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The room was lit only by candles. Flames wrapped around blackened wicks flicker to and fro, melting the wax below it and emitting a calming scent as a result. Baizhu, ever the worrywart, chose this blend of candles specifically because they were what worked best at easing pain — without having to force bitter painkillers down a patient’s throat, that is.
The doctor sighed at the thought. Speaking of patients…
Baizhu’s eyes glaze over the slumped figure on his bed. Ajax was cradling his sore wrists, that dumb ginger, red and raw from having handcuffs on them for far too long. Though he was annoyed, for certain, that Ajax had gotten into trouble again… it was unlike him to stay mad at his beloved for long.
“You just love to cause trouble for me, don’t you, Ajax?” Baizhu let out a small chuckle as he approached his harbinger, unwrapping a fresh roll of bandages with a well-practiced hand. Ajax began to complain in protest, but was silenced with a light kiss pressed on his forehead before he could get even a single word out.
Baizhu knew how to deal with his little troublemaker. And so, deal with him, he did.
“I could’ve handled it by myself,” Ajax managed to mutter under his breath, but just barely. Baizhu could tell he was taken aback with the kiss — his gaze was bashfully diverted away from the doctor’s own — which was exactly what he wanted to see. A quiet Ajax made for a better patient, after all, and he still had bruises and wounds to be tended to, no matter how small.
“I’m not as good at stealth missions as the kids in the House of the Hearth,” he continued, pouting at Baizhu in a way that made his heart squeeze, “but I could’ve taken all of those guards, handcuffs or n— Hey! What was that for..?”
Ajax pouted even more, if that was possible. Baizhu had accidentally tightened the bandages over Ajax’s wrists. The harbinger attempted to retract his hands, but the doctor’s grip was surprisingly firm. His face, on the other hand, was lax and unimpressed.
“That was me trying to knock some sense into you, my love.” Baizhu let out another exhale, going back to wrapping Ajax’s wrists gently. He slouched in response, resembling something like a kicked puppy.
“Because,” Baizhu continued, “what would have happened, if I hadn’t intervened, is that you would have activated your Foul Legacy again.”
“And so what if I did?” Ajax challenged. Baizhu resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and instead, looked his boyfriend straight in the eyes.
“If you did, I would have had to spend the whole night stitching your wounds up. I cannot afford to do that with a whole backlog of patients I have to attend to tomorrow morning.”
Though Baizhu was not angry per say, it was still terrifying to face him when he was inches away from getting there. So, Ajax just nodded wordlessly, sinking deeper into the mattress and allowing Baizhu to finish up the clean up without any issue.
The silence that followed between them was comfortable, interrupted only by soft hums and brief touches. Ajax had a tendency to lean into the doctor’s hands, no matter where he placed them, Baizhu noted, absolutely endeared. It was sweet to watch first hand, and sweeter, still, to be the person who elicited such a response from the harbinger. It made Baizhu feel so wanted… which is not something he was used to.
“You thinking of something, love?”
Ajax smiled up at Baizhu. Without realizing, Baizhu had been zoning out, which was rare, especially for him; he never let his guard down in the middle of treating a patient… but, then again, he was with Ajax. Things tended to be rather unpredictable when he was thrown into the mix. The doctor had long learned to embrace the irregularity, despite his natural inclination towards order and control.
“Nothing important, my dearest. Just about how sweet you are, despite all the mayhem you cause.”
Ajax chuckled, tilting his head and placing a newly bandaged hand on Baizhu’s cheek. He cupped his face with so much care that was absolutely absent whenever Ajax was in the heat of battle. Baizhu noted this, too, and wondered where he learned how to hold so much restraint. The doctor did not realize that his own eyes had fluttered closed at the touch instinctively, from how tender it was.
“You look tired, my love. We should rest soon, yeah?”
Oh, Ajax. Ever the hypocrite — only ever resting when Baizhu showed signs of exhaustion. He always admonished Baizhu for overworking, but here he was, fresh from a new altercation, sporting new bruises and scars all over.
“Of course, my darling. I would love nothing more.”
He still loved him, though.
As he always would.