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Back on the Sphere, Rudo didn't have easy access to medical supplies. Regto always made due, scraping up enough money to get what he needed, even if it was low quality (and not exactly sterile) from the tribe's “doctor”. He made sure to change Rudo’s bandages as often as he needed, even if he had to forgo his own dinner in order to take care of the kid's wounds. Rudo on the other hand, was never good at keeping up with his health. He often got distracted with fixing an item he rescued from an untimely demise, or lost track of time while scavenging the rich side of town's trash. He'd wave off Regto whenever he had an injury, downplaying the importance of it the best he could. Of course, this never worked, as Regto never failed to patch him up.
Occasionally, Rudo would have nights where the pain in his hands became too strong for even the gloves to suppress, and blinding agony overtook him. It was these nights that he'd subconsciously take himself to Regto's room and climb in his bed searching for any form of comfort from the debilitating pain. Regto always knew just what to do in order to get the pain managed, and these nights were no different.
On the ground, Rudo hadn't thought about how different it would be if one of those nights were to happen. Unfortunately, he was finding that out now first hand. The teen had woken up from his short sleep… if you could even call it that… his hands hurting more than they usually did, though not unbearable. He took in a deep breath, feeling the cool air enter his throat, amplifying the dryness with an unpleasant sting. With a sigh, he got up from his bed and left the confines of his room to head towards the dining hall. It didn't take long to find the cups, though getting the water seemed to pose more of a challenge than he imagined.
As soon as he grabbed the cup, he realised he could feel the pressure of the grip through the gloves, his hand tingling with that familiar pain. Of course, Rudo was stubborn and used to ignoring pain, so he did what he did best… ignored it. The act of turning the faucet on was met with an involuntary wince, but he pushed through, getting the much needed glass of water and drinking the whole thing. Finally through with the mission of getting water, he could go back to bed and sleep the pain off. Unfortunately, his hands had other plans.
As Rudo left the dining hall, the pain in his hands and arms gradually intensified until he was met with the mind numbing pain he would never be allowed to forget. He grit his teeth, trying his best to focus on his goal to get back to safety, back to his room. He walked with a slight sway, his arms dangling, body slightly slumped forward, eyes downcast. He mindlessly walked the halls, hoping that his muscle memory would carry him to his dorm.
After what felt like hours walking through the silent halls, Rudo came to a familiar door. Safety. Relief. Door handle. Door handle? That's right, there was an obstacle in the way of where he needed to be, and it was in the shape of a door handle. All he had to do was lift his arm and grab the knob and he could do the rest easily. The only problem was his hands wouldn't move an inch. No matter how hard he tried, the pain was too much that his mind couldn't handle it, causing the disconnection from his extremities. It was malfunctioning. Broken.
Thud.
He just had to twist the handle. That's all.
Thud.
If only his brain would work.
Thud.
Maybe it just needed a jump start of sorts?
Thud.
There was only one thing standing between pain and relief.
ThuD.
Yet his brain was failing him. Like usual.
ThUD.
It's just a stupid door handle.
THUD.
Just one lousy handle. That's it.
THUD.
Why couldn't his stupid brain let him do what he needed?
THUD.
Stupid brain. Stupid handle. Shitty door.
THUD.
Stupid fucking hands-
Then the door flew open and Rudo nearly fell forward. He was banging his head against the door, getting increasingly more agitated which in turn made the hits harder. Since when do doors open just from a head bang? “Oi, keep it down, wouldjya- Rudo?” The teen in question looked up in a daze at the unexpected adult, only then realizing who's door he was at. “En…jin?” The older man furrowed his brows down at the kid, running his fingers through his hair with an exhausted sigh, his voice laced with sleep. “What are you doing banging on my door at-” He glanced back at his clock then back at Rudo. “3 in the morning?”
Rudo immediately looked down at his feet to hide the embarrassed warmth that rose to his cheeks, mumbling an excuse. “Wrong door. Bye-” he quickly tried to turn to leave, intending on putting this behind him and returning to his room, but that plan was immediately thwarted. Enjin placed a hand on his shoulder, bending down slightly to get a better look at the sleep deprived trash gremlin. “Hold on a sec, were you banging your head on my door?” Rudo stiffened, his eyes widening slightly, his hands sending another shock through his body as they instinctively twitched. “N- no?” Rudo was never good at lying. “You're a terrible liar, you're bleeding. The hell are ya banging your head on my door at 3 in the morning for?” Silence stretched on for what seemed like forever until Rudo mumbled something incoherent. Suddenly the much larger male's hand shifted more on his back, motioning him inside for a more private conversation than one held in the doorway. “Speak up kid, I can't hear you when you mumble.”
