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Danny has been sitting at Steve’s dining table for hours, the contents of his father’s toolbox strewn across the surface. She’s shuffling through everything, over and over again, in the hope of finding something, anything, that might give her a clue as to where her partner’s run off to. She knows it’s pointless but the alternative is giving up and Danny’s always been too stubborn for her own good. The front door opens and Chin enters the house. He looks tired and a little concerned.
“Hey, thanks for coming,” Danny says as he approaches, not looking up.
“How’d you get in?” There’s a light tone of amusement in his voice.
“I uh… I have a key from when I was crashing here.” Chin gives her a look that she’s really not sure she wants to delve into right now. But then he notices what she’s doing and it clears.
“You could look through that stuff all night long and not be any closer to figuring it out.”
“Yeah, well, I think I may have figured out where he went.” She deliberately doesn’t say his name, she’s avoiding it. She’s still furious. She hands Chin the map of Japan.
“I’ve never seen this.” He looks a little confused. “‘Shelburne,’” he reads the name on the map, an arrow pointing at some southern location.
“That’s definitely not his handwriting.”
“No, it’s his father’s. Alright, so what?” Chin folds up the map. “You’re going off to Japan, too?” Danny wants to laugh because he’s read her mind. That’s exactly what she wants to do, if only just so she can cuff her partner by his ears and drag him home.
“No, I am not going off to Japan, okay?” Chin still looks skeptical, and okay she’s not exactly convincing but it is the truth. “I’m gonna stay here and I’m gonna do my job, all right?” Because that’s what normal people do, they don’t go off the grid chasing after ghosts. “Because leaving and not telling anybody where I’m going is not my style.” It’s his.
So, she’s bitter, yeah. And it bleeds into her voice enough that Chin’s eyebrows rise and he’s looking down at her like she’s lost a puppy. “I mean, this guy—he… he leaves me a note. Says he’s going after Shelburne, disappears for a week, and he doesn’t call. He doesn’t say, ‘I’m alive.’ He doesn’t say, ‘Everything’s okay.’” Her voice is rising but Chin keeps looking at her all soft and it only upsets her more. “It’s not okay, Chin. It’s not!” She takes a deep breath because this is not how you speak to someone who’s trying to help. “He’s always saying, “You’re my backup, Danny.” Every time we get into a situation, I’m his backup. Who’s watching his back now, huh?” She bites at her lip. “Cuz he left me here. So, who’s looking out for him?” She lets her head drop down onto the hard wood table with a heavy thunk. She feels more than sees Chin pull out a chair and sit down. He doesn’t say anything for a moment but she knows it’s coming, the tension hangs in the air.
“You love him, don’t you?” His voice is soft when he says it and she looks up, pulling her hands through her short hair.
“What do you mean? Of course I do, we all do.” Chin’s brows manage to go higher and Danny thinks that they might eventually escape from his forehead.
“You know that’s not what I mean, Danny.” He stares at her long enough for her to squirm and she groans, hanging her head.
“Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean.” She sighs and rubs at her eyes. “I didn’t mean to, you know. It just sorta… happened. Somewhere between all the getting shot at and watching him nearly die, I guess? Some days I don’t know if I should kiss him or punch him.” She shakes her head and chuckles.
“Are you ever going to tell him?” Chin asks. She opens her mouth, not entirely sure what she’s going to say. But then her phone rings and it’s the governor with a case so she cleans up her mess and she’s saved from having to answer.
She has thought about it. Gone through varies scenarios in her head of her telling Steve she loves him. They never end well. And maybe she’s being a little too pessimistic about it. Maybe. But sometimes she thinks she’d take a bomb over having to confess.
One week turns into two and Danny is starting to go crazy. She does her job, and she does it well, but something is missing. There’s a Steve-sized hole in her life and she finds herself staring out at the ocean from Steve’s yard more often than she’ll ever admit. So, when she finally gets a call from him, she nearly sighs in relief. Instead, of course, she yells at him.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” She shouts, jumping out of her office chair. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Danny, I don’t have time for this right now.” He sounds stressed and far too exhausted for Danny’s liking. “I’ve got Wo Fat in custody but I found a phone and a number. It’s got a Hawaiian area code. I need you guys to check it out.” Danny’s certain Steve knows she wants to say more on the matter of his prolonged absence because he hangs up almost immediately.
