#bones au

But he also doesn't hate it as much as he used to. He has his own access card that lets him onto the platform, and the lab doesn't look like a futuristic labyrinth to him anymore — Daniel knows the shortcut to the upstairs lounge, doesn't get lost on his way to the Limbo. He knows that Charles' office has the comfiest couch to nap on, and that he moves all the drawings around once a week because he likes change.

Daniel also knows, that if he ever wants a snack — and not the crappy stale healthy grain bars from the pantry in the lounge — he needs to go to Carlos, because he always keeps a stashbehind one of the terrariums. Daniel also knows not to touch any of those, because one the glass enclosures definitely has a venomous snake inside.

Daniel already knew that the pictures that Lewis keeps on the desk in his office are of his family, but now he also knows that there's a picture of the forensic team among them too — it was taken this summer, and Oscar gave it to him as a present, with the names and an arrow drawn above each person, because to this day Lewis keeps accidentally calling him "Oswald".

Despite all of that, though, Max's office is still Daniel's favorite.

He likes the warm orange-red-brown tones, the plush carpet and the nice couches. He is still baffled by the dick-shaped wooden statue in one of the glass shelves, but now he knows it's some kind of fertility charm. Daniel also learned that sometimes the children that visit the lab for school trips give Max little cards that they drew, and that Max pins all of them to the whiteboard behind his desk with colorful magnets.

When Daniel gets closer to the door, he spies Max sitting by his desk — not in his office chair, but in one of the plush armchairs next to it. He's reading a file, most likely their recent case, with a pencil held firmly between his neat fingers.

"Can you believe it's been a year?" Daniel says, after knocking on the glass door.

"Daniel," Max beams, looking up from the file, "Of course. It was our first time working together."

"November 20th," Daniel says, sitting down in the chair next to him. "A lot has changed since then," he knocks his knee into Max's, "you're not as annoying as you used to be."

Max rolls his eyes, smiling. "I was never annoying, it was of course you being arrogant."

"Arrogant? Moi?" Daniel gasps, putting his hand on his chest. "Says the guy who decked a man in the stomach for touching him."

"He killed a kid, Daniel. Getting punched in the stomach is the least he deserves," Max replies, making a face. Daniel mirrors his expression, remembering that case — he's actually grateful that it was Max who punched the asshole first, because it distracted Daniel enough from his own itching fists.

"Besides," Max starts, thankfully changing the topic, "You cannot call me arrogant, I didn't try to make you use titles, Agent Ricciardo. It's been a year, and you still call me Bones."

"But that's our thing!" Daniel exclaims. "You're Bones," he points to Max, "and I'm Danuyl," he says, mimicking the way Max pronounces his name.

Truth is, Daniel likes the way Max says it, how his slight accent curls around the sounds. When they just started working together, it used to grate on his nerves — like a lot of things abotut Max, before Daniel realized he is far from those snobby professors who think they're better than everyone just because they spent half their lives in academia.

Max wrinkles his nose. "First—" he holds up his finger, "I sound nothing like that. And second—" he holds up another finger, "At least don't do it in front of other people. My students keep asking to call me that too, and I keep trying to tell them that you're the only one who's allowed to do that."

A warm feeling spreads through Daniel's chest. "Just let me talk to them," he suggests, fiddling with the end of his tie. "I know how to be persuasive."

Max shakes his head. "No, that's too extreme. I think I just have to be more firm, especially with Kimi, he's the only one who still keeps trying," he sighs.

"The last time I held a lecture, he called me Professor Bones," Max says, smiling fondly. "I felt like one of those villains from superhero movies."

Daniel smiles too. "Then you should probably tell him now. Speaking from experience," he says, "it won't go away on its own. He'll call you Professor Bones for at least another year."

Max barks out a laugh, doubling down with it, and his head almost touches Daniel's thigh. Smiling, Daniel watches the way Max's face squishes up, listens to the raspy high tone of his voice. Max is always easy with his laughter, but every time Daniel feels this spark of pride and joy, that he was the one to make the joke, even though they're not always funny.

Max straightens back out, and they're sitting much closer now. Daniel feels the way Max leans into him as he calms down.

Max's cheeks are pink, and there's a glint in his eyes when he says, "You actually reminded me of something. I have a gift for you."

"A gift? For our anniversary?" Daniel asks. "Aw, Bones, you shouldn't have."

Daniel feels kind of stupid now for not getting that box of chocolates he planned to buy on his way here. If he knew Max had a gift for him too, he definitely wouldn't get in his head about it all.

Max reaches inside his lab coat pocket. Looking bashful, he says, "No, it's. I didn't plan for it to be for the anniversary. I just saw it and thought of you."

He brings his hand out between them and turns it up. A small, black leather-covered box sits on his palm. A ring box.

