(You’re Making Me) All That I Was Meant To Be - Danny/Steve - R
Author: yehwellwhatever
Recipient: finduilas_clln
Title: (You’re Making Me) All That I Was Meant To Be
Pairings/Characters: Danny ”Danno” Williams/Steve McGarrett, Grace, Kono
Summary: Grace thinks her Danno should date Uncle Steve, so she convinces Kono to help. Danny and Steve are not as easily convinced.
Rating: R
Word Count: 8,660 words
Disclaimer: All Hawaii Five-0 characters herein are the property of CBS. No copyright infringement is intended. All characters engaging in sexual activity are 16 years or older.
Author's Notes: Dear finduilas_clln, I hope you like this story. I went with a first time fic with the team meddling, set some years in the future. If I completely missed the mark, I’m sorry. Steve and Danno took over my mind, so blame them *g*
Thanks to everyone involved with helping me make the fic what it is today. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
”I think Danno and Uncle Steve should date,” Grace says in a way that makes it sound like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Kono sways on her board before she manages to find her balance. ”You do?” They’re far enough out that Danny and Steve on the shore won’t overhear their conversation if she keeps her voice low. ”Why do you think that?”
”I know they bicker a lot, but they make each other happy. I can see it. Danno looks at Steve like he used to look at Mom those few weeks they tried to get back together but failed.” The smile on Grace’s face is sad, which is completely understandable. No child should have to go through their parents splitting up, let alone twice. ”I know he liked Gabby, but he never looked at her like he looked at Mom or Steve. And Steve hasn’t looked happy with anyone but Danno since Catherine left.”
”So you think your dad and Steve should be together because they make each other happy. Don’t you think they would be together if they felt like that?” Kono smiles and hopes she seems supportive. Steve might be repressed, but Danny Williams always lets everyone know how he feels. Especially regarding McGarrett and the issues that come with those feelings.
”That would require them to talk to each other about their feelings.” Grace rolls her eyes as she says it, and Kono has to bite her cheek so she doesn’t laugh.
Kono half wonders if they know the same Danny and Steve. ”Your father never seems to have an issue with saying how he feels.” The man talks about his feelings of hatred against the State of Hawaii, the criminals who live here, and Steve McGarrett several times a week. ”Steve, he’s suppressed when it comes to anything but explosions and fires, I’ll give you that.”
Grace sighs and gets this look on her face that tells Kono that Grace thinks she’s being stupid. ”Danno never talks about the feelings that matter; I think we should help them.”
”I take it that you already have a plan.” Kono knows when it’s time to give in, and the Williamses can be nothing if not persuasive.
”We need to set them up on a blind date.” There is not even an ounce of question in that statement.
Kono just has to ask anyway. ”We?”
The well duh is silent but definitely implied. ”I can’t ask both of them. They’re detectives; they’re gonna suspect something if I do that. I’ll convince Danno, and you can talk to Steve.” She looks behind them before she starts shifting on her board. ”They’re probably wondering what we’re doing. There’s a wave on the way in; we’ll catch that one.”
”Hey!” Kono calls, but it’s useless. Grace has already caught the wave and is closer to the beach than she is to Kono by now.
***
Danny manages to relax somewhat when Grace is on her feet on dry land again. ”What were you two talking about out there for so long?” Grace and Kono were out on the water for quite some time. There were several waves they just let go by that even Danny would say were too good to pass up.
”Nothing…” is all Grace says, and Danny knows from the way she won’t meet his eyes that she’s no doubt up to something.
”If it was nothing, why didn’t you catch any of the twenty perfect waves and instead wait until there was a mediocre one?” Steve butts in, and in the process he startles both Danny and Grace.
”They were too perfect.” The way Grace says it she’s nothing if not serious. ”I’m not a good enough surfer for those yet, and Kono kept me company.”
Danny arches an eyebrow. ”Is that so?”
”Uh huh. She says that if you hadn’t made me wait until my thirteenth birthday I would have been much better than you by now. Is there any lemonade? I’m parched.” Her eyes are big and innocent, and Danny knows he’s not going to get the truth out of his daughter right now.
”It’s in the kitchen,” Steve says just as Kono makes it out of the water, her board firmly held under one arm. ”So, Kono…” Steve grins in the way Danny has seen him do one too many times when he knows he’s about to get what he wants. ”You gonna tell me what that was all about?”
”Don’t know what you’re talking about, brah.” The look on her face is not all that different from the one Grace was just sporting. ”All right, I’m out of here; I have plans.”
Danny can’t hold back the laughter that escapes when Steve’s face falls as Kono hurries off to her car. ”They’re up to something, aren’t they?” If Danny didn’t know better, he would say Steve sounds almost scared.
”You think?” Danny gives Steve a slap on the shoulder before he wanders into the house to get some lemonade for himself.
***
”I won’t be home for dinner tonight,” Grace says, not looking up from her book as she lets her spoon play with the last few soggy Rice Krispies in her bowl.
”Oh? And why is that?” She can hear in the tone of Danny’s voice that he’s not happy about it. They haven’t had dinner together in weeks, due to the robbery-murder case that her dad’s been knee deep in since after their last day at the beach with Steve and Kono.
”Just meeting up with a friend to do a group assignment.” Grace shrugs and tries to put on an innocent face when she feels Danno watching her. ”It was last minute.”
By the way her dad tilts his head, Grace can tell that he’s not buying it. Thankfully Danny’s phone goes off before he has time to say anything about it. The ringtone is Sexy Eyes, which makes Grace giggle into her book. She doesn’t know why her Danno and Steve haven’t been living together for years already.
As Danno starts ranting into the phone about one thing or another, Grace takes the soggy Rice Krispies to the sink. She makes quick work of rinsing it out and leaves the kitchen with a kiss to Danno’s cheek before he has the time to hang up on Steve and start ranting at her instead.
***
Grace is relieved when she gets to class and it turns out that Ms. Kelly is home sick and that there isn’t a substitute teacher, so they get to go home two hours early. She isn’t sure she would have made it through the entire day without literally climbing the walls.
She sends off a text to Kono as she gets out of class and is surprised to get a reply almost instantly that she can pick her up in half an hour so they can go to the North Shore. The day must have been slower at the Five-0 headquarters than it seemed when Steve had called that morning.
Grace sits on the stairs outside school and waits for Kono to arrive. As she does, she plans how she is going to convince her Daddy to go on a date with someone he won’t even know the name of. She knows that he’s reserved when it comes to things like this. He hasn’t said anything about it, but Grace is almost sure that he’s had some bad experiences with blind dates in the past.
She knows how much he loves her though, and has learned over the years to use it to her advantage. She definitely plans on using it to her advantage this time. There’s a honk, interrupting her thoughts. When she sees Kono’s car, she hurries down the stairs and into the car.
”Hey, kid, you okay? You looked lost in thought there.” There is laughter in Kono’s voice as she steers the car towards the North Shore.
”Yeah, just thinking,” she says as she closes the door behind her. ”Danno didn’t see the boards, did he? He thinks I’m studying with a friend.”
”No worries, I went and got them after I left HQ,” Kono says. When Grace looks at her, she can visibly see Kono’s face change. ”So, you’re sure about this. Right? Because it’s not too late to back out now.”
”Kono, do you think they shouldn’t date? Steve is all Danno talks about, really. If I wasn’t sure about setting them up, this morning was proof enough.” Grace smiles as she thinks back to it. ”He didn’t even notice I was leaving, he was so busy talking to Steve.”
”Well, okay then,” is the last thing Kono says until they’re down on the beach with their boards.
***
They get some surfing in because Grace really thinks it would be unfair if Kono brought their boards and they didn’t surf at all now that Danno isn’t here to freak out every time there’s a wave higher than his approved six feet. He’s a little more lenient now that Grace is almost sixteen, but Grace still finds him ridiculous and tells him so every opportunity she gets.
When it’s starting to look like a rainstorm might be over them at any moment, they decide to pack it up for the day. Twenty minutes later they are at the diner across the street with steaming plates of loco moco in front of them.
It’s Kono who brings up the reason why they’re there. ”So, Danny and Steve dating, eh? You’re certainly not going to make life easy for anyone when you succeed with that plan.”
”But you’re going to help me, right? Because even though they are oblivious when it comes to each other, they’re going to know something is going on if I try to convince both of them to go on a blind date.”
”Yeah, that’s true. I don’t think I’ve ever heard them talk about feelings that way, but I know Steve was there when things didn’t work out between Danny and Gabby. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think that Danny would tell Steve that he’s going on a date because he thinks that Steve worries that he’s lonely.”
”That could blow up right in my face if that happens. So will you help me? Will you convince Steve to go on a date with one of your friends? Don’t tell him more than you have to because he hates not knowing everything and will probably do background checks on all your friends.”
”He would, wouldn’t he? Of course I’ll help you; maybe your dad would be less grumpy if he had someone to share his life with when you’re not there. The weeks you’re with him, he’s a ray of sunshine.”
”The weeks I’m with him, all he does is talk about Uncle Steve… He makes Danno happy, Kono; why shouldn’t he be able to do that all the time? I just think they need a push in the right direction. Mom says Danno is emotionally stunted and can’t do things like this himself. Which is why we need to help him.”
”Actually, you know, I think that’s a general guy thing. So, do you have any plans on where they should go on this date of theirs?”
”Somewhere they can talk. Danno’s been talking about going back to Jersey lately. I think he misses Granma’s lasagna, and he always complains that Steve likes his pizzas flashy. So is there an Italian restaurant that serves both? That would probably be a good place. A family style restaurant, you know?”
”I have just the place. Do you want me to set it up for the Saturday after next? I have a feeling we might need to have some time to convince the both of them to go on dates with someone they won’t know anything about.”
”Do you think that’s enough time? I mean; I’m staying with Danno the next few weeks because Mom and Step-Stan are traveling around for work or something like that, so I’ll have more than enough time to convince him. He still thinks I’m his little Monkey who can do no wrong. But what about Steve? Do you think it’s enough time to convince him to go on a date with someone he doesn’t even know the name of?”
”Let me worry about that; I have some strings I can pull. He owes me for every potential date he’s managed to scare off over the last few years.”
***
”Danno, don’t you think it’s about time you start dating again?”
