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The thing is, Steve's done this before. He wouldn't call himself an expert -- not just because Danny would laugh at him, then proceed to use it against him for the rest of forever. But Cory was a member of Steve's team for three years, and it really isn't uncommon for wolves who haven't joined a pack to join the military and test into the most elite branches.
So Steve's known wolves, served alongside one for years and been about as much a part of a wolf pack as a human could be.
Or so Steve had thought, until Danny had crashed into his life and turned everything upside-down (and Steve knows that Danny says Steve's the one at fault for anyone's life being upside-down and Danny is the innocent party.) But as much as he already knew, there's a lot he never dreamed. He's still getting used to a lot of things: mostly the part about being mated for life to a werewolf.
To be honest, he's also still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Chin is a wolf and nobody ever told him, including his father who apparently knew all along. But he's learning to roll with the weird domestic punches and he's almost used to the idea that he's married -- though even now, standing on the beach on a bright, clear day he has to stop and blink at the word in his head and he knows Danny is watching him. Danny claims he can smell when Steve has his brain-freeze moments and mostly they tend to make Danny smile at him fondly, or laugh. Or both.
Steve shakes his head and throws the frisbee as hard as he can, because Danny's giving him that Look. But as soon as the frisbee sails by, Danny's after it and Steve just watches, unable to keep from grinning at his mate's enthusiasm. Danny races after it, catching it as it begins to sail downwards, and Steve would love nothing better than to be able to run along beside him.
Danny catches the frisbee in his jaws and turns, running back to Steve and Steve kneels down to meet him. Not that Danny is at all shy about leaping up on him, but Steve just....well, he doesn't have to hold himself back from touching Danny, now. Now that he knows it's welcomed, even demanded. He's getting used to giving in to the urge after too long of thinking he had to keep his feelings a secret. As if, Danny has said more than once, teasing him with details that Steve had thought he'd kept to himself.
But now it's easy to give in and Danny practically slams into him, and Steve gets his arms around Danny and squeezes tight. Danny wriggles around then there's a tongue licking Steve's face, covering every inch of skin with saliva and -- Steve will tell anyone who asks just how much he loves Danny. But that doesn't mean he has to love canine saliva.
He shoves Danny away, and Danny, well-familiar with this game, forces himself back to get another tongue-swipe in. "You've got dog-breath!" Steve says, knowing how much Danny will rant later about wolf, not dog, but Steve figures he deserves it after the number of times he's had to endure being called a member of the Army.
Danny knocks Steve on his ass, and Steve can't fight him off, laughing too hard and Danny is pretty irrepressible, no matter what form he's in. Soon enough Steve has a lap-full and face-full of happy wolf, and his face is coated with saliva and all he can do is close his eyes and duck his head and tell himself he can run for the ocean and wash it all off soon enough.
Then another weight hits him in the side, and there's another tongue, swiping up his cheek and Steve can't hold them off. He lets them bowl him onto his back, until Danny is sitting proudly on top of Steve's legs and Grace is bouncing beside them, frisbee on the sand between her paws and tail wagging happily. Beyond her Steve can see Chin watching, rolling his eyes at them as if he's above this sort of nonsense -- but Steve can see Kono holding a bright yellow frisbee as well, and he knows perfectly well what will happen when she throws it.
Steve sits up and drapes an arm over Danny's back, knowing that soon the wolves will want a long dip in the ocean to cool off. For all the twists and turns life has given him, Steve is pretty sure that one thing will hold steady.
"So, Danno, you ready to get on a surfboard?"
Danny growls at him and takes off, running down the beach.
Steve sighs and looks at Grace. "One of these days," he says.
Grace gives a little yip, which Steve doesn't need to be a wolf to understand.
He smiles. "More waves for us, then." He races her to where they've left their boards, and -- like always -- she wins.