It was a pretty small group that had stayed behind. Five-0, Kamekona, Max and Catherine were the only ones left. Steve and Danny were next to each other, of course. And as soon as Danny had laid his hand down over the arm of his chair, Steve's had been on top of it and hadn't relinquished his hold since.

Kono had decided to make fun of them for catching them on the couch, Catherine declared she'd seen the whole marriage coming all along, and Kamekona alluded to their sex life at every opportunity. Only Chin held back on them. Steve likely put it down to his loss of Malia catching up to him after a day of celebrating someone else's happiness but Danny knew better. Sure he joined in, he laughed where it felt appropriate and he answered back, threw in a few stories of his own but he never really brought up the future. His conversation with Danny earlier had played enough on his mind to keep his comments at bay but he gave Danny an easy smile as his eyes dropped to where Steve was holding his hand.

One by one they took off: tired and not wanting to drink anymore because they had to drive. Catherine had been the first to go, with a kiss on Steve's cheek and a pat to Danny's shoulder. Max headed off shortly after, citing an early morning for him. Chin and Kono left together, persuading Kamekona to go as well since the party was now well and truly over.

They all made their own way out, leaving Steve and Danny sitting on the deck watching the sun lower in the sky. It was still daytime, and there was light for a while yet. Steve's fingers traced small patterns on the back of Danny's hand, then he sat up a little and turned Danny's wrist over.

"How're you're scratches?"

"They're not scratches they're full blown injuries. You can tell those cuffs are antiques, you know."

"I kinda liked seeing them on you. Not in a secondary sense just… it was sexy seeing you tied up for me." He smirked up at Danny as he shifted his body towards him.

"No comment," Danny said as he raised what was near the end of his third beer to his lips.

"We could do it again. Not tonight but sometime. Hand cuffs. We've got plenty."

"Still no comment," Danny laughed into his bottle this time.

"Maybe after a few beers. You know you're more amenable when you've been drinking. Also a little bit when you're tied up. I kinda want to see both."

"Amenable?" Danny scowled as he sat up in his chair. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Nothing, it means nothing."

"You're saying that you need to get me drunk to agree with you, that it makes me pliant? Wait, last night…"

"No," Steve shot forward in his seat, a hand up to ward off Danny's thoughts. He clearly could tell where Danny was going with this. "No, not like that. Don't twist my words."

"I'm not twisting anything, you said it."

"I'm just having fun with you, we're trying to relax. It might have come out wrong. A little. I wasn't thinking."

"Seriously, Steve. Last night. Did you plan that? Getting me drunk and hoping that in my more relaxed state I'd agree with you more willingly?"

There was a pause, but Danny couldn't tell if it was indignant or fueled by guilt before he spluttered out, "No!"

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Maybe because you've been in a mood all day. Look, Danny, I already promised you we'd look over the contract tomorrow. You'll be completely sober then. You want to get off my back now?"

"Looking over doesn't mean we'll come to some great compromise. Not straight away. This could involve lawyers, Steve. You do realize that, right?"

Steve slumped in his chair. "Yeah, I get it."

He wanted to reassure Steve that if they could do it without help then that would be great. He wanted to tell him that he thought that once they had it hammered out properly their marriage could be a damn good one. He wanted to tell Steve he did have strong feelings for him, that he loved him. But he didn't say anything. He just looked at Steve's dejected face and thought that saying anything could damage the fragile peace he was feeling in himself, and the hope that everything could be fine, that it would be okay. If he said anything reassuring, Steve might take that the wrong way, his way. Might see it as Danny backing down.

"Look, I could use something a little stronger than light beer."

"There's old vodka somewhere, and for some reason I think there's some port stashed in the back of the cupboard. There may also be some whiskey, proper stuff."

Danny made his way into the kitchen and rummaged, eventually finding the remains of a good scotch, a half bottle of vodka and… well, he left the port, it looked funky.

He didn't even bother with glasses, just grabbed the bottles and made his way back outside, threw himself in his seat and opened the vodka, taking a slug from the bottle before handing it over to Steve.

