I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: there is an Epilogue on the near horizon!
H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O
When Steve woke next, he had one arm flung comfortably over the top of his head but without a single blanket to himself. A little confused by the way the sun was streaming through the bedroom windows, it took him only a second to remember where he was and why.
Without moving, he looked down and smiled. Danny was deeply asleep, scrunched down lower, mostly laying on Steve's right leg. Using his thigh as a pillow. He'd managed to virtually cocoon himself in all the bedding and all Steve could see was the left side of his face. Flushed in sleep, he was lightly snoring. Completely dead to the world in the best way possible. But snoring? Steve had never heard him do this before. He bit back a soft chuckle, plus an urge to run his fingers through the tufts of light-colored hair he could see sticking out. Whether it be the meds or pure exhaustion, Steve could tell that his partner was tapped out. He needed sleep to heal and Steve was bound and determined to have that happen. But he had to move and with some stealthy planning, Steve was sure that he could squeeze out from underneath Danny without disturbing him too much.
Leaning on his elbow, Steve got his pillow ready. He wormed his hands slowly under his right leg to support Danny's head. With some fancy wiggling, he got his leg out enough to lay on his hip. Ever so slowly, he managed to use one hand to support Danny's head and the other to snag the pillow. It took a moment for him to gently wedge the pillow in place, but Steve got it done. Hard part over, Steve inched his body sideways towards the edge of the bed. A final careful push and his feet hit the floor without a single jostle of the mattress.
Still? Steve hesitated, his eyes fond. He took one last chance then, leaning over his partner to gently ghost his fingers across Danny's cheek. He suddenly didn't understand why he'd ever thought leaving the Island had ever been the best choice for himself - or for them.
"Eddie. Come," he whispered when Eddie got up from where he'd been laying on the floor by the foot of the bed. Tail wagging as always, the dog met Steve at the door before bounding down the hallway towards the kitchen.
He'd left his cell phone on the counter and barely gave it a glance now. Eddie had been sorely neglected the last few hours. The dog needed out and a decent breakfast … or maybe it was lunch as Steve automatically registered where the sun was in the sky when he opened the sliders. If they'd gone back to bed near dawn then he'd slept a decent 7 hours straight. Steve felt far better than he had in a long time and he smiled to himself. Danny had saved him yet again from an error in judgment.
Back in the house, Steve checked on Danny before caring for the empty pit that was his stomach. Steve had no idea when he'd last had a decent meal. Danny certainly hadn't been in the hospital and he'd really only just been released. Steve's announcement had worsened Danny's already limited interest in food.
Vowing to do better, Steve rummaged through the fridge, a bit surprised to find so much food. He hadn't realized that the team had been so organized in lining up their care for his partner. Covered dishes were stacked three high. With a surprised sound, he pulled out containers and bowls, quickly cataloging what looked good for that day and what should be frozen for later.
Spying a large casserole dish towards the back of the fridge, Steve's smile became a pleased laugh. His stomach rumbled as soon as he popped the lid off. It seemed to be some sort of cheesy chicken dish layered with bacon. A homey, comforting meal right up Danny's alley. Steve's too as he grabbed some utensils.
"I love your wife, Lou," Steve remarked as he spooned layers of chicken, rice and cheese into a bowl for himself to microwave. He snagged his cell phone before sitting down, completely inured to the volume of calls he'd missed until he got to one in particular. He couldn't hide the scowl which worsened as his phone vibrated at exactly the same moment.
"Fuck me," Steve whispered as he thought twice before hitting the Accept key. With a frustrated growl, he plopped the bowl down on the end table and hit the widget.
"Cath."
"Hey. Steve," her familiar voice resonated sharply in his ear and with a resigned sigh, he found himself responding by rote.
"Hey. Where are you?" He felt obliged to ask.
"Santa Barbara. Cute town. You'd like it," Cath replied. Steve shrugged to himself not really knowing what to say. Besides, she sounded just as curt as he was feeling.
"Okay," he forced out of his mouth.
"Okay? That's it? Just okay? I guess this isn't one of the places where you saw yourself going? Where did you see yourself?" Cath asked, friendly enough for the moment. Still? There was an undercurrent of something else in her tone. Something very unpleasant and practically challenging.
"I really don't know. In all honesty, I didn't have anything much planned out," Steve replied. It was safer to just say the truth as his stomach tightened. Uncomfortable and starting to feel defensive, Steve ran a hand over his face.
