Thank you very, very much to everyone who's read the whole story and offered support in any way. I appreciate every single one of you, even if you've just been lurking. 3

I hope you all enjoyed the story and that this chapter is a satisfying conclusion. Please let me know what you thought of the whole thing, either here or on tumblr ( whenamarshmallowmeetsahothead).

There's some very light angst on this chapter and mild description of violence, but it's nothing we haven't seen on the show (literally, I briefly described a scene from episode 3.20).

Enjoy! =)

If Steve had any doubt that he might be too far gone, their next date proved it. They'd been going out for two months and they'd been keeping it casual and slow, pretty much being just friends who made out, maintaining Steve in a happy place of plausible deniability. Then Saturday night happened.

Danny had invited Steve over for dinner because he felt like cooking. He said he missed his ma's food and he couldn't cook for just one person, so would Steve just come over so it wouldn't go to waste – apparently plausible deniability went both ways. They had just finished a bottle of wine and were getting cozy on the couch, that contented feeling that only came after a good, hearty meal and nice quality alcohol taking over, when Danny started talking.

"I miss them, you know?"

"Hm?"

Danny had his head on Steve's shoulder and Steve was nuzzling Danny's hair.

"My family. I miss them. I don't get to see them nearly enough. Even talking on the phone isn't easy with the time difference."

Steve kissed the top of Danny's head and nuzzled his hair some more, not entirely sure what he could say to that.

"I mean, I don't regret coming here. Grace takes precedence and they all know that. Even though I miss everyone else something awful, I'd miss Grace a lot more. But sometimes I just wish I could have both."

"I'm sorry, D."

"It's okay. Well, it's not, but what can you do, right?"

Steve just pulled Danny closer and kept quiet, because there really wasn't anything he could say.

"I wish I could say I don't resent Rachel for all this, but I do. I mean, one thing is wanting a divorce, but forcing me to uproot my whole life? And it's not like she even stopped to think about it, you know? She just came after her new husband and left me with a terrible decision to make."

Steve tried not to pay too much attention to the pang in his gut, the one that understood what Danny wasn't saying. That he'd much rather not have come here. That he wouldn't care if he'd never met Steve. Steve knew that was unfair, things hadn't been easy for Danny and it's not like they'd been going out long to justify Danny thinking that Steve would make up for the whole thing, but still...

"And it's not just that. This whole thing... Sometimes I think I'll never get over it."

The pang in Steve's gut got a little bit harsher. Was this Danny trying to tell him he was still in love with his ex-wife? Was that why he didn't want anything serious?

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

Danny straightened up so he could look at Steve which only made Steve more worried. This was it, they were breaking up, weren't they? Not that there was even anything to break up, they'd never gotten serious, but still, it was over, wasn't it?

"I loved her, you know? I mean, I think I did. Maybe I still do? I honestly don't know anymore. But the point is, at the time I believed she was the real thing and that's why we got married. And look how that turned out. I don't think I've ever been more wrong about anything in my life. But at the time... At the time I had no reason to doubt it..."

Okay, Steve was getting very confused, because he had no idea what Danny's point was anymore.

"Danny, what are you trying to say?"

"That now I feel I can't trust my feelings. Because even if I'm feeling something good now, all I can see is how it could all end in pain. How it will end in pain. And then I just want to run away. The better it gets, the faster I want to bolt. Because I don't want to go through all the pain again. I don't want to get invested and get my heart broken again."

Okay, things were starting to make a little more sense now. That explained why Danny was still keeping his distance. So this was a good thing. It meant Danny was really interested. Or... not. It was actually a terrible thing, because it meant Danny would never go any further than this. It meant Danny... was staring at Steve as if his eyes held the answers to all the questions in the universe.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just... You." Danny's eyes softened and he reached out to cup Steve's jaw, rubbing his thumb over Steve's cheek, as if he were this precious thing that had to be handled with the utmost care. "You make me want to forget all of that."

Now Steve was just a little bit stunned, with no idea how to proceed. Partly because he was very confused and unsure of what Danny was trying to get at, and partly because the way Danny was looking at him and holding him was turning him into molten... well, he didn't know. Something that melted when it was feeling loved and appreciated.

