A Fluffy Tale 2: Warm & Fuzzy (11 page)

“What about stopping whoever it was doing
it again?” Spen ached to mention Noble by name but he didn’t want to
contaminate Daniel’s evidence, if he did manage to convince him to make a
complaint.

“We don’t know who it was, and I can’t give
them anything to find him. I just want to get out of here. You haven’t spoken
to Dee, have you?”

“No. I asked Mum to let her know you were
unwell, but not to worry. You can call her in the morning.”

Daniel sagged. “Thanks. Look...I know what
you’re saying, and why. But I can’t. I just can’t. It’s too much. I haven’t got
the energy to deal with this on top of the rest.”

“Okay.” Spen finished with the shoes, and
helped Daniel stand. Daniel picked up Kani, who squeaked and licked him.
“Whatever it was, made him sick too.”

“Sorry,” Daniel said to his kem, kissing
his head. He looked up at Spen. “You found me?”

“Good thing too. It was really Myko and
Kani.”

“Right.” Daniel ran out of determination
around about then, and sat back on the bed. “I really do feel like crap.”

“You can stay—”

“Please? Can we just...go?”

“Sure. Here.”

He took his hand and helped him up again.
Daniel held his hand longer than he needed to. “Thank you.”

“Any time.” He put his hand on Daniel’s
shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Daniel leaned on the taxi’s window, not
really seeing the passing scenery. Spen’s face was reflected in the glass, so
Daniel knew he was being watched. Not surprising Spen was worried. Daniel
wanted to be alone, but he couldn’t bring himself to wish Spen wasn’t there.

His stomach churned and his head throbbed.
He still felt out of it, unsettled. Nothing like being drunk
or hungover. Someone had drugged him. Someone had had sex with him, the
doctor said. He knew what those two things added up to, but he couldn’t make
himself admit it in so many words.

“Where did you find me?” He immediately
regretted asking.

“In Tony’s room. On his
bed. He said you turned up in a confused state.”

Daniel’s stomach heaved and he covered his
mouth. He couldn’t ask the next question. He was afraid Spen would answer it.

“Do you need to throw up?” Spen asked.

“No. Leave me alone, please.”

“Sure.”

Kani sat in Daniel’s lap, meeping quietly
from time to time. Daniel should try and comfort the little guy but he couldn’t
find the energy. Oh god, how was he going to tell Dee? He couldn’t. He’d have
to lie. But first, he had to pull himself together.

The hotel was deserted, thankfully. He
didn’t know what he’d do if he ran into one of the managers. Or Tony. How was
he supposed to....

Was this where he had to give up? How could
he work for someone who...but he didn’t know that Tony had. Why would Tony take
such a risk here, among his peers and superiors? Tony was married. Maybe it was
nothing like it looked at all.

Spen guided him up to their room, and
locked the door behind them. “I’m taking you home in the morning. I’ll email
Noble and whoever needs to know that our presentation is cancelled because of
illness.”

“I can’t—”

Spen took him by the arms and made Daniel
look at him. “You’re in no state, and I refuse to do this while you’re in this
condition. No argument, Daniel.”

Daniel shook him off. “All right,” he said
irritably. “But I’m fine.”

“You’re a crime victim.”

“I’m not a victim. I won’t be. I refuse to
be involved in this. All I want to do is do my job, look after Dee and Alex,
sort out our messes without anything else. Do you understand?”

“Yes, but I don’t agree.”

“Tough. It’s not your life, not your
decision. Leave me alone.”

Spen stepped back. “Whatever you want,
kid.”

“And stop calling me that. Maybe if you
realised I’m as adult as you, you wouldn’t be trying to nanny me.”

“I’d do this for anyone in your situation.”

“There is no situation. I’m going to use
the loo.”

Nausea washed over him as he fled into the
bathroom, so he sat on the closed toilet lid and held his head in his hands. He
had to get his act together here. If he couldn’t convince Spen he was all
right, he’d never convince Dee and Alex. How would he explain coming home
early? Maybe the best thing was not to tell them...but if they came back from
Mrs Reardon’s house for some reason, they’d discover the lie. He’d have to come
up with something.

What a bloody mess.

