Let Me Know He Cares - Fletcher/Jones - Chapter 17
Title: Let Me Know He Cares
Author: valquiris
Part: 17/18
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and sexual situations
Pairing: Fletcher/Jones
Genre: Romance
Summary: “I see,” she said, turning to Danny. “You gave him quite a hard time, you know. Poor Tom cried his heart out.” Tom felt Danny’s hold tightening, and he shot the brunette a comforting look, nodding all the while in agreement to Carla’s accusation.
A/N: Two-day window, I know, but I was bored last night so I coughed this one up. One more chapter to go! ^-^
Disclaimer: I do not own McFly in any way.
Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10 || Chapter 11 || Chapter 12 || Chapter 13 || Chapter 14 || Chapter 15 || Chapter 16
The sound of fabrics shuffling from somewhere not too far woke Tom up, and he slowly opened his eyes to survey his surroundings. They fell immediately on Danny, whose back was turned to him, fumbling with, as Tom could hear the buckle loud and clear, his belt. He didn’t have a shirt on, and Tom smiled as he traced an imaginary boat on his back using the sprinkles of freckles running along his skin. It was at that moment that the events of the night before flooded back in his mind, and he couldn’t help but smile.
He had Danny back in his life, and Giovanna was fine with everything, even to the point of letting him go when he knew well enough that, even though she admitted otherwise, she needed his company before she went home. Then it suddenly dawned upon Tom that he hadn’t told Danny yet that Giovanna would be coming home in a few hours, and he quickly shot up in a sitting position. Danny heard the movement behind him and he turned his head to look at Tom over his shoulder, a wide smile on his face.
“Hey.”
The simple greeting made Tom laugh a bit, though he didn’t really know the reason why, but Danny exchanged the laugh nonetheless, convincing Tom it wasn’t a bad idea after all.
“Hey,” Tom answered back, letting his feet dangle from the bed until the tip of his toes touched the cold floor. Then suddenly remembering this thoughts from earlier, he added, “I forgot to tell you last night. Gio’s-”
“I know, don’t worry.” His response addled Tom’s brain. So he’s psychic now? Apparently noticing the enigmatic look on the blonde’s face, he continued. “She came over last night when you were sleeping. Said your mum was worried sick. I wanted to wake you up but she said no. Then she told me she’d be going home today, and to not forget to wake you up at eight thirty.” Tom instinctively looked around for a clock, but he found none whatsoever, and he asked Danny instead for the time when his watch gleamed over his brown eyes.
“Almost seven thirty,” he answered, striding over to Tom and sitting on the spot next to him. His fingers snaked over to grab Tom’s hand, who happily continued the action. They were silent for a while, both looking at each other’s reflection in the mirror propped on the drawer opposite them.
“I like her,” Danny said, breaking his eye contact with Tom’s reflection and settling it on Tom’s hair, which flashed gold when the sunlight outside the window swept past it. “She was just calm, considering what’d just happened, and she was smiling the whole time she talked to me. She really loves you, y’know?” The latter made Tom’s eyes snap to Danny, and his hand unconsciously gripped the brunette’s tighter. Danny only chuckled.
“Now you’re making me feel bad,” said Tom, guilt growing evident on his face, and Danny released Tom’s hold on his hand and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, bringing him closer. Tom could feel the heat rebounding off Danny’s exposed torso through his shirt, and he smiled sullenly.
“Whatever for?” asked Danny, dropping his face and resting his forehead on Tom’s temple.
“It’s just… She was so good to me, and I’ve been the exact opposite.” Danny shook his head in disagreement.
“You haven’t, really. We all have our ups and downs, we just learn to deal with them and move on.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same as that. I’ve been an arse to both of you; to you for not telling you about Gio and to her for not telling her about you. It’s just, looking back, I can’t help but beat myself up over it.” He knew this was true, and he kept his eyes to his feet the whole time he was talking, tracing geometric shapes on the floor with his toes as a diversion from Danny’s sympathetic eyes.
“Yes, you messed up. But that’s all in the past. No sense in coming back to it unless you’re not satisfied with wha’ you have right now.” He craned his neck to face Danny, whose face was lit up by a bright smile, and Tom couldn’t help but smile back. He wanted to press on his argument, feeling that he needed to be told he had been wrong and that he should be told off for everything he’s done, but somehow Danny’s smile eradicated the thought, and he found his lips being caught in Danny’s in a sudden kiss.
“Come on, go get ready,” said Danny after they parted, and he proceeded to stand up with his back to the blonde to finish getting dressed. Tom stretched his arms in the air, yawning loudly in doing so, as he watched Danny slip on his “Sex Pistols” shirt, and he pushed himself off the bed with a slight jump. Tom caught Danny’s eyes in the mirror the moment he managed his footing, and he strode over to the brunette, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin on his shoulder.
“Wha’?” asked Danny, turning his head to beam at Tom. Tom kissed his neck, the same way Danny did the previous night, and the response was the same; Danny shivered and Tom giggled.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now get dressed, Ah’m starving.” With a laugh, Tom retracted his arms and made for the bathroom. He stopped, however, once he was under the doorsill, for something popped in his head. He wasn’t at his house, therefore he didn’t have any clothes to change into. Danny noticed his abrupt halt, and, as Tom spun around to ask him for clothes, he ambled over to the bed and snatched a set of clothes draped on the headboard.
“Gio brought these when she came. She probably knew you were staying. Smart bird, tha’ one,” Danny explained with a wide grin when he saw the puzzled expression etched on Tom’s face. Tom received the clothes in his outstretched arm and pecked Danny one last time on the cheek before making his way out for the second time.
