Fic: Warm To The Touch, H5O, Danny/Steve - Part Two

[veronicaluv]

Warm To The Touch, Part Two

"I keep telling you guys-and I told Steve, I know he's behind this tag team thing, you probably saw Joe in the lobby-that I don't need anyone hanging out with me any more. I'm almost totally fine."

Danny gave Kono his best innocent look, but he knew she wasn't buying his act. He was lying on the couch in his hotel suite, wearing a t-shirt and shorts, a light blanket draped over his legs. He knew he looked exactly like he didn't want to-an invalid-but there wasn't a lot he could do about it.

Kono looked at Danny out of the corner of her eye, her dimple giving away her amusement. "Isn't that what Steve tried to tell you when we got back from Korea?"

"Yeah, well, that was different." Danny waved his hand, indicating the hotel room. "Got everything I need right here, including a flat screen the size of a football field and have I mentioned lately that they have twenty-four hour room service?"

"And isn't running into a building wired with explosives something Steve would do?"

Danny scowled at her. "Shush, you."

"That's what I thought." Kono placed one of the bags she'd brought with her on the couch, then took the other to the small kitchenette. Ignoring Danny's glare, she unpacked the other bag and put a few things away in the small refrigerator, then took two bottles of water and rejoined Danny in the living room. "How do you feel?"

Danny rubbed his forehead with the edge of his thumb, not quite sure how to answer Kono's question. He was the guy who was supposed to take care of other people, so this role reversal was making him uncomfortable.

"I'm doing better than I was yesterday. Hey," he reached for the hem of his t-shirt, "wanna see my scar? Or at least where my scar will be after they pull the stitches?"

Kono sat down on the couch near his feet, one leg curled beneath her. "Ooh, yeah, let's see it."

"You're a sick young lady, I like it." Danny carefully peeled away the gauze covering his wound. "Here, see? Impressive, right?"

Kono squinted at the jagged semi-circle of stitches just above Danny's hip bone. "Seriously? That's it? You want to see a scar?" She propped her foot on the couch and rolled up the cuff of her capris to reveal a long scar that bisected her shin. "Now that's a scar."

Danny let out a low whistle of admiration. "Yes, yes it is."

"Then over here-" Kono twisted around and pulled aside the collar of her shirt so that Danny could see a faint scar on her neck,-"got nailed by a boogie board when I was eight. Thirteen stitches." She straightened her shirt and settled back in the corner of the couch, reaching for one of the water bottles. "What else have you got?"

Danny held up his thumb, revealing a small white divot at its tip. "See that? Last year I followed Steve over a chain link fence. It bled and everything, ruined my shirt."

Kono grinned at him. "Good thing you're so tough."

"Yeah, good thing you're not a comedian. What's in the sack?"

Kono opened the bag beside her and pulled out a deck of cards, followed by a small cardboard box of poker chips that looked as though it'd seen better days. "I borrowed these from my uncle, he and my aunt used to have poker nights at their place. I figure when Steve and Grace get here, if you're up for it, you can play some hands."

"Sure, sounds like fun."

"Cool." Kono unfolded her legs and got up from the couch. "You need anything while I'm up?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"Okay, listen, I'm going to go out on the balcony and make some calls. Lori's at the arraignment and I want to hear how it went. Steve and Grace should be here with lunch in about an hour, so why don't you get some rest."

Danny touched her arm as she walked past him. "Thanks."

Kono looked down at Danny, her expression troubled. She leaned over and pressed her cheek to his, giving him a noseful of soft, sweet-smelling hair. "You can thank me by not running into buildings before they're clear, okay?"

"For, like, the eight hundredth time, I was not expecting to be in there long enough to find out if the place was rigged. I just wanted to find those kids. Now, if it'd been Steve, you'd be all-"

"Danny."

"Yes, ma'am, no more buildings that go boom."

"That's better." She patted his shoulder. "And for your information, Steve would be in just as much trouble as you are if he'd pulled a stunt like that."

Danny waited until he heard the sliding glass door close behind Kono before he let himself slump deeper into the couch cushions. He wasn't exactly tired, but he wasn't up to running a marathon, either.

One thing he did know, he'd been incredibly lucky. The shaft that had pinned him to the floor might've killed him had it been half an inch closer to his belly button or had penetrated half an inch deeper into his intestine. He'd even managed to keep all of his insides, but he was going to be on a restricted diet for a couple of days, which sucked, but the doctor said he'd be clear by Christmas. Plus, it could've been a lot worse, and things started to return to normal as soon as he and Steve had their second post-explosion argument on the way home the day Danny was released. Steve had tried to insist on taking Danny back to his house, but Danny had dug in his heels and refused.

"Why not?" Steve pulled over to the curb and shifted in his seat so he could face Danny. "Were we not in the same room when the doctor said you needed someone to stay with you for a couple of days?"

"Yes, we were. But that doesn't mean-"

"My place is more comfortable than the Hilton, right? Okay, maybe that's not the best argument, but Danny-"

"Listen, hold on, stop talking for a minute." Danny leaned back in his seat, trying to find a comfortable position. His thighs had been deeply bruised by the weight of the beam, so just walking from the hospital curb to the Camaro had taken a lot out of him. "First of all, thanks for the offer. Now that that's out of the way, I don't want to go to your place because all my stuff is at the suite and I just got done moving out of your place for the second time in two months."

"I thought you liked my house."

