Archive of Our Own

After the events in Macau, life finally became peaceful. As peaceful as the lives of the four most wanted illusionists, a secret society of magicians, and a former FBI agent could possibly be.

They trained, came up with new acts, studied the books that the Eye brought from time to time, argued about tricks, and, out of habit, teased each other. They all lived together too. The house was big enough that no one really got in anyone else's way. Well... almost no one.

— Jack, if you leave your cards in the kitchen one more time, I'll burn them, — Lula's voice rang out.

— You won't, they're collectible, — Jack said with a laugh

— Then I'll sell them, — Lula declared firmly.

— Don't you dare, woman! — the young man suddenly shouted and jumped to his feet.

— She's bluffing, — Merritt said without even looking up from his very interesting book.

— Why did you tell him? — Lula glared at the mentalist.

— Don't worry, Jack, if she really wanted to sell them, she would've done it already, — Merritt said with a smirk.

— Stop ruining the moment, — the girl said disapprovingly.

At that moment, a quiet chuckle came from the kitchen. Dylan shook his head. Sometimes it felt less like he was leading the world's greatest team of illusionists and more like he was babysitting four children. Or rather... three children, because the fourth one wasn't here. Not just now, but almost never. Danny's room stood empty, and he only came over to discuss work, nothing more.

— By the way, — Jack suddenly said, — where's Atlas?

— At home, — Dylan answered immediately because yes, he always knew where Daniel was. Not because he didn't trust him, but because he worried.

— Again? — the younger man raised an eyebrow as he looked at Rhodes.

— Again, — the man replied with a sigh. Silence fell. Of course, only for a second, because none of them could stay quiet for long.

— Seriously... why doesn't he even live with us? — Lula was the first to break the silence.

— Because he's Daniel Atlas, — Merritt lazily opened one eye, apparently considering that a sufficient explanation for everything.

— That explains absolutely nothing, — Jack muttered, shifting his gaze from Dylan to Merritt.

— On the contrary, it explains absolutely everything, — the man replied calmly again, and Dylan smirked because he saw it too... what Merritt had noticed. Some strange side of Daniel.

J. Daniel Atlas, a man who could be described in one word — confidence. But even before Dylan accepted him into the Horsemen, even before he handed him the Lovers card, he had already seen it... that isolation. For someone who projected so much confidence, he was very reserved, and quiet in real life. Off camera, he wasn't J. Daniel Atlas anymore, he was just Danny.

— He said he's more used to being alone, — Dylan shrugged, even though he knew that wasn't true.

— He's been saying the same thing for three months already, — Jack complained.

— Maybe he just doesn't like roommates? — Lula tried to understand Daniel's motives.

— We're not roommates, — the younger man objected as he flopped down onto the couch. — No, seriously, we're a team. Everyone lives here, and he only comes for rehearsals, complains about half the plan, and disappears.

— Not half, — Merritt corrected. — Around seventy percent.

— Thanks for the precision, — Jack remarked sarcastically.

— I think he's hiding something, — Lula tapped her fingers thoughtfully against the table.

— He's always hiding something, — Jack and Dylan answered at the same time.

— Well... fair enough, — Merritt closed his eyes again and rubbed them as though thinking something over before smiling and saying. — Want to find out?

Everyone looked at him, but no one said anything. McKinney opened his eyes and looked first at the confused Jack, then shifted his gaze to Lula, who was already smiling so widely that it was obvious she was in. Finally, he looked at the overly serious Dylan Rhodes.

— So, what do you say?

———

Two hours later, Daniel was sitting in the Horsemen's kitchen with a mug of coffee. Overall, he looked the way he usually did: a little tired, a little messy, and completely unaware that a collective interrogation was being prepared against him.

— So, — Jack began.

— No, — Atlas answered firmly without taking his eyes off his coffee.

— I haven't even asked anything yet, — the young man said, pretending to be offended.

— But you're about to, — the showman replied just as calmly and emotionlessly.

Lula quietly snorted and decided to take the initiative, seeing that Jack wouldn't be able to handle Daniel properly, especially in such a gloomy and exhausted state.

— Why don't you live with us? — The question was blunt, but the other Horsemen watched the two of them with interest.

— It's convenient for me, — Daniel pretended to be deeply interested in his coffee.

