9642/Ouch is always a possibility

Ouch is always a possibility
Date of Scene:	15 January 2022
Location:	Sara and Cael's apartment
Synopsis:	Johnny helps Sara deal with actually being hurt from combat, and things take an interesting turn.
Cast of Characters:	Sara Pezzini, Johnny Blaze

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Sara Pezzini has posed:
After the scouting and battle in Battery Park, the portal offered by Clarice sent Sara to Grand Central Station. While there Cael helped slather her in burn cream and get wrapped like a mummy, and got her a Vicodin for the pain. Another portal was offered to send her to the apartment afterwards. So as not to end up with the shot gun aimed at her, a text was send to Johnny that read, 'If you're at the apartment, don't freak out, teleporting in.'

She waited exactly five minutes, then stepped through the offered portal into the living room of her own apartment. Her legs were wrapped in gauze, as were her arms, but the rest of her was wrapped in a cotton sheet. Her shoulders are exposed for the most part, revealing a series of blisters that have been covered in burn cream.

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny looked at his phone after he brewed some coffee, and he tilted his head at what he read. "Teleport? Oh, shit." Johnny turns when the portal opens into the living room of the apartment, and suddenly, Sara walks in, her legs covered in guaze like she was a severe burn victim. He looks at her with a big frown, and he approaches her.

"Woah woah, easy. Take it easy. Come on." He tries to guide her to her bedroom. "Come on, lets get you some rest." He frowns. "What the hell happened?" He questions her.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Holding up a hand like a warning, careful, however it might be taken, Sara points to the couch, preparing to move there instead of her bedroom.

"Just gonna sit a minute," she comments, but she does in fact let him help her if her really wants to. She's not moving all that fast, but she's steady on her feet.

"Scouting of Battery Park found the first site of power," she then offers before sitting on the couch. Vicodin and burn creamed joined with Witchblade's healing, it no longer hurt to stand or sit. "Small contingent of angels, several Thrones and a Seraphim. I was the only one able to deal with the Seraphim and apparently, all that angelic juice drunkness... his holy fire heated the armor like a roasting pan."

Adjusting the sheet a little, she moves it to show him the slice on her abdomen, just for full disclosure of wounds. "Armor helped, could have been a fuck ton worse, but... this was a first for me."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Well, if she healed as fast as she would heal him from scratches and bruises, hopefully she won't be in that gauze wrapping for long. But Johnny nods to her. "Yeah, okay." He turns her and helps her to the couch. After he sits her down, he starts to sit down on the couch next to her as she regales him her tale of woe. "Yeah, I've felt their sting. They can hit and hit hard." Johnny tells her. "You're lucky to be in bandages. Seraphim don't play." He tells her with a frown then.

"Yeah...how you feeling, aside from the active pain." He tells her then. "Emotionally. Taking a loss, even with a ton of power, even if it didn't look like a loss at all and you're just walking away battered and bruised." Johnny tells her then. He looks at how she moves the garments to show him the abdomen slice. "Jesus, Sara."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sitting was so wonderful, it let everything settle and stop hurting. Sara lays her head back against the back of the couch. "I mean... this is the first time I've been injured like this," she says more quietly, closing her eyes. "The Seraphim died, we stopped it from reaching the fountain. While the others took out the lesser angels, I kept it busy..."

Lifting her head she opens her eyes to look over at him. "I've combated a /lot/ of things in my two years with Witchblade, and not once before this did I get more then a couple bruises. I know pain, I've been shot, street fights, fell of a building once... it's not the pain that's the problem, Vicodin is taking care of that." She snerks softly at that, just meant no alcohol for tonight.

"I didn't lose, and I can deal with the pain, I just... this is so new, I've got all kinds of things running through me about it, including /how/ it happened."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
"Reminds you you're not invincible."

Johnny suggests then as an answer to how she may be feeling. Sometimes, when you feel like you are a concept, an incarnation, an -idea-, you feel like nothing can stop you. You've hit and beaten some of the baddest, but there's always a bigger fish. And you won't always be able to survive the fall. You won't always be able to swim when it's time to drown.

Sometimes you can't push back the storm.

But he nods ever so softlly. "Yeah. That's normal."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
For a moment it looks like she's going to get up, but then just doesn't.

"I don't need coffee that much," she snorts, then just gets comfortable. "Painful reminder... I guess I had got it in my head that I was pretty invincible. In the beginning I used to hesitate, thinking I'd get hurt, and it never happened. I think over time, it just... happened. No pain to remind me that I'm mortal, human... /I'm/ not the god, he is."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny nods softly to Sara. "Yeah." He says then, chuckling a little bit. "Yeah, I had to learn that lesson a couple times." Johnny tells her with a bit of a frown. "I used to think I was invincible. Then I'd get put in a crater from a RPG. Did it hurt? No. But it still let them get away. Lost. Got hit by a Seraphim on the sixth. That -stung-. But, still took it out. See, as a human? I'm vulnerable. Ghost Rider doesn't just pop up when I need him." He frowns.

