Page 124 of Lovesick Titan

“Yeah?”

There were inches between them, tan and paler skin intertwining as Mal clung to Danny’s hand, with so many potent emotions shining back at him from the younger man’s eyes. He felt like he could read their entire history over the past couple months—even further back than that—in Danny’s golden gaze.

Not caring that John was only a few feet away, Mal said, “Move in with me.”

“What?” Danny’s eyes widened, then played out an array of emotions, ending in what Mal had to assume was happiness if the way he jerked forward and kissed Mal again was any indication.

“That a yes?” Mal gasped when they disconnected.

“Yes,” Danny said through his laughter.

“Good. Coz Lucy and Stella moved you in this morning.”

“What?” Danny pulled back in surprise. “I thought it was only a few things?”

“I had nothing to do with it,” Mal said. He hadn’t been angry when he discovered this, ending up at his apartment alone instead of with Danny beside him like they’d planned, more shell-shocked and terrified that as much as their sisters might think they were helping, maybe Danny wouldn’t want to stay. “I wanted to ask you. I was going to ask you before Shan showed up. If you’d said no, I would have made them move everything out again.”

Danny’s surprise faded into a sweet smile. “You thought I’d say no?”

“We’ve known each, what? A year? But we’ve onlyknowneach other a couple months.” And Mal had trained himself a long time ago to go after what he wanted but to always be ready for something to get in his way.

“Doesn’t change that I know where I want to go to sleep every night and where I want to wake up,” Danny said. “That was the one good thing about being cooped up in the morgue. You were always there.”

Mal felt his emotions creep into his expression, something he’d worked so hard to control—always wear a mask, always leave them guessing, always hide who you really are to keep yourself safe. It amused him that Danny was the one with the real mask, yet he wore his emotions on his sleeve. He must be rubbing off on Mal.

A pointed clearing of the throat was John’s subtle way of reminding them that they were not actually alone.

“Sorry, Dad,” Danny said, reaching with his free hand to scratch his neck. “You know the house will always be—”

“Don’t sweat it, kiddo,” John saved him from having to explain, then caught Mal’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Just make sure family dinner night happens like clockwork, and you won’t get any guff from me. That goes for you too, Mal. No excuses.”

“Yes, sir,” Mal nodded. He imagined those family dinner nights getting larger and larger with Lucy inviting herself along. It could only grow from there.

Pulling away finally, Danny opened the door to scoot out onto the sidewalk. Much as Mal missed the connection as soon as they parted, he also felt like some of the tension he’d been holding finally released.

“Bye, Dad!” Danny said, before he leaned into the car again and added, “After I finish up, I’ll…see you at home?”

Mal’s heart stuttered as if Danny had shocked him with his lightning.Home. “I’ll be there.”

Chapter32

Danny stretched his arms above his head. It was barely 5PM, but it was a Friday, and he’d planned to head out early so he had enough time to pick up Mal’s present on the way home. It had been a long week, regular work and Zeus work alike, but his exhaustion and readiness for the weekend was the good kind of tired, the kind that left him satisfied after a job well done.

It had been exactly a month since Ludgate’s hearing. The Elemental was still locked away, waiting for his trial. Danny didn’t think much about it, except when he was needed asDetectiveDanny Grant or as Zeus to practice his testimony. The past four weeks had been about recovery, in every sense of the word, and about moving forward.

“You heading out, kiddo?” John came in carrying a stack of folders as Danny turned off his computer and reached for his messenger bag.

“Game night, remember? Sure you don’t want to join us, Dad?”

“Maybe later. I got a few things yet to finish up. But I’ll see you Sunday if I don’t make it tonight. Are you really heading all the way home just to turn around and come back to the morgue?”

“I have some errands to run,” Danny said, watching as his father crossed the room and took up the chair at the desk across from him that no longer stood empty.

This room didn’t need to be a tomb anymore, so even the old fishbowl had some life in it again. Some of Rick’s things had been filed away or taken home, with a few items remaining or stored on Danny’s desk, like the photo of him and Rick sharing a drink the night theyinaugurated the Elemental Task Force next to a recent photo of Danny and John celebrating when it was reinstated.

It helped that a few of the city’s better known Elementals were now acting liaisons to the precinct.

“You have a good night, son,” John said, distracted by the case files he was going through. Life as usual, yet it felt brand new at the same time.

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