OOM: A painful awakening

[latino_menace]

He has no idea how long he slept for. or what time it is. He just knows that it's hot, he immediately wants a shower and there's a considerable amount of pain if he so much as breathes, let alone moves.

That's OK though, he can handle that. There are ways of coping with that. But the conversation with Random last night comes flooding back and that's a whole other story. He has no idea what caused that reaction, or how to make it better but knows that he can only do it by talking to him.

He doesn't appear to be in the bed though, and that's not a good sign.

Comments

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

No, he isn't. Despite his promise last night when he'd fed his son it had been easier, some how, to stay in the room with the child. Random had slept in the nursery.

He does come back, though, he always comes back, and when he sees Ramon awake sits on the bed near his feet, and offers the glass of water he's holding in a quiet gesture.

[latino_menace]

He reaches for it but...well, you can't drink water when you're flat on your back and so he tries to move to sit and ends up spilling most of it. In the end he just sets it on the floor without drinking any and mutters,

'You got a cigarette?'

because he's not sure of Random's mood or whether he wants to talk about it today or what.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Sec."

He stands and fishes in the bedside dresser, pulls a pack out, lights one with a flick of his fingers and takes a quick, nervous drag before holding it to Ramon's lips, which his fingers trace like a kiss.

"I should have asked you more last night. Do you need to go to a doctors?"

[latino_menace]

'No.'

He says it immediately. He'd probably say it if something more serious were broken.

'Don't need the hassle with ID seeing as I'm not supposed to be here. Does my nose need straightening?'

He knows what a break feels like. Realigning the nose is never a nice thing, but especially not hours after it should have been reset. He's cursing himself for not focusing last night and taking care of it then.

'Did you sleep?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"It's alright."

He'd have stopped him last night if it wasn't.

"I can take you to Texorami if it comes to that. I don't want you getting worse, Ramon."

This is bad enough as it is.

The question goes unanswered.

[latino_menace]

'Won't get worse, it's alright. Could you...'

He stops himself from asking, because he shouldn't really be asking Random anything while he's in this mood, and tired. He forces himself to sit instead, and swings his legs over the side of the bed, dizzy from last night's drugs and lying too long and pain.

'Go to sleep. I'll keep an eye on Martin.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Could I what? Lie down, damnit, you're not in any shape Ramon, and I've called the sitter. She's downstairs with him and unless you want her thinking I beat my lover you're staying put."

He pauses, and his shoulders sag a little.

"Besides. Hoped you'd stay with me."

[latino_menace]

Ramon smiles tiredly and reaches a hand out to him.

'I'll stay with you. Didn't think you'd want me to, but of course I will.'

He looks over to the bathroom though.

'Have to shower and my mouth tastes like blood.'

Pause.

'Give me a hand over?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Yeah."

He stands, and holds out his arms to him, not sure how to help without hurting him more.

"Have a bath. You've still got blood. Not a lot but enough. We need to talk anyways."

[latino_menace]

He uses a hand to steady himself for standing, and doesn't let go of it. The other snatches up his painkillers as he moves past the dresser.

'Alright.'

Yeah, they have to talk. But he needs to clear his head and have a drink first and try to work out how he's going to explain this in a way that makes sense.

But first, an attempt to break the ice.

'Gonna come in with me?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I'll..."

Pause.

"...sit behind you and wash your hair. Showered earlier and don't want to get wet again. Besides, you'll feel better after you're washed."

[latino_menace]

He accepts it, not pushing. Not until he can work out just how angry Random is.

He drinks four glasses of water from the tap, washing down some more painkillers as he does. Then brushes his teeth to clear the blood out and by the time he's sitting on the edge of the bath, waiting for it to fill, he feels a hell of a lot more human.

'You wanted to talk?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Stop asking me that."

A hint of frustration creeps into his voice as he bends to roll his jeans up past his knees and clears the soap and shampoo off the tiled part at the back of the tub, making space to sit.

"I... want you to talk. Please, Ramon, anything."

[latino_menace]

Ramon steals another cigarette and smokes it in silence. By the time he's done, the bath's full and he slides in with a minimum of effort, though the heat makes him hiss out a breath.

Then he just lies there for a few moments, staring at the ceiling and relaxing, very aware of Random behind him.

'I couldn't let it go. You know me. Can't let things go. But I promised you I wouldn't get put in the cells again, so I found a way round it.'

He'd been quite proud of that.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"We haven't told anyone Martin's here, right?"

He's already mentally reviewing people who might know in his head.

"I'll remind Gorlim next time I see him. I'd better not go to the bar for a bit, someone'll want to find me. Not to mention you. Don't go without me, okay? Texorami, if you're feeling antsy. 's alright in Texorami."

[latino_menace]

'No, I haven't told anyone about Martin.'

He's faintly annoyed that Random would think he might, but he tries to keep that out of his voice.

'Malfoy threatened you. You could take her though, not a problem. Besides, she so much as tries I'll just fucking put a bullet in her and enough of this soft stuff.'

He wonders whether Random will have figured that Texorami is where he kept the girl. Not that it should matter. It wasn't like he hurt her.

'I'll get the builders back into the club next time I'll go. I'll stay away from the bar until I don't look like Jack Bauer pounded on me.'

Man has his pride, after all.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"The builders were ever out? I want to get back to work lover. Although not for a while now I suppose, I won't leave you with him till you can walk quickly again."

The remarks about bringing more violence into this rather than ending it, Random considers rather tasteless, so he isn't responding to those though his voice is even quieter than before.

[latino_menace]

He sighs and reaches for soap, startng to run it over the bits of him not submerged in the water.

'I told them to have a week off.'

So now Random knows.

'They have got much more to do anyway, then it just needs painting. Think I'll organise a party for the re-opening, make it big.'

He thinks about the comment about being left alone and says,

'Why would I need to walk fast?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Hell."

There's a splash as Random drops the bottle of shampoo he'd picked up into the tub in surprise, then leans down to rescue it.

"Mother of God. Lie back and get your hair wet please."

[latino_menace]

Ramon jumps with mild shock and tries to twist back to see what made Random jump. He can't obviously so just tilts his head back to look at him instead.

'What?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Nothing. Please, get your hair wet."

His hands slide down to press lightly on Ramon's shoulders.

"And let me wash your hair. I'm just a bit tired."

[latino_menace]

He doesn't think that's all there is to it at all, but obliges and slides down in the bath, submerging his completely. When he comes up again he lays his head lightly on the inside of Random's knee, not caring that it hurts.

'Don't be mad.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Don't"

be an asshole

tell me what to do

tell me how to feel about this

hurt me again

"talk, you'll get shampoo in your mouth."

[latino_menace]

He nods, closing his eyes as he feels the effects of the painkillers start to wash through him again. It's a slow and warm distortion of the world around him, though not too strong yet.

'Don't know what you want me to say.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Nothing, Ramon, it's alright."

It isn't. But he knows it will be. His fingers begin gently working the shampoo in, tilting Ramon's head back upright.

"You know, when I started to be able to tell something was wrong, I wondered if you were angry, or cheating on me. But I convinced myself I was wrong, because I trust you. A lot. I'd sort of decided you were planning something for the summer, like a trip home or back to Australia.

Surprise, huh?"