All We Can do is Run

Panicked Eyes and Blood in the Early Morning

Dan yawned as he looked at the alarm clock, the digital red numbers blinking 3:54. He couldn't remeber why he got up, but as he was going back to sleep, he heard a knock on the door. It sent a shiver down his spine how fast and loud it was. Whoever was on the other end of the door wanted to talk to Dan and fast. He got up from his bed and stretched, checking his phone to see if it was just Barry outside, having maybe locked himself out. In fact, there was a text from Barry.

BARRY: hey sorry won't be home till 4-5ish working on some grump stuff :p

Dan relaxed a little. It really was probably just Barry at the door, coming home early and forgot his keys. Unlike him, but still could've happened.

Dan sauntered over to the door, expecting to open the door to a tired looking Barry, maybe soaked, depending on if it was raining tonight or not.

It wasn't Barry, but instead Ross. Standing infront of the door rain soaked. So it did rain, but that was the answer to a question Dan didn't label as most important at the moment. Ross' looked scared and his eyes darted from place to place. He broke the ice first.

"I-Is Barry here?" He bit his lip. Dan managed out a no and Ross relaxed for a second, but only a second. "Dude I need you help." Damn, Ross looked tired. Dan ushered him inside, but stopped him once he got him into the full light of the apartment.

Dan took moment to look Ross over, now that there was better light. His hair was a mess and he had bags under his eyes, but he seemed so jumpy. Almost as if he had taken large amounts of caffeine. There was this odd smell in the room Dan couldn't place and he had the faintest taste of iron in his mouth. Dan closed the door behind the two of them. When he stepped back into where Ross was, he froze. What he saw knocked him out of his sleepy daze. Red splattered across his wet hoodie and shirt. That explains the iron, and Dan rubbed his eyes to make sure fatigue wasn't playing a trick on him.

"What'd you do?" Dan kept his composure, thinking this all to be just some silly prank Ross thought would be fun to play on him... At 4am. He scratched at his neck before responding.

"I may have just committed-" his voice sounded dry and scratchy like he was parched or something, "committed murder. Or manslaughter technically. It was in no way in the first degree I swear!" Dan listened, but kept eye open for any signs of a trick. He carefully grabbed Ross' wrist and checked his pulse. It was beating like crazy. If Ross really did kill someone he sure was showing the signs. As Dan looked him over again, a sick sinking grew in the pit of his stomach. The blood splattered clothes, the authentic taste of iron in the air, a raised adrenaline level? This sure was a long way for Ross to go for some prank. Dan thought, and as he looked at Ross' face once again, it clicked. The curly haired brunette stumbled back against a wall, feeling nauseous and light headed. Dan scrambled his mind for an explanation, an answer, but he turned up a blank. His throat went dry, like Ross' had been earlier.

Ross, the 28 year old baby faced Australian, had just killed someone, and decided I was the one to come to. Fuck. Dan heaved. The younger man stood there in the middle of my living room fidgeting. "Did you tell the police?" Dan asked.
"No." He squeaked out, sounding so much like a child that'd been scolded.
"Did you tell anyone?... At all?" Dan tried again.
"Just you." He squeaked again, E enveloping himself in his soggy jacket. Dan became shaky as he thought about the situation, and whether he should help Ross out or not. He could've gone to the police, but he doesn't want do time. It wasn't even his fault... So he says. Oh god what if he's lying. Dan dragged his hands over his face in distress.

Manslaughter. The word flickered in his mind. If it was in self defense the Aussie could get off easy, but having the title murderer right before Ross O'Donavan didn't seem right. Dan ran his hands through his thick hair and sighed. He mumbled a 'stay right here' to Ross and got up to go to his room. While he was there, he grabbed one of his Def Leopard shirts and a sweatshirt holding the name of a college he didn't even go to. Once Dan returned to the living room, he gave Ross the clothes with a silent nod. Ross got the message and hurried off to the bathroom to change. Dan's phone buzzed as he slumped into a couch.

BARRY: Do you know where Ross is? I needed to ask him something but he's not responding to his phone

BARRY: and I know he's up too... He told me he was gonna animate 'til real late tonight.

Dan knew he couldn't tell Barry anything, or rather he didn't want to. Next to Ross, Barry's the last person Dan could see committing murder, so he didn't want Barry to be caught up in all of this. Dan quickly responded.

DAN: nah sorry bro

DAN: maybe he fell asleep at the computer

DAN: or something like that

He hated to lie to Barry but he really didn't know what to do. All of a sudden Dan heard the bathroom door burst open and Ross, fully changed, rushed over to him with tears in his eyes again. He handed the older man his phone and Dan noticed the bolded headline.

-NOTORIOUS MURDERER FOUND DEAD IN AN ALLEY WAY-