As promised, before the night had even formally finished Gun was already ushering Daniel out from his seat and out of the CC. Apparently, he hadn't wanted to get caught up in the rush of people once the night ended so they were going to leave early.
After the initial panic, Daniel felt himself settle down throughout the matches he watched. He had thought that his anxiety would grow again due to all the injuries and his inability to help, even if he knew that he could trust the others who were working and helping Collin and Jay. Instead, he was again distracted by Gun, throughout each pairing, the man would whisper different things towards him.
'He needs to work on his stamina, how can he possibly think to win if he's already out of breath ten minutes in?'
'The hell is that footwork? Is he pigeon-toed?'
'Oh God, what kind of clown technique is that? Did he learn how to fight in the dark?'
'Tch, the level of fighters has gone down ever since my generation'
'My dead grandmother could fight better than those losers'
Most were insulting but there were a few that were far and in between that were somewhat helpful. But in the end, it didn't matter since the majority of the time it caught Daniel off guard enough to giggle half the time. Other times he tried to hide his smiles and sounds behind his hands, glaring at Gun to stop.
Anyways, Gun took him home at a suitable hour. They said their goodbyes and too soon Daniel was left to stare at the back of the Founder's slowly disappearing car.
It had been a couple of days since then and Daniel had found himself going to and from the CC for brief periods. Either it was Gun who was driving him or it was Goo or James who would offer to take over the duty. It wasn't until now that Daniel was presented with the opportunity to see the fighters.
He had been hauled up in either the medical bay or in Gun's office, today he thought it would be better to go by and visit the shared gym. He had made the request to Gun who had been against the idea at first, stating that he should wait a little longer for everyone to settle down on the idea that Daniel was back.
But, Daniel had waited weeks at this point. He knew if he waited any longer some of the more antsy and braver fighters would break into his office at some point.
So here he was, waiting for Gun to open the door so he could enter the gym. One that held many fun and great memories as well as horrible and exhausting ones. As Daniel looked at Gun who was waiting expectantly for Daniel to walk through first the Doctor couldn't help but remember how he had his first kiss and his first blow job on the mats of this very space.
"You good?" Gun raises a brow when Daniel doesn't move and instead glows red. "You know you don't have to go and see them if you don't want to. In fact, this is a horrible idea" The Founder remarks.
Daniel frowns before shaking his head and stepping forward, passing the elder. The Founder shrugs, giving up on trying to convince the younger man otherwise.
"I'm going to wait here, wouldn't want to intrude on this space whilst the others are using it. They get…territorial and feral when I get close" Gun grunts out and Daniel snorts.
Right. They all hate each other.
Rolling his eyes Daniel lets out a huff of acceptance before leaving the Founder where he is. The gym itself wasn't packed but it was being used specifically by several different crews.
"Daniel?" A voice calls out and Daniel comes to a still as he looks up in the direction of where the voice had come from. There, standing by the weights over someone who was doing bench presses was none other than Samuel. The Big Deal vice was staring with wide eyes, gaping as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
At the mention of the Doctor's name, the whole gym seems to stop, having gone silent as they turn to stare. Feeling put on the spot, Daniel simply puts a hand up to wave before smiling in greeting. That seemed to snap everyone out of their stupor and suddenly he was being rushed from all angles.
"DANIEL!" The first person to reach him had immediately thrown arms around the smaller man's waist and was hoisting him up into the air. "Oh I'm so glad you're okay! You're back! And you're okay!" It was Olly, Olly who was swinging him around and crying out in joy.
Daniel let out an audible laugh before there was another pair of arms wrapping around him.
"Oi, oi, be gentle with him! You heard the Founders, they said he was still recovering you dumbass!" That was Samuel who gently put him on the floor but didn't remove his hands.
"Come on man, you're hogging him. Move aside" Someone else cries out and Daniel was pretty sure it was Jason, or maybe it was Brad.
"Yeah you big brute, move over!" Now that was Warren and the grunts of agreement came from Max and Derrick. There were several hums of agreement and there was also a bit of shoving.
"Doctor Park, We missed you!" Jerry cries out over all the voices.
"Hell yeah,we did!" A couple of others cry out.
"Hey, you're squishing him! Let him breathe!" Was that Channing? Public were here too?
"Doc! Take my hand! I'll drag you out!" Yep, that was Jacky.
The bodies and voices were surrounding Daniel and he could do nothing to voice his discomfort. He tried tugging on Samuel's shirt to get him to pay attention but the tattooed man was too preoccupied with his arguments with others. He tried looking for help from the others but they were also all too caught up. He even looks around for Jacky's hands but they are lost in the sea of bodies.
Finally, a voice puts an end to it all.
"That's enough!" Loud, authoritative and standing on complete business it cuts through the rest. Everyone stops.
"Are you done trying to kill the Doctor or can he get some space?" Another person questions and everyone parts away like the Red Sea.
"Tch, you all might as well have sent him back to the hospital with that behaviour" A third announces.
At the end of the tunnel of people of course Jake, Eli and Hudson. The three respective crew heads did not look amused in the slightest. The three walk towards the Doctor who is still recovering from the dizzying moment when someone pulls him into a loose and gentle hug.
"Hey, I'm glad you're okay" Pulling away, Daniel meets Hudson's gaze.
When did the man from Ansan become so dazzling? The hug was appreciated but why did it make him feel fuzzy?
A hand bats Hudson away and so it was replaced with Eli who was placing his hands on Daniel's shoulders.
"It's good to have you back, Doc" Eli smiles charmingly and wow…no wonder he became a father at such a young age. He was almost irresistible and that smile…wow.
'Nah, what the hell are those two doing?'
'Who let them act like that?'
Were the whispers that flowed through the other crew members until a cough was heard? Eli sighs before moving away, allowing Jake to take his place in front of Daniel. The son of Gapryong Kim looks down at Daniel with unreadable eyes before reaching for his hands. Daniel lets the elder take his hands and watches as the man places a chaste kiss against them.
"I've missed your smile" Jake hums before smiling down at Daniel. The taller leans down to place a kiss on the Doctor only to be stopped by a hand that was shoved against his face. Big Deal's leader was shoved backwards.
"What the hell kind of line was that? This isn't a drama" Olly growls, pulling Daniel against him and away from Jake.
Murmurs of agreement flow through the large group and even Samuel had come to place a hand on Jake's shoulder and was shaking his head disapprovingly. There were numerous face palms and groans, most of them cringed at Jake's line whereas the Big Deal leader himself felt his face catch on fire.
"What? I thought that was quite good!" Jake cries out in disbelief as he turns from Samuel to the others. Eli and Hudson were both disgusted by the line as displayed through their facial expressions. Even Jerry, who loved Jake like a brother, didn't look impressed.
"Besides, Danny doesn't like you like that, right Doc? I know exactly who you like" Olly giggles as Daniel shoots him an alarmed face. "Oh, oops did I say that out loud?" The Big Daddy catches himself and immediately everyone becomes alert.
"Daniel likes someone?!" People cry out and Daniel curses internally.
Daniel shoots Olly a look that says 'Fix this' and the man's first instinct is to grin and nod.
"Yep, Daniel is in love with me!" Olly wraps himself even tighter around the Doctor, resting his chin on top of the shorter man's head. "It happened after I got injured and had to stay under Danny's care for several days. Our love for one another just seemed to bloom. Besides, isn't it fitting for someone who has a condition like mine to have a boyfriend who's literally a Doctor? It's so romantic!" He exaggerates and Daniel could only stare back in bewilderment.
People blink in confusion, Eli was especially baffled by what he was hearing before he looked at Warren.
"It would explain why he was so mad on Olly's behalf when he came to Hostel to confront me" He mumbles a little sourly as his friend pats him on the shoulder.
"That's rough buddy," Warren whispers in return.
"Okay wait, you two can't be together, it doesn't make sense in the slightest!" Jacky shouts, jumping up and down from Channing's side. "Like, I'm not trying to doubt your love for one another but if anyone is involved with the Doc shouldn't it be the guy that seemed the most passionate and angry over what happened to him in the Arena?" The gymnast shouts.
