Danny's last resort when going to sleep was noise-canceling headphones.

He'd strap those bad boys on his ears, turn on some soft French lullaby piano pieces and pray for the best.

That paired with chugging a bottle of Nyquil and sleeping 6 hours in the past two days, Danny wiped out for the night.

If he had to guess, he'd say he passed out at around ten p.m. last night. It could've been eight, twelve, or twenty-four hours later. Danny couldn't tell, and to be honest, he really didn't care. For once, he was content enough to sleep longer.

He had turned up his Air Conditioning, snuggled deep under his blankets, and pressed his back against the wall. He couldn't tell if he were awake. At the moment, he wasn't able to discern what was real and what wasn't.

Danny was thrusted into vague consciousness with sharp, sporadic bounces on his mattress. He even heard hushed whispers over the music in his headphones.

Danny shifted the headphone off one ear and heard Kie argue, "This is my side. Move your elbow, or I'll give you an Indian Rope Burn."

Danny's face scrunched in confusion, and he pulled the blanket from over his head. His dream had been wildly similar but with different rope burns, so he wasn't sure if it had taken an even stranger spin.

Kie and JJ lay on the bed beside him. Kie was drawing an invisible line between them with her finger while JJ tested the boundaries.

Anytime he crossed, Kie flicked or shoved his arm or leg away, all while scolding him to keep quiet. Danny thought it ironic since she was the one disrupting his sleep.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Danny mumbled. His eyes blinked slowly as he fought the need to close them completely.

Kie faced him instantly, but he didn't miss the elbow she threw back. "Hi," she said as a smile pulled on her face.

"Dude," JJ said and pressed up onto his elbow. He pointed at Kie and complained, "Tell her to stop taking up so much room."

"Me! You're the one who insisted on laying spread eagle."

"It's a king bed!"

Danny buried his face into his pillow. "Can you two shut up? I was actually sleeping for once."

He heard both of them mumble half-hearted apologies, but Danny was already quickly falling asleep.

It was quiet for a minute or two, but then Danny was interrupted by the whispers once again.

"Way to go," JJ accused. "See, I told you so."

"Oh, shut up. You're the one who woke him."

"You shut up."

"No, you shut up. And move over, oh my God."

Danny sighed heavily and pushed up onto his knees. He crawled over Kie and practically fell into the space between her and JJ. Danny pushed Kie into his previous spot, ignored her surprised outburst, and then dropped like dead weight.

He grabbed his headphones, placed them back on his head, and closed his eyes. "If I hear a word from either of you, I will smother you with this pillow," he warned.

"Hmm," Kie mused. "You would like that, wouldn't you?"

Danny peeled one eye open and looked at her. A grin pulled at her lips, and she wiggled her brows.

He rolled his eyes and focused on the music. What does that even mean? He would enjoy suffocating his friends? He didn't think he would.

"Danny?"

He ignored it and snuggled deeper under his blanket. He felt a poke on his arm and a second, "Danny?"

"What?" he grumbled in exasperation.

JJ shifted closer and whispered, "I'm cold."

Danny felt goosebumps rise from JJ's breath fanning across his neck.

"Shut up!" Kie said.

"Not my problem," Danny added without sparing him a glance.

JJ huffed, and suddenly Danny's blanket was lifted from his body and replaced with JJ instead. He had his arms wrapped around Danny and rested his head in the crook of Danny's neck.

Danny's eyes flew open, and his body stiffened. This was a complete surprise. JJ's never the one to initiate cuddling. This had to have been a dream where Danny was just strangely lucidly aware. It had to be.

"Uh," Danny mumbled.

"You're warm," JJ prompted. "Problem solved."

"Well," Kie started, "I'm cold too. It's like twenty degrees in here."

Danny wiggled his right arm free of JJ's grip and held it in Kie's direction. She shifted closer and latched onto his arm.

Danny fought away a shiver. Her hands were ice, even through the fabric of his sweatshirt. He took a breath and shifted his head around to find a comfortable position.

He wasn't used to sleeping on his back. Normally it was on his side, tucked as much as he could manage, or on his stomach. And he definitely wasn't used to people laying on him. He was the one to latch onto others.

Danny flinched and whispered, "Stop it."

