A/N: Well I haven't written anything for Baby Daddy in over a year but this little nugget hit me and wouldn't let go. So I hope you enjoy!
"Alright, let me see it."
Danny looked up as Riley sat across from him at the kitchen table, smiling at him expectantly.
"See what?" Danny asked cluelessly.
"The tattoo – the one you got last night?"
Danny's eyes suddenly widened and he pulled his sleeve all the way up to his knuckles, pressing his hand into his lap. "I-I really don't think-"
"That bad, huh?" Riley laughed and Danny tried to ignore the fluttering in his stomach at the sound. "Did they manage to spell 'Amy' wrong? Did you get one of those flaming hearts with it?"
Danny laughed awkwardly, trying not to scratch at the tattoo which was suddenly more itchy than it had been the whole day. "Something like that."
Riley's face scrunched up. "Well…it can't be that bad, right? Come on…" She leaned across the table with a grin that made his knees weak, blue eyes pleading with him as she innocently batted her eye lashes. "I sat with you – the least you could do is let me see it. I won't laugh, I promise." Her eyes danced in mirth. If he had truly gotten Amy's name in some tacky fire heart he knew she'd indeed laugh but if she saw what truly what was permanently inked onto his wrist the last thing she'd do is laugh.
"You dragged me there." He kindly pointed out.
"Okay, I did." She agreed, crinkling her nose which Danny just thought was the most adorable thing he'd ever seen – and then mentally smacked himself for going there when he was trying to forget his ridiculous crush on Riley. "Buuuuut I'm still your best friend so that means I get best friend privileges." She pointed out with a grin and he sometimes wished that Riley wasn't so good at her job.
"So, come on Wheeler, lets see it."
Danny pursed his lips and tucked the hand further into his lap. "You know-" his voice reached an un-manly level that Riley hadn't heard from him since he was fifteen and going through puberty. "It's really itchy and red and I think it's best I should just leave it covered…" He flashed Riley a sheepish smile.
She shot him a look of exasperation. "Do not make me come over there and take that hand from you, Wheeler. You know I will."
"It's just…I haven't shown it to Amy yet and I think she should be the first to see it…" Danny stalled further and his eyes widened as Riley leaned over the table, eyeing him like a lioness eyeing her prey and then she was off the chair and pouncing at him.
He squeaked as he immediately turned his body, blocking her small frame with his back. She groaned as her arms flailed around him, trying desperately to reach for his arm. "Riley!" He protested as she nearly climbed on top of him and then he was out of the chair and she was chasing him around the kitchen, grabbing for his wrist which he kept cradled close to his chest.
"Come on, Danny." She grunted as she followed him around, the smile never leaving her face. "Just because I'm not 200 lbs anymore doesn't mean I still can't whoop you." She grinned and started to poke at his sides where she knew him to be especially ticklish. A few girlish peels of laughter escaped his lips as they continued in circles around the kitchen table until finally Riley had him cornered against the cabinets.
Seeing he was trapped, Danny lifted his arm high above his head, much to the dismay of the shorter blonde and she pouted up at him. His heart pounded against his chest, a combination of the stress of the tattoo itself, running around the kitchen whilst being tickled and now having the woman of his dreams pressed up against him, both panting heavily and pouting up at him.
"Danny…" She shook her head, her brow twitching in confusion. "What could be so bad about this that you don't want to show me? I have probably seen you in more embarrassing situations than your mother."
Danny swallowed thickly as he stared down at her. He was trying to hide it from her now but how could he possibly hide it from her for the rest of their lives? What was the point of trying to hide it – he couldn't wear long sleeved shirts for the rest of his life. He just feared her reaction, he supposed. He had worked so hard to make sure she never heard that voice mail and one drunken night that was supposed to keep him on the track to Amy, put him right back on the path to Riley.
Riley frowned, turning her head at the obvious discomfort on Danny's face and she backed away slowly. "If you really don't want to show me…"
Danny sighed quietly, mostly relieved to have the separation between their bodies again and ran his free hand through his hair. "It's just…I…told them the wrong name."
Riley's brow shot up and her lips twitched, obviously trying to hold back a smirk. "Oh…don't tell me it was 'Mom'."
"It wasn't 'Mom'." Danny offered a small smile in return, actually relieved that he hadn't done that and a smile crossed Riley's lips.
"Then whose name was it?"
Danny swallowed again as he looked down at her and his face scrunched up, closing his eyes as he slowly pulled down his sleeve, turning his wrist out to her.
A short gasp escaped her lips and he winced, popping one eye open to look at her to gauge her reaction.
She had taken another step backward, her eyes wide, her jaw slackened as she stared at her name written in ink on his reddened wrist.
He covered it back up after a long moment of silence and hid his arm behind his back, shuffling away from her with a nervous laugh.
"I know, crazy right? I must have been more drunk than I thought. How does anyone confuse Amy and Riley, even me?" He laughed again as he moved to the other side of the kitchen, trying to put as much space between them as possible.
Riley remained standing there for a few moments and then slowly turned to face him, her eyes still wide but there was another unreadable expression in her eyes.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the pair for possibly the first time in their entire friendship both unsure of what to say.
"Danny..." Finally she broke the silence, her voice thick.
"It doesn't mean anything." He insisted with a shrug a little too carelessly. "I was drunk...it happens...right?"
Riley blinked a few times and then let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Yeah - right...it happens...all the time."
