"Ow!" Flinching visibly, Barry's stiff arm yanked away from Dawn's gentle grasp. His now cold, amber orbs glared daggers at the cloth soaked with iodine on one of her hands, rubbing at his small gash. "Dawn, that hurts..."
The young Sinnoh Champion scoffed, pulling at his quite limp arm back onto her lap, once again dabbing the white cloth onto his wounded skin. "Shush, and let me nurse you, idiot boy." She moved away, and walked to the small first aid kit that was located on her small table perched up against the azalea-colored wall of her room. She dug into the box, mumbling about how impatient the blond was. Grabbing out a sizable band-aid, Dawn walked back to Barry, peeling off the plastic. "Let me see your arm," she ordered, extending her arm out.
He shook his head, leaving her hand aloft out in front of him. This always happened; whenever he'd get hurt, she'd always be there, babying him like if he was a mere five-year-old. It bothered him significantly. Why does she always do this? He wasn't a child anymore, even though he occasionally gets injured like one—
It felt like she was protecting him, instead of the other way around.
"Barry," she called out much softer. "Lemme see real quick. I promise it won't hur—"
The bluenette stopped once he unexpectedly stood up onto his feet, and marched over to the door. Her azure eyes slowly widened in surprise once he opened the door, walking out. "Hey!" she shrieked, quickly dashing in after the boy. Before he could disappear downstairs, she had managed to grab his arm, stopping him in place. "Where are you going?"
"Somewhere," he grumbled, trying to pull away. Regrettably, her hand locked onto his one was making it difficult for the blond to even move away from her. He gave up after a moment of scuffling, seeing as how she was stubborn and not letting go. "Dawn, just leave me alone."
"No, I don't want to."
"Dawn—"
"No."
Barry sighed, letting the stubborn girl continue on with her work onto his gash. He flushed at her gentle, caring touch. "..."
When she finished, she smiled. "There, all better!" Then, her small arms slowly wrapped around his torso from behind. She buried her face into his back, sighing against his striped shirt. "You big doofus," she murmured softly. The embrace tightened, making him—surprisingly—relax at ease.
"I don't always need saving from you," Barry muttered after a brief pause.
A frown curved Dawn's lips at his words. "You're right, you don't..." She pulled back a bit, but still kept her hold on him. Leaning up onto her tiptoes, she brushed her lips against his cheek, unaware of the bright red face he had. "But it doesn't mean that you can always save yourself, silly."
He smiled. Sure, he didn't need to be saved, he simply needed help.
"Thanks, Dawn..."
