Notes: Started after the third episode aired, but finished before the season ended. :-) Veers off canon at episode four for simplicity's sake.

Summary: Sequel to No Plan Like Mine, but what was supposed to be a light-hearted romp turned serious on me. Part 3 of the Ruminations and Plans series.

Warnings & Ratings: Angst, explicit sex, Danny/other, Steve/Danny.

Thanks to Sam Johnsson for the beta, insight, and so much more.

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For a Little While

By Raine Wynd

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Late February 2011

He'd backed off. The knowledge that Steve had taken his excuse to heart annoyed Danny on some level he couldn't name. A guy like Steve, who could be laser-focused on what he wanted, wasn't supposed to blithely accept Danny's retreat. It didn't fit with what he'd known of him to that point. Of course, Danny had made his assumptions based on a short acquaintance, and now, four months later, he knew those assumptions hadn't been quite valid. Steve's behavior with Catherine seemed to fit with the image Danny had of a guy who preferred a no-strings-attached arrangement, yet something told the detective Steve wanted more from him than just that. That scared Danny deeply. Steve was the kind of person who could break his heart as easily as he'd claimed it — Danny had fallen hard for that kind of bullheaded strength before; Rachel had it, and he was gun-shy.

The team had the next forty-eight hours off, thanks to a recent mission, and Danny was at loose ends. Grace wasn't allowed to be near him for another week, much to his annoyance; she'd broken a rule about swimming in the pool and was grounded. Kono had invited him to watch her surf, but he knew she'd made the invitation in hopes of getting him on a board. Danny had no desire to try, so he'd refused. Chin had business with his restaurant. Steve had a date with Catherine — payment for some favor he'd wrangled. Once again, Danny was alone, in a place he tolerated because his daughter was here.

"Danny?" A hand touched his back, interrupting his perusal of possible things to buy his daughter in the International Marketplace. Danny turned to see tall, whipcord-lean man in denim shorts, sneakers, and a Hard Rock Café t-shirt standing nearby. Green eyes peered through thin gold wire-rimmed glasses, which set off a wide, angular face that was too striking to be called ordinary. Wavy black hair was trimmed into a fashionable style, with deep highlights that accented his rich, dark mocha skin.

Though it had been years, recognition flooded through Danny. He grasped the other man's hand and quickly pulled him into a hard embrace, feeling a pang at the rightness of how his head almost fit on the other's man shoulder. "You're a sight for sore eyes, Jason."

"You're telling me," Jason laughed, his grip equally hard and just as reluctant to let go. "Are you on vacation or a business trip?"

"No, I live here now."

Stepping back, Jason stared at him incredulously. "You left Jersey, willingly? Come on, this is a story that needs a beer."

Danny sighed and abandoned his shopping. Rachel would probably make him return whatever he bought, or he'd pick Grace up to find out that her stepfather had bought her something even fancier. Jason had been his best friend from junior high, his best man at his wedding, and so much more. Even when Jason had taken a job in Texas, they'd still managed to keep in touch, at least for a while.

It didn't take long to find a pub that wasn't too crowded for conversation. Once seated, both ignored the menus the server handed them in favor of two draft beers. Jason looked at Danny, his face reflecting genuine curiosity. "What happened? The last thing I heard from you, you and Rachel were celebrating Grace's second birthday."

Danny took a sip of his beer and let out a breath. "Rachel found someone who could give her the lifestyle she wanted."

"Jesus, Danny, she knew she was marrying a cop; you wouldn't have met otherwise. You two were happy. What happened?"

Danny shook his head. "I wasn't enough for her." Dryly, he added, "She's married to a big-shot real estate developer. I get to see Grace twice a week. I wouldn't even have that much if I'd stayed in Jersey. She tried to have me barred from that, just because I got pissed off when I came home one day to find her cheating on me on the bed I'd finally finished paying off."

Jason arched an eyebrow. "You've always had a hell of a temper, Danny. How pissed off?"

"I might have gotten a little physical," Danny admitted. At Jason's pointed look, Danny clarified, "I punched a wall near Rachel's head. I didn't hurt anyone but myself."

"But that's enough for a restraining order," Jason observed. He sipped his beer. "Let me guess: she played up the whole emotional trauma issue, too, and how scared she was of your anger." He paused to gauge his words. Taking Danny's self-loathing expression for agreement, Jason asked, "Why didn't you call me?"

"And tell your mother I didn't know how to find you anymore?"

Jason chuckled reluctantly. "You were never intimidated by my mom. You're the one who told her I was gay, it wasn't a sin, and anyone would be lucky to have me. That's not the reason." He stared at Danny.

Danny ducked his head slightly. "Because you'd have come running," he reluctantly admitted.

"And that's bad because…?"

"Because you did it once, when Grace and Rachel got sick and I had to go on that stakeout," Danny said, meeting Jason's eyes. "She said that must've meant that you loved me, and she couldn’t stand the thought of that."

Disgusted, Jason rolled his eyes. "She was finding excuses, Danny boy, and she was jealous. She always was, and it wasn't just of me — it was anyone who took your time away from her."

Danny blinked. "Seriously?"

"How many friends did you have left when you got divorced, compared to how many showed up to your wedding?"

Danny stared at his old friend. "Not many. Shit. She didn't like my partner, didn't like…oh crap. I should've called you."

Jason grinned crookedly. "Yeah, you should have, but you would've been paying more than you probably are now. Hand me your phone, and I'll put my number on speed dial, like it should be. You still a cop?"

"Yeah, I'm on a task force for the governor," Danny said as he handed over his phone. "Still enjoying corporate law?"

Jason nodded, quickly adding himself to the contact list in Danny's phone before handing it back. "I got an offer from a firm in Portland, Oregon two years ago; I'd gotten tired of the Texas heat. That's why I'm here, actually. I'm helping with a project my firm wants to invest in and scoping out Honolulu as a possible site for a satellite office. There are some things the Hawaiian government likes to see done in person, not over the phone or email."

Danny nodded, understanding. "Yeah, it's not like in Jersey."

His phone rang with the ringtone from Psycho, and he sighed. "Excuse me a moment. Rachel, what do you mean, do I mind? Of course I mind, this was supposed to be my Saturday with my daughter, I even took the day off, oh you think I can just reschedule on a whim? I'm a cop, remember? Oh, great, that's just great. Next Saturday is Girl Scout camp, or did you forget? Now I'll lose my time with my daughter, just because step-Stan decided she's been grounded long enough and wanted to take her to see the whales. Oh, that's really damn nice of you. Add it to the total. Fine! Fine, you'll do whatever anyway." Stabbing the end button, Danny disconnected the call.

Jason studied him from across the table. "She does that to you all the time?"

"Don't get me started. If it weren't for the governor and my new boss, I'd have lost custody entirely."

"What?" Shock flashed across the attorney's face.

Danny waved a hand. "Long story. So, how long will you be in town?"

"My flight leaves Tuesday, but I have the weekend free. Know any good places to go?" Jason grinned. "You could tell me that long story while you're at it."

Danny frowned, remembering the kinds of places Jason used to favor. "I don't dance."

Chuckling, Jason shook his head fondly. "So you keep telling me –until you bust a move on the dance floor, trying to outdo me."

"Can't do that anymore — my old ACL injury's been flaring up lately."

Jason pursed his lips. "We'll go easy, then," he decided. "Tell me, do you still kiss on the first date?"

For a moment, Danny's heart stopped as the pieces of an old argument fell into place. He'd never told Rachel that he and Jason had been lovers, or that their sexual relationship had ended when Danny had refused to go beyond oral sex. It had taken some work to keep their friendship together, especially after Jason had embraced being gay, and was as out as anyone could be. Rachel had brought up Danny's sexual habits out of nowhere in the divorce proceedings; at the time, Danny had been shocked, hurt, and angry at the accusation that he was some kind of sexual deviant. He'd completely forgotten she'd seen how he acted around his old friend, heard the kind of teasing that only someone who'd known him intimately could dish out. In the mess of his divorce, he'd put it down to Rachel being her usual unreasonable self, but now, with the clarity of time, he knew she'd seen more than he'd realized.

Jason's eyes sharpened on him now. "You just figure something out, Dan my man?"

Danny shook his head ruefully. "Yeah. Too late to do anything about it."

Jason considered that a moment. "Does that mean I'm still out of luck?"

"Hey, I told you to quit carrying that torch for me ten years ago, buddy," Danny shot back.

Jason's lips curved into a smile. "Ah, but you were my first love." He leaned closer. "And now I have this one chance for a lifetime of happiness —" Jason paused, seeing his former lover roll his eyes, and laughed. "Okay, how about, I have seventy-two hours before I have to go back to my lonely townhouse in Portland, and you're the safest fuck I'll have on this island?"

Certain that his old friend remembered his rules about sex, Danny cracked up laughing. "God, I missed you, Jason."

"Is that a yes or a no? You know I can make it good for both of us." Jason held his gaze, and teasingly added, "I keep asking, just in case you saved something for me after all these years."

Danny studied him a moment, aware that if he said no, Jason wouldn't hold it against him; Jason never had. Flirting with Danny was something the other man had always done, well aware that they'd set the terms of their relationship years ago.

Taking Jason seriously would be crazy, yet Danny was sorely tempted. At the rate he was going, Steve was bound to piss him off before they ever got close enough to have sex again. For every moment Danny thought he was dealing with a reasonable man, a man who was capable of giving Danny the forever he craved, Steve would give him another where Danny would be convinced his partner was a lunatic, one determined to shorten Danny's life. Staring into Jason's green eyes and open, smiling face, so different in showing emotion from Steve's, Danny took a deep breath and gave Jason his answer. "Ask me again in a few hours. Did you have anything planned for the rest of the afternoon?"

Surprise and hope flared in Jason's eyes and he smiled. "Nothing that can't be changed, but maybe some lunch first? My stomach thinks I've forgotten it."

Chuckling, Danny picked up one of the discarded menus. "Sounds like a plan to me."

