[open]

[note_atem]

Busy, busy, busy. You'd warned Atem he wouldn't be able to see you for the weekend due to some work that had piled up on you. He'd accepted, of course, with a grin nonetheless. Work\school\whatever is important so he knows to stay out of the way. It was late into Sunday. You had made so much progress. Almost finished. Almost done...

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[crimsonguarddog]

Cissnei is always busy, but the end of the quarter has them all running ragged. It was to the point where she chooses to take her work home rather than at her office, less distractions ones she settles down and focuses in the small nook of her apartment that she calls her home office. She was still up late, rain not bothering her at all, nor the cat curled up at her socked feet. Both woman and animal look up at the doorbell though, and Cissnei stands when Atem enters, not yet looking concern, but taking in these signs of something different as something being wrong.

"You could of called me, I would of picked you up." She says, pulling her chair out and moving toward him, mouth drawing into a slow almost-frown. "Do you need something dry to wear?"

[crimsonguarddog]

She pauses just slightly, lowering her head slightly at the sight of him, having a good view of the other from the door. But she gives him a moment before opening it, stepping inside and setting the things down next to him, voice soft when she speaks. "This isn't something you could of controlled, Atem."

Cissnei doesn't touch him, not until she knows he will welcome it and the extent of his injuries. For now she just watches carefully.

[note_atem]

He didn't want to think about it. How he'd nearly lost everything. Anything that was of value to him was gone. Forever. How was he ever going to...

One hand left the sink to shakily wrap around the deck box on his belt. Save for that. Of course he'd gotten that out. But his life- had that been worth it?

"They said it was because of me, didn't they." His tone was low and his head still refused to rise. "Some of the people outside... They were blaming me." They were probably right, too. He was bad news. He always had been; was too good at attracting trouble.

[crimsonguarddog]

"They didn't tell me." Not that saying such would change the other's mind on the fact. Cissnei exhales slowly, coming in closer to the other, careful as she lifts a hand, placing it on his shoulderblade, not to close to either burns or bruises. He is pale, cool to the touch, signs of shock all there. Right now she can be here for him, coax him into possibly sitting down with gentle touch and persuasion, if she can get him that far. Cissnei knows she will need to.

"You need to be treated, Atem. I can take care of you here if you listen to me, or we'll need to go to the hospital." She knows enough to take care of it herself, has a medical kit to take care of second degree burns, which is what it possibly looks like. Cissnei lets her fingers pet against his skin, reassuring with rare soft words. "I'm here for you, it's going to be alright."

[note_atem]

Goosebumps raise along the skin quickly, a shudder easily caused by her touch. His head stays lowered shamefully for another moment as he listened to her. At the word hospital he went tense, which irritated his wounds all the more but he couldn't see to help it.

His head raised as he gave her a hard look. "Not the hospital." He hated that god damn place and would do anything to keep from going to it. Everything in him seemed to break at her next careful words, however. His shoulders shook lightly, his eyes closing.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing."

[crimsonguarddog]

"Not the hospital." She confirms, and takes advantage of the moment to guide him to sit down, kneeling to pull the medical kit from underneath the sink. She would clean it before healing it, much more preferable considering this wasn't a life or death situation. Plus getting him to sit would be better on him, help from his shock symptoms from increasing further.

"For right now just breathe and stay calm, we'll figure it out in small steps." She'll help him, of course. Atem was both her friend and... Well, who knew what else you would call it, but Cissnei would not let him go though this by himself. There were others that would do the same as well, she was sure of it. "Can I see your arm?"

[note_atem]

It was begrudgingly that he sat down, pride still a factor despite it all. Of course, he wasn't as bad as Kaiba. It was only a second later before he eased up, turning his head away. A shaky breath was taken before he held out his arm to her. The burns varied from place to place, the fire seeming to have licked at him from random places and never truly engulfed him. Which was probably a good thing.

