A/N: sue2556 wanted Steve to trade in stars for a fantastic honeymoon, so you get a bonus chapter for that.
A/N: This veered a little off track, and I had to yank it back on course, but I think the first part's sweet and very Steve/Danny.
After Steve proposed, his reckless streak increased. Danny would have removed stars, but Steve didn't have any to lose; the proposal had taken most of them, and he was losing them faster than he was earning them.
After Steve threw himself in front of a moving vehicle to knock Danny out of the way, Danny had had enough. Danny could only watch from where he landed as the perp behind the wheel continued straight towards Steve without slowing down. Danny heard himself scream Steve's name as he watched several tons of metal bearing down on his fiance. Oh, my god, Danny was going to lose Steve before he had a chance to marry him!
At the last minute, Steve rolled under the vehicle. It passed right over him. Once it was past, Steve picked himself up and dusted himself off, apparently none the worse for wear.
Danny lost it. "Steven, what the fuck were you thinking?"
"I was thinking I was saving you," Steve said, calmly.
"By throwing yourself in front of a moving car?!" Danny couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I saved your life," Steve pointed out.
"Getting yourself killed is not a fair trade!" Danny shrieked.
"Danny, I'm fine," Steve said.
"You almost weren't!" Danny was near hysterics. "Steven, I had to watch you lying there with a car rushing towards you! I nearly had a heart attack!" Danny's voice broke. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you, babe."
Steve gathered Danny in his arms. "I know, Danny. I was thinking the same thing. All I could think was I had to get you out of the way."
Danny burrowed his face in Steve's shirt, clutching Steve as if he were the only thing grounding Danny. At this point, that was probably true. "You could have just yelled. I could have leaped out of the way myself. I had time."
"I couldn't think, Danny. All I could see was you getting splattered all over the pavement,"
Steve said.
"I wouldn't have been," Danny assured him. "I can't say the same about you."
Steve rested his chin on Danny's head. "It doesn't matter. We're both fine."
Danny remembered he was supposed to be angry at Steve. The blond pulled away from his fiance. "You have to stop doing this! What the fuck's gotten into you lately? This is the third time this week you've put yourself in danger."
"I want to protect you," Steve said.
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Not one of those times have I been in mortal danger." Steve gaped at him. "Okay, maybe this was an exception, but the other times I could have easily saved myself. In case you haven't forgotten, I'm a police officer thoroughly proficient in firearms."
"I know," Steve said. "I can't help it. I just want to wrap you in a bubble in keep you safe." Steve held up a hand to prevent the outburst he knew Danny was gearing up for. "I know, I know, you can take care of yourself. Wanting to protect those I love is ingrained in me."
Danny gaped at him. "Oh, my god, this is all about some alpha male bullshit." Danny's finger jabbed Steve in the chest. "Listen here, you Neanderthal, that kind of caveman behavior is not how to win my heart which, may I point out, you have already."
Steve grabbed Danny's hand to stop the poking. "I know, I know. I'll try to do better, I promise."
"Next time, I'll save you," Danny said, trying to lighten the mood. He turned serious again. "Babe, if you really want to prove you're a good alpha, how about coming into the modern age and showing how well you can provide for me."
Steve was dubious. "How do I do that?"
"Cook, clean, grocery shop. That sort of thing," Danny said.
"You always yell at me when I cook," Steve said.
"You have a point," Danny said. "I promise, next time you cook for me, I won't yell."
Steve thought about it. "What do I get?"
Danny wasn't sure what he was hearing. "Stars? Is that it? Do you want stars for taking care of me?"
"Yes," Steve said.
"What do you want stars for?" Danny asked. "You already proposed."
"I'm working on the honeymoon," Steve said.
That confused Danny. "Doesn't that go with the proposal?"
"No," Steve said. "I want to earn it separately. What do you say? 100 stars for two weeks?"
Danny cupped Steve's cheek. "That's really sweet, babe, but I keep telling you, you don't have to do that."
Steve placed his hand over Danny's. "I know, but I want to. I want to make you feel special, then I want to take you on an extra-special honeymoon."
Danny pecked Steve on the lips. "Okay, then. 100 stars it is."
Steve threw his all into earning those stars. Danny still had to take away several for recklessness, but Steve made an effort to do better, waiting for back-up, warning Danny instead of charging to the rescue, refraining from dangling perps over the edge of buildings (although there was one incident. . .but generally, Steve was better). Steve took Danny's words to heart and started doing things at home, too. Danny no longer had to grocery shop—Steve took care of it, filling the fridge which fresh meat and vegetables from the farmer's market. Danny complained about the lack of junk food, but he had to admit, it all tasted good.
Steve even tried making Danny a romantic dinner. That backfired, though—literally. Danny came home to find their best pan and the stove on fire; Steve had spilled the whiskey for his sauce while trying to light it.
Danny snatched the pan from Steve and put it in the sink, running water over it to put out the flames. "What are you trying to do, you caveman!" he yelled. Oops, he'd promised not to yell at Steve the next time he cooked. Oh, well, Danny could be forgiven. He hadn't anticipated a kitchen fire, after all.
Steve looked properly chastised. "I just wanted to make you a nice dinner. This is the sauce they use at the Awahnee in Yosemite."
Danny made sure the flames on the stove were out. The pan was ruined, but other than some scorch marks, the stove would survive. "Maybe you better leave the cooking to me," he said.
"Sorry," Steve said in a small voice. "I just wanted to do something nice. Am I going to lose stars?"
Danny sighed and held out his arms. Steve moved into them, and Danny hugged him tight. "No, you big goof, you still get stars for trying."
Steve brightened. "So, how many is that?"
"I'll give you two stars for effort." Danny did some mental calculations. "That makes 92. Almost there."
Steve beamed. "Awesome."
Steve went all out doing the laundry, taking out the trash, and cleaning the toilet to earn those last eight stars. He put himself over the top when he washed and waxed the Camaro by hand. Danny was impressed and gladly gave Steve the remaining stars.
"So," Danny said as he posted the 100th star, "where do you want to go?"
"I was thinking Australia," Steve said. "I've always wanted to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef."
Danny made a face. "You know I hate snorkeling."
"Yeah, but I looked it up," Steve said. "There's plenty for you to do in Cairns besides snorkeling. There's an aboriginal center, and a botanical garden, and an art museum in old WWII oil tanks, and all kinds of other stuff."
"Babe, the point of a honeymoon is to be together," Danny pointed out.
"Okay, how about this? We spend a week in Cairns, you come snorkeling with me at least once and agree to do some exploring the islands and the rainforest—not a lot, I promise-" Steve assured Danny when he started to protest, "and then we spend the other week in Brisbane. There's more gardens, and a zoo, and a cool bridge, and a koala sanctuary-"
Danny held up a hand to stop him. "You've really put some thought into this."
"I really have, Danny," Steve said. "This is what I really want to do."
"Then, who am I to deny you?" Danny said, rhetorically.
"So, we can do it?" Steve asked, hopefully.
Danny kissed him. "You've got yourself a honeymoon, babe."