A/N: Hey all! I'm back with a new chapter. I think it's the longest so far! A million and one thank you's you all of you guys reading this fic, commenting on it, and adding it to alerts and favs. They really do motivate me to find the time to write more. Once again, I should have replied to all your reviews, but apologies if I missed you out. And thank you to all the anons [alex, Rebecca List, harisa, Lydia and anon].
Big big thanks to cm757 and Sidalee for being there for me to sound off my ideas, beta'ing, and generally keeping me sane. And thank you to MyMelo and teenycee for their encouraging words =)
Month 4
The annual grudge match between the Kapui Kings and the P-Boy's school had become a tradition for the team since their first match a few weeks after their establishment. It was fun, exciting and it was football, so everyone was happy. And usually, Steve was right up there, sharing laughs with Danny, teasing Chin about his beaten records, and joining in with Kono yelling at the referee or taunting the other team. Like everything else she was interested in, she gave the game all of her passion and never held back.
Which was exactly what she was doing right then, using her replenished energy by leaping up from her seat and objecting to something that he had no clue about because he only had about half a mind on the game. Less, actually, if he was being honest. Because watching Kono enthusiastically jump, hop and generally do things that could result in her falling from the bleachers worried him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it except to hold her down. He had enough sense to know not to even try it.
Also, she looked hot; wearing her dark denim shorts that showed off her slim toned legs and a deep red tank top to match their team, and he bitterly knew he wasn't the only one there who appreciated it.
Such as Danny, who, luckily for him, was sitting on the other side of the woman.
Steve managed to catch his look of shock out of the corner of his eyes when Kono threw her arms in the air in frustration, forcing her top up and revealing a quick glance of her lower stomach. The part that had recently rounded ever so slightly with the first signs of pregnancy. It was small; so much so that it was virtually invisible behind her clothes and to anyone who didn't know she was pregnant.
"Whoa, Kono, you're-" Danny began with a grin, stopping halfway through his sentence when his eyes met Steve's, who shot him a warning look to keep quiet.
She wouldn't say it, but he knew that she was self-conscious about the changes to her body. He had read about how it could take a few weeks before first-time mothers became more confident with the difference, and all he could do was to support and help her through it. An example was to shut Danny up before he stuck his foot into it.
"I'm, what?" Kono asked, twirling around to face him, and Steve could see the blonde's eyes jumping from him before going back to his wife's.
"Nothing. You're nothing," Steve supplied for him, throwing her a soft smile when she faced him. Her raised brows told him that she was clearly not impressed, turning back to Danny.
He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah, nothing. I thought you were about to fall."
It was obvious that she still didn't believe them, but let it go when a whistle blow caught her attention. Steve caught the questioning look that Danny threw him but he merely shook his head at him. Apparently, Chin had found the whole thing amusing; smirking not so subtly at them behind the drink in his hand.
Just before halftime, Kono announced that she needed some food, and Steve was only too happy to get away from the crowds for small while. Along with the newly-found energy levels that the second trimester had brought with it, morning sickness had been banished for once and for all, much to his relief. It was a great sight to watch her eat her three meals a day, and snacks, like before.
"So what was that with Danny?" she asked him conversationally whilst standing in line at the refreshment bar. "And don't you dare say 'nothing'."
Steve inhaled deeply and tightened the arm he had wrapped around her shoulder, keeping his gaze fixated on the board behind the counter to seem as casual as possible. "His eyes were somewhere where they shouldn't be. That's all." It wasn't a lie. It just wasn't the whole truth.
Kono laughed, looking over at him with a teasing glint in her eyes when he finally glanced back at her. "Aw, Steve, that's so sweet, trying to protect my modesty. But you do know I've given him endless surfing lessons, all the while only wearing a bikini, right?" she asked in an overly sweet tone; one that did the job of annoying him at the thought of his scantily clad wife around any other male on this planet.
"I know," he said through gritted teeth and averting his eyes back to board before changing the subject. "What do you want to eat?"
She laughed again, but he reckoned she took pity on him by choosing to let it go and ordered a puka dog and nachos with orange soda to go with it. Her appetite was definitely back.
