There had been a lot of tequila. How much, Danny was unsure, but between the five of them, Five-0 had demolished at least one bottle of the stuff. They had also been at the Longboards and fruity cocktails, throwing caution to the wind after celebrating the closure of a particularly tough and emotionally draining couple of weeks, so the exact amount of alcohol was immeasurable.
Chin was the first to throw in the towel, claiming that he needed to get home to Malia, and they whooped and waved him off as he stumbled out of the bar.
Steve surprised them soon afterwards by announcing he had also had enough, and he stuck his tongue out at Lori when she called him a lightweight, which sent her into fits of giggles. They watched their boss meander out of Sidestreets on unsteady legs and drunkenly hitting on women as he went.
Lori stayed for another round before admitting that, actually, she was feeling the effects too. The remaining two team members mocked her by parroting her 'lightweight' comment in a similar tone of voice, and she mimicked Steve's reaction before grabbing up her bag and leaving the bar.
That left Danny and Kono, still with a shot each in front of them, a bowl of lime wedges and an upturned shaker of salt spilling its contents onto the table between them.
"You wanna 'nother cocktail after this'n?" Danny slurred at Kono, waving at the shots between them, "My round..."
The sniper snorted and shook her head. "I can't believe you're up for more, Williams," she pushed her hair back in a ponytail which immediately fell apart when she released it, "We've had soooo much..."
She was feeling a little overheated in the warm bar, and fanned herself with a beer coaster.
"'M from Jersey, baby. I know how t'drink," the detective thumped his hand on the table, making her jump, "Speakin' of, take your shot Kalak- Kalaka- Kono..."
Kono laughed and waggled her finger at her friend. "You can't say my name!" she taunted, "You're so wasted, admit it!"
Danny put his forehead on the table. "No, am not!" he shouted, the words reverberating off the wooden surface and back into his ears, making him wince at the volume. "Take your damn shot," he muttered, a little quieter that time.
"Fine," Kono sprinkled salt onto her wrist, enjoying the way Danny lifted his head and raised his eyebrows as he watched her lick the granules from her skin, and then threw her shot back and grabbed the lime slice, biting down on it.
"You're only allowed to have yours if you can say my name though," she smirked once she had chucked the remains away, "I can say yours, no problem. Williams."
"Not fair, mine is a lot easier than yours," he grouched, trying to ignore the way the 'll' sound had rolled off her tongue.
Kono leaned in closer across the table. "Williams," she repeated.
Danny let out what could only be described as a tiny whimper, because hot damn his name was being made to sound more attractive by the second.
He leaned in as well, taking the challenge up. "Kala- Kalak- Fuck..." he rubbed his chin in frustration, eyes flicking between her deep brown eyes, her lips and the shot glass. He tried to focus, but it wasn't quite going the way he planned.
His eyes were on her mouth again when she smiled slyly. "Willllliams," she said, slowly and precisely, drawing out the sound that made her tongue press to the top of her mouth.
Kono was having fun right now. She could see the way Danny was licking his lips at her, and the effect her saying his name that way was having on him. She had wanted her superior officer for so long, and with the alcohol currently flowing through her bloodstream and impairing her judgement a little, her mind was slowly beginning to suggest that maybe she should just go for it, because who cared about the consequences, right?
Her smile grew wider when he had to clear his throat and move his gaze to his waiting tequila.
Danny creased his brow in determination. "Kalakaua," he thumped the table again, pointing a victorious finger at her, "Ha!"
She laughed as he scooped up the salt, but before he could sprinkle it on the back of his hand she held out her own wrist. He looked at her with confusion, and she simply raised her eyebrows at him.
"Well?" she shrugged, like it was so obvious what he should be doing.
Danny's brain was currently divided into three areas. One part was telling him that he should definitely not in any way be even considering licking that salt off his friend, as sexy and alluring as she may be. The second part was telling him that was exactly what he should be doing; it was also describing in very graphic detail the other things it thought he should be doing to her with his tongue, which resulted in his blood supply rushing south and had him straining at his jeans zipper. The third part had Terrorvision's Tequila song on a seemingly never-ending loop, much to his own chagrin.
He must have been looking blankly at Kono for too long, because she took the shaker from his hand and tipped salt onto her wrist, offering it up to him again. Her eyes caught his and the wicked look he saw there made him shiver.
