A/N: Let me clarify something first. This is not based on kbeto's story entitled 'Sweat'. It was a total coincidence, I started writing this two days before that story was posted. But kbeto, think of this as the time Dougie played matchmaker with Tom and Danny you mentioned, like a prequel if you want.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the storyline, as much as I'd like to have the things mentioned here to myself.
Song Of The Piece: Can't Help Falling In Love - Ingrid Michaelson (Originally sung by Elvis Presley) - /watch?v=5sQeQC4hT10
Writer's Block Buster For 'Beer': Reflective In Perspective - /watch?v=GRBf4HIMMwY
Beer
Danny couldn't believe it. He was gone. He had let him go, the one guy who managed to cope with his annoying arse for who knows how long. He had made the most stupid decision of his life to break up with him. Danny could still feel the stabs of guilt penetrate his heart every time he relived that now regretful moment of when he had made the announcement in his head. Then the assumptions would come after that. All that imagination that made the teachers at school call him a 'bright little student' would take over. And now that there was no contact between the now ex-couple, Danny would unconsciously come up with little scenarios in his head of what his significant other was doing.
Playing gigs wherever he could find them. Finding someone else much more worth his time. And he would find his own new boyfriend or girlfriend. And they would end up meeting up in the future, stopping for a cup of coffee having the mediocre small talk that always seemed to spill out of his own mouth when he was too caught up to say what he truly felt. And then that would be the last time they would see each other. And in the end, maybe they'd both learn to accept it and everything would be for the better. But right now, where he was at this point in time, that sounded horrible.
"You done dwelling on the past yet?" His mate Dougie plopped down beside him on the floppy couch, back from his rather long trip to the fridge with two cans of beer at hand.
He had accompanied Danny during his so far two week journey of self regret and heartbreak, and was around him 24/7 to make sure his one of his best friends didn't get into any trouble. But frankly, he hated seeing Danny like this, and he had also was starting to run out of excuses on why he wasn't home very often to tell his boyfriend Harry, and he knew he got suspicious easily, which meant that he had to do something, fast. But thankfully, he had thought up of something to resolve the problem while he was in the kitchen and it was now all set.
The problem now resolved, Dougie handed Danny the beer, not being able to help but feel a little concerned for his friend, flinching when Danny snatched the beer right out of his hands, muttering what sounded like a grumpy form of thank you under his breath as he fidgeted with pull-tab on the top of the can. He gave Dougie an expression that screamed 'you know the answer to that pointless question, I don't need to tell you', one that Dougie was unfortunately all too familiar with.
"Stupid question, sorry." he murmured, staring at the bottom of his beer can.
A comfortable silence followed, excluding the occasional slurping sounds made and the quiet hum from the jungle of cicadas conducting their daily nighttime performance in Danny's backyard.
Danny soon got up from the sinking old couch after finishing his beer and shuffled towards the kitchen, grumbling something that sounded like "More beer", resembling a baby bear that has been awoken from it's nap. Dougie watched him leave the room before giving a happy sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face. His plan seemed to be going smoothly.
"Dougs, there's no more beer!" Danny shouted from the kitchen, slamming the fridge door close.
"Wanna go out to the pub then?" Dougie asked, getting off the couch. "Don't want to keep you whinging," he muttered quiet enough for Danny not to hear, keeping calm as he sneakily grabbed the spare key to the house he kept, which he managed to find hidden in Danny's bottom bedroom drawers without him noticing.
Danny walked out the kitchen and went upstairs to what Dougie assumed to change, which was what Danny usually did when he wanted to say yes to a question - go along and do what he'd do after he said yes.
~o~
"Do you even know where we're going?" Danny asked, stuffing his hands in his thick winter coat pockets as he strolled alongside Dougie, who's eyes were glued to the screen on the electronic device in his hand, the light from his phone illuminating his clearly focused expression.
"And since when did you like your phone so much? Did Harry introduce you to one of those iphone games again?" Danny persisted, wanting an answer out of Dougie.
"Huh?" Dougie snapped out of his gaze, staring at Danny for a second before saying "Oh! I was just getting the directions to this new pub called The Blackbird where Harry now works, and I heard it's pretty cool so I thought we could check it out, let's go!" Dougie grinned, grabbing Danny's arm and running through the streetlight lit, snow covered streets of London.
~o~
"You sure you want to do this?" Harry asked, putting a hand on his good friend Tom's shoulder.
They were both backstage at local pub in which Harry now worked in as the 'music manager', where he had to find people to perform at The Blackbird's newly built stage in front of loved up couples, alcoholics, fun loving drunks, all the typical type of people who would walk in and out of The Blackbird. So for the first act, Harry decided to push his friend Tom to perform, as he was apart from a typical boring office person, a bit of a interesting wandering musician, and knew that he'd take any and every gig he could play.
