"Coming home" - Steve/Danny One-Shot
“Okay… I’ll be there as soon as possible…“
Steve looked up from his desk to see Danny on the phone. Only seconds after hanging up, he walked over to Steve and looked him directly in the eye.
“I have to go!”
Before Steve had time to process what was happening, Danny was out of the office, leaving him to stare after him in confusion.
That was three days ago. Three fucking days and Steve hadn’t heard one single word from Danny since then. No call. No message. Nothing. It was as if Danny had just vanished, and slowly but surely Steve became very concerned. What if something had happened to Danny?
What if he had been in an accident? He tried to get the picture of an injured Danny out of his head, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt certain that something terrible must have happened to Danny. It was completely unlike him to just disappear and not tell anyone what’s going on.
Chin and Kono hadn’t heard from him, either, and it was beginning to drive Steve crazy.
Fortunately, they’d been busy working on a case for the past couple of days, so he didn’t have much time to really think about Danny. Still, he missed him. He missed him more with every passing hour. Every passing minute. More, really, than he would like to admit to himself. He missed Danny’s blathering, his cant, his tie. He even missed the fact that Danny was the only one who could make him go crazy within a matter of seconds. He just really missed Danny.
He tried to reach him on his cell phone like a hundred times, whenever he had chance - but all of his calls went straight to voice mail. Danny’s phone was always turned off. He left as many messages as he could until the automatic voice pleasantly informed him that the mailbox was full. Still, Danny never answered or called back.
“Where are you, Danno?” Steve murmured to himself.
“Why don’t you try to find out?”
Steve jumped slightly. He hadn’t realized that Kono had been standing there. She was regarding him with a troubled expression, and he knew she was nearly as concerned about Danny as he was.
“And how would I do that?” Steve wanted to know, leaning back in his chair.
“Why don’t you drive to his motel room and see if he’s home?” Kono answered simply.
“Don’t you think I’ve already tried that?” Steve sighed. He really had. He had been to Danny’s motel five times, but Danny was never there. It was as if something had swallowed him. As if he had vanished into thin air.
“Then try again! Sooner or later, he has to come back,” Kono insisted. “ She put a hand on Steve’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. “You’re just not the same when Danny’s not around. He better get back here soon, before I find him and personally kick his ass!”
Steve couldn’t help but smile at Kono’s comment. “I’ll be sure to tell him that when I see him.”
Kono was already at the door, when she turned around again and looked at Steve. “Maybe you should tell him how you feel about him while you’re at it.”
“How I feel about him?” Steve echoed in disbelief.
Kono leaned against the door frame. “It’s obvious that there is something going on between the two of you.”
“It is?” Steve tilted his head. He still had no idea what the hell Kono was talking about. Yes, he liked Danny. But he also liked Kono and Chin, so what was the big deal?
“You called Chin ‘Danny’ yesterday.” Kono walked over to Steve’s desk again, looking him directly in the eye.
“I did not!” Steve objected.
“Yes, you did!” Kono assured him. “Right after we walked into the warehouse to bust those drug dealers, you said ‘Careful, Danny, they might have guns.’”
Steve closed his eyes, trying to remember the scene. “I didn’t do that on purpose.“
Kono nodded. “I know. And Chin knows too.” Again she placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “You might not have realized it yourself yet, but judging by the way you act around each other, it’s obvious that you have feelings for Danny. And if you ask me, they are not one-sided.”
“You’re imagining things, Kono. You better get back to work.” Steve rolled his eyes.
“Sure, Boss.” Kono answered as she walked towards the door. “But you really should talk to him about it.”
“Alright, alright.” Steve said and got up from his chair. Even if Kono wasn’t right about his feelings for Danny, she was definitely right about one thing: he had to talk to Danny. The sooner the better.
