Work Text:
After high school comes time to face your future. So, Danny does.
He spends nights pouring over procedures and going through paramedic training. It’s tough, but honest work. And it’s all worth it when he finishes his training with high marks, tackling Sam and Tucker to the floor and showing them his certificate. Legs tangled, cold hard floor, and endless laughter.
He’s constantly busy after that but he can’t find it in himself to regret the path he’s chosen. He’s no longer the boy who used to spit out blood and wipe it with the back of his hand. He moves into a new building. It’s cramped and dingy, he’s pretty sure there’s a leak somewhere, and the wall is littered with bullet holes but it’s not bad. He just needs a place to rest after all, for whenever he does get a chance to destress.
Danny goes to work, comforts people down from panic attacks, talks to kids and teenagers about their interests, administers medication, makes emergency treatments and diagnoses, and has his hands washed with blood. Sometimes, he can’t save them, watching light fade from their eyes as they clutch his hand. It doesn't affect him as much as it should, but he’s known death since 14. He’s familiar with it, more intimately than most. It is nature’s progression. Death comes for all.
Their spirits linger and he sends them off to their peace.
Danny works odd hours, and is on call. He works 12 hour shifts, or 24 hour shifts, or somewhere in between. He’s not home often, at least not home enough to make a lasting impression. He’s exhausted, and the job certainly doesn’t leave him with any free time and yet.
Yet.
He looks at the cat as it looks at him with big, almond eyes. He can feel his resolve waver. He steps back, and it follows. It mrruws, and yeah that’s it. He bends down and holds out a hand. It rubs its head against his hand and as he rises, jumps up, settling into his arms.
Danny huffs in amusement. “Yeah, let’s get you to a vet.”
…
The cat is a girl, and is perfectly healthy. Danny’s hypothesis is that she escaped her owners. He names her Alkaid, after the Daughters of the Bier and one of the handles on Ursa Major. She meows, fits herself in anything she can see, makes biscuits on his stomach and loves pretending to be at sea whenever he puts her in water inside a plastic box.
She vanishes one day, and Danny panics, almost on the verge of crying. It’s a rare day off, but with the way Alkaid’s disappearance makes him panic it would not be considered that at all. He calls Sam and she starts laughing at him.
“Don’t be such a worrywart and don't cry either. She’s a cat. Cats are independent creatures. She’ll come back before you know it.”
He wouldn't even know the first place to begin looking for her, anyway. He sniffles and discreetly wipes his eyes before tears spill down his face.
“You’re actually crying,” Sam says, in disbelief.
“No, I’m not. I was preventing myself from crying.”
“Right.”
“Mhm. Yeah,” he clears his throat, rubbing his face and flopping down on the couch. “Thanks Sam.”
“Anytime.”
“When she comes back, and if she doesn’t come back I’m blaming it entirely on you for getting my hopes us, I will send pictures.”
Sam scoffs in mock outrage. “You’re so kind and considerate.”
“That’s what people tell me.”
Danny keeps the window open, just in case if she comes back. She appears and slinks through the window after eight hours, he counted. She crosses the room and jumps up in his lap, hands coming up to hold her. “Where did you go?” he asks softly, running a hand down her back.
She arches into his touch and purrs.
“Okay, you don’t have to tell me. Keep it to yourself,” he laughs and stands up, holding her and placing her in front of her food station. She brushes against his legs and chirps. “Yeah, yeah I know.”
…
Danny dares to venture out of his apartment and meets his neighbours, eventually. They exchange greetings whenever they see each other, sometimes he gets extra dinner in a container, sometimes cookies. He hasn’t met his neighbour though he’s met everyone else in hall. And there’s also the matter of Alkaid continuing to sneak out.
There’s a second time. And a third. And an eight. And a twelfth.
She does it whenever he’s not home, which he can’t exactly blame her for. He’d be bored too if he was a cat and no one was home, even with all the toys he’s bought her. He just hopes whoever she goes to isn’t annoyed in taking care of her. She always turns up when he comes back home, like she has an internal clock for his irregular schedule.
Life isn’t so bad, Danny muses. It could certainly be worse. He wakes up with a cat on his chest and she demands to be fed. He goes for duty while Alkaid wanders, chasing happiness. He returns to see her return and feeds her again, and turns the TV on to watch a show with her. He settles down for bed and she curls up on his stomach.
They’re watching a Bollywood movie when he realises the additional weight on top of him. He raises an eyebrow and looks up at her, “Did you gain weight?”
She rubs her head against his chest, appearing innocent.
He snorts. “Stop pretending to be innocent, you totally did gain weight.” And stretches his arms out. “Can’t really complain though. I’m thankful to whoever’s taking care of you when I’m not here even though I give you enough food you glutton. Hey, can you tell me who exactly you go to?”
