Who: Dan and Liv What: Making up When: Late May Where: The Double Tap Rating/Warning: None, some talk of illegal activities, but overall its very wholesome and sweet Status: Complete
It had been a few weeks since Dan had moved out. Liv was miserable. Her heart ached. Dan was… the love of her life. Liv had known that for awhile now. Since long before they even got together, back when she had to pretend to just be his friend. And being without him? For the third time? It was torture.
Liv had her morals though. It was the only thing she could hold on to throughout every brain she was on. She knew what was right and what was wrong. And killing people, hell even hurting people. That was just something Liv couldn’t look past. It was the biggest issue she had with Dan’s other job. For the past few weeks Liv had been debating over and over again if she could compromise her morals. If she could be okay with Dan doing jobs as long as no-one got hurt. Like stealing back antiques. She decided she could. If it meant having Dan in her life still and made him happy, she could.
Liv had been without him for too long. She needed to see him. Liv walked into the Double Tap, taking her usual seat at the bar, waiting for Dan to approach.
The last few weeks hadn’t been easy for Dan. It had been weird living in the apartment over the bar again. Familiar, but uncomfortable. The first few nights, Dan had spent laying awake in bed, an open book on his chest and just staring at the ceiling, listening to every noise the old building made as it settled in for the night. His mind wandered restlessly. He thought about the man he’d been, about the man he’d become and the man he wanted to be. In the end he wanted to be a good man, even though he doubted that was something he’d ever be able to accomplish given his past. That being said, he thought he could put his talents to some good use. Do something good with his life.
He also thought about Liv. He thought about her quite a bit. He missed her and he wanted to make things work, but he had no idea how he could make it all work. He would never ask her to compromise her morals for him. It would be like asking her to sacrifice her own identity. So the question what would he do?
It was such a simple question, but unfortunately it did not have a simple answer. Weeks had gone by and Dan still didn’t know what he was going to do. It was the first time in his entire life that he had no plan and no idea what he was doing.
At least tending bar was simple and could occupy both his time and his mind, at least for a few hours. He was surprised to turn around and see Liv seated at the bar, just as she used to. For a moment he wasn’t even sure that he was seeing things correctly. Liv hadn’t been in since he’d moved out. But when she looked up at him an their eyes met, Dan knew she was the real thing. He couldn’t help the smile that practically exploded across his face. God damn, but he’d missed her.
“Evenin’, Darlin’,” he greeted her, trying desperately to contain just how happy he was. “Usual t’night? Got a brand new jar of jalapenos that needs to be opened.”
Liv couldn’t help but smile in return. Dan was just as handsome as ever, if not more so. Her heart did a little flip. Even with all they were currently going through, Liv was still madly in love with him. That hadn’t changed. She wasn’t sure it ever would. And the way he called her Darlin’. He’d been calling her that since the first time she had come to his bar. And it still made her melt.
“Yeah,” Liv replied ducking her head and biting down on her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from just reaching across the bar and kissing Dan like he had never been kissed before. They did still have some things to work out after all.
“Extra jalapenos,” she added looking back up at him coyly.
Dan saw the way she looked at him before ducking her head down. Her smile gave him a bit of a boost. It meant she could still be happy to see him and that she hadn’t given up on him while they’d been a part.
“Extra jalapenos. Comin’ right up.”
He went about making her the unique drink, barely containing just how happy seeing her made him. It had felt as though he’d been walking in darkness until she had shown up. Now there was a light right in front of him. He’d be be a fool to let it go again. “How ye been, Liv?” He asked. “You doin’ alright?”
Liv watched as Dan made her drink, feeling perfectly at home in his bar. She had spent most of her nights here before… everything. Even before they were together she came in often just to be around Dan. And then once they were together she would still come in a lot, talk to her boyfriend while he worked. So being back? It just felt right.
“Not great,” Liv replied honestly. “You?” she asked taking a sip of her margarita. Delicious. No one made them like Dan.
Liv with her margarita and Dan couldn’t help but lean against the bar and just look at her. “Not so great, either,” he admitted. The apartment above the bar was cozy and in a way, a safe place for Dan. But it didn’t feel like home anymore. “I’ve missed you,” he said. “I’m really glad you came in.”
“I’ve missed you too,” Liv admitted taking another sip of her drink. “A lot.” She gave him a small smile. “I’m glad I came in too,” she paused biting down on her lower lip briefly. “Do you,” she looked around the bar there were quite a few people at the bar. “Should I come back later?”
There were quite a few people present that evening, but Dan could afford to take a little break, so long as he didn’t leave the bar. He shook his head and nodded towards a nearby table. “I can take a break. Come sit with me a bit.”
“Okay,” Liv said climbing off the stool. She grabbed her margarita and made her way towards the table Dan had nodded at. “Are you sure?” she asked taking a seat. As much as she wanted to talk to Dan, wanted to fix things. She also didn’t want to rush the conversation.