*****

Alerted by the alarm on his phone, Danny woke in a hotel room that had become quite familiar in the last forty-eight hours. An arm held him close, reminding him instantly of two days he'd spent here in the company of someone who loved him, who would never push him beyond what he was willing to give. Reluctantly, Danny rose up on one elbow to reach for his phone, breaking Jason's grasp.

"Stay with me," Jason pleaded.

Sheet half covering him, Danny considered it. Work meant Steve, and Danny knew he wasn't strong enough to face him. Tomorrow was soon enough for that. In every way, Jason had shown him that he still loved Danny, even after all this time. He'd given in to Danny's need to be in control, again. Hating himself for taking advantage of an old lover, Danny knew he needed that reassurance that he had rules in his relationships, needed the love Jason gave so freely. One more day, he promised himself. Just one more day where I can pretend I'm not in love with Steve McGarrett.  

Without looking at his bed partner, Danny rose to his feet and raided the in-room mini-bar, needing the taste of whiskey to kill the sour taste of regret in his mouth. Grabbing the bottle of Jack Daniels, he broke the seal. Sitting on the edge of the chair next to the bed, he downed the bourbon, and then dialed Steve's cell phone.

"McGarrett."

Swallowing the liquid in his mouth, Danny managed, "I'm not feeling well," then coughed. "Oh God. Think I ate something bad, one of those native sweet things. All I know is: I feel like I was drinking all night."

"Oh, jin dui?" Steve said knowingly. "That can be potent stuff — it usually has whiskey in it, and lots of it."

"Now you tell me," Danny groaned.

Steve laughed. "Take it easy," he advised, "and take some aspirin. We'll hold down the fort without you." Without waiting for a reply, Steve hung up.

Danny put down his phone and turned to his bed partner. "Quit smirking."

Jason chuckled and reached for him. "Why should I?" he asked reasonably. "You're here, and not going to work. Plus, you taste like whiskey, and you know how that brings back memories." He kissed him before Danny could reply and made sure pleasure was the only thing on Danny's mind.

*****

Across town, Steve stared at his phone a moment before dropping it onto his desk. He didn't quite believe Danny, and he wasn't sure why. It wasn't like Danny to call in sick — the man only had his work and his daughter to keep him sane, and while Danny did have a weakness for sweet pastries, he believed strongly in keeping fit. If Danny was sick, that meant he couldn’t see Grace, and if it was bad, Rachel, hellion that she was, would use it as a chance to keep Danny away. For a moment, Steve was tempted to see if Danny really was ill.

You're being too hard on him, Steve thought. If he wants a mental health day, he can take one, whatever the cause is. He'll tell you if Rachel's being a bitch; he's never been afraid to rant about her.

Steve tried to shut up the voice that whined that if Danno was going to take a mental health day, he should've taken one with Steve. It didn't quite work.

*****

Four days later, Steve and Danny were in Danny's car, on their way to interview a witness at the Marine base when Danny's phone sang out a very distinctive ringtone. Curious, Steve tried to see the display before Danny snatched it up. He wasn't fast enough, though.

"So you finally decide to call me," Danny greeted his caller. "Uh huh, right, like that's a real excuse. Yeah, I'm working; come on, you've known me how long? As if you aren't goofing off by calling me." Danny snorted. "Yeah, you're the reason I switched majors, remember? Of course I'm going to hold that against you. Don't you quote statute of limitations at me; you're in the wrong branch of law for that bullshit." Danny listened for a moment, surprise lighting his features. "Seriously? Oh, that's awesome, Jason. Congrats!" Danny skillfully negotiated an S-curve while his caller talked. "Next Friday? Yeah, I can be there; just give me a call when you land. Yeah, I'll have Grace. Yeah, I’m on a case. Okay, I'll call you later." Danny grinned as he hung up, clearly pleased by the call.

"Old friend?" Steve guessed.

Danny nodded. "Since seventh grade."

"'I Wanna Be a Cowboy'?" Steve asked, referring to the ringtone.

Danny refused to answer, but the flush of embarrassment told Steve that there was definitely a story behind that ringtone.

Steve stared at him. "You know how I hate puzzles," the former naval intelligence officer pointed out. "I'm just going to keep hammering at it until I have an answer."

"Some reason you're going in full dress uniform today?" Danny tried to change the subject.

"Lieutenant Commander, Reserves," Steve countered. "And you haven't answered my question."

"Jason has an odd sense of humor," Danny said quickly. "Aren't you the one who's always harping on me about being overly formal?"

Steve stared at him disbelievingly. "We're meeting with a general."

"That guy we talked to at the Air Force base on our second case — you didn't dress up for him."

"He was Air Force."

Danny rolled his eyes, sighing. "Fine, don't explain it to the civilian."

"I will, if you tell me why Jason gets that ringtone."

"What? I told you, he has an odd sense of humor."

Not convinced, Steve decided to let it go anyway. "The guy we're meeting is a stickler for certain types of protocol. If I introduce myself as a military officer and I'm not in uniform, he's going to report me for it, and that won't get us anywhere."

"Great, just great. I'm looking forward to this already. You should've warned me — I would've worn a different tie."

"You're fine," Steve hastened to assure him. "He's not expecting formality from the HPD. For once, you're not going to stick out like a haole. You look good."

****

Feeling older than his age, Danny wearily trudged into his apartment. Meeting with the general had led to a foot chase across a beach, yet another flesh wound to add to the collection, and the nasty suspicion that if Kono hadn't been there as his backup, he'd be laid up in the hospital instead of going home.

Still, they'd made progress on the case; that was worth something. With a tired sigh, Danny showered and got ready for bed, then remembered his promise to Jason. Glancing at his watch, he calculated it was almost eleven PM in Portland and decided to risk it anyway.

"Wondered if you'd keep your promise," Jason said in greeting. "Work that crazy?"

"Yeah," Danny said, settling on his hide-a-bed. "Got shot today."

"Must not be too bad," Jason mused. "You don't sound like you're drugged up. Not like that first time you got shot, before you got married."

Danny groaned at the reminder. "In my defense, that hurt like hell."

Jason chuckled. "So you kept saying. Your partner was sure you were going to quit after that. He had a speech all prepared — was asking me if you'd take it well. I don't think he ever bought the 'I'm just his best friend' excuse."

Danny groaned again. "That explains why he was so happy to see me and Rachel get married."

"You okay? Did you get the guy who shot you?" Concern colored his old friend's voice, and something inside Danny sighed in relief to hear it.

"Yes, and no, Kono got him for me. Snuck up on him and whacked him across the head with a board."

Jason laughed. "She sounds like someone I'd rather not piss off."

"Definitely not," Danny agreed. "Am I calling too late for you?"

"It's only eleven," the other man pointed out. "I like bedtime phone calls, especially from you." Jason paused. "Am I presuming too much, Danny boy? If you have your daughter next weekend, I'm okay with just having dinner sometime before I fly back on Tuesday. The company wants me to sign the documents on Monday, and I can entertain myself if I'm going to be in the way."

"No, it's okay," Danny hastened to assure him. Today's incident just solidified Danny's belief that Steve was going to shorten his life, and carrying a torch for him was just all kinds of bad and wrong. Jason was willing, and he clearly cared for Danny. It was going to have to be enough.

Settling in, Danny began to lay out his plans for the next weekend with Jason.

****

One week later

Steve knew he was being obsessive. That trait had made him successful in hunting down military targets; he'd been warned about letting it creep too far over the line in his personal life, but damn it, the suspense was killing him. He'd thought that if he gave Danny some space, Danny would come back to his bed. But even accounting for the possibility that Danny would have sex with guys for reasons other than stress relief, four months was too long of a gap, especially when Steve had noticed just how much Danny didn't date. It made the number of times in one week Danny had excused himself to have a private conversation with whoever was tied to that "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" ringtone significant, and disconcerting.

Using his authority as leader of the task force to scope out Danny's cell phone records a little more closely than signing off on the expense report warranted wasn't the kind of behavior Steve usually permitted himself. Nor was researching that one number he extracted and tracking it back to one Jason Bailey, of 650 Gaines Street #818, Portland, Oregon, or was going so far as to have a complete profile of Jason that showed he worked for one of the larger corporate law firms in Portland and had one parking ticket on his record. Yet Steve had to know who was important enough for Danny to meet them at the airport and take off the rest of the day. It wasn't sufficient for Steve to know the ringtone belonged to Jason, Danny's friend from seventh grade; the smile of anticipation on Danny's face indicated a level of intimacy that drove Steve's curiosity.

Armed with the additional information he'd retrieved, Steve stared at the display in his office, then, disgusted with himself, switched away from the display of Jason's background. Having that knowledge did little to settle the sense that somewhere Steve had miscalculated, badly. Danny's behavior that night had indicated a degree of comfort with oral sex. Gut instinct told Steve that Jason was the reason for that familiarity. Were Danny’s feelings for Jason the reason he had hesitated in going further with Steve?

"Something wrong, boss?" Kono asked playfully, stepping into his office. "Place is pretty quiet without Danny."

Her too-observant gaze nailed Steve, and he forced himself to relax. "Yeah, well, he's pretty easy to rile up."

She chuckled, then hesitated a moment. "Can I ask you something?" At his nod, she went on, "You and Catherine — you're not together anymore, are you?"

Steve eyed Kono warily. "Planning on matching me up with a cousin?"

Kono chuckled again. "No. I wouldn't do that to you." She rolled her eyes. "I have my own horror stories about that sort of thing — don't need to add you to that list. I just wondered: you and Catherine seemed to be pretty tight when she first arrived and then not so much lately."

Note to self: you live in a fishbowl, Steve thought, surrounded by detectives. Fuck. Aloud, he said, "She's not the kind of woman who wants to be pinned down by anyone." He laughed reluctantly. "I think we do better with an ocean between us."

Kono studied him for a moment. "Maybe you weren't looking at the right person," she said softly. Then she straightened her posture. "HPD just called. They captured our suspect."

Steve sighed. He knew that look on Kono's face. "Let me guess, someone from SWAT didn't want to wait for us."

Kono nodded. "Brookes is dead. On the other hand, we're off the hook."

"Thanks, Kono. Better get out of here while you still can."

Taking her cue, Kono turned and walked to the door.

"And Kono?"

