#yeah <3333

“He’s busy cleaning up your mess! And stop yelling in my ear!!” Jet was currently tracking down the escaped bounty Spike royally got his ass handed to. And after that, he would have to have a painful discussion with the ISSP excusing his partner’s reckless behavior as nearly totaled half the block in his escapade. You imagine him stopping by a bar and grabbing a drink to clear his mind before stepping foot on the Bebop again. Everyone seems to be having a rough day. Especially Spike, the man you’re currently manhandling in order to bandage up. You dab away with a cotton ball soaked in Vodka at Spike’s open wound to disinfect before moving onto stitches. “A bullet to the shoulder blade, Spiegel? I thought we were better than this…” you taunt.

Spike doesn’t respond. There are too many things on his mind right now and you're not about to be another one of them. Spike had plopped down haphazardly preparing to endure whatever makeshift medical care you had to offer. He could handle the panging on his bullet wound and the constant throbbing in the head at the blood loss. However, he was not prepared for this constant tension that stuck around. Neither of you two were. It was tension that appeared only when you both were together, and it intensified when you were this close together. It seemed like the only normal thing to do was to make conversation because both bounty hunters felt their underlying awkwardness. 

You are practically pressed against Spike’s body, sitting on the metal table across from him. Being situated this close, Spike was painfully aware of how gentle you were with him. That is when you didn’t have to wrangle him to stay still. He’s seen you body slam and manhandle lackeys in battle, but here, your moves are laced with care. You’re slow. Eyes study his injury cautiously, and you never press down onto it too hard. He really doesn’t mind being taken care of by the Bebop’s rookie bounty hunter. Even if he was giving them a hard time. 

You were dealing with a similar situation. You also couldn’t help noticing how warm Spike was. He was actively losing blood, but his body ran hot. It was a nice contrast to the cold metal table you were sitting on. He had a tendency to lean into your body and you were blanketed by the body heat accompanied with his cigarette scent. It felt comfortable when he placed his hands on you to support himself. His hair tickles your neck a bit when he shuffles. And the way Spike suddenly snugs his face into your shoulder doesn’t go unnoticed. You feel yourself tense up at this, but only for a moment to relax and focus on the task at hand. The bickering and banter was the only thing that kept their minds off of these unusually fluffy thoughts. So when it got quiet like this, the options were to talk or try to take interest in the Bebop’s gray surroundings. The two bounty hunters tried to do anything but notice how nice it was to be in each other’s presence.

The ship is eerily quiet without the chaos of the entire crew. By now, Jet was probably talking to the feds, Faye was gambling her life away, and Ed and Ein were God knows where. The only sound made is the grunts of pain Spike emmited and the splitting sound of the gauze as you ripped it apart. It reverberates within iron walls.

“You play a shitty nurse,” Spike finally speaks up. Complaining of course.

You, now more irritated because of Spike’s venomous ice breaker retort, “Yeah well, you’re a shitty patient.” “What happens if somebody back home gets a boo boo, huh?” Your brow raises in reaction. This is probably another one of Spike’s attempts to get intel on your past. You level the playing field saying, “Well, nobody at home gets shot in the fuckin’ shoulder. And they know how to stay still.”