Growing The Hell Up - Closed Tag

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Of all the things Ben remembered about the fight he had with Cobalt about a little over two months ago [it felt like an eternity], he remembered what the older man had said about his friend. How Ben shouldn't have been a brat about it. Even if by the end of that quarrel, Cobalt must have known exactly why Ben acted the way he did.

It did not excuse his behaviour though. For a smart man with a BA in psychology, he sure had acted completely dumb towards an unsuspecting man who, if he had met in a much more different setting, he would have really liked. The man built model airplanes! How could he not like him?

He was just about ready to get Danny's address from Riley just to apologise but that would seem a little too extreme. So the next step was to casually bump into him in the streets or something and accost the living daylights out of him in the form of an apology. But so far, simply because he knew next to nothing about the man, he hadn't been able to track him down.

That was until who should come into the center but the man himself, all smiles and glasses - God, he really did look like Josh.

It was now or never. Ben was going to take Cobalt's advice and grow the fuck up. It was the least he could do.

Clearing his throat, he approached Danny and raised a hand in a welcoming wave. "H-hey. Danny right? I-I'm Ben. We met at lunch the other day?"

Good Lord, please do not make this any more awkward than it was already shaping out to be.

[Danny Silverman]

Danny may or may not have gone looking for Ben over the past two months. Maybe. Well, to be fair, it wasn’t a conscious attempt to do so. Although Danny wanted Ben to like him, he was also smart enough to recognize that pushing himself on a man who disliked him probably wasn’t the best idea. So he’d gone about it in a more subtle way. He was trying to visit places he thought Ben might go to. He went to the coffee shop where they’d first met—although he didn’t know if that was going to help, considering what had happened—and other places. After what he’d talked about with Cobalt, he wanted to actually meet Ben and try to get to know the other man.

So going to the center was kind-of-sort-of on purpose. He’d remembered that Ben had done some work there, or thought he remembered something like that, and had been trying to muster up the courage to do so. And today, he’d finally managed. However, at first, it didn’t seem like Ben was there, and Danny was just debating whether to feel relieved or dismayed when he heard someone speak to him. He blinked and turned to see the man he’d been looking for coming right toward him.

And suddenly found that he didn’t quite know what to say. Uh oh. His smile took on a slightly pained cast, but he waved back. This was good, he told himself. Right? If only he could think of what to say.

“I remember,” he said, a bit shyly. “Hey, Ben. I thought you worked here, but I wasn’t sure. Nice to, um, see you again.” He offered a tentative nod. “How have you been?” He looked slightly happier, at least. Uncomfortable. Danny really hoped he didn’t dislike him this time.

Yes, this was still going to be awkward, Ben.

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Finding Danny looking just as uncomfortable as he was feeling helped a bit. So Ben wasn't the only one who thought this was a little weird. Granted, it really was his own fault they were even this awkward.

Danny's concern over his wellbeing was met with a little grin before he ran his hand through his hair. "I've been doing okay." Considering, Ben thought to himself. "Listen," Ben started before he had any opportunity to chicken out. "About the other day at the cafe...with lunch...I didn't mean to be rude." There, first part out. He was doing fine.

"I just had a lot of things on my mind and I'm sorry you had to meet me on my not so finest day." He offered Danny a sheepish grin, his hand rubbing the back of his neck out of habit. "I'm not...usually an ass. I just wasn't in the best of moods and you definitely didn't deserve any backlash of it. So really, I apologise."

[Danny Silverman]

Danny was really trying not to be uncomfortable with this, remembering that Ben was Cobalt’s friend and that Cobalt really, really liked him. He watched Ben and listened to what he was saying, and when Ben smiled at him, smiled right back, although it still was a little shy.

