It is now completely official, I'm an unrepentant sap who cannot help herself and this story will send you spiralling into sugar shock.
/ / / Christmas v2.0 \ \ \
Danny woke when Grace landed a running leap in the middle of the bed, one of her elbows connecting with his side but from the grunt Steve let out she had obviously landed more on him.
"Grace." Danny attempted to reprimand in his scratchy half-asleep voice.
"It's Christmas."
"Don't jump on people," Danny said, half-heartedly.
"Can we go swimming?" Grace asked, excitedly, not bothering to even pretend to look apologetic. Danny's heart swelled – she had always loved Christmas so much and there was something more content and happy about the way she was enjoying it now; even if they were celebrating almost a week late. He liked knowing she felt so secure and happy with her life, and them, now – it made such a nice change from when they had first arrived in Hawaii.
"Yes," Steve said.
"You too, Danno," Grace said, pushing him.
Danny groaned but allowed himself to be pushed from the bed anyway. He hadn't planned to go swimming with them, figured he could watch for a while and cook them breakfast but far be it from him to deny her something reasonable on Christmas. When Danny stood up it was to find her wearing her bathers already, grinning at them both.
"Go down and get the towels and snorkels ready," Steve suggested.
"Okay," Grace said happily, and bounded out of the room.
"She has too much energy at Christmas," Danny complained, even as he changed into his swimming shorts and turned only to find Steve already changed and stretching. He missed the naked transition but he did appreciate the stretching. Danny let out a huff of breath and left the room only to freeze as he walked into the lounge room.
Grace was standing in the middle of the room, Christmas tree behind her but where there had been some decorations adorning it the night before it was now covered in little photo frames.
"Gracie?"
"Nana sent them to me, and then I called Kono and asked her to make some for Steve."
"Nana sent them?"
Grace nodded. "Before Christmas, before you went back, she sent them to me because she said you should have some family at Christmas. And that it was different this year because you had a home again."
Danny walked over and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Monkey."
"What's going on?" Steve asked from behind them.
Danny turned around and smiled, beckoning Steve over. "Come and have a look."
Steve joined then, reaching out with one hand for a frame, the picture of a young man with blonde hair in the frame. "This is my dad."
Grace nodded and pulled away from Danny to stand next to Steve, grabbing hold of his hand. "Nana sent the others over, ones of Dad's family. When I got them I asked Kono to find me pictures of your family so it wasn't just us."
Steve's face grew suddenly, sharply serious as he looked down at Grace. Danny frowned at him before he realised with gut wrenching clarity that this was Steve dealing with emotions and he wanted to walk over and hug the taller man. Grace beat him to it, wrapping her arms around Steve's waist.
"Is this what you were doing at midnight?"
Grace nodded, head tipped completely back to look up at Steve. "It was supposed to be a surprise. Nana made me promise when we talked while you were visiting them."
"It's a great Christmas present, Gracie, thank you." Steve said, solemnly.
Grace grinned and pulled back from Steve. "I was worried they wouldn't fit on the tree until I saw the one Steve got."
"Yes, it is lucky that he got the tree Rockefeller turned down."
Steve laughed at him. "Swimming or presents?"
"Swimming," Grace said, firmly.
Danny wrapped his hand around Steve's elbow. "Steve?"
"Do we have sunscreen and water?" Steve said, looking at Danny's left ear.
"I'll get it," Danny said, squeezing once before he walked away.
They swam for over an hour, playing games in between snorkelling practice and lazy circuits in the water.
"Grace," Danny said, swimming towards her, "what do you want for breakfast?"
"Pancakes, and bacon." Danny opened his mouth to agree but Grace interrupted him excitedly. "And scrambled eggs."
"That's a lot of breakfast," Danny said.
"It's Christmas," Steve told him.
Danny turned to gape at Steve. "You, you Mr Health Conscious; I'm going to eat and drink seaweed, are advocating bacon, eggs, and pancakes?"
Steve nodded.
"I'll go up and start cooking then," Danny said.
Grace sighed. "Do I have to get out?"
"That's up to Steve, I don't need any help."
"Excellent," Grace said, loudly. "We can stay out, can't we, Steve?"