"I do like your house, I like your house very much, it's a very nice house, that's not the issue here. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah." Danny carefully crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look stern. "Listen, while I am recuperating, you guys will have to continue keeping Hawaii terrorist-free without me, which is more important than watching me sleep and making me soup. At the hotel, I just have to press a button and poof! A bowl of soup magically appears."

"Someone still has to be with you, at least for a couple of days."

Danny closed his eyes and reached over until his hand collided with Steve's arm. He smiled when he felt Steve jump at his touch, then slid his hand down until he could entwine their fingers. His smile deepened when he felt the answering pressure of Steve's palm against his.

"And when you're not out saving the world, it damn well better be you. However, knowing you like I do, Chin and Kono and Lori and Joe and maybe Max and anyone else you can rope into babysitting me will be in and out and making a mess that the talented hotel staff will be happy to clean up, as opposed to, say, Kamekona leaving dirty dishes in the McGarrett kitchen sink."

"You've got this all worked out, haven't you?"

"Yeah, everything except when you and I can get past the hand-holding stage." Danny opened his eyes and looked at Steve. "Not that this isn't nice, you understand."

That's when Steve gave him that look, the one where his eyes got all heavy-looking and his mouth had that little half grin. "Yeah, it's nice."

So Danny had won that battle but had lost the war on who was going to be watching him when. Mostly it was Steve, and that was the best, but Danny had been right. The bombing of the Kamamalu center was an active case that Five-O had been unable to resolve while Danny was in the hospital, something that Danny would've taken personally if he'd been in any shape to do anything other than hold hands with Steve.

Well, there had been that kiss...

The room was getting warm, so Danny pulled the blanket off his legs and tossed it on to the coffee table beside the couch, where it promptly slid off the edge into a puddle on the rug. He was instantly cooler, but he regretted removing the blanket because now anyone who walked in the door a perfect view of his bruised and battered legs.

Waking up in the hospital after the surgery to tidy the hole in his belly had been unpleasant, but seeing Steve's face-his worried face, the one Danny never liked to see under normal circumstances-made it easier. Steve had told Danny he was going to be fine long before any doctors showed up to talk to them, but it was what Steve said after the doctor left that set Danny's course for the fastest path to full recovery that he could manage.

It'd been late when he and Steve had finally been left alone in his hospital room. The team had come and gone, and Rachel had brought Grace for a brief visit, but no one had been allowed to stay except Steve. Danny didn't know whether Steve got special permission to remain past visiting hours or if he simply chose to ignore the rules, but either way, he was glad of the company.

Especially when Steve dragged a chair close to Danny's bed and wrapped his big hand around Danny's. Danny was propped up and feeling no pain, and somehow it seemed like the absolutely right thing for his best friend-and his boss-to hold his hand in public.

"So, we're both good, right?" Danny asked. "I get some paid time off and you get to run around after a bunch of terrorists for a couple of days. Everybody's happy."

Steve didn't reply, just propped his chin on his free hand and gave Danny a sleepy smile.

"What? What is that look?" Danny had seen that look before on Steve's face, usually when they were in a room full of people. It suddenly occurred to Danny that he'd never seen Steve look at anyone else that way, not that little grin, with that slight backward tilt to his head. Right behind that thought was the revelation that he always responded to that look, because whenever he saw it, even in a crowd, they were communicating on a level only they shared.

How long had that been going on?

Slightly unnerved by Steve's silence, Danny tried a different tack. "Don't you have bad guys to catch tomorrow? Why don't you take off, it's late, you need to get some sleep."

Steve's grin widened. "Why are you always trying to get rid of me?"

Eyebrows rising, Danny tried to look annoyed, but with the painkillers running through his veins, he was pretty sure he only got to confused. Still, he couldn't let Steve's remark go unchallenged.

"Get rid of you? Excuse me, the last time I told you to go away we had a ton of concrete about to land on our heads. Call me crazy, but asking you not to share in what was a very dangerous situation, not to mention a potentially messy-"

Just as Danny's rant was hitting its stride, Steve leaned forward and kissed him. Danny froze, his eyes closing instinctively as his head tried to catch up with what was happening. This was no quick peck Steve was giving him, this was a full on kiss-Steve's warm, open mouth was pressing against his, not asking for anything from Danny but not shying away either.

Then it was over and Steve was sitting back in his chair, looking entirely too pleased with himself, his hand still firmly gripping Danny's, his eyes wide and bright.

"You kissed me," Danny said, deciding that stating the obvious was a perfectly appropriate response under the circumstances.

Steve nodded, his expression now solemn even though his eyes were still laughing at Danny. "I did."

"Do you," Danny paused to swallow, "do you want to tell me why?"

Steve shrugged and leaned back, the picture of nonchalance as he gazed around the room. "I don't know, maybe it's something I've been wanting to do for a long time and figured now was as good a time as any."

"I'm sure on the planet where you born that kind of logic makes sense, but here on earth, I need a better explanation."

Steve frowned at him. "Did you mind?"

"Did I-no, no, I didn't mind at all, in fact I admire your initiative, I'm just wondering why you chose this particular moment in this particular venue because I don't know about you, but a hospital room is not what I'd call conducive to a romantic overture."

Leaning forward, Steve released Danny and clasped his hands between his knees, his expression shifting from teasing to serious in a heartbeat. When he spoke, his voice was so quiet that Danny had to strain to hear him.

"You did a dumbass thing today. I know why you did it and I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing, but that one dumbass thing almost cost you your life." Danny started to protest, but Steve was already on the same page. "Yeah, I know, I'm not one to talk, I get that. I'm as guilty-okay, more guilty than anyone when it comes to taking insane chances and so far, we've been lucky. But, Danny, " Steve placed his hand on Danny's arm, his thumb stroking the soft skin of Danny's inner wrist, "our luck could run out one day, and I don't want that day to come without you knowing exactly how I feel."