"What am I going to do?" His thoughts seemed to collapse in on him so suddenly now that he'd accepted this fire, not only as happening, but being his fault as well. "Everything is gone. I don't have anywhere to stay- I shouldn't. Whoever did this..." His head raised suddenly and he tried to pull his arm away.

"I shouldn't be here."

[crimsonguarddog]

She is glad for that, the brief concession he gives her to start cleaning off the burns so they won't get infected. It was gone just as quickly though, and Cissnei stands before he can as he pulls away, one hand still holding his arm and the other hovering just millimeters away from his face, fingers lightly brushing his cheek.

"No, Atem. Breathe; You are right where you should be. They are not going to come here." Nobody knows that Cissnei is one of his emergency contacts, unless they were in the police department. Hell, few people actually knew that she referred to him by his first name. "Whoever it is knows people are looking for them by now as well... I've dealt with this kind of thing before, remember?" Well, that was one way to put it. Or she was one of the people setting the fires. Again, she reminds him. "Breathe, you're going to give yourself a panic attack."

[note_atem]

He grit his teeth, refusing to make any concessions to the pain. It was a good distraction. As much as her being so close was. The direction was one he knew he should take but it felt nearly impossible. Being so calm... He couldn't even imagine it right now.

"I..." He wanted to run. Was that what he'd done when he was extracted from the fire? Is that how he ended up here.

[crimsonguarddog]

Cissnei slowly lets her hand come to cradle his cheek, leaning in to press her forehead against Atem's. She would pull the other to her, do something to try and help him, but with those burns on his arms forcing him to do anything would only cause pain.

"I'm here for you, promise."

[note_atem]

With that comforting presence so close he forces himself to take a breath. Much as it hurts with the pain crawling up his spine, it's a good call to the present. He can't let himself panic. He can't give in like this.

His eyes closed and he finally leaned into her. "I don't know why." Trying, very hard, to tease somehow to lighten the situation. "I'm always getting us all into trouble."

[crimsonguarddog]

She supports him as she can, Cissnei keeping the other close to her for now, wanting the best for him and right now, that involved ignoring the pain he was in for a little bit.

"I think I've a few good messes under my belt." She teases back softly, letting a hand slide further up into his hair, petting though it- not caring about anything singed or short. It didn't matter, as long as he was safe.

[note_atem]

"Are we competing now?" A slightly unhinged breath left him as he tried to laugh at his own words. It felt like he might cry. But of course he wouldn't. This incident certainly hadn't been worse than facing down Zorc. Than dying. Than anything else he'd gone through.

How stupid. The thought of crying. Now? Absolutely ridiculous. He tried to distract himself by leaning closer into her touches and finding the soothing feelings from them.

[crimsonguarddog]

"Me and you? Nah." She smiles, though it's obviously hard for Atem- She knows, she understands, that was why she was here at that moment, finding the washcloth again already soaked with cool water, gently letting it go over his arms, one at a time. "But then again, 'How much structural damage have you caused.' isn't really a fun game anyway."

Oh, was that really the right thing to say? Who knows. Cissnei sets the washcloth down as she picks the Materia up, not even needing to look to palm it in hand. "You're doing better already, just keep it up, alright?" Soft encouragement as she activates it, letting the healing power be used on the man.

[note_atem]

His eyes closed tightly again, unable to help himself. A slow breath was drawn in and then released. "I haven't done a thing." He reminded her at that encouragement, finding it a little hard to swallow normally.

Still... it felt a little nice, hard as it was to accept it. It was just enough to calm him for her spell.

[crimsonguarddog]

"See? Then you can't even play." She smiles, small but reassuring, glad to get him to calm down some, seeing him come out of his shock slowly, but getting there. Cissnei lets her hand slide out of his hair, turning her head just a little bit so she can inspect his arms- the skin is raw and pink, but healed, the only thing left from the encounter. That bruise along his back shouldn't feel as bad either, but there was nothing she could do for the deep set soreness of the body.

She won't ask him about what happened, not quite yet. Atem can tell Cissnei in his own time, when he's ready.