Boys of Summer

Harry/Danny's Apartment, London, UK
June 29th
12:34 AM
DANI'S POV

I sighed as I sat up late that night, too awake to sleep and too scared of getting mugged to go for a walk. I considered going to check if Tom was still awake, but I knew I'd feel horrible if he was asleep. So I sat in the living room, staring at the wall, strangely certain that if I turned on the TV, it would wake up Harry.

I jumped at the sound of a light switch, which immediately preceded the hall light turning on. I heard a grumble as feet scuffled down the hallway, followed by a figure half-staggering into the kitchen. I watched through the hole in the wall as the figure, Danny, stumbled around, eyes half closed as he groped for the light switch. He jumped when he hit the switch for the garbage disposal, making its shrieks and roars echo through the apartment.

I laughed as Danny dove for the switch, turning on the lights and turning off the gurgling monster. Danny turned, squinting into the darkness of the living room, "Dans?" "Yeah," I giggled at the sleepy-eyed guitarist. "Hey," Danny said, giving a short wave, "Sorry about that." "Not a problem," I replied.

"Looking for company?" "Always," I rolled my eyes. No, I like to sit alone in the dark. It gets me off. "Just let me go put on pants, then," Danny said, slipping out of the kitchen and through the hall. He returned a few minutes later, sitting next to me on the couch and stretching his arms out behind me.

"Can't sleep," Danny asked, using his left hand to fiddle with his hair nervously. I bit back many sarcastic comments to give a 'nice' reply, "No, I'm feeling a little restless. You?" "I just... woke up," Danny said dumbly, "And I can't fall back asleep. It's the weirdest thing. Happens sometimes, though." Danny smiled at me, still tugging at his hair, "Nice to have someone to sit up with, though."

I smirked, "Yeah, Harry's more of a morning person." I grimaced as I finished the thought, "And a light snorer." Danny laughed, his tone playful, "Well, Dans, you can always come stay in my room if Harry's snoring keeps you up." I laughed as well, trying to keep quiet for Harry's sake, "Don't joke, I will take you up on that."

"Go for it," Danny said, smiling as he tried to be serious, "My bedroom gets lonely. Come over whenever you want." "Seriously," I asked, not believing that I was already welcome for sleepovers after two days in London. "Yeah; my chair thinks I'm horrible company; it'd like you." I rolled my eyes at the joke, settling into the crook of Danny's shoulder and leaning my back against his side, "You're sweet, Danny."

"Nah," Danny protested modestly, but I cut him off. "No! You really are! All of you are; Tom, Harry, the whole band! Not so much Dougie." I frowned at the thought of the bassist. "Dougie's decent," Danny defended, "He just-" "Doesn't liked me," I finished, playing with a stray string on my PJs. "Well..."

Danny trailed off as he thought of how to put it nicely, "Yes, but the rest of us think he's crazy for it." "Why doesn't he like me," I asked. "No," Danny protested, groaning a little, "Don't change for Dougie!" "I'm not going to change," I defended, turning to look at Danny, shaking his arm off my shoulder and sitting 'Indian-style,' as my kindergarten teacher used to call it, "It just has always bothered me, not knowing why someone doesn't like me."

Danny eyed me skeptically, "Promise you won't change?" "Promise." "Pinky-swear?" I rolled my eyes as I hooked pinkies, "What are we, four?" "Yup," Danny smirked proudly. I poked him in the side, "Do you even know why?"

"Of course I know why," Danny said, mock-offended. "Then spill." "Not with the way you're treating me!" "Ugh," I groaned, falling against the arm of the couch and covering my face with my hands. Danny leaned forward to try and pry my hands off my face, but I refused. "Dans?" "No."

"Aw, come on, don't be like that," Danny complained, reaching forward to take a firm hold on my arms and pull me forward. The force sent me sprawling into his lap, causing both of us to blush and me to straighten immediately. I cleared my throat as I returned to my original position under Danny's arm, "So, why doesn't Dougie like me?"

Danny sighed, his hand finding the stubborn curl on the right side of my face and playing with it, "It's just such a stupid reason, really, I feel stupid telling you." "Doesn't matter," I said, finishing my argument with, "It isn't stupid to Dougie." "You just... you aren't what he expected," Danny said, smiling with pride at how he'd worded the sentence. I wondered if I should congratulate him.