"God, Steve, you... you just barrelled your way into my life, and you're so fucking stubborn and annoying. You have no idea how to take no for an answer and I hate you so much for that. But I'm also so fucking grateful. Because if you had listened to me I wouldn't have gotten to know the most remarkable person I've ever met. You're just so... I don't even know, you're just too good for words. And you have no idea how terrified that makes me. These past few months have been hell, because they've been the best I've had in I don't even know how long, but I've also never been so scared in my life. I don't think I could take getting my heart broken like that again. Even worse, I don't think I could take getting my heart broken by you."

To say Steve was shocked beyond words was an understatement. Granted, he wasn't great at talking on the best of days, but this... He couldn't even remember how to think. He probably went out of it for a while, because when he focused on Danny again he had this sort of desperate look on his face, as if he thought he'd made some terrible mistake, and... Steve knew Danny was freaking out a little, probably thinking that he shouldn't have said any of what he had, and Steve desperately wanted to say something to make him feel better, but he was having some trouble getting his emotions in order. He didn't want to talk about this, hell, he'd tried not to even think about this since he'd gotten back, but Danny needed to know.

"Look, Steve, I..."

"No, Danny, wait."

"I shouldn't have-"

"No, just give me a sec, here. I just..."

"It's okay, you don't have to-"

"Would you just... Look, you said your piece, now let me say mine, alright?"

"Okay." Danny let out a breath that sounded to Steve like someone who was waiting for a death sentence.

"It's not what you think. Whatever you're thinking, that's not it. I just need to get my thoughts in order here."

"Okay, okay."

Steve took a deep breath.

"My best friend died."

"What?"

"Not just died, he got killed. I got him killed."

"Steve, I..." Danny had moved to cover Steve's forearm, gently rubbing his thumb over his skin.

"Just let me get through this. It'll make sense, I promise."

"Okay."

"I know you know there's something I haven't told you. I know you notice stuff, and I know you saw that there was something else behind me leaving the Navy."

Danny just nodded.

"I had been recruited to this secret op – which I can't tell you about because-"

"It's classified, I know."

"Yeah. Well, they asked for me personally, and they told me to choose somebody I trusted to accompany me. There's no one else I could think of, Freddie'd always be at the top of my list." Steve paused, swallowing the lump in his throat. "This guy, Danny... He was like a brother to me. I was the reason he made it through BUD/S, and honestly, he was the one that kept me going, too, even though I think he never knew that." Steve had to take another pause. This was the first time he was talking about all this and it was even harder than he thought it would be. "We were almost done with the mission. We had our target and we were ready to leave, but they saw us and Freddie got shot. We shot back, but there were too many of them. I wanted to get us out of there, but Freddie's wound was too bad... He knew he wasn't going to make it. He made me go, so we could complete the mission. He made me leave him there, so he could cover for me. I watched him die, through the rear view mirror. I saw him getting shot again and again, and he didn't stop shooting until he was dead. I couldn't move, I didn't want to move, the image was just stuck in my head, but I knew I had to go. I left him there. I had to leave his body there, and God knows what they did to him. He was dead, he left a wife and a kid, and it was all my fault."

"How was it..."

"I asked him to go with me. If I hadn't, he'd still be here. Hell, if I hadn't made him go through with the training he'd never have got hurt. He'd be happy, a family man, safe. It was all me. This is all on me."

"Steve, that's not true. You didn't force him to do anything, he-"

"No, Danny, just... Just don't. You can say whatever you want, it's not going to change anything. It's not going to change how I feel, it's not going to take this weight off my shoulders."

Danny just nodded again, even though he looked like he had a lot more to say.

"Anyway, I brought the target back and the mission was over. I tried to keep going as if nothing had happened. A month later I got another mission. We were there, right in the middle of executing the op when gunfire broke out and I... just froze. I heard all the gunshots and I couldn't do anything. The enemies were closing in on us and I was totally exposed. One of my team mates grabbed me and took me to cover. He practically threw me behind some rocks so he could get in position to shoot back. That's how I hit my head. He put himself at risk so he could get me outta there." Steve closed his eyes, trying to breathe, trying to focus. He hated thinking about all this. Hated how much he felt like he'd failed everyone. "After I left the hospital, already knowing about the damage to my eyesight, my CO asked to talk with me. He suggested that being discharged was the best option. He said the eye problem would be reason enough, it could in fact compromise any op, but he was even more worried about my psychological state. He thought it'd just be better if I left, before something worse happened."

