dann_0 | PSL: Sentinel AU

"Well, I know he makes one hell of a burger," Steve says as he pushes himself to his feet. "Yeah, but you love it. Admit it." It takes a second but he finds his bearings and nods at Danny to lead the way.

When Danny looks back at him, Steve doesn't know why Danny's paused but the look of uncertainty on his face does make him wonder, although he thinks it's about Eliot not coming back to the house. He gives Danny what he hopes is a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll convince him."

Following Danny to his office, Steve hangs back a little. He wants to be close to Danny, has that need to be close, but he wants to give them space too.

Eliot's not sure if he wishes the damn building were properly sound-proofed or not as he sits there listening to Danny and Steve argue. To Danny making it so very abundantly clear that he's out of the blue--as far as Eliot's concerned, anyway, and probably Steve too--that he wants his partner. That this isn't a romantic relationship and a friendship, that it's some kind of triangle he wants to try and navigate. And there's no way in hell that ends any way but with Eliot the odd man out, an awkward afterthought until he just becomes an even more awkward inconvenience. And much as he'd been prepared for this to be short-lived, to ride it out for as long as it lasts and then make his peace with walking away when it implodes, he hadn't expected it to go to hell quite so fast. And definitely not in this particular fashion.

He's too god damned wound up and strung out at this point to be safe walking out the door, though. All his senses keyed up to the point where the world's becoming just a confusing buzz of painful over-stimulation. And the only thing keeping him from losing it entirely is Danny's voice through the wall, the scent of Danny that permeates this room, even as the overlay of Steve's voice and scent and distress continues to wind him up. The actual words have faded to a meaningless buzz somewhere along the line, it's just worry and pain and want he's registering.

He can't leave, but he can't stay, and he finds himself pacing restlessly, hands flexing uselessly at his sides as he tries to find some modicum of focus. Some ability to rationally work his way through the situation and his options. It's not working, though, his heart is racing and his breathing's becoming labored, and he knows at this point that he should make himself hyper-focus on Danny, that he should push himself to zone rather than letting this build any further and risk going feral again. The problem is he doesn't feel safe here, doesn't feel like he can risk being that helpless, and a lifetime of habit, of the very particular kind of paranoia and back-handed control that's kept him alive, is pushing him towards breaking instead. Towards a reaction that keeps him from being completely helpless and vulnerable, and keeps what he is from being discovered.

There's a reason he has a reputation for having a short fuse, for being violent and unpredictable. There's a reason he's not safe. He shoves his fist in his mouth and bites down hard to keep himself quiet, to use the pain to focus. To try and find some kind of rationality and balance... he hasn't gotten even close when he realizes that Steve's voice has picked up again and there's movement in the other office. That they're coming back this way and he's lost his chance to escape before he blows everything completely to hell.

His head snaps up at his name in Danny's voice, eyes squinted half-shut and pupils contracted down to pinpricks against the barrage of visual over-stimulation as he makes himself look past Danny to Steve hovering behind him. "You need t'tell him," he rasps, heart hammering and hands still flexing restlessly into white knuckled fists. "About the, uh... about the thing. I'll have Hardison... I'll have him forward you-" He stops, eyes squeezing farther shut and head twisting to the side and tipping oddly as he tries to find the words he needs. "The stuff... the information for... for the thing. For-" He waves his hand vaguely and shakes his head, scowling in frustration. He hates this he hates this he hates this. Hates not being in control, hates being seen to not be in control, and he starts, more than half-blind, to stalk towards where he remembers the door being.

Danny blinks the moment he steps inside and sees Eliot there. Damn, fuck. Eliot too? How long had be been like that? Suddenly he feels guilty for lingering with Steve rather than checking on Eliot faster. He moves to close the distance between them, knowing he has to pull Eliot out of this. He doesn't want him to have to go through what Steve just went through. He doesn't want either of them to have to go through that ever again.

