could have asked

Who: Danny and Rachel
Where: A Bar
When: So late it's early

Rachel was in the mood for a change of scenery and not having much interest in drinking by herself in her apartment at the agency, she headed out. It was incredibly late but she was bored and restless. Not one to go slumming around the Round, she picked a place down the road from the Echo building. A little more upstanding, a little cleaner, and you didn’t usually have to worry about making sure your glass was clean. Ignoring the turned heads as she walked into the establishment she took a seat at the sparsely populated bar and ordered a whiskey.

She stood out -- while not dressed to the nines, the lighter blue dress she wore was fitted enough to hint at her figure, the black heels and long pearl necklace adding some high glamour. Her red lipstick smudged a bit on the rim of her glass that she sipped at and a loose lock of blond hair fell against her cheek from the low bun she wore. Big band was on the jukebox and her leg bobbed to the music.

Danny wasn’t quite paying attention to much of anything. There were a few of them, different officers from the station who frequented this place after late nights at work, mostly because it was in easy stumbling distance from the station. By the time people started to look up at the woman who walked in, he was already three beers deep and half a flask from earlier. Whomever she was didn’t really catch his attention, not until he was up against the bar next to her, rubbing at his cheek and waiting on the next round. It wasn’t until he glanced over and gave her a nod without a smile. He wasn’t much of a smiler anyway.

Even if he didn’t smile at her, Rachel gave him a somewhat coy yet comforting smile in return with her own nod. “Yeah, there are days where I feel like that too,” she told him in a low smooth voice. “Chin up. It’s supposed to be better tomorrow.” It was what Rachel did. Strike up conversations with random strangers, especially when they had the sad puppy dog look he was sporting.

The bartender finally wandered Danny’s ways and he gave his order without words, just pointing to his glass and holding up three fingers. Once that was done he glanced at the woman, eyebrow raised for a moment and that was it. “Doesn’t ever get any better,” he said, shaking his head slowly.

Rachel tilted her head and gave him a look. “Maybe because you’re not trying,” she said matter of factly. “I bet you either skipped lunch or ate at your desk and kept working, didn’t you? Could’ve pulled yourself away and gone out. Enjoy spring. Smell the roses. You’d be surprised how much that can do to liven up the doldrums.” The smirk she gave him this time was blatantly coy and she sipped tossed back the rest of her whiskey and gestured for a refill.

Danny shook his head. “Nothing to try at. Spent lunch at a crime scene, cleaning up another mess with no answer. Never gets better and when it does I’m out of a job,” he said frowning. The city was in a constant state of disaster, and there wasn’t a way out of the hole. When she gave him the coy smile he looked at her more than curiously. No one looked at him like that, not for anything.

Cop. So she wasn’t too far off the map when she was thinking public employee. “Well then it sounds like you deserve a break. You won’t be out of a job if you take a break, right? You’re here so you must be off the clock.” Dropping some money on the counter to cover his drink and hers, she slid smoothly off the stool and looked at him in the eye. “You play pool?” Rachel noticed the curious look and didn’t really pay it much mind for the moment. It was something she was used to.

“Never really get a break,” Danny said. He couldn’t help but think of his friends, how they would have hit on the girl, but that wasn’t really Danny’s style Even if home was often less than exciting, but he wasn’t the type to stray. Didn’t matter how beautiful she was. When she paid for his drink he made a face, but didn’t turn it down. Didn’t hurt to take one or two on behalf of the community. When she asked about pool he made a face. “Are you challenging me?”

She chuckled at the face he made and shrugged thoughtfully. “Depends. Are you a betting man?” It wasn’t that she was flirting with him, she simply saw someone with the world on his shoulder who was in sore need of a distraction and if anyone was good at distractions, it was her. And if anyone was good at pool, that was her too. “I’m not that good,” she admitted. “But I know which end to use.” She was actually quite good at pool but the face he made at paying her drink signaled to her that she should probably not flaunt that.

Danny looked as if he was considering that then shrugged. What the hell right? It was either this or he hunkered down in a booth watching her for the rest of the night to make sure no one tried anything with her. “Tonight I guess I am,” he said nodding towards the tables in the back, taking his beer and the other two.

