**Hi everyone! I am sooo sorry it has taken me so long to finish this chapter and get it posted. I hope you all like this one! I love writing about these 2 guys! Please let me know what you think! Thanks for all the reviews so far and the adds! Love to you all! ~SD :)
Chapter 11:
Preparing for the Ceremony
Once Steve and Danny returned from their trip to New Jersey, Kono pounced on them with all her ideas for their commitment ceremony.
"We don't have a lot of time since the ceremony is 2 weeks away so I was thinking you could have it on the beach, at nightfall with lots of lights" she told them.
Steve just looked at Danny, who looked back at him and rolled his eyes. Kono was still talking about what she thought their ceremony should be like.
"Kono" Steve said, trying to get the rookie to stop for a minute.
Kono didn't hear him and just kept talking.
"Kono", Steve tried again, a little louder.
She again did not hear him and kept on going.
He looked at Danny again and sighed.
"KONO" Danny shouted.
Kono jumped and looked at him with her eyes wide.
"What?" she asked innocently.
Danny cleared his throat and looked at Kono.
"Umm, Steve and I already have the ceremony planned. We planned it when we were in Jersey with my mom and sisters" he told her gently.
"Oh" Kono said looking defeated.
"But there is still plenty to do and help with" Steve reassured her.
Kono smiled.
"So, what can I do?" she asked.
"Well" Danny started, "you can help Super SEAL over there pick out a nice pair of dress pants and a nice shirt for the ceremony. He seems to think he is going to wear his cargo's and a t-shirt."
"Oh no you won't!" Kono exclaimed shaking her head and laughing.
Steve had the good graces to look embarrassed.
"Well, Boss, let's get started" Kono said as she headed for he door.
Steve stood up and followed her like a puppy.
Danny stopped him by grabbing his hand.
"Be good" he said teasingly.
"Of course" Steve smiled as he leaned down to kiss Danny gently.
As soon as Kono and Steve left Danny picked up his cell phone and hit Chin's number.
"Hey Chin" Danny said when Chin answered.
"Hey Danny! What's up?"
"I need your help with something" Danny told him. "Can you come over so we can talk?" he asked.
"Sure" Chin answered, "I'll be over in 10"
They hung up and Danny smiled thinking of the surprise he was planning for Steve.
Shopping with Kono was proving to be harder than Steve originally thought. Everything he tried on was wrong. After trying on at least 15 pairs of pants and showing Kono, he was finally at the bottom of the pile she had given him to take into the dressing room. The pants were white, and made of linen, and felt very comfortable to Steve. He liked the way they fit. He just hoped Kono would like them. As he walked out of the dressing room, Kono's mouth dropped open.
"Those are perfect" she exclaimed clapping her hands together. "Now turn around and let me see" she directed.
Steve turned around slowly like he had with all the others. Kono walked up behind him and put her hands on his hips. She pulled at the fabric to make sure they weren't too big. The pants fit Steve perfectly. Satisfied, Kono smiled at Steve in the mirror. Steve smiled back at her.
"Do you think Danny will like them?" he asked shyly.
"I think Danny will love them" Kono told him sincerely.
Steve turned to go back to the dressing room to take them off.
"I am going to find some shirts" Kono called to Steve.
Steve sighed and wondered how many she would bring back.
He didn't have long to wait because she came back almost immediately. She had 2 shirts in her hand. One was a very light blue button down with short sleeves. The other was also a button down with short sleeves but it was a darker, more royal blue.
"Aren't these perfect?" Kono asked. "This one is for you" she said handing Steve the light blue one. "And this one is for Danny" she said holding up the other one. "I am going to send him a picture of it and see what he thinks" Kono continued. "Go try on yours" she said shooing Steve back into the dressing room.
She texted Danny the picture of the shirt and a picture of the same pants Steve was going to be wearing and asked him what he thought. He texted her back that he loved them both and gave her his sizes and asked her to pick them up for him.
As Kono and Steve waited in line to pay for their purchases, Kono realized they didn't have shoes.
"We need to go look at shoes" Kono told Steve looking concerned.
"Actually we are going barefoot" Steve told her.
He laughed at her shocked expression.
"Well, it is going to be on the beach, and I got Danny to agree to going barefoot" he said triumphantly.
Kono just laughed.
They paid for their purchases and left the store.
Later that night as Steve and Danny got ready for bed, Danny could sense something was wrong with Steve. Steve was sitting on the side of the bed with his head in his hands. Danny sat down beside him and put his hands on his shoulders.
"Hey babe, what's wrong?" Danny asked quietly.
Steve just shook his head.
"Come on Steve, I know something is wrong. Talk to me" Danny said.
Steve remained silent.
"Steve" Danny said, almost whispering, "Steven" Danny said a little louder.
Steve turned and looked at Danny with tears in his eyes.
"I just wish my parents were able to be here" Steve whispered, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks.
Danny put his arms around his partner. Steve buried his head in Danny's shoulder as his hand gripped Danny's bicep. He was trying to control his emotions.
Danny ran his hand through Steve's short dark curls. He put his hand under Steve's chin, lifted his face and looked in his eyes.
"I know they are looking down on you and are very proud of who and what you have become."
Danny paused as though trying to find the right words.
"I know I am proud of you and all you have accomplished."
Steve looked at Danny with astonishment written on his face.
"You're proud of me?" Steve asked quietly.
"Yes, I am. Very proud in fact." Danny answered.
Steve didn't know what to say. He had never thought anyone would ever be proud of him again after his parents died. He was pretty sure Mary wasn't after everything that had happened. All he had left was Danny, and Danny was proud of him. Danny, the man he loved, but yet the same man that bitched him out every time he did something without thinking, like going in with no back-up.
"Hey, you ok?" Danny asked interrupting Steve's thoughts.
Steve looked into Danny's baby blue eyes.
"Yeah, I'm better. Thanks."
Steve leaned down and gently kissed Danny's lips. He only intended it to be a 'thank you' kiss, but it quickly turned into more. Steve's tongue dove into Danny's mouth with an urgency that even he didn't know he felt. Danny's hands were all over him. They had promised each other that they weren't going to do anything sexual until after the ceremony. They wanted 'the night' to be special. But Steve's kiss was attempting to make them both break that promise.
Danny's was the first to pull away.
"Steve, we can't" he panted.
Steve nodded his head in agreement, trying to catch his breath. It amazed him that even just a kiss with Danny could still take his breath away. That had stopped happening with Catherine the moment they slept together. But Danny could take his breath away sometimes just by looking at him.
"I think maybe I should sleep in the other room" Danny suggested.
"No, please don't. I want…I need you here with me" Steve pleaded.
"Ok, mister, but no funny stuff" Danny teased wagging a finger in Steve's face.
Steve laughed and grabbed Danny's finger and kissed his fingertip.
"I promise" Steve said smiling.
They got into bed and turned out the lights. The countdown was on. Just 13 more days and they would be married. Maybe not in the legal sense of the word, but married none the less. Completely and totally committed to one another. And neither of them could wait!