Work Text:
“Draco! Draco!”
Draco walked briskly towards the door from where the cry had sounded. He cursed as he with difficulty managed to jerk a t-shirt over his head before slamming the door open. He furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance as Dobby looked up at him with frightening eyes.
“What?” He barked.
Dobby’s body shook as he stood outside Draco’s apartment, dressed in an old hoody and denims. His usually big eyes were even bigger and his hands were tangled into one another as he breathed harshly, his small chest heaving in a rapid speed.
“It’s a man!” He said as tears gathered in his eyes. “It’s a man in the dumpster outside!”
“A man?” Draco sounded as confused as he felt, wondering what exactly Dobby was talking about. There weren’t news that Dobby had a wild imagination and had caused havoc around the apartment building more than once. Draco’s neighbour Parkinson was more than happy to complain about the youth’s unhealthy obsession with stray animals and cleaning.
“Yes a man”, Dobby repeated. He looked up at Draco as he outwardly forced himself to focus on the blonde man in front of him. “He’s bleeding and hurt”, he continued. “You have to help him! You’re a doctor!”
“Nurse”, Draco corrected automatically.
“Hurry”, Dobby continued as if he hadn’t heard. His fluffy hair catching the light from the corridors flickering lamps – making it appear like an odd light crown – while he spurted towards the stairs.
Draco was quick to follow the kid, down the stairs and around the building. He wondered how what time it was? Sometime in the middle of the fucking night he thought sourly as the dumpster came into view.
They were big and dark in the middle of an equally dark ally. Draco felt his heart beat slightly faster when they entered the shadowy haven for burglars. Not that he could see any at the moment, but one never could be careful enough in New York.
“Here he is!” Dobby screamed which made Draco run slightly faster, feeling dread and anticipation emerge as he arrived beside the grand dumpster. He bent over the edge and peered down.
There, in the middle of trash and paper was the hurt stranger. Draco couldn’t see much of him, his whole body was wrapped into black clothes and a bandana-like mask covered his face. Or part of his face, eyes and forehead at least.
“He’s hurt”, Dobby urged. “Can you see here?” He pointed towards the stranger’s throat that was disturbingly red. Was he already dead? Draco felt unease at the thought and pushed Dobby out of the way, taking his place close to the stranger’s head. He peered down at the body in front of him. The man seemed fit, somewhere in his twenties. Perhaps a tad bit older than Draco himself. But he couldn’t be too sure; the mask was obscuring the man’s features rather good. He pressed two long fingers to the man’s neck, seeking out his pulse point and praying to the non-existing Gods that he would be alive.
There was a beat under Draco’s fingertips.
Hallelujah, he thought sarcastically as he felt a continuing of strong beats under his fingers. The Gods had a fucked up way to answer your preys sometimes.
“We have to take him to my apartment”, Draco declared after a moment of silence. Dobby just stared at him with wide eyes, unmoving. “Come on”, Draco repeated firmer, making the small youth jerk of surprise as he leaped into action.
Draco grabbed hold under the man’s shoulders while Dobby grabbed his ankles. They managed to lift the stranger from the dumpster with combined forces, Draco while swearing and Dobby while remaining frightened and silent.
The stairs were hell. And even though Draco knew how it felt to lift an unconscious body he was as surprised as always about the struggle to managed said body.
“Why did he have to be so heavy”, Draco whispered furiously as he slammed his apartment door open with his right foot.
“I think he’s very fit. Perhaps one of those boxers-”
“Well he’s fat, that’s what he is!”
“Draco! Shhhh”, Dobby’s eyes were big as he looked palely at Draco. “What if the ones who beat him up followed him here? What if they’re going to come after us?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “That’s not going to happen. You’ve watched too many action movies.”
They laid down the stranger on the carpet and Draco immediately went to fetch his medical kit in the kitchen.
Dating the wrong dude one too many times had made him invest in a home kit of medication. It also helped when Greg came to visit that he could patch him up. The idiot should never have joined that stupid Death Eater gang. The only thing Greg had gained from them was bruises and nightmares.
Draco was tired of being the frustration outlet to his stupid friends and even stupider boyfriends.
And now he had to deal with this! Like his life weren’t messed up as it was…
Dobby stood to the side to allow Draco to work. He was standing frozen with the exception of his hands that fingered his hoody. The worst part was that even though Dobby might have mastered standing still in an emergency situation he let out a low whining sound. It just went on and on. Draco felt a vein pop at the painful noise.
“Dobby”, he begged with a controlled voice. God he wanted to scream at the boy to shut the fuck up, but he was adult. He should know what to do, like every other fucking time, he should know what was the “right thing”.
Don’t join the gang, don’t hit your partner, be polite and don’t fucking scream at kids to ‘SHUT THE FUCK UP’.
