Bryn hissed quietly, rubbing his cheek with a scowl. "Oh grow up. I'm trying to take care of you but at this point, I'm just fucking tired. Just lay here and wallow for all I care! I'm sorry I even gave a shit!" He chucked the painkillers at Zack's hand and hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
(bomph)
(Sorry)
Zack growled at him as he dramatically flew out of the room and looked down at the bottle. He hadn’t even brought him water or something to eat with the ibuprofen. He set down the bottle and laid back again, groaning faintly. He’d just wait out the pain, he didn’t really care all that much about pills.
Bryn stayed sprawled out on the couch for a while, decompressing. His headache was persistent despite the pills, pounding angrily on the walls of his skull like an angry child. Or like Zack, maybe. Bryn rubbed his cheek with a troubled frown, wondering if he should be worried. Normally he'd kick out a houseguest who hit him, but Zack was… well, as much as Bryn hated to admit it, he was a special case.
Zack’s back ached more than it usually did, and he rolled over onto his shoulder. He needed to go out tonight and get a Contract or Inoas would come after him. He would be fine enough just to do one small one or something before Bryan decided if he wanted one or not.
Bryn buried his head in a pillow, all curled up like a dying thing, and huddled under the blanket. It almost looked like it had been left bunched into a corner instead of used to cover his tightly curled frame.
Zack soon found it in himself to sit up. He’d go to a bar or something near here and pick some midday drinker up. Then he’d come back with hopefully a lot of time to spare. Unless they were a partner who liked more than one round. He sincerely hoped not as he limped around the room a little, testing to see how well he could do certain things before walking out of the room itself, hiding his limp pretty well as he slipped on shoes.
"Where're you going?" Bryn asked, peering spitefully out from his blanket fortress. Speaking made his head throb but knowing what was happening trumped comfort. Especially if Zack was going out while he was still all beat up. "You can barely walk, stay in."
“I have to.” He bent down a little to tie his shoe, and took a moment to stand again. There was not one part of him that was screaming for him not to go, but he forced himself to shoulder on the flannel bunched up at the door and fix his hair from its ruffled state.
Bryn let out a muffled groan, poking his head out of the blanket nest to squint at him suspiciously. There was no good reason for him to go out; what was he hiding? "Why? You're hurting, stay home."
“I have to make some Contracts before someone comes along.” He wasn’t going to specify what because most likely that thing would kill him if he was caught without a Contract in two days.
"Just make your contract with me," Bryn mumbled, pulling the blanket over his head like it was a done deal. How had Zack managed to survive this long on his own? Honestly. "You're gonna die if you let someone fuck you tonight. Be sensible."
“You don’t seem like you’re willing to do that,” The Demon replied snarkily. “And actually, I’d die if I don’t let someone fuck me. I’ll be back in time for dinner.” He walked out of the apartment, still giving small signs of a limp and pain.
Bryn frowned and tried to stand up, collapsing back onto the couch with a whine of pain. His head throbbed angrily, but he forced himself to his feet and followed slowly after Zack. Luckily for him, Zack was also slowed by pain. "Zack, wait! I… I'll do it if it'll keep you from getting even more hurt. Just… come back inside." He gritted his teeth in preparation for the next word. "Please."
Zack was waiting near the elevators, leaned against the wall for support as he gritted his sharp teeth together. He glanced up when the Human approached and sat up off of the wall as if he wasn’t doing that at all.
“Fine. I’ll come inside, but we have to do it soon. I can’t wait an entire week for you.”
Bryn, who was looking rather grey in the face and still clutching the blanket around himself, offered no judgment. He just wasn't in the mood to make fun of someone else's weakness. "You'll only have to wait an hour or so, grouch." He ushered Zack into one of the elevators, massaging his temples lightly. "I'll even make you dinner afterward."
“What are you doing?” He growled as he was pushed into the elevator, resisting the pushing and pushing back barely. “We can sign one in your apartment, and I’m telling you I can’t wait! I can have one done in an hour, Human. I have a minimum to meet and I am not meeting it because of you!”
Bryn winced at the noise and backed away at the push, shushing Zack. "Fine, whatever. Just calm your tits. You're hurting me." The elevator doors closed behind them. "We'll sign as soon as we get back, stop freaking out."
“Where the hell are we going?” This Demon was not calming down. Despite the awkward way he was holding himself of the pain, the look on his face was intimidating and dark as he held himself up.
"I need some fresh air before we do this, it'll only take a second." Bryn squinted at Zack's face for a few seconds. "You're tagging along so I can be sure you won't do something dumb and get even more hurt. Did you even take the ibuprofen, or did you decide it was for pussies?"
“We could’ve just opened a window. It wouldn’t have done anything to you at all, it’s literally all just me and my pain. This isn’t hard.” He started pacing. “I’m going back upstairs.” He decided, turning and jamming the button of the level number on it just as the elevator reached ground floor.
"Fine." Bryn stayed with him, not convinced that Zack wasn't going to run off into the night and come back beaten bloody. Or worse. "Fine. I'm sorry, I'm not thinking straight. Let's just get this over with before I make any other dumb decisions that hurt you."
“No, go get your air,” The Demon said with a slight sneer despite himself. “I’ll be waiting upstairs.” Honestly, what would this guy do if he just ran off to make a quick Contract? Kill him? Get a bit angry? Oooh he was so scared.
(What? The heck?)
Bryn gave him a very tired scowl and stepped off the elevator. He walked outside, plopping down on the curb to take in the darkening streets and try to clear his head. He didn't even know what he was doing anymore, he just knew that caring about other people was hard. He wished he could stop. More than that, he wished Zack would make it easy. And why had he even volunteered to do this with Zack!? It would only tangle up his already messy feelings, make everything 10 times harder than it had to be.
No more than he deserved, really.
It took him a few minutes to stand up again, but he eventually managed to stumble into the elevator and make it back to the apartment.
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