Danny turned around, the water as his waist. "That tone is not fair."
Grace smiled at Steve angelically.
"I know when I'm being manipulated," Steve said.
"And you let yourself be taken advantage of," Danny pointed out.
Steve shrugged at him and grinned.
"I fear for her teenage years," Danny said, walking the rest of the way out of the water.
Danny showered quickly and then mixed up a batch of pancakes before he set it to the side and put together his mother's prosciutto, pine nut and herb stuffing for the giant chicken that was sitting in the fridge ready to be cooked. Steve was going to cook some fish on the barbecue to go with the chicken and there would be salads and a baked dish that was apparently traditional in Hawaii. Danny thought back to the dinner he'd had with his family and wondered what they would make of a Hawaiian Christmas even as he had his hand wrist deep inside of a chicken.
He was just rubbing it down thinking about the last time he had helped his mother cook a chicken when the back door opened.
"What are you doing back?"
Grace walked into the kitchen, two towels wrapped around her making her look like a giant marshmallow. "Steve said it was time to come in."
"I realised we couldn't possibly leave you alone with the eggs," Steve said, a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Danno's eggs are really nice," Grace defended.
"Thank you, Monkey."
Steve rolled his eyes violently.
"I haven't even started on the pancakes yet or have you not noticed the chicken in front of me."
"Can I make them?" Grace asked.
"As soon as you've showered."
Grace nodded and rushed out of the kitchen.
"My eggs are great," Danny defended.
"I'm making the eggs," Steve said, turning around to go upstairs and shower.
Danny returned to the chicken, sliding it into the hot oven, and then sat down at the kitchen table. He couldn't really do much else until later. Most of it wouldn't even need to be done until everyone else arrived just before lunchtime. Kono was bringing the fish and Danny would organise the salads and everything else closer to lunch .
He was still sitting there when Steve came back in, dressed.
"You okay, babe?"
"It wasn't that long a swim."
"I meant the tree."
"It was very sweet."
"It was nice, but I can't see that they would have taken up enough space for multiple trips to and from the car. But what I really want to know is-"
Steve shut him up with a kiss. "I love them."
"You looked a bit shell shocked before."
Steve shrugged and turned the stove on so that he could cook the bacon.
"Okay," Danny said. "You just cook me breakfast and then we can open a gift each."
Steve nodded with his back to Danny. Danny watched the play of Steve's muscles under his shirt until Grace came in and they had to get to work on the pancakes.
They ate breakfast sitting in the lounge room before they opened one gift each, and their stockings.
"Gracie, you are on wrapping paper clean up."
Grace dropped the science kit that Steve had bought for her to the couch next to her and stood up to collect all of the wrapping paper up.
"You don't like the science kit?" Steve asked.
Danny frowned at Steve. "What?"
"You looked so surprised when she opened it."
Danny sighed. "I saw you hiding in the supply closet at work yesterday. I assumed you'd bought her something ridiculous. I think the science kit is sweet, you giant geek."
Steve smiled. "Thank you for the new leatherman."
"You said thank you before."
Steve slid over on the couch. "Grace is stealing leftover bacon, thought I might thank you properly."
"I knew getting to you would involve a MacGuyver tool."
Steve grinned and yanked Danny over into a kiss. It was a flash of heat, Steve licking into Danny's mouth without preamble. Steve pulled away as quickly as he had initiated the kiss. Danny rocked forward, following his motion. He caught himself with a hand on Steve's thigh.
"Jesus," Danny said, trying to catch his breath. "What was that?"
"Thank you." Steve darted back for another quick kiss. "What's next in your Christmas day?"
Danny tightened his hand on Steve's knee. "What do you want to do? We've got at least an hour before anyone arrives. We don't have to do anything."
Steve shook his head. "I was serious, last Christmas I went swimming."
Danny darted forward and kissed Steve. "That's fine but if there's something you want to do."
"I want to spend the day with you and Grace, I want to see Chin, Malia, Kono, and Max, even Adam since Kono loves him. Other than that, I don't mind."
Danny opened his mouth to say something when Grace walked in a sat on the coffee table. He turned to look at his daughter, who was smiling at them as though she thought she had eaten the leftover bacon without them knowing about it.
