Hold on Tight and Don't Look Back, Chapter 5. Killjoy-verse. PG-13
Title: Hold on Tight and Don't Look Back, Chapter 5
Author: zero_capital_z, I might be remembered as evil_lil_hobbit?
Pairing: Jet-Star/Kobra Kid and Party Poison/Fun Ghoul
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Killjoys are attacked on their way back to the diner, and one of their group is injured badly, much to the Kobra Kid's distress.
Warnings: Shooting. Mentions of vomiting.
Disclaimer: Nothing earned, maybe some readers gained?
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Sorry it's been a bit delayed, guys. I've been busy as anything. Enjoy!
Jet realised he could actually hear Kobra shivering in the dark. He could hear the way his breathing wavered with the violent trembling of his body. He glanced over at him where he lay, balled into himself and noticeably shaking, even in the dark it was obvious. Jet sighed a little. He was so damned stubborn, Jet had offered him warmth after all.
Jet's gaze strayed away from Kobra's trembling form to the other side of their slowly dying fire. Party Poison and Fun Ghoul lay curled together, cuddled close. The way Ghoul's head was tucked slightly under Poison's chin as they slept. Sharing warmth, yes, but it was more than that. Jet longed to curl up with Kobra like that, just to be able to express what he felt in such a simple gesture. But it was useless, after Ghoul mocking the bruise on Kobra's neck, he knew he'd just be pushed away.
Kobra made a low noise, drawing Jet's attention back to him. He watched as he tried to ball tighter under the blanket, but his limbs were too long and the blanket too small. He shifted desperately under his blankets and Jet could take just watching no longer. He might want to be stubborn, might not want to ask for help, but Jet wouldn't be able to sleep if he was moaning like that.
Kobra felt something fall over him, the soft flump of it stirring the dust. He peered out from under his blankets only to realise he'd been covered with another blanket, and the difference was already noticeable. He frowned though, they didn't have any spare blankets with them. He looked around himself only to have his eyes fall on Jet, realising that he was now without a blanket.
"What? Jet, I don't need-" Kobra began obstinately, not wanting to take any of his pity, but Jet cut over him sharply.
"It's fine. I'm not cold. And I can't sleep through your shivering."
Jet rolled away from him, trying to hide the way he was starting to shiver. The desert nights were painfully cold, he was just glad they'd put Gracie in the car. He'd be alright, though. If Kobra at least got some sleep now, then he'd just grit his teeth and bear the cold until dawn.
Kobra bit at his lip, staring at Jet's curled form. There was that horrible feeling of guilt Jet always seemed to cause him by managing to be the bigger person. Even when Kobra was being a total dick, Jet was there for him, looking after him. He cringed at the thought. He didn't need anyone to look after him, least of all Jet... But Jet wanted to look after him.
And now he was going to freeze because of it? Damnit. And Kobra knew Jet wouldn't take the blanket back either, it would more likely just be ignored on the dust between them even if Kobra shouted that he didn't want it. He wished they weren't both stubborn, because Jet could easily give him a run for his money when it came to that, and it was damn frustrating.
He glared a little at the older man's back. There had to be a way to make him take some of the blanket and... He paused, glancing over at his brother and Fun Ghoul, seeing how they were sharing blankets. He grimaced a little at the thought of doing that with Jet. It wasn't that he didn't want to, it was more that he didn't want the others to see him doing it. Still... Jet would be warm then, and... and he would accept that as a compromise. Huffing a little to himself, he got up, bundling up the blankets and crawling forward to lay down behind Jet.
Jet startled at the feeling of something warm curling against his back. He tried to twist to look, not wanting believe what had to be true, but a firm hand gripped his upper arm. "Kobra...?"
"Just... Don't. Okay? Don't... have some blanket. Okay?" Kobra muttered back, Jet able to feel his breath blowing warm against his back. Kobra's arm came over him as he draped him in their now shared blankets, and without even thinking Jet reached up, catching his wrist and keeping his hand close. He pressed Kobra's palm flat against his chest, letting him feel his steady heartbeat. Kobra tensed a little but, after a slight tug on his wrist, knew he couldn't pull away and settled, his hand pressed against Jet's broad chest. He bit his lip lightly but Jet was relaxed in front of him, not shivering, and Kobra couldn't deny that maybe this wasn't such a bad way to keep warm. Jet was warm, after all, and he was... well, comfortable. So he didn't fight it, even pressing a little closer to him, feeling his breathing and his strong heartbeat. He closed his eyes, barely registering the thought that he hoped he woke up before everyone else tomorrow...
Kobra stirred awake early the next morning to find he was still curled close against Jet's warm back, and it was strange. He'd never lain with Jet like this before, the only time they were ever this close was when they were fucking. It was weird to just... be against him. He was solid and warm and... safe. There was no other word for it. Kobra actually found himself smiling just a little, and pressing closer while no one else was awake to notice, even tightening his arm around Jet's sturdy chest, breathing in deep and inhaling his scent. He could get used to this... as uncomfortable as he was admitting it.
Jet felt something moving against him, shifting with a low noise only to startle properly awake. He'd fallen asleep on his watch. He hadn't meant to, but Kobra had been cuddled against him and... it had been... He shifted again, realising there was still something warm and solid pressed against his back. Kobra hadn't moved during the night, and the thought brought a smile to Jet's face. He wasn't so sure about the idea of him being the little spoon in the situation, much preferring the idea of curling around Kobra's back, but if this made Kobra happy for now... He wasn't going to complain. He pushed back a little against Kobra, hearing him draw a sharp breath. He smiled.
"You awake?"
There was silence for a moment, Kobra wriggling a little against him before admitting, "Yeah..."
Jet's smile broadened, but he remained with his back to Kobra, instead reaching up to take gentle hold of the hand that was now resting just below his sternum. He gave it a little squeeze and felt Kobra's head push against his back in response, Kobra still seeming shy. Kobra closed his eyes, feeling Jet's large, warm hand remain around his own, his own face pressed between Jet's shoulders. He was just settling again, letting his eyes drift closed, when he heard the other Killjoys shifting across from them. He flinched away from Jet almost instantly, yanking his hand away and rolling quickly away. He put his back to Jet, who twisted to glance at him, making a disappointed face, but he made no comment, instead shifting back to press their backs together.
Kobra hunched a little into himself, listening to see if the others were really waking up, only to freeze. He heard more than them shifting, it sounded like... but it couldn't be. It had to be. He sat bolt up right, the movement startling Jet who in turn sat up, frowning at the way Kobra was looking around himself.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Shh. I hear something... It sounds like... Footsteps. Someone's coming," Kobra hissed back, scanning the dunes around them in the early morning light for any sign of confirmation that they were no longer safe. Jet's frown deepened, and he looked over to see Poison was also awake and frowning at the pair of them, Ghoul looking a little bleary eyed next to him. Poison cast him a questioning glance and Jet looked to Kobra.
"Kobra thinks someone's coming."
Poison was instantly on full alert, getting quickly to his feet. Ghoul also scrambled up as did the other two. They were all looking around, Ghoul and Kobra both with their hands on their weapons. Jet glanced back at the car, realising Grace was still in there and asleep. He looked to the others, tilting his head towards the car, and Poison nodded.