Dan wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by him. He had missed Liv so much and this may have been their one chance to actually talk now that some time had been allowed to pass. “It’s alright,” he assured her as he joined her at the table. “My regulars know I won’t up and abandon’em. If they need me, they’ll let me know.” He lifted his head a little to call to the older woman seated at her usual spot at the bar. “Ain’t that right, Aggie?”
Agatha (arguably Dan’s first customer and regular since the day the Double Tap had opened) raised her pint glass with one hand and removed her ash laden cigarette from between her lips with the other. “You have yourself a nice visit, Danny. Don’t you worry. I’ll keep everyone in line.”
“She will too,” Dan said to Liv before sitting at the table with her.
Well that made Liv feel at least a little bit better about taking up his time. Because man she missed him and she really did want to talk to him. She just hadn’t really thought about the fact that he would have to work too when she came by the bar.
“You do have some loyal customers,” Liv commented with a small smile as she took a sip of her drink. Not quite ready to get into the bigger issues just yet. Or sure how to bring them up even.
“Aye, I do,” Dan agreed. An awkward silence followed. Like Liv, there was a lot Dan wanted to say, but now that he had the chance to do so, he wasn’t sure where to even begin. He watched Liv as she sipped her margarita, trying to compile his thoughts into something a little more cohesive.
He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” he said finally. “I shouldn’ta left the way I did before. I didn’t mean to be away fer so long and I should’ve at least called you.” He reached across the table to take her hand. “I never meant to hurt you and I’m sorry that I did.” He squeezed her hand. “I love you and I want to find a way to make this work.”
Liv didn’t pull away when Dan took her hand. Even with everything, her breath still caught at his touch. Man, she had missed it. She had missed him. She set her margarita aside for now, giving Dan her full attention.
It wasn’t just that Dan left without telling her much, or that he hadn’t contacted her when he was gone. Though that was definitely a big part of it. It was also what he was away doing. And yes Liv knew the details now. That he had been stealing back a clock. But the whole time he was gone there was the wondering if her was out there hurting someone, killing someone even. Liv knew he had done it in the past, and she wasn’t sure she could live with herself or him if he went back to that.
“I love you too,” Liv replied returning the squeeze of his hand, before she withdrew her hand. She needed to say what she had to say without her thoughts being clouded by just his damn touch. “I get why you need that back in your life,” Liv finally said. “I do. I get that you want to help people…” her voice trailed off, Liv paused for a moment trying to figure out how to word what she had to say. “Stealing for the good, helping people escape a kidnapping. Those are things I can live with.” That she could compromise her morals for. There was grey in the world after all.
“But I can’t be with someone who hurts people. Even bad guys.” Hell Liv hadn’t even been able to kill Blaine in her dreams - the guy that murdered at risk youth because no one would miss them. The guy that had turned her into a zombie. And her failure to kill him had resulted in Lowell’s death. “If you really want this to work. I need to know when you’re going on jobs. I need to know what the job is. And I need you to promise me you won’t hurt anyone.” Her eyes locked in on Dan, holding her breath as she waited for his reply. This was it. Either he could accept what she needed from him, from their relationship. Or she would have to walk away. She just hoped he wouldn’t end up resenting her for it.
The fact that Liv understood what Dan was doing, that it was important to him, meant the world to him. He needed to be part of something larger than running a seedy bar. He couldn’t go back to being a cop, he’d burnt that bridge so long ago. And even if he hadn’t, the idea soured him. Liv seemed to understand that, and Dan couldn’t be happier.
She had her stipulations, though, and it hurt Dan a little bit that she thought he could go back to taking hits. More accurately put, the fact that he hadn’t done anything to keep that train of thought at bay was what hurt.
He cast a weary glance towards the bar. Agatha was watching them, but Dan was fairly sure the old biddie knew more than she ever purposefully let on. His eyes then darted around the rest of the bar. If he’d been smarter and less distracted about how happy he was to see Liv again, maybe he’d have thought enough ahead to take their conversation to the back office. However, no one other than Agatha seemed interested in their conversation. Still, in order to keep their private talk private, Dan scooted his chair closer to Liv.
“Aye, Darlin’,” he said, his eyes meeting hers. “I can make that promise. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t want or need any more blood on my hands.”
Liv inwardly grimaced when Dan looked over the bar. She should have known better than to bring this up later. She should have waited for a better time. But she just wanted things fixed. She wanted Dan back. It had been more than enough time apart.
“Okay,” Liv said a small smile crossing her face. She couldn’t take it anymore, Liv leaned forward lips meeting Dan’s. Kissing him was better than she remembered. Even if it had only been a few weeks. That last kiss had been sad, a sort of goodbye. But this was welcoming him back. Wanting more. Wanting him.
“I think,” she said breathlessly, as she slowly pulled away hand resting on the side of his face. “It’s time you come home.”
The other patrons were watching them now, but Dan didn’t care. He smiled at Liv, reaching up to put his hand over hers. “Aye, I’d like that,” he said.