He couldn’t help himself; the exhilaration was just too much for him to handle. He wanted to steal as many kisses as he possibly could, for the uncertainty of tomorrow suddenly pressed itself upon his heart, daunting him-threatening him, even-with that torturous emptiness and despair he desperately hoped he would never again have the displeasure of feeling. He shook the thoughts away the moment he stuck a foot on the cold bathroom tiles, and he proceeded to brush his teeth with the toothbrush marked “Tom” (he told Tom he went and got two toothbrushes, just in case Tom wanted to sleep over); he slipped on the clothes shortly after.
He walked out of the bathroom and sauntered into the living room, where he found Danny on the sofa tying his shoelaces, his eyebrows drawn together in deep concentration. He lifted his head up after sensing the blonde’s presence, and at once hustled to finish what he was doing just as Tom settled in the space next to him.
“She took the bags, too,” Danny pointed out, and Tom didn’t know what he was talking about until he looked around. It was then that he recalled the mental note he made himself take, and in his mind, he kicked himself for not remembering.
Successfully tying the last knot needed to secure his shoe, Danny sat up and clapped his hands together, making Tom jump a bit in surprise.
“Ready to go?” the brunette asked, and Tom nodded his reply, already getting to his feet. They left the house together, Danny stopping shortly to get his wallet and his keys from the little plate that held them, and Tom seized Danny’s hand as they made their way across the sidewalk.
The sun shone brightly over them, bearing neither a portent of dark clouds that signaled rain nor any sign of snow. It felt quite like a nice summer day, now that Tom thought about it, and that the snow they crushed under their feet as they strode on were nothing more than white grass littering the ground, glistening like glitter from a child’s art project as the sunlight swept over them. To Tom, it seemed as though the weather expressed the things he was feeling in a precise moment in time; snow fell whenever he felt depressed, the wind whipped mercilessly around him whenever he felt a strong surge of emotion, good or bad, and right now, the warmth of the sun wrapped him in its comforting, golden splendor just as he felt happiness and love.
They came upon Memory Lane in no less than ten minutes (the walk seemed longer to Tom, but at least he would finally put an end to the incessant growling his stomach produced half the way there) and they both entered the threshold, the tinkling of the bell meeting their ears.
Inside was bustling with activity, something that surprised Tom considering the earliness of the day. Nevertheless, he was relieved to find their table empty, and he tugged Danny over to it, only just escaping the throngs of people already congregating around the counter to declare their second orders (that’s what Tom heard one of them say, anyway). They settled comfortably in their seats, facing each other, and Tom turned his head just in time to see Martha irritably pushing her way between two arguing men.
“Oh, the nerve of these people,” Martha exclaimed exasperatedly as she came upon their table. “Been giving orders non-stop since six!”
“What’s with the sudden influx?” inquired Tom as he watched Martha angrily flipping the pages in her notebook, her pen held between two fingers.
“Two cafés were broken into last night,” she replied, shaking her head as she flipped to the last page. “Stole everything from the cash registers to forks. What this world is coming to…” She trailed off as she closed the notebook altogether, and she stuck her pen behind her ears. “I’ll be right back. Have to get a new book.” She turned on the spot and made her way back to the mass of people, and at once, she was swallowed as soon as she got near the two males, who were still going on about their argument.
The two boys turned back to each other with a laugh, and no sooner had Tom’s eyes met Danny’s than someone screamed amidst the violent chatter of the people, and they snapped their head to the sound immediately. Their eyes found Carla hand in hand with David emerging from the crowd, the same exasperated look as Martha’s on her face.
“Watch it!” she snapped angrily, turning back to yell at someone she couldn’t very well see as far as Tom was concerned. “Stepped on my foot!” David ushered her back with a look that said “there’s no need with these people” and caught Tom’s eyes. Carla noticed soon after, almost immediately changing her demeanor at the sight of him, and both made their way to them, Carla sporting a wide smile in spite of the frustration she was exhibiting just a moment before.
“I see you’ve made up,” said Carla brightly as she took the spot next to Danny, who moved over to provide the space she needed. David did the same next to Tom. “I guess there’s no need to explain to me anymore, is there, Tom?” She beamed at Tom, and he reciprocated with one of his own.
“Yeah, everything’s good now.” Tom snaked his hand across the table to grasp Danny’s. “Better than ever, actually.”
“I see,” she said, turning to Danny. “You gave him quite a hard time, you know. Poor Tom cried his heart out.” Tom felt Danny’s hold tightening, and he shot the brunette a comforting look, nodding all the while in agreement to Carla’s accusation.
“And you,” she rounded on Tom, whose eyes widened a bit at the remark. “No wonder he gave you a hard time, you had a girlfriend!” Tom smiled; he didn’t need to explain anything to Carla, she seemed to manage brilliantly on her own. Tom stole a sideways glance at David, who jerked his head to Carla with a look that said “that’s none of your business.” David wasn’t much of a talker, but his expressions were enough to get his message across, and Carla relented at once, getting to her feet.
“At least everything’s alright now,” she sighed in contentment as David slid out of his seat and settled beside her. “Listen, are you going to be here later? ‘Cause I have to talk to you guys about the upcoming dance we’re having. I have to survey what students want and don’t want. Taxing job, true enough, but it’s worth it.”
“Alright,” Tom agreed (they were going back there anyway after seeing Giovanna off), and Carla grinned at him one more time before turning around. The four waved at each other, and Carla rounded immediately on Johnny Donaldson, who had just emerged from the bathroom and was now inching uneasily away from them. Carla bumped into Martha along the way, and she apologized quickly, not wanting to lose sight of Johnny, who was already halfway out the doors as if being chased by a rabid dog.
“The usual, I take it?” she asked as calmly as she could when she came upon their table once again. Both boys nodded, and she jotted down the information on the notebook before grudgingly disappearing once again.
