#baker danny

[merlin-wolfgang-trades-hale]

Steve can tell that something is up with Danny. He’s been quiet at work for the last few days and he knows that’s never a good thing. Steve has been racking his brain all day trying to figure out why Danny’s been so quiet as of late. He thinks that maybe it has something to do with the kids, but what he doesn’t know is that Danny is trying to find a good way to tell him that he’s dating Harry. My question...how do you think Danny would tell Steve about his relationship?!

Ooh~ Yeah I can totally see this. 

At first, he doesn’t notice it too much and later curses himself for not noticing it. He and Danny are the leaders of 5-0, a shared control even if Steve himself is recognized as the boss. He and Danny are equals… and it’s part of why they’ve split up more in recent cases. As much as he acts like those lil quips about getting older don’t get to him…they do. But more so they worry him about the effectiveness of the team. So he sends Junior out with Danny when he can so he could learn more about the detective side of things, the civilian way of thinking, while he brings Tani with him to show her a bit of the military way of thinking. Same applies with Lou and Adam even though they have more experience in the field and it depends more or less on the case…

But none of them have come to Steve about Danny being quiet. Then again they don’t know him like he does. He tries to bring him into a conversation, or make him mad and bring him into banter. Not really mad just…to spark up something that’ll let slip whatever is really bothering him. But Danny is guarded. He’s being very specifics with his words and it only makes Steve panic. What could be so bad that Danny’s hiding it from Steve? 

The kids were the only logical reason, but they were fine. Grace was healing up nicely and still planning on going off to college… so…Charlie? But no, he seemed perfectly fine the last time Steve saw him. What if it wasn’t an illness or injury though? What if…what if Rachel decided to move again after Grace was off to college? It wouldn’t be absurd…but she was Charlie’s main parent so if she moved…Charlie would have to go with her. People are creatures of habit, and if Rachel didn’t care if Danny followed Grace to Hawaii or not despite that his whole life and everyone he knew and love was in Jersey…who’s to say she wouldn’t do it again? And Danny….the best dad in all of creation who left everything behind to follow his child…he’d do it again, even if it pained him…

That had to be it. Danny was leaving because Rachel was taking Charlie away. 

Steve should accept it. He should accept that this was an adult decision and he should be calm and collected and respect the choices made. 

Except he did none of that. He made calls to people in high places and was getting ready to call in favors and bring it to court and let Danny have full custody of Charlie. When you save important politicians, befriend rich and influential people, and even some of the shadier criminals who maintain some sort of peace in the rough parts of town…well, Steve’s not one to turn a blind eye to help when it comes to his family. Maybe it was selfish but he knew Danny. He didn’t want to leave. One major move was more than hard enough…he didn’t deserve to be uprooted again. 

Except…after some of his friends did a little digging, there was no sign that Rachel was moving off of the island. 

So that made him frown deeply. What could be going on with Danny then? 

“I can tell him if you want me to.” Harry offered. 

Danny shook his head, “It’s gotta be me. This thing with us…it started out as an accidental flame that grew into an inferno…I should have told him from the stage of a spark…this is on me. You’re his friend too but I’m his best friend…just…give me some time to tell him.” 

“I still have some loose ends to tie up in England. So no dire rush. But if you want me to be there…just ask.” Harry said before he leaned in to kiss Danny. 

Whatever doubts he got usually disappeared with a kiss like that. But he still had to find a way to tell Steve. 

Danny racked his brain for what he could do. In the end, he decided to go with the advice of his nan. Let food be the ice breaker. He thought about what he could make to make the conversation go easier…some of Steve’s food came to mind but he wasn’t sure how Steve would react and didn’t want to be the guy who ruined his previous favorite meal or snack with the image of news that could be considered bad. So that also removed banana chocolate chip pancakes too, along with Christmas cookies. 

Truth be told…Danny spent many hours surfing through the internet looking for the perfect food to break the news to Steve with. In the end…he decided to go with some fudgy brownies. 

He had made a batch the night before, so he had some ready, but he was baking some when he asked Steve to come over. The house smelled like chocolate and he hoped that helped. 

“Those for me?” Steve asked. 

“Even if they weren’t, you’d steal at least one.” Danny countered. 

Some of the tension left Steve’s shoulders that the snarky remark. It was a very Danny thing to say and it felt better than the silence. So Steve grabbed a brownie and asked, “You finally gonna tell me what’s going on?”

Danny sighed but nodded. “I think it’s time…” 

The tension returned to Steve as he steeled himself for whatever it was. 

“I’m seeing someone. It’s…a guy. A friend…and it’s kinda very serious.” 

