Hawaii Five 0 - A Thing
Title: A Thing
Author: ktbob
Rating: PG
Word count: 732
Pairing: Steve/Danno (pre-slash)
Spoilers: Minor spoilers for Hana a'a Makehewa (ep 12)
Disclaimer: Not mine, no how, no way.
Summary: Steve's in a mood. Danny's had enough.
A/N: For shutupandplay and skippy9474
who decided on Twitter someone needed to write this fic. Hope I did it justice. :)
Silence filled the interior of the car, oppressive like the midafternoon heat beating through the windows. Danny looked out at the scenery whipping by at speeds far beyond the official limit, wondering idly when he’d become so blasé about breaking land speed records every time he sat in the passenger seat.
Steve was gripping the steering wheel tightly, the only sign of whatever it was that was antagonizing him today. Because despite outward appearances, Steve was in A Mood.
“That’s it,” Danny announced suddenly, taking perverse pleasure in watching Steve jump. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Excuse me?” Steve shot him a sidelong glare. “There is nothing wrong with me.”
“Ha.”
Steve tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “What are you, twelve? What kind of an answer is that?”
“A disbelieving one. A disagreeing one. A short but powerful rebuttal to your blatantly untrue statement. You want to know what’s wrong with you? I could provide a list. A bulleted list. In a PowerPoint presentation.”
Steve turned to glare at him again.
“Eyes on the road, babe,” Danny said, gesturing out the front windshield.
If anything, Steve’s jaw got tighter at that.
“Hey. Aneurysm face. That’s what I’m talking about. There’s something eating at you and I’m sick of walking on eggshells around it. So tell me what the hell is wrong.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s something.”
“I’m dealing with it.”
“Not very well, my friend.” Danny shrugged. “I’m not the most sensitive guy, and even I am bothered by your mood-with-a-capital-M.”
After a long, long pause, Steve finally said, “Okay, look.” He swallowed, making his Aneurysm Face even more pronounced. “It’s just what you said. Back at the prison, to Sang Min.”
“What?” Danny pulled back, his brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
Steve shook his head. “Never mind.”
“You didn’t like my interrogation technique? What?”
Danny watched, fascinated, as a red flush crept up Steve’s neck.
“Just… drop it, okay?”
“Are you kidding?” Danny waved one hand in the air. “We’ve been working together for months. When have you ever, in our history together, known me to just drop it?”
“It’s no big deal.”
“Clearly it bothers you. Although I can’t imagine what in the world I said to Sang Min that offended you.”
“You called him babe, all right?” Steve clamped his mouth shut and stared out the windshield again, ostensibly watching the road.
“I…” Danny tilted his head to the side, wracking his brain. “I did?”
Steve nodded, face tight.
“I don’t even remember,” Danny said. “And hey, maybe it offends your sense of professionalism, but I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just a word. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Oh, like that makes it better,” Steve muttered.
“What?” Danny was using both hands now, waving in front of him as he exploded. “It was nothing! I say it all the time!”
“To me!” Steve was suddenly yelling, too, pointing a finger at Danny’s chest. “You call me babe! Not some sleazy criminal!”
“I - uh - what?” Danny stared at him, his mouth hanging open. “Are you jealous?”
“No!” Steve pulled back, focusing on the road. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“What would you call it, then? If you’re bitching at me about calling some other guy ‘babe’?”
Steve huffed out a breath. “It’s just - I thought it was a thing. I thought we had a thing. Like when I call you Danno.”
Danny nodded slowly. “A term of endearment. I get it.”
“Christ, I don’t want you to condescend to me-“
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Steve-o.” Danny smirked at the death ray glare Steve shot him. He’d have to hold on to that one. “I’m not being condescending. I understand. Not that you could call anyone else Danno, but I’d probably feel the same way if the situation were reversed.”
“Really.” Disbelief dripped from Steve’s tone.
“Yeah.” Danny leaned back in his seat, one arm resting on the edge of the door. “So, I apologize. No more babes unless they’re directed at you. Because God knows I wouldn’t want to mess up a good thing.”
“Screw you,” Steve said, but there wasn’t any heat behind it. And as they sped down the road to headquarters, the anger and stress washed out of the car, leaving behind a different kind of tension altogether.
Danny was okay with dealing with that later.
But not too much later.