Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize…
A/N: Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews, alerts and favs. I know a lot of you don't like Lori, believe me neither but I try to give her character justice coz she never did anything to hurt the team. The way she was written is just a whole different story.
Ms. Salvatore – Nah, I'm from Central Europe, I have the show downloaded.
As always many thanks to quisinart4 for being my awesome beta.
Tell me what you think!
"Kono," Steve shouts, standing in their living room with an impatient look on his face. "Where the hell are my shoes?"
"Which ones?" She yells back, appearing at the top of the stairs a moment later, clad only in a towel.
"The black ones."
"Could you be a little more specific?" Kono drawls, rolling her eyes at him. "All of your shoes are black."
"That's not true." Steve crosses his arms over his chest defensively. "My running shoes are blue. But I'm looking for my favorite pair."
"Oh, sorry, my bad," she says, sarcasm heavy in her tone as she comes downstairs to help him. "You have like five pairs of black and one pair of so dark blue, it's almost black, forgive me if I got a little confused."
"Funny," he deadpans, reaching out for her as she walks by, pulling her close to bite at her neck playfully. "Now help me out, woman. I'm gonna be late and I have to pick Danny up too."
"Stop distracting me then." Kono laughs, pushing him away with a hand on his chest. "Um, Steve?"
"Yeah?" he asks, following her gaze towards the kitchen. "Oh, seriously?"
Under the dining table they notice Kiko, munching on Steve's shoe happily while Koa sits beside her leisurely.
"I think I've found your shoes." Kono giggles amusedly.
"I swear Danny asked specifically for the most untamed dog, just to fuck with me." Steve grumbles, striding into the kitchen.
"Oh, come on, she's only a puppy. She just needs to learn the rules," she kneels down beside the table. "Kiko, baby, give back Daddy's shoe."
"Koa never did that." Steve huffs, glancing at their other dog.
"Here," Kono pushes the thoroughly chewed shoe into his hands with a grin. "Happy now?"
"Not even close." Steve mutters, eyeing the saliva-covered footwear resentfully. "You owe me a new pair."
"Why me?" she widens her eyes at him. "Danny bought her."
"She is your dog," he points out.
"Oh, so she's mine now, huh?" she retorts with a glare. "But when she fetches her toy or heels at first command, she's suddenly yours."
"Exactly." Steve grins smugly.
"Get out," Kono pushes at his shoulder irritably and walks out of the kitchen. "I don't want you to have a black eye in the wedding pictures."
"I love you too." Steve shouts after her, laughing.
Before he can leave the kitchen too, he feels a soft nudge at his ankle and he looks down to see Kiko there, gazing up at him remorsefully.
"Oh no," Steve shakes his head. "Don't give me that look. I'm still mad at you."
But the dog just keeps staring unblinkingly with huge brown eyes full of sincere remorse and he can feel his irritation quickly fading away.
"Fuck it," he mutters and drops his shoe back to the ground. "You are exactly like Kono, you know that, right? You can get away with anything because you are just too cute."
Kiko makes a small happy noise from the back of her throat, picking up the shoe and retreating back under the kitchen table while Koa stays behind, eyeing Steve thoughtfully.
"Don't judge, buddy." Steve looks at the dog seriously. "You'll understand when she gets older. I promise that you'll do a lot of stupid shit just to get on her good side."
Koa blinks at him, tilting his head to the side like he's thinking that Steve is an idiot before he pads out of the kitchen.
Steve lets out a sigh and starts to look for another pair of shoes.
.
.
"I didn't know Danny was living at the Hilton." Joe says as they get out of the elevator.
"Oh, he's kind of between places right now." Steve explains.
"You got space."
"Yeah, we, uh…we tried that." Steve makes a face at the memory. "Didn't work out so well."
"Oh, really?" Joe laughs. "Why? You and Kono are still in the honeymoon phase?"
"No, well, uh, maybe." Steve rubs the back of his neck. "Let's just say Danny didn't handle too well our habits."
"Your habits?" Joe arches an amused brow. "That's what the kids call it these days?"
"No, no," Steve holds up his hand defensively. "It wasn't about that. It's just, you know, Danny is very, uh, messy and loud and…messy."
"So he didn't like the McGarrett house rules, huh?"
"Who told you about that?" Steve narrows his eyes at the older man.
"It's not important." Joe shakes his head with a laugh.
"Traitors." Steve mutters under his breath and knocks on Danny's door.
This day is just getting better and better.
.
.
"Okay, let's take a break." Danny huffs in annoyance, plopping down on the couch heavily.