”Grace, what are you talking about?”
”I mean; it’s been like… five years almost? Since you were with Gabby.”
”What brought these thoughts on, Gracie?”
”I just want you to be happy. Because you’re not, are you? Happy?”
”As long as I have you, Monkey, that’s everything I’ll ever need.”
”That’s not the same, Danno, and you know it. I can tell that you’re lonely sometimes, especially when I’m with Mom; I can hear it in your voice when we talk at night.”
”I am happy, Gracie. You don’t have to worry about me.”
”Well, I think you should start dating again. In fact…”
”What did you do, Gracie?”
”I set you up on a date. Don’t look so surprised; someone had to do it because it’s not like you were ever gonna do it yourself. Now, I have to go or I’ll be late. I’m going surfing with Kono.”
”Hey, Monkey, get back here!”
”Bye, Danno. Love you, Danno!”
***
”So, Boss… It’s been years since Cath and you called it quits. Have you seen anyone since she left?”
”That’s personal, Kono.”
”Come on, we’re friends, right? We worry about you being alone.”
”We worry? Who exactly are we? You and your gossiping girlfriends?”
”Just people. So have you seen anyone?”
”I guess there’s been one or two over the years.”
”You guess? So just sex then. That’s not seeing someone, Boss, that’s messing around, and it’s definitely not the same thing as going on dates with someone.”
”Do you have to call me Boss when we’re talking about sex? I’m pretty sure that counts as sexual harassment.”
”All right, all right, Steve. You should really get out on the dating scene. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re hot. Like, really hot. It would be a shame to deprive the world of your hotness.”
”I don’t want to date, Kono… My hotness, eh?”
”Knew you’d catch onto that. How do you know you don’t want to date if you haven’t even tried it? Cath doesn’t count because we both know that was more friends with benefits than anything. Even after she moved in with you it wasn’t like it was all that serious. Come on; let me set you up on a date. I already have someone in mind. I promise you won’t be disappointed…”
”I’ll think about it, but this doesn’t mean I trust you not to have an ulterior motive.”
***
Grace waits a couple of days before she brings it up again. This time, when she does bring it up, it’s when they’re preparing dinner. Somehow, making dinner is very serious business to her dad. She thinks it might have something to do with his Italian genes.
”So…” she starts, her eyes on the carrot she’s been assigned to peeling, “this dating thing. Have you thought anything more about it?”
”Grace…” If she didn’t know better, she would think that her dad had actually just whined. ”I told you, I’m happy enough as it is.”
Grace huffs. ”But you’re not, though. You’re lonely, and you’re not even trying to hide it.”
”I’m just so busy with Five-0, there’s not really much time for me to go out and find someone to date,” Danny says, and he actually looks up from the slicing and dicing to give her a half glare. ”Maybe in a few years, when my knee has given up on me being thrown out of buildings, I’ll go out and find someone to spend my life with. If it would make you happy.”
”It would,” Grace says and nods. ”But I don’t think you should wait a few years. You’re in your prime now, and you shouldn’t waste it…” She quiets down when Danno snorts. ”Which is why I’ve taken it upon myself to find you the perfect person to date.”
Grace can’t hold back the laughter when her dad drops the knife - thankfully with no fingers in the way - and just stares at her for what feels like minutes.
”Please, please tell me that you haven’t set up an account on some online dating service?” Danny sounds horrified. ”You know you can’t trust those things. Have I taught you nothing over the last sixteen years?”
”Relax,” Grace says with a roll of her eyes. ”I have enough people telling me how dangerous online dating can be; I wouldn’t do that. This is actually someone I know, someone I know is safe and that I’m 98 percent sure you will actually like as more than just another friend.”
Danny’s giving Grace his full attention now. ”So you know this person?”
Grace nods. ”Yes.”
”And you want me to date this person?”
She smiles. ”Yes, Danno.”
”And you think that this person wants to go out with me, too?”
”That part is pretty obvious, yes.” Obvious to everyone but Danno and Steve, that is. She would love to be a fly on the wall for when they first meet on their date. Because she has no doubt that there will be a date. Grace is pretty sure that it won’t take much more to convince her dad that he should go on this date if the thoughtful expression on his face is anything to go by.
”All right, I’ll do it.” Grace has to blink and shake her head. Danno didn’t really say what she thinks he said, did he?
”What did you say?” she asks, just to be sure.
”I said I’ll do it.” Danno grabs the knife again as he chuckles. ”If you make me repeat myself again, I might change my mind, though.”
Grace does a little victory dance inside and hopes that Kono will manage to convince Steve as well.
”Great!” She kisses Danno’s cheek before getting plates out of the cupboard. ”The date is next Saturday at seven-thirty; a taxi will pick you up at seven, so be ready on time.”
”You’re not even gonna tell me what restaurant I’m going to?” Now Danno sounds suspicious again, but not suspicious enough to pull out. At least Grace hopes not.
”You’ll like it, I swear,” Grace says. She trusts Kono to have picked a restaurant that both her Dad and Steve will enjoy. ”It’ll be like a little slice of home.”
***
Kono is having a harder time convincing Steve to go on the date than she anticipated. She knew from the start that it wouldn’t be easy, but he doesn’t even let her get the full question out before he shuts her down the first time. And the second time. And the third. By the fourth time, Kono has had enough.
”Look,” she says, crossing her arms and glaring at him. ”If you don’t at least sit down and listen to me for five minutes, I will tell everyone about that time where you got bitch slapped by a pair of identical twins because you’d slept with them both the same weekend.”
”I have never-” is as far as Steve gets before Kono interrupts him again.
”And then I will tell everyone about that time on the midnight surf when you got so drunk you couldn’t see straight and went around kissing everyone and singing Jersey Girl.” Kono can see the wheels in Steve’s brain turning as he tries to figure out if that’s actually happened or not.
He frowns, opening and closing his mouth three times before he settles on, ”That didn’t actually-”
”How would you know? You were totally smashed,” Kono says, smirking. ”Anyway, after that, I will show everyone the pictures of you dressed up as a woman when you were a teenager. I bet Danny especially will love to see those…”
”There are no copies of that, I have all the negatives.” The words take a moment to register with Kono, and then she can’t hold back her laughter.
”You mean that actually happened?” she asks when she manages to calm down. ”Holy crap, I thought I was just making that up, brah. I need to get my hands on those photos.”
”No, no you definitely do not need to get your hands on those pictures,” Steve says with a glare. ”How did you find out about those anyway? Did Mary say something about it? She is always causing trouble, she’ll be the death of me.”
”She didn’t, it was just a guess. You look like the type, s’all.” Steve’s sputters sets her off laughing again. ”So are you going to listen to me now?”
Steve sighs and slumps back in his chair, pushes the plate of chicken and rice away and sighs. ”Don’t have much of a choice, do I? I thought I was supposed to be the boss, not you.”
”No, no you do not.” Kono watches Steve for a moment. If she didn’t know better, she would say that he looks nervous. Good. That might make it easier to convince him. ”So, this date. I’ve set it up for next Saturday, seven-thirty. A taxi will pick you up. You better wear something nice, you hear me? I don’t want it to get back to me that you’ve been wearing cargoes and a t-shirt.”
”You seem awfully sure that I will go on this blind date of yours,” Steve says, leaning back until he’s balancing on the back legs of his chair. ”Before I’ll even consider it, I’m going to need a little more information. Like who this person is.”
”Boss, it wouldn’t be a blind date if I told you who you’re going out with.” Kono refrains from rolling her eyes at him. ”They’re a good person, and I know you’ll get along great. Isn’t that enough?”
”You keep saying person…” Steve frowns. ”Does it mean it’s a guy?”
”You’re just going to have to go to this date and find out, won’t you?” Kono smirks.
”How do you even know I would be interested in dating a guy?” The tone of his voice does nothing to hide from Kono that she’s right, and that Steve very much would like to date a guy. ”Maybe I’m straight.”
Kono takes a sip of her drink. ”Are you?”
There’s a definite darkening of the color on Steve’s cheeks. ”Well, not particularly…”
***
Danny won’t admit it if anyone ever asks, but he stands in front of his closet for close to an hour before he decides on a final outfit. By then he has lost count on how many shirts he’s rejected. He ends up wearing a pair of pinstriped charcoal colored slacks and a matching vest with a tight-fitted light blue shirt underneath. It’s the one Steve said brought out the color of his eyes a few weeks back, but he doesn’t need to think about that right now. Not when he’s going on a date with someone his daughter has deemed perfect for him.
It’s a good thing that he’s pre-ordered a cab, because the honking makes him realize how late he’s running. He just remembers to grab the copy of Sherlock Holmes Grace said he should bring, before he rushes out the door.
By some miracle, traffic is light and he gets to the restaurant with a full five minutes to spare. Grace had only given him the address and the week had been too busy for him to look up the restaurant, so Danny is pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be Italian.
As he walks in and gives his name at the door, he’s led to a table for two in a secluded corner. He sits so that he’s facing the room, book clearly on display next to him. Danny tries to calm his nerves by taking a deep breath and counting to ten; he can’t believe he actually feels nervous. He’s always hated first dates though, which is one of the main reasons why he’s never gone out on a blind date before.
”Danny?” Steve’s stunned voice washes over him just the same as if someone had dunked him in a pool of ice. When Danny’s eyes focus and he sees Steve standing there, eyes wide, with a copy of Woman’s Day in his hands, Danny can’t stop the belly aching laughter that escapes. It doesn’t take long before Steve joins in.
”Kono.”
”Grace.” They say the names as one. Danny isn’t sure how he hadn’t guessed this sooner, because who else would his daughter think he should date? Grace has loved her Uncle Steve even from the beginning; sometimes Danny thinks she loves Steve more than she loves him. Some detective he is.
Steve looks paler than Danny has seen him in a long time, and the hand that has a white-knuckled grip on the chair is trembling. ”Oh my god, sit down before you pass out, you goof,” Danny says. He’s a little surprised about this himself, but Steve seems to be taking this far worse.
