Love Never Goes Out of Style/CH 2
Betty caught her breath, and tried to pull her foot away from Daniel as she looked at Amanda, "I thought you gave me back my key, Amanda?"
She shrugged, "So I kept a spare copy." She turned to Daniel,
"What was with the sad face when I told you I wanted to date Tyler if you had your little burrito here giving you action on the side already, Daniel?
You had me feeling really bad for dumping you. I was going to give you one last fun time for the road, because I felt so sorry for you!"
Marc seemed to be greatly enjoying the drama. He pulled up a chair, resting his chin on his fist, grinning,
"So...how long have you and Chimi Changa herel been doing the deed, Daniel? Were you tickling both Betty and Amanda's fancy and…feet at the same time?"
"NO!" Betty exclaimed loudly, clamoring to sit up, but Daniel grabbed her foot again and gave her an imploring look of desperation to go along with him.
"None of your business! But as far as feeling sorry for me, Amanda, don't bother, please.
As you can see, I'm just fine. Betty and I have been a lot more than friends for a long time now. I just didn't want to hurt YOUR feelings. But, please, feel free to go play 'fun buddies' with Tyler all you want. Don't worry about me!
Make sure you leave the key this time and lock the door on your way out! We'll try to keep it down. Goodbye, Marc." He got up and picked Marc out of his chair, and dragged both of them towards the door.
Marc smiled, "Okay, lovahs, we'll let you two get back to playing footsie. Don't forget to use a condom!"
He took a rather annoyed and somewhat shocked Amanda with him, as she muttered, "He's seriously seeing Betty now? Betty? I thought you were joking when you called them lovers! Seriously, HER?! He was cheating on me all this time with HER?"
Marc shook his head, "Well, there's no accounting for taste with you crazy heteros, I suppose, is there? Besides, I told you he would always listen to her, and apparently always go running to her for…comfort!" He made a face of disgust at the image, "Come on, Mandy. Let's go finish getting drunk and gossip about these two at our place!"
The moment they were gone, Daniel went and made sure the deadbolt was on, then came and sat down next to Betty.
She was quiet for a moment, then took a deep breath and shoved him hard on the chest, knocking him onto the sofa as she got up and went to the kitchen to get some more coffee.
"OW! Betty! What the hell was that for? Why did you hit me? What happened to you telling me I was brilliant? Look, I'm sorry, okay?" And hugging me without your bra, he thought, smiling to himself.
But his smile quickly faded as he followed her into the kitchen and saw that she was clearly extremely upset with him for his little act.
She glared at him, angrily, "Daniel, I don't even know what to say to you right now! You do realize that you acting like we were...doing something is now going to be all over Mode when we go back to work Monday, right?"
He actually hadn't really thought too much about it either way, he hadn't thought that far ahead.
Betty apparently wasn't done reading him the riot act, however, "I'm glad you think it's funny to tarnish my reputation, but I really don't think..."
He interrupted her, "Betty, I'm really sorry. I guess I over-reacted at Amanda making me out to sound like some pathetic old loser that she had dumped like that for the newer, younger, hotter version! I know I shouldn't have done that, though. You're right. I didn't think how it would affect your reputation to be associated with me. I really am sorry. I'll uh...tell her and Marc Monday that I was just kidding, I promise. I'll fix this, Betty."
"Thanks, Daniel, but I doubt they'll believe you now, after you just acted like that."
He looked at her, "Well if it bothered you so much, why didn't you speak up while they were here?"
"I TRIED TO! Nobody was listening to me because you went along with them!"
He watched her getting redder by the minute and smiled, teasingly, "Calm down, Betty! Is it really such a terrible thing for people to think we're...you know, together? Hell, half the people at Mode already think we're…you know, doing stuff!"
She narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't remind me! But, no, I didn't say that, Daniel. I wasn't trying to insult you or anything. I can even understand why you didn't want to say anything to Amanda about..."
"How pathetic I actually am? That when she dumped me for Mr. Hottie, Tyler the wonder stud cowboy, I went out and got trashed, then came here, waking you up and bothering you?"
"Daniel...believe me, I understand how humiliating it can be. You're talking to the girl whose first boyfriend cheated on her, the second one got his ex-girlfriend pregnant, and whose last boyfriend ran off to Africa!"
Daniel laughed, stuffing his hands into his pockets, and looking down, "So...I guess maybe we're both sort of pathetic losers when it comes to our love life, huh?"
"NO! Well...maybe." She rolled her eyes and nodded, then laughed, "Sort of, I guess. Thanks, now I'm depressed."
"Sorry. I didn't mean to come here and screw things up, Betty. I guess...I just didn't know where else to go. You're my best friend. But I really didn't think I would be messing things up for you so much, too. I guess misery loves company. But I honestly didn't mean to do that to you. You know I would never consciously do anything to hurt you."
