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Sage had just nodded when Alessandro just mentioned that he'd stayed. The silent 'of course' he picked up on, and he felt a small smile form on his face. "Well ...I was asleep. I wouldn't have noticed," he mused, offering a light joke back in response to Alessandros smile. He let out a breath when he was asked how he felt, thinking for a second before shrugging. "I'll be tired and sore for a bit....but I'm alright by now for the most part," he noted. "Nothing a warm bath won't fix." Then he gave him a grin. "Won't ask you to stay for that," he added, clearly just messing with him a little bit. He slid off the bed then to sit down next to Blitz, reaching over to stroke the animal with a fond smile on his face. "Poor guy. I just waltzed in and started scaring you to death huh," he mused, letting the wolf sniff his face, a small giggle coming from him when he was licked on the chin. When Alessandro mentioned food he grimaced and shook his head. "I'll pass for now. Lucky I didn't throw up as is," he noted, cheeks flushing slightly. When company was offered he nodded, a small smile forming on his face. "I'd appreciate that," he added. "Did the doctor leave?" That was just out of curiosity....he didn't want or need him for anything, but he supposed they did need to figure out when scans and a deeper examination would happen. |
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Alessandro let the joke land, the corner of his mouth lifting despite himself. “Fair,” he admitted quietly. “You were occupied.” When Sage explained how he felt, Alessandro listened closely, eyes tracking every small movement, every shift of weight. The mention of a warm bath earned him a look—flat, unimpressed for exactly half a second—before Sage’s grin clarified the intent. Alessandro exhaled through his nose, amused in spite of himself. “Shame,” he replied dryly. “I was considering installing guard rails.” He moved only when Sage slid off the bed, lowering himself to sit nearby instead of looming, close enough to be present but not overbearing. He watched the interaction with Blitz with something dangerously close to fondness—how the wolf relaxed, how Sage laughed when he was licked. "He doesn't usually open up this easily" he admits. At the refusal of food, he nodded once. No pressure. He’d already learned Sage didn’t respond well to being pushed. “That’s fine,” he said. “Liquids later, maybe. When your stomach decides it’s done being dramatic.” When Sage accepted the offer of company, Alessandro didn’t hide the quiet relief in his posture. “Yes,” he answered at the question. “He left about ten minutes ago. Instructions are on the desk. I’ll schedule the scans—tomorrow, if you’re up for it. No surprises.” He paused, then added evenly, “You’re not going anywhere alone for the rest of the night. Bathroom included. I’ll stand outside the door.” Not controlling. Matter-of-fact. He glanced at Blitz again, then back to Sage. “You rest, you bathe, you recover,” Alessandro said. “I’ll handle everything else.” A beat. “And Sage,” he added, voice softer now, “thank you—for trusting me enough to wake up instead of fighting it.” He stayed seated beside him, solid and unmovable, a quiet promise made without ceremony:
he wasn’t leaving. |
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Sage felt himself relax fully when Alessandro reciprocated the humor, chuckling softly at his comment about the guard rails. "Dunno, might need them to get in and out of the tub," he joked. His legs were mostly fine ...though he was sensible enough to know he'd need an actual bath and not a shower tonight. He was just glad he had a bathroom to himself where he could stay in the warm water as long as need be. Casper always rushed him, didn't want him using all the hot water and such. When he mentioned Blitz being quick to open up, sage just sort of hummed and nodded along. "Maybe it was pity points," he mused. "But I'll take it even if it is," he added, letting the wolf just flip his head into his lap, continuing to stroke him happily. He nodded when the instructions were mentioned, glancing over to see the pile of papers on the table and wrinkling his nose. "So I have homework to do," he grumbled, though no real malice was in his tone. But he agreed that tomorrow would be best for the scans....he'd prefer to get it done sooner rather than later. Maybe this would actually help with things. When he was thanked for being trusting though, he glanced back at the man next to him, offering him a smile. "Well... for whatever reason, I do trust you," he sighed. "I think....I think it's because you actually care," he added, flushing slightly. "I always had to tread carefully around Casper. Not interrupt him, stay quiet while he was working." He felt his fingers tighten in Blitz's fur. "The seizures just made him mad." He shook his head, swallowing before continuing. "You're different. I guess I just....needed you to prove it." |
