Future (Kavi/Scomiche)

Pain

AN: This chapter contains mentions of abuse, so I felt like I should warn you guys. Also, there will be another hypothetical character in this chapter that doesn't really exist.
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She shrieked and snatched her hand back, quickly rushing to the sink to run the burn under some cold water. Just as she'd gotten her hand under the water, Avi came running into the kitchen wearing only a pair of dark jeans and holding his shirt in his hands. "I heard you yell. What happened?" He marched over towards her and gently rotated her arm under the water so he could get a better view of the burn.

An angry looking blister was already forming, pale white near the center and dark red near the edges. Kirstie's eyes were watering from the pain of the blister, yet she spoke through the pain. "Will you please get the toast out of the oven? I didn't and I don't want it to burn." Although she looked as if she was worried about the toast, Avi had known her for long enough to know when she was deflecting. Either her hand was more hurt than she was letting on or she was thinking about something that hurt her.

Avi stared at her with an unreadable look on his face for a moment before nodding. He quickly removed the toast, with a dish rag, and turned back to her. "Do you think you need to go to the ER? That looks like a pretty serious burn." He was holding her arm up and staring at the burn with a concerned look on his face.

Kirstie shook her head and waved his suggestion off. "I'll manage. I'm going to need some ointment and some gauze pads but I'll be fine. It's burning like crazy right now but I doubt it'll still be hurting by tomorrow. It'll just be sore instead of constantly burning."

She suddenly became aware of his closeness and state of undress and felt her stomach tighten as she took in the sight of his broad chest, lightly dusted with dark hair. He seemed totally unaware of her sudden change in demeanor and still gently held her hand up. "Are you sure? What if it gets infected or something?"

Trying to calm her suddenly hammering heart beat, she prayed she wouldn't stammer. "It'll be fine. I've dealt with a burn like this before." She gulped as her eyes followed the trail of hair on his stomach, leading down to the waistband of his jeans. "If I just keep it wrapped and keep some antibiotic ointment on it, it won't get... infected..."

Avi looked up at her when her voice trailed off and seemed to realize what was going on. He gently let go of her hand and stepped back a bit, face flushed. "I guess." He still looked uncertain about not going to the ER. "Just... say the word and I'll take you to the ER, if you decide you need it." He walked by her and grabbed the shirt that he'd deposited on the counter. He paused at the door of the kitchen. "I'm gonna go see if I can find any ointment. We'll probably have to go pick up some gauze pads, though. I can probably find something to make do with until after we eat. I'll be back in a second."

Kirstie groaned when she was sure he was out of earshot. She'd always found him attractive, in a boy-next-door sort of way, but somehow he'd grown into a man right under her nose. He'd grown up but he wasn't the only one; everyone in Pentatonix had. None of them were the same people they'd been when they'd first met in 2011. So much had happened since the group was formed that it would be strange if they hadn't changed.

The problem, though, was that he had to know that she'd just been checking him out. Even the most oblivious person in the world would have noticed with how hard she'd been staring. Shaking her head, she huffed and turned off the stove eyes and moved the dishes to the table. Needless to say, she glared at the now-safe toast pan as she moved it.

She glared at the burn on her hand. It had gotten her into this mess. Not only that, but it had also resurfaced some old memories that she would much rather pretend didn't exist. She took a shuddering breath and focused on keeping the burn under the cool stream of water, fighting with all of her power to keep the memories at bay.