Jet approached the car, able to see Grace's sleeping form on the backseat through the window. He was just reaching for the door when Ghoul gave a shout. Jet twisted, his hair whipping around his face, seeing the white clad form on top of a dune which had caught Ghoul's attention. Ghoul and Poison both took aim and shot at the Drac which instantly took to the ground. Kobra also had his gun out, but he was facing a different way, shooting towards two Dracs that were coming at them from the other side.
"Shit! They're on all sides!" Kobra yelled in realisation, shooting as more and more came up over the dunes. Jet glanced back in the car, seeing the little girl stirring at the sudden noise of gunfire and shouting.
"Grace! Stay in the car!" Jet shouted even as he whipped out his raygun, beginning to blast at the approaching Dracs, not wanting to leave the car. He needed to keep Grace safe, but he could see he wasn't the only on thinking that, Kobra edging his way back towards the vehicle.
"We are so outnumbered here!" Ghoul called out, though instead of sounding scared, his voice was filled with adrenaline. Ghoul loved a challenge. He and Poison stood practically back-to-back, dropping Drac after Drac, ray blasts flying around them. Kobra's face was twisted in that slight snarl he always got when he was killing, shooting with both hands, littering the dunes with Drac bodies.
Jet was stepping away from the car; he'd always been a bit more comfortable with closer combat, laying waste to every Drac that even got close. One came at him from behind, and Jet spun around, grabbed the Drac by the shirt, jamming his gun against him and ghosting him with a single blast. He shoved him away, letting him fall to the dust before turning and catching sight of Kobra. Kobra was firing at some oncoming Dracs, but was completely unaware of the Drac that had fixed its gaze on him. Jet saw it raise its gun and without even thinking, lunged forward.
"Kobra!" Jet's shout was loud even over the gunfire. Kobra twisted towards him, only to be shoved roughly down by a big hand. He fell to the ground, landing hard on his back with a sharp cry. He looked up just in time to see the white-hot blast hit Jet in the shoulder, the painful sound echoing as he jerked back. Kobra's eyes flew wide as Jet fell backwards as if in slow motion. Kobra cried out, jolting up as Jet hit the ground in a cloud of dust. He heard Gracie scream from inside the car, but his eyes were fixed on the older man's motionless body.
"Jet!" He flipped over, pointing his gun at the Drac who'd just shot Jet, and blasting them with a loud cry. He then quickly returned his full attention to the fallen Killjoy. He scrabbled over to him, shaking him a little. "Jet. Jet!"
Jet groaned back, his face a mask of pain. Kobra looked around himself desperately. They had to get Jet out of here, he was hurt bad. His heart was thumping; he could practically taste his pulse in his throat. His eyes fixed on Poison and Ghoul where they were using some shrubs for meagre cover.
"Poison! Poison! Jet's hit!" Kobra shouted out, his voice wavering, and Poison instantly looked over, his eyes wide in surprise. He saw his brother kneeling over Jet, the smoking hole in Jet's shoulder, just how pale the curly-haired man had gone...
"Shit! Ghoul! Go! Help Kobra get him in the car!" Poison ordered sharply, focusing back on the Dracs surrounding them. Ghoul scrambled up from their cover, sprinting over to Kobra and dropping next to him. He grabbed Jet's arm, trying to drag the larger man up, cutting Kobra a glance when he didn't immediately move to help.
"Come on! We've got to get him up and to the car!" Ghoul shouted at him and Kobra jerked like he'd just been slapped. He looked at Ghoul with wide eyes then hurried to help him. Together they hefted Jet up, a little lopsidedly with Ghoul's shorter stature, but he was up. Raygun blasts were showering around them, they could hear Poison firing rapidly back, and Ghoul twisted to add some own shots to the fray as they hobbled as fast as they could towards the car. Grace was visible in the window, her eyes wide and her face pale with worry. Kobra shouldered more of Jet's weight, shoving Ghoul away.
"Get Grace into the front..."
Ghoul nodded, looking behind him at Poison. "Poison! Move it! We're hoppin'!"
Poison backed towards the car, still blasting at the oncoming Dracs, while Ghoul hopped into the front passenger seat. He reached for Grace, coaxing her into the front before Kobra managed to get the door open. He was struggling to get Jet into the back when Poison reached him.
"Take his arms, get in and drag him after you. I've got his legs," Poison instructed his shaken brother, and Kobra nodded. Ghoul leant forward, blasting past them out of the open door as they struggled with Jet's limp body, trying desperately to avoid hurting his wounded shoulder. Kobra could hear the sound of blasts hitting the car, and knew they had to be fast. The last thing they needed was someone else getting hit. With Poison's help, they quickly dragged Jet into the back of the car and got him laying on the seat, his head resting in Kobra's lap. Poison cast a few shots over his shoulder before running around and getting in the front. He started the car and jammed his foot down. The wheels spun slightly in the dust before catching and veering away.
They bumped along the ground; Grace curled close to Ghoul, while Kobra was doing his best to keep Jet steady on the seat. He didn't seem fully conscious, but every hard bump made him grimace. Kobra shifted, pulling Jet more into his lap, trying to hold him still so he wasn't jolted as often.
"Poison... How long to the road?" Kobra wondered, not seeing his brother's eyes cut to him in the rearview mirror, too busy watching Jet for any signs of pain. Poison's eyebrows tented in worry.
"Not too long. How's he doing?"
"He'll be better when it's not bumpy," Kobra replied, his voice alarmingly steady considering how pallid and drawn he looked right now. Poison didn't say another word, concentrating on getting them to the road. The sooner they were back on asphalt the sooner they'd get back to the diner and have some hope of fixing Jet up.
They bumped out onto the main road, and there was no sign of anything following them. Kobra Kid barely heard Poison telling them that or even giving them an estimation on just how long it would take to get to the diner. He sat silent and cradled Jet's head in his lap, stroking his hand over Jet's clammy forehead in a soothing motion. He bit his lip hard, looking down into the older man's pale face and finding himself pleading with him.
"Ray... C'mon, Ray, it's gonna be okay. Everything's just shiny."
Grace was being cradled by Fun Ghoul in the front seat, and she shifted, climbing onto her knees to look into the backseat. Her worried eyes looked over Jet before fixing on Kobra, seeing his expression. She gripped at the car seat tightly.
"He'll be okay, right? Mikey?" she asked quietly, and Kobra startled at the soft sound of her voice. He looked up at her, trying to hide the fear on his own face, wanting to reassure the young girl as he nodded.
"Course. He's Ray, right? He's strong enough to beat this."
Grace smiled a little, though it was peaked, and nodded back slightly, her wide, honest eyes full of concern. Ghoul pulled her back down into his lap, giving her a tight hug and as bright a smile as he could manage. He knew how much Jet meant to her, maybe even more than he meant to Kobra and that was clearly saying something.
"Jet'll be fine. Kobra's looking after him, right? We'll get him some Chicken Soup pills and everything will be good," Ghoul whispered and this time Grace's smile was more genuine, and she hugged Ghoul back, settling again.
Kobra's attention returned to Jet, still stroking his face gently, wishing he held Ghoul's optimism. It was a long time to the diner and he knew it. Jet's wound was starting to go cold, his whole body was. He didn't know how much time they had or whether any damn Chicken Soup pills would fix it. Poison saw the look of uncertainty on his little brother's face, the tell-tale way he was chewing at the inside of his lip and tried to reassure him in turn.