He moves to wrap his arms around Eliot and hold him, pressing his face against Eliot's neck. He gives his a warm kiss to it before he whispers. "I got you. You're safe here. Nobody is going to hurt you. Close your eyes and breathe for me. Please?"

Eliot starts to sidestep Danny as he approaches. Starts to, but can't make himself, and instead finds himself leaning into the contact with a shudder, curling his hands into the back of Danny's t-shirt and turning his face to press his nose into Danny's hair. Steve's scent is a heavy overlay, but what matters that underneath it Danny's scent is still strong and solid, even if it's laced with worry and distress.

"'Course no one's gonna hurt me," he makes himself mutter. "Not a fuckin' damsel." It doesn't stop him from pressing his lips to Danny's temple, though, or sliding a hand down until he can push Danny's shirt out of the way and lay his palm against the small of Danny's back. Or slowly syncing his breathing to Danny's, almost without conscious intent.

Danny chuckles a little, warm affection obvious in it. "Of course you're not. You're the fucking hero." He lets his hand stroke Eliot's back. Trying to draw him out of the zone. "Still you're safe here. I got you. Steve's watching your back. We got you." He kisses Eliot's neck again. "You're doing good, really good. We're going home, all three of us and we'll relax alright. Safe and sound and nothing to worry about. If you want to, of course."

"Pfft. Not anyone's hero." No matter how much he's turned his life around or how much good he's done in the last five years, he'll still never believe that. Even if it had been what he'd wanted most when he'd joined up at eighteen. That ship sailed almost twenty years ago, when black ops got their claws in him.

"Don't need you t'keep me safe," he adds in a murmur, nuzzling in to Danny's temple. "Need you t'keep everyone else safe from me." Because Danny probably doesn't have the frame of reference to realize he's not zoning, not withdrawing helplessly into the misery inside in his own head, he's trying desperately not to fly into a blind, agonizing rage.

Danny disagrees with that. They are his heroes, both of them and they can't see it. But he knows better than to argue, so he doesn't. Instead, he leans his head on Eliot's shoulder.

"Then I'll do that. I won't let you fall or shatter. And if I fail... Steve got it. We got your back, Eliot. I promise. We'll help you, together. You think you want that?"

Coming up behind Danny, Steve can see Eliot in the office. The pacing and hand clenching, not able to get all his words out, the feel of an animal about to be let loose... He knows exactly what's going on and for that reason, he hangs back just a little bit more in order not to make things worse. Steve's only gone feral a couple of times, himself, but he was educated on the signs - both inwardly and outwardly.

He doesn't bother to warn or stop Danny because he honestly doesn't believe there is a threat to Danny. One of the reasons a sentinel will go into distress is separation from his/her guide. While Steve's not certain that's the reason here or not, it could be more the stress of the situation as a whole or several other things, but generally it's known that a guide, especially the guide of the sentinel can tame the beast and bring it out of that state. Steve expects Eliot will defend Danny against him before he hurts Danny at all. Another reason to keep back for now - no matter how much he feels the need to be as close to Danny as possible.

At hearing that Eliot needs Danny to keep everyone safe from him, Steve stretches his still fragile senses to focus in on both Eliot and Danny's heartbeat and breathing. If he needs to, he'll intervene, but unless it's required, he'll let Danny take care of things. It's reassuring to hear Eliot is starting to settle, even if it's only a bit. Leaning up against the wall outside Danny's office, Steve focuses on his hearing and listens to what's transpiring in the other room.

"Yeah... okay." The tense edge is seeping out of his voice and posture both, and he's leaning a little heavier into Danny. Breathing in deep where his nose is pressed into his hair and letting both hands settle against the warm skin above his waistband. He'd meant to leave, take himself out of the situation and cope on his own, like he's done for over fifteen years now, but he hadn't been able to make himself step away. Definitely can't make himself do it now.

