Assessing the Damage | Desert Island Car | Viper + Abel

Viper

cw: bloody injury/puncture wound

Viper makes a soft ‘oof’ as she’s lifted up onto the counter, removing her coat and sweater with no protest. Her shirt was sodden with blood, rips in the bottom corner showing the wound site. Shards of plastic still embedded in her skin, blood pooling at the edges of the wounds. She probably knocked them as she was fishing the rest of the tape out of her pocket and then it had just been a waiting game…

“I just… feel bad for worrying you now…” She pouted, scuffing her foot against the counter. “After your- after your tape.” Her expression turned to a more somber one as she lifted her shirt enough for him to fully have access to the wound.

Sorry, Abel, this was gonna be a little awkward!

“I’m not really… worried. I’ll be okay. I just, you know… I wanted to be with someone safe. Just in case.” Her face reddens a little at that comment, voice trailing off.

Abel Lazarus

He looks pretty serious when he sees the shards of plastic in her skin- examining them carefully. He keeps his face steady and serious even when she brings up his tape.

But then she mentions wanting to be with someone safe and his face softens. Someone safe… He’s safe.

Strange.

But not the moment.

“Don’t worry about me right now.” He doesn’t bother saying he’s okay because he knows he’s bad at lying. He knows it’ll just make Viper feel worse.

“I’d rather… Help if I can.” He… Does feel a little awkward seeing so much of Viper. Silly little Catholic raised boy doesn’t exactly… Escape the “oh god, skin” feeling easily. All the same the context does mean he’s not focusing on being scandalized or anything.

He removes his rings and washes his hands to make sure they’re clean. Once he’s finished that he moves over to start gently removing the shards of plastic from Viper’s skin.

“Jack did this?” He asks as he works. He sets the shards to the side- but he will notice what they say. If any of them are big enough to read. “Why?”

He wants to punch Jack. Hit him with something… Maybe he’ll hit him upside the head with his tape…

Viper

“It’s hard not to.” Viper admits, she can’t stop the persistent concern that she’s going to make Abel so upset he’s going to break down. But she nods, and lets him work. Luckily, she’s not exactly embarrassed or ashamed about having to show more skin than was normal. They were engaged, after all! If that helped Abel feel less bad!

“…Yeah, not on purpose.” She added the latter part quickly as an afterthought. “We were fighting over the tape, and… yeah. I’d put it in my coat, and he just happened to punch it.” She winces with each movement of shards coming free, “He said he was gonna try and use it for blackmail or something, and I was like, ‘NO WAY’ because, like, that’s messed up?”

Man, if this had been past Viper… perhaps she wouldn’t have been so quick to call it messed up.

A particularly large shard comes out, and despite being smeared with blood, the name ‘VINZENT’ is still legibly written across it. Viper doesn’t notice- she’s more worried about hissing through her teeth at how much that shard hurt.

Abel Lazarus

Abel notices Vinzent’s name on the tape and makes a bit of a face. They were fighting over Vinzent’s tape? What could have been on it that would have even been worth any blackmail? Perhaps it was just better it was destroyed- Though he wishes it hadn’t been destroyed like This.

He might need to go speak to Vinzent again after this… They did only just part ways but… Still.

And because Abel can’t help himself a bit of a flush does come across his cheeks but he’s IGNORING that. NOT THE MOMENT ABEL.

“There’s not many shards left.” He says quietly. To Soothe her some on it. “I’ll hold something against it then and check the bruises.”

“… Jack wanted to blackmail Vinzent?”

Viper

There’s a noticeable eyebrow raise at the way Abel’s face flushes, but she doesn’t have the brain power to tease him in the current moment. Her hands are gripping onto the edge of the counter, knuckles periodically going white with how hard she was gripping on.

“…Thanks…” She murmured, biting her lip to stave off the rest of the painful removal. She was lucky someone else was doing this part, because she really doesn’t think she’d have the pain tolerance to do it herself, especially when she couldn’t fully see what she was doing.

At the mention of Vinzent’s name she blinks in surprise, before glancing to her side and seeing the bloodied fragment of tape that had been removed from her stomach.

