He's Our Only Option

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


Watching New Kid leave, he lingered for a moment before following.


Things felt better outside, louder, the coke amplifying the sensation of the music vibrating in his bones. He joined him at the table with Alent, who beamed back at them, definitely drunk. "Where's mads?"


"Necking with Goth Girl in the girls bathrooms. I think. He left me alone with the shot glasses." Alent smirked crookedly, like a scolded child. "I think I had one too many."


Daniel laughed and nodded. He felt shaky now, buzzed and he wanted to move. In here was too sweaty and tainted now. Time to run. "Hey Jaden," he said. "Want to come back to ours? It's like two minutes walk from here. We can throw on actual bearable music and mess about on guitar hero." Then added as an after thought, "no more coke. Promise."


(Apologies for everything, on phone xD )

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


He raised an eyebrow as New Kid seemed to throw caution to the wind and drink shot after shot. Guess he didn't need coke to get fucked up.


"Thought we agreed you'd slow down?" Alent said sleepily, shrugging at the spillage. "Daniel been being a bad influence again." He paused. "You two didn't... Bathroom...?"


"Jaden is coke free and now officially okay in my books," Daniel said with a shrug, pulling himself from the table. "Mads will get the tab." He offered a supportive arm to Jaden. "Can you stand at least? Because I make a great walking aid, even if I talk too much."


"I'm so ready to kick your butts at guitar," Alent said, before heading over to the door, in his own little bubble world by now.


"He'll pass out the second we get home I bet you," Daniel said with a grin. Was it weird inviting Jaden back? Probably. But fuck it.

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


Grateful for the returned human contact - he hated isolation when drunk - Daniel laughed at Jaden's comments. "You realise this will breed contempt in the ranks. Guitarist rivalry and all." He could definitely handle an evening of taking out his coke high on a piece of plastic with New Kid. Shit. His phasing this guy out was going awfully.


"Woah there jelly legs," he said as he helped Jaden to follow Alent back to their flat. The night air cool was welcome after the heat of the club, and the late night of London was busy with people and fellow drunkards. Daniel flat out offered to carry New Kid up the stairs - elevator was out and their shitty building would never fix it - because whilst watching him fall over might be funny, Jaden could pass out and then he'd have to drag him up.


He fumbled with his keys and after many attempts he got the damn door open. Alent spilled in after him and went through to his room. "Just getting more vodka," he yelled, then they both heard the sound of a body flopping down on a bed.


"Told you," Daniel said with a smirk, helping Jaden to the sofa.

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


He felt very cliche-knightly carrying a wasted Jaden up the stairs, having a couple wobbles but managing it thanks to coke and the knowledge he'd never live it down if he dropped him. The Kid wasn't exactly heavy so it was an easy enough climb, but he was still grateful when he got to flop down on the couch next to Jaden. "Every damn time. I swear to you, he's fine one minute, then next he's unconscious on top of you. And the bastard's heavy." He was grinning as he spoke about Alent though, kicking his shoes off and stretching out. "Never once had a hangover though. So prepare to hate him tomorrow. On that note..."


Daniel pulled himself up from the sofa, and later returned carrying a massive jug of water and two plastic cups, setting them down on the coffee table before the sofa. "No guitar hero for you until you've drunk three of those. House rules. And because you clearly think I'm trying to convert you to my wicked ways, no, it's not vodka." Muppet had looked so disappointed when he'd offered him coke, he was pretty sure that was all his reputation was with New Kid. Not that that was any worse than 'arsehole who's inexplicably mean'.


Padding over to the stereo, the only fancy thing the apartment housed really, he hummed to himself as he scanned through the CDs. He had less of a taste for rock when he was drunk with friends, largely because it was impossible to listen to decently whilst talking, so figured he'd test out other genres on poor drunk New Kid. Jaden had seem him drunk, high, and now he'd witness the worst 'dark secret': the fact that he literally fucking adored jazz music. He stuck on some Dave Brubeck and then wandered back to the sofa, falling over the back to come and half lie, half sit next to New Kid. "Decided we're fucking trash you need to dump and run away from yet, New Kid?" He asked cheerfully, grabbing the remote and trying to remember how to set up the guitar game and shite.

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


Laughing, Daniel shook his head. "Alent's nice to everyone. Though he definitely likes you." Daniel would read into it but with Alent what was the point? Unless the addition of Jaden to the band would finally drag him out of the damn closet. Pouring himself a glass of water, he shuffled about to try and get comfy and then decided violating personal space was allowed when drunk and / or high. He thus turned and used Jaden's as a foot rest, grinning. "Feel free to kick me off when you need to. People are comfy."


