The Way You Loo at Me

The incessant knocking at his door would not seem to stop. Grunting to himself, Daniel wiggled himself down further into the blankets, his entire body wrapped in a cocoon of quilts, sheets and pillows. He could smell the wonderful scents coming from downstairs, but for the moment he was too comfortable, and too warm, something he had not been in a very long time. When the knocking finally ceased, he let himself start to drift back into sleep, only to be woken up by the sudden weight that pounced atop him.

"Morning!" grinned Aiden as he sprawled out ontop of Daniel, only the quilts separating them.

"Fuck!" shouted Daniel as he struggled to sit up, panting from the sudden change from quiet slumber to loud awareness. "What the hell?"

"I did knock," said Aiden.

Daniel groaned as he fell back into the pillows. "You are so annoying."

"You don't mean that," said Aiden as he sat up with a grin. "Besides, breakfast is ready."

Peeking his head up over the blankets, Daniel knitted his brows together as he took in the view. Aiden was sitting on the edge of the bed, clad in nothing but a thin pair of boxers. From his vantage point, Daniel could even catch a glimpse of the half open fly at the front. "Uh..." Daniel swallowed as his eyes traveled up the length of Aiden's body, taking in the hair that dusted his belly and chest. "Are...you going down like that? Because I have to tell you dude...you're not leaving much to the imagination..."

Smirking, Aiden chuckled. "Yea, but you like the view, don't you?" Sliding off the bed, Aiden gave a dramatic stretch, ending it with a shrug. "No, I'm going to go throw on some sweats and a tee, but I figured I'd wake you up first...before Izzy did." He shook his head as he started towards the door. "Really, if you think I'm bad, just wait until she wakes you up."

When he heard the door click shut, Daniel sighed and let himself spread out in the bed. Closing his eyes, he slid his hand down his bare chest. He wasn't hairy at all, save for a narrow trail that led from his navel downward. He was trim, almost too thin in a way, but there was muscle to him. As he slid his hand down into his boxers, he curled his fingers around his hard shaft. That momentary glimpse of Aiden's nearly naked form had been enough to get him excited. With a groan, he threw the blankets back and tugged the waistband of his boxers down under his balls. Glancing down at himself, he squeezed the base of his dick and gave it a slow stroke. He wasn't large, maybe six inches, but he liked what he had, and keeping his pubic hair trimmed short made it look larger.

Groaning, Daniel worked his length, his free hand sliding down under his balls and into his boxers. He whimpered as he pressed a single finger against his tight pucker and rubbed. "Oh...oh f-fuck," he gasped. He could feel his climax building, the warm sensation starting in his groin and quickly spreading out. With a low moan, he let loose, his seed shooting out and landing on his chest and belly. "Fuck, fuck," he chanted as he trembled, his entire body tightening up one moment and relaxing the next. He laid there panting for a moment, enjoying the afterglow. The moment passed all too quickly as there was another knock at his door.

"Come on Danny!" came the muffled voice of Aiden. "Breakfast is going to be cold."

"I'll be right down," sighed Daniel.

--

The kitchen was quiet as Aiden sat at the island munching on his toast. Beside him, Daniel picked at his scrambled eggs. "You know," said Aiden, "If there's something else you want, I can probably whip it up."

"You can cook?" asked Daniel as he raised a brow.

Aiden nodded emphatically. "The microwave counts, right?" Grinning, he shrugged. "I can do oatmeal, and toast."

Shaking his head, Daniel smiled slightly. "No, thanks. I'm just kind of full I think."

"You need to eat more," said Aiden with a grin. He poked at Daniel's ribs. "Too skinny."

Swatting his hand away, Daniel huffed. "Excuse you."

Stepping through the door, Evan raised a brow as he made his way to the coffee pot. "What did he do now?" he asked as he poured himself a mug.

"Dad!" Aiden frowned. "You always think I've done something. This time I'm innocent."

Snorting, Evan nearly dropped his mug of coffee. "Oh, like hell you are. I raised you, and you are most definitely my son, so I know you aren't innocent." He took a sip of his coffee and raised both brows at his son. "So, what did you do?"

Aiden blinked as he glanced from his father to Daniel and back again. "Um..."

"Nothing," said Daniel with a small smile. "He was just teasing me a little about being too thin."

"Mm," grunted Evan. "You are a little too thin, kid, but a few weeks here, and you'll put on a few pounds." He chuckled softly as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Weeks?" blinked Daniel. "I had figured a few days, maybe past Christmas, but...Weeks?"

