"Daniel?" Rorschach asked in a voice not quite his own.
Rorschach and Nite Owl had just finished their patrol.
Dan had only just wrestled his way out of his armor (gotta add a zipper or something to the chest plate-- he worked up more of a sweat getting the suit off than he did when he caught the average purse snatcher) and was hanging it up when his partner spoke up.
He turned, surprised, thinking that Rorschach had left by then, but there he stood, his fedora clutched in two fists, his gloved hands nervously wringing the brim as he looked at the floor.
"Yeah?" Dan asked, setting the last bit of armor on its hook and stepping over to lean against the guard rail. "What's up, buddy?"
"Hurm... Need to ask a favor," the smaller man confessed lowly, still not looking at him.
Dan shrugged and smiled amiably, "Sure, man, what do you need?"
"Has been brought... Hrn. Have--" Rorschach shook his head, his arms falling to his sides in resignation and his swirling face turned up to see Dan. "Woman that was here this morning. Who is she?"
Dan's face blanched and his mouth fell open a bit as he considered the answer. "Were you watching my apartment?"
"Don't change subject, Daniel," Rorschach rasped, though without his usual growl.
"Uhm," Dan began, running a hand through his hair. "She is, um... A colleague."
Rorschach shifted on his feet, his stance widening as if to ground himself. Dan's obvious lie was giving him courage.
"Didn't look like type to be interested in Ornithology, Daniel."
"How do you know what that would look like anyway, Rorschach?"
"Quit deflecting," and this time, he did growl. "Who is she?"
"I'm not the one who's deflecting," Dan argued, stepping down from the upper landing and standing before his irritated partner, his hands on his hips. "I thought you wanted to ask me a favor."
"Am not deflecting. Favor has to do with this," Rorschach shot back almost instantly as if he expected it.
"What, is your favor to ask me not to see her again?"
"No."
Dan sighed. He was tired. He didn't want to fight. "Fine. Look... I hired her."
"What for?"
"To do my laundry for me. Jesus, Rorschach, what do you think? 'What for?'" Dan retorted, both exasperated and a little sad.
"Hired a prostitute." It wasn't a question.
Dan crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah. I don't really have time to meet women, y'know, and I wanted a little--"
Rorschach held his hand up to stop him, nodding. "Get the picture, Daniel."
"Well, you asked," Dan grumbled, waiting for the moral outrage and flying fists and temper tantrum he was sure would ensue... But didn't.
"So, what's this favor? And what does she have to do with it?"
"Doesn't have to do with her," Rorschach admitted quietly.
Dan snorted and shook his head. "I knew it."
Rorschach's head jerked up and Dan could see the blots beneath the latex form themselves into a mirror of his scowl.
"Has to do with you hiring a hooker, not--" Rorschach paused, taking a deep breath. "Not that particular one."
"Then just ask me already, Christ. Ask me your Goddamn favor."
Rorschach grew silent and Dan grew impatient. He kicked away from the rail he was leaning back against and was about to walk away when the smaller man finally spoke up.
"Need... Ehhn. Don't have enough to pay for rent this month. Could you-- Ern."
Dan blinked, staring at him. "You... You want to sleep with me? For money?" He could practically hear Rorschach's heart pounding from where he stood. "You're kidding me, right?"
Rorschach's head lowered and that was as clear a 'no' as anything. Dan stepped toward him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Rorschach was trembling.
"You don't have to... You know that if you need money all you have to do is ask."
"Am asking," Rorschach replied in barely a whisper and Dan shook his head.
"No, I can't do that," he told him. "First of all, I have plenty of money that I can give you to help you out if you want it and you don't have to do this. Second of all, you're not gay. Right?"
Rorschach's eyes lifted to Dan's again.
"Right?" Dan demanded, his brows raising impossibly high on his forehead, his eyes widening in such disbelief at his partner's silence that they looked as if they were about to pop out of his skull.
Both hands were on his shoulders now and Rorschach wasn't the only one trembling.
"Answer me," Dan whispered. "Please."
"Am whatever you want me to be," Rorschach told him, mirroring the same old phrase his mother would use to loosen up her Johns. "Whatever you need."