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Danny bolted upright in bed, ice running down his spine. He’d heard a shout loud enough and pained enough to bring him out of a dead sleep. His hand instinctively reached for his gun in the drawer of the nightstand as he noiselessly slid out of the guest bed in Steve’s house. He walked across the wood flooring and leaned against the wall, watching the shadows in the hallway. With a quiet sigh, he lowered his weapon and put it down on the dresser next to him as he watched Steve pad out of the master bedroom, scrubbing a hand over his face. Steve left the lights off as he made his way to the kitchen. Danny leaned his head back against the wall, taking a moment to calm his heart as he listened to the sounds of Steve rummaging for food in the refrigerator.
He contemplated going back to his comfortable bed that Steve had offered him when his apartment had flooded a few days before, but decided against it. Instead, he left the room and went to the kitchen. The lights were still off – he never got over Steve’s ridiculous night vision – but one of the doors to the refrigerator was open and Steve was making a sandwich. He grabbed a steak knife from the block by his elbow and used it to slice the sandwich but cursed when the knife slipped and sliced open his thumb instead. Danny just shook his head and sighed when Steve rifled through the junk drawer nearby for athletic tape to wrap around the large cut.
“Steve, what the hell are you doing?” he asked, stepping forward out of the shadows.
His partner looked up and quirked an eyebrow.
“Wrapping my thumb. What does it look like I’m doing - rocket science?”
Danny took the tape out of Steve’s hands as he was trying to free a corner to use with one hand. He led Steve over to the sink and shoved his hand under hot water before drying Steve’s hand and wrapping a band-aid around the cut. Knowing Steve would fiddle with the band-aid, he snagged the athletic tape and wrapped a length of it around Steve’s thumb a few times.
“It’s not rocket science,” Danny said, “but it should keep your thumb clean and keep you from worrying the wrapping until it heals.”
He propped a hip against the counter as Steve busied himself with clearing away the supplies and now ruined sandwich. Steve finally looked over at him and smiled, a little sheepishly.
“Thanks,” he mumbled. “I’m used to patching up my men, kind of lousy at doing it for myself.”
Danny smiled and shrugged. “We all need someone, Steve.” He decided to play dumb and asked, “So what’s got you awake at one a.m.?”
Steve worried his lip between his teeth, folding the kitchen towel.
“Dreams. That last case we wrapped reminded me of some stuff I saw overseas.”
Danny’s brow furrowed, his heart aching for Steve. The case had been brutal, a kidnapping and torture by a local drug cartel, not for the faint of heart. He couldn’t bear to think of what must have been replaying in Steve’s dreams from his deployments and classified missions.
Steve looked over at Danny, eyeing him suspiciously. “You heard me, didn’t you?”
Now it was Danny’s turn to fidget and not meet his partner’s eyes. Dreams were a deeply personal business, trapping a person in their head with no help from anyone else. He had had his fair share of nights waking up shouting after gruesome cases to Rachel’s worried eyes. That was before the divorce though. Now, he woke up to a dark room and empty bed and spent the rest of the night watching Netflix until falling asleep at dawn.
“Yeah, well, either you were having the worst sex of your life or someone was murdering you in your sleep.”
“And how would you know what classifies as ‘bad’ sex, Danno? Aren’t you still a virgin?” Steve asked, one corner of his mouth quirking up in a grin, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Danny snorted. “I don’t know if you remember this or not after all the hits to the head you’ve taken, but I have a daughter, thank you very much.”
Steve nodded, crossing his arms. “Uh huh, sure. That’s the real reason Rachel left you, isn’t it? You were terrible in bed.”
He did a double take, his mouth hanging open. “What is this? Gang Up On Danno Hour? Admit it, you and Rachel have been getting together over coffee behind my back and comparing notes about me, haven’t you?”
Steve smiled, and the gesture reached his eyes this time. “I plead the fifth. Now go back to bed, Grinch. You need your beauty sleep.”
He moved toward the living room and turned the television on before settling on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table. Danny followed him and looked down at him questioningly.