"Huh?" Rings out of many mouths.
"Oh come on! Surely I'm not the only one who noticed it! During the tournament finale!" Jacky urges as people continue thinking.
After a moment of silence Jacky all but slaps his forehead with the palm of his hand before pulling out his phone, tapping a few things before shoving the screen in all their faces to show what looked like to be edits of a certain blonde Founder.
"GOO?!" People spat out.
Daniel could feel his lips open and close but even if he wanted to speak he wouldn't be able to. This…this was insane.
"You think the Founder is dating or at the very least interested in our Doctor?" Jake calls, brows furrowed in anger at the idea.
"I mean it would make sense as to why he fought the way he did. I've never seen him so serious, Goo's never serious" Samuel stresses out, arms crossed as he considers the thought.
"And his hits dedicated to Daniel were on another level" Jerry nods along.
"I thought I saw trending tags of Daniel X Goo online but uhhh… I didn't think it had any real merit" Hudson sighs out.
"Now that I really think about this, it kind of makes sense" Other people murmur and start to agree which is really starting to horrify Daniel so he starts waving his hands and shaking his head.
"Oh, Daniel's trying to tell us something!" Chuck hisses.
"I think he's trying to tell us to keep this relationship a secret because of the power imbalance between them. It could be a scandal if this gets out that it's real" Justin grunts and Daniel's headshakes increase even more.
"You know, I kind of understand it if he's dating Goo out of all three of the Founders. I mean, James gives off creepy vibes under his pretty boy facade and Gun is just…Gun" Warren comments.
"At least Goo is kinda funny…sometimes" Eli agrees.
"Maybe Daniel is into funny guys…Daniel am I not funny enough?" Olly questions and Daniel almost reaches over to slap the idiot who started this mess. He KNOWS that Daniel isn't dating Goo so why was he going along with this all?
"Oh, maybe Goo is coercing you into a relationship?" Jake asks hopefully and Daniel all but silently wails at how stupid they all were.
Instead, he crumbles to the floor, head touching the cold tiles.
"DANIEL!" Numerous people cry out.
They all move forward to reach him only to be stopped in their place.
"Oh for crying out loud, I leave you for less than ten minutes and it all goes to shit immediately. I can't watch this anymore" A voice roars and people freeze, tensing as they turn to stare at the intimidating figure who stands with his hands on his hips as he watches the scene.
Daniel looks up hopefully, tears almost filling his gaze at the sight of Gun who was glowering down at everybody.
"Gun" Jake grits out, his body tensing and his fists clenching tightly. "The hell are you doing here?" He sneers and others in the room take on a similar stance.
"The last I checked I own this building, I can be wherever the hell I want" Gun sneers back, a nasty smirk on his lips as he walks past the Big Deal leader.
The previous goofy attitudes seem to wear off into disdain at the sight of the Founder and even through all that hate there was a hesitance among the fighters. Despite their numbers, there was a clear message that the possibility of them winning against Gun in a fight was drastically low.
"But to answer your question, I'm babysitting" Gun snorts and Daniel's initial relief turns to irritation as he glares at the man. "Oi, don't give me that look, you know I'm right. If your mother or uncle hears that you're being harassed by my employees they'll have my head" He snaps out and Daniel pouts in defeat.
He raises his hands and points to the people to showcase that it wasn't his fault in the slightest that these guys were driving him insane. Gun rolls his eyes.
"Come on, visit times over" He gestures for Daniel to walk over but Samuel and Eli are quick to step in his path.
"Who are you to order him around?" Samuel sneers.
"Don't talk to him like he's a dog" Eli deadpans yet his eyes spoke of his resentment towards the elder.
"Furthermore, it's not like you're his boyfriend. Goo's his boyfriend!" Olly calls out cheekily and Daniel immediately turns and reaches down to pull off his slipper to throw at the man.
There were immediate cries of fear and a rush of people who were either pushing to run away or running to grab him.
"DANIEL NO!"
"NOT THE CHANCLAS! OH THE TRAUMA!"
"HE'S LOST IT! DANIEL'S LOST IT!"
"I'M GETTING FLASHBACKS TO MY CHILDHOOD!"
It took a good while before Daniel was separated from the dramatic Olly who was screeching hysterically and was climbing Eli's back to get away from the furious Doctor. But eventually, it's Gun who reaches over, hauls Daniel over his shoulder and successfully marches them out of the gym.
It's once they reach the cafeteria where Gun sits Daniel on a chair, grabs some banana milk and makes him drink it all with only a silent look of disappointment.
Daniel sulks to himself but drinks obediently.
"Well…that didn't go too well, then again I did tell you so" Gun eventually states and Daniel shoots him a look that says.
'I hadn't noticed' before going back to slurping his drink with an aggressiveness that should have scared Gun. It doesn't, which is why he says his next line.
"So, I didn't know you were dating Goo" Gun grins.
The milk is crushed under Daniel's grip and Gun immediately turns tail and runs once the Doctor's eyes are on him.
If the people of the CC hear manic crackling and the furious slaps of bare feet running through the building they choose to ignore it.
.
.
.
After Daniel had settled down after the whole 'Dating Goo' debacle they had gone back to their respective offices. Gun to his and Daniel to the medical bay.
He had shooed the Founder away, too irritated to stay looking at his taunting face and the elder had merely sighed before allowing the younger his privacy. Collin and Jay weren't in that day so Daniel had the room to himself. Yet, as he looks around for paperwork or anything to do he merely finds that all his tasks are up to date.
There was no way Collin would have been the one to do all his work for him. Newly built friendship or not the man was just too prideful to be picking up his former bully victim's slack which meant that it was probably Jay's doing. Maybe even Mira lent a hand. Despite their good intentions it leaves Daniel sulking and bored.
With nothing else to do, Daniel sits in his favourite wheely chair and pulls out his phone, curiosity taking the better of him as he searches for a tag that he should probably fear.
Founder Goo x Doctor Park.
Like Jacky had mentioned it had been trending for a while. It had died down at this point due to the tournament having ended two weeks earlier but there were still loads of videos and edits. And the comments…oh god, the comments.
I love how Goo is only serious when it comes to Doctor Park. I've never seen him so passionate about anything'
'It's giving 'Don't worry kitten whiskers, daddy will discuss it later' vibes from Goo and Doctor Park is his pookie'
'Nah, what has this fandom become? It's worse than MHA fans'
'Dude, if you don't ship them why do these posts show up on your FYP? It is FOR YOU'
'Piss off, I liked one video'
It was scary how people could find small moments between Goo and Daniel and then blow it out of proportion. The two were barely together in general, much less seen in public together. But fans and viewers seemed to think they were putting two and two together and that their 'relationship' was a private affair. At that time Goo was asked by Gun to train Daniel in the mornings, and they went on runs together in public. People who had seen them together in passing at the time just brushed it off, now they were concluding that it must have been dates.
Some rare moments when Daniel was talking to Goo about the CC or about his team were captured on camera either through the streams or the fans. There were edited photos that made them look like they were staring longingly into each other's eyes or giving each other secret smiles. It was ridiculous, all those looks and smiles had been casual, friendly and nothing remotely romantic at all.
Daniel was going crazy. This whole situation was crazy. How did he go from working as the medical hire in a fight club to…to THIS?
Furthermore, he couldn't help but pout. Daniel seemed to get videos with Goo and a lot of the other guys. He remembers the other ship edit videos he was shown but no one ever seemed to ship him and Gun. The thought should have been stupid and childish but he hoped to see something with him and Gun.
Yet the further Daniel seemed to search the less he seemed to find. There were a lot of solo cool videos of Gun and Daniel respectively but none of them together. The common response or comment was that Gun was a 'sigma' male who didn't need to be held down by the thoughts of a relationship. The majority of the Founder's fanbase was also split between people who hyped the man up for being one of the strongest or people who wanted to have his babies. Nothing in between.
After a while, Daniel wanted nothing more than to give up. He shouldn't care anyway, Gun and him weren't a thing anymore and they were going to keep it that way. They were friends at most, co-workers at least. That was that.
