Recovery

[badbutsadboy]

Who: Hunter badbutsadboy and his CR
What: Hunter recovering
When: After he gets out of the hospital
Where: Jason's Safehouse
Content Warnings: N/A for now

[He's only in the hospital a few days. Vascular injuries are bad but the artery wasn't completely severed, the muscle was only nicked, and the rest was mostly a flesh wound. It was a low speed, small caliber handgun of some kind.]

[Hunter spends a lot of his recovery sleeping on the pull out couch where he can be checked on. At some point, he plans to ask Nico if Will can heal him (though he wouldn't be shocked if Nico brought him around soon on his own) but Flapjack chases away everyone so he can sleep first.]

[So he spends a lot of time just knocked the hell out on pain meds, until one day he feels like he's rested enough.]

[And then he's left at a crossroads. Huvrye wanted him to stay with someone and he knows he meant an adult. But...]

[But he's still feeling so unsure about it. Even with adults rushing him to a hospital, even with them staying by his side while injured.]

[So whenever he gets a visitor they find him sitting up on the couch, in sweats and fuzzy socks, his arm in its sling packed with ice packs. He sits, staring forward at the TV, expression troubled, lost in thought.]

[The TV is off.]

[Flapjack is squished next to his thigh on the couch and the fingers of his good hand gently pet his fathers.]

Comments

[codicies]

[ Dylan feels his face get even hotter when Hunter catches his hand. Each stroke of his thumb feels electric. Dylan squeezes his hand in response. ]

It wasn't that hard to find. Not for you.

I've never really... taken care of anyone like this before. But I'm enjoying it. Even knowing you've done some awful stuff...

I just like it when you smile.

[badbutsadboy]

[He's starting to nod off again. He's tired. Getting briefly emotional had taken a lot out of hims. And the blanket is really, really warm. He's still kind of doped up on the pain meds.]

[So he says things that maybe he would have been shy about saying.]

I like when you smile, too.

[He breathes in and out, his breathing slowing as he settles back down.]

And your floppy hair.

[codicies]

[ Dylan rests his head against the armrest, keeping it parallel with Hunter's head as he watches the those eyes start to flutter closed. ]

I like your eyes. And your scar. And your ears.

[ He squeezes Hunter's hand again.

[badbutsadboy]

[He isn't sure how it feels for someone to say they like his scar. But...]

[It also feels like he's being told that someone likes his whole face. Not most of it in spite of part of it. And he's too tired to correct him. He doesn't want to think about why he has the scar, just wants to accept the compliment.]

[And he doesn't want to make Dylan think about him rejecting the compliment. About why.]

[He doesn't want to reject his compliment of his eyes either. He doesn't want to explain why they are the way they are.]

[So he accepts it. Melts into the warmth of the blanket and the compliments. He tries to let it all go. Reservations. Worries about who he used to be and what that means when it comes to what he deserves.]

[Maybe it's okay to just let himself be cared about.]

I like your eyes, too.

[He yawns, closes his eyes, and his voice gets thick with sleepiness. He's too sleepy and a little too drugged to realize what he's saying.]

And it was really nice dancing with you at the masquerade ball. I wish I'd asked you earlier. So we could've danced longer...

[Then he's out again. And no, he won't remember he said that very last bit.]

[codicies]

Dylan smiles contently. This isn't the first time he's watched Hunter slip into sleep. It's... peaceful. Endearing. Some other emotions that Dylan can't quite place — Something that compliments the fluttering in his gut with warmth.

He's not sure he'll ever get tired of this.

That last line, however, cuts through Dylan's thoughts. He feels sudden clarity in his mind, like a shroud had suddenly been pulled away, as the effects of Loki's disguise enchantment is lifted.

The boy in red had been Hunter.

Who wants to dance with him again someday.

Dylan sighs, not even caring how dreamy he sounds in doing so. "Next time," he says softly, "I'll ask you. And we can dance all night."