Admittedly, Danny had been ignoring Joe White. He'd been doing his best to ignore Lori as well, because he'd meant what he said about not doing any magic. Truthfully, he did miss connecting with what was inside him, but he wasn't going to admit it because he could be a stubborn ass. Besides, he figured his life would be simpler without it so he wanted to give it a chance.

Unfortunately, he was having a great deal of difficulty ignoring things. White kept calling him, Lori kept trying to corner him at work, and though Steve didn't talk to him about it, he watched in a way that spoke to Danny that he knew exactly what Danny was trying to do and trying to hide behind.

Steve had taken to his new role like a seal to water. With each passing day he seemed more at ease with being there for Danny's own good. He didn't just see himself as Danny's protector, but as the other side of a coin, and that their pairing was so good, and that they complemented each other so well, that he was going to embrace it as far as it took them.

So it came as no shock when they all ganged up on him one day.

Danny had been none the wiser to their tricks as Steve drove them to Magic Island after picking up some lunch.

As they approached some benches, Danny made out the shape of Joe White, but he didn't know the woman he was with. He hung back a moment, inwardly cursing Steve for bringing him down here.

Joe pointed at the boxes in Steve's hands, "Loco Moco from Rainbow?"

"Yes, sir," Steve smiled.

"Hope you brought enough for everyone," the mystery woman said to him as Danny fell into step a few strides behind Steve. He then came to a stop just on the edge of the group gathering at the table.

Joe watched him carefully. "Special Agent Kensi Blye from NCIS's Los Angeles Office, this is Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams."

"Pleased to meet you both."

"NCIS, huh?" Steve smiled, "You can tell Sam I haven't forgotten about that steak dinner I owe him, but he has to come out here to collect it, okay?"

"I'd start saving up, the man can put away the protein."

"Here, you can take this one," Steve put a box in front of Kensi as she sat again.

"This is lovely," Danny said, looking between all three of them. "Old friends, and all that, I'm just curious as to why I wasn't informed we were being joined for lunch."

"When you look at Kensi, what do you see?" Joe asked of Danny.

Danny took a breath, then looked at her. The brightness shining from her was hard to miss. Sometimes he struggled to see it in others, but Kensi didn't have that problem. "I see…" Danny gestured a circle over his chest. "Yeah, I see the whole magic thing, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Kensi is a witch. Or she will be. She's training right now." Joe said, and that explained why she was so obvious to Danny.

"I thought you people worked on a school system like everyone else. Not to be disparaging about your age," he motioned towards Kensi, "but you're a little old for high school. You working on the Guild version of a doctorate or something?"

"Something like that" Kensi grinned. "A witch's training can take a lot longer. Training has to be done with the help of a fellow witch, someone older, wiser. I've still got a ways to go before I'm ready."

"Kensi is training with one of our best at NCIS," Joe said.

Steve sat next to Kensi, he put his hand out, indicating for Danny to be polite and sit next to Joe. He did so, but with an air of reluctance.

"So why are you here?"

"Because, as you know, witches are rare. You and Kensi have a lot in common," Joe explained.

"I get it, so you brought her here so we could commiserate together. That's nice."

Kensi smiled at him. "I guess I've been doing this longer than you have, and I don't think Joe knows many witches nearby, so he asked me to come over and help."

"I thought this whole Shelburne thing was Top Secret or something?" Danny asked.

"All the witches know. We're the 'top' part of 'Top Secret'." Kensi answered with a smile. "Regardless, I was quite happy for the all expenses paid trip to Hawai'i. I'd happily sign non-disclosure forms for that."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be, believe me."

"You don't like it here?" She asked.

"I don't like it here."

"Don't listen to him, okay," Steve said. "He likes it here just fine. His family is here, I'm here, and he's better on a board than he realizes."

"Joe tells me you've been feeling a bit overwhelmed though," Kensi powered on through, getting back on track. "You've only just learned of your magic now?"

"Apparently it all started when I met Steve."

"I don't have anyone else that I'm connected to, like you do. I just have myself to worry about. I mean, I have a partner at work but he's… well, he's my partner, he's not magic or supernatural, or anything. He's a regular guy. He keeps me grounded though, won't let me get away with anything."

"Steve's a vampire," Danny said.

