Dashing through the mall [13 days 'til Christmas]

Muse: Danny Messer
Fandom: CSI: New York
Gift Recipient: whattingawhat
Prompt: 2.2.A - Shopping Mall
Notes: Piece co-written with whattingawhat and stillacrime.


It was too close to Christmas for comfort. Danny was normally a night before the holiday type of shopper. He went out on Christmas Eve and got it all in one fail safe swoop. This year was different. He had actually bought a tree. He and Buffy had decorated it. And now they had all of their holiday shopping done... almost. They had one gift left to buy and it was coincidentally the most difficult human being in the world to shop for; his father. That was how they found themselves in the busiest shopping mall in New York at the busiest time of year with only thirteen days to go until Christmas.

Now, he found himself wading through the throngs of holiday shoppers hand in hand with Buffy. He had no clue what to buy his father. "And we're back to square one. What do you get the man who has everything?" Not only was his father more than capable of buying what he wanted for himself when he wanted it, but he was also good at being just enough judgmental to where shopping was a stressful endeavor instead of an enjoyable one. So far Buffy had done wonders in keeping his nerves grounded. "Tell you what, after this I'm up for a strong drink... or you know six or seven."

"After this, I say we strong drink it," Buffy agreed with a grin. "Ooooh I know we'll get him a gun. And all the seasons of The Sopranos on DVD." She was only half teasing. She liked Danny's dad and she knew she was probably supposed to be scared of him but she just wasn't. "It's like enabling but more fun. Or maybe it's just enabling is fun." She was actually enjoying this Christmas and that was different. It was a difference she liked.

Danny actually laughed at that. Buffy had never backed down from his father and she was the first person he had ever seen stand up to him besides his mom. But even his mom knew when to back down. He wasn't sure that Buffy did. Sometimes that worried him, if they came head to head who would win? Would she hurt his father? Would his father hurt her? Would they go their separate ways and cool off? He didn't know. But the fact of the matter was that she was the first girl he had ever met that got along with his parents... both of his parents. Because no one couldn't love his mom.

"You know, that may not be such a bad idea." He squeezed her hand lightly. "Except he'd think we were tryin' to say somethin'. He's always makin' fun of the Sopranos. Like they don't got an idea how it really is."

"Well now I'm just depressed. I had this idea all along that your dad had a henchman...or is it bodyguard or a minion? No minions tend to be more geared for evil overlords and hell goddesses. We'll stick with henchman. Anyway I always sort of hoped there was a henchman hanging out named Pussy and one of these days he'd be at dinner, henching of course and I'd want to ask for his autograph," Buffy rambled. "We could get him all the seasons of Gilmore Girls on DVD because that's just amusement for me every time I think about it but probably not so much for him."

"Gilmore Girls?" Danny's eyebrows shot up on his brow and he rubbed his free hand on the back of his neck. "Dunno about that either. Maybe some cigars or somethin'? Good cigars. Or uhm... a nice gun... like he really needs another gun but still."

"I'm good with the cigars as long as we put a disclaimer on them. Do Not Pull a Clinton," Buffy grinned as she teased him. "Right now I'm pulling a blank on the gun jokes but I'm pretty sure I can come up with them too."

Danny shook his head and cast her a crooked grin. "Hey, we beat the Clinton's by far." They stepped up to a map of the mall and Danny squinted as he looked over it. Finally he reached out to point at the name of a store. "Smoke shop. Second floor by the Disney Store. Talk about the weird combination for neighboring stores... You go in and get all forced into the Disney stuff then go get a smoke to get your manhood back."

Buffy laughed. "So is that why you smoke," she teased him. "You live in a world full of shoes. You have to do something. Come on. Let's go to the Disney Store and then Smoke Shop so you'll be able to retain your manhood." She tugged him away from the map and through the throngs of people.

"Wait wait wait... what are we doin' in the Disney store?" Danny asked, wrinkling his nose in protestation. "We got some nice shoes on your feet right now so I think I'm good with the girly stuff for now."

"Girl overload huh? Well we'd better stop that in it's tracks. Alright no Disney store, just the smoke shop," Buffy laughed as they got on the escalator. Buffy leaned against Danny as the escalator climbed upwards toward the second floor.

He grinned lightly and pulled her hand to wrap her arm around his waist with their hands still joined. At the top they stepped off of the escalator. "Alright... this way. And you know if you wanna go to the Disney Store, I'll suffer through it with you."

"I know," Buffy smiled at him. "Really, I was just teasing you. Besides, we don't want to endanger your manhood," she teased him again as they wove their way between the crowds of people.

Danny smirked. "Yeah, yeah. I think my manhood's in tact so far. I think we're good. And if we're not, I'll smoke a cigar before I try to quit for the New Year instead of eighty packs of cigarettes."

"Well just so we're clear...you can Clinton me anytime," Buffy winked at him as she dragged him into the smoke shop.

"Boom."