Daddy David (2/6)
Title: Daddy David
Author: Me-Rebecka (jesuisunalien)
Pairing: Pierre/David
Chapter: 2/6
Summary: David never thought he'd be cut out to be a dad, but one day he has to face his mistakes.
Disclaimer: Never happened.
ONE
TWO
The phone was blaring in David's ear around eight AM. He let it ring until ten, when the pounding on his front door began. He groaned and answered the door and the phone at the same time, not surprised to see that the person at the door and the person on the phone was Chuck.
“What?” David demanded, rubbing his eyes.
“I just wanted to make sure you're ready to go.”
“I am.”
“And...the kid?”
“Danny is ready, too.”
“Good. Okay then. Meet us at the bus place by twelve, okay?”
“Yeah, fine.”
“Okay,” Chuck said, starting to walk away. “David?”
“Yeah?”
“Sorry for...acting so stupid yesterday. I just...I don't know. You having a kid is like me having a husband-which is the most unlikely thing that will ever happen. I was just...surprised.”
“I know.”
“I shouldn't have acted like that, especially in front of him.”
“It's cool. He probably doesn't even remember.”
“Okay then.”
“See you at twelve,” David said, waving goodbye to Chuck before going back inside. He sighed and brought the bags out to his car before going to wake Danny. They needed to eat breakfast and dress before they left.
Danny was grumpy and seemed confused when David woke him, but he slowly got into the grove of things. He sat at the breakfast table quietly as David poured him a bowl of cereal. He ate even more quietly, the spoon slipping from his gloved fingers a few times.
“What's up?” David finally asked.
“Nothing.”
“Come on, you can tell me.”
Danny shrugged and ate another bite of his cereal.
“Are you nervous about going on tour with me?”
“No.”
“Is it Chuck?”
“No.”
“Then what's wrong?”
“My mommy is dead,” Danny said simply. He put his spoon down and looked at David as tears filled his eyes. “She's dead.”
“I...” David sputtered. “Yeah, she is. I'm sorry.”
“My mommy is dead,” Danny cried, putting his head in his hands. “And she left me with you.”
David didn't know what to say. He wrapped his arms around Danny, but the boy didn't hug him back. He just cried harder.
“S-she left m-me with y-you...and you d-don't even w-want me!”
“Of course I want you, Danny.”
“You don't,” he said. “I'm just...a r-respons-sibil-ity.”
David sighed. “Don't think that...I know I said it, but it's not true. I-I'm your father, and that means I have an obligation to take care of you...but if I didn't, then...I don't know. You probably wouldn't be here.”
“You don't want me.”
“Of course I want you. This is all just...so sudden. I don't know how to take care of anyone, barely even myself!”
“Matt didn't want me either,” Danny cried. “He left 'cause he didn't want me!”
“Who is Matt?”
“Mommy's friend, Matt. He was suppost t'be my n-new daddy. But I got you instead.”
“I'm not that bad, am I?”
“You don't want me,” Danny said again.
“I do want you, Danny, really! Just give me a shot. I know I'm not the greatest guy in the world...but I can be a cool dad, or friend, or whatever you want me to be.”
“You'll just send me away...Matt did.”
“Well I'm not Matt. I want you with me, no matter what Chuck or anyone else says. I'm just getting to know you and...I like you, okay? I wouldn't send you away.”
“Please don't,” Danny cried, finally hugging David back. He didn't pull away until he had cried his little heart out, and finally just sat staring at David.
“I promise I'll never send you away, unless you want to go. Okay?”
Danny nodded and wiped his eyes.
“Now come on, are you finished eating?”
He nodded again.
“Well I guess we have to go get ready now,” David sighed. “Come on,” he said, holding out his hand. Danny took it and followed David into the bedroom. He choose two articles of clothing that didn't match at all, but David just shrugged and nodded. They dressed and then went into the washroom so David could prepare himself for the day.
