I Want You

by Carolyne

Author's Note: This story is purely fictional, and none of this ever happened.....well maybe it did, but we just don't know....;)

Luna sez: This is one of Carolyne's first fics and i think she struggled splendidly with it. Be kind, my dears ~smile~

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(I Want You: Intro)

"Ooh, i want you, i don't know if i need you, but, ooh, i'd die to find out"
The words of the song played over and over in Daniel's head.
Vivid scenes of the new released video that they had finished filming today, replayed over and over again.
He poured himself a glass of cold wine, attempting to clear his mind. "Ooh, i want you, i don't know if i need you"
Daniel placed his empty wine glass in the sink and closed his eyes.
DARREN LOOKING UP....... Daniel took a deep breath,
DARREN LOOKING DOWN...... he scrunched his eyes tighter together,
DARREN LOOKING AT HIM..... he began to sweat,
DARREN ARCHING HIS EYEBROW..... Daniel began to pant,
DARREN LICKING HIS LIPS..... he pounded his fists on the counter.
(For God's sake, man! Get a hold of yourself!) he thought desperately.
Walking into the living room, he flipped on his stereo and popped in one of his favorite Seal cds. 'Prayer for the dying' began, and he sat down on the couch to lose himself in the music.
For the first minute of the song, he had actually fallen deeply into its' melody, but as soon as the chorus started, his mind was quickly interrupted by the words of 'I want you'
The hypnotizing sound of Darren's voice lulled him into a trance, and before he knew it, he was swaying his head and tapping his feet to the song in his head.
Then suddenly, as if snapping out of his magical lullaby, the sound of Seal's voice hit his ears, and he then realized that the song on his cd was ending.
Frustrated, he stood up quickly and turned the cd off, and the room grew silent.
"Darren, if you only knew.....God, if you only knew how much i want you" he said to himself in exasperation, secretly wishing that Darren could hear him. Then, covering his face with his hands, he began to sob, his tears falling down his cheeks.
"If only you knew...."



('I Want You': part 1)

It was 8:45am when Darren woke up. Slamming off his ringing alarm clock, he slowly sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes. "Bloody hell, why can't i just sleep in for one day?" he said, scratching his head.
He followed his usual daily routine: brushed his teeth, took a shower, got dressed, fixed his hair, (which took about an hour) grabbed something quick to eat and then called Daniel.
"Rise and shine, Danny boy. Another new and promising day awaits us"
Daniel yawned loudly. "Ya, i bet.....well, i'm almost done getting ready, all i gotta do now is brush my hair and then i'm outta here"
Darren chuckled. "Well, that shouldn't take you too long, huh, Danny? Alright, i'll see ya at the studio soon. Drive safely. Ciao" and then he hung up. Picking up his bottle of Calvin Klein's 'obsession', he squirted himself lightly several times and then left the house.

"Ok guys, now just turn a little to the right...ya, that's it...good.....now hold that for a sec....perfect" CLICK!
Both Darren and Daniel were blinded by the ever-so-bright flash of the camera.
(Crap!) thought Daniel. (One more picture and i'll go blind!) "Just a few more to go, ok guys? Just hang in there while i go and get a new film" said the photographer as he left the room.
"Oh my God" whispered Darren. "He's trying to kill us, i swear" Daniel wiped his sweaty forehead and nodded.
Then, the photographer came back into the room, and both of them resumed their previous poses.
"Alright, now just loosen up a bit.....maybe even smile for me...ya...a smile would be nice....come on, Darren, don't look so serious..."
Darren sighed and then did his best to force a smile.
"Excellent, now just hold that for a sec.....great!" CLICK!
Darren rolled his eyes in annoyance. He felt like a barbie doll, being forced to move a certain way and make a certain face.
The photographer stepped away from his camera and approached them.
Taking Daniel's left arm, he placed it on Darren's shoulder, and then stepped back to observe his new creation.
"Looks great, guys.....now, do either one of you feel uncomfortable?"
Daniel remained still, staring at the photographer blankly.
The feeling of having his arm resting on Darren's shoulder was certainly nothing to complain about.
Darren glanced at him. "Daniel, are you comfortable?"
He just nodded quickly, making no expression whatsoever.
"Fine then, just hold that pose while i take this shot, alright? 1-2-3"
CLICK!
After the flash, Daniel still remained posed; his arm on Darren.
Darren looked at him strangely. "Ok, Danny, the photoshoot is over now. You can take your arm off my shoulder"
Awkwardly, he slid his arm off of Darren and then looked down at the ground.
The photographer looked from Darren to Daniel, attempting to make sense of what was happening. "Are you guys ok now? We're finished for today, so you can go home or wherever you're headed to"
"Alright, thanks again, Jerry. We'll see you again tomorrow, same time, right?" asked Darren.
"Uh, ya.....see ya then" then he left the room.
Daniel looked around the studio and then at Darren. "Ok, Darren, i'll see you tomorrow" he said quickly, and then walked towards the exit door.
"I'll call you tonight" said Darren with a smile.
"Ok, bye" he replied happily and then walked out.




