4 comments/ 15444 views/ 41 favorites The Way You Look At Me Ch. 01 By: Nyhtfall Author's Note Its been some time since I last wrote about the Corinth family and the town of River Bluff, but this particular story has been somewhat in the works even before the first one was complete. I wouldn't say its required to read The Sound of Your Voice before you read this one, but it will definitely help, and flesh out some of the secondary characters a bit more. Anyway, this particular story takes place nine years after the first, and there have been some changes to the family, most are good, but a few...well you'll see. Onward we go. Enjoy! ~N – Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light. From now all our troubles will be out of sight. The radio popped and hissed as it played the song. Daniel sat on the edge of his bed, the blankets a little too thin to keep the chill completely off of him in his one room apartment. Just four days past his eighteenth birthday, he was out on his own, and trying to make it alone in the world. After graduating from high school, he had left his abusive father behind and moved to the little out of the way town of River Bluff. He had hoped that by moving away that he wouldn't have to be afraid all the time, of being hurt, and beaten. Instead, he'd found new fears, fears that were just as terrifying. Each day was a struggle, and more often than not he went to bed without enough to eat and with the coming of winter, most nights were spent shivering in a too cold apartment. The young man glanced around his rat hole of an apartment, its walls dingy, the few furnishings battered and beaten. His soft brown eyes settled on the small Christmas tree that rested on what was laughingly his kitchen table, a bent and dented metal thing from the 50's that if you weren't careful would send your plate sliding off the side and onto the floor. The tree wasn't much, it was as bent and battered as the rest of his meager possessions. Most of the ornaments were cracked, and only half of the lights actually worked, the other half choosing to light up seemingly at random, but it was his. As he stared at the little tree, he choked out the last few lines of the song. "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough, and have yourself...a merry little Christmas now..." Daniel hiccuped as he fought back the tears that were threatening to spill out of his eyes. Reaching over, he turned off the radio and sighed as he glanced out of the dingy window at the snow that was falling again. He had just curled up on the bed when the abrupt knocking on the door brought him back up. Startled, he glanced around the small apartment for a moment before he stood up and wiped his eyes. Making his way to the door, he drew in a breath as he pushed his black hair out of his eyes and opened the door. "Dino's Pizza," said the guy waiting in the hallway. "I've got a large pepperoni, and an order of wings for..." He stopped as he glanced down at the ticket that was taped to the top of the box. "Darrel Hanson." Looking up, the guy grinned. "That you?" For a moment, Daniel was silent as he stared at the guy in the hall. Even in a ball cap emblazoned with a very cartoony Italian man with a pizza hoisted in the air, Daniel could tell that the guy was cute. From the brown hair that was sticking out from under the cap to the blue eyes, he was adorable. "Uh..." Daniel blinked as he shook his head. "Nope. No Darrel Hanson here." The guy nodded as he glanced down the hall at the other three doors that led to similar apartments. "Do you know which one is his?" he asked. "I think you've got the wrong address," said Daniel. "As far as I know, there's no Hanson in this building." The delivery guy's shoulders dropped as he turned to look back at Daniel, his face crestfallen. "Oh don't tell me that..." He glanced back down at the ticket and sighed as he saw the address. "Shit. Its on the other side of town." Trying to ignore the smell of pepperoni, and the growling in his stomach, Daniel nodded quickly. "Yea, sorry about that." Shrugging, the guy held up the two boxes. "Want some pizza and wings?" "I...uh...I can't pay for that," said Daniel. "Didn't asking you to," said the guy as he pushed past Daniel and into the small apartment. "Its on me, especially since I'm going to be fired for it anyway. Fuck up three deliveries in my first week? Yea, I'm toast." He glanced around the apartment and frowned as he saw the small tree. "Did you know you've got a short in your lights?" Blinking, Daniel shook his head. "Hey, Hey! I said I don't want your pizza. And so what if my lights have a short in them. And since when do you just barge into a person's house and...and..." He shook his head as he tried to collect his thoughts, and stop his mind from racing. "Your growling stomach says otherwise," said the guy. He slid his hat off as he sat the pizza boxes down on the small kitchen counter. Running his hand through his short brown hair, he tousled it up as he turned back towards Daniel. "Besides, I hate to eat alone." The growl from his stomach made Daniel flinch as he crossed his arms over it. "Look, I don't know you and-" "Aiden," said the guy with a smile. "Aiden Corinth. Nice to meet you...what did you say your name was?" Flabbergasted, Daniel sighed as he shut the door. "Daniel Blake. Look, I don't know what you're expecting, but I'll split the pizza with you, and the wings. Anything else you might be after..." He shook his head. Pulling off his jacket, Aiden shrugged. "Some conversation while we eat, and I'll fix your lights. Its probably just a loose bulb." Shaking his head, Daniel made his way to the cupboard and took out a pair of plates, the only two he owned really. "Whatever. Just don't break it." – Twenty minutes, a pizza and a box of wings later, Aiden belched. "So," he grunted. "You live here alone?" Chewing on the last bit of crust, Daniel shrugged. "Yea, I didn't get along with my dad...so..." He gestured around the small apartment. "Here I am." Grinning, Aiden glanced at the now steadily lit tree. "At least your tree is lit now." "Mm," nodded Daniel. "What about you?" "Oh..." Aiden shrugged. "I live with my dads. And my grandmothers, my little sister." He stopped and blinked as he considered the question before continuing. "My aunt and uncle stay with us when they're in the area." He grinned as he glanced at Daniel. "I kind of have a big family." "Sounds like it," nodded Daniel. He stood up and gathering up the two plates, made his way over to the little kitchen area. "Did you say dads? As in more than one?" Grinning, Aiden followed along and propped himself up against the counter. "Yea. They're gay. Dad and Poppy." He shrugged as he continued to talk, which Daniel was fine with as it distracted him for a few minutes while he washed the two plates. "Dad's a therapist, and Poppy takes care of Isabelle, my little sister, and sometimes he makes like wedding cakes, or those really fancy birthday cakes." Nodding mostly to himself, Daniel sighed softly. "Must be nice." "Mm," grunted Aiden. "So...what do you do?" Daniel shrugged slowly. "I...uh...work at a coffee shop." "Bartlet's, right?" asked Aiden with a grin. "Its the only one in town, so it has to be. I'm usually in there two or three times a week. I don't know why I haven't seen you before." As he dried the plates, Daniel sighed softly. "Because I work in the back. Washing mugs and plates and silverware and..." He shook his head rapidly as he sat the plates back in the all too empty cupboard. "Look, thanks for the pizza and all. I really appreciate it, but its getting late, and you should probably get going." Glancing down at his watch, Aiden grunted softly again. "Yea, fuck. Its already past nine. By the time I get home, its going to be ten, and Dad'll want to know why I'm late." He shook his head as he rolled his shoulders and sighed. "And when I tell him I got fired...again...he's going to hit the roof...again." Turning towards Aiden, Daniel raised an eyebrow. "He can't be all that bad." "Oh he's not," snorted Aiden. "Bit of a push over really. After mom died, I came to live with him, and...well...He kind of lets me do what I want, so long as I don't get into trouble and do something with my life. He wanted me to go to college, but I'm just not ready for that, you know? I mean..." He shook his head. "Maybe next year." As he looked up and met Daniel's eyes, he grinned. "You should give me your number." Blinking, Daniel leaned back and glanced around his small apartment for a moment. "Why? Its not like this is the most interesting place in the world." "No," said Aiden. "But if I can't call you, or hang out with you, how else am I going to get to know you?" "Know me?" said Daniel, both eyebrows raising this time. "Why would you want to get to know me?" With a shrug, Aiden held out his cell phone. "Because I can. Here, you give me your number, and I'll give you mine." For a moment, Daniel stared down at the pro-offered phone. It was an innocent gesture, surely, just one guy wanting to get to know another, right? There wasn't anything more to it then that. Taking the phone, Daniel gestured with his head to where his own phone sat on his bed. "I guess." Aiden was already across the room and scrolling through the address book to make an entry when he stopped and turned towards Daniel. "New phone?" he asked softly. "Uh...no?" said Daniel. "I've had it for awhile, why?" Holding up the phone, Aiden shrugged. "Then there's something wrong with it buddy. You don't have any contacts listed, except for 'Work'." "Oh." Daniel blushed as he swallowed hard. "Uh...its working. I just...I don't have a lot of friends or anything, and...uh..." His voice drifted into silence as he