They showered together, soaping each other up and kissing often as they whispered words of 'never again.' But when Daniel's hands slid to Tony's balls, he pulled away.

""No, please not now, we've got to talk. I was raped, Danny. Fucked up the arse by homeless derelicts."

Out of the shower and dressed in Lucas' clothes, which were big and baggy on both of them, especially Tony, they went to the kitchen where Marcie was waiting for them.

"Sit down, boys. Nothing fancy here, just fry-ups with eggs fast and filling. Sit down, Lucas. There's enough for everyone. I don't imagine that you and Daniel will just want to watch Tony eating. Feeling better now, are you Tony?"

"Oh yes. Thanks, Mrs. Sheridan, 100% better. It's so nice to be clean and it's great, just great to be home."

"Home. There's a lot to sort out, but that can wait until tomorrow. Your Aunt rang, Daniel. I told her that you'll be sleeping here tonight."

"Tony, I don't know where you'll be living, but until something better turns up you're welcome to stay here with us."

Tony looked down at the plate of hot food that she put down in front of him and burst into tears. Marcie put a box of tissues in front of him, and then stood bent over, and held him against her.

Daniel knelt on his other side and Tony slumped down against him and clung while he cried.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, it's just. . .I didn't know if anyone would even want to see me! Oh, Danny, thank you."

"Shut up, Dork. I love you. Always have, always will. I'm still going to kick your arse, we'll just wait until you're feeling better first."

"I am feeling better! I was so alone. I thought I'd be living on the beach or something. Thanks Mrs. Sheridan. I'll get a job somewhere to pay my way."

"There's no need to worry about that now. Anyway, I doubt if you'll need a job. You haven't finished with school yet."

"You are out of touch, aren't you?" Daniel said. "Your parents will support you while you're at school."

"Yeah, they're shit-scared of him especially your father. He's been up to see them. We all did - Lucas too. Jonathan really scared them."

"Yeah, the Iceman. You should have seen him, Tones. He was awesome. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his tongue when he's mad."

"No problem, Tony. I was worried about my little fat friend too. It's great to have you back, and looking good too! I think I should ring Jonathan, and Justin, and Crispian , and Peter and Jay everyone really."

"You will not, Lucas. Leave it until tomorrow. This boy needs a good night's sleep. And I do mean sleep, Daniel. You've got a lot of friends here, Tony, people who care about you, but none more so than this boy. Daniel's been going mad with worry about you."

"No, you didn't did you? Don't worry, I'm still going to kick your arse from now until next week anything to stop you leaving."

They ate, talking rapidly, but Tony was almost asleep at the table. Lucas showed them to the guest-room and everyone went to bed. There were two single beds in the room but they both slid into the one bed and clung to each other.

Daniel so wanted to have sex, but Tony wouldn't let him. "I was raped, Danny. I was fucked by three different men."

"I want you too. I so want you, but we can't not until we know it's safe. They could have given me any sort of diseases. I might even have Aids, Danny."

"I don't care! Well, that's not right of course I care, but, if you've got something, I don't care if I get it too. I don't want to live without you, Tones. Not ever again."

"Oh Danny, I love you so much. Now go to sleep. I'll see a doctor in the morning. I'm not going to infect you with anything."

"I love you, Tones. I really love you. You can infect me with anything you've got."

Tony was asleep in no time at all. Daniel lay studying this blond boy, in the moonlight, and then, blissfully happy at last, he drifted off as well.

They woke late in the morning. Marcie had already left for work with instructions to keep her mouth shut. Lucas was waiting for them, in the kitchen, and he started by hugging Tony again.

"You'll get used to it," Daniel grinned. "You're not sleeping any other way, ever again."

"Shut up, the both of you. You'll have me looking for a boyfriend of my own next."

"Shelley's history. Oh, they're still friends, but Lucas has hooked up with Margaret now Billy's sister."

"Oh yes!" Lucas grinned. "Billy's great and he is so with Justin. They're living together, full-time, now."

"They are? Really? That's great, really great, for them." Tony glanced shyly at Daniel.

"Anyway," Lucas interrupted. "If we can all come back to earth for a minute. I've got a plan. No-one knows that Tony's here. I've told Mum and the Peters not to say a word to anyone. Nita wants to see you too, by the way. We'll go around there soon.

Guitar-man, you get on the phone and ring around Whozzat, but don't tell them he's here we'll surprise them. Just get them all to go around to the Union Hall, tell them that you want to try something new with your music. They'll be there. You're all desperate to do something now that Cody's gone and you've got no singer. We'll just walk in on them, they'll wet themselves!"

"Yeah, cool. I'll start ringing them. I'll get Crispian to get his camera out too, catch their reactions on tape, that'll be great!"

"Because he's a creep and because he was bad-mouthing you. Of course they'll be happy to see you not as much as Daniel though."

"No. Thanks Danny. We'll do it, but first, can we go and see a doctor? I need to have a check-over, urgently, and then we'll go to the Hall. Have you got enough money for a doctor, Danny. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

"I've got money, but you don't have to pay me back. What's mine is yours, remember. Anyway, I'll gladly pay it's for me too you know."

"No. Bloody Tones won't have sex with me until we find out if he's got any STD's or anything. Not that it matters, we're going to do it anyway."

"No I haven't. I haven't got a cent to my name. All I've got is a watch that I can't even give away."

"You're rich, Doofus. Whozzat's music is selling on the internet seven songs with you on them. It's been amazing, with the news of your disappearance and everything, our songs are selling like crazy. I don't know how much it is, Crispian will know, but it's big-time. You'll be getting about 6 or 7 cents for every song sold.

"That's great. But it will take a lot of 6 or 7 cents's to pay for a doctor. That costs about $50 doesn't it?"

"You still don't get it, do you? I said the songs are selling big-time big-time! - we're talking hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars."

"Bloody could be it is. There's been so much publicity and Crispian has been brilliant at marketing it. We're rich well we will be if Crispian ever lets it go."

They took their breakfasts into the living-room and ate there while Daniel got on the phone. They hadn't finished eating when the door-bell rang. Lucas went and answered it and came back with John Peters.

He stood there, looking around the room. Daniel was still on the phone. Tony stood up, smiling. "John, Hey."

"Shut up, you." John watched and waited while Daniel finished his call. "Everything all right, Cuz?"

"That's all right then." He turned on Tony. "My cousin's been crying himself to sleep for weeks and weeks. If you ever disappear and hurt him like that again, I'll fucking do you, Man!"

"Tones." Daniel put a hand on John's shoulder. "Things have changed, okay? John's the best cousin ever. I love him like a brother a really cool brother. Now, give the kid a hug before he hits you."

"We'll be friends forever then. Thanks John." They hugged again, comfortably this time.

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Westpoint Tales

by Kiwi

Entangled Tales - 73 - Daniel & Tony