Dani goes back to the waiting room. She makes use of the time to call the kids, who are on their way home, and to call Matt to fill him in on the details of what Nico and Devin have told her. Matt sounds jittery on the phone, explaining how the place is literally swarming with press.
"They all want to talk to Rex, so we've set up an interview room. So far, Rex is holding up his spirits, and T.K.'s there too. Put at least one reporter in his place for being an ass and asking impertinent questions. Our boy comes through when he wants to."
"Yes, he does," Dani says with a smile in her voice, feeling immensely proud of both quarterback and wide receiver.
"Look, Dani, I really can't talk much now. Call me after Nico's hearing, will you? Bring Nico back here - my guess is Coach is going to wanna talk to him."
'"I'm not sure he'll come, Matt. He's pretty insistent on leaving for Dallas as soon as he gets out. But I'll call you."
"Alright. Bye."
After that, Dani's got nothing to do but wait, but just when she's about to get bored and anxious, Xeno walks into the waiting room, sits down next to her and hands her a Cosmopolitan magazine.
"What?," Dani quips at the scary looking bodyguard. "No pancakes?"
Xeno gives her a look, grunts, and then goes through his coat pocket in search of something. His face breaks into a wide grin as he seems to find it, and he hands Dani a sweet, which has her laughing so hard her cheeks hurt.
§
Two hours later Devin comes to collect them to go to court. Dani's nervous, wilting in the heat of the courtroom, her feet screaming in her high heels. As soon as they lead Nico in, she forgets her discomfort. He flashes her a look in passing; his dark, brooding eyes bring back the butterfly in her chest and in the back of her mind she's saying, "Get a grip, Santino. He's not on his way to death row - yet." But all through the hearing - when the judge reads the charges, and Devin pleads not guilty and then when bail is set - she doesn't take her eyes off Nico's back for one second, watching him as he sits almost immobile, head tilted slightly to the side. And then it's over, and they're all outside on the court steps. Devin says his goodbyes after a brief private conference with Nico, after which Nico whispers a few words to Xeno, who takes of too - not before waving goodbye at her - and so they're alone.
Nico's standing next to her with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, looking like he's got a million things to say but can't locate his voice to say them. The silence stretches on too long, stretches and stretches until the traffic noise and the chatter of people passing them by starts to fill in the spaces, and Dani tries to think of something to say and discards all of it, feeling suddenly very tired like a child at the end of a day, too tongue-tied to say what she wants or even know it.
It's Nico who capitulates first. "My car is still at the Hawks' facility. I need a ride, but…"
"But?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to go get a coffee first. I could use an espresso or two. Maybe three or four even."
§
They go to a tiny Italian coffee bar that Nico knows is in walking distance of the court house and Dani's surprised and appalled at the same time that she didn't know of its existence. It's about as Italian as it gets - crowded, loud, real Venetian blends - and not much to look at in the way of decor, more like a hole in the wall with wobbly tables and chairs, but they find themselves a spot by the window and when Antonio - who seems well acquainted with Nico, judging by the way he kisses him cheerily on both cheeks - comes to take their order, the real reason for Nico bringing her there is revealed.
"Try the cannoli," Nico says, smiling. "You won't be disappointed."
"Ay!," Antonio shouts, recognizing a fellow Italian-American when he sees one. "Es molto bene!"
"If they turn out to be better than mine, I'm gonna eat my foot," Dani bristles, and Nico chuckles and then laughs, eyes crinkling, emitting a deep husky sound that curls around her. It's only minutes later when her eyes go wide, as the delicious taste of Antonio's homemade cannoli explodes into her mouth and has her moaning.
"Should I untie your shoe for you?," Nico teases, but Dani's way too busy devouring the luscious dessert to even pay attention to him now or flash him one of her dirty looks.
Nico's watching her then with something like… a lot of like, and after a while it makes Dani uncomfortable. "I'm sorry I got angry before," he finally says, grave, scrubbing his hands over his face. His voice sounds raspy from exhaustion, and he's still pale.
Dani's thinking of ways to make light of the awkwardness of the moment, but nothing feels light - not Gabrielle dragging Nico into court out of spite, not the fact that he's leaving. Her happy morning with Matt feels like a million years ago all of a sudden. "Please, don't apologize. I'm sorry. I wish there was something…"
"There's nothing you can do, Dani," Nico interrupts her.
"I know," she says, quietly. "That just makes me feel so powerless."
Nico nods, a sad smile hovering over his face. "You're very dedicated, Dani," he says, and before Dani can tense up about it, he murmurs, "The Hawks are very lucky to have you on the job."
Their eyes meet, and Dani dares herself not to look away and then finds that she can't, because an unsettling edge creeps into Nico's eyes. It's the type of look Nico specializes in: invasive, intense - as though he sees right through her, sees things she's barely even aware of herself. They're close enough for Dani to catch the subtle drift of his cologne, which brings back memories of their kiss. She can tell Nico's right there too, from the way his eyes dart to her mouth, and her heart hammers in her throat as she watches his pupils dilate.
"So why did you kiss me?," he asks softly, barely more than a whisper.
This time, he's not letting her off the hook easy by answering for her, she knows. This time he actually expects an answer. Because I wanted it too, she thinks. Because I needed to. Because, in that moment, it felt so strange that I never considered it before. Or maybe I had, but not… not really. Not consciously. All that, Dani thinks, but none of it will come out, none of it synthesizes into a coherent thought she can voice, as she feels herself go red, a blush going wild over her cheeks, starting down the hollow of her neck. She's just about to just wing it, say anything, when she's interrupted by her mobile ringing.
It's Matt. Dani answers, on automatic pilot, but she can't peel her eyes away from Nico's, sees the shadow settling on his face once he registers who she's talking to. Matt is telling her about more interviews, and she's 'uh-uh-ing', not really listening, until he tells her he got a text from Noelle. "She wants to talk to me," Matt says, "and, well… I guess I should do the right thing and officially break things off with her rather than having her hear it through the grapevine, so, would you mind terribly if I agreed?" Dani supposes she should feel at least a hint of jealousy, but she doesn't. Instead she tells him she's fine with him meeting up with Noelle, meaning it, and then tells him she has to run, that she'll talk to him later, before she hangs up the phone.
"So," Nico says, face blank and unreadable again. "You and Matt…"
Dani feels embarrassed enough to avert her eyes, not even sure why, nods.
"I understand," Nico says, and Dani thinks that might be the very first lie he ever told her. "Well, I guess that answers that question. So, how about a lift to the facility?"
Nico gets up before Dani gets a chance to say anything else, leaving her nothing to do but follow him out of the coffee bar, wondering why on earth she feels so abjectly miserable about everything that her feet feel like lead in her shoes.