Author's Note: Dedicated to @lostwithmyfriends for saying this was their favourite book on wattpad, like you have no idea how much that means to me. Right, I'm back to school today so updates will be every Wednesday as I don't know how much time I'll have to write. How you all enjoy the chapter :)

The next morning Daniel wakes to a facebook message from Jonah.

Jonah Clarke: Hey, I've got your phone. Wanna meet for coffee and cake so I can give it back to you?

Daniel Evans: Sure, what time?

Daniel doesn't get a reply through until about ten o'clock, and even then it's not exactly entirely legible.

Jonah Clarke: qhat abiyt 11?

Jonah Clarke: Sorry, shit I'm so tired, what about 11?

Daniel Evans: That's good for me

And that's how Daniel finds himself nervously pushing open the door of the local coffee shop and searching the room for Jonah, unsure of how the two of them are going to act. He soon spots Jonah, who is sprawled across one of the arm chairs, arm thrown over his eyes so as to block the light and a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

"I thought you didn't drink coffee," Daniel comments.

Jonah looks up briefly, as if he's surprised that Daniel is there before covering his face up once again.

"It tastes abysmal," Jonah replies, "but after last night, I just don't think tea is going to cut it."

Daniel expects it to be awkward between the two of them, for Jonah to act like it never happened but instead it actually seems as if it never did and Daniel is unable to believe that Jonah can act this well. Perhaps Daniel imagined it because there is no tone of embarrassment or anger in Jonah's voice.

"Right I'll just go get myself a coffee then."

Daniel watches Jonah out of the corner of his eye as he queues. The boy has resumed his previous position and occasionally leans over to take a sip of his drink before pulling a face, it almost makes Daniel giggle and then he remembers why Jonah is drinking it and the memories of last night's phone call come flooding back.

When he's finally served, Daniel carries his mug back to the table and fixes Jonah with an amused stare.

"Rough night then," he says teasingly.

"You have no idea," Jonah groans, "I actually think my body is staging a mutiny and trying to kill me."

"I don't blame it," Daniel replies.

"Honestly I wouldn't have asked you to meet up with me this morning if I knew you were going to be this mean. I'm dying Daniel."

"You've got a hangover, and you had to meet up with me after you stole my phone."

Daniel expects at least this to draw a response or a flush of the cheeks from Jonah, seen as though the circumstances surrounding Daniel leaving his phone behind stemmed from the kiss but Jonah's expression remains neutral and Daniel finds himself wondering if it was perhaps just him that was so affected by the kiss.

"I didn't steal it," Jonah says before reaching into his pocket, "else I wouldn't be giving it back to you right now."

"Thanks."

Daniel takes the phone quickly and feels like hugging it tight. He knows that he shouldn't depend on his phone so much but it just felt wrong not having it with him and so having it placed back in his hand again fills him with a worrying sense of relief. Okay, so maybe Daniel is slightly too attached to his phone.

"To be honest I don't even remember most of last night," Jonah admits, "I think there was shots and maybe a game and I definitely got..."

Jonah cuts himself off and Daniel isn't entirely sure why.

"Definitely got what?"

"Definitely got far too drunk," Jonah finishes.

"That's true, so you don't remember calling me then?"

"I called you?"

"At two o'clock in the morning."

"Oh god Daniel I'm so sorry, I'm such a terrible person, I honestly don't know why you didn't just hang up. You didn't, did you?"

"No I listened to what you had to say," Daniel tells Jonah.

"And what did I have to say?" Jonah asks.

By this point Jonah cheeks are starting to heat, and he is peeking out at Daniel from between his fingers looking positively mortified.

"Well you didn't say things so much as sing them."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes."

"What did I sing about?"

"I believe the song was titled Daniel Evans is awesome."

"Well that's not too bad then," Jonah says, although it sounds more like he is trying to convince himself than that he actually believes it.

"You then proceeded to forget that you were talking to me and asked me what I thought of myself."

"Do you ever just want to go back in time and punch yourself in the face?"

"I think you're overreacting a little bit Jonah," Daniel replies.

