Title: Work Friends
Author: MelWil
Fandom: Spooks
Rating: PG
Spoilers: It's set around early Season 3. Please don't spoil past 5.5 in the comments.
Summary: There's something intimidating about Danny.
Author's Note: This is my 50th Spooks Story! Enjoy!

There was something about Danny that was terribly intimidating to Colin. Maybe it was the way he walked, with an easy sort of grace that was impossible to imitate. Or the way he was out there, in the field, taking the risks most people shied away from. Or the way Sam watched him whenever he walked through the pods.

Colin wished Sam would look at him like that. Most of the time Colin wished Sam would notice he was there.

Danny and Colin weren't friends, in the traditional sense of the words. Sure, they spent a lot of time together, but that was the nature of the job. They were work mates.

And yet, there they were, sitting opposite each other in a pub.

"So . . ." Colin looked at the half-full glass in front of him, and the traces of foam on the side. "How's it . . . going?"

Danny drained his beer. "Good. I suppose." He looked away from Colin, and Colin felt small, insignificant. Like the weedy kid at school trying to make friends with the cool kids by offering to do their homework.

"Right." Colin picked up his glass, letting the weight rest in his hand. "So, are you going out with Sam tonight?"

"What?" Danny's head whipped around to look at Colin. "No. No. I mean, I like her, but not like that, you know. Well not anymore. We're just friends. Work friends."

"Right." Colin nodded.

Danny leaned his head to one side. "You like her, don't you?"

Colin looked away, said nothing. He was no good at this sort of thing, the sharing of secrets.

"You should go for it. Ask her out." Danny pushed his glass away and stood up. "Thank for the drink, Colin."

As he walked away, Colin resisted the urge to call out after him. He wanted Danny to explain, to share his secrets, to let him in on the hidden knowledge. He wanted to understand how it felt to be wanted. He wanted to know how you go about asking out someone like Sam, someone who doesn't really notice that you're there.

He wanted to know how Danny made it look so easy.