In an odd yet comforting way, Danny wasn't surprised. He and Steve had been in sync almost since the moment they met-well, except for the whole pissing match over Danny shooting Steve's only lead to his father's murder and some minor disagreements over procedure-so the fact that Steve's feelings had evolved along the same lines as Danny's seemed perfectly natural.

Still, there were some details to work out, and as their eyes met, Danny knew he had to ask the hard question. Sure, after the day they'd had, emotions were running a little strong, but at some point, all this honesty would have to be backed up with action and Danny needed to make sure that Steve wasn't just feeling a soldier's relief that they'd lived to fight another day. Besides, if this all went south from here, Danny could blame it on the drugs.

"These, uh, these feelings, Steven? Do they perhaps involve something a little more than hand holding and stealing a kiss from someone who is in a hospital bed and unable to properly reciprocate?"

"Look, Danny, I know you didn't get a knock on the head. Don't you remember me telling you I didn't want to know what it was like to wake up every day without you? Yeah, really wasn't talking about coming down the stairs and finding you on my couch. Does that clear things up for you?"

"Yeah, I'm getting a good idea." Danny gently pulled out of Steve's hold and lifted his hand to caress Steve's beard-roughened cheek with the back of his fingers. "I got a lot of those, actually."

Steve took Danny's hands between both of his own and began lightly chafing it. "Yeah, well, I have a few of my own, so no screwing around when the doctors tell you what you need to do to get better."

"Screwing around? Who screws around?"

"I seem to remember a guy who decided not to use a cane a little bit earlier than his doctor told him. Like, two weeks too soon."

"Yeah, well, at least my doctor works in a hospital instead of some retired black ops medic Joe found in the middle of the night so we didn't have explain taser burns to someone who might find that kind of thing suspicious."

That argument continued until a nurse came in to check Danny's vitals. Danny had lost all sense of time, but given the annoyed look on the nurse's face as he kicked Steve out out of the room, it was probably a lot later than he thought.

For Danny, it hadn't really mattered. He had a memory to guide him to sleep, the memory of Steve when he'd paused at the hospital room door, looking back at Danny with an expression that Danny had never seen before but had no problem interpreting, because he knew he had the same dopey-eyed, sloppy smile on his own face.

Waiting now for Steve and Grace to show up, Danny swung his legs off the couch and planted his bare feet on the floor. Ups and downs were the hardest part and he actually was supposed to wait for help, but he could see that Kono was comfortable out on the balcony, slouched in a chair with her feet propped up on the low wall, laughing and chatting on the phone. She had reasons to be that relaxed-the Kamamalu case had wrapped up quicker than anyone had expected-so she and the rest of the team deserved some down time, which did not include being nursemaid to a man who was close enough to ambulatory that it didn't matter.

Taking his time, balancing one hand on the sofa's arm and holding his other against his bandage, Danny slowly got to his feet. Since Grace was coming over, he hadn't taken a pill stronger than aspirin, so he was feeling pretty sore as he hobbled his way toward the bedroom. He'd just pulled a pair of sweatpants out of a drawer when Kono joined him, a scolding glint in her eye.

"You should've asked for help."

"Help I obviously didn't need because hello, I made it here, didn't I? Now," he held up the sweatpants, "this is something else I can do all by myself and as I am a very shy and retiring person, I'll need some privacy."

"Shy and retiring, right. Definitely words I'd use to describe you. Okay, I'll be right outside, yell if you get stuck."

She closed the door and Danny began the long process of removing his board shorts and replacing them with the gray sweats. He was more comfortable in the shorts, but the leg that had been wedged between the floor and the beam was pretty mangled and he didn't want Grace getting upset.

By the time he was tying the strings of the waistband, he was shaking and sweaty. He'd made it back on his feet but once he'd gotten upright the room had started to spin, so he leaned his hands on the dresser and bowed his head, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

That was how Steve found him when he entered Danny's bedroom without knocking, a habit Danny would've called him except he did it so often himself that apparently Steve had decided turnabout was fair play.

"Danny, you all right?" Steve closed the door before coming to Danny's side, sliding his arm around Danny's ribcage, high enough to miss the injury on his side. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing, I'm good, just gimme a minute."

"Do you need to sit?"

Danny chuckled, allowing his weight to rest against Steve. "Sitting means I'd have to get up again and that's what started all this in the first place. There, okay," he lifted his head and took a deep breath, "that's better." He looked up into Steve's eyes. "Much better, actually."

"Good," Steve murmured. The unexpected embrace had caught them both off guard, since they'd never actually had a moment of physical contact like this. It could've been awkward, one of those moments where no one knows where to look or put their hands, but awkward was the last thing Danny felt. He turned toward Steve and slid his hand around Steve's neck, guiding his head down until their lips met in a quick, firm kiss. It was just an instinctive thing for Danny to do-he liked showing affection and simple acts like these were something he'd been looking forward to since he and Steve had started down the path that in hindsight now seemed inevitable.

Steve seemed to approve because when Danny tilted his head away, Steve leaned forward, initiating another kiss that, while still affectionate, had an edge to it that spoke of something deeper than affection.

"You and Grace pick up the Christmas stuff I asked for?" Danny asked as the kiss ended, his eyes on Steve's mouth.

"Yeah." Steve's reply was a little shaky. "She's helping Kono set up lunch."

