Boundaries

by HandsAcrossTheSea

What good are boundaries, if they are not meant to be at some point broken?

There's a generous amount of appreciation to be had for the days that quietude pervades Five-O headquarters.

While it's still housed in the State Task Force building, it does blessedly have its own floor, and aside from Kono, Steve, Danny, and Chin, no one else is really there- they're diversified and small enough on their own that not much is needed in the way of a support staff. Danny remembers well what it was like in Newark, not enough space and too many things going on at once – the cacophony of the office sometimes got a little deafening, and even though he was a detective there wasn't exactly much special treatment to be had over the uniform guys.

Not that Danny's ever thought he was particularly deserving of slightly better accommodations, but it is nice to be able to hear himself think when he's working. It sets the mind free and allows the gears to turn more smoothly, instead of having to expend extra effort of blocking out the background noise of a busy police department.

The lack of activity also means that for a while at least, Honolulu is blissfully crime free. Danny's perfectly alright with that, too – it means there's less things to hurt him, his team, and his daughter. Well, Steve's team, but it's just as much anyone else's, with how close they've become over the last six months. Danny finds the close knit atmosphere to be refreshing; back in New Jersey he had friends and buddies on the force just the same as anyone but it never was quite like this.

He also wasn't screwing his partner on the down low but hey, Honolulu's been good for loosening him up. How on earth can he be stressed in what passes as close to paradise as anywhere else in the United States? Actually, he can still be stressed – his ex-wife does a magnificent job in making sure those particular sets of buttons stay good and pushed. Thankfully he has his daughter and his team to help make them that much harder to become stuck in the "on" position.

Danny stands and stretches, having been hunched over his report for their last case for the better part of two hours now. He finds himself slightly surprised when he realizes it's well on the way to three o'clock, having missed his lunch hour. His stomach rumbles in sympathy at the realization, and he decides that maybe now would be a good time to grab a bite before some grisly murder report finds its way onto his desk.

He decides to take the report with him, just in case there's some fine detail he's missed; Steve doesn't necessarily ask for his team to issue him Ivy League-level essays after a case but he is a stickler for correct information, and Danny's not exactly in the habit of letting himself be the weak link in the chain. He promises to be extra careful and not get food on the crisp, white paper; he's already born the unfortunate lecture of being neat more than he cares to, and he definitely feels like it'll be heard again before he leaves this fine, green earth.

Still looking down at the manila folder as he starts to head to the door, he's nearly knocked backwards when he collides with a Steve-shaped and Steve-scented object.

As luck would have it, it's Steve.

Danny takes a step back to recover and fixes his jaw in a smirk to recover his cool. "Trying to sneak up on me again?"

"If I wanted to sneak up on you, I have about six different ways I could have done so by now." Steve gives him one of those smiles and Danny feels like he needs to wipe that smug look from his face – how he'll go about it, he's not yet devised.

"Six, huh? You can count that high?" Danny's attempt to get a rise out of him goes ignored, and Steve plows his way further into Danny's office.

"Where were you going in such a hurry anyway?" Danny moves aside as Steve moves towards his desk and leans against it, crossing his arms once he's settled and holy fuck, his shoulders look more massive than usual today.

"Something to eat. You wanna come?" Danny hitches a thumb over his shoulder at the door. "Or did you come to detain me further from getting work done?"

"Lunch isn't really work, you know."

Danny raises the folder up to shoulder level and waves it once like a get out of jail free card. "It was gonna be a working lunch."

Steve nods and then stands upright again, stalking back over to where Danny's remained planted and crowding in close enough so that Danny has to look up at him. "Do you have to go right this second?"

"I mean, I'm just two hours past when I was supposed to go, so I guess another minute delaying me won't be the end of the world." Danny's dropped his voice low, like "the only time I use this voice is in your bedroom" low.

Steve takes Danny's tie in his right hand and uses his thumb and forefinger to take in the texture – it's polyester today, always polyester on Fridays, he's found, and a dark wine red that manages to accent Danny's crystal blue eyes to a degree that makes Steve's skin prickle slightly. "How about two minutes?"

"Lucky for you I'm not hourly." Danny knows that was a lame retort but whenever Steve comes within less than six inches of him his quick wit tends to shunt energy to his "touch Steve now" drive.

"Yeah," is all Steve offers in the way of a reply before he's bent down to kiss Danny, pulling him forward and to his body by his tie. Danny's still got the folder clutched in his hand but Steve removes it for him, taking it between his fingers as he walks them backwards towards Danny's desk. Danny's glad for his deft footwork because he doesn't really think he'd be able to keep their kiss going without it. Not that it would be a tragedy if it was broken, he just likes the challenge – and kissing Steve.

Like a magnet, Steve gravitates towards the spot he was just occupying, settling down so that he's only two inches taller than Danny instead of the normal nine. He spreads his legs wide enough that Danny's thighs are touching his, the temperature in the room climbing another couple degrees as the gap between them closes again.

"You know, there are other people here," Danny warns, "and I'm all for keeping this on a strictly need to know basis."

Steve shrugs as he rests his forehead against his partner's, rubbing circles with his thumbs into Danny's hips. "And they won't be back until it's time to go off duty."

"Where are they?"

Steve starts to untuck Danny's shirt. "Does it matter?"

Hesitating for but a moment because his brain's started to cede caution to the intense desire to neck with Steve, he whispers "just making sure we're clear."

"That's what I like about you, Detective – always using caution." Steve's blunt fingernails are against the skin of Danny's hips now, scratching gently and raising gooseflesh in their wake.

"Good to see that you're at least acknowledging I'm cautious." Danny kind of wants Steve's tongue in his mouth but for the moment he'll take those rough fingertips against his skin.

"I've never not acknowledged it." Steve feels the bottom of his t-shirt get pulled up as Danny mimics what he's doing, humming contentedly as he opens his eyes halfway and searches Danny's face for any sign that they should stop.

