MHA #8, Wednesday

[stykera]

Stark had gotten back to the island after yesterday's space emergency only somewhat worse for wear. He'd only gotten shot a little, as he kept telling people.

Once he was back in his apartment, arm still in its sling, he'd called and asked Travis to come over. Now he was just waiting.

Perhaps he should have mentioned that he'd been injured. Perhaps he should have mentioned that he'd run off to space yesterday. Choices had been made.


[The pretty firefighter is expected but could be open to others before his arrival!]

Comments

[designateddadfriend]

Travis pushed his way into the apartment in a way he’d normally only do on the job, eyes glued to Stark’s arm, hands itching for a first aid kit. “You got ‘shot a little?!‘ When? Where?! I—whuh—who?!”

[stykera]

Stark took a few startled steps backward.

"Rey needed help. I went to help. There was a fight and I
... got shot. Will looked at it!"

[designateddadfriend]

“And said ‘oh, it’s fine, you only got shot a little??‘“

Travis made a mental not to have words with Will if that was the case.

[stykera]

"No, he wouldn't let me go until I let him look at it," Stark admitted. "And he put a patch and the sling on."

"I... I'm fine," he insisted. He didn't look fine. "It doesn't hurt much. It shouldn't have happened."

[designateddadfriend]

“Uh huh,” Travis said, in the tone of someone who heard that kind of thing a lot on the job, usually from people who were also demonstrably not fine. “Sit down. Let me take a look at it. Where did this happen? Do the troopers have the shooter in custody?”

Guess who didn’t know about people going to space yesterday!

[stykera]

Stark went to the couch and sat without putting up a fight.

"I didn't tell you I went," he said, realizing far too late that that had been a mistake. "Rey was home. In her version of space. I should have told you. I'm sorry."

[designateddadfriend]

Travis was reaching for the sling, but had to stop and stare at Stark for a moment first.

“You went to space?!”

Wow, his voice got high there for a second.

[stykera]

Stark flinched, then nodded. "I did. I'm sorry. I...I didn't think. It was sudden and she needed help and... I'm sorry."

[designateddadfriend]

Oh sure, Stark, be apologetic and sad in the face of Travis’s pointless flailing. Leave him with nothing to do but shake his head and fret.

It wasn’t like he could honestly tell Stark not to go to space when the need arose. That was where Stark was from!

He went back to fussing with the sling, shaking his head and muttering about space and shootings, until he got to the bacta patch.

“The hell is that?!”

[stykera]

"It's supposed to help?" Stark said uncertainly, holding still while Travis fussedover his arm. "It's called bacta. From Rey's space."

[designateddadfriend]

“You said Will put it on?” Travis asked. “Red hair, from the clinic?”

[stykera]

Stark nodded. "He's the doctor at the clinic. He was there too. And Summer and Anakin. Lana." And plenty of others he hadn't actually seen to speak to.

"He wouldn't let me say no."

[designateddadfriend]

“Of course he didn’t,” Travis said, deciding Will was a Good Guy. “You got shot.” He started putting the sling back on, some of his righteous fury pointless anger draining away. “Does it hurt?”

[stykera]

"Not as much as it did." That was not a no, Travis.

"It's fine." If Stark kept repeating that maybe it would be true!

[designateddadfriend]

Yeah, Stark was getting a sharp look for that non-no.

“Do you have any painkillers?”

[stykera]

"No? It's fine. I'm fine. I just... wanted company?"

Though he wasn't going to complain about being fussed over.

[designateddadfriend]

“You need painkillers,” Travis said. “At least an nSAID.” He frowned. “Can you take human medicine?”

Even as he spoke he reached to cup Stark’s chin, getting a good look at his face around the mask and checking for anything else Stark might be downplaying.

[stykera]

"I've taken some things before. I think. I don't have anything here. Not medicine." He did have some space booze!

He wasn't really downplaying anything else. He looked tired. He looked like he'd been kind of thrown through the air to get on a ship so he didn't die but that probably manifested as just a few bruises that might not even be currently visible.

[designateddadfriend]

So basically like he’d had a very long day.

“I didn’t bring any with me. Does this town do Postmates? Do they even deliver advil?” Travis sighed. “You shouldn’t be in pain.”

[stykera]

"I've had worse," Stark assured him. "And it's better than it was. I don't need anything."

