A Tiger Does Not Apologize for Its Stripes

Victor Madison, 32, second-in-charge. If you've got business, you come to me first.

[madison-victor]

if you see this message pls check your inbox thx <3

[madison-victor]

The Bones of You || Roy and Victor

[lieutenantabraham]

Roy closed his eyes, tried to keep from vomiting as he extracted the bullet, pressing a rag down hard, tying the rag off as a tourniquet, all professional, even though he hadn’t done this sort of thing in ages, since San Francisco, really. The second rag, that was warm, covered in soap. Alcohol would clean better, but Roy didn’t have any. He slapped that rag over Victor’s arm and held it into place/

"Good." Roy forced a smile at Victor to let him know that this would all be okay. "I need you to hold this rag in place."

He turned away, looking for a thread and needle.

[madison-victor]

Victor did as he was told, watching Roy move through the apartment through half-lidded eyes. He was tired-- so, so tired-- but he knew he should probably stay awake for this moment. Roy needed him to be present if this was going to go over right, and Victor frankly didn't want his shoulder fucked up for life.

When Roy started stitching him up, he found he felt a little bit better, even if the weariness of it all still clung on him. "I don't... I don't know what to do," he admitted in the silence of the living room. It seems like... every time that I get somewhere, I get blown back. Literally, this time... I feel lost sometimes... like I don't have anyone to rely on, like everything I do is a moot point... like no matter what, no one's getting out of here alive... but I'm a fighter. It's what I do, what I've always done. It's all I've ever even been good for, so I keep on swinging."

He looked away, feeling awkward in his words, and tried to change the subject. "You don't happen to have a cigarette, do you? I think I lost mine... or they were confiscated. I don't remember. My head's still all fuzzy."

[felicitymacini-deactivated20150]

I’m afraid I’ve got no clue what you’re talking about.

[madison-victor]

Don't play dumb with me, Felicity. We both know that doesn't suit you.

[madison-victor]

The Bones of You || Roy and Victor

[lieutenantabraham]

Tiburon had to get in the way. Roy sighed, slightly annoyed at the cat for distracting him, and picked his cat up, moving the animal to the table. “No, Tib. Not now. I’m busy.”

He couldn’t be distracted, not when Victor was injured and on the sofa, shirtless. No, he was shirtless and bleeding, shirtless and hurt. That’s what mattered, making Victor feel better. Roy’s own desires had to come second to that. Wordlessly, he took the shirt, threw it out. Those bloodstains weren’t coming out.

Victor’s words hurt, but Roy wouldn’t let it show. “Look,” he said, as he light a match, ran it over the tweezers he found. “This is gonna hurt. A lot.”

[madison-victor]

"I think I can manage," he said, steeling himself as Roy moved closer to pull the bullet out. He clenched his fists on his knees and gritted his teeth, breathing in and out through his nose as the extraction begain. It hurt without a doubt, but he had endured far worse.

When the bullet was out, he let himself relax a little, breathing in and out shakily. "That... that's the only bullet," he said, slightly woozy. He couldn't help but be thankful for that.

"How's it look?"

[madison-victor]

The Bones of You || Roy and Victor

[lieutenantabraham]

He’d been hoping, praying even, that Victor was say something else, anything else, but at least Victor was alive and at least nobody else had to get involved. If Victor wouldn’t say the L-word, well, Roy wasn’t exactly one to show off his emotions either. It would be hypocritical to get angry.

And at last, the sweet sight of his home, of his terrible little apartment, of a save haven where maybe he and Victor could…

No. There wasn’t time for that. Victor was hurt, and Roy had to save him, had to stitch him up, make everything better, even though it wasn’t Roy’s fault this time, not properly at least. Maybe once Victor felt better, maybe then they could do things.

"Hey. Victor? We’re here. Do you need help getting to my place?"

[madison-victor]

He just managed a small nod and had Roy help him out of the car and up the steps to his door. He was feeling half dragged by the time they got in, though he still managed a small smile once he slumped onto the couch and Roy's cat hopped right up next to him.

He let out a grunt of pain as his shirt was pulled open, the fabric having stuck to the injured skin where the blood had dried. "F.. fuck..." he mumbled, shrugging his shoulder out of the ruined shirt. He didn't really want to look considering how uncomfortable Roy appeared, but he doubted it was as bad as it seemed. It certainly wasn't the worst wound he'd sustained.

"For a bit there I didn't expect to see you again... at least not like this. I thought you... I thought you would really take me up on the offer, put a bullet in my brain..."

[madison-victor]

felicitymacini:.

I’ll admit that would’ve been a bonus prize, but it wouldn’t have done me much good in the long run. Two other goons exactly like you would’ve just sprung up in your place.

I can honestly say I had nothing to do with your building being blown up.

....

You destroyed the escape route... You weren't after us... You were after Giovanni.

[felicitymacini-deactivated20150]

Believe it or not, Vic, I’ve got no personal vendetta against you. Now, I don’t particularly like you, but there were much bigger fish I would have wanted fried that day.

[madison-victor]

Just because I'm not the biggest fish doesn't convince me you wouldn't want me fried.

You expect me to believe you weren't involved? The Lombardi certainly didn't blow up their own building.

[marieflatt]

Well if you’re going to be so negative, I suggest you take it somewhere else.

[madison-victor]

Hey, you started it.

[marieflatt]

Was that a lightly veiled insult? My, now I’m hurt. 

[madison-victor]

I'm so sure.

[felicitymacini-deactivated20150]

I’d venture congratulations on the restored hearing are in order, then?

