Danny and Flack had tried to do the 'couple' thing before... several times actually. It never seemed to worked, though, and it was always for the same reason: Danny needed attention and Don didn't give it.
The first time they tried, it was the first time Don had been with a guy. Danny just figured that Don was shy, so he let it go. They broke up within a month.
The second time, Don was the one who (re-)initiated their 'relationship'. For about a week, everything was good... then work became more important than Danny and Don didn't even notice Danny had left him until a week after it happened.
It was an ongoing cycle for them for almost a year. Danny was ready to give up, he knew that there was always something that would break them up; Don, on the other hand, wasn't so quick to throw in the towel. He asked Danny for one more chance. If he screwed that up, they were over and things would go back to how they were when they were just friends (sexually frustrated and 'pining' for each other).
This time, Don felt, could be it. It was two months into the relationship and things were going smoothly... until Danny (not Don) started working double shifts... daily. Don understood that both their schedules were hectic but at least Don tried to make time for Danny. At that point, they hadn't seen each other for more than two minutes for almost a week, and that was starting to irk Don.
Don wanted to talk to Danny about this, he really did... but Danny came home after Don fell asleep and left before he woke up; or maybe he just didn't come home at all. Don didn't know; Danny was like a stranger lately. Anytime he confronted Danny, there was always an excuse ready to make sure they couldn't talk for more than a minute.
Maybe Don was a tad bit more bothered than just irked...
With all the free time on his hands, Don didn't have much to do but think... and thinking never leads to anything good.
He'd sit there and just mull over what had happened to bring this odd change in Danny and each time, he'd come to the same conclusion: Nothing.
He had done.. nothing... nothing wrong at all. Hell, he was basically the perfect boyfriend, if he could say so himself.
Then, of course, that would lead him to think of what else could possibly be making Danny so unlike the Danny he was in love with.
Another guy... or girl.
That was the only conclusion that made sense to Don, not to mention, it popped up a hell of a lot more times than just once or twice; that, of course, made it right.
In his mind, Don had been formulating a way to get to talk to Danny, because, hey, if he was getting cheated on, he had a right to know, y'know?
He'd thought about it for a couple of days and he had a general idea of what to say, how to say it, stuff like that... he was just lacking the guts to do it... but he was set on doing it... soon... not now... like it was happening... right now...
Danny wasn't supposed to be home yet was the first thought in Don's mind when he was interrupted from his previous thoughts of Danny when, speak of the devil, Danny walked in through the front door, rubbing his hands to warm them up from the cold autumn air.
"Don? What're ya still doing up?"
Don looked at him oddly, he tilted his head slightly and opened his mouth to speak, but shook his head and shrugged. "I.. don't know. What time is it?"
"It's past midnight, Donnie, are you all right?" Danny came over and checked Don's forehead, which angered Don... Danny was acting like nothing was wrong, like he hadn't been avoiding Don for over a week, like he actually cared.
Before he knew what he was doing, Don was standing and had a vice-like grip on Danny's wrist, caught in mid-air from moving to check Don's forehead.
"Uh, Don? That sorta hurts.." Danny said cautiously, looking around nervously. "Did I miss something?"
"How about two weeks of this," He gestured between himself and Danny, "Relationship?"
Danny smiled nervously at looked down. "Oh, that... uh yeah, I was gunna explain that.."
"Well, we have time now," Don let go and sat down on the couch, looking up at Danny expectingly as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Oh, come on, I haven't thought of an excuse yet," Danny joked, trying to lighten the mood of the room, but only earning a glare from Don. "Ooookay, not up for joking tonight."
Danny started pacing back and forth in front of the couch, wrenching his hat nervously. Don watched him with patient, but sharp, eyes.
"Well, uh, Don, y'know, this is like the 20 millionth time we've went out.."
"It's the third, Danny, the third.""Same difference..." Danny shrugged with a small smile, which made Don smile just a little bit.
"But uh, yeah, back on topic..." Danny sighed, "Well.. uh... I don't know where I'm going with this..." He chuckled and shook his head, falling down onto the couch.
"Let's start with, 'Don, I'm sorry, but I'm leaving you for insert name here'."
"Whaaaaaat?" Danny looked at his partner with the most confused expression he could muster. "You think I'm cheating on you...?"
"Well, it sorta seems like it, Dan, yer never home, ya never wanna talk to me, not to mention, I haven't been laid in almost 2 weeks!"
Danny had to snicker at the last part, "Well, ya got Lefty and Righty," He waved his hands, respectively, and smirked.
"Danny," Don glared at him.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry.."
"Mind explaining to me why you've taken on enough overtime for the rest of the team to take a whole month off?"
"It's not that much.."
"Explain anyway."
Danny sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "..I can't.."
"Why not?"
"If I tell ya that, I might as well tell ya why too," Danny muttered.
Don sighed and decided he wasn't going to get any straight answers out of Danny. "There's no one else?" He asked softly, looking over at Danny with big blue eyes, filled with insecurity and sadness.
"No," Danny shook his head and leaned over to kiss him. "Y'know I'd never do that to ya."
"Yeah," Don sighed and stood up, "Good night."
Danny watched him retreat to the bedroom, then pulled his cell phone out as soon as the door was closed.
"Mac..? Yeah, sorry, but.. I know it's late, Mac, listen, please? Uh, you know how I'm working overtime to get some days off... uh well, no, I'm not taking that back, let me finish..." Danny looked back to see if Don had come out or anything. "No, I was just gunna ask, if I could just finish the extra hours after the little break I wanna take. I know that's not the deal... but this is important... okay, okay, we'll talk tomorrow. Bye."
Danny took off his coat and left it on the couch before standing up and heading to the bedroom.
Hopefully, Don would forgive him when he found out just what he had planned.