stared across the room to the other guy and finally shrugged in his embarrassment. With a smile, Aiden punched his number into the phone's list of contacts. "Well. You've got one now." Stepping forward, Aiden extended the phone. With a smile of his own, Daniel took it as he handed Aiden's phone back to him. "Thanks. I'll...uh...call you tomorrow or something. Okay?" "Sure thing," said Aiden as he pulled his jacket and hat on. "Later cute stuff." As soon as the door was shut again, Daniel shook his head and made his way back to his bed. Stretching out upon it, he sighed softly as he closed his eyes and tried to relax. He could hear the snow falling outside, the soft sounds of an occasional ice crystal tinkling against the window. He had just started to doze off when he heard another knock at the door. Groaning, he raised up and headed for the door. "If you forgot something, I'm going to laugh," he called out as he undid the lock and opened the door. Fully expecting to see Aiden standing there, he was surprised when he was instead presented with a black ski mask and a fist flying into his face. – Aiden sighed as he pulled his car into the garage. He was tired, and as expected, he'd been fired. At almost eleven pm, he knew he was going to be in trouble, but with any lucky he could forestall it until tomorrow. Stepping out of the garage and into the snow, he glanced up at the brick exterior of the old home, the warm light in the windows and the evergreen and ribbons that wrapped around the pillars of the porch gave the house a comforting, welcoming feeling. Making his way up the steps, he tried to kick most of the snow off his shoes before opening the front door and stepping inside. The house was quiet, with only the soft crackling of the fire in the living room giving any indication that someone might still be awake. "I hear you boy," called a soft feminine voice. Swallowing hard, Aiden stepped into the living room and gave an embarrassed grin as he saw his great grandmother. "Um...hi Grams. I...uh...just got in." "Mm," grunted the old woman as she snuggled down into her blankets. "I take it the roads are getting bad, what with all this snow." "Yea, yea," nodded Aiden, using the weather as an excuse for his lateness. "It was slow going in town, and uh...it...uh...took a bit longer than I thought it would to get home." His grandmother sighed and shook her head. "And your poor father is stuck at work. I'm sure Josh will have a fit if he's late getting home in the morning. He has a cake to deliver." Bobbing his head, Aiden nodded. "Yea, I'm sure. Uh...I'm going to go on up to bed Grams. Its been a long day." "Mhm," nodded his grandmother. "Goodnight boy." Aiden blew out a silent breath as he crept up one of the two parallel staircases that made up the entry hall of the house. Once on the second floor, he tip-toed past the door to his parents' room, and slipped into his own. As he made his way towards his bed, he slid off his shirt and undid his pants. Once those were off, he sprawled out naked on his bed and sighed. "Damn he was cute," he mumbled as he ran a hand down his chest, teasing the light dusting of hair that had only started developing in the last year. "So damn cute," he muttered as his hand slid lower over his tummy. The hair thickened here before spreading out over his groin and encircling his thick cock. With a soft groan, he curled his fingers around his already swelling shaft and gave it a slow stroke. In his mind's eye it was another hand that stroked him, a face with dark hair and soft brown eyes leaning in to lick at the head before taking it into his mouth. "Oh fuck..." groaned Aiden as he stroked himself faster, the fantasy playing out in his mind. "Yea...suck on it Danny. Get it good and wet...Mm..." He was nearly panting as he gave his dick a light squeeze. "Oh...fuck!" He hissed through his teeth as his shaft pulsed and a blast of hot seed shot out and splattered onto his fuzzy tummy, quickly followed by a second and a third. Still panting, Aiden groaned as he raised his head up and glanced down at the mess. "Fuck," he grumbled. Raising up, he reached for a dirty shirt, one he had discarded on the floor a day or two ago and started to wipe up the cum that was matting down the hair on his tummy. As he finished, he caught sight of himself in the mirror and stopped for a moment. He wasn't all that built, about average really, with a slight rounding of his tummy, and a light coating of body hair. His dick though, that made him grin. He was hung, topping out at just short of eight inches and thick with heavy balls hanging below. The ringing of his cell phone brought his attention back to reality and he sighed. "Double fuck," he muttered as he scooped up the device and hit the accept button on the call. "Hello?" "Hello," began the voice on the other end. "I'm with University Hospital in Louisville." Aiden's heart dropped into his stomach. "Oh, oh shit. Is it dad?" he stammered. "Is he alright? Was there an accident or something?" The voice on the other end sounded confused. "Um. I'm not sure? Is your father's last name Blake?" "No," said Aiden, his brows knitting together in confusion. The name of Blake rang a bell, but he couldn't quite place it. "My dad's last name is Corinth. He works there, he's-" "Oh," said the voice. "You're Doctor Corinth's son? Well that explains that then. No, you're father is fine. I am calling in regards to a Daniel Blake?" Daniel. That was his last name. The sudden realization set off a flurry of questions. "Is he alright? Did something happen? I can come down right now, just let me get dressed and-" "Whoa, whoa!" said the voice on the other end. "Slow down. Your father wasn't joking when he said you were a touch spastic. We were hoping you could help us get in touch with his parents. I can't give out any details, but when he was found, your number was the only one in his cell phone besides his job." Rubbing his forehead, Aiden licked his lips. "I...uh...I don't know. He didn't talk much about his family, on his dad and only to say he didn't get along with him." "Well," sighed the voice. "That complicates things. Thank you for your help." The line went dead, leaving Aiden holding his cell phone. With a long suffering sigh, he pulled on his pants and made his way out into the hallway. "Poppy!" – Daniel groaned as he tried to open his eyes. The lids felt heavy, almost like lead, and his head was pounding. He tried to move, to sit up, but that just made it worse. "Hey, hey," said a voice near his head. "Just stay still, and I'll get someone okay?" That voice was familiar, thought Daniel. Really familiar. He slowly opened one bleary eye and grunted at the figure beside him. "Kay," he managed before shutting his eye again. It seemed like only a minute had passed before a new and strange voice was in the room. "Well," said the woman's voice. "I've got another bag of saline hung, you were a little dehydrated when you came in. As soon as the doctor gives the okay, we'll get you something for the pain. Can you open your eyes honey?" Try as he might, the one eye would not open, but with a soft groan, Daniel managed to force the other open. A light flashed in front of his face and he winced as he closed his eye once more. This time though it was only for a moment before he opened it again. "Well, your pupils are responding," said the woman. "That's a good sign." She turned towards a figure by the door and smiled. "I'll tell your father he's awake." "Thanks," said the familiar voice. As he laid there, Daniel tried once more to place it. It didn't take long as Aiden's face swam into view. "Hey. Are you okay?" Grunting, Daniel closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing and not the throbbing in his head. "What happened?" "Uh," Aiden stammered for a moment. "I uh, don't really know. They brought you here to University, and then called me to try and get in touch with your family. When I wasn't much help, they hung up on me, and...well...I kind of flipped my shit." "That's one way of putting it," said a voice from the doorway. Opening his one good eye, Daniel turned his head just enough to see the dark haired and bearded man standing in the doorway. He was handsome, even if he did look exhausted which did nothing to lessen the sense of confidence that seemed to surround the man. "Who...?" was all Daniel managed to get out. "That's my dad," grinned Aiden. Stepping up beside the bed, the man gave a small smile. "Doctor Evan Corinth," he said. "I'm the hospital's resident psychologist and..." He cast his eyes towards Aiden for a moment and sighed. "This one's father, yea." He returned his attention to Daniel and smiled. "Don't worry about your eye, its just swollen shut, and you've got a minor concussion. You took a real beating." "Is that what happened?" asked Daniel softly. Nodding, Evan gestured for his son to grab a chair. "According to the report, someone forced their way into your apartment, beat you into unconsciousness, and then ransacked the place. The cops are investigating, but..." He shook his head as Aiden pulled the chair over for him. Taking a seat, Evan sighed. "During the initial check, we found some...scarring, and old bruises. X-rays showed a few healed fractures, so I have to ask. Has someone been hurting you Daniel?" For the first time, Daniel really focused on Evan with his one good eye. He could see the little touches of silver in his hair and beard, the wrinkles that had started to form around his eyes. It was the eyes that captured him. They were deep and dark, like rich coffee or dark chocolate, but above all, they were kind. Daniel felt his voice catch in his throat as all the fear, the pain, and the grief finally overwhelmed him. He