"I'm an embarrassing drunk," Jonah says burying his head in his hands, "seriously, people need to stop me from drinking, all I seem to do is humiliate myself."

"Yeah but you can get away with it."

"And why's that?"

"Because you're Jonah Clarke."

"And what's that supposed to mean."

"Come on Jonah, people love you, you're like everyone's best friend, there's nothing you could do that would be so embarrassing as to ruin that."

"Even singing a song incredibly out of tune."

"How do you know it was out of tune?" Daniel asks.

"Please Danny-Boy, I've heard myself sing enough times to know that there was no way I pulled that performance off."

"It was actually kind of cute."

"Oh god, that's just a polite way of telling me that you're never going to stop mocking me for it."

"Well it was quite funny."

"Daniel please stop talking about it, it's in the past and now I'd like to move on."

"You've gotta face the consequences of your actions Jonah."

"I hate you."

"I stopped believing that a long time ago."

Daniel is relieved to find that the easy playfulness between Jonah and he has not disappeared. He has feared that the kiss would signal the end of their friendship, the end of any simplicity, but instead it doesn't seem to have affected it at all and Daniel is not sure that anything has made him as happy as that.

"Where are you heading after this?" Jonah asks. "Because we've just got a new flavour of ice cream over at Sprinkles and I'm happy to treat you."

There is nothing Daniel would like more than to take Jonah up on his offer but he can't, not today.

"I've got to go sorry."

"Where to?" Jonah sounds hurts, and Daniel feels terrible.

"A therapy session."

"Oh, with like a shrink?"

"More with like an entire group of kids who are fed up with life and sit down and talk about it for a couple of hours," Daniel replies.

Daniel tries to make is sound like it's not a big deal but it is, and both of them know that.

"Can I come with?" Jonah asks.

"Why would you want to?"

"Because I'm your friend."

"It's not gonna be great fun?"

"Really Daniel?" Jonah replies sarcastically. "Cause I thought we were all gonna bake cookies and play on the bouncy castle."

"I'm just saying."

"Well don't, just answer the question."

"Fine. Whatever. If you want to."

xxx

Jonah's only been driving for ten minutes and so far he's counted that Daniel has made six attempts to get Jonah to change his mind. Jonah's mind is set on this though and he can sense that despite all of Daniel's protests that the other boy is actually quite happy that Jonah is tagging along.

And Jonah almost feels as if he has to go. He's still not entirely sure what state their friendship is in after yesterday, and whether there was any friendship left at all. But this seems like the first step in resuming their best friend roles, because Jonah is being supportive like any good friend would, but he's being careful not to say anything that could be taken the wrong way. In fact he's being careful not to say anything that could lead back to the kiss at all, because Jonah has decided that in this case, faking obliviousness seems to be the best policy. It's rule number seven of a successful one night stand, the next day pretend it never happened. The rules have served Jonah well so far, and even though this isn't exactly the same, he's hoping they won't fail him now.

"You really don't have to come," Daniel says for what seems like the hundredth time this journey.

"I want to," Jonah replies, and he thinks he must have said that almost as much.

Daniel nods, but Jonah gets the feeling that Daniel doesn't really believe him. Something in their friendship has definitely shifted and Jonah doesn't like it. He curses himself once again for fucking everything up, Jonah has always liked to push the boundaries on occasion and this time he's pretty sure that he's pushed them too far. That they're so out of position that there's no chance of ever getting them back.

"Turn left here," Daniel instructs.

Jonah quickly does just that and they're pulling up in front of a dreary looking cement building with creepers climbing up the walls.

"Here it is," Daniel says and his tone is as unenthusiastic as it could possibly be.

And suddenly Jonah feels for bad for making Daniel bring him along.

"Look Danny-Boy if you don't want me to come then I can go."

"No, it's fine, it's just..."

"It's just what?"

"I don't want you to think bad of me after this."

"How bad can it be?"

"No I mean I don't want you to feel sorry for me, I'm sick of sympathy."

"I'm sure I can manage that," Jonah says with a roll of his eyes.

