Steve couldn't get Danny's face out of his head. It filled his thoughts for the rest of the day, then filled his dreams all night. These were hopeful dreams though, filled with happy images of Danny. Danny next to him in a car, first a Mustang, then a shiny silver Camaro. Danny at a football game with Steve's father's old partner and a woman he didn't recognize, a young, brown-haired, pigtailed girl with them. Danny and Steve on the beach behind Steve's house, drinking beer. Danny in his bed, looking up at him with sleepy blue eyes and a smile on his face.

That led to other dreams, erotic ones, ones which Steve wished were visions, but knew were just a product of his overstimulated imagination. Still, Steve let himself be lost in the images of Danny writhing beneath him, squirming on top of him, rubbing against him, running his tongue along Steve's earlobe, his neck, his collar, down his chest, over his nipples, and lower. Steve woke, hard and aching, and dying to see Danny again.

Steve knew he'd accepted the job from the Governor as much to stay near Danny as to avenge his father, although that had been a motive, too. It didn't hurt that Danny was a detective, and Steve could genuinely use his talents on the task force. Steve could tell himself that was the reason he wanted Danny as his partner, but he'd be fooling himself. He wanted Danny, period.

First thing the next morning, Steve called the governor to tell her he was taking Danny as his partner, then called Danny's captain to get the case files and arrange for Danny's transfer to the task force. Then, he went to tell Danny the good news.

Only problem was, Danny didn't see it as good news. In fact, Danny flat out refused, even when Steve told him he had no choice and tried to reason with him. Okay, maybe he was a bit more forceful than necessary, but couldn't Danny see that Steve had to have him as his partner, that Steve needed him, not just on his task force, but in his life?

Finally, Steve dragged Danny out of his apartment, protesting all the while, and convinced him to track down his lead. The whole way there, Danny treated Steve to a tirade on anything and everything, and Steve was beginning to question his sanity. This was the man his future was tied to? Professionally, he could see that. Even in as little exposure as Steve had had to the man and with what little research he'd done, Steve could tell the man was a brilliant detective. Ulterior motives aside, Danny was clearly a good choice for his team.

Personally, Steve was sure he'd want to kill Danny before a month was out. Scratch that, before a day was out. Steve saw red when Danny jabbed his finger in Steve's face, bitching about getting shot. Steve grabbed the shorter man in a wrist lock, twisting Danny's arm painfully behind his back. A jolt of electricity shot up Steve's spine, but he suppressed it. This was about dominance, not arousal. Steve expected his little demonstration to be the end of it. He didn't expect Danny's fist to connect with his jaw.

Steve certainly didn't expect his reaction to the punch. The arousal Steve had tamped down broke free, overcoming him. Steve wanted nothing more than to grab Danny and ravish him right there. It took a huge effort to resist the urge as Steve staggered to his feet and looked at Danny.

He could tell the other man had felt it, too. Danny was standing there, shaking his hand as though it had been burned, just staring at Steve with those intense blue eyes that had been haunting Steve ever since they first appeared in his dreams. Then the moment passed, and it was back to the task at hand.

Things were not going well between them, though. Danny would not let up on being shot, ragging on Steve for the rest of the day. There was anger, sure, but Steve thought he detected a fond note underneath. He hoped so. It didn't bode well for their future together if there wasn't.

Then came the confrontation with Hesse and the aftermath. Steve had turned to Danny and said "Book 'em, Danno," using his daughter's nickname without thinking.

Danny snapped at him. "Don't call me Danno." Steve was chagrined. He hadn't meant to. It just slipped out. It seemed so natural, so intimate, reflective of where Steve wanted to be with Danny. But clearly, Steve had overstepped his bounds; he wasn't there yet.

Back in his office, Steve sat behind his desk, thinking hard. He had to win Danny, had to show the detective just how important he was to Steve. He needed to court him. But what could he do to show his sincerity? Just flat out asking Danny on a date was out; Steve knew he'd get shot down at the very least, punched again at the worst. And as exhilarating as it had felt to have Danny touch him in such an impassioned way, even if it wasn't the passion Steve was looking for, he wasn't eager to repeat the experience. That had hurt!

No, some sort of gesture was in order. But what? If Steve got Danny flowers or chocolate, the other man would just think he was crazy. Then Steve thought of Danny's reaction to malasadas. That would be a good place to start. He could do that without seeming too out of the ordinary. But Steve wanted to seem out of the ordinary. He wanted to do something grand, something that would capture Danny's attention and let him know Steve was serious. He just had no clue what.

Then, Steve had an idea. He'd heard Danny planning his weekend with his daughter, and he'd seen Danny's apartment. That was no place to have a kid. Steve could do something about that. And, from what he'd seen, the way to Danny's heart was through his daughter.

Steve called in some favors and was able to get reservations at a resort for that weekend. Steve dropped the documents on Danny's desk without a word. Danny was puzzled, but Steve saw his face light up when he realized what Steve had done.

Pleased, Steve turned to go but was stopped by Danny's voice. "Come with us?" It was tentative, uncertain, barely above a whisper.

Elated, Steve turned to face the man who, he could admit to himself, he was well on his way to falling in love with. "I'd love to."