The moment Danny sees Henley crossing that street, he knows that today's not going to be a good day.
He fumbles around, tries to take control of the situation and make the best of a bad time in the only way he knows how, but somehow it all turns to arguments (he's no good with social situations) and the guy Merritt isn't helping to diffuse it any.
He lashes out at both of them, knowing that everything today has pretty much gone to hell and has done so since the moment he received that card.
"So that's why you two are no longer a couple," Merritt says, as though he knows everything and Danny and Henley both start denying it vehemently.
Danny will be the first to admit that he has somewhat of a reputation with the ladies (everybody labels him: control freak, playboy, asshole) but there was never anything other than friendship between the two of them- and even that could be considered sketchy. Besides, he doesn't really care about the gender, he goes for beauty and unfortunately, neither of the two people he's sharing breathing space with have any kind of beauty that attracts him.
They really are ganging up on him by this point (he wants to scream at them to leave him alone, so he's not great with social situations. He's trying here!) and he struggles to hide the hurt that he's being judged again by a total stranger and one of his former best friends.
"That's a really nice story. Hope you guys enjoy each other's company," he bites off and turns to leave, card or no card. He doesn't need to put up with this kind of thing.
"J. Daniel Atlas?" a rich voice comes from the stairs, and Danny stops, blinking a little more than normal and looks up at the guy who's addressing him.
Well, he says that he looks up. Really, he's looking down. Semantics.
He's tempted to take a page out of Merritt's book for a moment though, ('second observation, you are beautiful) and he can't help the involuntary checking out of this man's body.
The new person has a rounded face, a strong jaw set off by a lopsided grin that sets something curling inside Danny's stomach, and chocolate brown eyes that sparkle up at him. The eyes are covered by firm, defined brows that angle across the face, leading to a neat hair line with the sort of mussed up hairstyle that Danny really goes for (sure, long hair's nice and all, but this is his definition of beauty) and a lithe body with a great sense of style.
Danny hopes to hell that this guy is part of their little group, that he goes for men and that he's currently available. Oh, and that he doesn't mind Danny's attitude.
"I idolise you. Seriously," the gorgeous man continues, and Danny realises with a slight sensation of panic that it's his turn to say something in this conversation but he doesn't want to mess this up- first impressions last, everybody knows that, and he really wants to make a good impression with this guy since there's always a difference between following someone and meeting them.
"It's so nice to meet you," he ends up with, still more than slightly distracted than he'd like to admit, but it seems that the words don't matter too much because this ideal specimen is grinning at him still, the smile widening rather than collapsing as so many others seem to when in contact with him.
"I'm Jack," he introduces himself and Danny just knows that Jack fits his name perfectly. Bold, strong, short and Jack is most definitely a man, judging by his quick check of proportions.
When Jack starts to open the door, Danny is definitely not discreetly eyeing up his ass in those tight trousers.
Suddenly, Danny starts to feel like he might just be able to survive whatever the cards mean, as long as it means that he and Jack are staying together for a bit longer yet.
Danny sighs and puts his head in his hands, eyes open and staring at the floor.
He had hurt Henley.
He honestly hadn't meant to; the words kept spilling out of his mouth and everything was just so goddamn loud and he wanted it all to stop and nothing was stopping and he had to change the situation somehow and-
She's upset, furious at him and also not wearing the tracking bracelet. He hates it when they take off the tracking bracelet.
"What did you do that for?" Merritt storms in, asking Danny as though he has any more idea what the hell he's doing than Merritt does, and Danny sighs, sitting up and facing Merritt.
"Where is she?" he asks, short and clipped. Danny needs to go find her and apologise, since the others were never going to understand why he did what he did.
Henley, if the situation was explained properly, might forgive him and then they could all go back to being normal.
"What, are you not tracking her on these dumb bracelets you made us all wear? You are such a control freak!" Merritt spits out, waving his own in Danny's face.
"She's taken hers off," he explains, drumming a foot frantically against the floor as the urge to move around and find her, get her to put the bracelet back on, hits him.
"Oh, so you aren't worried about her as a person?"
"No, she just needs to put her bracelet back on too," Danny insists, feeling the rush of adrenaline flood his arm and his hand trembles as he messes up his hair quickly.
