Hugs! Hugs hugs hugs.
GUYS, HOLY CRAP, THERE IS A HUGFEST.
I wrote Steve/Danny hugging for it, because awwwwwww, 892 words. But there's other hugs on that thread, and if you're feeling huggy you can add your own to it :D
There are some things that people just do not know about Danny Williams. In the fourth grade, he won a watermelon-seed-spitting contest; he doesn't like eggplant; he's named after his mother's uncle's best friend Sylvester (middle name, thank God); he's got a thing for hugs.
He loves hugging, seriously, loves it like people love sports or cars or something. And it's not like it's something he sets out to hide - God knows he hugs Grace all the time, in front of any and everyone, and Grace, God bless the light of his life, hugs him right back, tiny arms wound around his neck and squeezing, little head laid right on his shoulder, leaning straight into him. And not that he'll ever complain about Grace, not about anything, but he'd like to be getting hugs from someone other than her occasionally.
And then there's the day, that insane-even-by-his-new-standards day, the one where Steve gets knocked out and Mary gets kidnapped and they chase a car up a mountain to save Steve's baby sister, and when they get her out of the trunk Steve just - envelops her, like his arms around her could keep the bad things away. And she goes into it readily, clutching at her brother, settling against him as he pulls her in and just snuggles her, and okay, she's had a shitty day, but Danny is jealous.
He realises the ridiculousness of that as soon as he recognises it and tries, really tries to not-feel it. But what has been felt can never be un-felt, so as they get into the car (he gracefully takes the back seat, letting Mary and Steve sit in the front, because he can understand wanting to keep your loved ones in your line of sight, especially after things go wrong) he can't help but feel like he finally knows exactly the hug he wants.
Not that he's ever going to, you know, get it, but hey, it's nice to dream.
He's talking to Mary later, while she's still at the station, sitting in the chair across from his desk and idly playing with her necklace. He brings it up without thinking about it. "That was some hug, huh?"
Mary smiles widely, the edges of it crinkling her eyes. "He's always been like that," she says, with the air of someone telling a secret. "He has these hugs that make the world seem better, he really does. I haven't gotten one like that since Mom's funeral."
She says it without any hint of pain or shame or longing, and Danny sort of envies her that, too, the ease with which she can put some things behind her; or, at least, the ease with which she can hide what she's feeling. "Nice," he finally replies.
Mary's eyes crinkle a little more. "Jealous?" she teases, and Danny doesn't know what flashes across his face, but the her smile changes, shifts into something less teasing, more sweet. "Aw, Danno, just ask him for a hug."
And Danny's not sure when she'd picked up the nickname, too, but it's a little weird to realise that he doesn't mind it. But still - "No, I don't think so."
"It won't be weird," Mary insists, and Danny just laughs.
"Sure," he says with a smile, "won't be weird at all. 'Hey, Steve, I really like hugs, and I saw you give your sister a nice one earlier, can I get one of those too-'"
"Of course you can," Steve says from the doorway, and Christ, he moves quietly when he wants to. Danny can feel his face flame ten shades of red, and he's already starting to backpedal as Steve makes his way easily across the room.
"I was just-" he starts, but Steve's tugging on his hands and pulling him out of his chair, and he can see Mary make her way out of the office as Steve's arms fold around him.
It's exactly like he thought it would be - warm, comforting, safe, and Danny doesn't even try to resist how his body fits into Steve's, pressing in all the right places, his arms coming up to rest on Steve's back. Steve brings one of his arms low around Danny's waist and angles it up so his hand rests on Danny's shoulderblade; his other hand cups the back of Danny's head, warm and softer than he'd expected, bringing him in to rest on Steve's shoulder.
In short, it is the best hug Danny can remember getting in the past, oh, twenty years of his life (except for Grace, of course, because Grace's hugs are like magic and sunshine).
"You good?" Steve murmurs from above him, and it should be weird, should be awkward but it isn't, not even a little bit.
"Yeah," Danny says into Steve's neck, just below his ear.
Neither of them move.
"Okay," Steve says after another minute or so. "Ready?"
"Yeah," Danny sighs, because no is the wrong answer here. Steve laughs.
"Liar," he points out, and he shifts a little and settles Danny more solidly against his body, and Danny closes his eyes, and for a few precious moments everything is sublime. And yeah, soon he's going to have to open his eyes and step away and they'll have to go back to work, but this, here, right now? This is perfect.