"Well now you're having Christmas with us," she said, smiling at Steve.
"I am."
"We have breakfast and open a gift and then Santa," Grace's eyes flicked to her father, "comes to visit and we have lunch."
"I see," Steve said, slowly, eyes flicking to Danny.
"What did you do when you were little?"
"We'd go swimming and Mum would cook seafood for lunch. We didn't really have many presents, my parents didn't believe in gluttony."
Grace looked sad and Danny wondered about how spoiled his daughter was. "But Christmas presents are to show people they are important to you."
"You can do that without giving them anything," Danny pointed out.
"Of course you can, but it's Christmas, giving presents is fun. You get to think about what someone would like and what would make them smile and then you get to wrap the present." Danny shook his head at his daughter, who did honestly have a love of wrapping gifts. "And, then you get to open presents." But, she was still a ten year old girl.
"They just didn't give us much at Christmas," Steve said, with a shrug. "We didn't think we were missing out until we got older and then it was just seeing what other people got."
"I wonder if this is tied to your desire to give presents that are too big." Danny thought out loud.
"I don't do that," Steve defended.
"Surfboard, and whatever was in the supply closet at work."
Steve didn't say a word and Danny knew he was right, there was going to be another present for Grace that would be too much somewhere.
The doorbell rang before any of them could say anything.
"No one should be here yet." Danny said, with a frown.
Steve shrugged and walked over to the door. When he swung it open Doris was standing on the other side of the door with a bright, wide smile. "Merry Christmas, Steve."
"Mum," Steve said, his voice more surprised than joyful. "You're early."
She rolled her eyes at him and stepped inside, forcing him to step to the side and let him in.
"Hello, Doris," Danny said, holding in every ounce of displeasure to stand up and smile at her.
"Daniel," she said. "Grace."
"Merry Christmas," Grace said, scooping up the science kit and the jewellery that had been in her stocking – a silver necklace he had purchased in New Jersey. "I'm just going to take these things to my room, Daddy."
"Okay," he said, squeezing her shoulder. He assumed she would curl up on her bean bag chair and read for a while now that Doris was here.
"You're early, Mum," Steve said, again.
"I came to help."
"There isn't anything to do," Danny said. "Would you like a drink?"
"Water, thanks."
Danny nodded and slipped into the kitchen to get her some water.
"Everything's done?" Doris asked Steve.
"Danny put the chicken in the oven and Kono's bringing the fish so there really isn't anything to do. The house is clean and we're eating outside."
"We can just enjoy Christmas together then, were you opening gifts?"
"Just the one, we will do the rest this afternoon when everyone else is here."
Danny walked back into the room, water in one hand, two beers in the other. "Should we go outside?"
Steve nodded. "I'm just going to the bathroom."
Steve slipped out of the room and Danny turned to lead them out the back of the house so they could sit out the lanai.
"Would you like some sunscreen?"
Doris waved her hand. "No need."
Steve thankfully stepped out of the house moments later. He sat next to Danny, taking one of the bottles from Danny's hand and twisting the top off, he handed it back to Danny and then repeated the process on his own bottle.
"A little early to be drinking, isn't it?"
Danny didn't want to think about the time, or the fact it was before twelve. It wasn't obscenely early but if he was going to spend the time between now and when the rest of Five-0 arrived with Doris he would need at least one beer.
"Nope," Steve said, lifting the bottle to his lips. "Grace really wants to finish her novel so I told her she could read until everyone else got here."
Danny twisted his head around and smiled at Steve.
"So, Doris, what did you do on Christmas Day…the first one?" Danny asked.
"Well since my son deserted me I spent the day with a couple of old friends who live here on the island."
Danny bit back his smile, she was an impressive woman even when she was trying to manipulate guilt out of them.
"We have a lovely cold Christmas," Steve said. "I hadn't met most of Danny's family. It was a different Christmas than I've ever had before."
"I'm sure it was quite different."
"The best I've had in a very long time, they welcomed me without question or judgement."
Doris sat back and stared at him.
Danny tried to think of something to say. He tried to work out what would make this conversation better. He wasn't sure what Steve was doing. Steve had been getting on better with her, they had been spending time together – mostly without Danny but they had definitely been getting along better and then this. Danny assumed she would never like him and even though he didn't care about her opinion he wanted to get along with her for Steve. There wasn't a lot he wouldn't do for Steve but the nut wasn't helping.
