#daniel blake

As the two of you approached the door, Daniel hooked his arm in yours, the motion bringing you closer to him and into the range of his cologne. You couldn't really describe the scent, but it felt…right for him. The thought made you subconsciously relax into his embrace as he stopped to chat with the man playing security at the door. "Good evening, Daniel," the man said, his English accent and crisp appearance cluing you into his identity. "I see you've brought a guest."

"That I did," he confirmed with a bright smile. He gave him your name, saying, "She should be on the list. I told Jessika that I'd be bringing a plus one."

"And I see…she indeed is," the man said as he cordially nodded with a curt smile.

"See ya in there, Buck!" Daniel said before gesturing for the two of you to start moving forward into the ball room.

"He seems…intense," you said as you dared a quick glance back to the man you now had confirmation was Buck Cashman.

"Ahh, don't worry about it. He's always like that. Part of the job as Fisk's personal security detail," Daniel told you, although the statement didn't assure you as much as he probably intended it to. "Champagne?" he asked, flagging down one of the waitstaff who were walking around with trays of the bubbling beverage.

"Don't mind if I do," you said as you graciously took a glass from the gentleman who approached. After taking a sip, you couldn't help the quiet groan of appreciation in response to the taste. "Holy shit, is that the real deal? Like…actual champagne from Champagne?"

"Only the best from the Fisks," Daniel said with a wink before taking a sip from his own glass.

"So, what exactly do you do at an event like this? I'll admit I'm a little out of my depth here…"

"Just talk, shmooze with the rich folks. We're trying to raise funds to help with the port project, after all." He raised his glass to a gentleman who was passing by, adding quietly to you, "The amount of wealth in this room is ridiculous. If we can sucker even a little out of everyone, the project's as good as funded and then some!"

"Oh, wow!" you breathed. "And who was that gentleman who passed us before?"

"That was Jacques Duquesne. He's always been filthy rich, but when he was framed for murder a little while back, he got a big, fat settlement of millions for defamation of character."

"Holy shit…"

"Yeah, and don't even get me started on Miss Wendy Garland over there…" he droned as he glanced over at a brunette woman across the room, sporting a necklace that took up most of her exposed neckline. He tipped his glass subtly toward a couple on the other side of the room, whispering, "Them I'm not sure of, but-"

"Doctors Maxwell and Hibara. Surgeons at Metro General," you mumbled as you eyed them with disdain.

"You know 'em?"

You scoffed. "Let's just say I hate having their patients…" you mumbled.

"Oh? You not liking certain patients?"

"No, no, it's not the patients I dislike, it's just…them." This was something you had discussed at length with your nurse manager and it got you heated every time, so you couldn't help but just…talk about it, telling Daniel, "There's been multiple occasions where I feel like they put me in a bind when it comes to caring for their patients. When a patient can't make their own decisions and there's no next of kin or we can't contact them in an emergency, two doctors are allowed to sign off on procedures to say that the treatment is medically necessary. They always sign off for one another when it comes to that. I mean, not that it isn't the right procedure that needs to happen sometimes, but…"

"They still get paid for the procedure, even if the patient doesn't make it, huh?" he asked.

"Right. Then the rich get richer. Both of their kids are in medical school right now, too. If all four of them end up at Metro, that's the day I leave…" you mumbled before finishing off your first glass of champagne. "Oh, fuck, here they come…" you whispered when you accidentally caught their eye and they started making their way across the room. You kept a smile on your face as you said through gritted teeth, "Don't bring up what I just said. They aren't my bosses, but they can make my work life a living hell…"

"Got it," Daniel said, slipping his empty glass onto a passing waiter's tray and adjusting his hold on you so his arm was around your waist.

You held your fake smile toward the couple as they approached, greeting them with, "Hey, docs! How are you guys tonight?"

"We're doing well, thanks!" Doctor Maxwell said as he and his wife came to a stop in front of you.

Doctor Hibara, the far less pleasant of the two gave you a stiff smile before saying, "I didn't know an event like this would have…caught your attention."

Daniel could feel you stiffen up beside him, so he offered out his right hand to the couple, saying brightly, "She's here as my plus one. Daniel Blake. Communications team for Mayor Fisk. Can I just say how grateful he is for you to be here? To have two esteemed surgeons such as yourselves! It's an honor!"

The conversation went on like that for a good five minutes, with Daniel lathering on the compliments to the couple and telling them all about the project the fundraiser was for, answering any questions they had in regards to it. By the end of it, he had Doctor Maxwell pulling out his pocketbook and writing a check with even more zeros than you could imagine having to your name…

"Holy shit…" you whispered as he turned the two of you toward a private area where he could pass the check off to the person collecting donations.

"The rich aren't so rich anymore," he smarted off with a small smirk on his lips.