"It's okay, Mikey. We'll get to the diner, get him fixed up and stay nested."
"Yeah," Kobra agreed again, his voice now deadpan, and Poison could do no more than try to drive faster than he already was.
When they got to the diner at long last, it was chaos. Ghoul told Gracie to go tidy off the best bed they had, which was the only one they had that was a real bed, and as she ran off to do so, Ghoul and Poison swung into action. Kobra had made no move to get out of the backseat, so they moved for him. Together, they got Jet up and made their way inside, Kobra anxiously in tow. To Kobra, Jet was looking worse and worse by the minute and he was feeling so fucking helpless about the whole thing. He didn't handle feeling helpless very well.
He stepped aside as Grace dashed past him with instructions to fetch a cold cloth, and just stood in the doorway to the room. Kobra watched Ghoul and Poison helping Jet-Star down onto the bed, saw how still he was, how ashen. He couldn't handle this.
He slipped back out of the room, and made his way towards the little bathroom. He went into the men’s out of some strange habit, and closed the door behind him. There were 3 stalls in here, but only one of them had a lock. He made his way to the one at the end, sliding the lock into place and then collapsing back on the closed toilet seat.
He looked down at his hands and realised they were shaking. His whole body was shaking. He drew his knees up, resting his elbows on them and burying his face in his hands. He... he didn't know what to do. He couldn't take seeing Jet like that... Ray, Ray got shot. Shot bad. Ray got shot saving him. Could die because he wanted to protect him. Kobra's stomach gave a violent lurch and he only just had enough time to scramble up, wrenching up the toilet seat and heaving any remains of last nights dinner into the already filthy bowl. He retched until his stomach was empty then pushed himself away, shuddering and curling into himself by the door.
They'd all been shot before, and it hurt like a motherfucker. He'd seen his own brother be shot before and it hadn't shaken him this badly. But... none of them had ever been hit this bad. Jet was as good as shot in the chest. All he could see in his head was Jet falling back to the ground, the smoking hole in his jacket...
He heard the door open and flinched, only to hear an unexpected voice. "Mikey?"
"Grace?"
He heard her soft footsteps through the bathroom, heard them stop outside the cubicle he was locked in. She knocked slightly, and he found himself reaching up to open the door. She pushed it open, seeing him curled up in the dark cubicle. His knees hugged to his chest, his body shaking, and she lunged forward, hugging him tight and clinging. He hugged her in return, probably tighter than he meant to, and they just sat there on the filthy floor, clutching onto each other for support.
"He'll be okay, Mikey. Frank... Frank said so. You said so," she whispered and he nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.
Poison was standing in the doorway; he leant against the frame and barred his little brother's way into the room. Kobra stopped and frowned at him, not liking the look on the red-haired man's face. Poison looked his brother over with concern; he looked waxen and unwell.
"Are you alright?" he wondered softly, his eyes fixed on Kobra's face. Kobra looked right back, though his expression was strained and he gave a sharp shrug, trying to look unbothered.
"I'm fine," he replied firmly, clearly meaning it was the end of the subject. Poison didn't want to let it go so easily, but his brother's face was set and he knew better to argue with that. Kobra leant to try and see past Poison into the room and asked instead, "How's Ray?"
Poison sighed a little, twisting to look back at Jet as well. He was still where he lay, still lacking colour in his face, but now bandaged and sleeping as comfortably as he could considering. Poison faced Kobra again. "We've got him in napkins, and gave him something for the pain... he'll sleep it off. I think he'll be okay, Mikes."
Kobra nodded slowly, and Poison knew he wasn't going to get anything else out of him, so he stepped aside. Kobra moved past him, making his way into the room. He was only a few steps in when he stopped, looking at Jet for a moment, seeming frightened to go closer. He didn't want to disturb the older man, he just wanted to stay with him... in case he woke up. He knew Poison was still watching him from the doorway, but he was entirely focused on Jet, and wasn't aware when Poison finally left, pulling the door shut behind him.
Kobra looked at Jet where he lay, his bandage was clearly visible. It wrapped partially around his chest, and over his shoulder, the down his arm. Kobra winced a little to see it before he moved to sit carefully beside him. He didn't want to wake him. He found himself staring at the bandage, remembering the wound that it now hid, before looking away. And that's when he registered something else. Jet was shirtless. His chest was dusted with small, curly hairs. He wasn't too hairy, but... it was more than Kobra would ever have, Ghoul or Poison either for that matter. Jet was solid and just that little bit hairy and Kobra hadn't really noticed before. Jet wasn't like Poison or Ghoul, he was secretive when he was getting changed. Like Kobra.
Kobra licked his lips, rubbing his hands together. He had this stupid urge. He... He wanted to touch Jet's chest, feel the bare skin, the smattering of curls. It was stupid. It was seriously stupid, and he would ignore it. He would. It wasn't what Jet needed right now, he needed to sleep and heal. It could take ages for a wound that bad to even start to heal up. Raygun blasts were nasty at the best of times. And this was the worst of times. Kobra chewed his lip for a moment before taking a deep breath and continuing his silent vigil.
Kobra hadn't moved at all since he first sat down, and his head was starting to nod ever so slightly when he heard the door open. He turned to look only to frown when no one was there. He stared at the part open door for a long time before returning his gaze to Jet. Jet hadn't moved, his chest still rising and falling with his slow breaths, his face thankfully peaceful while the pain meds did their job.
He heard noise in the doorway again and turned quickly, this time catching sight of a little, fuzzy head before it ducked out of sight again. He frowned at the young girl's hesitance. That wasn't like her. He leant back to try and see if she was still there, calling out softly,
"Grace?"
There was no reply and he sighed, but he knew she'd come in when she was ready. There was no rushing her. He knew all too well how hard it was to see Jet like this. She just needed time. Kobra wasn't so sure he was ready for company yet either, even if it was just Grace...
Ghoul was sitting with Poison in one of the booths out front, both of them quiet. It was always hard when someone was shot, but Jet was hands down the worst wound any of them had taken. Shit, Ghoul was pretty sure he'd seen people ghosted by less. But Jet was a tough guy, even if he didn't act like it very often. Ghoul sighed a little and leant against Poison, startling him from his own dark thoughts. Ghoul tempted a smile up at him and Poison gave a slight one back. He leant down and kissed Ghoul's lips gently, curling an arm around him. It was hard being the leader sometimes, hard having to deal with this. But Poison could handle it, just like he knew Jet could take a wound like that and come right back.
The both twisted at the sound of light footsteps and saw Grace dithering in the hall leading to the room where Kobra and Jet were. Ghoul frowned a little.
"Gracie, honey?" he called and she jumped, turning to look at them. Her face was troubled, and she kept glancing back up the hallway and Poison clicked his tongue. He knew what was bothering her. He slipped out of the booth, shooting Ghoul a reassuring glance as he went, and moved to kneel in front of her, hugging her tightly.
"You wanna see Jet, don't you?" he wondered. She nodded silently against his shoulder. Poison sighed softly, leaning back and smiling at her. "Then go... I'm sure both Mikey and Jet will be glad of the company, okay?"
