Cruel, Cruel April Fool's
Title: Cruel, Cruel April Fool's
Fandom: Ugly Betty
Pairing: Daniel/Betty
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Becks decides to play a joke on Daniel
Author's Notes: Written for the April Fool's Day challenge at
daniel_betty
“Did you know that your assistant is in love with you?”
Daniel choked on the coffee in his mouth and threw down his cup when drops of the hot liquid came spattering down onto his expensive shirt and tie. “Damn it, Becks!” Daniel shouted as he reached over for his napkin and started to vigorously wipe at the coffee that was already starting to stain.
Becks held back the laugh that was dying to be released and he sat down in a chair across from Daniel. He put on his best sincere face and said, “I’m serious, buddy, that girl’s in love.”
Daniel stopped wiping his shirt and looked at Becks suspiciously, then he glanced out at the woman just outside his office who was animatedly talking to somebody on the phone. She was wearing that brilliant smile of hers that lit up her entire face. Daniel felt a small grin dance across his lips, and then he cleared his throat and looked back at Becks. “She may be in love, Becks, but it’s not with me.” It could never be me, Daniel thought as he felt a small stabbing pain in his stomach. He looked back down at his shirt and continued his feeble attempt at salvaging it.
Becks sighed and shook his head. This was turning out to be harder than he thought it would be. Leave it to Daniel to screw up his fun! “Look, Daniel, one thing I’m good at is reading women. And that woman? When she looks at you, there’s no mistaking it, man, she’s in love with you.” Ugh! It was all Becks could do to keep himself from cringing at the sappy bullshit coming out of his mouth.
Daniel tossed his disheveled napkin back onto his desk and sighed and looked into Becks’s eyes. He couldn’t be positive, but it sure seemed like Becks was being sincere. Still, he was wrong about Betty. Daniel knew that Betty cared for him a great deal, but it didn’t go beyond friendship. Did it? There were times when he wondered, when he let his heart believe for a fleeting second that it was remotely possible that she could love a man like him, but then reality would always come crashing back down on him when she got a phone call from Henry or he would just show up out of nowhere and steal Betty away. No, Daniel and Betty had their moments of connection, but she wasn’t in love with him. She understood him better than anyone else on the planet, she still associated with him after meeting and dealing with his family, and she always managed to save Daniel from himself. No, he may be in love with her, but she definitely was not in love with him. Daniel glanced back out at Betty and saw her hang up the phone. A small smile still lingered on her lips as she wrote something down, and then she looked up from her desk. She gave Daniel that glorious smile of hers and waved. Daniel chuckled to himself and waved back. She wasn’t in love with him…was she?
“Trust me, man,” Becks said. “The only question now is, what are you going to do about it?”
Daniel looked back at Becks and said, “What do you mean?”
“Well, come on,” Becks said with a laugh. “You’re Daniel Meade. You can’t have that dog mooning over you. Better put an end to it now.”
Daniel’s jaw clenched and he felt his face growing hot. Usually he could brush off Becks’s tactless comments, but he just couldn’t stand anyone insulting Betty, even if that person was his oldest friend. Daniel stood up and glared at Becks. “She’s not a dog,” Daniel growled through his teeth.
Becks laughed and stood up, then held up his hands and said, “Relax, buddy. I was just kidding.”
Daniel’s jaw relaxed and he let out a sigh. He sank back into his chair and looked at Betty once more. Her eyebrows were drawn down and her eyes were intent on her computer screen as she typed away furiously on the keyboard. Daniel’s heart fluttered as he looked back at Becks and asked, “Do you really think she loves me?”
“I know it,” Becks said. Daniel just sat there and stared back at Becks with a stupid expression on his face. This certainly wasn’t the reaction Becks was hoping for. He thought Daniel would be grossed out and uncomfortable at the prospect of having to let Betty down. Becks was going to shout “April Fool’s” after Daniel had agonized over it for a while. He certainly hadn’t expected him to be disbelieving and…well…hopeful. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Oh well, might as well see how far he could take this. “So, what are you going to do?”
“I…I don’t know,” Daniel said.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Becks asked incredulously. “You’re going to let her down, right?”
Daniel smiled at Becks and said, “Actually…no.”
Becks’s mouth fell open and he was at a loss for words. This was a joke gone terribly, terribly wrong. How on Earth could Daniel be happy about…that thing…being in love with him? Was he actually in love with her? There was seriously something wrong with his friend. It was time to retreat. “Well, buddy, I gotta go. I’ll see you later.” Becks turned around and high tailed it out of Daniel’s office. He stopped beside Betty’s desk for a moment and observed her. What did Daniel see that he couldn’t?
Betty stopped typing and nervously looked to her left as she felt a pair of eyes on her. She saw Daniel’s friend Becks and said, “Yes, can I help you?” Becks just stood there with his mouth slightly open and his eyes intent on her. Betty felt a nervous giggle bubbling inside of her, but thankfully Daniel popped his head out of his office just before the giggle escaped.
“Hey, Betty?” Daniel said excitedly.
“Yes, Daniel?”
“Could I spe-“
“Oh Daniel,” Becks said, finally looking away from Betty. “I forgot to tell you something.”
“Oh? What?” Daniel asked with a curious smile.
Becks grinned devilishly and said, “April Fool’s.” He winked at Daniel and walked to the elevator. He felt a small pang of guilt, but then he glanced at the reception desk and suddenly the last ten minutes of his life was forgotten. He put on his irresistible smile and got set on seducing the pretty little blond.
****************
“Was there something you needed, Daniel?” Betty asked. He appeared to be frozen in place and was still staring at the spot where Becks had been standing. His eyes were wide and his smile had turned into a grimace.
Daniel couldn’t move. The room was spinning around him and Becks’s last words were echoing in his ears. It was all a joke. Becks had been playing with him. Deep down he had known, but there was this foolish part of him that had wanted to believe him so badly. For a few moments in time Daniel Meade had actually thought that Betty Suarez was in love with him. They were the most glorious moments of his life.
“Daniel?” Betty said, trying once again to break him from his daze.
“Hmm?” Daniel said absently.
“Did you need something?”
You, Daniel thought. He laughed bitterly and shook his head. “No…never mind.”