Chapter Text
His lower lip quivers as the diving team hooks the truck onto the lines and the crane begins pulling in the steel cables. He’s cold to the bone, but also aware the problem isn’t the chilly breeze that blows past them every now and then. He crosses his arms tighter over his chest, bracing for the important part of the recovery operation unfolding in front of his eyes.
Grover, sensing his distress, squeezes his shoulder and slowly lifts his arm, going for the half hug, but Danny shakes him off, affronted by the gesture of comfort.
He steps closer to the railing, to get a better look. A fierce mantra going over and over inside his head. Steve’s alive. Steve’s not there. Steve’s alive. Steve’s not there.
The lines on the crane finally tense up and there’s a noticeable movement under the water that builds and builds, until the Silverado’s rear bumper breaks through the surface.
Danny scoffs.
“Motherfucker,” he whispers, beyond his control. “Hook the front first and save me the misery.”
Steve’s alive. Steve’s not there. Steve’s alive. Steve’s not there.
Grover twitches, now next to Danny, holding onto the railing as well, though this time, he doesn’t offer any sort of comfort.
Steve’s alive. Steve’s not there. Steve’s alive. Steve’s not there.
The water pours from under the doors and the wheels as they slowly lift the Silverado out of the water. There’s a shattered back seat window and a whole tire is missing. The toolbox behind is open and picked clean. Algae hangs and tangles up everywhere.
The mantra goes louder inside his head, until it becomes and angry desperate buzz.
Alive. Not there. Alive. Not there. Alive. Alive. Alive.
The front of the truck is pulled out of the water with a loud splashing sound. The windshield is shattered as well and a whole pool of sea water pours out, fish and all. But no Steve.
Danny almost faints from the relief.
He blinks rapidly, holding for dear life to the rail, suddenly so close to it, it’s painfully digging into this body. His mouth fills with saliva, but he bows to not break his streak, swallowing thickly. And fails.
He ends up spilling he’s meagre breakfast of two cups of coffee over the deck and partly into the ocean.
“Well, you know what they say, man, better out than…” Grover trails off.
Danny swipes his mouth with the back of his hand and turns around, ready to take some heat from Grover, and then give some shit back, their manly way of lifting each other’s spirits under the circumstances. He almost faints again.
“Steve,” he says on an exhale, “you’re here, you’re alive.”
Steve smiles a slow easy smile and cards his fingers through Danny’s hair, pulling slightly at the rumpled blond curl on his nape.
“No, I’m not, look again.” He nods towards the Silverado, which now dangles from the steel cable like a caught fish.
Danny’s stomach drops and the world turns around him, there, on the cabin of the truck, hangs Steve’s body, still strapped to the seat by the belt.
An encompassing numbness overtakes him, like an oppressing figure that surreptitiously steals his breath away. His hands start to shake, and he falls back onto the deck, unable to look away from Steve’s lifeless body.
“Hey, Danny, Danno, wake up, babe, you’re having a nightmare.”
Danny sucks up air like he was dying.
In a way he was.
“Heeeey, take a deep breath, it’s okay, you’re safe, you’re okay.”
Steve cards his fingers through Danny’s hair, coming to rest it over Danny’s neck, squeezing lightly.
Danny nods, trying to shake the nightmare away. The smell of the ocean, the cold.
He breathes deeply and regularly, taking comfort in the sleepy environment around him. Steve’s faded cologne. The soft scritch-scratch of the covers against his legs.
“You good?” Steve’s voice comes as a rasp; he must’ve been fast asleep.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m sorry for waking you.”
“Come here,” Steve says, with open arms.
Danny doesn’t have to think it twice, already melting at Steve’s side, enjoying his warmth.
After a while his heart slows down to something more acceptable.
As he’s about to fall asleep, Steve interrupts his plans. “I love you.”
Danny smiles. “Me too.”