In the moments between Danny’s words and Steve’s reaction, Danny has the time to take in Steve’s appearance. He’s really cleaned up nice since Danny saw him just a few hours ago. Steve is wearing a pair of tight-fitted jeans, which Danny would bet hugs his ass just right. He’s also got on a white shirt and a navy blue jacket that’s buttoned up with the middle button only. It’s a far cry from the camouflage colored cargoes and the ripped grey t-shirt with a suspicious looking stain that he was wearing earlier today.
Steve blinks down at him before he falls into the chair he was just holding in a death-grip. His mouth opens and closes, as if he can’t quite get his vocal cords to form words. Before Danny can say anything - ask if Steve is okay; because what the hell? - Steve all but jumps out of his seat again, hand deep in the front pocket of his too tight dress pants.
Danny watches Steve bring out his phone just as his own vibrates in his pocket. There’s a new text from Kono and Danny grins as he opens it.
You’re welcome. Make sure to tell him. /K
For half a second he wonders what it is he’s supposed to tell Steve. Then, when his brain catches up with him, he almost face-plants into the table. Danny doesn’t even know why he’s surprised anymore. Of course Grace had been working with Kono to set up this entire thing, and of course Kono would have realized how he felt.
When Danny has sent off a not so clever response of Funny, Kono. he looks up to see that Steve’s eyes seems to be glued to the screen of his phone. ”Earth to Steve McGarrett, come in please.”
”Oh, yeah, Danny.” Steve drops his phone on the table. ”So this is a little awkward, isn’t it?”
”Only if we make it awkward, Steve,” Danny replies. ”Are you planning on making this awkward? Because let me tell you, if you walk out on me and my daughter finds out, she will be crushed. Crushed, I tell you, and I will not let that happen. Are we clear?”
”Uh huh, crystal,” Steve says and nods. ”This is a nice restaurant. Italian. Gracie’s choice, I guess.”
”Well, she did say that the restaurant would give me a little slice of home,” Danny says. He picks up the menu that he hadn’t even noticed the waiter had dropped off. ”I’ve got the strongest craving for lasagna. Oh look, they have fancy pizzas, just the way you like them.”
”Fancy pizzas, really Danny?” Steve just grins and Danny notices that he doesn’t even pick up the menu.
They sit in mostly silence for a few minutes before the waitress shows up. Danny places his order and adds a bottle of red wine after a nod of okay from Steve.
”And what will you have, Sir?” the waiter asks. Her grin is a little too wide and Danny can see her obviously checking Steve out. Why does this always happen to him?
”I’ll have a pizza, just mozzarella and sauce, please. And a side order of salad.” Steve smiles at the waitress and hands her the menu. ”Thank you… Alessandra.”
”Thank you,” Danny says as he, too, hands over his menu.
”What?” Steve asks when they’ve sat in silence for what feels like forever.
Danny doesn’t even bother to pretend he doesn’t know what Steve is asking. ”Do you have to do that? You’re supposed to be on a date here, even if you don’t want to be, you can at least pretend.”
”What makes you think I don’t want to be here?” Danny’s mind must be playing tricks on him, because Steve sounds kind of hurt.
”Because you were flirting with the waitress who, by the way, looks like she’s about fifteen years younger than you,” Danny points out. ”If you wanted to be here, you wouldn’t be flirting with other people.”
Steve arches an eyebrow. ”I was flirting? It’s called being friendly, Danny, something I know you know the general concept of. Why would I flirt when I’m here with you?”
A retort is at the tip of his tongue when a plate of lasagna is placed in front of him. Just the scent and sight of it makes him miss his mom something fiercely. He must remember to call her tomorrow. The lasagna tastes as good as it looks, and if he moans when taking the first bite, it’s no one’s business but his own.
”That good?” And Steve’s, apparently, because his best friend is still sitting across the table from him. There’s a sparkle in his eye that hadn’t been there a moment ago.
”That good,” Danny says and takes another bite. ”Wanna taste?”
To Danny’s surprise, Steve actually says yes. ”Is the apocalypse here and no one told me about it? I know it was supposed to be here years ago, Kono made me sit through the movie, but I think I would have noticed if it had actually arrived.”
”No apocalypse, D. Are you gonna let me have a taste or not?” Steve shakes his head and motions towards the fork in Danny’s hand.
Danny looks down at the fork he’s holding in his hand and back to Steve. He wonders if the combination of too little sleep and the two sips of wine he’s had is getting to him already, because he thinks Steve just asked Danny to feed him. Lasagna. Which is just this side of too fatty.
He holds his fork out across the table for Steve to take. Only he doesn’t, oh no, he leans over the table and looks at Danny to bring the fork to his mouth. Which Danny does, because what other choice does he have? And then the bastard moans. Steve moans, and that’s just not a sound Danny needed to hear right now. Definitely not while they’re in public, because the sound goes straight to his cock.
”You’re right,” Steve says, words muffled as if he hasn’t even swallowed the entire bite yet. ”This is really good.”
”Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
Steve pulls his tongue out at him. ”Bite me.”
The rest of the dinner is comfortable, even though the conversation is a little stilted as they sometimes can’t agree on what is a safe topic to talk about. Most of the things they have in common, like work and Grace, are just not topics that Danny wants to talk about on a date. Especially not with Steve, since they’ve done that every day for the past seven odd years anyway.
Steve eats all of his pizza, and then suggests they share a tiramisu, which once again makes Danny glad he wasn’t having a drink of his wine at that point. Of course, it’s the same waitress who takes their order this time and yet again he has to watch Steve flirt with this girl. He lets it slide this time, even though he’s gotten the vibe all evening that Steve just might feel it too. That this is more than two friends having dinner because the daughter of one of them thought it would be a good idea.
The dessert only comes with one fork, which he is about to point out to the waitress when Steve just looks at him. It’s not a look Danny has ever seen before, but he gets the impression that it means he should shut up and let Steve feed him this time. The meaning of the look turns out to be exactly that, as two seconds later, Steve is waving the fork in front of Danny’s face.
Danny’s sure it must be the wine talking, because there is no way he would have let Steve feed him two-thirds of a dessert if he had been sober. Which, after two shared bottles of wine and too little sleep for the last weeks, neither of them can claim to be. No matter how much liquor they can hold on a normal night.
***
”Wanna go someplace else? There’s a bar just down the street,” Steve says after the waitress walks off with Steve’s money - and a considerable tip.
Danny is still reeling form the fact that Steve brought his wallet, much less that he paid for the entire meal even though Danny’s lasagna cost a considerable amount more than Steve’s pizza. ”Yeah, sure,” he agrees. Because even though he probably shouldn’t have more to drink tonight, he doesn’t want this night to be over just yet.
As they walk out of the restaurant, Steve half a step behind him, Danny suddenly feels a warmth through his shirt and vest. The realization that it’s Steve’s hand on his back, guiding him in the direction of the bar, makes Danny stumble over his own feet.
”You okay there?” Steve asks, concern obvious in his voice. His hand is now clasped around Danny’s upper arm.
”Fine, just… Crack” Danny says. ”There was a crack. I tripped.” It’s a good thing that it’s almost completely dark outside, because Danny is fairly sure that he’s blushing.
Steve hums. ”Come on, bar’s this way.”
The bar is a hole in the wall place that Danny wouldn’t even have noticed if he passed it by himself. He doesn’t even see a sign that tells people that it’s a bar, but as they go inside the place is just about packed. It’s much more spacious than it looked from the outside, with booths lining the sides and smaller tables in the middle of the room. There’s even a stage and a small dance floor in one of the corners.
Music comes loud from the speakers, Danny thinks they might be playing one of those bands that Grace seems to love so much lately, because ’the singer is so pretty, Danno’, but he’s not entirely sure. The music is too loud for them to talk, though that was probably Steve’s intention when he picked this place out to continue their evening. Danny doesn’t blame him, the conversation hadn’t exactly flowed.
They gravitate straight to the bar, and once again Steve surprises him by grabbing Danny’s hand when he makes an effort to bring out his wallet. ”I got this one,” Steve says close to Danny’s ear. Danny absolutely does not shiver when Steve’s breath ghosts over his cheek.
Danny grabs his Longboard and shot of whiskey as he scans the room for a table. There’s one in the back, and Danny nods in its direction only to have Steve push by him and through the crowd to get there. ”Neanderthal,” Danny says under his breath.
They’ve been at the table for all of three minutes by the time the first young woman comes up to chat to Steve. This is nothing new, it happens all the time when they go out for a drink. What is new is the way Steve brushes said girl off with a simple, ”Not tonight,” and a smile.
Danny doesn’t bother commenting on Steve’s rejection, just tilts his head in question and gets a shrug in reply. ”Didn’t feel like it,” Steve says.
”Sure, yeah, okay,” Danny replies and drinks almost half his beer in one go. ”I wouldn’t have minded. You know, if you would have wanted to dance or whatever.”
”Uh huh.” Steve nods and drains his beer. ”Next round is on you.”
Danny takes that as a cue to get up and get another round. There is quite a line at the bar, and really, why is there only two bartenders working on a night like this? By some miracle he manages to get served before he really should have judging by the sour looks some of the guys around are throwing at him.
When he nears the table he sees yet another girl at Steve’s side. So it’s going to be one of those nights. ”Got your beer,” he says when there’s a lull between songs. The girl must not have seen him coming, because she all but jumps out of her skin.
With a look at Danny and then back at Steve the girl says a simple, ”Oh, you could have just said,” and walks off without even waiting for a reply.
Danny nods in the direction the girl disappeared to. ”She was cute.”
”I guess,” Steve says and shrugs as he grabs one of the beers out of Danny’s hand. ”Are you just gonna stand there all night?”
”You guess,” Danny says. ”What is wrong with you?”
Steve takes another drink. ”Nothing.” He’s looking somewhere over Danny’s right shoulder. ”So this is has been a pretty good date, hasn’t it?”
Before Danny can even process the words - they have been careful not to use the word date since the beginning of the evening - there is suddenly yet another girl at Steve’s side. She doesn’t even get the chance to open her mouth before Steve slides his hand across the small table and grasps Danny’s arm, though. ”Sorry,” he says. ”I’m already with someone.”
”Of course you are,” she says with a huff. ”Why is it that all the hot men are either gay or taken?” The question is directed at Danny, surprisingly enough.
”I don’t know…” His voice comes out hoarse and he has trouble focusing on anything but Steve’s hand on his arm.
