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Steve sat in a purple and green beach chair, his slipper clad feet propped up on a small blue cooler, filled with the juice boxes and mini cans of soda that Danny had picked up for them and the kid.
The red cooler that would be keeping the beer cold was tucked under the picnic table in Danny's back yard and ready for later use once the sun was down and Danny's son was in bed.
He offered a cookout on the grill for the holiday, and then take Danny and the kids to see the fireworks. But, Grace had made plans to spend the fourth with Will and his family. Charlie was not a massive fan of noisy fireworks. So they came up with the idea to spend a quiet day swimming and eating hot dogs, Charlie's favorite, and then instead of fireworks, see the newest Spiderman movie.
They hit the beach early. Charlie was so excited about spending the day with his dad and Uncle Steve. They had swum and made sandcastles and got Loco Moco to share all before eleven in the morning.
Now, Charlie hopped in the shower, then settled onto the sofa to watch some TV while Steve and his Danno fired up the grill.
Danny had used the shower next while the grill heated. He returned only a few minutes later, and Steve considered teasing him about his efficiency. Still, he had decided just to take his turn instead of getting a ribbing from his friend about anal Army practices. Even though it seemed, after all of their time together, Steve had influenced Danny in some small ways.
"I'll be right back," he said, slowly getting up from his chair. Passing behind Danny as his partner put a few steaks and some chicken on the grill. Ripping open the package of hot dogs and placing all but one of them on the top rack so that they wouldn't burn.
The other went next to the steak on the hotter zone of the grill.
"I'll see ya in ten," Danny called, and Steve was about to say five, when he heard, "you are getting slower in your dotage."
He stopped short of the sliding door and turned, seeing that Danny hadn't been looking at him. Still, he could tell from his posture that he had been waiting for a witty reply. So he said, "Only old men use the word dotage, Danno." Then he slipped into the dining room and shut the sliding door before Danny had a chance to escalate into a verbal war.
Not that Steve hadn't loved it when he could spar with Danny.
Provoking his partner was one of his favorite pastimes. Still, it was already close to three, and the movie started at four-thirty. The little boy watching Captain America on Netflix in a loop in the living room was getting hungry again. A cranky eight-year-old was no fun, so he moved quickly down the hall and to the bathroom, which was still steamy and a little damp.
Steve shook his head as he flipped the switch to the fan vent and turned on the lights and shucked his shorts and tee, turning on the tap to find the water still hot, knowing that was the real reason Danny had taken a quick shower.
He stepped in under the spray, was tempted to linger, as the hot water worked out some kinks that definitely wouldn't have been there in his younger years.
Danny had been right about getting older. Even if he was almost just as quick in reflexes because he still worked out, after all, and tried to take good care of his body. Even though Steve was lax from time to time, like today, for instance. Steve wanted to eat his steak. But he also wanted to have a hot dog with mustard and onion and relish. And Danny's potato salad the best potato salad he had ever eaten, not that he would ever admit that to Danny.
Just thinking about it made his mouth water. So he hurried through the rest of his wash down and turned off the tap. Stepping out of the stall and using a towel that Danny had left folded on the toilet seat for him.
He brushed his teeth with a toothbrush he had left there a while ago. Not thinking about the strangeness of having his stuff at his work partner's house, as Danny had personal items at his too.
He even opened the medicine cabinet and found Danny's cologne. Splashing a little on his neck, loving the uniqueness of the smell. A gift from Rachel from a previous Christmas, and presumably a British import.
After running his hands through his short hair, he turned off the light but left the fan on. He walked, wrapped in his towel to the end of the hall, and into Danny's room, where his duffle bag was sitting on the end of Danny's neatly made bed.
He dropped his bath sheet and dressed in a clean tee and cargo shorts, making sure to grab his phone and wallet and shoving them into a pocket. He tossed the towel into the hamper. Then he made his way back down the hall to the kitchen. Turning the fan off in the bathroom on his way past, but leaving the door open a bit to let any remaining steam escape into the hallway.
"Want a drink, buddy?" he asked as he passed Charlie, who was engrossed in the fight scene between Thor and the Hulk amongst some others.
He still hadn't seen all the newer movie yet, even though it was one of Charlie's favorite and hadn't known the names of all the characters.
"I'm good, Uncle Steve," Charlie answered. So he went into the kitchen and started to load a tray that Danny had left there, already holding some paper plates and plasticware.
He opened the fridge to find the potato salad, red-skinned potatoes, and onion, and bacon and ranch sauce, tempted to make a small plate. Deciding against it, Steve pulled out a bowl of watermelon and ambrosia, which Danny had made just for him because neither Danny or Charlie liked coconut.
The beans were in a pot, presumably now on the grill burner along with a few tin foiled wrapped ears of corn.
He carried the tray out to the table and set a place for each of them, ripping off a paper towel for each of them and tucking it under the plastic fork, knife, and spoon.