***
Steve let out a small sigh as he pulled his car into one of those ridiculously tight parking spaces in front of Danny’s motel. It didn’t make any sense at all. Not that Danny didn’t return any of his calls, and definitely not that he was here yet again. He was acting like some love-sick idiot, who couldn’t even go for three days without seeing that “special someone”. And as stupid as it was, it felt exactly like that. When Danny wasn’t around, Steve felt like a part of him was missing, too. A very important part. The part that made him complete.
Even though he met Danny under tragic circumstances, his life had been better since. From the beginning, there had been something between them. Some connection. Something special. He never questioned his feelings for Danny because their relationship was perfect just the way it was. Friendship. A very good friendship. He liked talking to Danny. Touching him from time to time. He enjoyed being with him, even when they were fighting. He was so used to him always being there beside him that it felt almost unbearable now that he wasn’t.
He thought about Kono’s speech again, reluctantly asking himself if maybe she was right. Did he have feelings for Danny?
Suddenly another car pulled into the parking space next to his.
At first, Steve was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the other car at all, but when he turned his head to the left, he froze. It was Danny.
He immediately jumped out of his car and opened Danny’s car door before Danny had the chance to do it himself.
“Danny!” he blurted out, fighting down the urge to pull him out of the car, into his arms, and never let him go again. When he looked closer, he noticed Danny’s weary expression. He wasn’t even wearing a tie, and the first three buttons of his shirt were open, giving Steve a glimpse of the chest hair underneath. If he hadn’t still been utterly concerned, he might have allowed himself to appreciate the view. Instead, he filed the thought away in the back of his mind to be re-examined later. This was not the right time.
“Steve?” Danny stared at him in shock. He stepped out of the car, and then they were standing there, just looking at each other. “What are you doing here?”
Steve’s eyes widened. “What am I doing here?” He shook his head. “You’re seriously asking me what I’m doing here?” A feeling of anger welled up within him.
Danny opened his mouth and then closed it, apparently opting for silence. Steve felt like he was going to go crazy.
“What the fuck is the matter with you, Danno?” He demanded. Danny simply stared at him for a few seconds before turning around to put some space between him and Steve.
“You know what?” Danny blurted out, not meeting Steve’s eyes. “Why can’t you just leave me the fuck alone? This has nothing to do with you or work, okay?”
“Actually, it does, when you disappear and don’t let anyone know where you’re going or when you’ll be back. I’m your boss - I could fire you for this,” Steve replied, colder than he intended. He felt disappointment building up inside of him, and suddenly, he wasn’t sure how well he knew Danny, after all. He didn’t even recognize this person. The man in front of him was not Danny and Steve would give anything to have his Danny back.
“Fine! Then do it!”
Steve couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What?”
Danny turned around, staring at him with an expression he’d never seen on his face before. It was cold. Distant. “Fire me,” he said, as if he didn’t care at all. But Steve knew better. And he saw it. There was something else in Danny’s eyes, something that made Steve shiver the moment he recognized it. Pain. Something was very wrong, Steve realized. Something that Danny wasn’t able or willing to tell him.
Cautiously he drew closer to Danny until he was standing right in front of him again. “No, I won’t.”
Danny shrugged. “Whatever!”
And then he turned around, trying to get away from Steve again. It was as if he was running away from him and Steve had no idea why.
Danny was already at the stairs to his apartment when Steve finally caught up with him, grabbing his arm. “Danny - stop it!” he shouted, hoping to get a reaction from the ‘real’ Danny.
“Stop what?” Danny replied wearily.
“Stop running away from me. Stop acting as if I’m a stranger to you. I thought we were friends.” He wasn’t able to keep the pain out of his voice. He didn’t understand why Danny couldn’t trust him enough to just tell him what was going on. He thought they were close, but maybe he was wrong.
When Danny turned around again, Steve saw, that the distance in his expression had faded. The pain in his eyes went directly to Steve’s heart, even though he still didn’t know what it was that was hurting Danny so much.
“We are,” Danny said finally. “But this is… this is something I have to get through myself.”
“But why?” Gently, Steve put a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Isn’t that what friends are for? To share their feelings with each other - even bad ones?”
