Elliot placed two ferns on both sides of the small space he had set up.

It wasn’t technically the same set up, but he hoped Danny would appreciate the joke.

If  he remembered  the joke.

Elliot nervously hopped back over to the mirror he brought, sweeping his hair back and checking to make sure he blended the foundation into his neck properly.He could just barely see the beginnings of roots peeking through his hair, shit, almost time to dye it again.

Popping another breath mint, he grabbed his suit jacket, sliding it over his pastel hot dog shirt.

Danny should be here any minute. He thought, not entirely able to tell if he was more excited to do this interview or to just see Danny.

He opted for the former, hoping it made him sound a little less like an infatuated putz.

Elliot cleared his throat and went to adjust the camera on it’s (very)  makeshift tripod when he heard a low whistle.

“Damn,” Danny said, tossing in another whistle for dramatic effect, “You clean up nice, Barbara Walters.”

Elliot made a surprised gasp, falling backwards, “Is this going to be a recurring thing with you? Could we not?”

Danny laughed, extending a hand to help Elliot up, “I can’t help it, your little squeaks are too cute.”

Elliot blushed furiously as Danny pulled him to his feet and straightened his jacket.

“Seriously, though. The suit looks good.” Danny said, stepping back as he appraised the outfit in it’s entirety, “Who the hell tailors these things for you.”

Business. Interview. We are here for a purpose, keep it in your pants, Edison. Journalism. Business. Business. Numbers. Business.

“Winn’s not the best for no reason.” Elliot said, attempting to shrug away the cacophony of butterflies in his chest and internal screaming, “Shall we?”

Danny laughed quietly to himself, as Elliot was as cute as he was obvious….and weak to flattery, “Let’s do this.”

Elliot sat down in one of the large chairs he had brought to dress the set, crossing his legs several times before arriving on a position that worked for him.

Danny pulled his bracelet, his outfit changing, “You remembered the ferns, you’re too cute.”

That's twice now,  Elliot coughed, “Wait, why didn’t you have to strip this time?”

“....did you want me to?” Danny said with a smirk.

Yes. “No.” Elliot spat, “Y-You just usually do before you go all...presto chango.”

“Oh.” Danny said simply, sitting down in the chair across from Elliot, “The clothes stay on underneath. I’m not, like, moving around so I won’t overheat or whatever.”

“Oh.” Elliot responded simply, “That explains a lot.”

There was a pause.

“I can still take off my underclothes if you want me to.” Danny winked.

For a fleeting second, Elliot debating throwing something at him, “No. No, I’m quite alright, Danny boy. I need to focus.”

“You say that like me in my skivvies  would make it hard to.” He grinned.

Elliot struggled to maintain a professionally straight face, “I’m going to press the button on this remote. The camera is more focused on you, but I can film scenes later and just splice them in before I upload them.”

“....so you can be in it more?”

“So it looks more like we’re having a conversation. You’re the star here and I couldn’t get another set of hands for camera work, so we make do.”

Danny’s chest puffed, “I’ve never been the star before.”

“That’s a shame.” Elliot smiled softly, “Right. Anyways. You’ll hear a beep, I’ll start asking a series of questions- don’t worry, I’m probably recording my introduction later- and I want you to answer as honestly as possible. Anything that’s too personal I can edit out later. You get final approval when I’m finished.”

“Quick question,” Danny interjected, “Can I tell inferno to suck my dick?”

Elliot snickered, “If you want to, then by all means. Just know that it does effect your public image a bit.”

“How so?”

Elliot paused, “Well...Language like that gives you a bit of a “wild card” aura, which isn’t unlikable but it doesn’t have the wide appeal something a bit more straight edge would have.”

Danny frowned, “That’s fair.”

Elliot let Danny adjust himself, “You ready, Danny boy?”

Danny swallowed nervously, “Show me what you’ve got, sailor.”

~

Elliot barely got a word in edgewise and he wouldn’t have changed a thing. He started by asking Danny to introduce himself as Merlin, Starlight City’s only hero and it snowballed from that point forward.

Danny was surprisingly quite the natural, The pink in his cheeks the only tell that he was nervous. Danny spent no time on himself, barrelling into how much he loved and cared for Starlight City, and all of it’s residents.

Elliot cleared his throat, not expecting to be the one struggling with maintaining professionalism, but it was hard not to feel some sort of way when Danny was so clearly the best thing that had happened to this city...and his career...and him.

“Is there anything else you’d like the citizens of Starlight City to know?” Elliot asked in his reporter voice.

“You mean other than I’ll only take interviews if they’re from the city’s own Elliot Edison?” He smarmed, “I can’t say I have anything else to add.”

Elliot went to clear the embarrassment from his throat before Danny interjected, “Wait, there is one more thing.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow, “The floor is yours, sir.”

Danny smiled brightly at the camera, “It’s not a message for the city, actually. But Inferno. If you’re watching, I know you keep sending those guys my way and while I appreciate the message, you may  want to send some guys who are actually a challenge.”

Elliot snorted, noting to himself to edit that out later, “Well, there you have it.” Elliot reached forward, shaking Danny’s hand, “Our city’s in good hands.”

“I’m inclined to agree.” Danny beamed, a long pause passing before “Are...are we done?”

“Cakes and pies are done, sweet cheeks. This interview is finished.” Elliot stood and brushed off his jacket before walking over and turning off the camera.

