Title: Unexpected Comfort

Summary: Can Kono and Steve forgive themselves and one another when they cross the lines of friendship and betray the ones they love? Will that one mistake end their camaraderie forever?

Rating: M for mature

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, if I did the show would be moving in a slightly different direction then it currently is.

AN: This initially started off as a short snippet of a hook up between Steve and Kono, immediately following the season 4 finale (O ka Pili 'Ohana ka 'Oi), but it took on a life of its own and suddenly became a full-fledged story. I hope you like it. Please leave a review, would love to see what you think. There is cheating involved so if that offends you please don't read.

Part 4

"I'm sorry Kono but I didn't know that you haven't told them you and Adam broke up." Chin said standing in front of Kono in the center of the main room. He had just informed her that the guys were concerned about her quiet demeanor as of late, and he let them know that it was probably due to her breakup with Adam.

"Who was there?" She asked too afraid to hear the answer. She and Adam had officially ended their relationship two weeks ago. A day after she and Steve had their talk in the hallway by the interrogation room. It was then, wrapped in his arms, that she realized that her relationship could never be fixed again. The realization, that she was falling deeper and deeper in love with Steve whilst Adam had slowly drifted from her heart, hit her like a freight train. It was at that moment she made her decision.

"What do you mean?"

"Whom did you tell?" she sniped at him, her heart racing, ready to jump out of her chest. Realizing how much she had already hurt him with her actions, she had put off telling Steve about her breakup. She wanted to let things settle, wanted to let her emotions settle, before she went to him. Part of her was trying to be considerate towards his feelings, but the other part of her was afraid. Afraid that in the time it took her to admit to herself, her true feelings for him, he had decided that he didn't want her in that way any longer. Afraid that he decided, no relationship should start with cheating and lying. No relationship could ever develop out of a few sexual encounters. So her time to come clean stretched on, as her courage wavered.

"Danny and Steve." Chin said after a moment.

"Shit." She mumbled under her breath, her stomach dropping as her heart contracted with indescribable pain. When Chin gave her a curious look, she sucked in a deep breath, trying to gain her composure. She was positive he saw her wild eyes racing around the room, searching her colleagues out, but to his credit he didn't say anything.

"Its fine. Don't worry about it. I was just trying to avoid questions." She rushed on to say, trying to end the conversation with her cousin and keep him from asking any more of his own questions.

"Okay."

"Okay…so its after six, and since everyone left already, I'm gonna get going myself." She said making her way toward her office to retrieve her phone and car keys.

Chin stood in the middle of the room watching her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." She managed to say, between the deep breaths she suddenly needed to take and the shear panic that settled over her. "Just tired." She added, lying, before quickly rushing out through the main doors, towards the stairwell, wasting no time waiting for the elevator.

After knocking on his door several times and not getting an answer she made her way around the house toward the back yard. Noticing the back sliding door open, she entered the house calling out his name, but again she was met with no response. Exiting the house she took a seat on his lanai, determined to wait for him until he came back to the house.

Worrying her bottom lip as waves of anxiety settled over her, she looked out towards the water, noticing a figure in the distance swimming vigorously. "Please let everything be okay," she whispered to herself, to God, to the universe, hoping that he wasn't going to be too upset with her.

As he swung his left, then right, arm over his head and into the water Steve could feel the rage and disappointment in his chest slowly dissipating. When Chin told him this afternoon that Kono had ended her relationship with Adam he was stunned. A sense of happiness overawed him, as a small smile started to break over his face, but just as quickly it vanished, an overwhelming dread settling over him, when Chin revealed that it had been weeks since it happened. Suddenly he felt anger rise within. The knowledge, that she had kept this very important thing from him, cut him deeply. Steve was sure she had her reasons, but he couldn't help but wonder if her decision to withhold this information was because she decided he just wasn't important enough in her life. He felt lied to. She promised to have things resolved. She promised that they were going to figure things out together, but learning the truth from Chin and not her, only proved to him that she really didn't care for him after all.

