Title: Still the Song
Summary: A song on the radio throws Steve's world off its axis.
Disclaimer: Hawaii Five-0 is not mine. I'm just borrowing the concepts and characters for a little while.
Spoilers: Only if you've not seen passed episode 1.12 Hana'a'a Mekehewa
A/N: Warnings: There might be a tad too much fluff, shmoop, or whatever it's called at the end of this chapter. Also, I'm not a medical professional...
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Chapter Ten: Family
When Steve turned into his driveway, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Danny's Camaro. And once he caught sight of his friend asleep behind the wheel, he didn't even try to keep himself from laughing out loud as an idea quickly came to him. With a wicked grin, he hurried to shut the truck's engine down and open his door. Shutting it as quietly as possible, he made his way over to where his partner was sleeping.
He was about to reach an arm in and honk the Camaro's horn to wake the slumbering detective when he heard the man sleepily murmur, "Don't you even think about it, Steven."
"Too late, Danno," he said grinning at Danny who still had his eyes closed. "I thought it the second I saw you were asleep."
"And I was awake the second I heard your truck pull up," he lobbed back with an answering grin gracing his face before opening his eyes.
Taking a good look at his partner, he can see how relaxed and unburdened Steve was compared to yesterday. Danny was beyond relieved and happy to not see the pain he'd seen in his ohana's eyes anymore.
As much as he wants to know why that song had affected Steve so adversely, he just can't make himself broach the topic. He can't bring himself to take away that look of almost peace he finds in his brother's eyes. It's a peace that will probably never be complete as long as Steve has to live with memories from decades of traumatic, heartbreaking, stressful, horrifying, etc. experiences from both his civilian and military lives. But, he'll take what he can get if it means Steve is not as lost as he was yesterday.
It would be a cruel betrayal to their relationship if he pushed Steve to confront what had happened yesterday especially since his friend was the most laid back he'd ever seen him. Wherever his partner had gone yesterday, it had restored something in Steve, and he'd encourage him to take advantage of it more often.
So he decides to fall back to a position he knows very well, that of a protective brother looking out for his sibling, and decides to just let it go – for now. Someday, he'll get Steve to talk about that song, but just not today.
There was one other thing he notices about his partner.
The detective holds up an accusing finger, "You've gone swimming since the last time I'd seen you, didn't you?"
Steve opens his mouth to speak but Danny, stepping out of his car, beats him to it. "You are well aware by now that you're supposed to keep your stitches dry, you moron. And, don't even bother lying or making excuses. I'm a detective and I know you so don't even try, Brother."
The SEALs eyes widen a little in surprise at hearing Danny call him 'brother', and he hopes it wasn't just another phrase everyone used without thought in New Jersey, like when his partner called people 'babe' or how Islanders sometimes referred to each other as 'brah.' He loved the thought of Danny considering him a brother even though his friend already had one by blood. Though Steve was still learning how to let people in, he'd long considered Five-0 and especially Danny (and by extension Grace) his ohana, his family.
Danny puts a hand to his back and shoves him towards the front door. "Come on you. Go shower and please try to keep those stitches dry this time," he admonishes. "While you get ready, I'll make us some coffee and breakfast – assuming you've got some food in your house."
Steve disarms his alarm and unlocks the door, but Danny pushes passed him in order to enter first. Using the step up into the house to bring him closer to eye level with his giant freak of a friend he turns, tilts his head and says with an apologetic tone, "I didn't know."
"I know," Steve smiles and lightly thumps the back of his hand to Danny's chest.
The blond holds his hands up in a conciliatory gesture, "And I'll make sure it doesn't happen again – at least with that song, OK?"
"Thank you," is the sincere reply.
"You're welcome, Brother," Danny replies, particularly enunciating the last word with a huge smile on his face letting Steve know that the man standing in front of him really did think of his partner as a sibling.
Steve gets this goofy look on his face – happy, excited, and mostly at peace with the world (at least for now). It's one he definitely wants to give a name to, if only for the entertainment value of Steve's protests about not having faces.
Danny knows that they haven't dealt with the underlying problems of yesterday, with those traumatic events Steve's associated with that song, but hopes his brother will let him completely in someday, even if they have to skip the classified bits.
The Jersey native steps aside and his arms make a shooing motion, "Go on you big goof," he says before pulling Steve inside and pushing him towards the staircase while he heads towards the kitchen.
They'd each only gone a few steps toward their destinations when Danny stops, turns and lifts a hand to point at Steve, "And don't think I won't have words with you about getting your stitches wet earlier."
Steve rolls his eyes and grins as he heads up the stairs. He never thought he'd wanted a brother, but feels blessed to have Danny in his life. He couldn't believe how great it was to have a family again.
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The end.
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A/N: I know many of you are disappointed that Steve and Danny didn't have the talk you were all probably anticipating. Remember a few chapters ago when I said the story went a different direction than I'd planned? I'd fully intended to tell you in some way what memories WDoA brought to Steve's mind, but then the family idea took over. Since I've started publishing this story though, I've been slowly working on a new idea where you'll definitely get one of the reasons (via flashback) why Steve hates to hear that song. I hope you stay tuned…
Many thanks/mahalos to all those who stuck around and read this story to the end! Also, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who reviewed, alerted, and favorited… Your kind words mean a lot to me. Thank You! :D