"does it... really change anything? I've spent the last what, two days? sleeping in your bed curled up with you. I mean... we're pretty much already together all the time, generally with me leaning on you, but you know." Lightning said. Doc nodded after a minute. the kid was right, it really didn't change anything, they both just felt better now that it was in the open. before his wreck it would've changed everything, but after the wreck, Lightning had needed him so much that it really didn't change much.

"yeah, you're right. a couple months ago it would've change a little more, but you've been hanging around since your wreck." Doc mumbled. they got up from the table once they were finished, cleaned up and headed for the living room. they settled onto the couch, Doc propped his feet up on the table, arms over the back of the couch. Lightning sat beside him wincing, he took his boot off carefully and rubbed his leg.

"any idea when I get out of these stupid things?" Lightning ask. Doc looked over.

"the cast should come off soon, I have the appointment card for that in my wallet. you can ask them about your leg then." Doc said.

"good. my arm itches under this stupid thing." Lightning grumbled.

"take a pencil and scratch." Doc said. Lightning gave him an odd look.

"what?" he ask. Doc raised an eye brow and stood from the couch. he headed for the kitchen and returned with a pencil.

"take this, the eraser end, poke it down your cast and use it to scratch. learned that after my wreck." Doc mumbled. Lightning took the pencil and shrugged couldn't hurt. he poked it down into the cast carefully and used it to scratch his arm. oh god Doc was right.

"holy shit. it actually works." he mumbled.

"feels better don't it?" Doc chuckled, propping his feet back up onto the coffee table. Lightning nodded a little, yelping when Doc pulled him over to his side.

"h-hey, let me at least get comfortable. I know I'm smaller but you can't just pull me around." Lightning muttered, cheeks a soft pink. Doc smirked a little and let the younger get comfortable against his side, arm held up out of the way. he watched him carefully, doing his best not to get in the way of the smallers squirming. Lightning shifted to get off his bad leg, he really had to stop laying on it. Doc watched his face contort from pain to relaxed after a few minutes. Lightning leaned against him, head leaned back on Docs chest while half propping himself up on the olders leg. once he finally stopped moving Doc laid his arm over him and got himself comfortable. this was way too comfortable way too quick, but it didn't seem to bother either of them. not including the first three days they'd known each other, they were always comfortable with the other.

"how bad does your leg hurt?" Doc ask, flipping through the channels to find them something to watch. Lightning shifted some wincing, but relaxing in the feeling of leaning against the older man.

"its fine I guess. I keep laying on it though." Lightning muttered rubbing his leg. Doc nodded, settling on a show. they settled in and relaxed, content to be in each others company quietly and watch tv. until Docs cell phone went off. both looked at it on the coffee table, before Lightning tilted his head up to look at Doc confused. Doc had a dirty look on his face, somewhere between 'im too tired and old for this' and 'why the fuck are you ringing'. "you want that?" Lightning ask. he sighed and glared at the phone, before the look fell. curse that damned cell phone, always going off at the wrong times and curse his inability to ignore someone that could possibly be hurt, but he couldn't leave his friends high and dry like that.

"not really, but it could be someone got hurt." Doc muttered. Lightning nodded and sat up. he grabbed the cell phone before passing it to Doc and settling back into his previous position. Doc draped his arm back over the younger. "hello?" Doc ask. Lightning couldn't hear who was on the other line or what they were saying, but he could hear the almost annoyed sigh from Doc. "alright hold on, I'll be right there." Doc said, nudging Lightning. he sat up and looked at Doc confused. "yeah give me a minute, meet me at the clinic. I'm laying on the couch watching tv, I have to get shoes on, just get him over there and don't touch it, don't touch anything. I don't want anyone messing with it until I get a look. he better hope I don't have to call an ambulance for him." Doc said, hanging up. Lightning was even more confused.

"Doc?" Lightning ask worriedly. Doc stood from the couch, grumbling to himself.

"Ramone caught his arm working on his car and tore it open. just stay here, shouldn't take long to fix." Doc said, getting up. Lightning nodded watching him go for his shoes and keys. "I'll be back in a few." Doc said before heading for the door.

"okay." Lightning mumbled, sitting up on the couch some stretching his legs across the other two cushions. he noticed Doc pause in the doorway and looked at him confused. Doc turned around and headed back over towards him. "did you forget some-" Lightning started his words were smothered by a kiss. in a flash, Doc was gone. Lightnings cheeks were bright pink and blinked at the closed door. he'd have to get used to that. he smiled and settled on the couch content to lay there until Doc got back. except he didn't come back, he just sent a text saying it was worse than he thought and it would take a little longer. that it had been a lot worse than Mack had described to him and he wasn't entirely sure that he wouldn't need an ambulance.

when Doc finally came back, a little over three and a half hours later, Lightning wasn't on the couch anymore. that wasn't surprising, it was nearly 11 pm. Doc sighed and kicked off his shoe's. he muttered and headed for his room, walking straight to the bathroom and getting a shower, Ramone's blood had gone everywhere. the cut had gone from his left bicep all the way to the tip of his middle finger. Doc had had to stitch the whole thing. he showered and pulled on a pair of boxers, not bothering to get dressed. he was too tired and he was going to go immediately to bed, the only person likely to see him right now was Lightning and he doubted the younger would even notice probably already asleep. he flopped onto the bed, dropping his head into the pillow. he vaguely felt something move beside him and realized it was Lightning. the younger was curled up and snoring, or at least he had been until Docs sudden plop onto the bed woke him. he shifted and mumbled lifting his head to give Doc a very sleepy, but concerned look. Doc would have chuckled if he'd had the energy, instead he gave him a tired half smile that only lasted a brief moment before dropping on his face. he was getting too old for these late night emergency calls.

