Pure fluff and an excuse for whumpage... I needed a break during work today and this was it.
Enjoy!
"Steve, I think we should break up."
Steve McGarrett jerked his head up, the pen he'd idly been nibbling on dropping to his desk top at his shock and confusion. Danny Williams stood in his doorway with his arms firmly planted on his hips and an almost comically serious face. It was mid-afternoon and after successfully closing another case yesterday, Five-0 was quietly finishing all the reports and paperwork. They'd planned on heading out to a bar at day's end to cheers a job well done.
Steve was just about to print his most recent report and sign it when his partner came in and dropped possibly the last line one could have expected. Never mind the fact that it absolutely came out of no where.
"I'm sorry... what are we talking about?" Steve half-asked half-laughed.
"It's not funny," Danny shot back. "I'm breaking up with you and you're laughing at me, like our partnership means nothing." Unable to stop chuckling at the absurdity of his partner's words, Steve stood up and rounded his desk. He decided to humour his best friend and as he leaned back on his desk he waved an arm through the air.
"Okay I give," he said. "Why do you think we should break up?" Danny entered the office letting Steve's office door close behind him.
"We're getting to cozy with each other," he explained. "Cozy leads to complacency and in our case, it usually ends up in one us being shot or injured." Steve blinked then blinked again, Danny was actually sounding serious.
"Danno, look I'm really not sure what's going on here but if I've done someth-"
"It's not you, it's me," Danny said interrupting. "I ruin partners and you and I have been together way to long. Karma's going to catch up eventually, it's long over do." Steve shook his head incredulously.
"Danny being too comfortable with each other isn't a bad thing," Steve replied. "It means we can trust each other absolutely. Complacency? We practically know what each other is thinking and during a raid that means we can act that much faster... Where is this coming from?" Danny ran a hand through his hair and plopped himself down on the office's couch.
"No it means we'll expect to know what each other's thinking and act on it rather than individual instinct," the detective replied. "But there are outside variables that could get in the way. I might expect you to go right, KNOW you'd go right but something forces you left and then one of us takes a bullet in head. I've got Grace to think about Steve, we have to end this relationship before it gets messy." At this point, the Commander wasn't sure if he should burst out laughing or be genuinely concerned. Finally however he started to clue into what was potentially the problem.
"Danny if this is about the raid on the Kapahu warehouse"
"That's just one example of many," Danny replied. A day and a half ago as part of their investigation Five-0 and HPD had a trail of evidence that lead them to a warehouse on Sand Island that was housing illegal arms. Danny and Steve had led the charge and obviously the criminals inside didn't want to go down without a fight. It had been loud and fast that the two partners' had gotten split up.
Steve had naturally assumed Danny was going to attach himself to another officer and readied himself to do the same. The problem was the officer he attached himself to must have been fresh out of the academy and hopped up on adrenaline. In fact, Steve suddenly found himself trying to control the officer's wild shooting while still providing his own fire power.
In the end, Steve had been so focused on keeping the officer from not shooting one of their own that he'd almost missed a shadow creeping toward where he believed Danny was. The Navy SEAL had barked at the young officer to cover him and try not to shoot him in the back while he made a break for the far side of the warehouse. He didn't want to risk shooting near his partner or other officers so instead he tackled the guy and both of them when tumbling don't a short flight of stairs.
The injuries weren't serious, some bruising, the perp broke his arm and Steve was still tender from some cracked ribs but all in all he was fine. It turned out however, that his flying tackle and resulting injuries were for nothing. Danny had attached himself to another HPD officer and the two of them had made some arrests in the fire fight and weren't even in the warehouse anymore. They were safe and sound outside only to come running back in when the young officer Steve had been with radioed an "officer down".
"It was a hiccup Danno," Steve shrugged the incident off. "Everyone got out okay and I'm glad I was wrong about where you were. Glad you weren't in danger."
"Steve, you're not gettin' it," Danny replied with a huff of frustration. "Grace, Meka, I'm a partner killer. We play this game long enough and one of us will get hurt." Steve furrowed his brow and worked his jaw.
"I'm not sure if you're saying you can't trust me or I can't trust you," he said. "In any case, you're full of it and no, we're not breaking up I'll go to the Governor if I have too."
"Damn it, you're being unreasonable! Just accept we aren't meant to be anymore okay? We're done you and me; I'll resign if I have too!" At the word "resign" all humour instantly left Steve's face. It was a serious word and Five-0 knew to only use it in the very serious of situations.
