Why Don't We One Shots

You Can't Do Both - Zaniel

Daniel's phone dings in the dead of night with a text.

Zach- You awake?

Daniel- Now I am. Why?

Zach- Is there any way I can see you? I miss you.

Daniel sighs. He was getting sick and tired of Zach wanting him one minute and completely ignoring him the next. It was kind of confusing.

Daniel- When?

Zach- Now?

Suddenly, there's a light knock on Daniel's window, a brunette boy sitting on the fire escape outside.

Zach.

"What do you want?" Daniel asks, once he opens the window and lets Zach in.

"I told you, I wanted to see you." Zach goes in for a kiss, but Daniel pushes hin backwards.

"Now you want to see me? Now, at three in the morning? Are you serious?"

"Daniel, what's-?"

Daniel interrupts him. "You didn't want to see me last weekend, you didn't want to see me yesterday, but now - now - you decide that you want to be something to me."

"I never said I didn't, Daniel. I just told you I wanted to keep things casual and be rational about it," Zach says, watching as Daniel becomes increasingly upset.

"This isn't anything meaningful, Zach! It never was! It was a hook-up a few times a week. That was it! But now you're blurring the lines to the point where I don't even know where they are anymore!" Daniel cries. "Stop playing on two sides and make up your mind already!"

"Dani," Zach says, exasperated. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Daniel turns away and lets out a breath, trying to keep himself as calm as possible and keep tears at bay. He wanted to be mad at Zach, he wanted to be so mad, but one look into those eyes and he fell all over again.

"You can kiss me goodnight, or kiss me goodbye. You want me to give you space, but then you just keep coming closer. You tell me to stay with you, but you just end up pushing me away again." Daniel turns back to Zach as he's saying all of this, tears brimming his bright blue eyes. "Love me or don't. You can't do both."

Zach is stunned by everything that was just said, but before he can get a word in, Daniel speaks again.

"You make it impossible to know what you really want Zach. So tell me - do you want me or not?"

"Dani, of course I do. I always have."

Daniel comes close to Zach, almost chest-to-chest, and looks up at him, whispering three words. "Then prove it. If you're half into this, Zach, then it also means you're half out."

"I...I..." Zach stammers, stunned.

Daniel nods solemnly. "That's what I thought." He takes Zach gently by the arm and leads him to his apartment door, opening it and guiding Zach outside. "Call me when I mean something to you." Daniel starts crying again once he sees Zach tear up. Daniel says one last thing before he closes the door between them, leaving a devastated boy on either side.

"Call me when you're so afraid to lose me that that isn't even an option."

~