Title: Five Ways Stella Found Out About Mac & Danny
Author: stellaluna_
Rating: PG
Pairing: Mac/Danny
Summary: For jenab.
Disclaimer: None of these are mine. Characters are the property of Anthony Zuiker, Jerry Bruckheimer Television, CBS, and Alliance Atlantis.

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1. They're all at Sullivan's and Stella needs fresh air, so after she loses a round of pool to Hawkes, she goes to the bathroom to splash some water on her face, then slips out the back door. She'll look at the sky for a little while, then go have another beer. If she were to stop and think about it, she'd realize that she hasn't seen either Mac or Danny in some time, but they're not on her mind at all as she puts her hand on the safety bar and pushes the door open. The night air is cool and good on her face, and there are two people at the far end of the alley, wrapped around each other and kissing in the shadows. She rolls her eyes and is just about to go back inside and go out the front door instead, but then the entwined couple shift their positions a little and the light falls across their faces, and she sees them clearly. Sees that it's Danny leaning back against the wall, one hand twisted in Mac's hair as he kisses him eagerly. Sees that Mac is kissing him back, that his hands are resting on Danny's waist and his eyes are closed, and that he's pressing so tight into Danny that there's no room at all between their bodies.

2. It's such a little thing. Danny comes down the hall with a sheaf of reports from the DNA lab, and he stops to show them to Mac, and when he does he reaches out and taps his shoulder to get his attention. Stella glances up from her own stack of reports just in time to see the tap, and to see the way their eyes meet for one quick moment before Danny starts talking about epethelials and Mac begins to scan the printed pages, nodding as Danny goes on. One touch and one moment of eye contact, and the truth hits Stella like a shockwave. She should have seen it long ago, she thinks, and has to bite back a smile and look away before either of them notice her attention.

3. Mac and Danny are kissing on her couch. Stella stands swaying in the living room doorway, the limes she'd gone to the kitchen to get forgotten in her hands. She must be much more drunk than she realized, she thinks. They break the kiss and look over at her, and this has to be a dream, because they don't look embarrassed and they're not moving away from each other. Danny is licking his lips, a little smirk on his face, and Mac's smile is much more sly than anything she's ever seen from him, anything she would have imagined he was capable of. "Come over here," Danny says, voice husky, and crooks his fingers at her. She sets the limes down on the shelf next to her and walks across the room to them, and she would swear that she's floating a foot above the floor. For a moment she stands looking at them, and then Danny gets to his feet and guides her down into Mac's lap, and presses himself to her back once she's there. His hands slide under her shirt, hot on her bare skin, and Mac's smile is still much too wild. But his eyes are wide and dark and familiar, and she feels his fingers twine around Danny's as he pulls her into a kiss. She closes her eyes and gives herself over to them.

4. She knows Mac better than anyone, maybe even better than he knows himself. Guessing the truth about him and Danny takes no effort at all.

5. She and Mac go out for drinks one night. It's been far too long since they've made the time to do this, and it's good to just sit and talk and not have to worry about rushing off to an appointment or a court hearing. It's very late and she's gently tipsy, and time seems to have slowed to a crawl; conversations around them have dwindled to whispers, and the singer's voice on the jukebox is a caressing murmur as it laments about apple trees and priests. Mac looks away from her suddenly, biting his lip, and says, "I should -- I meant to -- " He breaks off, and she doesn't say anything, but reaches over and puts a hand over his. He glances up and gives her a quick smile, then drops his eyes again. "I wanted to...I've been seeing someone," he says at last, in a rush. She squeezes his hand and waits for him to go on.

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