...
"Hey!" Kono turned at the sound of the familiar voice, smiling brightly at the man who joined her at the window of Kamekona's Shave Ice shop. It was another beautiful late summer day, one which she had off from work, and the heat demanded her to get the cool treat before she went over to the beach to meet up with some of her friends.
"Hey, Charlie," she greeted the lab technician, who promptly placed an order with the waitress behind the till before turning back to face her.
"How are you? I haven't seen you around lately. Which is strange considering we practically work together," he laughed. Kono's smile faltered a little as she bit her lower lip and nodded at his observations.
"Yeah, it's been a while," she replied lightly. Not knowingly going anywhere near a place that might have harsh chemicals had been part of the agreement she had with Steve to allow her to keep on working, ruling out the lab and the morgue. "I'm good though, thanks. You?"
Charlie shrugged at her question and smiled. "Can't complain," he told her in his typical sunny way. "So what's been keeping you away? Commander McGarrett usually sends you so I'd put a rush on the work."
Kono smirked at his words. Though light-hearted, they held more than a glimmer of truth to them. It had been the tactic at the beginning, she knew, that sending her to see her good friend at the HPD lab would get their results quicker. Then had come the part where Steve became slightly jealous, though he would never admit it, at the fact that they had this old friendship and Charlie flirting with her, however innocent. But he wouldn't stop sending her; rather going with her at times. Which is why after so many years, she still found it equally funny and awkward when Charlie referred to him as 'Commander McGarrett'.
"I'll let him know you've got him sussed. But no, I'm not allowed in the lab anymore," she admitted, much to the man's confusion which only made her smile. "I'm pregnant."
Shock was clearly portrayed on Charlie's face even before he spoke. "Oh, wow. You don't look it," he said, eyes travelling down and then snapping back up to her face, not quite reaching her eyes, with a hint of a blush.
Kono laughed and shoved him gently on his arm before skimming a hand over her stomach in a subconscious manner. "Mahalo. Always nice to hear." It really was because it had taken her almost 20 minutes to simply decide what to wear that morning. But she guessed the pale green sundress she had eventually chosen was doing its trick and successfully hiding her growing bump from prying eyes.
"What I meant to say was congratulations. To both of you," Charlie rectified sincerely after the red tint had resided and he had found the humour in his words too.
"Thank you," she replied in the same tone just as the waitress came back to the window with the order of 5 shave ices. Charlie grabbed the tray they came in and Kono pick up her lime and cherry flavoured one; her newest craving. It was the best craving she could have, compared to some of the stories she had read. "Anyway, I was just heading down to the beach to see Kelly and the rest of the guys. You coming?"
He arched an eyebrow at her in amusement while they walked in the general direction of the beach. "Of course! Who do you think these were for?"
...
The dress was gorgeous. She wouldn't have bought it otherwise. It was midnight blue, falling straight down to her ankles and held up by the thinnest of straps which crisscrossed over her back to meet with the rest of the dress two-thirds of the way down. The material swished gently and flowed with her body; successfully hiding her small baby bump with a waterfall of chiffon.
It wasn't that she was ashamed of it. Over the last two weeks, she had become used to the additional feature, smiling whenever she saw herself in the mirror and pulling her top tight around the abdomen area to see if there was any difference from the day before. Plus, the way Steve grinned unabashedly in that boyish way of his at the same sight or whenever he slid his hand over her stomach was enough to put any insecure issues to rest.
It was, however, merely a way to avoid the constant attention, gushing and questioning she was sure would ensue. Being in the limelight wasn't something Kono sought after. She handled it with grace whilst on the pro circuit because she had to. But there was no way she was going to put herself out there during the Governor's annual charity ball to be fawned over by people she'd have to make nice with for the sake of Five-0's reputation.
A frown still played on her lips when she came to stand in front of the floor length mirror in their bedroom that she had gotten him to install after they had gotten married. She had gotten use to the one at HQ, where she would need a full view of herself to ensure no wires, weapons or bugs were visible from her clothing.
