Work Text:
One More Shot
by Ginny
"Hi," Sheldon greeted as he slipped into the chair across from Danny.
"Hi," Danny said morosely. His head rested on his arms, on the table and he was staring at his mug of beer.
"Want to talk about it?"
"Nothing to talk about."
"That's why you're sitting in a corner table, by yourself, while the rest of the team has dinner and plays darts?"
"Everyone else is here?" he asked, sitting up abruptly. "Where? Are Mac and Don here?"
"Just around the corner. And yes, they're both here."
"Do they know I'm here?"
"No. I just happened to see you when I returned my pool cue."
"Shit! Don't scare me like that Hawkes," Danny muttered and set his head back on the table. "Don't let them know I'm here, okay?"
"Do you want to go somewhere else and talk about it?"
Danny lifted his head and glared at Hawkes. "No, dammit. I'm not drunk, I'm miserable. Just go away so I can wallow in my misery all alone, because God knows that I don't deserve to have anyone with me."
"Danny."
"Just go away Hawkes," he pleaded, closing his eyes and willing the world away.
Hawkes was about to refuse when movement caught his attention. He turned to see Mac and Don standing just a few feet away, watching Danny worriedly. Mac nodded toward the other table and Hawkes took the cue, excusing himself and leaving Danny to the other two.
Danny breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Hawkes leave the table.
"They don't want me, can't understand why I thought Lindsay'd be any different," he muttered to himself. "No wants me, I'm not worth the trouble."
"Danny," Mac said gently as he sat in the seat Hawkes had just vacated.
Danny's reaction was instantaneous. He jumped up, swearing, tripping over his own chair.
"Are you okay?" Don asked in concern as he helped Danny up, well aware that they were attracting attention.
"I'm fine. What are you doing here?" Danny asked, shifting on his feet uncomfortably as he tried to ignore the stares of the people around them.
"Let's go for a walk," Mac suggested.
Danny started to protest, but when he caught sight of Stella and Lindsay watching them he nodded. "Okay," he said quietly, defeated. He tossed money onto the table and walked purposely to the door, ignoring everyone he passed and hoped that they would follow him.
"We need to talk," Don said when they were a block from Sullivan's.
"Why?"
"Because we've been trying to talk to you for a week, you idiot," Don snapped impatiently. "You're avoiding us outside of work."
"Why shouldn't I?" Danny snapped back. "It wasn't my idea to end this ... thing ... we had between us," he said, waving his hands, "But I'll be damned if I'm going to make myself miserable by watching you be happy by yourselves. Or with Peyton."
Mac blinked but didn't take the bait. "Instead you're going to be miserable by yourself?" he asked quietly.
Danny stared at him for a long moment before dropping his head, his eyes locking one ground as his shoulders slumped. "I'm fine," he whispered.
"You're not," Don contradicted. "You want to know how I know? Because I'm not. And Mac's not. We're all miserable."
Danny stared at him for a long moment trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not. "Why should I care?" he demanded.
"You were right Danny. Is that what you want to hear? You were right."
"What was I right about?"
"Us," Mac answered, immediately calming Danny's outburst. "The three of us, we work. I don't know why and I don't know how, but we work. We both fought it and that wasn't fair to you."
"It wasn't," Danny agreed, refusing to let go of his anger and sense of betrayal completely.
"We're sorry," Don said sincerely. "We'll do whatever it takes to convince you that we were wrong. We love you."
"There's just one problem," Danny said bitterly. He jammed his hands in his pockets, debating whether or not he should listen to his urge to flee. "I understand completely why you left. It wasn't us, it was me. I'm why we didn't work. There's something with me. Why else would Lindsay agree to go out with me and then stand me up? She says it's her, but it's me."
"No," Mac and Don contradicted at once, each grabbing one of Danny's hands. Mac pulled him close in a bruising kiss, only pulling back so Don could stake his claim as well.
Danny fought hard to hold onto his anger, but years of knowing both men, loving them, made him positive that they were telling the truth. "What do you want?" he asked, resigning himself to the inevitable. The fact that he was going willingly made him wonder if it really was love or if he was just an idiot and glutton for punishment.
"Give us one more shot," Don said.
"We'll start from scratch and do it right this time," Mac offered.
"Please Dan. If you say no, we'll drop this, but don't say no. You know this is right."
Danny was silent for a long time, mulling over their offer. The other two held their breath, waiting for the answer that would determine their fate.
"All right," he agreed. He was rewarded by two brilliant smiles. "We'll start from scratch. Just ..." he trailed off, trying to figure out exactly what he wanted to say. He'd survived their breakup once, but he didn't think he could do it again and come out in one piece
"We won't screw up this time," Don promised.
"This time, we're going to do it right," Mac added.
Danny simply smiled at them and let them lead him on. Sometimes, to get to where you wanted to be, you had to close your eyes and jump, consequences be damned. He refused to believe anything but that this was the right decision. After all, this was where they belonged; together.
End.