The Beautiful and Undesirable

When Sonny got back, John wasn't in. He still wasn't back when he went to bed that night. Sonny figured he was out with his friends.

The next morning Kennedy called round, expecting to find John ready to go through their most recent album for their interviews with several music magazines in New York. Sonny stumbled down to the door bleary eyed and unprepared for an irritated Kennedy.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know..his bed?"

"JOHN!!" Sonny groaned and waited for him to go shout at John. But there was no answer and Kennedy came back down the stairs looking confused.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know."

"Oh god." Sonny immediately felt alarmed by the way Kennedy's expression switched to one of fear and he rushed upstairs to grab the first clothes he came to in his room.

"What?! What is it??"

"He might've got hurt surfing yesterday, hurry up!!" Sonny ran outside to his car in his underwear and Kennedy sped off while he got dressed.

"Wait why are we driving?"

"He didn't go to our beach yesterday! He went to the bay." Kennedy snapped at him angrily, Sonny brushed it off as him being concerned for John.

They got to the bay, where the currents were stronger and the waves larger than their beach.

"Oh my god." Kennedy spotted his car still parked up. Dread and panic settled in both their chests and Kennedy rang the coastguard while Sonny ran down to the beach to look for any signs of his friend. The man who had taken him in and given him a new life.

"JOHN!!!!" He called out and looked but there was no signs. The tide was in so he couldn't get round the rocks to the neighbouring beach, and the waves too rough to get out there on a boat himself.

The coastguard took the helicopter out to look for John. His two friends and the rest of the band helped the rescue team look along the neighbouring beaches.

John woke up with a splitting headache. He came to slowly and then jolted up in panic when he realised he was in the water. He was lying over his board and it was covered in blood. He felt where his head hurt and his hand came away red. He must've gotten wiped out surfing. The waves were still dangerously choppy and John mustered the strength to pull himself up on his board. He paddled inland, trying to stay focused and not pay attention to how exhausted he felt, how thirsty, how afraid.

"If anything happens to John I'll never forgive myself."

"It's not your fault, Kennedy- you were the one who figured out he was in danger, you got everyone out looking for him."

"No but he was upset and I shouldn't have listened I should've just come down here and been with him."

"It wasn't your fault Kennedy..I didn't even know he was upset."

"Well you wouldn't have, would you." Sonny looked at him, confused by his accusatory tone.

"You were off with your hot date."

"So it's my fault that I had a date? It wasn't even a date I was just hanging out with a friend-"

"Look whatever - just get back in the car we need to go further up the coast." Kennedy tried to calm himself and keep John's secret under wraps - he couldn't bear to break his friend's confidence even if he might be dead. No, he couldn't be dead. Kennedy felt sick to his stomach.

John nearly passed out twice, and got thrown off his board several times. Somehow he kept pulling himself back up and paddling back towards the shore. He couldn't yet see the beach for the huge waves, but he could see land, so he just kept paddling. Keep going, keep going....keep..going...

Their land search came up fruitless, when nightfall came they all had to give up and it was just the chopper that was able to head back out, especially since the weather had begun to clear.

"I've got something!" The lookout alerted the pilot and they circled back to the area they'd been in and hovered down lower and lower until they made a positive ID on a surfer. Wether it was John or not - they didn't know.

The coastguard was lowered down on a wire and they airlifted the man into the helicopter. He was severely dehydrated and had a nasty head wound, but he was alive. Just.

Sonny scrambled awake to a telephone call at two am from Kennedy saying they'd found John.

He had never got anywhere so quickly in his life. When he did get to the hospital John was having his brain scanned for any internal injuries and the whole band were nervously waiting for any news.

The doctor gave them the fantastic news that John didn't have any internal bleeding, but he was still unconscious so they'd have to wait until he was awake and showing good vital signs before they could go and see him.

At midday John finally woke and was woozy, but well enough to see them. The band were incredibly emotional and John was grateful, but when he saw Sonny standing in the door he was really happy. The teen waited for the band to leave him in peace to rest before he went in.
"Hey you."

"Hey."

"You really scared me."

"I scared me too." Sonny's lip suddenly trembled and he hugged John tightly, surprising him.

