#I can’t stop saying ‘ say he lo to my gatito blade >:)’

[umbrellascribbles]

from puss in boots!!

[blissfulalchemist]

‘ why are you bleeding? ’ for cat/santi <3

Ash oh lovely Ash. This turned out a tad longer than intended. Lo siento (derogatory). But here's these two idiots being kind of soft.

No warnings. Just a little under 3.5k

It’s not a long walk up the stairs to Santi’s place, even with the take out in hand, so it isn’t long by the time Cat knocks on his door. Her brow furrows when there’s no immediate answer like normal and she glances down at her phone, “Huh,” Did I get something messed up?. The time is correct and the message clearly states to be coming by tonight and the text announcing her arrival is sent through. She frowns knocking again louder, Maybe he just fell asleep. Whatever work John had been giving him recently took up a lot of time, leaving little time for the two of them to see one another. It had to have also been pretty important as Santi even blew off a night out just a few days ago, so she assumed bringing the fun to him would help make life a little easier.

She readies herself to knock once more when the door opens before her. Santi stands before her, hair still drenched, the steam from his shower following with the scent of his body wash, dressed in a pair of sweats that look like they’d been put on in a haste along with a plain black t-shirt. His eyes go wide briefly taking her in, but an easy demeanor she’s grown accustomed to seeing on him returning to every part of his face except his eyes. He pushes back the wet strands of hair that have fallen on his face, “Well, well. What brings you here, gatito?”

She smiles, giving a small tilt to her head, bringing the bag a little higher, “You said it was fine to come over, bring you some dinner.”

He smirks, “I thought we planned on that being tomorrow,” he leans on the door frame, a small wince comes free that he hides while talking, “Not that I’m not happy to see you.”

“Oh,” she bites her lower lip, eyes cast down, “I asked for tonight and you said yes, so I just-.”

Santi pulls out his phone, quickly scrolling through the messages, “You did. Sorry. I must have just read it wrong.” He glances back into the apartment, his breath hitching for a moment. 

Cat gives a slow nod, “Well if it's a bad time now, I can just uhm. I can just come back tomorrow.”

“No, no,” he reaches out to take her hand, “It’s never a bad time to have you around.” She can feel the heat rise in her cheeks when he takes a step closer, fingertips brushing gently along her jaw. He leans down until his lips are just brushing hers, “Especially now, seeing as you brought my favorite meal.” Santi smiles, quickly taking the bag from her hand as he spins back inside the apartment, Cat rolls her eyes following behind him.

“I swear that seems to be the only reason you keep me around,” she tosses her coat on the couch, eyeing the duffel bag filled with clothes tossed on it.

“Gatito, there are plenty of other reasons to keep you around,” he laughs, setting up the table before picking her up by her waist. She gives a small scream at the sudden movement, laughing when he places her onto the counter, foreheads pressed together. “Who else am I going to find that fits so perfectly right here,” he whispers, his arms encircling her, lips meeting hers gently, “Hm. Or someone that, much to my protest still I might add, can still find ways of making my high maintenance ways just a little more affordable?”

Cat smiles, stomach flipping as he kisses her, feeling Santi’s hands move up and down her body. She wraps her arms around his neck, pressing herself against his body, small moans escaping her as his hands move under the fabric of her dress, leaving trails of tingling heat on her bare skin. “You know I’m sure you could find someone better,” she says feeling his lips move down her neck, sending shivers throughout her body.

“Don’t think so,” he pushes the straps of her dress down revealing the edges of a lace bra. Santi’s hands find their way back under the skirt of her dress, running up her thighs, “Is it a matching set tonight?” He purrs in her ear, teeth grazing just below her jaw, Cat letting out a shaky breath. Her legs spread easily, Santi resting them on his hips to keep them that way while his fingers trace the edges of the lace hipsters. He smirks, kissing her deeply, teeth pulling on her lower lip when he finally pulls away, “Got all dressed up just for me, did you?” Cat lets out a sharp gasp the moment he makes contact with her core over the lace, “Must have missed me quite a bit.”

“I don’t think you should be skipping right to the end,” she breathes out, “It’ll diminish the thrill of anticipation.” 