"You won't fail." His voice is dropping lower, into a warm buzz, almost lazy, and his heart rate has settled significantly from the stressed staccato of just moments ago. His breathing is almost in sync with Danny's. "But s'fine, he can maybe take me if he has to." Eliot doesn't know him well enough to be sure, but he's military and a Sentinel, he's probably trained well enough that, at least with advance warning, he'd have a fighting chance to put him down. "Don't want him t'have to," he adds, nosing along Danny's hairline, breath ghosting warmly over the shell of his ear.

"No, and knowing him, he doesn't want to have to either. But that is part of the promise. We got your back even if that means having to do things we don't want." Danny gives a little shiver at breath over his ear. His breath catches ever so slightly and he lets it out with the smallest little sigh of pleasure. It's not even sexual. Just happy to have his Sentinels here.

"You're doing great. Both of you." because he knows Steve can hear him. "I'm proud of you." They had just pulled themselves out of bad spinning out of control and he is so damn proud of them for that.

"Good. 'S'good." His heart rate settles almost completely into sync with Danny's at that reassurance. Knowing Danny would be willing to put him down if has to... it's important. And it's not something he could ever ask of Parker or Hardison. They wouldn't understand, they'd try to save him even if he was past saving, and he can't risk that. Can't risk either of them getting hurt because of him, by him.

"Nothin' t'be proud of," he rasps, voice almost slurring, even as he shifts one hand from Danny's back to push through the short hairs at the nape of his neck and then up, fingers curling to cradle the back of his head. "Couldn't keep my shit t'gether. "Could'a hurt someone." He's done that so many times, and even if he hasn't for a long time now he's been feeling it pushing closer to the surface. Feeling his hard won control slipping.

"Don't wanna hurt someone who doesn't deserve it," he adds as he mouths his way down Danny's jaw. It's light and almost tender, just letting himself taste Danny's skin to reinforce his solidity and presence. It's not something he'd meant to allow himself again, but he's not entirely coherent at the moment, coming down from the adrenaline rush of a near feral incident, and more than a little high on Danny's taste and scent.

Danny smiles softly. "But you came out of it. And you didn't hurt anyone." He shifts and tips his head up into that touch. "Mmm that feels good you know." he hums to himself. He stays in that touch for a few breaths longer. "I missed you." He whispers. He had even if it had only been a day.

Then he pulls back to look up at Eliot. "How are you feeling? Feeling up for the ride back to Steve's so we can settle in properly?" And get Grace back. Damn, he'll have to talk to Eliot about how he wants to be introduced to her. But not right now. Right now he is happy just holding the man.

"'Cause you're here," Eliot points out. Though if he'd been on his own he would have managed. Probably. He just would have had to get himself to someplace quiet and isolated before he lost his last tenuous grip on control, something he's become adept at over the years of solitude.

He shudders a little in response to Danny's contented hum, and again at the whisper. It feels almost like a finger running down his spine, a warm breath directly into his ear, and has to find at least a moment's focus to keep himself from sucking a mark right there against Danny's jaw. "Missed you too," Eliot admits, voice almost breaking as much at the realization Danny means it as at making the admission himself.

He has to pause for a moment at the question, trying to process not just the words, but the significance of it--to get past the fact that what he wants right now is to just strip Danny naked and press him back into the couch, then sprawl across him and soak in his presence. His scent, the beat of his heart, the sound of his voice, the feel of his skin, warm and perfect and so very reassuring. That's not the important part, though, and he has to force his brain through the fog to what is. "Your little girl," he finally rasps, voice still a little ragged and slow. "Don't wanna get in the way'a your time with her. Can just-" He pauses again, frowning, searching for thoughts and words. "Can leave me here," he finally settles on, because whatever thought he'd been trying to chase has slipped frustratingly out of reach. "Got your scent. 'll be okay."

