“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU!!” Matt snapped at an enraged-looking Danny. “WHY ARE YOU TURNING THIS INTO A BIG DEAL?!”

Danny turned towards Matt sharply. “Why am I turning this into a big deal?” he asked quietly, and Matt could hear the anger echoing in his voice. “I’ll tell you why I’m turning this into a big deal: The man I’ve been infatuated with since I met, finally comes onto me. And from what I can tell, he’s not drunk. I’m sober, so I remember every detail of the amazing sex as it happens. I wake up, felling happier than I have in ages, then he wakes up, freaks out, and makes me feel like shit!” He stared at Matt, tears forming in his blue eyes, “That’s why I’m fucking turning this into a big deal.”

Matt stared at him, utterly speechless, “God… Dan!”

Dougie wandered in, followed by a sleepy looking Harry. “What’s going on?” he asked, as Harry looped an arm round his waist and pulled him into his side.

“Nothing,” Danny replied, his voice thick as he fought back tears.

“Clearly…” Dougie muttered, taking a step forward and swatting off Harry. “Look, it’s half four in the morning. Something has to be up…”

Matt sighed, “Harry, do me a favour and take your boyfriend back to bed, will you?”

Harry rubbed his hands together eagerly, “With pleasure…” With that, he scooped Dougie up into his arms and promptly carried the squawking bassist out the room.

Danny glared at Matt again, “I made sure you weren’t drunk, Matt. I told myself that I was not going to do this if you were. I was determined that this wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t taste alcohol on you last night.” He folded his arms across his bare chest, “Why are you lying to me?”

“I’m not, Dan. Seriously, I-”

“Get out.”

He blinked at the guitarists sudden certain manner, “What?”

“Get out, you’re already dressed, and you clearly don’t want to stay. I don’t particularly want you to stay. Go.” Danny was only wearing trousers and boxers, while Matt was fully dressed.

“But, Dan-”

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!”

*****

The next afternoon, Dougie wandered into the living room, and couldn’t help but giggle. “Comfy, are we?”

“Extremely,” came the reply from the sofa, and Harry hopped to his feet and came over to him. “Why don’t you help me get even more comfortable?” he asked seductively, running his hands up and down Dougie’s arms suggestively. He felt his boyfriend shiver.

“Stop talking,” Dougie said firmly, pulling Harry close and crushing his mouth against the drummer’s. Harry overbalanced, and they both fell onto the sofa, Dougie on top.

“Eager, aren’t we?” Harry murmured when Dougie broke away. Dougie smirked at him and sat back, running his hands down the brunette’s chest and tugging at his t-shirt. He made a trail of soft kisses along the skin as he revealed it. Harry arched his back, pressing against him.

Then the doorbell rang. “Oh, shit,” Dougie muttered, pulling the material back into place. He made to get up, but Harry grabbed a handful of his top and pulled him down so their faces were mere centimetres away from one another’s.

“Leave it. Danny’s in. He can get it,” he whispered. Sure enough, a second later there was movement down the stairs and a thud as Danny jumped the last few steps. Dougie smirked again, and lowered his mouth to Harry’s. The blond’s hand was just working its way down to Harry’s belt when:

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”

Dougie pulled back, letting out a loud groan and rolling off the other boy. “Damn it!” He offered a hand to his boyfriend and hauled him upright. “You’re making up for this later,” he warned.

“Sure…” Harry muttered; too busy sulking about their failed sofa-sex to properly listen to what he was agreeing to. It would be his own fault if he ended up having to run through town wearing a tutu later…

They headed into the corridor to see Matt trying to talk to Danny, who had attempted to hide in the wall, judging by the way he was pressed up against it. “Look, Dan,” Matt was pleading desperately. “You have to listen to me. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

Danny turned away from the wall so suddenly that all three of them jumped. “Well, it did happen, didn’t it? And now I’m just another name on your list, aren’t I? WELL, CONGRATU-FUCKING-LATIONS!!” He shoved past Harry and ran up the stairs.

“Go after him,” Dougie said.

“Why can’t you?”

He didn’t take his narrowed gaze off Matt for one second, “Because I want some answers…”

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret later,” Harry hissed in his ear, before going to consol Danny.

“Into the living room,” Dougie commanded Matt, who complied. The only way the youngest boy could’ve been scarier at that moment in time was if he’d been holding a gun. Once Matt had sat down slowly on the sofa, he took the spot next to him. “Right. I want to know everything. And don’t miss anything out.”

