closed to gravitybuster

[pulsegatling]

[ Mastermind doesn't bother to say anything on the long way home, nor does he speak when he pushes past Esper in the doorway to leave him there. The skin across his knuckles is still split open and stinging, but there are more important things to be tended to right now. He figures the student who had Esper pinned against a locker earlier is thinking the same about his broken ribs and swollen lip.

But there's no point in lingering on that- what he needs to worry about is the condition Esper is in, and so finishes prying the first aid kid from the closet before returning for him in the front hall. He stiffly raises an arm to point in the direction of the kitchen table and, finally, tiredly speaks. ]

Sit down.

Comments

[gravitybuster]

[ He had been anticipating the moment they finally got home, partly because he didn't want the younger siblings to see him beat up like this, but mostly because he didn't want to come home at all so messed up.

Esper is nothing short of obedient, ducking his head and pandering quietly after Mastermind pointing him in this direction and that. He ducks his head, flinching visibly when he sees Mastermind raise his arm, and when he blinks, realizing Mastermind isn't going to hit him, finally scampers into a chair by the kitchen table. ]

It's fine, I don't need any help bandaging myself, I'm used to it, you know?

[ There's an attempted laugh there, but his voice sounds hoarse and his throat sounds dry and it's too much effort to do anything. ]

[pulsegatling]

[ The scowl that settles on his face is anything but subtle. Esper's dodgy behavior is more tiring than usual given the circumstances and, quite frankly, Mastermind is in no mood to humor either of them.

He takes a seat across from Esper, placing the first aid kit between them. If Esper wants to open it and fix his wounds himself, he'll have to pull Mastermind's hands from the kit. ]

The fact that you're used to it at all is part of the problem. Were you planning to just let him do as he pleased and come right home as if nothing had happened again?

[gravitybuster]

I'm used to it.

[ There's no straight answer from Esper, who instead watches Mastermind going about the whole caretaking business as he had done for himself so many times before. He stays put. ]

It's not too bad to be bandaged up by you.

[ He attempts to laugh again, and is interrupted by a string of coughs, followed by a wheeze- and then a mental addition to not to try that again any time soon. His chest hurts. ]

[pulsegatling]

[ He breathes out an exasperated sigh when Esper speaks, dripping an excessive amount of disinfectant into the next open wound. Mastermind hopes it stings enough to teach Esper a lesson, but he knows it won't. ]

The next time you comply to be hurt by someone, I'll kill you myself-

[ Mastermind's frown of annoyance shifts to one of concern. He can't see if there's any bruising on Esper's chest with his shirt still on, but the coughing is evidence enough for him. ]

Is anything broken?

[gravitybuster]

[ Esper hisses, reeling when the sting tingles to the bone. He'd whine more if he didn't sound so hoarse. ]

I didn't comply to getting beat up! That hurts-- I put my hands up and said 'nooo don't hurt me'. He just wouldn't listen, and well, here we are.

[ He pointedly ignores the next question. If Mastermind wants to see, then he'd have to strip Esper himself. ]

[pulsegatling]

Don't be a brat.

[ He knows he's doing this to be difficult, ignoring the question like that. As if this wasn't annoying enough.

Mastermind rises from his chair, at least feeling satisfied that the disinfectant did its job- it serves him right for being so willing to be bullied. ]

Take your uniform off so I can check for any broken ribs.

[gravitybuster]

[ Petulantly. ]

Dun' wanna. My arms hurt too much.

[pulsegatling]

[ He is far too tired for this. ]

Stand up.

[gravitybuster]

[ He tries to, because once you sit down you never really wanna get up again. There's some wobbling, and- well there he goes flopping on you, Mastermind, wrapping his so called "tired arms" around you. ]

Nope. Caaaan't do that when my legs feel like jelly.

[pulsegatling]

[ There's an audible "oomph" as Esper falls into Masterminds lap, the latter visibly deflating once he's caught in his hold.

