what, me worry?

“you came!” serenity exclaims happily at the other person heading towards her direction. “come, come! get in the photo, this is definitely going to be hung up in my room.” she mentions, pulling the other in with her. christmas time always brought out the best of serenity and with a few spiked hot chocolates in her system, she was extremely friendly. 

x.

dani laughs, quick to wrap serenity in a fast hug before moving to pose for her photo. he ay not have been super into the holidays, but daniyal enjoyed any excuse he got to hang out & have fun with his chosen family. “hey, seri,” he greeted once they’d taken photos. “how’s tonight treating you so far?”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ open starter

when zac entered the surf lodge, he had a pure smile on his face; he was freezing, but that wasn’t going to stop him. he’s been back for a few months, but it’s the longest he’s been since leaving for the army. h e patted the shoulder of someone. “—I apologize if I’m bothering you, but  do you know where I can get some good food around?” He asked the other.

x.

dani turned around as someone tapped on his shoulder, offering up a soft smile towards the stranger. “you aren’t bothering me,” he assured, moving to focus his attention on the other male. “there should be some food around here somewhere...” he trailed off, going on his tip toes to have a better look. “hmm, i think i see something over there,” he remarked, nodding in the direction to their left. “want me to come with you?”

entering the winter wonderland, he glances around at the bright twinkling lights with a grin plastered across his lips. “alright, what do you want to do first?” he inquires, rising a brow. “play some games? team up and make the best gingerbread house or become best friends with the grinch?” 

dani spots kai enter the wonderland & relief floods through him. he’s excited to see a friendly face so early on into the event. “ooh, that last one about befriending the grinch is pretty tempting,” he jokes, eyes wandering over to the gingerbread station. “think we could build a mansion instead of a house?” it’s a challenge, & one he’s fairly certain kai will rise to.

x.

isabella kept the small smile on her face she had to keep the smile on her face despite just wanting to let it fall off her face. laughing as she looked up at him shaking her head but saying, “oh no i definitely like that about you. definitely a perk.” she smiled as they walked and took a seat when he let go of her arm leaning her arms on the counter her eyes going to the wine glass before finding his again, “i will tell you when you get back for sure.” she said softly a small smile on her lips, “i promise.”

dani couldn’t help but laugh softly, relieved that isabella seemed to be at the baseline mood for joking at the least. “well, i’m glad you like me,” he chuckled, meaning every word of it. “’cause i like you, too. you’re one of the closer people in my life, y’know?” dani leaves isabella for a moment to go get her wine, chocolate, & cheese, coming back with a platter of the latter two & the first bottle of wine. he set the platter down in front of her with a, ‘bon appetite’, before reaching under the counter for a wine glass. he poured out the wine, putting a place holder cork in the bottle before fully putting his attention onto his so-called girlfriend. “now, issa... care to share what’s going on?” he prompted, staring intensely at her with concern.

everything was slowly falling back into place and he was glad that it was around christmas time. he was glad that the universe decided to bring them back together again and they had lots to catch up on. any chance that he get’s he totally would take it. a laughter erupted from the pit of his stomach as he nodded. “she couldn’t handle the both of us… that’s her fault!” he exclaims, although they did always tend to get in trouble with one another. the teacher definitely tried to seprate the two of them, but they always found way back to one another, even if it was during recess. he nods his head before shaking it at the following question. “just trying to get into the christmas spirit. wanna go shopping with me later? i could use your opinion on gifts.” 

dani was relieved to be around kai again. it felt like a big piece of him had come back to him after so long apart. nice wasn’t the right word for it: it went much beyond that. “it was definitely all on her,” he laughed in agreement. “she just couldn’t handle the genius we came up with.” it was funny in a way; they’d been separated for so long, but just like when they were kids, they had found their way back to one another. it was as if their friendship was meant to be. “i mean, i guess alcohol helps get you into the christmas spirit,” he laughed, leaning on the counter. “and i would absolutely love to go present shopping with you. that sounds like a lot of fun.”

Dion fixed the beanie that was on his head and nodded his head as Dani asked him to follow. Dion watched the ground, moving slowly so it didn’t look like he was too unsettled on his feet. That was the last thing he needed. “Your a real one, Dani. I owe you big time.” He confessed.

