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It’s common knowledge in the Shatterdome that Chuck Hansen doesn’t spare a second for anything that isn’t a machine or a tool (or his dog Max). It’s also common knowledge that Chuck has no idea, at all, how to act around people without being an asshole.
So really, nobody can blame Mako – or Tendo, or Herc, or Sasha Kaidanovsky – for laughing their lungs out when Chuck is around the new LOCCENT tech. It takes them a few weeks to realize what is going on, but as soon as they do, they make their personal tasks to embarrass Chuck or make him confess. Whatever comes first.
Mako is the first to notice. What a surprise, really. She’s sitting with Tendo in the cafeteria and they’re discussing the repairs in Gipsy when Chuck stops at the entrance of the hall and looks around. Mako watches him walk to their table looking even more grumpy than usual. “Aggressively sits down” gets a whole new meaning when Chuck sits, right beside Danny, a technician transferred with Gipsy from Alaska.
Chuck looks at Danny, grumbles something that sounds like a ‘Good Morning’ and starts eating his breakfast like it’s the last meal he’ll ever have. It takes almost five minutes and some heavy staring for Chuck to look up. Mako and Tendo are looking at him with curiosity and the younger Hansen simply shrugs and goes back to eating his food. The scene is repeated every day for almost two weeks until Mako realizes Danny is the reason Chuck sits with them.
Once she notices this and starts paying attention, Mako picks up a lot of small actions from Chuck she’d never seen.
Like how Chuck spends a lot more time on LOCCENT then he ever did. Or the fact it’s the fifth time he’s showed the ‘Dome to Danny that week. Or even how Chuck sometimes goes all the way from the cafeteria to LOCCENT to make sure Danny takes a break and eats his lunch. The funny part though is that Chuck barely manages a word or two and looks so constipated you’d think someone’s forcing him.
Tendo is quick to understand the whole thing, too. He’s sharing a – overpriced and oh so hard to put his hands on – mango with Mako in the hangar by Gipsy’s feet, while Chuck and Danny are next to Striker and Chuck’s showing at least a hundred tools to Danny and the poor boy looks so lost it makes Mako smile.
“I think Chuck’s in love with him.” Tendo says while he chews.
“I am sure of it.” Mako replies, still watching the two men.
The next day, after Mako and Tendo have finished their breakfast and are heading back to LOCCENT, Sasha Kaidanovsky walks over to them, puts an arm over their shoulders and with the most terrifying smile says “Who’d say we would see our little Australian infatuated, huh?!”
Tendo nods, with a wicked smile. “Cute, isn’t it?”
“Awkward, I’d say.” Sasha replies. “He looks like he needs some help.”
And that is when it all goes to hell, if you ever ask Mako. Not that she’s complaining.
The next few weeks, every time Chuck and Danny were together someone would spill something in one of their shirts – oh, sorry you’ll have to take your shirt off in front of your friend –, drop a hint or generally embarrass them both.
Obviously, it ended in nothing. Even Sasha grunted about how those two are so blind they wouldn’t see a Kaiju if it danced in their faces.
Herc only found out when he drifted with Chuck. Tendo told them in tears – from laughing – about the scene he witnessed earlier that day.
As soon as they were released from Striker’s conn-pod, Herc pulled Chuck in a hug, drivesuits and all, and patted him in the back. (Tendo swore Herc had tears in his eyes but neither Mako or Sasha were sure about the veracity of that) Chuck looked like he wanted a hole to crawl in and never come out.
Only when Chuck complained, Herc stepped back and told Chuck he was “happy you found someone”. Chuck sputtered something no one understood and got the hell out of there.
When Danny showed up to help get Herc out of his drivesuit, the Hansen looked the technician like he could see three generations back in his family. If Danny flushed all the way to his ears, nobody said anything, but the Australian surely looked satisfied.
Sasha, Mako and Tendo kept trying to play matchmaker, but after the Herc episode, Chuck looked on verge of punching someone. And no matter what anyone says, the three of them had nothing to do with the entire Shatterdome finally catching up. Or with everyone trying to bring the two together.
But they certainly could talk. Sasha was particularly amused with the Wei boys and their “subtlety” (most likely the lack of it). Tendo had a bet with Newt on how long it would take for Chuck to finally lose his patience.
Even Marshall Pentecost asked Mako if Danny was a good guy, of course, he was just making sure Chuck won’t get distracted if it turns out badly.
After almost seven months, the work on Gipsy was over. The work Danny was needed for, at least. The whole restoration thing took a lot longer, Danny was only needed for the final phase.