"You gonna do your shot, Williams?" she purred.
At that, the part of his brain which was on the two hundredth reiteration of 'I like tequila, it makes me happy...' clicked into gear and took sides, making the deciding vote. He would remind himself multiple times over the following weeks that it had taken the wrong side.
Danny leaned forward suddenly and took hold of her hand, running the flat of his tongue over her pulse point and collecting the salt as it went. His eyes were still locked with Kono's, but he didn't miss the way she bit her lower lip when his mouth sealed over her skin and gently sucked to pick up the last granules.
He leaned back then, downing his drink and snatching up a lime wedge to slide into his mouth.
Kono swallowed, her throat suddenly very dry. Holy fuck, his mouth on her had felt better than she'd imagined... and his hand was still clamped down on her wrist, holding it in place hovering over the table.
They were quiet for a moment, gaze unbroken and full of heat, until she finally found the ability to speak again.
"Wanna get out of here?" she asked shakily.
"Hell yes." Danny practically dragged her from the table, aiming for the exit and seconds later they were almost tumbling out of the door into the warm night air.
The blonde began to head for the taxi rank, but Kono steadied herself and pulled him back, grasping his bicep and shoving him into the opening of the nearest dark alleyway.
Her hands were very quickly sliding under his t-shirt, scratching nails over his hairy skin and raising goosebumps.
"Mmm fuck, Kono, maybe we shouldn't-"
She cut off his moment of reflection with her lips crushing into his, her hands going to his ass and pulling his hips in to grind against her own.
Danny's mind went blank as his trapped erection made contact with her body through the layers of fabric between them, and he backed her into the wall, all doubts gone.
He wanted her, needed her, so much. She had always been attractive to him, with her fierce attitude and intelligence and devilish beauty, and they had this interesting mix of flirtation and mutual respect going on from the moment they had met. But now it was happening, finally.
Danny slid his hands up to cup her jaw and lace fingers into her hair, and Kono opened her mouth to him and hooked a leg around the back of his thigh to rub her sensitive nerve centre against his hard body.
She moaned into his mouth as he tightened his grip, and their kiss became rougher and dirtier in the passion of the moment.
Kono managed to get her hands in between them, almost tearing the button of his jeans off in her haste to get his fly open, and Danny bit at her lips and delved his tongue in deep to taste the tequila and lime flavours of her mouth.
One of his hands trailed down her body, gripping and squeezing her side, snatching at the hem of her short black dress and pulling it upward. Kono dealt with his clothing quickly, forcing his jeans and boxers down a little way on his hips to release his cock before hooking her thumbs into her own panties to drop them, letting them land around her high heels and kicking them to the side.
Danny slipped his hands further up her body, raising the dress as he went so he could fully expose her lower half, and he finally had to pull back from the hot kiss to heave in oxygen.
"Fuck, you're gorgeous," he growled, dipping down to bite at her throat and draw breathy moans from her.
"Jesus, Danny..." Kono gasped, fingers twisting into his t-shirt, "I need you so goddamned much..."
He groaned against her neck, and used one hand to pull the low neckline of her dress down further so he could lock his mouth onto her erect nipple. She was so sensitive that when he grazed his teeth over the nub she cried out and grabbed hold of his hair.
Her forcefulness just pushed Danny to want more, and he sucked and nibbled while his hands massaged her buttocks, drawing more breathy noises from her.
Kono got her free hand between them again and grasped his cock, hot silken flesh sliding through her fingers, and she was surprised at how large he was.
"Holy shit, Danny..." she gasped, "I need you. Now." He grinned against her breast before lifting her slightly from the ground with his grip on her ass.
Both her hands went to his broad shoulders to support herself, and she encircled his waist with her long legs. The next thing she knew he was lining himself up to her entrance and lowering her down onto him, her automatic reaction being to tilt her pelvis toward him and use her legs to pull them closer, receiving him into her body with relish.
Kono threw her head back and moaned long and hard as he filled her slowly, and Danny moved his mouth to travel up her throat and use his tongue and teeth to tease the sensitive area just below her ear. He felt thick and solid inside her, and so unbelievably good, stretching her until he was buried to the hilt in her body.
Danny stopped when he bottomed out inside Kono, taking a moment to ground himself and lean her body into the wall so he could shift his feet and steady them. She squeezed her legs around his body, sharp heels digging into the small of his back, and it felt overwhelmingly erotic.