They talked a bit as they waited for their order; mostly it was just Tom talking about Harrow and his life there. He told Danny that he went to church every Sunday, for his father was a devout catholic, but stopped once they moved, for his mother was not. He really didn’t know if he believed in God; he never actually gave it much thought. Thinking about it now, however, he could believe it if there were two Gods: one benevolent and the other wicked. He wondered at the power structure they could possibly possess; surely when one overpowers the other, then whoever was stronger would take control. Maybe that was why people had their good days and bad days… He shook the ridiculous thought away and continued talking about his schools, how he slept over his friends’ houses, and, to sate Danny’s request, how he met Giovanna. It was easier talking about her now rather than avoiding the subject altogether.
He felt liberated, and he kicked the shackles away as he enjoyed his newfound freedom; he could talk about his life as much as he wanted now without worrying about the minor details that entailed it.
Martha appeared with their order about twenty minutes later, but it had taken no less than ten minutes to finish the pizza, which was now reduced to a mess of crumbs and uneaten pieces. Danny belched loudly after setting his glass down, and Tom followed suit, beating a laughing Danny by two seconds.
They pushed their way through the people, for they didn’t want to miss Giovanna leaving, and, once successful, they stepped back out into the warm sunshine.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Tom said dreamily as they made their way to his house, much too enamored with Danny’s company to care about anything at the moment.
“Not as beautiful as you are,” replied Danny with a smile, and Tom playfully punched him on his chest, feeling that the remark was so cheesy, although his heart bounced and leapt around his ribcage in joy.
“Cheeky bastard,” Tom chuckled, and Danny’s response was to catch the blonde around the shoulder and pull him close; Tom didn’t object.
They arrived about seven minutes later, and soon Tom found himself opening the door, where numerous suitcases occupied the immediate area around the sofa. The two made their way around them, Danny accidentally stumbling upon one right next to the table facing the sofa; he steered his fall so he would flop on the comfort of the sofa instead of the hard floor, and Tom laughed at his little misfortune, striding over to his side to pat his head lovingly.
At the precise moment Danny fell, Giovanna had appeared from the kitchen, cheeks puffed out from pressure exerted from the inside, chewing absentmindedly as she watched the two boys laughing, wondering what all the commotion was about. Tom was the first to notice her emergence, and he quickly stood up, waving a hand slightly. She was wearing the Hello Kitty apparel he had bought her the day before, and Tom couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her.
“You’re earlier than expected,” Giovanna said after gulping down whatever she was eating and she swept over to them, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She sat on one of the suitcases cross-legged and watched as the two conducted themselves into an acceptable sitting position on the sofa, Danny having quite a difficulty in doing so since he was previously laying facedown. Once settled, they looked at each other for a while, the dropping of a pin enough to shatter the silence around them.
“Alright,” said Giovanna, having enough of the quiet, as she clasped her hands together. “Let’s get our stories straight before your mum or my dad asks. I was planning to do this later, but seeing as you’re here already, why wait?” Tom and Danny exchanged looks at Giovanna’s professionalism, as if she was pitching something important to a big company.
“Okay, I’ve told your mum that I’ve found somebody else right before I came here, but I didn’t want to stand you up so I came anyway. I planned to tell you about him-the boy-and then leave after I did. But I told your mum it was too much for me to handle, so I came home crying. With me so far?”
Both boys nodded, awestruck by her stunning display of wit, but said nothing. She continued.
“I told her I broke it off when you came back, and you took it well enough considering. Now this part’s important: do not tell her about you two just yet. One night is much too fast even for a budding relationship. She would-and most probably will-suspect something, and you’d be in loads of trouble for having a relationship while you were still in another one. You know how she is about that-you’ve seen it. Now, as for me, I’ve told her I only liked the boy-we didn’t have something special or anything of the sort-and she’ll let that slide. But in your case, I think she has suspicions-that’s why she wanted you to spend as much time with me as possible. If she sees that you two can’t get your hands off each other, it’s a sure sign that her hunch was right, and God help you if you found yourselves buried alive. So until then, try to act as if you’re still only friends and don’t grope each other. Just wait a week or so, tell her you developed feelings for Danny, and then you tell her. Agreed?”
Once again, they could only muster curt nods, and Tom could see from the corner of his eyes that Danny’s mouth was slightly agape.
“Wow. You’ve really thought this through,” said Tom in wonder, bringing his gaze back to Giovanna, whose face immediately tinged with pink.
“I just don’t want you two to get in trouble,” she said with a smile, beginning to stand up. “Now I have to finish packing. If you’re kind enough, can you please arrange these suitcases so no one would trip over them.” She gave a quick glance at Danny, who beamed brightly in response, and made her way up the stairs. As soon as the footsteps disappeared, both boys went to work, pushing one suitcase after another to one side of the living room.
The tasked scraped off a generous amount of time, and as soon as Tom positioned the last case against the one right behind it, the door opened to reveal his mother standing behind a reasonably tall and portly man who Tom recognized immediately as Giovanna’s father; the door was just enough to accommodate his girth, and he ambled inside with his large chest puffed out, emanating an air of importance. He stopped a few feet from Tom, who at once straightened up to his full height (though he was still shy of a few inches), and held out a beefy hand. Tom smiled and gladly accepted it with his own, and after a few shakes, both males withdrew.
“I’m sorry about all this,” said Mr. Falcone, in a rather lazy drawl, his voice so deep Tom felt the entire house vibrating slightly. “But once little Gio’s mind’s set, there’s no changing it. I’m sure you understand.” Tom merely nodded in compliance, not really knowing what to say. “Well, then, where is the little angel?” Before Tom could answer, Giovanna had already made her way down the stairs and was halfway through the living room. Looking up at the stairs, he saw that she had neglected her last suitcase (it was the pink one) on one of the steps. Danny imitated what Tom did and patted his shoulder.
“I’ll get it,” said Danny just as Tom heard Giovanna squeal in glee, and the blonde turned just in time to see her in a potentially bone-crushing vice grip initiated by her father. But she didn’t seem to mind, and by the looks of Mr. Falcone, it was most likely how they displayed their reunion. He shrugged and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek as she passed him by on the way to the kitchen.
