bakerstreet | Patch You Up

Patch You Up

Patch You Up
shipping meme

Let's hope you're not squeamish. Even if you are, you're going to have to power through it, because your crush, significant other, lover, or fellow practitioner in romantic tension has been battered and bruised. The degree of severity, from a minor scrape to a life-threatening injury, can vary, as can the reason - they may even be hurt because of you. If that's the case, you have all the more reason to tend to their wounds with your own two hands.

No one can take care of them like you can.

Bust out the bandages, even if they don't want you to worry over them or can't believe that anyone would. Though it's not your intention, if you're genre savvy, you may know that your best Florence Nightingale may be the final push if you're not together-together.

That's assuming if you both don't pass out from botched first aide before any of that happens. Don't forget that a kiss to make it better is critical!

Comment with your character, preferences, and the role you'd like to play - the injured or the attending. Also, would you like a pre-established relationship? One just on the cusp of becoming realized? Etc?
Reply to others.
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[ Wincing, Aoba looks at it. The cut is still oozing sluggishly, but hasn't he heard something somewhere? About head wounds always seeming worse than they actually are. He isn't sure he wants to take any chances with Noiz, especially since the pot that landed the blow is a solid, hefty one. ]

It's slowed down, but... are you dizzy? Feel like throwing up?

[ Holding up his hand in front of Noiz, Aoba wriggles his fingers at him, and then holds up three of them. ]

How many fingers do you see?

[Noiz lets out a low murmur, gaze narrowed as he tries to focus on Aoba. First his face, then the fingers he holds up.]

...Just a little dizzy. Mm. [he takes in a solid breath.] Three?

[It's mostly the dizziness and the throbbing pain in his head. His vision seems mostly fine. No need to throw up.]

Why would this make someone want to puke?

[There's a lot he simply doesn't know about basic injuries and wellness. His textbooks did cover health at some point, but it's been ages, and Aoba is the first person in a long time to give a damn about Noiz's health, himself included.]

Yeah, good, that's right.

[ Putting his hand down, he hovers around Noiz anxiously, biting his lip. Honestly, he isn't sure what else to do. If Noiz says he's doing okay aside from a bit of dizziness, it should be fine to just finish cleaning up the cut and get him to rest, right? Maybe he should ask Ren what to do, or the Usagimodoki.

But both of them are in the other room, and Aoba's reluctant to leave Noiz alone for even a moment. ]

Uhm, I'm not sure how to explain it. It just does, sometimes, especially if it's bad, or you get a concussion. But I don't think you got hit hard enough for that. Hopefully.

[ Fussing with the first aid kit, Aoba pulls out an alcohol wipe, and a large bandaid. ]

I'll clean that off for you, and then you should lie down, okay?

[It wasn't too long ago that Aoba first fussed over his injuries, something that at the time came across as incredibly strange to Noiz. He hadn't had any reason in a long time to care about his injuries, and no one had cared all that much about his either. After what they went through in in Platinum Jail and during his recuperation in the hospital, Noiz can't help but find Aoba's worried and anxious fussing cute, and it warms him inside. He flashes a thin smile.]

Hopefully. Though I wouldn't mind if it meant getting more service from you while I recover.

[Just an innuendo-laden comment to see if it'd cause Aoba's cheeks to flush.]

Mm, if you think it's safe for me to lie down.

[As if he knows how safe or unsafe that would be. This is less about his awareness of medical stuff and more about making the most of the situation.]

[ When Aoba thinks of Noiz alone, unloved and uncared for, and left to his own devices, his chest always seizes, and he wants to protest at the injustice of it, at the wrongness. He's never understood-- and probably never will completely understand-- how his own family could've treated him the way they did. Aoba would give anything in the world to be able to go back in time and tell Noiz that not everyone in the world is unkind, and that he deserved so much more. But while time travel may be impossible, at least he can take care of the Noiz in the here and now.

Predictably, Aoba flushes and rips open the alcohol wipe in his hands with more strength than necessary. ] Never mind, it's obvious you're fine.

[ Since he's getting saucy with Aoba. Armed with the alcohol wipe like the world's worst nurse, Aoba tells Noiz: ] This might sting a little. Bear with it.

[ Aoba dabs at the blood on Noiz, wiping it away and doing his best to be careful. He glances at Noiz as he does it, trying to gauge his reaction. ]

[Noiz grimaces with a hiss when he feels the wipe dab at his wound, as the stinging sensation makes its presence know. Was this how it should have felt that day back in Glitter? Maybe. He all but closes his eyes and takes a sharp intake of breath, reaching up to grab at Aoba's wrist.]

It stings.

[Note that this isn't a complaint. It's an observation.]

[ He stops immediately, looking at Noiz in concern. ]

I warned you. [ Wriggling his wrist a little, he manages to finish cleaning off the cut, and Noiz's forehead. Tipping his chin up, he presses a kiss beside it, careful and tenderly.