She paused and looked back at him. "Yes?"

"You know there are rules about fraternization."

Kono flashed him a grin. "Those didn't stop you from getting together with Catherine. She said you wouldn't take no for an answer when you first met, either, and back then you outranked her more than you do now."

Steve flushed at the reminder.

Kono's smile widened. "Besides, if it means you and Danny aren't fighting with each other, then it's better for everyone." Without waiting for a reply, she exited.

Caught by that, Steve decided it was better to say nothing. The prospect of paperwork loomed ahead of him, but Steve couldn't bring himself to do any of it. He wanted to be where Danny was, damn it, not tending to the inevitable bureaucracy of leadership. At least when Danny was there it all seemed easier, somehow. Giving in the urge to call his partner, he dialed the number, only to be greeted with voicemail. Reluctantly, Steve left the message about SWAT's actions and hung up. Two seconds later he cursed himself for not asking Danny to call him back, then decided he'd sound too juvenile if he called his partner again. Somehow, leaving a message that spelled out exactly what Steve wanted to do with Danny seemed woefully pathetic; Danny had an out-of-town visitor, after all. With a sigh, Steve turned his attention to filling out the after-action report that the governor needed for every mission.

Half an hour later, Steve shut off his computer and rose from his desk. Shutting off the lights as he exited, he locked the main door to the H50 offices before striding to the elevator. As he waited for it to arrive, his phone rang. A glance at the display told him his sister was calling.

"Hey, bro, I was wondering if you were coming home for dinner," she said when he answered the call.

"Why, what did you have planned?"

"Nothing, just thought maybe you wanted to go out with me," Mary said. "I was thinking if you're free, we could go out to eat somewhere and hit a few bars after."

Steve smiled. His sister was the perfect distraction for the mood he was in; she was trying hard to mend the fences that had grown up between them. "Sure. I'll be home in twenty minutes. No dive bars."

Mary laughed. "I promise we won't get into trouble."

Steve rolled his eyes. Mary shared his penchant for ignoring rules; her problem was that the rules she ignored often resulted in her getting arrested. "We aren't starting any fights either. Not like the last time I went out with you."

"Hey, she hit me first," Mary protested. "Besides, you'd be ashamed of me if I didn't know how to protect myself."

"Yeah, well, sometimes I like being your taller, stronger, older brother," Steve shot back.

"Okay, so your height does come in handy," Mary allowed. "See you when you get here."

****

"Who's that guy with Danny?" Mary asked two hours later as she and Steve sat at the U-shaped bar of one of the city's more popular restaurants. As was Steve's habit, he'd positioned them with a good view of most of the other bar patrons as well as the lobby of the restaurant.

"Danny's here?" Steve forced himself to act casual, but his sister's smirk said she'd startled him.

"You've got it bad, bro. He just walked in with this absolutely gorgeous man. Want me to go say hi?"

Narrowing his eyes, Steve debated his next move, aware that if he didn't react quickly, Mary was liable to take matters into her own hands. "No," he said decisively. "I know who he's with."

Mary goggled at him. "What? You're not going to go after him?"

Steve met his sister's eyes. "Mary, I'm his partner and his boss. It's not a good idea."

She looked at him with compassion. "He said no, didn't he?"

"I am not discussing my love life with you."

Mary took a sip of her drink. "Why not?" she challenged. "You made me privy to the nights Catherine was over."

Steve flushed at the reminder of how thin the walls of the house were.

"Or is it that you're still bound by all those Navy rules?" Mary mused, undeterred.

Seizing the excuse with more relief than was warranted, Steve agreed, "I'm not out of the military yet."

Mary considered the ramifications of that. "So, does this mean it's okay if I chase him? Since you can't."

"Over my dead body."

Mary hooted. "So if I can't, then who?" she asked. "If I'm not good enough — "

"Nobody's good enough for my little sister," Steve said instantly. "Not even Danno."

The nickname made Mary smug. "Fine. But maybe the next time you pounce on him, you should buy him dinner first."

Steve looked at her, insulted. "What, you think I didn't?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "I saw what happened to those steaks when Catherine was here, remember?" Taking pity on him, she dropped a twenty on the bar. "I'll scope it out for you. You stay put."

"Mary Ann — "

Mary shot him a look full of exasperated affection as she lifted his phone from his pocket. "If you stay put, I'll give you a present."

Afraid of what that present might entail, Steve waited until she was just out of sight, then rose. Easily, he maneuvered through the crowd, and into a position where he could see most of the restaurant without being obvious. Mary walked up to the table where Danny and Jason sat and struck up a conversation. Even without a way to listen in, Steve could see her introduce herself as the sister of Danny's partner. Within a few minutes, she'd charmed Danny and Jason into posing for a picture using the cell phone camera. Realizing Mary would probably be back quickly, Steve made his way back to the bar stool he'd previously occupied, grateful when no one had claimed it in his absence.

He'd just had another drink delivered when Mary returned, looking annoyed. Reaching for Steve's glass, she downed it over his sputtering protests, and then looked at her brother. "He'll be gone in two days."

Steve eyed her cautiously. "What's the bad news?"

Mary flagged down the bartender and ordered another drink. "He's absolutely in love with Danny."

Steve stared at her.

Impatiently, she dug out his phone and passed it back to him, with the last photo she'd taken on the screen. The look on Jason's face said everything.

Steve reached blindly for the glass on the bar as Mary quickly exchanged the empty one for the full glass the bartender handed her. On the verge of taking a drink, he stopped himself and took a deep breath instead, inhaling the scent of vodka, and shook himself. "No. Not going to lose control tonight."

Mary looked at him sympathetically, unsurprised. "You're right," she agreed, and stole the drink. After taking a sip, she set the glass down on the bar. She studied her brother a moment. "Come on, let's get out of here. You're not going to do anyone any good here."

Wary, he asked, "Where did you have in mind?"

She smiled. "You'll see," she promised. "Hand me your keys."

"You've had a drink; you aren't driving my truck."

"I don't need keys, I can hotwire it. All I need is a screwdriver. Besides, you've had a drink too."

Steve glared at her, aware on some level his sister was pushing his buttons deliberately, channeling the morass of conflicted emotions surging through him. Danny was his, damn it. No haole was going to take Danny away from him, and the instinctive rage at the injustice of the situation made Steve want to storm over to the table and make a scene. Yet the man who'd learned how to be a gentleman befitting an officer's uniform, who'd then gone on to learn how to blend in with his environment and negotiate patiently with hostile people in order to accomplish a mission, knew he couldn't just claim Danny like some caveman. He'd tried that once already, and Danny had written it off as stress release. Maybe it was past time for some finesse.

The former SEAL let out a breath. Pulling out a ten to cover the drink, he tucked his wallet back in his pocket and rose. "You're not driving my truck, Mary, and you're not taking me to a gay bar."

Undaunted, Mary grinned. "How about karaoke?"

Steve chuckled reluctantly, and willed himself to focus on enjoying the rest of the evening. Nothing could be done tonight, not while Danny was so clearly interested in someone else. Only fair, he reminded himself. He'd let himself be distracted by Catherine, after all. Yet he couldn't shake the sense that he might already be too late to change things.

*****

"So that's your partner's sister?" Jason asked after Mary left their table. "She's distinctive."

Danny laughed shortly. "You could say that." He took a sip of his drink. "How's your dinner?"

"Pretty good," Jason admitted before eating another bite of his fish. "Have to admit, I get a little snobbish about seafood after living in Portland, but I'd put this up against Salty's any day." He gestured to Danny's half-empty plate. "Thought you hated fish."

"The guys ganged up on me and introduced me to stuff they figured I'd like," Danny admitted. "Makes it easier to go out with them after work — I hate being called a haole."

"What does that word mean?"

"Means 'outsider', someone who doesn't understand the local culture," Danny explained. "It's an insult for mainlanders. I don't want to fit in, but I don't want to be called names, either. Plus, it's easier on Grace if I don't have to ask her what she's talking about all the time."

"So have you eaten pizza with something other than mozz and sauce yet?"

"Do not get me started on the locals' obsession with fruit on their pizza," Danny warned.

Jason laughed. "I won't. I've been on the hunt for a place that makes a decent New York style pizza and no one west of the Mississippi seems to grasp the concept." He shook his head, then sobered. "I'm glad you're here. Being able to spend this weekend with you is something I've been looking forward to since I left."

Danny smiled. Jason's daily calls had made getting through the frustrations of the week easier, though he'd been careful not to tell his lover too much; he knew how the other man worried. It hadn't escaped Danny's notice, either, that Steve had tensed every time "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" sounded on Danny's phone. The detective knew there was probably going to be hell for what he was doing, but with all the insanity in his life, adding one more thing to the list didn't seem all that bad.

He glanced at his companion's almost empty plate. "Were you thinking about dessert?"

Jason sipped the last of his wine and considered the notion. "You said you had Grace this weekend. When do you pick her up?"

Danny made a face. "At ten tomorrow morning, after dance class. I managed to get her out of tennis lessons at the country club, but Step-Stan's determined that Grace will be doing something at all hours. God forbid my daughter just gets to enjoy being a kid on weekends."

"Then no, I don't want dessert here," Jason decided. "That gives us time to sleep in." He caught the eye of their server and signaled for the check.

"You sure you don't mind hanging with us?"

Jason grinned. "Come on, I didn't play tourist the last time I was here, and you said in your email that Grace was looking forward to seeing the aquarium." He shrugged. "Besides, the last time I saw the munchkin, she'd just mastered walking and was starting to talk. Be interesting to see how she's grown." Slipping his credit card to the server over his date's protests, he continued, "I still can't believe it's been that long."

Danny smiled ruefully. "Yeah, well, I'm trying not to think about how much longer it'll be before she has her first crush."

Jason studied him a moment, then reached across the table to clasp his hand briefly. "She'll be fine. You, on the other hand, will be a nervous wreck." The server delivered the check folder back to him.

Danny acknowledged that assessment with a rueful nod. As the other man scrawled a tip and signed the receipt, Danny asked, "You said you wanted to check out a club tonight?"

Jason shook his head. "Not if we're going to be doing some walking around tomorrow. Your place or mine?"

