This is a work of fiction. Nothing is real but it did come from a wicked dream so, take it as it is presented, please.

'Do it or die.' Danny thought to himself softly. If he does it right, he will be the happiest he has been in his whole life. If he fails, his heart will be broken again. But, there is this feeling that he HAS to know so, he starts chanting his mantra over and over-Do it or die-trying to psyche himself into knocking on Steve's door at 10:00 at night on a Friday after an obscenely long week of nothing but paperwork and going over cold cases by decade from the 60's till the present. Managing to solve five of the 50 they went over was a victory for the 5-0 team of sorts. Danny knew that bringing the families involved in those cases closure and justice for their victims was a very worthy thing but he wanted more-he wanted Steve-pure and simple. 'Do it or die.' Danny kept thinking as he finally got up the courage to knock on the door in front of him.

Steve opened the door, wearing a towel around his waist as he had to get out of the shower to come find out who was at his door at this hour of the night only to huff when he saw it was Danny. "Is there something you need? What's wrong? Is Grace OK?"

Danny looked at Steve and saw the concern in his eyes and smiled. "Can't I just come for a random visit and check in with my partner on a Friday night?"

"Answer the questions and I will answer yours. IS there something you need? WHAT'S wrong? IS Grace OK?"

"Hang on, Super SEAL. I needed to talk to you. Nothing is all that wrong right now and, the big one, Grace is peachy dandy and is at Rachel's sleeping peacefully. It IS past her bedtime, you know." Danny smiled again. "Now can I come in and hang out for a bit, please? I want to talk to you. Is that so not acceptable tonight?"

Steve adjusted his towel and said, "If you can hang out here for a few. I have to go and finish my shower and get dressed. Then, we can talk all you want, Danno. You caught me off-guard is all."

Danny's mouth went dry as a desert. He thickly swallowed and said, "Um, sure, Steven. I'll get a couple of Longboards and see you on the lanai, OK?"

Steve disappeared up to his room and jumped back in his shower. He rinsed off and grabbed a dry towel to dry off and got dressed in a pair of Navy sweatpants and a white tee shirt and came back downstairs looking for Danny. Walking out to the lanai, he spotted him sitting in one of his lounge chairs and staring at the ocean-something that he knows Danny does NOT do unless he has something bothering him.

Danny was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't hear Steve come out and sit next to him until he said, "OK, Danno, what's on your mind? You can tell me anything and I promise you I will help you if I can. Please. Tell me what is in your head that brings you here at this hour of the night?"

Jumping out of his skin at the sound of Steve's voice, he sighed and said, "I have got something on my mind and it is everything right now. I am scared to talk about it and ruin my life as it is right now. I am happy with the way things are right now and if I screwed with the way they are, I would make my life a mess."

Steve was really concerned now. He took the beer from Danny's hand and set it on the sand with his own. He offered his hand to Danny and pulled him to his feet. "Walking helps me think. Maybe if we walk on the beach, you can tell me what you need to say and we can figure out how to keep you from screwing up your life."

Danny could feel the heat between himself and Steve and felt a flush creep up his neck as Steve kicked off his shoes and reached to pull his off. Danny kicked off his shoes and put a hand on Steve's shoulder for balance to take off his socks. He felt how strong the muscles were under his touch and inwardly sighed.

Steve was lost in his own thoughts. He was happy Danny was touching him and never wanted him to stop. 'Where'd that come from?' he wondered to himself. He trusted his life to Danny when they worked together-just part of being partners, right? Now, he was curious as to what brought Danny to his doorstep this late on a Friday night. He popped upward. That sudden motion threw Danny off balance and sent him falling into Steve and that, in turn, threw him off balance and sent them both sprawling into the sand with Danny landing on top of Steve's hard body, legs tangled up in the chair with both of them freezing where they landed in shock.

