Kairi nodded as she turned to run the water in the sink, reaching for the four-by-four gauze pads she'd pulled out and some medical tape and handing it to him. It wasn't that she didn't know what to do--on the contrary, she knew exactly what to do--it was just that she was nervous about hurting him.
And one thing she knew was to not put something like antiseptic directly on a wound. Especially a wound like that.
Once the water was the right temperature, she soaked the washcloth, then squeezed it out. Turning towards Ulquiorra, she leaned over him to reach for her bar of soap and lathered up the washcloth just enough to get the job done.
"All right," Kairi told him as she set the soap back down. "I'll finish cleaning your back while you take care of your shoulder." She gently turned Ulquiorra by his good shoulder so that she could sit on the edge of the bathtub and get his back. She grabbed a towel and pressed it just underneath the bottom of wound (to keep the water and anything else from dripping on the floor), then folded one of her legs underneath her and used her knee to keep the towel pressed against his back.
She started at the top, cleaning it as gently as she possibly could. After a moment, she spoke again. "I didn't upset you with my teasing earlier, did I? I mean... usually when I tease people, it's sort of my way of letting them know I care about them." Kairi let out a soft sigh against the back of his neck. "I'm sorry."
Ulquiorra did his best to look at the wound, but it was on a place on his body that wasn't the easiest to see. He had washed the wound when he was in the shower, now it was just time to dry it. He took some of the gauze and dabbed in on the wound. He really would need stitches, it seemed. But neither him nor Kairi really had the capacity to do that at the moment. Maybe he could patch it up enough that it wouldn't be a problem for at least a few days. He didn't know how he would explain to Kairi if he had to go to the Monacello compound to find Chase.
Once it was dry enough for his tastes, he started to wrap it the best he could and tape it down with the medical tape. It had to be tight. He ended up wrapping most of his left shoulder to cover the wound. At least it would be a little better off now. He could deal with the discomfort for now. It wasn't like the Monacello family doctor could take away the pain. There was only so much anyone could do. The physical and emotional pain was still suffocating.
Ulquiorra moved along with Kairi, letting her have full access to his back. He gritted his teeth through his own work and hers. "It wasn't you..." He said, through those gritted teeth. "I have failed enough these past few days. I would simply appreciate you did not make it any worse." He didn't want to explain about the day of Grimmjow's birthday. The last thing he wanted to do was relive it and tell Kairi how hungry he had been for some kind of attention, some kind of connection, or how hurt he was that he never got to express any of it how he should have.
Kairi frowned at what he said and she paused in her cleaning for a moment before she started at it again. She was silent for a few seconds before she decided to speak. "The only person you're failing is yourself by saying that," she said, her voice soft. "Besides, I don't think you have."
She paused and smiled a little, leaning to the side a little so she could see his face. "If it helps, I like you just the way you are. It doesn't matter what you've done in the past, whether it's been the past few days or the past few years." She leaned forward and, making sure not to touch his back as she did so, kissed his cheek like she did after their first meeting. Except there might've been a bit more behind it than being a friendly gesture. But that was still to be debated in her own heart.
With her smile still on her lips, Kairi leaned back and continued cleaning Ulquiorra's back. She was silent for a few more moments before she shifted slightly, feeling her leg get numb, only to end up losing her balance. Gasping, she quickly reached out her hand to catch herself on the wall of the shower, though she was slipping from it still being wet. She reached behind her with her other hand to grasp at the bit of wall that was an outward corner and managed to pull herself back into an upright position, laughing a bit at herself.
The redhead leaned her head back against the corner she had just pulled herself up by, and grinned. "Before you ask, yes, I'm fine." She lifted her head back up and leaned over to run the water in the bathtub, just warm enough so she could wet the washcloth again. She made sure she had a firm grip on the faucet as she was leaned over and running the washcloth under the water, then turning it off and wringing out the cloth. Kairi lathered it up with the soap again and went back to cleaning his back. "I'll admit it," she started, a smile still on her lips and evident in her voice. "I can be a little clumsy sometimes."
Ulquiorra scoffed. "How I have not?" In the past few days he had lost all foot holds in the family and was awaiting reassignment, or even assassination. He had lost Gin and Hei even after he had trying to kill Grimmjow to get them back. He had lost Grimmjow for good. No part of that was anything but failure. He had lost everyone he had cared about in one final swoop.
Ulquiorra frowned at her words. What did he say to that? She had no idea what all those things were. She knew that he killed people for his profession, but nothing beyond that. He was a high ranking member of the mafia because of how he made people disappear. he had even failed at his job. He had been unable to make Grimmjow disappear, even after Grimmjow had hurt him so much. He couldn't even do that job, the only thing he could do with any certainty. He needed to pull himself together. For now he would just have to distance himself and try to get everything back on track. He would go back to the family stronger than he had ever been.
