A Touch Of Exhaustion To Send You To Sleep

by luvsbitca

Five times Danny and Steve didn't sleep in their beds and one time they did.

7. Chapter 7

/ / / \ \ \

Steve's injuries were healing a little quicker than the doctor predicted but he refused to lower his estimate on returning to work full time so Steve was still not allowed to do anything around the house. His ankle was completely healed and his shoulder was feeling good but he couldn't test it out properly without hurting his ribs which were already feeling much better but Danny still glared every time he thought Steve was overdoing it.

Grace's weekend rolled around.

Danny and Steve picked up the Grace early on Saturday morning since it had been Rachel's birthday the night before. She was almost vibrating with glee as she climbed up into Steve's ute. She was armed with a manila folder of printouts for all the furniture that had been on the presentation she and Kono had made. Steve smiled at her from the front seat and waved at Rachel as they drove away. He had a list of all the places that they were going today and what they were looking for too.

"Okay Gracie," Danny said talking as he drove. "You can have the bed, curtains and the chest of drawers today but you are not getting everything."

"Okay Danno," she said mournfully looking down at the paper in her hands.

"But," Steve said catching her eye. "As a gift since you are both moving in with me, at least on your weekends with Danno, I am going to buy you the rug."

Grace's face cleared and she beamed at him. "Thank you Uncle Steve."

Steve turned around and caught the smile on Danny's face as they drove to the first stop - the paint store.

They checked on all the different shades of purple, lavender and lilac first. Grace pulled out a bottle of nail polish and handed it to Steve. Steve looked up at Danny who shrugged and watched his daughter pulling out all the paint cards that would match. She handed them to Danny before bouncing over to the other displays until she had all the cards that suited her purposes. She turned around and looked at them.

"That is quite a stack," Danny said looking at the group of about twenty cards in her hands.

"I am going to decide on the perfect colour at home," Grace said handing them to Steve and taking back the nail polish now that she was done.

Steve beamed at Danny when Grace called it home and Danny rolled his eyes.

"What colours are we painting your room?" Grace asked staring up at Steve.

"Cream," Danny said smiling at them both.

"Boring," Grace said with a sigh.

"I know," Steve said shaking his head. "He's determined."

Danny threw up his hands and sighed. "It's not boring it's sensible and you won't get sick of it and need to repaint in a year."

"I like a warm pale blue," Steve said. "What do you think?"

"That sounds good," Grace turned on Danny and Steve grinned at him over her head. "Danno I think Steve is right."

"Of course you do Monkey," Danno glared at Steve over her head.

Steve beamed at him and pulled the paint card out of his back pocket. "I am thinking sapphire ice."

Grace grabbed the card before Danny could. "Oh I like that colour Steve, check this out Daddy."

Danny took the card and looked at it. Steve could see that he wasn't as opposed to the idea as he had been before, could see that his eyes were a little bit softer and Steve knew if he gave him a little space and came back to the idea later then Danny would probably agree to the colour.

"I'll think about it," Danny said sliding the paint card in with the rest of them in his back pocket.

"Hello, how are you today?" A girl not long out of being a teenager asked after bouncing over to them.

"Fine thanks," Steve said watching her wearily; he never trusted anyone that perky.

"Can I help you today?" she looked from Steve to Danny and down to Grace.

Danny shook his head. "We are fine thanks."

"Are you looking for paint?"

Steve looked around the section…the paint section, where they had been standing for the last fifteen minutes. Grace looked up at him and frowned, he nodded in agreement and let Danny deal with her; it was funnier that way.

"No, why would we be looking for paint standing in the paint section?" Danny said no heat only a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

The girl frowned at Danny.

"Thank you very much for your offer but we are just looking at colours today," Danny continued with a smile.

The girl nodded and bounced away with a smile and a reminder to find her if they needed anything.

"Okay," Grace said turning back to the walls of colour. "What about the spare room?"

"Cream," Danny said with a smirk.

"Okay," Grace said with a nod. She pointed to one of the banks of colour behind her and told Danny to look at that one before she pointed Steve to another one. They followed her directions and collected the cards that would suit. Danny tucked them into his back pocket along with all the rest.

"Kitchen," Grace sang out.

"Do you have a list Monkey?" Danny asked looking down at his daughter.

"Of course I do Danno," she pulled a folded piece of paper out of her back pocket and handed it to him.

Danny unfolded the paper and showed it to Steve. On it was a list of every room in the house and another list of all the materials they would need for painting. Most of it was in Grace's hand but next to each room in what was obviously not her handwriting was an amount of paint they would need for each room.

"Who helped you with this?" Danny asked.

"Kono and I did some research on Wednesday when you had to go into work after you picked me up."

"I thought you were doing homework."

"Chin helped me with my homework first and then he found a diagram of your house and worked out how much paint we would need for each room. We were almost done when I remembered the outside," Grace said with a smile and Steve grinned down at her stupidly.

Danny smiled at her. "When did you get to be so sneaky Monkey?"

"I'm not sneaky but Steve said this was my home too so I want things to be good and Steve is still injured so we have to make it easy for him Danno. I haven't painted before so I wanted to know how it worked and Kono helped with my room on the computer so she had to know."

Steve nodded and winked at her. "Very thorough but I've painted before."

"Oh good," Grace said. "Did I forget anything?"

"No, it is a very well organised plan. What is next on your list?"

"Kitchen, I think green."

"That is exactly what your dad said," Steve said looking at Danny.

"Nana has a green kitchen," Grace said.

"I was always happy in that kitchen," Danny said looking at his hands.

Steve felt like his smile was going to split his face in half; Danny wanting that piece of his past meant Danny was thinking of it as home. "I love green."

Grace danced forward and wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. "Excellent, mum always hated green and wouldn't let dad paint our kitchen in Jersey that colour. I love Nana's kitchen, it's always warm and smells of cookies."

"Well then go and find the right colour Gracie," she grinned up at him and raced between the displays coming back with two paint cards.

"Which one Danno?"

Danny bent down and checked them both carefully before pointing to the right one. "That one Monkey."

Grace handed it over and went to put the wrong one back. Steve peaked over Danny's shoulder and imagined their kitchen filled with warmth, Grace, Danny and sunlight.

They worked their way through Grace's list selecting colours for every room but the two bathrooms both of which would need to be stripped and retiled to bring them out of what Kono called the 'caustic seventies'. Danny lead them over to the painting supplies and filled a shopping trolley with all of the other things on Grace's list before leaving to go and pick out some furniture for Grace. They ended up getting her the bed, chest of drawers, the material for her curtains and Steve trailed her around the carpet section for forty minutes until she picked the perfect one. Steve happily reached for it before both Danny and Grace glared at him. Danny held his tongue while Grace told him Steve for doing things he wasn't supposed to.

They stopped for lunch and ate overlooking the ocean before heading home so that Grace could spread the colours out and slowly, painstakingly select the perfect purple for her walls. When she was down to two Steve suggested they paint one wall the darker colour and swelled with happiness when Grace beamed at him like he was brilliant.

On Sunday Chin and Kono appeared at their house just before lunchtime asking to see the paint colours carrying a carton of beer. Steve pulled some steak from the freezer and helped Grace make salad while Chin, Kono and Danny moved the huge dining room table out of the way and set up Grace's bed and chest of drawers. Grace ran away half way through cutting the carrots to help them. Steve finished the salad, went in and leaned against the door to watch them.

"Uncle Steve," Grace said spinning around. "Look at it, isn't it lovely?"

"It's perfect sweetheart."

"Danno," Grace spun around so quickly she overshot beginning to topple over. Steve reached out to steady her biting his lip to keep in the grunt of pain at the movement.

Danny caught his eye over her head and Steve nodded slowly; he was fine it was just a twinge.

"Are we going to start painting?" Grace finished when Steve let her go looking up at Danny with wide, pleading eyes.

"No Monkey, but we can draw some of the pictures on after lunch."

"I'll go get the sketches," she said turning and running from the room.

"Don't run in the house," Danny called after her but Steve could tell that he didn't expect to be listened to. "Are you okay? I saw your face when you caught her," Danny said walking over to Steve.

"I'm fine. It was just stretching the muscles out."

"Here's the thing babe," Danny said stepping close until he could wrap an arm around Steve's waist. "If you hurt yourself you are going to have two very disappointed Williams to deal with."

Steve could see the smirk on Kono's face beyond Danny's but he couldn't care less as he bent a little to kiss Danny.

"Daddy," Grace whined. "Stop making out with Steve."

Danny pulled back and blushed. "Sorry Monkey."

"I'm not going to let myself get hurt," Steve whispered not letting go of Danny just yet dropping his voice down so low only Danny could hear him. "After all I have a drawing to imitate in three and a half weeks."

Danny flushed and Steve pulled away. Steve smiled at his haole and asked if they wanted a beer, he got two affirmatives and two requests for water so he went back out and grabbed the drinks then left them to it knowing he wouldn't be able to help them with anything but he could do something for lunch. He turned his barbeque on throwing the heat up and dumping some oil on it before scrapping it down again.