"Let me tell you something, and I want you to listen very, very closely," Merritt begins, focusing on Danny and Danny alone until the pressure of that gaze makes him feel trapped like prey, unable to escape.
"No, I don't have time for this. Where is she?" Danny asks again, refusing to look at Merritt.
"I'm not telling you. You need to learn that there are other people in this world my friend, people who actually care and-"
"That was not cool man," Jack interrupts, walking into the room and settling his disapproving gaze on Danny, who swallows once helplessly and realises that even Jack has turned on him, and the dullness of that emotion in his crush's bright brown eyes destroys him (it's funny how only Jack has that ability).
He can't face Jack the way that he can go against Merritt and Henley. Jack is different; too believing and listens to him, and now even Jack doesn't see that he is trying to fix this situation.
"Thank you Jack. I'm glad to see that we finally agree on something," Merritt grins, always joking around.
Danny shudders violently, and backs away towards his door, mouth opening and closing helplessly as he watches Jack looking back at Merritt and knows that not only has he killed one friendship with Henley, he's also smashed up the possibility of a relationship between the two of them one day.
He smiles a weak little façade of his normal smile and dimmer than the one that he usually pulls out in these situations and turns to the door, opening it hurriedly and feeling the gazes of other two settle onto his back. Danny blinks somewhat frantically, erratically fluttering his eyelids up and down and yet his eyes are still wet as he faces the door.
Merritt starts walking forwards confidently and Danny doesn't wait for the last word this time.
He scarpers through it, slamming it shut behind him and trying to lock it, but his hands shudder too violently to get the lock in place, so he slides down with his back to the door and hopes that Merritt thinks that it is locked.
"Coward," the man mutters from outside and Danny returns to his former position with his head in his hands.
"Oh, and Danny? Here's our trackers," he adds spitefully, the bracelets clunking down just outside the door and the footsteps peter away.
Danny's eyes widen in alarm, and he focuses hard on keeping his breath even whilst he picks up his phone, desperately scrolling through the apps until he reaches the one he wants and finally losing control of his breathing as he realises that all of the bracelets are indeed convened in this section here.
He can't keep an eye on the others anymore.
Danny laughs once, a little hysterical and a little bit broken at that, and wonders how everything went so wrong in one evening.
The laughter bubbles up again and he uses one of his hands to cover his mouth and presses it hard against his face, trying to hold himself together, and when that doesn't work, the other hand joins it and he squeezes his eyelids closed tightly in despair.
Despite all of his best efforts, a drop of moisture leaks out from the side of one of his eyes and then they are suddenly pouring down his face in streams and it's all he can do to hold the sobs in.
Danny laughs through his tears as well but the smile is a self deprecating one and his breath hitches and catches in his throat, a startling loud sob spilling out and he stops crying in shock at the noise, wondering if anybody heard him, then remembering that there's nobody there anymore.
"They've all gone," he mutters to himself, finding it harder to grin and he bites at his finger with all the strength he can find, channelling the stupid emotions into pain and realising that it feels much better in that form.
He does it again, but his teeth break the skin and it's suddenly bleeding a little but Danny doesn't much care.
The tears have stopped now, but the sniffs follow and he can't help but let out an accidental whimper as he scrubs at his face hard with his hands, possibly smearing blood across his skin but not too bothered about that, or anything for that matter.
Danny stares sadly at the floor and realises that he really is all alone.
He stands up slowly, carefully levering his body off the floor and walking over to his bed to collapse face first onto it.
His brow furrows together and he shakes slightly, then pulls his duvet over him (shoes and all which will really annoy him later but he has other things on his mind right now) and stares dully at the ceiling.
"Hey Danny, it's Jack, I was wondering if I could come in-" suddenly the door handle turns and Jack stumbles in, looking surprised at the lack of a lock and there really is nobody Danny would normally rather see, but he's not quite over Jack's attitude earlier yet.
"Out," he orders, his voice strangely hoarse and there's a look of surprise in Jack's big brown eyes as he takes in the pathetic sight that Danny's sure he makes- the light streams in from the doorway and illuminates him from where he was happy in the dark- and the younger takes a hesitant step in.
