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“Hey,” Steve said as he walked past MJ’s door, seeing Danny hovering inside as he collected up laundry. When Danny didn’t acknowledge him he leaned in the doorway. “D?”
“Hey,” Danny replied, glancing over at him.
“What’s up?” Steve asked, sensing something was wrong with his partner.
“Come over here,” Danny said, giving a small flick of his head.
Steve frowned and approached him where he stood by MJ’s desk. Of all their boys MJ was the tidiest so Steve was confused as to what had Danny so out of sorts.
“Yeah?” Steve asked as he glanced around, wondering if Danny had found something completely untoward in their sixteen year olds room. They generally gave MJ his privacy compared to his younger siblings because as he kept pointing out to remind them, he wasn’t a baby any more, so Steve doubted Danny had been snooping when retrieving dirty clothes.
“I was just getting clothes out of his hamper,” Danny said. “I accidentally knocked some of his books off his desk and when I picked them up, I found these.”
Steve took in Danny’s distressed look as he took a small bundle of papers Danny held out to him. As he leafed through the pages he felt his own stomach churn but he swallowed down and tried not to show his own concern as he looked Danny in the eye.
“It could be nothing Danny,” He tried to sound at ease. “Just curiosity.”
“Do you really think that?” Danny asked with wide eyes, knowing full well he didn’t. “What the hell Steve? He’s – he’s researching -.”
“Hey, c’mon, come here,” Steve said, pulling him close and wrapping his arms around him. “Let’s not jump to conclusions okay. We need to sit down and talk to him, hear what he has to say first.”
Danny physically shivered against him before he drew in a long breath and let it out slowly, “Yeah, today, as soon as he gets home.”
~
The hours dragged for Danny. There weren’t enough chores to fill them it seemed and when the clock finally showed four pm and MJ still hadn’t shown up he glared at the front door until he thought he could bore a hole into it with just his eyes. Steve had collected the younger boys already and they were in the kitchen getting snacks.
Danny let out a breath of relief when the door finally opened and MJ walked in, dumping his bag by the door and kicking off his shoes, giving Danny a grin.
“Hey Dad,” He said happily enough as he bounced through the room. “’sup.”
He bypassed the living room and aimed straight for the kitchen. Danny heard him say ‘Hey Pop’ as he followed him through.
“Hey, how was school today?” Steve asked, giving Danny a warning glance. Danny spied Luka and DJ sitting at the table eating.
“Cool y’know?” MJ shrugged. “Got a big science assignment I gotta work on. Will you help me with it?”
“Course I will,” Steve assured him, turning his attention to their younger sons. “Hey you two, why not go on into the living room and watch some TV. Dad and I need to talk to MJ in private.”
“Oooh, is he in trouble?” Luka asked, looking intrigued.
“What he do?” DJ asked with a frown.
MJ looked between his fathers at a loss as to what was wrong.
“We just need to talk to him alone,” Danny told them. “So c’mon, scoot.”
The boys picked up their bowls of fruit and marched off into the living room. Steve put a hand on MJ’s shoulder with a half-smile and guided him to the table to sit down as Danny made sure their youngest were watching TV and not listening in. He took a seat opposite MJ who sat looking worried.
“Am I trouble?” MJ asked them both.
“No, no you aren’t,” Danny shook his head. “We just – we need to talk to you about something we found in your room.”
“These,” Steve said, placing the bunch of papers on the table in front of MJ.
MJ stared at the papers, cheeks flushing red and a look of panic registered on his face. He ducked his head down and didn’t look at either of them.
“You went through my stuff?” He said, voice low and croaky.
“No, I,” Danny began, sitting forward and putting a hand over the papers. “I was collecting in the laundry, I knocked over some books and I guess these were hidden amongst them. Honestly son, we weren’t snooping around.”
“But we are concerned,” Steve said when Danny paused. “About why you have those.”
“Want to explain it to us?” Danny encouraged gently.
“No,” MJ said stubbornly, reaching out and sliding the papers from under Danny’s hand, pulling them back to him and burying them in his lap. “It’s nothing okay – just – it’s nothing.”
“MJ, you can talk to us about it,” Steve said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. MJ tensed under the touch and scowled.
“I told you it’s nothing,” He said, louder and more urgently. “Just some stupid stuff I printed off the internet okay?”