Dani grinned, running a hand through his pink locks as they headed to the empty space towards the back. “It’s not a big deal at all,” he assured, offering a small shrug. “Did you have a fun night last night?”

maybe the other wasn’t as funny as mael was making him out to be, but at this point, the most minimal thing was hilarious for the brazilian male. “i should, shouldn’t i? it’s the least jake long deserves.” he jokes right back, his laughter continuing, not even noticing the other’s face when he leans against the counter. “yeah, it’s my nickname. mael couto who? nah, it’s lizard guy!” he’s obviously joking, which makes him laugh even harder, up to the point where his face is red over his own stupidity. “i do. i take him hiking, to doctor’s appointments, shopping, to the bathroom,” a brief pause is taken, followed by him shaking his head, “i’m also totally joking, i hope you know that.” he felt the need to clarify that. “nah, i’m just taking him out because his birthday was yesterday and this outfit just came in today. he needs to be under a certain temperature and uv light, so i don’t make it a habit to take him everywhere.” which was true. taking care of a bearded dragon wasn’t difficult, but it was a lot different than caring for the average dog or cat. “sorry! maybe you can order some fries or something. or have a drink to get over the hunger.” he replies, chuckling softly, before he starts nodding his head. “yeah, born and raised for a good amount of my life. i’m from joão pessoa, but i moved here when i was around eleven.” he grabs jake long from the other’s hand, pretty sure he didn’t want to carry his bearded dragon for the entire night. “nice to meet you, dani.” he tells the other, petting jake long’s little coat. he moves closer to him, “so we cause a distraction with jake long, right?” he looks around, as if people would actually be listening to what he has to say. “then, i swoop in and jack one of those bottles, grab an order of those curly fries with cheese, and we dodge on out of here and book it! it’ll be like a movie. it’s fate, it’s meant to be… look, that guy is holding a burrito!” he drunkenly points towards a man eating a burrito and spilling a bunch of beans all over his shirt, unable to help but giggle at the sight. “so, what do you say? wanna cause some chaos?”

dani laughs, thoroughly amused by mael’s antics. his energy is really fun & dani figures it would be fun to make friends with the other. it’s always nice to have friends who dani feels he can go out with & just let the week go. “mael who? you’ll always be lizard guy to me,” he jokes, laughing along with the other male. truth be told, dani would’ve completely believed that jake long went everywhere with mael; he could imagine the little reptile hanging out on the other’s shoulder as they went around town, getting chores done or just hanging out having fun. it was a cute imagery, & dani had to wonder why he didn’t have a pet. laughing, daniyal shook his head. “i completely believed you,” he admitted with a chuckle, looking down at the lizard. “but it makes sense he has to a complex setup. he seems like a special, little dude, so it makes sense he’d need his own special setup.” maybe he couldn’t handle such a special pet, but dani thought a dog or a cat might be nice; something he could handle. dani listened as mael shared about originally being from joão pessoa, & he nodded along. “what was joão pessoalike?” he questioned, genuinely curious. he gives jake long back to his owner, waving a small goodbye, as if the lizard would somehow return the gesture. “it’s nice to meet you as well,” he responds, offering a friendly grin mael’s way before listening carefully to the other man’s plan. he can’t help but arch a brow. he’s intrigued, but unsure of how well this plan will actually go down. he’s even less sure as mael gets very distracted by some man eating a burrito & making a real mess out of it. humming, he leans close to the other, unable to hide the smile on his face. “hey; are you sure we can pull this kind of a heist off?” he questions, smirking. “i mean, burrito brah’s got our attention diverted. who’s to say we won’t run into more messy eaters? or worse; what if it’s too much pressure on jakey here?”

