I almost forgot about this story. Thank you to the reader who reminded me.
/././
The morning after…
"I smell pancakes." Danny said as he rolled over, pulling the sheet off of Steve. "Am I dreaming?"
"I was." Steve draped his naked body over Danny. "Mmmm… You're warm."
"Why are you cold?" Danny asked, "We live in Hawaii."
He nuzzled into Steve, kissing where his neck and shoulders met. Steve, in turn, thrust against Danny.
"Who said I was cold?"
Shivering and giggling, Danny shook his head. This was not the development he expected. But he should have. They were men. Sometimes things popped up unexpectedly in the morning. Especially if you had the right motivation.
Danny gasped. "You animal."
"Your animal." Steve replied. He lifted himself just enough to look at Danny.
Shivering, Danny broke eye contact first. This Steve was more powerful than anything he'd witnessed. This was a different kind of intensity.
"How do we know this is gonna work? You and me."
"Beginner's luck." Steve shrugged.
"You're funny."
"Funny isn't the word I was looking for…"
Danny was losing the battle. He wasn't sure why he was resisting. Not when Steve felt so good. Maybe he just liked to argue. "Let's go eat some pancakes."
Steve shook his head no. He ground against Danny again.
"Grace won't walk in on us. I'll lock the door." Steve said as he kissed a line from Danny's chin to his bellybutton. "I promise your breakfast won't get cold."
/././
About twenty minutes later…Steve was efficient when he needed to be…
"Good morning." Danny kissed Grace's hair. He felt light – buoyant even - "I thought I smelled pancakes."
"I made them as a thank you." Grace flipped a pancake like a pro.
"You didn't have to do this, Monkey." Danny ruffled her hair before stealing the spatula and taking over. "This is my job."
"Oh Danno. I'm not a kid anymore."
They stared at one another. Here they were, father and daughter. At a new point in their relationship. An ending and a beginning. Life was filled with them. If you were lucky.
Danny knew this. And he also knew there was no way to explain it to Grace.
He really needed to call his mom. She had an answer for everything.
"Danno –" Steve touched his shoulder. "Earth to Danny. You're burning the pancakes. Not cool, man."
Steve took the spatula, laughing. Grace nudged Steve with her hip. She grabbed some plates and silverware.
"Told you he'd flip out, Uncle Steve." She said.
Danny protested with a gruff. "Not flipping out."
"Spacing out is more like it, Dad."
Danny pulled Grace into a hug. "So sue me."
Steve turned the heat down and checked the pancakes, taking command of the ship. "Don't just stand there, you two. Get me a big plate. And pull the syrup out of the fridge."
"You better have maple syrup. That coconut stuff is too sweet." Danny said.
"Says you, Dad." Grace poked him and ducked out of his reach.
"See, she knows what's good." Steve added more batter to the pan. "I rubbed off on her."
"You? Seriously?" Danny gathered supplies, taking the plates and silverware from Grace. "It's more like she contracted a virus."
Steve and Grace groaned at the same time. Danny grinned as he left the kitchen to set the table.
/././
After breakfast…
"So, you and Uncle Steve?"
Danny nodded. He waited. This question wasn't the only one she had.
Grace chewed on her bottom lip, thinking before she spoke again. It killed him how much she was like him.
"Are we gonna live here?" She asked.
He laughed. "Wow, you move fast."
"You're practically married already, Dad," Grace said. She rolled her eyes and parked herself on the bed.
Danny sat beside her and replied, "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Do you want to stay here? Because if you do, I get it."
She didn't look at him for a few breaths, and when she did, her eyes were glassy with tears.
"Aw, Grace. I'm sorry."
"I can't go back. My room, it's-."
Danny closed his eyes. He'd known this was coming. He'd hoped he was wrong.
"Okay. I'll ask Uncle Steve. I'm sure he won't mind."
"Thank you, Dad." She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed the breath out of him. "You're the best."
