The love boat chapters 12 and 13
Chapter 12 - Day 8
Chapter's notes : for those who don't know/remember, Amanda Savage was played by Joan Collins and she appeared in season 9.
The ship's band had a special 80's music revival tonight. This kind of event always garnered a lot of success, everybody knowing the tunes and most of the words. It was easy and fun, exactly what people enjoyed during a cruise.
Steve and Danny came by before the concert began, friendly chatting as they waited for the show. But they were out almost immediately after the lights were turned off, using one of the other entrances to the music hall to rush towards another location as stealthily as possible.
Pua was waiting for them, already watching the monitors showing the casino from different points of view.
"Everything's in place ?" Steve asked.
"Tani and Junior are already there. They're covering for Palakiko and Keaka who went as planned to see Dr. Bergman. They said they didn't feel that well to be relieved of duty."
"Good. So we're ready for the next part."
Danny took a chair next to Steve, leaning on him in a very distractive way with his elbow on Steve's shoulder. And they had to wait for a while before they saw Rachel and Stan Edwards entering the casino.
Rachel had gone all out, wearing a gorgeous little dress that revealed much more than it hid, attracting all the men's attention, and Steve turned a wary eye towards Danny, wondering if he still harbored the same feeling for his ex-wife. But for once Danny's expression gave nothing away.
"I still can't believe you asked your ex to play that part !" Steve admitted.
"Hey, she never believed me when I said the job wasn't that dangerous. Now she's gonna see for herself. And I won't feel bad at all when I tell her she needs to give you the money back," Danny added in a laugh.
Danny had wanted her to have a mike so they could communicate but they didn't have anything small enough on the ship to hide on Rachel in this sinful little thing she was wearing. So they had rehearsed many times what to do and Rachel seemed at ease for the moment.
The wait resumed, Rachel and Stan moving from game to game, waiting for a place to open at the poker table.
By the time they got there, Kono and Chin had arrived, wearing simple clothes as they were not supposed to be on duty at this time. Kono went straight for the slot machines and Chin followed her, apparently resigned to watching his cousin have fun.
Hirsch was there too, drinking at the bar and sweet-talking Tani every time she was serving someone close enough for him to attempt conversation.
The poker players politely responded to Rachel's hello as she sat among them. Abby Dunn was the ship's best croupier and she welcomed Rachel as if she didn't know her.
In just a few hands, it became fairly obvious that Rachel knew what she was doing.
"She's good," Steve admired.
"Ah yeah, that would be because of her mother who used to invite important people at her parties and have them play all sorts of money game as entertainment. Rachel had quite the interesting upbringing with Ms. Amanda Savage."
Pua forgot his monitors and stared at Danny.
"Your ex-mother in law is the famous writer Amanda Savage ?!"
"Who is that ?" Steve asked, totally lost.
"She's a fantastic writer," Pua answered, almost outraged by Steve's lack of knowledge, "and an eminent romance novelist."
"You read romance ?" Danny wondered. "Amanda's kind of romance ?"
"Why not ? I won't subscribe to the stereotype that says men should only read cops or spy fiction that are no more believable or worthy than any good love story where two souls find each other and spend the rest of their life together. This is what any decent human being should strive for."
"Okay, buddy. Whatever floats your boat. But let me tell you one thing : Amanda Savage is not, and I repeat not like her heroines. She's neither sweet, nor lovely, and even less someone you wish to spend the rest of your life with. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that she's a harpy. So we're going to have to agree to disagree on that one and get back to the job at hand."
Pua pouted for all he was worth but he obeyed and went back to his monitors.
"Rachel's talent with cards is the real reason why you asked her to help us ?" Steve suggested then.
"I thought that if we were doing this, we might as well have a convincing actor to catch our thief's attention. We know this is rigged and that Abby will see to it that Rachel wins, but she looks more credible than someone not knowing what they're doing."
Soon after, still going with the plan, Stan kissed his wife and left after telling her that he was tired and going to bed. That was Abby's signal to up the ante and get Rachel to win big enough to make sure the thief would be interested.
Half an hour later, Rachel was in possession of more than five thousand dollars and a few people were standing around the table to watch her play. Steve was sure that their thief was aware of Rachel's winnings and would strike at the first opportunity.
Rachel decided to stop playing - the limit they had agreed on had been reached. She tipped Abby and moved from the table, going to change her chips for real money. Then she refused two invitations for drinks, from two gentlemen who seemed just as interested in her cleavage as what she was keeping in her purse, and soon left the casino altogether.
The decks were mostly empty at the moment, the passengers enjoying the night few and far between as Rachel walked back to her room and her husband without hurry. The kids were taken care of by Eddie and Buck, who had insisted after the Edwards and Danny had watched over Christopher more than once.
On the monitors, Steve could see Hirsch leaving the casino first, followed soon after by Kono and Chin who made it look like they were quite tipsy. Last to leave, Tani and Junior took the port side to go up the deck in hope of being able to attack from behind if the thief showed up.
Rachel was still on the path they had decided on, getting closer to the place Danny and Steve were hiding in. The camera had usually a few blind spots but tonight, Steve had them maneuvered so that they wouldn't miss anything. Furthermore, everything was recorded to build an airtight case.
It all happened very fast from this point on. A dark silhouette suddenly emerged from a door hardly visible in the deep shadows of the night and threw itself at Rachel, pushing her away and going for the purse at the same time.
"What is she doing ?! Shit !" Danny cursed upon watching Rachel fight with the thief instead of relinquishing the purse as expected from her.
She even punched him square in the nose. Steve could see how she might have seduced Danny one day.
Finally the man had the upper hand and managed to run away just when Danny was reaching the door to go to Rachel's aid.
"Danny, wait !" Steve called him back. "She's okay."
Danny stopped reluctantly, coming back next to Steve to make sure Rachel was indeed unharmed. She looked rather pissed that the guy had managed to have the upper hand on her.
Pua hadn't lost the thief, going from one camera to another to follow his trail without fail. He led them to a remote area of the same deck, far enough that nobody could get there without being heard or seen by the thief as long as he was walking down the corridors.
"Now !" Steve ordered when he saw the guy stop and get into a maintenance room.
Danny was out before him, but he had to let Steve take the lead to find the way in the maze that was still the Pearl of Hawaii for him. They came upon the room as silently as possible, Kono and Chin right with them as well as Tani and Junior. Steve pointed to one end of the corridor and sent Tani there, while the other end was covered by Junior. He was also glad to see a big black man coming up in support.
"Who's that ?" Danny murmured.
"The hotel director, Lou Grover," Steve replied in the same fashion. "He's a former cop, I thought he could help."
Lou nodded to them, moving into place on the other side of the door. Steve counted to three, and then he opened the door and peered inside, making sure the thief was unarmed before they entered the room.
The round, bespectacled face of Gerard Hirsch looked back at them, a piece of tissue pushed into his nose to stem the flow of blood running from a nostril. In his hands, Rachel's purse was open for a thorough search, most of the money she had won already disposed for counting on a shelf.
"Captain ?" he tried, no doubt looking for a cover story, and this was confirmed by his next words. "I'm glad you're here, I've found the thief's hiding place."
"Don’t bother, Hirsch. We've been following you since the casino."
"Really ?"
"Danny knew you had a stash somewhere to hide your loot, since you couldn't be seen going back with the purses in your office or spend the money on board. You had to hide it somewhere until the day the cruise was over. Somewhere close enough to where the thefts took place, but hidden enough that no one would follow you there unless they were actively tailing you. Thanks for making this simple and bringing us straight here."
"Captain, if I may explain the situation," Hirsch tried to say, only to be denied by Steve.
"You may not. This is not a court of law. Keep it for the judge or your lawyer."
Hirsch curled up onto himself, trying to take as little space as possible. If this was an attempt to look non-threatening and tug at his heartstrings, it was doomed to fail. The man was going to jail.
"Chin, take him to the brig, and post a guard at all times. I wouldn't be surprised to find that Mr. Hirsch was able to pick the lock if left to his own devices."
"Yes, Captain," his first mate answered with a satisfied grin.
"The brig ?" Danny repeated. "There's such a thing as a brig on a modern ship like this one ?"
"Of course. You never know if you're going to have to restrain someone from harming other people. Drunken fights are easy to start, and some need the time off to sober up. If we can't take them ashore, we need some place to keep those people separated and let the passengers enjoy their time on board undisturbed."
As Hirsch was taken away, Danny was finally able to go talk to his ex-wife.
"What is wrong with you ?!" he accused her. "I told you to stay hidden, not to go after a thief !"
