Steve tried to smooth his features in to some semblance of normalcy, but he wasn't sure he succeeded because he really had no control over the broad smile that resulted from Kono's revelations. Could she really have had a crush on him the whole time he had one of her? She never showed a sign. Of course judging by what she was saying she had no idea of his feelings either. It was time he remedied that.
"Kono," he said gently waiting until she raised her eyes to look at him before continuing. "You did not come on to me at all last night."
She looked confused for a second then . . .
"Then why on earth have you been standing there making me say all this? If nothing happened why didn't you just say that and then we could move on. Did you want to embarrass me?"
"No," he said quickly a little taken aback by her abrupt shift from embarrassment to anger. "I really didn't know what you were talking about at first and then . ."
"And then you thought it'd be fun to tease the rookie?" she accused.
"I don't think of you as the rookie, Kono and you know that."
"Beside the point, Steve."
"I like it when you call me Steve." He smiled his most charming smile and Kono rolled her eyes.
"Also not the point, Boss. Why?"
"Because once you started rambling it seemed that maybe you were saying you had feelings for me beyond the team, beyond friendship and I needed to know if that was the case?"
"Why? That is highly embarrassing for me and really unnecessary."
"Unless I feel the same way." He said simply. "It would matter then."
"Yeah I guess it would but like I said I get that you have a little thing for Lori and to be honest I'm sure she returns the feeling so . . ."
"Kono," he cut her off. Here eyrs were focused somewhere on his right shoulder and he wanted her to look him in the eye.
"Steve." She imitated his tone. He smiled again, he really just couldn't help it. "What is so funny?"
"Nothing here is funny, Kono. Well except maybe your rambling and your inability to hear the words I am saying when you are nervous and angry and really just off your game."
"Gee thanks." She snapped.
"And so back to these feelings you have for me." He said closing the two foot distance between them but not reaching out to touch her yet. He had to be sure. "Is it just a spark or something more?"
"I didn't say anything about a spark." She answered a little frantically.
"You did last night."
"You said I didn't come on to you." Now she looked him in the eye with accusation clear in hers.
"You didn't, but you may have revealed that you felt a spark between us when we first met." She opened her mouth to interrupt but he held a hand up to stop her. "And then today you referenced feelings and I just want to be sure what kind of feelings we are talking about. Are these feelings simple attraction? Are they shallow sort of if we were the last people on earth I would consider you as an option? Are they . . ."
"Why do you need to know?"
"I need to know." He looked deeply in to her eyes trying to see if the answer was there. She didn't look away but he couldn't read anything. She was too good at masking her emotions.
"Looking for an ego boost?"
"No." he couldn't really explain why he didn't just tell her he had feelings too. He just wasn't ready to bare his soul if she just thought he was cute and maybe you know fun. His feelings had gone too deep to be satisfied with that and although he would accept it as a beginning he wouldn't reveal his feelings to her. "Kono, please."
"Fine," she snapped still looking him in the eye and seemingly bracing herself for something painful. "I think I love you. I love your smile. I love the way you protect the people you care about. I love how awkward you are in overly emotional situations and how comfortable you are in a shootout. I love your quirky sense of humor. I love the way you surf and in a related story the way you look doing. The way you look doing anything. I love what a patient and forceful leader you are. I love your single-minded devotion to a case. I am pathetic and have been falling more and more in love with you since that day we . . . why am I telling you this?"
"Because before I told you that I think I am falling in love with you I wanted to know you felt the same way." Their eyes held neither moved or seemed to breathe for a full minute.
"Coward." Kono said softly.
"Agreed." Steve responded gently before lifting his hands to her face and leaning in to gently brush his lips against hers. It was over in a moment and Steve pulled back slightly to gage her reaction still not quite believing she felt what she said she felt and they were really in this moment together.
"Seriously," she said after seeming to catch her breath. "You mean it? I had no idea."
"Me neither." Steve laughed. "I guess we are both a little too good at hiding our feelings. Good for the job bad for the heart. So what now?"
In answer Kono leaned her whole body against his and kissed him deeply and passionately. He responded immediately, but after a minute or two or it could have been ten because seriously she was a really good kisser and she was Kono and he could not believe this was happening, he pulled back. Her hands were wrapped around his neck and his rested on her hips.