“I’m just staying to eat, for I am starving; Airline food never gave me justice with their miniscule jiggery-pokery they proudly call ‘food’,” said Mr. Falcone as he placed his daughter to the side. “Your mother’s cooking, however, is a much different scenario altogether. You are very lucky to have her around as much as you do right now. Very lucky indeed.” He lingered for a moment, and Tom leaned his head in a bit as if asking him to go on, but he didn’t, and he pulled his head back like a turtle. It may just be him, but it seemed as though he fancied his mother. Smiling, he gave a nod of respect and strode over to help Danny with the last suitcase. The pattering of footsteps behind him told him that Giovanna was escorting her father to the dining room.
“I think he fancies your mum,” Danny said with a smile, motioning with his head to Mr. Falcone’s direction, who had just disappeared into the dining room. Tom couldn’t help but laugh.
“If they do get together, it’ll be kind of awkward,” admitted Tom as they made their way back to the sofa. They collapsed there as soon as Danny brought down the pink case, and the two listened to each other’s breathing for a while, a respectable distance between them as to not elicit the response from his mother (or Giovanna’s father) that Giovanna, as well as himself, was dreading.
Growing bored, the two resorted to playing I Spy in an attempt to drown out the clatter of utensils and loud bellows of laughter (obviously from Mr. Falcone) issuing from the dining room.
After what seemed like forever, the three finally appeared in the living room, and each one carried a suitcase with them to the car outside, Danny kind enough to take Giovanna’s when she attempted to even lift one up. They managed to place every single one in the back of the car without much difficulty, and they said their final goodbyes.
“I’ll miss you,” said Tom as he pulled Giovanna into a tight hug.
“I’ll miss you, too. I promise I’ll come visit.” With that, they parted (“That, we will,” said Mr. Falcone, flashing a smile at Mrs. Fletcher), and Giovanna, turning to Danny, extended a hand and said, “It was very nice meeting you, Danny. Take care of Tom for me, will you?”
“Of course,” Danny said with a smile, catching her hand in his own. Turning his head, he saw a surprised Tom being subjected to the same bear hug Mr. Falcone did to his daughter, and he smiled when the blonde struggled to wrap his arms around the larger man; he looked so much like a ball, Danny thought giddily.
Releasing Tom, Mr. Falcone and his daughter slipped inside Mrs. Fletcher’s car, and they waved as they watched the car drive off into the road, disappearing from their view as they turned a corner.
“Memory Lane?” asked Tom when he was confident they were out of the vicinity.
“Come on,” replied Danny with a toss of his curly head, and both made their way back to the café.
They arrived much faster than earlier; they ran briskly without any intention of stopping. This was because Danny insisted at a race, the loser paying for their food, and Tom agreed at once, not even giving Danny the time to absorb what had just happened as he sped off a few feet. They were careful to avoid passersby; once, Tom went so close to bumping on an old woman carrying a grocery bag, he had to twist and swerve out of her way, giving Danny just the time he needed to get the lead. Tom recovered, however, and once gaining enough momentum, rocketed past a befuddled Danny into the café. Danny hung his head in playful disgrace as he entered, and Tom strode over to him, placing a kiss on his cheek.
Now that they surveyed their surroundings, Memory Lane was much emptier than it had been; there were only a handful of people there left: an old couple on the far end, a lone student typing on his laptop right behind them, a sullen clown stirring his drink with his forefinger, his cheek resting on his palm (Tom admitted it was the oddest thing he had ever seen), and three people on the end farthest them. At once, he recognized the blazing red hair that belonged to Carla, and, moving over to see who she was talking to, saw Sam with a bored look on his face.
They approached them without hesitation and stood beside the table. Carla snapped her head at once to them, a delighted smile etched on her face. Sam noticed this and immediately seized his chance at freedom, sliding out of the seat and walking quickly across the café (“I-er-have to go help-er-my mum,” he said hurriedly, and soon he was out of their view).
Tom and Danny took the spot he previously occupied and gripped each other’s hands under the table.
“Alright,” started Carla, flipping her hair away from her face, “Let’s talk about the dance. Now, what I was thinking was…” That was all Tom heard before he and Danny erupted into a secret game of Thumb War, trying hard to suppress their smiles whenever one of them lost.
It was like that for about thirty minutes: Carla going on about multi-colored balloons and glittering confetti; David glancing over at the clock perched on the wall right beside the counter every now and then; Tom and Danny nodding absentmindedly and finding new ways to keep their hands occupied under the table to escape her speech.
Tom shot up from his seat in the middle of her tirade about past dance organizers and how they ruined every single one of the dances to refill his drink, and he walked over to the counter where Martha was reading the morning paper.
“Didn’t have the time to read this,” she told him as she poured orange juice in his glass, “Bloody people worked me like a dog all day. At least they’ve found out who broke in.”
“Who were they?” asked Tom in curiosity as he accepted his drink.
“Just two escaped convicts. Strings of burglary, nothing too major. Glad they’re off the streets, though.” Tom nodded his thanks and walked back to their table, his cold drink clasped tightly in one hand. It was then that he heard a voice behind him, and the realization of who it had come from made the hairs on the back of his head stand up: it had come from Cole.
“Hey, Fletcher,” he said scathingly, and Tom had barely turned around all the way when he continued, “This is for that fucking video!”
A brutal blow to the stomach, knocking the wind out of the blonde, and a bloodcurdling shriek; Tom found himself on the floor on his knees, his arms around the assaulted area, and without warning, he expelled a viscous red liquid from his mouth and onto the freshly polished floor.
“Tom!” he heard Danny yell in a frenzied voice, and he turned around just in time to see the brunette running frantically over to him, but he never witnessed what happened next, for, with an equally violent kick on the back of his head, everything turned black.