"Yours," Danny said. "I still haven't bought a proper bed yet."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Your back is going to hate you in a few months," he warned. "Hide-a-beds were not designed for long-term use." He rose to his feet as Danny did the same. Stepping closer, he steered them out to the parking lot.

"I'm the one with the gun," Danny reminded him quietly. "Shouldn't I be the one in control?"

Jason leaned down and promised, "Later."

Danny shivered in anticipation. Over the phone and in private email, Jason had made it clear what he wanted, drawing detailed images in Danny's head to make him feel more comfortable with how the night was going to end. Now the thought of watching Jason take his cock made Danny flash back to the way Jason had described the sensation, made Danny hunger to give Jason the pleasure. He wasn't too sure he could reciprocate, not yet, but Danny wanted to give Jason something to remember out of this weekend, something more than what they'd done in the past.

It wasn't long before they reached Jason's hotel room. Once the door was shut, Jason kissed him slowly, aware that Danny relished the act. Danny was addicted to the way Jason kissed, as if they had forever to treasure this moment, but the week of calls and emails had served as extended foreplay, and Danny didn't want to wait any longer. He easily stripped his lover, relishing the way Jason groaned helplessly under his touch, then pushed him against the bed. Impatiently, Danny divested himself of his own clothes, pausing only to admire the other man as he laid across the bed, waiting for him, heat in his gaze. The tube of lube and condoms on the nightstand betrayed Jason's hopes at how the evening would go, but Danny ignored both for the moment.

Climbing onto the bed, Danny straddled the other man, leaning in to kiss him as Jason's arms came up to hold him close. For a moment, Danny let the simple embrace comfort him, then he shifted, breaking Jason's hold slightly. He craved this feeling. He wanted to remember this night when all he had were the memories. Moving downward, he nibbled on Jason's ear and then his neck.  Continuing further, Danny laid a trail of wet kisses until he found one of Jason's hard little nipples, hearing Jason's breath catch on a gasp. Jason's hands faltered briefly in their quest to touch Danny as Danny mouthed his skin, and he moaned.

Aware Jason's nipples were too sensitive for extended play, Danny moved down Jason's torso to the juncture between his thighs. Nipping lightly there, Danny heard Jason's pleading and took Jason's cock into his mouth, surprising Jason by not using a condom.

Jason's hands scrabbled at his head as he urged him to stop. Annoyed at the interruption, Danny lifted his head and met Jason's incredulous look.

"You sure?" Jason demanded. "You never sucked me without a condom before."

In reply, Danny held his gaze a moment, then dipped his head back to his task. He didn't want to explain the loneliness surging through him, didn't want to tell Jason he thought this was his only chance for this experience. Ignoring Jason’s objections, Danny laved his cock until Jason stopped protesting, started feeling, and began to thrust into his mouth. Bracing an arm against Jason's thighs, Danny took a deep breath and worked Jason's cock in deeper.

God, the taste of him filled his mouth, and Danny couldn't get enough. Pulling back, he took his time, wanting to savor it, instantly hooked on the way Jason groaned and pleaded for more. The added sensation heated Danny's blood, made him want to see Jason fly. Sucking as hard as he could as he backed off and then diving down again, Danny worked his mouth slowly up and down, being careful not to gag himself, taking in a little more with each attempt until finally he had taken his lover's entire length.

Danny let a hand wander, running a finger back to Jason's tight opening and slowly rubbing against it, thinking of all the words he'd heard whispered over the phone the last few days.

Jason groaned and Danny heard the distinctive flip of the cap of lube as Jason opened it. "Give me your hand." Wanting to do what pleased Jason, Danny allowed his fingers to be coated. "Put them in me, one at a time."

The first brush of Danny's lubed fingers against Jason's hole made Jason shiver. Not sure what that meant, Danny redoubled his efforts on Jason's cock. "Just keep stroking inside me, while you suck me," Jason pleaded. "Yeah, like that," he said a heartbeat later, when Danny experimented with adding a second finger, then a third.

Surprised at the way Jason trembled under his touch, the realization that the stroking gave Jason pleasure shot heat through Danny. Suddenly his previous objections to touching Jason this way seemed meaningless. How could something that made Jason writhe under him in passion be so bad? It didn't take long for Jason to flood Danny's mouth, and Danny nearly gagged, but he managed to swallow most of Jason's come.

Breathing heavily, Jason met Danny's eyes a long moment before growling, "On your back, love."

Willing to take Jason's directions since it had been good so far, Danny did as he was ordered. His eyes widened and he groaned as Jason reached for his cock, sliding on a condom before slicking it with lube. Danny was so close, now. Then Danny watched as Jason lowered himself onto Danny's cock.

Both men groaned at the first contact, and Jason inhaled sharply. "God, Danny." He lifted up slightly.

"If it hurts — " Danny was pretty sure he read that look right; that didn't look like a face full of pleasure to him.

Jason shook his head and sent Danny a dazzling smile. "Never." He let go of a deep breath as he repositioned himself before taking Danny into his body with careful, measured strokes. The tightness of Jason's passage was almost unbearable, and Danny groaned at the way it felt.

"God, you feel so good, love," Jason said as he bottomed out, half closing his eyes in pleasure. Opening his eyes, he met Danny's as he began to ride. "So good."

The tightness of his lover's sheath was incredible. The sensation of being inside Jason was like nothing Danny had ever experienced before, and the feeling was overwhelming. It took a moment before Danny caught on to the rhythm Jason was trying to set, and he grasped Jason's hips, needing to hold onto the other man as he drove them both to climax.

Jason reached between them, grasping his own cock in need, and that was it, Danny lost it, surging into his lover with a guttural cry.

For a long moment, both men lay there, sweating and breathing heavily. Jason fell forward against Danny's broad frame, whispering, "Thank you" into his ear. Danny wrapped his arms around him, lost in new emotions.

****

Two days later

Steve watched as Danny made his way into the office, looking more cheerful than usual for having spent the weekend with his daughter. Usually, Mondays after such weekend brought a slightly depressed man into the office, and Steve wondered if Jason was still in town.

Don't go there, McGarrett, he advised himself. You don't need another hangover. Some perverse devil made him ask, "Good weekend?" before he could censor himself.

Danny grinned. "Yeah, it was. Turns out Grace loved petting dolphins."

"Oh, you guys went to the aquarium?"

"Yeah, it's pretty neat. I was impressed; so was Jason."

Pretending he hadn't already looked him up, Steve asked, "Jason? Remind me who's Jason?"

"My friend who I picked up at the airport the other day," Danny explained. "He's helping with a deal for one of the engineering firms in town."

"Oh? What does he do?"

"He's a corporate attorney," Danny said easily. "He's overseeing the signing of the final paperwork today; his flight leaves tomorrow. So please promise me we will not do anything insane today, as I have a dinner date at 6:30."

Steve felt sucker-punched. Swallowing past the hurt in his throat, he managed, "So where does Jason live?"

"Portland, Oregon," Danny said, then, seeing Kono and Chin enter the office, changed the subject. "I got your message about Brookes. So where does that leave us?"

For a moment, Steve wanted to scream. Someone else had put that cheerful look on Danny's face; someone else had beaten him to a dinner date. He decided instantly something had to be done to remedy the situation. He glanced at the clock on the computer; it was now just past eight. Without an active case, H50's duty was to gather intelligence on the island's current criminal activity, looking for possible problems and shore up contacts they'd developed in previous cases. That left more than enough time to figure out just how he was going to make sure one Jason Bailey left his island, preferably without seeing Danny again.

His phone was in his hand before the compassionate, rational man inside him caught up with the cold, calculated commando. With exaggerated care, he set the device down, abruptly aware he was skating too close to an line he didn't ever want to cross.

You are not running an op on your partner’s friend. He trusts you with his life, even when he's yelling at you about the many ways he thinks you're endangering it. He's not the enemy, and you have no evidence that Jason is anything more than an old friend.

No evidence other than the last time Danny looked that happy, you'd kissed him.

Disgusted with himself, he stared across his office into Danny's. Leaning back in his chair, he contemplated his next move.

Come on, McGarrett, you've faced worse situations than this. Get up off your ass and just ask the man on a date. Quit being a manipulative bastard, he scolded himself. He's not some tribal chieftain you have to bribe with medicines and food.

He couldn't do it, though, at least not at that moment. Instead, he shut his door, and forced himself to spend the day dealing with returning some of the more mundane phone calls and emails he'd ignored for the better part of last week.

At just past three, his inbox was reduced to less than twenty messages and he'd wrangled himself out of four meetings he'd been nominated to attend simply because someone had felt they were somehow critical to his team's directive. Feeling pleased and more ready to face Danny, he rose to his feet and exited his office.

Chin looked up warily from his seat at the central conference table. "Something come up?" he asked.

Puzzled at the other man's reaction to his entrance, Steve frowned as he shook his head. "Is Danny still here?"

"No, he and Kono went to the pier to talk with the harbormaster, see if there were any unusual shipments lately." Chin looked at Steve. "Are you avoiding him?"

"Why do you think that?"

The older detective stared at him. "Door shut all day, you on the phone for most of it, making plans?" Chin's gaze sharpened. "Usually when I see you doing that, we're planning on taking someone out. You that mad at Danny?"

"No, of course not," Steve said automatically.

"Then what?" Chin wanted to know.

Steve tried to formulate a good answer, but was a second too late in replying.

"Uh-huh," the older detective said, crossing his arms and looking way too satisfied for Steve's liking. "That's what I thought. How long?"

"How long what?" Steve tried to hide behind a poker face, but Chin, like the rest of the team, had learned how to read him.

"I'm not that stupid, and neither are you. How long?"

Steve looked away briefly. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. You're trying to not watch his every movement. He's avoiding you. How the hell are we supposed to watch both of your backs? Pick one? You know that's a good way to get someone shot."

When his words were met with more silence, Chin changed tactics. "You know, your dad used to get this way, too. He tried to tell me everything was fine when it wasn't. I'd have to pry out what was bugging him. Do I need to do that for you too?"

"I'm not my father." Steve glared at him."It's nothing, Chin. Nothing's going to happen, so I got to work through it."

