[Hawaii Five-0] Steve/Danny - Kauoha (part 3)
Title: Kauoha (“to order or command”) (part 3 of 4)
Fandom: Hawaii Five-0
Pairing: Steve/Danny
Word Count: 30,000
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Hawaii Five-0/Ella Enchanted fusion. Danny is cursed with obedience. He must obey any order given to him.
Warnings: Due to the particulars of Danny's curse, certain situations he is placed in are dub-con or non-con in nature. This does not pertain to any experiences/situations/scenes of a sexual nature - any sex in the story is consensual.
Spoilers: Story goes AU after episode 1x22. Episode-specific spoilers throughout season 1, episode-heavy spoilers for 1x08, 1x16, and 1x18
Notes: This story ATE MY LIFE. Huge thanks to my beta, sirona_gs, for being brutally honest and telling me what needed work. This story wouldn’t be what it is without her help. Also, thank you to annundriel and popkin16 for being hugely supportive during the entire writing process, and being willing to bounce ideas with me at odd times of the day. And to everyone else on my twitter who contributed something at any point, thank you! *smishes*
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 at my journal | AO3 | Soundtrack
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How he got there without speeding, Danny didn’t know. The house was completely dark when he arrived. A glance at the LED clock revealed it was 4 am. Any normal person would be asleep. Steve too, apparently, though he was far from normal.
Danny entered the security code Steve had given him several weeks back. The house wasn’t just quiet, it was empty; Steve wasn’t here. Danny allowed himself ten seconds to panic and wonder who might have gotten to Steve, before calming himself. Steve had probably just gone back to their headquarters, and had lost track of how late it was. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Danny pulled out his cell phone and pressed the first speed dial. It took a while, but Steve finally picked up, sounding sleepy.
“Danny? Where are you?”
“I’m at your house, you goof,” Danny said, unable to stop the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth at the thought of groggy Steve. “You know, where you ought to be right now. Where are you?”
There were sounds of fumbling over the line. “I’ll be there soon,” Steve said, “Wait for me?”
And then he hung up. It was one of the gray areas of the curse, when a sentence was phrased like an order but the question mark was clearly implied. Of course, Danny had no intention of leaving, so it didn’t matter either way. He kicked off his shoes and settled down to wait.
When Steve arrived, Danny had already begun to doze off on the couch. He started awake at the sound of the door opening, in time to see Steve, looking as exhausted as Danny felt, setting down an unopened six-pack of beer.
Suddenly, it clicked for Danny, where Steve had been. His own words echoing back in his mind, ”My brother, every single night, he would come over with a six-pack of beer and all the time in the world.”
“Really?” Danny asked, gesturing at the beer. It wasn’t accusatory, more bemusement at Steve’s behavior. “How long were you waiting for me?”
“Uh…four hours or so? I lost track of time.” Steve looked defensive. “I…uh, might’ve picked your lock. By the way, the security at your apartment could use some work, anyone could break in.”
“No one would want to break in except for crazy ex-SEALs who don’t know how to drop a call before visiting,” Danny pointed out.
“Technically, I did call,” Steve said, “You just didn’t pick up. And then you texted me.”
Danny wanted to ask Steve why. Why he would wait four hours with beer in Danny’s rundown apartment. Why he didn’t question the fact that Danny was at his house now. But, it occurred to Danny, he already knew the answer. The answer was in everything Steve did, from his offer to drive Danny and Matt to the airport, to his lying to the Feds.
It was this thing between them, somewhat strained since Danny had left Steve’s house those weeks ago, out of fear and something else he hadn’t been ready to admit. He was tired of running from it.
Steve was still standing by the door, looking somewhat sheepish and just the slightest bit uncomfortable, as if he wasn’t prepared to deal with the reality of Danny being in his house again. And that was a shame, Danny didn’t want to be the cause of that, which was the only reason he could explain for why he crossed the room in as few strides as he could manage, until he was right up in Steve’s personal space.
“Danny, wha-?” Steve said, startled, as Danny reached hands toward his wrists, gripping the pulse points there.
“I’m sorry…about what happened last time I was here. I didn’t-” Danny hesitated, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. It isn’t what I wanted, but I couldn’t tell you why at the time.”
If Steve looked uneasy before, he was even more so now. He went rigid, tense with indecision, as if he was contemplating turning and running. Danny couldn’t have that. He remembered the way Steve had looked at him then, the way he had seemed betrayed, and Danny felt awful for this secrecy. He wanted to put it to rights, now.
