When Arin wakes up, he's alone. He feels a little bit confused at first, but then remembers that he left his own room in favor of sleeping in bed with Dan. Who isn't here. Which is weird.

With a frown, Arin slips out of bed, noticing Mochi at the foot. He rubs the cat's head with a smile before he pads out of the room and heads downstairs. There, in the living room, he finds Dan watching TV and drinking some of Suzy's coffee out of one of Arin's mugs for tea. He doesn't mind though, because it's Dan.

"When did you wake up, dude?" Arin finally questions, drawing Dan's attention. The older looks over at the younger with a small smile that makes Arin feel weak in the knees like he's a little school girl with a crush. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I only just got up maybe a half an hour ago," Dan answers before he takes a sip from the mug. Arin takes a seat beside him, relaxing into the comfortable sofa. "I didn't wake you up because I thought you'd need the sleep."

Arin's eyes drift to his phone on the table. He picks it up and checks the time- it's almost 2PM. He has a few texts from Suzy, so he replies to those and then sets his phone back down, his attention back to Dan.

"Did you sleep well?" Dan asks him, setting the mug down onto the table and lowering the volume on the TV.

Arin shrugs. "Yeah, I think so," he says, running a hand through his hair. He finally sighs, picking up his phone again. "I know we don't really have to go into the office much, but we should maybe record a few more episodes today and get it out of the way, and then we can just fuckin' chill out or whatever, you know? I'm gonna lose my mind if I don't do anything all day for the rest of the week."

Dan nods. "Alright. Did you have a specific game in mind, or?"

Arin shakes his head. "Not really, I just feel like we should get something else recorded though. Maybe we can play some dumb multiplayer game or something."

"Yeah, sure," Dan agrees, but then he stops to think. "Oh, shit, you have to get your stitches removed today at like five or six I think Suzy reminded me. Do you wanna record a couple of episodes and then head to the hospital, or... what do you wanna do, dude?"

"Oh yeah, I already fuckin' forgot," Arin utters, reaching up to touch the area on his head, but Dan smacks his hand away before his fingertips even reach his own skin.

"Leave it alone, silly bastard," Dan tells the younger man with a chuckle, making Arin grin at him. "Anyway, it's all up to you, but we do have to go today."

Arin groans, letting his head fall against Dan's shoulder. "I guess we can just get something to eat and hang out here or whatever you wanna do. We can fuckin' play a game or watch a movie or whatever you want, man."

"It doesn't matter to me," Dan says simply as he checks his own phone and reaches forward for his mug full of coffee, taking a sip. Arin's eyes focus on his adam's apple and the way it bobs when he swallows.

"Fuck," he swears aloud without meaning to, and Dan looks down at him, confusion written all over his face.

"What?" he questions, eyes scanning Arin's face. "What's wrong?"

Arin flushes, shaking his head with a shy smile of embarrassment as he looks anywhere else. "It's nothing, I'm just... really not looking forward to getting the stitches out. You know. When we get back, I'm not even gonna want to cook or anything like I'd planned to."

Dan nods in understanding, setting his phone down on the seat cushion next to him. "We can have the chicken parm tomorrow then, how about that? And tonight we'll just eat whatever you want and watch Speed Racer if you want to. I know it's your favorite."

Arin can't help but to let his smile turn into a grin. "Yeah, okay, that's cool with me."

So for the next few hours they just watch TV and play some multiplayer games together until they have to leave for the hospital. Arin heads up to his bedroom to put on some shorts and a cleaner shirt, tying his hair back with a black elastic ponytail holder before he goes back downstairs where Dan waits for him by the front door, swinging his keys around his finger.

Dan will be the one driving this time, so they take his car there instead. Arin texts Suzy to give her an update on things as he and Dan discuss their dinner plans. Neither are really feeling up to having chinese food again, so Dan suggests getting sandwiches from the place near the hospital, and Arin agrees because he has no alternative ideas.

At the hospital, they end up having to wait in the waiting room for a while. Dan gets on the phone to chat with Brian while Arin scrolls through his twitter timeline and ends up chatting with Ross in a thread on one of Ross's tweets from this morning.

After Ross stops replying, Arin gets bored and takes a sneaky photo of Dan that ends up being really fucking cute, so he uploads it to his personal instagram that he hardly ever uses anymore. He makes sure to tag Dan in the photo as he captions it with something dumb, like "I see you, Daniel" and then the eyes emoji. Because he can.

Dan is still speaking quietly on the phone with Brian, so he doesn't see the photo yet. Suzy replies to Arin's text at this point too, asking how things are going. He explains that they're still waiting to be seen, and just as he sends it, his name is called. He gently taps Dan's arm, gesturing to the lady at the desk before he stands up and fixes his shirt.

"I gotta go, Bri," Dan says as he stands as well, following Arin over to the desk. "I'll talk to you later."

