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A/N: Short fictlet inspired by Dan saying in a Lunacy episode that he gets so nervous about Arin's boxing matches that he can't watch them.
...
Dan's first thought is that there's too much blood.
His second thought is Suzy, and it's the shame of that that activates inertia and brings him out of his shock.
But his first thought was definitely still the way-too-much-blood pouring out of Arin's nose.
Dan is out of his seat and making his way to Suzy, un-sticking the soles of his shoes from the beer-coated floor before Arin even hits the ground. Later, Dan will barely remember this part; he'll only recall being so deep on autopilot that the blonde streak of Suzy's hair in the crowd, down beside the ring, was the only thing he could focus on as he searched for her.
Arin himself will remember none of this; because to Suzy and Dan's absolute horror, the man they both love is sprawled out on his back, head lolled to the side, and he's pale--he's so pale, and the blood covering most of his face is such a startlingly vivid scarlet--
"Danny?" The voice of his best friend's wife keeps Dan upright, and from doubling over with nausea. Her voice is small and lost, and the taller man immediately takes her hand in his. He gives it a squeeze to make her focus on him above the noise and chaos.
"Come on, Suzy; we need to go wait by the locker room--if they need to help him out of the ring, that's where they'll bring him first." Dan is grateful that his brain at least remembered that out of all the boxing details Arin rambled about to him. Suzy is transfixed on where her husband lays, motionless, now surrounded by staff, one of them gently pressing a cloth to his face. Dan isn't used to seeing his friend so still, so helpless and stone-faced, and it scares him to his core.
"Let's get away from the crowd, Suze," Dan nudges her gently. It'll be easier to talk, to breathe, to think, and this is literally the only thing he can do for Arin right now. Suzy nods once, mechanically, and allows Dan to lead her. Dan sneaks one last look over his shoulder in time to see the referee mouth something to an assistant.
Paramedics.
And not for the first time, Dan is wondering how the hell he managed to let himself be convinced to come to a damn boxing match today.
...
Dan is secretly a little glad that Suzy chose to ride with Arin instead of letting Dan drive her to the hospital. He's not shocked of course; where else would Suzy be? He'd caught a glimpse, right before they closed the ambulance doors, of Suzy lovingly moving some of Arin's damp hair out of his face. The corners of his mouth had turned up ever so slightly, and Dan was left in the parking lot, now much too quiet as the siren on the ambulance carrying his best friend away grew fainter and fainter. So Dan, hands shaking and struggling to calm down, had gotten in his own car and driven by himself to Cedars-Sinai. By the time he'd found parking, gotten a text from Suzy to figure out where to go, got lost, and finally found where he was supposed to be, Dan was utterly exhausted. His adrenaline has worn off, his head is pounding, and he wants to puke. But since he can't do that, he leans over and puts his face in his hands, curly brown hair frizzing around his head.
"Dude, I've got this! I'll be fine!" To punctuate his point, Arin starts boxing the air in front of him.
"Easy, Ali. I didn't say I don't believe in you, I just said I'd rather not watch people I care about get hit."
Arin rolls his eyes in exaggerated exasperation, throwing an arm around the lankier man. "Look who you're talking to, bro. I'm the one who wins, remember? Besides, like I keep telling Suzy, it's like getting punched by marshmallows or something."
Dan nudges him away good-naturedly. " I'm sure it's exactly like that. I'll think about it, Big Cat."
Arin grins and hands him a ticket. "You won't regret it, man! I promise."
...
"Like getting punched by marshmallows my ass."
It's the first thing Dan says to Arin when he finally gets to see his friend a couple of hours later. They'd done an MRI scan, a CT, and a full-body x-ray. Suzy updated Dan, with tiredness but marked relief in her voice, informing him that their boy had made it out of this scrape with nothing worse than a black eye and a broken nose. Dan had convinced her to go get some food for herself while he sat with Arin. The only reason Dan doesn't rush over and wrap his friend up in a hug, crush the man to his chest to assure himself that Arin's heart is indeed beating, is because Arin is currently sat up in his hospital bed, merrily eating green jello. He stops mid-bite and looks, startled, at Dan in the doorway.
"Dude! Hey!" Arin smiles at him, goofy and medicated, and Dan's heart clenches at the flashes in his brain, images of Arin taking that devastating hit, his head snapping back way too aggressively before stumbling back and...boom, lights out. For him, at least. Dan shakes his head clear and sighs, pulling up a chair next to his friend.
"Arin, what the hell, dude?" Is all Dan can manage. Arin shrugs. "I withdrew when I should've jabbed. No big deal, I'll do better next time."
Dan looks at him, incredulous; at his blackening eye, at the gauze and tape packing under his nose. At the IV in his hand, and feels himself getting angry. He's tired, he knows that's the problem, but...
"...are you serious right now??"
Arin blinks at him. "Well, yeah. It's a sport, Dan. People get hurt."
"You're not just people, Arin, you.." Dan rubs his eyes.
"Look man, I already got an earful from Suzy; I feel like enough of a heel already, just let me ride high on painkillers right now. Want some questionable jello that's definitely probably going to make me shit shards of my own pelvis?"
Dan laughs then, the irritation and worry draining out of him a little more now in the face of Arin acting like, well...Arin again. His smile reassures Dan.
"Hey, I didn't mean to come in here and fuckin' ride you right off the bat. I'm just glad you're okay, Big Guy. You scared us, Ar."
Arin's face softens, his glassy eyes becoming serious. "First off, you can ride me any time you want. Second...I know, brother. I guess I take for granted that it's a fun sport hobby for me, but I gotta be more careful for the people I care about. I can't do this to Suzy again. Or you, or my Mom. Speaking of all that..."
Arin adjusts on the bed and raises an arm, motioning for Dan to come to him. Dan happily obliges, sinking into Arin's solid form, closing his eyes as Arin pats him.
"Thank you, Danny," Arin whispers into his hair. "Seriously, dude. Suzy told me how you kinda leapt into action. Thanks for looking after my wife. That means more to me than you'll ever know. I don't deserve you."
Dan stifles a laugh against Arin's shoulder. "I like high, medicated Arin." Arin's body shakes with a chuckle, but he pulls back to look Dan in the eye. "I mean it, though. I love you, bud." Dan's heart could burst with love for his friend, but he can tell Arin is getting sleepy. Dan helps him get as comfy as possible on the bed and fluffs the pillows behind him.
"Get some rest, Arin," Dan commands softly. Arin yawns loudly. He's about to drift off, but Dan has one more thought.
"So, how would you compare getting your shit rocked to--what was it, now?--marshmallows?"
"Ask me tomorrow when these meds wear off," Arin yawns.
Dan can only laugh, because how else is he supposed to react to Arin, and Arin slips off to sleep with a gentle smile on his face.