#Steve always there for his Danno

[merlin-wolfgang-trades-hale]

skipping over the loops and hoops my brain went through to come up with this because explaining it would be a whole ass paragraph I don’t want to write, but can you imagine Steve hearing Danny’s Retail Voice? 

(I am upfront about having a shitty memory so idk if its ever stated if either of them had other work outside of their military and law enforcement careers. But from what I got is after being shipped out Steve’s life was basically the Navy. While Danny went to college so like I’m just assuming some sort of part time gig to help with bills and stuff) 

Cos Steve’s so used to Danny being...Danny. The retail voice is not something that one thinks of when dealing with Danno. 

Steve feeling a little smug because he recognizes that the closest he’s heard that voice before is when Danny deals with Rachel or that times Danny had to cater to his ex-mother-in-law and even that had a breaking point(and honest the most ever deserved moment for Danny to have been allowed to say Fuck You )

Steve could pull up working records but he prefers Danny tell him about it on his own. It’s weirdly fascinating. 

there’s no real point to this post beyond this. I think about McDanno a lot. I think about them in weird normal situations like this. Like yeah...Steve hearing Danny’s retail voice is probably a thing. 

[slutforsilverfoxes]

Sleight of Hand

[A/N: I DID IT! I finished my Steve x reader undercover op fic, and I kind of love it??? I hope those of you who were looking forward to it enjoy it too 😈🖤 Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to write this as a full blown fic! Over 5.7k words hehe whoops]

—————

When your former mentor had contacted you about an opening at her coral reef research lab, moving from Camden to Oahu had been a no brainer. You’d packed up your life in New Jersey and been on a plane to the Aloha State within a week. Your favorite cousin, who’s truthfully more like the big brother you always wanted, had been elated to hear the news, welcoming you at the airport with open arms and two simple rules.

“Always answer the phone when I call so you don’t worry me to death,” Danny had said, holding up one finger, “and two,” he added a second, “you’re an adult and you can date anyone on this island-”

“Thank… you?”

“-but stay away from this schmuck.”

The schmuck in question had simply rolled his eyes, draped a beautiful lei around your neck, and greeted you with a warm hug. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Steve.”

Your confident promise to your cousin had been broken a whopping two months later- and no, you hadn’t ignored one of his phone calls.

“Did you get me a beer?” you ask with a teasing lilt to your voice, wringing out your wet hair before dropping down onto the bench beside your boyfriend. A quick glance around reveals that Danny’s over by the shrimp truck with Kamekona, and you lean forward to steal a kiss before putting some space between yourself and your favorite brunette.

“I surely did not,” Steve sasses back and takes a swig of his ice cold beverage. “Alcohol and diving do not mix. But I did happen to get a mango smoothie from that one place down the road this pretty girl I know really likes.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhm,” he responds, a goofy grin spreading across his handsome face. “But, uh, she didn’t show, so I guess you can have it.”

You laugh and give him a playful shove, then let out a content hum as you pop the straw through the lid and take a grateful sip. “So good,” you moan in delight, and Steve has to bite his lip to refrain from making a comment when he spots Danny approaching the table with your regular orders.

“Hey, you.” Your cousin greets you with a kiss on the cheek before taking up residence on the bench across from you and Steve. “Why’re you sitting all the way over there, huh? You like that clown better or somethin’?”

“This guy?” you snort, taking your lunch off the tray and rifling through the napkins in search of a fork.

“Ouch.” Steve winces as if burned by your comment, and you surreptitiously squeeze his thigh beneath the table.

“So tell me about this case you’ve got,” you coax your cousin to change the subject, spearing some grilled veggies on the plastic fork’s tines and scooping up a respectable mound of rice on top.

“So there’s a diamond smuggling ring-” Danny starts, and you immediately cut him off with, “Shut up, that doesn’t happen in real life.” You turn to Steve for confirmation, but there’s no provocative arch to his eyebrow or twitching of his lips to suggest this is a joke. “Are you serious right now? BFFR, Danno.”

“I don’t- I don’t know what that means. Why are you making me feel old?”

“Be fucking for real,” you and Steve supply in unison, and you smile proudly at him. “You’re learning!”

“Between you and Gracie, I keep up, okay?”

“Oh, between my baby cousin and my daughter, you- okay, that’s excellent,” Danny proclaims, his tone indicating it’s anything but. “Anyway, they’re using poker games as a cover to uh, collect their product, shall we say.”

“There’s enough rich people on Oahu with actual diamonds?” you ask, incredulous. “And here I am working like a pleb for paper currency.”

“Word,” Steve seconds your statement, raising his beer in a toast. You clink your smoothie against it before taking another refreshing sip and asking, “So how’re you gonna catch them?”

“Well, there’s a high roller tournament on Friday night that we’re betting they’ll hit. We wanted to go in undercover and flush them out but…” Steve trails off and gazes at you thoughtfully, but Danny’s shaking his head before the words have even formed on the brunette’s lips.

“No, absolutely not. Don’t even think about it, Steve.”

“What?” You turn to him, excitement coursing through your veins at the way his eyes have lit up. “Think about it! And tell me what you’re thinking about.”

“You could go undercover with me to the tournament, help me gather some intel. Maybe we get you to confirm the diamonds are actually in their possession and-”

“No!” Danny chimes in again. “What’s the matter with you, huh? These guys have killed two people, Steve. It’s too dangerous for her.”

“First off, fuck that-”

“Language.”

With an eye roll, you amend, “Forget that. More importantly, shouldn’t Danny go undercover? You kind of suck at poker, Steve.” You feel a sharp pinch at your side and you yelp in protest, slapping at the Navy SEAL. “It’s true, you little-”

“You’re not going,” Danny says definitively. “What about Tani?”

Steve shakes his head. “Tani and Junior have already questioned two of the men involved. They’ll be made before they even get to the table.”

You cross your arms and level your cousin with a smirk. “Sounds like you need me, Danno.”

“Then I’m going with you,” he declares.

“Yeah, no, hard pass,” you backpedal. “Even as a former thespian, there’s no way I can convincingly play arm candy for you without it being weird.”

“So, it’s settled then, little Williams,” Steve says with a grin. ���You and me. Friday night. The high roller table at the Ilikai Hotel.”

__________

“This whole affair is giving very much Ocean’s Thirteen,” you remark as you lean into the mirror to line your puckered lips with Devil’s Den red. “The diamond heist, the poker game… it’s all so exciting.”

“Except this isn’t Hollywood and a bullet will actually hurt,” your cousin ever so graciously reminds you, trying to tug the slit ends of your dress together and then grunting in displeasure when the action reveals more of your bare back. “You’ve gotta be kidding me with this dress, babe,” he tuts. “Why’s it so expensive if it’s missing half the fabric, huh?”

You shrug and answer with a smile, “Don’t ask me! Your buddy picked it out.”

“Oh yeah, I bet he did,” Danny grumbles under his breath. “I mean, you’d be the most beautiful woman in the room if you were wearing a paper bag, but this- this dress-”

“Danno,” you laugh, completing the finishing touches on your makeup before turning around to squeeze his shoulder. “Remember one of the first things you said to me when I stepped off the plane?”

“Don’t date Steve?” he offers hopefully with a grimace.

That ship has sailed and it’s not docking anytime soon, you think wryly. “No, you goofball,” you respond instead, “that I’m an adult. Everything’s going to be fine!”

“Alright, okay, but just- just promise me you’ll be smart tonight and play it safe.”

With three fingers held aloft, you answer solemnly, “I promise.”

“And don’t let Steve talk you into doing something stupid, okay? No honeypot insanity or trying to sneak into rooms or anything, you got it?”

You press your lips to your cousin’s cheek and then wipe away the smudged lipstick. “Relax, Danny. The man’s a former SEAL. What could possibly go wrong?”

You open the door of the en-suite bathroom with a small smirk tugging at your lips as Danny splutters on behind you in answer to your incendiary question.

As soon as your stiletto touches down on the carpeted floor of the luxury hotel room, you’re hit with an enthusiastic, “Woah, baby!”

“You like?” you ask with a grin, holding your arms out at your sides and giving Tani a spin to show off the dress.

Tani laughs appreciatively and lets out a low whistle. “You are smokin’ hot. I am looking… disrespectfully,” she concludes after pretending to mull over her word choice. She sneaks a glance over at her boss who’s trying and failing to draw his gaze away from the high slit that’s showing off a majority of your leg, then steps closer to you and drops her voice. “And I’m not the only one.” You shush your friend quickly and she ducks away from your playful smack with another peal of laughter.

“Wow,” Steve breathes out, practically sporting heart-eyes as he drinks in the black silk hugging every curve of your body. His piercing blue eyes blaze a trail of heat from the stilettos on your feet to the low bun your hair is swept into, and you feel your skin grow warm under his attention.

“You look pretty wow yourself,” you remark, appreciating the smart tux he’s donned, the perfectly tailored suit accenting every defined muscle on his powerful body. The blush on your face deepens when your gaze meets his, catching a glimpse of a hungry predator on the prowl.

“No, but you, Y/N,” Steve counters, his voice a low growl, “you just- I mean- wow.” He looks ready to pounce, and you’re positive he would forego the event in lieu of spending the evening in bed if there wasn’t a case riding on your performance tonight- and your cousin who you’re keeping your relationship a secret from less than a foot away.

Danny snaps in his face, directing the brunette’s attention to him. “Don’t you gawk at her like that. Paws off my baby cousin, you hear me? Better use the right head tonight, Steven, I swear.”

You dart your eyes over to your boyfriend and make an intentionally obscene gesture with your hands, indicating which head you’re thinking about. He covers up his laugh with a cough, then hurries to reassure his partner. “Danno, c’mon. I’m a perfect gentleman. Aren’t I, Y/N?”

“You’re an animal, is what you are,” your beloved cousin continues his tirade, answering for you. “Just remember I’m watching, huh? I’ve got eyes on all the cameras.”

“Alright, people, focus now,” Lou admonishes gently, handing you and Steve small communications devices that you fit snugly into your ear, out of plain sight. “Y’all remember the plan?”

“Stand there and look pretty. Don’t get shot at,” you dutifully list off your objectives for the op with an exaggerated waggling of your eyebrows while Steve tests the microphone tucked away in his bow tie. “As an unofficial member of Five-0 now, do I get a gun?”

“Are you insane?” Danny cries as Steve asks, genuinely, “Where would you even hide a gun in that dress?”

Unable to resist, you shoot him a coy smile and challenge, “Wouldn’t you like to know, Commander?”

“Woah.” Your cousin holds his hands up between the two of you and declares, “Flag on the play. Don’t- Don’t do that. No flirting. Get in, entice Lee to steal your fake diamonds, get out. Deal?”

“We’ve got it, Detective,” Steve huffs, bending down to adjust his ankle holster.

Junior approaches then with a gorgeous looking diamond necklace and announces, “Got our bait here, boss.”

