Title: You're My Wonderwall
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: Thanks to those who commented on my last piece. I missed these two again, and the whole gang really, so I wanted to post something else. I don't really know what I was attempting when I wrote this and it got away from me and I don't really know if there's a point? There's some McKono and lots of Chin/Kono cause I miss the cousins too. Lyrics from the song Wonderwall by Oasis.
Just a quick reminder this fits into my AU pre-s2 happy McKono universe. In this piece, Steve and Kono are dating but aren't living together yet.
"Hey, Steve, just wanted to let you know Kono's fine and asleep."
"What?" Steve questions as he answers the phone and responds to Chin Ho's voice. "What are you talking about?"
"Did she not call?" Chin asks, a second of rare hesitation in his voice at hearing Steve's confusion over the line.
"No," Steve says slowly, looking up at the clock in his workout room. It's well into the evening and he hasn't seen her since she left headquarters. She mentioned she promised some friends she'd meet them for dinner. "Haven't seen her since we left work."
"Oh. Alright."
"Chin, what's going on?" Steve says anxiously, moving away from the machine to grab his towel.
"Well, she got into a little car accident-"
"What? Is she okay?" He's already heading up the stairs for a quick shower to head over there, or wherever Kono may be once he gets that information from Chin.
"Yeah, yeah, I got her from the hospital. A gash on her forehead from the dashboard and a sprained wrist. Probably a good idea for her to take tomorrow off though. I'm sure she's bruised and hurting everywhere even if she denies it."
"Yeah, of course." Steve nods even as he realizes he's on the phone and Chin can't see him. "I'll come right over."
"Actually, she's already asleep," Chin informs him with a hint of apology in his tone. "Malia's having her sleep here to watch her overnight. Potential head injury and all."
"Oh." Steve fights back the rush of disappointment, telling himself Malia is a doctor, and a relative after all, and there's no point in going over and disturbing Chin and his family if Kono's already down for the night. "That's good. Who was in the other car?"
"Bunch of stupid kids who wanted to get through a red light. Got them for reckless driving," Chin says firmly, anger lacing his words along with hidden humor at how Kono wanted to cuff the idiot teenagers and throw them into interrogation for a few hours.
"Good," Steve says forcefully. "Well, I..."
"I'll see you tomorrow," Chin says, wrapping up the conversation. "Night."
He hangs up and Steve returns to his workout since he realizes he has nowhere else to go.
Steve knocks on her front door quietly, not wanting to disturb her in case she's resting. He wonders if he should have called first, but before he can reach for the phone in his pocket, the door's opening and he's greeted by the one and only Diana Kalakaua, Kono's mother.
"Commander McGarrett," she says with a smile as she greets him.
"Um, Steve," he says hesitantly, wondering whether he should step inside or not. "You can call me Steve, Mrs. Kalakaua."
"Right. Steve," she repeats with a fond smile at the Commander's unusual display of hesitancy. She does call him Steve; he's the one who calls her Mrs. Kalakaua. "Come on in." She turns back inside and allows Steve to close the door behind him before he follows her to the kitchen, glancing around the empty living room and peering at Kono's closed room door as he walks by. "I'd say excuse the mess, but I'm sure you're used to it by now."
Steve flashes her a grin at that. "It's okay. Is Kono asleep?"
Diana nods at him. "Yes, I made her rest because I know she'll be wanting to go back to work sooner rather than later. You'll make sure she's ready before being back in the field?" Her face is stern as she observes Steve after asking her question, and Steve knows there's only one right answer she's looking for: yes, ma'am.
Steve nods, and decides it's best not to mention how quickly the team manages to bounce back from little injuries like car crashes or gunshot wounds, and are in the field before receiving the official doctor's note. It doesn't seem like the right thing to mention to Kono's mother. "Yes, of course, ma'am."
"Good," she says with a relieved smile at him. "So, how are you doing?"
He startled at the question as if he doesn't hear it often, but nods again as he formulates an answer. "Me? I'm fine."
Diana smiles at him faintly as she empties some steaming soup from a pot on the stove into a bowl. "Did you eat dinner? It's almost seven thirty."
"Oh, no, you don't have to do that," Steve says to her even as she grabs him a spoon and sets the bowl in front of him. "Since she's asleep, I'll go."
"Don't be silly. It's my chicken soup recipe, you must have some," she urges with a nod and Steve feels like he'd be defying a direct order if he disobeys her now. "Your partner, Daniel, stopped by today too."
