dann_0 | PSL: Sentinel AU

"Yeah." Eliot's voice and expression soften slightly, unmistakably fond. "He does like t'get on a roll an' just keep goin'." It reminds him of Hardison in a lot of ways, and he finds it much the same mix of amusing, endearing and annoying. "I'm tryin'." He shrugs a little, lips twitching up into a wry smile. "Haven't had all that much time together, but I don't plan on stoppin'." And maybe Steve's approval will help him, or maybe he'll be screwed in the end regardless. All he can do is his best.

He takes another sip of his coffee, savoring the warmth and a last few minutes of contact before he has to get to work on the pizza. "Yeah, I get that, man. It's, uh... it's hard gettin' that close to people." When it's so easy for everything to become too much. "But that's exactly it. I wasn't gonna catch you by surprise." Because it's not that he doesn't think Danny can take care of himself--though he knows he can't against him--it's that Danny wouldn't be on guard against his lover attacking him from a sound sleep, and he has no ability to catch the warning signs and react before it's too late. Eliot doubts Steve could take him either, he's not sure there are many people who'd even have a chance, but at least he'd be prepared to try.

"Yeah." He doesn't like admitting it, but if he's going to be sleeping here it's not something he can hide from another Sentinel when it happens, even if no one else would likely notice. "Collected a few over the years and, well, I've woken up to a few broken arms before I was awake enough t'stop myself." A couple of almost broken necks. A (fortunately superficial) stab wound from the time he'd forgotten to take the knife out from under the pillow. "It's not worth the risk."

"Good!" Steve says with a definitive nod. Then he gives Eliot a look that would normally be more of a threat if he wasn't also smiling. "I'm going to hold you to that." Things happen, life happens and Steve knows that nothing is guaranteed to last forever, but that's not what he's holding Eliot to either. What he really wants and is asking for is that Eliot treats Danny and his kids well. So far, from what Steve's seen he's got nothing to worry about.

Out on the lanai, Steve can hear Danny and Gracie talking, as well as their breathing and heart rates - those he always monitors when they're in range. From the conversation he knows the barbecue is lit the stones are heating. The extra relaxing time is almost at an end. Looking down at the cup in his hands, it's almost finished as well. He nods at Eliot's comment about people being close. "Yeah, that's part of it anyway." Steve has trust and abandonment issues, and he expects Eliot can relate to both of those things also being in the military. Having touch as his strongest sense however, also added a dimension to being touched by people he wasn't close to or wasn't comfortable with to be very disconcerting and far too intimate.

Nightmares are not an unknown to Steve. He's had more than his fair share as well. Although, he's not one to wake up violent, but he has woken up only to slip into a zone so it doesn't surprise him that Eliot, who seems to favor going feral over zoning, would also wake up that way from nightmares. "You won't with Danny. At least, I don't. It's why we used to share a bed. Something about him being a guide, he..." Steve shrugs and looks at Eliot. "Calms us...? I guess, even in sleep, just by having him near. I don't really know how it works. The way I was told things worked in the military don't seem to apply out here in the real world. The military guides I've been paired with have never come close to settling me the way Danny can."

"Yeah, you do that." Because he figures this probably won't last, but it's absolutely not going to be because he didn't do his damnedest to make Danny happy when he had the chance.

Eliot just nods in understanding. He's more than familiar with abandonment and isolation, it wasn't until his team that he'd learned there are people it's actually safe to trust, to let himself be close to and rely on... and yet he still never trusted them with everything. Not until Danny took that choice away from him. That's water under the bridge now, though, and he lets it slip away.

"No." He doesn't really like hearing about Steve and Danny sharing a bed, even if he knows it's a thing--knows that Danny wants it to be a hell of a lot more platonic now--but that's not what has him shaking his head as his jaw goes tight. "I can't... that's not worth the risk. I can't do that. I can't take the chance of hurting him." His voice has gone strained at just the thought, and the idea of it makes him feel so ill he has to lean across and put the remainder of his coffee on the table to keep the bitter smell of it from churning his stomach any more than it's suddenly doing on its own.

He swings his feet abruptly out of Steve's lap and turns to sit on the edge of the sofa, longish hair falling forward over his eyes. "Smells like the coals are about ready, I should get t'work on those pizzas if we wanna eat at a reasonable hour."

He pushes just as abruptly to his feet, grabbing his mug to take to the sink as he stands, though he's keeping it well away from his face. "Sorry, man, I... sorry." And then he's gone, padding silently on bare feet into the kitchen to get to work on dinner.

