Hearts and arrows

Chapter Seven: The end.

Danny's house lights were still on when Alec got in front of it, Jackson's body in his arms, covered in blood and cold as ice.

How was he even going to bring the matter up to Danny? 'Hey Danny, can I come in? I've got your best friend's corpse here, and I would really need a hand.' He couldn't even tell him about the Alpha, or simply the werewolves, and not the shadow world either.

He also figured he couldn't ring his bell because his parents might wake up. He raised his head to the half-open window of Danny's room he had visited not so long ago—although it felt like years to him.

But then again, what would happen if he showed up with Jackson's body? Danny would never want to believe Alec had nothing to do with it—he wouldn't be able to prove him wrong. And there was no way he was hiding Jackson's corpse without letting a chance to Danny to say goodbye.

With a sigh, Alexander draw a rune of strength on his left bicep, and held the lacrosse player in his arms, climbing Danny's house to his window. When he dropped in the middle of the room, placing Jackson in a dark corner with a sorry smile, he made a few steps towards the single bed. The Hawaiian student was sleeping deeply, tossing and turning while unconscious. He was beautiful. But Alec couldn't risk having anything with him. As he had figured early, it was too dangerous.

"Danny?" he whispered warmly. The boy woke up with difficulty, and gasped when he saw a dark silhouette. "Hey, it's me, it's alright."

"Alec!" he murmured in relief, and even a bit in delight, Alec assumed. "What are you doing here? I thought—I thought you didn't want to talk to me anymore, after... After what happened."

"No, you misunderstood... I like you. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

"But why did you react like that, then? I don't get it."

"As I told you before, I just can't. I'd love to be with you, hold your hand, kiss you, do everything I could possibly do with you. But I can't."

"Is it because nobody knows you're gay? You could tell them, they'd be as nice as they've been for me, you know."

"No, Danny. It's something else. It's not that simple." Daniel was about to answer, but Alec continued, "I'm not here for that. For us, I mean."

"Then why are you here?"

"It's...," Alec started. "It's Jackson."

"Jackson? What is it?" Danny asked, suddenly concerned.

"He—You should turn the light on."

When he did, Danny frowned at the full sight of Alec. "You're covered in dirt and blood. Is everything okay? And why are you dressed like this?" Alec bit his lower lip and glanced at the corner of the room where the body was still lying. "Oh my god," Danny exclaimed. "Is that Jackson? What's happened to him?" He immediately rose from his bed to reach his best friend. Alec stood silent. "Did you do that?"

Alexander didn't answer right away. He analysed the situation, Danny's tears as he was shaking Jackson's dead body, calling his name, and Alec only said in an emotionless lie, "Yes. I'm sorry."

"How could you—Is he—He's dead?" Alec didn't reply. "Why would you do that? Why bring him back to me?"

"We just—had a fight. And I didn't want to leave him there alone. I wanted to let you say goodbye. I didn't want you to hate me even more than you do now."

There was no answer. Danny was obviously crying silently. After what seemed ages, the lacrosse player whispered, "I think you should go." Alexander swallowed, looking down, and made a few steps in Danny's direction. "Leave me alone!" his friend yelled.

"Danny," Alec then said, staying where the boy had stopped him, "I'm sorry. I really liked you, you know." He sighed and continued, with additional determination, "I'll go. You'll never see me again. And you'll never get hurt again by my fault. I promise you." He smiled sadly, even if Danny's head was still buried into Jackson's neck. "Farewell."

At the moment when Daniel was raising his head, bewildered, he saw Alec throwing himself by the window, and the tan teenager gasped worriedly. He ran to the window and frowned when he noticed that his friend was all right, that he was slowly walking, head down, in the streets.

'What did he mean, 'farewell'?' Danny thought, before going back to the corpse in his bedroom, ready to call an ambulance.

********

Alexander had not lied. He knew that there was no way he could be with Danny. First, his parents would never allow it. Then, Danny hated him now. And finally, he and his siblings were about to leave Beacon Hills, their task now achieved.

"Ready to go, Alec?" his sister asked gently, seeing he was looking thoughtfully at the horizon.

"You're still thinking about that Jackson guy?" Jace added. "You've been able to do what you wanted with him?"

"Yeah, yeah," the eldest murmured vaguely. "Let's go. There's nothing keeping us here."

Isabelle and Jace shared a look, concerned about their brother, but said nothing and closed the car boot. Alec took the stirring wheel, and led them back to New York City, where their parents held an Institute.

He knew he would never meet someone like Danny again. But keeping the boy away from him was the best he could do as a proof of love. He would content himself of this lonely and inert life.