Page 41 of Bad Daddy

“There’s also the guest bedroom,” Haru offered quietly. “If you wanted to stay tonight.”

Danny licked his lips and dared to consider it. Regardless of what they planned on tomorrow, if he stayed tonight it wouldn’t just be out of necessity. He could very easily go back to his own place for one last sleep. “I…”

“No pressure,” Haru said, and his smile looked a little sad. “Just wanted to give you the option. You can spend the night and then we can head over to your place bright and early to start packing up, or you can go home now and I can just meet you tomorrow.”

“I… I guess I could stay,” Danny found himself saying. “If it isn’t any trouble.” If you hadn’t planned to lose your space yet.

“You’re never trouble,” Haru said easily, closing his laptop. “C’mon, let’s get you settled. You’ve got a busy day ahead of you.”

Haru showed Danny to the guest bedroom, presented him with a toothbrush fresh in its packaging, told him to make himself comfortable and to help himself to the fridge if he felt the urge, then bid him goodnight.

Danny brushed his teeth and washed his face in the hall bathroom, then headed back to the guest bedroom. He shimmied out of his clothes and climbed into the bed. It was a queen mattress, much larger than the twin he had at his place, and the sheets were soft and cool.

He and Haru had agreed to set their alarms for five, to give them time to get up, eat breakfast, and then swing by the local superstore for boxes and markers and tape to pack up Danny’s life.

The plan was to get Danny fully out of the apartment before Saturday morning. And regardless of how daunting it felt to think about, Danny knew it was doable. It was. Even if no one else ended up showing up to help–which he fully expected and wouldn't blame anyone for–there wasn't too much to do. Danny didn't own all that much stuff, really. It was just a matter of throwing everything into boxes and figuring out what to do with his furniture.

Even if he left all the furniture at the apartment, it wasn't like it’d be his problem after the fact. It wasn’t his name on the lease, after all.

God, Clint was going to be so pissed. Danny’s stomach hurt just thinking about it. But that was what this whole endeavor was for. So Danny never had to deal with that anger directed at him ever again. Never had to deal with Clint ever again.

He and Haru had talked it out, and Danny had maybe shaken so hard that it felt as though it was only Haru’s arms around him that were holding him together, but Haru’s points had sunk home. Danny couldn't lose his current classes, because they were already paid for. He was qualified for more than a dozen scholarships to help cover the rest of the classes he needed to take for his degree. He had a job and even some savings, which would help make up the difference.

Plus, he also had some fancy clothes and accessories and stuff that he planned to sell off as soon as he possibly could.

As for a place to stay–

Haru had all too generously offered up Danny his guestroom to crash in, to store his few possessions while Danny looked for housing. It was what they had argued most about, because Danny struggled to think about taking something like that from Haru. Haru all but begged Danny to stay.

“Please,” Haru had said. “Please Danny, I just–I need you to be away from him. I need you to be safe. So stay with me for a little bit while we look for a more permanent solution for you. It’s nothing to me, okay? I just want you safe.”

Danny hadn’t been able to hold out long in the face of that. Forget that he didn’t have a place to go, he… he wanted to stay with Haru. He wanted the comfort Haru always gave him, always provided freely.

Danny wanted to feel safe too. He knew with all of himself that Haru would give him that. So he’d managed thank yous and apologies and assurances that it would only be for a week or two, while Danny scoured roommate wanted ads. Haru had shrugged it all off and thanked Danny for agreeing to stay.

Danny couldn't deny that it was so fucking nice to have someone who genuinely wanted to take care of him.

This is all really happening. Danny tucked himself up under the covers and squeezed his eyes shut. This is happening. Tomorrow he was going to have an intense, stress-filled day packing up his whole life and getting the hell out of dodge. Saturday would be just as scary and stress-filled, because he was going to contact his phone company to get his cell number changed. Until that went through, he wasn’t going to jump every time Clint’s phone chime rang out because he was going to block his number, and it wouldn't matter that he did, because even if Clint went to Danny’s old apartment, Danny wouldn't be there for him to find.

It took a long time for Danny to fall asleep, but when he did, he didn't dream.

Chapter 11

Danny was up seven minutes before his alarm went off, which was pretty typical of him when he was stressed about a deadline. Instead of huddling under the covers for another seven minutes, he set his jaw and got up, determined to power through the anxiety that seeped into his bones.

He stumbled through pulling his clothes on, then headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash up. After checking the time again, he decided to jump in the shower, just to try to feel a little more refreshed. He skipped washing his hair, so it was only a few minutes of soaping himself up and rinsing off, but it did make him feel better, even if he had to pull yesterday’s clothes on over damp skin.

He also liked the thought that by using Haru’s soap, he maybe smelled like Haru a little bit.

It was only fifteen after five when Danny emerged from the bathroom and crept into the kitchen. He wasn't surprised to find it empty, and tried to not feel weird about being in Haru’s space when Haru wasn't around. Instead, he went to the cabinets to grab two mugs and went to figure out Haru’s coffee maker.

By the time Haru walked into the kitchen three minutes later, Danny was carefully sipping on his own black coffee and Haru’s mug was waiting on the counter for him. Haru gave him a grateful smile as he went to grab it, and Danny took a too-big gulp of hot coffee in response to how that smile made his insides flip-flop. Haru’s hair was just-rolled-out-of-bed messy, sticking up at odd angles, and he was wearing a pair of plain gray sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt. The picture of him leaning against his counter sipping coffee Danny had made was so endearing and cozy.

Is this what it could be like? Danny wondered. If he was able to actually have a real relationship like a real person–if he were good enough for Haru–was this what mornings could be like? Calm and quiet, full of sleepy smiles? No heart-pounding anxiety from being kept from something he needed to do, or the mix of nausea-fury from discovering more marks on his body that he didn’t want?

It was a little infuriating to realize just how much Clint had gotten under his skin in the months they’d had their arrangement. To realize all the ways he’d made Danny’s life difficult on purpose, amusing himself by stepping on someone who was already covered in footprints.

“Hey,” Haru said, breaking the silence. His voice was a little rough with sleep. “You okay?”

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