"I can spur it, but...unless it's for vengeance? I'm weak." He chuckles. "But we're not supposed to be gods. We're supposed to remind them why we're here."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Tilting her head slightly, Sara watches Johnny's eyes as he's talking. Where the hell was he two years ago? In spite of the wrappings and sheet, she slides over and hugs the man. This one was for her, she needed a hug and he got it, he really understood what all this insanity felt like on the inside, in the mind and soul.

The hug is brief, she doesn't want to force herself on him, at least not while she's injured. "That was the other surprising thing tonight," she offers to get the subject off the part that made her want to scream. "Not once tonight did Witchblade try to take over. He gave his word to Peggy that he'd follow her orders, and in the field Jon is her voice, and he... even when I got hurt... it was the first time we actually worked together, not fighting for control."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny's eyes are warm and gentle, despite all the pain he's suffered himself through. Though when she suddenly leans over and hugs him? Johnny lifts an arm to hug her back. He smiles as he holds her in his arms. Even if she tried to make it brief, he keeps her in it. "Get it all out of your system." Johnny advises her with a smile. "Sometimes, you just have to..." He takes a breath.

"Sometimes you just need to scream when you feel muzzled."

Though as she talks about Witchblade. "Heh, I wish I had that happen." He teases her. "But seriously? Not once? Didn't try to wrestle with you..just...symbiosis?"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
It wasn't a bad thing to stay hugging, so there are no complaints as Sara just accepts.

"Not once. When I took the slash, his anger flared up but instead of demanding I let him out, he whispered combat tactics, which I used." She considered that moment, it has almost felt surreal, and would have been if she hadn't already been roasting in the armor. "When Jon ordered us to keep the seraphim out of the fountain, it was his tactics that I employed. Tackle, pin down, wrap with tendrils, hold in place, then Zatanna finished it off with a major earth attack. It was... beautiful really."

She glances up at him, then just settles in. "That's when the seraphim exploded, just like Michael did, and blew me across the park. Thankfully however, none of the angels got back up this time."

"You know, you're allowed to scream too... when it gets too much," she offers. "This is a first for me, so a shock, but you... I know you have literally lived through hell many, many times, and you aren't alone any more, so if you need to scream... do it."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Are they snuggling right now?

Probably. But Johnny either doesn't notice or isn't mentioning it, because that's not his intention here. He's there to comfort her after a shitty situation. "Interesting. That's...unusual. Normally, when you have a passenger like that, they want a turn at the wheel. Strange and odd to be working together." He chuckles. "Zatanna scares me a little bit." Because the things that girl can do with magic is unbelievable.

"Good, good. At least you were able to take out the Seraphim." She turns it around on him, says its okay for him to scream, and if she looks at him. His eyes are glassy. Watery. He looks like he's on the verge, but he brings himself back. "I've screamed so many times already." JOhnny mentions in reply.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara offers a slight nod before shifting just enough to kiss his cheek then settled back in.

"Yeah, perhaps you have," she offers softly. "So keep on screaming when you need to. Cael screams to me and there's nothing, not a damn thing I can do for her. She's even started shutting me out, like I can't handle what's going on with her, or perhaps in an attempt to try and do it all on her own... either way, I'm helpless to help her, and she won't let me try."

She sighs softly, clearing her throat a little, "Anyway, I'm built to help, especially my friends... so if I can help, even if it's just listening and offering a hug, then I damn well intend to do that." She snorts slightly, "And for the next two days, that's exactly what I'll be doing while here, cause I think that's about how long it's going to take to heal."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
THe touch of warmth on his cheek is given to him by Sara, making him smile a little bit at the contact. Yet all the same, she settles back into him, and she'll feel a touch of warmth herself if she allows it, and that's the gentle kiss from Johnny to her cheek. just enough to make contact and send the message, before he pulls away from her and settles back into the embrace.

He chuckles though, somewhat grimly. "You got it. Yeah...Cael screamed at me too, though for different reasons. I think she's just shutting everyone out. Like...weird self-destruction. But...she's been through something horrible, and I can't - and won't - judge her for it." He chuckles a bit. "Sometimes, you have to let people go through the long night. They only learn by falling...and Cael's going to learn that accepting help isn't a weakness." He hums.

"Heh. You don't want to hear my sob stories." Johnny tells her with a chuckle.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara smirks, then pokes him in the ribs with her elbow, not too hard, but hard enough to get the point across. "You listen to mind, I listen to yours, that's the way it works," she snorts, then a soft smile returns to her lips.