“Aren’t you going back to bed yourself?”
Steve waved a hand, dismissing the possibility. “Not for a while yet. I need time to get my brain to shut off. I’ll just watch some bad infomercials until that happens.”
“Yeah, or until your brain melts,” Danny said as he plunked down on the couch next to his partner and snagged the remote from his hands.
“Hey! What’re you doing?”
“Shush, Steve. You’re not watching bad TV if I can help it. You ever seen a Mel Brooks movie?”
“A what movie? And I’m perfectly fine with watching bad TV. I’ve done it before and it hasn’t killed me.”
Danny shook his head. “You sad little man. Mel Brooks. Robin Hood: Men in Tights, The Producers, Young Frankenstein. You know? Comedic genius, quite possibly the inventor of the American snark in cinema, and brilliant director?”
He groaned and threw his hands up over his eyes when he saw Steve’s blank look.
“I rescind my last statement. You’re not a sad little man. You’re a deprived man. Okay, we’re watching Robin Hood first. You’ll like it, Steve.”
Danny switched the television over to Netflix and selected the movie. He paused it to let it buffer and load and hopped up to make popcorn. Steve had slouched down into the couch when he returned, his head resting on the back of the couch and his arms wrapped around a pillow. Danny handed him a small bag of ice and sat down with the bowl of popcorn. Steve started to reach for a handful of the buttery kernels but Danny swatted it before he could grab any.
He shoved the ice into Steve’s hand as he said, “Here. Keep this on your thumb. That wound has got to be hurting by now. No popcorn with that hand either. I won’t have you getting salt and butter in there somehow.”
Steve pouted for a moment before curling the bag of ice around his thumb. He exhaled in relief after a few seconds.
“Thanks. Didn’t realize it was hurting already.”
“That’s because you’re an insane adrenaline junkie who never feels a damn thing,” Danny groused. “Honestly, what did you do before I came along?”
Steve’s eyes had a funny look in them and he shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure anymore.”
A strange connection passed between them before Danny looked away and kicked his feet out on the coffee table. He mimicked Steve’s reclined position and scooted down in the soft cushions. Settling the bowl in his lap, he placed one arm along the back of the couch, his hand resting just behind Steve’s head. Playfully, he scratched Steve’s scalp, enjoying the feel of Steve’s hair brushing along his fingers. When Steve sighed happily and closed his eyes, Danny continued to rub soothing circles into Steve’s hair with his fingers. As Danny started the movie, Steve tipped sideways, his head nestling onto Danny’s chest.
Danny froze for a split-second and then decided to go with it. His arm came around Steve’s large frame to reposition the ice on his partner’s hand and then remained around Steve’s shoulders. His fingers traced the design of the tattoo on Steve’s shoulder that Danny had practically memorized after the last few years as his partner. As the movie progressed through the first act, Danny smiled as he felt the tension slowly drain out of Steve’s body. His shoulders relaxed and his muscled body sank further against Danny’s small one. A deep rumble of laughter sounded from Steve’s chest at one point over a snippet of dialogue from the movie and Danny smiled.
“See?” he said. “I told you that this was a good idea.”
“You’re right,” Steve said quietly. “Much better than an infomercial.”
His fingers came up to tangle with Danny’s on his shoulder for a moment as he said very softly, “Thank you. I needed this.”
“Anytime, babe,” Danny said after Steve’s fingers left his to grab more popcorn. “How’s the thumb feeling?”
Steve carefully tossed the bag of now melted ice to the table. “It feels a lot better.”
