Page 54 of Second Chance

Tony never disagreed with Ma before now.

“Geez, lighten up.” Sean’s stupid, smug little caterpillar of a mustache twitches on his face. Did he always look this punchable? Why did Tony feel sorry for him the other day at the memorial? “It was a joke, man.”

“Wasn’t very funny.” Under the table, Tony feels Daniel’s ankle knock into his.

“Christ, you’re the perfect fucking son.” Gianna sounds disgusted with him. “Sorry I don’t live up to your expectations or whatever. Guess I’d better go home and be a good little penitent nun since that’s the only acceptable thing for me to do.”

She grabs her jacket off the back of her chair—it’s eighty degrees out; no one should need a damn jacket—and stalks off.

“Gianna,” Tony calls after her.

“Hey, G, you didn’t pay!” Sean cranes his long, goose-like neck to see after her, but she ducks between two twentysomethings in basketball jerseys and leaves out the door.

Lily elbows her boyfriend. “Shut up, Sean. We can spot her.”

“She better pay us back.”

“He’s a real prince,” Tony mutters. “I can tell why Gigi’s friends with him.”

“Tony.” Daniel’s voice is gentle, probably more so than Tony has a right to at the moment.

Sighing, Tony rubs a hand across his forehead. “Sorry. Sorry. I…I just…”

“Hey, it’s okay. Wanna get out of here?”

Wordlessly, Tony nods.

Daniel takes care of the check. He nods to Lily and Sean and their friend as they leave, wishes them a nice night.

Tony wonders what they think of him and Daniel here together. If they can guess.

“Hope I didn’t make you look bad in front of your students,” he mutters in the car.

Daniel laughs. “Tony, I caught a murderer last semester. A little family argument can’t kill my street cred.”

“Your street cred,” Tony repeats incredulously.

“I said what I said.” With the sun setting around them, Tony can’t see it properly but he thinks the tips of Daniel’s ears are going red.

It’s an effort, but Tony forces himself to relax, his shoulder blades pressed against the driver’s seat instead of hunched up over the wheel and lets go of all the frustration coiled under his ribs with a short, forced laugh. “You’re adorable.”

“Excuse you.” Daniel studiously examines his fingernails. “I am an adult, which means I am dignified and graceful.”

Tony pulls into the tiny parking lot by Daniel’s building, right under the streetlight that’s been out since June but apparently isn’t the landlord’s job to fix. “Whatever you say, baby.”

Daniel pokes him in retaliation, which means Tony has free range to slap his ass as he walks up the stairs in front of Tony, eliciting a squeak that belies Daniel’s claims of dignity.

“Can’t resist,” Tony says when Daniel glares at him.

“A likely story.” Daniel turns away to unlock the door. This leaves Tony free to crowd in close behind him, cupping his ass through his pants. He’s aware, in a distant way, that Daniel’s clothes are not sexy. He’s wearing a slightly creased light green button-down and a pair of gray pants. It’s not that they’re tailor-made; it’s that they look so much like clothes Daniel would wear they’ve become attractive to Tony because he likes the way Daniel looks.

Plus, he gets exclusive access to the ass under those pants, which is a bonus.

“You’re a tease,” Daniel accuses as he gets the door unlocked and steps out of Tony’s grip.

“Trust me, sweetheart.” Tony follows close behind, wraps his arms around Daniel’s waist, and presses his lips against the side of Daniel’s neck. “I fully intend on following through.”

Daniel kicks off his shoes and tilts his head, giving Tony better access. “Tell me more.”

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