Pehea wau i ʻike ai i kou makuahine

Based on the characters and stories of Hawaii Five-0.

Hawaii Five-0 is owned by CBS and their respective creators.

"Ah! There's my grandbaby!" Evelyn squealed as she and Tom stood side by side, waiting in the arrival area of the Houston airport. She scooped up Shelby Jo from Catherine's arms and squeezed the baby tightly.

"What? No hug for your favorite son-in-law?" Steve chuckled as he set down their luggage. He leaned in and hugged Mrs. Rollins, taking care not to squish his daughter.

Evelyn laughed, "Sorry, dear, you've moved down a peg since this little angel was born."

Tom Rollins hugged Catherine as she joined the group, "Hi, darlin'." He reached out and shook Steve's hand, "Good to see ya, son."

"Thank you, Sir." Steve had known Admiral Rollins for years, but somehow the fact that he was Catherine's father always made him more nervous than his high rank in the Navy.

Tom chuckled, "Come on, Steve. We're both retired. Let's cut the formalities."

"Not likely, Sir." Steve grinned.

Catherine rolled her eyes, "See?" She elbowed Steve as they made their way through the terminal to the Rollins' car. "Not so easy to break the 'sir' habit is it?"

He chuckled, "You've never called me 'sir' here."

"At the Houston airport?" She grinned. "Maybe not here… I mean… we did other things here."

Steve paced in front of the arrival sign. He checked the board over and over again as he watched her flight number change from en route to arrived. He wiped his sweaty palms on his green fatigues as he anxiously awaited Catherine's return from Kabul. A few stray passengers patted him on the back and graciously thanked him for his service. Steve tried to be polite, but the only thing on his mind was seeing Catherine Rollins after a year.

Two and a half days. Two and a half days is all they had together before he shipped out again, but he was determined to make the most of it. Steve knew he should feel bad about not going back to Hawaii for Christmas. He should have felt guilty that his father was spending yet another holiday alone, but the nerves at the thought of seeing Catherine again superceded the guilt.

Steve spotted the blue camouflage of her cover bouncing in the sea of passengers and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest. "Catherine!" He shouted as he waved his hand in the air, "Rollins!"

Catherine's head snapped to the direction of his voice as her face lit up and a smile spread from ear to ear. "Steve!" She bolted down the entryway as soon as she saw his green camouflage. Catherine ran as fast as she could, dropped her rucksack, and jumped into his arms.

Steve's cover fell off of his head as he hugged her and spun her around, inciting cheers and wolf-whistles from the onlookers in the terminal. Catherine's face flushed at the attention from the crowd of travellers, but she didn't care. She tucked her head in the crook of his neck and inhaled the comfortingly familiar fragrance of cedar and gunpowder. "I missed you."

He set Catherine back on her feet, but didn't let go. "I missed you too." He mumbled into her ear as he kept her securely held in his embrace. "God, I missed you, Cath… I was so worried about you."

"I was worried about you too." Catherine's words were muffled by his uniform, but her point got across clearly.

Steve finally released her slowly from his arms, but he kept a gentle grip on her forearms as he inspected her, "Are you good? Are you, are you hurt?" He brushed his thumb against a scrape that was hidden by her cover.

"Occupational hazard." She smiled.

He chuckled, "Tell me about it." As Catherine reached down to grab her bag, Steve stopped her. "Let me." He reached over and pulled her rucksack onto his shoulder and grinned, "You ready?" He put his hand securely on the small of her back and led her out to the rental car.

"Hey, um… Could you not mention to my folks about when I called you from Kabul?" Steve glanced over at her before returning his eyes to the road. "I'm their only child… and I know they worry… and I just don't want them knowing I kinda lost it during my tour…"

Steve's eyes darted to her hand as he momentarily considered reaching for it, but decided against it. He stretched his arm across the back of her seat and gently brushed the back of her neck with his thumb. "Of course. You know I'd, uh, I'd never say anything… But you never told me what happened."

Catherine looked down at her hands, "I got reckless. I made stupid choices."

"Why."

She shrugged. "I was tired of pretending that everything was fine."

"After you and Billy broke up?" Steve's eyebrow raised as he looked over at her, "Because if he broke up with you and caused that, then it's his fault and I'll kill him."

Catherine shook her head, "It was kind of the reason we broke up… Ironically, things got a little better after we did… I dunno. I just finally felt like I could breathe again…. And then I was just missing you and hadn't slept in like two weeks and then called that one night..." She tilted her towards him and offered a sad smile, "Billy wasn't at fault. He was a gentleman. It was… it was me." She admitted.

He stopped tracing circles on the back of her neck and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'm, uh, I'm glad you called." He gave her a stern look before it twisted into a pursed smile, "Just don't run into any more buildings when missiles are inbound… 'kay?" His thin lips turned into a lopsided smirk, "Just give me a call if you feel like being stupid and reckless."

"Copy that." She laughed quietly.

Steve shifted in his seat as he saw exit signs pointing for Baytown, Texas. "Why am I so nervous to meet your dad?" He grinned. "I mean, what do I call him? Admiral Rollins? What do you call him?"

Catherine looked at him as if he had three heads. "I call him 'dad'!" She laughed. "Do you seriously think I'd call him 'Admiral Rollins'?!"

"I don't know!" He exclaimed.