So why did he continue feeling sour?
As he continues his deep dive into the CC's fanbase and the different videos and photos he continues to find some of the weirdest things. There were a lot of cool video edits, mainly of specific fighters when they were either in or out of the arena. All the slow-mo and cape cut videos were impressive, especially with how many views each of them seemed to garner. Then there was of course the….more unique side, Y/N POVs with the fighters or other media visuals that depicted some of the fighters as little, non-aggressive, sweet babies…as if these men didn't beat each other senseless every other week or so.
And then of course there were the ship edits. Hundreds upon thousands of different ship videos and photos. Daniel didn't think there would be so many, especially real-life people. He could understand if these ships were from shows or cartoons and even anime but these were all based on real-life people that the Doctor physically knew. It was a little more than just strange.
By the third Daniel x Goo video that pops up on his Tic Tac account, Daniel could only drag a hand down his face and groan. Of course, he clicks on the comments to briefly skim through the consensus of opinions. Most found them cute, others disagreed with this saying it ruined the CC and some were…logical?
Daniel zones in on a comment that catches his eye.
'I don't understand how this is being shipped. You guys do realise that one works for the other right? This is totally an HR problem and an abuse of power'
Daniel couldn't help but muse over the fact that it was one of the many points that Goo had formally pointed out when he caught the Doctor with his roommate. Daniel clicks on the 'more' button to see responses.
'No need to ruin our fun dude, let us enjoy our ships'
'Goo would never abuse his power over the Miracle Doctor!'
There were a couple of others calling the comment out for taking the videos and edits seriously but the person merely replied level-headedly.
'You guys forget that these men aren't just your little babies, they're real-life gangsters and criminals who fight for a living. There are bound to be issues with their relationships'
Daniel shuts his phone, tossing it onto the table to avoid reading anymore. The person was right, getting romantically involved with Goo or any Founder or Fighter was signing up to a difficult and dangerous life.
Shutting everything he had just witnessed out of his mind, Daniel headed over to the side room with all the personal files. One way to stop thinking about his issues was to rearrange the monstrosity of a file room.
He had once wanted to order the files according to their affiliations as well as in alphabetical order but at the start he had no clue who belonged to which group. Now, after nearly half a year into the job, he knew pretty well who was in what gang so why not change it now?
After all, he was getting pretty tired of the current set-up, furthermore, it was a pain to search through the names when the majority of Korean family names were the same. I mean, there were so many goddamn Parks, Kims, and Lee's.
So that's what Daniel sets off to do, pulling out stacks and stacks of files and grabbing his colour-coordinated tape. Oh yeah, this was going to take forever but at least Daniel won't be bored anymore.
Ansan Public, Backdoor crew, Bicheon gang, Big Deal, Burn Knuckles, Cheongliang Fam, Gian High, God Dogs, Hostel A&B, J High, K House, Seokdu Staffing Agency, White Tiger members, Workers: First, second, third and fourth affiliate and then of course those who were unaffiliated or solo. Each group was given a different section with a different coloured tape. Thank James for his investment into pretty stationery, it was the only reason Daniel was able to colour coordinate without having to use the exact same colour twice.
Once Daniel had grouped them all into their affiliates he then moved on to sort them Alphabetically. It was a lot easier this time since at least the files were named properly instead of being blank like the first round. Hence why he reaches halfway through Hostel B before Gun finally seeks him out again.
"The hell are you doing?" A voice snaps out and Daniel turns briefly to meet Gun's baffled expression. The Doctor silently gestures to the files and then the shelves before turning back around.
It was obvious what he was doing, if Gun couldn't figure that out then he was an idiot.
"Okay, yeah, dumb question. I think I meant to ask 'Why' you're doing all this. Wasn't it already sorted?" Gun questions, raising a brow as he crouches down to where Daniel was sitting on the floor, he reaches out a hand to go through one of the stacks of files only for it to be slapped away. "Ow" Gun grunts monotonously to convey it didn't hurt but the man needed to be dramatic anyways. He retracts his hand with a frown whilst Daniel glares at him.
Holding his hands up placatingly the Founder grunts.
"Okay, I won't touch" Gun mutters out appeasingly and Daniel nods.
The man stops talking and Daniel goes back to work, shuffling files and ensuring that each one has all the necessary and proper information in them. He didn't want to accidentally lose something whilst he was doing this.
"Don't tell me you're doing this for fun" Gun speaks up again and Daniel shakes his head in response before letting out a sigh and gesturing for his phone. His notepad and pen were currently lost in the organised chaotic mess.
The Founder hands the device over and Daniel quickly unlocks it and exits out of the criminalising video edits which causes Gun brows to shoot upwards before he types his words.
'Just needed to do something' Was what he wrote.
"I'm going to pretend you weren't just watching edits and focus on the fact that you're doing all this because you were bored" Gun grumbles before standing back up. "Fine, you can continue this madness tomorrow. We should go get dinner and then I'm driving you home" The man states and Daniel goes to argue only to forget:
He can't speak.
Gun wasn't up to arguing.
"It's 7:00 PM, I should have taken you out to dinner over an hour ago but I wanted to finish some stuff off. Come on, let's go" Gun orders and Daniel sighs before relenting.
He grabs his coat and stretches his legs out before following Gun. Daniel wasn't given many options of what he could eat when he was out, whilst Gun could enjoy any meal filled with chunks of delicious, mouthwatering meat, Daniel slurps his pureed soup. Daniel's food hadn't even been on the menu and it was because of Gun asking the staff members if they could puree the soups that Daniel was able to eat.
Daniel was pouting, it seemed like that was all he could do recently to express his exasperation. He really hated eating with a wired jaw.
"A couple more weeks and then you'll be able to eat whatever you want again" Gun hums out as he finishes his meal, heartily patting his stomach.
Daniel glares. Gun sighs.
Daniel finishes his food without much prompting, even if it doesn't taste all that great before he hops back into the car with Gun. The Founder drives and it takes several moments before the Doctor realises that they weren't going home.
Daniel peers at Gun with a confused look and the Founder snorts.
"Just wait and see" Gun hums.
Eventually, they pull up in front of a store with a couple of neon light signs. Daniel was surprised by the sign as well as the fact that it was still open at this time of night.
"You can't eat ice cream but you can certainly drink milkshakes" Gun points out and Daniel stares at the elder with bright eyes. As Gun steps out of the car, Daniel follows suit excitedly, he's just as excited when he was ordering his milkshake and even more ecstatic when Gun pays without so much as lifting a finger to tell Daniel so.
Gun doesn't order anything, merely watching Daniel as he indulges himself with a sweet Oreo cheesecake milkshake. He made sure to let out sounds of pleasure with each sip.
"Please stop making those sounds, you sound like a porno" Gun remarks and Daniel pauses before glaring at the man again.
He knew how to set the mood, how romantic. Ugh.
Daniel's look must have conveyed enough of his message as Gun snorts.
"Listen, you can enjoy your milkshake but you don't need to moan every single time you take a sip. I don't even understand how you can eat that sweet shit" Gun crosses his arms, waiting for Daniel to argue back.
Daniel writes back.
'I am NOT moaning. Also, It tastes amazing, only people with horrible taste wouldn't enjoy a milkshake'
Gun snorts.
"Or it's people who are lactose intolerant" Gun replies and Daniel raises a brow.
'Are you lactose intolerant? ' Daniel asks.
"Well no-" Daniel snorts at the reply and Gun rolls his eyes.
"Well hurry up and drink it, your mum wants you back home by 8:30 and I'm already cutting it pretty close" The man states and Daniel passes him the drink.
Gun stares at the tall glass and Daniel nods at it. The message was clear.
"I'm not drinking it" Gun refutes and Daniel deflates. He gives the man his best, kicked puppy look and Gun barks out a laugh. "Don't even try it, it might work on Goo or James but not me" Gun replies and Daniel pouts.
He slaps his hand on the table and grunts. The sound garners a few looks for the servers, luckily there weren't any other customers in at that time. Gun stares with wide eyes.