This mirror now came into use as she tugged at the modest neckline that did nothing to lessen her cleavage. Along with her stomach, her breasts had had a small change in size too. However, this change was slightly less than the bump but much more obvious. At least to her it was. And she knew Steve had noticed too, not that he would ever mention it because he was a gentlemen like that.
Kono heard his footsteps halt when he entered the room. She could see in his reflection that he was ready, dressed in his sleek black tux with just the tie he was currently working on left to do. He hated the suffocating feel of it and always left it until last. Sometime it was even in the car on their way. But those were the really bad days where he was one raindrop away from flying into a homicidal rage and the last thing he, heck any of them, wanted was to mingle with the higher ups with the pretence of actually wanting to be there. Especially when it wasn't a charity event.
Not like today, where she could see a lopsided grin curve his mouth as his eyes follow the length of her body whilst she shimmied the dress higher a tiny bit to put her mind at ease.
"I knew I should have gone for the strapless one," she muttered, finally glad with the end result even if it wasn't as great as it had been when she had tried it initially on a shopping trip before getting pregnant. Kono knew she should be grateful that it simply fit, and she was, but flying hormones and getting annoyed did not mix well. "This one makes me look like I had a boob job."
She saw him roll his eyes at her and chuckle lightly. "You look beautiful, sweetheart," he told her earnestly, but the irritation still hadn't left her enough for her to take the compliment for what it was.
"So help me God, if you tell me it's because I'm carrying your child, I will castrate you," Kono warned him tersely, running a final hand over her dress before turning away to head to the dresser. Clearly it was her turn to be the homicidal one tonight.
"Ok..." Steve trailed off in amusement; not fooling her when he cleared his throat to hide the laugh and went back to working on his tie. "C'mon, Kono. You usually love these things."
Scoffing, she fought the urge to shake her head so not to ruin her hair, half of which was currently pulled back into a messy bun with bobby pins in her hand ready to keep it there. "Yeah, because there's free and unlimited alcohol and food, with guys constantly hitting on me the minute I'm by myself. Which gets you all jealous and possessive, shooting that laser-focused glare of yours," Kono informed him, pushing in the last pin and letting her hands fall, glad to find that it stayed.
"I do not get possessive," he immediately retorted, hands freezing momentarily. His predictable response lightened her mood and she turned to face him with a smirk.
"You really do, Steve. But it's ok; it's why I let them flirt with me in the first place," she said with a simple shrug, turning back to retrieve the earrings that she was planning on wearing. They were a simple diamond drop on a string of silver that Steve had given her for her birthday a couple of years before. "You get all possessive, say you wanna go home, and we come back and have crazy sex. Fun."
There was silence in which Kono glanced over to see a small frown still playing out on his pursed lips. He met her eyes once he was finally done with the tie, straightening out his collar with quick glimpses into the mirror opposite him as he spoke. "Well, I promise to get possessive tonight, and I will personally get you out of that dress later, ok?" he vowed in a rough voice, staring straight into her eyes at the end and suddenly the hormones wanted something else altogether.
Done with the earrings, she sighed. "Can't we just skip the ball and get to the sex now?" The teasing smile that shone on his face at her words made her turn away, knowing that there was a part of her that was not above begging right then and things could get a bit awkward if she went there. How would they explain their absence to the Governor and the rest of the team? Blaming it on the baby just seemed too immoral.
"Unfortunately not," Steve replied with a shake of the head and a shrug. "It'll be fine. You don't need alcohol or guys to hit on you to have a good time."
Kono laughed dryly at his words, picking up her clutch from the bed and stepping closer to him. "Who said I'm not gonna let guys hit on me tonight?" she asked him tantalisingly, patting his chest lightly before passing him to collect her heels from where she had placed them by the door. The exasperated groan he let out made her smirk.
...
The night so far hadn't been as bad as she had thought it would go. Of course, having the rest of the team and Malia there helped her pass the time, even if Kono had had to put up with some teasing about how they would survive the night thanks to the alcohol which they pointed out numerous times she could not have, or how they should keep her away from the food so there would be plenty for everyone else.