Rudo hesitated, but his body moved before he could process anything, stepping into the room. He growled, frustrated that he had to repeat himself when he didn't even want to answer in the first place. “Brain's broken.” He managed to get out through gritted teeth. This, of course, only confused Enjin, a dramatic eyebrow lifting to emphasize his words. “Broken? So you thought banging your head against my door would jumpstart it or something? Maybe your brain really is broken.” He chuckled at his own joke at the end, but bent down again to Rudo's level anyway. Frustrated, confused, and flustered, Rudo groaned, grinding his teeth as he spoke. “Oh shut up. I thought I was at my door. I don't know how I got here. My stupid brain was broken- is broken. Just let me get to my roo-” He was cut off with a scoff. “Mmhmm, and what do you plan on doing when you get there? Bangin’ your head some more? Why do you say your brain is broken? Come on kid, you woke me up, might as well give me some proper answers.”
It took Rudo a second to process the words being said, his whole body pulsing from the pain that came from not only his hands, but now his head too. “I… couldn't open the door. My h-.. I.. can’t think.. I thought I went back to my room.. I don’t know why I'm here instead. I didn't mean to bother you. I just want to sleep it off.” This only concerned Enjin more than before, the adult deciding to walk over and close the door, returning to Rudo. “Come on.” He placed a hand on the back of his shoulder, guiding Rudo towards his bed- the only comfortable place for both of them to sit. Rudo sat on the bed reluctantly, Enjin plopping down beside him. “What exactly are you planning on sleeping off? Are you hurt and trying to ignore it again?” Rudo stiffened, pointedly looking at the floor. “What? No. It- It's nothing. I'm fine.” Enjin couldn't help but laugh, though there was a nervousness to it if you paid close attention. “You really suck at lying, I don't know why you try. Come on, where are you hurt? Other than your head I mean.”
Rudo glanced down at his hands with a sigh, heavily debating on his next move. Should he answer truthfully and risk humiliation and shaming, or should he just make a run for his room? A quick glance towards the closed door caused a groan from the spherite's lips, his head hanging in defeat. “It's my hands.. this happens sometimes… It's no big deal. The pain just wouldn't let me use my hands to open the door and I guess I got mad.” He didn't dare look up at the older cleaner, his gaze fixated on his gloved hands.
After a moment of silence, Enjin spoke, his voice calm and completely devoid of judgement. “I see. What do you normally do when you have pain?” Rudo’s eyebrows furrowed with slight confusion at the casual tone, but he answered truthfully. “They always hurt, so I just ignore it.” He looked up at Enjin with a serious (and confused) face, not really getting the question. The older cleaner shook his head lightly, a small frown on his face. “hmm let me rephrase.. what do you usually do when the pain gets this bad?” The teen blinked a few times, face blank before he registered the question, feeling stupid for not getting it the first time, and embarrassed about what the answer was. “Oh.. I.. w-well.. Regto would.. uh.. he’d re-bandage them, which I can do when it dulls a bit, maybe, and-” he looked down as he spoke the last part, barely audible, but not so quiet that Enjin couldn't hear. “He'd let me sleep in his bed.”
He got a hum in response, the blond tapping his chin in thought. “Lucky for you we're close to the medical ward. Whatdya say we walk down there and get ya patched up?” The teen looked up, shocked and confused, blinking hard before shaking his head back and forth. “You don't have to do that. I'm fine, really. I ju-” he was cut off again, the older of the two already standing up from the bed. “Nah, you've already woken me up, besides, this is the best time for getting a snack without being spotted. Come on.” He headed towards the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. “Maybe I can snatch a piece of candy for you afterwards.” He said with a smirk, looking back at Rudo. That had the teen immediately up and across the room, earning a chuckle from the older one.
They made their way through the halls, Enjin opening the door for the two of them to enter the medical room. He guided the half-out-of-it teen to one of the exam tables, gesturing to it with a hand. When Rudo only glared at the surface with nearly enough heat to burn it, Enjin sighed lightly. “Upsie daisy.” He said casually as he lifted Rudo under his arms and placed him on the table, ignoring the embarrassed look on his face, turning to walk towards the cabinets. As he was humming a tune to himself and rummaging through them to grab various supplies, he glanced back at Rudo, showing him a bottle of ibuprofen. “Can you have pain meds?” He was met with a confused puppy dog look, his head tilted almost 45 degrees. “Pain… meds?” Enjin turned back with a pained sigh, grabbing a cup and filling it with water.
