[And he was seated on the counter of the sink in the large bathroom, a first aid kit sitting there. He already had things for stitches pulled out, assuming they'd be needed.]
[He sat there, hands fidgeting a bit. Still seeing in color, so he knew things were okay enough.]
Getting past his other siblings and to the bathroom is easy enough and he finds Ben waiting for him. Closing the door, he flashes a smile that's ruined by the way he's hunched slightly around the gash in his side.
His hands are fidgeting with each other, the phone sat to the side, picked up, sat down again, picked up once more, and sat down when he realizes they were done talking over it. He'd be here soon.
And there he was. He looked up to see Diego slip into the bathroom and close the door. "Just a scratch doesn't look like a gash, Diego." He said, sliding off the counter and coming closer to him, one hand to steady him, the other to reach down and try to take a better look at him. "You should be glad that I'm getting better at sewing."
"So I might have been a bit vague. You were stressing. I don't like when you stress." Diego eases himself down onto the edge of the tub and reaches for Ben's hand, squeezing his fingers. "I'm okay, Ben. It just needs a few stitches and it'll be fine.
"A bit vague." he repeated before snorting. He let the other take his hand, but he was still trying to look at that gash. "I was stressing for good reason. I knew there was a reason I text you. I felt it." He said, not even sure if their connection worked that way. "You don't like it when I stress, I don't like it when you're all bloody with your own blood."
He drew back, taking his hand back to go wash up at the counter, pulling gloves on after. "I will not thank you for that." he said with a laugh, then glanced to him. "Strip. Let's get you patched up."
"Ben..." There's no point arguing with his soul mate and instead, he focuses on getting his gear and his jumper off, wincing as it pulls at the still oozing wound just below his ribs. "I'm okay, Ben. I knew you'll take care of me."
He would help, but perhaps making him do it himself is part of the punishment. Even if he's itching to get in there and actually help. Still, he wants to keep his hands clean of the dirt. "You might be fine, but I'm not fine with it. Some day it's going to be bad. Real bad." He said softly, moving to kneel in front of the other, a damp cloth in hand.
"Let me get a good look at it, idiot." he said with a tender tone, looking up at Diego with worried eyes. "And of course I'll take care of you. Mom taught me well this time around."
Cupping Ben's chin, Diego forces him to look up at him, meeting his gaze before he says in a soft tone. "Ben. I'm okay. I'm careful. This was an anomaly. You know that." He holds his soul mate's gaze for another long moment before letting go so that Ben can patch him up.
Lifting his arm as best he can, he lets Ben study his wound. "I think it's because she knew you're the one who'd be looking after me."
When the other cupped his chin to get his attention, he gave it in full, looking up at him as he tried to reassure him. Ben frowned, but then nodded faintly, giving in. "I know." he agreed, moving not to try and wash the bloody gash at his side, cleaning it first. Carefully.
He leaned in close, using Diego's knee to steady himself, chest pressed to it and dabbing at the bloody wound. It wasn't as bad as it first looked. A clean cut at least. "I just don't like seeing you in pain." His finger traced a older scar near this wound, soft and light. "Not that I mind the scars later. I just wish you were more careful. And yeah, she knew someone had to take care of you. Might as well be me." That made him smile more.
Diego's quiet for a long while, letting Ben clean his wound and begin the process of stitching it up, wincing quietly as he does but never flinching away so that the scar is clean.
"Nothing they can do to me will ever hurt me the way..." The way losing Ben had, the way waking up with black and white vision had. There wasn't a knife or a fist or a gun in the world that could hurt him the way that had. "She taught you well."
He cleans the wound, silent and attentive. Reaching back for the stitching needle. He's as careful as he can be, stitching slowly and pulling it tight, to make it a clean scar later.
"Well, that isn't going to happen again. Not on my watch. But out of the two of us, you're the one who takes the risks, Diego." He said softly, putting a bandage on over it and taping it down. "Mom knew it would be needed. Sadly." He leaned in to kiss the top of the bandage, as if to make it feel better.
Once it's bandaged, Diego lowers his arm to wrap his fingers into Ben's hair, scratching against his scalp.
Tugging Ben back up, ignoring the tug in his side, he guides Six to meet his gaze. "The people I help, need my help. I have to go out there. But I always plan to come home." Pressing a kiss to Ben's forehead, he smiles before he checks the bandage. "As always, you did good work. Mum taught you well."
He knelt there before the other on the tub, looking up at him as Diego pulled him to meet his gaze. "I know. And I'm glad you do it." he said softly, getting a pressed kiss to his forehead that made him smile. "So long as you come back, I'll put you back together again." He promised, moving to stand before the other.
he took his gloves off and tossed them to the sink, rubbing his hands off on his hips at first, letting the other inspect the bandage. "Of course she did. She knew I had to take care of her favorite son." He said, and glanced back to make sure the door was shut, before leaning in to steal a small kiss from the other, bumping his forehead to Diego's in the process. "But I wish you'd be more careful."
"You think I'm Mom's favourite?" It was no secret that Diego had a soft spot for Grace, that he clung tight and needed her more than he put into the words. Aside from Ben, she was the one he needed the most.