She couldn't help but feel elated that he was nervous to meet her dad. "Just call him 'sir' or Mr. Rollins and you'll be fine." Catherine reached over and placed her palm on his leg. "Amy's spent holidays with us, Jen's been here a couple times - you have nothing to worry about. They're gonna love you."

Steve thought he was going to throw up. The sickening pressure in his throat was growing and growing as they made their way up the stone path that led to the Rollins' home. Okay, he was actually going to throw up. No, no. Persevere and thrive on adversity. Steve willed himself to not throw up. He was going to meet Catherine's parents and do a damn good job at it.

Many people would consider being sent to military boarding school at the young age of fifteen as adequate preparation for the real world, but the one thing that military school had failed to teach him were the ins and outs of relationships. He'd only ever had one girlfriend, Vanessa, and her family lived on the other side of the country from her, so he had managed to avoid 'meeting the parents' for a long time. This was different. He and Catherine weren't dating. He wasn't being introduced as her boyfriend, but he still wanted Mr. and Mrs. Rollins to think he was worthy of their daughter.

"Just relax." Catherine's quiet admonition and reassuring smile settled his inner turmoil as she turned the knob to the front door and stepped inside. "Mom? Dad? We're here!"

A shorter, older version of Catherine with silver hair came running down the hall. "Sweetheart! Come here!" She pulled Catherine into a hug. "I'm so glad you're home!" Steve looked up as Admiral Rollins walked towards them. He nodded and offered a polite smile, but didn't dare interrupt Catherine's reunion with her parents. "And this must be Steve! It's so nice to finally meet you! You look like you could use a hug!" She exclaimed as she threw her arms around him.

Steve practically melted in Mrs. Rollins' hug. It had been a long time since he had been hugged by a mom and it just about killed him. "Thank you for having me for the holiday, ma'am."

Mrs. Rollins tugged on Catherine's arm and pulled her down the hallway, rambling on about helping her get settled in. Catherine's father stepped forward and extended his hand to Steve. "Nice to meet you, McGarrett." His voice was deep and commanding and no doubt demanded respect from everyone around him.

"Likewise, Sir." Steve shook his hand firmly. "Thank you… for opening up your home to me." He did his best to sound confident, but truth be told, he was terrified.

"Nonsense." Mr. Rollins chuckled. "Any friend of Catherine's is always welcome. Call me Tom."

Steve grinned, "Not likely, Sir."

Tom stared at Steve for a moment before an amused smile turned up on his lips, "Good man." He patted Steve's arm and motioned for him to follow him into the living room.

"Catherine, dear, I know you told me you were bringing Steve back with you to join us for Christmas, but you didn't exactly tell me that Steve looked like THAT." Her mom said as she led Catherine back to the guest room. "I forgot to tell you that since we remodeled the house, there's only one spare bedroom…" She gave Catherine a knowing look.

"Mom..." Catherine started, "You've met Steve before… at my promotion ceremony right before I shipped out - he was there. I introduced you two. Besides, he ships out the day after Christmas, there's no way I was going to let him spend it in some run-down motel outside of an airport."

Catherine's mother rolled her eyes, "Who raised you to be so thoughtful." She opened the bedroom door and ushered Catherine in. "And at that ceremony, you told me that he was Billy's friend."

Catherine stopped in her tracks, "That's because Billy and I were together then… And he and Billy are friends… I think." She looked over at her mom and sighed, "I told you.. Billy and I broke it off a few months ago."

"I know, sweetheart." She gave Catherine's arm a gentle squeeze as she peered down the hallway at the studly man in green SEAL fatigues. "I'm just saying." She glanced back at Catherine, "That's not a rebound, that's an upgrade."

Catherine shook her head, "It's not like that. Steve's a good guy. We're really close, but…" She sighed, "We're just friends."

"Close enough that you plan on sharing a bed or should I pull out the blow-up mattress?" Catherine's mom asked with a twinkle in her eye. "You can't be 'just friends' with a man who looks like that."

"Mother." Catherine addressed her sarcastically. "We've been deployed together. We've shared a tent before, but we are co-workers and nothing more."

Catherine's mother crossed her arms as a smile creeped across her face, "So you'll be sharing the bed, then? I'll get an extra pillow."

"Steve can have the bed, I'll take the couch. I wouldn't want anyone feeling uncomfortable." Catherine stated plainly.

"Oh, nonsense." Catherine's mother turned to exit the bedroom, "Grow a pair and live for once in your life!"

"Mom!" Catherine called out in shock, trying to get her mother to stop whatever embarrassing thing she was inevitably about to do."

"Steve, honey!" Mrs. Rollins called out.

"Uh, excuse me, sir." Steve nodded to Catherine's father as he turned to see the older lady walking down the hallways, waving him to join her. Steve hurried towards her, "Yes, ma'am?"

"This way, dear, I just wanted to show you where you and Catherine are going to be staying." She gave him a warm smile, "And please, call me Evelyn." She held his arm and led him into the back bedroom, "Now, I'm so sorry, but it must have completely slipped my mind to mention to Catherine that our new house only had one spare bedroom." She gave Catherine a sly wink. "But I'm sure you two won't mind sharing."

Catherine pinched the bridge of her nose. What had she been thinking, bringing Steve into the den of her eccentric mother.

"Uh, I can take the couch, ma'am." Steve shifted between his feet to try and ease his nerves.