Author: valquiris
Part: 17/18
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and sexual situations
Pairing: Fletcher/Jones
Genre: Romance
Summary: “I see,” she said, turning to Danny. “You gave him quite a hard time, you know. Poor Tom cried his heart out.” Tom felt Danny’s hold tightening, and he shot the brunette a comforting look, nodding all the while in agreement to Carla’s accusation.
A/N: Two-day window, I know, but I was bored last night so I coughed this one up. One more chapter to go! ^-^
Disclaimer: I do not own McFly in any way.
Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10 || Chapter 11 || Chapter 12 || Chapter 13 || Chapter 14 || Chapter 15 || Chapter 16
The sound of fabrics shuffling from somewhere not too far woke Tom up, and he slowly opened his eyes to survey his surroundings. They fell immediately on Danny, whose back was turned to him, fumbling with, as Tom could hear the buckle loud and clear, his belt. He didn’t have a shirt on, and Tom smiled as he traced an imaginary boat on his back using the sprinkles of freckles running along his skin. It was at that moment that the events of the night before flooded back in his mind, and he couldn’t help but smile.
He had Danny back in his life, and Giovanna was fine with everything, even to the point of letting him go when he knew well enough that, even though she admitted otherwise, she needed his company before she went home. Then it suddenly dawned upon Tom that he hadn’t told Danny yet that Giovanna would be coming home in a few hours, and he quickly shot up in a sitting position. Danny heard the movement behind him and he turned his head to look at Tom over his shoulder, a wide smile on his face.
“Hey.”
The simple greeting made Tom laugh a bit, though he didn’t really know the reason why, but Danny exchanged the laugh nonetheless, convincing Tom it wasn’t a bad idea after all.
“Hey,” Tom answered back, letting his feet dangle from the bed until the tip of his toes touched the cold floor. Then suddenly remembering this thoughts from earlier, he added, “I forgot to tell you last night. Gio’s-”
“I know, don’t worry.” His response addled Tom’s brain. So he’s psychic now? Apparently noticing the enigmatic look on the blonde’s face, he continued. “She came over last night when you were sleeping. Said your mum was worried sick. I wanted to wake you up but she said no. Then she told me she’d be going home today, and to not forget to wake you up at eight thirty.” Tom instinctively looked around for a clock, but he found none whatsoever, and he asked Danny instead for the time when his watch gleamed over his brown eyes.
“Almost seven thirty,” he answered, striding over to Tom and sitting on the spot next to him. His fingers snaked over to grab Tom’s hand, who happily continued the action. They were silent for a while, both looking at each other’s reflection in the mirror propped on the drawer opposite them.
“I like her,” Danny said, breaking his eye contact with Tom’s reflection and settling it on Tom’s hair, which flashed gold when the sunlight outside the window swept past it. “She was just calm, considering what’d just happened, and she was smiling the whole time she talked to me. She really loves you, y’know?” The latter made Tom’s eyes snap to Danny, and his hand unconsciously gripped the brunette’s tighter. Danny only chuckled.
“Now you’re making me feel bad,” said Tom, guilt growing evident on his face, and Danny released Tom’s hold on his hand and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, bringing him closer. Tom could feel the heat rebounding off Danny’s exposed torso through his shirt, and he smiled sullenly.
“Whatever for?” asked Danny, dropping his face and resting his forehead on Tom’s temple.
“It’s just… She was so good to me, and I’ve been the exact opposite.” Danny shook his head in disagreement.
“You haven’t, really. We all have our ups and downs, we just learn to deal with them and move on.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same as that. I’ve been an arse to both of you; to you for not telling you about Gio and to her for not telling her about you. It’s just, looking back, I can’t help but beat myself up over it.” He knew this was true, and he kept his eyes to his feet the whole time he was talking, tracing geometric shapes on the floor with his toes as a diversion from Danny’s sympathetic eyes.
“Yes, you messed up. But that’s all in the past. No sense in coming back to it unless you’re not satisfied with wha’ you have right now.” He craned his neck to face Danny, whose face was lit up by a bright smile, and Tom couldn’t help but smile back. He wanted to press on his argument, feeling that he needed to be told he had been wrong and that he should be told off for everything he’s done, but somehow Danny’s smile eradicated the thought, and he found his lips being caught in Danny’s in a sudden kiss.
“Come on, go get ready,” said Danny after they parted, and he proceeded to stand up with his back to the blonde to finish getting dressed. Tom stretched his arms in the air, yawning loudly in doing so, as he watched Danny slip on his “Sex Pistols” shirt, and he pushed himself off the bed with a slight jump. Tom caught Danny’s eyes in the mirror the moment he managed his footing, and he strode over to the brunette, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin on his shoulder.
“Wha’?” asked Danny, turning his head to beam at Tom. Tom kissed his neck, the same way Danny did the previous night, and the response was the same; Danny shivered and Tom giggled.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now get dressed, Ah’m starving.” With a laugh, Tom retracted his arms and made for the bathroom. He stopped, however, once he was under the doorsill, for something popped in his head. He wasn’t at his house, therefore he didn’t have any clothes to change into. Danny noticed his abrupt halt, and, as Tom spun around to ask him for clothes, he ambled over to the bed and snatched a set of clothes draped on the headboard.
“Gio brought these when she came. She probably knew you were staying. Smart bird, tha’ one,” Danny explained with a wide grin when he saw the puzzled expression etched on Tom’s face. Tom received the clothes in his outstretched arm and pecked Danny one last time on the cheek before making his way out for the second time.
