PROMPT
Matthew is mobile again after his torture, and Baldwin takes it upon himself to help him with physical therapy. Matthews recovery was very slow I could see Baldwin popping in to see the kids or whatever and sees Matthew struggling to just walk and it’s pitiful - @begins-with-an-absence-of-desire
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“Wow, that only took five minutes, when we first started it was twenty.” Chris gave the vampire a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Although he was grateful for Chris’ assistance, the human was actually much too easy to manipulate and was too inclined towards kindness and patience.
Learning to be what he is was a painful process the first time, the next step in his recovery may require much less gentle encouragement, it may require...
Matthew stopped with a shudder at the very thought.
“By the Gods,” Baldwin exclaimed from nearby, making Matthew wonder how he managed to manifest the very thing he’d tried to banish from his mind just seconds before, “you look terrible, still.”
“Thank you Baldwin, pleasure as always.” Matthew responded curtly.
“He’s doing much better,” Chris interrupted, “so you can take your monocle and go back to managing the properties on your real-life Monopoly portfolio.”
Matthew didn’t know if Chris’ response was fearlessness or cluelessness but he did know that few who spoke to Baldwin with such disrespect were able to walk away unscathed.
“It’s okay Chris, this is how he expresses brotherly concern,” Matthew chuckled, “here to see the twins I take it?”
“Amongst other things,” he gave Matthew a look, “have you tried riding?”
“He’s not ready for that,” Chris started, “give him at least a month-“
Baldwin smirked.
“He’s playing on your sympathy.”
“I suppose it would take someone devoid of such a weak emotion to see that!”
“I have sympathy, and I concede you have done well to get him to this point but you cannot help him any further in your limited capacity.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He means human,” Matthew shook his head, “and I hate to say that he may be right. I might need vampire assistance, I’ll talk to Fernand-“
“Nonsense, I trained you the first time, I will see to your recovery myself.”
“Chris, come help me inside-“ Miriam called from the door, clearly having sensed the change in atmosphere that occurred when the brothers faced off.
“Why what’s-“
“I’ll find something!” She snapped.
“Yes Ma’am.” Chris nodded and went to follow her.
“He doesn’t have a monocle,” Baldwin called after Chris, “I’ve played enough of that board game with the children to know that.”
“Bullshit,” Chris returned dismissively, “the little Monopoly guy with the top hat totally has a monocle.”
“Care to wager?”
“With what,” Chris laughed, “I don’t have half of London to meet your stake.”
“My brother is in your care, as my dear sister requested since she would never have asked me.”
“I think her words were ‘oh dear God no, anyone but him’ but I’m paraphrasing, there was definitely some strong language.”
“Quite,” Baldwin rolled his eyes at the exaggeration, “so the proposed wager is that, if I am right, you hand over the responsibility of Matthew’s recovery to me.”
“Do I get a say?” Matthew spoke up.
“And what if I win?” Chris asked, both he and Baldwin ignoring Matthew.
“Well, pick a colour, I’ll see if I have a property on that street in my portfolio.”
“Dark Blue?”
“Don’t push it!”
“Fine, Yellow.”
“I have a very nice Penthouse in Leicester Square, it’s yours-“
“Seriously?” Chris laughed.
“If you are right, which you aren’t.”
“Well,” Chris looked at Matthew, “you’re the one that has to train with him, you get final say.”
“It is a very nice penthouse,” Matthew agreed, “and I’m almost certain that you are right, also it would put a dent in his collector’s pride.”
“So?” Chris prompted.
“To hell with it, yes, take the bet!”
“You heard the man.” Chris shrugged.
“I certainly did.”
“What’s going on?” Diana joined them with the twins, both of whom rushed their uncle.
“A little wager,” Baldwin hunched down to talk to the children, “would you both mind bringing us the Monopoly board game?”
They rushed off back into the house.
“It’s hardly little, I get a Leicester Square penthouse if I win.”
“Then you’ve lost,” Diana laughed, “he wouldn’t bet on anything if he wasn’t sure.”
“We shall see.” Baldwin shrugged.
“What do you owe him?” Diana asked and Chris suddenly looked sheepish.
“Um, well, I-“
“Chris agreed to let Baldwin torment me back to health.” Matthew answered, trying to keep a straight face at Chris’ look of betrayal.
“Now, just wait a minute, you said I should.” Chris argued, wilting beneath Diana’s disappointed look.
The children returned and Diana intercepted the box, putting it behind her back.
“Fine, I will act as referee. What was the wager?”
“I bet that the little money dude on the box wears a monocle. Moneybags here says he doesn’t.”
“Seriously?” Diana fumed.
“What?” Chris asked.
“He doesn’t,” Diana showed him the box, “do you want to know how he knows that?” Diana asked.
“Is the money dude based on him or something?” Chris sighed in slight disappointment.
“No, I told him, we already had this debate, he thought the same thing you did.”
“Oh well,” Baldwin smiled, “I suppose training starts tomorrow.”
“I wanna play Monopoly.” Rebecca stated, looking pointedly up at her uncle.
“I’m game,” Baldwin shrugged, he did enjoy winning.
“Fine, deal me in.” Chris agreed.
“Go get set up, we’ll be in in a minute.” Diana stated and watched them retreat indoors before turning to Matthew.
“I knew Chris was wrong because you’re the one who initially told me.”
“Did I,” he gave her his cute, half smile, “I totally forgot.”
“Why did you let him make that bet?”
“Chris has been amazingly helpful but I need help he can’t give me. This way, I get to spare his pride whilst not inflating my brother’s by asking for his help!”
“So you meant to end up training with Baldwin?”
“I need to recover Diana, for you, for the children. A little deception never hurt anyone.”
“Knowing Baldwin, I think it’s going to hurt, a lot!”