Steve doesn't move. It's hard to say which instinct has that down really. Stay. Still. Don't. Move. Keep. Breathing. Keep listening to Danny's voice. The way Danny is rambling in against his shoulder, against his neck. He knows these words. Had these conversations. From the outside. When it was never. It wasn't going to be him. Because Danny was falling on his ass for an admittedly pretty face. And then running as far as possible as fast as possible.
Because he remembers. Danny terrified, angry and sure. Insanely, sure. But still there, too.
When it was easy to say coffee was just coffee. Gabby was a pretty easy bet in that way.
A sure thing, if Danny would pry his damn feet off the ground. Coffee, dinners. Dating. Grace. The easy, logical progression. That Danny skipped to ending, and Steve just shoved toward being good, making Danny happy. And any of those other words clog. Hard. Against all the muscles. His jugular. The race of his pulse, like it isn't slowing. Slamming his head with a wall. Because he isn't moving.
The only thing moving is Danny. Spilling all these words out on him, making him aware of one very clear thing. He isn't a sure thing. He didn't. They. This situation. It's not like he could start hating Danny. It's not like he ever found a way to bury this in a hole ten feet deep.
But it's not like he can even offer Danny --
"Cath probably wouldn't agree with that." Steve shifted the hand in Danny's hair to rub at his own forehead, barely an inch, maybe two, between them, Danny's head and where his still is, against it, when he shook his head, closing his eyes briefly against the rub. "She'll probably use several more choice words than 'ridiculously out of bounds' for this."
But then Cath expected him to fall on any bomb, terrorist, mission grade objective placed before him. Without hesitation. To the level of his ability. Ballsy, arrogant, best there is, oath living and breathing SEAL. Something she got, to a clear and perfect understanding, that Danny didn't have. Or might have had and didn't want to know if was anywhere near accurate, for his sanity or the teams. Or maybe even Steve's.
But she didn't expect this. She didn't expect to find him fallen on Danny. Not actually. Not like this. Ever.
Dying, swearing to be more than human for the job, fine. But breaking all the rules. For Danny. With him. By him.
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Because he remembers. Danny terrified, angry and sure. Insanely, sure. But still there, too.
When it was easy to say coffee was just coffee. Gabby was a pretty easy bet in that way.
A sure thing, if Danny would pry his damn feet off the ground. Coffee, dinners. Dating. Grace. The easy, logical progression. That Danny skipped to ending, and Steve just shoved toward being good, making Danny happy. And any of those other words clog. Hard. Against all the muscles. His jugular. The race of his pulse, like it isn't slowing. Slamming his head with a wall. Because he isn't moving.
The only thing moving is Danny. Spilling all these words out on him, making him aware of one very clear thing.
He isn't a sure thing. He didn't. They. This situation. It's not like he could start hating Danny.
It's not like he ever found a way to bury this in a hole ten feet deep.
But it's not like he can even offer Danny --
"Cath probably wouldn't agree with that." Steve shifted the hand in Danny's hair to rub at his own forehead, barely an inch, maybe two, between them, Danny's head and where his still is, against it, when he shook his head, closing his eyes briefly against the rub. "She'll probably use several more choice words than 'ridiculously out of bounds' for this."
But then Cath expected him to fall on any bomb, terrorist, mission grade objective placed before him. Without hesitation. To the level of his ability. Ballsy, arrogant, best there is, oath living and breathing SEAL. Something she got, to a clear and perfect understanding, that Danny didn't have. Or might have had and didn't want to know if was anywhere near accurate, for his sanity or the teams. Or maybe even Steve's.
But she didn't expect this. She didn't expect to find him fallen on Danny. Not actually. Not like this. Ever.
Dying, swearing to be more than human for the job, fine. But breaking all the rules. For Danny. With him. By him.