“Oh, no, no, no! You weren’t an..an… ass,” he offered after a moment, and blushing a little bit. He felt awkward even referring to Ben as such. “But I’m sorry that you were having a bad day. I was worried that I had upset you.” He smiled. “So sorry if I did. But it’s fine! Please. I just hope everything worked out!” And that was it. Danny was good. He was curious why Ben had been so angry, but hesitated. Should he bring it up? That could end up badly. Still… “Are you…okay now?” he began slowly, hesitantly, as if afraid of getting snapped at again. “Is there anything I can do to help…?”

[Benjamin Rhodes]

"Thanks," Ben's sheepish smile still intact, he reached out and patted Danny's shoulder. "But I was. And yeah, I'm really sorry." He apologised once more, as if once wasn't enough. And Danny thinking it was his fault made Ben feel even worst for being a stupid dick back then. It was really all Ben's fault for being remotely jealous. It wasn't like Cobalt even knew how he felt! It was just all so stupid.

"No, Danny seriously. It's not your fault at all." Ben reassured the model maker, feeling extremely bad and extremely stupid for thinking anything at all negative about the other man.

They hit a silent patch and Ben wanted to apologise again until Danny asked his question. "I...I'm alright." Ben nodded, noticing the hesitation and feeling doubly aware of his stupidity. "It's nothing anyone should really help with. It's really stupid. I don't even know why I was so upset anyway. But really, thanks. A lot."

He shook his head and forced a smile on his face before extending his hand out for a shake. "Do over. Hi! I'm Ben. It's nice to meet you. And you are?" A childish effort but an effort nonetheless.

[Danny Silverman]

Danny really wasn’t sure if this was going well, considering how much Ben was apologizing, and how awkward they both seemed to feel. Danny still felt uncomfortable, still wondering what he’d done to make Ben mad, because he was convinced that he had in some way. Or at least, worried about it. But he nodded when Ben said he was all right and smiled, a bit painfully.

“That’s good,” he said, then stopped, blinking when the man extended a hand out to shake. This time, a real smile appeared on his face, and he leaned forward to take it. Judging by the slightly more cheered look he had on his face, he didn’t seem to think it was childish at all.

“I’m Danny,” he said shyly. “Nice to meet you too, Ben. I really like the center. Do you need any help around here? I used to work at the center back in California. I learn pretty quick.” And it seemed pretty busy and maybe they could talk normally if they had something to do together. It was worth a shot, right?

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Ben was glad when Danny took his hand with a happy grin. Mostly because it meant the other man was open to a new friendship. And that was good. If he wanted to have any chance with Cobalt, the least he could do was be nice to Danny. Besides, it wasn't even hard to be nice to Danny. You just couldn't help it. It had taken Ben a lot of effort not to like him in the first place.

"Oh thanks. This is mostly the hard work of Dr. Neville. He's been here longer than I have. We'd very much appreciate an extra hand." Ben smiled, glad this was going in the right direction finally. "And it's better that you have experience as well. We've got people coming in more now compared to when we first started and I'm sure we can reach out to more people if we have more help so really, thank you." Ben nodded.

"Why don't I give you a tour of the place first and then we can talk to the administration about more volunteer work?" He placed a hand on Danny's shoulder and guided him around, explaining where what all was.

[OOC: I know, short post and equally short thread but you think we can wrap this? I mean, we've covered the basis of them befriending each other ^^ Yes? No? Your pick ^^]

[Danny Silverman]

((Yes, we shall wrap!))

Of course Danny was open to friendship! Why wouldn’t be? Even if Ben hadn’t seemed nice, Danny would have wanted to be friends with him, because Cobalt clearly liked Ben, and that meant there had to be something good about Ben, right? Cobalt was a pretty good judge of character, and Danny trusted him.

“Oh, Sean!” Danny exclaimed. “That’s right.” All thought of arguing or being uncomfortable with Ben faded just like that, and as Ben guided him around and showed him where everything was, Danny grew more and more comfortable with the man. And by the end of the visit and when he finally left, he was quite happy indeed, and all thoughts of the previous coldness had been forgotten.

He had a new friend! What else mattered?

((And wrapped!))