dann_0 | PSL: Sentinel AU

"Things are good. He's at work. I am just packing up my things before heading over there. I've been staying at his place." None of that is strange really. So he knows he needs to spell things out more. He takes a little breath, trying to figure out how to say it.

"Good! That's good to hear." That Danny has been staying with Eliot isn't a surprise to Steve. Really he expects Danny has utilized his knowledge of working with him for Eliot, tweaking where needed but using his experience as a base. There's something in Danny's voice that concerns him though. It's not that he's all that great with emotions, but he is good at reading Danny and he knows instantly that something is up. "What's wrong? Did something turn up with the case?"

"No. No. Nothing is wrong." Yet. What could go wrong is how Steve reacts to this. Danny isn't sure why but what Steve thinks really matters. Especially here. He'd never really told Steve he was into guys as well, he'd just assumed Steve would have noticed after a few awkward mornings. But he can't lie to Steve. "Eliot and I hooked up. I am not exactly sure what I'd call it but yeah.." Calling it dating seems premature but at the same time, it also feels serious enough for it. But even though he is worried about what Steve is going to think, he sounds happy with it.

Out of all the possible responses that Danny could have given him, that hadn't even been on Steve's radar. At first he's surprised into silence. There's the sound of his office door opening and closing through the phone, followed by the muffle of cloth on leather and air leaving the couch cushion as he drops onto the couch.

"You hooked up?" The question is confused more than anything else, wondering if he's somehow misunderstood what Danny means. He doesn't think so though. Yes he'd noticed Danny's state some mornings but he hadn't thought more about it than natural 'morning wood'. He wouldn't let himself, that was dangerous territory.

Really it shouldn't matter to Steve who Danny 'hooks up' with. He knows his partner is more than a one night stand or friends with benefits type of guy and he knew at some point Danny would find a romantic partner he'd want to be with. Steve had been somewhat prepared for that. Not figuring their relationship would change much besides the sleeping arrangements, but this was vastly different. Eliot wasn't just a romantic partner, he was a sentinel and sentinels paired with guides. They became extremely protective and possessive of their guide and while Steve thought about Danny as his guide he was well aware that was not the case and couldn't be. He'd fooled himself into thinking their situation wouldn't change.

"Oh." His voice squeaks and he quickly clears his throat and tries again. "You, uh, you sound... Happy...? Things must be going very well with Eliot." He knows what this means. He's been here before. More times than he cares to remember but his priority is still Danny, being there to support his best friend. It takes everything he has to mask his hurt and disappointment into something resembling concern. "So this, this is a good thing?"

"Yeah, yeah it is." Danny frowns. He could hear the worry and he had some ideas of what had happened to Steve in the past. "This doesn't change anything between us, you know that right? He knows you're also my Sentinel. You both are. I am not leaving you. He knows you and I sleep together and he doesn't mind." Well, that might have been stretching it but at least Eliot hadn't said he didn't want Danny to sleep in Steve's bed.

"He even calls you mine. I am not going to let this come between us, you know that right?"

Blinking at Danny's words, Steve could easily hear that Danny believed them to be true. But Danny was new at this. Didn't really know how things worked with their kind and only having Steve to go by, well he wasn't a textbook example.

"It doesn't work that way, partner. It might be fine with him at the moment but eventually he's going to want to bond. So will you." Steve ran a hand over his face. There was so much more to it than that. "It's... okay." No, no it wasn't but Steve didn't have a right to get in the way. "I can't give you that. Even if I could bond, with my situation... You deserve to have that, Danny."

Edited 2017-05-19 07:34 (UTC)

"You know I can hear when you lie, Steven." He sighs. This is going as bad as he had feared. "But we're not there yet. Right now he and I are working out how to make this work long distance. Complicating it with bonding would be out of the question even if I didn't have another Sentinel. You're part of this Steve. You get to have a say in things. You can say no. That's the only way this is going to work, the two of you are equals, you both get to decide."

"I'm not saying that."

Running a hand over his hair he had to get a grip on himself. He'd already committed to this plan of action, it was too late to back-out now, even if he wanted to. Which he both did and didn't depending on whether he was being completely selfish or thinking of Danny. Danny was his priority - that was his mantra.

The thing was, Steve was only upsetting Danny by arguing against himself. He'd find out there were somethings that weren't as simple as making a choice soon enough. When better matches were found, guides moved on. Danny may be emotionally committed to Steve but biologically he was going to become Eliot's and eventually one would have to give. He'd never heard of a guide being shared like this, they were always in pairs. Always focused on one sentinel. And Steve was not capable of being paired.

"How are you guys making out with that? Come up with any ideas?" Yes, he was trying to change the topic. "Anything I can do to help?"

"For the most part, it seems it will be visiting him as often as I can. Or meet somewhere in the middle. Hawaii isn't really a good option." Besides the military presence, it is also Steve's turf. And right now Danny is not going to push anything there. Not until he is home and has made damn sure Steve knows he isn't letting him go.

"I sent you a copy of the whole case file, you should already have it. Have Chin go over it and we can talk about it on Friday. Because I am coming back to you." He smiles softly. "You have my car keys after all." More than that, he loves Steve, Steve is his partner, best friend, and Sentinel.

"No, I guess it wouldn't be." They've already talked about the military presence being an issue but he suspects it's also his presence. The urge is there to tease Danny that there is nothing but ocean in the middle but he's not in the mood for it and he knows what he means.

"We do and he has." Steve's voice has gone mostly flat and introspective. It feels like a loss, even if it's not immediate. Danny is just delaying the inevitable. He's not losing Danny completely though, he just needs to keep reminding himself of that. "You still coming home on Thursday or waiting till Friday morning?" It would make sense to Steve for him to have changed his mind to stay for the extra time.

"I'll be home on Thursday. That is still the same. You going to pick me up?" He hopes so. He'd like the car ride to talk to Steve, get close to him and get his thoughts on things before they are in the house and Steve can find ways to avoid him. Not that he thinks the guy will but he is worried.

"We can grab a late dinner or something."

"Of course I'll be there." He says it like there's no question about it but the thought had crossed his mind to send Chin or Kono. With them living and working together, there's no way he can truly avoid Danny, and it's not that he really wants to either. It's just that he needs a bit of time to adjust, wrap his head around this new information and be in the right mindset to support Danny.

"We can grab take-out on the way home... Unless you want me to pick up something to make?"

Danny smiles and you can hear it in his voice when he speaks. He is happy Steve isn't going to try to avoid him. "Take out sounds good. Worst case we can ask Kamekona to bring something by but I was hoping to just spend the evening with the two of us. Isn't there that place you've been wanting to try?"

"Yeah that Indian place that's out by the airport." Usually it's too far out of their way but since they'll be right there. "You ever have Indian food, Buddy?" Steve doesn't need to avoid Danny to avoid the subject and he will attempt to avoid that as much as possible. The evening together sounds good but Steve is already preparing himself for the changes he knows are coming.

Danny laughs at that. "Yeah, there are a couple of decent places in Jersey. I should take you some time. Alright. I should let you get back to work. I just wanted to let you know everything so it wouldn't be a surprise on Thursday. Alright. I love you, buddy."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Very much so. It at least gives Steve a chance to prepare for the change in scent and time to adapt on his own to the new information. "Say hi to Eliot. Enjoy the rest of your time there." There's a pause as the lump in his throat forms. Clearing his throat he forces a smile. "Love you too, Buddy, travel safe." With that he hangs up his phone but he doesn't move off the couch for a very long time.

PSL: Sentinel AU

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Re: Phone call to Steve

Phone call to Steve