She brushed her bangs away from her forehead and then wrapped her arm across her chest, offering a small laugh. "So - I guess you haven't really showed Amy then."
Danny scoffed. "Yeah, definitely not. She'd freak. I mean she already thinks I-" He cut himself off and his eyes widened. When would he ever learn to shut his mouth and not say the stupid thing?
Riley looked up at him with a slightly confused, curious and almost hopeful look in her eyes and Danny once again damned the butterflies in his stomach.
"You know because of the dancing and the couch thing, if she saw this, her mind would just - " he mimed an explosion over his head with a nervous chuckle. "- even though its nothing - just a tattoo. I mean come on, a tattoo on your wrist of a symbol as your eternal love for somebody what is this high school?"
That got a tiny smirk out of Riley and he barely caught it before she ducked her head, tightening the hold she had around herself.
"It's just - it's just..so..."
"I heard the voicemail." She said so suddenly it caused both of them to freeze and Riley held her breath as she looked up at him.
"The...huh-what?" Danny stuttered.
Riley sighed, dropping her arms to her sides. "Fitch fixed the phone and I was so curious so I listened and I heard everything." She lifted her shoulders sheepishly. "I know everything." She finished quietly.
Danny felt like he might actually spontaneously combust. Or was that him just wanting to spontaneously combust...he wasn't sure. All he knew was that Riley knew of his feelings for her...and she had known for months.
He wanted to run but his legs felt like jello and cement at the same time, glueing him to the ground. His heart felt like it'd beat right out of his chest. This is not what was supposed to happen. He was supposed to get over Riley without her ever knowing - or possibly not knowing until they were all 80 years old and could laugh about their stupid 20's and 30's.
Now he was not only stuck with the eternal reminder that he loved Riley on his right wrist but with Riley knowing why it was there.
This was going to change things - he knew it. He'd been able to be best friends with Riley and be in love with her at the same time for years. Her knowing he was in love with her was a completely different story.
This was bad, this was really, really bad.
"Danny?" He was pulled out of his thoughts by Riley's voice and he looked over and saw she was now standing only a few feet in front of him and he swallowed thickly. "...you alright?"
"Fine." He squeaked and then cleared his throat. "I'm fine, totally fine...just fine. I'm fine."
His eyes widened as she suddenly reached out to take his arm and slowly rolled up the sleeve, her eyes falling once again on her name on his wrist.
He sighed, dejectedly, turning his gaze away.
Then he froze again as he felt a feather light touch run across his wrist and he looked over to see her gently caressing her finger along the underside of her name and then unbelievably, a smile crossed her lips. Not just any smile - a smile that Danny had seen her give Ben when she knew he wasn't looking... a smile that he must have given Riley when she wasn't looking.
Then she slowly turned to look up at him and their eyes met and it was like a flame had been lit. Her smile widened and she leaned in, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head against his chest, closing her eyes as she snuggled against his warmth.
Danny stood there cluelessly, his arms immediately surrounding her out of sheer habit.
"What's happening?" He asked after a moment and she stifled a laugh as she tilted her head upward.
"You know...its funny...I'm not really sure but I think it could be good." She bit her lip as she pulled away from him and his brow furrowed as he followed her with his eyes.
"I was waiting...for something, anything, from you." Riley said with a light shrug and he turned his head curiously.
"You said that you had feelings for me but you also said that you wanted to get over me." She pressed her lips together as Danny's face fell but he said nothing.
"And then you started dating Amy and I thought you had but then...this." She glanced down at his wrist and then back up at him, smiling softly. "You're not over me...are you, Danny?"
Danny let out a breath, his stomach churning so much he thought he might throw up. "Not in the least." He finally admitted shyly.
There was no use lying to Riley. Firstly, she was his best friend and knew him better than anyone. Secondly, he was a terrible liar. Thirdly, she was a lawyer.
She stared at him for a long moment and then a shy smile crossed her lips and a light blush coated her cheeks as she looked away for a moment.
Now he was really confused.
"Riley?" He questioned hesitantly.
She hummed to herself and then reached out to take his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "I'm not sure what's happening right now, Danny. Maybe its something new - maybe its something that's been there for a long time...I don't know but its something I need to figure out." She looked up at him with a warm smile.
"I know that tattoo doesn't mean nothing to you." She said softly. "And...it doesn't mean nothing to me either." She let out a breath and gave a low shrug. "I know you're still with Amy and I wouldn't want to break up a good thing but who knows...maybe this is the sign we were both looking for."
She stretched out her fingers to once again brush against his tattoo and he gaped down at her. The look she was giving him right now made him fall in love with her all over again and has all his brain cells asking Amy Who?
They only broke apart with a sudden jump and gasp as the door came swinging open and in walked Ben and Tucker, Tucker still going on about Vanessa but they both paused at seeing the couple in the kitchen, shy and awkward expressions on their faces.
Riley cleared her throat, blushing quietly and casting one more look up at Danny. "I should uh-I should really be going." She grabbed her bag off the table and pretty much dashed out of the apartment, saying a quick goodbye to Ben, Tucker and Emma as she left.
Both men turned back to Danny, who looked like a cross between a deer in headlights, a lost puppy and a kid on Christmas morning.
Ben pointed over his shoulder to where Riley just left, his brow touching his hairline. "What was that?"
A smile slowly started to spread across Danny's face as he glanced down at his tattoo. "Possibly...something very good."