On Love and Other Things

Summary: Guy talk about our favorite couple to be.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything H50.

Thank you for all the support and encouragement to continue writing. Since Chin, Steve, Danny and Kono refuse to stop having conversations in my head, I've been forced to start dictation.

One.

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Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett's House
Oahu, Hawaii

"What you need Steven, is a woman who likes the same balance that you do. Someone who wants her own career and a life and who won't mind that you do too. Yes, it was wrong of you to assume and expect that Catherine would readily give up her career to be your happy little housewife. But seriously? Man, you just aren't the type."

Danny was on a roll. After noticing his partner's surly mood all day, he'd finally gotten him to confess and tell him what was bothering him.

He broke it off.

With Catherine.

Or maybe it was the other way around? Not that there was really a relationship there. There was, but it was based more on physical comforts than emotional. Though, if Steve were really honest with himself, he would have admitted some time ago that maybe he was ready for it. He knew that Catherine on some level was. Or at the very least he thought she was. He guessed he was wrong.

"What the hell are you talking about Danny?"

"Just that, okay you? You?" The blonde detective gestured wildly with his hands. "You? With a trophy wife? Her making, uh, Martha Stewart dinners, waiting for you to come home, grabbing a beer for you and - and letting you do all the work? Letting you have all the fun, catching bad guys and stuff? You think that Suzy-Homemaker is gonna be your type of girl?" Danny's hands continued to flail about.

Steve opened his mouth to answer then closed it again. He shook his head, conceding. "I guess I never really thought of it that way. No... you're right."

"Excuse me?" Danny held up an index finger. "Wait, can I record that? This stupid phone has a record message function on it somewhere, I know..." he began fumbling in his pockets for his smart phone. He glanced around Steve's ocean-front backyard in hopes of finding another soul to bear witness to such a statement.

"Very funny Danny," said Steve, catching on to Danny's movements.

Danny smirked and stuck his phone back into his pocket, he crossed his arms across his chest and pinned Steve with a look.

"What? You want me to elaborate?"

"Yes! Yes, Steve! I want a detailed description of why I am right. And feel free to discuss the merits of why as well. Because, this... this I really want to hear."

"Fine." Steve huffed, eying him with irritation. He sat down in his lawn chair and extended an arm out. "Part of what excited me about Catherine was that she worked on a big boat with guns and did things in her career that were pretty bad ass. She's beautiful, smart and sexy."

"Hey. Smart is sexy... continue."

Steve looked at him incredulously, "you never let up do you?"

"Never," he said, fixing Steve with another pointed look.

"She has a job that she is phenomenal at. A career and a life that she loves." Steve explained extending his other arm out and nodding slightly.

"That she apparently would never give up for anything," Danny finished for him. "Or you, for that matter," he added with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Ouch, Danno."

Steve brought his arms back in and looked down at the water lapping at he sand.

Danny exhaled and dropped his hands. "Sorry, babe. But it's kinda true."

"Yeah." Admitted Steve, working his jaw.

They both picked up their beers then and toasted each other, each taking a long sip. "I don't know why, for the life of me, I thought maybe I could get her to give it up. I was obviously wrong in assuming she ever would." He watched Danny take a seat in the lawn chair next to him.

The New Jersey-an felt a little guilty. Feeling as if he just added insult to injury to Steve and his situation with Catherine, he suddenly wanted to try and make him feel better.

"You know what? Being on the move like you have recently and – and doing what you do. It's not healthy anyway. To think that any of us could ever maintain, let alone try to have a normal home life is ridiculous." Danny looked at his partner and friend. He smirked and ducked his head.

Steve realized then that Danny had inadvertently revealed an insecurity that he had obviously been feeling for some time. He owed it to his friend to make him see that he understood.

"Hey. Danny. You do a fantastic job of providing Grace with as much of a comfortable and normal home life as possible. Despite you and Rachel not being able to keep it together. You just also happen to be a cop who fights bad guys at the same time. You're doing a good job."

Danny nodded, a slight frown forming along his lips. He sighed heavily and dug a loafer clad foot into the sand. "I gotta admit, sometimes... sometimes I feel like I'm barely there you know? Like I'm always playing 'catch-up.' Like there's, uh, always something I forgot, or need to do for Grace. And - and I'm just waiting and convinced Rachel is going to call one day and tell me I fucked up again. And then I'll never be allowed to see Grace again."

"That's not gonna happen," Steve said with conviction, shaking his head slightly.

