![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kathierif_ficTitle: Pens and Edges
Author: Kathie
Rating: FRT-13
Pairing: MDD
Dedicated to Gin, because she wanted a follow up to Trapped and because it’s her birthday…
Takes place after Trapped.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
~*~*~
It has been a long and horrible day, Mac thinks while scribbling his signature under a finished report.
He planned to leave his office early for once and ignore the long and tedious paperwork until the next day, but again, he has been hold up until now.
Danny has been through a lot, he thinks now and pushes the last file away from him. He throws his pen down on top of it. It bounces off and rolls towards the edge of his desk where he catches it deftly right before it can fall down.
Their lives are a lot like this pen, he thinks. There’s always the immediate danger of rolling over the edge and falling, and it’s a stressful job to stay alert all the time to prevent his team from falling, because if he fails, there’s nothing left to do but to pick up the pieces and deal with it.
He’s thankful that he’s always been quick enough to catch them, and especially that Danny is still with them.
He wanted to spend some quality time with Danny, but tonight, Danny is going to be late, because he finally answered his brother Louie’s call and accepted his offer to meet and have a beer. Stella has told him about it, and Mac tried and utterly failed to hide his concern about it when she did so.
Stella probably thought that he is worried about the reputation of the lab, because she immediately started to reassure him that Danny knows what he’s doing.
Mac is sure about that, and for a second he finds himself longing to tell her the truth about them, but the risks, not only for him and his position in the lab, but especially for Don and Danny, are too high. He nonetheless wants to confide in her and tell her the whole story, and share all the joys and sorrows that the two bring to his life, every single day.
He wants to tell her that he is not overly concerned about the reputation of the lab, not because his priorities shifted so much, but because he knows and trusts Danny, and that he worries more about the nightmares Danny had in the last few nights, even before the whole mess today happened.
Mac is focused on his thoughts of Danny, so when Hawkes walks by his office and lifts his hand in a quick good-bye, he is painfully reminded that Danny is not the only one who suffered today. He completely forgot about Don, who seemed to take the whole thing with Danny being trapped and threatened almost harder than Danny himself. The signs are barely visible, but if someone would care enough to really look, they would see them, and Mac knows by now what to look for. Don cares deeply for his friends, and yet he is forced to hide his feelings for Danny and Mac and concentrate on the job. It’s hard for him, Mac knows, so he decides to get Don home and wait for Danny there.
He finds Don outside, with an unlit cigarette between his lips and staring into thin air.
Of course they don’t change many words. Mac simply announces that he is going home now and asks Flack if he has plans for the rest of the evening.
Don glances at his watch and shrugs. “Don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll call my girlfriend later.”
Mac nods and leaves without another word, his face scheduled in a careful mask. Nobody would suspect anything from an encounter like that. They are all award-winning actors, and they are forced to play their roles all day long.
Mac tries to relax, but he feels gritty and jumpy and he keeps his cell phone close, in case Danny calls. It’s ridiculous, he knows, and he rolls his eyes at his own antics, but he can’t stop himself.
Don arrives half an hour later. The welcome-home-kiss Mac gets from him tastes like cold smoke and desperation, and Mac wraps him in a warm hug und doesn’t let him go for a long time.
Then he pulls him towards the bathroom, while nimble fingers loose Don’s tie and start to unbutton his shirt.
The hot water feels wonderful on Mac’s skin; and Don’s body, slumped against his in exhaustion, feels even better. Don leaves it to Mac to wash them, and when they are clean, dry them off.
Finally Danny comes home, almost an hour later. Don and Mac are cuddled up on the couch, and Danny, who looks tired and subdued, smiles and promises to join them after taking a quick shower himself.
It’s a good feeling to have them both home, and Mac follows Danny after a moment and stays to watch, while Don searches for clean clothes.
When Danny shuts off the water, Mac wraps him in one of his big, fluffy towels and pulls him in his arms. He doesn’t care that Danny’s hair is wet when Danny puts his head on his shoulder and allows Mac to take care of him. When Don enters the bathroom just a short moment later Danny pulls him close and kisses him almost desperately, and Don clings to them with all his strength.
Danny doesn’t offer any information about his meeting with Louie, and they don’t ask. They are just glad that he is with them – the questions can wait for the next day.
Instead Mac tells them a bit about his own case, and both Don and Danny grin at the idea of lube wrestling.