He was in the process of putting eyeliner on when he noticed Danny staring at him.
“What?”
“You're putting make up on.”
“Yeah.”
“Make up is for girls.”
“It is not! It's for whoever wants to wear it. You want some?”
Danny thought for a moment before looking at David's face and then at his in the mirror. He finally nodded.
“Okay, I'll just do a little bit, and then we'll fix your hair.”
Danny sat still as David applied eyeshadow and a few other elements to the younger's face. When he had finished, Danny inspected himself in the mirror.
“Okay,” he said.
“Okay?”
“I look pretty.”
David laughed and nodded. “Of course you do,” he laughed, before finishing his own make up. He checked his clock and saw that it was already eleven thirty. They had to leave if they wanted to be on time and not be yelled at by Chuck.
“Got your shoes?”
“Yeah.”
“Come on, we don't want to be late.”
Danny followed behind David and watched intently as he locked up his house. David buckled him into the back seat, since he figured kids were supposed to ride back there anyway, and then drove towards the bus garage. They were the second to last ones to arrive, but it was a honorable occurrence since he was usually twenty minutes late for everything.
When Jeff arrived, five minutes late, they all boarded the bus and waited for the driver to hurry up. Danny was assigned his own bunk, after Sebastien was booted out of his so the younger boy could have the one across from his father, and he spent the majority of his time playing video games in it.
David was working with the guys in the lounge to come up with a reputable set list and things to say and do in between songs. He was silently wishing he could go play games with Danny, at least the younger was having fun.
“So how are you and Danny?” Sebastien asked.
“Good. We had an issue this morning, but we're good now.”
“What happened?”
“He thought I was going to send him away...Apparently Sarah's old boyfriend or husband or whatever didn't want him and sent him somewhere...”
“Oh wow...”
“Yeah, we're good though. We got past that part.”
The five of them were silent for a few moments. “Hey, Dave?” Chuck said.
“Yeah?”
“Have you decided what you're going to do when we have a show?”
“Nope. I guess I'll deal with it when it comes...or get the stage manager to watch him.”
“Yeah, I guess...But, what about school and everything?”
David sighed. “I've known the kid for a whole day. I don't know what else to do, Mommy Chuck. Would you care to tell me all the things a child needs?”
“Food, shelter, food, a person to watch him, food, school, food, you know, the things everyone else needs.”
“So I'll just hire a tutor or something. I said I wasn't sending him away, so I'm not send him to boarding school.”
“I didn't mean it like that...”
“Yes, you did, Chuck. We both know you don't want him here. Well, that's too bad, because he's staying!”
David got up and walked away. He dropped down into his bunk and watched Danny playing his games for a while before he drifted into a light sleep.
When he woke up hours later, David stretched and looked around. He didn't see Danny in the bunk next to his , but his Nintendo DS was on the bed. He hurried into the lounge and didn't see him there, either.
“Guys, where is Danny? Have you seen him?”
“Not since we stopped at that gas station...He got off to get something to drink with Seb.”
“At the...Did we leave him? Holy fuck, what if we-Danny? Danny!”
David ran from one end of the bus to another. “Danny!”
“Here I am,” the five year old laughed. He pulled back a bunk curtain and popped out.
“Oh good god, what are you doing in there?”
“Me and Sebby are playing a game!”
“Oh...Sebby? Sebastien's in there with you?”
“Well, no. We're playing hide and seek.”
“Ohhh, okay then. Just...If I call for you, tell me where you are. I was worried.”
“Sorry,” Danny smiled. “Shh, I'm hiding!”
David nodded and allowed the boy to close the curtain again. He took a deep breath and walked back to the lounge before plopping himself down next to Pierre.
“Holy shit I was scared.”
Pierre smiled. “It's called maternal instinct...well, paternal, I think...Or, I don't know. It's good you are able to feel worried, I guess.”
David just looked at him skeptically. “You're telling me that if there was a missing five year old on this bus you wouldn't freak out.?”
