During a mission, everything had been going smoothly until the Mechanic, with his brute strength, tossed Jay hard onto his back. Jay gritted his teeth in pain as he hit the ground, but immediately forced a smile, putting on a brave face for the rest of the team.

"That all you got?" Jay quipped, pushing himself to his feet, even though his back screamed in protest. He tricked everyone with his usual humor, and they continued the mission without a second thought.

But as soon as they got home, Jay's act crumbled. He slipped away from the others and rushed to his room, closing the door behind him. The moment he sat on his bed, his hands gripped the edge tightly, trying to hold back the pain that had been building throughout the day. His back throbbed, and he winced as he leaned forward, silently cursing himself for not speaking up sooner.

Just as he was trying to figure out what to do, there was a soft knock at the door. Jay barely had time to react before something flew through the air and landed next to him on the bed—a cold, perfectly timed ice pack.

Jay looked up, startled, and there stood Kai, leaning casually in the doorway with a knowing smirk on his face. "You seriously thought you could fool me?" Kai asked, arms crossed.

Jay swallowed, his brave facade completely shattered in front of Kai. "I... I didn't want to slow everyone down," Jay mumbled, his hand reaching for the ice pack, though he avoided eye contact.

Kai sighed, walking into the room and sitting beside him. "Jay, you don't have to hide this stuff," he said gently. "We're a team. And if you're hurt, we need to know." His voice was firm but laced with concern.

Jay nodded but still didn't meet Kai's gaze. He was embarrassed, not because of the injury itself, but because he had hidden it. He didn't want to be seen as weak.

Kai, sensing Jay's discomfort, softened his tone. "You don't have to be the tough guy all the time. You can still crack jokes while sitting out, you know," he added with a teasing smile, nudging Jay lightly.

Jay let out a small chuckle, though it was short-lived as the pain flared up again. He pressed the ice pack against his back with a small sigh of relief.

Kai watched him for a moment before speaking again, more seriously this time. "How bad is it?"

Jay hesitated but knew there was no point in lying anymore. "It's... not great," he admitted quietly. "I've had worse, but it's been killing me since the fight."

Kai nodded, his expression softening further. "Lay down for a bit. We'll get this sorted."

Jay opened his mouth to protest, but Kai cut him off. "No arguments. Just rest."

Realizing Kai wasn't going to budge, Jay lay back on the bed, careful with his movements, still holding the ice pack against his back. Kai stood up, watching him for a second before he grabbed a pillow and propped it under Jay's head, making sure he was comfortable.

"Better?" Kai asked, standing over him with his arms crossed again.

Jay gave a weak smile. "A little... thanks."

Kai gave a small smile in return. "Next time, just tell me when you're hurt, okay?"

Jay closed his eyes, feeling the tension in his body start to ease as the cold ice pack worked its magic. "I will," he muttered, finally letting himself relax.

Kai didn't say anything more, but as he quietly left the room, Jay knew he had someone who would always be looking out for him, whether he wanted it or not.

Jay lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his back aching from the earlier mission. The ice pack numbed some of the pain, but not nearly enough. He was just beginning to drift into a restless half-sleep when the sound of the door creaking open brought him back to reality.

Kai stepped into the room, arms full of medical supplies that he unceremoniously dumped on a nearby table. Bandages, ointments, a stethoscope, muscle balm, and some other things Jay couldn't identify scattered across the surface. Jay raised an eyebrow, cracking one eye open.

"Uh, what's all that for?" Jay asked, a hint of unease in his voice. He shifted slightly, trying to appear more relaxed than he felt.

Kai, already rolling up his sleeves and taking his gloves off, glanced at Jay with an amused but stern expression. "You didn't really think I'd leave you with just an ice pack, did you?"

Jay groaned, half-laughing, though his back throbbed with the movement. "I was hoping," he said, his voice tinged with humor, but also a touch of weariness.