When Danny finally found his bearings again, he bracketed Steve with his hands and tried to push to his feet. The sand was thick and he sunk into it, landing back on top of Steve with a whoosh and a gasp from Steve. He said, "You have to put your hands on me to push to your feet, Danno. The sand isn't solid enough to let you off of me. Push off of my chest and try to get up again."

"In a minute, OK? I need to get my bearings again. I'm not crushing you, am I?"

"No, you can stay there if you need to for a bit. Maybe, now, we could try to talk about why you're here? Are you OK? I was curious but, now I am worried about you. I care, you know? We are more than partners, you know."

Danny looked into Steve's eyes and sighed. 'I would love to be more than partners with you, Steve.' he thought with a small shiver. "OK, but know that I care about you and I do know we are more than partners, too, you goof." He shifted up so he could be face to face with Steve. "I am having trouble with just working with you. I find myself wondering what you do when I don't see you and thinking I want to be with you then, too. I came here to ask you if we could try to be more than partners-was I wrong?"

Steve took stock of his current situation. He had Danno on top of him-could feel his heart racing in his chest-could see in his eyes that he was being sincere and honest with his feelings and knew his heart was racing as well. He wanted this, he thought. Then, he realized he hadn't said anything and Danny was waiting for him to say SOMETHING. He said, "Let me help you up, Danno." Then, he put Danny's hands on his chest and used his own arms to push Danny to his knees and quickly to his feet. Steve popped himself out of the sand and had to catch Danny as he was on his way back to his Camaro and off to drink his sorrows away at blowing his life up again. Steve caught him with his hand on the front door knob and spun him around into his waiting embrace and felt Danny's hot tears spill into his shirt. Steve's heart broke for his Danno. "Oh, Danno." He tightened his arms around Danny and led him to the couch and sat down with him and held him as he sobbed his heart out for the loss he was feeling.

When Danny was all cried out and the tension was bled out of him, Steve relaxed his hold on him and said in a soft gentle voice, "If anyone else but you said what you said to me out on that sand, I would have decked them but, you say it and I want to try to be all the things you want me to be. Is that crazy enough for you?"

He stared at Steve and then they both moved closer to one another until they were a hairsbreadth away from kissing and Danny said in his own soft Jersey accent, "Last chance to back away, Steven. I want this to be good for us." When he didn't feel Steve pull away, Danny brushed his lips over his in a ghost of a kiss and found he wanted to deepen it. Steve gasped as Danny kissed him again with a passion he had not felt from a kiss ever before. Danny ran his tongue over Steve's lips, asking to be let in and was rewarded when he opened his mouth. Danny moaned as he delved into Steve's mouth and traced over his tongue and caressed his face with his hands, tracing over his eyes and cheeks with a reverence and devotion neither had ever had with any lover they had in their lives. They were nowhere near ready to fall into a bed together but, Danny knew that, whatever happened, they would face it together. Kissing was a start in the right direction, though.

When Danny pulled back, Steve moaned at the loss of contact. Danny smiled. "Steve, I think we should keep this to ourselves for a while. I don't want any outside opinions in what we have just begun. I am not embarrassed just cautious because you are a SEAL. I would never want US to hurt you or your career-that would hurt me."

Steve mulled this over. "Danno, we can keep this quiet for as long as you want to but, I won't lie if anyone asks about it. I care about you very much. Too much for just a partnership. I want to try a relationship with you. Have you ever had sex with a man before? Because I haven't and never thought I would until you barged into my life and broke into my heart. I want to try."

"No, I have never had sex with a man before but, I see you and I feel safe and when you just held me just now, I felt how much you care. I think I love you and I know you can't say that to me yet but I want that put out there so you know how I feel and that I am being honest with you. Also, if we start a relationship, I need to know that it is just you and I-no other people involved-I do not want to share you with anyone. I promise you I won't look for a date with anyone else if you don't look for Catherine. Please?"