Grace looked at him for a long moment, trying to keep her expression straight, before she finally nodded. Poison smiled a little and got back to his feet and Grace gave him a little, brave smile before she ventured back up the hallway. Poison watching her go with a heavy heart, starling slightly as he felt a pair of arms come around his waist, Ghoul hugging him from behind.
"Looks like Kobra isn't the only one taking this hard," Ghoul mumbled and Poison shook his head.
Kobra felt like someone was watching him, turning to see Grace standing in the doorway. She wasn't looking at Jet, she was looking at him. He bit his lip and held out a hand. She came forward this time, slowly taking Kobra's hand and sitting next to him on the bed. She looked down at Jet and the corners of her mouth twitched down.
"He looks like he's just sleeping," she whispered and Kobra sighed, leaning over and resting his head on top of hers, curling an arm around her.
"He is. He's sleeping, the pain medication makes it okay," he murmured, giving her a gentle squeeze and feeling her push back against him, seeking the comfort of the gesture. She normally wouldn't do it. Normally Grace acted years above her actual age, to the point that sometimes they forgot she was only 10. But Jet was her favourite, Jet was like the father she never had really, he always put Gracie first. It had to be so unsettling for her to be afraid of losing her new family. She reached out and curled both her hands around Jet's, squeezing tightly as they fell into silence, both just watching Jet sleep.
Poison had come and dragged Grace away to make her eat something. She didn't want to leave Jet, but her hunger had made her go. That wasn't enough for Kobra though. He didn't care that he was hungry. He was going to stay with Jet. So, despite Poison's heated arguments, ending in Poison saying he couldn't stay with Jet if he starved to death, Kobra was still at Jet's bedside. He had a hand curled around Jet's limp one in place of Grace's hands now that she was gone. Days went by like that. Poison brought him food sometimes, and Ghoul would come in too, they took it in turns changing Jet's bandages and keeping him asleep. The only time Kobra slept was when he was too exhausted to stay awake, usually curling up on a bit of space beside Jet on the bed.
Poison was more worried now for Kobra than he was for Jet, but nothing seemed to be getting through to him. He was determined to be there when Jet woke up. And, as Poison had been weaning him of his medication the past few days, he had to hope it would be soon.
Kobra had just eaten the can of Power Pup that Poison had delivered him, and had managed a few hours sleep before that. Grace was with Ghoul doing some work on the car or something, Poison probably with them. Kobra didn't know. All he knew was he was in the same place he'd been for days, one hand holding Jet's, and he was just looking the older man over again.
Well... He was looking at his chest again. The strong muscles there, the dark curls. Again, he got that urge to touch it. But... no. That was more than inappropriate. Jet was hurt, and wasn't shirtless willingly and... and anyway, he didn't do that. He didn't touch... he shouldn't even let Jet touch him, let alone touch him back. It was... Still not a concept he was comfortable with. But no matter how much he thought that, the urge was still there...
Biting his lip hard, he uncurled his fingers from around Jet's hand. Hating himself a whole lot but unable to stop himself, he reached out slowly. He flinched a little at the first touch of curly hairs under his fingertips, before pressing his hand against the warm skin.
Jet woke up to pain, pain in his shoulder and through his chest. It wasn't a terrible pain, more like a persistent ache that made his face scrunch slightly. But it was more than that... There was definitely something else. Someone was touching his chest. He cracked his eyes open in the slightest only to catch sight of Kobra's hand on his chest. He sucked in a slight breath at the sight, quickly shutting his eyes again as it disturbed Kobra.
Kobra swore he felt Jet's breath hitch as his hand brushed through the slightly coarse hair on his chest. Kobra instantly froze, fearing he'd been caught, but his breathing continued as normal and his face remained peaceful. Kobra bit his lip a little, still gently, curiously touching Jet's chest, finding that he was enjoying the feel of his warm, bare skin and hair.
Jet struggled to keep his breathing level as he felt Kobra's hand tentatively stroke over his bare chest. He kept his eyes closed, pretending like he was still sleeping because the last thing he wanted was to scare the other man. Especially when his hesitant touches were so unexpected but welcome.
Kobra's hand tensed slightly against Jet's chest and he bit his lip to stifle a pained noise. Without even thinking, he leant forward and rest his forehead against Jet's chest instead. Jet nearly lost it at the sudden contact, the feeling of Kobra's warm breath against his skin, he almost made a noise, but the contact was lost as quickly as it'd come. Kobra sat up quickly, his cheeks heating deeply. He couldn't believe he'd done that. Any of that. What the hell was wrong with him?
He looked away from Jet and got up abruptly. He'd... go get some fresh air and then come back. Jet heard Kobra leave, cracking his eyes open at the sound of the door closing. He couldn't believe it any more than Kobra could, but instead of being embarrassed, he was pleased by it. He huffed a slight sigh and let his eyes slipped closed again, letting the exhaustion engulf him again.
Jet stirred and Kobra was instantly alert. The older man's eyes opened and fixed on him, a slight smile crossing his face to find Kobra had returned to his bedside. It was a welcome sight to wake up to. Kobra smiled tentatively back, glad to see him looking cheerful, even though he looked a little bleary still.
"How are you?" Kobra wondered, wishing his voice wasn't so hoarse. Jet shifted a little, grimacing before finally croaking back,
"Be fine 'cept for the serious case of dust mouth."
Kobra looked around himself, finally finding his water bottle and offering it over to Jet. Jet took it gratefully, drinking a few large mouthfuls before handing it back. Kobra was still watching him intently, and Jet swore he could see concern in his face. He shifted a little more, feeling the ache again in his shoulder and upper chest.
"My shoulder hurts some... but I'm fine,” he assured, trying to ease the intense look Kobra was still giving him. He gave a slight smile, changing the subject. "Were you the one looking after me?"
Kobra started a little at the question, stuttering, "Yeah. Well... the... the others helped. Grace came in to sit with you lots..."
Jet smiled at the embarrassment on Kobra's face, more pleased than he'd ever admit to know that Kobra had been with him the whole time. Kobra blushed a little under the older man's admiring gaze, and just stuttered things at him about how they had been looking after him, medicating him, changing his bandages. But Jet already knew all that had happened, it was obvious. He was more interested in Kobra not mentioning touching him, and not wanting to talk about staying with him. Kobra's stuttered avoidances however were cut off abruptly by a shrill noise behind them.
"Ray!" came an excited cry from the doorway and Jet finally tore his eyes from Kobra to look at the little girl that stood in the doorway. She looked a mix of excited and nervous, pleased to see Jet awake but not sure whether she was allowed to come in. Jet beamed at the sight of her and she beamed instantly back, taking that as permission to run forward and hug him.
"Grace," Jet chuckled happily as her small arms came around his neck, moving to hug her as tight as he could while still lying down and only using one arm. She buried her face in his curls, holding so tight it was like she was never going to let him go.
"You're okay," was all she seemed capable of saying, and it tugged Kobra's heart a little, making him look away from them. Jet smiled at that, casting Kobra a glance.
"Yeah. I heard everyone's been taking real good care of me."
Kobra's mouth twitched like he was going to smile, and he subtly looked back at the older man. Their eyes met and held for a long moment before Grace startled them by jumping up suddenly.