Chin looked at him disbelievingly. "You sure of that, brah? You're the reason this squad's together. I don't have anything to go back to if this falls apart; Kono won't last in HPD without it." He paused, watching Steve's face carefully. "Don't forget Danny. Back to shuttling between the HPD detective pool and that single room he rents, no reason to stay here save for Grace. What's that going to do to him after a few years, do you think?"

Steve could picture it so easily, had from the very first day he'd walked into that apartment. His heart ached at the thought. He'd seen guys in the Navy who'd committed everything to their jobs, with no family or friends. He'd seen what they were like five or ten years down the line. Hell, he'd been taught how to recognize the warning signs.

Chin read the emotions on Steve's face clear as any book. "Yeah. So, if you don't want to tear the team apart, what are you going to do to fix it?"

Steve studied the older man, aware that he'd been skillfully maneuvered. "Anyone ever tell you you're a hell of an investigator?"

"A couple of times. You're still deflecting. You can solve this...lover's quarrel with Danny, or I can solve it for you." Chin stared his boss straight in the face. "Or I can tell Mary and Kono what's going on and let them deal with it.

"Mary already knows."

Chin ticked off the points on his fingers. "She knows, and you're not listening. I know, and you're not listening. I'm sure whatever it is hasn't escaped my cousin's notice either, and she's not afraid to speak up. You're not even talking to your partner, let alone listening. Who will you listen to?"

"Damn it, Chin, I said it's nothing!"

Chin narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed. Steve took a deliberate breath, aware his emotional control was slipping. Abruptly, he realized Chin was treating this as a hostile interrogation, and knew that his friend was not going to rest until he had the answer he wanted. He knew, too, denying it further would possibly alienate the one person besides his sister he could talk with about this...thing with Danny.

"He's with someone else."

The honesty popped Chin’s eyes back open. "Anything like what you and Catherine have?"

Steve met Chin's gaze, feeling the anguish tear through him again. "I don't think so." He picked up his phone, flipped to the picture Mary had snapped, and showed it to Chin.

"Damn, brah. Don't know who he is, but he's got it bad for Danny. And it looks like Danny's not averse to the idea." Chin paused, not really wanting the answer to the next question. "He the one you're planning an op against?"

Steve didn't dignify that with a verbal reply, but Chin noticed there wasn't a denial, either.

"You get in trouble for that, brah, I'm not sure the governor would bail you out."

He looked at Chin, feeling as bereft as he had when he'd heard his father get shot. "I know. I'd be an idiot to try. Danny would never trust me again. Let alone..." Steve's voice trailed off, the words refusing to be said. Steve paused, swallowing a bit. "Jason's leaving in a few days. I'll…I'll talk to Danny after that."

Chin eyed him suspiciously, and Steve had no doubt his old friend was going to make sure that talk happened. "I promise," Steve said solemnly. "You won't even have to lock us up somewhere."

"Uh-huh. You swear on your father's badge?

Steve stared at him, incredulous that Chin felt compelled to pull out that particular oath even as he realized just how much Chin understood how that mattered to him. "I'm not that out of line."

Undeterred, Chin held his gaze. "Then don't. I'll just make an appointment for you and Danny to see an HPD department shrink at the end of the week."

"I said I'd talk to him," Steve snapped."You know I keep my word."

"See to it you do," Chin said, a hint of warning in his tone.

Deciding retreat was the better part of valor, Steve left the office.

*****

"Congratulations again on the deal," Danny said, raising his wine glass in toast. The remains of their dinner had long been cleared away, the check had been paid, and they were lingering over the last of a bottle of wine.

Jason grinned and clinked his glass against Danny's. "Thanks." He took a sip of wine.

"So what does that mean for you, exactly?"

Jason swallowed. Rather nervously, he fiddled with his glass, then let out a breath. "How are you these days at dealing with crazy ideas?"

Danny eyed him and chuckled ruefully. "A lot better than I used to be." His gaze sharpened on his lover. "What are you thinking?"

Jason took a sip of his wine before he reached across the table to grasp Danny's hand. "Dangerous things," he admitted with a half-laugh. "Like how much I want this not to be the last night I have with you."

"Do not move just for me," Danny warned. Then he studied the other man. "Your company's already asked you to move here, at least temporarily," he guessed.

"Knew you were a good detective," the attorney said. "Yeah, the firm's looking to expand, so they've asked me to stay for three months, get a really good understanding of the market, research some possible firms to partner with, maybe even acquire one."

Danny could only stare at Jason. He'd been so sure they'd just part ways after this. He'd even counted on that, squirreling away memories for those nights when he was alone and Jason was back in Oregon. Somewhere along the way he'd forgotten to factor in that his lover might want more than just a fling.

"I'm pushing," Jason deduced and removed his hand, clearly uncomfortable.

"No, no," Danny said hastily, snagging his lover's hand. "I'm just surprised." He paused, reevaluating the past week in light of the revelation. "You knew this before you came back."

"Wasn't sure it would go through until this morning." He looked at Danny intently. "I know when we broke up last time, it hurt a lot and we had to figure out how to be friends again, but you wouldn't have come to my hotel room last weekend if you didn't believe we'd still be friends afterwards. You've never done anything in half measures, Danny boy."

Danny smiled ruefully. "No, but — " He paused to gather his thoughts, vividly aware of Jason's regard. "I don't know how to be in a relationship," he confessed. "Not with a guy, and the last time I was with someone long-term was Rachel. You know how that worked out."

Jason regarded him steadily. "I already know you're a workaholic; you used to tease me about my obsession to keep things clean. I've known since we were fourteen just how much you wanted to be a cop, same way I wanted to be a lawyer," he pointed out. "From watching you with Grace this weekend, I know you try as much as possible to put her first. All I'm asking is a chance to spend more time with you and see where this goes." Jason shrugged sheepishly.

"What do you want from me? I remember how you were before — your relationships never lasted very long."

"None of them were you. I love you, Danny. I know it's not fair of me to tell you that, but I'm hoping this time around will be different. We're not kids." Hope shone on his face.

Danny stared Jason, hesitating a moment longer. Then he thought about how easily Jason had won over Grace, his gentleness with her. He considered how very lonely he'd be if he turned Jason down. He couldn't deny that he'd thoroughly enjoyed fucking him the previous night, and how talking about the stresses of their workdays had made getting through the next one a lot easier. Maybe it was time he got his personal life back on track.

"So does that mean you're not flying out tomorrow?" Danny stalled.

Jason studied him. "You don't have to give me an answer now. I'll be back Sunday; you can tell me then."

"No," Danny decided. "I don't want you to wait that long. But if you crack one joke about us going steady like you did when we were in college — "

Jason laughed. "Oh God. I was a brat then. I can't believe I made you go and hunt down your letterman jacket from high school."

"Yeah, but you wore it," Danny shot back, then he sobered. "Are you planning on getting your own place or does your company have something rented for you already?"

"That's one of the things I have to go back to Portland for — the leasing papers are supposed to be faxed to the office there, and I don't trust FedEx or Kinko's or whatever the hell they are these days to handle them right if she faxes them back to me here." Jason paused. "I figured it was too soon to move in with you."

"Way too soon," Danny agreed. "Not sure we'd both fit into my place. But you'd like that?"

"Eventually," Jason said. "Whatever you're comfortable with, love. I just want to be with you. Date you, love you, see where we go together." He leaned forward earnestly. "Anything you want, love."

It seemed reasonable, and sounded really good. Some part of Danny knew he should say no, tell Jason not to fall even deeper in love with him, but he couldn't do it. Jason had always been his refuge, his one point of sanity, and he'd missed him. It was only for a little while, anyway.

"Then I think we'd better move this elsewhere," Danny suggested. "Some place where we can really celebrate."

Jason's smile could have lit stars.

*****

"Hey, Danny, got a minute?" Steve walked into Danny's office the following afternoon.

"Yeah, what's up?" Danny looked away from his computer screen.

Steve shut the door, and Danny's eyebrows rose. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Which part of yesterday?"

"The part where I ignored you. You were trying to tell me something before you left."

Danny said nothing for a moment, clearly studying him. "Figured you already knew from Mary."

Steve's heart sank. "What, that you had dinner with your friend, what's his name, ah, yeah, Jason? Did he go back to Portland?"

Danny straightened slightly, clearly not buying Steve's attempt at innocence. "Whatever idea you have in your head, Steve, just drop it," he said quietly. "I'm not interested anymore. I don't play the kind of games you and Catherine do."

"I thought you understood she and I aren't permanent," Steve argued. "I was waiting for you to make up your mind about us."

Scoffing slightly, Danny shot back, "Sorry, but you're dangerous for my health."

"And you think Jason's better? He left yesterday. How the hell are you going to manage a long-distance relationship? Because I can tell you from experience it's not easy."

"Because it won't be a long-distance relationship."

Taken by surprise, Steve stared at him, momentarily unable to deal with the news. "You — " He swallowed past a suddenly dry throat. "He's moving here?"

Danny nodded.

Steve inhaled once quickly, shocked at the way the confirmation resonated hurt through his body. "That's why you've been so happy every time he's called." He forced the bitter taste of disappointment down. "You should bring him by, introduce him to everyone."

Danny rolled his eyes and snapped, "I'll think about it." He paused, then asked gently, "Anything else you want to know?"

"No," Steve replied shortly. "I, uh, I need to get back to that report Laura asked me for."

*****

The silence in the Camaro was almost deafening. Steve glanced at the man behind the wheel and wondered when he'd get his partner back. In the three weeks since Danny had told him that he was involved with Jason, Danny's behavior towards him had made him feel like he'd gotten a pod person. On the one hand, having a partner who was completely focused on the task at hand was a good thing. On the other, not having a partner bitch constantly at the ways Steve circumvented the usual police procedures was unnerving. "You mad at me for something?" Steve ventured.

"No, I'm not mad," Danny replied.

Steve stared at him. "Okay. This is the way I thought our partnership worked: I do something crazy, you yell at me for it, we bicker, and then we're fine. In the last three weeks, you've failed to do that no less than seventy-eight times and it's starting to creep everyone out."