let out a soft whimper as tears began to spill down his cheeks. "Yea," sighed Evan as he leaned forward to put an arm around the younger man's shoulders. "That's what I thought..." Glancing over his shoulder, Evan nodded towards his son. "Go outside Aiden. No listening in, either." The Way You Look At Me Ch. 01 – As soon as they were alone, Daniel sniffled. "I'm sorry Doctor Corinth. Its just that...I...I-I-I..." He didn't know what he wanted to say, what he wanted to apologize for, or how to even go about doing it. With a shake of his head, Evan shrugged. "Don't worry about it, and you can call me Evan. Makes things easier." Leaning back in his chair, Evan doubled one leg up under himself and nodded. "Now...tell me who hurt you." "Tonight, I don't know," said Daniel with a shake of his head. "He had a mask on...I remember that part." Evan smiled sadly. "Not tonight sweetie. Tell me who made all those bruises and scars." He had never admitted it before, never considered it, he'd always been too afraid of what would happen if he did. But now, sitting here, with this kind man who was every bit the father figure, he finally let go. "My dad," said Daniel softly, the amount of shame in his voice was heavy. "When I was fourteen, after mom had died, I told him I was gay. He was never nice to me, but that had always just been beatings. After I told him though, they got worse. He said he would cure me of my disease, my 'predilection' as he called it. He said with enough pain, I wouldn't want it anymore, that he'd heard about it on TV, some kind of therapy." "Aversion therapy," said Evan. There was an angry note in his voice as he nodded slowly. "Its sometimes used in behavior modification, but not like that." He shook his head quickly. "Never like that." "Yea, well," Daniel shrugged. "My dad never was the sharpest tool in the shed. After I told him, he...he..." Stopping, Daniel swallowed hard and nodded. "He put...things...in me. Like...bottles...brushes. Whatever he had handy, he'd just shove it in there, and I'd let him. I let him." Evan shook his head. "Its not your fault Daniel," he said softly. "You were underage, and even then, what he did was wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong." "But I let him," said Daniel. He sniffled as he hung his head. "I let him..." – Aiden paced the length of the short hall. Each time he passed the door to Daniel's room, he'd glance at it and stop for a moment, almost willing it to happen. So far, it hadn't worked, and he continued to pace. "Of course," sighed a familiar voice. Turning on his heels, Aiden almost flew into his aunt's arms. "Auntie," he whispered softly. Sighing, Natalia Corinth patted her nephew's back. "I land at the airport and have a phone call from your Poppy telling me that you've rushed off to the hospital, something about life and death, and him wondering if I could come check on you before I drove home." Shaking her head, Natalia took a step back as she looked at her nephew. "What happened, kiddo?" Staring at his aunt, Aiden swallowed back the tears that were threatening to fall. "I don't know. Someone here called me to tell me that this guy I just met was here, and..." He shrugged slowly. "I don't know. I freaked out I guess." Nodding, Natalia pushed her long dark hair out of her eyes and sighed slowly. "You usually do. You've really got to work on that, it doesn't do to panic every time something happens." She glanced at the closed door and raised a brow. "Is your father in there? The nurse at the desk said he was up here." Aiden nodded. "Yea, dad's in there talking to Daniel." He glanced at the door and frowned. "They've been in there for awhile now, and I'd really like to see him, and...well..." "And you said you just met him?" asked Natalia as she raised one eyebrow. "Yea," nodded Aiden. "I...well...I delivered this pizza to the wrong address, and he answered." He shook his head as the memory stirred, fresh in his mind. "The place was horrible, like one of those really old, dirty apartments you'd see in a horror movie or something. He answered the door and he just...He looked so sad, so lost. I couldn't just leave the guy, and then his stomach was growling, and I could tell he was hungry. I figured I was going to be fired anyway, so what the hell, right?" The words rushed out of Aiden's mouth as he once more resumed pacing, this time only taking a few steps in front of his aunt. "So, I split the pizza with him, fixed his Christmas lights, and got his number. He doesn't have anyone. No one at all." Watching her nephew, Natalia smiled slightly. "And now you feel like you need to help him, is that it?" she asked softly. "Yes!" blurted Aiden. "I need to take care of him." Realizing what he had said, he came to a stop in the middle of the hall and turned towards his aunt, a confused look on his face. "Is that like...weird or something?" Laughing softly, Natalia shook her head. "In our family? No, not at all." She glanced at the closed door as she heard the latch click. "Remind me to tell you about the conversation I had with your dad when he met your Poppy." As if on cue, Evan opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. "What's this I'm hearing about my husband and I?" "Nothing," said Natalia with a smile as she stepped up and embraced her brother. "How are you?" Hugging his sister, Evan sighed softly. "I'm okay, you?" "Better, now that I'm home," said Natalia as she stepped back. "Don't get me wrong, studying Inca ruins and especially Machu Picchu is amazing, but I miss hot water, and electricity." "Mm," nodded Evan. "I don't doubt it." "Uh," interjected Aiden. "I don't mean to break up this little family reunion or anything, but can I go in and see him now dad?" Evan had only started to nod when Aiden bolted into the room, the door banging shut behind him. Sighing, Evan shook his head. "That boy, I swear," he muttered. "I don't know," said Natalia with a smirk. "He reminds me a lot of you when you first met Josh." Narrowing his eyes, the corner of Evan's mouth quirked upwards. "Is that what this is?" "I think so," nodded Natalia. "I'm not sure how the other boy feels, but I'm pretty sure your son is in love." Glancing back at the door, Evan drew in a breath and sighed. "Well...it was bound to happen eventually." – Aiden fidgeted as he stood beside the bed, both eyes settled on Daniel. "So...um...are you okay?" Daniel sniffled softly, his eyes rimmed red as if he had been crying. "I had the crap beat out of me, my place trashed, and now I'm laying in a hospital with one eye swollen shut and a concussion. No. I'm not okay." He turned to glare at Aiden with his one good eye. "I'm a long fucking way from being okay!" Pinching his eyes shut, Aiden hissed through his teeth. "Sorry, sorry. That was a stupid question. Of course you're not okay. I'm sorry." He slowly opened his eyes, his face set with worry as he looked at Daniel. "I just meant...with my dad coming in to talk to you and all." Staring at the other boy, Daniel worked his mouth as he tried to speak, his lips pursing for a moment and opening before snapping shut once more. So far, Aiden had done nothing to him, other than try to be kind, even if he did seem to be a little bit annoying. Still, he was nice to him, friendly, and that was something Daniel had not had in a long time, a friend. With his eyes welling up with tears again, Daniel nodded slowly. "Yea, I think so. He seems nice." "He is," smiled Aiden, the worry on his face finally starting to relax. "He and Poppy took me in after my mom died, and they'd only been together for a year or so. I was nine. My mom is dad's younger cousin..." Aiden stopped, the smile leaving his face as he corrected himself. "Was dad's younger cousin. But its okay! Dad is great, so is Poppy. They love me." In that moment, with his newly discovered friend telling him intimate details of his life, Daniel decided he had to be honest. "Look," he said, his bottom lip trembling slightly. "B-before you go telling me too much, there's something I need to...to tell you." Blinking, Aiden tilted his head to the side, his eyebrows coming together in confusion. "Okay?" Taking a deep breath, Daniel closed his eye and sighed. "I'm gay." He waited for his friend to lash out, to accuse him of coming onto him. When nothing came, Daniel opened his eye and stared. Aiden was smiling, a small confident smile. "Okay...and?" asked Aiden softly. "In case you hadn't figured it out, so am I. I mean, come on, I did ask you for your number." "But...I thought you were just being nice!" sputtered Daniel. "Trying to make friends and stuff. You can't be gay." Shrugging, Aiden plopped himself down in the chair that his father had only just recently vacated. "Well I am. Girls don't do much for me, but a nice round boy butt gets me going every time." Daniel laughed, a soft relieved laugh that quickly melted into a smile. He was about to speak when the door to his room opened again. First through the doorway was Evan, followed by a strikingly beautiful dark haired woman who so closely resembled him that she could only be Evan's sister. Last in was a nurse, a small cup in one hand. "Aiden," said Evan. "Its late, and we should get going. I was due to get off over an hour ago, and your aunt is exhausted from her trip." The nurse smiled as she moved into the room and extended the small cup to Daniel. "And this should help you with the pain, and let you sleep." Taking the cup, Daniel tossed back the pills, though he kept his eye on Aiden. After he swallowed, he nodded once. "I...um...I guess I'll see you later?" he asked, almost imploring him to not go. The last thing he wanted was to be alone right now. "Yea, um," Aiden blinked as he turned and glanced at his