She was heat and velvet, tight and slick around his throbbing cock, and he couldn't believe how wet and ready she had been for him. It was so easy for him to slide into her, sparks of electricity dancing up his spine and tickling his brain.
"Oh fuck, Kono..." He nuzzled into her neck, tongue darting out to taste the tiny beads of sweat which prickled across her skin.
"Danny," Kono's voice came out raw and needy, "Fuck me, Danny. I need you to fuck me hard..."
He grunted against her, fingertips pressing bruises into her buttocks, and he withdrew until he was almost all the way out of her before thrusting back in. Kono shouted out wordlessly as he began a steady rhythm which built in speed and ferocity until he was pounding into her with all his strength.
She could feel her back being slammed into the wall, the fabric of her dress barely protecting her skin from the rough bricks, but she didn't care because the pleasure she was receiving from his hard cock fucking up into her was perfection. His mouth was on her neck, her jaw, her lips, his tongue sliding in to battle with her own again. She pulled at his hair, returning the hot kiss and devouring him from the inside.
Danny snapped his hips hard into the younger woman, angling so his pelvic bone would rub against her clit and stimulate her even more, and she began to pant into his mouth as he drove into her.
He could barely breathe; between the wicked sensations of her pussy squeezing around his dick, the feel of her toned ass in his hands where he supported her, and the kiss that threatened to envelop him, he could feel his control slipping away.
Danny broke the kiss, nipped a path of fire up Kono's jaw to her ear, and sucked the lobe into his mouth. She groaned, scratching her nails down the back of his neck, and the vibrations from the way he moaned into her ear sent her over the edge.
Her orgasm rocked her body, muscles tightening around his cock, flexing hands pulling his hair, and Kono bucked against him to drive him as deep into her as she could take him while his name slipped from her lips.
"Fuck, Kono!"
Danny spilled his heat inside her when he climaxed, his world going white around the edges as he pressed his face into the curve of her neck. He grunted and thrust one last time, tearing one more breathy noise from each of them, and then he was pulling out and lowering her to the ground.
Kono leaned back against the wall, grateful for Danny's weight against her holding her up because her legs were too shaky to keep herself upright, and they panted against one another's cheeks while they came down from their respective highs.
"Jesus..." he mumbled, pulling back after a minute to gaze at her, hair messy and lips parted while he caught his breath. Kono looked back at him from under low, dark lashes and licked her lips which were curved into a satisfied smile. He brushed her hair from her face, still a little uncoordinated from the tequila and now the endorphins running through his veins.
Kono's regrets immediately kicked in, not because she hadn't enjoyed every second of that perfect pleasure, but because reality was starting to hit once more.
Danny was her friend, her colleague, and they were stupidly drunk right now. Her decision to flirt with him tonight could have ruined a very special friendship; one they had developed over the past year and cultivated carefully, one that could rock the foundations of their team if it was ruined. She couldn't allow that.
She let herself lean into him again, tugging her dress back into place and not even bothering to look for her underwear. She needed to walk away from this and have a chance to think about things.
"Wow," she gave Danny a tipsy grin to cover her worries and kissed his lips, her heart tugging a little when he sighed happily against her cheek, "That was amazing..."
Then she kicked off her heels, scooped them up by the ankle straps and stumbled back towards the street.
"Kono, babe!" Danny called after her, tugging up his jeans and boxers hurriedly and fumbling with the button and zipper, "Wait, I'll get us a cab!"
But he was still dizzy and clumsy from the sudden adrenaline rush, a thoroughly sated feeling soaking through his body, and by the time he had emerged from the entrance to the alley the sniper was nowhere to be seen.
Danny was left feeling uncertain after that Friday night. He had woken up with the worst hangover he'd had in a long time, but through the haze of headache and alcoholic fog, there was one thing he was pretty damn certain he remembered; he and Kono had finally had sex. It had been hot and dirty and not exactly the most romantic moment of their lives, but it had been sensational.
He sent her a text message in the afternoon when he was feeling more human, asking if she had got home alright, but her reply was short and vague.
-Got home fine. Tequila bad. Thanks for a great night.
He decided to wait until they saw each other on the Monday, giving them a chance to figure out what they wanted, but when work rolled around again the young Hawaiian woman made no reference to their encounter, barely making eye contact with Danny for the entire morning.