[designateddadfriend]

“I don’t care if you need it, you shouldn’t have to be in pain,” Travis said. He shifted so he could sit next to Stark. “But I’m guessing you’d rather I stick around instead of running out to get you painkillers, huh.”

[stykera]

"What if I take something later?" Stark asked. He could compromise! "If I need it? Right now...yes. Please stay?"

He was tired and he moved a little closer to Travis. "If you don't mind? You don't have to."

[designateddadfriend]

"I'll bring something over," Travis said, then added a firm "later" so Stark didn't worry. "You're really okay? Because I gotta say, I don't know if I can take someone I care about going off on a job without me and dying again."

[stykera]

"I'm not dying," Stark assured him. "I'd know."

He sighed softly, moving to put his unbandaged arm over Travis's shoulders.

"I didn't mean to worry you. I'm sorry."

[designateddadfriend]

“Yeah, funny thing, bandages make me worry. Slings make me worry.”

Admittedly, he’d had no idea he needed to worry about anything while Stark was actually in space getting injured.

[stykera]

"I'm sorry," Stark said again. "I didn't mean to do it. Getting shot. Or worrying you."

"I'm not planning on doing it again?" Did that help?

"And it would have been worse without bandaging or the sling." That probably didn't help either.

[designateddadfriend]

“Yes. Obviously you’d be worse off without medical attention,” Travis said, shaking his head. “Let’s just. Try to relax. Maybe watch TV.”

[stykera]

"I won't do anything else to worry you today," Stark said softly. "Not if I can avoid it."

"TV is good. Are you hungry? There's food. I could get something."

He'd messed up, obviously, so he needed to do something to fix it.

[designateddadfriend]

"Nope!" Travis said firmly. "You are staying right here. You can go back to doing things tomorrow. Today, you're resting."

[stykera]

Stark opened his mouth to protest because he was fine and he'd only been shot a little and it only hurt if he moved, really, but decided against it.

"I do better when I have things to do," he said quietly. Otherwise he thought too much. "I'll try and rest."

Look, see, he was going to just sit very still now. Very, very still. Right after he scooted just a little closer to Travis.

[designateddadfriend]

"Oh my god, you're hopeless," Travis said. As though Grant hadn't had to basically sit on him after he had heart surgery. "C'mere." He tugged on Stark's shoulder, trying to steer him down to lie with his head on Travis's lap.

[stykera]

"Only sometimes," Stark protested weakly. Maybe more than sometimes.

"I'll be fine." Maybe hopelessly stubborn?

But he was going to slide down and very gingerly put his head down.

[designateddadfriend]

"I know. Because right now you're going to relax," Travis told him.

Stark didn't have a lot of hair to speak of, so he traced his fingertips gently along the edges of the straps and mask instead.

[stykera]

Stark kept his hair very close to his scalp on purpose. It was easier that way. Maybe someday he'd grow it out a bit again. For now, he relaxed a little more at the touch.

"I'm relaxing," he agreed. "See?"

Of course, laying the way he was mostly only the mask was visible. Maybe he needed to turn so he was more on his back than his side.

[designateddadfriend]

Travis wouldn't object. And it'd make it a little easier for him to lean down and kiss him if he wanted to!

"I see," he promised, with a little smile. "Thank you."

[stykera]

"You're welcome," Stark said softly before shifting position so he could look up at Travis. Having one eye was inconvenient at times.

"Thank you," he added, just as quietly before giving a tentative smile.

[designateddadfriend]

"Any time," Travis said, smiling back down at him.

And yes, leaning down for that kiss.

[stykera]

Stark listed his head up to meet him for that, grinning a little once he laid it back down.

"Does that still count as resting?"

[designateddadfriend]

"As long as you still let me do most of the work," Travis said, smiling down at him, "absolutely."

[stykera]

"I'll do my best," Stark said very seriously. "Resting is important, after all. Isn't it?"

[designateddadfriend]

"Very important," Travis agreed, tracing the lines of the mask again. "Especially after an injury. Even if you're just fine."

[stykera]

Stark closed his eye at the touch, still smiling faintly.

"I've been hurt worse." Probably not the best thing to say. "Didn't always have anyone to make sure I rested."

[designateddadfriend]

“That just means you have to rest up even more now that you do,” Travis decided.

[stykera]

"I'll do my best."

He opened his eye just a crack.

"Since I have someone to help me... rest."