Danny was relieved to finally get Steve out of the clothes and bed that he'd been in for the last four days. Ideally he'd have gotten Steve in the shower before getting him into his swimming trunks, but he didn't want to push his luck.
He tried not to focus too much on the bruises and marks on Steve's body, and maybe it was wishful thinking that they were beginning to fade.
"You doing okay, babe?" Danny asked as they made their way down to the spot on the beach where Grace and Charlie had set up camp. Steve twisted one hand in the thin vest he'd thrown on to cover the worst of his injuries and gazed out towards Danny's children.
"Yeah," he nodded. "I… I need this."
Steve briefly wondered how he was going to lower his still aching body onto the sand, but Charlie excitedly took his hand and dragged him out into the sea with a cry of "Play with me, Uncle Steve!".
Danny smiled as he sat by Grace and watched Steve play with his youngest in the shallows of the sea. That smile that he loved seeing on Steve's face was back, if only as a facade for his children.
But he saw the moment that the salt water hit some of Steve's injuries through his vest, and that smile briefly turned into a grimace. Danny almost went to inspect the damage, but he noticed that before Charlie realised that something was wrong, that smile was back on Steve's face. Typical Steve, Danny thought, not wanting anyone to worry about him.
Eventually they both returned to shore, Charlie having remembered what he said about Steve's sandcastle making ability. Danny could see that a hint of colour had returned to Steve's face, and placed a gentle hand on his thigh once he'd gingerly lowered himself onto the sand beside him.
"You're looking a little better, babe." He whispered while Grace was helping Charlie fill up his plastic buckets with sand. The corner of Steve's mouth twitched upwards as he looked at Danny.
"Yeah?" At Danny's nod of confirmation, Steve's smile grew. "Thanks, Danno… not sure I could get through this without you."
"Fortunately, you don't have to." Danny said, and watched as Steve's whole body seemed to sag in relief.
Everything was quiet for a minute or so. Then, Danny saw how Steve leant towards him, how his eyes were focused on his face.
Danny slowly slid the hand on Steve's thigh up to circle round his waist and brought him that little bit closer. Close enough that Danny could softly kiss Steve, his other hand steady on Steve's back.
Steve kissed back, his split lip now gone and the bruises and cuts on his face healed enough that he could keep kissing Danny. Even this simple act was ten times more gentle and loving than anything he'd endured over the last couple of weeks.
"Danno's kissing Uncle Steve!" Charlie suddenly shouted as he ran towards them, sandcastles clearly forgotten. Steve pulled away and sat back on his haunches, but still lingered close to Danny.
"I love you." Steve whispered.
"Love you too, baby." Danny squeezed Steve's hand that was still gripping his shirt.
"Danno?" Charlie asked as he came to where the two men were sitting. "Why were you kissing Uncle Steve?"
"Because they love each other, Charlie." Grace said as she caught up with her brother, looking down at her father with a knowing gaze that reminded Danny of his own mother. "Isn't that right, Dad?"
Danny fixed his eyes on Steve as he spoke. "With all my heart, Gracie, I do."
"Does this mean that we can have more morning races, Uncle Steve?"
Steve finally broke his gaze away from Danny to look at Charlie, and couldn't help the smile that broke across his face. "As long as you promise to let the other guys win every now and again." He said.
Charlie sighed, but agreed, then suddenly launched into Steve. Danny was about to carefully pull his son away as the sudden impact must have hurt his partner, but then Steve wrapped his arms tightly around the little boy and pulled him onto his lap.
"Careful of your brui-"
"Don't care." Steve interrupted Danny, causing Grace to smirk.
Charlie was glued to Steve's side for the rest of the weekend, proving Danny right that he wouldn't be alone for more than five minutes.
After Rachel came and picked her children up after dinner, the house was eerily quiet. Danny turned round after closing the front door and found Steve standing in the middle of the lounge, a faraway look in his eyes telling Danny that his mind was elsewhere. He sighed as he approached Steve, who snapped out of his daze as soon as Danny cupped his face with one hand.
"Sorry, Danny, I was…" Steve mumbled, before shaking his head to clear the remnants of his thoughts away. "It's only been quiet for five minutes. Guess that was enough for me."
