I'm Sorry

Zebraboymom

Disclaimer: They are not mine.

Author Notes: A one-shot post-ep for Ma'ema'e. I mean would it have hurt for him to turn around after decking Friar and hugged her or at least exchanged a look that said I'm glad you're okay? Did you guys catch the way he shook out his hand after he hit him though? He put everything into that punch.

Kono stood in the shower trying to wash away the filth she felt all over her body. It made her shudder to think about everything that had happened that day. She had driven a dead guy around, had handcuffs put on her by her own team, been interrogated by one of the men she always expected to have her back and she had been shot in the line of duty. She couldn't stop the tears that started welling up in her eyes or the broken sobs that fell from her lips. She couldn't get rid of the images of Steve's face when he looked at her in that interrogation room. He was so angry with her. It hurt to have him look at her like a criminal. She looked up to him so much and the look of disgrace had almost broken her. She knew he cared about her though when he told her she didn't have to do it and later when he punched Friar in the face.

Kono hissed as the water hit her right arm. The stitches still stung and she had no idea how she was going to redress it. It had only been a graze, but it needed seven stitches to close it. Steve had paced back and forth while they were stitching her up. He watched from under hooded lids and his body language screamed that he wanted to do something every time she made a sound that showed how much pain she was in. She could tell he felt powerless.

"Boss, it's no big deal...just a scratch."

"Shut up Kono. Don't even try to make this better."

Kono clammed up then and refused to say anything else. She brushed past Steve and left the hospital. Chin drove her home and tried to stay with her, but she wouldn't let him. She just wanted to be alone. After doing her best to protect the team, she didn't need more reprimands from him or Steve.

The warm water was making her sore arm turn bright red, so she turned off the water and stepped out of the tub. Wrapping a towel around her body, she went to the kitchen table where she had set up the new dressings and disinfectant to clean the wound. Just as she started to sit down, there was a knock at the door.

"Dammit Chin. I told you I want to be left alone."

She ripped the front door open to find Steve leaning one hand against the wall by her door. His eyes had been fixed on his feet, but they flew up to take in both Kono and her attire. His eyebrows went up in shock and Kono couldn't stop the blush from rising to her cheeks.

"Boss, what are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you and…"

His eyes went to her wound, clearly visible now. He stepped through the door without even asking permission and his hands wrapped around her arm just below the angry gash. He hadn't been able to look at it in the hospital, but now he could see just what the day had cost her. She would have a scar. Kono tried to brush it off.

"Like I said in the hospital. It's just a scratch."

"Like hell it is."

He held her arm so gently while he examined it. Kono started to feel awkward. She was standing in front of her very masculine boss in practically nothing and he was touching her. His eyes slid from the wound to her face and she was stunned by what she saw. His eyes were watery and his look was so tender.

Steve's eyes spotted the table and he gently guided her over to sit down.

"Come here. Let me dress it for you. There's no way you can do it properly with one hand."

Kono sat down as he laid her arm gently on the table and unscrewed the cap to the antibiotic cream. He squirted some on the line of stitches and with one finger gently started to rub it in. Kono tried to stay still, but she sucked in her breath when he hit a tender spot. He stilled instantly and looked up into her face. Reaching with his other hand, he brushed her hair behind her ear. He cupped her chin to raise her eyes to his.

"You tell me if I hurt you again okay?"

She could only nod. She had seen this gentle side of Steve directed to victims, but she had never been on the receiving end of it before. Her eyes started to tear up again and Steve's face became more concerned.

"I am hurting you."

"No. No, it's fine. Keep going."

Steve placed the bandage over the stitches and then began to wrap the gauze around her arm to hold it in place. The feeling of his hands sliding around her arm as he wrapped it and then tied it off mesmerized Kono. When he was done he held her arm for a few seconds and then slid his hands down to her hand. He held it up to his lips and placed a tender kiss across her knuckles. It was then that she saw his hand and the raw knuckles. They were swollen and there were a couple of tears in the skin.