"Thanks, but you're just saying that because you're my partner. And of course I don't mind. But I don't think calling in any favors into Jameson is gonna work this time around." Danny pointed at Steve, a timbre of sadness crept it's way into his voice. "Especially if things get totally goofy and outta control."

"Well, I got news for you. You're only half right Danno. Yes. I am your partner. But I'm not just saying it, just because. I'm saying it because I don't believe she would ever do that to you. I can see how good a father you are to Grace and how much you try, I'm sure as hell that her mother can see that too."

Danny gave a tight little smile and waved his beer bottle at the ocean as if drawing out his thoughts in mid air would give him an idea of how to respond. "She's with Stan now Steve. She's his wife. They just happen to have my kid. They, they get to raise Gracie. I don't know." Danny took a deep breath and smacked his lips lightly. "I hope you're right."

"Yeah well," Steve gestured idly at the oncoming sunset. "I'm pretty much always right."

Danny chuckled. "Really Steven? How did Catherine ever put up with you?"

"Well for one thing, we really didn't do much talking," Steve said with a rakish grin, his blue eyes twinkling.

Danny flat out guffawed. "Hence, why it didn't work out."

"Meh, what was I supposed do? Say I was 'sorry' for asking her to give up her career to move in with me? Isn't that what women want?"

"Are you kidding me? Steve? Really?" Danny paused a beat. "Really?"

# # # # #

Five-O Headquarters
Honolulu, Oahu

Kono rolled her bicycle into Five-0 HQ roughly, loudly banging into the outer office doors and appearing to not really care.

The guys were already seated at the conference table, eying her with interest as she unceremoniously dumped her bicycle in her office and grabbed a change of more professional looking clothes. Steve arched a brow towards Chin and Danny.

"I thought you were gonna be in early Cuz?" Chin asked the rookie cop.

"Ugh, I did. I just rode out to meet someone for breakfast first," she responded. She was clearly irritated about something and Danny glanced to Steve to see if he picked up on it. Steve in turn looked to Chin and inched his head towards Kono, silently asking what was up.

"Ben?" asked Chin.

"Who's Ben?" asked Danny.

"Bennett Bass," answered Steve.

"The surfing guy?" Danny, questioned.

Kono scoffed and left her mouth agape in disgust before asking, "really? You guys discussed who I'm dating?"

"No, Cuz. You know I wouldn't do that," said Chin quickly, trying to calm down his younger cousin. He could see the heat rising in her cheeks, her eyes getting darker and decided it was best to caution both men with a warning look.

Instead, Steve cleared his throat and gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry Kono, I just noticed..." he trailed off, gesturing toward the friendship bracelet that she still wore on her wrist. The one that she previously mentioned Ben gave her.

She held up her wrist and sighed. "Oh, yah." Dropping her arm, she shook her head slightly. "Whatever," she shrugged. "And I just want to say, no offense, though you guys came awfully close just now, but men kinda suck."

"Oh boy," Danny said. He worried his bottom lip and looked at her. The glare she gave him was encouragement enough to keep quiet.

Chin on the other hand, chanced saying something, "do tell, Cuz." He crossed his arms and leaned back.

Kono shook her head. "I'm not even going to get into it Cuz." She made her way towards the locker room. "But I have to say, why do I even bother? Back then, he knew what surfing meant to me. I would have never given it up if I had the chance. Now I'm a cop and he thinks my commitment to my life, my decisions, have changed? I wish there was a way for him to understand, I'm not staying home, barefoot and pregnant. I want both, you know? I want a career and a life, and I know that there can be a balance between the two..." she said as she disappeared into the locker room to change.

Chin snorted softly, shaking his head and then he saw the glances that Danny and Steve exchanged. Danny opened his mouth to say something but Steve just raised a hand to stop him and walked away. Their boss shook his head slightly, took one last glance towards the locker room and then disappeared into his office.

"What was that all about?" asked Chin, quirking an eyebrow.

"Which one? Kono or Steve?"

"Uh, never mind Brah. Maybe I don't want to know." Chin replied wisely.

Danny chuckled and picked up their latest case file. "Hey, how about we try that Zippy's place that you guys keep talking about for lunch today?"

Chin shook his head. "Thinking about lunch already? Sure thing, you can try the chili-spaghetti, it's my favorite."

"Wait. What? What is wrong with this place? Now you're telling me you serve chili on your pasta?"

End.

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A/N: As a KoVe fan, I needed to deal with Catherine somehow. This is my take on how it would go down and how it would pave the way for Steve and Kono in the future. Oh, there's also a tribute to my favorite ship of all time – Mulder/Scully, see if you all can find it.