OOM: Post-retribution

[latino_menace]

This hurts more than he wants to admit. More than he will admit - and it's for this reason that he considers not going home at all for a day or two. Let the worst of the swelling go down, hope that it would stop hurting to breathe, clean up the cuts opened by Jack's fists.

Wait for his hands to stop shaking because of what the witch had done.

But that's not fair to Random - two days in the bar is almost a week in Portugal. And besides, he doesn't want him finding out from anyone else.

So he eases his way back through the door that has obligingly opened to their home, hoping to get upstairs to the bathroom before Random sees him.

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[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

That would work, if Random weren't just coming out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist.

Then suddenly with a stunned expression on his face, because he's just caught sight of his lover.

"Son of a bitch."

It's less than a second before Random's at his side, a steadying arm looped gently around him.

[latino_menace]

Fuck!

And then out loud, because Random's touching what hurts,

'Fuck! Don't, Random.'

He takes a breath, which also hurts, and softens his tone to say,

'Sorry. Don't touch though, it hurts.'

It probably doesn't hurt as much as explaining how and why this happened will, though.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Sorry."

It's one word that asks a thousand questions. Most of them are along the lines of How? and What? and Oh God what happened? and please God please make it go away.

"Shit baby sit down."

[latino_menace]

He shakes his head immediately, because the thought of sitting with ribs that are cracked or outright broken doesn't exactly fill him with joy.

'Want to clean this blood off.'

His voice is a little rough because Jack had choked him pretty well there, the fuck.

'I'm alright. Get dressed, it's fine.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I'm coming in as soon as I'm done."

It's a fair warning, he figures, and he sets to looking for his jeans as soon as he's sure Ramon's steady on his feet.

"Is the blood yours? Is it bad?"

[latino_menace]

He opens his mouth to protest and then shuts it again because he knows Random, and knows he won't be dissuaded.

'OK.'

He pulls his shirt off gingerly and winces at the sight of himself. Purple bruising is already covering his ribs, nasty swelling confirming the fractures. Marks where fists landed can be seen everywhere, there's another bruise starting round his neck and his face is a wreck of cuts and blood and lumps.

Going to get a nice couple of black eyes out of that, thanks a lot Jack. Asshole.

'Yeah, it's mine. It's alright.'

He starts the taps running in the sink and finds a cigarette in the meantime, placing it carefully between split lips and idly licking blood off his lower lip. His thoughts aren't on Jack, surprisingly - the witch made quite the impression.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

Ramon is smoking. Ramon is bruised and looking like he's almost dead and standing in the bathroom smoking.

Random just doesn't understand.

"What happened?"

[latino_menace]

And that's the question, isn't it? Ramon knows exactly what, and why. But he hasn't got a clue how to explain it to his lover.

'Bauer.'

Right now, he just doesn't know how to expand on that.

'Bauer happened.'

He turns off the water but doesn't yet reach for a cloth to clean himself up with. He just stares into the water and carries on smoking, though it tastes disgusting mixed with coppery blood.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I'll kill him" he mumbles, because he will. He's hurt Ramon.

Unless...


"Was it because you did something?"

[latino_menace]

'Not before I do, you won't.'

He tries to smile but doesn't quite manage it. Then he hesitates and eventually tosses the remains of the cigarette into the toilet bow, then reaches for a flannel.

'He thinks I did something.'

Ramon doesn't know what to do about admitting the truth here. He went to great pains to stay anonymous so that there wouldn't be enough proof to give celltime. If Random knows the truth and talks to people, that might undo all that.

He tries to explain but has no idea where to start. So he just starts wiping blood off his face instead, the water quickly turning pink.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Oh for fucks sake."

It'd be rude if he didn't sound so hysterical.

"Tell me what the hell has been going on here?"

[latino_menace]

Ramon doesn't turn to look at him, though he can see about half his face in the bathroom mirror. He doesn't want to look him in the eye because that somehow makes a lie worse. Or in this case, an evasion.

'Someone kidnapped his granddaughter and held her for a week or so.'

Not mentioning why.

'He thinks it was me.'

He knows this isn't very fair on Random. But how can he possibly sit down and just spill out the truth? It'll sound so much worse like that.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

Random stares at him in the mirror.

held her for a week or so

And turns without a word and walks out into the bedroom.

he thinks it was me

He'll be sitting on the edge of the bed when Ramon comes back, arms wrapped around his knees, running the past week over in his mind and thinking about all the little things that he'd made himself think didn't add up.

[latino_menace]

Ramon shuts his eyes after he's gone, aching all over and wincing at sharp pain whenever he twists or breathes too deeply or presses too hard against his jaw. It hurts - but he's take double this, triple this, if it meant that Random would just...not do what he's doing right now. Not worry. Not think it over and stress. Not care about what his lover had done and what it meant - he'd take any amount of pain for that. Yes, even the cruciatus curse again, though he doesn't even want to think about how badly that had hurt.