JJ laughed softly and continued to press his nose to Danny's neck. It was cold as well.

"No," JJ replied.

JJ was so close that Danny felt JJ's lips brush against his skin as he spoke. Danny was burning from the inside out. When JJ repositioned his leg between Danny's, he inhaled sharply at the weight steadily pressing down on him.

He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to relax and listen to the music instead of thinking about the lips ghosting his neck or the pressure between his legs. All these actions were meaningless and mindless, and Danny wouldn't take advantage of that.

He counted as high as he could in French and then in Japanese when that didn't work.

Danny was beginning to regret drinking the entire Nyquil bottle. It didn't feel right to be dreaming about his friends in this manner.

The last time his dreams had any sexual undertones about his friends, it starred him and Pope and a Senior girl stranded on a fishing boat. He couldn't look Pope in the eye for a week afterward.

He made the mistake of telling John B when he questioned Danny's odd behavior, and he then couldn't look at any of his friends for another three days. Pope didn't know how to act around Danny for a while after John B recounted every explicit thing Danny had done to the poor boy. What an asshole.

Danny fiercely shook his head to try and change the scenes and the feelings they evoked.

"Woah!" Kie exclaimed and placed her hand on the top of his head.

He stilled and stared at her.

"You good?" she asked when he didn't say anything.

Danny was searching for the tell. There was always something just a bit off in his dreams when he encountered people he knew. It was always something small, but it was always something.

JJ rested his chin on Danny's chest and said, "Look at me."

Danny obliged, and the two stared at each other.

Nothing was amiss. He looked like JJ in every regard: blue eyes, blond hair, a freckle at the corner of his mouth, the same cupid's bow.

JJ's hand snaked inside his hoodie and rested along Danny's jaw.

He tensed and waited for the scene to change to his father at Midsummers.

JJ squinted his eyes and then huffed in amusement. "He's high on the Nyquil," he told Kie.

"Danny!" she scolded. "That's not safe."

"He'll be fine. He just needs to sleep it off."

"What if he overdoses?"

"It's a good thing you're here then, isn't it?"

She grumbled in frustration but settled back down.

Danny saw her scowl, and he frowned. He hated when she was upset. Why would he dream of her upset? That wasn't right, either. He reached around her and pulled her closer to him. She fit snug against his side, with JJ snug against the other.

He squeezed his eyes shut and willed it all to change. He thought of them surfing, lounging on the beach, dolphin watching with binoculars which may or may not have strayed to the pretty girls walking in front of them from time to time, reading on his balcony, stargazing in the sand, anything.

Soon enough, his consciousness was whisked away to blissfully dark nothingness.

***

When Danny woke up, he was alone.

He lifted his arms over his head and stretched. He glanced at the analog clock on his desk. It was six.

Eight hours was pretty good. He'd thought the meds would've wiped him out longer, but sleep was sleep, and Danny was happy with what he managed.

He rubbed his eyes as he stood and ambled to the stairs. His brain felt two steps behind, still groggy from the meds. Maybe he still needed to sleep it off?

"Well, hello, Sleeping Beauty," his mom said as he opened the door into the kitchen.

He froze when he saw his four friends staring back at him. He did not invite them over.

"About time," Pope complained as he pulled a pan from the oven. Fresh cookies invaded his senses, and Danny realized the counters were filled with different batches. Sugar, M&M, Chocolate Chip, Lady Fingers. All his favorites.

John B's and Pope's aprons were covered with flour and other random stains. John B had his mom's dish washing rubber glove stretched over his cast. JJ had a cookie in each hand, and he waved them mockingly in Danny's direction. Kie was mixing a bowl next to his mom. She paused every so often to pop a chocolate chip in her mouth.

His mom rounded the island and walked over to him. He instinctually wrapped his arms around her when she pressed up on her toes to kiss his cheek good morning.

"Morning, Mom," Danny muttered against her hair.

She laughed softly and then replied, "Good morning, baby."

She walked back to the island and took over the mixing from Kie. He stepped to the open stool and sunk onto it.

JJ slid a glass of water in front of him. Danny muttered his thanks and chugged it.

"Why are you baking so early?" he asked his mom as John B and Pope fought over the portion sizes for their next batch of Chocolate Chips.