She meows, gaze so unimpressed he starts cracking up. “Yeah, my bad. Can’t exactly expect a response.”
He tilts his head, eyes narrowing at her considerably in contemplation. “Do you want a collar?” The thought of buying a collar has totally slipped his mind, but she’s a free cat. She always comes back to him, at the end of the day.
She stares at him and then makes a show of staring at the wall. Well, that’s his answer then. “Okay, no collar. But, if whoever’s taking care of you is cute then link me up with them, okay?”
She blinks at him slowly. He takes it as agreement.
…
He hears a gun clatter onto the floor and swears from his neighbour’s apartment. He blinks at Alkaid, she blinks at him. She mrrps and he nods his head. “Yeah, I don’t think it’s my problem either. Let’s get you some food, girl.”
When Danny does meet that neighbour, it’s not exactly a meeting. They both get out their doors at the same time, and he catches a glimpse of the other guy when he’s rushing to his shift, decked in paramedic blue. It’s a 24 hour shift. He tosses a quick, Good morning over his shoulder and runs down the stairs.
He tells his cat all about it, movie background noise and one that Alkaid is enjoying. “He was so handsome,” he sighs out. “I saw him for a moment, but Alkaid he was beautiful. And so built. Really built.” He glances at his cat who’s watching the TV. “I need to swoon in his arms.”
She meows and kneads biscuits on him.
…
what do i do when my neighbour is so fine
sam: make them fall in love w u
tucker: be slutty
okay ig but tell me How to get to my goal
sam: wear the tightest crop-top u can
tucker: oh yeahh man that’s gonna get them for sure
wear that and those slutty ass shorts u have
i cant walk around wearing that all the time
when will i see him again
how will i know what day im gonna see him again to be sure i wear it
sam: thats why wear it all the time when u don’t have work
tucker: i think i’ve seen this film before and i didn’t like the ending
sam: tucker shut up
tucker: just joking. but he might just knock on ur door and confront you about ur cat that goes to his apartment
u never know
sam: keep us updated!!
tucker: you’ve got this! good luck
😐
…
Danny takes their advice and wears what they affectionately dubbed “Giving Slut” all the time when he’s off duty. They send him thumbs up emojis in response to the selfies he sends in the chat and say Good luck again. He just hopes that the neighbour will soon come knocking soon and that he doesn’t embarrass himself and that their advice ends up being helpful and not something they’ll tease him mercilessly for later on.
There’s a knock on his door and he freezes. He looks at Alkaid and she looks at him, perking up in interest. He quickly runs to the bathroom and checks himself in the mirror, brushing off invisible dust before he hurries back out. He just hopes that it’s The Neighbour and not someone else so he doesn't end up making a fool out of himself.
Danny swings the door open and there, lo and behold, the man of his dreams stands. Tucker’s prophecy came true. He blinks down at him and tries not to feel smug at being taller than MHD.
His voice, surprisingly, comes out smoothly when he speaks and he’s so thankful. He’ll throw kisses to the sky after this. “Can I help you?”
MHD meets Danny’s eyes and they’re a deep-set sea green pair with long eyelashes. So beautiful. He’s so beautiful. And stacked like hell too. “Do you happen to have a cat, by any chance? I’ve asked around and they’ve all said they don’t have a cat. So.”
Even his voice is beautiful. Danny hopes there isn’t a dopey expression on his face. “I do have a cat. I hope she hasn’t been a pain. She just gets bored and wanders when I’m not home.”
“Nah, she’s been pretty great. She’s a sweet girl, yes you are,” he coos out to Alkaid when she walks over to him and brushes against his ankles, crouching down to scratch her chin. “I was just curious about who her owner is and who to give her back to.”
“She’s a free spirit,” Danny chuckles and leans against the door, crossing his arms. “I’m a paramedic so I work odd hours and she gets bored when I’m not home. So she roams around and apparently goes to yours. Sorry,” he says with an apologetic smile.
MHD runs his eyes over Danny and his skin slowly, checking him out. Danny internally cheers and hopes his apologetic smile doesn’t turn into a victorious one. He won’t ever say a bad word against Sam and Tucker’s advice again.
“I don’t mind. But you can make it up to me.” He grins and leans forward.
A smirk unfurls over Danny’s lips. He hums and leans forward too. “I can, can I? You have been taking pretty good care of my cat.” He muses.
“Name’s Jason, by the way.”
“Jason, what do you think about dinner tomorrow?”
“Sounds good.”
Alkaid climbs Danny and curls up around his shoulders. He starts humming Pyar Humko Hone Laga and sends kisses Sam and Tucker’s way for making him wear the tightest crop top and workout shorts he has as a combo. It worked its magic and landed him a date.