Danny shrugged slightly. “I don’t know. I’ve never had a friend like you. I’m not used to sharing these kind of feelings with anyone, you know?”
A small smile tugged at Steve’s lips. “Why don’t you try me? I swear I won’t make fun of you.”
Danny let out a small sigh as he considered Steve’s offer, and then finally relented. “Okay, but not here. Why don’t you come upstairs with me?”
Steve nodded. “Sure.”
A couple of minutes later, they were standing in front of each other in Danny’s apartment, looking at each other in silence. Danny still seemed to be pretty upset, and not knowing why was driving Steve crazy.
“Beer?” Danny asked suddenly, walking to the kitchen and opening the fridge without waiting for a response.
Steve rolled his eyes, but followed him anyway. “Danno…”
Danny glared at him from behind the fridge door, so Steve took a step back. “Danny…”, he tried again, although he sounded more impatient than he would have liked. “I don’t want a beer, I want to know what’s the matter with you. Please.” The tension between them was almost palpable.
Danny closed the refrigerator door and leaned against the refrigerator before finally looking up at Steve.
“It’s Grace,” he blurted out.
Steve tilted his head. “What about her?”
Danny bit his lower lip. “She’s been in the hospital for three days. The call in the office… that was Rachel telling me that I had to get there immediately.”
Fear welled up in Steve’s stomach. “Shit, I’m… I’m sorry, Danny.” He reached to place a hand on Danny’s shoulder, but he just brushed it off as he walked to his bedroom. Steve followed immediately.
“What happened to her?” he asked, leaning against the door frame.
Danny sank onto the bed, hiding his face in his hands. “She… she just passed out suddenly. Totally out of the blue… and she never woke up again. She’s still unconscious and the doctors are trying to figure out how to help her. They say it’s some aggressive virus and they gave her some antibiotics. Now it’s up to her to fight. They don’t know how strong her immune system is, and if it’s strong enough to fight the virus. All we can do now is hope…” With every word, Danny’s voice cracked a little more, until it broke completely. A choked sob escaped this throat. “I… I don’t know what I’m gonna do if she dies…”
“She won’t die!” Steve said without thinking and he walked over to the bed to sit next to Danny. This time Danny allowed him to put a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m scared, Steve,” he admitted. Steve could feel him shiver. “She’s just seven… she shouldn’t be in the fucking hospital fighting for her life. It’s not fair.”
“No it’s not,” Steve agreed. “But I know she’s gonna make it. Okay? She’s your daughter, and if she’s even half as stubborn as you are, she’s gonna fight this virus and kick its ass.”
Danny looked up doubtfully. “You really think so?”
“I really think so,” Steve replied with a firm nod. He fought down the urge to take Danny into his arms and hold him like there was no tomorrow.
They fell into silence and for a while they just sat next to each other, Steve’s hand still resting on Danny’s shoulder. Finally, Danny spoke again.
“I’m sorry!” he said so suddenly that it took Steve a moment to remember why he was apologizing. Before he could reply, Danny continued. “I’m sorry that I disappeared like that, but I was sitting by Grace’s bed, and I wasn’t able to think. I didn’t even remember to turn on my cell phone. I know I messed up. I should have at least told you that I couldn’t come in to work and…”
He would have rambled on if Steve hadn’t put two fingers on his lips and looked him directly into the eye. “Stop, Danno! It’s okay!”
Danny shook his head. “No, it’s not. Steve, I…”
“Shut up, okay?” Steve interrupted. “Just shut up.”
“But Steve, I…”
Steve rolled his eyes, wondering for a moment what he would have to do to get Danny to be quiet. Even if it wasn’t quite the right moment, he thought of one way to get Danny to really listen to him. He leaned forward and before Danny had the chance to turn away, Steve pressed his lips gently but insistently against Danny’s.
A second passed, then two, and then all of sudden Danny started to return the kiss, grabbing a hand full of Steve’s t-shirt and pulling him into the kiss even more.
