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He spit up blood, flashing his team leader a grin (even if he had just coughed up a literal tooth) as if this wasn’t the worst outcome they’d ever had to deal with.
“L-Loo-Look, I heh– I ha-ha-had it hand-handled!” He exclaimed though the sinking stare in the other’s eyes proved otherwise. “What? I- I g-got-got it, di-didn’t I?”
‘What you did was reckless,’ Mind’s Eye, or Doc as most of the team came to call him, hissed. ‘You could’ve gotten yourself killed’.
Quantum Dash huffed, “bu-but I- I did s-sto-stop them!”
`You did, but losing you is not part of the equation. Quantum, you can’t be this careless’.
“H-Hey! I- I am ca-care-careful, Doc!”
‘You rushed into the fray without stopping to think if you had backup. It could’ve resulted in you getting killed’.
Quantum fell silent, huffing, but he did nod. He knew full well how often Doc looked after the team and especially when it came to reckless abandonment, refusing to take it lightly if someone on the team threw themselves into danger unnecessarily. “Yeah uh – I- I g-get i-it!” He exclaimed. “Do-D-Don’t w-wo-worry!”
Doc watched him for a second longer before telepathically speaking to him again.
‘Get yourself checked into the med bay. You’ve probably got bruises all over you’.
“Y-Ye-Yes sir!” Quantum playfully saluted as he staggered to his feet, hands clumsily gripping at his crutches. “I- I’ll be o-on my way!”
After limping his way into the med bay, he sat on the foot of the cot – legs dangling beneath him. Quantum had definitely received hits against his ribs and blood trickled down one side of his face which crusted uncomfortably into the hero’s hair. Not to mention his arm was sliced open by the supervillain’s mechanical claws.
‘I am glad you’re okay, Quantum’, Doc’s voice hit his ears and Quantum grinned, cheeks reddening at the comment. ‘I was worried. Are you alright?’
“Ne-N-Never be-better, Doc!”
‘Let me see,’ the telepath’s words hit his ears. ‘I don’t want you joining any future missions until you’re fully healed’.
“Oh, co-co-come on! Th-That’s no-no-not f-fair!”
‘You won’t be of any help in this condition. So your job now is to recover before you’re ready to fight again’.
Quantum crossed his arms like a petulant child, only to break down into a fit of laughter. “R-Right as-as you s-say, D-Do-Doc!”
Doc made quick work of tending to the other’s wounds, being careful when he dabbed the wet cloth onto the blood and visible bruises. All of them had been in this field long enough to understand injuries were common, but it didn’t make them hurt any less. He wrapped a couple layers of bandages around Quantum’s midsection, right where his ribs were, and then moved on to check his ally’s arm.
‘Does it hurt to move?’
“N-No, I- I- I’m okay,” Quantum answered. “Ju-Jus-Just scr-scratched up sl-s-slighlty!”
It was still bandaged anyway.
‘Do you want me to stay with you? Or would you prefer privacy?’
“Uh– we-we-well, I wo-wouldn’t mi-mind the company! Wh-What d-do you s-sa-say, Doc?”
‘I think the rest of the team can wait,’ Doc replied as he wheeled himself right beside the cot.
A comfortable silence permeated into the air and the two said nothing for a moment before suddenly the moment was cut by Quantum’s words.
“Y-Yo-You’re not u-upset at- at m-me, are you?”
Doc seemed caught off guard by this before sighing audibly.
‘What makes you say that?’
“You- You s-se-seemed aw-awfully mad ba-back the-there!” Quantum fidgeted, pulling at his sleeve nervously and refusing to directly meet Doc in the eyes. He knew it was ridiculous to think the other might have genuinely been angry, but the thought lingered in the back of his mind.
‘I wasn’t mad,’ Doc began carefully. ‘Not at you. I care for you, Quantum, and the last thing I’d want is for something to happen’.
“Re-Really, bu-bu-but why?”
‘Is it not obvious? Qua – Jimmy – the truth is I’ve had feelings for you but I know the kind of work we do could bring danger to our doorstep. I’d hate to force you into anything’.
Was he hearing things right?
Did Doc really have feelings for him?
“We-Well, i-if I- I’m be-be-being honest, I- I like you too!” Quantum admitted, leaving Doc at a loss of words for a moment. “I- It wo-wo-wouldn’t be the sa-same be-being he-here with-without you!”
‘Even with the risks?’
“E-Ev-Even then!”
‘I suppose there’s no harm in giving this a try and seeing how everything turns up,’ Doc explained slowly.
Oh.
Oh.
This was actually happening and it served to make Quantum Dash’s heart race incredibly quickly, struggling to grasp that Doc had returned his affections. Or had he returned to Doc’s? Point was, they were at the start of something new and it felt completely out of this world.
“Wh-What do-do we te-tell the others?”
‘Right now this stays between us. I’d prefer to tell them when we’re both comfortable in doing so,’ Doc said. ‘For the time being, I think you should focus on your healing process. Then we can consider everything else’.
Honestly, it didn’t matter to Quantum.
So long as they were in this together.
The rest could come another time.