Their usual time to say good-bye and go home comes and goes. In an unspoken agreement they stay as they are, cuddled together like puppies. All of them need the presence and the attention the others can give them, and each tender and loving touch and kiss is craved like a drug. All of them have to work the next day, so they go to bed early, and Mac deals with his insomnia by watching them sleep.
The first sign that Danny has another nightmare is when he suddenly sits up and quickly leaves the bed. Mac shifts Don carefully and follows him to make sure that everything is okay, and they end back on the couch, with Danny curled up in his arms.
He still doesn’t talk about his day, and Mac tells himself firmly that he respects that, although he is worried almost sick by now.
“We’re really fucked up, huh?” Danny finally murmurs into his shoulder, and Mac nods. The soft strands of Danny’s hair tickle his neck slightly, and he smoothes a hand over Danny’s head.
“At least Don sleeps,” he adds and thinks about the fact that Don is the first who needs to get up, in a few hours.
While they sit together in comfortable silence, Mac realizes that Danny is still shaken up, but, unlike Don, he can keep it all inside for a very long time. Danny doesn’t like it when he thinks that he appears weak, and he tries to pretend to be strong until it becomes too much and he breaks down spectacularly.
Danny chuckles slightly. “Obviously he can’t,” he murmurs.
Mac looks up and frowns at a very sleepy Don. “What’s wrong?” he asks.
Don shrugs. “Can’t sleep,” he answers and tries to stifle a yawn.
Mac pulls him into their embrace. He waits until Don is comfortably snuggled up to his side before asking: “Why?”
Don grimaces. “Bed’s cold without you.”
It’s like a pen, Mac thinks. Life is throwing them around, they bounce off the table, but every time they roll towards the edge and threaten to fall, they are caught, because they are not alone. The knowledge of that fact makes them go on, no matter how dangerous and gruesome the job can be, because they are lucky enough that there’s always someone to rely on when their lives spin out of control. They always find the strength to do their job and pick up the shattered pieces of those who fell over the edge, and then they try to find the person who did the pushing.
Mac smiles and pushes all thoughts of pens and edges to the back of his mind. It doesn’t matter right now.
The sun rises over New York, promising a beautiful new day, that starts, at least for the three of them, well enough to carry them through the hours with a smile on their lips whenever they see each other.
End
Author: Kathie
Rating: FRT-13
Pairing: MDD
Dedicated to Gin, because she wanted a follow up to Trapped and because it’s her birthday…
Takes place after Trapped.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
~*~*~
It has been a long and horrible day, Mac thinks while scribbling his signature under a finished report.
He planned to leave his office early for once and ignore the long and tedious paperwork until the next day, but again, he has been hold up until now.
Danny has been through a lot, he thinks now and pushes the last file away from him. He throws his pen down on top of it. It bounces off and rolls towards the edge of his desk where he catches it deftly right before it can fall down.
Their lives are a lot like this pen, he thinks. There’s always the immediate danger of rolling over the edge and falling, and it’s a stressful job to stay alert all the time to prevent his team from falling, because if he fails, there’s nothing left to do but to pick up the pieces and deal with it.
He’s thankful that he’s always been quick enough to catch them, and especially that Danny is still with them.
He wanted to spend some quality time with Danny, but tonight, Danny is going to be late, because he finally answered his brother Louie’s call and accepted his offer to meet and have a beer. Stella has told him about it, and Mac tried and utterly failed to hide his concern about it when she did so.
Stella probably thought that he is worried about the reputation of the lab, because she immediately started to reassure him that Danny knows what he’s doing.
Mac is sure about that, and for a second he finds himself longing to tell her the truth about them, but the risks, not only for him and his position in the lab, but especially for Don and Danny, are too high. He nonetheless wants to confide in her and tell her the whole story, and share all the joys and sorrows that the two bring to his life, every single day.
He wants to tell her that he is not overly concerned about the reputation of the lab, not because his priorities shifted so much, but because he knows and trusts Danny, and that he worries more about the nightmares Danny had in the last few nights, even before the whole mess today happened.
Mac is focused on his thoughts of Danny, so when Hawkes walks by his office and lifts his hand in a quick good-bye, he is painfully reminded that Danny is not the only one who suffered today. He completely forgot about Don, who seemed to take the whole thing with Danny being trapped and threatened almost harder than Danny himself. The signs are barely visible, but if someone would care enough to really look, they would see them, and Mac knows by now what to look for. Don cares deeply for his friends, and yet he is forced to hide his feelings for Danny and Mac and concentrate on the job. It’s hard for him, Mac knows, so he decides to get Don home and wait for Danny there.
