His Worst Mistake

tags: whump!danny, angst with a happy ending, friends to lovers, first kiss

The case had gone well; they knew who the murderer was, just needing the last proof to put him behind bars for a very long time. But Steve had messed up, he'd been boasting because he'd solved the case as quick as he had, and Danny had truthfully pointed out that it technically wasn't solved yet, not until Dmitri Melnikov was locked up, and that technically he had been the one to find the final clue. They had argued and Danny had left, given Steve a sad disappointed look, and the SEAL hadn't followed him. That was the worst mistake he'd ever made.

Steve was standing in front of Dmitri Melnikov now, the man they'd been after, suspected of laundering money, and shipping off drugs. "So Commander McGarrett, you figured it out did you," said the man in question with a smile plastered on his face, somehow it unnerved Steve, but he couldn't think why. The SEAL knew Melnikov would be arrested in say fifteen minutes; Chin, Kono and half of the HPD were on their way, and even though Melnikov had a gun pointed at him, the SEAL knew he would have no trouble getting out of the way when the backup stormed through the doors.

"So tell me Commander McGarrett, was it you or your sidekick who figured it out?" the man asked, laughing hauntingly at the confused expression quickly fading from Steve's face. "He's very insightful your partner," he said the word with so much disdain, his hiss sending a shiver down Steve's spine. They were in Melnikov's office, and the man moved to his desk, pressing a button on his keyboard, revealing a big screen TV.

The scream of pain that erupted from the speakers sent chills through the SEAL's blood. "He's much cleverer than I thought him to be you know, and much more loyal as well, he never gave anything up, no matter what I did to him, it's a shame really, that skin, ruined forever." Steve took a deep breath, watching Melnikov cutting into the skin of his partner Danny Williams. He was on a table, bound on hands and feet, facing down, and his back already bloody and so full of scars they seemed to never end. "He did turn out to be boring after a while, his screams stopped, then there was only crying, I threw him out, threw him out like a piece of garbage." As Melnikov spoke he'd turned off the screen, and before Steve could respond Chin and Kono came running through the door, guns pointing at Melnikov.

The SEAL was out the room before either could ask what was going on, and Steve could hear Melnikov's cold empty laugh following him out of the building. He didn't know where to go; he had no clue as to where Danny could be. The words – thrown out like garbage – running through his head and mind like a poison. Steve ran, he ran through alleys, ran as far and as hard as he could. He almost collapsed, stopping and leaning against a wall, he called Grover. "I'm already on it, I have Chin and Kono coming for you," Grover hung up, and not five seconds later a car parked on the street in front of the SEAL.

Steve slipped in, staring into the faces of Chin and Kono, he groaned, having no interest in explaining what had happened when he had no idea if Danny was dead or alive. To the SEAL's surprise neither of them spoke, they just sat in silence as they drove to the HPD headquarter.

ooOoo

Steve slumped down into a chair and closed his eyes, pictures of Danny flashing through his mind; the look of disappointment he'd given him the last time he'd seen his partner, and the horrible picture of Danny lying dead and broken somewhere in Honolulu, and he was absolutely unable to do anything. Steve didn't know how long he was sitting in his office, as a voice cut through the door, "We found him." His eyes snapped open, watching as Chin, Kono and Grover got up from their seats, following close behind as they all left the HPD Headquarter to rescue Danny.

Steve stormed out as the first, pushing his way through the police. Danny was on his stomach like he'd been in the video, the SEAL could hear his partner's faint breathing, but his eyes were a horror Steve wished he'd never seen, they were dead, cold, and broken.

ooOoo

Danny was moved to a sanatorium, and Steve was informed by Chin, and basically everyone that he was healing, the life slowly returning to his partner's eyes. Steve hadn't gone to see him. The SEAL refused to admit it was because he was scared, he even refused to admit it to himself, stubborn as he was.

It had been over a month since he'd been found, and Steve knew Danny was coming home, he also knew his partner would be mad at him, disappointed, and that he'd most likely never see him ever again, the SEAL understood. Steve found himself stunned when he walked out from his bedroom, scratching his head, a yawn threatening to emerge. Danny was sitting silently on his couch, patiently waiting for him, and the SEAL found himself wondering for just how long he'd been there.

"I know why you didn't come to see me Steve and I just wanted to tell you that this is not your fault, I don't blame you, I never will." Danny gotten up from his spot on the couch, and was halfway to the door. "I heard there's an interesting new case…," the blonde didn't get to finish his sentence; he was silenced by Steve crashing his lips to his. The SEAL had chosen not to think, chosen to simply act, act on his feelings, and do what he truly wanted to do, what he'd wanted to do for far longer than he'd like to admit.

Steve knew Danny could see him in a way none other could, but it always surprised the SEAL just how insightful his partner was, and the fact that Danny didn't linger, that he didn't expect a response from him, was enough for Steve to finally admit it, to finally admit that he loved Danny Williams, to finally admit that he had been scared.

"I'm not happy to admit I have feelings Danny, you know this; you also know you're the only one I've ever done so to. Move in with me, I've been an ass to you I know that, and you have no idea how much I regret for letting you go that day. You see me Danny, and you might think I'm asking you to move in with me because I'm scared of letting you go, which is partly true. But it's mostly because I simply can't keep denying myself, denying that I do love you, that I want a life with you."

Steve had been looking to the floor, worrying his hands, but when he raised his sight to Danny, he was met with a smile. Danny knew, he extended his hand to Steve, allowing him to make his own choice, the SEAL took it, and he pulled Danny to him.

The kiss was slow, experimental almost, and Steve catalogued every little piece of it, revelling in the fact of knowing that he could now do this whenever he wanted, to just pull him into his arms and kiss him, his Danny.