Thanks for all the great reviews. I would never have continued the fic without them. I hope you enjoy the rest. D
It's been a while since they entered this little Italian place in downtown Staten Island. They've been drinking, eating and making small talk for quite some time now. It was all going pretty well, considering how this all came to be. He didn't know why exactly but he, oddly enough, felt very much at ease with this complete stranger. This just felt light and casual. He's been trained to anticipate the worst but tonight felt like a long deserved rest. It was comfortable. Mac hasn't felt this kind of comfort in a long time.
"Can I ask you something?" the New Yorker asked, staring at the marine sitting in front of him. "What kind of bootcamp training did your stomach go through?"
At first he raised an eyebrow to the question, then he realized he was in the middle of emptying the hot sauce bottle on his second slice of pizza.
"Oh, yes we were." He said. "It's really good." He added just before he took a big bite of the almost dripping with red-hot sauce pizza.
Danny only winced at the thought of what that could taste like. The other man just smiled with wide watery eyes, while the younger man just stared at him with an expression that begged the question 'how the hell could you eat that?' When he finally swallows, he takes a quick swig of his ice-cold beer and gave the other man a triumphant smile. The blonde tries to ignore his display of macho bravado, but it was fun seeing the guy opening up.
"Don't you like spicy food?" he asked him. "Can't handle it?"
"Hey, I can take it just fine, just not that much." he answers. "You can thank my brother for that."
"You have a brother?" Mac asked.
He bit his tongue as he was chewing his own bite, when he realized what he had just said. He mentally kicked himself for bringing it up.
"Hmm, yeah." He choked out. "I've got an older brother."
"Where is he now?" he asked.
"Most probably half way to Atlantic City by now." He answered dryly.
From the tone of his voice, the brunette assumed that that wouldn't be the best topic for conversation, so he didn't press any further.
"How about you." the New Yorker saved the chat. "You got any siblings?"
"No." he answered. "I'm an only child."
"Good for you." he says and raises his bottle in a mock toast.
"I wouldn't say that," the Chicago native said. "There were times where it got pretty lonely being alone. A brother or sister would have been great."
"Huh," he exhales loudly and with definite anger. "Just cause someone has a bigger family doesn't meant they don't get lonely, being lonely and being alone are two different things." He explained, but with less anger. It sounded more like disappointment.
He found himself in another sensitive situation. He didn't want to be in and tried to think of a way to ease it, but not really knowing how. He had to save this conversation.
"How'd you kill the loneliness?" he asked trying to be more positive.
"I wouldn't say I've killed it just yet, still trying to though," he was back to his joking self. "Baseball helped. I played in the minors, even planned on trying-out for the majors."
"Planned?" he asked emphasizing the '-ed'
"When that guy held this place up two years ago, he used my wrist to break a queue-stick over it. It got banged up pretty bad. I just can't throw like I used to." he explained with a disappointed sigh at he end.
'Why can't I make lighter chit-chat?' The marine mentally scolded himself.
"Anyway, lets stop talking about my sad life story." He again saves their talk. He takes a gulp of his beer. "Let's talk about you… How long you've been married?" he asked him out of nowhere.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not married." He answered with one eyebrow up almost asking 'why'd you think I'm married?'
"I'm sorry, I just assumed-" he said, pointing to the gold band around the older man's left ring finger.
"Well, not yet." He corrected "But I will be. When I get back to Chicago Claire and I are getting married. I'm just trying to get used to wearing it." he explained, affectionately touching the ring.
"Claire? That her name?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes, actually…" he said beginning to reach for his back pocket. He takes out his wallet and hands it over to Danny. He opens it. "That's her," the other man said being with pride pointing to the woman in the photograph taking up a side of the wallet.
She had long, curly brown-sugar hair with blonde streaks. Her eyes were greenish-blue. She had high cheekbones and red lips. Her light olive skin glowed and her smile made the picture even brighter.
"She's beautiful, Mac." He tells him with a smile. "Congratulations. You're a lucky man." He hands him his wallet back.
"Thanks." He said, putting his wallet back in his back pocket. "This'll be my last tour. The minute I come back we're getting married, buy a house, maybe start a family."
"Looks like you've got it all planned out." He said. "What'll you do after your tour?"
"Don't know where yet." He answered. "But I'll be a cop."
"A cop?" he said more as a question than a statement. "Oh."
"What do you mean by that?" he asked with a raised brow.
"Nothing," he answered with an apologetic smile. "It suits you. You look like a cop."
"I'll take that as a compliment." He quips.
"As you should." He added.
It was now 3:15 am. They've been in the bar for at least an hour. They've had a couple of beers in them, but they weren't drunk. Their stomachs were filled with some good hot food, in the marine's case red-hot food. All in all, both men were quite satisfied with tonight's events, except for the almost running over and getting killed part. They were exiting 'Carmine's' and found themselves on the sidewalk next to Danny's car.
"Thanks for that." he tells the younger man.
"No problem, so wee cool now? I mean you forgive me for what almost happened earlier?" he asked with hands up in surrender.
"We're good." He replies with an open hand towards him.
The blonde takes it and gives it a good shake. "So, you heading back on board?" he asked when he lets go.
"Actually, I still have to be somewhere." He answers.
"What? Now?" he exclaimed "Where?"