— That's not an answer, — the girl protested and lightly smacked Daniel's arm, making him raise an irritated look at her as if she were a particularly noisy fly ruining his life.

— It is an answer, — he let out a heavy sigh. — And before you start arguing with me, I just want to say that it's none of your business. I'm comfortable this way, so it's not up for discussion. I like personal space, and with you that's impossible.

— Why? — the girl wouldn't let it go, even though the answer was pretty obvious.

— Because you're noisy, besides, there are too many of you, and I wouldn't want to live with even one person.

— Aha, so we're the problem, — Merritt smirked.

— I didn't say that, it's just something that's natural in big groups. All that noise, arguments, fights, and everything else.

— But you thought it. Admit it, that's exactly what you think, — the mentalist was still smiling because teasing Danny was practically his hobby.

— Maybe, — the showman didn't deny it. He was too lazy, and besides, denying it would've been pointless.

— We just want to understand, — Dylan crossed his arms.

— I'm just used to it, — Daniel looked at him for only a second before shrugging.

After those words, Jack and Lula exchanged glances and grinned at each other. They were clearly planning something, and Atlas knew it. Most likely not just the two of them, but Merritt too, and maybe even Dylan. Daniel slowly lifted his gaze toward them.

— No, — the showman said firmly, but without any context.

— What do you mean "no"? — Lula asked in confusion, her smile disappearing.

— Don't even think about doing what you're thinking about. I know you, — the young man said darkly.

— We didn't say anything, — Lula pouted like a child.

— Exactly. That's what scares me, you're pretty unpredictable.

— He really does know us, — Merritt laughed. — But then you understand there's nothing to worry about, right, Danny?

— On the contrary, that worries me even more. You people are capable of anything, even armed terrorism, — Atlas said far too seriously.

— We're respectable people, — McKinney started to object, but the showman's look spoke louder than words, so the man added. — Well, sometimes.

— No, you're lying as naturally as you breathe, — Daniel crossed his arms over his chest.

— Just promise you won't break into his apartment, — Dylan rubbed the bridge of his nose.

The three of them nodded in perfect unison. Too quickly, too synchronously, and definitely suspiciously. Daniel slowly looked from one to the next.

— I don't believe any of you, — he said, looking away.

— And you're right not to, — Merritt answered honestly.

───

The next day Daniel planned to spend a rare free day at home. No rehearsals, no assignments from the Eye, no endless teasing from Merritt. He had just been reading a book on the couch when someone knocked insistently at the door in a rhythmic pattern.

Knock-knock-knock.

— Go away, — Daniel didn't even look up, but everything went quiet outside for exactly two seconds.

— We know you're home! — Jack's voice called out. — We can hear you walking around and talking to someone.

— It's called "thinking out loud", — Daniel closed his eyes.

— You don't have to open it, — Lula's voice came from outside. — He'll open it anyway.

"He" was obviously Jack. Only he could pick locks that well. Suddenly there was the sound of the lock clicking, and the door swung open. Daniel slowly turned around and looked at the Horsemen with tired eyes.

— So I take it you didn't have a spare key?

— Nope, — Jack smiled sheepishly.

— How many times have I told you not to invade my personal space? I know your hands itch to pick locks, Jack, but not my door.

Jack looked a little guilty, but that expression quickly turned into the smile of a little kid who had just pulled off some prank. Dylan stood nearby looking equally guilty.

— I tried to stop them, — he began, but was immediately interrupted.

— You're lying, and you're not even trying to hide it?

— Yeah, — Rhodes lowered his head and suddenly became very interested in studying his shoes while Lula was already busy looking around the small apartment.

— Cozy, — the girl declared proudly.

— A little cramped, — Merritt disagreed.

— But clean, — Daniel defended himself immediately.

— Too clean, — Merritt observed. — That's suspicious.

— What's suspicious exactly? — Atlas asked in confusion.

— You. Your entire existence, actually. How have you survived this long? — Daniel merely rolled his eyes.

— Seen enough? Now— but suddenly a quiet meow came from the bedroom.

All four of them froze at the same time, then exchanged looks as though they hadn't heard a cat meow but something completely supernatural.

— No, — Daniel said sternly, trying to stop the thought process that had already begun inside Jack's head. As if that could actually stop him.

