Fic: Bedtime Story, Chapter 1
Title: Bedtime Story
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Steve/Danny, pre-slash
Warnings, spoilers, etc.: This fic is finale-free and does not have spoilers for any specific episodes. Some chapters have references to flashbacks and nightmares, as well as moderate Steve!whumping and angst.
Disclaimer: Hawaii 5-0 does not belong to me, and no infringement is intended.
Summary: What happens when a Navy SEAL needs a bedtime story?
Author's note: When I first thought of this story, it was going to be a quick piece of fluff. However, I kept wondering what happened next, and it grew.... This is a multi-part story, but it is completely written, not a wip. I'll try to post a chapter every day or two until it's done. Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome!
CHAPTER 1
"I'm fine!"
"You are not fine, Steven! You aren't even on the same island as 'fine.' Your leg was sliced to the bone, and you nearly bled to death. That, my friend, is not 'fine' by the definition of any normal human being. The only reason you aren't still in the hospital is that the nursing staff has had to work with you before." Danny eased his partner down onto the bed and stepped back a little. "Now, you are going to bed, you are going to take your medicine, and you are going to rest until you're actually better." Steve glared at Danny. "Glare all you want. I realize that SEALs are supposed to be indestructible, in-human robots, but you," Danny poked at his partner, "are on the injured list for the time being."
Steve tried to lever himself to his feet, but fell back on the bed when his leg refused to hold him.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Danny growled.
"The bathroom -- I need to piss. Is that ok, or is it against doctor's orders?" Steve snarled right back.
Danny grumphed, "Ok, fine," and moved forward to help Steve to his feet. Steve hated to rely on someone else, but he wouldn't get very far on his own, and Danny seemed to know just how to move with him to minimize the pain. The shorter man kept talking while he helped his partner hobble across the room, waving the hand that wasn't wrapped around Steve's waist. "You have got to be the world's worst patient, I swear! I know it's against the rules for SEALs to admit to weakness, but haven't you ever been hurt before?" Fortunately for Steve, the bathroom didn't have quite enough room for the two of them to walk side-by-side. He leaned on the counter by the sink to keep his balance while Danny waited outside.
"Yes, Danny, I have been hurt before. And I've just worked through it with no problems. It's not like I had anyone to take care of me," he ended with a mutter.
Danny rubbed his face. He thought about what he knew of his partner's background and realized that the other man didn't just mean while he was in the field. Steve probably hadn't had anyone to take care of him since his mother died. Danny held onto his patience as best he could and resolved to do whatever Steve needed until he was on his feet again.
When Steve got back to the bedroom, Danny had turned down the covers on the bed and set out the antibiotics and painkillers the doctor had prescribed. He helped Steve cross the room again, then knelt down and reached for Steve's foot.
"I can untie my own shoes, Danny." Even to himself, Steve sounded sulky.
"Mm-hmm. You could probably take over the whole fucking island with one arm tied behind your back right now, too." Danny grinned up at his partner. "You're as bad as a five-year-old, you know that? Fortunately, I have nieces and nephews and an otherwise-perfect daughter, so I have plenty of experience with sick five-year-olds." He gently removed Steve's boots, stripped off his shirt and cargoes, and bundled him into the bed. "Now, take your medicine, or I'm going to hold your nose and stuff it down your throat." The New Jersey native smiled as he said it, but there was undeniable steel in his voice.
Steve didn't doubt that Danny would make good on his threat, and he wasn't sure he could take the shorter man in a fight right now. Still, he couldn't give in easily. "I'll take the antibiotics, but not the other stuff. I hate painkillers, and it's not bad enough that I need them."
Danny gaped at him in disbelief. "Are you completely insane? You're sweating, your face is grey, and I can see the muscles in your leg twitching from here. If you're going to get any sleep tonight, you need to take something for the pain. If you don't sleep, you're not going to heal, and then you'll need more medicine."
Steve tried to get his body under control. "I don't wanna take the painkillers, Danny." The tall man could tell he was nearly pouting, but he couldn't help himself.
His partner sighed and sat in the chair beside the bed. "Let me guess, you feel helpless and hate the way you can't control your body. If something happened, you wouldn't be able to do anything, so you'd rather suffer with the pain than risk not being there when you're needed."
Steve looked at him in surprise. "What, you think you're the only control freak who doesn't like pain pills?" Danny grinned wryly, and Steve wondered if he was talking about himself or a previous partner. "Will it help if I stay here until you fall asleep? I'm your back-up. That doesn't mean just when we're in the field; you know that," he said gently.
Steve grimaced, but he knew he wasn't going to win this argument. He would feel better with Danny there, he could admit that much to himself. "Ok, but I can't take those horse pills without water."
"Fine, relax. I'll get you a glass of water." Danny grumbled a little to himself as he fetched a cup from the bathroom. "Ok, princess, you've gone to the potty, and you've got a drink of water. Is there anything else you need before lights-out? Teddy bear, maybe, or a bedtime story...."