“That’s pretty serious stuff you’re reading,” Danny pointed out to him. “Not stupid.”
“God, what is this?” MJ said, sitting back, scowl growing as he glared over at Danny. “I told you it’s nothing. Don’t you believe me?”
“I’m just trying to help baby,” Danny said with a shake of his head. “Just trying to understand -.”
“Well there’s nothing to understand because there’s nothing wrong,” MJ yelled, shaking himself free of Steve’s touch. “Just – leave it okay?”
He jumped to his feet and went to walk away, angrily crumpling the pages into a ball and tossing them onto the table.
“Meka John you walk out of that door and you’re grounded indefinitely,” Steve said firmly as he got to his feet.
Danny sat back and took in a deep breath, half turning in his chair to see MJ paused by the doorway, shoulders slumping. None of the boys dared cross either of their fathers when they used that tone.
“Now come and sit back down and let’s talk about this,” Steve said, softer than before but still insistent.
MJ turned slowly, looked from Steve to Danny and burst into tears. Danny jumped to his feet, crossing over to him and pulling him into a tight hug.
“Hey now, what’s this huh?” Danny soothed gently as he held him close and rubbed his back. “We can’t help if you don’t tell us what’s going on. We aren’t angry, we just want to understand.”
MJ’s tears soaked into his shirt but Danny was used to soggy shirts having three boys who rode emotional rollercoasters like himself every few months and a grown up daughter who still needed a shoulder to cry on. MJ didn’t talk at first, just cried against him but eventually he began to calm down and Danny guided him back to the table to sit, taking a seat beside him this time so he and Steve could both comfort him.
“Ok son, what’s this all about?” Steve asked gently, putting an arm around him. “Why are you reading about these kinds of operations?”
“I don’t want to be a freak anymore,” MJ admitted in a low voice.
Steve glanced over at Danny who gave a small wince at the word which had plagued him growing up.
“So you think surgery like this is what you need?” Steve asked, smoothing the pages out again.
“I was only reading about it,” MJ said as he wiped a hand over his face. “It’s not like I can get the surgery yet.”
“But it’s something you’d consider?” Danny asked, trying not to let the hurt sound in his voice.
“I guess,” MJ admitted with a small nod. “If it would make me normal.”
Steve looked at Danny again, seeing the pain in his eyes, tears forming as he looked away to hide the hurt.
Steve let out a sigh himself and rubbed MJ’s back softly, “Wow son this is a lot to digest.”
“I’m sorry Pop,” MJ apologised, wiping his eyes again.
“S’ok,” Steve assured him, even though it felt like it wasn’t. “I guess this is something we need to seriously talk about with you.”
“Are you angry with me?” MJ asked him.
“No, no we aren’t angry. We’re just trying to understand why you feel the way you do,” Steve said, giving him a small smile.
“’scuse me,” Danny said suddenly, getting to his feet and heading out the back door before Steve could stop him.
MJ watched his Dad walk out before looking at Steve with fresh tears in his eyes, “I think Dad is angry.”
“No, I think he just – he just can’t bear to see you so sad,” Steve said, pulling him close. “Neither of us can. You know he felt the same way you do when he was about your age, I guess this makes a lot of those memories fresh in his mind.”
“It gets tiring being different,” MJ sighed against him. “Everyone talking, whispering about you, pointing fingers, making jokes.”
“I know son,” Steve said, pressing a kiss into his hair. “I’m sorry you have to go through that.”
“Why couldn’t I be normal like everyone else?” MJ asked in a broken voice.
“There is no such thing as normal MJ,” Steve said as MJ began crying again. “It’s tough in school, but you’ll be in college soon. You’ll become an adult and you’ll realise actually you are who you are and there’ll be people who accept you for you. You might not believe that now, but you only have to look at your Dad to see the truth of it. Danny used to want to be whatever ‘normal’ is, but if he was, we wouldn’t be together. We wouldn’t have you three amazing boys, who I find perfect just the way they are. None of this would exist, my ohana.”
“I don’t like feeling like this Pop,” MJ said, leaning against him.
“Can I ask you something?” Steve said, giving him a squeeze. “Have you always felt like this? Like you aren’t meant to be the way you are? Or is it just because people have been bullying you at school, calling you names and stuff?”
