Page 111 of Second Chance

“We’re okay?” Tony asks.

“We are.”

“Good.”

Worf takes the opportunity to squawk loudly at their feet.

“Don’t let him lie to you.” Tony glares down but rubs across Worf’s tailbone all the same. “He got all his regular meals and then some.”

“Filthy opportunist,” Daniel coos, letting Worf rub his cheek against Daniel’s fingers. “Cute, filthy opportunist.”

“Any news?”

Daniel shrugs. “My phone is still somewhere in the bushes by the road to Germantown, remember?”

“Shit. We’ll have to go to Best Buy or something.”

“I can order something online. It’s cheaper, anyway.”

Tony remembers the state of the office and winces. “Right. We’ll need to set up your whole desk system again.”

Daniel cocks his head, brow furrowed. “What happened there?”

“My parents and our friends and your sister showed up as soon as they knew you’d gone missing, and my ma insisted on cooking for everyone. Wasn’t enough space to sit and eat.”

Slowly, Daniel nods. “Explains why the fridge is so full.”

“You should have seen it before she cooked.”

Daniel laughs. “Is it weird that I’m glad we have so many people who care?”

“No.” Tony kisses him, soft and sweet. “Not at all.”

He finds his phone on the coffee table not too long after. “Sweetheart?” he calls. “Looks like we have many people who want to continue caring.”

“What do you mean?” Daniel emerges from the office, where he’s been setting his computer to rights.

“Ma wants to see you, make sure you’re okay. And Charlie and Blake G are both pissed no one told them what’s going on. And Lisa wants to check in.”

“Huh.” Daniel runs a hand through his hair. It’s frizzy from sleeping on it; putting his hands in it only makes it worse.

Tony wants to put his hands in Daniel’s hair.

“Colette and Meredith will want to see us sometime today, too,” Daniel points out.

“That’s so many people.”

“Mm.” Daniel considers. “How about the Indian place in Red Hook? Don’t they do a buffet?”

Anything to avoid having the apartment overrun again. Now Daniel’s back where he belongs, Tony finds himself unwilling to have their space completely taken over.

“Good idea,” he says.

“I’ll call and ask if they have space.” Daniel pats down his pockets and then remembers he still doesn’t have a phone. Tony holds his out wordlessly.

While Daniel makes the call, Tony sets about finding his goddamn hair ties. He checks under the bed and under the couch and, finally, when he can’t think of anywhere else they might be, in Worf’s little cubbyhole in the cat tree.

He finds the little bastard, curled up and purring, with his paw on top of three hair ties.

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