Work Text:
Danny was having a nightmare. Not the usual nightmare, filled with stabbing and blood and darkness and painful sex. No, this nightmare was unusual.
It was raining and misty. Danny ran through the rain, faster than he had ever run before. He pushed away the clouds of mist in front of him to see Ninja Brian looking back at him. He suddenly stopped walking, his face dropping.
Danny suddenly made a connection. Brian was leaving. He was leaving Nina Sex Party and his life with Danny.
Danny reached out his hand to grab Brian, but when his hand touched his bandmate, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. There was a look of longing in the ninja’s bright blue eyes before he disappeared, a silent way of saying “I’m sorry.”
Danny choked on his tears and sank to his knees. He couldn’t even form words - this was a dream, after all - only choked sobs. He wanted Brian back. He wanted his Brian back more than anything.
And then he woke up.
He woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. The first thing he did was look over at the bed next to him, where Ninja Brian was sleeping soundly. Danny sighed of relief. So Brian wasn’t actually gone. That was good.
Suddenly, Brian rolled over to face Danny on the other side of the room. His eyes were open. He looked pissed off, as he always did. ‘Danny?’ Brian signed.
Danny blinked and realized there were tears in his eyes, which he quickly rubbed away. “Hey, Brian,” Danny said with a laugh. “I just… had a nightmare.”
Brian just stared at Danny for a moment with those intense blue eyes of his. ‘Okay,’ he eventually signed. ‘Go back to bed, then.’
“Alright,” answered Danny, slightly disappointed for some reason. “Good night, Ninja Brian.”
As Danny rolled over to face the wall and tried to fall asleep, his mind kept wandering, keeping him from falling asleep. Why did have a nightmare about Brian leaving? And why did he have such a strong reaction to Brian leaving?
“Hey, Brian?” Danny asked, nervous and unsure. His voice was quivering, he could tell, and he hated it.
As Danny turned back around to face the other bed across from him, he noticed that Ninja Brian was already sitting up as if he were wide awake this whole time. ‘What, Danny?’ he signed.
“It’s just…” Danny heaved out a sigh. “I’m sorry.”
God, Danny hated apologizing. It made him look like a pussy, honestly, and he did not want to look like a pussy. He clenched his fists as he noticed Brian’s confused look on his face - or, at least, he assumed he was confused by his eyes since it was the only part of Brian’s face that he had ever seen - and continued.
“I’m a dick to you, that’s just a fact.”
Brian nodded.
“And I call you things like ugly and fat and stupid and gay and… I hate that, because that was how I was treated as a kid. That’s why I quit being a ninja, so I could be myself. And I’m just projecting that onto you. Besides, you’re my best friend Bri, I’m not in a band with you for nothing,” he smiled genuinely as the ninja across from him, and he swore he could see Brian blush from underneath his balaclava. “You might be a murderous sociopath, but you’re also my best friend. We kinda have to stick together.”
Brian gave what Danny said some thought. He nodded. ‘I remember when we ran away together,’ he signed thoughtfully. ‘I was the first one you went to, and no matter how much I loved being a ninja, I couldn’t say no. And even now, I don’t regret a single thing.’
Danny had never heard Brian say - well, he had never seen Brian sign, of course - something so genuine. It made him smile. “I’m sorry, Brian, for all of the teasing. But I’m glad that you’re open enough to tell me all of that sentimental shit.”
‘Don’t mention it,’ signed Brian. ‘Seriously, don’t, I don’t want our fans thinking I’m a giant pussy.’
Danny laughed. “Same!”
Brian looked hesitant. ‘Though, you’re not exactly wrong about one thing you said.’
“What?” Danny asked.
‘I…’ Brian began to sign, but he didn’t finish. His hands were shaking. Instead of finishing what he was going to sign, he simply did a limp wrist. That motion told Danny everything he needed to know.
“You’re gay!” Danny gasped. “Oh my god, I fucking called it!”
If looks could kill, Danny would absolutely be dead - or, at least, as dead as he possibly could be, him being immortal and all. “Right. Sorry.”
Danny coughed, continuing. “I’m glad you had the courage to tell me that, Brian. I know that coming out takes lots of balls.”
‘Thank you,’ Brian signed back, and Danny could definitely see a smile underneath his balaclava.
“No problem,” Danny smirked. “Well, good night, Ninja Brian!”
‘Good night, Danny.’
The two tried to sleep, but Danny spoke again. “You know, Brian?”
Brian rolled his eyes. ‘What?’
“I completely lied when I called you ugly. You… actually have really nice eyes.”
Brian was for sure blushing underneath his mask. ‘Thank you, Danny…’ Brian replied, awkward. ‘You’re not half bad yourself.’
The room was comfortably silent for a while. “Wow. That was a surprisingly intimate and gay conversation. Let’s never do that again.”
‘Agreed.’
“For the last time, I promise, good night, Ninja Brian!”
‘Good night, Danny.’
Somehow, Danny woke up in Brian’s bed that night. And they were cuddling. It was… nice, actually. Though he did have a knife in his back, it didn’t hurt because of the countless times that the ninja had stabbed him in the past. He simply pulled the knife out of his back and continued to cuddle. They could wake up later, they had all the time in the world together.