Look, it's not that he doesn't feel bad. Okay. He does. Especially because Steve is calling him on his bullshit, and looking disappointed and a little pissed off.
But this is so different from explaining to Steve why asking Gabby out for a cup of coffee was such a bad idea, why Danny was digging in his heels the whole way and had to be shoved into doing anything of the kind. It's one thing when Steve is an outside observer, and Danny has to clear it up for him.
It's something else entirely when Steve is the one Danny's scared as hell to lose. Okay. He gets that it's ridiculous. Maybe even hypocritical. Self-preservation instincts should mean nothing at all, by now. Not when he's already in so far over his head.
So he can't stop them, but he can at least be aggravated by them. Great.
Maybe even more so than Steve, though it doesn't look like it from here, when Steve is tipping up his chin and fixing him with that interrogation room stare, the one that Danny knows can crack the hardest of criminals, and it's not like he hasn't seen it before, alright, but it's definitely working on him, too. Making him want to spill everything, no matter how incredulous Steve looks.
Which is maybe why there's a rueful look back. Wry, with: "You're telling me."
Because Christ, it is hard. It wasn't always. Not years ago, back before he had any clue that Rachel might one day pick up and leave. She used to be able to wheedle anything out of him, and it almost never took any kind of effort. You talk to each other, right? That's part and parcel of the whole thing.
Like he talks to Steve. Tells Steve everything. And sometimes, yeah, Steve makes fun of him or argues with him or looks at him like he's completely whacked in the head, and that's all fine, totally fine, except right now he's not sure he wants any of that to happen. Still feeling raw, now that the flush of heat is gone. A protective, selfish hand curling over the words Steve said. Out loud. Into the living room air. I want you. Only you.
Words Danny doesn't want to change. Or that suddenly need to be rethought, qualified. "Very nice interrogation methods, though. Much better than hanging me off a roof."
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But this is so different from explaining to Steve why asking Gabby out for a cup of coffee was such a bad idea, why Danny was digging in his heels the whole way and had to be shoved into doing anything of the kind. It's one thing when Steve is an outside observer, and Danny has to clear it up for him.
It's something else entirely when Steve is the one Danny's scared as hell to lose. Okay. He gets that it's ridiculous. Maybe even hypocritical. Self-preservation instincts should mean nothing at all, by now. Not when he's already in so far over his head.
So he can't stop them, but he can at least be aggravated by them. Great.
Maybe even more so than Steve, though it doesn't look like it from here, when Steve is tipping up his chin and fixing him with that interrogation room stare, the one that Danny knows can crack the hardest of criminals, and it's not like he hasn't seen it before, alright, but it's definitely working on him, too. Making him want to spill everything, no matter how incredulous Steve looks.
Which is maybe why there's a rueful look back. Wry, with: "You're telling me."
Because Christ, it is hard. It wasn't always. Not years ago, back before he had any clue that Rachel might one day pick up and leave. She used to be able to wheedle anything out of him, and it almost never took any kind of effort. You talk to each other, right? That's part and parcel of the whole thing.
Like he talks to Steve. Tells Steve everything. And sometimes, yeah, Steve makes fun of him or argues with him or looks at him like he's completely whacked in the head, and that's all fine, totally fine, except right now he's not sure he wants any of that to happen. Still feeling raw, now that the flush of heat is gone. A protective, selfish hand curling over the words Steve said. Out loud. Into the living room air. I want you. Only you.
Words Danny doesn't want to change. Or that suddenly need to be rethought, qualified. "Very nice interrogation methods, though. Much better than hanging me off a roof."