Steve was losing his mind. He was actually losing his mind. He had been in so many different life and death situations, he had been in war zones, he had been tortured, he had been shot at and he had been blown up, he had had a wrecking ball slammed into the side of his car. And he had never ever felt so terrified and out of control as he did right now.
Panic was heavy in his chest, and since he had been informed of Danny's arrest he had felt as though he couldn't breathe properly. His heart was beating too fast constantly, and there had been a haze over his eyes.
Joe reached out and gripped his shoulder, his eyes concerned as he took in Steve. They were standing waiting for the others to arrive, ready to fly to Columbia to make their one shot at finding the cocaine that would free Danny. If they had it wrong...
Steve closed his eyes and dug his fingers into his eyes trying to get himself under control. He was so used to being in complete control of himself, but it seemed with Danny not at his side it seemed that control was faultering.
He could still feel the warmth of Gracie in his arms when he hugged her and told her he would bring her Danno back, he could feel her shaking sill, and see the fear in her eyes that she would never see him again. He had made a promise to the most important female in his life, to a little girl he loved more than anything in this world. He couldn't imagine what she would do if Danny wasn't in her life...he didn't know what he was going to do without Danny.
"Steve? Steve? Stevie!" Joe grabbed both his shoulders and shoved his head between his knees.
"I can't...breathe!" Steve wheezed.
"Its ok son, you are having a panic attack," Joe said soothing rubbing Steve's back. "Follow my breathing,"
"J...Joe,"
"Steve its going to be ok,"
"Joe I can't...I can't...he..."
"I know," Joe said gently.
"No Joe you don't! Joe I can't...I can't live without Danny, I can't!" Steve choked.
"Steve we are going to get him back, he is going to be ok," Joe was holding so tightly onto his shoulder it felt like he was going to break it.
"I haven't told him, how much he means to me. We have been arguing more lately, and and he I have been working more with Lou than him, and he doesn't know, Joe he doesn't know how much he means to me, and I can't I can't imagine hi not being with me, bitching and moaning, and being there for me, always being there when I turn around! Joe I don't know how to cope anymore because when I am struggling, when I am lost or need support its Danny I go to, or he is just there for me! And I can't do this without him Joe, I can't...I need Danny, I need him," Steve covered his eyes as he felt them burning.
"Kid, we are going to get him back, and you can make sure that you tell him everything that you are regretting not saying to him right now, and you can handcuff him to your side," Joe promised.
"Yeah, yeah," Steve nodded straightening himself up. He needed to pull himself together and focus on the mission and getting Danny back.
Steve watched like a hawk as Danny picked Gracie up from the sofa and carried her through to her bedroom. She had not wanted to be parted from Danny after what had happened, she had fought from nodding off for as long as she could, but eventually had given in. Steve himself had barley let Danny out of his sight from the moment he had picked him up from the airport, using everything he had to get passed security and be waiting for Danny at the gate.
When he had seen him for the first time, and saw all the cuts and bruises, seen how tired and drawn Danny looked he had felt sick to his stomach, and the feeling of never wanting to let the other out of his sight was even stronger.
"Babe?" Danny was in front of him. It seemed the tiredness and the stress had finally caught up with him, he had lost track of Danny while he had been moving around. It seemed that he had gone into the kitchen and grabbed them some water.
He started and looked up panicked, his heart thundering again in his chest. At least until a familiar and warm hand grabbed hold of his shoulder. Danny was looking down at him concern in his blue eyes as he took in Steve's reaction.
"You know you look even worse than I do," Danny said softly sitting down next to him on the sofa.
"Thanks. That's saying something," Steve huffed dropping his head onto the back of the sofa, but kept his eyes on Danny.
"You haven't stopped watching me," Danny said softly, turning on the sofa so he was facing the Seal.
"I can't look away,"
"I'm not going anywhere,"
"After the last 48 hours I can't trust that yet,"
"Steve?"
"I have never been more frightened in my life Danny. I thought I had lost you," Steve shifted, leaning forwards as he felt a fine tremble take over his body.
"Steve...the only thing that kept me going in that place, the only thing, was the thought of getting to hold Gracie in my arms again. And knowing with utter certainty, that you were coming for me," Danny said quietly.
"Dan..." Steve paused when the blonde reached out and gently gripped his forearm shaking his head.
