Chapter Text
And so it’s gotten to a point where it isn’t enough anymore. That was quick. Daniel was once again spacing out in class, which, mind you, wasn’t unusual for him but…
“Daniel.” He hears Zack call his name under his breath. “Hm?” A pause. “Uh.. Did you finish the essay?” Daniel’s brain had to do a double take. “Essay?” “Yeah, the one due today. You mentioned it to me a couple days ago.” Daniel put a hand on his temple. Yeah, the essay. How could he forget? Well how couldn’t he forget? His mind’s been so.. preoccupied. With everything else. Maybe replacing the time he should be studying and doing homework with hanging out with Gun or thinking about Gun or..
Okay. Enough is enough. He needs to be more organised. It’s honestly his own fault at this point, he’s not a kid anymore. He can’t blame his lack of organisation on “chilling with gang boss bestie” or whatever. He made a clicking noise with his tongue and the top of his mouth, leaned back on his chair and checked his phone. There was a message from Eli, a notification telling him not to forget the items in his basket and a text from Zoe. He also had a few missed calls he needed to get back to and some comments and messages from classmates on Instagram. He bit the inside of his cheek and clicked on the contact named “G”. “I left mine at home. Have you finished yours?” Zack looked up from his phone and shook his head despite the fact Daniel made no move to look at him, eyes focused on a text message. “Started it but I didn’t write a conclusion. Didn’t know what to put.” Daniel nodded absentmindedly as he put his phone down. “I’ll ask for an extension or something…” Zack shrugged, “Like that’s ever worked.”
Class breezed past with little fanfare, Zack and Daniel both left for lunch with relieved sighs as their teacher had seemingly forgotten to collect the homework. Jay sat next to Daniel as he picked at his food and placed a tentative hand on his back. Daniel looked up at him with a curt smile, as if he’d just sorted out what was pestering his mind. Jay motioned to ask him if he’s doing anything this weekend and Daniel nodded. “I’m watching Yenna on Sunday and I’ve got work to do on Saturday.” Jay nodded in reply as to not show his disappointment. “Maybe we can do something after school next week, like just hang out, me and you?” Jay smiled and nodded, with a little more excitement this time and motioned to ask Daniel what was on his mind before Zoe interjected. “Okay, guys, it’s Mira’s birthday next week… we should totally surprise her!”
Daniel looked around the table for Mira and Zoe gave a triumphant smile. “Come on, I’m not that dumb, I waited till she went to the bathroom.” Daniel let a breath out of his nose and took a bite out of his food. “Any ideas, Zack?” Zack looked a bit mortified– he had completely forgotten and it was written all over his face. “Uh… shit. Maybe a pyjama party? She likes cute stuff like that. Whatever we do it can’t be at hers, her mom hates it when it’s loud.” Zoe nodded and took a mental note of this. “Who has the biggest house here?” Zoe looked around inspecting everyone, putting a hand in front of Vasco before he could say anything, “No.. absolutely not.”
“Dan’s automatically out of the picture so that leaves..” Daniel raised his eyebrows at Zack, “What? Cause I live in a shithole?” Zack looked at Daniel like he’d said something bizarre. “No. You have a roommate who you said hates loud noises, remember? Little Dan.” Daniel took a step back. Yeah, he did say that to avoid anyone coming over on short notice, or any notice, honestly. Why did he assume Zack was being rude? “Uh. Yeah. Sorry.” Zack took a moment to check his phone before replying. “It’s fine. Just caught off guard by the cursing, it’s unlike you. Anyways, we can do it at mine. My parents are away next weekend so it’ll be fine.” The rest of the group chattered away about the plan and when to meet at Zack’s but Daniel was still stuck on his first comment. Ugh, Gun really is rubbing off on him.
Zoe looked curiously at Daniel. “What’s up?” Zoe thought for a moment with a vindictive smile on her face before replying. “You know… I know why you’re always in your head, acting weird recently.” The rest of the group stops to listen. “Wh– huh?” Zoe ignores his confusion. “When were you going to tell us you started dating someone!” Suddenly Daniel was hit with a barrage of questions and a range of emotions from his friends. A look of dramatic betrayal from Vasco, vague curiosity from Jae, a forcibly neutral look from Jay, slight amusement from Zack and an accusatory glare from Zoe. Even Crystal who had been silently eating her lunch the whole time looked up at him, expecting. Mira had made her way back at this point drying her hand with a paper towel and looked around confused. “What’s going on?” Before Daniel could use this to change the subject Zoe interjected. “Daniel has a boyfriend !” Wait. Hold on.
