Thursday, midday

     "You are not buying that." Daniel grumbled with his arms crossed, staring at Frey with a bit of annoyance and way too much tingly feelings. Frey looked way too cute when he was confused as to why he couldn't buy Hannah a birthday gift.

The night before, Frey had invited Daniel and Hannah over to his father's apartment—Daniel understood enough to know Frey moved in with his father—and let Hannah do most of the baking, while he just made sure she wouldn't go and add too much sugar and give her classmates a sugar rush. He measured, she added and mixed, while Daniel was merely there because he would never let Hannah go over to Frey on her own.

Not that he didn't trust Frey, he just didn't see the use of bringing her over, and picking her back up afterwards, if staying would mean he would get to see Frey some more. And really, anyone who hated Frey, should take the time to witness how great he is with kids, and how funny and kind he can be.

Hannah was ecstatic about the cupcakes that she couldn't wait to show them at school the very next day.

And now Frey was planning on buying her a gift for today, and the whole idea of him buying her a gift wasn't that big of a deal.

It was the fact he obviously remembered which gift she wanted so badly, and he was currently holding it up, asking Daniel's approval to buy it.

A way too expensive gift Daniel had tried to save up for to buy, but didn't succeed in.

"Why not? I mean, you can give it to her. I would never want to overshadow you." Frey didn't seem to understand Daniel would still feel embarrassed for having him buying the present Daniel would eventually give Hannah.

"It's not about her knowing who bought it..."

"It's because you know you didn't, right?" Frey smirked, and Daniel cocked an eyebrow because Frey again proved to be way smarter than Daniel initially had thought. He was good at reading in between the lines—listen to words left unspoken.

"Exactly."

"Okay, two arguments, and then we're going to pay for this." Frey walked up to him and stopped a little too close for comfort.

He wanted to kiss him again, so badly.

"One. Do you rather want to know I payed for it, but have a happy Hannah, than knowing you told me not to pay for it and have a sad Hannah because she didn't get the doll?"

Daniel sighed while biting his lip. He was savouring Frey's behaviour towards him like a lovesick puppy. He noticed all the little things that Frey did, like smile at him every time he caught Daniel staring at him.

"Two, if we're dating, you have got to start accepting me spoiling you a bit."

Daniel's breathing hitched at his words, pronounced with casualty—as if it wasn't a big deal they were apparently dating.

"Think of Hannah's response. She won't know any better than you being the best big brother anyone could wish for."

"Only I'm not, because I don't have the money to actually be that great big brother." Daniel rolled his eyes, but Frey wouldn't have it.

"Danny, you are a great big brother to her. You're working two jobs, paying bills, taking care of her whenever your mother can't..." Frey cleared his throat awkwardly. By know, Daniel had explained their situation to Frey, so he would understand why their mother was in bed on Hannah's birthday. "You're doing everything to make sure she doesn't have to worry about anything."

"I know..."

"So, let me buy the doll, and you give it to her."

"But than what are you giving?"

"Tell her I chipped in or something." Frey shrugged. "Remind her I helped her bake the cupcakes and helped Jenna bake the cake."

"Right." Daniel sighed. "You really don't mind?"

"I don't. Anything to make you smile."

"That's sweet." Daniel smiled and sighed deeply yet again. "If you swear it's not costing you all your money..."

"I swear. I have enough."

"Well, if you insist on buying her the doll... She does deserve a big gift. She hardly ever gets anything."

"Great. Let's pay and then you go pick Hannah up from school."

"You're not coming with me right away?" Daniel frowned, thinking Frey and him would drop off Frey's present and then go pick up Hannah together. He didn't exactly know why he liked that idea. Probably because he was constantly worrying about Frey and Jenna, and the fact Jenna was on cloud nine ever since they had their first real date last Tuesday.

He didn't want to lose a shot at love with the first—and only—guy that had gotten him to stop missing Mitchel.

Well, missing the good parts about the relationship, not the part in which Mitchel always got his way, even if Daniel didn't want something—like sex. Daniel cringed at the memory of Mitchel forcing him to have sex while Daniel wasn't up for it. It didn't matter what he wanted, it only mattered what Mitchel wanted.

But until recently, his heart had still craved for Mitchel nonetheless. He still—even now—held some sort of hope Mitchel would change for the better.

But if he would, Daniel still wouldn't get back together with him. He was done with being used and abused while it was covered up under the name of a relationship. It hadn't been a healthy relationship.

Besides, his heart was screaming for him to kiss Frey again.

"Danny?" Frey chuckled, pressing a quick kiss on his cheek. "Let's pay, you need to pick up Hannah."

Daniel nodded and felt his face flush as Frey grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the register.

He really needed to stop thinking about the whole locker-room thing whenever Frey would touch him in the simplest of ways. But he couldn't, and he was trying to collect enough courage to kiss him again. He had no idea what had gotten over him on Monday but being alone with Frey while they were both showering—even if separated—had turned him on a bit.

The mere though of Frey, naked, in the stall next to his—oh dear. He should not be thinking about it right now, in the middle of a toy store.

     Daniel was biting his lip, and he had done it a lot throughout the day. He was chewing it like it was gum, and he really needed to stop doing it. But he did so to prevent himself from lashing out on Jenna for taking most of Frey's attention.

And she wasn't even doing anything special; she was just being Jenna.