But there's one thought that's nagging at him. Aoba hesitates, and then says: ]

...things are gonna be different from now on. I don't know what'll happen in the future, but there might be another time when you get hurt. [ And Noiz will feel it. All of it. ] And I guess, since I'm the one who made it so you can feel again, I'll take responsibility. I'll be here for you.

[Noiz's fingers squeeze lightly at his wrist before releasing it. He nudges his chin against the lips, a small sign of affection that means a lot more to him solely due to how deprived of such things he'd been for so long. His lips press into a thin line.]

I'm not complaining. I wanted it to sting.

[Too many times in the past had he sunk into disappointment at not feeling such things. He glances away momentarily in a moment of feigned stoicism. Though truly momentarily, as he flits his gaze back to take in Aoba's expression at his further words.]

...As long as you're here with me, I won't mind getting hurt. Sure, you made those changes without asking, but it's more than anyone else was able to do in the past. And...

[They already had this talk a couple times before, including in the hospital.]

[ Peeling open the bandaid, Aoba sticks it over the cut, smoothing the edges down. His smile at Noiz is wan, and he strokes his fingers down across Noiz's face. Every expression Noiz makes is growing more and more familiar to him, and he savours it. ]

Masochistic brat.

[ But there's no heat behind the accusation, only fondness. ]

You should care though. I don't want to see you get hurt, and... you wouldn't want to see me get hurt either, right? [ Smoothing his hands down to rest on Noiz's shoulders, he gives him a gentle push back. ] Anyway I know I've said it before, but I just wanted to say it again. Lie down-- I'll go finish making food.

Tch.

[he lets out a huff, leaning back when he feels Aoba's hands on his shoulders, though he winds up pressing against the back of the sofa, not lying down.]

I said I wouldn't mind. That's not the same as not caring. Getting hurt and feeling pain over it is supposed to be normal.

[And that normalcy was something he'd always longed to have or understand. To know why others were bothered. What pain was supposed to feel like. Because it had been beyond his grasp for so long, he'd suffered in a different way. It is true that he still has a hard time caring about his injuries, though. Somehow, winding up with one just feels like a great excuse to get excited over feeling the pain of it, or for Aoba to fuss over him. Clearly Aoba is on to him here.

Closing his eyes, Noiz lets out a sigh and finally shifts in his spot to tilt to the side and possibly maybe lie down.]

Don't take too long.

[ Scoffing, Aoba shakes his head at Noiz. ]

Normal's overrated. [ His eyes soften, and he glances away. ] I liked you even when you weren't "normal".

[ But he can understand Noiz's desire to be normal, to be like everyone else, given his circumstances and all the suffering he went through because he was different. Being normal makes being accepted easier.

Following his surprisingly forward confession, Aoba leaps to his feet, pink in the face. He hurriedly changes the subject. ] But you know, you'd make a great lawyer one day.

[ If he ever decides to give up Rhyme and find a career, Aoba will suggest that as a possible option. Without another word, Aoba scampers out of the room, back into the kitchen to use that hard-won pot to heat up the stew. Going through the familiar rhythms of doling out the food and grabbing some cutlery, he grabs a couple of spoons and returns to the living room.

Aoba settles on the bit of couch that's free next to Noiz's legs, handing him a bowl of nikujaga. ] Careful, it's hot. If you burn your tongue, it's gonna be a lot harder to patch it up.

[His eyes flutter open in an odd expression on hearing those words. For so long, he couldn't see himself as normal. His weirdness was the explanation for everything terrible and unpleasant in his life. Being liked even when he wasn't normal?

His lips part, but Noiz doesn't answer, the action remaining wordless. Just more things for him to think about. The mention of a future career in law only reminds him of something that's been on his mind for quite a while now.

...What the hell is he going to do with the rest of his life?

But that question and the other ones swirling around inside his head now that he's begun thinking about the topic are enough to occupy him while he waits, draped over the armrest of the couch and legs curled up on the cushions pointing toward the other end.

When Aoba comes back, Noiz pulls his legs closer and reaches for the bowl, tucking it carefully into the crook below one arm and resting the bottom on the couch material. Then he obnoxiously drapes a foot or two across Aoba's lap.]

You could always kiss it better. It'd suck if I spilled it in the process, though. This smells good.

[ What's the rush? Aoba would also tell him that he's only nineteen-- he has the rest of his life to figure out what he wants to do with it, and he can change his mind whenever he wants. Then again, Aoba isn't exactly the best person to be giving advice. He hasn't got much in the way of ambitions, content as he is with his current lifestyle.

But that's the farthest thing on his mind right now.

