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He tried not to think about how long it had been. Tried not to look at the time stamp of the last text, the last three texts, none from him. Hook didn't think and he called Danhausen.
He held his breath as it rang, expecting each pause to be the end, call rejected.
A click, confirming that fear.
Hook pulled the phone away from his face, not surprised. Of course he wouldn't pick up. Of course, after all this time, after brushing him off and ignoring his texts, Danhausen would—
"Yes? What is this?" D anhausen unmistakably crowed from Hook's phone, not on speakerphone yet still clear as day.
"D," Hook gasped, scrambling to put the phone to his face, throat tight, air not passing correctly. "D, I— I'm sorry, I got— Jack, he— I'm sorry—"
"Danhausen saw," he said, not needing Hook to explain anything, "that Jangleman will pay, Danhausen promises."
Hook sniffed, phlegm caught in his throat. His neck was still sore from the attack. "Okay," he mumbled like a scolded child. "I'm sorry," he said again.
"What for?" Danhausen asked. He didn't sound entirely curious but he wasn't the type to make someone grovel. At least not when hook knew him.
"I… I practically ghosted you, D. We haven't texted in months, I haven't seen you since—"
"No matter," Danhausen interrupted. Hook could imagine him perfectly, the way he would raise his eyebrows and close his eyes, how he'd shrug, wave a hand before clasping them together again. "You have returned to Danhausen yes? Hook has not called by accident?"
"No," Hook answered right away. "No, I— I didn't know who else I could talk to. It wasn't an accident."
"You see? Danhausen knew he needed to simply wait for Hook, he knew his Hook would need him again." He wasn't bragging, didn't sound smug. He was just stating facts, like he was giving Hook the time and temperature.
"Aren't you mad?" Hook asked in spite of it. "I don't need you until I got betrayed?"
"Why would you need Danhausen before this?" he asked, "what is Hook asking? And what help would Danhausen be before this, hm? while he's been hurt? Such a strange question."
Hook chuckled, the rasp in his throat lessening. "You're right," he said, "it was a strange thing to ask."