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Danny's sitting on the edge of Steve's bed by the time Steve showers, dries off, pulls on shorts – sitting, waiting, twelve decibels of quiet, his elbows on his knees. His head's bowed, and when he shifts he looks so gray and haunted that Steve feels something sharp knock loose inside his chest. "Gracie?"
"She's fine," Danny says, and every word's flat, emotionless. "They're all fine. All of 'em."
Steve swallows, waits him out. There's anger, tension, grief – something's pouring off him, counter to his words, and Steve doesn't know what it is or how he fixes it, whether he even should.
"She walked away with her hand in his, you know?" Danny says eventually, swipes a hand across his mouth. "And I'm the one who fixed it. I figured it out, I figured him out, Stan, figured out he was knee-deep in shit he couldn't handle, and I didn't – " He stands up, restless now, shakes his head. "You were right, okay, all right, don't even think about – I didn't punch him, I didn't punch anyone, I just . . ." He blows out a breath, bites his lip. "I fixed it, and Grace held Stan's hand. Walked away from me holding his hand."
Steve sets his jaw against the things he wants to say, the reassurances he know won't help. "I'm sorry, man." He winces when he hears the words. "I'm – "
Danny looks at him – needs something from him, it's plain as day. It looks like it's taking everything he has for his shoulders to stay squared, for his hands to stay slack instead of balled into fists, and Steve can't help himself, hauls Danny in, mumbles, "Fuck Stan," against his ear. Danny almost laughs, but the sound's all wrong, and Steve holds on tighter as if that can put the world back to rights. "Seriously, fuck him. He's what, an accountant? Fuck him, and fuck his suits, and fuck his stupid. . . "
"I let her," Danny says, words muffled. "She loves him. I can't – "
Which is when Steve ducks his head and kisses him, frames Danny's face with his hands. "I know," he says when their foreheads touch. "I know. I promise, I do."
"I hate it. I hate it so much," Danny whispers, closing his eyes.
"Me too," Steve says, and kisses his temple, rubs his nose into his hair, stands and holds on until Danny's shaking's passed.