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 Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:31 pm
"You alright?" Sessrumnir asked, out of breath, as he shook out the pain from his bloodied left hand, having just finished assisting Super Sailor Remus in dusting a particularly feisty youma. It was nothing they couldn't handle, of course; just a few cuts and bruises that always seemed to come along with the job.
One of the youma's spines managed to catch the side of Sessrumnir's face, leaving him with a nasty cut and quickly forming bruise across his cheekbone. Luckily he got out of the way before it was able to take out his eye, but it was a close call.
Sessrumnir bunched up some of the fabric from his cape to press against his face with a grimace, and reached out his other hand to offer to help Remus up, looking him over to make sure he wasn't too injured.
"You did good," he admitted, trying not to look too impressed with Remus's newly enhanced abilities, which was easy to do when he was more wary about Remus's injuries than how the fight went.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:43 pm
Remus’s elbow was ringing, but that was mostly because he’d knocked it into the pavement when he’d fallen, jolting his funny bone so that a jarring, obnoxious sensation was sent spiraling through him. Other than that, a painful gash across his upper left cheek, and one on the back of his hand, as well as a few minor bruises and scrapes, and he was mostly in good shape.
Mostly. Sessrumnir looked worse, and as Remus reached up, gripping his hand to hoist himself up, he gave him a narrow-eyed look, sweeping his hair back away from his face.
“I’m fine,” he said, which was, for once, mostly true. He lifted a hand, fingers hovering over Sessrumnir’s cheek, and winced a little.
“And thank you,” he added, Remus grinning slightly. “I think I like being Super, it’s a lot easier to handle things at this level than I was able to before. I think you got the brunt of the attack though, that cut looks pretty nasty…”
There was a worried note in his voice, Remus’s expression matching it. He glanced around, hand still raised, and said, “We’re close to my house, I can take you there and fix you up.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 2:01 pm
Once Remus was back on his feet, Sessrumnir had almost immediately reached his hand up to inspect the cut across Remus's cheek, using his fingers to gently peel his dark hair away from sticking to his face from the blood. It just happened to be at the same time Remus reached up to hover his hand over Sessrumnir's cheek.
The mirrored action momentarily startled him, but other than his eyes widening for a moment, his response to it was a quick release of an exasperated breath.
"I'll live," he frowned at Remus's worrying over him, although he didn't do anything to pull away just yet. "I would say you need to work on dodging, but I think I lost that right, this time around," he admitted with a grimace, lowering his hand from Remus's somewhat bloodied hair so he could take hold of Remus's hand and inspect the cut.
"Won't your sister wonder what the hell happened to you?" he asked as he gingerly held Remus's hand up to look at, being careful not to agitate the wound. Not that he didn't want Remus to get patched up, but it would be awkward to explain to someone.
"I guess you can just say we're in a fight club," he half joked, his expression deadpan.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 2:15 pm
He tried, very hard, to maintain a good face - to keep everything above board, to not show just how much Sessrumnir affected him.
But as Sessrumnir’s hand lifted, fingers gentle against his cheek in a mirrored version of his own, Remus’s eyes widened, his heart giving a stutter in his chest. A faint pink flush began to warm its way across his face, and he hastily tried to school his features into something more relaxed, something at ease.
Stop it, he thought, suppressing in vain the rapid pulse. Stop. It’s just Sess. It’s just Sess, stop.
It was not made easier by Sessrumnir taking his hand. Remus could not figure out for the life of him what was wrong with him, why he felt absurdly breathless.
A distraction came in the form of words, and Remus gave a little snort, grateful for a chance to switch topics.
“You could do with some fixing up, mister,” he said pointedly, as his hand was examined. “Don’t worry about my sister, I’ll figure out an answer. The house is just down the road, easier to get to than wherever the hell you parked this time.”
His voice was teasing, but there was no denying he was still worried about Sessrumnir’s injuries.
“Come on, hot stuff, let’s get you out of the streets,” said Remus firmly, and started towing him down the lane. “We should power down too, come on.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 2:27 pm
Sessrumnir didn’t quite catch the look Remus was giving him, didn’t quite catch the flush in his cheeks since he was busy trying to make sure that Remus’s hand would be okay until they got the chance to tend to their injuries. He was much too concerned with making sure Remus was taken care of to really focus on anything else.
He frowned when Remus didn’t really seem to have an idea of what to tell his sister, just that he would figure it out. It was a dangerous game, just assuming people would be okay with the fact that there were injuries after injuries, night after night. His own brothers found out about his powered identity, but that wasn’t really by choice.