GO FORTH AND HUG, PEOPLE!
I wrote Steve/Danny hugging for it, because awwwwwww, 892 words. But there's other hugs on that thread, and if you're feeling huggy you can add your own to it :D
There are some things that people just do not know about Danny Williams. In the fourth grade, he won a watermelon-seed-spitting contest; he doesn't like eggplant; he's named after his mother's uncle's best friend Sylvester (middle name, thank God); he's got a thing for hugs.
He loves hugging, seriously, loves it like people love sports or cars or something. And it's not like it's something he sets out to hide - God knows he hugs Grace all the time, in front of any and everyone, and Grace, God bless the light of his life, hugs him right back, tiny arms wound around his neck and squeezing, little head laid right on his shoulder, leaning straight into him. And not that he'll ever complain about Grace, not about anything, but he'd like to be getting hugs from someone other than her occasionally.
And then there's the day, that insane-even-by-his-new-standards day, the one where Steve gets knocked out and Mary gets kidnapped and they chase a car up a mountain to save Steve's baby sister, and when they get her out of the trunk Steve just - envelops her, like his arms around her could keep the bad things away. And she goes into it readily, clutching at her brother, settling against him as he pulls her in and just snuggles her, and okay, she's had a shitty day, but Danny is jealous.
He realises the ridiculousness of that as soon as he recognises it and tries, really tries to not-feel it. But what has been felt can never be un-felt, so as they get into the car (he gracefully takes the back seat, letting Mary and Steve sit in the front, because he can understand wanting to keep your loved ones in your line of sight, especially after things go wrong) he can't help but feel like he finally knows exactly the hug he wants.
Not that he's ever going to, you know, get it, but hey, it's nice to dream.
He's talking to Mary later, while she's still at the station, sitting in the chair across from his desk and idly playing with her necklace. He brings it up without thinking about it. "That was some hug, huh?"
Mary smiles widely, the edges of it crinkling her eyes. "He's always been like that," she says, with the air of someone telling a secret. "He has these hugs that make the world seem better, he really does. I haven't gotten one like that since Mom's funeral."
She says it without any hint of pain or shame or longing, and Danny sort of envies her that, too, the ease with which she can put some things behind her; or, at least, the ease with which she can hide what she's feeling. "Nice," he finally replies.
Mary's eyes crinkle a little more. "Jealous?" she teases, and Danny doesn't know what flashes across his face, but the her smile changes, shifts into something less teasing, more sweet. "Aw, Danno, just ask him for a hug."
And Danny's not sure when she'd picked up the nickname, too, but it's a little weird to realise that he doesn't mind it. But still - "No, I don't think so."
"It won't be weird," Mary insists, and Danny just laughs.
"Sure," he says with a smile, "won't be weird at all. 'Hey, Steve, I really like hugs, and I saw you give your sister a nice one earlier, can I get one of those too-'"
"Of course you can," Steve says from the doorway, and Christ, he moves quietly when he wants to. Danny can feel his face flame ten shades of red, and he's already starting to backpedal as Steve makes his way easily across the room.
"I was just-" he starts, but Steve's tugging on his hands and pulling him out of his chair, and he can see Mary make her way out of the office as Steve's arms fold around him.
It's exactly like he thought it would be - warm, comforting, safe, and Danny doesn't even try to resist how his body fits into Steve's, pressing in all the right places, his arms coming up to rest on Steve's back. Steve brings one of his arms low around Danny's waist and angles it up so his hand rests on Danny's shoulderblade; his other hand cups the back of Danny's head, warm and softer than he'd expected, bringing him in to rest on Steve's shoulder.
In short, it is the best hug Danny can remember getting in the past, oh, twenty years of his life (except for Grace, of course, because Grace's hugs are like magic and sunshine).
"You good?" Steve murmurs from above him, and it should be weird, should be awkward but it isn't, not even a little bit.
"Yeah," Danny says into Steve's neck, just below his ear.
Neither of them move.
"Okay," Steve says after another minute or so. "Ready?"
"Yeah," Danny sighs, because no is the wrong answer here. Steve laughs.
"Liar," he points out, and he shifts a little and settles Danny more solidly against his body, and Danny closes his eyes, and for a few precious moments everything is sublime. And yeah, soon he's going to have to open his eyes and step away and they'll have to go back to work, but this, here, right now? This is perfect.
GO FORTH AND HUG, PEOPLE!