Honey Drip // Danny Wagner

XI

I didn't feel much love, honestly, while I was waiting for Danny to come over. He hadn't told me what time he and the guys would be done--the length of their practices was always unknown--and hadn't answered any of my texts. By 10:00, I was sprawled out on my couch with a documentary about fish on the TV as dull, deep period cramps radiated through my abdomen, and I hadn't even noticed myself dozing off.

The steady vibration of my phone woke me up--Danny was calling and it was 10:45.

"Hey," I answered groggily, tossing the blanket away from me and getting on my feet.

"Hey, I'm outside," he said--I couldn't help but notice the irritation in his voice. "I've been calling you for like 15 minutes."

"Sorry," I replied, headed toward the buzzer on the wall. "I fell asleep."

After I buzzed Danny up I splashed some cold water on my face and, by the time he was inside my apartment, I was back on the couch with a glass of water, still trying to recover from the grogginess of my late-night nap.

"I'm sorry," I said again, gesturing at the TV. "This really relaxed me, apparently."

He sighed as he sat down next to me. "If I had a key," he said. "I could just come in."

Not this again, I thought. "I don't like the idea of someone just coming in here while I'm asleep," I said. I was trying to remain composed even through my own irritation, made worse by the hormones raging inside me.

"It wouldn't be 'someone,'" he replied. "It would be me."

I took a sip of the water. "I know. I'm sorry," I said, thinking about how it would be a fun drinking game to take a shot whenever I said 'sorry.' "I just--I like my space."

Danny pulled back a little, furrowing his brows for a second.

"I like you in my space," I continued. "But I also like my space."

"I know," he replied quietly. "It's just--it's a key."

I sighed, looking at him, at his beautiful and slightly sullen face, before setting the glass down on the coffee table and resting my hand on his thigh.

"You really want a key?" I asked.

"I only want a key if you want me to have a key."

I considered that for a moment--after all, it had been over a year and I needed to compromise--Danny didn't need to move in with me, but he did deserve to have a key. The only one to have a key.

"Okay," I said. "I'll talk to management about it. I don't know if they'll go for it. Maybe I'll have to illegally make one."

He laughed a little, sending butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"Don't do that," he said. "I think I just really wanted to hear you say you'd give me one more than anything."

Danny leaned in and kissed me--I could feel the forgiveness just in the gentleness of it all, his hand going up to caress my cheek, his lips resting on mine until I invited him to pursue the kiss, both of our mouths parting. He moved on top of me, coercing me back against the arm of the couch, resting his knee in between my legs as our mouths continued to move together. He tasted a little bit like weed--I laughed.

"What?" he asked.

I reached up and ran my hands through his hair before resting my palms on his cheeks, my fingers trailing through the fine hairs next to his temples.

"You're stoned," I said.

"Not really," he replied. "Not anymore."

"You never get mad, well, like ever, but especially not when you're high."