Danny savored the moment. Grace was leaving him very soon. Moments like this would be few and far between. They pulled away, and he decided not to waste the moment.
"There's something I want you to do for me. Before you leave." He made sure he had her attention. He didn't want to repeat himself. "Pancakes are great. But they can't do everything."
"I know, Dad. I'll have to talk to Dr. Lu again." She wasn't mocking him. Her words were genuine. "Like before."
His daughter could read minds. Danny was pleased with her reply, but as eager as she was, he needed to be sure she knew this was serious. "Not have to, Grace," he began, "You need to – it's good for you."
"You, too." She replied, arms cross over her chest.
"All of us."
"Uncle Steve?"
"Even that thick-headed-"
She touched his arm. "Don't do that."
"What?"
"You know what."
Scrunched eyebrows and a wrinkled nose didn't keep Grace from persisting.
"You don't have to pretend, dad. Act all tough, make jokes. I know you love him. You have forever."
Danny replied and shook his head, "How did I get such a smart kid?"
"I take after you," she said and then rolled her eyes again. "God dad, everybody knows."
"Everybody?" He knew he was blushing.
Grace swatted Danny's leg. "Everybody but you two, Dad."
/././
A short while later…Steve and Danny on KP duty.
"So Grace thinks we're married."
"I'm guessing she was joking?"
"Of course, you idiot." Danny answered and bumped Steve with his hip. "Move over."
Steve passed Danny a dish and he rinsed it. Sticky pancake remnants proved a pain to clean when they were allowed to harden. Soaking in the sink had helped.
"You're moving in?"
"What?" Danny replied, "You were eavesdropping?"
"Maybe."
"Good, because I need your help."
"You're welcome to stay."
"Yea?"
"Yea."
Steve rolled his eyes.
"Why is everyone rolling their eyes at me today?" Danny asked.
Steve stopped what he was doing and replied, "Because you deserve it?"
/././
A few days later…life getting back to normal…
"Dad has a case."
Grace almost laughed at Will whispering into his phone. She answered just the same. "Mine too."
"You sure?"
"Of course I'm sure, silly," Grace replied. "No one's here but Eddie. Mom has Charlie."
"Awesome. Be there in 15."
"Make it 10. I'm out back in my bikini."
"What about the neighbors?"
"Good point," Grace replied. She looked out the window before adding, "Park up the street and walk."
"Really?" Honestly, Will would jump through any hoop for Grace. They both knew it.
"Yea – it'll be worth it. I promise."
"Okay, I'm on my way."
Those were the last words of many young men. Okay. I'll follow you anywhere. Do anything you say.
/././
About 90 minutes later…
"Why was Will picked up by HPD? They caught him climbing through the neighbor's bushes," Danny took a slow breath, hoping to calm himself. "Grace. Answer me."
He was met with defiant eyes, thin lips. Rachel 2.0.
"I got pulled off a stakeout. Do you know how this makes me feel?"
This lit her fire. "How you feel? What about me? No one cares how I feel!"
"Burner phones and sneaking around?" Danny yelled. He was not embarrassed that he might be spitting a little. "What were you thinking?"
Grace crossed her arms over her chest and answered, "Maybe I wasn't. I don't see why I still need an HPD babysitter. Doesn't Pua have better things to do?"
"Maybe? Huh? Maybe you weren't thinking? You just proved why you need someone watching you. Are you being serious with me right now?" He asked, figuring he wouldn't get an answer he liked. What he got he wasn't expecting.
"Danno – " She said, stretching his name and changing her pitch.
An image of Grace as a little girl flashed in his mind. Six years old and whining because she wasn't getting her way.
"Don't Danno me. You two are done. I'm sure Will's Dad will agree. Especially since he got the same call." Danny knew what he said was the most stupid thing a parent could ever say. Forbid kids from seeing one another and you more than likely ensured they'd be all over one another.
"Done? You can't – I'm an adult."