[erandri]

Kono walks into the office, the scent of something warm and fruity wafting behind her and immediately getting his attention. He breathes in the enticing aroma and follows her into the break room, spotting the source of the smell in her hands.

“Hey boss, want one?” she asks when she spots him, opening up the box and holding it out to him. He peers into the box to see scones neatly lined up with a little container of jelly beside them, “They’re wild berry scones.”

He takes one from the box and bites into it, letting out an indecent sounding moan when the flavors hit his tongue. Kono laughs at him when he takes another bite, savoring the naturally sweet flavors.

“Where did you get these?” he asks around a mouthful and Kono hands him a second scone.

“They’re from my friend Danny. He owns a bakery downtown. I give his daughter surfing lessons and he likes to pay me in pastries,” she explains, taking a bite of her own confection.

“I think I'm in love with him,” he tells her, popping the last of the scone into his mouth and already spreading jelly on his second one.

“I need to make a quick stop, do you mind?” Kono asks as they’re strapping their surfboards to the rack on her car. Since it’s their first full weekend off in months, the three of them decided to go surfing together to blow off steam. Chin had begged off about an hour ago, citing that he was getting too old to stay out on the water so long, but Steve wouldn’t mind hanging out with Kono a little longer before she drops him off at his empty house.

Kono’s quick stop turns out to be dropping off some old rashguards at her friend's bakery. He follows her into the small shop, taking in the display full of treats, the decorated cakes set just behind the counter and finally the man serving guests at the register.

“Danny, howzit brah?” Kono asks, leaning over the counter to give him a hug, “I brought Grace some of my old rashguards for her to try on.”

“Thanks, you can go put them in the back,” he tells her, motioning to the doorway behind him.

“Oh, this is my boss, Steve,” she tells Danny and then skips behind the counter and out of sight.

“So you’re Steve,” Danny says, getting his attention just as he gives him a complete once over.

“And you’re Danny,” he returns the favor, taking in his compact body, the broad shoulders hidden underneath the chef's jacket, the intensely blue eyes. Danny smirks when he meets his gaze and he can feel the slightest blush starting at getting caught checking Danny out.

“I’ve heard you like my scones,” Danny teases and he has a moment to panic over just how much Kono told him when she returns from the back room, a muffin in each hand.

“Ready to go?” she asks, handing a muffin over to him and giving Danny a hug goodbye, saying she’ll meet Grace for their lesson tomorrow. Danny tells her goodbye and when they’re halfway out the door he calls out “Bye Steve,” and he can hear the smile in Danny’s voice.

He stops into the bakery a few days later under the guise of buying himself more scones. The bakery’s empty when he walks in but Danny comes out from the back room as soon as he hears the bell above the door chime.

“I was wondering if you were gonna come back,” he says, leaning on the counter and smiling up at him, “What can I do for ya?”

“Uh scones,” he manages to force out, suddenly tongue-tied under Danny’s attention.

“Scones?” Danny asks, his eyebrows raising in question and he nods his confirmation, “I’m all sold out of scones but if you wanna come in the back I was just about to make another batch.” He agrees and follows Danny, trying not to notice how well his jeans fit him.

Somehow, it becomes routine for him to stop into the bakery and watch Danny while he’s working. Sometimes, when she's there, he and Grace will help decorate some of the simpler treats but mostly the two of them just talk as he watches Danny decorate. Their banter quickly turns to flirtation and now it’s become just as much of an addiction talking to Danny as it is watching the muscles in Danny’s forearms as he uses a piping bag or admiring the way his shirt bunches and pulls around his biceps when he kneads the dough.

“Are you even listening to me?” Danny gets his attention, pointing a chocolate covered finger in his face and distracting him from admiring Danny's look of concentration as he decorates. His expression turns from exasperated to affectionate when he realizes what Steve was doing and suddenly he can’t take the flirting anymore. He grabs Danny’s hand before he can move it, hearing his gasp when he closes his mouth around the still pointed finger and licks off the chocolate with deliberate, slow swipes of his tongue. When he looks up he sees Danny's pupils blown wide as he watches his mouth and he runs his tongue across the pad of Danny’s finger once more before he pulls it away.

“God, you’re gonna kill me doing that,” Danny says, breathless, just before he drops his piping bag and Steve barely has time to register Danny moving before he’s on him, kissing him like he's starving for it. He stands, backing Danny up until they run into the walk-in freezer and he can press Danny against it, sliding his leg in between Danny's and eliminating any space between them. When Danny opens up to him, he tastes like chocolate and berries, and it’s absolute perfection.