Junior woke up very early the next morning, as was his habit. The weather was much milder than the previous evening, and it took him a few seconds to remember the events that had led him to sleep at his colleague's place. The evening had been really pleasant. If he were truly honest, every moment he spent with her was fabulous, regardless of the context. After a few minutes of reflection, the Seal got dressed and set out to prepare breakfast for himself and his colleague.

On her side, Tani woke up much later. The past few days had not been easy, and she definitely needed rest. Despite everything that had happened, the young woman couldn't help but smile when she remembered her teammate's presence in the next room. He definitely had a way of calming her. After fully waking up, she realized there was noise in the kitchen.

Intrigued, the policewoman got up, put on a sweater over her shorts and tank top, then left her room to find Junior preparing food. This scene seemed so natural that it almost made her panic.

"Hey, good morning, did you sleep well?" he asked, seeing her awake. "Very well, and you?" Tani replied hesitantly, leaning against the door. "Wonderfully, even though your brother has interesting tastes in decoration. Anyway, it was definitely wiser to stay last night. From what I heard on the news, the storm caused quite a bit of damage on the road." "The news...? Wait, how long have you been up?" "Not as long as you might think. I prepared breakfast. Well, I tried, since you really don't have much in your fridge. You should go shopping," the policeman joked, trying to lighten the mood, seeing that she was putting her barriers back up. He didn't take it personally, as it was very common for Tani. "You know, you didn't have to prepare anything," she stammered. "Hey, relax, it's just pancakes. Come to the table because I'm starving, and we might be late for work," Junior explained, cutting the conversation short. His partner hated feeling vulnerable, so he didn't want to prolong it any longer than necessary. However, he intended to continue his little gestures for as long as it took for her to understand that he wasn't going anywhere.

The meal passed quietly. The two friends chatted about everything and nothing, listening to the news to get an update on the damage caused by the storm overnight. Apparently, it was fairly superficial. Nevertheless, as soon as they finished eating, Junior received a call from his boss and roommate asking where he was and warning him that they would have to work to prevent criminals from taking advantage of the chaos.

When the former SEAL explained that he was at his partner's place (specifying the reason for staying over), he immediately received a teasing remark. Fortunately, he hadn't put the call on speaker. Once the conversation ended, the two friends prepared to go to work. It was quite strange for them to perform such daily routines together.

Junior had already been in a serious relationship, so he enjoyed finding the familiarity of spending time with someone who meant so much to him. The young man found it crazy that she had such an effect on him from the moment he woke up.

On her side, Tani had never experienced this before, and it was as pleasant as it was frightening. She loved the idea of having him by her side, of spending time alone with him. The young woman couldn't deny that seeing him shirtless several times had given her some rather daring ideas. Anyway, she tried to suppress her emotions so he wouldn't notice the effect he had on her and got ready without any trouble.

Half an hour later, they left for work in Officer Reigns' car. Upon arriving, they saw that Tani's mother had repeated the previous day's action by sitting on the bench in front of their building. The young woman passed by her indifferently again, but Junior knew her well enough to know it affected her.

Once inside, the two police officers went to work separately. By late morning, Junior was alone with Steve and couldn't stand the situation anymore, so he left the offices to meet Tani's mother.

"Mrs. Rey, Junior Reigns from the 5-0... I'm a colleague of your daughter. I know I can't force you, but I'd like to ask you to leave now."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Reigns. I understand your approach because I imagine my daughter has told you all sorts of horrible things about me. Those stories are probably true, by the way. But I've changed, and I intend to make amends."

"To be honest, she's told me almost nothing about you, but I know her well enough to see that she's suffering, and I can't stand that. You have no idea how wonderful Tani is, and she doesn't deserve this."

"I know I hurt her, and that's exactly what I'm trying to fix. If you tell me it's making her suffer this much, I'll think of a better way to do it, but I won't give up. This time, I intend to stay, no matter how long it takes for her to trust me again."

"I understand, but make sure it's done respecting her wishes because I'll do what it takes to protect her," the young Hawaiian concluded, turning on his heel to go back into the building.

This conversation did not go unnoticed by Commander McGarrett, who had observed them from his office window. Aware of Junior's feelings and the complexity of the situation, he called his roommate into his office for a chat.

"Junior, although your intentions are commendable, you realize that if Tani finds out you've meddled in her affairs, she might not appreciate it."

"I know, boss, but no matter how much she says everything is fine, I don't believe it. She's suffering, and I want to help her like she helped me deal with my problems when I returned from Afghanistan."

"I know and I understand. You care deeply for each other. It's obvious..."

"I'll stop you right there; nothing has ever happened between us. I'm not even sure my feelings are reciprocated."

"For me, there's no doubt they are. What I'm trying to tell you is that you should talk to her. Repressed feelings can be dangerous in the long run because they always end up coming out, and rarely in the best way. Besides, life is too short and too complicated not to spend it with the people we love. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"Yes, boss, I'll think about it," Junior concluded before returning to his office, his mind filled with thoughts. His feelings for Tani were only growing stronger with time, and he would soon no longer be able to hide them, but he definitely did not want to ruin everything.

The young man told himself that, in any case, he would do everything to protect their friendship... No matter what!