“I’m sorry what? Why do you think that I have–” Zoe whips out her phone whilst making space for Mira to sit down next to her. She gracelessly plops her phone in the middle of the lunch table and shows everyone a picture of Daniel with Gun (who’s face is unable to be seen from the angle, but it’s clear he’s sitting across a man) from their date– fuck, meal the other day. “My friend was there with her family to celebrate her birthday and saw you on the ‘Light Table’.” Daniel blinked and Zoe smacked his arm. “Everyone in the city knows that only couples specifically get to reserve that table…” She explains how celebrities had reserved that table and how it had some sort of romantic significance and had become a trend amongst guys to take their dates there. Everyone else nodded along with a vague sort of recognition (even Vasco, surprisingly) or fully aware of the ‘trend’ and Daniel was 100% wishing he could go back and strangle the version of himself who refused to take the phone Jay gave him way back then.
When she finished her tirade, she swiftly turned to Daniel. “So! Who’s the lucky guy that swept our Daniel off his feet?” Daniel sighed, he’s 100% sure Gun had done this on purpose to make Daniel feel some type of way but now it’s making everyone else feel some type of way because he’s never in the loop! “It’s not like that–” Zoe cuts him off, once again. “And before you say anything! She said you had been waiting for him for 30 minutes! Who does that for ‘just a friend’?” Daniel opens his mouth and then closes it. He looks over to anyone to save him but even Crystal looks way too amused by this situation. He sighs, admitting defeat, he’ll just go along with it so they all don’t think it’s gang related and worry about him. “His name is..” he scratches the back of his head in an attempt to look shy but he’s honestly just trying to make up a name on the spot, “Jun.” Good enough. It seems that they expected him to deny it or have some convenient explanation because they all look stunned.
He doesn’t know what gets into him but he decides to go all in. “Yeah we met because his grandma lives near my place and I was helping her with some bags. He thanked me, we started hanging out and then yeah… Dating.” Okay he lacked the enthusiasm but the shockingness of the revelation that Daniel is romantically interested in anyone blinded their judgement and they all just.. took it at face value. “Woah, I know I was pressing it but I didn’t think… Gosh have you got a picture of his face? Can we meet him? Does he go to our school?” Zoe and Mira barrage him with questions. He tries to give adequate excuses but he’s suddenly distracted by how Jay suddenly gets up and walks off without any indication that he needed to leave. It was odd but the short distraction gave him an excuse to dash from the table and follow him, he internally thanked God for making Jay oddly mysterious. He waves the excited girls off and claims he and Jay had something to do before lunch ended and ran off.
He caught up to Jay eventually, finding him sitting on a bench outside looking lost in his thoughts. Daniel thought for a moment before deciding he should probably keep the whole dating narrative up with him also since he’s the type to worry the most. “Sorry, you’re probably upset I didn’t tell you..” Jay looked up at him, eyes searching before looking back down at his feet and, to Dan’s surprise, sighing. If his aim was to unknowingly make Daniel feel bad for lying it was working, the knot in his stomach made him feel sick.
“I’m uh, really sorry, Jay,” he sat down on the bench next to Jay who didn’t move to make distance, an action that relieved Daniel since it probably meant he wasn’t too betrayed, “I won’t keep anything from you from now on, you can.. ask me anything about it and I’ll tell you.” Daniel isn’t too well-versed in the mixing of friendships and romantic relationships but in middle school he always saw groups of guys talking to each other about their significant others. He assumed it’s pretty important for friends to talk about this sort of stuff, but he couldn’t say he would feel sad or disheartened if Jay, Zack or Vasco started dating someone without telling him. Jay looks at him like someone who’s been snapped out of a transe and shakes his head vigorously, as if to say that there’s no issue and to ask would be to invade. Daniel simply nods, taking another opportunity to not go into detail as to who ‘Jun’ (now that he’s off the adrenaline of coming up with a quick and successful lie, he realised how horribly stupid he was to use that name) is.
Jay gives him a strained smile and a thumbs up, as if he’s saying “good luck with your relationship” and Daniel simply thanks him. They spend the rest of their lunch having idle (one-sided) chatter about all sorts. It’s oddly strained but Daniel ignores the fact, assuming Jay is still a bit upset about being kept out of the loop of his life.
Eventually, the bell rings.
*
Gun is hovering over Daniel who’s feverently messaging in a groupchat for.. a party of sorts? He has his homework and textbooks splayed all over his grandmother’s dining table but they’ve all basically been untouched since he picked up his phone 20 minutes ago. The taller man tuts whilst placing a cup of coffee on a coaster next to where Dan’s elbow was resting on the table. He had been asked by Daniel for coffee and said that he should make it himself before proceeding to do as he was asked anyways, he can’t make himself seem too easy can he? Daniel looks up at him with a scowl, sensing the knowing judgement but sees the cup of coffee and almost immediately his face softens.
