This was part of a shorter thing I wrote, but I felt the need to elaborate on it… So if you've read Collins chapter in Why They're Them, then you can skip this first chapter… And also, I realized that in that story, I had called his boy friend Danielle, but it's been changed to Daniel, since the first time, I didn't bother proof reading…

VAVAVAVA

Collins slid onto the hood of his nearly broken down car. Maybe it had a few miles left in it, but not many. He looked down to his hands, where a diploma now sat. Four years he had worked for this, and he was very disappointed to find that it was just a slip of paper. He wasn't expecting anything more, not really, but the paper was so limp and… paper like. He just couldn't find the real value in it. He was pulled out of thought when he felt two arms slip around him. He leaned his head back. "How was packing? All you dreamed it would be?"

His sarcasm was cut off as Daniel's lips caught his. "That was to shut you up, and yes packing was fine." He threw his bag into the back of Collins car. "But I don't think that this car is going to hold up long enough to get us home."

Collins slid off the hood and into the drivers' seat. "Well, feel free to buy me a new one. Till then, we make due."

Danielle got into the seat beside him and buckled his belt. "Maybe when everyone in the world is studying my philosophy theories and I'm rich, I will."

"Maybe when I'm a world renowned teacher, telling a bunch of lazy kids about you, I'll take you up on that."

With the radio and periodic talk, the boys made it half way to New York before the car broke down. Luckily, they were in the middle of a town when it happened, so they didn't have to pay to get it towed. After dropping it off at a shop for the night, and better part of the next day, they rented a hotel room to stay in until it was fixed.

VAVAVAVAVAVAV

Collins sat in a chair in the corner of the small room, sipping iced tea, and watching Daniel, who seemed to be shifting uneasily in his seat on the bed. Tea in hand, Collins walked to him and sat beside him, handing it to him. "What's wrong?"

His hand shook as he took a small sip of the tea. "Nothing. I don't feel very well."

"Looks it." He placed a hand on Daniel's forehead. "You feel fine."

"No, it's not a fever thing."

Collins looked at him, quizzically. "Is it an 'I need to tell you something' kind of thing?"

"Kind of…" He trailed off, looking at the ceiling.

He was trying to put two and two together, but it was pretty hard to read Daniel sometimes. "Are you breaking up with me?"

Daniel's face went pale. "I don't want to."

Collins voice got a bit louder, but not shouting. "Is that a no I'm not, or a yes, but I feel bad about it kind of thing?"

"It's not as simple as what I want. Things are so…" He was cut off by Collins lips (they had a way of doing that to each other) Daniel was so startled by this, that he crushed the now empty glass in his hand, cutting his hand open. The glass slid from his now mutilated hand and onto Collins, cutting him as well.

He stood up quickly. "Shit!" With his good hand he pushed Collins cut hand away. "Don't touch anything. I'll clean it up." He ran into the bathroom to nurse his hand.

Collins stood up, still in awe of what had just happened. He looked at the glass and blood on the table. What was the big deal? He could get it cleaned up, it was just glass, and he was already cut, so a bigger cut wasn't much of an issue. He grabbed the waste paper basket and began putting the shards into it.

He had the whole thing nearly cleaned up when Daniel walked out of the bathroom, his hand wrapped what looked like would be too tight. He looked at Collins and all the color drained from his face… All... the color. He pulled the basket from his hands harshly. "WHAT THE FUCK THOMAS! I TOLD YOU I WOULD CLEAN IT!"

Collins took a step back. He had never seen Daniel like this. "What's the big deal! It's just glass. I've cleaned it up before."

"It's not just fucking glass! It's blood too! My blood!"

"I'm not afraid of your blood."

Collins took another step back as silent tears began slipping down Daniel's face. "You should be." His next words were nearly a whisper. "Ohh God Thomas, what have I done to you?" He sunk to the floor, still letting the tears fall down his cheeks.

Collins moves to comfort him, placing a hand on his shoulder, only to be pushed away when Daniel jumped up. "God Tom, you don't get it! This was not supposed to happen! That was why I was breaking up with you! May as well screw that now. It's too late. What the fuck." He dropped to the bed and looked at his hands.

What the hell was this? "Are you breaking up with me over a cut?"

Daniel looked up, his cheeks stained with tears. "I didn't want to, but it's all so complicated."

"A cut?"

"No, not the cut. Thomas, God Tom. It wasn't supposed to happen like this." He walked over to Collins, putting a hand on his cheek, and kissing him softly. "I'm gonna go now."

Collins took a deep breath and watched Danielle walk to the door. "Wait. What is all this? Why are you just leaving for no reason? And what the fuck does this have to do with a cut?"

Without looking at Collins, Danielle slowly opened the door and stepped into the hall. He paused for a minute, and looked back, tears continuing to roll down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry Thomas…" Collins just looked at him, waiting for an explanation. "I have A.I.D.S."