"Right now, Cael is aiming a lot of her hatred and anger at you, because of everything you stand for in her mind. She's turned to Jon for some of the help, and Bear helps her out a great deal, but anything relating to God or the angels... that sets her off like a rocket and there's no talking her down from it."

For a moment that smile falters before she puts it back. "When all this is over, if we win this war, I'm renting the apartment across the hall. I know it's available, it's only a one room place, but it's yours, and that way I can come steal your food."

Reaching up, she brushes a bit of his hair from his face, "Then we get you a hair cut, trim that beard up, and give Cael time to get her head out of her ass. It'll happen in time, I know it will because I know her."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
"That's the way it works." Johnny says, even as he gets poked in the ribs with a sharp elbow, making him 'oof' a little bit from the impact. It wasn't hard enoug hto hurt, but hard enough for him to notice. He snorts a little bit with her as they laugh about it.

"Yeah. Yeah she does. and she told me a little bit about what she went through, or maybe it was the whole story. I understand her pain, but...she's in a stage where she's pushing everyone away. It's a reflex. She's shutting down on everything because she can't get over the obstacle, the pain, because she's letting it control her and not the other way around. I'm hoping that she heals, I really am."

He looks suddenly alarmed and he looks at Sara. "Pezzini, you didn't." Johnny looks at her. He looks a mixture of raging angry that she went out of her way and extremely emotional because he has a -home-. A small place to call his own. He looks forward for a moment, and he takes a deep breath, his eyes squeezing tight. "Thanks, Sara." He says then, a little bit emotional. But he toughens up quick. No weakness for the world to eat alive.

"I'll cook for you for a year. No joke." Johnny tells her, as a way of saying thanks. Though he feels her moving his hair to and fro. "What's wrong with my style? Too homeless?"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
She watches his face, the reaction he tries to quickly conceal away. Even with trying it was still in his eyes, that's the one place it's near impossible to conceal emotions from. Her father always said that the eyes are where the truth and lies are most obvious, that they might be the window to the soul, but they were also filled with all the information a person would want if you knew how to look at them. Johnny's eyes always had pain, behind the smile, behind the laugh, behind the jokes and gratitude, the pain lingered constantly.

"Nothing wrong with a little homeless in your style," she offers with a grin. "But you aren't homeless any more, so you need to change it up. Admittedly, with that long hair you're one handsome mother fucker, just need to even it out a little."

Taking a moment to flex one leg, testing the state of the blisters, she is happy to find that between the cream, the vicodin and The Witchblade, the pain was at levels she could easily manage. No need to fake through it levels of pain.

"We'll have to get you some furniture from the Good Will or Salvation Army, and it's not a big place, but it has a bigger kitchen then we do, so I think it evens out in the end."

She glances back up at his face before stating bluntly, "Cael won't heal. She never healed from Alis' death, she ran from the pain, locked herself away inside. Alis told me what she used to be like, and how for the last seven years she watched Cael slink further and further away from the world, from people, from trusting anyone but herself and letting no one in." She sighs softly, shaking her head. "She sort of let me in, she's starting to let Jon in, but that's after seven years... this thing with Michael? Way worse. Something no human should /ever/ have to had to face. No, Cael won't heal, she'll lock it away and pretend, throw herself back into her work the minute she can, and just keep going."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Some shit you go through never goes away.

Especially when it's still happening. The pain, the lashes, the scars, the scratches, the bruises, the breaking...it all sTill remains. It's all still there. It's information that gets forever-storaged in the mind's eye. It's not something that is easy to forget, unless you completely mind-wipe a person. The eyes were the windows to the soul. To look into them was to look into somebody's very being.

That's why nobody makes straight up eye contact.

Though he smirks at her as she seems to admit that he's a handsome guy. "Maybe I should have you cut my hair. You know any good barbers?" Though he smirks at her and moves some hair out of her eyes. "Not so bad yourself, Pezzini." He returns the compliment, though he watches her extend the leg. "Looks like the healing is starting to work. How long you been having these burns?" He questions her. Though as she suggests furniture from Good will or Salvation Army. "I have some friends who owe me favors. It shouldn't be hard to furnish." He takes a moment, and he actually looks away.

Likely to hide tears or suck them back into his eyes.

He looks back as they speak of Cael. "Nah. She will. She just has to make that decision for herself. Rise above it, or let it keep stabbing you over and over and over again. She'll get her act together. I have faith in that." Though Johnny is a Christian and holds his faith in God, it also means that his faith is in people. "Maybe I'm biased." He says with a bit of a smirk.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Another coy smile plays across Sara's lips, there were a few hundred sexually snarky comments she could make, but not one of them was appropriate, still the thought flickers through her eyes.

