Daniel watched Darren closely as the dark haired man rewound the video for the 16th time. Why was Darren watching whatever he was watching on the TV over and over? Well, the author knows, but Daniel sure as hell didn't. So he continued to watch his partner with mild interest, half concentrating on a random magazine he had bought from a news stand. Darren watched the 30-second bit again, this time bouncing lightly to the barely audible music. Daniel watched him bounce, wondering if Darren had found any more of those candy things he liked so much that gave him more energy than he needed...Fairy Strings? No...that wasn't it... Oh well.
Darren once again rewound and watched, humming. Rewound. Bounced and hummed. Rewound. Bounced and hummed.
Curious, Daniel stood up, the magazine forgotten, and moved so he could see the TV, which was next to Darren on their yellow leather couch. White blurred as Darren rewound the tape again. When he started it, Daniel saw the thing that had kept Darren interested for the last 15 minutes.
A commercial.
It really wasn't much of a commercial at all. It scrolled past some trendily dressed teens who were singing -probably more like lip syncing- to a song that Daniel could barely hear. He didn't understand what had caught Darren's attention about it. As the blond watched it again to find the attraction, he found himself entranced by it. It was odd. He realized he *still* couldn't hear it, except for the people's voices. How Darren listened to the TV so damn low, Daniel didn't know. So he found a remote that seemed to belong to the TV (you know how those thing amass), and as the tape was rewound yet again, he turned the volume up. The man beside him glanced at Daniel, as though he was just recognizing his friend's presence. Darren blinked, and then turned back to the TV to make sure he didn't go back too far. They caught the last few seconds of the cut scene from a Legends special on U2, then the commercial began.
"Gonna dress you up in my love, in my love.... All over your body, all over your body... In my love... All over, all over... From your head down to your toes..."
"I love this commercial!" Darren said. Daniel nodded in agreement. Silence for a moment as they watched it again.
"Is that a real song?" Daniel asked.
"I don't know...it sounds vaguely familiar," Darren replied. Silence again.
"Hmm..." Daniel hummed.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just thinking."
A minute of silence.
"Well, Daz, I'm going to bed." Daniel stood up and took a few steps out, before turning back around with a grin on his face. "Have fun with your commercial." Darren ignored him pointedly, and Daniel went off to bed, making fun of Darren internally.
* The Next Day *
"Jonesy!" A semi-nasal voice called into the bedroom. The man in question didn't wake up. Darren stuck his head into Daniel's room, saying again, "Jonesy!"
Daniel opened his eyes groggily. "Darren?" He blinked, half asleep. "It's that dream again." Darren blinked that statement, but then tramped over to his band mate's bed.
"Wake up," the very much awake man said. Daniel looked at the clock, eyes slitted.
"Darren..." He mumbled. "It's 8 am.."
"It's 8:14!" Darren said. "And guess what?" Waving his arms enthusiastically, he didn't bother to pause. "I remembered who that song was by! Remember the one from that commercial I was watching last night? Well, I was lying in bed last night, well, this morning, and I remembered!" Darren smiled broadly. He was apparently waiting for a response from the now dazed Daniel.
"Uh...who?"
"Madonna!" Darren replied. He ran out of the room, and Daniel sat up, hearing things from Darren such as, "Now where did I put it?" and "What the hell was I thinking when I bought that?!?" and multiple other things. Just as Daniel was about to fall back asleep in his upright position, Darren rushed in, happily holding a CD in his hand. "Ta-da!"
It was Madonna's Like a Virgin CD. Daniel stared at it for a second, the looked up at Darren.
"You know...Dazza...I'm kind of tired..." He started.
"Oh!" Darren left, and Daniel thought maybe he'd get a few more hours sleep. Then Darren came back in with a cup of coffee. "Here!" Daniel sighed and drank the coffee, feeling a bit more awake.
"Ok. I'm awake," Daniel said, after watching Darren fiddle with the CD case. "Now was it exactly that you wanted?"
"Come on." Darren helped pull him and they both went into the front room. The dark haired man put the CD into the boombox sitting haphazardly on an end table. He set it to a track, pressed play and they both stood and listened.
"You've got style, that's what all the girls say... Satin sheets and luxuries so fine... All your suits are custom made in London.... But I've got something that you'll really like..."
"Gonna dress you up in my love... All over, all over... Gonna dress you up in my love... All over your body..."
"Feel the silky touch of my caresses... They will keep you looking so brand new... Let me cover you with velvet kisses... I'll create a look that's made for you."
"Gonna dress you up in my love... All over, all over... Gonna dress you up in my love... All over your body..."
"Gonna dress you up in my love, in my love... All over your body, all over your body... In my love... All over, all over... From your head down to your toes..."
Darren was smiling idiotically when Daniel began to wonder what his friend was on. "I like that song," Darren announced.
"I'm happy for you," Daniel replied. Darren played it again. And again. Daniel just stood there, watching Darren. At the fifth time in a row, Darren began to dance. Now, he has said before that he can't dance. So the author will spare you the details.
At the first chorus, Darren held out his hand to Daniel. "Dance with me, Jonesy!" The inquired sighed resignedly, and took his friend's outstretched hand. They happily danced together, or rather, Darren happily danced and Daniel watched. Darren went to start the song again.
"Dazza?" Daniel asked inquisitivly.
"Yes, Jonesy?"
"Are you on drugs?"
Darren grinned. "No. I suppose I did have a few too many Pixy Stix, though." Oh. Hmmm...
"How many are a few too many?"
"Um..." Darren thought for a moment. "About 145 too many." Daniel took a deep breath. And let it out slowly.
"Ok...Daz..." Daniel began, but was again cut off by his friend.
"Come on, Jonesy! Dance for real this time," and the music started again. For the first verse, Daniel continued to stand there. Darren's dancing was infectious, albeit awful, so after the chorus, the taller man joined in.
"Gonna dress you up in my love..." Darren sang along.
"All over, all over... Gonna dress you up in my love..." The aforementioned slipped his hands on Daniel's shoulders, grinning to show he was just being a nut, and continued to sing.
"All over your body..." Darren slid his hands down to his friend's chest. The surprised look on Daniel's face was apparent, but he continued to go along with whatever his insane friend was planning.
"Gonna dress you up in my love, in my love." The two men moved closer. 'This is even better than that dream,' Daniel thought absently.
"All over your body, all over your body." And Daniel suddenly realized how close they really were.
"In my love... All over, all over." Darren apparently noticed it too, as Daniel felt his friend's breathing get a little faster. The song began again. (Darren had found the little button marked 'repeat'.) The two men simply stood there, looking at each other.
Then, Darren was kissing him. It was such a sudden thing, Daniel didn't even know who made the first move. 'It really is better than the dream,' Daniel thought, closing his eyes. And as soon as it happened, the kiss was over; Daniel pulled away. The staring contest began again.
"Um..." Darren came up to him, and strong arms were around him, lips pressed against his own, and Daniel realized how awake he really was.
"From your head down to your toes..."
