Hawaii 5-0 is property of CBS and its creators
Note: Not a part of the Dragon!Danny verse.
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Danny Williams stood at the edge of the crowded ballroom, bored out of his mind. Five-0 had been persuaded (read: ordered) by Governor Denning to attend a fundraiser for his election campaign. Since the task force was the cornerstone in his anti-crime campaign, he wanted to show them off. Thus they were all ordered to attend, dressed to the nines and seated front and center. Poor Steve McGarrett, head of the task force, even had to sit at the head table. Danny was glad he wasn't in Steve's shoes.
Now, however, dinner was over, the speeches had been given, and the tables had been pushed to the side to allow dancing. Dancing was almost as bad as speeches and dinner, in Danny's opinion. He didn't dance, and sitting on the sidelines watching was not at the top of his list. He wished he could sneak away, but Governor Denning had decreed the task force would maintain a presence throughout the evening. The only things that made it tolerable were Steve standing by his side and sharing snarky comments on the guests, and his daughter, Grace.
As a prominent businessman, Danny's ex-wife's new husband, Stan Edwards, had of course been invited. He and Rachel wanted to attend, but at the last minute, their babysitter had backed out, and Danny, whose attendance at the event was mandatory, was naturally not available. He'd persuaded Stan and Rachel to bring Grace, citing her good manners and excellent behavior. It was purely selfish—he knew Grace wouldn't enjoy herself—but if he had to endure this torture-by-high-society, at least he'd have his daughter nearby to cheer him up.
Amazingly, it appeared Danny had been wrong and Grace was enjoying herself. She'd found several items to bid on at the silent auction, and now she was out on the dance floor dancing with Kono Kalakaua, anther task force member. Danny's eyes were fastened on his daughter, laughing with Kono as they moved awkwardly about the floor.
The dance ended, and the two of them came up to Danny and Steve. "Dance with me, Danno!" Grace demanded.
Danny gave an exaggerated bow. "With pleasure, milady."
"I thought you didn't dance," Steve said.
Danny shot him a look. "I do with my daughter," he said, letting her lead him onto the floor.
They swayed to the song, and when it was over, he led Grace back to where Steve and Kono were still standing.
"Now you have to dance with Uncle Steve," Grace declared.
Steve looked uncomfortable, and Danny didn't blame him. Dancing with Danny was probably the last thing Steve wanted to do. Secretly, Danny was thrilled at the thought of being held in Steve's arms as he was whisked around the floor, but there was no way he was going to admit that, especially with Steve standing right there.
"Monkey, I don't think Uncle Steve wants to dance."
"But he has to!" Grace insisted. "You have to dance together!"
Danny was about to protest again when Steve awkwardly held out his arms. "Shall we dance?"
Danny gave in. "I guess I can't refuse an invitation like that. Lead on."
They made their way onto the floor, and after some squabbling about who would lead, Steve solved the problem by grabbing Danny's right hand in his left, settling Danny's hand on his shoulder, and placing his hand firmly on Danny's back. Danny thought about protesting, but the truth was it felt wonderful to have Steve's arms wrapped around him. Danny thought they fit perfectly together, as he thought about so many other aspects of their partnership.
Danny expected Steve to stay in one place, to move haphazardly to the music, but instead he led them around the floor, effortlessly it seemed. Danny felt himself get carried away, caught up in the whirling and twirling. He was disappointed when the song ended and a slow song came on.
He expected Steve to lead him back to the sidelines, but instead, Steve's grip tightened on Danny, and he began to sway gently in place, still in time to the music. Danny did let himself forget where he was and leaned his head against Steve's chest. As soon as he realized what he'd done, he braced himself, waiting for Steve to pull away and berate him for being a sap. Instead, Steve pulled him even closer. Danny briefly wondered what was happening, what was going through Steve's mind, but he decided just to relax and enjoy it.
Danny got completely swept up in the moment, forgetting he and Steve were just work partners dancing because Danny's daughter insisted. He let himself feel like they were lovers, sharing a moment. He tipped his head up, and Steve tipped his head down, and their lips met in a brief, chaste kiss.
Danny waited for Steve to realize what he'd done and jerk away, but instead Steve kissed him again, deeper this time. It felt natural, like they were meant to be doing this, like they'd done it a thousand times before instead of for the first time just a few seconds ago. Danny wasn't aware of anything else until Grace appeared beside them.
"I told you you had to dance!"
Danny looked down at his daughter. "Yes, you did, monkey, and you were right."
"Does this mean you're together now, like Mommy and Step-Stan?"
Danny shared a smile with Steve. "Yeah, I guess it does."
Grace clapped her hands delightedly. "Yay!"
Steve echoed her. "Yeah, definitely yay!"
Danny tightened his grip on Steve's shoulder and brought Grace into their circle with his other hand. Together, the three of them danced off into their future.