The rest of the team asked how many more drinks they'd had, and Danny stayed quiet while Kono told them they had both let the bar shortly after everyone else – not exactly a lie. The guys all agreed between them that they were getting too old for that kind of drinking session, while Kono and Lori laughed at them and cooed sarcastically.
"Aw, poor babies," Lori grinned, "Don't you get your Man Cards revoked if a girl drinks you under the table?"
"Hey, I think you'll find you gave in before me," Danny jabbed a finger at his friend.
"Yeah, but after these two pussies," Lori gestured at Steve and Chin, "And I'm pretty sure my recovery period was a lot shorter than yours even though I drank the same amount. Were you boys up and surfing by Saturday afternoon?"
The men all looked at one another and had to concede that their Saturday had in fact been completely lost to hangovers, while the two younger women informed them they had met up at Waikiki Beach after lunch and enjoyed the waves. Satisfied the girls had come out on top, Lori and Kono strutted away victorious to fetch food for the team.
It wasn't until after two o'clock that Danny finally had a chance to see Kono alone, catching her in the break room while the others were in Steve's office. He nervously glanced over his shoulder before stepping inside and closing the door discreetly behind him.
Kono looked up from the coffee she was making and her pulse sped up. She had been trying to escape this moment all day; even though she knew Danny deserved better than having the subject avoided and being left in the lurch, it wasn't something she had been looking forward to.
"Hey," he shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his distance, looking unsure, "Um, I think we need to talk, maybe?"
She nodded and turned to face him fully, folding her arms across her stomach in a subconscious protective gesture. Danny saw the sign immediately which told him she was uncomfortable, and felt his stomach drop.
"I uh, I know that Friday wasn't the best thing we could have done," he began, knowing he should probably say his peace and let her be the one to decide where this was heading, "But I... I mean, I had... fun? I hope you did too, and um... I don't know what you maybe wanna do about that?"
It was hardly poetry, he knew that, but his heart felt like it was going a million miles an hour, and it at least got the message across that he was open to options without putting too much pressure on his colleague.
Kono took in Danny's hopeful expression and mentally kicked herself. He was so sweet, and god a repeat of Friday night seemed like heaven right about now, but the decision she had made after the event – too late, admittedly – still stood. She couldn't let this ruin what they had, she couldn't change the status quo and risk losing their friendship.
"I... had fun too," she hugged herself and picked at her shirt with her fingers, "Believe me, it was great, but... It was a mistake, Danny. We shouldn't have..."
She trailed off and felt her heart twist as his blue gaze dropped away from her to the floor.
"I'm sorry..." she whispered, guilt burning in her stomach.
Danny swallowed hard. He'd seen this coming a mile off, but hope was a bitch and there had been a tiny voice in the back of his head the whole weekend telling him that maybe they had something, a spark, a foundation to build on... that this could be the start of something.
'Disappointed' didn't quite cover the breadth of what he was currently feeling, but he couldn't let Kono feel responsible for his emotions.
"No, don't be sorry. I'm sorry," he took a step back, "I mean, we were really drunk, and you're right... It shouldn't have happened."
It was a lie, pure and simple, because he couldn't have felt much more differently about the whole thing. But he wasn't about to make her feel bad for an intoxicated lapse in judgement. It took two to tango, after all, and he was just as much to blame for taking it too far.
Kono bit her lip and hoped he couldn't see her regret. She wanted so much for it to be more, for them to grow their friendship, and for him to hold her in his arms again. Her attraction to him felt a hundred times more intense now that she knew what he felt like inside her while she wrapped her legs around his waist, but her career was just beginning and she couldn't risk their relationship going sour and destroying not only their friendship but also their team dynamic. She had to ignore her emotions and think logically about this.
"I want us to still be friends, Danny, and if things went bad between us then I don't know what that would mean for us… for the team. Can we move on from this? Are we... are we okay?" She held her breath as she watched him pull himself together.
Danny squared his shoulders and tried to relax, pulling his hands from his pockets, attempting to come across as casual and likely missing the target.
"Yeah, of course we are," he lied, "We're adults, we can fuck up and get over it. No big deal."
He took another step back towards the door, wanting this whole conversation to be over as soon as possible. He felt like there was no oxygen in the room, and embarrassment burned his cheeks.
"Thank you," Kono murmured, "For understanding, I mean."