“This is about your secret, isn’t it?” Steve asked slowly. “The thing you’ve been keeping from everyone?”
Danny could only gape for several long moments. “You know?” he finally managed to stammer out.
“I know there’s something you haven’t been telling me, Danny,” Steve said, and there was a trace of hurt in his tone. “I’m your partner, it’s my job to know what’s going on with you. But I figured you would tell me on your own time.”
Danny threw his hands up. “Okay, first of all? This was not an entirely intentional thing. But clearly, I need to start at the beginning. Which I am not going to do right here by your door. So grab those beers, put them on ice, and let us move someplace we can talk.”
Part of what helped Danny deal with his curse was whenever he gave direction to others, he expected compliance, or at least adopted a tone that suggested as much. It worked, a surprising amount of the time, as Steve moved towards the kitchen with the six-pack. He returned a moment later with a pair of chilled beers from the fridge, and gestured towards the couch. It was as good a place as any, and Danny sat down.
“So, the beginning?” Steve prompted, as he twisted the tops off the beers and offered one to Danny.
“Yeah,” Danny said, and why did he have fucking butterflies, now that he was finally able to talk about it? The beginning, he realized, might not be the best approach, seeing as he’d only just learned it-what?-two hours ago? Best to start with what was easiest, what he knew.
“Okay, first of all,” Danny began, “You say you’ve suspected I wasn’t telling you something. How much have you guessed?”
Steve shrugged. “I know you don’t like it when I give you orders. At first, I thought it was because you didn’t like me, but you get irritable when other people do the same thing. I mean…I’ve been trying lately, not to do it as much.”
Danny nodded. “You’re on the right track. I’m cursed.”
Steve’s brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”
“I’m cursed. With obedience. Any order, any command, that isn’t phrased as a request or question, I have to carry it out. I am incapable of disobeying.”
Through his confession, Danny watched Steve’s face carefully. Steve seemed intent-wary, perhaps-on what Danny was saying. There was no small amount of skepticism there, though not outright disbelief. That was something.
“I don’t know, Danny,” Steve said slowly. “That seems…”
“I know how it seems. But look at me, Steve, trust me. Think back, all the orders you give me, have I ever once disobeyed any of them?”
Steve looked thoughtful, features drawn together in concentration as he presumably looked back on all their cases, the time spent together off jobs, the first time they met. “But…you always bitch and complain.”
“Yeah, I do, because nine times out of ten, I’m being forced to do something I don’t want to. The curse only requires that I be obedient, it doesn’t make me subservient.”
Steve stood suddenly, paced a moment, before sitting back down. His beer rested forgotten on the table. Danny took a drink of his own bottle.
“Okay, that’s-” Steve began, “I’m not saying I fully understand, or that I believe it.” His tone spoke otherwise, Danny could tell. Steve’s gut had already accepted the truth, even if his brain was taking some time in catching up. “But if what you’re saying is true, then you should have told me, Danny. This is…you could have been hurt.”
“Okay, back up there,” Danny said, getting a bit angry now, “Did you miss the part where I said I wanted to tell you, but that I couldn’t? And, for the record, where do you get off telling me what I should or shouldn’t have done? I’ve lived with this my entire life, and the times it’s most difficult are the times when people try telling me what to do about it.”
Steve held out a placating hand. “Danny, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…I give you orders all the time. How can you not…hate me for it?”
And, god, that’s what had Steve so upset? The idea that Danny could be compartmentalizing this hatred towards him over the orders thing?
“You’re an idiot sometimes, you know that? You didn’t know,” Danny said, giving Steve’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
“But, Danny, I…what if I had made you do something you didn’t want? You said yourself, you were forced.”
Danny winced. Okay, maybe that hadn’t been the best choice of words in reference to the orders Steve gave.
“Steven, stop it right now with the self-loathing. You never used my curse against me. You want to know how Matt got away?”
Steve looked confused at the sudden change of subject. “You said you lost him.”
“Yeah, I did. Want to know how? Matt knew about the curse; he’s my brother, how could he not? When I tracked him to the airfield, you know what he did? He said ‘shoot me or say goodbye.’ I had to pick one, the curse wouldn’t let me do otherwise, and Matt knew that. He knew it, and he forced me to choose.”
Steve’s breath hitched. “You didn’t…?”
“Shoot him? No. I couldn’t. But my point is, Steve, that my brother took advantage of my curse, he used it against me. And I know…I know you would never do that.”