('I Want You': Part 2)


The phone rang loudly, interrupting his supper.
Picking it up, he pressed the 'on' button: "Hello?"
"Hello, dahling, how are you?"
"Oh, hello Colby dear, i was actually just in the middle of eating my home-made dinner"
She laughed lightly. "*You* actually made supper all by yourself?"
"Well, not exactly....but i heated it up in the micro-oven by myself, aren't you proud of me?" he asked, smiling to himself.
She giggled. "Of course i am, Dazzy! May i ask what gourmet meal you're dining on tonight?"
"Macaroni and cheeze a la Darren" he admitted proudly.
Married for 5 and a half years, and only recently divorced from one another, Colby and Darren were still close friends, and in all the years that she had known him, he had *never* been one to cook.
"I see....listen, i was calling to ask you how the filming for your video went yesterday?"
"Oh yes, the video! For I want you, you mean, right?"
"Well, yes, unless there's another video that you guys filmed yesterday that i don't know about" she said in her usual cheerful voice.
"Haha, no no, it was just that one, and *believe* me, that was enough work by itself!"
"I can imagine" she commented. "But you did at least *enjoy* yourselves during the whole process?"
"Of course we did, Colby. It was actually quite interesting the way the director managed to capture a certain mysterious air to it....i thought it was gonna be more, well, poppy i guess"
She laughed. "Poppy? Another new word of yours?"
He smiled. "Well, by poppy, i mean that i had pictured the video to be more bouncy and casual, you know?"
"Hmm, yes. Well, anyhow, i'm glad to hear that all went all for you, and i can't wait to see it on tv...what day is it airing?"
"Uh....i think Nigel had told me that its' very first airing day would be this upcoming friday, around 7:30"
"Alright, i'll be sure to tape it! Well, i'll let you go now, Dazzy. Have a good sleep and say hi to Daniel for me, alright?"
Darren sipped his pepsi. "I will, Colby. Night then, bye"
"Good night, Darren"

After he hung up the phone, he quickly finished eating his somewhat cold supper and then picked up the phone again and called Daniel just as he said he would:
"Hello, Danny boy, how are you feeling?"
There was a sigh from Daniel, almost like a sigh of relief. "Oh, not too bad Darren, how about you?"
"Well, i just got a call from Colby, and she was asking me about the new video and all, you know, the usual Colby questions" he said with a friendly laugh.
"Oh, so how is she doing?"
"Good. And, she says hello to you, as always"
"Alright, well tell her i say hi back whenever you next speak with her" he replied with a smile.
"I will. Ah, dammit, tomorrow morning we gotta get up early again....arh! I'm getting so damn sick and tired of not being able to sleep in anymore" he said in a voice that Daniel found to be angry, yet cute at the same time.
"Ah, Darren. I've gotten used to it by now, why haven't *you*?" he asked, laughing.
"Heaven only knows"
Then, Daniel could hear what sounded like footsteps that were presumably Darren's. "Where are you walking to?"
"Oh, i was just walking over to my stereo to play some U2 stuff, you know, to break the silence of the room"
"Oh, that surely surprises me, Darren" he said with obvious sarcasm. "What cd are you gonna play by them?"
More footsteps, and then the sound of cd cases being moved around. "Ah hell, why don't i just play the greatest hits one"
"That's it, play *all* the songs in one"
"Oh, can you hold on a sec? I have a beep"
"Sure"
After about a minute, Darren's voice popped back on the line, startling Daniel.
"Hey Danny, that was Ben. He asked when our next band practice was, so i told him that *you* might know, so he'll be calling you shortly" Daniel sighed. "Alright then, but good God, what do i tell him? I don't know when our next rehearsal is"
"haha, well, mr. jones, it's up to *you* now to decide, so when you feel the need to rehearse, just let us all know"
"Very funny, Darren" he said with a smile. "Well, my line is beeping, and it's most likely Ben, so i'll see you in the morning"
"Ok, Danny. Night then" CLICK.




('I Want You': part 3)


Daniel talked to Ben for about 20 mins, and then got off the phone with him and watched a bit of the X Files on tv; an episode he had already seen before.
That night, before he went to sleep, his mind, once again, was invaded with several scenes from the video, images of Darren flickering through his mind, and in a matter of seconds, that longing for him returned.
The slow movement of his lips, those soft, full pink lips mouthing the lyrics of the song, and those astonishingly possesive eyes staring right at him, which was enough to get him sweating again. He turned over on his left side and looked at the clock on his night table: 12:36 am.
By 12:45 he was fast asleep, and already dreaming about Darren: In his dream, he was back on the set of the new video with his electric guitar, standing only a few feet away from Darren, who was holding a microphone, looking at the camera, singing the song. His long black hair appeared to be made of the softest silk, random strands of it covering his dark blue eyes.
His whole upper body seemed to shudder with each new breath that he took in the song, as his hands gently caressed the microphone stand, as if giving it some tender loving care.
Daniel wanted so badly to throw down his guitar, run up to him and wrap his arms around him in the tightest embrace, but sice it was a dream, as usual, he found that he couldn't even take one step towards him. Frustrated, yet still captivated by the whole scene, he remained still, and watched Darren as he sung like an angel under the spotlight that surrounded him.
When the song was over, Darren turned to look at him, and mouthed the words the 3 words that Daniel had been longing to hear: "I want you"
The alarm clock rang noisily, disturbing him from his wonderful dream.
"Arrr!!" he exclaimed angrily. "I hate you!" he yelled at the bouncing clock that was laughing in his face.
Quickly, he slammed it off, and threw it into the garbage; he had never really liked the sound of it anyway.
He stretched in one slow movement, reluctant to get out of his warm bed so early in the morning.
"Darren, Darren, Darren" he mumbled dreamily. "If only you could see my desire..."




