Title: Little Sisters Can Be Wise Too
Author's Note: Happy New Year! Thanks to those of you who have taken the time to comment, it's really meant a lot to me over the past few months and encouraged me to continue sharing my stories here. There's just something about this couple (a couple that is not even remotely a couple on the show!) that's grabbed me and won't let go, but I'm glad other people seem to be struck by them and like my writings for them. Thank you. :) All the best to you for 2013!
Oh, and one line in this update is basically a line from the scene this season where Steve picks Mary up at the airport so that is the show's.
"You need help packing?"
Mary looks up from her phone as Steve knocks on the open door of her room, waiting for her to officially nod before entering. She smiles at his expression as he looks around the room at her clothes and shoes strewn everywhere, an open suitcase in the corner waiting to be filled.
"Nope."
"You sure?" he questions, obviously believing he needs to help her with the chaos and disorder of this task in a way only a man with his extensive training and combat skills could.
"I'm good. Flight attendant, remember? I've gotten good with the packing and unpacking."
His lips twitch slightly in a smile at that. "Right. Well, I can drop you off tomorrow so don't worry about a cab."
"Wow. Can't wait to get rid of me, huh?" she says wryly then watches his face panic.
"What? No. Mary, that's not-"
"I'm kidding, Steve. Sorry, I forget you're not good with the sarcasm."
"I'm getting better," he tells her with a smile and she smiles back because it's so nice to see him like this, happy and carefree, laughing at himself and knowing how far he's come, and being thankful for the progress.
"Yeah, you have. And I'll take the ride, of course. I'm sure you can't wait to get rid of me and have the house to yourself again," she jokes.
But Steve doesn't joke back. Instead, he comes to sit next to her on the bed, his hand resting on her shoulder as he gives it a comforting squeeze.
"Just because I'm living here doesn't mean it's not your house too. You always have a place here, always." His eyes are bright and shining with honesty as he stares at her, his words solemn and strong.
"Thanks," she says softly. "It's weird how even after everything, this place is still home, right?"
Steve chuckles at that. "Tell me about it. I traveled all over the world and still ended up back here."
"Am I interrupting quality brother-sister time here?"
They turn to see Kono leaning against the doorway, her phone pointed in their direction. "Smile," she orders and snaps a picture quickly when they do. "Aw, the McGarrett kids all grown up and getting along. This is going on the fridge."
"She's not so bad, I guess," Steve teases with a bright smile, ruffling Mary's hair as he gets up from the bed.
"Shut up," Mary says back.
"Do you believe in marriage?"
Steve snaps out of his thoughts at the question, and turns to Mary Ann in surprise. He turns down the radio from whatever station she'd put it on after making fun of how old he is and informing him this is the music the kids listen to these days.
"Do I believe in marriage?" he repeats, his eyes widening as he hears himself say the word out loud.
"That's what I asked. Well, do you?" She turns to him in her seat, waiting for an answer and Steve wonders why they couldn't have just driven to the airport with normal small talk and his list of safety instructions instead of something spontaneous like this coming up on the conversation docket.
"Why? Are you seeing someone? Oh god, don't tell me you got married. Mary, please tell me you did not-"
"Of course not. I'm asking about you, Steve. Stop freaking out and answer the question. Do you believe in it?"
Steve narrows his eyes at her in suspicion. "Did Kono ask you to ask this? Is she trying to get intel on me or something?"
"Danny's right when he says you two are so alike, it's creepy. She didn't ask me anything. I was just trying to start a meaningful conversation with the only relative I have left, but I guess I'll shut up then." Mary Ann turns the radio back up and looks out the window at the passing Oahu scenery as he speeds them to the airport.
They're not late, that's just how he drives.
He feels a pang of guilt as he turns the music down again, and she turns to look at him expectantly. The topic is an uncomfortable one for him to try and gather his feelings on, but it's equally as uncomfortable to talk about with the other blond in his life - Danny. He may as well see how it goes with his little sister.
"I guess I do. I mean, it does work out sometimes. Or it can blow up in your face," Steve adds with a shrug. "I guess chances of success vary on planning and execution."