Danny sighed and reluctantly stepped away, smiling a little as Steve trailed his fingertips across Danny's neck, just above the edge of his t-shirt. "Listen, after we eat, I want to talk to Grace and I want you to be there, too."

"Me? You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. What I have to say, you both need to hear."

***

"Okay, you guys, I'm out of here. Steve, when do you need me to come back?"

"Come back?" Danny looked up from his position on the couch and scowled at Kono, who was standing at the door. "Why does anyone have to come back? Except of course for my Christmas party, but that's over a week away."

Kono addressed Steve, who was drying his hands on a towel. "Steve?"

"Hey," Danny protested, "what are you looking at him for?"

"C'mon, Danny, you know how this works." Kono inclined her head in Steve's direction. "You're down, Steve's in charge of you. He's down, you're in charge of him."

Danny exchanged a wide-eyed look with Steve. "When did that happen?"

Steve shrugged, apparently unperturbed by Kono's assessment. "Beats the hell out of me, but I can't argue with her logic. Listen, Kono, I think we're good for now, but I'll let you know. Call me if you need me."

"Sounds good. Bye, Gracie." She closed the door behind her as Steve took a seat in one of the chairs in the living room. Grace was on the couch next to Danny, sharing pictures of her recent trip to the Honolulu zoo on her camera.

"Nice of your terrorists to give themselves up." Danny looked over his shoulder at Steve. "You must've been very disappointed."

"We didn't give them much of a choice." Steve crossed his ankle over his knee. "Sometimes it goes that way. It can't always be fun and flash bangs."

Danny shook his head and took the camera from Grace, setting it on the coffee table. "Listen, Monkey, we need to talk. I asked Uncle Steve to stick around and hear what I have to say too, if that's okay with you."

Grace glanced at Steve, then nodded. "Sure."

"Okay." Danny took a deep breath and carefully shifted his hips so he was facing Grace on the couch. From this position he couldn't see Steve's face, but that was just as well, since he didn't need the distraction. Aside from the fact that Steve was all tensed up over whatever it was he thought Danny was going to say, he'd changed from work clothes into a close-fitting black t-shirt and black jeans, and now that Danny had given himself the internal go ahead to give in to his appreciation of stuff like that, he'd have to keep a tight rein on his reactions when they weren't alone.

In the meantime, his Gracie was watching him, waiting trustfully for whatever it was he had to say. Clearing his throat, Danny sent up a silent prayer and proceeded to give it his best shot.

"You remember when we moved to Hawaii and I got a job as a cop here?" Grace nodded, wide-eyed and solemn. "It worked out for a while, I had a good partner-you remember Meka, right? And you started school and everything was almost like it was back home-I mean, back in Jersey. Then things changed."

"What things?" Grace asked.

"Well, for one thing, I got partnered up with Steve over there. Now as you know, Uncle Steve, he's not a cop like me, he's more like a super crime fighter, and I had to change up my game a little bit. And that's what I need to talk to you about today. I, uh, was gonna write you a letter, but that's not really my style, and besides, this is something you need to hear from me directly."

Grace looked toward Steve again. Whatever she saw there must have reassured her as she turned her attention back to Danny and nodded.

Encouraged, Danny got down to the difficult part of this conversation, the part that had kept him up nights as he tried to figure out a way to say what he needed to say without scaring his daughter half to death. He'd never regretted his decision to go after Steve in North Korea and he'd do it again in a heartbeat, but decisions like that-like the choice to run into an unsafe building-had repercussions far beyond risking his own life. The next time he got into a situation that he might not live through, he had to go into it knowing that Grace would some day understand why he'd made that choice.

"So, a couple of weeks ago, I called you because I was going away for a few days to help Steve. But the next time I have to go away, I might not have time to call you and, um," Danny paused and ran his hand over his face, giving himself a moment to control the lump in his throat, "say goodbye. Now, I'm not saying that's ever gonna happen, but if it does, I just want you to know that the only reason I didn't call was because I was doing something important, something to make my baby girl proud of me."

"Daddy-" The plaintive note in Grace's voice tore into Danny, making him simultaneously regret bringing up the subject and relieved that he'd managed to get through what he had to say without either of them tearing up.

"Hey, hey, all you have to do is remember that nothing's ever going to happen that'll change how much Danno loves you, okay?" Danny reached over and gave one of Grace's ponytails a gentle tug. "Not one single thing. You understand what I'm saying?"

Grace paused, then smiled. "I think so."

"Good girl, c'mere, give me a hug. A careful hug, Danno's still kinda sore in spots."

He wasn't sure if Grace had picked up on all the undertones of the conversation or had just reacted to Danny's emotions, but it was his hope that if something bad ever did happen-if he didn't come back from the next Korea or the next bombing or the next whatever-that she'd recall Danny's words and understand what he he'd been trying to say.

And now it was time for another leap of faith. He'd thought about this long and hard since the explosion, going over the past year and a half watching Grace go from thinking of Steve as that big scary guy who drove her Daddy nuts to Uncle Steve who had permission to pick her up from school and kept a bag of food at his house for her dog. If things with Steve went the way Danny hoped-and despite all the lovesick looks and hand holding business that had been going on since Danny got hurt, it still wasn't a sure thing-then Steve was going to play an even more important role in Grace's life.

Ignoring a sudden vision of some poor sixteen-year-old kid showing up at Steve's house on prom night and being terrorized by not one but two over-protective fathers, Danny picked up Grace's hand and laced their fingers together.

