It's a new story! Danny is adorable and will always get his way, even around gruff Militia officers.
Un-beta'ed, so quibble away.
- o – o -
Just A Day
Three weeks.
That's how long it takes for Major Neville to figure out when an asthma attack is going to hit Danny. He's not trying to pay attention, doesn't want to learn. Even if Julia convinced Monroe to let her have Danny, the man will change his mind and the kid will go right back to that cell underneath Independence Hall. Neville doesn't want to grow attached again, especially not to someone who's so…helpless.
Danny's not supposed to be helpless. He's a pacifist, and too honest for his own good (those biting truths he was so fond of before were a good example). He's not supposed to be helpless.
And... Then he was, because Neville helped Monroe's men broke him, remade him into something more pliant and submissive, all in the name of getting the boy's mother to talk. Neville doesn't want to get attached because at some point, Rachel Matheson is going to regain her pride, stop talking, and Monroe will send soldiers to take Danny away and the cycle will start all over.
Three weeks, though, are long enough for Danny to worm his way into Neville's heart and latch on tight with no intention of letting go. Neville can't blame himself for letting Danny in, in the first place. Not when the kid is so eager to please and so broken at the same time.
His heart clenches painfully when he remembers how, upon hearing that his wife had put his birthday present upstairs on the bed, he'd been so eager to see it. How he'd stood for what seemed like hours, staring in horror at the waif curled up on his bed, fast asleep and curled in a ball that he knew instinctively was designed to minimize the damage that could be done. How he'd hoped it was just some sick joke, and that Danny wasn't there, that this was someone else.
Because… Because Neville knows he's not strong enough to let Monroe take Danny back, after seeing how thin and lost the boy looked even while he was asleep; how young Danny looked with soft yellow fuzz growing back in on his shaven head. Not strong enough to swallow his pride and let the man go back to treating Danny like a wild animal—a feral dog, one that needs to be kicked and beaten so it remembers its place. Neville's doing the best he can to repair that, repair the damage he helped cause, but three weeks is only long enough that he knows when Danny's going to have an asthma attack.
Neville sighs and drags himself back to the present. Danny's curled up on his bed (probably under it on the thick blanket Julia put under there just in case) in the guest room, sleeping. The house is so old even the slightest movement from that room will make the entire structure creak. Besides, the major's just going to be reading a book while he avoids going out into the snow to shovel or do anything he should have been doing before the blizzard hit.
He's too engrossed in his book to notice that Danny's somehow made it downstairs and into the living room without him noticing. Tom only realizes this when Danny bumps his face against Neville's leg, an inquisitive whine breaking the silence.
In three weeks, Tom and Julia have only been able to get their guest to say one word—Tom's name. The major thinks, occasionally, that Danny's about to say something else, before his eyes shutter and he closes his mouth, looking away with an unhappy whine like a kicked puppy.
"Hello Danny," Neville said, not looking away from his book. He reaches down to where he knows Danny's head is and rubs his knuckles alongside the boy's cheek. Danny whines happily and Neville smiles as the teen leans into the touch. Danny hadn't been tactile before—not that Tom had ever seen—but now the teenager thrives on gentle touches and little bits of physical affection. Three weeks had made him brave enough to wander around the house on his own, although Tom or Julia still had to be with him if he wanted to go outside. (Julia takes the majority of the responsibility for that, and is slowly but surely breaking Danny of his ingrained need to be on a leash when he leaves the safety of the house.)
Danny butts his head against Neville's thigh again. The major sighs and looks down. Danny had a red ball clutched in his mouth, which explains why his responses are a little muffled. (Tom would never admit it—mostly because he was trying to get through to the real Danny—but he did enjoy playing fetch with the kid. He was also incredibly happy that Julia didn't have a camera, or he'd never live those moments down.)
"Not now, Danny," Neville says, rubbing his knuckles gently along the side of Danny's neck. Danny's eyes go dark and his eyelids droop in a sad expression. He's not happy that Tom isn't in the mood to play, which makes the major feel a little guilty. "Danny, it's snowing outside," he tries to explain, patiently. "We can't go out."
The teen gives him a betrayed look and puts the ball on the floor. With a sad sigh, he curls up on his back, arms folded up along his sides. Neville rolls his eyes and goes back to reading. The quiet doesn't last for very long, and Neville resists the urge to bury his face in his book.
"No, Danny," he says firmly, when Danny puts the ball next to him on the sofa, a hopeful, questioning look on his face. Danny makes a sad whimpering noise, and Neville really does groan this time. He's not going to be able to read his book, and Danny's going to make him feel guilty as hell until he plays fetch with him.
Neville looks over the bookshelf, praying he still has some kids' books from when Jason was little, or from his wife's class—Julia isn't one for boredom, so she teaches the children of Militia personnel how to read and write. He spots a few fairy tales and Terry Pratchett, both of which are gentle enough not to give Danny nightmares. Neville smiles at Danny, and points at the books he's spotted.
"Go get a book, Danny," he orders gently. Danny's happy bark tears at Neville's heart and makes him smile at the same time. He's grateful that Danny can still move like a human if he's given an order, because it means that the Danny from before is still there, can still be reached.
Danny comes back, clutching a thick book of fairy tales to his chest. Neville checks the title and can't keep a smile off his face. Jason had sat up every night, begging his parents for "just one more story, I swear!", all while conning them into reading him five or six. Neville doesn't admit it, but he let his son show that bit of weakness because reading to his son was the only way he could keep from completely losing himself to his dark side. Danny climbs up on the couch without prompting and lays down between Neville's legs, head pillowed on the older man's chest.
Neville smiles and opens the book to the first story as Danny wriggles around to get comfortable. When Danny finally settles down, the major wraps an arm around Danny's shoulders and begins reading in his clear, deep voice.
"Once upon a time, as these stories often start…"
Danny's eyelids begin to droop sleepily by the time Neville finishes the second story, and he's seconds from sleep by the end of the third. Neville keeps reading until Danny's breathing evens out and becomes deeper in true sleep. He keeps reading until he's about to fall asleep too.
His only hope, as he too drifts off, is that the power doesn't come back on after fifteen years. He'd never be able to live down the photographs Julia would take of Danny snoozing on his chest, one hand curled in the fabric of Tom's shirt. Neville doesn't mind, though, because this… This is alright.
It's taken Danny three weeks to worm his way into Tom's heart, and the major isn't sure he wants to let the kid back out.
- o – o -
So, what do you think? Good? Bad? Isn't Neville squishy around Danny or what? Drop a line and let me know!
Edit 10/27/2012: Neville's rank has been changed to reflect Monday night's episode. Information from a new preview.