She shook her head, "I'll survive. I still think you should get some sleep now, Daniel."
He nodded, rubbing his eyes, "You might be right. I probably would have been thinking a little more clearly if I hadn't been up drinking all night."
"I've seen you a lot worse." She remembered picking him up from Union Square after the first round of humiliation-courtesy of Sofia Reyes.
"Thanks. That makes me feel so much better. I guess I really am a pathetic loser. I already know I have a sex addiction. And the woman therapist I went to for help..."
She smiled, trying not to laugh at his expense, "Isn't that the one you ended up sleeping with?"
He nodded, raising his hand, "Yep! Guilty as charged. That's just how depraved I am. She told me I was sick. I go to her for help and she tells me I'm incurable, basically. Oh, and not to mention the whole Petra thing.
What can I say, I'm a very screwed up guy, Betty. If it wasn't for you taking the time to give me your endless pep talks, your all judg-y butterfly looks, and of course your awesome, sweet, warm Betty hugs that cure every ill, I'd probably be dead on the side of the road somewhere by now.
You really did rescue me from myself. If I haven't said it before enough, thank you for...well, everything you've done over the years. For being my best friend."
She smiled, and pulled him down for one of said hugs, patting him on the back tenderly as she whispered into his ear, making him melt into her arms gratefully, "You're more than welcome, Daniel. I really do love being your friend. Okay, it's true, you may be a little screwed up sometimes, but you're still a really great guy."
She could tell he was trying not to get emotional. After holding onto her tightly for quite some time, he finally let her gently push away.
She looked up at him, touching the side of his face, "Not to sound like your mommy here, Daniel, but...I think you're exhausted, emotionally, and physically."
He grinned, teasingly, "Trying to put me to bed again? Okay, okay. I can take a hint. That's Betty code for I look like shit! I get it. I'll go to sleep now, I promise. Are you sure you don't mind me crashing here for a few hours?"
She shook her head, smiling widely, "Of course not. I have some research to do and some editing. I'm just going to take a shower and get dressed, then maybe I'll go pick us up some lunch later and bring it back if you're awake.
We can hang out for as long as you want. We haven't done that in a while. I miss us doing stuff together, like we used to all the time back when I was your assistant."
"Thanks. That sounds really good actually."
She nodded, watching as he went off to sleep in her bed, while she grabbed her bag from the office with work and her laptop. Once she closed the door quietly, she took a deep breath and spread out on the sofa, pulling out the work she had brought home to finish.
After a few hours, she started blinking more and more heavily herself, and before she knew it, she was dozing off, no doubt wearier than she realized from being roused so early by Daniel earlier.
She felt a light tap on her shoulder and looked up to see Daniel, dressed only in his boxers, standing over her, grinning salaciously.
She turned her head and put her hands over her eyes, "DANIEL! What are you doing out here…like that? Would you please go put some clothes on? I still have work to do. Why aren't you sleeping?"
He shook his head, "Betty, stop being such a nag. I can't sleep."
"Well go…take a hot shower or something. Just…put some clothes on, please."
"Do you want me to put on clothes or take a shower, Betty? Make up your mind. I think…I might need your help."
"In the shower? You know how to take a shower, Daniel. You don't need me."
He pulled her up to him swiftly, causing her to gasp at his tight hold around her waist, "Oh but you're wrong. I do need you, though, Betty. More importantly, I want you."
Her eyes went wide in shock, "WHAT?"
He put his arms around her waist and held her close, resting his forehead against hers for a second, and whispered, "You heard me. I want you. You're a smart girl. You could surely see how different things are between us lately."
She felt herself hyperventilating, "ME? No, you don't, Daniel. Not really. I'm not…you…you're only feeling lost and vulnerable right now. Like what you went through right after Molly died. You're just confused. I'm just your friend."
"Why can't we still be friends, but with benefits?"
"You mean, like you and Amanda? NO! Thanks, but no thanks! I'm not that kind of girl. I'm sorry, But…I can't be your crutch, your you know, rebound girl or whatever."
"I don't want you to be my 'rebound girl', either, Betty. I care about you way more than I ever did about Amanda. You know that. What you and I have is…special. I know you're nothing like any other girl I've ever met! And trust me, that's a good thing, honey!"
"Special? Honey?" She bit her lip, finding it extremely difficult to breathe.
He held her face in his hands, nodding, and smiling down at her, "Mm hmm…special. You're very special to me. You always have been, sweetie."
She swallowed, "I have? Sweetie?"
He leaned down to kiss her, and just as he got close enough for her to practically taste his lips, she closed her eyes.
"Betty? Are you okay? I had a nice little nap for a few hours, but then I heard you in here, talking to yourself." She opened her eyes again to see Daniel, fully clothed, standing over her, and looking at her, rather amused.