— Yes, — Jack said slowly, his eyes sparkling.

Another soft meow was heard, and a gray cat calmly walked out of the room. Not a kitten anymore, but almost fully grown, fluffy, with thick smoky fur and strikingly bright blue eyes. She confidently stepped into the hallway, but the moment she saw the four strangers, she froze. Her ears flattened against her little head, and a second later she bolted.

— She got scared, — Dylan said quietly.

But to everyone's surprise, instead of hiding under the couch or running back into the room, she jumped straight onto Daniel, and he instinctively caught her.

— It's okay... — he soothed the cat calmly.

The cat, however, decided his arms weren't enough.
She skillfully climbed higher, grabbing onto his shoulder, then his collar...
And within seconds she had settled comfortably on top of Daniel's head, almost completely disappearing into his hair. Only bright blue eyes and gray ears peeked out.

She hissed angrily at the guests who had invaded her sacred personal space. Silence filled the room. Merritt was the first to break it. He looked at the cat, then at Daniel, then back at the cat again.

— That's literally you, — he examined the cat like a museum exhibit. The words weren't mocking at all. He sounded completely serious.

— What? — Daniel raised an eyebrow, looking at Merritt as though he'd said something absurd.

— No, seriously. A little gray creature with a grumpy face that hisses at people and hides in someone's hair.

Lula snorted, covering her mouth to keep herself from laughing too loudly. Jack doubled over with laughter without even pretending it wasn't funny. Even Dylan couldn't hide the smile on his face because it was an incredibly accurate description of both the cat and Daniel.

— That's not true, — Atlas immediately started defending himself.

— She looks at me exactly the way you do whenever I start annoying you, — Merritt pointed a finger at her, and of course the cat hissed even louder. — See?

— She just doesn't like you, — the young man replied calmly as the cat started kneading the top of his head in agreement.

— And you? — the man asked with a smirk.

— I tolerate you, — Daniel met his gaze.

— That's progress already, — a satisfied smile appeared on Merritt's lips.

— Well, hello there... — he carefully took a step toward Danny, or rather toward the cat sitting on Danny's head.

But the moment he got closer and reached out his hand, she hissed like a little predator and buried herself deeper into Daniel's already messy hair.

— Alright, alright, — Merritt raised both hands in surrender and stepped back.

— She doesn't like strangers, — Atlas explained.

— Just like her owner, — Merritt remarked matter-of-factly.

The cat cautiously peeked out from Daniel's hair and looked closely at Merritt. To everyone's surprise, he didn't reach for her, didn't try to pet her, didn't baby-talk her. He simply looked at her, stood where she could see him, and said,

— Don't be afraid. I won't touch you.

Daniel involuntarily looked at him. Merritt's voice had completely lost its usual teasing tone. He spoke unexpectedly softly and patiently. The cat stopped hissing, though she didn't climb down from Daniel's head. She looked down at her owner as though asking for confirmation, and the young man simply nodded.

— Wow, — Lula said quietly. — She at least stopped seeing you as a threat.

— Because I know how to negotiate, — the mentalist declared proudly.

— With animals? — the girl smirked.

— Sometimes they're easier than certain illusionists, — he looked meaningfully at Daniel, who merely snorted.

Atlas glanced toward Merritt, and their eyes lingered on each other just a little longer than usual. Only slightly. So slightly that no one noticed except Dylan. He silently shifted his gaze from one to the other and raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly. Well... that was interesting.

Meanwhile, the cat, apparently deciding that the danger had temporarily passed, purred softly and settled even more comfortably on Daniel's head, getting her paws tangled in his fluffy hair.

— Well then, — Merritt smirked. — Now I'm completely sure.

— Sure about what? — Danny looked at the man questioningly.

— You didn't choose the cat, — McKinney looked first at the cat, then at Atlas. — She chose you because she thought, "Oh, another permanently grumpy introvert. My kind of person."

For the first time during the entire conversation, Daniel didn't roll his eyes. Instead, he smiled quietly, almost imperceptibly, as though accepting his fate.

───

— So... — Lula put her hands on her hips. — And how long have you been hiding this fluffy little disaster from us?

— Well... almost a year, — Daniel scratched the cat under the chin.

— A year?! — the girl shouted indignantly, and wanted to hit the showman, but she didn't want to scare the fluffy creature sitting in his hair. — Danny! This is a crime.

