On Love and Other Things

Summary: A little bit of flirtation never hurt anybody...that badly anyway.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything H50.

Thanks again for the many encouraging words to keep writing.

Two.

# # #

Mapunapuna
Salt Lake, Oahu

The three men sat in an unmarked van. Waiting for what seemed like hours, but were, in actuality only 30 minutes. Chin patiently checked and rechecked the monitors that were still black and continued to fiddle with the volume on the mikes and recorders. While Danny studied their perp, he noticed that Steve tried as best he could to pace in the tiny little space, rolling his chair back and forth from monitor to computer to recorder. His behavior was not uncommon, but annoying as crap and it was enough to make Danny ask, "what the hell is wrong with you? You alright?"

Steve stopped mid roll and scooted his seat next to Chin. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just have a bad feeling about this," he said.

"So technically you're not really fine." Once again, Danny's overwhelming need to always constantly argue with Steve won out. "You're all worked up, what's the deal?"

Steve grunted. "Look, maybe it's not that I have a bad feeling. Something's just not right, or maybe... just feels different. Off."

Chin on the other hand found that he could easily read the tense expression on Steve's face. "Brah, she's been UC before, remember?" He pointed out, trying to soothe Steve. It was obvious to him that Steve was concerned for Kono. "Sang Min, that Miss Liao in that prostitution ring? She's gonna be fine Boss. Plus, Honolulu PD has had a guy embedded for months now."

Steve exhaled loudly. "Guys, I know that. But this is the first time it's taken so long to get eyes and ears on her and her situation."

"She's two minutes late Steven. Kono's a big girl," added Danny.

At that moment, the screens and speakers began to hum to life in the surveillance van. Kono's face in black and white filled one of the screens. Chin and Danny looked over at Steve and he nodded, an extremely small smile on his lips.

"Hi guys," Kono whispered. "Sorry it took a bit, one of those goons just wouldn't leave me alone. I found out from our guy that our target will be in the building in 15 minutes, you guys all set?"

"Yeah Cuz, you got this right? We'll be in right behind you," Chin said.

"No worries, I know Cuz."

"Watch yourself Kono, Steve's itching to get you outta there for some reason," Danny piped in.

Chin could see a surprised expression on her face. "Aw, you worried about me Boss? I can handle this," Kono said firmly.

Steve ran a hand over his face and gave Danny an irritated look. "Oh, I have no doubt about that, Kono." He gave Danny a steely, blue glare for good measure. The Jersey haole chuckled back, shaking his head.

"You know she could kick-ass with the best of us, right?" reminded Chin.

"I know that, like I said, I have no doubt about her ability to handle herself in the situation," clarified Steve.

Danny couldn't help himself, "she could probably kick yours."

"Right."

"Guys, guys? Still UC here, shut the hell up please," Kono whispered harshly. She let out a small chuckle then. They could see her shake her head in amusement.

"All I wanted to point out was that, Kono? Be careful, we've got your back, let's get this done and get you outta there, okay?"

The radio crackled a little before Kono responded. "Got it Boss."

"We're a go in five, Cuz," Chin said.

"Kay, one more thing tho. Boss? You never answered my question," she said, her voice sounded so distant to all of them.

The men fell silent. Chin and Danny were particularly curious about Steve's answer. Yes, they all worried about their rookie teammate. But neither Danny or Steve had voiced it before. Not to each other and certainly not to her. Chin got a 'get out of jail free' card mostly because he was related to Kono, and family always had a right to show concern whether you wanted them to or not. Danny never said anything before, only because, frankly, Kono was a little scary when she wanted to be. Then again she'd all but proven how capable she was of the job from the very first case they all had with her. But, both men wondered if that had changed for their boss.

Steve cleared his throat then, bringing them all out of their reverie. "Uhm, that depends," he said finally, a smirk tugging at the ends of his mouth.

"On what?" Kono asked, her soft, disembodied voice filling the van.

Steve never took his eyes off her image. "On whether or not you'll still want to kick my ass after I give you an answer," Steve said, finally letting the smirk go.

"You know, I could kick your ass either way," she said with a definite smile in her voice.

Steve chuckled. "Yeah."

"Yeah what? Tick-tick Boss, we gotta go soon," she urged.

"I am worried. About you. But I know you got this, so lets go," he answered truthfully.

"Oh my God, are you serious?" Danny asked incredulously, gesturing towards the screen with Kono's image and back to Steve.

"What? What Danny?" Steve asked back, mirroring Danny's gesticulations with his own.

"You guys were so flirting just then," he exclaimed.

"We were not flirting," deadpanned Steve.

They heard a soft snort from Kono. "Let's go guys."

"Yeah brah, you were," Chin confirmed, starting to move. "What's up with that?"