"One more thing and then we'll get out the cards and you can supplement your allowance with whatever's in Steve's wallet."

That got a bigger smile out of Grace and an annoyed hey from Steve. "Okay."

"Listen, if you're ever in any kind of trouble, or you need somebody to talk to and I'm not around, maybe it's something you can't talk about to Mom or Stan, just remember you can always talk to Steve." He leaned toward Grace and lowered his voice, but not so low that Steve couldn't hear him. "He's smarter than he looks and has been known to have the occasional good idea, so chances are pretty good he can help you with whatever's going on. You good with that? Yeah? You got his number, right?"

"Yeah, we put all his numbers in my phone when you were sick that time."

Danny thumped his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Of course you did, what was I thinking, you're like two steps ahead of me already. Okay, munchkin," he rubbed his hands together, "go get the cards and the chips and let's see if Uncle Steve's poker face is as bad as I think it is."

Grace slid off the couch as Danny shifted again, wincing as his stomach muscles twinged in protest. Steve was sitting forward in his chair, both feet on the floor, his elbows on his knees and his eyes on Danny-eyes that were a little too bright.

"I know, I know," Danny sighed, "should've given you a warning about that last part."

Steve shook his head. "I don't have a problem with that, don't worry."

"So there is something you have a problem with, right?" Danny wagged his finger toward Steve's face. "I can see it, so spit it out."

Steve rose to his feet and Danny's heart sank. Maybe he'd misinterpreted Steve's intentions all along, maybe Steve didn't want everything that came with being involved with Danny on a more intimate level. Maybe playing a larger part in Grace's life wasn't what Steve had in mind-

Danny's thoughts scattered when Steve sat down beside him on the couch, close enough for their knees to touch. He watched as Steve looked over his shoulder at Grace, who was separating the white, blue, and red plastic poker chips on the dining room table, before returning his gaze back to Danny's face.

"Are you sure?"

Danny cocked his head forward, eyebrows raised. "Am I sure about what?"

"What you said to Gracie."

"I know what I said to Grace, now I'm just trying to figure out what you think you heard."

"Damn it, Danny." Dropping his voice to a soft growl, Steve continued. "I knew you'd come for me."

"Say again?"

"In Korea, when things went bad, I held on because I knew you'd come for me." Steve shook his head and looked over Danny's shoulder, his eyes dimmed by bad memories, his mouth twisting into a sad smile. "Turns out I wasn't kidding, I did think about you the whole time. That's why I never lost hope, not even when that bastard-not once, because I knew you would bring me home, one way or another."

Danny frowned at him, completely confused. Why was Steve stating the obvious?

"Why are you stating the obvious?"

"Because, Danny, is that right? Is that even fair?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Maybe the cost is too high, maybe I'm asking too much." Steve glanced again at Grace. "Danny, listen. It's not too late for you to go back to being that cop you were in Jersey, or even here on the island before we met. If you think you-"

"What is the matter with you?" Danny hissed. "Did you not hear a word I said?"

"Yeah, I did-"

"Then you obviously thought I was speaking in one of the few languages you don't know, because the point I was trying to make-a point that my nine-year-old understood but has apparently been missed by a thirty-five year-old Annapolis graduate-was that I am that guy, the guy who'd illegally enter a communist country to rescue his partner. Yeah, and I am the guy who'd be stupid enough to run into a burning building to save a couple of kids or drive toward a tsunami instead of away from one like any sane person or hey, steal ten million bucks from the state of Hawaii to save a friend's life. That's not you expecting me to do these things, that's not the job, that's me." Danny shrugged. "It's been my choice all along, from the very beginning. Something Joe said the day we left for Korea just made me admit the truth to myself and it was something Grace needed to know."

"What the hell did Joe say?" There was a surprising note of anger in Steve's voice, something Danny wouldn't have expected, given the almost father-son vibe he sometimes got from the two of them.

"Never mind, it's not important. What is important is that you know I'm here, in fact as far as I'm concerned you and I are stuck with each other, and as soon as I can move without springing a leak, we're gonna spend a lot of quality time together finding out exactly what that means."

In the time that they'd known each other, Danny had seen Steve speechless a couple of times, usually in reaction to some innocent comment Danny had made. Steve had gone absolutely still, his eyes on his boots, and for once Danny couldn't read him.

But then Steve raised his eyes and looked at him, and the smile he gave Danny was like the sun rising all over again. Steve was a man who carried a lot of heavy burdens, both professionally and personally, but you'd have to look hard to find evidence of those burdens. Danny saw them, watched for them, tried to alleviate them when he could-Danny was an expert in McGarrett, after all-and treasured the moments when those burdens fell away, even for a little while.

But a joyous Steve was something Danny saw very rarely. Not just relaxed, not just the expression of a man who'd gotten lucky the night before-something Danny was looking forward to seeing now, instead of dreading-this was the face of a man who'd been given something of great worth. Danny wasn't sure what it was, but he knew he'd do whatever he could to see that light in Steve's eyes as often as possible.

"That looks good on you, that happy face," Danny murmured.

"Feels good," Steve whispered. "Feels amazing, in fact." He brushed his knuckle across the back of Danny's hand. "Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?"

Steve opened his mouth to answer, but Grace spoke up from behind them.

"Are you guys ready to play?"

Danny and Steve shared a smile before Danny replied. "Yeah, Monkey, bring it all down here, I'm not up to sitting at the table just yet."

"Okay."

As Steve got up to make room for Grace, Danny grabbed his hand and yanked him down so they were eye level. "Why did you thank me?"