"He did? When?" Steve asks in surprise. They'd been busy all day with wrapping up a bank robbery case and tracking down all associates involved. He and Danny only finished an hour ago after Chin and Charlie confirmed fingerprints of all the arrested suspects involved from the HPD lab. His partner hadn't mentioned anything about finding the time to visit Kono, especially not before he did. Way to make him look bad in front of his girlfriend's mother, that bastard.
"He stopped by this morning with a bag of coco puffs for Kono."
"Of course he did," Steve mutters, and wishes he hadn't come empty handed. What was he supposed to bring, a get well card and a balloon?
"His daughter's grown so much. She'll be what, thirteen this year?"
"Yeah." Steve nods as he finishes the last of his soup. "I can't believe it either."
"They grow up fast," Diana comments in that way people do but only mothers truly understand. "I'll get you another bowl." She grabs it from him before he can argue. "Come on, my daughter had two helpings. I know you can too."
Steve takes the bowl from her again with a thankful smile. "Thanks. Too bad Kono can't cook like this."
Diana lets out a laugh at that, and Steve catches a flash of dimples mirroring the ones Kono has. "No, no, she was too busy at the beach to listen when I told her cooking would be a lifelong skill and some handsome man would appreciate it one day. Not to mention save her a fortune in takeout expenses."
"I still appreciate her though," Steve blurts out, hoping his comment wasn't interpreted the wrong way. "I mean, I don't want you to think-"
"I know that," Diana says with a fond smile. "I can see that."
Steve finishes his second bowl in silence as Diana wipes down the countertops, tidying up Kono's kitchen as she goes.
"Thank you. It was really good," he says as he approaches her side, reaching to grab the sponge and wash his dishes before placing them in the rack to dry. "Just, can you let Kono know I stopped by?"
"Of course." Diana nods as she observes him with careful consideration. "She's fine, you don't have to look so worried."
Steve only nods as he turns and leaves, not letting himself linger in front of Kono's bedroom door in case he may be tempted to enter.
"Steve, hey, were you asleep?"
"No," he answers quickly. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Kono answers brightly. "But I took a nap this afternoon and now I can't fall asleep. Are you sure you weren't asleep?"
"No, no." But he muffles a yawn as he hears her chuckle over the phone. "I'm up."
"Sorry," she whispers.
"Why are you whispering?" he asks in confusion as he questions her from his own bedroom in a normal tone of voice.
"My mom's asleep in the living room," she explains. "I feel like I'm fifteen again and talking on the phone with a boy I'm not supposed to."
Steve smirks at that. "Why wouldn't you have been allowed to talk to me?"
"Are you kidding me? All those tattoos. My dad hates guns, but he would bought one to keep you away from me," Kono teases. She cuts him off before he can say anything back. "My mom said you stopped by. Sorry I wasn't up."
"It's okay," he says casually, like it was no big deal even though he had missed her. "I'll come by tomorrow."
Kono answers her door on the first knock, almost like she's been waiting for his arrival all afternoon. She launches herself into his arms before the door's swung all the way open.
"Steve." She smiles into the crook of his neck, and feels his body tense for a second before he relaxes and wraps his arms around her. Sometimes her sudden affection catches him off guard, but what surprises him more is the overwhelming need to be affectionate in return.
The idea that he can touch her now whenever he wants still makes him pause with hesitation at times. This is still relatively new, them taking a chance and admitting their feelings to each other, much less to everyone around them. The need to feel her skin against him was a desire he fought before they officially got together, but now the touch is just as much a comfort as a rush, knowing she's there and reassuring himself of her presence.
"Hey." His hands are warm as they trail down her arms, pushing her a step back to look at her as he enters the living room. "Nice bruises."
"Thanks," she says with a proud smile, as she shows him her left arm and waves her wrist brace at him. "I have to wear it for a week though. Sucks."
"How's the head?" he asks, peering into her hair at the bandage near her hairline as if he can see through it to assess the damage.
"I'm hard-headed as ever, according to Chin. It's fine. I'm fine." She leans up to kiss him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she presses into him, her weight a friendly welcome as he pulls her close. Her lips are warm and he recognizes the feel of them immediately as he kisses her back, realizing it's been days since he kissed her and that suddenly feels like it's been days too long. "Hi," she murmurs after she breaks the kiss, her eyes twinkling as she gasps for breath.
"Hey." He lets her pull him to the couch, watching as she curls into his side without a beat. "Are you coming to work tomorrow?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, is this a professional visit from the boss? Should I not have kissed you?" Kono jokes, pretending to move away from him but Steve grabs at her other arm to keep her in place.