“No, not always,” MJ admitted honestly, sitting up to look at him, sniffing and rubbing a hand over his face. “Just the last few months or so really. Why? What’s the difference?”
“Well there’s a difference I guess, between feeling you’re not living in the right kind of body for you; say people who want to change their gender because they identify as opposite to what they were born. And people who are bullied into wanting to change themselves just to stop the bullying,” Steve explained before giving a shrug. “Not that it matters either way, me and your Dad love and support you MJ, no matter what, we want to help you and we want you to be happy. We just need to figure out the best way to help you, so you need to talk to us when you’re feeling the way you are so we can do that.”
“I guess surgery is pretty drastic,” MJ said, eyeing the crumpled papers on the table. “I was just looking Pop, honest.”
“At your options?” Steve said with a nod of understanding.
“I guess,” MJ nodded, looking at him again. “I mean if I feel like this when I’m old enough-.”
“Then we’d support your decision,” Steve promised with a nod. “I’d just – I want you to understand what you were giving up as well son okay?”
“What? Periods and cramps?” MJ said with a grimace.
“Well yeah,” Steve smirked, giving him a pat on the arm. “Can’t imagine those are fun. But also – well, being a Dad-.”
“You’re a Dad,” MJ pointed out to him. “And you aren’t a couvade.”
“Yeah but I had to make love to a couvade to become a Dad,” Steve retorted gently. “And Danny, when he was pregnant with you all – he was amazing and I was jealous that he got to carry you all, that he experienced all of that. I mean I loved him, I supported him, but part of me was so jealous, still is, because he has that extra bond with you all. I dunno, maybe I’m talking shit but it feels like that sometimes. Don’t forget, just because you like girls as well as guys, doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant okay. You change yourself, you no longer have that option. Plus – and I know you really, really don’t want to hear this and will be totally grossed out and probably want the ground to swallow you right up here and now – but the sex is intense, just ask your Dad.”
“Ah Pop,” MJ whined, putting his hands over his ears and leaning his head on the table. “So not appropriate.”
Steve grinned and rested a hand on his back, patting him gently until he sat up, giving a grimace, “I just want to make sure you understand what you’d be sacrificing. Believe me, by the time you’re old enough to have surgery or not, you’ll have it figured out for yourself any way.”
“I so do not need another sex talk right now,” MJ shook his head with a shudder, remembering the last conversation on the subject which had been difficult enough. Danny and Steve had thought it prudent to broach the subject considering they’d been fifteen when they’d first had sex together.
“All right all right,” Steve agreed with a soft laugh. “But I do want you to seriously think about it okay? About how it will change things for your future. If you think it’s for the better, then fine and if not, then fine.”
“Okay,” MJ nodded, giving him a watery smile. “Thanks Pop and I’m sorry, for upsetting you and Dad.”
“Only thing that upsets us is seeing you hurting baby,” Steve assured him, leaning over and giving him a kiss on the forehead. “Why don’t you go see if you can find Danno while I check on your brothers?”
“Don’t think he wants to see me,” MJ said sadly. “He’s pretty upset with me isn’t he?”
“No, he’s upset that you’re upset. He’s hurting because you’re hurting. Worst thing in the world being a parent and seeing your babies hurting,” Steve told him. “Especially for a man like Danno. You know what I was saying about that bond you all have, when he was pregnant with you, gave birth to you – all those extra hormones and emotions you have because you’re a couvade. You’re Dad knows all about those and you know you can talk to him about it any time you need. What do you always want when you’re upset and feeling emotional?”
“Hugs,” MJ said with a small smile.
“So go find him,” Steve said, giving him a small push.
MJ stood up, wiping a hand over his face as he went to the back door. He stepped out onto the lanai and saw Danny on one of the sun loungers staring out at the ocean beyond.
“Dad?” MJ said as he drew closer, feeling a nervous knot twist in his stomach. “I’m sorry.”
“C’mere,” Danny said, holding a hand out to him. Usually MJ was above such things as being coddled by his fathers, but right now he was glad of the comfort. He went to Danny and sat on the lounger beside him, letting him pull him in for a long, tight hug.
“I’m not upset with you,” Danny assured him. “And I’m not angry with you okay?”
“Okay,” MJ agreed, feeling the knot beginning to ease.