Before he could say anything else, Cary Elwes began singing on-screen and both men started laughing over the implied dick jokes in the scene. Absentmindedly, Danny’s fingers returned to Steve’s hair, where his head was still settled on his chest. He gently massaged his fingers through Steve’s hair and paid attention to the knot at Steve’s temple. Steve sighed happily and nosed into Danny’s bare skin, one hand sliding up Danny’s chest to curl under Steve’s chin. Steve managed to stay awake until the last five minutes of the movie before his eyes drifted shut and his breathing evened out to a slow, deep rhythm. Danny carefully reached behind them to drag the large quilt off the back of the couch and draped it over both of them. Steve burrowed closer to Danny’s warm body in his sleep and Danny sighed, not wanting to wake him now that he was finally asleep. He picked up the remote and started The Producers, his hand still tracing circles in Steve’s hair.
The steady rise and fall of Steve’s chest against his own soon lulled Danny to sleep. He woke up during the credits of the movie when Steve shifted against him, stretching and sighing. Keeping still, he looked down, not sure if Steve was waking up or just moving in his sleep.
“Wha- what happened? Did I miss the ending?” Steve asked, his voice rough from sleep.
Danny smiled and chuckled softly. “Sorry, babe. I didn’t have the heart to wake you. How’d you sleep?”
Steve yawned and stretched. “Best sleep I’ve had in years. Still kinda half there.”
He was half-mumbling and practically draped over Danny’s body by this point. Danny just smiled again.
“Do you want to go to bed now?”
Steve shook his head, burrowing into Danny’s chest and pulling the quilt up to his chin.
“Want to stay here. With you,” he said, eyes closed.
Danny groaned. “I’d love to comply, but my back is killing me, Steve.”
He rubbed his partner’s arm comfortingly when Steve answered with a groan of his own.
“How about this though? I stay with you? We stretch out in your bed and you can curl up on me to your little heart’s content. Sound good?”
Steve nodded and stood slowly, capturing Danny’s hand in his before leading the way to his bedroom, his eyes practically closed. He crawled into the king bed and pulled Danny with him, his hand still clasped tight in his own. Danny took a moment to stretch out and laid on his back as Steve snuggled close, pulling the quilt up around them once more. He draped one long leg over Danny’s hips as his head found the crook in Danny’s shoulder while his hand came to rest on Danny’s chest, Danny’s fingers still tangled with his. The tenderness of the moment and the visual of the tall and fearless Steve curled up on him caught Danny by surprise. He kissed Steve’s head tenderly and smiled.
The line between partners and the broader interpretation of that word was quickly blurring and Danny was actually okay with it. What did surprise him though was Steve tipping his head up and back, his lips grazing Danny’s neck and leaving a trail of goose bumps along his skin.
“You’re - mmm - warm,” Steve breathed.
Danny sighed, pretending to be put-upon. “That’s all I am to you, a space heater.”
“No,” Steve insisted sleepily. “More than that.”
“Oh?”
“Friend. Partner. Mine.”
The last word held the most emphasis from the sleepy Steve that Danny had heard all night. He tried to bite back on the emotions swirling beneath the surface.
“Is that - is that all I am, Steve? A friend?”
Steve cracked one eye open, studying Danny’s pensive face and then sat up slightly, opening the other eye. Those deep green eyes bored into Danny’s, reminding him of the “McGarrett laser beam” that Chin has once called the stare Steve had inherited from his father. It was a little intimidating, but Danny swallowed, tense, waiting for Steve to speak, not daring to breathe.
“I - no - wait - fuck,” Steve groused.
He shoved a hand through his already tousled hair and sighed.
“I’m not going to lie, Danno. There’s something about you. It’s - well, it kind of snuck up on me. I wasn’t expecting it and I sure as hell didn’t ask for it.” He trailed his fingers across Danny’s cheek slowly, holding his gaze steady. “You are my friend and my partner. But - I want you as more than that.”
He bit his lip, unsure of what to say next. Steve seemed to make up his mind though and leaned in before Danny could say anything, pressing his lips against Danny’s. The kiss was tender and slow, building slowly like a spark transforming into a steady flame. It stole Danny’s breath and when Steve pulled back, his hand drifting down to Danny’s chest, Danny could tell it had unsettled Steve as well.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. If you don’t want this, I understand. And if you want to leave, I’ll understand that too.”