"Yeah, of course." Danny's hand was already searching out the door handle behind him, and the moment he grasped it he twisted it sharply and turned on his tail.
He blew out a long sigh as he walked away, hoping he hadn't looked like a total idiot and trying to contain his regret.
Kono watched Danny leave and felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She had to tell herself she was making the right decision, regardless of what her heart told her to do. There was too much risk involved, and they could move on from this. Like Danny had said, they were adults. Her schoolgirl crush would go away eventually.
A part of her knew he had been just saying what she wanted to hear, but wasn't that exactly the adult thing to do? Deny yourself what you wanted to avoid the possible pain?
Sometimes she really hated having to be grown up.
It took a good few weeks until things went back to any semblance of normality between them. They avoided getting paired off on tasks as much as possible, and Kono could practically feel the tension in Danny's body any time they ended up near each other in the office.
When Steve instigated another team night out, Danny insisted he was unavailable so that Kono could go out with the others and not feel uncomfortable. His excuse was that he had Grace the next day, which was true, but the guys telling him he could still come out for one or two drinks at least fell on deaf ears. They was no way he was risking being out with Kono and alcohol again.
When it came to the planned evening out, Kono found herself too ill to go anyway. The worry over the damage to her friendship with one of the few people she felt she could really trust had her sick to her stomach, and she stayed home on the couch instead and distracted herself with a good book.
Danny allowed himself to focus on his daughter that weekend, knowing that family would always be his number one indulgence. He loved his little girl so much; being around Grace always brought him such peace and clarity, and watching the simple things that made his daughter smile and laugh he made a conscious decision to let things go. It would be hard to ignore his feelings, but he was Kono's superior officer, and more than that, he was her friend. That was too important to lose.
The following week was better for them both. Danny had stopped giving Kono longing looks across the room when he thought she didn't see him, and he was beginning to relax again around her. Whether he had come to the same conclusion as her or not, Kono wasn't sure, but at least they were both moving on.
A new case was handed to Five-0 when a body was discovered at the docks, and the whole team headed to the crime scene to investigate. The moment the smell of rotting fish hit Kono's nose, her stomach turned.
Chin noticed her pale and put a hand on her arm.
"You okay, cuz? You don't look so good."
She swallowed and nodded, attempting a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. It just really stinks out here today."
Chin sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. "No worse than usual, but it's not pleasant, I'll give you that. That's the docks for you."
They met Steve and Danny at the position of the body dump, where Max was already examining the body. Kono felt a little dizzy at the sight of so much blood, which made her almost a little annoyed with herself – this sort of thing didn't normally affect her, but the more the ME talked about lacerations and arterial spray, the weaker she felt.
Danny glanced up at Kono, noticing her sway a little, and creased his brow. "You okay, babe?"
She took in a sharp breath to reply, fish guts and rotting corpse smell hitting her lungs, and Kono just had enough time to shake her head and make it to the side of the pier before her stomach emptied itself into the water.
Danny was by her side in seconds, grabbing her hair away from her face and placing a steadying hand on her back. Chin was a moment behind him, rubbing Kono's back and asking if she was okay again.
Steve uncapped a bottle of water and handed it to Danny, who in turn held it out ready for when Kono was done heaving.
She was so embarrassed, but more grateful than ever to have such supportive friends around her, and after a few minutes managed to move herself to the other side of the docks with Chin's help.
"You really don't look good, Kono," he said firmly, "You been overdoing it lately?"
She shrugged, taking another sip of the water. She had to admit, she'd been feeling run down the last couple of weeks. Things had been tough at work with the caseloads, and tension had been running high all round. She was beginning to feel better already, and swept her hair back into a loose ponytail determinedly.
"I don't know, Chin. I just felt a bit dizzy, but I'm okay now."
"Nuh uh, you still look like shit," Steve teased her lightly as he approached, "Lori's on her way to help out, so I'm gonna send you home. We'll call if we need you."
"I'm fine, boss," Kono insisted, standing and squaring her shoulders, but a new wave of nausea roiled her stomach.
"Go home, Kono," the SEAL chided, "If you're coming down with something, we don't want the whole team catching it. Plus we can't have you throwing up on suspects, I'm pretty sure that comes under the description of police brutality."
He kept it light and sympathetic, but simultaneously made it obvious he wasn't giving in.
Kono nodded. "Promise me you'll call me if you need me?" She hated feeling useless.