“Yes”, Dobby responded with a strangled voice.
“Please go back, I take care of this. Okay?”
Dobby’s breath hitched a little and his feet shuffled towards the still open door. “Is that ok?” He asked with a longing voice. Like he really wanted to dump this problem on Draco and forget he had any part of it.
Draco sighed. Everyone wanted to dump their problems on him. Be it emotionally or physically. When had he become Hell’s Kitchens answer to Gandhi anyway?
“Yes”, Draco forced his voice to be calm. To make Dobby believe that he had this shit under control when he so clearly hadn’t a fucking clue. “Just go. I’ll tell you in the morning.”
Dobby nodded and was out of the small apartment in less than a second. Leaving a slamming door in his wake and darkness.
Draco forced himself to stop thinking, to concentrating on the problem at hand.
Before him was a man, a hurt man. His neck was wounded and so was his side. Knife wound, Draco’s brain helpfully supplied. This seemed to be something for the hospitals.
He’d always felt unsure about anything that had knife and wound in the same sentence. There were so much that could go wrong, so much to take into consideration. For example: how far it had travelled before being pulled out or had it left any internal damage that slowly killed the patient?
He stared at the stranger’s wound through a rip in his clothes and realised once again why he hated knife wounds. He absolutely had no fucking clue if this was lethal or just a flesh wound.
Draco abandoned the wound in favour of fiddling with a flashlight as he removed the mask from the stranger’s upper face. The mask was made of simple black fabric and didn’t cause any resistance while he curiously peered down on its wearer.
Wow. With dark locks of hair surrounding a pale face and high cheekbones on either side of a straight nose did the stranger appear rather beautiful. There weren’t really any other words for it. Simply beautiful, but also bruised and wounded. Draco allowed himself to appreciate the face for about two seconds before once again falling into the role as a professional nurse.
He lifted his flashlight and carefully forced the stranger’s right eyelid to open. His breath hitched once again as he was meet by brilliant emerald eyes. The intense colour was simply unlike anything he’d seen before.
“God”, he mumbled as he started to flash light into the green orbs. “Who are you.”
He grew immediately concerned when the pupils didn’t change. He flashed over the eyes again, but with the same result.
He might have a concussion… Or possibly something even more serious? The thought convinced Draco that this was too much for him to handle. Sure he could stitch up a wound or fix a broken bone, but this… this could be serious. This… could be deadly if untreated.
He dropped the flashlight to the side and snagged his phone from the living room’s coffee table. His fingers shook slightly as he dialled the familiar number to the hospital. There was an immediate response.
“St Mungo’s hospital, New York, what’s the emergency?”
“Hi-” That was all Draco managed to say before his wrist was grasped in an iron like grip. He gasped at the strength that easily could have snapped his arm in two as he dropped the phone out of sheer surprise.
“Don’t.”
The stranger had awoken without Draco noticing, now grasping his hand and directing his gaze towards him. Draco stared into emerald eyes with a lump in his throat; the pupils were still dead in the face of the strong kitchen lamp shining into his living room. Blind, he wondered as he tried to jerk his wrist from the stranger’s grip.
“Don’t call the hospital.” The stranger sounded strained as he carefully released Draco’s arm, dropping his hand to the floor in a careful manner. “They’ll find me.” He mumbled as his gaze travelled to a spot above Draco’s right shoulder.
“But you’re hurt”, Draco murmured as he picked up the phone from the floor. There was a repeated “hello?” coming from the device but he just cancelled the call. Not sure that he wanted to take this argument about ‘no hospitals’ with someone who’d managed to end in a dumpster with a knife wound.
“Doesn’t matter.” The stranger was suddenly struggling to stand up and Draco was immediately alarmed.
“Hey, you can’t stand! You’re hurt!”
“They’ll find me here.”
“Are you retarded?! You’re going to die if you pressure your body too much right now.”
The stranger managed to rise up from the floor, and Draco felt his stomach lurch when he saw another knife wound on the man’s back. The man fixed Draco with a non-look. Looking him straight in the eyes while at the same time looking past him.
Definitely blind, Draco decided.
The stranger didn’t seem to want to bother Draco with a response because he staggered towards Draco’s small kitchen while mumbling about how he “had to get out of here”. Not that he was going to get out anytime soon if he was in the kitchen, but Draco was fairly certain he would faint from the pain any minute now.
“I really shouldn’t patch you up if you’re this suicidal.” Draco informed him as he lounged in the doorframe to the small space. “And this is the kitchen, I don’t think you’ll find a way out from here unless you’re up to demolishing walls.”
“You could have said where the door was.” The stranger mumbled and managed to look annoyed and in pain at the same time.