The team tracks the number Steve gives them and they catch a case. She calls him after checking into the dead woman’s background. She asks about Wo Fat and Steve throws around phrases like ‘classified’ and ‘coming in dark’ which only irritate her more so she throws back:
“Here’s an easy question: what are you wearing?” She nearly misses his laugher it’s so quiet. “You know what, don’t tell me. I’m sure it’s top secret, so I will take a guess—” She pauses for effect. “—Cargo pants.” And his laughter is louder this time.
“Good-bye, Danielle.” And that’s the last she hears from him.
Danny, of course, ends up tangling with the CIA. Because, why not? She gets cuffed to a chair in some basement and there’s a bunch of men standing around her trying to look intimidating but they only succeed in pissing her off. She’s shooting daggers at the “friend” who helped her out before. But then he’s back and tells her where to find Steve and how to escape. So, she follows his instructions—when she knocks out the guy in the hallway, she can’t deny that it makes her feel a little better—and calls Chin and Kono on the way.
They reach the airfield after Steve and there’s a brief but tense standoff with Adam and the Yakuza. Kono gets Adam to put down his gun in a moment that feels far too personal between them and Danny can’t say she’s actually surprised at that development. But then Adam’s lawyer pulls out a gun and Kono takes him out. When HPD shows up, the Yakuza finally stand down. Danny finds Steve in the commotion, Wo Fat handcuffed behind him.
Steve hands Wo Fat off to some uniform as Danny storms into his personal space, fire and wrath in her eyes. She sees him actually shift on his feet, like he’s preparing to stand his ground. He was the one who wanted to wait to have this conversation though, so she tears into him, hands flying everywhere.
“You know, I knew something was wrong with you. I keep saying it. But this stunt you pulled? Running off to God knows where, you leave a note on my desk, you don’t answer my calls. What’s wrong with you, huh?” She takes a breath and Steve tries to say something but she continues, jabbing a finger into his chest. “Shut up, shut up. You’re so stupid. Do you have any idea how worried I was? The last time you ran off you were kidnapped and tortured and I had to fly out to North Korea!” Her voice is shaking, anger and anguish and fear mixing together. It’s a volatile combination that usually makes her do something stupid.
She balls her fists like she’s going to punch him. Her jaw is tense. Instead, she growls out a sound of frustration and turns around. She’s gone several feet when she changes her mind, turning on her heel. Steve stumbles a step back, rocked by the force of the intensity in her eyes. She nearly runs to him, grabs a fistful of his shirt, and pulls him down. She kisses him. There’s rage and frustration and a hint of grief in it. It barely lasts long enough for him to return it, melting just a little before she’s pushing back on his chest.
“I swear to God, Steven,” she whispers, still close enough that he’s having some difficulty focusing. Her breath is hot and quick against his skin. “If you ever, and I mean ever, I don’t care if we’re ninety and on our deathbeds. You pull something like this again and I swear to God, I’ll kill you myself.”
“Were you worried about me, Danno?” There’s a bright smile on his lips and she’s not gonna deny the warmth it brings her.
“Of course, I was. When am I not worried about you, huh?” She tries to settle against him, foreheads resting together and breath mingling. But seeing him again after so long, she feels like she’s on fire.
“I uh… appreciate your concern, thank you. But I’m fine.” She rolls her eyes at him.
“Uh-huh, sure. The blood and dirt you’re covered in really sells it.” It doesn’t come out as sharp as she’d intended and his smile only grows. She’s still got a hand fisted into his shirt so she relaxes and finally lets him go, stepping out of his space. He nearly follows her but Kono and Chin show up, both thankful to see Steve intact and more or less okay.
Danny drives Steve back to the office so she can pick up her car. She also runs inside to grab him a couple of wet paper towels so he can wipe off the grime. And there’s a brief moment when she’s leaning against the door and she contemplates just driving off, leaving him behind. She thinks it would be quite poetic.