"Fair enough," Cath said with a cold chuckle. "No plans. And apparently not with me either. Totally footloose and fancy free …"
And there it was. That tone now reeked of a growing sarcasm. His stomach lurched and defensive became annoyance.
"Not with anybody," Steve interrupted her diatribe. "That had been the point."
" Sure ," she clipped out the next words. "How's Danno?"
He bristled immediately at her use of the nickname, fighting harder than he thought to keep his tongue in check.
"Sleeping," Steve opted to keep things very simple. "Listen. I gotta go … have a safe trip."
"Wait. One sec. I have to know: so you're good with this … decision?" Cath asked. Disbelief filled her tone and Steve could feel an inelegant sneer creeping across his lips. One that very well might have matched Catherine's own likely expression so many miles away. They'd been over as a couple for years - had barely survived as friends with benefits. Having grown apart now, he was somewhat surprised at the sense of jealousy or whatever this was; it had no place. In fact, she had no place.
"One hundred percent," Steve said with a finality that might have even held a challenge in it.
Complete silence ensued, leaving Steve to just shake his head. Why the hell had Catherine even bothered to call but then she was saying precisely that.
"Well, I'll leave you to it then. I don't even know why I bothered …"
"Me neither," Steve had no hopes in stopping these words as they tumbled out of his mouth, leaving him with a completely dead connection. Cath had ended the call. She might not have even heard him. But what the hell did that matter? He almost laughed out loud in derision as he angrily slapped his cell phone down to the coffee table. She'd ruined his mood and sent him down a poor path. In fact, Steve wasn't even hungry anymore.
"You neither what? Who were you talking to just now?"
The sound of Danny's voice startled him but that sense of anger thawed quickly. Barefoot and unkempt in that same lousy white tee-shirt he'd been wearing the day before, Danny hobbled towards him. Steve got to his feet, automatically smiling.
"Danno. You're awake!"
"What smells so good?" Still sleepy-eyed and yet looking far better than he had just a few hours earlier, Danny oomphed softly as Steve pulled him into a gentle hug. This - starting with the sound of Danny's voice - was so different from the stress of the phone call that Steve laughed again.
"Whas' so funny?" Danny slurred, muffled into Steve's chest.
"You .. and you smell good too," Steve quipped as he closed his eyes peacefully, burying his face in the side of Danny's neck.
"I doubt that but this is a very nice good morning," Danny said as he returned the warmth of Steve's hug, one-armed. However, he pulled back just enough to repeat his original questions. "So you neither what to who … and since it isn't me that smells so good … what exactly does?"
"C'mere," Steve murmured as he reeled Danny gently back. "I ... uh, just need this for a minute."
"Okay," Danny chuckled, amused by Steve's show of affection. "Me too. But are you avoiding the question?"
Steve hummed a nonsensical negative sound. Sure he was and he would avoid that question. At least for now because he could stay right where he was in that moment, forever. Face tucked close to Danny's, he breathed in deeply before tucking his partner in even closer. It didn't matter who he'd been talking to on the phone. Thousands of miles away meant nothing to the one person who mattered the most to him - the one person who once again had come to rescue him from himself. The mere idea of being in Santa Barbara with someone more stranger than friend, instead of where he stood that moment in time, was unfathomable.
"First, it's afternoon," Steve explained as he tucked Danny to his side to usher him to the kitchen. "Second, it's whom … and well, absolutely to no one at all …. and lastly, Renee made us a casserole. And that casserole is what smells so damned good."
"Renee? And … what do you mean for us?" Danny raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Because I'm darn sure it was only made for me since you'd be walking the earth like a monk by now …"
"But I'm not doing that anymore, right? I'm here. Home. With you. Ergo, it's for us ," Steve said. "And this - us - means everything now, doesn't it?"
He challenged Danny with his own words and with an equally engaging smile before rocking his forehead gently to his partner's. "I love you Danno." He sighed happily and then closed his eyes as Danny cupped the back of his neck, pulling them closer once more.
"Ergo?" Danny chose to pull that one word out of the air. An old, old joke shared between them. But he was smiling, too. At least for a moment because Steve was already deep in their shared honi , leaving Danny to hum happily along with him.
"Ergo. Aloha, Danno," he murmured as he rubbed his nose over Danny's, turning his head nuzzle an ear. Ending to press a kiss to each of his partner's cheeks. "It means I love you."
~ End. ~