"Not what he expected? What did he expect," I asked, trying to figure out what Harry could've possibly said that made me seem so different than how I really am. "Someone he could do things to like carry through an airport; someone who'd be lower in the chain of command than he is; someone-" "Who doesn't knee him in the nose when he tries to carry them over his shoulder?" "Yeah," Danny said, smiling kindly as he continued to fiddle with my hair.

I chewed my cheek as Danny kissed the top of my head, something he seems to do a lot. "No worries, Dans; we all like you just the way you are." "Thanks," I said, suddenly feeling horrible for how I'd reacted this morning. Danny's such a good guy; I should've trusted him more.

"I'm sorry about this morning, Danny," I said, snuggling further into his arm and laying my head against his shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry for; your father should be sorry." I could feel Danny's hesitance in the air, "What... What did he do to you?"

I breathed in sharply, my eyes growing wide. No one, save for my mother, Becca, Harry, and Jenna, knew about the things my father had done. That may sound like a lot, but that's four people out of every friend I've ever had and every person whose ever given me a weird look on the street because I'm wearing sunglasses while it's raining. Mom is going to the courts about it, I thought sadly, People are going to know anyway.

"When I was younger, my dad was carrying me and he dropped me... down two flights of stairs," I said. I gulped, wondering if I should tell the whole story or just leave it at that. But Danny rubbed my shoulder, sensing there was more than what I had already told, "Go on."

I looked at Danny, his soft blue eyes seeming so caring in the light from the hallway and kitchen. I took a deep, shuddering breath as I retold my memories, "After that, I didn't like it when my Dad held me. My mom tried to explain to my dad that it wasn't because I didn't love him, it's because I don't like being dropped on my head, and I was just scared, and if he would just gave me some time to get over it, I would. My dad thought that was ridiculous."

I gulped passed a small golf ball in my throat, refusing to look at Danny, but instead at the wall as I continued, "Why wouldn't a girl want to be held by her father? What girl in her right mind would run to her mother when she wanted to be held and protected? It was... an insult to his manliness or something. So to try and make me trust him again, my dad would pick me up on stairs or boats or elevators or anything that was unstable and throw me up and down. I'd cry like hell for my mom but she couldn't ever come. My dad was too overbearing and she'd just get hit, so there was no point. "

"What's worse is that when he would throw me up and down he wouldn't always catch me; he once dropped me off of a boat because he'd been holding me over the water and lost his grip because he was drunk. That moment is still so clear to me; I thought I was going die flailing under the water of that boat. My dad was only satisfied when I didn't like to be held at all, because then it wasn't just him who I was afraid of, it was everyone."

Danny sat with me in silence for a moment as I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. My head was still lying on his shoulder, and after a few moments he laid his on top of mine, "So, why Harry, then?"

"What," I asked, confused by what he meant. Why Harry what? "Harry carried you the other day, when we were sight-seeing. Why are you okay if Harry carries you, but not anyone else?" I took another few deep breaths, trying to sort out why it was exactly.

"Harry," I paused, trying to work everything out in my head before I started to say it so I wouldn't sound like a stuttering fool, "Harry is very protective of me." "Psh," Danny muttered, "You can say that again."

"Time and time again," I said, ignoring Danny's comment, "He's put his life on the line because I was stupid enough to step in front of a car or something like that. It's sheer luck he's lived through everything he has. And I realize that; more often than not I call Harry when something happens, not my mom or dad."

"I can believe that," Danny said, nodding. I looked at him quizzically, and he explained, "Harry's always been very... very responsible about us. Not exactly a parent, but very mindful of what we do. Tom's always the leader and the responsible one, but it's always Harry behind the scenes, working things out."

I smiled, proud of my Harry as Danny continued, "That's why, if you'll notice, it'll be me and Tom usually together and then Harry and Dougie. Dougie is always the one who can get himself into the most trouble, especially if he and I are left alone. Dougie'll look at Harry to make sure the answer he wants to give in an interview is okay sometimes, which always makes me laugh."

I smirked, "So why isn't Dougie living with Harry, then?" "Because I wanted to live with Harry. It's comforting, you know, to have someone who'll watch out for you and still have fun with you 24/7." I nodded, remembering how there was never a time growing up I felt more secure than when Harry was in the next room.