Catherine's mother gave him a stern look.

"Mrs. Rollins." Steve corrected.

She raised her eyebrow.

"Evelyn?"

Catherine's mother smiled, "That's better." She tossed the extra pillow that she snagged from the hall closet onto the bed. "There will be no sleeping on couches. You both need your rest." She padded towards the door, "Now, you two unpack and get comfortable. Get those silly fatigues off and relax. I'll call you both when dinner's ready." She tugged on Catherine's arm and whispered in her ear, "Word of advice… the walls are thin." She gave her a sly smile and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Catherine sat on the bed and buried her face in her hands out of sheer embarrassment. "Oh my god." She looked up at him and shook her head laughing, "I am SO sorry, Steve!"

Steve chuckled, "It's fine." He grinned and sat beside her, "Cath, I really am okay with taking the couch. I don't wanna make you feel uncomfortable."

Catherine shook her head and rolled her eyes "If she catches you sleeping on the couch, she'll dump cold water on you or something ridiculous like that."

Steve's eyes widened. "W-what, wait. Are you serious?"

Catherine nodded. "I'm dead serious, Sailor."

Steve busted out laughing.

"I am!." She grinned. "Mom's…. Mom's a little eccentric. She, uh, feels the need to play match-maker if I'm not seeing anyone when she's around."

Steve chuckled, "So I'm her new target, huh."

Catherine smiled, "A little bit."

"I can sleep on the floor… you know… so you can have the bed all to yourself and I can avoid cold water conditioning at 3 AM?" Steve offered as he leaned back on his elbows.

Catherine laughed quietly, "Don't worry about it. We've slept together before. It's not a big deal." She panicked at her choice of words, "I mean, not that we've… you know… slept, slept together… just that we've shared the same-"

"Calm down, Rollins, I know." He smiled. "I'll be a perfect gentleman…. Scout's honor." He held up three fingers.

Catherine smiled, "Why do I have no trouble at all believing that you were a boy scout, McGarrett."

Steve grinned, "Hey, I made it all the way to Eagle Scouts before…" His voice trailed off.

Catherine bumped his shoulder with hers. "Yeah." She interjected for him, knowing he rarely wanted to talk about his father sending him to the mainland.

"Your mom's really somethin' else." Steve changed the subject.

Catherine smiled, "Yeah, she's the wild one of the family."

Steve cracked up laughing, "I'd say so compared to the Admiral and his straight-laced, by-the-book, hardass, lieutenant daughter."

"You boys act like I'm some goody-two-shoes sailor. So what if I like rules! That's why we joined the military!" She laughed.

"Maybe that's why you joined up." Steve smirked, "Some of us wanted a little adventure."

"Are you really ready to go back to the sandbox again?" Catherine asked quietly.

Steve shrugged, "Honestly, after 9/11, it feels a little weird being here instead of there." He sighed. "My team's good though... Commander White said it's one of the best he's had in a long time."

Catherine nodded solemnly, "Do you know how long your assignment is?"

Steve shook his head, "No." He cleared his throat, "SEALS is a little different than being an officer. Deployments don't really have an end date. You get to go home when you're done or when you're dead."

Catherine glanced down to hide the worry on her face. She didn't like the thought that Steve wouldn't come back.

"Hey." He touched her thigh gently, "I'm gonna be okay." A small smile cracked across his lips.

"I know." Catherine nodded quickly. "You bet your ass I'm gonna beat you in poker the next time I get to see you after this, though." She grinned.

Steve laughed as he slung his arm around her shoulder. "That's my girl." The words rolled off his tongue so quickly that he panicked after they registered in his mind.

Catherine smiled. He had called her "his girl". She knew he wasn't seeing anyone, because frankly, they were inseparable - except for the fact that they had been separated for over a year. But she had never heard him say something like that before; and she liked it.

"You excited to be back on the Enterprise?"

"Kind of." Catherine admitted. "It'll be nice to be stationed somewhere for a while and not on a tour. I like the Enterprise, but it'll be different, you know? You won't be there this time." She smiled sadly.

"You managed pretty well when I was, uh, when I was at BUD/s and SQT."

She looked up at him with a blank expression, "It sucked."

"We do touch-and-gos alot off the E or the Nimitz. Maybe we'll see each other more than we think…"

"Kids! Dinner's almost ready!" Mrs. Rollins yelled down the hall.

Catherine was snapped out of her thoughts, "Thank you!" She yelled back.

"No camo at the table!" Her mom's voice carried into the bedroom.

Steve laughed. "What? No camo at the table? I thought this was a military household." He asked.

Catherine cracked up laughing, "I told you - she's the eccentric one." She hopped off the bed and tossed him his bag. "We'd better change."

Steve chuckled and shook his head as he tugged a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt out of his bag. He tossed them on the bed before unbuttoning his green fatigues, laying them across the bed, and slipping on his shirt. He quickly dropped the matching pants and slid into his jeans. Catherine glanced over her shoulder as she pulled on a fitted sweater, sneaking a peek of his well-defined body. Steve looked up and grinned at her. He had caught a glimpse of her ass as she wiggled into her jeans.

"Don't think I don't see you looking, Rollins." He smirked.

Catherine blushed, "I-I wasn't!" She stammered.