“Why, because you’re blind?” Draco wondered with a smirk.
“How-”
“Oh please. No need to act surprised. Just because you don’t have a white cane or glasses.”
“I- I-”, the stranger made a choked sound and grabbed over the wound in his side. “I think I’m going to faint.” He mumbled and started swaying dangerously on the spot.
“I know”, Draco repeated as he straightened and approached the dark-haired man. “Come you need to rest.”
“But”, the stranger gratefully slung his arm over Draco’s shoulder as the blonde carefully manoeuvred him out from the kitchen space. “They’ll come here.”
“Just sleep a bit. I’ll patch you up”, Draco murmured reassuringly as he laid the stranger down on his couch. Gently lifting the dark-haired head to stuff a pillow underneath it. “Sleep okay? I’ll wake you later.”
“But- But…” The stranger yawned as he turned on the couch with a pain filled expression, that wound in his side seemed to have gone deep. Draco just hoped the stranger’s kidneys and intestines remained undamaged.
Damn he really should call the ambulance. What if this dude died here? Draco didn’t fancy spending time in prison or the arrest. He had enough with dealing with other people’s problems, he didn’t fancy getting into the gutter himself.
Draco supposed that this was just what he would be forced to do the rest of his life. Dealing with his friends, lovers, patience and his own shitty bad luck that apparently included healing strangers in the middle of the night.
Said stranger seemed to have succumbed to sleep, as he was quiet except for a whimper or two of pain. Draco closed in on the man resting on the couch. He dragged his medical kit with him as he kneeled at the couch’s side with a tired yawn. If Dobby hadn’t woken him he’d still sleep peacefully in his bed. But that would be too good too be true wouldn’t it?
He bent down to fetch a scissor. He needed to get the stranger’s shirt off to have a chance at stitching and bandaging. Draco hummed when his fingers tightened around the handle of a small scissor with an unusual long handle and he immediately started to cut the long-armed sweatshirt to pieces.
He felt his mouth go a little bit dry when he encountered the well-defined abs and a muscled chest but managed to stay professional even if his fingers might have itched to touch. He ripped the sweatshirt open to reveal a fit upper body and an ugly wound in the side and a smaller in the neck. Draco bent over the wounds without second thoughts.
Healing knife wounds, having strangers die on his couch. Why God? Weren’t five relationships with assholes enough? Was it necessary for him to go to prison as well?
At least he might meet Greg’s friends there. Not that he really wanted to meet any Death Eater scums but they might make him their prison wife.
Draco decided at last to disinfect the wound, sew a few stitches and seal it. Then he’d done his deed of the year and everyone could walk away from this happy to never encounter one another again.
He got to work.
The stranger was out of it the whole time. Murmuring in his sleep for a bit – something about ‘Weasley and Potter Law Office’, whatever that meant. Draco just had a very hard time believing that this blind dude was a lawyer. Because lawyers didn’t get stabbed in the gut and ended up in dumpsters… Right?
Draco finished up and started to work at the other wounds. The scratch at the back, the surprisingly shallow neck wound and the big blue bruises on the right side. The back wound was fine, even Draco could see as much but the front was more alarming. The wound on his neck was nothing serious. But the bruises along the stranger’s side indicated that someone had kicked or punched the stranger repeatedly. He gently touched the coloured area and the rave-haired stranger whimpered quietly.
Broken, Draco realised and felt immediate worry lance through him. If the ribs were broken, they might have punctured a lung. He was instantly glad that Greg had come back last time with a similar injury. That had made him invest in the necessary tools in case of a pneumothorax, aka lung collapse.
He could handle short-term lung-problems if they weren’t too serious. He put forth the thin needle that was necessary to use if the broken rib in fact had punctured a lung.
After that Draco felt ready. Ready as in perhaps get a tiny bit of sleep before work tomorrow. He shot a glance towards his watch. Great, work started in four hours. He’d already wasted half the night with this dark-haired maniac. He just might escape being sliced to bits for the trouble of it. But knowing his luck, probably not.
“Hey.”
Draco’s head snapped around at the sound from below. The stranger had awoken.
“Hi”, Draco responded with a raised eyebrow. “You fancy waking up now?”
“Urgh”, the man moved slightly on the couch. “Where am I?” He sounded actually a bit panicking when the words tumbled out from his mouth.
Right he can’t see. Draco thought with an amused smile gracing his features. “Hold your horses, you’re in my apartment.” The nurse reassured as he sighed heavily when he looked around the messy place. “My now very bloody apartment.”
“Oh thank God”, the dark haired man murmured as he allowed his head to fall down on the pillow once again.
“Don’t thank God just yet”, Draco snapped as he closed the aid kit that had been on the floor. “You might yet die from internal injuries.”
