#the last picture(s) is taken from teruel-a-witch's post

[nobigsecrets]

Ever since @teruel-a-witch posted her hot McDanno motorcycle boyfriends collage the other day, the idea of a McDanno biker AU wouldn't leave me alone. It didn't help that the post made me reread some parts of The ‘Auna Club series by mrspdrona, but mostly I got inspired by our subsequent conversation about whether Steve and Danny really would become mob-like criminals as members of an MC. I thought of some alternative ideas.

Steve

After Steve dedicated 15 years of his life to the Navy, all he gets as thanks for his service is a dishonorable discharge due to DADT. Add insult to injury, it had been the Petty Officer he's been having a secret affair with for almost a whole year who'd told when he'd been asked. Steve had secretly hoped this thing between them could be going somewhere, eventually, and never has he been more wrong. He's not even sure what hurts worse, the betrayal of the person he thought he knew, or the disrespect of the institution he would have been ready to die for.

So now he’s got literally nothing left: He's got no job and no career, no more friends nor family, no home and no place to go, no plan and nothing to do and he’s so. fucking. ANGRY.

What he does have is a motorcycle. He’s always loved bikes, they're so much more interesting than the stupid vintage cars his dad used to love. It was a guy Steve knew in high school (and who he might've had a major crush on), who let him ride his bike once and it was an instant addiction. (Ironically, the guy became his dad’s cop partner later, so the crush faded quickly but not the love for bikes.)

So when Steve gets out of the Navy, the first thing he does is getting his bike out of storage—and then he just takes off.

He's got nowhere to be and nowhere to go, so he just rides, not paying much attention to where he's going, content with wherever the roads might take him. Which happens to be the southern end of New Jersey—eventually.

He's been out and about for a few months, stopping and making new friends here, picking up a guy there, always leaving after a day or two and before trouble can find him. He's coming up close to a year when he runs into problems with his bike. Turns out years of being in storage weren't great for it. Steve knows his way around the engine just fine, thank you very much, but he doesn't have the means to fix what's wrong this time. A trip to the nearest shop is unavoidable if he doesn't want to strand in the middle of the road in the middle of nowhere with his beloved bike in pieces.

And isn't it just his kind of luck that the closest garage he finds seems to be firmly in the hands of the local chapter of a one-percenter motorcycle club? At least ten of the guys hanging around are clearly recognizable as club members by the patches on their leather cuts. Steve can feel their eyes on him as he approaches though no one is looking at him directly.

He's as wary of them as they seem to be of him, if not more. He's aware they don't like strangers and he's even more aware that these kind of 'clubs' are just as full of bullshit and toxic masculinity as the Navy. Steve has sworn to himself that he wouldn't hide anymore, that anyone who has a problem with who he is can fuck right off. He's fucking done with playing by anyone else's rules. But he needs his bike to be fixed and he doesn't want to cause trouble so he keeps his head down, trying to find the right balance between looking intimidating enough without being provocative.

It works better than he wants it to. Because while he's waiting for someone to look at his bike, some of the guys cautiously strike up a conversation with him, like they're testing the waters, trying to figure out where he stands. They've recognized him as ex-military and they're friendly towards him, probably they've gauged him as potentially useful. They ask him which branch he served in and when he left; when they ask about the why Steve doesn't exactly lie when he tells them he got kicked out for conduct unbecoming, but he doesn't elaborate either.

Turns out he was right: When it becomes clear that the repairs on his bike take at least a day or two, he gets offered help and accommodation by no one less than the club's Vice President. Of course he’s being asked to work a job for the club in exchange—but he's been expecting it and he doesn’t hesitate for long. He doesn't have anything to lose. He’s got the skills, why not use them to his advantage as he pleases when the Navy doesn’t want him as he is?

Steve doesn’t plan on staying. Instead he plans to leave as soon as he's got his bike back and his debt is settled, except—

Except there’s this short blonde dude everyone calls Danno that has caught his attention. It's not solely his good looks that catch Steve’s interest, though. It’s more that he sticks out. He’s not a big number in the club—yet. He’s ambitious and he’s clearly set to move up the ranks soon, but to Steve’s trained eyes he’s trying too hard. Something about him doesn't pan out, but Steve can't put his finger on what it is.

Plus, the guy seems to have taken an interest in Steve, too. He's always around, watching, observing. He's always got a snarky remark and Steve can’t tell if it's a risky game of flirting he's playing or if it’s dislike over a perceived competition or if there’s another, ulterior motive. Either way, he's intrigued enough to stay for another job and he doesn't exactly mind that Danno seems to have become the guy to keep an eye on him.

He soon learns that they work well together, and it makes even more sense when he learns Danno used to be a cop. He's got tactical training under his belt and it shows. He's also been fired from the police, which has something to do with drinking and anger issues and his ex-wife. But whatever the details, the bitter experience is something that connects them. Steve finds there's a lot of connection between them and if the circumstances were any different he's sure there could be a friendship between them or—

But it's neither the right time nor the right place and Steve is a burned child so what the hell is he even thinking?

Danny

Danny is far from the disgraced cop he pretends to be.

What is true is that his ex-wife is the main reason why he's here. What is true is that he needed a reason to pull his head out of the bottle he fell in after she left him. What is true is that his temper is the character trait that got him this job. Well that and his love for motorcycles. And the job is a long-term undercover op to disassemble fucking Jersey Devils Motorcycle Club and their business once and for all.