"I don't yell at you. I comment; that's different. I just figured by now, you already know what I’m going to say and it's not worth getting worked up over."

This was not his Danno. "Okay, who are you and what did you do to Danno?"

"I told you before, don't call me Danno."

"I thought we'd agreed on that. You said you liked it."

"I changed my mind."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. What, you don't believe me?"

"I'm not sure. Are you sick?"

"I am not sick. I am perfectly fine, as a matter of fact, ecstatic even. And before you ask, nothing is wrong with Grace. Look, can we focus on what we're trying to do here, which is go to our suspect's home, and hopefully arrest him without any gunfire or explosions?"

Steve looked at him, unable to believe what he was hearing, hating the conclusion he was drawing. "What, are we not friends anymore?"

Looking pained, Danny said, "What are you, twelve? I can't believe we're having this conversation right now."

"Is that a yes or no?"

"Of course we're friends," Danny shot back impatiently. "I just thought it was better if we were a little more professional at work, instead of arguing all the time."

"Who told you weren't professional?"

"Nobody. Don't get your pants in a twist. I just thought I'd try something different for a change. Maybe you should try it too." Danny pulled up to their suspect's house and looked at him. "You coming or do I have to do this by myself?"

Feeling even more unsettled now he had that explanation, Steve got out of the car and forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

******

Four days later, Steve knocked on Danny's apartment door. When no answer came within seconds of his knock, he knocked again, then pulled out his phone and dialed Danny's cell phone.

The call went straight to voicemail. "Hey, Danny, I was just wondering if you'd like to go down to the range with me and Kono today. If you get this message before ten, give me a call back; otherwise I'll see you at work on Monday."

Stepping away from the door, Steve peered into Danny's apartment. It was suspiciously neat; though the sofa bed was still unfolded, the sheets had been remade, and none of Danny's usual clutter could be seen from the window.

Frowning, Steve returned to his truck where Kono waited. "No one home?" she asked as Steve got into the driver's seat.

"No answer when I call him either," Steve confirmed. Tellingly, Danny's Camaro sat in its assigned spot in the parking lot. "When's the last time he answered his phone?"

"Two days ago," Kono said. "Rachel said he hasn't been to see Grace all week. Danny, Grace and I were supposed to go to the zoo today." The rookie police officer paused. "I ran a check on the departing flights, just in case. Danny hasn't left Honolulu."

"He missed check-in this morning, and he sounded hung over on the recording the day before," Steve said darkly. "What's his boyfriend's address?"

Kono checked the wireless tablet in her hand and rattled off the address.

Steve nodded acknowledgement as he put the truck in gear and headed out of the parking lot.

Fifteen minutes later, they knocked on Jason's door, which was a condo unit in Waikiki.

Steve's knock was answered promptly. After they'd identified themselves, Jason greeted them warily but cordially, inviting them into the main living area, which was an open floor plan split into kitchen, dining, and living areas. Off to the right of the entryway was the dining area, which opened to the lanai; the living area served as a pass-through to the bedrooms, which were down a short, bookcase-lined hallway. The furnishings looked like someone had tried to go with a "one-style-fits-all" approach; the result was a contemporary blend of tropical woods and comfortable furniture.

"Is there something I can help you with, Commander McGarrett?" Jason asked.

"We were hoping you knew where Danny was," Steve began. The photographs he'd seen of Jason hadn't prepared Steve for the sight of the handsome, charismatic man, or captured the confidence Jason exuded, and Steve saw instantly how Danny had been attracted. A pang of jealousy shot through Steve, and he quickly buried it in professionalism.

"I'm sorry, but Danny's not feeling well," Jason said. "Is there a problem?"

"He missed a check in," Steve told him.

Jason looked alarmed. "That was what he was muttering about," he said. "I'm sorry, that was my fault. He's been running a fever; I was about take him to a clinic."

"We can have an ambulance here — " Kono began, then saw Danny stagger out of a back bedroom, looking pale and wan, dressed only in a pair of pajama bottoms.

"Go home, guys," he croaked, leaning heavily against the wall. "'M fine." Then he passed out and only Steve's quick reflexes saved him from hitting his head on a bookcase.

Looking down at the man in his arms, Steve muttered, "No, you're not fine," as Kono dialed dispatch.

Ignoring Jason's repeated assurances that he could take care of his boyfriend, Steve and Kono ensured that Danny was taken to Queen's Medical Center.

****

Jason raced to the hospital, heart in his throat. Danny had just assured him he was sick with something he picked up from Grace; he hadn't thought it was anything more serious than that. The way his teammates acted, Danny's life was in danger.

It seemed to take forever to navigate the parking lot and get to the ER waiting room. Seeing the clerk at the desk, he said, "My boyfriend came in here via an ambulance. His name is Danny Williams. Can you tell me if he's been admitted or not?"

The clerk looked at him. "I'm sorry, but unless you're listed as his emergency contact, I can't give you that information."

Frustrated, Jason said, "He's a police officer." At her firm look of apology, Jason spun away from the desk, annoyed. Hawaii was supposed to be more liberal about gays than most states; coming from Portland, he'd expected a similar level of accommodation. Looking around, he spied the female officer who'd called 911 sitting near the double doors that led into the triage area. It took him a moment to remember her name.

Making his way to her, he said urgently, "Officer Kalakaua, any word on Danny?"

Kono shook her head. "Commander McGarrett is with him, but they haven't come out yet." She smiled gently at Jason. "I'm sure Steve will be out shortly."

Jason eyed her, certain she knew more information. Still, he wasn't completely unfamiliar with hospital regulations regarding visitors; he'd once taken another lover to the hospital for an accidental cut and been barred from seeing him. Finally, he nodded his acceptance of the situation.

Five hours later, Steve strode out of the triage area. Jason paused his pacing to intercept him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Kono leaving her seat in the first row of chairs by the triage entrance doors.

"How is Danny?" Jason demanded, grabbing Steve's arm to stop his forward motion.

Steve's eyes were cool as he shook off Jason's hold. "He's going to be kept overnight for observation, make sure he gets rehydrated and that his fever doesn't spike again," he told Jason. "They're running more tests, but the doctor thinks Danny has a really serious upper respiratory infection and possibly a kidney infection as well."

Jason breathed a sigh of relief. "Then it's not that bad."

Steve's face turned colder and his voice hardened. "Not bad? If his fever had been any higher he could have had a seizure instead of passing out." He glared at Jason.

"And I suppose you'd know better," Jason sneered, instantly disliking the attitude he was receiving.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Steve shot back. "I was trained in first aid." Unlike you, his tone implied.

Kono chose then to speak up, shooting her boss a look Jason couldn't quite understand. "If that's the case," she said, "Rachel asked me to update her on Danny; I'll call her. Do you need anything else?"

"No," Steve said decisively. "Thanks, Kono. I'll meet you at my truck in a few minutes." He pinned Jason with his gaze as Kono left; reflexively, Jason stepped back, not quite sure how to deal with the apparently angry man.

Noticing his reaction, Steve narrowed his eyes. He looked past Jason's shoulder to a semi-secluded corner of the waiting area. "We need to talk. Come on," he commanded, moving precisely to that set of chairs.

Annoyed at the expectation he'd follow, Jason nonetheless wanted to hear what Steve had to say. He wasn't going to sit down, and it didn’t look like Steve was going to either.

"Do you know what Danny does?" Steve demanded.

"He's a detective." Startled by the question, Jason reassessed the man in front of him, wondering what his motive was for asking it. The sheer physical presence Steve radiated felt deliberately intimidating, but Jason held his ground. "I've known him since we were kids; I'm the one who had to tell his mom he wasn't throwing away a good education by becoming a police officer. He's been on task forces and special assignments before. What makes this one so different?"

"It's mine." Steve let that sink in a moment before adding, "The Hawaii Five-O task force directly responds to the governor's requests and other top priority cases. We handle the cases HPD can't or won't; we cut through the red tape to arrest the people who'd threaten Hawaii's safety. We have to be ready to mobilize at full strength with sometimes no more than five minutes' notice. I need all my team members to be functioning at their top potential. Detective Williams is nowhere near that right now, reducing the efficiency of the entire team."

Astonished, Jason stared at the other man. Danny had talked about car chases, uncooperative suspects, and there'd been a marked increase in the number of times the phrase "the idiots had guns," along with a distinct lack of Danny's usual gripes about lost paperwork, clueless district attorneys, and more scars on Danny's body than Jason remembered. It all added up to something big, but Jason hadn't realized the magnitude. "Danny made it seem like he'd just transferred into a more generalized unit. He didn't say it was that important."

Steve looked at him in contempt. "When he told me about your relationship, I was cautious, but willing to give it a chance. Danny needs someone to take care of him. I trusted you were that person. So explain to me why you didn't take him to a doctor sooner."

"Have you tried arguing with him?" Jason asked incredulously and watched as some of Steve's disdain left in favor of a reluctant nod. "He said he just needed to sleep. I figured if I got him to my place, he'd feel better in the morning, and believe me, that was a struggle in itself — he wanted to stay in his place, alone. No way was I going to let that happen. I knew he needed to call in, but he didn't tell me it was a matter of life or death." Jason paused, unhappily continuing, "He used to tell me everything, even if I didn't want to know."

"Not the same guy anymore?"

Jason hesitated a moment, not quite willing to divulge more than he already had. Things Danny had mentioned were starting to add up a little too quickly, and Jason needed the time to digest them. "I should go see him."

"He was sleeping when I left," Steve offered, and gave Jason the room number.

Jason turned to head in the direction of the patient rooms, then stopped to look back at Steve. "You're not just his boss, are you?"

Steve straightened slightly. "I'm his partner."

Jason nodded tightly. He'd been around Danny long enough to know police partnerships were intense bonds, but the way Steve said the word sent a chill through him as he wondered what his boyfriend had gotten into.

****

Kono waited at Steve's truck. After they'd both gotten in and Steve had started it up, she looked across the seat to Steve. "So that's Danny's boyfriend?"

Steve nodded once, checking the traffic before he pulled out into the street.

"That was my first time meeting him, too."

