Steve replayed the events that had led to his imprisonment: his encounters with Wo Fat, his threats, his relationship with Hesse, his father's clues, the investigation into the murder of the governor's assistant, and finally the trap he'd fallen into, which had led to his arrest for the governor's murder when Wo Fat was responsible. He was doing push-ups in his cell or sit-ups to try and get rid of his anger and stop brooding, the only good thing about his situation was that he was kept in solitary confinement until his trial, it had to be said that in one year he had contributed to filling the prison and his life could be in danger if he was mixed with the other residents of the place.
He had just spent six days locked up when a guard came to fetch him and take him to the visiting room. He smiled broadly when he spotted Danny, a smile he lost immediately afterwards when he spotted his dragon caretaker's red hair.
"That's not the reaction I was expecting." the wizard told him, picking up the phone.
"I've just realized I've missed our weekend." replied Steve, sorry. "I've been preoccupied…"
"Danny explained it to me." cut in Charlie. "How have you been? Is your life in danger?"
The soldier read between the lines, his wizard was ready to take him out and disappear if he wished. His heart sank; since he'd been in Hawaii, he'd been putting his relationship on the line and hurting his man. He thought about the hidden proposal, but he knew he couldn't live in peace with the Englishman until he had the answers to his questions.
"I'm fine Charlie, don't worry I'll be out soon."
"You know I've been more worried about you since you came back to Hawaii than I was when you were away on missions with the army?"
The military man smiled sadly; yes, he knew it, he was really going to have to work on making his man happy.
"When are you leaving?"
"The plan was for me to stay a week."
"And are you going to?"
"There must be something I can do to help!"
"Don't take any chances, and don't come back to see me here. I don't want Wo Fat anywhere near you."
"Steve, I can take care of myself."
"Not without exposing yourself, please do as I ask."
Charlie pursed his lips and Steve sensed he didn't appreciate his request, but he didn't care, he wouldn't risk the life of the person he loved most in the world.
"All right," breathed the dragon rider reluctantly. "I'll go and console myself in Danny's arms."
Steve couldn't help but burst out laughing; he knew that his lover wasn't going to cheat on him, and that if he ever did, it wouldn't be with the man he was beginning to think of as his best friend. He watched him walk away and beckoned Danny over.
"How are you?" inquired the blond immediately.
"I'm fine, don't bring him here again, the less these guys know about me the better."
"Noted, but he showed up at my house in a panic, aware that something was wrong, I couldn't refuse him a ride."
"No worries. I just don't want him to become a potential target. How are the others?"
"Chin's still on the police force, Kono's suspended and I'm doing what I can to prove your innocence... and I'm going to turn into a tour guide."
"Thanks."
Steve exchanged a long look with Charlie as Danny left to join him, he could see in his lover's eyes that he was taking it upon himself to leave without him and the prisoner wondered if Charlie would dare come and join him in prison, for the night or to break him out. He knew he could do it, and Steve preferred not to think too much about it as he made his way back to his cell, but he couldn't get the wizard out of his head. For the rest of the day, his thoughts shifted from Wo Fat to his lover, and he couldn't prevent a feeling of sadness from invading him when night fell. He'd never felt this way before, except when people died, but now it was the absence of his man, who was so close to him, the injustice he and his team were experiencing, and the fear that something might happen to them, that were affecting his morale.
He fell asleep with a heavy heart, but woke up with a start a few hours later. A hand was placed over his mouth, another on his shoulder as a few words were whispered in his ear. He relaxed immediately and the hand on his mouth was replaced by thin lips. The prisoner's body ignited and went to meet Charlie's, he felt as if he were finally breathing after a long apnoea when at last they touched and their tongues began to dance together.
"You shouldn't be here." Steve murmured as their lips parted.
"Neither should you." growled Charlie.
"Don't worry, Danny's going to get me out of this."
The older man rested his forehead on the prisoner's and closed his eyes, they stayed like that for a few minutes until he whispered again.
"Seeing you through that glass was torture, I need to touch you, I won't be able to stand staying at a distance."
Steve smiled, he knew he wouldn't have been able to either, their bond would have prevented it. He rocked his man back on the bed and buried his face in his neck, his hand under his shirt. Charlie closed his arm around him and stroked the back of his neck with his fingertips. Face to face, they drifted off to sleep, lulled by the comfort of each other's presence.
The sound of the guard going around the cells to open the opaque door startled them awake. Charlie hurriedly kissed Steve goodbye and disappeared with a 'pop'; this express separation made the soldier's heart ache, he got up and started doing push-ups. The day passed slowly until the guard came to take him to the visiting room. He wondered who might be visiting him, since Danny had been there the day before.
"Why are you smiling?" asked his second, who didn't seem to be in a good mood.
"You didn't wear ties, it suits you."
"You were bragging less yesterday!"
Steve acknowledged inwardly that he wouldn't have played that in front of Charlie, his man had been too tense the night before to hear him tell tendentious jokes to another man, but he'd never tell his friend.
"Any word from Wo Fat?"
"No, still nothing."
Frustration grew in Steve, but he showed none of it.
"How's Rachel? Still nauseous?"
"She's fine. Well, I know you don't like visitors, but he's not a man who understands no."
Steve thought for a moment that Charlie had insisted on coming back, but his feelings were mixed when he discovered Joe White, his former military instructor and the man he considered his mentor. He was thrilled to know he was there to support him and help him get out of prison, he had no doubts about his effectiveness, but if there was one person close to him he didn't want to find out about his relationship with Charlie, it was him.
"Let me guess, the Governor had it coming?" joked Joe.
"You didn't have to come, sir."
"How are you, son?"
"I'm doing fine. I've seen worse in my classes."
Joe reassured Steve why he'd come: to make sure he didn't get convicted, and passed Danny back to him.
"He can't know about Charlie," he told him bluntly.
"Okay, I'll tell him not to drop by unannounced."
Steve thanked him and was escorted back to his cell, where he didn't stay long. He was taken to the courtyard for his hour's walk, which was empty, but too empty; there weren't even any guards on the rooftops. He found this suspicious and was put on his guard, even more so when he saw Hesse, his father's murderer, coming towards him with a determined step. Despite the backlight, he saw the homemade weapon in his enemy's hand and had time to prepare himself to counter his attack. A fight ensued between the two former soldiers, during which Hesse stabbed Steve in the abdomen, the pain pinning him to the ground on which he was lying. He couldn't muster the strength to fend off his assailant, who was now whispering in his ear. Steve put all his energy and powers of concentration into listening to what he was saying.
"Listen carefully Steve, Wo Fat ordered me to kill you. I aimed between your vital organs. If you don't run away during your transfer to the hospital, you're a dead man."
"Prisoner, stand back," shouted the guard's voice.
"Can you hear me, Steve? Can you hear me?"
He heard it clearly, but was unable to react; he lost consciousness before the paramedics arrived, but came to in the ambulance. He decided to believe Hesse's words and put the paramedic and then the guard out of action before jumping out of the moving ambulance. He rolled on the asphalt, almost got run over and fled into the alleyways.