The chuckle turned into a laugh and she tossed her head back a bit as she did and she led the way, not paying any mind to the eyes that followed them. The billiards area was low lit by green lamps hanging above the tables, sending shadows around the area. There were two other men in the corner playing at that table, two others sitting at the high table beside them. Rachel sat her purse and drink on the high table by one of the empty ones and went over to grab two pool cues. When she turned around, it was then she noticed the glint of gold on one of his fingers. It wasn’t the first time she’d made friends with married men, although they were usually looking for some fun in different ways than this guy seemed to. “I’m Rachel, by the way.”

Danny dropped the two extra beers on the table with the other cops. Both gave him a look, but kept from interrupting. They knew it wouldn’t pan out, just like none of it did. But if Danny made nice with the dame, maybe he’d bring her over later. Their looks were eager enough for that. He followed after her, setting the beer down on the edge of the table and taking his cue from her. “Danny,” he answered with a nod, not doing more than just glancing at her before racking up the table.

“Irish?” You couldn’t throw a baseball without hitting some Irish kid named Danny in this city. Or Billy. Or Tommy. Or Patrick. She tossed over his cue when he was done and went about chalking her end with perhaps a too smooth of movement with her wrist but Vera wasn’t the only one with physical habits. “How long have you and the misses been together?”

“Full blooded mick,” Danny confirmed with a nod, not afraid to use the racial slur. He was a McKinnon after all, it fit. He caught the cue with ease, just like her, and good with his hands from years of being physical cop. The detective in him though picked up on it and he guessed that he was likely close to being fleeced. No matter. At least it was a change of pace. The question didn’t phase him. “Since I was seventeen,” he told her breaking the balls and watching as two solids fell into place.

She leaned against the cue as she watched him break, nodding a little as he spoke. “Long time. At least you didn’t get your kneecaps shot out.” The only excuse she knew for getting married that young wasn’t because you found the love of your life, not when you looked as tired and depressed as he did. There was always something more. “You been a cop for just as long?”

Danny made a face before taking his next shot, sinking another ball. “It wasn’t like that.” Though it was, he’d married her because she was pregnant, she just hadn’t stayed pregnant. And he’d loved her, he still loved her, he just thought maybe she didn’t understand him anymore. Or she did enough to know that there wasn’t any need to talk. Just to be. “No. Cop since I finished high school.”

“You like making faces, don’t you?” she asked. She didn’t mind him making faces at what she said. It was a lot less worse than what some people did in response to her questions. “I’m not married although I probably should be. I might end up being an old maid.” Not that she really wanted to get married. She knew she didn’t need a man in her life to be happy and secure. Her mother never tied herself down, although this last one might be considered a more permanent position. “I also never graduated. School was much too boring.” She looked at him from across the table. “Not very fair, is it? Growing up so fast. But I guess it’s unavoidable in this city.”

“Not much of a smiler,” Danny said, missing his shot and leaning back so she could take hers. “You ask a lot of questions.” Which was strange considering that was usually his job. “You shouldn’t worry about that. I’m guessing you won’t have a problem.” At her comment he considered it leaning on his cue lightly with one hip on the table. “Grew up long before that. Irish, remember.” Which implied everything bad that was in the connotation of being Irish. A drunk dad who beat on his mom and sister, Fights at school and more.

“Well, I’d have to be interested for starters,” she pointed out and leaned over to take her shot. It was an easy one and she walked slowly around the table to line up her next shot. “It’s not too late, you know,” she said as she studied the layout. “To change course. Get a hobby. Just because you’re not much of a smiler doesn’t mean you can’t find something that makes you feel like you would if you smiled. Too many working men just focus on the job. It’s what they’re told to do. Focus everything on providing for your family. Never have any fun. Those are the guys that snap and start shooting people or shooting up.” Aiming, her tongue poked out a little in concentration. “Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.”

Danny knew her movements were meant for him to follow, but he didn’t. Instead he studied the table, grinding the hand of his cue into the floor a little. “Job’s not like that. I like the job. I’m good at the job. And it needs to be done. Not to provide to protect and serve.” The last part had a twinge of sarcasm to it, but that wasn’t because he didn’t believe it was the job, more that he didn’t believe that one man could handle it. Or a station full of men for that mater. “When did you get to be the expert?”

Rachel made the shot, watching the balls clatter around and sending two solids into opposite pockets. “So that’s all you are?” she asked him while ignoring the question. “The job? Then even more so you need to get a hobby that isn’t scowling at the bar while you throw them back.” It was nosy and invasive but she was focused on him despite the game. It was like it was just the two of them in the bar which added to her bluntness. It was there in her green eyes as she looked at him while she walked the table.

