Written for the A to Z Weekly Challenge at the LJ community 1-Million-Words. I'm just starting, so this is the beginning of the alphabet. Also, don't hurt me, okay? I've never done this to any of my characters before (except in Torchwood, but that doesn't count, because they bounce back - what, it's sci-fi!), but this one kind of wrote itself. I didn't start out doing this, but it just worked out this way. I'm sorry. I love the boys, honest!


He's staring out at the azure waters behind Steve's house, mind circling over the unfairness of it all. For a few brief moments today, he came so close, so fucking close, to saving Steve. But he saw that golden skin turn ashen, watched the light fade from those intense aquamarine eyes, and he felt his heart stop, okay, actually stop, because he knew Steve was gone for good. All this time together, and he's always thought McGarrett was going to send him to an early grave just because of his asinine behaviour; he never really believed it was an actual possibility, and he never thought it would be Steve's funeral he would be facing.

He's not thinking about much anymore – it just hurts – but he has a feeling he's going to be pretty apathetic about the job for quite some time, if not forever. It just won't be the same without Steve.