It's a bit of surprise when Eliot goes tense, putting his coffee down and swinging his legs off the him and the couch, making a quick exit. "Yeah, no... It's okay," he says to Elliot's back as he leaves the room. He was hoping his comments would put the other man at ease, not upset him.

Taking in a deep breath he sighs it out his nose. He's not fully sure if it was him mentioning that Danny and him used to share a bed, or if it had to do with the nightmares but he figures he's messed up again. Maybe he should allow them to their own personal time before he messes things up too much. Makes things too uncomfortable for any of them. Resting his head back against the couch cushions, he listens to the three other heartbeats in the house and any conversation that might take place as he debates what he should do.

Leaving the room isn't about Steve, talking to him or not talking to him, it's about the fact that Eliot needs to do something right now. Occupy his mind and his hands to drive away the so easy to imagine picture of Danny staring at him him in shock and pain and fear... and accusation. He's seen the look so many times, he's intimately familiar with it, and he knows it would gut him possibly beyond his ability to recover from to see it on Danny.

So he pulls out the ingredients he'd already prepped and put away in the fridge, chicken and vegetables--and pineapple and ham--the freshly grated mozzarella and parmesan, the scratch sauce he'd thrown together from--at least decent quality--canned tomatoes and fresh herbs (that he'd paid through the nose for). Gets it all laid out and ready so that when Grace and Danny come back in it's ready to go and he can show her how to divide the dough then toss and stretch and dress each crust before it goes on the grill.

It doesn't quite drive the lingering fear away, but it's a start.

Danny is smiling when he comes back inside, an excited Grace at his side. He follows as she runs over to Eliot and he places a hand on Eliot's back, leaning in to press a kiss against his shoulder. "A few more minutes and it should be up to temperature." He smiles at Grace. "Grace has been telling me all about the surfing she and Aunt Kono did today. Now she is threatening to take you surfing too, babe."

He shifts and takes a few steps so he can look into the living room and try to find Steve, he frowns a little back at Eliot. "Everything alright?" Between them, or with Steve. He kind of needs to know both.

Hearing them come in, Steve decides it's likely best to give them a bit of space, and perhaps him some too. Normally he'd get in a run in the afternoon and now seems like a good time while everyone else is busy in the kitchen. Heading out through the garage he unzips the legs of his cargos - turning them into shorts, loses his over shirt and slips on his runners.

Grabbing his phone, he sends a quick text to Danny:

I'm fine. Heading out for a quick run. I'll be back in thirty minutes. Tell Gracie she can make my pizza.

Sticking his phone in a pocket, he takes off down the street.

Eliot grins at the pair of them as they come back in, letting Danny's scent wash over him drain some of the tension from his shoulders. It eases even more palpably as Danny's hand settles on his back, and disappears almost entirely at the press of lips against his shoulder.

"I suppose I could give it a shot," he concedes easily, smiling warmly at Grace. "If you don't mind dealin' with a beginner, anyhow."

He follows Danny's glance to the living room, even though he knows Steve's already left the room. He can hear him in the garage, the beat of his heart and what sounds like changing clothes and... putting on shoes. He's not going to say anything about how their conversation had ended or how it had triggered him, especially not with Grace right there. Not that he really wants to explain it to Danny either, it had been hard enough already telling him why he can't let himself actually sleep next to him.

"Yeah, we're good," he answers, which he thinks is true enough he's not lying to Danny. "Maybe he's headed out t'work up an appetite for dinner?" He looks back to Grace. "Figure we've gonna be makin' a whole mess of pizza, so he'd better be ready t'do a lot of eating, right darlin'?"

"That's alright," she says happily and with a little bit of a tease in her voice she looks up at her father. "Danno's a beginner too."

Grace bops her head up and down at Eliot's question with a big grin on her face. She's excited to make her own pizza. Since she was told she could put whatever she wants on it, she has some ideas she's curious to see if she can get by her father, or his new boyfriend.

Looking off to the living room, she frowns slightly, "Isn't Uncle Steve going to make one too?"

Danny glances at the text, frowning a little but when Grace asks him he smiles back at her. "He is going out for a run. He said you could make his pizza." He shakes his head, he has a feeling that is a bad idea. But he is also pretty sure Steve's eaten worse.

He grabs a couple of aprons, one kid sized for Grace and one each for the two men. "I am learning, young lady. Just because I am not as good as Aunt Kono yet..." He glances up at Eliot. "Kono used to be a professional until she blew out her knee and went into the family buisness of being cops."