She shook her head. "Here, boys," she said, passing the bowl to Pope. JJ scooped a spoonful of the batter and quickly retreated out of John B's slapping range.

"It's six in the evening, Danny. They've been here all day."

Danny's eyes widened in alarm. Had that not been a dream? Kie and JJ were actually with him? When did they arrive at his house? "Why didn't you kick them out?"

That was a shock all on its own. He knew firsthand how ill-mannered his friends could be. How she managed to entertain them for a few hours and not banish them down to Danny's room was a mystery.

Irene shrugged and sent Danny a smile.

"Dude," JJ interrupted. He sucked the spoon clean and then dropped it on the counter. "We get it. You speak French. Whoopty-doo."

Kie laughed, and Danny rolled his eyes.

"No, John B!" Pope shouted in exasperation. "You're making them way too small."

"No, I'm not," he countered and shoved away Pope's hands. "It's perfect size."

"That's what he said," Kie chimed in and laughed to herself. "What?" she said at their blank stares. "That was good."

Danny slumped forward in his seat and rested his cheek against his palm. He broke an M&M cookie in half and took a bite. "That was pretty good," he said. "Different. I liked it."

"At least someone has taste."

While his friends broke out into another argument, his mom reminded him, "Remember, my friend Roberto from Vogue Italia is coming to do a piece on us in a few weeks—"

Danny groaned and dropped his head to bury in his elbow. He leaned into JJ's space and smiled when JJ draped his arm across Danny's back.

"Hey!" his mom said over his discontent. "Suck it up. You won't even have to say much. Just let Mr. Brekker know you will be needed elsewhere when the time comes. That old man takes up so much of your time. . ." she trailed off with a shake of her head as she began to clean up some of the bowls and take them to the sink.

Danny dreaded the interview. It had happened once before, and he hated every second of it. People came and invaded their house and made them pose as a family in practically every room. Danny could still remember the tight grip his father had on his shoulder.

"Hey, Ms. Sarver," John B said and smacked away Pope's incoming jab. "If Danny's too much of a baby, I'd be happy to pose for you and walk in your shows."

She laughed good-naturedly and nodded her head. "I'll keep that in mind." She dried her hands on the tea towel and rounded the island. She pressed her lips to the crown of Danny's head. "I've had fun baking with you all. But now that my baby is awake, I will take my leave."

They chorused their good-byes and then turned on Danny when she rounded the corner. They pitched their voices, mocked 'baby,' and made kissing noises at him.

Danny smiled and shrugged. No one could ever embarrass him when it came to his mom. He loved her too much.

"The fuck you guys doing here?" he asked once they calmed down.

"You didn't come to the Wreck earlier," Kie said and poured a handful of chocolate chips into her mouth. Danny held out his hand, and she poured some into his awaiting palm. "We came to check up on you," she added.

Pope loaded the tray into the oven and set the timer. He rested his elbows on the island next to John B and nodded. "Yeah, we thought you were dead."

JJ snorted and ate his remaining cookie. "Just drugged to the moon."

"Like that's better," Kie said with a shake of her head.

"Technically, it is better," Pope deadpanned. "Would you rather him actually dead?"

Danny closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face, trying to dispel the lingering drowsiness. He recognized his error. Hell, he still felt his error. It's been twenty hours, yet he still felt he could sleep twenty more.

"Would you guys talk at my funeral?" he asked blearily.

He heard mixed answers and tried not to feel offended. "Wow," he droned and elbowed JJ in the side. "Some friends I have."

"Would you talk at ours?" Pope asked and bit into a Lady Finger. He wiped the crumbs off his chest.

"I have a speech written for every one of you," Danny answered honestly. He was feeling particularly morbid one evening and crafted eulogies for each friend. He pushed his hood down and ran his fingers through his hair. He rested his head again. "No dry eye in the house."

"That's kinda weird."

"Why is that weird? You don't want people to cry at your funeral?"

"No," Pope said and sighed. "That's not what I meant—"

"I think it's kinda nice. Thoughtful," Kie said. 

Danny peeked open an eye and blew her a kiss. "Who would cry at my funeral?" he mused.