The teasing nickname had him rolling his eyes, and he mumbled, “Yes, your majesty,” in response. It didn’t really bother him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t think it was ridiculous. Even still, he agreed to power down, his guise of Sessrumnir fading to just Michael. He wore just a tee-shirt and sweatpants that night. Apparently his favorite pair of sweatpants, seeing as they were the same ones he often wore whenever he needed to go somewhere dressed down. The same pair with the coat of arms on the left hand side below the waistband. And, of course, his shirt was grey, although he would argue that this one was darker than the normal grey he wore.
“The car is about ten blocks away…” he frowned, mostly to himself now as he followed now Caspian down the street. “I hope you have medical supplies at your house. I left my jacket in the car,” he explained, which was where he kept the bandages and gauze that he carried around with him.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 2:52 pm
He fought a grin as Sessrumnir powered down to Michael, the silly nickname making him stupidly happy. Remus shifted down as well, back to Caspian, who, unlike his gray-clad companion, was wearing a long-sleeved shirt in varying shades of blue and a pair of worn, holey black jeans that looked as though they’d seen better days. Both probably needed a wash or maybe just to be tossed out entirely, judging by the sheer wear and tear of them.
“Ten blocks is forever,” Caspian informed Michael stubbornly, a hand around his wrist as he tugged him down the street. “And I do actually have some first aid things at my house, you know,” he added, with a roll of his eyes.
He resisted the urge to tell Michael he could wear one of his jackets, knowing they would never fit, and pulled him down a side street that opened up onto a quieter, more residential road filled with old fashioned townhouses. Caspian slowed his steps and stopped in front of one with a pale blue and white front, peering up at the darkened windows.
He turned to Michael and put a finger to his lips as he started up the stairs. “Wait here a sec,” he whispered, fishing out his keys. A second later, he’d clicked the front door open and stepped quietly inside.
“Cassie?”
It was dark; there were no lights on. Caspian flipped the switch for the front entrance and peeked into the living room, the kitchen, and then up the darkened staircase.
“Cassie!”
There was no answer. Caspian set his keys on the rack and saw a small, yellow paper square that had his name on it.
A second later, he’d poked his head back out the front.
“Cassie’s not here,” he said, sounding relieved as he waved the note. “She’s at a friend’s for the night. Come on in, here,” he added, quickly pushing the door open wider for Michael.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 3:05 pm
Sure enough, they’d reached a row of older looking townhouses, and it was there that they came to a stop, in front of one that was pale blue and white. Michael took a few moments to glance up at its darkened windows, including a bay window on an upper floor. So this was where Caspian lived?
Michael had opened his mouth just as Caspian held a finger to his own, and his brows furrowed a little but did as he was told to wait. He could understand Caspian not wanting to surprise his sister with bringing a strange man home, much less one covered in cuts and bruises, just like Caspian was.
Once Caspian motioned for him to make his way inside, he moved to the door, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was lingering around the corner. He hadn’t felt any chaotic auras nearby when they’d powered down, so he could only hope that they hadn’t been followed.
“Do you have any rags or towels we could use? I can soak some in water if you bring me some. Or show me where they are,” he offered, figuring it wouldn’t be too difficult to find the kitchen or bathrooms, so he didn’t bother asking. He did take a few moments to glance down at the cuts across the knuckles of his left hand. He already knew that was going to be annoying to deal with.
“What’s off limits?” he asked, figuring it was only fair to follow Caspian’s rules in his and his sister’s house. Michael also took a few moments to remove his shoes, not wanting to track dirt across the floor.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 4:07 pm
He was, for once, grateful that Cassie was not home. It meant he didn’t have to answer any unnecessary questions or probing inquiries about the older man with the scrapes and bruises - or why and how they’d become friends in the first place, something that Caspian was quietly and determinedly holding onto.
It felt...strange, almost, watching Michael move around his house. Not strange in a bad way; in fact, Caspian felt a strange little thrill in the pit of his stomach seeing him standing there, bent to remove his shoes. For a moment, he just look at him, mahogany hair slightly mussed, all broad shoulders and strong arms.
“Uh,” said Caspian, belatedly remembering he’d been asked a question. He hastily looked away. “Just Cassie’s room, it’s up on the second floor, and so’s mine. The living room is to the right,” he said, gesturing at it. “Kitchen to the left.”