Steve's grin didn't leave his face, "It's okay." He chuckled as he walked over to her, "I looked too." He winked at her.

Catherine's mouth was gaping open before she let out a nervous laugh. "Not like it's anything I haven't seen before. Remember the beach in Coronado after you got your Trident?"

Steve grinned, "It's okay if you like whatcha see, Cath." He teased.

Catherine's face turned a deep shade of red. "You're full of yourself." She smiled, trying her best to downplay her embarrassment.

"Your lack of a poker face tells me that maybe I'm not." He chuckled as he moved to stand in front of her. His fingertips ghosted down the sides of her ribs as he took another step closer.

Catherine opened her mouth to defend herself, but nothing came out. He was right - She did like what she saw. She looked up to find that he was unnervingly close. They were friends… nothing more… right? Her heart skipped a beat as she felt his eyes lower and focus on her lips.

Steve wasn't quite sure how he had found himself standing only an inch away from Catherine. He was so used to seeing her as his buddy or the girl he was once in love with but had done everything in his power to get over, but standing there, seeing her in her civvies, meeting her family? His mind was swirling with confusion. Somehow he didn't want to move away from that spot. He wanted to move… closer.

They both stood there in complete silence as electricity pulsed between them. Steve took the final tiny step and closed the space between them. Catherine was pressed between the dresser and his enormous figure. His head lowered towards hers as static danced between them. "Call my bluff." His husky demand sent shivers down her spine.

"Kids! Dinner!" Mrs. Rollins shouted.

Catherine's breath hitched in her throat, "We should probably go eat." She whispered.

Steve didn't flinch. "Probably."

Catherine swallowed her nerves and waited for a moment. "Steve?"

"Yeah?" His voice was low and hoarse and his eyes were still locked on her lips.

"You're standing in front of the door…" She whispered.

Dinner came and went. Something about it made Steve's heart hurt. Seeing Catherine and her parent's relationship made him yearn for the days when his family was whole: before his dad sent him away, before his mother died, before he and his sister were estranged. The Rollins family was close: even with Catherine gone most of the time, it was evident that they stayed in touch often and thoroughly enjoyed spending time together. It was the kind of family he had always wanted… The kind of family that had been ripped away from him far too soon.

"Steve, honey, why don't you go make yourself comfortable in the living room. Catherine and I can finish cleaning up." Evelyn smiled at him as she took the dinner plates out of his hands.

Steve opened his mouth to protest, but was met by Mrs. Rollins' raised eyebrow.

"No use in arguing with her, son." Admiral Rollins clapped him on the back and chuckled, "She runs this ship." He motioned for Steve to join him in the living room.

Steve obediently followed and joined Catherine's father on the couch.

"So, Catherine tells me you're heading back over in a few days." Admiral Rollins stated.

"Yes, sir." Steve nodded. "My, uh, SEAL team has a new assignment."

Catherine's father nodded, "Good. Go get that son of a bitch."

Steve chuckled, "Yes, sir."

Her dad relaxed into the couch, propping his ankle on one knee. "Where were you when it happened, Steve?"

The "it" Admiral Rollins referred to were the terrorist attacks on September 11th. They had just happened a few, short months prior and had rocked the entire nation. Service men and women were constantly on high alert, not sure when or where they would be called up for duty. Civilians and military alike were all on edge at the possibility of another attack.

"I was in the sandbox, sir." Steve cleared his throat. "I got my trident last year and was over there on a training assignment."

Catherine's father nodded, "Must've been scared out of your mind."

Steve stared at the glowing Christmas tree in the corner, "Yeah." He admitted, "We were in the middle of a surgical strike when it happened. The news came over the radio and we didn't have time to process what had happened."

"Persevere and thrive on adversity." The Admiral stated.

Steve nodded, "Yes, sir." He said solemnly.

"I had never been so thankful that my daughter was in California living off base." Mr. Rollins admitted.

"Me too, sir." Steve agreed.

Catherine's father raised an eyebrow, "You and Catherine are close then?"

"She's my best friend, sir." Steve stated.

"She tells me you and Billy Harrington are colleagues." Mr. Rollins asserted.

Steve nodded, "Yes, sir. We were a class apart in BUD/S, but ended up doing a lot of post-training at the same time. We've been down range together. He's a good man."

"He really did a number on Catherine." Her father chuckled, "Though, she'd never admit it..."

"We've talked about it." Steve acknowledged.

"Really?" Catherine's dad was surprised that Catherine had opened up to him in such a personal way.

Steve nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Then I guess she won't mind me showing you these." He grinned as he pulled out a photo album from a drawer in the coffee table. As they flipped through pages and pages of childhood photos of Catherine, Tom said something that knocked Steve off his rocker, "You, know, Son. I'm, uh, I'm glad we finally got to meet you. I have a feeling you'll be sticking around. Maybe one day you and I will be having a slightly different conversation."

"Lord have mercy, he's already got the figure skating album out." Catherine's mom rolled her eyes as she watched the two men in the living room from the cut-out window over the sink in the kitchen.

Catherine laughed as she took a dish from her mom and dried it before putting it in the cabinet. "Hey, you're the one who practically told us to shack up."

Mrs. Rollins stopped washing the dish that was in her hand and looked at her daughter, "You're not getting any younger and that is a very good looking man, right there."

Catherine rolled her eyes. She took another plate from her mom and dried it slowly, "Hey, mom?"