He returned to the exam table, setting the things down and holding the pill and cup towards Rudo. “Pain meds. I'm guessing you never had them before, so I'll explain. They're supposed to help with reducing any pain that you have. You just take it with some water so it's easier to swallow, and the pill does the rest of the work.” Rudo tried to take the cup from him, but winced as he lifted his hand, letting it fall back on his lap. Enjin made no comment, bringing the cup to the other's lips and helping him take the pill. “Hopefully that kicks in soon. Should help while I re-wrap your hands. I'll do your head first.” He grabbed the rag he had wetted, working on cleaning up the teen's head.
Rudo huffed as Enjin wrapped his head, his eyes never once leaving his lap since the help with taking the pill. “You don't have to wrap my hands for me.” That earned the umpteenth scoff of the night, Enjin lightly shaking his head. “Yeah yeah, you're stubborn, you know that? I don’t mind changing some bandages if you need it.” Rudo stiffened, biting his lip before he spoke again, mumbling at first. “You sound like the old man. You really don't have to deal with thi-” he was yet again cut off, Enjin clasping a hand on his shoulder, causing the young teen to look up at the serious, yet calming face of his mentor. “Look, kiddo, I'm doing this because I want to. If I didn't, I'd have brought you back to your room.”
Rudo sighed, defeated with a slight nod. “Okay..” He looked back down, Enjin pulling up a chair so he could get to work. “Alright. I'm gonna put your gloves next to you since I'm sure you don't want them out of rea-” It was Rudo's turn to cut him off, his heart beating faster than usual. “Wait- they're.. gross…” Enjin quirked a brow. “The gloves? We can wash them, I'm not worried about that.” Rudo grumbled “no, not the gloves. Though they do need to be washed..” he grit his teeth once more “my hands.. they're.. they look hideous..” he shut his eyes tight, waiting for Enjin to say he didn't want to see it, waiting for the rejection and the shame to come. “I see… I'm not gonna judge you for how your hands look. Can I continue and take off your gloves, or do you need a minute?” Getting an unexpected response, red eyes were opened wide, staring at the patient yellow eyes of the man who reminded him more and more of the relationship with a certain tribesfolk up on the Sphere as time went on. “Oh.. uh.. go ahead.. Just.. don't say I didn't warn you.”
Enjin gave a reassuring smile, nodding and taking off the gloves. He saw that the bandages were slightly bloody, frowning at the sight, but continuing. He slowly but carefully peeled back the bandages, his big hands surprisingly gentle for how rough they looked. Rudo watched, unaware that he was holding his breath in anticipation. The umbrella wielder frowned as he unwrapped the boy's hand, seeing the intense damage underneath, but never once faltered in his process. When he finished with the first hand, he moved on to the second, his frown only deepening as he noticed they were equally bad.
He held both hands gently in his own, examining the damage when all the dirty bandages were removed. He couldn't hide the anger and hurt in his voice when he uddered his next few words. “Who… who did this to you?” Rudo let out the breath he was holding and looked away, eyes focused on nothing in particular. “My dad..” He fidgeted in his seat, knowing a new pair of eyes were looking at his hands, making him slightly uncomfortable. Enjin's eyes widened in intense shock, his mouth dropping open “...Regto?..” Rudo snapped his head back at the idiot, glaring daggers at him. “What? No! My.. my birth father. Regto found me abandoned as a baby like this and took care of me. He'd never- no, no, not him, he was good.” Enjin breathed a sigh of relief, shaking his head slightly. “Okay good, good. I was boutta say I never imagined that guy doing something like that with how you talk about him. But jeez kid.. so you've always had to deal with injuries like this? Have you ever tried any creams or ointments?”
The anger melted away from the spherite's face, turning into one of pure confusion. “Creams or.. oint…ments?” The cleaner let out yet again another sigh, giving Rudo a look he couldn't quite place. “just what kinda life did you live up there?” He muttered out, getting up and walking towards the cabinets once more, rummaging through the various supplies. Even if they didn't have the best options, or the most fancy equipment, the cleaners at least had the necessities, most of which Rudo seemed foreign to the idea of. It made the adult wonder just how much different life on the Sphere really was compared to the ground if Rudo didn't even know about basic medical supplies.
