Insides
She keeps it all inside. Tries to at least. Kono's sure she's gotten the hang of it after 3 years but there are times when she slips up. Such whenever Steve crosses his arms and she can't help being hopelessly intrigued by the way his muscles move. When he smiles at her and she can't help the way she automatically smiles back. When he's topless for one reason or another, and this coming from someone who's spent most of their life around hot topless males, she can't help but wonder exactly how it would feel to have her own naked body pressed against his. But she's not shallow. Aspects of his personality make her slip up too. Like when he makes a joke or has a witty comeback for one of Danny's rants or complaints, or when he joins in with her teasing the New Jersey native.
At most times, the slip ups are fine. It's a normal response to laugh at a joke, to smile back at some, to initiate a high five after doing something great. Other times, it's not. But she's become such a master at keeping her inappropriate feelings and thoughts on the inside that she can cover it up easily.
But over time, she notices something. It's not only her slipping up anymore. And unlike her, Steve doesn't bother to keep it inside. He'll openly stare after her, stand that small bit closer, lower his voice a tone lower when they stood next to each other at the smart table and he murmured something. She's doesn't know why no one else has mentioned anything to her about it because it's very obvious that Steve is far less than professional to her. It's not that she minds; quite the opposite actually, but she would like the acknowledgement of it so she knew whether she was going crazy or not.
Keeping things on the inside isn't the easiest thing either, not when you have to work with the man almost every day, and see him on the days where they weren't working because they were friends too. Then there was the fact that Steve McGarrett was a fairly good looking guy. Kono'd admit that there was much more to be said to that statement, but she wouldn't go there because otherwise she'd be blushing for the next week every time he looks at her. But being a fairly good looking guy means that he gets attention from the ladies when they're hanging out after work, or even while working sometimes. Jealousy is an ugly emotion. Stupid too. A waste of energy, especially when the man wasn't even hers to get jealous over. But she couldn't help it.
To make things worse, she can't really talk to anyone about it either. Her closest friends comprise of Five-0, which is a definite no-go, and a couple of friends from the academy who didn't disregard her because of her connection to Chin, and a few good school and surfing friends. None of them could help her, so she never tells them.
Until one evening when the team are out celebrating a case well done and Kono bumps into a friend of hers from school that she hasn't seen in a while. She seems upset; drinking alone and dressed up to the nines in a friendly bar. So she takes the time to get a table with her until it's her turn at the pool table where Chin and Danny were currently competing with Steve refereeing. Hopefully she can get her to cheer up by then too.
They talk for a little while about what's going on with Leia and why she's in a bad mood. Somehow, Kono's not that surprised to find it was boy troubles because that did seem like to be the story of both their lives. But Leia seems a bit more upbeat about it after their talk; she even suggests jumping the bones of the next person who walks through the door only to take it back when it's a middle aged native who already seems too eager.
"God, Kono, your boss is too hot." Leia tells Kono in a low moan, glancing towards where the pool tables were behind and to the left of Kono. Kono almost chokes on her drink because she already knows this and the last thing she needs is her jealousy to rise up right now. "Fuck, those tats. I would not mind seeing how far they go." she says suggestively, turning her eyes back to her.
"They don't go far." Kono informs her with a roll of the eyes.
"Has somebody been reaping extra benefits from work?" Leia asks in shock but Kono glares her down so she shrugs. "He's not your boss right now. And he's definitely not my boss. If nobody jumps him before I leave, I will."
"Good luck with that." Kono snorts.
"Is he taken? Oh, don't tell me he's gay. Why are all the good guys gay?" Leia cries dramatically and Kono stares at her in disbelieve because there is not a single thing about Steve that screams gay. She wonders if Leia has run into a string of relationships failing because of her beau being gay too.
"He's not gay." Kono assures her. "But Steve doesn't pick up girls from bars. Much less ones who are practically undressing him with their eyes." she tells her roughly, wanting to kick her in the shin but she can't do it without risking falling off the stool she's sitting on.
"I'm not." Leia says even as her eyes go back towards the direction of where the boys were. This time they linger a bit longer and she's shooting a flirty smile and a wave. "I would give up sex for the rest of my life to feel that smile against my lips." she mutters to her and Kono smiles softly because she knows what she means.
"Stop it. That's my boss and I don't need those images." Kono tells her hoping to sound more forceful than envious.
"Ok, let's stop pretending here Kono." Leia demands turning all her attention back to her seriously. "Firstly, it's more than obvious that you've already had these images and probably more for a while now. Secondly, the smile was very polite and was the nod. No wave back because he was looking at you."
"What?" Kono asks in shock. She had felt eyes on her every now and again but she was use to the attention and she ignored it to avoid unnecessary situations. She never thought it could have been Steve's eyes on her.
"The second you came over to me, he's been glancing over every other minute or so. To make sure you're still here and ok or something something."
"Yeah, he's really protective of the team." Kono confirms but Leia laughs.
"Oh no, Kono. He's looking in a way to make sure you're still with me and not some other guy. I saw you two before too." she tells her with a nod. "He touches you a bit too often for just a boss."
Kono moans and sits back heavily in her chair. She had noticed that too, the way he held the door open for her and then following her with a hand on her back, standing in her personal space when they went to order drinks for the team, slinging an arm over the back of her chair when they sat drinking. She's glad someone else has noticed it too, finally, but now comes the new dilemma. What to do now?
"I guess there's no point in asking you if you like him because I don't think there's a female on this planet who'd say no." Leia says confidently. "Or at least want to sleep with him."