They drank in silence for a little while until Steve dared to break it. "So today was… something."

"That I cannot dispute." He let Steve keep hold of the vodka and turned his attention to the last fingers of whiskey in the bottle.

"Danny," Steve reached a hand out that knocked against Danny's elbow. "Danno…"

"What?" Danny asked, when Steve just seemed to trail off.

His question was met with an honest to god giggle from the Navy SEAL. "I like saying your name."

Danny smiled into his bottle and rubbed an eyebrow in something close to coyness.

"But seriously," Steve said, trying to lean closer. "What I'm really looking forward to, is hearing you yell my name when we're in bed together."

"Is that so?"

Steve pulled his bottom lip into his mouth and looked Danny over, not hiding his approval at what he saw. "God, it's going to be good."

"You think you can make me scream?"

"I think I'm going to enjoy the challenge. Oh hey," Steve touched the bottom of the bottle to Danny's bicep. "About that whole skinny dipping thing you brought up earlier."

"Not going to happen," Danny's face tightened in a half-smile.

"And the parachuting? You would be strapped onto me, it'll be fun."

"Are you kidding? That's my idea of hell. Pure hell. You whooping in my ear while I cling on for dear life and see it all flash before my eyes. Risk leaving Grace fatherless, with just Step-Stan? No thank you. Solid ground below my feet, that's what I like."

"You're smiling though. It can't be all bad if you're smiling. I think we should add stuff like that into the contract."

"You think because I'm smiling it means I really want it? You think it means I'm okay with everything? Babe, it could easily just be a mask, hiding the fact that what I really want is to punch you in the nuts. How about that?"

Steve scrutinized Danny and it made him uncomfortable enough that he downed the last of the bottle in his hands then dropped it to the deck at his feet, doing his best to ignore Steve's gaze.

"Come 'ere," Steve gestured, palm open.

"Why am I the one to move? I'm comfortable."

"Come here," Steve insisted, leaning forward enough to reach for Danny's hand, taking a tight hold and trying to pull him over.

"You're such a control freak, animal," Danny grouched as he got to his feet, his head swimming with the motion. While he'd been sitting he hadn't noticed the alcohol flowing through his system but now, yeah, it was hitting him. That scotch packed a punch.

He wobbled and Steve took the advantage of it to pull Danny down on top of him, vodka sloshing between them.

"Danny," Steve started earnestly as Danny tried to arrange himself as he knelt over Steve, knees barely fitting onto the chair, one leg precariously balanced. "I accused you once of never being happy."

"Pretty sure I said I'm happy when I'm not with you."

Steve shook his head, "Point is. I just want to make you happy. And I know I can do it, if you give me a chance."

"If I recall, you never believed me when I said that anyway. I remember, because that's when you decided that I must love you."

Steve shrugged and his knee bounced, bringing his thigh up to rub against Danny's groin, making his breath hitch. "I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna make us happy. Even if I have to tear apart the island to do it." He raised his head for a kiss that Danny was about to respond to when he pulled back suddenly.

"Did you hear that?" He asked.

Steve scoffed and tried to bring Danny's attention back to him with a hand behind his neck but then they both heard a door closing inside and became conscious of the fact they were no longer alone in the house.

"Who the hell…?"

Danny got to his feet, still wobbly, but did his best to shake it off and carefully peer into the house. Steve raised himself up and clutched at Danny's sides as they moved through the open lanai door into the kitchen.

"Mom?" Steve asked as Doris appeared from the living room.

"Oh," she exclaimed, a hand to her chest. "I thought you boys would be upstairs by now. I just, I left my purse in here. Is it just the two of you?"

"Yeah, mom, the rest left not that long ago. We were sitting outside."

"I'm gonna…" Danny gestured that he was going to leave them both alone. He really needed to piss out what felt like a gallon of beer and whiskey anyway and now was as good a time as any.

"Congratulations," Doris said as he walked by her.

"Thanks," he waved off and walked out of the room with deliberate steps, loudly climbing the stairs and out of their way. After everything today, he didn't have the energy to face Doris, even drunk, as he probably was now. Considerably so.