A/N: You have all been so kind and inspirational to me! I wouldn't be nearly this driven to write this fic if it weren't for your reviews.
As always, Daniel's thoughts are in italics.
Disclaimer- I own nothing, not even the cute lil chibi Daniels and Rorschachs I found on Photobucket. I'm just gonna go over to the corner and cry now...
-
Rorschach was a dead weight in Dan's arms, which made him a bit difficult to carry, but Dan decided this was better than him waking up and struggling. It still worried him, though; he'd never seen Rorschach knocked unconscious before. Hoping silently that he'd wake up soon, they finally reached the house.
Once inside, Dan carefully laid Rorschach on his bed, and debated what to do next. He knew he had to get the blood-soaked clothing off, but knew that Rorschach was likely to kill him if he woke up while Dan was working. He sighed and, deciding an angry Rorschach was better than a sticky Rorschach (Dan's stomach did flip flops at this thought), proceeded to remove the offending clothes.
Item by item Rorschach became more exposed, and Dan's heart beat a little bit faster. Dan had been imagining for a long time what this would be like. But in these fantasies, Rorschach was awake and complaisant, not unconscious and…broken. It made his heart break, but he kept reminding himself that Rorschach was alive, and he'd help make sure it stayed that way.
All that was left was the mask, the wife beater, and the pants. Dan considered removing the mask to see if there were any cuts or bruises on his face, but decided against it. The mask was the one article of clothing that, if removed, probably would result in his death. That left Rorschach's upper body and legs to check.
Dan hesitated. He needed to check the rest of Rorschach's body (no, no, I don't want to) but didn't want to invade his friend's privacy. This was going to be hard.
Control yourself. Don't stare…
He peeled off Rorschach's wife beater.
Dan drew in a breath sharply; littered across Rorschach's chest and torso were scars, old wounds that would never completely fade. Along with the scars were cuts and bruises, fresh from the fight with the gang. Dan felt his chest tighten and his fists clench.
They deserved it.
He set about cleaning the wounds, carefully, so he wouldn't hurt the already tender flesh. As Dan worked, Rorschach would occasionally twitch and grunt in his sleep, but he never woke up. Dan didn't know if he should be grateful.
He then proceeded to dress Rorschach's wounds. Dan carefully applied bandages and wrapped them around Rorschach's torso. That should be good for now. Now I need to check his legs…
But Dan stopped. He studied his former partner, amazed at how helpless yet peaceful he looked. He touched his chest, ran his fingers over the scars to memorize every imperfection in the skin.
Stop. But he knew he would probably never get a chance like this again. He ran his hands over Rorschach's chest, enjoying the feel of the other man's skin on his own. Stop, stop. You're taking advantage of him.
He paused, resting his hands on Rorschach's shoulders. Dan hesitated for just a second, before leaning down and kissing Rorschach's head. He slid his hands down Rorschach's arms and continued to lean over Rorschach, reveling in the closeness.
Until he felt the tensing of muscles in his hands, and a form squirming beneath him.
"Daniel?"
-
A/N: He's awake! What happens next? Hehe.
I'm planning for the next chapter to be different, but you'll see how when it's published...your reviews feed my creativity and spirit.
