Let the Truth Sting

Author's note: Hello everyone, despite being in the middle of a 30.000-word fic I woke up this morning to the sound of Danny's voice yelling at Steve, and ended up with this scene. It's short, raw and I purposefully left it open at the end, but I needed to let it out.

It's set after Steve and Cath are back to HQ, before they all gather at Kamekona's. It's also unbeta'ed, so all mistakes are mine.

"What the hell were you thinking? Huh? What the hell is the matter with you?" Danny Williams stormed into his partner's office, pushing the glass door open with such force it rattled. He stopped by the desk, hands on his hips, his face a mask of anger.

Steve got up from his chair, bracing himself for the storm. He knew this was coming, but wasn't prepared for the intensity marking his friend's features and the harsh tone of his voice. Concerned Danny rant. And the more scared he got, the louder he spoke.

"Listen…" he tried.

"Shush. Zip it. I don't wanna hear it."

"Danny…"

If possible, the blond detective's face became even more flushed. "Do. Not. 'Danny' me," he growled, a finger pointed accusingly at Steve's chest. "One day. I miss work for one day to get Charlie to the doctor for a checkup and you decide to take a walk through the jungle because your ex-girlfriend needs help!"

"She's not—"

"I'm not—"

At the sound of two voices simultaneously countering his words, Danny finally noticed the woman sitting on the couch on Steve's left. Catherine's brow was furrowed, and she was looking at him as if he'd lost his mind. He didn't care. He was way past politeness and pleasantries.

"Shut up! Both of you," he said, slicing a hand through the air before focusing his attention back to Steve. "Did you even think before you said yes? Did you think about yourself for one second before you decided to play hero once again and disregard your own needs?"

"What?" Catherine jumped to her feet as Steve's eyes narrowed in a warning glare.

"No. Of course not. Because you never do." Danny raked a hand through his hair, frustration mounting with each second. "Uranium, Steve! Do you remember what it did to you the first time?"

"It was depleted uranium," Steve offered, as if that could make things better. "It's not as—"

Danny rolled his eyes. He honestly couldn't figure out if Steve didn't care about himself, or if he just cared too much about everyone else."You didn't know! You had no idea what you guys were going to find out there! What if you got exposed again, huh? What if this is the thing that finally kills you?

A sharp intake of breath forced both men to look at Catherine. "Steve? What's going on? What is he talking about?" she asked, a shocked expression on her face.

Steve lowered his gaze, wishing he could crawl into a hole and disappear. He knew Danny was right, but what was he supposed to do? 'Sorry, Cath, I can't help you because I'm already sick with radiation poisoning and I'd rather not get close to uranium again?' He genuinely hadn't even considered the implications of another exposure until they were on their way to Kaho'olawe. Plus, he had an obligation to the island and the people he'd sworn to protect. And a dirty bomb was a serious enough threat to push his own health issues aside.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" Danny stated. It wasn't even a question, because the answer was right in front of him, displayed on Catherine's alarmed gaze and Steve's guilty demeanor. "Unbelievable!"

Steve rubbed his forehead, searching for the right words. "I didn't think it was—"

"What? Important? Risky enough to mention?" Danny took a step back, dumbfounded. "You know what, save it. I don't wanna hear it. I don't know why I even care…" He turned around and strode out of the office, his footsteps echoing loudly around the silent space.

"Danny!" Steve called, immediately starting after him. "Danny, please stop!"

The desperation in his tone halted the Jersey native's dash towards the exit. He stood there, shoulders hunched, until he felt Steve's hand close around his arm.

"Hey, I'm sorry, alright? Can we please talk about this later?"

Danny seemed to deflate, all will to fight apparently lost as he stared at him with sad, resigned eyes, trying to make up for words that right now, he just couldn't find. Steve read the look and swallowed hard, afraid that this time he'd gone too far.

"We're all meeting at Kamekona's for dinner," he finally said, managing to hide the quiver in his voice. "Catherine's buying. She's leaving in three hours and wanted to say goodbye to everyone."

"No. You go." Danny shook his head and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You guys go, have fun. I can't. Not right now." His resolve almost broke at the crestfallen look on his friend's face but he just couldn't. He couldn't pretend to be happy. Smile in front of people, drink beer and have fun while the fear for Steve's health and safety slowly but steadily ate at him. He needed time.

"Danny…"

"It's alright. I need to go."

This time, he didn't stop. Steve watched him walk toward the elevator, get inside and disappear as a sharp ache settled in his chest.

"Steve?" Catherine was suddenly by his side, her hand on his shoulder. "Everything okay?"

Steve stiffened. He dreaded the thought of having to explain his health issues to her and going out to celebrate didn't seem like a good idea anymore but she had a plane to catch, and Adam was leaving to meet Kono on the mainland. His family was gathering one last time. He couldn't disappoint them.

A family that wouldn't be complete without its heart, just like his life wouldn't be complete without Danny. So he'd do whatever it took to make things right.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Catherine and nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go."

THE END