father. "Uh...Dad. Could I...uh...could I stay here tonight? I mean...I don't think Danny should be alone, and well, I don't exactly have to work tomorrow." Raising a brow, Evan shrugged. "Its not ICU, so he's allowed to have someone stay, but its up to him really." Turning back towards Daniel, Aiden smiled. "So, what do you say, want me to stay?" The rush to say yes nearly overwhelmed Daniel. Instead, he merely shrugged. "Yea, that'd be great. I'd rather not be alone in the morning." "Cool," grinned Aiden. He glanced around the room, quickly realizing that other than the bed, he was occupying the only other piece of furniture. "Oh," he muttered softly. "I...guess I'll just sleep in the chair." The nurse laughed and shook her head. "I'll have one of the fold out beds brought up for you. If there's nothing else?" When there was no answer, she quickly left the room. Nodding to himself, Aiden stood and made his way over to his father and aunt, giving each a hug in turn. "Thanks Dad," he said. "Mhm," nodded Evan as he opened the door for Natalia. "We'll talk about the work thing tomorrow. I'll be here in the afternoon to check in on both of you." As the door thumped shut behind them, Aiden sighed and let his shoulders droop. "Shit," he mumbled. "What?" asked Daniel from the bed. Shaking his head, Aiden turned and made his way back to the chair and plopped down. "Its nothing," he sighed. "Just he's disappointed in me again." "Why?" asked Daniel as he settled back into the bed. "He seems so nice." "He is," nodded Aiden. "He just wants to see me do something with my life, and I seem to keep fucking it up." "Mm," grunted Daniel as his eye started drift shut. "S'nice." Chuckling, Aiden leaned in. "Falling asleep on me Danny?" "Daniel," mumbled Daniel. "My name is Daniel." Nodding, Aiden raised a brow slightly. "I'm sorry, Daniel it is." "No," sighed Daniel as he felt sleep pulling him down. "Can call me Danny. I like it." With a small smile, Aiden sat back in his chair. "Goodnight Danny." – The sun was streaming in as Daniel opened his eyes, both of them this time. With a soft groan he sat up and glanced around the room. Somewhere in his foggy memory, he remembered the pizza guy from yesterday, Aiden who had come to his rescue and stayed with him the night before. Now, as he glanced around the empty room, he thought that perhaps the entire thing had been a dream. There was no spare bed, no sign that another person had spent the night in the room beside himself. He had just about written the whole thing off as a dream when the door to the bathroom opened, and Aiden stepped out, clad in nothing but a pair of sweats, his hair still wet. "Oh," grinned Aiden as he made his way over to the bed. "You're awake." Looking at his new friend, Daniel's eyes darted from his face down to his torso, his chest and belly both lightly dusted with hair. "Uh..." he swallowed as his eyes glanced lower, to where the hair spread out at his waist before disappearing into his sweats. "Yea," said Daniel as he glanced back up at Aiden's face. "Yep. I'm definitely awake." Aiden smirked as he leaned in close. "I bet," he chuckled. "Its well past noon, by the way. My dad was here earlier and said they're going to be releasing you today." Nodding slowly, Daniel tried to fight the blush that he could feel rising upon his face. He tried not to lean in, tried not to think about the tingling he felt in his groin at Aiden being so close. "T-Th-That's good," stammered Daniel. With his nose almost touching Daniel's, Aiden smiled as he moved in. "Yea, it is," he whispered. His lips were dangerously close, he could smell Daniel, his soft sweet scent. He desperately wanted to taste him, to kiss him, but that moment was ruined as the door opened up. Jumping back, Aiden whipped around and stammered as he came face to face with his father. "Uh...Hi dad. We were...uh..." he stammered. Raising a brow, Evan nodded slowly. "I'm well aware of what you were doing, son, and while I am sorry to interrupt you," he held up the clipboard in his hand. "I have Daniel's release forms." Daniel could feel the heat coming off his face, he knew he had to be blushing. "Oh, uh, thanks." "I also have some news," said Evan with a slight frown. "It seems the police found something when they were investigating your apartment, and have declared it a crime scene." "S-something?" said Daniel, the fear rising in his voice. "D-did they say what? I've not done anything to get in trouble." Evan quickly shook his head. "No no. They said it doesn't have anything to do with you. It was something to do with an old crime, from a year or so ago. You're not in any kind of trouble, but you can't go back to your apartment. I did manage to convince them to bring over some of your clothes and stuff, but..." "Oh," blinked Daniel. He bit his lower lip as he fidgeted in the bed. "I...um...I don't have anywhere to stay. I guess I can stay at a shelter or something." "Fuck that," snorted Aiden. "Aiden..." grunted Evan. "Language." Aiden shrugged at his father. "Sorry dad. I just mean that's crap. He can stay with us." Evan raised a brow as he stared at his son. "I think perhaps you should ask me first." "Its okay," said Daniel with a shake of his head. "I stayed in a shelter before, its not that bad." He swallowed as he thought of the shelter he had stayed at for a few weeks, its single cold concrete room lined with cots. "I'll be fine." Aiden turned on his father and sighed. "Come on dad. Its Christmas. You aren't actually going to make him go to one of those places, are you?" "Of course not, I'd just like to have been asked first." shrugged Evan. "Besides, your Poppy and Isabelle already have the guest room set up for him." Whipping around, Aiden grinned at Daniel. "See? You can stay with us until things get sorted out." "I...I don't know," said Daniel, the blush returning to his cheeks. "I mean, its very kind of you, but I wouldn't want to be in the way or anything." "You won't be," said Aiden before turning to his father. "Will he dad?" With a shrug, Evan stepped forward and extended the clipboard to Daniel. "Nope, not at all. Plenty of space, and what's one more at the holidays?" With a smile, he glanced at his half naked son. "You should get dressed and then go get Daniel's things for him. They're at the nurse's station." "Right!" said Aiden before bolting into the bathroom, the door banging shut behind him. Smiling slightly, Daniel took the clipboard from Evan. "Thanks, but you don't have to do this. I'll be okay, really." Shaking his head, Evan shrugged. "Its not a problem, really. It'll make my son happy, and that is worth more than you know." Sighing, he let his dark eyes settle on the boy. "But really kid...you're not okay. You're far, far from okay, and I think this will be good for you." He smiled slightly as he reached out and patted Daniel on the shoulder. "So just relax, and enjoy it." Drawing in a breath, Daniel sighed as he nodded. "Okay." – The applying of brakes caused Daniel to slide forward in his seat, bringing him awake. Grunting softly, he opened his bleary eyes and glanced about, almost immediately finding the smiling face of Aiden. "Wuzzat?" he mumbled. Chuckling, Aiden turned off the car. "We're here." Rubbing at his eyes, Daniel sat up and looked out the window. His brows knitted together in confusion as he saw the large wooden doors that led into a two story brick building. "...Um...Nothing personal, but your family lives in a garage?" "No," laughed Aiden. "That's the carriage house. That is our house," he said as he pointed through the window. Blinking, Daniel looked past Aiden, and the still falling snow. His eyes went wide as he caught sight of the big brick house, its two story porch festooned with ribbons and garland, its pillars encircled in evergreen. "Holy...shit. You live here? Seriously?" Aiden nodded as he grabbed the two bags containing the majority of Daniel's things from the back of his car before opening the door. "Yep," he said as he stepped out into the snow. Following him, Daniel shook his head as he got his first real look at the house. "This is a mansion!" "Nah," said Aiden. "Well...sort of. Its an old farmhouse, or at least that's how we've always seen it." He gestured for Daniel to follow as he headed towards the house. "It was built like...two hundred years ago, by one of Dad's ancestors or something. It was a plantation or something. We still own about a thousand acres." He glanced back at Daniel and grinned as he kicked the snow off his feet. "Prepare yourself," he said as he grabbed the handle to the door and turned. Daniel had just finished kicking the snow off his shoes when he looked up and saw one of the two doors swing open. Inside, a vestibule waited, its frosted glass doors closed. "Uh...okay?" "Shit!" muttered Aiden. "They never close the inside doors." He sighed as he stepped into the vestibule with Daniel following behind him. Once the outer door was closed, he opened the inner pair with a flourish. "Ta-da!" "Aiden James!" shouted a voice. "Shit," groaned Aiden. He glanced into the entry hall and smiled slightly. "Hi Poppy." With his hair still coal black and his eyes bright blue, Josh stepped forward and shook his head at his son. "Get that boy in here! He's been through enough. Honestly, keeping the poor thing in the doorway, and it snowing outside, what is wrong with you?" Daniel though was entirely enthralled by the massive fifteen foot tree that filled the middle of the entry hall. Positioned as it was just below the chandelier, there was enough room on either side to walk around it and gain access to the two staircases that led to the second floor. Most of the tree was decorated, thanks in part to the scaffolding that encircled one side