"Really guys?" Steve gave them his famous aneurysm face. He was already reaching for his gun and opening the van door as the other two men followed, not allowing them to answer.

# # #

Steve saw it all end before it even began. Kono, at times, was almost too good for a rookie. He didn't like to think much about what kinds of things would happen when her luck and timing ran out. He just hoped that one them would be there when she needed it. Preferably him.

In this instance, the perp broke free, had a gun and shot at her. Good thing she was such a good shot. Good thing the perp sucked in his aim. She managed to not kill the bastard but got him good in the knee. Steve was pretty sure, that later, during the jerk-off's interrogation? Said knee would start to become excruciatingly painful unless he cooperated and provided more information.

For now, as he watched Chin and Danny deal with the perp, he turned towards Kono to tell her what a good job she had done.

And then his face paled.

A red blossom began to form across her t-shirt on her lower left torso. It was just below her Kevlar vest and right above the leather of her belt in her jeans. He heard her suck in a sharp breath and suddenly her hands were pulling at the vest to remove it. He was there right along with her, practically ripping the vest away and helping her as she yanked her shirt up to look down on herself. His hands gingerly inspected the wound, it was just a graze. It was not unlike the one Danny got when they went after Doran all those months ago.

"Let's get this looked at," Steve said, guiding her towards a Bus. She consciously leaned into his hand, warm and comforting against her back.

"Shit," Kono said. Steve arched a brow and looked at her as they walked slowly. She smirked back and shook her head. "Ow."

He chuckled.

"I got shot and you're laughing?"

"No! No." He shook his head adamantly and eased her down onto the bumper of the Bus. The paramedic started cleaning her injury right away. "I would never, this is totally serious. It could have been bad. I just, I can't help thinking about how Danny, when he got shot by Doran, he – he got all sensitive and upset. And you? All you can say is 'shit' and 'ow'." He practically grinned. You're so bad ass.

She couldn't help but smile a little in return. Ducking her head to tuck her hair behind her ear, she said, "had you going there for a bit though."

Steve gave her a questioning look.

"Your face, Boss, when you saw the blood. My blood..."

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, I don't like to see any of you hurt." He looked away briefly.

"Oh."

"Least of all you," he added quickly as he noticed Chin was already upon them. Kono looked at Steve curiously.

"Cuz?" Chin said, interrupting her study and not bothering to hide the worry in his voice.

"I'm okay. It's just a scratch," she said as she suddenly sucked in a breath, hard.

Chin and Steve glared at the medic who gave them all a sheepish look. He hurriedly continued with his task of applying the final bandage to Kono's side.

"I think, I got into worse in surfing, eating it on the reef and stuff like that," Kono added.

"Yeah, but still Cuz," replied Chin. "I'm just glad it isn't, we all are," he smiled a little in relief.

When Danny finally joined them, he asked, "you alright?"

Kono smiled at all of them, nodding. "You guys... so it wasn't just Steve then, that was worried about me?"

"What in there?" asked Danny, gesturing towards the warehouse type building that they were next to. "No, I wasn't worried about you. I know better. Chin knows better. In fact, just now? I wasn't asking you if you were okay," he winked at her good-naturedly. "I was asking him," he said, jutting a thumb towards Steve.

Kono laughed.

Chin couldn't help but shake his head, he gave Kono a squeeze on her shoulder, mostly to reassure himself and left to go get her Cruze.

Danny gave Kono a smirk and squeezed her shoulder as well. He caught the keys to his Camaro from Steve and turned to go, but not before arching a brow towards his partner.

Steve in turn, glared at him, then waved at him dismissively before turning back to the girl still seated on the bumper of the ambulance.

Danny snickered at Steve's attempts to shoo him away, muttering to himself, "could you be more obvious Steven?" Shaking his head, he shuffled off.

Receiving some last minute instructions from the paramedic, a final nod, some extra gauze and she was ready to go. Upon standing though, Kono was met by Steve's intense gaze.

"What?" she asked, barely able to look away. Damn.

"I was thinking," he began softly.

For some unknown reason, she felt herself begin to blush. "Yeah?" Kono said somewhat breathlessly.

"That maybe, you know after a day like today..." the seriousness of his voice caught her off guard.

"Yes Boss?"

"... you would ever consider wearing a full Kevlar body suit?" he smirked, eyes twinkling.

Kono squinted, her mouth twitched at the corners. "Fo' real?" She shook her head and started for her cousin, who had pulled up in her car. "Oh, man. You are so going. To. Get. Your. Ass. Kicked." She said, laughing. Her smile gigantic, her dimples deep, her giggles drifting around them.

Steve couldn't help but laugh in return. "I can't wait."

End.

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A/N: Flirtatious buggers.