Now Steve just waited. He'd never told anyone about that. Even his father thought the only reason for his discharge was his eyes. He couldn't bear anyone knowing that he'd been so weak and he was just waiting for Danny to take everything he'd said back, because there's no way he'd still think all that now that he knew.

Before Steve could think too much about it, Danny was tightening his hold on his arm and pulling him in. He wrapped his arms around Steve, one hand on the back of his head, gently pushing Steve to rest his head in the crook of Danny's neck. Steve went willingly, craving the comfort a lot more than he'd like to admit. Danny nuzzled Steve's hair, dropping small kisses on his temple and a part of Steve wanted to cry at how good it felt.

They stayed there, entwined in one another for a long time, until Steve relaxed enough to remember that he hadn't actually gotten to the point he wanted. He pulled back with some reluctance, kissing Danny softly before disentangling himself from Danny completely. He stared at Danny for a while before continuing.

"I mentioned right at the beginning that I don't have a mother."

"Yeah?" Danny looked confused, probably not knowing how everything was connected.

"Well, I know that gives the impression that she died, but that's not what happened. She left when I was fifteen. Just up and left. One day Mary and I came back from school and it was all gone. All her things, her clothes... The first thing we thought, as soon as it became clear what had happened, was what had we done wrong. Did she really hate us that much that she couldn't take us anymore? When my dad got home, he didn't say anything. He just looked around for a long time, with this vacant expression, then went into his room and didn't leave until the next day. He didn't say anything to us for almost a whole week. We thought he blamed us, that he was angry with us. It took me years to understand that it had nothing to do with me or Mary, but to be honest? I think there's this part of me, there's a kid who's still there, feeling abandoned and alone, who still hasn't quite got it yet. Who still thinks that no one will ever want him, that everyone will leave eventually."

Steve was almost afraid to look at Danny. This was all too much, he was saying too much, he didn't even know why. He never talked like that, he barely even thought about any of this, but for some reason being with Danny just made him want to open up. He wanted to be with Danny, more and more, but he wanted it to be real. He wanted to make Danny less concerned about their relationship, but if he did get Danny to let go, Steve wanted him to go in with his eyes open. Steve was a mess, and Danny deserved to know that. He deserved to know that Steve would never leave him like that, but there were other ways he could hurt Danny. If only because he was so broken.

When Steve chanced a glance up, he didn't see rejection or fear. Not even any sign that Danny wanted to run now more than he did before. He just saw pain. As if Danny could feel what he was feeling, what he'd felt at the time. There was no way he could know, but he still looked as if he shared all that hurt. And damn if that didn't make Steve lo- like Danny even more. Steve cleared his throat before all these thoughts got away from him

"My point is, I'm scared, too, Danny. I'm scared that either something horrible is going to happen like it did to Freddie, or one day you or anyone else I get attached to is going to leave like my mother did. And that makes me want to run away, too."

Danny was thoughtful for a very long time, not focusing on anything, until he stared right into Steve's eyes. He bit his lips, as if considering if he should say something or not, until he let out a sigh.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but... Why are you here?"

"What?"

"No, I mean... I want you here, I'm glad you are. But what's keeping you from running?"

Steve just sat there, not knowing how to answer that. He didn't know. He didn't know why he kept calling Danny, why he kept going on dates. Sure, one could say it was because he was still waiting for the sex, but that wasn't it. On the contrary, the fact that it hadn't happened yet should be all the more reason for him to have given up by now. That wasn't the reason and in that moment Steve realized that he couldn't keep lying to himself, couldn't keep trying to pretend.

"It's too late."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's too late. I already care. A lot. I don't keep coming back because I find you hot or 'interesting'. I just wouldn't be able to find a reason not to come if I tried."

"But... what you said..."

And just like that, like a shot of lightning coursing through him, he knew.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Whatever happens, the result will be the same."

"Okay, I have no idea what you're trying to say here."

"It's gonna hurt anyway. If one of these things I said happens, yeah, it's going to be awful and it's going to hurt like hell, but if I leave? It's going to hurt, too. But it'll be so much worse because I'll know that the only reason it's hurting is because I wasn't brave enough to give it a try. I'll live a whole life of 'what if's', knowing I'll have no one else to blame but myself."

Danny eyed Steve, doubt clouding his features. Steve couldn't tell if Danny didn't believe what Steve had just said, or if he was trying to think if the same could apply to him. Steve hoped for the latter.

