(Wind Breaker) The Green Rose's Thorns

Part 24

"Gross," Aoi's mouth curled, along with his stomach, at the sight of the roughly stitched up wound in his side. He studied it in the mirror, finding that easier than trying to bend around to see it clearly. The bleeding was mostly done, but the wound was nowhere close to healed up and burned a little bit when the soap and shampoo Aoi used washed over it as he rinsed off. He wanted to soak in a hot bath, but decided that would only cause more problems than it was worth. Especially if he fell asleep, and thus worried his oddly pushy guest waiting in the living room. About the only thing worse than his wound healing improperly was the thought of his friend busting the door down and panicking at the sight of Aoi conked out in the bathtub.

Aoi frowned at that, something about the thought not quite sitting right with him. Would Suo even intrude like that? It wasn't really their kind of dynamic, but things were also changing at a rapid pace between them. Changing, but remaining the same in all kinds of inconsistent areas. His memory of the previous day beyond a certain point was honestly pretty fuzzy, but there was something about it that made his ears burn every time he thought about it. Something compounded with the hazy recollections of earlier events behind the counter at Pothos.

Aoi was so lost in thought that he forgot half of the things he needed to do before exiting the bathroom, stepping out in just an oversized shirt and a pair of somewhat loose boxers. His hair was soaked and the water spread out over the white shirt, leaving parts of it nearly transparent where the strands clung to it. He leaned into the doorframe, the heat from his shower and the exhaustion from the short walk to the apartment catching up to him all at once.

"Aoi? Hey, you should at least dry your hair," Suo's voice went from somewhat surprised to half-chuckling at the sight of him. Aoi didn't really acknowledge the comment, stumbling over to the couch and flopping over the arm closest to him. He fell so that he was on his back, and his head landed hard on Suo's thigh.

"Ow," Suo flinched at that. He reflexively went to push Aoi away, but found himself stuck in place torn between different vices. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, working up the strength to take a look at the face of the boy using him as a pillow.

"Now my pants are soaked," Suo voiced another complaint, finding it odd that there wasn't any clapback at all. His worry over that overpowered whatever other anxiety he was fighting and he looked down. Aoi's eyes were closed, and he was breathing hard and fast with a somewhat red face. The steam spilling out of the open bathroom door, and the heat radiating off the boy's body, helped Suo put the puzzle pieces together. Aoi had overheated.

"I hope that doesn't leave a scar," Suo frowned at the long red line that ran down Aoi's face. His brow pinched together, more because he was fighting his hands to stay put than because he had said that aloud.

"I'd be surprised if it didn't," Aoi finally replied. His breathing had returned to something close to normal, and he had opened his eyes. He wouldn't look up though, turning his head in an attempt to hide his face.

"Overheated?," Suo realized how hard he was staring and lifted his head. Now they were both just staring toward the dark television screen across the room, trying desperately to ignore their burning cheeks.

"Yeah," Aoi answered a little late.

"You should dry your hair. Or, I guess that might be hard for you to do," Suo had forgotten for a second the whole reason he was there in the apartment, alone with the one causing his conflicting emotions.

"I usually just leave it be," Aoi pulled himself up to a sitting position and held his side as he did so. There was just a hint of red on his shirt when he removed his hand, confirming that neither wound was bandaged up.

"That's..a great way to get sick," Suo felt a bit of the frustration he was sure Kotoha experienced daily just then. He stood up, dragging Aoi back to the bathroom and fishing out a hairdryer. He sat on the side of the bathtub and forced Aoi to sit in front of him so he could blow dry his long hair. Both to his benefit and his detriment, Aoi said not a word as he combed his fingers through the silken locks. Once his hair was just slightly more than damp and the hairdryer was clicked off, Aoi fell back into Suo.

"Hey, don't sleep there," Suo really was cursing himself under his breath. This situation was pure hell for him, though a tiny part felt weirdly happy about it all too. While he threatened to spiral into that contradiction, Aoi turned his head to peer up at him and study the complicated look on his face.

"You don't have to help if you don't want to."

"That's..not-"

"It's really okay," Aoi rolled off Suo's lap and stifled a yawn. He wasn't sure what to make of what he had just seen play out on his friend's face, and was too exhausted to process it anyway. He looked to his right, where the supplies he meant to use earlier were resting on the countertop by the sink.

"It's fine. Here," Suo took the roll of gauze from Aoi's hand. Aoi wanted to argue that he could do it himself, but he didn't. The reason wasn't clear to either boy, though the unspoken question echoed in both their heads as Aoi held up his shirt. The question of what they were really doing, or why.

Suo did his best to wrap the gauze around Aoi's waist so it wasn't too tight, but wouldn't slide loose. It was hard to do from behind like that, but at least Aoi couldn't see the struggle on his face as he forced his hands to keep moving. The split second where he held the end of the gauze and waited for the piece of tape to bind it felt like a thousand-year war in his head, barely subdued by the minor tinge of disappointment as Aoi's shirt fell back down and the boy slumped forward.

"Oh come on. Where the hell-huh?," Kotoha's voice caught them both off guard, coming from the living room and closing the gap to the bathroom way too fast. Her head poked around the door frame, with a complete lack of apprehension, and both boys stiffened up in their respective spots. Hands flying to their laps, eyes pointed at the wall and the floor respectively while sweat beaded up on their foreheads. The reaction was far more severe than it needed to be, and inspired far worse ideas in Kotoha's mind than what she initially assumed as she watched their flustered faces twitch.

"What..?," she started to ask but hesitated. Aoi jumped up first, nearly passing out from the sudden rush of blood as he did so. Suo panicked and moved to catch him, both flinching away from each other and standing rigidly beside each other.

"Bandage," Suo blurted out a single word.

"Needed...help with it," Aoi attempted to finish the explanation but his phrasing was just as broken.

"Uh-"

"Sorry. I'll see myself out. Uh, thanks for havin' me," Suo pushed past Kotoha and power-walked to the front door. He slid on his shoes and came very close to slamming the door behind him. Aoi felt like dying, left there in the bathroom with Kotoha's barely covered smirk and narrowed eyes pointed right at him.

"Don't," was all he said as he too pushed past her. He threw himself into the sofa cushions, letting out a small yelp where his side hit a little too hard, and pulled a blanket over himself. Kotoha hummed a little tune to herself as she cleaned up the bathroom counter, wondering if she should keep that delicious scene all to herself or not.