As the two of you made your way to speak with a different socialite, you caught Buck staring at you. You couldn't help but get an unsettled feeling in your gut, so you commented under your breath, "I don't think Buck likes me all that much…"

"That's just how he is. Don't let it get to ya," he tried to reassure you. You tried to have faith in the statement and really hoped that Daniel hadn't told him how BB had gotten the information on the Clean Green Haulers that caused her to write the article she did…

And that was how the next hour or so went, with you on Daniel's arm while he schmoozed as many rich people out of money as he could while you remained in Buck's line of sight almost constantly. Some of the socialites didn't bite, but others offered generous sums of money to revitalize the Red Hook port. In between every few guests, you excused yourself, claiming that the champagne was going right through you or else you were on the lookout for some other refreshment or hors d'oeuvre being served, but in reality, you were taking down any and every name that you could remember being at the party so BB could look into them.

At one point, right as you slipped your phone back into your clutch, Daniel appeared beside you, his voice wary as he said, "Hey, I'm sorry to end this early, but something came up and I gotta head out. Let me get you a ride back."

"O-okay! Yeah, for sure," you replied, taking his arm once again as he ushered you quickly toward the exit. "Everything okay?"

"For sure, it's just a work thing," he replied as he took out his phone and texted someone. "Nothing you did. I promise. You were - are - perfect."

By the time you had emerged from the building into the air of the city, there was already a car waiting at the curb, the driver posted at the back passenger side door ready to let you in. Daniel glanced at his latest text from Buck, and in his distraction, he didn't even think about what he was doing when he got you to the car, kissing your cheek once you were safely inside. "Get home safe, okay?" he asked.

"Promise," you breathed, feeling your heart climbing into your throat as the feeling of his lips on your cheek lingered.

"Daniel!" you heard Buck's English accent calling from nearby.

"I'm comin'!" he shouted back, stepping away and letting the driver close the door behind you as he rushed off to join Buck in getting into a separate SUV.

"Where to?" the driver asked as he got behind the wheel of the car and pulled away from the curb.

You told him the address in a far-off voice, still in shock over the kiss Daniel had landed on your cheek. Not because it was surprising, but because…you liked it? Shit…

By the time you got to the apartment, you had pulled yourself together, pushing away the realization you had after Daniel had kissed your cheek, instead focusing on the intel you had for BB. As you got yourself out of your dress and makeup, BB started to take down the names of people you had typed into your phone, asking clarifying questions about some of them and taking notes on what you remembered.

When she looked at the clock, her eyebrows furrowed as she said, "It's still early. What're you doing back? Isn't the event still going?"

"I think so? Maybe…" you replied with a shrug. "Daniel said he had to go early. Some quote, unquote work thing. Seemed urgent. Buck and him took off in an SUV right after I left."

"I've gotta figure out what happened…"

It didn't take too long to figure out, because the next morning, you both sat in the living room watching on the TV as Mayor Fisk announced something called the Anti-Vigilante Task Force. It was a group of hand-selected, no doubt by who, officers who were being tasked with the takedown of any vigilante activity. This group was brought on by the fact that two more people had been murdered the night before by the city's latest serial killer, Muse. Maybe that was what Daniel and Buck had rushed off to address and why Daniel had been so worried about you…

"God, this is such a headache…" BB muttered later that evening as she filtered through her notes on the takedown of Muse that afternoon. It was already being reported on, obviously, but she wanted to be the first with the details. "I wish we had-"

"Inside information?" you asked as your phone began ringing with a call from Daniel. You gestured for her to keep quiet as you answered and put the call on speaker, greeting him with a, "Hey Daniel! Busy day?"

"You don't even know the half of it…" he muttered. "I promise that I'll make it up to you soon, but right now I kinda gotta ask a favor."

"What's up?" you asked curiously, trying to keep your expression neutral. As much as you hated to admit it, the butterflies were soaring around in your stomach in full force as you listened to him speak, and you knew you had to hide it from BB…

"Do you think you could get BB to come to City Hall? I've got something that I wanna run in the BB report. An exclusive directly from the Mayor's office."

BB's eyes widened immediately and she began packing her stuff into her bag quickly so she could rush over. She gestured for you to answer in the affirmative, so you cleared your throat and said, "Yeah, for sure. I'll send her now."

By the time Daniel had thanked you, BB was already pulling on her shoes and heading out the door, her ears deaf to him saying your name quietly in a question. "Yeah?" you asked, taking the phone off of speaker so he wouldn't hear the door closing without hearing you talk with your roommate.

"Again, I'm sorry for how last night ended. It was abrupt and I was distracted and-"

"Hey," you said gently, stopping his rambling apology. The smile was evident in your voice as you whispered, "It was perfect."

"Awesome…" he replied brightly and you could just imagine the wide smile on his lips.

You cleared your throat again before telling him, "BB should be on her way once I tell her. Where do you want her to meet you?"

"Just tell her same place as every time," he told you before you both said your goodbyes and hung up.

When BB got back, she looked deep in thought, a look of…concern on her face. "What happened? You okay?" you asked, pausing what was steaming on the TV to give her your attention.

"I mean…kinda?"

"What does that mean?"

"Daniel, he…he cashed in his IOU and asked me to…lie…on the BB report."

"Lie? What about?"

