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"Listen to me," Danny says into his phone. "No, no, listen, that is not--I do not live on Charles street any more. That is the old address--yes yes, I filled out the 'change of address form'."
As he speaks he paces back and forth in the kitchen. Steve is forced to dodge around Danny as he tries to clear the dinner table, lifting plates up high to avoid hitting Danny in the head and coming perilously close to spilling leftover green beans and potatoes onto Danny's hair.
Danny holds up a hand. "Sorry," he says, presumably to Steve. Then, into the phone, "How is this so complicated? I don't understand, all I want to do is end service at the Charles street location and transfer service to--because I no longer live there--" His voice is pitched higher now and he rubs his forehead as he spins around for another lap through the kitchen.
Steve settles into a chair, staying safely out of Danny's way.
"So why am I still getting bills for Charles Street?" Danny strides to the kitchen table and picks up a sheet of paper. "Right here, June 1 through June 30th, an electric bill for 2215 Charles street and I was not living there at the time--"
He rolls his eyes at Steve, who shrugs sympathetically. It's Danny's third phone call with the power company, and it never ends well.
Danny tosses the bill back on the table, eyes closing briefly as he listens to whatever the service rep is telling him. "That is exactly what was told to me on my last two phone calls, and yet? I am still getting a bill. For Charles street. Where I no longer live. And," he raises a finger in the air, "No bills in three months from 301 Herbert. Which is where I now live. Is there a secret phrase, a password I need to know, like getting into speakeasy--swordfish? Is it swordfish?"
Danny's fingers tighten on the phone as he listens, knuckles turning white and Steve mentally braces himself for what he knows is coming next.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I ALREADY FILLED OUT THE CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM. TWICE." Danny's hunched over the phone now, face red as he yells. "How is filling out another going to change things? What kind of magical thing is going to happen with the third one that hasn't happened with the others?"
He's pacing again, pausing to lean back and stare up at the ceiling, one hand outstretched to the sky and Steve kind of loves it, when Danny's in full-fledged rant mode, animated and excited. It's the best show in town.
Well, one of the best shows in town.
Danny takes a deep breath. "Okay, okay," he says, voice softer now, controlled. "I know this is not personally your fault--Sarah? Right, Sarah. I just want to stop getting bills for some strangers electric service and start paying for my own." His voice grows tighter, his words more clipped and precise. "Which I would be more than happy to do, if you would only send me a bill. I--okay, okay. You change it right there in the computer. Which is what the last person told me they were doing. Fine, fine, you do that. Thank you."
Danny ends the call, then grips the phone, pulling his arm back and Steve can tell he's about to throw it, which isn't really good for the phone. Or the kitchen cabinet that's probably about to get dented.
"So," Steve says brightly as he rises up from his chair. "How'd it go?"
Danny scowls then turns away, placing the phone on the counter with great care, as if it's a live bomb. "I hate you. And HECO. And this blighted state. And--"
Steve slides a hand up over Danny's shoulder, curling his fingers around the back of Danny's neck. Tension is knotting Danny's muscles and Steve digs a thumb in alongside Danny's neck, rubbing in small circles.
"Whoever it was that invented electricity--" Danny continues, with a touch less vehemence.
"Electricity wasn't invented, Danny." Bringing both hands to Danny's shoulders, Steve squeezes and kneads, working out the tension and yeah, he feels a little guilty about enjoying these phone calls so much.
"You're missing the point," Danny growls, but his head drops and his shoulders slump, just a little bit.
"Although," Steve works his way up Danny's neck, fingers sliding beneath his hair, "I suppose Benjamin Franklin discovered it."
"I hate him, too," Danny murmurs. His chin is nearly touching his chest now.
Steve slides his hands down, pressing in on either side of Danny's spine and gets to work on Danny's lats. "How do you feel about Edison?"
Danny makes a low noise.
"What?" Steve ducks his head lower.
"Nnnngh," Danny says.
Steve nods knowingly. "I thought so." He presses a kiss to the side of Danny's neck. "Tesla?"
"The band?" Danny leans back against Steve and sighs, the last of the tension draining from his body. "Or the inventor? Because I hate them both."
"Uh huh." Steve kisses the side of Danny's face and flattens a hand over Danny's chest, feeling the beat of Danny's heart through his white cotton t-shirt. He rests his other hand on Danny's hip, fingers sneaking in under the waistband of Danny's pants and onto bare skin.
"I might, however," Danny says, leaning his head back against Steve's shoulder, "be willing to reconsider my opinion of you."
"Really?" Steve nuzzles Danny's ear and Danny shivers against him. "Any way I can help that along?"
He's starting to slide his hand further down the front of Danny's pants when Danny's phone rings. When Danny reaches out to answer it, Steve grabs hold of Danny wrist, stopping him.
"Don't," Steve says as he peers over Danny's shoulders and sees that the caller is indeed HECO.
"Steven--" Danny is tensing up again.
"Tomorrow we pay Toast a visit," Steve whispers in Danny's ear. Danny starts to chuckle, the low, throaty chuckle that Steve loves. "And we get that little problem all taken care of."
"Steve, we are not hacking into the electric company's server," Danny says, turning in Steve's arms.
"Sure we are." Steve kisses Danny over his protests, kisses him soft and sweet, then kisses him some more, until Danny isn't protesting any longer, until Danny's holding him close and kissing him like it was his idea in the first place.
"Upstairs?" Steve suggests.
Danny grins. "I'm liking you more and more by the minute."
And then they head upstairs, where Steve does his best to get Danny worked up all over again, only naked and for much better reasons this time and it is indeed the best show in town. And when they're done, Danny breathlessly declares that maybe, just maybe he doesn't hate Steve so much after all.