lawrusso

part twenty two (2)

daniel wants to scream and his hands are trembling as he yanks open the back door.

he wishes he could go back to when he was 17 and just pause time forever.

go back to some other party 8 years ago where johnny was dancing with some random person and daniel was watching from the side with bobby, smiling to himself.

knowing that the moment all those people would leave johnny wouldn't leave him alone.

he missed that.

he missed talking to-

"daniel?" a voice that he doesn't recognise calls out

"johnny?" he asks, squinting his eyes to see better

"just me" bobby comes close enough for daniel to see and gives him a small smile

"oh"

"no need to sound so disappointed" bobby laughs

"no it's not that. sorry" daniel shakes his head, staring out towards the ocean

the roar of the waves almost drowns out what bobby says next.

"when are you going to tell him you're still in love with him. you know it's driving him crazy, all this circling"

daniel closes his eyes. maybe if he pretends he didn't hear it he won't have to try and find an answer.

"remember when we used to come out here. while johnny was off doing god knows what?" bobby, thankfully, changes the subject and daniel is spared a reply.

"yeah i remember"

"god i missed that when you stopped hanging out with us." bobby sighs, bumping his shoulder into daniels

"i didn't think you guys would want me there. especially johnny" daniel looks down into his drink. he can't even remember grabbing it.

"god. johnny wouldn't talk to anyone. he'd just sit in the corner and nod while some hot girl tried to talk to him. it was sad to watch"

"i doubt that. but thanks" daniel gives him a sideways smile

bobby frowns "well it was like that sometimes and then other times you couldn't get him to stop talking and partying. it was weird. i never knew which johnny to expect."

"oh"

"i preferred him being quite. he wouldn't listen to anyone when he was going crazy. you fucked him up good, didn't you?"

"i- i didn't mean to. i mean he broke up with me!" daniel stumbles over his words

"i know. that's not how i meant it. you guys both hurt each other. that's just how relationships work." bobby shrugs, taking a sip of his drink

someone opens the door and music fills the air

"oh shit. didn't realise anyone was already out here. sorry" the door shuts again with a bang that makes daniel cringe

bobby gestures to the door "i should probably go see what they're all up-"

then daniel surges forward and presses their lips together. he doesn't even know why he does it. he just jumps.

johnny stands frozen in shock for a moment before kissing him back.

daniels too drunk to register anything but johnnys hands but they're too small to be johnnys hands. and oh god. what was going on.

had someone spiked his drink? he was feeling kind of dizzy.

"daniel?" a voice breaks him out of the kiss and both boys stumble back.

it's johnny. the real johnny. well technically there's three johnnys standing there but one of them has to be the real one. doesn't it?

"oh fuck." bobby, thats bobby right?, curses under his breath before running after the three skeleton johnnys.

daniel blinks slowly and he loses some of his vision, is the world spinning?

his head hurts.

then suddenly the ground seems to get closer and everything fades to black.

-

"cmon, just a little bit further." someone is hauling daniel up the stairs. he, or she, no room for discrimination in this house! daniel snorts softly at his own joke, has really strong arms.

his legs bang into a doorframe and the person carrying him curses quietly.

then suddenly he's falling into a very soft cloud or something, and he feels all warm.

his eyelids are heavy but he wants to peek at his saviour so he opens one secretly.

obviously not secretly enough because the boy standing in front of him smiles "you're awake"

"are you god?" daniel reaches out to touch the boy but his hand doesn't move "is my arm invisible?"

daniel stares at the spot where he swears he's holding his arm but there's nothing there.

"daniel" the boys voice is full of worry "did you take something?"

"are you accusing me of stealing? i would never! how dare thy accuse me of such a thing" daniel tries to keep a straight face but he can't help himself and starts laughing.

"no i mean like drugs?"

"drugs? i'm only 17!" he was 17 wasn't he? god he really didn't want to get old. because if he got older then this boy would leave his room. and he didn't want that.

"you're- you know what? nevermind. can you remember what you had to drink? did someone give you anything?" the boy reaches out and pulls daniels eyelids further open

the touch is nice, even if it's just him pulling at his eyes. it sends electricity down daniels spine. he hasn't feel like that in a while.

"i had some shots i think" daniel rubs his temples. trying to remember "and like 2 cups of punch? maybe"

"god daniel. you need to be more careful with your drinks. did you put them down anywhere and then come back for them?" this boy was asking lots of questions, daniel was very busy trying not to focus on his exposed stomach.

it was very hard to answer a question while he had all that infront of him. he thought he was doing pretty well.

"well i can't remember how i got my last drink. it's like i didn't have a drink and then all of a sudden i did? it was weird" daniels memory is fuzzy but that feels real

"oh and i kissed this boy. maybe he had drugs and they transferred? he wasn't a very great kisser." daniel hmms, closing his eyes "i used to have a boyfriend. he was a good kisser"

somewhere in the back of his mind a voice is screaming at him to not tell this boy about that because he might be angry about two boys being together but daniel has the feeling this boy doesn't care.

"i'm going to get you some water." the boy clears his throat "do you promise to drink it when you wake up?"

"i promise"

the boy goes to the door, turns off the light and right before closing the door says "you should've stayed with me, sweetheart. i could've kept you safe"