[madison-victor]

I'd suspect you're more disappointed that I survived at all.

[madison-victor]

The Bones of You || Roy and Victor

[lieutenantabraham]

Roy was no nonsense as he got into the car, telling Victor to lie down, be careful in the back seat. This wasn’t his car; Roy couldn’t afford a car. It belonged to the police station and what Roy was doing was so, so illegal…

But he didn’t care. A man’s life was, after all, at risk. If a little bit of blood got on the seat, if Roy started inching the car forward before the light fully changed, well, nobody was going to be hurt by that. Roy was sure of that. Of course, when he returned to the station, Eddie was going to give him hell, but Roy could always say it was a judgement call. Eddie surely didn’t want a man dying in the holding cell.

He drove quickly, silently, only half listening to Victor babbling away in the back seat. Babbling was good. Babbling meant that Victor was alive, and if Victor was alive, that meant Roy was okay. And Victor wouldn’t be babbling much when they got to Roy’s place, and Roy had to pull the bullet out.

And then… Roy almost slammed on the breaks at what Victor said. Surely it had to be a weak man’s nonsense, but… Victor had sounded so happy, so serious.

"Excuse me?"

[madison-victor]

Victor didn't know what to say, so for several seconds he just didn't say anything, wondering if it might be a good idea to feign unconsciousness. That wouldn't have been fair to Roy though, especially considering he had a head injury (albeit a mild one) and should he actually pass out it would likely cause panic in the other man.

He couldn't exactly say he'd said nothing though, and he couldn't pretend that what he had said didn't have some sort of significance. He just had to hope that Roy wouldn't get the full extent of what he'd meant and shut down on him. He had to hope that it wouldn't lead to another fight, the inevitable end-all fight... He just didn't think he was prepared for that right now.

"N...nothing," he said lamely, feeling like his face was on fire. "Just... trying to keep myself conscious."

[madison-victor]

The Bones of You || Roy and Victor

[lieutenantabraham]

It wasn’t like Victor to sound so… weak, so defeated, so scared. Roy hated it, hated how it made his stomach twist and turn in disgust and sadness. God, if there was just something he could do…

Victor was so heavy, but Roy pulled him to his feet all the same. It was rough, rougher than Roy meant for it, but if anyone was watching, it would look believable enough. “On your feet, Madison.” Roy let his mouth fall near Victor’s ear. “Play along with me, Vic. Struggle some if you have to. If it looks too easy, nobody’s gonna fall for it.”

As he marched Victor out of the cell, Roy looked around. “Fucking gangster’s been shot. I’m taking him to Doctor Young so he doesn’t bleed out.”

[madison-victor]

Victor did his best to play along, but for the most part that amounted to glaring at anyone who looked his way and trying to stay conscious as they walked out of the station. Once he was in the back of the cop car he just laid down in the seat, tired.

"Hey," he said softly, a smile managing to form on his lips despite everything. "If I recall, I got blood in the last car you drove me in too. Admittedly, that was a bit worse than this. I'm not normally so weak..."

Roy made him weak though, in a way... He couldn't say he minded that, despite the danger of it. He'd always been the type to get himself into trouble anyway, so what was one more thing? 

Jesus, he was actually getting a bit delusional, thinking like that. He laughed a little to himself until he realized Roy was looking at him through the mirror, and it occurred to him that...

Shit.

He'd said all of that out loud. He'd told Roy that he made him weak and he enjoyed it.

Embarrassed, he just tried not to meet his gaze, swallowing thickly.

[marieflatt]

Hopefully not you. 

[madison-victor]

I assure you, I wouldn't be anywhere near your breakfast.

[valerie-main-blog]

Oh good!

[madison-victor]

I can't tell if you're teasing me or not.

[marieflatt]

Safe to assume that you’re telling me this because you think I should care?

[madison-victor]

Who spit in your breakfast?

[madison-victor]

My hearing is finally back completely, so there's that at least.

[madison-victor]

The Bones of You || Roy and Victor

[lieutenantabraham]

Roy frowned when he saw Victor wince. He wanted to rub Victor’s shoulder to make it go away, to make him feel better, but Roy wasn’t dumb enough to rub at a bullet wound. “Look, I believe you, Victor. I know you wouldn’t lie to me. But the other cops…” In all honesty, they probably didn’t give a damn either, but Roy couldn’t let Victor think that.

"I just don’t know if anyone else would let you go so easy. That’s all." He bit his lip slightly, smirking when Victor’s eyes darted up a little. Lord, he wanted to get Victor out of here, back to a warm bed, where they could be safe, but that was easier said than done.

It hit Roy like a ton of bricks. There was a way to get him out. “I can tell the cops you need to see Doctor Young, and then I can take the bullet out for you!”

[madison-victor]

"Hooray..." Victor said weakly. He would have been more excited, but he was in a pretty ridiculous amount of pain by this point. Not even Roy's affectionate touches could distract him from it now.

He let his head thud against Roy's side briefly, closing his eyes, tired. All in all, this had gone better than expected, even if he knew they would likely end up in the same position again. He knew that as long as they played this game, that was where it would end and that eventually they wouldn't be able to come back from it for one reason or another. At the moment, he just didn't care. All he cared about was that Roy was close by and that he didn't hate him.

Victor loved him, and even though Roy couldn't know-- even though Roy was likely incapable of feeling the same way-- this was enough. As long as Roy touched him, he could pretend. It was far from an ideal situation, but he could live with it... and when it was over... Well, it wasn't like Victor hadn't dealt with that before.

"Get me out of here," he said. "Take me anywhere. Just... get the bullet out of my shoulder."