"That's easy for me Danno. I don't share, either. I want to give you and this an honest shot. How do we do this? If you were a girl, I would send you flowers and candy to seduce you. Wine you and dine you until you dropped your clothes at my door. This is so much more than sex for me, you know that, right?"

Danny laughed. "Flowers and candy do nothing for me, Steven. Dinners out only work if you know what my favorite foods are. I don't drop my clothes for just anyone and I would have to see your clothes drop too. I want the total package too. Way more than just sex. Oh and, for the record, I don't moan for just anyone. Do you?"

Steve smirked. "Only for you, Jersey. Only for you."

They didn't exactly go on dates. They would just get dinner at a small restaurant to go and meet up at either Danny's little apartment or at Steve's house and watch TV till late in the evening and part company kissing each other good bye. They learned each other's favorite foods-Danny's was extra cheese pizza and Steve's was steak-medium rare; Danny loved baseball-the New York Yankees and Steve loved football-the University of Hawaii Warriors; Danny loved Sinatra, Bon Jovi, and Springsteen and Steve loved Journey, Survivor, and Def Leppard. They both loved where they came from. Danny learned that Steve loved to rise early, run and then swim before he drove to work. Steve learned that Danny loved sleeping in and malasadas a bit too much and was trying to show him that a bowl of oatmeal or fruit would jumpstart his metabolism better and longer than a sugar-high malasadas could. The yin and yang of getting to know someone was how they moved their relationship along. It worked for a time.

Danny had made Steve his emergency contact knowing full well that if he had made it Rachel, Stan, her new husband, would have something to say about Danny making a play for his wife again and, after the failed attempt before Charlie was born, it was too much. Turns out Danny needed Steve as his contact when he was rushed to the hospital with appendicitis and needed him to sign consent for the operation as Danny was unconscious and could not. Steve paced the floor of the operating room waiting area until dawn the next day waiting for news of Danny's surgery. It was worse than they knew-the appendix ruptured just as the surgeon got to it and they had to work very hard to save Danny's life. When Dr. Channing came out of the operating room and told Steve that Danny was finally in his room, Steve felt the weight of the world fall off his shoulders in relief. He called Grace and told her what happened and that he would pick her up from school and bring her in to see her Danno that afternoon for a visit. Since Danny was supposed to have her overnight so Rachel, Stan, and Charlie could go away for Stan's work, Steve offered to host Grace at his home where she could use his beach and have her own room and visit Danno in his hospital room. Rachel let Steve take her for the night knowing Danny trusted him and that meant everything to Steve.

Steve was there when Danny woke up and told him what happened. His first question after that was about Grace. "I'm bringing her to my place for the night. When you get out of here on Friday, you can come recover there too, and we get Grace this weekend so, she can stay in Mary's old room and then I can keep you safe."

Danny smiled. "You would think you were trying to tell me something."

"Yeah, Danno. I am. I know I love you and I was scared you were going to die before I got the chance to tell you and show you how much I do love you."

Danny's eyes filled with tears. Steve's alarm made him laugh a watery chuckle. "Happy tears, babe. I was waiting for you to say those three little words to me for so long. I love you and you love me-finally!" as Steve leaned over his bed and kissed him gently on the lips making Danny moan for him which earned a smirk from Steve.

"What? YOU moaned for me, Jersey. I take my points where I can get them, OK?"

Dr., Channing came in and gave Steve a list of things that Danny could and could not do for the next ten days until he had his stitches removed. Bathing would be tricky. No swimming anywhere. Desk duty until the stitches came out. No lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk. No going to the firing range-period.

Danny mildly complained, "In other words, I get to have no fun for the next ten days and I get a SEAL for a babysitter. I can't get away with anything."

"Aw, Danny is grumbling about having to spend time with the bossman." Kono said as she sailed into his room, armed with flowers and a get well card. "I can visit you and maybe bring Grace for a couple of after school visits-will that make it easier on you?"

"At least Kono appreciates how much of a hardship this will be on my fragile ego. Thanks for the card and the flowers. Nice touch!" Danny smiled at her.