He returned after not too long, holding a tube of ointment in one hand and displaying it for the kid, the other hand holding a warm damp rag. “Not sure what kinda wounds these are… but generally ya can't go wrong with triple antibiotic cream. Hopefully it'll help.” He sat back down, getting to work on cleaning the wounds with slow, gentle movements. The way he worked so diligently, large hands moving with such care and patience reminded the younger one of his dad, Regto. His lip quivered silently, eyes trained on the hands that were showing him such an easy kindness that he so desperately needed.
He felt open, exposed, vulnerable, yet it wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, it was actually quite the opposite. Rudo felt seen, but not stared at, he felt cared for, and not rejected, and he felt loved, though he'd never admit that last part, not even to himself. To him, it was just an odd mixture of emotions that he wasn't sure what to do with. He realized with a choked inhale that he was no longer subjected to the completely mind numbing pain, it being reduced to a burning ache. It was still more than the normal pain he dealt with, but it was better than when he was wandering around the hallway barely conscious. The sound caused Enjin to look up and meet the teens face, a hand coming up to wipe a tear that had unknowingly fallen down his cheek. “I take it the medicine kicked in?” He spoke softly, an unexpected tone from the older male. Rudo nodded slightly, not trusting his own voice at the moment. “Good, seeing you in that much pain was worse than fighting all those trash beasts in no man's land.”
He grabbed the bandages, giving another reassuring smile to the younger one. “How often are you supposed to change these things? The ones you had on seem pretty old.” That caused Rudo to flinch, looking back down at the ground in shame. “W- w- well.. Regto said it's supposed to be once or twice a week.. or something like that. I never really paid much attention because he just changed them when he knew it was time..” Enjin started wrapping one hand as Rudo spoke, pausing to glance up at the teen with a slightly stern look. One that Rudo knew far too well. “And how long has it been since you last changed them?” This earned a strangled grumble from the younger one, shifting in his seat as he looked away, mumbling just loud enough for Enjin to hear. “Like two and a half weeks…”
Rudo expected Enjin to yell at him for neglecting his hands, or at the very least call him a dumb brat. However, Enjin didn't raise his voice. He groaned in that certain way only a dad could, rubbing his palm across his face. The kind of gesture that says ‘I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed.’ Rudo felt like this was worse than any yelling. “From now on I'm gonna make sure I wrap your hands in a reasonable amount of time.” Rudo nearly choked on his own inhale, feeling more guilty than ever as the older cleaner took on responsibility for him. “You don't have to do that. I can do it myself if it's not this bad I just.. gotta remember.” Enjin clicked his tongue in disapproval, shaking his head as he continued with the wrapping. “Nope. Too late, kid. You're stuck with my help. It'll be easier if I do it, that way I can make sure you aren't ignoring yourself like you tend to do. As long as it's not always at 3 am.” He gave a playful glare towards Rudo, trying to lighten the mood.
The Spherite rolled his eyes at the comment with a “No shit. It's not gonna be at 3am all the time.” He huffed in defeat, knowing that this was the best idea. “I have supplies in my room so.. we don't have to go here..” He glanced towards the door, making sure no one was lurking, then around the room for the same reason, suddenly remembering how public of a spot this was. Enjin caught onto the motion, making sure to keep his work at a steady pace so they could be done quicker. “Gotcha. And don't worry, I won't go blabbin’ my mouth about this.” The rest of the time Enjin worked was in shared silence, the two falling into a sense of comfort. When he was done, he gave a satisfied sigh, rubbing his hands together and ruffling Rudo’s hair with a soft smile. “Alright, let's go get you a treat, me a snack, wash these gloves, and then go to sleep.”
Rudo hopped off the table, excitement visible in his eyes at the mention of a treat. Since his hands were no longer unbearably painful, he grabbed his gloves, slipping them on for the time being and nodding at Enjin. The older man couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, ruffling his hair once more. “Time for a middle of the night pantry raid.” They made their way to the dining hall rather quickly, finding a snack for each of them and heading down the hall. Rudo was more focused on the snack he had stuffed in his face than where they were going, trusting Enjin to take him to the right place. When they came up to a door, Enjin opened it and they walked in, Rudo quickly realizing his surroundings. They were back in Enjin's room. He looked up at the older cleaner, tilting his head in confusion and speaking with a mouth full of sweets. “why’re we here?”