Kono had taken it easily with 3 months of experience, laughing it off and quipping right back at them. On the inside however, the truth behind the words hit her hard because her appetite was sky high and the food smelt and looked delicious, and if she couldn't drink, she sure as hell wanted to eat. But she held off if only for the sake of her dignity and perhaps out of spite to prove them wrong.
She had managed to sneak away to the bar a couple of hours into the ball, extracting herself from Steve's side before she was forced into another conversation with someone she did not want to talk to. She hated the fact that during these galas and such, the only choices she had were to either put up with having to talk to the Governor's guests just to spend time with her husband, or to get away from both. Even then she wasn't guaranteed a free night.
Like right then, waiting for one of the barkeeps to come over, Kono was approached by a man dressed in what was obviously a designer suit that probably cost more than every piece of clothing she owned put together.
"Can I get you a drink?" he asked her politely with a smile that stretched wider than she thought was possible. His pearly white teeth only made his appearance seem more upper class, but she smiled back because he was nice and not that bad looking either.
"I- Just an orange juice, thanks," she faltered, hesitating only to wonder whether it would be better to turn him down point blank. But she reasoned that it was just a drink in the middle of a social event, and her wedding ring was in clear view, so she had nothing to feel guilty about.
If Kono was really honest with herself, she was actually borderlining onto smug rather than guilt. Being hit on whilst 4 and a half months pregnant was no easy task but she had somehow managed it and was glad for small boost of confidence.
"Of course," the sleek looking man smiled again and turned to the bar to place the order. Taking a moment to glance around, she was glad to find that Chin and Malia were dancing on the floor, and that Steve was caught up with someone or another. Danny was nowhere in sight but before she could search for him, the person next to her was talking again. "I'm Josh Takanaeya, by the way. My friends call me Tak."
She shook his proffered hand briefly. "Kono Kalakaua. My friends stick to my name."
The bartender produced their drinks as Tak laughed at her remark. She nodded her thanks to the man behind the bar; appreciating the fact that even the juice was served in a champagne flute. It'd be easier to believe it was a mimosa than simply juice to those looking. "Kalakaua... As in Detective Kalakaua? With Five-0?" he asked her in surprise, eyebrows raising high on his forehead.
"The one and only," Kono confirmed lightly, sipping her juice. He chuckled with a small shake of his head and she was fairly sure he was done trying to flirt with her now.
"Wow, that's amazing," he told her, impressed and she wasn't sure whether to take offence about how shocked he was to find out that she was part of the task force, or gratitude about how it meant she could portray more than just a kick ass cop in a room full of people who should know them all thoroughly. "Five-0 has a great reputation. Though I'm sure some of the things we hear from HPD are slightly exaggerated," he laughed, taking a swig of his own hard drink of a whiskey, straight up.
Kono pursed her lips and shrugged. "I wouldn't be too sure about that," she told him with a air of mystery that she was saved from having to explain when music stopped and people began to take their seats, no doubt for the host to give his speech.
Tak pushed away from the bar and nodded towards the main stage. "I guess that's our cue to leave. It was nice meeting you, detective."
"Thank you for the drink," Kono replied, picking up the glass as he did the same with his. He chuckled again and threw her a cheeky wink.
"No problem. It's an open bar, anyway." She rolled her eyes in amusement when he turned and walked away without another look. Oh yeah, he had been done flirting.
Making her way back to the table that was reserved for them, she finally spotted Danny already sat there; lounging in his seat with a plate in front of him and his eyes fixated on her. It was funny; she could usually tell when someone had their sights on her. Pregnancy was really throwing her radar off kilter.
"What?" Kono asked at his incredulous look when she took a seat next to him. "It's just juice," she told him, placing down her glass before reaching out for one of the delectable looking shrimps on his plate. He slapped her hand away instantly, glaring at her through squinted eyes.
"Cold shellfish are bad for pregnant women," he told her strictly, pushing the plate out of her reach in case she tried again. She wouldn't. She had learnt when and when not to try to go against Danny when he tried to dictate her food intake. And as great as the shrimp looked, it wasn't enough to argue about.
