Fortuitous (BoyxBoy)

Seventeen

DANIEL

            "How did you find me?" I asked him.

            "It's the only home address in Sein's GPS." Right. "Do you have a couple minutes?"

            I stepped aside so he could step inside, using my right hand to tell him to follow me. "I'm warming up food. Do you want?" When he didn't answer I looked up from the counter.

            There were things about that were the same. It's the only reason I recognized him. His eyes were the same, brown with little strands of green, dark hair the same as Sein's, his nose, and the shape of his lips. His cheekbones were sharper, his built more muscular than I thought he ever would have been. He was a bit lanky back in high school. Now he was taller than I was. He aged where I looked older. Let's just say, I still got carded and there was no doubt he didn't. He looked good—healthy. I was happy for him.

            "Why aren't you angry?" He asked me, voice small and a big guarded. "You invite me inside your house and you're offering me food."

            "Was I ever an angry person, Daniel?"

            He smiled. "No, not really."

            "Food?" I asked, impatient. "Beer, water?"

            "No food, beer is fine. Thank you." I got him the beer and I got my food and I began to eat. He stared at me the entire time. I ignored it, but in the back of my mind I wondered what it was he had running through his mind. Our eyes caught a couple times but it wasn't uncomfortable. For the first time I thought that Sein had been wrong and he blew things way out of proportion. Had he even talked to Daniel about how he felt or what he wanted?

            "I'm sorry about you and Sein. It wasn't my intention." I got a beer for myself. I felt this conversation might need it. "He's a mess and he won't listen to me."

            "Yeah, he kind of has tunnel vision when he's set his mind on something."

            "Why did you let him go?" There was no judgment in his voice. And I appreciate that. So much. While I was not an angry person, I had nothing against throwing someone out of my house.

            "I didn't let him go. He walked away. He wanted to do right by you and I respected that." All I had to do was think about Simon and it was clear as day. I couldn't think of one thing on this earth that I wouldn't do for him. A lot of the good decisions I've made in my life were because of him and a lot of the bad decisions and choices I didn't make were because of him. So, yeah, I got it. "I didn't want to make anything harder on him. I think I've been a good person so far in my life. But sometimes things happen that make me think otherwise. Sometimes it's easier to just, I don't know, roll with it and hope for the best."

            "He told me a while ago that you guys met online. Who messaged who?"

            It was so easy to smile at the memory. "My dad and my friend, Brian, set up this profile for me and one night I was reading some ridiculous messages when I dropped my phone and when I looked at the screen I was on his profile. Next thing I know I got a message from him 'do I know you'. It started there; we talked on the phone for hours. It was a Friday, he saw me in Starbucks Saturday morning and he didn't say hi but he figured that was where he saw me before, after I got home he called and confessed that he saw me then asked me out. We met officially on a Sunday."

            Daniel had a strange smile on his face. "Do you remember when you stopped by my house that thanksgiving morning to lend me some video games so I could play with my brother and my mom forced you to have breakfast?"

            "...I think so."

            "You met Sein. I guess he didn't leave an impression. He's not the best person around our father. But you guys did say hi to each other."

            "No. He mentioned San Fran but I had never been where he mentioned. I though—"

            "Trust me. You guys met before. I remember wanting to..." he gulped and let the words say themselves. "But I couldn't because he was in my room. I remember."

            I don't...I. Hmm.

            "Did you tell Sein that?"

            "I want to but he's made an unspoken rule about talking about you." Except if your name is Simon, or not Daniel.

            I sighed. "Listen, I don't want to get between you two. As much as I want to be with Sein I have no interest in being a part of this rift between you two. You guys need to work that out on your own. I'm not in the picture. It shouldn't matter now"

            "How do you think I feel?" He asked me. "Whatever I feel or don't feel has nothing to do with you two. It's...I don't want to make things uncomfortable."

            "You won't make things uncomfortable."

            "Thank you. What I feel...for you...is not something that I am ever going to get over. I like that I feel how I feel about you, and I can admit that seeing you make me feel better. But it's something pleasant and nice. It's not something I wish to act on."

            I found myself smiling. "If you want him to hear you, make him listen. He doesn't have to participate in the conversation. Sein seems to be running this show"

            "He's a jackass sometimes."

            "Seems to be genetic."

            I was not expecting Daniel to laugh. "Yeah," he said, and then he laughed again. "Seems that way."

            We talked a little more until he had to go. Sein called to find out where he was.

            "Thanks for stopping by."

            "Thanks for listening." I nodded. "I also wanted to say I'm sorry about—"

            "I know." Daniel smiled again. I smiled back. "Goodnight."

            "Night."

            Hearing Daniel tell me about how he felt only put thoughts in my head. If Sein had gotten that way about Brian having feelings for me, then I couldn't imagine what must be going through him knowing his brother had similar feelings. I hoped I was wrong, because that meant Sein wasn't who I thought he was. And that meant that he ended things between us because of his own possessive feelings and it had nothing to do with Daniel or I whatsoever. I really hoped I was wrong. If that was the case then I had no interest in being with him. I didn't want the hope Daniel put embedded in my heart to be in vain.

A/N

Okay...so it's up to you guys to be hopeful or not now.

How do you feel about the fact that they met before?

Does this give you hope that they are meant to be and will somehow work through this?

Or has faith given them one too many chances?

Done asking questions now because you guys are dramatic and will accuse me of things lol