“Excellent,” Steve says, taking the jewelry from him and motioning for you to turn around. He gathers the necklace in one hand, his fingers drifting across your shoulder and collarbone to grasp one end before he fits it snugly around your neck. The simple touch has your veins flooding with heat, but you tamp down your reaction, keenly aware of the multiple sets of eyes on the two of you. “Tight enough?” he murmurs, and you nod in response, not yet trusting your voice.

“Oh, and one more thing!” Lou reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box, opening it with a flourish to reveal one simple silver band, the other studded with diamonds. “Little extra bling for good measure.” Your cheeks flush at the sight, and you turn your face away from Steve while you slide the wedding ring onto your finger.

One glance at its mate on your boyfriend’s hand has you weak in the knees, and Tani whispers, “Girl, you are down bad.”

“Shut up,” you hiss, fighting the blush threatening to give you away. Steve approaches with one eyebrow raised in curiosity, and you clear your throat before taking the arm he’s offered to you. You tuck your hand into the crook of his elbow, pressing yourself close to him and sending a sharp look to your older cousin when you feel his eyes boring holes into the two of you. “Knock it off, Danny.”

He cups your face between his hands and pulls you closer to press a kiss to your forehead with an apologetic smile. “Be smart. Be safe. I love you. You watch her back, okay?” He directs the last comment to his best friend with all the gruffness of a father sending his daughter off to prom.

“I will, Danny,” Steve answers solemnly, squeezing your hand.

“Alright, buddy. But not too close, okay? Remember, I’m always watch-”

You pull the door shut behind you with a sigh. Steve guides you down the hallway towards the elevators, and your grip on his arm tightens at the prospect of what you’re about to do.

Steve immediately intuits your nerves and offers a soothing, “Hey, you’re okay.” He takes your left hand in his, his right hand coming to rest on the small of your back so you feel completely enveloped by his steadying presence. He lets his thumb drift back and forth across your skin, just above where the fabric drapes at the base of your spine, and your comms come crackling to life. “Higher.”

Steve shifts his hand up with a chuckle, and your cousin begrudgingly remarks, “Better.”

The moment relieves some of your tension, and you shake your head before pressing the call button for the elevator. The lavish gold doors open to reveal an already sizable group dressed to the nines and clearly heading to the big casino-sponsored event downstairs. Steve applies gentle pressure on your back to guide you into the elevator, and as you descend each floor and the crowd grows, you’re forced closer together in the corner. “You’re wearing a new perfume,” Steve comments, his lips right by your ear to avoid your conversation being picked up by his mic.

“How observant,” you reply. “My boyfriend bought it for me.”

“He has excellent taste,” he continues the charade, and you resist the urge to roll your eyes at the compliment. With the crowd in the elevator blocking the camera’s view, Steve allows his fingers to glide down your spine until they reach their intended destination, and he sucks in a sharp breath when he realizes you’re not wearing anything under your dress. You smirk to yourself but quickly lose the upper hand, forced to swallow down a gasp when the elevator doors open into the lobby and Steve brazenly palms your ass while calmly stating, “Target acquired.”

“We see him, too,” Junior affirms. “East corner of the lobby, talking to the concierge.”

“Come on, darling,” Steve croons, settling into character- or rather dropping your usual act. “Let’s go win me some more money to spend on you.”

__________

“No entry without invitation, sir.”

You crane your neck to look up at the beefy bodyguard at the entrance to the high roller section. His biceps must be the size of your head, if not bigger, he’s got at least 6 inches on Steve, and his hulking form is completely blocking your view of the room behind him.

“Honey,” you murmur, “you brought it with you, didn’t you?”

Steve gives you an easy smile and pulls a gold-plated poker chip from the breast pocket of his tux. “Of course, my love.”

“Alright, enough with the cutesy nicknames,” Danny gripes, and you’re forced to stifle a laugh at Tani admonishing him in the background. The security guard pulls back the velvet rope to let you pass, and you duck behind the curtain to cross into the high roller area.

The room is a sea of expensive suits and sparkling cocktail dresses. A thick cloud of sweet-smelling smoke has settled in the air from the Cubans lit around the room, and the distinct symphony of ice clinking in glass tumblers joins the hum of dealers murmuring at their tables.

“Why don’t you go get us a drink and I’ll find a table to join?”

“The usual?” you purr in question, running your manicured fingers across the lapel of Steve’s suit.

“That’s perfect,” he assents, squeezing your hip before releasing you to do your own recon. Then you feel his fingers lace through yours and he murmurs, “Y/N, wait.” When you turn back to Steve, he tugs you closer by your connected hands and presses his lips to yours in a kiss that has your head buzzing before a drop of alcohol has even hit your tongue. “Lee’s watching,” he whispers against your mouth by way of explanation.

“Then let’s give him something to look at,” you respond with a glint in your eye, winding your arms around his neck and pulling him in for another kiss. Steve’s left hand comes up to rest on the nape of your neck as the other caresses the diamond fitted snuggly against the hollow of your throat, making sure that it catches the light just so as you lay the groundwork for your operation tonight.

“He’s practically suffocating her,” Danny cries in the hotel room upstairs, hands raised while he stares at the two of you in disbelief. “What’d I say about ‘not too close’, huh? Animal.”

“Okay, lovebirds, get some air,” Lou chuckles over your comms. “Seems like our man Lee has his eye on the prize now.”

Junior leans over to Tani as he watches the two of you part ways on screen, tracking your path to the bar with a skeptical brow. “Is it just me, or was that… intense?”

“C’mon, Junes,” she laughs breezily. “That is theater at its finest.”

“One scotch on the rocks, and one vodka tonic that’s light on the tonic,” you place your order at the bar, absentmindedly letting your fingers drift over the diamonds as you peruse the top shelf.

“Easy there, cowgirl,” Danny coaches in your ear. You look around for the nearest mounted dome camera and make a face at it. “Real mature, kid.”

You feel a heated gaze on your back, and you turn to flash a coy smile at Mister Jason Lee, the suspected brains behind the smuggling operation, before collecting your drinks and making your way back to Steve.

“He’s interested,” you murmur in his ear as you bend down to place the glass between his hands on the table. “But we need to really hook him. Better start throwing some money around, hotshot.”

“Go ahead, baby,” Steve says animatedly, attracting the attention of the other players around the table. He makes a big show of closing his eyes and letting you bet for him, clearly unaffected by winning or losing a few hundred on your blind faith. As you lean over to push a stack of chips towards the pot, you hear an appreciative titter around the table and turn to find Steve with one eye very obviously peeking- but definitely not at what your hands are doing.

“Naughty boy,” you scold playfully, and he offers his palms in an act of mock deference.

“Can you blame the man?” one of the other players barks out through a raucous laugh, and you smile politely even though their leering eyes make your skin crawl. When you bend to retrieve your drink, Steve moves closer with a grin and whispers in your ear, “If one of them so much as breathes in your direction, I’ll break off every one of their fingers and feed them to ‘em, okay, mama?”

Acutely aware that Danny and the rest of the team are watching your every interaction, you suppress a shiver and murmur back, “Sir, yes, sir.”

Steve has mixed luck on his first few hands, but you’re sure to make a big show of celebrating each win with a kiss that has the older women in the room clutching their proverbial pearls and Lee hanging onto your every move. You toy with the necklace as a nervous habit each time Steve places his bet and let your fingers trail across his broad shoulders as he studies each hand, squeezing affectionately every now and then.

“I hate this,” Danny declares, a dismayed frown tugging at his lips as he watches you on the live CCTV footage. On the small screen, you drape your arms around Steve’s neck and press a kiss to his cheek before murmuring something in his ear that’s too quiet for the hidden mic to pick up but has Steve grinning like a fool. “I hate this. Why did I let him talk me into this? Putz.”

“Relax, Danny,” Lou attempts to soothe his ruffled feathers. “They’re doing great.”

“Hey, hey, look!” Tani calls to garner their attention. “They’ve lured Lee in. He’s about to make contact.”

“Good evening,” he opens politely, pulling out the chair next to Steve.

“Evening,” your boyfriend offers in kind.

“Do you mind if I join you for the next hand?”

“Not at all,” you purr. “Perhaps you can help break my husband’s current losing streak.”

“With a good luck charm like you on his arm?” Lee counters smoothly. “Impossible.”

“From your mouth to the cards’ ears,” you laugh airily. “Let me go get you another drink, my love,” you say to excuse yourself, running your hand down Steve’s arm to collect his glass. “Can I get you anything, Mister…?”

“Good girl,” Tani praises you quietly over your comms.

“Lee,” he supplies. “But please, call me Jason.” He raises the remaining amber liquid in his glass with a smile then says, “Perhaps when I finish this drink, I’ll have what your husband’s having. Clearly he’s got excellent taste.” The way his eyes wander across your body isn’t lost on you.

“Arrogant son of a bitch,” Lou scoffs to his fellow team members upstairs. “Not even using an alias.”

Steve notices Lee’s hungry gaze straying from his cards to appreciate your form against the backdrop of the expansive bar and remarks, “Beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Indeed,” he agrees, swirling the expensive liquor in his glass before taking a sip. “Women like that are hard to find. As rare as that diamond around her neck.”

“Laying it on thick there, buddy,” Danny comments over your comms, and you steal a glance over to the table. “Take the bait, Steve.”

“Only the finest for my girl.”

When you return to the table with your and Steve’s drinks in hand, he hooks his ankle around the chair beside him and tugs it close for you to sit by him. “Slick move, double-oh-five-oh,” you murmur appreciatively in his ear before nipping at his earlobe. He seems extra possessive now, his hand either resting on your thigh, or your hip, or the back of your neck, always maintaining some form of skin to skin contact while the other holds his cards, and you can’t help but wonder what transpired between the two men.

Leaning over, Steve presses his lips to the point where your pulse thrums along your throat and asks, “What should we bet, beautiful girl?”

“Hm?” Your gaze is hazy, more so drunk on Steve’s touch than alcohol, and the unbidden thought that you can’t wait for this guy to be in cuffs so you can take your man home crosses your mind. You run your manicured fingers down his cheek and answer coyly, “I want you to go all in.”

The two of you dutifully ignore Danny’s protesting in your ears at your overt innuendo as Steve pushes his stack of chips to the center of the table.

“A bold move,” Lee declares with a whistle.

“What’s a few thousand when I have a million on my arm, hm?” your boyfriend counters with a sly glance in your direction.

“Let’s make this a real game. I’m all in, too.”

The dealer flips over the river card, and Steve’s arm tenses beneath your fingertips. The other few players around the table toss their cards aside with a sigh, but Lee looks over at the two of you with a grin, presenting his hand- a flush- with a flourish. He stands to collect the pot but Steve holds up one finger.

“Not so fast, my friend,” he laughs, his confidence making your body grow warm. Steve lays his hand out on the table with a smug smile. “Full house. Aces over eights.”

You let out an excited squeal, genuinely delighted at such a triumphant win, and pull Steve toward you by the lapels of his jacket to mold your lips to his. He makes an appreciative noise low in the back of his throat and his hand comes up to cup your neck in an overtly possessive manner that has you melting into his embrace. You feel his fingers playing with the clasp resting at the nape of your neck, and then the necklace falls into your lap, the next phase of your ruse in full effect now.

