“ You're not in anybody's way. I told you I'd help get you to wherever you need go.”
“ I appreciate it, but you don't have to. I'm used to walking.”
TJ sighed in frustration. “Do you even have any idea where you are or where you're going?”
“ I'll figure it out.”
“ Stop messing around and get inside,” TJ said, little more forcefully.
Danny bristled at being scolded like a child. “Look, I appreciate all your help, but I can manage on my own.”
“ Really? What's your plan beyond walking?”
Danny shrugged. “Something will come up.”
TJ was losing his patience with the stubborn brat. “If you don't turn around and get back in the house, I'm going to get into a car and follow you to wherever you think you're going. That way I can see for myself where you end up.”
“ Don't you have anything better to do?”
“ No, as a matter of fact, I don't.”
Danny realized he was being unreasonable, but he didn't like being coerced. He glanced back at the house in trepidation. It held too many humiliating memories that he didn't want to face. But, despite himself, he liked TJ, and didn't want to upset him.
TJ read the conflicting expressions on Danny's face and softened. “Come on, kid, come back inside. You're making me look pathetic out here.” Sensing Danny was about to cave, TJ continued to plea, “Come on, nobody has ever made me beg before.”
Danny almost smiled. “Sorry if I'm ruining your image, but I got shit I have to do. Like finding a job and a place to live.”
TJ had a new appreciation for the role of a Dominant, and completely understood the appeal of a discipline relationship beyond the sexual turn on. He wanted nothing more than to spank some sense into this kid; and if he couldn't accomplish that, then just some damn cooperation. TJ crossed his arms and reminded himself a little too much of Mitch. He channeled his energy and threatened, “You have two options. You can either walk back inside with me, or you can continue to be obstinate until I tackle your ass, and drag you back inside. It's your decision. What's it going to be?”
Danny stared at him, unsure of what his next move should be. He was trying to figure out if TJ was for real when Emmett yelled from the doorstep, effectively breaking the standoff. “Are you two going to stay out there all day? Our breakfast is getting cold!”
The lighthearted reprimand from Emmett put Danny at ease. TJ saw Danny sigh and visibly relax. He took advantage of the moment, and further disarmed him by casually swinging an arm over his shoulder and saying, “We're coming.”
Walking under his arm back to the house, Danny's defenses broke, and he experienced an unexpected wave of relief as he gave up control to the bossy man. Once inside, TJ attempted to get the necessary information regarding Danny's living situation. He found pulling answers from the kid was just as difficult as it was watching him eat. Danny thought he was being discreet even though he visibly winced and practically gagged every time he swallowed a forkful of scrambled eggs.
“ You don't understand,” Danny explained, “everything I own is in that apartment.”
“ You don't understand. You're not going back there, not alone.”
“ They're not going to do anything to me, they were drunk,” Danny said feebly.
TJ rolled his eyes at Danny's naivety, and turned to his friend for support. Emmett remained silently noncommittal.
“ They weren't that drunk, Danny. They knew what they were doing.”
Danny didn't know why he was arguing with TJ. He had no intention of going back to that apartment or facing his old roommates again. But the condescending tone irked him, and he spat out, “How would you know? And stop calling me Danny! I'm not some dumb little kid!”
“ Why do you think they were giving you drinks all night? Did it ever occur to you that they could have slipped you something? Think about it, Dan ,” TJ said, with exaggerated emphasis on his shortened name.
TJ wanted to impress upon Danny how vulnerable he was so he would accept his help. After seeing his head dip in shame, TJ felt like a heel. He instantly regretted his bluntness. Danny suddenly appeared all of twelve years old, and completely lost.
Sadly, the thought hadn't occurred to him. He thought those things only happened to girls. He wanted to forget about last night and he minimized it in his mind because it made him feel weak. Ever since he left home, he has been trying not to be afraid. As long as he didn't think about it, didn't admit to it, he would be safe. Now he just felt stupid. Of course he was slipped something. That would explain the strange way his mind was working, the way his body wouldn't do what his brain was telling it. It was obvious to everyone but him. He hated being so young and gullible.
Emmett studied both of them, and couldn’t help but feel compassion. “TJ and I will go with you to get your things if you want,” he offered.
“ Thanks, but they won't let you in.”
“ We could call the police...”
“ No, thanks,” Danny interrupted. Police involvement was the last thing he wanted.
“ Is there anything you own that can't be replaced?” TJ asked.
“ Not really, I just don't have anything,” Danny said, gesturing down at himself in explanation, “not even a change of clothes.” Then in a quieter voice, he revealed, “I don't even have a job anymore.”
Danny hadn't wanted to accept it at first, but he knew he couldn't face Greg again, no matter who was with him. The hard truth of it was, that if Danny had kept walking, it would have been in the opposite direction of the apartment and his job. Danny peered up at TJ and Emmett, and answered the question that was left in the air. “Greg is my supervisor at work, that's how I met him.”
