to recall. Jianyu softly stroked Bataar's hair, his fingers drifting down the Mongol's neck almost absentmindedly, moving to gently work at kneading the man's shoulders and back. Soap made his hands slippery, but he kept at it, working out the both the tension and the dirt.
"We do have to talk about it." Jianyu said, closing his eye briefly. "I know you don't want to, which is why you should. It's just me, after all, Bataar. And I want to know."
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:13 am
Bataar was in a rather uncomfortable position right now, and it had nothing to do with the warm water stinging at his wound. He gazed forward, concentrating on nothing in particular as Jianyu continued to wash his hair. He was hopeful when the other man trailed off and started kneading his back that he’d decided to drop the subject, but Bat soon learned that that was hardly the case. He gritted his teeth, looking more than a little upset with the way things were going.
How was he even supposed to explain it? Looking back now, each and every one of his actions had seemed foolish. ”What is it you want to know so desperately?” he asked, a note of hardness entering his tone. The truth of the matter was that he didn’t want Jianyu to know; they didn’t have to make such a big deal out of it, did they?
”Do you need to know that he was ready to kill some kid? Do you need to know that when I tried to do something about it, he ended up ramming his sword through my chest? Or that I would have died if that woman hadn‘t come and--” Bataar cut himself off abruptly; his chest hurt, and he could now see why. He’d started to hyperventilate, and every muscle had gone taut beneath his dark skin.
If he’d been the type to cry, he might have.
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:34 am
"The problem is not why I want to know," Jianyu said. His voice was slightly pleading, galling him. "It's why you don't want me to know."
He stopped abruptly, his hands stilling at the words that burst out of Bataar's mouth next. Out of everything that he could have guessed about the Mongol's injury, that had not been one of them. A child? What woman?
Someone...tried to kill Bataar?
Although Jianyu knew that their lives were dangerous, that each movement, each day could end up deadly, he had never actually considered the full reality of the fact that Bataar could be killed. Perhaps it was because he had never wanted to believe that the Mongol could be killed. Bataar had certainly proven his immense strength time and time again, but he was still human.
Jianyu's convoluted thoughts were rapidly broken by the ragged, half-strangled gasps coming from Bataar. With a jolt, Jianyu realized that he was starting to panic, his face paling, and Jianyu's heart leapt into his throat. Without hesitating, he pushed himself into the water, still fully clothed, and moved around to kneel in front of Bataar. Placing his hands on either side of Bataar's face, Jianyu looked up at him through his dripping hair.
"It's all right." he said softly, his voice carrying no hint of irritation anymore. He kept his eyes locked with Bataar's. "Just breathe slowly. You'll be all right.
"I'm sorry."
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Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 2:44 pm
Bataar gazed silently at Jianyu, a seemingly permanent frown etched upon his face. ”It’s more that I’d much rather not explain.” he muttered, his lips white with tension. It wasn’t the fact that he had nearly died that had bothered him, though; it was the fact that he had been entirely powerless. He’d never felt so helpless in his entire life, to the point where the feeling filled a sort of void-like area in his chest. It sickened him to think of it, and he looked beyond uncomfortable sitting here, wondering if Jianyu would ever understand.
His invincibility had been shattered. One moment he’d been more than ready to conquer the world, and the next he’d been on the ground, choking up blood, in too much shock to even feel the ripping pain. Of course, he’d gotten his fair share of the feel of the pain after the fact. Even now, the pain was immense; his ragged breathing had caused his wound to ache, and the up-and-down movements of his chest pulled at the edges of the still-healing injury.
He was relieved when Jianyu came, and as he tried to calm himself he pulled the other man into his arms, slowing his breathing until he could stand remaining conscious. His breathing slowed marginally, and he listened to Jianyu’s apology with muted feeling, finally deciding to give the other Lunarian some personal space. ”It’s fine. I don’t care.” he mumbled, his eyes roaming, settling on anything other than Jianyu.