"Ugh," Lori groans as Danny's momentum pulls her with him, nearly falling onto his lap. "Watch your moves, please. There's another person attached to you, if you didn't notice."
"Sorry." Danny smiles sheepishly at her.
"So," Lori clears her throat after a few moments of completely silence. She shifts nervously in her seat.
"So?" Danny looks at her expectantly.
"So, uh, um," she stammers awkwardly, not really sure how to bring up the subject she wants to talk about before she takes a deep breath and just goes for it. "It's about Steve and Kono."
"Seriously?" Danny scowls at her, roughly pulling her arm when he makes a wild motion with his right hand. "You are sitting here, cuffed to me and this is what you want to talk about?"
"Oh, so you can wonder aloud about my inappropriate Halloween costume choices but I can't ask you a simple question." Lori rolls her eyes at him.
"Okay, point taken." Danny nods. "Go ahead, ask."
"Are they, uh, together?"
"No, they just like making out in public for no reason." Danny says bitingly. "Of course they are together."
"What's your problem?" Lori slides a little further away from him, offended.
"Look," Danny lets out an exaggerated sigh. "I understand that Steve's monosyllabic, stoic, habitually reckless demeanor seemingly makes all the women weak in the knees and you are no exception but please just accept that Steve is with Kono and leave the whole thing the hell alone."
"I'm not trying to get between them, Danny." Lori snaps angrily. "I just don't understand why they kept it from me."
"You are part of this team because the Governor wanted someone to supervise us." Danny says slowly, as if he's talking to an uncomprehending child and holds up his hand when she opens her mouth to argue. "Now we know that you are on our side but you have to understand them."
"I do." Lori says sincerely. "I just wish they'd told me."
"They are extremely private people." Danny explains. "Look, it's very simple, Steve loves Kono and Kono loves Steve, the rest isn't really our business, okay?"
"Love?" Lori repeats the word softly, looking crestfallen.
"Yeah, love." Danny pats her knee sympathetically. "Don't worry, you'll get over it. It's called a crush because it hurts, right?"
"Yeah," Lori smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I feel like an idiot."
"That's what you get for your awful taste in men." Danny jokes and Lori finally smiles for real.
"You are such a sweet guy."
"Oh, no," Danny shakes his head in mock annoyance. "Don't even think about it, I'm no consolation prize."
Before Lori can say anything in return there's a knock on the door and they share a horrified look.
"Shit." Danny mutters, turning towards the door. "No, thank you."
"Come on," Steve's voice is heard from the other side. "We're gonna be late for the tux fitting. Let's go!"
Okay, Danny thinks, eyes sweeping frantically over the room as if the keys would magically turn up from that, what did Douglas Adam say about situation like this?
Oh yeah.
Do not panic.
Sure.
He's never gonna live this one down.
Shit.
.
.
"Hold on," Steve chimes in. "Hold on for a second. Isn't this a beach wedding, Chin?"
"Yeah, it is." Chin nods.
"What's wrong with boardies and slippers?" Steve looks at him in confusion.
"What's wrong with them is that they do not match the bridesmaids' dresses." Chin explains calmly. "And you don't have a say in it anyway."
"Why is that?" Joe asks.
"I think Chin is still a little sore about the fact that Steve and Kono eloped." Danny's gleeful grin nearly splits his face.
"She deserved a proper wedding." Chin gives Steve a dark look. "Not boardies and slippers and a city hall in Australia while she couldn't even stand on her own leg."
"You really got married in those?" Danny frowns. "God, you are so cheap."
"We didn't care about things like matching tux and dresses," Steve argues a little defensively. "We wanted to get married, so we got married. End of story."
"You are hopeless." Danny shakes his head.
"I think it's romantic." Kamekona grins.
"By the way, Danny, handcuffs don't match the bridesmaids' dresses either." Chin says, changing the subject before the discussion could turn into a full-blown argument.
.
.
"So, I heard that you were caught cheating on us," Kono turns towards Danny with a grin as the three of them drive towards their victim's hotel. "Also handcuffs. Kinky."
"I wasn't cheating," Danny yells. "It wasn't like that. Wait, whoa, why am I explaining myself?"
"Because you're guilty?" Kono's grin widens.
"Kono," Steve says pleadingly, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.
"What?" She widens her eyes innocently. "I was just curious about why Danny invited Lori over for some spa service and how they ended up in cuffs."
"Okay, why did you do that?" Danny scowls, his face red with outrage, his hands flailing around wildly. "Why did you have to say spa service like it's a Kama Sutra position? Nothing happened, okay?"
"Wow," Kono lets out an amused laugh. "Why are you so defensive? Now, I really would love to hear about what happened in that hotel room."