"Fine," she agreed with a smile, going back to her juice instead.
Danny eyed it carefully before clearing his throat and leaning in towards her slightly. "I saw that, at the bar. Playing with fire a little, aren't you?" he asked, sounding more amused than concerned.
"It was just a bit of fun," she shrugged in a blasé manner, trying to arrange her features into a mask that matched her tone but she was pretty sure she failed when Danny rolled his eyes at her.
"Tell him that," he said pointedly, nodding towards Steve as he approached their table with Chin and Malia. The couple sat on the other side of Danny, and Steve took the empty seat next to her. He looked calm and collected, stoic even, but Kono knew better than to judge him based on what he was showing.
Laying his arm on her back of her chair, she waited for him to close the distance between them. She wasn't disappointed when he did so. "Who was that?" he murmured into her ear to keep his words from anyone else who might be able to overhear in the near-silence room as the Governor took the stage.
"Just a friend. His name is Tak," she whispered back nonchalantly, turning her head to face him and smirking. "No need to get jealous, babe," she teased, but he simply raised an eyebrow and then smiled tightly before turning his attention back to the stage. Kono bit her lip to keep from grinning to herself.
...
"I told you we should have stayed at home," Kono said smugly, and a bit breathlessly, as they basked in the afterglow of their passions.
The gentle breeze floating in through the window with the moonlight that dimly lit up the otherwise darkened room helped her come back to her senses. She pulled the sheets up to cover her body completely, though she was sure the shiver that had gone down her spine had more to do with the primal pleasure in hearing the heavy breathing from the man beside her more than the temperature.
There was a small groan of agreement from Steve, who was sprawled out on his back on the other side of the bed with an arm thrown over his eyes. "Oh, yeah. I'll listen next time," he told her and when she turned her head to the side to look at him, she was happy to see a lopsided smile playing on his lips.
"Though I doubt it would have been this much fun if we hadn't gone," she added slyly, making him chuckle. "Jealous sex is always great, but pregnant jealous sex is just..." Kono trailed off when the right word failed to come to mind, instead settling back into her pillow and smirking to herself.
The sound of rustling sheets was mildly disguised by Steve's groan as he shifted onto his side to face her. "Yeah," he added, obviously not being able to find the right word for it either. With a small sigh, he carefully reached for her left hand that she had held out in front of her, rubbing her palm and fingers gently with her other thumb. She allowed him to take over; the warmth of his touch soothing the mild ache from having gripped the wooden slats of the headboard a bit too tightly. "You alright?"
Kono had to scoff at that. "Me? Brah, you sound more worn out than I do," she teased, causing him to roll his eyes and stop with his ministrations to drop their joined hands down into the space between them.
"Probably 'cause I am," he replied, letting go of her hand to slide it across her stomach tenderly before resting flat on the other side of her body. She inhaled sharply at the touch; barely feeling the light skim yet still leaving a path of heat in its wake. "You have way too much energy," Steve muttered against her lips as he pushed himself up onto his other elbow to hover over her.
"What can I say? My needs have been intensified." She smiled into the kiss that followed her answer, willingly allowing him to deepen it with a light brush of the tip of his tongue and giving back as much as she got until she was forced to break away in need of air. It left them both a bit out of breath, and Steve rested his forehead lightly against hers as she heard him try to catch his breath once again. Another shiver ran down her spine.
Steve brushed his lips over hers once more. "Trust me, I know," he said huskily and she wondered if he could sense the arousal that had passed through her at the sound of it. Probably not because the next thing she knew, he rolled away back to his side of the bed and swung his legs over the side to sit at the edge.
"Where you going?" Kono asked in confusion, curling up on her side to face his back.
"I need some water," he told her, standing up to pull on a pair of pants. "Or maybe a Red Bull. Something tells me I'm gonna need it," he added dryly whilst leaving the room. Kono laughed into her pillow after him. Perhaps he had sensed it after all.
A/N: So that was chapter/month 4! Please don't forget to lemme know what you thought. I'll be back to update asap =)