“Then why are you encouraging it, gatito,” he chuckles, feeling Cat’s hands slide under his shirt. “Come on,” he urges, “We have all night and even tomorrow.”

“John finally letting you off your leash?” She asks, her hope obvious as she slides his shirt up, kissing along his chest.

“For now,” Santi pulls back, stripping himself of the shirt and tossing it away. He kisses down her jaw slowly, “So that means,” Cat’s breathing deepens as he moves down her neck, sliding the zipper of her dress, “all of my attention can be,” her arms wrap around him, keeping him close, “on you,” Santi kisses the crook of her neck, Cat releasing a breathy moan, “and me.” He starts to kiss down her chest, her fingers brushing along his skin, until they pass over the same section of something wet along his shoulder blades. 

It can’t be shower water, it wouldn’t localize itself, She frowns, inspecting her fingers, finding them stained red. A gasp catches in her throat as her panic rises, heart pounding in chest as she tries to get a better look at Santi, his movements making it impossible. “Santi,” she chokes out though he doesn’t give much pause. Her unstained hand works to garner his attention, “Santi stop! Stop!” Her eyes go wide as all she can focus on is the few small drops that travel down to her palm. She’s had nightmares like this before, but this wasn’t one, right? Couldn’t be, She’s real, he’s real. 

Finally she can feel her hand in just the right place giving one shove with all her strength. She shuts her eyes a moment, slowing her breathing down, nails digging into her thigh. Real, it’s all real. Not a dream, real. One more moment, she just needs one more moment before she can open her eyes. “Santi, why-,” her voice shakes, throat drying up, “Why are you bleeding?” 

Santi’s attempting to look over his shoulder by the time she opens her eyes, his face the same and intact. His brows knit together as his hand reaches over, the tips coming back red, cursing under his breath. Cat can see another cut glaring red on his arm with how he moves. Her mouth falls open jumping down from the counter, moving closer to inspect him. He smiles, moving to keep the cuts from her view, “It’s nothing, amante.”

“It’s not nothing,” she argues, forcing his back to her, “You’re bleeding.” Cat stands on her tiptoes, gently prodding the wound, “And it looks like it might not stop for a while.”

He moves to face her once again, “It will. Just leave it be. I’m fine.” Santi takes hold of her hands when she won’t stop moving and her eyes get larger, “Trust me. I’m fine.” He runs a hand down her cheek to hold her chin, “No need to get all fussy about it,” he assures in a low voice.

“No need-,” she pulls her hands from his grip taking a step back, “Santi, you’re hurt and bleeding. That warrants me fussing and worrying, especially since you’re trying to tell me you’re fine. When clearly,” she gestures a hand up and down her body.

Santi steps forward, hands cupping her face once more, voice softer, “Because I am, Cat.” He places a soft kiss on her forehead, Cat’s jaw setting. His eyes looked over her face before landing on the table behind them, “Maybe you’re right. We should eat first.” 

He walks away from her picking up the shirt he was wearing earlier, “No.” Cat gives a small stomp of her foot, hands balled into fists, Santi arching a brow. She crosses her arms, “I’m not going to put up with your manly I’m invincible bullshit today when it is so very clear that you are hurt. I’m not just going to put that to the side and play along with you like all the other times, especially since this is something I can actually help you with.”

“Gatito I’m-.”

“Stop that!” She pauses, taking a deep breath, holding her hand up to stop him from speaking, “Look, you and I both know that I’m going to worry about it no matter what. So the choice becomes whether you let me fuss and worry for five minutes while I help you or three hours wherein that’s the maximum amount of time that I will allow myself to be here until I give up for the night.” 

Santi smirks, “There’s a lot we can do in three hours, cariña.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” she grumbles in response. His smirk falls growing silent as he looks over the table folding his arms. Cat watches him for any sort of reaction, when none comes she rolls her lips, twisting the tips of her fingers. Eventually her shoulders fall and she lets out a sigh, running a hand through her dark waves, “Santi,” she says softly, “I- I don’t-.” Cat lets out a small groan at her fumbling, “I’m sorry. That- It all came out harsher than I intended.” She walks to him slowly, adjusting the straps of her dress to keep it on, “I just- Its just-,” she gives a shake of her head reaching out slowly, fingers hesitating in making contact, “I care about you, Santi.” She lets her hand slide down his arm, lacing their fingers together, “I care about you a lot and, well, that makes me prone to worrying. I just don’t want to see you hurt if I can help it.” She kisses his shoulder before bringing the top of his hand to her lips, searching his stoic expression for any change.