He shook his head. “I’m more than the job. But I like the job.” He wasn’t much more than the job, but he was a husband too, and a few other things even if he wasn’t coming up with them right now. Watching her sink two more brought a scowl to his face. “Again, not much of a smiler.” Even when she looked up at him like that. At least her eyes weren’t blue. Then she wasn’t a grown up buxom version of Elle which would have made things complicated in his head.

Chuckling, Rachel shook her head and took another shot but ended up sinking a striped ball. “I didn’t say you didn’t like it.” Moving away she helped herself to a swallow of her whiskey. “I just said it sure as hell sounds like that’s how you define yourself. Protect and serve,” she mimicked the sarcastic way he’d said it. “Not many cops do that, which you would obviously know but you... do.” She gave him a soft smile, an understanding one. “I’m sorry you have so much on your shoulders. That’s not fair to anyone.” She’d seen it far too many times and her heart went out to him. It always seemed to happen. Someone who caught her attention always had something going on.

Danny shrugged. “Someone has to do it. Might as well be me.” Even if he didn’t feel like he was doing much at all. People kept dying. He took a long pull on his beer before lining up his shot and sinking his ball as aimed. He wasn’t great at this as others, but he’d spent too much time in bars to not have picked up some basic skills. “I dont think of it as a burden, just because it’s not easy doesn’t make it some sort of cross I have to carry.”

“It’s still a lot of pressure.” It was. Whether or not he viewed it as a burden didn’t mean it wasn’t a lot. “So you’re this noble, unsmiling staunch keeper of the peace who steps up to the plate when it doesn’t look like there’s anyone else who does. So you’re a knight in a cop car. Got it.” It was teasing but not in any sort of mean fashion, just lightly amused.

He could hear the humor in her voice but he wound up just shrugging in response. What could he say, that was what he was. “Not a knight.” He wasn’t that good of a man. Never had been. Danny leaned in, taking his next shot.

“Sure sound like it to me.” Rachel leaned her hip against the pool table and watched the clacking of the balls against the sides, sorely tempted to just grab one up and completely mess him up. “But hey, what do I know. I’m just making assumptions off of you and you haven’t really proven any of my opinions wrong.”

“I haven’t proved them right either,” Danny pointed out as he looked up at her from where he was lining up another shot. “I’ve not done a single knightly or whatever thing yet.”

Rachel laughed again and shook her head. “I didn’t mean literally you know. Just by the way you’re presenting yourself. Surly and serious. But I’ve got a feeling about you, that’s all.” She looked over her shoulder, feeling eyes on her finally and the gentlemen in the corner didn’t look away fast enough. Her eyes narrowed a bit and she gave them a look before turning back away.

“I am surly and serious. That’s my personality,” he said looking up to see her look behind her. The creeps in the corner got a look from him and a shot too hard missed shot. Enough to send the ball clacking together with a sharp noise. Danny didn’t have a claim on this girl, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let some creep who looked like he had nothing but bad intentions, put his hands on her.

“It’s depressing,” she said as she took in the look and the more aggressive shot and just patted herself on the back. “You need to lighten up. Surly and serious all the time and bam! Heart attack from too much serious build up.”

“So now I’m depressing,” Danny said. Anyone else would have had a touch of humor in his voice, but he wasn’t the type for that to come across properly. The two guys backed down as he gave them another look and leaned back for her to take he shot. “Dad’s heart didn’t give out until he was much older than me and I’m in better shape. Thanks for the concern though.”

Rachel lined up her shot, not feeling like holding back and sunk three balls in with her own focused and serious look. “That’s me,” she said lowly as she circled around to stand beside him for her follow up shot. She nudge him over with her hip before leaning down to study the angles. “But I’ve seen guys fitter than you slump over from too much drinking and not enough getting out and doing something else.”

The nudge was unexpected and had Danny’s blood running hot for a fraction of a second before he moved farther away from her than he needed to. He had no business being here. After this game he was giving her cab fare and sending her home. “I’ve got a better chance of getting shot,” he pointed out, taking another long pull on his beer.

“When you live in this city? Everyone has a better chance of getting shot. Or stabbed. Or sunk to the bottom of the river.” She missed the next shot by a hair and she actually growled a bit in annoyance before moving back to finish off her whiskey. The lipstick from her lower lip smudged along the rim of the glass and she sighed. That was the one thing she could never get the hang of.

