The Lucky Doberman

Chapter 22: Bandaids and Blankets

He'd explained everything to me, monotonously.

Something about there being a guy who was a rival to his company that threatened to find me because they thought I was a spy.
I don't know, he worded it better than I did.
But I didn't believe it.
It had to be something worse that he didn't want to tell me. I assumed it was referring to the information I learned on my own that I still hadn't told him I figured out.

He'd also been shot, but refuses to tell me how. I don't think any company rival is just shooting their oppositions.

"Um...Give me a second..."
I walked into my closet and quickly found a pair of shorts before walking back out. I'm never sleeping in my underwear again.

"Can I see your shoulder?" I asked.
"Why?"
"To fix it."
"No, I'm fine."
"Please?" I walked over to him.
"No."
"It'll just take a quick second, I promise."
"There's nothin' wrong with it."
"Then let me see."
"For what?"
"Because I'm curious." I shrugged.
He just stared at me.
"Please?" I asked.

He groaned with a roll of his eyes but still pulled his suit jacket off.

I could see all of the blood on his white dress shirt.

I looked up at him in disappointment.
"What?" he asked.
"Why would you lie?"
"I didn't."
"You said nothing was wrong with it."
"Nothin's wrong with it to me." He looked away.

"Come on." I instructed.
"Come on where?"
"To my bathroom." I took his uninjured arm and began pulling him behind me.

He lazily followed behind and I flicked the smallest light on out of the two because I remembered his eyes.

"Is that too bright?" I asked to make sure.
"No," he replied.
I nodded then went into my cabinets. I found tweezers, bandaids, and a towel that I held under the faucet for a bit.
"Take your shirt off. I'm gonna go get gloves."
"I don't need you doin' this for me."
"Take. Your shirt. Off. I'm not gonna tell you again."

I walked out of the bathroom to find where we kept the rubber gloves.

I saw the condition of my front door.

"SERIOUSLY?!" I yelled at him.
"Sorry." he replied dryly.
I rolled my eyes and closed it, but it could very easily be opened again because it doesn't lock anymore.

I found the gloves and began sliding them on while I walked back to the bathroom.

"Oh..." I said aloud on accident.

He stood there leaning against the counter with his shirt off.
I knew he was broad but I didn't know he was that...strong. Or toned. His arms were so firm. His chest was dense. His abs were...unbelievable.

I looked in the mirror and saw his back looked just as strong. I found the 'K9' sigil. It was between his shoulder blades directly on his spine. But it wasn't a tattoo.
It was a brand.
He let them burn it into his flesh.
His only tattoos were the ones on his hands, but...I noticed scars on his body. Long. Short. Wide. Slim.
How many accidents like this one had he been in?

"Are you ready?" I asked.
"Mhm."

I grabbed onto the damp towel and began wiping his arm down.

"Are you okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine. You worry too much."
"Maybe. But you can't expect me to be calm when you show up at my door with a bloody shoulder.
He didn't respond.

I took the tweezers. "This might hurt a bit."
I slowly slid the tweezers inside and tried not to touch any flesh. I found the bullet and grabbed it but it slipped out of the tweezers.
I looked at him. He had zero expression.
Weird.
I began trying again. I grabbed onto it and began pulling it out. I tossed it into the sink.

"We have bandaids. Would you like flowers, polka dots, or puppies?" I asked.
He looked unamused.
"You seem like you like puppies."

I took one of the puppy bandaids and unwrapped it then stuck it over his shoulder.
"There."

He looked down at it then back at me.
I snickered. "I think it looks adorable."
"I bet you do."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Nothin'."
"I feel like you meant something by that."
"I didn't."
"It's very impressive how you've mastered the art of saying different things with the same nonchalant tone of voice."
"Thank you."
"You're very welcome." I replied.
He took his shirt.
I took it back.
"What?" he asked.
"You're not putting this back on. It's soaked in blood. I'll wash it."
He rolled his eyes.
"You're very sassy for such a silent man." I stated and walked out of the bathroom.

I walked to our washing machine and threw in his shirt and the detergent. Plus something else my mom taught me to put in loads for tough stains.
I pushed start then walked out.

He was standing there with his arms crossed and looking at my door.

"Are you feeling apologetic?" I laughed lightly.
"How do you feel about me sleepin' here?" he asked.
I was stunned. "Wh-...Huh?"
"That door doesn't close all the way anymore and you're still in danger. I sleep here, we go to work later tomorrow, fix your door in the morning." he explained carelessly.
"Oh...okay. Sure. Yea."
His head turned and he looked at me. "Are you sure?"
"Yea. It's like a sleepover. We can watch a movie or something."
He didn't reply.
I'll take that as a no.

"I'll get you a blanket." I stated.
"I don't need-..."
"Hush." I went into the closet we had in our hallway and grabbed one of the extra blankets. The longest one I knew we had.

I went back to him and he was sitting on the couch already.
I handed it over then went to our large window. It was night but the curtains were open so I knew in the morning the sun would shine right through and I didn't want it to hurt him. I closed them tightly.

"Um...So do you need anything else?"
"Thought you said you wanted to watch a movie."
"Oh...I didn't know if you wanted to or not..."
"You worry too much. Put on your movie."
"Okay..." I said and grabbed the remote.

I sat next to him with my knees pulled up to my chest as I looked for what we should watch.

"What genre do you like?" I asked.
"I don't care."
"Horror is fun to watch when you're with someone."
"Okay."
I went to the horror section.

It's hard to feel like he isn't annoyed by me if he always sounds so uninterested. He agrees, but...there's never any joy or excitement in his voice. I feel like I'm talking to a robot.

"You cold?" he asked me.
"No. Why?"
His finger pointed at my legs. Goosebumps.
"Oh...no, I'm okay."
He handed me the blanket.
"It's yours." I replied.
He unfolded it and put it over my legs. I laughed. "I brought it for you." I pulled it over to him.
"I'm not cold." He pulled it over to me.
"Yes, you are." I pulled it back over to him.
He stared at me.
I laughed because somehow I could tell he thought what I said was stupid.
"Take it." he stated and pulled it back to me.
"I'm not taking it." I gave it back to him.
"Take the damn blanket, Lucky."
"Fine. We'll share."

I spread the blanket halfway between us so that we were both under it.

"Is that better?" I asked.
He was looking down at it.

I picked the movie and pressed play.

"I regret this already." I stated.
"Why?"
"I'm terrified of horror movies and my door doesn't shut, thanks to someone."
"Then why the fuck did you pick it?!"
"Because it seemed cool!"
"Change it."
"No." I argued.
"Yes. Turn it off."
"Nope." I shoved the remote into the couch cushions out of his reach.

His arm rested on the back of the couch behind my head.
"You're such a brat." he sighed and looked at the tv screen.
"I'm insulted." I said and looked at him.
"Good."