Ayo! It's a New Years special since I'm feeling festive :)
Happy New Years, I hope that we all will be going into next year with a good future ahead of us 🤞🤞🤞

"Do you have any New Years resolutions, boss?" Kono was kicked back on the couch of my office.

Everybody was in their own office except her. She somehow always ended up in here to badger me about something.

Now don't get me wrong, I loved Kono but holy fuck, she could talk.

And I usually enjoyed talking, but resolutions were becoming a touchy subject for me.

Especially because of a promise I made to myself.

Or maybe it was a bet.

Either way it was touchy.

"I don't know Kono," I replied.

"Aw come on Steeeeve," she said, "you better hurry because the new year's coming in hot,"

"Everything in this pineapple infested island is coming in hot," Danny walked in.

"Is my office a rendezvous point now?" I said exasperatedly.

"I came in here for a paper, I don't know about Kono," he said defensively.

"Kono was just leaving," I gritted my teeth.

"Remember guys," she grinned, "New Years Party, my house!"

I stuck my tongue out at the closing door and slumped down.

"What was that all about?" Danny asked.

"Nothing, nothing," I shook my head, "I'm just stressed... what paper did you come in for?"

"I need a copy of the case report you wrote for last week," he said.

"What, so you can plagiarize it?" I snapped.

"If you were thinking straight, you would remember that all last month I wrote your share for you," he glared.

"Fine, just take it," I needed him to get out. Fuck, I needed to get out.

To breathe.

Thank god it was a slow day so that I could go for a walk around a nearby beach.

Man, this whole resolution thing I made was giving me so much anxiety.

On paper, it seemed simple, if not devastatingly cliché.

It was definitely cliché. But I had nothing else and sticking to the basics would probably do me good...

...Right?

*  *  *

I managed to play off Kono by explaining how I was "superstitious and if I shared my resolution it would somehow not come to be".

Now all I had to do was hang in until her party.

Danny and I were in his Camaro.

"Why aren't you eating the sandwiches I brought? You love my sandwiches," he demanded.

Simply being so close to him was twisting and scrambling my stomach to the point where eating seemed folly.

Before all this, the car was no problem. Now, it was a huge issue.

I could practically smell the sweet scent of his cologne.

I took a deep breath and Danny cleared his throat. Loudly.

"Did you just smell me?" He frowned.

"Sorry I... I zoned out," I stammered.

"Are you alright Steve? You've been acting funny," he said.

"I'm perfectly fine," and to prove it I took a sandwich from him.

I pinned my behavior in the car to my anxiety and tried to move on from it.

If I acted like that in such a casual, normal situation, how could I go through with what I had planned?

Answer; I couldn't.

In fact, every single normal situation was everything but, all week.

I could tell that my friends were suspicious, especially Danny.

I used to pride myself on being that cryptic kind of guy but things weren't looking too great on that front these days.

December 31st, as Kono had said, came in hot and soon enough I was standing in front of the mirror trying desperately to straighten my tie.

Wait... were ties too dressy for a New Years party?

Probably.

I yanked it off and tossed it to the floor along with the other rejects.

The clock read 7:57 and I needed to be there at 8:30.

Shit shit shit.

Should I go casual? Maybe dressy?

I picked up the tie once more.

"Come on Steve," I muttered to myself, "get your shit together,"

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Steve! It's me Danny!" He announced himself.

"Uh- I'll be there in a minute!" I yelled.

I was still in my underwear.

It was obvious that I couldn't wear my cargo pants from today, and I couldn't just go in my current state.

Then genius struck; I could go to the door and see what Danny was wearing.

Why didn't I text him beforehand? That would have been smart.

Well, better late than never.

"Heyyyy," I said awkwardly.

Danny didn't reply, he only narrowed his eyes while he took in my appearance.

"Are those... your underwear?" He asked hesitantly.

"Uh, yeah I was just trying to choose the best pair of pants," I explained and beckoned him in the house.

"You aren't ready at all," he pointed out.

"I know," I sighed.

He himself was wearing a dress shirt and jeans. It looked casual enough.

I dashed up the stairs and back into the room full of chaos.

It took a little bit but eventually I had the perfect ensemble put together.

I also had on a good pair of jeans and chose a shirt that resembled a dress shirt- but it wasn't, nifty, right?