Kani crawled up onto his lap and meeped
into his face. Daniel stroked his back right down to the tail, the way he
liked. “I’m sorry, kiddo.” Kani squirmed closer and Daniel held him tight.
“Help me. I need to be strong.”

Kani wasn’t enough though. Daniel had to
find it from inside, somehow, but he didn’t know how much he had left.

~~~~~~~~

Spen sent a short, barely civil email to
Noble, and a more polite one to his line manager regarding the cancelled
presentation. He didn’t much care whose noses were put out of joint, and would
be delighted if Noble was annoyed. The creep hadn’t even called to find out how
Daniel was. Not that Spen had any intention of telling him what they really
knew. He also sent emails to Jyoti and Julian, because Daniel might be feeling
disinclined to pursue the criminal angle right now, but that didn’t mean he
couldn’t change his mind. Or be persuaded to.

Daniel was taking a long time in the
bathroom. Spen tried not to worry but finally gave in. He knocked on the door.
“You okay in there?”

“Leave me alone.”

Spen shook his head and sat down again. If
Daniel was cranky, at least that meant he was alive. Myko squeaked and shoved
his nose under Spen’s hand. Spen put him on the floor. “You go keep an eye on
him, squirt. Let me know if he’s in trouble.” Myko ran off and disappeared
through the closed bathroom door.

What could he do for the kid? He understood
Daniel’s objections to talking to the police—hell, gay men got a hard
enough time normally, and rape cases weren’t taken half as seriously as they
should be, no matter what sex the victim was. But if the police talked to Noble....

There was no proof. Just Noble’s
word against a drug test, and proof that Daniel had had sex. Even though Spen
would bet all his savings that Daniel would never go out looking for quick,
anonymous sex, or take drugs like GHB, he couldn’t prove he hadn’t.

So how could he help? Should he give Daniel
that leaflet on counselling? Should he recruit his mother to help? Or should he
let Daniel live in denial, if that helped him cope with all the stress his life
held?

Finally the bathroom door opened. The kems
raced out ahead of Daniel. “All yours.” His sullen expression didn’t do much
for him, but the improved colour did.

“I won’t be long.”

“Whatever. I’m going to sleep.”

“Look, I’m on your side, you know. I just
don’t know what to do.”

Daniel sat on his bed and looked up. “I’m
sorry. I feel...like I could fly into a million pieces if I’m not careful. If you push me too hard. I have to hold it all together.”

Spen sat on the bed next to him. “You don’t
have to do it alone.”

“I do. There’s
only me. I can’t ask Dee and Alex to help.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But I’m here. I won’t go
away, and I won’t let you down. Just let me be there, even if you don’t think
you need me.”

Daniel’s green eyes shone with tears. “I’m
scared,” he whispered. “I can’t fail.”

“You won’t. We won’t let you.” Spen patted
his shoulder, wanting to hug him but not wanting to violate Daniel’s space
right now. “Are you hungry? Do you want coffee, or water? Anything?”

“No. Just sleep. You know I could do this
presentation just fine.”

“Too late, already cancelled. You and I are
checking out tomorrow morning and you’re going back home because you shouldn’t
have been here in the first place.”

“What will I tell Dee and Alex?”

“We’ll work something out.” Spen gave him a
gentle shove. “Hop into bed. I’m going to get Myko to keep an eye on you in
case you relapse or something.”

“I’m fine.” The crankiness was back.

“Good. Bed.”

He waited until Daniel was under the
covers, then he turned the room light down and set Myko on the end of the bed.
“You know what to do,” he whispered. Myko chirped and ran up to sit on Daniel’s
chest next to Kani.

“Great, now how am I supposed to sleep?”
Daniel groused, glaring at the kems looking back at him with bright-eyed
enthusiasm.

“Carefully,” Spen said, and grinned at the
scowl. Anything was better than sullen depression.

~~~~~~~~

Their journey back on the train was largely
a silent one. Daniel let Spen deal with checking out, and they’d avoided any
contact with any of the conference attendees. Noble had responded to Spen’s
email with one that was even less diplomatic, saying that he was disappointed
in the cancellation and that he expected Daniel back at work the following
Monday. Not a word of concern, the bastard—but at least he’d spared Spen
the hypocrisy.