Steve felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest. His body was overwhelmed with a confusing mix of emotions, but the most prominent at the moment was desire. A desire unlike anything he’d ever felt before. It felt so good to kiss Danny and he never wanted to stop again.
It felt as if they stayed like that forever, but eventually Steve broke the kiss and opened his eyes. He hadn’t even realized that he’d closed them.
Danny stared at him in bewilderment, taking a moment to regain his composure. “What the fuck was that?”
Steve shrugged. “Dunno… I think I found a way to shut you up.”
Danny tilted is head. “Really?” He rolled his eyes and got up from the bed. “Next time it would be nice if you’d at least ask before you kiss me.”
Steve couldn’t help smiling as he stood up himself. “There’ll be a next time?” He asked quietly, walking over to Danny and placing both hands on his shoulders.
Danny looked up at Steve nervously. He seemed embarrassed, his cheeks turning a light red. “You’re a bastard. I hate you,” he said.
Steve grinned. “No you don’t.”
Danny turned away. “Yes, I do. But…” He lifted his head again. “But thanks, anyway.”
Gently, Steve began to rub Danny’s shoulders. “What for?”
“You know what for,” Danny replied and allowed himself to lean into Steve’s touch. “Would you… stay with me just for a little while? I… I don’t want to be alone right now. I thought that I’d feel better if I came back and rested for a while, but the thought of being here alone is…” He shook his head slightly. “I’m sorry. You probably have more important things to do than to babysit me. I don’t want to keep you.”
Steve smiled. “Stop apologizing. There is nothing more important I could be doing right now. Come here.” Before he even realized what he was doing himself, Danny was lying in his arms, returning Steve’s embrace.
“The last few days must have been so hard for you.”, Steve said, feeling Danny clinging to him.
“Yeah… and even if I didn’t know I even needed some company… I’m glad you’re here.”
Softly, Steve started stroking Danny’s back. “Me, too. And I’ll stay for as long as you want me to.”
***
Steve ended up staying the entire night, mostly listening to Danny. Danny told him about the day Grace was born, and how completely he loved her the first moment he held her in his arms. Steve knew with absolute certainty that Danny would never be okay again if something happened to Grace. He felt so helpless because there was nothing he could do for him - nothing except be there to hold him and offer meagre words of comfort. So that’s what he did.
Eventually, they were lying in bed, still talking. Danny really needed Steve in this moment and when he was finally falling asleep, his head rested on Steve’s shoulder.
Steve tried to stay awake and keep an eye on Danny because he was still very concerned. He had never seen him this vulnerable and fragile, but he was kind of proud that he was trusted enough to see this side of him. His presence seemed to put Danny at ease, and he wanted to be there in case he was needed. Despite his efforts, however, he eventually became to exhausted to stay awake.
It wasn’t until the next morning that the ringing of Danny’s cell phone woke them up. Danny’s head was now resting on Steve’s chest and Steve had an arm wrapped around Danny’s waist. When Steve opened his eyes he noticed how good it felt to be this close to Danny and although he hadn’t wanted to fall asleep, he found that now he didn’t mind that he had.
Danny was immediately on his feet searching for his cell phone.
“Nightstand!” Steve informed him.
Danny grabbed it, and quickly answered. “Yeah?”
Steve watched him pace the bedroom, before finally sinking back onto the mattress.
“Thank God!” Danny said before ending the call and tossing the phone to the side. He turned to Steve, a smile on his lips. “Grace woke up.” He shook his head for a moment, giving Steve the time to let this information sink in.
“What? You mean…?”
Danny nodded, and before Steve even realized it, they were lying in each other’s arms, holding on to each other. Tears of relieve welled in Danny’s eyes. “She made it through…” he murmured.
Gently, Steve wiped away Danny’s tears. “I told you so.”
Danny nodded. “Yes, you did…”
They looked each other in the eyes for a few seconds and then closed the space between them. Their lips touched fondly, tenderly, almost careful. Steve’s arms wrapped around Danny’s waist, and even if he’d never kissed another man before Danny, nothing had ever felt this right. It felt like finally coming home.
