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Steve suspected the smile on his face was entirely goofy as he watched Danny "toasting" another marshmallow for Grace and Lucy in the tent currently residing in Danny's living room.
Lucy's mom was a single mother and had gone to Maui for the weekend during the Aloha Girls' campout. She'd been contacted but couldn't get back til morning. Lucy had convinced her mother she was fine and both Danny and Steve had spoken with her on the phone to reassure her and to make arrangements for Lucy to stay with Danny and Steve and Grace for the night.
So here they were, finishing their campout in the much safer (said Danny) living room. Steve was willing to cut him some slack, he'd been shot after all. Which reminded him, he wanted another look at Danny's wound.
Before he had a chance to frown over that again Lucy said she needed to use the facilities but she looked sort of nervous to go alone, poor kid. Grace, sweet, wonderful, chip off the ole Danno, protective Grace, immediately said she'd go with her so they trooped off to get ready for bed, giggling like only two sugared up little girls on a sleep over can do.
It did Steve good to hear Lucy laugh. She'd seen and been through things that would have set most adults screaming. She was a real trouper and Steve was proud of her.
Danny put away the lighter and grabbed the sleeping bags, wincing as he stretched to roll one out. Steve circled his wrist gently and encouraged Danny to come close.
"Let me see, Danno. You pull on that wound too hard and I'm going to need to redress it." He ran a hand gently over the injury and made a small distressed noise as Danny jumped a little and grit his teeth.
"It's alright, Steve, I promise. Don't go making Puppy Face." He patted Steve's stubbled cheek. "They checked me out again while they got Lucy cleaned up, you know that. You can torture me in the morning playing Florence NinjaGale all you want but right now what we all need is some sleep. Then pancakes. Lots of pancakes in the morning. No wheat germ or any of your other weird bacteria food. Real camp food. If only we had some bacon or ham."
Steve huffed at being called the fussy one and retaliated.
"Well, if you remember I DID try to teach the girls how to catch, kill, and cook a boar but you seemed to have some sort of objection to that..." he trailed off saucily.
Danny reached out to smack him but apparently thought better of using his injured arm and gave Steve a love tap with his foot instead.
"Don't start with me, Daniel Boone. You want to go Nature Boy on me you can take the girls out back and go bird watching or something tomorrow. Build an irrigation system. Something that doesn't require therapy and a possible restraining order from Lucy's mother, ok?"
Steve leaned in and pressed a kiss into Danny's forehead. "Ok, Danno. No black ops missions til the girls are at least fourteen or so."
Danny just laughed and pushed a sleeping bag at him.
The girls came back and everyone tried to get settled down for the night in the small tent. It was really more of a two person tent but they made do. Steve offered to go sleep on the couch but the girls protested and Danny insisted everyone was staying together and in sight, so help him.
Danny tucked Grace in and Steve took his turn with Lucy. He brushed his hand over her hair and said, "I'm really proud of you, Sweetheart. You did amazing out there and I couldn't have asked for a better partner." Then he reached down to hug her and if he got a little lump in his throat when she clung to him for a moment, well, Danny and Grace could keep a secret.
He doused the light and scooted his bag nearer Danny, placing a hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat. Danny grasped it in his own and gave it a kiss under cover of dark.
A reprimand later from Danny telling the whispering girls to settle or no one was getting chocolate chip pancakes in the morning and then they all went to sleep. Safe, secure, and together.