“I don't know...I might be scared for my own life more than his.”
“Why?”
“Have you seen what five year olds can do?”
David smiled. “So far mine's been pretty good, so I don't know yet.
Pierre nodded. “He's a good kid. Kinda makes me want to have one.”
“Uh, Pierre, you're gay,” David stuttered.
“Yeah? Just 'cause I'm gay doesn't mean I can't have kids.”
“Y-You really want a kid?”
“Someday. Not any time soon, you know? But eventually, it'd be nice.”
David scowled.
“What?”
“I never knew you wanted children.”
“Neither did I. Until I saw you with Danny...You've known him for two whole days and he already loves and trusts you. I want that, too.”
“I just...Wow. I didn't know.”
Pierre smiled and messed David's hair. They both turned their heads when someone screamed and then crazy giggles filled the bus. Moments later Danny ran into the lounge and buried himself between Pierre and David.
“Save me!” he squeaked.
“From what?”
“Sebby's gonna get you!” Sebastien answered for them, tickling the younger boy until they were both laughing hysterically.
Finally, the two calmed down and Sebastien dropped himself into the chair next to the couch. “Wow, you're so much fun,” he laughed. “I wish David was half as fun as you!”
“Sorry I'm not five years old,” David shrugged.
“You should be,” Sebastien said, sticking out his tongue.
Danny had curled himself up to David and had his head rested on David's side. His arm went instinctively around the boy and within moments he was asleep.
“Wow...” Pierre said. “You're good at this.”
“At what?”
“Dude, look at him! He's happy and he's asleep. What is better than that?”
David just shrugged.
“He's right, you know,” Sebastien said. “Danny told me you were his favorite dad so far.”
“So far?”
“He's had a lot of them, apparently. Matt, Joe, Christopher...People he thought he'd be able to call 'daddy,' but they all left and disappeared and now you're all he's got.”
“I didn't know...there had been so many,” David sighed. “Poor kid, he's been through hell and he's only five.”
“But at least you're here to make it all better,” Sebastien said pointedly.
“I hope I can live up to whatever he expects a dad to be...I don't even know what I'm doing. No one ever taught me how to be a...dad.”
“You're doing fine,” Pierre encouraged him. “He likes you, that's a good thing.”
“I know, but there's more to it than that, isn't there? I mean...I've got to ground him and let him borrow the car, and put his A papers on the fridge...I have to tell him about the birds and the bees, which I can't do because I don't know! Oh fuck, what am I going to do when he asks about that?”
Sebastien laughed for a good two minutes before he finally calmed down enough to look at David. “Look, it's not that hard. Just tell him he's got a wiener and she's got a...not wiener and wallah, baby.”
“Yeah, good idea. Great, actually. You go ahead and be the one to tell him when he asks!”
“I will.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Pierre just rolled his eyes. “Or you could take him to sex ed, like we went to.”
“Or I could do that.”
Jeff appeared in the lunge moments later. “Hey! Chuck's gonna bring out some alcohol, you guys want to join us?”
Pierre and Sebastien readily agreed, but David was unsure. Danny was there. He didn't know if he should drink while the five year old was around.
“Maybe just one...” he finally said. He carried Danny to his bunk and covered him before joining his band mates in the lounge. Chuck had a bottle of something good and poured everyone a shot. They all downed it at the same time.
“Don't get drunk,” Pierre warned David. “You have a kid now, don't forget that.”
David sighed and shook his head when Chuck offered another shot. Pierre was right. He had a kid to watch out for, and getting drunk wasn't an option unless he had a babysitter.
He left his friends and went to his bunk, grumbling slightly. He knew it was for the best. He wouldn't get drunk, he wouldn't be hungover, and he wouldn't puke the following morning. It was a win-win-win deal. In his bunk, he pulled out a book and read it as he heard his friends getting drunker and drunker by the minute.