— Don't exaggerate, — the young man started tiredly, but was interrupted.

— You didn't show us your cat!

— That's exactly what I did, so what now, are you going to burn me at the stake?

— I think it was a mutual decision, — Merritt glanced at the gray ball of fur still sitting in Daniel's hair. The cat narrowed her eyes in annoyance and started hissing again.

— Yeah, yeah, I got it, — the mentalist said with exaggerated irritation.

— What's her name? — Jack carefully sat down on the edge of the couch.

— Eclipse, — Daniel smiled slightly.

— Eclipse? — Dylan repeated.

— Beautiful, — Lula said quietly.

— Too dramatic, — Merritt immediately added.

— You're dramatic, — Danny gave the man a threatening look.

— No, seriously, Eclipse? Why not... I don't know... Pebble? — The cat looked at him with undisguised contempt.

— See? — Daniel said. — She doesn't like it either.

— I'm starting to suspect she understands human speech.

— Sometimes I think she does, — Eclipse meowed quietly, as if confirming his words.

— Alright, — Jack smiled. — Then the main question. Where did she even come from?

Daniel was silent for a while.
It seemed like he was thinking whether he should tell them, but then decided there was no point in hiding such information. They already knew about Eclipse, so they definitely needed a little more information.

— Found her, — the showman answered shortly, as if he didn't want to continue.

— Where? — But Jack wouldn't give up, he needed more information.

— Near the theater, — He continued answering in short sentences.

— You just... found her? — the young man wanted more details about this fluffy gray miracle.

— Almost, — He carefully sat down on the ottoman near the couch and moved Eclipse onto his lap. She reluctantly climbed down from his head, but immediately curled up beside him, pressing her side against him.

— After one performance, I stayed longer than everyone else because, as always, I was working on the plan, — He spoke calmly, but looked down at Eclipse sleeping on his lap and smiled. — There was a heavy rain, and I heard meowing behind the dumpsters.

— She was tiny, dirty, and so thin that her ribs were showing.

— Someone threw her away? — Lula immediately stopped smiling.

— Most likely, — Atlas saw the Horsemen's expressions and decided to cheer them up a little. — At first she hissed at me no less than she does at you now.

— The family resemblance is already obvious, — Merritt quietly chuckled.

Danny looked at the mentalist with such a strict expression that it seemed like he was the one who was 22 years older than the man. McKinney immediately felt like a child who had gotten into trouble and whose father was looking at him like there would be consequences at home.

— Then she tried to run away, but couldn't, — Atlas continued calmly, looking away from the man. — She had injured her paw, probably somewhere on the street.

— I took her to a 24-hour clinic, — Atlas continued, understanding that the others didn't want to interrupt. — They said that if she had stayed outside for another day or two, she probably wouldn't have survived. It was winter, after all. Cold, snow, rain. She could have just frozen there.

Eclipse, as if sensing that the conversation was about her, lifted her head and gently bumped Daniel's hand. He automatically stroked her between the ears without even thinking. The way people do when they have long become used to someone's constant presence.

Merritt watched this carefully. He rarely saw Atlas like this... Without the usual confidence, without sharp remarks, without the need to appear stronger than everyone else. Just... calm and at home. And for some reason, that was much more interesting than anything Daniel showed on stage.

— So, — Merritt said quietly, — she really did choose you.

— Probably, — Daniel looked at him and rolled his eyes again.

— No, — Merritt shook his head. — You say it like you just happened to be there, but you could've walked past.

— I could have, but I didn't, — For a second, silence hung between them, and Daniel looked away first.

───

They sat in the apartment for almost another hour. Jack finally managed to pet Eclipse — though only with one finger before she majestically turned away. Lula discovered an entire collection of cat photos on Daniel's phone and laughed mercilessly.

— You have... three hundred seventy?! — she exclaimed in surprise.

— Three hundred seventy-eight, — Danny calmly corrected. — And give me my phone back.

— Never, — The girl had already started looking through the entire collection.

— Lula, — the showman said firmly, but no one was listening anymore.

— Look, she sleeps so cute! — the girl said, pointing at a photo on Daniel's phone. Jack and Merritt were already completely fascinated by the sight of the cat. — She snores funny!