Scooting back on the couch, Aoba glances down at Noiz making a place for himself on his lap, but lets it slide otherwise. Call it leniency granted due to his injured status and Aoba's guilt for hitting him with the pot in the first place. He gives him his spoon. ]

Yeah, not happening. Let it cool down, or you won't get to taste the best nikujaga in town! It's Granny's secret recipe.

Nikujaga?

[Noiz takes the spoon and starts stirring some of the meat and other goodies around inside the bowl. The bowl itself is uncomfortably warm, even though it was only the contents that had been heated up. Those contents just warmed the bowl once they got in there]

Meat-something?

[He picks up on the 'niku' part. There's too many kinds of food he just doesn't know the names of or what they mean.]

[ Hmm... maybe he should've given Noiz an oven mitt. Wait, Noiz probably doesn't even own an oven mitt. Well, it should be okay. The heat from the bowl should become tolerable soon enough. ]

Meat and potato, mostly. ...how would you say that in German? Anyway, there's other stuff in there too. Usually you'd eat it with rice, but it's good like this too.

[ Come to think of it, Noiz didn't know what takoyaki was either, did he? But he still got whatever caught his eye and ate it-- pretty adventurous. ]

Fleisch und Kartoffel.

[He pokes and stirs at the contents, then digs his spoon in to scoop some up. It's hot enough that he has to be careful at first, though once he has a taste he nods quietly, chewing away and swallowing.]

German food has a lot of meat and potatoes.

[Although he hadn't said much about where he was from, he did tell Aoba during his hospital stay where he'd been before coming to the island.]

F-fleisch und-- karutoffu?

[ Aoba mangles the words, the syllables foreign and awkward on his tongue. It's strange to hear it from Noiz, the fluidity of his speech. There's still a lot more he doesn't know about Noiz, but... it's only a matter of time, right? They're getting closer every day.

More importantly, maybe he can get Noiz to say something else in German. Spooning the stew to his mouth slowly, Aoba eats and talks in intervals. ]

What's Germany like?

Hmm.... It gets a lot of snow in the winter.

[With Midorijima located southwest of Honshu, that meant that the winters here usually don't result in much if any snow. It's the greatest difference Noiz can think up apart from culture and architecture, and the easiest one to say succinctly.

he takes a large spoonful of his stew and occupies his mouth with it.]

[ Aoba perks up visibly. ]

Seriously? Snow? [ It never snows here, and rain doesn't exactly count. ] I kind of want to see it. Can you really make snowmen?

[ Of course he's seen it before, on shows, but touching it with his own two hands is entirely different. On the other hand, it must get pretty cold in Germany for it to snow. Aoba pauses, and waits for Noiz to finish off that mouthful of stew before popping off another question. ]

Do you think... now that Toue's gone, you'll ever go back there? To Germany?

[Chewing and swallowing slowly, Noiz stares into his bowl at the talk about snow. It's one of those things he'd viewed with ambivalence back when he was a kid. Snowball fights and snowmen were fun, but he'd never felt cold out there, could never pick up on much of the thing about cold temperatures or appreciate snow as much as normal people.

His spoon clinks against the bowl and he's just about to try and answer when Aoba has to bring up returning. He goes quiet and averts his gaze somewhere off to the side, although he attempts to make it look natural.]

...Of course you can make snowmen. Haven't you ever seen pictures of it before? Same with snow forts and castles.

I haven't thought about going back.

[Lies and slander. The topic has been on his mind off and on for a while. All that time spent in the hospital meant he did a lot of thinking about many different things.]

I don't know.

[More like, he's uncertain whether he can or should brave it.]

I've seen the pictures! [ Offended, Aoba returns to shoveling nikujaga into his mouth, chewing indignantly and generally getting into a right huff over Noiz pointing out the obvious. Eventually, he slows down long enough to make his defense. ]

But seeing it and actually talking to someone who's done it is different, you know? They can do crazy stuff with CGI now.

[ Quiet on Aoba's end again, and he studies Noiz, really looks at him. Tries to read into whatever lies behind his expression and understand it. All he sees is Noiz: hair ruffled and a spot of red seeping through from beneath the bandage, young and uncertain.

The better question might be "why would Noiz go back"? and "why would he want to"? ]

I guess it doesn't matter, but if you do... if you want to, I'll go with you.

[Noiz winds up frowning, not quite to the point of a scowl but definitely moody.]

You picked a terrible person to ask. I haven't done it in close to fifteen years, and I couldn't feel much of the snow itself.

[His tone drops lower with every few words, as though sinking into petulant resignation. As Aoba's later words sink in, however, he glances over at him, expression oddly blank.]

You'd go with me?

[Would Aoba go with him anywhere? Would he go with him even if he moved somewhere outside of Midorijima for good, be it Germany or elsewhere?]

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Patch You Up

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those keywords forever amuse me damnit

HAHA GOOD, it's my favourite noiz related icon! also, i hope your holidays went well (:

uneventful in a good way!

that's the best you can hope for in a holiday imo!

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