Steve said, "While Kono is here I'm going into Headquarters and see if I can get some paperwork done. Have to get Grace at 3:15 this afternoon."

Chin met him in his office. "How's Danny doing? Heard his appendix was nasty."

"Chin, it was awful. It burst as they were taking it out and the surgery ended up taking three hours longer than planned. He looked so pale and small in bed when he was sleeping last night. I was really worried about him."

Chin rubbed Steve's shoulders to sooth him. "You really care about our resident haole, huh? He is a great detective and a really good guy. But, you-you really care about him, huh?"

Steve sighed and slumped in his chair. "Dr. Channing said they almost didn't get it out in time. He could have died. He would have never known how much I DO care about him. Chin, I love him. As in I want a future with him kind of love. He is my endgame."

Chin said, "Well, hallelujah! You finally figured it out. Damn it, now I owe Kono 20 bucks and dinner someplace fancy. I was hoping Danny would crack first but what matters is that you know you love him. I missed out on time I could've had with Malia because I was stupid and pushed her away so, I can say this with confidence-hang on to him with all you have and NEVER let go no matter what. Go back to the hospital and be with him. Kono and I can hold down the fort while you stay with him. She just texted me that he has ten days of recovery and restricted duty. The Governor gave him the ten days off and I know, once you tell him you are taking care of him at your home, he'll give you your comped time and you can spend it together. That is a win win for you and Danny. Go on and get out of here, bossman! Go get your man!"

Steve left the office and went to a florist to get a get well bouquet and a nice card and a small box of chocolates. He picked Grace up from school and found that she had made Danno a get well card in her art class that day. They walked into his room and Kono left, promising to visit Danny at Steve's and to give Grace some surfing lessons when she sees them that weekend. When Steve put his card, chocolates, and flowers on the table next to Danny's bed, Danny smirked at him as if to say, "NOW, you bring me presents?"

"Danno! Are you feeling better now that you had your app-en-dix taken out of your tummy?" Grace asked in a hesitant voice. She stumbled over the pronunciation but, she nailed it.

"Hey Monkey. Yes they operated on me and took out the appendix but, it burst in there so, they say my tummy is going to be very sore for a little while. I have to stay at Steve's for ten days after I get out of here so he can watch me. You can visit me there on our weekends, OK?"

Steve piped up, "Grace, after we leave Danno so he can sleep, you and I have to go to Danno's apartment and get some of his clothes and shampoo and stuff to bring to my place so he can have things there, OK?"

Grace was happy. "Now, we can pack his things and bring them to your place. Will he have a dresser there to put his things is so he won't have to live out of a suitcase, Steve?"

Steve looked at Danny and said, "Yeah Grace. He can have half of my dresser and half of my closet too. I want him to feel like he does when he is home."

Grace smiled and said, "If we take his clothes and his bathroom stuff there, he will have nothing left in his place. He should just move in with you, right Steve? You have two bedrooms you don't use. I could have one and Danno could use the other one. Then, he won't be scared to fall asleep when I visit him. Your place is safer anyway."

Steve just grinned and said, "Um, only if Danno says that is what he wants to do. You can't make him move just because my place is safer, Grace."

Grace said, "Ask him to live with you, Steve. Please?"

Danny said, "Hey! I AM in the room, you two. OK. Grace, if Steve wants me in his home all he has to do is ask and I will answer him."

Steve smiled. "Well, Danno, want to move in? Grace and I can handle all the packing up and moving stuff."

Danny smiled and looked at Grace who was nodding enthusiastically. "Um, OK. I'll move in with you. But, I have to find a new better place within six months. And, I insist on paying for half of all expenses while I live with you. Deal?"

Steve offered his hand to Danny and said, "Deal!" with a smirk on his face.

Grace was beaming at both of them and said, "Now, neither of you will be lonely anymore when I am at Mommy's house. I worry about you two all alone. Now you can be together all the time. This makes me feel better."