As soon as Chin exited his office, Steve reached for his phone and looked over at Danny, informing him that he was leaving for the day. He could see the surprise in his friend's face, the questions in his eyes, but he just didn't have the will or guts to go into it with him at that moment. Without another word, he left his office and rushed out to his truck. Once he sat down behind the steering wheel he finally exhaled and swallowed back the lump that suddenly formed in the back of his throat. The sudden pain he felt was devastating. There were only a few times in his life he had ever felt that empty loss deep in his chest, and that was only when people had died, never when his heart got broken.

He didn't see her sitting there on his lanai until he emerged from the water and was well up the beach, stepping on to the green grass of his back yard. He froze in his tracks momentarily, and watched her leaning over the table, her head down on her folded arms. She must have heard him approach, suddenly sitting up, twisting her body until her eyes met his.

"Hi." She whispered softly and stood.

Taking a few steps closer to her, he grabbed the towel hanging over the Adirondack chair and rubbed it over his face and arms. "Hi" he said watching her.

"So Chin told me he spoke to you." She said taking a step forward, wringing her hands together. She watched his face for a reaction but when she didn't get one she continued. "I wanted to tell you myself."

"So why didn't you?" he asked, his face serious, his features not revealing the turmoil going on inside him.

"I guess I was waiting for the right time." She said softly, her voice wavering slightly.

"And when was that right time gonna come? Three months from now?" He said with irritation in his voice.

The look of disappointment in his eyes made her feel like a spoiled child who was getting reprimanded. She tried to take in a deep breath but suddenly her lungs constricted and didn't allow it. Running her hand through her tussled hair, she shifted her eyes off of him and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I guess…I was scared."

"Of what? Me? Please Kono, that's just…." He said not finishing; afraid that he would say something he couldn't take back. He wasn't just angry with her; he was hurt. He felt like he revealed himself to her, yet she had been keeping him in the dark. When she didn't say anything, he stepped around her and made his way into the house. "Forget it." He mumbled under his breath, suddenly not wanting to hear what she had to say to him.

Looking at his retreating back, Kono spun around and followed him into the house. The cold shoulder she was receiving from him pained her. Steve was not the warmest human being on earth but he was always open with her. At that particular moment however, he made her feel like a stranger. Afraid that his mind was made up about them, she swallowed back her tears, and stood motionless in the kitchen, watching him as he retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge. "I was scared of how strong my feelings for you have become." She said finally, closing her eyes, unwilling to see the disinterest that was sure to appear in his eyes.

Almost choking on the water, he spun around and looked over at her. She looked so dejected standing there, her shoulders were slumped over, her arms circling her waist protectively and her eyes closed, as if in pain. The thick wall he had built around himself slowly started to crumble. He placed the water bottle onto the kitchen counter and walked closer to her.

Placing his hands on her shoulders he felt her flinch slightly before she opened her eyes and looked at him. "How strong?" he asked quietly, slightly afraid to hope that her feelings mirrored his own.

Smiling sadly, she looked into his beautiful hazel eyes and placed her trembling hand over his cheek, moving the tips of her fingers over his plump lips. "Stronger then feelings of friendship. Stronger then a simple attraction." She said taking in a deep breath, her eyes filling up with tears. Placing her other hand over his fast beating heart she stepped closer and held his gaze. "They're feelings…feelings of love." She whispered softly.

"God…" he mumbled under his breath, his hands tightened around her shoulders, pulling her into his embrace with force. Wrapping his arms around her body he nuzzled his face in the soft skin of her neck. "I love you," he whispered.

When the breath of his soft words tickled her skin, she wrapped her arms around him and let the tension that had been keeping her body captive for weeks, leave with a shudder. Running her hands over his back and neck, she tangled them in his wet hair and pulled his face deeper into the crook of her neck. "Oh Steve," she whispered letting her anxiety finally go. Her weak, tired body buckled in his arms as quiet sobs escaped her throat.

Holding her up against him when he felt her legs collapse, he smiled to himself, stunned and pleasantly surprised of what just occurred between them. After all this time, Kono finally gave him what he had been wishing for, dreaming about and aching for. She gave him her love.