"what happened?" he mumbled, dropping it back onto the bed. if he was going to keep staying in Docs bed he was going to need to grab himself a pillow eventually. it hadn't been a problem when he'd been using Doc's chest or shoulder as a pillow, but without Doc there he'd become aware of the issue. he'd also became aware of how soft his blanket was, when Doc wasn't getting onto him for stealing it.

"Ramone nearly took his arm off. had to stitch the whole thing up." Doc said, rolling onto his side and pulling the younger closer to him, holding his waist gently. both comfortable like they'd done this a million times already. the younger curled into his warmth and huffed.

"sounds fun." Lightning mumbled sarcastically.

"yeah loads of fun and there was blood everywhere." Doc huffed. Lightning mumbled tiredly and curled up. "don't steal my blanket." Doc said. Lightning rolled back some to shoot a dirty look at him.

"I'm using my own." Lightning muttered, before rolling back over. Doc chuckled a little, face buried in the back of his neck. he closed his eyes and settled in for some sleep. he hadn't realized how tired he was until he laid down.

Doc grumbled hearing his alarm go off. suddenly there was a weight over him, like someone was leaning over him, with a mumbled 'fuck you stupid thing'. he muttered softly in confusion, but suddenly his alarm was shut off and the weight on him was gone, settled back down beside him. Doc opened one of his eyes a little, blinking tiredly as Lightning buried his face into his chest. Doc tightened his hold on the smaller, mumbling. Lightning muttered something about his stupid alarm, but otherwise was silent. Doc smiled slightly and held him. he rolled onto his back carefully, making sure not to hurt the youngers already injured arm. Lightning didn't budge, face firmly buried in his side.

"we should get up." Doc mumbled. Lightning growled lowly, holding tighter to him.

"no." Lightning mumbled. he chuckled and ruffled the blonds hair gently.

"we need breakfast." Doc said.

"not hungry." Lightning mumbled. that was a lie, Lightning always woke up hungry, if he didn't everyone would know immediately something was wrong, but Doc knew he was hungry and just didn't want to get up.

"you need a shower." Doc said. Lightning lifted his head enough to glare at him. Doc took a moment to study the bruises on his face from his wreck yesterday. his nose was almost completely purple, with a darker shade across the bridge of it. he had a scratch above his right eye but nothing bad. small bruises here and there, nothing that wouldn't heal.

"I don't stink." Lightning huffed, before dropping his head onto Docs chest, curling up more.

"we have training to do." Doc said. Lightning groaned and held tighter to him.

"it's only like 5 AM we have all day to train." he whined. Doc rolled his eyes, half sitting up. Lightning huffed, hugging his waist tightly, and trying to pull him back down. Doc gave in a little, but kept his head up off his pillow, slightly propped up on his left arm.

"fine five minutes." Doc said.

"3 hours." Lightning muttered. Doc sighed.

"20 minutes." Doc offered.

"2 hours 30 minutes." Lightning countered.

"30 minutes." Doc said. the younger huffed.

"2 hours." Lightning mumbled

"45 minutes." he mutters dropping his head back into his pillow. the kid was going to win anyway. they'd meet somewhere in the middle and Doc would just give in. he always did. he wondered if Lightning realized that. probably, the kid was an asshole like that sometimes.

"1 hour 30 minutes." Lightning said, lifting his head up.

"1 hour." Doc said, looking down at him. Lightning smiled a little and laid back down, content on the agreement. he curled up closer to Doc, who sighed a little. the kid always managed to wear him down. he gave into it and buried his face in the soft blond hair. he knew they'd fall asleep and wouldn't wake until probably 7 or 8, and Lightning knew it too, but that was alright. he heard the younger sigh softly, pulling him close.

"I love you." he murmurs softly. Doc kisses his head and smiles. Lightning pulled his head back and looked up at him. he looked like he was thinking, so Doc leaned down and kissed him. the younger sluggishly responded. Doc held it a moment, letting them both enjoy it before he pulled back and laid his head on his pillow, looking down at Lightning. the kid already had his head buried in his chest again. Doc smiled slightly closing his eyes.

8AM Doc shifted, the warmth and weight beside him was gone. he opened his eyes and looked around almost confused. the other side of the bed was empty. Lightnings blanket kicked off to the end of the bed.

"kid?" Doc ask. Lightning stepped out of the bathroom towel wrapped around him. not just his waist like normal, but his body, like he was hiding something. like all those new scars he had.

"hi Doc." Lightning waves. Doc sat up and looked at him.

"where's your boot kid?" Doc ask

"took it off for a shower." Lightning said, heading for his room. Doc nodded, watching him go. he sat up and got out of bed. he grabbed a pair of his pants and headed for the kitchen, staring out the window into the desert morning as he made coffee. it was going to be a hot one today.