"Kono," he whispered surprised at how unsteady his voice sounded. "Chin is always here by 8." She leaned her head back gave him a broad smile before tipping her head around him to see the clock on the wall. "That gives us a good three minutes." With that she leaned up and kissed him again and although he intended to argue about how Chin could possibly be early and they still needed to talk about what just happened he kind of didn't care about any of that once her lips were on his again. Fortunately Chin made a loud entrance that morning chatting on his cell phone with one of their many cousins. When they heard his voice around the corner they broke apart like teenagers caught in a make out sessions by their parents. They looked at each other as Chin came in to view and laughed. Chin just waved a hand at them and went in to his office still on the phone.
"So," Steve said after Chin was out of sight. "The rest of the team should be here monetarily kind of limiting our ability for a private conversation."
"Private conversation is that what we're after?" she teased with a raised brow. Steve was pretty sure he actually blushed. Kono boldly flirting with him was a lot to get used to. Before Steve could respond Danny walked with Lori loudly bemoaning the amount of sand on the pineapple infested island they called home. Steve's phone rang and Kono made a move to leave is office. He placed a detaining hand on her arm.
"Dinner tonight?"
"Absolutely." She said her smile indicating she might possibly be as happy about what had transpired in the last ten minutes as he was.
"Great." He looked at his phone. "It's Jenna," he told her the surprise evident in his voice.
"Keep me posted on that." Kono said stepping out as Steve picked up the call.
Several hours later Steve sat at his desk and cursed the direction the day had taken. He had hoped to be eagerly anticipating a romantic dinner with Kono instead he was explaining to Danny why and how he would be secretly entering North Korea on a precarious rescue mission. He was happy for Jenna and the possibility that her fiancé was still alive had to be investigated, but the timing was not the best.
He knew his team could handle the investigation in the Bethany Morris case. Danny, Chin and Lori had been on scene with him and they had proceeded through the initial stages fairly quickly already. Steve was confident in their ability to find her killer and unravel the mystery. And he was fairly confident in his ability to help Jenna find and bring home her fiancé, if he was in fact alive. No this nagging feeling of regret had nothing to do with work or imminent danger and everything to do with the stunning officer now standing in his doorway.
"Boss, you wanted to see me?" she said unable to keep a goofy smile off of her face that Steve suspected looked much like his own whenever he looked at her today.
"Yes," he said telling himself to stay focused. "Have a seat." He rose to close his door. The glass gave them no visual privacy but at least he could keep the content of their conversation from the others.
"I had lunch with Jenna today." He began.
"She's back on the island? Why haven't we heard from her the past few months?"
"She has been investigating her fiancé's disappearance."
"Disappearance?" Kono asked. "I thought he was dead."
"So did she." Steve told her coming to sit in the chair next to hers. Their knees brushed against each other and he had to force himself to focus on the conversation and not the sensations this created. "She has found out he is alive and being held in North Korea."
"I can see where this is going."
"You can?"
"Sure, she came to ask you to help her get him back."
"Essentially yes."
"And you, of course, agreed."
"I did." He couldn't read her feelings about this in her eyes or her voice which was very matter of fact.
"When do you leave?"
"In an hour." He said quickly. "You're okay with this."
"Okay with you risking your life for a friend?" Kono asked with an almost sad smile. "You seem to do it on a regular basis and the inclination is part of what I admire so much about you."
The sentence seemed incomplete.
"But?" he asked.
"But I won't lie to you and say my heart and mind aren't already racing with fear at the thought of the unbelievable danger you are putting yourself in."
"So where does that leave us?"
"It leaves you on a plane to North Korea and me here trying to solve a murder and trying to not think about the 1001 ways this could go wrong."
"You are amazing." He said wanting so much to kiss her, but mindful of the three other members of their team only a few feet away gathered around the smart board. "When I get back I am making you dinner and we are going to figure out how to be us in the midst of these very interesting lives we lead.
"Sounds good." She almost whispered leaning toward him and increasing the temptation to kiss her a hundred fold.
"I do have one thing to ask of you?"
"Something other than my sitting demurely by while you run off into hostile territory to play Rambo?" She tried t keep her voice as steady and nonchalant as it had been, but she wasn't entirely successful and Steve sensed some of the emotions she was clearly trying to conceal in order to allow him to do what he needed to do. He was grateful for her efforts, but not so grateful he wouldn't ask her the favor he needed.
"Yes and I am asking you to give me your word."
"My word on what?" she asked the concern evident in her voice now.
"You cannot under any circumstances come after me."
