Even

When Darien walked out of the courthouse, Hobbes was waiting for him.

Darien ignored the pink box Hobbes was holding and slid his sunglasses on, despite the cloud cover, as he walked down the steps. For some reason his head was pounding again and he wanted to tear the bandage off the snake tattoo because it had to be red as hell, but he knew it wasn’t.

He just had a shot and he wasn’t going mad. He wasn’t going to kill his partner and he wasn’t going to let that crazy bastard get to him again.

He walked across the sidewalk to where Hobbes was waiting beside the van. “What are you doing here?” Darien asked casually.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know? I always know. You can’t take a leak without Bobby Hobbes--” he stopped when he saw Darien frown and look at the bottom of his shoe for the GPS tracker. “No, no,” he poked Darien in the head to get his attention again. “I don’t need amateur gadgets to tell me what’s going on with you, my friend. I’m in here.” He tapped Darien’s forehead again.

Darien swatted his hand away and straightened up. “I’m fine, Hobbes. Really.”

Bobby didn’t look convinced, but he offered Darien the box. “Have a donut, Fawkes.”

Darien managed not to pull back physically. “No, thanks, I just ate--”

“You’re still letting him get to you--”

Darien patted his stomach, “—gotta think about my figure--”

Bobby held up his hand for a moment, then took out a donut and bit into it. “Mmm, good.” He rolled his eyes and smacked his lips for emphasis, then offered it to Darien. “Take a bite, go on,” he coaxed.

Darien snorted, hands on his hips. He was not a child. “No, I don’t want--”

“You don’t want it, fine, then it’s all mine. Bobby Hobbs never met a donut he didn’t like.” Bobby licked his lips, obscenely, smearing more sugar around his mouth instead of catching it and Darien glanced around, embarrassed for the other man. Really.

“Alright,” Darien grabbed Bobby’s wrist. “Alright.” He took a bite, quickly chewing and swallowing. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Bobby replied hoarsely. He cleared his throat and nodded. “Okay,” this time a little more convincingly.

Darien licked his lips too, it was unavoidable, a reflex, and the sugar melting on his tongue made his whole mouth water for more. He looked at the half eaten donut and--

“Hey, get your own,” Hobbes barked, yanking his hand back before Darien could take another bite.

Darien snapped his mouth shut and bit his tongue. He glared at Bobby and reached for another donut from the box.

“Wait, wait.” Hobbes grabbed Darien’s wrist and took a BIG bite of Darien’s donut. “Now we’re even.”

Darien looked at the half-eaten donuts they were holding. That they’d shared. He licked his lips again, looking at Bobby’s smug grin as he chewed.

Yeah.

Things had never felt more uneven… or right.

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