“I-” The man allowed his hands to roam over his abdomen. Seeking out his side wound and probing at the stitches carefully. A smile grazed his handsome features. “You’ve patched me up.” He sounded honestly surprised.
“Well someone had to do it. And the fucking cat weren’t a option.”
“You have a cat?”
“Yes.” Draco shuffled a bit on the floor, his knees hurting from being pressed into the thick carpet for such a long time.
“Oh… I didn’t hear one.” The stranger murmured as he seemed to concentrate on something in the distance.
“You are aware that all cats doesn’t go Meow all the time. They can be silent.”
“Yeah…” The stranger didn’t seem faced by the sarcastic tone or Draco’s jab to the man’s intelligence. At least that’s an admirable trait, Draco though sourly. His latest partner had had a problem with his mouth; something Draco’s cheek had worn proof of for a week.
“Excuse me”, Draco said after a heartbeat of silence. “But I imagine this is a good time to tell me who the fuck you are?”
“Well isn’t that language crude?” The stranger smirked in his direction.
“Well the owner to that ‘language’ as you call it saved your sorry arse. So start singing.” Draco crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the stranger on the couch. Realising a moment or two later that the stranger in question couldn’t see his annoyed stance. He scowled even more at the realisation and kept his pose out of spite.
“It’s better if you don’t know anything about me.”
“Listen here Mister-”, Draco begun with a sharp edge to his voice.
“No it’s for your safety”, the man interrupted firmly. “I shouldn’t even be here. I’m putting you at risk.”
“Oh so there are bad guys that’s after you is there? What are their names? Jaws? Goldfinger? Ernst Stavro Blofeld?”
“Are you one of those people who have movie posters all over the apartment? You sound like one of those people.”
“Fuck you”, Draco pointed a hard finger in the man’s chest, making the stranger wince from the harsh motion. “Here I am rescuing you from dying and all you do is throw shit in my face!”
“Listen, it’s for your own best. Sorry if I offended you with the movie posters. I have a couple of them myself at home.”
“Yeah like a blind man needs to have posters OR watch movies.”
“I’m blind not dead.”
“Yet!”
The stranger sighed and put an exhausted hand to his forehead, rubbing his temples slowly. Draco stared down at the fit body in front of him, suddenly angry with the idiot for being gorgeous. I wish he was ugly, Draco thought viciously. The stupid Mr Secret/For-your-own-good moron didn’t deserve to look attractive.
Draco looked at the clock again. Quarter past two. It was only three hours and forty-five minutes until work. With his luck he’d probably have ten four-year-olds the first hour that all needed to be cuddled with. He really wasn’t in the mood, and he’d probably get angry parents on his back for years to come for acting ‘insensitive’. It had happened once, so what was anything to stop it from happening again.
He really didn’t want this right now. He didn’t need a bleeding man in his living room.
“Stop playing tired.” Draco snarled as the man yet again sighed. “I’m tired! I’ve patched you up and dealt with fuck-heads the whole day AND now night. It wasn’t like you got stabbed for no reason so don’t give me that ‘I’m mortally wounded’- shit.”
“I might have been robbed”, the stranger protested weakly.
“Yes those clothes you wore really scream ‘innocent midnight walker’.”
“Do you have to crush me totally?”
Draco smirked a little at the words. It was a while since he’d gotten a graceful defeat instead of a broken nose so this might actually make up for tonight. Not entirely of course, but at least a little.
“Yes”, Draco answered shortly. “Now tell me… Who are you?”
“Doctor…”, the stranger said with a pained expression. Clearly sticking to his earlier statement about danger in knowledge and the like.
“Nurse”, Draco absentmindedly corrected. “And you’re seriously not going to say a damn thing after all I just did for you? After all I did for a stranger?”
“I want to repay you, really. But right now the best way for me to do that is to get out of your apartment and life.”
“Oh I’m that bad”, Draco felt something big in his throat for really no reason at all. He wasn’t upset that this stranger wanted to be away from him, he didn’t care that it was for his ‘own good’. Fuck he’d heard that sentence too many times this last month.
“No, really no”, the stranger seemed slightly frustrated. “You have to believe me when I say that there are bad people out there. Dangerous people. I would love to stay but I can’t.”
Draco found himself bark out a laugh. It didn’t sound joyful, rather broken, but he couldn’t help it. “Love to stay. Yeah right my ass. Who would love to stay with me…”
Why was he suddenly crying? Why was he suddenly breaking down in front of a stranger in the middle of the night? Why did suddenly everything hurt so damn much.
Draco hated his life with vengeance as he cursed himself for ever straying from his father’s side all those years ago. Abandoning money and comfort to become what? A fucking nurse that made 19.60/hr. But right, he had been all about an ideal at the time! Helping and caring! Making a difference.