"If you can do it, Daniel, then I can do it too."
A long and intense glare followed, epic and full of arguments that had been repeated over and over again during the divorce, Steve was sure of it.
"Besides," Rachel continued, "you told me he wasn't dangerous."
"No, I told you he probably wouldn't be armed, but as usual you heard what you wanted to hear."
"Oh that's rich coming from you !"
"Yeah ? Guess the problem goes both way, then."
"You're so full of it, Danny. I tell you there was no danger. And you know I wouldn't have done it if the kids had been there…"
Steve watched them fight, amused, wondering how Grace and Charlie would turn out as adults with those two hotheads as parents. Not to mention that their adolescent years would be fun !
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Steve had much to do after arresting his security officer, many phone calls to make, and one big favor to collect.
Though to be honest, he felt like giving up one of his kidneys if it was the way to get his wish.
He got off the phone after talking with Joe White, one of the most influential men on the company's board, with the official permission to hire whoever he wanted in place of the officer who had just been arrested and subsequently fired.
Danny joined him soon after and accepted with a sigh of pleasure the cold beer Steve offered him.
"We did good tonight, babe. Here's to a new era on the Pearl of Hawaii !" Danny congratulated him.
"To a job well done !" Steve added.
They knocked the necks of their bottles together before they each drank long gulps. They were quickly done with their first bottles so Steve took two more out of the mini-fridge that he brought to the small coffee table. Settling on the couch, Danny grumbled as usual that this was an instrument of torture forbidden by the Geneva Convention, but he relaxed despite the hardness of the cushions, close enough that Steve could get away with putting his arm on the back of the furniture and letting it slide until it met with Danny's shoulders and back.
"You know," Danny said, "I thought this trip would be excruciating, having to witness the woman I once married making lovey-dovey - don't laugh, that's Grace's speak, not mine - with her new husband. I was all prepared to hate Hawaii and this new life they want to force on me, but you made it all bearable."
"Just bearable ?"
Danny chuckled.
"You're fishing for compliments. No, not just bearable. It was weirdly fun. Some of these moments will become part of my fondest memories."
Steve's free hand came up, slowly enough that Danny could have found a way to indicate he didn't want it on him but failed to move anywhere. The hand landed on Danny's face, fingers tracing the laugh lines around Danny's eyes, and then his lips, before it slid behind his neck to get them closer. In the same movement, Steve leaned down and then their mouths met.
Steve's mind shut down.
It was everything he had been dreaming of, and so much more. There was nothing tentative about Danny's kisses, nothing shy or complicated. He was all in and asked for the same. Steve gave everything he had back, the strokes of his tongue and the caresses of his hands, the love and the passion.
He lost himself for a while in the feeling of Danny's hands mapping his back, pushing his shirt up to be able to find skin and Steve did the same, the need for Danny deep inside him expanding that much more with the realization that the real thing was even better that all his fantasies.
And yet he stopped at some point, not entirely releasing Danny. He could be in serious trouble for initiating a relationship with a passenger, but it wasn't what made him partly regret their kisses.
"I'm not sure it was a good idea to do that. I don't want to be the rebound lover you will forget as soon as you leave my ship."
Danny kissed him again, tenderly.
"I've already done the rebound thing, if that's really the problem. You'd better worry about the thousands of miles separating us once I'm back in New Jersey."
Steve's heart couldn't take that.
"Danny, have you given a thought about staying here ?"
The question didn't get the reaction Steve was hoping for.
"So that's how you accomplish your mission."
"My mission ? What do you mean ?"
"The one about getting me to like Hawaii enough that I'd want to come live here."
Steve was pretty sure his eyes grew wide as he looked at Danny and wondered how the hell he had learned about this. It had been a while since he himself had given a thought to Stan's request for help, charmed by Danny from the get-go, always seeking his company.
"How do you know about that ?" he finally asked.
"People talk in front of kids and they believe they're not listening or that they don't understand. Any cop will tell you that it's a mistake, we get so much information from children. Grace told me before the cruise about Rachel and Stan's plan."
"Danny, believe me, you have to know that I followed Stan's plan only in the very first moments. I…"
"Look, Steve," Danny cut him off, standing up and moving away from the couch, "I get it, you did a solid to your old buddy, but you don’t have to keep with the bedroom eyes and the sweet words."
Steve stood up too and followed Danny.
"No, I didn't intend to seduce you. It was Stan's idea…"
"So this was all a game to you, a good laugh with your friend to see how quick I'd fall for your dark and handsome, brooding captain's tricks ?"
"No, Danny. I swear. I'm making a mess of this because I want you to believe me. I agreed to help Stan, but I wasn't supposed to do anything more than show you a few places, make you feel at home here in Hawaii. There was no plan about seducing you. That part, that was all your doing."
"My doing ? My doing ?!"
"Your doing !" he confirmed. "Admit it, man, you did all you could to land me in your bed, just like I did my best to get you to do the same."
"And why, pray tell, is this my doing when from your own admission you were just as eager to do the horizontal mambo ?"
"Because… you smiled at me and… you talked to me."
"Right, Steven. Because I'm the only human being talking to you on any given day."
"Not like that. Not like it matters, and you haven't shared those things you tell me with anyone else. Maybe not even your ex-wife. And you listen when I need to talk too."
Danny seemed floored.
"That was actually pretty deep," he conceded once he was able to mock Steve again, and yet the words didn't feel mocking at all this time.
"Danny," Steve pressed, moving closer, close enough to put his hands on Danny's shoulders, "you gotta believe me, man. I need you to."
He wasn't sure how to make Danny see how important this was to him when he hadn't been aware himself only two minutes before. He knew he wanted Danny, that he had feelings for him even. But this desperation at the idea that Danny might not believe him, this was something new he had no reference for. Once again, Danny made him feel new and different.
"You know," he suddenly thought, "Stan and me are now quits. I helped him, he helped me tonight with the thief. It's over, now I'm here only for myself. For me and you, Danny, because I want to. That's all you need to think about."
"You think so ?"
"I know so," Steve said with finality, closing his arms once more around Danny's waist.
"So what you're saying is that I should forgive and forget ?"
"Got it in one."
"Forget that you tried to mislead me ?"
"Yes."
"Forgive that you treated me like one of your crew and tried to intimidate me when you had no leg to stand on ?"
"I wouldn't phrase it like that, but yes."
"Let you have your wicked way with me when I should be the one putting cuffs on you, pushing you down on your knees on your bed and do all sorts of forbidden things to you ?"
This assertion needed more finesse as Steve answered. Danny was ready to make fun of him as he pushed his body against Steve's, perfectly aware of the way his cock now stood to attention after the image Danny had put in his mind.
"I'm willing to negotiate on that one," he confessed.
"Too bad I didn't bring my cuffs with me. Guess I'm gonna have to go ashore to buy some before the end of the cruise."
"We'll have all afternoon to go tomorrow, if you wish."
Danny's smile turned predatory at the same time his hands descended onto Steve's ass.
"Tomorrow's good. For now, maybe we could take this to the bed ? Assuming it's not the same kind of torture device as your couch. Tell me you have a real bed, not a rack ?"
"It's not a rack, Danny," Steve sighed, unwilling to let himself be distracted.
"Good, so lead the way".
Danny didn't let Steve lead that much, pushing him towards the bed and kissing him at the same time. He also managed to get Steve's shirt off, though Steve wasn't clear on the where and the how. He just knew Danny's hands all over his torso felt better than anyone else's ever did.
Danny kept with taking his clothes off, getting him naked before Steve was allowed on the bed, and then Danny went for his own clothes. Finally naked too, Danny knee-walked until he was right over Steve and then lay down on him to share new kisses, hotter than ever.
They rolled around for a while, getting used to the feel of one another in their arms, caressing each other all over.
"Danny, I'm not gonna last much longer," Steve whispered, too gone to be able to speak aloud. "I want you in me."
The light in Danny's eyes grew to something incandescent and Steve didn't need another answer. Not moving from his place under Danny, he searched the nightstand for the condoms and lube he had put there a few days before, hopeful despite his better judgment.
Danny took over for him, choosing a condom and then going for the lube. After pushing Steve's legs apart, he squeezed out a bit of lube onto his hand and warmed it before going to work on Steve's ass.
Steve hissed. It had been such a long time since someone had taken care of him that way, even more so a man. But it felt good, better and better. Danny knew what he was doing, getting Steve to relax and accept more fingers, playing with other parts of Steve's body with his right hand as he pushed more fingers from the left inside Steve, distracting him when he felt too tight to make it. And then Danny reached his prostate.
Steve practically arched off the bed.