With that, he hangs up and tucks his phone into his pocket, even as it alerts him with a vibration or two that he has notifications. They go back with a nurse to one of the rooms, where they sit and have to wait for another twenty minutes, probably.

Arin sits on the edge of the examination table while they wait and Dan finally checks his phone, smiling and shaking his head when he sees the picture. He decides to take one of Arin as revenge and post it on his own account with a similar caption, and then he pockets his phone. Just as Arin reaches for his phone to check it, the doctor comes inside the room.

It's an annoying process mostly for Arin, but the stitches are out and they pretty much leave right after that. He checks his phone on the way to the sandwich shop, grinning at the photo as he leaves a comment behind on the post about how Dan should've waited until after he got the stitches removed to take the photo.

He texts Suzy again before he puts his phone away and looks out of the window, letting his mind wander. Dan lets him know when they've arrived at the shop, and together, they head inside to order something to bring home for dinner.

On the way back to Arin's house, Dan asks the younger of the two how he's feeling and makes sure he still wants to watch a movie, but not without letting him know that it's okay if he doesn't want to. Arin sighs, biting down on his lower lip- Dan's so thoughtful, and that's a big reason why Arin loves him so much. He's one of the nicest people Arin has ever met, and he's so glad to have him around. Honestly, he isn't sure what he'd even do without Dan.

Arin doesn't want to think about it because he doesn't want to lose Dan. That's really what's holding him back; Arin could be more flirty, he could make a move, but he's so fucking scared to. Every time he even thinks of considering it - purposely saying too much and confessing everything, asking Dan how he feels about him, maybe even kissing Dan - he starts panicking.

But it's what he wants. Arin wants to spill everything and get it all out, he wants to kiss Dan with everything in him, wants to say that he loves Dan and know that the older of the two gets what he really means when he does. He wants to hold Dan close and not be afraid that it's too weird, he wants to say how he feels and not be afraid that it's too much. He's just afraid of the consequences.

Though he knows that he could be missing out on a lot and just doesn't know it because he's too afraid to try, because what if Dan feels the same? Arin thinks back to what Suzy said about the possibility of Dan having feelings, but not knowing what they really are or what to do with them. Maybe he's stuck too, afraid to ruin things and lose his friend, lose his job, and many other things as well.

Arin doubts that's actually the case, but he doesn't know for sure. Maybe Dan just isn't sure how to feel because all he's ever known is loving women and wanting to be with them, and Arin obviously isn't a woman.

And it's not like Dan isn't okay with anyone being gay or anything- after all, he's made it clear in his own way that he doesn't mind that Arin is bisexual. Though Arin hasn't explicitly said that he's bi to anyone (except for the time he had that "I think I might be" conversation with Suzy), he's made it quite obvious in his own way and everyone pretty much gets it and has no problems with it, as far as he knows, anyway.

But more than likely, Suzy is wrong and Dan isn't hiding feelings, because Arin knows him so well and it's clear as day that he is straight. He jokes and he plays along, because he's secure with himself and his sexuality and because it's all fun and games if nobody is getting hurt by it.

(Except Arin kind of is in a way, but he doesn't mind; he knows that Dan doesn't mean it, that if Dan knew how he felt, the jokes would all stop.)

Arin takes a deep, shaky breath as he closes his eyes, trying to stop thinking about it all. Thinking makes him feel panicked and anxious and all fucked up, and he wants to avoid that. He decides then that what he's going to do is just... go with the flow. If the moment is right, maybe he'll make a move, but if that moment never comes, then maybe he won't. He'll deal with it as it comes instead of worrying about it all right now and trying to make a decision on the spot.

When he opens his eyes, it's because Dan is talking to him and shutting off the car because they're already back at Arin's house.

"Do you wanna watch the movie while we eat?" Dan is asking as he opens the car door and steps out. Arin steps out as well, and he turns to reply but he suddenly freezes; the last lingering rays of light from the setting sun hit Dan's dark eyes in just the most beautiful way when Arin's briefly meet them. His heartbeat picks up in speed, pounding against his ribcage, and the sight of Dan bathed in gold leaves Arin feeling absolutely breathless.

And fuck, is he in love with Dan.

"Arin?"

"Oh, shit, um... yeah," the younger stutters eventually as Dan looks at him expectantly. He reluctantly tears his eyes away, smiling just a little. Dan seems satisfied with that, nodding and closing the car door, carrying the sandwiches as they head towards the house. Arin follows behind him, trying to slow his heartbeat a little with deep breaths on the way from the car to the front porch.

Dan sets the food down on the island while Arin looks for his copy of Speed Racer. He puts it in and sits down before Dan passes him his sandwich and sits beside him. As the previews come on, Dan looks over at him.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks him as he takes off his shoes and pushes them under the coffee table. "You seem a little spaced out. Is everything okay?"