He ended up snickering like a twelve year old at Jaden's later sarcasm, shaking his head. "I don't know, some music snobs are extreme." He leant back into the sofa to get comfy, guitar hero lying alone and forgotten against the tv. "Thanks." He was convinced Jaden was just being nice, but he appreciated that instead of a snipped insult.


The problem with abandoning guitar hero was there was the constant threat of silence, and Daniel had never been able to stand silence, especially when drunk. "So," he said, sipping from his water and feeling like an interrogator, but hell, he was curious. "Why'd you leave America? On the run from the police? Douchebag parents? Fell in love with our sexy, sexy Queen?"

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


Grateful that Jaden didn't just shove him off, instead leaning on him and creating a welcome cocoon of warmth, Daniel leant back, watching his new bandmate. A part of him was distinctly aware that he wasn't just watching him as a bandmate, or someone to scare off, but rather something a little bit more but he didn't dwell on it. Too drunk for worrying about that by now. "Well. You've got that kind of cool, removed alternative look about you. All pretty face, secretly stored away cutting words, that kinda thing. Plus most rock fans I know are the biggest music snobs ever to crawl the earth." He grinned, poking Jaden's arm with his toes. "Don't tell the other two that. They're diehard snobs till the end." He sighed wistfully, draining his water. "We'll just have to be rock heathens together."


He was getting the vibe that Jaden was restless, and felt the same need to do something too. Problem was, that wasn't really a craving for guitar hero anymore. Since they were going to have a serious conversation, he scooted himself along the sofa so he was sat next to Jaden, his legs still resting across his. He leant into the sofa cushions so that he was resting against Jaden's arm, his head flopping back against the sofa sleepily, though he was far from tired.


On his best behaviour as Alent had made him promise, he listened to Jaden's opening-up moment in respectful silence, sitting up temporarily to help him pour the water whilst he spoke. "Fresh starts are something of a speciality of mine, so you chose the right place. Can't go wrong in London." Because he was drunk and because he could only think of how soft it had been when he'd danced with him, Daniel reached up and gently stroked Jaden's hair. His memory had been correct; it felt like silk, and it distracted his intoxicated mind for a good minute before he found the right words, just mumbling, "Poor New Kid." As he played with his hair.


"I don't get it," he complained, his voice low from the alcohol and the serious topic. When he claimed these were the right words, he didn't mean they were good ones; he wasn't much of a poet when drunk, but it did make things easier. "The 'as you can imagine' part, I mean. You've come into our little world, single-handedly made both Alent and Mads fall - however platonically - in love with you and your skills in less than a day. You're nice, which is pretty fucking rare these days, sensible, and picking up all the coffeeshop boys you could possibly want. I'd refuse to believe that you've led anything but a charmed life but," he brushed Jaden's hair out of his eyes, studying him languidly and speaking with a drunken haziness that was neither accusatory nor empty of sentiment, "you do seem strangely sad."


He hadn't really noticed it until he said it out loud, but Jaden did have something about him that didn't seem all sweetness and untouched innocence like Daniel had first assumed. The very, very worst part of this was, for some bizarre reason, realising this made him really want to kiss him. And then maybe wrap him in warm blankets, and kiss him some more. He was open to suggestions. And definitely drunk. "What happened?" He blurted, before he could remember the rules of privacy and his personal morals not to question people when drunk incase they admitted something they'd regret.


((OOC: Long post is long. Sorry, drunk Daniel is ramble-y Daniel. Not to mention horny Daniel))

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


Jaden was like a cat. Like a slinky, slightly cagey house cat. Or at least, this was the deeply philosophical and ground-breaking conclusion that Daniel's addled brain reached as New Kid leant his head upon his shoulder whilst he stroked his hair. Despite the sombre topic of conversation, Daniel couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this warm. New Kid was so comfy. And safe-feeling. And quite accidentally letting the alcohol get the best of him, Daniel sort of nuzzled into the top of Jaden's hair and stubbornly ignored the alarm bells ringing loudly in the back of his skull.


He remained snuggling into poor New Kid as he answered Daniel's prying question, just listening silently as Jaden talked. It was uncomfortable, feeling him shrug and try and pass it off as if it were no big deal when it clearly was; If Daniel had a knack for anything when it came to people, it was telling when they were bullshitting, especially when they were bullshitting themselves. He hadn't felt all that guilty about being an asshole to Jaden until that last line. So his bullying hadn't been anything new to New Kid. He and he put an arm around Jaden on instinct because the kid sounded like he needed, and deserved, a hug.


