The Master stared at Jet asleep on his bed, every feature on his face totally at ease as he let out steady breaths.

They hadn't even taken a lot of time at the hospital when the doctors said that apart from the minor injuries, Jet was fine.

They'd brought him back home but the worry never quite etched its way out.

He noticed that Mason breathed easier on the way back. He saw the guilt in his face. He didn't want to ask but he did anyway.

Mason only shook his head and told him he didn't know how to face Jet when he woke up.

Whatever had happened, he knew deep down that he wouldn't overlook it. He'd just pretend it was none of his business until Jet became better, then he'd do everything to get to the bottom of it.

Thankfully, everything was clean when they got back and the sheets had been changed.

There was no blood apart from the blood on his clothes which only reminded him that he'd been running around filthy.

Once he'd made sure Jet was sound on the bed, he took a quick shower to clean everything and possibly the day off his skin.

He'd been worried for nothing, apparently he'd played the role of doctor really well and had done everything they would have done anyway.

He came out dressed to find Jet staring up at the ceiling. He was immediately by his side.

"Jet," he said with everything his voice couldn't hide.

Jet winced when he tried to move and the confusion was clear in his face.

The Master didn't know if it was because of his hands or feet but he was already putting a firm grip to still him.

He couldn't even stop himself when he leaned down suddenly and kissed Jet, pouring all of his relief into it.

"It'll hurt less if you just remain calm and try to rest," the Master said while pulling away.

And then he climbed in right next to Jet on the bed.

"I'm..." the injured man said and trailed off as he raised his hand up to inspect the bandages. "Fuck."

The way he said it...

"This has happened before," the Master realized it as he said it.

When Jet didn't answer, he confirmed that it was true. The look of self loathing on his face threatened to pull a hidden part of him to the surface.

"How often?" He asked. "How bad does it get?"

Jet turned a little to the side and breathed heavily. "It's nothing. Won't happen again."

It wasn't what he wanted to know.

"I'm not taking that for an answer. Look at me," the Master waited until Jet fully turned to him. "You were so enraged, you needed an outlet. I get that. But I still want to know."

Jet looked like he was trying to make up his mind. The Master had all the time, he could wait.

"I wanted to punch something," said Jet. It was a start.

"Then you should have found me, I can take it."

"So can the wall."

"Fucking wall, I'm afraid you have a point," the Master laughed. "But I could stop you from hurting yourself, and anyone."

"I wouldn't,"Jet snapped.

The realization seemed to hit Jet at the same time the Master tried to hide his hand.

Jet panicked. "I did that?!" He questioned as he tried to sit up, ignoring any pain he was in.

If Jet couldn't remember it then it might be worse than he thought. "This isn't what I'm talking ab–"

"I'd never hurt you," Jet said, not quite listening to him.

It shouldn't have shaken him the way it did. "I believe that."

He couldn't believe the reply came so naturally to him either. It was getting harder to understand himself with each passing day.

"But I still did!" Jet was restless and he wanted nothing more than for him to calm down.

The Master sat up with him and took his hands in his but Jet only shook his head. "I..." It came out as a gasp and a sob.

He didn't even know if Jet realized that his face was wet.

"Take it easy," the Master said, taking more pleasure than he should have, in the way Jet's head easily leaned into his shoulder. "Aww such a sweet crybaby."

Jet sniffled. "But I hurt you."

"You didn't. Now stop crying okay?"

Jet nodded. It was the sweetest side of him that he'd seen so far. It didn't even feel like it was Jet himself. He waited for him to quiet down.

"The last time it happened," Jet started, trying to put some distance between them. It wasn't going to be that easy.

Jet gave up. "It was about two months before I signed up for this... thing."

The Master cleaned the last of his tears. He remained quiet and let Jet talk.

"I woke up in a hospital... I had a fall out with someone. Shitty job, shitty pay, shitty temper," Jet stopped like he was contemplating stopping there. "The doctor said that people didn't just attempt to break everything, including themselves just because their co-worker didn't push the barstools in the right way. He said talking to someone might help..."

The Master hoped Jet didn't notice the way he slightly stiffened. At that point it had finally hit him, how truly alone Jet was. Of course he might have had no one to talk to.

"It wasn't just that," Jet continued. "But I don't want to talk about it."

The Master had stiffened and held his tongue because he held information that was vital to Jet. If he'd told him the truth, he'd have to let him go and he was so selfish he couldn't do that.

It was almost like he needed him. So much that he wasn't ready to let him go yet. He wanted him here, he just did.

"It's okay." He let Jet slide back under the covers.

"I'm really sleepy. I think–"

"Go ahead, I'm right here." The Master turned the lights out.

It had not even taken five minutes and Jet was already tossing and turning in the bed.

The Master moved closer to him. It lessened but Jet was still restless. After a while, he let out an exasperated sigh.

"I can't," Jet said into the darkness then paused. "The light..."

The Master was already reaching out to turn them on. "You can't sleep without the light?" He asked.

That would explain why Jet never really slept easy, or why every time he woke up, the light on Jet's side was always on.

He could have just told him. But he wasn't about to complain because Jet was telling him now.

Jet didn't answer. He just turned his back to him like it was something anyone would be ashamed to admit.

The Master moved closer yet to him, but he left it at that.

꧁___꧂

Almost a whole week had passed by and Jet still couldn't bring himself to talk to anyone. To face anyone.

He kept himself away from them, apart from the fact that Riley wasn't about to take any of it. The man was more stubborn than a kitten with yarn, and a part of him was glad for that.