"Hey!" Danny twisted around to see Chin and Malia standing below them in the backyard.
"Hey," Danny said, wondering what exactly Steve had been doing while he'd been telling Grace she could hide out in her room for a while.
"Sorry, we're early. We were just too excited about Christmas." Chin said, in his usual completely deadpan tone.
"Are you going to let us in?" Malia asked.
"Let yourselves in."
Chin smiled up at them and walked out of sight.
"I'm not the only one who came early," Doris commented.
"Danny," Malia called out, "where can I put this dish?"
"I'm just going to go and help her," Danny said, standing up.
He passed Chin walking through the door and found Malia pulling things out of the fridge instead of trying to fit her dish in.
"Chin got a text message." Malia explained. "Shall we make the salad?"
"How would you feel about leaving Chin and running away with me?"
Malia laughed at him.
Danny and Malia stood in the kitchen preparing the salads and Danny didn't allow himself to feel guilty about it.
"How do you feel about Chin's mum?" Danny asked, grating carrots.
"I love her."
Danny sighed.
"But she doesn't hate me or think Chin would be better off without me. Well, she doesn't now that she knows I never left Chin. For a little while there she wasn't my biggest friend."
"Doris is being nicer but she still doesn't like me."
Malia's eyebrows drew together. "It's not affecting you and Steve, is it?"
"No, but it is affecting their relationship and I don't want that. I really don't want that, I don't like her but I want him to have her because she is all the family he has left."
"No she's not, he has you and Grace, and the rest of us."
"It's not really the same though, is it?"
"Better," Steve said, causing Danny to spin around.
"You eavesdropping now?"
"I'm coming to get some beer."
"We should be finished the salads soon." Danny said, turning back around to the grater.
"I meant it."
"I know," Danny said.
"I'll just go and-" Malia started.
"No," Steve said, "I'm just getting a beer."
"Well, that was strange," Malia said, a few minutes later.
"I know it's true for Steve and I love him, you know that, but we just came back from visiting my family and they are so there and intense and Steve…" Danny trailed off. "He…I watched him with them and I could almost see how he, you don't know them, they are nosy and interfering and intense, and they, they just…"
Malia stepped closer to him. "I have never seen you struggling for words."
Danny sighed and started viciously cutting the cabbage.
"Danno?" Danny pulled out of the fridge, where he was trying to fit all of the salad into the fridge like he was playing a strange game of Tetris.
"Yeah, Gracie?"
"I've finished my book."
"We need to cut the buns or you can go outside with Steve."
Grace went over to the table and started cutting the buns open without saying anything.
"It was just obvious that it was something strange but also something that he, that someone with his background, didn't have a…frame of reference for. And whenever I see her I blame her for that."
Malia wrapped her hand around Danny's shoulder. "I really like you, Danny. You're a good person, and he couldn't do better."
Danny smiled and then laughed. "Do you feel like we're in a Christmas movie?"
Malia laughed at him.
"We didn't finish Grinch last night, Danno, we have to watch it today," Grace told him.
"I like that movie," Doris said, coming to stand at the kitchen entryway.
"We watch it every Christmas," Danny said, closing the fridge door and smiling at Malia. "Wine?"
"No, thanks. Do you have any lemonade or something?"
"There's some in the fridge. Doris?"
"I'll have some wine, thank you." Doris said.
"There's a bottle of red on the counter, or I have some white in the fridge."
"I'll have some white," Doris said.
"I'll have a glass too," Danny, got the white and poured out the glasses. "But, I'm going to have some red."
"I thought you said there was nothing to do," Doris said, accepting the glass.
"He was waiting for what I was bringing," Malia smiled.
"You almost done, Monkey?"
"Yeah."
"Kono should be here with the fish soon. I'll check the chicken and then we'll meet you outside."
Malia nodded and started for outside as Danny opened the oven. The chicken was done so he pulled it out and started transferring it to a plate.
"That's a huge chicken, Danno."
"We got the biggest one there was."
"You seem quite comfortable in the kitchen, Daniel."