Kono appeared soon after and leaned against the doorframe watching him. "How you doing Boss-man?"

"I'm good."

"A lot of change is going on around here," she waved back towards the house.

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

"Grace is excited."

"She is very excited. Thanks for helping her with her room and all the other stuff."

Kono shrugged. "She is very persuasive."

Steve stared at her.

"Fine, so I might be a little invested."

"I think the words Danny would use are meddling pain in my arse."

"Oh Boss, you're not going to start quoting Danny are you, from there you start dressing alike and then you'll morph into one person."

"You are a pain in my arse too Kono."

Kono grinned at him and span going back inside.

/ / / \ \ \

Grace had to be dropped off before Danny had finished drawing on the bed. She went with hugs for everyone, a kiss for Steve and a pout that she couldn't finish it all today. Five-0 was still there when Danny returned but Steve left them on the lanai to meet Danny at the door before he pulled the other man into the kitchen.

Steve pressed him into the fridge, kissed him quickly and reminded him it was only three more sleeps. Danny didn't look any less sad but Steve knew it made him feel better anyway. Danny kissed him and they went back out with the rest of the team, Danny with his first beer in hand since he never drank when he needed to drive Gracie anywhere.

The next day during his lunch break Danny disappeared and came back with every coloured paint under the sun and the lacquer that Grace would need to paint over the top. He looked happier when he handed Steve his plate lunch.

Over the next two weeks whenever Grace was with Steve and Danny they were sitting in the dining room painting. Neither Grace or Danny would let Steve paint anything he had to bend or reach to do but, after something he refused to allow to be called pouting, he was allowed to paint three seals and a fairy. He would never admit that when he had been finished his ribs did ache slightly. He sat watching them painting; Grace had a blue smudge under her eye and the curve of her ear was red but Danny was the real revelation. He was careful and sure with every stroke and every time Grace asked him to add something he free painted it on. Steve couldn't stop watching his fingers and he found himself thinking thoughts he felt were incredibly inappropriate with Grace in the room. More than anything else he just wanted his recovery time to pass so he could act on all of the new and detailed fantasies he'd thought up – the main one accompanied the picture Steve pulled from the top of the cupboard when he knew Danny wouldn't be there to find him though most involved Danny, their bed and a pot of body paint.

The Wednesday before Steve's doctor's evaluation appointment Grace was looking at the bed with a critical eye. Steve leaning against the door frame Danny pressed gently into his side waiting for her decision. Steve wrapped his arm around Danny's shoulders and watched Grace who circled the bed repeatedly and looked at it from all angles. She finally turned to them and walked over.

"It's finished," she said with certainty.

"You sure Monkey?" Danny asked dropping down into a crouch in front of him.

Grace rolled her eyes. "I am sure Danno."

"You know what that means?" Steve asked.

"We have to l-l-" Grace frowned and looked at Danny.

"Lacquer it," Danny said.

"To protect the paintings," she said with a huge smile.

"Well yes," Steve said dropping down into a crouch too and ignoring Grace's look of disapproval. "I was thinking we could go out to dinner to celebrate."

Grace grinned. "Can we go to Sinto's?"

Steve laughed and nodded. "We can."

Danny stood and Steve followed his lead no pain in his ribs or lightheadedness.

"Let's go and get washed up," Danny said.

Grace nodded and ran for the bathroom. Danny smiled at Steve, leaned in for a kiss and then left to wash the paint off his hands.

/ / / \ \ \

On Friday afternoon, not a Grace weekend unfortunately, Steve had an appointment with the doctor from the hospital to check his injuries and get the official approval to return to work. The governor, Danny, the team and especially Grace had refused to allow him to complete anything more strenuous than a statement since he'd been hurt and in a turn against all of Five-0's luck none of them managed to turn into a gunfight.

They got a tip that morning about their case and Steve had been forced to watch as the rest of his team suited up and rode off to save the day. He'd done all he could for them from headquarters and when the appointment rolled around they had apprehended their men and where in the middle of processing and clean up.

Steve thanked the doctor and pulled his clothes back on, he looked down at the triplicate paperwork he had been given, the doctor laughing as he handed it over.

Steve made a call and drove home via Rachel's, she smiled as she opened the door which widened when he held up the medical form and she chuckled gently before she called Grace in from doing her homework.

"Uncle Steve!"

"Hey sweetheart, I have something for you."

She raised her eyebrow and pulled back from her hug. "You went to the doctor today."

"I did and he told me I am completely fine to go back to work and to start renovating."

"Show me," Grace demanded holding out a hand, Rachel coughed delicately and Grace dropped her eyes. "Please."

Steve handed over one of the sheets; Grace read it slowly and carefully pointing out words to Rachel who read them for her.

"This says you can go back to work but that you are strongly…encouraged to…avoid things that could result in…head knocks."

Steve nodded. "He said I can swim but he told me I should wait another couple of weeks before surfing so we can start your lessons after we finish your room."

Grace beamed. "You told him you were renovating?"

"Yes," Steve said ignoring Rachel's barely concealed smirk.

"And he said you could do it?"

"Yes, and go back to working normally."

"Okay," Grace said. "So we can start doing my room next weekend?"

"Nope," Steve said with a smile. "The one after that, next weekend is our camping trip."

"Of course, the one after that." Grace said beaming looking between her mother and Steve. Two weekends out was going to be busy but Steve and Danny had planned their trip long before Stan's business trip came up. Steve still couldn't believe he'd convinced Danny to come camping but the pain medication was sure to have helped and it was Steve's reward for listening to the doctor's orders.

"Yes."

Grace threw herself up and at Steve who caught her and hugged her tightly.

"I have to do my homework," Grace said with a pout. "We are going to Maui this weekend."

"I know which is why I came over. You better go back to your homework."

Grace nodded, kissed him on the cheek and said goodbye.

"Thank you for letting me speak to her."

Rachel smiled. "It's fine, she's been worried about you. Thank you for coming and telling her."

"I wanted to."

"And for bringing proof, she is getting more and more like Daniel all the time," Rachel said a small frown on her face.

Steve beamed. "I know, I should go. Thanks again and have fun while you're in Maui."

Steve left and went home. He stopped and bought everything they'd need to make sandwiches in the middle of the night and called Danny to check where he was.

Steve had another hour before Danny would be home so he called a friend of his from high school who'd gone into construction and organised him to come out and quote on the kitchen and bathrooms before he went into the spare room and retrieved what he needed. When Danny came home and called out his name Steve waited for him.

Steve looked down at himself to make sure it was perfect and listened carefully until Danny was outside the door. He heard the paper pulled off the door and opened before Danny swung the door open. Steve smiled up at him from his position on the bed, naked and spread out with his hand wrapped around his cock as close to the drawing Danny had made as he could get.

"Fuck," Danny said before he closed the door and yelled out. "He's sleeping, go home."

"Boss-man is getting laid!" Kono screamed back laughing.

"Go home!" Danny called out again.

The door opened and Steve was still exactly where he had been. Danny's eyes started at his toes and travelled slowly up his body. "Fuck!"

"Hey Danny," Steve said stroking himself slowly.

"I don't think I've ever actually been this hard," Danny breathed out undoing the buttons on his shirt dropping it in the doorway.

"Then come over here," Steve said tugging on his balls with his other hand watching the strip show carefully.

Danny undid his belt. "You weren't at all embarrassed by Kono and Chin being here were you?"

"Nope, surprised you let them come."

"I didn't let them, they invited themselves. I didn't think you'd be laid out on the bed touching yourself." Danny's voice got strained at the end his eyes glued to the hand moving slowly over Steve's flesh.

"Are you ever going to join me?"

"The second I get over there I am going to come and I am too old to come in my pants. Besides I want to watch."

"I really do just rock your world don't I?" Steve smirked.

"I hate you."

Steve beamed at him. "Come over and prove it to me."

"No," Danny said as he dropped his boxer-briefs and watched Steve. "Come for me."

Steve nodded and moved his hand, the way smoothed by the saliva and pre-ejaculate. He kept his eyes on Danny whose own hands were fisted by his hips. Danny watched him, his eyes flicking between his hand and his face. Watching everything, Danny licked his lower lip and any control Steve thought he had disappeared. His hand moved faster and faster and just before he came Danny started walking stiffly towards Steve and the bed. Danny crawled onto the bed and over Steve dropping kisses on his skin as he went until he could feel the slide of Steve's hand on his abdomen. Steve let go of himself and hooked his hands under Danny's arms and hauled him higher up until he could catch his mouth in a kiss. Danny's cock nestled into the soft skin of Steve's hip and started thrusting again him. Danny's mouth fell away but he didn't move away his breath fluttering over Steve's mouth as Steve's hand fell away to tug Danny over until they were lined up and pressing against each other properly.