Steve glanced over at her, hearing a note of concern in her voice. She had that look on her face that told him she was planning something.

"What are you thinking, Kono?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," she denied. "Just thought it might be nice if we knew him better. Maybe if he knew us, he'd know to call us next time."

Steve was sure that wasn't all she was planning. Considering how well his tactics were working, he thought he might see how well hers did instead. Then he reconsidered as an idea hit him, and smiled.

****

The next day, Danny managed to check himself out, though not without being handed a bag full of prescriptions, another dose of medication, and a stern set of instructions he was determined to follow as much as plausible. Finding out that he'd been suffering from a severe kidney infection was humiliating to his pride; he'd thought he'd only been dealing with an upper respiratory infection, something he as a parent could easily handle. He was mortified that Steve and Kono had seen him pass out, and Jason's hovering the night before had only made Danny feel like he couldn't take care of himself. He got as far as the parking lot before he saw Steve waiting beside the Camaro.

"Need a ride?" Steve asked.

"Don't you have some place else to be?" Danny asked grumpily, oddly warmed by the thoughtfulness.

The task force leader shook his head. "Not without making sure my partner doesn't get home in one piece. Your place or Jason's?"

Danny eyed him, not sure he was up to dealing with whatever was going through Steve's mind. "Mine, but — " Danny got into the passenger seat of the car as Steve slid in behind the wheel, and what he was going to say was derailed by the smell of chicken soup in a labeled Styrofoam container in the cup holder. "You got me soup?" Greedily, he reached for the container.

Steve nodded and stared at the other man as if he'd lost his mind. "Best chicken soup on the island. Careful, it's hot still."

Slipping off the lid, Danny inhaled the liquid, noting the matzo balls floating in it. "Damn. I didn't think anyone knew how to make a proper chicken soup here." Noting that Steve had started up the car, Danny reluctantly replaced the lid.

Chuckling, Steve told him, "It'll still be warm when we get to your place." He paused and then added, "Take it easy the next two days and get some rest."

"I heard about the explosion at the pier," Danny argued.

Steve glared at him. "We have it under control," he told Danny. "Remember how Governor Jameson insisted I set up a B team so we aren't shorthanded a few months ago?"

Reluctantly, Danny nodded. The B team had all been vetted thoroughly, and was led by a former FBI agent who also was ex-military. "So who's trying to fill my shoes?"

"Nobody can," Steve argued. "But Hannah's backing me up, and we've got it covered." Steve steered the car onto the highway. "Your job for the next two days is to get well."

Reluctantly, Danny admitted he wasn't completely one hundred percent; the drugs he'd been given before his release made him sleepy. Closing his eyes, he trusted his partner to get him home.

By the time Steve pulled up in the parking lot of Danny's complex, Danny was completely asleep. Smirking a bit, Steve debated hauling his partner into his apartment. Then he took a second look, and his heart caught on his throat. Danny was almost never still. For a moment, Steve wanted to drive to his place, put Danny in his bed, give himself the luxury of that much intimacy.

But the same rules that had kept him from running an op on Danny's boyfriend made him pause now. Danny had made his choices clear: he and Steve were partners and friends. Going over that line would destroy more than Steve was willing to risk. Reluctantly, he roused his partner.

"Come on, Danno," he said, shaking his shoulder.

"Wha—oh." Danny blinked and winced as the sunlight hit his eyes. With a yawn, he extricated himself from the car, grabbing both the bag of medications and the soup as he did so. "Thanks, Steve. Keep that up and someone might think you're a really nice guy."

"Yeah, well this nice guy thinks you should eat some soup and get your cute ass in bed."

Danny waved him off as he managed the short walk to his door. Chuckling, Steve made sure Danny didn't fall over, then his smile disappeared as he rewound the conversation in his head. Slamming the flat of his hand against the wheel, Steve cursed himself for being ten kinds of lovesick fool. With any luck, Danny wouldn't remember what Steve had let slip.

****

One and a half weeks later

"Kono!" Danny exclaimed in surprise, hugging the slender woman. "What are you doing here? I thought this party was all of Jason's lawyer friends."

Kono shrugged gracefully. "It's my aunt's niece's house."

"Your aunt's niece?"

Kono offered him a smile. "It's ohana," she said, as if that explained everything. "Bloodlines are a little mixed up, but yeah. Mariah's with Hawaii Lawyer Referral Service; she's the lawyer/client referrals administrator."

Danny nodded tightly. "Yeah, I've met her already. That explains why she doesn’t look related to you. I mean, you and Chin, you have that look."

Kono laughed softly, not offended by his stumbling words. "You don't have to explain; I'm a cop, too, remember?" She nodded to the knot of people off to their left. "You have the look of a man who would rather be anywhere but here with a bunch of lawyers."

Danny glanced over, seeing his boyfriend making small talk with said group. Jason was in his element, clearly loving the opportunity the state bar association fundraiser afforded him to network. "Jason insisted I come." He shrugged. "I saw Ben here; is he your date?"

"No, Steve is." Kono offered him a sympathetic smile. "Governor called him at the last minute and said that he needed to be here."

Startled, Danny's plans for playing the part of Jason's loving partner went out the window; it was easier to pretend he was absolutely fascinated with the kind of small talk attorneys and their significant others made when he wasn't around his teammates. Danny knew what was expected of him at an event like this: say nothing that would endanger his significant other's prospects, do nothing to cause a scene, and act as though he wasn't impatient for the black-tie affair to end. He'd done the same dance for Rachel, back when she'd tried to get him to understand the complexities of international economics — in fact, he'd stepped out onto the lanai now to avoid facing her. The reminder he was doing the same for his current lover abruptly rubbed him in a sore spot, especially with Kono standing right there, looking as though tonight was just another mission. A glance at Kono's evening purse told him she was carrying, and he knew the heels weren't all decorative. Out of deference to Jason's hosts, Danny had locked his weapons up in the trunk of his Camaro.

"You should've called me."

Kono smiled. "Once he saw the guest list, Steve knew you'd be here. Besides, he said it was a command performance, not related to a specific case." She shrugged easily, rippling the fabric of her spaghetti-strap black evening gown. "I think the governor wanted him to meet a few people."

Danny chuckled. "This is one way to make him do it," he agreed. Feeling the warmth of Jason's body slide in behind him, Danny turned slightly, pressing his shoulder back into Jason. Glancing up at his boyfriend's face, he noted the way Jason scowled slightly at Kono and his grip on Danny tightened before recognition kicked in.

"Officer Kalakaua, a pleasure to see you again," Jason said. "Danny didn't mention anything about a possible problem with tonight's function."

"No, no problem at all," Kono told him. "Just taking care of our commitments. You know how that goes, I'm sure."

Jason stiffened at the implication he was there for reasons other than obligation, and Danny moved quickly to defuse the tension. A week of hearing suggestions for preventing any future illnesses, and not-so-subtle hints that Jason's ability to care for him was suspect had made him all too aware all over again that Jason wasn't Danny's first choice. Still, as much as he wanted his teammates to be nice to his boyfriend, he knew he'd deliberately kept them separate for a good reason. The team picked apart everything; they saw too much, and Danny abruptly suspected Kono in particular knew how he felt about Steve.

"Good to see you, Kono," Danny said quickly. "Jason, didn't you say you wanted to introduce me to that woman over by the palm tree?"

Half an hour later, Danny had made another circuit of the buffet, focusing on the desserts that had been brought out, when he heard Steve talking to Jason as they approached him.

"Let me know," Steve said, slapping Jason on the back. "Friend of mine does charters from Haleiwa."

Danny stared at Steve as if he'd grown a new head, but Steve just flashed him a smile as if nothing was wrong. "You got a good guy there, Danno; take care of him."

Danny sputtered at the sudden shift in Steve's attitude towards Jason, and missed Jason's narrowed eyes at that nickname as Steve moved out of reach.

****

"Are you mad at me now? What, did I say something wrong?" Danny demanded on the unnervingly silent car ride later that evening back to Jason's place, where he'd planned to stay the night.

Under the glare of the street lights, Jason looked at him from the passenger seat. "No, everything's fine." He gave Danny a smile and reached over to grasp Danny's hand. "Just thinking about a few things. Met a lot of interesting people tonight, including the oldest practicing attorney in the state. He was quite a pistol, wasn't he?"

Danny wasn't convinced Jason had more on his mind then that old guy, but he let the conversation wind onto that topic anyway.

****

Danny studied his lover across the table in Jason's apartment the following morning. "All right," he said. "What did Steve say to you? Come on, I know he said something. 'Cause if he said anything about like how he still owes me about a million apologies, I'd love to hear it."

Jason took a sip of coffee, then swallowed it. "He didn't have to say anything," Jason said quietly. "You did. You told me he was some crazy Navy guy they'd partnered you with; you didn't tell me he was an Annapolis graduate, a decorated hero. I asked him what his degree was in, and he laughed and said he was a mechanic. Then he started talking about his respect for the rule of law, and the confines most officers have to operate in to balance due process and protecting the public." Jason stared at Danny. "Was I your second choice all along, Danno?"

Picking up on Jason's use of his nickname, Danny exploded. "I love you, you idiot," he said. "If I wanted some guy who every day, every day mind you, tries to find sixteen different ways to shorten my time on this planet, I'd pick him in a heartbeat, but I'm a reasonable man. You know that I don't do stupid things like — "

"Like sleep with a guy because he's there?" Jason derailed Danny's argument with a look. "Because he loved you?"

Caught, Danny stared at him. "Don't tell me you didn't think the same way that first night we were back together," he shot back, a heartbeat late.

Jason broke his gaze, flushing slightly. "All right, so we both were lonely and horny. These last few weeks -- Danny, I love you. Move in with me. Marry me."

Danny sputtered, shocked.

"I don't care if it's not entirely legal, I want that commitment." Jason leaned across the table urgently and grasped Danny's hand.

Suddenly, Danny realized that Jason had been thinking about this for a while. The increased tension in his body, a flier about local houses, and a lot more networking than usual were all signs that he was planning on moving here. For a long moment, he was tempted. Jason was stable, secure, truly loved him for who he was, job and all, and he got along with Grace. He even managed to win over Steve.

