Work Text:
Danny was relaxing at home after a tough day. They'd gone out for a beer after work, thinking themselves too wired to go straight home, but one beer had been enough, and the four of them had mutually decided to call it a day. They knew they'd have a couple of memorial services to attend in the next few days. Danny was just glad none of them was for Steve. He knew that it was just the way Steve was, but he hated it when his partner took risks the way he did, especially when he did it with Danny's car.
Then there was a knock on his door. Puzzled, Danny went to answer it, and found Steve. He was instantly on high alert. "What's wrong?" he demanded, afraid that they hadn't caught the right person after all, or that there was another sniper, or another case to demand their attention.
"Nothing," Steve assured him immediately. "At least, nothing work-related. Can I come in?"
Danny let him in, still puzzled. "What's going on, if it's not work?"
"Can't I just come and visit my partner once in awhile?" Steve asked.
Rolling his eyes, Danny said, "Not when you and your partner just saw each other about an hour ago and decided it was time to go home at the end of a long day."
"So I changed my mind," Steve replied. "Got any beer?"
Danny took a couple of Longboards out of the fridge and tossed one to Steve. "So tell me why you're really here."
"I just did."
"I know you, Babe. I've known you for three years. You don't come by unannounced an hour after we finish work just to say hello."
"Maybe I do now."
"If you don't fess up, I'm going to take that beer and toss you out," Danny threatened.
Steve looked him up and down as if mentally comparing their relative sizes. "I'd like to see you try."
Realizing he couldn't follow through on his threat, Danny sat back down on the couch.
Before either of them could say anything, the news came on, complete with a slightly blurry cell phone video of their shootout with Kurt Stoner. It showed how Danny had moved out of the safety of the building where he'd been sheltering in order to shoot at Stoner and try to protect Steve.
When Danny saw the look on Steve's face, he suddenly knew why his partner was there.
"You came to talk to me about that?" he asked nodding toward the TV.
"More about what you said," Steve replied. "About not being worried about me."
"Why would I be worried about you? You're a SEAL. You can hold your own in combat. I'm sure you've been in worse situations than that."
"Then you really don't worry about me?" Steve sounded hurt.
"Of course I worry about you, you dumbass! Sometimes I think I worry more about you than I do about Grace, and that's saying something."
"Why would you worry more about me than about Grace?"
"Because Grace is actually a very sensible little girl, while you are a completely unsensible grown man who is my best friend and someone I happen to care about an awful lot."
"You care about me?" Steve asked.
"Yes, idiot, I care about you."
"And I'm your best friend?"
"Yes, you're my best friend, and I care about you. You didn't know that?"
"I'm never entirely sure with you," Steve answered. "Especially when you yell at me so much of the time."
Danny sighed. "Look, I'm scared to death of losing you, and it makes me angry when you risk your life like that. When I yell at you, it's only because I love you." He paused. "Did I just say that?"
Steve grinned and said, "Yes, you did, and I'm very happy you did, because I love you, too." Then he pulled Danny into his arms and kissed him, which led to a very enjoyable make-out session.
When they came up for air, Danny asked, "So are you going to stop taking stupid risks?"
"No," Steve answered. "Are you going to stop yelling at me when I do?"
"No," Danny told him.
"As long as we're clear," Steve said, then pulled Danny into the bedroom.
END