"Acknowledging it is one thing. Practicing is something else, Commander." Danny can't help but appreciate the irony of the situation, seeing as how this is the third time they've skirted past the "no fooling around at work" rule – which honestly, was nebulous at best.

"Are you suggesting I start practicing now?" Steve gives him a grin that comes as close to cheeky as Danny figures a member of the McGarrett family can manage.

Danny entertains the thought of cold-cocking him upside the head because seriously, that's a really dumb question coming from a former Intelligence op. "What, and let me get back to doing my job?"

"Isn't the job looking over the report to bring to me?" Steve's hands move to the small of Danny's back, vague figure eights being drawn at the base of his spine. Danny's got to hand it Steve; his methods of interrogation are just this side of constitutional enough that he doesn't feel like he needs to call Homeland Security.

"I hadn't finished yet, you know." Danny kisses along Steve's jaw up to his ear, deciding he'll chance licking his lobe. Steve groans, and some of that steel-spined resolve to always have control starts to slip. Danny has yet to fully cause him to lose his grip on it but he's been working hard for the last couple months to unlock him completely.

"Then let me see it right now, Detective." Steve starts to reach back on the desk for it but Danny's hand is suddenly on his wrist, vice like in its grip and Steve kind of likes that Danny can hold him still, even if it's just for a few seconds.

"Let me do something that might earn me more of a chance to not revise it." Danny closes the two inch gap between their mouths, Steve making an "mmph" sound as Danny's tongue teases along his lips. Danny's still working on wearing Steve down to where he just opens up right away, but ten seconds is all it takes today.

They also had a "no tongue at work" rule but this personal constitution hasn't exactly held fast to its original form anyway; besides, they both like Frenching, even if when Danny had first asked Steve if he liked tongue he'd been shown rather than told. Gotta love the guy for being a man of action over words.

Steve tastes cool, like he'd just had a breath mint or taken a drink of ice-cold water, and Danny figures he can take at least a minute to see how long it will be before he warms up today. Steve keeps one arm around Danny's waist, his other up his back so that he can cradle the back of Danny's head. Danny really likes that about Steve, the way he pours all of himself into a kiss – all or nothing, that's the mantra, as best as Danny can figure. He's cool with it though, because Steve's an amazing kisser; Danny's been a sucker for a good kiss since his first one back in eight grade and much like anything else Steve does, it's honed to perfection.

Danny presses in a little deeper, sliding his hands back under Steve's shirt as he dips his fingers into the waistband of Steve's boxers as far he can get past his belt. He drags slowly, Steve having let down his guard enough to where he's sucking on Danny's tongue. Danny moans, because that's something he doubts anyone grows tired of. It's a shame they're still on duty though, because if they weren't he'd let Steve continue as he's going for as long as he pleases.

Steve breaks the kiss, breathing in the same air as Danny. "Think we should stop, Detective."

Danny's got his hands halfway inside Steve's pants and of course he'd pick now of all times to ruin this all too brief oasis. "You love taking the fun out of things, don't you?"

"Hey, I'm not that cold." Steve hasn't exactly made a move to get up yet, so Danny thinks that if he can keep him here just long enough with his body pressed in close than maybe Steve will be open to the idea of making out more.

"Yeah, you are." Danny takes one hand out of his pants and starts to slide it down towards Steve's crotch, only to have Steve stop him.

"Later, babe." Steve does let a momentary flicker of regret shadow his face, only for it to disappear just as quick. "Which leads me to what I want to ask you."

"So you didn't come in here just to harass me." Danny steps back so that he can see Steve's whole face.

"No. Uh, what are your plans this weekend?" Steve actually looks a little sheepish; it's never "plans for the weekend" when he asks, just "plans for the night" or some other, much shorter time period. Or, at least it has been up til now.

"Unless there's a tidal wave or some major crime breakout across the island, not much. Why, you want to pick this back up in style later tonight or something?" Danny lets Steve keep the option of not committing the whole forty eight hours if he doesn't want to, just in case.

"I want you to come over and stay. You know, just in case of an emergency." Steve hoods his eyes and lets his gaze travel over Danny's body, compact and powerful, even in his somewhat wrinkled gray button down and loose tie. He doesn't let it go further than the spot where Danny's navel is though; he knows he's hard, and the trousers Danny's wearing don't exactly do a great job of concealing that fact.

Danny smiles to cover up his momentary shock. "In case of emergency, huh?" Danny points to the bulge traveling down Steve's left thigh. "Like that kind of emergency?"

Steve spread his legs that much wider just to goad Danny. "Maybe."

Danny leans forward and kisses Steve on the mouth again. "I gotta go to lunch, Commander. Let me think about it over a burger?"

"You have fifteen minutes." Steve stands up and Danny steps back, only for Steve to keep his hands on him just enough to make Danny reconsider their no sex on the desk rule.

Danny shrugs him off and starts to back out of his office. "Should be enough time for you to read over that report that I've worked so very hard on."

"Six o'clock, Danno," Steve calls, watching his partner's ass as Danny makes his exit, already coming up with the approximately ten thousand ways he's going to make Danny come over the next sixty or so hours.

It's not like Danny's nervous about staying with Steve – hell he generally spends at least Friday evenings over – but to stay this long, well, it's got him thinking about their relationship more deeply than he's allowed himself before. Sure it seems casual and Steve's a mind blowingly good lay but so far, they really haven't decided to call it anything aside from casual. Casual is easy, it's fun, and he and Steve can look each other in the eye the next day at work without the guilt – even if Steve does manage to make him come harder than he has in years.

Well, now that Danny thinks about it, he's not actually heard Steve call it "casual." Danny just says it for Steve's sake so that he has an out, should he choose to take it. In fact, Danny doesn't really know how casual Steve is taking this whole thing, because Steve's the one who tries to sneak kisses at work and puts his hand on Danny's thigh in the car when they aren't tearing across the Big Island in hot pursuit of some evildoer.