"What about you," I asked, readjusting myself against Danny, "What is some big story about you and your fears?" "I have no fears," Danny said, puffing out his chest and putting his left fist on his hip. I laughed as I poked him in the side, causing him to deflate quite dramatically.

"That was not cool," Danny pouted. "What are you going to do about it," I replied, unconcerned. "I could do a lot about it," he stated, sounding smug. I rolled my eyes, "Right." "I could! I don't want to." "I don't believe you at ALL." "Well, I got that from your sarcasm. Wait, was that last bit you said sarcastic?"

I laughed at what I thought to be Danny's joke, only to feel really bad when I noticed he was actually serious, "Aw, honey." I hugged him quickly in hopes of cheering him up; I've never actually seen a hug cheer someone up, but my French teacher always used to say that some study showed that people need eight hugs a day to be healthy. So right now I'm making up for the excessive amount of whipped cream Danny put on his ice cream after dinner.

"No, the last part was for real." "I figured," Danny muttered, scratching his head. "Aw, you're so cute," I said, patting Danny on the cheek. I smiled as I leaned back against him, facing the front door instead, and using Danny as a backrest.

"Well, since I have no fears, I think we should talk about yours more. What else do you fear or hate, Dans?" "Knives, fire, bananas," I said, my mind flashing back to the banana-flavored chips I'd seen earlier, shivering. "You fear bananas?" "I don't fear them, I hate them. They smell disgusting." "You and Tom, then."

I glanced over my shoulder, and Danny explained, "Tom hates bananas. The smell makes him sick." My mouth dropped, "Oh my god! Everyone thinks I'm so weird for that!" "Dans," I heard Harry mutter, obviously half-asleep in his room.

Or, obviously not, I thought to myself, sighing when the lights flipped on. "Danny," Harry asked, rubbing his eyes. "What're you two doing?" Danny sat up, and I dutifully scooted away, "Nothing, Harry; we couldn't sleep, we were just talking."

Harry eyed Danny warily, trying to figure out if it was possible for Danny to just 'hang out' with a girl. "Dans, come to bed," he decided. I rolled my eyes, "Night, Danny." Harry may be being ridiculous, but I don't plan on disobeying him.

"Night, Dans," Danny said. "Night mate," Harry said once I had joined him in the hallway, his hand finding the small of my back to lead me into his room. "Why were you up with him," Harry demanded as soon as he closed the bedroom door.

I rolled my eyes as I got into the bed, "Because I couldn't sleep and he couldn't sleep-" I turned to face Harry, kneeling on his bed, "and being in separate rooms staring at walls didn't seem quite so fun." "I don't want you dating any of the boys, Dans, it won't end well." "I know that," I said, "I'm allowed to sit with a guy and not be in love with him, Harry."

Harry/Danny's Apartment, London, UK
June 29th
1:09 AM
DANNY'S POV

I sighed as I heard the muffled yelling inside Harry's room, closing the door to my own moodily. Nothing was happening; I'm not quite sure why Harry doesn't understand that. "Harry is very protective of me." Dani's words echoed in my head, making me want to kick something.

Frustrated, I kicked a soccer ball that was next to my bed, flinching as it ricocheted off the wall and into the gerbil cage. Neither of the two gerbils seemed disturbed, but I went to check on them just in case. Confident that they were both fine and that they would live through the night, I collapsed into my desk chair.

It isn't like I'm in love with Dani; she's a nice girl. Of course I'd want to get to know her, especially if we'll be spending so much time together. It's just like I told Dougie, nothing will come of it. Nothing at all.

I glanced down at the song lyrics I'd been writing before I'd decided to get a snack and gotten distracted by Dans. I squinted at the margins, where there was a small squiggle. I picked up my notebook, wondering if soon I'd have to get glasses like Tom.

But when I saw what I had squiggled, I rolled my eyes at my own corniness. A heart; I squiggled a bloody heart. I sighed when I heard Harry's door slam, one of the two combatants stomping out to the living room for the night.

Well, nothing will come of this, I promised myself. I rolled my eyes as I flicked off my lamp, sliding under my pillows and wondering if Dani would take up my offer and sleep in my room for the night.