I Wish We Met Sooner (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 21

Daniel

HOW DID I FALL so deep? Where did this new Daniel emerge from? The guy who allowed himself to be fooled by society into making him weak. The guy who opened up to another human and got blinded to his original form.

When... did I fall?

Why... did I fall?

I let him in, I changed, and I paid the price.

Grandpa's gone. The last person with my blood. The only person who loved and cared for me when everybody else wanted me dead. My only family.

I should've followed him that night than out with Oliver. On the same night, I came home to see the news on the television. I've never felt such immense pain in my heart when they reported they found his body in the LA river, dead.

I should've followed him.

I should've.

I'm sorry, gramps. I hope you heard from me when I stood in front of your tombstone. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your funeral because there were so many people. I couldn't risk getting caught. But I made it at night even though it was pouring. Please do not think of me as cruel, for I had little to say. I've never been good at goodbyes, and I didn't expect to say it to you so soon.

I hope you're in a better place now. Unfortunately, I won't be able to join you there after my time comes. I'm pretty sure if there's a God, he won't welcome me there.

I've fallen, and I'm still falling for the last three months. I threw Oliver aside and destroyed myself like never before. The Red Demon strikes multiple times in a day, annihilating four to six people, yet he doesn't feel satisfied. When night falls, Daniel invites himself to the bar, downing one beer after another until he loses his mind and gets involved in a fight. He wakes up without remembering it.

Though, I somehow remembered this time. Perhaps I wasn't drunk enough. I couldn't remember who I fought with last night, but whoever it was, they sure know how to fight, as they've nearly broken my jaw.

I dragged myself up the stairs to my apartment and climbed in through the window. My feet stepped on broken glasses and material I didn't bother cleaning the night I trashed the place. It stings, but I liked it. At least the pain stops me from thinking.

My surrounding was spinning, but I was aware of my actions and the blood dripping from my forehead. Now, even my hands and feet are bleeding as I left a trail of bloody footprints when I made my way to the fridge, fetching more beers.

Ran out.

I need to get more. I'm sure gramps won't mind if I finish up his money. He wouldn't need them now that he's in heaven. A place where riches are nothing but a drop in the ocean.

The more I walked, the more I limped as the world spun, causing me to trip over a barbell and crash headfirst against the doorknob to the gym room or the room where I held Ollie hostage.

In fact, I see him now. Ollie, he's here, on that chair.

"Too bad that didn't kill me, huh, Ollie," I didn't realize I was laughing. "By the way, what are you doing here?"

He didn't move or speak. My eyes traveled down to his clothes and noticed he was wearing the same clothes I borrowed him when he took a bath here.

"Answer me!" I attempted to stand, but something sharp pierced through my knee, causing me to fall back. "GET THE FUCK OUT! I DIDN'T INVITE YOU HERE!"

He still didn't leave nor move or speak. I forced myself to stand and aimed for his neck, but my hand went right through him. He's gone now. I was sober enough to tell that he wasn't real and that I was just imagining him.

Or was I?

"Yeah, you better run, asshole!" I felt my body heavy to which I slammed against the floor again, feeling the broken stuff against my body as I dragged myself out of the room. "Don't fucking come back!"

"Danny!" He finally spoke. I followed his voice and saw him approaching from the window. Though he wasn't wearing my clothes, but a white sweater with blue denim jeans. He was cautious with his steps as he got to me. "What happened here?! What are you doing?! Get up!"

"NO! You're not real, you're not real, you're not real," I pulled my knees close to my face and had my arms wrapped around them, wishing the fake Ollie would leave me alone. If anything, I don't want him to see me like this.

He can't.

"Snap out of it!" It felt like my body had jolted electricity when I felt someone's hands on me. It was the fake Ollie again! It's bad that I'm imagining him, and now I can feel him?! "NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Danny, stop this! It's me, Ollie," my body was being jerked around, to which I became terrified that I got up and punched the air or the fake Ollie. Though, my mind gathered when I felt flesh against my fist. It was Ollie.

"Ollie? Is that really you?" I blinked to focus my doubled blurry visions but failed. I can't see him clearly, but I noticed a red line slithering down his nose, then onto his shirt, staining the white as if it was an empty canvas.

"Yes! Don't you ever disappear again," I heard him sobbing as I felt his arms around me. My cheeks pressed against his warm chest and his hand at the back of my head. "I got you. I got you, Danny. It's alright."

It really was him, and that was the first time... in a long time since I felt safe. Three months after ignoring Ollie, I missed him even more that I didn't care he was holding me. I held him as my bottled-up feelings toppled, and I cried, and cried, and cried.