Far Away - Epilogue

This time, this place

Misused, mistakes

Too long, too late

Who was I to make you wait

Just one chance, just one breath

Just in case there's just one left

Cause you know, you know, you know-

On my knees I'll ask

Last chance for one last dance

Cause with you I'd withstand

All of hell to hold your hand

I'd give it all, I'd give for us

Give anything but I won't give up

Cause you know, you know, you know-

I love you

I loved you all along

I miss you

Been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go

Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

"You'd think Mr. Smith would realize that we need bigger suits after three years!"

Chris smiled as he heard Sam continue to grumble, Cathy and Danny openly laughing at her. Chris placed the alien vial into the storage and let the door shut behind him.

"-didn't think it would melt the stupid thing."

"Well Danny, that's why you shouldn't use the ray gun to heat up your pop tarts."

Chris raised his eyebrow as he stepped up behind Danny, now standing several inches taller than the brunette. "You did what now?" Chris asked in a scolding tone. Danny just tilted his head back up at him and grinned before sticking out his tongue.

"Is that a threat or an invitation?"

"Take it either way you like!"

"Okay, if you two are going to start getting all PDA, you can get out," Sam snapped as she tried to struggle with her buster armor before giving up and morphing out of it.

Cathy started to rattle off about Rhapsodia again, although by now everyone was pretty sure they were experts on the place from her stories. Chris laughed as Sam threw her jacket at Cathy, and slipped into his own while Danny morphed out of his buster armor.

Chris snagged Danny's jacket off the chair where it had been throw and held it out to the boy. Danny rolled his eyes but slid his arms inside. "See you later guys," Chris called over his shoulder as Danny zipped the jacket up.

"Later!" Danny added as he slipped under Chris' arm holding the clubhouse door open for him. Chris followed and Danny smiled up at him once they were outside.

Chris smiled back and took Danny's hand, then frowned at the cold fingers. "Danny…" he scolded lightly.

Danny smiled sheepishly as Chris intertwined their fingers and buried both their hands in his own jacket pocket. "Your other hand?" he asked.

"Not as cold. This one had to hold the blaster," Danny replied with a shrug. Chris sighed.

"Come on, we should get you home and warmed up."

"Actually…" Danny hesitated, and his face tinged a bit red. Chris looked at him, interested. "I kind of told my mom… I was sleeping at your place tonight."

"But my parents aren't home."

"I know." Danny's cheeks became a deeper red and he squirmed a bit. Realization kicked Chris' brain into action as Danny suddenly added, "If you don't want me to-"

"No, no." Chris stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and smiled at the green eyed boy. "I'd love for you to." He brushed Danny's bangs aside and gently pressed his lips against Danny's cool forehead. Danny shivered.

"You okay?" Chris asked automatically.

"I'm…I'm cold." Danny replied a bit lamely.

Which got him wrapped up in a blanket and tucked in as soon as Chris could drag him to his house. Danny struggled to free his hands as Chris came in with hot chocolate. "You didn't have to burrito me," Danny grumbled as he worked his arm free and squirmed a bit more while Chris turned on the TV and started the movie.

Chris smiled as he settled next to Danny and gave him one of the mugs. "Well if you're not going to take care of yourself…"

Danny finally worked a corner of the blanket free from around him and tossed it across Chris. "Shut up," he grumbled, but snuggled up into Chris' side and sipped at the hot cocoa.

Chris wrapped his arm around Danny and pulled him in closer, resting his cheek on Danny's head. He loved this feeling; Danny's body pressed against his, one leg casually tossed across his, Danny's clean earth smell in his nose, and the slow steady beat of Danny's heart against his side.

"Chriiis…" Danny's voice brought him back from where he was mentally wandering. "You're going to spill your cocoa."

"Oh." Instead of drinking it, he set it aside and slipped his hand under the blanket to catch Danny's free one and intertwine their fingers. They just said in silence, the completely ignored movie continuing in muted tones as Danny finished his cocoa and set the mug aside.

The warmth came back in Danny's hand, and Chris ghosted the back of his fingers against Danny's neck to check his body temperature. He was back to normal warmth, but Danny shivered deliciously anyways. Chris did it again, then played with the hair at the base of Danny's neck. Danny looked at him with big green eyes, a smile gently playing on his lips before he leaned forward and they met Chris'.

Chris could taste the hot chocolate, pulling Danny in closer and shifting their bodies about so Danny laid against his chest. Danny's hands clutched at Chris' shirt while Chris ran his hand down Danny's back to slide up again and tease the bare flesh of Danny's lower back.

Then the door opened as "Hey guys whatcha doing" was asked. Danny was off Chris in half a second, tumbled next to him.

"Dammit, John!" Chris struggled to keep some of the blanket over himself to hide. "Couldn't you knock?"

"Probably," came John's smart-aleck reply. Danny snorted a bit of muffled laughter and Chris wanted to growl at him.

"Get out!"

"Make me!"

Chris lunged for his little brother. By the time Chris finally shut and locked his bedroom door, the moment had passed and the mood was broken by Danny rolling on the bed, laughing. "Forgot he lived here too?" he teased between gasps for air.

"Oh shut up." Chris clambered back on the bed and pushed Danny with his leg, face flushed with embarrassment. He wasn't in the mood to continue their snog-session anymore, so he looked up at the forgotten movie and frowned. "I have no idea what's going on now."

Danny chuckled and reached for the remote to restart it. He buried himself into Chris' chest and sighed, as if they silently agreed not to go back to their previous activities – at least not while John was in the house. Chris wrapped his arms around Danny, one hand sneaking into the brunette's hair to gentle play with the soft strands.

"Hey Chris?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry."

Chris paused, then looked down at Danny until the other boy looked up. "For what?"

"I'm not really sure."

"Well I'm sorry too."

"For?"

"For taking so long."

Danny shook his head, rubbing against Chris' chest. "Me too, then."

Chris snorted a half mumbled 'you should be' and Danny stuck out his tongue before looking back to the movie. Chris' fingers moved gently over Danny's hair and neck, blissfully enjoying everything about this moment of true peace.

"Hey Danny?"

"Hm?"

Chris leaned down and whispered in Danny's ear. Danny looked at him, and gave Chris one of his brilliant smiles, whispering back before shifting upward and capturing his lips in a tender kiss.

"I love you, too."

So far away

So far away

Been far away for far too long

I wanted, I want you to stay

Cause I needed, I need to hear you say:

I love you!

I've loved you all along

I forgive you for being away for far too long

So keep breathing cause I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it, hold on to me and never let me go

Keep breathing cause I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it, hold on to me and never let me go

Keep breathing

Hold on to me

And never let me go…