"It is fine. She's used to sharing me with Steve, I think she'll like you too. And that you'll like her." He takes a breath. "I don't want to leave you. Not when I can have you close." He takes a deep breath, stroking Eliot's side gently. "How do you want to be introduced to her? As my friend or my boyfriend?" Two hours ago he would have gone for friend, but what just happened here with both of them has solidified it all in Danny's mind. Eliot is going to be part of his life and then he should be introduced to the most important part of it.

"Just don't let her charm you into giving her too many sweets." he chuckles. If Grace is anything like the way she is with Steve with Eliot it is only a matter of time before she has him wrapped around his fingers. "But it is all about where you will be more comfortable."

This would be easier if he weren't still having so much trouble processing. If his senses weren't so out of whack from over-stimulation and and a feeling of panic that hasn't quite completely faded. It means he's quiet for a moment, struggling to sort it all out into something that makes sense, then unnaturally still as he manages, as he realizes what Danny's offering, and his breath catches on something that's a strange combination of a fresh surge of panic and an almost overwhelming sense of affection that he refuses to characterize as love.

"Shouldn' do that," he finally manages to protest, though his voice is unsteady as hell. "Not fair t'her." Not when the odds of him staying in her dad's life are so slim, or when her mother might try to use him as some kind of scandal generator when it comes to custody and visitation and moving. He wants it, though. It scares him how damn much he wants it, how much the thought of it aches. To be that kind of a part of Danny's life. Safe and trusted and stable enough to be a part of his kid's.

"Not fair t'Steve either," he adds, even quieter. More unsteady. "He don't need my stink in his home."

Steve has an understanding of where Eliot is coming from when it comes to Grace. It's not likely exactly the same but Steve too had reservations about becoming too involved with Grace, getting too close. Not only was she a child, and he knew he wasn't good with children, but if the military called him back or he got badly hurt as part of the job he didn't want either of them to be too attached. He smiles at the memory of her telling him that if he was important to her Danno than he was important to her too and that meant they had to spend time together.

Head leaning back against the wall, eyes closed, but ears still focused in the other room, Steve speaks up loud enough for Danny to hear as well. "Grace will disagree with you. As you are important to us, she will want to know you too." There's a small pause while he tries to think how to best word the next. "You're stink is already in the car and office, wouldn't be right if it wasn't in the house too!" There's a lightness there even though the voice sounds drained, it loses that lightness though when he speaks again, but it holds a strong measure of sincerity. "I want you there, Eliot. I want you in our home and as part of our lives. Don't say no."

Danny smiles warmly at Steve and then turning his head back to Eliot and gives him a reassuring smile. "Steve's right. We want you there, and of course, I want to introduce you as my boyfriend. I am more worried about Kono. She'll never let me hear the end of it." He chuckles as he strokes Eliot's back. "Not in a bad way though."

"And you are important to me, to both of us. It is only right you're a part of this too."

Eliot stills again when he hears Steve's voice, purposely loud enough for them both to hear. Tenses in an obvious fight or flight response, frozen on a caught breath at both the reminder he's there--he shouldn't have forgotten, he should be more in control than this--and at what he's actually saying. He has to focus hard to process it, to make sense of the words, and when he does he drops his head farther, low enough to press his face to the side of Danny's neck, nose tucked into the tender spot beneath his ear that he likes so well as Danny chimes in.

He still feels like he should say no. Like it's not worth the risk--to him or Grace... or Danny--but he's not sure he can. Not with them both saying it's okay. Not with Danny wanting to claim him like that. To his little girl. It makes things feel both terrifyingly real and fractionally less precarious. Like if he says yes he won't be something so easy to walk away from after this.

"... we should talk first," he finally manages to answer, just loud enough for Danny to hear. More than plenty loud enough for Steve out in the hall. "'Bout why I'm here, an' what we were doin'. See if you still think it's a good idea after that." Because that could change things, could make it more important for Danny to not have any unnecessary complications in his personal life for a bit. Nothing for his ex to try and grab onto and use against him.