"The Muse takedown. Anyone with common sense knows it was Daredevil that took him down. The Mayor's office wants the story to be ran that the Task Force was responsible, though. And…"

"And…?" you asked when she paused to look out the window over the city lights.

"Basically…they want the BB report to be in Fisk's pocket. And like with all things Fisk, it feels like I don't have a choice in the matter…"

"Oh, shit…" you whispered, shaking your head.

She sighed, closing her eyes as she said, "We knew this was dangerous going in, though. We just…we just have to play the game. I just hate that that means practically giving up the BB report because it's losing all integrity!"

"Then start another. Write under a different name. It wouldn't be the first time," you suggested. You stood up and gave her a hug, whispering, "I'm sorry about the BB Report. Maybe…maybe this can all work out."

"I hope so…"

a/n: you guys, the kiss on the cheek thing happened so organically and it was just so CUTE! it had me kicking my feet and giggling! like @loveroftoomanyfandoms said last night when we were discussing the last chapter, Daniel tends to wear his heart on his sleeve when it comes to Reader and i'm absolutely here for it 100000%! SO cute and sweet! we've got lots of breadcrumbs dropped in this one that i'm honestly very proud to have come up with! it's gonna be exciting!

"No, but I can. Just one sec," you said, putting him on speaker but then muting your phone's microphone so he couldn't hear as you asked BB, "What's he talking about?"

"I ran the story you got him to talk about this morning," BB told you simply as she pulled up her laptop so you could see the article.

Your heart dropped when you saw it, widening your eyes as you said, "BB, I was going to try and get more out of him after the meeting!"

The argument couldn't continue as Daniel's voice came through the phone, saying, "Mayor Garbage. C'mon! I was drunk and high and told you something in confidence! What the hell?"

"Goddamnit!" you whispered, wracking your brain for an excuse. You gestured for BB to keep her mouth shut as you turned off the mute feature, telling him in as sincere of a tone as you could muster, "Daniel, I am so sorry. Look, I didn't know what would come out of that conversation and I had BB on the phone with me like I always do when I'm heading home or anything like that. It's for my safety. We've done it since we first got cell phones."

You heard him sigh, muting the phone again as you sighed dramatically in relief that he seemed to have bought the lie. The frustration was still evident in his tone as he said, "Fuck… I didn't mean to blow up, I'm sorry. It's just been a long-ass day and I got in deep shit with Fisk because of that article. Another screw up like that and I'm out."

BB's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head in response. The two of you couldn't afford for Daniel to lose favor with Fisk. You unmuted the phone again, sighing before reiterating, "I'm sorry, Daniel. Really. How can I make it up to you?"

"You owe me. You both do. I'll talk with BB when I need to cash that favor in," he bargained. When she heard this, BB gave a thumbs up before silently making her way from the living room, relief evident in her body language. You took the moment to take the phone off of speaker, holding it back up to your ear as Daniel said, "As for you, though, I'm thinking dinner and drinks. Somewhere nice, not some shitty-ass diner."

"Whatever it takes to make it up to you," you told him quietly.

The promise of dinner and drinks had to be rain checked three times, much to Daniel's dismay. The first night you both became available happened to be St. Patrick's Day, which meant there was a lot of foot traffic on the way there once he had swung by your apartment to get you. As you both sat down in a booth at one of the nicer restaurants you could get a reservation at, the waitress asked, "Can I get any drinks for the happy couple? While we aren't doing any green beer, I can offer you some more traditional Guinness or an imported Irish whiskey!"

After the two of you placed your drink orders, you began looking at the menu in search of something that sounded good to eat. When Daniel spoke, you could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he said, "Well, since this is our first date as a, quote, happy couple-"

"This isn't a date," you interrupted, your eyes glancing up from the menu to give him a look that said drop it. "This is a dinner I'm taking you to as an apology for fucking up."

"Who says it can't be both?" he asked casually as he browsed the menu.

"You're jumping the gun, Blake."

"So you're sayin'-"

You couldn't help but laugh as you playfully shoved his menu up to block his view of you, saying, "Look at the menu, not me."

"But you're-"

"Daniel!" you warned, pulling your menu up just a bit to avoid his eyes as the very real subject of his feelings toward you got brought up again.

With as long as this had been going on, you were toeing the line between this being beneficial to your cause and having to actually break the guy's heart. It was something you had tried to avoid because if you hurt him, then you lost access to him and therefore Fisk, but you also were starting to feel bad about leading him on. Your calls had become daily, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. And just as the cherry on top, after you had told him about the "reason" for the phone call on the way to his place from the club, he had started to keep you on the phone on your commute. He never said that it was to make sure you got home safe, but that had to have been the reason. You felt like you were heading toward something inevitable in hurting him, but you were determined to keep things as casual as you could until there was something more solid BB could get out of Fisk.

Unsurprisingly, the dinner was fabulous. The drinks paired perfectly with the food and by the time the two of you had polished off your shared dessert, you were ready to throw in the towel. Daniel seemed to have other plans, though, asking as the two of you left the restaurant, "Wanna head to that bar over there? Looks like a good time."