"Danny ! Do it, now !"
To his credit, Danny didn't try to tease him this time or pretend he didn't understand. He got the condom rolled on, added more lube and positioned himself to get inside Steve.
Anyone might joke about Danny's height but no one ever would about the size of his cock and Steve was the proof of it as he panted, trying his best to take it all in. He wasn't sure how he managed. Sheer stubbornness probably, and the need to feel Danny in him.
"You okay ?" Danny asked, his face reflecting the same need as Steve, tempered with the effort of restraining himself and not simply fucking him.
"Yeah," Steve stuttered. "Keep going, slowly."
Danny bottomed out and Steve felt as if all the air had been driven out of his body.
"Keep going," he begged once more.
He wanted to drown in his sensations, the fullness as well as the growing pleasure, Danny's body all over him, making him feel alive. Danny moved faster, getting frantic, and they both knew they wouldn't last much longer. They had to make the most of this first time, kiss and make love with all they had.
Danny changed his angle, going for the prostate once again, and took hold of Steve's cock at the same moment. It was all Steve needed to get off, shooting his load hard over his stomach. And he felt quite proud of himself to feel that he had pushed Danny over the edge too.
They lay panting and sweaty but unwilling to separate. Even when they had to do it, Danny didn't go far, his face close on the next pillow, arm over Steve's torso after cleaning him a bit and getting rid of the condom.
"When I write my memoirs," Steve began, gripping Danny's arm with his two hands, "today will deserve a whole chapter : 'How I arrested a thief and got well fucked as a reward'."
"Oh, so you arrested the thief ?" Danny raised, voice tired. "On your lonesome ? Did you fuck yourself too ?"
"No, that wouldn't be as much fun."
Danny laughed and Steve liked the sound of it. Danny was so much happier than when he had arrived on board, and Steve could hope it was thanks to their relationship and what they had just shared. It was as good a moment as any to go with his new plan.
"Danny, I have something to ask you. Something important."
"Okay, you're frightening me now. You know I don't get married right after having sex for the first time ?"
Maybe not after the first time, Steve thought, but they would see about that later.
"Don't be crazy !" he replied.
"I won't give you the codes to my credit card either. Don't think I haven't already realized that you don't like to pay for anything."
"Are you done ?"
"Maybe ?"
Steve laughed despite himself.
"It's a good thing the rest of my crew isn't like you or I'd have a terrible time commanding the Pearl."
Danny stared at him.
"Do you mean what I think you mean ?"
"Depends on what you think I mean."
"Who's the one evading the issue this time ? Stop bamboozling me and speak up !"
"I am not bamboozling you. I do not bamboozle as a principle."
"I'm so very proud of you. Now use your words and tell me."
Steve fortified himself. He had no way to know how Danny would welcome his offer, but he wouldn't be able to say yes if Steve didn't speak up. He rolled over and put his own arm around Danny's waist, looking at him in the eyes.
"You know there's a job opening on the ship. We're now short of a security officer, and I feel compelled to add that it's all your fault once again and you need to make it up to me. So what would you say to filling that job and taking advantage of its perks ?"
Danny discarded Steve's accusation without a beat, as if already used to it enough that it didn't deserve a single word of acknowledgment.
"You got me interested there," he replied. "What kind of perks are we talking about ?"
"Besides living in a paradise and being pampered by the crew because you helped us when you didn't have to ? You get to sleep with the captain."
Danny's kiss was not an answer but Steve felt hopeful anyway.
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Chapter 13 - Day 14 - The end of the cruise
Steve swam the last length and then climbed out of the pool to retrieve his towel, drying himself on the way back to his quarters. It was early enough that he had been able to enjoy the pool alone, like most mornings. It wasn't as satisfying as swimming in the ocean at home, but it made for a good replacement that he was able to enjoy daily.
As he went back to his quarters, Steve reflected that these last few days had felt like heaven, maybe because he knew his time with Danny was limited.
They had spent as much time together as possible. Even after Buck had come back to the ship and offered his own room to Danny, since he had officially become Eddie's boyfriend and was therefore allowed to sleep with him now that Chris knew about their relationship, Steve had made sure Danny would spend his nights with him, in his quarters, and no one had criticized his decision, not to his face anyway. Even if he had spoken in jest when he said to Danny that he was God on board the Pearl of Hawaii, the truth remained that he was the boss and no one who wanted to keep working here would dare going against him. He also liked to think he was appreciated enough by his crew that most of them were happy for him.
Even Kamekona had reluctantly agreed that the 'shrimp-sized haole' had to have some hidden qualities if he made Steve smile like that several times a day. Danny had said he felt like a hooker praised for his talent in the sack, which was probably Kamekona's idea all along, but a truce of sorts had been declared between the two nonetheless.
Steve slipped into the bed to spoon Danny, loving the feel of their skin one against the other.
"You smell like chlorine," Danny protested. "Why didn't you take a shower ?"
"Because we only have two hours left before you need to get up and pack. Maybe we could take that shower together."
He began to throw kisses along the edge of Danny's shoulders, feeling the man becoming fully awake as his hands traveled past his torso and further down.
"You're making a good case," Danny sighed as he brought his own hand behind to stroke Steve's cock to full hardness.
"I know. Come on !"
They hardly let go of each other on the way to the shower, kissing and stroking whatever part of each other's body they could reach.
"You have an unfair advantage," Steve complained.
"What's that ?" Danny mouthed, hardly understandable in the middle of a heated kiss over his nipple.
Steve moaned with pleasure before he managed to respond.
"Your hands come just at the right height to fondle my ass."
"What can I say ? One has the superpower they deserve."
Steve snorted and set about kissing Danny who hadn't lost time effectively playing with his ass.
He would never admit to it in front of his lover but Danny's size made it easier when they crammed together inside the cubicle of his shower that had definitely not been built with that kind of exercise in mind.
On the contrary, Danny's height didn't help to have sex standing up, not the penetrative kind anyway. Not that they didn't enjoy every kind of sex so that they did whatever they pleased in the moment, stroking each other in a race towards orgasm.
Danny fell down to his knees, taking Steve's cock in his mouth and sucking on it with such gusto that Steve went from zero to sixty in under five seconds and it felt like he needed hardly more time before shooting his load down Danny's throat. He was so gone, he hardly realized that Danny was pushing him out of the shower to lean over the sink and spread his legs. It was only the feeling of Danny's cock brushing against his hole that had him coming back to his senses and pushing back, impaling himself on the thick dick.
The tests they had done together had come back negative. They were now allowed to have all the unprotected sex they wished for and Steve used this liberty at every opportunity. Neither of them was that young anymore but Steve didn't remember having so much sex in such a short time. He was making up for lost time as much as creating memories in case Danny chose to go back home.
And it kept getting better. The more one of them got to know about the other, the more devious he became in order to get him off. Not that they were keeping score or anything. Not out loud anyway. And Steve was definitely winning, Danny was a liar if he pretended otherwise.
Even if he was proving his mastery right now, the speeding of his cock inside Steve's ass rough and delicious, creating a friction like no other that had Steve unable to hold back cries of pleasure that were far too loud for the early hour.
But it was too good to even think of stopping now so instead they redoubled their efforts, glad that the furniture was sturdy and unable to move. Danny went for the kill, reaching for Steve's balls and rolling them like dice in his hand for a minute before he moved to his cock and stripped it until he came again.
It was almost painful, so soon after his other orgasm, but Steve felt rather proud of himself for this achievement.
"Stop smiling like you did all the work," Danny ordered with a slight slap on his ass, and then he came too.
He was smiling, as Kamekona had also pointed out. Danny made him smile. More than anyone else, and he couldn't stand the idea of being alone again now that he knew what it meant to share everything with someone who got him so completely, someone who made fun of him when he took himself too seriously but respected him anyway.
Danny rested on Steve's back for a moment, getting his breath back.
"This is cozy," he said finally, "but I guess we need to get back under the shower."
They did finish showering, washing each other tenderly now that they were thoroughly spent, just like they dried each other. They brushed their teeth then Steve watched as Danny collected his toiletries, leaving the place showing only Steve's presence.
There was less than an hour left by that point, but they slid into bed again to spend the time in each other's arms.
"Danny," Steve murmured in his lover's hair, "you still haven't given me an answer."
Danny's hand stroked his back, like he would a spooked animal.
"That's because this isn't the kind of decision you can make in a hurry."
"I know, but this is the chance of a lifetime for us. The chance to be together at all times."
He leaned and kissed Danny's shoulder, again and again.
