The Invitation | Collateral Flirtation | Danny/Adrian

Previously: Collateral Flirtation

He spent way too long looking at his phone, debating. Too soon seemed like desperation, but too late seemed like lack of interest or game-playing. It'd been a full day since meeting Daniel by chance, but he'd remained on Adrian's mind almost every minute since then. Adrian didn't believe in love-at-first-sight, but infatuation? Sure, why not? He was a man of many passions, and he liked to indulge his passions. 

And it honestly seemed like Daniel needed to get out a bit more. This party would be doing him a favor, really, despite Sterling's hostility. 

Finally, he tapped out a quick reply to the message he'd sent himself from Daniel's phone when they met:

Party is at 8pm on Saturday. Want me to pick you up at 7:30?

Presumptuous? Absolutely. But that usually worked for Adrian. And if it didn't, he had plenty of other angles.

@Danny Hernandez - xoxo

Danny stares at the message a moment too long, thumb hovering over the screen while his brain mutters all the reasons he should ignore it. He exhales through his nose, muttering something halfway between a sigh and a laugh.

Text from Danny:

Appreciate the offer, kid, but I’ll drive myself. Send me the address.

Danny sees the pin drop on his screen and huffs a quiet laugh. Rooftop bar. Of course it is. The kid probably lives for drama and skyline selfies. He leans back in his chair, thumbs out a reply, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Text from Danny:

Rooftop bar, huh? Bold choice.
What if I’m afraid of heights?

He stares at the message for a second, smirks, and sends it before he can think too hard.

Huh. Hadn't expected the grumpy old man to text back, let alone... flirt? Is that what this was an attempt at? Adrian put his hand over his heart, shaking his head. Absolutely adorable.

You don't seem like the kind of man who's afraid of anything 😉

It wasn't just flattery. As saucy as it sounded, Adrian got a vibe from Daniel, like some kind of inner sense of calmness. It was hard to explain, but it had convinced him that Daniel was not the fearful sort. Adrian liked to think he was good at reading people, despite his relatively young age. He'd made a fortune out of that skill alone.

Danny snorts before he can stop himself, shaking his head and setting the phone down for a second. Then he picks it back up and types, thumb hesitating only once.

Text from Danny:

Spiders, bad food, and my mother when she says my full name.
Everything else, I can handle. Probably.

The reply got a laugh from Adrian. Daniel seemed a lot more comfortable revealing little bits about himself this way rather than in person. Adrian didn't mind. Most people preferred to text anymore anyhow. 

I can protect you from spiders and bad food (probably)
You're on your own dealing with your clearly formidable mother

Danny stares at the phone, a small, unwilling smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Before he can type anything back, a knock hits the office door.

“Yeah,” he calls, straightening up.

Agent Reece pokes her head in. “The trace you wanted is ready.”

Danny’s smile fades, the reminder settling like a weight. He pockets his phone. “Yep,” he says, pushing away from the desk. “On my way.”

One night later

Danny sits at his dinner table, half-focused on the cold tequila sweating against his fingers, half-poking at the sad casserole on his plate. The apartment is quiet, just the faint hum of the city beyond the window.

Then a thought hits him. He grabs his phone, hesitates for a second, and types:

Text from Danny:

 Do I need to bring anything?

He stares at the message for a moment before hitting send, realizing this is probably the first time he’s ever treated a party like an op briefing.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and Adrian absently pulled it out to check his messages. He smiled with surprise when he saw it was from Daniel. Unexpected, but not unwelcome. Again, Adrian laughed. How sweet. He thinks it's a potluck.

Just bring yourself, handsome. That's all I need 😏

Danny sees the reply pop up and immediately rolls his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips despite himself. He leans back in his chair, thumbs out a quick response.

Text from Danny:

 You could’ve just said no.

He pauses, then adds another line, because he can’t help himself.

Now I’m definitely bringing something. You’ll just have to find out what it is.

A gift, for me? How thoughtful of you 💙 💜 

Was this guy for real? Adrian sure hoped so. It'd been too long since he'd interacted regularly with anybody he considered normal. Normal for him, he was well aware, was not normal for most other people. His kind of normal got boring. This kind had more potential with each message.