Time flew by and, by that Friday, Grace and Steve had all of Danny's things moved into Steve's house and Grace had clothes in her room as well from both Rachel's and from Steve buying a few new things because he loved spoiling her a little since Danno was in the hospital and he wanted to make the time he spent with her easy and special. They both went to pick him up at the hospital and drive him back to Steve's home.

Danny was spoiling for a good rant as he walked in the home. "Now, Steven, I hope you have not been spoiling Grace too much when you had her with you. No extra shave ices and no getting Kono to give her special surfing lessons. She is in school and has homework to do. If she gets it done, only then can she have SOME of the fun stuff."

"Danno. I get nothing but 'A' grades in school. Steve helped me with my science project and I got an 'A+' on it because Steve taught me extra stuff for my project on the Solar System. I can show you the pictures Steve took of it on his phone." Grace said, happily.

Steve, for his part was beaming a big grin. He liked Grace-Grace liked him. Danny had to know that was huge toward them in their relationship with it being so new and all before he got so sick. He still had to wrap his mind around being completely physical with Steve in their relationship but, he figured they were easing toward that before he got sick-maybe he should move it along a bit and see what could happen?

Grace went back to Rachel's that Sunday and left her father alone with Steve for the first time since he came home from the hospital and both men felt nervous for different reasons-Danny wanted more and Steve was scared that Danny would retreat from more.

Chinese food-pu pu platter for Danny and Chow Mein for Steve-couple beers and a game on television-Yankees versus Red Sox made Danny a very happy camper indeed. That was, until Steve went into his bedroom and changed into a Red Sox jersey. Danny puffed up in his Yankees pinstripes and said, "Um, Steven, are you trying to make me rip that shirt off you in anger? Really? A Schilling jersey? Red Sox legend on a stupid broken ankle got blind ass lucky…"

"And, even injured, he still beat your Yankees and put the Sox in the World Series which, by the way, they won, ending their curse. And, Schilling is a warrior just for playing hurt." Steve flexed his arms and his tattoos rippled under the sleeves, making Danny wish he could tear that shirt off and touch him.

Danny perked when Jeter hit a home run over the Green Monster at Fenway and said, "A little wager then? If the Red Sox win, you can have whatever you want from me when I am all healed up. If the Yankees win, I get my way. Sound good to you?"

Competitions made Steve bounce in his seat. "Oh it is so a bet, Danno. Now I have a vested interest in the Sox to win. I was just razzing you with this shirt before but now, if I win this bet, you have to sleep with me with this shirt on and nothing else. That is what I want if I win-can you handle it?" He knew he was pushing a lot further into Danny's comfort zone than ever before but, he had said it and was waiting on Danny and his answer, hoping he was up for the bet and his terms. Steve wanted Danny to move in which, he did but now, he wanted Danny in his bed and inside him and all over him and that had to happen for everything to be wonderful and perfect in Steve's world.

"Um," Danny swallowed thickly. He knew he wanted to say yes but, SEX? That was what this implied if he said Yes to Steve's terms. He was rooting hard for his Yankees and they had a two run lead so, he said, "You're on, Steve. It's a bet. But if I win, you have to burn that jersey and scatter its ashes in the Pacific-deal?"

'Whatever you say, Danno. Whatever you say." Steve was happy he got a Yes. That made him pray for miracles. Wonder of wonders in the bottom of the ninth, with Danny hazing him about how nice a bonfire that shirt would be, the Yankees closer walked two men on base and then David Ortiz 'Big Papi' came to the plate and smacked the winning homer over the center field wall and circled the bases in victory. Steve sat back on the couch and just grinned his Cheshire Cat grin at Danny who had a slack jaw at the result-his team had LOST. Ten nights from that night, he was going to be wearing that jersey in bed with Steve! He gulped the last of his Longboard down and rose to go to bed in his room. Steve watched him walk to his room and knew this was a huge push in their relationship.