"Danny, maybe it's too soon, but I'm pretty sure… I'm falling in love with you, and I want to know where this relationship can go."
Danny grimaced.
"I'm falling for you too, okay ? I am, and I don't want to leave you, not after such a short time and you having to work most of that time. But this is a huge decision. Being a cop is what kept me afloat when everything else was crumbling down in my life. I don't know what to do. I need more time."
There was nothing more Steve could say to make him change his mind, so they remained like that, kissing lazily, basking in each other's warmth until the time came to get out of bed for good and face the day.
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His heart wasn't really in it this time, but the people on this cruise deserved Steve's attention just like any other. So here he stood with Chin once again in the great hall, waiting for departing passengers to say goodbye and dreading the moment Danny would be the one showing up to take his leave, going back to his life in New Jersey and his whole family.
Right after a Chinese family who assured him that they had enjoyed the cruise very much, Steve found himself in front of Gabrielle Asano.
She was really short. Danny wasn't that much taller, but somehow felt bigger anyway, because he was brimming with life, constantly moving around, whereas Gabby was much quieter and unassuming. This looked to Steve like the best reason why the two of them would have never worked together.
"Captain," Gabby said as they shook hands, "I want to thank you and your crew for a beautiful cruise. And I think you should know that I spoke with Tani."
"Really ?" Steve replied, noncommittal.
"I did, and I guess what I want to say is that the best man won."
That was big of her. She had really been attracted to Danny and chances were they would have had an affair if Steve hadn't intervened to break it up. He was definitely not sorry that Danny had chosen him, though, and he knew he would do it all again in a heartbeat.
"I hope you two will be very happy," Gabby added, "and that you know you have to take care of him from now on."
"I look forward to it," Steve replied, eager to get on this particular job.
She scrutinized him for a little while, and had to be happy with what she saw as she nodded and smiled, and finally took her leave after shaking Chin's hand. Steve did his best to ignore his first mate's smirk.
He must have done something bad in a previous life because Leslie was the next one to show up, as if a procession of the women that had shown interest in his lover had been organized to show him he certainly wasn't the only one hoping for more of Danny's time, so why would he deserve it more than them ?
"Captain, that was fun, and I leave a little richer thanks to you and Danny."
"I'm just glad we were able to retrieve the money and give it back to its rightful owners."
Danny hadn't been happy about that, saying the money should be kept as evidence, but Steve had overruled him. He had other proofs and he wanted his passengers to leave the ship as satisfied as possible.
"You know," Leslie answered, "French people have a proverb, 'heureux au jeu, malheureux en amour'. Basically, it means you can't be happy and lucky in a relationship and win at cards. Something has to give. So I got the money, and you got the lover."
Chin's smirk was getting too big for his face and Steve's blush had to make him a beacon for everyone to gather around them. He rallied enough to answer as placidly as possible.
"Then all is right in this world."
"It sure is. Captain, Lieutenant, thanks again."
It was not long after Leslie had moved away that the Buckley-Diaz family appeared, Christopher leading the way under the vigilant eyes of two men who looked not only happy but also full of energy and ready to take on the world.
"Captain," Eddie said, "I can honestly say that this cruise will remain one of our best memories, for each of us, but also as a family. Thank you for everything."
"And you made it all the more memorable for every one of us who was able to see you dance."
"He gets that a lot," Buck grinned. "I want to thank you too, both of you. Hawaii is definitely worth another visit someday but your advice about what to see first on each island has been more than helpful."
"You're welcome," Chin answered, "we're here to help you have the best time."
"Then consider your job done."
Steve knelt in front of Chris to talk more easily with him.
"So what did you think of the cruise, Christopher ? Was it cool enough for you ?"
"It was great, Captain ! I like your ship, and Gracie and Charlie, and Buck is coming home with us to stay."
"I see you had a busy time. Maybe you can come back someday, if your dad agrees to work with us again."
"Yeah ! Dad, we have to come back !"
"You're serious, Captain ?" Eddie asked.
"Absolutely. Your shows as well as your lessons have been a tremendous success. I don't see why the company wouldn't want to do it again, and I personally would enjoy it very much."
The last show Eddie had given, incredibly innovative and just as sensual as always, had been met with praise and many demands for more. The company would be stupid indeed not to try to get Eddie Diaz back once at the very least. And maybe more regularly, like twice a year. Special events that could attract a new range of customers.
"Then you'll need to speak to my husband," Eddie announced with a beautiful grin for Buck who was holding him as close as possible with his arm on his shoulders. "We're getting married as soon as we're back home, and Buck will be more than ever the one to manage my career in liaison with Bobby Nash."
"Congratulations !" Steve rejoiced, standing back up again to shake their hands. "I'll talk to Meka and Kono, they'll have a project drawn up soon to discuss with you, and we'll be happy to have you all back on board anytime."
The joyful moment with the Buckley-Diaz family had allowed Steve to forget for a little while his nerves about seeing Danny off. But the Edwards, Danny and the kids showed up less than five minutes later and Steve felt his face fall.
He could remember as if it was yesterday Danny's arrival, the first words they had exchanged. The first time they had talked together, Danny's reluctance, Danny's charm acting on him like a spell or a magnet. Danny's smile like the sun, Danny's irreverent jibes like a breath of fresh air.
"Steve," Rachel began, having finally agreed to use his first name since she had played bait for him, "this was one of the best cruises of my life and I will recommend it to all my friends right away."
"I'm honored by the compliment and I accept it in the name of my excellent crew."
"These islands are so lovely, I'll be happy to call them home. I hope you'll be one of the first people to come visit us once we're installed. You too, Chin."
"Then we'll both be happy to come," Chin answered for them both and it was just as well because Steve was listening less and less. He remembered talking with Stan for a little while, running his hand through Charlie's hair and getting a hug from Grace, but that was it. His eyes always returned to Danny, filling themselves with his image.
He hardly understood what Danny meant when his hand closed on his arm and his mouth formed a question.
"Can I speak with you for a minute ?"
"Sure."
Steve looked at Chin to let him know that he would be back soon. Then he followed Danny to the end of the hall where they wouldn't avoid people looking at them but could talk without being overheard.
"What is it, Danny ?"
"I have news."
Against his better judgement, Steve felt hope rise in his heart.
"Good news ?"
"The best news. I called my boss again."
Hope grew bigger.
"And I told him that I wanted to take the rest of my vacation days, which means I have one more week to spend here with you if that's something you'd be interested in."
Steve was a bit disappointed, but he was not about to refuse the offer of more time with Danny. Time he would spend at home and they could be exclusively focused on each other.
"Don't look too excited," Danny commented, sarcastic.
Steve couldn't help taking him in his arms.
"I am excited, Danny. But you know that's not all I want. One week is not nearly enough."
"Well, if someone wasn't so impatient, as usual, I might have had the opportunity to finish my little tale and…"
"Tell me," Steve cut in, anxious more than impatient.
Danny looked at him fondly, taking his face in both hands. Steve's heart lurched.
"I also told my boss that I'm resigning, effective as soon as possible. He's asked me to stay for a month, to give him time to recruit my replacement."
"You did ? You really did ?"
"I did, and if you look into my bag, you'll find my official letter applying for the job of security officer on the Pearl of Hawaii, under the command of Captain McGarrett."
"You're certain you won't regret it ?"
"Steve, my kids are going to live here soon. Moving to Oahu was already a given. I thought I would apply to HPD. But I've been assured that this gig has perks like no other, like sleeping with the boss. How was I supposed to say no ?"
Somehow, it felt too simple. Too good to be true, this happiness he could feel within easy reach.
"Why, Danny ? You still didn't know two hours ago."
"Because two hours ago it hadn't fully sunk into my mind yet that I wouldn't see you anymore if I didn't seize this opportunity."
"You're here to stay ? With me ?"
"And you won't have room to complain the day you regret asking me to be here with you."
"Never," Steve vowed before kissing him fervently for everyone to see.
-------FIN-------
End notes : I'm a major Supernatural fan, and we've known for a while that the show was ending this year (if this pandemic allows them to finish filming to air the last episodes…). So I took the sudden ending of Five-0 rather badly, and even worse after I got to see the last awful minutes of the finale, all reasons why I fully dived into yet another fandom and slash pairing (9-1-1's buddie) to forget about it all. I hadn't planned to write for the H50 big bang challenge this year since I had other commitments, but those fell through just in time for me to sign up, and I'm just glad I proved that I still can write and enjoy those boys as much as before the finale. I'm not going to ruin the mood with my tales of woe that made writing and finishing this story a drag, so let's just say Long live Danny, Steve and mcdanno !