You thought about the offer for a second before nodding, asking, "Why not? It's only one time a year I get to drink artificially green beer."

"Hell yeah it is," he said gleefully before leading you to the nearby bar that was packed with rowdy patrons.

As you finished off your first drink, one of the many TVs in the bar started playing some infomercial about one of Fisk's latest initiatives. The strong Irish booze in your system had started to catch up to you, leaving you without as sharp a filter as you usually had, so you rested your chin on your hand as you asked, "Why do you support him? Like…what made you look at Fisk and say 'oh yeah, that's the guy I wanna stand behind'?"

"I mean, he's a great businessman to start," Daniel said before noticing he was behind on his drink.

"But he was found guilty of racketeering," you pointed out as he finished off his drink, trying to keep your tone light as you spoke.

"And then later acquitted on all charges," Daniel countered before waving to the waitress for another round. While the two of you waited, he added, "And besides, look at the promises he campaigned on! At the promises he's working on as we speak! The city's always been fucked up, and even more so since those aliens wrecked the place back in twenty-twelve. With Fisk, some of that shit's finally gettin' fixed!"

"Only took over a decade for something to happen…" you muttered, pushing away the bitter feelings The Incident brought up, considering you were sure all that foreign matter your dad helped clean up was what caused his cancer…

Your mind was brought back to the present when Daniel snapped his fingers and said brightly, "Exactly! Fisk is making the moves to fix things that the mayors of the past didn't care enough to bother with. He cares about the city! What's not to like about that? I just wanna see some good come to this place we call home. So does he. So, that's why he got my vote." He ended the statement with a casual shrug, giving the waitress a smile as she came by with your second round of drinks.

So, it was blissful ignorance. Daniel seemed to have no idea about all the bad Fisk had been speculated to be a part of. The mobs, the underground "businesses," the killings. He didn't seem to be aware of any of it. He just liked the guy because it seemed like the best choice for the city and for business within the city… Huh…

After a couple more rounds of drinks, Daniel had a bit of a hundred yard stare to him, so you asked, "Hey, everything okay?"

He shook his head to get the thoughts he was having away, asking, "Have you ever fucked up at work?"

"Well, yeah. Of course I have. Fucked up for my job versus yours may be totally different ball games, though, so how are we talking?" you asked before taking the last sip of your beer.

"Well, I guess I'm more so talkin' about doing somethin'…embarrassing or somethin' that makes other people think less of you."

You snorted out a laugh before deadpanning, "Daniel. I've been a nurse since before I could legally drink. Yes, I've done embarrassing shit at work." Sensing that there was something deeper going on that didn't need to be handled with humor, you asked in a gentler tone, "Is this about what happened to…for this night to happen?"

"No, that one lands more so in the fucked up category," he explained. He ran a hand through his hair as he detailed, "Sometimes when we're at work, I just…say stupid shit that makes…certain people look down on me. Tell me that I'm not cut out for this and all."

"Hey," you said, reaching across the table to gently squeeze his hand, withdrawing it before he could really react. Thinking back to the first morning you got coffee together, you asked, "How many signatures did you canvas to get Fisk on the ballot?"

"Two thousand…" he said, looking anywhere but you as you picked apart his dilemma.

"And that's what got you the job! That's so many signatures! That's like going to a small hospital and getting every single staff member to sign, like going to a high school and getting every one of those kids onto your side! Clearly you know what you're doing and you're great at convincing people of things!"

Sensing that this conversation probably warranted another drink, you busied yourself catching the waitress for another round as Daniel muttered under his breath, "Yeah, everyone but you…" When your eyes finally landed back on him, he sighed, a small smile starting to line his lips as he said, "I guess you might be right…"

"I know I'm right. Just ignore what those people say and keep your head in the game like I know you do. One day you'll prove 'em wrong. Maybe even get a promotion!"

"Sure…" he said, a quiet laugh breaking up the lingering sadness in his tone.

When the waitress returned with your drinks a few moments later, you held yours up to his and clinked the glasses together, telling him sincerely, "Seriously. You're amazing at what you do, Daniel. When you put your mind to something, you can do amazing things. You just gotta believe in yourself as much as you believe in the Mayor."

"Right," he said, a little more cheerfully. "Now, about those embarrassing work stories…"

"Oh, brother…" you said, already cringing at the memory of a specific one.

A little while after you were dropped off back at the apartment by Daniel, you heard your phone chime with a text notification. You dried your face and hands off from when you had washed your makeup off while getting ready for bed, checking the phone to see Daniel's name on the notification bar. As the phone recognized your face to unlock, you saw the content of the text that read Hey. I know tonight wasn't a date, but I was just wondering if you'd wanna be my plus one to the Stronger New York fundraiser?

As you read the message, an unexpected fluttering sensation filled your gut. What the hell?

You quickly pushed the feeling down and shook your hands out before heading out of the bathroom and into the living room where BB was working on her latest article on a bank robbery that had happened that afternoon. "Hey, look at this," you said, hoping your voice was stronger and more stable than it sounded to your own ears.