of it, and from what he could see, it would be glorious when it was finished. "Wow," sighed Daniel. "Now that is a tree." He grunted as he suddenly found himself being embraced. Blinking, he stared into the face of Josh. "Um...hi?" Smiling, Josh took a step back. "You must be Daniel. Evan said you were a cutie." He gestured at the stairs leading to the second floor. "We've got you in the room next to Aiden's, and we'll be working on the tree and the rest of the decorating for the day. You can take a nap if you like, or join in. Dinner is at seven." He suddenly whipped around and pointed at the dark haired little girl who stood off to the side. "Isabelle! Put down the Santa!" The Way You Look At Me Ch. 01 "But Poppy!" whined the little girl as she held up the small ceramic and fabric Santa. "No buts," said Josh with a sigh. "We'll put him out in a few minutes. Why don't you help your brother take Daniel up to his room? You know, the one we did up this morning." Squealing, Isabelle dropped the Santa into the box with a clank that made Josh groan. "Okay!" She ran forward and grabbed Daniel's hand, pulling him towards the stairs as she rattled off questions. "Hi, I'm Isabelle. Daddy says you're going to stay with us for awhile. Do you like peas? I don't, I think they're gross. Are you going to help us decorate? Does Santa know you're staying here?" She suddenly gasped and turned around as she was halfway up the stairs. "Poppy!" she shouted. Peering around the tree, an ornament dangled from between his fingers, Josh sighed softly. "Yes little one?" "We have to get Daniel a present," exclaimed Isabelle. "In case Santa doesn't know where he is! He won't have any gifts on Christmas." She stopped and her eyes went wide. "We should get him lots of gifts, since Daddy said he needs lots of love." She looked up at Daniel with solemn eyes that reminded him of dark, rich coffee. She spoke in a very serious tone for a four year old as she wrapped her arms around Daniel's leg. "Its okay. If Santa doesn't bring you any gifts, you can have some of mine, as long as its not the doll I want, okay?" Daniel couldn't help but smile down at the sweet little girl. "Okay." "Izzy," sighed Josh. "Its under control. Your Daddy and I called Santa this morning and told him that Daniel was staying here. Now, go show him his room." "Okay!" shouted Isabelle as she bolted up the stairs. "This way!" The room that Isabelle led him into was large and done in shades of green and cream. A fire burned in the fireplace, and small festive decorations had been added to the room for holiday, most in red to standout against the green walls. Daniel drew in a breath as he stepped into the room. "Wow, this is...wow..." Isabelle pointed to the bed where the sheets had been pulled back and a small teddy bear sat on a pillow. "I did that!" she said with a note of pride. "Poppy said it was called turning off the bed." "Turning down the bed," said Aiden as he sat the bags on the floor. "Its called turning down the bed, Izzy." "Whatever," said Isabelle. "I put one of my teddies in here for you." Daniel smiled as he looked around the room, his eyes finally settling on the little brown stuffed bear. It was missing one of its button eyes. "Thank you Isabelle." "You can call me Izzy," said Isabelle with a grin. Nodding, Daniel smiled. "You can call me Danny." "Okay!" said Isabelle as she suddenly ran out of the room. "Poppy! I'm coming!" she called as she ran down the stairs. Sighing, Aiden glanced around the room and forced a grin. "Sorry, she's a bundle of energy." "No," said Daniel. "She's sweet. You're lucky." "Usually," said Aiden. He gestured at the door along the far wall. "That leads to the bathroom, and while you probably won't use it right now, that," he gestured to the french door windows on one side of the fireplace, "Leads out onto the porch." "Cool," nodded Daniel. Aiden gestured at the wardrobe against the wall. "Clothes are in there. I've probably got a few things you can have as well." He chuckled as he shook his head. "If you hadn't noticed, money isn't much of a concern for my family." "So I'm seeing," said Daniel. "Thanks again for doing this. I really appreciate it." Aiden shook his head and shrugged. "Its not a big deal. Dad is always on me about doing something good in life. Maybe this is the start of that. Oh," he blinked as he jutted his thumb over his shoulder towards the bathroom door. "Towels are in the bathroom. If there's anything else you need, just give a shout. I'm going to head down and help decorate, wanna come?" From out in the hallway, the sound of Josh's voice echoed. "Izzy! Put down the Santa!" Grinning, Daniel nodded. "Yea, I think I will." – Most of the decorating was done, with Aiden up on the scaffolding putting the last of the ornaments on the tree. Daniel sat in the entry hall watching, sprawled out on the wood floor. "I've never seen a tree like this," he said softly. He gestured at the still empty top of the tree. "What are you going to top the tree with?" Grinning, Aiden placed the last ornament before he hopped down from the scaffolding. "Just wait," he said as he made his way over to the stack of boxes, most of which were empty now. He reached inside and sighed softly as he gingerly lifted out a simple wooden box. Turning towards Daniel, Aiden gestured to him. "Come see." With a grunt, Daniel pushed himself up off the floor and onto his knees. Sitting for a moment, he found himself eye level with Aiden's groin. Blinking, he noticed the bulge and swallowed hard. "Uh..." Smirking, Aiden raised a brow as he glanced down at Daniel. "While I like the idea of you on your knees, I don't think the entry hall of my house with my family in the other room is the place to do that sort of thing." Daniel shot up off the floor, his face burning. "Sorry, I...uh...sorry..." he mumbled. "Its okay," laughed Aiden. "I was just messing with you. Here," he said as he opened the wooden box. "Take a look." The lid of the box came off easily enough, and tucked inside among pieces of newspaper was a large gold and silver colored glass star. Small crystals hung from the points, and the whole thing shimmered in the light. "Wow," said Daniel. "That's beautiful." Aiden nodded. "Yea. Its mercury glass. My great-great grandmother bought it back in like...1910 or something." He gestured to the scaffold and smiled. "Go on up." Daniel cast a wary eye at the scaffold. He was not fond of heights. "I think I'll stay down here." "Nope," said Aiden with a shake of his head. "Its your first Christmas with us, so you get to put the star up." He grinned as he grabbed Daniel's hand, the box held under one arm. "Come on, I'll help you." Shaking his head, Daniel sighed as he followed Aiden to the scaffolding. "You're awfully pushy, you know that?" "So I've been told," said Aiden as he lifted the box up onto the scaffold and climbed up. Once ontop, he quickly turned and held out his hand for Daniel. "But I figure this is your chance to hang that shining star you were singing about the other day." Taking the pro-offered hand, Daniel climbed up the short ladder. "Wait," he said as he stood up on the scaffold. "When did you hear me singing?" "Uh..." Aiden blushed. "Well...I was...um..." "You were listening outside of the door, weren't you?" asked Daniel. Aiden shrugged as he pulled the star out of the box. "It wasn't intentional. I was checking door numbers, realized I was in the wrong place, and then I heard someone singing and...well..." He shrugged again and gave a lopsided smile. "You sounded so sad, and I dunno, I just wanted to make you feel better. I knew I was screwed with work at that point anyway, so..." With a small smile, Daniel nodded. "That's sweet..." He glanced at the top of the tree and then back at the star Aiden was holding. "So...how do we do this?" "Here," said Aiden as he handed Daniel the star. "Now just lean up against the railing." Taking the star, Daniel nodded and moved up to the railing. He paused as he felt a pair of arms slipping around he waist, and a strong chest against his back. "N-now what?" he asked. Aiden's voice was in his ear, not much more than a whisper. "Now, just step up on the lower railing here, and just slide it over the top of the tree." Swallowing, Daniel nodded once more as he raised his foot up and found the lowest railing. Now another foot in the air, he leaned forward, the top of the railing pressing across his thighs as he raised the star up and slid it over the top of the tree. "There," he said and leaned back. His feet slipped and suddenly he was being held in Aiden's arms. Grunting, Aiden held Daniel up. "Careful," he chuckled. "You wouldn't want to fall..." "Uh...Yea," nodded Daniel as he pulled himself upright. The star seemed to shine now that it was in its proper place atop the tree. With a soft smile, he sang. "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough..." "Mm," grunted Aiden softly. "We should probably get down from here." "Yea," said Daniel. He followed Aiden down the short ladder and stepped back to look at the tree. "Pretty." He glanced at Aiden and blinked as he saw the intent look on his face. "What?" he asked softly. Anything else he might have said was cut off as Aiden suddenly leaned in and pressed a kiss to his mouth. His lips were soft, tender but demanding as he pressed in. Pulling back, Daniel once again found Aiden's arms around his waist, holding him tightly. "What was that for?" he asked, nearly breathless. Grinning, Aiden glanced upwards. "You're under the mistletoe." Daniel glanced up. Sure enough, hanging above them a bundle of green leaves rested, dotted with white and red berries. "Oh," he said softly. "Well..." Aiden chuckled as he caught Daniel's mouth in