”Well, you make a very nice couple,” she says and walks off with a wave over her shoulder.
Danny turns back around; blinking at how close Steve is all of a sudden. ”Steve?” He wasn’t this close ten seconds ago.
”Yeah, Danno?” Steve’s smile is one of the rare ones that Danny has only seen a handful of times. It’s the one where he looks like he’s about to get exactly what he wants. Danny hopes it’s the same thing as he wants. He really, really hopes that he hasn’t been reading all the signs wrong.
”Wanna get out of here?” He nods towards the back door.
”Yeah… Yeah, let’s do that,” Steve says. It could just be the poor lights in the bar, but Danny is sure that Steve’s eyes grow a few shades darker.
***
When Danny gets up, he wobbles and almost face plants into the chest of a woman with blonde hair and very perky breasts. Even over the music, Danny can hear Steve chuckle as he steadies him with an arm around his waist. ”Easy there,” he says. His breath is warm against Danny’s ear.
”Guess I had one too many,” Danny says, mostly to himself. He can’t tell from Steve’s expression if he heard him or not, but when they make their way out of the bar through the backdoor, Steve’s hand doesn’t leave Danny’s back. The touch is burning, even through his shirt and vest, and it makes Danny’s pulse speed up.
He can feel himself get hard, and when they get outside, away from all those people, that loud music - finally - the relatively cold air, for Honolulu at least, doesn’t help cool him down one bit. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, because now he can feel the contrast of Steve’s hand on his back even more. It does nothing to help him forget how he’s spent most the time they’ve known each other, since before Gabby even, thinking about what it would be like to kiss Steve. To make love to him.
Danny twists around and stumbles right up against Steve this time. A grunt falls over Steve’s lips as Danny’s weight presses him against the harsh bricks of the side of the building. As he presses a kiss to the side of Steve’s neck, all the while letting him take all of Danny’s weight, he confesses, ”Wanna suck your cock, babe,” before he presses a harsh kiss to Steve’s mouth. “Thought ‘bout this for so long, you have no idea. Y’re always takin’ y’r shirt off, any chance you get… Drive me f’king crazy.” He feels Steve harden against his stomach, and Danny can’t take it anymore. He presses another kiss to Steve’s lips before he slides to his knees.
”Danny,” Steve says, his hand curled in the shoulder of Danny’s vest. “Danny, please.” Danny can tell by the desperation in Steve’s voice and the way he is already mostly in his pants that they are both on the same page here. Finally.
Danny grins up at Steve when he gets his hand inside the now open jeans and touches Steve’s cock. ”Commando on a blind-date, McGarrett?” he chuckles as Steve throws his head back and groans in frustration as Danny’s fingers close around his cock. ”If you were hoping to get lucky, you’ve definitely succeeded.”
“Would you just ge-“ The moment Danny’s lips go around Steve’s cock, Danny can feel his hands in his hair, tugging. It only lasts for a second, though, before Steve’s hands go lax. Steve doesn’t try to set the pace or get Danny to take him deeper, which is somewhat of a surprise. Danny has always imagined that Steve would be the one to take charge in bed; he’s fantasized about Steve pushing and pulling him around to get what he wants. The fact that Steve wants Danny to take charge is kind of throwing him off.
He goes with it, though, because how could he not? The slightest sound from Steve just makes him want to make this as good as he possibly can for Steve. It’s been a while since he last did this, but Danny knows what he likes, and he’s sure Steve isn’t all that different.
By the way Steve’s fingers curl tightly into his hair, and the curse that comes low but clear above him, Danny is sure he’s on the right track. It’s not long before Steve starts to try to pull him away; Danny stays firm, though, sucking just that bit harder until he tastes the bitter flavor of Steve’s come in his mouth. He stays on his knees, his eyes never leaving Steve’s face until Steve opens his eyes and looks at Danny, before all but pushing him away with an apologetic look on his face.
Steve curls his hand in Danny’s vest, and Danny has no other choice but to get up when he starts to pull. The look on Steve’s face is kind of dazed and Danny just has to kiss him. Danny has no idea how long they stand there, trading kisses, before Steve pulls away with a mumbled, “Sensitive.”
Danny takes a small step back, immediately missing the heat Steve’s body was giving him. He watches as Steve buttons himself up again; the flush on his cheeks makes it obvious what they’ve been up to. Now that he isn’t pressed up against Steve, his erection makes itself known again, and he can’t hold back the shudder that runs through his body.
Steve must have noticed, because he stops, hand still on his zipper. “Wanna get out of here?” he asks, grinning.
Danny swallows, the heat in Steve’s eyes turning him on even more. “Please.”
***
When Danny wakes up, it feels as if a rodent crawled into his mouth and died. His head is pounding, and when he opens his eyes, the headache only intensifies from the light. It takes a few minutes, but soon everything that happened the night before starts coming back to him, one event at a time.
By the time he remembers how the evening had ended, he feels absolutely horrified. He doesn’t know how much of it actually happened and how much is his imagination, but he can remember exactly what Steve’s cock had felt like in his mouth. He can remember the way Steve had moaned and said his name, breathless and needy, when he came down Danny’s throat. The memories are different from all the other times when he’s dreamed about sex with Steve, so he just knows that this time it actually happened; it’s not his imagination. If he wasn’t already sure, the fact that it’s Steve’s bedroom he sees when he opens his eyes again, confirms it.
He’s not sure what time it is, or how long he’s been awake, but the urge to get the hell out of there is overwhelming. He is so embarrassed about what he did the night before, and he’s almost certain that he fell asleep on Steve right before he was about to have his own orgasm.
As he heaves himself out of bed, Danny bites back the urge to throw up when his stomach rolls. God only knows what Steve’s thoughts are on the entire situation. If Danny has to go back to HPD because neither of them could hold their liquor, he’s going to be pissed. He would rather not stay to find out right now, better to just get out of there while Steve is presumably out for his swim.
The process of getting his clothes on is slow but successful. He’s still buttoning his shirt when he makes it down the stairs. He should obviously pay more attention to where he’s going because the next thing he knows, he walks right into a dripping wet Steven J. McGarrett.
”Steve… hey, I didn’t realize you…” Danny trails off; he knows he’s staring, but he can’t help it. He’s seen Steve in various states of undress hundreds of times over the years, yet somehow it’s never made him feel quite like this. ”I thought you were still on your swim to the mainland.”
”You were going to sneak out, weren’t you?” Danny can’t place the emotion in his voice, and for once, Steve’s face is completely blank.
”Uhhh, I’m pic-” he trails off as he sees the start of aneurism face taking over Steve’s features, his shoulders slumping. ”Yes, I was going to leave before you got back. I just… I didn’t know how you would react, and I don’t know if you know this, but I’m not the kind of person to do one night stands, so I’m telling you now because Grace-”
”Hey, hey,” Steve says and just about shakes Danny out of his rambling. Danny has to blink before his eyes can focus on Steve. The look on his face has changed to something… sympathetic is the closest word he can get to describe it. ”I get it, Danno. Grace comes first; I know that. I would never have done anything if I wasn’t sure that I want to be with you for real. No matter how drunk I might have been…”
”Ohh…” Danny sounds shocked, even to his own ears.
Steve’s answering smile is all teeth. Before Danny knows what’s happening, Steve has his arms around him, and his tongue licks Danny’s mouth open.
***
”I really have to go,” Danny says against Steve’s lips as he tries to untangle himself from the man’s arms. He’s not sure how many minutes have passed, but he will be late if he doesn’t leave soon. ”Gracie is waiting for me, and you know she’s gonna ask awkward questions if I’m late.”
”So let her,” Steve says. He nibbles Danny’s bottom lip one more time before he sighs and lets Danny go. ”You should bring her back here; we can go surf together. You know how much she’d like that.” He rubs a hand through his hair and doesn’t meet Danny’s eyes, as if he’s suddenly feeling self-conscious. ”Unless you’d rather spend time alone with her. I would totally understand if you think it’s too soon for her to know just how well the date went.”
Danny can’t help but laugh at Steve’s earnestness. It’s almost as if he doesn’t know that Grace was behind this from the beginning. As if he thinks it was all Kono’s idea. ”You really think she isn’t gonna figure it out anyway?”
Steve’s eyes zero in on Danny’s neck, where he no doubt left a hickey the night before. “Yeah, I think you might be right. Now go get your conniving daughter so that we can spend the rest of the day on the beach.” The smile on his face as he says that is larger than Danny can remember seeing in a long time.
Danny can feel Steve’s eyes on him as he leaves the McGarrett residence to go get his daughter. If he could afford it, he would have bought her that pony she’s been begging for for the last three years.
***
”Danno!” Grace calls as she runs down the stairs of the Edwards’ home. It’s about time that he got there; she’s been ready for hours. Grace hopes that him being late means that his date with Uncle Steve was good. ”Did you have a good time on your date last night?” She makes sure to keep her face blank.
”Do you mean the date that didn’t show up?” Danny asks as he lets Grace go. ”Because I trust your judgment, but for the date to be nice, the other person actually has to show up.”
Grace gasps, appalled at the fact that her Danno would lie to her. ”It’s not nice to lie, Danno. You and Mom have been telling me that since I was born.” She tilts her head and waits.
When Danno just looks like he might as well have a question mark on his forehead, she sighs. ”Kono texted me to say you were both at the restaurant last night, Danno. And that Uncle Steve looked like he could be the next James Bond, which I know you must have appreciated.”
Danno avoids her eyes as he coughs and motions towards the Camaro. ”So, shall we go? Steve invited us to go surf on his beach today. Unless you’d rather do something else? We didn’t exactly make any plans.”
Grace whoops and flings herself against Danno. He almost loses his balance, but Grace doesn’t care. ”Does this mean you’re moving in with Steve again? I knew you loved each other all this time. It’s so epic and obvious.” She laughs as she notices the blush creep up Danno’s face. ”Come on, let’s go see lover boy.”
***
Grace keeps asking questions without waiting for the answers all the way to Steve’s place. It’s obvious how happy she is, and Danny can’t help but wonder why it would take his daughter and teammate conspiring to get him and Steve to take the final step. If he’d known Grace would be this happy about her father dating a man, he would have made a move on Steve years ago.