— Give me my phone back, — the young man said calmly but loudly.

Even Dylan smiled more often than usual, and Merritt stayed quiet almost the entire time. He was watching. Watching how Daniel smiled at the cat without realizing it, how he talked to her quietly, how he constantly touched her — fixing her fur, scratching behind her ear, holding her when she leaned too close to the edge of the couch.

───

— Alright, — Dylan finally said, standing up. — I think we've already taken enough advantage of your hospitality.

— Definitely, — Daniel muttered.

— But it was fun! — Lula declared.

— Come by... just warn me first, — All four of them looked at him in surprise.

— Was that an invitation? — Jack gasped.

— Don't get used to it, — Atlas replied already annoyed.

— I remembered that! — the guy shouted while leaving the apartment.

They stepped out onto the staircase, and the door closed behind them. The apartment became quiet again. Eclipse jumped onto the windowsill and lazily watched as Daniel collected the abandoned mugs and started cleaning the apartment.

───

About twenty minutes later, someone knocked on the door again. Daniel frowned. He understood that it was most likely one of the Horsemen, no one else would knock on his apartment door.

— Did they forget something? — the young man muttered tiredly.

He dragged himself to the door and opened it. Only Merritt stood there, alone, without Jack, Lula, or even Dylan. In one hand he held a small paper bag.

— Forgot something? — the guy asked immediately.

— No, — the mentalist looked slightly embarrassed.

— Then what? — Merritt slightly blushed(?) — so quickly that most people wouldn't have noticed, but Daniel did.

— I didn't come for you, I came for Eclipse, — He lifted the bag, and Daniel silently stared at him. — I saw a pet store on the way and decided to buy her a couple of toys.

There was silence. Eclipse appeared from the room, immediately noticed the bag, then looked at Merritt, and then back at the bag.

— Actually, — Merritt muttered, suddenly feeling awkward, — if she doesn't like it, you can consider it a very strange idea.

— Come in, — Daniel suddenly chuckled quietly.

— Really? — the man said in surprise and narrowed his eyes slightly.

— Don't make me change my mind, — Atlas stepped away from the doorframe, letting the mentalist inside.

Merritt smiled — this time completely sincerely — and crossed the threshold, not realizing that for the first time he came here not as an unwanted guest, but as someone Daniel himself had allowed into his small, carefully hidden world.

———

Eclipse looked suspiciously at the paper bag, as if she didn't trust either it or Merritt. But when Daniel nodded to her, showing that everything was fine, she relaxed a little, but didn't move.

— Come on, — he said quietly, crouching down. — This is all for you.

— You do realize you look pathetic, right? — came from the kitchen.

Merritt turned around. Daniel stood there, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe, a mug of coffee in his hands, with a barely noticeable smirk on his lips.

— I'm trying to establish diplomatic relations.

— No, — Merritt raised an eyebrow in surprise while looking at the young man. — You're trying to bribe my cat.

— What a terrible accusation, — the mentalist dramatically grabbed his chest as if he had been stabbed by a dagger.

— And that's why you came before everyone else, with gifts for my cat, right?

— You have a terrible opinion of me, — the man said, lowering his head as if trying to make Atlas feel guilty.

— Do you? Then why is there a bag? — Danny smirked.

— It's... — He hesitated for a second. — A gesture of goodwill and nothing more.

— Of course, — the young man replied sarcastically.

Eclipse cautiously moved closer. The end of a toy fishing rod with gray feathers appeared from the bag. The cat's eyes immediately widened.

— Oh, — Daniel said quietly. — Looks like diplomacy is working.

— I told you, — Merritt slowly pulled out the toy and carefully moved it across the floor. The feathers barely moved, and Eclipse froze, her tail slowly swaying from side to side.

— She's going to jump, — Daniel said.

— How do you know? — the mentalist asked.

— Watch, — A second later, the gray lightning bolt shot forward.

— Wow! — Merritt barely managed to lift the fishing rod before Eclipse had already jumped almost onto his lap, trying to catch the feathers. — Now that's a hunter.

Eclipse missed, landed on her paws, and immediately rushed after the toy again. She started playing with the fishing rod energetically.

— Don't let her catch it right away, — Daniel advised.

— Why? — Merritt honestly didn't know much about cats.

— She'll lose interest, — the showman explained.