"Yeah, sweetie?" Her mom looked up.

"Thanks for letting Steve join us for Christmas… I know it's a little awkward." Catherine smiled softly.

Her mother nodded and gave her a faint smile, "I get the feeling that he's seen a lot… in life, you know?"

Catherine nodded, "Yeah, his uh... his mom died in a car accident when he was fifteen. Then his dad sent him and his sister to the mainland. His sister went to live with his aunt in California and he got shipped off to the Naval Academy." Her voice got quiet, "He doesn't talk to his dad or his sister anymore."

"That's awful." Her mom looked out at the man who was sitting on her couch grinning at photo after photo of young Catherine at her figure skating competitions.

"Please don't tell him I told you any of that… He doesn't like talking about it… ever." Catherine warned.

"Of course." Her mother agreed.

Catherine peered out of the cut-out window as Steve looked over his shoulder and gave her a smile.

"I'd be okay with my grandbabies looking like you two." Her mother smirked.

"Mom!" Catherine exclaimed.

Catherine's parents had excused themselves a few hours later to turn in for the night. Steve followed closely behind her as they walked back to their shared guest bedroom. His hand found its way to the small of her back as he walked into the room behind her.

Catherine felt a shiver run down to her toes. She and Steve had known each other for a few years, but this was the first time in a long time that they had been outside of the confines of an aircraft carrier, a military base, and a tight group of friends who were, admittedly, waiting for Steve and Catherine to pounce on each other.

Steve closed the door behind them. "You never told me you were a figure skater." He grinned.

Catherine blushed, "How exactly would that have come up naturally in conversation?"

Steve shrugged, the grin not leaving his face. "Who knows. But I saw a lot of pictures!"

"God, I knew this was a bad idea." She laughed.

Steve chuckled as he walked towards the attached bathroom, "You know the boys are going to hear about this, Cat Woman."

Catherine rolled her eyes as he closed the bathroom door behind him, "I have no doubt." She dug around and pulled out a pair of tiny, silk sleeping shorts and a thin, matching tank top. She quickly shed her clothes while Steve was in the bathroom and slipped into the silk pajamas.

Steve opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom, holding his toothbrush; his mouth was agasp.

Catherine turned and held her hands up in defense. "To be fair, I thought we were going to have separate rooms."

Steve closed his mouth and nodded, "I know." He tried to hide his smile… and the fact that he couldn't stop staring at her.

Catherine pulled out her toothbrush and toothpaste from her bag and brushed past him, closing the bathroom door behind her.

Steve sat on the bed and exhaled slowly. Holy hell, she was damn sexy.

He kicked his shoes off and slid off his jeans before rolling them and stowing them back in his bag. His long-sleeved shirt and undershirt were soon to follow. In that moment, sitting on the bed in only his boxers, waiting for Catherine to join him, he was oddly self-conscious. He looked up as the bathroom door creaked open. Catherine had let her hair down from the navy-regulation bun she typically wore, and let it cascade down her shoulders in soft waves. He stood up quickly, trying to catch a breath. "I…." He started softly. "I can take the floor…" He offered again. "I really don't want to make you uncomfortable, Cath." His voice was practically a whisper. As much as he desperately wanted to sleep beside her again, it had been a while, and seemingly everything around them had changed. The question was, had they changed?

Catherine's eyes roamed his body. She knew he was muscular, but damn… A year of constant deployments and assignments had perfected every impeccable inch of his body. "I'm not uncomfortable…." She choked out. Steve just nodded, not wanting to jinx himself. "Um… are you… tired? Or… I have cards?" She offered, stepping over to pick up the deck that was on the bedside table. "We could play a round of Bullshit." She offered.

Steve followed her and chuckled as he took the deck of cards out of her hand, "You really think I'm going to give you the chance to beat me without witnesses?"

Catherine grinned, "You seem nervous. Scared of losing?" She looked up at his face with a cocky smirk.

Steve's breath caught in his throat. He swallowed painfully as his eyes locked with hers. For the first time since the world had been turned upside down, he said the one thing that had always been a constant. "You scare the hell outta me, Rollins."

Catherine bit her lip. Her head was spinning. She felt his chest lean in and press up against the thin silk of her pajamas. Steve's index finger gingerly tilted her chin up as his lips touched hers and his hand slid onto her waist. He wasn't going to wait another damn second. Steve kissed her gently before pulling away slowly. He searched her eyes for some kind of reaction, but was met with the best poker face he had ever seen. Catherine's expression was blank as she processed the myriad of emotions that were overwhelming her brain. "I…." Steve whispered breathlessly. "I've just wondered what it'd be like to kiss you… for a long time, actually." He admitted.

Catherine stood in shock for a moment before her eyes began to roam the room, "Which… um. Which side of the bed… do you prefer?" She asked quietly.

Steve's jaw clenched as she deflected his statement. He exhaled slowly, "I'm sorry, Cath..."

She looked up at him quickly, "Why are you sorry?" She said quietly.

"I just… I shouldn't've." Steve said sheepishly.

A smirk slowly crept across Catherine's lips, "I didn't say that I didn't like it, Steve…" She stood up on her tiptoes, leaned in, and kissed him. Her hands gently slid up his bare chest. She lingered on his lips, "I just asked what side of the bed you wanted."