"I work out every day," she explains. "Take care of my er... skin." That actually makes her laugh. "Okay, I /usually/ take care of my skin. I eat healthy when I can, even ordering out, though hot dogs are my weakness and guilty pleasure... and my body is maintained through an ancient magical artifact with a god in it. Of course I look good, and call me Sara. I'm Pezzini for the NYPD and SHIELD, my friends call me Sara."

Reaching over she pulls the sheet off her shoulder, the blisters were shrinking. "It's been about two hours since the battle," she comments. "The blisters were a /lot/ worse than this before. Think they'll be gone by tomorrow morning, the rest... the bruises, slash and broken ribs will probably extend it another day."

Recovering the shoulder she sighs, "I want to believe Cael can do it, I know she's strong enough, but she doesn't believe she is... and she won't let me help, damn that hurts."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny -knew- that Sara had hundreds of phrases she could say. "Thought friends didn't hold back on each other." He teases her, as if inviting her not to catch herself with her snark around him. He'll take the full force of that full throttle. Though as she mentions that she works out every day and takes care of her skin, Johnny wasn't checking her out, but he does gesture to the bandages with his eyes.

Then he just starts laughing. "Sara it is." He smirks at her. She already calls him Johnny, so he doesn't need to tell her she can call him something, unless she wants to make up a cute nickname or something.

"Huh, yeah, you heal up quick." He chuckles. "I heal a little bit fast. The Rider? Pretty instant. Still hurts like a motherfucker though." He suggests with a smirk. "Yeah. Sometimes, people just have to handle it, you know? But as friends, all we can do is love on them."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
A soft hmmm can be heard as Sara looks back up at his face. "Alright, you want snark?" She begins, wiggling her brows. "I know just how damn hot I am. I get a thrill when guys look at me, in my armor or just normal street clothes. You wanna look, look..." she stretches out a little, so sexy in her bandages and sheet. "I don't want to embarrass you, that's not my goal, ever. But you should know I have no modesty, I expect you to look, and if you want to comment feel free."

Maybe it wasn't all snark, but hey, you can't win them all. "Sara until you come up with some nickname you think fits, or just Sara forever... no tattoos of that though," she grins again.

"I'll always love Cael like a sister, even if I can't say that because it causes panic attacks," she says more seriously. "I'll always try to protect her, but give her room to defend herself when she can. I won't call her Falcon Jr." she snorts, clearly something about that pissing her off. "And when she decides to move on, because she will, I'll let her go cause that's what friends do."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny raises a brow at Sara. "And humble too." He teases her with a playful smirk. "Well, with your armor leaving you practically in the buff every time, it's hard to think of you as a modest person." Though she stretches herself out, and somehow still looks sexy and extremely attractive. She gives him permission to comment on her body, and he looks at her. He gives her a smile then.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Johnny looks her in the eyes then. He didn't examine her body, even when she put herself on display for him. He was looking into her eyes. Like her eyes were far more lovely than her body ever could be.

"Fair enough. And likewise. If you come up with a good nickname, you can call me whatever you want. You've been kind to me all this time, and I appreciate it." He chuckles a little bit. As for Cael? Johnny hums. "Yeah." He runs a hand through his hair. "I'm sure it'll get sorted out. Sometimes it just takes time."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara had been expecting a comment, maybe two, but Johnny managed to find one of the things to say that just plain struck her dumb for a minute. Her blue eyes blink a few times and her expression actually goes slightly blank. She'd been called sexy, beautiful, a slut, lovely to behold, but the 'most beautiful woman he'd ever seen'? No, that was not at all the comment she was expecting, and that's why the humble comment slid right past her brain, seemingly ignored.

After too many short moments of staring at him, a smile returns and she offers a soft, "Thank you." before shifting again to she can see his face better. Watching his eyes, letting his words roll around in her head, the smile turns slowly to a grin, which goes mischievous after an other second of watching him.

"Want to unwrap me like a Christmas package?" She then asks, perfectly straight face save for the grin. She pauses for effect then adds, "I think I can actually put real clothes on now."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny wasn't like the rest.

His mind worked differently. Maybe when he was far younger and far dumber he'd call her osme of those things. He really thought he was all that back when he was stunt riding for a carnival. A -carnival-. So, when she seems to stare at him and her expression blanks out, Johnny tilts his head at her, especially as she stares at him.

"Do I have something on my face?" Johnny questions, lifting a hand to touch at his face to see if there was anything off, or he got burned or something. You never know these days. Magic is so fucking trippy.

Though she seems to have some mischief in her eyes, even as she offers with a straight face about him wanting to unwrap her like a Christmas package. "I can help you get dressed if it still hurts like hell." He offers her. Of course, desire was shown in other ways. More..anatomical ways. But Johnny was probably too humble (or too shy) to tell her what he desired to her face.