Danny watched Steve's face even as his body lost all rhythm and he pressed in tighter. Steve wrapped his arms around Danny and kissed him with no technique as his body twisted and arched and he came with a grateful moan, Danny followed him moments later to the wet slide of his cock through Steve's release.

Danny turned and landed next to Steve panting.

"So the doctor cleared me for work," Steve said later when they'd caught their breath.

Danny smiled and turned over pressing into Steve's side. "I figured. Think we should be embarrassed that we just came quicker than a sixteen year old virgin?"

"You have refused to touch me for six weeks I had to recite SEAL training missions in my head to keep from coming before you made it out of your shirt."

"I really do just rock your world don't I?" Danny said.

"You really, really do."

Steve turned and threw an arm over Danny holding him close while they relaxed. Danny wasn't sure if they'd drifted into light sleep but he startled when Steve spoke again.

"I have an old friend coming tomorrow morning to quote on the bathrooms and kitchen. I found mum's old plans for the remodels and I figure they'll work unless you have anything you want to change."

Danny raised himself up on his elbow. "Didn't wait five minutes did you? I'd like to have a look at them but I bet she did a good job."

"I waited just long enough to tell Grace that the doctor cleared me and we could start her room weekend after next."

"You did?" Danny asked.

"She asked a number of questions and then asked for proof."

"That's my girl." Danny said with pride scratching at his abdomen. "I am disgusting as are you. Come and shower and we'll make some dinner."

Steve got out of bed and led him into the shower where he dropped to his knees and took full advantage of Danny who allowed his head to thump into the wall curved over Steve's head and mumbled a litany of things he wanted to do to Steve now that he was better. As Danny's hand worked him slowly, so slowly until the water started to cool Steve admitted to a particular fantasy involving Danny, body paint and that focussed expression he had when he was sketching.

Afterwards they went downstairs and ordered Chinese before they curled up on the couch and discussed a shopping trip to buy a new one since the couch beneath them was still uncomfortable.

"I was thinking of calling Chin and organising to clear the place out during the week," Steve said.

Danny nodded. "That works we all just finished the case and we can box stuff up this weekend.

"I picked some up this afternoon," Steve said wrapping his hand around Danny's thigh more firmly enjoying the closeness he'd been missing of weeks.

"Course you did and if we are going to start on Gracie's room the weekend after her next one we need to get the room emptied. I still cannot work out how I agreed to go camping with you or how you convinced Grace."

"I want to get started," Steve said as he got up for the doorbell.

"You have hidden that fact so well up until now," Danny laughed getting the plates and cutlery.

"Camping is an excellent experience stop complaining."

"Grace is excited," Danny admitting putting out some food and changing the topic. "And you have been very, very good since you were injured. You only complained every other hour."

Steve ignored Danny to open the containers and eat now ravenous from his earlier activity.

During the week Kamekona and some of his cousins came out to help lug boxes to the truck, Steve and Danny thanked them with beer and dinner. The next day Five-0 drove the truck to the storage centre unloading with the help of Chin's cousin before Steve started rigging the entrances so only the four members of his team would be able to get in while Danny went and illegally signed up for the storage space using fake ID and cash.

/ / / \ \ \

The next Friday they picked Grace up and as soon as she walked in the door she started to run around the house looking at all the empty spaces where Steve's father's things had been. "When did you do this?"

"This week," Steve said. "Next weekend you're here we're painting but it was quiet at Five-0 and we needed to get it done."

They spent the rest of the night prepared everything for camping.

Steve drove them out on the Saturday morning and they were able to set up before lunch. That afternoon they swam and Steve took his gidgey down to the rocks near where they were staying and speared a couple of fish for dinner. Grace watched avidly as he filleted one of them for her and asked if he would teach her how to do it. Steve agreed and Danny watched as Steve helped Grace slowly attempt to fillet the second fish. She did a good job Steve only having to take over once to save a hunk of meat. Steve cooked them like his dad had taught him in oil with garlic, lemon and pepper and they ate them as the sun was going down. Grace pulled a deck of cards out of her bag and they played Go Fish and Bullshit – it is called 'Liar Liar' Steven and remember that or I'll let her fleece you at poker. When she started to yawn they tucked her into the tent inside of a thick sleeping bag and went back outside to sit by the fire for a while.

"Am I mistaken or are you teaching her survivalist techniques?"

Steve nodded and the firelight caught his flash of teeth. "They are good lessons."

"They are, just don't teach her how to set traps for anything until she is old enough that Rachel cannot use it to take away my custody."

"I would never put your custody in danger," Steve said annoyed. "Wait, you would let me teach her to set traps?"

"No I wouldn't let you teach her how to set traps in fact I will argue vehemently with you just don't bring it up with anyone until she's older."

"Shooting a gun?"

"Never!" Danny said and Steve nodded amending it to stun gun in his head.

"Hand to hand combat?"

"For self defence?" Danny said with a grin. "Already started she knows places to go for if she ever gets a chance but Rachel and I agreed not seriously until she's thirteen and then we could enrol her in something serious. My baby is not going to be a victim because she doesn't know what to do and instinct can only get you so far. And before you say anything yes at thirteen I will allow you and Kono to be her teachers."

Steve beamed and settled back down to watching the fire with his arm around Danny.

On Sunday Grace woke with the birds and she made sure to wake her Dad and Steve so they could go out swimming. She asked Steve to take her snorkelling but Danny said no since she didn't know what she was doing. Steve decided to teach her down at their beach so the next time they came out they would be able to go. After lunch they packed up their area and Steve explained and showed Grace the correct way to break down a campsite and to ensure you were not littering or leaving things for the animals they shouldn't have. He would have taught her how to disguise a camp ground but that could wait until she was older. They drove home and washed the weekends worth of dirt from Grace before Danny drove her home to her mother who was bombarded with stories as soon as she opened the door.

Rachel smiled gently at Danny as her daughter talked but their more civil relationship did nothing to alleviate the pain of walking away.

/ / / \ \ \

Two weeks later on Grace's weekend she ran into the house and straight to Steve.

"We're painting this weekend right?" When Steve nodded Grace threw herself at him with a hug.

"Yes," Danny said lugging Grace's bag into the house. "You have to sleep in the spare room until we are done Monkey."

"Okay Danno, when can we start, Mum helped me find information on the internet and we need to fill any holes and sand before we can put the primer on, and it's a lie that you don't need to prime if a wall has been painted before because it will make the paint last longer and will make the colour more even."

Steve grinned down at her. "We do need to do that, we should do that all tonight shouldn't we and then we can start priming tomorrow."

"Okay," Grace grabbed her bag and opened it. "I brought some old clothes with me. Mum said it was okay if they got paint on them." Grace disappeared into the bathroom and came out later in a pair of leggings with holes in the knees and a long shirt with butterflies faded and chipped on the front.

Steve directed Danny and Grace on how to get the walls ready for priming. Steve did the highest parts of the wall and the spots on the roof where Mary had hung things, Grace working on the lower parts of the walls and Danny filling in the spaces and checking on Grace's work as though Steve wasn't watching her closely as well. When they had finished patching all the holes Danny sent Grace to clean up so they could have dinner before they sanded the walls down.

"You are covered in dust Monkey," Danny said looking down at Grace who had flecks of white dust in her hair and all over her clothes.

"You and Steve were sanding above me," she explained with a grin. "We can prime tomorrow morning right?"

"We can," Steve said. "Why don't you go and have a shower and I'll check and make sure it's all ready to go for the morning."

"Okay," Grace said beaming up at him and Danny before spinning and running to the downstairs bathroom where all of her toiletries were.

"Do you want me to help?" Danny asked watching Steve stretching up exposing a span of tanned skin.

"No, just keep objectifying me," Steve said with a grin.

Danny smiled up at him. "I can do that."

"Which bathroom do you think we should rip out first?" Steve said after a while.

"Upstairs," Danny said. "It's the smaller of the two, if we are going to do the kitchen at the same time it's probably best to get going on the smaller of the two bathrooms."

"Okay."

"No argument? Just okay?"

"Yeah," Steve smoothed his hand over the wall and smiled back at Danny. "I asked your opinion and you gave it. Why would I argue?"

"That's already the instruction you gave to Alex isn't it?"

"Yeah," Steve said with a smirk. "He's in to start Monday."

"Already?"

"Apparently the job he had before us fell through because of a family emergency so he jammed us in as a favour."

"I am so pleased that we get to live with all of this at the same time," Danny said. "Because that is really what we need in our lives."

"What's wrong?" Steve asked turning around and looking at Danny carefully. Steve kept expecting him to change his mind to think this was too…something and put a stop to everything.

"Nothing," Danny said. "I'm just not looking forward to losing our kitchen and bathroom while we are stripping walls and attempting to paint."

"We'll only paint on weekends," Steve said. "Everything else will happen during the week."

"This is going to be stressful and we are going to get pissy at one another," Danny warned. "When Rachel and I repainted our house I swear she almost punched me on a weekly basis."