Steve grinned against her lips. Every single shred of self-control he had flew out the window. He picked her up and effortlessly tossed her on the bed before crawling on top of her and placing another kiss on her lips. He couldn't get enough of her. He wanted everything. All of it. His hands frantically roamed her body as he kissed her senseless.

Catherine laughed quietly as she held up her finger to his lips and shushed him, "Thin walls."

Steve didn't mind the admonition one bit. To him, it was a challenge. He held her hand to his lips as he peppered the tips of her fingers with kisses. Slowly, he worked his way from the ends of her fingers, to her wrist where he planted a slow, loving kiss. He quickly moved up her arm before resting his forehead on her collarbone. "I can be quiet." He mumbled against her skin before his teeth playfully sunk into the soft skin of her neck.

Catherine opened her mouth to respond, but the only thing that escaped was a needy whimper. One arm wrapped around the small of her back and lifted her, pulling her against Steve's body while the other hand slid up and down her thigh. He caught her leg behind her knee and lifted it to wrap around his waist. This wasn't the time for space. Steve couldn't get enough of her. Kissing Catherine Rollins was like tasting champagne - like something refreshing and luxurious and indulgent. "I don't know if I can be quiet." She panted.

Steve pulled away for a moment as he studied her eyes and grinned at her admission. He rested his forehead on hers as he caught his breath. Steve ran his thumb over the pout of her lower lip. "How did I go this long without kissing you?" His brow furrowed and he shook his head, as if he couldn't quite make sense of it all. Her fingers tangled in the soft hairs at the back of his neck as she pulled his lips back to hers. "You're perfect in every way." He mumbled as he kissed her again and again and again.

Catherine rocked her hips against his, eliciting the most masculine groan from his throat. She smirked as her fingers danced across the cut ridges and valleys of his torso. "What was that about you being able to be quiet?" She teased.

"Do you have any idea how much restraint it takes to be around you?" He grinned as he slowly nipped at the side of her neck. His hands gripped her hips so hard, he was sure she would have a bruise in the morning. "Do you have any idea how badly I've wanted you?"

Her back arched, pressing them against one another. "I think you could make it to second base without any serious consequences." She whispered with a smile.

Steve chuckled, "I don't know that I'll be able to stay quiet or stay on second base if you let me." He laid beside her and pulled her into his arms. Their legs tangled together; neither party wanting a millimeter of space between them. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to kiss you?" He murmured as he pressed a kiss onto the top of her shoulder. "God, Catherine - you drive me crazy. Watching you go into your room at the apartment every night and staying on the couch? It damn near killed me." He punctuated his whispered statement with another kiss. He gently bit down on her lower lip as his eyes met hers, "All I ever thought about was breaking down your door and finding out what you tasted like."

Catherine nuzzled her head into his chest, "What took you so long?" She wrapped her arms around him and melted into his arms.

"I can't, uh, can't think of a damn good reason." He tangled his fingers in her hair and drew her head back to his, "But I, uh, I know I probably won't be able to stop now that I know what it's like." Catherine's hand trailed up the side of his jaw and admired the savagely handsome man who was holding her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Her thumb brushed over the corner of his eye before she tilted her head up and met his lips once again.

"I'm really glad you did."

"What time is it?" Catherine whined listlessly. Throughout the course of the night, she and Steve had drifted to separate sides of the bed. Now, his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back to him.

"You were too far away." He yawned before burying his nose in the back of her neck and leaving a trail of kisses all the way to her shoulder.

Catherine's eyes focused on the digital clock across the room, "Steve, it's four in the morning. Let me sleep." His hand dipped under the covers until it met the velvet skin of her thigh. Slowly, he slid his hand up her leg until it settled on the curve of her ass. The silk of her sleeping shorts just barely covered everything that he wanted to touch. Steve brushed her hair away from her neck as he kissed from behind her ear, down to her shoulder blade. He heard a soft moan escape her lips as she fought to go back to sleep. "Steve…" The way she whispered his name was the same way she had years prior in the confines of a mess hall closet on the Enterprise.

Steve felt pins prick his skin as she purred his name. He turned her around to face him, not caring that he was waking her well before the sun was out. "What did I tell you about saying my name like that?" He growled.

Catherine's voice caught in her throat as she felt his hands slip under the thin tank top she wore. "You said…" She swallowed as her chest rose and fell heavily. "That you wouldn't be able… to… control yourself."

"Do you want me to control myself?"

"God, no." She moaned.

He peppered kisses across her clavicle and down her breast bone. "Well, I am." The guilt from his meaningless sex with Greer began to creep back up, but the minute he said, "Because you're worth it.", it subsided.

Eight AM rolled around and Steve and Catherine finally emerged from their bedroom. As they sat at the breakfast table and ate with Catherine's parents, Steve's arm hung behind her chair. His fingers found the gap between the hem of her sweater and the waist of her jeans. As he began to ghost his fingertips over the bare skin that was peeking through, Evelyn cleared her throat and stated that she needed Catherine's help with some last minute present wrapping.

"What is it?" Catherine asked as she followed her mother back to her parent's bedroom.

Evelyn stepped into the bathroom for a moment as she dug around in a drawer, "How'd you sleep last night? Did you rest well, dear?"

"Yeah?" She was utterly confused at her mom's nonchalant question. "I slept fine, why?"