Pulling back slightly he looked down into her tear stained face, as a watery smile shyly appeared over her features. Nuzzling his nose against hers, he softly placed a kiss over her lips. As if waking up from a deep sleep he felt her respond to him, returning his kiss with such vigor. Tightening her arms around his neck she leaned into him letting him lift her off the ground. Moving one hand down her back, as the other held her a few inches off the floor, he placed it under the orbs of her behind urging her to wrap her legs around him. "I wanna make love to you." He said when he finally broke the mind-numbing kiss.

"I want to make love to you too." She said repeating his words back to him, lowering her forehead against his; she looked into his intense eyes, and saw his love for her, reflected in them.

Lowering her down to the floor he took her hand into his and lead her up the stairs, down the hall and into his bedroom.

The fading light of the late day sun illuminated the room in a soft orange glow. When he shut the door behind them and turned to her, Kono found herself looking down to the floor, a sudden sense of nervousness overtaking her. Considering this was not the first time they were going to be together she couldn't understand her own feelings. This was Steve, the man she loved, the man she had been with intimately, but their confessions of love somehow changed what this night would mean. It was just sex before, hot, fast and needy sex, now however it would be love making. A heavy burden settled over her, a need for it to be good and passionate and everything it should, for any two people in love.

Gently tilting her face up with his fingertips, he stepped closer. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." She whispered looking into his soft eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"No," she said looking down to the floor once again.

"Kono, we don't have to do this okay. I mean, I know its quick, we just…"

"Its not that." She said cutting him off and looking up to meet his eyes. "Before it was just sex, you know? And now…now its not just sex…it's more then that." She said fumbling over her words not sure how to express herself.

As if reading her mind he took her hand into his and placed it over his rapidly beating chest. "I'm nervous too." He said softly, rubbing his hand over hers.

Surprised, her eyebrows lifted and a small sigh escaped her lips. "You are." She said as more of a statement then a question, feeling his quick and powerful heart beat under the palm of her hand.

"We can go slow and see what happens. I don't want to push this on you."

"You're not pushing this on me Steve, I want this…so much." She said gazing into his eyes. "Kiss me," she whispered softly, placing her other hand on his bare chest and tilting her head toward him.

No more words were spoken. Steve slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, her temple, her closed eyelids, her cheeks, leaving no inch of her face untouched before he finally placed his mouth over hers.

Sighing at the contact, she melted into the kiss, stepping closer; she moved her hands over his chest, onto his shoulders and up his neck, reveling in the softness of his skin and the hardness of his muscles. Finally reaching his hair she tangled her fingers in his still wet locks and pulled him flush against her, opening her mouth to him and deepening the kiss.

An involuntary moan escaped his mouth as he felt her tongue search out his. Sweeping it over hers, he let them play against each other. Tasting her finally, after the many weeks of yearning, felt like heaven. Tightening his hold around her, he ran his hands over her back, as her perfect body pressed against his. One hand slid slowly over her lower back and down her side reaching her thigh, pulling her more securely against him, letting her feel his arousal.

A groan of pleasure escaped her lips, unable to remember a time when she wanted anyone more then she wanted Steve at that moment. She felt her own excitement rising, as his hands slid under the hem of her shirt, moving slowly up her sides, pushing the soft material along with his sensuous touch. Breaking the kiss he removed her shirt and dropped it by their feet. Looking down into her eyes, he slowly reached to her back and unhooked her bra so it could join the discarded shirt on the floor.

"Beautiful." He whispered, as he ran the back of his fingers from her belly button, to her ribs, settling them over her aching breasts. Moaning in pleasure she stepped closer once again and wrapped her arms around his neck bringing her hot flesh to his as if she couldn't get close enough.

His excitement rising with the feel of her against his naked flesh, he moved one hand lower to the button of her pants. Undoing her pants, he pushed them lower, as she sifted her legs until they slipped to the floor and stepped out of them. Looking down at her naked body, save the small panties she was still wearing, he suddenly felt like the luckiest man alive to have her in his arms. Walking them backwards toward the bed, he held her tightly, afraid that if he let go she would disappear, as she did so many times in his dreams.

Laying her down on the bed, he leveled himself above her, placing his lips over hers once again as she combed her fingers through his hair. Panting softly, touching his tongue to her, he pressed his arousal against her.