camilo came here to get away from anyone and everything he’s ever known. this was one of the easiest places he could go to. he didn’t have to worry about buying or remodeling a house since his parents owned a ( pretty basic ) mansion near the coast. he was telling himself that living in a place where no one knew him and vice versa was a good thing, but with his luck, of course he’d run into dani of all people. why does this happen to him? camilo was convinced he would never see him again, yet here they were, face to face after many, many years. honestly? he doesn’t know what to say. he doesn’t know how to react, whether he should look him in the eyes or point his gaze towards another direction. a part of him wants to tell him many things. scream at him for doing what he did, shove him and tell him just how much he hurt his feelings, even flick him off, but the other part of camilo? the other part of him feels like he doesn’t deserve any of that. he doesn’t deserve any reaction on his end, just nonchalance and ignorance, the same kind camilo received from him when he just disappeared, left him as if he was nothing. the younger male swears he had forgotten about it, built a bridge and gotten over it, but how can he ignore it all when he’s standing right in front of him? his heart suddenly hurts, his insides growing cold and his mind racing with a million thoughts per second. he wants to reply, but he doesn’t know how to. what does he say to him? why are the odds never in his favor? it all just feels like a kick to the face, coming here to leave all the bullshit behind, just to be greeted by someone who played a significant role in his life, someone he’s cried over, someone who left him wondering  –  what is it about me that makes me so unlovable? camilo thought he would surely be worthy of at least a talk, a call, shit, even a text would have sufficed, but the way they ended? it doesn’t settle well with him, even after all this time. he can’t help but notice how much he’s changed  –  more tattoos, dyed hair, piercings that weren’t there before, even the way he was dressed seemed to be different. camilo on the other hand, remained with no tattoos, no piercings, and his natural hair color in tact, baby face still prominent on his features even with how long its been. they were polar opposites, and maybe… maybe that’s why they didn’t work out. it takes him a moment to realize that he hasn’t replied back to the other, he just doesn’t know what to say. right when he’s about to give him a meek answer, roberto appears beside dani. his crystal like eyes break away from his ex and turn towards his worker. “lleva el equipaje a mi habitación.” he tells him, spanish accent thick as ever. he nods, grabs the luggage from dani’s hand, and makes his way towards the house, leaving them alone once again. he forces a smile across his lips, despite how badly he wants to tell him off. “he’s got it.” he replies, slamming the car door shut, and walking past him.

dani can’t help but feel sick to his stomach. he feels as if his insides are somersaulting, and he feels feint. he wants to be weak, to crumble on his knees at camilo’s feet; to beg for forgiveness. to try his best to explain the nightmare he’d been through, the fear he’d felt that one, awful night. but he doesn’t think the other man would care at this point, maybe he’d even think daniyal deserved it. it’s a risk he doesn’t want to take but knows he should. the thought brings back a flood of memories, & he feels the same kind of fear he did that night when everything went to shit. he can hear the same screams, & it’s almost as if his wrist is throbbing with the same kind of pain. instinctively, he grabs at it, massaging the area that’s been since covered up in an attempt to do the same to the awful memory. he knows why he couldn’t go to camilo, or at least he did once. didn’t want any looks of pity or even possibly for the other to turn on him, or for the other to somehow think he was to blame. dani could barely admit that what had happened had happened to himself. he still struggles with the concept: that the people who are supposed to love you in the most compensatory manner could just as easily turn on you when you least expected it. he feels like making a scene, a trait so unlike dani at his core. he hates not being chill or laid back; hates the feeling of fire deep inside of him. it’s something that he put out so long ago. he couldn’t afford to let the flames engulf his mind, to make him see red. he learned to turn the other cheek so long ago that standing up felt like torture. but he knows he needs to make things right, to try to turn back the hands of time. it’s an impossibility, but what else can he do besides give up like a coward? he wonders if the other has thought of him or if he remembers what it felt like to support one another. he doubts there’s any fondness left in camilo’s heart for him. it’s probably like it had been before, when the younger man had treated him with disdain & as though he knew he was better than dani. it had been an arrogance that daniyal had chalked up to snobbery before he’d really gotten to know camilo & just how sweet he could be. all the late nights spent talking about nothing & everything, making each other laugh & sharing about their wildest dreams. dani can’t even for the life of him remember what he’d wanted to do before the incident, before he had to settle for scraping by with dead end jobs & couch surfing. maybe it’d been a family before his own had turned on him.. if that’s the case, he has that in his friends. he feels enriched by the people in his life, but camilo had been like a diamond in the rough. now, it feels as though the man is a ghost from his past, back to haunt him in a place so far from where they’d first met. he looks exactly the same to daniyal, & it feels like everything has changed about him. he realizes he’s been eaten alive from the inside out, that something is still eating at him & leaving him bare to the bones. he feels as though he’s choking, & he has to take a deep, shaking breath to keep himself from falling. he can feel himself sway, & he squeezes his eyes shut a moment, suddenly grabbing camilo’s wrist without thinking. “please... can we talk somewhere?” he questions in a pleading tone, unable to open his eyes.

“i think i’ll go with white. white seems fine– but it could be sweet but no so much please.” she replied waving her hand off. sweet things made her nauseous.

dani nodded in understanding. “got it. you aren’t a fan of sweet wines,” he repeated, smiling at her. “this isn’t so sweet. i think you’ll like, but do you want a taste to make sure before you buy it?”