He's been with the club for close to two years. He came highly recommended (however his boss pulled that off) and he hightailed it through the prospect phase, proving himself worthy of a full patch in record time. Always there, always doing what he's told to do, always loyal. Club comes first. Some days he can barely stand to look at himself in the mirror for the things he did for the club without batting an eyelid. What keeps him going is the good progress he makes in building a case against these assholes. They're going down so hard and very soon, except—

Except this tall, dark and handsome stranger called McGarrett walks into the picture and all over the case he's built, seemingly out of nowhere. It turns out to be the best thing and the worst thing that could possibly happen, both at the same time.

It's the worst thing because it's a major set back in Danny's work when the VP hires McGarrett for a job that's usually handled internally. And it's the best thing because it makes Danny realize the club's management is aware of being watched. That they're outsourcing their dirty work so it can't be stuck to the club. He doesn't think they're on to him yet, but it's a warning to keep his head down.

It leaves him stuck between a rock and a hard place though: If he warns McGarrett about what he's getting into, he'll make the club even more suspicious. Worst case, he puts McGarrett directly in the line of fire. And if he doesn't warn him, he'll become collateral damage in the big picture of the case. Hang together, hanged together. And McGarrett is far too interesting to be hanged. Or go to prison, or whatever.

Point is, the man has caught Danny's attention. Despite his closed-off behavior, despite his ruthlessness, despite the crazy devil-may-care attitude. There's something beneath all these defensive walls that is hurt and vulnerable but good in it's core. Danny would love to find out what the guy is hiding, if only the circumstances were any different.

As it is, he volunteers to 'babysit' McGarrett and it comes with several benefits: First of all, it strengthens his credibility within the club and hopefully scatters any doubts about his integrity. Second, he can keep tabs on which jobs they make McGarrett do for them which is relevant for his case. And thirdly, he gets to spend some time with the man—

And then Danny does learns about one of McGarrett's—Steve's—secrets very soon, up close and personal, when he finds himself pressed against the wall of the club house. It's late and they just returned from an errand and now Steve's hands are on his shoulders, holding him in place and Steve crushes his mouth against Danny's in a rough kiss. There's nothing cautious or questioning about it and Danny's kissing back after only a second of hesitation, giving as good as he gets.

The moment McGarrett pulls back and losens his hold of him, Danny grabs his arms and in a flash has reversed their positions.

"You always just take what you want?" Danny asks breathless. He's got his hands on McGarrett's biceps and uses his whole body to press the man into the wall.

"Now that I can," Steve says, voice hoarse, as he bucks up against Danny's body. Danny can't help but grind back and lean in for another kiss, demanding and urgent. When he comes back up for air a long moment later, he finds his hands have moved to cup McGarrett's face and Steve's hands are on his hips, holding him close.

"This why the Army kicked you out?" Danny pants. "Someone told them you're gay?"

"It was the Navy, but yeah." Steve manages a rueful smile. "What if someone told your guys in there what we're doing here? They kick you out, too?" Steve jerks his head toward the club house.

Danny stares at him for a moment. He's never thought about it and his stomach plummets. These guys aren't exactly the liberal kind—

"Probably," Danny says and maybe now is the time to come clean. "I've got no idea to be honest. Steve, listen to me. These are not my guys. I'm not one of them. I'm—" He realizes he's still holding Steve's face in his hands and lets them drop away. Taking a deep breath and mentally bracing himself he admits in a low voice, "I'm still a cop. I didn't get fired. I'm here to take the club down."

Side by side

A myriad of emotions run through Steve at Danny's admission. It's not so much surprise, he knew there was something about Danny that made him stand out from the rest of the club guys. But the feeling of betrayal is hitting him full force, the feeling of being lied to so fresh in his memory that he can barely breathe—

Luckily, Danny takes a step back before Steve can push him away. He puts some distance between them, his instincts telling him to run. But as he thinks it through, he realizes it's different. Danny lied before, but in the moment Steve made himself vulnerable by kissing him, Danny rewarded him with the truth. Danny trusts him enough to no longer lie to him.

"We shouldn't talk about it here," Steve says, turning back to Danny, "but I want to help you."

—

Over the next couple of days Danny lets Steve in on the case. Again, it shows that they make a great team and together, they formulate a plan to bring the Jersey Devils down.

Danny runs all his evidence, all their ideas and suggestions by his superiors and they approve—enthusiastically. Everything goes back and forth a lot of times until all details are cleared and an operation can finally be set up. It could be an epic victory—

There's one catch: Danny has promised Steve that he'll go free and therefore, he has placed a request with his boss to make Steve's help 'official'. And his boss agreed to the deal—until Steve's background check comes back flagged. "Dishonorable discharge, Danny, you know the rules. My hands are tied," his boss says and Danny is livid. No matter how much Danny argues, how many times he points out that Steve got fired because of fucking DADT, that Steve is not a criminal, that without his help the whole case wouldn't have panned out, he can't change the man's mind. It's the biggest bullshit he's ever heard, and he's lived and breathed the fucking Jersey Devils for two years!

That's why, when everything is over, when all members of the Jersey Devils are behind bars and charged for their crimes, Danny and Steve get on their bikes—and then they just take off into the sunset. Together.