Nothing would ever be the same again. Daniel buried his face in his hands and let the tears flow easily. Nobody could hear him anyway, so he let his emotions run wild. Oh god, what I have I done, what have I done.... How could he accidently scream out Darren's name?!

"I'm so sorry," he whispered through his hot tears. "I'm so sorry."

A thought suddenly crept into his mind. It numbed the pain for a while. Huh? What am I thinking.... He couldn't understand. Didn't understand. There was nothing. His mind went blank, perfectly blank. Very slowly he got up and and started to dress himself.

After he was done buttoning up his shirt, he strode silently into the kitchen. The empty house seemed to listen with intent at his every move, daring him to go further. He paused for a moment in front of the medicine cabinet.

A slow, sad smile spread across his lips. Anything, anything at all to the numb this pain.... He opened the cupboard and peered inside. Bandaids, bottles of yucky syrup medicine, cotton balls.... his eyes froze on a small white packet of pills. Sleeping pills.

.... sometimes this life can get you down.... it's so confusing, there's so many rules to follow.... and when I feel it, I just run away in my mind....

Run away. That's what he wanted to do more than anything in the world. Even if it killed him. Killed? What do you mean, Danny boy?

The blond haired one simply laughed softly to himself and took the pills out. He sat down at the kitchen table and stared at the warning label. DO NOT TAKE MORE THAN EIGHT IN 24 HOURS. IF PAIN OR IRRITATION PERSISTS, SEE A DOCTOR. Pain, hmmm?

In the other room, Darren tentatively walked back a few steps, wincing slightly as the floor painfully creaked beneath him. It was so silent all of a sudden, a pin dropped would have been heard a mile away.... what was going on, anyway? What was Daniel doing?

He heard a few shuffles from the kitchen and crept his way there. For the hundredth time that hour, he was painfully aware his heart was pounding... he was breathing shallowly, and he felt as if he would pass out any moment now... suddenly, without any warning, his hand smacked into a vase perched on a coffee table and it fell on the floor with a thunderous CRASH!

Daniel's head popped out of the kitchen in seconds. Darren bit his lip until he tasted blood as the blond man's eyes widened with shocked recognition.

"D-D-Darren?!" he stuttered, barely able to contain himself. He couldn't believe his eyes... was he really there?

Darren silently looked down and saw the sharp, fragmented pieces of the broken vase at his feet. Feeling light-headed, he grabbed the edge of the table for support. Daniel kept on staring at him, his eyes bloodshot and red, piercing through his very being. He was shaking slightly, the shock still obvious on his face.

"What are you doing here?" he finally whispered in a flat tone. Darren couldn't even guess what he was thinking.

"I-I came to see you. I'm-I'm sorry about the vase, it was an acci-"

"Never mind about the fucking vase!" Green eyes flashing with life now, his voice dripped with fury. "Tell me, how long have you been standing there?" He advanced towards him carefully.

Darren took a hesitant step backwards. "Dan, I'm so sorry, I just came and I... I ... I just heard..." His voice continued to trail off, unable to answer properly. ....come stand a little bit closer, breath in and get a bit higher...

"Heard what, Darren?" He sneered, feeling the hot heat spreading through his body like fire. "I know you must have been there for a quite a while... so don't try to hide the fact you heard Michelle's little speech, didn't you?"

He couldn't answer. He could still taste the blood on his tongue, ignoring the painful sting on his lip. Of course I heard... I heard everything.

For a long moment, the two men could only stare at each other, each one daring the other to be the first to react. Inside, Daniel felt so humiliated and angry, he wanted to throttle Darren that very moment. How could Darren eavesdrop like that anyway?! How perfectly fantastic this was all going to be!

"GODDAMIT, GET OUT OF HERE!" he screamed suddenly, making Darren jerk violently in shock. " I don't believe this, go to hell Darren!!!" But he couldn't stop the flood of tears that burst out, like a dam at it's breaking point. He hated Darren, he hated him for all that had happened. He rushed towards him and slapped him hard across the face, wanting him to feel the pain as much as he was.

"Oww!" Darren yelped as the first blow hit him. He reached his hand up to his face and with his other arm held Daniel's arm firmly. "What the hell was that for?!"

"You!" He slapped him again, harder this time. Darren's face was streaked with red lashes, but he still didn't fight back. "Don't you know, I have feelings for you!" He stopped abruptly. That last sentence wasn't meant to come out, but it did and now it was too late to take it back. Realising the horror of it, he stepped back quickly, as if to protect himself.

"You do?" The singer whispered after a moment. When the guitarist didn't answer, he glance past him into the kitchen. There he spotted on the table, the packet of sleeping pills and little round white tablets scattered around. Immediately it clicked in his brain about what Daniel was about to do. He blinked and turned towards him in shock.

"How could you even contemplate on such a stupid thing?!" he spat, tears springing into his eyes as he thought what might have happened if he hadn't showed up. "Dan, do you mean to tell me you,"- he nodded sharply towards the table - "were thinking of taking all of those?!"

Daniel didn't say anything. He stared at the singer menacingly. Friggin' hell, just get out of here, why don't you?!