another kiss. "Merry Christmas Danny..." The Way You Look At Me Ch. 02 The incessant knocking at his door would not seem to stop. Grunting to himself, Daniel wiggled himself down further into the blankets, his entire body wrapped in a cocoon of quilts, sheets and pillows. He could smell the wonderful scents coming from downstairs, but for the moment he was too comfortable, and too warm, something he had not been in a very long time. When the knocking finally ceased, he let himself start to drift back into sleep, only to be woken up by the sudden weight that pounced atop him. "Morning!" grinned Aiden as he sprawled out ontop of Daniel, only the quilts separating them. "Fuck!" shouted Daniel as he struggled to sit up, panting from the sudden change from quiet slumber to loud awareness. "What the hell?" "I did knock," said Aiden. Daniel groaned as he fell back into the pillows. "You are so annoying." "You don't mean that," said Aiden as he sat up with a grin. "Besides, breakfast is ready." Peeking his head up over the blankets, Daniel knitted his brows together as he took in the view. Aiden was sitting on the edge of the bed, clad in nothing but a thin pair of boxers. From his vantage point, Daniel could even catch a glimpse of the half open fly at the front. "Uh..." Daniel swallowed as his eyes traveled up the length of Aiden's body, taking in the hair that dusted his belly and chest. "Are...you going down like that? Because I have to tell you dude...you're not leaving much to the imagination..." Smirking, Aiden chuckled. "Yea, but you like the view, don't you?" Sliding off the bed, Aiden gave a dramatic stretch, ending it with a shrug. "No, I'm going to go throw on some sweats and a tee, but I figured I'd wake you up first...before Izzy did." He shook his head as he started towards the door. "Really, if you think I'm bad, just wait until she wakes you up." When he heard the door click shut, Daniel sighed and let himself spread out in the bed. Closing his eyes, he slid his hand down his bare chest. He wasn't hairy at all, save for a narrow trail that led from his navel downward. He was trim, almost too thin in a way, but there was muscle to him. As he slid his hand down into his boxers, he curled his fingers around his hard shaft. That momentary glimpse of Aiden's nearly naked form had been enough to get him excited. With a groan, he threw the blankets back and tugged the waistband of his boxers down under his balls. Glancing down at himself, he squeezed the base of his dick and gave it a slow stroke. He wasn't large, maybe six inches, but he liked what he had, and keeping his pubic hair trimmed short made it look larger. Groaning, Daniel worked his length, his free hand sliding down under his balls and into his boxers. He whimpered as he pressed a single finger against his tight pucker and rubbed. "Oh...oh f-fuck," he gasped. He could feel his climax building, the warm sensation starting in his groin and quickly spreading out. With a low moan, he let loose, his seed shooting out and landing on his chest and belly. "Fuck, fuck," he chanted as he trembled, his entire body tightening up one moment and relaxing the next. He laid there panting for a moment, enjoying the afterglow. The moment passed all too quickly as there was another knock at his door. "Come on Danny!" came the muffled voice of Aiden. "Breakfast is going to be cold." "I'll be right down," sighed Daniel. -- The kitchen was quiet as Aiden sat at the island munching on his toast. Beside him, Daniel picked at his scrambled eggs. "You know," said Aiden, "If there's something else you want, I can probably whip it up." "You can cook?" asked Daniel as he raised a brow. Aiden nodded emphatically. "The microwave counts, right?" Grinning, he shrugged. "I can do oatmeal, and toast." Shaking his head, Daniel smiled slightly. "No, thanks. I'm just kind of full I think." "You need to eat more," said Aiden with a grin. He poked at Daniel's ribs. "Too skinny." Swatting his hand away, Daniel huffed. "Excuse you." Stepping through the door, Evan raised a brow as he made his way to the coffee pot. "What did he do now?" he asked as he poured himself a mug. "Dad!" Aiden frowned. "You always think I've done something. This time I'm innocent." Snorting, Evan nearly dropped his mug of coffee. "Oh, like hell you are. I raised you, and you are most definitely my son, so I know you aren't innocent." He took a sip of his coffee and raised both brows at his son. "So, what did you do?" Aiden blinked as he glanced from his father to Daniel and back again. "Um..." "Nothing," said Daniel with a small smile. "He was just teasing me a little about being too thin." "Mm," grunted Evan. "You are a little too thin, kid, but a few weeks here, and you'll put on a few pounds." He chuckled softly as he took another sip of his coffee. "Weeks?" blinked Daniel. "I had figured a few days, maybe past Christmas, but...Weeks?" Evan nodded as he went to refill his mug. "There was a call from the police this morning. They're sending a detective over to talk to you, but from what they said, its going to be at least a few weeks before you can get back into your place. Possibly longer." "Oh..." said Daniel. "Um...I...Okay?" Evan smiled as he leaned back against the counter. "You can stay here, Daniel. We don't mind." He glanced at Aiden and raised a brow. "You need to get ready though." "For what?" asked Aiden. "Work," smirked Evan. "Uh, about that Dad," said Aiden. "I...uh...kind-of-got-fired," he rushed out. Nodding, Evan took another sip of his coffee. "I know. Which is why you're going to work at Aunt Lisa's cafe. She wants you there before noon, so you better get going." "Aw, Dad," groaned Aiden. "Someone should really be here with Danny when the detective arrives. I can always start tomorrow." "Nope," said Evan with a shake of his head as he finished off his coffee. "I told your aunt you'd be there today. Besides, I'll be here, so Daniel won't be alone." When Aiden hesitated, Evan raised his brows as gestured at the door. "Scoot." Sighing, Aiden stood up and grumbled. "Fine, fine." He glanced at Daniel and forced a smile. "I'll see you later." Quiet settled on the kitchen as Evan picked up the empty plates and cups from breakfast, humming as he went. "I don't think you have anything to worry about with the police," he said softly. Daniel nodded slowly. "Yea...thanks by the way, for all of this." Shrugging, Evan placed the dishes into the dishwasher. "Its nothing, really. You don't need to keep thanking us." He sighed as he closed the door to the machine. "The truth is, Josh and I wanted more kids, but I was only able to adopt Aiden because he's related to me. Izzy is...something of a new development." Blinking, Daniel turned towards Evan. "I thought Aiden was your son. I mean, he looks a lot like you and all." Shaking his head, Evan smiled. "No, he's my cousin Amy's son actually. We adopted Isabelle from Argentina." "Oh," said Daniel. "What happened to his mom? He doesn't seem to talk about it much." Sighing, Evan shrugged. "There's not a lot to tell really. She had a brain tumor and..." He shook his head and sighed once more. "They never tell you when you're a kid that life doesn't always have a happy ending. Sometimes it seems like there are no happy endings at all. But we keep trying, because the alternative is just too terrible to contemplate." Nodding slowly, Daniel blinked. "That's deep." "Yea," chuckled Evan. "Sorry about that." Shaking his head, Daniel slid off his bar stool. "No, its okay. Sometimes you've got to go deep in order to get to the truth of things, right?" "Right," nodded Evan. He glanced at the clock and gave a faint smile. "You should probably go get dressed. I'm sure the detective will be here before too long. And I need to go make sure my son doesn't lolly gag around." With a small smile, Daniel nodded and made his way out of the kitchen. -- "Alright, please state your name for the record," said the detective. The library was quiet, its dark green walls almost completely covered in shelves that were overflowing with books. The fireplace was cold at the moment, though holidays greens and red ribbons hung from the mantle. Seated at the large table in the center of the room, Daniel swallowed as he glanced over at first Evan and then the detective. "Um..." "Mike," sighed Evan. "Do you think you could be a little less formal? He's scared to death as it is." The detective sighed. "Yea, sorry about that kid." He extended one hand. "Mike Toliver. I'll be handling your case." "Um, okay," said Daniel as he took the pro-offered hand. "Nice to meet you." Mike was good looking, in an old guy kind of way, thought Daniel. He wasn't nearly as handsome as Evan, but still good looking in that rugged bad ass kind of way. "Mike is an old friend of mine," said Evan. "He tried to date my sister at one point." Shaking his head, Mike sighed. "Turned me down flat. Apparently she wasn't into older men. Anyway," he glanced down at the digital recorder on the table and tapped one of the buttons along its side. "Lets try this again. Please state your name for the record." "Daniel Blake," said Daniel. "Alright Daniel," said Mike. He flipped through his notes and nodded to himself. "You moved into your apartment two months ago, correct?" Daniel nodded. When the detective looked up at him, he nodded again. "Oh, right. Yes. Two months ago." "And was the apartment already furnished?" asked Mike. "Yea," nodded Daniel. "It came fully furnished. The only thing I brought in was my clothing." Mike nodded and made a quick notation in his notes. "Did you ever notice anyone hanging around the building that didn't belong?" Blinking, Daniel frowned. "What do you mean?" "Anyone that didn't live there, or