“Oh, I uh, I dunno. It might have just been Jack bein’ Jack, but… he snatched the tape and was sayin’ he could use it for blackmail, or find another use with it… so I dunno, I just felt the need to take it back off’a him. I don’t want him havin’ anythin’ like that…” Viper huffs, the scowl on her face growing by the moment.

Abel Lazarus

Abel knits his brows together then looks Annoyed. “I’m going to Beat that man.” He can’t stop himself from saying.

Abel… COOL it. Ugh but he’s just so…

“No one is going to hurt you like this and get away with it.” He looks up at Viper and pulls the last piece. It gets added to the rest and he stands to get something to press to the wound. He doesn’t care if he ruins a towel. Hardly matters.

“This’ll hurt-“ and he presses it against the cuts. “Talk to Haruka later about some disinfectant.” He affectionately pets Viper’s hair before shifting her so he can peak at her back and assess the damage.

Viper

“Abel-!” Viper protests, despite the fact she’s rather touched by how protective he still felt over her. “Don’t, don’t beat him up-!” Any further words were cut off as he pressed the towel into her wound, she buried her face into his shoulder, biting him to try and distract from the pain- luckily, his good shoulder. Nom nom.

Her back was just as bad as her stomach, though luckily a different type of injury. Dark purple bruises had begun forming around her spine, roughly the shape and width of one of the assorted trees around the beach. It looked painful, to say the least. This, accompanied with assorted other half-healed bruises from their earlier fight that wrapped around her sides to her torso… Viper was pretty beaten up.

“Well, doc, what’s the diagnosis?” Viper tilted her head, letting up on biting at his shirt. “…I did kinda egg him on… so like, fully deserved the shove at least.” She reached for his arm, holding onto it lightly. “I’ll talk to Haruka though… I love ya, Abes. You’re takin’ good care of me, I ’preciate it.”

Abel Lazarus

He winces a little at the bite but. It’s not New exactly. Cain bites to show affection so. Abel can live with this.

“The diagnosis is that you’re bruised but at least it’s just that.” He touches her back carefully- lightly pushing to figure out how sensitive it is. He’s being extremely careful about it though.

“I don’t care if you egged him on. He’s not going to hurt you and not pay for it.” You’re going to get your ass beat Abel. You will get beat.

“We’ll just have to be careful with them. I’ll make sure I don’t bandage you too tightly.” He’s being so soft and gentle with her. So gentle.

Viper

“Ow-!” Viper yelps at the smallest pressure on the bruises, squirming away from his touch. The bruises were so fresh that she figured that was probably why they hurt so much, but she wasn’t looking forward to trying to Exist with such bruises on her back.

“…Abel…” Viper huffs, “I know you wanna protect me but… I don’t want you messin’ with Jack. Not too much.” Her expression is pleading, desperately begging him not to get himself hurt. The gentleness is very good, as she doesn’t want to start crying and whimpering like a little baby because of the pain…

Viper nods, “I’ll do what I can to help…” She gives him a half-hearted, lop-sided grin, “But… I ain’t gonna break, Abes…” The tease is very lackluster, but it’s There. Viper just wants him to stop with his concerned face…

Abel Lazarus

He immediately stops touching them when he exclaims in pain. He doesn’t want to hurt her.

“… I won’t… too much.” He can promise that much. That only.

When the wound stops bleeding he removes the towel and takes out the sheet strips to bandage Viper up. “I know you won’t break. It doesn’t hurt to be sure, though.” Damn sure. He Will Not let Viper get hurt.

If she dies? He can’t promise he won’t get to the murderer before neko neko can.

“There.” He moves back to check her over again. Make sure everything is fine.

Viper

“Abel…” Viper warns, but finds herself all the more charmed by his clear affection for her. Once she was bandaged up, she gives an approving, lop-sided smile, reaching up to hug him. It’s a little more ginger than her previous hugs, mostly due to the fact she was in pain, but she needs him to know she appreciates him.

“If it gets worse… I can just stitch it up or something.” Viper leans her head into him as she somewhat ungracefully slides herself down from the counter. “Let’s get out of this bathroom…” Taking the time to wash her own hands carefully from the lingering blood on them, she holds onto Abel’s arm.