The room went silent as they soaked up that last bit of information. Emmett broke the silence by asking, “What about your parents? Don't you have family that can help you out?”
Danny tried unsuccessfully to shrug off the impact of the last question, and very slowly shook his head in the negative. TJ and Emmett exchanged a glance of pity above Danny's head.
“ You can stay here until you find something,” Emmett said, surprising himself with his generosity.
“ I, um, thanks, but...” Danny felt uncomfortable accepting charity, and wasn't ready to trust another stranger.
“ No,” said TJ, feeling irrationally possessive of Danny. “He's going to need more than just a place to stay. And what if Jerry comes around with his new brother in-law, and starts harassing Danny?”
“ Why would he do that? Anyhow, I don't need to be friends with everyone in Jerry's life.”
“ He's going to be at the wedding, isn't he?”
“ So?”
“ So, I'm not going to be there if he is.”
“ You can't be serious! You came all this way and you're not going to the wedding?”
“ I'm not going.” TJ didn't care if he was being unreasonable. The wedding was no longer a priority, and he wanted to be the one to rescue Danny.
“ What about Jerry? It's not his fault, and he wants you at his wedding.”
“ If I see Greg again I'm liable to kick the shit out of him. Jerry is not going to want a scene at his wedding.”
“ What are you going to tell him? You're not coming to his wedding because you don't like his brother in-law?”
“ Don't like him?” TJ asked incredulously, “He practically...” He let the unspoken words hang in the air, not wanting Danny to feel any more miserable than he already did. “I'll tell him something came up. I'll call him when he gets back from his honeymoon and smooth things over.”
Emmett raised his eyes in resignation. “Whatever, dude.”
“ Maybe I should go. I don't want to cause any problems,” Danny jumped in nervously.
At seeing Danny's distress, TJ and Emmett ended their discussion, and put aside their growing irritation with each other. “Don't start that again,” TJ told him. “And don't sound so tragic. I said I'd help you.”
Danny was increasingly bewildered by TJ’s insistence on helping him, and questioned, “Why?”
“ Because I want to.”
“ Why?”
“ Because I like you.”
“ Yeah, but, why?” Danny asked under his breath. He wasn't trying to be difficult; he honestly couldn't understand TJ's interest in him.
TJ was developing a strong resentment at whoever or whatever made this kid have such a low opinion of himself. He missed the easy banter they shared early last night, and couldn't help but want to see that adorable blush on his face again.
“ Because, you're a sweet little kisser,” he said with a wink. TJ’s comment had the desired effect he was hoping for. “Don't worry, there are no strings attached. I'm already in a relationship,” he assured the red-faced teen.
Emmett made a face and cleared his throat at the understatement regarding the nature of TJ's involvement with two other men.
Pleased with the reaction he achieved from the both of them, TJ turned towards Danny's ear as if he had juicy gossip, and whispered, “I happened to have snagged me two hot sugar daddies. They love to spoil me. So if there is anything you need, I can get it for you.”
This new bit of information stunned Danny. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed to hear that TJ's flirtation wasn't going to evolve into anything more. Not taking TJ too seriously, Danny said, “I could use a job, and a car, and a place to live.”
“ Is that all?” TJ chuckled. “How ‘bout we start with replacing whatever you left behind at Greg's.”
“ It's mostly just clothes,” Danny confessed.
“ That shouldn't be a problem. I know some great places to go shopping.”
“ You don't have to buy me anything.”
“ No, I don't, but it'll be fun. And you don't have say thank you. I know it's hard for you,” TJ teased.
Danny sucked in a deep breath. He felt tricked. He didn't want to inadvertently accept an offer he wasn't ready to take. On the other hand, if he didn't say thank you, he would seem ungrateful. “Thanks, but...”
“ 'Thanks, but', doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Besides, if you're planning on living on the streets you're going to need to dress warmly, and learn to take favors when you can get them.”
“ Oh, very nice, TJ,” Emmett admonished on Danny's behalf.
TJ shook his head and laughed. “Don't worry, kid. I have no intentions of letting you live on the streets.”
“ No? So , where do you plan on letting me live?” Danny asked, a bit prickly.
“ Unless you have family or someone you trust that you haven't shared with us, I'm taking you home with me,” TJ continued unabashed.
Danny wanted to balk at TJ's bold assertion, but he secretly liked that TJ was taking charge of him. It made it easier to accept the help; to pretend that he didn't have a choice. Still, his ego forced him to ask, “Don't I have a say in this?”
“ No.”
Danny rolled his eyes. “Where exactly do you live?”
“ Manhattan.”
“ New York?!”
“ Yeah, why? Are you afraid of the cold?”
“ No.”
“ The city?”
“ No.”
“ You have something keeping you here? A better offer?”
Danny hesitated; it was too much to take in all at once.
