Disclaimer: All individuals in the following piece are older than 18 years of age.

Not so long ago I heard my best friend and roommate having very loud sex, when he thought I was still at work. This is not long after I learned he was into guys: but the secret seems to be less exclusive than me and the house.

The morning after Daniel’s explosive night of passion, he acted like nothing happened. That I didn’t hear him screaming out. That I didn’t hear the headboard nearly come through the wall. That I didn’t hear SIR talking quite colourfully.

He just treated it like a normal day.

He asked me how was work. He asked me about the late shift. And he asked to reschedule our allotted time for watching The Sandman on Netflix.

I did tell him the time I got home. I was honest about that. Although, I didn’t say I heard him having sex. It’s human. He had sex. He was having fun: playful mice and distant cats, and all that good stuff. He deserved to be happy and have fun. I didn’t want to poke my finger in his business.

But, I did see his eyes flash open when I told him what time I actually came home at. He definitely expected it to be much later.

He knows. I know. We know we both know.

And we kept it cool.

For now.

Yesterday, I was in the kitchen with Cormac - one of my other housemates. We were chatting and shooting the breeze when Daniel ran in, grabbed his keys, and ran out. We didn’t get much of reply about his rush. We could barely make sense of his ramblings other than he’d be out late as he ran from the kitchen, slamming the front door behind him.

We both sat there in silence for a second, in awe of the hurricane that passed briefly through our house.

“There he goes again,” Cormac laughed, shaking his head slightly from side to side. “Mike’s still a little pissed that he ran out a few weeks.”

“After his graduation?”

“Oh, yeah. Mike was fucking riled up. More so the next morning, when he fully realised one of his best friends missed all the craic after the meal.”

“Shit,” I said, “I didn’t think Mike was that upset.”

“You didn’t?”

“Well, I thought he’d be annoyed - like I was. But, I didn’t think he’d hold a grudge over it.”

“Yeah. Let’s be happy he doesn’t know why Dan ran off.”

It took a second for his remark to register with me. Then, it hit me. Curiosity rose to the fore. My eyebrows furrowed and I looked directly at Cormac.

“Do you know something, Cormac?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you know why Dan ran out?”

“What? No,” he started, puffing out his cheeks slightly, “He’s always running out these days. Why?”

“Cause you said we’re lucky Mike doesn’t know why Dan left. So do you know?”

Cormac started turning a brighter shade of red.

“That was a mistake - I actually don’t know anything.”

“You’re lying, fucker.”

“I’m not!”

“Cormac, we can’t playing cards with you because we all know exactly when you’re lying. Your tell is flaring.”

“You tell a soul and I’ll kill you, you got that?”

“Yup.”

“I think Dan’s getting laid. Don’t know by who, but I’ve heard him. Can’t believe he hasn’t been caught by the rest of you. And you say I have a tell.”

“I did catch him.”

“So, don’t open your fucking…,” Cormac said threateningly. Then he froze. His mouth dropped open.

“Wait? What?”

I shrugged my shoulders, giving him a lopsided grin.

“A few nights ago when the house was empty and I was working late.”

“You were only working until like 8?”

“Told him I got stuck at work covering someone’s late shift, which I kinda did for a hour or so. When I got home…”

“He was getting laid?”

“Aggressively.”

Cormac whistled loudly, rapping his hands on the table. “Do you know who he was fucking?”

“Not a clue. But I heard everything.”

“Fuck, lad. That’ll keep you up at night.”

We both laughed.

He wasn’t wrong.

Cormac and I chatted about Daniel’s mystery partner for a little longer before branching off into more common conversation. From what I could tell, Cormac didn’t know Daniel was hooking up with a guy; he was more concerned with whether the “girl” was someone we all knew. Granted we all could know the “guy” too. It’s not outside the realm of possibility.

The rest of the night went by without any drama. As did this morning. Tonight though - different story.

It was one of those nights where a house of lads who all work weird hours from time to time, all have to be up at the crack of dawn. All of us except Daniel. We went to bed pretty early, I chatted to a few friends, nursed a slight boner, before trying to get rested.

It was the sound of the TV that kept me - and the rest of my early morning buddies awake. Gunshots and explosions echoed in the house. It was fucking loud. And it seemed to get louder.

My phone buzzed beside me. Cormac had messaged into the group chat asking Daniel to turn the volume. Michael followed afterwards. I added my own glancing blow. But, no reply. And no change in the volume. Eventually, I offered to get him to turn it down.

I threw on some trousers and made my way to Daniel’s room and knocked on the door.

No reply.

I knocked again.

No reply again.

I pushed on the door handle and slowly pushed the door opened, calling his name. I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

Daniel, my best friend, was knelt on his bed - on all fours, completely naked, and his backside facing his laptop. Gunshots fired off on the TV, lighting up the room with every flash. He had his headphones in, and was softly whimpering as he rubbed his ass cheeks.

My breath hitched in my throat. I slammed the door closed, and stepped away. The TV suddenly went quiet.

The phone buzzed in my hand a second later. A message from Cormac. About time, he wrote. Some of us are trying to sleep.

I quickly made my way back to my room. The phone beeped again. And again.

A message from Daniel to the group apologising came through. Then the typing dots as a message was being written to me.

Then silence.

And nothingness.

A blank screen.

And a fucking whirling mind.