Finally Santi nods, his smile returning, “Alright, fine. Let me get the first aid kit.” He gives her hand one more squeeze pulling away towards the bathroom.

Cat blinks in disbelief, “That’s it? Just like that?”

He gives a shrug, “Sure. Maybe if you see it up close, you’ll know I’m right, cariña.”

Cat exhales, rolling her eyes, “What is with you and being right all the time?”

“Part of my charm,” he laughs, “And someone has to be in this relationship.”

Cat turns away waving off the comment once his back is turned, “I’m gonna get the couch ready okay?” There’s no response as she grabs a dark towel laying it to hang where Santi will sit on the couch in case he decides to lean on his bad arm, This is why you shouldn’t buy such light colored fancy couches if they aren’t going to be easy to clean, Santiago. She picks up the duffel bag, almost dropping it quickly from the weight of it, I deserved that. She tries once more managing to almost toss it to the chair next to the sofa, her eyes catching the gleam of something metal within it. She adjusts the straps of the dress once more glancing over her shoulder before moving some of the clothes to the side to take a closer look. 

The initial gleam had come from a handgun with a knife about as long as her forearm right next to it. There’s a hard plastic case just below them that she can’t attempt to open right this second hearing Santi making his way back towards her. She quickly shuffles the clothes back over the items, adjusting the straps of her dress, huffing when they don’t stay in place. Not like it was gonna stay on for that long anyway, She let the dress fall to the ground turning to catch Santi’s playful smile, holding up a clear plastic case with a red cross painted on the front of it and a bowl of water.

“Alright, gatito-,” his words stop taking in her state of undress, “Didn’t realize Nurse Cat needed a change in clothing.”

She crosses an arm over her body, feeling her face flushing, “Can you please not?”

He bites his lip, looking her over once more before he hands off the kit and water to her with a bow, “Alright, let’s get this over with so we can go back to our night.” He flops down on the couch, Cat crossing her legs as she gets into a good position behind him. “I think you need to get closer,” he teases, leaning his head back to try and look at her.

She rolls her eyes, lightly pushing his head back into place. She’s at just the right height to be at eye level with the wound, allowing her to gently wipe the blood away gauging its depth with ease. A sigh of relief leaves her lips as she establishes that it just misses the mark of needing stitches. “At least we don’t have to ruin your back with a scar,” she mumbles searching through the kit, “Well a very noticeable one at least.”

“See I told you it was nothing,” he says smugly, once again leaning back.

She gives a small eye roll, smiling when she finds the superglue, “Well it needs a little more than just a bandaid so we’re both right.”

She pushes him back into place, “What else does it need, gatito, if not stitches?”

“Superglue.”

He grimaces letting out a low growl, “That shit stings like hell and leaves a worse mark in my experience. Would rather have the stitches.”

She gives a light laugh, “You have exposed nerves technically, so everything is gonna sting.” Cat lines up some tape on his back that will help hold it together, “But if you’re getting worse scars then someone doesn’t know what they’re doing.” He shifts beneath her, Cat pulling back the bottle, “Or the patient is moving too much.” 

She waits until he stays in place before leaning in to start closing the wound together, “I doubt that it’ll look less worse than stitches,” his eyes watch her in the reflection of the tv, “even with your gentle touch, cariña.”

“Trust me. I know all the tricks to make them near invisible,” she laughs softly, a frown crossing her features as she goes back to concentrating.

Santi cocks a brow, “Plenty of practice I assume.”

“Something like that,” she mumbles, keeping all her focus on the task at hand.

“How did you learn to do it,” Santi asks with genuine curiosity.

Cat bites her lip, eyes narrowing as she thinks for a moment, “I had to be first aid certified at my old job.”

“I don’t think they teach you how to do this in those classes.”

Cat looks beyond him before nodding her head, “True, but not everyone wanted to go straight to the doctors so they came to me on occasion. Helped them keep their occasional bad days a secret.”

“You never talk about where you used to work.”