You pull back with a gasp and pout at Steve, your eyes wide. “It broke!”

“Then I’ll buy you ten more,” he answers easily, shrugging off your concern. “Go put it upstairs and don’t give it a second thought, okay?” He presses his lips to yours once more and gives you an affectionate pat below the dip of your dress when you stand that has you blushing. You can practically feel Danny’s laser eyes through the screen where he’s watching you.

You make sure to wobble the tiniest bit when you move, steadying yourself on Steve’s shoulder with a laugh. “What was our room number, honey?”

He shares a knowing look with your mark, then jokes, “How many vodka tonics have you had, hm? How many fingers am I holding up?” He has his fist raised and you smack at his chest with an eye roll. “217, my love,” Steve supplies before taking your hand and kissing the wedding band adorning your ring finger.

You head upstairs to the empty room the team had rented for this very purpose and place the necklace in the carefully concealed safe in the cupboard. When you return to the table, you find Steve alone.

“Where’s our friend?”

“Turned in for the night after that big loss,” your boyfriend supplies, winking at you. “Shall we?”

He offers you his arm, and after collecting his winnings, the two of you make your way to the lobby to lie in wait. “You’re going to be insufferable about that win forever now, aren’t you?”

“You said I was bad at poker,” Steve reminds you.

“You still are,” you fire back. “Dumb luck one time does not a skilled player make.”

“Jeez, boss,” Junior’s voice comes crackling in over your comms. “Want some ice for that burn?”

“Would you just- would you shut up and focus on the room, please?”

After a few minutes of waiting with no sighting of Lee, you lean into Steve’s chest and ask the team, “Anything?”

“Girl, hop off the mic,” Lou admonishes you, and you jump back from Steve. “We can hear you when you talk normally. Damn.”

Leaning back in, this time you whisper, “Sorry, guys.”

“Hey, McGarrett?” Tani speaks calmly but you can hear an edge of tension to her voice. “At your 4 o’clock, there’s two guys in suits who’ve had an eye on your table all night. I thought they were watching for potential card counting but they seem to have taken an interest in you and Y/N.”

“Copy,” Steve says quietly, pulling you closer to his body in a protective move in case all hell breaks loose.

“Let’s just show them we’re not a threat,” you offer.

“You want to go back in?”

“I was thinking of a more… hands on approach.” As the clicking of Italian leather shoes on the polished floor grows closer to you, you spin Steve around and push him against the wall, crashing into him for a heated kiss. His strong hands caress your bare back for a moment before one stays put to hold you against him while the other deftly undoes the knot holding your bun, your hair cascading down to its full length so Steve can use it for better leverage. You can’t help but moan into his mouth as he kisses you like a man starved until you’re shaken from your stupor by yelling approaching the lobby.

“Hey! Five-0! Stop running, dumbass!”

Without opening your eyes or breaking your kiss, you stick your foot out at the opportune time, making contact with the ankle of your diamond thief’s leg so he goes sprawling. There’s a faint splash to your right, and when you pull away for a breath, you can see your necklace winking at you from the lobby fountain.

Danny catches up to the scene and yells, “Hands- hey! Hands!”

Lee raises his hands above his head with a sigh, but your cousin continues on, “You two! Yeah, let me see your hands, too!” You turn to find Danny’s gun aimed at the diamond smuggler, but his fiery eyes are trained on you while Tani and Junior wrestle the other two lackeys to the floor nearby. You exchange a look with Steve, then feel the warmth of his palms leave your bare skin as the two of you slowly raise your hands as well. Clearing your throat, you offer meekly, “We’re really into method acting?”

“We’ll talk about this later,” Danny growls, slapping zip ties on a defiant Lee and ratcheting them tight before hauling him to his feet.

“Hey, man, ease up,” he whines and Danny barks, “You shut up.” He continues lamenting his woes audibly as he leads the thief to the waiting squad car, grumbling, “Had enough of all of you. My baby cousin and my best friend. Christ. What am I gonna tell my aunt?”

Steve whistles low under his breath when Danny’s out of earshot, then mutters, “That could’ve gone better.”

“On the plus side,” you comment, “he still referred to you as his best friend.”

Tani shoots you a sympathetic smile when she passes by with the man she apprehended, but Junior wastes no time leaning in and playfully tutting, “Bus-ted.” Steve raises one eyebrow and he tacks on a hurried, “Sir.”

—————

With Lee and his crew stewing in interrogation and HPD clearing the scene, you’re left sitting on the couch in Steve’s office like kids who got sent to the principal for misbehaving in school. The three of you must look ridiculous from the rest of the team’s point of view- you clad in spare clothes from Steve’s wardrobe in his office that you’re positively swimming in, your 40-plus-year-old boyfriend in a full tux with his bow tie and top few buttons undone, hand pressed over his mouth to avoid saying something that will further incense your cousin, and said cousin still dressed in his shirt and tie pacing the floor in front of you with his hands flying to emphasize every point he makes.

“And you-” Danny pauses his pacing to point an accusatory finger at his best friend. “How old are you, huh?” The finger changes angles to point at you. “And how old is she?”

“Do you want me to actually answer the quest-”

“No, Steve, they’re rhetorical questions! I know how old you are, and I’ll tell you! Too old for my baby cousin, that’s how old, huh? What’s the matter with you?”

“Why don’t you let Y/N speak for herself, Danny? Gotta let her grow up, buddy, c’mon now.”

“Thank you!” you cry. “Can I say something?”

The blonde and brunette duo turns to look at you with the same infuriating, incredulous look before simultaneously deciding, “No.”

“Alright, y’know what?” You slap your hands against your thighs and stand with a huff. “You two-” You point back and forth between Steve and Danny before continuing, “You work out your little marital spat. Daniel, when you’re ready to talk to me like the adult I am, I’ll be with Tani. After I drink some water. Because I’m still buzzed.” With that, you attempt to walk out of your boyfriend’s office with your head held high but are thwarted by the door, pushing on it to no avail.

“It’s a pull-” Danny says quietly, and Steve jumps in at the same time, “Pull, babe, you gotta pull on the-”

“I got it,” you bark at them, tugging on the glass door with a grumble about architectural intuitiveness.

After a long conversation with Steve and a short interrogation with Lee and his associates, Danny finds you nursing a bottle of water in Tani’s office, as promised. She slips out as your cousin takes a seat next to you, pulling you into a hug that you allow yourself to melt into even though you mutter all the while under your breath about his overprotective nature.

“I’m sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t just tell me you were seeing Steve.”

Woah. What?

“What?” Danny laughs. “You were right. We should talk about this like adults.”

“Did I say that out loud?”

“The ‘Woah. What?’? Yeah, you did, babe, it was very much not an inside thought.”

“Excellent,” you laugh, nodding solemnly. “Well, um, thank you for that. And sorry for not coming out and just telling you.”

“Guess I made it pretty hard for you to tell me, huh? What with the two rules and-”

“Yup.”

“But everybody else knew or-”

“Tani knew, cause she’s my girl, y’know. Grace figured it out pretty quickly. Pretty sure Lou’s had a feeling since at least Thanksgiving, honestly.”

Danny sits back with a start, pulling away from your hug. “How long has this been going on?”

With a sigh, you realize it’s time to come clean. “You remember when I wanted to go on that dive with you, and you said I should take Steve since you don’t ‘do water’? Well, Steve took me to this really beautiful dive spot and we kind of made a day of it so…”

“That was like-”

“A while-”

“Like seven months ago!”

“I mean, we didn’t exactly start dating on that day- well, no, we kind of did,” you correct yourself quietly, biting your lip with a grimace, but Danny’s already halfway across the floor back to Steve’s office. Lou takes the opportunity to poke his head in to check on you and you draw out a slow, “So Lou…” He raises one eyebrow in question, and you dare to ask, “Would now be a bad time to tell Danny about Will and Grace?”

—————

Tagging you beautiful people who commented for me to finish writing this 🖤

@the-silentium @ilovewriting06 @jamie2305 @kelssssxd @cassadilasworld

[ellena-asg]

@neanderthal-pessimist

Babe, you asked about Danny's suicidal thoughts/attempt so here it is.

In 1x18 there is a moment when Danny and Steve have a talk with FBI guys and later, when boys are alone, Danny is devastated by the news about Matt's financial crimes and Steve's "what if Matt is really guilty?". Danny wants Steve to have faith in Matt (or: Danny tries to still believe in his own brother, he wants to be loyal) and there's his confession.

Very dark and painful confession: once Danny thought about suicide (and I guess/interpret that he TRIED to kill himself - and that's why Matt was always there, was there almost 24/7).

Why? Because of damn Rachel. No, it wasn't because of the divorce (he could live without her, he would be happier without her and his mental health would be much better when she's away from him). It was because of Rachel's plays. GRACIE. She used Grace against Danny, she wanted to ruin his fatherhood. She took Grace away from him and was like "You'll lose her, Daniel. I swear" ("I'll punish you, Daniel"). Once she and her mother behaved in toxic and abusive way towards Danny and then, after divorce, Rach ruined Danny's mind again. She knew well what would hurt him, what would really hurt him. She knew well that Grace was Danny's everything. Danny's forever-love. Rach knew where to hit so she hit.

So in 1x18 we can see all Danny's pain. All painful memories. It's a double pain cause it's about Gracie and now also about Matty. Matty saved him. We can say about Matt many things but yeah, he saved Danny's life. He helped Danny to be strong again. He helped him to fight for Gracie. Danny almost lost Grace, almost lost his life (literally and metaphorically) and in this moment he fears that he will lose his brother - a brother who helped him so much.

Gosh, Steve's face. He's shocked. He's terrified. He tries to stay calm but he can't - he's shaking inside. His Danny, his beloved Danny, his angel, best friend, his best human ever, sunshine of his life... Danny almost died. Almost killed himself. Danny. Suicide, fuck. Yes, Steve understands Danny's loyalty and love for Matthew BUT THIS. SUICIDE. Steve can't think about Matt now. He is focused on Danny. On Danny's old pain. He can't believe that his boy tried, thought... His strong, "there's always hope" boy... Fuck. No. God, why? Why Danny had to suffer? Why Danny has to suffer? Oh, Steve knows well that part of the pain is still there - cause Rachel still wants war. She is still mean to Danny. Her smile can't hide it. Steve knows her. He observes. He listens to Danny and believes Danny, not her.

Steve is pissed off. He was pissed off earlier when he saw Rachel's games. When he heard Danny's bitter words, Danny's fears. But now Steve has such a face like... It's the face "I wanna go back to the restaurant and...". Shout at Rachel. Tell her that she's the worst. Gosh, Steve looks here like he wants to punch her. He can't do this, he knows (plus: he doesn't want to ruin Danny's fatherhood). But in his mind he is punching her. He is shouting at her (well, maybe one day he will tell her, one day he will punch her with his bitter words, one day when Danny and Grace are safe).

