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“Go to hell.”
“Come on, Danny. You're overreacting. I said I was sorry.”
“No!” An emphatic hand sliced through the air. “Sorry isn’t going to cut it this time.”
“But…”
"Steve." The name sounded like a curse as it escaped through Danny's clinched teeth. "I cannot look at you right now. You need to get the fuck out of my sight." The anger in Danny's voice was palpable, but it was the softness with which he spoke the words that made them so chilling.
“If that’s what you want, then fine. I'm out of here.” Steve started striding across the room, kicking off his slippas and unbuttoning his shirt as he headed towards the doors and the dark waters beyond.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
Danny’s anger fueling his own, Steve didn’t even look back as he answered, “Out of your sight.”
“You are not going swimming in the pitch dark when you’re this upset.”
His hand on the doorknob, Steve stopped and turned, “What do you care?”
“What do I care? What do I care!? After all this time, do you really not know how much I love you?”
“Well, you certainly have a funny way of showing it sometimes. You just told me to get the fuck out of your sight, and now you’re putting stipulations on how I accomplish that.”
“That’s what love is, you idiot.” Danny threw up his arms in exasperation. “Love is telling someone to go to hell and then worrying about them getting there safely.”
Steve stared at him like he was crazy for a full 10 seconds before he started to laugh. It was just a rough chuckle at first, but soon he was laughing so hard he had to sink to his knees just to catch his breath.
“You’re an idiot.” The voice above Steve held none of its previous anger.
“But you love me.” Steve grinned up at Danny who had moved to stand over him.
“God only knows why.”
“It doesn’t matter why. All that matters is that you do.” Sobering, Steve got to his feet and took Danny’s hand. “I really am sorry, Danny.”
“I know you are, Babe,” he squeezed Steve’s hand in reassurance.
“I’ll try to do better.”
“That’s all I can ask.” Danny reached up and kissed him gently before laying his head on Steve’s shoulder.
“Danny?”
“Hmmm?”
“I love you too.”
“I know, Steven. I know.”
The End.