Doctor Dash

Chapter 19

"Damn it!" Kwan cursed as he sucked on his index finger, tasting a warm metallic taste upon his lip. He got to his feet with a grumble as he went in search of the Band-Aids in his apartment. The night was going splendidly, if he ignored this being the third time that he cut himself while working. The box of Band-Aids sat where he left it when he needed to grab one about an hour ago. Two Band-Aids remained in the box, and he took one out with a sigh, making a mental note to remember to buy some more the next time he went to the store. After wrapping his index finger with the Band-Aid, he stared at his hands. Both index fingers and his left ring finger were bandaged. Placing his hands on the counter, he stood there and frowned at the off white stone top as he pondered just giving up for the night and crawling into bed.

Three rapid knocks sounded at the door to his apartment. Leaving the bathroom, Kwan walked hesitantly toward the door. His mouth drew downward as his aqua green eyes stared at the door with some suspicion. Dash and Paulina would have told him if they were coming over before they randomly appeared at his door. Dash wouldn't visit him this late on a Sunday either since he would have put Xander to bed a few hours ago. Who would show up at his place at a quarter past ten? He scratched his head in wonder, unable to think of anyone he knew. It could always be a neighbor, of course, though they didn't often bother him.

Kwan stepped up to the door and placed his eye near the peep hole. The person he saw standing on the other side of the door sent a tendril of anger coiling tightly inside his chest. Of all the people to turn up at his apartment, why him? With a sigh, he opened the door slightly and glared through the crack at the man.

"How did you even find out where I live, Dan?" Kwan scowled, almost certain this was some form of stalking the man was doing. Danny wouldn't know where he lived, and Dash was unlikely to give Dan his address.

Dan shrugged with a cocky grin on his face. "I have my ways. Aren't you going to be a nice, polite guy and invite me in?"

His eyes narrowed, and his jaw hurt from clenching too tightly. "Why?" Kwan demanded, rage seeping into his voice despite that Dan hadn't done anything to him. Yet. The yet stood out firmly in his mind, expecting the man to try something at any moment even with a door between them. "So you can-" He cut off his snappy remark when he spied one of his neighbors standing in front of their door. "Get in here."

Kwan stepped aside, pulling the door open with some reluctance. Though he didn't really want to talk with Dan, he would rather hold any further conversation inside his apartment and away from the snooping ears of his neighbors. Mr. Hendricks was a foul old man, short and withered with his pale wrinkled flesh and thinning gray hair. He looked like one accidental bump would knock him over and break his hip. Again. His hands clutched at his cane, helping to keep him standing. Since Kwan moved in, Mr. Hendricks always shot him nasty looks and made complaints to the building's board about him. Kwan doubted holding an argument with Dan in the hallway would go overlooked by the man, who would probably try to use his sexuality as an excuse to get him evicted, even though being a homosexual wouldn't count as a reason to evict someone from their apartment.

Once he closed the door, Kwan turned around and pinned Dan with a glare, his left eye twitching out of annoyance. Dan already threw himself down on the couch, lounging on it like he belonged there as his dark blue eyes swept around the apartment, completely ignoring the furious gaze on him.

"What are you doing here, Dan?" Kwan demanded, folding his arms as he placed himself in front of the man.

"You don't get people coming over to hang out?" Dan lifted an eyebrow and cocked his head to one side.

Kwan ground his teeth at that irritating grin plastered on the man's face. "I hang out with people," he snapped. "But you didn't answer why you're here." He managed to swallow, despite the dryness of his mouth and throat at that moment. The bad vibes about this man filled him with a nervous feeling, an anticipation that he would do something similar to what happened at Bob's Bar and Grill bringing tension to every muscle in his body.