“You never really ask,” she gives a light laugh, Santi smiling at the sound of it. “Do you want to know? Or are you trying to make small talk?”

He gives a half shrug, “¿Por qué no los dos?”

She exhales slowly, “I worked the floor of an inpatient facility. I was a counselor officially, but really I was just someone there to help make sure none of the patients bothered the other workers or management. Got more patients if they were all on good behavior.” Cat grimaces, “I didn’t like that too much, especially since their view of what was ‘good’ behavior was just short of seen not heard.  Somehow, I guess by some miracle, I managed to stay under the radar of management to do things my way a little when I worked.”

“I bet the people staying there liked that,” he says with a smile, “Having someone kind among the workers.” He meets her gaze in the reflection, “I know I would.”

She looks away with a small smile, “Maybe,” she sets the glue down pulling out a bandage, “Many just wanted someone to listen to them….empathise with them. Be treated like they weren’t quote-unquote crazy.” Her fingers slow as they push along the edges of the bandage, eyes defocusing to the world around her, “And, well, I knew exactly where a lot of them were coming from which you could say made it easier.” Cat stayed quiet a moment longer, clearing her throat as she shifted patting his back lightly, “Alright time for your arm now.” She turns it over glancing up at Santi through her lashes, “Looks almost like a defensive wound. Well at least what they show on tv.” He doesn’t say anything as she gets to work on it, “Do you want to tell me how you got injuries like this, Santi-amante?”

“Would it make you worry about me more?” Cat shrugs, Santi chuckling, “Just my usual antics, gatito. There’s a Mary May in every city it seems.”

“John makes you travel?” She asks, Santi giving a hum in response, “Is that why that duffel bag is out?” Cat points to the bag on the chair, “He had you out of state?”

“Yep,” he nods, “Though I don’t think he’d like me taking you with me if that’s what you’re thinking, cariña.”

She chuckles, “I was not. Though it’s nice to know that you dream of taking me,” she smiles, as he playfully waves away the comment. Cat’s mind wanders back to the weapons in his bag, curious as to their purpose. She shuffles through the various possible outcomes of how to ask him, opting to keep to the outskirts of what she really wants to know, “Do you-. Do you like working for him?” She keeps her voice steady, casual, “You like what you do for him?”

“I don’t really like doing work to begin with,” he laughs, “I’m sure you didn’t really like working at your old job too much either.”

She raises a brow, “I loved my old job actually.” His eyes go wide a moment as she gives a quick shrug, “I mean it was far from perfect. Management could have been better and some days the employees and residents got on my nerves, but in the grand scheme of things I was doing what I always wanted to do.”

“Which was?”

“Helping people.” Cat smiles triumphantly, “I always forget how much easier this is to do on others than on yourself,” her musing allowing the words to leave before she can stop them. She clears her throat, grabbing the wrap, eyes cast down.

“You got some past I don’t know about, gatito,” he teases, “Thought we were being honest.”

Cat gives a snort smirking, “Says the one that changed the subject from himself to me just a minute ago.”

“Thought you wouldn’t notice.” He thinks a moment, watching as she wraps his arm gently, “Guess it doesn’t matter if I like it or not, it's easy and something that comes….well, naturally. Feels almost ideal for someone like me.”

Cat finishes the wrapping, holding his hand in hers holding his gaze, “Would you ever do something different if you could?”

His smile falls as he ponders, staring down at his hand in hers. “I don’t know,” he finally answers, his thumb running over her knuckles, “I’ve never really known anything else.” Santi leans down kissing her lips with a smile, the seriousness vanishing in an instant, “Are you officially done with fussing now?” He kisses her again, “Can we go back to dinner?”

Cat smiles, rolling her eyes, “Yes. I’m officially done fussing now. Now was that so hard?”

“Very,” Santi says lowly, moving the kit onto the coffee table, cupping her cheek as he brings her in for a deep kiss that leaves Cat’s head spinning. He lies her down on the sofa placing himself between her hips, kissing up her jaw. “Now don’t you worry,” he purrs, a hand sliding up her thigh and hip, “I’ll take it nice and easy,” he assures, kissing down her body between each word, licking his lips when she arches her back to press herself closer, “Just for you, amante.”