The end
Recipient: finduilas_clln
Title: (You’re Making Me) All That I Was Meant To Be
Pairings/Characters: Danny ”Danno” Williams/Steve McGarrett, Grace, Kono
Summary: Grace thinks her Danno should date Uncle Steve, so she convinces Kono to help. Danny and Steve are not as easily convinced.
Rating: R
Word Count: 8,660 words
Disclaimer: All Hawaii Five-0 characters herein are the property of CBS. No copyright infringement is intended. All characters engaging in sexual activity are 16 years or older.
Author's Notes: Dear finduilas_clln, I hope you like this story. I went with a first time fic with the team meddling, set some years in the future. If I completely missed the mark, I’m sorry. Steve and Danno took over my mind, so blame them *g*
Thanks to everyone involved with helping me make the fic what it is today. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
”I think Danno and Uncle Steve should date,” Grace says in a way that makes it sound like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Kono sways on her board before she manages to find her balance. ”You do?” They’re far enough out that Danny and Steve on the shore won’t overhear their conversation if she keeps her voice low. ”Why do you think that?”
”I know they bicker a lot, but they make each other happy. I can see it. Danno looks at Steve like he used to look at Mom those few weeks they tried to get back together but failed.” The smile on Grace’s face is sad, which is completely understandable. No child should have to go through their parents splitting up, let alone twice. ”I know he liked Gabby, but he never looked at her like he looked at Mom or Steve. And Steve hasn’t looked happy with anyone but Danno since Catherine left.”
”So you think your dad and Steve should be together because they make each other happy. Don’t you think they would be together if they felt like that?” Kono smiles and hopes she seems supportive. Steve might be repressed, but Danny Williams always lets everyone know how he feels. Especially regarding McGarrett and the issues that come with those feelings.
”That would require them to talk to each other about their feelings.” Grace rolls her eyes as she says it, and Kono has to bite her cheek so she doesn’t laugh.
Kono half wonders if they know the same Danny and Steve. ”Your father never seems to have an issue with saying how he feels.” The man talks about his feelings of hatred against the State of Hawaii, the criminals who live here, and Steve McGarrett several times a week. ”Steve, he’s suppressed when it comes to anything but explosions and fires, I’ll give you that.”
Grace sighs and gets this look on her face that tells Kono that Grace thinks she’s being stupid. ”Danno never talks about the feelings that matter; I think we should help them.”
”I take it that you already have a plan.” Kono knows when it’s time to give in, and the Williamses can be nothing if not persuasive.
”We need to set them up on a blind date.” There is not even an ounce of question in that statement.
Kono just has to ask anyway. ”We?”
The well duh is silent but definitely implied. ”I can’t ask both of them. They’re detectives; they’re gonna suspect something if I do that. I’ll convince Danno, and you can talk to Steve.” She looks behind them before she starts shifting on her board. ”They’re probably wondering what we’re doing. There’s a wave on the way in; we’ll catch that one.”
”Hey!” Kono calls, but it’s useless. Grace has already caught the wave and is closer to the beach than she is to Kono by now.
***
Danny manages to relax somewhat when Grace is on her feet on dry land again. ”What were you two talking about out there for so long?” Grace and Kono were out on the water for quite some time. There were several waves they just let go by that even Danny would say were too good to pass up.
”Nothing…” is all Grace says, and Danny knows from the way she won’t meet his eyes that she’s no doubt up to something.
”If it was nothing, why didn’t you catch any of the twenty perfect waves and instead wait until there was a mediocre one?” Steve butts in, and in the process he startles both Danny and Grace.
”They were too perfect.” The way Grace says it she’s nothing if not serious. ”I’m not a good enough surfer for those yet, and Kono kept me company.”
Danny arches an eyebrow. ”Is that so?”
”Uh huh. She says that if you hadn’t made me wait until my thirteenth birthday I would have been much better than you by now. Is there any lemonade? I’m parched.” Her eyes are big and innocent, and Danny knows he’s not going to get the truth out of his daughter right now.
”It’s in the kitchen,” Steve says just as Kono makes it out of the water, her board firmly held under one arm. ”So, Kono…” Steve grins in the way Danny has seen him do one too many times when he knows he’s about to get what he wants. ”You gonna tell me what that was all about?”
”Don’t know what you’re talking about, brah.” The look on her face is not all that different from the one Grace was just sporting. ”All right, I’m out of here; I have plans.”
Danny can’t hold back the laughter that escapes when Steve’s face falls as Kono hurries off to her car. ”They’re up to something, aren’t they?” If Danny didn’t know better, he would say Steve sounds almost scared.
”You think?” Danny gives Steve a slap on the shoulder before he wanders into the house to get some lemonade for himself.
***
”I won’t be home for dinner tonight,” Grace says, not looking up from her book as she lets her spoon play with the last few soggy Rice Krispies in her bowl.
”Oh? And why is that?” She can hear in the tone of Danny’s voice that he’s not happy about it. They haven’t had dinner together in weeks, due to the robbery-murder case that her dad’s been knee deep in since after their last day at the beach with Steve and Kono.
”Just meeting up with a friend to do a group assignment.” Grace shrugs and tries to put on an innocent face when she feels Danno watching her. ”It was last minute.”
By the way her dad tilts his head, Grace can tell that he’s not buying it. Thankfully Danny’s phone goes off before he has time to say anything about it. The ringtone is Sexy Eyes, which makes Grace giggle into her book. She doesn’t know why her Danno and Steve haven’t been living together for years already.
As Danno starts ranting into the phone about one thing or another, Grace takes the soggy Rice Krispies to the sink. She makes quick work of rinsing it out and leaves the kitchen with a kiss to Danno’s cheek before he has the time to hang up on Steve and start ranting at her instead.
***
Grace is relieved when she gets to class and it turns out that Ms. Kelly is home sick and that there isn’t a substitute teacher, so they get to go home two hours early. She isn’t sure she would have made it through the entire day without literally climbing the walls.
She sends off a text to Kono as she gets out of class and is surprised to get a reply almost instantly that she can pick her up in half an hour so they can go to the North Shore. The day must have been slower at the Five-0 headquarters than it seemed when Steve had called that morning.
Grace sits on the stairs outside school and waits for Kono to arrive. As she does, she plans how she is going to convince her Daddy to go on a date with someone he won’t even know the name of. She knows that he’s reserved when it comes to things like this. He hasn’t said anything about it, but Grace is almost sure that he’s had some bad experiences with blind dates in the past.
She knows how much he loves her though, and has learned over the years to use it to her advantage. She definitely plans on using it to her advantage this time. There’s a honk, interrupting her thoughts. When she sees Kono’s car, she hurries down the stairs and into the car.
”Hey, kid, you okay? You looked lost in thought there.” There is laughter in Kono’s voice as she steers the car towards the North Shore.
”Yeah, just thinking,” she says as she closes the door behind her. ”Danno didn’t see the boards, did he? He thinks I’m studying with a friend.”
”No worries, I went and got them after I left HQ,” Kono says. When Grace looks at her, she can visibly see Kono’s face change. ”So, you’re sure about this. Right? Because it’s not too late to back out now.”
”Kono, do you think they shouldn’t date? Steve is all Danno talks about, really. If I wasn’t sure about setting them up, this morning was proof enough.” Grace smiles as she thinks back to it. ”He didn’t even notice I was leaving, he was so busy talking to Steve.”
”Well, okay then,” is the last thing Kono says until they’re down on the beach with their boards.
***
They get some surfing in because Grace really thinks it would be unfair if Kono brought their boards and they didn’t surf at all now that Danno isn’t here to freak out every time there’s a wave higher than his approved six feet. He’s a little more lenient now that Grace is almost sixteen, but Grace still finds him ridiculous and tells him so every opportunity she gets.
When it’s starting to look like a rainstorm might be over them at any moment, they decide to pack it up for the day. Twenty minutes later they are at the diner across the street with steaming plates of loco moco in front of them.
It’s Kono who brings up the reason why they’re there. ”So, Danny and Steve dating, eh? You’re certainly not going to make life easy for anyone when you succeed with that plan.”
”But you’re going to help me, right? Because even though they are oblivious when it comes to each other, they’re going to know something is going on if I try to convince both of them to go on a blind date.”
”Yeah, that’s true. I don’t think I’ve ever heard them talk about feelings that way, but I know Steve was there when things didn’t work out between Danny and Gabby. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think that Danny would tell Steve that he’s going on a date because he thinks that Steve worries that he’s lonely.”
”That could blow up right in my face if that happens. So will you help me? Will you convince Steve to go on a date with one of your friends? Don’t tell him more than you have to because he hates not knowing everything and will probably do background checks on all your friends.”
”He would, wouldn’t he? Of course I’ll help you; maybe your dad would be less grumpy if he had someone to share his life with when you’re not there. The weeks you’re with him, he’s a ray of sunshine.”
”The weeks I’m with him, all he does is talk about Uncle Steve… He makes Danno happy, Kono; why shouldn’t he be able to do that all the time? I just think they need a push in the right direction. Mom says Danno is emotionally stunted and can’t do things like this himself. Which is why we need to help him.”
”Actually, you know, I think that’s a general guy thing. So, do you have any plans on where they should go on this date of theirs?”
”Somewhere they can talk. Danno’s been talking about going back to Jersey lately. I think he misses Granma’s lasagna, and he always complains that Steve likes his pizzas flashy. So is there an Italian restaurant that serves both? That would probably be a good place. A family style restaurant, you know?”
”I have just the place. Do you want me to set it up for the Saturday after next? I have a feeling we might need to have some time to convince the both of them to go on dates with someone they won’t know anything about.”
”Do you think that’s enough time? I mean; I’m staying with Danno the next few weeks because Mom and Step-Stan are traveling around for work or something like that, so I’ll have more than enough time to convince him. He still thinks I’m his little Monkey who can do no wrong. But what about Steve? Do you think it’s enough time to convince him to go on a date with someone he doesn’t even know the name of?”
”Let me worry about that; I have some strings I can pull. He owes me for every potential date he’s managed to scare off over the last few years.”
***
”Danno, don’t you think it’s about time you start dating again?”
”Grace, what are you talking about?”