didn't seem to be visiting anyone," said Mike. Daniel thought back on the two months he had lived in his shabby little one room apartment. "No, not that I can think of," he finally said. "Though, now that you mention it, there was a guy who went around knocking on all the doors asking for some guy." "Do you remember the name?" asked Mike. "I think it was Bill," said Daniel. "I remember it was a really common name." Nodding to himself, Mike made a few more notations. "Is there anything else that you can think of? Anything suspicious or out of the ordinary?" After a moment of consideration, Daniel shrugged. "No, nothing." He frowned as he glanced from Mike to Evan and back. "Can you tell me what's going on Detective?" Closing his notebook, Mike turned off the digital recorder. "We searched your apartment after the attack, we were looking for some clue as to why it happened." He chuckled softly as he picked up the digital recorder and placed it and the notebook in his pocket. "This is River Bluff, kid. Its not like we have a lot of crime here." He shook his head. "Anyway, the place had already been tossed, we assume it was while you were unconscious. The damage was pretty bad, they even tore open the mattress." "Oh..." said Daniel. His shoulders slumped as reality set in. He hadn't owned a lot, but whatever he had was now more or less destroyed, or evidence in a crime. "I see." "Yea," said Mike with a nod. "Anyway, there was some residue in the mattress. The lab identified it as heroin. High quality stuff, uncut. We think whoever stashed it there was supplying or something." "What?" said Evan. "Here? That's crazy Mike. I mean, I could understand if we were down in Louisville or something, but...that kind of thing just doesn't go on here." Mike shrugged. "Until the other day, I would have agreed with you, but I can't ignore facts." Chewing his bottom lip, Evan sat back in his chair. "We have had a lot more overdoses coming into the hospital recently. Damn," he said with a shake of his head. Mike nodded slowly. "We're coordinating with other agencies, but right now we don't know a whole lot." He glanced back at Daniel and sighed. "I'm not sure when you'll be able to get back into your place kid, but if you think of anything else, let me know." Daniel just nodded. -- Natalia pulled up in front of the corner cafe, its outdoor tables buried under the snow, with the umbrellas closed up. "Well," she said as she put the car in park and turned off the engine. "Here we are!" Still somewhat in a daze, Daniel blinked and nodded. "Thanks, again, for all of this." He glanced over his shoulder at the shopping bags, each filled with clothes and accessories and all for him. "I have no idea how I'm going to repay you for this." Shaking her head, Natalia gathered up her purse. "You're not going to. My brother said to take you shopping and get you whatever you wanted, and that is exactly what I did." She smiled as she leaned over to lightly pat him on the arm. "Besides, even if he wasn't paying for it, it would have been my pleasure. Now, lets get something to eat, okay?" With a smile and a nod, Daniel glanced up at the window of the cafe, its name done in elegant calligraphy. "Ambrosia?" he asked. "Yup," said Natalia as she opened her door, gesturing for Daniel to follow her. "It belongs to our aunt, Lisa. She makes a certain amount of dishes everyday, and when they're gone, that's it. She makes a killing, everyone in town eats here." She grinned at Daniel as she waited for him on the sidewalk. "And with it being a Friday, there should be a band." "Oh, this is where Aiden is supposed to be working, right?" said Daniel as he opened the door to the cafe for Natalia. Giggling, Natalia nodded, and for a moment she seemed more like the girl she had been, rather than the woman she was. "Such a young gentleman," she said as she stepped through the door. "Yea, this is where Aiden is working." She glanced around the packed restaurant, and waved at a short blonde woman. The blonde woman rushed over, and as she approached, Daniel could see the white hairs that seemed to streak her otherwise golden locks. "Oh Natalia, dear!" said the woman as she embraced Natalia. "I didn't know you were coming!" She glanced at Daniel and smiled. "And who is this?" Smiling, Natalia gestured to Daniel. "Aunt Lisa, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is my Aunt Lisa, the owner of this place." Lisa smiled as she pulled Daniel into a hug. "Oh! Of course! Aiden has told me all about you, poor thing. Now don't you worry," she said as she let him go and ushered them further into the restaurant. "We'll get you fattened up in no time. I'll have to seat you two at one of the back tables, we're a little busy as you can see." While Natalia and Lisa chatted about the cafe and their family, Daniel took a moment to really get a look at the place. A local band played on the stage, and he had to admit, they didn't sound half bad. Red and white checkered cloths covered the tables, and the whole place had a 1920's vibe, not the retro vibe as if it had been restored and decorated with reproductions. No, this place was original. As he slid into his seat at the small table, Daniel swallowed hard when he realized both Natalia and her aunt were looking at him. "Did...I miss something?" he asked. Natalia shook her head. "Nope, just wondering what you'd like to eat." "Um..." Daniel blinked as he looked around for a menu and found nothing. "I...don't know? The special? Maybe?" Lisa looked towards the ceiling. "Oh good grief. You'd think after all these years, I'd remember to grab menus!" Sighing, she shook her head as she looked at Daniel with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry sugar. Just let me grab one real fast." "Actually," said Daniel, a blush forming on his cheeks at the fuss that was being made over him. "Whatever you recommend will be fine. I'm not a picky eater." "Mm," Lisa nodded. "A young man like you? The fried chicken and all the sides." She smiled as she gave a wink. "It'll be out in just a minute." As Lisa left, Natalia smiled at Daniel. "Its different isn't it? Having all of this attention on you." With his cheeks blazing, Daniel nodded slowly. "Yea. I'm kind of used to taking care of myself, not to mention the affection." "Its a little much," nodded Natalia. "But hopefully its not a bad thing. I know my family can be a little overbearing at times." Daniel shook his head. "No, I like it. I mean, its taking some getting used to, but, yea." Natalia smiled. "Good, good." She sighed softly as she settled into her seat. "My brother is a good man, a little headstrong sometimes, but he goes out of his way to help people. Its how he met Josh actually." "You know," said Aiden as he approached carrying a tray of food. "That's the second time you've mentioned how Dad met Poppy recently." He grinned at Daniel as he flipped out the stand and placed the tray upon it. "Hey. How'd the meeting go?" Daniel blinked as Aiden placed a plate in front of him. It was mounded over with food, golden fried chicken, whipped potatoes, corn, and a piece of steaming cornbread. "Uh...wow," he said. "Yea, the meeting went fine." As he slid a plate in front of his aunt, Aiden grinned. "Did Dad talk you into babysitting him, auntie?" "Nope," said Natalia with a smile. "I took him shopping." Aiden grimaced. "Oh, god. Shopping with the aunt." "Hey!" huffed Natalia as she reached over and slapped her nephew on the back of his head. "Just because you want to dress like a hobo most of the time, doesn't mean the rest of us do! Besides, we had a lovely time." Daniel nodded with a smile. "It was fun, yea. I've never been able to go spend that much money on myself before." "Mm," nodded Aiden. He cut his eyes at his aunt, narrowing them before glancing back at Daniel. "Do you think I dress like a hobo?" Daniel was just about to take a bite of his chicken when he paused and blinked. "Um...what?" he asked as he looked up at Aiden. "No? You dress like a guy." He then thought about some of the things he'd seen Aiden wearing. "Though, you could probably stand to retire a few things." Shaking his head, Aiden sighed as he glanced at his aunt. "I haven't even asked him out yet, and you've already got him working for you." Natalia shrugged. "I work quickly." "Wait wait," said Daniel. "...Asked him out?" Aiden blushed as he idly scratched at the back of his head. "Uh...um...I was gonna see...if...you-wanted-to-go-out-tonight." He chewed his lower lip nervously as he glanced at Daniel and grinned. "Maybe? I mean, its Friday and all..." Fanning herself dramatically, Natalia grinned. "Oh lord, a proposal!" She leaned over to swat her nephew again. "Don't rush him, let him have a moment to think." "Uh, right," nodded Aiden. "You can always think about it and-" Daniel shook his head. "No," he said softly. Aiden's face fell. "Oh. Too fast probably. I understand." Sighing, he folded up the little stand for the tray. "Its cool, no worries." Daniel shook his head again. "I meant no I don't need to think about it. The answer is yes." The tray hit the floor with a clatter as Aiden leaned in over the table, a huge grin on his face. "Really? Seriously? Like, no bullshit?" "Aiden," sighed Natalia. Daniel grinned. "Really. Just let's go some place quiet, okay?" "Whatever you want," grinned Aiden. "...Aiden..." said Natalia again, her voice calm and patient. With a frown, Aiden turned towards his aunt. "Can a guy get a moment here?" Rather than answer, Natalia raised a brow and pointed to where Aiden's hand was sitting in the middle of her mashed potatoes. "Oh, uh..." Aiden blushed. "I'll...get that cleaned up." Sighing he shook his head. "I'm really not cut out for this." While Daniel