Chapter Text
(This follows immediately after the end of ‘the love that you gave’.)
Danny abruptly excuses himself and the giant he was talking to looks confused but just turns and walks away. Danny, meanwhile, is bee-lining toward Steve, jockeying through the crowd and trying not to jostle people, but he’s completely focused on his goal and several SEALs glare at him when he bumps them as he passes. By the time Danny’s half-way there, Steve has already noticed that he is heading his way and is tracking him, eyes darting back and forth between Danny and the two guys he’s talking to. Danny can see that Steve is scanning his face, and his body is tensing, a slight look of concern creeping into his expression; he knows that Steve is wondering if everything is alright. Everything is alright – it’s better than alright, actually.
By the time Danny works his way to the bar, he’s a bundle of nerves - jumpy and excited - but conversely, he also feels a sense of calm that he hasn’t felt in years. Steve pauses in what he’s saying as Danny takes the last couple steps toward him and he must register something on Danny’s face because he gives him a bemused smile.
“Hey, Danny, is everything…” Steve starts, but Danny steps between Steve and the SEALs he’s talking to and Steve stops, cocking his head in confusion.
“Askmeagain,” Danny says hurriedly, the words jumbled together.
“What…?” Steve shifts his stance. “Uh, Danny, this is…” Steve gestures with the hand that’s holding his beer to the SEALs who are at Danny’s back now.
Danny looks over his shoulder and spares them the briefest glance. “Yeah, hi, nice to meet you…” he mumbles quickly and dismissively and turns a penetrating gaze back to Steve.
“Ask me again,” he repeats a little more slowly, staring at Steve with the slightest hint of a smile on his face.
Steve blinks a few times, his mind not quite catching up with Danny and what’s he’s saying. “Danny… uh,” Steve bends a tiny bit and lowers his voice. “You’re being kind of rude…” he says, flicking his eyes apologetically over Danny’s shoulder to his friends.
Danny rolls his eyes and turns around to face Steve’s friends. “Hi. Danny Williams… nice to meet you,” he says and hastily grabs and shakes both of their hands, then turns back around to face Steve again. “Better? Can we get to this now?”
Steve stares at Danny, blinking owlishly. After a few seconds he starts to shift his gaze back and forth between Danny and his comrades, who look as bewildered as Steve.
“Steven!” Danny barks, interrupting his slow thought process, and Steve shifts his focus back to his partner.
“What? Danny…?” Admittedly, he’s had a few beers and his thoughts are probably not tracking as fast as they normally would.
Danny reaches out and takes the beer from Steve’s hand and sets it on the bar. Steve looks at Danny and then looks at the beer and then looks back at Danny. “Ask. Me. Again,” Danny demands for the third time.
Steve’s full attention snaps to Danny and he stands up straight in surprise, comprehension slowly dawning.
Danny nods and twirls his hand in a 'hurry up' gesture.
Steve visibly swallows and then blinks at Danny a few more times before half of his mouth quirks into a – finally – knowing smile.
"There you go..." Danny says, as he sees the final pieces slot into place.
“Danny…” Steve says a little breathlessly. “Will you…”
“YES!” Danny cuts him off before he can even finish.
The rest of Steve’s smile materializes, dazzling and exultant and Danny reaches up to grab the back of Steve’s neck, pulling him down into a searing kiss.
Steve breaks the kiss after just a couple of seconds. “Yes?” he asks, laughing and seeking confirmation, gripping Danny’s face in both hands and searching Danny’s eyes for the truth of it.
“Yeah, babe… the answer is yes,” Danny affirms, and his eyes are shining and Steve’s eyes are shining and they’re both laughing, and Steve bends in and kisses him again while Danny clutches his lapels like he’s never, ever going to let go, and everything is absolutely – utterly - perfect.
A/N:
Sigh... I know...so sappy! Can't resist these boys in love...
The reason I didn't write it into the actual story was because I really felt like that moment at the end of the original fic was Danny's moment. He had gone through this whole emotional journey - and the moment wasn't really meant to be about him SAYING 'yes' - rather, it was about his own personal, internal realization that he had gotten to the place where he WANTED to say yes. So, as much as I knew people really wanted to see that moment, I just couldn't bring myself to write the ending that way. I hope this coda (of sorts) satisfies!
I will entertain other timestamp requests - so if there's something in particular you want to see, go ahead and pitch it... but, fyi, sometimes something comes to me and sometimes not, so no promises!