![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bymagajonesThey did finally get around to washing and dressing themselves and strolled back to the campsite. Danny was uncharacteristically quiet, but Steve wasn’t worried. The slow, sly smiles Danny kept sliding his way had Steve ‘accidentally’ bumping into Danny every few steps until Danny grabbed his hand, twining their fingers. Steve felt like a teenager, excited to be with Danny, the sun brighter, the dragon-induced haze less of a hindrance and more of a mood enhancer.
Things got crazy the moment they stepped into the clearing.
“You’re back!” Grace shouted, the first one to notice them. She ran up to Danny, jumping into the air so he could catch her and swing her around. “She’s here,” Grace muttered, her eyes rolling as her head jerked slightly to the left.
Steve looked over and found the princess sitting calmly at a table drinking tea, staring in their direction. “How long’s she been here?”
“A little less than an hour,” Chin said quietly, appearing beside him.
Disappointment ran through his body as reality whipped through him, his brief lethargy disappearing behind the same tension he felt in the man beside him, the same man he’d had on his knees earlier that morning.
“C’mon, Monkey,” Danny said quietly, his arms wrapped around his daughter.
Steve turned to look at Danny, wanting to feel that connection one more time, but Danny buried his face in Grace’s hair as he turned away.
“What does she know?” Steve asked Chin as he slowly started to walk toward the princess.
“I told her advisor that you were scouting a safe route to take her to the dragon, her safety utmost in your mind.” Steve could feel Chin’s eyes cut toward him. “Since you didn’t tell me where you were going, I wasn’t prepared to answer a whole lot of questions.”
The censure wasn’t really difficult to detect, and Steve knew he deserved it. “We’ll talk later,” he promised Chin just before he reached the princess.
“Your Highness,” Steve said, sitting in the empty chair. “I didn’t expect you so early.”
The princess looked at him speculatively for a moment before smiling at him. “I thought I would surprise you, and we could have breakfast together here.”
“It is definitely a surprise – a good one,” he said. “And I have good news. We’ve figured out what’s going on with the dragon, and she should be leaving in the next few days.”
“Then my presence wasn’t necessary,” she said, her eyes flickering briefly to the direction where Danny and Grace had disappeared before returning to Steve’s.
“I’m sorry I brought you all this way for nothing.”
“I’m not. I was able to see more of your beautiful country and had the pleasure of getting to know you better.” She smiled, pressing her hand against his on his thigh. It was by far the most intimate touch that they had shared.
And he felt nothing.
Master post with chapter breakdown and links to other sites
Things got crazy the moment they stepped into the clearing.
“You’re back!” Grace shouted, the first one to notice them. She ran up to Danny, jumping into the air so he could catch her and swing her around. “She’s here,” Grace muttered, her eyes rolling as her head jerked slightly to the left.
Steve looked over and found the princess sitting calmly at a table drinking tea, staring in their direction. “How long’s she been here?”
“A little less than an hour,” Chin said quietly, appearing beside him.
Disappointment ran through his body as reality whipped through him, his brief lethargy disappearing behind the same tension he felt in the man beside him, the same man he’d had on his knees earlier that morning.
“C’mon, Monkey,” Danny said quietly, his arms wrapped around his daughter.
Steve turned to look at Danny, wanting to feel that connection one more time, but Danny buried his face in Grace’s hair as he turned away.
“What does she know?” Steve asked Chin as he slowly started to walk toward the princess.
“I told her advisor that you were scouting a safe route to take her to the dragon, her safety utmost in your mind.” Steve could feel Chin’s eyes cut toward him. “Since you didn’t tell me where you were going, I wasn’t prepared to answer a whole lot of questions.”
The censure wasn’t really difficult to detect, and Steve knew he deserved it. “We’ll talk later,” he promised Chin just before he reached the princess.
“Your Highness,” Steve said, sitting in the empty chair. “I didn’t expect you so early.”
The princess looked at him speculatively for a moment before smiling at him. “I thought I would surprise you, and we could have breakfast together here.”
“It is definitely a surprise – a good one,” he said. “And I have good news. We’ve figured out what’s going on with the dragon, and she should be leaving in the next few days.”
“Then my presence wasn’t necessary,” she said, her eyes flickering briefly to the direction where Danny and Grace had disappeared before returning to Steve’s.
“I’m sorry I brought you all this way for nothing.”
“I’m not. I was able to see more of your beautiful country and had the pleasure of getting to know you better.” She smiled, pressing her hand against his on his thigh. It was by far the most intimate touch that they had shared.
And he felt nothing.
Master post with chapter breakdown and links to other sites