"I have to go tell the others!"
Author: zero_capital_z, I might be remembered as evil_lil_hobbit?
Pairing: Jet-Star/Kobra Kid and Party Poison/Fun Ghoul
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Killjoys are attacked on their way back to the diner, and one of their group is injured badly, much to the Kobra Kid's distress.
Warnings: Shooting. Mentions of vomiting.
Disclaimer: Nothing earned, maybe some readers gained?
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Sorry it's been a bit delayed, guys. I've been busy as anything. Enjoy!
Jet realised he could actually hear Kobra shivering in the dark. He could hear the way his breathing wavered with the violent trembling of his body. He glanced over at him where he lay, balled into himself and noticeably shaking, even in the dark it was obvious. Jet sighed a little. He was so damned stubborn, Jet had offered him warmth after all.
Jet's gaze strayed away from Kobra's trembling form to the other side of their slowly dying fire. Party Poison and Fun Ghoul lay curled together, cuddled close. The way Ghoul's head was tucked slightly under Poison's chin as they slept. Sharing warmth, yes, but it was more than that. Jet longed to curl up with Kobra like that, just to be able to express what he felt in such a simple gesture. But it was useless, after Ghoul mocking the bruise on Kobra's neck, he knew he'd just be pushed away.
Kobra made a low noise, drawing Jet's attention back to him. He watched as he tried to ball tighter under the blanket, but his limbs were too long and the blanket too small. He shifted desperately under his blankets and Jet could take just watching no longer. He might want to be stubborn, might not want to ask for help, but Jet wouldn't be able to sleep if he was moaning like that.
Kobra felt something fall over him, the soft flump of it stirring the dust. He peered out from under his blankets only to realise he'd been covered with another blanket, and the difference was already noticeable. He frowned though, they didn't have any spare blankets with them. He looked around himself only to have his eyes fall on Jet, realising that he was now without a blanket.
"What? Jet, I don't need-" Kobra began obstinately, not wanting to take any of his pity, but Jet cut over him sharply.
"It's fine. I'm not cold. And I can't sleep through your shivering."
Jet rolled away from him, trying to hide the way he was starting to shiver. The desert nights were painfully cold, he was just glad they'd put Gracie in the car. He'd be alright, though. If Kobra at least got some sleep now, then he'd just grit his teeth and bear the cold until dawn.
Kobra bit at his lip, staring at Jet's curled form. There was that horrible feeling of guilt Jet always seemed to cause him by managing to be the bigger person. Even when Kobra was being a total dick, Jet was there for him, looking after him. He cringed at the thought. He didn't need anyone to look after him, least of all Jet... But Jet wanted to look after him.
And now he was going to freeze because of it? Damnit. And Kobra knew Jet wouldn't take the blanket back either, it would more likely just be ignored on the dust between them even if Kobra shouted that he didn't want it. He wished they weren't both stubborn, because Jet could easily give him a run for his money when it came to that, and it was damn frustrating.
He glared a little at the older man's back. There had to be a way to make him take some of the blanket and... He paused, glancing over at his brother and Fun Ghoul, seeing how they were sharing blankets. He grimaced a little at the thought of doing that with Jet. It wasn't that he didn't want to, it was more that he didn't want the others to see him doing it. Still... Jet would be warm then, and... and he would accept that as a compromise. Huffing a little to himself, he got up, bundling up the blankets and crawling forward to lay down behind Jet.
Jet startled at the feeling of something warm curling against his back. He tried to twist to look, not wanting believe what had to be true, but a firm hand gripped his upper arm. "Kobra...?"
"Just... Don't. Okay? Don't... have some blanket. Okay?" Kobra muttered back, Jet able to feel his breath blowing warm against his back. Kobra's arm came over him as he draped him in their now shared blankets, and without even thinking Jet reached up, catching his wrist and keeping his hand close. He pressed Kobra's palm flat against his chest, letting him feel his steady heartbeat. Kobra tensed a little but, after a slight tug on his wrist, knew he couldn't pull away and settled, his hand pressed against Jet's broad chest. He bit his lip lightly but Jet was relaxed in front of him, not shivering, and Kobra couldn't deny that maybe this wasn't such a bad way to keep warm. Jet was warm, after all, and he was... well, comfortable. So he didn't fight it, even pressing a little closer to him, feeling his breathing and his strong heartbeat. He closed his eyes, barely registering the thought that he hoped he woke up before everyone else tomorrow...
Kobra stirred awake early the next morning to find he was still curled close against Jet's warm back, and it was strange. He'd never lain with Jet like this before, the only time they were ever this close was when they were fucking. It was weird to just... be against him. He was solid and warm and... safe. There was no other word for it. Kobra actually found himself smiling just a little, and pressing closer while no one else was awake to notice, even tightening his arm around Jet's sturdy chest, breathing in deep and inhaling his scent. He could get used to this... as uncomfortable as he was admitting it.
Jet felt something moving against him, shifting with a low noise only to startle properly awake. He'd fallen asleep on his watch. He hadn't meant to, but Kobra had been cuddled against him and... it had been... He shifted again, realising there was still something warm and solid pressed against his back. Kobra hadn't moved during the night, and the thought brought a smile to Jet's face. He wasn't so sure about the idea of him being the little spoon in the situation, much preferring the idea of curling around Kobra's back, but if this made Kobra happy for now... He wasn't going to complain. He pushed back a little against Kobra, hearing him draw a sharp breath. He smiled.
"You awake?"
There was silence for a moment, Kobra wriggling a little against him before admitting, "Yeah..."
Jet's smile broadened, but he remained with his back to Kobra, instead reaching up to take gentle hold of the hand that was now resting just below his sternum. He gave it a little squeeze and felt Kobra's head push against his back in response, Kobra still seeming shy. Kobra closed his eyes, feeling Jet's large, warm hand remain around his own, his own face pressed between Jet's shoulders. He was just settling again, letting his eyes drift closed, when he heard the other Killjoys shifting across from them. He flinched away from Jet almost instantly, yanking his hand away and rolling quickly away. He put his back to Jet, who twisted to glance at him, making a disappointed face, but he made no comment, instead shifting back to press their backs together.
Kobra hunched a little into himself, listening to see if the others were really waking up, only to freeze. He heard more than them shifting, it sounded like... but it couldn't be. It had to be. He sat bolt up right, the movement startling Jet who in turn sat up, frowning at the way Kobra was looking around himself.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Shh. I hear something... It sounds like... Footsteps. Someone's coming," Kobra hissed back, scanning the dunes around them in the early morning light for any sign of confirmation that they were no longer safe. Jet's frown deepened, and he looked over to see Poison was also awake and frowning at the pair of them, Ghoul looking a little bleary eyed next to him. Poison cast him a questioning glance and Jet looked to Kobra.
"Kobra thinks someone's coming."
Poison was instantly on full alert, getting quickly to his feet. Ghoul also scrambled up as did the other two. They were all looking around, Ghoul and Kobra both with their hands on their weapons. Jet glanced back at the car, realising Grace was still in there and asleep. He looked to the others, tilting his head towards the car, and Poison nodded.