And what a fucking difference he’d made.
Going from a manor in Spring Valley Washington DC to a two room flat alongside West end Avenue. Going from the rich and perhaps snobby (but at least not brutal) Blaise Zabini to Lawrence Lestrange-Suck-Me-Now-Bitch and Mark Dolohov-I-Don’t-Like-Your-Attitude. Going from friends to Dobby!
Draco asked himself once again “why”? Why had been the point in feeling suffocated in a manor when freedom in a flat was so much worse? He wanted to punch something and right now his so called ‘midnight patience’ was in danger of becoming that something.
If he only hadn’t dated a string of fucked up people. If only he’d been a nicer person, perhaps his intentions of making good in this world would be meet with blessings instead of curses.
“Hey what’s wrong?” The voice awoke Draco from his darkening thoughts and he wiped a harsh hand over his now puffy face.
“Nothing Mr I-Want-Only-What’s-Good-For-You. I’m fucking sunshine and ponies! So if you have such a death wish why don’t you walk out of my apartment and die in peace. At least then I won’t have to see the sorry sight of you anymore!”
“Hey you-” the stranger suddenly grew quiet as his breath started to come out erratic.
Alarmed Draco watched the dark-haired man draw shorter and shorter breaths while panic started to appear on his face. Draco immediately remembered the broken ribs and the might-be-punctured lung that obviously was punctured. He turned and took the needle from the table. Jerking off the protective plastic with his teeth.
“Can’t breath”, the stranger whispered as he stared up in the roof, hands pressing against his heaving chest. “Can’t breath.”
“I can help you”, Draco said and pressed a gentle hand to the frightening face. “This will hurt but it will help. I need you to stay very still, alright?”
The stranger nodded briefly and seemed to press up against Draco’s hand like it was lifejacket in a storm. Draco watched the heaving chest as he removed his hand from the stranger’s cheek to grab hold of the trembling body. He searched for the right spot where the lung’s escaped air might have leaked and charged. Pressing the hollow needle into flesh and at last air. Letting the built up pressure around the lungs escape and allowing the stranger to breath properly.
The transformation told him that he’d been right. The stranger relaxed almost immediately, his tens limbs falling back onto the couch and his breathing growing calm. Draco felt his heart beat of an odd adrenaline rush as he with a bit of a tremble leaned back against the coffee table behind him.
“Damn”, he muttered as he removed his fringe from his face with an impatient sweep of his hand. “Guess you actually might die tonight.”
“Oh jolly thought”, the stranger answered hoarsely. Still drinking deep breaths of air with a pleasurable expression.
“So…” Draco began when the stranger had started to breath more normally. “You really can’t tell me your name?”
The man on the couch gave him an apologetic expression. “‘Fraid so.”
“Mhm…” Draco turned away from the man and rose stiffly from the floor. “Well Mister”, he said and gave the stranger a mock salute. “If only out of respect to your little delusions about Mission Impossible in New York, I shall let this go for now.”
“Why, that’s most generous of you”, the stranger gave him a lopsided smile from the couch and Draco cursed his breath for hitching. “But”, the stranger continued and turned his head in Draco’s direction, silver eyes meeting an empty emerald gaze. “You can give me a name? It’s better than Mister at least.”
“Oh”, Draco suddenly smiled evilly.
“Why am I already regretting this?” The stranger sounded amused.
“Hey”, Draco complained and dropped his smirk. “You said that you couldn’t see.”
“I can’t”, the stranger almost stumbled on the words.
“Liar.”
“No, listen. I’m not-” Suddenly the stranger went shock still once again and Draco felt himself panic for a moment.
Was this another attack? Was it the knife wound in his side? Draco felt his knees go weak as he waited in fearful anticipation for the stranger to curl into a fetus position and scream or suddenly start cramping uncontrollably. He looked at the man on his couch as said man seemed to be far away, his head cocked to the side and an intense expression marring his face.
After a while Draco realised that there didn’t seem to be any attacks coming and his fright transformed into fury.
“You gave me a fucking heart attack!” He screamed as the man had scratched his jaw thoughtfully. “You fucking idiot! Scaring your saviour like the ungrateful, unstable lunatic you are! You-”
“Wait”, the stranger said. “Quiet.”
Draco felt like his eyes were to pop out of his skull as he visibly trembled of anger. “Excuse me”, he said in a too quiet voice. “Did you just tell me to shut up? Because if that was the case you can take you’re secretive bullshit AND STICK IT UP-”
“Hey”, the stranger had once again started to force himself to stand up. Draco hissed as he could almost hear the wounds reopen due to the motion. Did this man want to die an early death?
“What’s your fucking problem?! SIT!”