"See we have bad people to beat up," Steve said with a grin. "Instant stress relief."

"We are not allowed to harm people in our custody," Danny reminded just as the shower shut off. "I'm going to go have a shower and then we can watch something before Grace goes to bed."

Steve nodded. "I'll wash down the walls while you do."

"I'll help," Grace yelled out from inside the bathroom.

"Stop eavesdropping and get dressed," Danny called back on his way to the upstairs bathroom.

Steve laughed and left Steve trying to think of a way to keep Grace from again being covered in dust and having to have another shower before bed. He was surprised by how much she seemed to be enjoying herself, how enthusiastic she was to be a part of everything. Steve wondered what it had been like in Rachel's house when they had moved here; obviously they had repainted since Gracie said Stan had paid someone to do it all but she hadn't been allowed to be involved. Grace had been enthusiastic and motivated, more than Steve could remember being when he was her age but his room had been his room his whole life from the moment his mum came home with him he'd slept in that little room with a window looking out onto the green trees beside the house. They had changed it over time, they'd repainted and his mother had changed the curtains sometimes but he'd never paid much attention outside of asking for whatever he had been obsessed with at the time. Grace had done the same thing in asking for what she wanted this room to look like, she loved the beach with the same passion Danny disliked sand and it made Steve happy whenever he was able to take her out into the water. He couldn't wait to take her out and teach her how to surf.

Steve was pulled out of his thoughts by the shower upstairs turning on. He needed to hurry before Grace came back. He washed down the upper walls quickly and thoroughly leaving the bottom section for Grace but ensuring that there wouldn't be any more falling plaster to turn her hair spotty. She came in wearing something other than her pyjamas and a smile. "What are we doing Steve?"

"We need to wash the wall down; I've done the top part of the wall down to about your shoulder height. You do that wall," Steve pointed and handed her a sponge. "And I'll do this one."

Grace took the sponge and got to work with the same enthusiasm she had shown for every step of the process up until now. "We need to cover the floor tomorrow."

Steve turned and stared at Grace for a moment, she was grinning as she slowly, carefully wiped down the walls. How could Rachel have allowed herself to miss this, seeing Grace so involved in what she was doing, enjoying something that was honestly boring, hard work. Grace grinned up at him with an expectant look and he remembered her question finally.

"We are redoing the floors so we don't need to but I will and I've pulled the skirting boards out so we can paint behind them."

Grace nodded and got back to washing. "Can we watch a movie before I have to go to bed?"

"We can start a movie," Steve said. "But I don't like your chances of convincing your father to let you stay up that late sweetheart."

"No chance at all, we can finish it tomorrow though." Danny said from behind them leaning against the door his hair wet and ruffled.

"Okay Daddy," Grace said with a mournful sigh.

Danny smiled at her. "Besides we want to get an early start tomorrow don't we?"

Grace looked around the room and nodded returning to washing her wall.

"What can I do?" Danny asked.

"Vacuum when Grace has finished her wall," Steve said dropping his sponge. "That way it won't get caught in the paint tomorrow."

Danny nodded, Steve left to take his own shower while they finished and chose a movie. By the time he came downstairs in his own pyjama pants and top Grace had changed into hers and they were sitting on the couch together waiting for Steve to start the movie. Steve sat down next to Danny and threw his arm over the shorter man's shoulders gently tugging on Grace's hair before she turned and poked her tongue out at him.

"That's not nice Uncle Steve," Grace reproached.

"What are we watching?"

"The Incredibles," Grace said. "I really like it."

"I've never seen it."

Grace stared at him with disbelief.

"He's been living in jungles with the Army for the last ten years Monkey," Danny said handing her a glass of water and watching her until she'd had some.

"Navy Danno, not the army." Grace said before she had a drink.

Steve beamed at her and stretched himself out pressing himself closer to Danny. "She's got a point."

Steve enjoyed the start of the movie but he noticed Grace listing almost halfway through when Danny turned the movie off to shuffle her off to bed.

The next day Grace bounced into Danny and Steve's room to wake them up. "We have priming to do," Grace said sitting on her father's chest waiting for him to wake up.

Steve threw the blankets off and got out of bed. "Breakfast first."

"Pancakes!" Grace said jumping off Danny to head out of the room. "I'll go and get all the ingredients ready Daddy."

Danny groaned and sat up. "I'm not getting a good night's sleep until this house is finished am I?"

"I don't like your chances," Steve answered honestly getting out of bed and heading for the bathroom.

Danny sighed and went downstairs to find Grace standing by the kitchen table, the ingredients next to her and the mixing bowl all ready. "Morning Monkey."

"Morning daddy," Grace started measuring out the flour for Danny.

"Excited about priming the walls?"

"I've never painted before," Grace said pouring the cup of flour while turning to look at Danny with a huge grin.

Danny watched the last of the flour end up on the table as she bounced and walked over to take the measuring cup from her hand. "You need to be careful Monkey."

"Sorry daddy," Grace bounced over to the cupboard and started cleaning up the flour.

"Not a problem monkey, we always make some mess when we cook but you need to keep your eyes on what you are doing."

"Especially important today," Steve said from the entry way. "Did Danno tell you what was happening to the kitchen this week?"

Grace shook her head and grabbed the bi-carb keeping her eyes on what she was doing. "No, what's happening?"

"We are ripping it out to put in a new kitchen," Steve said.

"Wow, a whole new kitchen?" Grace said looking around.

"My mum always said she wanted to redo the kitchen, she wanted to make the window bigger and the benches wider, she was going to do it before she died. It seems like a good time to do it now." Steve said pulling out the frypan ready.

"Why didn't you do it when you came home?" Grace asked measuring the sugar very carefully while Danny cracked eggs.

Steve sat down and watched them. "I didn't have a good reason to do it before but now I have you and Danny living here."

Grace took her eyes off the sugar to grin at him. "See Danno I told you it was like the penguins."

Steve looked from Danny to Grace and back. "What?"

"Grace found out that some penguins in Spain were gay and creating nests and she thinks we are doing the same thing."

"Eventually they were given an egg to raise," Grace said. "I have a brother now, so I'd be happy with a little sister."

Steve opened his mouth to say something and realised he had absolutely nothing to say to that. He would never admit to getting a flash of a little girl with Danny's blond hair and his eyes because he knew that was impossible, for so very many reasons, and he didn't want to think about the fact that might be something he actually wanted.

"Gracie," Danny said ducking down to look her in the eye. "Be happy with Charles."

Grace nodded with a pout. "I like being a big sister and mummy says I'm good at it."

"You are an amazing big sister," Danny agreed. "Now do you want to whisk everything or do you want me to do it?"

"I want to do it," Grace drew herself up onto her knees and started whisking what was in the bowl Danny handed her.

"So what do we need to do today?" Danny asked looking at Steve.

"We need to prime the walls, we washed them last night so I will go and stir the primer and we can get started after breakfast, my dad always said to prime a wall twice so we should be able to do something this afternoon if you want."

"What about the painting?" Grace asked.

"Tomorrow," Steve said. "Another early morning to get two coats done before we need to clean up to get you home."

"Then the painting will be done?" Grace asked.

"Yeah," Steve said. "And when you come on Wednesday if we have time we can do the first coat on the roof."

"Excellent," Grace said with joy handing the bowl back to Danny who finished mixing the pancake batter and set to cooking their breakfast.

Steve left the kitchen to sort out the primer and Grace ran between her room and the kitchen to keep a track of both men.

They ate breakfast and changed back into their work clothes setting themselves up in Grace's new bedroom to prime the walls. When they'd done their second coat Steve showed Grace how to wash the equipment and get it organised for the next day before they took turns in the shower. Grace looked exhausted but she asked to go swimming, Danny agreed only when Steve suggested just going down to his little beach, Grace nodded and went to change into her bathers while Steve changed into his as well and they all traipsed down to the beach. They had a short swim before going back up to the house and having dinner. They sat down to watch the rest of the movie from the night before and Grace ended up falling asleep less than thirty minutes in.

The next morning Grace woke up at the same time but Steve was already awake and coming back from his swim as she was coming out of her bedroom. "Why don't you grab the stuff for pancakes and we'll surprise your dad?"

"Okay," Grace said going down to the kitchen more slowly than she had the day before.

Steve had a quick shower and they made pancakes though Danny came down just as they'd finished mixing the batter and took over the actual cooking.

They painted the room, Grace working to cut in the bottom of the walls while Steve did the tops and Danny followed along behind them rolling on the rest of the paint. They stopped for a swim between coats and Grace conned Steve into throwing her into the air so she could tumble down into the water.

"I saw the picture daddy did that's in your office," Grace said.

"See this is what I mean about Grace knowing too much for her own good," Danny said with a grin. "You can do it for fifteen minutes and then you need to come inside so we can have lunch and do the second coat."

"You're going to leave us alone down here?" Steve asked surprised.

Danny smiled. "I trust you."