"I noticed," Kensi smiled at Steve. "I saw you doing a threat assessment. It was all in the eyes."

"You learn that at witch school?" Steve asked.

"I learned that after years of working for a government agency." She turned to Danny, "Maybe we should talk in private."

He gave a small nod, extracted himself from the bench and followed Kensi to go sit elsewhere, not failing to see her snatch the box of loco moco and take it with her.

They sat for a while. Kensi told him about how her life worked: she did her job for NCIS which had its moments, and on her off time, she spent the majority of it honing her magic. Her partner tried to get her to engage more with life around her, but sometimes she just had to beg off because she was too tired to deal with it all. The more she talked, the more he found himself nodding along. There really were similarities to their lives, at least on a general level.

Danny found himself opening up in return, sharing with her how he'd been thrown so off kilter by discovering he had magic, his own denial of it for so long, and just how tired he'd been juggling all the different aspects of his life, especially when sometimes he just wanted to be with his daughter, or be with Steve, and not worry about his responsibilities, or just being too tired to do anything.

Kensi's advice had been simple: 'make time'.

Tell people that he wanted to do something, and unless something important came up that took priority, make sure to do what he wanted, with whoever he wanted. Her mentor, 'Hetty', she said the name was, had told her something similar, and had cut her slack occasionally when she needed it.

Danny followed Kensi's eyes and looked back to where Joe and Steve were deep in conversation, still aware of where Kensi and Danny were.

"Joe's a good guy, he's helped me out before. He means well, but there's nothing wrong with telling him where to get off."

"I thought that's what I did last week, when I said no more magic. Yet, here he is, bringing you out here, colluding with Steve."

Kensi shook her head. "I don't think that's what he's doing. I think he knows that you actually do like the magic, you just need to learn how to balance everything out again."

"I don't know…"

"Just because he said it's some ultimate destiny, doesn't mean anything. Don't be stubborn about it just to try and prove him wrong. Let nature take it's course. 'Destiny' doesn't have to get in the way of your life, and living it how you like it."

"All you're really telling me to do is take charge of the situation."

Kensi took the last bite of her loco moco and let the moment stand for a second. "Pretty much."

They laughed, which brought them to Joe and Steve's attention again.

"I think we better go back over to them before Steve thinks you're hitting on me."

"What's his deal anyway? Sam didn't tell me he was so intense."

"Don't worry about him," Danny said, standing. "He's just his own special brand of crazy."

Meeting Kensi had actually done Danny some good. During their next case he felt much more grounded and despite the changes in Five-0 over the past months, he felt that they were working well together.

He and Steve always worked well together, of course, when they were out doing their part in the investigations, and this one was no different. Steve even seemed more relaxed. It probably helped that Danny had spoken to Joe and agreed to work with him again, while also promising Steve that he could do whatever he wanted that night for in return for Danny being such a stubborn ass lately.

Plans change, though. And with Five-0, there was always the possibility of things changing on a regular basis, especially during an investigation when they were working flat out. But this time was all Steve's fault. He was told not to engage in hand to hand and what had he done?

Danny was pissed about that, about seeing Steve go gung-ho, but it was the fact that Steve had agreed to this ridiculous MMA fight that had Danny worried. Charity or not, Danny was worried.

Steve had thought being a vampire would mean he had an edge, on top of the fact that it wasn't a problem since he'd heal fast, but the charity had put him up against another vampire, so there went his edge.

Danny had asked Lori to help him out, to try and talk Steve out of it, but she'd said she wasn't successful. It niggled at Danny, like she hadn't put effort into it. Like she wanted Steve to go into this fight.

What would it prove? Sure, Steve was doing this for charity, but he was determined to fight. Did he miss it? Was this why he took the risks he did on Five-0? Was it about frustration, pent up anger, something from the vampire side of him where he had to exert his power and control?

"Stay down!" He shouted at Steve, "Let's go home, can we go home now? It's charity, don't get up."

He was not happy at Steve for going harder at the fight after Danny asked him to take it easy. There had been some hairy moments. The guy he was up against was a bigger vamp than Steve, but he liked to think Steve had experience to win the day and it had been a long, hard fought fight until that end moment that made everyone in the stadium let out a collective 'ouch'.