End
Steve looked up from his desk to see Danny on the phone. Only seconds after hanging up, he walked over to Steve and looked him directly in the eye.
“I have to go!”
Before Steve had time to process what was happening, Danny was out of the office, leaving him to stare after him in confusion.
That was three days ago. Three fucking days and Steve hadn’t heard one single word from Danny since then. No call. No message. Nothing. It was as if Danny had just vanished, and slowly but surely Steve became very concerned. What if something had happened to Danny?
What if he had been in an accident? He tried to get the picture of an injured Danny out of his head, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt certain that something terrible must have happened to Danny. It was completely unlike him to just disappear and not tell anyone what’s going on.
Chin and Kono hadn’t heard from him, either, and it was beginning to drive Steve crazy.
Fortunately, they’d been busy working on a case for the past couple of days, so he didn’t have much time to really think about Danny. Still, he missed him. He missed him more with every passing hour. Every passing minute. More, really, than he would like to admit to himself. He missed Danny’s blathering, his cant, his tie. He even missed the fact that Danny was the only one who could make him go crazy within a matter of seconds. He just really missed Danny.
He tried to reach him on his cell phone like a hundred times, whenever he had chance - but all of his calls went straight to voice mail. Danny’s phone was always turned off. He left as many messages as he could until the automatic voice pleasantly informed him that the mailbox was full. Still, Danny never answered or called back.
“Where are you, Danno?” Steve murmured to himself.
“Why don’t you try to find out?”
Steve jumped slightly. He hadn’t realized that Kono had been standing there. She was regarding him with a troubled expression, and he knew she was nearly as concerned about Danny as he was.
“And how would I do that?” Steve wanted to know, leaning back in his chair.
“Why don’t you drive to his motel room and see if he’s home?” Kono answered simply.
“Don’t you think I’ve already tried that?” Steve sighed. He really had. He had been to Danny’s motel five times, but Danny was never there. It was as if something had swallowed him. As if he had vanished into thin air.
“Then try again! Sooner or later, he has to come back,” Kono insisted. “ She put a hand on Steve’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. “You’re just not the same when Danny’s not around. He better get back here soon, before I find him and personally kick his ass!”
Steve couldn’t help but smile at Kono’s comment. “I’ll be sure to tell him that when I see him.”
Kono was already at the door, when she turned around again and looked at Steve. “Maybe you should tell him how you feel about him while you’re at it.”
“How I feel about him?” Steve echoed in disbelief.
Kono leaned against the door frame. “It’s obvious that there is something going on between the two of you.”
“It is?” Steve tilted his head. He still had no idea what the hell Kono was talking about. Yes, he liked Danny. But he also liked Kono and Chin, so what was the big deal?
“You called Chin ‘Danny’ yesterday.” Kono walked over to Steve’s desk again, looking him directly in the eye.
“I did not!” Steve objected.
“Yes, you did!” Kono assured him. “Right after we walked into the warehouse to bust those drug dealers, you said ‘Careful, Danny, they might have guns.’”
Steve closed his eyes, trying to remember the scene. “I didn’t do that on purpose.“
Kono nodded. “I know. And Chin knows too.” Again she placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “You might not have realized it yourself yet, but judging by the way you act around each other, it’s obvious that you have feelings for Danny. And if you ask me, they are not one-sided.”
“You’re imagining things, Kono. You better get back to work.” Steve rolled his eyes.
“Sure, Boss.” Kono answered as she walked towards the door. “But you really should talk to him about it.”
“Alright, alright.” Steve said and got up from his chair. Even if Kono wasn’t right about his feelings for Danny, she was definitely right about one thing: he had to talk to Danny. The sooner the better.
***
Steve let out a small sigh as he pulled his car into one of those ridiculously tight parking spaces in front of Danny’s motel. It didn’t make any sense at all. Not that Danny didn’t return any of his calls, and definitely not that he was here yet again. He was acting like some love-sick idiot, who couldn’t even go for three days without seeing that “special someone”. And as stupid as it was, it felt exactly like that. When Danny wasn’t around, Steve felt like a part of him was missing, too. A very important part. The part that made him complete.