"Why are we talking about death?" JJ asked. "No ones dying anytime soon, all right?" He folded his arms across Danny's back and rested his chin on his forearm.

"You guys brought it up," Danny mumbled.

"Leo would definitely cry," Kie said. Danny felt her finger trace the underside of his jaw and the blood drained from his face as she said, "I mean, look at the mark he gave you. I can imagine the marks you gave him."

He immediately sat upright and pulled his hood up. He forgot to replace the bandaid.

"Woah," JJ complained at the sudden movement. He barely caught himself from tumbling off the stool. "A little warning would be great."

"Sorry," Danny mumbled as he stood hastily from the stool.

He took the glass to the fridge for a refill just to do something. He breathed deeply once, twice, three times, and then turned around. He leaned against the door of the fridge to distance his friends and the bruise marring his skin.

Pope opened the oven and peeked inside. "I thought you said you didn't like people giving you hickies. What was it?" he said and snapped his fingers to jog his memory.

John B tapped Pope's chest. "No, dude, I remember that, too. We were talking about vampires and shit."

"Vampires?" Kie asked. She sent an odd look at John B. "Must not have been there."

"Yeah, I don't think you were," he answered.

"And it was good, too," Pope added. "We literally debated for like three hours. JJ, you've got to remember."

JJ shrugged and took a bite from Danny's leftover cookie.

Danny squeezed past Kie and Pope and stood at the sink. He turned on the tap and began washing up the bowls and measuring cups. It was the only good excuse for him to have his back to his friends.

He remembered what they were talking about, but it only made him more ashamed.

"Something about power or. . ." John B trailed off in thought.

Pope placed an oven mitt on his hand and took out the pan. "Yes! Yeah, I remember now. He said something like hickies gives them ownership over you." Pope placed the tray on the stovetop.

"Those are not done," John B chided. "They're still gooey."

"Yes, they are!" Pope argued. "You just want them burnt like a weirdo. You must be down bad, huh, Danny?"

Danny's shoulders tensed, and he sunk further into his hoodie. "Sure, Pope," he said quietly.

He didn't want to tell them that it wasn't from Leo. He practically denounced ever allowing anyone to give him a hickey for three hours when John B was bragging about a new one along his collar bone from a girl in their year.

He provided a multitude of reasons, examples, scenarios, the whole nine yards, but it all boiled down to feeling like the marks were a brand of ownership. He didn't want anyone to have that power over him. But that was his opinion, and he didn't mind that the others opposed his view of it.

And somehow, the vampires came up. His only amendment would allow a vampire to suck on his neck, but that was beside the point. Anyone would do that. 

Except now, because he was so vehemently opposed to it, he was stuck between sounding like a hypocrite or telling the truth. Both sounded horrible, so he kept his mouth shut and let them think what they wanted. He wasn't going to confirm or deny.

He already fumbled the bag telling his mom. He was going to. Really. He was. He had it all planned out; he'd go to her studio, announce his father hit him, and demand she kicks him out.

Simple and easy.

Except it wasn't. It wasn't at all.

His first mistake was waiting too long, and instead, she approached him. She questioned about his bruise and made him an icepack. When he opened his mouth to explain, the truth lodged in his throat, and a lie spilled from his lips instead.

Danny told her John B accidentally elbowed him in the jaw when he fell into the boat.

And he hated himself for lying.

It wasn't because he was covering for his father. It was moreso to protect her feelings. He didn't want to be the catalyst and ruin her happiness. He'd rather suffer than take away her smile.

"So," Kie said and leaned her hip against the counter beside Danny. "Does that make you and Leo official?"

Danny furrowed his eyebrows, wondering if he missed something. "No," he answered simply. He continued to scrub the already clean bowl.

When it became hard to believe that the dishes were still dirty, Danny moved to package the cookies in Tupperware. He tuned out John B and Pope's incessant arguing about their newest batch and packed boxes for them all to take home.

He offered JJ a small smile when he helped and then lowered his gaze once again.

Danny placed the lid onto the container and moved it to the side. JJ's hand on the container made him pause. He looked up and raised an eyebrow in question.

"That one can be yours if you want," Danny proposed.

JJ disregarded his offer and said, "That doesn't look like any hickey I've ever seen."