Dan seems worried, giving Arin that look again. "Everything's fine," Arin tells him, picking up the remote to fast forward to the main menu, "I'm just fuckin' thinkin' about things, but it's not anything bad."

Dan is quiet for a moment, his eyes not quite meeting Arin's when he speaks. "Ar, you're not like... starting to feel down again because Suzy isn't around, are you?" he worries, but Arin is immediately shaking his head.

"No, no, man, I promise," he insists, wanting to take Dan's hand in his own like he does when he's trying to reassure Suzy. He finds himself reaching for it despite himself, his fingers interlocking with Dan's. His hand is so warm and soft, and Arin can't help but to stare at the way they fit together. "I've felt a lot better since I told her what was going on in my head, and you being around really helps too. I fuckin' miss her, of course, but I'm okay; I have you here with me."

He lets his eyes flutter up to Dan's face then. The older man is looking at their joined hands, expressionless, so once again, despite everything inside of himself that is screaming warnings at him to not do it, Arin lifts their hands and presses his lips against Dan's knuckles, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

His heart is pounding again, his breath caught in his throat as he looks up at Dan. Before Arin can see his reaction, Dan is smiling and giggling and pulling his hand away. Arin feels dumbstruck, blinking stupidly as his face turns bright pink. He isn't sure if what he just did was okay or not, and the way Dan is reacting is too confusing.

"Silly bastard," Dan says with a grin, grabbing onto his own shirt tightly as if he doesn't know what to do with himself or his hands. Arin's lips part, but Dan continues on, "Well, at least you're okay, big cat. Sometimes you just really fuckin' make me worry about you, dude. So like, you know, I just had to be sure. But yeah! I'm here with you, so don't feel down, okay?"

"Okay, and yeah, I get that," Arin murmurs with a nod, his throat feeling dry when he clears it and his face too hot. He takes a sip of his drink, and notices that Dan is wiping his hand on his jeans, chuckling a little.

"Man, your palm was so sweaty," he comments before he reaches for his own drink.

"Mom's spaghetti," Arin replies nonchalantly, making Dan nearly choke on his drink and spit it out at the same time from laughing. "Holy shit, dude, don't let it come out your nose. I've had that happen before and I bet you have too, and it's not fuckin' fun."

"Well Jesus Christ, Arin, don't make me laugh while shit is in my mouth!" Dan exclaims, grinning widely. Arin wants to comment on that and make a suggestive joke, but he stops himself short, snorting instead of speaking. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," he answers too quickly, but as soon as he looks over at Dan, he starts laughing, so much so that he starts getting squeaky and it makes Dan laugh too. When they both finally calm down, Arin stares at the TV where Speed Racer is waiting to be played, a giant grin on his face and his cheeks pink and aching. When he looks over, he finds Dan watching him, a similar expression on his own face.

"What?" it's his turn to ask.

Dan shakes his head. "I love it when you're happy," he says simply, a fondness flickering within his eyes and lingering there long enough for Arin to see. The younger man doesn't know how to respond to that, the emotions he sees briefly in Dan's eyes so overwhelming to him that he swears it stops his heart. It makes him feel hopeful, willing to try.

And the moment's gone before it was ever really there. Dan's attention goes to his food as he takes the remote and presses play on the movie, so Arin decides that he might as well eat too while it's still fresh. He has a hard time concentrating on the movie, the way Dan said those words and the way he looked at him all playing in a loop in Arin's head.

Maybe it's worth a shot to see how Dan feels and test the waters a little more. It's risky and Arin has a lot of shit to lose, but it could be worth it all in the end if things go well.

Arin weirdly feels tired by the time the movie ends, but despite that, he forces himself to stay awake a little longer to watch another movie with Dan since it's only a bit after 9PM. He can feel his eyes getting heavier though, so he rests his head on Dan's shoulder, cuddling up close to him as he struggles to keep his eyes open and on the TV.

The next thing he knows, Dan is shaking him awake gently. His eyes flutter open and dart around, stopping when he sees that Dan is still beside him. He sits up with a yawn, rubbing his eyes a little before he looks over at Dan.

"It's almost midnight," the older man starts as Arin reaches for his phone, "Do you wanna go to bed, or do you wanna stay up and like, I don't know. Maybe play a game or something? Either is fine with me though."

"I don't know why I'm so tired," Arin murmurs as he pulls the blanket tighter around himself, "But I might be able to wake myself up for a game or something. If I go to sleep now, then I'll be up too early."

Dan shakes his head with a chuckle. "Alright then, what do you wanna play?" he inquires, getting up off of the couch to get both controllers.