Steve is here (and always will be) for Danny. He touches him. This touch is like a touch of guardian angel. And in the end he is looking at Danny and there's so much love and concern in Steve's eyes. Rachel can't hurt Danno anymore, no fucking way, he thinks.

It's such a strong scene. Danny opens his heart. Oh yes, Steve is the only one - Danny lets only him to know. To know about the darkest moment in Danny's life. Danny knows that Steve will understand. That Steve will treat this seriously. Steve is like him. And Steve is the opposite of Rachel. There's no shame, Danny. Steve loves you. Your pain is his pain. All what is yours is his.

I love that they're together SO MUCH. They're together so it will be all right. They're strong together. So strong.

I'm not a fan of Matt but it's so good that Danny had him around. Matt saved Danny and all what he did for him as a brother... It's touching. It's beautiful. All that beer, all those talks, all this time... Thank you, Matthew Williams. You saved an angel.

But... I can't believe that this Matt, this Matt that saw his brother's pain, deepest depression, that witnessed Danny's suicidal attempt... Why the hell Matt still tries to be nice (SO nice) to Rachel? Why the hell he wants her around Danny? (and Grace) Why the hell he invited Rachel for his family dinner with Danny and Grace? Why the hell he told Danny "You love Rachel, I see this"?! Why the hell he behaves like he wants to see Danny and Rachel together again (knowing well about Danny's pain and seeing well how much Steve means to Danny)? Why sometimes he behaves like HE is in love with Rach? (well, sometimes she looks at him like "I chose the wrong brother" so... hmm...).

And Rachel, geez. Why show's plot is on her side? Why no one sued her for what she did? She's guilty. She (and her mother) ruined Danny's mental health. After divorce she ruined Danny's mental health even more. Her toxic/destructive behaviour (and using Grace in her war against Danny) was the cause. Her behaviour and toxic deeds, her "I'll take Grace" pushed Danny to suicide attempt. Why didn't she face any consequences? Why are people still kind to her? Why the hell Grace lives with her? Where's "I'm sorry, Danny?" (oh, okay, there's no apology cause Hollanders are never sorry, right?).

Six months. SIX MONTHS! Six months full of deepest anxiety and depression. Six months WHOLE of that. Six months without light. Six months, for six months Matt tried to change Danny's mind. For six months there was a danger - that Danny would do it. I can imagine Matt's fear when he went to work and for those few hours per day Danny was there alone... Six months with darkest thoughts. And before and after that? Still dark. She made/makes Danny's life dark (and Steve's too, by the way).

Where's the law? Where's the justice for Danny? What an irony - he fights for other victims' justice but he as a victim got no justice.

Yeah, I know. Writers hated Danny. And Lenkov wanted Danny/Rachel so badly...

"I would not have gotten through that"

It hurts. It's blood-curdling. Danny, our bamf!Danny said that. It's generally scary to hear such words. To see other person's pain and feeling of total loss. Gosh, I can't 😭 This line kills me. It kills my heart.

(Thank you, Matthew for saving the life. Thank you, Steve for saving this life again. For giving Danny a real good life, safer and colourful. Life full of love).

[delulu-hours]

Big idiot

Paring: Steve McGarrett x Latina!Reader

Summary: You always knew that Steve was a reckless idiot. One that you couldn't help but adore; however, sometimes you don't know what to do when he tries to hid things from you.

A/N: This take place in season 1 episode 24. There is some mild use of Spanish. It's not much but I hope you guys enjoy it. Much love

"You, my friend," Danny's voice could be heard as the front door opened. "Are an idiot. " A smile pulled at my lips as I wiped my hands on a kitchen towel.

"This again?" Steve groaned, and I bit back a small laugh. "Danno, how many times have we gone through with this? My methods are efficient."

"Efficient?" Danny exclaimed. "Please, they are crazy. "

"You boys arguing again?" I left the kitchen and saw them standing close to the door. They both looked at me as I smiled at them, amused. "What happened this time?" I titled my head to the side and placed my hands on my hips.

"Y/N," Danny pointed at Steve, "A rational person who will agree with me." Steve ignored Danny's comment as he smiled at me. A twinkle in his blue-green eyes as he took three sizable strides, closing the gap between us.

"Hey there, beautiful." His hands found their way around my waist, and he pulled me close.

"Hola, handsome." I could hear a groan from Danny as I placed a quick kiss on Steve's cheek. "Now, why is Danny calling you crazy this time?"

"He's exaggerating." Steve pulled me to his side as he turned to look at Danny. He tilted his head a bit as he gave him a look. I noticed the frown that settled on Danny's lips.

"Is he now?" I raised an eyebrow as I looked back at Steve. "Danny, why is this man an idiot?" I stepped forward and out of Steve's hold as I looked back at Danny. He looked at me with his light blue eyes before he glanced behind me at the man who reached out for me; his fingers lightly touched my arm. He quickly avoided my gaze as he looked down a bit.

"Angel," Steve called for my attention, and that was how I knew this wasn't good. Whatever his idea was, he didn't want me to know.

"Danny," I wasn't going to budge. Steve wasn't going to tell me. He would brush it off, and Danny was the only one who would tell me out of the two. "I'm not gonna ask again."

"He wants to break into the Governor's mansion." Danny's voice was quiet that I barely missed what he was saying. I stood there as I felt their gaze on me and tried to process my thoughts. Process what Danny just said. I bit the inside of my cheek as everything started to make sense.

Steve had been on the edge ever since he started to receive those envelopes. Envelopes that were filled with the evidence his father had left him. Evidence that linked to his father's death. I took a deep breath before I nodded slightly. "I-" I cleared my throat, trying to figure out what to say. Did I have the right to say anything? Steve and I had only been together for six months. "Danny, would you like some fruit?" I decided to change the topic. "I was in the process of cutting the fruit if you like some." I brushed past Steve as I went back to the kitchen. I picked up the knife and returned to cutting half the watermelon I had left. I could hear their soft voices before Danny awkwardly came into the kitchen. He picked at the fruit before he placed a kiss on the side of my head.

"I'm gonna head out," He glanced behind me, and I kept cutting the watermelon. "I gotta do something." He snatched another piece, and I shook my head.

"Here," I looked through the cabinets and pulled out a Tupperware. "Take some with you." He gave me a small smile as I filled it with the mixture of fruit I had cut. "Yo no lo necesito todo. (I don't need it all)" I had been in the craving mood for some, feeling as if the day would end well.

"Thank you," He pulled me into a hug. "You are the best." I gave him a small smile and handed him the container before going back to cutting the bit of watermelon I had left. I was a little too into my thoughts as Danny's words repeated.

"Hijo de puta, (Son of a bitch)" I hissed as I pulled a finger back in pain. The blood slowly started to form around the cut on my finger as I brought it to my mouth.

"Are you okay?" Steve rushed into the kitchen, and I nodded. He pulled my finger out as he looked at my wound before dragging me to the bathroom. "Sit tight. Let me get the first aid kit." He glanced at the wound again as I sat on the toilet seat. He opened the mirror and pulled out the small first aid kit on the lower shelf. I stayed quiet as he moved to sit on the side of the tub. He grabbed my hand and began to work on it. "This might sting a bit." He mumbled as he opened the saline solution cloth and gently wiped the wound. I winced a bit but allowed him to clean the wound. It was quiet between us as he rubbed in some Neosporin and wrapped a band-aid around it.

"Thank you," I said softly as I watched him gently rub the band-aid. He looked up at me and sighed.

"Talk to me." He hooked his finger under my chin and had me meet his gaze. His thumb touched my lower lip as he held eye contact with me. His eyes searched my face, almost begging me to talk to him. To say something. I took a deep breath before closing my eyes.

"I don't like the idea of you breaking into the Governor's," I said softly. "You're doing something dangerous, Steve." I opened my eyes as I began to think of all the possible outcomes of his doing this. None of it went well.

"I have to do this." He cupped my cheeks, and I leaned into his touch. "Something is not right here, and I must find out." I couldn't help but frown as I placed my hands over his.

"I understand that amor," I bit my lower lip. "I understand that you need answers, pero why did you try to hide it from me?"

"To protect you." He answered back as he placed a soft kiss on my lips. "I didn't want you to worry about me, and I didn't want you to be in danger." He moved and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"Eres un idiota. (You're an idiot)" I pulled away from his touch. "You can't keep hiding things from me." I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. "If this relationship is going to work, I need you to be honest with me. I understand that there are things you won't always be able to tell me, but I need to know what you can." I held his hands in mine as I looked down at them. "I can handle myself, but what will you do when I chase after you because you didn't tell me what you were doing?" The corner of his lips tugged downwards.

"I'm sorry." He held my hands tightly before he brought them up to his lips. He placed a kiss on the back of my knuckles. "You're right. No more secrets." He promised with another kiss on the back of my hand.

"You do what you have to do," I moved to cup his cheeks. "I will be here waiting for you to come back to me. That's all I ask for is that you return to me no matter where you go or what you do."

"I can do that." He flashed me a smile, which I returned with one of my own. " I will always do everything I can to return to you."

"Good." I moved forward and kissed him. His smile grew against my lips, and he pulled me into his lap. A laugh left his lips as I let out a slight surprised noise. "Steve!" I lightly smacked his shoulder before shaking my head at him. His beautiful ocean-blue eyes gleamed with contentment as the green specks seemed to glow a little more. He held me tightly by my waist as he looked up at me. I moved my arms around his shoulders and ran my fingers through his neck.

"You look beautiful today." His fingers moved up my shirt, touching the slightly exposed skin.

"Don't even think about it, buddy." I patted his shoulder as I pushed myself off his lap. "You're not gonna get that lucky today." He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side as if this was a challenge for him. I shook my head and moved away from his touch, which caused him to stand up. "Steve, I'm serious." I pointed a finger at him and took a step back. He gave me that smile as if he wouldn't take me seriously. "Please," I gave him a slight pout, "I prepared some food so we could enjoy it."

"Only because you asked so nicely." He raised his hand as if he was giving to my demands. I smiled as I held his hand out to him.

"I had a huge craving for something fruity," He took my hand as I pulled him with me to the kitchen. "And I think I might have gone too overboard on the shopping." I could hear the small laugh he let lose from his nose as he took in the fruit I had yet to cut.

"Little?" He raised an eyebrow. I smiled as I bit my lip and plopped a mango into my mouth. I shrugged and held a melon up to his lips. He didn't fight it as he opened his mouth and took the piece. He let out a slight hum as he nodded.

"Good, right?" He reached for another piece. He mumbled as he shoved the other piece in his mouth. "So worth it then." I took a strawberry and bit into it; a small moan left my lips as the sweetness of the strawberry filled my tastebuds. Steve pulled me into a kiss, and I didn't fight him as I moved my arms around his neck. I pushed myself up on my tippy toes and leaned into him. I hummed into the kiss as I felt his tongue touch mine as he deepened the kiss. He pulled back and smiled as I clung to him.

"Definitely worth it." He winked at me. I bit my lip and shook my head as I pushed him away.