But she can’t. He’s exhausted, she can see it in the way his shoulders droop just slightly. He’s loitering at the back of her car looking quite uncertain, so she breaks the air and opens her door.
“Come on, let’s get you home.” Steve visibly perks up at that and practically runs to other side of the car, doesn’t even try to get her to let him drive. She chuckles and rolls her eyes because she knows she’s got it bad, but she never thought about how Steve might feel. She knows the kiss must have been a shock, he barely reacted to it. But he never moved away from her, never stopped her. And now she’s beginning to think the situation may be more mutual than she dared hope.
She drives slowly to Steve’s house and it’s mostly out of precaution because she leaves only one hand on the wheel. The other rests between them. She wants to see if he’ll make the next move. And sure enough, barely halfway there, he slips his hand into hers and squeezes. Except it only puts her on edge.
She knows she needs to say something, to tell him the truth. Her heart jumps into her throat and by the time she pulls into his drive and turns the key, she feels like she can’t breathe. Steve turns to her.
“Want to come in?” His voice is so quiet, like he’s trying not to break whatever peace has woven around them. She nods and they get out. She thinks she’ll grab a beer when they get inside to settle her nerves before she tells him, but her plans are derailed as soon as she steps in behind him.
“Steve, I need to—” she starts but Steve crowds her against the door, shutting and locking it behind her, one hand just to the left of her head. His legs are bracketing hers and she can feel his breath on her skin. A shiver runs up her spine.
“You need to stop thinking. You’ve been driving me crazy the whole way here.” His voice is still low but now there’s an edge to it. Good, you deserve it, she wants to say, just to see how he’ll react. So, she does and she’s pleasantly rewarded when he captures her lips, licking into her mouth. She didn’t have much of a chance to think about it before but Steve’s lips are softer than she expected. There’s a slight copper tang to him that she knows is blood but she doesn’t care.
She’s vaguely aware that she’s making small pleased noises but she’s so wrapped up in him that she doesn’t bother to keep quiet. And they only seem to spur him on. Steve grasps her thighs and lifts her, almost effortlessly, off the ground and starts walking. They end up in the kitchen. He gets her up on the counter and latches onto the sensitive spot behind her jaw. His hands are deftly picking at the buttons on her shirt. He mouths at the skin he unveils, sucking at her collarbone and then making his way back up to her lips.
But then he pauses, tears his mouth from hers in a loud smack! She whines at the loss. Steve strokes the back of his fingers down her cheek and there’s a small smile at the corner of his mouth.
“I love you.” And he says it with such conviction that Danny almost laughs. He’s staring into her eyes like he’s searching for something, blue-green-brown irises dancing in the dim kitchen light. Danny smiles slow and brushes a hand through his hair.
“That was gonna be my line.” She strokes at the wrinkles that appear in his forehead and tuts a little. He clearly wasn’t expecting her confession.
“You mean it?” He shifts and holds her a little tighter against him. How he can go from confident to vulnerable in under sixty has always baffled her. She presses her lips to his, just a light touch of reassurance.
“Every word, babe.” And then Steve is her own personal sun. His grin is so wide and so beautiful that this time, she really does laugh and Steve leans in to capture the sound from her lips. She wraps her legs around his waist and, taking that as a cue, Steve lifts her from the counter. She laughs again as he very nearly runs up the stairs with her.
He plops her down on his bed and she bounces a little. He leans over her and pushes her shirt from her shoulders, sliding it off her arms. She reaches for his and he tugs it off in one quick, fluid motion, the muscles in his torso flexing under sun-tanned skin. She bites her lips to keep quiet. She’s a little grabby as she tugs at the holster strapped to his thigh and then she yanks at his belt. When those damn cargo pants— “See, I was right”—are finally off, he undoes her belt and tugs her trousers off.
There’s a moment when Steve just stares down at her that she feels completely exposed. Emotionally more so than physically. But Steve just smiles at her in that soft way that he does and she knows he’ll be there to catch her. Just as she will for him.
“Are you sure?” Steve asks and her heart grows.
“More than anything” is her reply and he grins.