“Listen.” The stranger had taken a staggering step forward and clutched both of Draco’s shoulders in a vicelike grip. “There’s a man in this building right now asking for me. He’s knocking doors and is going to arrive here soon. I need you to stay back when I take care of him, alright?”
“Are you mental for real?” Draco’s eyes were large as he gave the stranger in front of him a disbelieving look. “I thought that was like a charming side trait? But you’re really crazy…”
“Listen we don’t have much time. I’m sorry for dragging you into this but I really need to know if I can trust you.”
“Trust me?! We just met! You’ve been a right secretive arse-”
“Can I trust you? It’s for the greater good.”
Draco felt another adrenaline kick at this… whatever it was. Could he really trust this person in front of him? Did he speak the truth? Was it a person walking in this building, asking after someone in a dark mask and dressing? Or was everything a madman’s rambling.
Well he didn’t stab himself, his brain supplied and Draco agreed hesitantly. The stranger had been in a fight and someone had sliced him. Now if this was a fight between good and evil on the other hand… That Draco couldn’t tell.
But since his life always had been fucked up, he nodded in affirmative. He honestly couldn’t see how his life could be worse than it had been these last couple of weeks between fights with dickheads to boyfriends and idiots at work.
When the stranger didn’t respond but just continued to stare towards him Draco groaned, “Right you’re blind... I nodded half an hour ago.”
The stranger gave him another lopsided smile. “If you only knew how common that is.”
“Oh do tell Doll Face”, Draco replied sarcastically.
“Doll Face?” The stranger asked with a twitch of his lips.
“Oh you didn’t know”, Draco said with acted surprise lancing his voice. “That’s your name.”
“Doll Face”, Doll Face sounded slightly scared. If it was of the risk of having a mental breakdown or the danger of falling into a heap of laughter, Draco didn’t know. But he smiled despite Doll Face’s blindness with a sweet expression.
“Because you’re face is so fine”, he winked. “Except for that scar on your forehead. It kind of disturbs my Feng shui.”
Doll Face moved on his hands towards his forehead in a self-conscious gesture. “Oh you noticed.” He sounded a bit put down. Draco frowned.
“Barely”, he said and shrugged his shoulders, a gesture he was sure Doll Face would notice since he had one of his hands placed on said shoulders. “It’s not that bad”, he continued carefully. “I was just teasing.”
“Oh”, Doll Face gave him a playful smirk. “My saviour acting modest! I think I might have a heart attack.”
“That can be arranged”, Draco shot out with a scowl even though he was secretly pleased with Doll Face’s reaction. He knew his words could cut deep if one let them. That Doll Face took all of his remarks and shots with a smile made something feel warm inside of Draco. Like this crazy stranger accepted a part of him he himself had come to despise.
“I do not doubt that”, he shot back before freezing once again. Tilting his head to the right and raising a silencing hand towards Draco. Draco who interpreted the posture for what it was, just studied the plausible mental-case with furrowed eyebrows. How could he possible know that someone was in the building? Was he psychic?
Doll Face seemed to snap out from whatever vision he’d had and squeezed Draco’s shoulder firmly.
“He’s at your neighbour now. I can hear him talking, asking questions-”
“Wait”, Draco’s voice broke slightly. “You can hear him?!”
“Yes”, Doll Face’s answer was short and he released Draco in favour of dragging down the mask over his face, covering green eyes and black hair. “Now I want you to stay back when I take care of this-”
“Fuck that”, Draco interrupted and stepped closer to the masked James Bond wannabe. “I’m not having you beating someone in my apartment! Let me take care of this cop buddy of yours.”
“But-”
The stranger didn’t have time to say anything else before there was a sharp knock on the door. “Police, we have some questions. Would you please open the door.”
Draco felt his eyes grow big at the confirmation that Batsy here wasn’t bat-shit crazy. He had literally been able to hear someone approach and asking questions through walls. What the fuck was up with that?!
“Hide”, Draco hissed and pushed the stranger behind the door to his bedroom. Doll Face seemed to give up struggling and allowed himself to be ungracefully dumped in the smaller secondary room of the flat.
Draco slammed the door shut just as there was another knock from the door. “Hello? Is anybody home?”
The blonde nurse ruffled his hair and threw away his t-shirt. Leaving him with bare torso that showed of a couple of nasty bruises. Mark had left a rather lasting gift before he’d left two days prior.
Draco stumbled towards the door cursing loudly and stomping like he was on a teenage rebellion streak. “Waking me up in the middle of the fucking night. Fucking asshole. Cop my arse”, he murmured loudly.
He tore open the door and glared at the police with his slightly puffy eyes. Guess that crying from before might help him appear convincing now at least. “What the fuck do you want!?” Draco snarled as he came face to face with a Latin American cop in uniform.