“Let me tell you something,” Danny said, not letting go of him. “Doesn’t matter what other people say, making fun, calling you names – you are not a freak. You’re different, but we’re all different. That’s what makes us all unique.”
“Does it get easier Dad?” MJ asked, sounding tired.
Danny pulled back and gave him a smile, nodding. “Yeah, honestly it does. Gets to a point where nobody cares really, maybe it’s because you’re select in who you tell. You learn who you can trust to not think anything of it. You surround yourself with good people. And you reach a point where you realise it’s a blessing, not a curse, being the way we are.”
“Would you be disappointed if I did want to get an operation, when I could make the decision for myself?” MJ asked, giving him a wary look.
“No,” Danny shook his head. “I – I’d need to know you were sure. That you were absolutely positive about it, that you had looked at all your options because it’s a big thing MJ. But no I would never be disappointed. I just want you to be happy, I want all my kids to be who they want to be.”
“Pop said I’d be missing out on a lot of stuff,” MJ said, not resisting when Danny leaned back and pulled him against him, arm around his shoulders. “Like having babies and – and sex stuff you know?”
Danny gave a small laugh and gave his shoulders a squeeze, “Trust your Pop to point that out.”
“What if nobody wants to be with me because I’m a – I’m the way I am?” MJ asked quietly.
“Well, I didn’t have much trouble,” Danny reminded him. “Fell in love with Steve when I was fifteen. Dated guys when I moved back to Jersey, met Rachel right out of college, okay so the marriage was a bust but I got an amazing daughter out of the deal. Dated a little more, came back to Hawaii and found I’d never fell out of love with Steve. You’re a good person MJ and I know there are girls and boys who fancy you.”
“Dad-,” MJ whined in slight embarrassment.
“I’m just saying,” Danny laughed again. “Don’t put yourself down for being different. You’ll date and you’ll fall in love and there will be people who want to be with you no matter what. And you don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with, intimately I mean, no matter who you are with.”
MJ fell silent and Danny felt him tense again, like he was building to a question he was curious about but was finding it hard to ask. He was patient and didn’t push him for anything.
“Does it – will it hurt? Sex I mean,” MJ said quietly, almost whispering and sounding embarrassed to even ask. “You know like, if I meet a guy and he wants to – you know – there-?”
“Okay one, nobody but you gets to decide if that happens,” Danny said firmly. “Sex for me was pretty much guy and guy doing the usual normal guy on guy stuff. I decided when it was time for someone to get that intimate with me and that wasn’t until me and your Pop got married so I waited quite a while to give that part of me to someone else. It might not be the same for you, but I thought that was important, I’m not sure why, but it became that way and I’m glad I did. It’s something just me and your Pop have for us. And no, it doesn’t hurt. It’s way different to the usual sex, but it’s also pretty amazing. If I’m honest I prefer it.”
“Didn’t it feel weird, waiting all that time and not knowing? Weren’t you afraid?” MJ asked sounding surprised.
“Well no, not afraid,” Danny shook his head, chin propped up against the top of MJ’s head. “I mean I wanted Steve to be the one and I had nothing to be afraid of when it came to me and him. And it wasn’t like we hadn’t done – other stuff. Steve understands my body, like I understand his and when you have that kind of intimacy with someone, you aren’t afraid, you just want to share those experiences together. And like I said, it became important to me, keeping that part of me, I dunno, pure I guess. Guess it would sound stupid and old fashioned to some people, but I’ve never regretted waiting, even if I was in my thirties when I first got to experience what it was like for the first time.”
“That’s actually kinda cool Dad,” MJ admitted with a sigh. “Maybe I’ll wait too.”
“You do what you want to do, you’ll know when you’re ready,” Danny assured him. “Long as you’re safe, you make a conscious decision it’s what you want and you’re with the person you want to be with at that time. I just want you and your brothers to be happy, with yourselves and with the people you choose as your partners.”
“Are you really not mad about the papers you found?” MJ asked carefully. “I really was just reading stuff.”
“No I promise, I’m not mad baby,” Danny said, squeezing him tight again in his arms. “It’s just – I went through a tough time when I was about your age with bullies and people making fun. I wish I could protect you from that but I know I can’t.”
“I can handle myself,” MJ told him. “I got a good group of friends, everyone gets made fun of, it’s just some of the stuff got to me, made me mad. But it isn’t all the time, there’s other kids get bullied worse than me. It isn’t like when you were growing up.”
