Danny's a family man through and through. It's not about blood; it's about who he chooses to protect. I'm glad he chose us.

-JB introducing the crew

***

"Jesus fucking Christ," Danny muttered to himself for what seemed to be the eighth time.

Danny continued to walk down the street, searching for his friends. The whole block was under construction, so it was proving difficult for him to find the exact house.

JJ said it was three blocks North of Danny's house with atrocious fake wood. Pope said it was the one further West where JJ lost his Juul the one time. Kie told Danny it was where the Turtle habitat was supposed to be as if he knew exactly where that was. John B just told him good luck.

After walking to where he thought JJ lost his Juul and where he assumed the Turtle habitat was, Danny pulled out his phone and used Snap-Maps to find his friends.

He should've listened to JJ first.

All four of their Bitmojis crowed around the house with the atrocious wood.

Danny couldn't stop the smile from pulling at his lips when he heard his friend's laughter from high on the third-floor deck. He walked straight through the front door and leisurely strolled through each room.

Scrap wood lay haphazardly on the dusty flooring, and he navigated to the third floor. He walked through what he assumed the master bedroom and picked up a stray hammer. Danny brushed his fingers over the grip and tested the balance in his palm.

Curved Claw. Very nice.

"No way!" Kie exclaimed.

Danny furrowed his brows and walked closer to the obscenely large balcony.

"Yes, I would!" Pope said. "Scarlett Lyon is obviously the best option."

JJ snorted and drank from his bottle. "Whatever."

"Okay," Kie said and leaned her arm on the rail of the deck. "I'll do Danny. Give me names."

There was a moment of silence as the rest of them thought of names. Danny paused just out of view and waited. He loved to play this game and wondered who his friends would choose for him.

"Okay!" John B said from out of Danny's view. "Lance Matthews."

"Oh, that's a good one," Pope said with a nod. "How about . . . Quinn Ortega."

Kie weighed the two in her head. Danny has talked about both. "JJ?"

JJ looked up from staring at his laces. He took a long swig and then muttered, "Leo King."

Kie hummed and shifted her gaze to the sky as she thought. After a moment, she snapped her fingers and said, "He'd fuck Lance."

"No, he wouldn't," Pope shook his head adamantly. "Lance plays football. Danny hates the football players."

"Okay, but still, Lance is better than Leo and Quinn on Danny's scale."

John B laughed. "Oh yeah? And what's Danny's scale?"

"I can't tell you; you just have to know."

"Well, I don't know."

"That doesn't seem like my problem," Kie said.

After their laughter died down, Danny walked through the doorway and said, "I'd actually choose Leo."

"Jesus!" Pope exclaimed and held his hand to his chest as he and everyone else jolted in surprise.

A bottle crashed next to Danny's feet, and he jumped with a yell. The liquid sloshed against his ankles. "Dude!" he yelled in indignation up at John B.

"My bad."

"I just told you not to drop that, like two seconds ago," JJ said.

Danny rolled his eyes. He walked to JJ and leaned his forearms on the scaffolding bar. He smiled up at JJ and took his drink. JJ shook his head but didn't reach for it back.

As Kie and Pope bickered with John B, Danny inclined his head at JJ and said, "Leo, huh?"

JJ shrugged and opened a fresh bottle. "I've seen you looking at him."

Danny didn't deny it. Leo was a grade above them and the walking definition of tall, dark, and handsome. He sometimes sat at the adjoining lunch table and Danny couldn't help his eyes from lingering. It felt like his own personal prize. "I don't know whether to be embarrassed or not," he said.

"Not," JJ decided. "It's okay to look."

Danny hummed and turned his head to the other three. When they stopped badgering John B, Kie asked, "Why Leo?"

"I've already fucked Lance," he answered and shrugged easily.

"Ha!" She rounded on Pope and pointed her finger at him. "Technically I'm right. Danny would fuck Lance because he already did!"

"That is so not how it works!"