Steve beamed at him so widely Danny felt his stomach twist. "I'll make us some sandwiches for lunch, come up to the lanai when you're done."

Grace nodded and swam towards Steve. "Come on Uncle Steve."

"You only call me Uncle Steve sometimes," Steve noticed as he checked the ocean floor to find the safest place.

"Do I?" Grace asked. "You're not really an uncle though. What do you want me to call you?"

"I am happy with Steve or Uncle Steve. You ready?"

Grace nodded and curled herself as Steve lifted her and twirled her into the water.

Sixteen minutes later they came up to the lanai where Danny was waiting with the biggest thickest towel he could to wrap around Grace handing Steve another one. Grace grabbed a sandwich and curled up on the chair wrapped in the fluffy towel.

"It was so much fun Danno."

"It looked fun. I watched when I was finished making the sandwiches."

Steve pressed a kiss to Danny lips before grabbing a sandwich. "Thanks."

"Not a problem babe," Danny handed Grace a bottle of water as well. "All of it monkey."

"Okay Danno," Grace opened the water and drank it. "Do we have time to do the next coat before you have to take me home?"

"We should have just the right amount of time," Steve said. "If we do it when we've eaten."

"Okay," Grace said eating more quickly.

"You don't need to rush Gracie," Steve said with a chuckle.

After lunch they did the next coat Grace having a go with the roller this time which slowed them down but made Grace beam at Danny. "This is so much more fun than when Mum and Stan painted, they paid someone to do it."

"I like painting," Steve said. "Whenever my mum would decide to change something I'd help her paint. Dad was always working and Mary hated painting so it would just be the two of us. I can do the wood floors too when we have done the painting."

"But you can't do the kitchen?" Grace asked.

"No, I think it's best to pay someone to do that. I worked for a long time never having anything to spend my money on, besides I just don't have the time."

"And that would just lead to us to arguing, renovating a house is hard on relationships. I remember when my dad took some time off and he and my Ma pulled the kitchen out and redid it. They argued so badly we all went and stayed with my aunt Ellen for a while. It was terrible, the kitchen was great afterwards but they never did that again. Whenever redoing things comes up I remember that and think of that as I sign the cheques."

"Grandma and Pop fought so bad you ran away?" Grace asked.

"It wasn't running away, we slept at home we just hang out at Aunty Ellen's during the day."

Grace looked worried for a second. "Are you and Steve going to start fighting too?"

"No more than we already do sweetheart," Danny said reassuringly.

"Too?" Steve mouthed over Grace's head. "Rachel?"

Danny nodded sharply once and told Grace to get more paint.

After they were finished Grace scrubbed herself down to get rid of the leftover paint and Danny drove her home encouraging Rachel to send her to bed nice and early if she wanted her up for school the next day. Rachel took the news well and Danny walked away after a tight hug listening to his daughter tell Rachel all about the weekend and painting her room.

Sunday night Danny and Steve emptied out the kitchen and second bathroom storing the food that was left in the back room.

"That's it," Danny said handing Steve a beer. "From now on our life is going to be even more disastrous and disorganised than it already was."

"It will be fine," Steve said. "Grace is happy with her room."

"She is very happy," Danny said. "Thank you for letting her be so involved, hell for giving her a room here."

"Danny, she's family she gets a room. And she wanted to do it why on earth wouldn't I let her?"

"Because she will slow us down? Because she's a child? Because she might make mistakes?"

Steve shrugged. "We don't need to rush, this is the best time to let her learn and mistakes happen and can be fixed."

Danny turned the TV off. "We should go to bed."

"Why?" Steve stood anyway and trailed behind Danny who checked the doors and turned off lights. "It's early."

Danny threw him a look over his shoulder.

"Oh, okay," Steve grabbed Danny's hand and dragged him the rest of the way up to their bedroom stopping along the way and pressed him into the wall until they were both gasping.

Danny pulled away looked down at his shirtless chest and raised an eyebrow at Steve. "When?"

"Smooth dog," Steve grinned before heading to their room and throwing himself down on their bed so he could watch Danny come in and strip down.

"You big goofball," Danny said shaking his head but he stripped regardless. "Get naked."

/ / / \ \ \

On the Monday Alex appeared at their house before they left and told them the bathroom and kitchen would be demolished before the week was out. At lunchtime they caught a kidnapping case but when they returned home early the next morning for three hours enforced sleep both the kitchen and bathroom were half rubble. Steve's mum's plans had been great with some changes for modernising and a couple of trips with Alex to kitchen and bathroom supplies showrooms to choose items. The kitchen would take longer than both bathrooms together so he split his crew and agreed to work on them both concurrently doing the second bathroom when the first was completed.

Alex had been Steve's best friend in school and they had kept in touch a little over the years. He was warm and friendly and happy to do what he could to make the renovation easier on them both. He'd had good suggestions on the plans and liked that both Danny and Steve seemed to be in agreement about what they wanted. Alex also found it incredibly funny to watch Steve and Danny bicker their way through every store they went to even if they generally ended up choosing the same thing.

Danny took Wednesday night off and he and Grace painted the ceiling together while Steve followed some leads. He returned as they were starting on the second coat and took over from Danny. Grace beamed at them knowing that the painting was finally finished.

They found the girl but it took them three days and she had been buried alive while the abductor watched. Steve took some pleasure in beating the man when he resisted arrest.

/ / / \ \ \

Steve walked into Danny's office. "The paperwork is done. We've been working eighteen hours days. Let's take the afternoon off and go buy a couch."

Danny looked at his computer and nodded. "Sounds good, you sent Chin and Kono off yet?"

"Kono will probably be in a bikini by now."

Danny smiled and shut the computer down. "Let's get out of here."

Steve drove them to a specific store and dragged Danny through many couches to point at a brown leather monster of a couch that looked big enough for all of Chin and Kono's cousins. Steve sat down on it and watched Danny until he joined him on the couch.

"I like this one," Steve said when they'd been sitting for a while.

"It's the first one we've even looked at," Danny stood up and looked around the showroom. "There are a lot of other couches we haven't looked at."

Steve stood as well. "No I like this one, do you think it is comfortable?"

"It's very comfortable but seriously only the first one we've sat on."

"But I like it."

Danny threw his hands up. "You cannot just buy the first couch you sit on! You have to look at a few, go to some different stores. You have to take this seriously, this couch is insane anyway look at it. It's a couch on steroids, who needs a couch this big? With this much padding? I want you to tell me what on earth it is about this couch that you like enough to spend…oh God no one needs to spend this much on a couch!"

Steve bit his lower lip to keep from smirking, which he had discovered made Danny shift his rant from whatever the topic of the day was to Steve. "It's big enough to fit the both of us," Steve answered with a shrug. "And I have been couch shopping before."

Danny stopped moving after the first comment and then stepped closer when he heard the second. "How on Earth can you know we would both fit on it comfortably?"

"It's about the same width as the hammock which isn't a great comparison but we had fun in that."

Danny coloured and flicked his eyes around them to see if anyone was close enough to hear them. "Get on the couch."

"What?"

"Get on the couch."

Steve sat on the couch.

"No, lay down," Danny said as though Steve were not very bright. "If we are testing the couch out and we have already sat on it then I want proof we can both fit before I will discuss this gigantor of a couch."

Steve laid down on the couch. He moved over when Danny sat next to him. "You want to cuddle in the store?"

Danny glared at him but threw himself down next to Steve anyway, they moved around until they were lying together.

"You are right it is comfortable." Danny conceded.

"See John it is not weird to lay on a couch, look at those two," a female voice from above their heads said. Steve and Danny looked up and watched as a man a couple of years older than them glared at them before following his wife who had turned around and obviously headed back to the couch he had refused to lay down on.

"So you've been couch shopping before?" Danny asked.

Steve nodded. "Someone bitched at me when they had to sleep on it because they refused to sleep in my sister's pink canopy bed."

Danny laughed. "And how many couches did you look at?"

"A few, but we were dating by then and-" Steve stopped with a shrug. "It's comfortable."

"You didn't want to buy it alone?" Danny asked picking up the thread Steve had left unfinished.

"I wanted you to move in already." Steve said wriggling.

"You know most people who've been dating less than a year don't move in together and renovate a house," Danny pointed out.

"Do you think we are moving too fast?" Steve propped himself up and looked down at Danny.

"Good afternoon gentlemen can I help you today?" A salesperson asked looking down at them with a smile.

"We are trying the couch out," Steve said with a smile.

"We'll take it." Danny said sitting up. "What's the best price you can do for us today?"

"Come over to my desk and we can discuss it, do you have a preference for fabric?" The woman grabbed the fabric samples off the back of the couch and led them to a little table.

"What are our options?" Steve asked now that he'd stopped frowning at Danny.

They purchased the couch which would be ready in six to eight weeks which would hopefully be a good time for their lounge room to be repainted.

"When is your stuff getting here from Jersey?"

"Should be in the next week or so. So, should we go and look at beds?" Danny asked.