Thinking of Steve, though, made Danny's heart ache for what he couldn't have. Danny knew he couldn't keep dragging this out.

Nervously, Jason went on, "I know, I know, it's not the best timing, my company wants to pull out of Hawaii, but I want to stay, here, with you."

Danny stared into his lover's earnest, hopeful face, and abruptly hated himself. "I…I can't, Jason. I'm sorry." He released his lover's grip on his hand and rose jerkily away from the table.

"Why not?" Jason demanded. "I know about your job; I've seen how much you work. I have a better understanding of what you do."

Danny didn't turn, staring out the living room to the view of the canal below. Then he turned to face Jason. "You love me like few people have loved me in my life. I don't love you the same way." Then he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and said, "I'm in love with someone else."

Disbelief etched its way across Jason's features. "You were in love with me, you said you loved me," he began, voice rising in hurt accusation. "How the fuck could you fall in — "

Danny watched as the corporate attorney put the pieces together, feeling them snap in place like an old-fashioned puzzle.

"McGarrett," Jason said, hurt and anger in his voice. "What, are we repeating our history again? You dumped me for a woman, last time. What, is he better in bed?"

"Don't put words in my mouth," Danny snapped. "When you said you'd be back, I really wanted to see if we could be everything you wanted. I'm sorry I said anything, and I’m sorry I hurt you by saying it. I've lived that lie before, though, and I won't do that to you. When you can accept that, give me a call and we'll see if we can still be friends." Taking a deep breath, Danny turned, picked up the duffel bag he'd used as an overnight bag from its place by the door, and walked out before Jason could say anything more.

****

"I found him," Steve radioed in, recognizing the man on his beach. Shutting off the transceiver, he stepped down towards where Danny sat. "I've been looking all over for you; you missed check-in this morning."

Danny sipped his half-empty beer and shrugged as he lounged impossibly even more into the wooden beach chair. A line of empty bottles indicated he'd been there a while. "Not my fault you didn't bother checking your backyard."

"Parking the Camaro at HQ was a nice trick, by the way, especially with an eighth of a tank left. What did you do, drive around Oahu a couple of times? "

Danny shrugged again. "Had to wait until you and Mary left the house."

Incredulous, Steve stared at him. "What, you couldn't just walk in and say hello? And how'd you get from the office to here?"

"Caught a bus," Danny said blandly.

"Caught a — " Frustrated, Steve regrouped. "I have been trying to get a hold of you for nine hours. I thought you had vanished. You didn't answer my cell phone, you weren't at home, you weren't at that basketball court down by the Y, you weren't anywhere you usually are on a Saturday when you don't have Grace, and especially when it sounded like Jason had plans for the both of you today. Took me a bit to figure out your credit card was popping up at different gas stations on the same route."

At the mention of his boyfriend's name, Danny briefly looked away.

Sighing, Steve changed tactics. "You want to explain why Jason left me a drunken phone call this morning, saying you refused to marry him?"

Grimacing, Danny closed his eyes briefly, glanced at the bottle in his hand before abandoning it, and stood, moving a few feet away before turning and looking at Steve. "I told him the truth."

Steve didn't dare move. Hope surged through him, and the paranoid son of a bitch commando in him started doing a victory dance. It took everything he had to shove that part of him back; this moment was too important to fuck up. Slowly, Steve sat down in the chair Danny had abandoned.

"What truth was that?"

"You just keep pushing until you know everything about me, don't you? You're not happy until you know how I feel every minute of every day."

Certain of Danny's feelings, Steve spread his hands wide. "You're usually only too happy to tell me, Danny."

Danny nodded sharply. "Maybe I ought to put it in words you understand." He started to close the gap between them.

"Maybe you ought to sleep off that hangover you'll have, first; I don't think I've seen you drink more than three beers," Steve suggested, but he rose to his feet and allowed himself the pleasure of holding Danny close. "Wouldn't want you thinking I took advantage of you in a weak moment."

The laugh was muffled against his chest, but Danny's grip on him was grateful. "Now you're a gentleman."

Steve bit back the objection and ruffled Danny's hair. "Not always." He stepped back slightly, half-afraid Danny would bolt. Kissing him gently, resisting the urge to deepen it further, Steve coaxed, "Come on. I want you in my bed. We'll talk when you're sober."

****

Once in Steve's bedroom, Steve undressed Danny as if he was fragile, and in that moment, Danny felt that way. He didn't want to think too deeply about this, but something about the way Steve was touching him made some of his heartache heal. Danny didn’t want to break the silence with words; it felt too precious, too tender, and he was too raw. Instead, he did something he rarely allowed himself: he leaned on someone else, let them take the load for once, closing his eyes. When Steve moved away, Danny whimpered, not liking the loss.

"Shh, it's okay, I'm right here," Steve said soothingly. Danny heard the distinctive clink of armor on the nightstand, heard Steve drop his pants to the floor, then the rustle of the bed sheets being pulled back. Then Steve led Danny the few steps to the bed, guiding him to lie down on his side.

Steve slid in behind Danny, cradling him. Shuddering as he inhaled, Danny let out a long breath. "I love you, Steve."

Steve's arms tightened slightly around him. Not expecting the words to be reciprocated, Danny took comfort in the non-verbal gesture. Feeling the solidity of the man holding him, Danny let out a breath, knowing he was right where he wanted to be.

****

He was alone when he next woke. The sound of voices reached his ears.

"Please. I’m not nine years old," Mary chided Steve. "I'll call you."

"Be careful," Steve admonished her.

"Worrywart," she shot back, but there was affection in her tone as she shut the door.

Danny lay there, reluctant to move. The sky was dark with rain, suiting his mood. His head was throbbing from his hangover, and the notion of hiding out a little more seemed appealing. His body, however, had other ideas. Sighing quietly, he got up and tended to nature's call. Taking advantage of the fact he was already in the bathroom, Danny searched the medicine cabinet, finding and taking two Tylenol. He splashed his face with water, heard footsteps stop outside the bathroom door, and breathed in a long, careful breath.

"I know you're out there."

Taking his cue, Steve opened the door and held a cup of coffee out as a peace offering. He looked faintly nervous, and Danny hid a smile, aware that the highly-trained SEAL was deliberately letting him see his nerves. Taking the cup, Danny sipped it, then stepped forward as the taller man backed up, letting Danny move out of the room and into the shared hallway.

"You, ah, you want to do anything today?" Steve asked as he stood in the hallway near to the white armoire at the top of the stairs just outside his room.

Danny pursed his lips, considered, and leaned against the wall outside the bathroom. He studied Steve, who was dressed in a pair of old, faded cargo shorts and a faded gray T-shirt. "Is your sister going to be gone a while?"

Steve nodded. "She's meeting some friends for a girls' day out." He paused. "You want breakfast? I could make some eggs."

Danny grimaced. Food didn't sound all that appetizing this morning, but he knew he had to eat. "Can it wait? I'd like to know where I stand with you before we go any farther."

"I thought maybe you'd rather be impressed with my ability to cook."

Danny glanced down, not entirely surprised by Steve's stalling tactics. "I lay my heart on the line for you and you want to feed me?"

"Only because I can hear your stomach growling." More seriously, he said, "You slept like the dead last night. If I gave in to what I wanted to do this morning, you'd never trust I didn't just want you for your body."

Advancing, Danny set his coffee cup down on the small table just outside of Steve's bedroom, backing him up against the wall. "I see. But you're usually the kind of guy who says more with actions than words."

Steve's mouth curved into a smile as Danny closed the distance between them. "Think you know me that well already, huh?"

"I'm working on a theory," Danny said. "See, I’m a detective. Just need a few more clues, and I think I'll have this case wrapped up." Stepping up, Danny pressed against him, and Steve obligingly slid down the wall, equalizing their heights a bit more. Then Danny kissed him, passionately, fiercely.

Steve returned the kiss with as much fervor as he was given, until they were both breathless and aching. Giving in would be the easy part. Without knowing how he knew, Steve was certain Danny had gotten used to pushing Jason into this, gotten used to using sex as an excuse for not talking. It took more self control than Steve wanted to exercise at that hour of the morning, but he broke the kiss. "Danno, I love you, but we have to talk."

For a long moment, Danny looked at him as though he'd just asked them both to take a leap off a tall building without a parachute. Then he closed his eyes briefly. "I can't convince you to table that discussion for later?"

"And have you yell at me for not communicating?" Steve snorted. "Or do our usual attempt at figuring it out in the middle of a firefight, with witnesses?"

"Hey, I thought you liked it that way. Then neither of us could say we didn't say what we said."

"Not for this," Steve declared, but he didn't move from his position against the wall. Looking at Danny seriously, he asked, "How about this? We make a date for next Friday, you pick the place, and we'll take it from there? Same rules we'd do for anyone."

"Sure we can last that long?"

"I'm always up for a challenge," Steve shot back. "You?"

"I'll probably regret it if I take it as a dare," Danny said.

"Never," Steve promised. "Now, if I dared you to go surfing, maybe."

Danny looked at him, wary at that gleeful tone."Oh, I'm sure that's on your agenda next." Steve rolled his eyes, and Danny chuckled, certain he'd never hear the end of that argument. "Just — not always the expensive places when we eat out. I hate dressing up." At Steve's look of inquiry, Danny elaborated, "Jason liked to show me off."

"Can't say I blame him," Steve responded, then, at Danny's annoyed glare, dropped a light kiss on his lips. "Though we do enough of the dressing-up for work; it's lost some of its appeal for me too. Might even see if I can get you out of your tie more often. So what you say? Take it slow?"

Danny considered it.

"Okay," Steve said after a moment's silence, "maybe not that slow. I let you go once to consider things. Not going to let that happen again."

"No?" The look of possessiveness in Steve's eyes heated Danny's blood back up again. "I come and go as I please."

Steve pulled him closer. "Not right now you won't," he declared, and kissed him. Willingly, Danny surrendered. Nothing in their relationship would get resolved in one morning, least of all this one, but now, everything was a little more right in the world.

 

Finis 11/27/10

Comments welcome at AO3 or my DW.