Even if she gave him permission.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Most women were intuitive enough to know when they were being looked at, some were even able to ascertain from the look what was being thought. Under normal circumstances Sara would likely catch something in Johnny's eyes beyond interest, but tonight she was injured and tired, so all she managed to glean while looking at him was that interest, but it was rock solidly there. He was kind, being very considerate, he played the game to humor her, that much she had picked up on before and had confirmed by his actions and words tonight.

"The pains down to a four," she offers before finally looking away from his eyes and standing herself up. The sheet manages to keep everything covered that isn't wrapped in gauze. "Blisters are getting smaller, just figured getting into some jammies might be a good idea. At some point I'll either be attacking the coffee or sleeping, and perhaps even both."

Testing her skin and muscles, she takes one step away from the couch and that was enough to remind her that she was blown across the park. "Yeeeah, forgot that part," she grimaces.

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny adds nothing to what has already been said. He thinks she's beyond beautiful, not hot or sexy or lustful or slutty or any number of words one may apply to a woman. Instead, Johnny had a far more...classical way of flirting. Or at least, observing his surroundings. Even as she tries to down her pain to a 4 and gets back up to her feet, Johnny nods softly.

"Okay, just take it-"

She seems to remember why moving was an extraordinarily shitty idea, and Johnny stands up to try and help her. "Hey, take it easy. You still got hurt, and I know you can handle the pain, just don't tough out what you don't have to." He tries to gently touch her, so he can walk her, if she so allowed.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The help is accepted because one, the pain shot back up from the deep bruises and possible broken or cracked ribs, and two... Sara did not want to fall down in front of him. He may tell her logically she doesn't have to tough it all out, but that's exactly what she intended to do. What she could shoulder and manage, she would, the rest would only be seen by the very select few she trusted, and he was one of them.

"Got comfortable," she breaths out. "Forgot about the deep bruises... possibly cracked ribs, not sure. I'm no medic."

With his help, she finally gets the man into her bedroom by needing to go in there for clothing. She still didn't get why he wouldn't sleep in her bed or even go in her room. He had permission to do so, and she wouldn't give that permission if she didn't trust him. Hell, if he wanted to go through her drawers and look at her photo albums, she didn't care about that either.

"Thanks," she offers then. "For being... not an ass, or rubbing this in my face. Cael's too busy at Grand Central, and I think she assumes I'm alright, but then... I didn't tell her everything wrong."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny isn't entirely sure what he did to earn that trust from Sara, but he's glad he seems to have earned it. He holds her in his arms protectively and carefully. Even if she fell down in front of him, he was more than happy to pick her back up. That's what they do for one another. They're there. So, he chuckles a little bit when she suggests she forgot about the deep bruises and potentially other injuries.

"It's okay, Sara. It happens." Johnny tells her with a little bit of a smile. But, Johnny manages to get Sara into her room, and he helps her get where she needs to. "Okay, what outfit will suit you today?" He questions her. He seems to be willing to help her get dressed if it's too painful. But, he looks at her.

"Would you like help getting changed? Something tells me the pain isn't a four." He tells her with concern on his face as he looks her in the eyes.

He could do all those things. He could be inappropriate and look through her underwear drawers, he could look at her old photobook, he could question her about all the boyfriends or girlfriends past, present, and future. But he's not that kind of guy.

The hasn't gone into her room because he doesn't consider it his. It's a respect thing. Even if the bed is infinitely more comfortable, he probably wouldn't unless she asked him to.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The edge of the bed, that's Sara's goal. With all her attention having been focused on the burns and just how much they hurt, the other pains had sort of settled while she was sitting. Standing up, taking that step, reminded her body that it was more than burns.

"Hey, it was a four," she chuckles, holding her side. "Now it's not."

She points to the dresser, "Top drawer, should be some pj pants and t-shirts in there." There she pauses, looking at him. A piece of her mind, the same piece that kept getting unintentionally slapped by Cael, was whispering that it should of been Cael that helped her. It changed how she looked at him, made her expression softer, almost loving. "I don't know if I can dress myself. Pants could probably do, shirt... now that's the challenge."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
That was the goal!

Johnny manages to get her there well enough, or at least help her get there. When she manages to take her seat, Johnny checks her to see if anything had gotten worse. "Okay, you look like you're gonna be okay. Does it feel better when you sit or when you stand?" He asks her, and she poitns at the dresser.

"Got it." Johnny pulls out a pair of PJ pants and a the comfortable T-shirt. Though she's staring at him. She looked at him. He couldn't see her when she was, and by the time he turns to look at her, he sees the look in her eyes.

Its one that's mimiced by his own.

He smiles warmly ath er and he approaches, setting the pants aside. "It's okay. It's why I'm here." He tells her with a smile. "Now, let's work on getting those bandages off. I'll try to make you as comfortable as possible." He tells her as he lifts his hands to her, but hesitates.