"Are you going to throw a tantrum if I don't have some?" Gun questions, impossibly baffled by the childish reaction. Daniel smirks and raises a hand again and Gun relents, leaning down to sip some of the drink.
Once he's finished he looks back up with a plain expression as Daniel grins. Daniel raises a brow to ask how it was.
Gun scoffs.
"Sickeningly sweet just like I predicted"
.
.
.
They developed a new routine after a while. Daniel would wake up and get ready, drink breakfast, get picked up by Jong Gun and they'd go to the CC together. Sometimes Gun would stay, he'd either high tail straight to his office or he'd occasionally stay by Daniel's side to keep watch over him. Other times he had to leave after dropping Daniel off, heading out to go and do his job as a bodyguard and be with either Crystal or Charles. During those days he made sure that someone, whether it was James or Goo, would come by to check on the Doctor and ensure that he ate lunch.
Throughout the day Daniel would mind his own business, doing his own thing either in his office or in his room that he hadn't been able to sleep in since the incident. He had finished rearranging the files and had moved on to double-cleaning different objects around the medical bay and sorting through his stocks of materials. Sometimes he'd get a visit from a fighter, a bruise here or a cut there. Daniel wasn't injured enough to not help them so he did his job, the fighters would either stay to chat for a while or leave immediately after being silently patched up.
Yet no matter how the day went and whether or not Gun was around the man would always pick Daniel up from his office at 7:00 PM sharp. He'd take Daniel out to dinner and immediately give him a ride home. No one else was given the responsibility to take Daniel home which had been surprising given how busy the man was.
Another aspect of their routine that was different now in comparison to before was that they never did their nightly training anymore. When Daniel had suggested the idea after a week of being back at the CC the man had merely snorted before walking off. It had somewhat pissed the Doctor off.
Whilst strenuous activity in his condition wasn't ideal he should get some exercise anyway. After all, he didn't want to lose the little muscle mass that he had but whenever he brought the idea up the Founder would always shoot it down.
'It's too soon'
'You'll only injure yourself even more'
'We can pick it back up once you've fully recovered'
So here Daniel was, sitting in the gym as he watched Johan and Zack spar in the practice ring, the Burn Knuckles and a couple of other J High students were also present and were doing their own thing with other equipment. School had been out for an hour now and the group had gotten to the CC well over half an hour ago. They had greeted the Doctor with tears, hugs and firm pats on the back before noticing his sour mood. It was then that they chose to leave him be.
Johan seemed to be a decent teacher and Zack was a good student who seemed to adapt to different attacks well. They stuck to boxing for the moment but they were still quite proficient in terms of power, speed and agility when they fought. After Johan lands another hit against Zack they stop to take a break.
Daniel stands, reaching for their drink bottles and towels to pass to the two men who accept it graciously. They mutter their thank you's before downing half their water. A smile creeps up on the Doctor's face at the act before he turns to Johan, reaching to write something on his notepad to show to the brunette.
The God Dog leader reads the note with squinted eyes before he shakes his head.
'I'm sorry I couldn't make good on my promise about your mother, I'll be sure to tag along during her next check-up'
"It's not your fault that you couldn't make it, you couldn't have known what would have happened to you" Johan remarks before giving a small smile. "As for her next check-up, it's in a month and a bit so you have time to recover before attending" He explains and Daniel grins before urging the male to write the time and address.
"Johan told me what you were going to do for his mother" Zack calls out, eyes peering over the Doctor's shoulder to catch a glimpse of the paper. "Thanks Doc, you're a good person" The boxer smiles before nudging the shorter man's shoulder.
Daniel grins at the two before an idea pops up into his head. Feeling confident, the male points to the boxing glove and then excitedly gestures to himself. Both Johan and Zack frown, connecting the dots immediately before looking at each other with hesitant gazes.
"You want to spar?" Zack voices and Daniel nods. "Doc, I don't think that's a good idea." The Boxer grimaces and Daniel frowns before turning to Johan with an even more desperate look. He pleads as much as he can through his eyes before either one of them cracks.
"Okay, a little" Johan sighs before putting his towel and bottle down, and stepping forward to hop back into the ring.
"Oi Johan, don't indulge him" Zack calls but Daniel is already following the brunette with a bounce in his step. The third year's voice caught the attention of most of the others that were in the gym and it didn't take long before Vasco and Jace were approaching them.
"What's Daniel doing?" Vasco questions, coming to stand by Zack's side.
"The idiot wants to spar and practise his boxing whilst he's still recovering from his injuries" Zack explains and Daniel shoots him a dirty glare.
"Daniel that's not very safe, especially in the condition you're in" Jace calls out, backing up the boxer with his own words and worried looks.
Daniel waves him off, shooting them thumbs up and a genuine smile to showcase that he would be fine. Many did not feel the same way. A couple of others circle to watch, even Vin Jin and Mary were present, having stopped their practice to stand a little further away to observe the scene. Daniel hadn't known that Mary knew how to do any martial arts much less Judo but she seemed to be an expert judging by how many times he had seen her toss Vin Jin around on the matt floors in the last 20 minutes or so.
The watchful eyes didn't ease any anxiety that Daniel had about his idea of sparring, instead, it seemed to intensify and as Johan passed him the boxing gloves the brunette noticed it immediately.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I'll go easy on you and all but if you don't think you can do it there's no shame in backing out" Johan relays easily but Daniel shakes his head. He gestures from his neck upwards and makes a crossing motion. "I won't hit you anywhere from your neck and above, don't worry" The God Dog's leader reassures before putting on his mitts.
Maybe Daniel should have asked for Johan to hold one of those targets or maybe he should have just gone and picked a fight with a punching bag. Instead, he decided to ask one of the strongest fighters in the CC to an unofficial training match. How smart of him.
Once his gloves were secure he raised his hands into a familiar stance. One that Gun had corrected him over and over again, so much so that every time he got into the stance he would have horrible flashes to when the Founder would beat him for getting it wrong. Gun's tough love training sucked.
"Ready?" Johan asks and Daniel nods.
There wasn't a countdown, they didn't need one as they started circling each other. Johan was hesitant to hit first so Daniel took it upon himself to strike. Falling back into the easy routine, Daniel lunges forward to throw a right hook at the brunette who merely weaves out the way.
They dance around each other for the first bit, getting a feel and getting used to each other's hits and moves. It was more so for Daniel's benefit than Johan who didn't look like he wanted to hurt the Doctor. After a while it became frustrating, Daniel couldn't land a hit and it wasn't simply because of Johan, it was because of his own body and skill.
In the weeks that he had been out of commission and hadn't been training his body had most definitely gotten out of shape and his abilities had deteriorated. Of course, his muscle memory helped but even that couldn't accommodate the large skill difference between himself and his current opponent. It was embarrassing having to work extra hard to land a hit where Johan was easily, almost lazily, dodging hits like there wasn't a point to their practice.
After Daniel tries for another hit and Johan yet again dodges and jumps backwards the Doctor expresses a pissed-off look, anxiety having evaporated into exasperation. He lets out a grunt and gestures for Johan with his fist.
'Hit me, fight me'
That was what he was trying to convey and Johan seems to get it. Steeling his gaze the brunette rushes forward and throws a straight, one that Daniel narrowly dodges with all his effort but also one that he recognises wasn't even the other man's peak speed. Using the fact that Johan's body and arm were still close, Daniel lands a punch to Johan's abdomen, gaining a soft grunt from the male before he jumps back and away from the Doctor. It wasn't his strongest punch, hell it barely felt like it was a decent hit but at least it did what it was supposed to do.
"Ooh, he landed a hit" Vasco grins and others murmur their whispers.
Johan didn't look happy about being hit but he wasn't pissed either. Instead, he raises his arms again and gets a little more serious.
"Alright Doc, let's see if you can keep up"
Understanding that Daniel wants more, Johan rushes forward and sends a flurry of punches with increased speed. Daniel sucks in a breath as he keeps a steady distance, dodging and weaving whilst simultaneously moving around to keep the brunette on his toes. Yet the longer it goes on the stronger the realisation is when Daniel concludes that he can't keep it going for much longer. Not being able to properly breathe through his mouth was getting to him and eventually his body faltered.
