It's really a wonder Tay and Pete didn't wake anyone up when they returned to Gaura's house sometime late the night before. Pete had helped him find a safe spot for the pistol and had left quietly. Tay had let the yukata drop on the floor of his room and fallen into bed.
After a certain late morning phone call, he very carefully gets himself up out of bed, wraps a towel around his waist, and limps to the bathroom. He stumbles part way and lands on the floor on his side (thank god not on his knee again), letting out a soft cry of pain.
Gaura was bringing some laundry down the hall when he saw someone on the floor in Tay's room. A quick look at the hair told him that it couldn't be Henry. Not to mention the state of dress and what room it was. Setting the laundry down, he rushed in to help his friend sit up then saw the state of that knee.
A hiss and he got Tay's arm over his shoulder so he could help get him up and into the bathroom. "I think you might be better off with a bath rather than a shower."
"Gaura don't.. you don't have to.." He gives up as he's helped the rest of the way to the bathroom. He sinks down to sit on the toilet with the lid down, putting his face in his hands, and coughs. The impact of falling had knocked the wind out of him, but after a few shaky breathes he calms and lifts his head to look at his friend.
Now that Tay was settled, he went to start the water, testing with his hand to make sure that it was warm enough before leaving the bathroom while it was filling. Soon he came back and crushed a number of herbs into the water, mixing it around with his fingers to ensure the oils from the plants properly mixed in.
"These should help with the aches in your body and help your bloodflow for the bruising," he explained as he got up to come help Tay into the bathtub, clearly not having a problem with any nudity that would result in that towel needing to fall.
"But.. my friend said to use really cold water." He watches as herbs and things are added to the water and decides maybe Gaura knows better than Vegas does.
Time would likely be really unhappy if he ever learns about this, but Tay accepts Gaura's help. He grits his teeth as he has to stand up again. Cautiously, he lowers himself into the tub trying not to put weight on his one leg.
"I have a feeling that these bruises are now hours old. At this point you'll be better off with warm water to help with the stiff muscles." Cold would have been good in the beginning but now they couldn't go that route.
Once Tay was in the water, Gaura went to go get more of what he needed in order to help with that knee in particular. More than anything he wanted to be sure that the knee wasn't going to get infected and that meant he needed to be sure the scrapes were thoroughly cleaned.
Grabbing a stool as well, he came back and sat down, encouraging the injured leg to come out of the water. "This will hurt while I get any dirt and such out of here but just be patient with me alright?" he warned so he could give Tay time to prepare himself.
He nods to confirm that. Tay's not sure what time it is, but he can see sunlight around the curtains in his bedroom. He's starting to regret getting out of bed though with how uncomfortable moving around has been.
Tay drapes his foot up onto the edge of the tub so it's easy for Gaura to reach. "It's okay, I know the drill. I won't move it." He lays back against the tub and closes his eyes for a few moments, particularly when Gaura begins. Even when it hurts, he remains still.
Slowly he opens his eyes again and studies his housemate's face. "Are you really not going to ask?"
"Are you going to tell me?" he asked in return as he gently used tweezers to pluck anything from that knee that shouldn't be there. Though he asked the question, Gaura didn't look away from what he was doing, making sure this had his full attention even as he talked.
"I believe you'll tell me when you're ready. I'll be here to listen when you are. And if you don't want me to know then that's alright. I will be here regardless to help you afterward. You probably have a good reason for not telling me so I will trust you."
Setting the tweezers aside, he started to gently dab at that knee so he could have a better look at it. Luckily it just seemed banged up and that meant a good deal of swelling. Ice and leverage should help with that.
"Know that anything you do decide to share will never leave this room though. I promise."
He stares at Gaura trying and failing to understand him. The man has let someone he doesn't know in to live with him, takes care of them, and doesn't press for any explanation when that person turns up with injuries for the second night in a row? Tay has hit the mafia jackpot, but he almost feels guilty about it- almost. These are all Gaura's decisions. He isn't being forced, so what does Tay really have to feel guilty about?
"No," he admits softly. He relaxes more and tries to focus on the hot soothing water. "It's better this way." At least he honestly believes that to be true about his own situation as well as Gaura's.
"Just remember if anything happens though and you need help, call me or get one of the guys from that doctor's house. I'll give you their numbers so you'll have it on hand. You should tell Henry that too."
Gaura nodded, accept that and believing him as he heled to lower that leg back into the water. That way the herbs could do some of their work on it. His attention then turned to the bruising around Tay's neck. A hand from the look of it. This one and the other one he'd have to look at after the bath since there was no point in applying anything until after Tay was dry.
So he sat back to offer the man a smile. "Thank you. I appreciate that. And I will let Henry know."