“…Jack threatened to stab me again, you know.” Viper, for someone who supposedly doesn’t want Abel to fight Jack you can’t just drop that!

Abel Lazarus

Abel makes a noise when chided that has an ‘Im just saying’ quality to it. When she hugs him he’s careful. Squeezes around her arms but keeps his hands off her back. He doesn’t want to hurt her.

When she gets down he stays protectively near- his good arm ready to catch her should she slip. Once she’s safely on the floor and washing her hands he washes his own and carefully places his rings back onto his hands. Silly little guy.

Viper “…Jack threatened to stab me again, you know.”

Oh now he’s pissed again.

“He what?” he looks like he has half a mind to storm out and punch Jack right then-

“That stupid, worthless vagabond-“ His arm goes around Viper protectively as he leads her from the bathroom. Jack was already on his shit list but now? Now.

“He isn’t laying another finger on you.” Not without consequences at least.

Viper

If Abel were a woman, Viper would definitely be swooning with how he’s so protectively flitting around her. …Oops, maybe she shouldn’t have told him about Jack threatening to stab her. Silly Viper!

“…Abel… Babel…” ….Viper? “I… Like, I provoked him!” …Regardless, she knows Abel won’t take ’don’t beat him to a pulp’ for an answer, and instead she just kinda… awkwardly leans into his side.

“Oh, you’re so kind…like my guard dog…” Viper grins up at him, leaning up and pinching his cheek softly- not enough to hurt, or anything. “So cute.” …She’s really teasing him.

“…I’m grateful, I really am.” If only she’d had a bodyguard when she had a stalker, huh? That would have saved her some considerable trauma : )

Abel Lazarus

“I don’t care if you provoked him.” Babel????? Babel????? He does make a face about that one that very much implies his not being fond of it.

“I’m not Cute.” He gives Viper a look and pinches her cheek in return. “You and Vinzent both…” Under his breath.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you. Outside of here I’d have more… Power over this.” He’d just have to ask his Uncle… That’s all he’d need to do. Then Viper would be safer.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s… What I should do.” He Should protect people. He needs to protect people.

Maybe if he protected people instead of hurting them… Maybe…

Maybe he can be someone who’s deserving of his family? Maybe people would like him more… Leave him less…

Viper

“You ARE cute.” Viper protests, mock attempting to bite his hand as Abel pinches her cheek. She’s always so flattered by people being protective, but Abel basically saying he’d arrange a proper bodyguard, it meant a lot to her.

As she took hold of his arm again, she barely stifled a yelp as her forearm brushed his, sending pain shooting through the stab wound on her arm. It had been carefully hidden as her wounds were treated, bleeding staunched by some of the fabric scraps from her bag, but now it was beginning to bleed through.

As she moved her arm away, seeing the blood smeared on Abel’s arm, she began to feel a little faint. …That was definitely some sort of blood loss, huh.

Panic flared on her face as she hurriedly tried to cover the blood on Abel’s arm before he noticed. Uh oh.

Abel Lazarus

“I am Not.” He pulls his hand away before she can bite it and he rolls his eyes- but it’s not in genuine annoyance.

And then. Too late Viper. He noticed. The blood smeared onto his shirt is Noticeable and Definitely not his due to placement. All of his blood is on his upper arm Thank You Very Much.

He gives her a suspicious look and grabs her arm to make her show him the wound. His face is blank at first. Just looking. Then he looks up at her face and just.

“Viper.” Calm. Weird for him How Calm. “What’s this?” Wow. Boy… It’s a little scary. “Bring the bathroom back.” He’s not letting her NOT have this cared for. It’s NOT happening Viper.

Viper

“J-J-Just a little- um… a little…um…” Viper, despite herself, seems to almost crumble under his more… calm approach. Thrown off her game, she tugs her arm away, pressing her hand against it again. “I’m fine, it’s fine, I…”

She pauses. Abel…he… no. He deserved to know. Viper thought back to his tape. To his neglect at the hands of who should have been family. Keeping it from him would only hurt him.