"People are assholes," he mumbled, feeling sick but not in a sense that made him go running to the bathroom. "And I'm sorry you got the rough end of it. Especially... especially from me." He laughed darkly. "Can't imagine that was the best 'welcome to your fresh start' ever. It wasn't 'cause I hated you though." He could feel himself rambling, losing his train of thought and trying to remember what to say, and how to say it. He ended up just settling with another, "I'm sorry."


Clearing his throat, feeling over emotional and like he was embarrassing the both of them, he tried to sit up but couldn't bring himself to detach himself from Jaden. Instead, he settled for grinning dryly. "One of us now though. Anyone pulls shit here you tell us and you'll have the band at your back. I mean you've seen Alent, he could probably tank at least four guys. And Mads could, I don't know, seduce them until they're sorry. I could probably take someone." He wanted to just tell Jaden 'don't be sad anymore' and for him to nod, say okay, and for everything to be fine. However, he was also aware that things didn't work that way. "We look after our own. And besides," he smirked, "we all think you're pretty. So who gives a shit about anyone else?"

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


Hazing. So American. It made Daniel laugh under his breath, turning his head slightly to look at Jaden. He was even closer now, even more there and warm. Though logically Daniel knew this moment couldn't last, and that the alcohol would wear off for the both of them and reality would set back in - a long with a monstrous hangover - part of him managed to pretend that it would. "Think you proved yourself pretty bloody well," he muttered with another quiet laugh, remembering how annoyed he'd been when Jaden had musically given him the finger and pretty much demanded to be given a place in the band. Finally, for the first time, Daniel was genuinely glad he hadn't said no.


Looking back at Jaden, he was busy planning out an epic movie scene in which the four of them went Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles on a bunch of assholes who'd dared harass Jaden, but was interrupted from his new role as a director by Jaden lightly pecking him on the cheek. The warnings bells were back screaming too close, too close, too close but honestly Daniel didn't even care anymore. The closeness felt good. "I'll bear that in mind in case we ever get challenged to a battle of the bands. We'll elect you for the riff-off." He was only half paying attention to his own words by this point, his focus on other things. Like Jaden, and the body parts he'd just seen fit to unite with Daniel's cheek.


"You know," he said quietly, studying Jaden's face, which was awfully, awfully close, "you're kind of spectacular, when you think about it." He'd claim it was the booze talking in the morning. He'd claim it was the booze that made him do the whole damn thing but, for the moment, he leant in slowly and, ever so cautiously, kissed Jaden softly on the lips. "Sorry," he mumbled, still close enough they their noses brushed every so often. His internal monologue was requesting him to kindly move the fuck away and stop hitting on poor drunk Jaden, but he'd meant his earlier comment. How the hell had their band gotten so lucky as to have someone like this in it? Weird, awkward, or whatever, Jaden still felt good, to be around and to talk to. Daniel just hoped he hadn't ruined that with one not so accidental kiss.

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

(OOC: sorry this took so long! As I think you saw, I was a bit useless to the world yesterday )


Daniel


Daniel quite liked Jaden being in his face, truth be told. He watched the man as he tucked his hair behind his ear, in that drunken state where little, tiny actions become all kinds of hypnotic. The same kind of drunken state where he could understand the statement 'blown away by his smile', and the kind of state where he could be a complete moron and drunk kiss his bandmate.


Prepared for Jaden to shove him off, maybe slap and/or punch him, he grimaced, bracing himself. He almost didn't believe his ears when he heard the mumbled 'don't be' - it wouldn't be the first time he'd hallucinated. The kiss, however, was definitely not a hallucination, and he leant in closely in his overenthusiastic relief, deepening the kiss as Jaden touched him. This was... definitely not a good idea, but also a very, very good kiss. And good kissing always won out.


Leaning into Jaden's touch, Daniel savoured the sweet, almost-innocence of it. It stopped him feeling to guilty for initiating it, since whilst it didn't feel platonic, it didn't feel too crazy pressured either. Thus he was caught between a rock and a hard place; The desire to preserve that sensation vs. the urge to go further.


As an attempt to compromise, he shifted their positions. Carefully, breaking the kiss only momentarily, he moved across the sofa and came to straddle Jaden, sitting neatly in his lap. It was a much more direct position, but instead of sloppily shoving his tongue in the poor guy's mouth like he usually would when this drunk, he just leant in and brushed their noses together, closing his eyes. Cupping Jaden's jaw, he kissed the man again, the sound of Alent snoring become audible next door right around the time when it progressed from simply light-brushed to something a little more dynamic and open, lips parting over lips. It felt good. Sure, kissing generally did, but this felt... this felt really good. Right. Even though, by every form of logical criteria, it really, really wasn't.