"You're a big idiot." I plopped the rest of the strawberry in my mouth.

"Your big idiot." He took another fruit.

[trickster-archangel]

During my h50 fast-forward rewatch I couldn't help but stopping on this very scene, because I'm sure the subtext is powerful here. It's all about subtext. It actually gives you the chills to read, now, comments written on fanfics dealing with this specific episode, because so many of us were damn sure Steve was foreshadowing his death because of radiation poisoning (which, honestly? Would've made sense, so damn sense, considering the framing of this scene. And it wouldn't have left such a HUGE plotline open. Not that I want Steve dead at the end of s10, but you know....consistency...).

Anyway I tried to read this scene in a different light, knowing that Steve already knew he was thinking about taking a leave, going away from Hawai’i, finding himself, and he didn’t know how to tell Danny. Danny who already KNEW something was wrong, something was afoot, and Steve was definitely fucked up.

Don't focus on Steve, here, nor on his words — because now it's clear, so damn clear and painfully obvious he's not talking about sunsets: you get sunsets everywhere (even in Montana, while your father-figure is dying in your arms...and fuck you all if now sunsets will always be a cliche metaphor for death), so it's not really like you'll miss these specific Hawaiian sunsets. The only sun, the only sunshine he's ever had in his life is Danny. His Danno. So the only thing he'll miss, truly miss, while he searches for answers around the globe, will be his Danno. And that’s why he's so ready to agree when Danny tells him to visit New Jersey. He's basically telling Danny that even if he's the constant in his life, he's never taken him for granted, and that he's the thing he'll miss the most.

No. I'm not focusing on the obvious, here.

I'm seeing only this: Danny's face in the third gif. That's not a relaxed, tired, maybe annoyed-at-the-impromptu-feelings-dumping face you'd expect. He's just told Steve he's there for him, whatever he needs to say or talk about. Dammit, he's asked Steve to confess what's tormenting him!

No. Look at the strained lines around his eyes. Look at his furrowed brow. Look at his grimace, barely restrained.

Don't forget Danny's a detective. A hell of a good detective. By those seemingly innocent words alone, he's already understood Steve is going away. Maybe he only feels it in his guts — but he knows he's going to lose Steve. And that’s exactly why, in answer to Steve's heartfelt, gloomy words, all Danny can do is draw from his most reliable coping mechanism: joke. He jokes about squirrels and dinner. Because he doesn't known, literally has no clues, how to cope with the idea that his main dude is leaving him.

Danny knew Rachel was going to divorce him the day they married. He knows.

[cowandcalf]

Feeback Fest 2024: H50 Fic Recs

For International Fanworks Day, February 15 (for more information see this post by @transformativeworks)

Thank you, babe @stephmcx because of your great fic rec list I noticed this amazing Fic Rec Day! I'm not often on Tumblr anymore scrolling and discovering interesting things and I miss the interaction with other fandom folks. And here you are, posting a great fic rec list of the most epic OTP ever: Steve and Danny.

I have my McDanno 'go-to' fics I love dearly but for this list I put together a different number of McDanno stories from my bookmarks. I hope some of you haven't read them already. Maybe there's a chance you find an unknown great McDanno story. All of my recommanded stories always act like a large safety net of love I let myself fall into when I need those special, unique, and most magic McDanno vibes.

1.Blue Shorts and Gloves by WeirdoOfTheCentury - Summary: Danny... well Danny is Danny. Stella is a protective Sister and both Steve and herself wanna commit a crime when it comes to Danno. @shadowhunterdownworlderhybrid

2.Touch My World With Your Fingertips by kristen999 - Summary: Danny has plans for Steve when he returns home from his reserve drill.

3.More Than Words, Part One by Candy_A - Summary: The first chapter in a series based on the events that follow Danny's rescue from Colombia (Episode 5.17). In this installment, Danny returns to Hawaii and he and Steve begin to cope with the reality of Danny's ordeal there. (Nine parts belong to this outstanding series)

4.See You Tomorrow by bgharison - Summary: "When we were leaving the office, I said, ‘see you tomorrow’ to Chin and Kono, and they said, ‘yeah, see you tomorrow'. I said, ‘see you tomorrow’ to you, and you said, ‘goodnight’, And 'goodnight' sounded like 'goodbye', okay?""I wasn't saying goodbye," he said, finally. But he kept his eyes fixed on the water.

5.Why don't you try me? by azziria - Summary: Steve and Danny both want the same thing, they just don't know it yet.

6.Back To Back (They Faced Each Other) by harrycrewe - Summary: Danny didn’t even realize that Steve was a sentinel when they first met. That probably said a lot right there about what kind of a guide Danny was.

7.Like Death and Taxes by ariadnes_string - Summary: "One of these days," Steve growled, voice low and rough and filthy, "I'm gonna rip this thing off you and gag you with it." (That's my very first McDanno fanfic I read.)

8.Moments In The Skript by joannereads - Summary: Hello all! So, over the last few years I have dreamed of a few scenarios before, during and after the events of The Script. I wanted to add to it, but never found the time, so now I'm making a point of doing it. I'll add to this as and when I have time or the muse is singing. Some of the stories will be teen and up, some explicit. Hope you enjoy! (RPF)

9.Close To Me by joannereads - Summary: Danny Williams is 17. Steve McGarrett is 26. They all live in Hawaii. And their lives are about to get really, really messy. Because Steve? Steve's his brother's best friend.

10.Sock Monkey by Cattraine - Summary: He’s late; he’s running late when the call comes in. One minute he’s sitting at a traffic light on a perfect day on his way to work, bemoaning his lack of coffee and the next he’s screeching the Camaro’s tires towards the accident, heart pounding, keeping perfect time with the chant in his head. No, no, no. It can’t be.

[loveisfriendship]

Are you wifi?

Author’s Note: As a celebration of the return of my creativity. And as this is one of my stories which still gets a lot of love, I wanted to give "Are you Cinderella?" a part 2.

Can’t believe this one is from 2018. Time flies.

Enjoy!

Love,

Lis

A couple days after your spontaneous Pick-up-Line challenge, you were all on a lookout. While you and Danny were in a car together and Chin and Kelly as well. Steve was with Lou. You were all just talking about Valentins Day, and how horrible they went for most of you.

“Maybe Danny could have used some of the pick-up lines that we heard a few days ago.” Chin chimed in, making everyone laugh, you even more when you not only heard Dannys groan but saw him through his head back against the seat. 

“Please don’t remind them.” Danny said.

“Oh, I heard of the best ones.” Lou chimed in.

“I have some of my one, you know.” He adds, and all of you could hear the smirk in his voice.

“No, Lou. Now is not the time.” Danny retorts at the same time as you say “Oh please, tell us.” The other also encouraging him.

“My wifes favourite was `I'd like to take you to the movies, but they don't let you bring in your own snacks.’” Lou says, making everyone crack up.

“I like it a bit more smooth, so my favorite is ‘Is it OK if I follow you out of here? My parents always told me to follow my dreams.’” He continues, causing everyone to ohh and ahh.

“I heard a new one, from a friend the other night. ‘Your middle name must be Gillette. Because you're the best a man can get!’” Chin chims in.

“What? That’s really just awful.” Kelly replies, but laughs nonetheless.

“Hey Steve.” You say, making Danny groand already, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah?” Steves answers.

“Know what's on the menu tonight?”

“What?” he says, and you can hear the Kelly can barely hold it together.

“Me-N-U.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

“Hey baby?” Steve says.

“Yes.” You answer, smiling and looking at Danny.

“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t want to hear it.” He says.

“Are you wi-fi? Cause I'm totally feeling a connection.” Steve says anyway.

While everyone still chuckles, Danny looks at you.

“What? Smile Danno. It’ll do you good.” You say, nudging his shoulder.

“You think the one I have would have helped me with Melissa?” he asks you, making you gasp.

“Please Danno, let us hear it.” Steve says, everyone being completely silent, waiting on Danny’s line.

“If I had to rate you from 1 to 10, I'd give you a 9, because I'm the 1 you're missing.” He finally says.

Everyone whistles and Lou says “That’s even smoother than mine.” Followed by many “wow Danny.”’s by the others.

You take his hand and look him in the eyes. “Danny… That line?” you asks, making him hum, looking at you. “That would have been 100% better than what you gave her.” You say, bursting into a laugh, while Danny tries to tickle you.

Taglist:@geeksareunique@fandomoniumflurry @rahma29417 @letsstarsfalling@fairchild21 @fungk17 @woodworthit666 @honestlyoriginalthing @evyiione@everygoodusernameistaken16@littlewhiterose@reincarnated-ghost@princess76179 @damedoctoroftardis

[theoriginofcarrots]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE !!!

from your Danno

Happy Birthday Steve !

Navy Seals are part of the Navy and they are sailors too.

I have always liked the "old sailor look", the homoeroticism and iconic gay image (like Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male perfume ads) and I think Steve'd make a great model. Steve's drawing is based on one of Le Male's most famous images.

Danny is trying to look sexy for Steve and a bit/a lot slutty too and his drawing is based on his most Showing the Package* to Steve moment -s1 ep 3, 'Malama Ka Aina', just before throwing a guy into a cage with some sharks.

*credit to @teruel-a-witch for finding a name for Danny's particular yoga pose.

Close-up of Danny:

Charcoal pencil drawings on paper + some digitally added effects

ALSO POSTED ON AO3 - ONNAKAROT

[roadtogracelandx45]

Paradise Undone| 1| S. McGarrett

Summary: Gracie isn’t the only reason why Danny Williams relocated to Hawaii, his youngest sister Emily is a nurse in the navy and is stationed at Pearl Harbor and is in an on again off again fling with Steven McGarrett.

His new partner. And Danny is dead set on keeping them apart as much as he wanted his sister happy, the last person he wanted her to be with was Steve McGarrett

@prettyinpayne @marycorleone

This wasn’t the first time that Emily Williams had been asked to come see her brother Danny, a police detective first with the New York Police department and now with the Honolulu police department, to patch him up and it wouldn’t be the last but this was the first time that the man she had been sleeping with on and off with was sitting on the rolling chair next to the desk. “Shit.” She cursed herself before she stepped into the office, “Danno? What did you do now?” Danny, who had been lecturing Steve, paused and smiled seeing her. “It was all him Em.” Emily finally met Steve’s dark eyes and was glad to see the surprise in them. The last time they had seen each other, they had been in Japan and she was getting ready to ship back out to the states.

“And who is he?”

Danny was oblivious to the uneasy stare between the two, he was eager to start another long bitching session about his new partner and his sister usually listened. “Steve McGarrett.” Danny asked as she started looking at the wound on his shoulder.

“As in the McGarrett case?” She glanced over at Steve who was putting two and two together, Emily had told him stories about her siblings, especially her stuffy older brother.

“Yeah. He got me shot Em? Can you believe that?” The older Williams sibling questioned turning his head to watch his sister work.

“Not really, you got held hostage before, and had to have knee surgery after that case with Libby went wrong. So this doesn’t surprise me at all.” She answered, “didn’t you have the paramedics look at this?” “Why? When I have a nurse on speed dial?” Danny asked, “Em here is in the navy too but her contract is up soon.”