Back in the locker room, Danny didn't care about the outcome of the fight, he was just glad that Steven had all his body parts still attached and that he wasn't permanently marred in some way. The others were still on a high from what they'd seen, making fun of Steve and congratulating him on some of his more insane moves.

"What did you think, Danno?" Suddenly everyone's attention shifted from Steve to Danny.

"What do I think? I think you were already touched in the head and now I have no idea what this fight just knocked out of place up there."

"You gonna knock it back into place for him, brah? A little headboard action?" Kono asked, with a saucy grin.

"Kalakaua, you are a disgusting human being, I hope you know that. Get your mind out of the gutter."

Everyone laughed at them, though Lori kept nearer the corner leaning against the lockers, watching them more intently. Steve got to his feet with only a slight wince and padded over to where Danny stood. He put his arms around Danny's waist and they swayed together.

"I'm fine, I'm in one piece and in a few hours, it'll be like I was never in a fight."

"Just because you heal quickly, doesn't make it okay that you get yourself hurt." Danny placed his hands over Steve's biceps. "You worried me. I hate that."

"I know," Steve nodded, he was serious but he was still smiling. "Your concern is appreciated." He leaned down and kissed Danny lightly before pulling back. "Beers are on you tonight, right?"

"I did promise you could do what you wanted at some point. So you want to cash that offer in on my buying the beer?"

Steve halted every motion in his body and there was silence apart from the muted sniggers from behind them. "On second thought, how about I get my stuff and we go home? I've got much bigger plans for you."

He let Danny go. After hugging Kono again and slapping his hand into Chin's, he turned back to Danny and began pushing him out of the room. Danny gave a half wave to Lori, which was reciprocated with a small smile and then let Steve badger him all the way to the car. He was manhandled in and Steve dashed around to the drivers' seat.

"Drive like a human. Please. I don't care what you have planned, I'd prefer not to crash and die on the way."

"One, I'm not a human and two, I drive in a perfectly reasonable way, grandpa, okay? Now put your belt on and let's get home."

Danny barely made it in the door. There was a thump beside him as Steve's gym bag hit the floor, there were the small beeps of the alarm being reset and then he was grabbed from behind and hoisted up the stairs. He was pretty sure he only stepped on half of the stairs on their way up, such was Steve's determination to get him to their bed.

Steve was still in his fight clothes. All he did was toe off his shoes and shuck his shorts before getting to work on Danny's t-shirt and jeans. Steve crawled over him as he pulled the offending material from Danny's legs.

"Aren't you going to shower? You just had a hell of a work out."

Steve shook his head. "Exactly. I want to smell myself on you."

"You want to reaffirm?" Danny's t-shirt was yanked over his head. "I thought we did everything enough that you never needed a major blow out."

"I don't. I just want to do it." Steve held himself up over Danny, the muscles in his arms straining and still glistening with sweat. "I want to taste every inch of you." He leaned down and began to kiss and suckle against Danny's neck, just below his ear, and work his way down.

"Taste?"

Steve nodded against him. "Everywhere."

Danny knew what Steve meant. He wanted to sink his teeth into Danny, he wanted to create the human pin cushion again. He was strangely fine with it. His clothes would cover the majority of the bite marks, and since they'd discussed it before, Steve had tried to stick with using the same area of Danny's body to let others heal first. Tonight, he wanted to mark him up again though.

Maybe it was his new link to Danny, the Guild's official link to him that spurned this on. Maybe that was why Danny was feeling fine with letting him do it, or perhaps it was simply because he was a man of his word and he'd promised Steve anything this evening.

Steve made his way down Danny's chest, his arms lowering to let him move closer to Danny, their bodies touching more and more along their lengths as he used teeth, lips and tongue over Danny's heart. He crawled further until he got to Danny's hip. Danny could feel Steve's stubble scratch at his skin, he felt a vibration rumble from Steve's throat as he lay close to him and then he felt the sting as Steve's fangs extended and pierced his skin.

His mouth gaped open, he would have made a sound and possibly he did, but he didn't hear anything. He was simply lost in the sensation and he knew he was growing more aroused by it. As he rode the high, he was aware of it not lasting as long as usual, but it wouldn't, because Steve was moving on. Just as he thought he was coming out of it, he felt the sting again, only this time it was on his leg.

