The Debt of Guilt [BxB]

32: before

September
1989

When Danny got to the hospital he found Scott curled up beneath a blanket, Peter's jumper draped across him, his Mother sat in the chair by his bedside. Danny froze for a minute in the doorway, his heart slamming against his ribcage, ears ringing, fingers mindlessly curled into fists. It hurt, knowing Scott was injured and he wasn't there to stop it. It stirred up familiar feelings of helplessness and unrest. He wasn't sure he could bear it.

Susie turned around when she saw him, smiling sadly as she got up from the chair, "He's been asking for you." She said sweetly, giving her son's hand a squeeze, "I'll give you guys some space."

Danny couldn't even muster up any words for her, so watched her leave in silence before walking up to Scott's bedside, his breath hitching in his throat.

Scott's face was a pallet of raw purple flesh, swollen and bloody, bruises littering his perfect skin. Blood was tangled into his knotted curls and dried up on his chin where it had spilt from his busted lip. His arm was wrapped up in bandages, and Danny could only imagine the damage that was concealed beneath the hospital blankets.

Danny instinctively tangled his fingers into Scott's hair, his other hand finding Scott's, giving it a small squeeze, "Hey." He breathed out shakily.

Scott tried to smile but winced instead, "Hi, Danny." He choked out.

"You're alive." Danny couldn't sit down, he was too restless and too angry, so instead he hovered there, by his boyfriend's side, holding his hand and trying to ignore the ache in his chest. "That's something."

Scott laughed dryly, then coughed, "Am I still beautiful?"

Danny tried to blink away the tears prickling at his eyes, forcing a smile which he knew couldn't be very convincing, "You're beautiful, Scott. You're always bloody beautiful."

Scott squeezed his hand back, sensing that Danny needed comforting more than he did right now, "I hope you're not too jealous of my beauty." He teased, voice hoarse and broken, "Jealousy's not a good look, even for you, Danny. And you can pull off anything."

Danny had to laugh otherwise he might cry, "God, I love you, you bloody idiot." He gushed, voice unsteady.

Scott's gaze was firm and unwavering, "I'm okay, Danny." He squeezed his hand a little tighter, "I'm okay. I promise."

Danny didn't believe him, and in a moment of weakness, a tear slipped down his cheek, and then another, and then another. "M'sorry." He choked out, not wiping at his wet cheeks because he didn't want to pull away from Scott. He needed to touch him to reassure himself that he was real, he was breathing, he was alive.

"Hey." Scott whispered, "Hey, c'mon, Danny, it's okay. I'm okay. I'm fine. I promise you. I'm fine."

"I'm meant to be the one making you feel better." Danny realised guiltily, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay-"

"What happened?"

Scott fell silent, his gaze dodging Danny's, grip tightening around Danny's fingers involuntarily, "Snowy." Was all he could say.

"I'm gonna kill that fucking-"

"Danny."

Danny stopped talking, noticing the gentle pleading in Scott's eyes, "How injured are you?" He asked, because he wasn't sure he wanted hear about the attack right now. He wasn't sure Scott wanted to tell him about it either.