Heart of Gold

A/N: Don't know if you noticed the way Steve looked from Harry to Danny in the end of Friday's episode, but I know for a fact he was contemplating what Danny wasn't saying (how much Harry's situation reminded him of the one he had with Rachel). So, I watched the ep on Saturday and right after I finished watching it, my muse decided it was good time to implant that plot in my head. This story is written in one go, and now after a bit of tinkering and fixing mistakes, here it is. Hope you'll enjoy it. Fluff and angst.

Title courtesy of Lunedd.

Tell me what you think ;)

…

All Steve could think of was food. His stomach was rumbling. And after he ate a whole package of animal crackers (he knew where Danny kept his treasures, mind you. While everyone hid a spare gun in the glove compartment of their car, Danny hid crackers and all kinds of stuff. With the occasional grenade, courtesy of Steve) and ate them, shamelessly!, he was out of fuel to run his engine and that beer might have been too much on an empty stomach, but he needed it. And Harry and Danny needed it, too, after the day they had.

After Danny recognized the telltale signs of Harry being Sophie's biological father, Steve had a hard time to concentrate on everything else. Because he could see in the way Danny moved and breathed. He knew this hit close to home. And he wanted to wrap Danny in a hug to tell him it's okay. If Harry noticed the subtle change of the way Danny moved or spoke, he had the decency to not say a word.

He was a proper British gentleman after all.

Right now, Danny let the beer sink in on his body as he shuffled to the front door of their house. Yes, it was theirs from recently. It took Steve an enormous amount of time to convince Danny to finally leap the last step - they were in a relationship for a few months now, so it was only logical for Danny to move to Steve's place. Grace and Charlie loved spending time with him and on the beach. And maybe it was Steve saying their names that sold Danny, but to have a place to call theirs, and be happy once again, did good to Danny. And Steve, too.

He was still the curmudgeon, but with a tad of a happier edge to him. Steve suspected it to be that Danny learned how to love again and to let himself be. Steve was there to witness all the stages of the way Danny developed as a person throughout the years. He knew him for 8 years and it was a tough path they both went through, but they were in the here and now, and the outcome wasn't as awful as the life trials were, that fate put in their way to the goal.

Steve smiled as Danny fumbled with his keys, tipsy Danno was adorable after all and Steve kissed him on the neck. That caught Danny off guard and he shivered, Steve never ceased to amaze him with his secret sappiness.

"Love you, Danno."

Danny smiled that crooked smile of his and turned around as he unlocked the door to get inside backwards.

"Now where did that come from?"

"Just because."

"Just because? Who are you and what have you done with my Neanderthal animal boyfriend?"

"Now, Daniel, watch it."

"Easy, babe. I'm just joking to see your reaction." Danny pulled him by the shirt sleeve to bring him closer. "I love you too. So much."

He wrapped his arms around Steve's neck and pulled him in a kiss. Resting their foreheads against each other, they breathed the same air for a while and said nothing. Then Danny shattered the perfect symphony of silence with his announcement.

"I'm gonna make us some dinner."

Danny loved cooking. And Steve liked what he could do seemingly from scratch. Always the best for Steve. Steve also knew that cooking was offering peace and quiet for Danny. A comfort that often enough not even Steve could offer. Whenever Danny was feeling like the darkness pulled him in the whirlwind of his negative thoughts, he'd do something he loved. Always cooking the most delicious dishes out of those dark times.

Steve had to agree that yes, cooking had a therapeutic ring to it. Besides along with being the taster of the food, he got his VIP pass to watch said chef cooking. In his- their kitchen like he belonged there right from the start.

Danny pulled out ingredients for making his grandma's famous lasagna and even though it was a very late in the evening Steve didn't give a damn, because this was Danny, cooking, feeling safe in the space of the kitchen and Steve would play along if that made Danny give him that dazzling smile, like he always did after he tackled an assignment and did well.

Not to mention that Danny made a killer lasagna. Steve swore he could kill over the mix of flavors that honestly got better with each time Danny made the dish.

Last but not least, Steve sensed that Danny needed the lasagna as much as Steve did. He knew what was going on through that head of his.

Sighing, he got upstairs and ran a shower as he left Danny tend to boiling the water and pick a pan for the sauce.

He slipped in a pair of sweatpants and put one of his Navy t-shirts that he knew Danny loved and checked the clock. It showed 11:30 p.m. in green and he thought of how late it was to do what he intended to do, but the occasion called for it so he swiped his finger over the names in his list and hovered over those on 'R'.

On the third ring the person on the other side picked up.

"Sorry to bother you so late Rachel, but I need a favor."

...