Tay makes the tiniest grunt of discomfort as he moves his leg back under the water. He opens his eyes and tilts his head up as he notices where Gaura is looking.
"It's just a bruise. It'll go away in a few days," he assures his friend. It could've been so much worse, but fortunately he'd only been choked briefly. He's more worried about his knee and his side, but he doesn't say that. Instead, he lifts his arm to take a look at the bruise there. He curls his lip in disgust when that too shows a very clear hand print.
"Kinn is over there. He's been my best friend since we were little," he continues, mostly just for something to say while he enjoy the healing heat. "Vegas is his cousin and Pete is Vegas' boyfriend. I don't know why we all showed up here but we have."
"I still have creams I've made that will help reduce the bruising faster. I'll help you apply them and finish treating your knee once you get out."
Bruises were something that he could take care of, after all. Luckily nothing appeared to be too bad. It would just mean that Tay would have to actually rest properly. He wasn't sure if he would but Gaura could encourage it.
Filing the names away, he nodded his head. Kinn, Vegas, and Pete. Easy names to remember luckily.
"You're not the first grouping here. There seems to be a lot of people here with people from their worlds. Henry and I are alone from our worlds though so I'm glad you have friends you can rely on in his place."
Again, no questions. Not even a whiff of curiosity. It's so strange, but Tay thinks for the umpteenth time how lucky he is to have found this man.
"Okay, I'm almost ready," he assures. He has a feeling Gaura would sit here with him for as long as he wanted, but this wasn't the most enjoyable bath. He misses the man who always sat behind him when they were in a tub and held him close. How is he ever going to face Time again?
"It doesn't sound like you were very close to anyone from your world anyway. Were you?"
"Take as long as you need. The oils from the herbs in the water will help the aches in your body and any swelling."
He would have left him to privacy but he knew it was better to stay there right now. Especially when he would need to clean the tub later. After he got Tay out and tended to, of course. That was the main detail for all of this.
Gaura smiled a little and shook his head. "No. I wasn't close to anyone at all in my world. I spent most of my time alone."
Oh, well, he just might take longer then. That sounds really nice and he's not really looking forward to the journey back to his bed, so yeah. He relaxes and reaches up to give Gaura a soft, appreciative pat on the arm. He's really loving being their pampered pet.
"Why were you so distant from everyone? You seem so sweet and friendly."
"It wasn't something I ever did intentionally. I always try to stay connected with others. But others would find it difficult to stay close to someone who wouldn't be able to see them."
And not for lack of trying other. But it was nothing like what it was here. "In this place so many people work so hard to help me so I don't have to worry about that. I never feel like I have to be isolated from them."
"What?" Tay's brows furrow in confusion. "You can't see?"
That doesn't sound right. His gaze trails down to his knee and then back up to Gaura. There's no way he's blind if he can pick dirt out of his injury like that. Was he magical?
Gaura smiled a little. "I can see. I'm not blind by the strictest definition of the word..."
It was so strange to be just confessing to his condition. But he was starting to get used to the fact that it was alright to do so here. People would still love and accept him without looking down on him for things that were literally not his fault.
"I have prosopagnosia. Face blindness. I'm not able to remember faces of others or read their emotions. I can even get lost easily because of it." Lifting his hand up to his own hair, he smiled a little. "I wear this so I can recognize myself in pictures and reflections and so on. I don't even know what I look like otherwise."
Tay stares in shock for a few long moments. He slowly pieces together incidents that have happened in the short time they've known each other that just makes more sense now. He can't believe his incredible luck too! Of all places in this city he could've ended up, he's with someone who can't identify him if something were to happen?
Of course, that means he can't identify his friends either and that could be dangerous. If someone shows up claiming to be one of them.. but there's no reason to fret about that right now. The point is, he has a degree of immunity here.
"I've heard of that, but I've never known anyone who had it. That seems.. that's what you were talking about with your parents wasn't it? When you said you were difficult to raise."
"Yes. Raising a child who can't tell you apart from other parents or who gets lost easily..."
Gaura shook his head a bit. He wasn't sad over it because he'd accepted this part of his life a long time ago. It was what had led to him running away. To be out in a world fighting for survival instead of trying to make things work with his parents when they didn't have the capacity for it.
"I've been learning more about how to deal with it since being on my own. And it's been easier with so many being understanding around me here."
Well.. now he isn't sure who to judge. He can fully understand why a child would think they were burdening their parents this way while also knowing good, wholesome parents would never want to lose their child. Maybe they're all a bunch of idiots and were better apart.
"That had to be difficult," he manages, unsure just what else to say to that.