“Oh yeah?” Steve asked, folding his arms, eyes never leaving the siblings, curious. Emily was the exact opposite of his new partner, she had always been quick to laugh and enjoy herself while Danny wasn't that.

“Supposedly she wants to stay. God knows why.”

“Three things Danno, beach, warm weather and you and Gracie.” Emily paused as she opened an alcohol wipe, “and there is no Clara,” Clara was their mother who along with their two sisters Bridgett and Stella were very interested in when Emily was going to settle down and have kids.

“That is our mother.” Danny started before wincing when she dug her gloved thumb into the wound in annoyance . “I know that Daniel but she doesn’t harp on you. “When are you going to have kids Emily? You are such a young and pretty girl.”

Unable to help himself Steve coughed out a laugh, he had heard that impression one too many times which caused Emily to laugh. “Do you two know each other?” Danny asked after a heartbeat, “you can’t know each other.”

“We know each other.” They both answered.

“No, no Emily! Wait, this isn’t the guy you shacked up with in Cuba is it?” Emily pressed her lips together in a tight line so she wouldn’t start laughing outright.

“Emily Anne! Tell me the truth.”

“No comment.” she risked a glance over to Steve who was studying her every movement. “Do you need me to pick up Gracie after school?” Being able to have a relationship with her niece was part of the reason why she jumped on being stationed at Pearl Harbor.

“Emily! Tell me the truth.” Danny had glossed over her question like she had expected him too and he was furious. Like Matthew, their brother, he was fiercely over protective of Emily and their other sisters.

“Yes, okay?” she snapped back as she started bandaging the wound. “But you have no room to talk, Daniel. You are the one who ended up marrying someone you pulled over.” Another quiet laugh escaped Steve, he had heard all about her brother’s ex-wife after she found out that she had filed for divorce causing a smile to twitch on the corner of her mouth. “You told a total stranger about my personal life?”

The younger Williams sibling smiled then, “Well yeah, he's a good listener and I had to have someone to talk to. And I was not going to use the satellite phone to call Clara.”

Groaning Danny dropped his chin to his chest, “You two are going to put me in an early grave.”

“Don't be so dramatic Danny.” Emily rolled her eyes, “We both know that it will be Rachel and step Stan.”

“Step Stan?” Steve stepped in, unable to help himself, now that he was putting faces with names, things started making sense and he wanted to try and diffuse the situation mostly for Emily’s sake.

“Rachel's new husband. He seems nice.” The younger sibling returned. “You only say that because he tried to buy your affection too.” Steve and Emily exchanged a look with furrowed brows. “Are you still bitter that I attended the wedding for Gracie’s sake?” Danny huffed as he stood up and went into one of the glass offices. “Grace begged and pleaded for me to go, I was on leave.” she informed as she started gathering up the used supplies to throw them away, “I tried to talk Rachel out of it, including offering to be her getaway driver.” “Does he know that?” Emily shook her head, “He wouldn't listen, probably never will.”

[teruel-a-witch]

'they dig each other' steve-ception edition (the one where steve wished danny didn't want to separate from him from the start)

the entire scene of them saying their long goodbye (definitely not forever) has such strong sense of 'i like you so much and feel so connected to you that i am desperate for this not to end'

first, danny makes the same sort of crack about steve wearing a uniform in the hawai'i weather that steve used to make about danny's ties (it taking place in steve's head only confirming that the tie thing was definitely sexual, not that we had any doubt about that)

the look of blatant appreciation on his face says danny definitely doesn't find the view funny (not that it's much different to how danny reacts to steve wearing dress blues in their reality) and the slightly bashful but also smug look shows that steve definitely noticed.

danny continues devouring steve with his eyes throughout the scene (look at that tongue action)

again, not that unusual, but what's different from reality (especially the way it would have been 5 years prior, or even in 3x14) is steve answering with a heated gaze of his own/flirting back the way he wouldn't have been comfortable doing back in the day while in uniform

(not a lot of eye contact going on in this scene overall 😏) in a reality he imagined steve was brave enough to flirt with danny while wearing the very symbol of his repression.

the scene wouldn't be complete without steve 😍😍 mcgarrett

steve showing such blatant affection and appreciation for another man while in full parade would have been unthinkable to him back in 2010 but his brain conjured this perfect world where he was free of repression.

to continue with the role reversal in this au steve created it was danny who suggested they partner up

we know one of steve's biggest fears has always been that danny doesn't really want to be here (in hawai'i, on 5-0, in steve's life), so it makes sense that in this happy reality it was danny's idea for them to partner up because this way steve would be sure that it's what danny wanted, he wished for a reality where danny didn't want to say goodbye to him after working together on one case enough that he would suggest partnering up.

their desire not to separate is obvious till the end

as they even appear reluctant to let go of each other's hands till the last moment because they are still holding on after danny started walking away.

in a perfect world where the most traumatic event of his life didn't happen, the one thing steve couldn't take is being separated from his danno. if you didn't exist, i would make you up.

[i-had-bucky]

I wasn't able to actually make the h50 big bang this year, but I am still working on the story I started for it! It's a finale fix-it road-trip sort of thing. The writing is going slower than I'd like because I'm picking up extra hours at work, but I thought I'd share a (very unedited) snippet here for y'all!

“So uh,” Danny started, not looking at Steve, “okay. Look.” He looked up finally to find Steve staring at him, beer half-raised, both eyebrows making a hilarious bid for his hairline. “I know you’re planning on leaving, right? Taking some you-time or whatever-”

“Danny-”

“No, shut up, lemme finish,” Danny ordered, waving one hand, much to Steve’s apparent amusement. “So, I’m just spit-balling here, okay, like do not feel pressured, I am not trying to pressure you, but uh, I mean, I’m not going back to work for a few weeks, and the kids won’t be here for the summer, so I was thinking maybe-”

“Maybe?”

“You’re gonna make me ask?”

“I kind of wanna make you ask.”

Danny made a face at him and then sighed, drawing his hands down over his own face. “Fine. Steven, can I come with you?” 

Steve grinned, bright and happy at him. “Thought you’d never ask.”

Danny stared, unimpressed. “Thought I’d never ask. Are you kidding me? Were you gonna ask? Or were you gonna just swan off into the sunset without me? What if I’d talked myself out of it, huh? Or Grace hadn’t put the idea in my head in the first place?”

“I knew you’d get there eventually, Danno,” Steve shrugged. “But for the record, no, I wouldn’t have just left.” He made a face. “I’d have packed you a bag and dragged you along.”

He laughed at Danny’s muttered obscenities, and his smile didn’t fade even when Danny leveled a mock glare on him. “Where we goin’ anyway, huh? Do you even know? Were you just gonna hop on a random plane, Steven?”

“Well, Daniel, I figured we might go to San Francisco and visit Chin; I hear Kono might be there. After that…,” he dimmed a little there, some of that lost expression making its way back. Danny hated that he’d had even a part in putting it there.

“We’ll figure it out, babe,” he offered, nudging Steve’s shoulder with his own. “I’ve always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon.” 

[jayxox]

Love Confessions

A/n: Little blurb I had in mind. Nothing crazy. Maybe I'll incorporate it in a fic at some point.

Warnings: some already healed wounds, nothing graphic. Pure tooth-rotting fluff!

Summary: Leave it to Steve. He told Danny, in one way or another. ♥

Gif

"You never told me you loved me, how should I have known that, you animal!!!?" Danny couldn't believe what he just heard. They were sitting at their beach, him with cane, wounds nearly healed. Was Steve fucking kidding him.

"Danny, it was in every little book 'em Danno, in every smile, every hug, in every single time I let you stay with me, in every single minute I was with or without you, in every word of my letters, calls or mails. In every stupid decision, in every normal one and in every single one I didn't do because I was scared I wasn't coming back to you. In every single way I cared about you and your children, how I would have caught every bullet going towards you, in every moment I thought I lost you, every single step I ran. I love you Daniel. Always have."

"I dunno what to say. I... why?! What took you so long? We could have had that for years, Steven. And for fucking once can you take the first step and kiss me now. I am not gonna do that, I am hurt."

Steve just laughed, moved his body to the right and put his hands on Dannys face, his lips on his. This was most utterly perfect. They would heal. Together.

[slutforsilverfoxes]

🔊 Calling my fellow McGarrett girls, gays, and theys:

A McGarrett x reader undercover op at a casino has been begging itself to be written... do I keep going with this? Excerpt below the cut 👀

When your former mentor had contacted you about an opening at her coral reef research lab, moving from Camden to Oahu had been a no brainer. You’d packed up your life in New Jersey and been on a plane to the Aloha State within a week. Your favorite cousin, who’s truthfully more like the big brother you always wanted, had been elated to hear the news, welcoming you at the airport with open arms and two simple rules.

“Always answer the phone when I call so you don’t worry me to death,” Danny had said, holding up one finger, “and two,” he added a second, “you’re an adult and you can date anyone on this island-”

“Thank… you?”

“-but stay away from this schmuck.”

The schmuck in question had simply rolled his eyes, draped a beautiful lei around your neck, and greeted you with a warm hug. “It’s nice to finally meet the famous Y/N. I’m Steve.”

Your confident promise to your cousin had been broken a whopping two months later- and no, you hadn’t ignored one of his phone calls.

“Did you get me a beer?” you ask with a teasing lilt to your voice, wringing out your wet hair before dropping down onto the bench beside your boyfriend of three months. A quick glance around reveals that Danny’s over by the shrimp truck with Kamekona, and you lean forward to steal a kiss before putting some space between yourself and your favorite brunette.

“I surely did not,” Steve sasses back and takes a swig of his ice cold beverage. “Alcohol and diving do not mix. But I did happen to get a mango smoothie from that one place down the road this pretty girl I know really likes.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhm,” he responds, a goofy grin spreading across his handsome face. “But, uh, she didn’t show, so I guess you can have it.”

You laugh and give him a playful shove, then let out a content hum as you pop the straw through the lid and take a grateful sip. “So good,” you moan in delight, and Steve has to bite his lip to refrain from making a comment when he spots Danny approaching the table with your regular orders.

“Hey, you.” Your cousin greets you with a kiss on the cheek before taking up residence on the bench across from you and Steve. “Why’re you sitting all the way over there, huh? You like that clown better or somethin’?”

“This guy?” you snort, taking your lunch off the tray and rifling through the napkins in search of a fork.

“Ouch.” Steve winces as if burned by your comment, and you surreptitiously squeeze his thigh beneath the table.

“So tell me about this case you’ve got,” you coax your cousin to change the subject, spearing some grilled veggies on the plastic tines and scooping up a respectable mound of rice on top.

“So there’s a diamond smuggling ring-” Danny starts, and you immediately cut him off with, “Shut up, that doesn’t happen in real life.” You turn to Steve for confirmation, but nothing about his facial expression suggests this is a joke. “Are you serious right now? BFFR, Danno.”