He attempts to straighten himself out under Esper's weight ( though it doesn't prove to be too difficult a task ) before taking hold of his shirt collar with one hand, tone curt. ]

Then the very least I will ask of you is that you hold still. Can you do that?

[gravitybuster]

[ And in an instant, whatever streak or tone of defiance Esper had been riding off of disappears. He cringes, visibly curling back, until he freezes under Mastermind's grasp like a rabbit uncomfortably placed on its back, ready to be slaughtered.

Warbled, mangled, and like he's about to cry, Esper makes a noise of affirmation. ]

I can- Yeah- I can do that.

[pulsegatling]

[ Finally, he thinks, until Mastermind realizes what it is he's just agreed to do. Esper's sudden submission isn't making this any easier, surprisingly. If anything, he's even more unsettled now.

His hands move to the hem of Esper's vest, hesitant fingers curling around the fabric. Mastermind doesn't glance up, but his voice comes through much more cautiously than originally intended. ]

I'll need you to lift your arms- tell me if it hurts and I'll stop.

[gravitybuster]

[ With Mastermind's hands on him but easing away from his collar, Esper's shoulders slump a little in relief, though his following moments are slow and rigid, as if he doesn't want to comply with Mastermind's request, no matter how cautious it is. ]

Sorry-

[ As if closing his eyes will help at all, but he obliges, after a good amount of squirming around finally, awkwardly raising his arms above his head so MM can pull the sweatervest off.

Unlike the relatively untouched sweatervest, the uniform shirt underneath is scruffed, dirty, and missing two buttons, as if Esper had hurriedly pulled his sweatervest over his head before being pinned into the locker in an attempt to hide his injuries.

Esper holds his breath. ]

[pulsegatling]

[ With Esper's arms raised, Mastermind begins to pull the vest up as gently as possible without pressing too hard into anything that might be hiding a bruise.

He takes note of the missing buttons to sew back on and the stains he'll have to scrub out later, but that can wait. For right now, Esper is his main focus. ]

Ah-

[ He slows his movements once the fabric is mostly scrunched around Esper's neck, not daring to touch it. The bruises he can see beneath Esper's collar are bad enough- he's already sure what he'll find beneath his clothes won't be pretty.

With that in the front of his mind, he pulls the sweatervest over Esper's head, smoothing his hair out afterwards. ]

Was that fine?

[gravitybuster]

[ Esper exhales.

Mastermind hadn't said anything about the bruises yet, and Esper's still fidgeting, waiting to see if Mastermind will say anything about the string of bruises around his neck or about how badly he messed up his uniform for the umpteeth time.

However soft the movement is, Esper still ducks, shying away from Mastermind's hand for the initial seconds of contact, before eventually easing in to let Mastermind fix his hair. ]

Yes. It was fine.

[ And then another soft sigh later. ]

Sorry- [ He mumbles. ] I didn't want you to see me like this.

[pulsegatling]

It's nothing I haven't seen before.

[ There's no bite to his voice when he says this- it's just the truth. He's not surprised when Esper comes home looking a mess and then some, not anymore, but it is different after watching it happen.

Mastermind pats down the last of the unkempt hairs before lowering his hands to undo the knot of Esper's tie. It's only now that he realizes how poorly he'd tied it earlier when his fingers were still bloody, apparent in the red stains across the fabric.

What a waste. ]

Throw this tie out. I'll have to buy you a new one.

[gravitybuster]

Later.

[ The fidgeting stops. Esper supposes there must have been a limit to how well he could hide his messy uniforms and ugly bruises, and now that it's come to light- there's not much to do about that, right?

Instead, he makes a weak grab for Mastermind's wrist, turning it over gently to look at his once-bloody knuckles and places a gentle kiss across each one, his lips barely touching Mastermind's skin.

With that gesture complete, he'll smile again. ]

Thank you, Mastermind.