Author's note: Sorry this update took a little longer, pretty busy with work right now!

Once the season kicks up to speed, Dani soon finds the trouble with Rex's coming out has far from ended. The press has eased off and the whole team takes it in brotherly stride, following T.K.'s example, but as it turns out, other teams are less lenient.

A game against the Pittsburgh Vikings practically ends up in a brawl on the field, and afterwards Coach drags Dani's ass, and Matt's and Nico's into the locker room, where he grills the team long and hard enough to get them to spill what's going on.

Dani immediately notes that Rex is nowhere to be seen, and one look at Nico's weary face is enough to confirm her suspicions.

It's T.K. who speaks up first. "They're killing him, Coach! Rex, I mean. You know… There's always nasty things being said on the field. We all know it, it's part of the game. But ever since the season started, it's like they're all targeting Rex. Calling him a nancy boy and a faggot like constantly, you know, it's been getting to him… And today this bitch ass…

"T.K.!," Coach booms at him.

"Alright, alright. Today this lovely human being the Vikings call their wide receiver just went at him all game. That Rex was a pervert, and he was bringing shame to the game, and that he sure as hell would never leave his little brother in Rex's neighborhood, cause it starts with gay and then…" T.K. sighs. "Coach, really, it was nasty. Rex is gonna quit, if this keeps up."

"Alright, everyone," Nico says, "we understand. But there's not much we can do about this. You guys are just going to have to tough this one out. Dr Dani - he nods at her - will talk to Rex. As for the rest of you, just don't allow them to provoke you. This is just one of those times where the less you do, the better it is. Eventually it will become old news and eventually it will pass."

Dani looks around at the players, taking the temperature of the room. She doesn't like what she sees. Anger, defiance - Nico may be right, but they're football players, and thus exactly the opposite of the type of guys who walk away when one of their own is being harangued. She can tell Nico knows too, from the way he looks worried. There's never a situation Nico can't fix, except maybe this time. It rattles him, she can tell. Dani can also tell he looks tired, though he hides it well under his flawless hair and his flawless suit and his flawless everything. Dani wants to go over and talk to him, maybe try and lighten his mood a little bit, but Matt and Coach are calling her over and so she just watches Nico out of the corner of her eye as he's following the players leaving the room.

§

Hours later, Dani is jolted awake by the harsh ringing of her phone and answers to an out of breath-sounding, speed-talking Nico.

"Dani? Dani. I'm sorry I woke you, but you need to listen to me and do as I say, right now. There's been a fight at the club between some players of the Pittsburgh Vikings and our lot and it's bad. We tried to intervene and… Dani, Xeno got stabbed. I don't know how bad it is, yet, so I need you to come here, now, the police are here too, and I got to get to the hospital, but I need to know someone will talk to the players, make sure none of them get it into their heads to do anything rash, and please, please, will you come?"

Dani's already jumped out of bed and half dressed by the time she gets a word in, telling Nico she's on her way and that he has to hang up the phone and get his ass over to the hospital, like pronto. She's speeding all the way to the club, which looks like a war-zone with all the squad cars outside, and death-stares the officer at the entrance until he lets her enter. Most of the players are still there, surrounded by cops, and so are T.K. and Rex, both white as a sheet.

The officer running the scene turns out to be the understanding sort.

"Oh, so you're the Hawks' shrink? That guy, the scary looking one in black who's friends with the dude that got stabbed, he told us you were coming," he says, while he keeps writing stuff down in his notebook.

"What happened?," Dani wants to know.

"According to several witnesses, a whole posse of Vikings came into the club looking for Mr Rex Evans over there. Apparently they ganged up on him when he was getting drinks, started pushing him around. This guy who got stabbed, Xeno? Him and the man in black, they tried to get Evans out of there, but then this one Viking head-butted this Xeno character and all hell broke lose from there. Somewhere in the brawl, some idiot drew a knife. We've arrested that one, of course, along with the rest of the Vikings. I think we may have arrived just in time, it could have been a lot worse."

"Can I talk to my players?"

"Yes, M'am, you can, we're almost sending them all home anyway."

Rex is practically in tears when Dani moves over to talk to the players that are still there.

"How is he, Dr Santino? Do you have news?"

"I don't know anything more than you do, guys. Nico called me right before he rushed to the hospital, and I'll be going there next, okay?"

"Oh God, I hope he's alright," Rex moans. "I can't believe this is happening…"

"Look, why don't you all go home? T.K., you can drive Rex. I'll text all of you as soon as I have an update, but right now I think it's more important that you all go home, get a good night's rest, give your girlfriends and your boyfriend a hug and we'll talk about this tomorrow at the facility, alright?"

§

It's nearly five in the morning when Dani finally arrives at the emergency wing of the hospital. The night-nurse at the desk informs her Xeno's had surgery, and that it went well, and that he's sleeping in the recovery ward. "His friend is still here though," she nods towards the waiting room, before she hurries over to the door where an ambulance has just pulled up. Dani does find Nico, sitting upright but fast asleep on a chair in said waiting room, his head tilted slightly backwards against the wall. Dani sits next to him, unsure what to do. Then she decides: she is giving the guy an extra five minutes of sleep. The dark circles under Nico's eyes speak of exhaustion and he looks scary thin and small all of a sudden. Dani worries about the way his muscles seem to drain out of him. And yet, at the same time he is beautiful. This man in black with deep dark secrets in his soft eyes and his ridiculous garden of good hair. Feeling kinda weary herself, Dani wishes she could just snuggle up to him, fold her arms across Nico's chest, rest her head in the crook of his neck and close her eyes too. She swallows, blood rushing to her head, when at last all of her denial crumbles away. There is no mistaking the flutter around her heart anymore, the adrenaline rushing through her stomach. 'I think I'm in love with you', Dani whispers to Nico's sleeping form. It's barely audible, but mouthing the words shocks her to bits nonetheless. She stops thinking. Reaches over and ever so gently touches his face, soft skin underneath the tops of her fingers. She then brushes a tiny lock of rich black hair from his forehead. At this Nico opens his eyes and looks straight at her. Too quickly. Too clear. Too intense. He'd been awake the whole time, Dani thinks in a panic. Her right hand is trailing on his cheek and Nico takes her wrist, to make her keep it there, while he slowly caresses the soft skin on the inside of her wrist with his thumb. He makes no other move, just locks his eyes into hers. Dani imagines hers look like those of a deer caught in headlights, but his are nothing other than the most intense fire she has ever seen. Like he is trying to burn holes in all her defenses using only his eyes. They are eight different colors of brown and green, and something something behind them that refuses to bend. She leans towards him ever so slightly and sees her fingers come to life on their own - as if someone has taken over the remote control in her brain. She touches his ear. Brushes through his hair - it feels bristly, but soft. It feels exactly the way she remembers. Dani's eyes drop to Nico's mouth, and her fingers follow, coming to rest against his bottom lip. He grabs them. Holds them there, before - in slow motion it seems - he pushes on her index finger, sucks it into his mouth. Dani feels warm wetness and then his tongue, sliding against it. Simple, yet so unbelievably erotic. A small moan escapes her throat, as Nico puts his teeth against the top of her finger, starts licking and nibbling it softly. Dani is mesmerized by the power of the sensations he creates - it literally feels as if all her erogenous zones are getting the exact same treatment. All sound fades into the background, apart from their shallow, ragged breathing. Dani lets her finger pop out of his mouth, slides it across his bottom lip, very, very slowly moisturizing it. Then everything happens at the same time: Dani swallows hard, Nico lunges himself towards her and Coach comes crashing into the waiting room.