Edited 2017-06-20 19:05 (UTC)

Pushing off the wall by his shoulders, Steve comes into Danny's office and moves to sit on the couch. Steve had wanted to have the DNA test back before telling Danny, but really they didn't need that, it was more proof for Rachel than for Danny, especially with both Eliot and himself smelling the relation off little Charlie.

He doesn't believe this will change Danny's mind about Eliot, but he understands that Eliot needs it out in the open before proceeding. Truth he told he was worried how Danny was going to respond as well. Not towards them, but just in general. Steve figured he was going to need both of them to get through it.

"Danny, you're going to want to sit down for this."

Danny blinks. He has no idea why Eliot is here and based on how they are both acting he has a feeling it is not about coming to see him. Or not just that. He swallows. Worry suddenly rising with a million what ifs. But he forces it back down. Setting them off again might be more than he can handle. So he closes his eyes and focuses on being calm and steady before he takes Eliot's hand to lead him over to the couch, settling next to Steve with room for Eliot on the side.

"What's up?" The worry is hard to keep out of his voice. Too hard and it is painfully obvious for everyone.

Eliot considers not complying... for all of a fraction of a second that's so brief the hesitation likely doesn't even register to Danny before he's following along, letting himself be pulled to the couch.

Letting go just isn't an option right now, it's bad enough to not be able to press his face to Danny's skin and breathe him in. So he sits next to him, as close as he can get, and curls both hands around Danny's in a firm but gentle grip before leaning a little bit out so he can glance at Steve. Who, for all that he's supposedly the boyfriend, knows Danny infinitely better, and Eliot lifts both eyebrows in question. Does Steve want to explain or does he want Eliot to? He just wants to make it easiest for Danny and Steve both, and he hates that he's not actually sure how best to do that.

When Danny sits next to him, there's no way Steve can not lean into him. The static he was starting to feel in the hall is almost instantly calmed when he takes the hand closest to him.

Leaning forward, he meets Eliot's eyes and realizes that the start of this is on him. Taking a moment, he squeezes Danny's hand and he huffs out a breath and decides to just get right to it. "Danny, remember yesterday when I was holding Charlie? There's... He..." Okay this is actually harder than he had expected and considering he expected it to be damn hard...

Pausing a moment he starts again with a different tactic. "Danny, how sure was Rachel that Charlie wasn't yours? I... we..." he looks again across at Eliot, "Charlie smells like you. We're running the DNA but we don't have any doubt."

Danny holds Eliot's hand until Steve starts explaining. Then he goes very still and frowns. "She said he was Stan's. That she was further along than she first thought. That..." He blinks and looks between them. confused and hurt but not by them. "I... you sure? You really sure? I have a son?"

Then almost as an afterthought he looks at Eliot. "You smelled him?"

Edited 2017-06-20 20:46 (UTC)

Eliot almost lets go of Danny's hand when he stills, frowns, but instead looks down at their joined hands for a moment, jaw working.

"Yeah." He looks up and meets Danny's eyes steadily, and keeps his grip loose in case he wants to pull away. "Steve called last night, lookin' for ideas on how t'handle it and-" He shrugs, expression tense but wry. "Caught the first flight out an' did some recon this morning. He's yours, sweetheart. No question."

Steve squeezes Danny's hand, but then releases it in favor for putting a hand on his shoulder instead. The loss of skin-on-skin connection is felt immediately but right now it's about comforting Danny, not him. "We're assuming you'll want to confront Rachel so we're getting evidence you can use - the DNA sample, Charlie is running it. And Eliot has some ideas on how to present the problem to her so that she sees our solution as the one to follow." He squeezes Danny's shoulder. "But if you want to handle this differently, we'll back your play and do whatever you need us to do." He looks over at Eliot again for the other man's confirmation.

Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Re: Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out

Danny, Steve and Eliot. In the office. Ironing things out