by Dawn Sister
“Really.” He assured his friend.
The candy bar Danny had been munching on was discarded, forgotten on the floor as he pulled Tristan into a fierce embrace, burying his face into dark hair,
“Dan, I know I’m no angel,” Tristan whispered into his ear, “You know how many guys there’s been since the beginnin’ of last year, but I c’n change, I promise, just to be with you.” He pushed Danny away so he could look into his grey/green eyes, “The ball’s in your court though, bud, because it’s you that would have to make the biggest change, and I can’t make that decision for you. I also don’t want you to think you have to do it just because we slept together once. And I also don’t want you to think that because of what happened with Troy you have to stick around.” Danny’s expression darkened at the mention of that guy’s name,
“Don’t, for one minute think that I am going to let you go through any of the fallout from last night on your own, Tris, not for one minute. I know that I’ve got some things to think about, but I knew that before you decided to run off and meet Troy.” He couldn’t help the anger and frustration in his voice, and Tristan seemed to shrink away from it a little, “And I am angry about that, but we’ll deal with it together, just like we’ll deal with whatever shit we get from being a couple. Because when it comes to you, Tris, I want everything too.”
“Dan.” Tristan whispered against Danny’s lips then they kissed, lips pressed together, mouths open, tongues exploring; tenderly and passionately. Danny hitched his legs back up onto the bed beside his dear friend and cradled his head against his chest again,
“Are you comfortable?” he asked. Tristan moaned in response and Danny chuckled, “Do you want anything else to eat?”
“No, I think I’ll last until breakfast now.” Danny harrumphed and Tristan looked up to see him pouting, he chuckled,
“I went to all that trouble and you’re only going to eat one packet of corn chips.”
Tristan snorted, “All the trouble of popping coins into a machine.”
“Hey.” Danny told him indignantly, “It took a lot of effort, I could get repetitive strain injury, and then there was the damn drawer at the bottom. It kept trying to chop my damn hand off.” Tristan was crying with laughter now and he took Danny’s hand to kiss it better,
“Poor baby.” He murmured, “I’ll eat the damn snacks if it’ll stop you whining.”
“Good, because if you don’t I might just feed them to you through that IV.”
Tristan sat up and picked up another packet of chips. He opened the packet and stuffed a chip into his mouth,
“There.” He said spraying crushed chip all over Danny’s shirt, “Happy?”
“Asshole.” Danny chuckled and nudged Tristan with his elbow as he brushed off the crumbs, “You’re a pig, Tristan.”
“Better believe it, Dan.” He said his mouth still full, “Here, have some they’re good.” He chuckled as he stuffed some chips into Danny’s mouth,
“Cut it out, Tristan, you dickhead.” But Danny was laughing too,
“Will you two please keep it down?” A smiling Clara called in a hoarse whisper from the door and the two young men stopped their horse play to glance guiltily at each other and then at her, “This is supposed to be a high dependency ward, there are some people who would like to pretend that they need to be here.”
“Sorry.” They both told her in unison,
“Just keep the noise down, it’s too early for laughing.” She told them, trying to keep a straight face but not quite managing.
As she left, both Danny and Tristan snorted with laughter. They regarded each other with sparkling eyes,
“I should’ve told her that I c’n answer her question now.” Tristan said through his laughter,
“What question would that be?” Danny asked, though he already knew the answer,
“About whether you’re available or not.”
“And what would you say?”
“I’d say you’re not, because you’re all mine.” Tristan slurred as he wrapped his arms around Danny and they fell back against the pillows and head board of the bed,
“Ah, Tris.” Danny sighed, “I always have been.”
Chapter 15: The Dad Glare
Tristan’s parents arrived that afternoon and Danny felt kind of pushed to one side for a little while as they visited with their son and fussed over him. They had been introduced to Danny and he had been surprised to discover that, whilst Tristan’s mum, Grace was Wyoming born and bred; Tristan’s dad was from England. He hadn’t known that, since it was something that Tristan had never mentioned when he had talked about his parents. He had always talked about them running a farm that they had inherited from Grace’s parents, never about their life before he was born.
Danny had gone to sit in the patient lounge to allow his friend some privacy with his parents. He got himself a cup of coffee and sat down to drink and to think. He felt pretty skanky because he was still wearing the same clothes he had put on the day before to chase Tristan after their fight. He needed a shower desperately. He also felt he should give Tristan some time some time alone with his parents without him worrying that he was leaving Danny out.
