John - Post Asylum

[london_spy]

He'd woken up in his own bed. Alone. Safe. Normal. Danny didn't understand why or what that meant. His first instinct was to call Greg, but his phone wasn't working at all. the screen was shattered and when he plugged it in there was no sign of life.

He supposed he'd have to go get a new one.

Coffee in hand he found himself just walking, past the hospital where Greg should be checking in for his shift, past the flat Hex shared with Flynn and the others, then past the hotel where John had been staying. He could have gone into any off those places, but he just wasn't brave enough to see who was there and who remembered him.

He stared at John's hotel a beat longer, then began to walk again.

Comments

[petty_dabbler]

"Let it go on holiday, Danny. Just for a while," John said. Once outside, he lit his cigarette. One deep drag and he blew out a thick cloud. "Did you need me for summat?"

[london_spy]

"I was just in the area. ...I guess I've been all over the city this morning," Danny admitted. "I keep waiting for things to make sense in my head."

[petty_dabbler]

"Never pick at a fresh scab, love," he said with a half smile. Then he looked at his watch.

"Fancy dinner?"

[london_spy]

Danny seemed to think a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, no, that- That would be nice," he admitted. "I need to pick up my new phone first though. Old one got smashed somehow."

[petty_dabbler]

"You want to meet? Or I could drive you," he offered. "I just got a new phone," John added, pulling out an exceptionally sturdy looking flip phone.

[london_spy]

Danny was quiet for a long moment, then shook his head.

"Why don't you come over to mine later. We can order in," he offered.

[petty_dabbler]

"Now that's a plan," he nodded. "Give me directions."

Once he knew where he was going, he flashed a dashing smile that crinkled his eyes.

"Should I bring me toothbrush and pajamas?"

[london_spy]

"Sure," Danny said, though again he seemed less bold than usual. "I'll see you tonight, John."

[petty_dabbler]

"I'll see you then," he nodded.

He did a little digging with one of the priests he knew. Then he headed for Danny's house. As he pulled up he wondered what Danny really thought of his hotel room.

"Slumming it," he decided. He was alright with that.

He knocked and waited.

[london_spy]

When Danny opened the door he looked a mess. He was high, and reeked of alcohol, his hair a mess and eyes glassy.

"Hey, it's- Sorry it's a mess," he said, letting the other man into the house. It wasn't too messy really, though it was obvious Danny had been going through old boxes and books today, items scattered on tables and the floor.

"I forgot to order food. What do you fancy?" he asked.

[petty_dabbler]

"I'm really not hungry," he replied. "It can wait. You, ah, been having a good time?"

[london_spy]

"No," Danny said honestly. "I'm just trying to make sense of some things. Looking for- I don't know. Clues, I guess. Answers, definitely," Danny said sitting down on the sofa and rubbing his face. "I can't find any evidence I wasn't here. ...And I looked up that place. I looked it up online, and it's been shut down for ages now. ...I think I need to go there, I need to look for some trace of evidence that we were there."

[petty_dabbler]

"Sure. We can go have a poke around. When you're sober," he said. John shrugged out of his coat and loosened his red tie a little more. Then he moved to join Danny.

[london_spy]

Danny leaned back on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling.

"I went to see an old friend today. He offered me a free hit. ...I'd usually turn him down, but- Old habits, they linger," he admitted, closing his eyes and trying to slow his mind down. "I just thought it would make me slow down, stop thinking so hard."

[petty_dabbler]

"We all have our vices," he said, moving in to rest his hand on Danny's leg. "Did it work at all?"

He guessed the answer was no.

[london_spy]

Danny shook his head, exhaling a slow breath.

"No," he said honestly. "It just dragged me back to a place I thought I'd left behind."

[petty_dabbler]

"Those places never really leave us, do they?" he said as he rubbed Danny's arm. "Why don't I make some coffee and you go take a shower and shake it off a bit and we'll chat."

[london_spy]

Danny hesitated a beat, then nodded.

"Okay," he agreed, his voice tight but soft as he got to his feet and started off towards the bedroom.

[petty_dabbler]

John had no problem poking around Danny's kitchen to make the coffee. It wouldn't work like magic, but it might help a bit.

[london_spy]

Danny was gone a while, but when he returned he seemed a bit more with it- Not 100%, but better. His hair was still damp, and he'd changed into pyjamas. A faded t-shirt and old shorts.

"I'm sorry I'm like this tonight. I've been clean a while..." he promised.

[petty_dabbler]

"No judgment from this corner, Danny," he said. The pot had finished and John had already had half a cup.

"This isn't bad. Better than I've had in a while."

[london_spy]

"I just buy the same beans Scottie used to get," Danny admitted, pausing and then explaining. "This was his home, he left it to me. I didn't find out until..."

He trailed off, then moved to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"He was a good friend. Best friend I've ever had," Danny confessed.

[petty_dabbler]

"He must've felt the same, making sure you were taken care of," he said, just assuming Danny had had some sort of a deeper relationship at some point.

[london_spy]

"Maybe. Or maybe I was just all he had," Danny said quietly. "I don't deserve his kindness, but I'm also in no position to refuse it."

[petty_dabbler]

"I've never met a single person who had to deserve kindness. And I never met a kind person that put qualifiers on their actions," John said wisely. God knew he didn't deserve an ounce of kindness, yet found it in almost every quarter.