Fuck, does Steve think that he and Danny are a couple?

That question nearly makes Danny forget to put his car in park as he pulls into the driveway of the McGarrett home, sunset making a backdrop of reds and oranges over the house's roof and honest to God the place could be the cover for most any postcard from Hawaii. He checks his hair in the mirror (he showered before he came over) and grabs the six pack of Longhorns from the passenger seat, trying his hardest to act casual as he strides towards the front door.

"Steve?," Danny calls as he raps on the door, "open up, it's the police!" A lame joke sure but it makes him feel a little better. He knocks and calls again but receives now answer, so he decides to chance the door. Turning the handle he finds it unlocked, and makes his way through the living room to the kitchen. Steve's not there either, and Danny doesn't think he's upstairs either.

Well… not yet anyway.

He exits the house through the front and makes his way to the back yard, the smell of meat cooking enticing him to move a little faster. There he finds Steve, tan cargo shorts (the guy has a pocket fetish, Danny's convinced) and black tank top clad, standing over his grill barefoot with tongs in his left hand and a glass of something clear in his left.

"You know, most people wait in the house if they're expecting company." Danny approaches the concrete pad that Steve's barbecue rests on, feeling himself relax more the closer to Steve he gets. Odd, considering that Steve's about as relaxing as a live grenade with the pin halfway pulled.

"Wanted to get a jump on dinner." Steve moves aside just enough to show Danny the two big steaks he's grilling, pineapple and vegetable on the upper rack of his grille. "Medium well, right?"

"Eh, medium's fine tonight. Being Friday and all." Danny stops about a foot away from the grille, weary of the open flames that occasionally spike up and finding himself not in the least bit surprised that Steve's not even batting an eye at them.

"Right." Steve's trying hard to concentrate on both making the grub and Danny, less concerned about the steaks being a little overcooked than checking his partner out. "Did you shave?"

Danny rubs a hand over his shower-pink and smooth cheeks. "It's those sharp observation skills that make you the Governor's golden boy, you know."

Steve rolls his eyes. "Hey, it's a good look on you."

"Makes me feel baby-faced but I guess it's worth not looking like a bum when you're going over to someone else's place." Danny decides that maybe it'd be worth getting burned if steps a little closer into Steve's space.

"Well it's not a black mark against you for always looking like a hobo. Just how your face is." Steve gets a light elbow to the ribs for teasing and smiles.

"Hey, it's Detective Hobo, and it's helped undercover work more than once."

"Why, because the homeless smuggle a lot of blow into low rent neighborhoods?" Steve sets down his water and turns to face Danny.

"You'd be surprised, McGarrett." Danny looks up at Steve and lo and behold, he's shaved too. "Where's the 'I'm sexy and I know it' five o'clock shadow?' Did you scare it off or something?"

"Yeah, they taught us that in the Navy. Will your facial hair back down to change your appearance so your cover isn't blown." Steve's a lot closer now, to the point where Danny could tilt his head forward and his nose would be smack in the middle of his chest.

"Is that so?" Danny sets his beer on the little table holding Steve's cooking utensils and reaches for his aggravatingly slender hips. Seriously, the guy's shaped like a G.I. Joe and Danny's still baffled at just how turned on he is by that fact.

"Want to apply and find out for yourself? I can get you in on the fast track." Steve's got Danny's face cradled in his hands now, rubbing his thumbs over the clean-shaven skin and starting to lean down.

"Think my prime for SEAL training was up about a decade ago, Commander." Danny closes his eyes as Steve's mouth touches his, tentative and slow and goddammit, this is the second slow burn kiss he's gotten from Steve today and it's just never something he's prepared for, mostly because when they kiss it's all teeth and competition and Steve trying to assert his alpha male demeanor over fucking everything. It makes Danny mad as hell because all it does is confuse him – fuck buddies don't kiss like this, they just don't, and the few times it's happened between them it's been in that post sex haze where both of them were too stupid with hormones coursing through their bodies to really acknowledge it. Danny's beat off more thinking about that than anything else, honestly, because that's what sticks with him the hardest, the way Steve insinuates himself under his skin with those fucking lips that Danny spends a far too unhealthy amount of time thinking about.

Steve's obviously sampled some of the pineapple on the grill because he tastes sweet and smoky at the same time, having skipped right over the posturing of who will open their mouth first and let Danny right on in. Danny's thankful for that, because he's not really had anything else on his mind since he went off duty a while ago. Steve's like a drug, and Danny finds himself craving his presence and touch like a fix he can never quite get enough of.

When Steve pulls back from the kiss to draw a soft breath he whispers "aftershave" like it's the magic word to get into Danny's pants.

Not that Danny considers it a bad idea right now.

"What about it?" Danny spares a thought towards the grill, and notices smoke starting to billow from it. "Uh, Steve?"

"Huh?"

"Dinner?"

Steve gives him a befuddled look for a half second before he realizes what Danny's pointed out. "Fuck." He spins around, leaving Danny standing there trying to adjust his boner, scrambling to rescue the meal he's prepared.

"Nice reflexes there, babe." Danny makes himself useful by opening up a beer and taking a swig, not bothering to hide his arousal because it's entirely Steve's fault and dammit, they're going to do something about it.

"Shut up" is all Steve has to offer in the way of a witty comeback, picking up one steak with his tongs and inspecting its surface like it has runic symbols carved into its darkened surface. "Do you like it well done?"

Danny smiles and looks at the piece of meat, still suspended in the air. "If I've lost teeth after trying to chew that thing, I'm using your insurance to get a new set."

"You could go hungry instead." Steve puts the meat back down and doesn't even bother trying to save the pineapple and vegetables; they're a lost cause. "How about that, bro?"