“I’ll take whatever I can get from you Dani,” he answered the other. He grinned as the other offered him a choice of soda or juice and thought for a second or two before looking at the other. “Is there orange juice? Something with water in might benefit my pounding head..”

Dani grinned knowingly, catching on to the fact that Dion must’ve had a fun night. Of course, no fun night was void of consequences. “Got it. OJ and some water,” he remarked, patting the counter rhythmically before pushing off of it. “Wanna follow me to where you’ll be hanging and then I can go grab everything for you.”

x.

she laughed lightly, “i think you should reveal one secret.” she said smiling up at him but that smile never reached her eyes. it was a trait she never really mastered when she was trying to really hide how she felt, she just couldn’t make herself believe smiling was the right answer to all her problems. nodding her head she linked her arm through his, “lead the way, babe.” she said before clearing her throat.

dani frowned, tempted to comment on the look in isabella’s face but not wanting to make her uncomfortable in public by pushing. he figured she’d share over wine if she wanted to; could only hope that she knew he was always there for her. instead, he joked: “what? you don’t like that i’m all suave and mysterious?” daniyal led her through the winery to the an open space, letting go of her arm to step behind the counter to pull out a wine glass. “i have to go get the cheese and chocolate, but then i’ll be right back,” he remarked, smiling softly at her. “then maybe you can tell me what’s going on..”

closed starter for @itsxdani·

the luggage he had been missing finally arrived, stuffed into the back seat of a bentley. he’s waiting for his personal driver to take it, but seeing that he’s on the phone, he opens the door to try and get it out himself. the only thing is that whatever he had put into that luggage weighed a ton and he was struggling to even get it out of the car. “roberto! ayúdame, no?!” he shouts towards the other, to which he puts a hand over the phone and brings it down from his ear. “ahora voy, es que estoy hablando con tu mamá!” he replies, bringing the phone back to his ear. camilo rolls his eyes, “estúpido.” he mutters underneath his breath, trying, and failing, to get the luggage out of the back seat. it’s then that an arm from behind grabs the luggage out of the car and places it on the floor beside him, and at first, camilo assumes it’s probably roberto. “tanto te demoraste para…” he’s cut off short when he turns around, and realizes it’s not roberto, but someone he hasn’t seen in years. someone he never thought he would see again. someone he kind of, sort of wishes he would have never even met to begin with. he’s quiet at first, just staring at the other without muttering a word, but after another moment passes, he finally musters up the courage to say something. “thanks.” is all that leaves his lips, feeling somewhat uneasy now, and nostalgic.

dani can’t tell you what made him want to take this route home from work. it’s different from the one he usually takes, but it felt as if something was urging him to be different. dani didn’t just like different: he loved it. new experiences were always fun & the more out there a person the better. it’s part of why he’s decided to dye his hair fun colors, cover his skin with ink, & amass a collection of piercings. he enjoys feeling like he could be his own, expressive person without needing to be loud or in anyone’s face with his words. this particular path home is littered with beautiful homes he couldn’t dream of affording & a beautiful view. daniyal can appreciate why someone would want to live here despite being unable to imagine ever reaching the point where he’s wealthy enough to afford to. he’s content with sharing an apartment with jaden & getting up to know good with his friend. making it about ten minutes into the thirty minute journey, dani notices a figure struggling to get something out of a very nice car up ahead. not hesitating, he moves to help out, not enjoying seeing anyone in a tough position. but upon getting closer, an eerie feeling settles over him: dani thinks he knows this dude. shaking it off, he tells himself that it’s just wishful or guilty thinking, that it can’t be who it appears to be. reaching around the doppelganger of his first love, dani grabs the luggage, unable to put it down as his blood freezes at the sound of an all-too-familiar voice. a voice that’s replayed in his mind over a thousand times, one he’s been too afraid to look into or reach out to. he swallows as actual camilo turns around, & he can’t help but feel dread creep into his lower abdomen. he thinks he might be sick or having an out of body experience as they stare at each other. camilo looks like he’s barely changed: same clean-cut appearance & striking blue eyes. daniyal, on the other hand, knows he must look different than the mousy seventeen year old he’d been. he feels like an alien, coming across a human being for the first time. he doesn’t know if he can speak, but he manages to get out a “no problem” before his mouth goes completely dry. he clears his throat as he realizes the luggage is still in his hands & he stares in a dumbstruck manner at the man in front of him. “where do you want this?” he questions hoarsely; they’re the same height, so it’s hard to break eye contact as he speaks. it feels like he’s being engulfed in a sea of baby blue: it all feels so overwhelming & so terrifying. he’s certain the other hates him, but he stays put, waiting for a response.

