A/N This is the first chapter to have a dedication, and it's dedicated to my friend, Cade. :) She knows what she did.
Danny isn't as fast at getting ready as he usually is, thanks to still being in mild pain, but he manages, though by the time they get to the school, practice has, indeed, started.
"I'll just talk to him after, it's fine," Danny says with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Alright." Jackson nods. "We can sit on the bleachers and watch. It'll be fun to watch Finstock rip into the team when I'm, you know, not on it."
"Finstock loved you," Danny argues, though he knows that the coach was just as hard on Jackson as he was on everyone else.
"Finstock loves you," Jackson replied, elbowing his best friend in the shoulder as they sat down.
It doesn't take long at all for Isaac to see Danny and Jackson out of the corner of his eye, and he turns, looking at them, tilting his head to the side, curious about why they're there. He doesn't get much time to think about it, though, because Greenberg bulldozes right into him.
"LAHEY!" Finstock runs over to them. "Pay attention, god, Greenberg just took you out!"
"Right, sorry coach." Isaac refocuses as best he can, though it's shot to hell, and he's glad when the coach calls for a 5 minute water break not too long after.
He forgoes his water bottle and jogs over to the bleachers, removing his helmet and gloves.
"Hey, what…what are you guys doing here?" he asks nervously.
"I'm gonna go talk to Finstock," Jackson says, getting up awkwardly, leaving the two of them.
"Um…" Isaac looks at Danny, biting his lip.
"I needed to see you," Danny says softly. "I talked to Jackson, he…explained…and I knew, about the werewolf thing, not everything, though, and he told me that you…that you've been taking away Maia's pain, that that's what you're doing there. He even told me that you made yourself sick doing it, and I just wanted to, Isaac, I don't even know how to say thank you for that."
"So you're not…you knew?" Isaac looks at him, floored.
"Yes, but that isn't what's important here." Danny looks at him. "We can talk about the whole knowing thing later, but I just needed to see you, Isaac, because you're amazing."
"I-"
"No. Shh." Danny shakes his head. "Don't argue with me, okay? Let me talk. I think you're amazing, and I think you're special, and I think it's awful that you don't see that in yourself. I am going to change that, though, if you'll let me. I'm gonna show you what I see in you, how special you are, because Christ, Isaac, you're…" Danny looks at him, at a loss for words. "I know that the hospital, when I was high as balls wasn't the right time to tell you how I really feel, so I hope you'll hear it now, for what it really is."
Danny reaches out, taking Isaac's hands, standing, looking him in the eyes. He doesn't care who's watching them, and right now, Isaac doesn't give a shit, either.
"I love you, Isaac. I'm in love with you, and I want to be with you." Danny looks at him. "I've had a series of crappy boyfriends, and I'd told myself I was done, that I wasn't going to date anymore in high school, but you? You're a game changer, Isaac Lahey."
"Danny…" Isaac looks at Danny, his jaw dropping, because jesus Christ, Danny's just told him that he loves him. "I…you really want me?"
"Yes." Danny nods. "God, Isaac, just you. No one else."
"Okay." Isaac smiles, biting his lip, not really sure how he should be feeling right now. He's sure that there are a million reasons why he shouldn't be doing this, but he's fallen for Danny. He fell for Danny a long time ago, and it just seems silly to let all of his own insecurities take this moment from him.
Danny knows that he's a werewolf, and he's comfortable with that. He wants Isaac in spite of it. He's willing to put that behind him, behind them, and go with what they have, and Isaac wants that. He wants to be in Danny's arms, he wants to be kissing Danny's lips, and putting on Dragon puppet shows with his sister.
"Okay?" Danny bites his lip, looking at Isaac, a smile in place on his face. "Okay, you'll be with me? Just me? Boyfriends?"
"Yes." Isaac gulps as he agrees to this, because Jesus, he's never been anyone's boyfriend before, and he doesn't really know what to do, or what to say, but he wants Danny, and here Danny is, offering himself up on a silver platter.