“True, but remember, I’m walking into it daily. It’s listed under job hazards.” The little growl that was...surprisingly distracting and Danny forced himself to look somewhere else, anywhere else that wasn’t Rachel. There was absolutely no reason to find that interesting or attractive or any of the other multitude of thoughts he’d just had. He was married, very married and she was just some girl in a bar he’d decide he was keeping an eye on for the night. Moving to take his shot he focused on that instead sinking the last two of his balls before picking out the pocket for the eight ball.

“Have you ever been shot before?” she asked curiously.

Danny took the shot, sinking the eight ball with ease before looking up. “Yeah, half a year ago or so. Fire fight down by the docks.” It had made the papers and he’d been given some stupid medal, but he didn’t want it. He’d just been helping out another cop. They’d come up with almost nothing from the raid as well, at least not enough to make up for the damage done and lives lost.

When he looked up Rachel was perched up on the stool watching him as he won the round. “You made it out in one piece, I take it?” she asked, which probably could have all sorts of meanings but it was just a general question on her part.

“Just my shoulder. Clean shot. Outside of a nasty looking scar I’m still functioning.” Danny shrugged, looking at her. “You should head home. Not the right part of town to spend the late hours of the night in.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow at him, a cross between amused and exasperated. “There are plenty of worse places to be than here. Like the Round,” she said and shook her empty glass a bit. “Besides, I think I can go for another one.” She went where she wanted whenever she wanted. There wasn’t much to fear if you knew how to handle yourself and she did. “Unless you’re just trying to get rid of me considering I’ve spent this whole time asking about you when you’ve asked nothing of me. Then again, maybe you’re just the type to observe and draw their own conclusions without confirmation.”

“Wouldn’t have let you in the door of that place.” Which he felt safe in saying considering he was one of the few cops allowed to frequent it. “I’m a detective. Maybe I’m not feeling up for interrogating on my off hours.” He sighed when she shook her glass and took it from her. “Stay here,” he told her, then made his way back to the bar to get them each another round. If she wasn't going to leave yet, he couldn't force her out, but he wasn't going to leave her side either. Not with every eye in the room trained on her like it was.

“I’m not interrogating,” she said to his back as he went to get her another drink and she hopped off the stool and went about gathering all the balls back up. Danny the Surliest Guy in the Joint was a cross between having a stick up his ass and being Humphrey Bogart with his aloof gruffness and Rachel was certainly enjoying herself. So what if he was married? She wasn’t going to let something like that stop her from having fun.

Turning to grab the holder she was met with a broad chest and scruff of one of the men at the other table who’d sidled up when she wasn’t looking. “Might want to back up there, Ace,” she said in a friendly tone, the finest note of hard edge under it. “I’m still playing with the fine gentleman whose getting me another drink. Maybe another time.”

“Doesn’t look like you’re having so much fun,” the man said. “I can show you more of a good time than he can.”

Danny was annoyed that the tender took too long to get drinks and he was tapping his fingers on the bar when he glanced back towards Rachel. Seeing the other guy in her space his back went stiff, standing up straighter as he watched, not jumping to conclusions, but giving the guy less than thirty more seconds before he made a move.

Rachel shook her head and tapped his chest with the triangle, encouraging him to take a step back. “Maybe another time, alright?” She was used to annoyances like these, when guys couldn’t necessarily take no for an answer. Her own back stiffened up though when he lifted a hand to brush that stray lock of hair out of her face, opening his mouth to say something and she grabbed his wrist, digging her sharp nails into his skin calmly. “I really thought I made myself clear.”

It was the guy touching her that had Danny across the room. hand on the taller man’s shirt without a single thought to it. One pull drug him back and turned him around. “Keep your hands to yourself,” Danny growled, eyes daring the other guy to take a stand.

Woah. When he wanted to, Danny sure could move fast and Rachel stepped nimbly out of the way, not looking to get pinned anywhere. She wasn’t scared, just surprised, especially when the guy pulled Danny’s hand off of him and pushed back. “Okay guys, no need to do any of this,” Rachel said although she knew her mild protests would go unnoticed.

The shove was all Danny needed and his first smile of the night though it hardly fit his features. “Bad idea,” he warned, stepping back and throwing his first punch. That was all that was needed for the melee to start, the attacker’s friends jumping in and Danny’s two cop buddies jumping in as well.