laughed, Natalia shook her head slowly. "No. You're really not," she said before waving him off. "Go, get cleaned up. We're going to finish lunch, and then I need to get your boy home so he can make himself pretty for you." She flashed a grin at Daniel. "And I know exactly what you should wear." The Way You Look At Me Ch. 02 -- Daniel stood and stared at himself in the mirror. The green silk button down shirt set off his brown eyes and black eyes. He had no doubt that the shirt cost more than he made in a week, one of the purchases from the day's shopping trip. He pushes his dark hair back out of his eyes and allowed himself a small smile before he made his way out of the room and down the stairs. "C'mon Dad!" came Aiden's voice from the entry hall. When Daniel reached the bottom of the stairs, he blinked as he saw Aiden standing before Evan and looking defeated. "Is everything okay?" he asked softly. Huffing, Aiden threw his hands up. "Dad won't let us go out." Standing calmly, Evan folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. "Nope. Have you looked outside? Over a foot of snow on the ground, and they're calling for more and ice tonight." "C'mon Dad," sighed Aiden. "I know how to drive in the snow. We'll be fine." Evan shook his head. "I'm sure you would be, but they've closed most of the roads. You're staying in tonight boys, sorry." Aiden sighed. "We were going to go to the movies, and out to dinner." He smiled slightly at his dad. "First date." Evan nodded as he listened. "Alright...so why don't the two of you go down to the media room in the basement? Its private, and you can watch whatever you want. I'll make you guys dinner, and you can have your date here." Aiden glanced at Daniel. "Sound good to you?" "Yea," nodded Daniel. "Sounds great actually." -- Aiden ran his hand along the edge of the bookcase. There was an audible click before the shelves swung backward, revealing a flight of stairs. "Holy crap," said Daniel as he stepped inside and looked up one flight of stairs and then down another. "Your house has a secret passage?" Grinning, Aiden shrugged. "It used to be the servant's stairs. Dad said one of our ancestors decided to hide the doors to it on the first and second floor behind bookcases. I used to love playing in it as a kid. You know, secret passage and all." He gestured to the stairs leading downward. "That goes down to the basement. There's a little hallway with a couple of storage rooms, the laundry room, rec room, and finally the media room. Come on," he said before pushing the bookcase shut once more and leading the way. The media room as it was called was a deep shade of red, with a large screen at one end, and several deep, comfortable couches that sat on ascending platforms. With a full belly, Daniel settled into one of the couches and sighed softly. He looked up as the lights dimmed and the screen lit up, the tell tale whir of the projector sounding somewhere behind him. When Aiden settled in beside him, he gave a small, nervous smile. "So...what are we watching?" Aiden grinned. "Dad has a great collection of old black and white movies, and Poppy has a huge collection of animated stuff. I went with Disney." Daniel couldn't help but grin as the animated movie came on the screen, and within moments, he was lost in a world of princes and princesses, fantasy and fairy tales. He wasn't quite sure when he fell asleep, but when he awoke, the screen was blank, and he was curled in against Aiden's side. It only took a quick glance up to realize that Aiden was sound asleep, his head laid back on the couch. When he shifted, Aiden grunted. "Mm," sighed Aiden as he opened first one, and then the other lazy eye. He glanced around the dimly lit room until his eyes settled on Daniel. "Hey," he gave a small smile. "Looks like we fell asleep." Daniel nodded, the blush forming on his cheeks as he became aware of just how good Aiden smelled. "Y-yea. Looks like." He glanced at the blank screen and then back at Aiden. "So...now what?" Aiden yawned. "What do you mean?" "Do you want to like.." Daniel blinked and swallowed hard. "Yanno, do it?" Aiden snorted. "What?" he grinned. "Did you really just ask me that?" Daniel hunkered down into the couch, blushing furiously. "I just thought that's how it was supposed to go. Dinner, movie, and...it..." Shaking his head, Aiden laughed. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to and all, but no. This isn't where we ...'do it'. Besides, aren't you a virgin?" Daniel shrugged. "So?" "Well," Aiden chuckled. "You should probably start off a little...um...lighter than full on sex. I mean, have you even seen another guy's dick?" When Daniel shook his head, Aiden grinned. "Want to?" Daniel nodded quickly. "Yea, yea I do." Without any hesitation, Aiden leaned back and pulled his shirt up enough to undo his pants. He glanced at Daniel, watching his face as he slid the zipper of his jeans down. Daniel's eyes went wide as Aiden's cock fell out. "Holy shit," mumbled Daniel. "You're big." Nodding slowly, Aiden smirked. "Yup." Reaching in, he pulled his balls out, and opened his pants up, giving Daniel the full view of his large shaft, and heavy balls. It didn't take any prompting for Daniel to reach out and wrap his fingers around Aiden's meaty shaft. Slowly, he stroked the mostly limp length from base to tip, his fingers running down through the dark patch of hair that covered the base. "Damn," he said softly. Grunting, Aiden raised up a bit and slid his pants further down before he settled onto the couch. Sighing softly, he rested both hands behind his head. "By all means, help yourself. I'm not gonna stop you." Leaning in, Daniel grinned as he squeezed the base of Aiden's rapidly thickening shaft. "Oh you're not? I wonder why..." He pressed in close and flicked the tip of his tongue out against the head of Aiden's dick. "Oh, fuck," breathed Aiden. "You keep that up and I'm not going to be responsible." He glanced down at his now fully erect shaft and side as he watched Daniel lick the tip once more. Sitting back a bit, Daniel stroked. "Damn you are big..." Aiden chuckled. "Yea, I've been told that before." The sound of the door opening cut off anything further. "Shit!" swore Aiden as he tugged his pants back up and pulled his shirt down. Daniel's head shot up, his eyes wide as they settled on the door. Standing with his hand still on the door knob, Evan raised a brow as he reached over and turned the dimmer switch, raising the light level. "I take it I interrupted," he said softly. Looking scared, Daniel just sat silently as Aiden stood and zipped up his pants. "Yea, you did Dad," he sighed. "We were...uh..." "I think I know exactly what you were doing," nodded Evan. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and sighed softly. "Well, I apologize, but its late, and you both need to head to bed." "Yes sir," said Daniel as he rose off the couch and made his way towards the door. "Goodnight." Letting him pass, Evan settled his eyes on his son and sighed. "You need to be careful, Aiden," he said as soon as he thought Daniel was out of earshot. "He's not just another one of your conquests." "I know, Dad," sighed Aiden. Evan shook his head. "No, you don't know. He has known nothing but pain and loss." Aiden suddenly became defiant, his brows knitting together as he stared down his father. "I lost my mother. I know about pain and loss." Sighing, Evan shook his head as he moved into the room and made his way towards the back to shut off the projector. "Yes, you did, but since then you've known a life of wealth and privilege and above all, love." Evan slowly turned towards his son. "Daniel has never known neither wealth nor privilege, and since his mother died when he was a child, he hasn't known love either." "I'm not going to hurt him, Dad," said Aiden. "He's...different." Raising one brow, Evan gave a slow nod. "I hope that's true. You've had more boyfriends in the last few years than I can count." Aiden frowned. "You've never had a problem with how I date." "And I still don't," said Evan. "But this isn't some self assured guy who you can just take to your bed, and then set aside when you're bored of him. Like you said, he's different. Fragile. Keep that in mind, that's all I ask." Giving a nod, Aiden sighed. "Okay." Out in the hallway, Daniel bit his bottom lip as he listened to the conversation. As soon as he was sure they were finished talking, he quietly made his way to the stairs. -- Daniel grunted as he felt the warm body slide in beside his own. Grunting, he rolled onto his side and slowly opened his eyes, coming face to face with Aiden. "Why are you in my bed?" he asked sleepily. Aiden grinned. "Because you're in it," he said with a chuckle. "Mm," grunted Daniel, and let his eyes drift shut. "What time is it?" Shrugging, Aiden rolled onto his back. "Just after seven. Izzy came in and woke me. She was going to come wake you, but I told her I'd do it." He glanced over at Daniel and sighed softly. "Dad and Poppy will want us downstairs soon, and then breakfast. After that we can nap though." Daniel grunted in response and snuggled down further into the bed. "Um..." Aiden rolled back onto his side and slid one arm around Daniel's waist. "About last night. You know I'm not expecting anything, right? I mean..." he blinked. "I want to and all, but we don't have to. Not until you're ready." Opening his eyes, Daniel looked up at Aiden. "I know," he said softly. "I kind of overheard you and your dad last night. I'm different, huh?" Aiden actually blushed. "Um...we'll talk about that later. We should really get downstairs, before Izzy comes for us." Grinning, Daniel leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to Aiden's mouth. "Okay."