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.
That girl loves you.
Doris had lied about so many things. Steve's knuckles turned white as he manhandled the steering wheel. He glanced back at the left hand lane and considered going lights and sirens for an illegal U-turn. No. He was going to her. He had to go to her. Catherine was the one good thing he had in his life - there was no fucking way he was going to let Doris screw it up.
Then he heard it again. That nagging voice in his head:
That girl loves you.
Was Doris lying about that too? Was Doris trying to get him to make amends with Catherine so she could keep Catherine in her pocket to use her against him? Steve shook his head. No factor. It was a chance he had to take.
Steve had already done a drive by of her house. Catherine wasn't there. He thought of the route she would have taken home from the cemetery and deduced that there was one logical place for her to be: the rocky seawall.
Technically it was just the shoulder of the road, but she always made an effort to point out the view from that spot when they were riding in the truck together. He saw her Stingray pulled over in the gravel and gave himself a mental pat on the back. He knew her like the back of his hand.
He threw the truck into park and hopped out. Catherine was perched on a rock like a lighthouse. Steady and sure. He had no idea how she managed to balance on the terrain in those five inch deathtraps she walked in. It would be like walking on the barrel of a gun but she did it effortlessly. That was Catherine. Radiantly lethal.
The look on her face said it all. She was gutted. Steve strode towards her and stopped just inches away. He opened his mouth but she beat him to the punch.
"I am so sorry." Catherine looked up in his eyes as she said the four words she had been practicing over and over. The hurt and pain she saw in his face drove the guilt further into her heart. She looked down at the rocks and wished that she had worn sensible shoes so that she could run. "I should have told you."
Steve threaded his fingers through the back of her hair and brushed his thumb against the star on the back of her neck. He had seen that star all week while she was undercover with the Diamond Dolls. It had been one hell of a week and watching her walk around in spandex and fishnets hadn't helped in the slightest. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Just a feather touch. She stumbled on the rock as he pulled her into his arms, but Steve held her securely against him. "Catherine... I…" He cradled her head in his hands, "I dunno. I, uh, I had all this stuff planned out to say to you and I…." He ducked down and kissed her again. "I don't remember any of it. I just… I need you."
Catherine placed her palms on his chest and trusted him to keep her steady on the rocky shore. "Steve, I promise you, I… I didn't do it to hurt you." She rested her forehead underneath his chin, "I just… I wanted to give you security. I know you don't talk about it but it's hard having her here and I know that it's hard knowing she might have to leave again and I just wanted to make it better. I wanted to have your six."
"Cath, it's not your job to fix it. Doris… She's… She's a piece of work. And I know she's still lying to me." He admitted as he took her hand and led her back to the cars. "Thing is, when I confronted her about it, she just made excuses." He caged her in with his arms as she leaned back on the Corvette. "You just told me you were sorry. That's it. That's all I needed. You're all I need."
She wrapped her arms around his neck, "Can we go home? She slumped against him, "Between the last two weeks in D.C. and then doing the Pro Bowl stuff for the Navy and spending all week undercover and getting legally assaulted for sport in a skating rink… I'm exhausted…. And really fucking sore."
He chuckled, "Can you stay awake long enough to take your baby home or do you wanna ride with me and come back for her?"
Catherine laughed. Steve had become accustomed to her attachment to her car. "I can make it home." She pushed off the hood of the car and slid into the driver's seat. "Can you stay a while or do you have work?"
"I can stay." He kissed her and shut the door, "Drive safe. I'll turn my sirens on if you look like you're gonna doze off."
Catherine braced herself against the wall as she yanked off the torture devices she had strapped to her feet. Her dress was off before she made it three feet down the hallway. She unfastened her bra and let it drop in the doorway of her bedroom. She grabbed a hair tie off of the bathroom vanity and twisted her hair up into a mess on top of her head. She heard the front door open and shut as she rummaged through the dresser drawers until she found the kind of comfort she was looking for - Steve's boxers and the SEAL hoodie. She stepped into the boxers and flipped the waistband over to fit her slim hips. Catherine pulled the hoodie over her head. She turned as she yanked it over her hair and ran straight into a wall. Except the wall laughed and was holding her shoes, dress, and bra.
"And here I was. Thinking I was gonna get lucky." He chuckled as he set her clothes down and began to unbutton his shirt.
"Steve…" She sat down on the edge of her bed, "I wasn't kidding when I said I was tired…" Her muscles sang as she stretched her arms over her head, "And as much as I'd like some really good make-up sex, I can barely move after a week of derby. My thighs are killing me." She groaned.
He pulled his undershirt off in the single swift motion that all men seem to be born with the ability to do. "I'm not here for sex, Cath." He pulled the covers back and laid her pillows down, "Get in."
"It's five o' clock." She protested.
"Bed. Now." He ordered.
Catherine gave him a wary look but crawled over the comforter and wiggled under the sheets, "We're taking a nap?"
"Affirmative." He got in beside her. "Comfy?" She nodded and curled into his arms. Steve brushed his hand down her arm where bruises had started to bloom. "I'm sorry you were put in danger." He pressed a kiss into her shoulder. "I was pissed off at you, but you know I'd do anything to keep you safe right?"
She closed her eyes, "I know I screwed up… But were you really gonna take her word over mine?"
Steve sighed. "I shouldn't have." He skated his hand over her thigh but pulled back when he touched a bruise on her knee, causing her to wince. "She said that you…." He sighed. He was going to do it. He was going to say it. "She said that you lo-"
"Steve, she lies. Whatever she told you… It's not true. You can't…. You can't trust her."
That girl loves you.
