A/N: Another of my Penter ficlets. All very random but I hope you enjoy.
Johnny physically jumped at the knock on the front door even though he'd been pacing the apartment waiting for it over the best part of an hour.
"Calm down, it's only your mum." Danny whispered pressing a kiss to Johnny's hairline as he got up from the sofa. "What's the worst that can happen?"
Johnny just sighed with exasperation. "This is the first time she's tried to make contact since I moved out, since we told my family we're together." he replied. "If this doesn't go well then I might lose her for good."
"That's not going to happen, now answer the door." Danny said shoving him gently in the direction of the frontdoor.
Johnny's took a deep breath and put a confident smile on his face but his hands shook as he reached for the latch, betraying him. Taking another deep breath he opened the door and smiled broadly. "Mum, hi." he said. "Nancy." he grinned hugging his sister as they entered the apartment. "I didn't know you were coming too."
"Well I had to come and check out the place didn't I?" Nancy said glancing around the apartment. "Wow this place is awesome!"
Danny's place was pristine and super tidy, he was a bit of a neat freak to be honest and Johnny quickly learnt to tidy up after himself in the kitchen, pick up his Uni books which he'd left lying around the place and not to leave his clothes on the floor. It was a top floor apartment with huge floor to ceiling windows on one side of the living room that looked over London. Johnny liked that he could see the Vic and the Square from them, it made him feel close to his family whether they wanted him or not.
Nancy quickly kicking off her high-tops when she noticed the immaculate white carpet she was standing on. "Hey check it out mum you can see everything from up here." she heading over to the windows and peering out.
Johnny looked at his mum, not sure whether he should try and hug her or kiss her on the cheek or what to say at all so he simply just stood there.
"This place must cost a fortune, then again I bet Danny's got a fortune I've seen the car he drives pretty sweet." Nancy said with a whistle.
"Glad you like the place." Danny said appearing from the kitchen. "Can I get you a drink?" he asked looking at Nancy and Linda.
"Sure." Nancy replied when her mother didn't answer. "I'll help you." she said ushering Danny back into the kitchen so that Johnny and their mum were left alone for a few minutes.
Johnny hated the tension between him and his mother and wished he could think of the right words to say to ease it, instead he told her to have a seat and then picked up Nancy's trainers and put them on the shoe rack - he didn't dare ask his mum to remove her high heels. Linda perched gingerly on the edge of the pale blue sofa and looked around the apartment for what must have been the millionth time. "It's not very homely is it?" she said finally speaking.
Johnny felt his cheeks start to burn red with anger - was that all she had to say after all this time?! But said nothing. Johnny watched as his mother's eyes darted over the pictures on the mantel piece - pictures of Danny's family, of Johnny's family and of course pictures of the two of them together. Linda's eyes fixed momentarily on one picture, a picture of Johnny looking rather tipsy with his arm around Danny and his lips pressed against his cheek.
Linda's looked away from the picture but not before Johnny noticed the disapproval cross her face. Her eyes roamed over Johnny's revision notes scattered over the coffee table, his CDs on the shelf next to Danny's, his shoes sitting beside Danny's on the shoe rack and his coat handing next to Danny's.
Johnny and Danny. Johnny and Danny. Together. Here. Together.
He could see the thoughts going around and around in his mothers head and knew this wasn't going to work - it was too much for her. "Mum." he said reaching out his hand and placing it on her knee. "It's okay."
"Are you happy?" Linda asked looking at her son through tear filled eyes. "Are you happy here with him?"
Johnny smiled and nodded. "Yeah I am, really happy mum." he smiled reassuringly. "I love him."
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"How do you think it's going?" Danny asked leaning against the kitchen counter and pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. "I can't hear any shouting that must be a good sign?" he asked.
Nancy shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes shouting is better, you get the truth that way at least." she replied.
Danny smiled. "You did a great job of pretending you've never been here before by the way." he grinned.
Nancy laughed. "Well I could hardly let on that I've been coming over here practically every other day can I? We're not supposed to be in contact with Johnny ever since you snatched him away from us, you wicked wicked man!" she said playfully punching Danny on the shoulder.