Now Steve's grin was full of mischief. "I'll tell you," he said, "on Christmas Eve."

***

"You know," Danny said, "if we'd been in my old apartment, the neighbors would've called the cops on us by now."

"Good thing we're here then," Steve replied.

"Yeah."

They were shoulder to shoulder by the front door of Danny's hotel suite, arms crossed and feet firmly planted, surveying the mayhem spread out in front of them. Normally this was a stance they used when interrogating a suspect, but Danny doubted that anyone would find them intimidating tonight. Now that Grace had gone home, Danny had removed the top of his Santa suit, so he was walking around in a white t-shirt and red velvet pants. Steve, though dressed in jeans and a dark green button down shirt, had lost some of his badass aura with the addition of an elf cap, complete with a jingle bell at its tip that collided with his nose every time he turned his head.

The noise had evened out to a manageable level but as Danny took a good look around, he decided that the cleaning crew was going to deserve an extra nice Christmas tip after this. And Danny loved it. He loved the noise, he loved the mess, he loved that fact that their numbers had nearly doubled since that first Christmas a year ago. He really loved seeing Chin so happy, that was huge. No one deserved happiness more than Chin Ho Kelly, not after the year he'd had, and Malia right fit in with this goofy family that Danny loved as much as the one he'd left behind in New Jersey.

Eyes still on the party, Steve tilted his head toward Danny. "That was a nice thing you did. The present for the baby."

Danny shrugged. "Seemed appropriate. My little girl has a little brother, makes him part of my family. Personally, I think Rachel's gonna hate that New Jersey Devils onesie I got him, not being a hockey fan herself, but-"

"It's the passive-aggressive thought that counts, yeah."

"Exactly. Now, how much do you wanna bet that leftover fruitcake over there-baked with my mom's own two hands-ends up somewhere in the lunch special at Kamekona's van on Monday?"

"I liked your mom's fruitcake."

"You did?"

"Yeah, it was good."

"You like it because it's been soaking in brandy for six weeks but hey, I'll be sure and tell her you said so because any time you want to score some son-in-law points with my mom, compliment her cooking, I'm just sayin'."

Steve turned to stare at him but Danny gave him a bland smiled and sauntered away, which was not an easy thing to do with three yards of red velvet wrapped around his legs.

The party went on for another hour, but the entire time, in fact for the entire day, Danny had been aware of a growing sense of urgency, as though something was slowly tightening him from the inside. He knew what it was because he saw that same awareness in Steve's face, that same understanding that Christmas eve as going to be a little different than it was last year.

And, if they were lucky, it'd be a Christmas to remember and celebrate for years to come.

By the time the door closed on the last guest-Max, who seemed reluctant to leave but unable to find a reason to stay since everyone else but Steve had gone-Danny's emotions had done a complete turnaround. Gone were the jitters and the second-guessing and the hole in the pit of his stomach and in their place was a calm sense of everything being exactly as it should and a sense of anticipation so strong he felt as though he was glowing from within, that sparks would fly from his fingertips at any moment.

After all, he had years of watching Steve walk around blowing out candles and picking up balls of mangled wrapping paper to look forward to. He could also look forward to the funny things that elf cap did to Steve's short dark hair, since Danny had a feeling they'd just started a McGarrett-Williams family tradition-though he'd wait until next year to let his partner in on that fact.

But no other Christmas would ever be like this one. No other Christmas would have the two of them slowly circling the now quiet room, turning off all the lights except for the ones on the tree. This silent dance wasn't anything they'd discussed over the past few days, or even so much as mentioned, even after Danny's doctor told him he was clear for light physical activity two days before Christmas. He'd gone back to work the week before-desk duty, he hated it so much, but they hadn't taken on any new cases so it wasn't too bad-and he and Steve were back to arguing about anything and everything, which made the rest of the team very happy.

However, there had been one huge difference in their routine. Along with the arguing and the bickering and the teasing and the complaining-well, that last was part was all Danny, to be honest-there was also what Danny liked to think of as courting with benefits.

He was an old-fashioned guy and he knew it. He didn't celebrate things, he celebrated events, like his daughter learning how to ride a two-wheeler or Chin getting his lieutenant's stripes. Christmas with family was important, Christmas gifts were not, except what he received from Grace, and those would always be priceless. And when something was important, he wanted to savor every minute of it, not rush the process, and that's why he and Steve had decided-without saying a word, that was a surprise-that Christmas eve would be all about them.

But that didn't mean there hadn't been some serious necking going on in the meantime.

And God, who knew that a Navy guy could kiss like that? Those three little kisses they'd shared had been the result of trust or the need for reassurance, but Danny had never forgotten that beyond those gentler emotions was something much more basic-Steve McGarrett was sexy as hell, and Danny planned on the two of them indulging in a whole lot more than a few chaste kisses.

Danny knew he wasn't in Steve's league in the looks department-hell, who was?-but he also wasn't falsely modest or worried that Steve wasn't on board for the physical element that their relationship was about to include. That's why he'd had no problem initiating a kiss when they were switching out drivers at Steve's place late one night. It was something they did all the time-Steve would leave the car running, they'd both get out and cross paths in the Camaro's headlights, then Danny would get in, adjust the seat, and drive home.

Except one night, Danny had taken two fistfuls of Steve's shirt, flipped him so that his butt landed on the Cammie's warm hood, and kissed him. Not gently, not sweetly, this was the kiss of a man who meant business.

