The Debt of Guilt [BxB]

6: before

April
1989

When Danny knocked on the door of the Wicks' family trailer, he was met with a pair of warm honey eyes. They weren't the eyes he was looking for, but they would have to do, "Hi, Scott."

"Danny." Scott stared at him in surprise, "What happened to your face?"

Danny brought his hand up to his cheekbone, his fingertips lightly tracing the fresh bruise, "I-I...I was just... Is Peter here?" He asked desperately.

Scott shook his head apologetically, "He's at school."

"Right." Danny murmured in realisation, then glanced back up at Scott, "Why aren't you at school?"

Scott looked down at his socks, avoiding eye contact, "Migraines." He told him dismissively, "And...uh...you're not at school either, because...?"

Danny forced a smile, "Migraines."

Scott stepped away from the door, "Do you wanna come in? Mum's at work."

Danny followed him into the trailer wordlessly, kicking off his shoes and collapsing onto the small creaky sofa, "I'm sorry for just showing up like this."

"S'okay." Scott shrugged, "You want tea?" He offered, already filling up the kettle.

"Sure." Danny replied, "Thanks."

"So, uh...your Dad..." Scott called over from the kitchen, "He's giving you a rough time, huh?"

Danny slouched back on the sofa, gazing up at the ceiling distractedly, "You don't wanna talk about my Dad, Scotty. It's no fun."

"Sorry." Scott apologised, pouring boiling water into a couple of mugs and dipping in the tea bags, "You take milk and sugar?"

"Just milk, thanks." Danny continued staring at the ceiling, "You wanna talk about your migraines?"

Scott reappeared from the kitchen, handing Danny a mug and sitting down next to him, "It's just a migraine." He shrugged, looking away again.

"Those kids at school give me migraines, too." Danny told him knowingly, "Don't let 'em get to you."

Scott sighed heavily, taking a sip of tea to delay having to reply, "I try not to."

"They only call you a faggot because you work at the bakery, y'know?" Danny tried to comfort him, but he didn't know Scott well enough to know what to say.

Scott placed his tea down on the stool beside him, "It's just...not a very nice thing to be called, that's all."

Danny studied him for a moment, "Is it true?" He asked outright, "Are you...y'know...that way?" He furrowed his brows in contemplation, "I don't have a problem with it either way, but...y'know..."

"No." Scott answered quickly, readjusting his smile, "Of course not. I just...work at the bakery, like you said."

Danny took another slow sip of tea, "Yeah. Yeah, that's what I thought."

"You want some ice?" Scott tried to hastily change the subject, "For your face."

Danny shrugged, standing up before Scott had the chance, "I'll get it. Can't have you waiting on me hand and foot, I'll become spoilt." He walked into the kitchen, grabbing a packet of frozen peas from the freezer and holding them up to his face, wincing as he did so. "I had an uncle like that, y'know?" He called back from the kitchen, leaning against the counter and holding his side. His ribs hurt, but he didn't want Scott to notice.

"Like what?" Scott asked nervously.

"He was a queer." Danny tried to ignore the aching in his side, walking back towards the sofa, "Died of AIDS when I was little. 'Course no one in the family ever talked about it — told everyone it was cancer."