Jet approached the car, able to see Grace's sleeping form on the backseat through the window. He was just reaching for the door when Ghoul gave a shout. Jet twisted, his hair whipping around his face, seeing the white clad form on top of a dune which had caught Ghoul's attention. Ghoul and Poison both took aim and shot at the Drac which instantly took to the ground. Kobra also had his gun out, but he was facing a different way, shooting towards two Dracs that were coming at them from the other side.
"Shit! They're on all sides!" Kobra yelled in realisation, shooting as more and more came up over the dunes. Jet glanced back in the car, seeing the little girl stirring at the sudden noise of gunfire and shouting.
"Grace! Stay in the car!" Jet shouted even as he whipped out his raygun, beginning to blast at the approaching Dracs, not wanting to leave the car. He needed to keep Grace safe, but he could see he wasn't the only on thinking that, Kobra edging his way back towards the vehicle.
"We are so outnumbered here!" Ghoul called out, though instead of sounding scared, his voice was filled with adrenaline. Ghoul loved a challenge. He and Poison stood practically back-to-back, dropping Drac after Drac, ray blasts flying around them. Kobra's face was twisted in that slight snarl he always got when he was killing, shooting with both hands, littering the dunes with Drac bodies.
Jet was stepping away from the car; he'd always been a bit more comfortable with closer combat, laying waste to every Drac that even got close. One came at him from behind, and Jet spun around, grabbed the Drac by the shirt, jamming his gun against him and ghosting him with a single blast. He shoved him away, letting him fall to the dust before turning and catching sight of Kobra. Kobra was firing at some oncoming Dracs, but was completely unaware of the Drac that had fixed its gaze on him. Jet saw it raise its gun and without even thinking, lunged forward.
"Kobra!" Jet's shout was loud even over the gunfire. Kobra twisted towards him, only to be shoved roughly down by a big hand. He fell to the ground, landing hard on his back with a sharp cry. He looked up just in time to see the white-hot blast hit Jet in the shoulder, the painful sound echoing as he jerked back. Kobra's eyes flew wide as Jet fell backwards as if in slow motion. Kobra cried out, jolting up as Jet hit the ground in a cloud of dust. He heard Gracie scream from inside the car, but his eyes were fixed on the older man's motionless body.
"Jet!" He flipped over, pointing his gun at the Drac who'd just shot Jet, and blasting them with a loud cry. He then quickly returned his full attention to the fallen Killjoy. He scrabbled over to him, shaking him a little. "Jet. Jet!"
Jet groaned back, his face a mask of pain. Kobra looked around himself desperately. They had to get Jet out of here, he was hurt bad. His heart was thumping; he could practically taste his pulse in his throat. His eyes fixed on Poison and Ghoul where they were using some shrubs for meagre cover.
"Poison! Poison! Jet's hit!" Kobra shouted out, his voice wavering, and Poison instantly looked over, his eyes wide in surprise. He saw his brother kneeling over Jet, the smoking hole in Jet's shoulder, just how pale the curly-haired man had gone...
"Shit! Ghoul! Go! Help Kobra get him in the car!" Poison ordered sharply, focusing back on the Dracs surrounding them. Ghoul scrambled up from their cover, sprinting over to Kobra and dropping next to him. He grabbed Jet's arm, trying to drag the larger man up, cutting Kobra a glance when he didn't immediately move to help.
"Come on! We've got to get him up and to the car!" Ghoul shouted at him and Kobra jerked like he'd just been slapped. He looked at Ghoul with wide eyes then hurried to help him. Together they hefted Jet up, a little lopsidedly with Ghoul's shorter stature, but he was up. Raygun blasts were showering around them, they could hear Poison firing rapidly back, and Ghoul twisted to add some own shots to the fray as they hobbled as fast as they could towards the car. Grace was visible in the window, her eyes wide and her face pale with worry. Kobra shouldered more of Jet's weight, shoving Ghoul away.
"Get Grace into the front..."
Ghoul nodded, looking behind him at Poison. "Poison! Move it! We're hoppin'!"
Poison backed towards the car, still blasting at the oncoming Dracs, while Ghoul hopped into the front passenger seat. He reached for Grace, coaxing her into the front before Kobra managed to get the door open. He was struggling to get Jet into the back when Poison reached him.
"Take his arms, get in and drag him after you. I've got his legs," Poison instructed his shaken brother, and Kobra nodded. Ghoul leant forward, blasting past them out of the open door as they struggled with Jet's limp body, trying desperately to avoid hurting his wounded shoulder. Kobra could hear the sound of blasts hitting the car, and knew they had to be fast. The last thing they needed was someone else getting hit. With Poison's help, they quickly dragged Jet into the back of the car and got him laying on the seat, his head resting in Kobra's lap. Poison cast a few shots over his shoulder before running around and getting in the front. He started the car and jammed his foot down. The wheels spun slightly in the dust before catching and veering away.
They bumped along the ground; Grace curled close to Ghoul, while Kobra was doing his best to keep Jet steady on the seat. He didn't seem fully conscious, but every hard bump made him grimace. Kobra shifted, pulling Jet more into his lap, trying to hold him still so he wasn't jolted as often.
"Poison... How long to the road?" Kobra wondered, not seeing his brother's eyes cut to him in the rearview mirror, too busy watching Jet for any signs of pain. Poison's eyebrows tented in worry.
"Not too long. How's he doing?"
"He'll be better when it's not bumpy," Kobra replied, his voice alarmingly steady considering how pallid and drawn he looked right now. Poison didn't say another word, concentrating on getting them to the road. The sooner they were back on asphalt the sooner they'd get back to the diner and have some hope of fixing Jet up.
They bumped out onto the main road, and there was no sign of anything following them. Kobra Kid barely heard Poison telling them that or even giving them an estimation on just how long it would take to get to the diner. He sat silent and cradled Jet's head in his lap, stroking his hand over Jet's clammy forehead in a soothing motion. He bit his lip hard, looking down into the older man's pale face and finding himself pleading with him.
"Ray... C'mon, Ray, it's gonna be okay. Everything's just shiny."
Grace was being cradled by Fun Ghoul in the front seat, and she shifted, climbing onto her knees to look into the backseat. Her worried eyes looked over Jet before fixing on Kobra, seeing his expression. She gripped at the car seat tightly.
"He'll be okay, right? Mikey?" she asked quietly, and Kobra startled at the soft sound of her voice. He looked up at her, trying to hide the fear on his own face, wanting to reassure the young girl as he nodded.
"Course. He's Ray, right? He's strong enough to beat this."
Grace smiled a little, though it was peaked, and nodded back slightly, her wide, honest eyes full of concern. Ghoul pulled her back down into his lap, giving her a tight hug and as bright a smile as he could manage. He knew how much Jet meant to her, maybe even more than he meant to Kobra and that was clearly saying something.
"Jet'll be fine. Kobra's looking after him, right? We'll get him some Chicken Soup pills and everything will be good," Ghoul whispered and this time Grace's smile was more genuine, and she hugged Ghoul back, settling again.
Kobra's attention returned to Jet, still stroking his face gently, wishing he held Ghoul's optimism. It was a long time to the diner and he knew it. Jet's wound was starting to go cold, his whole body was. He didn't know how much time they had or whether any damn Chicken Soup pills would fix it. Poison saw the look of uncertainty on his little brother's face, the tell-tale way he was chewing at the inside of his lip and tried to reassure him in turn.