Danny schooled his features and began loading cookies into a new container. He shrugged and said, "Maybe you haven't seen many hickies."

It wasn't a direct question, so Danny didn't offer a direct answer. He's gotten pretty good at evading when he wanted to.

Danny ignored the burning stare and continued his packing.

"Maybe," JJ said at last.

Danny didn't know what JJ was thinking, but he sure as hell wasn't going to open that door by asking.

His shoulder's eased when it seemed like JJ dropped the topic, but it was wishful thinking that the topic was dropped entirely. He felt JJ's probing stare the rest of the night.

He felt it during the Natural Geographic documentaries Pope made them all watch, during the few rounds of a Black Jack, and especially during 21 questions Kie threw at him about Leo that Danny skillfully evaded and deflected back at her.

So it was no surprise when JJ cornered him in the bathroom when the others fell asleep on his couches and bed.

Danny met JJ's eyes in the mirror and he smiled around the toothbrush in his mouth. "Need me to help you take a piss?" he asked. 

Danny didn't want to lie, but he also really didn't feel like telling the truth. If he kept talking, then none of that would matter.

"I'll be gentle," he added, "Unless, of course, you want rough. I can do both."

Danny watched JJ roll his eyes in the reflection, all too used to the empty promises.

When JJ still didn't speak up after Danny finished brushing his teeth, he teased, "Still thinking it over?"

He turned and leaned against the counter to face JJ. "I'll admit, it's a tough choice. There are raving reviews for each. Here," he said and nodded to himself. "How about I pick first round, and you pick the second?"

JJ crossed his arms and tilted his head. "Shut up," he said finally.

"Hmm," Danny hummed as a slow smile stretched across his lips.  "Commanding. I could work with that."

"I said stop talking."

"You said 'shut up.'"

JJ shifted and leaned his shoulder on the door frame. Danny tried not to feel like the exits were being blocked off.

"I'm trying to think of why you're so. . . twitchy."

Danny huffed a laugh. "I'm not—"

"And I'm trying to think of the right questions to ask you."

He fought away the urge to shift his stance, or his hands, fingers, eyes, or hell, even his mouth.

He didn't like being on the defense. It was dangerous and uncharted territory. It gave up too much control.

God, why was he always desperate for control?

Being on the offensive was safer. For him and everyone, honestly. Bad things happen when Danny felt the need to defend himself.

To rein back some of the control of the conversation, Danny raised his chin and said, "I'll allow two questions. Choose wisely."

"Two?" JJ scoffed.

"That was me being generous."

JJ conceded with an eye roll.

To stall a bit longer, Danny said, "But you have to answer my questions too."

"Oh, yeah?" he said. "Well, maybe I'll only let you ask one. How about that, asshole?"

Danny huffed in amusement and shook his head. He swallowed and took a breath for the needed courage. "All right," he said. "How about every question you ask, I can ask one in return."

"What if I don't want to answer."

Danny almost sighed in relief. "Then don't. But I don't have to either."

JJ stared for a long moment and then finally nodded in affirmation. "Why's it always seem like you've got the upper hand?"

Danny's brows furrowed. "That's your question?"

JJ raised a shoulder in a halfhearted shrug. "Sure," he said.

"I need control." The answer was simple. It may have been the easiest truth he's ever given.

"Why?"

Danny smiled. "Not your turn."

Danny rubbed his hands together for theatrics. "How 'bout it: gentle or rough? The people are dying to know."

"Depends."

Danny waited for further clarification, but when that didn't happen he rolled his eyes and said, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Danny could see through the innocent smile on display. "I answered the question. If you don't like the answer, ask a different question."

"Okay! Do you—"

"No, no. It's my turn."

Danny shook his head and smothered his smile, not wanting JJ to have that satisfaction.

"Is that a hickey?"

Danny swallowed. His voice was surprisingly level when he answered, "No." He didn't let JJ dwell on it. Instead, he immediately asked, "Would you rather have gentle or rough sex with me? And don't give me the bullshit 'I wouldn't want to have sex with you.' The options are gentle or rough."

JJ raised an eyebrow. "Are you done?"

Danny let the silence speak for him.

JJ rubbed his chin dramatically and let his eyes wander the length of Danny. He reached out and poked his finger against Danny's stomach, then his chest, and then hummed to himself.