"What, and not have energy for when you rail me later? Not a chance."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"It's your own fault, Bedroom Eyes." Danny truly is innocent in this situation; Steve's the grillmaster, not him.

"Hobo." Steve looks back down at the grille, and then starts to make his way back into the house. "I'll be right back." He considers kissing Danny again but changes his mind a second later, instead dropping his eyes to Danny's crotch and saying "hold that thought." He takes off at a jog for the house, Danny watching his retreating back until he's ducked into the kitchen.

While Steve's doing whatever it is he's set out to accomplish, Danny goes back to his car and retrieves his overnight bag, because chances are he's not going to want to later. He doesn't think that clothing's going to be a necessity this weekend but you never know, and he can't really wear Steve's clothes – the guy's got nearly a foot and seventy five pounds on him. Not something he bemoans, the size difference that is, but clothes sharing isn't ever going to be an option for either of them.

By the time Danny's returned to the backyard, Steve's cutting up another pineapple and tossing it onto the grille. "Always prepared," he says, noticing Danny's presence. "Not the first time I've done that."

"What, burned dinner because you were Frenching someone?" Danny puts down his bag in one of the lounge chairs and picks his beer back up.

"Okay, it was the first time it happened like that." Steve places three slices on the grille and keeps a watchful eye as he continues cutting up the rest.

"Sure. What was that about aftershave?" Danny hands Steve an opened beer and they clink bottles, back to mostly casual and not smoldering passion. Well, not visible smoldering passion.

"Oh, right – we wear the same kind."

Danny's eyebrows raise at Steve's observation. "Is that right?"

Steve nods. "Yeah. Hadn't noticed it before today but we do."

"Well I don't exactly wear it a lot. Found that trying to sneak up on a perp goes a lot smoother if he can't smell you. For you though?" Danny opens his hands as he gestures towards Steve. "I think I can make an exception."

Steve laughs and turns over his pineapple slices. "I take back the hobo statement."

"Good. I might have a shitty apartment but it's a step above no place at all."

"You forgot to add the rat-infested part." Steve earns himself a light punch in the shoulder for the barb.

"I ran all the rats off, just so you know. Threatened them with you going super SEAL on their furry asses." Danny pats Steve's massive right shoulder to reinforce his point.

"Well there we have it folks – if I ever need a backup career, I can be an exterminator. Thanks Danno, you've found the answer to one of my lifelong questions."

"You know, I'll let you have that one, seeing as how you've so graciously invited me over AND you're cooking dinner for me. Kind of makes me wonder how you've stayed single so long." Danny knows that what he just said is blatant, but that's how he deals with life; get right to the point, make it as quick and painless as possible.

Steve doesn't say anything right away, instead looking back down at the grille, leaving Danny with the sinking feeling that he's taken a misstep – along with a faint glimmer of hope. "Hand me that plate, will you?"

Danny passes it along, watching Steve pile it with just done enough to be perfect pineapple. "Well look at that, not burned at all."

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in." Steve regards him with a warm look and crosses his arms. "You can taste one, you know. Not gonna make you eat something you don't like."

"Says he who practically held me at knife point while I choked down ham and pineapple pizza." Danny picks up a pineapple slice and bites in half, Steve waiting patiently for his reaction as he chews. After ten seconds, Danny gives his verdict. "Okay, that doesn't suck nearly as bad as I thought it would."

"Because it doesn't. At all." Steve picks up the plates he's put the steak on and carries them over to the lounge chairs, setting them down on the tables he's set up between them. Danny follows a second later, still munching on the pineapple as he lowers himself into his seat.

"I know you're an island freak and all but please tell me you have some A-1." Danny doesn't deem it a necessity, he just wants to raise Steve's ire.

"What, and let you ruin perfectly good steak? I don't think so."

"Right as I was starting to think that you were civilized." Danny starts to cut a piece of steak off and waits for Steve to rise to the bait.

"Hey, I am civilized. I pay my taxes and sleep in a bed just like everyone else. Well, most everyone. A couch isn't a bed, babe."

"You only say that because you don't fit on it." Danny's mind wanders to the couple times they've wound up at his place instead of Steve's and how Steve had nearly bent the folding frame from where he'd practically drilled Danny right into it.

"Look, I still have my old bed from when I was a kid in the house, if you want it. Can't have a team member below peak performance because he's not resting well." Steve's not touched his steak yet, instead waiting on Danny to try his.

It's not a bad offer at all but Danny doesn't figure it would go far to helping his "constantly want to bed around Steve" issue. Sleep in the same bed where Steve probably jerked off and had sex for the first time? Yeah, really smart. "Don't think my place can accommodate a bed made for giants."

Steve does a remarkable job at sounding mockingly offended as he says "I'm not that big. In high school I was only five eleven."

"Only."

"Eat your steak Danno, I worked hard at grilling it."

As it turns out, it's juicier than Danny expected, and even if it is a little overdone he can chew with ease. It's certainly better than the poor excuse of a burger he had at lunch and Danny eats nearly a quarter of it before he shares his opinion with Steve. "This doesn't suck either."

Trying hard to not look relieved, Danny says "I like how you're just expecting me to fail."

"You're good at most everything else, even if the whole 'guns blazing, balls to the wall batshit crazy' approach to police work isn't the right way to do things."

"It's not healthy to deliberately look for fault."

"Who said I was healthy?" Danny spread his arms like it's something he's never once been able to help.

"Don't look at me, I'm just point out the obvious."

"And they let you lead a special task force – who would have thought."

Steve starts in on his own steak and lets Danny's mockery hang in the air, considering it to be very gracious of himself that he has yet to rib Danny about how he's not wearing a tie right now, or that he's got his hair styled a little more carefully and his shirt's not wrinkled at all. Hell, Danny looks great and maybe that's part of why he's been so… deliberately argumentative. When it's just them, off duty and away from Headquarters, they don't go back and forth at each other like this. They talk, get to know each other better, and then fuck. The fucking part wasn't there from the beginning but it's been six months now, and Steve's not slept with anyone else in that time. Not that he's exactly the go out and burn up the town sort to begin with, but… Danny's different. Danny's his partner, probably the best he's yet had, and that's not something you just jeopardize. Sure he tells himself that if this arrangement goes south then it won't affect their work – they're both too professional- but he knows it'd change the dynamic, and that's not something worth ruining.

