In-between


"Your sister found your super-secret CHAMP box cause you left it in the study," Mitch said, looking over at him from the passenger's seat of his truck as he drove them back home to his father's place.

"She what?" he looked over at her, veering slightly on the road before he regained control.

"She tried calling you, but, ya know," she shook her head, "You were kinda busy so she called me- Relax, she put it back. I told her to put it back, said you'd talk to her about it later."

"She put it back?"

"I told her repeatedly," Mitch nodded. "She said she put it back."

"You're sure?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't know, Steve," she said frustrated, "She could've lied… repeatedly -I was a little busy at the time- but she said she put it back."

He shook his head. Mitch sighed, slipping her hand into his over the console, looking straight out the window. He smiled a little, holding her hand tighter and letting her squeeze back. "Hey," he said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them. "What about dinner?"

"Dinner?" she echoed with a laugh. "Who cares? We can always make breakfast for dinner if all else fails- and I love me some pancakes."

He shook his head. "No, like dinner. A real one."

"You wanna go out?" she asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

He nodded.

"I mean, sure," she smiled. Then she picked at her shirt lightly with her fingertips, "but I'm not really dressed for a date here, handsome."

He laughed again. "Doesn't bother me," he glanced at her with a smirk. "How about you?"

She snorted, "Lead the way, babe."

"You still like Italian?"

"Of course," she laughed, starting off on a barely related tangent that made her eyes light up and her smile widen in the lopsided way that happened when she was relaxed.

He adored the uneven curve to the corners of her mouth as she laughed, eyes crinkling in the corners because it meant she felt safe enough to be herself. She let her guard down. As long as she was smiling like that, Steve knew it'd be okay.

They walked into the fancy Italian restaurant in wrinkled t-shirts and cargo pants, combat boots on their feet and dirt clinging to their clothes. They were out of place in the black-tie restaurant, but the smirks on their faces said they were having more fun than anyone else in the joint. The hostess rolled her eyes and directed them to a booth in the back of the restaurant.

Steve ordered them a bottle of red wine and Mitch rolled her eyes, but there was a pleased smile on her face nonetheless. They each ordered from a bemused looking waitress who recognized Steve off the news and thanked both of them for their services. After an hour and a half of conversation, they fought over the bill. Steve won with an assurance from Michelle that she'd cover it the next time.

They climbed back in the truck and this time, Steve grabbed her hand across the console. She stiffened for a moment, unused to unanticipated contact, but quickly relaxed, bringing her feet up on the seat and leaning sideways to rest her head on his shoulder as he drove.

Mitch didn't have many tells. If you saw how she was feeling it was because she wanted you to know. She let him see during dinner. She was constantly flirting with the line between friendship and something more- between leaning towards him and flinching away. Suddenly, when he felt her head rest against his shoulder, he realized she was fighting her instincts, fighting her reflexes because she trusted him and she wanted to give this thing between them a try. Past experiences, a history of betrayal, and the relative newness of "them" gave her pause, but she was trying hard to give them a chance.

He decided anything worth doing with her was worth doing right, so he could take his time: they'd do this slow.


A/N: Hey everybody! Here's a short one.

ALSO- has anyone seen the show Blood & Treasure? It's pretty good. I've been watching it while home and quarantined. Anyways, one of the main characters is Lexi Veziri and the actress who plays her is exactly, and I mean exactly, how I pictured Mitch! So, if ya all who I would cast to play Mitch in the imaginary world where she actually existed on Hawaii Five-0, Sofia Pernas is that woman. Also it's just a fun show, highly recommend.