I hope you enjoyed this story and will let me know :)
Chapter's notes : for those who don't know/remember, Amanda Savage was played by Joan Collins and she appeared in season 9.
The ship's band had a special 80's music revival tonight. This kind of event always garnered a lot of success, everybody knowing the tunes and most of the words. It was easy and fun, exactly what people enjoyed during a cruise.
Steve and Danny came by before the concert began, friendly chatting as they waited for the show. But they were out almost immediately after the lights were turned off, using one of the other entrances to the music hall to rush towards another location as stealthily as possible.
Pua was waiting for them, already watching the monitors showing the casino from different points of view.
"Everything's in place ?" Steve asked.
"Tani and Junior are already there. They're covering for Palakiko and Keaka who went as planned to see Dr. Bergman. They said they didn't feel that well to be relieved of duty."
"Good. So we're ready for the next part."
Danny took a chair next to Steve, leaning on him in a very distractive way with his elbow on Steve's shoulder. And they had to wait for a while before they saw Rachel and Stan Edwards entering the casino.
Rachel had gone all out, wearing a gorgeous little dress that revealed much more than it hid, attracting all the men's attention, and Steve turned a wary eye towards Danny, wondering if he still harbored the same feeling for his ex-wife. But for once Danny's expression gave nothing away.
"I still can't believe you asked your ex to play that part !" Steve admitted.
"Hey, she never believed me when I said the job wasn't that dangerous. Now she's gonna see for herself. And I won't feel bad at all when I tell her she needs to give you the money back," Danny added in a laugh.
Danny had wanted her to have a mike so they could communicate but they didn't have anything small enough on the ship to hide on Rachel in this sinful little thing she was wearing. So they had rehearsed many times what to do and Rachel seemed at ease for the moment.
The wait resumed, Rachel and Stan moving from game to game, waiting for a place to open at the poker table.
By the time they got there, Kono and Chin had arrived, wearing simple clothes as they were not supposed to be on duty at this time. Kono went straight for the slot machines and Chin followed her, apparently resigned to watching his cousin have fun.
Hirsch was there too, drinking at the bar and sweet-talking Tani every time she was serving someone close enough for him to attempt conversation.
The poker players politely responded to Rachel's hello as she sat among them. Abby Dunn was the ship's best croupier and she welcomed Rachel as if she didn't know her.
In just a few hands, it became fairly obvious that Rachel knew what she was doing.
"She's good," Steve admired.
"Ah yeah, that would be because of her mother who used to invite important people at her parties and have them play all sorts of money game as entertainment. Rachel had quite the interesting upbringing with Ms. Amanda Savage."
Pua forgot his monitors and stared at Danny.
"Your ex-mother in law is the famous writer Amanda Savage ?!"
"Who is that ?" Steve asked, totally lost.
"She's a fantastic writer," Pua answered, almost outraged by Steve's lack of knowledge, "and an eminent romance novelist."
"You read romance ?" Danny wondered. "Amanda's kind of romance ?"
"Why not ? I won't subscribe to the stereotype that says men should only read cops or spy fiction that are no more believable or worthy than any good love story where two souls find each other and spend the rest of their life together. This is what any decent human being should strive for."
"Okay, buddy. Whatever floats your boat. But let me tell you one thing : Amanda Savage is not, and I repeat not like her heroines. She's neither sweet, nor lovely, and even less someone you wish to spend the rest of your life with. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that she's a harpy. So we're going to have to agree to disagree on that one and get back to the job at hand."
Pua pouted for all he was worth but he obeyed and went back to his monitors.
"Rachel's talent with cards is the real reason why you asked her to help us ?" Steve suggested then.
"I thought that if we were doing this, we might as well have a convincing actor to catch our thief's attention. We know this is rigged and that Abby will see to it that Rachel wins, but she looks more credible than someone not knowing what they're doing."
Soon after, still going with the plan, Stan kissed his wife and left after telling her that he was tired and going to bed. That was Abby's signal to up the ante and get Rachel to win big enough to make sure the thief would be interested.
Half an hour later, Rachel was in possession of more than five thousand dollars and a few people were standing around the table to watch her play. Steve was sure that their thief was aware of Rachel's winnings and would strike at the first opportunity.
Rachel decided to stop playing - the limit they had agreed on had been reached. She tipped Abby and moved from the table, going to change her chips for real money. Then she refused two invitations for drinks, from two gentlemen who seemed just as interested in her cleavage as what she was keeping in her purse, and soon left the casino altogether.
The decks were mostly empty at the moment, the passengers enjoying the night few and far between as Rachel walked back to her room and her husband without hurry. The kids were taken care of by Eddie and Buck, who had insisted after the Edwards and Danny had watched over Christopher more than once.
On the monitors, Steve could see Hirsch leaving the casino first, followed soon after by Kono and Chin who made it look like they were quite tipsy. Last to leave, Tani and Junior took the port side to go up the deck in hope of being able to attack from behind if the thief showed up.
Rachel was still on the path they had decided on, getting closer to the place Danny and Steve were hiding in. The camera had usually a few blind spots but tonight, Steve had them maneuvered so that they wouldn't miss anything. Furthermore, everything was recorded to build an airtight case.
It all happened very fast from this point on. A dark silhouette suddenly emerged from a door hardly visible in the deep shadows of the night and threw itself at Rachel, pushing her away and going for the purse at the same time.
"What is she doing ?! Shit !" Danny cursed upon watching Rachel fight with the thief instead of relinquishing the purse as expected from her.
She even punched him square in the nose. Steve could see how she might have seduced Danny one day.
Finally the man had the upper hand and managed to run away just when Danny was reaching the door to go to Rachel's aid.
"Danny, wait !" Steve called him back. "She's okay."
Danny stopped reluctantly, coming back next to Steve to make sure Rachel was indeed unharmed. She looked rather pissed that the guy had managed to have the upper hand on her.
Pua hadn't lost the thief, going from one camera to another to follow his trail without fail. He led them to a remote area of the same deck, far enough that nobody could get there without being heard or seen by the thief as long as he was walking down the corridors.
"Now !" Steve ordered when he saw the guy stop and get into a maintenance room.
Danny was out before him, but he had to let Steve take the lead to find the way in the maze that was still the Pearl of Hawaii for him. They came upon the room as silently as possible, Kono and Chin right with them as well as Tani and Junior. Steve pointed to one end of the corridor and sent Tani there, while the other end was covered by Junior. He was also glad to see a big black man coming up in support.
"Who's that ?" Danny murmured.
"The hotel director, Lou Grover," Steve replied in the same fashion. "He's a former cop, I thought he could help."
Lou nodded to them, moving into place on the other side of the door. Steve counted to three, and then he opened the door and peered inside, making sure the thief was unarmed before they entered the room.
The round, bespectacled face of Gerard Hirsch looked back at them, a piece of tissue pushed into his nose to stem the flow of blood running from a nostril. In his hands, Rachel's purse was open for a thorough search, most of the money she had won already disposed for counting on a shelf.
"Captain ?" he tried, no doubt looking for a cover story, and this was confirmed by his next words. "I'm glad you're here, I've found the thief's hiding place."
"Don’t bother, Hirsch. We've been following you since the casino."
"Really ?"
"Danny knew you had a stash somewhere to hide your loot, since you couldn't be seen going back with the purses in your office or spend the money on board. You had to hide it somewhere until the day the cruise was over. Somewhere close enough to where the thefts took place, but hidden enough that no one would follow you there unless they were actively tailing you. Thanks for making this simple and bringing us straight here."
"Captain, if I may explain the situation," Hirsch tried to say, only to be denied by Steve.
"You may not. This is not a court of law. Keep it for the judge or your lawyer."
Hirsch curled up onto himself, trying to take as little space as possible. If this was an attempt to look non-threatening and tug at his heartstrings, it was doomed to fail. The man was going to jail.
"Chin, take him to the brig, and post a guard at all times. I wouldn't be surprised to find that Mr. Hirsch was able to pick the lock if left to his own devices."
"Yes, Captain," his first mate answered with a satisfied grin.
"The brig ?" Danny repeated. "There's such a thing as a brig on a modern ship like this one ?"
"Of course. You never know if you're going to have to restrain someone from harming other people. Drunken fights are easy to start, and some need the time off to sober up. If we can't take them ashore, we need some place to keep those people separated and let the passengers enjoy their time on board undisturbed."
As Hirsch was taken away, Danny was finally able to go talk to his ex-wife.
"What is wrong with you ?!" he accused her. "I told you to stay hidden, not to go after a thief !"
"If you can do it, Daniel, then I can do it too."
