A/N:

Nope, still not mine except for each and every mistake.

Summary:

Steve and Danny go on a fishing trip which goes horribly wrong leaving the two of them injured and shipwrecked.

oooOOOooo

The blond man had lost track of time. All he knew the sun dipped closer to the ocean and the sky had turned into different shades of orange, blue and purple.

From his position in between the two lifeguards Jake and Mallory, Danny felt safer than he had in a long time. Although they had told him to relax, he just couldn't. His entire body was rigid with tension and anxiety. His eyes were fixed on his best friend who just lay an arm's length away. And his hand held tightly onto Steve's.

Jake and Mallory had tried to get him to their boat and hence safety and out of the water, but he fought them tooth and nail. No way in hell was he leaving his boss (not that he would ever admit that to Steve), his partner, his best friend – his brother.

The lifeguards shared a look over Danny's head. They felt his struggles grow weaker by the second. He needed out of the water.

"He needs me", Danny stated sternly. His own strength was sapping with each bob in the water. But he refused to let them see his weakness. He felt oddly detached from himself and the scene that played out before him as if he was watching a weird, crazy movie. Everything else around him seemed to have disappeared.

Steve had obviously lost consciousness. Once Steve had realized that they were safe, his adrenaline rush had abated and he had slipped.

Danny knew he should be frantic with panic, fear, worry but like Greg – was that the name of that lifeguard at Steve's side? – he was calm and collected. The man beside Steve tended carefully to Steve.

"Danny, Greg and our friends here will take care of your buddy. And we take care of you, okay? You can let go." Mallory's voice penetrated through his fogged brain.

"No, no, I can't. He needs me." Danny said again. He would not let go of Steve's hand. Steve would not slip away unnoticed. He would hold onto the man and be his lifeline and Steve would be his.

Words wafted over to Danny but their meaning was a blur. "Head wound… Bleeding… Probable concussion… Cutlery… Possible ankle fracture…"

Steve. He hurt his head and ankle. He's in so much pain.

"Tim, I think it's best if we're going to transport him with the plank to the stern and then get him out there. That way we don't have to move him too much." Greg called to his partner.

Tim held up his thumb and forefinger forming a ring as his sign of okay.

Greg motioned for his remaining team to help them get their precious cargo afloat to the back of the boat where they would lift the still unconscious man onto the safety of their deck to assess him further.

"Ready to get out of the water?" Jake addressed Danny who watched the scene unfold before him and merely nodded.

"Will you let go of your friend? Makes it easier for us to get you guys out of here."

Nope, not gonna happen!

Danny's hold around Steve's lax fingers tightened.

Getting Greg's attention, Mallory indicated Danny's grasp on Steve's limp hand and shook her head.

Understanding his team without words, Greg fondly rolled his eyes at the bond these men shared. He understood fairly well that the friends needed the sensation of the touch even if it made their rescue mission a little bit more complicated.

Swimming at the same pace with two casualties in their care wasn't an easy task to accomplish but they eventually made it.

oooOOOooo

The three remaining members of the task force who had to stay behind on the boat watched the rescue unfold. When the swimmers in the water drew closer to Steve and Danny, the three of them straightened and craned their necks subconsciously. Kono stepped out of her cousin's hug and nearer to the rail. The men followed behind. In silence, they observed the lifeguards on their mission.

"What's Danny doing?" Kono whispered quietly yet strangled and nervously when she saw the blond man strike out with his left arm.

Of course, neither of them could hear the words spoken but whatever it was, finally Danny gave up the fight and let the lifeguards hold onto him. Yet, they didn't return to the Coast Guard boat immediately.

"He won't leave Steve's side", Chin noted as his knuckles turned white as he readjusted his hold on the rail before him.

"You can't leave either one of them alone. Trouble makers." Lou's tone was grim but the cousins knew it for what it was, worry and affection.

"Trouble magnets", Kono tried to rectify.

Lou looked over to her with a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "That too."

Upon seeing Danny and Steve being transported to the back of the ship, the three of them hurried to get there as well to meet their injured friends and see them for themselves.

When they arrived, they had already hauled both of them out of the water. Danny collapsed onto the platform which hovered directly above the water. His arms and legs too wobbly to hold him upright. With what little strength he had left, he pushed himself up on all fours gritting his teeth against the pain and weakness in his body and mind. His gaze fell upon the ladder that led up to the main deck.

"Steve", Danny mumbled and his head dropped to his chest. The lifeguards had transferred Steve onto the main deck already and were checking him out. The three remaining team members stood nearby and watched anxiously between Steve and Danny.

Danny felt hands on him to support him. He was glad for them taking a lot of his weight. He knew he was running on low.

"You think you can make it up the ladder with some help?"

Danny stared at the enemy in form of rungs but gritting his teeth, he nodded. He just had to. He had to get to Steve. He had to make sure the man was going to be okay. He needed to get up there. He needed the reassurance of Steve's presence. Letting go of Steve's hand before had been one of the worst things he had to do. But neither would be on the boat but still in the water if he had continued to hold onto his best friend.

His hand closed around the white painted metal of the ladder spoke. With more effort than he cared to admit he pulled himself up feeling the push of the lifeguards who were still on the platform with him. Grateful for their support, he climbed each rung ever so slowly.

"Danny", Chin's calm voice wafted through the air towards him as the man sprinted closer to edge where the ladder landed on the deck. Kneeling down, he held out his hand for Danny to take.

When their eyes met, Chin saw more than just pain and relief but also his thanks and love. Grasping his arm, Chin pulled.

Suddenly, there were hands on his other arm too which pulled him up. This time, Danny couldn't suppress the scream as the injured shoulder protested. Hot pain shot through him. He didn't know how he made it to the deck but he stood in between Chin und Kono who held him up. Both felt the taught muscles and sheer will power that he wouldn't let go as of yet.

"You okay?" Kono asked from the side and before the question had left her mouth, she already chastised herself for such a stupid question. Quickly, she added, "Forget that." Putting her free hand on his stomach, she tenderly stroked the fabric of Danny's wet shirt hoping it would bring the man to relax some.

"'m okay", Danny panted in between short gasps of air.

"The hell you are", Lou grumbled from where he stood by the side. He took a step closer. "C'mon, let's sit you down." He began guiding Danny and hence Kono and Chin towards a bench but Danny's stubbornness took over and he locked his legs in place.

"Steve." That was all he managed to say. Danny felt his energy dripping from him with each drop of sea water that fell of him but he needed to see Steve, he needed to be sure Steve was well taken care of and going to be okay.

"The medics are taking care of him", Chin Soothed.

"Steve!" Danny repeatedly quietly yet explicitly.

Chin and Kono shared a short glance over the blonde's head. It broke no argument. Danny's request was more of an order and so the three helped their friend over to their boss.

As they neared the man on the ground, Danny freed himself from Chin's and Kono's hold on him and staggered the last few steps over to where the medics were working on Steve.

"I'm going to be all gray before my age", Lou said looking after Danny and shaking his head as his hand rubbed over his face.

First Chin and Kono looked at each other, then at the big, bald man before them and raised their eyebrows with a huge sneer on their faces.

Lou noticed their stares and smirks. "If I had any hair left."

"Not making it any better", Chin grinned.

"They already made me lose my hair."

"Liar."

Waving a dismissive hand at the cousins the black man turned around.

tbc…

oooOOOooo

Thank you for reading.

Have a great day.

Cheers

Biensche