Author's Note #1: After a few years of just snooping around on this website, I finally decided to publish my first own fanfiction. I got encouraged by all the brilliant writers here who bring me a lot of joy with their stories! I am currently working on a multi chapter one but this One Shot just popped up in my head.
Author's Note #2: A big 'Thank You' goes to my friend Devan and ReluctantSlashFan for helping me with spelling and grammar mistakes.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters in this story. No copyright infringement intended.
Hoaloha (A Friend in Need I)
Danny taps his foot. It is a habit he had picked up early in life. In second grade, to be exact. Everything had started out with the crush he had on Anna Alfieri, his cute classmate back in New Jersey. He had been so nervous to hold his presentation about the solar system in front of her and the entire class; he had just needed something to take his mind off. So the foot tapping had been born.
His mother did and still does hate it, along with his former teachers, siblings and friends. Even his superior with the Newark Police Department had pointed it out. Not to mention his partner, who gets driven crazy by the tapping on a daily basis.
Sighing heavily, Danny shifts in the black leather chair he's sitting in. "This can't be happening. This just can't be happening." He tries to withstand the urge to glance at the oval, modern looking clock on the wall right across from him, but it is a losing battle.
Looking up, he groans inwardly; 2:21pm. Exactly two minutes later than the last time he had gazed at it. Once again he begs the clock to either slow down or make the meeting finally come to an end. He would be fine with either outcome, as long as it gets him out of here ASAP!
Danny does not even notice that he is nervously drumming his pen on the expensive looking marble table until his partner elbows him in the arm and leans in closer, "Would you stop that!" McGarrett hisses quietly so as not to disturb Officer Hailama, who is engrossed in her speech about the latest Kevlar vest model. "Why the hell are you so jittery?"
Dropping the pen and running the hand through his blond hair, Danny bites his lips. "Grace's school play starts at 3 and I promised her I'd be there."
Steve turns slightly in his chair. "I thought that was tomorrow?" He whispers with a confused frown.
"It is. But today is the premiere and she asked me to come to that one instead. Of course I wasn't aware that this meeting would go on forever, and-"
"Gentleman," Officer Hailama interrupts. "I know I've been talking for a while now, but the information about the new police equipment is important. Especially for the members of Five-0, who seem to use up a large amount of said equipment. So please."
"Sorry," Danny and Steve apologize sheepishly, in unison. Officer Hailama gives them one last stern look before she goes on with her speech.
Going back to tapping his foot and pretending to listen to the things that are being said, Danny is thinking about how to apologize to his daughter. He feels bad. When she called him yesterday and explained that her teacher had given her more tickets for the premiere show, she had been so excited! Danny knew about the meeting he and Steve had to attend, but he did not think it would take over three hours to talk about all the new stuff provided by the HPD, the SWAT team, and Five-0. It is just his bad luck that the day before the new bulletproof vests, holsters, helmets, and printers had been delivered. "Yeah, because everyone is dying to know the history of printers…"
A sound, which sounds suspiciously like a groan, pulls Danny back into the present. He immediately notices that the focus of the people sitting around the table has shifted. At first, he thinks they are all staring at him and he panics momentarily. There is something unsettling on their faces, almost like worry. It is only when he turns his head to his partner to seek help when he realizes that everyone is looking at McGarrett.
Sitting at the table with his head buried in his hands, Steve does not look like his usual bad ass self. Danny just blinks in utter confusion, unable to process what is happening and what he obviously missed.
"Commander McGarrett, are you alright?" Officer Hailama asks worriedly as she tilts her head to the side.
Steve drops his shaky hands and swallows thickly. "I'm sorry," he mumbles hoarsely, and briefly closes his eyes. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he takes some deep breaths. "I don't feel so good."
That statements brings Danny out of his daze instantly and he pushes his chair back. Scooting closer to his partner, he squeezes his forearm. "Steve, buddy, what's wrong?" He asks in a low voice, bending down to be on eye level with McGarrett's slouched form.
