Breaking the Spell, for silentstreams
Title: Breaking the Spell
Author: _elvie
Recipient: silentstreams
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: I'm new at all this so this is unbeta-ed, any mistakes are mine alone. AU - Danny does visit Martin in the hospital after Endgame.
Disclaimer: I do not own Without a Trace or any of its characters. No, really!
Summary: Based on the prompt “The boys are in an established relationship and are outed to the group while in Central Park on a coffee break. Lots of fluff.”
Friday Morning
Martin wakes around 5 am, slips quietly out of bed and dresses while Danny watches him. They make eye contact but neither says a word; it's been this way since the morning after their relationship made the delicate shift from friends to lovers. There have been many mornings when Danny has wanted to speak, not to make any earth-shattering declaration - that word has passed between them many times over these past few months, and each knows that the other truly means it - just to say “'bye”, or “see you at work” and often he's taken a breath, ready to say something, anything, but no word has ever come. Although he scolds himself for it, he has begun to indulge in magical thinking. He won't risk speaking, won't risk breaking the routine, breaking the spell.
It has been almost dreamlike, their new relationship, insofar as Danny still can't believe that he finally found the courage to tell Martin how he really felt; but after that terrible night when Martin lay in the street near dying, his blood all over Danny's hands, he had decided that after coming so close to losing Martin forever, taking the chance of telling him the truth and maybe losing his friendship seemed like nothing at all. Even so, in the moment of pushing open the door to Martin's ward he'd almost backed out - but on seeing Martin, still weak but awake, alive, the words had just come tumbling out. There he was, the man who'd always tried to hide his feelings behind a veneer of cockiness, who in his boss Jack Malone's words had “a PHD in smartassery”, um-ing and ah-ing and “You know...I kind of...have feelings for you...you know...more than friends” Martin had listened patiently to the babbling, then looked down at his hands for a long moment and Danny had panicked then, afraid he'd read everything wrong. And then a hint of pink had flushed Martin's cheeks and he'd looked up, met Danny's hopeful gaze and said “Me too”.
The time from then to now has been the closest to perfect that Danny's life has ever been and he tells himself he can live with these silent mornings, can handle the fact that they'll never share a long lazy weekend or even a quick shower before work - can even handle the twinge of envy he feels knowing that with Sam, Martin had desperately wanted to make their relationship known to everyone, whereas with him, no matter how long this lasts their colleagues will probably never know. Martin will probably always leave early in the morning, even at weekends, although in all the time Danny's been on the team Jack has never showed up unannounced on a Saturday to watch football, Viv has never come over on Sunday to swap recipe ideas. But as long as they can have these few hours together, Danny will take what he can get and not ask for more. He listens as the door to his apartment closes, buries his hands and face in the still-warm sheet and tries to conjure Martin back again through scent and touch.
Friday Afternoon
It's been a good day, as good as it gets in their often grim line of work. The team's latest case has ended with the missing person being found alive and well, all reports have been written up and no new cases have come in. Jack is forever being harangued by the powers-that-be to get to know his team better and decides that this quiet time on a warm spring day is as good an opportunity as any. He announces that they're all going out for coffee right now and although there are many bemused smiles and raised eyebrows the team dutifully follows him out of the office. They grab coffee from a street vendor and Jack leads them into Central Park, where they eventually settle in a quiet spot beneath one of the many saucer magnolia trees.
“So...tell me what's going on in your lives?” Although he genuinely cares for all of them, touchy-feely does not sit well on Jack and Danny can tell that the boss would feel more comfortable having his teeth removed without anaesthetic. Viv takes pity on him and talks about her recent hospital check-up, announcing to the palpable relief of everyone that everything is fine. She then recounts with pride tales of her son's latest academic and sporting achievements. This in turn leads Elena to talk about her daughter, and soon the conversation is flowing freely. Danny zones out, enjoying the warm spring breeze and the sight of Martin looking more relaxed than Danny has ever seen him, his tie - one of his least aesthetically horrifying - loosened, socks and shoes pulled off and bare toes wiggling in the carpet of pink blossom. Martin catches Danny's gaze, they smile at each other and Danny thinks 'Yeah, if this is as good as it gets, I'll take it'.