Danny sighed in his bed and tried to settle his thoughts on something other than the terms of his bet with Steve-this was a step forward but was it too much for him to handle? Damn Yankees!

During the next ten days, Steve was a gracious host and took very special care of Danny. Nothing strenuous and he had Danny walk on the beach in the sun. Danny looked like a blond god without his shirt on sunning himself on the lanai.

He never mentioned the bet to Danny the entire time during those ten days. He took Danny to see Dr. Channing to get his stitches removed and assessed and, when Dr. Channing pronounced hit fit for duty after the next weekend, Steve simply smiled, thinking about having Danny to himself for all of Sunday. He said softly in Danny's ear, "I want to collect on our bet Sunday. That jersey will look great on you, Danno."

When Steve pulled away from Danny's shoulder, he felt the shivers racing down his spine as the air cooled from loss of contact. Steve let Danny drive them to Rachel's to pick up Grace for Friday and Saturday. Grace had a birthday party to attend on Sunday and Rachel wanted her home on Saturday evening "by no later than 8 pm, Danny, please." Steve knew this loss of time with Grace hurt Danny so, he asked, "Rachel? Is there a chance that Danny could get Grace on Tuesday AND Wednesday this next week? That would even out the amount of time he is losing by giving up Sunday. That is fair, isn't it?"

Rachel sighed and said, "Of course, Danny can have Grace Tuesday and Wednesday. That is totally fair. Does that sound good to you, Grace?"

Grace and Danny both smiled and Grace said, "That would be awesome, Danno! Thank you for asking, Steve! Love you!"

Danny's heart swelled when he heard Grace say that to him. As they pulled away from Rachel's, Danny said, "Thank you for getting me the extra day with Grace, Steve. That makes me happy."

Steve had the team over to celebrate Danny's recovery by having a barbecue-steak and burgers with corn on the cob, grilled pineapple, potato salad, soda for Grace and Longboards for the adults. Chin toasted saying, "We are really glad Danny is coming back to 5-0. Steve has been in and out of the office since you have been out and driving us crazy with how much you have been missed. Personally, I think he misses the way you do all the hard paperwork but, hey-it's gonna be great having the whole team back in the office again. Here's to Danny!"

Kono said, "Yeah here's to Danny. I miss having the whole ohana together kicking butt and getting the bad guys. Welcome back to 5-0, brah!"

Steve just added, "I will be happy to have my partner back at work. I miss you there."

Grace said, "I'm glad Danno gets to go back to work Monday. I like having him guard Hawaii for me so I can be safe. I love you Danno. And I love my whole ohana, too!" She went around to Chin and Kono and Steve and hugged them all and clinked glass to bottle with all of them before hugging Danny and sitting between him and Steve on the lanai.

After the barbecue, Steve and Danny dropped Grace off at Rachel and Stan's and drove home in silence. Steve was thinking about Sunday and the bet and Danny was thinking about nothing but his feelings for Steve. He began chanting his mantra in his head again-Do it or die-trying to remind himself that this was a step forward in their relationship and he wanted to move forward because he knew he loved Steve. He was scared he would not be enough of a man for him. It terrified him, if he was being honest with himself. Danny knew he was not particularly tall and did not think he was all that special in the looks department so he was trying to shove his insecurities down a dark hole and focus on the seemingly impossible fact that Steve wanted to be with him.

He went to his room and as Steve walked by him on his way to his room, he asked, "Steve, why me? Why am I so special to you?"

Steve stopped mid-step and turned to Danny. He kissed him hard, dirty and sure. When he came up for air, he said, "You are special to me because you give me a sense that I belong with you and that is more priceless to me than anything anyone could give me in this life or any other. I love you so much because I feel that with you and I have never felt that with anyone I was ever with before. You are the missing piece to my soul. Those reasons and so many more are why you are special to me and why I choose you to be with. I want this to be forever, Danno. I simply want you." Steve kissed Danny again and held him in his arms. "I guess I need to make myself clearer. I am in love with you Daniel. I want you in my bed-not because of a silly bet but because I want you there. I want to show you how much I love you. Can I show you, please?" he looked into Danny's blue eyes and felt like he could dive into that blue and live there forever if Danny let him.