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Alessandro listened without interrupting, his expression still and attentive in the way it always was when something mattered. The humor earned a quiet huff of a laugh from him, brief but genuine. “Guard rails in the tub I can approve,” he replied dryly. “Non-slip mats too. I draw the line at a shower chair unless you ask for one.” His gaze flicked to Sage’s legs, not doubt—assessment. Then he nodded once, accepting Sage’s judgment without argument. At the mention of pity points, Alessandro arched a brow. “Blitz doesn’t do pity,” he said. “He does judgment. You passed.” A beat. “Stryker too. He just pretends not to care.” Stryker’s ear twitched in quiet offense. When Sage complained about the paperwork, Alessandro stood and gathered the stack, setting it neatly back on the table. “Homework implies a grade,” he said. “This is just instructions. And most of it is written by people who enjoy overexplaining.” His tone softened. “We’ll go through it together later if you want.” Then Sage smiled at him. And said he trusted him. Alessandro didn’t deflect that. He didn’t joke it away or brush past it. His shoulders eased just a fraction, like he’d been braced without realizing it. “You’re right,” he said quietly. “I do care.” He held Sage’s gaze as he spoke, steady and unflinching—not intense, just honest. “And I’m sorry no one made space for you before. Having to earn the right to exist quietly… that does things to people.” His jaw tightened briefly at the mention of Casper, not anger exactly—disapproval, clean and sharp. “Being sick is not an inconvenience. Anyone who treats it like one is failing.” He reached out—not to touch this time, but close enough that the intent was clear. An open hand, offered, not imposed. “You didn’t need to prove anything to deserve help,” Alessandro continued. “But I understand why you needed proof anyway.” A pause. “You have it now.” Blitz shifted, pressing more firmly into Sage’s lap, as if punctuating the point. “You don’t have to tread carefully here,” Alessandro said. “You don’t have to be quiet. And you don’t have to manage this alone ever again.” His voice lowered, firm but calm. “That’s not a promise I make lightly.” |
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Sage just laughed softly at his comments about the tub, a smile lingering softly on his face. "No, I don't suppose I'll be needing one of those," he noted, voice laced with amusement. "Once I take a nap I'm normally fine," he added with a shrug. Though he patted the wolf as he shifted into his lap a bit more, grinning down at him. "Well, they're lovely animals," he noted lightly. "I always wanted a dog or cat or something," he admitted. "Just never had resources for it." Though, when he offered to go through it together, he nodded with a relieved breath of air. "I'd appreciate that....I'm not the world's best reader. What I do know I taught myself in order to work," he noted, eyeing the stack of papers a little nervously. He could read decently well ...but that would take forever, and it would be tiring. His apology pulled him from his thoughts though, and he shook his head with a soft smile. "Well ..it's nothing you should be apologizing for," he pointed out. "But I guess you're right that something I can't control shouldn't be something that he should have been so annoyed with." He was realizing things were wrong. Well...more things than what he'd already sort of known. He hummed softly when Alessandro brought up his promise again, nodding along with a smile, offering him his own hand then. "Friends then," he offered, almost shyly. But he just....needed to make sure. |
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Alessandro watched the way Sage laughed—soft, unguarded—and found himself easing further, the tension he carried like a second spine loosening just a fraction. “A nap fixing everything,” he said lightly. “Must be nice. I’ll have to try that sometime.” His gaze dropped briefly to Blitz, now clearly content in Sage’s lap, tail thumping once against the floor. Alessandro nodded, approving. “They chose you,” he said simply. “That says more than training ever could.” At the mention of never having the resources, Alessandro didn’t comment right away. He filed it away instead, another quiet entry in the growing list of things Sage had been denied and never complained about. When Sage spoke about reading, about teaching himself, Alessandro turned fully toward him, attention sharp but not judgmental. “Then we’ll do it together,” he said without hesitation. “I’ll read. You ask questions. No rush, no tests.” A pause. “You don’t need to prove anything to me.” The apology exchange drew a thoughtful look from him. His jaw tightened briefly—not with anger, but with something colder. “No,” Alessandro agreed. “It shouldn’t have been.” When Sage extended his hand, shy but resolute, Alessandro didn’t hesitate. He took it—careful, steady, his grip warm and grounding rather than dominant. “Friends,” he echoed. He held the handshake a second longer than necessary, not possessive, just deliberate—making sure the word meant something. Then, softer, almost private:
“And for what it’s worth… you don’t have to earn your place here. You already have one.” He released Sage’s hand, settling back beside him, Blitz wedged comfortably between them, the room quiet and safe in a way neither of them named—but both understood. |