('I Want You': part 4)


At the photography studio, all went the same as usual: several pictures were taken and the guys were moved around like a bunch of rag dolls to suit the photographer's orders.
In his tired state, Darren was not at all up to doing this, and almost felt as if he was being forced to go through with it.
Daniel immediately noticed. "Darren, you look awfully tired, did you not sleep well?" he asked with obvious concern.
Darren shook his head, eyes slightly drooping. "No, i only managed to sleep for about three hours"
"How come?"
"Well, i was awaken several times last night by a repetitive dream that kept coming back to me" he said lowly.
Daniel's curiousity was instantly aroused. "What was the dream about?"
"Oh well, it was kind of silly anyway....it doesn't really matter"
Daniel was dissapointed that he obviously did *not* want to talk about it with him. "That's ok, i had a few dreams myself"
Darren yawned. "Oh ya? That's cool...."
Daniel looked away, slightly hurt by his lack of interest.

The cafe was somewhat packed for a late afternoon.
Ben glanced at his watch. "They're 15 minutes late! Where in hell are they?"
Darren looked out the nearby window, hoping to see Nicole and Karl pulling up in their car. "Well, they're not outside either"
"It doesn't surprise me" Ben said in his usual loud Aussie voice. "They never get here on time!"
Lee, the drummer of the band, was still drinking his cappucino that must have gotten cold a half an hour ago. "Maybe they're caught up in traffic" he suggested.
"Always making excuses for them, aren't ya, Lee?" said Ben, staring at him accusingly.
Lee shrugged. "Well, it could be true, you know"
Before anymore was said from Ben, Daniel quickly intervened. "Ok, guys, now pipe down a little! My God, since we got here, you two have been at eachother's throats. What's wrong with you?"
Ben grumbled. "I'm just sick of waiting around for Nicki and Karl is all"
Darren nodded. "Ben, i'm sure we all are, but can you just please not take this out on the rest of us?"
Lee silently agreed.
"Fine, i'm sorry" he said quickly.
Suddenly, Daniel's cell phone rang. "That must be them...hello?"
There was a noise from the other extension, a noise of a car, and Daniel knew that it was Nicole and Karl.
"God, Daniel, we are so sorry for being this late, but we're stuck in the middle of a jam again"
Daniel rolled his eyes, silently letting the others know that as usual, Karl was throwing him another excuse.
"I think there was an accident or something, and we're about 5 mins away from you guys"
"Well, Karl, do your best to get your butts here asap, alright? Bye!" he said, hanging up with a sigh.
"I told you" said Lee. "They're in a traffic jam"
Ben looked as though he was about to pound him.
"Whoa, Ben! Calm down now...they'll be here soon enough" said Daniel, secretly hoping that he was right.
About 10 mins later, Nicole and Karl entered the restaurant.
"Well well, if it isn't the two jammers" said Ben sharply.
Nicole rolled her eyes, expecting a comment like that from him.
Daniel gave him a 'stop it' look, so he just sat back and grumbled to himself.




('I Want You': part 5)


"Oh ya! This Friday, we gotta watch watch for our new video" Darren said excitedly.
Daniel almost gasped. The thought of watching that video again was almost like torment, and as if the vid wasn't already clear *enough* in his mind.
"How did it end up going for you both?" asked Nicole.
"Pretty good i'd say, huh Daniel?"
Daniel looked at Darren and then at Nicole, thinking of what to say, without revealing what he really thought of it. "Ya....it went alot smoother than i thought it would. I think it's gonna look great on tv" he said, thinking of how hot Darren would look on a tv screen.
"How come *we* never get to be in your vids, Daz? We're part of the group too" said Ben.
Daniel shook his head at Ben's typical argumentative question.
"Well Ben, you were in the video for Tears of Pearls...doesn't that count?" said Darren, trying to keep down his bandmate's anger.
"Ya, but Darren, that video was all just concert shots, it's different than a *real* vid..."
Anna Maria looked at the blond. "Ben, you know as well as i do that the media sees savage garden as just Darren and Daniel"
"And what about us?" he asked.
"You know what?" said Darren, looking at all the band. "I think we should call it a day now. We all rehearsed for several hours, and now we should just all go home and relax a little"
All nodded in unison.
"Alright then, Daniel will give you all a call to when our next practice is" "Alright, Dazzy. Good idea" Anna Maria agreed.
"See you guys later" said Daniel as they all began to leave the room. When the band was gone, Darren looked over at Daniel who was fidgeting with his guitar case. "Geez, that Ben is really something, huh?"
Daniel nodded. "Yes, he is. Makes me wonder why he's still in our band.......ah, crap, this case does *not* wanna open today" he said in frustration.
Darren walked over to where he was. He stood almost over him, looking down at him with a smile. "Need a hand with that, Danny?"
He almost froze with tenseness. "Uh.....no, i think i can fix it, Darren." Darren stood there, un moving. "You sure about that?"
He nodded quickly. "Hm-mm" then he waited for Darren to back up a little, but Darren stood still where he was.
Nervously, he continued to fiddle with the metal clasps, trying desperately to pry them open. (My God! He's trying to kill me!)
he thought tensely. (He has to know what he's doing to me)
As if reading his thoughts, Darren backed up a few steps. "Danny, am i making you nervous?" he asked with a friendly smile.
"Nervous? No, i'm ok, i'm just getting so damn frustrated is all" he replied quickly.
Un-convinced, Darren bent down so that he was now facing him. "What's wrong Daniel? Lately you seem so tense around me" he said, his deep blue eyes deeply concerned.
Daniel's heart began to pound quickly. "Really? Have i been acting nervous? Gosh, i never noticed....maybe i'm just over-tired"
Darren smiled. "Well, all i want is for you to feel comfortable around me like you always have" he stood up, not taking his eyes off of him.
"We're best friends, Daniel. You have no reason to be tense around me"
(Ya, if only you knew how i *really* feel about you, Darren) he thought as he smiled at him.
"Anyway, considering the fact that we haven't rehearsed for awhile, we all did pretty good, huh?" said Darren, changing the subject.
Relieved, Daniel went back to fixing his guitar case. "Ya, i'd say so. But, man, we gotta straighten out all those loose ends between Ben and the other members....he's like a rabid dog"
Darren laughed at the image of Ben as a dog; he would definitely be either a German sheperd or a Doberman, argumentative and sarcastic.
"I know, out 1st show is only a week away in Atlanta, and we can't afford to have Ben acting like that throughout the whole tour or he'll drive us all nuts!"
"Good, i fixed it" said Daniel with a smile as he stood up and placed his black guitar in its' case and closed the clasps, hoping that they wouldn't get stuck again.