she nodded to his words and looked over at all her options. she was happy to know that he’ll help her out on this. “i know i might sound a very basic white girl but i do like the moscato type of wine.” she replied putting her groceries on the floor.

dani nodded, listening as cloe shared. “moscato isn’t basic,” he reassured with a laugh. “but we’ve got a couple: pink, white, and sparkling. do you have a preference?”

kai felt lucky that he was able to reconnect with his childhood friend. there was a point in his life where he tried to contact the other when he was going through his rough patches at each different home, but he had no luck. not until he got to the hamptons. “i’m glad to be the last, i promise i’ll try not to be a pain.” he laughs knowing that some customers and guests could be assholes. “you doing anything at work?” he inquires the other before glancing at the different options layed out. “mm, i’ll try the even mix.” he finally concludes, leaning against the counter. “and all the chocolates you can give me.” 

dani smiles, glad that kai is his last tasting as well. he looks for any excuse possible to hang out with the other male. they had years apart to make up for & daniyal feels relieved to know they’re back in each other’s orbits. “you aren’t a pain,” he remarks before pausing to contemplate. “unless you’re talking about what mrs. peterson said in first grade, but i think she was calling both of us pains in the, eherm, butt.” he can’t help but laugh thinking of said teacher who seemed to have had enough of them from the first month in. the teacher had used more colorful language at a parent meeting, & it was something his mother had always laughed about. “nothing beyond the usual,” he remarks, giving a small shrug. “have you been up to anything in particular?” he listens for kai to answer as he rings him up for a mixed wine & chocolate tasting, excited at the prospect of spending the next hour, maybe more, together.

cieran couldn’t help but laugh along at the other male’s words. “when anyone says hustle i think of you. definitely though, i get that.” as dani promised he hadn’t been avoiding him, he gave a nod and a smile, despite already knowing it. he listened as the other mentioned things with isabella. cieran’s own history with the female had been rocky at times, but dani revealing she’d always been wonderful reassured him two of his closest friends were happy and things were going good. “honestly, knowing you both, i think you’re right,” he agreed, meaning it. he could see them balancing each other out. “i’m happy for you, man.” but then he grimaced more so than smiled at the mention of the way instagram and the media in general could get. “yeah. i hope you’re settling in okay with all of that? it can get a little much.” he knew from being somewhat in the public eye. when dani wanted to change the topic to him, he glanced away for a second, reflecting. he didn’t want to bring things down too much. “i’ve been good. trying to train a lot more again, i guess. i’m aiming to be back for a tournament in a month and a half. i guess we’ll see how it pans out?” did he even want to go back? a large part of his gut said no.

dani grins proudly, eyes crinkling at the corners. he appreciated his own work ethic: he knew how to get shit done without too much stress or complaints. of course, there was always exceptions, but for the most part daniyal was used to pushing for better & working for it. it was how he’d ended up being able to afford the hampton’s & now have what was a pretty comfortable job. “i like knowing my name is synonymous with the hustle,” he remarked, half-joking, half-genuine. “thank you, cieran. i appreciate it. it’s been nice being in a relationship. she’s really special, y’know?” & beyond the media attention, it was really nice getting to hang out so much with isabella, who was normally insanely busy. she was definitely a special person for dani & even though it might not have been easy hiding things, it was worth it to make sure his friend was in a good spot & spend time with her. “i mean, social media is social media. i’m just doing my best to stay afloat with it,” he admitted, shrugging. “but has training been going well? you must be excited for the tournament, no? it sounds like it’s a big deal to compete in..”

“Could I swap out the wine for water? Is there an option to do that or is that out the question?” Dion asked raising his eyebrow. Dion knew he couldn’t stomach anymore alcohol. As much as he loved DJing and getting into the vibes of the local clubs, he paid for it the night afterwards. “I don’t want to get you in trouble, man..”

Dani grinned, arching a brow. “I can get you a kids’ tasting. We do it because, for some reason, rich people like to bring their kids to tastings sometimes,” he informed, leaning across the counter. “You can choose your favorite soda or juice. Well, our sodas are pretty limited. But I can see if we have what you prefer.”