Steve had caught on immediately, and that's when Danny learned that Steve was far more tactile than he'd ever imagined. He already knew that Steve was kind of touchy feely, but when those big hands of his moved with a purpose, they demonstrated a talent that Danny was looking forward to experiencing on a regular basis. One of Steve's hand went right to Danny's ass, long fingers pressing Danny closer so that he was wedged between Steve's legs. His other hand went straight for the nape of Danny's neck, because it seemed that the kiss that Danny initiated was now under Steve's control, and he needed Danny's head tilted just so. And he was totally right, because when Steve stroked his tongue inside Danny's mouth, Danny saw stars, and not the ones twinkling above his head.

That had started a little game between them, because Danny, obeying both an evil imp that liked to torment Steve at the best of times and the little voice inside him that told him not to rush what was surely going to be a life-changing process, had driven home that night. It'd hadn't been easy physically-and Steve had sent him a dirty text explaining his own issues about being left alone-but emotionally, he knew it'd be worth wait.

That hadn't stopped the two of them from trying to get underneath each other's skin over the next few days. Danny took the subtle approach, brushing against Steve when they passed in the corridor, or dropping his pen and bending over in Steve's clear line of sight. Steve had retaliated by standing closer to Danny than usual at the computer table, pretending to stretch and then sliding his hand down Danny's butt when he lowered his hands.

But the best part-or possibly the worst, depending on his mood-was now they'd established a tradition of what Danny called in his head the Camaro goodnight kiss, and he knew he could never really complain again about Steve always driving his car if it meant he could look forward to that little ritual every time he got his car back.

The hotel suite was now completely dark except for the lights on the Christmas tree, a tree that Danny had had to pay extra for since the Hilton had some dumb rule about decorations they didn't personally provide. Danny had paused beside it, his gaze on a faded paper chain that Grace had made in kindergarten, when Steve came up behind him and draped his arm over Danny's shoulder and across chest, pulling him tight against his body.

It was the easiest, most natural thing in the world to lean against Steve, to close his eyes and let go of everything in the outside world and concentrate on the two of them. Steve's other hand was on Danny's hip, right where his t-shirt met the Santa pants, one finger tucked beneath the elastic band, the touch intimate and undemanding.

"Danny?" Steve whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Can I stay the night?"

There it was, the long-delayed desire of both men put into words. It wasn't a mere formality, because they both knew that as inevitable as this moment felt, taking this step would affect everything-their families, their job, their future, the future of Five-O. This wasn't something they could hide, nor did they want to, and if this night was a beginning for them, there would be no going back.

"Sure." Turning in Steve's embrace, Danny looped his arms around Steve's neck. "Unless you've had a better offer lately."

"Can't think of anything better than this, Danny. Not one damn thing."

"Good answer. Now shut up and kiss me."

Oh, yeah, this is what Danny had been waiting for. Steve's mouth on his, Steve's hands scrabbling to get his shirt out from his pants, Steve making happy little grunting noises low in his throat when Danny began unbuttoning his shirt, anxious to get to all that smooth, gorgeously inked skin. Arousal came up quick and hard for both of them, the waiting and the teasing and the depth of emotion between them combining to make any thought of trying to make it to the bed seem entirely too complicated.

Therefore Danny wasn't surprised that Steve back-stepped them to the couch, then pulled Danny down on top of him as he fell back onto the cushions. Kissing had gone from exploratory to deep and dirty during the journey, and by the time Danny lifted his mouth to take a breath, there was only one thing on his mind.

"Clothes," he panted.

"Okay," Steve muttered, but since he seemed more interested in leaving a dark, bruising kiss on Danny's throat than removing his shirt, Danny did it for him.

Or at least he tried, but once Steve's chest was revealed by the folds of fabric, Danny got distracted himself. Too busy acquainting himself with the taste and shape of Steve's collar bone, he was only marginally aware of Steve sliding the elastic band of his Santa pants down past his hips, but Steve got his complete attention when the band of his briefs followed the same path. A quick flip of Steve's wrist and Danny was bare to the top of his thighs, and that combined with his position on top of Steve changed everything.

In a move that Danny didn't see coming-what else was new-Steve grabbed Danny behind his calves and with one swift pull, shifted Danny onto his back, controlling his fall to land him gently on the cushions. Two moves later and Danny was naked from the waist down, the bottom half of his Santa suit nothing but a red blur as it sailed over the couch in the general direction of the dining room table.

Now Steve was a man on a mission, because he proceeded to slide his hands beneath Danny's t-shirt and pull him into a sitting position long enough to plant a searing kiss on Danny's mouth before the shirt met the same fate as the rest of Danny's clothing.

"Not fair, Steven!" Danny reached for the zipper of Steve's jeans but Steve batted his hands away so he could stand up and do it himself. Danny thought about complaining again, but then decided that watching Steve strip while bathed in the multi-colored light of a Christmas tree was going to have to become another Christmas tradition.

Sadly, Steve didn't take the opportunity to put on a show, but Danny knew that he'd never forget his first glimpse of a naked Steve illuminated by Christmas lights, that long, lean, impossibly beautiful body in profile erasing any doubts Danny may have harbored regarding Steve wanting him as much as he wanted Steve.

Then Steve surprised him again. Instead of getting right back down to business, Steve lowered himself into a kneeling position between Danny's parted legs, then slowly, deliberately aligned their bodies. His approach was so infuriatingly, deliciously teasing that they were soon covered in sweat, locked in a battle not to be the first to break, both of them determined to make this first, exquisite coupling last as long as possible.