Even though he met Danny under tragic circumstances, his life had been better since. From the beginning, there had been something between them. Some connection. Something special. He never questioned his feelings for Danny because their relationship was perfect just the way it was. Friendship. A very good friendship. He liked talking to Danny. Touching him from time to time. He enjoyed being with him, even when they were fighting. He was so used to him always being there beside him that it felt almost unbearable now that he wasn’t.
He thought about Kono’s speech again, reluctantly asking himself if maybe she was right. Did he have feelings for Danny?
Suddenly another car pulled into the parking space next to his.
At first, Steve was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the other car at all, but when he turned his head to the left, he froze. It was Danny.
He immediately jumped out of his car and opened Danny’s car door before Danny had the chance to do it himself.
“Danny!” he blurted out, fighting down the urge to pull him out of the car, into his arms, and never let him go again. When he looked closer, he noticed Danny’s weary expression. He wasn’t even wearing a tie, and the first three buttons of his shirt were open, giving Steve a glimpse of the chest hair underneath. If he hadn’t still been utterly concerned, he might have allowed himself to appreciate the view. Instead, he filed the thought away in the back of his mind to be re-examined later. This was not the right time.
“Steve?” Danny stared at him in shock. He stepped out of the car, and then they were standing there, just looking at each other. “What are you doing here?”
Steve’s eyes widened. “What am I doing here?” He shook his head. “You’re seriously asking me what I’m doing here?” A feeling of anger welled up within him.
Danny opened his mouth and then closed it, apparently opting for silence. Steve felt like he was going to go crazy.
“What the fuck is the matter with you, Danno?” He demanded. Danny simply stared at him for a few seconds before turning around to put some space between him and Steve.
“You know what?” Danny blurted out, not meeting Steve’s eyes. “Why can’t you just leave me the fuck alone? This has nothing to do with you or work, okay?”
“Actually, it does, when you disappear and don’t let anyone know where you’re going or when you’ll be back. I’m your boss - I could fire you for this,” Steve replied, colder than he intended. He felt disappointment building up inside of him, and suddenly, he wasn’t sure how well he knew Danny, after all. He didn’t even recognize this person. The man in front of him was not Danny and Steve would give anything to have his Danny back.
“Fine! Then do it!”
Steve couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What?”
Danny turned around, staring at him with an expression he’d never seen on his face before. It was cold. Distant. “Fire me,” he said, as if he didn’t care at all. But Steve knew better. And he saw it. There was something else in Danny’s eyes, something that made Steve shiver the moment he recognized it. Pain. Something was very wrong, Steve realized. Something that Danny wasn’t able or willing to tell him.
Cautiously he drew closer to Danny until he was standing right in front of him again. “No, I won’t.”
Danny shrugged. “Whatever!”
And then he turned around, trying to get away from Steve again. It was as if he was running away from him and Steve had no idea why.
Danny was already at the stairs to his apartment when Steve finally caught up with him, grabbing his arm. “Danny - stop it!” he shouted, hoping to get a reaction from the ‘real’ Danny.
“Stop what?” Danny replied wearily.
“Stop running away from me. Stop acting as if I’m a stranger to you. I thought we were friends.” He wasn’t able to keep the pain out of his voice. He didn’t understand why Danny couldn’t trust him enough to just tell him what was going on. He thought they were close, but maybe he was wrong.
When Danny turned around again, Steve saw, that the distance in his expression had faded. The pain in his eyes went directly to Steve’s heart, even though he still didn’t know what it was that was hurting Danny so much.
“We are,” Danny said finally. “But this is… this is something I have to get through myself.”
“But why?” Gently, Steve put a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Isn’t that what friends are for? To share their feelings with each other - even bad ones?”
Danny shrugged slightly. “I don’t know. I’ve never had a friend like you. I’m not used to sharing these kind of feelings with anyone, you know?”