He finishes the basics of cleaning himself up. The rest can wait a while. So he strips and throws muddy, grass-stained pants into the hamper and goes to find some sweats to pull on. Only when that's done does he turn and look at Random.

'He wasn't wrong.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I know."

He sets his chin on his knees.

"You're not that good at lying to me yet."

His eyes follow Ramon's progress around the room, and he smiles with a twist of something darkly ironic to it.

"Please, continue at your leisure."

[latino_menace]

He winces at Random's tone. That one never means anything good. And all of a sudden, he feels very tired. Lying in bed and sleeping sounds like the best thing in the world, but Random's there and he's not going to ask him to move And he deserves an answer.

He opens the wardrobe and finds his jacket, the pocket from which a small plastic bag is pulled. Three vicodin later, he feels like he at least has a chance of getting this over with quickly.

'You told me not to get the blood of te Malfoy's on my hands. So I didn't. I found another way to get her locked up.'

A one-shouldered shrug and he runs a hand through his hair.

'I got Jack to do it for me.'

He's sure Random doesn't need anything else spelling out.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I see."

He's torn between asking him if he was planning to take him so literally if he shouldn't have just invested in latex gloves, or if they need to sign contracts for the next five hundred years to deal with loopholes, or any number of things.

But he of doesn't.

"How badly hurt are you? Come lie down."

[latino_menace]

Ramon looks at him carefuly, not believing that it's as easy as that. But he's not going to resist the chance to lie down. Right now, he never wants to get up again.

It's done gingerly and he bites the insode of hs cheek to keep from making a noise.

'Ribs. It's OK. And she...I don't know what she did. But it was worse.'

He closes his eyes and the memory of it comes back, making him wince again.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

A little more concern enters his voice and he runs one hand very lightly down Ramon's arm once he's still.

"Will you be alright? Do you want to talk for a bit?"

[latino_menace]

One eye opens to regard him with surprise.

'You're not angry?'

He thought he'd be in a lot more trouble than that.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

He doesn't answer, just rolls over to face the wall away from him.



"Go to sleep."

[latino_menace]

He blinks, then frowns. He can't sleep yet, the drugs haven't kicked in yet and muscles are stiffening around injuries.

'Talk to me. I didn't think you'd...well, not that I didn't think you'd mind. I just thought you'd prefer this than I just killed her or something.'

He'd been trying to keep the promise he'd made to himself. As much as he could anyway.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Thank you for remembering me this time. Go to sleep."

He pauses, then half turns, looking back over his shoulder at him for a moment, then turning away to lay his head on the pillow again.

"I'm not going to yell. You've heard everything I have to say about this kind of thing. You know how it makes me feel. Now go to sleep, this is upsetting me and I have to be able to feed Martin in a few hours."

Ramon also knows how he gets. What he can't afford to let happen, not any more, though he's holding on by the skin of his teeth.

[latino_menace]

He reaches a hand out and lays it on Random's side.

'I always remember you. Don't say it like that, you make it sound like I never think about you at all.'

And maybe he hasn't, in the past. But he did this time and he tried. He kind of thinks that merits something.

Of course, it doesn't help that he can't see what's so wrong about kidnapping her in the first place, not really.

'Don't be like this.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"This is my life."

He turns now, so instead of not looking at him, he's hiding his face in the pillow.

"I can't really care about how I'm making things sound right now Ramon, if that's alright with you. I might sleep on the sofa tonight if you don't mind. If you don't drop off soon. Took enough valium to knock out a horse though, so I probably shouldn't worry. You'll be too stoned to miss me in a few seconds anyways."

[latino_menace]

'Painkillers. Painkillers, not valium.'

It comes out automatically and the world is starting to look a little fuzzy aroud the edges.

'Always miss you. Don't sleep on the sofa. I'll sleep on the sofa if you want to be on your own.'

It's the last thing he wants. He wants to hold him, regardless of pain. He's trying to remember what the woman said that made him hurt, so that maybe Random would see that he doesn't really want to be on his own right now.

He moves the hand of his side and tries to reach his hair to touch it, but he can't because the angle's wrong and he can't lie on his side to do it properly.

'I didn't want to upset you,' he mumbles, settling for stroking at his arm instead. 'Don't go.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I won't. Could never."

His eyes close tight and he swallows bitterly.

"You can tell me all about your little adventure in the morning. Go to sleep Ramon."

[latino_menace]

'...alright.'

It seems like the safest thing to do. And he's tired and maybe Random is as well and that's why he's mad. So he tries to pull the quilt up but it's stuck somewhere and he can't be bothered to figure it out, just lets it go and lies there, head turned to watch Random for as long as he can keep his eyes open for.

'Love you.'

It's a quiet and drowsy mutter. And then he's asleep.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

Random pulls it up over him, untangling it from their legs and kisses his forehead before moving to curl up in the armchair.

He has to feed Martin soon anyways, and there's no way he's sleeping.