Steve doesn't even realize Danny's finished his meal by the time he's halfway through his own steak. "Savoring the taste of your own product?"

Steve looks up, Danny sitting back a little and wearing the look that only comes from satiated hunger. "No, just thinking."

"We're off duty, babe. Don't have to think that hard." Danny swings his legs up on the lounger and lays back, intent on digesting a little before he and Steve move on to any activities that may require a certain degree of athleticism.

Steve half considers going over and climbing on top of Danny but he looks so comfortable that he keeps his seat. "Doesn't serve well to let the mind go dull."

"Don't think that Bowie knife-like mind of yours is gonna lose its edge if you just take it easy for a night."

"Is that a veiled attempt at asking for soft and slow tonight?" Steve starts to finish his steak as quickly as soon as socially acceptable, because Danny looks awfully tempting, stretched out with his hands behind his head and his shirt pulled taut over his muscled body.

"It can be whatever you want it to be." Danny's not going to show his hand that easily – and it's not like he and Steve can't read each other when it comes to physical bonding. They're good at that, at least.

Steve finishes his steak as much as he cares too, and then eats the last couple slice of pineapple that Danny left. "Alright."

Danny turns his head to look at Steve, catching his gaze and smiling at him. "But you'll go hard if I ask, right?"

"Have I yet to turn down that request?"

"Not that I can remember anyway."

"Alright then." Steve piles the dishes up and starts towards the house. "Help me with clean up?"

Danny stretches languidly like it's a massive effort to lift himself from the lounger, using his feet to put it back in chair form and standing. "Only because you asked nicely."

Clean up involves emptying Steve's dishwasher and letting that handle the work over hand cleaning, Steve letting the grill go until tomorrow and leaving the dirty tongs and skewer in the sink. It's not like they'll be going anywhere, and like Danny said, it's Friday. Society won't collapse in on itself because of it.

Danny grabs a couple more beers from the refrigerator (Steve having put them in there when he'd gone back in for more pineapple) and they head back outside, except this time Steve moves the table out of the way and moves his lounger closer to Danny's, so that he's within easy reach.

Once they're settled in, Danny looks up at the sky and takes a sip of his Longhorn. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

Steve hums his assent, not looking at the sky so much as Danny. "Part of what I like about living here – still in a city but every night's as clear as can be."

"Yeah, we didn't get that back in Jersey. Had to go out to the country if you wanted to see stars. Just seems like every time I went I had to turn around just as soon as I could see them."

"How come?" Steve props himself up on his side, watching Danny's mouth move as he talks.

"Crime never sleeps, bro. Doesn't stop just because I wanted to go stargazing."

"Stargazing?"

"Yeah." Danny turns his head to look at Steve, his heart skipping three beats because it's like he's beholding a completely different person, Steve McGarrett looking content and happy, like he's removed the steel from his spine. "Uh, Rachel and I used to do it when we were dating. Coming from the city, she liked that sort of thing too."

"There are a couple observatories here on the island, if you want to check 'em out. Nice places, too. Went a couple times with my Dad when I was a kid. Think Grace would get a kick out of that?"

Steve laughs, sounding a little sorrowful. "Like I ever get to see her past sundown but I'll run it by the witch to see if she'd be alright with it."

"And if she says no?"

Danny shrugs. "I guess I'll just come and lay in your backyard."

"That's trespassing."

"Eh, I'll make sure you're home first." Danny smiles and sits up to take a swallow of beer, noticing Steve doing the same, only Steve keeps going until he's made the short trip over to Danny's lounger and is taking the beer bottle out of his hand.

Danny gives him a half-hearted sour look "Hey, I was drinking that."

"In a minute." Steve's gently pushing Danny back down onto the lounger and closing in, and Danny's suddenly unconcerned about beer, not if he's reading the look in Steve's eyes correctly.

Danny groans as Steve settles his weight as carefully as he can manage on top of him, spreading his legs for Steve to slot in. It's a little intimidating, to be under Steve, just because the difference in their size is never emphasized so sharply as it is now. That's not a break point for Danny, because in the past when he's gone for guys they all tend to follow the same sort of body shape; big and beefy, and so far Steven McGarrett is the biggest and beefiest. Steve's teased Danny about a lot of things, but never once has he ribbed him for being short. It's not exactly something he can help, and Steve isn't a rude guy, either. For that much at least, Danny's grateful.

Steve's already kissing him like his life depends on it, pineapple sweet and steak juice warm as he gently ruts his hips against Danny's and making both of them groan. Their unfinished business from the office earlier hasn't exactly faded from memory, and this time it's not going to go incomplete. Danny tangles his legs as best he can with Steve's, not letting him up if can help it.

Danny toes his shoes off, leaving him sock footed as Steve takes Danny's hands where they're gripping his shoulders and in his and puts them above Danny's head, locking their fingers together and squeezing. Danny makes a sound like he's just had his heart scooped out of his chest, and Steve backs off a touch.

"Something wrong?" The amount of concern in his voice reflects genuine worry.

Danny replies without opening his eyes. "Congratulations Commander, you just found the guaranteed to make Danny Williams into putty magic spell."

"I did?"
Danny squeezes Steve's fingers and opens his eyes halfway, his pupils wide and the irises such a deep blue-gray that Steve's breath catches a little. "You haven't held my hands like this before, just the wrists."

"And that gets your engine revved up? Holding hands?"

"Way to parse it out there, Steve." Danny nips at his jaw in the hope that Steve will kiss him more because he was really, really starting to enjoy that.

