a/n: So, this is the SEQUEL to "Hey, Sugar". This can definitely be construed as Pre-Slash, more so than the last fic, also flirting and innuendo, and a deep comfort and security with each other physically. I swear, the more I'm writing this, the more messed up it seems to get, but I can't seem to stop.

Summary: This is the morning-after the Clown shoot-up.

HAWAII . 5 - 0

A Sprinkle of Sugar:
(The Morning-After)

Danny always loved the feel of that comfortable, warm weight on his chest in the mornings. It made him know right away that he wasn't alone and that he was loved.

He petted the dark, short head of hair on his chest, his eyes closed in comfort and contentment. "Who could have predicted that the hard, immovable Steve stick-in-the-mud McGarrett would be a complete cuddle-monster?—and the little-spoon no less." He mused quietly.

"Only you know how to unmake me, Danno." Came Steve's sleep-rough voice.

"Yeah," Danny sniggered. "Buy a doll called 'Steven,' put him in your bed, and tell you I slept with him—and it put you into a violent jealous-rage, didn't it?"

Steve rolled his eyes behind closed lids; he'd own it. "You're my Danno, not that clown's." He tightened his arm slung over the blond's waist, and justifiably nuzzled at his chest.

Danny grinned to himself. "Oh, so it's the best-friend title you're after?"

"I already have it," he proclaimed, "I took out the competition. It's mine."

"This is not Animal Planet, babe."

"This is my island." He growled possessively. "New rule: You can only have one best-friend named Steven. Me."

"Oh, so now there are rules?" he intoned in amused wonder. "Ok, ok. And are there any other rules I should be made aware of? For, you know, future reference."

Somehow, Danny could feel Steve's grin through his shirt and the detective knew for sure that he wasn't going to be happy with what the other man was about to say.

"Pineapple and ham—"

That was sacrilege to his New Jersey ears! Steve knew how that always riled him up. The only things a pizza should be was mutz, sauce and dough, and maybe pepperoni if you were feeling adventurous. "Alright, I'm outta here! I can't hear another word out of your pretty mouth, McGarrett. Not even this memory-foam mattress or your surprisingly warm cuddles can make me stay!" His muscles bunched as he made to push Steve off him and get out of his damn amazing bed, "This platonic bed-partnership is over."

But Steve refused to budge and acted accordingly. He became dead-weight, all 210 lbs. of him. And hung-up on the shorter man the way he was, it was more than enough to prevent the other man from leaving.

"Steven," Danny grunted.

"I won't bring it up again," he solemnly swore. "So just shut up and lay back down, Danny."

"No need to be so polite about it," Danny grumped, but he relaxed back into the bed without further fight, and Steve phased back into a comforting weight on his chest rather than a crushing one as he resettled on his partner's chest. "I always thought that you got up at the crack-ass of dawn—I mean, after you plugged into a conveniently located outlet for the night."

"You're my outlet, Danny." Steve snorted. "And contrary to your belief and knowledge, Superman does need sleep."

"Oh-no, don't back out on me now." Danny protested playfully, "Your real-boy was just getting his nerd-years in."

"Don't start that up again." Steve complained. "We were just having a nice, platonic cuddle between partners and you had to bring that up. First thing when we get up, I'm lighting the grill... and it's not going to be for steaks."

"Poor 'Steven!'" Danny lamented at the mention of a funeral-roast. He turned his head on the pillow to look out into the hall, but he was unable to see the broken clown. He sighed sadly, "He lived a long, uneventful life on the shelf and I hardly had him for the weekend." His fingers lightly traced the SEALS ear playfully, "He just wanted to whisper sweet-nothings to you, Steve."

Steve flicked the man's hand away from his ear, but was content when Danny went back to petting and playing with his hair. "You're lucky all I did was shoot it," he replied seriously.

"What else could you have done?" Danny wondered allowed.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked in a deadly tone.

