Woodenly, Danny sat, irritated and mute. The metal was cold and hard and uncomfortable. Probably why most the others stood. Danny remained, both hands around his cup of hot chocolate. It warmed his hands, but nothing else.

He'd gone to the concession stand to escape. But the group that'd clustered around him, went with. One would think in this packed crowd, he'd be able to slip away, but no. They'd notice, it'd be questioned how.

Standing near were four of the cross country guys that weren't in band, a couple from the girls' team, and another couple of girls and a guy friends with them. More friends and students stood all around them. Conversation mostly stayed in groups, but often spilled out around. Cheers and exclamations shared by everyone on the bleachers and gathered close to the fenceline.

Danny sat. Drink in hand. The cup still full. Eyes straight forward, staring at a sequined purse in gaudy gold slung across the girl standing in front of him.

She turned at the pause of the first quarter ending. Danny kept his eye on the shine of the purse, nearly out of his sight, tightening his hold on the cup. Her attention went upwards, to the side, not on Danny. He let out a steady breath and refocused on her purse, letting the conversation flow over him.

He might be stuck here due to the crowd size making it noticeable and questionable if he disappeared from the group, but that didn't mean he was up to talking or being an actual part of it.

Part of, but not one. Part of, but not one.

"Hey! What do you guys know about this Marilyn? It's been a couple days now. Is she pretty? Hot? What is she like? How does she know Jonah?"

"There's gotta be something up with her. Asking out a guy from a whole other school instead of hers? Like, why didn't any of the guys there ask her?"

"That school is literally the furthest away in our district! Most the time, they aren't even in ours!"

Right. The guy had announced earlier this week to the team that he now had a date for Homecoming. Danny watched the purse bounce and sparkle with the girl's agitation.

Irritation grew. Could she just keep still and stop moving so he could keep a straight eye on it? Who cared about whom was going with whom? It wasn't the end of the fucking world.

End of the world.

His thumbs pressed against the cup, nails digging in. Danny could feel the indents. Took a breath, irritation and ire sitting too full in him.

"She seems nice enough from what Jonah has said about her."

Here he was.

Not ending the world.

Which was good.

"Yeah, but what does anyone really know about her?"

Which was swiftly looking like a miracle.

The rest of his fingernails dug into the side of his cup, squeezing his eyes tight, resisting the urge to snap.

Danny drew in another breath, shifting his head to keep the purse in line. Focusing his focus on that. Trying not to pay too much mind to a girl Sam would say was acting-

His chest struck a sharp reminder. Needing to get rid of the reminder, make it silent, show them what-

"You know what," cut in a voice. "Shut up."

Startled out of his thoughts and trying not to loose it, Danny twisted himself about at the dark growl that didn't come from him, and openly stared gobsmacked at the source.

A beat went by, then Jesse's stance relaxed.

"Cool. Can you guys budge up? I need to get by to make a run to the bathroom. Sweet. Anyone else need to go?"

Jesse's gaze fell onto Danny and Danny jolted, hurriedly standing, taking the chance at out with everyone here mutely shaking their heads no at joining Jesse.

"Yeah. I gotta go."

He clattered down the metal steps, following the path Jesse cut.

Sweeping over to the far side, Jesse kept going, opposite way of the concession stand. Well. Unless they kept going. They'd eventually make it around after walking by the visitor's side. But Jesse stopped at the end zone, dropping his arms over the fence.

Danny stared at the boy. Jesse kept his dark brown gaze on the football field. Nothing about the boy suggested danger, but.

"What was that?"

Jesse finally turned, appearing surprised. "My exit? I thought you'd appreciate the chance before you hit the point of doing some crazy double oh escape attempt through the bleachers."

That couldn't be all of it. And it wasn't what Danny meant with his question. The action and voice of Jesse spoke just as loudly as the reactions.

And then, Danny nearly groaned, taking in Jesse's joke. Idiot. Of course no one here would question. They would have just added it to all the secret agent and sneaky ninja jokes.

"That, or, you looked like I felt." Jesse's gaze sharpened. Danny straightened. "I can't stand people tearing others down."

Ah. Getting that, Danny nodded, pushing aside the question about Jesse.

"I don't like seeing others get hurt."

Stiffening at what unbiddenly came out, Danny snapped his jaw shut with a sharp clack.

He stood, eyes wide at what he'd said, what he'd given out. The truth. ...what had been truth? Was it? Was it still the truth?

His mind raced between the fiery heat of devastation blowing up in front of him...and to where his thoughts really had been going a short time ago.

The indented cup of his previously hot hot chocolate, slipped from his hands and splashed across ground and splattered his feet.

Jesse broke the silence. Dark eyes even and a solid presence. His half shrug easy.

"Won't hurt me or my feelings if you feel like you gotta get out of here. I didn't think you would follow me over here. But I'm cool with that. I'll probably head over toward the visitor side to check out the two male cheerleaders in a minute."

An out.

It was an out.

And an offer.

Yet. Somehow. Danny ending up spending the rest of the football game next to Jesse on the visitor's side.

Watching the boy playfully teasing the opposing team from their side and giving huge whoops at their cheerleading stunts. They watched the marching band's halftime show from the wrong side and Jesse informed Danny he used to play percussion in middle school. Which lead to them discussing music, Jesse finding out about Danny's love of Dumpty Humpty while Danny found out Jesse was obsessed with what the cross country kids claimed was 'the wrong 80s Springer'.

It drew Danny's mind off of his earlier anger and fear, easing the pain in his chest, the worry about what was going on with him.

Forgetting.

Relaxing.

For a time.

It was...nice.

In came the surprise Jesse, speaking up. And me going what the heck, what happened here, where did that go? But hey, I ain't mad. You go Jesse.