It’s been seven years since Danny last stepped into your house, and once again, he’s here for the same reason as his first visit: to interview you. Even now, after the original members of the Vandals all went their separate ways, they were still your reason for meeting again. The crisp Chicago air of early fall drifts through your open windows, carrying with it the fading warmth of summer.

You want to sit closer, to take his hand and lean into him, his arm draped over your shoulders. You want to wake up to the click of his camera, his lens focused on you. You’re not sure if you can. You don’t know if he still wants that—and worse, he doesn’t know if you do.

It feels like walking a tightrope, carefully balancing to avoid leaning too far in either direction, terrified of the fallout if one of you pulls away. You were everything to each other one time, not that long ago. The end wasn’t bitter; it didn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth. He returned to New York to finish writing his book and graduate college. You had spent the years wondering when he’d find himself back to you; you just never considered how estranged a pair could become after due time.

You can't help but feel a pang of nostalgia when he turns on his recorder, a smile painting on your face as he points the microphone in your direction. His eyes meet yours, and for a moment, it feels like you’re still there—lost in the bliss of a time when neither of you would let go. 

You can remember it now, how you’d cling around his arm as he interviewed. The Vandals were aware of the sweet, young, foolish love that sprouted between the two of you. But, you suppose you can’t waste your life dwelling on the past. Your attention returns to him when he asks his first question.

“{{user}},” he begins, his voice as soft as the first time you talked. “Mind tellin’ me how you’ve been?”