Evan nodded as he went to refill his mug. "There was a call from the police this morning. They're sending a detective over to talk to you, but from what they said, its going to be at least a few weeks before you can get back into your place. Possibly longer."

"Oh..." said Daniel. "Um...I...Okay?"

Evan smiled as he leaned back against the counter. "You can stay here, Daniel. We don't mind." He glanced at Aiden and raised a brow. "You need to get ready though."

"For what?" asked Aiden.

"Work," smirked Evan.

"Uh, about that Dad," said Aiden. "I...uh...kind-of-got-fired," he rushed out.

Nodding, Evan took another sip of his coffee. "I know. Which is why you're going to work at Aunt Lisa's cafe. She wants you there before noon, so you better get going."

"Aw, Dad," groaned Aiden. "Someone should really be here with Danny when the detective arrives. I can always start tomorrow."

"Nope," said Evan with a shake of his head as he finished off his coffee. "I told your aunt you'd be there today. Besides, I'll be here, so Daniel won't be alone." When Aiden hesitated, Evan raised his brows as gestured at the door. "Scoot."

Sighing, Aiden stood up and grumbled. "Fine, fine." He glanced at Daniel and forced a smile. "I'll see you later."

Quiet settled on the kitchen as Evan picked up the empty plates and cups from breakfast, humming as he went. "I don't think you have anything to worry about with the police," he said softly.

Daniel nodded slowly. "Yea...thanks by the way, for all of this."

Shrugging, Evan placed the dishes into the dishwasher. "Its nothing, really. You don't need to keep thanking us." He sighed as he closed the door to the machine. "The truth is, Josh and I wanted more kids, but I was only able to adopt Aiden because he's related to me. Izzy is...something of a new development."

Blinking, Daniel turned towards Evan. "I thought Aiden was your son. I mean, he looks a lot like you and all."

Shaking his head, Evan smiled. "No, he's my cousin Amy's son actually. We adopted Isabelle from Argentina."

"Oh," said Daniel. "What happened to his mom? He doesn't seem to talk about it much."

Sighing, Evan shrugged. "There's not a lot to tell really. She had a brain tumor and..." He shook his head and sighed once more. "They never tell you when you're a kid that life doesn't always have a happy ending. Sometimes it seems like there are no happy endings at all. But we keep trying, because the alternative is just too terrible to contemplate."

Nodding slowly, Daniel blinked. "That's deep."

"Yea," chuckled Evan. "Sorry about that."

Shaking his head, Daniel slid off his bar stool. "No, its okay. Sometimes you've got to go deep in order to get to the truth of things, right?"

"Right," nodded Evan. He glanced at the clock and gave a faint smile. "You should probably go get dressed. I'm sure the detective will be here before too long. And I need to go make sure my son doesn't lolly gag around."

With a small smile, Daniel nodded and made his way out of the kitchen.

--

"Alright, please state your name for the record," said the detective.

The library was quiet, its dark green walls almost completely covered in shelves that were overflowing with books. The fireplace was cold at the moment, though holidays greens and red ribbons hung from the mantle. Seated at the large table in the center of the room, Daniel swallowed as he glanced over at first Evan and then the detective. "Um..."

"Mike," sighed Evan. "Do you think you could be a little less formal? He's scared to death as it is."

The detective sighed. "Yea, sorry about that kid." He extended one hand. "Mike Toliver. I'll be handling your case."

"Um, okay," said Daniel as he took the pro-offered hand. "Nice to meet you." Mike was good looking, in an old guy kind of way, thought Daniel. He wasn't nearly as handsome as Evan, but still good looking in that rugged bad ass kind of way.

"Mike is an old friend of mine," said Evan. "He tried to date my sister at one point."

Shaking his head, Mike sighed. "Turned me down flat. Apparently she wasn't into older men. Anyway," he glanced down at the digital recorder on the table and tapped one of the buttons along its side. "Lets try this again. Please state your name for the record."

"Daniel Blake," said Daniel.

"Alright Daniel," said Mike. He flipped through his notes and nodded to himself. "You moved into your apartment two months ago, correct?"

Daniel nodded. When the detective looked up at him, he nodded again. "Oh, right. Yes. Two months ago."

"And was the apartment already furnished?" asked Mike.

"Yea," nodded Daniel. "It came fully furnished. The only thing I brought in was my clothing."

Mike nodded and made a quick notation in his notes. "Did you ever notice anyone hanging around the building that didn't belong?"

Blinking, Daniel frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Anyone that didn't live there, or didn't seem to be visiting anyone," said Mike.

Daniel thought back on the two months he had lived in his shabby little one room apartment. "No, not that I can think of," he finally said. "Though, now that you mention it, there was a guy who went around knocking on all the doors asking for some guy."