Diego returns the kiss softly, pressing into the touch to his forehead and smiling against his soul mate's lips. "I'll try." They both knew he wouldn't be doing anything differently.
He blinked, then smiled at that. "Yeah. Anyone with half a brain can tell that you're moms favorite." He said, but then added. "But just by a fraction of a distance." Chuckling. She loved them all, but she always gave Diego special attention, or so Ben felt. Maybe it was just because he was so clingy to her that it appeared that way. Still, Ben liked it that way.
He smiled back, knowing that nothing will change. "Sure you will." He nudged the other, then chuckled on the others lips. "I was serious though, about maybe getting back into things. Helping like you do."
"It's probably because she's my favourite." His tone is teasing and he's definitely deflecting, trying to hide the embarrassment Ben's comment causes him. He's always had the softest spot for her and he knows she's always had a soft spot for him. She may have been designed and built and programmed, but she had feelings. She loved them.
"Yeah? Well, maybe we can look into it. Start you off with more simple things and work your way up."
Ben smiled about that. About Mom being his favorite. Everyone already knew it. Knew he was a bit of a mama's boy. It was part of what was so endearing about him. Had he not had that soft spot somewhere in there, he'd have been such a pain in the ass to deal with. Ben liked the soft spot. "She really is the best."
Ben snorted at that though, shaking his head and drawing back a bit, starting to pick up and clean up the med kit. "I used to be a superhero just like you. I think I can handle myself out there, Diego."
"Yeah, she is." He feels a little less like an idiot confessing this to Ben, as if it's completely safe to be this vulnerable in front of him. And maybe it is, because they're soul mates and isn't that part of it?
"I know that, Ben. But working as a team when we were kids is different than going out there on your own." Also, he'd died that time and Diego was still terrified it was going to happen again.
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won't have to wait too long.
i'm here.
just.
be careful.
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and is that advice coming from the man who's bleeding?
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shut up.
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[And he was seated on the counter of the sink in the large bathroom, a first aid kit sitting there. He already had things for stitches pulled out, assuming they'd be needed.]
[He sat there, hands fidgeting a bit. Still seeing in color, so he knew things were okay enough.]
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"Hi. Remember. It's just a scratch."
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And there he was. He looked up to see Diego slip into the bathroom and close the door. "Just a scratch doesn't look like a gash, Diego." He said, sliding off the counter and coming closer to him, one hand to steady him, the other to reach down and try to take a better look at him. "You should be glad that I'm getting better at sewing."
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"You can thank me for that."
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He drew back, taking his hand back to go wash up at the counter, pulling gloves on after. "I will not thank you for that." he said with a laugh, then glanced to him. "Strip. Let's get you patched up."
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"Let me get a good look at it, idiot." he said with a tender tone, looking up at Diego with worried eyes. "And of course I'll take care of you. Mom taught me well this time around."
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Lifting his arm as best he can, he lets Ben study his wound. "I think it's because she knew you're the one who'd be looking after me."
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He leaned in close, using Diego's knee to steady himself, chest pressed to it and dabbing at the bloody wound. It wasn't as bad as it first looked. A clean cut at least. "I just don't like seeing you in pain." His finger traced a older scar near this wound, soft and light. "Not that I mind the scars later. I just wish you were more careful. And yeah, she knew someone had to take care of you. Might as well be me." That made him smile more.
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"Nothing they can do to me will ever hurt me the way..." The way losing Ben had, the way waking up with black and white vision had. There wasn't a knife or a fist or a gun in the world that could hurt him the way that had. "She taught you well."
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"Well, that isn't going to happen again. Not on my watch. But out of the two of us, you're the one who takes the risks, Diego." He said softly, putting a bandage on over it and taping it down. "Mom knew it would be needed. Sadly." He leaned in to kiss the top of the bandage, as if to make it feel better.
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Tugging Ben back up, ignoring the tug in his side, he guides Six to meet his gaze. "The people I help, need my help. I have to go out there. But I always plan to come home." Pressing a kiss to Ben's forehead, he smiles before he checks the bandage. "As always, you did good work. Mum taught you well."
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he took his gloves off and tossed them to the sink, rubbing his hands off on his hips at first, letting the other inspect the bandage. "Of course she did. She knew I had to take care of her favorite son." He said, and glanced back to make sure the door was shut, before leaning in to steal a small kiss from the other, bumping his forehead to Diego's in the process. "But I wish you'd be more careful."
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Diego returns the kiss softly, pressing into the touch to his forehead and smiling against his soul mate's lips. "I'll try." They both knew he wouldn't be doing anything differently.
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He smiled back, knowing that nothing will change. "Sure you will." He nudged the other, then chuckled on the others lips. "I was serious though, about maybe getting back into things. Helping like you do."
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"Yeah? Well, maybe we can look into it. Start you off with more simple things and work your way up."
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Ben snorted at that though, shaking his head and drawing back a bit, starting to pick up and clean up the med kit. "I used to be a superhero just like you. I think I can handle myself out there, Diego."
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"I know that, Ben. But working as a team when we were kids is different than going out there on your own." Also, he'd died that time and Diego was still terrified it was going to happen again.