"I can. As long as you're living under my roof."
"This isn't your roof!"
Danny froze. He slammed his hands into his pockets. He was itching to throw things, to break something. Instead, he simply replied, "That's it, Grace. I can't do this."
She laughed at him, and Danny turned bright red.
"You think this is funny right now?" He waved between them and said, "What is wrong with you?"
"What do you want me to say, Dad? That I blame you for messing me up? That mom is right?"
Danny didn't hear much for a few seconds. He blacked out. His butt hit the ottoman. He'd forgotten where he was. He could have hit the floor.
She'd pushed a button – the nuclear one. Rachel.
"Grace." Steve glared at her. Like he'd never done before. Anger. Disappointment. Pain for Danny. "That's enough."
He stood in the doorway, watching father and daughter.
She didn't apologize or make excuses. And she didn't move. She was cemented to the spot. But her mouth didn't stop.
"No, he needs to hear it. He wants me to tell him he sucks. Don't you, dad? I hate to tell you this, but I'm not 8 years old. You don't know everything. And I'm not normal!"
"Grace." More force from Steve as he repeated her name. "Stop."
"No, let her talk." Danny said, "I wanna know how she really feels. Clear the air. Get it all out before she's thousands of miles away. An ocean between us…sounds like it's just what she needs!"
"Dad – no – wait-"
"No Grace. You started it. You're an adult now."
She wasn't prepared for the look from her dad. No emotion. Stone. Cold. Tears streamed down her face.
"Tell your dear old dad exactly how you feel."
"Danny, don't," Steve said.
Danny ignored Steve.
"Your mother's a pro at this. I bet she taught you well. Lying to me. Blaming me."
"Danny." Now Steve focused on Danny. "Stop. You'll regret it."
"Regret it? You're not even her uncle." Danny cracked, and his voice shook with his next words. "Why do you get a say?"
Steve and Grace both winced.
"Stop before –" Steve held up his hand as he replied. Pleading.
"Before I say something I don't mean?" Tears and snot dripped from Danny's chin. "Fine. You both have things to say? Yea?"
He gestured to both of them.
"You don't need me. Talk to each other."
"Danny?" Steve asked, his face pinched with pain.
Danny popped up from the ottoman and grabbed the keys from the coffee table and left, slamming the door.
"Let him go." Grace put her hand on Steve's arm. "It's my fault."
"It's okay, Grace."
"I feel like everything's changing."
"You're right."
Grace wrinkled her nose and replied, "You're supposed to comfort me. Tell me you'll always be here."
"Change Grace. It's the one constant."
"I don't want to lose you." She waved her hand in a circle. "This."
"You won't."
"But –"
"Just because things change doesn't mean they go away." He held out his hands. "Come here."
They hugged for a few seconds before Grace pulled away from Steve. "What about Danno?"
"He's sitting in his car."
"How do you know?"
"Look out the window."
Steve was right. Of course.
"What should we do?" she asked.
"Give him some time. Let's get a cold drink and sit out back."
Nodding, Grace sighed. "You sure he'll be alright out there?"
With a tilt of his head, Steve smiled and held out his hand.
"Grace, could you do me a favor?"
"Sure, Uncle Steve. Wait – should I call you dad now? Or Step Steve?"
He squinted at her, giving her question a thought before shaking his head.
"One thing at a time. Okay?"
"Okay," she answered, "Favor first. Existential crisis second."
"Funny," he said, "Please give your dad a break."
"That's your favor?" She wrinkled her nose.
"What? You can't handle it?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow.
Grace punched his arm and answered, "No I thought you'd pick something harder."
"You say that now. Just wait til you're actually away at school. He'll be tracking your every move." Steve told her.
They both sighed. With any luck, he'd be right. Grace didn't want it any other way.
/././
There's a short epilogue I plan to post shortly. I hope it's a holiday treat. Thanks, as always, for reading. Your support means a lot to me.