"Do you remember the name?" asked Mike.

"I think it was Bill," said Daniel. "I remember it was a really common name."

Nodding to himself, Mike made a few more notations. "Is there anything else that you can think of? Anything suspicious or out of the ordinary?"

After a moment of consideration, Daniel shrugged. "No, nothing." He frowned as he glanced from Mike to Evan and back. "Can you tell me what's going on Detective?"

Closing his notebook, Mike turned off the digital recorder. "We searched your apartment after the attack, we were looking for some clue as to why it happened." He chuckled softly as he picked up the digital recorder and placed it and the notebook in his pocket. "This is River Bluff, kid. Its not like we have a lot of crime here." He shook his head. "Anyway, the place had already been tossed, we assume it was while you were unconscious. The damage was pretty bad, they even tore open the mattress."

"Oh..." said Daniel. His shoulders slumped as reality set in. He hadn't owned a lot, but whatever he had was now more or less destroyed, or evidence in a crime. "I see."

"Yea," said Mike with a nod. "Anyway, there was some residue in the mattress. The lab identified it as heroin. High quality stuff, uncut. We think whoever stashed it there was supplying or something."

"What?" said Evan. "Here? That's crazy Mike. I mean, I could understand if we were down in Louisville or something, but...that kind of thing just doesn't go on here."

Mike shrugged. "Until the other day, I would have agreed with you, but I can't ignore facts."

Chewing his bottom lip, Evan sat back in his chair. "We have had a lot more overdoses coming into the hospital recently. Damn," he said with a shake of his head.

Mike nodded slowly. "We're coordinating with other agencies, but right now we don't know a whole lot." He glanced back at Daniel and sighed. "I'm not sure when you'll be able to get back into your place kid, but if you think of anything else, let me know."

Daniel just nodded.

--

Natalia pulled up in front of the corner cafe, its outdoor tables buried under the snow, with the umbrellas closed up. "Well," she said as she put the car in park and turned off the engine. "Here we are!"

Still somewhat in a daze, Daniel blinked and nodded. "Thanks, again, for all of this." He glanced over his shoulder at the shopping bags, each filled with clothes and accessories and all for him. "I have no idea how I'm going to repay you for this."

Shaking her head, Natalia gathered up her purse. "You're not going to. My brother said to take you shopping and get you whatever you wanted, and that is exactly what I did." She smiled as she leaned over to lightly pat him on the arm. "Besides, even if he wasn't paying for it, it would have been my pleasure. Now, lets get something to eat, okay?"

With a smile and a nod, Daniel glanced up at the window of the cafe, its name done in elegant calligraphy. "Ambrosia?" he asked.

"Yup," said Natalia as she opened her door, gesturing for Daniel to follow her. "It belongs to our aunt, Lisa. She makes a certain amount of dishes everyday, and when they're gone, that's it. She makes a killing, everyone in town eats here." She grinned at Daniel as she waited for him on the sidewalk. "And with it being a Friday, there should be a band."

"Oh, this is where Aiden is supposed to be working, right?" said Daniel as he opened the door to the cafe for Natalia.

Giggling, Natalia nodded, and for a moment she seemed more like the girl she had been, rather than the woman she was. "Such a young gentleman," she said as she stepped through the door. "Yea, this is where Aiden is working." She glanced around the packed restaurant, and waved at a short blonde woman.

The blonde woman rushed over, and as she approached, Daniel could see the white hairs that seemed to streak her otherwise golden locks. "Oh Natalia, dear!" said the woman as she embraced Natalia. "I didn't know you were coming!" She glanced at Daniel and smiled. "And who is this?"

Smiling, Natalia gestured to Daniel. "Aunt Lisa, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is my Aunt Lisa, the owner of this place."

Lisa smiled as she pulled Daniel into a hug. "Oh! Of course! Aiden has told me all about you, poor thing. Now don't you worry," she said as she let him go and ushered them further into the restaurant. "We'll get you fattened up in no time. I'll have to seat you two at one of the back tables, we're a little busy as you can see."

While Natalia and Lisa chatted about the cafe and their family, Daniel took a moment to really get a look at the place. A local band played on the stage, and he had to admit, they didn't sound half bad. Red and white checkered cloths covered the tables, and the whole place had a 1920's vibe, not the retro vibe as if it had been restored and decorated with reproductions. No, this place was original. As he slid into his seat at the small table, Daniel swallowed hard when he realized both Natalia and her aunt were looking at him. "Did...I miss something?" he asked.