He felt Steve's hands everywhere at once as he floated. He felt the trail in slow motion, his brain slow to react to the stimulation. He was aware of being covered over again, of a heavy weight on him and then his neck got the same treatment he was more used to. There was a push and pull as he fought his way out of the bite high. He loved the feel of it, of floating, of enjoying how Steve drank from him and yet, like this, as much as he liked it, he pushed it aside so he could concentrate on what else Steve was doing to him, about how turned on he was and the other kinds of pleasure he could feel. It was like being torn between two amazing choices and he couldn't decide which he liked more.

As Steve kissed him again, he felt his own goofy grin answer him, though he wasn't entirely sure what Steve asked, so lost was he in feeling his way through this. There may have been a few questions, all of which the answer to was 'yes, God, yes'.

He was moved onto his stomach, Steve's hands everywhere again as they repositioned him. He felt blissed out, ready for Steve to do anything. He blinked, coming back to himself as Steve's fingers penetrated him.

Although he'd never admit it, he loved when Steve bit him during sex. The change between the high the toxin gave him, and the arousal that Steve brought out in him with strokes of his fingers, licks of his tongue and scrapes of his teeth were a heady mix, but he didn't normally find himself responding to so many bites at once. Usually Steve bit him as he came, or just after, not while their pleasure was building.

As Steve finally pushed into him, his brain was clear of the toxin, but it had been turned to mush by Steve's more physical presence in and around him.

"Steve, can you take more?" he asked.

"I've not taken too much," he placated, thinking Danny was worried about blood loss.

"Good. Do it again."

"Again?" Steve growled and pushed harder into Danny, trying not to let his rhythm falter. "You want more? Want me to keep marking you up, baby?"

"Please," Danny asked, his voice heading to a higher pitch with Steve's thrusts. "I want to feel you. You taste everything, I'll feel everything."

Steve's response was to growl through indecipherable platitudes. He leaned down over Danny, the angle changing, the rhythm off kilter, and he grabbed Danny's arms, both of them, and pulled them hard behind his back. Danny didn't know why. He didn't know why Steve was taking his time, he just knew if he didn't do anything soon, then Danny wouldn't last much longer.

All he got out was 'Babe, please' before Steve sunk his teeth into Danny's bicep and it was enough. It was more than enough. He got a double whammy of pleasure rolling through his body in waves and Steve fell through the same barrier not long after, biting down on Danny's other arm as he did so.

It had been perfect. It felt like some sort of circle, the way their bodies were joined in two different ways.

Danny collapsed onto the bed, barely aware that he'd been lifted up enough to be off the mattress. His face was buried in the pillow and his breath was hot against the smothering cotton, uncomfortably so, but he didn't care. There was a tender touch of Steve's hand trailing up and down his spine, like he was petting him, and it felt good to his slightly battered body. Eventually he pushed himself around, losing the darkness of the pillow and staring up towards the moonlit ceiling. He was slowly becoming aware of the bite marks over his body, though the other good thing about the vampire toxin was that it closed the wounds quickly. He glanced down at himself, gave a small frown, then decided that right now he really didn't care.

He turned to Steve, who looked vaguely worried that he'd gone too far, despite that during everything Danny had been right there with him. "You okay?"

"I'm good, really good." Danny smiled. "Do you have any idea how good it feels to have you wrapped around me, feeling the blood high when you, you know, fuck me into the mattress?"

Steve grinned, proud of himself and relieved that Danny was okay with everything. "I don't know. Do you have any idea how good you taste, how good it feels to taste you when you abandon yourself to me?"

Danny reached a hand to cup Steve's jaw. "Don't get used to it. As amazing as it feels, I can't keep being marked up like this all the time."

"I know," Steve nodded and then cuddled in against Danny's side, his octopus arms pulling him in tight, his legs slipping between Danny's. "I swear you burn brighter when we're…"

"I do?"

"It's like you give yourself over or something. Maybe when you stop thinking so hard about it, the magic just does more."

"Or maybe it's you. Maybe you bring it out in me here too. Makes sense if the Guild are right about us being destined and all."

"You beginning to believe?"

"I believe that you believe."

"It's a start…" Steve nuzzled against Danny's neck and sighed against him, the heat of his breath making Danny shiver a little. Steve pulled the sheets up over them as they lay together, hands playing against whatever skin was close. Heartbeats calming, they drifted off.