"It's okay, Mikey. We'll get to the diner, get him fixed up and stay nested."
"Yeah," Kobra agreed again, his voice now deadpan, and Poison could do no more than try to drive faster than he already was.
When they got to the diner at long last, it was chaos. Ghoul told Gracie to go tidy off the best bed they had, which was the only one they had that was a real bed, and as she ran off to do so, Ghoul and Poison swung into action. Kobra had made no move to get out of the backseat, so they moved for him. Together, they got Jet up and made their way inside, Kobra anxiously in tow. To Kobra, Jet was looking worse and worse by the minute and he was feeling so fucking helpless about the whole thing. He didn't handle feeling helpless very well.
He stepped aside as Grace dashed past him with instructions to fetch a cold cloth, and just stood in the doorway to the room. Kobra watched Ghoul and Poison helping Jet-Star down onto the bed, saw how still he was, how ashen. He couldn't handle this.
He slipped back out of the room, and made his way towards the little bathroom. He went into the men’s out of some strange habit, and closed the door behind him. There were 3 stalls in here, but only one of them had a lock. He made his way to the one at the end, sliding the lock into place and then collapsing back on the closed toilet seat.
He looked down at his hands and realised they were shaking. His whole body was shaking. He drew his knees up, resting his elbows on them and burying his face in his hands. He... he didn't know what to do. He couldn't take seeing Jet like that... Ray, Ray got shot. Shot bad. Ray got shot saving him. Could die because he wanted to protect him. Kobra's stomach gave a violent lurch and he only just had enough time to scramble up, wrenching up the toilet seat and heaving any remains of last nights dinner into the already filthy bowl. He retched until his stomach was empty then pushed himself away, shuddering and curling into himself by the door.
They'd all been shot before, and it hurt like a motherfucker. He'd seen his own brother be shot before and it hadn't shaken him this badly. But... none of them had ever been hit this bad. Jet was as good as shot in the chest. All he could see in his head was Jet falling back to the ground, the smoking hole in his jacket...
He heard the door open and flinched, only to hear an unexpected voice. "Mikey?"
"Grace?"
He heard her soft footsteps through the bathroom, heard them stop outside the cubicle he was locked in. She knocked slightly, and he found himself reaching up to open the door. She pushed it open, seeing him curled up in the dark cubicle. His knees hugged to his chest, his body shaking, and she lunged forward, hugging him tight and clinging. He hugged her in return, probably tighter than he meant to, and they just sat there on the filthy floor, clutching onto each other for support.
"He'll be okay, Mikey. Frank... Frank said so. You said so," she whispered and he nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.
Poison was standing in the doorway; he leant against the frame and barred his little brother's way into the room. Kobra stopped and frowned at him, not liking the look on the red-haired man's face. Poison looked his brother over with concern; he looked waxen and unwell.
"Are you alright?" he wondered softly, his eyes fixed on Kobra's face. Kobra looked right back, though his expression was strained and he gave a sharp shrug, trying to look unbothered.
"I'm fine," he replied firmly, clearly meaning it was the end of the subject. Poison didn't want to let it go so easily, but his brother's face was set and he knew better to argue with that. Kobra leant to try and see past Poison into the room and asked instead, "How's Ray?"
Poison sighed a little, twisting to look back at Jet as well. He was still where he lay, still lacking colour in his face, but now bandaged and sleeping as comfortably as he could considering. Poison faced Kobra again. "We've got him in napkins, and gave him something for the pain... he'll sleep it off. I think he'll be okay, Mikes."
Kobra nodded slowly, and Poison knew he wasn't going to get anything else out of him, so he stepped aside. Kobra moved past him, making his way into the room. He was only a few steps in when he stopped, looking at Jet for a moment, seeming frightened to go closer. He didn't want to disturb the older man, he just wanted to stay with him... in case he woke up. He knew Poison was still watching him from the doorway, but he was entirely focused on Jet, and wasn't aware when Poison finally left, pulling the door shut behind him.
Kobra looked at Jet where he lay, his bandage was clearly visible. It wrapped partially around his chest, and over his shoulder, the down his arm. Kobra winced a little to see it before he moved to sit carefully beside him. He didn't want to wake him. He found himself staring at the bandage, remembering the wound that it now hid, before looking away. And that's when he registered something else. Jet was shirtless. His chest was dusted with small, curly hairs. He wasn't too hairy, but... it was more than Kobra would ever have, Ghoul or Poison either for that matter. Jet was solid and just that little bit hairy and Kobra hadn't really noticed before. Jet wasn't like Poison or Ghoul, he was secretive when he was getting changed. Like Kobra.
Kobra licked his lips, rubbing his hands together. He had this stupid urge. He... He wanted to touch Jet's chest, feel the bare skin, the smattering of curls. It was stupid. It was seriously stupid, and he would ignore it. He would. It wasn't what Jet needed right now, he needed to sleep and heal. It could take ages for a wound that bad to even start to heal up. Raygun blasts were nasty at the best of times. And this was the worst of times. Kobra chewed his lip for a moment before taking a deep breath and continuing his silent vigil.
Kobra hadn't moved at all since he first sat down, and his head was starting to nod ever so slightly when he heard the door open. He turned to look only to frown when no one was there. He stared at the part open door for a long time before returning his gaze to Jet. Jet hadn't moved, his chest still rising and falling with his slow breaths, his face thankfully peaceful while the pain meds did their job.
He heard noise in the doorway again and turned quickly, this time catching sight of a little, fuzzy head before it ducked out of sight again. He frowned at the young girl's hesitance. That wasn't like her. He leant back to try and see if she was still there, calling out softly,
"Grace?"
There was no reply and he sighed, but he knew she'd come in when she was ready. There was no rushing her. He knew all too well how hard it was to see Jet like this. She just needed time. Kobra wasn't so sure he was ready for company yet either, even if it was just Grace...
Ghoul was sitting with Poison in one of the booths out front, both of them quiet. It was always hard when someone was shot, but Jet was hands down the worst wound any of them had taken. Shit, Ghoul was pretty sure he'd seen people ghosted by less. But Jet was a tough guy, even if he didn't act like it very often. Ghoul sighed a little and leant against Poison, startling him from his own dark thoughts. Ghoul tempted a smile up at him and Poison gave a slight one back. He leant down and kissed Ghoul's lips gently, curling an arm around him. It was hard being the leader sometimes, hard having to deal with this. But Poison could handle it, just like he knew Jet could take a wound like that and come right back.
The both twisted at the sound of light footsteps and saw Grace dithering in the hall leading to the room where Kobra and Jet were. Ghoul frowned a little.
"Gracie, honey?" he called and she jumped, turning to look at them. Her face was troubled, and she kept glancing back up the hallway and Poison clicked his tongue. He knew what was bothering her. He slipped out of the booth, shooting Ghoul a reassuring glance as he went, and moved to kneel in front of her, hugging her tightly.
"You wanna see Jet, don't you?" he wondered. She nodded silently against his shoulder. Poison sighed softly, leaning back and smiling at her. "Then go... I'm sure both Mikey and Jet will be glad of the company, okay?"
