The next morning, Johnny seemed to be fuming as the guys headed out of the cabin, and Daniel wasn't sure what to do.

Sure, Daniel tended to be more emotional than other guys--his mother had called him a "sensitive spirit" when he was in elementary school, crying over every little loud noise or mean comment. Over the years, though, he'd learned that to survive, he'd have to brush those things off, to laugh through it. Even so, he still retained a relatively high level of empathy, and right now, the idea of not saying anything to Johnny itched at him. It bothered him to the point where he eventually hung back, nudging Johnny's shoulder out of sight from the others.

"Hey," Daniel whispered. "What's wrong with you, man?" A thought occurred to him then, one that was so horrid that it made him grasp Johnny's wrist for a split second; Johnny jerked his hand away, as they were in the bright daylight. "You don't...regret last night, do you?"

Surprisingly, Johnny didn't even snap at him for discussing this at a whisper so close to the others. Tommy and Bobby were wrapped up in some sort of debate anyways, something about who was the best fighter in some movie.

"No," Johnny replied, eyes locked forward. "No, it's just...you left me...in a pretty hard situation..."

"Oh," Daniel sighed in relief, though he then rolled his eyes. Honestly, Johnny assuming Daniel was starting to gain romantic feelings towards him (arrogant) and then asking with that smug tone (asshole) should have made him more upset. But he supposes he should be even a bit grateful that Johnny's being honest about what this was. Besides, it's not as if Daniel was throwing himself at Johnny (their encounter during the capture-the-flag game put aside); most of the time it was Johnny who urged for Daniel, who pulled him into dark corners whenever he decided he wanted him.

"I guess I owe you one, then," Daniel shrugged with a simple finality.

"You guess," Johnny started, in that simple-yet-condescending tone that always made Daniel's face heat. "You owe me one."

"Yeah," Daniel replied. "It's a two way street with me, too, and I didn't mean to leave you." Daniel didn't want to think of the circumstances, the embarrassment behind his leaving, but he meant it nonetheless. "We'll find some time, I'll find something fun." he said, as casually as if they were talking about the crafts table and not negotiating sex.

Johnny still wasn't looking at him, but Daniel noticed his eyebrows raised slightly, his lip curling in a smug grin. (Sometimes, Daniel thought Johnny was an absolute meathead, just a pretty face and nothing more. But it was that moment--seeing Johnny think through elaborate strategies for games or how to have his way with Daniel alone--that made Daniel see that he happened to be a lot smarter than he let on.) "If you happen to be...unable to think of anything in that big brain of yours," Johnny supplied with a murmur. "I can provide a couple ideas, Larusso..." with that, he squeezed Daniel's ass, offering only a smug yet soft laugh as he jogged up ahead to talk with his friends.

Daniel flushed bright red, trying to keep the blood only in his face or else he'd have a problem he didn't have time to solve. Even so, he couldn't help but remember just last night, the warm wet heat of Johnny's mouth—he didn't want to be too vulnerable, but he'd never been so intimate with another person before. And even if that didn't matter worth squat, it did matter to Daniel that it was Johnny Lawrence, someone he'd had so much history with, someone who he felt his history with was only beginning, yet approaching some abrupt end in sight like a bullet train on unfinished tracks.

And he remembered Johnny's hand on his ass that first time, after the gaga ball game, and he wondered if Johnny had fully meant everything in that touch. And then, when Johnny's hands kept traveling down there when they kissed, the feeling leaving Daniel reeling and moaning as he melded further into the rapidly familiar heat of Johnny Lawrence.

As the group approached the clearing where the girls' cabin lay, Daniel's gutter-bound thoughts were waved away by the sight of Jessica by the nearby tent. Her flaming red hair was tied up in a loose bun, and she wasn't even out of her pajamas yet. She grimaced at the sight of them, her face pale as she clutched her stomach.

"The hell's wrong with you, Andrews?" Johnny asked, an ever-so-polite morning greeting. "We're all ready to go. Where's Ali?" (At the sight of a lag in the plan, Tommy jogged ahead, leaving the others be.)

Jessica spared a brief glance at Daniel, eyes slightly wide as if to say really, this guy? before glaring at Johnny. "Can it, Lawrence, before I squeeze your stomach like a dishrag. Ali's not going, she's..." she spared a look towards Bobby, the only one who she seemed embarrassed in front of, who merely appeared politely concerned. "Going through her time of the month. Unfortunately, we're synced, but if you're nice to me, I'll go with you guys anyway."

"Oh," Johnny replied, truly stumped for a moment. "Ew." He settled.

"Asshole," Jessica muttered, at the same time as Daniel asked "Synched?"

Jessica opened her mouth to answer, but Bobby spoke up first. "It's when two girls spend a lot of time together, their...time of the month happens at the same time, even if they happened at different times in the past." Johnny let out an awkward laugh at that, but Bobby just shrugged. "What? I've got two sisters. Anyways, do whatever you feel you need to, Jess, we can take care of the kids."

