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Aventurine always prided himself as being a particularly skilled individual when it came to negotiating with others. He was a natural-born businessman, something that the IPC had made sure to mold him into at a young age.
So it came as a surprise when the two men who he had planned on negotiating with in exchange for intel on The Family not only refused his deal, but also ended up attacking him instead. After giving him a few harsh punches and kicks, the men departed the alleyway, leaving his battered figure to lay against the cold ground.
He lets out a pathetic laugh as he props himself up against the brick wall with a now busted nose and bruised body. This wasn’t the first time that business partners of his had reacted negatively to his proposals, though they normally never escalated to this degree.
Aventurine winces as he takes a deep breath in. The one man had made sure to kick him directly in the ribs which was now making it rather painful to breathe. Thankfully none of his bones were broken, though he imagines that he’ll still feel pretty sore for the next few days. A long sigh escapes his lips as he closes his eyes.
He originally planned to spend the rest of his day off drinking at the local bar down the street. So much for that idea. The blonde man attempts to stand up, but immediately collapses after his sore legs give out underneath him.
“Fuck.”
There’s no way he’ll be able to drag himself all the way back to his hotel room given his current physical state. He flimsily fishes his cellphone out of his back pocket. Maybe he could contact one of his subordinates to help bring him back to the hotel?
Aventurine unlocks his cellphone and scrolls through his contact list, only to stop halfway when he sees who he was texting last.
Dr. Veritas Ratio
He feels his heartbeat start to quicken slightly as he stares at the violet-haired professor’s profile picture. The last time they texted each other was a few days ago when the Intelligentsia Guild member was in need of intel regarding a mysterious object currently hidden in Penacony’s Dreamscape. Aventurine vividly remembers teasing Ratio about how the doctor seemed to have a penchant for contacting him whenever he was in need of information. Ratio simply sent him a middle finger emoji in response before it went silent on his end.
The gambler’s thumb hovers over the call button hesitantly. He was originally going to call one of his subordinates stationed at the hotel to come get him, though that thought quickly leaves his mind the more he reads through the doctor’s messages. Would Ratio even answer him if he called?
“Fuck it," Aventurine mutters, ultimately deciding to call the other man. His heart pounds heavily in his chest as he shakily presses the dial button. The familiar sound of his cellphone ringing can be heard throughout the alleyway. He waits with bated breath as it continues to ring another three times and is about to hang up before he hears a familiar voice on the other end.
“This better be something important, gambler," Ratio pointedly says in his usual monotone voice. For a second Aventurine has half the nerve to scoff loudly at him, but against better judgment decides not to, lest the scholar decides to simply hang up on him.
“Ouch. Not even a hello? Your words truly wound me, Doctor," he smoothly says into the speaker. He can hear the other man ‘tsk’ in annoyance before letting out an exasperated sigh.
“What do you want, Aventurine?”
The blonde’s lips curl into an amused grin. Straight to the point as always.
“What? Am I not allowed to ask how my favorite colleague is doing?” He teases in a sing-song voice. Ratio lets out a sarcastic snort.
“You? Calling to check on me? I’d much sooner believe the IPC is giving me one million credits than you asking about my well-being," the doctor replies dryly.
An airy chuckle leaves Aventurine’s lips before he suddenly goes into a rather painful coughing fit. He can feel his sides start to ache with each violent cough, his body nearly doubling over in pain. A pained hiss leaves his lips. Shit, those bastards really didn’t hold back.
“Are you alright?” He hears Ratio ask through the speaker in a surprisingly concerned tone.
Aventurine has to take another minute to fully catch his breath before he lets out a strained laugh.
“Aww, I’m truly touched to hear that... argh.. you care about me, dear Doctor," he grits out.
“Aventurine.”
His shoulders sag with a defeated sigh. He should’ve known that Ratio would see right through his lie, the man was no idiot.
“Fine. I ran into some trouble while trying to negotiate with some new business partners of mine. I just got a little roughed up, no big deal.”
“Roughed up? Please do elaborate," the doctor inquires, a certain edge now apparent in his voice which Aventurine can’t quite discern.
“Roughed up as in getting my nose busted and my body covered in bruises," the gambler explains nonchalantly. For a second he thinks he hears the other man draw in a sharp breath. Though it could just be his mind playing tricks on him. Another few seconds pass by before Ratio finally speaks.
“Give me your location.”
Aventurine’s eyebrows draw together in confusion.
“Excuse me?”
An annoyed huff followed by indistinguishable cursing can be heard on the other end of the line. The blonde presses his ear closer to the speaker in hopes of being able to hear what the other man is saying, but to no avail.
