belated stagesoflove round three
title: Caught in the Rain
with: Danny/Mac
rated: PG
herein: five wrongs
disclaim: me no own
note: post-ep for “The Dove Commission”
It’s still raining, and Danny’s not sure how long he’s been walking around with his hands shoved in his pockets. But the sky’s gone dark. He’s been staring at the ground and not seeing a damn thing with his glasses off, but he knows exactly where he is anyway. He couldn’t get lost in the city if he wanted to.
When it comes down to it, he doesn’t.
There’s a lump in his chest, twisting with each breath. He’s not thinking. Hasn’t been for a couple hours now. Damn proud of that. He did what he needed to do, so now he’s not thinking about any of it. He can stop thinking and watch his feet move over the slick sidewalk. And count his steps so he won’t think. Every time he hits one hundred he starts over again.
He doesn’t know how many times he’s hit one hundred.
All the pavement in New York is saturated, shining. Staring at it is starting to make him dizzy. His eyes burn a little.
His cell rings and he almost leaves it, but if it’s Aiden he’s got to shut that down right now or it’ll be weeks before she gives him any real peace. He answers.
But it’s not Aiden. It’s Mac. He should’ve tried to squint at the incoming number.
“What are you doing?”
Heat prickles down his neck and his stomach twists. “Got caught in the rain.” Aiden wouldn’t tell on him. She’d never.
“We made an arrest in the Dove Commission case. Actually had nothing to do with the commission.” There’s a pause, and Danny turns his face up into the light rain. All he can smell is the bitter taste at the back of his throat. “Have you eaten dinner yet?”
Mac’s phrasing is always careful, leaving Danny a way out where he doesn’t have to say no. Mac’s more clever about that sort of thing than Danny would’ve given him credit for a year ago.
“Weather’s shitty. How about you order something in and I’ll head down there.”
“I’ll see you in an hour?”
Danny agrees, but it ends up taking him almost twice that. The last block, the sky opens up and pours buckets on him.
Mac frowns and hesitates a split second before drawing Danny inside.
“Told you the weather’s shitty.” Danny sheds his coat, dripping water all over Mac’s clean foyer.
Still frowning, Mac grabs the coat away then reaches over to thumb rainwater from the corner of Danny’s eyebrow.
“Let me get you a towel and some dry clothes.” Mac’s voice is soft at the edges, almost making it a question. Danny swallows hard, afraid that Aiden did tell on him after all.
But as Danny slips his shoes off and changes shirts, Mac begins to talk about his own case.
When the edges of Mac’s voice go soft like this, Danny hates himself. He thinks he hates Mac even more.
………
thanks for reading; feedback always appreciated
with: Danny/Mac
rated: PG
herein: five wrongs
disclaim: me no own
note: post-ep for “The Dove Commission”
It’s still raining, and Danny’s not sure how long he’s been walking around with his hands shoved in his pockets. But the sky’s gone dark. He’s been staring at the ground and not seeing a damn thing with his glasses off, but he knows exactly where he is anyway. He couldn’t get lost in the city if he wanted to.
When it comes down to it, he doesn’t.
There’s a lump in his chest, twisting with each breath. He’s not thinking. Hasn’t been for a couple hours now. Damn proud of that. He did what he needed to do, so now he’s not thinking about any of it. He can stop thinking and watch his feet move over the slick sidewalk. And count his steps so he won’t think. Every time he hits one hundred he starts over again.
He doesn’t know how many times he’s hit one hundred.
All the pavement in New York is saturated, shining. Staring at it is starting to make him dizzy. His eyes burn a little.
His cell rings and he almost leaves it, but if it’s Aiden he’s got to shut that down right now or it’ll be weeks before she gives him any real peace. He answers.
But it’s not Aiden. It’s Mac. He should’ve tried to squint at the incoming number.
“What are you doing?”
Heat prickles down his neck and his stomach twists. “Got caught in the rain.” Aiden wouldn’t tell on him. She’d never.
“We made an arrest in the Dove Commission case. Actually had nothing to do with the commission.” There’s a pause, and Danny turns his face up into the light rain. All he can smell is the bitter taste at the back of his throat. “Have you eaten dinner yet?”
Mac’s phrasing is always careful, leaving Danny a way out where he doesn’t have to say no. Mac’s more clever about that sort of thing than Danny would’ve given him credit for a year ago.
“Weather’s shitty. How about you order something in and I’ll head down there.”
“I’ll see you in an hour?”
Danny agrees, but it ends up taking him almost twice that. The last block, the sky opens up and pours buckets on him.
Mac frowns and hesitates a split second before drawing Danny inside.
“Told you the weather’s shitty.” Danny sheds his coat, dripping water all over Mac’s clean foyer.
Still frowning, Mac grabs the coat away then reaches over to thumb rainwater from the corner of Danny’s eyebrow.
“Let me get you a towel and some dry clothes.” Mac’s voice is soft at the edges, almost making it a question. Danny swallows hard, afraid that Aiden did tell on him after all.
But as Danny slips his shoes off and changes shirts, Mac begins to talk about his own case.
When the edges of Mac’s voice go soft like this, Danny hates himself. He thinks he hates Mac even more.
………
thanks for reading; feedback always appreciated