Kindred Spirits

         The music swam through the warm bodies of people swaying and moving to it's gentle rhythm in the center of the large, lavish family home. The man, dancing his fingers across the piano keys entranced everyone, and those who weren't very enthused kept to themselves, lurking in the farthest corners of the house, or outside on the deck. Chattering amongst each other. The melodies, and the voices, all mixing and splashing into one another like an approaching sea storm. Ever, steadily overwhelming Dan Clendale who stood in the center of it. Sipping on a ruby cocktail, nervously awaiting someone, a coworker. His cerulean eyes bounced off of every face, and shoulder, and floor board. A couple rocking away with one another, rocked right into him, and it caused him to spill his sacred drink all over and stain his once pristine, finely tailored tux.

He huffed, stepping back, watching as the sloshed individuals bid themselves adieu without even as much as a grunt of an apology in return. Dan pouted, glancing back down at his blemished attire. Brining a hand to his chest and trying, fruitlessly to bat away anymore wetness that seeped through the fabric of his shirt and kissed his warm flesh. Chilling him to the core. But once he glanced back up, the pianist had begun to play, Baby it's Cold Outside, as Dan's eye's locked with whom he was waiting so long for. Sheepishly, smiling back, as he stepped closer.

"Hey Will", Dan said, breathlessly.

"Hey Danny", Will smirked, raising a mug of spiked eggnog, his other hand slicking back his damp brunette curls. All gathering, and sticking to his forehead in result of his rather enthusiastic partying.

"Look up", he said pointedly.

Dan raised his blonde, barely visible brow, before he did as he was told. His saliva then clung to his throat as he inaudibly choked.

A mistletoe-

"You know the rules, Danny-O c'mere", swiftly Will grasped his ebony tie, in one motion wrapping it, and jerking Dan forward right into his awaiting lips.

Of which tasted so salty, and stung with liquor, and it made something blossom in Dan's chest fervently, as he eased into the unexpected.  The music had died, and the murmurs had died, everything had perished of all sound, and reduced to shadows, all of it, disappeared to Dan, except for Will, and only Will,  as they met.

What seemed like centuries, only mere seconds when Will practically flung Dan off of him just a moment after their lips touched. 

So taken aback by the jostle, and the kiss alone he lost his balance. With a THWUMP! his arse hit the linoleum  and everything came back. As if someone turned the lights back on, and he realized just how small he was, but it was still quiet. Unconjured silence. The pianist had halted his playing, and all that remained were the whispers of his fellow colleagues as they gawked and spoke in hushed tones at what they just surveyed before them.  Dan reluctantly peered at those who surrounded him. Those he worked alongside, all eyeing the both of them with wide, puzzled expressions.

Will spat to the side, and then a howl of a laugh erupted out of his crooked maw, and it tore Dan's attention back to his display, swallowing.

"W-will?"

"BArgh!", he grumbled and waved his hand, turning on an uneasy heel and sauntering off. Pushing people out of his way as he did so, gathering himself at the makeshift bar ,and Dan watched him go, with a mortified look. Not by the kiss, no, that was.. frankly, Magical, but it all decimated into ash the moment William Stanley shoved him back, and spat what ever feeling they tasted right out of his mouth..

Feeling crushed was an understatement. Dan was mortally humiliated. Choking back with a hard swallow every nasty piece of venom had he to say, but was all, stuck in his windpipe. Stuffed down by despair and utter heartache. Dan then collected myself, undeviating to his feet, exerting himself rather some to ignore the eyes that prodded at him, and the whispers that taunted him. He just moved by to get his way to the front door, and luckily down the hall, just before the exit the people gathered there were still oblivious and minding to their own.

With a sigh he departed, and once he stepped out into the cold, jack frost nipped at his nose and it took a few paces until he was under the falling snow. Watching it make it’s angelic descent from above where it gathered up in pile of sparkling ivory heaps. 

Dan took in a deep breath, and he tried not to cry, frankly… He felt like, everything was immaterial, and vague. Felt light, and heavy at the same time. In a breath of a moment in time, felt infinite and light and in the same second, all of which was incomprehensible joy, was whisked away and burned into nothingness and numb. There was emptiness. Shallow.

He then shut his eyes, to collect himself some more, and as he lifted a boot to trek onward towards his sadan- 

He felt a grasp at his shoulder and nearly socked whom snatched him in a panicked frenzy. But it was Will, and he narrowed his brows dangerously at him. Tearing himself from his grasp as he hissed, 

“What the hell do you want?”

Though, Dan did stall for a moment, when registered the same pain in Will's eyes. Like a mirror, they reflected the same agony he, himself was swallowed in. 

Will then, broke the silence with a clear his throat, 

“I’m sorry… Danny.”

“Don’t-”, Dan said in a hushed whisper, but he ignored his soft, lackluster plea, moving closer until they were merely inches apart from each other.

“No, I’m… So sorry Daniel… I…”, he gave him a very, timid smile, shrugging his arms, “I’been drink’en! Nn, nn, I just was so.. So excited to, have any reason to kiss you… But… I’m, a drunk, asshole, that doesn’t know what he wants Danny… That…”, his expression darkened, saddened like a raincloud washing over a once perfectly normal day, 

“doesn’t know what… he wants”, he voice cracked at the end. 

Dan was… he couldn’t control himself when the palms of his hands met his warm, freckly, stubbly cheeks and so effortlessly pulled him in. And this time, they kissed and it was brighter, and warmer, and softer. Will melted against it like he’d been a star frozen in space and now been blessed by the sun’s orbit, it’s comforting, scorching embrace. Like sparks, Dan's lips felt tingling when they did eventually part for air, and that’s when he witnessed Will smile, a dumb, love-sick smile. His chipped tooth hidden when he smirked now flashing with no hesitation. Dan couldn’t think, think of nothing but Will, and to find some reprieve from the immense pressure just his gaze alone had to render him, he turned to the street lamps once more, and listened as the snow damped the earth all around. Listened to the music that began to ring out the house once more, and he felt William’s hand’s slip into his calloused own. 

“Merry Christmas Danny”, he whispered as he gave his hand a squeeze, and then. Turned to disappear back into the autumn glow of the party inside. And Danny smiled, gently then to himself as he felt the wound inside his soul mend in just one… Moment with that, fucking man, he could laugh, and cry and die happily. From just knowing William Stanley. 

Wiping a hand over his face, he then rejoined the kindred spirits inside, and I wouldn’t lie to you, dear reader if I didn’t say add, he was glad, that he went to that stupid work Christmas party… Glad, he didn’t just stay home.