AN: This is when the 'card falls out of the deck' you guys—for Steve and Max. Enjoy.

Warnings: Language.

Disclaimer: Nope still not mine.

That One Time at The Bar

The team had just wrapped a grueling work week full of strange and gruesome murders. So, to celebrate life they all met at an inner city restaurant/dive. The dive, despite its classic rock playing in the background and gruff patrons served superb food.

Steve chuckled at the exchange between Kono and Lori before taking another swig of his beer. He swallowed when Max puckered his lips at Kono's less than sound argument on the matter. Oh god Max please don't do that. Every time Max drew his delicious little mouth into that pout it made him want to fuck his brains out.

"So how are things between you and Gabby?" Steve asked, holding his beer loosely, waiting on his dinner.

"Good, great. She's great." Danny answered before finishing off the appetizer, cheesy sticks.

"That's it?"

Danny shrugged before asking, "what do you mean 'that's it'?"

"I mean you usually have a lot to say about everything, but about your girlfriend you say she's great."

"What do you want from me? And what the hell do you mean I have a lot to say about everything?"

"I'm just saying you usually rant-."

"Rant? I rant? It's called having an opinion."

"You're doing it right now."

Max looked down at his empty glass. "I'm going to go get another appletini." He rose and walked towards the extensive bar, negotiating his way around tables.

Kono sipped her matai to keep from grinning when Steve's gaze shifted to Max's ass. She had brought the adorable doctor those jeans for a specific reason: to screw with Steve's head. And it seemed she was reaping the benefits.

Max stopped at the bar, getting the bartender's, who was working diligently to fill his customers' orders, attention. "One appletini."

The man nodded, signaling it would be mixed shortly.

Max took a seat on a stool, looking away in disgust when a passerby grabbed a handful of nuts from the bowl on the bar. He wondered if that person knew how many germs he was willingly introducing into his body.

"Aloha."

He turned his attention to his greeter, a tall local with shoulder-length dark hair, handsome features, and wearing a fitted shirt that hugged his evidently sculpted physique. "Aloha."

The man leaned on the bar. "I've never seen you here before."

"That is because this is my first time here." Why was this man talking to him?

"Oh. You from here?"

"Actually I'm originally from the mainland, but my work is here."

"Yeah. What do you do?"

"Medical examiner." Why was he leaning so close? Had he no respect for personal space?

The man licked his lips. "Educated, I like that."

"Don't look now but it looks like the good doctor is getting some play," Kono announced, a wide grin splitting her face.

Steve's attention darted from Danny to the bar in nanoseconds.

"I told you those pants would have everyone checking out his cute little ass," she said smugly. Oh this was precious.

"That guy is flirting hard," Lori stated offhandedly, eyes dashing to their boss.

Steve clenched the bottle of beer he was nursing, dead focus on the scene. He mentally reminded himself repeatedly that their relationship was a secret. He set his jaw when the man blatantly eye-humped Max.

"Do you think Max even realizes the guy is hitting on him?" Chin ho stated, eyes also observing the scene. However unlike his cousin he actually cared that this could end in disaster.

"Lori." He nodded to the scene, knowing that she understood his silent request. He dearly loved Max, but sometimes the little dork could be oblivious.

"So you here alone?"

Max drummed his fingers on the cherry oak surface of the bar. "I'm here with friends."

He leaned closer, smiling when he noted the way the little morsel drew away slightly. "I'm here alone. Do you want to be my friend?"

Max looked at him in bemusement. "I do not even know your name."

"I'm Kiyoni. You?" He extended his hand.

"Um…Max." He did not want to touch his hand—there was no telling where it had been. But, he did not want to seem rude. Reaching out reluctantly, he shook his hand drawing away as soon as possible.

Kono chuckled to herself. "Twenty bucks says that guy is a definite dom."

Lori took that bet enthusiastically. "He just asked Max his name. And… Max gave it to him." She shook her head. Sometimes Max was adorable and sometimes he was too innocent.

Danny darted his eyes between Steve and the bar, sensing the jealousy rolling off the man in waves.

This was freaking torture. Some lecher was slobbering all over his babe and he couldn't do anything about it. But if that goddamned fucker got any closer he swore to god…

"One appletini." The barkeep sat the drink before Max.

"Thank you." Max placed the money in the barkeep's hand. He looked to Kiyoni before giving a nod. "Nice meeting you." He hopped off the stool before taking his alcoholic beverage in his hand. Bewilderment passed his features when the taller man blocked his way with a muscled arm.

"Maybe I should be more direct. I came here to hunt and you look tasty. So, why don't you ditch the friends so I can take you back to my place and devour you in bed?"

Max raised an eyebrow, finally getting the gist of why the stranger approached him. "No thank you." He bypassed Kiyoni's arm and began to stride away. Suddenly he found himself hindered by a vise-like grip on his wrist jerking him back, causing him to spill his drink.

