MCA #0, Monday, August 1

[grenadesandohana]

Steve hadn't been avoiding the apartment...much.

Okay, he had been and it was a deeply terrible instinct given whatever that weekend had been that had involved being yelled at for ditching out and roaming the globe for a decade, but he just couldn't seem to face Danny yet.

But it was time for his evening run, and he hadn't made it last that much longer than usual. Danny knew where he was.

Probably.

He doubled back to grab a six pack of beer in town as an apology, then headed finally home.

"Danno?" he called, opening the door.

Comments

[grenadesandohana]

"Feel like I'm wasting your time here," Steve finally admitted.

[hatesparadise]

"Why? Because some dumb weekend?" Danny asked.

[grenadesandohana]

"Because I can't just get past it," Steve said, sounding frustrated with himself.

[hatesparadise]

"Babe, it just happened," Danny replied, looking down at him. "No one is expecting that."

[grenadesandohana]

"I'm expecting that," Steve said.

[hatesparadise]

"That's ridiculous," Danny said with all the kindness he had in him on the matter.

[grenadesandohana]

"Why is it ridiculous?" Steve asked. "I'm good at compartmentalizing."

Less so thanks to the therapy. Because he really meant "repressing."

[hatesparadise]

Danny took a deep breath. "If I told you that I should be better at pretending it didn't hurt, would you like that?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Of course not," Steve murmured.

[hatesparadise]

Danny gestured like he was expecting Steve to extrapolate from that.

[grenadesandohana]

"But I have training you don't," Steve said, missing the point.

[hatesparadise]

"I have training, babe. I'm a cop," Danny replied. "It's only good for in the moment, not the long term."

[grenadesandohana]

"I'm already forgetting, so that's good for the long-term," Steve decided.

[hatesparadise]

Danny flicked him in the ear for that.

[grenadesandohana]

"Ow," Steve complained, still not moving from Danny's lap.

[hatesparadise]

"What'd I tell you about wanting this for the long haul?" He demanded.

[grenadesandohana]

"Sorry," Steve said in a small voice. "Old, bad habits."

[hatesparadise]

"Maybe I stopped pushing," Danny said with a heavy sigh, continuing with the little head massage. "Maybe things happened too quickly for us to get through it like we do."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve nodded. "That feels right," he murmured. "What'll we do to counter than in the future?"

Yes, Steve, game out your plans.

[hatesparadise]

"Kinda hoping this continued therapy helps us with our communication skills," Danny replied.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve linked his fingers through Danny's and squeezed. "I'm not good at it."

[hatesparadise]

"Are you willing to try?" Danny asked.

[grenadesandohana]

"If it's getting better at talking or losing you, I'll get better at talking," Steve said vehemently.

[hatesparadise]

Danny snorted, leaning down to kiss him. "I can work with that."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve kissed him back, cupping the back of Danny's neck to keep him close.