I'm on a bit of a roll today!
After gathering up their bags, Jack and Ianto followed Danny, Steve and Grace to Steve's truck outside. The luggage was dumped into the bed of the truck, Danny climbed into the passenger seat, Steve into the driver's seat and Grace sat between Jack and Ianto on the back seat.
"Where to then, Captain Harkness?" Steve asked, turning in his seat.
Jack grinned. "Jack, if you don't mind Commander McGarret," He said. Ianto glared at him and Danny groaned. "What?" He asked the pair, Grace giggled. Neither man answered the question.
"Erm, in that case, just Steve," Steve said, shifting his hands around the wheel.
"Alright then," Jack said, flirty smile, once again, spread across his lips. "Steve, if you're offering your house up, then wouldn't there be the best place to go?"
"Okay, my place then," Steve said pulling out. As they drove, Grace engaged her 'Uncle' and his partner in a conversation about what she'd done since she'd seen him last. Danny smiled as he watched them in the corner of his eye.
When they pulled on Steve's drive the five of them tumbled out of the truck and gathered Jack and Ianto's bags. Ianto gave Grace his carry-on bag so she could feel useful, despite everything else being too heavy for her.
During the process of taking everything upstairs, both Danny and Steve got phone calls. Chin called Steve and Rachel called Danny.
"Detective Danny Williams," Danny answered, having not looked at his phone.
"Commander McGarrett," Steve answered his phone.
"Yes Rachel, I'll bring Gracie back to you as soon as I'm done with Jack."
"Right."
"No, Jack is not a bad influence on her. Why would you say that?"
"Double homicide? I thought we were just dealing with a homicide?"
"I did tell him not to come. He ignored me."
"You got a lead on our killer?"
"We'll bring her back soon."
"We'll be there soon."
Throughout their respective conversations Danny and Steve had been stood mere inches from each other. Grace and Ianto had completely ignored the preceding, Jack on the other hand… He'd been watching them with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. He saw the way that Danny shifted minutely whenever Steve did, and the way Steve kept one eye on Danny. He watched as Danny seemed to resist the urge to grab Steve's arm when Rachel frustrated him (He laughed at how Danny kept gesturing to the people he was talking about). His eyes traced the way that Steve's arm loosely brushed against Danny whilst his attention was mostly focused on his conversation, as if he were responding to Danny's frustration, without being prompted. When they hung up their phones he spoke up, "So when's the wedding?"
"Why do people keep saying that?" Danny asked. Steve went to answer. "No Steve, don't answer that. There are so many people that keep saying that. We're partners at work, not at home. Why exactly do we give off this couple-y vibe to people?"
"Danny, we are a couple," Steve said.
"Only recently," Danny said. "People have been saying this since we first met. Right back to the first case we worked on people have been saying that we should get married or that we are married. And I want to know why."
"I drive your car," Steve said.
"You're a control freak."
"We argue over petty things," Steve said.
"What so that means we're married, does it?"
"You do a lot of couple activities that even when you tell them to Jack – I overheard your phone calls sorry – make you sound like you're together," Ianto interrupted. Danny clamped his jaw shut and glared at his Dad's boyfriend.
"Couple doesn't necessarily mean married," Danny pointed out.
"I see you haven't changed at all Danny," Jack said. He threw an arm over Steve's shoulder and said; "He always used to go on these rants when he was a kid."
"Really?" Steve said.
"Yeah, one time he ranted about the ice cream van at a park in Cardiff not having the ice cream at just the right temperature. Another time, I think he was 13/14, he ranted about all of the 'orange people' in Jersey," Jack explained. Danny's eyes widened realising just what Jack was telling his partner.
"You can stop right there!" Danny said.
"Aww, but Danno, I was just going to tell Steve about the time-" Before Jack could finish his sentence, Danny slapped his hand over his Dad's mouth and said;
"You will never finish that sentence." Jack nodded, but Danny could feel the grin against his hand. Danny let go. "Gracie, you ready to go back to your Mom's?"
"Do I have to?" Grace whined.
"Yes Monkey, you have to go," Danny said.
"But Danno-" Grace said.
"No buts Monkey," Danny said. "We don't want your Mom to worry now, do we?"
"No Danno."
"Steve?" Danny said, looking up to his partner.
"Right," Steve said. "You guys make yourselves at home. Your rooms the third door on the right." And the three headed for the door.
"Bye Uncle Jack, bye Ian-to," Grace called as she was pulled through the doorway.
Steve pulled the Camaro up outside of Rachel and Stan's house and Grace looked up at it. She didn't get out. "You going to get out then, Monkey?" Danny asked.
Grace sighed. "Okay," She said.
"I'll go with you Gracie," Danny said.
"Okay," Grace repeated, sounding a little happier to be going back to her mother and step-father. Danny smiled at his little girl before getting out, Grace followed suit. Steve was about to go with them, when Danny turned to him.
"What are you doing?" Danny asked him.
"I was going with you?" Steve said, his intonation making it sound like a question. He was poised half out of the car with one hand still on the steering wheel and the other on the top of the door.
"No you're not," Danny said.
"I'm not?" Steve asked.
"Get back in the car." Danny said. "Just wait there." Steve fell back onto the seat, pulling the door shut as he did. His gaze moved from Danny to staring out of the windscreen in confusion.