“I don’t- I don’t know what that means. Why are you making me feel old?”

“Be fucking for real,” you and Steve supply in unison, and you smile proudly at him. “You’re learning!”

“Between you and Gracie, I keep up, okay?”

“Oh, between my cousin and my daughter, you- okay, that’s excellent,” Danny says, his tone indicating it’s anything but. “Anyway, they’re using poker games as a cover to uh, collect their product, shall we say.”

“There’s enough rich people on Oahu with actual diamonds?” you ask, incredulous. “And here I am working like a pleb for paper currency.”

“Word,” Steve seconds your statement, raising his beer in a toast. You clink your smoothie against it before taking another refreshing sip. “So how’re you gonna catch them?”

“Well, there’s a high roller tournament on Friday night that we’re betting they’ll hit. We wanted to go in undercover and flush them out but…” Steve trails off and gazes at you thoughtfully, but Danny’s shaking his head before the next words have even formed on the brunette’s lips.

“No, absolutely not. Don’t even think about it, Steve.”

“What?” You turn to him, excitement coursing through your veins at the way his eyes have lit up. “Think about it! And tell me what you’re thinking about.”

“You could go undercover with me to the tournament, help me gather some intel. Maybe we get you to confirm the diamonds are actually in their possession and-”

“No!” Danny chimes in again. “What’s the matter with you, huh? These guys have killed two people already, Steve. It’s too dangerous for her.”

“First off, fuck that-”

“Language.”

With an eye roll, you amend, “Forget that. More importantly, shouldn’t Danny go undercover? You kind of suck at poker, Steve.” You feel a sharp pinch at your side and you yelp in protest, slapping at the SEAL. “It’s true, you little-”

“You’re not going,” Danny says definitively. “What about Tani?”

Steve shakes his head. “Tani and Junior have already questioned two of the men involved. They’ll be made before they even get to the table.”

You cross your arms and level your cousin with a smirk. “Sounds like you need me, Danno.”

“Then I’m going with you,” he declares.

“Yeah, no, hard pass,” you backpedal. “Even as a former thespian, there’s no way I can convincingly play arm candy for you without it being weird.”

“So, it’s settled then, little Williams,” Steve says with a grin. “You and me. Friday night. The high roller table at the Ilikai Hotel.”

[ellena-asg]

McDanno in front of suspect's salad - every damn time:

• they have that Big Talk with a suspect but after every few sentences they feel a need to look at each other intensely

• a suspect sits in front of them and suddenly they feel a need to touch each other or they pretend they're arguing (cause it's sexy + it's a good excuse for some extra touching)

• they ask suspect about important things but after hearing the answer they suddenly have their goofy time together, they make jokes or just generally have fun, like "Hey, babe, do you remember how I threw that guy into a cage with sharks?"/"Oh yeah, hahahah"

• a suspect talks to them and they can hear/are focused but they're also so busy flirting with each other and/or are very very sweet to each other (say compliments f.e.) and all around is suddenly so sweet

• a suspect is still there (handcuffed or not yet) but these two dorks are now focused on their private life, like "Hey, how's Gracie?"/"Still sad that I couldn't watch that Barbie cartoon with her but I'm gonna make her the best pancakes ever so...". Or: "Ugh, my stomach!"/"Ha! I told you: don't eat this shit! But don't worry, babe. This time I WILL drive us to home and um, I'll give you a hot massage. I mean... I'll give your belly a hot massage, I, um, I will use hot stones!"

They usually talk about their Ohana and feelings (oh the episode where Steve comes back to Hawaii with Wo-Fat and Danny is like "Cargo pants! I knew it!" and "Steve. Did you miss me, babe? Ha?! Cause I missed you! Come on, hug me!" and Wo-Fat is like "WTF is happening here"). But it can be literally about everything: tickets for the game, medical appointment, shopping, weather...

• there's also this McDanno pose:

aka "We are Boyfriends, you know" ("Btw don't mess with us!")

I can't with our boys but especially with their suspects having the most confusing time of their life 😂 All these guys at first are like "Oh shit, cops!" and they expect some talking, all that serious police jazz, maybe some threatening but soon they all see and hear McDanno being McDanno and they're like "WTF? Are these cops serious? Is this some hidden camera show or what? Do they know they're at work and they should be professional? Do they remember about their suspect?!".

Suspect: Ahem. I'm still here, you know.

McDanno: *being McDanno*

Suspect: Hello? Officers? *Oh no, I'm like the air now, they don't see me* *Oh, fuck, they're doing this again! Come on men, it's too intimate, I don't feel comfortable you know. You need a room and I shouldn't be in that room with you, you get it?*

McDanno: *being McDanno*

Suspect: Excuse me! You should arrest me and take to your car or something like that, right? Right?! *oh mommy, I don't wanna stand here with them, invisible, forever!*

McDanno: *being McDanno*

Suspect: SOMEBODY TAKE ME TO THE JAIL! Pleeeease! *sob* HELP! HELP!

Oh and the episode where Steve and Danny played basketball with prisoners and prisoners were like "Yo, you're fucking married!"? Sure, they had eyes, they noticed it all. But I bet that they knew. They knew it before seeing our boys. All prisoners know - from other prisoners (guys booked by Danno and Steve). You go to jail = you hear about McDanno, they're legendary.

New prisoner: Hi everybody! I'm here cause I'm a serial killer. You can call me like you want but I prefer...

Other prisoners: Who caught you?

New prisoner: Um, cops.

Other prisoners: But who exactly?

New prisoner: Sorry, I don't remember their names. I only remember my sense of awkwardness... and that they called each other "babe". Huh, Small Romeo and Tall Romeo? Yeah, I know, shitty description is shitty and...

Other prisoners: *whispering and cursing* *but also shipping secretly* MCDANNO!!!

New prisoner: So... They do this in front of every...

Other prisoners: ALWAYS!

[commandersmoothdog]

He gets chided plenty for his abrasive actions. He's hotheaded, he's shoot first and asks questions later, he's impatient. Maybe so. But he's also tactful when he needs to be.

He pays attention.

When it comes to Danny, he pays too much attention. Steve notices how other people's stare linger. Deep down he can't blame them, he's the same. The difference was with those who were too bold. Those who saw Steve standing right there next to Danny and didn't think they were together like the rest of the fucking island. The smile directed at Danny was too flirtatious and every other sentence was some sort of invitation for some one-on-one time with his Danno.

Steve would have been his usual self. Could have interjected himself and stated a visible claim to Danny. That's usually how things go.

But no...this bastard needed to learn a lesson. One that Danny has engraved into Steve in the past year, and that was that Danny was his as much as he was Danny's.

His movements were subtle. The only one who did notice them was his Danno. As much as Steve was tempted to reach over and touch his Danno int he way he's studied and proven to drive him wild...he held off. Instead, he began by stroking his own thigh. Slowly. Others would think it an impatient reflex born out of boredom. It drew Danny's attention to his crotch, and Steve had to repress from smirking as Danny's stare lingered.

If he widened his stance, spreading his legs when they were along usually meant giving Danny space to become comfortable.

The way Steve's come to play these jealousy games, it was never with anyone else. His attention, his devotion, it was all directed at Danny.

Danny who was always aware of Steve in general, but when his gaze was set like this? He stammered and found it hard to focus. The idiot trying to keep his attention kept clearing his throat and trying to bring Danny's attention back to him...but all Steve had to do was stand there, and Danny's focus was majorly split with the bigger part on Steve.

His desire for Danny finally reached a point that Steve couldn't do nothing about. Checking his watch, he approached Danny and unnecessarily, just because he could really, he spoke into Danny's ear, "Time to go, Danno."

Danny, bolden asshole that Steve loves so much, cupped him. Was it a game for him too? A display of equal loyalty that formalities will be formalities but to let people know to never think they had a real shot all along? "About fucking time, you tease."

Steve kissed Danny then. Not giving a fuck who saw them. Possessiveness when it came to Danny has gotten better at being controlled, didn't mean it wasn't there as strong as ever. Ignoring the rest of the world, Steve replied to Danny, "Teasing is just foreplay...I'll get you off, don't worry, babe."

[hawaiifiveoh]

full circle | steve mcgarrett

Gif originally posted by tissueoflies

masterlist

Danny tries to set Steve and you up on a date, but it doesn’t go exactly as planned.

steve mcgarrett x reader

Author’s note:  Idk about this, but I love Danno & his irritable good heart.

2.8k words | ♫ Playlist: maybe you (good night remix) - say lou lou

______________________

Danny Williams contorted his face in the way that was reserved for his disgust with some aspect of current humanity and it made you burst out laughing. You had agreed with the sentiment, but you could never take your sudden emotions and outwardly form them to be so entertaining. He turned to you with that look on his face that said ‘What is so amusing, babe? It’s the truth.’

The air was sweet in your lungs. It was a really lovely evening. The music playing was a great playlist, the karaoke goers weren't annoying, and the overall energy and ambiance in the place was sparkling, like a pretty firework you wanted to watch float down. You were having a good time, free from the things you still had to do, and anything else that could distract you from the present moment. Something still felt missing, though. Because someone was... McGarrett.

A faint vacantness was always around when he wasn’t. You tried not to think about it much, because you knew that overthinking things never yielded much of anything good. The longer his presence infiltrated and somehow contaminated your life, though, every time you happened to re-check in on that vague idea you avoided, it had managed to become more detailed and more difficult to push away. It was practically a sinkhole now, waiting to collapse and pull you in.

You saw the tiger man’s gait, through the crowd of people casually chatting and meandering about. It stuck out, it always did, like a predator in a forrest’s clearing. McGarrett always had a tenacity with each step. Like he had the most efficient path, straight to you and no one could stop or deviate him from getting there. If you were a bad guy, it was very bad news. But if you weren’t, it was reassuring in a way. Relief was filling in those dug out places in your heart. Suddenly, however, the safety you found burst like a C-4 charge just detonated. There was another person walking beside him. She had glowing skin, a cool dress that fit well, and openly gazed at the commander in a way that made you feel sick to witness.

It stung, the pain surprising even you. It was if you unexpectedly ran into a wall and got multiple fractures. But bones weren't the thing that were broken in this case. You swallowed the ache running up from your ribcage, realizing that you had fallen into what you purposefully had cordoned off. You couldn’t get out of the idea-- the idea that you could’ve been the one beside Steve, dressed all nice together, some picture perfect scene from a romcom. You couldn’t deny it anymore, acceptance had beaten you and won. This newfound understanding wasn’t freeing, though, it had trapped you. These feelings were stuck pulling at you with other new ones sprouting up, like quick climbing vines with thorns. There was nothing you could do about it. You cut open yourself, and hollowed everything out, shifting into damage control, as you plastered on a fake smile.

“What took you so long, brah?” Kamekona asked, “Being on time demonstrates to all those around you, you value theirs.”

“There was traffic, and I was meeting up with someone beforehand,” Steve explained as he gestured an introduction, working hard for the audience who hadn’t expected this part of the show, “Everyone, this is Lynn.”

