Chapter Two

It was early. Too early for anyone to be up yet and way too early for Kono to be awake. The only thing Kono loved more than surfing was sleep, and still Steve's hand came in contact with cold and unruffled sheets. Steve opened his eyes and noticed that her side had not even been touch, which meant that Kono had not come to bed at all last night. He sighed and sat up, the white cotton sheet pooling in his lap.

The clock on Kono's nightstand showed that it was 4 am in the morning and he dragged his hand down his face. Kono's absence explained his restless sleep and if he was tired, he could only imagine that Kono must be exhausted. Yesterday had been very rough. On both of them.

The rest of the house was quiet and when he walked down the stairs he found the first floor covered in complete darkness. Steve had expected to see Kono lying on the couch, but it was empty, and she wasn't in the kitchen or the den either. She couldn't have left, could she? He was just about to go outside to the driveway and look for her car when he caught something in the corner of his eye. The door to the back patio was open and there, sitting on the steps was Kono.

Kono was sitting with her back to him as she looked out over the black ocean in front of her. It was quite chilly outside since the sun was still down, but Kono was still in just her top and shorts from yesterday. When Steve sat down next to her, he noticed the goose bumps that covered her arms.

"You didn't come to bed." he broke the silence after a few minutes when Kono had yet to look at him. "I don't like fighting with you, Kono."

"Me neither." she spoke quietly.

Yesterday the team had been working on a case concerning a drug ring. They got copse to catching them and in a moment of panic the leader took a family, that was in a nearby store, hostage. Steve had done as was demanded and gone in unarmed and without a west. Everything had been going fine until suddenly it didn't. There had been a struggle for the gun and it went off. It was the bad guy that had gotten hit, but he had managed to deliver a few good punches to Steve first.

When the team later entered, Steve was almost unconscious from a blow he had received to the head. Lori who had kneeled beside him was just a blurry figure and when things started to clear up, Lori drove him to the hospital and the others were gone.

First when it was time to go home hours later, did he get a moment alone with Kono. They had been seeing each other for six months, but they still kept it from the rest of the team. At first, they had kept it silent because everything was so new, and they didn't want to mess the team up if things didn't work out between them. Then it was in fear of the governor splitting the team up and now… now, it was just easier to keep quiet and skip the drama since there was no natural way to bring it up.

But it was becoming hard to keep quiet. Kono had come to mean a lot to him and to not be able to worry or care for her in public when a situation got dyer. And it was starting to its toll on them.

Steve had barley opened the door earlier before Kono lay into him. She was so angry and there was no stopping her. Steve didn't understand why she got so upset, he still didn't. It wasn't the first time he got hurt or put in danger. But the fight escalated, and he went to bed without them making up.

"I get that it was a stupid thing to not wear a vest. I get that. What I don't get is why you got so angry? I thought you were okay with no one knowing about us?"

"I was. I am. It's just that… she won't back off!" Kono almost growled out that last part.

"Who?"

"Lori!" Steve couldn't stop himself from laughing. That was the most ridicules thing he had heard of. Lori was coming on to him? There was no way. But Kono seemed to think differently. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and he shut up. "She likes you Steve! Everyone but you notice it. She asks about you all the time and you should see her when you say she did something good. It's annoying as hell. Then today when you got hurt, she had the guts to think she was in charge and sent us away so that she could take care of you."

"Kono…" he tried quietly.

"At that moment I just wanted to tell her to back off and throw myself at you."

"I would have gladly let you!" he smirked.

"I know it's stupid, but I can't help it. She knows you are involved with someone and yet she tries to get into your pants." she grumbled, and Steve pulled her into his chest.

"There is only one teammate I let get into my pants. And that is you. Lori doesn't stand a chance." Steve kissed her forehead and hugged her closer. "Why don't you come back to bed? It seems like I can't sleep very well without you anymore."

Kono nodded against his chest and let Steve pull her up and inside the house. When they reached the bedroom, Steve lay down in the middle of the bed and pulled Kono down on top of him. He sighed and placed a kiss on her hair. This, this right here was what he looked forward to after a long day at work. They didn't live together, but during the six months they had been going out they had not spent a single night apart if the other had not been out of town.

Steve, someone who had never really cuddled before, now found himself with a new favourite past time. To have Kono close, to feel her warmth and hear her breathe. It was very soothing and comforting.

A week later it was Steve that got put it in Kono's situation. They were working on a case involving a very attractive attending from the hospital, and he seemed to have developed an interest in Kono. Steve didn't like it. Not one bit.

Steve was standing by his car outside of the hospital. The case was over, and it had ended well and he was waiting for Danny to turn up so that they could drive back to the office. Lori stood next to him and she was trying to strike up a conversation when he saw it. The handsome doctor had run out of the building and grabbed a hold of Kono's arm to stop her. It was all laughs and giggles. What made Steve see red however was when the doctor reached forward to push a stand of hair behind Kono's ear. Steve brushed part Lori without a word and strode up to the cute couple.

"Kono!" he called out to get her attention.

Kono turned to face him with a wondering expression. When he reached her he didn't give her a moment to react before he grabbed her face and pressed a passionate kiss to her lips. Within seconds Kono was responding to the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. There was no doubt that it wasn't a familiar act between the two to the bystanders.

When they broke apart, Kono had a big grin on her face.

"I guess it's out." she laughed and nodded in Lori's direction. Lori looked crushed, but Steve couldn't be bothered. The important thing to him was that the doctor got his message and walked back into the hospital.