Danny laughed quietly to himself. He forgot how competitive they could be when it came to this game. Danny wasn't picky, so he never shared the same sentiment. He walked across the deck and crouched down to look through the tool bags the construction workers left from the previous day.

He skimmed through everything, but nothing was as eye-catching as the hammer he found.

"Hey!" An angry voice called out to the group.

Pope leaned over the side of the deck and saw a security car in the driveway, two pudgy men stepping out and glaring up at them.

"Hey, uh, security here." Pope clapped his hands to round up the group. "Let's wrap it up."

"Gary, is that you? Gary, good to see you, man!" JJ goaded and jumped down from the scaffolding as John B clamored his way down from the roof. Kie and Pope ran through the house, their laughter echoing through the empty rooms.

Danny quickly jogged to the workbench and snagged an extra wrench and a fancy-looking pocket knife.

Hands pull at his back, and he's left scrambling after his friends through the house to outrun the security.

Their laughs filled the air, and Danny jumped over JJ, who stumbled over his feet trying to sidestep one of the men.

"Let's go!" Danny laughed.

"Not much of a hugger, man!" JJ said when he slipped free of a guard's hold.

Danny ran with Kie as they exited the side of the house and jumped into JB's van. He sat in the front seat and leaned out the window, motioning for Pope and JJ to hurry up.

Pope pushed himself upright after having fallen from hopping the fence, and the two boys jumped into the back of the van as Gary chased them.

"Bus is leavin'," John B said, laughter lingering in his tone as he honked his horn. 

They drove down the street and watched through the open side door as Gary tried to run after the van. He must really love his job.

"Check out Gary gunnin' for a raise!" Pope exclaimed, followed by a round of laughter.

"Come on, Gary!" JJ teased and leaned out the side of the van, taunting the man.

"Come on, guys. You're gonna give him a heart attack," Kie reprimanded and looked at Danny to try and talk some sense into the boys.

Danny shrugged and waved off her concern. "He'll be fine, Kie. He's in such good shape."

"Right," she deadpanned and pulled JJ back inside. "JJ, stop. Stop."

"Oh, come on. That sort of initiative is just begging to be punished." JJ says with a smile, but nonetheless, they close the door and drive faster down the road.

They crossed the bridge and drove into their part of the island: The Cut.

Danny put his feet on the dash and strumed his air guitar to follow the song playing on the radio.

"Feet off," John B said and hit at Danny's legs blindly as he watched the road.

"All right, all right!" Danny exclaimed and raised his hands in surrender. He chuckled to himself while fighting away John B's hand.

He pulled the tools from his pockets and set them on the dash, looking over each tool to see if they'd be usable at the repair shop. He rubbed his hands together in excitement. Danny nodded in thought. His boss Lou would love them.

"You have a problem," Pope said in a matter-of-fact tone and leaned over the seat, his head next to Danny's.

"Mhmm," Kie added on and shook her head.

Danny could easily sense her disapprovement. She's been very vocal in the past about his sticky fingers. It must tie in with her environmental, social justice warrior mindset. Danny's philosophy was finder keepers, get fucked you weepers.

Danny rolled his eyes and pushed Pope's forehead. The boy fell backward into the seat and rubbed at his skin.

"You won't be saying that the next time I fix up all of your boats for free," Danny mumbled.

"Well, I love when you steal," John B said innocently, only because Danny fixed his boat just about every other day.

"I bet you do," JJ laughed, and they drove further down the road as the wind blew through the windows.

***

"Daniel, are you done with the primer yet?"

He peered over the side of the boat, which was currently precariously elevated in the air. He wiped his brow with his forearm, droplets of the paint falling onto his shoulder from the brush.

"Just a sec, Lou," he told his boss and finished the side before passing it off to the old man.

He worked at a repair shop down by the marina in Figure Eight. The Kooks loved to come to this place for their yacht repairs and paint work-ups, and anything else that they complained needed fixing

They were open year-round, but with the start of summer, everyone wanted their boats fixed to relax on the water and display their riches to each other. Danny has been working every day since school let out a little over a week ago. He's barely seen any of the Pogues, and this was supposed to be their 'best summer' according to Kie.