But this was before he found out that just two weeks ago, Tom had broke up with his long term boyfriend Danny. And as in long term, he meant really long term. Like since secondary school, through to university long term. High school sweethearts, you could say. Harry freaked out. His current boyfriend Dougie and him used to be on and off all the time, so you could say that he knew how Tom was feeling and was able to sympathize. But they recently managed to untangle the mess, and things were going great for them. Tom and Harry had been friends for a very long time, and he knew how emotionally invested Tom could be towards the people he loved, and couldn't help imagine how torn up he must have felt.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Tom breathed, nerves starting to kick in as he began to fidget with his fingers and let his eyes started to dart everywhere just to avoid the sight of the stage.
Harry gave him a skeptical look before saying "break a leg out there, alright?", forcing a smile upon his face before walking out to where the customers were waiting to watch the performance.
Tom nodded, putting on a smile to match as he watched his supportive friend join the audience. He could feel the rumbling of the noise at his feet as the pub manager went up on stage to introduce the performance. Tom was pretty sure all the people out there were too drunk or making out to even listen, but it was still real, and it was still a live performance as much as any other. He looked up to see the pub manager gesturing him to go on stage, an encouraging smile on his face. So Tom took a deep breath and stepped on to the polished stage, trying to ignore the audience to in hope that it would calm his nerves as he approached the piano in front of him, ready to play.
~o~
Danny and Dougie had just settled into the pub and sat right near the bar, Danny already chugging down his second glass of beer, Dougie subtlety gauging the amount of alcohol entering his body. It did take them quite a long time to get to where they were now, and Dougie was certain that he couldn't carry a drunk, heartbroken Danny back to his house ten blocks away.
Dougie glanced at the time on his phone and nudged Danny, causing him to turn around and raised an eyebrow, now in a slightly better mood due to the liquor coursing through his veins. A fun drunk, he was called.
"I'm going to go see if I can find Harry, look after my drink alright?" Dougie requested, looking around the rather small pub, distracted as he placed his drink on the counter, grabbed a random wad of bills from the wallet in his pocket, placed them on the counter next to his half finished drink and shuffled off the high stool, waving a disoriented goodbye to Danny as he walked towards the door marked 'STAFF ONLY', clearly more focused on something else.
He pushed the door open carelessly and was out of sight. Danny just shrugged to himself once his friend left, not a care in the world. He chugged down the rest of the beer before a stout little plump, middle aged man with grey hair walked up to the stage, tapping the microphone to try to catch everyone's attention. It didn't work, but nonetheless he began his announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am please to invite you to the first ever live music performance in The Blackbird. Please welcome on the stage, Tom!" Danny put down his drink and clapped out of respect, joint by another one or two people in the pub that weren't either completely drunk or snogging their girlfriends or boyfriends. But Danny's giddy drunk mood was instantly ruined once he saw the boy walking out on stage to perform. "Oh shit." It was Tom.
~o~
Tom's eyes were trained to look at the piano and nothing else. He wouldn't dare look out at the crowd. This was a quiet, relaxed pub, this was not the time and place for introductions, spontaneous question and answer sessions or any of the friendly little interludes he usually would put in in between the rare shows he would be able to book. He sat down on the black dusty stool in front of the piano and spent a little time to think. 'What song do I know on the piano that is moody enough for the drunks and emotional enough for the lovesick birds?' Tom's mind suddenly got a whirl of a memory in his head. Danny, and him, at his house, printing out random sheet music, playing whatever they found, Danny horrendously singing along to Elvis Pre-. That was it. Tom knew what he was going to sing. He took a deep breath and couldn't help of thinking of Danny. He decided to keep him in his mind, as he started to play.
~o~
Danny kept his head bowed down, staring at his beer fizz away as he listened the sound of the notes on the piano, unwillingly gathering back the memories he tried to push out of his mind. He immediately recognized it as the same song he used to whisper into Tom's ear when they would lie in bed, when he was not able to sleep.
Wise men say only fools rush in
Danny found himself mouthing out along with the words, his heart swelling with warmth at the thought of Tom having actually listened to the songs he would sing to him when he thought he was asleep.
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you
Danny pushed his drink away from him, resting his elbows on the bar counter, placing his head in his hands as he listened to Tom sing with that heavenly voice, which Danny could only describe as was what he imagined the golden harp from Jack and The Giant Beanstalk would sound like if it was a human.
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you
Danny felt like he was part of a game of tug of war, him being that flag in the middle of the rope, swaying back and forth between two opposite sides. Part of him wanted to just walk up to that wooden STAFF ONLY door, find Dougie and get the hell out of there, and another part of him just wanted to cherish every single word Tom was singing and later beg for him back.
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you
For I can't help falling in love with you
~o~
It was after the performance, and Danny was now sobered up and rubbing the edge of the now empty glass that had eld his third beer. He was going to ask for a forth one, but due to Dougie's annoying connections with the bartender, he refused to let him drink anymore. Danny couldn't stop thinking of Tom's performance earlier. He loved it, and couldn't help thinking that Tom was thinking of him when singing that song, even if he was now with someone else who would definitely be better than him. Better looking. Better kisser. Better attitude. Better everything. But that was their song. No matter what happened, it would always be theirsong, no matter if Tom liked it or not.