"You've probably seen the flower that Henry always wears in his lapel. Honestly he only needs to wear that when we're not home but he always wears it anyway so I will never mistake him for anyone else. Another person who is like a brother to me wear a pink charm at his waist. It's little things like that. Recognizing that I want to know who they are and helping me to do that."
The part about his life being difficult as a child? He didn't say anything there. It wasn't untrue but it was fine. It was the past now so he didn't see reason to dwell on it. There were enough things out there for him to focus on that kept him from losing himself in that anyway.
He understands avoiding the painful topics and doesn't press any further there. Instead, he listens curiously at the different ways people have helped. He breathes a soft laugh.
"That explains the pastries and why you go so far out of your way for others." It still wasn't something Tay would do, but at least it made a little more sense for Gaura.
He groans and sits up. "Hey, I'm going to fall asleep if I stay in here any longer." The only way his housemate would get any better is if he was some big hulking fellow who could pick him up and carry him to bed. He smiles to himself trying to picture Gaura that way. It is very funny!
Gaura smiled and shook his head. "That was largely just because I could give rather than repay. People often tell me that I do too much though. You're far from the first to tell me I should charge for all the things that I can do."
But he truly wasn't interested in the money. Not even now as he moved forward with a towel so he could help Tay to get up and out of the water. And over where the man could sit and dry himself off while Gaura went to drain the water and clean the tub a big so the herbs and oils wouldn't be left behind.
"Once you're dried off I'll tend to your injuries then help you back to bed to rest."
He shrugs. "You're allowed to do whatever makes you happy, Gaura. I'm just grateful that includes helping me." Really, that was the only part of this that mattered. Yes, he was building a friendship and that sort of included caring about Gaura and Henry (scratch the sort of) but Tay's needs were getting met.
Sitting on the toilet with the lid down, he rubs the towel gently against his wet skin. Out of habit, there might've been a sexy edge to it but it's not on purpose here. He doesn't have Time watching him, after all.
"You know it's really strange.. with Time not here. I keep catching myself wondering where he is and if he's doing something he isn't supposed to. However, he's not here. He can't come back to me like he usually does. I'm the one here and.." He sighs, shaking his head. "I'm the one who hasn't been behaving well without him."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Tay again!
After a certain late morning phone call, he very carefully gets himself up out of bed, wraps a towel around his waist, and limps to the bathroom. He stumbles part way and lands on the floor on his side (thank god not on his knee again), letting out a soft cry of pain.
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A hiss and he got Tay's arm over his shoulder so he could help get him up and into the bathroom. "I think you might be better off with a bath rather than a shower."
Especially with the other bruises he could see.
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"I didn't want to trouble you."
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Now that Tay was settled, he went to start the water, testing with his hand to make sure that it was warm enough before leaving the bathroom while it was filling. Soon he came back and crushed a number of herbs into the water, mixing it around with his fingers to ensure the oils from the plants properly mixed in.
"These should help with the aches in your body and help your bloodflow for the bruising," he explained as he got up to come help Tay into the bathtub, clearly not having a problem with any nudity that would result in that towel needing to fall.
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Time would likely be really unhappy if he ever learns about this, but Tay accepts Gaura's help. He grits his teeth as he has to stand up again. Cautiously, he lowers himself into the tub trying not to put weight on his one leg.
He gasps as the water initially stings.
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Once Tay was in the water, Gaura went to go get more of what he needed in order to help with that knee in particular. More than anything he wanted to be sure that the knee wasn't going to get infected and that meant he needed to be sure the scrapes were thoroughly cleaned.
Grabbing a stool as well, he came back and sat down, encouraging the injured leg to come out of the water. "This will hurt while I get any dirt and such out of here but just be patient with me alright?" he warned so he could give Tay time to prepare himself.
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Tay drapes his foot up onto the edge of the tub so it's easy for Gaura to reach. "It's okay, I know the drill. I won't move it." He lays back against the tub and closes his eyes for a few moments, particularly when Gaura begins. Even when it hurts, he remains still.
Slowly he opens his eyes again and studies his housemate's face. "Are you really not going to ask?"
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"I believe you'll tell me when you're ready. I'll be here to listen when you are. And if you don't want me to know then that's alright. I will be here regardless to help you afterward. You probably have a good reason for not telling me so I will trust you."
Setting the tweezers aside, he started to gently dab at that knee so he could have a better look at it. Luckily it just seemed banged up and that meant a good deal of swelling. Ice and leverage should help with that.
"Know that anything you do decide to share will never leave this room though. I promise."
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"No," he admits softly. He relaxes more and tries to focus on the hot soothing water. "It's better this way." At least he honestly believes that to be true about his own situation as well as Gaura's.
"Just remember if anything happens though and you need help, call me or get one of the guys from that doctor's house. I'll give you their numbers so you'll have it on hand. You should tell Henry that too."