Merritt obediently started moving the toy slower. Eclipse followed every movement, jumping, turning in the air, sometimes sliding across the floor in a funny way.

A few minutes later she had completely forgotten that she had considered this person an enemy only an hour ago. At some point, the cat caught the toy with both paws and proudly fell onto her side.

— I think I lost, — McKinney sighed sadly.

— No, — Daniel walked closer. — Now try to take it.

— Easy, — He carefully pulled the toy, Eclipse growled unhappily, then pulled harder, and the cat grabbed it with all four paws.

— She won't give it back, — Daniel sighed loudly, as if he was used to situations like this. — I warned you.

— She's as stubborn as... — Merritt laughed and was about to continue, but he was interrupted.

— Don't continue, — Atlas said with a hint of threat.

— Too late, she's as stubborn as you, — Daniel rolled his eyes.

— It's amazing you survived this long.

— Thanks to my natural charm, — Merritt started showing off, but a hit to the head from Daniel quickly stopped his "performance".

— Even Eclipse doesn't believe you, — As if hearing her name, the cat meowed loudly. — See?

Merritt unexpectedly looked at Daniel, just looked at him and smiled. Warmly, without his usual tricks. Daniel went silent for a moment. For some reason, right now he felt a little... awkward. He quickly looked away and pretended he was very interested in how Eclipse was trying to chew on the feathers.

───

Merritt watched him from the corner of his eye.
"What is even happening to me?"
Just a week ago Atlas was simply Atlas, arrogant, unbearable, constantly arguing, and now... Now Merritt noticed things he had never paid attention to before.

The way Daniel automatically smiled at Eclipse, the way he fixed his hair when he read, how he bit his lip when he was thinking about something, how he laughed quietly — so quietly that the sound was almost impossible to hear.
"You're in trouble."
He understood it perfectly, without telepathy, without tricks and mentalism. He had actually fallen in love, and it was terribly inconvenient. Because the object of his feelings was sitting two steps away and noticed absolutely nothing.

───

— What are you thinking about? — Daniel's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

— Huh? — the mentalist mumbled, confused and surprised.

— You've been staring at one spot for about two minutes.

— Thinking, — Merritt quietly answered.

— And about what? — Danny smirked, of course he noticed something was wrong.

— About... cats, — That was his answer, but what he actually wanted to say was: "About you."

— You're lying, — Atlas easily disproved the man's words.

— A little, — Merritt knew lying was pointless. Even though Daniel tried to show that he wasn't very good at understanding people, the man had noticed long ago that it wasn't true.

— You're very bad at lying, — Danny concluded, not even taking his eyes off the cat.

— It's annoying, — Merritt rubbed his neck, and the young man raised his head and looked at the mentalist. There was a silent question in his eyes. — The fact that you're starting to read me.

— You have a very expressive face, — the showman simply shrugged, once again trying to downplay his mentalism abilities.

— No one has ever complained before, — the man muttered under his breath.

— Then no one was paying close enough attention, — The phrase sounded so calm that Daniel himself seemed not to realize what he had just said, but Merritt understood and almost choked on air.

— What? — McKinney looked at the young man intently, trying to figure out if he meant exactly what he thought he meant.

— What? — The showman noticed the man's look and stared back in confusion.

— Nothing, — He quickly looked away.

"Calm down, McKinney. He didn't mean it that way......Probably."

Eclipse, as if sensing his state, suddenly walked over and bumped her head against his palm, and he automatically stroked her. As if he hadn't met her only a few hours ago.

— See? — Daniel smiled. — You managed to bribe her after all.

— Or she decided to take pity on me, — Merritt said it because it seemed like the most logical explanation.

— Possible, — Danny nodded.

— That's hurtful, — the man pouted dramatically like a little child.

Eclipse purred loudly, and Daniel walked over and sat down beside them. Now they were sitting on the floor almost shoulder to shoulder, watching as the cat seriously hunted a paper ball.

———

Eclipse finally admitted defeat. Or rather, decided that the person with the toys wasn't that bad. She sat between them on the floor, holding down a paper ball with one paw, the same ball she had pushed under the coffee table herself. Merritt carefully pushed it back.

— Come on, — Eclipse immediately jumped after it.

— Seems like, — Daniel hummed, — you really did bribe her.