He sat the salad and fruit and dessert on the table. Then he ran back to the kitchen to grab the salt and pepper and a stick of room temp butter and knife for their corn cob. He then went to the spice cabinet to grab the tin of Old Bay, which Danny loved on his corn…he was told that it was an East Coast thing.
Danny was just sitting down the pot of baked beans and a platter with the steak and chicken and hot dogs, one of which almost burnt beyond recognition. Still, he hadn't commented on it since Danny only ever had charcoaled hot dogs once or twice a year and hadn't made a habit out of the disgusting practice.
Danny said, "I think we're ready."
Steve jogged back to the sliding door and called out, "Charlie, grub is ready."
"I'm coming," came a reply, so Steve left the door open and went back to sit across from Danny. The latter had been in the middle of making Charlie a plate with two hot dogs, sans bun, a puddle of ketchup, and a small spoon of beans that the kid would probably not eat.
"Help yourself, babe."
Steve was starving. He forked a piece of steak, leaving the chicken for Danny, and then he grabbed a hot dog and plopped on his toppings, before spooning up a hefty helping of potato salad.
He took some beans and then some watermelon, all before Charlie had even made it out the door.
"Shut the door," Danny had called to his son, and Charlie made a U-turn and went back to shut the door.
Danny got his chicken. Piled his plate with the beans, and smothered his burnt dog with mustard and relish, before snagging a piece of steak that Steve had just cut. Giving him a goofy smile as he shoved it into his mouth. Still, Steve hadn't said a thing, just went back to cutting off the next piece.
"Danno, why are you stealing Uncle Steve's steak when there is another piece on the plate?"
"Yeah, Danno…why?" Steve chimed in.
Steve watched as Charlie dipped his hot dog into the ketchup and chew while he waited for Danny to answer.
Finally, his partner said, "because I don't want to be wasteful, buddy…I only wanted a taste, and Uncle Steve is a good sharer."
That wasn't strictly true. But Steve had found himself willing to give Danny and, by extension, Danny's kids, just about anything in his power to give, but he tucked that thought away too.
That must have satisfied Charlie because the kid nodded his head and poked at his beans with his spoon.
"Save room for corn on the con, buddy," his dad told him, and Steve noticed a piece out of the foil and cooling down so that the little guy could enjoy it at a temperature more suited for an eight-year-old.
Once he had polished off his steak and hot dog, he got his piece of corn and smothered it with butter and salt, but shook his head when Danny tried to hand him the Old Bay.
"Still," Danny asked him. "Come on, man… It's delicious, and I have given in and eaten pineapple on pizza for you."
"You love pineapple on pizza, so really, that is for you."
"That's beside the point, Steve…I finally gave it a try, and now I like it, just like I know you will like Old Bay if you would just give it a try."
"Yeah, Uncle Steve," Charlie piped in, "how will you know if you like it or not if you don't even try it."
"Yeah, Uncle Steve," Danny smirked, knowing that he had won this particular battle.
Steve sighed, but took the tin can and read the back while Danny rolled his eyes, and Charlie nibbled at his ear of corn.
Nothing looked too gross, so he sighed again and sprinkled the tiniest of amounts onto one small section of corn and took a bite.
The taste was…warm and pleasant, and he hadn't wanted to admit it, especially while Danny was eyeing him while eating his cob. He had liked it, so he nodded and sprinkled on some more, and Charlie said, "see Uncle Steve…you found a new flavor you like."
"That I did, bud…thanks for encouraging me to give it a try."
He could see Danny shaking his head out of the corner of his eye but ignored him in favor of finishing his corn.
Soon Danno and Charlie had moved on to plates of watermelon, and Steve had a scoop of ambrosia for their dessert. It was about time to clean up and get ready for the movie.
Charlie cleared the paper waste while Steve started to carry in the leftovers, and Danny cleaned up the grill.
Between them all, they had the picnic table cleared up and all the food in the kitchen. Danny had covered the leftovers and stowed them in the fridge. Putting the ambrosia in a container, that Steve had left the last time he had brought something over so that he could take it home and enjoy the rest of it later.
"Daddy, can I get a juice box?"
Danny nodded, telling Charlie, "bring in that little icebox, bud."
Once that cooler was in and the leftover drinks in the fridge, Charlie ran back out to the yard. Danny called to him, "don't worry about that cooler, bud. Me and Uncle Steve will get that one later."
The implied, 'and drink the beers once we tuck you in bed,' was left off, but Steve knew that was what would be happening after dark.
Steve could see Charlie making another U-turn and coming back toward the house.
He and Danny went to the living room, where Danny had picked up his keys and tossed them to him, and he tried not to smirk at the fact that Danny allowed him to drive his car even in their off time.
Charlie joined them a second later, but Danny reminded him, "go close the sliding door and make sure you lock it."
"Okay, Danno," and he ran to shut the door and rejoined them in the living room.