He walked over to the bench and grabbed a rag to wipe his hands with. He glanced at the clock and noted it forty minutes past the end of his shift. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't find it in himself to leave Lou alone. They're on backlog with all the repair orders, and Danny's been working overtime for the past three days.

His paycheck will be thanking him, but he really wanted to hang out with his friends.

The phone rang, and he walked over to the wall where it hung. He leaned his back against the wall, rubbed his eyes, and answered, "This is Brekker Repairs, Daniel speaking. How can I help you?"

"Well, Daniel," the voice crooned. "You can help me by coming to John B's. Safety meeting and all that. Attendance mandatory."

His posture straightened automatically, something only JJ's voice can manage.

Danny scoffed and glanced over his shoulder to ensure Lou wasn't paying attention. He heard the music and laughter in the background. The party is already in full swing.

"JJ, you can't call here. I'm working."

He heard the other boy groan in annoyance. "Your shift ended at 8–"

"Keeping track of me now?"

"Just get your ass over here, man. This place is overrun with tourons. I have no idea how they even heard of this party." The last part was mumbled and then a sigh followed. "It's so boring here without you."

"Dude, maybe later. I'm still working. We're super busy."

"I don't even understand why a Kook like you even has a job," JJ said, just like every other time when Danny's job comes up in conversation.

"I feel guilty taking my mom's money. You know that," he answered just like every other time. "But fine, I'll be over in like an hour. Two tops."

"You better."

***

Danny huffed with exertion as he rode his skateboard into the Cut toward John B's house.

He wiped out a few yards back when he ran over a stick. There are no street lamps in the neighborhoods on this side of the island.

He groaned when he felt his blood start to pool at the top of his shoe, his sock soaking it all up.

He pulled off his shirt and rolled to a standstill to press the cotton to his busted shin from when he fell. It was an old t-shirt anyway, grease spots from the boat repairs staining the fabric. Not very sanitary, when he thought about it, but beggers and choosers, or whatever.

He grimaced and clenched his teeth together as he sucked in a sharp breath. He picked at the pebbles and brushed them out of his flesh. He should wash it out when he gets to John B's, but doubted he would remember.

After ten more minutes, he rode down John B's driveway and hid his board behind a shrub along with his now bloody shirt.

He unconsciously started to bob his head to the music. Judging by the genre, he assumed Kie had command over the speaker. He rounded the corner, and his eyes widened at the number of people. Usually, there are around twenty to twenty-five at JB's parties, but right now, there are over forty.

He searched the crowd for the Pogues and found them under the tree lounging on the hammock, the string lights illuminating the area. The soft breeze cooled his sweaty skin.

"Sup guys," Danny said with a splitting smile, his eyes crinkling around the edges. He and Pope did their handshake, and he sat down next to the boy.

John B nodded his head in greeting and turned back to the touron that he was talking to.

Kie stood up and handed him a beer from the cooler. She has on one of her many crop tops that Danny loved to look at. This one is made of knitted fabric that his mom would absolutely detest, but he thought Kie rocked it. "Thanks, gorgeous," he said and winked at her.

"Glad you finally showed up," she said, her voice teasing as she adjusted her beaded necklaces. Danny smiled to himself when he spotted the turquoise beaded necklace he gave her a while ago.

"Miss me that much?" he asked and settled deeper into the cushions. "You can always call me. Especially at night."

She rolled her eyes and Danny laughed. He pulled a bill from his pocket and slapped it against Pope's chest.

Pope sent him a look which Danny answered with a long drink. Pope lost his nerve first and begrudgingly pocketed it. Danny smiled in victory.

"What was that for?" Kie asked.

"Literally nothing—"

"Pope helped my mom at the office the other day. New shipments needed unloading and whatnot. I couldn't make it."