He couldn’t help himself; the exhilaration was just too much for him to handle. He wanted to steal as many kisses as he possibly could, for the uncertainty of tomorrow suddenly pressed itself upon his heart, daunting him-threatening him, even-with that torturous emptiness and despair he desperately hoped he would never again have the displeasure of feeling. He shook the thoughts away the moment he stuck a foot on the cold bathroom tiles, and he proceeded to brush his teeth with the toothbrush marked “Tom” (he told Tom he went and got two toothbrushes, just in case Tom wanted to sleep over); he slipped on the clothes shortly after.
He walked out of the bathroom and sauntered into the living room, where he found Danny on the sofa tying his shoelaces, his eyebrows drawn together in deep concentration. He lifted his head up after sensing the blonde’s presence, and at once hustled to finish what he was doing just as Tom settled in the space next to him.
“She took the bags, too,” Danny pointed out, and Tom didn’t know what he was talking about until he looked around. It was then that he recalled the mental note he made himself take, and in his mind, he kicked himself for not remembering.
Successfully tying the last knot needed to secure his shoe, Danny sat up and clapped his hands together, making Tom jump a bit in surprise.
“Ready to go?” the brunette asked, and Tom nodded his reply, already getting to his feet. They left the house together, Danny stopping shortly to get his wallet and his keys from the little plate that held them, and Tom seized Danny’s hand as they made their way across the sidewalk.
The sun shone brightly over them, bearing neither a portent of dark clouds that signaled rain nor any sign of snow. It felt quite like a nice summer day, now that Tom thought about it, and that the snow they crushed under their feet as they strode on were nothing more than white grass littering the ground, glistening like glitter from a child’s art project as the sunlight swept over them. To Tom, it seemed as though the weather expressed the things he was feeling in a precise moment in time; snow fell whenever he felt depressed, the wind whipped mercilessly around him whenever he felt a strong surge of emotion, good or bad, and right now, the warmth of the sun wrapped him in its comforting, golden splendor just as he felt happiness and love.
They came upon Memory Lane in no less than ten minutes (the walk seemed longer to Tom, but at least he would finally put an end to the incessant growling his stomach produced half the way there) and they both entered the threshold, the tinkling of the bell meeting their ears.
Inside was bustling with activity, something that surprised Tom considering the earliness of the day. Nevertheless, he was relieved to find their table empty, and he tugged Danny over to it, only just escaping the throngs of people already congregating around the counter to declare their second orders (that’s what Tom heard one of them say, anyway). They settled comfortably in their seats, facing each other, and Tom turned his head just in time to see Martha irritably pushing her way between two arguing men.
“Oh, the nerve of these people,” Martha exclaimed exasperatedly as she came upon their table. “Been giving orders non-stop since six!”
“What’s with the sudden influx?” inquired Tom as he watched Martha angrily flipping the pages in her notebook, her pen held between two fingers.
“Two cafés were broken into last night,” she replied, shaking her head as she flipped to the last page. “Stole everything from the cash registers to forks. What this world is coming to…” She trailed off as she closed the notebook altogether, and she stuck her pen behind her ears. “I’ll be right back. Have to get a new book.” She turned on the spot and made her way back to the mass of people, and at once, she was swallowed as soon as she got near the two males, who were still going on about their argument.
The two boys turned back to each other with a laugh, and no sooner had Tom’s eyes met Danny’s than someone screamed amidst the violent chatter of the people, and they snapped their head to the sound immediately. Their eyes found Carla hand in hand with David emerging from the crowd, the same exasperated look as Martha’s on her face.
“Watch it!” she snapped angrily, turning back to yell at someone she couldn’t very well see as far as Tom was concerned. “Stepped on my foot!” David ushered her back with a look that said “there’s no need with these people” and caught Tom’s eyes. Carla noticed soon after, almost immediately changing her demeanor at the sight of him, and both made their way to them, Carla sporting a wide smile in spite of the frustration she was exhibiting just a moment before.
“I see you’ve made up,” said Carla brightly as she took the spot next to Danny, who moved over to provide the space she needed. David did the same next to Tom. “I guess there’s no need to explain to me anymore, is there, Tom?” She beamed at Tom, and he reciprocated with one of his own.
“Yeah, everything’s good now.” Tom snaked his hand across the table to grasp Danny’s. “Better than ever, actually.”
“I see,” she said, turning to Danny. “You gave him quite a hard time, you know. Poor Tom cried his heart out.” Tom felt Danny’s hold tightening, and he shot the brunette a comforting look, nodding all the while in agreement to Carla’s accusation.
“And you,” she rounded on Tom, whose eyes widened a bit at the remark. “No wonder he gave you a hard time, you had a girlfriend!” Tom smiled; he didn’t need to explain anything to Carla, she seemed to manage brilliantly on her own. Tom stole a sideways glance at David, who jerked his head to Carla with a look that said “that’s none of your business.” David wasn’t much of a talker, but his expressions were enough to get his message across, and Carla relented at once, getting to her feet.
“At least everything’s alright now,” she sighed in contentment as David slid out of his seat and settled beside her. “Listen, are you going to be here later? ‘Cause I have to talk to you guys about the upcoming dance we’re having. I have to survey what students want and don’t want. Taxing job, true enough, but it’s worth it.”
“Alright,” Tom agreed (they were going back there anyway after seeing Giovanna off), and Carla grinned at him one more time before turning around. The four waved at each other, and Carla rounded immediately on Johnny Donaldson, who had just emerged from the bathroom and was now inching uneasily away from them. Carla bumped into Martha along the way, and she apologized quickly, not wanting to lose sight of Johnny, who was already halfway out the doors as if being chased by a rabid dog.
“The usual, I take it?” she asked as calmly as she could when she came upon their table once again. Both boys nodded, and she jotted down the information on the notebook before grudgingly disappearing once again.
