Boy

TEN

Five months. Five months and twenty-three days, to be exact, since Daniel has last spoken to Alex, that time in the bathroom. And, being honest, it's killing him.

He hasn't spoken to Liam, either. if anything their friendship was short and brief and almost non-existent.

Daniel is tragically and drastically alone. Aside from his parents, of course, but what good is that? That kind of mentality only cheedark blue him up for about three months. Seven hours a day of being completely alone for the entirety of school every day kind of brings you down, eventually. He's done it the past few years of school, of course, but it's harder this time.

He's seen Alex around. Alex is alone, too, because of course after that night at the party Cody left him. At first Daniel was pleased at how foolish Alex must have felt about it, but now he's sympathetic and also afraid that Alex will find out the whole hook-up thing was partially - no, probably entirely - Daniel's fault.

it's just before first period, and Daniel is sitting on the bathroom floor, just thinking to himself. it's about all he can do by himself, and he's become quite accustomed to just sitting alone and thinking about everything and anything.

And then the door opens. And Alex walks in, just about as casual as can be, until he sees Daniel. And the air grows suddenly tense, and Daniel's stomach twists and the world seems to slow to a complete stop around the two boys.

Alex is wearing a black t-shirt with black long shorts and grey running shoes. He's wearing a grey beanie. He looks good, as always - and then Daniel notices his face, his heart rate both stops and speeds up at the same time, forming a hiccup in his chest.

His face is purple and dark blue and black and bruised on the left side. Something definitely isn't right. But how does Daniel talk to Alex, after five months of ignorance?

Alex just scowls and walks up to the bathroom mirror, completely ignoring Daniel. He pulls out something from his bag - some powdery, skin-tone makeup? - and applies it carefully to the bruised parts of his face. Daniel can't help but stare.

Alex sighs and stops completely and turns to Daniel, snapping his head in his direction. "Stop staring at me," he scowls.

"Your face-"

"it's none of your fucking business, just stay out of it." his tone of voice is icy cold and it almost scares Daniel. Alex turns back toward the mirror.

"But something happened-"

"I told you, stay out of it."

"No, somethings wrong."

Alex snaps, "no shit, somethings wrong! But you not my fucking counsellor, so fuck off, Danielle."

Daniel gets to his feet angrily. "Don't call me that!" he snaps back. "That's not my name."

"Then don't talk to me."

"No!" Daniel huffs. "it's been five months of that already, Alexander."

He slams his hands down on the counter. "it's Alex," he slowly says.

"it's Daniel," he replies sourly.

Alex groans angrily. "Why are you such a dick? Go away. i don't want to talk to you."

"Why not?"

"Because i just don't want to! i don't like you," says Alex, but his body language says different.

Daniel whispers, "but you kissed me."

Alex stiffens. His eyes darken. "That was five months ago, who says my feelings haven't changed?"

"Mine haven't," Daniel says.

"Yeah, exactly. Even if i do feel like that toward you, you'll just reject me again because you don't feel the same." Alex turns back to the mirror.

"What?"

"You don't like me," Alex repeats.

There's a stop in conversation until Daniel says, almost in a disbelieving manner, "of course i do."

Alex looks at him through the mirror. "Then why'd you turn away?"

it takes Daniel a moment to respond.

"i was. Confused. i, um, told my mom about you the night before and she kind of said i couldn't be with you and that was what i was thinking when you. You."

Alex is quiet for a long while. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

Alex's gaze flickers back to the floor. "i'm. i guess i'm. Sorry? For ignoring you for all this time."

"it's.. okay." and then Alex turns to him.

"No, really, I'm sorry. I just really like you and after that. i didn't know how to talk to you normally after what happened."

"Really, it's okay." Daniel smiles wearily. "It's all good."

"Okay, good." Alex takes a step forward, and then another, until they're facing each other and Daniel's staring into his eyes. "Can i, um."

"Yeah," Daniel mumbles, again absolutely sure that he's about to kiss him - he's about to let him, again - until he simply pulls Daniel in for a hug.

It surprises the brunette, but also makes him happy in an odd way. He wraps his arms around Alex in return, bodies pressed against one another, and suddenly everything feels warm and safe.

"I'm sorry," says Alex, "I just really need to be close to you right now, it's been a while."

Daniel hums an agreement. They stay like that for a while, until Alex pulls back and they stare at each other with that same odd emotion in their eyes.

"So, are we Daniel and Alex again?" Alex murmurs curiously, a small smile dancing on his lips.

"No," says Daniel, smiling in return.

"Oh? Than what are we?"

"This." and this time it's Daniel who kisses him, moving forward to close the gap between them. When their lips meet, stars align and fireworks set off and not butterflies, but dragons awake and dance in their stomachs.

Their lips are perfect for each other, and god, Daniel could kiss him all day. There's the quiet sound of the exchange of sucking of lips, and Daniel's eyes are gently closed in a way that makes him feel elegant and airy and his heart is beating so fast that he feels like he's at the top of the world.

And it's been so long, so damn long since Daniel and Alex have even spoken to each other, that once they start they cannot stop and a matter of minutes pass until they finally disconnect their lips.

They stand there, hearts beating in unison, everything quiet and peaceful. Alex sighs peacefully and Daniel falls in love with the very sound.

"Do you feel that?" Alex quietly asks, and at first Daniel doesn't know what 'that' is - but he realizes but yes, he does feel it. he feels the butterflies in his chest, the lingering feeling in his gut, the smallest of smiles playing on his own lips without him even realizing it.

"Yeah," Daniel breathes, "I do."

Alex nods and sighs again. And then suddenly, just like that, Daniel is hit with the grand realization that Alexander William Smith is the most important thing in existence and everything else in the world doesn't matter.