*****

“Danny?” Harry called, knocking on his band mate’s bedroom door. “Danny? You in there?” He opened the door slightly and peered round. “Hello? Anyone home?”

“Go away, Harry!”

“Ah-hah! There you are!” Harry came in properly and shut the door gently behind him. He then joined Danny in sitting with his back against the side of the bed. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” came the stubborn reply.

“Come on, Danny. Do you think we’re blind?” the drummer asked, an insulted tone slipping into his voice. “You’ve been lovesick over Matt for ages. What changed?”

“We slept together.”

*****

Dougie’s eyebrows were in grave danger of disappearing into his hair, “Were you drunk?”

Mat hung his head, “I told him I was…”

“But were you?”

A shake of the head. “No. I was just scared that he’d react the way I pretended to react.”

“And it never occurred to you that if you reacted that way, he might get hurt?”

“I was being selfish, okay? I didn’t want to be crushed!”

“So, you crushed him instead.”

“I didn’t know he liked me!”

*****

“Then he started flirting with me and I was like ‘Okay, maybe he does’… I made sure he wasn’t drunk,” Danny said, his voice thick with tears. “I made sure of it, but this still happened!”

Harry rubbed his back comfortingly, as the guitarist hid his face in his knees, his body shaking with sobs. “You know how love works, Danny. It’s never perfect…”

“You can’t say that!” Danny cried. “You’re in a fucking perfect relationship!”

“You’ve never been around Dougie when he’s sulking,” Harry muttered, going into a little tormented daydream. He shook himself out of it. “So, what went wrong?”

*****

“I woke up,” Matt admitted. “Before he did. I just stared at him for a moment. He looked really peaceful, and there was a smile curling on his lips. He looked gorgeous, to say the least.” Dougie didn’t say anything, so he carried on. “I felt him stirring, so I pretended to sleep. I sensed him watching me. I could feel how much he tensed up, and I thought he regretted it. I was so certain he was going to say it was a mistake. So, I reacted first.”

*****

Danny ran a hand through his hair, “He opened his eyes, saw me, and his eyes widened. He swore, and began to get dressed furiously. I felt like my fucking stomach was about to fall out my arse! I pulled on some trousers and went after him.”

“And he said it was mistake?”

“He implied it.”

*****

“You…moron…”

Matt glared at the blond, “Don’t you think I know that?!”

“I was reminding you.”

Matt watched him for a moment, “Can I ask you something?”

“As long as it’s not ‘why are you turning this into a big deal?’,” Dougie commented coolly, earning himself another filthy glare off the brunette.

“How long has Danny liked me?”

“Since he met you. It was kinda pathetic when it began. It was the whole ‘I think I love him but he’s straight’ palaver.” Dougie flicked a strand of hair out his eyes, “Sure, he dated a few girls. But it always came back to you. You were his obsession. You still are.”

*****

Harry shifted slightly, an uncomfortable look on his face. “Danny?”

“What?”

“Matt. He told me that he-”

King of good timing, Dougie appeared round the door, “Harry, can I talk to you?”

“Yeah… Sure,” Harry said reluctantly, getting up and following Dougie down the stairs to the kitchen, where the blond leant against the counter heavily. “You okay?” Harry asked.

“It’s just so mixed up. Danny likes Matt. Matt likes Danny. They sleep together. For most people, that would be it. But Matt’s worried that Danny’s going to react badly so he does so first. And now Danny thinks that Matt honestly regrets it.”

Harry nodded slowly, “Yeah, that about sums it up…”

Dougie came over to him, and put his arms round Harry’s waist, staring up into his eyes with a genuinely innocent expression, “Do you regret it?”

“If I did, would I still be here?” the older boy replied, dipping his head so his lips brushed Dougie’s. “I just wish it was as simple for them as it was for us.”

“Or that Tom was here, he’s better with this kind of thing than we are,” Dougie chipped in with a careless shrug, as Harry ran his fingertips but and down his back lightly. He pulled the drummer into a hug and stared moodily over his shoulder. “I hate having responsibilities.”

*****

The bedroom door opened again, and Danny looked up. “Why are you still here?”

“Please,” was all Matt said, coming over and kneeling in front of him. “Listen to me. Please?” Danny stood up and walked over to the wall, so Matt could only see his back, but Matt could tell that he was still listening. “I didn’t mean what I said last night. Well, actually, I more did than said anything. And I’m sorry.”

“For what part? The acting like you didn’t mean it? Or the sex to begin with?”