"Ok! This is still my boss we're talking about. Until anything changes, things like that will make it harder for me to do my job." Kono stops her from going on because images fill her mind again, this time of her and a certain SEAL in bed, clothes strewn, sheets wrapped around them as their sweaty bodies slide against each other.
"Or more fun." Leia comments lewdly and Kono can feel her cheeks begin to tint and she thanks her personal guardian angel, because she's sure she has one with the kind of life she leads, that she's sitting with her back to the boys otherwise she'd never hear the end of it.
"I-" Kono hesitates, faltering when she fails to come up with anything dignified to say. "Shut up." she settles with in the end.
"Ok ok." Leia laughs and nods. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel awkward. Just wanted to point out the awesome life you currently have."
"Thank you for that." Kono says, not at all sincere.
"On the up side, you have made me feel better." Leia informs her and it does actually make Kono feel a bit better because she's nice like that and likes to make and see others happy. "And I think I'll be ok without a guy for another few weeks."
They finish off their drinks and conversation after that and then get up to exchange a goodbye hug before Leia leaves the place and Kono heads back to the rest of the team. Danny and Chin were still playing pool, but taking into account the number of balls on the table, she guesses that they have started a new game.
"Friend?" Steve asks her with a nod towards the table they had been sitting at when she stops by his side, hopping onto the stool next to the table he leaned again.
"Yeah. Leia." she tells him. He nods with a soft smile.
"Pretty girl." he says with a casual shrug. Kono raises her eyebrows at him in disbelief.
"Yeah. Want me to set the two of you up?" she asks in what she hopes is her teasing voice because the smile she puts on is sure meant to go with that. Steve laughs and shakes his head.
"Nah, I'm good, thanks." he tells her, breaking back into her personal space by shifting and leaning against the side of her stool.
They spend the rest of the night talking and teasing and Kono drinks more than she thinks she should but they're all having fun competing against each other at pool that she puts it out of her mind. In the end, it's only Steve and her left after Danny goes home because he has Grace the next day and Chin has a wife to pick up from her late shift at the hospital. Steve assures him that he'll give her a ride home, and Kono merely shakes her head at their planning about her without even consulting her.
True to his word, he drives her home after they shoot a couple of rounds of pool and the bar starts to empty out. He walks her to her door to her confusion, but she goes long with it because it's comforting. A hand lands on her hip when they walk up the stairs in front of her house, sliding forward a bit until his fingers rest over one of her jeans' pockets. Kono grins to herself, placing a hand on top of his and squeezing it gently before shifting the hand up onto her waist so she can access her pocket for the house keys.
"Want to come in?" she asks him without looking at him, unlocking the door instead.
"Kono," Steve whispers and she understands his apprehension so she turns to look at him, taking a step into her house but not far enough for his hand to drop. He smiles at her, and she smiles back automatically. Any coyness she might think she would have felt at this moment in all her thoughts is gone. "How much did you have to drink?"
"I'm not drunk," she tells him. "Or tipsy. Ok, maybe a bit less sober than I was this morning."
"I don't want to take advantage." he says and she's pretty sure she falls in love with him a bit more right then. Nodding, she doesn't let him say anything else and pulls him by his shirt towards him.
Steve gets the message straight away and before she knows it, his lips are on hers, hands gripping at her hips and body pushing hers backwards. She vaguely registers the door being slammed shut, but all she can focus on is the way his unbelievably soft lips tease hers open and the swipe of the tongue that follows. Kono moans in pleasure, tightening her clutches on his shirt and lets the kiss get a bit more passionate and almost dirty.
She's not sure how he knows where her bedroom is because he's only been to her place a couple of times before but she's in her room and he's getting her naked at the same speed as she's tugging away his clothes. They collapse on the bed with her under him and his body is heavy and warm, but the weight is welcoming because it's him.
Hands trail all over her body and she does the same with his; trying to memorize every muscle, ridge and scar they come across because she's fairly sure they'll tell her more about him than he ever will. His mouth is warm and wet along her skin, tracing paths along her neck, collar, breasts and stomach before going lower where Kono loses all thoughts for the rest of the night except for his name.
When they finally make love, it's incredible. It's so much more than incredible, but she has no word for it. It's Steve. But not how she knows him. It's gentle, passionate, caring, toecurling, and all round perfect. Not Steve at all. After he pushes her over the edge for the 4th time that night, he allows himself to follow inside of her before collapsing onto her and she welcomes, and even accommodates, his weight again.
They don't say anything after that, but his arms wrap around her the best they can and she does the same with her own; one hand flat against his strong warm back and the other in his hair, stoking it gently before letting it settle dug deep through the strands. Kono finds that she likes this position more than she probably should, with his head on her chest, eyelashes skimming her skin as he blinked, slowing until she felt them close. She felt safe and comforted. Loved and wanted. Protected even, and an odd ounce of pride that it was her he trusted enough to freely act like this with.
And it's when she's falling asleep herself that he shifts in his sleep when she raises a leg to rest against his hip comfortably that she realizes that he's still inside of her, connecting them intimately throughout the night.
A/N: I apologize for the delay. I broke my arm and only had the cast taken off last week, so writing has been hard and it still is, but I'm using it as a form of rehab to get it stronger again. This chapter is far more lighter than the last one because I felt like it we all need a break from the angst. I know I did.
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic so far and my others. I will carry on with Keeping it in the Family asap and update as soon as I have a new chapter.
Big thanks to all those on tumblr who have motivated me to write by liking my posts and replying saying they're happy I'm writing again.
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize from the tv.