"Well good, then I'll have comp'ny trying t'get the hang of it." And he lets the warm smile he gives Grace slide to something warmer still as he shifts it to Danny. Christ, he can't believe he's letting him be a part of this, and it's enough to drive the last of the lingering fear away for the moment.

"Guess you're just gonna have t'make Uncle Steve the best pizza ever, darlin'," Eliot informs her, and reaches to take on the apron Danny hands him. "Bet you know all the things he likes best, so you can be his personal pizza chef."

He slips his apron on and ties his hair back again, then leans to press a kiss to Danny's cheek in thanks. "That's a he-" He catches himself just in time and finishes- "ckuva career change. Sounds like you've got yourself the best teacher, though."

And then he's shifting his attention to the dough, showing Grace how to punch it down and then separate it into the right size balls for everyone to have their own personal pizza, their own dessert pizza, and some extras for experimenting. And then it's about how to stretch the dough and toss it, a process that only fails to become a disaster because Eliot watches like a hawk and steps in to catch the errant crust every time it goes sailing off towards the sink or the floor or Grace or Danny's hair. He's remarkably patient about it, including when it comes to dressing the crusts, and while he makes comments or suggestions, he doesn't criticize or outright forbid any of Grace's attempts to experiment... he just gently suggests she make at least one bulletproof pizza with ingredients she knows she'll like as a backup, just in case.

Grace nods enthusiastically, happy at both now being able to make someone else a pizza and being a personal pizza chef. With a huge grin at Eliot she accepts Danno's help in getting her apron on and pulls over the stool she uses when helping to cook.

Paying a great amount of detail to Eliot's instructions she follows them as best as she's able. In the beginning she's very serious about her work but she can't help but giggle after the first time the tossed dough goes a bit wild but Eliot manages to save it each and every time. When it comes time to making them she starts off conservatively but quickly shifts to perhaps being a bit too liberally before toning it down again. There's a pizza for her that's a guaranteed like, and there's an wild one with things she just wanted to try. There's also a pizza for Uncle Steve that as far as she's concerned he will love. It's got his favorite meats and a healthy portion of veggies because she knows that's important to him too. Dressing the desert pizza's though she definitely attempted to, and likely still did, go overboard on.

By the end she's grinning and happy. Looking at Eliot, she likes the new man and has enjoyed spending time with him and her father. With a tilt of the head, she asks, "Are you an 'Uncle' or a 'Step' or something else? As you're Danno's boyfriend you're not really an 'Uncle' but Step-Stan doesn't do stuff like this so you don't really fit there either. Do I call you Mister Eliot?" She curled her nose, she didn't like that either but she was raised that the adults in her life had titles, (Auntie Kono and Uncle Chin) and it didn't seem right to just call him by his first name, and she didn't know his last name - although that seemed too formal too.

Danny ties the apron on Grace before he gets his own on. He doesn't get too involved in that actual dressing of the pizzas, letting Grace and Eliot handle that but instead helps with fetching things, carrying and tidying.

He pauses at Grace's question and looks at Eliot. 'Step' sounds awefully formal and he is worried it will be too much for Eliot. He glances Grace and then smiles. "I think in the kitchen the correct term is Chef. Isn't that right, Eliot?" Trying to bring some lightness into a rather heavy question.

They end up with almost as much sauce and cheese on the counters as on the pizzas, but Eliot just wipes it up as they go without complaint. It's easy enough and there's no reason to ruin a little kid's fun with excessive rules or a shitty attitude when she's being creative. He likes that it's apparently a perspective Danny shares.

And if some of her creations end up being basically inedible... well, live and learn. He makes sure that there's a basic fruit tart and a cinnamon sugar pizza to go with her wilder dessert creation, though he figures the odds of her liking that, at least, are a bit higher than where she's combined chocolate and cheese and red sauce. And it's clear she's made an effort to actually make something Steve will like, not just something she wants to inflict on him. She's a good kid, and it's almost surreal that Danny's letting him share this.

He can't help leaning his shoulder into Danny's from time to time, or passing a hand across his back or his neck. It's almost as much to reassure himself this is real as it is for the simple warmth of the contact. Jesus, he's so screwed, and he looks at Danny a bit helplessly when Grace asks what she should call him. This is not a situation he's ever encountered, and while he can bull his way through most things with casual confidence this... it's different. More important. More frightening.