"And you didn't say this before because…"

"Thought it was a little too much to ask for. Can we get back to business?" Danny leans up but Steve backs up before Danny's mouth can touch his again.

"Too much to ask for? What's your reasoning behind that one, Danno?"

"Because… people in the same situation as us don't hold hands." Surely Steve won't miss his meaning behind that, will he?

Steve still has a hold of his fingers and pulls Danny up by his hands so that they're sitting mostly upright, and doesn't let go of them. He watches for a moment how the sea breeze ruffles Danny's blonde hair, now more than a little disheveled from being pushed down into the lounger. There's this long, drawn out silence where they only thing they hear is the lapping water and the wind, and Steve opens and closes his mouth three times before he finally manages to rally words that actually make sense.

"What… what do you mean by 'the same situation,' Danny?"

Danny scoffs, looking away from Steve so that he doesn't see the doubt clouding over his face. "What are the parameters of this relationship, Steve? Because I'm a little unclear on what exactly this is. I get inviting me over to fuck but… dinner? And earlier at the station, asking me to stay the whole weekend – Steve, what is it that you want? Because if it's the same thing I want, I'd love to be clued in on that and if it's not, bro, just tell me and it won't be the end of the world." It may actually be, but if Danny wants to stay near his daughter than he'll weather it, and Steve McGarrett can continue to be the best sex he's ever had and let it stop there.

Steve sighs, and the breath as it leaves his lungs makes his shoulders droop to the point where he doesn't look like a muscle-bound former SEAL, just a man who's been served honest words that he wasn't fully prepared to be confronted with. "Danny, I… you're my partner. You get that, right?"

"And how far does that go? Just police work with sex on the side or…" Danny bites his tongue because it's right there between them, that dynamic that can right now shift very, very easily and bury them or they can both man the fuck up and say it.

Danny's going to wait for Steve's response anyway.

"You're the detective hear, what do you think?"

Danny honest to God wants to slap him, or punch him, hell maybe even shoot him in that goddamned beautiful chest because that's not a good answer anywhere on earth. "When did it stop being just sex, Steve? Because it's been a while for me now."

"Who said it was ever just sex? What possibly could have led you to that conclusion?"

Now Danny really is going to shoot him.

"So instead of you know, going through the Tunnel of Love or eating cotton candy together at the fair you expected me to interpret fucking three times a week as dating?"

"I thought it was obvious, Danny." Steve leans in and kisses Danny's chin, then rests his forehead against his. "Like, I seriously did. I didn't think that I'd have to spell it out for you."

At least it's a testament to Steve's appreciation of Danny's intelligence that he counted on him to piece it together without the words being put before him. "You did." Not a question, just an affirmation for Steve's words.

"Yeah. You're a smart guy, Danno, and just because we haven't spent the whole weekend together doesn't mean we haven't been dating this whole time. I know you've got Grace to spend time with, and didn't want to take away from that."

Danny's anger does a complete 180 and very quickly turns to regret for being harsh with Steve. Like, deep regret.

Oh, hell.

"Steve, if that's the case, you have the most blundering yet fantastic method of romancing someone that I've ever seen. Is that how they taught you to do it at West Point or something?"
Steve allows himself a chuckle of relief before he lets his eyes meet Danny's again. "Maybe they do do it that way at West Point, but at Kannapolis we assume our dates are a little smarter than the average Neanderthal."

"In which case you should have fit right in, babe." Danny puts his right hand on the back of Steve's neck and scritches at the base of his hairline. "Look, I'm sorry about before."

"Apology accepted. But now that we're clear on exactly where it is we stand, you wanna go inside and fuck or stay here? I'm cool with either place." Steve moves his free hand up Danny's thigh and grinds his palm against Danny's cock, half-hard from rubbing against him a few minutes ago but quickly returning to full glory.

Danny offers him a smile that's as devious as Steve's ever seen him look and it makes his skin "Inside, babe. Because I plan to ride you so fucking hard that we both pass out afterwards, and I'd rather that be on a bed than out here with the bugs and elements."

Steve pulls Danny so that he's standing up and rests his hands on his hips, curled around them in such a way that Danny reads as possessive and you know what? He's okay with that. "Eventually you're gonna come to like Hawaii's bugs and elements."

"And what, Steven, makes you so sure of that?"

"Because I'm not leaving them behind me and if you want to stick around, well… you'll just have to suck it up."

"Oh, I'm gonna suck it up, huh? Why don't we step inside and I'll show you a whole different world of suck." Danny winks lewdly but he's so brazenly confident in his words that Steve's not about to show any sign of protest against him.

Steve takes Danny by the hand and leads him inside, beer bottles left behind. Danny makes sure to grab his bag with his non-Steve occupied hand and drops it as soon as they're in the living room, having no choice because how Steve's got all ten fingers linked with his, pressed against the wall just inside the back door in a kiss that coming from anyone else would be called suffocating but Steve's such a fucking gentleman about it that Danny doesn't mind that a little darkness is starting to creep in at the edges of his vision.

Danny gets one hand free and goes for the buckle of Steve's cargo shorts, deftly getting them undone with one hand. Steve breaks the kiss and offers his assistance by starting on Danny's buttons. "You know, the lube's upstairs."

"And if we get naked here, I get to watch your ass go up those stairs." Steve's down to just his boxer briefs and tank top now, his shorts pooled around his feet.

"Fair point," Steve agrees, and stops with undressing Danny long enough to pull his tank top and underwear off. Danny pervs on him for a full ten seconds before he remembers that he too should be getting undressed, and then it's a scramble to get all ten finger coordinated so that process goes a little faster.

"You're a distraction, McGarrett. How the hell you survived in the SEALS is beyond me." Danny's shirt falls to the floor as Steve's big hands make short work of his pants and underwear coming off.