"Danny-" Unfortunately the Navy SEAL was cut off from the madness that was his partner when his phone rang. "To be continued Williams," he said pointedly to the man. He snatched up his phone, "McGarrett," he barked.
An hour later found Danny and Steve sitting in the Camaro, staking out a very expensive looking home in Kahala. The phone called he'd received earlier was from HPD. Apparently since their case wasn't quite over. Due to the raid and capture of several arms traffickers and their weapons, the cartel that was responsible had sent one of its top officers to find out what had happened.
Basically a really bad guy who, if captured would put a serious dent in illegal arms through out the US.
So Danny and Steve had headed out, HPD SWAT ready to go at a moments notice and Chin and Kono just up the street. All they needed now was a confirmed visual and they would breach the home. With no car in the driveway and no signs of anyone in the house, it was a simple game of wait and see.
For the most part Steve and Danny had sat in an unusual silence for the two. Obviously their conversation was no doubt on Danny's mind just as much as it was Steve's and any other conversation at the moment would just seem trivial.
"You'd really resign?" Steve finally broke the silence. Danny rolled his eyes though he didn't take them away from the binoculars he had pointed out the window.
"Focus Steven," he replied.
"Come on Danny, I'm really starting to think you don't trust me and that's a problem," Steve went on. Finally Danny brought the binoculars down and glanced at his partner.
"I trust you," he sighed.
"Then what the hell Danny!?" Steve barked. "We've got a good thing going on here. There's trust, there's respect, there's all the elements of a healthy relationship and after everything we've been through you're just going to give up? Throw it all away? People would go above and beyond to have a partnership like ours." Danny groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Jesus, divorcing Rachel wasn't even this hard," he snorted.
"Because there was reason to end it, Daniel!" Steve exclaimed. "There's no reason to end THIS." Danny just shook his head.
"This isn't the time or place okay? We're about to bring down a major player in the illegal arms game and we need to focus," he said. "We'll discuss this when we get back to the office." Steve wasn't happy but he knew his partner was right. He refocused himself just in time as it turned out; three cars came up the street and pulled into the driveway.
When the middle car opened and Steve saw their suspect, he switched into soldier mode and grabbed his radio.
"Suspect confirmed, repeat, suspect confirmed," he barked. "All units are a "go" do not let them get inside that house!" From there things were a bit of a blur, he and Danny leapt from the vehicle and charged forward barking out their identification as Chin, Kono and swat did the same.
That's when their cartel suspect decided to make a run for it as his bodyguards started firing off some shots. The man was amazingly nimble and managed to hop a tall shrub and take off down the street with Steve hot on his heels. As had happened many times before, Steve knew Danny was right behind him.
What happened next could only be described as kismet; apparently fate decided to rear its occasionally ugly head and say hello.
Just as Steve grabbed the perps shoulder her heard the squealing of tires and knew they'd run out into the middle of the road. Someone was going to get hit by a car and it was undoubtedly going to suck. The worst part about it was Steve knew it wasn't going to be him. Deep in his gut, deep in his heart he knew Danny was there, ready and had more sense of the coming accident than he did.
"Danny, don't!" It was all Steve managed to yell as he suddenly felt hands on him shoving him forward to the pavement beyond. He and the perp smashed into the ground jarring his tender ribs and sucking the air from his lungs. But the pain and the fact that his suspect took a blow to the head and was now unconscious was nothing compared to the sound of a fleshy body striking solid metal and shattering windshield glass.
Steve handcuffed his suspect and practically shoved him toward some approaching HPD officers before making a run toward his still partner.
"Danny!" he barked getting to his partner's side. "Oh... G*d Danny... I need an ambulance here!" Danny was face down on the pavement and there was blood coming from everywhere; So much so that Steve didn't even know how or where to put pressure first.
Thankfully, they'd prepared for any possible injuries and not a minute later, Kono and Chin were pulling him away as paramedics rushed into to take care of his partner.
"They got him Steve," Chin's soothing voice said in his ear. "They'll take care of him."
Seventy-two hours later and Steve sat at his partner's hospital bed side clenching his jaw. The paramedics had done a great job of quickly getting Danny to the hospital and taking care of him. The detective had a broken leg and arm, fractured ribs, a concussion and needed minor surgery to stop some internal bleeding but would be okay.