He stumbles, his footwork messing up enough for his knees to buckle and give up. His body falls forward and his eyes widen when a fist that had been originally sent towards his chest is now making direct contact with his head.
He lets out a pained sound before he falls to the floor.
"Doctor Park!" "Daniel!"
Several people shout and gasp.
Daniel clutches his head, groaning in pain before trying to blink and shake himself out of his stupor. It hadn't landed against his jaw or anywhere near where his head surgery scars were but it still hurt. Johan may have been holding back but his half-assed fists still packed one hell of a punch.
"Doctor Park, I am so sorry" It was Johan's voice, filled with regret and worry but Daniel's brain didn't register it. Even as the brunette reaches him first, being the closest to Daniel, the shadow that falls over the Doctor's body and how he towers over him is enough to send him into a panicked frenzy.
They weren't the same size, Johan was tiny in comparison to that man but in that moment it didn't matter, the pain and how he stood over Daniel was enough to send him scrambling backwards. He lets out a shrill sound, eyes darting away and clenching shut as he covers his head with his arms, curling back onto the floor to try and get away.
He didn't want to be hit.
Please don't hit me.
Don't hurt me.
Daniel doesn't register other people pulling Johan away or the voices calling out to him. Hands grab his shoulder, similar hands that grabbed him in the aftermath, hauling him onto a stretcher and pulling him away. The shouts and sounds, all of it was white noise again.
Daniel flinches away, shoving the hands off him as he desperately pulls himself into a corner.
No, please don't touch me.
I'm sorry.
Don't hurt me.
"He's hyperventilating!"
"Someone call the Doctor!"
"I'll get Doctor Yu!"
"Shit, do we need to call for a Founder? The Hospital?"
There was so much noise.
Why was it so hard to breathe?
Why can't he breathe?
His jaw was throbbing in pain and no matter how much he was trying to open up his mouth he couldn't. He couldn't breathe, he was suffocating to death. Pained, scratchy sounds were being ripped out of his throat, strangled back by his still-locked jaw. Daniel claws at his face, grasping his neck and mouth as he tries to breathe.
"Shit, Daniel don't do that, stop it" Someone shouts but Daniel doesn't listen.
He can't hear them.
He can't breathe.
He's going to die.
There were too many hands, too many voices, too much was going on and all he could think about was how he couldn't breathe.
"Move idiots!" Someone screams and suddenly hands were wrapping around Daniel's body, grabbing his wrists and stopping them from clawing at him.
Daniel struggles, he thrashes around and screams as best as he can, sobbing and crying as the hands lock themselves firmly against his body. They were secure and no amount of moving and struggle was able to free the Doctor.
"Doctor Park, Daniel, it's going to be okay" The person hisses out, out of breath as they continue to utilise their strength to hold the Doctor in place. "You need to breathe, breathe through your nose. You can do it, come on deep breaths" The voice orders and Daniel takes a moment to consider it.
"You can do it, breathe in and out through your nose. Do it with me" The person breathes deeply through their nose and Daniel follows.
His movements slow down and he copies the breathing. It takes several breaths and several moments more before Daniel slumps into the person's embrace, blinking open his eyes to see that he is still in the ring, still on the floor and still slightly panicked.
"You back with us, Doc?" The voice asks and Daniel turns to look up only to see his reflection. The shades were skewed in place, revealing the one eye with two pupils to exhibit who was holding him in place.
Daniel stares, transfixed by the eye before he nods stiffly. He registered that tears were still streaming down his face, his breaths were still uneven but he knew where he was. He was safe, he wasn't in the arena anymore. No.1 wasn't anywhere near. He was okay.
"That's it Doc, you're alright" Vin Jin calms him down, uttering the words soothingly. He makes a move to let go but Daniel shakes his head and holds onto the arm.
'No, don't leave me! Don't stop!'
The message was conveyed and Vin Jin nodded stiffly before hugging him even harder. He needed this, the hug and its pressure helped calm his nervous system down. It was good and he was safe.
Daniel didn't want to move from his spot, he wanted to bury his face into Vin Jin's neck and cry until he got whatever was in his system out. Why was he like this now? He didn't think that the fight with No.1 had traumatised him to this extent. Sure he was scared of the man but he didn't…was this trauma?
It takes a while before Daniel pats Vin Jin's arm, letting him know to let him go. The larger man does so, unlocking the Doctor from his hug before helping him stand up. The gym was oddly quiet and Daniel couldn't bring himself to look up and see all the judgmental stares so instead he held his head down and stared at the floor. Even as gentle hands help him off the ring and steady him on the floor.
"Doctor Park" A voice calls out and Daniel forces himself to look up.
There in front of him stood Johan, hesitant and fearful to approach the Doctor but the encouraging pats that Zack was giving him seemed to empower him to speak.
"I…I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you when I knew you weren't ready" Johan speaks mournfully, his hands clenched by his sides. His entire body as well as his words and expressions spoke of his regret but in the end, it wasn't his fault. Johan had merely been accommodating to Daniel's request, it was Daniel himself who should have known better.
He had been warned by so many people and he still chose not to listen. He just hoped that this didn't break any of his uncle's rules and that if it did it wouldn't reach the man's ears.
Walking forward tentatively, Daniel reaches out and squeezes Johan's shoulder comfortingly. He held the brunette's gaze, expressing that he was fine and that it wasn't his fault, that he wouldn't hold it against the man. It wasn't Johan's fault. Just to make sure the other man understood it, Daniel pulled him into a soft hug, it was quick and eventually, he was letting go.
Vin Jin was still crowding him at his side which to those who knew him, was a very strange sight to witness. Daniel gives the larger man a soft look, thanking him for his actions when the gym doors are thrown open and in comes Vasco and Jace who were carrying a baffled Doctor Yu in their arms.
"There! Daniel needs help!" Vasco all but shouts in the man's face which was already a tomato red from being carried like a maiden but once the Doctor turns to his co-worker he immediately marches over and flips his expression into professional mode.
"Daniel, I heard there was an incident" He calls but Daniel shakes his head, waving him off with a brave smile. It didn't work as the other Doctor was already grabbing him and examining him all over.
"Doctor you can't just brush this off, we all saw how it affected you" Vasco pipes out, a disappointing look on his face once he read Daniel's bodily response. The silent Doctor merely slumps and allows himself to be subjected to the checks.
Collin is delicate with Daniel's jaw, ensuring the wires aren't broken and that his teeth and jaw are as they should be. The touches made Daniel tense, his jaw was tender, especially after all the attempts of trying to open his mouth during his panic attack. Collin frowns at this but eventually determines that everything is fine.
"Your jaw and wires are fine, just refrain from trying to move your jaw too much. It will feel tender for a while because of all the struggling from before but you should be okay physically" The man comments and Daniel nods, smiling because he feels that he should at least show some positive response.
Smiling because it was the only thing he could do to somehow reassure people he was fine.
He is fine.
Wasn't he?
"Daniel…" Collin opens his mouth to start speaking before his eyes flicker to the people who were trying to subtly watch and listen in. Making a choice, the Doctor guides Daniel further away by the arm before whispering a couple of words. "You might be fine physically but as for mentally…I think you should talk to someone about what happened. I think it's had a bigger impact on you psychologically than you actually think" The Doctor attempts to say gently but Daniel immediately pulls away.
Snatching his arm away from Collin he gives his co-worker a disapproving grunt, shaking his head.
He didn't need a psychologist or a therapist or a shrink.
He was shaken from the incident with No.1 but he was fine now. He's in the process of recovering so of course it's not going to be smooth sailing. Recovery is never easy. To say that he was traumatised after one situation, one screw-up…it was stupid. Besides, other people needed those resources more than he did and many more who couldn't afford it. Why should he take up the time and resources when in his heart he knew that he was fine?