Rachel was someone who enjoyed a good fight and the all out brawl was definitely one of them. She backpedaled out of the area just in time to avoid someone being thrown onto the pool table, sending balls scattering everywhere. A crowd started to gather, cheering them on and money began quickly exchanging hands around her. Sighing in exasperation, she winced as Danny and the man he was fighting went crashing into the table, scattering glass everywhere.

Danny had the upper hand the moment after he crashed towards the floor, flipping over the guy and landing a punch that knocked him out. Just as quickly as it started the fight ended, three cops, triumphant and cuffing three drunks, Danny’s included. The two officers, a little battered, but grinning started their captives towards the door, giving Danny a moment behind. He’d taken a few blows, lip busted, arms a scratched from the glasses on the table, but in all he was alright.

Disappointed that the fight ended so quickly, the crowd dispersed, leaving Rachel behind looking at Danny in mild amusement. “Like I said,” she began, nudging him into one of the chairs that was still standing and pulling a handkerchief out of the top of her dress. “Knight in a cop car. That was very devious, arresting those guys.” She moved in close to him, focused on dabbing at the wound on his lip. “It’s not too bad. Should get some ice on it.” Her hair was still perfect despite the upheaval, that perfect lock still curved against her cheek. Up close her eyes were very green, little flecks of gold standing out and the subtle smell of sandalwood wafted off of her.

Danny didn’t appreciate being sat down, he was fine, but then she was leaning over him and he fought getting out of the chair. “Not a knight,” he insisted as she dabbed at his lip, unable to fight the flinch, though it wasn’t from pain. Not with those eyes watching his blue ones and everything about her that seemed to scream to be touched. Making a face he ducked away, managing to get out of the chair with out touching her or bumping into her. “They assaulted an officer. Three officers actually. Disturbed the peace as well. I should go.” He took a step back, rubbing at his lip with his own sleeve. “Take a cab home. Like now.” He nodded towards the door.

Rachel took a step back as he maneuvered away. Clearly she had struck a nerve there and she found it interesting as she watched him justify the arrest. She saw the conflict in his eyes, his unsurity and she filed it away for later examination. For now she just looked back at him with a sly little smile on her face. “You’re the one whose going,” she said. “Unless you plan on dragging me out of here too?” Still, she felt a little bad and she stepped over the broken glass and pushed him forward a bit. “After you, hero-boy. You gonna keep me company while I wait?”

“Escorting is the proper term,” Danny corrected, leading her at a safe distance that was also out of arm’s reach. “I’m not a hero,” he repeated, but he felt his ego eat up hearing it. Who didn’t want to be a hero? “I can wait if you want,” he said, stopping and tucking his hands in his pockets, still far enough away that he wasn’t within reach.

The term got a chuckle out of her at the irony and she stepped out into the night to wait for a cab. “Well since you don’t want to go for White Knight or anything, you might have to settle on that. It’s a broader term anyway. Sounds very good.” She winked at him before falling quiet as she looked out into the quiet.

“I’m not exactly good,” Danny said, stealing a glance at her. No, not good at not noticing the way her hair caught the streetlight. It was bad news all around and he was half in the street waving down a cab for her despite the crack of thunder and threat of rain.

She, on the other hand, didn’t seemed concerned about the impending possibility of rain. “Well you defended my honor or whatnot,” she pointed out as he hailed a cab. “I could’ve taken him but it’s nice to know someone has my back. You sure move fast when a girl might be in trouble.” Reaching back she undid the bun, letting her blonde hair tumble out and she shook her hair out before drawing it back into a ponytail. It made her look her age, less dressed up for a night on the town. Taking the clean end of the bloody handkerchief she wiped off her red lipstick.

He jogged back to her as the cab pulled over, looking at her with her hair down, lipstick wiped away. She was younger than he’d guessed by quite a few years. “You could have taken him?” he asked, surprised to hear that. As the car pulled up he got her door, not quite meeting her eyes as the sky opened up. “Stay safe,” he said as the drops started to fall, making his hair hang in his face.

Rachel stood there for a moment watching him as the rain hit both of them. His hair was a little long; bangs needed cutting and it made him look younger in turn. Taking a step forward she dropped a kiss on his rough cheek, tucking the bloody handkerchief now smeared with lipstick in a belt loop with practiced ease. For what it was worth, it was the only purposefully flirtatious thing she’d done the entire night. “Maybe if you weren’t married, you might’ve asked earlier,” she said with sly smile. “Night hero boy.” She got into the car and waved off the annoyed mumblings of the driver and gave him the address of the agency.