BB read the text before saying, "Well, you have to go." She quickly looked up the event and said, "Anyone who's anyone in the 'business' world will be there. We need that guest list. If we get it, I can start making connections between them and Fisk. Between them and…wow, really anything unsavory they've been a part of. This is huge!"

"Yeah, totally," you said, taking back the phone with a slight shake in your hand as you thought about the implications of his text and the outing itself.

As your thoughts began to run wild without your consent, BB sent you a look as you started at the phone. She studied your facial expression and body language for a few moments before saying your name in a sort of warning tone. That snapped you out of your mind, humming in acknowledgement as your eyes finally met hers. "I know that look," she said sternly, "and you can't. Not with him."

"I'm not-" you tried to counter, but were cut off.

"You might not be intentionally, but I know that look. It's the one you've always gotten since you were a kid when you had a crush on someone." She took the phone out of your hand and sent Daniel back a text that said I'd like that! Text me the details! before saying, "You cannot catch feelings for this guy. It's dangerous and you know it. You catch real feelings and if we get more information and Fisk finds out? You're dead. And so is he. Just like Ben."

"BB…" you said, still actively fighting everything swirling around in your head as she handed your phone back.

"Just…lock in. Be objective. If it'll help, I'll set you up on a date with someone else afterward. Okay?"

"Okay," you said, the phrase slipping out simply to appease her in the moment. You weren't sure what the butterflies were about nor why you were so anxious about the way he implied that the fundraiser would be a date, but you knew that BB was right. In the game the two of you were playing, there was no time for actual feelings, not if you didn't want to end up six feet under next to your dad.

a/n: shoutout to @loveroftoomanyfandoms for helping me plot this out and make more sense of the cascade of events that took us to...butterflies. for daniel? surely not! it's gotta be the booze talking! also, we got more information about Reader's dad, why he's been referred to only in the past tense, and what happened! (totally not me using this as a way to cope with my own dad's death but that's what my therapist told me to do so here we aaaarrreee)

"And…?" you dragged out, impatiently awaiting her answer.

"I've got an interview with Fisk tomorrow morning!"

"Hell yeah!" you cheered, waving your wooden spoon in the air in celebration.

BB laughed before settling back against the counter, telling you, "I don't know what you did to soften Blake up, but whatever it is, keep it up. It didn't even take much persuading on my part."

You shrugged in response, saying, "A little flirting goes a long way with guys like him. The way he talked about his position, he seems pretty close with Fisk, all things considered. Maybe it isn't too much of an ask, who knows."

"Well, all that matters is that the meeting is a-go."

After you had gotten everything plated up and on the small dining table, you and BB continued the conversation, with you asking, "So, what exactly do you plan on asking or getting out of Fisk during this meeting? He isn't just gonna give you information you want. I think you'll have to at least offer something of substance before he'll tell you anything, really."

"Well, it's a good thing I spent the majority of the day chasing a rumor I heard the other day," she said with a slight mysterious tone to her voice.

"Oh? Do tell."

"So, the other day when I was out chasing a different story, I heard some police officer mention that he heard that Commissioner Gallo was talking about stepping down because of Fisk. I went to a source I have in a different precinct and they said that what I heard is true. Gallo's been talking with some of the captains of certain precincts to test the waters on what the reaction would be if he stepped away."

"And?" you asked when she paused, not even realizing that you had started to lean in closer to her as she spoke.

"Let's just say that if Commissioner Gallo steps away, Fisk would be in a huge bind. The people love Gallo, the police love Gallo. Best case scenario, the cops protest and Fisk loses support of the people."

"Well, best case for people like us who want him out," you pointed out.

"Exactly." She took a bite of her meal as she thought, saying afterward, "But if there's threat enough of losing support, there's a chance that he'll make changes that are of benefit to people like us. People who don't support him."

"And what if he doesn't take the bait?"

"Then…things stay the same as they are. Then I'll find something else. Get another interview. Rinse and repeat until something big enough comes up and we're able to boot him out. At some point, someone's gonna screw up or slip up. They have to. And I think our best bet is-"

"Daniel," you finished for her with a nod. "He's proud of his position and he seems loyal as hell to Fisk for whatever reason. He got like…two thousand signatures to get him onto the ballot for election."

"Then you'll have to be extra careful," BB warned. "If you're dealing with someone that loyal to Fisk, then if you slip up, it's your head on the chopping block. We can't risk that. It can't happen. Not…not again."

"I know. I'll be careful, BB. Promise."

The meeting with Fisk didn't turn out as fruitful as BB had hoped, her short five minutes ending even sooner than she wanted when she was promptly kicked out after mentioning Mrs. Fisk. It wasn't all for naught, though. Daniel and BB had a meeting to discuss the BB report and how she keeps the attention of the audience she does before inviting the two of you out to the club the next evening.

As the two of you got ready, BB commented, "Depending on how tonight goes, we might be able to get some information out of him."

"Alcohol tends to have that effect on people," you said with a laugh. "What are you hoping to get out of him?"