"What?" she jumped up out of the seat. "Why would you ask me that unless you thought something would go wrong? And if it did how could you ask that of me at all?" Kono was pacing now.
"Kono," he said with a quick glance out the door of his office. No one seemed to be paying attention to them. "I don't expect things to go wrong. This sounds like simple ransom for prisoner swap."
"Then why ask me to promise?"
"For my own peace of mind, Kono." She looked like she was about to refuse, but he plunged ahead. "This new thing between us has us both very emotional right now. And if for some reason something goes wrong I will have enough to deal with without worrying about you getting mixed up in something. I need to know that no matter what I do with this you will be safe."
"Steve, I can't promise that."
"Please, I don't think I can do this knowing you could somehow be hurt by my . . ."
"Recklessness?"
"Yes. Fine recklessness. I am not used to having someone to worry about like this . . I don't know how to . . it's just so new and Jenna needs me . . and I can't . . ."
Kono stopped him by laying her hand on his cheek. He knew he wasn't making sense but he just needed to know that she wouldn't be put in danger because of his decision.
"Steve," she said causing him to look her in the eye. "When you get back we will have an extensive discussion about my willingness and ability to look after myself, about the inherent dangers of my job which will in no way diminish as result of us being together, about our need to protect each other. But for now I give you my word. I will not set foot in North Korea."
"No matter what?" he pressed hating the weakness that made him need this from her. There was just this tiny piece of a feeling about the situation with Jenna. Something wasn't right, but he was confident in his ability to figure out a way to deal with whatever might come and help Jenna bring her fiancé home. He was willing to risk himself on that confidence, but not her, never her.
"No matter what." She said dropping her hand.
"I'm sorry." He said not entirely sure what he was apologizing for, but feeling like he wasn't being entirely fair to her. Steve through his bag over his shoulder and with just one look over his shoulder at her. Kono's back was still to him, but he could read the slight slump in her shoulders. She was already worried and he knew they would each have to deal with their own emotions connected to their new found feelings. He fully expected to be wining and dining her within forty-eight hours and they could talk it to death then if she liked. Actually, he might be the one who needed that.
"Promise me something in return?" she said without turning to face him.
"What?"
"Come back." She said softly. They both knew he couldn't realistically promise this and he didn't give his word lightly, but in that moment he felt sure that whatever this was between them was something he had waited his whole life for and he couldn't believe it would be taken away from them at the very moment they had discovered it and so he promised her.
"I will."
So clearly the North Korea excursion had not gone as planned. When Steve heard the firefight outside the convoy he knew his team had come to rescue him and while thanking God for this he also quickly berating himself for placing them in danger. He was pleased although somewhat surprised that Kono was not among those who pulled him from the back of Wo Fat's jeep. When she didn't emerge from the helicopter he was almost shocked. Lori's enthusiastic hug was a little strange and kind of painful. And t while he was grateful to Kono for keeping her word and thankful for his friends who risked their lives to save him he had never needed Kono as much as he did in that moment. Holding her would be the way to know it was truly over and he was home again. He reconciled himself to waiting until they touched down in Hawaii for that final peace and allowed himself to bask in the warmth of the rag tag team he had come to think of as family as they boarded a helicopter he was actually surprised could fly. It was over and they were bringing him back to her, helping him keep his promise.
When they landed just over the border in South Korea next to a make shift structure strewn with the latest technology Steve almost didn't notice the one manning the computers. Danny and Chin were on either side of him helping him alight and then she was standing just a few feet from him. Kono. Just this side of the border he realized.
"Steve." She yelled and took off running. He braced himself for an impact like the one he felt when Lori hugged him not caring about the pain he would suffer just to hold her. Not caring about what the others would think just needing her in his arms to be whole again. But she stopped when she was close enough to see the extent of his injuries. It must have been her to whom Joe relayed the information about Steve's condition while they flew because while she looked sad and possibly furious she did not look entirely surprised.
"Steve," she said again when she was close enough to touch him. She placed her hand gently on his cheek and he turned his face into its warmth and softness.
"Kono." He said looking in to her sad brown eyes and trying to say everything he couldn't say. She smiled a little and nodded. She understood. But a raised brow as she turned to lead the entourage to the makeshift cot where Steve would rest until their flight indicated to him that when he was strong enough to take it he was in for the sharp side of Kono Kalakaua's tongue.
Not the most unpleasant prospect.
.