"It's not a joke, that's what she really thinks." Danny sighed. Ever since Johnny and Danny had told the Carter family they were together Linda had refused to speak to either of them and Danny was barred from the Vic. Johnny and Linda had huge arguments over it as did Linda and her husband Mick, Linda and Nancy and Shirley and Tina had a say in the matter but despite the whole Carter clan trying to convince her to support Danny and Johnny's relationship Linda just wouldn't have it. Johnny eventually had enough and moved out. Linda didn't have a clue that her husband, daughter and sisters-in-law had all been visiting Johnny in secret over the past couple of months.
"Come on let's get these drinks out to them but I bet Johnny could use a stronger one right now." Nancy said grabbing two of the four mugs of tea and heading out into the living room. Danny followed with the other two. "Here mum." Nancy said setting the mug down on the coffee table.
Johnny saw Danny wince at the fact she hadn't used a coaster and that tea had sloshed out of the mug and over the coffee table which was now dripping on the carpet - but he kept quiet and Johnny smiled at him gratefully.
Danny spotted that Linda had been holding Johnny's hand as he entered the room but she quickly snatched it away and stood up. "May I use the bathroom?" she asked abruptly.
"Sure, down the corridor first on the left." Danny replied politely.
Linda nodded, got up and headed out of the living room.
"Well this is going well." Nancy said sarcastically before taking a loud slurp of tea. Johnny just sank back against the sofa and put his hands over his face and groaned loudly. Danny, meanwhile placed coasters under the mugs of tea and wiped away the spillage with a tissue.
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Linda found the bathroom as per Danny's instructions but found herself passing it and stepping into the bedroom at the back of the apartment; she swallowed hard as eyes wandered over the perfectly made bed - the kingsize bed - where Danny slept - where Johnny slept with him. Linda closed her eyes briefly as she let the reality of this sink in.
Linda crossed the room and pushed open the sliding mirror fronted door of the wardrobe where she found Johnny's sweaters and t-shirts mingled in with Danny's suits and shirts. Linda turned to look at the bed again and noticed something under on the pillows - she picked up the pillows and found Johnny's pyjama's neatly folded underneath. Pyjamas she had bought for him a couple of Chritsmases ago before they'd moved to Walford, before this whole horrible mess had started. It was strange to see them here in Danny's apartment and when she lifted them to her nose they didn't smell of home anymore.
Linda put the pyjamas back where she found them and quickly left the room.
Entering the bathroom she went to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm not a bad mother." she told herself. "I'm here, I came, I'm trying." she whispered; Linda noticed Johnny's toothbrush in the pot next to Danny's and his silver necklace laying on the edge of the sink - he was always doing that, leaving it there after he'd taken it off to wash, he'd be moaning later, saying he'd lost it she found herself thinking as she smiled.
"Mum are you okay?" Johnny called from outside the bathroom door.
Linda span around and opened the bathroom door. "Fine sausage, but I have to go. Thanks for the tea." she said brushing past him and heading through the apartment.
"Mum?" Nancy asked getting up when she saw her mother heading for the front door. "Where are you going? We've only just got here." she said hurriedly putting her trainers on and following her mother out of the front door. "Sorry, I'll talk to her." she called back to Johnny as she left the apartment.
Johnny turned to Danny. "How bad could it be you asked?" he said, tears brimming in his eyes. "She can't stand to even look at me, to be near me." he said the tears breaking free and rolling down his face.
Danny wrapped his arms around Johnny and cuddled him close. "Don't cry, please don't cry." he begged hugging him tightly, his heart aching for him. "Nancy will talk to her, she'll come round you'll see. Her coming here was just the first step."
"I think it was the last straw." Johnny mumbled into his shoulder.
Danny pressed soft kisses to Johnny's temple. "Everything is going to be okay, trust me eh?" he said drawing back and looking Johnny in the eyes.
Johnny sniffed back his tears and nodded. "I hope you're right." he whispered.
"I'm always right." Danny said stroking away his tears.