“This has to be the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard you say. Or ask.” Danny said flatly from the corner of Elliot’s bed while Elliot rummaged through his closet.
Elliot poked his head out of a rack of shirts, “Come, on! How bad could it be?”
Danny pinched the bridge of his nose, “Elliot, your boss wants me at some sort of ribbon cutting ceremony, this is so obviously a trap it hurts.”
“You don’t know that!” Elliot said defensively before holding up two different sweaters that were nearly the identical shade of blue, “Which one?”
“Elliot.” Danny said, trying to calm himself, A person cannot be both this conniving and this naive, “It’s a trap. If they don’t pull some shit on me they’re gonna try to hurt you.”
Elliot grinned like an idiot, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were concerned for me.”
“Don’t try to be all cute to get me to agree to this,” Danny frowned, “I’m not going and you’re not going. I’m not going to be that idiot who gets lulled into an obvious trap.”
“Danny, not everyone is trying to kill you.” Elliot said, fussing with the buttons of a white shirt, “I think it would be good publicity.”
“Of course you do.” Danny muttered under his breath as Elliot tossed an armful of sweaters on the bed before flopping down next to him.
“At least consider it?” Elliot asked, leaning closer until their lips were just inches apart, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Death. For one or both of us. Doom. The city in ruins.People running through the streets all purge-like. “Dirty, rotten, bastard,” Danny said flatly, feeling his resolve crumbling as he felt Elliot’s breath mix with his, “You can’t play dirty and get whatever you want.”
“Dirty?” Elliot said, his eyebrow raised, “Who said anything about playing dirty?”
Danny felt another wave of his resolve crumble as Elliot trailed kisses along his jawline, “Elliot.”
Elliot looked up innocently, a twinkle in his stupid, blue eyes, “Yes?”
Mom raised me better than this, Danny thought with a resigned groan, “I’ll think about it.”
“Nothing bad will happen, I promise.” Elliot said, this time kissing the portion of Danny’s neck below his jawline.
“L-Look, jackass,” Danny said, leaning back, “You got what you wanted, you can stop now.”
Elliot frowned, looking offended, “You know, I might have just wanted to be all gross with you. I don’t need some ulterior motive.”
“Right.” Danny said skeptically.
“Well, not usually.” Elliot smiled in a brief moment of self-awareness before bringing his lips to Danny’s.
Danny wanted so much to stay like that, kissing Elliot had become a bit of a problem in that he wasn’t entirely sure how to stop anymore. His cognitive functions returned when he realized he had slipped a hand underneath Elliot’s shirt.
Reflexively, Danny pulled back, “Sorry.”
Elliot grinned, “No need to apologize, I wasn’t complaining.”
Danny heard nothing but the roar of blood in his ears, I need to go. I have shit I need to do, but I want to stay.
He realized he was staring at Elliot, who was watching with an unexpected patience.
“I..uh...need to go.” Danny mumbled, standing.
“I figured.” Elliot said with a smile as he grabbed Danny’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, “Help me pick out a sweater first?”
Please just tell me to stay and take me, you beautiful piece of shit. I mean, don’t. Because I’d agree to it and it would be too soon and- Danny cleared his throat, “Uh….the more blue one?”
Danny pointed vaguely between two of the sweaters and hoped that meant something.
Elliot stood, not intentionally brushing against Danny, but enough that Danny gave one last thought to staying.
“I was actually going to pick that one anyways,” He smiled, “Thank you.”
Danny felt a great deal of difficulty breathing and took that as his queue to stick with leaving, “So you’ll be at the bowling alley at six, right?”
“Of course. I still don’t see why we need to go off with Winn and Val.” Elliot frowned.
“Because they’re our friends.” Danny grinned, “You remember friends, right?”
Elliot flicked his nose, “Unfortunately.” Danny was humored by Elliot’s feelings towards Val, “Go on, then. Go find some crime to fight.”
Danny grabbed his face for one last kiss before hopping out of the fire escape.
~
He almost felt bad lying to Elliot.
Almost.
He felt worse that he wouldn’t get to watch the chaos that would be Elliot alone with Valerie Sparks, his sworn arch-nemesis for some reason or another.
Danny: The deed is done, my liege.
Danny: He’ll be there at 6.
Vally Girl: Good. You and Winn come at 7. Or 8. I’ll let you know how long I need.
Danny snickered in amusement, poor Elliot.
Danny: You just keep me posted on how long you need for your shakedown.
Vally Girl: ...I might need more than an hour if you want a shakedown
Vally Girl: I was just aiming for interrogation.
Danny texted Winn for a spot to meet and slid his phone into his boot. He had actually grown really fond of this new outfit, but his phone consistently found a way out of the pockets. Perhaps it was magic, perhaps it was physics- either way, it was an inconvenience.
As Danny watched the city for any signs of debacles, he couldn’t help but replay his time with Elliot. The more time that passed, the more he realized he was acting like a spaz, growing more neurotic with every kiss and accidental brush of skin.
He was a bizarre mix of mortified, embarrassed, and smitten. The first two with himself, the last with Elliot, who was much more gentle and patient than Danny had expected or given him credit for.