Reading his reluctance, TJ asked with more sincerity, “Do you have any friends you'd be leaving behind, someone you can stay with?”
Danny didn't want to admit that most of his friends were still in high school, and weren't in a position to offer him a place to stay. “No, not really.”
His mysterious background and his lack of forthcoming about his life circumstances intrigued TJ. How could such an adorable young man be without any close personal connections?
“ How long did you know those guys you were living with?” TJ inquired.
“ Not long. I've only been living there a few weeks. I started working with Greg a couple of months ago. When I mentioned I needed a place to crash, he said I could stay with him.”
“ Where were you before that?”
“ Living with my girlfriend at her parents'."
“ A girlfriend, huh?”
“ Not exactly, not anymore."
"What happened?"
"She went away to college.”
“ Couldn't you go with her?”
“ She moved into a dorm on a scholarship. She wanted me to stay with her parents until we could afford a place together, but I didn't feel right being there without her. I figured her moving away was a good time to split. I wasn't interested in a long distance relationship."
“ You're a little heartbreaker, eh?”
Danny blushed again despite himself. “I'm not worried. It won't take her long to meet someone else.”
He did feel guilty, though. She had been real nice to him, and so were her parents. She wanted to keep their relationship going, but he was never as interested in her as she was in him. He thought maybe he wasn't meant for long-term relationships. Girls always wanted more from him then he was able to give. He assumed it was his childhood that made it difficult for him to connect with people. But now, after he met TJ, after that kiss, he wondered if it wasn't something else entirely. He never felt the way he did with TJ. He thought this time it might be his heart that was going to break.
TJ causally veered towards a difficult subject. “What about your parents?”
“ What about them?”
TJ suspected Danny was being deliberately obtuse, but didn't give in. “After you left your girlfriend's house, why didn't you move back home with your parents?”
“ I don't really have a home with them.”
“ Do you want to elaborate on that?”
“ No.”
TJ gave a gesture of forfeit. There was no use in pushing the issue any further. “Then why not come to New York with me? We have plenty of room. There are a lot more job opportunities in the city, and you won't need a car. Plus, I'm there.” Danny gave a halfhearted smile, and TJ pressed on. “You can stay as long as you want.”
“ Why?”
Not taking the bait, TJ said, “Why not? What's keeping you here?”
The idea of getting as much distance from Florida, and the bad memories it held for him, was appealing. But leaving a place he knew to go to a city in a different state, with someone he just met, was risky. What happens if it doesn't work out? What then?
“ You don't really know me. I don't really know you,” Danny replied.
What TJ really didn't know, was how to explain how he felt. This was different from one of his usual impulsive decisions. After holding Danny last night, TJ developed an attachment he wasn't ready to let go of. He couldn't help but think back to the last time he was in Florida, and made another life changing decision. He wasn't wrong about that, and he was confident that his intuition was right about this one. “Just give it a try. Think of it as an adventure. If you don't like it in New York, I'll pay for your ticket back.”
"I dunno."
“ It's not like you have much of a choice.”
“ Okay,” Danny relented, surprising both himself and TJ.
Although the thought of moving out of state with someone he only met hours ago was unnerving, he li
ked the idea of having a fresh start where he wouldn't run the risk of meeting up with people who had hurt and humiliated him. The broad smile that swept across TJ's face temporarily wiped away the last bit of apprehension Danny was harboring.
“ Okay?” TJ asked, questioning his hesitation.
“ Yeah, okay,” Danny repeated more affirmably.
“ Okay, I'll call to change my plane reservations, and buy you a ticket.”
“ Okay,” Danny said, making them both laugh with nervous excitement.
*****
After Danny left to take a shower, TJ's friend Emmett sat down next to him to be the voice of reason. “I hope you know what you're doing,” he said.
“ When have I ever been wrong?” TJ grinned. “The last time I was here, I was the young hottie leaving with two older men. This time, I'm the older guy leaving with the young hottie.”
Emmett didn't fall for TJ's tactic of using humor to avoid facing difficult questions. “What are Mitch and Antonio going to say?”
“ We'll find out.” TJ picked up his phone and hit the number for Antonio.
“ Hey, babe.”
“ Hi, Antonio.”
“ What's going on, TJ?”
“ Not much. I've decided to end my trip early. Are you going to be around tomorrow?”
“ I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”
“ No reason. I'll just take a taxi if you're busy.”
“ Why are you coming back so early?”
“ I'm not going to the wedding. I'll explain when I get back.”
“ In that case, see if you can get your ticket changed. Charge it to the card I gave you, and let me know your new arrival time.”
“ Thanks, Antonio. Listen, I invited someone to come back with me. He's young, but a nice kid.”
“ Don't tell me you got someone pregnant the last time you were out there, and are coming back with a child you left behind,” Antonio teased.
Bringing Home Danny Page 8