[Closed]

[shiromadoushi]

Characters: Bakura & L
Location: Death City Heights 7th floor
Rating: Well, it has L in it so... PG-13?
Time: 3/22, after Kid's class.
Description: L looks like hell. More than usual. Cue Bakura worrying and acting as L's caretaker. Because someone has to...



Bakura had barely been home long enough to take off his shoes and set down his groceries (and new assortment of first aid supplies) before going back out into the hall to knock on the door across from his.

"Ryuzaki-kun? It's me... are you in?"

Comments

[dead_black_eyes]

It was suspiciously like the trick Bakura had suggested to distract L's mangy cat long enough to give him his medicine... and, predictably, it worked. L started gnawing one of the sweet buns almost immediately, appreciating that he had something to bite down on.

The ankle itself was, in fact, badly sprained and alarmingly bruised. Circulation seemed to be all right, since L had kept it propped up when he wasn't abusing his injury by running off to classes, but the skin's appearance blossomed with colors ranging from dark purple to jaundiced yellow.

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura near grimaced. He had been walking on it with it looking that bad?

"What happened to it?" he asked, starting to carefully wrap it with the thinner, more breathable gauze first. "Looks like something squeezed it..." Did he get his foot caught in something, maybe?

[dead_black_eyes]

L winced when Bakura touched it, his voice sounding strained when he spoke to take his mind off the injury.

"A Kishin egg squeezed one of the links on my chain... When I was transformed..." He said, gritting his teeth as Bakura started to wrap his ankle. "I guess it was the 'ankle link.' Fortunately, it wasn't the 'spinal cord link', I suppose..."

[shiromadoushi]

"You were out on a mission...?" There was clear surprise in Bakura's voice. With Ryuzaki's poor track record with resonating... though if he did have a partner now...

"You didn't mention anything about it..."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Yes, I did," L said impatiently, his voice laced with annoyance and pain. "And I didn't mention it because not everyone wants their business known by everyone all the time. Be careful, would you?"

[shiromadoushi]

"I'm being a gentle as I can... this is really damaged..." Bakura apologized. "I just would have though you'd have waited before you had more practice with your partner before going, that's all. Since it's still a pretty new partnership..."

...not that that had kept Ryuzaki from jumping in head first last time he had something resembling a partner....

[dead_black_eyes]

"I didn't go with Gamzee. I went with Takuto, and we didn't attempt resonation even once before we went on the mission."

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura's hands paused as he looked up with huge eyes. "With-- with Takuto-kun?! But--" he stammered.

In the history of bad ideas, this ranked up there as one of the worst.

"No wonder you're in such poor shape...!" Considering the state Takuto had been in....! "Is he all right?"

[dead_black_eyes]

"Don't act so shocked. Didn't you say once that I hardly ever surprised you?" L asked, sighing deeply. "It's done with, now. Nothing you say can change what happened. And he's fine. Go ahead and ask him."

[shiromadoushi]

"It's just-- Takuto-kun..." Bakura hesitated before giving a soft sigh. "When I saw him last.... he wasn't in very good shape... I'm surprised you could resonate at all, with how he was..."

[dead_black_eyes]

"You mean he was talking like he wanted to die?" L asked bluntly. "Yes. Yes, he was. Very astute of you to notice, Bakura."

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura let the sarcasm roll off without even making a face. "If you knew that, why on Earth did you go with him...? Unless he was going to go on his own otherwise..."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Because I was bored," L replied idly. "I've been bored, ever since he left, and at the time it seemed thrilling. Going to Guatemala, facing a monster, not knowing what would happen. It reminded me of how things used to be, on paper..."

[shiromadoushi]

For someone so smart, sometimes Ryuzaki was a real idiot, Bakura reflected, doing his best not to sigh or facepalm. "You can go on a mission with someone you know you can resonate with for that...." he pointed out, still carefully wrapping.

[dead_black_eyes]

"Yes, it was all very foolish in hindsight," L said icily. "You don't understand what it's like to poison everyone you attempt to resonate with. You don't get it. At that moment... Takuto seemed to. And I'm furious with Takuto, by the way, but that's between us."

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura almost winced at the tone, but nodded. "I won't tell him anything..." he promised. "But you don't poison everyone... right? Since you did find a partner..."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Gamzee's Meister ability is that he can resonate with literally any Weapon," L said impatiently. "It only means that someone can override whatever shuts everyone else out. It doesn't mean that we were made to complete each others' wavelengths... and I'm convinced that there is a person who can. There has to be, because the alternative is that I'm just that broken."

[shiromadoushi]

"You aren't broken. You're hard to get along with," Bakura pointed out. "It's not the same thing at all..."

[dead_black_eyes]

"You believe that as much as I do, which isn't very much," he scoffed. "You make allowances for me that you wouldn't make for others. At least, I hope you wouldn't... careful" he hissed, though it might just as well have been because he wanted the subject to change, rather than an unusual amount of pain.

[shiromadoushi]

"Sorry!" Bakura winced, refocusing on the almost finished wrapping. "And I don't think you're broken. Just difficult," he repeated, tone a touch stubborn. "Aren't you the one who always says you don't fit in with anything? So of course it'll be harder to find someone you do fit with... so you shouldn't get discouraged. You'll find who you're looking for when you least expect to, I'm sure of it."

Carefully attaching the small hooks that would hold the bandaging in place, he sat back. "How's that? You should still stay off it, but this should help support it so it'll heal faster."

[dead_black_eyes]

"I even know who it is. His timing is just always wrong," L murmured.

He set his feet on the floor, still wincing, but it was true, the support improved it significantly. "Better..." He decided softly.

[shiromadoushi]

"Do you have crutches? So you aren't going to be stepping on it at all if you can help it?" Bakura asked, getting to his feet.

[dead_black_eyes]

"I'm getting some tomorrow, after an appointment I have earlier in the day," he said, not quite stating the nature of said appointment. People who spoke regularly with L often got used to his habitual vagueness.

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura nodded, more than used to it. "You'll be all right getting there by yourself, right?"

[dead_black_eyes]

"It's a short cab ride to the apothecary, so it should be fine. My 'appointment' won't actually require me to leave my apartment, and if it does, I'm sure I can convince my visitor to give me a hand."

He smirked slightly as he said it, strongly implying that he would have no choice.