A/N: This is my first CSI: NY story. It's between Danny and Aiden and it happens sometime before she is killed. I probably have the timing off, but I really wanted it to be in winter, so it is.
I don't own the characters or the actors or really anything at all that is affiliated with CSI: NY. So don't sue (not that you would). Thanks!
They both sat at the small café in near silence. The only sound either of them made was to talk to the waiter or sip their coffee. The fine white china mugs steamed the large glass window that they sat beside and the falling snow was landing gently onto the ledge outside, reminding each of them how cold it was. The interior of the café was cozy; it was decorated with dark stained oak tables and dark red pillows, table clothes and curtains. Everything was accented with a thick border of chocolate brown and it was always relatively quiet. It was what had first brought them to this place. It was a small haven in the bustling big city of New York and it offered them more comfort then they had ever been able to find. Even in each other.
He pulled his black pea coat closer to him and leaned back to survey the young woman in front of him. He liked the way she stared into her coffee like she could find all of the answers in it and the way her long hair constantly fell forward to fall onto the table. She brushed it behind her ear and tugged almost self-consciously at her long sleeved black cardigan. She looked up to meet his eyes and grinned. He found himself grinning back and leaned forward to put his elbows on the table.
"How's life been treating ya?" She looked at him curiously, as if she had been expecting that question but did not know how to respond.
"Not badly," she said slowly and paused. "I hear I've already been replaced." It was said evenly, no accusation, no anger but he knew she was hurt.
"Mac needed someone else Aid. He couldn't keep giving everyone else extra work to pick up the slack. We were all pulling overtime, too much overtime. We never left the office anymore. We needed someone else." He wanted to tell her that they needed her back, that he needed her back but he couldn't; it just wasn't true anymore. She nodded and stared off into the distance.
"Is she nice?" He blinked at the enquiry. He knew there were two sides to that question and he knew he could either tell her the truth or continue to hide it from her. He rubbed his eyes under his glasses and looked at her wearily. He was tired of her games. Her dark eyes bore into him as she sat rigid in her seat. The conversation had suddenly taken a turn for the unfriendly and the comfortable atmosphere was gone.
"Yea, yea she is. She's nice, and funny and sweet and we all really like her."
"Do you really like her?"
"..."
"I see." He was suddenly mad at her, mad at her accusation, mad at her stupidity for having to make a bad decision and having to leave.
"No, you don't see Aiden. She's a sweet girl and she gets along with everyone and she doesn't do stupid, thoughtless things. She's there for everyone no matter what the time or what the circumstances. She doesn't always have to say something, she makes silence comforting. She puts 110 into everything that she does. She makes jokes and she laughs at me when I say stupid stuff. She can stand her own in a fight and she likes to drink beer and eat pizza while watching the game. She likes to drink tea rather then coffee and she knows everything about football. She's just...different."
"I can tell."
"I can't keep running back to you Aiden." She stared at him almost as if she had expected this too.
"Is she the one you're going to run to now?"
"It's not like that."
"No? I see otherwise."
"You don't see anything anymore; you haven't been able to see anything for a long, long while. You need to get out of whatever's got you; Pratt isn't worth this change. I need the old Aiden back."
"You need me back?"
"Not like that. Not like that anymore. I'm through with that. It's dangerous and selfish and..."
"And she wouldn't like it if she knew where you disappear to every Wednesday night? Wouldn't she like to know where you go, who you're with, what you do? Would she still be so caught up in you if she knew what you liked to use co-workers for?"
"You wouldn't." She leaned forward, her long hair tickling his cheeks. Her eyes were filled with an inexplicable fire and not for the first time, he was mesmerized by her.
"Try me." And she kissed him. And it was everything that he had remembered, it was fierce and fiery and fast but he didn't feel it where he should have; there was no electricity, no fireworks. He suddenly ached for relief and he pulled back quickly.
"I can't do this anymore Aiden. I'm done. We're through." He stood up jerkily and pulled out his wallet out to pay for the coffee. She stared up at him with a frown, her large dark eyes boring into him.
"She's that special huh Danny?" He stared at her for a few seconds and turned to go.
"Yea, yea she is." He walked out into the cold, December air and knew that not all of the cold he was suddenly feeling was from the winter wind.
A/N: Alrighty, this is it. It was actually a story that I wrote for my creative writing course. I certainly hope he gives me a good mark on this.