But the truth was that he did care, a great deal. There were some things that would never be the same with him, and he knew it. There were some feelings he might never be able to express to the man just in front of him.
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Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 2:56 pm
Jianyu let Bataar pull him towards him, his arms going around the other man's neck. He could feel Bataar's heart beating against his own, and Jianyu breathed deeply, inhaling his scent, his being. His face was pressed against the side of Bataar's head, and Jianyu sighed, his breath coming out shakily. Something was different about Bataar; something had changed, and it was painful. What was more painful was the fact that Jianyu did not know what to do. Since he didn't know the entire story, didn't know Bataar's thoughts, what could he do? The Mongol was known for being stubborn, and when he refused to do something, he usually stuck by that refusal with a death grip. Bataar would have to want to tell him, and it was obvious that that was the last thing he wanted.
Bataar's hands let go, and Jianyu felt himself being gently, but firmly pushed back. The Mongol wouldn't look at him, his eyes looking downward, and Jianyu gritted his teeth, feeling frustration coursing through his veins. He turned around, his clothing feeling heavy in the water, and sat in Bataar's lap, leaning back against his broad chest. Jianyu drew the Mongol's arms around his waist and let his head rest against Bataar's shoulder.
"That's a lie, and you know it." Jianyu said softly, blinking slowly through wet eyelashes. "If there's anything I do know, it's that you do care. If you didn't, you wouldn't be so determined not to talk about it."
Just like I don't want to talk about what happened to me, Jianyu realized with a slight start. His face flushed, and he turned his face away from Bataar's, closing his eyes briefly. He reached a hand up, fingers brushing against the now damp cloth that covered his left eye.
I'm not the only one with scars here, Jianyu thought, biting his lip. And not just the ones on the outside, either. Why can't I do anything for him?
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 5:59 pm
Bataar simply held Jianyu, lapsing into a silence that was, at first, not so very comfortable. He didn’t know of anyone who he actually wanted to share his weakest moment with; he didn’t want to admit to it. The situation was grave, and his scars were more than just physical. He heaved a sigh once his breathing had calmed, and shut his green eyes, briefly pursing his lips as he listened to Jianyu speak to him. Perhaps the other man might be able to understand, but the fighter simply wasn’t ready for anything with that much depth—a conversation like that would force him to face himself, something he dreaded.
He cared, alright. There was no use in bothering to deny it. Jianyu knew well enough. ”It doesn’t matter.” he replied, softly but firmly. He wanted to force the other Lunarian to ignore the situation, to be happy enough with his explanation. He had made it clear enough already that he didn’t want to talk about it—that ought to have been enough.
Beyond that, he wasn’t blind. He’d noticed Jianyu’s eye as much as Jianyu had noticed his scar, but gazing down at him now he allowed the silence to permeate the air, knowing that he could probably manage to keep things unspoken here. ”Just don’t.” he murmured quietly, wanting to end the conversation. He took the other Lunarian into his arms, knowing well enough that the affection was definitely going to distract Jianyu—his actions may have been conniving, but he wasn’t ready.
It was going to have to wait.
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 6:50 pm
Jianyu let out his breath in a frustrated sigh, knowing that nothing else he said would probably make Bataar talk. The way that the Mongol's arms encircled him, drawing him closer, was evidence enough of that. But although it was a distraction, it was a welcome distraction, and Jianyu sighed again, resting his head against Bataar's shoulder, pressing his face into the man's neck. Perhaps one day Bataar would be willing to talk with him about it, but it seemed that now was not that day. Jianyu knew very well that once Bataar was set on a decision, it would take something earthshattering to make him change his mind.
But although he wanted to know, he let it slide for now and instead let himself be moved closer to Bataar, letting the words disappear. Leaning up, Jianyu pressed a light kiss to Bataar's lips, letting him know that he wasn't going to pressure him further, and then settled himself comfortably against him, closing his eyes.
Another time. Another place.
Another day gone by.
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