”I mean; it’s been like… five years almost? Since you were with Gabby.”
”What brought these thoughts on, Gracie?”
”I just want you to be happy. Because you’re not, are you? Happy?”
”As long as I have you, Monkey, that’s everything I’ll ever need.”
”That’s not the same, Danno, and you know it. I can tell that you’re lonely sometimes, especially when I’m with Mom; I can hear it in your voice when we talk at night.”
”I am happy, Gracie. You don’t have to worry about me.”
”Well, I think you should start dating again. In fact…”
”What did you do, Gracie?”
”I set you up on a date. Don’t look so surprised; someone had to do it because it’s not like you were ever gonna do it yourself. Now, I have to go or I’ll be late. I’m going surfing with Kono.”
”Hey, Monkey, get back here!”
”Bye, Danno. Love you, Danno!”
***
”So, Boss… It’s been years since Cath and you called it quits. Have you seen anyone since she left?”
”That’s personal, Kono.”
”Come on, we’re friends, right? We worry about you being alone.”
”We worry? Who exactly are we? You and your gossiping girlfriends?”
”Just people. So have you seen anyone?”
”I guess there’s been one or two over the years.”
”You guess? So just sex then. That’s not seeing someone, Boss, that’s messing around, and it’s definitely not the same thing as going on dates with someone.”
”Do you have to call me Boss when we’re talking about sex? I’m pretty sure that counts as sexual harassment.”
”All right, all right, Steve. You should really get out on the dating scene. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re hot. Like, really hot. It would be a shame to deprive the world of your hotness.”
”I don’t want to date, Kono… My hotness, eh?”
”Knew you’d catch onto that. How do you know you don’t want to date if you haven’t even tried it? Cath doesn’t count because we both know that was more friends with benefits than anything. Even after she moved in with you it wasn’t like it was all that serious. Come on; let me set you up on a date. I already have someone in mind. I promise you won’t be disappointed…”
”I’ll think about it, but this doesn’t mean I trust you not to have an ulterior motive.”
***
Grace waits a couple of days before she brings it up again. This time, when she does bring it up, it’s when they’re preparing dinner. Somehow, making dinner is very serious business to her dad. She thinks it might have something to do with his Italian genes.
”So…” she starts, her eyes on the carrot she’s been assigned to peeling, “this dating thing. Have you thought anything more about it?”
”Grace…” If she didn’t know better, she would think that her dad had actually just whined. ”I told you, I’m happy enough as it is.”
Grace huffs. ”But you’re not, though. You’re lonely, and you’re not even trying to hide it.”
”I’m just so busy with Five-0, there’s not really much time for me to go out and find someone to date,” Danny says, and he actually looks up from the slicing and dicing to give her a half glare. ”Maybe in a few years, when my knee has given up on me being thrown out of buildings, I’ll go out and find someone to spend my life with. If it would make you happy.”
”It would,” Grace says and nods. ”But I don’t think you should wait a few years. You’re in your prime now, and you shouldn’t waste it…” She quiets down when Danno snorts. ”Which is why I’ve taken it upon myself to find you the perfect person to date.”
Grace can’t hold back the laughter when her dad drops the knife - thankfully with no fingers in the way - and just stares at her for what feels like minutes.
”Please, please tell me that you haven’t set up an account on some online dating service?” Danny sounds horrified. ”You know you can’t trust those things. Have I taught you nothing over the last sixteen years?”
”Relax,” Grace says with a roll of her eyes. ”I have enough people telling me how dangerous online dating can be; I wouldn’t do that. This is actually someone I know, someone I know is safe and that I’m 98 percent sure you will actually like as more than just another friend.”
Danny’s giving Grace his full attention now. ”So you know this person?”
Grace nods. ”Yes.”
”And you want me to date this person?”
She smiles. ”Yes, Danno.”
”And you think that this person wants to go out with me, too?”
”That part is pretty obvious, yes.” Obvious to everyone but Danno and Steve, that is. She would love to be a fly on the wall for when they first meet on their date. Because she has no doubt that there will be a date. Grace is pretty sure that it won’t take much more to convince her dad that he should go on this date if the thoughtful expression on his face is anything to go by.
”All right, I’ll do it.” Grace has to blink and shake her head. Danno didn’t really say what she thinks he said, did he?
”What did you say?” she asks, just to be sure.
”I said I’ll do it.” Danno grabs the knife again as he chuckles. ”If you make me repeat myself again, I might change my mind, though.”
Grace does a little victory dance inside and hopes that Kono will manage to convince Steve as well.
”Great!” She kisses Danno’s cheek before getting plates out of the cupboard. ”The date is next Saturday at seven-thirty; a taxi will pick you up at seven, so be ready on time.”
”You’re not even gonna tell me what restaurant I’m going to?” Now Danno sounds suspicious again, but not suspicious enough to pull out. At least Grace hopes not.
”You’ll like it, I swear,” Grace says. She trusts Kono to have picked a restaurant that both her Dad and Steve will enjoy. ”It’ll be like a little slice of home.”
***
Kono is having a harder time convincing Steve to go on the date than she anticipated. She knew from the start that it wouldn’t be easy, but he doesn’t even let her get the full question out before he shuts her down the first time. And the second time. And the third. By the fourth time, Kono has had enough.
”Look,” she says, crossing her arms and glaring at him. ”If you don’t at least sit down and listen to me for five minutes, I will tell everyone about that time where you got bitch slapped by a pair of identical twins because you’d slept with them both the same weekend.”
”I have never-” is as far as Steve gets before Kono interrupts him again.
”And then I will tell everyone about that time on the midnight surf when you got so drunk you couldn’t see straight and went around kissing everyone and singing Jersey Girl.” Kono can see the wheels in Steve’s brain turning as he tries to figure out if that’s actually happened or not.
He frowns, opening and closing his mouth three times before he settles on, ”That didn’t actually-”
”How would you know? You were totally smashed,” Kono says, smirking. ”Anyway, after that, I will show everyone the pictures of you dressed up as a woman when you were a teenager. I bet Danny especially will love to see those…”
”There are no copies of that, I have all the negatives.” The words take a moment to register with Kono, and then she can’t hold back her laughter.
”You mean that actually happened?” she asks when she manages to calm down. ”Holy crap, I thought I was just making that up, brah. I need to get my hands on those photos.”
”No, no you definitely do not need to get your hands on those pictures,” Steve says with a glare. ”How did you find out about those anyway? Did Mary say something about it? She is always causing trouble, she’ll be the death of me.”
”She didn’t, it was just a guess. You look like the type, s’all.” Steve’s sputters sets her off laughing again. ”So are you going to listen to me now?”
Steve sighs and slumps back in his chair, pushes the plate of chicken and rice away and sighs. ”Don’t have much of a choice, do I? I thought I was supposed to be the boss, not you.”
”No, no you do not.” Kono watches Steve for a moment. If she didn’t know better, she would say that he looks nervous. Good. That might make it easier to convince him. ”So, this date. I’ve set it up for next Saturday, seven-thirty. A taxi will pick you up. You better wear something nice, you hear me? I don’t want it to get back to me that you’ve been wearing cargoes and a t-shirt.”
”You seem awfully sure that I will go on this blind date of yours,” Steve says, leaning back until he’s balancing on the back legs of his chair. ”Before I’ll even consider it, I’m going to need a little more information. Like who this person is.”
”Boss, it wouldn’t be a blind date if I told you who you’re going out with.” Kono refrains from rolling her eyes at him. ”They’re a good person, and I know you’ll get along great. Isn’t that enough?”
”You keep saying person…” Steve frowns. ”Does it mean it’s a guy?”
”You’re just going to have to go to this date and find out, won’t you?” Kono smirks.
”How do you even know I would be interested in dating a guy?” The tone of his voice does nothing to hide from Kono that she’s right, and that Steve very much would like to date a guy. ”Maybe I’m straight.”
Kono takes a sip of her drink. ”Are you?”
There’s a definite darkening of the color on Steve’s cheeks. ”Well, not particularly…”
***
Danny won’t admit it if anyone ever asks, but he stands in front of his closet for close to an hour before he decides on a final outfit. By then he has lost count on how many shirts he’s rejected. He ends up wearing a pair of pinstriped charcoal colored slacks and a matching vest with a tight-fitted light blue shirt underneath. It’s the one Steve said brought out the color of his eyes a few weeks back, but he doesn’t need to think about that right now. Not when he’s going on a date with someone his daughter has deemed perfect for him.
It’s a good thing that he’s pre-ordered a cab, because the honking makes him realize how late he’s running. He just remembers to grab the copy of Sherlock Holmes Grace said he should bring, before he rushes out the door.
By some miracle, traffic is light and he gets to the restaurant with a full five minutes to spare. Grace had only given him the address and the week had been too busy for him to look up the restaurant, so Danny is pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be Italian.
As he walks in and gives his name at the door, he’s led to a table for two in a secluded corner. He sits so that he’s facing the room, book clearly on display next to him. Danny tries to calm his nerves by taking a deep breath and counting to ten; he can’t believe he actually feels nervous. He’s always hated first dates though, which is one of the main reasons why he’s never gone out on a blind date before.
”Danny?” Steve’s stunned voice washes over him just the same as if someone had dunked him in a pool of ice. When Danny’s eyes focus and he sees Steve standing there, eyes wide, with a copy of Woman’s Day in his hands, Danny can’t stop the belly aching laughter that escapes. It doesn’t take long before Steve joins in.
”Kono.”
”Grace.” They say the names as one. Danny isn’t sure how he hadn’t guessed this sooner, because who else would his daughter think he should date? Grace has loved her Uncle Steve even from the beginning; sometimes Danny thinks she loves Steve more than she loves him. Some detective he is.
Steve looks paler than Danny has seen him in a long time, and the hand that has a white-knuckled grip on the chair is trembling. ”Oh my god, sit down before you pass out, you goof,” Danny says. He’s a little surprised about this himself, but Steve seems to be taking this far worse.
In the moments between Danny’s words and Steve’s reaction, Danny has the time to take in Steve’s appearance. He’s really cleaned up nice since Danny saw him just a few hours ago. Steve is wearing a pair of tight-fitted jeans, which Danny would bet hugs his ass just right. He’s also got on a white shirt and a navy blue jacket that’s buttoned up with the middle button only. It’s a far cry from the camouflage colored cargoes and the ripped grey t-shirt with a suspicious looking stain that he was wearing earlier today.