"No, I meant..." He wants to say it but suddenly the words are too much and he swallows because they seem stuck in his throat. They've only been doing this a couple months, been an actual couple, and he struggles with knowing what is the right thing to say, if the timing is too soon; he only hopes she can put up with his inability to navigate a relationship. He's in his element navigating a submarine, but here, he's stumbling over words and praying he's on the right path because no one's provided him a detailed map.
Kono is his only constant.
"Danny's not as pretty as me to look at from across the smart table?" Kono quips with a small smile and he shrugs because she understands, even when he can't say the words out loud.
Maybe she has a navigation map on how to learn him.
"Yeah," Steve answers with a nod as he pulls her into his lap, fingers tracing the bruises along the outside of her arm with the same concentration and detail she traces his tattoos in bed.
"I'll come in tomorrow to help with computer stuff," she promises as she leans into him, kissing him slowly as she twists her body to meet his. Her mouth opens as he deepens the kiss, and he fights back a groan at how quickly she sets his senses on fire. Whether it's the way her fingertips dance across the nape of his neck, or her small body aligning perfectly into his broad chest, his hands come up to caress her face as she breaks the kiss and stares at him with a pleased smile.
"So, you missed me, huh?" But she doesn't wait for his response as she leans in to kiss him again. She already knows the answer.
"Where's the boss man?" Danny asks Kono as he steps into her office, interrupting her conversation with Chin unapologetically.
"I don't know," Kono answers. "I don't keep track of him twenty four hours a day, you know."
"Well, you should," Danny says as he reaches for his phone and hits speed dial to call his absent partner. "He could really do some damage if we don't keep an eye on his location at all times. Hey, babe, where you at? Max wants us." He listens to Steve speak for exactly five seconds before interrupting him with a wave of his hand that Steve can't see but Kono and Chin certainly can. "Why are you going to Kono's place? She's here."
Kono looks at Danny in surprise. "Why's he going there?"
Danny shushes her as he listens to Steve, then answers Kono's question. "He said you said you were coming into work today and since your car's at the garage, he was gonna give you a ride."
"Oh. Chin picked me up," she informs him as she exchanges a look with Chin.
"Hey, Steve, she got a ride with Chin. I don't know why she didn't tell you, why don't you ask her after we get back from Max's? And let's take this opportunity to drive separately, I'll meet you there," Danny says as he ends the conversation and turns to Kono with a stern expression. "That is what I call a failure to communicate, my friend. We may have to deal with a pissed off SEAL all day. But I get to drive my own car and listen to my own music and not worry about colliding with a telephone pole, so thank you. Chin, you wanna tag along?"
"Sorry," Chin says to her as he gets up to follow Danny out of her office. "I didn't know he was going to pick you up."
"No, I didn't either, it's fine," Kono says with a smile. "I'm gonna finish these files and pull the records for the drug case while you guys are out. Call if you need anything else."
Chin nods but still looks thoughtful as he leaves the room.
"Hey," Steve says as Chin walks into his office later that afternoon. "Great call on the sister and the second ID card."
Chin smiles modestly at the praise. "That almost slipped by me on a case at HPD fifteen years ago, so now I know to always check."
Steve nods as he closes the filing cabinet drawer to join the other man in front of his desk. "You're right. People do crazy shit when it comes to wills."
"Hey, sorry about this morning," Chin begins. "Kono didn't mention you'd be picking her up so I offered her a ride."
Steve's shoulders seem to tense just the slightest bit but he shrugs casually at the words. "No, it's fine. I thought I'd swing by. I should have called."
"And I'm sorry about the hospital. I didn't mean to make you feel- I didn't-" Steve stares at Chin in surprise because it's not often that the man fumbles over his sentences; he's always prepared with what he wants to say and in the perfect order of words he wants to say it. "I'd be pissed if someone knew Malia was in an accident before I did. But Kono, she doesn't really think of that stuff with me."
Steve nods at Chin's words. "I know, it's not a big deal."
"Kono and I, we... she needed me when she couldn't count on anyone else," Chin explains. "Both her brothers are older, and her dad was basically a drunk for most her life. She came home with a busted knee from her surf tour and I was the only one she'd talk to. I think she just forgets you're here for her now too."
"It's fine, Chin. Really," Steve says, not a trace of animosity in his voice. "I get it." And he does.