Enjin only shrugged his shoulders, lifting his hands for extra flare, glancing back down at the kid. “I figured I have to wash the gloves before we go to bed anyway, with your instructions of course, and if you wanted to sleep here you could.” Rudo gulped down the food in his mouth, staring up at the adult with a look somewhere between fondness and shock. “S- sleep here? Where'd you get that idea from?” Enjin shrugged again, walking towards the connected bathroom and motioning Rudo to follow. Rudo of course obeyed, curious and comfortable with the adult. “Well earlier you mentioned that sleeping in his bed helped with the pain, and I know it's not back to your normal levels. I know I'll never be him, and I never expect you to compare us, but if it helps you, I want to let you know I'm willing to offer it.”
Rudo was quiet for a minute before he found his voice, though you could hear the quivering lip in his words. “You're not Regto… you're Enjin.. but.. you remind me of him.. in a way.. also how did you know I'm still in more pain than normal?” He wasn't sure if his message got across the way it was meant, but he couldn't bare to be more honest and vulnerable. At least not yet, he'd work up to that. However, unbeknownst to Rudo, Enjin had to suppress the urge to clutch his chest with the way Rudo pulled right on his heart strings. The message was loud and clear to him. ‘You'll never replace him, but I'm starting to see you as my dad, too.’ He couldn't hide the prideful and genuine smile on his face, reaching the sink before he even realized it. “Heh, thanks, kid.” He said as nonchalant as he could before holding his hands out for the gloves. “I'm not blind or deaf. I could see you twitch and wince any time you used your hands, or glared at objects that required you to use them. Plus the occasional pained groans and sharp inhales were a dead giveaway. Alright, time to clean these and let them dry. Let me know what to do so I can make sure it's done right, I know how important of a job this is. I don't want you throwing a fit like Zanka that one time.” He laughed to himself at the memory, shaking his head to return his focus back to the present.
Rudo took off the gloves, placing them in Enjin's hands with a terrifying glare that didn't need words. ‘Don't do anything stupid.’ Enjin stiffened at the look, but then laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah. I get it. Don't worry that fuzzy little head of yours.” Rudo walked him through cleaning the gloves, harshly correcting him when he did something slightly off, like pushing too hard or missing a spot when rinsing. Enjin only chuckled at each correction, making sure to correct his mistake and take mental note in case he has to do this again. With Rudo’s hands the way they are, it would be nice to have someone else who knows how to properly wash the gloves and take care of them if needed. Someone he could trust. Enjin wanted to be that person.
After they finished the task of cleaning the gloves and Rudo seemed satisfied, Enjin wrapped them in a towel, patting them dry as much as he could. They walked back into the room, the older of the two glancing at the clock. 4:20am. It only took them a little over an hour for everything? The umbrella user glanced back at the little gremlin, a soft smile on his face. “So, where do ya wanna sleep? It's up to you.” Rudo seemed so small in that moment, his arms slumped at his sides, head tilted in thought, and a small frown on his face as he weighed his options, though his eyes were filled with innocent wonder and excitement. Enjin couldn't help but compare him to a toddler that was just asked if he wanted to have cake or ice cream. Such a simple thing disguised as a big decision.
Instead of answering, Rudo simply climbed in the older man's bed, sitting down and turning his head away. Enjin couldn't help but find it endearing in a ‘kid embarrassed to sleep with their dad’ way. He hummed, setting the gloves down on the bedside table still wrapped in the towel and flopping on the bed, causing the mattress to squeak and groan. “Ahhhh. bed. At last.” He climbed under the covers, holding the blanket up as an offer for Rudo to slip under them. Once he did, the adult spoke again after a big yawn. “I dunno how things worked up there, but I'm a big cuddler. If it makes you uncomfortable I can face away from you bu- umf-” he chuckled lightly as Rudo wasted no time latching onto his side, resting his head on his shoulder, and one arm draped across his chest. “Got it. You're also a cuddler. Not a problem.” He laid the blanket over them both, wrapping the trapped arm around the kid, his free one running his fingers through the other's hair. “Goodnight kid. Sleep well.” He gently pet Rudo’s hair for a few minutes before he realized that the kid was sound asleep. He smiled brightly, feeling sleep calling to him once more. “Y'know, with you as my son.. I don't think I mind being a father.” he whispered to the sleeping boy before falling into a peaceful sleep.