"Daniel! Answer me, damn you!"

"I don't have to if I don't want to!"

"For crying out loud, what were you thinking?" He unexpectedly came slowly forward, tears streaking down his cheeks unshamely. "Dan, if you-if you leave me, I'd never forgive myself!"

"Leave you?!"

"Yes, and you know exactly what I mean!"

Again the two men stopped speaking and continued staring at one another, the electrifying tension between them escalating. Darren narrowed his eyes.

"I care about you, that's all," he said softly.

"Care, eh?" Daniel looked at him as if he was poison. "Is it true then?"

"What's true?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Darren. You know what I'm talking about."

He sounded so calm about it. Darren practically dared himself to meet his eyes, which were staring blankly back at him. Dan sure knows how to hide his emotions. He abruptly turned his head away.

Yes, he wanted so much to say to him, yes it's true, it's all true... I'm head over heels in love with you but it hurts 'cos you don't feel the same and-and-

"Daz, are you alright?"

"Huh?"

"You're not answering. Why don't you look at me?"

Daniel sat down on the sofa, his eyes still locked onto Darren; what was going through his mind anyway? He couldn't even look at him anymore. But whatever happened, he was going to come out of this with some answers... at least. But is that what you really want, Dan? Come on, don't kid yourself. You're actually anticipating this, aren't you?

He suddenly realized Darren was now staring at him in the most oddest way. It was as if he was probing into his very mind, his bare sould naked for him to delve into....

"Dar-"

"Shhh. Don't talk." He was ever so slowly walking towards him. Daniel's heart quickened in pace as he looked up to see him standing over him. The light overhead casted a soft, luminated glow around his head, making it look like an angelic little halo. His large, colorless eyes meet with his, and without meaning to, he shivered under his look. Huh? What IS he doing to me?

As if reading his mind, Darren bent over and gently kissed him directly on the lips. Oh god.... It was the most beautiful experience. Tingles of excitement rushed through his spine as Daniel, who first tried to turn away, responded back to him and opened his lips to let him enter.

Daniel was oblivious to everything but this. Darren's mouth locked onto is, his tongue meeting with his; it was nearly all too much for him to handle. He could feel his entire body responding, tensing, as Darren softly sat down next to him and engulfed him in an embrace, his lips still on his.

Finally, they had to break away to take a breath. Both a little breathless, they shyly looked back at each other. Darren placed both hands on Daniel's shoulders and leaned against him once more.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself." He was carefully observing him. How was he going react?

But he needn't worried. Daniel, still a little flustered, smiled faintly back at him. "No, don't be sorry." He took his hand and delicately rested his fingers on his lips. He kissed them softly. There's no turning back now, Jonesy. Goodbye Michy... forever.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this..." Darren stroked the sides of his face tenderly. "To have you here with me, being with me... kissing me..." He stopped and looked at him. "But you really haven't said whether it's what you want too. Do you-do you like me too?"

"Like you?" Daniel laughed softly, pulling the singer closer. "Sure I like you." And with that, he pulled him over for another kiss.

This time, the kiss was even more sweeter. Daniel had never kissed another being this passionately before, the hot electricity between them intensifying with every second. Is it because I've never really has such strong feelings as this before? Give in, give in.... that's what his mind was commanding him to do... succumb to the passion, the lust, the ecstasy....

"Wait." He pulled away suddenly.

Darren shrunk back a little, as if he slapped him. "Yes, Dan?" he asked tentatively, afraid of what he might hear.

"Let's not rush. I'm-you're- Look, I don't want to lose your friendship, of all things..." He lowered his eyes. I want this to be right for both of us...

He seemed to think it over and demurely nodded. "Of course Jonesy." But inside, he was scared. Just when things seemed to be going perfect... was this his way of showing he wasn't right? He had to tell him the truth first.

"But I think you should know something" he said slowly. Daniel's intent gaze was making him nervous, but there was no looking back now.

"I think I already know what it is."

"Yes, but I still want to tell you personally." He paused. "I'm-I'm in love with you Daniel. I think I always had, but never realised it until... until early last year. I tried to keep my feelings to myself, but working with you 24hours a day, seven days a week was all too much. And, and... well, I guess Michelle's told you all the rest..."

"Yes, she has," he finally answered after a long pause. Sighing, he gave him a small smile. "So what's gonna happen now, Mr. Hayes? You, in love with me, and I'm... I'm..." His smile and voice faltered as he realised he couldn't finish the sentence. Darren was looking at him questioningly, beckoning him to go on.

"Dan? You alright?"

He jerk his head. "Uh yeah, sure, I'm fine." He shook his head slightly.

He glanced at his watch. "Geez, I've gotta go. Oliver's expecting me to come over to his place in five minutes."

"Sure." Darren tried to smile back, but it hurt. "I'll leave too. I guess I'll see ya later, eh?"

"Yeah," He stood up and offered his hand to help him up. Darren politely refused and got up himself. He couldn't wait to bolt out the door. Daniel had just rejected him, he could see that clearly enough. It doesn't take a scientist to figure that one out.

At the door, the two looked at each once more.

"Bye Daz."

"See ya, Jonesy."