"So, it's like a mission?" Mary Ann questions with a small smile.
"Right," Steve says, grateful she understands his approach. Of course he would have to think about it from a tactical perspective; he's trained to be a soldier first. "I don't know. I meet some people who have it even in my line of work. Chin and Malia, my old SEAL buddy, Sam, and, well," he throws a glance at his sister before he says the next words, "Mom and Dad..."
"Yeah," she says with a wistful smile. "It's so weird to be back at home and see you and Kono-"
"What? Why?"
"No, no, I mean, good weird! To see you two in the house and living together, it's like the house has people to love it again."
Steve says nothing but his eyes turn bright as he looks at his sister from across the console, nodding at what she says because he's felt the exact same way since Kono's moved in, felt even luckier since she decided to embrace the change in their relationship when their feelings had erupted to the surface.
"You should marry her," Mary declares simply.
He hears it out loud and he doesn't panic as expected; it's more like his heart needed to hear it from someone else so he can convince himself that the idea he's been battling for a few months now isn't so fucking stupid after all. Other people see it as a valid possibility too. He's not alone in wanting such a thing, in hoping for such a dream for himself. He's not alone in seeing the possibility of their future, bright and shining with promise ahead.
"You sure Kono didn't put you up to this?" Steve asks again, mostly as a distraction as he tries to gather his thoughts on how to handle the turn in conversation.
"I said no, seriously!" Mary rolls her eyes at his paranoia. "She's not even thinking about marriage."
"She's not? Why not?" Uncertainty hits him square in the chest at his sister's statement as he bombards her with questions for further details.
"No, no, not like that," Mary Ann backtracks quickly as she sees his expression. "I mean, she's not one of those girls who has a timeline or is going to pressure you about how long it's been. She's happy with things as they are."
"She is?" Steve can't help the proud smile that crosses his face when he hears the words from an inside source.
"Yes, and don't tell her I told you. I'm only telling you so you don't freak out and do something stupid to screw this up." Steve rolls his eyes at that and wonders how the two blondes in his life can sound so eerily similar when it comes to giving him relationship advice, mostly them worrying he'll fuck it up. "But seriously, you should marry her. She's awesome, she's hot, she understands your job cause she's crazy enough to do it too, she understands you and all your issues-"
"Thanks, Mary," Steve drawls out sarcastically.
"Plus, do you have any idea how many guys were hitting on her when we went out the other night?"
"I don't know. A lot?" Steve retorts as his hands tighten on the wheel. He knew he hated that dress Mary Ann picked out for her to wear. But then again, it's Kono; she could be in a potato sack and guys would flock to her when they spotted her smile.
"A lot, a lot," Mary clarifies. "And they were super hot too. Like, hotter than you cause I don't even see your appeal in the first place, no offense, and younger too-"
"Seriously, Mary, is this supposed to a pep talk?"
"Just listen," she urges him once the sisterly insults are out of the way. "My point is, she didn't dance with any of them, or take their numbers-"
"She wouldn't do that," Steve replies confidently. Nearly a year into their relationship and he's had to put up with Kono getting hit on from all sorts of people in all sorts of places; the only thing that's stopped him from beating anybody up is the fact that Kono laughs it off and doesn't look twice. Unless they get handsy, of course. Then he has no choice but to intervene.
"I know that, she loves you. But she didn't even look to see what options were out there and who she could possibly be with after being with you. She's ready for you to be the one," Mary concludes dramatically, using air quotes as an added bonus.
"Yeah?" Steve asks slowly, his gaze thoughtful as he looks at his sister. He doesn't know whether to buy her insight or not, but she is a woman, she spent plenty of time with Kono over her visit, and he does know the part about guys hitting on his girlfriend is true. Maybe he'll give his little sister some credit and say she has some of the McGarrett detective gene in her as well.
"Yeah. I guess you could say I did a little recon for you," Mary boasts proudly and Steve laughs at that as they exchange grins.
"Well, thanks."
