“‘Kay!” Perfect. Now Danny had the chance to present Mal his gift with a bit more flare, something he knew Mal would appreciate. But how to do it?
Setting the box on the coffee table so he could put his jacket and messenger bag away, he looked around the room. One thing that always stood out to him in the apartment was Mal’s Mapplethorpe nude—Thomas, 1987.It focused on the physical form, but to Danny, the photograph was about the struggle within, constantly pushing backat a world closing in around you, sometimes barely able to stand, but it was a fight no one could escape.
Once, that might have seemed pessimistic and daunting, but now, Danny saw it as inspiration to keep fighting even when he faltered.
Maybe he could hide the package—
His phone ringing interrupted him. Pulling it from his pocket, he smiled at the Caller ID. “Hey, Stella. No, I’m home actually. We’ll head to the morgue soon. You?” He glanced at the box again. Maybe the Bond villain closet.
Heading over to it, Danny touched the panel to open the hidden room. The wall slid aside, and he looked in on the new pair of goggles Andre and Priestly had finished, boots, a few sets of brand new cleaned and pressed black bodysuits, and Mal’s amplifier. All that was missing was…
Danny snorted.
“Something funny?” Stella asked.
“Oh, just something of Mal’s he’ll have to explain.” Reaching into the closet, Danny pulled out the neatly displayed Winterheart Diamond. Mal couldn’t possibly have expected Danny to miss it.
“How do you two compromise your…opposing lifestyles?” she asked with a grin in her voice.
Danny held the diamond in one hand and his phone in the other. Not the closet. “Every stumble is just another chance to get to know each other better.”
“Right,” Stella snickered.
“Besides, we’re always honest with each other about the things that matter. The rest, well…‘opposing lifestyles’ can actually be kind of fun.”
“I’m happy for you, Danny. Really. See you soon?”
“Can’t wait.”
Ending the call, Danny clutched the diamond tightly. He knew exactly how to give Mal his present.
R
Mal hadn’t meant to clean the apartment. It certainly didn’t need such thorough attention. But he’d gotten anxious thinking about the event on Sunday. One thing had led to another until the place was basically spotless. He was good at making speeches. He loved capturing the attention of the masses with a dramatic show. He’d just never done it for a good cause before.
Refreshed from his shower, Mal stepped out of the steaming bathroom with a towel tucked neatly around his waist. He’d already laid out something to wear for the rest of the evening. Nothing too dressy; they weren’t exactly having a candlelit dinner but a simple get-together at the morgue in celebration of reaching one month since they’d finally gotten their one-up on Ludgate and since Mal and Danny had moved in together. Friday nights were often busy for patrol, but they’d be on call if anything came up.
“Out of the shower yet, Mal?” Danny called from downstairs.
“Just getting dressed!” He appraised his outfit a moment before deeming it the right choice—his teal button-down and jeans. “Fill out your heroics for the day yet, Sparky?” The game on Danny’s tablet had been improved over the weeks but still entailed a sort of living journal and checklist he went through every evening.
“Yep,” Danny said, closer now, maybe halfway up the stairs, while Mal reached for his underwear. “Nothing beats a winning kiss from Prometheus.”
“I can think of a few things…” Mal said beneath his breath, though loud enough that Danny likely heard him.
“Hey, Ice Man. Catch.”
Mal turned, underwear in hand, standing in nothing but a towel, to see a sparkle of light headed toward him. His reflexes were bar none—other than Danny’s maybe—and he caught the item thrown at him easily, though he lost his underwear in the process.
The Winterheart Diamond. He knew Danny would find it eventually.
“About this,” he began, “I’ll return it some…day…” but his voice trailed off as he noticed Danny poised at the top of the landing with bare feet and bare legs, leading up to the hem of a navy blue… “Is that…?”
Danny toyed with the zipper, which was the only thing keeping him from exposing that he was definitely wearing nothing underneath. “A present?” he said, devilish grin on his utter lie of an innocent face. “I know how bummed you were about the damage to your old duster, couldn’t get it repaired right, couldn’t find another one as good as the first. So I had one made for you.”
His duster, down to the very last detail—aside from the Lightning Elemental currently inside of it. Mal had been wearing a simpler jacket the past few weeks, which was utilitarian but not as imposing or memorable.
“I hope you like it. Andre helped with schematics from camera footage and photographs, but I used a tailor for the final touches.” Approaching Mal slowly, he moved the hand not playing with the zipper to tease along the collar.