"I'm not defensive." Danny retorts sourly. "And how many times I have to tell you that I just wanted to show her the Jersey Slip."
"The Jersey Slip, huh?" Kono's eyes twinkle with mischief. "Now that sounds awfully lot like a Kama Sutra position. Finally I understand the handcuffs."
"Kono," Steve's tone is getting more and more irritated. "Could we not talk about Danny's existing or non-existing sex life, please?"
"Yeah, we should do that." Danny agrees whole-heartedly. "Let's talk about your very Haute couture, boardies and slippers wedding."
"I say it again, Danny," Steve starts to speak before he realizes how bad that move is. "There's nothing wrong with that."
"Oh, really? Let me tell you something about proper weddings." Danny shifts around so he can highlight his words with his usual wild hand motions and he's off again.
.
.
"McGarrett!" Fryer shouts in disbelief.
"Captain Fryer, what are you doing here?" Steve yells back, equally stunned.
"You tell me, man." Fryer demands.
"We're working a case."
"I'm working a case too."
"You are working a case?" Danny chimes in.
"Yeah."
"See, this whole time, I think that the promotion to Chief of Detectives is a desk jockey job."
"No Chief of Ds should be out in the field catching cases, okay?" Fryer lowers his voice, putting his gun away. "I'm old-school like that."
As Fryer gets closer, Steve unconsciously steps in front of Kono, shielding her from the man, still gripping his gun tightly, not shoving any intention of putting it away.
Of course Fryer notices it.
"Well, hello there, Mrs. McGarrett." Fryer says arrogantly. "Good to see you being back with your team."
"It's Officer Kalakaua to you," Steve's voice gets low and tight, his whole stance radiating hostility. "But if you don't want a broken nose or a bullet in your head you won't talk to her, you don't even look at her, you understand?"
"Call your guard dog back, Kono." Fryer sneers.
"Weren't you listening?" Steve growls, taking a threatening step towards the other man.
"Steve," Kono touches his shoulder to calm him down. "It's not worth it."
"Listen to your wife, McGarrett." Fryer taunts.
"Okay, hold on." Danny steps quickly between the two men before they can jump at each other's throat. "All right, look, you got a case, we got a case. Let's try and work this case together without adding to the body count, how about that?"
For a moment Steve and Fryer just stand there, glaring at each other murderously then they nod almost in sync and in the background Kono lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
.
.
They arrive home early after talking to Mrs. Archer in the hospital and Steve turns towards Kono on their driveway, looking thoughtful.
"Did I mention how hot you were, taking down Mitch Kolat with that kick?" He grins, stepping closer to her.
"You think so?" She arches a brow with a playful smile.
"Oh, yeah, so damn hot." Steve murmurs, leaning in for a teasing kiss, smoothing his hands down her arms.
"Wha…" The rest of her question dies in her throat when she feels the cool metal of the handcuffs around her wrists.
"I thought we should try out my version of the Jersey Slip." Steve's grin is borderline feral and his eyes are full of dirty promises. "It's called the Navy SEAL."
"Smooth." Kono laughs with a half-hearted roll of her eyes. "Take me to bed, sailor."
"Yes, ma'am." Steve salutes sloppily before picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.
.
.
"You look beautiful." Steve twirls her around on the dance floor before cradling her close again.
"Thank you." Kono smiles warmly, circling his neck with her arms. "You clean up nicely too."
They sway to the gentle rhythm of the music in content silence for a while, totally lost in their own little word.
"I've been thinking," Steve speaks up suddenly, pulling back a little so he can look her in the eye. "We should get married."
"Did you hit your head or something?" Kono narrows her eyes at him suspiciously. "We are married."
"Yeah…no, I, uh, I mean, we should have a real wedding." Steve shrugs, looking uncomfortable. "You know, with flower girls, you in a white gown, with our friends and family there."
"Okay, be honest with me," Kono says seriously. "Are you pregnant?"
"Funny," Steve deadpans.
"Why do you want a wedding suddenly?" She looks at him curiously.
"This is nice." Steve motions around. "I just realized what we missed out with our eloping. And to be honest, I'd like to have something like that."
"God, you are such a sappy idiot sometimes." Kono smiles at him fondly, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Is that a no?" He arches a brow.
"Was that a proposal?" She shoots back.
"True."
Kono kisses him then, gentle and soft just like she did almost five years ago in a city hall in Australia and she feels the same sparks igniting under her skin as he pulls her against his strong body and his palm settles on the small of her back and she knows that her answer always will be yes, all he has to do is ask.