"Thanks," Jessica smiled in a way Daniel thought was almost sheepish, her cheeks bright pink. Honestly, if Daniel wasn't so enveloped in thoughts of Johnny, he might have considered picking up a book on women's anatomy. Then again, women were undoubtably strange and not easily impressed, so he supposed he was alright with simply impressing Johnny with what he was sure was his charming personality.

"But I'll go with you guys anyway," Jessica added. "The kids are just at rehearsal, so it's not like we'll be running around or anything. Besides, I want a Fudgesicle." She shrugged, as if that was the most sound argument to be made. She dived into the tent quickly, emerging with her day clothes in hand. "Let's get going."

The group was silent for a while as they hiked along, before Johnny commented:  "I didn't know Ali did that anymore."

Jessica snorted. "What, have a period?"

"Well, yeah," Johnny said, unable to sound anything but dumb then. "I mean, she did when we first started dating, and then...well, she didn't say anything about it after the first month or two, so I just thought it went away."

Jessica rolled her eyes, giving Bobby a look at that. (Daniel couldn't help but be jealous, as he was usually the receiver of Jess's you gotta be shitting me looks). "That's probably because you're so pleasant and open-minded about it, Johnny. Either that, or she was on birth control. She said she got off it when she and Daniel broke up, anyway."

Johnny made a sound in his throat that was the equivalent of a dog's chew toy getting run over by a steamroller.

"What?" Jessica asked, slightly defensive. "Ali doesn't mind me telling--she asked me to make you guys uncomfortable, especially you, Johnny. Sorry, Bobby."

"Oh, I don't mind," Bobby replied, looking slightly bemused. "Giving Johnny a hard time is one of my favorite pastimes, this is just an unusual method."

"I don't give a shit about that," Johnny said, his voice a half-octave higher than normal, not at all the husky voice who claimed he couldn't care less about Tommy's Playboy those nights ago. "What I am interested in was the part about Ali getting off the pill after dating Daniel." Johnny glanced over at Daniel pointedly. "Daniel?"

"Whoa, first name basis, now?" Jessica pointed out with an uncomfortable laugh. "Play nicely, guys."

"Come on, really, man?" Daniel sighed, feeling Johnny's gaze crawl up his skin and practically under his clothes. "Not that it's any of your business, but we didn't do anything. You know this, now lay off."

Johnny opened his mouth, but Bobby beat him to it. "I'm not one to take Johnny's side--and I do think he's being very stupid right now--but how was he supposed to know? I didn't know."

Daniel gave Johnny a look that read see what you've gotten us into? before turning his attention back on Bobby. "I don't know, I'm sure I told him at some point, not that it's anyone's business." he seethed, face flushed bright red, giving off energy identical to Cookies when he didn't get what he deemed to be enough cat treats.

Jessica, sensing Daniel's tone, piped up: "Man, I sure love Fudgesicles! They're probably way better than whatever stupid thing you guys are talking about back there, right, Bobby?"

Bobby, luckily, caught on pretty quickly. "Oh, yeah. I actually prefer Creamsicles myself, but Fudgesicles are pretty good, too."

Johnny seemed a bit remorseful, which was probably the most Daniel could get out of someone so emotionally constipated. "Yeah, I like Creamsicles better, too. What's your take, Larusso?"

Daniel had to admit he was surprised Johnny had asked for his opinion in a non-threatening way, but he did suppose they were friends. "I like Fudgesicles more," he admitted, smiling a bit crookedly in appreciation for his friends adverting the subject.

As the group continued on, Daniel pulled Johnny back a bit by his shirt, whispering before he got the chance: "I can tell you like Creamsicles more, 'cause sometimes, when I kiss you..." even with their faces in close proximity, Daniel's eyes flickered towards Johnny's lips, followed by stubbornly holding Johnny's gaze with his own. "I can taste it, orange and vanilla..." He started off, happy with his teasing, until he could feel Johnny's fingers tangle in Daniel's hair, pulling him back. Honestly--as Daniel held back a whimper--that was not okay; he'd have to discuss that with Johnny, draw up a contract of sorts. One party is not allowed to assist the other in discovering kinks in the presence of their friends...

"Are you, like, self-conscious or something?" Johnny asked, outright and blunt as always. "About being a virgin."

Daniel frowned at that, hands on his hips. "No." He said simply. He was tempted to add that he was waiting for the right person, but with the way things were going with Johnny, that would be a lie. "I've done stuff, anyway. I have experiences."

(Getting to second base with Ali that one time and then subsequentially freaking out notwithstanding, Daniel's only experiences thus far was his experiences with Johnny. Daniel would add that he didn't know Johnny had this weird purity kink, but the silence had spanned too long to where the barb would have no sting.)

Johnny just grinned at that, proud and boyish and almost devilish all at once. "Well, I can give you more. If things go my way, I will give you more. Just stick to my plans and give this," he spared no restraint when giving Daniel's ass a squeeze, not for the first or last time that day. "A thought, if you want it, Daniel." He gave an obnoxious little click of his tongue and, with a wink, went ahead to find their friends.

And this time, Daniel was the one left to ponder on everything alone as he rushed to catch up with their friends as well.