His decision made, he made his way back to Tristan’s room. He thought about his first meeting with his boyfriend’s parents. He had met plenty of girlfriend’s parents and he had thought: why, he didn’t know; that somehow this would be different. With a girlfriend the father had always glared at him like he was some sort of usurper, corrupting their daughter. Danny was very surprised and shocked when Tristan’s dad had glared at him the same way. He couldn’t help thinking that his own dad would surely not give Tristan the same treatment, although he couldn’t really be sure what his parents were going to think.
When he reached the room he popped his head in the door. Tristan’s mum was sitting on the bed with her arms around him. His dad was sitting in the armchair that had been placed at the side of the bed for visitors. Aware that they had been told that Tristan was only allowed two visitors at a time Danny felt a little awkward coming into the room, that and the picture of family bliss that he was witnessing. He didn’t really want to intrude.
He coughed to attract their attention,
“Danny, come in, don’t hang around at the door, bud.” Tristan said, his smile bright and his eyes sparkling,
“Tristan was just tellin’ us what you and your friends did.” Grace Gillman told him in the same drawling Wyoming accent as Tristan’s. She walked up to Danny and flung her arms around his neck. She was quite a bit shorter than him and had to stand on tip toes to kiss his cheek. He blushed,
“I really didn’t do very much, Mrs Gillman, it was mostly Reuben that was the hero.”
“I told you before t’ call me Grace, and Tristan has told us that it’s you that’s the hero.” She urged Danny to come sit with them on the bed, “And of course you did something. You stayed here with him all night.”
“I promised I would.” Danny glanced at Tristan and smiled as he said it and his friend returned his smile, his eyes sparkling even more, if possible,
“Actually, mom, my exact words were “Danny’s my hero”. That has nothing to do with what he did to help me yesterday.” Grace noted the exchange between the two young men and suddenly smiled in understanding. She laid her hand on Danny’s knee in gratitude, as he sat beside her on the bed,
“I er, came to ask if you wanted me to bring you anything from our room, Tris.” Danny said. He was eyeing Tristan’s dad with a little trepidation. He had resumed his intimidating dad glare,
“Bud, you’re leavin’?” Tristan frowned, his tone less cheerful,
“I kinda need a shower, Tris, and some clean clothes, and I could bring you some.” He suggested, “Besides, you won’t be on your own.” Grace squeezed his leg and her son’s arm. She had the same blue eyes as her son and they twinkled in the same way. Danny couldn’t help liking her, she really was a darling.
Tristan’s dad on the othe
r hand, was the very opposite of his outgoing and gregarious son. He was quiet, and reserved. He was easily as tall as Tristan, if not a little taller, and that just made Danny feel even more intimidated because, despite being an inch off six foot himself, he felt dwarfed next to this silent, powerful giant.
He stood up to go,
“You have a think about what you need, Tris. I’m going to call Reuben to come pick me up.” he said. To his surprise, John Gillman stood,
“I’ll take you back to the dorm.” He said, in his soft, English accent, “I need to stretch my legs, and Grace and Tristan want some time alone to talk about Gay stuff.” He made air quotes and to Danny’s utmost surprise he smiled,
“Dad.” Tristan laughed, “We do not talk about Gay stuff so shut up.”
“Don’t give me that.” John said, his smile remaining in place and touching his grey eyes, “Come on Danny, let’s leave the women to talk about shopping.” Danny was shocked at the man’s words,
“Dad!” Tristan protested. John smirked and Danny realised he was just teasing.
John approached the bed and kissed Tristan on the forehead,
“I’m sorry, son. When I get back, you and I can talk about man stuff, I promise.”
Tristan chuckled, and then looked over at Danny who was hovering; shocked at the complete change in John’s demeanour and the way they spoke to each other, with such an easy manner.
He also wanted to give Tristan a kiss but wasn’t sure how his parents would react,
“For God’s sake, give him a kiss, Danny. You know you’ll never hear the last of it if you don’t.” John urged him.
Danny could feel his face heating up as he stepped forward only intending to give Tristan a peck on the cheek. Tristan had other ideas though and pulled Danny in for a proper kiss,
“Come back soon, lover.” He whispered, and if they had been alone Danny would have jumped him there and then, the look in his eyes was so sexy. As it was they weren’t alone so he had to be content with shuffling uncomfortably before standing so that Tristan’s parents did not notice the slight bulge in his jeans. He gave Tristan a reproachful look,
“You know what you want me to bring you?” he asked. Tristan smirked as he thought, and Danny knew that he was well aware of the effect that one single word would have on him,
“Yeah, c’n you just bring me some clean clothes, bud?” Danny nodded, “Oh and one more thing.”