"My Ma is an amazing cook and she believed that all of her children, regardless of gender, should be able to cook."
"Danno's teaching Steve and I," Grace said.
"Teaching Steve?"
Danny laughed. "He knows how to boil water."
"I know how to do more than that," Steve argued.
Danny shrugged. "I suppose."
"And my eggs are better than yours."
Danny laughed. "They were nice this morning but my eggs are delicious."
Steve rolled his eyes. "Kono just arrived. Where are the things I put out for the fish?"
Danny looked around. "It was all on the bench."
"It's here, Steve," Grace said, moving the bags of buns.
"Thanks, Gracie," Steve said, dropping a casual kiss on the top of her head as he walked past. Danny smiled at the sign of affection and the way Grace took it as standard, not bothering to stop cutting bread.
"Okay, Gracie, how many more?"
"Last one," Grace said, shoving the buns back into the bag and handing him the knife. She cleaned up the crumbs and the cutting board.
Danny could feel Doris's eyes on him.
"You want to go help Steve?"
Grace nodded, turned and headed out of the kitchen, with only one look back. She stopped and looked at Danny. "Are you coming, Daddy?"
"I'll be out in a minute. Go and stop Steve from burning anything."
Grace looked torn so Danny nodded his head. She left him after one final look at Doris.
"Steve enjoyed his Christmas," Doris said.
"We did."
"I was disappointed that he chose to fly away for our first Christmas together."
Danny drank some of his wine, pausing. "I was surprised when he took us to the plane. It's been a long time since I saw them."
"He and I haven't spent Christmas together in years."
"Which was your choice," Danny said, without thinking.
"I had to leave to protect him."
"He chose to take us back to Jersey for Christmas to meet my family. They are going to come out for the wedding but he chose to do it. I didn't even know about it until we got to the plane. If you have a problem with us spending Christmas with my family talk to Steve."
"I did."
"And?"
"He said he wanted to spend Christmas with you and your family."
"Then you have your answer."
"I want to spend more time with him."
"Then do it," Danny said, "no one's stopping you."
Grace walked back into the kitchen. "Steve forgot to put lemonade outside."
"Max here?"
Grace nodded. "Do we have any lemonade?"
"In the fridge," Danny said, turning to get a few plastic cups and handed them to Grace.
"Steve said you had ten minutes."
"The chicken's done; we're ready when he is."
"So you're coming out?" Grace asked.
"Yeah," Danny said, not bothering to look at Doris to see if she had wanted to continue the conversation.
Grace handed him back the cups and then grabbed his other hand and started out of the kitchen.
Steve had the lid of the barbecue down and was sitting stretched out on one of the outdoor couches. He twisted around to make room for Danny when he saw them come outside.
"Thank you, Grace," Max said. "Shall I pour you one, as well?"
"Yes, please," Grace said. She had grown more comfortable with the medical examiner as time passed. Though Danny had a suspicion that Sabrina had helped both Max and Grace relax around one another.
"Everything good?" Steve asked, voice low.
"Yep, we're all ready to go."
"We're eating a lot earlier than we meant to."
Danny shrugged. "We hadn't intended to have the chicken hot but it doesn't make much of a difference."
"What are you drinking?"
"I was having some wine but I left it in the kitchen," Danny said, but he didn't want to move.
"I'll get you another," Malia said. "I'm getting something to drink as well."
"I should go and bring the soft drinks out here," Steve said, but he didn't move, his arm still pressed into Danny.
"You should, but wait until the fish is done and we have to traipse in to get the rest of the food."
"We should just make them go into the kitchen to get the food then."
"Probably."
They slipped into silence, listening to the conversations going on around them. Kono and Grace were discussing surfing and Max was talking about some medical journal with Malia. Danny let the conversations wash over him. It felt like Christmas again.
Kono's phone buzzed at them and Danny froze, expecting his to go moments later but it didn't. Kono pulled it out of her pocket and Steve disappeared from his side.
"That's the fish."
"Ah," Danny stood as well. "Gracie, let's go and get everything ready. The rest of you can come inside to get your food."