They talked a bit as they waited for their order; mostly it was just Tom talking about Harrow and his life there. He told Danny that he went to church every Sunday, for his father was a devout catholic, but stopped once they moved, for his mother was not. He really didn’t know if he believed in God; he never actually gave it much thought. Thinking about it now, however, he could believe it if there were two Gods: one benevolent and the other wicked. He wondered at the power structure they could possibly possess; surely when one overpowers the other, then whoever was stronger would take control. Maybe that was why people had their good days and bad days… He shook the ridiculous thought away and continued talking about his schools, how he slept over his friends’ houses, and, to sate Danny’s request, how he met Giovanna. It was easier talking about her now rather than avoiding the subject altogether.
He felt liberated, and he kicked the shackles away as he enjoyed his newfound freedom; he could talk about his life as much as he wanted now without worrying about the minor details that entailed it.
Martha appeared with their order about twenty minutes later, but it had taken no less than ten minutes to finish the pizza, which was now reduced to a mess of crumbs and uneaten pieces. Danny belched loudly after setting his glass down, and Tom followed suit, beating a laughing Danny by two seconds.
They pushed their way through the people, for they didn’t want to miss Giovanna leaving, and, once successful, they stepped back out into the warm sunshine.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Tom said dreamily as they made their way to his house, much too enamored with Danny’s company to care about anything at the moment.
“Not as beautiful as you are,” replied Danny with a smile, and Tom playfully punched him on his chest, feeling that the remark was so cheesy, although his heart bounced and leapt around his ribcage in joy.
“Cheeky bastard,” Tom chuckled, and Danny’s response was to catch the blonde around the shoulder and pull him close; Tom didn’t object.
They arrived about seven minutes later, and soon Tom found himself opening the door, where numerous suitcases occupied the immediate area around the sofa. The two made their way around them, Danny accidentally stumbling upon one right next to the table facing the sofa; he steered his fall so he would flop on the comfort of the sofa instead of the hard floor, and Tom laughed at his little misfortune, striding over to his side to pat his head lovingly.
At the precise moment Danny fell, Giovanna had appeared from the kitchen, cheeks puffed out from pressure exerted from the inside, chewing absentmindedly as she watched the two boys laughing, wondering what all the commotion was about. Tom was the first to notice her emergence, and he quickly stood up, waving a hand slightly. She was wearing the Hello Kitty apparel he had bought her the day before, and Tom couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her.
“You’re earlier than expected,” Giovanna said after gulping down whatever she was eating and she swept over to them, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She sat on one of the suitcases cross-legged and watched as the two conducted themselves into an acceptable sitting position on the sofa, Danny having quite a difficulty in doing so since he was previously laying facedown. Once settled, they looked at each other for a while, the dropping of a pin enough to shatter the silence around them.
“Alright,” said Giovanna, having enough of the quiet, as she clasped her hands together. “Let’s get our stories straight before your mum or my dad asks. I was planning to do this later, but seeing as you’re here already, why wait?” Tom and Danny exchanged looks at Giovanna’s professionalism, as if she was pitching something important to a big company.
“Okay, I’ve told your mum that I’ve found somebody else right before I came here, but I didn’t want to stand you up so I came anyway. I planned to tell you about him-the boy-and then leave after I did. But I told your mum it was too much for me to handle, so I came home crying. With me so far?”
Both boys nodded, awestruck by her stunning display of wit, but said nothing. She continued.
“I told her I broke it off when you came back, and you took it well enough considering. Now this part’s important: do not tell her about you two just yet. One night is much too fast even for a budding relationship. She would-and most probably will-suspect something, and you’d be in loads of trouble for having a relationship while you were still in another one. You know how she is about that-you’ve seen it. Now, as for me, I’ve told her I only liked the boy-we didn’t have something special or anything of the sort-and she’ll let that slide. But in your case, I think she has suspicions-that’s why she wanted you to spend as much time with me as possible. If she sees that you two can’t get your hands off each other, it’s a sure sign that her hunch was right, and God help you if you found yourselves buried alive. So until then, try to act as if you’re still only friends and don’t grope each other. Just wait a week or so, tell her you developed feelings for Danny, and then you tell her. Agreed?”
Once again, they could only muster curt nods, and Tom could see from the corner of his eyes that Danny’s mouth was slightly agape.
“Wow. You’ve really thought this through,” said Tom in wonder, bringing his gaze back to Giovanna, whose face immediately tinged with pink.
“I just don’t want you two to get in trouble,” she said with a smile, beginning to stand up. “Now I have to finish packing. If you’re kind enough, can you please arrange these suitcases so no one would trip over them.” She gave a quick glance at Danny, who beamed brightly in response, and made her way up the stairs. As soon as the footsteps disappeared, both boys went to work, pushing one suitcase after another to one side of the living room.
The tasked scraped off a generous amount of time, and as soon as Tom positioned the last case against the one right behind it, the door opened to reveal his mother standing behind a reasonably tall and portly man who Tom recognized immediately as Giovanna’s father; the door was just enough to accommodate his girth, and he ambled inside with his large chest puffed out, emanating an air of importance. He stopped a few feet from Tom, who at once straightened up to his full height (though he was still shy of a few inches), and held out a beefy hand. Tom smiled and gladly accepted it with his own, and after a few shakes, both males withdrew.
“I’m sorry about all this,” said Mr. Falcone, in a rather lazy drawl, his voice so deep Tom felt the entire house vibrating slightly. “But once little Gio’s mind’s set, there’s no changing it. I’m sure you understand.” Tom merely nodded in compliance, not really knowing what to say. “Well, then, where is the little angel?” Before Tom could answer, Giovanna had already made her way down the stairs and was halfway through the living room. Looking up at the stairs, he saw that she had neglected her last suitcase (it was the pink one) on one of the steps. Danny imitated what Tom did and patted his shoulder.
“I’ll get it,” said Danny just as Tom heard Giovanna squeal in glee, and the blonde turned just in time to see her in a potentially bone-crushing vice grip initiated by her father. But she didn’t seem to mind, and by the looks of Mr. Falcone, it was most likely how they displayed their reunion. He shrugged and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek as she passed him by on the way to the kitchen.