"I'm light on my feet, Danno. That's how." Steven presses all seventy four naked inches of his body against Danny's, taking his mouth again in a kiss that borders on searing. Danny can't help but moan because Steve's all determination and steel-tempered focus, even if he's a lot softer than normal. That's fine though, Danny can work with soft. Soft means that this is bound to last longer and honestly, he wants to stay on cloud nine as long as he can.

Danny pushes Steve back just far enough to murmur "upstairs" against his lips and then Danny's being pulled along again, Steve's hand wrapped around his wrist. Danny doesn't let him get away with being dragged about that easily though, grabbing an ass cheek and making Steve jump a little.

"Not on the stairs Danno, unless you want to end up under me in a way that involves EMTs and questions we don't wanna answer."

Danny chuckles. "Wouldn't be the first time, babe. Remind me after we're done to tell you about Independence Day 2007."

"Is it gonna make me roll my eyes?"

"Almost certainly."

"In which case I'll try to make you not remember." Steve looks back at Danny and gives him a shit eating grin.

"You know, I'm gonna have your dick in my mouth soon so I'd be nice about you say." Danny shoves Steve against the wall at the top of the stairs and kisses him just hard enough to let him know that his threat isn't to be taken lightly. Steve groans, dragging his hips against Danny's and leaving a sticky trail of precome across his belly. Steve reaches down between them and gives Danny's cock a few good strokes, backing Danny off just enough to get him unpinned from the wall.

"Cheap shot, Commander," Danny growls, only for their positions to be switched as Steve backs him against the wall.

"Let me make it up to you, babe." Steve drops to his knees and two seconds later he's got Danny's cock down his throat and goddamn Steve's lack of a gag reflex to hell, because every time he does this it makes Danny's brain come that much closer to sliding out one ear.

"Thought I was supposed to be the one doing this," Danny grunts, both hands going to Steve's head and sliding into his dark, gray flecked hair. Once Steve reaches salt and pepper stage there's a ludicrous chance – if they're both still alive at the time – that Danny's going to be on him every chance he gets.

Steve doesn't say anything, his mouth still full of Danny's cock. Instead he just looks up Danny and quirks a smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling and Danny can't be mad, not when Steve gives insanely good head and while this wasn't exactly in his plans he's not going to ask Steve to stop, either.

Danny's head thumps against the wall as Steve opens his throat up more and swallows him down to the base, tongue running along the curving vein that starts at Danny's balls. It's insanely unfair, because Danny was fully prepared to deepthroat Steve until his cock was sopping wet and now he's thinking that this isn't going to last much longer and they've barely even gotten started.

Steve reaches up and tugs at Danny's balls, and that's dangerous to the point of making Danny buck into his partner's mouth. "Steve, babe, you gotta stop." He's close, and the chances of him being able to come twice with in the space of an hour are slim unless Steve has something earth-shattering planned.

It wouldn't really surprise Danny if he did.

Steve grunts a negative, the vibration from his voice making the hair on the back of Danny's neck stand straight on end. Danny's fingers are starting to hurt where they're pulling at his hair but Steve's on a mission now, and he's never once left one uncompleted in his life – absolutely no reason to start now.

"Fuck" is all Danny gets out, followed by a series of moans punctuated by his breath hitching as he comes in Steve's mouth, nearly doubling over because Steve keeps suction on him that borders on hurting but mostly just leaves him feeling drained. It's a miracle how he makes that happen, and as he holds Danny in place to pull off, Danny notices that Steve's holding his mouth shut like he hasn't swallowed.

"Got something in your mouth there, babe," Danny rasps, trying to catch his breath and encourage his dick to get hard again.

Steve still doesn't say anything, just grabs a hold of Danny's hand again and pulls him towards his bedroom. Danny makes a game try and grabbing Steve's cock, hard as a rock and if he'd hold still long enough Danny's almost positive it's throbbing a little; every other part of him ripples with energy, so this one may as well do so too.

Danny dodges Steve's boots as he's led to the bed and Steve has him lay facedown, encouraging him with steady but gentle hands on his back. Danny follows instinct and keeps his hips raised, only for Steve to push him back down.

"Whatcha got planned, Steve?" Danny's not really questioned much in the last few minutes, deciding that spontaneity is the way to go and honestly, whatever Steve has planned next he's probably going to enjoy.

Steve locks eyes with Danny, his neck craned around as far as he can go and he spreads Danny's ass cheeks, running his fingers over those dusty-haired muscles as he shapes his lips like he's about to whistle and Danny's spunk comes dripping out onto his hole.

"Oh, fuck, baby that's filthy" – it's not a condemnation, but the way it feels against his skin, something close to hot and definitely too slick, well, it makes him just a little uncomfortable – until Steve buries his tongue in it once it's done dripping from his mouth. That's when Danny stops doubting and Steve's mouth makes him forget all about how that's probably illegal in thirty states.

Danny reaches back and pulls Steve's face into him until his nose is practically flush with his body, torn between biting his lip and biting the pillow. Instead, he opts to let whatever sounds come out of mouth that choose to and he'll just have to own up to it later. Thank God Steve's heard most of his sex noises by now, because he's pretty sure every imaginable one is vocalizing itself the longer Steve's tongue keeps opening him up.

Steve watches Danny's face while he rims him, watching that gorgeous mouth fall open wider and wider the deeper Steve's tongue goes, his broad shoulders working involuntarily as electricity shoots up his spine; Steve loves making Danny gasp and moan like he is now, all unbidden and unbuttoned, that wise cracking brain and vocabulary put to rest for just a little bit so that Steve can work. Admittedly this is the work he enjoys most of all and one day he's going to make Danny come just from this, maybe soon if the world doesn't dish out hard to catch sociopaths over the weekend.