He doesn't feel jealousy or resentment at all toward the other man. It's just a fact to them all: there's Chin and there's Kono. More often than not, they're in sync and together. Steve picked up on that when he was first introduced to Kono on the beach that fateful day. He's never questioned it. The man has as unique and permanent role in her life; Steve is simply trying to find his own place.
"I know you do. And I get that you're in her life now. I'm happy about that, you're good for each other. I'm not trying to step on your toes or anything," Chin says with a small shrug and Steve marvels that he's never seen the usually calm and cool detective as uncomfortable as he is right now.
"It's fine, really," Steve assures the older man with a kind smile. "You have nothing to apologize for. I get it."
Chin's posture relaxes with relief as his gaze goes to Steve's office door. "Speak of the devil..."
"Were you guys talking about me?" Kono asks suspiciously as she half enters the office, leaning against the open glass door as she eyes them curiously.
"So vain," Chin comments with a low chuckle as he shakes his head at her, exchanging a quick smile with Steve.
Kono still looks between them curiously, but decides to let it slide. "Hey, who wants to get dinner with me and Danny? He's paying."
"No, I'm not," Danny calls out as he walks by the open door to his own office.
"Okay, I lied. But please come," Kono says as she looks from one man to another.
"Can't. I'm meeting Malia and the boys for the pre-school open house," Chin says as he walks by her for the door. "Make Steve drive you around, you complain I go too slow anyway."
"You do!" she calls after him then turns back to Steve for his answer. "So, dinner? Say yes."
"Sure," Steve replies and receives her smile as his reward.
"Are you going to walk me to my door?" she questions playfully, as he follows her up the small path to her porch and watches her unlock the front door. "Hoping I'll invite you in?"
Steve follows her into the house, smiling as she takes his hand to lead him into her bedroom without pause despite her teasing. "Well, if you whispering the things you did in my ear at dinner wasn't an invitation, I don't know what is."
"Nah, I said the same stuff to Danny while you were in the bathroom."
"Kono." She only laughs as he makes a face. "That's gross."
"Oh, so you want to leave then?" But she's already wrapping her arms around him to brush a light kiss across his lips, once, twice, three times before he growls and cups the back of her head to keep her in place. She kisses him hungrily, her lips moving back and forth over his until she breaks for air, her eyes dark with arousal as they twinkle with amusement. "I can show you the way out."
"No," Steve mumbles as he kisses her again, his arms looping around her slim waist to pull her toward him. The front of their jeans brush blatantly against each other's bodies; Steve smirks at her moan. "I'll stay."
"Hungry?"
She turns from the counter, her hand flying to her chest as she stares at him in surprise. "God! Steve, don't do that!"
"Sorry," he apologizes, but he smirks as he approaches her in the kitchen, grabbing a few chips from the bag she'd opened as a midnight snack.
"No, you're not," Kono remarks but she hops onto the counter and offers him the bag. "You love sneaking up on me."
"Then start expecting it and you won't be so surprised," Steve says and watches her shake her head as she dismisses his offer, her small shoulders barely visible under his t-shirt she'd slipped on. "You feeling okay?"
"You mean despite the strenuous activity we engaged in and not following doctor's orders?" Kono asks him innocently. He only smirks again. "I'm fine."
"Can I ask you something?" Steve asks after a minute of silence. Kono nods at him in the midnight darkness, the only light in the kitchen from the streetlights. "How come you didn't call me?"
"Call you when?" she asks in confusion, watching him lean against the counter as he turns his attention to her. She tells herself to ignore the play of the muscles on his back and the way the moonlight trails down his spine to the waistband of his boxers and to focus her attention on his words.
"From the hospital. Or after the accident, or wherever," Steve asks quietly. The darkness is giving him some comfort to express himself than the exposing beams of morning light would.
Kono's silent for a few long moments before she speaks. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't wanna worry you. It wasn't a big deal."
"I know," Steve says. "I just... never mind, forget it." He turns to open the fridge and grab a bottle of water, ready to go back to bed and forget he's even brought it up. But she's at his side in an instant and he sees the thoughtful expression illuminated on her face by the refrigerator light that fills the room before the kitchen goes dark once more.
"Sorry." Her voice contains the hint of apology. She he hadn't thought about her actions then, but she's thinking about them now. "I just... I've always called Chin."
"I get it, Kono, you don't have to explain." He touches her shoulder once in reassurance as he brushes by her in the dark to head back to her bedroom. He hears her footsteps a mere second behind him as he slides into bed.
She's quiet as she gets back under the covers, but she rolls onto her side so she's draped over him. She props herself up on one elbow, waiting for him to meet her eyes. Then, she begins to speak.
