I Dare You {Reed900 Fic} (Has Been Revamped)

Chapter 10

"How's it feeling?"

"Still stiff and sore, but otherwise alright. You don't need to worry about me, Eli," Gavin answered.

"Of course I do you idiot. I can't trust you by yourself anymore, next time you come to my place you're probably going to have a missing leg." Kamski light-heartily quipped.

Elijah was having Gavin do some motor control exercises with Gavin's new arm. He was healing quite rapidly, however, it was going to take him a bit before he mastered how to control his prosthetic. Currently, he was trying to squeeze a stress ball as hard as he could. He barely made an indentation.

Gavin sighed in frustration, "How long am I gonna have to do this?"

"I honestly don't know Gavin. Nothing like this has ever happened before. I want to say four to six weeks with how fast you are progressing but it's still too early to tell yet." Elijah told him truthfully. "And I know you're not going to like this part but, you need to take a month off of work for medical leave."

"A month! No, I refuse! I feel just fine Elijah!" Gavin shouted. 

"Too late, I already called Captian Fowler. He agreed, you need to rest." Elijah responded calmly.

"Can't I at least do desk duty? That way I'm not out in the field?" Gavin angrily asked.

"That's the thing, Gavin. I know you. The moment you go back to that precinct, you will somehow find a way to get yourself in harm's way. You're notorious for doing things you're not supposed to, and with something as serious as this I'm not chancing it this time." Kamski scolded.

Gavin got up from his seat, closing in on his step-brother. "I'm not a child anymore Elijah! I can take care of myself!"

"I'm not doing this for me, I'm doing this for you! It's for your own good, overworking yourself could be dangerous. So sit your ass back down and deal with it!" Elijah demanded.

Gavin did not listen, in fact, he got even angrier with Kamski. "Actually, I do think you're doing this for yourself. You've been like this ever since we were kids. Well, news flash Eli! I'm not some little kid who needs protecting from Dad anymore. I'm a capable ass adult, respect that!"

Elijah was taken aback by what Gavin had shouted at him. He stepped back from him, taking a seat in a nearby chair. "Fine. If that is how you truly feel, then after this I'll leave you be." He responded quietly.

"Wait... that's not what I... ugg!" Gavin sat back down in his seat, hiding his face behind his hand.

Silence filled the space between the two step-brothers. They had finally snapped at each other. The stress of current events and emotions from their past had taken their toll. The air was tense, both of them afraid to cut it. 

After a few moments, Elijah was the one who took the first attempted to cut the tension. "I know I can be... overbearing, at times."

"A little?" Gavin sneered.

"But I just do it to keep you safe. After all the shit we went through during our childhood with Dad and our mothers, I coped with it by being your protective older brother. Even if I am only three months older than you, heh." Kamski paused, "However, we're adults now and I should recognize that you can handle yourself without me, mostly. I'm sorry, I'm just stressed right now and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Gavin looked up at Elijah, taking in what he had said. "Thank you, Eli. I also shouldn't have blown up on you too. You're right, the moment I would have gotten back to work I would probably have gotten stabbed or something." He gave a small smile as he said that last part.