"And I said that I didn't need money for it."

Danny clamped his hand on Pope's shoulder and rose his finger to his lips. "Shhh," Danny placated. "Now, where the hell is JJ?" Danny changed the subject as he looked around for his other friend. He wasn't on the porch or the dock.

Pope let Danny look around for a few more seconds before revealing, "With Jenny Craig."

"No shit? He scored Jenny?" Danny asked in disbelief. She was the most uptight Kook he knew, and she was with JJ? "He had to of drugged her."

A slap connected with his shoulder, and he turned to a scolding Kiara. Danny defended with a chuckle. "What? Oh, come on. JJ and Jenny? No way it's possible without a little bit of a hazy brain."

He spotted the two by the bone fire. She hung off JJ's arm and twirled her hair, her face mere inches from his.

Danny's hands squeezed against the armrests of the chair, and he stood abruptly. "I need to see more," he mumbled an excuse, already three steps in their direction.

Danny shuffled between numerous people, offering greetings when he recognized people.

He latched his hand around JJ's wrist and gave a sharp tug. JJ crashed into Danny's side, and he wrapped his arm around JJ's shoulder, meeting JJ's surprised eyes with a sly smile. JJ was a good four inches shorter than Danny, but he made up for it with aggression and a smart mouth.

Jenny appeared startled at the loss of contact, but Danny distracted her by taking her hand in his and crooning, "Jenny Craig." He brought her knuckles up to his lips while maintaining eye contact with the redhead. "Looking as breathtakingly beautiful as always."

"Danny," she said flatly, but he could see the pink rising on her cheeks.

JJ pushed Danny's arm off of his body and narrowed his eyes, silently conveying for Danny to fuck off.

Danny pulled his signature half-smile as an answer.

"Safety meeting. Attendance mandatory," Danny reminded and patted JJ's chest as he turned around. "Jenny," he called from over his shoulder as a goodbye.

Danny strolled with his hands in his pockets, smiling at those whose eyes raked over his torso. He stumbled forward when someone shoved his back.

"I hate you," JJ muttered and punched Danny's shoulder.

Danny laughed and rubbed the spot lightly. He didn't regret a thing.

"Do you know how long it took me to sweet-talk her? You owe me," JJ grumbled in annoyance, but Danny could tell that he wasn't really mad.

"Sorry." Danny tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Would a kiss make it better?"

JJ blanched and shook his head in disbelief. "What! You—you piss me off." He poked Danny's chest harshly and turned away. He called over his shoulder, "And don't you own a shirt? Your mom's like some French fashion designer or something, isn't she?"

Danny nodded in affirmation. "But we all know I look better without any clothes."

***

"How's that hangover?" Danny asked when he heard the screen door slam shut the next morning.

Danny was an early riser; if the sun was up, then so was he. It's therapeutic for him to watch the earth slowly wake up. He loved the chirp of the birds, hearing neighbors come outside to sit on their porch and read the paper, and the morning crisp of the summer air slowly burning away to leave its heat behind.

Footsteps made their way closer to him, and he turned around. JJ rubbed his eyes and gave Danny the bird with his other hand.

Danny chuckled and squatted back down to continue his work. He poured more soap over the haul and scrubbed with a brush.

The early morning sun beat down on half of the boat while the tree shaded the other half. Danny's been enjoying the soft melody of the wind chimes hanging near the marsh.

"The hell you doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing?" Danny replied lazily and scrubbed away more dirt. Dirt and grime matted the entire floor of the boat. If they're spending the summer on the water, Danny would be damned if the boat wasn't at least clean while they did so.

JJ leaned his arms over the side of the boat and silently watched. He adjusted his hat, one of Danny's that he stole.

JJ was in no way an early riser, but still, it wasn't a shock to find his friend out here with him. JJ usually found his way to Danny, where ever he may be early in the morning. Whether it was back home on Danny's deck, or here on John B's boat, JJ would turn up at some point.

