Part Twelve

‘…By the time I got to Woodstock they were half a million strong…’

A brisk knock came on Daniel’s door and he knew that it could only belong to one person.

Opening it he was greeted by a very excited Darren. He practically bound into the room and flung himself on the bed.

‘That’s it, essay all done. So what are we going to do tonight? Fancy trying again to get in to see ‘Easy Rider? Hey where’s your record player gone?’

Daniel simply grinned at him and took a running leap to land on top of him. ‘Well,’ he said, pausing to kiss Darren deeply, his hands automatically running up and down his arms, ‘actually I have something planned for tonight.’

‘Cool.’ Darren pulled him for another kiss, grabbing his arse with both hands and holding him tightly.

Daniel drew back and sat on his heels, Darren immediately reaching for him again.

‘Hey come back here you.’

‘Come with me.’ Daniel held out his hand and drew them both off of the bed.

Silently he led Darren towards the window and pushed the rickety frame up.

Darren just looked at him quizzically.

‘Come on.’

Daniel swung a leg over the sill.

‘What are you up to?’ Darren asked as Daniel sat there half in, half out

‘You’ll see, now are you coming or not.’ Daniel swung the other leg round and stepped out onto the fire escape.

Shrugging his shoulders as if to say ‘I think you’re crazy but whatever,’ Darren climbed out after him.

When they reached the top Daniel turned round and ordered Darren to close his eyes.

‘You’re not planning on jumping are you?’

‘No you idiot, here take my hand. There’s something I want to show you.’

Daniel couldn’t help but smile as Darren did what he was bid and holding onto Daniel’s hand for dear life let him guide him up the last few metal steps and onto the flat roof.

‘Okay open them.’

The look on Darren’s face as he saw what Daniel had spent the last few hours preparing made all the effort of lugging everything up the narrow stairs worthwhile.

Disbelief, amazement and then utter delight.

‘Whoa Daniel man this is so cool.’

Daniel lit the couple of hurricane lamps that he had hauled up there.

‘So this is where your player went?’

‘Uh-huh. I figured if we can’t go to Woodstock then I would bring Woodstock to us.’ He knelt down beside the player and started going through the records that leant against it. ‘Jefferson Aeroplane, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Buffalo Springfield, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix…’

‘Jimi who?’

‘Believe me you’ll love him. So what to start with…’ Daniel flicked back and forth for a moment before selecting an album.’

‘Hmmmm, Dylan perfect.’ Darren sighed and settled himself down on the blanket that Daniel had laid on the concrete.

Daniel turned round and manoeuvred himself so that Darren was laying in his lap.

‘You like?’ He ran his fingers lovingly through Darren's long hair.

‘Oh yes.’ Darren had closed his eyes and was softly singing along.

‘That’s what you were singing that first night I saw you down on the beach.’ Daniel reminisced.

‘I remember.’ Darren opened his eyes and stared up at him, ‘Daniel….’

‘Ssssh, not now.’ Daniel knew what Darren wanted to discuss. They had spoken of little else since his draft notice had arrived. It had, not surprisingly, cast a shadow over both their lives.

Straight away Darren had demanded that he ignore it and then he had started formulating ways for Dan to get out of it.

‘You know you could always just tell the board that you are gay. Loads of people are doing it whether they are or not.’

‘I said sssh.’

‘Daniel this is not going to just go away.’

‘Darren.’

‘Yes?’

‘Shut up.’

Daniel decided that there was only one guaranteed way to stop Darren from talking and so for the next twenty minutes the only sounds that were heard was Dylan’s gravely voice and the occasion moan from the two lovers.

Sighing happily Daniel shifted slightly so that he could rest his head on Darren's chest.

This time it was Darren's hands that did the caressing, Daniel staring off into middle-distance as his felt strong fingers feather through his hair and come to rest on his neck. 

'Daniel are we ever going to discuss this? I mean really discuss it.'

Daniel turned his head so that he could gaze up into Darren's darkened eyes. 'What is there to say?'

'Don't go.'

'Darren it's not that simple…' Daniel began but was cut off.

'It's perfectly simple. The war is wrong, you know that, I know that, half the fucking country knows it.'

Daniel made to get up. 'Music's stopped.' he mumbled, escaping from Darren's embrace and crouching down to select the next artist.

A pair of arms around his waist, wet lips against his neck. 'This one.' Darren pointed to a 'Crosby, Stills and Nash' album.

Daniel slipped it out of its sleeve and put it on the turntable. Darren taking the cover from him and examining the tracklistings before leaning over and carefully putting the needle down on the song that he wanted.

Daniel instantly recognized the introduction and a lump rose in his throat. He knew exactly why Darren had picked this one.

The melody was hauntingly simple, the lyrics rising clear, the second time through a cappella, the harmonies of the three voices blending and merging together perfectly sending chills the length of Daniel's spine.

'Now do you see?' Darren whispered, taking Daniel's face between his hands and using the side of his thumb to brush away a tear that Daniel wasn't even aware he was crying.

'I lied to you before. It's not just because I think this war is wrong that I don't want you to go. It's because I’m a selfish bastard that I don't want you to go. I don’t want you to go because I love you. Love you with all my heart and I don't want to lose you.' Darren chuckled softly. 'See at the end of the day all my principles go out the window, or off the roof if you like, the fact is I don't want you to go because I can’t imagine what my life would be like without you.’

Tears formed in Darren’s eyes as Daniel leaned into kiss him. ‘I know Doze, I know.’ He kissed away Darren’s tears, oblivious as his own fell.

When Daniel awoke the next morning he was alone in the bed and the sound of Darren gently strumming his guitar, singing along softly filled the room.

Daniel just lay there for a few minutes, smiling and enjoying the sound of Darren's voice.

Sitting up Daniel looked over to where Darren was sat crossed legged in the armchair, his chest and feet bare, dressed only in his flared jeans, guitar perched across his knees.

On hearing Daniel stir he carefully he put down his guitar and raised his eyes to meet his lover's.

'You're going aren't you.'