Hours of paper work and annoying doctors later…

"Lou – come in –" Danny opened the door wider, stepping aside so Lou could enter.

They hugged with big claps on the back, punctuating their feelings. No words exchanged at first. Lou followed Danny to the kitchen, accepting the offered beverage.

"How's Will?" Danny took a sip of his beer.

"Thanks, you read my mind." Lou twisted the top off his bottle and drank for a few seconds. Like he was dying of thirst. He sighed. "My son is finally home and sleeping."

Danny smiled. "That's good to hear."

"How's Grace?"

"She was just texting Will, so-" Danny shrugged with just a hint of mischief.

"What? That boy." Lou grit his teeth and shook his head.

"Hey." Danny touched Lou's arm. "Let them."

Looking Danny up and down, Lou remarked. "You're mighty calm about this. Give me whatever you're taking. Cause there ain't enough alcohol."

He waved his empty beer. Danny grabbed the bottle and set it in the sink with his own. Trees rustled as the breeze picked up, and waves crashed on the beach. Adding an urgency to the room.

Lou shoved his hands into his pockets and focused on the floor. "Look man, I am really sorry about my kid."

Danny tilted his head, confusion marred his warm smile. "For what?"

"You know." Lou made odd gestures with his hands, trying hard not to be suggestive.

"Stop. Please. Before you hurt yourself." Danny laughed. "I can't take it."

"You're not mad?"

"For what?" Danny repeated with a little more force this time.

"Wait-" Lou leaned in and felt Danny's forehead. "You sure you're alright? I mean, if it was my daughter – "

"You'd be thankful she's home – and safe." Danny grabbed another beer. Lou declined a second drink.

"Yea, you got me there. But still – you're too calm. It's-" Lou wrinkled his nose. "- unsettling."

"Oh don't worry. She's grounded til she leaves for school."

"You think you can pull that off?"

"Do I look like an amateur?" Danny puffed up a little. "I installed an app on Grace's phone, too."

"You're spying on your daughter?"

"Just a simple family tracker." He wouldn't tell Lou about the time he could read Grace's texts.

Lou studied Danny, and then he replied. "Well, Will's grounded, too. I don't trust him. Because I was his age once."

Both men nodded at Lou's statement.

"Supervised visits only." Danny suggested.

They shook on it as Lou replied. "Agreed."

"Until their mothers go behind our backs."

Lou frowned. "Yup."

/././

Half an hour after Danny called Lou an Uber.

"Grace." Danny knocked before entering the guest bedroom, which was more or less his daughter's room at Steve's place. "It's your dad."

He felt out of place - like he wasn't supposed to be there – so he hovered in the doorway.

Grace rolled her eyes. "Danno, you can come in."

"Okay." Danny walked to the desk and pulled out the chair. His usual seat for a heart to heart.

She knew what was coming. "Please dad I don't–"

Danny shook his head and turned the chair around so he could face his daughter. Grace didn't finish her sentence.

"Listen, Grace, I'm not gonna lecture you. I'm glad you're okay. I'm not gonna ground you either." Danny massaged his temples, chasing away a headache. "Though part of me really wants to ground you. For life."

Big eyes looked at him, unsure but hopeful. "Will said I was grounded."

Danny's face lit up. "Will said, huh? What about your dear old dad?"

"I just thought –"

"Yea, I know. There was a time when –"

"You would have flipped out like crazy." Grace blurted, hand covering her mouth.

Laughing, Danny shook his head. Grace was right, but he felt like teasing. "Since when do I flip out?"

"Oh I don't know." Grace pretended to contemplate the question. "Every time Uncle Steve –"

"Every time Uncle Steve what?" Steve appeared. He ducked his head. "Is the embarrassing part over? I don't want to intrude."

Grace threw a pillow at Steve. "You're never intruding."

Steve tossed the pillow back to Grace. "Thank you, Gracie."

"Could I have another minute?" Danny loved Steve but he needed more alone time with his daughter. Sue him for being selfish.

"Dad…" Grace groaned. "You're so gonna flip out."

"I'll be right outside. Just in case." Steve backed out of the room, exaggerating his movements with a goofy grin plastered on his face.

Danny thought about shutting the door. He wanted to close them off from the world.

Grace sensed his mood shift. "I'm fine, dad. Really."

Fine. What did that mean? She was safe. Not home but close enough. She understood why her dad used the word. Fine was a lid to contain what lurked beneath. What you weren't ready to deal with. A signal to the other person to stop pushing. To leave it alone. Maybe forever.

"Okay, Grace. I'll let it go for now. All of it."

"Thank you." A tear slid down her face.

He wanted to chase away everything bad, but Grace wasn't a kid anymore. She needed to make her own decisions. All he could do was offer. "You can talk to me when you're ready. Your mom. Steve. Someone you trust."