Even he liked her—platonically—because she was outgoing, had a great smile, and the best humour. Not to forget that she was a really supportive friend to him ever since they met five years ago.

That didn't mean he wasn't jealous because, yet again, she seemed to be winning over the guy they both liked.

Frey was currently seated next to her in the small living room, while Hannah and her best friend Joyce were unwrapping the gifts; a fake barbie-doll, a second-handed Polly Pocket set, a set to make jewellery, new additions to her tea-set—also secondhanded—and of course the biggest gift, bought by Frey.

It was still in it's wrapping papers, and Hannah had squealed excitedly when she noticed such a big gift between the rest.

After Daniel had gone and picked Hannah up from school, they came home surprised to find the living room and kitchen decorated with mostly pink decorations. Balloons were scattered around the house and Hannah and Joyce had rushed inside, only to be welcomed by Daniel's closest friends; Jenna, Lacy, Michelle, Frey and Adam.

He had silently thanked them for going all out this year, since last year Hannah's birthday had been ruined because their mother had been admitted to hospital because she couldn't keep in any food.

Hannah deserved so much more, and his friends helping him to give her a birthday-party meant the world to him.

There was no family coming over, since, well, there was no family. Their mother was an only child and her parents had long passed away. Daniel didn't even know much about his father's family—he had never seen them before.

So, Daniel's friends were his family more than any possible family member on his father's side.

There were his mother's two best friends, who did come over and always tried to help them out where they could. Hannah spent a lot of her time in the evening at either of their houses.

One was Joyce's mother; Annette. It's how the girls became best friends in the first place. They were sitting on the couch behind the girls, smiling down on them while holding tea and cupcakes that had been left over from treating Hannah's class. Frey made about a dozen too many but figured they could eat them during the party today.

"These are really good." Annette held up the cupcake after swallowing the bite she just took. "Jenna, did you make these?"

"No, Frey did." Jenna smiled and placed her hand on Frey's leg, squeezing it gently.

Daniel wanted to rip her hair out for doing that.

What was going on with him? He always wanted the best for Jenna. He wasn't ever jealous the way he was right now.

"Oh, you're talented, young man." Annette smiled pleased.

"Oh, they wouldn't be as good as they are now if Hannah wouldn't have helped." Frey shrugged with a grin on his face.

Hannah perked up at the mention of her name. "We're going to bake cookies soon, right?" She looked at Frey with a pout and puppy-eyes, and Frey was weak; he nodded in agreement even while Daniel had previously told Hannah not to bother Frey too much. He wasn't just friends with her.

"Can I open the big one?" Hannah looked at Daniel, pointing to the last present that Daniel really wanted to keep in it's wrapping papers. He didn't want Annette or Diane think he was spending money on expensive gifts while his mother needed treatment. And Frey didn't want to take the credits for the present, insisting on Daniel pretending he bought it.

"Su-sure..." Daniel muttered, not looking at anyone else. He really didn't want to be judged for this. Why did he have to accept Frey buying it?

Why didn't he inform the rest of it before Hannah would ask him to open it. And since he already agreed, he lifted the box from the table and handed it to her.

She tore the paper away like a hungry lion attacking its prey; eyes widening as soon as she started to realise she was looking at the one gift she truly wanted.

"Is that... Is that baby Sophia?" Hannah squeaked, while she tore away the last pieces of paper. "I got Sophia!" Hannah called out—sounding shocked—while she held it towards Joyce.

"Now we can play with our dolls together!" Joyce called back, and together, they started opening the box, removing the doll and it's accessories from it. Joyce was more interested in which clothes came along with the doll—a set she didn't have yet—while Hannah was hugging baby Sophia close to her.

Daniel noticed a tear slipping from her eye, even though she was still smiling widely. "Thank you, Danny." She whispered, got up, and hugged him—still holding the doll. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"You're welcome, sweety." Daniel whispered, hugging her back, while sending Frey a look.

He was just there, smiling, while taking in the scene, not saying anything.

Annette was telling Joyce she couldn't have the extra set of clothes since they were Hannah's, and how she already had plenty of clothes for her own doll; baby Annabel. Daniel would never get why a doll needed to cost as much as it did, until Joyce had grabbed her doll from the car and they started playing with them. It became clear they were practically real babies.

But seeing the smile on Hannah's face was priceless, and Daniel felt thankful for Frey to buy such a gift for Daniel's sister.

He couldn't stop sending Frey smile's the rest of the evening. Frey had stayed over until way after most guests where there, and Daniel secretly wished for Lacy and Jenna to leave too, now that Hannah was brushing her teeth, getting ready for bed.

Frey was annoying her, and it was weird to have him in their house, upstairs, in their tiny bathroom, tickling Hannah and keeping her from really getting ready to go to bed. He was only there because Hannah wanted him to read her a bedtime story, and to Daniel's surprise, Frey had agreed with a chuckle and a shrug.

Daniel could still hear Lacy and Jenna downstairs, while they were cleaning up the living room, but he was too entranced by Frey to go downstairs and help them. And while Daniel watched Frey help getting his sister to bed, tucking her in along with baby Sophia, and reading her a bedtime story while using different voices for all the characters, Daniel fell just that little bit more for him.

He was completely head over heels in love with Frey Sanders.

He just hoped he wouldn't be left behind with a broken heart again.

Words: +/- 2184

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