Doris's voice echoed in his mind. What if it was a lie? Could he survive if she didn't love him? He sighed and pressed a kiss to her temple, "I know. Just get some rest."
"Did you at least keep the, uh, the stockings?" Steve asked as he massaged her shoulders. His big hands worked at the many knots that plagued her.
She tilted her head back and smiled when he pecked her forehead, "The fishnets?" Steve nodded. She laughed, "Hell no. They went straight in the trash."
His laugh shook the bed, "Why? They were, uh, they were pretty sexy."
"Ha." Her dry scoff told him that she thought otherwise. "Fishnets under spandex while roller skating is a formula for chafing. Definitely NOT sexy."
That damned sharp mouth of hers had him aroused. Steve missed that. He missed her sarcasm and their repartee. "You know what I miss most about the Navy?" He asked.
"Hm?"
"Watching you work." He placed a kiss on her star tattoo, "Working with you."
Catherine laughed quietly, "My bed was a lot colder when we worked together."
"Mine too. I don't miss that." He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her back under the covers, "But, I- I miss watching you work. You're a, uh, you're a hell of an asset."
She giggled and wiggled underneath him, "I think your dirty talk needs work. Unless you're referring to my ass...ets…"
Steve smirked and dove in for a kiss. "I meant your brain, smart ass."
"There you go again - talking about my ass. I mean, it's pretty spectacular so I don't blame you." She giggled.
"Geez, Cath." He chuckled, "I'm trying to give you a sincere fucking compliment and you're making it hard as hell."
She grinned, "That's not the only thing that's hard." Steve rolled his eyes and stifled a laugh. For someone so proper and professional, she could make just about anything a double entendre. "Okay." She giggled. "I swear I'm done. Please proceed."
Steve chuckled and shook his head. "AS I WAS TRYING TO SAY. I liked having you in the field."
"And I will admit that it was actually pretty fun."
He sat up and pulled on the pair of sweatpants he kept at her house, "You know, we, uh, we never did well being in the field together when we were in The Sandbox. But I think we did okay this time."
"It's been a while since I fired a gun at something other than a paper target." She mumbled as she pulled one of his massive t-shirts over her tiny frame.
"Hey." He put his hands on her hips and stilled her, "You did what you had to do. You saved that girl's life…. I, uh, I can't remember her name… But you did. You did the right thing."
"Crimson Bride." Catherine said.
He chuckled, "I meant her real name."
"Crimson Bride IS her real name." Catherine winked.
"Alright, Alice Trooper." He mimicked her tone.
Catherine groaned as they walked into the kitchen, "God, my ankles haven't hurt this bad since I was competing on the ice."
Steve rummaged around in her fridge before pulling out some leftovers and throwing them in the microwave. "You know, you haven't ever told me about you, uh, figure skating. Just the pictures your dad showed me the Christmas we spent at their house. Why'd you stop skating?"
"I started doing JROTC in high school. I, um. I knew I'd rather be in camo than a leotard."
"Did you like figure skating?"
Catherine smiled, "Yeah. I liked the adrenaline. The feeling of flying." Her smile turned into a smirk, "Then I went skydiving right before I left for the Naval Academy and I knew that nothing on the ice could ever compare to that rush."
"Adrenaline junkie." He chuckled.
"Adrenaline and gunpowder." She shook her head, "Nothing like it."
He pulled the containers of food out of the microwave and handed her a fork. "My two favorite aphrodisiacs."
Catherine stabbed her fork into the leftover lo mein and took a bite, "Hey." She finished her bite before pointing her fork at him, "Can't call me an adrenaline junkie like that and pretend you're innocent. Takes one to know one."
"Fine." He chuckled as he stole a bite of her lo mein before returning to his cashew chicken, "So we're both adrenaline junkies." He set his takeout container aside and hoisted her up onto the counter, "I guess that just makes us a pretty good team." He leaned in and planted a slow kiss on her mouth, "Because the only thing…" He trailed kisses down her neck, "that feels better than a HALO jump…." His fingers dug into her hips, "Is you."
"Kids are asleep." Steve stated as he sauntered into their bedroom.
"Suitcases are unpacked and clothes are in the wash." She added on. Catherine reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, "What's on your mind, Sailor?"
Steve chuckled, "It's been a while since you've called me 'sailor'."
"Commander?" She purred.
"C'mere, Lieutenant." He ordered. She did as she was told and sat beside him on the bed, "Do you miss it?"
She cocked her head, "Miss what?"
"The adrenaline. The rush. The Navy… The CIA…" He buried his nose in her hair, "Do you miss it?"
Catherine thought for a moment before nodding, "Yeah." She admitted. "I do." She relaxed into his arms and leaned back against his chest, "Do you miss Five-0?"
Steve nodded, "Yeah." He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, "But I wouldn't trade this for anything."
She closed her eyes, "Me too."
Steve didn't have to see her face to know that she was smiling. He could hear it in her voice. Feel it in her pulse. He pulled her closer, "Maybe we should go skydiving."
Catherine laughed, "With kids in the picture? No way."
He chuckled, "I thought you'd say that." Steve began to massage her shoulders, "You wanna know something?"
"Hm?"
"Being with you… with Shelbs and Will…" He turned her head and kissed her, "Still a better rush than a HALO jump."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Happy Tuesday! Leave your thoughts in the reviews!
We're SO CLOSE to the end of season three and the return of the lovely Billy Harrington (and Jealous Steve and Conflicted Catherine.) I'M SO READY for it too! This was a fun chapter to write because I love 3x18!
Have a great week, loves!
XO,
-Mags-