"We will," Steve said, pointing at her car, "Now go home."
The sniper walked to her vehicle, sliding into the driver's seat and flicking on the air conditioning to blow cool air on her face. She took a minute or so to relax before putting the key in the ignition and looking back over toward the scene. She could just see her colleagues standing over the body across the docks, Steve and Chin deep in discussion as they bent over the victim while Danny stood with his arms crossed talking to Max.
The blonde looked up at Kono's car when he heard the engine start up, concerned for her wellbeing. She had looked so vulnerable, which was unusual for the tough young woman, and he hated to see anyone he cared for so sick. He watched the red vehicle leave the parking lot, and decided to message her later when he got a chance to check up on her.
Kono pulled out onto the road and headed for the nearest drug store. She had a headache coming on and still felt queasy, and knew she needed to pick up something to help her feel better. As she wandered through the store aisles, she collected a couple of things together which she knew she was getting low on. She picked a box of sanitary pads off the shelf to place in her basket and paused for a moment, trying to remember when she would need them.
She did a quick mental calculation, working out the last time she had been on her period, and ice flooded her veins. With all the recent stress at work she hadn't been keeping track of her own body.
"Shit..." she whispered to herself, "Shit shit shit."
It had been about eight weeks ago, and her racing mind screeched to a halt when she remembered a very significant event which had happened since then.
Her, Danny, tequila... and no protection...
She dropped her basket where she stood, and dashed to the next aisle. There was only one item she needed to buy right now.
Danny looked up startled when his office door flew open, and he was surprised to see Kono whirl into the room and quickly shut the door behind her.
She looked worried and nervous, her hair falling out of the tidy ponytail it had been in earlier.
"Babe, what's going on?" He stood and moved around his desk, reaching out to her. "What are you doing here? Steve sent you home."
She backed away from him, and he stopped in his tracks, confused by her behaviour.
"Kono, are you okay?"
She swallowed hard against her dry throat, trying to calm her racing heart. She couldn't quite believe this was happening, but she had to tell him. There was no way she could forgive herself if she tried to keep this a secret, and after everything Danny had been through with his ex-wife recently, he deserved to know.
"Danny," she began, holding her hands up to stop him from interrupting, "I need to talk to you... it's about that team night out a few weeks back..."
The detective's heart picked up a faster pace when he realised which night she was referring to. How could he forget it? But he'd just been starting to convince himself that it had been a mistake best kept in the past.
He took a step back and pressed his mouth into a tight line, part of him annoyed that she was bringing it up now when she had been so keen to insist they pretend it never happened.
"Yeah, at Sidestreets," he nodded, confirming that he knew what she was talking about, "With the tequila..."
She looked away from him and rubbed her chin anxiously, biting her lip.
"Kono, what's going on? Talk to me," he urged her.
Kono pushed her hair back from her face. "God, Danny, I'm... I'm so sorry..."
Danny frowned, frustration bubbling up in his chest. "Listen Kono, I've spent the last six weeks trying to get back to normal with you. You said you wanted to move on, and it wasn't what I wanted but I respected that," his voice shook, and he silently cursed himself, "But you can't do that to me and then just march in here and bring it all up again when I was just starting to get over you."
"Yes Danny, I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm so, so sorry."
Kono watched him lean back against his desk for support, a multitude of emotions running roughshod over his face.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you acting weird?"
His blue eyes held so much heartache when he looked away from her, and her throat constricted.
"Danny, I know it's not fair for me to throw this at you, but please listen to me," she advanced on him and grabbed his hand, squeezing hard to ground herself as well as get him to meet her gaze. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "I'm sorry, I am... but I'm late, Danny."
"No Kono, you know what? What's not fair is you and I having a great night, and you wanting to walk away from it with barely a backward glance! Maybe I should have said how I..." he paused, fixing his eyes on her as he caught up with what she was saying and her words began to sink in. His brow creased with the lack of understanding. "Late? Late for what?"
She swallowed against her dry throat. "No, I'm late." She put all the intensity she could into that one word, trying to communicate the meaning through her eyes. She couldn't say it properly, not yet.
Danny opened his mouth to say something, but words were too far from his grasp right now. Everything in his head was just a whirl of emotion and nothing made sense. He put his hands on her elbows, feeling dizzy with the sudden increase in blood pressure as the consequences of what Kono was saying unfurled in his mind.
