The Hurt After bruises

healing support

TW: BLOOD DONT FEEL LIKE WATCHING IT, DONT WATCH IT. JUST SAYING.

Jayson always had to do things alone. He couldn't allow himself to show vulnerability. That's how Foxwell worked. If you were weak, it ate you up alive. He'd learned that lesson at a very young age.

The small stone darted towards his face. He felt the taste of warm iron in her mouth. The stone ripped his upper lip, fresh blood streaming down his chin. He spit on the ground, his eyes searching for the attacker.

It was a boar, looking barely a year older than him. He ignored the sharp pain in his lips and launched himself at the boar, who started running. Jayson, however, was faster. He caught the boar and finished off their little fight with some warning punches and bites. The boar ran off, and he was left alone with his bleeding mouth.

He snuck back to his room without minos noticing. He hated when he got into pointless fights with the local troublemakers. It was for the best if he kept this one a secret. He could attend to his cut lip alone. He grabbed a jug of water and a clean rug. Well, clean was an overstatement, but at least it didn't smell like sweat or dirt.

The fox soaked the cloth in the water and slowly brought it to his lip. It was swollen around the cut, and the blood already dried in the wound. He sucked her teeth when he pressed the he rug to the cut. The water stung, but he had to clean it. It will probably leave a scar anyway. He didn't need it to get infected as well.

Jayson let out a shaky sigh and continued. He was strong like his father. He was bravery like his father, and he had to be. If he couldn't bear one little cut, he didn't have a long future in the undercity.

•

"Sit down."

"I'm fine." Jayson got all defensive. He was fine, except maybe some light bruises.
"Sit. Down." Minos' almost growling tone made clear that no was not an option.

He sat down with a huff and furrowed his brows. He knew he was in a lot of trouble. Minos lectured him about how fighting won't solve anything. It was brutal and pain. Maybe it didn't solve problems, but it sure did keep safe his family. His ancestors. He didn't understand.

Minos opened a half-empty bottle of alcohol and soaked a cloth with its content. He carefully patted the deep red bruise above the  fox's eyebrow. Jayson hissed and instinctively moved away from the cloth. However, minos didn't stop.

The worst pain wasn't caused by the wound itself. It was the anger and disappointment in minos' eyes. That hurt more than any physical injury could ever. He knew he messed up. He knew he betrayed his trust.

When he asked about the fight, jayson couldn't bring himself to look in his eyes. He just stared at the floor, and his bruised knuckles. He flexed and relaxed his paw. It hurt, but he was used to it. It wasn't a big price for their safety.

•

Jayson groaned as he slipped down to the cold floor of his cell. He's been in prison for a few days after getting arrested for how crimes made his actions.

He distantly heard the gate closing. His whole body hurt. There wasn't a single spot the wardens had left out. He could pick a fight and escape, but he couldn't really stand a chance when three, sometimes even four or five full guards, came into his cell to... 'have a little chat' with him.

Besides, not that they would've left if they hadn't worked his over to the point he couldn't stand. He laughed with a bitter undertone. He probably looked like a mess. His nose was bleeding and apparently his eyebrow, too, since he felt warm liquid pouring down his cheek and neck in a thin line. One of the wardens' batons must've hit his head pretty hard.