Steve blinks down at him before he falls into the chair he was just holding in a death-grip. His mouth opens and closes, as if he can’t quite get his vocal cords to form words. Before Danny can say anything - ask if Steve is okay; because what the hell? - Steve all but jumps out of his seat again, hand deep in the front pocket of his too tight dress pants.
Danny watches Steve bring out his phone just as his own vibrates in his pocket. There’s a new text from Kono and Danny grins as he opens it.
You’re welcome. Make sure to tell him. /K
For half a second he wonders what it is he’s supposed to tell Steve. Then, when his brain catches up with him, he almost face-plants into the table. Danny doesn’t even know why he’s surprised anymore. Of course Grace had been working with Kono to set up this entire thing, and of course Kono would have realized how he felt.
When Danny has sent off a not so clever response of Funny, Kono. he looks up to see that Steve’s eyes seems to be glued to the screen of his phone. ”Earth to Steve McGarrett, come in please.”
”Oh, yeah, Danny.” Steve drops his phone on the table. ”So this is a little awkward, isn’t it?”
”Only if we make it awkward, Steve,” Danny replies. ”Are you planning on making this awkward? Because let me tell you, if you walk out on me and my daughter finds out, she will be crushed. Crushed, I tell you, and I will not let that happen. Are we clear?”
”Uh huh, crystal,” Steve says and nods. ”This is a nice restaurant. Italian. Gracie’s choice, I guess.”
”Well, she did say that the restaurant would give me a little slice of home,” Danny says. He picks up the menu that he hadn’t even noticed the waiter had dropped off. ”I’ve got the strongest craving for lasagna. Oh look, they have fancy pizzas, just the way you like them.”
”Fancy pizzas, really Danny?” Steve just grins and Danny notices that he doesn’t even pick up the menu.
They sit in mostly silence for a few minutes before the waitress shows up. Danny places his order and adds a bottle of red wine after a nod of okay from Steve.
”And what will you have, Sir?” the waiter asks. Her grin is a little too wide and Danny can see her obviously checking Steve out. Why does this always happen to him?
”I’ll have a pizza, just mozzarella and sauce, please. And a side order of salad.” Steve smiles at the waitress and hands her the menu. ”Thank you… Alessandra.”
”Thank you,” Danny says as he, too, hands over his menu.
”What?” Steve asks when they’ve sat in silence for what feels like forever.
Danny doesn’t even bother to pretend he doesn’t know what Steve is asking. ”Do you have to do that? You’re supposed to be on a date here, even if you don’t want to be, you can at least pretend.”
”What makes you think I don’t want to be here?” Danny’s mind must be playing tricks on him, because Steve sounds kind of hurt.
”Because you were flirting with the waitress who, by the way, looks like she’s about fifteen years younger than you,” Danny points out. ”If you wanted to be here, you wouldn’t be flirting with other people.”
Steve arches an eyebrow. ”I was flirting? It’s called being friendly, Danny, something I know you know the general concept of. Why would I flirt when I’m here with you?”
A retort is at the tip of his tongue when a plate of lasagna is placed in front of him. Just the scent and sight of it makes him miss his mom something fiercely. He must remember to call her tomorrow. The lasagna tastes as good as it looks, and if he moans when taking the first bite, it’s no one’s business but his own.
”That good?” And Steve’s, apparently, because his best friend is still sitting across the table from him. There’s a sparkle in his eye that hadn’t been there a moment ago.
”That good,” Danny says and takes another bite. ”Wanna taste?”
To Danny’s surprise, Steve actually says yes. ”Is the apocalypse here and no one told me about it? I know it was supposed to be here years ago, Kono made me sit through the movie, but I think I would have noticed if it had actually arrived.”
”No apocalypse, D. Are you gonna let me have a taste or not?” Steve shakes his head and motions towards the fork in Danny’s hand.
Danny looks down at the fork he’s holding in his hand and back to Steve. He wonders if the combination of too little sleep and the two sips of wine he’s had is getting to him already, because he thinks Steve just asked Danny to feed him. Lasagna. Which is just this side of too fatty.
He holds his fork out across the table for Steve to take. Only he doesn’t, oh no, he leans over the table and looks at Danny to bring the fork to his mouth. Which Danny does, because what other choice does he have? And then the bastard moans. Steve moans, and that’s just not a sound Danny needed to hear right now. Definitely not while they’re in public, because the sound goes straight to his cock.
”You’re right,” Steve says, words muffled as if he hasn’t even swallowed the entire bite yet. ”This is really good.”
”Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
Steve pulls his tongue out at him. ”Bite me.”
The rest of the dinner is comfortable, even though the conversation is a little stilted as they sometimes can’t agree on what is a safe topic to talk about. Most of the things they have in common, like work and Grace, are just not topics that Danny wants to talk about on a date. Especially not with Steve, since they’ve done that every day for the past seven odd years anyway.
Steve eats all of his pizza, and then suggests they share a tiramisu, which once again makes Danny glad he wasn’t having a drink of his wine at that point. Of course, it’s the same waitress who takes their order this time and yet again he has to watch Steve flirt with this girl. He lets it slide this time, even though he’s gotten the vibe all evening that Steve just might feel it too. That this is more than two friends having dinner because the daughter of one of them thought it would be a good idea.
The dessert only comes with one fork, which he is about to point out to the waitress when Steve just looks at him. It’s not a look Danny has ever seen before, but he gets the impression that it means he should shut up and let Steve feed him this time. The meaning of the look turns out to be exactly that, as two seconds later, Steve is waving the fork in front of Danny’s face.
Danny’s sure it must be the wine talking, because there is no way he would have let Steve feed him two-thirds of a dessert if he had been sober. Which, after two shared bottles of wine and too little sleep for the last weeks, neither of them can claim to be. No matter how much liquor they can hold on a normal night.
***
”Wanna go someplace else? There’s a bar just down the street,” Steve says after the waitress walks off with Steve’s money - and a considerable tip.
Danny is still reeling form the fact that Steve brought his wallet, much less that he paid for the entire meal even though Danny’s lasagna cost a considerable amount more than Steve’s pizza. ”Yeah, sure,” he agrees. Because even though he probably shouldn’t have more to drink tonight, he doesn’t want this night to be over just yet.
As they walk out of the restaurant, Steve half a step behind him, Danny suddenly feels a warmth through his shirt and vest. The realization that it’s Steve’s hand on his back, guiding him in the direction of the bar, makes Danny stumble over his own feet.
”You okay there?” Steve asks, concern obvious in his voice. His hand is now clasped around Danny’s upper arm.
”Fine, just… Crack” Danny says. ”There was a crack. I tripped.” It’s a good thing that it’s almost completely dark outside, because Danny is fairly sure that he’s blushing.
Steve hums. ”Come on, bar’s this way.”
The bar is a hole in the wall place that Danny wouldn’t even have noticed if he passed it by himself. He doesn’t even see a sign that tells people that it’s a bar, but as they go inside the place is just about packed. It’s much more spacious than it looked from the outside, with booths lining the sides and smaller tables in the middle of the room. There’s even a stage and a small dance floor in one of the corners.
Music comes loud from the speakers, Danny thinks they might be playing one of those bands that Grace seems to love so much lately, because ’the singer is so pretty, Danno’, but he’s not entirely sure. The music is too loud for them to talk, though that was probably Steve’s intention when he picked this place out to continue their evening. Danny doesn’t blame him, the conversation hadn’t exactly flowed.
They gravitate straight to the bar, and once again Steve surprises him by grabbing Danny’s hand when he makes an effort to bring out his wallet. ”I got this one,” Steve says close to Danny’s ear. Danny absolutely does not shiver when Steve’s breath ghosts over his cheek.
Danny grabs his Longboard and shot of whiskey as he scans the room for a table. There’s one in the back, and Danny nods in its direction only to have Steve push by him and through the crowd to get there. ”Neanderthal,” Danny says under his breath.
They’ve been at the table for all of three minutes by the time the first young woman comes up to chat to Steve. This is nothing new, it happens all the time when they go out for a drink. What is new is the way Steve brushes said girl off with a simple, ”Not tonight,” and a smile.
Danny doesn’t bother commenting on Steve’s rejection, just tilts his head in question and gets a shrug in reply. ”Didn’t feel like it,” Steve says.
”Sure, yeah, okay,” Danny replies and drinks almost half his beer in one go. ”I wouldn’t have minded. You know, if you would have wanted to dance or whatever.”
”Uh huh.” Steve nods and drains his beer. ”Next round is on you.”
Danny takes that as a cue to get up and get another round. There is quite a line at the bar, and really, why is there only two bartenders working on a night like this? By some miracle he manages to get served before he really should have judging by the sour looks some of the guys around are throwing at him.
When he nears the table he sees yet another girl at Steve’s side. So it’s going to be one of those nights. ”Got your beer,” he says when there’s a lull between songs. The girl must not have seen him coming, because she all but jumps out of her skin.
With a look at Danny and then back at Steve the girl says a simple, ”Oh, you could have just said,” and walks off without even waiting for a reply.
Danny nods in the direction the girl disappeared to. ”She was cute.”
”I guess,” Steve says and shrugs as he grabs one of the beers out of Danny’s hand. ”Are you just gonna stand there all night?”
”You guess,” Danny says. ”What is wrong with you?”
Steve takes another drink. ”Nothing.” He’s looking somewhere over Danny’s right shoulder. ”So this is has been a pretty good date, hasn’t it?”
Before Danny can even process the words - they have been careful not to use the word date since the beginning of the evening - there is suddenly yet another girl at Steve’s side. She doesn’t even get the chance to open her mouth before Steve slides his hand across the small table and grasps Danny’s arm, though. ”Sorry,” he says. ”I’m already with someone.”
”Of course you are,” she says with a huff. ”Why is it that all the hot men are either gay or taken?” The question is directed at Danny, surprisingly enough.
”I don’t know…” His voice comes out hoarse and he has trouble focusing on anything but Steve’s hand on his arm.