Kai shook his head, sitting down next to Jay and sorting through the supplies. "Too bad," he said, grabbing a tube of ointment. "We're making sure your back heals right this time. And since you apparently can't be trusted to tell me when something's wrong, we're doing a full check-up."

Jay frowned. "Full check? Dude, I'm fine—"

Before he could finish the sentence, Kai reached over and gently took Jay's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Jay blinked in surprise, his protests dying on his lips. It wasn't often that Kai showed this level of care, and it caught Jay off guard.

"I'm going to do this," Kai said, his voice calm and steady. "And I'll be right here the whole time. Okay?"

Jay felt his face flush slightly, a mix of surprise and, well, something he couldn't quite place. He wasn't used to being taken care of like this. The way Kai spoke—so steady, so certain—left him no room to argue. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jay nodded.

"Okay," he muttered, his grip tightening on Kai's hand without realizing it.

Kai helped Jay lie back down, carefully lifting his shirt to examine his back. As soon as Kai saw the bruising, he winced slightly. "Oh, that's bad," Kai muttered, mostly to himself.

Jay's heart skipped a beat, and he turned his head slightly. "Is it really bad?" he asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

Kai shook his head quickly. "Nah, just needs some attention," he said, keeping his tone light. "But seriously, you should've told me sooner."

Without waiting for a response, Kai started by gently pressing around the sore areas of Jay's back, checking for any swelling or abnormal tension. The moment his fingers found a particularly sensitive spot, Jay winced and gripped Kai's hand tighter, biting his lip to keep from making a sound.

"Easy, easy," Kai murmured, his voice soft and soothing as he reached for the muscle balm. He squeezed some onto his fingers and began massaging it into Jay's skin, the coolness of the balm easing the tension in his muscles. "This should help with the inflammation."

Jay stayed quiet, though his grip on Kai's hand never loosened. The pain was still there, but the cool balm, combined with Kai's careful touch, slowly started to melt away the worst of it. Jay closed his eyes, focusing on the steady rhythm of Kai's hands working on his back, and the familiar warmth of his brother's presence.

"You're doing great," Kai said after a few minutes, his voice breaking the comfortable silence. He could feel the tension in Jay's body start to relax a little. "Almost done."

Jay let out a shaky breath, his muscles slowly releasing their tight grip. "Thanks," he said quietly. "I... I'm just not used to this, you know?"

Kai glanced down at him, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "What, having someone take care of you?"

Jay nodded slightly, his gaze flicking to their hands, still intertwined. "Yeah. It's just... different. I'm usually the one covering for everyone else."

Kai's grip on Jay's hand tightened, just a bit. "You don't have to do everything alone, Jay. That's what I'm here for," he said, his voice firm but filled with warmth. "I've got your back—literally."

Jay let out a weak chuckle at that, a little of the tension easing from his chest. He felt the comfort in Kai's words, in his presence. And, though he didn't say it, it meant more to him than he could put into words.

Kai worked in silence for a while longer, treating Jay's back with practiced care, making sure each sore spot received proper attention. And all the while, he never let go of Jay's hand, even when he had to shift or grab another supply. He was there—steady, reassuring, present.

When Kai finally finished, he packed up the supplies quietly but didn't move to leave. Instead, he sat down beside Jay, still holding his hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You good?" Kai asked, leaning in slightly to get a better look at Jay's face.

Jay, who had been staring at the ceiling, finally turned to look at him. His eyes, still a bit misty from the earlier pain and exhaustion, softened. "Yeah... I'm good."

Kai nodded, satisfied. He gave Jay's hand one last, gentle squeeze before finally letting go. "Rest for now," Kai said softly. "You've had a rough day."

Jay settled deeper into his bed, feeling both physically and emotionally lighter than he had in hours. He felt the tension drain away, and for the first time since the mission, his back didn't hurt as much. He blinked up at Kai, a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks, Kai... for everything."

Kai stood up, returning the smile with one of his own. "Anytime, Jay. You know that."