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Sure. My place or yours?

[He's not sure if it's better to suggest neutral territory.]

Yours. I can be there within half an hour.

Okay. Door's already unlocked.

[Bela arrives at the room some twenty five minutes later, feeling apprehensive. Even when he said she had nothing to apologise for, she couldn't get rid of the guilt so easily. She lets herself into his shared suite, making her way to Peter's room. There's a soft knock at his door to make herself known and then Bela steps inside.]

Hi.

[There's enough time that passes that Peter thinks at one point that Bela's changed her mind. He absently scrolls through the network, gives Elliot some pets while the dragon sleeps on a pile of towels in the corner, and contemplates trying (yet again) to sew up his still-damaged suit.

When she does finally knock, Peter springs to his feet, almost making it to the door before it opens. Elliot raises his head and sniffs the air in Bela's direction.]

Hey. Come in. Or would you rather stay out in the living room?

I can come in if it's alright with you.

[She looks around for a moment, fidgeting with her hands. Bela notices the dragon in the corner, curious about that. But her main focus is on Peter at the moment, wanting to talk and clear the air, apologise again even when he said she didn’t have to.

After moving into the bedroom and standing for a moment, she steps forward to pull Peter into a hug, not saying anything. He could easily pull back from it as it's not a tight embrace, but she does press herself fully into it.]

It's always all right.

[He's about to say something else, but then she's hugging him, and he hugs back, despite the pain from the infection on his abdomen. He nuzzles his face into her neck, running a hand down her back comfortingly.]

It's going to be okay.

[She relaxes slightly when his hand strokes down her back and tells her that it's going to be okay. Bela runs her fingers through his hair gently and holds onto him for another few moments before pulling back to look at Peter.

Her other hand cups his face, thumb running over his cheekbone.]

Somehow, it always ends up okay, doesn't it?

What other choice do we have?

[There are too many things wrong right now. His skin and teeth can't be fixed, he's pretty sure he's running a fever from the infection, and he can never seem to sleep enough to make his exhaustion go away. But he needs to be here for her now. Friends, with or without benefits, come before self.]

Probably don't wanna kiss me right now. I'm a mess. Physically as well as psychologically.

Then let me take care of you, Peter.

[Bela can push aside her own concerns if he needs her. She realises how hot his skin feels and that worries her even more. Then Bela slowly eases her hands away from him, taking a moment to drop a gentle kiss to his lips.]

Mess or not, I've got you. [She means that.] What can I do?

[He doesn't like being taken care of. He's the one that's supposed to be there for others, not be a burden to them. When she kisses him, he follows it. He's feeling floaty again, although he's not sure if it's from illness or from not having kissed her in a while.]

Don't say I didn't warn you.

I'm not sure. Maybe just check on my bandages? I've been trying to change them myself, but haven't been doing the best job. Also, water would be great.

[Don't be too demanding. Play off your requests as a joke. Be independent.]

Consider myself warned.

[It's said in a playful way before she listens to what else he has to tell her. Peter has looked after her countless times so of course Bela is going to do the same for him, no matter what. She would love nothing more than to kiss him again, but his wellbeing is taking priority.]

Okay. Check bandages and give you some water. I can do that. [Her hands reach for the bottom of his shirt.] May I?

[If he's in pain, she wants to be as gentle as possible and not just whip off his shirt. ]

Sure. Lemme grab something so I don't fall over.

[He reaches out to the nearest wall to steady himself. When she lifts up his shirt, he inhales sharply. She isn't hurting him, isn't even touching him, but the closeness is super obvious to him.]

How have I been doing? I used to be an expert at bandaging wounds, but my skills seem to be slipping.

[Her gaze drops down to his abdomen to inspect the bandages. They absolutely need changed and if his sharp inhale is anything to go by, he's clearly in pain.]

Then you should have asked for help before now, Peter.

[She carefully peels off his shirt, placing it on the side of a chair. Then Bela looks around for a new bandage, finding one on the table. But she needs to take off the old one first which she does just as carefully as before, shocked at what lay underneath.]

Peter! This is infected! I'll need to clean this first.

I don't want to bother anyone.

[He says, knowing that letting the problem get bigger is infinitely more of a bother. When she removes his old bandages, he winces at her reaction.]

Well, that would explain the slight fever I've been running. Sorry to make more work for you.

Don't apologise. I want to take care of you.

[When he's healed up, maybe she'll throttle him for not seeking her help in the first place. But that's for another time. What Bela needs now is some painkillers to deal with the infection. Throwing the used bandage into the trash, she hunts around for some ibuprofen and a glass of water.]

Swallow these.

[She intructs softly, popping them into his mouth before bringing the glass of water to his lips.]

Then I'll clean and bandage your wound.

I'll have you know it is taking all of my willpower to not make a "that's what he said" joke right now.

[He does as he's told, and looks at his wound while she gets the new bandages ready. His skin looks nasty, covered in green-grey bruises and hastily-made stitches. It gave off quite the Frankenstein feel.]

Then I can do something for you. It's only fair. Whatever you need.

At least you still have your sense of humour. [Because she would probably laugh at the joke.] As for what you can do for me, you can be a good patient and let me tend to you.

[Speaking of which, she gathers up supplies to clean the wound and makes a start, being as gentle as possible. When that is done, Bela wraps around a fresh bandage and secures it enough before disposing of any waste.]

...Maybe we could cuddle a little without me pressing against your injury.

If I lose that, you'll know it's the end for me. And that's not going to cut it. I'll definitely owe you something later on.

[He waits until she's done putting the bandages on, making sure not to hold his breath or suck in his stomach so that they won't be too tight.]

I am up for careful cuddling.

Okay, but when you're healed and not about to fall over, Peter. [She oh so carefully put his shirt on and slips an arm around his back.]

Come on. We'll go to your bed and get you comfortable. Then we can do some careful cuddling.

[He's almost disappointed when she puts his shirt back on, but he's in no shape for anything strenuous right now. He doesn't argue and lets her lead him to the bed, where he sits down without letting gravity do too much of the work.]

I appreciate your help, Nurse Bela. Even after all this time, I'm not used to how much my healing has slowed down from normal.

You're welcome, Peter. And I am saving the 'Nurse' for a future roleplaying scenario. I'm sure I could find a costume.

[She reaches for his legs to make sure they're fully on the bed, taking a moment to run her hand through his hair afterwards.]

I'm just glad that you can heal in the first place, even if it's slow. [Bela adds, kicking her shoes off before joining him on his bed.]

If you can find an actual nurse outfit, I will psychically will myself to heal as fast as I possibly can.

[His brain is all too happy to dwell on that particular scenario, so he's quiet as she gets into bed and snuggles up next to him.]

I saw your post to the Network. Did other things happen after we had our run in with each other?

I attacked other people. No severe injuries thankfully, but I really wanted to hurt them, Peter.

[It scared her. The thoughts that swirled around in her head days before she went on a rampage were awful.]

Maybe even kill them.

[He puts his arm around her and pulls her as close as he can without causing himself any pain. He gives her a soft squeeze in an attempt to reassure her.]

It was the brainwashing. I would hope that everyone understands that by now.

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