('I Want You': part 6)


"Alright....so..." said Darren, looking around the empty room as if waiting for someone to walk in. "Have any plans for tonight?"
"Ya, i'm supposed to meet Oliver for supper in about an hour"
"Oh cool! So how *is* your brother doing? It's been so long since i've seen him"
Daniel pulled on his jacket. "He's doing good....hey, why don't you come with me? It might be fun" he suggested.
Darren appeared to like the idea. "Alright, that sounds like a good idea, where are you meeting him?"
"Uh, let me check my agenda book, i forget the name of the resto" he said, reaching into his pocket for his organizer. "Uh....i'm meeting him at Lila's, you know the place near the water?"
Darren nodded. "Ya, i've been there with Colby before. It's a nice place" "Well, it was Oliver who suggested it"
"Alright, so i'll go back to your apartment with you then we'll leave for the restaurant together?"
Daniel smiled. "Sure! Great, let's go then"

Lila's was an old fashioned style restaurant with pine walls, decorated with black and white photographs of several old inventors.
The lights at each table somewhat ressembled those of the old fashioned oil laterns that were used in the 1800's.
It was more of a feminin place because of its' lilac colored tablecloths that were embroidered with white flowers, but the overall atmosphere held a unisex feeling.
"He said he'd be at table 38" said Daniel, looking around.
A waitor, wearing a white apron, approached them. "Can i help you, gentlemen?" he asked with a dominant european accent.
"ah yes" replied Daniel. "we're here to see Oliver Jones seated at table 38" The waitor opened the black reservation book and quickly scanned down the page "You're Daniel Jones, i presume?"
He nodded. "Yes, i am"
Then the man looked Darren up and down quickly. "And who is *this*?"
"This is my good friend, Darren. He'll be eating with us also"
"Well, usually we don't allow such additions like this, but since you appear to be decent people, i will allow him to sit with you"
"Thank you, sir, it is greatly appreciated on all accounts" said Daniel in his most posh voice.
"Alright, table 38 is to your right. Enjoy your meals" he said, then walked away.
"Well excuse me" said Darren angrily. "Somewhat decent people? Geez, you'd think we were street rats for God's sake"
Daniel nodded. "That's Lila's for you"
As expected, Oliver was seated at table 38 in his usual waiting position: head leaning against his right hand, elbows on the table, eyes staring down at the table.
"There he is" said Daniel, pointing him out.
He was wearing a beige woolen turtleneck that went very well with his olive complexion, and his hair was styled differently from the usual style which was always messily parted, similar to Daniel's. This time, it was nicely slicked back away from his dark green eyes and neatly parted in the middle.
He was swishing around the remainder of his water in his glass when they approached the table.
Oliver immediately looked up from his glass.




('I Want You': part 7)


"Hey brother! Nice to see you again! Looking great as always. Oh! And Darren, it's been ages since i've seen *you*"
Daniel nodded, sitting down, across from his brother. "Yep, i invited him along" he said with a smile.
"Well, it's great to see you both at the same time" he replied, quickly drinking the rest of his water.
Darren looked at him. "So, Oliver, i heard that you quit smoking, huh? Great job, that's very smart of you" he said warmly.
"Oh, thank you. It was tough at first, but now i think i'm fully over it" Daniel reached over and patted his brother's shoulder. "You know i'm proud of you, man"
Oliver smiled back. "and i appreciate that, Daniel."
A waitor approached their table. "May i take your orders?"
Oliver ordered the cream of mushroom soup as an entree, followed by a glass of white wine and plate of grilled salmon.
Daniel decided on having some red wine accomponied by some bbq'd chicken wings abd french fries. "Real chic of you, Daniel" Oliver joked.
Darren ordered a salad to start off with and then later had a bowl of fettucini alfredo with some sticks of garlic bread.
Darren picked up a piece of garlic bread and made a face at it. "You know, i really shouldn't eat this. As a vampire, it wouldn't be wise, huh?" Oliver laughed. "No, Lestat, resist the temptation"
All three of them cracked up.
For dessert, both Darren and Daniel decided to try a piece each of chocolate oreo cake.
Oliver had a slice of lemon meringue pie.
When all was eaten, Daniel licked his fingers clean. "That was good"
Darren wiped his mouth with a napkin. "So Oliver, you still working in the music business on your own?"
"Well, lately, i haven't done all that much. I do the odd job here and therem but i have to find another job to bring in more money. Last month, this guy dropped off tow blank cassettes at my house, telling me that he wanted a variety of music and artists on them for a party, and i told him that it would cost 45$, and he then agreed to pick them up the next day. The funny part is that he never came back the next day"
Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Really? Some people are so strange. I mean, 45$ for professionally mixed tapes is very cheap."
Oliver sighed. "I know, but that's why i have to find another job"
"Well, atleast you got two free tapes" smiled Darren.
Oliver took a sip of his coffee. "ya...by the way, do you when your new video is going to be played? I wanna see it"
"This friday, sometime around 7 or 7:30" replied Darren.