Steve was silent for a moment, taking that all in. Finally, he spoke, “You said…about that day, that you wanted to tell me about your curse, but you couldn’t…why?”
“What I said before, about people telling me what to do about my curse? When I was a kid, my dad gave me an order to never tell anyone about it,” Danny explained. “Tonight, I talked to him on the phone, and he took it back.”
“But that didn’t stop people from finding out?”
“Some people did, yeah,” Danny said, not wanting to make an issue of it. “Rachel did, when I was married to her.”
A beat, then Steve asked, “Do Kono and Chin know?”
Danny hesitated before answering, “Yes, they do.”
“I should have guessed, too,” Steve said, sullen. “I mean, I suppose part of me did guess-I noticed you always obeyed orders, and that you didn’t seem to like it when I gave them-but I never put it together.”
“Look, Steve, I don’t blame you for not knowing. It’s not any fault of yours,” Danny said quickly. Steve was already blaming himself for every order he had ever given Danny, apparently; he didn’t need to blame himself for this as well. Danny continued, “You’re military, you’re a SEAL, you’re used to giving orders, and you’re used to them being obeyed. There is nothing wrong with that. I am not blaming you.”
Steve didn’t say anything, and Danny added, “Besides, I asked them not to tell you.”
Steve looked up suddenly, hurt flashing in his eyes. “Why not?”
“Because, at the time, I was worried you might…consider me a liability. On cases.”
“Had I known, I might have taken extra safety measures,” Steve said.
“That’s just the thing, though - much as I appreciate the gesture, I don’t want to be treated differently. I never wanted that. And I didn’t want Five-0 taken from me.”
“I wouldn’t let that happen,” Steve said, defensive. “You’re my partner, and you’re a part of this team. Things wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“Good to know I’m irreplaceable,” Danny said, smiling.
Neither of them said anything for a moment. It was a companionable, if somewhat awkward, silence.
“Danny,” Steve said hesitantly, “I’m-”
“Steven J. McGarrett, if you apologize again, so help me, I will punch you in the face.”
Steve’s mouth snapped shut. He held a hand up. “Okay, okay…not apologizing. But I have a question. That night, when we…when we kissed. You backed off, said it was a mistake. Can I ask what you meant by that?”
Danny tensed at the reminder. “Think about my curse, Steve, think about what it means,” Danny said, voice quiet, “I wasn’t worried about you turning it against me, but rather, if someone else were to use it against me to get to you, or to get to Five-0, or Grace.”
Steve nodded, expression guarded and somber. Danny could tell he was thinking about Hesse, about his father’s murder. About Chin, with that bomb strapped to his neck. Steve understood what that was like, better than most.
“But, Danny,” Steve said, hesitant. “I’m not saying I disagree with you or your reasons. But…you say you’ve lived with this your whole life? If someone were to use it against you, would you and I-” he gestured between them, “Would that, would us-make a difference?”
Danny considered it. In truth, anyone in theory could use his closeness with Grace or Five-0 to their advantage. It would be the last thing they ever did, but it was a possibility. A relationship with Steve wouldn’t change that either way. Plus, he reasoned with himself, was it fair to deny himself this out of fear, all because of a possibility that something bad might happen?
“No, it wouldn’t,” Danny said.
“Okay…so,” Steve began slowly, “Just checking…it wasn’t the actual kiss you were objecting to, was it?”
Danny’s pulse quickened, and he shook his head. It was too much to hope…
Steve gave a careful smile, leaning close until Danny could feel the heat radiating off his body.
“Can I?” was all he said.
“Oh, god, yes,” Danny groaned, gripping at Steve’s shoulders and pulling him close until they met in a hungry clash of lips and teeth, noses and jawlines and stubble.
The past few weeks were a blur in Danny’s mind. They were making up for lost time now. Danny tried not to think about the missed time or opportunities, focusing instead on the feel of Steve’s mouth against his. On all the things he wanted to do with Steve.
Danny pulled back, breathless. “Let’s move this upstairs, babe, yeah?”
Steve’s response was a growl of affirmation, and then he was tugging Danny, pulling him up from the couch and manhandling him towards the stairs. Danny offered no resistance, though their progress was briefly halted halfway up the stairs when he ground the heel of his palm against Steve’s hard-on through his cargo pants.
Finally, they made it to the bedroom. Danny’s tie was loosened, though it still hung around his neck. About half of the buttons on his shirt were undone, and he was working on tugging at Steve’s shirt.
“Wait-Danny,” Steve gasped.
