It Happens To The Best Of Us

Joly really hadn’t expected for Combeferre to come home with ripped jeans and blood actually still trickling down his forearm. He jumped up from where he had been sitting on the couch and took Combeferre’s bag from him to guide him to the bathroom. He wasn’t even aware of muttering “oh my god” until he had pushed his boyfriend down to sit on the toilet and Combeferre had put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, Joly. Breathe. I won’t die.” Combeferre’s eyes were steady on his and he nodded slowly.

“Yeah, I know.” Joly took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. “I’m afraid you’ll have to get rid of those jeans so I can have a proper look at your knee,” he said, turning around to get the first aid kit. There was a rustle of fabric as Combeferre let his pants drop to the floor, and Joly braced himself before he turned back towards him.

Joly frowned worriedly when he saw the wound. It was deeper than he had expected. Shaking his head he began cleaning it up.
“You know, it’s usually Bossuet I have to patch up,” Joly said after a moment of silence.

There was a hiss when he disinfected the wound before Combeferre chuckled. “It must be nice to know it’s not him for a change.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure that something unfortunate happened to him, even if he hasn’t hurt himself for a change,” Joly replied with a soft laugh, before he looked up at Combeferre with a raised eyebrow. “Besides, it’s not nice at all if any of you get hurt.”

He almost missed Combeferre’s fond smile at his words as he concentrated on the wound again. “How did you get these anyways?”

“I slipped on my way home from the metro.” Joly looked back up again and actually had to laugh at the sheepish look on Combeferre’s face.

“It happens to the best of us.” He put a plaster on Combeferre’s knee and got up again. “Now show me that elbow of yours.”

They were silent again while Joly tended Combeferre’s elbow and tried not to fuss too much about the dirt that had gotten into it. It was the other man who broke the silence as Joly was washing his hands.

"It's okay to fuss." Joly looked at him in confusion, but before he could open his mouth to ask what Combeferre meant, he already continued.  "I mean it's great that you didn't, because you'll need to be able to do that when you work as a doctor, but I know you and it's ok to do it in front of me. I know you do it anyways."

Joly wasn't quite sure what to say to that. It wasn't entirely unexpected; not with them knowing each other as well as they did, and especially not with Combeferre's usual perceptiveness, but it still surprised Joly to some extend. Combeferre got up and smiled at him and reached out to tentatively put a hand on Joly's waist.

Joly flushed a bit, but let himself be pulled into a hug.

"You did well, I'm proud of you."

"It's nothing, really." Joly could feel the blush creeping onto his cheeks at the praise. Combeferre smiled and cupped his cheek.

"I mean it. Thank you."