“What?” Danny asked,
“Just you.” Danny smiled,
“I’ll try and remember.” He smirked. He turned and followed Tristan’s dad out of the room.
As they walked down the corridor and out of the ward they could hear Tristan and his mum laughing loudly. John Gillman shook his head,
“They are going to get into trouble for making so much noise.”
“It’s good to hear him laugh though.” Danny muttered and John laid a hand on his shoulder nodding,
“I never really had the chance to thank you properly for staying with him, Danny.” He said quietly, “And for everything else you’ve done.”
“It was my pleasure, Mr Gillman.” Danny assured him,
“John, Please.” He told Danny, smiling. All trace of the stern, dad glare had gone, “You and him been together long?” he asked as they negotiated their way out of the massive city hospital. Danny laughed a little ironically, “I mean I know you’ve been room mates since the beginning of college, but when did you start dating?”
“Actually, we haven’t been out on a date yet.” Danny mused, eliciting a shocked look from Tristan’s dad,
“How does that work then?” he asked, “Because it looked like you were pretty close just then. You are together, yes?”
“Yes, yes, we are. It’s all a bit of a blur to tell the truth, Mr Gillman, I mean John.” Danny admitted, feeling a little overwhelmed by the enormity of what had happened over the weekend,
“You may have just found the exact phrase to describe my son, Danny.” John laughed, and Danny chuckled.
They found their way to the parking lot and John located his rental car. Danny discovered that John Gillman was a very quiet, reserved man who only spoke when he had something to say. He couldn’t imagine how Tristan had become so outgoing, although Grace Gillman was far more like her son. As they drove in silence towards the College Campus Danny could well imagine John spending hours riding about his farm without saying a word to a soul and being completely happy with that. He couldn’t imagine Tristan being content with silence at all.
They were perhaps half way to the college when John spoke again,
“What happened to the other boy?” he asked, quietly. For a moment Danny couldn’t think what he meant then he realised he was talking about Troy,
“He was arrested.” Danny told him, “We all gave statements because we saw him...” Danny swallowed because he didn’t know how John was going to react to being told how badly Troy had beaten Tristan. The evidence was there for him to see, since Tristan would bear the bruises for a while yet, but hearing about how they had been made was something else entirely,
“I’m not squeamish, Danny, I stick my hands up cow’s arses for a living so I can take a bit of gore every now and then.” Danny laughed at the analogy,
“It’s different when it’s your son though.” Danny said, although he really had no reference, since he didn’t have a son, “Troy was beating him up when we got to the bar, Mr Gi, er John. We had to pull him off Tristan. Then Scott and Jason had to restrain him because he was raving mad.” He must have looked and sounded as upset as he felt because John reached over and laid his hand on Danny’s shoulder,
“Is he still in jail?” he asked darkly,
“As far as I know he is.” Danny told him, “I guess they would at least tell Tristan if he’d been released.” He wondered what would happen if Troy came back to College, although he doubted very much that he would be allowed, “Even if he was released he wouldn’t get within a mile of Campus because everyone will know what happened by now and Tristan is a popular guy. If Troy came any where near him about a dozen people would jump on him before he got anywhere near, me included.” Danny could feel his fists clenching,
“Grace and I can’t thank you enough, Danny, you and your friends. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t arrived at that particular moment.”
They pulled into the college parking lot and both got out of the car before John spoke again,
“You be careful with my son, Danny.” He said, and Danny realised he was still getting the dad glare, John had just been good at hiding it,
“I will, Mr Gillman, I promise.” He couldn’t quite believe he was having this conversation with Tristan’s dad, he felt like he was on his senior prom again, and that had been a bit of an unmitigated disaster. He’d promised to look after his date then. Although it hadn’t really been his fault what happened to her, her dad still threatened to castrate him any way. He swallowed as John patted his shoulder and started to walk towards the dorm blocks,
“Tristan might act all tough and hard, but he’s not really.”
“I know.” Danny told him, “I just wish I could have stopped what happened yesterday. I feel bad because he went to meet Troy after we’d had a fight.”
“Tristan has always had his own mind. He’s a strong person, he knows what he wants. And it’ll take a strong personality to keep up with him and stand up to him.” They reached the entrance to the dorm building and Danny punched in the code that opened the door, “Do you think you might be up for that?”