"May I?"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Caught, and Sara doesn't care. It was selfish, it was likely rude and mean, but with everything that had been going on... taking care of Cael when she was permitted to, only getting to see Wade on occasion, it was a good feeling to know that /someone/ was willing to help. She'd never say it out loud, never admit it save for in this exact moment, and it would pass like everything else she locked up.

"Sitting is better," she admits, already feeling the pain easing off. "The pain from the burns has let up, that's at least a plus."

When he steps back over, she offers him a nod, "Just tell me what you need me to do. Rag doll or help out, both are possible."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny smiles at Sara then. "Good to hear." Sitting was good! Then as far as Sara was concerned, she'll probably be spending most of the time sitting down as Protective Johnny's instincts kick in. "Here, I don't want to hurt you. I'll take care of you." He tells her with a softer voice and a softer gaze.

Maybe it was a cruel. Cruel that he felt this way, cruel that she -might- feel that way. Who knows. But, Johnny looks at her wit ha kind smile, and he nods. "Stay still, and let me do the work for once." He chuckles, a joke that probably wasn't too funny.

He starts to carefully remove her bandages and gauze. He's careful, trying to make it so skin doesn't break or blisters don't pop. He starts with the legs first so he can work his way up essentially. He knows he'll likely see some interesting anatomy, but that's not his intention. He doesn't care about that.

He cares about her health. His touch is surprisingly soft for strong hands, but as he sets a pile of wrapping aside, he reaches for the pajama pants. "Okay, slow and steady." He tells her as he starts to slide them on, more than ready to immediately stop if the pain gets to be a bit much.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
"You won't hurt me," Sara offers. Even if he did, it wasn't intentional and would have happened no matter who was removing the bandages. His joke actually gets a laugh and a broad smile. "It's totally unfair how well you know me already," she then adds with a snort, but her eyes are sparkling all the same.

Life was cruel, anyone who thought differently was kidding themselves. There were always moments of joy and happiness, moments that created wonderful memories, but the sheer length of time a person lived, the negatives often outweighed the positives. She had spent two years alone. Lost two police partners and friends, with a third in a coma he would never wake from. She has fought to push everything and everyone out, just as Cael had done with her life, but Sara had realized in that just how lonely she was, which is something Cael had yet to acknowledge. Meeting Wade had been a chance encounter, she thought he was in need of aid as he ran from an entire gang shooting at him. From that moment on, they were friends, which had turned into something more.

It was happening again, but this time it was locked away, it had to remain that way. She would not be the one to hurt Johnny, ever, just as he had said he would not be the one to do anything to harm her relationship with Wade, but it was still there. It was always there, just out of sight when the two of them were together.

The blisters had reached a point of being pretty solid, and the skin wasn't flaking or lufting off, making the task of de-mummifying Sara easier. Eventually they would be gone and there would be no scars to remind her of what had happened, but she would never forget.

"They look a great deal better," she offers, trying very hard not to get in his way with her own desire to just do it. She knew she couldn't but that didn't change a damn thing in her head. "Definitely think they'll be gone by tomorrow."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Pajama pants were easy to put on it would appear. Though after he handles that, he smirks at Sara as she tells him he won't hurt her. "Never intentionally." Johnny says with a bit of a smile. Though all the same, he continues his work. He continues removing the bandages from her top. Even if it frees some things, Johnny doesn't look. Or rather, he tries -really, really hard- not to look.

Yet even still, every time Johnny looks at her. He feels his heart beat faster. He feels his brain, all that's there and ever will be, think about her. Johnny wouldn't be the one to hurt her. Yet even as he tries to dress her wounds and even as he reaches for that shirt, their eyes meet again. And he remains fixed on her in that moment. His heart beats faster.

His eyes lower to her lips for that brief nanosecond. Thinking about it. Wanting it. Needing it. Needing -her-. He gulps.

"Yeah. They look pretty good. Good thing you heal fast, huh?" He chuckles a little bit. So he tries to give her the shirt, and help her in putting it on.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara is the perfect ragdoll, well perhaps not perfect but she tries really hard not to interfere and just let him do it. A voice whispers in her mind that she could probably have done it, would have just taken longer, but that was the stubborn, the independent voice that used to push her to excel when others failed and had become something of a nag since.

"Of course not intentionally," she adds, and then he is moving to her torso and chest.

She doesn't really mean to be staring at him as he does this, she trusts he won't do anything, and yet she finds herself watching just how careful and tender he is. So when he looks to her and their eyes meet again, she doesn't miss a single signal. She may not know his heart is beating faster, but she knows in that moment her own is. That nanosecond hangs in the air for hours, or so it seems, that she considers where his eyes move and that she might actually lean forward and kiss him.

