Daniel stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the fourteenth floor. The doors closed smoothly in front of him, the car beginning its ascension. He was alone at last, giving him more time to think, not that he really wanted it.

It was funny the way things could turn out. In the time that followed since that bittersweet last time, they had toured the world, seen every city they had ever wanted to see, and some they didn't. They had never spoken of what once was, and it soon became just a figment in their imaginations.

Meanwhile, Daniel had met and fallen in love with a beautiful young woman named Michelle, a woman who shared his passion for love, life, and sex. Especially sex. Daniel smiled to himself as he was thinking about her. Then he thought about the looks Darren exchanged with him during every show. Raising his eyebrows, gazes so sultry. Maybe it was just part of the show's choreography, but Daniel didn't think so.

He thought about knocking on Darren's door one more time, asking him if he was okay, if he wanted a friend to talk to, but decided against it, figuring Darren would come around sooner or later. Time is supposed to heal all wounds. Daniel sighed as the doors opened at his floor; sometimes it was just too hard being a good friend; what he wouldn't give to shake Darren and plead for him to open up, just say something, they'd be friends for life no matter what happened. But he wouldn't.

Back in his room, Daniel flopped down on the bed, turned on the tv, and started flipping through the various channels. Ah, cable tv, what a wonderful thing. How did that song go--fifty-seven channels and nothing on. He settled on a South Park rerun on SBS before he heard a knock on the door separating his room from Darren's.

"Come in! It's unlocked!"

Darren entered the room. He wore a faded Star Wars t-shirt on top of dark blue boxers, and he had an adorable sleepy look on his face. "Is that little celebration of yours over?"

"Naw. Ben's probably tried a shot of just about everything in the bar by now. That is, if Stefan and Steve didn't beat him to it."

"And you're not challenging them."

"Me? I know when I'm beat." Daniel glanced at the tv--it was the episode where Mr. Hankey returned to wreak havoc on the film festival. He always thought that episode was stupid. "Is there anything better on?"

"I was watching that movie Strange Days. It's on channel 14."

Daniel flipped the remote to the proper channel. Ralph Fiennes was talking to Angela Bassett at some kind of glitzy nightclub. It was a weird movie, one he didn't care too much to follow. He looked back up to Darren. As long as he was here, he may as well ask. "How are you feeling? Are you in the mood to talk?"

"Not really," Darren replied, after a moment of hesitation. He really did want to reach out, but something held him back.

"Do you want company then? As long as we're watching the same movie."

"Alright." Darren came into the room and sat on the floor in front of the bed. They watched the movie silently until Daniel dozed off. He never did like science fiction movies.