He thought back to their encounter, remembering everything about that night – the drink made it all fuzzy, but it hadn't erased a second of it. The others had left, and he and Kono had flirted relentlessly, he had licked salt off her skin and she had dragged him down an alley in their haste to get the show on the road. They had been impatient and risked public indecency, all in the name of getting one another off in the hottest way possible.
They had idiotically gotten carried away in the heat of the moment, letting their desire overrule their good sense... and they hadn't used a condom...
"You're... you're p-pregnant?"
The air rushed out of Kono's lungs at hearing the word, and all she could do was nod and try to blink back the tears that welled up.
"Yes..." she whispered, "I did three tests... All positive..."
Danny moved away from her, stunned, and dropped into his chair. How could they have been so stupid? He couldn't quite believe what he had just heard, so many thoughts screaming through his head, but he shook himself out of it and looked up at her. She was staring at the floor, eyes wet with brimming tears.
His head was spinning and his confusion over how he felt was disorientating; he was frustrated, but more importantly than that he couldn't stand seeing Kono upset. He just wanted to protect her, regardless of what had happened. They would have to deal with that discussion another time – there were more important things to talk about right now.
"God, I just..." He took a deep breath when she eventually looked at him, and he realised she must be terrified. "What... what do you want to do?" he asked, delicately. "I mean... Do you wanna keep it? Because I would support you, of course... but if you want to... it's, it's up to you, I guess..."
Kono closed her eyes. She had thought Danny would freak out, tell her to get rid of it, blame her, be angry, something... but he was looking at her with kind, understanding eyes despite the fact that she had pushed him away only to bring him this news, and letting her be the one to decide. The way he said it wasn't just loading all the pressure on her though, it was a calm, measured response, and it was the last thing she thought she would get from the loud, anxiety-ridden ha'ole.
She took a deep breath, and in that moment she realised she had a huge decision to make. She had worried about how Danny would react, but she had come straight to him, knowing it was the only thing she could do, the only thing she had wanted to do. But she hadn't even had a second consider the options.
Her reasons for backing away from Danny had been to avoid putting a strain on their friendship, and because she had been worried about damaging her work potential. Ironically, both now hung in the balance of this new, bigger choice.
She knew Danny was a good father, and could be again, but was she ready for a baby herself? She was young, with a full career and a dangerous job... could she dedicate her life to a child?
"I..." She steadied herself against the desk. "I think... I don't know..." Kono began to cry again, unable to stop the hot tears from flowing now.
Danny leapt to his feet and stood in front of her, feeling his pulse race and his muscles shake, but he did his best to ignore it all so he could support the young woman in front of him.
He gently slipped his hands into hers and held them between their bodies, giving her contact and space all at the same time, knowing she must be as overwhelmed as him. More so.
"I will be there for you. Whatever you want to do, Kono. Whatever you decide, just please don't shut me out on this, okay?" She looked up at him again, and he tried to let her see the honesty in his eyes. "You don't have to decide right now but... I want to help you, if you'll let me..."
Kono nodded tightly, biting her lip and looking away. Why did she ever think it would be best to pretend it had never happened? He was such a good man. She believed every word he said, knew he would support her, but she couldn't say right now what the future held.
"Okay Danny... I... I have to think about this..." Kono gave him the ghost of a smile. "Thank you."
"Of course, babe," Danny replied quietly. He knew what he wanted, but he couldn't be selfish. This had to be Kono's decision; it was her body, her life, and he wouldn't dream of telling her what to do.
Kono sat on the hard plastic seats and rubbed her thumb over the back of her other hand. It was something her mother used to do when she was younger and Kono was upset or nervous, and it helped to centre her now in the silent hospital corridor.
She had thought long and hard over the two weeks about what to do, and she had to believe she had made the right decision. People might disagree with her choice, but when it came down to it she knew it was her who would have to live with the consequences. Her, and Danny of course. Because her choice affected them both.
"We're ready for you, Ms Kalakaua."
The nurse appeared to come out of nowhere to make her jump, but Kono realised she had probably been too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice her approaching. She looked from the nurse to the door at the end of the corridor and bit her lip.
"Can you give me just a few more minutes?" she asked, hoping the older woman could tell she was scared.
The nurse smiled kindly at her. "Just ten minutes, but any longer and we'll have to reschedule."