Danny's gaze remained on Steve, and Steve thought that he could see something slowly changing in Danny's eyes, even if he couldn't say what it was. Steve was still trying to figure out what it could all mean when Danny started leaning forward, closing the distance between them inch by inch until their lips touched and Danny gently moved his own against Steve's. Steve responded immediately, as he always did, it was just an automatic reaction – one never ignores Danny's lips, ever.

The kiss got more intense and Danny was getting closer, his hands roaming Steve's chest, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. Steve only caught up to what was happening when Danny was already half-way down and Steve pulled away.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't want to wait anymore."

"Are you... Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Unless you don't..." Danny trailed off, a nervous edge to his voice.

"Oh, no, I want it. C'mere."

Steve pulled Danny into another kiss, soon getting up from the couch pulling Danny up with him, never allowing their lips to separate. He started undoing Danny's shirt while they moved to the bedroom, while Danny finished undoing his.

Danny took his shirt off and got started on his pants. He had them open and had started pulling them down past his hips and Steve just stopped. He watched as Danny finished taking off his pants and underwear, rendered completely motionless. He was in awe of Danny, of such beauty displayed in front of him, a sight he'd never have enough words to describe. He felt his mouth go dry and his chest go warm. He'd never felt such an intense mixture of lust and fondness for anyone before.

"Are you gonna just stand there all night?"

Steve was pulled out of his trance by Danny's amused tone and was met by a beautiful, oh so beautiful smile when he focused on Danny's face again.

"Sorry, I..."

Steve couldn't continue because he didn't know what to say but also his mouth was too dry to form words.

"C'mere." Danny took a step forward and pulled Steve close by his belt loops. Steve leaned down to kiss Danny, his hands coming up to frame Danny's face, to help ground him, help him believe this was happening, that Danny was really there.

Steve felt something tugging at his shirt and it took him some time to realize that it was Danny trying to push it off his shoulders, Steve's pants already pooled around his ankles. He snapped out of it, helping Danny divest him of his shirt while he stepped out of his pants – their shoes and socks had already been lost even before they sat together on the couch to enjoy the rest of their wine.

Next thing Steve knew they were on the bed and he was half-way on top of Danny, his gaze running up and down Danny's body, and he knew it was probably filled with awe because that's how he was feeling. Soon Steve's fingers started following his gaze and he started stroking Danny softly, from his cheek, going down his neck, over his shoulders, down his chest, his stomach, all the way down to his hips and then back up again. When Steve got back to Danny's cheek, he let his fingers run through Danny's hair and his gaze was now locked with Danny's. Steve hoped it wasn't fanciful of him to imagine that the emotion in Danny's eyes was very similar to what Steve was feeling. Steve's fingers ran down to rest on the back of Danny's neck and he leaned in slowly, taking Danny's lips with his in a gentle, languid kiss. Danny's hand came up to hold Steve close, lightly caressing his hair and Danny let out a soft moan. Steve let his lips linger on Danny's, prolonging the kiss, trying to make this moment last.

When Danny started moving under Steve, arching his body looking for more contact, Steve let go and started his way back down Danny's body, now with his mouth. He took his time, savouring Danny, kissing and licking, letting his taste take over, the feel of Danny's soft and warm skin filling Steve's whole body. Steve didn't know how much time he spent that way, just getting acquainted with Danny's heavenly body.

"God, Steve, how much longer are you going to torture me?" Danny was writhing leisurely, lazy moans leaving his throat.

"I'm not torturing you. I'm enjoying myself. You don't devour a feast, Danny, you savour it."

"Well, this feast here is getting very desperate for more."

"Don't try to tell me you're not enjoying this, too. I know you like all the attention."

"I do, Steve, I do like the attention. But there are other parts of my body that would like some attention, too. They're feeling neglected."

"You're right. I'll correct this right away."

Danny let out a sigh of relief, while Steve moved all the way down to Danny's foot and started the same process, going all the way up his leg.

"Oh, god, Steve, you know that's not what I meant," Danny grunted in frustration.

"This is foreplay, Danny." Steve kept kissing and stroking Danny's leg while he spoke, moving to the other one when he reached the top. "Foreplay is good. It makes the final goal more enjoyable."

"Steve, we've been foreplaying for two months. I think we've done it enough."