"Danny, I-" he starts, but Danny's had enough of heartbreak for one day.
"Out," Danny whispers this time and ends up sounding more serious than Jack's ever heard him. Jack sighs once and nods, stepping out of the door and closing it slowly behind him.
"Tell Henley I'm sorry," Danny calls out quietly as Jack closes the door, and the man stops suddenly, and then walks back inside the room and closes the door behind them.
They're both in the dark now, together, and Danny's breathing hitches slightly again.
"She's not back yet," Jack replies with slight hesitancy and Danny scowls furiously, a muscle in his jaw working as he realises that she's not wearing her tracker either.
"Damn it," he hisses, clenching a fist and Jack responds to the non-question quietly.
"I don't think she'd have run off if you didn't make us wear the bracelets," he offers and Danny scoffs.
"You need to wear them. They keep everyone safe," he insists.
Jack walks a little closer, and his eyes are completely devoid of their ever present humour. "Danny, if you hadn't made us wear them, then this argument might not have happened," he tells Danny.
He stiffens silently. "You don't understand. You need to wear them,"
"Then make me understand! Why do we need to wear them?" Jack tells him, but there's no real answer other than the only one Danny can give to himself and the others every time they ask.
"You- You need to wear it so I can know where you are!" Danny shouts, cursing the way that his breathing starts to quicken at the argument.
"Danny, you don't always need to know where we are!" Jack gives as good as he gets, and they really are both shouting by now. "This is why you are a control freak!" he finally yells, and immediately knows that he's crossed a line when Danny freezes, then rolls over so that he's facing away from Jack.
Danny, for his side, can't believe that this is Jack standing there. Jack has never once called Danny that, it was an unspoken agreement that those words were never brought up (he sort of instinctively knew that they had the power to break Danny) but now he's said them and everything from before counts for nought.
"Shit Danny, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he fumbles for words but Danny doesn't have the effort to continue this conversation.
"Go away," he mumbles, and the tears start flowing again and dripping solemnly onto his pillow.
"No, I mean it Danny, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that- oh," Jack walks up to the bed and realises that Danny's shoulders are shaking without a word. Danny tries to stop, but Jack's words echo through his mind again along with the moment of realisation that it really was Jack who had said them and-
"It's okay," Jack whispers and puts out an awkward hand, resting it on his back and feeling it shiver up and down.
He hesitates momentarily, then clambers into the bed beside Danny, who feels the extra heat from behind him and freezes, unable to believe that Jack has not only forgiven him for earlier, but is also nice enough to help him out.
Plus, there's the whole part of him that is slightly freaking out over Jack's proximity. He's ignoring that part.
"It's all going to be fine," Jack comforts, and Danny rolls over towards him, latching onto the soft material of his shirt and burying his ace into it, enjoying the way that it smells like Jack even as he can't get his emotions back to normal.
Jack strokes Danny's hair as he sobs into Jack's chest and hugs him tightly. Danny feels the warm tingle under his skin where Jack touched him for days afterwards, and he eventually falls asleep in Jack's arms, but when he wakes up, the man is gone.
Henley returns the next day and Danny apologises sincerely, stuttering over the words but Henley understands him, even with the way he keeps rubbing at his red eyes and fidgeting whenever he looks at Jack.
She smiles at Danny, who smiles gratefully back (if a little awkwardly) and they are all back to being friends again, even if Danny can't forget the way that Jack is not only gorgeous and funny, but also a little thoughtless and sensitive. He doesn't quite know what to make of it all, but he wouldn't give up the sensitive side of Jack that he got to see, even though the circumstances could have been better.
"Why hello there," Jack grins up through his long eyelashes at the waitress who's serving them. Danny stares, captivated by his charm and then mentally shakes his head with a frown.
"What would you like?" the waitress asks, her eyes solely focussed on Jack even though the question seems to be directed at all of them. Jack is more than happy to be her centre of attention and he winks slowly at her, Danny watching in vague disgust as she blushes.
Jack seems pleased with it, but Danny puts his hand flat on the table, and looks up at the waitress in a manner that conveys business and business only.
"We'd like water for four please, and the usual order, along with a bit of privacy please," he snarls and Henley looks at him aghast.