"I told you before that my mind always goes to the worse case scenario with my relationships, I always see the worse in everything. Except with you. There was no doubt in my mind that you were going to get me out of there. And then I thought it over and I realised that there was one relationship my worst case had never kicked in with. Don't get me wrong when you are pulling stupid stunts and doing stupid, moronic, idiotic things I go to worst case, but you and I, it has never happened," Danny admitted.
"What about Amber?" Steve asked.
"She isn't you,"
"Danno," Steve breathed out.
"I don't want to waste anymore time Steve," Danny said and then gave a slightly sad smile. "After everything, Mattie, Wo Fat, our lives, I don't want to waste anymore time.
The blonde detective yelped when Steve dove across the sofa and pressed him down into the cushions gently, hovering over him.
"I love you Danny Williams, and I don't want to wait any longer!"
"Babe I have been trying to tell you that for the last five minutes. I love you too you animal," Danny grinned.
Their first kiss was soft and tender, despite the pressure both were feeling in their chests this just felt right. They lay tangled together kissing languidly and luxuriating in the feeling and taste of the other. The emotions of the last five years, the last 48 hours, could be tasted in the kiss. Their emotions in their kiss could be tasted even while they were snickering with laughter when their noses bumped and their teeth clashed when they tried to deepen their kiss.
Their hands were stroking over each other, enjoying being able to touch and properly feel the other after so long of waiting for this moment. At least until Danny hissed into Steve's mouth when his hand ran over his side. He rolled his eyes when Steve yanked himself back and looked down at him with those damned puppy dog eyes.
"I'm fine,"
"You aren't. Come on, bed, you need to rest and recover from everything," Steve said as he stood and reached out his hands to the other man.
"You are moving quick!" Danny gawped.
"No! No! I didn't mean, I mean yes I did but I didn't not..." Steve stammered until Danny started snickering.
"Geez calm down babe I know what you meant,"
"Prick," Steve grumbled helping Danny to his feet.
"I am sorry, I couldn't help it. You're adorable like this," Danny chuckled allowing himself to be toed up the stairs.
He also allowed Steve to take care of every bruise and cut covering his body before they went to bend. Patiently sitting through the fuss that Steve let out over the wounds. The Seal hid his grin, Danny must have really been thinking their relationship over to allow him to make such a fuss so he made the most of it knowing that he would not always get this chance.
Finally they were both in bed and battling with their legs to try and find the position that they could both sleep in while curled together, in the end with some grumbling they ended up spooning with Danny as the little spoon, though Steve's side was aching a little from the elbow he received for his height joke.
"Ok?" He asked when Danny let out a loud sigh.
"Yeah, its just good to be home,"
"Never thought I would hear you refer to Hawaii as home with such feeling," Steve grinned against his shoulder.
"Wasn't talking about Hawaii love," Danny said, pointedly wriggling further into Steve's arms.
"Oh,"
"Stop grinning like a maniac,"
"I am not 'grinning like a maniac',"
"Yes you are, I can hear it!"
"You can hear me grinning?"
"It has a very distinctive sound, normally right before you throw yourself off of somewhere high,"
"You're an idiot,"
"Yes I am! For staying your partner for so long,"
"You wouldn't have it any other way,"
"Which is another reason why I am an idiot," Danny grouched, but the affection in his tone was clear.
"Hey babe can you pass the juice please?" Grace grinned as she walked into the kitchen and watched as her Danno and Uncle Steve moved around each other in the kitchen getting breakfast ready. There wasn't anything really different from what she had seen a hundred times before when they had stayed over at Uncle Steve's, but there was something in the way they were acting together, not to mention the fact she had seen them snuggled together in Uncle Steve's bed when she had got up to go to the toilet.
"Monkey," Danny grinned when he spotted her walking into the room.
"Gracie," Steve grinned just as wide.
"Is that..."
"Pancakes!" Both men nodded. It was their breakfast, the three of them, to the point where her and Danno couldn't eat it by themselves anymore.
"It smells good!" She groaned hugging both of them and snagging the juice from Danny.
"We have strawberry, banana, chocolate chip and blueberry," Steve listed.
"Cool," She hummed taking a sip of her juice. She got comfy at the table and pulled out her phone, angling it and hitting record. "Hey guys?"
"Yes?" they both turned to smile at her, which is when she struck.
"At your wedding I am going to be your best woman right Danno?"
The coughing and spluttering that they received was brilliant, and it was with a huge grin that she sent the recording to Kono knowing the other woman would give her best board to see it.
"She is spending way too much time with Kono," Danny grunted when he finally caught his breath.
"Way too much," Steve agreed scooping a giggling Grace over his shoulder.