"Daniel, I'm not trying to offend you or anything but what you went through…it was tough and I'm sure it's been hard on you. If you talk to someone, even if it's not a specialist, it could be good for you" Collin explains and Daniel couldn't help but give the man a deadpanned look before he opens his mouth and points to his teeth.
Collin winces.
"Okay, maybe talking is a bit difficult right now but you could…write?" He tries again but Daniel sighs before shaking his head. He reaches out and squeezes the Doctor's hand gently, looking into his co-worker's eyes to hold his gaze for a moment.
'I'm fine'
How many times did he have to repeat those two words until people finally understood that he didn't need help? That he really is okay?
Collin purses his lips, eyes narrowing as he continues to look before eventually he gives in. His shoulders slump before he nods.
"Okay, I'll let it go since I can't force you to do anything…just…keep it in mind" Collin relents. "We all care about you and your well-being, you can come to me anytime" He conveys and this time Daniel's smile feels a little more real.
He reaches up to ruffle the taller man's hair, messing the style up until it was a mess. Collin groans but doesn't push the hand away. Once he's done teasing Collin about the other man caring for him he turns to walk away, making a drinking motion and the Doctor lets him go.
He needed to grab a drink, especially after all that crying and struggling he felt a little dehydrated. What he doesn't expect on his walk to the cafeteria is for a pair of footsteps to fall in line with him. Daniel turns to see that it's Vin Jin.
His face is stony and his sunglasses are fixed on his face, his hands are shoved in his pockets as he walks alongside Daniel like he's some guard dog. He certainly made for an intimidating one.
"What? I need to get a drink too" Vin Jin grunts, looking forward to avoiding Daniel's searching eyes.
Daniel doesn't point out the fact that they had walked past a vending machine, instead, he accepts the company begrudgingly. He knows that Vin Jin is probably only following him to make sure that he's well but it still felt a little suffocating. The only thing saving Vin Jin from Daniel telling him to leave was the fact that the man cared and helped him through his panic attack.
They reach the mess hall and Daniel heads straight to the water station, grabbing a cup and pouring himself somewhat. As he goes to grab a straw a hand is already out, passing one of them to him and Daniel smiles and thanks Vin Jin as best as he can.
The two drink in silence, Vin Jin occasionally glancing at him curiously before turning to look around at either the door or the floor.
"Doctor, I never had the chance to properly thank and apologise to you for that time you helped me after my…disagreement with…that bastard" Vin Jin spits out, stopping at times as if the sentence was hard to get out. He hadn't even wanted to say Taejin's name, looking disgusted at the thought of the other man. "I acted out of line that night and let my anger get the best of me. I'm sorry. But thank you for helping me even when you didn't have to, for stepping me in and still patching me up" Vin Jin remarks, still avoiding Daniel's gaze.
Daniel couldn't help but huff in amusement before he pats down his pocket only to frown when he couldn't find his belongings. They were probably still in the gym.
Noticing the movement, Vin Jin puts two and two together before handing Daniel his phone after opening it to the notes app. Daniel was quick to tap a response.
'It's fine. I was just doing my job' it reads and Vin Jin nods.
His jaw was set like he expected more from the answer but accepted it. Daniel types out something else.
'Thank you for helping me today, your embrace calmed me down'
Vin Jin goes to read the words before snorting, looking away again.
"Yeah well, no one else was doing anything to help. Besides I just read online that hugging people like that is similar to deep pressure therapy and can calm a person down" Vin Jin mumbles before downing the rest of his drink before putting his cup away.
Judging from how red Vin Jin's face was as well as how bashful he was acting it was easy to see that the man was utterly embarrassed. Wanting to reassure the man that his actions were appreciated he tugs on the taller man's shirt before pointing to the notes after he typed out another message.
'Your hugs were comforting, I needed it, panic attack or not. So again, thank you. Also, I wouldn't mind accepting more hugs from you in the future'
It was meant to put the man at ease, to convey that what Vin Jin had done was good but all it does is make him splutter even more.
"Huh?! What kind of embarrassing words are you writing out?!" Vin Jin squawks out and Daniel can't help but giggle at his exaggerated expressions. His face had gotten so red at this point that the Doctor was scared the J High student was going to pass out from all the blood and heat that had rushed to his face.
So, taking it into his hands he puts his cold cup of water down and reaches out to grasp Vin Jin's face. His cold palms making contact with Vin Jin's cheeks were enough to make the man pause, going slack in his hold.
"What are you doing?" Vin Jin questions, voice going up a pitch but he doesn't move away. Daniel keeps his face in his hands, urging him to lean down so that the shorter one wouldn't have to extend up. Vin jin does as he's silently commanded.
Daniel smiles, brushing his thumb over Vin Jin's high cheekbones before his other fingers flutter over his sharp jaw. The man certainly had sharp and high features, similar to Jichang except younger. The tip of his pointer fingers brushes the edge of his sunglasses and at this Vin Jin tenses.
Still, he doesn't move away.
It was an unvoiced question as Daniel stared at the glasses. He wanted to see the man's eyes, eyes that were so different yet so beautiful, he still didn't understand why Vin Jin would hide them. Vin Jin is silent but it only takes a moment before he dips his head in a nod and Daniel grins. They were alone in the cafeteria save for a few employees who were out back in the kitchen, no one would disturb them.
The Doctor pulls the object off the man's face, putting the item down delicately next to where his cup of water was. He then turns back to resume grasping Vin Jin's face, staring unabashedly into the man's eyes, eyes that he had a thrill of looking into.
Sure Daniel knew many people with intriguing eyes. There was Jichang and his brothers who all had electrifying silver eyes, Taesoo with his rugged scar, Johan with his heterochromia and of course Gun with his dark and intense gaze. But this, the dual pupils, it was seriously something else.
Daniel watches as Vin Jin's apprehensive gaze slowly fades into understanding and then morphs into contentment. His gaze softens, his brows relax and his jaw unclenches. It was as if the man completely expected Daniel to scoff and spit in his face all because his eyes were different, something that was out of his control and not his fault.
"Doc, if you keep staring into my eyes with that look I'll accidentally fall in love with you, no one's ever stared at me, the real me, like that before" Vin Jin speaks and Daniel is startled by it, he lets out a laugh from his throat before shaking his head lightly at the words. Hands circle his waist and all of a sudden the humour dies out. "I'm being serious here Doc, no one's ever looked at me like that whilst staring at all of me…you shouldn't look at me like that whilst standing so close…I'll kiss you otherwise" Vin Jin warns and it was completely serious.
Daniel's eyes grow wide.
That hadn't been…that hadn't been the plan. All he had wanted was a chance to look at Vin Jin's alluring eyes, before that, he had only been thanking the man for his help and now…now the J High student was professing that he was…what? Interested in Daniel? That he was falling for the Doctor simply because he wasn't disgusted by his eyes? How mistreated had Vin Jin been about his eyes for him to act this way?
"Doc…" Vin Jin whispers and Daniel realises that he still hasn't moved away, hadn't told him no to the kiss and just as he's about to step back, to break away from what's going to happen his body betrays him.
Why should he move away? Why shouldn't he indulge in this and allow Vin Jin to kiss him? He wasn't a taken man, he wasn't in any relationship and Gun had made it clear they were only friends now. No matter if Daniel's feelings still lingered for the elder they would only hurt each other if they were to continue trying. Besides, the world didn't believe that Daniel and Gun could be a thing so why should he?
Daniel tilts his head to the side, face flushing softly before he stares at Vin Jin's lips and back to the eyes. Vin Jin gapes, sucking in a breath before he leans down even further.
Vin Jin might be rough around the edges, he might be a bit mean but at the end of the day, he seemed like a good man. Mary was his best friend, Zack, Vasco and Jace tolerated him, Logan didn't hate him. Furthermore, he was attractive, both his face and his body were well-kept. Why shouldn't he give in?
Daniel leans up, adjusting his hold on Vin's face to be more tender.
Daniel knows that if he tried he could learn to fall in love with someone else. Gun isn't the only man in the world and if he wanted to get over the Founder then it means having to work towards someone else. Putting effort into discarding his previous feelings to create new ones for someone else. Why not any of the other fighters who had been clearly interested in pursuing him? Why not Vin Jin?
