Chapter 5 Chapter 5

"Are you guys sure?" He didn't expect his friends to be so accepting

Pete nods and Savannah answers, "worse thing that could happen is he's not there, and if he is you'll see that he's fine and that'll make you feel better. So put your shoes on, grab your crutches and let's go."

And they did just that, with permission from his mom Jasper left with his friends, who conveniently happen to know where the Atkinson mansion was. The paparazzi pictures didn't do this place justice, a really big house at the top of the hill in their town. Jasper doesn't see Daniel's car as they pull into the front yard, stopping next to the door Savannah turns to Jasper in the back seat, "should we wait?"

Shaking his head, "I'll just get a Lyft home, thanks for taking me guys."

"Let us know how it goes," Jasper climbs out the car. Using his crutches he heads towards the door. Scanning around for a doorbell Jasper presses and waits, hearing footsteps approaching someone

reaches for the knob pulling the door open. Seeing the older woman Jasper isn't familiar but greets anyway, "Hi I'm Jasper-"

"Danny's friend," she quickly says, "yes he talks about you all the time. It's nice to finally meet you, I'm Marsha,"

"Nice to meet you too Marsha, do you know if Daniel's around?"

"No, unfortunately he's not, I'm sorry. But he's been gone all day so he should be back sometime soon, do you want to come in and wait?"

"Could I?"

"Sure," she steps aside letting the boy walk in on his crutches. "His mom's not around either, I was just preparing dinner for when they came home,"

"Oh did they go out together?"

"I doubt it but I'm not sure," Marsha starts to walk away, "do you want to stay for dinner?"

"Uh yeah sure." Jasper follows her to the kitchen, sitting at the table he watches as Marsha cooks. With so many questions and no one else but Marsha here to answer them, Jasper decides to ask, "Daniel grew up here all alone?"

Marsha looks over at him and nods, as she chops on the counter she starts, "he had friends but he was alone for the most part. It wasn't easy on him how much they shipped him back and forth between here and Belgium."

"That's where Mrs. Atkinson is from right?" Marsha nods again

As she chops carrots the woman hears Jasper ask, "do you know if he was happy there?" Causing her to stop

Marsha has known Daniel all his life, they basically hired her to raise him because his mom was too young to do it and his dad was too busy. This was an easy question to answer, "I don't think Danny's ever been happy anywhere... I don't think he knows how to be happy."

Jasper looks at her frightened and Marsha smiles, "don't listen to me, I'm sure that's not true." She continues cooking, and Jasper ponders for a while.

After an awkward dinner with just Marsha, the woman takes Jasper to Daniel's room leaving him there. Maybe this is why Daniel can't be happy, Jasper thinks being in the boy's room. There's nothing in there but his bed, nightstands and a desk, all the shelves are empty, there are no posters... nothing. Daniel's been back for 2 months now he's had plenty of time to make this room his own again, but Jasper understands the boy has had other things to focus on.

A while passes and Jasper sits on Daniel's bed, deciding to wait the entire night if he has to. Too bad he falls asleep. Feeling comfortable between Daniel's pillows and blankets, Jasper dozed off until he's woken in the middle of the night feeling a weight drop next to him. The room is as dark as when he fell asleep, but something's moving next to him.

Quickly reaching for the lamp next to him on the nightstand Jasper turns it on, "Daniel?" He says the boy's name scaring him right out of bed

"Jasper what the fuck?!" Daniel stands surprised to find him in his bed, "what are you doing here?"

He stares around confused that the boy's in his room

"I've been waiting for you all night ... you didn't answer any of my calls or texts"

"Yeah because I told you I couldn't tell you anything, and yet you still kept calling and texting to ask" "I wanted to make sure you were ok,"

"I'm fucking great Jasper, can't you tell?" Daniel drops back on his bed, with his back to Jasper who feels like he definitely overstepped by coming here. Letting out a breath with his head down Daniel says, "sorry," he apologizes for blowing up. "I'm just so tired of everything and everyone"

"Should I go?"

"No, stay," Daniel turns to him, "I'll be fine I just need to sleep... you can stay and I'll take you home in the morning," Jasper just nods. The room is dimly lit but Jasper sees how beat down Daniel really is.

Turning off the lamp they quietly lay next to each other and Jasper is wide awake now. Maybe he is doing too much- Jasper thinks, honestly what normal person just shows up to someone else's house uninvited? Of course, Daniel wouldn't have liked that, he has his own things to deal with and Jasper feels like he's just adding on to it. Jasper's sure he shouldn't be here, so when Daniel falls asleep he'll just sneak out and give the boy some space.

Thinking he's waited long enough Jasper tries to slowly crawl out of the bed when he feels a hand grab his hand, stunned he stops moving

"Please don't leave me," his voice quietly begs and Jasper's heart sinks, it's dark so they can't see each other but Daniel's sadness filled the room, Jasper can hear it in his voice.

"I won't," he assures Daniel and lays back down. Jasper freezes when he feels Daniel inching closer until his head is on Jasper's chest, neither of them says a word and Daniel just falls asleep on him.