Bryn clung to him as he was carried, whimpering softly when a breeze hit his back and sent jolts of pain through the tender skin. He was twitchy, tensing at every small sound or movement as Sebastian moved with him around the bathroom. "Y-yeah."
Sebastian held Bryn close, wincing whenever Bryn made a pained noise. He set the demon down gently on a seat, putting a cold press lightly to Bryn's back. He slipped his hand into Bryn's to comfort him, knowing it must hurt.
Bryn keened, high pitched and tearful, when Sebastian put the compress on his back, squeezing down on his hand like it was a lifeline. He'd draped the front half of his body across Sebastian's lap, leaving his legs bunched up behind him, and he was clinging desperately to the human.
Sebastian held Bryn close, keeping the compress pressed to Bryn's skin.
"You're gonna be okay," he said quietly. His hand was starting to turn white from his tightly Bryn was holding it, but Sebastian didn't care. All that matters was Bryn.
Bryn had started to cry again, tears running steadily down his face as he squeezed Sebastian's hand. The cold felt like it was burning him, running red hot chills across the lattice of welts on his back. He whimpered weakly, shoving his face into the human's hip. "H-hurts… Sebastian, I… I don't…"
Sebastian took his hand away from the cold press, leaving it on Bryn's back as he wiped the tears away gently.
"It's gonna hurt," he said quietly, leaning close to Bryn, "but it's gonna help you get better, okay? We gotta get through this."
Bryn whined low in his throat but he nodded, taking a long unsteady breath in an attempt to calm down. The cold was finally starting to seep into his back, numbing the pain instead of making it worse. "I… I don't like it. I don't wanna have to think about it."
Sebastian nodded, leaning down and kissing Bryn's head.
"Then what do you want to talk about then?" He asked gently, pulling Bryn's attention away from his back.
"I… I dunno. How was kickboxing?" Bryn looked up at him, eager for some kind of distraction.
"Better than most days," Sebastian said, fingers going through Bryn's hair.
"I sparred with Jacob, and I actually won. He was pissed," Sebastian said, chuckling.
Bryn managed something like a purr when Sebastian started playing with his hair, smiling softly at his human when he said he'd won. "Who's Jacob? Was it hard to beat him?"
"Jacob's… An egotistical idiot. Still, he's actually really good." Sebastian chuckled again.
"He practically threw a fit when I beat him, trying to say I cheated. The only reason he's still allowed at the gym is because he's rich too, and he's won a few important matches." Sebastian continued to play with Bryn's hair, smiling gently. It was working; Bryn's attention was on him, not his back.
Bryn stretched out a bit, wincing when he justled his back but managing to retain the calm that had settled over him like a blanket. "Sounds like a real asshat," he murmured, leaning into the touch. "Are you important like he is?"
"Not as much," Sebastian admitted. "I haven't had many important matches, but I have a good record and a good attitude." He smiled softly, bending down and kissing Bryn lightly.
Bryn hesitantly leaned up, sighing softly with contentment. "A good attitude's the most important part. I'm sure you're gonna be real great someday."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Sebastian said. He himself wasn't so optimistic; he figured Jacob would be the one to actually make it, and Sebastian would just resign himself to taking over the family business full time. He went back to playing with Bryn's hair, occasionally readjusting the compress to reach more of Bryn's back.
"It means a lot."
"You have the strength to succeed, Sebastian," he murmured, shifting slightly as the compress was adjusted. It stung, but not too much for him to complain about. "I think you could do anything, with enough practice."
Sebastian blushed slightly.
"You think so?" He asked quietly. He didn't feel like that. Not at all.
Bryn nodded, nuzzling Sebastian's stomach with a soft sound. "You're strong and smart, of course I think so."
Sebastian smiled gently, giving Bryn's hand a small squeeze.
"Thanks. I'm glad you think that." He adjusted the compress one last time. After this… they would need to head to see Doc.
Bryn squeezed back, hissing softly through clenched teeth as the compress was moved. "I… I'll always think the best of you, I think. And I know you can live up to what I see in you."
Sebastian held onto Bryn as the compress started to work again. He chuckled slightly. "You're more confident in me than I am," He admitted.
"I just don't want to let you down."
"Whatever happens, I'll be there to support you." Bryn tugged him down so they were eye to eye. "I don't care about winning or losing, I care about seeing you do something with the talent I know you have."
Sebastian blushed slightly, nodding as he looked into Bryn's eyes.
"O-Okay. Thank you…" He smiled softly. God, Bryn knew just what to say.
"Good! It's no problem, sweetheart." Bryn grinned and pecked him on the lips. "I'm always here for you."
Sebastian's smile grew again.
"I'll always be here for you too," he promised. Even if he couldn't stop Bryn from being hurt, by god he was always going to make sure to help him get better. And he'd support Bryn in anything he did.
Bryn's smile widened and he kissed Sebastian again before letting go of his shirt and snuggling into his lap. "I'm happy to hear that. It means a lot."
Sebastian's hand found its way to Bryn's hair again, lightly playing with it. He wanted this to last. Just him and Bryn, together. But… he needed to get Bryn down to see Doc. He didn't bring it up yet though; he wanted to stall as long as possible.
Bryn purred against Sebastian's thighs, relaxing against the human's body without a care in the world. He'd made his dislike of the doctor very clear and now that his back didn't hurt anymore, he didn't wanna bring her up just in case it reminded Sebastian that they were supposed to go down to see her.
Finally, Sebastian took the compress completely off of Bryn.
"How are you doing?" He asked, slowly transitioning into bringing up going to see the doctor. He knew Bryn really didn't like her, but she would at least help take the bruising away, no questions asked. She was like that; she thought of Sebastian as eccentric, and asking to have Bryn's back taken care of would fit that image.