The pancake deal.
Koda for 9x15. I had to comment on that pancake bribe hey, couldn't let it go. So, here is a one shot. I hope you like.
Always the best of brothers to me.
...
As soon as the door closed behind Rachel and Charlie, Steve started bugging, teasing.
"You wanna talk about it?" He baited.
"No, I don't wanna talk about it. Certainly not if you're gonna give me your stupid opinions. If you wanna be quiet, I'll tell you what happened." Danny said.
"You know what would help with that? If I was eating? You see, if I was eating, with food in my mouth, I can't really talk. Right?"
"Oh, so I gotta bribe you, to keep you quiet?"
"I don't call it bribe, I call it pancakes." Steve bargained.
Danny seemed to consider it. "Fine." He relented.
"With bananas." Steve said, "And some chocolate chips."
"What are you, five?" Danny said, walking away.
Steve smirked secretly, he had the upper hand here. Danny must want to tell him about his stormy night with Rachel so badly for him to capitulate to that bribe. Good.
Steve scowled his face as he sniffed something weird in the house.
"Why does your house smell like deodorant?" He yelled after Danny and as expected, he didn't get an answer for that one. Not a biggie. Danny was busy in the kitchen right now making him pancakes, which meant he will hear about the deodorant story soon enough too. Steve settled in the living room on the couch and switched on the TV, flipping through some sports channels.
Ten minutes later Danny came in with a plate full of pancakes. Steve smiled, they smelled like heaven, and he had his own personal chef right now and free story time, what a bargain. Best deal ever! He didn't even have to give anything, just get. Just win.
Danny placed the plate on the table and settled back on the opposite couch.
Steve looked at him skeptically with a quizzical look.
"What?" Danny asked, puzzled.
"Well, where're the bananas? And chocolate chips?" Steve asked with an incredulous look.
"You're not five Steven."
"Well, what about butter? At least some butter Danny. This is plain."
Danny again relented, getting up without a word, maybe only a sulky face, to go to the kitchen. He came back with the butter and a knife and placed them on the table.
Steve still remained unmoved, waiting on Danny.
"Ok, what, again?" Danny asked exasperated, rolling his eyes.
"Uuh….do you have to ask Danno? Butter my pancakes. What are you waiting for?" Steve said, relaxing back on the couch as if he were a King. Well, he did feel like one right now. How many times do you get to make Danny Williams do anything?
Danny looked at him with narrowed eyes now, moved to the edge of his couch to reach the plate on the table, he moved the plate away from Steve with a finger.
"Clearly you don't want the pancakes. I'll take them back." Danny said.
"Whoa whoa whoa…" Steve had moved quickly on the couch to rescue his plate of pancakes from Danny. Steve got hold of the other end of the plate and moved it towards himself. "Who said I didn't want the pancakes?"
"Well, you did. Or your behavior spoke for you." Danny replied and moved the plate again, away.
Steve moved it back.
"I never said any such thing. I just want you to butter my pancakes Danny. How hard can that be?"
Danny scoffed, "Oh, how hard can that be? You tell me Steven, cause apparently you're the one who doesn't have hands." Danny moved the plate.
"You butter Grace's pancakes all the time Danno." Steve complained, moving the plate back.
Danny moved the pale again, and Steve just moved it back.
"Look, that was not the deal. You promised me pancakes if I were to sit back and listen to your story, complete pancakes, buttered and all. That was the deal." Steve insisted.
"There was no such deal, and frankly I'm getting tired of the setup in this relationship. I'm the one to make you pancakes and then tell you my story, give give give! I'm the one who's always giving here, what are you contributing? And you insist on being a child about it." Danny complained.
"Well, my listening ears for one. Believe me Danny, listening to you whine should be classified as hard labor." Steve said.
Dany moved the plate again, "Then you don't have to listen at all. You won't get the pancakes and you won't get to listen to me whine about what happened between me and Rachel last night." Danny said. "There is such a thing as over bargaining Steve, most of the time you lose all."
Steve moved the plate back. "Fine. I'll butter my own pancakes but know this, my mouth will be moving the whole time. I can't be held accountable for what I say and when I choose to interrupt. Which, I believe, was the whole reason for this bargain in the first place. My mouth busy with food while you lament your story." Steve shrugged nonchalantly. Picking up the knife and the butter. "Just so you know, I'm going to butter these one by one before I start eating, my hands will sure be busy, but my mouth won't, and I'm going to take my time buttering each one. Buddy, you're gonna wish you'd stuffed my mouth with food."