The cop looked at him with clear dislike shining from his eyes mixed with slight suspicion. “Hello… Mister”, the cop begun as he took in Draco’s ruffled appearance and bluish abdomen with narrowed eyes.
“Well good fucking day officer. Oh wait! It’s not day is it? No it’s bloody night-time! That’s considerate of you to wake me three hours before work. Now tell me about this emergency that can’t wait until morning! Is there a bomb somewhere in this building? Have the Russian invaded? Have the third World War started?!”
“Erhm…” the man appeared uncomfortable and annoyed as he scratched the back of his head. “No, there was a slight disturbance some blocks from here-”
“Well, I’ve been asleep! You can ask the fucking cat!”
“Oh we’re not suspecting you Mister-”
“Then why the fuck are you knocking at my door at this God forsaken hour?!”
“Look”, the officer seemed tired and his left eye had started to twitch slightly. Draco felt immensely proud of himself. “Have you seen anything suspicious?”
Draco laughed and ugly laugh at the question. He fixed the officer with an icy stare, the one he’d learnt when he’d been five from his dad. “I’ve been fucking asleep”, he growled. “But sure if you want to arrest Mark for getting rough with me earlier I guess I could call him out from the bedroom.”
The officer looked uncomfortable at the announcing of Draco being gay and he stared at the bruises and Draco with an appalled expression.
“Why officer, if I didn’t know better I would say you’re checking me out.”
“Thank you for your cooperation, I’ll leave you to it”, the cop murmured as he quickly turned away from Draco and hurried down the corridor. No doubt running as far away from the blonde nutcase as possible.
“Well good fucking night officer!” Draco screamed after the poor man and slammed the door to his apartment shut.
He whirled around only to find himself face to face with Doll Face inches from his face.
“The fuck man”, Draco hissed as he stepped back. “Have you heard about personal space?”
Doll Face only smiled and laid a heavy hand on Draco’s shoulder, squeezing it affectionately. “He bought it! You’re brilliant, have anyone ever told you that?” He laughed as his green eyes shimmered of joy.
“And you’re fucking creepy”, Draco retorted even though he felt himself melt into that warm hand that rested on his bare shoulder. He honestly had no idea about Doll Face’s abilities or why the police was searching for him but he kind of trusted the man. He’d not snapped at Draco this entire time, no matter what insults the blonde had thrown out and that mattered. Perhaps even more than what Draco allowed himself to acknowledge.
But the man had also dragged Draco into his problems. And Draco didn’t like getting dragged into other people’s problems.
“Hey”, Doll Face said with a sober expression. “Who’s Mark?”
“Oh”, Draco felt his ears grow red when he remembered that Doll Face had super hearing and had probably heard all about his sexual preferences. He shouldn’t be embarrassed but he was. If Doll Face was one of those prejudiced bastards… Well he really didn’t want Doll Face to be one of those.
“He”, Draco continued with played nonchalance. “Is no one, I made him up.”
“Look if you don’t want to tell me-”
“I said I made the name up-”
“Hey…” The stranger sounded annoyed. Well, Draco thought sourly. He was bound to be sooner or later. “I know that you’re lying. You’re heart beats faster when you’re lying.”
Draco’s eyes widened as he felt something resembling fear in the depth of his gut. Just how powerful was Doll Face? Was super hearing all? Or was he super strong as well? Draco felt slightly faint, should he be scared?
“Well, what do you care”, he murmured and tried to slow his racing heart. Not doubting that Doll Face would hear its drumming.
“Hey”, Doll Face said with a regretful expression. “Sorry if I sounded harsh…” He looked bothered as he pressed a hand against Draco’s bare chest, right over the blonde’s heart. “I can hear heartbeats and I can feel, smell and taste a lot of things people usually can’t. I fight a lot of bad guys. That’s all you need to know about me, and that if you want me out of here, all you have to do is say the words.”
Draco felt his heart slow down a fraction. He didn’t fully trust Doll Face, but that didn’t mean that he distrusted him. He simply regarded the words spoken with an open mind.
“Hey”, Doll Face cooed in a low voice. “What’s your name?”
“Draco.”
“Oh”, he sounded surprised. “I thought you wouldn’t tell me.”
“What”, Draco smiled slyly. “So that you could make up a stupid name for me as well? I don’t think so.”
Doll Face snickered as he stared towards Draco with… was that fondness?
“And I who had so many good names”, he sounded slightly disappointed. “Hun Bun, Cuppycakers, Pooh Bear…”
“Stop”, Draco groaned with a giggle. “I think you just gave me nightmares for a weak!”
“Glad to be of service.”
Doll Face smiled slightly before tilting his head again, a gesture Draco now associated with listening. He grew quiet as he watched the man in front of him with a curious expression.