Jonah holds the door open for Daniel as the two of them make their way into the building and Jonah is disappointed to find that the mood doesn't brighten as they walk down the corridor. The walls are a bright white, the paint starting to peel and the floorboards beneath his feet are scuffed. The place looks almost abandoned and the single light bulb that flickers overhead does little to drive away the shadows.

Daniel's stride is purposeful and before long he pulls on Jonah's shirtsleeve to guide him through a door that looks to Jonah like every other one they've passed, but obviously Daniel knows where he's going.

Jonah had almost expected the place to look like every meeting place he'd seen in films. Plastic chairs all arranged in a circle and a fake sense of happiness surrounding everyone. Instead the room inside is surprisingly warm, not just in temperature but also feeling. And sure the chairs are still made of crappy plastic, and still form a slightly misshapen circle but the people sat upon them look nothing like Jonah expected, have smiles on their faces rather than tears, and Jonah feels like slapping himself for even thinking that they might.

"Daniel," a cheery voice calls from across the room, "it's good to see you. And who have you brought with you?"

"This is Jonah," Daniel murmurs, "he's, uh, a friend of mine."

"How nice to see you Jonah," the man says, "and I'm so glad you're here to support Daniel."

Jonah just nods. What is he supposed to say?

Daniel appears to be the last one to arrive because as soon as the man finishes speaking to him, the man stands on a chair and tries to get the room's attention.

"Right everyone," he says, "can we all sit down please, because I think we're ready to start today's session."

There's a murmur of voice and a shuffle of feet and then slowly people start trickling towards the chairs. Jonah is still uncertain, but Daniel lightly pushes him towards the chairs and Jonah takes the leap. He finds himself squished between Daniel and a blonde girl chewing neon green bubblegum.

"Hey Jonah," Daniel leans in and whispers, "if you want to leave at any point I get it, I mean you can just go."

Jonah is taken aback by Jonah's assumption and is a little bit offended if he's being perfectly honest.

"I'm not going anywhere Danny-Boy."

xxx

They're halfway through the meeting and Daniel can't stop looking at Jonah. It's as if he's waiting for the slightest sign that Jonah wants to leave, that Daniel and his past are finally too much for him to deal with.

Daniel hates it, because it's starting to make it feel like the whole thing is some kind of friendship test, which it's not, Daniel is just desperate to be able to know what Jonah is thinking. Jonah has never exactly been an open book, but it seems like he's closed a part of himself off over night, as if there's something he's hiding, and Daniel knows why, knows it has to be because of the kiss, and hates himself because of it. Maybe if he hadn't pushed too hard, hadn't made it so glaringly obvious that he still had romantic feelings, then maybe Jonah wouldn't have kissed him, maybe everything between them would still be normal.

It scares Daniel to think that there's a normal between the two of them when they haven't known each other for all that long but there definitely is, and Daniel definitely wants it back.

"You okay?" Jonah whispers. "You looked like you kind of spaced out."

"Fine."

Jonah raises an eyebrow but says nothing else and Daniel tries to refocus his attention on what is being said, aware that he could be called upon at any moment.

Daniel has been to enough of these sessions to know that they're always split into two different parts; one where they discuss things that make them unhappy, and one where they talk about things that cheer them up. Usually Daniel comes prepared with a set answer for both, a get out of jail free card if you will, but today his thoughts have been preoccupied and so he has no idea what is going to say. He tries to rack his brain for ideas that won't provoke questions or a discussion but he seems to have used everything that comes to mind fairly recently, and he knows that Robin – the group leader – will call him out on it if he notices.

"And Daniel," Daniel winces when he hears his name called, "why don't you tell us about something that makes you angry or upset? Something that you wish wasn't a part of your life."

Daniel glances around the room and his eyes land on Jonah who offers him an encouraging smile.

"Uhm, people who say mean things," Daniel replies, an edge of uncertainty to his tone.