He finds Don outside, with an unlit cigarette between his lips and staring into thin air.
Of course they don’t change many words. Mac simply announces that he is going home now and asks Flack if he has plans for the rest of the evening.
Don glances at his watch and shrugs. “Don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll call my girlfriend later.”
Mac nods and leaves without another word, his face scheduled in a careful mask. Nobody would suspect anything from an encounter like that. They are all award-winning actors, and they are forced to play their roles all day long.
Mac tries to relax, but he feels gritty and jumpy and he keeps his cell phone close, in case Danny calls. It’s ridiculous, he knows, and he rolls his eyes at his own antics, but he can’t stop himself.
Don arrives half an hour later. The welcome-home-kiss Mac gets from him tastes like cold smoke and desperation, and Mac wraps him in a warm hug und doesn’t let him go for a long time.
Then he pulls him towards the bathroom, while nimble fingers loose Don’s tie and start to unbutton his shirt.
The hot water feels wonderful on Mac’s skin; and Don’s body, slumped against his in exhaustion, feels even better. Don leaves it to Mac to wash them, and when they are clean, dry them off.
Finally Danny comes home, almost an hour later. Don and Mac are cuddled up on the couch, and Danny, who looks tired and subdued, smiles and promises to join them after taking a quick shower himself.
It’s a good feeling to have them both home, and Mac follows Danny after a moment and stays to watch, while Don searches for clean clothes.
When Danny shuts off the water, Mac wraps him in one of his big, fluffy towels and pulls him in his arms. He doesn’t care that Danny’s hair is wet when Danny puts his head on his shoulder and allows Mac to take care of him. When Don enters the bathroom just a short moment later Danny pulls him close and kisses him almost desperately, and Don clings to them with all his strength.
Danny doesn’t offer any information about his meeting with Louie, and they don’t ask. They are just glad that he is with them – the questions can wait for the next day.
Instead Mac tells them a bit about his own case, and both Don and Danny grin at the idea of lube wrestling.
Their usual time to say good-bye and go home comes and goes. In an unspoken agreement they stay as they are, cuddled together like puppies. All of them need the presence and the attention the others can give them, and each tender and loving touch and kiss is craved like a drug. All of them have to work the next day, so they go to bed early, and Mac deals with his insomnia by watching them sleep.
The first sign that Danny has another nightmare is when he suddenly sits up and quickly leaves the bed. Mac shifts Don carefully and follows him to make sure that everything is okay, and they end back on the couch, with Danny curled up in his arms.
He still doesn’t talk about his day, and Mac tells himself firmly that he respects that, although he is worried almost sick by now.
“We’re really fucked up, huh?” Danny finally murmurs into his shoulder, and Mac nods. The soft strands of Danny’s hair tickle his neck slightly, and he smoothes a hand over Danny’s head.
“At least Don sleeps,” he adds and thinks about the fact that Don is the first who needs to get up, in a few hours.
While they sit together in comfortable silence, Mac realizes that Danny is still shaken up, but, unlike Don, he can keep it all inside for a very long time. Danny doesn’t like it when he thinks that he appears weak, and he tries to pretend to be strong until it becomes too much and he breaks down spectacularly.
Danny chuckles slightly. “Obviously he can’t,” he murmurs.
Mac looks up and frowns at a very sleepy Don. “What’s wrong?” he asks.
Don shrugs. “Can’t sleep,” he answers and tries to stifle a yawn.
Mac pulls him into their embrace. He waits until Don is comfortably snuggled up to his side before asking: “Why?”
Don grimaces. “Bed’s cold without you.”
It’s like a pen, Mac thinks. Life is throwing them around, they bounce off the table, but every time they roll towards the edge and threaten to fall, they are caught, because they are not alone. The knowledge of that fact makes them go on, no matter how dangerous and gruesome the job can be, because they are lucky enough that there’s always someone to rely on when their lives spin out of control. They always find the strength to do their job and pick up the shattered pieces of those who fell over the edge, and then they try to find the person who did the pushing.
Mac smiles and pushes all thoughts of pens and edges to the back of his mind. It doesn’t matter right now.
The sun rises over New York, promising a beautiful new day, that starts, at least for the three of them, well enough to carry them through the hours with a smile on their lips whenever they see each other.
End