Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
Author's Note: Okay so you guys are getting two updates in one day because tomorrow's Easter and I have a paper due Monday. So consider this an Easter (or if you don't celebrate Easter, a start to the week) gift.
Today is judgment day for Steve and Danny. It's been one week since the partners last saw each other and both are nervous about how today's going to go.
For Danny, he just hoped that all the emotional soul searching and thinking he's done this week in his work to get over his romantic feelings for Steve wouldn't be for naught. He really doesn't want to see Steve and go back three steps. Yes he still has feelings for his partner; he can't get over his deep feelings of love in a week, that's impossible. But he can hear Steve's name without cringing and think about him without too much of a painful twinge in his heart. He's making progress, baby steps, but it's progress. Danny ultimately just hoped that things don't get any worse than they were.
Steve is a bundle of nerves this morning. Sure it's one thing to not only discover his feelings for her partner and decide to ignore them on the ship, but now he's going to be face to face with Danny. Can he just as easily deny his feelings when he's forced to interact with Danny? That's if Danny's actually going to acknowledge him. He thinks that today he's going to see if Danny and he can talk about what happened. Maybe they can clear the slate and Steve could explain what had led him to that point. As he headed into the office for the first time in a very long week, Steve just hopes that Danny doesn't completely hate him. He missed his best friend.
Walking into the office this morning, Danny has a small smile spread across his face. He's finally beginning to feel like himself again and he really hoped that today is going to be a good day. He also hoped that they catch a case because he really doesn't want to be sitting in his office doing paperwork all day, he's had two days of paperwork too many. Thankfully when Danny walks in everybody's there, sure he may be okay with Steve, but the hurt feelings are still there and he knows that if he and Steve start hanging out and talking all the time he won't successfully get over him and Danny needs to get over Steve for his sanity and for the sake of Five-0.
"Hey Danny." Kono greeted shaking the box in her hand. They had become much closer, quite possibly best friends since Kono had broken and told Danny what she had done with Steve. Danny was thankful actually that she had interfered so much; it took a hell of a lot of pressure off of him. Sure it's not the way that Danny envisioned telling Steve about his romantic feelings, but nothing has really gone according to plan lately so Danny's just gonna roll with the punches.
"You are a goddess." Danny joked taking the box from her hands and digging into the fresh coco puffs. He has been craving this sugary delight for a couple of days and he thinks it's the best way to start off today. He lifted his head licking his lips and his fingers silently greeting Chin with a nod of the head and glances over at Steve. It's a baby step, since Danny hasn't really looked at Steve in three weeks, but he has to work with the guy for the foreseeable future so Danny's just gonna have to suck it up.
"I wonder what kind of compliment I would get from you if I brought you coco puffs." Chin joked happy to see that his two bosses could be in the same room together without such a heavy tense awkward air hanging over them. Sure, it was still really awkward since they have yet to talk to each other, but still it's a step up from before.
"You won't know unless you do. And you know me I'll never turn down fresh coco puffs from one of my favorite cousins." Chin smirked lightly shoving Danny and stealing one of his coco puffs before disappearing in his office leaving Kono with Danny and Steve. Danny shook his head and licked his fingers again closing the box and waving it at Kono in silent thanks again before heading off to his own office.
Steve glanced over at Kono, who only shrugged her shoulders before heading over to her office leaving Steve to stand there by himself. "Welcome back." Steve whispered with slight sadness before heading into his own office. Today was going to be a long day.
Thankfully they were only stuck in their offices for a short time before they were being called for a case. As they were talking through the crime later that afternoon, Steve was shocked when Danny actually answered one of his questions that he threw out for the team. He was momentarily stunned and he lost his train of thought for a second, but he quickly recovered and smiled softly in Danny's direction. It was a baby step, but still at least he had finally acknowledged him and it made his heart skip a beat with how much it meant to Steve.
Of course that didn't mean that they were going to be kicking back on Steve's couch and watching a game. No Steve quickly realized that Danny was only talking to him when it came to cases, but the moment it even tried to become personal, Danny would clam up or go off looking for Kono. If Steve were being completely honest, Danny's cold shoulder personally was like a stab to his heart, because he realized that he had been replaced in Danny's heart as the one he went to. It hurt Steve to know that they probably weren't ever going to be the best friends they had once been.
Chin saw Steve watching Danny and Kono talking in her office and shook his head. He could see the wounded puppy look on his face from all the way across the office and really Chin felt like he needed to set his boss straight. So striding quickly across the office, he just hoped that Steve took his advice to heart.
"Hey Steve." Chin greeted taking a seat in front of Steve's desk, breaking Steve's intense staring contest with Kono's office.
"They're much closer now aren't they?" Steve asked, deciding to get directly to the point.
"Yeah, they've been close for awhile now. But it wasn't until you left that they started spending pretty much all their together. Honestly, I thought they were dating but both Kono and Danny set me straight."
"So you know then?" Steve asked finally making eye contact with his friend.
"Yeah I know. And you wanna know what I think?" Chin asked glancing back at Kono's office to see Danny waving at her and leaving, most likely going to pick Grace up from school. Steve followed Danny's movements before turning and nodding, needing any little bit he can get right now. "You brought this on yourself brah. You pushed him away, that whole thing about him acting different and you not thinking he was focused enough is bullshit. You and I both know that you don't do relationships in any form. You're way too guarded to let anybody in, so of course, when Danny comes barreling into your life you panic. Seriously Steve, I know you're not that dense. I see the way you look at him when you think no one's looking and trust me brah, those looks have nothing clean about them. So tell me, you feel anything for him?" Steve opened his mouth ready to deny Chin's accusations but closed his mouth when Chin narrowed his eyes.
"Yeah I feel something for him. But I won't do anything about it, okay? There are too many 'what ifs' that I can't risk Five-0."
"Wow brah, you are just drowning in denial. I think you need to really stop and think about just how important Danny is to you, because the way I see it you and Danny are it. There won't be a messy breakup that divides Five-0, sure you'll fight, but you guys fought before and we survived. Stop hiding behind the Navy or whatever the hell else you're hiding behind and make a move already. Because the longer you take the higher the risk that he'll find someone else to make him as happy as you did." Chin stood locking eyes with Steve for a few moments, hoping that his words were going to sink in. And as he left the office, he couldn't help but wonder if Steve was going to do anything or continue to hide behind his naval career. The balls in Steve's court now and all Chin can do is hope that he knows how to follow through with his shot.
A/N 2: And the plot thickens, is Steve gonna take Chin's advice or continue to be dense and stubborn? I guess we'll have to wait and see. Next chapter's up sometime Monday. ~thatredheadgirl~