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“Hey?” Steve said in surprise when Danny walked through the door. He’d been the first to leave the party to take Charlie home to Rachel’s. “What are you doing back here?”
Danny shrugged and glanced around, “Thought I’d head back, help clean up.”
“Not much to be done,” Steve shook his head. “You didn’t have too-.”
“Everybody gone?” Danny asked as he nudged the door closed with his foot and made his way further into the room.
“Yeah Lou herded Kamekona, Flippa and Jerry into a taxi about fifteen minutes ago,” Steve explained. “You really didn’t have to come back D.”
“We need to talk,” Danny said firmly. “Because if you think you get to land a bombshell like what you just did tonight on me and think I’m gonna wait few days to talk about it – well then you don’t know me as well as you think you do buddy.”
“Danny,” Steve began, standing straighter and looking at him before he dropped his eyes. “Fine, okay, I know I could have chosen a better time to say something-.”
“Oh I know why you told me when you did, so I wouldn’t make a scene, I was looking after Charlie, it was Jerry’s night,” Danny shoved his hands into his pockets. “You should have told me long before tonight Steve.”
“You got your own shit to deal with,” Steve pointed out to him.
“Yeah but that’s the thing,” Danny reminded him. “Your part of all that too. You can’t give me lectures about how me retiring is like retiring us but not tell me that you got some kind of radiation sickness that could have some pretty intense effects on you for the rest of your life. Like how’d you think I was gonna take that news?”
“Like you take any news,” Steve smiled at him. “With a hefty pinch of pessimism.”
Danny half smiled at that but he couldn’t hold it as he looked Steve in the eye, “So are you going to get a second opinion?”
“Yeah I’ll get round to it,” Steve assured him.
“Steve,” Danny said sternly.
“I’ll make an appointment tomorrow,” Steve promised.
“And then we’ll get a third opinion,” Danny stated, sounding angry and frustrated. “And we’ll make sure they give us all the information and we figure out a game plan and we get all the facts about how long term this will be and all the effects and -.”
“Danny,” Steve closed his eyes, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Can we just -.”
“I told you it was a stupid idea,” Danny said quietly. “I knew I shouldn’t have let you follow out that stupid plan.”
“It was our only option,” Steve reminded him. “You know that.”
“This fucking sucks Steve,” Danny stated.
“Tell me about it,” Steve nodded. “Look at the moment I’m feeling a little off, like a weird case of the flu, a little sickness, some headaches. Docs given me some medication and hopefully that will normalise stuff, for now, until I get all the details. It might not ever get worse than that.”
“But it could,” Danny said carefully.
“I’m trying not to think too much into it right now,” Steve admitted. He looked around them, eyeing the empty bottles on the coffee table. “You want a beer?”
“Thought you’d never ask,” Danny said and followed him through to the kitchen. “Sorry – about getting angry about all this.”
“S’ok, I get it,” Steve assured him as he handed him a bottle. “And thanks Danny.”
“Yeah well,” Danny said as they stepped out onto the lanai and sat down. “It’s what I’m here for.”
They looked at one another and Steve tipped his bottle to him, as a sign of peace if nothing else. He knew he should have told Danny sooner, knew Danny would bitch and moan about it for a long time coming, but he also knew he was forgiven. The bitching and moaning was a sign of affection, not a grudge like some would assume. Steve knew his partner and he knew whatever was coming down the road, a few months or a few years down the line, Danny would have his back all the way. Danny chinked his bottle against his and sank back into his chair.
“Don’t think you’re forgiven buddy,” Danny grumbled at him. “Your time outs are getting doubled for at least a month. And no more eating out of the vends, you used to look after yourself better and none of that shit will help your current situation.”
“Uh, coming from a guy who eats microwave meals at least half the week,” Steve fired back with a smirk. “I’ll look after my own diet thank you very much.”
“Diet – pah hah,” Danny shot back. “Can’t remember the last time I saw you eat anything looking remotely healthy.”
“You should know, you never eat anything healthy,” Steve grinned.
“This is about you, not me,” Danny reminded him.
“Uh, we’re partners remember?” Steve retorted. “We’re in this together.”
“Fine, come tomorrow, we’re on a diet,” Danny informed him matter of factly.
Steve snorted and shook his head at him, “Yah hah, we’ll see how long that lasts.”
“You think I can’t stick to it?” Danny asked in mock exasperation. “Me?”
“Wanna take a bet on who lasts the longest?” Steve asked him playfully.
“Yeah, okay,” Danny nodded without even thinking about it. “First to fall off the wagon – gets to drive all of the time for a month, pays for the drinks when it’s the other persons round to get in the next four team nights and – and gets a weekend paid in full at a hotel of their choice.”
“That it?” Steve asked him and held out his hand, “You’re on buddy. Get ready to pay for the executive suite at the Hilton – drinks package included.”
Danny shook his hand firmly and grinned and they held onto one another a little longer than necessary, Steve’s smile softened and he squeezed his friend’s fingers, “Thanks Danny. For coming back.”
“Any time,” Danny smiled and they let go, sinking into their seats again. “Why don’t you have a think about what you are going to do for an entire month being unable to drive my car?”
Steve grinned wider and swallowed down a mouthful of beer; in the grand scheme of things the situation could be much worse. Danny would still be there to bear the load and lighten the mood.
~fin~