Danny enjoyed the company. They've long since mastered comfortable silence, and that's normally how it started until JJ woke up enough to begin a conversation. Like now, Danny scrubbed the boat, and JJ soaked in the sun.

After he made minimal progress on the bow, he asked, "Did you and Jenny hook up?"

Danny's ears are met with a groan of annoyance, and a laugh left his lips. "I'll take that as a no, then."

"Yeah, no," JJ replied with a grumble. He climbed up the side of the boat and sat on the edge, his muddied boots dirtying practically the only clean spot Danny managed to make.

"Why not?" Danny questioned after nudging JJ's feet to move them to a different spot.

"Because every word that came out of her mouth for the rest of the night was about you!" JJ yelled and threw his hands in the air dramatically. "Even now, you're not wearing a shirt. From now on, you need to be fully clothed anytime I have a girl."

"Oh yeah?" Danny said and raised an eyebrow in amusement. He squinted against the sun and used his hand to block the rays. "Even when we're all on the same bed? Seems a bit arbitrary, no?

"No! No jokes, okay? I'm serious!" JJ said. He scowled the wider Danny smiled. "What even happened to it?"

"Got bloody," he answered with a lazy shrug and squatted back down to the floor to continue scrubbing.

"That was super clarifying. Thank you for that insanely detailed story, Danny."

Danny groaned dramatically and sat down on the floor, his back resting against the side of the boat across from JJ. "Yes. Got scraped up and took it off," he said and pointed to his leg, flecks of dried blood still on his skin. He knew he would forget about it.

JJ's face scrunched up in disgust, "Yeah, really looks like you got that all cleaned up. Good job." He gave a thumbs up and a small smile.

"But enough about your leg," JJ added and changed the subject. He stood and swallowed, darting his eyes away from Danny, a nervous tick that Danny picked up on. "You need to stop ruining my potential hook-ups."

"Where did that come from?" He scoffed and laughed to himself as he stood. "I don't—"

"No," JJ interrupted and pointed harshly for emphasis as he stepped closer, barely three inches between the two. "You always do. And it's getting on my nerves. You always come and swoop in and ruin it."

Danny stood still, struck by the outburst, while JJ's shoulders reacted to his heavy breathing. They're silent; only the wind chimes make a noise.

You always come and swoop in and ruin it. The words ring in Danny's ears and his chest tightened with self-loathing.

Danny looked away, unable to maintain eye contact. He rubbed at the sticky soap on his dry palms. "Sorry," Danny muttered softly, breaking the silence. "I didn't know I did that."

He walked to the steering wheel, needing to get away from the intense stare. His foot bumped into a stray beer can, and he sat in the seat. Ever since they were young, Danny's always hated arguing with JJ. So anytime he could prevent it, he'd try to shut it down before it progressed into something even bigger.

JJ rubbed his face. "It's fine," he replied, his voice nowhere near as booming. "I don't do that to you whenever you're with a girl or . . . or with," he trailed off and played with the braided bracelet on his wrist that Kie made all of them.

"You can say 'guy' JJ," Danny huffed and threw the cleaning supplies in the storage compartment, the haul still nowhere near clean.

"Yeah," JJ uttered. "Or when you're with a guy."

Danny clenched his jaw when he heard how difficult it was for JJ to choke out that sentence, and he whirled around. He's had enough shit from his father about it, and he doesn't want it from his best friend either.

JJ has never had a problem with Danny being Bi. Hell, he's even gone far enough to try and set Danny up with another in the past. All of his friends have, and Danny is grateful for their support. What changed?

"Let's not talk about it anymore. I'm sorry. I'll leave you be, all right," Danny said and patted JJ's shoulder, a tight smile on his lips so as to not betray his genuine emotions.

You always come and swoop in and ruin it.

"I'm gonna make sure John B is up. He has a DCS meeting soon," Danny said, his words quickly strung together. He hopped out of the boat and jogged to the house. When he glanced back, JJ was turned away.

*****

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