Tempest (Royce/Winston)

027

Chresanto's P.O.V.

Jacob felt like shit and he looked like it too. His nose was badly bruised, to the point where I think it could be mistaken as broken, and his left eye was swollen shut. I was honestly afraid to touch him because he was so badly bruised that I wouldn't be surprised if one brush across his skin hurt.

"Chresanto, you can't just leave right in the middle of an evaluation" I heard Mia say once I closed the front door, I could hear her walking over to me. "Why did you..." She trailed off when she walked into the foyer, eyeing Jacob. "What's going on?"

"Some guys, uh, hurt Jacob pretty bad" I murmured, my fingers ran along his back and in response he flinched, arching away from my touch.

"That hurts" he murmured.

"Sorry" I whispered, gently pecking the lobe of his ear, it was the only thing I could reach. "Do you think Sharon could wait?" I asked, "I want to get Jacob cleaned up and make sure he's okay. I know the evaluation's important, but so is he and he's my first priority right now".

"I... Yeah, yeah, go ahead" she answered softly, "is there anything I can do to help?"

"Ice packs would be nice".

"Okay".

I was so relieved Mia wasn't asking too many questions right now, I knew she wanted to.

"I'm going to be the reason you get a bad evaluation" Jacob stated once we were in the bathroom. He was sitting on the closed toilet seat, watching me run him a bath.

"That's okay, it won't be my first and it won't be my last" I explained. "Plus, you're way more important than words on paper".

Jacob smiled weakly, "thanks".

"Mhm" I hummed, moving closer to him. My fingers took a hold of the bottom hem of Jacob's shirt, I lifted it up and over his head, thumbing at the dried blood that stained the top hem. The bruises on his stomach were bad, it was going to take weeks for them to heal.

"Do you think you can wash up on your own, or do you need my help?"

It would be the first time I would see him without clothes on, but it wasn't like I cared. If he needed my help then I would help him and I wouldn't say a word about it. Jacob knew it would be the first time too because he stared at me for a moment before sighing.

"This is not how I imagined you seeing me naked for the first time would go" he joked weakly, wincing when he tried resting his back against the porcelain toilet.

"Jacob, you know I don't mind or care, if you need my help then I will help you".

He nodded a little, "yeah, I know... I just, I don't know... But I'd like that really, if you could help me, please".

"Okay".

I helped him stand up and after helping him out of his pants and boxers, I got him into the bathtub. Jacob physically relaxed, his body seemed to loosen up when coming in contact with the warm water. I cupped my hands, collecting water in them.

"Close your eyes" I instructed, watching him do so. I let the water fall over his hair and create small streams over his face, I continued to carefully pour water over him. The blood from his nose and mouth washed away and stained the water red. I had to drain the water and add more so it wasn't dirty with his blood.

"Chres" Mia knocked on the door of the bathroom, she opened it a bit but didn't come in. "I left the ice packs in your room, they're on the nightstand already wrapped in towels".

"Thanks".

She closed the door and I looked back at Jacob. He was gently touching his nose, flinching when he prodded an extraordinarily sensitive area.