Almost
It was 9 am on a Sunday morning; they were in Steve's bed, sheets somewhat covering them as Danny lay on his stomach facing the SEAL, chin propped on one hand the other lazily stroking Steve's chest. Danny's hair was a mess, but the SEAL liked it that way. Liked how when the blonde looked up at him through his lashes with a soft smile on his face and he can see golden sparkles in Danny's blue eyes.
It was 9 am on a Sunday morning and they were in his bed because Danny almost died twelve hours earlier.
He'd found his partner with only seconds to spare, much too close for his ragged heart to accept. The man slowly choking the life out of Danny was dead before he hit the ground and Steve didn't spare him another thought. Danny had a pulse, barely but wasn't breathing and Steve's mind threatened to shut down, his throat clogging with tears. The SEAL took one more look at his partner who lay still before him and knew he'd do anything to save Danny because he'd be dead without him too.
As Steve's lips covered Danny's for the first time, breathing life into still lungs, every stupid wall he'd erected, every ridiculous rule he'd created to keep the blonde away from him under the guise of keeping Danny safe crumbled into dust. Steve forgot to count the breaths he was giving his partner, forgot how to do everything properly because the only thought whirling through his static filled mind was that Danny could not die.
When the first puff of air emerged from the blonde's lips, Steve felt light headed by the wave of elation that washed over him. He pulled back only far enough to cradle Danny's face in his hands and wait for him to do it again. Steve whispered pleas for Danny to breath, to be alive, to not leave him.
The blonde coughed and choked and sputtered, his face going red and tears seeping from the corner of his eyes, but he was breathing and alive and nothing else mattered. Steve hauled his partner to his chest, one hand cupping the back of Danny's head, the other wrapped around his back, palm spread as wide as possible so he could feel each breath the blonde drew into his lungs.
Overwhelmed, Steve didn't notice that he kept muttering "Thank you," over and over into the blonde's ear. When Danny's cool fingers landed on his face and brushed away some tears he hadn't known he shed, the SEAL let out a jagged exhale and held his partner even tighter. Danny stroked a hand over Steve's head, he tugged the SEAL down until Steve's forehead pressed into the hollow of his neck to the spot where angry red marks were already beginning to bloom. Danny's soft sounds of comfort as he held him eased the ache of Steve's soul.
When Steve finally lifted his head up to find Danny's eyes, there was no need to say a word. It was all there, everything that had been there since the beginning, only strong as steel now and unbreakable.
The blonde gave Steve a small wobbly smile and half a shrug as his hand came up to touch the SEAL's cheek. Steve's lips covered Danny's, that time desperate and hard because he'd almost died and it was all too close and Steve couldn't longer deny everything that had happened.
By the time the backup team and Chin caught up with them they were standing, Steve wrapped protectively an arm around Danny's waist. Chin caught the red eyes and the way the SEAL couldn't seem to bring himself to stop touching his partner but he didn't say a word.
ooOoo
Steve tried to act normal when they returned to his house; he busied himself with changing his clothes while a paramedic checked Danny out and gave him some medication for the swelling and pain. But the SEAL couldn't go longer than a few seconds without looking in the blonde's direction and all it took was one small flash of Danny's eyes to get him to his side again. The paramedic said goodbye, leaving the two alone in the house.
Danny's eyes starting to droop and Steve scooped his partner from the sofa and headed towards his bedroom. Which is how they'd ended up in his bed together, leaving Danny for the night was not something he'd even considered. He slid of the blonde's shoes and tucked him between the sheets, Danny was asleep the time his head hit the pillow. Steve lay awake for hours just watching his partner's breath, counting the rise and fall of his chest as if he needed to keep watching or Danny might stop again.
When Danny woke up from a nightmare, Steve calmed him down and then held the blonde's sobbing, shaking body as he relived the terror. Haltingly and with a raspy, pained voice Danny told him it had burned and that the last thing he had seen through his rapidly greying vision was Steve coming to save him.
Danny been awake after that and wanted a shower, the thirty minutes he was out of his sight were agony and Steve found himself pacing the floor until the blonde stepped out the bathroom wearing one of his shirts. Without a word Danny climbed back into the bed and held his hand out to the SEAL. Steve curled around his partner, burying his face in the crook of Danny's neck, into his damp hair that smelled like his shampoo and both fell asleep.
The light touch on his ribs is what woke Steve up, not the bright morning light or the fact that he'd actually slept for six hours straight. Danny's finger teasingly softly his skin sending shivers down his spine. When the blonde noticed his stares Danny looked up and Steve felt like he couldn't breathe.
It was 9 am on a Sunday morning, Steve could see their future together and he liked what he saw.