Page 3 of Bad Daddy

He didn’t look like a guy who heard the word “no” a lot. But he—he didn’t seem upset to hear it now. Still, Danny sucked in a breath through his nose, trying to regroup. It was one thing to turn down a guy in theory. It was another thing entirely when he was already here, when he’d come to some lowly community college, all for Danny’s sake.

Danny didn’t want anyone to think he wanted trouble. He’d spent his whole life trying to not rock boats, so he didn’t get tossed overboard.

Somehow life always still made him feel like he was drowning.

The man’s smile didn’t dim in the face of Danny’s silence. “Lily said you were really smart,” he said, voice warm and friendly. “I was looking forward to working with you.”

Danny suddenly felt hot, flushed, at hearing such nice things said in that voice. He tried to cover it, clearing his throat. “I—oh.” Stupid, he berated himself. He tried again. “I’m sorry, I-I didn’t…know she’d told you something like that.”

Lily huffed, crossing her arms. “Only cause it’s true.”

He sent Lily a startled glance, and she tilted up her chin, raising an eyebrow. As if to say, Well? What about it?

“My name’s Haruto Nakamura,” the man said, pulling Danny’s attention again. He held out a hand. “But you could call me Haru. I really am happy to help.”

Danny’s mind whirled and he stared at the offered hand for a beat too long. Before he could make himself move properly to shake it like a fucking normal person who didn’t mind letting large, strange men touch them, Nakamura did a little wave instead, then stuck his hand in his pocket.

“Haruto Nakamura?” Danny asked weakly, desperately trying to look less like a fuck-up. This was Haruto Nakarmura? “Are… are you the same Haruto Nakamura who worked the Shinoto Inc vs Russel Center case?”

“Oh! Yeah,” Nakamura said, for some reason seemingly fine with Danny’s antics. “Yeah, that was me. Well, my whole team. I couldn’t have won it without the support I had at my back.” His smile, somehow, got brighter. Almost…admiring? “Lily said that’s what you’re in school for. You want to be on a team and make a difference.”

Danny swallowed. Russel Center had won that case, which had reversed Shinoto Inc’s claim on all patent rights for electro-neural prosthetics, allowing the technology to go open source. It had revolutionized the market, which had, in turn, forced the company to stop charging an arm and a leg for prosthetic arms and legs. It was one of the cases Danny had studied last semester.

Clint had been awful about it, when he’d read through Danny’s notes. As a lawyer for Shinoto Inc., he’d put in a lot of hours on that case, and had been furious to learn that people were studying how his team had lost.

Danny could only imagine the shit Clint would give him if he ever found out Danny had even been in the same room as Nakamura.

“Yeah,” Danny managed, after he’d been quiet for too long. “I want to support someone in family law.”

“That’s a really great ambition,” Nakamura said. “I’m sure you’ll be an amazing support.” He was meeting Danny’s eyes, expression warm and sincere, and something molten dripped down Danny’s spine.

He felt—jittery. Anxious in the face of Nakamura’s praise, because what did this guy know, he didn’t know Danny, he had no reason to think Danny would do a good job doing anything. Empty praise, that was all it was. Probably because Lily was in the room.

That had to be it.

“I’ve got to get going,” Lily cut in, having somehow thrown all her stuff into her backpack without Danny noticing. “You two could decide what to do next, yeah? Okay cool, bye!”

Danny watched Lily flee, feeling betrayed. He jumped when he heard Nakamura chuckle.

“Sorry,” Nakamura said in response to whatever facial expression Danny was making. “I’m not laughing at you, promise. Lily just thinks she’s so clever and subtle.”

“Why is she trying to be?” Danny asked, throat dry, Why was Nakamura affecting him this much? Just because he was acting nice? It wasn’t as though Danny hadn’t met other men who acted nice. The key word was “acted.” They always showed their true colors in the end.

He hurried to gather up his things. He didn't want to be trapped in a room with a man he didn't know, who’s motivations he could only guess.

Who was making him feel a whiplash of muddled emotions.

Nakamura gave him a rueful look, thankfully unaware of Danny’s inner turmoil. “Well, it was more Jacob, really. Lily’s brother. He’s made it his mission to get me out of the office more, and I think he roped Lily into his plans. Not that I think you’re just some project for me to poke at,” he added quickly. “And I’m sure Lily doesn’t either. She likes you, so she wants you to do well in whatever you’re trying to accomplish. I think it was more just a matter of two birds, one stone. You know?”

Danny didn't know, at all. And while he was kind of… pleased to hear that Lily actually liked him, as opposed to just putting up with him because her dad said she had to, Danny didn't understand the game here.

And not understanding the game meant you were going to lose.

He grabbed for his coat. It was one Clint had bought for him, because he refused to go out with Danny in the tattered thing Danny normally wore for the winter.

Danny’s old coat might have been a little old and beaten up, but it had been a fucking good coat. He’d bought it at a thrift store several years ago for thirty-six dollars, and it had saved his life a few times when things had gotten really bad.

This new coat was expensive and fancy, and not nearly as warm. But Clint had bought him the coat, so Danny had to use it.

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