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Blood wasn't something any of them handled well.
Benito had to deal with it because of his medical schooling. He was about three and a half years into his degree and he was coping well, it seemed. He still had his moments sometimes, but he was dealing really well with what happened.
Emilia, on the other hand, still couldn't stand it very well. A nick of blood and she was dissociated and shut down almost immediately, even though she could still beat someone bloody if she needed.
Benito knew she was behind on puberty, due to the lack of use of the products under the bathroom sink she used the most. He was wondering if it was the stress holding her back, knowing she wasn't the most popular at school and with the newfound PTSD, it wasn't easy to live anymore and just be.
He was getting a bit worried, he had realized that this was all his responsibility. Not just her, but her health too. Benito could barely take care of his own injuries and issues, even as a doctor, so to have to be aware of someone else's? It was stressing him out a little (a lot) and he really didn't wanna have to ASK her about it. Have you ever tried to ask a 16 year old anything about her reproductive organs? Embarrassing.
One evening, around 8pm, everyone in the house had eaten dinner and was cleaning up from the activities of the day. They made little bird houses with popsicle sticks. Jeffrey wanted to do it, and everyone loved Pizza Boy.
Diego was vacuuming the carpet of the pieces of wood splinters from said popsicle sticks. Jeffrey was putting art supplies, like glue and buttons, away. Luis was washing dishes from the dinner his Abuela made for them. Benito was sitting on a counter already cleaned by Luis, chatting with the rest of the group while not cleaning anything.
If you're interesting enough, you don't have to do anything was his philosophy.
Well, until Jeffrey flicked him in the head with a popsicle stick and then grabbed him from behind. It gave Benito a spook, "Pizza boy!"
Jeffrey only laughed softly, nuzzling into the back of the oversized t-shirt the black haired one wore, "You're not doing anything-"
"I'm talking- keeping you guys company. Am I not good enough for that?" Benito narrowed his eyes, playfully of course.
"Pendejo. You know we love your company." Luis said, sandwiching Benito between him and Jeffrey on the counter with a sly smile.
The doctor blushed, swallowing, "Hey, not right now- Emi will be out of the shower anytime and I don't want her to see her guardian being used like a fucking sock by you two-"
This made the boys laugh.
"She isn't already?" Diego asked, putting the vacuum away in a closet nearby, "She's been in there for an hour. She never takes longer than 30 minutes."
Jeffrey checked the time on his watch, "You're right.. she usually isn't in there for very long. Said concerning water was important when she lived with her dad. They didn't have much.." he lowered his voice, in case Emi was close enough to hear. It had been years since the girl lost her father but the wound was still fresh.
Emilia confided in Jeffrey a bit more than anyone else due to his silly and immature nature. They loved him all the same.
"Go check on her, Anadón." Luis said softly, moving out of the way.
"Why me??"
"Because- we don't wanna barge in on a girl who might be naked-"
"And you think *I* want to??"
"That's not what I mean- You're different, you-"
"I'm trans, I know. I get it." Benito got off the counter with a huff, "It's less weird for me to do it because I have the same body." He said, unamused, walking off towards Emilia's bathroom.
Luis sighed, going back to cleaning up.
"You know he doesn't like talking about it, Luis." Jeffrey said, still leaning over the counter.
"I know, Tiburón. I'm learning, I'm still learning." Luis said, having gone all his life without a transgender person in his life and now he was in love with one. He was still learning how to address it and when not to.
Benito went down the hallway, to the last door. The bathroom. The water wasn't running, but the door was shut and the light on.
"Emi?" Benito knocked gently, "You've been in there for almost an hour."
No answer.
He tried the knob. It was locked. So he knocked again.
"Emi? Are you alright?" He asked, anxiety growing. Maybe she wasn't in there? Maybe she just left the light on? Locked the door on accident when she left?
A small whimper came from inside, throwing that idea out of the window. She was in trouble.
"Emilia? What's going on?" He knocked again, harder, before trying the knob again. Fuck.
He turned, going into his room, grabbing one of the coins from a jar on one of his shelves, "Don't worry, Emi, I'm coming-"
Benito unlocked the door - it was a coin lock, no real key to the door. They agreed on no real locks inside the house for this exact reason. - "I'm coming in, Emi-" he warned, waiting a few seconds before opening the door.
He found the young woman sitting against the tub, on the floor. Her hair was drying, having been out of the tub for a bit, body wrapped in a white towel.
She wasn't there. Not mentally. Her breathing was shallow and stunted, hands tight in the towel around her. She didn't even register Benito in the bathroom with her.
"Shit, Emilia-" he swallowed hard, eyes trained in on the blood smeared across the floor. That's why she was freaking out. He knelt beside her quickly, checking over her wrists. Benito's first thought was that she hurt herself again. Her wrists had scars from her own hands but no new ones. She'd been clean for a few months and they were proud of her but there was nothing on her that should cause this.