"No sweat. I just want you to be happy. You're one of the good guys. She couldn't find anyone better on the island if she tried," Mary says with unwavering loyalty, her voice full of warm affection.
"Thanks, Mary." Steve puts the car in park as he pulls into the airport departures lot, smiling at her broadly as he accepts the compliment. "I'll think about it."
"Whatever, you're totally crazy about her too," Mary says, seeing through his bluff as they get out of the car and head towards the trunk to get her suitcase. Guess there's more detective in her than he had originally thought. "Just hurry up and propose before you do something stupid and she dumps you."
"I'll take your advice under careful consideration," he says with a grin as he grabs her bag, slinging an arm around her neck as they walk inside the busy airport.
"I'm good from here," Mary says as they approach the check-in line. Steve opens his mouth to argue so she says, "Really. I'm not planning on getting arrested again. I'll save that for the next time you pick me up."
"Very funny," Steve deadpans, but his mouth quirks up in a small smile as he looks at his baby sister, who's not such a baby anymore. He puts his hands in his pocket as he rocks back and forth on his feet, staring at her quietly for a moment in the hustle and bustle of the busy airport.
He's always hated goodbyes.
But this isn't a goodbye. He'll be seeing her again.
"Take care of yourself, okay? Be aware of your surroundings, and always know where the exits are located."
"Yeah, yeah, you already went over this at breakfast."
"Just... be safe, alright?" Steve bends down slightly to look into her eyes, their gazes solemn as they remember a past they can't truly forget, one that will bond them forever no matter how long it's been.
"I will. You stay safe too," Mary Ann tells him, choking back tears. "Thanks for having me." She takes a step toward him and Steve folds his arms around her, rubbing her back as he kisses her cheek before letting go after a few long moments.
"Thanks for coming. We'll see you in a few months for Thanksgiving, right?"
"Not sure about Thanksgiving, but I asked for Christmas off so that should be a done deal."
"Call me when you land."
"I'll be fine, Steve," Mary Ann says. "You'll probably be in the middle of a case or something."
"Mary, call me when you land," he repeats as he hands over her bag, the sentence sounding more like a direct order than a request the second time he says it. She rolls her eyes at his tone, but nods and smiles as she makes her way to the counter on her own, turning to wave at her big brother one last time.
"Hey, I'm gonna drop the photos of the second crime scene at the lab on my way home, okay?"
Steve looks up from the smart table as Kono walks across the room, calling out her destination before he stops her. "No, don't. I e-mailed them over while you were at the hotel with Chin," he tells her as he pauses the security footage on the screen in frustration. She walks over to join him since he's done her errand for her. "The bartender's being cocky. I think he's hiding something."
"Could be," Kono muses. "Came up clean though, so we're at a dead end until the lab results come in."
Steve sighs in defeat as he turns to look at her, but as their eyes meet, the tension in him eases immediately. She takes another step closer to him, and since they're alone in the office at this time of night, she lightly brushes her lips across his.
"Hi," she says with a smile.
"Hey," he replies, his voice low as he swallows back the desire to grab her and kiss her again, to really kiss her, knowing they're still at work and it'll have to wait. "Mary landed safely."
"She texted me."
"She texted you before she called me?" Steve asks, his eyes narrowing.
"Of course not. She texted me to say she'd already called you. Wanna check the timestamp?" Kono teases as she bumps her shoulder into his playfully.
"No, I believe you. That doesn't matter, I just wanted her to call when she landed."
"Wanted her to, ordered her to," Kono says with a smile as her nimble fingers move across the plasma surface of the computer. "She said it was something along those lines."
Steve ignores that as he continues talking. "She said she'll visit for Christmas." He watches her face closely as he says it, but she does nothing except nod as she saves his work on the smart screen.
"I know. I reminded her to ask for time off since you were alone last year," Kono says as she finishes on the computer and hops onto the edge of the table, taking advantage of her new height to look down at him.
"You did?" Steve asks in surprise. "You don't mind?"
