Work Text:
The worst kind of betrayal is the one that come from the most unexpected source. Steve had dealt with plenty betrayals, from his mother and Joe, from his old friend Nick and from Jenna, from Cath too. They had all hurt like hell but he had always managed to get up again and keep going. He had never totally forgiven Joe and his mom, but he loved them and he had learned to trust them again, at least in some capacity. He hadn’t had to kill Nick and had watched WoFat kill Jenna. And with Cath, well things had always been different with Cath. He knew he should be furious with her, that she should probably be the last person to forgive, but the things is that he knew where Catherine came from, despite all the lies she had told him he knew her, like she knew him. It had taken a bit of time to forgive her, but he had never stopped trusting her.
Steve didn’t think he could get past this betrayal, he didn’t think he could forgive or forget.
He couldn’t because it came from the most unexpected source and there was no reason, valid or not, behind it that he could understand. Joe and his mother had lied to him to keep him safe, it didn’t matter how misguided their decisions were, they had wanted to keep him safe. Cath had lied to him because of her job, and he believed that she would have stayed with him if he just proposed her a bit sooner. Jenna wanted to save her fiancée. But this?
Standing there, at the window of his office, looking at Danny kissing his ex-wife in the parking lot of the office, Steve knew that there was no reason for this, nothing that could even remotely justify something like this.
He’d been in love with Danny for a long time, maybe even back when he was Cath. He hadn’t realized it at first, hadn’t realized that the intensity of his feelings for Danny was too much to be just affection between friends, that it was so much more than what he felt for Freddie. And even after he realized it he knew that nothing would ever come of it. As far as he knew Danny was straight and he had always been in a relationship in the 10 year he’d known him, first with Rachel and then Gabby and then Melissa.
But then one day, after he’d been diagnosed with radiation poisoning, out of the blue Danny had kissed him. He had said that Steve’s diagnosis had made him realize that life was too short and unpredictable and he would regret forever if he missed the chance to see what this thing between them really was. It had been a year and Steve had given Danny everything he had. He thought they were happy. But evidently he was wrong. He had noticed lately that Danny’s relationship with Rachel was improving, that they fought less and he had been happy for them, it was easier for Grace and Charlie when their parents got along. But he could never have imagined something like this.
He was thought that Danny was loyal to a fault, that he wasn’t a cheater. Although looking back he knew that cheating wasn’t completely out of character from him. He did sleep with a married woman after all.
Still looking at the scene in front of him Steve couldn’t believe at his eyes. How could Danny not only cheat on him, but do so openly in the parking lot of their office? Steve didn’t know, the only thing he knew was that he couldn’t deal with it right now, he needed time to regroup and think. So he quietly slipped out of his office and drove home.
He was coming back from a swim when he saw Danny waiting for him on the beach outside his house. He was barely out of the water when Danny started yelling at him. Why hadn’t he warned the team that he wouldn’t show up at the office? Didn’t he know that the team worried? They had thought that maybe something had happened to him. They had traced his phone. How could he not care for the feelings of the people around him?
And this finally made Steve snap.
-That’s rich coming from you. – he said fixing Danny with what he hoped was an accusatory look.
- Pardon me? –
- I said that you don’t have any right to tell me that I don’t care for the feelings of the people around me. It implies that you do, which I know for a fact it’s not true. – Steve said
- Are you saying that I don’t care for people? Cause let me tell you I’m not the one who disappeared without a word…. –
-No. – Steve cut him off with a sharp angry tone. – No. You are the one who kisses his ex-wife in the parking lot of the office where you work with your current partner. And yes, Danny, how considerate of you to not even try to hide your affair. –
- Steve… - Danny tried to say.
- No. Danny just don’t. –
- But Steve look I love you… -
All the anger and the hurt that Steve had felt since the moment he saw Danny kiss Rachel just burst of him. He wanted to hit Danny, to shake him. He had no right to say that he loved him, he had no right to tell him another lie and look like he was telling the truth. Steve couldn’t allow himself to be fooled by him any longer.
-No. You don’t get to say it. You don’t get to lie to me. – he said, surprised at how calm his tone was.
- Let me explain… - Danny tried but again Steve cut him off.
-There’s nothing to explain. We’re done Danny. Just go home and enjoy your family back together.-
- Steve. – Danny said reaching out to touch his arm. – It’s not what it looks… -
Steve jerked away from him.
-It looked like you had your tongue down Rachel’s throat. There’s nothing to explain. It’s all crystal clear. I don’t care why you did it, I don’t care to know how long you’ve been having this affair. I just don’t care. It’s over. We’re done. – Steve said – I’d like you to leave now. And leave your key on the table next to the door, you won’t need it anymore. –
Then he walked away, ignoring Danny’s pleas to let him explain. He didn’t care anymore.
He was hurting too much.