Comfort and Joy

Title: Comfort and Joy
By: nancy
Summary: Mac just can't take care of Danny this time.
Rating: NC18
Warnings: Daddy/boy.
author's note: part of the Pride&Joy series.

Some years, Christmas was difficult time for Mac to take and even with Danny in his life, this year had somehow turned out far worse than usual. Instead of delving into the joy and love of his new relationship and festive time of year, he dwelled on the violence and pain. Passing so many smiling faces just made him drop deeper into the well of past losses and hurts, depression rearing its ugly head as the holiday drew closer.

Mac set the schedule so that he had to work, though he made sure Danny and the rest of the team had the day off. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t think about why the lab was so empty, but he could at least keep himself busy with all the paperwork that needed doing. And there would likely be a case that came up which he would have to work on, though with the secondary team, which wasn’t as satisfying. If Danny had a problem with how the schedule had worked out, he didn’t bring it up.

He left Danny asleep in bed before it was even light outside. Cowardly, he knew, but Mac couldn’t face the potential disappointment in his lover’s eyes that morning. There was enough going on in his own head and heart to go there with Danny. It was wrong, he knew that too, but couldn’t help himself. Ninety-eight percent of the time, Mac loved taking care of the other man, even looked forward to it, but when the holidays hit hard, he just had nothing leftover to give.

The morning passed almost silently as he plowed through report after report, no one calling on the phone and hardly any noise in the lab. Every now and again Mac got up to wander around and say hello to the other people working. It was a cliché, but crime didn’t stop, so neither could they.

Lunch was a sandwich out of the vending machine and he had to admit to both surprise and disappointment that Danny hadn’t called. Mac hadn’t expected him to show up, but not even calling was out of character for the other man. Not that he had a reason to complain, given his own behavior. Danny had probably, and rightly, assumed that Mac wanted no reminders of the holiday and to treat it like any other day.

Except Danny always calls when he’s off and I’m not, Mac thought morosely. He must be really upset and just not want to show it to me.

Sighing, Mac went back to work and the long day got even longer as time ticked by at a crawl. Once he thought about Danny not calling, worry crept in that maybe something was wrong. Maybe something had happened and Danny couldn’t call. He barely made it to the shift change, bolting out of the lab the second he could.

When he got home, Mac unlocked the door and stepped through calling, “Danny? You here?”

“In the kitchen,” Danny called back cheerfully.

Mac sighed in relief and then scowled, hating to have worried for no reason even as he was glad that there was nothing wrong. Tossing his briefcase onto the sofa, he locked the door and walked over to the kitchen, loosening his tie. The sight that met his eyes caused a reluctant chuckle to surface. Danny was dressed in an overly large green, tree-shaped apron with a Santa’s cap on his head, barefoot and in jeans as he spun expertly from stove to counter with a pot of something.

Breathing in deep, he detected beef simmering in spices somewhere, probably the oven, fresh baked bread, and something sweet and cinnamony, likely the pie cooling on the counter. Sliding off his tie, he asked, “What’s all this?”

“This? Oh nothing. Just a holiday feast for my ungrateful lover,” Danny replied loftily, grinning at him. Tossing aside the oven mitts, Danny crossed to him and slid his arms around Mac’s waist. “You over the bad attitude, Mac?”

Chuckling and shaking his head, Mac put his arms over Danny’s shoulders and admitted, “Starting to be.”

“Good, because the presents I got for Daddy this year are gonna blow his socks off. Among other things,” Danny told him wickedly.

A flush of heat ran through him at that and Mac took Danny’s mouth in a slow, hungry kiss. Danny responded as he always did; heartfelt and loving with a hint of lust to be easily kindled into full flame. Drawing back, Mac said, “I’m sorry about…”

But Danny interrupted, “Nah, nah. Don’t even start. We all got problems and I figured if I gave you enough space, you’d find your way through. Betcha thought something happened to me, though, didn’tcha?”

Mac snorted at the expectant look and slapped Danny sharply on the ass. “That’s enough, you. Smugness doesn’t become you.”

Not in the least repentant, Danny pulled back. “Go on and get comfortable, Daddy. I still need to set the table for this little feast here.”

Smiling, Mac brushed a hand over the other man’s head and said, “Thanks, Danny. For everything.”

Danny gave him a shy smile as he replied, “Anytime. You carry the load for me a lot, so I figured it was time to return the favor.”

“And that’s why I have the best boy ever,” Mac praised, meaning it and instantly rewarded by Danny flushing in obvious pleasure.

He stole another kiss and then headed for the bedroom to get changed. In a much better place than he’d been even a mere two hours ago, Mac was amazed all over again at how much Danny affected him. His life was different now and for the better. There was someone in it who knew what he needed, when he needed it, even if he didn’t realize it at the time.

Smiling, Mac pulled on a sweater and grabbed the lone present he’d hidden from Danny, kept separate from the ones under the tree that Danny had insisted on getting. Now he was glad that they’d picked one up, the blinking lights shining warmly in the otherwise dimmed living room. The food was set on the table and Danny was taking off the apron when Mac returned, though the hat stayed in place.

“Before we sit and eat,” he began, taking Danny’s hand and leading him to the sofa, “I want to give you a present.”

Mac sat and tugged Danny onto his lap, letting him get comfortable in the now-familiar and sought-after position. They’d both come to love sitting like that for any occasion. He set the small package on Danny’s thighs and waited while it was unwrapped and then opened. Danny’s jaw dropped and he reached hesitantly to touch the chain inside. It was made from titanium and covered in twenty-four carat gold, though Danny wouldn’t know it to look at it, and held a simple nameplate that said, ‘Daddy’s Boy, forever.’

Rubbing a hand up and down Danny’s back, he said, “I know you can’t wear it at work, that would be asking for trouble, but I thought you might like it for…”

The words ended because Danny sealed his mouth to Mac’s in a passionate kiss. When he pulled back, flushed and grinning from ear to ear, he demanded, “Put it on me.”

Mac swatted him on the backside, but it lacked force as he grinned and took the bracelet from the box. Once it was in place, Mac saw that the gold looked just as good against Danny’s bronzed skin as he’d imagined.

“Now my present’s kinda lame,” Danny sighed, though the smile hadn’t yet left his face.

Kissing him again, lingering for a bit to try and convey just how much he loved Danny, Mac broke it off to say firmly, “I’ll love anything you got me.”

Danny beamed at him and bounced once, deliberately, before standing. “C’mon. Food’s getting cold and I want to open all the other presents.”

Mac chuckled and stood as well, taking Danny’s hand on the walk to the table. It wasn’t how he’d envisioned this night would go…it was much, much better.