— I didn't bribe her, it's called "earning her trust."

— Sounds very diplomatic, but it doesn't change the fact. You bribed my cat.

— Because I am a diplomatic person, — Daniel looked at him with a long, disapproving stare.

— No, — His face said more than any words could.

— Sometimes you can be surprisingly cruel, — Merritt laughed.

— Only with you, — Atlas said calmly and emotionlessly.

— That's already something to think about.

— Don't flatter yourself, — Eclipse, after catching the ball, proudly brought it to Merritt. Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise.

— Now that's betrayal, — he said while looking at the cat.

— See? — Merritt smiled proudly. — She likes me.

— One paper ball and she forgave you.

— Smart cat, — Merritt petted her head, but she quickly walked away.

— A sellout cat, — Eclipse, as if protesting, walked over to Daniel, rubbed against his leg, and then returned to Merritt again.

— I don't even know who should be more offended right now, — Daniel muttered.

— Are you jealous of your own cat? — McKinney laughed while looking at him.

— No, — Danny started denying it.

— You are, — It wasn't a question anymore, but a statement of fact.

— Shut up, — Eclipse decided she was tired of this giant human and went back to Atlas.

───

When Eclipse finally got tired, she curled up beside her owner on the couch. The apartment became unusually quiet, or rather, normally quiet for Daniel when he was alone. Merritt glanced at Daniel secretly.

"That's it. This is no longer just a crush."

He caught himself too often wanting to come here, listen to Atlas complain, watch him pet Eclipse, argue with him over completely meaningless things. He liked seeing Daniel like this, at home, without the stage, without the need to be the best.

He had always considered himself a person who understood people perfectly, noticed emotions, understood motives, but he recognized his own feelings far too late.

"I fell in love."

The thought sounded surprisingly calm, without panic, without denial, just as a fact, and that was exactly why it felt unsettling. Because Atlas, apparently, noticed absolutely nothing. He sat nearby, lazily running his fingers through Eclipse's fur, completely unaware of the thoughts spinning through Merritt's head.

───

— I'll be right back, — Daniel stood up from the floor.

— Where? — Merritt raised his head and looked at him.

— To the kitchen, — He took a few steps.

Merritt decided to tease him a little and started encouraging Eclipse to scare Daniel, showing her what she should do. The cat started walking toward Danny.

When Daniel was leaving the kitchen, Eclipse decided that she urgently needed to stop her owner from surviving. So she jumped at his feet, causing Atlas to lose his balance and fall to the floor.

He managed to stretch his hands out beforehand so he wouldn't hit his head. Merritt quickly rushed over to Daniel.

— You alive? — Merritt asked quietly.

— Yeah... — Daniel winced. — I think I strained my wrist.

— Let me see, — He carefully took his hand, Daniel didn't object, and Merritt slowly ran his fingers over his wrist.

Merritt checked the guy's hands because he really had fallen badly, but soon realized that Danny had only strained it. And now, when McKinney was sure everything was fine, they both realized they were still sitting too close. Daniel's hand was still resting in Merritt's palm, and neither of them rushed to let go.

Eclipse, as if understanding that the noise was over, walked over and sat beside them, meowing unhappily and looking at her owner as if this wasn't her fault.

— See? — Daniel said quietly. — She thinks you're the one who's guilty.

Merritt didn't deny it, even though he knew Danny was joking, he still knew that technically it was his fault. Atlas shifted into a more comfortable position, but still didn't pull his hand away. Merritt felt his heart start beating faster. Daniel's fingers were warm. And for some reason, he wasn't pushing him away either. He simply looked at Merritt, calmly and slightly confused.

───

— Danny... — Merritt's voice was almost a whisper.

He wanted to say so many things, that he liked coming here, that being near him was unexpectedly calming, that he had long stopped understanding where ordinary friendship ended and something else began, but instead he just stayed silent.

— What? — Daniel slightly tilted his head.

The distance between them became very small, and that was what finally took away Merritt's ability to think. He leaned forward, just a little, and touched Daniel's lips with his own. The kiss was short, careful, as if he himself couldn't believe he was doing it. A moment later Merritt pulled away sharply, as if he had burned himself.

— No... — He immediately let go of Daniel's hand and stood up. — No, no... this shouldn't have happened.