By the middle of the week, Jet only felt the slightest pain when he walked so he moved around a little.

When he'd gone back to his room, he found Mason getting inside his then stopping suddenly at the sight of him.

Jet should have spared him a minute maybe, or just any amount of time because he'd never seen so much emotion on his face. Mason looked like he wanted to say so many things, he also looked like he wanted to cry.

Jet gave him no time, he slammed his door shut and left him standing probably staring after him. It was going to be a while before he got the image of Mason's face out of his mind.

His room was perfect. Nothing was out of place, not even one blemish on it.

Despite it all, he wasn't going to stay there. At least for a while.

It was the Master. In the past few days, he'd become like a refuge for Jet. He found that in his arms, he could truly relax. The warmth he offered was unexpected, unreal. And this time, Jet wasn't going to be so quick to walk away from it.

He walked back to the Master's room that was slowly turning out to be his too.

The morning after what was a whole week, Jet lay on the bed facing the Master as the man did the same.

"Everyone's worried about you, you know," he said.

Jet opened his mouth to tell him that wasn't actually what it was, that he had it all wrong and if there was anything anyone felt towards him, it was hatred.

But the words that came out of his mouth were different. Not really what he wanted to say.

"Are you?" He asked. "Are you worried about me?"

The Master slowly hooked their fingers and brought their hands up to his mouth. The bruises on the back of Jet's hand were already fading. He kissed them.

"I am," he replied.

It sent a jolt down Jet's spine. It's what he wanted to hear and yet it still sent minor shockwaves through  him.

"Well don't be," Jet said and snatched his hand back. He really sucked at this kind of thing.

The Master pushed his hair back and sighed.

"I'm going to tell you something I don't really tell anyone," the man before him started. He had Jet's full attention. "Our situations are different, but every time I'm frustrated, every time something falls out of place, there's only one thing that keeps my mind on track."

"Punching a bag?" Jet was quick to ask.

"Control," said the Master. "In that moment I need someone to walk upside down if I ask them to, I don't care if I have to pay them to do it. That's the only way it works." His hand sought out his, they seemed to do that a lot; hold hands.

"And what if you can't have your way?"

"Things get ugly, so I don't let it get to that."

He'd said it like it was a need. Maybe Jet understood that. But not all of it.

"Why do you need control?" He asked.

"I used to, but now I just crave it. It's what I've been taught from a young age," the Master said. "You lose control, you lose everything."

Jet couldn't believe his ears, the Master was opening up to him? Did seeing him in whatever state he was in affect him?

"My father would make me watch him while he worked," the Master said. "He said it was the only way I would learn to run things."

Jet was hooked, nothing could distract him from the words that left his mouth. There was a frown on the Master's face, like he was back in the past.

"I was probably six when it started. I'd watch him even past midnight... sometimes all the way to three in the morning. It was easy to catch me drowsing off to sleep because all I had was a chair against the wall. But every time he did catch me, he'd take something I liked from me; a favorite shirt, a toy, meals... anything."

Jet honestly didn't know what to say, so he kept his mouth shut.

"I found my ways around it, but the consequences were worse. Eventually he destroyed himself, but his words never stopped ringing in my ears."

It sounded like there was so much he was not saying.

"Was he trying to turn you into himself?" Jet felt a little anger bubbling inside.

"Don't all fathers try with their sons?" The Master asked. "He is an awfully insecure man, no matter how rich he is."

Jet wondered where he was. He wondered about his family, his mother. He didn't voice it.

"Do you think he succeeded?"

"More or less. I mean, I'm perfect and all but–"

"Ugh I should have known," Jet rolled his eyes then kissed the corner of his mouth. "You're just a little pretty don't let it turn your brain to noodles."

"See? Perfect."

Jet tried to focus when his fingers were kissed one by one. "So fucking p- stupid," said Jet, even as his voice came out softly.

"I'm going to book you a doctor's appointment, see if you're perfectly fine," the Master said when he found time to stop kissing him. "Or I could get Jen."

That grabbed Jet's attention, but he declined.

"You're better off booking an appointment for Mason," said Jet. "I'm fine."

"Why?"

"He... uh," Jet didn't know how to say it. "He's got this thing... a condition that... well he just gets boners randomly, that isn't right... I think. Could you do that instead?"

"Hmm... he told you that?" The Master asked him. Why didn't he sound fazed?

Jet nodded and the Master muffled a laugh. "What sort of conversations have you guys been having?"

Jet groaned. "Just do it okay?"

"You know, that's awfully fishy for someone who doesn't want anything to do with him."

"Fucking hell, never mind then," said Jet.

They should have gotten off the bed already, but somehow they both wanted to waste as much time as possible lazing around.

"Jet," the Master said.

"What?"

"I'm going to take you out tomorrow."

Jet hesitated. He denied the fact that he was a little excited. "What for?"

"You'll see."

Jet rolled to the opposite side of the bed to turn away from him.

"Whatever," he said, then continued after a while. "Ever since that day, you know... that date. You've called me nothing but Jet."

"Is it not your name?"

"It is. But that's all you've been calling me."

"Yeah, because it's your name, or do you want me to call you Carrera?"

Jet groaned. "Never mind, Jet is my fucking name."

He still had his back turned to the Master but he thought he heard a chuckle.

"My fierce cub," he heard the Master say finally.

There was silence between them for a short while until Jet finally spoke. "Don't fucking call me that," he said, trying to hide his small smile.

꧁______꧂

An entire chapter on the same bed y'all–
💀