Wanting to feel more of him, she wrapped her legs against his and clutched him tighter against her. Moving against one another, only their bottoms separating the contact their bodies wanted, she moved her hands down his back and slipped them into the waistband of his swim trunks. "Take them off," she said breaking the kiss as he continued placing wet kisses down her neck and collarbone, towards the valley between her breasts.

"Not yet." He said between kisses. "I want so much more then just that."

His words and the feel of his mouth over the hard nipple of her breast, brought on quivers within her. She wanted so much more then that too, but her body only wanted one thing, him deep inside of her, like all the dreams she had been having.

She gasped softly as she felt his hand travel down her body, over her abdomen, stopping to make gentle circles around her bellybutton, before continuing lower and slipping teasingly under the band of her panties. Trusting her hips upward unconsciously, his lips left her breasts and moved lower until reaching the scrap of material covering her sex. Looking up at her as if asking for permission, he lifted her hips and slowly pulled down the offending garment, flinging it across the room. Smiling wickedly when she sucked in a breath of anticipation, he dipped his head low and placed his mouth over her.

Darting his tongue over her hard nub, he circled it, finally nipping it softly with his lips. Her body withering with pleasure, he heard her moan, as he placed his hands under her buttocks and lifted her slightly for better access.

"Ohh Steve…" she moaned loudly, her body shuddering, as two fingers slid inside her and began to stoke her in time with the gentle flicking of his tongue. Her head trashed back and forth over the pillow, her pelvis lifting off the bed, his ministrations bringing her to the cusp of her pleasure. Unable to hold on any longer, she let go with a cry, her entire body arching off the bed, as her insides contracted.

Steve kissed his way up her body, until he was face to face with her once again. Still vibrating from her orgasm, Kono placed her hands on his face and pulled him into a mind-numbing kiss. "That was the best thing ever." She said between kisses, suddenly wanting to give him the same gift of pleasure he gave her.

Pushing gently on his shoulders he rolled on his back, pulling her along with him. Running her fingers over his naked chest, she followed the same path with her lips; placing open mouth kisses on his shoulders, the hard lines of his chest, his abdomen, until she reached the one piece of clothing he still had on. Hooking her fingers into the waistband, he lifted his hips helping her to slide his trunks down his legs and off his body.

Her brown orbs held his gaze as she nestled between his legs and placed her hot mouth over his arousal. He hissed into the air when she flicked her tongue gently over the tip and wrapped her hand firmly around the base.

"Ohh God," he groaned, instinctively lifting his hips slightly toward her, moving his hand down and wrapping it in her hair. "Kono…" he whispered trying to get her attention. "Please…you need to stop…" he mumbled, trying to softly tug her off him.

Releasing him, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes, smiling. "I want to Steve," she said lowering her head again.

"Next time…I promise…" he said sitting up with difficulty and reached for her. Needing to be inside her, he slid her upward, feeling her naked flesh against his. Rolling her under him, he savored the feel of her against him. His hips nestled against her, the temptation to push into her was prevalent, but he held back wanting to prolong the meeting of their bodies and the length of their encounter.

"You should have let me." She said softly looking into his eyes, while her hands caressed his cheeks.

"But then I'd be done before I start." He said chuckling softly, placing a kiss on her nose.

"That's okay. I would have waited for round two…" she said with a laugh.

"Already planning a round two?" he questioned in jest.

"Yeah. And round three and four…" she said pulling him down into a wet and tantalizing kiss.

He groaned deeply into her mouth feeling her heat against him, before he shifted slightly and finally entered her. Kono's arms and legs instinctively encircled him and pulled him against her, so that every inch of her was touching every inch of him. Their two previous encounters were lacking this one element; she couldn't help tightening her hold, as if trying to make her body a part of his.

Moaning softly at the feel of her around him, he moved within her as she lifted her hips to meet his thrusts. Lifting her legs higher above his waist, he deepened his movements and sped up his momentum. With more power behind his thrusts, he felt how close she was, as tiny spasms started to grab a hold of his hardness.

"Ohh Steve…Ohh God…" she moaned, her head now trashing back and forth as she felt herself going over the edge.

"Ohh Kono…" he murmured, when her inner muscles quivered and tightened around him. Driving faster into her, her clutching muscles pulling him over the edge with her.