"Whatever you want, man, you can pick," Arin replies as he texts Suzy goodnight and tells her that he loves and misses her. Dan sits back down then and hands Arin one of the controllers as the console starts up. The game that Dan starts is one of the newer Mario games. Arin isn't that fond of the newer ones, but he'll play it without complaints as long as Dan is happy.

They play for about two or three hours somehow and only quit because Arin can't stop yawning which is fucking him up and making him lose all his lives. They shut down the console and all of the lights downstairs before they head to the second floor. Dan flicks on the light in the guest bedroom, but Arin lingers in the hallway, unsure if he's welcome to come in to sleep again.

"Are you coming to sleep in here again, or...?" Dan questions after a moment, his voice soft when he speaks. Arin finally looks into the room where Dan is sitting half dressed under the covers, his eyes on Arin as he waits. The younger man flushes, supposing he is welcome after all. Dan doesn't seem to mind or think of it the same way Arin does though, so that could be why.

"Yeah if that's okay, just let me change first," Arin answers with a small smile before he makes his way over to his and Suzy's bedroom. He leaves the plush throw blanket on the bed and then strips down into his boxer briefs, finding a comfortable, baggy long sleeved shirt to put on so that Dan doesn't feel weird with him sleeping how he normally does- barely dressed.

He feels something brush up against his leg and he looks down to find Mochi trying to get his attention. Arin chuckles and leans down, picking the cat up and giving him a kiss on the head before he leaves the room and heads back to the guest bedroom with the cat in his arms.

Dan is leaning against the headboard when Arin comes in, the soft glow of the lamp washing over him and highlighting parts of his hair and skin. His bare chest is exposed, but the rest of him is covered by the sheet and blanket. His hands are together in his lap as he looks up at a painting on the wall closest to him while he waits for Arin, his eyes half-lidded. He looks sleepy, but really, really sexy.

Arin bites down on his lip and averts his gaze as his bare feet move across the floor silently. He sets Mochi down at the foot of the bed and runs a hand through his hair as Dan finally looks over and away from the painting, finally noticing him.

"Hey," the older says at first, leaning forward to pet Mochi who is kneading the blankets. Arin doesn't know if Dan's talking to him or the cat, but then the older man's eyes flicker up to look Arin over briefly and he smiles. "Hah, I remember that shirt. It's an old one, right? I guess you lost a lot of weight, huh big cat? You're pretty much fuckin' swimming in it now. It looks super duper comfy, dude."

"Oh yeah," Arin utters in response before he looks down at himself, slightly lifting his shirt so that Dan can actually see how much thinner he actually is. "I've been dieting and eating better and shit, you know. I guess it's paying off, yeah?"

He looks back up at Dan to find him nodding enthusiastically, giving Arin a sleepy smile. "Oh, absolutely, you look really good," he states, and the compliment is so genuine and nice that Arin can't stop himself from grinning bashfully, and he's sure Dan can tell he's both flattered and embarrassed. "That bruise looks like it's getting better too. That's really nice- I'm glad."

"Yeah, and thanks, man," Arin responds before he moves closer. Dan scoots over to make more room for him, so Arin sits down and then shuts off the lamp, slipping under the covers and lying so that he's facing Dan, who also moves down until he's flat on his back.

"Mhm," he hums back as Arin shifts a little closer, his head almost resting on Dan's shoulder as he curls up close to him. His bent knees bump against Dan's leg, and Mochi comes up and lies down in the empty space between Dan's thigh and Arin's pelvis, right where they're not touching. Arin reaches down and scratches him lightly on the head until he's purring loudly, and Dan giggles. "Aw, he's a cutie."

It's quiet for a long time after that. Dan's breathing has become even, and Arin finds himself lifting his head a little to look at his face. Honestly, Arin wants to kiss him so badly that it's hard not to. He ignores it the best he can though, at least... he will for now. The time isn't right despite it feeling like it could be.

"Danny?" he finds himself whispering before he has the chance to think it all through. Maybe he can just say this at least.

"Hm?" is the soft, half-asleep response he receives.

"I um..." he starts awkwardly, taking a deep breath, "Thanks for letting me sleep in here with you again tonight. I feel weirdly lonely without Suzy around and you've fuckin' helped me a lot, so uh... yeah, dude. I... I love you, and... I appreciate it."

"Aw, I love you too, big cat, and you don't have to thank me," Dan murmurs, voice a tad slurred from sleep. He turns his head a little to look over at Arin in the darkness, and their fingers brush against each other. "I can tell that you're thinking too much again, and you shouldn't be. Just clear your mind and try to get some rest, baby."

Arin wants Dan to lean forward and kiss his forehead, hold him close and let him lay his head on Dan's chest as they snuggle, but it won't happen. Arin just nods wordlessly, letting his head fall against the pillow.

"Goodnight," he utters softly.

"Night night," Dan yawns back.

-

im freaking out bc of the stupid wattpad glitch sigh.