"When I was nine, my surf class got cancelled and my coach let everyone call their parents to get picked up early. And... my mom was at work and my dad was drunk and couldn't drive, and my brothers were at practice and... I had to wait there four hours until I finally remembered Chin's number." Her voice is barely above a whisper as she tells the story, eyes dark as if she's looking back in time at the memory, feeling the panic of a little girl who had no one to come pick her up.
Steve turns on his side to face her, his hand running up and down her bruised arm as Kono settles back on the pillow, her face inches away from his as she struggles to maintain eye contact. She doesn't touch him, still lost in the story but her body turns toward his instinctively for the comfort he provides.
"I hadn't seen Chin much, only at family stuff, but he always made me and my cousins memorize his phone number as an emergency contact. You know, he was a detective, said we should have it. So, I called him. He left work to pick me up, took me to lunch and to the beach... so from then on, I don't think, I just call Chin."
"I'm sorry," Steve whispers into the dark, his hand still rubbing soothingly at her arm as if he can urge the memory to leave her system. Maybe he can stop it from haunting her and making her eyes look so bleak and lonely, like she's eleven again and has no one to count on. "Shit. I'm sorry."
Kono smiles at him softly, shaking her head at his apology, finally resting her arms on his bare chest. She inches closer to him and lets him drop a kiss near the bandage on her forehead. "It's okay," she says softly. "I'm sorry I didn't call."
"It's fine," he says quickly.
"We've only been doing this a couple months, you know," she begins hesitantly, "and I thought some space would be good."
"Space?" Steve repeats in confusion.
"Well, we work together all day and now we're doing this, and I don't want you to feel like I'm everywhere," she explains. "You'd get sick of seeing me so much."
Steve stares at her in the dark and observes the way her eyes have returned to that playfulness and energy he looks for every morning to start his day, the way she bites her lower lip when she's nervous, the way she juts out her chin in defiance, the way she tilts her head the slightest bit when she teases him and waits to see if he'll tease back. He's not sick of watching her yet, certainly not sick of learning everything there is to know about her.
He can't imagine a time he will be; he finds her absolutely fascinating.
He tells her, "Let me be the judge of that, okay? You call whenever you want."
She ducks her head shyly as she burrows her face in his shoulder, and he feels the soft kiss she places against the curve of his bicep.
"Want me to get myself into another car crash soon so you be the hero and save me?"
He chuckles and watches her face break out into a teasing smile. And there it is, that tilt of her head as she waits and hopes that he'll show a lighter side of himself and tease back.
"I don't think your insurance can handle it. Wait a while."
"Hm, good point. Or I could-"
He only wraps his hands around her tighter, giving her a quick kiss to make her stop talking. "Shh, go to sleep."
Steve watches her fall asleep and makes a promise to himself then and there that he'll always pick up the phone when she calls.
The next morning, he does just that and picks up on the second ring as he gets out of the shower.
"Hey, where are you?"
"Home."
"Yeah, I sorta got that when you told me you were leaving at five AM. You know we have a case, right?"
"Yes, Kono," he answers with a light chuckle as he tries to slip his t-shirt on without moving the phone from his ear so he doesn't miss what she's saying. It doesn't work. "I'm the boss, remember? I usually get the first call."
"Well, hurry up, I need a ride," she says. "I would have told you that if you didn't have the insane need to run five miles every day like a crazy person."
Steve can't hide his grin as he grabs his gun and badge from the bedside table, sprinting down the stairs to lock up behind him. "It's not every day. Some days I sleep in if I get a good enough offer."
"You can't treat me like some late night hook-up and not bring me breakfast the next morning," Kono teases. "It's bad for the professional environment of our workplace."
"Yeah?" Steve finds himself grinning as he looks into the rearview mirror, and tells himself it's too early to be smiling. But he can't seem to help it where she's concerned.
"Plus, my mom said something about teaching me to cook chicken soup next time I visit home. What did you say to her?" Her voice is filled with curiosity and he can imagine the way her forehead is crinkled as she wonders what he and her mother talked about while she was asleep.
"Nothing," Steve says quickly, ignoring the flare of warmth that ignites in his heart for Diana Kalakaua. "She made me have two bowls when I came to visit, that's all. It was good."
"Well, I like that recipe too, which will be the only reason I learn it, so don't get used to homecooked meals," Kono tells him.
"I'd never."
"Bring coffee. And hurry, I wanna beat Danny and Chin there."
the end ~