Wrapped tightly around him, she melted in his arms, so overwhelmed with the sensations still running through her body. The aftershocks of her orgasm still rampant, making her shudder from head to toe. As the moment eased and their rapid breathing returned to normal, Steve still snuggled between her legs, she lifted her head slightly off the pillow and placed a kiss over his temple.

Realizing he must be heavy, he shifted off of her and pulled her into his embrace. They laid in each others arms thoroughly content until their tired bodies finally slipped into a satisfying sleep.

Coming slowly awake, her cheek on his chest, Kono could tell he wasn't asleep by the pattern of his breathing. Opening up her tired eyes, she lifted her head to look up at him. It was late at night, the only light in the room were the rays of moonlight coming through the open window, illuminating his tight features.

With her heart in her throat she shifted up slowly and looked down into his troubled face. "Are you okay?"

"What?" he said obviously surprised by her question.

"You look…I don't know…worried. Are you okay? Are you regretting this?" she said moving slight away from him, giving him room she thought he suddenly needed.

"No." he said quickly, reaching for her retreating body and pulling her down against him. "Why would you think that?"

"You look deep in thought Steve. I guess I want to know what sort of thoughts are making you look so worried." She said laying her head down next to his on the pillow, extending her hand toward his face. Touching his forehead, the bridge of his nose and around his eyes, she traced the tips of her fingers over the worry lines that were there seconds ago.

"I'm not. I'm just wondering where we go from here."

"Where do you want us to go?" she asked suddenly swallowing back a lump of fear in the back of her throat. They hadn't discussed anything regarding their future together earlier in the night. Even though she knew he loved her and she loved him, she was afraid that a relationship is not what he wanted from her. Afraid that he was still worried about Adam or Catherine for that matter.

"I want to be with you Kono. Completely. I know I said I'd be okay with it, but I don't want this to be just a quick fling or some sort of casual relationship with no future." He said softly looking at her across the pillow, trying to read the emotions going on behind her eyes.

"Steve," she said lifting up on her elbow to better see his face. "Do you think that I could possibly tell you how deeply I feel for you and then decide that I want to keep this casual?" she said smirking softly, her eyes soft. "I couldn't do that even if I wanted to."

After a long moment of silence, he lifted his hand and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, lingering momentarily to outline the contours of her earlobe with his fingers. "You just ended a long term relationship are you sure you want to jump into another one?"

Sighing, she folded her hands over his chest and lowered her chin against them. "I ended the relationship because I realized that I didn't love him any more, because I could only love one person at a time and…I love you." She said with a smile. "I didn't really want to admit it to myself, I didn't want it to be true because I knew how difficult it would be for us. Working together, the implications, the gossip." She said, holding his gaze. "Besides, I didn't really know how you felt. I knew you cared, but how deeply? I wasn't sure. It wasn't until you started to pull away from me that I realized how strong my feelings were and how much I needed you in my life. And honestly Steve" she said pushing off of him slightly, edging closer to his face, "I didn't want a friendship or a fling. I want it all and that's why I kept the breakup from you. I was scared you didn't want the same thing or that you had changed your mind." She said finally admitting to him the turmoil she went through before she came to the realization that Steve was the person she wanted in her life, for good.

He looked up at this beautiful woman, her face hovering above his and swallowed back the lump in his throat. Her eyes were so open and expressive, he could see love and worry shining through, begging him for a response to her confession. Reaching up her cradled her face with his hands and lifted his neck to place a soft kiss over her lips. "I love you Kono." He said pulling her down into his embrace. "I want everything with you. I want a future with you and I don't care what anyone says or thinks. Frankly if they don't like it, they can suck it." He said tightening his hold around her.

"I can only imagine what the guys would say it if you told them to suck it." She said chuckling lightly, happiness soaring though her very soul.

"What? You think I wouldn't tell them?" he asked laughing while he rolled her under him and leveled himself above her.

"Oh, I know you would." She said happiness shining in her eyes. "Now, kiss me," she said wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a mind-numbing kiss.

AN: Okay, so this might have been a bit cheesy at the end…but I just couldn't help myself. Thank you all for the great reviews. The last part is coming up soon.