The seat was a little warn and torn, but it was pretty comfortable. After nearly getting hit by a car, Mac didn't think he'd end up riding shotgun and be offered a free meal by the driver. This Danny guy was being pretty nice to him. He must really feel guilty about what had just transpired a few moments ago. Apart from being nice, the young man had something about him. The brunette couldn't shake of the feeling of trust he had with the man sitting beside him, and that's something anyone can really say about a man who nearly kills you.
"So, where you from Mac?" the thick Staten Island voice asked breaking the peaceful silence of the car.
"I'm from Chicago." He replied like a marine: polite and direct.
"You don't say, Bears or White Socks?" sports is always a popular small talk topic, Danny thought. It was definitely better than the weather.
"Hmm… actually never really got into baseball too much." he answered honestly. "Didn't have time, but I played back in High School."
"Me to." the blue eyed man replied, his planned chat about the sport now useless. "How you liking New York so far?" he saved the conversation.
"It's been fine." He answered. "The city seems to be a decent place."
"Well we do aim to please." He said mockingly. "How long you've been here?"
"About two days, but it's my first day actually on shore." He replied.
"No kidding." He said. "So you lost or something?"
"Excuse me?" he said curiously.
"I mean you guys normally dock at New York or Manhattan right? How'd you got here to Staten Island?" he asked him.
"Subway." The green-eyed man lets out his subtle, dry humor. "I'm actually on my way to see someone."
"Family?" the driver asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
"You could say that." he answers cryptically, keeping the talk light.
There was another pause. Danny didn't really know how to follow that. He just thought that his new companion was shy. He certainly didn't seem to be a talker. He guessed that was attributed by the other mans' training. 'Speak only when spoken to.' The younger man decides to keep quiet until the other man felt comfortable enough to talk.
"How about you?" Mac said suddenly.
"What about me?" the New Yorker asked, thinking 'that was quick.'
"It just seems to be a little bit late to be driving around in this neighborhood." He explained.
"Well, actually." The younger man starts "I'm actually on my way back home from Jersey. I just crossed the bridge, before I almost 'bumped' into you. I just came from Giant Stadium."
"Giant Stadium?" the brunette asked dubiously. "Is there a late game I don't know about?" he joked.
The younger man chuckles dryly. He didn't know him well enough, but he knew a genuine laugh from a fake one. That definitely was the latter. But he felt that it wasn't to humor him, it was more like he was just trying to be polite. He may have just accidentally step on an eggshell.
"We're here!" The driver announces as he parks his black Lincoln.
"Where exactly is here?" the passenger asked looking out the window.
"We're are 'Carmine's'." he answered with a smile, a genuine one. "It's this little hole in the wall bar and pizza place open all hours of the night. I think you'd like it here."
"Pizza place?" Mac asked with one eyebrow quirked.
"Yeah. I thought you being from Chicago, a fellow city known for its pizza, it would be fitting and polite to bring you here. Let you have a taste of some of the best pizza I know and love." They get out of the car. "Plus, with your uniform, I'm sure old man Carmine'll give you a discount, or at least a free beer." The blonde added with a laugh.
They walked towards the establishment. It seemed normal enough. It had the regular painted window 'Carmine's' in big, cursive, red-white-green letters. The bell rang as Danny opened the door and let him in. The bar was across from them. There were tables and booths to there right. It all felt very… old New York: a candle lit on every table, red and white checkered tablecloths, and what seemed to be paintings from the old country. It was nice.
"Joey!" calling out with a smile.
"Danny!" the bartender replies just enthusiastically.
The few other patrons greeting the young blonde by name, with either a smile or a knowing nod. The older man couldn't help but be reminded of the show "Cheers": where everybody knows your name. They certainly knew Danny. He looked more closely and spots the guys' picture hanging on the wall. He seemed very well liked around here.
"Is old man Carmine still back there?" he asked the barkeeper.
"Yeah, kitchen still open." He answered "You hungry?"
"Yeah, a couple of beers and two slices with everything." He replied. Then turned to his new friend and asked "You want anything on your slice?"
"Nah," he answered "everything sounds good to me."
"Ok, two slices with everything, anything else?" Joey asks and waits for an answer, only being answered by a negative nod. "You know you can order just about anything Dan and pops'll give it to you free of charge." He says before disappearing into the back.
"No thank you. I like deserving only what I get." He answered.
"Please, he'd give you my sister if you'd ask him." he quipped.
"Again, I don't deserve her." he joked.
He turned to Mac and pointed towards the nearest empty booth, and slid in, one facing the other.
"You seem to be quite well known here." The older man said, taking off his hat.
"Yeah, but I don't deserve it." He replies humbly.
"Danilo!" an old, raspy voice with a thick Italian accent exclaimed.
There was this middle age man who emerged from the back room. He was short and stout, but not too fat with an apron around his waist. He walks towards them and the blue-eyed man instinctively stood up ready to greet the man with a friendly hug.
"It's been long." He added. "It's good to see you."
"You too Carmine." He says politely.
"You can call me papa by now. You like a son to me." He says. Then he notices the other man in the booth. "And you brought a friend, a marine? You trying to recruit our Danilo? You won't find anyone better. This good young man… he's hero."
The youngest of the three blushed and gave Mac a humble and friendly expression as if to say 'he exaggerates'. He chats with the older gentleman a bit, but he really couldn't make much of it out because they were talking in Italian. The thought hadn't occurred to Mac. Danny just didn't look like the stereotypical Italian with his blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Sorry about that." he apologizes as he re-entered the booth. "He said the pizza will be ready in a couple of minutes."
"What did he mean that you were a hero?" he asked him.
"You know Italian?" he asked back.
"Enough to understand he called you a hero" he explained "Why?"
"It was nothing, just something that happened a couple of years ago." He says. "I walked in here to get me a slice. Then walks in another guy with a gun. Then while he was busy getting the money, I got the gun away from him."
"Wow," he was impressed. This guy kept surprising him again and again.
"I'm sure it's not as heroic as anything you've done." He said. "I mean you're a freaking marine."
"Yeah but still. That was really good of you Danny." He genuinely complimented him. "You should be proud"
"Thanks." He replied, taken aback by the praise.
He didn't know why but there was something about the way the green-eyed man said that. It just felt important. It made him feel important. He wasn't always appreciated the way he always wanted to be, who is? But Mac did more to him for with that little comment than his family has in the last five years. This reminds him of what had happened earlier with his brother.
"They still seem very grateful for you." he says after seeing Danny's eyes sadden just a bit.
"One of the reasons why I like it here so much…" he said. "Great for an ego boost."
The brunette felt the young man's last comment was more serious than the joke he was trying to pass it off as. He felt compelled to ask but before he could Joey came bringing with him their beers.