Disclaimer and Notes: So not mine, but oh so pretty. All house layout beyond what's been shown as of episode two is pure speculation on my part. Written just before episode three aired. Part 2 of the Ruminations and Plans trilogy; sequel to Ruminations in the Dark.
No Plan Like Mine
by Raine Wynd
Chapter 1
Steve's hands itched to strip Danny down, remove that tie and every piece of clothing that denoted Danny as a mainland cop. He's willing to let go of how Danny dressed...for the moment. It wasn't the uniform that mattered so much; it's the attitude Steve wanted to change. He wanted to see Danny let go, wanted to know what he looks like when you take him out of that starch and polish. More than that, Steve yearned to have Danny stretched out on that new bed Steve just bought, naked and craving what Steve can teach him. For now, though, there was the mission at hand, terrorists to stop, and Steve reluctantly pushed thoughts of pleasure from his head.
Two days after Kono's graduation, Steve pulled his clothes out of the dryer and frowned at the dampness. Sighing, he stuffed the clothes back into the dryer, turned it on for an additional twenty minutes, and added "replace the dryer" to the ever-growing list of things to fix in this house. Pulling the laundry closet doors shut, he started downstairs. He'd forgotten just how quirky this old house could be, and for a moment, wished he still lived in the newly built townhouse the Navy had secured for him in Virginia, back before he'd been assigned to hunt down Victor.
Shaking his head at his own nostalgia, remembering how that townhouse had come complete with screaming neighbors who'd always been on the verge of domestic violence, Steve decided the rest of his chores could wait. Too many years of military discipline had ingrained waking before dawn, and he'd already completed his morning workout, dropped off some of the clutter he'd inherited at the Salvation Army, and started making a dent on his laundry. Mowing the grass could wait another afternoon, or he could contract with the landscaping service his father had used. Besides, nobody else would know that he wanted to wax the hardwood floors; it was enough that he'd swept.
The knock was so faint that he almost didn't hear it. Quickly moving down the stairs, he moved to the front door to check the peephole, then grinned to himself. Unlocking the door, he opened it. "I thought you had Grace today," he greeted, allowing Danny to step inside.
Danny grimaced as he turned to face Steve. "Rachel said she left me a voicemail. Grace has a sleepover at her best friend's house and it's a big, all-day thing – something about a tea party at a doll house –"
"Lisa Rose Tea House," Steve said with a nod.
Danny stared at him. "How'd you know that?"
Steve shrugged. "My sister – one of her emails mentioned a friend of ours was working there." He looked at Danny, trying not to reveal just how pleased he was that the other man was here. "So what brings you here?"
Danny hesitated, then shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. "What, am I interrupting your grand plan to renovate your dad's house?"
"You think it needs renovating?" Steve shot back. Plans were rapidly shifting through his head, all with one goal in mind: how to get Danny naked. "I think your wardrobe needs renovating. This – " he indicated Danny's button down shirt and khaki pants with a sweeping look, noting as he did how good Danny looked in said items " – is how you dress on your day off? What, you lose the tie and suddenly it's casual wear?"
Danny stiffened. "Since when are you a fashion authority? What, the Navy train you what to wear when you're out of uniform, too?"
Steve met the accusation calmly. "As a matter of fact, yes."
That silenced Danny momentarily, then he narrowed his eyes. "With your background…let me guess, for undercover operations, right?"
"I can't answer that," Steve replied. "Come on, don't you own a pair of shorts and a T-shirt?"
"For what? This is perfectly comfortable. Besides, something might come up."
Steve looked at him. "You work for me, remember?"
"Precisely my point," Danny countered.
Steve shook his head. This was getting them nowhere. "Fine. I'll stop picking on what you wear if you help me pick out a new dryer."
"What makes you think I'd know anything about that?"
"You were married, right?"
"Yeah, but we lived in an apartment. It came with," Danny said, irritated.
Steve stared at him. "I thought that's what married people do," he said cautiously. "Go buy big appliances together. I mean, married civilians."
"Not if they lived somewhere where it was part of the rent," Danny said. "Look, if you want to pick out a dryer, leave me out of it. Now if you're talking a big screen TV to watch the game, then –"
"What if I already have one?"
Danny glanced around the living room, crammed full of a life that had belonged to another man. "You mean that 19 inch upstairs in the family room?"
"It's big enough, isn't it?" Steve deliberately played dumb. "I mean, I'm used to computer screens."
Danny's eyes grew wide. "You're not that stupid."
Steve gestured helplessly.
"See, this is what living on boats will do to you," Danny groused.
