Friends and Conversation

Disclaimer: Jack, Viv and their merry band of men belong to CBS, Bruckheimer Productions, et al. I claim no credit for them, and fanfic is pretty much a not-for-profit business.
 

Martin stayed at his desk filling out paperwork while they booked George Anderson. He learned his lesson from that asshole Reyes, and knew not to get himself into a situation where his emotions could potentially damage their case. The last thing he wanted was for Anderson to get off on a police brutality loophole, and they already cut it close in the motel room when they picked him up.

Martin watched Anderson get taken away in cuffs by a police officer with Viv trailing close behind. Some time later a social worker from DCFS arrived. Elena had located an old FBI t-shirt and a pair of Sam’s sweatpants for Melissa to wear so that she no longer had to cover herself with a blanket. As they led her past Martin and out of the building, he saw her clinging to Jack’s hand, gazing up at him like he was her own personal guardian angel.

Hours later, Martin had completed his last report and shut down the computer. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He felt drained, both physically and emotionally. Every picture of Melissa that he had painstakingly labeled and logged as evidence was burned into his mind with a clarity that made Martin hate his near-photographic memory. His whole side throbbed from all the activity of the day, and he’d taken a pill to help alleviate the pain. He hated still needing them, even after all those months. He’d weaned himself down to one every few days, but he knew his body well enough to recognize that if he didn’t use his meds that night, he’d never fall asleep.

He struggled to his feet and was headed to the elevator when Danny caught up with him. His dark hair looked more rumpled than usual and he’d lost his suit jacket, tie and the top two buttons of his dress shirt at some point in the night. Martin looked away and pressed the down elevator button. He didn’t have enough energy to deal with the tempting image Danny made.

“Are you hungry?” Danny asked him.

“No,” Martin answered quickly and honestly. The thought of eating anything made him sick.

“Me either,” Danny agreed. “So we’ll just get coffee.”

“I’m really not up to it,” Martin said as the elevator doors slid open. They waited for four harried agents to file out before stepping inside.

Danny pressed the button for the ground floor and turned to Martin. “We’re government employees. Our bodies are half caffeine. Besides, I need to wind down or I’ll never get to sleep.”

“And you think drinking coffee is the best way to do that?” Martin asked, feeling his lips curl into a smirk, amused despite himself.

“You know you want to,” Danny coaxed in that low, intimate voice he used to seduce information out of reluctant witnesses.

Martin felt his resolve weaken in the face of Danny’s small, hopeful smile, but he tried to hold out. Being with Danny when he felt so ragged and drained was dangerous. “It’s late,” he tried.

“No, it’s not,” Danny answered. He took a moment to let his grin widen at Martin’s confused expression. “It’s early.”

When the elevator doors opened after his pronouncement, Martin realized that Danny had paused for effect as the daylight burned Martin’s eyes. When did it become morning? Martin glanced at his watch. Nearly seven. He sighed.

“Yeah, ok.”

*

“So Reggie has a girlfriend?” Martin asked, taking another sip of coffee.

Danny nodded. The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement. “Oh yes, and it’s apparently very serious. Viv found out about it when Reggie asked her for a two hundred dollar advance on his allowance to buy a gold necklace he found on Ebay.”

“What did she say?”

Danny gestured at Martin. “You know Viv.”

“She gave it to him,” Martin replied with certainty. Viv and Marcus believed in letting Reggie learn from his own mistakes.

Danny nodded and his tongue slipped out briefly to lick coffee from his bottom lip. Martin looked down into his cup.

“She did,” Danny confirmed. “She also doubled his chores and made him promise to bring the girl over for dinner next week.”

*

“Oh man, I thought I was so smooth,” Danny said in between chuckles. “I took her to a movie and then out miniature golfing.”

“I’ve never been miniature golfing,” Martin commented. He sat up straighter when Danny shot him a scandalized look.

“You’ve never played mini-golf? Never?” His tone told Martin that he took grave offense to that fact.

“I’ve played actual golf,” Martin defended.

Danny smirked. “Of course you have, Country Club Boy.”

Martin just grinned at the playful ribbing.

*

“Thanks,” Martin said to the waitress as she refilled his cup. She nodded before topping off Danny and disappearing into the morning rush of people.

“You know Jaime and Fernando?” Danny asked. He carefully ripped open two packets of sugar and dumped the contents into his cup.

“The A/V techs on the third floor?” Martin asked. It was hard to miss the two Puerto Rican computer nerds. They were always together and always spoke in rapid-fire Spanish. Most of the time, Martin could only make out the words, “magic” and “gathering.”

“That’s them,” Danny answered with a nod and a shared grin. “I was down in their lab last week, and Jaime told me that they’ve found a way to hack into Jennifer Lopez’s email account.”

Martin almost choked on his coffee. “At work?”

“No, no, at their apartment. They’re not doing anything with the information, but her password is ‘bronxkitten.’”

“You’re kidding me.”

Danny raised one of his hands. “I swear to God.”

*

Martin stifled a yawn behind his hand and glanced at his watch. It was almost ten. Thankfully, Jack gave the whole team the day off, saying he’d call if he needed them. Still, it was late. Or early, as Danny would remind him.

By unspoken agreement, Danny brought his wallet out and tossed enough bills on the table to cover both their tab and the tip.

“Hey wait…” Martin started, but Danny waved him off.

“You get it next time.”

“All right. Thanks.”

“Sure.”

Martin stood up and realized that his racing mind had finally slowed, and his body no longer ached. He watched Danny stretch his arms above his head before pushing away from the table. He knew that Danny was probably exhausted, and that his suggestion of getting coffee together had nothing to do with himself at all. Martin felt a disquieting rush of affection that he tried to hide behind his shuffle to pull on his coat.

“Danny?” he said after a moment.

“Hmm?” Danny asked, walking around the table to stand next to him.

“Really, thanks.”

Danny grinned, a quick, sharp thing brighter to Martin’s eyes than the shock of sunlight inside the elevator. “Don’t mention it, Fitzie.”