Danny nodded as he slowly dragged his fingers through the short hair on the back of Steve's head. "Sshhh," he whispered, "It's alright, it's been a busy weekend."
"And I loved every second of it." Steve flashed his teeth as he smiled, latching onto Danny's t-shirt to keep him close. "I felt… normal. Like it never happened."
Danny beamed. "That's great, babe!"
"But then," His smile faltered, as did Steve's voice, "Then it all came back."
"Steve, these things take time… It's not even been two weeks." Danny reassured him. "But I'm so glad that this weekend helped you."
Steve's head came to rest on his shoulder, Danny's fingers still gently massaging down into his neck. He took several deep breaths, trying hard not to let his emotions get the better of him again.
"I've stopped… bleeding." At the lack of a reply from Danny, Steve continued. "Y'know. Down… there."
"Oh." Danny bit his lip as he carefully rubbed circles on Steve's back. "How's the pain?"
Steve made a noise in his throat as he thought about it. "Bruises still hurt, but… that's not as bad."
Danny nodded in response, and they stood there in each other's arms in silence. Until Danny had an idea.
"Want me to rub some Deep Heat on you, babe?" Since that shower he hadn't seen Steve without his clothes on. And he totally respected that, enough people had seen (and touched, Danny cringed at the thought) Steve's bare skin that of course the man would want to stay clothed.
Steve was thinking the same thing as he mulled over Danny's offer. The last person that touched his skin was far from gentle. But that person wasn't here now, and Danny was. Steve thought back to that shower when they came home, and how Danny helped him get clean. And how he'd let Steve initiate any contact.
Finally, Steve nodded his approval, and let Danny lead him up the stairs and to his bedroom where he sunk back into his nest of pillows. Steve watched as Danny went into the bathroom and came back with the tube of ointment, then came back to sit on the bed in front of him.
"Okay?" Danny asked.
Steve cast a glance at Danny, but his comforting gaze put the few remaining doubts in his mind to rest. He gingerly pulled his shirt off but couldn't bear to look down at his torso, knowing that by now the bruises had gone from purple splodges to much larger yellow and green splodges that seemed to never end.
Danny didn't mean to stare. Honestly, he didn't. Fortunately he caught himself before Steve stopped staring down at his shirt crumpled in his lap and noticed.
"Where, um," He swallowed past his suddenly dry throat, "Where's comfy for you, buddy?"
Steve shuffled forward until he was in the middle of the bed, leaving space for Danny to circle around him. "Here's fine. Can you… can you be quick?" He sniffed, and rubbed his nose with a fist. "I don't wanna see them."
"Of course, babe." Danny uncapped the tube and squeezed some Deep Heat onto his hands, rubbing them together to warm them up.
Steve inwardly flinched as Danny touched his discoloured skin. He expected the pain, but it never came. Their hands were rough and unforgiving. Danny's hands were warm and gentle as he rubbed the gel into his bruises, whispering soothing words every time he touched a particularly sore spot.
The first tear might have fallen as soon as Danny touched him. Steve wasn't sure how long it had been, but now tears were full on streaming down his face as Danny moved onto massaging his back.
"How are your legs?" Danny asked as he finished Steve's back and came to sit in front of him.
Steve shook his head. "No bruises on them." He whispered, before looking up into Danny's eyes, his kind eyes, and letting out a sigh of relief. "Love you, Danno."
Danny said nothing, just smiled as he leaned forward and softly kissed Steve's lips. Steve then watched in amazement as Danny continued his kissing path downwards, until his lips were gently pressing over those yellow and green patches.
"What are you-"
"I love you too, Steve." Danny said as he sat back and took Steve's hands in his and laced their fingers together. "That means I love all of you."
Steve all but collapsed into Danny as relief flooded through him. It didn't even hurt when Danny pulled him onto his lap and hugged him close, and Steve knew that it had nothing to do with the pain relief gel. He was safe in the knowledge that Danny would never hurt him. But he surprised himself with what suddenly decided to bypass his brain-to-mouth filter.
"I want you, Danno. Want you inside me."