"I didn't live on a boat, I lived on an aircraft carrier," Steve protested as Danny headed towards the door.
"Uh huh," Danny said, nodding. "Same thing. Come on, we'll go to Best Buy."
"If I want to get ripped off," Steve countered, following him. "You know they charge a markup on everything that's shipped from the mainland. I know a better place."
"A better place than Best Buy? What, your cousin's best friend's sister runs it or something?"
"See, you're learning," Steve said approvingly. "Give me a minute; I need to lock up the house."
Two hours and a useless trip to Best Buy ("come on, they've gotta be cheaper than Aleka's Electronics Depo") later, Steve didn't have a new TV. He did, however, have a solution to his dryer problem (a technician would be by on Tuesday between ten am and 1 pm), and Danny wasn't convinced there was no way a 50 inch flat screen would fit in Steve's house.
"Where would I put it?" Steve asked, gesturing to the contents of the living room, dining room, and study.
Danny looked around, not seeing any available wall space or a place to connect the cable. "I take it your dad didn't want TV down here, huh? Wait, I thought you said you had a TV upstairs."
"Yeah."
Danny headed upstairs. Steve followed behind, enjoying the view, aware that it wouldn't take long for Danny to discover exactly why Steve had resisted buying a TV.
"That's cheating," Danny said, standing in the master bedroom and staring at the big screen TV mounted on the wall. The bedroom was large enough that it had space for a loveseat and a coffee table. The sitting area was separated from the sleeping area by a half wall, as if the designer had intended to use the space for something else, perhaps a fireplace.
For a moment, all Steve could see was Danny. Never one to hesitate given an opportunity, Steve shut his brain to the voice of caution and closed the distance between him and the object of his desire. "It's not cheating," he argued.
Surprised to hear Steve so close to him, Danny jerked back a bit. "What is it with you and the sneaking around?" he demanded. "Why do you have to get so close?"
Steve smiled. "Maybe I just like seeing you react," he offered, then before Danny could counter, Steve kissed him.
Caught off guard, Danny stiffened at the contact. Warily, Steve pulled back, certain that he'd crossed a line.
Danny stared at him a long moment. "Come back here, you asshole," he growled, reaching for Steve.
Steve's lips twitched as he fought not to smile, but he went willingly, wanting everything Danny was willing to give.
Chapter 2
Danny kissed like he thought they were in some kind of race – sloppy, messy, and guaranteed to push buttons. Enjoying the ride for a moment, Steve soon took control. He wasn't content for a quick fuck; a quick fuck was best for someone you didn't expect to see the next day. Gentling the kiss, Steve then initiated a series of deliberate kisses that left Danny trembling with desire. Satisfied with the reaction, Steve pulled back slightly so he could focus on unbuttoning Danny's shirt.
Catching on, Danny helped by shrugging out of his shirt. Impatiently, Danny tugged at the edges of Steve's T-shirt. Ignoring the unspoken request, Steve pushed Danny's hands back and kissed him again while rubbing Danny's nipples. In response, Danny arched up and pressed closer, his breathing ragged.
"Jesus," Danny panted. "Never knew –"
Steve didn't let Danny think about that too long. Moving his mouth to his lover's throat and then starting to work his way down, Steve laid a trail of wet kisses until he found one of Danny's hard little nipples.
Danny breathed in sharply and threw his head back. "Oh God. That…shouldn't…feel so good."
At those words, Steve looked up at the man in his arms. "Nobody taught you that?" he asked, moving to the other nipple. Hovering over the nipple, Steve waited for the answer.
"No, damn you," Danny ground out. "Don't make me beg."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Steve murmured, bending to his task. Knowing he'd shown Danny this pleasure shot a heady thrill through him, and he controlled his reaction only through sheer will.
All too soon, Danny was pushing him away. "Hold up, can't take anymore." Danny reached for his belt, undoing it quickly and unzipping his pants, stepping out of them hastily before shoving down his briefs. Danny then fished out his wallet, extracted a condom, and put it on himself.
Steve took the hint and stripped out his clothes. Stepping towards the nightstand, Steve pulled open the drawer and pulled out a condom, sheathing his own erection. Steve then turned his attention to Danny, who now sat on the edge of the bed, waiting. Smiling, Steve sank to his knees, and took Danny's sheathed, half-erect cock in his mouth, using his tongue to tease the underside of the long shaft.
Danny groaned at the unexpected maneuver. Enjoying the response, Steve used his hands and tongue to massage Danny's erection to fullness, wishing the taste of latex didn't interfere with his enjoyment of the situation. Danny thrust his hips upward, trying to get more friction, as Steve continued to work, controlling Danny's wild thrusting by laying an arm across his pelvis.
