Adrien winced, reaching up to card through his hair as the antisceptic soaked into his cuts. "I know, I know. I probably should've given you a better warning but I'm a real dickhead." There was something almost soothing in his voice as he tried to calm Alex down. "Do you think you're gonna pass out? It'd probably be easier if you did."
Alex relaxed his body slightly so he wasn’t so tense, “I’m honestly wishing I could pass out,” He mumbled, trying to take some deep breaths as he focused in on his voice, “I’ve taken injuries like these before… maybe not as bad but close… guess the body’s used to it.”
"Well I hate to sound like my dad, but you're handing it like a champ." Adrien gabbed an unmarked tube, spreading some kind of clear gel out on his fingers and then rubbing it across Alex's cuts. He was as gentle as he knew how to be, but his bedside manner had always been terrible and the nerves weren't making him any better at avoiding the places where it hurt. "I'm gonna stitch you up once that numbing agent kicks in. Tell me when it starts to feel warm."
Alex winced slightly as the gel was placed on his wounds, but didn’t swear this time, “How many times have you had to stitch up wounds, then?” He asked, looking down at the cuts on his chest before looking at Adrien.
"Tough question." Adrien wiped off his hands on the couch and then paused, biting the inside of his cheek. "At least 15. Enough to know what I'm doing, if that's what you're getting at. I wouldn't do this for you if I didn't think I'd do it right, I do have some level of respect for other people. Even when they're as insufferable as you."
Alex snorted, “Right, yeah okay,” He paused for a moment, head slightly tilting to the side, “Can I ask why exactly you’ve had to stitch up so many people? I doubt you’ve been in war or some battle but again, humans are strange.”
"Hmm? Oh, no, nothing like that!" He laughed, the first real laugh he'd laughed in a long time. "I had a brother, and he and my dad liked to do outdoorsy shit. Hunting, building, working the land. I used to try to join in, overexert myself, and then boom. Popped stitches." He reached up to rub his chest instinctively, tracing at the old scars over his shirt. "And we never had enough money to get them redone professionally, so I learned how."
“You speak in past tense,” Alex’s head tilted the slightest bit more, “Did something happen to them?” The logical side of him kicked in then and he silently cursed himself for asking personal questions, “Wait no, sorry, I shouldn’t pry it’s um… yeah, sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”
Adrien tensed immediately, opening his mouth to snap at Alex and then forcing himself to close it again. He had to take a deep breath before he spoke. "Yeah, that was kinda fucking out of line. But… no. Dad's still around, it's my brother who…" He swallowed, voice trailing off as he suddenly got very interested in the needle he was holding. "… Yeah. Anyways, what's got you so fucking interested in me all of a sudden?"
Alex shrugged a shoulder, looking down at his lap and trying to relax his jaw, “Nothin’… If you want me to stop talking then you can say so, I’ll try and keep my mouth shut,” he knew he was an idiot, but he didn’t think he was hat much of an idiot, “the gel’s warm… by the way.”
"Got it, I'll tell you to shut up if I want you to shut up." Adrien tugged on the string, making sure it was strong enough to hold and then settling by Alex's waist so he could start stitching. "Now lie back and think about something that isn't me repeatedly stabbing you with a tiny sword. And tell me if it hurts too much." The pain should be pretty muted with the numbing gel still working, but you could never be too careful.
"Sounds easier then it actually will be." He mumbled, resting his head back against the couch. He was used to this, but it didn't make it any less uncomfortable every time it happened. It didn't necessarily hurt, more of strange pricking that felt a lot like a bee sting.
"Then talk. It's not like you're gonna distract me, I babble at you all the time." Adrien had been concentrating on the wound, but his eyes flicked up to Alex's face with a weary smile. "Besides, you kinda owe me one considering the fact that you promised you'd be just fine and still managed to end up like this."
Alex smiled slightly, “I am fine. I’m not dead so that means I’m fine,” The logic was a little messed up but to him it made sense, “We should go somewhere… after this. Like anywhere, somewhere peaceful.”
Adrien frowned at that, all pinch-faced and sharp. "That's stupid." He tugged on the needle a little harder than he really needed to as he tied off the thread for the first gash. It was a tidy row of stitches, orderly and dark as they marched up his chest. Adrien started on the second one. "You're hurt, that's not fucking fine."
Alex winced slightly when he tugged no the needle but didn’t complain, “I might be hurt but I’m not dead so that’s all that matters,” He sighed, “We should still go somewhere. Somewhere you can practise with your powers.”
"Fine. But only if you promise to take good care of yourself." He took a second to scowl up at Alex before his eye flicked down to his work again. "If you start running a fever or these get infected and you don't tell me about it because you've decided I need to train, I'm gonna make you wish you'd just curled up against that tree and kicked it."
Alex rolled his eyes with a small chuckled, “Okay okay, I get it. If I start getting sick I’ll tell you, I swear.” He wouldn’t admit it out loud but he was actually starting to like Adrien, even if he was slightly annoying.
"Good. And if you bleed through your bandages or your stitches pop, you're gonna let me deal with that shit." Adrien reached the top of the second cut, turning to Alex again. "Got it?"
Alex nodded, “Got it boss,” He smirked, shaking his head slightly before resting his head against the couch again with a sigh, “You nearly done?”
"Anyone ever tell you patience was a virtue?" Adrien tied off the thread and then grabbed some medical tape and gauze from the first aid kit to patch up the shallower cuts. He tapped Alex on the shoulder once he'd finished, sitting back to give the world walker some space. "Now I'm done. How's it feel?"
Alex moved around a little, testing to see how far he could go, “Feel’s good. Thanks.” He stood from the couch, rolling his shoulders, “Come on then. The quicker we start training the better.”
"Oh my god, you're impossible." Adrien closed the first aid kit with a snap and plopped down on the couch with his face buried in the kitchen. "Give me a minute to bask in the miracle of your life before you make me want to murder you."
Alex rolled his eyes, “Come on, stop being dramatic. You need to train and the quicker we get going the better,” He crossed his arms and raised a brow, “Come on Adrieeeen.”
"Don't whine at me you oaf!" Adrien peeked out of the cushions to glare at him, even though there was a thread of fondness in his gaze. "I'm exhausted. I just stitched up your sorry ass, why don't you show your appreciation by leaving me alone for a nice long nap?"
“You can nap later. Half an hour, just train for half an hour and then I’ll leave you alone to nap,” Alex’s face seemed to soften the tiniest bit, almost as if he was trying to beg, “Please…”
Adrien sighed, but there was something almost cute about Alex when he tried to be nice and he'd never been able to resist a cute boy for long. "You promise it won't go longer than half an hour?"
“I promise. Half an hour and then you can come back and nap.” His face softened just a tad bit more, and he wasn’t even faking it, either, “Besides, you might like where we’re going.”
Adrien sighed a little harder but Alex sounded so earnest. He shoved himself up off the couch, slapping on as real a scowl as he could manage to at least pretend to resist. "Fine. But only 'cause I know you're not gonna shut up about it if I don't."
Alex grinned, a real, proper grin for the first time in a while, “You’re not wrong there,” He held out his hand, “Come on then.” He was excited, actually excited and he couldn’t quite place why and he didn’t think he wanted to.