"I was so scared I was gonna lose you. You've given me so much, John, you've made my life....infinitely better; you've given me things to love and live for again. The thought of losing you-" John did it without thinking; he tilted his head up just a couple of centimetres and brushed his lips against Sonny's. He jerked back and looked at John in shock.

"I- sorry I misread the...don't worry about it just- my head's all messed up I think it's the concussion, I'd better sleep it off..."

"O-ok.....ok sure. I'll...see you tomorrow, feel better." Sonny left, completely in shock.

Kennedy walked into the hospital room the next morning and was about to hand John a coffee when he said:

"I kissed him."

"Ok...its nine am. Drink this. Who?"

"Sonny. Last night."

"Ok....how was it?"

"Awkward."

"Oh. Well sure I mean he was-"

"He's not interested. I can tell. Jesus what have I done-"

"Ok Casanova - just chill out, you've got to focus on resting and getting your strength back-"

"Amen to that." The doctor interjected when he walked in.

"You've had a serious head injury, John - you're still getting over the concussion, you've got to rest and try and relax. So...since last night there seems to be no inflammation, how are you feeling?

"Better than yesterday."

"Good. Well, I think you're safe to go home now. But it goes without saying: rest, fluids, and no surfing for a while. Look after yourself, and if your head still hurts by the end of the week come back in."

"Ok, thank you doctor."

"I'll just go sort your discharge papers."

"I've never wanted to stay in hospital more." John hissed when he left the room, Kennedy sighed.

"It'll be fine, I'll stay at yours for a while, ease the awkwardness."

Kennedy drove John home, Sonny had apparently been stressing out about the kiss or worrying about John because he'd cleaned the house from top to bottom.

"Wow....looks great, thanks Sonny."

"No worries! Do you want a drink or anything?"

"Thanks for bringing me home, Ken."

"Ok I'll see you later, call me if you want anything ok?" He slapped his shoulder and left.

"I was worried your injury was gonna inflame overnight - I couldn't stop cleaning! So did you want a coffee or-" John grabbed his arm as he flitted past him.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure, yeah, what about-"

"Sonny. I'm sorry I kissed you."

"Don't be! It's fine you were concussed-"

"That's not why I kissed you. Look, I like you, ok? And I wasn't planning on saying anything, last night was a...lapse. So don't worry, it won't happen again - I know you've started seeing this guy and I don't wanna ruin that ok? I just want us to be comfortable with each other like we were before."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I know you're not in the same place, it's fine."

"It's not that I'm...not...it's just...I like how things are."

"I do too. Friends?" He offered a smile and a hand to shake, Sonny hugged him.

"Friends." John hugged him back and tried not to feel too trampled on. Especially when the door rang.

"Probably one of the guys to see you. Go sit down already." John sat down on the couch and watched as Sonny opened the door to reveal a person he didn't recognise. A tall man with a great, tanned body and an unruly mane of curly, dirty-blonde hair. Shit.

"Cole! Hey- what are you doing here?"

"Hey, Sonny, I came to apologise for the -"

"How did you know where I lived?"

"Oh right, um, well I came to the shop to apologise and you were closing up and heading home so I came after you- but then you came inside and I lost my nerve."

"Oh, well, what are ou apologising for?"

"The other night- I was a total ass and I couldn't even explain myself, I've only been attracted to like three guys in my whole life and you're one of them, and the guys...well you saw how they are."

"Don't worry about it Cole, I got it. I've travelled around and I've seen how people are. I know the type. It's cool."

"You're really sweet." John bit his lip, trying to stay cool as Cole looped his hands around Sonny's waist and pulled him close to kiss him.

"Uh- sorry; my roommates here, can we uh...do this later?"

"Sure. Hey man, sorry I didn't see you there."

"Hey, nice to meet you."

"Yeah you too, I'm Cole- wait are you John O'Callaghan?"

"Yep."

"Wow! Great music, man, I'm a big fan."

"Thank you very much." Cole smiled and turned back to Sonny.

"I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah." He kissed his cheek and left. Sonny closed the door behind him and the tension was thick.

"I'm gonna go shower - need to get the hospital off me y'know." Sonny watched, guilty, as John headed up the stairs.