Danny swatted away his hand. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

He rolled his eyes for what felt like the twentieth time. "This is taking an almost insultingly long time."

JJ laughed briefly. When he finally answered, it was a soft mutter of, "Gentle."

Danny's traitorous cheeks heated, but he didn't let himself think too hard about the response.

He walked over to the jacuzzi and sat on the edge. JJ followed.

"Why did you let the others assume it was a hickey?"

"They didn't ask."

Danny sunk into the tub, his feet hanging over the edge. He interlocked his fingers across his stomach and stared at his light fixture.

JJ turned around and sat crisscrossed to look at him.

"Do I ever. . ." Danny trailed and bit his lip. "Do I ever make you uncomfortable?"

That was maybe one of his worst nightmares.

"No!" JJ said, almost sounding offended. "Why would you even think that, Danny?"

"Just some of the things I say, I guess. It can be a lot sometimes."

Case in point is his last question and every other lewd flirtatious remark that would come out of his mouth directed at JJ or anyone else.

He meant it for some people. Most of the time it was for his own entertainment, and the rest of the time it was a shield. It was a distracting method to derail a person's thoughts. It came back to control. It always did apparently.

"It's never 'a lot,'" JJ reassured.

"You'd tell me if it was?"

JJ stared pointedly. Danny could easily interpret the unsaid 'duh, you fucker.'

JJ shifted and sat a bit straighter. "Okay, my turn. What is the mark on your jaw?"

"It's a bruise."

He fought the instinct to hide it in the collar of his sweatshirt, but he wouldn't shy away. This was good practice if he ever wanted to tell his mom, even if it felt like pulling teeth. He could only imagine how much more painful this process would be with her.

Danny ignored the way JJ bristled and continued with his turn. "Why don't you want me to handle any of the possible problems?"

JJ directed his gaze to his hands and said, "Next."

They sat silently for a moment. Danny tucked away the question and its evasion for further analysis later. "All right. So say it's a nice summer night. It's eighty degrees, there's a slight wind, and you're driving with the windows down. I've been kidnapped, and you're making a ransom drop. Are you listening to music: yes or no?"

JJ's laughter was immediate and, really, that's all that Danny wanted.

"Yes." He chuckled. "I will be listening to music. Probably Kie's Kill All Men playlist, to be honest."

Danny smiled. "Asshole."

The bathroom door opened and they both turned their heads to look. Pope stepped in, shielding his eyes from the light.

He stumbled over to the toilet as he said, "Sorry, you guys were not coming out."

Pope stood at the side of the toilet to keep his back towards the two. He glanced over his shoulder and asked, "What were you guys even doing anyway?"

JJ looked at Danny and raised an eyebrow, leaving the response up to Danny.

"Pope," Danny said in amusement, "if you were to have sex with me, would you prefer gentle or rough?"

JJ laughed and slapped Danny's shin. "He's so not going to—"

"Gentle probably."

"That was really quick," Danny commented pointedly while staring at JJ who shook his head slowly. JJ pushed Danny's smug face in a different direction.

"Did you think about this before?" JJ added in near bewilderment.

Pope's back was still to the pair when he replied easily, "Well it's an obvious answer."

"How?"

"Well, it's Danny." Pope shrugged. "I know he'd take care of me. Wait— is that what you guys were gonna do in here?"

Danny dropped his face into his hands and laughed to himself. He could barely hear it over JJ's fervent denial.

"He's already in the fucking tub!" Pope argued. "You cannot tell me—"

"Pope! Pope, literally shut up!"

"You shut up!" he yelled to JJ over his shoulder. "Dude, don't fucking talk to me while my dick is out."

JJ looked at Danny in shock. "You started this conversation!"

"Guys," Danny interjected, trying to stifle his laughs, "They're sleeping. Stop yelling."

He was wholly ignored when JJ continued, "Just go pee and put your dick away!"

Pope grumbled noncommittally.

JJ stood with a shake of his head. He left the bathroom while muttering, "Unbelievable."

Danny followed and tossed over his shoulder, "Good night, Pope."

*****

This is chaos, but the convo will be brought up later so remember it, babes ;) 

As always, let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading

xoxo

R