He laughs quietly at Danny's suggestion, relief flooding him. "Yeah, sweetheart," he answers, grinning at Danny and barely resisting the urge to lean in and brush a kiss to his cheek. "Chef'd be about right." He turns back to Grace and bends down a little to wipe a smudge of red sauce off her chin. "How's that sound t'you, darlin'?"

Grace's eyebrows go up in delight at the idea of calling Eliot, 'Chef'. Turning from her father to Eliot, she grins and bounces when he says that he likes it too.

Appreciating that he bends down to look her in the eye, her grin is huge and she can't resist the squeal of happiness begging to be released. "Eeeeee!!! I think it sounds perfect, Chef!"

In the background she hears a door open and then feet on the stairs. The kitchen's in the back of the house, under the bedrooms upstairs, so she can't see who it is, but she recognizes the footfalls to be her Uncle Steve's. A moment later the shower starts up and she expects he'll be down to see them soon. Uncle Steve is never long in the shower. She can't wait to show him the pizza she made for him.

It's been a great day for Grace and she does a little butt-wiggle dance while standing on her stool. Looking over their dressed pizzas, she really couldn't be much happier. "What's the next step, Chef? Is it time to cook them now?"

"Glad you like it, pipsqueak." He manages to at least appear to keep all his attention focused on her while listening to Steve's return. He'd gone far enough to be out of Eliot's hearing range briefly, but he's been marking his progress back towards the house since he came back within his hearing range and he's relieved at the other Sentinel's return.

"Yep, darlin'. The next step is puttin' 'em on the grill, and that part you're prob'ly gonna have to let me an your daddy handle this time 'round, okay?" He smiles at Danny over her head and goes about making sure the pizzas are properly arranged so he can slip them from their cookie sheets onto the pizza stone without casualties. "We'll hafta do just two at a time, but they'll cook up pretty fast on the grill."

Danny grins and then leans over to kiss Eliot quickly. "Chef suits you." Then he loads up with pizzas, even letting Grace carry one so they can get them all out to the grill. This is good. He is happy and his little family is all together. Yeah it's taken about five seconds to adopt Eliot into it, all it really took was for Grace to like him. "They look really good, babe. I am looking forward to this."

Once everything is outside and Eliot's started cooking he convinces Grace to help him set the outdoors table. He even lets her decide where everyone should sit. He makes up a big pitcher of lemonade and also fetches a beer for each of the grownups.

A bit of time on his own to process his thoughts while getting in some exercise had been exactly what Steve needed. Coming out of the shower his head was clear and he didn't feel as run down, although the nap with Eliot certainly had helped with that as well. He waited until then to dial up his hearing, prior only sensitive enough for heartbeats, and he's happy to find everyone in seemingly good spirits.

Coming down he's in a pair of comfortable shorts and an old US Navy T-Shirt. His hair is still wet and spiky from the shower. Coming out on the lanai, he peeks in over Eliot's shoulder on the grill and smiles at the other man. "They look good!"

Going over to Grace he gives her a big hug and kisses her head. "Thank you for making mine, Gracie. I had too many ants in my pants after having a nap and needed to run them out."

Eyes moving to Danny, he takes in the other man's demeanor and smiles. "Anything I can do to help?"

That deep ache in his chest goes tight and hot at the casual endearment, at the way Danny leans in to kiss him. This isn't something he's supposed to be able to have, but Danny's laying it out in front of him like it's the simplest thing in the universe for him to just... pick it up and keep it. And it's so damn hard to not just let himself believe it can be his.

He drags a thumb lightly along Danny's jaw as he pulls away, catching at the stubble, and ruffles Grace's hair. "My sous-chef did good work," he answers, and smiles after them as they head in to get plates and flatware and start setting the table.

After that his focus is mostly on the pizzas--it definitely takes a bit of finesse to get them on and off the stone--but he doesn't even have to think to keep track of all of the rest of them as he does it. Breathing and heart rate, each distinctive step, Grace's lilting little girl voice and Danny's, deeper and rougher but still soft and gentle with her as they work. And Steve, making his way almost silently down there stairs.

Eliot doesn't so much as twitch at his approach, and it's still a surprise that he doesn't mind letting the other Sentinel come up behind him this way. Hell, he has to remind himself not to lean into him when he comes close enough to peek over his shoulder. "Yeah, well, I had a pretty creative sous-chef helpin' me put them together," he answers, and grins as Steve peels away to greet Grace and Danny.