When Danny's body starts to convulse, Steve ceases eating him out and flips them, sliding underneath Danny so that they're nose to nose and he kisses him before Danny can say anything, shoving the taste of Danny's body back into his mouth. Danny groans, overstimulated to the point of being pulled taught. Steve holds him close as he slides two fingers into Danny's slicked out hole, spit and come making the job almost as easy as lube, stretching and widening him so that maybe Danny will stand less of a chance of being hurt when he rides him.

Steve breaks the kiss and nips at Danny's neck, sliding his fingers in and out of his ass. "Sorry for the change of plans babe – felt like I owed you that."

"God, don't you dare apologize for that." Danny has a hard time getting the words to come out with anything approaching coherence, courtesy of Steve's fingers pressing against his prostate. "I think by now we should be used to a fast changing situation."

Steve laughs and kisses him on the mouth, slow and passionate, a slow-smolder touch that stills their racing hearts long enough for Steve to reach over to his nightstand and grab the lube. "See, aren't you glad you're part of Five-O, having been equipped with skills you can use anywhere?"

Danny winces as Steve slathers his hole with cold lube, the contrast made sharper by the absence of Steve's delightfully warm mouth against his skin. "That's classic, giving a team you created all the credit for me being good at my job." Danny buries his face in Steve's neck as his fingers re-enter his body, making sure he's as prepped as he can be.

"Fine then – sharpening skills that you already had. Happy now?" Steve pulls his fingers out and pours lube on his own dick, spilling a little too much but he needed to be inside Danny ten minutes ago.

Danny picks himself up and braces his knees on either side of Steve's body, positioning himself so that he looks like he's about to crabwalk backwards as he lowers himself onto Steve's cock. They don't look away until Steve's balls deep inside and Danny has to shut his eyes to blink back involuntary tears; Steve's dick is like the rest of him – big – and Danny's still not completely used to that particular fact.

He's not going to tell Steve that though.

Deciding that his knee won't allow him to hold this position for long he comes back down so that he's sitting on Steve's cock, hands braced against his chest as he catches his breath. He leans down to kiss Steve, his dick hardening once more as he tastes himself in Steve's mouth. He makes a mental note for them to do that again, and next time it's going to be Steve who gets come in his ass – it's only fair, right?

Danny pulls up, reaching for Steve's hands and holding on tight to them as he starts to move. "By the way, I am happy."

Steve's back arches as Danny clenches around him, a dick move that he's glad Danny knows how to execute well even if it does scramble his brain to the point of being completely useless. "I'm glad for that, I really am."

Danny bends forward and hooks his feet under Steve's thighs, pulling Steve's lower body up a bit. "Wouldn't want me to be unhappy, would you?"
"Not at all." Steve gets a hand around the back of Danny's neck and meets him halfway for another kiss, holding it as long as he can before Danny shoves him back down onto the bed.

It's a sight to behold when Danny Williams goes into full power bottom mode, all focused energy and swiveling hips, making Steve wonder how exactly he learned how to ride dick so well. It's probably one of those secrets he'll never tell and that's fine, it really is, because Steve's the only one he bothers to use them on.

If Steve has it his way, that'll hopefully be for life.

Danny alternates between kissing Steve and throwing his body backwards so that Steve gets as much of a show as possible, Danny's abs cut like stone underneath his body hair. Sure Danny ribs Steve about how much time he spends at the gym but Danny's just as bad, still powerful as hell in spite of his height and Steve's thankful for that, really, really thankful, even if he has to be content with holding Danny's hands instead of getting to put them on his hips; this is Danny's game, and Steve's literally just going to have to lay there and take it.

"Babe, I'm close," Steve groans, sweat coating and dripping from both of them and he can't help the way he's meeting Danny in the middle, fucking up into him because he has to do something, his whole body wound as tight as piano wire. Danny nods, his cock slapping noisily against Steve's belly as he speeds up, intent on carrying them over that sweet edge at the same time.

"With me, Steve, yeah?" Danny lets go of one of Steve's hands and grabs his dick, jerking it quick and brutal.

"Yeah, babe, right with you." Steve smiles and puts his hand on Danny's hip, latching on tight as he feels that first crack in his stamina widen.

"Keep going, keep fucking me," Danny urges, jacking himself fast, still trying to ride Steve but it's just too much to handle, Steve's cock nailing him right in the prostate and that's all it takes; Danny puts his other hand over Steve's eyes as his second orgasm erupts all over his partner, two solid spurts of come landing in Steve's open mouth and on his hand as they both fall, Danny feeling Steve's hips stutter under him as he comes too. It's like their whole world is shrunk down to a single point and then spat back out in sweet disarray, panting and screaming each other's names, all sweat and hot breath that only slows down when Danny pulls off and falls on Steve's left side.

The silence that prevails is long, only punctuated by the sound of breath slowing and the bed creaking as Steve rolls over and pulls Danny to his body.

"Independence Day 2007 – what happened?" He intersperses his words with kisses along Danny's neck and ear, both arms wrapped around his body. Danny tucks himself against Steve's broad form, reaching back and pulling him down for a kiss before he tells his tale. Steve still has come in his mouth, and Danny sucks on his tongue until his lips are swollen and he feels Steve's cock harden slightly against his back.

"I'll make it quick – me and my partner were working crowd control for the Newark parade and we get a call – these guys are trying to rob a second floor jewelry store. We catch him on the stair case, right, and I'm thinking he's going to stay put because we've both go guns on him – except he gets tased and the shock is powerful enough that it rips the gun out of my partner's hands and he goes down backwards – and lands on top of me. He wasn't that much smaller than you."

"And you didn't get hurt?"

"He broke an arm and two ribs but locking him up for grand theft made the recovery a little less painful, you know?" Danny shifts over on his back, looking up into Steve's half-hooded eyes. "Course, had it been you I'd have tased you again since you're aggravating."

"I can make you leave, you know."

Danny reaches for Steve's balls and massages them, immediately making Steve's words stop before he can make more idle threats.

"Now, would you really want me to do that?"