Steve rolled his eyes, even as his awareness shifted briefly to his gun and back away. It wasn't needed anymore tonight, except in the smallest of probability. Not that it ever stopped him from keeping one near him, loaded and ready, even when he was asleep at home, or several waiting in the car. Danny's, as well as his own truck.
"Or you could save us the trouble of having to come to your rescue every time."
Like Danny was helpless. A damsel. Tripping over his own feet and getting caught. Like it hadn't been planned both times, and working exactly the way it was supposed to go.
If anything about tonight, aside from catching the bad guy -- and that was all that mattered, right? -- went the way it was supposed to. But Steve's mouth moves to meet the words that find his ears, without thinking. Voice hollow, but feeling almost unable to not say anything. To not reach for the last shreds of what had been normal before he was left with a jagged whole were his stomach should be and the irritating constant realization his mouth was still looking for that elusive taste.
The one that was just enough scotch to burn, and all too much Danny. Painted inside his head. Mouth. Chest. Elusive. Ached after, even as he ignored it. Grit his teeth every time he found his tongue at his teeth like it was on some damned quest to find something it never would again. Never had to begin with. Danny never wanted that. Steve just. Took it. Called it the job, and pushed in where he should have. Shouldered up hard. Battered down the door. Demanding.
He could give himself the first. That wasn't actually the problem. Even if it was every single reason not to want any Scotch for weeks, maybe months. Unless he was trying to throw himself on the fire. It wouldn't even be long now, Steve counted the mile numbers he never needed. Off the highway already, and through half the neighborhoods. Almost to his own front door. Where he could get out and say whatever the hell was needed to just get this over with.
Danny running away home. Steve trying to scourge it out. Tomorrow being tomorrow. If he was lucky.
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Steve rolled his eyes, even as his awareness shifted briefly to his gun and back away. It wasn't needed anymore tonight, except in the smallest of probability. Not that it ever stopped him from keeping one near him, loaded and ready, even when he was asleep at home, or several waiting in the car. Danny's, as well as his own truck.
"Or you could save us the trouble of having to come to your rescue every time."
Like Danny was helpless. A damsel. Tripping over his own feet and getting caught.
Like it hadn't been planned both times, and working exactly the way it was supposed to go.
If anything about tonight, aside from catching the bad guy -- and that was all that mattered, right? -- went the way it was supposed to. But Steve's mouth moves to meet the words that find his ears, without thinking. Voice hollow, but feeling almost unable to not say anything. To not reach for the last shreds of what had been normal before he was left with a jagged whole were his stomach should be and the irritating constant realization his mouth was still looking for that elusive taste.
The one that was just enough scotch to burn, and all too much Danny. Painted inside his head. Mouth. Chest. Elusive. Ached after, even as he ignored it. Grit his teeth every time he found his tongue at his teeth like it was on some damned quest to find something it never would again. Never had to begin with. Danny never wanted that. Steve just. Took it. Called it the job, and pushed in where he should have. Shouldered up hard. Battered down the door. Demanding.
He could give himself the first. That wasn't actually the problem. Even if it was every single reason not to want any Scotch for weeks, maybe months. Unless he was trying to throw himself on the fire. It wouldn't even be long now, Steve counted the mile numbers he never needed. Off the highway already, and through half the neighborhoods. Almost to his own front door. Where he could get out and say whatever the hell was needed to just get this over with.
Danny running away home. Steve trying to scourge it out. Tomorrow being tomorrow. If he was lucky.