"Of course sir," the waitress mutters, abashed or just annoyed (he finds it hard to tell) and skitters off back to the kitchen.
"Danny! You can't do that!" Henley hisses and Merritt stares straight at him with that knowing expression and he gives them both a wide eyed look of unknowing, as though he had no idea what he'd just done.
"Do what? Order us food? Or ask her to give us some privacy?" Danny answers, directly challenging his former assistant with the question, and Henley growls, just about ready to respond with a biting statement that Danny would be unable to refute fully, and so would make a cutting comment about something from the past that Henley was sensitive about and then Henley would get even more annoyed and storm off, leaving his to deal with the awkward judgements of the others.
"Guys, just leave it," Jack interrupts, sounding tired, and Danny turns to him somewhat apologetically. He's not sorry for getting the girl off of the other, but he is sorry that Jack might have taken his words as anything but the simple dismissal they were meant to be.
He opens his mouth to say something as close to the truth as he gets, but Merritt cuts in first.
"Yeah, we're sorry Jack that Danny is just an uptight asshole," the eldest of the group mocks, and Danny shakes his head slowly, a small almost disbelieving smile curling at his mouth.
"I just want a bit of privacy! We have things to be doing here!" he bats back, but Merritt doesn't answer and Henley has dropped the topic in favour of allowing Jack to fight his own battles, so when the boy lifts his head and stares at Danny, he just knows that this isn't going to end well.
"Oh, I didn't realise that there were such pressing issues," he comments, glaring at Danny who rolls his eyes.
"You know what? I was just trying to-" he begins, then his brain catches up with his mouth and he abruptly shuts up, leaving the rest of the horsemen staring at him in curiosity, and Merritt with a little bit of comprehension.
"Just trying to what, Danny?" Jack demands. "Just trying to kill any fun that we might be having? Just trying to keep me from making friends or something more with anyone from outside our little group?" he hisses and Danny blinks, recoiling from the words in an unusually slow fashion.
"No, I-" he doesn't have the words to say it, so he swallows and looks up at Jack (the man has stood up, and it's strange feeling to be looking up at him now. He can't help but notice how beautiful Jack's eyes are when they flash at him, the anger lending a different sort of character to them but he prefers the humorous one).
"Thanks a lot," Jack hisses and marches off, away from the group and Danny but at least the horseman wouldn't take off his bracelet; having been around for the fallout of the last one.
"Want to explain?" Merritt asks, raising an eyebrow as Jack fades into the distance.
"No, I really don't," Danny scowls and marches off in the opposite direction, back to the flat. One of these days, maybe he'll be able to tell Jack exactly what he meant by all of this.
"Damn it," Danny mumbles as he drops the cards, sucking one end of his thumb angrily as a small cut starts to well up drops of blood, criss-crossing neatly with a couple of other cuts that he's already managed to receive today.
He crouches with a sigh, not bothering to complain anymore since there's no one else around to complain to and just getting on with the task of picking up the cards and stacking them onto the table. He stands up again slowly and thumbs the edge of the cards thoughtfully, preparing to try again.
"Oh, are you doing magic tricks?" Jack asks eagerly, and Danny looks up from the deck, a little startled.
He gives a small grin as he sees the other, and his eyes flicker up to meet the younger one's for a brief moment, then they return to what he was doing before Jack approached.
"No, not really. You see it's uh- it's uh-I got nothing," Danny starts and gives up part way through, knowing that he can't really tell Jack that he was attempting to learn how to manipulate the cards like the younger man can do but unable to come up with a decent excuse in time.
"It's fine, I get you," Jack grins lopsidedly, tongue lurking between his teeth and Danny is distracted by the little lick it gives to the full bottom lip, then drags his attention back up to Jack's eyes. That really isn't helping much.
"Hey, did you want me to show you how to do this?" the man easily picks a card off the top of the deck, flicking it carelessly across the room and turning to Danny triumphantly as the card sticks out from the pinboard hung up next to the window.
"Oh, no it's fine. That's- that's too easy," he grins nervously, knowing that he can't match Jack's easy charm and grace off of the stage (Danny likes the spotlight when he knows what he's doing, and he hates being caught off guard. This definitely qualifies as off guard).
