Danny Boy

It was quite ironic to Steven Finnan that his least favorite time of year was suppose to be his favorite. The summer is a time of celebration, rest, vacation, warmth, and fun. Everyone around the world yearns for summers return, except Steve. Granted he does need the break, since playing football for a continuous nine or so months was strenuous and the it allowed him to renew his love for the game. However, Steve Finnan would give nothing more than for it to be mid-December. Even though playing in the snow was brutal in every way possible, he was never alone. To Steve the summer meant loneliness. The club was basically his whole life. It contained his friends who had rapidly become his family. With all of the others on vacation or international duty, Steve had nothing to do but wait in the deserted city that was Liverpool.
He had thought about going to Ireland over the break but had decided against it. Ireland no longer felt like home and only his small Liverpool apartment (granted it's not that small) had the comforts of home. His family, his real family, had begged him to return and his old friends had all but forgotten him. The only thoughts they did have of Steve was when they would see him during a game and tell their sons that they knew him (all so that they would have a sense of fame).
Steve sat in his living room which adorned the color of his home. The red walls adorned pictures of red people. His glass cabinet held a medal with red ribbons and pictures of the reds most famous day. In fact the only thing in the entire room that wasn't red was a discarded black leather jacket. It hung haphazardly on the arm of the couch, limp with neglect because its owner left it behind. Steve couldn't take much more of this enraging red so he went into the kitchen. Its white walls and counters and table and appliances resembled headstones. The largest headstone, the refrigerator, read Danny in magnetic letters that Steve's niece had forgotten. An image of himself pressed against that same refrigerator with Daniel fervently kissing him pierced his mind. Steve started becoming distressed, "One more week" he said to himself. Steve sat at the table and looked at the empty chairs. He could almost see Danny, Stevie, and Xabi sitting in them with cards in one hand and a beer in the other. He got up and started cleaning the dishes from the night before and afterwards hesitantly entered his bedroom. Going in there was difficult because it reminded his of just how lonely he was. With only one occupant, the bed seemed desperately cold. Most nights Steve had to sleep on the couch.
Daniel had only called him once since he had gotten to Denmark. The phone had rung only a few hours after Steve had dropped him off at the airport. Danny's voice was happy and Steve could tell he was the last thing on the Dane's mind.
"Hey Steve," was his greeting,
"Danny, You're in Denmark already?" Steve questioned,
"Yeah we just landed and we're pulling into the gate now. I just wanted to call to let you know I was alright."
"Thanks but you better go. I miss you."
"Miss you too Finns, farvel!" and before Steve had a chance to say I love you or even a bye, Daniel hung up and now two and a half months later and still no word from Daniel.

His bedroom was green because it was suppose to remind him of Ireland and hopefully subside any homesickness that may have occured. Steve was normally a clean guy but he had neglected his bedroom which left it so dirty it was hard for him to even look at it. His green bedsheets were rumpled and untouched since Daniel's last night in Liverpool. The naked Dane had rolled onto his stomach and threw a lazy arm and leg around Steve. The dirty sheets hardly covered either of them. Steve had been watching Daniel thrash about and seemingly out of nowhere the Dane muttered, "I'll miss you," it was so quite Steve almost missed it.
Daniel continued, "I'll be gone for almost three months! That's too long"
Steve smiled reassuringly at his lover, "Its ok Dan. You'll be back before you know it and when you do I promise to make love to you."
"really?" Steve was going to affirm his promise but Daniel had already fallen back asleep.
If only he had begged Daniel to stay. They could have made love everyday if that's what it took.
At the foot of the bed was an old and very much dirty sock that Daniel had left laying around. Usually Steve would have gotten mad at Daniel but now it made him only yearn for the younger man. He glided over towards his cd collection and stereo. Inside of the stereo was a cd of Irish folk songs. Daniel had put it in there because he wanted to learn more about Irish culture. He had wrinkled his nose at the melodic Irish brogues, "How do you understand them?".
Daniel had gotten to the twelfth song before shutting it off, obviously not that impressed. Steve was a little upset, not at Daniel's disliking for his culture, but because the next song was one the Dane would have liked. Right now that song explained perfectly how he felt. He turned on the stereo and the final chords the twelfth song rang out. A few seconds later the Londonderry air started playing. A rich male brogue started singing and Finnan decided to sing along,
"Oh Danny boy, the pipes the pipes are calling,"

Steve waltzed out into the living and due to his new surround sound, he could hear the song from anywhere within his home,

"From glen to glen and down the mountain side,"

He picked up Danny's leather jacket and hugged it to his body,

"The summer's gone and all the roses falling, its you its you must go and I must bide,"

He danced around the couch and came face to face with a frozen and framed Danny,

"But come ye back when summers in the meadow or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,"

He smiled and swung away from the picture,

"Its I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,"

He made it to the middle of the room and sadly dropped to his knees,

"Oh Danny boy, Oh Danny boy, I love you so,"

Unbeknownst to Steve, the front door had opened and closed and there was a person walking down the hallway that led to the living room,

"But when ye come and all the flowers are dying, if I am dead as dead I well may be, ye'll come and find the place where I am lying,"

As if the song commanded him, Steve laid on the floor,

"and kneel and say an ave there for me,"

The person came into the the living room,

"And I shall hear though soft you tread above me and all my grave will warmer sweeter be,"

Daniel appeared above Steve, smiling. He bent down and told Steve, "I love you". Steve halted his singing when he saw Danny. Steve didn't need to sing that lyric because Danny's actions had sang it for him. Steve sprung up and kissed his Danny. Danny pulled away and picked up his jacket, "I was wondering where this went to!" he exclaimed.
Steve smiled and led him to the bedroom and simply stated, "I promised you love making".
When they made it to the room, Danny tugged at Steve's arm and pulled him into a hug.
Almost afraid to, Steve asked, "Why are you home so early?"
Danny kissed his forehead, "Cause I missed you,"
"missed you too,"
"What was that song anyway" Danny said with a slight chuckle, by now another Irish song had come on.
Steve blushed, "It's an Irish folksong, Danny boy. It reminds me of you,"
Danny replayed it and gasped, "How does it remind you of me? Its about a dead person!"
Steve hugged Danny and whispered to him, "Because I feel dead without you,"
Later that night a naked Danny was once again sprawled over Steven Finnan, asleep. Steve was closing in on unconsciousness but right before he slipped away he quietly sang, "And I will sleep in peace until you come to me."