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel





"We shouldn't," Daniel mumbled against Jaden's lips, trying to get out the obvious thing that needed to be said. Jaden might have drunk forgotten that this really shouldn't be happening, or something. Despite his words, he only deepened the kiss. When they broke to catch his breath, he went so far as to pull the turtleneck sweater off, followed by his undershirt. It felt better this way, his skin directly against Jaden's warmth. Questioningly, asking permission, his fingers went to the shirt Jaden wore, slipping underneath them but not removing it until Jaden gave him some kind of sign.


The kiss kind of started to lose it's shy innocence from there on out. Jaden's hands on his chest felt like heaven, and honestly, Daniel could have easily have been content to fall asleep right there, snuggled on his lap. Normally, the positions would be reversed for him, but he was kind of enjoying the variation this way round, getting to drunkenly shower Jaden with kisses. For the sake of certain things, however, he took advantage of their next kissing break to roll off of Jaden, and pull him back to switch the seating arrangements around. Which, whilst drunk, he considered quite the achievement.


"Jaden," he said quietly, pausing to rest their foreheads together. He felt drunk, too drunk to be doing this, but also knew it wouldn't be happening if he was sober. "Are you too drunk to be able to say yes properly here? Because- I don't want to be that guy." He nudged their noses together half-shyly, and looking up at the man now seated upon his lap. "Choice is yours." He leant back into the cushions so he felt less like he was creepy pressuring him, and wished he'd drunk more water. "What do you want to do?"


((OOC: told you life choices were coming My only request is I have an cunning way to wake them up, thus may I steal the first post-fade-to-black post? (it's plot related. It's not even that cunning. I'm just being dramatic)))

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


'♫ Aw, Aw baby, Yeah, ooh Yeah, huh, listen to this ♫'


... What the fuck?


' ♫ Spy on me baby use satellite ♫'


It took Daniel a good few moments post waking up to realise that it was his phone playing the opening lines to 'Sex Bomb'. And only one person would personalise his ringtone for them to Sex Bomb. What the hell did Mads want? The bastard normally slept in till noon, and as Daniel cracked one eye open, he deduced that it was barely even dawn.


He also 'deduced' that Jaden was lying on top of him, decidedly naked. The fuck?


' ♫Infrared to see me move through the night ♫'


Was this hell? Had he overdosed and gone to hell? Was he doomed to spend eternity hungover, dealing with the morning after of shame with someone he'd vowed never to screw, listening to motherfucking Sex Bomb?!?!





"Jaden," He said dryly, not sure he could get up without vomiting. His phone was splayed across the covers, directly next to Jaden's head. Well, at least they'd moved to a bedroom he'd supposed. Not that that made any fucking difference.


'♫ Aim gonna fire shoot me right


Aim gonna like the way you fight


And I love the way you fight ~ ♫'


"Oh my god," he moaned, wishing he was dead a thousand times over. "Jaden. Jaden, can you get that?" Someone, someone make it end. "I don't think I can move."

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


"Daniel!" Mads cried, and yes, yes he was shouting, having no mercy for his inevitably hungover bandmate. "You are not going to believe this. And honestly, you sound rough. Did something have a spot too much fun last night? Hope you got laid ~! Anyway, back to my evening." He was speaking loudly enough that Daniel could hear him from where he lay, and for the sake of his head, he really, really, really wished he couldn't.


"So, after Katie - goth girl, as you called her - and I went off on our own little adventure, I met up with this agent guy. And met up, I mean, you know, met up. Anyway, we went back to mine, I played him some of our songs. He fed me the usual line of 'oh, I'll sign you and make you all stars', which was cute and all, but I figured just a pick-up line, right? So anyway, sex was amazing, all that. I wake up next morning, expecting him to be gone, but oh, oh no. He made me play it all again, looking all serious, you know, the sexy, contemplative way. Daniel. He's serious. He said our bass needed replacing, but when I played him a recording I did of our jam session yesterday, he was all on board with Jaden. He wants us ready to begin recording by the end of the week. Can you believe this? Oh, sugar, Daniel- he's making me pancakes! Can you even believe this guy? Anyway, I shall see you later - text you the details for the meet up! Bye darling!"


... "Oh my god." Daniel said, flopping back on the pillow. "He's so loud." His head was killing, but even through the fog of hell trying to claim him, he realised the gravity of this situation.