('I Want You': part 8)


By quarter to eight, they had all finished their desserts and coffee, and were ready to leave.
Oliver hugged Daniel. "it was great seeing you again. Take care now" Daniel smiled. "you too, Oliver."
Darren nodded. "Nice to see you, Oliver. Good luck finding a new job"
Oliver sighed lightly. "Thanks, Darren. You take care too, bye guys" he said, getting into his car; a jet black sunfire.
"Your brother has got himself a nice car" commented Darren, slightly envious.
Daniel nodded. "He sure does. I almost wish i had his car instead of mine"
Climbing into the passenger's seat, Darren closed the door. "Well, Danny, *this* car is surely nothing to complain about" he remarked, feeling the softness of the seat.
Daniel started the car and pulled out of the parking space. "I suppose not, i still love the color of it"
"Hm-mm, silver" replied Darren with a smile.
"So, am i dropping you off at home or are you coming back with me to my apartment?"
Darren looked at him quickly. "Uh, my house please. I think i'm gonna go to bed early tonight"
Dissapointed, Daniel nodded. "Alright"


On friday night as expected, the very first airing for I want you was played on the local music channel at 7:38pm.
Many people, including: Colby, Oliver, Darren, Daniel, the whole band of Savage Garden and a whole lot of fans were watching.
As the video was about to start, Daniel took a deep breath, preparing himself for the emotions that he knew he was soon going to experience.
Darren was sitting beside him on the couch with a glass of cola in his hand, his eyes glued on the tv screen, eagerly watching the beginning of the video.
The video began with Daniel at the keyboard, bobbing his head to the music as he always did.
"Hey Danny, you look great there" commented Darren, still watching the screen.
"Thanks" he mumbled nervously.
Then the lyrics began. Quick flashes of Darren appeared on the screen: Darren caressing the microphone stand, Darren running his fingers through his hair, Darren arching his left eyebrow, Darren hugging himself; all this as he mouthed the lyrics.
By now, Daniel's heart was beating so fast he thought he was going to sufficate.
An upclose scene of Darren appeared on the screen. Those huge blue eyes of his holding him in a hypnotizing stare, those soft full lips moving in time with the song lyrics so perfectly.
It was all enough to drive Daniel insane.
When the video ended, Daniel sighed, hoping that Darren wouldn't notice how conflustered he looked and felt.
"Well, that was cool, eh Daniel?" he asked, placing his empty glass on the coffee table.
"Oh yes, that was very......exciting to watch" he said quickly. Just then, the phone rang.
(Saved by the phone) he thought in relief.




('I Want You': part 9)


Darren answered it. It was Oliver:
"Oh thank you so much, Oliver.....yes, i deeply appreciate you saying that.........you wanna speak to him? Alright, hold on"
He looked at Daniel. "It's your brother" he said, handing him the phone. "Hey Oli! What did you think of it?"
"It was some video!! I was quite impressed"
Daniel smiled. "Aw thanks, man. But, it's our director who deserves alot of the credit"
"Definitely. Well, good work to both of you, i'm sure it'll reach #1 quite quickly"
"Let's hope so, huh? Anyhow, thanks for calling, it means alot to us" "No problem, Daniel. Take care now, bye."
"bye" then hung up.
"Wow, it sure feels great to hear nice things like that from special people, doesn't it?" asked Darren with a happy smile.
Daniel shivered. "Ya, i'm actually getting goosebumps over it"
Darren laughed lightly. "Ah, the pleasures of being famous"

That evening, they received numerous phone calls from family members, friends, bandmates and the press, congratulating them on their video.
Darren stood up from the couch and stretched. "Oh, and to think that we have a show to do tomorrow. Oi, we're going to be tired"
"Ya, but i think that with our hard practice, it'll be a smooth and good show that we'll all enjoy.....i mean, it has been more than half a year since our last live show"
Darren smiled. "ya, you're right...it'll be good to get back on stage again" then he glanced at his watch. 9:27.
"Ooh, i should get going, Danny. It's already half past nine, and i definitely need my rest for tomorrow"
"It's already 9:30?? God ya, i should get to bed too. We all need all the energy we can get for the show...it's gonna be a full day"
Darren walked towards Daniel's door, running his fingers through his hair in a relaxed matter. "Well Dan, that was fun seeing our vid on tv together. Sleep well tonight" he said, patting him on the shoulder.
Daniel opened the door for him. "Alright Darren, you sleep well too. See ya tomorrow"
He winked at him. "Bye now"
Closing the door behind Darren, he then leaned against it and let out a gentle sigh. (He winked at me!) he thought to himself. (The wink must have meant something)
Then he frowned as he walked into his bedroom. "Who are you kidding?"
he said outloud in frustration. "you only *wish* that it meant something"




('I Want You': part 10)


Climbing into bed, Daniel noticed that there was no alarm clock on his night table. He then remembered throwing it into the garbage can in frustration after waking up from that too-good-to-be-true dream.
(What am i going to use to wake me up?) he thought curiously.
The only solution that stood out to him was to call Darren and ask him if he could give him a wake up call in the morning so that he wouldn't sleep in.
He quickly picked up his phone and called him.
"Hello?" Darren answered.
"Hey Daz, i have a favor to ask you"
"Sure Dan, what is it?"
"Uh...well, my alarm clock doesn't work anymore since this morning, and i have no other source of alarm to wake me up, so i was wondering if maybe you could give me a quick call in the morning to get me out of bed?"
"Sort of like a morning wakeup call?"
"Ya, kinda."
"Alright Dan, sure, i'll do it"
Daniel smiled. "Thanks alot, Dazzy!"
"No prob, Danny. Sleep well, goodnight" CLICK.
With a smile, Daniel hung up the phone. Turning off his light, he crawled into bed, happy that his idea was going to work.
The thought of Darren's voice being the fist thing he'd hear when he woke up, really appealed to him.