”Well, you make a very nice couple,” she says and walks off with a wave over her shoulder.
Danny turns back around; blinking at how close Steve is all of a sudden. ”Steve?” He wasn’t this close ten seconds ago.
”Yeah, Danno?” Steve’s smile is one of the rare ones that Danny has only seen a handful of times. It’s the one where he looks like he’s about to get exactly what he wants. Danny hopes it’s the same thing as he wants. He really, really hopes that he hasn’t been reading all the signs wrong.
”Wanna get out of here?” He nods towards the back door.
”Yeah… Yeah, let’s do that,” Steve says. It could just be the poor lights in the bar, but Danny is sure that Steve’s eyes grow a few shades darker.
***
When Danny gets up, he wobbles and almost face plants into the chest of a woman with blonde hair and very perky breasts. Even over the music, Danny can hear Steve chuckle as he steadies him with an arm around his waist. ”Easy there,” he says. His breath is warm against Danny’s ear.
”Guess I had one too many,” Danny says, mostly to himself. He can’t tell from Steve’s expression if he heard him or not, but when they make their way out of the bar through the backdoor, Steve’s hand doesn’t leave Danny’s back. The touch is burning, even through his shirt and vest, and it makes Danny’s pulse speed up.
He can feel himself get hard, and when they get outside, away from all those people, that loud music - finally - the relatively cold air, for Honolulu at least, doesn’t help cool him down one bit. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, because now he can feel the contrast of Steve’s hand on his back even more. It does nothing to help him forget how he’s spent most the time they’ve known each other, since before Gabby even, thinking about what it would be like to kiss Steve. To make love to him.
Danny twists around and stumbles right up against Steve this time. A grunt falls over Steve’s lips as Danny’s weight presses him against the harsh bricks of the side of the building. As he presses a kiss to the side of Steve’s neck, all the while letting him take all of Danny’s weight, he confesses, ”Wanna suck your cock, babe,” before he presses a harsh kiss to Steve’s mouth. “Thought ‘bout this for so long, you have no idea. Y’re always takin’ y’r shirt off, any chance you get… Drive me f’king crazy.” He feels Steve harden against his stomach, and Danny can’t take it anymore. He presses another kiss to Steve’s lips before he slides to his knees.
”Danny,” Steve says, his hand curled in the shoulder of Danny’s vest. “Danny, please.” Danny can tell by the desperation in Steve’s voice and the way he is already mostly in his pants that they are both on the same page here. Finally.
Danny grins up at Steve when he gets his hand inside the now open jeans and touches Steve’s cock. ”Commando on a blind-date, McGarrett?” he chuckles as Steve throws his head back and groans in frustration as Danny’s fingers close around his cock. ”If you were hoping to get lucky, you’ve definitely succeeded.”
“Would you just ge-“ The moment Danny’s lips go around Steve’s cock, Danny can feel his hands in his hair, tugging. It only lasts for a second, though, before Steve’s hands go lax. Steve doesn’t try to set the pace or get Danny to take him deeper, which is somewhat of a surprise. Danny has always imagined that Steve would be the one to take charge in bed; he’s fantasized about Steve pushing and pulling him around to get what he wants. The fact that Steve wants Danny to take charge is kind of throwing him off.
He goes with it, though, because how could he not? The slightest sound from Steve just makes him want to make this as good as he possibly can for Steve. It’s been a while since he last did this, but Danny knows what he likes, and he’s sure Steve isn’t all that different.
By the way Steve’s fingers curl tightly into his hair, and the curse that comes low but clear above him, Danny is sure he’s on the right track. It’s not long before Steve starts to try to pull him away; Danny stays firm, though, sucking just that bit harder until he tastes the bitter flavor of Steve’s come in his mouth. He stays on his knees, his eyes never leaving Steve’s face until Steve opens his eyes and looks at Danny, before all but pushing him away with an apologetic look on his face.
Steve curls his hand in Danny’s vest, and Danny has no other choice but to get up when he starts to pull. The look on Steve’s face is kind of dazed and Danny just has to kiss him. Danny has no idea how long they stand there, trading kisses, before Steve pulls away with a mumbled, “Sensitive.”
Danny takes a small step back, immediately missing the heat Steve’s body was giving him. He watches as Steve buttons himself up again; the flush on his cheeks makes it obvious what they’ve been up to. Now that he isn’t pressed up against Steve, his erection makes itself known again, and he can’t hold back the shudder that runs through his body.
Steve must have noticed, because he stops, hand still on his zipper. “Wanna get out of here?” he asks, grinning.
Danny swallows, the heat in Steve’s eyes turning him on even more. “Please.”
***
When Danny wakes up, it feels as if a rodent crawled into his mouth and died. His head is pounding, and when he opens his eyes, the headache only intensifies from the light. It takes a few minutes, but soon everything that happened the night before starts coming back to him, one event at a time.
By the time he remembers how the evening had ended, he feels absolutely horrified. He doesn’t know how much of it actually happened and how much is his imagination, but he can remember exactly what Steve’s cock had felt like in his mouth. He can remember the way Steve had moaned and said his name, breathless and needy, when he came down Danny’s throat. The memories are different from all the other times when he’s dreamed about sex with Steve, so he just knows that this time it actually happened; it’s not his imagination. If he wasn’t already sure, the fact that it’s Steve’s bedroom he sees when he opens his eyes again, confirms it.
He’s not sure what time it is, or how long he’s been awake, but the urge to get the hell out of there is overwhelming. He is so embarrassed about what he did the night before, and he’s almost certain that he fell asleep on Steve right before he was about to have his own orgasm.
As he heaves himself out of bed, Danny bites back the urge to throw up when his stomach rolls. God only knows what Steve’s thoughts are on the entire situation. If Danny has to go back to HPD because neither of them could hold their liquor, he’s going to be pissed. He would rather not stay to find out right now, better to just get out of there while Steve is presumably out for his swim.
The process of getting his clothes on is slow but successful. He’s still buttoning his shirt when he makes it down the stairs. He should obviously pay more attention to where he’s going because the next thing he knows, he walks right into a dripping wet Steven J. McGarrett.
”Steve… hey, I didn’t realize you…” Danny trails off; he knows he’s staring, but he can’t help it. He’s seen Steve in various states of undress hundreds of times over the years, yet somehow it’s never made him feel quite like this. ”I thought you were still on your swim to the mainland.”
”You were going to sneak out, weren’t you?” Danny can’t place the emotion in his voice, and for once, Steve’s face is completely blank.
”Uhhh, I’m pic-” he trails off as he sees the start of aneurism face taking over Steve’s features, his shoulders slumping. ”Yes, I was going to leave before you got back. I just… I didn’t know how you would react, and I don’t know if you know this, but I’m not the kind of person to do one night stands, so I’m telling you now because Grace-”
”Hey, hey,” Steve says and just about shakes Danny out of his rambling. Danny has to blink before his eyes can focus on Steve. The look on his face has changed to something… sympathetic is the closest word he can get to describe it. ”I get it, Danno. Grace comes first; I know that. I would never have done anything if I wasn’t sure that I want to be with you for real. No matter how drunk I might have been…”
”Ohh…” Danny sounds shocked, even to his own ears.
Steve’s answering smile is all teeth. Before Danny knows what’s happening, Steve has his arms around him, and his tongue licks Danny’s mouth open.
***
”I really have to go,” Danny says against Steve’s lips as he tries to untangle himself from the man’s arms. He’s not sure how many minutes have passed, but he will be late if he doesn’t leave soon. ”Gracie is waiting for me, and you know she’s gonna ask awkward questions if I’m late.”
”So let her,” Steve says. He nibbles Danny’s bottom lip one more time before he sighs and lets Danny go. ”You should bring her back here; we can go surf together. You know how much she’d like that.” He rubs a hand through his hair and doesn’t meet Danny’s eyes, as if he’s suddenly feeling self-conscious. ”Unless you’d rather spend time alone with her. I would totally understand if you think it’s too soon for her to know just how well the date went.”
Danny can’t help but laugh at Steve’s earnestness. It’s almost as if he doesn’t know that Grace was behind this from the beginning. As if he thinks it was all Kono’s idea. ”You really think she isn’t gonna figure it out anyway?”
Steve’s eyes zero in on Danny’s neck, where he no doubt left a hickey the night before. “Yeah, I think you might be right. Now go get your conniving daughter so that we can spend the rest of the day on the beach.” The smile on his face as he says that is larger than Danny can remember seeing in a long time.
Danny can feel Steve’s eyes on him as he leaves the McGarrett residence to go get his daughter. If he could afford it, he would have bought her that pony she’s been begging for for the last three years.
***
”Danno!” Grace calls as she runs down the stairs of the Edwards’ home. It’s about time that he got there; she’s been ready for hours. Grace hopes that him being late means that his date with Uncle Steve was good. ”Did you have a good time on your date last night?” She makes sure to keep her face blank.
”Do you mean the date that didn’t show up?” Danny asks as he lets Grace go. ”Because I trust your judgment, but for the date to be nice, the other person actually has to show up.”
Grace gasps, appalled at the fact that her Danno would lie to her. ”It’s not nice to lie, Danno. You and Mom have been telling me that since I was born.” She tilts her head and waits.
When Danno just looks like he might as well have a question mark on his forehead, she sighs. ”Kono texted me to say you were both at the restaurant last night, Danno. And that Uncle Steve looked like he could be the next James Bond, which I know you must have appreciated.”
Danno avoids her eyes as he coughs and motions towards the Camaro. ”So, shall we go? Steve invited us to go surf on his beach today. Unless you’d rather do something else? We didn’t exactly make any plans.”
Grace whoops and flings herself against Danno. He almost loses his balance, but Grace doesn’t care. ”Does this mean you’re moving in with Steve again? I knew you loved each other all this time. It’s so epic and obvious.” She laughs as she notices the blush creep up Danno’s face. ”Come on, let’s go see lover boy.”
***
Grace keeps asking questions without waiting for the answers all the way to Steve’s place. It’s obvious how happy she is, and Danny can’t help but wonder why it would take his daughter and teammate conspiring to get him and Steve to take the final step. If he’d known Grace would be this happy about her father dating a man, he would have made a move on Steve years ago.
The end