A small smile tugged at Steve’s lips. “Why don’t you try me? I swear I won’t make fun of you.”
Danny let out a small sigh as he considered Steve’s offer, and then finally relented. “Okay, but not here. Why don’t you come upstairs with me?”
Steve nodded. “Sure.”
A couple of minutes later, they were standing in front of each other in Danny’s apartment, looking at each other in silence. Danny still seemed to be pretty upset, and not knowing why was driving Steve crazy.
“Beer?” Danny asked suddenly, walking to the kitchen and opening the fridge without waiting for a response.
Steve rolled his eyes, but followed him anyway. “Danno…”
Danny glared at him from behind the fridge door, so Steve took a step back. “Danny…”, he tried again, although he sounded more impatient than he would have liked. “I don’t want a beer, I want to know what’s the matter with you. Please.” The tension between them was almost palpable.
Danny closed the refrigerator door and leaned against the refrigerator before finally looking up at Steve.
“It’s Grace,” he blurted out.
Steve tilted his head. “What about her?”
Danny bit his lower lip. “She’s been in the hospital for three days. The call in the office… that was Rachel telling me that I had to get there immediately.”
Fear welled up in Steve’s stomach. “Shit, I’m… I’m sorry, Danny.” He reached to place a hand on Danny’s shoulder, but he just brushed it off as he walked to his bedroom. Steve followed immediately.
“What happened to her?” he asked, leaning against the door frame.
Danny sank onto the bed, hiding his face in his hands. “She… she just passed out suddenly. Totally out of the blue… and she never woke up again. She’s still unconscious and the doctors are trying to figure out how to help her. They say it’s some aggressive virus and they gave her some antibiotics. Now it’s up to her to fight. They don’t know how strong her immune system is, and if it’s strong enough to fight the virus. All we can do now is hope…” With every word, Danny’s voice cracked a little more, until it broke completely. A choked sob escaped this throat. “I… I don’t know what I’m gonna do if she dies…”
“She won’t die!” Steve said without thinking and he walked over to the bed to sit next to Danny. This time Danny allowed him to put a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m scared, Steve,” he admitted. Steve could feel him shiver. “She’s just seven… she shouldn’t be in the fucking hospital fighting for her life. It’s not fair.”
“No it’s not,” Steve agreed. “But I know she’s gonna make it. Okay? She’s your daughter, and if she’s even half as stubborn as you are, she’s gonna fight this virus and kick its ass.”
Danny looked up doubtfully. “You really think so?”
“I really think so,” Steve replied with a firm nod. He fought down the urge to take Danny into his arms and hold him like there was no tomorrow.
They fell into silence and for a while they just sat next to each other, Steve’s hand still resting on Danny’s shoulder. Finally, Danny spoke again.
“I’m sorry!” he said so suddenly that it took Steve a moment to remember why he was apologizing. Before he could reply, Danny continued. “I’m sorry that I disappeared like that, but I was sitting by Grace’s bed, and I wasn’t able to think. I didn’t even remember to turn on my cell phone. I know I messed up. I should have at least told you that I couldn’t come in to work and…”
He would have rambled on if Steve hadn’t put two fingers on his lips and looked him directly into the eye. “Stop, Danno! It’s okay!”
Danny shook his head. “No, it’s not. Steve, I…”
“Shut up, okay?” Steve interrupted. “Just shut up.”
“But Steve, I…”
Steve rolled his eyes, wondering for a moment what he would have to do to get Danny to be quiet. Even if it wasn’t quite the right moment, he thought of one way to get Danny to really listen to him. He leaned forward and before Danny had the chance to turn away, Steve pressed his lips gently but insistently against Danny’s.
A second passed, then two, and then all of sudden Danny started to return the kiss, grabbing a hand full of Steve’s t-shirt and pulling him into the kiss even more.
Steve felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest. His body was overwhelmed with a confusing mix of emotions, but the most prominent at the moment was desire. A desire unlike anything he’d ever felt before. It felt so good to kiss Danny and he never wanted to stop again.