“You heard what I said, gambler. Give me your location now," Ratio demands sternly. The IPC worker is about to object to the other’s orders, but upon further consideration, decides It’d be wise not to. It’s not like he’ll be getting out of this filthy alleyway on his own anytime soon. Albeit somewhat reluctantly, Aventurine sends his location over to the scholar.
“Good. I should be there in approximately 20 minutes. I’d advise you to stay low until then, lest some other hooligans decide to come after you.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Doctor," he replies with a sardonic laugh.
The call ends shortly afterwards. Aventurine lets out a long exhale. Who knew the ever-stoic doctor could have a caring heart?
He rests the back of his head against the cold brick wall, his eyelids slowly closing in exhaustion. An irritated groan leaves his throat when he feels his temple start to throb in pain. Great, now he’s getting a headache.
His thoughts slowly drift back to the Intelligentsia Guild member. A part of him is still surprised that the other man is willing to come help him, especially given their somewhat complicated relationship with each other. Oh well, at least the gambler now has one more thing to tease the other man about later.
Aventurine doesn’t know when he ended up passing out, though if he had to guess, it was probably for no longer than 15 minutes. The sound of heavy footsteps moving towards the alleyway quickly draws him out of his stupor. His heart beats loudly in his chest as he weakly tries to conceal himself in one of the alley’s dark corners.
Had he somehow alerted one of those bastards on where he was currently hiding? The thought sends a cold shiver down his spine. He hears the footsteps grow louder until they’re only a few feet away from him. Aventurine instinctively raises a hand towards his face in defense...only to lower it when he sees a familiar head of violet hair standing in front of him.
He slowly lifts his head up to meet Ratio’s gaze whose eyes widen slightly at the IPC worker’s physical state. Ratio clears his throat.
“You look like shit.”
Aventurine can’t help but roll his eyes in annoyance.
“And you look handsome as always, friend," he bites back sarcastically. The taller man frowns.
“I did not intend for it to come across as criticizing.”
Aventurine simply waves a hand before letting out a long sigh.
“No offense taken. Now if you’d be so kind as to help me up, that’d be much appreciated," he says with a pained smile. He watches the other man walk closer to him, a strong arm gently wrapping around his back to help support him as he shakily stands up. He goes to walk forward, only to nearly fall face first onto the concrete ground. An arm wraps around his chest to keep him from falling.
“Easy," Ratio says calmly.
A weird feeling starts to stir in the pit of Aventurine’s stomach as he leans his body against the other’s shoulder for support. Was Ratio always this caring with other people? The blonde has a hard time believing that’s the case considering the number of colleagues who’ve complained to him about how difficult it is to work with the man. The thought of him being the only person the doctor is willing to cooperate with on projects causes an odd fluttering feeling to rise in his chest. Interesting....
“I think It’d be best for us to take public transportation back to the hotel, given our current predicament," Ratio says, gesturing between the two of them. A teasing smirk makes its way onto Aventurine’s lips.
“Aww, and here I thought you were going to princess carry me back," he teasingly whines. Ratio simply gives him an unamused look.
“And have to listen to you talk my ear off the entire way there? No thank you.”
Aventurine frowns in mild disappointment, but decides not to push the scholar’s patience any further.
The two eventually make their way back to the Reverie Hotel. Aventurine lets out a sigh of relief as they make their way down the corridor leading to their rooms. He plans on taking a nice warm shower to wash off all the dirt and blood which covers his face before crashing in his bed to sleep for the rest of the night. The sound of keys jingling pulls him away from his thoughts. He looks to his right to find Ratio unlocking his room a few doors down from his own.
“Well this has all been rather exciting. Thank you again for the help Doctor, but if you’ll excuse me, I need to go clean up," he says with a wink. He turns around to leave, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
“It would be unwise of you to go back to your room unsupervised, given the possibility that you could pass out from exhaustion and injure yourself further," Ratio explains matter-of-factly. Aventurine raises an eyebrow in protest as he stares down the taller man with an incredulous look.
“You do know I can take care of myself, right?”
The look Ratio casts him begs to differ. The blonde crosses his arms before letting out an irritated huff.
“Look, I appreciate the concern, but I can handle it on my own. I’ve gotten this far in life, so a few bruises and cuts are nothing to me," he confidently says. Before he gets the chance to leave, a strong arm wraps around his waist and hoists him up until he’s being carried on broad shoulders. Aventurine’s mouth hangs open in shock before quickly morphing into one of anger.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!” He shouts loudly as the doctor wordlessly carries him into his hotel room. He watches Ratio lock the door behind them before finally setting him down on the floor. Aventurine scowls angrily at him, his hands balling up into fists.