She nodded tightly. "Thank you."
Five minutes later and Kono was about to lose her resolve when the doors swung open, and she looked up to see Danny rushing towards her.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," he drew her into a hug, stroking the back of her neck while she buried her face into the curve under his jaw. "I had to make up some excuse with Steve."
They had both decided that the team didn't need to know what was going on between them right now, and so while Kono had booked a vacation day from work to attend her appointment, Danny had gone to work as usual and then made up a reason to leave early.
"What did you say?" she asked, pulling back.
"I told him I had to go to a doctor's appointment... technically it wasn't a lie, it's just not exactly my appointment," he shrugged, giving her a soft, lopsided smile, "Are you okay? You ready?"
Kono ran a nervous, hesitant hand over her stomach and looked down between them, entwining the fingers of her other hand gently with Danny's.
"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" she asked, brown eyes flicking up to meet his blue ones.
Danny pressed his lips together, took a deep breath, and nodded purposefully. "I think there's no right and wrong here, only what's right for you."
He squeezed her fingers, hoping she knew he understood and would be there for her through everything, good or bad. She looked afraid, and he could relate; it was a huge, life-changing decision.
Kono shook her head. Danny was unbelievable. Still putting her at the fore and acting as if she were the only one whose feelings mattered.
"No, Danny," she fixed her gaze with his, "It's about what's right for both of us..."
They regarded each other for a long moment, and emotions flowed through Kono's brain as she tried to come to terms with just how special this man was. She had made a drunken mistake all those weeks ago, but the error wasn't in sleeping with Danny, it was in deciding that he wasn't worth the risk to her career and their friendship. She knew now that he was worth all of that and more, proving himself in the way he had supported her and respected her wishes and opinions every inch of the way.
Danny gazed at the brave woman in front of him and his heart twisted. He never regretted being with her for a moment, and it had hurt when she had pushed him away but he understood what she had been going through. He was so glad to have their friendship back, knowing that she trusted in him enough to come to him when she had needed his help, involving him in the decisions when she could have hidden the truth from him if she'd wanted. She was so special, so important, and even the worry on her face over today only made her more beautiful.
"It'll be okay, Kono," he murmured.
She nodded again, taking the last scrap of determination within her and opening herself up to him. "Listen Danny, I know we maybe haven't done things in the right order here... but... Maybe after all this is done today, we could go out for a meal or something? Start from the beginning and give us a try?"
She held her breath, waiting for his answer, preparing herself for rejection. It would only be fair, she had withdrawn from him before and he may have moved on or perhaps no longer trusted her.
"Kono… don't feel like you have to just because of what happened," he looked down between them where his hand had ended up in hers, wondering if she was feeling pressured because of their circumstances, "I mean don't get me wrong, I'd like nothing more, but-"
"Danny," Kono interrupted him by cupping his chin and lifting his head so their eyes could meet again, "That's not why-" She faltered, trying to find the words to explain herself. "I was an idiot before, thinking that walking away would be the best option. But you've proved me wrong, shown me that I'm safer with you than I could have imagined… I want to see what we could be."
Danny smiled, relief easing his tight shoulders. "A meal sounds great," he tugged on her hand and led her towards the room where their lives were about to change, "After all, you're eating for two now, huh?"
She snorted and grinned back at him, overjoyed that they were about to embark on something that felt so damn right. "Yeah, that's totally going to be my excuse for stuffing my face with malasadas."
Danny chuckled. "And my excuse will be sympathy eating, because I want malasadas too."
The nurse looked up at them as they entered, setting up the ultrasound machine and gesturing for Kono to climb onto the bed. Danny helped her up, and within minutes there was an image on the screen which had them both breathless. It was all so much more real now, seeing movement and hearing a heartbeat; it was indescribable.
Kono looked up at Danny to see him gazing at the picture, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears and an expression which told her she had definitely made the right decision for them both... for all three of them.
"Danny?" she whispered, and he met her gaze and stroked a strand of hair out of her eyes.
His pulse was fluttering and he felt lightheaded, but it was more excitement than fear. He remembered the sensation well from the first time around, seeing the beginnings of Grace in the same way and feeling every kind of emotion all at once. "Yeah, babe?"
Kono tangled her fingers into his, knowing everything would be okay, regardless of what life might throw at them now. She had never felt so sure in her life.
"Danny, we're having a baby."