Work Text:
Ignis stares down at his phone. That’s the third call that’s rung out. Either Dino’s forgotten his phone while he’s busy in his workshop, or something’s happened.
He flags down a waiter and apologises. The waiter scowls until Ignis leaves a tip. One that’s probably far too generous, but Ignis doesn’t care. Dozens of terrible scenarios run through Ignis’ mind as he walks to the car. He’s probably just overreacting.
He drives over the speed limit the entire way to Dino’s apartment. Just in case he’s not.
“Dino?” Ignis calls out as he enters the apartment. He carefully tucks Dino’s spare key back into his pocket. “Did you forget dinner?”
There’s no answer, but the hallway light is on. Ignis steps out of his shoes and heads towards the workshop. “Dino?” He calls louder.
There’s a crash. A bang. Ignis races to the door and throws it open.
Dino’s standing in the middle of the room with his hand leaking blood at an alarming rate down his arm. His other hand is trying to stem the flow. “Hey.” He grimaces. “I. Uh.” Dino looks at his hand and shudders. “Hospital?”
Ignis swallows. “Towel.” He turns and skids down the hallway to the kitchen. He can hear Dino following behind him. “What happened?”
“Someone yelled my name and I jumped onto a gem cutter.” Dino leans against the counter as Ignis gets out a tea towel. Three tea towels.
“Idiot.” Ignis pushes his glasses up his nose and stares at Dino’s blood-covered hand. “Maybe I should call an ambulance.”
“This? Nah.” Dino tries to smile and barely succeeds. “Just a papercut, really.”
Ignis glares at him as he takes a deep breath. “Ready?”
“Sure.” Dino’s voice is a little faint. “I wanted to repaint the kitchen anyway.”
Ignis frowns and hurriedly replaces Dino’s hand with a wadded up towel. He uses another to tie it down. The cut was along his forearm, from what Ignis could see. Under all the blood.
He swallows. “Let’s go.” He puts an arm around Dino’s shoulders and helps him to the door.
“I’m glad you’re level-headed.” Dino pats vaguely at Ignis’ arm. “I feel very. Woozy.”
“I bet you do.” Ignis steps into his shoes and gets the door. “Come on.”
Ignis is fairly certain they leave a trail of blood behind them. He’ll have to come back later to clean up the drops. At least there’s a hospital close by. He has Dino checked in within five minutes.
He’s probably going to end up broke from speeding tickets. Not that speeding tickets matter.
A very nice nurse leads Ignis to a chair and sits him down. “The doctor will take good care of him.” He pats Ignis’ hand. “Do you want me to find you a shirt?”
Ignis looks down and flinches. “Please.” His voice croaks.
The nurse smiles and leaves. Ignis leans over and puts his elbows on his knees. He thinks he might be shaking. Which is ridiculous. He’s not cold. Just wet with blood. A lot of it.
Ignis puts his head between his knees and takes a couple of deep breaths. He ought to call someone. Except he’s fairly certain he left his phone in the car. Which seems very far away right now.
“Sir?” A gentle voice calls. “Are you alright?”
Ignis lifts his head and blinks. “I… Yes.” He takes his glasses off and rubs at his eyes.
The nurse gives him a sympathetic look. “The doctor took him in for surgery. It’s quite alright - the cut is just too deep to stitch up under local anaesthetic. He’ll be out of it for a couple of hours. If you wanted to go and shower, perhaps…?”
“A shower. Yes.” Ignis puts his glasses back on and blinks. “Thank you.” He unsteadily gets to his feet.
The nurse puts a hand on Ignis’ arm and helps him stay steady. “Should I call you a taxi?”
“No.” Ignis steps away. “He… No. Thank you.”
Ignis isn’t entirely sure how he makes it back to Dino’s place. He stares at the drops of blood on the floor and shudders. Perhaps he ought to clean up before it stains the wood. If it hasn’t seeped in already.
He ventures into Dino’s apartment and looks under the sink. There’s only half as many cleaning supplies as there should be. Typical.
He starts in the hallway and cleans his way back to the apartment. By the time he get to Dino’s kitchen, Ignis’ hands are rubbed raw from scrubbing. He rocks back on his heels and takes a shaky breath. This is his fault. He should have been more careful. What if the cut had been a little deeper? Ignis rubs at his face. He knows it’s terrible to think like that, but he can’t seem to make himself stop. Visions of Dino not making it cascade through his mind.
Ignis scrubs the floor harder. It doesn’t help. But at least it gets the blood out.
He showers after the apartment’s cleaned. Borrows one of Dino’s shirts. Wads his own up and puts it in three separate bags before putting it in the trash. He should bring Dino something to wear as well. Ignis stares in front of the wardrobe. Except he doesn’t know what Dino would want. What kind of terrible boyfriend is he? He rubs at his eyes again with the heels of his hands. Hospitals are cold. A sweater. Comfortable pants. Not pyjamas - Dino doesn’t even seem to own any. Socks. Toothbrush.
He’s back at the hospital within two hours. A nurse - a different one - takes Ignis to a small room and lets him wait for Dino to return from surgery. Which went perfectly, apparently. It doesn’t make Ignis feel any better. He just wants to see Dino’s face.
He’s wheeled in half an hour later, still sound asleep. The nurses keep telling Ignis things, but he can’t seem to pay attention. He nods along anyway and one of them pats the air near his elbow. When they - finally - leave, Ignis brings his chair over to the side of Dino’s bed. He sets the bag he’d packed by Dino’s feet. Dino’s hand is cold between Ignis’.
Ignis leans over and rests his forehead against Dino’s wrist. “Please never do that again,” he whispers in a thick voice. Not that Dino can hear him. But it makes Ignis feel a little better to say it.