Physiotherapy which Danny was no stranger too and a couple months to get back to full strength but the man would be okay.
And that was what pissed Steve off the most.
It wasn't that his partner was hurt or that his condition was not as bad as it had originally looked; for that Steve was immensely grateful. It was the fact that Danny had been going on and on that he was worried about Steve getting hurt because of him, only to shove him out of the way of a speeding car and wind up in the hospital himself. Danny had done exactly what Steve would have done if the positions had been reversed and that made the Navy SEAL angry.
He was angry that Danny would give up on their partnership over something they were both guilty for.
A groan from the bed in front of him had Steve sitting up as Danny finally shook off the drug and pain induced slumber and opened his eyes. He'd woken a few times but this seemed to be the first time there was a bit more coherency. As much as indicated when the second the Jersey detective's eyes found Steve's, Danny rolled his tired eyes. It could have had something to do with the fact that the Navy SEAL frowned and crossed his arms firmly across his chest.
With a grunt, wince and cough, Danny sighed.
"S'is where you tell me karma's a b*tch?" he slurred.
"No," Steve replied honestly. "This is where I tell you I'm glad you're going to be okay. I'm glad I don't have to find another partner and I'm ecstatic I still get to eat your Nana's cooking when she visits again. Honestly that Lasagna should be tested for narcotics it was so addictive." Thankfully, Danny saw the humour and heard the relief and gave a drugged smile.
"M'never going to get rid of you am I?" Danny asked laced with amusement.
"SEALS don't know what "surrender" means, partner," Steve replied with a smile growing on his face. His anger apparently found a back seat to the fact that Danny was alive, he'd be okay and that he knew, their partnership was far from over.
"Ugh," Danny groaned. "Y'know one day we're both going to go out in an epic hail of bullets right?" Steve however adamantly shook his head and gently put a hand on his partner's good knee.
"Not goina happen Danno," he grinned. "You know why?"
"Enlighten me, Steven," Danny grunted.
"I'm too stupid to die and you're to smart to let me, thus we'll both live forever," Steve replied with a wickedly arrogant grin. Danny just stared at him for a good solid minute. Then the detective settled himself back into his pillows and blankets and a smile dared creep across his face as slumber attempted to take him yet again.
"W'need ground rules," Danny slurred. "Common ground so I don't have to try and quit every time you try and get yourself killed." Steve smiled, happy that Danny seemed willing to give it one more try; to give him one more chance.
"We'll discuss it on our honeymoon," he joked smugly. When Danny raised an eyebrow, Steve gave him a wink. "You'll be in therapy for a bit and Doc's won't clear you to stay at home alone for at least a few weeks after you're released. I said I'd take you in and the governor's given me a week off once you're out of here to get you settled." Danny's tired eyes opened briefly to give the man an incredulous raised eyebrow, a beat later and the look changed to one of acceptance.
"So y'know McGarrett," Danny smirked. "I promised Grace a big party for her birthday next week."
"And?" Steve shrugged. "We'll have it at mine." This time it was the detective's turn to smile knowingly and he nodded as much as his injured body would allow.
"Good… great, even better in fact," he chuckled as his eyes started to close. "So fifteen nine-year olds jacked up on sugar, with nail polish kits and glitter glue running around your house won't be a problem. Thanks PARTNER."
Steve twitched, HARD. He thought of all the places that glitter could permanently adhere itself to in his home and just how hard it was to get nail polish out of his rug.
"Daniel," Steve said slowly shuddering at the idea that those innocent little girls might want to "paint Uncle Steve's toenails." A request that he'd have to say yes to less he want to come off as some sort of monster towards the sweet terrifyingly manipulative little girls.
"Yeah babe?" Danny smirked despite being half asleep. Steve sat up taller, sucked up all his pride and with every ounce of sincerity he took his partner's hand and squeaked out;
"I think I want a divorce."
Danny finally went back to sleep after a dose of painkillers. Medicine that was needed to sooth the aggravation of his injuries due to Steve's comment making him laugh so hard he just couldn't stop no matter how much it hurt.
Later that evening, Steve too fell asleep in his designated hospital chair but not before texting Grace to let her know he couldn't wait for her party. Ohana was ohana after all and at this point, a pedicure by a gang of sparkly nine-year olds was well worth a partner, a friend and a brother who had saved his life in more ways than one.
The End
Thanks for reading everyone, hope you liked it!
Oz