“What was that for?” He hisses.
The scholar turns to him with an unfazed expression.
“Well, seeing as you weren’t going to listen to me anyways, you left me with little choice but to resort to less than traditional methods.”
He frowns in annoyance, taking a seat on one of the red sofas next to the fireplace. His eyes follow the violet-haired man who places his room keys on the bedside table before heading into the bathroom. He returns with a towel and wash rag in hand, placing them next to Aventurine.
“Here. I’ll prepare a bath while you go back to your room to get some clean clothes. We’ll worry about properly bandaging your wounds after you’re done washing up," Ratio explains. Aventurine looks at the other man in bewilderment, unsure of how to respond to the other’s courteous gestures. Was this really the same Ratio who criticized his antics everytime they interacted with each other?
He wordlessly nods his head in agreement before leaving and making his way down the hall to his own room. A tired sigh leaves his lips as he searches through his dresser for a different pair of clothes to bring. In the end, he decides to go with a more comfortable set of clothing given the fact that he’ll probably be sleeping for the rest of the night.
Before going back to Ratio’s room, he decides to spare a glance at himself in the bathroom mirror. The sight that greets him almost causes him to throw up. Dark bruises cover his face along with dried blood which trails down his nose towards his chin. Cuts and bruises litter his neck and arms, his once clear skin now completely covered in dark splotches. He grips the edges of the bathroom sink to stabilize himself from falling over until his knuckles turn white. Aventurine has to take a few deep breaths in to calm his racing heartbeat, but is eventually able to reign himself back in.
He wearily walks back to the doctor’s room, making sure to pick up his towel and wash rag before making a beeline towards the bathroom. As promised, the bathtub is filled with water along with colorful flower petals which float above the water’s surface. His nose is immediately filled with a calming floral scent as he gently steps into the tub. He hisses slightly in discomfort when his exposed wounds start to sting from being submerged in the soapy water. Thankfully the pain eventually subsides after a few minutes.
Aventurine runs a hand through his wet hair as he stares blankly at the wall. The usual mischievous glint in his eyes is gone, now replaced with something much more solemn and hollow. After spending about an hour in the bathtub, he eventually gets out and dries himself off before changing into his spare clothes. He exits the bathroom to find Ratio quietly reading a book on the sofa with his reading glasses on. Amber eyes look up to meet his own as the taller man places his book to the side.
“Ah, I see you’ve finished cleaning up. You can take a seat on the bed over there," Ratio says, gesturing towards the other side of the room.
Aventurine takes a seat on the edge of the bed with his hands in his lap. He watches the other man pull out a first aid kit from the nightstand drawer before walking back over to him. The sound of rustling can be heard as Ratio takes out a bottle of antiseptic cream and some bandages.
“This might sting a bit, though please bear with me.”
The gambler silently nods his head in understanding. Deft fingers gently start to rub cream over the large cut below his right eye. He winces slightly in pain at the stinging sensation. Ratio places a bandaid on the cut before repeating the same process with the other open wounds on his face and arms. The room is quiet aside from the crackling of the fireplace.
“Why are you doing all of this?” Aventurine asks, finally deciding to break the silence between the two of them. Ratio lowers the wet rag which he was using to wipe away some dried blood underneath the IPC worker’s bandaged nose. He tilts his head in confusion.
“Pardon?”
Aventurine lets out a hollow laugh.
“Why are you helping me? Surely the great Intelligentsia Guild Scholar would want something in return, right?” He asks with a weak smile which doesn’t quite meet his eyes. Ratio frowns as he puts the rag away, an unreadable expression now on his face.
“Do you really think I’d be so shallow as to take advantage of someone while they’re vulnerable?” He refutes with a raised eyebrow. Aventurine lowers his head to avoid Ratio’s intense gaze. He can feel his throat start to tighten as he digs his nails into his thighs.
“Well you’ve never been shy about your disdain for me, so it’s only natural to assume that there’d be some sort of catch to this whole exchange," he explains with a wry grin. For a second, he thinks he sees a flash of guilt cross through Ratio’s eyes.
The pounding of his heartbeat grows louder in his ears with each heavy breath he takes.
“That’s why I’m so confused as to why you’d go this far to help me. Had it been anyone else, they probably would’ve left me there to die...” he bitterly laughs. The space between them grows eerily quiet. A droplet of water suddenly falls onto his hand. He tilts his head in confusion, unsure of where it could’ve come from. He goes to push some stray hair away from his face, only to pause when he feels something wet on his cheeks. Was he....crying?