"Who's ready for Spiderman?" Danny asked, leading the way to the door, but letting Steve hold it for him and Charlie. Then Steve closed the front door and locked both locks behind them, before heading to the car and whatever new Spidey adventure awaited.
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The sun is unbearably hot, and he hates the sand, it gets everywhere and in everything.
He can't understand how anybody can enjoy baking in the sun and getting wet and sandy…the mess that didn't stay on the beach but follows you home in your clothes and shoes.
"Daddy…can we make a sandcastle?"
"Sure, squirt…let's set up a good place to sit first."
He scans the beach, finding the happy looking trio playing in the surf.
He knows that they would have picked this spot, because for the past few weekends, whether they had a kid with them or not, this is the beach they had chosen.
He heard about surfing plans by chance. Had spent the better part of a day searching the nearer beaches until he had finally found them and what a beautiful and sensual sight it had been.
It was the stuff of his dreams over the past few weeks.
He took a chance that they would be here today, but since it's a holiday weekend, the odds were in his favor, and he is excited that he had been correct.
His little girl is pulling on his swim trunks, so he picks a place close by, but not too close and lays out a blanket and the lunch his wife packed them before heading into work.
He finds beach toys for Lily in a big bag and gives them to her, telling her, "sit and play over here, Squirt and stay where I can see you. We can make a sandcastle in a bit."
"Okay, Daddy."
His little girl moves a few feet away and to the left, in the sightline of who he wants to see. So he sits and watches for hours, helping Lily from time to time, but mostly taking note of the lean and muscular body a few yards from him.
When the small family takes a break to eat, he pulls his lunch from the insulated bag and gives Lily her turkey sandwich on wheat and a baggie of cheese crackers. He eats his ham and cheese on plain white bread.
When lunch is over, he sees his query packing up, so he starts to do the same, but his little girl wants to stay and play.
"We have been here for hours, squirt …it's time to go, but I promise to bring you back another time, okay?"
"Okay," she reluctantly agrees, so he quickly packs their bag and gets his little girl's feet dusted off, and her flip flops back on and makes it to his minivan just as the others get to their car.
He hops into the van and makes sure Lily is secure in her booster seat and pulls out behind the car, but at a safe distance.
He already knows where the house is, that was easy enough to find. Still, he hasn't been able to observe routines as much as he would like, schedules were unpredictable, so today is his best opportunity to get an idea.
"Daddy?" Lily asks, "are we going to Tutu's now?"
He looks from the car a few ahead of him in traffic and says, "yeah, Squirt…Tutu is making burgers and hot dogs on the grill, and then you are spending the night, and momma will pick you up in the morning."
"What are you gonna do, daddy?"
"Well, Daddy has some work to do after the cookout, but I will see you tomorrow after work, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy…"
The car he is watching turns left, but he continues and eventually makes his left and follows some roads into a small community.
He pulls into the driveway of his wife's mother and helps his little girl down from her seat and watches as she runs to the open front door.
"Tutu," his baby calls and sees his mother-in-law open the door and scoop Lily into her arms.
She smiles and waves at him, calling, "Come on, Mark. The food is almost ready, and Alanna said you don't have a lot of time before you have to be at the center this evening."
"I have a little time, but it will be busy tonight."
He follows his family into the house and through to the back yard. His father-in-law is operating the grill and his sister-in-law, and her kids are playing on the swing set.
He has time to eat, and then instead of volunteering at the center like he has told his family, he will be doing a little recon.
It's exhilarating because things were coming together.
An hour or so later, he kisses his daughter and heads out the door, taking a packed lunch bag with leftovers that his mother-in-law insisted he brings with him.
He arrives just in time to see the car pull out of the drive. He follows them to their destination and circles under the guise of finding a spot, watching as they go into the building.
He parks in the handicap spot but didn't fear questioning from passerby because he has the proper tags on his van.
He arrives just as the trio make it to the front of the line and order.
The darker haired man makes a crack about the prices, but he hands his wallet over anyway.
He follows along with the crowd until he is sure that the family has gone in and then backtracks. Checking the schedule to figure out how much time he may have to explore the house.
It's a short drive back to the residence, were he parks in the drive and boldly walks up to the front door to find it locked.
He does a glance around to see that no one appears to be on the street. The nearby driveways are empty, their inhabitants probably out enjoying the long weekend, so there is little chance of anyone seeing him snoop around.
He confidently walks to the side of the house and the gated back yard. He feels lucky when he sees its a privacy fence and flips the latch on the gate to let himself in.
The yard isn't huge, but it's a lovely space. Since the house is on the corner lot, only two other homes are sharing the fence. He can see no movement from within those, so he goes up to the deck and tries the back sliding door, which opens easily, and a zing of something primal jolts through him.
He is far from a religious man. But he takes this as a divine sign that he has chosen correctly. That his next piece of work will be even more beautiful than all that have come before. Hence, it's with a sense of anticipation and excitement that he steps into the house to explore and learn all that he can.
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