Steve looked up from glaring at his pills, too surprised to hide his expression for a moment. He couldn't remember the last time someone read him a bedtime story, and it would give them something to do while they waited for the medicine to knock him out. There was no way he could actually ask his partner to read him to sleep though. Danny caught the look Steve was giving him. The New Jersey native caught all of his looks and was learning to interpret them frighteningly quickly. Danny ran his hands through his hair, then grinned. "Seriously? All right, babe, if you take all your pills like a good boy, Danny will read you a bedtime story."
Danny watched Steve to make sure he actually swallowed the pills, then ducked out the door. Steve could hear him rummaging around downstairs and wondered what the hell his partner was looking for. He felt the painkillers starting to kick in and tensed at the familiar floating feeling.
The helplessness was part of the reason he hated these pills, but it wasn't the only one. Before long, the floating feeling shifted to falling, and the shadows in his bedroom looked more and more like the shadows in an overturned APC. He started to shiver as he thought he heard helicopter blades thump outside, before he realized that it was Danny’s footsteps in the hall.
Steve felt himself start to relax as Danny came into the room, pulling him back from the nightmare memories. He really did feel better with his partner there, grounding him in the here-and-now.
Steve couldn't quite make out what Danny was holding, but the shorter man seemed excited about it. Danny settled himself in the chair beside Steve's bed, then started to read. "Top 5 Reasons to Have a Dedicated 'Tactical' Rimfire Rifle. In the past few years, there has been a market influx of semiauto .22 rifles that in large part replicate modern AR-15 or 556 carbines owned for home defense...."
Steve chuckled as his muscles let loose the last of their tension -- this was one of the articles in the latest "Guns & Ammo" magazine. He let himself drift to the sound of his partner's familiar voice, safe in the knowledge that Danny was there with him and probably knew him better than anyone else. Sometimes that scared him, but right now, Steve needed to be able to let go and trust his partner to take care of him. Exhaustion and finally getting relief from the stress of the day combined with the painkillers to pull him under quickly. He was right on the edge of sleep when he felt lips brush against his forehead and just barely heard, "Good night, babe." As he drifted off, Steve wondered if that was real or just a dream.
The full article that Danny reads to Steve was online at the Guns & Ammo website. Unfortunately, the site is undergoing maintenance, but I'll correct the link when I can. I don't know if it was actually in the print magazine, but it seemed like a good choice for Steve.
Chapter 2
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Steve/Danny, pre-slash
Warnings, spoilers, etc.: This fic is finale-free and does not have spoilers for any specific episodes. Some chapters have references to flashbacks and nightmares, as well as moderate Steve!whumping and angst.
Disclaimer: Hawaii 5-0 does not belong to me, and no infringement is intended.
Summary: What happens when a Navy SEAL needs a bedtime story?
Author's note: When I first thought of this story, it was going to be a quick piece of fluff. However, I kept wondering what happened next, and it grew.... This is a multi-part story, but it is completely written, not a wip. I'll try to post a chapter every day or two until it's done. Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome!
CHAPTER 1
"I'm fine!"
"You are not fine, Steven! You aren't even on the same island as 'fine.' Your leg was sliced to the bone, and you nearly bled to death. That, my friend, is not 'fine' by the definition of any normal human being. The only reason you aren't still in the hospital is that the nursing staff has had to work with you before." Danny eased his partner down onto the bed and stepped back a little. "Now, you are going to bed, you are going to take your medicine, and you are going to rest until you're actually better." Steve glared at Danny. "Glare all you want. I realize that SEALs are supposed to be indestructible, in-human robots, but you," Danny poked at his partner, "are on the injured list for the time being."
Steve tried to lever himself to his feet, but fell back on the bed when his leg refused to hold him.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Danny growled.
"The bathroom -- I need to piss. Is that ok, or is it against doctor's orders?" Steve snarled right back.
Danny grumphed, "Ok, fine," and moved forward to help Steve to his feet. Steve hated to rely on someone else, but he wouldn't get very far on his own, and Danny seemed to know just how to move with him to minimize the pain. The shorter man kept talking while he helped his partner hobble across the room, waving the hand that wasn't wrapped around Steve's waist. "You have got to be the world's worst patient, I swear! I know it's against the rules for SEALs to admit to weakness, but haven't you ever been hurt before?" Fortunately for Steve, the bathroom didn't have quite enough room for the two of them to walk side-by-side. He leaned on the counter by the sink to keep his balance while Danny waited outside.
"Yes, Danny, I have been hurt before. And I've just worked through it with no problems. It's not like I had anyone to take care of me," he ended with a mutter.
Danny rubbed his face. He thought about what he knew of his partner's background and realized that the other man didn't just mean while he was in the field. Steve probably hadn't had anyone to take care of him since his mother died. Danny held onto his patience as best he could and resolved to do whatever Steve needed until he was on his feet again.
