Title: The Locker Room

Rating: T

Pairing: Slight Dash x Danny (Swagger Bishie)

Warnings: Mention of abuse/scars/self-harm

Dash found Danny alone in the locker room after school had finished, the jock only came back because he had forgotten his trainers, but he stopped dead when his eyes met Danny's bare skin – or more precisely the scars that covered it. He made a kind of strangled noise and the smaller teen turned round in pure fear, he tried to cover his body using the shirt in his hands but Dash had already seen the new cut that had been cleanly treated on the boys arm. Neither of them spoke, sometimes Danny seemed to open his mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it again.

Dash didn't know how to react in this situation, should he act like he didn't see anything? Perhaps he should just grab his stuff and leave? His brain wasn't used to coping with such drama and so he walked up to Danny and stared him down in a more menacing way than intended, causing the small boy to back away. Danny then panicked, as if the pieces finally fit together and his brain started to work, and he threw his shirt on, covering most of the marks. He cleared his throat and instantly changed his face back to that cocky, arrogant smirk he wore, "Well I'd love to stay and chat but Sam's looking for me so-" and he walked around Dash, attempting to leave.

Without thinking, Dash reached out and grabbed Danny's arm, not the wounded one luckily, both boys were again caught in an awkward silence and Dash couldn't help but want to keep Danny here. To ask what was going on, to ask if he was okay. But the words would leave his mouth. Danny shifted uncomfortably, wrists tightly locked in the jocks firm grasp, "L-look I don't know what-"

"Who did that to you?"

The words left Dash's mouth in and angry, bitter tone which made Danny flinch. The boy tried to wriggle free, but failed. Dash stared hard at him, trying to figure out just why he was so angry about it, he didn't particularly care – did he? Emotions were all swimming in his head and he wanted to do so many multiple things at once, he wanted to yell at Danny, to scream at him for being so careless and stupid. He wanted to hurt whoever did this to him, to maim them and cause them more pain that they could ever imagine. He wanted to hug him, to hold him close and tell him that it was okay. Dash's breathing suddenly got heavy, and he looked dead into Danny's eyes.

The fear held in such bright blue eyes was surreal, Dash had never seen anything like it, like he had forced Danny to live his worst nightmare. Maybe he did. Dany stammered a little, as if trying to think of an excuse, he grimaced when Dash's hand tightened and then blurted out; "It's none of your business, is it?!" Dash was taken aback by the force with which Danny spoke and found himself getting angry. He was angry at Danny's lack of self-care, at his disregard for help, he was angry because someone was hurting him!

"It is now!" he retorted, "Now I've seen what's been happening to you. Is someone- is someone hurting you?"

Danny looked like he was about to burst into tears, "I told you it's none of your business, let me go!"

"Not until you tell me what's going on!" Dash heard his own voice break. "Why are you hiding this?" He wasn't sure what he was saying anymore, "Do your friends know? Does Jazz know – your parents?" Danny screamed 'no' before Dash could finish the word 'parents' which made him think there was something going on. Were Danny's parents hurting him? True they were strange and eccentric, but they loved him…. Didn't they?

Dash struggled with what to do next, Danny was visibly shaking. His eyes searched the room quickly and he decided that what Danny needed most was reassurance. He pulled his wrist and brought Danny towards his chest, he hoped the shock would last long enough so he let go of the boy's wrist and wrapped his hugged arms around such small shoulders. The hug was awkward and uncomfortable for both of them, Dash didn't know what to expect but he felt small hand reach up to push away weakly, and then they simply clung onto his shirt. Accepting the embrace.

It was silent again, giving Dash time to try and figure out why exactly he was so concerned. Danny's personal life never bothered him before, heck he even enjoyed bullying him from time to time. He face suddenly creased up – were these self-inflicted? Was this because of him? Dash's breath got shaky as he tried to reason with himself, he saw scars on Danny's back, there's no way he could do that to himself, was there? Slowly, he released his arms and the two teens stood facing each other. It was only now that Dash realised just how tired Danny looked, how the dark circles under his eyes were darker than before, how his shoulders where always slumped, how he was thinner, quieter, less fierce, how he was always sleeping in class and always late to things. Were these all connected?

They had to be.

Dash gave Danny a pitiful look and the boy suddenly raised his arms. "I appreciate your concern Dash, although unexpected, but really – I'm fine" Dash didn't buy it. He wanted nothing more than to punch whoever was harming him. Danny attempted a smile, a sincere one, but Dash could tell how it was laced with so much sadness that it made his heart break.

"You're not fine" he started, "You're very clearly not fine at all." Danny's smile fell, "I know I'm the last person you probably wanna see but you- if someone is hurting you they-"

"Dash!" Danny interrupted him and let out a long sigh, "No one is hurting me, I mean – technically I'm the one doing this to myself" Danny heard Dash's sharp intake of breath and shook his head, "I'm not doing it deliberately" he added quickly, "It's just… my life's complicated, ya know?" Danny held his injured arm, rubbing it slightly.

"No, I don't know. But I want to…" Dash surprised Danny with his answer as the boy's eyes widened in shock, "I get it, you don't wanna tell me. I'm not going to force you – but you have to tell someone. You're hurting yourself." Danny seemed extremely uncomfortable at this point so Dash let out a heavy sigh and placed his hand in that mess of black hair Danny called a hairstyle and ruffled it.

"Just – don't do anything stupid" he said, picking up his trainers and heading out. "Hey Fenturd!" he called back, catching those ice blue eyes once again, "If anyone is hurting you just- just get me to beat 'em up, alright?"

Danny laughed, really laughed which made Dash's heart squeeze painfully in his chest. "Sure, okay. It's a deal" Dash smiled back, wondering why he was getting so flustered, and left Danny alone. Meeting back up with Kwan and the others they gave him a strange look to which Dash tried to shrug off. But he knew the blush on his cheeks meant he was going to get teased for some time.