I press on a bruise that makes him grunt, before he can give me the 'living alone is dangerous, you're becoming a hermit' talk that everyone started to hit me with. When Hilde moved out with her partner, I got a lot of concerned messages. It's not that I don't miss having the girls here, but the idea that I can't survive on my own is, frankly, insulting. Especially since I was (and still am) the cook among us.
I press another bruise and get another grunt, but nothing is alarming. I've seen him in worse condition.
"No other cuts." I report. "Nasty bruise on your shoulder and one to the left of your spine. The cut you can see wraps around but it doesn't go much further. It's not very deep, I can glue it." I step off of him a bit and he nods and turns to me.
"Owe you." He says automatically, and I grin at it. He really has been in Lowers. We do not say thanks.
"Wasn't labor, no'in to it." I acknowledge him, and he seems surprised. A couple stints in and out of L2 should not be enough for born rat like me to talk to him like he belongs, even if he plays the part. "All this was from the raid?"
"It was chaotic. Blades and batons everywhere." He goes back to peering at the cut it and I bat his hands away.
"Quit fussing over it with your dirty mitts. I'll get out the med kit while you shower." I pass him the water card. "I've got an overage in credits this month, take two cycles. It gets good and hot. Extra toothbrush in the cabinet."
Duo has been maintaining a successful scrap yard on his own when Wufei calls. He's has been working undercover on L2 off and on since the war. Freed from his current assignment, he asks an old friend to stay a few days.
My notes: This fic is my jammy-jammy-jam. The characters are rich and complex, as is the world-building - L2 comes to vibrant life in this fic! Like a lot of the Gundam fics of yore, this is a poly fic that firmly believes love is not finite, and fuck if I'm not here for it. There's a little plot and a lot of angst and healing, and watching it happen is so rewarding that you'll be sad when it's all over.