Let's Bend the Rules.

Rhydan

We left the bus two hours ago.
Would you actually believe that Danny forgot the way to his own house? The house he grew up in for eighteen years of his life?
Well it’s Danny here we’re talking about, of course you could imagine it.
So it’s around… 11pm? Something like that when finally Danny gets a bright idea and decides to ring his mum.
She collected us and now the five of us (Danny’s mum is with us) walk up the front drive-way and into the warm, brightly lit house. It’s warm! I love warmth!

“Thanks mum” Danny smiles giving his mum a one-armed hug. I can’t help but smile at the accent coming back a little stronger now he’s home.

“No worries Danny” She smiles at him. “Are you guys ‘ungry at all?” Danny’s mum asks us. Her Bolton accent as strong as Danny’s. I shake my head but Danny nods his furiously.

“STARVED!” He shouts. I jump a little. Tom and Harry burst out laughing at my reaction, then Danny leaves my side to go into the kitchen to help his mother.

“I wonder how they’re getting on” Tom says aloud. I smile at him.

“They’ll be fine, Zaria doesn’t hold grudges for too long, and this is most stupidest one she’s ever had” I tell them.

“Knowing Dougie, they’ll probably be close to shagging at this point” Harry says shrugging. I cringe. Must he say these kind of things in front of me?

“Mate stop creepin’ my girlfriend out” Danny’s voice says coming up the hall. I smile and walk up to Danny, who places an arm around my waist and steers me into the kitchen.

“Danni we’ve really missed you” Kathy smiles at me while placing some food into the oven.

“I know, I haven’t been here in a while…” I trail off.

“Last Christmas” Danny mutters, avoiding my eye.

“I know, I’ve just been busy. And the whole not-letting-my-dad-find-out-thing, is really hard to get around” I tell her.

“After five years you still can’t tell ‘im?” She asks us. I look at Danny, whose still avoiding my eye.

“He’d go berserk” I tell her. “Especially if he finds out we’ve been dating for five years, he’d turn it into a bad thing not a good thing” I tell her with a sigh. “Oh well…”

“So what about if you two wanna take the next step?” She asks me. I feel Danny freeze from beside me, I rub his arm soothingly.

“What do you mean?” I ask Kathy.

“Well, you know…” She smiles at Danny and myself, I frown. “When two become one” Oh. That’s what she means. Thanks Danny for letting me answer! Sarcasm!

“Uhm… well we haven’t really talked about that” I smile politely. Lie. Lie. Lie.
We have talked about, we’ve talked about if for a long time, sometimes staying up well into the night discussing our future together. And always the result is; we’ll figure it out when the time comes. Besides, I’m not old enough to get married yet… am I?
I’m only twenty-one, twenty-two in little over a month, but then my mother always said never think about age, only think about you and that person. Whether it feels right or not - I’ll know.

Well I don’t know, I know I love Danny. I know that. I just don’t know if I’m ready to settle down with him… or if I’m ready to tell my father that I’ve been going out with one of his clients for nearly all their time working together behind his back.

“Okay, well you guys will always ‘ave my support” She smiles.

“Thanks mum” Danny says gruffly and turns me into a room leading off from the kitchen. The TV is on in the sitting room, I take it Tom and Harry decided to vacate to there.
Danny turns me into the dinning room, not bothering to turn on the light and closing the door after him. He leads me to the far side of the room. The heat of his body comforting, he doesn’t speak until he’s sitting on the couch with me on his lap.

“Sorry, that must’ve been awkward for you” He whispers to me. I feel my head in the crook of his neck and reach up a little, searching for his lips.

“No… it wasn’t. I like your mum, she’s just being supportive Dans” I whisper to him. I lift my fingers, tracing the outline of Danny’s lips, then kiss him simply.

“I guess…” Danny sighs, “She really likes you, you know?” He laughs. That barking laugh that gives chills down my spine - the good type.

“Well that’s relief” I smile. Danny brings his hand to my cheek and brushes it with his fingers.

“I like you too” He whispers, I feel his head bending towards me. I catch his lips and kiss him lightly again.

“Good, cause otherwise, we’d be in a situation” I tell him.
Danny smiles.

“I love you babe” He whispers. I shift in his lap and take his head in my hands and kiss his lips softly.

“As do I love you” I reply. The door opens and I squint. Harry and Tom are standing in the doorway.

“Why are you sitting in the dark?” Harry asks and snaps on the light, causing me to squint even more.

“Food’s ready!” Tom shouts and the two walk back into the kitchen. I slowly open my eyes. Stupid jerks.

“C’mon, I’m starved” Danny says and stands up, helping me to my feet. I sigh and take his hand, my vision becoming stable again. When we get to the kitchen the smell of food is wafting through the air. Mmh. Food. A plate with a slice of steak-and-kidney pie is set in front of me and I pick up my fork.

“Thanks” I say to Kathy. She gives me a smile and gets herself a plate before sitting down next to Danny, whose across from me.

“So where’s Dougie?” Kathy asks, once everyone starts eating. Tom and Harry exchange a glance.

“Well… it’s a long story. Basically, Rhydan’s sister came along on this tour, Dougie and her went out on one date?” He looks at me and I nod, “Then they got caught doing er… things that no parent should ever witness their child doing with someone” Tom tries not to laugh while Harry is giggling into his plate. Harry giggles! Haha.