“I’m just staying to eat, for I am starving; Airline food never gave me justice with their miniscule jiggery-pokery they proudly call ‘food’,” said Mr. Falcone as he placed his daughter to the side. “Your mother’s cooking, however, is a much different scenario altogether. You are very lucky to have her around as much as you do right now. Very lucky indeed.” He lingered for a moment, and Tom leaned his head in a bit as if asking him to go on, but he didn’t, and he pulled his head back like a turtle. It may just be him, but it seemed as though he fancied his mother. Smiling, he gave a nod of respect and strode over to help Danny with the last suitcase. The pattering of footsteps behind him told him that Giovanna was escorting her father to the dining room.
“I think he fancies your mum,” Danny said with a smile, motioning with his head to Mr. Falcone’s direction, who had just disappeared into the dining room. Tom couldn’t help but laugh.
“If they do get together, it’ll be kind of awkward,” admitted Tom as they made their way back to the sofa. They collapsed there as soon as Danny brought down the pink case, and the two listened to each other’s breathing for a while, a respectable distance between them as to not elicit the response from his mother (or Giovanna’s father) that Giovanna, as well as himself, was dreading.
Growing bored, the two resorted to playing I Spy in an attempt to drown out the clatter of utensils and loud bellows of laughter (obviously from Mr. Falcone) issuing from the dining room.
After what seemed like forever, the three finally appeared in the living room, and each one carried a suitcase with them to the car outside, Danny kind enough to take Giovanna’s when she attempted to even lift one up. They managed to place every single one in the back of the car without much difficulty, and they said their final goodbyes.
“I’ll miss you,” said Tom as he pulled Giovanna into a tight hug.
“I’ll miss you, too. I promise I’ll come visit.” With that, they parted (“That, we will,” said Mr. Falcone, flashing a smile at Mrs. Fletcher), and Giovanna, turning to Danny, extended a hand and said, “It was very nice meeting you, Danny. Take care of Tom for me, will you?”
“Of course,” Danny said with a smile, catching her hand in his own. Turning his head, he saw a surprised Tom being subjected to the same bear hug Mr. Falcone did to his daughter, and he smiled when the blonde struggled to wrap his arms around the larger man; he looked so much like a ball, Danny thought giddily.
Releasing Tom, Mr. Falcone and his daughter slipped inside Mrs. Fletcher’s car, and they waved as they watched the car drive off into the road, disappearing from their view as they turned a corner.
“Memory Lane?” asked Tom when he was confident they were out of the vicinity.
“Come on,” replied Danny with a toss of his curly head, and both made their way back to the café.
They arrived much faster than earlier; they ran briskly without any intention of stopping. This was because Danny insisted at a race, the loser paying for their food, and Tom agreed at once, not even giving Danny the time to absorb what had just happened as he sped off a few feet. They were careful to avoid passersby; once, Tom went so close to bumping on an old woman carrying a grocery bag, he had to twist and swerve out of her way, giving Danny just the time he needed to get the lead. Tom recovered, however, and once gaining enough momentum, rocketed past a befuddled Danny into the café. Danny hung his head in playful disgrace as he entered, and Tom strode over to him, placing a kiss on his cheek.
Now that they surveyed their surroundings, Memory Lane was much emptier than it had been; there were only a handful of people there left: an old couple on the far end, a lone student typing on his laptop right behind them, a sullen clown stirring his drink with his forefinger, his cheek resting on his palm (Tom admitted it was the oddest thing he had ever seen), and three people on the end farthest them. At once, he recognized the blazing red hair that belonged to Carla, and, moving over to see who she was talking to, saw Sam with a bored look on his face.
They approached them without hesitation and stood beside the table. Carla snapped her head at once to them, a delighted smile etched on her face. Sam noticed this and immediately seized his chance at freedom, sliding out of the seat and walking quickly across the café (“I-er-have to go help-er-my mum,” he said hurriedly, and soon he was out of their view).
Tom and Danny took the spot he previously occupied and gripped each other’s hands under the table.
“Alright,” started Carla, flipping her hair away from her face, “Let’s talk about the dance. Now, what I was thinking was…” That was all Tom heard before he and Danny erupted into a secret game of Thumb War, trying hard to suppress their smiles whenever one of them lost.
It was like that for about thirty minutes: Carla going on about multi-colored balloons and glittering confetti; David glancing over at the clock perched on the wall right beside the counter every now and then; Tom and Danny nodding absentmindedly and finding new ways to keep their hands occupied under the table to escape her speech.
Tom shot up from his seat in the middle of her tirade about past dance organizers and how they ruined every single one of the dances to refill his drink, and he walked over to the counter where Martha was reading the morning paper.
“Didn’t have the time to read this,” she told him as she poured orange juice in his glass, “Bloody people worked me like a dog all day. At least they’ve found out who broke in.”
“Who were they?” asked Tom in curiosity as he accepted his drink.
“Just two escaped convicts. Strings of burglary, nothing too major. Glad they’re off the streets, though.” Tom nodded his thanks and walked back to their table, his cold drink clasped tightly in one hand. It was then that he heard a voice behind him, and the realization of who it had come from made the hairs on the back of his head stand up: it had come from Cole.
“Hey, Fletcher,” he said scathingly, and Tom had barely turned around all the way when he continued, “This is for that fucking video!”
A brutal blow to the stomach, knocking the wind out of the blonde, and a bloodcurdling shriek; Tom found himself on the floor on his knees, his arms around the assaulted area, and without warning, he expelled a viscous red liquid from his mouth and onto the freshly polished floor.
“Tom!” he heard Danny yell in a frenzied voice, and he turned around just in time to see the brunette running frantically over to him, but he never witnessed what happened next, for, with an equally violent kick on the back of his head, everything turned black.