Sucking as hard as he could before he backed off and then diving down again, Steve worked his mouth slowly up and down, being careful not to gag himself, taking in a little more with each attempt until finally he had taken Danny's entire length. While his mouth was busy, Steve used one hand to explore until he found what he was looking for. Using some saliva, Steve moistened the small tight opening, feeling the muscles there relax gradually under his gentle guidance until he was finally able to slip one finger inside.
Danny nearly shot off the bed. Alarmed, Steve let go of his lover.
"What the hell are you doing?" Danny demanded, breathing hard.
Steve eyed him disbelievingly. "Don't tell me you've never done this before," he said.
Danny rolled his eyes. "Get my cock sucked, yes. Whatever you were doing, no."
"Did you like it?" Steve countered. He suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that he was dealing with a virgin, and that altered his plan significantly.
Danny eyed him warily. "Nobody's done that to me."
Incredulous, Steve stared at him, then shook himself before he could make the utterly rude and inappropriate comment that sprung to mind. "Nothing you don't want," Steve swore instead. "You don't want me touching you there –"
Danny met Steve's eyes, then pulled him closer, until they were both lying side by side on the bed. "Maybe you need to do it again," he suggested. "Just took me by surprise." Danny's gaze narrowed. "Like you tend to do."
Steve laughed softly, then kissed him. "Another time," he promised, thinking the next time might go better with a proper lube instead of saliva. Reaching between their bodies, Steve grasped their erections together. Adjusting for the difference in their height, Steve wrapped his legs around his lover's hips and began to thrust. He knew he wasn't going to last long, even with all the interruptions. The notion that Danny was inexperienced was a huge turn-on.
Startled when Steve didn't press the issue, Danny froze for a moment before he picked up the rhythm Steve set. Breathing heavy, Steve came a heartbeat before Danny did, the feel of Danny's breath on Steve's chest triggering passion's oblivion.
Unwilling to let go of the moment, Steve held Danny close to him, relishing the feel of solid masculinity and the way Danny fit in his arms. Then Danny tugged free, and Steve let him go. Rising, Danny made his way to the en-suite bathroom to dispose of the condom he'd used, while Steve made use of the trashcan near the bed. When he returned, Danny started grabbing his clothes and getting dressed.
"In a hurry to go somewhere?" Steve asked, propping himself up on one elbow. If Danny had limited his experiences with other men to just blowjobs, there was a strong chance Steve would be witness to a freak-out – and that didn't fit in with Steve's long-term plans.
Danny looked back at him, confusion evident on his face. "What? You want something else? I don't do that…other stuff."
Steve watched him. "What? Doesn't make you less of a guy if you like getting fucked or fucking that way, trust me."
"Oh, and I suppose you're an expert," Danny jeered, zipping up his pants.
"Would you call yourself an expert on getting laid?
"No, but I know what I like, what I don't do."
Steve pursed his lips. This was not going as well as he'd hoped. "So…this was just a release of tension, then?"
Danny's poker face needed improvement, Steve decided a moment later. "Yeah," Danny said, a second too slow, and bent down to pick up his shirt. Putting it on, Danny looked at Steve, who still lay naked on the bed. "What, were you hoping for something else? You know, you always want more. Anyone ever tell you you can't have everything?"
Steve nodded. "Doesn't stop me wanting," he said pointedly. "And for the record, some gay men never have anal sex."
That stopped Danny's hands a moment. "That wouldn't be you."
"No one ever said you had to be on the bottom."
Steve watched the idea take root in Danny's brain and saw the faint flush that idea produced.
"But we can wait for next time. I can be patient, Danno. I didn't invite you into my bed just because I needed a release of tension. If I wanted that, I could've gotten that anywhere."
Silence greeted that statement. Danny was frozen, his shirt only partially buttoned. Steve let the silence continue as he rolled languidly off the bed, and moved towards his own clothes. He got as far as his jeans before Danny grabbed him, kissing him hard. Desire flashed through him.
"Not today," Danny growled, then kissed him again. "I'll think about it."
Then, as if afraid Steve would chase him through the house, Danny snagged his shoes and rushed out of the house.
Steve let out a breath. The chase wouldn't start now, not here…but he had time. Time to plan meant time to seduce, to get Danny used to the ideas Steve had.
Steve grinned, satisfied. Danny would be back soon enough, and today's plan had worked out brilliantly, in its own way. Whistling, Steve went to take a shower, already scheming his next move.
The End 10/4/10
Continued in For a Little While.