It takes him a few seconds to fully process what’s happening before his eyes widen in horror at the sudden realization. How could this happen? This perfect mask he’s spent years crafting and perfecting to protect himself from this cruel world. Was it all for nothing?
A loud sob escapes his throat as he starts to violently shake. He must look so pathetic in front of Ratio right now. The prideful and confident Aventurine, reduced to nothing more but a scared child crying for help. Absolutely pathetic PATHETIC PATHETIC PA-
A warm hand gently cups his cheek, carefully lifting his chin up to meet soft amber eyes.
“Shh, easy. Take a deep breath in and out," Ratio calmly instructs. Aventurine feels like his heart is about to burst out of his chest from how fast it’s beating. Despite this, he tries his best to listen to the doctor’s instructions. Deep, shaky breaths leave his mouth as he tries to ground himself. He feels another hand start to rub soothing circles into his back while he focuses on breathing.
Choked sobs eventually turn into quiet whimpers as Aventurine slowly starts to calm down. He meekly peers up at Ratio to find the other man watching him with a concerned look in his eyes. The gambler feels his lower lip start to wobble.
“Why...?” He croaks out, barely above a whisper.
The scholar uses his thumb to brush away the stray tears that fall down Aventurine’s cheeks. He takes a seat beside him on the bed, gently pulling the blonde closer to rest against his shoulder. He lets out a thoughtful hum to himself before finally speaking.
“Because, despite what you may think, I truly do care about you, little peacock.”
Glossy eyes stare at the taller man in shock. So he really does care about him? Before he’s able to ask him, Ratio raises a hand up.
“In the beginning when we first met, it’s true that I wasn’t fond of working with you. In my eyes, you were just another cocky and troublesome idiot who I had the displeasure of being collaboration partners with. I honestly considered going back to the IPC and requesting a new person to work with altogether. However, as the months passed by, I quickly came to realize that there was much more to you than you initially let on.”
Ratio runs a gentle hand through his hair.
“As much as I hated to admit it, there was this certain charm and allure to you which left me completely enthralled. In a way....I suppose I was something akin to a moth being drawn to the flame. Despite how flippant and annoying you could be, you somehow still managed to worm a way into my good graces. And, to an even bigger extent....my heart," he quietly admits with a slight flush.
Aventurine looks at him in awe with a small blush of his own. A large hand gently cups his cheek, pulling his face closer to the doctor’s. His breath hitches at how close their lips are to each other.
“May I kiss you?”
It almost takes a minute for him to fully register what the other man is asking him before his eyes widen in shock. Was this all a dream? Before he’s able to fully comprehend what’s happening, he’s already nodding his head eagerly.
Soft lips meet his own in a tender kiss. The hand cupping his cheek slowly slides down to his neck, pulling him closer as he wraps his arms around Ratio’s neck. His nose is invaded with the calming scent of flowers and honey which only encourages him to press his body closer against the doctor’s. Aventurine feels like he’s floating on cloud nine from how high his heart soars with excitement.
They eventually separate from one another, both of their chests rising and falling heavily as they stare into each other’s eyes.
“Wow...you’re a pretty good kisser," Aventurine blurts out.
Ratio snorts in amusement.
“I suppose that’s high praise coming from you," he jokes with a faint smirk. Aventurine lets out a small chuckle before a yawn escapes his throat. The fatigue and tiredness he had been feeling a few hours earlier was now coming back in full force. His eyelids start to droop as he struggles to keep his eyes open.
“I think it’s time for you to get some rest now. You’ve had quite the stressful day afterall," Ratio says softly. He nods his head in agreement, a somewhat disappointed look on his face as he gets up to leave. A warm hand on his shoulder stops him from going.
“You can stay here with me for the night. Only if you want to of course....” Ratio sheepishly mutters as he casts his eyes to the side in embarrassment. Aventurine’s heart instantly swells at the offer. A genuine smile appears on his lips.
“I’d really like that.”
The two make their way over to the bed, Aventurine taking the right side while Ratio takes the left. The sound of bed sheets rustling beside him can be heard before a strong arm hesitantly wraps around his waist, pulling his back flush against the taller man’s chest. The blonde can’t help the dark blush which creeps onto his cheeks at the feeling of Ratio’s warm breath tickling the back of his neck. An involuntary shiver courses through his body.
“Is this alright?” Ratio asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice. If he wasn’t feeling so tired, Aventurine would’ve laughed at how bashful the doctor currently sounds. Instead, he lets out a quiet ‘mhm’ in agreement.
A relieved sigh can be heard behind him as he feels another hand start to gently play with his hair. Aventurine lets out a content hum, his eyelids slowly closing as sleep finally overcomes him.
“Rest well, little peacock.”