Natalia shook her head. "Nope, just wondering what you'd like to eat."

"Um..." Daniel blinked as he looked around for a menu and found nothing. "I...don't know? The special? Maybe?"

Lisa looked towards the ceiling. "Oh good grief. You'd think after all these years, I'd remember to grab menus!" Sighing, she shook her head as she looked at Daniel with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry sugar. Just let me grab one real fast."

"Actually," said Daniel, a blush forming on his cheeks at the fuss that was being made over him. "Whatever you recommend will be fine. I'm not a picky eater."

"Mm," Lisa nodded. "A young man like you? The fried chicken and all the sides." She smiled as she gave a wink. "It'll be out in just a minute."

As Lisa left, Natalia smiled at Daniel. "Its different isn't it? Having all of this attention on you."

With his cheeks blazing, Daniel nodded slowly. "Yea. I'm kind of used to taking care of myself, not to mention the affection."

"Its a little much," nodded Natalia. "But hopefully its not a bad thing. I know my family can be a little overbearing at times."

Daniel shook his head. "No, I like it. I mean, its taking some getting used to, but, yea."

Natalia smiled. "Good, good." She sighed softly as she settled into her seat. "My brother is a good man, a little headstrong sometimes, but he goes out of his way to help people. Its how he met Josh actually."

"You know," said Aiden as he approached carrying a tray of food. "That's the second time you've mentioned how Dad met Poppy recently." He grinned at Daniel as he flipped out the stand and placed the tray upon it. "Hey. How'd the meeting go?"

Daniel blinked as Aiden placed a plate in front of him. It was mounded over with food, golden fried chicken, whipped potatoes, corn, and a piece of steaming cornbread. "Uh...wow," he said. "Yea, the meeting went fine."

As he slid a plate in front of his aunt, Aiden grinned. "Did Dad talk you into babysitting him, auntie?"

"Nope," said Natalia with a smile. "I took him shopping."

Aiden grimaced. "Oh, god. Shopping with the aunt."

"Hey!" huffed Natalia as she reached over and slapped her nephew on the back of his head. "Just because you want to dress like a hobo most of the time, doesn't mean the rest of us do! Besides, we had a lovely time."

Daniel nodded with a smile. "It was fun, yea. I've never been able to go spend that much money on myself before."

"Mm," nodded Aiden. He cut his eyes at his aunt, narrowing them before glancing back at Daniel. "Do you think I dress like a hobo?"

Daniel was just about to take a bite of his chicken when he paused and blinked. "Um...what?" he asked as he looked up at Aiden. "No? You dress like a guy." He then thought about some of the things he'd seen Aiden wearing. "Though, you could probably stand to retire a few things."

Shaking his head, Aiden sighed as he glanced at his aunt. "I haven't even asked him out yet, and you've already got him working for you."

Natalia shrugged. "I work quickly."

"Wait wait," said Daniel. "...Asked him out?"

Aiden blushed as he idly scratched at the back of his head. "Uh...um...I was gonna see...if...you-wanted-to-go-out-tonight." He chewed his lower lip nervously as he glanced at Daniel and grinned. "Maybe? I mean, its Friday and all..."

Fanning herself dramatically, Natalia grinned. "Oh lord, a proposal!" She leaned over to swat her nephew again. "Don't rush him, let him have a moment to think."

"Uh, right," nodded Aiden. "You can always think about it and-"

Daniel shook his head. "No," he said softly.

Aiden's face fell. "Oh. Too fast probably. I understand." Sighing, he folded up the little stand for the tray. "Its cool, no worries."

Daniel shook his head again. "I meant no I don't need to think about it. The answer is yes."

The tray hit the floor with a clatter as Aiden leaned in over the table, a huge grin on his face. "Really? Seriously? Like, no bullshit?"

"Aiden," sighed Natalia.

Daniel grinned. "Really. Just let's go some place quiet, okay?"

"Whatever you want," grinned Aiden.

"...Aiden..." said Natalia again, her voice calm and patient.

With a frown, Aiden turned towards his aunt. "Can a guy get a moment here?"

Rather than answer, Natalia raised a brow and pointed to where Aiden's hand was sitting in the middle of her mashed potatoes.

"Oh, uh..." Aiden blushed. "I'll...get that cleaned up." Sighing he shook his head. "I'm really not cut out for this."

While Daniel laughed, Natalia shook her head slowly. "No. You're really not," she said before waving him off. "Go, get cleaned up. We're going to finish lunch, and then I need to get your boy home so he can make himself pretty for you." She flashed a grin at Daniel. "And I know exactly what you should wear."