Aftermath

The sun burned through Danny's eyelids and he scrunched his face, groaning when the action worsened what had to be a Level 10 Hangover. He turned away from the window to burrow deeper into the pillow and sleep away the consequences of his mistake. But as Danny's arm swung around, instead of landing on his fluffy comforter, his hand hit warm, hard body.

Instant panic overrode his headache and Danny's eyes flew open in horror. Staring back at him with an equally horrified expression was Steve. A very naked Steve.

His hand spasmed against the SEAL's side and Danny immediately pulled it away, his cheeks flushing burnt red as his eyes drifted down Steve's bare chest to just above his waist where the sheet covered his lower body.

"Morning." Steve's gravelly, pain-laced voice shook him from his stunned state.

"Morning," Danny muttered. He tugged the sheets closer to his chest, painfully aware of his lack of clothing. "Did we… um…?"

Steve sighed. "Yeah… I believe so."

The blush began warming Danny's entire body in embarrassment. "Fuck… I don't-I don't remember."

"Join the club. The last thing I remember was heading out to Kono's birthday party."

"Did we drink that much?"

Steve's eyes drifted past Danny's in thought. "It's possible. Though, the more likely answer is that someone played a prank on us with spiked drinks."

Danny covered his eyes and groaned, desperately wishing that when he opened his eyes he'd wake up from this weird mess of a dream.

Or at least remember the night before. After all, it wasn't every morning he woke up after spending what felt like a very passionate night with the man he'd been secretly in love with for 5 years.

"So…" Steve drawled. "Breakfast?"

Danny peeked up at him through his fingers. "What?"

Steve quirked an eyebrow at Danny. "Isn't that proper 'morning after' protocol?"

"Erm… I suppose so?"

They stared at each other for a bit, before Steve cleared his throat. "Well?"

"Well what?"

He smirked. "Aren't you going to get up?"

Danny frowned and hugged the covers tighter against his body. "Not before you!"

Steve's eyes drifted lazily down Danny's sheet-clad form and he smirked. "I hardly think that would be fair. After all, it is your apartment and I am your guest."

"Guest, my arse," Danny muttered. Deciding that the best course of action would be to put some distance between them, so he swung his legs over the side and tugged the sheet free, wrapping it tightly around him. He may have to get up first, but Steve most certainly was not going to get an eyeful!

Steve chuckled. "I hardly think that was a wise decision."

Danny looked at the SEAL over his shoulder and shrieked, jerking his head back around so fast he thought it might snap. In taking the sheet, he had left Steve without any coverings. Red-faced, Danny scrambled to pull the rumpled coverlet from the foot of the bed and toss it over him.

"All right… yes, this is a much more appropriate state of dress," Steve teased as he stood and wrapped the bedspread around his waist.

"It'll have to do until I can find your clothes…" Danny grumbled, looking around for anything that looked like it belonged to Steve.

Steve bent down to pick something up and cleared his throat with a smug smile. His white button-down shirt, one arm ripped nearly off and tears lining the front, hung from his finger. Danny blushed and fled the room, nearly tripping over his sheet. Oh Fuck, this has to be some sort of nightmare!

Steve shuffled along behind him. "Danny?"

The man turned, trying to hide his utter humiliation from Steve's all-knowing eyes. Pulling the sheet tight around him, Danny huddled in on himself and tried to keep his voice from wobbling. "Hey, can we just forget this ever happened?"

"Why?" A line appeared between Steve's eyes and, had Danny not been so wrapped up in his embarrassment, he would have sworn he heard hurt in Steve's tone.

Danny swallowed loudly and took a step back, looking down at the floor between them. "I don't think… Oh Fuck… Nobody has to know."

"If that is your wish, I shall gather the remnants of my clothes and be on my way." Steve turned back to the bedroom.

For three seconds, Danny stood frozen, sure his hungover mind was playing tricks on him. But for some brief moment, he swore Steve looked like a little boy, hurt and lost. Danny may have imagined it… but was he really going to take the risk that he hadn't?

Lunging forward, he reached out to grab the SEAL's arm. Unfortunately, his foot got tangled in the sheet and, instead of grabbing his arm and turning him around, Danny went tumbling into Steve, knocking them both to the floor. Hindered by the hangover, Steve's reflexes weren't quite what they should have been, and the breath was knocked out of him as Danny landed on his back.

"Oh, fuck, Steve!" Danny scrambled off of him and helped him turn over. "I'm so sorry, are you okay?!"

Wheezing and coughing, Steve glared up at Danny and touched his, now very red, nose, from where it had been smashed into the floor.

"Really, I'm sorry," Danny repeated, his hands flying over Steve's face to check for other injuries.

"Danny," the SEAL rasped. "Hey man… I was already leaving, there was no need to attack me-"

Danny's eyes widened. "Fuck what? I-I wasn't! I was…" He trailed off, noticing Steve's gaze was fixed below his face. Danny glanced down to see that his sheet was coming undone around him. He fumbled to close it with a bashful smile. "I was trying to get you to stay," Danny finished quietly, ruffling his unkempt hair with one hand.

Steve stared at Danny, buffering for a moment.

"Do you want to stay?" Danny asked almost shyly.

Steve grinned, a faint gleam in his eye, and leaned up, his hand cupping the man's neck as his lips met Danny's in a passionate kiss.