"Oh, okay then," Jack responds, boyish grin faded and he seems a little sad that he can't teach Danny the trick, and Danny sighs and curses himself for becoming so soft, then reaching out to Jack and asks him earnestly.
"Maybe you could show me how to do it once?" he looks away, hating asking for assistance of any sort, but unable to bear seeing Jack at all sad.
"Cool!" the man (not that much more than a boy really) lights up and grabs another card, focusing on it intently and then flipping it over in his usual flippant manner and presenting Danny with a second card from between his fingers that magically appeared there. Danny takes it confidently, pulling it away between his middle and index finger with a short smile to Jack and the other looks up from beneath his lashes and just smiles in the exuberant way that only Jack Wilder can pull off.
Danny swallows nervously, Adam's apple bobbing up and down once, and wonders if Jack realises just what all of his actions do to him.
"So you hold the card likes this," Jack starts and Danny watches his nimble hands flicker around the card and tries to copy him, unsuccessfully.
"Like this?" he asks, wanting to get his head around the trick but his forte is with the sleight of hand and misdirection, not with the angling of the cards.
"No, more like- this," Jack demonstrates, then reaches over and lightly places Danny's hands into the right position, his cool skin burning wherever his hand touches the magician and Danny freezes in place at the feel of it.
"-did you catch that?" Jack finished, and Danny snaps back into reality, hastily nodding and agreeing to whatever Jack just said.
"Try it," the younger invites, using that lopsided grin again, and Danny throws the card exactly like the last few times, cutting his thumb once more and the small rectangle flutters slowly to the ground.
"Ouch," he winces, shaking his hand in irritation but Jack grabs it quickly, stopping him from accidently flailing into the wall.
"Woah, woah, woah, are you alright?" Jack asks quickly, wide eyed worry on his face, and Danny doesn't remember the pain when Jack's looking like that.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he mutters distractedly, caught in place as he gazes at the look of concern on the boy's face, concern for him.
Nobody's ever concerned for him.
"Are you sure? It's still bleeding, should I get a plaster?" the magician freaks and Danny grows bolder, laying his other hand on Jack's frantic ones.
"I'm fine," Danny smiles softly, Jack unable to think of a reply. They are standing very close together by this point, and Danny can feel Jack's breath on his neck, seeing as the man is shorter than him, and he shivers a little in pleasure, looking straight into Jack's eyes.
"Jack, I-" he starts, then the sound of someone approaching startles the both of them and they leap for the two couches, each one settling on one respectively and pretending that nothing's happened.
Henley walks into the room, takes one look at the two of them and grins.
"I hope I'm not interrupting?" the orange haired woman asks, settling down into the couch next to Danny and grinning at the two of them.
"No, no, not at all," Danny responds just as Jack replies with "No, we were just-"
They both stop and look at each other, then turn their attention back to Henley.
"Oh, come on guys," Henley yawns, flinging an arm dramatically into the air and not so accidently hitting Danny in the face with it.
"Thank you. Thank you, that was very- nice," Danny glares at her, doing his own version of pissed off, a particular style of it that the man has perfected over the years, and Henley smiles angelically at him, carefully picking one delicate foot up and placing it carefully on his lap, followed by the next.
Her shoes are still on, and Danny just looks at her this time, trying to convey his utter disgust at this. He looks up at Jack, who has a small grin on his face that he can't help but soften at, but the smile vanishes as soon as Jack notices Danny watching him, and the older man spends a moment feeling crestfallen, then quickly tucks it back under his stoic façade.
"Get. A. Room," Henley enunciates at them, having followed the exchange, and Danny bows his head for a second.
"You know what? We had one. We had a very- nice- room, peaceful, and then you came in and ruined it- go, just get out," Danny tells his former assistant who shrugs at him smarmily and he snaps.
"Just go," he repeats, shoving the feet off his lap whilst he's at it.
Henley tumbles gracefully off of his lap, rolling her eyes at him as she meanders off into some other part of the apartment, leaving him and Jack alone in the room again.
He smiles a little (but only the twitch of his lips) but the moment's gone and not coming back.
