When I Met Him In The Summer

Twenty six

"Oh, dad. Sorry, I thought you—"

"What the hell did you get yourself into now?" he cuts me off mid sentence, looking up and down at me like I am the biggest disappointment on the planet.

There is no sympathy on his face. Just disgust. Instead of cower under his gaze like he's used to, I clear my throat to cover up a chuckle. I want to pat myself on the back right now, because I knew this was going to happen.

"Nothing," I reply, looking right at him.

"Of course it's nothing. When it comes to you, it's nothing, but you always have so much to say about everyone else. You know what, I'm not even surprised. What is happening with you Daniel? Why are you all of a sudden acting up? What? Is it for attention?"

"Mum didn't tell you?" I ask him, and he pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a long exhale.

"You're doing drugs, aren't you? She can choose to believe your lies, but I know. I thought by getting you that job...do you know just how much I'm losing being here instead of in my meetings working? And just because you want to get high too?"

I cannot believe my ears right now. I just raise my hands in surrender. Did the doctors somehow give him a different diagnosis from internal bleeding and collapsed lung? Because if not, that is one hell of an imagination.

What is he even doing here then?

I am aching to burst out laughing. To be completely honest, I've never heard this many words come out of his mouth in one encounter. He's hilarious when he's worked up.

"Just nevermind,"I say like it is nothing.

"Danny, I got you something to eat, now I have to go home for a bit to get things ready for your discharge. Remember if you need anything, anything at all, there's a nurse at your disposal." mum says as she walks in with the food, and just brushes past dad like he's invisible.

She sets it down on the rack beside me, adjusts the pillows and decides she's ready to leave after smothering me with kisses.

I'm seventeen years old, for fucksake.

"Are you coming? Or do you have other priorities than your family?" she asks him over her shoulder, her hand on the knob.

"Priorities? What are you—"

"I was outside the whole time, Matthew. I heard everything. Now, are you coming along, or should I ask the driver to take me?" she snaps.

He sighs. "After you."

I should not be happy about this, but she seems kind of pissed at him. She blows me another kiss and walks out and he follows her, shaking his head.

I open the paper bag, grab the milkshake and put everything else away. I'm not sick enough that I need to eat pumpkin puree and raisin bread yet.

I flick through the channels on the small T.V in my room as I slowly sip on the cold, refreshing strawberry drink. There's nothing to watch, and I don't know where my damn phone is, or how long I've been asleep for. I'm not tired, so I cannot even sleep.

I'm going to go crazy.

I hit the nurse call button. She must know where my phone is. If she does not, I'm going to lie and get her to drug me to sleep.

"You called?" she says a few minutes later as she walks in, and I nod.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you," I mumble, and she smiles warmly at me.

"That's okay. I was just about to come in for your routine check anyway. How do you feel, Daniel?"

"Just Danny, please. And that depends. Could you by any chance know where my phone is?" I ask, and she chuckles as she checks my vitals and writes down on her clipboard.

"It must be with the rest of your stuff over there, but I don't think you'll be needing it. There's someone here for you... I'll send him in as soon as I step out," she says as she finishes up.

"Everything looks good. You're on your way to a full recovery," she tells me, and when she's at the door says, "You can  come in now."

"Sora? What are you doing here?"

I sit up excitedly as he enters, and then I remember just how ugly I must look right now. Shit...he cannot see me like this, but I cannot hide either. Maybe I look better today?

"Jesus Christ, Danny," he whispers when he sees me. "What happened?"

"Well I guess I fell too hard for you." I say, and cringe. That sounded way better in my head.

"I can't ever take that back, can I?"

My face is hidden behind a pillow, and he laughs and takes it from me.

"What are you doing here? How did you know?" I ask.

"Is it too soon to admit that I'm kind of clingy? I was worried, so I called, and your mum told me."

"Can I?" he asks, pointing to the bed.

I nod and move over, patting the empty space for him. "Sure."

Why is it that he literally admits to being clingy but I'm the one who seems desperate every chance I get to get close to him?

"Seriously, how did you get hurt like this?" he asks again.

How am I supposed to tell him he is like twenty percent responsible for my condition? I can't, can I? But he looks like he is not going to stop until he knows exactly what happened, so I have to give him something.

"It was my brother. He found out that I was gay and...well, this happened."

He moved closer to me and held my hand in his, then pulled me into him.

"I want a go at that motherfucker," he says into my hair, and I can hear the anger in his voice.

I blush. Furiously.

"He's not worth it. Besides, we would not be cuddling right now if it wasn't for him, so the joke is on him," I say.

I peer upwards through my lashes and catch his smile as he says, "I definitely cannot argue with that."

We just sit there like that for a while, nobody speaking, his heartbeat in my ear and my face in his neck. I don't know when we fall asleep, but I wake up when my neck starts to hurt.

He looks so peaceful and this feels really, really nice, but I have to worry about him. What if someone finds us here like this?

"Sora? Please wake up," I groan, shaking him. He breathes deeply and holds me closer to him.

"No, Sora... it's getting late. You need to get home," I say into his chest. My resolve is crumbling...I can't think straight feeling his chest rise and fall under me as he breathes.

"No, I don't, Danny," he drawls, and I poke him softly in the side.

"Yes. You do. Come on, Sora. Someone could walk in on us, and that might not end well," I whine, and he finally opens his eyes slowly.

"Fine. Although, I am sure your family would love me," he says as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes. "I mean, just look at you."

I feel my neck heat up. "Goodnight, Sora."

"It was," he jokes, leaning over to kiss my cheek. "I can't promise I won't come back though."

I smile, and wave as he folds his fingers into a heart and then closes the door behind him.

I would not want it any other way.