Pursuit of Happiness
Category: Romance
Pairing: Detty
Summary: After Hilda's wedding, Daniel and Betty contemplate how well they know each other... leading Betty to suggest a different method to steer them away from any more disastrous relationships.
Disclaimer: own nudda :)
Daniel tosses a fifty over the bar, sliding the obnoxious, fruity concoction along to his left with a snort. The glass is adorned with a sugary rim, a parasol and some sort of foliage -extravagances he's sure he's paying extra for- and he takes the change from the bartender, shoving it into his pocket. Despite the cost it's worth every cent to see the slightly tipsy sparkle in Betty's eyes as she graciously thanks him for the drink.
After the wedding reception neither of them had felt like going home alone and now they're sat in some dingy pub, in unspoken commiseration of their failed relationships... but what should be a depressing atmosphere, isn't. The air between them is light with comfortable banter bouncing back and forth and the jovial conversation feels good, really good.
He used to think the definition of a successful night out entailed a romp between the sheets but he's having more fun now than he did in the entirety of his relationship with Trista. Maybe it's a little harsh but she really does have the personality of a wet dish cloth.
He's ashamed to admit he actually used to find the trait attractive in women. There was a time he didn't understand what 'inner beauty' meant and while old habits will die hard, he's grateful to have someone like Betty in his life. No matter how much she changes on the outside –a fact he's still coming to terms with - he'll always see her as more than just make-up and clothes. To him she's intelligent, grounded, independent and-
...'this' is where a serious problem is arising.
He's spent the day running off on tangents, fixating on how amazing she is... and as best friends, the law of the universe dictates that he tread very carefully if he's going to delve into those thoughts.
"Daniel...?"
Betty waves her hand across his face with piqued curiosity, "you ok, you zoned out there for a little bit?"
"Yeah, of course...just thinking-" he takes a swig of beer, hoping it will cool the light flush creeping over his cheeks. If she notices she doesn't say anything but her wide smile betrays a hint of amusement.
"That's twice in on day, going for a record?" She blows a giggle down her straw, drawing in the fruity taste. Even though it's quite sugary it's laden with alcohol, making her a little less candid as she eyes him teasingly.
He doesn't mind and even breathes out a low chuckle, "I'm never going to live this down am I?"
"You might-" her smile twists into a smirk, "...if you write to Oxford and get them to accept iregardless as a word in the dictionary."
Despite his wounded pride he lets out a laugh at the suggestion, trying to disguise the amusement under a sip of beer. Maybe he should be trying to defend the tryst but in all honestly he's just glad they can joke about it. It wasn't that long ago she was demanding they stay out of each others personal lives and he can't imagine a strictly professional relationship between them.
He's convinced it was just a heat of the moment argument but even still he wants to make sure she knows just how much he values their friendship. "About Trista..." he starts, sounding a little more serious, "thank you for being honest with me. I know I don't tend to listen a lot of the time but I really do value your opinion."
She swallows her drink, placing her hand to her chest with a smile. She's touched by the sincerity but feels a small wave of guilt rise up, wishing she had been more appreciative of his advice over Henry. Whatever he did -right or wrong- he had done it to protect her and she shouldn't have lashed out in the way she did.
"I was the one who didn't listen-" she admits, reaching her hand out to brush his arm, "and I'm sorry for what I said. You do have a right to pry, at least a little... I think we've both earned that privilege."
The apology spurs a wave of relief to rush through him and raises his bottle with a lopsided grin, "here's to... listening more, moving forwards... and no more crappy relationships."
"I'll drink to that."
She clinks her glass against his drink, bringing it back to her lips when an idea suddenly pops into her head. If taking each other's advice is going to be one of their new resolutions then why not have a bit a fun with it?
"We should totally find dates for each other!" She bounces excitedly, trying not to laugh when he nearly chokes on his beer at the suggestion.
It takes him a moment to regain his composure and when he finally does he coughs roughly to clear his throat, "I'm sorry, what?"
"I know you pretty well, you said it yourself... if we find dates for each other maybe we'll stop falling into the same traps." She tilts her head with a raised eyebrow, "makes sense doesn't it?"
On some weird level it does and he has to wonder if it isn't the alcohol lending a helping hand.
But that's not the only problem.
The thought of setting her up with another guy -even if he gets to pick who- goes against every instinct in his body. The reaction comes as a surprise and in his attempt to ignore the line of thought he hesitantly indulges the idea. "So let me get this straight, you want to pick someone in here and then what... I just go up and hit on her? That's crazy..."
"Scared?" She asks, egging him on with a playful smile.
"Of course not!" He protests, glancing around the room, "just a little skeptical about the range of choice."
After looking around herself she can see his point and decides to up the ante. "How about this then... we each get a week, to try and think of someone we already know and then next weekend we 'accidentally' all bump into each other out somewhere."
It still doesn't sit well with him but in his reluctance to delve into the reasons why, he decides to humor her. "Ok, it's a deal," he taps his bottle against her glass confirming the terms.
There's a pool of dread that knots in his stomach at the thought of setting her up with someone... but who knows, maybe it's not such a bad idea.
Dating someone outside his usual spectrum might help to clear up his confusion surrounding their relationship. Someone with similar characteristics could even be a distraction, urging him away from the inappropriate thoughts that keep surfacing. And if not...
He takes a long swig of beer drowning the thought.
If it doesn't work, he doesn't want to think about how totally screwed he's going to be.
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AN: This is actually a prequel to a story I've already written :P I just needed to establish a bit of an AU line where Betty doesn't go to London... so I'm going to try and keep it short ;)
Also, while I'm here... there's a new facebook campaign to try and gain support for an Ugly Betty movie. If you're keen then hop over and like the page, spread the word :D it can be found by searching for 'Ugly Betty The Movie: Kickstarter Campaign' :) xx