Worth More Than a Sapphire

Chapter 9: Date, 2!!

--Author's Note: This chapter doesn't go too into graphic detail about the injuries, but we talk about them a lot, so if you're squeamish, you might want to skim up until the part where Y/N thanks him for helping. From there things get better :D--

Under the light of the street, Zenigata looked perfectly fine.

Looking at him in his temporary home, under bright, adequate lighting? A different story.

His clothes were dirty, but clothes could be washed and mended. A black eye would take a while longer. He kept rolling his arm back like it was sore, and his legs almost gave out when you got inside.

"You don't um... Are you going to be okay?"

"This?" he said, gesturing at himself vaguely. "That's nothing!"

What a rotten liar.

"Go ahead and sit down, I'll be there in a second. Wait, uh, take this." He quickly set out a water bottle for you, along with two painkillers. "You might pass out otherwise."

"Good to know."

Zenigata's apartment was much smaller than yours, feeling more like a hotel room than a home. You sat on the carpet, leaning against a large Western style bed, anything feeling preferable to the cold metal chair. You took in a steady inhale, then exhale. Inhale... Exhale... Careful and easy, relaxing your heartbeat. Inhale...

Zenigata entered the room.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exh--

"Easy, easy!" he cried. "You'll hyperventilate and pass out AGAIN!"

Zenigata sat before you and laid out some supplies. Somehow in the minute (at most) he'd been gone, he'd found the time to change into a cleaner, comfier shirt. You'd never seen him in anything besides a stiff suit, and the change caught you by pleasant surprise.

He said your name like he was trying to get your attention for the fifth time. You blinked at him owlishly, all but admitting you were lost in thought.

"This isn't going to feel good. It's numb-ish, but--"

"Don't tell me, I'll get sick."

Zenigata seemed more frightened of the idea than you were, and quickly shut up. You turned away as he tied something around your arm, close to your shoulder.

He cleared his throat. "Do you... Nevermind, are you doing okay so far?"

You nodded, but the strain on your neck made it throb with pain. "Y-- Ugh... yes, so far. Have you even touched it?"

He seemed surprised at this. "I got a few shards out."

"Oh. Nice."

You drummed the fingers of your free hand on the mattress. "Zenigata?"

"Hm?"

"After you finish up with this, can I uh... take a look at your eye? It seems kinda bad."

"I told you not to worry."

"It's hard not to!"

As he worked up your arm, the anesthetics wore off, and the pain returned. You gripped the carpet, but didn't say anything, since he was nearly done. Right?

A final clink of glass hitting the plate he'd put down to collect it. You both sighed, relieved. You started to move, but pain shot up your limb and you winced.

He stood, disposing of the glass. "Quit it, it's not done."

"But the glass--!"

"It's still sore, and still bleeding." He returned and took something else from the generic First Aid kit. Gauze.