Steve manages to push his way in while Danny's caught trying to think of a third example -- Memorial Day comes to mind -- and the asshole actually does it.
Apologizes.
Multiple times, even, saying he's sorry without a hint of pride in it, which makes Danny glance over and study him, suspicious, but Steve's expression is bland. There's no hint of sarcasm in it anywhere, though Danny gives him a hard look, waiting for it, searching for it. The mockery. The reminder of who's in charge here, and who's out of line. The reprimand.
But none of it's there, and Danny looks away again, unsettled and angry about it, as annoyed that Steve apologized and took the wind out of his sails as he was about not getting the apology to begin with. He can't keep going with it now, feels at a loss, doesn't want to accept it, wants to go back to butting heads and hating each other. Doesn't want a world where Steve McGarrett is sincerely sorry for getting him shot any more than he wanted one where Steve McGarrett never admitted he might have done something stupid.
"Your, uh, your apology is noted," he says, finally, stiff, back down to normal volumes, taking cover behind formal words, because that face, over there.
That's not the one from the garage. Or from arguing behind Doran's shack. It's something like the one where he tried to find out the meaning of Danno, but not quite, and it's sinking spidery legs into Danny's skin, skittering up the back of his neck and making him uncomfortably aware that maybe McGarrett isn't just a robot, after all. Maybe he's got a sense of humor, because that was a joke, those last words, even if the first ones weren't. The second half at Danny's expense, but not the first.
He's being made fun of, but he's not being mocked, and he doesn't exactly know how to find his balance. Reaches for the safety of words, spins a fragile protecting net out of them. "Acceptance is pending."
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2014-01-20 03:28 am (UTC)Apologizes.
Multiple times, even, saying he's sorry without a hint of pride in it, which makes Danny glance over and study him, suspicious, but Steve's expression is bland. There's no hint of sarcasm in it anywhere, though Danny gives him a hard look, waiting for it, searching for it. The mockery. The reminder of who's in charge here, and who's out of line. The reprimand.
But none of it's there, and Danny looks away again, unsettled and angry about it, as annoyed that Steve apologized and took the wind out of his sails as he was about not getting the apology to begin with. He can't keep going with it now, feels at a loss, doesn't want to accept it, wants to go back to butting heads and hating each other. Doesn't want a world where Steve McGarrett is sincerely sorry for getting him shot any more than he wanted one where Steve McGarrett never admitted he might have done something stupid.
"Your, uh, your apology is noted," he says, finally, stiff, back down to normal volumes, taking cover behind formal words, because that face, over there.
That's not the one from the garage. Or from arguing behind Doran's shack. It's something like the one where he tried to find out the meaning of Danno, but not quite, and it's sinking spidery legs into Danny's skin, skittering up the back of his neck and making him uncomfortably aware that maybe McGarrett isn't just a robot, after all. Maybe he's got a sense of humor, because that was a joke, those last words, even if the first ones weren't. The second half at Danny's expense, but not the first.
He's being made fun of, but he's not being mocked, and he doesn't exactly know how to find his balance. Reaches for the safety of words, spins a fragile protecting net out of them. "Acceptance is pending."