The table gave a general welcome, with supervised yet still kind hellos and smiles. You didn’t think anyone else was as bothered by this surprise guest as you had been. But little did you know...

Danny had arranged this get together at the Sheraton, his second favored locale for controlled social settings aside from the Hilton. But, there was no new girlfriend for him, or new "friend" of Grace's, or anyone else that required mingling in a group. This was just supposed to be drinks, dinner, and maybe some karaoke. For the detective, this was merely subterfuge to finally get two of his friends to admit what they refused to ever address out loud. Though, the subtext in both of your staring said plenty, Danny was trying to enact some good will in lieu of his standard complaining. Annoyance took up a lot of minutes in William’s typical day, but tonight, he was aggravated. Aggravated because his idiot of a best friend brought a date. A date?! The schmuck who ignored him every other time he had suggested getting back out there before. A suggestion, Danny had stopped suggesting, ever since you joined the team. The detective knew him long enough to know how past derailed hurts left a deep wound despite Steve not talking about it. But Danny noticed how that wound slowly started to close up and heal after you entered the picture. Steven, however, was being a moron about this or in total denial. Probably both, Daniel ascertained to himself as he smoothed his hair back, hoping it’d magically work on his nerves too.

“Why don’t I get everyone some drinks, huh? Steve, come help me.” Danny ordered, giving McGarrett a look that on the surface seemed innocent enough, as he got up from the table.

“Steven, please,” the Jersey cop warned, and when he specifically started using formalities and manners, it was well known that underneath the pinstriped dress shirt, the detective 's heart was pumping enough oxygen to effectively yet calmly disfigure someone if they disobeyed.

Steve got up slowly, and a few steps away, Williams started pulling at the man’s rolled shirt sleeves, encouraging the SEAL to pick up the pace to chat in a less busy area of the bar, like an impatient parent embarrassed by their kid acting out in public.

“I,” the blonde man said, pointing to himself for emphasis, “Invited you to this outing– solely you,” then there was another now reversed point, “Why did you bring a plus one?”

McGarrett eyed him, forming a confused reply with his own expression lines, as to why Danny was immediately giving him a hard time doing exactly what he harped on for so long.

“You’re being serious right now? This isn't some fancy RSVP'd dinner reception, Danny. It's drinks at Rumfire. What's the big deal?”

“Actually, it was an RSVP, because I asked you earlier this week, and you responded. And you responded without telling me that you were bringing a date. Then I re-asked, and you didn’t tell me then either.”

“And you think I have control issues?”

“You do have control issues,” Danny calmly and instantly retorted, but his friend was now busy ordering at the bar.

Steve turned back around, “Just relax. Don’t make this a big deal,” he reassured, as his eyes darted away from your silhouette he found first at the table. McGarrett distracted himself again by gathering most of the beers. He nudged the ornery shorter man on the shoulder, “Get the other drinks you wanted me to help you with, alright?”

Danny sighed fairly loudly through his teeth, chomping down on the inside of his own lip, before ushering himself back to the table. When he sat down his face grew concerned at how easily the mai tai was flowing from your glass less than a minute later.

The strong liquid was just a distraction, a consolation prize for you being pissed off. You took a heavy swig of the drink again, bordering on some non-assuming villain plotting and stewing as things went on. Soon Lynn joyfully got up to try some karaoke alone, unbothered at her failed attempt to get Steve to join her. She seemed genuinely nice, which made it all the more worse. There wasn’t even an excuse to dislike her.

“So, am I supposed to be leaving still or what?” Kamekona asked Danny, trying to be subtle but failing to be.

Your eyebrow arched, at the same time Steve’s raised. Danny had a mild aneurysm, mumbling, “What? No, no,” over and over.

“Nah, hoalohas, I think I’m still gonna leave.”

Danny jumped up and left the table, trying to reel back the shrimp truck magnate of the North Shore to save face. Now, it was only you and McGarrett… watching Lynn pick her song on stage to sing. Except, Steven’s eyes were somewhere else.

You heard his voice, undeviating, cutting through everything, “How’s the mai tai?,” his tone resembling when he egged Danny about something.

“Good.” You said curtly, still not looking at Steve.

He was surprised at your reaction, “You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” You immediately replied again, finishing off what was left in your glass.

McGarrett didn’t answer, taking a sip of his own beer.

“This your first date with her?” You nodded in the direction of Lynn, who was now starting to sing, pretty well too, some old song you knew but you couldn't remember the title of.

“Second.” Steve corrected, quickly shifting his gaze back to you again.

You barely held back the sharp laugh that escaped your lips, mocking the reality you stupidly never asked about or thought could exist, “Cool,” you deadpanned.

“Are you jealous?” McGarrett abruptly asked, a smug smile faintly forming on his lips.

You scoffed, trying to overtly paralyze the nerve he hit, and the pain that went with it, as you went back to your drink forgetting it was now empty, “Why are you even asking me that?”

“Why don’t you just answer the question?” You could hear the stubborn amusement in his pauses, like he found a hold of something and wouldn’t let it go unless he won.

“Why don’t you?” You pushed back, turning to face him, a milder form of rage rising in your throat.

The hot air froze between you, everything else echoing out and away from the epicenter of you two. Your pairs of eyes were deadlocked, their dimly lit hues burning bright into one another's, setting off a fuse and the dejected unanswered what ifs behind them. Fears were smoldering, alongside the tension and boldness. The aggravation quickly melted away on your end. The anger and fading tipsiness unable to hide all the sadness you gathered in the loss you had now learned. Steve’s own eyes suddenly softened at the afflictions he saw surfacing in yours. You and McGarrett were still this weakening standoff, oblivious to what was happening around you. A certain bystander, however, couldn’t completely disregard the sight of your stares boring into each other's souls as she returned.

“How’d I do?” Lynn asked out loud.

“Huh, what?” Steve asked, confused, re-remembering his surroundings.

“You weren’t watching were you?” She gently questioned, already knowing the truth.

Steve awkwardly shifted in his seat, “I was, you uh, were really good! That’s a great song to pick!”

“What song was it?”

You got up from your seat, murmuring about grabbing another drink, your face hot from secondhand embarrassment as Lynn reluctantly sat back down next to McGarrett. On the way to the bar you ran into Danny who had been observing the whole exchange, and was now currently on route to intervene, more anxiousness flooding his hand movements.

“Where-- where are you going, Y/N?” Danny asked as you passed him. He turned on his heel to catch up to you.

“Daniel, don’t.” You sternly warned, trying to find a space in the crowding line at the bar.

“Hold on, wait,” Danny pleaded, catching your arm, “Talk to me, babe, please.”

You stopped and looked at your friend’s sincere eyes, and fretting forehead lines. You knew you didn’t need another drink. The onslaught of emotions was messing with you. Everything was brewing inside your head, like a rainstorm off the coast during monsoon season. You didn’t want to get stuck in the flood. You sighed, letting Danny be the voice of reason and pull you away to the outside patio.

You felt the cool breeze flow through your hair, tonight’s air no longer sweet, your throat still slightly burning. You didn’t say anything, crossing your arms, as you selected words in your head to prepare for the argument that stated you were fine.

“I can tell this surprise guest was sort of a shock to you too.” Danny quietly commented, fingers fidgeting against the railing as he spoke, “You wanna talk about it? I mean not that there’s something to talk about, but--”

“Danny,” you interrupted him, defeated, “I know you only wanted everyone to have a good time. I appreciate that. I appreciate you care. I’m just being weird about it.”

“Someone else is being stupid about it,” Danny blurted out under his breath, the irked truth disappearing into his sigh. He shook his head to himself.

“Hey, what happened to you guys?” Steve’s voice finding where you were. 

“So, are we gonna order dinner now?” Steve asked as he approached, gesturing back towards inside. His nonchalant demeanor, especially in this case, was grating to both you and Daniel.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t start gnawing on the table legs. We’ll be there in a second,” Danny said with another parentified hand wave. He turned and knowingly shrugged to you when Steve turned back around to leave. You nodded to Danny and he placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, waiting for you to move first. After a deep breath, you gave in, and headed back inside, Danny following beside you.

“Wait, what happened to Lynn?” Danny asked, processing the shift, and his increased blood pressure again, certain some blood vessel going to burst at this point.

“She, uh,” McGarrett scratched his chin, “decided to head home early,” he gradually admitted, his hand awkwardly illustrating the direction of her exit, before he crossed his own arms, inhaling a loud sniff through his nose. 

“You’re a complete idiot, you know that right?,” Danny retorted after a quick beat, reaching his limit of exasperation at human interactions and having overall concern.

“For what?” McGarrett innocently questioned.

“Everything,” Danny said and shook his head again, hands gripping the back of the empty chair in front of him for some form of strength. He leaned forward and took a breath. 

His voice was calm as he focused back to you and Steve, “I’m tired and done with this. Thank God everyone didn’t show up tonight or already left. And you, you’re paying the bill,” he pointed to McGarrett, before giving you a brief side hug, “I need to get away from here. Maybe I’ll run out into traffic. I don’t know. Goodnight to you insufferable people.” 

“Aww, come on Danny,” Steve called out as the man left, “There’s still appetizers!”

His arms fell to his sides, before turning back to face you. You, like Danny, were still in some mode of processing everything that happened, just in a less dramatic or vocal way than the detective. You eyed Steve in his dark shirt, and jeans, how the fiery orange indoor lighting made his eyes a deeper green and his skin an even warmer shade. The next words from his lips as distinct as the five o’clock shadow on his jawline,

“I’m sorry.” 

His voice was soft as he spoke the sentence, yet it maintained its brutality of honesty. You waited for him to continue.

“And, it’s not like I’d tell Danny this, but he’s right. I am an idiot.”

“For what?” You mirrored his prior phrase, your own voice uncertain with the feelings you were still trying to tie down.

“Well for starters, tonight,” he paused, before adding, “And for not asking this sooner, would you like to have dinner with me?” His lips formed a cautious smile.

“Yes,” you replied, your lips unable to hide your own grin, before continuing, “What else?”

Steve chuckled as he pulled out a chair for you to sit down. You took a seat, then he sat next to you. His body was more relaxed, no longer concerned with any camouflage. You two ordered your dinner, but you weren't going to let it go that easily.

“I’m still waiting for an answer.” You noted, intrigued, propping your elbows atop the table to rest your chin. You tilted your head at Steve, as you waited for his response, confidently and earnestly looking at the commander without hesitation or pretense.

A dorky yet completely charming smile spread across Steve’s face, as he raised his eyebrows, thinking, the warrior man’s eyes glinting in a way you hadn’t seen all night.

“For not doing this a long time ago,” he said, before he swiftly ducked his head and gently pressed his lips to yours. An unanticipated dreamy haze hitting you like a wave, despite the simple kiss. The restaurant busyness and room noise drifted away. You slowly opened your eyes, McGarrett’s ardent and proud expression encircling you. Reality filling in for what a related idea’s gaping hole had left you with. You could care less who was even around. The previous mess inside your chest was gone. Damn that tenacity, it carried through everything.