Once again, his dreams were filled with things involving the video: He was standing behind the keyboard, gazing at Darren with strong admiration and longing.
He wanted to scream out to him that he loved him, but there was a wall between them, that seperated them.

At 7:30, the phone rang.
Quickly leaping out of bed, he picked it up with excitement.
"Hello Danny! Time to get up now!" Darren said in his content voice. Daniel smiled. "Alright, thanks Darren. I'll see you soon"
"Hm-mm. Bye now"
"Later, Dazzy." CLICK.

On the way to the airport, Darren mentally ran over all the dance moves for the show.
Opening his bag that was seated beside him, he pulled out a granola bar that was to be his breakfast.
He then began to hum the tune to the song 'all around me' which was supposed to be the first song they would preform.
He stopped several times to clear his throat. "Ah crap. I can't afford to get a phlemgy throat now" he said to himself.
He then arrived at the airport, where he could see all the members waiting outside for him.




('I Want You': part 11)


The plane took off just on time.
Just before that, Charles, their manager, had gave them a quick call on Daniel's cell to congratulate them on their video.
"Good 'ol Charles, never forgets us, huh?" said Darren with a sigh.
"I hope he never does, he's our manager" replied Daniel, looking out the plane window.
The flight lasted 8 hours in which most of the band slept through, except for Ben who couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut, complaning about the meals.
Fortunately, Darren and Daniel had planned it so that Ben was seated as far way from Lee as possible, and instead, seated with Anna Maria in the last row, who had her way of easily ignoring him.
Lee was seated up in the front by himself.
Karl and Nicole were seated together in the second row. They had always gotten along very well, and never had any problems with sitting next to eacother.
In the 3rd row Darren and Daniel sat side by side.
Darren, who had a severe attention span problem, managed to keep himself busy by bringing a discman.
Daniel, as always, slept for most of the flight, and would occassionally try to talk to Darren who would tell him that he couldn't talk because he was listening to the album, practicing the songs in his head for the show.

The plane landed in Atlanta at 6pm.
By this time, everybody's lunches had already been digested in their stomachs, and were now ready for a hopefully better tasting supper.
They ended up eating at 'Dominoes', and then quickly drove off in their tour bus, towards the hotel.
After promptly dropping off all their luggage at the hotel, they rushed off to the auditorium where they were to preform in an hour.
In the dressing rooms, all the finishing touches were made on each of them for make up, hair and overall appearance.
Darren took a sip of his cold water bottle. (only 15 minutes until show time) he thought nervously.
Ben was standing behind him, holding his acoustic guitar, gently strumming it.
Anna and Nicole yammered on about eachother's makeup and hairstyles in restless excitement.
Lee was nowhere to be seen, but most likely in the bathroom, drinking as much water as possible.
Karl was leaning against the wall near the stage door, making some final tuning adjustments on his bass guitar.
Daniel stood calmly beside him, thinking deeply about what the next few hours were going to be like.
Darren glanced over at him, giving him a wink.
(there he goes again!) he thought in confusion. (Why does he keep winking at me? What is he trying to tell me?)




('I Want You': part 12)


It was now time to take the stage.
Ben, Karl and Lee went on first; Karl waving his drumsticks at the crowd, making the fans cheer louder.
Taking their assigned places by their instruments, they waited for the fans to calm down a bit before letting the two women get on stage.
When everyone quieted down a little, Nicole and Anna walked on stage, both of them bowing to the thousands of people that outstretched their arms to them.
They took their places behind their microphone stands and stood silently side by side, waiting for Darren and Daniel to walk on.
Darren nudged Daniel's shoulder gently. "Okay Danny, you're on now" Replying with a nod, he slowly set foot on the stage, and approached the screaming fans quickly.
The cheers grew even louder whe nhe picked up his electric guitar and began to play the first strings of 'All around me'.
When the drums came into the song, it was Darren's cue to take the stage.
Nervously, he strolled as gracefully as he could onto the stage, raising up his arms as a welcome to all the ecstatic fans seated only a few feet away from him.
"you know everytime i look at that expression printed on the page, i think i hear you...whispering the magic and the compliments i need so badly' he sang with risen excitement.
The fan's screams elevated in volume as Darren continued to bounce around the stage hyperly, continuing to sing the song. "so baby come on" he sang, pointing to a few random people. "Ya baby come on"
The chorus sounded great; Anna and Nicole's well trained voices backing up his, along with Daniel and the other band members' music. After that song, they did 'Tears of pearls' which quickly got the fans cheering loudly again.
During Daniel's keyboard solo near the end of the song, Darren walked over to him, swaying his arms wildly from side to side in a hyped up frenzy that he usual went into on stage. Daniel flashed him a smile to acknowledge his presence.
When the song ended, a thunderous roar of applause and screams filled the auditorium.
Then there was a 2 minute intro in which Karl, Ben and Lee played an instrumental piece to keep the fans occupied while Darren ran backstage to change outfits.
'Universe' soon started up, and Darren popped back on in a white one piece outfit.
And as if singing to Anna and Nicole, he pointed to them as he sang "i'd like to take you as i find you, imagine our clothes are on the floor" in his gentle angelic voice that seduced the audience.
Daniel continued to play the keyboard, looking over at the 2 women, feeling slightly envious. (I wish he'd sing that song to *me*) he thought longinly, but stared at the numerous fans, smiling at them to conceal his hidden longing for Darren.




