Title: O is for Overboard
Author: stellaluna_
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Mac/Danny
Summary: Danny tries to forget.
Disclaimer: None of these are mine. Characters are the property of Anthony Zuiker, Jerry Bruckheimer Television, CBS, and Alliance Atlantis.

***

The lake burns like fire in the glow of the setting sun, and Danny stares at it until spots are dancing in front of his eyes and he has to look away. He can feel the beginnings of a headache, a needle point of pain at the center of his forehead. He doesn't move. Someone else, some other man, might have gotten here, to the end of the dock, and then kept on walking, might have let the water close over his head and be done with it. But that's not who he is. It never has been.

Still, when he looks directly at the water, it makes him dizzy, and he has to close his eyes.

There are footsteps behind him, but he doesn't turn around. "Beer?" Mac says, and sits down next to him.

"Maybe in a little while."

Mac nods and leaves the bottle on the dock between them. "Doing all right?"

Danny shrugs. The lake is turning black now as the sun sinks lower.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Nope."

"All right." Mac takes a swallow of beer. He's not looking at Danny. "We'll just sit here, then."

"Sounds good." There are other things Danny would like to say, but it's all too much, so he keeps quiet. He stares at the sky so he doesn't have to look at the water.

He turns toward Mac after a while, and Mac's mouth is steady against his as Danny kisses him. He closes his eyes again, and tries to forget.

***