He had to or there was no point in any of it.
He watched her, quite confused as she slipped. He reached out to catch her, but she had already caught herself. He gave her a look. "You should be more careful...we do not need any more injuries on our hands," he said, warningly. He had finished wrapping his shoulder and now just rested his hands on the edge of the tub. He closed his eyes, and gritted his teeth. He just wanted her to be done with cleaning. It stung a lot. But when he thought about all the damage he had done to Grimmjow, he felt as though he deserved whatever he got. he was a liar now, wasn't he? A two-timer, right? A worthless dog. It was all he had ever been....right?
And one thing she knew was to not put something like antiseptic directly on a wound. Especially a wound like that.
Once the water was the right temperature, she soaked the washcloth, then squeezed it out. Turning towards Ulquiorra, she leaned over him to reach for her bar of soap and lathered up the washcloth just enough to get the job done.
"All right," Kairi told him as she set the soap back down. "I'll finish cleaning your back while you take care of your shoulder." She gently turned Ulquiorra by his good shoulder so that she could sit on the edge of the bathtub and get his back. She grabbed a towel and pressed it just underneath the bottom of wound (to keep the water and anything else from dripping on the floor), then folded one of her legs underneath her and used her knee to keep the towel pressed against his back.
She started at the top, cleaning it as gently as she possibly could. After a moment, she spoke again. "I didn't upset you with my teasing earlier, did I? I mean... usually when I tease people, it's sort of my way of letting them know I care about them." Kairi let out a soft sigh against the back of his neck. "I'm sorry."
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Once it was dry enough for his tastes, he started to wrap it the best he could and tape it down with the medical tape. It had to be tight. He ended up wrapping most of his left shoulder to cover the wound. At least it would be a little better off now. He could deal with the discomfort for now. It wasn't like the Monacello family doctor could take away the pain. There was only so much anyone could do. The physical and emotional pain was still suffocating.
Ulquiorra moved along with Kairi, letting her have full access to his back. He gritted his teeth through his own work and hers. "It wasn't you..." He said, through those gritted teeth. "I have failed enough these past few days. I would simply appreciate you did not make it any worse." He didn't want to explain about the day of Grimmjow's birthday. The last thing he wanted to do was relive it and tell Kairi how hungry he had been for some kind of attention, some kind of connection, or how hurt he was that he never got to express any of it how he should have.
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She paused and smiled a little, leaning to the side a little so she could see his face. "If it helps, I like you just the way you are. It doesn't matter what you've done in the past, whether it's been the past few days or the past few years." She leaned forward and, making sure not to touch his back as she did so, kissed his cheek like she did after their first meeting. Except there might've been a bit more behind it than being a friendly gesture. But that was still to be debated in her own heart.
With her smile still on her lips, Kairi leaned back and continued cleaning Ulquiorra's back. She was silent for a few more moments before she shifted slightly, feeling her leg get numb, only to end up losing her balance. Gasping, she quickly reached out her hand to catch herself on the wall of the shower, though she was slipping from it still being wet. She reached behind her with her other hand to grasp at the bit of wall that was an outward corner and managed to pull herself back into an upright position, laughing a bit at herself.
The redhead leaned her head back against the corner she had just pulled herself up by, and grinned. "Before you ask, yes, I'm fine." She lifted her head back up and leaned over to run the water in the bathtub, just warm enough so she could wet the washcloth again. She made sure she had a firm grip on the faucet as she was leaned over and running the washcloth under the water, then turning it off and wringing out the cloth. Kairi lathered it up with the soap again and went back to cleaning his back. "I'll admit it," she started, a smile still on her lips and evident in her voice. "I can be a little clumsy sometimes."
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Ulquiorra frowned at her words. What did he say to that? She had no idea what all those things were. She knew that he killed people for his profession, but nothing beyond that. He was a high ranking member of the mafia because of how he made people disappear. he had even failed at his job. He had been unable to make Grimmjow disappear, even after Grimmjow had hurt him so much. He couldn't even do that job, the only thing he could do with any certainty. He needed to pull himself together. For now he would just have to distance himself and try to get everything back on track. He would go back to the family stronger than he had ever been.
He had to or there was no point in any of it.
He watched her, quite confused as she slipped. He reached out to catch her, but she had already caught herself. He gave her a look. "You should be more careful...we do not need any more injuries on our hands," he said, warningly. He had finished wrapping his shoulder and now just rested his hands on the edge of the tub. He closed his eyes, and gritted his teeth. He just wanted her to be done with cleaning. It stung a lot. But when he thought about all the damage he had done to Grimmjow, he felt as though he deserved whatever he got. he was a liar now, wasn't he? A two-timer, right? A worthless dog. It was all he had ever been....right?
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