“And then Zaria got banned from seeing Dougie” Tom tells her.

“Woah”

“And all this happened in about two days… or three. I can’t remember” I tell her, “The days all blur into each other” I shrug.

“They were going out for one day and messed it up?” She asks me incredulously. I smirk and nod. It is kind of funny.

“Woah…” She trails off.

“Yeah, I always thought Dougie had some common sense, but he couldn’t even keep it civilised within a week” Tom snorts. “And that was with the permission of Mr. Simons”

I sigh, “They’re not that bright” I mutter, putting another forkful of food into my mouth.

“And we all thought Danny was the thick one… look how long this relationship has been going on” Harry says. How did I know they were going to bring that up? I glare at Harry.

“He’s not thick! He’s just received a couple of bangs around the head…” I shrug trailing off.

“Oi, I’ll have you know I’m very smart” Danny glares at Harry and Tom.

Tom snorts, “Danny I wouldn’t go as far as that… let’s just all settle on you’re not thick okay?”

I can’t help but grin. They’re so mean to Danny. I rub Danny’s leg with the side of mine comfortingly and he looks up at me with a smile.
I put the last forkful of food into my mouth and swallow it. Yum. I’m all full now.

“Mum d’you mind if we stay ‘ere tonight?” Danny asks. Kathy looks up.

“No, course not” She beams.

“Okay, I’m going to go to bed now cause I’m really tired” I say to Danny.

“Yeah actually I am too, guys you know where your rooms are right?” Danny asks Tom and Harry. Well they’re not their room’s, but it’s the rooms they use whenever staying here. The two nod and Danny and I excuse ourselves from the table before putting our dishes in the dishwasher and saying goodnight to Kathy, Tom and Harry.

I take Danny’s hand and we walk up the stairs together. He wraps an arm around me casually, pulling me close to his side half way up the stairs and I snuggle into his side, my feet just moving. So tired! A full stomach makes me tired okay?

“Sleepy?” He whispers into my ear. I mumble a reply and Danny leads me to his room. Opening the door without turning on the light he leads me to the bed and sits me down on the side farthest from the door. According to Danny, the guy always has to take the spot nearest the door in case a burglar comes in, in the middle of the night, Danny would prefer him getting hurt rather than me.
I thought it sweet. Although I was slightly confused. Danny doesn’t explain things that well.

Groggily I see him turn to his chest of drawers and taking out a tee-shirt with a weird logo on it and a pair of pyjama bottoms. He kneels in front of me and helps me get undressed in my sleepy state.

Once I’m in the pyjama’s Danny pulls back the duvet and settles me into the bed before stripping down to boxers, grabbing a pair of pyjama bottoms for his self and climbing in next to me. His arm wraps around my stomach and pulls me closer.

“Mmh” I mumble. Yes that was my idea of saying ‘goodnight’. Ah he knows what I mean. His lips brush my forehead and he mumbles,

“’Night…”

The weird thing is, I can’t sleep. I’m tired, my eyes are falling but my head won’t calm down. Things are whirring through my brain. Physically I’m tired, mentally I need something to calm me down. We locked Zaria and Dougie into a room. They’re either asleep happily on the couch together or still yelling insults at each other. I can’t help but worry about her. She’s my little sister after all.

“Sleep” Danny whispers into my ear. Noticing I haven’t settled down yet properly.

“I can’t” I mumble, “I’m worried about her” I tell him. I don’t have to say who I’m talking about. He already knows.

“She’ll be fine, you sleep now okay?” He whispers into ear.

“I’m too awake. My brain won’t slow down” I reply, about to sit up but Danny catches me and pulls me back.

“Come ‘ere… I’ll sing you to sleep” He whispers. I smile, he hasn’t done that in a long time. I missed it.
I lie down again, “I love when you sing me to sleep” I tell him.

“Shh” He whispers, “Close your eyes”. I do so. “Breathe in deeply” He whispers, I do so. Then Danny’s husking voice, is whispering into my ear quietly and gently. I can almost hear the guitar melody in his voice. The song is deep and slow.

“When I wake up to your face…
Every mornin’ shines bright,
You make my heart race…
Yeah yeah, Yeah ye-ah.

The colour of your skin…
To the shade of your eyes.
It would seem such a sin…
To fill your head with lies.

You know you’re the only person…
I want to be your man
I love you my darling,
I love you Rhydan.

Yeah yeah, Yeah ye-ah.
Sleep through the night,
With me next to you.
I promise we’ll never fight,
Because I love no-one but you.

I’ll sing to you ‘till you fall deep into slumber,
Yeah yeah, Yeah ye-ah.
You could’ve picked anyone,
But you chose my number.
You know you’re the only person,
I want to be your man
I love you my darling,
I love you Rhydan.”

A tear escapes from my eye and onto his bare arm. Danny shifts immediately.
“You okay?” He whispers.

“Yeah” I choke out.

“I just made that up” He whispers to me. “See how easy songs come to me when I think of you?”

I sit up a little and stare at Danny, he’s kidding right?
“You’re seriously telling me you just made that up?” I ask him. Danny’s smile is visible through the dark.

“Yeah” He whispers, I smile and sink into the bed next to him again.

“You’re the best boyfriend I could ever have” I mutter to him, “I love you”.

And the song helps. He continues to sing it until finally the words become muffled in my ears and I’m drifting along, past dark shapes blurring into millions of different objects.