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So he sat back to offer the man a smile. "Thank you. I appreciate that. And I will let Henry know."
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"It's just a bruise. It'll go away in a few days," he assures his friend. It could've been so much worse, but fortunately he'd only been choked briefly. He's more worried about his knee and his side, but he doesn't say that. Instead, he lifts his arm to take a look at the bruise there. He curls his lip in disgust when that too shows a very clear hand print.
"Kinn is over there. He's been my best friend since we were little," he continues, mostly just for something to say while he enjoy the healing heat. "Vegas is his cousin and Pete is Vegas' boyfriend. I don't know why we all showed up here but we have."
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Bruises were something that he could take care of, after all. Luckily nothing appeared to be too bad. It would just mean that Tay would have to actually rest properly. He wasn't sure if he would but Gaura could encourage it.
Filing the names away, he nodded his head. Kinn, Vegas, and Pete. Easy names to remember luckily.
"You're not the first grouping here. There seems to be a lot of people here with people from their worlds. Henry and I are alone from our worlds though so I'm glad you have friends you can rely on in his place."
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"Okay, I'm almost ready," he assures. He has a feeling Gaura would sit here with him for as long as he wanted, but this wasn't the most enjoyable bath. He misses the man who always sat behind him when they were in a tub and held him close. How is he ever going to face Time again?
"It doesn't sound like you were very close to anyone from your world anyway. Were you?"
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He would have left him to privacy but he knew it was better to stay there right now. Especially when he would need to clean the tub later. After he got Tay out and tended to, of course. That was the main detail for all of this.
Gaura smiled a little and shook his head. "No. I wasn't close to anyone at all in my world. I spent most of my time alone."
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"Why were you so distant from everyone? You seem so sweet and friendly."
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And not for lack of trying other. But it was nothing like what it was here. "In this place so many people work so hard to help me so I don't have to worry about that. I never feel like I have to be isolated from them."
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That doesn't sound right. His gaze trails down to his knee and then back up to Gaura. There's no way he's blind if he can pick dirt out of his injury like that. Was he magical?
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It was so strange to be just confessing to his condition. But he was starting to get used to the fact that it was alright to do so here. People would still love and accept him without looking down on him for things that were literally not his fault.
"I have prosopagnosia. Face blindness. I'm not able to remember faces of others or read their emotions. I can even get lost easily because of it." Lifting his hand up to his own hair, he smiled a little. "I wear this so I can recognize myself in pictures and reflections and so on. I don't even know what I look like otherwise."
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Of course, that means he can't identify his friends either and that could be dangerous. If someone shows up claiming to be one of them.. but there's no reason to fret about that right now. The point is, he has a degree of immunity here.
"I've heard of that, but I've never known anyone who had it. That seems.. that's what you were talking about with your parents wasn't it? When you said you were difficult to raise."
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Gaura shook his head a bit. He wasn't sad over it because he'd accepted this part of his life a long time ago. It was what had led to him running away. To be out in a world fighting for survival instead of trying to make things work with his parents when they didn't have the capacity for it.
"I've been learning more about how to deal with it since being on my own. And it's been easier with so many being understanding around me here."
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"That had to be difficult," he manages, unsure just what else to say to that.
"How have people here been able to help you?"
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The part about his life being difficult as a child? He didn't say anything there. It wasn't untrue but it was fine. It was the past now so he didn't see reason to dwell on it. There were enough things out there for him to focus on that kept him from losing himself in that anyway.
"I feel wanted here. It's a welcome thing."
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"That explains the pastries and why you go so far out of your way for others." It still wasn't something Tay would do, but at least it made a little more sense for Gaura.
He groans and sits up. "Hey, I'm going to fall asleep if I stay in here any longer." The only way his housemate would get any better is if he was some big hulking fellow who could pick him up and carry him to bed. He smiles to himself trying to picture Gaura that way. It is very funny!
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But he truly wasn't interested in the money. Not even now as he moved forward with a towel so he could help Tay to get up and out of the water. And over where the man could sit and dry himself off while Gaura went to drain the water and clean the tub a big so the herbs and oils wouldn't be left behind.
"Once you're dried off I'll tend to your injuries then help you back to bed to rest."
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Sitting on the toilet with the lid down, he rubs the towel gently against his wet skin. Out of habit, there might've been a sexy edge to it but it's not on purpose here. He doesn't have Time watching him, after all.
"You know it's really strange.. with Time not here. I keep catching myself wondering where he is and if he's doing something he isn't supposed to. However, he's not here. He can't come back to me like he usually does. I'm the one here and.." He sighs, shaking his head. "I'm the one who hasn't been behaving well without him."
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