The last of their clothes are gone and Steve finally, finally, lowers himself to her. Every inch of her is covered as he presses her oh so softy into the mattress. He brushes stray hairs from her face and leans in to capture her lips. It’s sweet and soft but the heat builds and Danny needs more. Steve’s lips trail a wet path to her neck and across her sternum. He lingers, hovering just over her breasts, blowing softly across her nipples as he looks up and meets her eyes before sucking one into his mouth. He pulls and Danny arches her back, clutching at the back of his head. He moves to the other and she’s a whimpering mess before he relents, continuing his wet trail down her belly.
Steve stops just at her apex and looks up at her, hesitating. She nods quickly and almost shoves him down, when his hot tongue swipes at her. She cries out and he repeats the motion, palming at her breast as he does. He continues with his tongue and, keeping his eyes on hers, runs two fingers across her bottom lip. Danny opens her mouth and sucks them in, eliciting a groan from him. She feels it vibrate through her.
His lips find her clit just as he presses one finger in. She welcomes him with a soft sound. Her thighs are quaking and a couple minutes later she’s thinking she’s might just burst into flames. Then he works a second finger in and she’s coming. He laps at her a few times before she’s pulling him up and kissing him, not minding the taste of herself on his lips. She’s panting when he moves to her neck again and she wraps a leg around his hip as he grinds down. He reaches out to the nightstand and pulls open the drawer but she catches his wrist. He looks at her, curious.
“I’m clean. I’m on the pill.” His eyes go wide when he understands.
“I’m clean. Are you sure?” She rolls her hips in response and his eyelids flutter.
“I want to feel you.” She reaches over and covers his outstretched hand with hers, shutting the drawer. “Please.” Danny kisses him, tries to convey her desire through her lips and Steve is more than happy to oblige. He grabs her knee, hikes it higher and runs his hand down her leg.
Danny, emboldened as she is now, reaches between them and grasps him in her hand. She sees Steve stutter, his eyes nearly rolling into his head. He’s thick and big enough that she’s already anticipating the stretch. She gives him a few tugs before guiding him into her. Steve growls as he presses in and Danny gasps. He takes his time, making sure she’s okay as he buries himself in her heat. He’s panting by the time their hips are flush and he can feel her fluttering around him. He rests his head between her breasts, kissing at the sweat-damp skin to catch his breath.
“Steve, if you don’t move, so help me I’ll—”
And he does, and its blinding, and so, so right. It’s nothing like she expected, Steve is nearly reverent in his actions rather than the rough intensity that she’d imagined. He’s gentle but strong as he thrusts in, deep, and pulls out slowly. Danny is muttering somewhat incoherently but Steve catches an “yes, Steve, like that” and a “right there, don’t stop.”
He swiftly rolls them over so she’s bending over him. The angle is delicious and Danny rolls her hips. She presses her palms into Steve’s chest and rocks against him. He matches her movements. She rakes her blunt nails through the smattering of hair on his chest and his eyes go wide. So she does it again, picking up the pace of her hips.
Moments later, she feels the heat building again and she leans down to kiss him. Her orgasm bubbles up and bursts, it hits her so hard it feels like her whole body is vibrating. She cries out, a string of “ohgodyes” escaping her lips. Steve lets out a strangled moan and he grasps her hips, thrusting up hard and a moment later she feels him come. She rocks against him once, twice, before he groans and pulls her down beside him.
They rest against each other, breathing slowly coming down. Steve starts drifting off so she nudges him awake and slides out of bed to turn on the shower. When the water is warm, she pulls him under the spray and washes grime of the day from his skin. When they’re both clean and pink, Danny turns off the water and throws a towel at him before wrapping one around herself. Once dried off as much as possible, she slides her underwear on and Steve hands her a Navy t-shirt. When she’s slipped it over her head, he grins at her.
“Neanderthal,” Danny grumbles, shaking her head. But there’s no heat behind it because truth be told, she likes the idea of belonging to Steve. And Steve belonging to her.
They curl into Steve’s bed, wrapped around each other. Danny can hear his heart and she falls asleep to its steady beat. And in the morning, she ambles downstairs, still in her undies and his shirt, to find Steve in his kitchen. She presses a kiss to his warm lips and whispers, “Don’t you ever fucking disappear on me again.” The sound of Steve’s laughter echoes through the house.