Daniel texted his sister to say he was
fine, had just been unwell and was coming home early. Spen suggested that he
ask the kids to stay one more night with his mum, to give Daniel a chance to
get his balance, but he refused. “It’s their home, and I’m fine.”

Spen gave up on that line, but he insisted
on calling the office to remove the redirect from Noble’s line to Daniel’s
mobile, and actually took the phone off him to stop him answering anything
other than calls from his brother and sister. Daniel put up surprisingly little
fight. After the brief burst of determination over Dee and Alex, he’d slid back
into apathy, paying little attention to the journey, Spen, or even Kani. He’d
eaten very little breakfast, and refused tea from the train’s galley. Spen
wondered if he was afraid of being drugged again. Maybe his stomach was still
upset. Asking was more than he dared do, seeing the faraway look in Daniel’s
eyes as he stared through the dirty glass out to the rain-sodden railway
cutting.

When they arrived, Daniel looked at Spen in
surprise as he climbed into the taxi with him. “I’m coming with you,” Spen
said.

“Why?”

“Because.”

Daniel shrugged, and gave the driver the
address.

He finally roused to question Spen’s
actions once he’d unlocked his front door and set his bags down. “I’m okay now.
You should go home.”

“House is empty until Mum gets home. I
thought I’d keep you company until the kids come back from school.”

Daniel frowned. “Why?”

“Do you want to be alone?”

Daniel opened his mouth, then
closed it. “No,” he said in a small voice. “But I shouldn’t impose.”

“You didn’t. I offered. Is there anything
to eat? I’m starving.”

Daniel sat in the kitchen and watched Spen
as he rooted around looking for edibles. The fridge was bare, since they house
was supposed to be empty for a week, but he found a tin of soup, and that with
toasted bread from the freezer, a pot of tea and some biscuits, made a warming
if not particularly healthy meal. Spen watched Daniel’s colour improve with
every mouthful, and concluded at least some of his bad mood was down to low
blood sugar.

“Feeling better?” he asked as he collected
the dishes to dump in the sink.

“Yes. Thank you. Spen...I’m sorry for being
such an arsehole.”

“You need to try harder. I didn’t even
notice. You forget who I work with.” That raised a smile. “What do you want to
do now?”

“Um...I should do some shopping. You don’t
want to do that with me.”

“Try me.”

“Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Nope. I’m on leave until Monday. Besides,
I never get to shop properly any more since I moved back home.”

Daniel looked like he was about to tell
Spen that was the most ridiculous statement since the Big Bang, but the words
never actually came out. Instead he shrugged. “If you really want to.”

The rain had stopped but it was still cold
and windy, so people crowded into the shops. Weaving around damp, cranky people
wasn’t Spen’s idea of fun, but Daniel seemed to barely notice, filling his
trolley methodically, checking unit prices and always choosing discounted or
sale items. Spen hadn’t had to do that since he was a student—his salary
and living rent-free with Rob had spared him from having to watch his budget
too carefully. Daniel might have been doing it out of habit, but then he
wouldn’t be working for a wanker like Noble if the family finances were secure.

Myko and Kani thought the shop was a playground
set up for their pleasure, and chased each other along the shelves, weaving in
and out of the cans and bottles with breathtaking heedlessness. Myko was
normally pretty well-behaved in shops, but Spen saw
Daniel’s smile at their antics, and carefully did nothing to rein in his
naughty kem. Myko and Kani were trying to help—and it was working.

Daniel reached for a packet of discounted
cheese. “I thought I’d make a couple of dishes to freeze this afternoon, maybe
roast a chicken for supper.”

“You cook?”

“Yeah, we all do. Mum insisted. I like it.
Made life easier at Uni.” His mouth turned down. “Dee does most of it now, but
I try and make up for it at the weekends.”

“Mum does the cooking at home. I can cook
but she enjoys it. I do the heavier housework, washing and vacuuming, that kind
of thing.”

“Ooh, where can I find your twin? I wish we
had an extra pair of hands. Dad—”

He stopped. Kani meeped and ran over to
him, jumping up to his left shoulder. Spen put his hand on Daniel’s right, but
didn’t know what to say. All he could do, after a few seconds, was to gently
nudge him to carry on, which Daniel did, walking along in silence, picking out
items with the same concentration as before. The kems no longer made him smile.