*
How stupid do those boys think I am? As if I wouldn't figure out who put a gigantic fake spider in my desk. If they really want it to be a secret, they shouldn't hide behind the partition and laugh when they see how many years their little stunt takes off my life.
Of course it was Danny and Martin. Any fool could guess that, and I'm no fool. I see what the two of them are up to - in more ways than one. And I'm not the only one.
We see a lot more about Martin and Danny than they see about themselves. They may have a 20 dollar bet with me about Jack and Sam, but that's nothing compared to the money riding on them. When they first met, they were cool around one another. Then, slowly, they started warming to each other, and they haven't stopped warming since. Sometimes I need an ice pack to stand in the same room with them. They're oblivious, of course. I don't think Martin even notices the way he stares at Danny, and Danny definitely isn't aware that he touches Martin every time he passes by. Every time he does, anyone in a five-foot radius of them jumps, that's how strong their vibe is. Everybody notices it but them.
We see the way Danny's support makes Martin so much more confident in his work. It's takes away the pissy, defensive edge he had when he came blazing onto the team, guns drawn, only to realize we didn't need a cowboy. And we see that the time Danny spends with Martin - and whatever Martin says to him - has made him realize that he can keep other people's company but still keep his own counsel. We hadn't fully comprehended how thick Danny's shell was until Martin started cracking it apart.
And some of the conversations they have - good Lord. "Do you want to come by tonight?" Danny asks.
"Why?" is Martin's response, which I could've told him will piss Danny off.
"Do I need a reason to invite you over- or do you just need a reason to force yourself to come?"
Martin rolls his eyes. "I don't need an excuse to hang out with you. What I meant was, is there something specific you were inviting me over for?"
"Just to hang out." Danny's still looking a little peeved.
Martin flashes him the kind of sly grin that would've sent my grandmother running for her shotgun, if he'd turned it on one of her daughters. "I'll be over at 7:30. I'll bring dinner."
And they wander off, arguing about what does or does not constitute 'dinner.' I watch them for a minute, then shake my head and turn away. Sam catches my eye, and we exchange an exasperated glance. In anyone else's world, that would have been called making a date. "Men," Sam says, laughing, and I nod in complete agreement.
Danny and Martin are dating. Now we just have to wait for them to notice.
END