Both were decorated with a myriad of miscellaneous items and furniture that didn’t necessarily match, but felt comfortable and homey. Blankets and throw pillows crowded the floral couch, and little potholders imprinted with chickens and cats hung above the stove in the kitchen. A deck was beyond the kitchen, and there was a small, cozy looking study just off the front hallway.
The staircase was narrow, but opened up into a small landing, off of which branched three bedrooms and a bathroom. Caspian gestured for Michael to follow him up, and pushed open the door to the bathroom, which was large enough for the both of them to fit without too much hassle.
“Sit on the edge of the bath, here,” said Caspian, and he knelt in front of the cupboard, pulling out ziploc bags and cloths.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 4:34 pm
Michael glanced around as he followed after Caspian, looking at all the semi-mismatched things, the floral prints, the bold colors, the nicknacks and various images of animals. It felt warm and welcoming. Nothing like the catalog houses he was used to. This felt like an actual home.
It definitely fit Caspian. He wouldn’t have expected anything less, and he slowly made his way up the narrow stairs behind him as he lead the way to the bathroom. Michael watched as Caspian dug out the items they would need to get cleaned up, trying not to be so obvious as he watched the way Caspian tucked his legs up under him as he knelt down, or the way his hair brushed against his cheeks as he lowered and lifted his head, one side of his face still bloody from the cut he’d received.
He felt… almost out of place, like he was not supposed to be there. Like he was just a placeholder until Caspian found someone else who was better suited to stand beside him and keep him from being lonely.
And yet, he was okay with that. If he was just there for a little while, even once Caspian moved on, Michael felt he would be okay, as long as he could be there for Caspian however he could until then.
Caspian, in all his loneliness and sadness, was too bright and pure to be able to survive long term companionship with someone else, just as broken but in different ways. Caspian needed someone whole who would be able to fill in the pieces.
Michael kept his hands on his knees as he sat on the edge of the tub, shifting his gaze away from Caspian as if that would help stop the strange feeling of emptiness and dread in his chest, a prelude to what he feared would someday come to pass.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 4:45 pm
He was hyper aware of the closeness the bathroom provided. While both of them could fit without constantly tripping over each other, with each movement, Caspian felt his arm or leg brush against Michael’s. It made his pulse quicken, though he tried desperately to ignore this fact.
Michael was in his house. It wasn’t like Caspian had avoided taking him there, but it had never really come up before - and besides, the first time he showed him, he had not really wanted Cassie there. As much as he loved her, he wanted to be the one to show Michael where he lived and how he lived.
Caspian pulled out another bag and finally shut the cabinet door. Arms full of supplies, he shifted around and shuffled over towards Michael, dumping them all at his feet rather unceremoniously, Caspian grinning up at him.
“All right, Jupiter, turn this way,” he said, positioning himself on his knees so that he was just about Michael’s height while he was sitting down. Caspian fetched a wet cloth and a disinfectant wipe and held them up, dangling them in front of him expectantly.
“I’ve gotta get that one on your face first, it looks the worst,” he said with a grimace. “Where else are you hurt?”
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 6:32 pm
Michael finally raised his eyes to Caspian when he knelt down in front of him, and he stared at him almost warily, especially when he held up the cloth and disinfectant. Did Caspian really expect to help clean him up? Well, he had said that, but Michael was so used to doing everything on his own that he didn’t really know what he should be doing.
Hesitantly, Michael shifted just enough to give Caspian a little more room to reach him, despite what he thought his initial reaction should be; insist that he could do it on his own.
“Just my face and hand. I’ll probably have a bruise over half my back in the morning, but I can live with that,” he promised.
He didn’t know what to do with his hands. At first they were on the side of the tub to brace himself against it, but then he felt a little too restless, so he moved them back to his knees, and then crossed over his chest for a few moments, before going back to the tub.
The earnestness in Caspian’s eyes bothered him. He wasn’t used to being looked at like that; with worry or concern or kindness. Not like that, at least.
Michael glanced away again, doing his best to fight the heat from rising in his cheeks.
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” he mumbled, although he made no move to stop him.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 6:46 pm
”Don’t give me that look,” Caspian admonished gently, as he squeezed out the excess water from the washtowel over the tub. He leaned back to face Michael, smiling up at him; even kneeling, he was a few inches too short to be face to face. “I do know how to clean up blood, even though I’m sure my history says otherwise.”
He tried to figure out the best way to go about this, and lifted his hand tentatively to Michael’s uninjured cheek. Fingers slid down and rested lightly against his jaw, tilting his head as Caspian began to dab at the wound. He was not - he was not thinking about how close they were, yet again, how his heart still seemed too big for his chest, and how breathing was almost painful.