It felt as if they stayed like that forever, but eventually Steve broke the kiss and opened his eyes. He hadn’t even realized that he’d closed them.
Danny stared at him in bewilderment, taking a moment to regain his composure. “What the fuck was that?”
Steve shrugged. “Dunno… I think I found a way to shut you up.”
Danny tilted is head. “Really?” He rolled his eyes and got up from the bed. “Next time it would be nice if you’d at least ask before you kiss me.”
Steve couldn’t help smiling as he stood up himself. “There’ll be a next time?” He asked quietly, walking over to Danny and placing both hands on his shoulders.
Danny looked up at Steve nervously. He seemed embarrassed, his cheeks turning a light red. “You’re a bastard. I hate you,” he said.
Steve grinned. “No you don’t.”
Danny turned away. “Yes, I do. But…” He lifted his head again. “But thanks, anyway.”
Gently, Steve began to rub Danny’s shoulders. “What for?”
“You know what for,” Danny replied and allowed himself to lean into Steve’s touch. “Would you… stay with me just for a little while? I… I don’t want to be alone right now. I thought that I’d feel better if I came back and rested for a while, but the thought of being here alone is…” He shook his head slightly. “I’m sorry. You probably have more important things to do than to babysit me. I don’t want to keep you.”
Steve smiled. “Stop apologizing. There is nothing more important I could be doing right now. Come here.” Before he even realized what he was doing himself, Danny was lying in his arms, returning Steve’s embrace.
“The last few days must have been so hard for you.”, Steve said, feeling Danny clinging to him.
“Yeah… and even if I didn’t know I even needed some company… I’m glad you’re here.”
Softly, Steve started stroking Danny’s back. “Me, too. And I’ll stay for as long as you want me to.”
***
Steve ended up staying the entire night, mostly listening to Danny. Danny told him about the day Grace was born, and how completely he loved her the first moment he held her in his arms. Steve knew with absolute certainty that Danny would never be okay again if something happened to Grace. He felt so helpless because there was nothing he could do for him - nothing except be there to hold him and offer meagre words of comfort. So that’s what he did.
Eventually, they were lying in bed, still talking. Danny really needed Steve in this moment and when he was finally falling asleep, his head rested on Steve’s shoulder.
Steve tried to stay awake and keep an eye on Danny because he was still very concerned. He had never seen him this vulnerable and fragile, but he was kind of proud that he was trusted enough to see this side of him. His presence seemed to put Danny at ease, and he wanted to be there in case he was needed. Despite his efforts, however, he eventually became to exhausted to stay awake.
It wasn’t until the next morning that the ringing of Danny’s cell phone woke them up. Danny’s head was now resting on Steve’s chest and Steve had an arm wrapped around Danny’s waist. When Steve opened his eyes he noticed how good it felt to be this close to Danny and although he hadn’t wanted to fall asleep, he found that now he didn’t mind that he had.
Danny was immediately on his feet searching for his cell phone.
“Nightstand!” Steve informed him.
Danny grabbed it, and quickly answered. “Yeah?”
Steve watched him pace the bedroom, before finally sinking back onto the mattress.
“Thank God!” Danny said before ending the call and tossing the phone to the side. He turned to Steve, a smile on his lips. “Grace woke up.” He shook his head for a moment, giving Steve the time to let this information sink in.
“What? You mean…?”
Danny nodded, and before Steve even realized it, they were lying in each other’s arms, holding on to each other. Tears of relieve welled in Danny’s eyes. “She made it through…” he murmured.
Gently, Steve wiped away Danny’s tears. “I told you so.”
Danny nodded. “Yes, you did…”
They looked each other in the eyes for a few seconds and then closed the space between them. Their lips touched fondly, tenderly, almost careful. Steve’s arms wrapped around Danny’s waist, and even if he’d never kissed another man before Danny, nothing had ever felt this right. It felt like finally coming home.
End