"Why are you suddenly so interested in buying furniture?" Steve asked turning the car towards the bed stores located down the end of the road they were currently on.

"I don't think we are rushing," Danny said. "From what I remember the last time I purchased a bed it took a while to get so I want to make sure we are not waiting a long while after we're done with the room."

Steve pulled Danny over the centre console to kiss Danny. "Let's go and get a bed."

Danny climbed out of the car laughing.

Inside Steve laid on the first bed in the store, he was up moments later and going to the next one. Danny stood back and watched as Steve laid down on five beds in quick succession only lasting a few moments on most before he bounced up and moved to the next one.

"Babe, what are you doing?" Danny finally asked.

Steve stood up and walked back to Danny. "Trying out beds, you complained when I don't try out couches and now you complain when I try out beds."

Danny grinned at him. "Nope, just thought we should skip the beds that are going to be crap because they are cheap. I am a firm believer that if you are going to buy a bed it should be a good bed."

"So you have rules on buying beds?" Steve asked. "All information that should have been given to me earlier."

"A mattress should be comfortable and nothing this cheap is comfortable, it should have a pillow top because they are miraculous and I still have happy memories of the one I owned in Jersey."

"Miraculous?" Steve asked with a smirk.

Danny stepped close. "Let's put it this way babe when we have the bed you will really appreciate how gentle it is on my bad knee."

Steve reached out and curled his hand around Danny's waist. "Really?"

"I tell you, miraculous."

"Let's go," Steve turned and started walking deeper into the showroom.

Danny laughed and caught up directing Steve towards the right section, and older man walked over. "How can I help you today?"

"We are renovating," Danny said one eye on Steve who was rolling around on one of the beds. "We need a new bed."

"Any features you are looking at as essential?"

"Danny said pillow top, I like it."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Probably for now we are just going to try out all the beds, and I do mean each and every one since I made the mistake of commenting on not trying enough couches out."

The salesman smiled. "I will be right over there, my name is John if you need anything just ask."

"Thanks John," Steve said snagging Danny's wrist and yanking him down onto the bed next to him. "I like this one."

Danny laid next to Steve for a while relaxing into the bed. "It is very comfortable."

"Let's try out the next one."

Danny nodded getting up and trailed after Steve regretting ever saying anything about trying out all the options. He still thought it was the correct way to go about it but he remembered doing this with Rachel all those years ago and it had taken them two days just looking at the beds before they got to the point where they even decided what they liked. Steve, and his cutely obsessive arse, was probably going to be even more of a pain in the arse than Rachel had been.

Ten beds later Steve went and found John. "Okay I like that bed, that bed and that bed what do they have in common?"

John started on a spiel then paused. "Sir," Danny lifted his head. "Are they the same beds you liked?"

Danny had to smile. "Yeah, but those two were better than the other one."

"You should have said something," Steve said glaring at Danny.

"Just did."

"Before, ignore that bed then John."

John launched into his spiel and they found that both beds had pretty much the same features. Steve nodded and thanked John before he yanked Danny over and pushed him down onto one of the beds again.

"What, you Neanderthal?"

"Try this one again."

"You know society developed language for a specific purpose, it was to communicate things to other people and you haven't yet managed it. The correct way to go about this is to say. Danny I think this is a good bed, let's try it out again."

Steve laid down next to Danny and then started poking him in the side until he turned over and faced away from Steve.

"My God you are actually a throwback to prehistoric man who thought the way to…what are you doing? Seriously you want to spoon in the store?"

"That's how we sleep," Steve said curling himself around Danny. "And you set precedence when you forced us to snuggle on the couch."

"Precedence?" Danny asked.

"You are not the only one who knows words beyond one syllable."

"I am also offended by the implication that I asked to snuggle."

"Not manly enough for you?" Steve said into the skin on the back of Danny's neck.

"I have no issues with my manliness but we weren't snuggling and if you think we were we'll have to work on that. We were simply lying next to one another on the couch."

"I knew you were a cuddler," Steve accused.

Danny chuckled. "You are the one who turns into an octopus as soon as the lights are turned out. I swear you have at least six sets of arms for the way you snuggle at night."

"You are just annoyed that you are too short to be the big spoon."

"Too short?" Danny growled. "Turn over and I'll show you too short." Danny pulled away and turned curling himself around Steve's long back a position they slept in regularly. "Too short. And don't think I didn't notice how you did that making me play big spoon so you could have your way. I assume the SEALs taught you how to be manipulative and always expect your own way?"

"What do you think of the bed?"

"It's a good bed, it's comfortable."

"And how do you think it will be on your knees?" Steve asked.

There was an answering laugh but it didn't come from Danny, they both shot up and stared at John who was standing at the end of the bed next to a woman wearing the same uniform.

"Sorry," she said with a smile. "You just remind me so much of my brother."

"We'll take this one," Steve said with a smile sitting up and moving off the bed.

"Will we?" Danny asked.

"We'll be over there," John said pointing to the staff desk. "When you have made a decision."

"You don't like this one?" Steve asked.

"I do but there are two other bed places next door and I was thinking it might be a good idea to go and have a look at the least. We know what we are looking for and we can come back and buy this one when we have all the information."

"Okay," Steve said standing up and straightening his shirt. "Let's go."

"You are the only person I have ever met who is capable of giving people whiplash," Danny walked over to John. "We are just going to have a look around."

"Of course," John said with an understanding smile.

Steve and Danny walked into the next store and had a look around.

"No."

"What?" Danny asked.

"I don't like it."

"You haven't even laid down on anything."

"It's dusty in here, terrible work ethic. And the sales person keeps looking at us like we are unpleasant."

Danny watched the woman at the staff desk watching them, a small frown between her eyebrows that cleared when a middle aged woman came to speak to her. "Okay let's go."

Steve nodded and stalked out of the store before turning into the last shop in the row. A short, perky woman found them moments after they found the area of beds that seemed to match the ones they had liked in the first store.

"Good afternoon gentlemen how can I help you?"

"We are looking for a bed," Danny said.

"Well," the woman said. "My name is Destiny and you came to the right place for a bed, we have the largest selection on the island. Do you have any idea what you are looking for?"

Danny explained that they had been in another store and the parts of the bed that they had liked.

"Okay," Destiny said leading them away. "Well we have some excellent beds like that come with me and we'll have a look. This is a great bed, surely better than the ones you've tried have a seat."

Steve laid down on the bed but popped back up moments later. "No."

Danny got up as well seeing the look on Steve face.

Destiny looked put out. "Okay, well we have some others you might like."

She showed them to another section and pointed out a few beds.

"Why don't we go and have a look and you can go and see to the customer that just walked in," Steve said dismissively.

Danny waited until she walked away with another smile before he turned to Steve. "That was rude."

"I wasn't rude."

"You barely sat down on that bed before you declared it wasn't suitably and quite rudely too," Danny folded his arms and glared at Steve. "Tell me why?"

"I wasn't rude I didn't like the bed."

Steve walked away towards the beds Destiny had directed them to.

"Steve," Danny stalked behind Steve. "You can't just declare something to be wrong and think I will leave it alone."

"I can hope."

"What is it?" Danny asked but Steve ignored him to lay down on another one of the mattresses. "You are such a child sometimes."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Are you going to try out this bed with me or what?"

Danny went over and laid down next to Steve allowing himself to sink down into the mattress. "It's not as comfortable as the one in the first store," Danny said finally.

"And neither was the one she showed us to first."

"See that is what I'm talking about," Danny said turning and lifting himself up on his elbow to look down at Steve. "The way you said she was…unpleasant."

Steve tucked his hand behind his head and looked at Danny. "I just said 'she'."

"It's the way you said it Steve."

"How are you doing?" Destiny asked stepping over to Danny's side of the bed. "Can I help with anything?"

"I don't think this one suits us either," Danny said turning over and giving her a smile before he swung his legs over the bed and sat up. "Do you have any other suggestions?"

"I have loads," Destiny said. "This bed has a pillow top but it's not very thick there is a thicker one of the mattress over here. It's also got a memory foam one which can be quite comfortable. What type of mattress do you have at the moment?"

"No idea," Danny said. "Steve bought it."

Destiny turned to Steve and asked him what it was.

"The one that was comfortable," Steve answered curtly.

Danny frowned at him again.

"We preferred the latex mattress," Steve said slinging an arm over Danny's shoulders.

"That was the best one we looked at in the other store," Danny said flicking his eyes at Steve.

"We have some latex mattresses over here but I would suggest against them I have had customers complain that they hold heat," she said the smile just a little less wide than it had been before.

"What would you suggest then?" Danny asked.

"Pocket coil mattresses remain hugely popular with a number of people since they reduce the amount you feel your partner move. Which a lot of people like."

"Can you show us one of those?" Danny asked.

"Of course, come this way," Destiny beamed at him and lead them to another mattress. "This one is very popular," Destiny turned and smiled at him. "You should try it out."