Steve’s eyes flickered down, a blush working its way up his face as his fingers twitched and fidgeted over Danny’s chest. Danny smiled and brought his hand up to still Steve’s fingers. His other hand tangled in Steve’s hair.
“You don’t think I call you ‘babe’ just because you’re my partner, do you?” he asked quietly.
When Steve’s eyes flickered up to meet his, Danny continued.
“You said I was yours, Steve. I agree to that on one condition.”
Steve raised one eyebrow, intrigued but refusing to get his hopes up.
“Name it,” he said, the breath stilling in his lungs.
“You’re mine,” Danny said, pulling him into another kiss.
Steve smiled against Danny’s lips and mumbled his enthusiastic agreement before biting Danny’s bottom lip playfully. He straddled Danny, cradling his face in his hands, deepening the kiss. Danny moaned, feeling heat rush through his body and shoved a thigh between Steve’s, enjoying the feel of the friction and the hard evidence of Steve’s arousal against his leg. The kiss turned frantic then, tongues clashing and teeth nipping into lips as both men bucked and ground against each other. Steve groaned when Danny’s fingers dug into his hip hard enough to leave bruises on the taut muscle there.
“Damn it, Danno. I don’t want this to be our first night. I want to do it right.”
“But - you’re - we’re - that’s not fair!” Danny moaned, arching his hips up against Steve, making his hard-on blatantly evident.
Steve couldn’t help himself, his fingers slipped below the waist of Danny’s sweats and he groaned as he wrapped his hand around the hard length of his partner-turned-lover.
“We should sleep,” he bit out, his hand sliding up and down while watching Danny’s eyes cloud with pleasure.
Like a strike of lightning, Danny’s hand shot into Steve’s sweats and retaliated. He took hold of Steve and stroked slowly, languidly up and down, laughing when Steve’s head tipped back and his eyes fluttered closed.
“Damn - you,” he groaned as Danny continued to stroke.
“Who wants sleep now?” Danny retorted as Steve returned the favor.
Steve leaned forward, kissing his partner again.
“Fine, but don’t you dare torture me and drag this out. I want it hard and fast.”
Danny grabbed Steve then and kissed him deeply, frantically. Their hands began moving and they rocked their hips against one another. Moans sounded in the back of their throats as they drove each other closer and closer to the edge, the moment both men had fantasized about and were now experiencing. Steve cried out Danny’s name against his lips as he came and Danny followed a second behind him, swallowing the cry with his legs wrapped tight around Steve and his hand tangled in Steve’s hair. He was afraid to let go and fly away from the incredible pleasure of his first orgasm with Steve. Steve collapsed on top of him, both men panting, their limbs tangled together.
After a few moments, Steve disentangled himself and left the bed, stripping before Danny. Propping an arm behind his head, Danny smiled, enjoying the view.
“That’s quite the ass, Steve. I can’t wait to get my hands on it.”
Steve’s smile over his shoulder at Danny flashed in the darkness before walking into the bathroom to clean himself off. He returned and walked over to Danny, stripping Danny of his sweats before Danny could protest and gently wiped the soft towel against Danny’s crotch and stomach. When he finished, he tossed the towel into the hamper in the closet and then rifled in his dresser for two clean pairs of boxers. He tossed one over his shoulder at Danny and donned the other pair. He crawled back into the bed and collapsed, happy, next to Danny.
He rolled over and propped himself up on one elbow, taking his time to slowly kiss Danny. When he pulled back, Danny sighed happily before holding out an arm.
“Still want to curl up on me?”
Steve gave him one last kiss before scooting down and curling into Danny’s body again. His head came to rest over Danny’s heart and he listened with a smile to the steady beat. This time, Danny’s hand intertwined with Steve’s on his chest and he pulled the quilt up over them.
“Sleep, Steve. I’ll be here when you wake. And I promise to keep the dreams away.”
Both men slept soundly that night, free of nightmares, anchoring each other in safety until the late hours of the morning when they woke and spent the day in bed, watching more Mel Brooks’ movies.