It's a cop-out answer and Daniel knows it, and so he knows that Robin is bound to ask him a follow up question, something that Daniel usually tries to avoid at all costs. If there's one thing Daniel's learnt about surviving these sessions without feeling like you're taking backwards steps, it's that you have to deflect as much attention away from you as possible, because as soon as they start to ask questions about how you're feeling and what you think about things, they're only going to expose the cracks inside of you that your shiny exterior manages to disguise. You show up with a smile, don't give them any reason to believe it's fake and you're good to go, but the slightest slip up and you're back to where you started. Potentially literally. You fuck up bad enough and it's back to the therapist and back to panicked parents and Daniel knows that he doesn't want to deal with any of that again.

"What kind of mean things?" Robin asks.

Daniel thinks about this. He can't afford to say the wrong thing. There's definitely some sort of equation to getting through these sessions without sending out a distress signal.

"Things about my hair," Daniel jokes, "because you know it really is my pride and joy."

Robin looks at him uncertainly before looking away and Daniel can tell that he's not entirely in the clear just yet but at least the group's attention is off him now and that's all Daniel really wants. Jonah's isn't though, his eyes still linger on Daniel and they seem to be flecked with concern. They're so close that Daniel can feel their arms brush against each other and that brings back memories of yesterday but Daniel ignores them, because there's an expression on Jonah's face that Daniel has seen thousands of time before. It's sympathy, and he hates it, doesn't want it.

And that's why Daniel didn't want Jonah to come, because there's only so much pretending he can do. And Jonah has somehow always been able to see right through Daniel's words, has always been able to read the emotions on Daniel's face and Daniel is starting to think that it may be impossible for him to lie to Jonah Clarke, because somehow Jonah can always see when he does. And so he didn't want Jonah to come today, didn't want Jonah to see that despite every 'I'm okay' and 'I'm fine' that Daniel says, that he's actually really not. Because Daniel has made it his life mission to not tell anyone that, and he was doing perfectly fine until Jonah Clarke came along.

Daniel shakes his head. He needs to focus, needs to listen, because surely if Jonah can read Daniel's face than other people can too and staring off into space isn't going to help with that, especially when Daniel has no doubt in his mind that every thought is sketched onto his face.

"You okay?" Jonah mouths.

Daniel hates this, possibly more than he hates everything else. Can see the cogs whirring in Jonah's brain, can see that he doesn't even realise he's doing it. But that doesn't make Daniel hate Jonah's sympathy any less.

So Daniel just nods and turns away, desperately hoping that maybe Jonah can't see it all. He doesn't mind showing Jonah a few jagged pieces of the broken boy he is, but he doesn't want to give him them all. Because as Jonah puts all the pieces together, Daniel is pretty sure it won't be long before he leaves.

xxx

When the pair finally step out into the sunlight, Jonah isn't entirely sure what to say. In some ways it is impossible for Jonah to even describe what just happened but he can also feel words bubbling up inside him, threatening to spill out. He knows he has to tread carefully though and so he waits a moment, composes his thoughts and then finally speaks.

"Do you go there every week?"

"My mum makes me."

"Oh."

And Jonah is struggling to think of what to say next, he almost feels as if what happens at the session has to stay at the session. Kind of like Las Vegas but with better morals (or at least Jonah hopes that they have better morals). And so Jonah keeps his mouth shut and tries to puzzle it all over.

The first half of the session was spent talking about what makes people mad, or sad – Jonah is starting to realise that more often than not the two go hand in hand. Jonah didn't like that bit, it seems to him that people go to these sessions to feel better, happier, and as much as Jonah's not sure that that's always possible, he imagines talking about what makes you feel the way you don't want to feel isn't exactly going to help. Jonah had to admit that it improved, even if it became slightly patronising. Talking about things that make you happy at the end of the session is potentially one of the most cliché things he has ever seen, Jonah muses, but it kind of worked, he can see people walking with smiles on their faces.

It's not their answers that Jonah cares about though. It's Daniel's. Daniel who quietly muttered pass when it came to his turn, whose ears turned a frightening hue of pink and who has kept quiet ever since they arrived. Jonah wants to know what makes him happy, so that he can help Daniel to feel that way all the time.

"Why didn't you answer?" Jonah eventually works up the courage to ask.

"Answer what?"

"The