It made him feel understood in a way no one else had.
It also, for some reason, had made it seem as though Danny himself were the one yearning for physical contact, which was new to him….to say the least.
Most guys wanted that out of the way by the first date and seemed to only want that. The fact Elliot wasn’t pushing it was pushing Danny to the brink of insanity.
It was all he thought about lately- Elliot and his stupid hair and his stupid beautiful face and his stupid skin and his stupid chest and his stupid ass and his stupid thighs- Danny stopped, rubbing his face in frustration.
At least, Danny realized, he had ne'er-do-wells he could take out his frustration on. He had come to a point where he borderline prayed for someone to show up and do something stupid.
Danny felt his foot vibrate, startling him out of his reverie.
Winona: Hey! Wanna meet a bit early and get pastries? My treat!
Elliot’s right, Danny thought as he smiled to himself, he doesn’t deserve her.
Danny: I’d love to. Pin the location?
Within seconds, Winona had sent her location.
Danny grinned and found a place to change.
~
Winn spotted Danny almost immediately as he walked into the adorable little bakery, running over to scoop him into her arms. She was tall, although admittedly a lot of people were taller than Danny, so his face ended up awkwardly squished into her bosom.
“Look at you,” She said with a warm smile as she pulled away, “You’ve got to be the cutest damn thing.”
Danny’s cheeks reddened, “Uh...thank you.”
“No need to be shy,” She said as she pinched his cheek, “I come here all the time so if you need a recommendation, let me know.”
Winn winked and walked him over to the counter.
In anyone else, Danny would have found most of Winn’s mannerisms to be condescending. Especially the cheek pinching.
But when Winona did it, it was oddly endearing. There was an odd maternal quality in her charm, and Danny felt himself warming to it instantly.
He scanned the glass case of baked goods, knowing good and well he would ask for a bagel, but a part of him wondered if he could convince himself to try something new.
Oh, who am I fooling, “Can I get the bagel with all the seeds on it?” He asked Winn hesitantly.
Winn smiled, “You sure? They have danishes. Cheese danishes.”
Danny paused, looking back at the case before making up his mind, “I guess I can try a danish.”
Get out of your comfort zone, Chae. He told himself.
“Two danishes please.” Winn said to the young girl behind the counter, “Actually make that three. I’ll take one home for Elliot.”
They made their way to the cashier, Winn ordering two elaborately worded coffee orders as well.
There was a breeze and Danny noticed the scent of hair dye, and now that he noticed, her hair was now a beautiful jewel-toned shade of blue.
Danny followed Winn and their food into a plush booth in the corner of the bakery, which may have also been a cafe. Danny was relatively bad at knowing what kind of restaurant most places identified themselves as.
Winn slid the coffee and danish over to Danny, “Are we sure Val isn’t just going to kill your boyfriend?”
“I wouldn’t toss that word around so loosely,” Danny said dryly, “Someone might hear you.”
“What, kill? They know me here, they know I won’t hesitate to cut a bitch,” Winn laughed, “I’m from Azusa.”
Danny snorted, his words escaping his lips before he had time to stop them, “No, I meant the b-word.”
He blinked as he surprised not just Winn, but himself. Daniel Chae was not an open book. He usually required a level of 50 or more in friendship before he opened up in any legitimately vulnerable way. It was something he felt bad teasing Elliot about, the “emotional constipation” as Elliot so eloquently worded it, but Danny wasn’t much better. Hell, he was worse.
But there was something about Winona West that made him feel like he could tell her anything. Maybe it was her warm smile or atypical beauty.
Maybe Danny was just starting to go insane.
“Danny,” Winn said, clearing her throat, “There’s no way you’re actually insecure about this, are you?”
Danny tried not to feel partially embarrassed, “I just..it’s a little soon to be tossing that word around all willy nilly.”
“Maybe it is,” Winn shrugged, “Maybe it isn’t. Every person, relationship, or thing has it’s own pace, you know. There’s no such thing as a set schedule for this shit, so if it feels right then maybe it’s not too soon.”
“Thanks, Oprah.” Danny said, trying to sound sarcastic through the flutter in his chest.
“Being insecure is definitely stupid though, not to invalidate your feelings or whatever but this is...I’ve never seen Elliot like this.” She said as she took a sip of her coffee, “It’s weird, but I like it.”
Elliot isn’t the problem, it’s me. “Weird is a word I would use.” Danny snorted.
“He likes you.” Winn said, her tone oddly serious, “A lot. And I get it, you’re fucking adorable.”
Danny flustered, unsure of how to take a compliment.
“If I was into dudes I’d hit it.” She grinned, taking another sip of coffee.
Danny winked while wielding awkward finger guns, “And If I was into not-dudes I would take you up on it.”
Winn laughed and it sounded like wind chimes, and suddenly Val’s fixation made sense to Danny.
They sat there, discussing work and Val, Danny taking careful pains to avoid the topic of Elliot because he didn’t want to sound like a love-struck puppy, until both of their phones vibrated against the table.
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