Grace pulled herself away from Kono's side and the conversation they were having with a sigh but she came anyway. Danny knew that whatever else was going on he and Rachel were still a team in making sure that Grace had manners and was helpful and polite even if she was also a little spoilt.
They put everything out on the kitchen table.
"What did Nana make for Christmas?" Grace asked.
"You know Nana, she made everything. There was roast beef and turkey and baked ziti. With every vegetable you can imagine. Just like always. In fact I think she was showing off for Steve."
"I miss Nana's cooking."
Danny pulled Grace into a hug. "She'll be here soon for the wedding."
Grace pulled away and looked up at him. "When are we planning the wedding?"
"After Christmas," Steve told her, walking into the kitchen. "You're going to help us."
"Of course," Grace said, twisting to grin at Steve. "I was talking to Tommy and we agreed that you have to have a woman's help. We watched 'Bride Wars' and 'Father of the Bride' to research it."
Danny wanted to make a joke about 'Father of the Bride' and gay men but he didn't think anyone but him would find it funny and neither he nor Steve were in any way camp. "When did you do this research?"
"I went over to play at his house the other day. We decided to do research instead. And we need to work together to make it a great wedding."
"I can't wait," Kono said. Danny looked up to find everyone standing there watching them. "It's going to be great. And don't think I missed that gay joke you passed up on."
Danny groaned. "Let's elope."
"No!" Max said, firmly. "Marriage is a celebration that should be shared with those closest to you."
"I, for one, agree," Doris said.
Danny turned to Doris with surprise.
"And I've already bought a dress," Kono said. "It's a great dress so you need to have a wedding."
"I could take you somewhere that you could wear it instead," Adam offered.
Kono turned around to glare at him.
"Let's eat," Danny said, trying to change the topic.
"Yes." Chin said, stepping forward.
They ate lunch outside, in comfortable near silence. Then they stretched out among the chairs.
"That was great," Kono said.
"It was, thank you, Malia."
Malia shrugged. "I didn't do much."
"You did."
"You really did," Steve agreed, slinging one arm around Danny's shoulders.
"When is Santa coming?" Grace asked.
"Can it be after my food coma?" Kono asked. "I want to take photos of Danny dressed as Santa."
"You are a terrible person."
"Thanks." Kono grinned at Danny. "I'm going to use them for Five-0 promotional posters next time we do major damage to a building."
Danny hung his head in disbelief.
"Do you do that a lot?" Doris asked.
"We need something warm and soft in reserve just in case."
"And me dressed as Santa is the best you can come up with?"
Kono shrugged and dropped her head onto Adam's shoulder. "Or we'll work the engaged angle."
"Dad," Grace said, dragging Danny's attention back to her, "Can we do Santa, please?"
Danny shook his head. "Nope, Santa is going to have to wait. In…half hour when we've all managed to digest a bit."
Grace looked disappointed but she nodded and went over to sit next to Malia and turned her puppy dog eyes up at her.
Danny sighed. "Gracie."
Malia waved her hand at him. "It's fine. Grace, would you like to go and have a walk on the beach."
"I would enjoy a stroll on the beach as well," Max said, standing. "Sabrina, would you care to join me?"
Sabrina smiled up at him. "I'd love to."
"Right," Steve said, standing up. "Danny, you clean up and I'll go with them."
Danny smirked up at Steve. "I like your optimism."
"Oh, bro," Kono said, reaching out a fist, "I'll pay that."
Danny met her fist with his.
Steve sighed above him but he bent down to kiss Danny anyway. "I need to walk off the food."
"You are the strangest man; you aren't supposed to walk Christmas lunch off. You're supposed to eat until your pancreas floods your body with insulin and you sink into a food coma."
"I don't think that's how it works," Steve said.
"Eh," Danny shrugged.
"Oh man, he's broken." Kono said.
"I'm not broken, I'm just…I can't be bothered arguing with you."
"Definitely broken," Kono said.
Malia, Max, Chin, Sabrina, Steve, and Grace left while everyone else lounged around in the sun.
"This is my favourite part of Christmas," Adam said.
"Oh yeah," Kono agreed. "When we were little this was when we'd all climb into my cousin's beds and nap."
"Right," Danny forced himself to stand up. "They'll on their way back soon, I'm going to go and get changed."
