Ashes and wine part III

"I mean it"
"Brendon... you're drunk"
BJ swayed and Lenny reached out a hand to steady him.
"I know but I mean it. Lenny-"
"Come on Brendon, before you do something you'll regret" Lenny steered him towards the exit.
They met Nick and Dal outside.
"How drunk is he?" Nick asked moving to help Lenny hold BJ steady.
"Very"
"Nick!" BJ exclaimed, reaching out to tug at Nick's hair.
"Hello, BJ" Nick said with a smile.
"Your hair is made of gold, did you know? You can sell it and be a millionaire!"
"I can take him home if you want" Dal said quietly.
"We go the same way" he elaborated when Lenny looked at him.
"You're sure you can handle him?" Nick asked extricating BJ's fingers from is hair as Justin arrived.
"We'll be fine" Dal replied with a smile, moving to wrap an arm around BJ as Nick and then Lenny stepped back.
"Come on BJ, let's get you home"
BJ looked back at Lenny, who was watching him with a smile.
"Lenny..."
"Go home Brendon"
- - -
"I told him"
"You told who what?" Dal asked.
BJ had been very quiet in the car ride home. They'd reached BJ's apartment and Dal had just gotten BJ out of the car with less trouble than expected.
"Told Lenny"
Dal started walking them both towards the lift.
"Told Lenny what?"
BJ stopped and Dal turned to face him. BJ didn't look very drunk then, he only looked tired and sad.
"BJ?"
"He doesn't love me back"
Dal froze.
"I love him and he doesn't care"
"BJ...you are a bit drunk. Maybe you should tell him tomorrow when you're sober"
"It doesn't matter" BJ started walking again and after a moment Dal followed.
- - -
BJ seemed to remember that he was drunk as soon as Dal opened the door to his apartment. He staggered and would have fallen if Dal hadn't caught him.
"BJ!"
BJ slowly straightened.
'Dal!" he exclaimed with joy.
Dal smiled. He'd never seen BJ like this before.
"Hi"
BJ reached out and touched his face.
"You have freckles"
Dal laughed, slightly breathless.
"So do you"
BJ leaned in, touching the tip of his nose against Dal's cheek.
"BJ?"
BJ rested his head on Dal's shoulder and sighed.
"'m sleepy"
Dal rubbed the back of BJ's neck.
"Come on then"
- - -
Dal adjusted the blankets and sat down on the side of the bed.
"Thank you" BJ said.
Dal smiled.
"Someone's gotta look after you"
BJ watched him, eyes dark and unreadable.
"Dal" BJ reached out and pulled Dal closer.
"BJ?" despite the question Dal allowed himself to be pulled down.
BJ held his eyes for a moment before leaning up to kiss him. It was soft and gentle and not at all what he'd expected from BJ.
"Don't go home"
"You're asking me to stay"
BJ kissed him again.
"Yeah"
- - -
BJ had been drunk and hurt and in love with someone else. But he had stayed anyway. He hadn't known why then. He knew now. And he'd been happy for a while. But it had all come to an end. As he had known it would. BJ had been too in love with Lenny for things to stay the way they were. He had hoped that with everything that had happened, maybe, just maybe BJ might love him a little. Enough not to break his heart. BJ did love him but his heart got broken anyway. It wasn't BJ's fault. This wasn't anyone's doing. But now he was lying on a hospital bed and maybe things had gotten more serious that he had first intended.

To be continued???