Matt swore loudly, “No! I didn’t mean the sex. I mean the way I reacted. You didn’t deserve that.”

“Regardless of whether I deserved it or not, it still happened.”

“Look, the reason I acted like I did, was becau-” He broke off as Danny turned back towards him. He cleared his throat nervously. “Because I was afraid that you’d regret it. I remember it, okay? Every moment. It was fucking brilliant!” He looked at his feet self-consciously, “I just wasn’t sure you’d agree…”

*****

“Right.” Dougie punched one fist against the palm of his other hand. “I’ve decided. I’m gong to shove them together, and hope that their tongues collide in the process.”

“Okay.” Harry nuzzled the bassist’s neck lightly, “Have I told you how sexy I find your controlling streak?”

“Shut up!”

“That does it. They can wait. Come here.” Harry pulled him even closer, and they shared one hell of a kiss.

“Okay,” Dougie said five minutes later, a little out of breath. “Let’s go get this done, so we can then go to bed and continue that.”

“Dougie, it’s just past five o’clock.”

The blond responded by walking a couple of fingers up his boyfriend’s chest. “So?”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Dougie smirked, and they headed through to the living room. “Matt?” It was empty. “Matt?” They both looked at each other, and it took them all of five seconds to work out where he’d gone. They both ran out the room and up the stairs. Dougie reached Danny’s bedroom first, and he yanked open the door and peered round. A second later he jerked back, “Oh, holy fuck!”

“What?” Harry peered round the door as well, before backing up and closing the door again. “Well, I don’t think we’re needed, do you?”

“I’m gonna be sick.” Dougie did look a little green.

“Why? It’s pretty much exactly what we do…”

“Well, it doesn’t look that weird when we do it!” Dougie snapped. “I’m gonna be mentally scarred.” He aimed a pout at the brunette, “Help heal the scars…?”

The cheeky grin lit up Harry’s face, “I thought you’d never ask.”

*****

“I’m back!” Tom called into the house the next morning.

Dougie jogged down the stairs towards him, “Hey. How was Manchester?”

Tom nodded, “It was okay. We didn’t really see that much of it though…if you know what I mean.” He’d been away with his long-term girlfriend for three days. “Help me, will you?” he asked, motioning to the two small bags sitting by the door.

“Sure.” Dougie picked up one of the bags, and started up to the third floor with it.

Tom followed him. “Do I want to ask what I’ve missed?”

“No.”

“Tell me anyway. What’ve I missed?”

“A hell of a lot. There was a crisis, but we sorted it out. Oh! And don’t go into Danny’s room until he surfaces, ‘cause me and Harry are already mentally scarred from last night. Makes no sense to add you to the list. Mental images of Danny and Matt are not desired watching, trust me.”

“Hang on, hang on. Back up a second. Danny and Matt?!”

Dougie nodded, as they started up the stairs to Tom’s room, “They slept together, then Matt got all self-conscious and decided to act like he didn’t mean it when he actually did, therefore breaking Danny’s heart. And they made up last night. Pretty enthusiastically, too.” He gave Tom a mock glare, “See what happens when you go away?”

Tom laughed lightly as they finally got into his room. “You want me to promise not to in future?” he asked, pointing to the bed to tell the other blond where to put the bag.

“Could you?” Dougie asked hopefully.

“Doug? What are you-?” Harry appeared at the top of the stairs. “Oh, hey, Tom. You’re back, then.”

“I should imagine so.”

Harry curled his arms round Dougie’s waist. “How often did you leave the hotel room then?” he asked, getting right to the point.

“Just to eat,” Tom replied with a cheeky grin. “What about you two? Where do I need to sterilize?”

“We almost did it on the sofa, then Matt came round,” Dougie commented. He saw the look on Tom’s face. “Don’t worry; no clothes were taken off…” He looked to the side, and his voice turned into barely more than a whisper. “Yet.”

“Cute,” Tom remarked darkly.

*****

Matt opened his eyes slowly, savouring the moment. Danny was still asleep, lying on his back, one arm curled loosely round Matt’s waist. Matt stared at him for a long while. “You’re making me uncomfortable,” the younger boy muttered, not opening his eyes. “You know how hard it is to pretend to sleep when you’re staring at me?”

Matt smirked and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Danny’s lips. His eyes flicked open. “Morning.”

Danny stared up at him for a moment, then turned so he was propped up on his elbow. “So, any regrets this time round?”

Matt took in the sight before him with a raised eyebrow, “None at all.”