Danny nodded and smiled stepping out from under Steve's arm to go and lay down on the bed. Danny wriggled around and got comfortable.

"It's good," Danny said. "Steve are you going to try it out?"

Steve nodded and stepped over to the other side of the mattress. He laid down and moved over pressing close into Danny's side.

"It really is best if you test it the way you would sleep normally," Destiny said waving at the space next to Steve on the mattress.

"You really don't need to encourage him," Danny said with a laugh. "We spooned for twenty minutes at the last place."

Destiny let out a hollow laugh.

"But if you insist," Steve said turning and curling into Danny.

"You dork," Danny said wrapping his arms around Steve anyway.

They laid there for a few moments Destiny watching them before Steve started to wriggle.

"I like the other one better."

Danny nodded and pulled away from Steve. "Thank you for your help Destiny but I think we are going to go with the other mattress we looked at."

"Oh okay," Destiny said. "If it suits you best."

"It really does," Steve said slinging his arm around Danny before dragging him out of the store. Danny allowed Steve to lead him until they were outside of the store and away from the entrance before he dug his heels in and stopped moving.

"Okay Steve," Danny said pulling away. "That was weird tell me what you were doing?"

"Nothing," Steve said. "Come on we should get back to the other store and get the bed then we can go home, I'm thinking we go for a swim and have a barbeque out on the beach for dinner, maybe invite Chin, Malia and Kono out."

"That sounds great, but I'll only go swimming with you if you tell me what that was back there with Destiny."

"Destiny," Steve scoffed. "It was nothing, let's go."

"No." Danny folded his arms, planted his feet and stared at Steve.

Steve groaned and started walking away before he swore and turned around heading back to Danny.

"You are a stubborn man Danno," Steve said standing in front of him.

Danny grinned at him.

"She was checking you out, flirting with you. I didn't like her."

"Oh babe," Danny stepped closer and tucked his hands around Steve's waist between his soft cotton undershirt and the grey one he was wearing over the top. "Even if she was checking me out was I checking her out?"

"No," Steve said frowning down at Danny. "Why would you check her out?"

"Exactly," Danny said. "So even if she was hitting on me I wasn't returning the compliment because I am not interested in ever changing partners."

"She shouldn't have done it anyway; it's obvious we were there together."

"Well next time it happens and since I may be short but I can attract the ladies you are going to remember that I chose you so you don't need to get snarky with her."

"I don't get snarky."

"Snarky and jealous," Danny said again before he pressed up on his tip toes and pressed his lips on Steve's licking into his mouth. Steve opened to him licking at Danny's bottom lip until he could press in and took over the kiss, his arms wrapping around Danny's lower back and pulling him closer. Danny pulled away with a series of short kisses before he stepped away from Steve completely. "Come on let's go and buy this bed."

"Forget swimming, I have better exercise in mind," Steve said striding towards the car.

"I can deal with that," Danny said rushing to catch up.

/ / / \ \ \

Danny woke up alone, he checked the time – 3:12am. He turned over onto his back and listened for Steve, if he was in the bathroom or somewhere else he should be able to hear the other man. Nothing. Danny sighed and got up, he went downstairs checking on Grace, who was still asleep in bed where Danny had left her earlier tonight. He thought Steve might have been checking on her as he tended to do when she stayed over but she was alone and dead to the world. He continued through the house but couldn't find Steve so he walked out the back doors and down to the beach. Steve was stretched out on one of the beach chairs staring up at the sky.

"What on earth are you doing down here in the middle of the night?" Danny asked sinking down into the other chair.

"I couldn't sleep," Steve admitted not looking at Danny, Danny knew something was wrong.

"That's crap, you never have trouble sleeping except when you have nightmares and you go swimming when you have nightmares. You're not swimming and also I normally wake up from your nightmares. Tell me the truth Steve."

"If Rachel left Stan would you go back to her?" Steve asked still staring up at the stars above him.

"What?" Danny stood up and walked over to Steve's chair moving his legs out of the way and taking up space. "Where is this coming from?"

"When Gracie was taken by Peterson we heard a message you'd left for Rachel, you were asking her to leave him."

"Why didn't you tell me at the time?" Danny asked.

"We hadn't been together long, and you were so guilty about shooting Stan," Steve was still ignoring Danny but Danny pushed down the need to force Steve to make eye contact, he needed to wait until Steve was done. "Then, at the hospital, I saw you looking at Charles like you wanted him to be yours."

Steve turned his eyes to Danny watching him now and Danny took a deep breath. "I did wish he was mine, I thought he was and I wanted him." Danny knew he needed to be honest with Steve not only because they had known each other long enough to tell when the other was lying but because he didn't want Steve to ever doubt him. There was more to what was bothering Steve and Danny knew Steve had more abandonment issues than even he'd seen yet and Danny was happy to reassure him whenever it was needed. Danny knew he had his own issues and Steve had always aimed for reassurance whenever possible.

"It must have brought up things for you though," Steve prompted and Danny answered knowing Steve would get to tonight's issue soon.

"I did want Rachel when we started things up again, but I wanted the Rachel I had in Jersey in the beginning, when Grace was tiny and things between us were good. Before she resented me for being a cop and working long hours and forcing her to do so much of Grace's parenting alone. I was there as much as I could be but it was never a nine to five job and eventually she hated me for it. When we started things up I hated myself because I was doing the exact thing I hated Stan for - helping her cheat. Thing is it was nice and things between us were like they were in the beginning, we weren't fighting or trying to score points or anything else that has driven me crazy for years. But then you were arrested and I had a choice I could either follow her or I could stay here and help you. There was never really a question, I chose you and I have never regretted it. I will always love Rachel, and I probably even love Charles a little bit because he's Grace's brother and she loves him. I thought after she went back to Stan and came back here maybe if we tried really hard we could make things work but then I saw her and Stan and Stan was so fucking happy about Charles. I knew that even if we could make things work it would never be right. I knew we could never make things work because helping you was more important to me than helping her and I thought she was pregnant with my child. You are more important to me than she is Steve, do you understand that?" Danny paused and waited for Steve's nod before he continued. "Helping her with Charles' birth made me think about when we had Grace and I thought we could be friends after everything and maybe be just a little bit better for Grace but it didn't make me want her. I have you and even if she came here tomorrow and said she wanted to get back together I wouldn't need to think twice. As much as I was in love with Rachel once I love you now and I," Danny paused and took a deep breath, he wanted to be honest but he always felt a little terrified admitting. "I love you more than I ever loved her and as terrible as her leaving me was I think it would be even more debilitating if I didn't have you anymore."

Steve hadn't relaxed during the time Danny was talking and Danny desperately wanted to pull him closer but knew it wasn't the right thing to do yet.

"You made it work for years," Steve reminded him.

Danny smiled. "Yeah we did and then we imploded and Rachel cheated on me with Stan and dragged my daughter to Hawaii and I followed because Grace is the most important thing in my life. I got stupid and went back but that didn't work either and you know what it was never going to. If I was someone else, if I wasn't a cop or if I could walk away from it maybe we could have lasted but she hates me being a cop and she loves Stan. She is always going to be in my life but I am not in love with her anymore. When she said no, when she told me things were never going to happen between us again and that she was staying with Stan I wasn't devastated. I was sad because I wanted to be with Grace all the time. That was what made me sad," Danny grabbed Steve's hand now twisting their fingers together. "I wasn't sad that Rachel and I were over I was sad because it meant I wasn't going to get Gracie back like I want her, all the time, every second that I can have with her. That's when I knew that Rachel and I were over, really truly over." Danny felt Steve relax next to him. "Steve tell me where all this came from because I thought you knew, I thought you got that we were good and solid and that I didn't care about having anyone else when I have you."

"Tonight when Grace and I were swimming she said she loved that she got to come over tonight because we didn't argue, I made a joke about us bickering and she looked at me like I wasn't getting it. Do you have any idea how much she looks like you sometimes down to the hand movements?" Danny shook his head but had a feeling he knew where this was going now. "She said that Rachel and Stan had been fighting, and not the type of fighting we do. She said they tried to do it where she couldn't hear but she always knew and it reminded her of when you and Rachel got divorced. She said it was nice being here."

"And you got worried Rachel was going to leave Stan?" Steve nodded. "And wondered if she did whether she would come back to me?"

"I-"

"Am a goof," Danny said. "Repeat after me."

Steve rolled his eyes. "I am not a goof."

"Of course you are because Rachel knows even if she wanted to she has no chance with me anymore. And normally you know that I am not going anywhere I don't care if Rachel is available I just want you, you gigantic goofball."

Steve glared. "I am not a gigantic goofball."

"Grace already said it today Steve, she said she likes coming here, to our house even with the lack of a second bathroom and the frankly disturbing state of our kitchen. She worries that we eat take away all the time because we cannot cook. She calls me every day and asks what I am eating for lunch or dinner or breakfast and then what you are eating to make sure it's not completely unhealthy. She knows that you and I are good because she sees us bickering and knows that we are not fighting that even though we are disagreeing we are not angry at each other; that there is a difference. She is safe here with us and she knows it. She told you about Rachel because she knows you are permanent in her life. She doesn't talk to Stan like she talks to you, she never has. She knows you and I are good together."