"Oh thank god." Danny pulls him in close, kissing him, right there, in front of Finstock and everything.
Isaac's instinct would be to pull away, that a public show like this is a bad idea, but he can't do it. Danny's lips touch his, and it's game over. He closes his eyes, getting completely lost in the kiss, because it's the only place he wants to be right now.
Both boys are completely involved in each other, neither at all aware of their surroundings. Danny feels only Isaac, and Isaac feels only Danny ad they deepen the kiss, hands finding each other, fingers lacing together. It feels good, right, invincible, and they stay lost like that for almost a full minute before a sharp whistle blasts in their ear.
"LAHEY! Back on the field!" Finstock yells. "This is lacrosse practice, not the OC! And Mahealani, if you're well enough to make out with Lahey, why the hell are you not suited up?"
"Sorry, coach," Danny says, though everyone within ear shot can tell from his tone that there's not a sorry bone in his body.
"Lahey, back on the field!" Coach states.
"Yes, sir." Isaac drops Danny's hand, but he's grinning ear to ear.
He jogs back to the field, and Jackson slides back in next to Danny.
"So, I take it that went exactly the way that you wanted it too?" Jackson asks.
"Yeah, pretty much." Danny, like Isaac, isn't anywhere near wiping the grin off of his face. He feels happy – stupidly happy, that Isaac is there, that he exists, that they're together, because he never would have seen himself with someone like that – someone who makes him so unbelievably happy, and yet here they are.
"I'm happy for you, you know," Jackson says, looking over at Danny.
"Yeah, I know you are." Danny smiles. "Thanks, that…that means a lot to me."
He sighs, looking out, watching the practice – watching Isaac. Isaac's big, and he's strong, and he's beautiful, but it's his heart that Danny loves the most. The little things that Isaac did, and the big things that Danny didn't even know he was doing, that's what makes the kid amazing, and Danny doesn't get why Isaac doesn't see it. He doesn't understand why Isaac is so hard on himself, but he wants to help. He wants to be there to help Isaac through his own self doubt, whatever caused it. He wants to be there to support Isaac, to love him the way that he deserves to be loved.
"You look like you're a million miles away, Danny, Jesus." Jackson shoves him playfully, and Danny looks at him, smiling.
"I am. Jackson, I'm happy. Right now, I'm so happy. You're back, for not much longer, but you're back, and Maia is doing alright, she's home, and Isaac is in my life. Things are finally, you know…they're calm, they feel right. Balanced."
"I'm glad." Jackson reaches up, putting his hand on Danny's shoulder, patting it gently. "I'm glad things are shaping up for you. I know that it hasn't been an easy year for you, with Ethan, and Maia, and everything, and I'm really glad that you found someone who makes you happy, someone who will take care of you."
"The fact that you actually approve of my boyfriend is astounding to me," Danny admits. "You've hated every single one of the others."
"And they have all been awful," Jackson states. "I think that I've been right to deny every single other guy you've ever brought home."
"Yeah, that's fair." Danny nods, agreeing, then falls into silence.
He watches the practice, focusing on Isaac. Isaac is different. Isaac is special. There's still something that Isaac's not telling him, he knows that, but it's not something like being a werewolf, something that Isaac is afraid for Danny to know. It's something else, something blocking him from seeing how amazing he is, and Danny can't hold self doubt against Isaac.
He's heard whispers about Isaac's past, and talking about that sort of thing, it can't be easy. He isn't going to push it, he'll leave it be, and hopefully, someday, Isaac will feel like he can say what he's really feeling.
Right now, Danny's willing to wait, because Isaac trusts him, he can tell that much, and he's in love. Maybe for the first time, he's actually in love.
A/N Alright, sap factory galore! I hope that you guys liked it! I wanted some happy sappy after the slight angst that's been going on!
