#amnesia!danny

what if after the adrenaline runs out he actually collapses in steve's arms in 4x19 and when he wakes up the last and only thing he remembers is steve and him confessing their love for each other.

naturally with steve holding a constant vigil by his bedside and being his emergency contact and the one in whose care they release him to after the hospital stay and everyone calling them partners, he assumes they are together together and because of how they are with each other no one notices that that's the conclusion he came to for a while.

when danny first woke up, smiled flirtatiously at steve and said 'hey gorgeous' steve just laughed in relief with barely contained tears and made a crack about danny being really out of it.

then when it turned out danny has temporary amnesia while steve seems to be the only one he feels safe and familiar with, it's only natural that he took danny home after they released him from the hospital. a little selfish part of steve enjoyed that his connection to danny was stronger than melissa's which meant he got to have danny for himself but the bigger part of him just missed his best friend.

it doesn't help that amnesiac!danny dialed up his natural flirtatiousness but steve just explains it away as danny not having his usual inhibitions in check. the doctor said it was important to bring danny home and surround him with comfort and familiarity to speed up his recovery so everything falls away in the face of that.

the one thing that knocks steve off his rocker is when danny comes downstairs one morning and greets him with a peck on the lips before making a beeline for the coffeepot.

'what's wrong?' he asks, concerned at steve's dead stupor.

'why did you just do that?'

'what? kiss my boyfriend? is that not usually how i greet you in the morning? i know you've been careful with me because you didn't want to violate my agency or whatever but this whole physical distance thing isn't exactly going to help us reconnect as a couple.'

as realization hits, steve shakes his head with a sad chuckle, he's used to other people assuming they are a couple but it hurts extra that as an outsider even danny came to that conclusion, just steve's luck that the only circumstances that danny considers that possibility is when he's not himself.

it's danny's turn to be confused. he was so sure. 'but...but... everyone says we are always together and are partners wink-wink, i practically live at your house. plus, i've seen the way you look at me, i know I'm attracted to you and clearly you feel the same, not to mention my clearest memory is you telling me you love me and me returning the sentiment'.

'i don't know what to tell you, danny. we are not a couple.' '

'and why not?'

'because you don't feel that way about me.' steve's voice breaks at the end of that sentence.

danny puts his hand over steve's heart 'except I do, babe.'

steve shakes his head 'you don't mean that, you are not yourself right now. you are just confused'.

'i may be confused about most of things in my life right now, but not my feelings for you. our connection is the only thing that feels real right now, and from the way you don't deny it, i know you feel it too, so what's stopping you?'

'i can't take advantage of you, i care about you too much to do that. please don't look at me like that, I'm not rejecting you.'

danny sniffs 'sure feels like rejection to me.'

as he turns to leave steve grabs his arm 'can we please revisit this topic after you have your memories back?'

'what if they never do?? you just don't want me without them, admit it.'

steve presses their foreheads together 'oh, danny, no, i will always want you. i just need this to be real, please?'

***

the first time danny yells at steve about being a reckless idiot steve knows his danny is back. having a willing and affectionate danny in close proximity and not being able to do anything about it was torture, but not having the partner he knows and loves by his side was so much worse.

'i love you'

danny stops mid rant 'i love you, too'

'despite knowing me so well? really?'

danny puts his arms around steve's neck 'yes. because i know you, it's real.'