"Yeah, grab the salad outa the fridge, the first four are up!" he calls to Steve, sliding the next two onto the grill and closing the lid before padding over with the first selection. It's got Steve and Danny's 'bomb proof' pizzas she'd made them, as well as two of her more... creative attempts. "

Danny opens a couple of beers, offering one to each of his sentinels before he gets his own. "You should see what she does to pancakes." he chuckles. She was creative yes, but at least most of the time it was good if overly sweet. He leans down to kiss her hair before getting her set at the table and moving to cut her pizza into slices that would be easier for her to handle. He also makes sure she gets a bit of salad with her pizza.

Once Grace's pizza is set and he is ready to handle his own he smiles at Steve. "Had a good run?" It feels like an oxymoron to say, in Danny's world no run is a good run. Then he glances over at Eliot. "I hope you packed swimwear, Steve might drag you out for a morning swim tomorrow." He nods towards the little private beach. "He tried with me a few times but..."

Getting a big hug from Gracie, she very quickly fills him in on everything he's missed. Including how the pizza's were made and that according to 'Chef' she makes a very good 'Sue's Chef'. It's not difficult for him to figure out who Chef is and he instantly knows that's something he'll be using himself for the older man. At Danny's encouragement she starts to set the table while he ducks into the kitchen to grab the salad.

When he comes back out the table is set - Danny and Eliot on one side, Gracie and him on the other, with him and Eliot facing each other. Accepting his beer from Danny, he nods in thanks and sits in his designated seat. "These look and smell amazing, Gracie. Thank you." The words are directed to the little girl beside him but looks up to smile at Eliot.

"I did. You should really join me at some point. A bit of running would do you good." It's an old joke between them. He knows damn well that Danny will never run with him unless it's on the job and after a suspect - even then, Danny usually will take the car or elevator depending and let Steve do the direct chasing. An intrigued eyebrow is raised towards Eliot. "... Danno don't like the water," he finishes the other man's sentence and then asks, "How about you? If you didn't bring anything we have extra suits. I'm sure something of mine or Danny's would fit." He smiles. "Nothing like an early morning swim in the ocean to start your day."

That warm, pulsing ache in his chest is getting harder to ignore, and Eliot's not sure if he's grateful for the fact Grace put him next to Danny so that he can reach out under the table and curl a hand loosely at his--at his Guide's--wrist, or if he should be resisting the contact. This can't last, he knows it can't last, but it's getting harder to believe that. To believe that Danny would let him in this far if there were any chance he'd decide to just let him fall by the wayside again.

"What, you don't like runnin', you don't like swimmin', just what do you do t'stay in shape?" Eliot asks, giving Danny a cockeyed grin... and sliding his hand down farther to lace their fingers together under the table. "Wasn't really expecting t'be holidaying, but if one'a you wants to loan me trunks I'd be up for a swim."

Danny gives his hand a little squeeze. When Eliot's touching him like that a nice warm feeling spreads inside him, pulling him towards Eliot. "I get plenty of workout working with Steve." He chuckles. "Besides there is a gym at the palace."

He grins over at Steve, the same warm feeling is there, just a little fainter because he is further away. "I should have some that fit you." Or at least some with decent elastic that they can make work. He falls quiet as he bites into his pizza, just having a moment of enjoying it. It was everything he missed right here. Well almost. Good as Eliot is, it's still not quite New York pizza, but close enough that he won't complain. There is a small little content sigh escaping him before he looks at them again. "That is really good dough you have there."

Raising an eyebrow he shakes his head at Danny's comment. "You make it sound like its my fault that we chase criminals around most days. I have no control over the fact that when they see us coming they seem to think running is a good idea." He looks at Gracie at his side and winks at her. "I have no idea where they think they are going to go, we live on an island after all!"

Turning his to Eliot he smiles and nods. "Good. That's settled then. The real question is do you mind being up just before dawn?"

"Thanks, sweetheart." Eliot knows he should let go of Danny's hand--he's nearly forty damn years old, not fourteen--but he can manage pizza well enough one-handed, and the warmth of the contact is settling.

"I haven't slept past dawn in over twenty years unless I was-" He catches himself just short of tacking on the 'hung over or half dead' he'd been about to in deference to Grace's presence, and finishes with just the slightest pause- "Really tired, Sparky. Gettin' up won't be a problem."

He takes a bite of his own pizza--still one handed--and chews with a look of deep consideration on his face. "Definitely ain't bad, but you'll never get anything like a New York crust out here, it's all in the tap water."

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Re: Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile

Steve and Eliot cuddle pile