"Don't know, don't care how big it is, but I just need something," she replied as she pulled her purse over her shoulder. While the two of you headed for the door and you grabbed your keys, she asked, "Are you sure you're okay with being the DD? I wouldn't want to put you out or anything. Plus, how much fun are you really gonna have if you're stone cold sober?"

"I'm sure I'll have plenty of fun, even without alcohol. It's honestly sometimes more entertaining to see you drunk than anything," you smarted off. "Plus, if Daniel does blab about something, one of us has to be sober enough to remember it. That's kinda the whole point of this."

"Sounds like a plan. Let's get this party started!"

The night went on without a hitch, with BB even reconnecting with an old friend from college while out at the club. The two were desperate to continue the night, even when Daniel finally - at around four in the morning - decided that he needed to call it. When he made the announcement, BB groaned. No matter how much liquor she had encouraged into him, he still hadn't spilled anything. In an attempt to keep him longer or force something out of him, BB said, "Oh come on! Fisk is riding you way too hard! This whole in by eight thing-"

"Seven, actually!" he corrected, looking at his watch, his eyes closing with a sigh as he realized the time. "So, I gotta go."

"See! This is exactly what I'm talking about! Any normal job, we'd take a few more shots, hit up that spot on twenty-third, sleep on the train, take a shower, go to work, and do it all again the next night!"

"What kind of normal routine is that?" he asked, shaking his head. He pointed to you as you were sipping on your…who knew how many...fifth of sixth virgin cocktail of the night. "She's got a normal job and I definitely don't see her doing this on the regular." He pointed to BB as he asked you, "Does she do this a lot?"

You couldn't help but laugh a little as you nodded, telling him, "Yes, and there are some days I worry about her! Some nights she isn't even back by the time I'm taking off for work."

"Oh, don't you start now, you Debbie Downer!" BB told you with a playful roll of her eyes. "College changed you!"

"Becoming a healthcare professional changed me," you told her while digging out your keys.

"Whatever! Come on, you two! Let loose and live a normal life!"

"Again, there's nothing about this," he said, gesturing to his watch and the club, "that's normal!"

"And working for Fisk is?"

"Listen, I dunno what to tell ya, I love the guy!"

"God…" BB's friend groaned, stealing the shot from Daniel's hand and taking it.

"I'm for real! We have this real important meeting this afternoon that I can't miss! I need at least some sleep for it, especially if-" When Daniel cut himself off, he looked over your shoulder and said in a slightly aggressive tone, "Hey! Back off!"

You snapped around, trying to see if someone was after you, but you didn't see anyone anywhere close. Daniel, however, continued to advance toward you, wrapping an arm protectively around your waist. With your eyebrows furrowed, you looked at BB with a confused look on your face. She looked just as confused, so you wiggled around in Daniel's grip and said, "Hey, look at me."

"But-"

"Daniel. I said look at me. Let me see your eyes," you said softly, reaching up and putting gentle pressure on his jaw to make him turn his attention to you. When you finally got his eyes on you, you saw that his pupils were absolutely blown out, so much that you could barely see the brown of his irises. "Did you take something?"

"I- It's just-"

You kept your voice gentle as you said, "I don't care if you did, I just need to know. I'm not judging you."

"Yeah…" he admitted, his eyes flicking away from yours for a moment. "Someone at the bar had some Super K and I just…I dunno why I took it, I just did, and-"

"Hey," you said with a quiet laugh, "it's okay. Let me get you home?" The wolf whistle from BB's friend brought you out of the conversation, suddenly realizing how close the two of you still were. He seemed to notice too a few seconds later, his reaction time delayed by all the liquor and drugs in his system. When you pulled away, you jingled your car keys and said, "We're gonna head out. You two coming or are you going to get food?"

"Food," BB said as she wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders. She gave you a pointed look as Daniel went to the bar to pay his tab, telling you, "Keep trying. Call me on your way. Maybe he'll slip when there's less people around. Find out what that meeting's for."

"I got it. No prob," you said quickly, stopping the conversation as Daniel returned.

BB and her friend began turning in a different direction from the parking garage you had found earlier in the night, her friend letting out yet another wolf whistle and calling out, "Go get you some!" before drunkenly giggling with BB.

"Sorry about them," you mumbled as you found your car and unlocked it. "In college, it was always the two of them that would stay out the longest."

"Don't worry about it," he said as he settled into the passenger seat, his movements uncoordinated as he went.

Before you pulled out of the spot, you reached into the backseat of the car, your hand returning with a bottle of water and offering it to him. "Drink. It'll help everything clear your system faster."

He simply nodded, cracking the bottle open and beginning to work on it as you started the car and turned the radio on for some background noise. You made sure that your phone wasn't connected to the bluetooth before discreetly dialing BB and putting her on speaker. Now that the two of you were alone, it was time to see if he'd slip.

"Where to?" you asked when your tires hit the asphalt of the one way road the club was on.

"Oh, you can just get me to the Staten Island ferry."

You shot him a concerned glance for a second, telling him, "Absolutely not. You aren't getting on a ferry by yourself while you've got ketamine and a shit-ton of liquor in your system."

