ring. ring. ring.
"Hello?" Daniel's husky voice questioned.
"It's me." The sensual voice on the other end proclaimed.
Daniel smiled softly. "I had a feeling you'd call me tonight."
Darren sensed the smile through the lines and returned one silently. "A feeling?"
"Dar, you know that feeling I get." Daniel began to weave his right index finger in his hair.
The singer stood next to his glass door that led to the hotel room balcony and peered through to glance at the beauty of nature. "Yea, I do know that feeling. Are you feeling slightly nauseous?"
The producer/songwriter began to wander aimlessly around his living room. "Yea, I am." He swallowed. "You know me too well, Dazza."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Darren gently placed his left hand on the metal doorknob and opened his balcony door.
Suddenly, Daniel placed his lips closer to the phone and kissed it.
A light breeze floated into the room and rearranged Darren's flowing blonde mane. "I felt that kiss."
Daniel breathed heavily and quickly calmed down. "I'm glad you did."
Darren sighed cautiously. "You know, Jonesy. The stars are beautiful tonight."
Surprised, "How would you know?" As he spoke, he drifted towards his porch door and glanced out. Indeed, the stars were brighter than ever.
"I'm in Australia."
Daniel sighed with love. "Then, where are you exactly. I want to know how close you are to me." His eyes closed, his head leaned toward one side as he envisioned his old friend now.
"Close enough, baby."
Daniel sighed again, more impatient now. "Why can't you be closer to me?" He heard the faint sigh Darren gave and the slight sniffle. He decided not to speak again until Darren wanted to.
"We simply can't be together." Darren stepped out upon his balcony and leaned against the railing. The view was spectacular from the seventh floor. The ocean was beating furiously against the shore.
Opening the door to his porch, Daniel whispered into the phone. "I love you, still." He stepped out upon his porch, closed the door behind him and walked leisurely towards his railing.
Darren smiled widely, the few tears trickling down his cheeks curving around the grin. "I love you too." He lifted his left hand and laid it across his chest, above his heart. It was beating rapidly. "Do you hear the ocean, Jonesy?"
Daniel perked his ears and did indeed hear the ocean's intensity. "It's beating the shore to death."
"Much like the way my heart is doing to my chest right now."
Daniel wiped a tear from the corner of his right eye. He whispered hoarsely. "Why can't you be here now?"
Darren beat the railing with a fist. "You know how much I wish I was there!" His azure eyes closed to the night's beauty momentarily.
Daniel made his way shakily towards his porch loveseat and collapsed upon it, his long legs outstretched, head resting against the back. "I do, Daz, I do."
"Then just trust me!" Darren spun in several circles, frustrated, unable to fully express his emotions on the balcony. A minute passed slowly. "What are you thinking, Daniel?" Daniel smiled to himself. "I just envisioned you standing at the foot of my porch, looking up at me, ready to recite to me your love, just as Romeo would do."
Darren grabbed and held onto his grey silk shirt. "You know I would die to do that for you now? And to climb up there and finally hold you after so long."
"This is killing me, Dazza." Daniel mumbled and rubbed his palm over his chest.
"And I could hear the symphony behind us now."
"We could be the couple on the balcony, just like from Star Wars."
Darren grinned. "You went and saw that movie?"
"Only for you, Dazza." Daniel smiled to himself as he remembered seeing the movie alone.
"Were you Kat-less?" Darren hesitantly questioned.
"Yes, I was."
Darren hesitated again. "Are you Kat-less now?" He covered his face and bowed his head after asking such a question.
Daniel also hesitated. "Unfortunately, no." He grimaced at his own response.
"You settled for someone to hold, didn't you?" Darren's sapphires watered again.
"Darren, you know why...... "
"Yea....I know." His voice dripped with sorrow.
Daniel pressed the phone closer to him. "No one will take your place. Nothing compares to you."
Darren sat down upon the balcony floor. "I only wish some things had been different."
"Don't we all."
Darren began to cry into the phone. "It's too complicated," he sobbed.
"What is?" Daniel gently asked.
"Life and Love, Jonesy."
Daniel whispered lovingly into the phone. "Don't ever say that again."
"Then what do I say?" Darren wiped his tears.
"Simply tell me you love me. That is more important than anything else."
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Darren suddenly heard an insistent beeping. "The battery is almost dead."
Daniel smiled softly. "I'll be waiting to hear your voice again."
Darren stood and looked off into the night sky. "When you feel it?"
"When I feel it." Daniel glanced off into the starry sky.
"Goodnight, Jonesy."
"Goodnight, Dazza."

~finis~
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