“Danny? Martin?” Jack interrupts. Sam has finished regaling the group with the tale of a recent disastrous reunion with some old friends and now they are waiting to hear what has been going on in Danny and Martin's lives.
“Well” Martin begins “You've probably noticed that I don't need the cane anymore. I've been thinking of taking up golf. And Danny and I...we're together. As in we're a couple together”.
Viv and Sam share a conspiratorial knew it all along smile. Elena smiles too - the Danny she's worked with in the past few months is calmer and infinitely happier than the Danny she knew years ago and she's glad for him, for both of them. Jack raises his eyebrows and thinks for a moment about advising caution but realises he's the last person to be dealing out advice on inter-office relationships - and somehow it seems right, the two of them. The only person who is outright shocked by Martin's announcement is Danny. He stares at Martin open-mouthed. Martin only grins.
Saturday Morning
Martin wakes around 5 am, slips out of bed and dresses while Danny watches him. They make eye contact.
“Coffee?”
Danny is startled, as if he's never heard Martin's voice before. “What?”
“Coffee?” Martin repeats.
“Martin...it's 5 am”
“Yeah, but it's a beautiful day. After we've had coffee we can go for a run, and then we can -”
“Martin” Danny interrupts “You've never been around to notice it before, but I am not a morning person. To get up and go for a run at this hour I'd need coffee strong enough to raise the dead”
Martin sits back down on the bed. “Well...what do we do now?”
Danny reaches his hand up and traces the line of Martin's jaw with his fingers. Martin has broken the routine and yet nothing has changed, they're still here, still together, and Danny realises that the real spell he's been under is fear, fear of losing what they have, fear of not being accepted, of things changing - fear which Martin gloriously shattered yesterday in the park. He pulls Martin towards him, finally breaking the spell and beginning anew with a soft, languid kiss.
Author: _elvie
Recipient: silentstreams
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: I'm new at all this so this is unbeta-ed, any mistakes are mine alone. AU - Danny does visit Martin in the hospital after Endgame.
Disclaimer: I do not own Without a Trace or any of its characters. No, really!
Summary: Based on the prompt “The boys are in an established relationship and are outed to the group while in Central Park on a coffee break. Lots of fluff.”
Friday Morning
Martin wakes around 5 am, slips quietly out of bed and dresses while Danny watches him. They make eye contact but neither says a word; it's been this way since the morning after their relationship made the delicate shift from friends to lovers. There have been many mornings when Danny has wanted to speak, not to make any earth-shattering declaration - that word has passed between them many times over these past few months, and each knows that the other truly means it - just to say “'bye”, or “see you at work” and often he's taken a breath, ready to say something, anything, but no word has ever come. Although he scolds himself for it, he has begun to indulge in magical thinking. He won't risk speaking, won't risk breaking the routine, breaking the spell.
It has been almost dreamlike, their new relationship, insofar as Danny still can't believe that he finally found the courage to tell Martin how he really felt; but after that terrible night when Martin lay in the street near dying, his blood all over Danny's hands, he had decided that after coming so close to losing Martin forever, taking the chance of telling him the truth and maybe losing his friendship seemed like nothing at all. Even so, in the moment of pushing open the door to Martin's ward he'd almost backed out - but on seeing Martin, still weak but awake, alive, the words had just come tumbling out. There he was, the man who'd always tried to hide his feelings behind a veneer of cockiness, who in his boss Jack Malone's words had “a PHD in smartassery”, um-ing and ah-ing and “You know...I kind of...have feelings for you...you know...more than friends” Martin had listened patiently to the babbling, then looked down at his hands for a long moment and Danny had panicked then, afraid he'd read everything wrong. And then a hint of pink had flushed Martin's cheeks and he'd looked up, met Danny's hopeful gaze and said “Me too”.
