This is a little thing I wrote a couple weeks ago when I was bored and I just cleaned it up so I thought I'd post it. Thanks to ledacreates on tumblr, because this was born out of a great prompt exercise she gave me. You had to pick a character, then two words from a word bank. I chose Jack, then randomly chose two words, which turned out to be breakfast and embarrassment. Of course, I couldn't resist this idea once it popped into my head...
Hearing Things
x - x - x
Danny fidgets in his chair as his dad takes a seat opposite him, splashing coffee onto the wooden tabletop.
"Sleep well?" Dad says slowly.
Danny drums his fingers on the table, focusing on his cereal bowl. He hopes to god Dad is being genuine. He can't know Danny got home at two am. Everyone was asleep. Besides, he doesn't think Dad is capable of employing psych tricks like that; not unless he's been taking lessons from Jazz. "Yeah, okay I guess," he lies easily. Don't look at the circles under my eyes, he thinks.
"Really?" Dad goes on, spilling more coffee as he tries to stir in sugar. The mug is far too full. "You look.. tired, champ."
"It's six thirty in the morning," Danny drawls. It's a crime to be up this early, even for people who didn't fall asleep until after four, and spent the few hours in a restless haze of pain and painkillers.
"Mmm. Mhm." Taking his eyes off the Cheerios, Danny realizes his dad is sizing him up over his coffee mug. Little drips of brown liquid are still joining the puddle on the table. "About last night, Daniel."
Oh... shit.
He actually drops his spoon into his bowl in shock, and milk splatters his t-shirt. Did he just call him Daniel? Last time his dad called him that was when Danny broke the new car stereo. The time before that was after the first time he ever cut class. The time before that was when he locked Jazz in the OP center as a joke but forgot to let her out when they were six and eight. All in all, the number of times he can remember having been called Daniel by his dad barely outnumber the number of times he's kissed a girl. So, three. Just the three times.
Oh no. Oh no. Oh, this is bad.
"Dad..." He feels queasy.
Dad takes one hand off the mug, holding it up in a halting gesture. "Wait, wait. Now... look. you're not in trouble. But I feel, as your father, it's my duty to say something."
The painful early hours of the morning skip through Danny's brain like an episode recap. They hadn't been quiet enough. Almost subconsciously he curls his arms around his chest, where the woefully fresh stitches stretch across his abdomen. "Dad, I can explain."
A grimace flits across Dad's face. "I already said you aren't in trouble, Danny. I'm not that kind of parent. But there's no use denying it, you know. I heard you guys, kid."
Danny cringes. His arms wrap tighter around his chest and he can feel the poorly done stitches pulling taut. It was only her second time doing them, and she was no surgeon. They were going blindly on YouTube videos and Wikipedia articles. It was a long and arduous night.
"You... heard?"
Every time Sam threaded the needle through his skin, a sharp intake of breath, sometimes a gasp. Sam murmuring condolences and sympathies, her voice glazed with more tenderness than she ever used normally, even with him. He might've been whimpering at one point, who knew? It was kind of a blur, thankfully. God, it hurt. It sucked. And Dad heard! Oh god, what will he say now? How can he explain himself? Yeah dad, I got this injury. Wierd, right? Don't ask questions! I had a friend stitch me up instead of going to the hospital, but there's a really good reason for it...
"Yeah, the neighbors heard, kiddo. I think if I phoned your aunt, she'd have heard you in Ohio."
"Dad, I don't know what to say," he began shakily. "I don't even know where to start-"
But Dad holds a hand up to stop him again. "Relax, eat your cereal."
Danny numbly picks up his spoon. He shovels a load of Cheerios into his mouth, grateful for the excuse not to talk for a moment while he scrounges up a good enough reason to explain away his need for covert midnight surgery from Sam that doesn't involve spilling his biggest secret.
Dad sloshes his coffee again, and points at Danny authoritatively. "Just promise me you were using protection, because I'm not old enough to be a Grandpa yet."
Danny chokes and spews partially chewed Cheerios onto the table.