Yet just as their lips were about to meet, Daniel couldn't help but feel deep down that this was wrong. He turns his head, avoiding Vin Jin's lips before he steps away, out of the man's grasp. He looks to the floor, embarrassed over what was going to happen as well as now rejecting the Fighter.
Sucking in a breath, Daniel looks up to see the hurt in Vin's eyes. Daniel types on the phone.
'I'm sorry'
He doesn't offer anything else, not knowing how to explain why his body just decided a firm 'no' to the whole situation when his mind had logically explained that it was okay. It wasn't okay apparently.
Vin Jin shakes his head.
"No, it's fine. I think it's better if we didn't kiss especially after the whole panic attack thing. I was the person who helped you out of it and the last thing I want is for you to think I'm taking advantage of you when you're still vulnerable. I'm sorry" Vin Jin coughs out and Daniel nods in understanding.
Taking the words as his excuse he makes a pointing gesture.
They should head back to the gym.
Vin Jin nods and follows the Doctor out, not before grabbing his glasses and putting them back on. They walk out together, feeling the effects of what could have been a kiss but both try to ignore it.
"Doc I wasn't lying about my words" Vin Jin blurts out as they continue to walk. "Everything I said was true…I could seriously learn to fall in love with you if you keep looking at me like that" He reiterates and Daniel couldn't help but let out a huff of amusement.
He was very flattered.
"So if you're ever interested…I wouldn't be opposed." Vin Jin mumbles off and Daniel nods.
He'll keep that in mind.
.
.
.
Seven o'clock comes by and Daniel waits patiently to be picked up. His bag was packed and ready and he had even gone to use the bathroom yet as the seconds went by the Doctor noticed that Gun was taking his time.
Collins had left with a sceptical look, also intrigued by the fact that Gun hadn't come barging in, barking out orders for Daniel to hurry up so they could go and get food. Daniel had reassured the other Doctor that he would be fine in the medical bay alone, that Gun was probably just doing a bathroom run or was finishing up some last-minute paperwork.
Yet a minute turns into five and five turns into ten and suddenly it's 7:30 PM and there isn't a single message from the Founder. Worry churns in Daniel's stomach, he sits in his chair facing the door, hoping to hear footsteps and eventually see the tall, broad-shoulder man slam the door open as he apologises for his tardiness.
It never comes.
Finally, after another ten minutes, Daniel could feel the worry in his stomach turn to hunger, growling loudly as it begged to be fed. Having enough of playing the waiting game Daniel checks his phone one last time before standing up with a huff, grabbing his bag and heading out to Gun's office.
The man hadn't said anything in the morning about leaving the CC to do off-campus work, Charles was at the office all day and Crystal had school so he couldn't be with them. Marching through the halls he eventually comes to a stop in front of the office door, he knocks once and waits for a response.
"Come in"
Ah, so Gun was in his office.
Opening the door and letting himself in, Gun briefly looks up from his computer and rather than an apologetic look or something similar to an 'Oh yeah, I have to take Daniel home, shit' he gets a frown.
It was only for a split second and it disappeared just as quickly but Daniel had still caught it. Worry turns to apprehension.
Walking tentatively over to the man he comes to stand right in front of his desk, an expecting look on his face as he waits for the elder to finish up what he was doing before addressing the elephant in the room. Gun drags it out, tapping away uselessly on his keyboard before he presses the space bar and looks up at the Doctor.
"I have a lot of work to do" The man speaks and Daniel raises a brow.
Pulling out his pen and pad he begins to write only to be stopped.
"You can get dinner from the mess hall if you want, I should be done in about another half an hour" Gun states and Daniel looks up to raise a brow. "What? It's not like eating here is any different to eating out, you'll be served the same liquid food anyways" He snaps and Daniel pauses.
Why was the man acting this way? What was with the attitude?
So Daniel writes something else.
'Is something wrong?'
It's a simple question, one that could probably be provided with a straightforward answer but Gun was never straightforward. His brows pinch together and his lips press into a straight, irritated line. He kisses his teeth before responding.
"No, nothing's wrong. What makes you ask that?" He replies simply and Daniel gives him a disbelieving look before gesturing at all of Gun. This causes the Founder to give a humourless huff before he leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. Arms that strained the material of his dark dress shirt. "I'm just tired, that's all. Do you think running the CC, working as a bodyguard, being a symbol of power and now being your caretaker is easy? Look if you're not going to say or ask anything useful just leave. I'll take you home soon" Gun waves off before turning back to his work.
Daniel blinks once then twice over the words he was exposed to. Taking care of Daniel was hard, it was so difficult and exhausting that Gun was finally showcasing his true feelings over the entire affair. Nodding at the words, Daniel turns around and moves to take a seat on the sofa, intending to wait for the man to finish work.
He wasn't hungry now and even if he was he didn't know if he had the stomach to indulge in food. Furthermore, the kitchen staff had gone home for the night, no one would be around to make him his sludge of 'food' anyway.
The tapping of keys pauses.
"Why are you still here?" Gun calls.
Daniel lets out a frustrated sigh before reaching out to write something again.
'I can't eat, no one's around to make my food' He rips the piece of paper out, scrunches it up and throws it at the man who lets out an annoyed grunt.
"What the hell is your problem?!" Gun shouts and Daniel lets out an aggravated grunt as he stands up and glares at the man. He didn't have a problem, the one with the problem seems to be the Founder and he was acting like a complete asshole without even providing any explanation for it.
Daniel stomps his foot on the floor, glaring at the elder as he silently demands for the man to state his case. Gun glares back with just as much disdain, his stubbornness was just as bad as the Doctors. They stand in silence, waiting for the other to break.
The pure anger that was in Gun's eyes was nothing short of petty but it also probably meant that whatever he was angry about it was over something that Daniel had done which confused the younger. They hadn't even seen each other all day, what could Daniel have possibly done to piss him off…unless he heard about the gym incident.
Daniel falters, anger waning off as his hands drop from his hips. Gun snorts, reading his body language easier than anyone else could.
"I told you not to fight or train and you still went behind my back and did it. I told you that you needed to rest, time to heal, time to recover and you still defied my words and look at what happened! I bet if one of those fighters hadn't ratted what happened to you out to me you would have never come clean about it!" Gun shouts and Daniel looks to the floor. "I told you that you weren't ready to train, I clearly stated that you were going to get hurt and that's exactly what happened! What if Doctor Yu wasn't in today? What if you ruined your wires? What if you aggravated your injuries to the point that it increased your healing time? If your mother or uncle heard about this you'd be gone from the CC by now!! How many times are you going to lead with your emotions and not use your goddamn head?!" Gun lectures and Daniel has never felt smaller.
Gun was extremely pissed. It isn't the first time the Founder has been upset with Daniel but it has been the first time where he couldn't defend himself in both the literal and metaphoric sense. He was entirely in the wrong.
Daniel looks up before looking for his pad and pen but of course, Gun stops him.
"Save it, I don't want your half-assed apology. What I want you to do is to listen to me for once" Gun sneers and Daniel flinches.
He couldn't stand it, all these words as well as Gun's disappointment in him. He's already disappointed so many people, he hadn't wanted Gun to also be let down because of his behaviour and actions. Turning around he grabs his belongings and makes a move to leave the office, he could go back to the medical bay until Gun calmed down.
"Are you going to run away to your new boy toy?" Gun questions and Daniel falters.
New boy toy?
Daniel turns around, facing Gun with a confused expression only for the elder to scoff.
"Oh please, don't act like you don't know. I saw you in the mess hall when I was coming down to check on you. I saw you with that fighter, what's his name? Vin Jin? I saw how close and cosy you got with that newbie. Getting into his space, touching him and kissing him" Gun spat out and Daniel could only blink silently.
Gun had seen him with Vin Jin but clearly, he hadn't seen everything if Gun didn't know that Daniel had rejected the kiss. Taking in a deep breath, Daniel considers his options. He could storm out and confirm everything Gun thought or he could stay and fight the elder through his words for his hypocritical idiocy…or he could handle this maturely since Gun clearly wasn't taking the higher ground. This whole temper tantrum, whilst it was laced in exasperation over Daniel not listening to Gun the brunt of it all was on the fact that Gun had allegedly caught him making out with someone else.