"Why would I mind, Steve? She's family." Kono says it so simply, as if there's no other way to describe it, as if that one word explains it all. And it does. It tells him everything he's always known about her - how she silently recognizes his guilt and his mission to become a better brother, how welcoming and warm she is, how she cared about his loneliness before they were together and he became alone no more, how she's made his home into their home, and his family into her family too.
"I have lots of other family now," Steve murmurs quietly as he slides closer to her, his hands on her denim-clad knees to step between her legs and look right into her chocolate brown eyes.
Workplace be damned. Sometimes she says the most fucking perfect things that he has to kiss her right then and there. Right now, this moment is one of those times.
"Yes, yes, you do," she says softly, biting back a smile as he looks into her eyes, his hands brushing away strands of her dark hair after a long day."You have... Kamekona."
"Mhmm," he says, leaning in to kiss her quickly, as teasingly as her words are but she doesn't give in so easily; she only continues talking, her voice light and the slightest bit breathless as he rubs up and down her outer legs through her jeans.
"You have Danny, and Grace. The few friends from HPD you haven't scared off yet. Chin, and Malia. Joe, and Max," Kono adds as she kisses him softly, her arms resting on his broad shoulders.
"Can't forget Max," Steve replies, kissing her again as his hands wrap around her, trapping her securely on the table. He buries his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent that is so uniquely her as she rubs her hands through his hair gently.
"And me." He feels her say the words as her throat moves against his cheek, her fingers soft as they rub at the stubble along his jaw. He lifts his head to look at her, watches her shrug shyly as she maintains eye contact. "I'm here."
"You're here," Steve repeats, and kisses her properly now that he's heard what he's been waiting for. His hands cup her head gently in contrast to his lips fusing against hers, pressing with familiar pressure until she moans, her hands wrapping around his neck to pull him closer. The sound echoes in the quiet of the control room and Steve grins as he pulls back from the kiss and watches her slowly blink open her eyes.
"I'm glad you're here," he says, his voice hushed as he whispers it like a secret and watches her eyes brighten at the sentiment. "It's gonna be a good Christmas."
Kono smiles at him, leaning down to kiss him again, her lips capturing his as she slides her fingers down to his shirt, slipping underneath to touch his warm skin. He tugs at her lower lip and she sighs in delight.
"I really hope you're not doing what I think you're doing."
Steve jumps back so quickly at the voice that she blinks in surprise. He tries to take a step back and untangle himself from the position they're in, but she only wraps her arms and legs around him tighter, not letting him move. He clears his throat before addressing Chin who's stepped out of his office and caught the two of them on his way out the door. "We were just finishing up with the security footage."
"Right," Chin says, his tone clear that he doesn't believe it.
"Then we started making out," Kono adds, smiling innocently as Steve glares at her.
"That's what I thought," Chin comments, a smile hidden in his tone as he looks at them fondly, mixed with the usual exasperation of stumbling upon them making out like a couple of teenagers in an office they think is deserted. "I'm going to leave now pretending I didn't see anything. Good night."
"Night, Chin," Kono calls after her cousin before looking back at Steve. "Ready to go home yet?"
Steve pulls her down from the table, his hand wrapping around hers easily as their fingers entwine without a second's pause. "Ready."
Two days later, he's driving to a crime scene with Danny who's talking about how Grace is stressing over taking the SATs again, and how the system is unfair to be putting so much pressure on children so young, and it's as if the weight of the entire future rests on their performance from one standardized exam, and it's not like a few numbers can predict anything about someone's future lifetime success and-
"Hey, Danny. How'd you propose to Rachel?"
Danny stops talking mid-sentence, his eyes widening as a smile of pure joy spreads across his face. He's nearly laughing as he twists in his seat to look at Steve. "No fucking way!"
"What?" Steve asks innocently as he struggles to keep his composure and keep from grinning like an idiot as well.
I mean, it's not like she's said yes. Yet.
She'll say yes, right?
But he's sure Danny will catch everything he tries to hide so he gives in and smiles anyway. After all, the guy is a pretty good detective, which is why Steve hired him in the first place.
Hell, even his little sister had picked up on it. But little sisters can be wise too.
the end ~