Her mother emerged from the bathroom holding a tube of concealer. "Maybe pack a scarf next time. Steve seems like a sweet boy. It'd be a shame if your father killed him for, uh, leaving evidence of your dalliance." She smirked as she pointed at the red marks that dotted Catherine's pale skin.

"OH MY GOD." Catherine's face turned as red as the garland on the Christmas tree. She snatched the makeup out of her mother's hand and darted into the bathroom.

Evelyn watched as her daughter applied the makeup over the red splotches and blended it until the evidence of her and Steve's make out session was well concealed. "So what was that about being just friends?"

Catherine rolled her eyes, "We ARE friends…. And… we happened to kiss last night. That's all."

"Oh I know that's all that happened! Like I said… thin walls." She laughed. "Have you kissed before or was this a first?"

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not sixteen. I have, in fact, kissed people before, Mother."

The twinkle in Evelyn's eye was a dead giveaway that she approved of Steve. Catherine leaned on the bathroom counter and crossed her arms as a smug smile fought against her pursed lips, "But this was a first for us."

"And how was it?" Evelyn crossed her arms but her face flashed with happiness for her daughter.

Catherine blushed and couldn't contain her smile anymore. "It was… perfect." For someone who knew multiple languages, she just couldn't find the words. "It was perfect."

"You know, I was worried about you. Worried that you had chosen a hard path in life, you know - with the Navy and all. I worried that you would miss out on how wonderful things like falling in love are."

"Mom, I'm not in love with him." She lied. "I don't know, we just have to... figure things out…"

Steve pushed her back against the wall and pressed his body into hers. He cradled her face in his hands as his tongue dipped in between her parted lips. His nose brushed against hers as he pulled away, his lips just a breath apart from hers. "Do you know how long I've wanted to taste you, Catherine Rollins?" He exhaled heavily and tried to catch his breath, "Your lips taste like champagne and citrus all the time." Catherine shuddered underneath him as pinpricks of heat flashed across her body. Steve's lips lowered onto hers. "God, Cath, you're beautiful."

He moved deftly from her lips to her jaw, down the side of her neck, to her shoulder, and finally to the tender skin that peeked out of the V neck of her sweater. "Gotta be careful, Sailor." She whispered. "You leave any more marks and I'll run out of ways to cover them up."

Steve smirked, "So?"

"So I'd rather my father not shoot you and bury you in the backyard." She snickered. Catherine guided his head back to meet hers, "Besides. I like your lips on mine."

He chuckled, "How long 'til your folks get back?"

"Maybe ten minutes?"

Steve hooked his fingers in her belt loops and pulled her off of the wall towards him, "C'mere, you."He mumbled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against his chest. "You know I really wish we were, uh, going back to Coronado. You know. Like before?"

Catherine nodded. "Me too." She sighed.

"I think I'd like sleeping on your couch a lot more after this weekend." He chuckled.

She laughed, "Like I'd let you ever sleep on the couch again." Catherine heard the unmistakable sound of the garage door opening as her parents returned from their quick trip to the store.

Steve delicately lifted her chin and kissed her hungrily before pulling away and resting his forehead on hers. "Just in case I don't get to do that for the rest of the day."

But he did. At every spare moment, Steve and Catherine couldn't keep their hands off of each other. When Tom disappeared into the garage and Evelyn took a fruitcake to a neighbor, Steve tackled Catherine off of the couch where she had been reading a book and made out with her under the Christmas tree. When Steve was helping Evelyn prepare dinner, Catherine told him that his phone was ringing. When he walked back to the bedroom to take the call, she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. Steve caught her easily and took the opportunity to grab her ass while they kissed each other senseless.

"Steve?" Catherine whispered as the clock on the bedside table changed to read 5:44 AM.

He groaned and rolled over to face her, "Hm?"

"Are you asleep?"

Steve chuckled quietly as he slowly opened his heavy eyes, "Would I have responded if I was asleep?" He reached over and quickly pulled her back to his chest, "What's the matter?" He mumbled as he tucked his forehead in the crook of her neck.

"Nothing." She giggled quietly, "It's just… it's Christmas. It's after midnight."

"Merry Christmas" He smiled tiredly as he held her just a little bit tighter.

Catherine smiled as she rolled over to face him, "Let's go on a walk." Even in the darkness, he could see that her eyes danced with excitement. How could he ever say no to her?"

"It's after midnight." He reasoned, but knew he wouldn't get very far with that weak argument.

She flung the covers back and grabbed his hand, tugging at his arm. "Come on! That's what makes it fun!" She whispered.

"You're just as crazy as your mother is." Steve rolled his eyes as he watched her walk over to her bag and pull out a pair of jeans. "But if we, uh, go on a walk, then you'll have to wear more than just my shirt." He smirked as he gazed at her bare legs. "And I, uh, I like it when you wear just my shirt."

Catherine grinned as she wiggled into her jeans "Come on, Sailor! Up and at 'em!"

That's how Steve found himself sneaking out of the house - he just couldn't say 'no' to Catherine Rollins. When they had successfully escaped the house without waking up her parents, Catherine slipped her hand into his and led him through the backyard. They walked for miles, enjoying each other's company. He wasn't quite sure where Catherine was taking him, but she seemed to know where she was going, so he followed obediently. The majority of Texas is as flat as a sheet of paper, so when he saw a rather large hill in front of them, he knew she had something up her sleeve. As they stood on top of the hill, Steve couldn't make out anything in the complete darkness. "I think you may have made a wrong turn." He chuckled as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Just trust me." She smiled as she turned in his arms and pecked his lips.

