During a mission, everything had been going smoothly until the Mechanic, with his brute strength, tossed Jay hard onto his back. Jay gritted his teeth in pain as he hit the ground, but immediately forced a smile, putting on a brave face for the rest of the team.
"That all you got?" Jay quipped, pushing himself to his feet, even though his back screamed in protest. He tricked everyone with his usual humor, and they continued the mission without a second thought.
But as soon as they got home, Jay's act crumbled. He slipped away from the others and rushed to his room, closing the door behind him. The moment he sat on his bed, his hands gripped the edge tightly, trying to hold back the pain that had been building throughout the day. His back throbbed, and he winced as he leaned forward, silently cursing himself for not speaking up sooner.
Just as he was trying to figure out what to do, there was a soft knock at the door. Jay barely had time to react before something flew through the air and landed next to him on the bed—a cold, perfectly timed ice pack.
Jay looked up, startled, and there stood Kai, leaning casually in the doorway with a knowing smirk on his face. "You seriously thought you could fool me?" Kai asked, arms crossed.
Jay swallowed, his brave facade completely shattered in front of Kai. "I... I didn't want to slow everyone down," Jay mumbled, his hand reaching for the ice pack, though he avoided eye contact.
Kai sighed, walking into the room and sitting beside him. "Jay, you don't have to hide this stuff," he said gently. "We're a team. And if you're hurt, we need to know." His voice was firm but laced with concern.
Jay nodded but still didn't meet Kai's gaze. He was embarrassed, not because of the injury itself, but because he had hidden it. He didn't want to be seen as weak.
Kai, sensing Jay's discomfort, softened his tone. "You don't have to be the tough guy all the time. You can still crack jokes while sitting out, you know," he added with a teasing smile, nudging Jay lightly.
Jay let out a small chuckle, though it was short-lived as the pain flared up again. He pressed the ice pack against his back with a small sigh of relief.
Kai watched him for a moment before speaking again, more seriously this time. "How bad is it?"
Jay hesitated but knew there was no point in lying anymore. "It's... not great," he admitted quietly. "I've had worse, but it's been killing me since the fight."
Kai nodded, his expression softening further. "Lay down for a bit. We'll get this sorted."
Jay opened his mouth to protest, but Kai cut him off. "No arguments. Just rest."
Realizing Kai wasn't going to budge, Jay lay back on the bed, careful with his movements, still holding the ice pack against his back. Kai stood up, watching him for a second before he grabbed a pillow and propped it under Jay's head, making sure he was comfortable.
"Better?" Kai asked, standing over him with his arms crossed again.
Jay gave a weak smile. "A little... thanks."
Kai gave a small smile in return. "Next time, just tell me when you're hurt, okay?"
Jay closed his eyes, feeling the tension in his body start to ease as the cold ice pack worked its magic. "I will," he muttered, finally letting himself relax.
Kai didn't say anything more, but as he quietly left the room, Jay knew he had someone who would always be looking out for him, whether he wanted it or not.
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