She flipped her hand over and held his hand up for examination.

"Okay, now it's your turn."

She went to the freezer and got out an ice bag. She crunched it up and put it in a towel, then laid it across Steve's hand on the counter. She tore open a wipe and then removed the bag long enough to clean away the blood and examine them closely. Now it was Steve's turn to hiss as she pressed each of the knuckles to see how bad they were.

Kono's eyes flew up to his and she blinked away the wetness in them again. She put cream on the two that were split open and them wrapped the hand up the same way he had hers. When she was done she held his injured hand up to her cheek and smiled at him.

"Thanks for defending my honor."

Steve let out a sigh and then smiled back at her.

"It's the least I could do, but you ever do anything like this again without telling me and I will kill you myself Kono. I don't want to lose you. I won't lose you."

The tension was so strong in the room. Kono held onto the towel afraid it would suddenly fall off her body.

"Um. I'm going to just slip some pajamas on, okay?"

Steve grinned at her then.

"Yeah, I'll wait."

He couldn't resist getting a chance to check out her night wear.

As his eyes followed her retreating towel clad body, Kono slipped into her bedroom and Steve walked around the living room. It gave him a window into his rookie's life. There were lots of pictures of surfing events. There were several pictures of the Five-0 Team clowning around and trophies from her competitions. She had some Hawaiian art pieces and some homemade items that must have been heirlooms. Her music collection intrigued him. He spun around when he heard Kono's voice.

"Find out what you wanted to know McGarrett?"

Kono was dressed in the cutest set of sleep shorts Steve had ever seen. Her hair shone where she had brushed it and he thought she looked so pretty even without any make up on. What a natural beauty. Since when did he start noticing his rookie was a woman? Today she had proved herself as a cop. He had to say that she did a fantastic job and he couldn't exactly call her a rookie anymore. He would have moved heaven and earth for her. The fact that she was willing to risk her life for him and the team showed just how much she cared about all of them. He felt the same way about her and when he saw her standing there in the doorway he wanted to hold her with every fiber of his being. He crossed the floor in three strides and took her into his warm embrace. She tensed up at first and then he felt her relax in his arms and return the hug. He couldn't stop himself from tearing up just a bit.

"Kono…"

"Steve I…"

Kono tilted her head up and Steve bent his to capture her lips. It was a barely there kiss. When Steve released her from the kiss he looked down and watched her lashes flutter and then lift. She looked up at him and they both searched the other's face to see if there was any hesitation of any kind.

Steve ran his hands up into her hair and her hands slipped up to his neck. Once again their lips met. It was soft and tender and sweet. Steve cupped her face in both hands and put everything he had into this kiss. He was so bad at talking, but much better at action. Before he knew it the kiss went deeper. He was losing himself in this slip of a woman who was so tough and beautiful. He wrapped his arms back around her and pulled her as close as he could get her. As much as he didn't want to, he had to stop. They needed to slow things down and be sure they both wanted this. Steve gently disentangled himself from her.

"I, uh, I should go."

Kono tried to pull herself together and get control of her emotions. He was right. Of course he was right.

"Yeah, yeah, of course you do. It will be an early day tomorrow with all this paperwork."

"Right. I, uh, thanks for the bandages and the ice. I'm really glad you're okay Kono and I can't wait to have you back with the team."

Kono rushed back over to the fridge and pulled out another ice pack. She quickly wrapped it up in a towel and brought it to him. She reached for his hand and draped the ice bag back over the swollen knuckles. She held onto his hand for a minute and they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Yeah, I should definitely go."

"Definitely. So I'll see you tomorrow."

"It's a date. I mean I'll see you too."

"Right."

Steve couldn't take his eyes off those cute pajamas. Kono couldn't take her eyes off those gorgeous eyes. They locked eyes again and Steve tossed the ice bag on the counter.

"Oh, the hell with it."

They were back in each other's arms in a split second. Nobody was going anywhere.