The time from then to now has been the closest to perfect that Danny's life has ever been and he tells himself he can live with these silent mornings, can handle the fact that they'll never share a long lazy weekend or even a quick shower before work - can even handle the twinge of envy he feels knowing that with Sam, Martin had desperately wanted to make their relationship known to everyone, whereas with him, no matter how long this lasts their colleagues will probably never know. Martin will probably always leave early in the morning, even at weekends, although in all the time Danny's been on the team Jack has never showed up unannounced on a Saturday to watch football, Viv has never come over on Sunday to swap recipe ideas. But as long as they can have these few hours together, Danny will take what he can get and not ask for more. He listens as the door to his apartment closes, buries his hands and face in the still-warm sheet and tries to conjure Martin back again through scent and touch.
Friday Afternoon
It's been a good day, as good as it gets in their often grim line of work. The team's latest case has ended with the missing person being found alive and well, all reports have been written up and no new cases have come in. Jack is forever being harangued by the powers-that-be to get to know his team better and decides that this quiet time on a warm spring day is as good an opportunity as any. He announces that they're all going out for coffee right now and although there are many bemused smiles and raised eyebrows the team dutifully follows him out of the office. They grab coffee from a street vendor and Jack leads them into Central Park, where they eventually settle in a quiet spot beneath one of the many saucer magnolia trees.
“So...tell me what's going on in your lives?” Although he genuinely cares for all of them, touchy-feely does not sit well on Jack and Danny can tell that the boss would feel more comfortable having his teeth removed without anaesthetic. Viv takes pity on him and talks about her recent hospital check-up, announcing to the palpable relief of everyone that everything is fine. She then recounts with pride tales of her son's latest academic and sporting achievements. This in turn leads Elena to talk about her daughter, and soon the conversation is flowing freely. Danny zones out, enjoying the warm spring breeze and the sight of Martin looking more relaxed than Danny has ever seen him, his tie - one of his least aesthetically horrifying - loosened, socks and shoes pulled off and bare toes wiggling in the carpet of pink blossom. Martin catches Danny's gaze, they smile at each other and Danny thinks 'Yeah, if this is as good as it gets, I'll take it'.
“Danny? Martin?” Jack interrupts. Sam has finished regaling the group with the tale of a recent disastrous reunion with some old friends and now they are waiting to hear what has been going on in Danny and Martin's lives.
“Well” Martin begins “You've probably noticed that I don't need the cane anymore. I've been thinking of taking up golf. And Danny and I...we're together. As in we're a couple together”.
Viv and Sam share a conspiratorial knew it all along smile. Elena smiles too - the Danny she's worked with in the past few months is calmer and infinitely happier than the Danny she knew years ago and she's glad for him, for both of them. Jack raises his eyebrows and thinks for a moment about advising caution but realises he's the last person to be dealing out advice on inter-office relationships - and somehow it seems right, the two of them. The only person who is outright shocked by Martin's announcement is Danny. He stares at Martin open-mouthed. Martin only grins.
Saturday Morning
Martin wakes around 5 am, slips out of bed and dresses while Danny watches him. They make eye contact.
“Coffee?”
Danny is startled, as if he's never heard Martin's voice before. “What?”
“Coffee?” Martin repeats.
“Martin...it's 5 am”
“Yeah, but it's a beautiful day. After we've had coffee we can go for a run, and then we can -”
“Martin” Danny interrupts “You've never been around to notice it before, but I am not a morning person. To get up and go for a run at this hour I'd need coffee strong enough to raise the dead”
Martin sits back down on the bed. “Well...what do we do now?”
Danny reaches his hand up and traces the line of Martin's jaw with his fingers. Martin has broken the routine and yet nothing has changed, they're still here, still together, and Danny realises that the real spell he's been under is fear, fear of losing what they have, fear of not being accepted, of things changing - fear which Martin gloriously shattered yesterday in the park. He pulls Martin towards him, finally breaking the spell and beginning anew with a soft, languid kiss.