“You come over to my gran’s just to text your little J-High friends?” Daniel ignores the obvious antagonism and shakes his head. He opens his mouth, on the precipice of explaining his predicament but shuts it almost immediately after a strangled noise comes out instead. Gun is so unendingly curious as to what’s making his favourite brave idiot lose confidence and he so desperately wants to rip out the words from his tongue. He stands over the younger man, looming with the intention to force it out of him but then he decides that waiting for the younger man to talk might be the best option. Currently, Dan’s red in the face, holding on to his phone with crushing force, trying to get his word out nervously. He quickly looks at his phone after feeling another vibration from his phone. Gun checks for his reaction, he looks both relieved and frustrated– okay he has no idea what could be wracking Dan’s brain.
“What’s wrong with you?” Daniel tears his eyes away from his phone to look at Gun. “You absolutely can’t laugh at me.” Gun starts laughing almost immediately which increases Daniel’s frustration. “I said you can’t laugh! This is serious…” He trails off as Gun stops laughing. “Seriously stupid, it seems. Tell me what’s up, maybe I can help.” Daniel looks mortified at that statement which gives Gun (who is way too clever for his own good) an inkling of what’s going on. “It involves me, doesn’t it?” When Daniel’s mortified expression refuses to pass, Gun begins to laugh hysterically. “You’re joking .” Daniel sighs, frustration clouding his rational thought. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” Gun moves to pull out a chair, “We’re friends, right? I can do you a little favour every once in a while.” Dan rolls his eyes. “Yeah, sure, whatever. Friends don’t set each other up.” Gun leans back and raises an eyebrow. “When have I ever set you up?” Daniel shoots him a irritated look which makes Gun throw his hands up in innocence. “Okay, okay, I mean recently! Let’s put the past behind us– I’m a changed man.” Daniel doesn’t even grace that with a response and turns back to his phone to text the groupchat.
“You’re coming to a birthday party with me.” Gun tilts his head to the side and before he could make any sort of stupid comment, Daniel interjects. “You have to pretend to be my boyfriend.” Then, silence. It’s not an awkward silence per say, more of a “what the fuck did you just say?” silence that in his opinion is 100 times worse. And then the face of realisation, then the infamous laughter. Daniel groans but it couldn’t even be heard above Gun’s bellowing laughter. At some point Daniel finds himself laughing too.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Gun says as he catches his breath, “Can we start from the beginning? Did someone see us at the restaurant?” The other boy shrugs. “Kind of, Zoe’s friend saw us eating and took a picture, but she didn’t get your face in it.” Daniel takes a gulp of his now lukewarm coffee. “So are you admitting you set me up or?” Gun leans back and smiles, “Does it matter?” Daniel feels as though his eyes are gonna get stuck up his skull. “Yes it does, you asshole! Why did you get that table if you knew it was for…” His confidence dwindles as his lie and this whole
stupid
situation finally settles in. Gun snorts. “I did it because I thought it was funny, but you didn’t seem to notice when we got there so I thought I lost that game of 3D chess.” Daniel makes an exasperated noise. “Maybe stop messing with me? That’s also an option!” The taller man shrugs. “You’re right, you’re too dense to get it half the time.” He moves to get up from his chair and picks up Dan’s half finished cup of coffee. “Anyways, I’ll come with. Sounds funny.” Dan moves to get up as well and help Gun with drying the dishes.
“What about Crystal?” Gun doesn’t even react. “What about her?” The younger man shakes his head. “Won’t she know it’s you?” Gun turns to him with one of his annoying smiles, “No. Don’t worry about it, just let me know when it’s happening.” Dan decides not to press it and let it go, something he’s finding he does a lot recently. “Anyways it’s next week. I told them you’re a busy guy who works a lot so you’re only going to terrorise my friends for 2 hours, then you’re gonna leave, okay?” Gun nods along, liking the sound of the character he’s playing. “So I’m your billionaire CEO boyfriend who’s busy making money for my empire,” he turns dramatically and moves closer to Daniel, making the shorter man lean back, “And for you, of course.” Daniel rolls his eyes for what feels like the 800th time that day and sighs. “Yes. Are you satisfied?” Gun places a slightly damp hand on the small of Daniel’s back and inches dangerously close to his face. Daniel suddenly finds himself with the reflexes of a sloth and is too stunned to move, but before his brain can do anything other than make him blush furiously, Gun moves back himself with the most aggravating smile ever and continues to wash the dishes. “Yeah. Perfectly satisfied.”
Daniel, who can only mutter obscenities under his breath, realises he’s screwed.