Supporting most of the weight of his upper torso on his forearms, Steve braced himself on either side of Danny so that he had room to move-and move he finally did, easily at first, Danny's hands low on his hips to guide them until a natural rhythm kicked in that pleased them both. Soon there was nothing but heat and the demand to get impossibly closer amidst moans and bites and breathless, profanity-laced declarations.

Eventually-God, too soon-Danny's tether to reality slipped its knot and he was in a free fall of sensation, his entire world narrowed down to Steve's scent, his voice, his skin, his taste. Hoarse words of encouragement drove Danny higher and higher until he flew apart, shattered into a million pieces by Steve's fierce and inventive lovemaking and pieced back together by the long-denied, hard-fought love that had gotten them this far.

He started to come around when he realized that Steve had collapsed on top of him, wide shoulders heaving as Steve tried to regain control of his breathing, his mouth pressed against Danny's neck, his fingers digging into the muscles of Danny's upper arms. A feeling of immeasurable tenderness flooded Danny as he wrapped his arms around Steve and held him close, using his hands to soothe the shudders that still ran through Steve's body as his breathing began to smooth out.

"Jesus, Danny," Steve muttered. "What the hell was that?"

Danny threw back his head and laughed, then planted a kiss on the crown of Steve's sweaty head. "That, my friend, was exactly what I knew it would be."

Steve lifted his head, his answering smile a little crooked around the edges before turning into a frown. "Are you okay?"

Danny frowned right back at him. "Of course I'm okay, what are you, nuts?"

"No, listen," Steve shifted to one side and glided his hand down Danny's ribcage, stopping just above the area where Danny had been hurt. "This, here. I tried to be careful-"

"Don't be an idiot, I'm fine, you were fine, the whole damn world is fine, okay? But, uh, thanks for asking."

Steve put his head down on Danny's chest with a contented sigh. "You're welcome, smartass."

"Oh hey, that reminds me."

"Hmm."

Danny poked a finger in Steve's side. "Don't go to sleep, we're not spending the night on the couch, you schmuck. You owe me an explanation, remember?"

"For what?"

"That day I talked to Grace, you thanked me for something and I want to know what it was."

At first he didn't think Steve was going to answer. He waited patiently, stroking his fingers through Steve's damp hair, wondering if Steve had forgotten the whole thing and was now trying to think up a suitable answer.

He should've known better. When he finally lifted his head, Danny could tell by the expression on Steve's face that he knew exactly what Danny was talking about.

"It's you, Danny."

"It's me what?"

"You. You've given me everything-trust, loyalty, and God knows, your honesty. The fact that you'd let me so far into your life that you'd tell Grace-" Steve's voice roughened and he stopped, pressing his forehead to Danny's shoulder.

Danny cupped the back of Steve's head to keep him close. "Okay, okay, pay attention, I'm only gonna say this once. It goes both ways, it always has. Whatever you think I've given you, you've given right back. This is not a one way street, Steven, all right? We're partners, you and me, and even when we disagree, I'll always have your back, just like I know you'll have mine." Danny sighed, because he had a feeling there was only one thing left to say. "Yes, I trust you with my daughter, and my car, and my life, and everything else I have, because that's how it works when you love someone."

Again he waited, wondering what Steve's reaction was going to be but not too worried. He'd only spoken for himself but the words had come straight from his heart, and if Steve wasn't ready to go there, it was okay. Danny would wait for him.

It turned out he didn't have to wait very long. Steve lifted up and sat back, pulling Danny along with him until they were both upright on the couch. Danny thought Steve was merely moving them toward the bedroom, so he was caught off guard when Steve kissed him instead, then enfolded him in the kind of all-encompassing hug only Steve could give.

"Love you too, Danno. So fucking much." The words were soft, barely a breath of air against Danny's ear, but murmured with such utter conviction that Danny found himself blinking moisture out of his eyes. The fact that Steve had once again hijacked his nickname didn't even bother him, though he couldn't pass up the opportunity to complain about it anyway.

Getting to his feet, Danny offered his hand to Steve to help him up. "So, is that going to be a thing now, too?"

Looking around as if considering the question, Steve frowned, then gave Danny a decisive nod. "Yeah, I think it is. Do you mind?"

"Now he asks me," Danny muttered. "No, I don't, but don't think it's always going to be so easy."

"Easy?" Eyebrows raised, Steve glared at Danny. "You're kidding, right? When did you ever do things easy? Now, me, on the other hand-"

"Oh, do you really want to go there-"

Predictably, that set off a short yet spirited discussion that covered a lot of ground, including bungee cords, hand grenades-neither of them had the upper hand on that subject any more, thanks to Chin's big mouth-and the appropriate use of air horns, but it all ended abruptly and satisfyingly for both of them when Danny hooked his ankle behind Steve's knee and tumbled them onto the bed. Before they could get really wound up again, Danny stilled Steve's wandering hands, capturing him with a lingering kiss that left them both breathless.

"Best Christmas ever?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Yeah," Steve agreed, "best ever, hands down."

"Good. Then you won't mind wearing that elf hat again. You know, I bet Kamekona could get the whole outfit-"

"Danny." Yeah, there was no mistaking the warning in that deceptively calm voice, so Danny decided to drop the subject-for now.

In the meantime, Danny was more content than he'd been in years, certainly more content than he'd ever been with Rachel even when things were going well. He still regretted so much of what they'd done to each other, what they'd lost, but if that door hadn't closed forever earlier this year, then he'd never be where he was now, which was exactly where he'd belonged all along, and that was truly a gift beyond measure.

Definitely the best Christmas ever.