"Where the hell are you Dougie?" Danny whispered, deciding to take matters into his own hands. He hopped of the high stool he had been sitting on for about an hour and marched towards the marked door his friend walked through earlier.
He found himself in a cramped, cluttered mailroom styled office filled with everything but mail, looking directly at his best mate Dougie with his lips pressed against his boyfriend's Harry, their hands entangled in hair and caressing hips, oblivious to the shocked boy watching them.
"Oh my god Dougs!" Danny yelled mortified by the fact that no matter how hard he would try, that image was to be forever implanted into his brain. Harry, now flustered and slightly ashamed scratched his neck as he glanced to Dougie, who held a smirk and looked as proud as a lion who had just fully grown his mane.
"Wonders of love, Danny." He grinned, walking up and patting his still appalled friend on the shoulder.
"I'm leaving." Danny acknowledged, his jaw still set as low as it could go as he slowly backed away, closing the door and running out the pub, not caring about the drink he was supposed to look after for Dougie.
He shoved his freezing hands in the big pockets of his winter jacket, watching the steam from his mouth rise to the air as he huffed. He admired the sight of winter London after dark, streetlights frosty and people huddled inside the pub and other shops nearby, wearing thick fuzzy jumpers and wooly bobble hats.
He then spotted a dark green beanie dwelling head that seemed all too familiar. A little tuft of blonde hair splayed outside the hat, the owner trying to tuck it back in. Danny approached the figure, exceptionally certain who it was.
"Tom." Danny called, facing the boy wearing a thick beanie he noticed early.
"Danny? What are you doing here?"
"Just... with someone. Not a boyfriend or a girlfriend though. Just a friend. Dougie. It was Dougie. Yeah. I saw your performance. You were really good. I... I miss you." Danny hesitated, but didn't regret it, even when Tom made an unreadable expression.
"Danny, you were the one who wanted to break up in the first place. You hurt me. And I don't want that to happen again." Tom whispered, looking at his shoes and realizing how close Danny and him were standing next to each other, and that Danny was wearing the shoes he liked and always made him wear when they went out dating. "They make your feet look not as abnormally large as they usually are," was what he used to giggle.
Danny just stared at Tom, not knowing what to do. So he did what he wanted to do ever since he last saw Tom. Danny grabbed Tom by the waist and pulled him in for a kiss. Danny let his eyes close as he savored the accustomed taste of Tom's lips. He could feel his heartbeat lash out to a million beats per a minute as he felt Tom kissing back, their bodies close. Tom could feel his ears flare up and turn red, even when they were hidden under his hat. Tom was the one who let go and stopped, stepping back to take a breather and try to comprehend what just happened. He looked up at Danny with his cheeks so flushed he could easily lie and blame their presence on hem having to do with the coldness of a winter night in London.
"I-I miss that... too." Danny mumbled, a smile invading his face. And Tom just felt the need to drop a smile on his face too.
"Nice shoes." Was all he could come up with at the time, soon finding Danny chuckle at his shyness as he stared down at his shoes.
"Yeah." He huffed, still smiling and looked up to Tom how had stuck out a hand.
"I was wondering if I could... crash at your place tonight? I don't have anywhere to stay." Tom mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed.
Danny beamed, happy that he now had an excuse to kick Dougie out. He was a great friend and was nice enough to help Danny out with the whole heartbreak situation, but he was just tired of him eating his way through every editable item in the house, as well as his random mood swings and when he would bug Danny with possibly life's unanswerable questions everyday. He responded by clasping Tom's hand tightly and eagerly smiling, taking him back to his place.
~o~
Danny woke up next morning with what Dougie would call 'sex hair'. He had a great night sleep, the fact that he had shared the bed with Tom as he had insisted that the creaky vintage radio Danny owned was haunted and was going to come get him in his sleep didn't effect his at all.. Not that Danny did mind. He didn't. He loved it. Maybe it wasn't exactly like old times, but nothing happens that instantly. And they were both happy, and honestly, that was the best for them now.
Tom was still upstairs asleep, and Danny decided that it was his civil duty to make him some breakfast. He had decided on waffles with ice cream, as Tom loved ice cream, and he also wanted to get rid of it so Dougie couldn't moan about how Danny always bought the most disgusting flavors. 'On that note, where was Dougie?' Danny thought to himself once he reached the kitchen. He felt the chill from the kitchen tiles on the floor evade his previously warm feet as he opened the door to the freezer. He didn't see him come over while he was here, and he did text him saying that he'd be back at around eight thirty. Danny looked at the digital timer on his oven to read 8:15. Shouldn't he be here by now? He usually liked the successful meals Danny sometimes made, and he did tell him he was cooking. It was a little strange to have his friend's clothes scattered all over the bathroom and your house guess having to tell you about it. He grabbed two containers of ice cream and put them on the kitchen counter. He looked back at the freezer to close it to see, having been obviously hidden for him to not notice,
a new pack of beer.
A/N: Feel like a rushed the ending a little bit, but I'm proud of the length. This is a prompt series in which Dougie plays matchmaker, so if you have any requests or ideas let me know and who knows, I might use them ;)