"damian, it's not about it hurting, it's the fact i could cause permanent damage to your skin. i've never removed glass before. i'm not a medic yet, i'm a weapon. i don't know shit."
he sighed softly, removing his hand and thinking for a few seconds.
"at least let him stand relatively close and tell me what to do. i'm at a complete loss, love."
Damian winced but he eventually nodded. He couldn't reach the glass at all, and at least he'd be able to get it out instead of letting it fester inside his skin forever. He remembered last year when dad broke a bottle over his shoulder and the glass kept cutting him back open. Just the thought sent a shiver through him. "… Fine. Fine, just don't let him touch me. And… Juniper?" His voice was surprisingly vulnerable.
juniper was about to get up and go get his dad, but paused when damian asked for him.
"yes?"
"Thank you." The words were completely earnest, almost painful in their honesty. His hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists on the arms of the chair. "It's… It's a lot for you to put up with, so thank you."
"you're welcome." he said simply, smiling slightly before going to retrieve his dad.
Damian tried to settle into the chair but he was too scared. Too pained. It was all he could do to stay still and not bolt out into the yard.
juniper came back, magik trailing behind him. both of them had a practiced monotone look, and magik took a seat off to the side where he could see damian's back and still be at a respectful distance.
juniper sat back down behind damian, warning him that he was going to start working, and beginning to take directions from magik.
Damian tensed and relaxed quickly, a rainbow of emotions flickering across his face before he hid them behind and angry mask. His hands were starting to go numb from how hard he was clutching at the chair. Every shard of glass had to be torn out of him, the skin already starting to heal over them. He stubbornly refused to cry, but it was close. "Juniper, I… It… It h-hurts."
"i'm sorry we don't have any anesthetic. i don't think neosporin would work on these while it's happening. it'll be over soon, i swear. it's over before you know it is."
he continued to work quietly for a while, taking murmured instructions and being as gentle as he could. after another few minutes, damian was glass-free.
"there. i'm going to disinfect it, which will also hurt a lot, but all of this pain will make your recovery so much easier."
he poured the disinfectant on a soft washcloth and started back on the wounds.
Damian let out a breath so ragged it sounded like it had been torn out of him. He was clenching his teeth together to stay quiet but he pulled too tight and suddenly he was bleeding from his mouth again, blood tumbling from the cut and seeping, thick and warm, over his chin.
magik whispered a small "jesus, kid."
if juniper hadn't been conditioned like he had, he'd probably be whispering soothing things to damian to calm him. instead, he worked almost mechanically, cleaning up the wounds and applying ointment before gently pulling damian so he straightened his back.
"bandages are going on. it's over, you're fine."
Damian didn't relax so much as he collapsed, reaching up weakly to wipe away at the blood. It only aggravated the wound, but it was better than dealing with whatever was happening behind him. Whatever confusion or surprise or pity might be happening. He realized, dimly, that he was shaking. Little tremors in his shoulders and the backs of his hands and his jaw. "… thanks." His voice was hoarse.
"is your lip bleeding again?" juniper sat back, rubbing his hands together and taking a deep breath.
"It's fine." Damian was barely even trying to be convincing, his focus taken up by trying not to collapse into the chair and aggravate his back and trying to keep himself from shaking. He was losing the battle on both fronts. Fuck. He hated this. Normally when he got weak he could hide away in his room or the bathroom and escape reality for a little while. There was no privacy here. He was on display, no matter how benign the watchers. "You said…" he licked his lips, wincing at the taste of blood. "You said you had painkillers?"
"yeah, on the table. i'll get you some more water if you want?"
magik stood up, holding his hands up. "this is where i take my leave. hasta la vista damian, i wish you a speedy recovery."
Damian turned back to Magik and offered a flimsy smile. Blood was still leaking from his swolen lip, so it came out a good deal more bestial than he intended. "Thank you, sir."
"no problem, kid. make sure you fix up that lip." magik waved and walked out the front door, going off so the boys could have their space.
juniper set down two ibuprofen pills in front of damian.
"sorry we don't have anything stronger. we usually just sleep everything off. which you're welcome to do, but lying down might hurt."
"It's fine." The tightness in Damian's voice made it very clear that he was in a tad too much pain for anything less than horse tranquilizers. He still reached for the ibuprofen, seeking any relief. His back actually hurt more now that it was clean and properly taken care of, the white-hot sting of disinfectant singing through his many cuts. "I don't think I can sleep like this."
"yeah, well 3 shots of nyquil says otherwise, pal." juniper went back to the kitchen, looking through a cabinet for the nyquil they only kept around as a sleeping aid.
"Let me rephrase," Damian said, a hint of playfulness creeping back into his otherwise weary tone. "I don't want to fall asleep and jack up my back even worse."
"you can sleep on your stomach. i respect not wanting to sleep, but i can say from experience that it helps." he finally found the nyquil, setting it down on the counter and turning to damian as a silent offer.
"I don't…" Damian looked at the Nyquil hopefully, eyes flicking from it to Juniper. "I don't wanna be any trouble. I can always head…" His expression darkened. "I can always head home, if you don't have anywhere for me to crash."
"we've got a couch, dad's bed, and my bed. there's plenty of places to crash, love. don't go home and make it worse." he came back over with the nyquil and sat down to measure it out.
Damian let his eyes rest on Junipers face for a few seconds, a blatant attempt to see if he was being honest. When he decided he could trust this… thing they had going, he took the Nyquil and downed it in a shot, making a face at the taste. "Can I sleep in yours? I want to be somewhere I trust."
"go for it. make yourself comfortable, i'll make food while you're asleep."
((timeskip?))
(sure)
Damian found Juniper's bedroom quickly, collapsing onto the bed and falling asleep within seconds.
(bump)
after a few hours, juniper looked up with a grimace. damian had been sleeping for an awfully long time, but he knew it'd be best to let him wake up naturally. he did slam a shot of nyquil, after all. that shit puts you down for a while.
he had thrown together some ramen and put it in the fridge for when damian woke, and was currently stretched out on the couch with a book.
Damian woke up gradually and reluctantly, groaning when the pain from his back slammed into him like a freight train. He'd fallen asleep on his stomach, thank god, but everything felt stiff and sore and he wasn't sure he could actually get up.
juniper looked up when he heard a groan from his room, ghost of a smile pulling at his lips.
"sounds like someone's awake."
