Chapter Text
Danny drifted in a kind of limbo—awake, he supposed, but not asleep, exactly, either. There was pain, most notably in his belly and in his chest, but it was dull and distant and wasn’t bothering him overmuch. So he was happy to linger there for a while, free for the moment from the vivid dreams that had been dogging his sleep.
Some were merely strange. Like Steve in a conductor’s hat at the wheel of a bullet train, smiling maniacally at Danny as they careened through space at alarming speeds. Typical. Even in his dreams the big oaf wouldn’t let him drive.
But then there were the nightmares. He’d find himself back in that storage unit where Rick Peterson had stashed Grace. Only this time when Steve and Danny got there, they only found Gracie’s lifeless body tied up in the chair. And then there was Wo Fat, smiling at Danny as he put a bullet in Steve’s head, Danny helpless to stop it.
He’d been overcome by terror, rage and a grief so raw he thought he might drown. Frantically he tried to claw his way back to the surface, to wake himself up, but the heavy pain meds just pushed him back down. Trapped in the darkness and haunted by the faces of everyone he’d lost. Of everyone he feared to lose.
His eyes opened of their own accord. He hadn’t meant to wake up. The pain was far sharper on this side of consciousness, but the memories of his narcotic induced dreams made dealing with the pain preferable to sinking back down into the nightmares.
The room was quiet. The sliding glass door was closed and the privacy curtain was pulled just enough to obscure his vision through the window. He had no idea what time it was. Or come to think of it, what day it was either. It made him feel strangely untethered. And he had a sudden fear that this was all just another dream. That he was doomed to bounce from dreams to nightmares forever. That he was ensnared in a sleep from which he’d never wake.
The sudden panic eased when his eyes lit on Steve, sitting in a chair next to his bed. He was staring off into space, lost in thought. A magazine sat open in his lap and he had a yogurt in his hands.
Danny relaxed against the pillows, watching his completely still partner with a bemused smile. The man was truly a freak of nature.
Finally Danny cleared his throat and rasped, “Deep thoughts? Or did you actually just fall asleep with your eyes open?”
Steve startled at the sound of Danny’s voice, nearly dropping the yogurt cup and spoon.
Danny chuckled slightly. It wasn’t often he had the upper hand with Steve. He couldn’t help but enjoy it. Just a little.
“What? Danny! You’re awake!” Steve stammered, quickly recovering and pitching the yogurt remains into the trash.
“You seriously didn’t move a muscle for like five minutes,” Danny cocked his head on the pillow. “I get that might be a SEAL thing…but I can’t figure out how dripping yogurt on your pants would serve any tactical purpose.”
“What?” Steve frowned, quickly glancing down at his cargos. He cursed softly as he grabbed a tissue and began dabbing at his pants leg.
Danny burst into a peal of laughter as Steve glowered darkly at him. He wished he could get a picture of Steve’s face. He’d frame it and hang it in his office forever.
“Having fun?” Steve asked dryly, retaking his seat and tossing the magazine on the tray table next to the bed.
“Guns and Ammo!” Danny teased as his eyes fell on the cover. “I knew it!”
“You’re the one who gave me the subscription,” Steve reminded him gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Because I knew you’d love it,” Danny grinned.
“You know it’s very informative, Danny,” Steve grumped. “Someone has to make sure our gun locker is current.”
“We appreciate your sacrifice, babe,” Danny smiled.
“Uh huh,” Steve shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “So how are you feeling?”
“Okay, I guess,” Danny shifted slightly in bed, grunting slightly at a sharp tug in his side. “So long as I don’t move.”
Steve grimaced sympathetically. “You should go back to sleep, Danny. You need your rest.”
“No,” Danny said quickly. “No that’s okay. I’m not…maybe we could just talk for a bit, okay?”
“Okay,” Steve nodded. He paused for a second and then asked quietly, “Bad dreams?”
Danny nodded, shifting uncomfortably as pain flared again in his side, even sharper this time. Beads of sweat were forming at his temples. He knew he should just take the damn pain meds, but he wasn’t ready to drop back into that rabbit hole. It wasn’t so bad yet he couldn’t handle it.
“The dreams will pass,” Steve assured him softly.
“I’m fine, Steve,” Danny snapped, clamping down on the moan building in his throat.
“Uh huh,” Steve said drolly. “You’re already squirming and the nurse hasn’t even come in yet to change your dressing. Just wait until she starts poking around in there.”
“Shut up,” Danny bit back a groan.
“I thought you wanted to talk,” Steve flashed an innocent smirk. “Have they told you yet they opted not to close the wound?”
“What?” Danny glanced down at his side. “They left a gaping hole in my stomach?”
“Well no,” Steve said. “Not exactly. I mean they stuffed it full of gauze. But that means every time they change it they have to yank out all the old stuff, clean the wound thoroughly, and then shove a whole new wad of gauze in.”
“Stop talking, Steven,” Danny leveled a stony glare at him, stabbing a finger in his direction. “Just. Stop. Jesus. I did not need to know that. God, I hate you.”
“You can’t avoid sleep, Danny,” Steve said intently, leaning forward to touch Danny’s arm. “And if the dreams don’t stop, please consider talking to someone. I mean maybe you should consider talking to someone anyway, you know?”
“Who do you talk to Steve?” Danny glanced up, his eyes soft.
Steve shrugged, his eyes falling. “Touche,” he murmured. “I guess you’ll just need to learn from my mistakes.”
Danny slowly nodded. Too out of it to push the point, he filed it away to be dealt with later.
“Can you…?” Danny motioned towards the pain medication pump that was just out of reach.
When Steve put it in his hand, Danny rested his thumb on top of the plunger and looked up at his best friend. “Will you stay for a while?” he asked.
“Sure,” Steve nodded. “For as long as you need.”
“Thanks,” Danny said, pressing down to release the medication into his IV. He felt it begin working almost immediately, the world going soft around the edges.
“Always,” Steve squeezed Danny’s wrist. “I love you man. I’ll always be here for you. You know that, right?”
Danny nodded, letting out a small sigh. “There’s no one I’d rather be trapped under a building with than you, Steven.”
“Same,” Steve laughed softly. “Go to sleep, okay?”
“Love you too, Steve,” Danny slurred. And then he was drifting again. But even though he couldn’t see Steve anymore, he could feel him. His steady presence at his side. Like always.
Two times the universe hadn’t screwed him. Giving him Grace. And giving him Steve.
It was enough.