Danny looked at him painfully considering for a moment.
"Fine." He relented, taking the plate and butter from Steve. He began to butter one and handed it over to Steve who took it gladly and ate.
"Now, that's what I'm talking about." Steve said, with a mouth full.
"Hey, zip it. You're not supposed to talk, I'll talk now. Eat." Danny said.
Steve nodded and continued to eat, indicating with his hand that Danny should start talking.
Danny sighed, "So, Rachel and I…." he went on narrating the events of last night while Steve just made comical faces while he chewed.
When Danny was done talking Steve continued to chew without saying anything.
Danny waved his hand and raised an eyebrow, "Well…?" he asked. Steve continued to chew.
"You can say something now, you shmuck." Danny said in frustration.
Steve raised a 'just a moment' finger as he finished chewing, taking his precious time, to rile Danny.
Danny glared at him, pissed.
"Ok, ok, you don't have to give me that killer look." Steve said. "My one question to you is, what's with the deodorant?"
"Really Steven?!"
"I just want to know, you know, just to have all the facts on the table."
"I'm pretty sure it was included in the very long story that I just told you. It was from my first date with Rachel…"
"Oh yeah, oh yeah," Steve said, as if he had suddenly remembered. "And she fell for that stench?"
"Steven!"
"Kidding, it doesn't smell that bad."
Danny glared again.
Steve raised truce hands in surrender. That was for the grief he had given him about buttering his pancakes.
"Alright, look, frankly I'm not surprised, it was a long time coming Danny. I'm only surprised that you're taking so much time in this friend zone. You're usually a quick closer."
Danny smiled wistfully, "Well, I guess with Rachel it's different, man. Once bitten, twice shy, you know."
"It's weird putting the name Danny Williams and the word 'shy' in the same sentence." Steve said, chewing on a pancake.
"Well, I guess next time I'll be ready." Danny said.
"When's the next storm gonna be?"
Danny actually laughed, "Funny, that's exactly what Charlie said."
"Poor kid, has to wait for a hurricane for his parents to be together. Look man, the cost is clear, this is what you've always wanted. Go for it, there's no use waiting, except for wasting more time, unless if that's what you want." Steve said.
Danny looked at him considering, "Oh fine, you seem to view this with the easiest eye. That's good. Tell you what? I'll make you another deal. I do this with Rachel, and you go after Cath."
Steve put his pancake down, "Now, what has Cath got to do with…?"
"Hear me out, ok? I want you to be happy, you want me to be happy. We both have women in our lives who still love us, we just have to take the first steps. I go when you go, ok?" Danny said.
"No." Steve flat panned.
"Steven, look, you'll be my best man on my wedding, and I'll be yours." Danny insisted.
"Oh, we're talking weddings now?"
"All or nothing man. What do you say?" Danny said.
"I say, you've gotta stand on your own two feet this time. I'll be your best man, of course. I mean, who else is going to bear it? But this Catherine thing is a whole different bargain man."
"Ok, I'll make you another batch of pancakes." Danny said.
"Buttered. I won't have to arm-wrestle you for that again." Steve bargained.
"Done." Danny said with a grimace.
"For a week."
"You've got to be kidding me! The deal is off. I told you about over bargaining Steve. And why should I care if you get the woman you love for the rest of your life or not anyway? Forget it. Be miserable. What's it to me?" Danny flipped.
"Oh, we both know you're happy when I'm happy Danno. And vise versa. This time you're the one who doesn't want to be happy alone while I'm miserable. You're playing a weak hand here, buddy." Steve said. "1 Week!" Steve said, unrelenting.
Danny grimaced, Steve had played his hand well here, full house.
"You'll do it? You'll go after Cath?" Danny asked skeptically.
"A Week of buttered pancakes, with bananas and chocolate chips and you've got yourself a deal." Steve said, with a poker face.
"Oh my God! You're such a crook Steven."
"Hate the game babe, not the player." Steve gloated.
"No bananas and no chocolate chips."
"Bananas. At least bananas Danno. Come-on."
"Fine." Danny relented reluctantly. "A Week. Just a Week. Not a day more."
"Deal!" Steve slammed his hand on the table triumphantly. "We'll have to put it in writing somewhere and have you sign it. I don't trust you."
"Whatever." Danny said, picking up the now empty plate to take to the kitchen, mumbling to himself. "Don't trust me." He scoffed. "Like I'm the one likely to weasel out of this."
…