knight in not so shining armor [C]

Oliver was strolling along a nearby walkway when he saw something suspicious in the distance, able to spot danger easily thanks to all his years on the police force. As he saw a figure falling down the cliff towards the water, he didn’t hesitate. Immediately he plucked his Skarmory’s pokeball off his belt, tossing it out. “Retrieve him,” he kept the command short, knowing time was of the essence. With a point, he gestured towards the person down in the ocean and Skarmory quickly dived down, using its keen eyesight to spot the man below the water’s surface. Almost like how it used to hunt aquatic pokemon.

He dived below the surface and closed its talons around the drowning man’s torso, before using the momentum and a change of angle in its wings to get back up and out of the water before he started to sink as well. The steel type knew he was heavy, and he was quick to make sure he wouldn’t join the guy at the bottom of the ocean. Soon it broke the surface again, flying back up to the top of the cliff side and dropping the man off safely next to Oliver.

While it had been very tempting to chase the men down, they started to run when they noticed that someone else had witnessed what they had done. They were too far away for him to catch up, and he was far more concerned with the victim’s safety regardless. “You okay?” Oliver asked as he looked the other guy over carefully, just to make sure he was breathing alright and hadn’t inhaled too much water or hadn’t gotten hit by a rock on the way down.

Good, the guy wasn’t choking. That much was easy enough to confirm, soon as the guy spoke. Returning Skarmory to his pokeball, he shrugged off the light jacket he was wearing and placed it around the lithe man’s shoulders. The brunette must be cold, being that soaked. He noticed the flush, and he immediately knelt down and brushed the hair clinging to the other’s forehead and placed the back of his hand against it for a moment, though he was unable to tell if the other had a fever or not because of the cold waters. As the other stood back up, he did as well.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Theodore. I’m Oliver,” he introduced himself, seeming relieved that the other didn’t seem to be in immediate danger. And since the other was moving alright, there probably wasn't anything broken. “We should get you to a hospital- that was a hell of a fall. Can you walk? Are you ill?” The ranger still didn’t mention the men who had attacked, his first priority being to ensure the victim’s safety. Even though he was no longer a detective, the training was still engrained in his bones after having worked with law enforcement for so long.

“Are you from around here, Theodore? Is there anyone I should call for you?” The blonde went on, the professional way he was handling this probably making it obvious that he was accustomed to similar situations.

“There’s no need to thank me. And are you sure? There could be some internal damage, from a fall like that,” Oliver wanted to insist on the other getting checked out, and he did seem genuinely concerned. While he had grown a bit jaded from all his years on the force, he never stopped caring about people. The blonde could tell there was something amiss with the way the younger man spoke as well, but right now he didn’t want to press for answers.

There were a few reasons he could think for the other hiding something, and he knew not all of them were bad. “Alright, at least let me take a look at you. My daughter’s a medic, and I’ve picked up a few things from her,” the blonde offered without even thinking about it, as always determined to do whatever he could to help others.

“We can go wherever you want, wherever you feel safest. I do have a hotel room not too far from here,” he added on, even more worried after hearing that Theodore didn’t have anyone to contact.

THÉODORE ÉMILE

Honestly he was starting to worry that the other might have a concussion or something, with the way his answers were spaced and hesitant. “I always travel with an extensive first aid kit, yeah,” Oliver nodded, before glancing back towards hit hotel. It wouldn’t be more than a five minute walk. Truthfully the only thing he was thinking about was making sure this guy was healthy and safe, anything else not even crossing his mind.

“Think you can walk a couple blocks alright? Or else I could have Skarmory carry you,” he offered as he gestured for the young man to follow, if he was able. With that he started to lead the way, and he got his Skarmory back out if Theodore requested it. “Do you know who those guys were? The ones who jumped you. And what did they want?” Oliver asked a couple of questions now, since the immediate danger had passed.

That was good to hear, though Oliver kept a close eye on Theodore to make sure the guy wasn’t limping or anything. So far the guy didn’t seem to have any serious injuries, but he was still concerned about the possibility. It was something he was accustomed to, taking care of others. A small frown pulled at his lips, when the other mentioned that it was just over money. It made perfect sense, he had seen his fair share of muggings over the years.

“I’m just glad I was nearby,” he admitted after a short silence, the blonde not seeming particularly concerned with keeping a conversation going the whole time they walked. While he wasn’t shy, he had never been too sociable either. The silence was comfortable though, in his opinion. Soon enough they reached his hotel, which was a quaint little place. Not too fancy, but not shady either. “Here we are,” Oliver muttered as they reached his room, sliding the key card before holding the door open and flipping on the light. It looked like he had hardly used it, a couple suit cases along the wall on the ground and the single queen-sized bed made. There was a desk and a large comfortable chair as well, though that was about it for furnishings besides the television and the counter it stood on. Of course there was the bathroom as well, which also was rather simple.

“Feel free to take a seat,” Oliver offered as he went over towards the suit cases, kneeling down next to one of them and rooting around inside until he found his first aid kit.

“I just joined the Rangers,” Oliver admitted freely, accustomed to being honest. He always tried to avoid lying, whenever possible. The main exception to that was to protect others, when the truth would only hurt them. After finding the first aid kit, he placed it down on the desk next to the other and opened it up, before pausing.

“Shirt and pants off, if you don’t mind. So I can check for lacerations. Or if you’d rather look yourself in the bathroom mirror, you can do that if it’d make you feel more comfortable,” the ex-cop offered, knowing that some people had issues with disrobing in front of others. Especially since he was an utter stranger, he’d understand. “And I… I had been married, once,” he answered that question after a noticeable pause, not really wanting to discuss it further.

Very briefly, Oliver let his gaze dip while the other was taking off his shirt and couldn’t see. Quickly he looked back towards the kit as it came off though, the blonde damn good at hiding his attraction towards other men by now. This guy was scrawny as hell, but there was a part of him that enjoyed the apparent weakness. It was like some need he felt to protect the smaller man. With ease he pushed those sorts of thoughts to the back of his mind, instead focusing on the task at hand.

“That’s fine. Here, hold this under your tongue until it beeps,” he instructed as he handed the other a thermometer since he was concerned about the flush again, before he started looking over Theodore critically. He checked each limb with care, gently turning the arms over with his palms and glancing over the legs and even feet as well. Oliver was used to being thorough with his work. The only wound he could find, however, was a cut on the other’s side that he assumed was from Sparkles’ claw.

“You seem alright, Theodore, just a mild cut on your side from Sparkles, probably. You got lucky. This is going to sting,” he retrieved some Neosporin as he spoke, and applied it to the cut directly after the warning. As he was used to, he used the victim’s name to make him feel more comfortable. After that, he placed a gauze over the wound before wrapping across the narrow stomach, his large, calloused fingers sometimes brushing across the pale flesh.

After fastening the bandage in place with some pins, he returned to his suit case and found the other a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt, what he thought was most likely to fit the guy. “They’ll be big for you, but at least it’d be better than the soaked clothing. You can change in the bathroom,” he offered, knowing he didn’t have any underwear that would stay on those small hips. If the other wasn’t going far, at least, the simple clothing should work.