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Sage had just nodded when he mentioned needing to try a nap. "Ah, but to do that you'd need to flop around on the floor like a dying fish first," he joked lightly. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to joke about, or the best way to handle a dangerous situation, but....oh well. He smiled softly when Alessandro promised to help with the paperwork, nodding along as he described what all they could do. That would help for sure. "That would make my life a lot easier," he noted with a soft breath. When their hands met, sage just gave him a grin, grip stronger than it was before when he'd been helped to the bed. There was still a slight tremor in his muscles, but nothing super important. Or outaide the normal, he supposed He settled back down happily, relieved to have agreed that they could be comfortable with each other, despite hardly knowing the other man nearly at all. Alessandro knew a lot about him, but he knew nearly nothing about the other man. Oh well. He'd find thing out about him, that would come with time. He was content to just relax there for a while, petting Blitz, occasionally chatting with the man beside him. Eventually though, the protest in his muscles grew worse as he sat there, so he groaned and glanced towards the bathroom. "I should get in there," he noted quietly, so as not to disturb the peace that seemed to linger in the room. He worked to get himself to his feet stiffly, Blitz watching him with concern and following him towards the bathroom. Sage chuckled softly and let the wolf come in, and plop down outside the tub. "Think I have a fan," he chuckled before closing the door. |
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Alessandro snorted despite himself at the comment, shaking his head as he pushed himself up to follow at a slower pace. “Let’s avoid repeating that part of the routine,” he said dryly. “The floor and I have an agreement—I prefer my guests conscious.” He lingered in the doorway as Sage stood, eyes sharp and assessing until he was certain the tremor was only residual. When Blitz immediately rose and padded after him, Alessandro’s expression shifted. “Blitz,” he said firmly, voice carrying the weight of command without being raised. “You know you’re not supposed to be in there.” The wolf paused at the threshold, ears flicking back—then promptly ignored him and followed Sage anyway, settling down outside the tub with a low huff. Alessandro exhaled through his nose, rubbing a hand over his face. “Unbelievable,” he muttered. Then, quieter, almost conceding, “One time you save a man’s life and suddenly you’re exempt from house rules.” He didn’t stop him. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe, arms folding loosely as he watched Sage close the door, listening for the lock that never came. “Don’t get comfortable,” he added through the door, tone dry but not unkind. “You’re still on probation.” A pause—then more serious. “I’ll be right outside. If you get dizzy, if your vision goes, if anything feels off—you call out. I don’t care how embarrassing it is.” His gaze dropped to Blitz, visible through the crack of the door, already positioned like a sentry. “…and you,” Alessandro added, pointing uselessly at the wolf, “start howling if he so much as sneezes wrong.” Blitz’s tail thumped once in response. Alessandro straightened, stepping back just enough to give Sage privacy—while still staying close enough to hear the water turn on. |
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Sage had left the door unlocked....he knew he was probably fine, but even so it would be better to be safe than sorry when it came to this he supposed. He had Blitz there too, which admittedly made him feel a little bit better. He had heard Alessandros comment about the wolf not being allowed in there, but the wolf had made his own decisions about whether to listen or not, so sage was fine with keeping him in there. When Alessandro spoke up again though, calling to him from just outside the door, he chuckled. "Too late, I'm already quite comfortable," he called back, the grin evident in his voice. Though, when the topic turned more serious, he grunted in agreement. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Nothing ever happened this far after an episode," he noted. "But I will if something happens," he added, knowing he'd appreciate that. |
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Alessandro stopped just outside the bathroom door, one hand braced lightly against the frame. The sound of running water and Sage’s voice—relaxed, teasing—cut through the lingering tension he hadn’t quite let go of yet. “Of course you are,” he replied, dry humor threading through his words. “You’ve been comfortable for all of ten minutes and already live there now. I’ll start charging rent.” His gaze dipped to where Blitz was very obviously stationed inside despite prior instructions, tail thumping faintly against tile. Alessandro sighed, long-suffering but fond. “Traitor,” he muttered, earning a lazy blink in response. When Sage reassured him, Alessandro didn’t argue—but his tone shifted, grounding, deliberate. “I hear you,” he said. “And I trust that you know your body.” A pause. “That doesn’t mean I stop paying attention.” He leaned a little closer to the door, not invading, just present. “I’m right here. If you feel off, even a little, you say something. You don’t get bonus points for pushing through.” Then, softer—less command, more certainty. “You’re not alone in this house. You don’t have to be fine by yourself.” He straightened, giving Sage space again. “Take your time. Enjoy the heat. I’ll be outside with the better behaved wolf.” A beat, then, almost casually: “Call if you need me. For anything.” |
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Afternoon Storms, then Clearing
