Pairing: Pirika/Ren

Words: 1,215

"Ah, there! All bandaged up!" Pirika said, smiling as she patted down the last of the wrappings on the arm she was tending to.

"Thank you so much, Pirika," Chocolove said, evidently satisfied.

"Of course!" she exclaimed brightly. "It's my pleasure. Now, who's next?" She wiped her hands on her skirt, ready for her next patient.

"I am!" Ryu said, sprinting over to where she was sitting.

"Hey, I was next in line!" Lyserg called out.

"Guys, I was definitely after Chocolove," Yoh protested.

"Uh, she's my sister, so she should be tending to be next!" Horohoro said angrily.

Pirika laughed. "Calm down, guys, I'll get to all of you! Just be patient, okay? Sorry I'm working so slow. Jun, Anna and Tamao are all out in the Village getting groceries." She bowed apologetically.

"What? No, don't apologize!" Yoh said.

"Yeah, it's not your fault," Lyserg added.

"We'll just wait our turns." Ryu smiled, flashing her a thumbs up.

After she finished tending to the last shaman she put her medical kit away. "Anyone want anything before I start helping out Ren?"

"Er, could I just get a glass of water?" Chocolove asked.

"Sure thing!" She bounced away downstairs.

"Jeez, guys, why were you all fighting over her? She would've gotten to you sooner or later," Horohoro grumbled suspiciously.

"It's because Pirika is so good to us!"

"Yeah, she really knows how to take care of a guy."

"And she's so happy and sweet and gentle and pretty—"

"Watch it, Ryu," Horohoro growled. "And Yoh, I don't think that Anna would be so happy if she heard you talk about Pirika that way."

He merely shrugged. "I'm a guy after all."

"She isn't that special," Ren said in a monotone voice as he emerged from the backroom. "I don't see what all the fuss is about. You all are acting like little children, wanting to be coddled, when in fact, this room is filled with top class shamans," he snapped.

Pirika skipped back into the room. "Your water, Chocolove." She handed him the glass which he took gratefully from her. She stopped in her tracks. "Ren! You shouldn't be up! Your wounds—"

"Excuse me, I'll be the judge of what I should and should not be doing. Don't you dare tell me what to—"

"No. Go back to your room now," she said forcefully.

The entire room fell silent. No one had ever spoken to Ren in such a tone before.

"I beg your pardon, you silly girl."

"I said go back to your room, now." She grabbed his wrist and led him to the door.

He was in such a state of shock at the way he was being handled that he showed no initial resistance. Only after she shoved him down on the bed and closed the door did he snap back into life.

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed.

"At the rate you're healing, or rather not healing, you're going to reopen all your wounds if you keep moving around like that!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with genuine concern as she took out salve and a fresh roll of bandages.

"I don't need your help. My injuries aren't even that grave. Don't you dare—" But it was too late. She had seized the hem of his shirt and yanked it up.

"Oh…my…" she gasped. Lacerations ran up and down his exposed back, more crusted blood than skin showing. Scraps of flesh hung in ribbons on his sides and bruises patterned his chest. Part of his enemies weapon was still wedged in between two of his ribs. Splintered yellowed bone stuck out from his front. She looked up at him, tears gathering in her eyes. "Ren…"

He pulled his shirt back down violently. "See…it's nothing…" he said quietly but forcefully. "I don't need you." He stood up suddenly and turned away from her. "I don't need anyone…" He lurched forward as his weakened legs were unaccustomed to handling such weight. Pirika reached towards Ren, trying to grab his wrist before he collapsed but he pushed her away, opting instead to steady himself by resting his hand against the wall. He bowed his head as he tried to control his ragged breathing.

As he heard her footsteps starting up, Ren had assumed that she was leaving the room. Instead, his eyes flew open as he was caught off guard when he felt her light touch on his back. Ren's breath caught in his throat as her fingers softly traced the ridges where skin turned into bloodied sinews.

"That's not true."

Her hands spanned the ridges of his fractured shoulder blades, lingering slightly over his fatigued raw muscles worn thin from the stress of battle. Her arms wove their way forward, her fingers then her palm resting on his face.

"Sometimes, you need other people."

She pressed gently against his the side of his face, guiding and turning his head until he was completely facing her. His arms instinctively fell by his sides as his body shifted to angle towards her. She reached up with her other hand, the tip of her finger running along a fresh cut on his cheek, admittedly the smallest, most insignificant injury he had sustained from the fight earlier. But this was the first wound that hurt when she touched it, causing him to clench his teeth and wince as the cut stung and burnt.

"You're still bleeding and you don't even know it."

Ren narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. As far as he was concerned, all his injuries had scabbed over by that point. "But—"

"Not physically, silly. In here," she said, tapping the skin over his heart. "You're hurting yourself and your spirit is bleeding and if you keep up this attitude it will never stop until there's nothing left of you…" she whispered sadly.

Ren's vision clouded over and the next thing he knew when he drifted into consciousness was that one of his hands had found its way to the small of her back, pulling her closer and the other was in the process of tilting her chin up towards him. He smirked as he realized that even that he was now thinking clearly, he had no intention of stopping. His face moved nearer to hers, closing any distance between them.

Pirika flushed bright red, her hand still upon the wound on his cheek.

"I…I…I can fix this!" she nervously exclaimed, breaking away from his grasp.

Ren blinked, slightly irritated that she had interrupted him in satiating his hunger for her. "What?"

"This!" She patted her hand somewhat painfully against the scratch, earning her a hiss from him. "I can…apply salve to it and it'll be healed up in no time!"

She backed away, getting the bandages and ointment she had tossed onto the bed behind them.

He covered his eyes with his hand in irritation, massaging his temple. "Aren't there bigger injuries of mine you should be attending to first?" he growled as he sat down on the bed, defeated.

"Little by little, Ren." She smiled as she began tending to him. "One step at a time."

A/N: RenPiri makes me so happy. aaaah! also, make sure to check out my other fics: The Heavy Hearts Brigade (RenPiri) Our Story (Yohna) and my new story Europe Roundabout! it'd be awesome if you left a review! :) happy days. also a few of my reviewers have asked to get to know me better! two suggestions: visit my fanfiction LiveJournal (link in profile) or ask to friend me on facebook! (i'll message you the link). :D