When Steve got back to the bedroom, Danny had turned down the covers on the bed and set out the antibiotics and painkillers the doctor had prescribed. He helped Steve cross the room again, then knelt down and reached for Steve's foot.
"I can untie my own shoes, Danny." Even to himself, Steve sounded sulky.
"Mm-hmm. You could probably take over the whole fucking island with one arm tied behind your back right now, too." Danny grinned up at his partner. "You're as bad as a five-year-old, you know that? Fortunately, I have nieces and nephews and an otherwise-perfect daughter, so I have plenty of experience with sick five-year-olds." He gently removed Steve's boots, stripped off his shirt and cargoes, and bundled him into the bed. "Now, take your medicine, or I'm going to hold your nose and stuff it down your throat." The New Jersey native smiled as he said it, but there was undeniable steel in his voice.
Steve didn't doubt that Danny would make good on his threat, and he wasn't sure he could take the shorter man in a fight right now. Still, he couldn't give in easily. "I'll take the antibiotics, but not the other stuff. I hate painkillers, and it's not bad enough that I need them."
Danny gaped at him in disbelief. "Are you completely insane? You're sweating, your face is grey, and I can see the muscles in your leg twitching from here. If you're going to get any sleep tonight, you need to take something for the pain. If you don't sleep, you're not going to heal, and then you'll need more medicine."
Steve tried to get his body under control. "I don't wanna take the painkillers, Danny." The tall man could tell he was nearly pouting, but he couldn't help himself.
His partner sighed and sat in the chair beside the bed. "Let me guess, you feel helpless and hate the way you can't control your body. If something happened, you wouldn't be able to do anything, so you'd rather suffer with the pain than risk not being there when you're needed."
Steve looked at him in surprise. "What, you think you're the only control freak who doesn't like pain pills?" Danny grinned wryly, and Steve wondered if he was talking about himself or a previous partner. "Will it help if I stay here until you fall asleep? I'm your back-up. That doesn't mean just when we're in the field; you know that," he said gently.
Steve grimaced, but he knew he wasn't going to win this argument. He would feel better with Danny there, he could admit that much to himself. "Ok, but I can't take those horse pills without water."
"Fine, relax. I'll get you a glass of water." Danny grumbled a little to himself as he fetched a cup from the bathroom. "Ok, princess, you've gone to the potty, and you've got a drink of water. Is there anything else you need before lights-out? Teddy bear, maybe, or a bedtime story...."
Steve looked up from glaring at his pills, too surprised to hide his expression for a moment. He couldn't remember the last time someone read him a bedtime story, and it would give them something to do while they waited for the medicine to knock him out. There was no way he could actually ask his partner to read him to sleep though. Danny caught the look Steve was giving him. The New Jersey native caught all of his looks and was learning to interpret them frighteningly quickly. Danny ran his hands through his hair, then grinned. "Seriously? All right, babe, if you take all your pills like a good boy, Danny will read you a bedtime story."
Danny watched Steve to make sure he actually swallowed the pills, then ducked out the door. Steve could hear him rummaging around downstairs and wondered what the hell his partner was looking for. He felt the painkillers starting to kick in and tensed at the familiar floating feeling.
The helplessness was part of the reason he hated these pills, but it wasn't the only one. Before long, the floating feeling shifted to falling, and the shadows in his bedroom looked more and more like the shadows in an overturned APC. He started to shiver as he thought he heard helicopter blades thump outside, before he realized that it was Danny’s footsteps in the hall.
Steve felt himself start to relax as Danny came into the room, pulling him back from the nightmare memories. He really did feel better with his partner there, grounding him in the here-and-now.
Steve couldn't quite make out what Danny was holding, but the shorter man seemed excited about it. Danny settled himself in the chair beside Steve's bed, then started to read. "Top 5 Reasons to Have a Dedicated 'Tactical' Rimfire Rifle. In the past few years, there has been a market influx of semiauto .22 rifles that in large part replicate modern AR-15 or 556 carbines owned for home defense...."
Steve chuckled as his muscles let loose the last of their tension -- this was one of the articles in the latest "Guns & Ammo" magazine. He let himself drift to the sound of his partner's familiar voice, safe in the knowledge that Danny was there with him and probably knew him better than anyone else. Sometimes that scared him, but right now, Steve needed to be able to let go and trust his partner to take care of him. Exhaustion and finally getting relief from the stress of the day combined with the painkillers to pull him under quickly. He was right on the edge of sleep when he felt lips brush against his forehead and just barely heard, "Good night, babe." As he drifted off, Steve wondered if that was real or just a dream.
The full article that Danny reads to Steve was online at the Guns & Ammo website. Unfortunately, the site is undergoing maintenance, but I'll correct the link when I can. I don't know if it was actually in the print magazine, but it seemed like a good choice for Steve.
Chapter 2