"Right," she says hastily, blinking, taking the shirt and accepting his aid in moving her arms to get it on. She has no idea what he said, just agree, that was the right thing to do.

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Pride comes before fall.

Only Johnny won't let her be prideful. He's taking care of her, end of story. Though as he looks at her, there's that nanosecond that seems like forever. She might take the first step...and so might he. Though he can't even remember the question he asked her. What did he ask that earned her response, even when they were so close, and even as she puts on that shirt with his help.

Yet when she has that shirt secured ont oher body, Johnny is staring at her. Looking her in the eyes.

Then, it was like instinct. Like the heart ready to explode into a thousand, billion different pieces just to be put back together. Instinct, it was wrong - was it right? Was he wrong, did it matter? He reaches for her cheeks to hold them, to caress them.

In the same motion, he's moving forward, intending to bring his lips to hers in a simple kiss, yet filled with the weight of so, so much. Hopefully, Johnny didn't get slapped or hopefully the Witchblade didn't see fit to try and slice him.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The distraction of putting the shirt on hadn't changed the swarming of thoughts and emotions around Sara's mind. She had taken that moment for a breath, to start attempting to put the emotions in order and that moment was no where near long enough.

His touch to her cheek makes her blue eyes dart to his, meet them, welcome them and realize he was leaning closer. Was it wrong? Was it right? Neither mattered in that moment. The world outside the bubble that was them continued at a normal speed, while inside her chest and mind things were speeding up and then slowing down.

Leaning slightly toward him, there is no slap, no sharp blades, only her indication that if he wishes to kiss her she wasn't going to stop him. It would complicate things, she knew that before she even leaned toward him, but knowing a thing doesn't mean you accept a thing... she wanted to kiss him.

Johnny Blaze has posed:
He could.

Permission granted. She wanted it as much as he did. Maybe they both wanted it, maybe one wanted it far more than the other. Who would say? Who could want it? But when his hands find the warmth of her cheeks, his eyes seem to dialate. There was care there. It wasn't -just-.

It's never ever -just-.

It's not just desire. It's not just the loneliness talking. It's not just the lust. It's not just the feeling of two hearts coming closer. It's not just the feelings of two lips coming closer. It's not just.

It's so much more than that, at least from Johnny's own perspective.

She leans slightly towards him. She comes ten, and he comes the other ninety. His lips seek hers out, intending fully to make contact with her as their lips come to a heated touch. But the question must be asked...does the spark exist? Is it going to complicate things? Oh probably. Is she going to be pissed at him for complicating things? Probably.

But in this moment? His heart was beating so fast it threatened to burst out of his chest. He's had feeling for Sara for a long time now. Powerful feelings.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The spark, when placed against tinder, becomes the flames. When their lips meet, the warmth and softness registers and then all else is forced into the background. Reaching with her left hand, her fingers slide through his hair, brushing it back as her eyes close, then her hand merely rests on his shoulder to touch him, to have that contact.

The flames from the spark hit her mind, the kiss being exactly what she thought it would be, what she hoped it would be, and yes it complicated things on so many levels that she let those thoughts slide into a box to remain in that single moment. There was no denying that she had feeling for Johnny, a connection of more than desire or longing, it wasn't just lust or she would have attempted other things before now. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, and because of that, knowing and caring that much, she had kept herself in check. All that was the past now, and all that remained was what happened now.

She permits the kiss to linger for a moment or two, keeping passion in check though it breaks through in small hints by the way her lips play against his, and then she leans back to just look at him. His reaction, that was what was important now. Had it gone too far? He knew about Wade, he knew that the two of them shared a mind that each could be with others, but she also knew Johnny was monogamous... had the kiss ruined everything?

Johnny Blaze has posed:
The kiss. Smart people will suggest that it's just neurons firing off, just a bunch of hormones and tricks of the mind. But you can't fake that shit. You can't fake this. He feels her slender hand comb through his hair, his lips warmly press and mold against hers, even as she adds in some touches here and there to passion the kiss. How they play with one another. It was exactly what he wished it was be.

Exactly what he wanted it to be.

Yet, even as the connection continued, and eventually, their lips began to part from one another, a soft exhale leaves Johnny's lips, his hand slowly lowering from her cheek. Though they lean back to look at each other. Johnny keeps his attention on her, and he seems excited. He's breathless as he pants. He looks like he wants to finish the mission. To just -take her-.

He takes slower breaths, as if trying to get himself under control, even as his hands comb through her long locks.

He was monogamous. Does Sara have a choice to make? Or does JOhnny withdraw? He looks at her. "I'm sorry...I..."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Reaching up Sara lays a finger on his lips for a moment, just enough to hush him. She takes a moment to regain her breathing, to control the heat in her body, get it all together.