"Emi? Emi, it's ok, just breathe- it's just a little blood-" he tried. It wasn't just a little, though, wherever it came from made a sizable puddle on the tile floor.
It took a minute but she came back to reality, grasping onto Benito, crying, "I-I don't know what's happening- Benito, I got out of the shower and it just started dripping on the floor! I'm sorry, I don't- I don't know!"
"It's ok, it's ok-" he looked over her, finding the blood smeared from down her legs and up between her thighs, disappearing beneath the now stained red towel. Oh. There it is.
He sighed softly, "Breathe, it's ok, it's ok- let's get you back in the tub and rinse you off. I'll clean up the floor, ok? I've got you, Emi.."
Emilia looked at him, nearly his height now, sniffling, "But.. Benito.. what's happening..? I didn't fall.. I didn't- nothing happened..? What did I do..?"
"It's.. you weren't taught about this, were you..?" He asked, cursing himself. If he knew she didn't know, he would have actually talked about it, and told her this would happen. Years ago, honestly. Now she was 16, almost 17, and just now getting her period, with a fear of blood. Fuck. Maybe he should have looked into hormone blockers. He might still do that.
She shook her head softly, eyes wide and fearful.
"Ah, fuck.. that's a lot.. first, you're gonna get back in the tub, rinse off. I'll clean up, and explain.. ok? It- It's gonna be ok, ok?"
Emi nodded softly, carefully getting up, and getting back into the tub. She shut the curtain before tossing the towel out, turning on the water to wash away the blood.
"Just breathe. Don't look at it." Benito advised, grabbing some cleaning supplies from under the sink. This was gross. It was gross. But he knew he had to. It was mostly him to clean up any blood or wounds or whatever, but this was a bit weirder.
"Explain, big stupid." Emi demanded, after a moment of silence, "Tell me why I'm bleeding like a fucking bullet wound."
"Well, when uh.. when someone who is assigned female at birth.. between 10 and 14 will start menstruation." He nearly gagged trying to give this speech but it had to be done, "Basically, you bleed from between your legs for a week, once a month.."
"You what!? Why?? What the fuck is that design choice??" Emilia shouted, "Once a month for a week??"
"Yes, it sucks. I know. It just means your body is preparing to be ready for a pregnancy-"
"Pregnancy??" She tugged the curtain back enough to look at Benito on the floor, "Gross!"
"Yea- just don't go having sex and you'll be fine. You're not allowed to have sex until you're 18-" he chuckled softly.
"Why would I want to? That sounds gross. Why would I want someone's penis in me?? I'd rather just stick with my hand-"
This made Benito laugh, "Emi! Too much information! Seriously though, Stay that way. Men are trash. If you ever get a boyfriend, all your fathers are gonna kill him."
There was a beat of silence between them.
"My fathers?"
Benito threw what he used to clean the blood up into the basket nearby, leaning against the door while still on the floor, "Yea. We're all here for you, Emi. I may be your guardian, but all those idiots are my boyfriends. And they love you. We love you, Emi."
Another beat of silence.
"Thank you, Benito.."
"And if you tell anyone I said any of that sentimental shit, they won't believe you. Now come on, I gotta teach you about how to put on a pad and about tampons and shit. It's not gonna be any kind of comfortable, ok?" He laughed.
"Big stupid!" She fussed.
"Little stupid! Hurry up, and let's go. I don't wanna have this conversation more than you do, kid.. er.. Emi."
After an uncomfortable conversation between two who find comfort in each other, some comfy Pj's and Benito carrying the youngest into the living room, it was time for a 'Comfort Emi' night.
She likes being carried. It made her feel safe and protected, even if she was ever growing. Even if she was as tall as Benito now.
"I need three bars of dark chocolate, some hot tea and a cuddle pile in the living room. Stat!" Benito shouted, setting a giggling Emilia on the couch, "I'm gonna get a heat pack for you- why didn't you tell me your tummy was hurting, stupid?"
"I thought I just had to shit-" Emi stuck her tongue out, "Stupid."
"Fair." He laughed, running off to get his heating pad for the girl.
Diego was on the tea, while Luis ran to the store for the chocolate and Jeffrey made the absolute nest on the floor in front of the TV. Very comfy and warm for the girl.
Emilia yawned, sipping on the tea she was given and snacking on the chocolate with a heating pad on her lower stomach, "Thank you, guys.."
Jeffrey was laying on Luis' lap, snoring softly, tired from his job earlier that morning.
Luis was just petting the fluffy hair out of his freckled face, humming, "No problem, Emi. You know we'd do anything for you."
Diego was laying on the far right, Benito laying against him, all four squished in close to Emi in the middle.
"Of course. Você é tudo para nós, pequena maçã." Diego smiled to her.
Emilia smiled back, "Obrigado, Diego.."
Benito gave the girl a squeeze, before the lot went quiet, continuing to watch Emi's favorite movie. They were a messed up group of people, but to each other, they were family.