Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.
Winter 2013
It's the first day of winter, the weekend before Christmas. Danny still took most of the early morning feedings with Jack. Steve was asleep in their bed; Danny hoped to join him when Jack finished his bottle.
"You know, Jack, I wasn't sure if I was up for fatherhood again. Half of the time I feel like I'm raising your other dad and that is definitely a full-time job. But you, my son, are an exceptional baby. I'm afraid that you're going to be an overachiever too. You're almost four months old, and you've never had colic. You've been sleeping through the night since you were two months old. Danno loves you Jack."
"Jack loves you too."
Danny looked up, surprised to see his lover standing in the doorway. Steve's hair was sticking up on one side, and he had typical morning stubble. Grace was spending the weekend with Stan and Rachel although it was her week with Steve and Danny. Stan's parents were in town to spend some of the Christmas season with their son and his family, and they were leaving tomorrow morning to go back to the mainland. Grace would be over tomorrow after Stan and Rachel dropped his parents off at the airport.
"I was just thinking about my first Christmas in Hawaii. I was still in my crappy little apartment with my little Charlie Brown tree. I think the Santa suit Kamekona brought me had more square footage than my apartment. It seems like a lifetime ago, but it's only been three years."
Steve came over to kiss Danny and Jack. He rubbed the back of his hand on Jack's cheek. Steve couldn't be close to Jack without touching him. "Well considering this little guy is barely four months old, it was more than a lifetime ago. Do you think he'll go back to sleep for a little while so his dads can have a little fun?"
"Babe, I've seen your equipment. There's nothing little about it. And look at him; his little eyes are drooping. That's the beauty of having a boy. He understands the important things like how you and I need our Saturday morning sex. Do you want to burp him?"
Steve picked Jack up and positioned him against his shoulder. Steve was bare-chested, and Jack was rubbing his cheek against Steve's skin. "Good morning baby boy. Did you sleep well? I see you were hungry this morning. Are you going to burp for Daddy?" Steve crooned to his son as he walked back and forth, rhythmically patting Jack's back. After a couple of minutes, Steve was rewarded with a loud burp.
Danny laughed when he heard the burp. "I swear that this baby is all you! Between his burps and his penchant for filling his diaper at the most inopportune times, he is definitely your son." Last Sunday during the sermon at church, Jack grunted and squirmed as it became obvious what he was doing. Of course, the smell gave it away too.
"Yeah, he has McGarrett DNA. In another couple of months, I'll teach him how to drink beer and lob hand grenades. I'll wait until he's a year old before his first tattoo. What do you think, Jack? Do you want the snake tat or should we go with 'Jack loves Danno'?"
Danny thought Steve was joking until he saw the evil gleam in his eye. "Steven McGarrett-Williams, this baby will not be getting any tattoos until he's old enough to sign for one."
Steve laughed in earnest now; he couldn't believe that Danny fell for his teasing. "So, you're good with the beer and grenade part?" Steve looked down at his now sleeping son. Jack had changed so much since they brought him home from the hospital. His eyes were hazel, the same color as Steve's. His hair was coming in a little lighter, but still a darker shade of brown. Steve found his old baby picture, and he was pleased to see the strong resemblance between his picture and Jack. Reluctantly, he put Jack in his crib and covered him with a light blanket.
Steve had his morning cuddle with their son, and now he was ready for something a little racier with Danny. He moved to Danny and kissed him, a long steamy kiss. "If I promise no tats, beer, or grenades, will you come back to bed with me?"
"You are an evil man, and I hate you." Danny wanted to be angry, but he wanted to be inside his lover even more.
"No, you love me." Steve led Danny down the hallway to their bedroom.
"Maybe, but I want to be on top." Danny was pulling off his t-shirt as he walked. His sweatpants came next. "Come on, babe. You know the drill. Strip for me." Danny motioned for Steve to lose his sweatpants.
"I don't know Danno. I was thinking about going out for a run. We can't be having wild sex in here with our innocent little boy just down the hall."
"That precious little boy is down for another couple of hours, and that's more than enough time for what I have in mind. Now come on, let's take your pants off." Danny started to help Steve out of his pants when Steve flipped him onto the bed. Danny was ready for him. In a neat counter move, Danny had Steve pinned to the mattress and pulled off his pants.
"Now I have you where I want you. What should I do first? Should I start with your face?" Danny kissed Steve, first on the lips, then down his jaw line. His hands were busy too, just where Steve wanted them.
"Tell me what you want, Steve." Danny's mouth was on Steve's left nipple. For some reason, it was more sensitive than the right nipple. Danny teased it with his tongue and teeth. He heard Steve hiss when he bit a little harder than before.
"I want you, Danno, now and always. I want your hands on me, and I want your mouth on me. I want you over me, and around me, and in me. I want you Danno. I want to be by your side. I want to watch our children grow up and get married and make us grandparents. I want to sit with you by the beach when we're old and gray. I love you Danno, now and always."
Danny stopped where he was and moved back up Steve's body. He kissed Steve softly and then rested his forehead on Steve's. "I want all that too." Danny resumed his assault on Steve's body, more gentle now. After 2 ½ years of living and loving together, Steve still had the ability to surprise Danny.
Now that Danny was sure that Steve would let him maintain control, he was content to take his time. Steve's hands were in Danny's hair, raking his fingertips against Danny's scalp. They made slow, easy love in the early morning hours.