He collected the plates and other dishes, taking them through to the kitchen and dumping them in the sink before he went up to his room to strip off and change into the Santa costume he had collected from his mother while they'd been in Jersey. He looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't resist smiling – this was so much better than anything that Danny had been able to find since he had been in Hawaii.
"Hey," Steve said, stepping into the room. "That looks hot."
"You have a Santa kink I didn't know about?"
Steve frowned at him. "A what?"
Danny shrugged. "Nana loves Golden Girls. Nevermind. Is everyone ready?"
Steve nodded.
"Then let's go and do Santa."
"This is a new side to you," Steve said.
Danny frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"
"You're excited about Christmas now."
"I like Christmas."
"You didn't seem that into it last night."
"That's what she said."
"What do you want, Kono?" Danny asked, looking past Steve to her where she was standing just outside of their bedroom door.
"Grace would like to please have her presents now."
"Did she ask that politely," Danny asked.
"Of course she did," Steve said, indignant.
Danny shook his head at Steve. "Both of you go out there. I have to make an entrance. Yes, Steve, an entrance."
Steve grinned, ducking in for a kiss, before he walked out of the room and followed Kono downstairs.
Danny walked downstairs, out the front door and around the house. He looked at the ladder they'd attached to the side of the balcony that held the lanai and took a deep breathe. He secured his hold on the sack over his shoulder and started climbing.
"Dan…Santa!" Grace called out, laughing.
Kono fell off her chair. "Danny just climbed up the building dressed as Santa."
"That was one of my favourite things." Chin threw in, smiling at Danny.
"You like it, Monkey?"
Grace nodded.
"Then I'm ignoring the rest of you." Danny said, walking past all of them. "Ho ho ho. Come inside for presents. Or stay out here and be Grinches."
"That's not a thing," Kono said, but she stood up anyway.
Danny handed the presents out, with the assistance of his little elf Grace, until there was nothing but one large box behind the Christmas tree.
"Hmm," he said, in his best deep Santa voice. "I wonder who could have bought this last gigantic present and I wonder who it's for."
Grace pulled it out. "Me," she whispered to her father and grinned. "From Santa."
Danny looked over at Steve.
"Gracie, come here." Grace skipped over and leaned close so that Steve could whisper something in his ear. She stood up, grinned and disappeared out of the room.
"What's that about?" Danny asked.
Steve shrugged. "You're going to have to wait and see."
Grace came back into the room and dropped a wrapped box on his lap. "For Santa." She grabbed the large box and struggled over to her own seat, next to Steve.
Danny watched her pull the wrapping paper off the package with glee.
"A guitar!" she squealed. "This is so much cooler than piano."
"It certainly is," Danny said, eyes on Steve who was grinning widely.
Grace pulled it into her lap and strummed at the strings.
"Aren't you going to open your present, Santa?" Malia prompted.
Danny tore his eyes away from Grace and nodded. He pulled the bright red and gold paper from the box. He knew this was from Steve as well, obviously, but he wasn't sure what to expect. Steve appeared to have no concept of appropriate gift giving. Danny wanted to say something to Steve but he knew the other man hadn't had a chance to give gifts much in his life and Danny couldn't bring himself to take that away from Steve.
Inside of the box was Trivial Pursuit.
"Steve?"
"I'm fairly certain it said from Santa."
Danny rolled his eyes. "I would know your writing anywhere, Steven."
Steve smiled at him. "Your father told me it was your favourite game when you were growing up. I had a look and we don't have it."
Danny knew he was grinning stupidly but he didn't want to stop. "Thank you."
Steve dropped his head down and returned to opening his gift. The Five-0 team, and Doris, had also done a Secret Santa though everyone knew who was buying for whom. Along with the presents that Danny's parents had obviously sent from Jersey before Steve and Danny visited them – obviously what Grace had been lugging around with the tree decorations. When they were done Danny asked Grace to collect all of the wrapping paper together. Then she came back in and sat in the middle of them all to survey what everyone had received.
"What did you get for Christmas, Chin?" Grace asked.
Chin turned to look at Malia with a soft smile.
"He got some good news." Malia said.
"Oh my God," Danny said, remembering that look. "You're pregnant."