“Does anyone else know I’m here?” His voice sounded loud in the small living room. Draco suddenly remembered a frightened Dobby.
“Fuck”, he whispered. “Dobby.”
“No calm down”, Doll Face said as he firmly held on to Draco’s shoulder. “It’s someone else opening the door… His mother?”
“Thank God.” Draco exhaled as his limbs trembled slightly. He really didn’t want to give the cop a reason for beating him down, something that he would be more than happy to give, probably. Frankly, most people would be happy to give him a beat down, but most of those didn’t have guns.
Doll Face listened a bit more, slanting his head further to the side. He then relaxed visually and straightened his crooked neck.
“It’s clear”, he informed before moving through the apartment. He picked up a black t-shirt from a chair further in the room. “Can I borrow this?” He asked and held up the black cloth. “I need to get out there again.”
Draco felt alarmed as he took a hesitant step closer towards Doll Face. “You really shouldn’t be up and running”, he informed with a wavering voice. “It might mess up your wounds.”
“There was a kidnapping”, the man informed as he tugged the shirt over his head. Sadly hiding away abs and chest in the process. “A kid”, he continued. “I have to save him.”
“And the police are in on kidnapping children?” Draco sounded as doubtful as he felt. But then again… The man had been right about that police officer. Or perhaps Doll Face was an unstable murderer who should be locked in. Draco might stand on the wrong side of the fence this time.
“Some of the cops are”, Doll Face responded as he covered his face once again. Dragging the bandana-mask down to his nose. “You can’t trust the them… Not all of them. You never know who’s bought and who’s decent.”
“Right”, Draco wondered once again if it really was the cops that were a threat and not the guy in front of him. “So you have to go out there and kick ass to save this kidnapped kid?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you have some sort of hero-complex? Because it seriously sounds like you do.”
“Maybe a little”, the stranger smiled as he moved towards the… window?
Draco sighed as he followed Doll Face when he carefully opened said window and leaned over the edge.
“Should a blind man really do this?” He asked even though he knew that the question was close to pointless.
“Justice is blind.”
“Oh har har hilarious. Really”, Draco replied dryly. “So Doll Face, should I change your name to Super Doll Face.”
Doll Face looked displeased. “I think Doll Face is bad enough Draco.”
“You could always tell me your real name?” It was a long shot but Draco wasn’t known for giving up. “It can’t be worse than Doll Face.”
Doll Face just shrugged his shoulders. “It’s bad enough that you know how my face look like. I just don’t want to put you at risk.”
“No I know”, Draco sighed. “You just want to recolour my carpet and give me sleep deprivation.”
Doll Face climbed further out the window, balancing on the edge towards a two-floor fall. “I guess I’ll come back if I ever needs stitching up again”, he smiled.
“You are totally unbelievable. How are you even going to find this ‘kid’ that you’re so eager to die for?”
“I’m going to have a small talk with mister officer”, Doll Face answered as he flexed his legs, no doubt getting ready to jump to his death.
“You do know that there’s a two-floor fall an inch in front of you?”
“Yeah but there’s also a balcony to the right.”
Draco knew of that balcony, if one even could call it that. It was only one square meter and rusty as hell. Not mentioning that it was at least three meter to the right, a hard if not impossible jump to make.
“So what.” Draco said with a nervous tint in his voice. “You do parkour as well?”
Doll Face just widened his smile. “Something like that.”
“Are you sure you’re blind?”
“Positive.”
“Well, fuck.”
“I would love to, but my hero-complex have kicked in so better go.” With those words did the bastard fling himself out the window, grabbing hold of the drain-pipe to gain momentum for that last bit, landing easy on the balcony.
That should have been impossible, Draco thought dimly. Especially since he’d less than half an hour ago been unconscious due to a fucking knife wound and broken ribs. Boy, Draco was glad that he wasn’t Doll Face’s doctor. If he even had a doctor. Perhaps he had healing abilities?
Draco leaned out the window to watch the figure almost floating down to the ground, grabbing a window here, flinging himself to a ladder there and then landing in a graceful heap. He turned around towards Draco, waving in his direction.
“You just don’t drop a sexual suggestion and then leave”, Draco said through his window quietly. Not caring if the bastard heard him or not. “Horrible manners to leave a man hanging, it really is.”
“Next time, promise!” Doll Face shouted. Yeah actually shouted like the inbreed imbecilic he was. Draco didn’t know if he should be charmed or not. At least he’d promised a memorable bang next time they met. If they ever met again that is.
“I hold you to it”, Draco murmured as he stared after the retreating figure running down the ally, disappearing around the corner in a swirl of blackness.
It might have been his imagination, but he could almost swear that he heard a voice answer him back:
“I count on it.”