“No I guess the worlds changed a little since then,” Danny sighed, pressing a kiss into his hair. “Just promise me one thing MJ, don’t ever change because someone bullies you into it. If it’s a decision from your heart that’s right for you then fine, but be the person you are, not what they want you to be.”
“All right Dad, I promise,” MJ said with a nod, sitting up and looking at him with a grin. “And thanks for listening.”
“I’ve always got time for you,” Danny reminded him. “For all my boys and my baby girl even though she doesn’t need her old man half as much these days.”
MJ grinned wider and threw himself against Danny’s chest for a bear hug, “We’ll always need you Dad. You’re our Danno. Love you Dad.”
“Love you more,” Danny said, hugging him tight, eyes filling with tears which he quickly blinked away, big emotional lump that he was. He cleared his throat and patted MJ on the back. “Okay, let’s make a move. I’ve not heard a sound from your Pop or brothers for the last ten minutes and that never bodes well.”
MJ laughed and stood up, pulling Danny to his feet and they made their way back into the house, finding Steve, DJ and Luka in the living room looking like a bomb had hit it as they had a play fight which Steve was currently losing.
“Hey what is this? I leave you all alone for five minutes and you turn my living room into a war zone?” Danny asked with a smile.
“We’re fighting off enemy forces,” DJ declared from the sofa, before grabbing a cushion and jumping onto Steve, raining blows down upon him.
“Traitor,” Steve laughed, grabbing his youngest and pulling him close. “I thought you were on my side.”
“That’s before you turned into the tickle monster!” DJ retorted before dissolving into giggles as Steve tickled him.
“Okay why don’t we-oof,” Danny was about to try and bring some order to the scene when a cushion hit him in the stomach lightly and Luka gazed on innocently from the other side of the room.
“Sorry Dad, it just sorta – slipped,” Luka shrugged with an impish grin.
“Oh really,” Danny said, putting his hands on his hips, “And how did – oof-“
This time he was attacked from behind, turning to find MJ holding a weapon. Grandma Williams cushion worn out old cushion which had survived many Williams-McGarrett play fights.
“Oh I see, sneak attack,” Danny declared, leaning down and picking up the cushion Luka had thrown at him. “Well boys I’m sorry, but I just cannot let this treachery continue.”
“Oooh pillow fight,” DJ declared, scrabbling off Steve and climbing onto the couch again, grabbing a small cushion of his own.
“Ready Lu?” MJ grinned, getting a sure grip on Grandma Williams’ cushion.
“Oh yeah,” Luka nodded in agreement.
“You really think you can beat your old man?” Danny asked them both.
“You’re going down Dad,” Luka said, looking over at DJ. “Right Deej?”
“Dooooowwwwnnn,” DJ declared from the safety of the couch, jumping up and down.
“You forget one thing boys,” Danny said, turning round to look at each son one by one. “I’m a pro at pillow fights, a champion from when I was a kid. And there’s one thing more –“
“Yeah, what’s that?” MJ asked him, and Danny found that look eerily familiar, like looking in a mirror.
“I got a secret weapon,” Danny informed him, raising his cushion high. “I married a Navy SEAL.”
“You take the big one, I got the two little ones,” Steve said from behind him and jumping into the action, aiming for DJ first. He might be the smallest, but he was quick and dodged away near Luka who managed to land a few blows on his Pops back and knock him to the couch.
MJ took on Danny and for a little while it was a fair fight, until MJ lost his footing and Danny took him to the floor in a bear hug and wouldn’t let go.
“DJ, help Meka,” Luka ordered as he sat on Steve’s back and rained down some blows. DJ bounced away and tried to distract Danny enough for MJ to escape.
“Man down,” Steve lamented from the sofa as Luka resorted to new tactics, tickling him in the ribs.
Danny managed to get an arm around DJ and hugged him close too, trying to hold his composure not to laugh even though DJ’s laughter was infectious. MJ wriggled free and sat on him instead.
“We got him Deej,” MJ declared. “Now make him talk.”
DJ got to work tickling Danny until Danny begged for mercy, exhausted and grinning like an idiot.
“All right, all right, I surrender,” Danny sighed, grabbing DJ’s tickling fingers. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk.”