Chuck’s sitting in the cafeteria with the American, like he did for the last four months, except lately Tendo and Mako sit with the Russians, which should concern Chuck a lot more, but Danny’s telling him about this hyperactive guy he worked with in San Francisco who had a crush in one of the Rangers and always said something stupid around the guy, and Chuck’s laughing too much to worry about Sasha’s pleased look.
“What happened to them?” He asks, still laughing.
Danny shrugs, smiling at him and Chuck makes a mental note about how Danny’s dimples are adorable. (And really, the fact that he thinks anything about someone is adorable should be enough to realize something’s not quite right) “Dunno. Guess I’ll find out, then I e-mail you the answer. ”
It takes him a moment to understand. “What?” It comes out harsher then he intended, but hey, no judging, Chuck never did well with surprises. Especially bad ones.
“Not much to do around here now that Gipsy is ready.” Danny tells him, and Chuck swears it’s sadness in his voice.
It’s only obvious – for him – to get up and walk away without a single word. Chuck’s aware the entire hall is looking at him, but he really doesn’t care. It’s obvious too, and reasonable (shut up, Dad) to almost put the Marshall’s door down with his fists.
Pentecost doesn’t look amused, but neither is Chuck, when he asks the Marshall what the hell is he thinking, he can’t send away one of his best techs. In his always calm tone, Pentecost tells him no one is going anywhere, because they need all the help they can get.
Chuck will deny it for the rest of his life, but he actually takes a deep breath as the relieve washes over him. Danny isn’t going anywhere.
Pentecost kicks him out of his room looking calmly pissed in a way only he can, but when Chuck is out the door, the Marshall tells him to “Stop being so stubborn and do the right thing, this ‘Dome can’t survive another week if the Weis keep trying to play matchmaker.”
Later that day, Chuck finds Danny alone in the LOCCENT. The American is typing furiously and a series of codes Chuck has no idea of what means appear in a black screen. He leans against the door and watches for God knows how long.
If anyone had told him a year ago that he would feel like this about someone, he would laugh in their faces for being so stupid. He’s Chuck Hansen, he doesn’t have the time to fall in love, he’s a fucking hero.
Apparently, he tells himself, he does have the time.
Before Danny showed up, he never even looked twice at anyone, but something in the way Danny talked about his computers and codes, the way he was so open and friendly with everyone no matter who they were. Something in the way his eyes lighted up and his dimples showed when he smiled made Chuck want to be around the guy.
To the point he was jealous when other people were around Danny (Wasn’t that funny to realize!?). He was afraid someone else would make Danny smile more or make him finally see he could do better than Chuck. But he never left. Even if Chuck was a grumpy little shit, he stayed around. Heard hours of explanation about tools and machines he would never use.
Chuck may be an asshole who knows nothing about people, but he’s pretty sure that means Danny may or may not like him the way he likes Danny. And he’s not a coward, he can do this.
Of course he can. He’s Chuck Hansen. He killed ten kaiju, he can tell a guy he’s kind of in love with him.
He can do this.
His father always said ‘if you have a shot, you take it’. Chuck takes a deep breath.
“Are you gonna stand there all day or what?” Danny is looking at him with a brow creased and a half smile.
He has a shot. His mouth feels dry as a freaking desert. He can’t do this.
“So?” It’s a full smile now. Danny’s dimples are showing and they’re fucking adorable. “Are you alright, Charlie?”
Charlie. Only Danny calls him that.
“I think I’m in love with you.” He blurts out.
Danny leans back in his chair, still smiling, but now it looks awfully like Tendo’s (He makes a mental note to not let Danny spend so much time with Tendo than he already does). “Took your time, eh? I was starting to think you wouldn’t say anything.”
It almost makes a clicking noise when he gets it. Fighting off a smile and doing his best to look pissed, Chuck walks up to where Danny is sitting, grabs him by the collar and pulls him up. “I almost put the Marshall’s door down, fucker.” And like that, he smashes their mouths together.
Everything after that is a mess of teeth and tongue and Danny’s smell and his hands on Chuck’s hips and ass, and Chuck biting on Danny’s lips.
Chuck really should have known better, he realizes later. There was no way the LOCCENT could be empty at any hour of the day.
And doesn’t matter if his right hand is linked with Danny’s, he can still punch with his left. And he will if someone else pats him on the back or smile like they know his every secret.
Danny just laughs and tells him it’s nothing to worry about, it’ll stop. Eventually. Chuck knows that, besides, he doesn’t have a problem being the center of attention. It just bothers him that everyone else knew before he did.
And—Is that Tendo paying Newt? What the fuck?
Danny, why is Sasha looking at us like that?
You too, Mori? You freaking traitor