Later, Steve brought Jack downstairs and turned on the Christmas tree lights. The old lights from Steve's childhood trees refused to work last year; miniature multi-color lights replaced them. Jack was fascinated by the little blinking lights and was content to watch the tree for hours.
Steve sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the tree with Jack on his lap. He was pointing out some of the ornaments and telling him their significance. Mom and Dad brought some of the ornaments Danny made when he was young when they came for Thanksgiving. Danny snapped a picture of father and son in front of the tree and emailed it to his parents with a Merry Christmas greeting.
"What do you want for breakfast, babe?" Danny brought Steve a cup of coffee and joined him on the floor. He was having a pretty great day. He couldn't help thinking that Steve was right when he told Danny that he was tired of coming home to an empty house during the times that Grace spent with her mother and Stan. As much as Danny enjoyed being alone with Steve, he loved being a full-time father again.
This time around, he was sharing the parenting duties with Steve. Against Danny's initial impulse, they continued to both get up for Jack's 2 a.m. feeding until Jack decided that he didn't need the extra food. Occasionally, Jack joined them in the shower, periodically peeing on Steve just to remind him who was boss. Jack loved the water, and Steve couldn't wait until Jack was old enough to learn how to swim.
"How about something simple this morning? We're going to be eating enough unhealthy stuff later this week. I'll make some oatmeal if you want to sit with Jack." Steve leaned over to give both Jack and Danny a kiss before going to the kitchen.
Barring a major emergency, Five-0 was standing down until after New Year's Day. Grace would be joining them tomorrow, and they would be busy with Christmas dinner preparations after that for a couple of days. Today was really their last free day for a while, and they decided to spend it relaxing with Jack.
Steve spread a large blanket on the floor and brought out a bag of six inch soldiers. With Jack looking on, Steve mounted a large scale attack on the little village set up under the tree. Apparently some nefarious warlord attacked the North Pole, and it was up to Steve and his team to save Santa and the elves.
By the time the battle was over, Jack was ready for his late morning bottle. Danny sat in the recliner to feed Jack while Steve recalled his troops and stowed them in the closet. After all, Steve was setting an example for their son.
"This is a pretty good deal, isn't it?" Danny looked up when Steve came in with two cups of hot chocolate.
"Yeah Danno, it's a pretty good deal. We have a wonderful family and the best friends. We have a job we love, and I hardly ever go in without back-up anymore."
"Don't think that I haven't noticed that. It makes a difference knowing that you have a child at home waiting for you to come through the door."
"It does. You know, I didn't really think I was being reckless. I was a SEAL, and I knew what my team was capable of. And I was really alone back in those days. Now that I have Jack, I have an idea of what was going through Dad's head when he sent Mary and me to the mainland. But at the time, I thought that maybe somehow Dad blamed us for Mom's death and he couldn't stand to be with us. I felt very unloved and maybe unlovable. It took me a while to figure it all out when I came back and started Five-0."
"Well, Jack and I are relieved that you finally wised up. What do you want to do with the rest of the day?"
"I thought that maybe while Jack took his afternoon nap, I could take his dad back to bed. Maybe we can go walking around the marketplace later and get an early dinner. Jack is still pretty cooperative about letting us eat out as long as we don't take too long."
"It sounds like a plan to me. Do you want to finish feeding Jack? I wanted to call Mom and Dad before it gets too late. They're having the extended Williams family over for the annual party, and I wanted to talk to some of my cousins."
Steve happily took Jack and settled on the couch with him. He found some of the old Christmas cartoons on one of the family channels and watched Rudolph save Christmas again. Jack was just drifting off for his nap when Danny came back in. Danny still missed his family in New Jersey, but his life was in Hawaii now with Steve, Jack, and Grace. He was steadfast in his insistence that Santa would never wear a loud Hawaiian shirt and board shorts, but he no longer fussed about some of the other local decorations.
Steve, Danny, and Jack went to Sunday morning church services and even stayed for hospitality afterwards. Jack was a favorite among the ladies' group; at almost four months old, he could be as charming as Steve when he wanted to be. The children's party was later in the afternoon, and Danny promised to be Santa for event. He was on the short side, but he played the role with such gusto that the kids didn't seem to notice.
Stan and Rachel stopped by the party to drop Grace off and was persuaded to stay when Charlie wanted to see his best buddy, Jack, and his Uncle Steve. After Danny changed out of his Santa suit, the couples sat and watch their children play. Grace was on the floor holding Jack while Charlie tried to roll a ball in their direction.
"You know that when Charlie is a little older, he is going to be confused about how he's related to Jack. Think about it. Grace is his sister, and she's Jack's sister too."
"Rachel, I don't think it will matter to him. We're family in one way or another. You and I are Grace's parents, but Steve and Stan are too. You and Stan have Charlie, and Steve and I have Jack. But Charlie spends time at our house regularly, and Jack is at your house at least once a week. The boys are close enough in age to enjoy each other's company. It's a little unconventional, but it works for us. And it's a lot better than the way we used to be." Danny hated the bitterness between them after the divorce. He was relieved that they finally had the sense to let go of the past and do what was best for Grace. He didn't think he could ever be best friends with Stan, but they both loved Grace. For that, Danny could be at least friendly.
Later that night, Steve and Danny sat in front of the tree and had some of the excellent bourbon Dad brought from New Jersey last month. They were tired from the busy day but content to know that their children were tucked in their beds upstairs. Mostly, they were happy to have some extended time off work to be with their family. No matter what was wrapped under the tree, that would be their favorite gift.