"Not like this, we haven't. And foreplaying is not a word."

"I don't care. All I want is for you to move on."

Steve had reached Danny's groin now, and he nuzzled the soft hair on the base of Danny's cock, making him let out another sigh of relief, that came out somewhat shaky this time. Steve moved around wanting to make sure he felt every single inch of Danny's crotch and then he pulled up.

"Steve! Come on!"

Steve slithered up Danny's body, making sure they were touching the whole time, getting a little overwhelmed with the sensation of all that flesh in contact with his hot skin. The drawn out groan that came out of Danny just made the whole thing more intense. Steve's face was now level with Danny's and he stared into Danny's eyes with an intensity that he couldn't control if he wanted to, letting his body sag a little so he could feel all of Danny beneath him.

Steve leaned down to kiss Danny, slow and gentle at first, then deeper and deeper until all he knew was Danny and his lips and his tongue. Danny's hands were in Steve's hair, grabbing and pulling him down, Danny's body reaching up, rubbing against Steve. Steve pulled away before it all became too much.

"Danny?"

"Oh, god, what now?" Danny's growl of frustration made Steve laugh a little inside.

"Will you fuck me?"

Steve could feel the intense shudder that ran over Danny's body.

"Yes," was Danny's shaky reply.

"Where's..."

Danny shut his eyes tight and swallowed hard.

"Nightstand." Danny pointed with an unsteady hand. "First drawer."

Steve moved over to get what he needed, immediately missing Danny's heat. He came back with a bottle of lube and a condom, and dropped them beside Danny.

"I want you to prepare me."

"Okay." Danny's hoarse voice was barely audible. He nudged Steve's shoulder. "Move over."

Steve pulled away from Danny, moving to lie down on his stomach, but Danny wrapped a hand around his arm.

"No, the other way. I want to look at you. I want to see your face while you fall apart. When I make you come."

Now it was Steve's turn to shudder, Danny's words getting to him more than he would've expected.

It only took Danny's first finger breaching him for Steve to zone out. The intense feeling that started in his ass spreading out like waves that were taking over his whole body, until he could feel it from his toes to his fingertips to the top of his head. Every movement of Danny's finger inside Steve made him tingle all over, tiny little electric shocks sparking up in random parts of his body. Danny moved on to two fingers, then three and the sensations only increased. Steve couldn't stop the constant trembling, his body thrumming with the instinctive knowledge that it was Danny there with him, his smell reminding him of that even when his eyes were closed. That feeling surrounded Steve and made it all so much more intense Steve wasn't entirely sure he would be able to take it.

Then Danny started pushing into Steve and now he was sure that he couldn't take it, but it was okay, because that was when his conscious thought shut down and he was just an ethereal mass of feelings. Later on Steve would think how nothing had ever been like that. He'd never been with someone he cared so much about and it might be a cliche, but it was true that it made the entire experience completely different.

Steve almost felt like he was having an out-of-body experience. He didn't feel the bed under him anymore, all he could feel was Danny taking control of every single part of him, making him feel as if he was made of pure, blissful pleasure. Danny wrapped his hand around Steve's cock and Steve couldn't breathe. He wrapped his own hand around Danny's, intertwining their fingers and he felt himself about to break into a million pieces. If Danny wanted to watch him fall apart, he got it. Steve wasn't even aware of what was happening anymore until he felt himself come so hard his insides hurt and he thought he might pass out. Maybe he did.

Danny was now slumped over Steve, his warm breath on Steve's neck, a soft sigh leaving his lips. Steve tightened his arms around Danny and Danny 'hmmm'd, tightening his hold back. Danny peppered Steve's neck with sweet kisses and he pushed himself up, to look Steve in the eyes. Steve waited for him to say something but he didn't, so Steve just combed his fingers through Danny's hair, happy with the way it was now beautifully messy. Danny just smiled, closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.

"God, Danny," Steve finally said, "I feel like I'll owe you forever for what you just did."

Danny huffed out a laugh. "What did I do?"

"This... you just... man, I don't think... this whole thing, it was just... it was out of this world, and I'm not entirely sure I'm not saying this literally in this case."

"Well, thank you, but I can assure you it was pretty amazing for me, too."

"No, you don't understand... god, really, I've never..."