The implications of this far outweighed Daniel's previous thoughts and emotions.
Calmly Daniel writes on his notepad.
'Why should you care who I kiss? We're just friends after all'
He writes and passes Gun the note. The Founder was caught off guard by the reply as well as the change in attitude but once he reads the note he slams the paper on his desk before marching over into Daniel's space.
"You think I give a fuck about who you're putting out for? I don't so get those stupid little assumptions out of your head. The last time you assumed anything about us you fucked up so hard that you broke your own heart by getting your hopes up" The man snarls and the words were cutting, they were said with the purpose of hurting…something Gun had done so many times at this point that it was obviously a defence mechanism.
Daniel was unimpressed and he made it clear with his lack of response. Instead, he tilts his head challengingly, waiting for Gun to answer his question.
This pisses Gun even more, causing the man's nostrils to flare as he throws his hands into the air.
"For fuck sake Daniel, let it go! Let US go! Nothing is going to ever amount from our feelings, nothing good is going to happen and you're just going to suffer from being with me! Besides, it certainly seems like you've moved on if you're going around kissing other guys…unless this is just another attempt of you trying to make me jealous which by the way, isn't working and won't ever work no matter how many times you try!"
Ah. Projection. Gun was projecting so hard that even to Daniel's usually dense self it was obvious.
Daniel crosses his arms, amused by the man's insistent denial that it wasn't working. Daniel had said nothing about them and Gun was still adamant that it was about them. As if the last time he tried the jealousy trick he hadn't been bent over this very office desk and fucked into oblivion. Gun gets jealous, whether Daniel is with him or not, he gets jealous either because he thinks he has some claim to Daniel or because he has feelings.
'Nothing is ever going to amount to OUR feelings' not Daniel's feelings, their inclusive feelings.
Suddenly Daniel could comprehend everything.
Gun liked him. Despite all the venomous words of denial, the insults and the swearing, the outbursts and the jealousy…this man liked Daniel in the same way that Daniel liked him. The only reason he wasn't giving in to his feelings was because…well that was something that was still unclear. Whatever the reason for the rejection, it had to have been serious if it was causing the Founder to act in such a way, unfortunately, Daniel wasn't the type to accept defeat so easily.
"What's with this look? What are you thinking?" Gun questions, lost with how to handle whatever Daniel was thinking.
Suddenly without further warning, Daniel's hand shoots out and he grabs Gun by his tie, pulling him in as their lips connect. The kiss was abrupt and Gun hadn't been expecting it judging by how stiff he was but it was what it was. Daniel pulls away, raising a challenging brow at Gun who stood in shock by the action, baffled and wordless in how to respond.
Daniel steps away, frowning at the lack of anything.
Maybe he read wrong.
Maybe he should run before Gun hits him for being an even bigger idiot.
Yet before he can escape Gun pulls him into another kiss, smashing their mouths together more aggressively than what should be necessary for someone with a wired jaw. It's harsh but it's desperate, Gun was kissing him as if he was pouring every ounce of emotion into it and half the time the man didn't kiss Daniel with anything other than lust and want.
No sooner than it started Gun pulled away, breathless and staring down at Daniel as if he had done something stupid. Alarm bells go off in Daniel's mind, if Gun thought he was doing something stupid then he was going to pull away and take everything back so the Doctor does the only thing he can do.
He pulls Gun into another kiss. This time it was slower and at least this time both of them were responding. Gun's overwhelming presence and build eventually tip their balance and Daniel was falling back onto the couch, Gun caving over him.
The physical difference, the way Gun overshadowed him should have caused Daniel to panic just like Johan had made him feel earlier in the day but something in his brain registered that Gun wasn't a threat. Even if the man was probably one of the most dangerous threats in Korea. Being with Gun had always made Daniel feel safe and that fact still hadn't changed after all this time.
Daniel lets out a whimper, one of pain when Gun presses particularly hard against him. Immediately the elder pulls away, eyes wide and searching as he grasps Daniel's jaw.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you? Was that too much?" He fires out, fingers brushing over Daniel's exposed skin.
Daniel shakes his head. It wasn't Gun's fault that his jaw was still tender from his earlier incident but it doesn't matter as soon the Founder is pulling away from him entirely.
"Shit" Gun curses, more to himself than at Daniel as he runs his hands through his hair aggravatingly. "I wasn't supposed to do that, we weren't supposed to do that" He mutters and Daniel reaches out to rub the man's arm.
It was meant to be an action of 'it's okay' and 'I wanted it' but all it does is cause the other to shake his head in disbelief.
"After your accident, after all the shit I said to you before that and then all the things I said whilst we were in the hospital…why would you still want someone like me? I hurt you, Daniel and I know you still haven't forgiven me. I just don't understand why you would do this especially after I spent so long trying to fix everything, make amends and stop myself from doing this" Gun rants, defeated and questioning all that he's strived to do.
Daniel doesn't lie to himself. He feels guilty for breaking Gun's barriers down but at the end of the day if Gun feels the same way that Daniel felt for him, why shouldn't they both be happy with each other? Whatever comes their way, they could work through it together.
Daniel reaches for Gun's hand, intertwining their fingers together and squeezing it gently to reassure the man. Gun looks up, meeting Daniel's genuine look that conveys that he really does want this with the elder. The Founder could only sigh.
"You ruin me in both the worst and best ways possible" Gun grumbles and Daniel is unsure whether that was a good or bad thing. A positive was that Gun doesn't pull his hand away nor does he cuss the younger out for his actions.
"I'm not giving in by the way" Gun blurts out, causing Daniel to look up with a start. "This…this kissing was just a one-off thing since you caught me by surprise. Don't expect me to start making out with you and doing other things with you again…at least not until you're better" He mumbles under his breath but the Doctor is still able to catch all of it.
Daniel couldn't help but snort, causing Gun to glare at him. He couldn't help it, Gun was never one to be the type to restrain himself seeing as he had always been the one to pull the Doctor to the side to do unseemly things in the most inconvenient of spaces. Gun seems to realise it too, ears going red at the thought before he heaves out a heavy sigh.
"Also you shouldn't be pursuing me whilst making out with other guys. I thought I knew you pretty well but cheating isn't really your style" Gun remarks and this time Daniel doesn't hold back the snort.
Gun sends him a questioning look and Daniel lets go of the man's hand to make a cross with his arms to deny the allegations that were still being thrown at him. Gun tilts his head to the side.
"You're not a cheater?" He tries to decipher and Daniel nods. "But you were kissing him…weren't you?" Daniel's pose remains the same and he smirks at the elder when he finally concludes that Daniel in fact did not kiss Vin Jin.
Another aggravated groan is let out of Gun's mouth and this time he buries his face into the palm of his hands.
"For fuck sake, don't tell me I misunderstood everything" Gun bemoans and Daniel snickers before looking around for his pen and pad.
He finds the objects and quickly writes out an explanation.
'We were about to kiss but I couldn't do it, I kept thinking about you' He admits and Gun's face falls into something unreadable once he processes the words.
"I see…" Was all Gun says before standing up and heading back to his desk, he doesn't sit back down to finish his work but instead packs up his belongings. "We should get going, you must be starving and your mother might throw a fit if she doesn't find you safe and sound" He was redirecting the conversation, ending what they were previously talking about.
That was fine, Daniel could give the man some time to think about what Daniel had just revealed. It was a lot to take in after all and if Gun was already adamant about them being together then all of this was only piling up against his consciousness.
Still, Daniel wasn't going to give up.
So as Gun heads to the doors, Daniel grabs his bag and is quick to join the elder by his side. Close enough for his body heat and presence to seep into the Founder's side to not be ignored but not close enough that he was clinging onto the man.
Gun gives his signature grunt but doesn't say anything else.
Yep, Daniel wasn't going to give up and Gun already looked ready to cave in.