Am I more than you bargained for yet
I've been dying to tell you anything you want to hear
Cause that's just who I am this week
Lie in the grass, next to the mausoleum
I'm just a notch in your bedpost
But you're just a line in a song
Drop a heart, break a name
We're always sleeping in, and sleeping for the wrong team
We're going down, down in an earlier round
And Sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your number one with a bullet
A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it

-Fall Out Boy; Sugar, We're Going Down

Daphne yawned as she entered her office the next morning. It was still very early and the woman was aware that, save for the janitors, she was most likely the only person in the building. She hadn't seen Mike working on the gardens, and for some reason she became slightly worried.

She tossed her purse onto a nearby guest chair, and flopped down behind her desk. Folding her arms on the table, Daphne yawned widely and rested her chin on them, shutting her eyes to catch a few missed winks of sleep.

Soft creaks from ahead of her interrupted her light slumber a moment later. Daphne opened one eye lazily, letting out a tired grunt in response to her distaste of having been awakened.

"I see that you're still recovering from last night?" came a deep, rolling Irish brogue. Daphne feigned a tiny smile and sat up straight.

"G'morning, Mike," she replied, yawning again.

Mike pulled up a chair and sat down across from her. "I guess I'm right?"

Daphne nodded and cleared her throat.

"I admit, I'm a little drowsy myself," he replied, allowing a hint of tiredness to creep into his voice for a moment. He quickly brought his expression back up to a smile, and he reached into his jacket.

Daphne blinked, watching him intently. As she did so, Mike's hand removed itself from the jacket to reveal a blooming daffodil. He held the yellow blossom to Daphne, who gingerly accepted his gift. She held it to her nose and inhaled the scent.

"That was sweet of you, Mike. Thank you, I really appreciate it." She placed the comical flower into a glass of water she had left on her desk the previous night.

"You're welcome. I thought you'd like to see how the new spring flowers are coming out, so I picked the biggest one for you," Mike stated.

The redheaded woman shot him a curious gaze. With a blink, she allowed her lips to melt into a smile. She leaned towards the flower and inhaled the scent.

"Wonderful. Your gardening skills show, Mike."

Mike nodded his head slightly. "Thank you, Daphne." He rose to his feet and cleared his throat. He held out his arm. "May I walk you to the sound stage? You'll be on any time now."

Daphne walked around her desk and looped her arm around his, her hand resting atop his wrist. The pair took their time meandering to the curtain, chatting and laughing with each other the entire way.

They reached the edge of the stage and Daphne separated herself from Mike as one of the key grip specialists jogged towards her, a small bundle of twisted black cords jumbling up in his palms. Daphne gingerly accepted the package, untwisting the cords and hooking the tip of it to her lapel and adjusting the speaker on the tip, whilst at the same time pinned the small battery pack to the back of her skirt. She pulled out a few more kinks and tapped the speaker a few times with her finger, delighted when she heard the soft patting noise from the effect.

"Good luck," Mike told her, nodding and turning to go.

"Hey, you. When the show's over, maybe you could come by my office? Of course, if you're not busy."

"Here's hoping I finish early, then!" Mike said with a wide smirk. He pivoted on one foot and pushed off the ground, sending him in a barreling run down the center of the hallway.

Daphne felt her face flushing a little. She hadn't the slightest idea why. Before she knew it, she had to swallow a butterfly that was attempting to escape her stomach.

Rapid footsteps approached the red-haired gardener from behind at lunch hour. Before he could speak, he felt a sudden mass of weight land hard onto his back. Slender arms wrapped around his neck and lighter crimson locks mixed with his own as he heard Daphne's soft chortle ringing in his ear. The aroma of lavender drifted into his nasal passages and the pair of arms encircling his neck hugged slightly tighter.

"I know it's you, Daphne," Mike laughed, turning to face her. Daphne's shoulders slackened only slightly as she relaxed herself.

"You got me, you-" Daphne stopped herself short when her weight started pulling them downward.

"Hey, wait!" Mike gasped, his feet going out beneath him. His heels left the tile and they crumpled to the floor in seconds.

Daphne's mouth dropped open as she felt the cold surface of the floor grinding against her spine upon impact. She saw stars before her eyes, flickering in the abyss of the fluorescent lights of the ceiling. She coughed and inhaled for the first time in several seconds; at the same time her heartbeat began to return to normal.

"Mike, I'm sorry! You okay?" she yelped, lifting her head. She saw Mike in plain sight, his weight on top of her lower torso. His head was nestled against her stomach, and she sighed with relief as he groaned, placing a hand on his forehead. He turned to face her, and blinked a few times.

"That was a hell of a fall," he finally spoke, then smiled. "Are you alright?"

She only nodded, smiling sheepishly.

The Irishman returned the gesture. "Now, what were you saying a moment ago?"

Daphne cleared her throat. "I was going to say that you got me, you meddling kid."

"And it was all because Dangerprone Daphne did it again."

"Who told you that?"

"Fred and Velma."

"Damn them."

The two of them shared an open laugh, allowing it to echo in the empty break room.