('I Want You': part 13)


When the show was completely over, Darren and Daniel were notified by a security guard that there were 20 girls with backstage passes, waiting to meet them in the hallway outside of their dressingroom.
The guys went through the usual 'meet and greet', photo taking, hand shaking and smile with the girls, and were glad to do it too.
By 11:30, they were all back in their tour bus, ready to go back to the hotel.
Anna and Nicole were exhausted and instantly dozed off the minute the bus started to move.
Ben and Karl talked about the several little mistakes they made during the show that could have easily been avoided.
Lee leaned his head against the window and xlosed his eyes to rest his mind, while Darren and Daniel chatted together about how good it felt to preform again.
"Wow, it felt so great to bounce around in front of thousands of people again, didn't it?"
Daniel smiled. "Well, it was more *you* who was bouncing around the stage, more so than me"
Darren laughed lightly. "Ya, i guess so, but hey" he said, tapping him on the shoulder. "You did a great job out there, Daniel"
Hearing a compliment from Darren always put a smile on his face. "Thank you, Dazzy. I don't have to say anything about *you*, because you know how well you preformed"
Darren grinned. "Aw Danny, i did the same as always"
"Ya exactly, you were awesome on that stage. Do you ever notice how you always manage to hypnotize the fans while you're singing? You just have a way with people, Darren" he said with a smile.
He slightly blushed. "God, i don't know what to say to that....thank you?" Daniel nodded, still smiling. "You're welcome"

They arrived at the hotel at quarter to 12.
The band quickly decided on the spot who was sharing a room with who.
"Let's make this as quick as possible, mates." said Ben. "I'm so bloody tired i can't see straight"
"Alright, you know what we're gonna do?" said Darren. "There are 3 rooms, and so that there won't be any comments made, we'll place Anna and Nicole in room 1, Ben, Karl and Lee will share room 2, and Danny and i will be in the third room"
"Hmmm, how about a threesome tonight, boys?" laughed Ben, jokingly slipping his arms around their waists.
Lee shuddered. "Stop it, Ben!"
Anna giggled. "Our Benny is a queer, huh?"
Daniel could feel himself blushing, knowing that if they all knew how he felt about Darren, *he'd* be called a queer too. "Why don't we all just sleep now?" he suggested quickly.
"Good idea, Danny" replied Darren with a tired smile.
Ben began to walk towards the 2nd room, Karl and Lee somewhat hesitant to follow him after that comment he made.
Daniel picked up his guitar and luggage, and slowly walked into the 3rd room where he'd be spending the night with Darren.




('I Want You': part 14)


Putting his luggage down on the floor, Daniel immediately sat down on one of the two beds in the room, to feel how soft or sturdy it was.
(A typical Daniel thing to do) thought Darren as he entered the room, gently closing the door behind him.
"How does it feel, Danny?"
Startled, Daniel spun around quickly. "You scared me, man! I didn't know you were in the room"
Darren smiled briefly. "Sorry Dan, i thought you *knew* that i was right behind you"
He shook his head. "whatever."
Darren tossed his heavy bags onto the bed that was next to the window. "Well, how *are* the beds?"
"Oh, they're alright. Could be a bit softer"
Darren walked over to his bed and shuddered. "Well, i'm still covered in sweat from the show, so i'm gonna take a shower, alright?" he said, pulling out a clean bathrobe from his bag. "So if you need me, i'll be in the bathroom"
"Alright, Dazzy. I'll be watching the telly here"
A sly smile appeared on Darren's face. "Ok, just don't watch *too* much porn"
Daniel went to comment, but Darren had already closed the bathroom door, most likely laughing to himself on the other side.
Daniel shook his head in amusement as he flipped on the tv. He thought back to Darren's words: 'if you need me, i'll be in the bathroom'
He wondered how Darren would react if he walked into the bathroom right now, telling him that he needed him on the spot. The thought made him smile, but knew that he could never bring himself to do that.
He watched tv for about 35 minutes, flipping from the news channel to the music network, secretly hoping to catch 'i want you'.
Darren came out of the bathroom at 12:36 dressed in a white terrycloth robe, wet hair brushed back neatly away from his face. As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, Daniel was slowly getting excited as he silently watched him walk over to his bed, shoving his dirty clothes into his bag.
Darren glanced up from his bed to look at the tv. "What are you watching, Danny?"
Daniel nervously looked back at the tv screen, grateful that Darren didn't catch his longing stare. "Um...just a bunch of crap, really."
Pulling out a fresh towel from the bureau beside his bed, Darren flung his head forward and began to towel dry his long black hair.
Daniel watched quietly, eager to touch him. The words balanced on his tongue, on the verge of being said, but Daniel held them in. It echoed in his head: 'Darren, i want you' but instead, he continued to stare at him adoringly, thousands of thoughts flowing through his head.
Flinging his rich set of hair back around his shoulders, he put the towel in the hamper basket.
"there" he said refreshingly. "That feels better now"
Daniel nodded with a smile. "And, no, i didn't watch *any* porn incase you're wondering"
Darren chuckled, sitting down on his bed. "sure Danny, i beleive you" he said with a smile; a smile that Daniel had always found hard to resist. "Do we have any room service here?"
Daniel shrugged. "I don't know, i never asked that"
"Well, do we atleast have any *food* up here?" he asked like a child, his large eyes sulking.
Daniel laughed. "God Darren, i don't know, man. Why don't you go down there and ask them *yourself*?"
Darren quickly glanced down at himself. "Dressed like *this*? I don't think so, Danny"
Since the topic was brought up, Daniel innocently took the opportunity to look him up and down, thinking of the fact that under that piece of cloth, Darren was purely naked. He shivered with pleasure at the thought.