Danny was immersed in his cooking bubble that he didn't hear Steve go upstairs and running a shower. He admitted to himself that he was pretty distracted after he cracked open the can of worms that was Harry's secret and he felt it on a personal level. He wasn't feeling sorry for himself, but he knew how he felt not knowing, thinking that little kid wasn't his and then it turned out it was. At least Harry knew. And it was his choice to not say anything, accepting that decision of the mother of his child going back to her husband, trying to mend things between them. But everything Danny thought of was Sophie.

He sighed. It did him no good thinking of sad things now that he was over it, well and truly over it. It hurt, the wound wasn't quite closed, yet, but he was getting there. Slowly, but surely, he was getting there. Steve was a great help. And knowing the goof, he knew what was going on with him before Danny knew it himself.

A pair of hands landed on his stomach, squeezing tight. A breath and a kiss later he felt Steve's voice vibrating over his skin when Steve whispered he had a last minute errand to run.

"Where you going this late, babe?"

"I'm just gonna head over to town real quick. Promise I'll be home by the time you finish this deliciousness."

"That doesn't answer my question, Steven!"

"Don't fret, Danno. I'll be back before you know it."

"But at least eat something before you go. You haven't eaten the whole day."

"I have in fact. You may wanna restock on your animal crackers."

"What did you do with them? Steve? Steven?"

But Danny was yelling at an empty house because just as he came to the kitchen, Steve left. That master of stealth, Danny thought as he finished stirring the sauce and turned off the stove.

Placing the lasagna in the oven, he had a very quick shower, deciding to dress in his favorite stay-at-home outfit. White t-shirt and grey track pants.

Then he parked himself on a kitchen chair to wait for the lasagna to bake.

...

Steve picked Grace and a very animated Charlie from Rachel and gave her a kiss on the cheek, which surprised her more than Steve asking her to take the kids. It was Saturday tomorrow after all so it wasn't tough to convince her.

Saying their goodbyes, Steve drove them home.

"Is everything okay, Steve?" Grace asked from the front passenger seat.

Despite her physical similarity to Rachel, she looked like Danny, head half-cocked to the side, with the judgemental eyes set on him.

"All is good Gracie. But we had a bit of a devastating discovery in our case. Danno needs a hug."

Grace nodded and smiled. She was really a female Danno. Steve was so lucky he landed this family for himself. He loved them to death.

...

Just as Danny pulled the lasagna out of the oven and let it cool on the countertop, he heard the door open. What he didn't expect was Grace and Charlie with Steve in tow.

He could feel the grin on his face growing as a very enthusiastic Charlie threw himself at Danny's middle and almost knocked him backwards. What he didn't foresee was his teenage daughter giving him one of those special hugs.

Right here and right now all that he needed in his life was in this house. The feeling of his octopus embracing all three of them was overwhelming. He might have let a few tears fall. In the end Danny didn't care.

...

They ate the lasagna and stayed well past 1 a.m. talking and sharing their shenanigans of the day. But as all small kids Charlie's enthusiasm waned and he slumped against Steve in his effort to stay up late 'just a bit more, Danno'. Both of them looked adorable and with Grace on Steve's left, gently petting Charlie's hair, Danny's heart was full. He took his phone out and snapped a picture. He was framing that one first chance he got.

After he put his boy in bed and wished Grace good night he slipped in the bedroom where Steve was already lying under the sheets.

"Thank you, Steve."

"No big deal, Danno. I know they always make you feel better. And I needed my happy Danno back, so had to work on a little secret plan."

Danny smiled. "You don't do things by halves, babe. That's for sure."

Steve returned the smile and opened his arms. Just like every night Danny flew in that embrace and let Steve envelope him in a tight hold. Putting his head over Steve's heart he let himself listen to Steve's heartbeat and the last remains of his sadness and the day's events faded.

"It's okay, you know. To have a reminder from time to time." Danny lifted his head to look into Steve. "I know that Harry's story hit close to home. And I know that I gave you hell about it, when I insisted to not be mad a Rachel for Charlie's sake when you had every right to do it. But then you... well you are you and I know that no matter how much you say you are over it, there'll be times to remember it. And I want you to know it's okay."

"I'm so lucky to have you, Steve." Danny kissed him. "So, so lucky. God knows how much I turned that failure over and over again in my head. I mean my second time relationship with Rachel, not my son. The catastrophe. But Charlie got out of it, so I can't really blame her or myself for creating that beautiful thing. Just hope he or Grace won't suffer for our mistakes."

"Don't you ever say that, Daniel!" Steve scolded. "We all make mistakes and we own up to them. You did yours. You paid hell for it and it was more than enough to atone you for what you did. But don't you start having those gloomy thoughts again, because we're going to have a talk if that continues."

And just like that, the patch on the wound was done, heart mended. Whispering in the night, Danny thought that he was finally truly able to let go of the thing he kept inside him for so long.

Maybe the wound was finally gonna close and heal completely.

"I love you, Steve."

"Love you more, Danno. Go to sleep. I'm here."

And that he was. Always and forever.