A long and intense glare followed, epic and full of arguments that had been repeated over and over again during the divorce, Steve was sure of it.
"Besides," Rachel continued, "you told me he wasn't dangerous."
"No, I told you he probably wouldn't be armed, but as usual you heard what you wanted to hear."
"Oh that's rich coming from you !"
"Yeah ? Guess the problem goes both way, then."
"You're so full of it, Danny. I tell you there was no danger. And you know I wouldn't have done it if the kids had been there…"
Steve watched them fight, amused, wondering how Grace and Charlie would turn out as adults with those two hotheads as parents. Not to mention that their adolescent years would be fun !
-------------
Steve had much to do after arresting his security officer, many phone calls to make, and one big favor to collect.
Though to be honest, he felt like giving up one of his kidneys if it was the way to get his wish.
He got off the phone after talking with Joe White, one of the most influential men on the company's board, with the official permission to hire whoever he wanted in place of the officer who had just been arrested and subsequently fired.
Danny joined him soon after and accepted with a sigh of pleasure the cold beer Steve offered him.
"We did good tonight, babe. Here's to a new era on the Pearl of Hawaii !" Danny congratulated him.
"To a job well done !" Steve added.
They knocked the necks of their bottles together before they each drank long gulps. They were quickly done with their first bottles so Steve took two more out of the mini-fridge that he brought to the small coffee table. Settling on the couch, Danny grumbled as usual that this was an instrument of torture forbidden by the Geneva Convention, but he relaxed despite the hardness of the cushions, close enough that Steve could get away with putting his arm on the back of the furniture and letting it slide until it met with Danny's shoulders and back.
"You know," Danny said, "I thought this trip would be excruciating, having to witness the woman I once married making lovey-dovey - don't laugh, that's Grace's speak, not mine - with her new husband. I was all prepared to hate Hawaii and this new life they want to force on me, but you made it all bearable."
"Just bearable ?"
Danny chuckled.
"You're fishing for compliments. No, not just bearable. It was weirdly fun. Some of these moments will become part of my fondest memories."
Steve's free hand came up, slowly enough that Danny could have found a way to indicate he didn't want it on him but failed to move anywhere. The hand landed on Danny's face, fingers tracing the laugh lines around Danny's eyes, and then his lips, before it slid behind his neck to get them closer. In the same movement, Steve leaned down and then their mouths met.
Steve's mind shut down.
It was everything he had been dreaming of, and so much more. There was nothing tentative about Danny's kisses, nothing shy or complicated. He was all in and asked for the same. Steve gave everything he had back, the strokes of his tongue and the caresses of his hands, the love and the passion.
He lost himself for a while in the feeling of Danny's hands mapping his back, pushing his shirt up to be able to find skin and Steve did the same, the need for Danny deep inside him expanding that much more with the realization that the real thing was even better that all his fantasies.
And yet he stopped at some point, not entirely releasing Danny. He could be in serious trouble for initiating a relationship with a passenger, but it wasn't what made him partly regret their kisses.
"I'm not sure it was a good idea to do that. I don't want to be the rebound lover you will forget as soon as you leave my ship."
Danny kissed him again, tenderly.
"I've already done the rebound thing, if that's really the problem. You'd better worry about the thousands of miles separating us once I'm back in New Jersey."
Steve's heart couldn't take that.
"Danny, have you given a thought about staying here ?"
The question didn't get the reaction Steve was hoping for.
"So that's how you accomplish your mission."
"My mission ? What do you mean ?"
"The one about getting me to like Hawaii enough that I'd want to come live here."
Steve was pretty sure his eyes grew wide as he looked at Danny and wondered how the hell he had learned about this. It had been a while since he himself had given a thought to Stan's request for help, charmed by Danny from the get-go, always seeking his company.
"How do you know about that ?" he finally asked.
"People talk in front of kids and they believe they're not listening or that they don't understand. Any cop will tell you that it's a mistake, we get so much information from children. Grace told me before the cruise about Rachel and Stan's plan."
"Danny, believe me, you have to know that I followed Stan's plan only in the very first moments. I…"
"Look, Steve," Danny cut him off, standing up and moving away from the couch, "I get it, you did a solid to your old buddy, but you don’t have to keep with the bedroom eyes and the sweet words."
Steve stood up too and followed Danny.
"No, I didn't intend to seduce you. It was Stan's idea…"
"So this was all a game to you, a good laugh with your friend to see how quick I'd fall for your dark and handsome, brooding captain's tricks ?"
"No, Danny. I swear. I'm making a mess of this because I want you to believe me. I agreed to help Stan, but I wasn't supposed to do anything more than show you a few places, make you feel at home here in Hawaii. There was no plan about seducing you. That part, that was all your doing."
"My doing ? My doing ?!"
"Your doing !" he confirmed. "Admit it, man, you did all you could to land me in your bed, just like I did my best to get you to do the same."
"And why, pray tell, is this my doing when from your own admission you were just as eager to do the horizontal mambo ?"
"Because… you smiled at me and… you talked to me."
"Right, Steven. Because I'm the only human being talking to you on any given day."
"Not like that. Not like it matters, and you haven't shared those things you tell me with anyone else. Maybe not even your ex-wife. And you listen when I need to talk too."
Danny seemed floored.
"That was actually pretty deep," he conceded once he was able to mock Steve again, and yet the words didn't feel mocking at all this time.
"Danny," Steve pressed, moving closer, close enough to put his hands on Danny's shoulders, "you gotta believe me, man. I need you to."
He wasn't sure how to make Danny see how important this was to him when he hadn't been aware himself only two minutes before. He knew he wanted Danny, that he had feelings for him even. But this desperation at the idea that Danny might not believe him, this was something new he had no reference for. Once again, Danny made him feel new and different.
"You know," he suddenly thought, "Stan and me are now quits. I helped him, he helped me tonight with the thief. It's over, now I'm here only for myself. For me and you, Danny, because I want to. That's all you need to think about."
"You think so ?"
"I know so," Steve said with finality, closing his arms once more around Danny's waist.
"So what you're saying is that I should forgive and forget ?"
"Got it in one."
"Forget that you tried to mislead me ?"
"Yes."
"Forgive that you treated me like one of your crew and tried to intimidate me when you had no leg to stand on ?"
"I wouldn't phrase it like that, but yes."
"Let you have your wicked way with me when I should be the one putting cuffs on you, pushing you down on your knees on your bed and do all sorts of forbidden things to you ?"
This assertion needed more finesse as Steve answered. Danny was ready to make fun of him as he pushed his body against Steve's, perfectly aware of the way his cock now stood to attention after the image Danny had put in his mind.
"I'm willing to negotiate on that one," he confessed.
"Too bad I didn't bring my cuffs with me. Guess I'm gonna have to go ashore to buy some before the end of the cruise."
"We'll have all afternoon to go tomorrow, if you wish."
Danny's smile turned predatory at the same time his hands descended onto Steve's ass.
"Tomorrow's good. For now, maybe we could take this to the bed ? Assuming it's not the same kind of torture device as your couch. Tell me you have a real bed, not a rack ?"
"It's not a rack, Danny," Steve sighed, unwilling to let himself be distracted.
"Good, so lead the way".
Danny didn't let Steve lead that much, pushing him towards the bed and kissing him at the same time. He also managed to get Steve's shirt off, though Steve wasn't clear on the where and the how. He just knew Danny's hands all over his torso felt better than anyone else's ever did.
Danny kept with taking his clothes off, getting him naked before Steve was allowed on the bed, and then Danny went for his own clothes. Finally naked too, Danny knee-walked until he was right over Steve and then lay down on him to share new kisses, hotter than ever.
They rolled around for a while, getting used to the feel of one another in their arms, caressing each other all over.
"Danny, I'm not gonna last much longer," Steve whispered, too gone to be able to speak aloud. "I want you in me."
The light in Danny's eyes grew to something incandescent and Steve didn't need another answer. Not moving from his place under Danny, he searched the nightstand for the condoms and lube he had put there a few days before, hopeful despite his better judgment.
Danny took over for him, choosing a condom and then going for the lube. After pushing Steve's legs apart, he squeezed out a bit of lube onto his hand and warmed it before going to work on Steve's ass.
Steve hissed. It had been such a long time since someone had taken care of him that way, even more so a man. But it felt good, better and better. Danny knew what he was doing, getting Steve to relax and accept more fingers, playing with other parts of Steve's body with his right hand as he pushed more fingers from the left inside Steve, distracting him when he felt too tight to make it. And then Danny reached his prostate.
Steve practically arched off the bed.
"Danny ! Do it, now !"