Danny paused. "No, no. I want to keep as much fond memories of 'Steven' as I can before his brutal murder."

"As far as I was concerned," he answered readily to the accusation, "There was an intruder in my house. Some clown-faced Goldilocks assaulting my bed," his tone was reasonable, "And I was just acting appropriately to the home invasion, officer."

"Wow." Danny voiced. "Just: wow. You made that sound very real and believable—if in an insane sort of way. It makes me reasonably concerned with you sometimes—because you truly have to be insane, certifiable, to say these things with a straight-face, Steve."

"Me, Danny?" Steve was forced to raise his head from his very comfortable spot on Danny's chest with the man's strong and never wavering heartbeat in his ear, to give him a bland look. "You bought the Clown Chucky prequel doll—willingly. Called it 'Steven.' Slept with it. Then tucked it into my bed after breaking into my house—but oh, no, not before you reprogrammed its voice box to say 'sweet-nothings' (your own words) at me—and you're calling me certifiable?" he raised a brow and waited.

Danny did not disappoint. "I will have you know," he replied in his haughty voice, "It wasn't as easy as you think it would be. I have to cut him open, and dig around in his body for the thing—he looked at me the whole time! It cut into my bedtime, Steve, my bedtime!"

"Yes, I know how you love your beauty sleep, Danno." Steve rolled his eyes. "That still doesn't explain how you think you can explain yourself away?"

"Anyway," Danny completely barrelled over his concern and continued on with his issue about the situation, "I finally get the thing reprogrammed, and the first thing you do? Shoot him—in true McGarrett fashion. Shoot first, ask questions later!"

"You think I was going to stop and ask questions?" Steve shook his head incredulously. "And you're saying all of this as if I didn't do the world—and you—a favour? And I'm not even asking for anything in return—just doing my civil service."

"Oh, how honourable of you." He said with sarcastic sympathy. "What a hero!"

"It's a doll, Danno." Steve said sharply. "It's not a real 'person' or live thing. You need to let it go."

"I know it's not a live thing, Steve." Danny rolled his eyes and said with sincerity. "That doesn't mean it hasn't been fun screwing with you!" he laughed. "You're just so easy sometimes! You know that? And I got you into bed, too!"

Steve started to give his partner the famous thousand-yard-stare.

"Alright, Steve." Danny relented, holding up his hands briefly. "Once we have 'Steven's' funeral, I'll be able to process through my grief properly—as opposed to his corpse rotting out there in the hallway..." he couldn't help the one-last tease.

Steve was giving him the aneurysm-face now and Danny finally gave into the Reserves SEAL—a very rare occasion indeed—before the man actually hurt himself.

"Okay, calm down, babe," Danny soothed, petting the man's head briefly before he started to apply a lightly pressure to push his head back down again, "Before your eyes go bloodshot. I'm done. I promise on Gracie. You know I don't say that lightly,"

Steve's face relaxed and he finally followed the pressure of Danny's gentle palm, and rested his head back on his partner's barrel-chest. He let out a sigh as he resettled.

"There you go," Danny whispered, his hand smoothing down and he gently squeezed the back of Steve's neck.

"I'm going to send that thing passed hell and straight into purgatory for good," Steve muttered into his shirt. "I think I'll use that sugar bomb I recreated from that perp."

"Don't you think that's a little overboard?"

"No." Like always, he had to have the last word, and this one was final.

Daniel chuckled lightly, burying his nose and his smile in his partner's hair.

f

HAWAII . 5 - 0

I told you it was getting more crazy the more I wrote! So apparently Danny and Steve are very comfortable with each other physically in this, sorry if that makes them seem OOC as there was no freaking out. I thought about adding another scene of the actual 'funeral' for 'Steven' but I thought it was a better ending for me to end it here. Originally, this was going to be all Slash where they actually crossed the line, but it was just some platonic bedfellows cuddling, which is just as great I think. Please review and check out the SEQUEL:

"A Bag Full of Sugar"

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