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me," he said with a shrug.

"No, I will worry about you. Remember that list of things I won't do or take precautions for because of my job?"

"Oh, come on, don't quiz me now…"

"I'm being serious! You could fall over the side of the ferry and into the water, get assaulted, lost, among so many other things."

"I have a feelin' you aren't gonna give this up, huh?"

"Not a chance. You're stuck with me for now."

Although you couldn't hear it because you turned the radio up the slightest bit to listen to part of the song on the radio that you liked, Daniel commented under his breath, "I wouldn't call it stuck…"

A few minutes of comfortable silence passed before you finally asked curiously, "You said you had an important meeting this afternoon? You could have rain checked, you know."

"Nah, it's all good. I never really need an excuse for a night out." Especially with you… Daniel shook his head before saying, "But yeah, we've got this real important meeting with this company called the Clean Green Haulers. They're a new tech company with a dope recycling idea!"

"Oh really? That could be cool. Less stuff in the landfills. Maybe help clean out the Hudson a bit, too," you replied, your heart skipping a beat as you realized that you might be onto something.

"Exactly! You get it! And it'll help decrease garbage output in the city! It's genius!"

The first thing that came to mind when he mentioned the decrease in garbage output was something your dad had said to you years ago, even years before he got sick. Listen kid, he had told you, Everyone around here's got a job and a purpose, even if it's something that you don't think is that great. The bodega workers keep everyone stocked up on their odds and ends, the street cleaners keep things looking as nice as they can, the garbage workers make sure the dumpsters don't dirty up the alleys too much. Everyone's got their role to play to keep this city running, and if just one thing changes, the whole damn thing could go belly up!

A huff of air left your nose as you remembered the conversation, offering up the counter, "The only thing with that is the unions. One thing goes out of whack and the whole operation goes belly up. Least, that's what my dad would say to that."

Daniel brushed you off, asking, "Ahh, don't worry about that. That's why we're startin' in the ports! Dual jurisdiction and all that. Mayor Fisk's got it all under control!"

"Right. Fisk can fix it," you forced out in a chipper tone, your eyes flicking to the screen on your smart watch to make sure BB had heard all of that on the call. Sure enough, right as your eyes landed on the screen, the call ended and you got a text that said, You're AMAZING! That was what I needed!

When it felt like it was inevitable that Daniel was going to fall asleep on the car ride to Staten, you got the address from him and connected your phone to the car in order to navigate to his place. By the time the car came to a stop in front of the building, he was stirring awake. "Morning," you said as he stretched as much as he could in the car. Something about the sudden wakefulness and the stirring of muscles made Daniel nauseous, his face twisting as the feeling overwhelmed him. "Okay, let's get you inside!" you said, noticing his face get impossibly paler as his body threatened to hurl.

You made your way over to the passenger side of the car, pulling the door open just in time for him to lean over the side and puke on the sidewalk. It was by sheer experience that you managed to dodge the spray, your shoes coming out of the encounter clean. Daniel had a look of complete and utter embarrassment on his face when he sat back up, his apology immediate as he said, "Oh my God, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

His words were interrupted by another bout of vomit making its way out of his mouth. When he came up again, you rubbed his back lightly, joking, "You think it's out of your system now?"

"Ha, ha, very funny," he said as he took the hand you offered to help him up. When he glanced down, he noticed that a bit of the vomit from the second bout had gotten onto your shoes, an embarrassed groan passing his lips as he said, "God, I'm so sorry…"

You looked at the shoes, not the ideal ones to clean up, but you shrugged nonetheless, telling him, "I've cleaned up worse. Just another day in the office for me."

"You're a goddamn saint, you know that?" he asked as you opened the rear passenger seat door to dig through a bag you had back there. When you returned to your full height on the sidewalk, you gave him something before crouching to start wiping your shoe off with a cleaning wipe. As Daniel turned the small silver package over in his hand, he asked, "Isn't this stuff prescription?"

Tossing the soiled wipe into a nearby trash can, you shrugged, telling him, "Yeah, but it's just Zofran. It's not like I'm giving you-"

"Ketamine?" he asked, finally cracking a smile while holding back a laugh.

"Not where I was going with that, but I think that's funnier than what I was about to say," you replied, shaking your head at his antics. You gestured toward the front door, adding, "Come on. Let's get you inside and cleaned up. Take a shower and then I'll drive you back." You checked your watch and nodded. "If we leave right after your shower, we should be able to make it to City Hall at a decent time so you aren't late."

Daniel said your name as you helped him balance on the way up the steps, telling you, "You really don't have to do that. I've already taken you so far out of the way."

"You're my charge right now. I'm gonna make sure you're sober enough before going into work," you told him as he unlocked the door to let the two of you in. As you both crossed the threshold into the cozy home, you added, "See, if you would have gone on the ferry, you might've gone overboard. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I knew I could've prevented that."

Before he could smart off, Daniel heard footsteps approaching from his mother's bedroom, a groaned out, "Ah shit…" leaving his lips.

