MCA #0, Tuesday night

[grenadesandohana]

Right, so Danny had disappeared again yesterday and hadn't called or texted, so Steve had taken the completely normal steps of pulling keyhole satellite imagery down to confirm Wo Fat was in the super-max prison, no one had escaped from Halawa, and Grace was in school back in Honolulu.

Therefore, mostly satisfied that Danny wasn't being held hostage somewhere, Steve worked on rearranging the apartment (again) for ease of defense by setting up traps full of the mini pumpkins that had appeared today.

So...hopefully no one would just burst through the windows or doors because it was going to hurt.

Comments

[hatesparadise]

Burst through? No. Calmly walk through his own goddamn door? Yes.

"What the hell?" Look, he got back as fast as he could, Steven.

[grenadesandohana]

"You're back!" Steve said, trying to be casual about stuffing that knife back into its spot in the sofa.

[hatesparadise]

"Yeah," Danny said, eyeing the whole knife thing warily. "Sorry, I got yanked away again. Was supposed to be bringing donuts to the station, but..."

[grenadesandohana]

"The Troopers made do with bowls of candy," Steve said. "Do I need to put a tracker on you?"

He was joking! Ish! Slightly joking!

[hatesparadise]

"Would you put one on yourself?" Because that was the only way Danny would agree to it.

[grenadesandohana]

"I'm not the one who keeps disappearing," Steve said mulishly.

[hatesparadise]

Danny took a deep breath and sighed as he shoved aside his own annoyance over it happening as well. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I don't wanna worry you."

Yes, he was flat out telling Steve he was worried rather than let him dance around it.

[grenadesandohana]

"I wasn't that worried," Steve said. "Wo Fat's where he's supposed to be."

Maybe don't ask how many favors he called in to confirm that.

[hatesparadise]

Steve. Steve.

"Uh huh."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve nodded, proceeding like that was a completely normal thing to have done. "Where'd you go?"

[hatesparadise]

"Haven," Danny said, eyeing the couch for a moment. "Am I gonna get stabbed if I sit?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Of course not," Steve said, patting the cushion quickly just to be sure. "What happened in Haven this time? Does it require beer?"

[hatesparadise]

Danny sighed and pressed the heel of his hand into his eyes as he sat back and slumped a little. "Maybe. Wouldn't turn one down."

[grenadesandohana]

"Be right back," Steve said, standing up and giving the back of Danny's neck a little squeeze.

There was muffled cursing as opening the fridge launched a mini attack of pumpkins but Steve returned soon enough, carrying two completely forgettable lagers.

[hatesparadise]

Mmm. Kona Brewery. Maybe if they'd branch out to the IPAs by them...

"Thanks, babe," Danny said, sighing as he held out his hand for that beer.

[grenadesandohana]

"Of course," Steve said, handing the beer over, then sitting down and slouching into Danny's space.

[hatesparadise]

Danny sighed again, leaning back as he stretched his legs out in front of him. He let the silence sort of fill the apartment as he just allowed himself to decompressed with Steve's steady presence at his side.

[grenadesandohana]

And Steve was content to sit in silence until Danny was ready to talk. Knowing Danny, it wouldn't take a hugely long time.

[hatesparadise]

Just because Danny wasn't a ball of repression in human form...

"I helped with a case. Or something like that," Danny finally said once half his beer was gone.

[grenadesandohana]

"Or something?" Steve echoed. "What happened?"

Don't make him do a completely platonic pat-down to make sure you weren't hurt, Danny.

[hatesparadise]

"Kidnapping. People thinkin' it was aliens and all that," he said. "One of 'em was killed and burned."

And maybe it brought back bad memories.

[grenadesandohana]

Well, now you were getting the one armed shoulder-slung bro hug, Danny, so just deal with it.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

[hatesparadise]

He could do with the affection, damn it.

"I'll get there. Just the smell, you know?"

[grenadesandohana]

Steve nodded, making a face (and a mental note to get rid of bacon in the house for the foreseeable future). "Unforgettable," he agreed.

[hatesparadise]

He sniffed like he couldn't quite get it out of his nose. Even if it was all just in his head. "I'm thinking a salad for dinner."

Nothing cooked for a little bit.

[grenadesandohana]

"Plenty of veggies in the fridge," Steve said. "Might be some already cooked salmon from the cats, too."

Because Steve had gotten people-grade salmon for the kittens.

[hatesparadise]

Oh, of course he did.

"And you're sharing it with me, huh?" Danny asked with dry amusement.

[grenadesandohana]

"Well, you're practically a cat, too, Danny," Steve teased.

[hatesparadise]

"Explains why you won't leave me alone," he shot back with the same level of amusement.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve laughed. "Is that what it is?"

[hatesparadise]

"It's weird, right?" he drawled fondly.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve thought up and immediately dismissed five different replies that all involved petting and biting and sounded a little too...fraught...in his head.

"Tell me you won't nap in a sunbeam," he said instead.

[hatesparadise]

"Deal," Danny replied dryly.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve reached out and gave Danny's neck a little squeeze. "So. Duke still alive?"

[hatesparadise]

"Yeah," Danny said, tilting his head in Steve's direction. "Upset, but alive."

[grenadesandohana]

"Seems like standard operating procedure coming back from Haven," Steve commented.

[hatesparadise]

"Fair," he had to admit. "I am sorry. You know I'd give you a heads up if I could."

[grenadesandohana]

"I know," Steve said, nodding. "Once I checked my sources, I was good."

He hadn't even bleached the place down to the studs today!

[hatesparadise]

"Please don't tell me you abused government resources for that." Like retrieving a soccer ball from a minefield.

[grenadesandohana]

"I will not tell you!" Steve said chirpily.

[hatesparadise]

Danny sighed and stared up at a spot in the ceiling that probably concealed a weapon. "Well. Luckily I'm back to help you with your maze thing."

At 4 AM, probably.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve grinned. "It'll be very educational."

And he'll give Danny a lot of Advil afterwards because it was going to be a stupid amount of manual labor.

[hatesparadise]

And donuts. Advil and donuts.

"Sure it will."