Merritt drags them all to a club, but Danny can't stand the loud noises and needs to get out again as soon as they get in.
"You alright?" Jack checks, his handsome face pressed pretty close to Danny in the crowd, and he hands over a small cocktail that he must have bought from somewhere, which Danny takes gratefully and downs in one go, if only to dull his ears a bit and help him survive.
"I'm leaving," Danny notifies his friend, who smiles his favourite lopsided grin and puts down the empty drinks and attempting to usher the two of them outside.
They finally escape the noise of the club and vanish around the back, laughing a little drunkenly but still sober enough to control most of their actions.
"No, seriously man. Your tricks are awesome," Jack grins, shaking his head and leaning forwards, then stumbling a little into Danny's chest.
Danny catches him automatically, steadying him against his body and Jack looks at Danny.
"Jack," Danny whispers, locking eyes with the younger man who is standing only a few inches away, his breath once again tingling across Danny's neck and causing goose bumps to arise, a small prickling of desire flooding through his body.
"Danny," Jack responds in a low tone, and Danny almost outright moans at that. It's not fair that Jack should have the brains, talent, looks and then sound like that as well.
"I-" he begins and then decides that's a lost cause.
He leans forwards (and down a little) and smashes his lips into Jack's, both of them moaning at the sudden contact.
Jack has soft lips, soft lips that remind him of a girl's until Danny looks full on at Jack's face and notices all of the finely chiselled features and firm jaw and stern eyebrows and can see in so many ways how his crush isn't a girl at all.
In contrast, Danny's lips are rough as they rub against Jack and then Jack's mouth is warm and moist when Danny licks it, feeling his way around it and grinning as Jack struggles to get closer to him. Danny kisses him firmly one last time and breaks away, a small string of saliva dangling down from his mouth.
"Wow," Jack whispers and Danny starts to panic subtly.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done- I'm just gonna- I'll be-" he mumbles out a string of excuses, jumbled up as much as his brain is after that.
"Want to continue this back at the flat?" Jack offers cheekily, Danny's head snapping up to see if he was serious.
"Hell yes," he breathes out, and grabs Jack's arm and pulls them down the few blocks they have until their flat (the other two won't even notice that they're gone for a few hours still) and they open the door quickly and stand together, unsure of what they should do next despite the fact that neither of them are virgins and both are rather experienced at this whole thing- when it came to girls.
"Jack, I-" he repeats, but this time Jack takes control.
"I know Danny. And I also want you to know that this is entirely my choice," Jack tells him and then suddenly Jack is kissing Danny, having to pull his head down a little to reach his lips, but definitely in control.
"Jack," he moans, hot pricks of desire rushing downwards as Jack's fingers rove slowly, carefully down his chest and trace small circles back up on his collarbone, kissing him passionately all the while.
Jack breaks away from the kiss and Danny has a moment to feel rejected before his arm is grabbed firmly and Jack marches him over to his bedroom, yanking Danny inside and shoving him hard against the closed door to continue kissing him.
They don't stop until Merritt and Henley arrive at the door, and even then it's not exactly a voluntary action (Jack falls asleep in Danny's arms, and for once Danny doesn't have to pull away and pretend that this isn't what he wants).
Everything is coming to a climax the day that Danny realises that there's only one thing he wants to do with his life that he hasn't done yet (and it's not anything to do with the eye for once, although it might possibly be magic).
He decides to propose the day before the start of the end, but the timing never works out and Jack's gone before he knows it (it's all part of the Plan, but Danny just wants Jack next to him, and he can only watch a small screen following an even smaller dot to reassure himself that Jack's still there, even if he's not right here).
When it all ends, he gets his act together and buys the ring, strong and engraved with different suits of cards, red and black and stylish and he sets up a surprise date for Jack in the apartment that they all first met at, and waits for him there.
Merritt and Henley arrive there first.
Merritt tells him that Jack doesn't want to wait around any longer and has taken off.
Danny clears up the room (his room, at least they didn't see the remains of his life) and sits still on his chair, wondering what the hell he can do with himself from here on out.
The only thing left now is the Eye, so he satisfies himself with that, and waits for Jack to come home.
He keeps the ring.