Slowly, ever so slowly, he sat himself up. Rubbing his face, he looked over at Jaden. Had they-? Judging by how he felt, yes, yes they had. Urgh. Awful human being. Why wasn't he dead already. Looking around, he sighed. "Be back in a minute." Slipping out of the bed, he staggered to the bathroom and proceeded to vomit, though since he hadn't eaten yesterday, it was all just stomach acid and water. Taking his contacts out, he was too hungover to put new ones in, and thus grabbed his glasses - big, dorky horn-rimmed things that he never, ever wore - and shoved them up his nose. Grumbling the whole way, he returned to the bedroom.


"I think I'm going to die," he moaned, flopping back down on the bed. Taking back his phone, he found that sure enough, Mads had texted him meet up details. Looking over at Jaden, he didn't know what to say. "You alright?" Was all he managed, grimacing.

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


Glancing back at Jaden, Daniel regretted everything. Largely because of the headache, but also because sore was the final confirmation of what they'd done. "Feeling like shit," he said with a groan, wishing he could just pass out again and wait for the world to be over. Unfortunately, they had another problem to deal with. "Alent will be up soon. And he'll be sober as fuck." He was pretty sure if he got up he'd be sick again, but even dense Alent would know what was up if they were caught entangled in the sheets together.


Forcing himself to sit up, he looked back at Jaden for a while, contemplating blearily. "Sorry for... last night." Was he? Yes. Yes he definitely was. It wasn't that what last night had entailed had not been enjoyable; from what he remembered of it, it had been drunk and a little bit sloppy as a result, but also pretty amazing when things had gone right. But none of that was the point; the point was he shouldn't have done it. "Fuck. Can- Can we agree to discuss this when we're both not members of the undead?"


He literally crawled off of the bed and grabbed a fresh-ish T-shirt and pair of boxers, shrugging both of them on. He'd take his glasses off to stop looking like a dork in front of New Kid, but he was blind as a bat without them or his contacts, so Jaden was just going to have to deal with the fact that he'd drunk-banged a complete dork. "Come on," he said with heavy reluctance, pulling himself up with the help of the furniture and stumbling through to the living space, which was a conjoined living room and kitchen. "I'll make you tea. Or something. Coffee. Strong coffee sounds good." And, true to his word for once, he went about doing just that, clawing his way through the dazed fog of the hangover and feeling like pish.

 

[Run Rabbit Run]

Daniel


A sharp comment about how Jaden definitely hadn't been in a consenting kind of mind state got lost somewhere in Daniel's hangover. Not that it was Jaden's fault in the slightest, given how they'd been the ones to get the guy drunk, band initiation tradition and all.


He'd make mental comments on Jaden's hungover state, but his head hurt to much to be cruel or approving. He was pretty sure it was some kind of adorable, but given what had just happened, he had no desire to think that kind of shit about Jaden. How awkward were things going to be after this? And more importantly, would the others notice? He wasn't sure what would happen if they found out that they both broke 'the rule' - surely not kick them both out? - but would that mean one of them would end up going? Urgh. He was too hungover to think about this. And what with them getting signed an everything... he was still too post-mortem to work out whether or not to take Mads seriously. Coffee. Coffee was needed.


He managed a coarse laugh at Jaden's clothing comment. The given situation. Was that what they were calling it now? "Sure," he said grimly. "Though whatever I give you will probably swamp your skinny ass so. Apologies or... whatever." Could people die from hangovers? He dug around in his drawers and chucked some T-shirts Jaden's way, along with some trousers or shorts or things he couldn't identify through the fog.


Pouring the boiled water, he brought the kettle, instant coffee jar, and two mugs over to the coffee table and slumped down at it. "Help yourself." He unscrewed the coffee jar, filled his mug to about the 1/3 point, then made the rest up with water. Draining it in one swallow, he was sure he was going to be sick, before working on filling up another cup. He thought he just might be able to survive this. Jaden at least hadn't tried to murder him, and hangovers ended. Eventually.


"Good morning sunshines," Alent said before his door was even open, single-handedly destroying Daniel's optimism. With far, far too much cheer, he went into the kitchen area and started cooking, frying things and emitting odorous, greasy vapours. Like the devil himself. The smell of food alone made Daniel have to swallow back on more acid mixed with coffee. "How are we all feeling today?"


"I hate you," Daniel said sourly, sinking into the sofa cushions. Yes he was sulking. Jaden was going to find out he could do it someday, might as well expose the kid to it now. "I hate you more than life. A curse on both your houses. And your stupid fucking metabolism."