Malia grinned brightly. "I am."
"How did you know?" Steve asked, turning to look at Danny.
"Rachel looked the exact same way before she told me about Gracie."
"Cheater!" Kono said, knocking into Danny's leg with her toe. "How can you have known before me?"
"I'm smarter than you," Danny said, with a smile.
Kono kicked him properly.
"I'm going to be Aunt Kono," Kono said, grinning. She stood up and threw her arms around Chin, and then Malia. "Your mother is going to be so happy."
Chin grinned but didn't say anything. Danny could see it though, that look that made his face light up, he remembered it well and he was glad for Chin and Malia – the other man would make a great father, in fact they would be great parents.
They ate desert and then migrated down to the beach where Grace conned almost everyone, except for Sabrina and Doris, into going swimming with her. When the weather cooled they went back up to the house and Steve started cooking steak on the barbecue when it became clear no one was going anywhere.
"I'm surprised she lasted," Steve said, later when they were half walking, half carrying Grace to bed.
"Williams' stubbornness," Danny said.
"G'nigh'," Grace mumbled, pulling the covers over her body.
Danny walked out of the room but as he was about to turn for their guests Steve grabbed his hand.
"What?"
Steve smiled and pulled him along behind him into their room.
"Steve?"
"I got you something else."
"Why?"
"It was only a board game."
"You flew me to New Jersey," Danny pointed out, "or, have you forgotten that?"
Steve made a face.
"That was all I needed for Christmas."
Steve made another face and handed Danny small green bag.
"What did you do?"
Steve crossed his arms over his chest and waited for Danny to open his present.
"Do you feel some need to make my presents look inadequate? You are already impossible to buy for and then you turn around and do this to me?"
"You are talking like I have done something horrible and not just given you a Christmas present."
Danny opened the bag and peered inside.
"I stole them from your room in Jersey."
"They are game balls from when I played baseball."
Steve nodded. "An ex-Navy buddy of mine works security and owed me a favour so I had them signed for you."
Danny pulled them out and twisted them around to look at the signatures on each ball.
"I checked with Lily about who you'd liked."
"These are amazing, but why didn't you wrap them for the tree."
"I know you don't like big presents, or the fuss, so I thought I would give them to you when everyone left but no one is leaving."
"We're just too good at being hosts." Danny dropped the baseballs back into his bag and kissed Steve. "Thank you, I…they are perfect, thank you."
"I also have this for you," Steve said, handing Danny an envelope.
Danny sighed and opened the envelope. Inside was a slip of paper. Danny pulled it out and frowned at Steve. "I don't understand."
"Then look at it."
Danny rolled his eyes and unfolded the paper. Inside was a hastily drawn picture.
"What is this?"
"What does it look like?"
"It looks like a stick figure porno."
Steve laughed. "I can't draw like you."
Danny laughed and pulled Steve into a kiss.
"I've heard of this thing called Christmas sex." Steve mumbled into Danny's lips.
Danny pulled back further and frowned at Steve.
"We missed out on it on the real Christmas Day."
Danny looked back down at the drawing. "Is this your way of asking for sex?"
Steve nodded. "Not really asking, more of a suggestion, this," Steve pointed to one of the figures on the paper, is me and the other is you."
Danny bit down on every desire he had to laugh. "You are ridiculous." Steve looked wounded. "But, you are getting lucky later anyway."
Steve smiled and him and crowded him back into the door jamb.
"No way," Danny panted, pushing Steve away. "We are not having sex with your mother downstairs."
"Then let's get rid of them."
"You can't do that."
"Why not?" Steve pouted down at him.
"Because…you just can't. It's bad manners."
"They have overstayed their welcome," Steve countered, "that's bad manners too."
"You were completely happy having them stay before."
"I-" Steve looked suddenly mulish.
"We'll go back down for a little while and then we will politely kick them out come up here and let life imitate art."
Steve leaned back in to kiss him again and Danny didn't protest even as the wood behind him dug into his back.
/ / /
I have been writing this since I posted the last part.
I have way too much to do before Christmas - two challenge stories and a big bang draft - so this will be the last post before Christmas probably.
Have a lovely holiday season regardless of what you do/don't celebrate!