"Steve." Danny cupped Steve's jaw, catching his attention. "I know. I was here, too. I felt it, too. And you know what? Even if I hadn't? Even if I hadn't felt a single thing? Your face... The way you looked, the sounds you made... It would still have made this one of the best experiences I've ever shared with another human being."

Steve didn't know what to say because he was taken over by way too many feelings and he couldn't breathe again. His chest was so full of something he couldn't identify, something he'd never felt before that terrified the living shit out of him, but it also made him feel like the happiest, luckiest man alive. He pulled Danny down for a kiss, trying to tell him in actions what he thought could never be put into words. Judging by the way Danny melted on top of him, he got it.

/~/~/

It took some time, but Steve eventually convinced Danny to go have dinner at his house with his father. Steve wasn't looking forward to it any more than Danny was, but John just wouldn't let it go, so Steve thought it better they just surrender.

Dinner itself had gone okay. Danny and John had talked a little bit about work, but not much because both of them wanted to relax more than anything, so soon the conversation turned to more interesting subjects like sports, movies and music. John and Danny actually had similar tastes, much to Steve's chagrin, and they were tending to monopolize the conversation. Every now and then Steve would get bored and try to change the subject but it was always useless. At least they were getting along, he thought, it could be a lot worse if they hated each other.

They were finishing their beers still at the dinner table, feeling too lazy to take the few steps outside to enjoy the warm evening.

"I got to say, though, I've never seen Steve this happy," John started, alternating looking between Steve and Danny. "And I'm sure it's all because of you, Danny. I really have to thank you for that."

"No, Captain, I..." Danny started, clearly embarrassed, but was interrupted.

"Ah-ah, what did I tell you? When you're at my home I'm John."

"Okay... John..." Danny was looking down, and there was a pink tinge on his cheekbones. "I don't know about that... I mean..."

"Oh, no, no, don't be modest, Danny. The difference is clear. You're a very good addition to Steve's life. And his sex life, too, I'd think. Steve's always thought you'd be great in bed and I'm sure he wasn't wrong."

Both Steve and Danny choked on their beers and both their faces were burning red.

"Dad! Jesus, why do you always have to be like that?"

"What? It was a compliment." John's look of angelic innocence just made Steve even more frustrated.

"I'm really, really sorry about this." Steve turned to Danny, pleading, hoping he could keep Danny from bolting. Steve was sure he was going to, any second now, and he wouldn't blame Danny if he did.

Danny didn't even reply, apparently not having gained the ability to form words back. This only increased Steve's panic.

"Dad, you do realize that I actually like this guy? I'd like to keep him around, but that won't happen if you scare him off."

John took a long look at Danny, who might have been squirming a little, and turned to Steve.

"Son, have you seen the way this man looks at you? I don't think he's going anywhere any time soon."

Steve risked a glance at Danny, terrified of what he might find there, but Danny seemed calmer now.

"You know what, he's actually right about that one," Danny said in a ridiculously soft voice, gazing into Steve's eyes with what could only be called a gooey expression on his face.

Steve just stared back at Danny, getting completely lost in those gorgeous blue eyes.

"Okay, I guess that's my cue to leave," John said, getting up from the table. "I'm going to watch a movie. When you guys go to Steve's room just remember to keep it quiet. The walls are very thin here and even though I take an interest in my son's life, I'm not that curious."

Steve's groan came from deep within his gut. He let his head fall, cursing the moment he decided to convince Danny to come. He finally looked up and found Danny staring at him, that loving expression still on his face. Steve relaxed and let out a soft laugh.

"Your place?" Steve asked Danny.

"My place." Danny got up, Steve following behind.

"Bye, dad, I'll see you tomorrow," Steve called from the door.

"You're leaving so soon? Was it something I said?"

"Yes!" Steve and Danny chorused.

When the door was closed behind them, Steve pulled Danny into his arms.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea he was going to be this bad."

"It's okay." Danny shrugged, wrapping his arms around Steve's waist and pulling him closer. "It could be a lot worse. At least he was trying to be nice."

"You're probably just being polite, but thank you." Steve leaned down to brush his lips over Danny's.

"I'm not," Danny said when they pulled apart. "But even if I were, you'd make it all worth it. There's not much I can think of that could scare me off. I'm in, Steve. I'm all in."

Steve felt a face-splitting grin spread over his face. He leaned in again and murmured softly when he was almost touching Danny's lips. "Me, too."