"Um," Daniel says, carefully taking the box from Max's hand. He stares at it for a moment, turning it around.

It can't be what he thinks it is, that just wouldn't make sense.

Daniel doesn't want to open it. Daniel doesn't want to not open it.

He opens it, carefully prying the top half open. Inside is a ring — just as Daniel expected — but not the kind he feared it would be. It's silver and the front is shaped like a horseshoe, with the words 'Hard luck' graved inside. Daniel plucks it out, watches the way the metal gleams under the light.

"I saw it and thought of you, because you like cowboys so much," Max explains, scratching at his earlobe.

The warm feeling is back in his chest as Daniel slowly slides the ring onto his middle finger. Of course, it fits perfectly.

"Thank you," he says, looking up at Max. "I love it."

Smiling, Max says, "Of course," and suddenly Daniel can't handle how earnest he sounds.

"I guess we have to stick together for at least another year," Daniel jokes, looking down at his hand. "Now that we're tied with a ring."

Max huffs a laugh, then says, "Charles said that you might not like it, because in many cultures giving gifts, especially rings, is viewed as a gesture of love, but I told him that's stupid. You, of course, don't need to love someone to give them a gift."

Max has a smile on as he speaks, but something is off about it, like Max is trying to defend, or justify himself.

"True. But you know I do love you, right?" the words are out of Daniel's mouth before he thought them through.

Max snaps his head up to look at him. "You do?"

Daniel spins the ring around his finger. "Yeah. You're my friend, Bones, of course I love you," he says, knocking his knee into Max's again. The impact feels much harder this time, makes his bones rattle.

It's not a lie. They are friends. It's normal to love your friends. In the past, Daniel's had friends that he thought were cute or hot, it's just how it is. You spend a lot of time with your friend, and you come to love them. Max is one of those friends.

"Oh," Max says, sitting up; their knees don't touch anymore. "You are my friend too, of course."

Daniel opens his mouth to say something, but a knock on the door interrupts them. It's one of the lab workers, they need Max to sign a paper. Max stands up, leaving Daniel alone.

When Max comes back, he sits down in his office chair.

"Do you want to go grab dinner?" Daniel asks, looking at the desk that separates them. He suddenly feels cold, sitting alone here. Having Max in the chair next to him was better, warmer. He misses that.

"I actually need to finish writing this report for our case," Max replies, holding up the file he was reading before.

The expression on Max's face is neutral, blank, and Daniel has the feeling like he did something wrong — he's never the target of this expression, and he doesn't like it.

"Well," he starts, fidgeting with the ring, "how much do you have left? I don't mind waiting."

Max looks up from the file. "I just started on it," he says, then takes a deep breath, "but I do not think it will take long. How long did it take to write yours?"

"I-uh, still need to write mine," Daniel laughs, sheepish.

"Daniel, what," Max asks in a flat tone.

Raising his hands in defense, Daniel says, "I was busy! And you know I hate paperwork, can I just look at yours and write the same?"

Max rolls his eyes, but Daniel can see the smile that tugs at the corners of his mouth. "Fine. I'll let you look, but don't copy it."

They end up sitting on one of the couches, sides pressed together. Daniel feels warm as watches Max write down the report in his neat handwriting, then watches his focused expression. When his gaze falls on Max's mouth, he looks away.

"How much was the ring, by the way?" he asks, spinning it on his finger again; it's very satisfying, actually.

Max glances away from his notes. "That is not very polite to say."

Daniel leans into him. "Come on," he says, "I don't care how cheap it was, I'm just curious."

When Max tells him the price, Daniel's jaw drops. He wants to put it back in the box now. So he can keep it safe and pass down to his grandchildren as an heirloom. "Shut up," he exclaims.

"It is not that expensive, Daniel," Max shrugs. "Especially for a friend, of course."

"I am paying for dinner, then," Daniel says, standing up. "Come on."

"What, now?" Max asks with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not done with the report yet."

Daniel ushers him up, then starts tugging on his lab coat. "You'll finish it tomorrow," he says, "Charles will wait until the end of the week anyway, he's always the last one."

Max doesn't protest, letting Daniel take off the coat, then dutifully lets him help put on his jacket. "Fine, but you're taking your own file with you, so we can write it together," he says.

"Yes, whatever you want," Daniel replies, walking them out of the office.

"I can't believe I was stressing about buying you chocolates for our anniversary," he grumbles, "and you bought me a ring that costs a third of my rent."

Max perks up. "Chocolate? What kind?"

Daniel scratches his neck, saying, "It was these Kinder ones, with the- You know what, I'm just gonna buy them on the way, alright? To cover at least a part of the ring price."

He'd have to buy Max dinner for the rest of the month to make it even. Which doesn't sound as bad, if he's honest.

"You don't have to cover it," Max complains. "It was a present!"