His hand shook slightly. Caspian wiped away a smear of blood, knowing it probably stung a little, but taking as much as he could to be gentle about it. He brushed dirt aside, made sure to get near the hairline, and then moved down around the actual gash once again, keeping the pressure at a minimum as he cleaned around it.
“I know I don’t have to,” he said softly, after a moment, and Caspian’s thumb smoothed against Michael’s jaw without the indication that he knew he had even done it. He pressed the damp cloth against a particularly stubborn patch of blood.
“I want to,” said Caspian quietly, a little smile on his face as he lowered the cloth. “You did this for me, so let me return the favor.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 7:03 pm
A hiss of pain escaped through his teeth as Caspian pressed the wet cloth against the gash, followed by an unintentional whimpering sound. Cleaning the blood and dirt away was something that had to be done, and Michael held as still as he could, knowing that he probably sounded pretty pathetic groaning and whining over Caspian merely cleaning his face for him.
He was very aware of Caspian’s hands on his face, which was another reason why he did his best to endure it. Caspian’s hands were warm and soothing, despite the stinging from the cut.
“That was different,” he said softly, closing the eye closest to the cut, although he watched Caspian’s face with the other. Caspian looked almost content, the way he was working on cleaning him up. The little smile, the concentration in his brow, the gentle movements of his hands.
“It was either me doing it, or you going to the hospital,” he insisted, his voice just as soft as before, if not a bit pained. “And you and I both know you hate hospitals.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 7:23 pm
He couldn’t help the wince that flickered across his own face at the sound of pain. Caspian knew it stung, knew it must hurt as much as it had hurt for Michael to do the same to him. He still remembered the gentleness of his hands as he’d stitched him up, and they had barely begun to know each other then.
It was different, now. It was more.
“It’s all right,” Caspian said softly, and his thumb stroked across Michael’s jaw again, tone light, rather than serious, because it was meant to reassure, meant to relax. “Focus on something else. Think about the fact that I’m not getting you drunk,” he added, voice slightly teasing. “The fact that you’re sitting on a bathtub that has Finding Nemo curtains because I couldn’t find any others.”
Though hopefully it would be seen more as a joking thing, rather than a childish thing, Caspian suddenly aware of the possible implications of this. Michael had already said, quite firmly, that he did not view Caspian as a kid, and that discussion had been painful enough.
Painful...and liberating. And warm.
“Hospitals are the devil,” said Caspian, wrinkling his nose. He kept his hand on Michael’s cheek, lowered the washcloth of the other, rinsed it out, and wiped off the last remaining spots.
“Okay, bandage…” he mumbled, half to himself, as he rummaged around the little first aid kit. “Here, I’ve got some bigger bandaids, this should cover it, it’s almost like a gauze patch except without the skin ripping tape. Hold still.”
With deliberate, careful precision, the tip of his tongue visible at the corner of his mouth as he concentrated, Caspian cautiously pressed the bandage into place, smoothing his fingers over it to prevent any bubbles.
“There,” he said, sounding a mixture of relieved and satisfied. Caspian leaned back on his knees.
“Okay, hand next.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 7:48 pm
It was still painful, but the words Caspian spoke helped. He couldn’t help the small, amused snort when he glanced over to see the shower curtains really did have blue and orange fish from the movie. “Of course you would,” he said softly, hoping Caspian knew he was saying it as a joke, even if his voice wasn’t as lighthearted as he wished it could have been.
“You and all your colors,” he said softly. “Of course you’d want something bright.” It was because Caspian was bright, despite his sadness and loneliness, Michael could still see that light in him, not quite burnt out after whatever it was he’d been put through. It just needed to be rekindled a little.
Michael kept as still as possible as Caspian went about getting the bandages from the first aid kit, watching as he leaned down to try and dig one out, and how his shirt rode up his back some, and his hair once again in his face…
His eyes snapped back up at attention when Caspian returned to him, preparing the bandage to place over his cheek. With any luck, Caspian was too focused on covering the wound to notice the color in Michael’s face.
“You’re not too bad at this,” he commented, knowing very well that Caspian had mentioned the possibility of going into sports medicine. It was only natural that he would know how to clean and bandage wounds. Almost reluctantly he held out his left hand to Caspian to work on next. “I could just put it under the water, you know,” he offered, but not wanting to move until he was told.
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