— Merritt... — Daniel sat completely still, clearly not even having processed what had happened.

— Don't, — He ran a hand over his face, and the usual lightness was gone from his voice. — I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

He took a step toward the door, then another, each one difficult, as if he was forcing himself to leave before he managed to make another mistake. His mind told him to run, right now, without looking back.

— Merritt, — Daniel's voice sounded quiet, not demanding, more confused.

Merritt stopped but didn't turn around. He was more afraid of seeing Atlas's expression than anything else. Behind him, careful footsteps sounded, very close. Merritt seemed to shrink, becoming much smaller.

— Look at me, — Merritt slowly turned his head.

Daniel stood only half a step away. There was no anger, no disgust, no fear in his eyes — only genuine confusion and a desire to understand. For several seconds he silently studied Merritt's face, as if he was seeing for the first time the person who always hid behind jokes and sharp remarks, then carefully raised his hand and touched his cheek, so lightly that the touch was barely noticeable.

Merritt involuntarily closed his eyes. He was about to apologize again, but didn't get the chance. Daniel himself closed the last few centimeters between them. The kiss was completely different, not sudden, not frightened. It was slow, careful, as if Daniel wasn't responding to what had already happened, but asking a question he couldn't put into words.

When their lips separated again, neither of them spoke. The only sound in the room was Eclipse's quiet purring nearby. Merritt looked at Daniel as if he had just done the impossible.

— Why...? — he breathed almost silently.

Daniel only slightly shrugged because he himself couldn't explain it. It was just that, in that moment, the thought of Merritt leaving and putting his usual mask back on seemed strangely wrong. He carefully took his hand, and this time Merritt didn't pull away.

───

They almost simultaneously sat down on the couch, first simply next to each other, shoulder to shoulder. As if both were trying to get used to what had just happened. Eclipse jumped onto the back of the couch and, making sure the humans weren't going to fall again, happily settled above them.

— I think she decided to keep watch over us, — Merritt quietly chuckled.

Daniel smiled at the man's words, his tension slowly disappearing. He turned toward Merritt, not noticing how close he had gotten. Atlas tried to stand up from the couch, but the moment he got up, the mentalist caught his hand and he suddenly ended up on the older man's lap. Merritt instinctively held him by the waist so he wouldn't lose balance, and for a few seconds they both froze.

— So... more comfortable? — the man asked, and Daniel looked up.

Instead of answering, Merritt suddenly realized that he was holding Daniel so naturally, as if he had always done it. Atlas didn't try to pull away. Instead, he settled a little more comfortably, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder. Merritt's chest tightened painfully.

"How much you trust me..."

And that was what scared him the most. He slowly brushed away a loose strand of hair from Daniel's face. His fingers stayed near his temple for only a moment.

— You know... — he said quietly. Daniel looked at him questioningly, and Merritt smiled sadly. — You're... very beautiful.

He said it without his usual teasing, without flirting, like a simple, long-known truth. Merritt truly thought so and wanted Atlas to understand it.

— So much that sometimes it's hard to think when I'm around you.

Daniel laughed quietly, not because the words were funny, but because he had never seen Merritt this embarrassed before. The man who usually had an answer to every remark was now betrayed by his reddening ears, uneven breathing, and the way his gaze couldn't stay on Daniel's face for more than a few seconds. And for some reason, this version of him felt the most real to Daniel.

───

Eclipse suddenly opened her eyes and carefully looked first at Daniel, and then at Merritt. She decisively stood up, squeezed herself between them, and with a loud purr settled directly on top of their intertwined hands. For several seconds there was complete silence.
— She's jealous, — Daniel shook his head with amusement.

— No, — Merritt smiled. — She's blessing us.

— Did you just make that up? — the young man asked with a smirk.

— Of course, — McKinney pulled Atlas closer and gently kissed him.

Outside the window, evening had completely settled in. Somewhere in another part of the city, Lula was probably already creating dozens of the most unbelievable theories about why Merritt still hadn't returned, Jack was most likely taking bets, Dylan had probably already figured everything out and chose not to ask anything, but here, in the small apartment, among toys scattered across the floor, cold coffee, and a gray cat with impossible blue eyes, none of that mattered anymore. Because sometimes the most amazing tricks don't happen on stage, but in the moment when two people finally stop hiding from each other.