"I know, dad. Like before."

Danny cracked, voice catching. His next words impaled by the thought. Like before. Goddamn Rick Peterson.

His lungs felt like they'd twisted, and he put his hand over a sensitive spot on his chest. Phantom pain still haunted him. Danny took a deep breath and exhaled loudly to clear out the crushing feeling.

"Dad?"

Grace was worried, and Danny hated himself.

"I'm fine." The words slipped out of his mouth, and father and daughter stared at one another.

"Bullshit." Steve grunted from the hall, ending the standoff. He pushed his partner closer to the bed. Danny put his feet down to stop, and the wheels squeaked. "Say goodnight, Danny."

"Uncle Steve?"

"It's okay, Grace. We've all had a long day. Danno needs to leave you alone. Give you some space."

Grace relaxed a little. "It's alright."

Steve wasn't buying it. He knew she didn't want to hurt her dad's feelings. "You need your sleep."

It was all too normal for Danny. Like nothing had happened.

"No." Danny was angry. What was Steve thinking?

Steve rotated the chair so Danny was slightly facing him. "Danny?"

"I can't leave her. What if she needs me?" Danny's breathing was quick, shallow. "No, I'm staying right here tonight. In this chair."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Grace pouted. The child that she was made an appearance in her protest. "I'm fine. I'll call you if I need you."

"See, she's fine." Steve grabbed Danny's shoulders and shook him. "You're coming with me. Now."

"I'm okay, dad. You can check on me later." Grace tapped Danny's knee.

Danny nodded, letting his daughter and his best friend change his mind.

Grace knew what would help. "Pancakes in the morning?"

"Anything you want, Monkey." Calm now, the words came out like they were from a dream. Danny smoothed back his daughter's hair. "Uncle Steve likes pancakes, too."

"Alright, that's enough. Good night, Grace. We love you." Steve dragged Danny from the room.

/././

Some time later… Danny had lost track.

Danny kicked the sand. He'd come to the water's edge without shoes. He needed to be connected to something greater than himself. To seek forgiveness. To say thank you.

And everywhere he went, he felt Steve.

Physically. Emotionally.

A hand on his back. A word of comfort. Good food. All Danny's favorites. Grace's too. Didn't matter if no one was hungry. Steve was ready. Their ohana had stocked the house.

And now Danny was edgy. Itchy. To fight. To scream. To jump into the roiling water and swim for a mile.

"Danny."

He turned at his name, but didn't answer. Danny closed his eyes and sighed. He felt Steve step toward him. He got goosebumps when Steve wrapped him in a hug and whispered.

"Tell me what you need."

The answer was surprisingly easy for Danny. "You."

No hesitation. No question. Steve's mouth was on his neck, murmuring in his ear. "Anything Danny."

Danny felt like a big cliché. Seeking comfort in a friend. But he needed that trust.

The arms encircling him pulled him close.

"Hold me, Steve."

"I am holding you, Danny."

"Closer."

Danny let himself indulge in the fantasy. The emotional fallout would come later.

Big, warm hands slipped under his shirt, and then under his waistband. Danny didn't flinch as fingers dipped lower. He nudged Steve with soft lips until they kissed. Mouths open, tongues touching. So hungry they lost their balance. A tumble to the sand didn't stop them.

It only led to more furious groping.

Danny lost his mind with Steve hot beneath him, shirt bunched up. Hard muscle and tattoos. A scar like his own. He kissed the smooth skin, let his tears anoint it. Steve stretched and groaned beneath him.

"I need this. I need you, Steve."

"Take it, Danny. Take me."

"You want this? Steve look at me."

"Yea, I want this. You."

"Not here in the sand."

Steve smiled, his eyes caught the lights from the house. They twinkled. "I made my bed."

"I'm touched." Danny took Steve's offered hand.

"You should be." Steve kissed the side of Danny's head and led the way back.

/././

Later that night…

Grace woke to the murmur of voices and laughter. Was she dreaming again?

It took her a few seconds to get her bearings. She cataloged her surroundings. The sound of the ocean. The scents of jasmine and sandalwood. A bed full of pillows. Uncle Steve's place.

She listened, curious.

Uncle Steve and her dad were closing up the house for the night.

There was a new tone to their voices. She caught it right away. Their banter was playful – only different. Her dad's giggle. Steve's soft murmur. She got chills and thought about getting a better look. To confirm her suspicions.

But she didn't want to interrupt.

She texted Will instead – she'd won their bet about her dad and Uncle Steve – and then Grace drifted back to sleep.


Thank you for sticking with the story. Rearranging this chapter has created two more chapters to share. More coming soon…