I was securing the final button when I saw Danny's reflection in my mirror.
He stood at the door and was only staring.

Through the glass our eyes met and for a second I smiled.

And for once this week, I didn't feel scared or anxious to be in the same room as him.

"You look- you look nice?" He said finally, the statement coming out more like a question.

"And you do too?" I mocked.

Danny's face contorted into that familiar sneer and he grabbed my arm.

"Let's go, we'll be late if your fashion show keeps up any longer,"

"You were watching?" I choked.

"What? No!" Danny said.

"I think you were!" I grinned.

"Don't flatter yourself Steve, your ego doesn't need it," he snapped.

Per our usual rhythm, I got into the drivers seat while he took the passengers.

The drive to Kono's was mercifully short and when we arrived, it was already packed. People milled about, laughing and mingling.

You know, normal people stuff.

The nerves were back, and boy were they stronger than ever.

I lost track of Danny within 10 minutes and to be entirely honest, I was almost glad.

I kept making everything awkward and it was all because of stupid, stupid New Years.

It was selfish of me to decide to do this. The whole thing was driving a stake in between him and I.

We'd probably be best as friends anyway.

That's when I made the beeline to the beer.

*  *  *

"Steve, you take that back!" Danny yelled over the baseline of some mainstream song.

Everything was beginning to make my head hurt.

Was it possible to feel hungover this quick?

"I'm notgunna," I slurred.

"I know that you're a Neanderthal but you wouldn't say that," he said.

"Please, don't be such a baby," I laughed.

"I thought that this week... that maybe you'd realized... but I guess-," his voice cracked.

"What would I even have to realize?" I demanded.

"That you- oh never mind Steve, forget it all!" Danny slammed his cup on the table and ran.

I caught a glimpse of a tear in his eye and it sobered me.

If he was upset that meant...

My heart leaped, then hit it's dumb head on the ceiling and fell down again.

I'd wrecked my one good chance.

"Hey boss, where's Danny going?" Kono walked up beside me.

"I dunno, where did you see him?"

"Near the backyard," she shrugged.

Before she could reiterate her question I was gone.

Maybe I could fix it.

For a minute I thought that I was too late, that Danny had gone home but a shadow casted on the wall told me otherwise.

And that shadow's shoulders were shaking.

I've never seen Danny cry. Or at least, I don't remember it.

I feel like I would have...

Seeing him like this and knowing that I was to blame felt like a dagger plunging right through me.

"Danny," I whispered sharply.

"Go away," he sniffled.

"I can't do that," I said.

"You said what you have to say, I don't need you here to rub it in," he croaked.

"That isn't what I'm here for Danny," I shook my head.

"You know what Steve? I'm gonna tell you something!" Danny stood and jabbed his finger at my chest.

My eyes widened and he continued, "Do you know what it's like to have to go in every day and see something, someone, so close to you but still a mile away?! Do you, Steve??"

I do, I thought but I was frozen.

"And I completely understand and even respect that you don't see that in me, but for you to blatantly turn me down with-with mockery?! Steve, I expected more from you, not as the guy I fell in love with, but as my friend!" He yelled.

Still, my mouth couldn't form words. Danny found this even more enraging.

Tears flowed freely now from his eyes and he hit my chest again, it was a weak punch, yet it hurt.

It hurt me.

I stood still, letting myself become the outlet for the anger that I caused.

After a while Danny must have gotten tired because he leaned forward into my chest and let out a huge sigh.

"Why won't you say something?" He looked up at me.

"Danny-,"

"-FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE-,"

I didn't need to use words this time, I only lifted his chin with a finger and brought my lips down to his, right on the beat of, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

The cheers from the party were both deafening but seemingly perfect for what had been done.

Danny was the first to pull away and stepped back.

The look on his face was one of pure shock.

"Did you really just...?" Danny gasped.

"Danny I don't have any excuse for what I said earlier, but I just want you to know that none of it was true," I said, feeling even more ashamed.

"Then how- why? Does this mean?" He sputtered.

"This means that I love you too, you fucking moron," I grinned.

Danny was quiet while he considered this.

"Well I'm glad, but you sure have a hell of a way of showing it,"

I laughed and put my arm around his shoulder as we walked back inside to be with our friends.