Grace looked at him for a long moment, trying to keep her expression straight, before she finally nodded. Poison smiled a little and got back to his feet and Grace gave him a little, brave smile before she ventured back up the hallway. Poison watching her go with a heavy heart, starling slightly as he felt a pair of arms come around his waist, Ghoul hugging him from behind.
"Looks like Kobra isn't the only one taking this hard," Ghoul mumbled and Poison shook his head.
Kobra felt like someone was watching him, turning to see Grace standing in the doorway. She wasn't looking at Jet, she was looking at him. He bit his lip and held out a hand. She came forward this time, slowly taking Kobra's hand and sitting next to him on the bed. She looked down at Jet and the corners of her mouth twitched down.
"He looks like he's just sleeping," she whispered and Kobra sighed, leaning over and resting his head on top of hers, curling an arm around her.
"He is. He's sleeping, the pain medication makes it okay," he murmured, giving her a gentle squeeze and feeling her push back against him, seeking the comfort of the gesture. She normally wouldn't do it. Normally Grace acted years above her actual age, to the point that sometimes they forgot she was only 10. But Jet was her favourite, Jet was like the father she never had really, he always put Gracie first. It had to be so unsettling for her to be afraid of losing her new family. She reached out and curled both her hands around Jet's, squeezing tightly as they fell into silence, both just watching Jet sleep.
Poison had come and dragged Grace away to make her eat something. She didn't want to leave Jet, but her hunger had made her go. That wasn't enough for Kobra though. He didn't care that he was hungry. He was going to stay with Jet. So, despite Poison's heated arguments, ending in Poison saying he couldn't stay with Jet if he starved to death, Kobra was still at Jet's bedside. He had a hand curled around Jet's limp one in place of Grace's hands now that she was gone. Days went by like that. Poison brought him food sometimes, and Ghoul would come in too, they took it in turns changing Jet's bandages and keeping him asleep. The only time Kobra slept was when he was too exhausted to stay awake, usually curling up on a bit of space beside Jet on the bed.
Poison was more worried now for Kobra than he was for Jet, but nothing seemed to be getting through to him. He was determined to be there when Jet woke up. And, as Poison had been weaning him of his medication the past few days, he had to hope it would be soon.
Kobra had just eaten the can of Power Pup that Poison had delivered him, and had managed a few hours sleep before that. Grace was with Ghoul doing some work on the car or something, Poison probably with them. Kobra didn't know. All he knew was he was in the same place he'd been for days, one hand holding Jet's, and he was just looking the older man over again.
Well... He was looking at his chest again. The strong muscles there, the dark curls. Again, he got that urge to touch it. But... no. That was more than inappropriate. Jet was hurt, and wasn't shirtless willingly and... and anyway, he didn't do that. He didn't touch... he shouldn't even let Jet touch him, let alone touch him back. It was... Still not a concept he was comfortable with. But no matter how much he thought that, the urge was still there...
Biting his lip hard, he uncurled his fingers from around Jet's hand. Hating himself a whole lot but unable to stop himself, he reached out slowly. He flinched a little at the first touch of curly hairs under his fingertips, before pressing his hand against the warm skin.
Jet woke up to pain, pain in his shoulder and through his chest. It wasn't a terrible pain, more like a persistent ache that made his face scrunch slightly. But it was more than that... There was definitely something else. Someone was touching his chest. He cracked his eyes open in the slightest only to catch sight of Kobra's hand on his chest. He sucked in a slight breath at the sight, quickly shutting his eyes again as it disturbed Kobra.
Kobra swore he felt Jet's breath hitch as his hand brushed through the slightly coarse hair on his chest. Kobra instantly froze, fearing he'd been caught, but his breathing continued as normal and his face remained peaceful. Kobra bit his lip a little, still gently, curiously touching Jet's chest, finding that he was enjoying the feel of his warm, bare skin and hair.
Jet struggled to keep his breathing level as he felt Kobra's hand tentatively stroke over his bare chest. He kept his eyes closed, pretending like he was still sleeping because the last thing he wanted was to scare the other man. Especially when his hesitant touches were so unexpected but welcome.
Kobra's hand tensed slightly against Jet's chest and he bit his lip to stifle a pained noise. Without even thinking, he leant forward and rest his forehead against Jet's chest instead. Jet nearly lost it at the sudden contact, the feeling of Kobra's warm breath against his skin, he almost made a noise, but the contact was lost as quickly as it'd come. Kobra sat up quickly, his cheeks heating deeply. He couldn't believe he'd done that. Any of that. What the hell was wrong with him?
He looked away from Jet and got up abruptly. He'd... go get some fresh air and then come back. Jet heard Kobra leave, cracking his eyes open at the sound of the door closing. He couldn't believe it any more than Kobra could, but instead of being embarrassed, he was pleased by it. He huffed a slight sigh and let his eyes slipped closed again, letting the exhaustion engulf him again.
Jet stirred and Kobra was instantly alert. The older man's eyes opened and fixed on him, a slight smile crossing his face to find Kobra had returned to his bedside. It was a welcome sight to wake up to. Kobra smiled tentatively back, glad to see him looking cheerful, even though he looked a little bleary still.
"How are you?" Kobra wondered, wishing his voice wasn't so hoarse. Jet shifted a little, grimacing before finally croaking back,
"Be fine 'cept for the serious case of dust mouth."
Kobra looked around himself, finally finding his water bottle and offering it over to Jet. Jet took it gratefully, drinking a few large mouthfuls before handing it back. Kobra was still watching him intently, and Jet swore he could see concern in his face. He shifted a little more, feeling the ache again in his shoulder and upper chest.
"My shoulder hurts some... but I'm fine,” he assured, trying to ease the intense look Kobra was still giving him. He gave a slight smile, changing the subject. "Were you the one looking after me?"
Kobra started a little at the question, stuttering, "Yeah. Well... the... the others helped. Grace came in to sit with you lots..."
Jet smiled at the embarrassment on Kobra's face, more pleased than he'd ever admit to know that Kobra had been with him the whole time. Kobra blushed a little under the older man's admiring gaze, and just stuttered things at him about how they had been looking after him, medicating him, changing his bandages. But Jet already knew all that had happened, it was obvious. He was more interested in Kobra not mentioning touching him, and not wanting to talk about staying with him. Kobra's stuttered avoidances however were cut off abruptly by a shrill noise behind them.
"Ray!" came an excited cry from the doorway and Jet finally tore his eyes from Kobra to look at the little girl that stood in the doorway. She looked a mix of excited and nervous, pleased to see Jet awake but not sure whether she was allowed to come in. Jet beamed at the sight of her and she beamed instantly back, taking that as permission to run forward and hug him.
"Grace," Jet chuckled happily as her small arms came around his neck, moving to hug her as tight as he could while still lying down and only using one arm. She buried her face in his curls, holding so tight it was like she was never going to let him go.
"You're okay," was all she seemed capable of saying, and it tugged Kobra's heart a little, making him look away from them. Jet smiled at that, casting Kobra a glance.
"Yeah. I heard everyone's been taking real good care of me."
Kobra's mouth twitched like he was going to smile, and he subtly looked back at the older man. Their eyes met and held for a long moment before Grace startled them by jumping up suddenly.
"I have to go tell the others!"