"You don't have to be sorry," she offers quietly, then removes her hand back to herself. Now she looks down from his face, away from him to her hands in her lap. "I'm the one who's sorry, who should have... I shouldn't have kissed you."

If she hadn't kissed him then she would never have known what she really felt, it would have always remained a mystery of maybe's and what if's... now it was truth, a truth that although wonderful, was impossible. The differences between them were black and white, apples and oranges. It didn't take rocket science to know what he wanted, what he hoped, what matched the feelings that were on his sleeve and her own now.

"I don't choose," she finally says quietly. "I'm sorry. I am what I am, just as you are what you are. I don't choose, I can't choose." And thus a friendship ends, at least that is what she believes, so she moves to stand up and put some distance between them. Funny how a little thing like a kiss makes you forget... cracked rips, bruised muscles... and even as she stands to step away, she looks like she's about to fall.

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny didn't have a chance to speak. A finger against his lips silenced him before he could say more. Though Sara decides to control the heat in her body and tells herself to get it together, she seems to tell him that he doesn't have to be sorry. "No, I shouldn't have...I knew you were in a relationship, I just-" Johnny silences himself. "I'm sorry, Sara."

Maybe things would be simpler if both of them were single. Or maybe they are simply incompatible, and being in a relationship is going to be an impossible event for them. Yet, all the same, this is the situation they are present in now. Though she tells him she doesn't choose.

That she can't.

Then Johnny simply nods. "Then it's already decided." He tells her with a small smile. Yet, even as she stands up and starts to walk, only to feel the cracked ribs and bruised muscles, Johnny is in one spot one moment and in another the next. In fact, he's actually managed to catch her in his arms if she's about to fall. "Hey." He tells her with a small smile. "You okay?"

A friendship ended? Quite an assumption to make. Johnny attempts to straighten her out and set her back onto the bed's edge. "You still need your rest." Even after all of that? Even after that...lovely moment, after that catastrophic confusion, after a potentially heartbreaking decision...Johnny is still there?

"and...well, I'm not going anywhere. You would do the same for me." He smiles at her. His character is different too.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
There was no doubt she was about to fall, but Johnny was right there to keep Sara from hitting the floor. She had no idea why, she hadn't expected it, though falling may have been preferable in the long run to being caught and looking in his eyes again.

"You don't need to be sorry," she says more firmly, though this time through slightly gritted teeth as she is settled back on the bed. "Yeah, I'm in a relationship and you knew that, but you also made it clear you're monogamous. /I/ shouldn't have leaned in, I shouldn't have gotten caught up in the moment, and the feelings, and desires... because I'm not monogamous, it comes back to /me/ to be the one..." she growls, more at herself than him, and shakes her head.

"It wasn't fair to you," she finally says after a moment to calm herself. "That's why it's my fault, and why I'm kicking myself and wishing..." nope, do not finish that sentence.

Yes, it would be easier if the world worked the way people wished or dreamed, but that's not how it was. Wishing and dreaming were crap, they got you no where and when they never came true, someone got hurt. This time, it was Johnny, the very thing she wanted to avoid.

"Why would you stick around?" She asks, looking up at him. "Isn't that just... self torture?"

Johnny Blaze has posed:
"Welcome to the real world." Johnny tells her as he holds her in his arms for that brief moment. "We were friends first, remember?" He tells her then. As if that's the cure-all for everything she's doubting about herself and everything she could ever fear. Johnny doesn't shy from her. He doesn't refuse her presence. Doesn't refuse her warm touch. She talks through gritted teeth telling him not to be sorry. He knew he was into monogamous relationships, yet he kissed her anyway. She was polyamourous, but still kissed him anyway.

It's a strange conundrum to be sure. Where does compromise fit in? -does- it fit in?

"Wishing what?" He asks her. Though he hums a moment as she asks him why he would stick around. "Because you're home. You gave me one. You were kind to me when nobody else was." She asks him if it's self-torture. "Everything is, in a way. You gotta decide who's worth hurting for. That makes friends who they are, because they can hurt you - but you never turn your back on them. Besides, you can't hurt me."

He hums.

"I'm pretty much immune." He's definitely not. But the man's got an emotional fortitude of steel. "Would you ditch me if it were the other way around?"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Once sitting again the pain seems to let up a little, but Sara is still watching his face, those eyes, the answers were still there.

"I don't ditch the people I care about," she offers, breathing a little easier as the pain lets up. "Everything I've said is the truth, you're home... where I am, is home."

Closing her eyes now she takes a slow breath, the last of the pain from her stupidity seeping away. "What I wish doesn't matter, Johnny. Reality trumps wishes, always will. I'm not adding any more stress or pain... but thank you," she opens her eyes and looks back over at him. "For not leaving, that at least was one wish come true."