Dino’s fingers twitch in Ignis’ hand. Ignis jerks his head up so fast his glasses fly off his nose and clatter to the floor.
He reaches under the bed and picks them back up. Dino’s hand gently squeezes Ignis’.
“You’re awake.” Ignis says dumbly as he puts his glasses back on.
Dino’s lips curl slightly. “Seems so,” he rasps. “Be a dear, Iggy.” He gives the water on the nightstand a very pointed look.
“Oh. Yes.” Ignis slides the chair closer and pours Dino a glass of water. There’s even straws. He holds the straw to Dino’s lips and blinks as Dino drinks.
“That’s much better.” Dino leans his head back against the pillows. “Sorry for all this.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Ignis sets the glass back down and takes Dino’s hand again. “I’m just glad you’re alright. You are alright?”
“Never better.” Dino gives him a slight smile. “Especially since you’re here.” He closes his eyes and squeezes Ignis’ hand.
“Right.” Ignis clears his throat and leans over to kiss Dino’s forehead. “You scared me.”
“No more falling asleep at work.” Dino murmurs. “Especially not around pointy objects.”
“All your objects are pointy.” Ignis shakes his head. “You were up all night?”
“Working on a commission.” Dino opens his eyes and smiles. “It’s possible I’d forgotten about it.”
“Dino.” Ignis sighs. “You’re going to lose customers.”
“I was busy working on something else.” Dino looks down at his gauze-wrapped arm and winces. “Though I suppose I’ll be forced to take a break now.”
“Presumably. I wasn’t paying much attention.” Ignis gives him a rueful smile.
“Understandable.” Dino closes his eyes again. “This is the most uncomfortable bed,” he mutters.
“Is it?” Ignis pokes at the mattress with his free hand. It doesn’t seem that bad to him.
“It’s terrible. I won’t be able to sleep. Come be a pillow.” Dino turns to Ignis and grins.
“Dino, I’m not getting into your hospital bed with you.” Ignis pushes his glasses up his nose. Even if they hadn’t moved.
“But I’m wounded. And exhausted. And this pillow is like a rock. A lot of rocks. All rocking around under my head.” Dino pouts. “You’re much comfier.”
“I’ll go and get you a pillow. From home. I’ll get all your pillows.”
“Noooo.” Dino holds Ignis’ hand more tightly. “I want you.”
Ignis glances towards the door. “That’s just… the pain medication. I assume they gave you something.”
“It’s very nice. And floaty.” Dino smiles. “But that’s not why.”
Ignis snorts softly. “I’m fairly certain it is, actually.”
Dino frowns at him. “Is not. I just like you. I love you.” He beams up at Ignis.
Ignis’ heart skips a beat. “You do?” He leans closer.
“I do.” Dino nods and closes his eyes. “But I’m not supposed to tell you.” He squints up at Ignis. “So don’t tell.”
Ignis bites the inside of his cheek to stop from smiling too much. “Alright. I promise. But why aren’t you supposed to tell me?”
Dino frowns. “That’s. You’re sneaky. Don’t be sneaky.” He turns his head and huffs.
“Alright.” Ignis leans over and gently kisses Dino’s cheek. “I promise.”
Dino yawns and then turns back to Ignis. “Are you a pillow yet? I want to sleep.”
“Dino…” Ignis shakes his head slightly. “The bed isn’t even big enough, and-”
“Sure it is.” Dino wriggles alarmingly close to the side of the bed. “See?”
“Okay, okay.” Ignis holds up his free hand in defeat. “Please stop wriggling. You’ll fall out and they’ll be very annoyed with us.”
“But it’s your fault.” Dino makes a face. “I didn’t do anything.”
Ignis closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Uh huh.” He carefully kicks off his shoes. “Did you want a sweater? I brought one.”
“You’re a better sweater. A sweater better.” Dino giggles.
Ignis rolls his eyes and very carefully climbs into bed next to Dino. Which ends up being a very tight fit. And then Dino immediately lies half on him and traps him.
“Dino-”
“Good pillow.” Dino pats Ignis’ hair. “Goodnight.”
Ignis avoids the tubes attached to Dino and puts an arm around his shoulders. “They’re going to kick me out and it will be all your fault,” he mutters under his breath.
“It’s okay. I’ll charm them.” Dino nuzzles against Ignis’ chest. “I’m very charming. That’s how I got a date with you.”
“It got you one date,” Ignis mutters. “Barely.”
“But you still liked me.” Dino looks up at Ignis with a worried expression. “You do like me?”
“I do.” Ignis kisses Dino’s forehead. “Do you want to know a secret?”
“Yes.” Dino beams. “I love secrets. Especially yours.”
“Well.” Ignis clears his throat and puts his other arm around Dino’s. He was right. The hospital bed is uncomfortable. “I love you too,” he says very quietly.
Dino blinks slowly. His eyes are glistening. “You do?”
Ignis nods. “But it’s a secret.”
“Okay.” Dino leans up for a brief kiss. “I won’t tell.”
“I know you won’t.” Ignis tries to relax against the pillows. “Now go to sleep.”
“Okay.” Dino wriggles against him and makes a soft noise. “Comfy pillow.”
Ignis gently pats his shoulder. “Just don’t blame me when I get kicked out.”
Dino doesn’t say anything. Ignis carefully brushes Dino’s hair from his eyes. He’d meant to just let Dino fall asleep and then wriggle away. Except Dino is very heavy and Ignis can hardly even move his feet.
He did this on purpose. Ignis sighs and closes his eyes. Maybe if he feigns sleep the nurses will take pity on him.