It was 2 am, a harsh buzzing in his ears pulled him out of a much needed sleep. Who the hell would be calling him at this time? Nothing good ever happens at this time of night. He groaned, snatching the phone off of his nightstand. Mindy. Of course.
Releasing a huge sigh he answered the phone. "What is it, Mindy?"
"Danny! First of all, rude. That's not how you're supposed to answer the phone, and second of all. I need your help, the 911 operator said she wouldn't send anybody for me, and if I called again I'd be charged with misuse of emergency services."
Danny dragged a hand down his face, trying to clear the sleep from his brain. Mindy sounded kind of panicked, and it had him on edge. "911? What are you talking about?"
"There's something in my apartment, and it's freaking me out."
He sat upright, fully awake. "Where are you?"
"In the hallway, the super wouldn't answer his door, and I'm afraid to go back alone."
He groaned, thinking he should just tell her to call 911 again, and go back to sleep, but he couldn't. "Go down to your lobby, I'll be right over."
Mindy stood in the lobby, fidgeting anxiously with the bathrobe belted at her waist. Danny had been the first person to pop into her mind when she'd picked up her phone. She tried to tell herself that it was just because she knew he would be at home, asleep, alone, just like the old man that he was, but there was also a small part of her that knew Danny was the kind of guy who would stand between a girl and an intruder, even a non-human one. He wouldn't take off in the other direction. She smiled at the thought.
"What are you grinning about? It's almost 3am and you're barefoot in your lobby because someone is in your apartment."
She whirled around, relief coursing through her limbs. Her eyes lit on Danny, finding comfort in the scowl spread across his sleepy features. He was still wearing his pajamas too, a soft cotton T-shirt and flannel bottoms incongruously matched with a pair of running shoes. Suddenly Mindy was glad that it was a muggy summer night, and Danny had forgone the usual jacket. She was disgusted by how good he looked with sleep mussed hair and the damn tee clung in some pretty flattering places. Ugh.
She was momentarily distracted by some decidedly unprofessional thoughts about her co-worker. Her eyes widened when she found herself mentally picturing what he might look like without the t-shirt altogether. She cleared her throat, searching for something else to think about.
Her gaze dropped to the baseball bat clutched in his right hand. "Oh my god, what the hell is that?"
He rolled his eyes. "It's a baseball bat, Mindy. I didn't exactly have any weapons lying around my place, and you said someone was in your apartment. I couldn't come empty handed. So, stop ogling me and let's get this over with."
She turned around and entered the elevator, gesturing for him to follow her. "Totally wasn't ogling you."
He snorted, arching an eyebrow in her direction as he subtly flexed his arms. "Please, I see the way you look at me in this t-shirt. It's a good thing we're not at work, we might have an HR issue on our hands."
He was clearly screwing with her, but Mindy didn't like how close too reality his words hit. Danny damn Castellano was one attractive guy. Thank god he was usually a jerk, or she'd be in real trouble.
"Alright, calm down, Italian Stallion. Rest assured, you're safe from the likes of me." She gestured to his weapon. "So, how exactly do you plan to corner this creature?"
"Creature?" He was incredulous. "You said someone was in your apartment. What are you talking about?"
"Uh, no, Castellano, I said someTHING was in my apartment. Something with wings that totally flew in my face when I opened the door."
The elevator doors slid open and Mindy strode out into the hall. "Come on, Danny. This thing isn't gonna whack itself."
He sighed, following close behind her. "I'm not gonna whack a BIRD, Mindy."
She stopped in front of her door, settling her hand on the knob. "It's not a bird. It's a giant bat, or something, and it's probably a vampire bat, and it probably has rabies. I DON'T WANT TO DIE."
"Alright! Stop being dramatic, jeez. You've been reading too many of those 'Dusk' books."
"What?"
"Those 'Dusk' books. The ones with all the sparkly vampires." He nodded, as if his statement should jog her memory. "With that Bob Patsy guy on the cover?"
"Robert Pattinson?" Mindy turned the doorknob and slowly entered her apartment, still talking to Danny as she cautiously looked back and forth. "There are so many things wrong with everything you just said." She flipped the light switch by the coat hooks. "First, it's 'Twilight' and second of all, they do NOT turn into bats." She shrugged, prepared to concede one point. "But, I guess, they do sparkle a little."
Danny laughed, in spite of himself. "Sorry I'm not up to date on my vampire lore. Now, where's this mysterious bat?"
He watched Mindy tiptoe around her living room, carefully picking up throw pillows and looking under them, jumping slightly at the slightest noise. He did a visual scan himself, not seeing anything, he was about to suggest she'd imagined it all when a bright flutter of color lit on one of the window panes.
Danny walked over to the giant moth, ignoring Mindy as she continued to search her apartment. He smirked to himself. "Mindy? Was this bat you saw unusually colorful?"
She stopped, looking in the direction of his voice, following the line of his sight. "Oh my god! It's a butterfly? I almost killed a butterfly?"
She rushed to Danny's side, still staying a little bit behind him in case the moth decided to take flight and attack her. "Poor thing, she must have flown in when I had the windows open earlier. I would never hurt a butterfly, they're like my spirit animal. Delicate, colorful, gracefully fluttering from place to place."
Danny snorted. "It's not a butterfly, it's a moth, specifically a Luna moth." Danny reached forward, and with surprising gentleness he lifted the moth off the window, careful not to touch the wings.
The moth crawled along his finger. Mindy, completely absorbed in observing the creature, leaned forward, placing her hand on Danny's shoulder to steady herself. She whispered in awe, "It's so pretty, Danny. Don't kill it."
Her breath along the column of his throat sent shivers up his spine, and a fuzzy warmth settled in his stomach. "I'm not gonna kill it, Jesus Mindy." He reluctantly retreated from her touch, moving to the window. "Open that window, we'll let it go."
Following his instructions she released the latch and pushed up the sash. He leaned out, sticking his hand through the opening, and just like that it was gone.
Danny pulled the sash back down, clicking the lock back into place. Turning to Mindy he rested his hands on his hips, clearly about to launch into a lecture of some sort. Outmaneuvering him, she placed a hand on his forearm. "Thanks, Danny. I really appreciate you."
The wind totally taken from his sails, Danny was silent as she walked him to her door. He couldn't define the feeling encompassing him. Sure, there was still a part of him that was annoyed with being dragged from his bed at such a ridiculous hour, for something so silly, but he suddenly didn't mind all that much. She looked so happy, a tired smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, reflected in her eyes. Maybe there was something to this idea of friendship that she kept pestering him about.
He finally found his voice again. "Yeah, sure, but I mean, next time call your boyfriend or something."
She grunted her displeasure. "Yeah, sure. I'm sure he would be a lot less grumpy about it."
His eyebrows shot up. "You're dating someone? Why did you call me?"
She rolled her eyes. "My HYPOTHETICAL boyfriend would be a lot less grumpy."
He relaxed a little, wondering at the fleeting feeling of jealousy that had just sprang from nowhere. "Hmm, sure. It's a good thing I'm not your boyfriend."
Mindy shook her head in annoyance. "Yeah, Danny, a good thing. Go hoome and get some sleep." She paused before pushing the door completely shut. "I really am grateful you came though. Good night."
The door shut, and he was left standing in her hallway alone, completely confused. He slowly walked to her elevator, surely looking like a lunatic in his pajamas, baseball bat in hand. Just before the elevator doors shut, he looked one last time at her door. "Anytime, Min."