Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, alerted or favourited the last chapter. Here are some more drabbles.
One
Rusty has never been to prison before now; so he only knows what people, mainly Danny, have told him. He walks along the cold, taupe corridor, looks down at the grey jumpsuit and cringes. They reach the recreation room and Rusty looks around at his fellow inmates. Rusty swears as he realises that he doesn't know any of them; there's no-one inside that can help him out. The prison guard shoves him towards a cell; his home for the next five months. Later, during lock down, the claustrophobia hits him. Rusty takes a deep breath, and thinks desperately of Danny.
Two
Danny's known Saul for years – which is why he goes to visit him at least once every month. He knows that Saul doesn't have a son, so he is surprised when a teenager answers the door and lets him in. Over the next hour Danny watches the kid talk animatedly with Saul about a job. He is intrigued by the way the teenager is constantly eating; chocolate, a tootsie pop and a hotdog all find their way into the kid's mouth in the space of twenty minutes. Rusty soon becomes a fixture in Danny's life, but Danny never stops watching.
Three
Tess leaves Danny at ten in the morning. Rusty is at Danny's side by noon. He waits patiently as Danny goes through half a bottle of whisky and watches an hour's worth of Oprah. Then Danny begins to get philosophical; he talks about life, and how he's going to start living each day like it's his last. Rusty agrees wholeheartedly and shows Danny this by leaning forward and kissing him on the lips. Two phone calls to friends, three Hershey bars and an episode of Happy Day's later, Danny and Rusty have finally agreed that they are officially an item.
Four
Rusty often wonders what his life would be like if he hadn't met Danny; whether he would still be stuck in his brother's gang, or if he would be in prison. Sometimes he wonders whether he would even be alive. Rusty also wonders what Danny's life would be like, but he can't see Danny any other way and this scares Rusty. Because he lives in fear of Danny realising that he doesn't really need him, he pictures Danny walking away. Rusty doesn't need to wonder what he would do then; he knows that he wouldn't be able to go on.
Five
Danny knows that he asks way too much of Rusty. He expects him to be there when he's needed, and stay away when he isn't. He goes to Rusty when he has a problem, or when Tess has kicked him out. Rusty always comforts him, they spend a few weeks together and Danny promises that this time it's forever. Then Tess calls. And Danny leaves. Rusty never complains, even though Danny hurts him every time. For this, Danny is grateful, because even though he knows that Rusty is everything he needs he can't help but want just a little more.