To his credit, Danny didn't try to tease him this time or pretend he didn't understand. He got the condom rolled on, added more lube and positioned himself to get inside Steve.
Anyone might joke about Danny's height but no one ever would about the size of his cock and Steve was the proof of it as he panted, trying his best to take it all in. He wasn't sure how he managed. Sheer stubbornness probably, and the need to feel Danny in him.
"You okay ?" Danny asked, his face reflecting the same need as Steve, tempered with the effort of restraining himself and not simply fucking him.
"Yeah," Steve stuttered. "Keep going, slowly."
Danny bottomed out and Steve felt as if all the air had been driven out of his body.
"Keep going," he begged once more.
He wanted to drown in his sensations, the fullness as well as the growing pleasure, Danny's body all over him, making him feel alive. Danny moved faster, getting frantic, and they both knew they wouldn't last much longer. They had to make the most of this first time, kiss and make love with all they had.
Danny changed his angle, going for the prostate once again, and took hold of Steve's cock at the same moment. It was all Steve needed to get off, shooting his load hard over his stomach. And he felt quite proud of himself to feel that he had pushed Danny over the edge too.
They lay panting and sweaty but unwilling to separate. Even when they had to do it, Danny didn't go far, his face close on the next pillow, arm over Steve's torso after cleaning him a bit and getting rid of the condom.
"When I write my memoirs," Steve began, gripping Danny's arm with his two hands, "today will deserve a whole chapter : 'How I arrested a thief and got well fucked as a reward'."
"Oh, so you arrested the thief ?" Danny raised, voice tired. "On your lonesome ? Did you fuck yourself too ?"
"No, that wouldn't be as much fun."
Danny laughed and Steve liked the sound of it. Danny was so much happier than when he had arrived on board, and Steve could hope it was thanks to their relationship and what they had just shared. It was as good a moment as any to go with his new plan.
"Danny, I have something to ask you. Something important."
"Okay, you're frightening me now. You know I don't get married right after having sex for the first time ?"
Maybe not after the first time, Steve thought, but they would see about that later.
"Don't be crazy !" he replied.
"I won't give you the codes to my credit card either. Don't think I haven't already realized that you don't like to pay for anything."
"Are you done ?"
"Maybe ?"
Steve laughed despite himself.
"It's a good thing the rest of my crew isn't like you or I'd have a terrible time commanding the Pearl."
Danny stared at him.
"Do you mean what I think you mean ?"
"Depends on what you think I mean."
"Who's the one evading the issue this time ? Stop bamboozling me and speak up !"
"I am not bamboozling you. I do not bamboozle as a principle."
"I'm so very proud of you. Now use your words and tell me."
Steve fortified himself. He had no way to know how Danny would welcome his offer, but he wouldn't be able to say yes if Steve didn't speak up. He rolled over and put his own arm around Danny's waist, looking at him in the eyes.
"You know there's a job opening on the ship. We're now short of a security officer, and I feel compelled to add that it's all your fault once again and you need to make it up to me. So what would you say to filling that job and taking advantage of its perks ?"
Danny discarded Steve's accusation without a beat, as if already used to it enough that it didn't deserve a single word of acknowledgment.
"You got me interested there," he replied. "What kind of perks are we talking about ?"
"Besides living in a paradise and being pampered by the crew because you helped us when you didn't have to ? You get to sleep with the captain."
Danny's kiss was not an answer but Steve felt hopeful anyway.
-------------
Chapter 13 - Day 14 - The end of the cruise
Steve swam the last length and then climbed out of the pool to retrieve his towel, drying himself on the way back to his quarters. It was early enough that he had been able to enjoy the pool alone, like most mornings. It wasn't as satisfying as swimming in the ocean at home, but it made for a good replacement that he was able to enjoy daily.
As he went back to his quarters, Steve reflected that these last few days had felt like heaven, maybe because he knew his time with Danny was limited.
They had spent as much time together as possible. Even after Buck had come back to the ship and offered his own room to Danny, since he had officially become Eddie's boyfriend and was therefore allowed to sleep with him now that Chris knew about their relationship, Steve had made sure Danny would spend his nights with him, in his quarters, and no one had criticized his decision, not to his face anyway. Even if he had spoken in jest when he said to Danny that he was God on board the Pearl of Hawaii, the truth remained that he was the boss and no one who wanted to keep working here would dare going against him. He also liked to think he was appreciated enough by his crew that most of them were happy for him.
Even Kamekona had reluctantly agreed that the 'shrimp-sized haole' had to have some hidden qualities if he made Steve smile like that several times a day. Danny had said he felt like a hooker praised for his talent in the sack, which was probably Kamekona's idea all along, but a truce of sorts had been declared between the two nonetheless.
Steve slipped into the bed to spoon Danny, loving the feel of their skin one against the other.
"You smell like chlorine," Danny protested. "Why didn't you take a shower ?"
"Because we only have two hours left before you need to get up and pack. Maybe we could take that shower together."
He began to throw kisses along the edge of Danny's shoulders, feeling the man becoming fully awake as his hands traveled past his torso and further down.
"You're making a good case," Danny sighed as he brought his own hand behind to stroke Steve's cock to full hardness.
"I know. Come on !"
They hardly let go of each other on the way to the shower, kissing and stroking whatever part of each other's body they could reach.
"You have an unfair advantage," Steve complained.
"What's that ?" Danny mouthed, hardly understandable in the middle of a heated kiss over his nipple.
Steve moaned with pleasure before he managed to respond.
"Your hands come just at the right height to fondle my ass."
"What can I say ? One has the superpower they deserve."
Steve snorted and set about kissing Danny who hadn't lost time effectively playing with his ass.
He would never admit to it in front of his lover but Danny's size made it easier when they crammed together inside the cubicle of his shower that had definitely not been built with that kind of exercise in mind.
On the contrary, Danny's height didn't help to have sex standing up, not the penetrative kind anyway. Not that they didn't enjoy every kind of sex so that they did whatever they pleased in the moment, stroking each other in a race towards orgasm.
Danny fell down to his knees, taking Steve's cock in his mouth and sucking on it with such gusto that Steve went from zero to sixty in under five seconds and it felt like he needed hardly more time before shooting his load down Danny's throat. He was so gone, he hardly realized that Danny was pushing him out of the shower to lean over the sink and spread his legs. It was only the feeling of Danny's cock brushing against his hole that had him coming back to his senses and pushing back, impaling himself on the thick dick.
The tests they had done together had come back negative. They were now allowed to have all the unprotected sex they wished for and Steve used this liberty at every opportunity. Neither of them was that young anymore but Steve didn't remember having so much sex in such a short time. He was making up for lost time as much as creating memories in case Danny chose to go back home.
And it kept getting better. The more one of them got to know about the other, the more devious he became in order to get him off. Not that they were keeping score or anything. Not out loud anyway. And Steve was definitely winning, Danny was a liar if he pretended otherwise.
Even if he was proving his mastery right now, the speeding of his cock inside Steve's ass rough and delicious, creating a friction like no other that had Steve unable to hold back cries of pleasure that were far too loud for the early hour.
But it was too good to even think of stopping now so instead they redoubled their efforts, glad that the furniture was sturdy and unable to move. Danny went for the kill, reaching for Steve's balls and rolling them like dice in his hand for a minute before he moved to his cock and stripped it until he came again.
It was almost painful, so soon after his other orgasm, but Steve felt rather proud of himself for this achievement.
"Stop smiling like you did all the work," Danny ordered with a slight slap on his ass, and then he came too.
He was smiling, as Kamekona had also pointed out. Danny made him smile. More than anyone else, and he couldn't stand the idea of being alone again now that he knew what it meant to share everything with someone who got him so completely, someone who made fun of him when he took himself too seriously but respected him anyway.
Danny rested on Steve's back for a moment, getting his breath back.
"This is cozy," he said finally, "but I guess we need to get back under the shower."
They did finish showering, washing each other tenderly now that they were thoroughly spent, just like they dried each other. They brushed their teeth then Steve watched as Danny collected his toiletries, leaving the place showing only Steve's presence.
There was less than an hour left by that point, but they slid into bed again to spend the time in each other's arms.
"Danny," Steve murmured in his lover's hair, "you still haven't given me an answer."
Danny's hand stroked his back, like he would a spooked animal.
"That's because this isn't the kind of decision you can make in a hurry."
"I know, but this is the chance of a lifetime for us. The chance to be together at all times."
He leaned and kissed Danny's shoulder, again and again.
"Danny, maybe it's too soon, but I'm pretty sure… I'm falling in love with you, and I want to know where this relationship can go."