Danny said, "Go lock up the house and come back to me when you are ready, OK, Steven?" Danny raced into Steve's room and into his closet in search of that jersey. He quickly stripped off his clothes and grimaced as he slid the offending Schilling jersey over his shoulders and buttoned the bottom three buttons. He climbed into Steve's bed and settled against the pillows, inhaling Steve's scent all around him.

Steve came back upstairs and went to Danny's room to look for him. He looked in Grace's room and then he got nervous as he walked to his room. He shyly smiled as he saw Danno on his bed wearing the Schilling jersey and nothing else. He slowly stripped his shirt off and then unbuttoned his pants and slid them down his long legs, making Danny smile as he watched. When it came to his boxers, Steve blushed as he slid he off and showed Danny his naked body for the first time. Danny was sitting in the bed with his arms across his chest. When Steve turned to look at Danny once he was naked, Danny opened his arms and reached for Steve.

Steve was nervous. "Danno. We are in my bed. You are wearing my shirt. I'm naked and very happy in your arms as we are right now. If this is as far as we get tonight, I am very happy. I don't want to push you into something you are not ready for."

Danny rolled and took Steve into his arms. He snuggled into Steve and sighed happily as Steve just let him take control. Danny leveled his face to Steve's and kissed him, sliding his tongue into Steve's mouth with a loan throaty moan which made Steve smile into his mouth. "Danno, you moaned for me again."

"Tonight, Steven, I'm going to make you moan for me. Let me touch you. I want all of you."

Danny slid his hands over Steve's shoulders and down his back. He saw Steve shiver under his caresses and that thrilled him. He had never made Rachel shiver the way Steve did under his touch. It empowered him to try more touching so, he rolled Steve over and swept his hands over Steve's shoulders and down over his chest. He could see that his touches were arousing him and when Steve moaned as Danny slid his hands lower over his stomach and barely brushed his erection. Danny grinned. "Oh Steve. You actually moaned for me. Do you know what that does to me? It makes me want more. Want you more. Can I give you more? Can you handle more, Steve?"

Steve reached out and undid the three buttons on the Schilling jersey and spread the material so he could see Danny naked in front of him and saw Danny's erection twitch at the change in the air around it. Steve reached out and touched Danny the same way he was being touched and soon, they were exploring each other's bodies. Steve discovered that ghosting his hands over Danny's thighs made him gasp and arch under his light touches. Danny learned that Steve loved having the tattoo on his lower back traced because it made him moan in pleasure. They finally touched each other's arousals and gasped at how incredibly turned on they both were. As they stroked each other to full hardness and over the edge to shooting cum across each other's stomachs and chests, they cried out each other's name. It was a huge step in their intimacy with each other. They felt the start of their physical connection with each other and it was a step toward what they both wanted. Steve kissed Danny and rolled off the bed. He headed to the bathroom and got a wash cloth, ran warm water to get it wet and cleaned himself up. He got another and came back out to let Danny do the same and noticed that he still had the jersey on and it was still open. He got his first good look at a naked Danny and smiled saying, "Damn, Danno. You are one sexy looking man, yes you are! That jersey looks so hot on you. I won't be able to wear it again without seeing you in it like this all naked and happy watching me. I love you, Danno. You know that, right?"

Danny smiled and said, "Well, that's nice, Steven. I am wearing your jersey only tonight. This is for you. I will never wear a Red Sox jersey ever again. But, tonight, it was fun. I would like to do this again. You were amazing. I loved watching you come undone in front of me-it made me feel wanted and I have never felt that before-not even with Rachel and we had Grace. You make me feel like you want me and I love you, too, Steven. Thank you for tonight."