"With my life." His forehead rested on hers as they shared a quiet moment of vulnerability. The moon was mostly hidden by clouds, but the little bit of light that leaked through illuminated her face. She looked conflicted - as if she was at war with herself. "C'mere." He sat on top of the hill and pulled her down into his lap. "What's going on in your head?"

"Nothing."

"Cath…"

"I just..." She relaxed in his arms and leaned her head back against his shoulder. "We avoided this for so long and now I can't think of a good reason why we did that."

Steve chuckled, "I was your C.O."

She giggled, "Okay, there's that."

"Then we kind of, uh, played tag for a while."

"But… now what?" The words disappeared into the air as they escaped her lips. "Is it forward of me to say that I may not have as much self-control as you?" She laughed.

Steve chuckled, "Trust me, I wanna throw caution to the wind as much as you do, but, uh, but you know I leave tomorrow… and in a couple weeks you go back to the Enterprise…"

"I know…" She whispered as a lump began to form in her throat.

"I just don't wanna make promises that I can't keep." He admitted. "But we'll figure it out."

Tears welled up in Catherine's eyes as reality began to sink in, "Will we?"

He pressed a kiss into her hair before laying her on the ground and hovering over her, "You know I got your six, right?"

"I know."

He smirked as he kissed her. "And your twelve 'o clock." He pressed another kiss on her shoulder. "And your three." He lifted the hem of the SEAL hoodie that she stole from him and kissed her hip bone. "And your five." He laid down beside her and pulled her into his side as they stared up at the fading stars. "So when you go back to San Diego are you, uh, are you keeping your place or putting everything in storage?"

"Storage."

Steve nodded. "Freddie and I might, uh, might get a place off base, so you can stay there if you dock at Coronado."

Catherine nodded. "You know I worry about you."

"I know." He fumbled with the velcro on the pocket of his cargo pants. He pulled out the polaroid and handed it to her, "But I've got my good luck charm."

She smiled, "I can't believe you still have this." A quiet laugh escaped her lips, "I figured after I started going out with Billy that you'd... Get rid of it.. Or something."

"I wanted to." He admitted. "But I'm glad I didn't."

Catherine sat up and motioned for him to do the same. "Look." She pointed out over the horizon as the sun began to rise over Trinity Bay that led out to the Gulf of Mexico.

Steve grinned, "Is that why you wanted to come out here." He glanced down at her and watched as she nodded. He draped his arm around her shoulder as Catherine leaned her head over onto his shoulder. "Merry Christmas, Cath."

"Merry Christmas, Sailor."

Catherine's fingers were laced with Steve's as they walked into the Houston airport. His pack was lighter - she had kept his hoodie and snagged a few more shirts to go along with it. Sure, she had the exact same Navy shirts, but his were softer - warmer - more comforting. She waited patiently as he checked in for his flight and lingered just outside of the security checkpoint. "So this is… this is it, huh." She couldn't even force a smile as he set his bag on the ground. It had only been two days since they had reunited in that very spot, but everything had changed. Steve held both of her hands before pulling her into a hug. She buried her face in the green camouflage and exhaled a shaky breath. "God, I'm gonna miss you, Steve."

Steve did his best to choke back tears, but the knot in his stomach made it damn near impossible. Why was it that they were always having to say goodbye just when things were getting good? "You got my six?"

"Always." She promised.

"You'll be in my ear?"

Catherine smiled, "I'll do my best."

"Promise you'll stay out of trouble?"

She laughed quietly as she wiped a stray tear off of her cheek, "I thought we weren't making promises that we don't know if we can keep."

Steve chuckled, "Promise you'll call if you're in trouble?"

"I promise." She smiled.

Steve looked at the growing line in front of the security checkpoint. "I should probably get going."

Catherine chewed on her lip as he slung his rucksack over his shoulder. "Stay safe."

Steve patted his pocket that held the photo. "I promise." Catherine nodded and turned to leave when his arm shot out and grabbed her hand. He yanked her back to him and held her just another minute longer. His hand held the back of her head while the other caressed her cheek. He kissed her slowly before resting his forehead on hers. "See you soon, Rollins."

Catherine watched as he made his way through security and waved one last time before he disappeared into the airport terminal. She didn't know when 'soon' would be, but she knew he only made promises if he could keep them.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

THAT'S THE END OF ACT ONE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Phew! This is officially the longest individual chapter that I've ever written at 9,058 words. In total, we're clocking in at about 73,000 words and we're only one-third of the way through the story! I hope their first kiss was everything you wanted and more! I can't wait to see your thoughts and feedback in the reviews! Thank you so much for taking time out of your days to leave me reviews! It seriously gives me so much motivation to write! Shout out to all the wonderful folks on Twitter! It's so fun engaging with you and reading your thoughts on H50! Thank you, thank you to everyone who has sent DMs on FanFiction with questions or wanting to discuss the plot of this story or just the show in general! It seriously makes my day!

You all are wonderful, amazing people and I can't wait for you to see what's in store for the rest of Steve and Catherine's journey!

XO,

-Mags-