Danny grimaced.
"I'm falling for you too, okay ? I am, and I don't want to leave you, not after such a short time and you having to work most of that time. But this is a huge decision. Being a cop is what kept me afloat when everything else was crumbling down in my life. I don't know what to do. I need more time."
There was nothing more Steve could say to make him change his mind, so they remained like that, kissing lazily, basking in each other's warmth until the time came to get out of bed for good and face the day.
-------------
His heart wasn't really in it this time, but the people on this cruise deserved Steve's attention just like any other. So here he stood with Chin once again in the great hall, waiting for departing passengers to say goodbye and dreading the moment Danny would be the one showing up to take his leave, going back to his life in New Jersey and his whole family.
Right after a Chinese family who assured him that they had enjoyed the cruise very much, Steve found himself in front of Gabrielle Asano.
She was really short. Danny wasn't that much taller, but somehow felt bigger anyway, because he was brimming with life, constantly moving around, whereas Gabby was much quieter and unassuming. This looked to Steve like the best reason why the two of them would have never worked together.
"Captain," Gabby said as they shook hands, "I want to thank you and your crew for a beautiful cruise. And I think you should know that I spoke with Tani."
"Really ?" Steve replied, noncommittal.
"I did, and I guess what I want to say is that the best man won."
That was big of her. She had really been attracted to Danny and chances were they would have had an affair if Steve hadn't intervened to break it up. He was definitely not sorry that Danny had chosen him, though, and he knew he would do it all again in a heartbeat.
"I hope you two will be very happy," Gabby added, "and that you know you have to take care of him from now on."
"I look forward to it," Steve replied, eager to get on this particular job.
She scrutinized him for a little while, and had to be happy with what she saw as she nodded and smiled, and finally took her leave after shaking Chin's hand. Steve did his best to ignore his first mate's smirk.
He must have done something bad in a previous life because Leslie was the next one to show up, as if a procession of the women that had shown interest in his lover had been organized to show him he certainly wasn't the only one hoping for more of Danny's time, so why would he deserve it more than them ?
"Captain, that was fun, and I leave a little richer thanks to you and Danny."
"I'm just glad we were able to retrieve the money and give it back to its rightful owners."
Danny hadn't been happy about that, saying the money should be kept as evidence, but Steve had overruled him. He had other proofs and he wanted his passengers to leave the ship as satisfied as possible.
"You know," Leslie answered, "French people have a proverb, 'heureux au jeu, malheureux en amour'. Basically, it means you can't be happy and lucky in a relationship and win at cards. Something has to give. So I got the money, and you got the lover."
Chin's smirk was getting too big for his face and Steve's blush had to make him a beacon for everyone to gather around them. He rallied enough to answer as placidly as possible.
"Then all is right in this world."
"It sure is. Captain, Lieutenant, thanks again."
It was not long after Leslie had moved away that the Buckley-Diaz family appeared, Christopher leading the way under the vigilant eyes of two men who looked not only happy but also full of energy and ready to take on the world.
"Captain," Eddie said, "I can honestly say that this cruise will remain one of our best memories, for each of us, but also as a family. Thank you for everything."
"And you made it all the more memorable for every one of us who was able to see you dance."
"He gets that a lot," Buck grinned. "I want to thank you too, both of you. Hawaii is definitely worth another visit someday but your advice about what to see first on each island has been more than helpful."
"You're welcome," Chin answered, "we're here to help you have the best time."
"Then consider your job done."
Steve knelt in front of Chris to talk more easily with him.
"So what did you think of the cruise, Christopher ? Was it cool enough for you ?"
"It was great, Captain ! I like your ship, and Gracie and Charlie, and Buck is coming home with us to stay."
"I see you had a busy time. Maybe you can come back someday, if your dad agrees to work with us again."
"Yeah ! Dad, we have to come back !"
"You're serious, Captain ?" Eddie asked.
"Absolutely. Your shows as well as your lessons have been a tremendous success. I don't see why the company wouldn't want to do it again, and I personally would enjoy it very much."
The last show Eddie had given, incredibly innovative and just as sensual as always, had been met with praise and many demands for more. The company would be stupid indeed not to try to get Eddie Diaz back once at the very least. And maybe more regularly, like twice a year. Special events that could attract a new range of customers.
"Then you'll need to speak to my husband," Eddie announced with a beautiful grin for Buck who was holding him as close as possible with his arm on his shoulders. "We're getting married as soon as we're back home, and Buck will be more than ever the one to manage my career in liaison with Bobby Nash."
"Congratulations !" Steve rejoiced, standing back up again to shake their hands. "I'll talk to Meka and Kono, they'll have a project drawn up soon to discuss with you, and we'll be happy to have you all back on board anytime."
The joyful moment with the Buckley-Diaz family had allowed Steve to forget for a little while his nerves about seeing Danny off. But the Edwards, Danny and the kids showed up less than five minutes later and Steve felt his face fall.
He could remember as if it was yesterday Danny's arrival, the first words they had exchanged. The first time they had talked together, Danny's reluctance, Danny's charm acting on him like a spell or a magnet. Danny's smile like the sun, Danny's irreverent jibes like a breath of fresh air.
"Steve," Rachel began, having finally agreed to use his first name since she had played bait for him, "this was one of the best cruises of my life and I will recommend it to all my friends right away."
"I'm honored by the compliment and I accept it in the name of my excellent crew."
"These islands are so lovely, I'll be happy to call them home. I hope you'll be one of the first people to come visit us once we're installed. You too, Chin."
"Then we'll both be happy to come," Chin answered for them both and it was just as well because Steve was listening less and less. He remembered talking with Stan for a little while, running his hand through Charlie's hair and getting a hug from Grace, but that was it. His eyes always returned to Danny, filling themselves with his image.
He hardly understood what Danny meant when his hand closed on his arm and his mouth formed a question.
"Can I speak with you for a minute ?"
"Sure."
Steve looked at Chin to let him know that he would be back soon. Then he followed Danny to the end of the hall where they wouldn't avoid people looking at them but could talk without being overheard.
"What is it, Danny ?"
"I have news."
Against his better judgement, Steve felt hope rise in his heart.
"Good news ?"
"The best news. I called my boss again."
Hope grew bigger.
"And I told him that I wanted to take the rest of my vacation days, which means I have one more week to spend here with you if that's something you'd be interested in."
Steve was a bit disappointed, but he was not about to refuse the offer of more time with Danny. Time he would spend at home and they could be exclusively focused on each other.
"Don't look too excited," Danny commented, sarcastic.
Steve couldn't help taking him in his arms.
"I am excited, Danny. But you know that's not all I want. One week is not nearly enough."
"Well, if someone wasn't so impatient, as usual, I might have had the opportunity to finish my little tale and…"
"Tell me," Steve cut in, anxious more than impatient.
Danny looked at him fondly, taking his face in both hands. Steve's heart lurched.
"I also told my boss that I'm resigning, effective as soon as possible. He's asked me to stay for a month, to give him time to recruit my replacement."
"You did ? You really did ?"
"I did, and if you look into my bag, you'll find my official letter applying for the job of security officer on the Pearl of Hawaii, under the command of Captain McGarrett."
"You're certain you won't regret it ?"
"Steve, my kids are going to live here soon. Moving to Oahu was already a given. I thought I would apply to HPD. But I've been assured that this gig has perks like no other, like sleeping with the boss. How was I supposed to say no ?"
Somehow, it felt too simple. Too good to be true, this happiness he could feel within easy reach.
"Why, Danny ? You still didn't know two hours ago."
"Because two hours ago it hadn't fully sunk into my mind yet that I wouldn't see you anymore if I didn't seize this opportunity."
"You're here to stay ? With me ?"
"And you won't have room to complain the day you regret asking me to be here with you."
"Never," Steve vowed before kissing him fervently for everyone to see.
-------FIN-------
End notes : I'm a major Supernatural fan, and we've known for a while that the show was ending this year (if this pandemic allows them to finish filming to air the last episodes…). So I took the sudden ending of Five-0 rather badly, and even worse after I got to see the last awful minutes of the finale, all reasons why I fully dived into yet another fandom and slash pairing (9-1-1's buddie) to forget about it all. I hadn't planned to write for the H50 big bang challenge this year since I had other commitments, but those fell through just in time for me to sign up, and I'm just glad I proved that I still can write and enjoy those boys as much as before the finale. I'm not going to ruin the mood with my tales of woe that made writing and finishing this story a drag, so let's just say Long live Danny, Steve and mcdanno !
I hope you enjoyed this story and will let me know :)