A complete crush.
Disclaimer: None of the characters/ familiar storylines are mine.
A/N: This fic ignores all episodes that come after Burning Questions. Also, Wilhelmina's baby is ignored.
Again, many thanks to the reviewers! Please review - any thoughts on how this story might turn out? Thank you guys so much.
"It's really happening," Betty said, clutching at Hilda's hands.
"Yes, Betty," Her sister said. "But you'll be alright. You knew what you were doing."
"But...he'll be gone tomorrow."
"Yes, he will."
Betty subsided into silence and Hilda clasped her into a hug.
"You'll be fine."
"So, Grubstick is gone," Amanda said as Daniel walked past her round receptionist desk.
"Mm hmm," he said, absently, whisking past and bringing a breeze of faint masculine aftershave with him.
About five metres away from the desk, he turned around and walked straight up to Amanda. "Wait. What?"
"That hot accountant is gone," she said, looking only mildly offended that he had ignored her the first time.
"Oh, God, yes," Daniel said. "Wow. I didn't think it would be so soon."
"Why are you smiling like that?" Amanda said, in her Amanda-esque way, eyebrows cocked.
"Like what?" Daniel said, looking like Mode had just been declared Best Magazine.
"Like you can finally have triple-chins now," Amanda said, smiling nastily and leaning forward, ready to gossip. How lovely to be able to tease Daniel about something. Surely he still remembered that crush Gonzalez - or whatever - harboured for him.
Instead, she got a cold look from Daniel's uncharacterisically icy blues. "Don't call her that."
She felt thoroughly taken aback and stepped backwards, hands raised, an eyebrow cocked. "Okay. Relax, boss. You look totally pissed off."
He swallowed hard, standing with his hands on his waist for a while, then turned and headed for his office.
Daniel
She looks so depressed. Now I realise fully how much Henry meant to her. But really; how come love makes her this way? It's true, I really thought and think that Betty has always had really good judgment. But when it came to Henry, she was just...stupid. There's no other word for it.
But it's hard to criticise her when she looks like that.
Betty
Henry is really and truly gone now. At least now that relationship is off for good. It's been too long, not knowing what would happen next, trying to keep a grasp of those last precious days. And now it's come. It's weird how when I know something will happen eventually I kind of hope that because I know it has to happen...maybe it won't happen, just to be perverse. But life doesn't work like that, it turns out.
"Hey," he said, softly, sitting down beside her desk and gently putting his hand on her shoulder.
They locked eyes for a while.
"If you want to go home, I understand," Daniel said.
"No," Betty said. "I want to work. It helps, to be with a friend." She managed a small smile.
Was it Daniel's imagination, or was there an impossibly small hesitation before friend came out?
"You know I'm here for you," Daniel said. "I care about you."
Rather hesitantly, he leaned forwards and for once it was he who initiated the hug. He patted her on the back a bit, trying not to let a rush of curling riptides of love smother his attempts to be comforting. But the love he felt was biting, was leaping, a beating of wild teenage infatuation.
Gio
Egg salad's finally gone. Betty looks so heart-broken, bless her. Who is there for her now? With Christina troubled with Stuart, there probably isn't anyone available to...hang on. Isn't that the boss?
"Heeey, Betty," Gio said, standing with his arms wide. He nodded to Daniel.
As though saying It's alright, I'm here to take care of Betty, you can stop pretending and go now.
Daniel frowned, but he got up. "...Gio."
"Mr. Meade," Gio said, in that tone he used sometimes. Somehow it seemed like he was subtling insulting Daniel.
Betty looked at the two of them with an unreadable expression.
"You know," Daniel said, turning to Betty.
She half-smiled and nodded at him. "Thanks, Daniel."
With a look at Gio, Daniel turned and went into his office.
Silence hung in the air before Betty turned to Gio and said, half-flatly and half-nervously, "Gio."
"What's with the unfriendliness?" He said, and then cursed himself for attacking her. She was devastated. Egg salad had meant a lot to her. "Sorry."
"Yeah," Betty said, looking at her computer screen without really seeing.
"I know it's kinda early days," Gio said. "But would you possibly want to have dinner this week?"
Betty sighed. "Gio..."
"Friends," he said, raising his eyebrows. "Come on, Betty."
Friends, huh. What Hilda thought...
Maybe Hilda was completely wrong...
"Okay," Betty said, because Gio was still waiting for a response.
"Thursday okay?" He said, smiling at her in a bravo, you chose right and you won't regret it way.
"Thursday," Betty said, and she couldn't help smiling back.
Then, as soon as Gio was gone, she felt extremely strange. Her boyfriend had left two nights ago. It was all very well to move on, but so soon? And did she even like Gio?
Friends, she thought. Friends.
Daniel
What did the sandwich guy say to make her look so happy?
Oh, God, looks like competition.
Normally, Daniel would shy away from competition. Not because he wasn't confident he'd win, but rather because he was confident there were plenty of other, just as pretty girls for him to have.
But there was no one like Betty.
So be it, he thought, puffing out his chest unconsciously, at the exact moment that Betty walked in.
"Oh, er, Daniel," Betty said, staring at his strangely heroic stance in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
He turned to smile broadly at her. "Betty." His eyes shone a knightly shade of blue, and his chin was ever-so-slightly raised.