Steve nodded.

"See, you are a goof but I love you anyway."

Steve pulled him closer and kissed him. "I was trying to sleep and the conversation was going through my head and I wondered about whether she wanted you two to be together again."

"You'd have to ask here but she loves you I don't think she wants you going anywhere."

Steve moved over giving Danny more space.

"No, come on let's go back to bed babe, it's late and you promised Grace a snorkelling lesson tomorrow she'll be up before the sun excited."

Steve nodded and followed him back to the house. Danny waited until Steve was lying in bed before pressing close into his side and wrapping his body around Steve's.

"I love you Steve, I am not going anywhere."

Steve kissed him deeply and nodded before pulling away just far enough to rest his head on the pillow his breath fluttering against his neck. Danny closed his eyes and let himself relax and sleep come to him.

The next day Danny sat Grace down and asked her if she ever thought about he and Rachel getting back together.

"What about Steve?" Grace looked up at him with wide worried eyes.

"He was worried that you might be hoping your mum and I would get back together one day."

Grace shook her head. "No, you aren't allowed to leave Steve."

Danny pulled her close tucking her head under his chin. "I am not leaving Steve, ever. I wanted to check because I don't want you to hope for something like that. I know about Stan and your mum fighting, I wanted to check because-"

Grace cut him off. "I don't want you to leave Steve, I love Steve."

Danny hugged her tighter. "I love him too."

Grace pulled away. "I know you and Mummy are never getting back together, you are happy with Steve Danno."

"I am monkey."

Grace kissed him on the cheek. "Can we go out and get a movie?"

Danny let out a bark of surprised laughter and nodded. "Go and put some shoes on."

Grace grinned and ran from the room pausing to give Steve a hug on the way.

Danny watched Steve who was leaning against the doorframe.

"See babe, she knows we aren't going anywhere."

Steve nodded. "Thanks."

Danny pulled him into a kiss and then headed towards their room. "I'm going to get my shoes, you coming?"

"Sure."

/ / / \ \ \

The next two weeks were hectic with three cases that kept both Steve and Danny from the house for most of the time, with the exception of Grace's time.

On Grace's next weekend they finally had enough time to hang her curtains and put her furniture in there with the help of Chin and Kono who insisted on coming and seeing the finished product. Their insistence to see Grace's room ended with them being roped into helping prepare the lounge room before a barbeque dinner.

Grace was so happy she asked to go to bed before it was dark and Danny gave in knowing she'd be up much too early the next day but he couldn't prevent her from doing it when she was positively vibrating with excitement. On the Sunday Grace alternated painting on primer with swimming until it was time to shower before going home.

Grace asked her mother to come and pick her up on the Sunday so that Rachel could see her new room.

"Hello Daniel," Rachel said as soon as Danny opened the door the smile fading slightly. "So, this is Step-Steve's house? Very nice, so much potential. Do close your mouth Daniel."

"Mum!" Grace called as she ran in from the lanai to hug her mother. "Come see my room."

"I cannot wait," Rachel said following her daughter and leaving Danny staring at her back.

"Did she just call me Step-Steve," Steve asked stepping into Danny's side and slinging an arm around his waist.

"Yeah," Danny said looking over at him not expecting the gigantic grin on Steve's face. "What is with the smile?"

"Step-Steve, I like it."

Danny rolled his eyes and pulled Steve down for a kiss. "I expect some romance if you ever propose," he said before following the sound of his daughter's very excited voice to the only completed room in the house.

"It is lovely sweetheart," Rachel said looking around the room.

"You happy with it Monkey?" Danny asked from the doorway.

"Yeah," Grace said throwing herself at her father, he caught her and hugged her tight.

"Okay monkey," Danny dropped Grace. "Collect up anything that you need to take home with you."

"I can leave stuff here right?" Grace said worried.

"Of course you can," Danny said gently dropping down onto one knee. "You can leave anything you want here but if you want it at your mum's then you need to take it with you. Okay monkey?"

"Okay," Grace said. "I need my stuff from the balcony."

Grace ran from the room and Danny gingerly stood up stretching out his knee.

"It is a lovely room Daniel, I love the furniture."

"She had a lot of fun painting it."

"She wanted to paint the furniture in her room at my house as well."

"I know," Danny said holding himself back from saying something rude about Stan.

"I am pleased that she was able to do it."

"She got together with Kono and came up with an audio-visual presentation to convince Steve."

Rachel laughed. "He's good for you."

"We're good for each other, even if I am sure one of these days he's going to cause my heart attack."

"He cares for Grace."

"She has him wrapped around her little finger," Danny admitted. "All she needs to do is look up at him with that wide eyed stare she got from you and he's putty. Though when I put my foot down he is very good at providing backup even in the face of her pout."

Rachel nodded. "I know she talks about him after your weekends together apparently he is a very good swimmer and you trust him enough to allow her to go with him without hovering."

"He used to be a SEAL," Danny defended.

"I'm not attacking your decision Danny, I am sure he would protect her from anything that would happen."

"With my life," Steve said solemnly from behind them. "Grace wants to know if she can take some of my muesli home with her for breakfast tomorrow."

"Steve makes it himself, it's painfully healthy," Danny said smiling at Steve.

"Of course she may," Rachel said walking from the room. "Thank you," she laid a hand on Steve's arm earning a nod from him before she headed back down the stairs.

"You okay?" Steve asked stepping into the room with Danny.

"I hate saying goodbye," Danny admitted before he straightened up and turned just as Grace came back in the room to collect the last of her things. "Got everything?"

"Yeah, mum said I could take as much muesli home as I wanted, Steve can I take more than just enough for tomorrow?"

"You can take it all if you want," Steve agreed.

"See, completely wrapped around her finger."

"You say that like it's a bad thing Danno." Steve said with a wide, boyish grin.

Danny shook his head knowing that particular argument was pointless.

"I'll go get the muesli," Steve said leaving Danny and Grace alone.

"If you find you need something that's here call me Gracie and I'll bring it by," Danny said.

"Okay, I think I have everything." Grace turned and grabbed Danny's hand before towing him out of the room.

Danny and Grace found Steve in the temporary kitchen they'd set up in the more formal dining room packing up the muesli and chatting to Rachel.

"Danno," Grace said tugging on his arm. "You can't finish the kitchen or the lounge room or the dining room or the lanai until I get back okay?"

Danny laughed and dropped down to her eye line again. "We have to finish painting; you helped us pick the colours so you already know what colours they are going to be."

"But I want to help; Steve and Kono said I was good at painting."

"You were excellent," Steve threw in tucking the muesli into Grace's bag and then standing behind Danny. "But we do need to finish the painting; you can help us with other things next time you come over."

Grace pouted and Danny could almost feel Steve melting behind him.

"Okay," Grace said pathetically bypassing Danny's face to look at Steve. She took a large shuddering breath and let her bottom lip tremble a little before continuing. "I understand."

"Oh Gracie," Danny said biting his lip against a laugh. "When you come back there will be heaps to do so stop trying to make Steve feel bad." Danny stood and turned wanting to hug Steve for the utterly crushed look on his face with his eyes locked onto Grace who would still be working her pout. "Besides it will be a while before the kitchen is ready to be painted and we will wait to paint the bathroom until you are here."

"Grace," Rachel said. "You have a week off from school coming up and some time with your dad I am sure that by that time they will be doing all sorts of fun things."

"Your mum is right monkey, and we will be doing much better things than painting but we will leave Steve's old room until that week to paint okay?"

Grace's face miraculously cleared and she nodded.

"We need to go Grace," Rachel said.

"Okay."

Grace darted over to Steve and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, Steve dropped down to his knee to hug her properly, she whispered something in his ear and Danny knew she was wheedling something more out of him but he would deal with that later. She pulled away laid a smacking kiss on his cheek and then turned to launch herself at Danny jumping with all the faith in the world that Danny was going to catch her which he did and would always do. He wrapped his arms around her tightly not wanting to ever let go.

"Danno loves you monkey," he said into the hair next to his mouth.

"I love you too Danno," she said pulling away and grabbing her bag.

Danny watched her leave Steve pressed tightly against his back as he watched her drive away the familiar feeling of loss hitting him in the gut.

"I'm sorry Danny," Steve said pressing a kiss to his neck.

"It never actually gets any easier," Danny said closing the door. "What should we have for dinner?"

"Anything you want."

"Then let's go out, I'm sick of dust in everything we eat."

Steve nodded and grabbed his keys.

"Don't forget your wallet," Danny said. "Think of this as a date."

"That mean I'm going to get lucky tonight?" Steve asked with a grin.

"If you play your cards right Commander I'll rock your world."

/ / / \ \ \

TBC...