Steve realized that Danny made him feel wanted too. That kind of desire only happens when you really love the person you are with. He realized that in the many relationships he had throughout his life, he had never really WANTED the person he was with-they were just diversions to make him feel something other than alone. Catherine was just there to make him feel less lonely, he realized and that was never going to happen again. He wanted Danny. He needed Danny. He loved only Danny. That was huge for him as he had never felt such feelings of love before for anyone. It made him feel powerful.

Danny was feeling love for Steve flowing over him in waves. He loved him so much! Rachel never told Danny she thought he was sexy-never said she wanted sex from him-that was always started by him. He knew right then that he wanted all of Steve and while it thrilled him to want to have full-on sex with Steve, it scared him because he wondered if it would hurt, how would it actually happen, and what would he need to make it happen. He had never even thought of male on male sex before and wondered about it now. He was only going in for a half day on Monday so, he made a note to look at his very first gay web sites to see what he would need to get and how to make this fun for both of them. In other words, he was going to do research on the subject. He felt like, since he had started this relationship with Steve, he should do the legwork to make it pleasurable for him to have sex with him.

Danny and Steve fell asleep in each other's arms that night. When morning came, Steve woke first and found himself wrapped up in Danny's arms. He felt Danny's chest against his back and it made him feel safe. Made him feel loved like he had never been before. He snuggled deeper into the embrace and drifted back to sleep. Danny woke up a bit later saw Steve asleep in his arms and smiled. He had fallen in love with him. He stroked Steve's hair with his fingers and smiled as he felt him relax under his hand. When he rolled over and looked at Danny, he smiled and said, "No one has ever touched my hair like that, Danno. I like it." Steve reached up and ran his fingers through Danny's hair and heard him sigh in happiness. It was a good way to wake up.

They spent most of Sunday in bed, only getting out to hit the bathroom and to get food. Danny whipped up homemade macaroni and cheese with a crunchy topping on it and Steve positively drooled at how creamy and good it was. The man CAN cook! He filed that away under delicious! Steve promised that he would make Danno something to eat for dinner that night and show him HE could cook up something good, too. Steve waited till Danny was asleep and slid out of bed. He drifted to his kitchen and looked over his pantry. What could he whip up that would be perfect? He saw that he had rice, corn, paprika, onions, peppers, tomato sauce and, in the fridge, hamburger. It came to him-stuffed peppers-piece of cake to make. He made them and put them in the oven to bake through. Half an hour later, Danny woke up to a heavenly aroma wafting up to Steve's room. He came down in that damned jersey and a pair of boxers. "Steve? What's cooking? It smells really good!"

"I made stuffed peppers. It is easy and I love it because it gets veggies and protein in one simple package. Reserve judgment until you taste them please. If they taste half as good as your mac n cheese then, we'll see about sharing cooking chores here."

Danny took a careful taste of his pepper. He positively moaned at how good it was-spicy and savory. "This is incredible! You have been holding out on me with your culinary skills. Steven, I love this!"

Steve blushed and Danny thought he looked adorable slightly dusted pink. "Steve, how do we move forward in our relationship? I want more of you. I am in this for many reasons but the main one is that I cannot imagine my life without you in it. Day and night."

Steve smiled. "If we want to fully make love, we will figure it out as we go along. We should have a few Rules. I make Rule Number One: We never lie to each other. Rule Number Two can be: We take one day at a time and move forward when WE feel we are ready to move. No rush-we love each other and I can wait for you to be ready if you can wait for me. I want to see your smile every morning and every night."

"Well then, Rule Number Three is: Never go to bed alone or angry at each other. Rule Four: Share stresses. I see how you try to shield me from things going on and I want to know when you are bugged so I can help you. Fair enough?"

"Deal, Danno. I love you, Jersey. I want to keep it that simple-no strings unless WE want them."

"Agreed."