You could tell the woman was still tired by the way she yawned and rubbed her eyes, her voice still a little groggy as she said, "Oh, Daniel, baby! You brought someone home with you!" Before Daniel could stop her, she plowed forward, saying, "Oh, you must be that girl Daniel hasn't stopped talking about! The, uh… I'm sorry, I'm blanking, it's so early… The, uh…" She snapped her fingers trying to jog her memory as you looked on with an entertained grin. "The ICU nurse!"

It was impossible for Daniel to hide the red flushing his cheeks and neck as he mumbled, "Yeah, she's the ICU nurse, ma. Can I go now? Can she go? I'm sure we'd all be more comfortable anywhere but here…"

"Go ahead," she said, shooing him up the stairs that he took slowly with his hand gripping the railing the whole way up.

When you were left alone with her, she introduced herself. "It's so nice to finally meet the girl who's made my Daniel so happy lately! I'm Gloria."

You gave her your name before telling her, "You have a lovely home," trying your best to ignore the part about Daniel possibly having feelings toward you. You would have to tell BB about it when you both got back to the apartment for the day. Sure, you had been flirting with Daniel in order to see if he would let any information on Fisk slip, but you didn't intend for this to happen.

"Thank you, sweetheart! Lots of love in this house!" she said. "Can I get you a coffee? While you sip on that, I can pick your brain on something!"

"Oh, sure!" you said in surprise, following her toward the kitchen where she began brewing a pot of coffee.

The strong smell was heavenly as it wafted through the kitchen and you knew that she had some quality coffee on her hands. As the smell got stronger, she asked, "Have you ever heard of Vital Spectrum?"

With your eyebrows furrowed a little, you shook your head as you replied, "I can't say I have."

Gloria scoffed, reaching into the cabinet for mugs, filling two as she said, "Haven't heard of- Well, I think you're in for a treat! How do you take your coffee?"

"Sweet and strong."

"Ahh, so you like your coffee like you like your men, I see," she said off-handedly as she put some sugar into your mug. You couldn't help the flustered blush that made its way onto your cheeks, but were glad to ignore the comment as she said, "Anyways! Vital Spectrum! It's the vitamin and supplement company I work for! We've got all sorts of goodies to keep you running in top shape, but I just wanted to pick your brain on the specifics so I know how to best advertise to customers."

"Hit me," you said as she handed you the mug of steaming coffee.

By the time Daniel emerged back down the stairs from his shower, you were deep in conversation with his mother about Vital Spectrum and the benefits of certain vitamins and minerals. As he prepared himself a to-go cup of coffee, Daniel groaned, saying, "She got her claws in you, didn't she?"

"Oh, stop it, Daniel. This is a conversation between two professionals about the benefits of nutrition!" she countered, staring at him over her mug.

He laughed good-naturedly as he checked his watch, telling her, "Well, we gotta go. I've gotta be at the office soon. It was good to see you this morning, ma." He gave her a hug as you stood from your chair and grabbed the Vital Spectrum bag full of vitamins you had purchased from her.

When the two of you were heading back to the car, Daniel gestured toward the bag as he said, "You didn't have to do that, you know. She gets a little crazy about that business."

You shrugged, telling him with a smile, "I needed to restock on vitamins anyway. With work, sometimes it's hard to eat right. A lot of the time, you're just eating between checking on patients or helping someone else. So, vitamins go a long way in helping make sure I'm not malnourished."

"Jesus, that's intense," he said as he settled into the passenger seat once more.

"It is, but I'm doing what I love, so I don't mind it all that much," you told him, offering him another bottle of water and a handful of the vitamins his mom had sold you. After he looked at the handful of pills, he gave you an incredulous look that you responded to with, "I can't exactly give you an IV and banana bag in my car. This is the next best thing."

"You two are teamin' up on me!"

"Just looking out for you," you countered as he took the pills and you started up the car.

The clock read 7:04 by the time Daniel got into the office, a little winded from his run to get in. He had wasted precious time thanking you and fishing for some cash to give you for gas and to get some breakfast, but giving you that cash was non-negotiable to him, even though you were reluctant to take it until you realized what time it was. "I am so sorry I'm late, I didn't mean to be! I was out with this girl and then-"

Buck gestured for him to begin walking to the car awaiting them as he said, "Daniel, I really don't need the details of your affair."

"Affair? Hey, wait, no, she doesn't have a boyfriend as far as I know. Besides, it isn't like that. Not yet anyway…" he said as he adjusted his jacket and tie once more. His tone was off-handed as he said, "I've just gotta be patient. Think I can-"

The two came to be in step with Mayor Fisk and Sheila as Buck cut him off once more, telling him, "As fascinating as your love life is, we've business to attend to."

"Right. Sorry…" he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck as he trailed behind the others, who all walked with a purpose to the car awaiting their arrival.

a/n: okay this one was so fun to write, especially the interaction with Gloria! oh, how i love her! i hope you enjoyed!

as always likes, comments, and re-blogs are greatly appreciated! until next time! xo! <3