The Panic Pure

Chapter Twelve

They continued their dinners together and weeks passed. Enough that Danny didn't feel so much like spinning apart whenever he asked Marshal to sleep over. And all they ever did was sleep.

It got to be something Danny looked forward to. There was something about listening to another person breathe in the darkness that soothed Danny instead of completely terrifying him as he would have thought.

He was happy and that had everything to do with Marshal. It felt as though he had finally learned how to live.

"You're smiling. A lot."

Danny turned his head to give Arthur a grin. "I think I am. Do you think we should be concerned?" He widened his eyes humorously. "Maybe it's fatal!"

Arthur nudged his shoulder gently. "I'll take you to the doctor for a checkup later."

They were in the study. Danny had been reading "Kirith Kirin" when Arthur decided to make his presence known by snatching the book out of his hands and flipping through it.

"Were you missing me? Is that what it is, you were pining for my company?" Danny waggled his eyebrows. "Just because I'm in a relationship now doesn't mean I don't have time for you, Artie. We're best friends forever."

"Oh, one look at you and anyone could tell you're either in the midst of a relationship or a midlife crisis, and you're a bit young for the latter." Arthur paused his book flipping to raise his eyebrows. "What exactly are you reading here? Wasn't this kid just like fourteen or something?"

Danny ran his finger across the waxed table, drawing lines and circles. "You should read it before you make a big judgment. It's a beautiful story."

Arthur read a few more pages before handing the book back. "Sorry, friend, not my bag."

Danny groaned. "I know you think it's funny, but whatever accent you're trying to do is simply awful."

"How do you know that's not the response I want to get?" Arthur stuck out his tongue childishly.

Danny snorted a laugh. "Well, if that was the plan, then you succeeded beautifully."

Arthur stood up from the couch he'd gracelessly flopped down onto and paced in front of the shelves of books. "I worry about you," his voice dropped seriously. "I try not to, but I can't help myself." He turned to look at Danny. "I'm glad you're doing as well as you are. I'm glad you found someone that cares about you and who you actually care about."

Danny smiled. "Me too."

Marshal had been wonderful, more so than Danny would have thought he deserved. He still couldn't figure out how he had gotten so lucky to end up with someone like Marshal in his life, but he wasn't going to waste it.

"I'm happy," he admitted.

"Good," Arthur said. "You deserve to be."

"Now we just have to find someone for you," Danny teased.

"Hey!" Arthur wagged his finger. "That right there is subject closed. You know I'm not ready to settle down. I've got another four years before I want to even think about settling down and raising babies or any of that stuff."

Danny laughed before suddenly falling serious. "I really like Marshal. What would you say if I decided to keep him?"

"'Congratulations, when's he moving in?'" Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"Exactly."

* * *

Being an FBI desk jockey meant dealing with the reality that sometimes things didn't work out and there were some cases that resulted in dead ends. Janeane's case was one such.