('I Want You': part 15)


"Well mate, why don't you put something on, then?" Daniel suggested reluctantly.
Darren stretched slowly, lying down on his bed. "I'm too tired to get dressed" he mumbled into the pillow.
Daniel smiled. He prefered him in his bathrobe anyway. "Darren, you can be so silly at times, you know that?"
There was silence. "Darren? you awake?"
His question was answered by a loud snore.
Daniel shook his head, smiling. "Alright then, goodnight, Darren"
Another loud snore.
Standing up, Daniel walked over beside Darren's bed and quickly turned off the light, staring down at him lovingly. "I love you so much, Darren" he whispered, then slowly walked back over to his own bed, and soon fell asleep too.

The next morning, Darren was abruptly woken up by the ringing of the phone.
Sleepily, he reached over and picked it up, almost angrily. "Yes?"
"Darren, there are a bunch of people from the press downstairs in the lobby, asking to see you and Dan"
Darren rolled his eyes, and glanced at the clock. "At 8:45am?! Karl, tell them to come back later! Bye"
Lying back down, he realized what he had just said. "What the hell? I can't just tell the press to leave and then come back! They'll think i'm the meanest bastard!" he exclaimed, quickly jumping out of bed to call Karl back. "Karl, tell them we'll be down in 5 minutes, ok? Thanks"
From all the noise, Daniel opened his eyes. "Darren, what's going on?" he asked hoarsely.
"Daniel" he barked. "Hurry up! There are a bunch of journalists downstairs waiting for us....we have 5 minutes to be down there!"
Hearing this, Daniel swiftly jumped off his bed and ran into the bathroom to wash up quickly.
He yelled to Darren through the door. "Darren! While i wash up, you get dressed"
"Good idea" Darren replied, immediately throwing off his robe, running around the small room naked, looking for clothes. "Just don't come out of there until i say you can, alright?"
Daniel laughed at the thought. "Ya ya, you can trust me"
As he was brushing his teeth, he could hear the sound of a zipper being done up. (damn! he's already dressed!) he thought.
"Alright Danny, i'm done!"
With a smile, Daniel opened the door and walked out of the bathroom, somewhat dissapointed to see Darren in his clothes; though he thought he looked very good in what he was wearing: a long sleeve navy blue stretch type shirt, with black leather pants that complimented his thin legs. With his hair not yet brushed, he still looked great.
He walked by him, quickly towards his bed to look for clothes so *he* could also get dressed.
Darren took a deep breath as he walked by him. "Hmmm, what cologne are you wearing, Danny? It smells great"
Daniel spun around quickly, stunned by his remark. "Uh....Giorgio Armani. I just bought it last week" he replied, slightly embarassed.
Darren nodded. "Well, it's very nice....anyhow, i gotta get ready now" he said, walking to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
With a smile, Daniel rapidly rummaged through his bags, searching for something nice to wear. When it came to the public, Daniel was never one to let them down by his attire. He always received compliments from everyone on his good taste in clothes.
Quickly, he decided to wear his light blue button-up shirt along with a pair of beige cargo pants that went well with the color of his sandy blond hair. "Alright, you done getting dressed, Dan?" asked Darren.
"Ya, you can come out now"
Darren walked out, his hair now brushed into one wave of blackness. "you ready to go?"
Standing up, Daniel nodded. "Yep, let's go get 'em!"




'I Want You': part 16)


All went the same as usual; a typical 'press questioning session' that the guys had been through so many times.
The basic questions were asked: when's your next show, what do you think of your new video, how's the divorce, Darren....but the question that shocked both guys, was the one asked by a young woman who didn't even appear to be part of any radio station or public broadcast corp. "how close are you two?" was what she asked in a somewhat meek voice.
All went silent at that.
Daniel was stunned by her question, and Darren's eyes grew wide. "I don't understand your question" he said with a confused look.
She cleared her throat nervously. "well, *how* close are you guys?" Daniel stared at her dumbly, not knowing how to answer her properly. "Well" started Darren. "Daniel and i have known eachother for 6 and a half years now, and i guess you can say that we're pretty close. There have been many times when we've been able to read eachother's minds and finish eachother's sentecnes, so i guess we have some kind of bond....does that answer your question?"
She nodded wordlessly.
Daniel's heart beat slowly returned to a normal pace again, relieved that *he* wasn't asked to answer the question.
Darren looked at him, smiled, then looked back at the reporters. Daniel sighed inside.

After the session, all the band ate lunch together at a restaurant next to the hotel, called: 'la sucree' which was known for it's sugar-coated food; a pleasant they all weren't expecting.
After lunch, they all returned to their rooms to pack up and leave for LA.
On the way there, Daniel's cell phone rang. It was Colby, calling to ask how their first show went.
"God, is Colby like your mother or what!" commented Ben, the other members cracking up. "Does she *always*
check up on you like that? Aren't you two divorced?"
Darren rolled his eyes. "Yes Ben, we *are* divorced"
"Mate, not even *married* couples keep in touch the way you and Colby do"
Daniel nodded. "Ben, they're good friends, is all"
"Hm-mm, *how* good?"
"Ok Ben, shut up already" Nicole sighed.
The blond shrugged. "Why is everyone always telling me to shut up?"

The band had 2 free days to spend in LA before the day of the concert; 2 days to do whatever they pleased.
The first morning, Daniel woke up quite early and decided to call his parents. They, as always, were very happy to hear from him, and asked him all the questions in the world.
He later called his older brother, John, who he hadn't spoken to since Christmas; it was now April.
When he was done his phone calls, Darren was still not yet awake, so he left the hotel to go for a small walk along the main streets of LA.
When he returned to his hotel room, Darren was awake, sitting on the floor, watching tv.



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