Danny reached into his sleeve and pulled on the bracelet, poofing back into a t-shirt and joggers.

“Hey Danny,” Elliot said, trying not to let the depths of his concern show, “Are you...sure you’re okay with taunting the bad guys like that?”

Danny shrugged, “Honestly, my mom is under some pretty heavy security as is and it’s...uh...been kinda easy to keep my eyes on anyone else I care about lately, so I think it ought to be fine.”

Elliot tried not to focus on the latter half of his sentence, “You’ve disguised yourself pretty well, I’m sure your mom is more than fine.”

“Well yeah,” Danny shrugged, “If my brother can’t get to her, I’m not worried about some idiot in a spandex suit.”

“Your brother?”

“Yeah, he’s on this whole “family inheritance” kick lately,” Danny said with dramatic air quotes, “And by lately I mean the last five years. Since, uh...my dad died.”

Elliot felt a tug in his chest, “I’m sorry-”

“It’s fine, really.” Danny waved his hand dismissively, “But my brother started harassing my mom to just sign everything over to him and uh, it turned into a whole thing  so now I’m keeping her nice and out of sight.”

“That’s gotta be hard.” Elliot said, hoping he knew how to comfort another person because that was one of his more out-of-practice skills.

Danny shrugged, “That’s life.”

The two continued to clean in silence.

“Do you...uh…” Danny cleared his throat, “Do you want to meet her?”

Elliot choked on his own surprised noise, “What?”

“My mom, moron. Do you want to meet her?” Danny asked, his expression nervous, “Not today, obviously.”

“I didn’t think we were to “meet the parents” quite yet,” Elliot said, trying to play it off cool but was betrayed by the crack in his voice, “That’s more of a...like….fifth date kind of thing.”

“You know, you keep joking like that but I’m honestly not even sure that’s what’s happening.” Danny said, his face red as he avoided eye contact, “You don’t even like me.”

Elliot stared at the back of Danny’s head, “...what?”

“I-I mean, I thought you did!” Danny flustered, “But you keep making these stupid jokes and it’s clearly your thing or whatever but clearly you don’t like me like me or you’d have a-asked me on another date….”

Elliot continued to stare blankly as Danny looked over, his face bright pink.

“Or something…right?” Danny continued nervously, “Fuck. I don’t know, forget I said anything. Like me, like me...what am I, a fucking middle-schooler?’

Danny muttered under his breath, kicking at the floor.

“Danny, are you stupid?” Elliot asked, his mind still trying to grapple with what was happening in front of him.

“Excuse me?” Danny asked, finally looking at him.

Elliot was grinning like an idiot, “I thought...you… I thought you hated me...”

“What.” Danny asked, although the lack of inflection made it sound much more like a statement than a question.

“I thought you’d make the first move…” Elliot muttered, “You’re...I...I don’t know...I didn’t want to scare you off!”

“What.” Danny repeated, “But...wait...so...you...uh…”

“Like  you? Yes dumbass.” Elliot beamed, practically giddy, “Here I am trying to be mature and less impulsive and I don’t think we could have had this discussion any less  sudden or  immaturely.”

They fell silent, relief washing over them as much as uncertainty.

Danny cleared his throat as he walked over to Elliot, “So...uh...if I told you to be a little more impulsive, hypothetically, what would happen?”

“Hypothetically?” Elliot asked, smiling as he closed the distance between them, “Probably this.”

Elliot kissed Danny in the way he felt he had been waiting to kiss someone his entire life. It was gentle at first, Elliot fully appreciating the contented sigh that escaped Danny’s lungs as his lips brushed his. He had always wondered what exactly it meant in books and movies when someone described a kiss as something “hungry”, but in that instant Elliot completely understood. (Although, he still didn’t understand what it meant when tongues battled for dominance, but he supposed that would be a different time and a different kiss.)
Danny’s hands reached up, winding their way into Elliot’s hair as he pulled the blonde closer, parting his lips to deepen the kiss. Elliot felt a laugh ripple in Danny’s chest and pulled away.

“What?” He asked, lightheaded and dizzy.

Danny grinned, his eyes twinkling, “I heard my phone go off.”

Elliot groaned, his arms still around Danny’s waist, “I didn’t.”

“Duty calls, sailor.” Danny said, placing a kiss on Elliot’s neck and finding more than his fair share of amusement at the jolt he felt Elliot make, “Good thing this was hypothetical.”

Danny leaned up, kissing Elliot again.

Somehow, they found themselves doing it all over again in a moment that felt as much like a second as it did an eternity, until Danny’s phone starting pinging to the point even Elliot could notice it from his happy haze of making out with Danny.

Elliot pulled away, “Go on, the city of townsville needs your saving, Bubbles.”

“You’re going to have to settle on like, one  nickname.” Danny smiled, kissing Elliot's cheek as he begrudgingly pulled away.

“Let me know when you’re done. I’m, uh...free if you want to try an actual date.” Elliot said, embracing the blush that furiously took over his entire face.

Danny raised an eyebrow, grinning stupidly.

“You do  want to go on a real date, right?” Elliot asked, suddenly nervous.

Danny opened a window, shucking off his shirt and joggers before his magic outfit change, “Hypothetically?”

Elliot narrowed his eyes, trying to look unamused.

It wasn’t working.

“Yeah, stupid. See you in a bit.” Danny laughed before jumping out the window.