“…Jack…didn’t threaten to stab me, he, uh…he actually did…” Her head was swimming, her brain pounding uncomfortably against her skull. The concussion was deciding it was going to remind her of its presence, it seemed…

“Sorry… for not telling you the first time, I…” Viper feels the world swimming a little. “Sorry, I, need to sit down.” …How long has she been walking around just stubbornly bleeding out?

Abel Lazarus

He has to stop himself from accidentally squeezing Viper’s arm he’s so angry. Not with her of course- Definitely not with her- but with Jack.

Oh that Terrible little- He takes a deep breath and lifts Viper up to carry her into the bathroom (making sure to fish the button out of her bag to summon it) and put her back on the counter. He stays a LOT closer this time- making Very sure she won’t slip off the counter.

He’s quiet for a moment. Too heated to make words work at the moment. Too. Too-

He takes the fabric scraps off the wound and presses a clean part of the previously bloodied towel to this injury, making sure to use enough pressure to staunch the bleeding again. After a while- when he’s finally down enough to speak- he presses his face into her shoulder and talks quietly.

“It’s okay. Just don’t do it again, please.” Is this how he made Marius feel when he tried to not tell him about his back?

…

“I’m taking you straight to Haruka soon.” He pulls his head back from her shoulder and looks at her sternly. “Once the bleeding is under control.” He hasn’t said anything about Jack to her again because he doesn’t trust himself to not get angry again just thinking about him. If he thinks about him too long he has half a mind to drop Viper off with Haruka and immediately go Hunting for him. He can’t-

He leans back into Viper’s shoulder and Bites her.

Viper

For once Viper doesn’t object to him just picking her up and carrying her back into the bathroom. Instead, she sort of… limply leans into him and grumbles somewhat unintelligably against him. It’s uncertain whether she’s talking to herself or to him, but…

She’s suddenly awake and aware again at the shooting pain in her arm, and has to force herself not to yank it away. Abel was trying to help her. He wasn’t trying to hurt her. Her breathing is shaky as she lets him hold the towel against her wound. Her arm trembles with pain, but she holds onto him with her other hand and grips him tightly.

Abel Lazarus “It’s okay. Just don’t do it again, please.”

“I won’t. I won’t hurt you again…” Viper mumbles, sounding out of breath with how much pain she was in. This one hurt more than the plastic stab wounds… perhaps it was the fact it was a sharper instrument, more force…

Abel Lazarus “Once the bleeding is under control.”

Initially, she puffs up like she’s going to protest, but quickly catches herself and simply nods in defeat. The bite catches her by surprise, but it has her chuckling despite her pain, and petting the back of his head with her free hand.

“I love ya, Abel.” She murmurs, her hand firmly in his hair, playing with it. “Thanks…for everythin’.”

Abel Lazarus

The fact it hurts her is… probably a good thing- even if it does make him feel awful. Means the damage isn’t so severe the nerve is dead. It also means she’s… Mentally okay. Right? Or… Not. Going into shock? He doesn’t know. His medical knowledge doesn’t go That far.

“It would hurt me more to lose you.” It’s hard to Admit. He feels that way about a Lot of things but usually he’s so quick to just. Try to make others leave on his terms because he thinks it’s inevitable. Viper… Viper’s seen the worst of him and not run away. She reminds him of Jami. She feels like a piece of home he gets to keep out here. He can’t let it go. He can’t trust himself being that alone.

Viper “I love ya, Abel.”

The tears surprise him. He didn’t expect that. Just. Getting Instantly so emotional about being told someone loves him. Yeah- okay. Not the first time it’s been said- Sure.

But it’s Different. It IS! He can’t explain it but it IS! It’s not said to him often- let alone so Casually. So… Like. Like ‘Of course i do’ or whatever. It’s ALWAYS an ordeal! ALWAYS!

Maybe it’s because his family is so messed up it’s hard for them to say but!!! Cain is the closest to saying it casually and even then he doesn’t do it as often. Not when Abel’s teen years had him being Particularly Terrible about it.

He. Presses his face back into her shoulder and sobs and WOW it feels like he needed it. He needed a release. He sounds downright pathetic as he chokes out “I love you too.”