“Say it,” DJ declared, falling against his Dad’s chest with a grin. “Say it Danno or more tickling.”
“Say what?” Danny asked him with a smile.
“Who’s the bestest pillow champions,” DJ explained.
“Fine, fine,” Danny lamented. “Meka John, Luka Steven and Daniel Junior are the undisputed Williams- McGarrett Pillow Champions. We are defeated husband.”
The boys all declared their victory with whooping and joyous cries as their fathers picked themselves up and brushed themselves down, laughing and grinning as they began tidying up.
“All right little warriors,” Danny said as they all put the room back to rights. “You won, so what do you want for dinner tonight? Your choice.”
“Pizza!” The three boys declared in unison, much to their parents amusement.
“Okay okay,” Danny agreed. “Go wash up. DJ you need to change all your clothes. Did you have an argument with your lunch today? MJ change your tee, Lu I put a clean sweater on your bed, toss the one you had on today in the laundry basket. Go go go, you got ten minutes and we’ll head out.”
The boys all trooped upstairs and Danny and Steve turned to one another with smiles of contentment. Steve put his arms around Danny’s waist and pulled him close.
“Everything okay between you and MJ?” He asked him with a smile.
“Yeah we had a good talk,” Danny assured him. “We can just be there for him can’t we? That’s all we can do and he knows that.”
“Yeah he knows that,” Steve nodded, leaning in for a kiss which Danny gratefully gave. “Are you okay?”
“I know what he’s going through,” Danny nodded. “Can’t deny I didn’t consider operations myself on occasion when I was about his age. I never did much research on the subject though, never collected up the information. I guess that is what scared me about this, that he’s really done some serious searching into it.”
“He’s just curious,” Steve replied in thought. “We’ve always encouraged them to be curious.”
“I – I don’t want them growing up and hating me for being born the way they are,” Danny said suddenly, pressing his face against Steve’s chest.
Steve felt his heart clench and he held him tighter, rubbing a hand comfortingly up and down his husbands back. “Hey, c’mon Danny, c’mon. They’re our boys, they’ll never hate you, that isn’t what this is all about. You’re their Danno, their father. They don’t hate you.”
“I got one boy researching operations to make him what he thinks is ‘normal’,” Danny said against him, words muffled against Steve’s shirt. “I got two more getting older, no doubt going to go through the same kind of shit. One day one or all of them will think ‘there’s only one reason I’m like this’ and that’s all on me.”
“Hey look at me,” Steve said, pulling back and cupping his face, making Danny look at him. “Those boys adore you, you are their world. Do you hate or resent your parents for how you were born? Did you ever blame them for everything you went through?”
“No, no I didn’t,” Danny admitted.
“Of course you didn’t,” Steve smiled, leaning in to kiss him again. “Don’t let me hear you talking like that baby. It scares me to hear you talking like that.”
As they held each other, the stairs thundered with six pair of feet all pounding downwards, with excited whoops and yells.
“Everyone washed and ready to go?” Steve asked, giving Danny a grin and a wink before they pulled apart.
“Lu did you even attempt to brush your hair?” Danny asked, scrubbing a hand through Luka’s uncontrollable hair with a laugh.
“Da-aad,” Luka groaned, dodging out of his touch. “Don’t mess with the do brah.”
“DJ, sweater top,” Steve said, thrusting one towards their youngest and grabbing the keys to their mini-van.
“Can we play football on the beach afterwards?” MJ asked, grabbing his ball from by the door as they all trooped out.
“Depends on what time it is,” Danny said, making no promises as he set the alarm. “Lu help DJ with his seatbelt.”
“I can do it, I’m not a baby,” DJ declared as he climbed into the van.
“Hear that, he’s not a baby,” Steve smiled as they headed for the van.
“Uh huh,” Danny said with a half-smile. “So I keep getting reminded. MJ you had that English test today right? How’d it go?”
“Okay I guess,” MJ replied as he climbed into the car. “Lu move your ass.”
“MJ,” Steve warned as he pulled on his seatbelt.
“Sorry,” MJ shrugged, giving his brother a dig with his elbow even so.
The boys began bantering, Luka and MJ bickering back and forth as DJ started to reel off what pizza he was going to have and could he have desert afterwards. Danny listened to the noise, sank back in his seat and smiled.
~ fin ~