Fuck that secret shit. No one touched Max. Steve was on his feet before anyone could get out another word. He made a straight beeline for the bar, anger flaring within.

Danny cursed. "This is not good." He hoped the owners had insurance because this shit just got real.

"You're telling me. Steve is an alpha male and so is that guy." Lori observed.

Kono bit her lip. "Damn, looks like those pants worked too well."

"Let go," Max demanded, jerking his arm while staring daggers at the man.

"He's taken, let him go," Steve snapped his 'fuck off or die' demeanor firmly in place. He could think of several different ways to extricate the man's hand from Max's wrist but they all involved broken bones.

"He's taken by who?"

"Me."

Max prayed that the man let him go. He could almost feel the contained anger smoldering beneath the surface of those aquamarine eyes. He made sure to stay between the two men both as protection for himself and a hindrance to his lover.

"Really? Then you've got yourself a cute little slut."

Steve swallowed his urge to knock the asshole's teeth out, at the moment. He counted to 10 then…20 in his mind. "I'm going to say this one more time. Let. Him. Go."

The rest of the team watched the spectacle—with just about the rest of the diners in the establishment—muscles wound and ready to break up a brawl should the need arise. They watched the stare down, sighing when the man released Max.

"Please don't say anything stupid," Danny begged the man, already on his way to partner's side. He could see it clearly; Steve was seconds away from kicking the man's ass.

"You should get better control of your bitch," he said with a sneer.

That was it. This sonofabitch was visiting the hospital tonight. But before he could attack the man Danny was between them. "Move Danny."

The man sneered at Steve. "Come on haole."

Danny looked at Max—who was also trying to restrain the livid commander. "Okay, you," he pointed to Steve, "calm down." The unnaturally calm expression etched in Steve's expression almost frightened him and he couldn't help but contemplate if that was the face Steve wore on his missions when he was an active SEAL. Shaking off the feeling he flashed his badge. "You, get the hell outta here."

The man grumbled, glowering at Max before obediently departing. "Jesus. You okay Max?" He would have inquired why Steve had not asked the question—the man's eyes still looked like he wanted to spit bullets—but he saw the hand massaging Max's wrist.

Max looked down at his drink, the majority of which had been spilled. "He made me spill my drink," he observed with a bland expression.

Steve looked down at the doctor against him, eyes softening. "Go sit down, I'll get it for you." He was going to find that bastard and beat his ass. He leaned down and pressed a smoldering kiss to those strawberry lips, publicly claiming Max as his own.

Danny averted his eyes.

Kono whistled shrilly, throwing out cat-calls while snapping pictures with her phone.

Max blinked off the daze when the kiss ended. "Are you going to pursue him?

Damn, sometimes Max knew him too well. "No."

"Promise?"

Steve sighed, unable to deny those coffee eyes staring up at him expectantly. "Yeah."

Satisfied the doctor followed Danny back to the table. Whoops from Kono and teasing grins from Lori and Chin greeted him.

"So… that time when you walked out of the boss's office grinning?"

Max cast his gaze downward, a blush staining his cheeks at the thought of that dirty little incident. "I have no recollection of any such events."

"So you're pleading the fifth?" Chin ho asked unable to hide the taunt in his voice.

"Vehemently."

Steve sat next to Max a few moments later, setting the drink before him. He rested an arm on the booth's top, an act of possessiveness. "Well?"

"It's about damn time you finally made it public."

"You knew?"

"Yes," they chorused, laughing.

"How?" He ran a hand absently through Max's hair.

"Puhlease. You chose us because we are exceptional," she gave a shit eating grin. "Like that time at the beach—after I convinced Max to wear Speedos—you tried to hide your boner-."

"Okay yeah go it. It was obvious." Steve fought the blush creeping up his neck. He remembered that time in one of the secluded cabanas. It had been hell trying to hide all the hickeys mottling his neck.

"So, how long?" Chin ho asked, finishing his plate of mahi mahi.

"Eight months 10 days," Max answered matter-of-factly.

"That long?" The oldest of them asked. "Damn, I've only known for three months."

"Three months? I've only known for three weeks?" Chin had noticed before him? He wasn't knocking the man's detective skills, he was damn good, but Steve was his partner and best friend and Chin had realized it before him.

Steve grinned. "Gracie has all of you beat. She figured it out four months ago."

"What?" Danny exclaimed. "My own daughter has been holding out on me?"

Everyone laughed at Danny's expression. While they shared the laugh Steve passed Max a smile. The doctor looked to him and they both shared a fleeting moment. Both were relieved, feeling liberated now that their relationship was common knowledge.

And that's it. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Anyhow drop me a review if you did enjoy it. The next little fic will be a more humorous set.

Ciao ^-*