Blinking his eyes, Steve focuses on Danny. "Headache. I need some fresh air," he rasps out and attempts to stand up. People jerk forward in shock when the man's knees buckle and he almost ends up in a heap on the floor.
"Steve, babe, take it easy!" Danny shouts in surprise and grips McGarrett's arm to keep him from falling. He blends out the now nervous chattering of the other people in the room. His entire focus is fixed on his friend who is leaning heavily against the table.
Accepting a cool bottle of water from the new captain of the SWAT team, Danny quickly cracks the lid open and presses it in Steve's hand. "Here, drink something. Slowly," he stresses.
"Maybe you should sit back down, Commander," Suzy Lemay, secretary with HPD, suggests.
Shaking his head, Steve straightens up to his full height. "I'll be fine," he breathes out, but grips Danny's arm to keep from swaying. "Just a little dizzy…" The crowd gasps when Steve's eyelids begin to flutter and it seems like he is about to pass out.
Danny tightens his grip on his partner's arm. "Hey, hey, Steve!"
"I'll call an ambulance," Officer Hailama decides and pulls out her phone.
McGarrett, whose eyes are squeezed shut tightly, softly shakes his head. "No, please. It's just a migraine. I get them every once in a while."
Hailama hesitates a moment but eventually puts her phone back down.
Danny observes his partner's rapid swallowing and trembling body with concern. His forehead is lined with obvious pain and discomfort. Gently rubbing a hand up and down his back, Danny tries to help him ride out the apparent agony.
Grabbing his head with a stifled moan, Steve turns to Danny and opens his blue eyes slightly. "Get me out of here. Please…" He pleads.
"Yeah, sure. Of course," Danny agrees hastily, helping his friend stay on his feet. McGarrett sways slightly once he lets go of the table, but remains upright thanks to the tight grip Danny has on his arm.
"I'm sorry about that…" Steve apologizes to the people in the room as he shuffles, or more like stumbles, toward the door. But Officer Hailama just shakes her head, "Don't worry about it, Commander. Get better soon." McGarrett smiles wearily at her.
Danny carefully maneuvers his unsteady partner through the exit, which is held open by Captain Naihe. Nodding his thanks to the tall man, Danny adjusts the hold he has on Steve. While his left hand encircles the former SEAL's wrist, his right one rests on the small of his back.
Once the door to the meeting room falls close behind them, Danny nods to the restroom. "Do you feel sick? Do you need the bathroom before we leave?"
McGarrett cranes his neck to glance over his shoulder.
"Steve, hey. Bathroom?" He repeats when Steve does not answer him right away.
But McGarrett only begins to grin and shakes off Danny's helping hands. "Nope," he says and throws one more look over his left shoulder. "You ready to get outta here?"
Danny just blinks at Steve in utter confusion. He opens his mouth, closes it again and repeats the whole thing until he is able to blurt out a short: "What?"
Steve crosses his arms over his chest and smiles smugly. It is then when Danny's brain catches up with what his partner just did.
"You're an idiot!" He shouts and slaps McGarrett's arm. "Do you realize that Hailama almost called an ambulance?!"
Rubbing the spot his partner had just hit, Steve continues to grin. "Come on, Danno. I had everything under control."
Grumbling something intelligibility under his breath, Danny rubs his chin. He exhales slowly. Eventually, his frustration leaves and he runs his tongue over his lips. "Okay, you goof, every other day I would punch you square in the face for pulling that little stunt in there, but Grace's play starts in 25 minutes. So, let's go!"
If possible, McGarrett's grin gets even wider and he pulls the Camaro's keys out of his pocket.
"Maybe they need someone to play a tree or a daisy at the school play. You would qualify with your acting skills," the detective mutters with a shake of his head as they exit the building.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Steve laughs as he unlocks the car and slides behind the wheel.
The End