Danny froze, hands halted in their movement. Steve stiffened, his face mortified.
“Shit, Danny, I’m sorry. I meant-could you wait a sec?”
Danny nodded. He was used to slip ups, and he wasn’t upset, partly because Steve had corrected himself immediately, and because Danny had stopped being annoyed by Steve’s orders ages ago.
“I can’t-I don’t want-” Steve said haltingly. Danny’s heart hammered in his chest. Had Steve changed his mind? Steve tried again, “I don’t want to fuck this up. I don’t want to make mistakes, and I will, I’m sure I will.”
Steve looked so worried, clearly shaken by his gaffe and seeing Danny’s curse “in action” for the first time. Well, the first time when he actually had knowledge of it. Danny reached out to reassure him, and Steve’s eyes settled on the hollow of his throat.
“Would you gag me?” Steve asked suddenly.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m serious,” Steve said, voice fervent, as he pulled the loop of the tie over Danny’s head and held it out. “If you gag me, I won’t be able to accidentally order you. I wouldn’t make you-” He trailed off. “You would be in charge.”
That wasn’t entirely true, Danny mused. Steve still had his training that gave him the upper hand against most. Still, the proposition was an intriguing one, and it would certainly level the playing field a bit.
“You really want that?” Danny asked.
Steve nodded, and Danny kissed him, swift and deep. The gag would soon make that impossible. Steve looked the tie so it rested across his mouth, pressing on his tongue. Danny helped make sure it was secure, and that Steve wasn’t in any danger of choking himself.
“You’re something else, you know that?” Danny said, needing to fill the voice with words, even if Steve couldn’t respond. His tone wasn’t mocking, more of amazement. “Ever since the moment I met you, you’ve been infuriating, impossible at times to deal with, but I’ve never wanted anyone more.”
Steve let out an unintelligible, muffled noise through the gag, his eyes wide and dark from arousal. It was a heady feeling, having the weight of Steve’s gaze on him, as Danny made quick work of his remaining shirt buttons. Steve made things easier by removing his own shirt in the meantime.
Something wasn’t quite right. Danny felt as though something was going against the grain in his mind, and he tried to tell himself it had nothing to do with the way Steve couldn’t say anything. This was good. This evened out the imbalance between them; it gave Danny the advantage. He should be happy about that. Danny distracted himself with the sight of Steve’s tattoos spread out before him. He traced one of the shoulder tattoos, then pressed a hand to the hair on Steve’s chest, pushing him back until he was seated on the bed.
“Can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted this,” Danny murmured, mostly to fill the silence as Steve fumbled with the button and zipper on Danny’s pants. “Probably couldn’t tell you why either, even if you told me to.”
Something flickered in Steve’s eyes, but it was gone too quickly for Danny to identify. That was another thing about the gag, it made it harder to identify Steve’s faces.
“You’re just so…god, I don’t even know,” Danny said, as Steve began slowly jacking Danny’s cock in his callused palm. Danny groaned, fumbling to reciprocate and getting caught up in Steve’s cargo pants. He wanted…he wanted…
“Wait, Steve, stop,” Danny said suddenly. Steve did. “I can’t do this. Not-not like this.”
He pulled at the gag, fingers slipping where the material was soaked through with sweat and spit. Steve looked confused and concerned, but he assisted until the tie was loose once more.
“What is it?” Steve asked, voice hoarse.
“It’s not the same. I want to hear you.”
Steve’s brows furrowed, tight with worry. “But, Danny,” he protested, “What if I…I mess this up?”
“Haven’t you been paying attention?” Danny breathed, running light fingertips across Steve’s jaw. “It’s you I want. You, as you are. I stopped being annoyed by your orders a long time ago.”
“But…how could you…?”
“Oh, you really are a moron sometimes, aren’t you? Do I need to put it in more explicit terms? You can give me orders sometimes, it’s okay. And-” Danny swallowed. This next bit was more difficult to admit. “I might even…like that.”
There, he’d said it. While part of him felt like he ought to be ashamed, he was past the point of caring. Besides, hadn’t this night been all about honesty? Steve watched him with a careful wariness, but he didn’t seem disgusted by the admission, and that was something.
“What if I ordered something you didn’t want to do?”
Danny sighed. “Then I would tell you I didn’t want to do it, and you would take it back. I am allowed to voice my objections. It isn’t an automatic thing, I do have time to resist. You just need to get it out of your head that you’re going to accidentally, I don’t know, tell me to cut off my own head or something. Now, think we can do this?” His erection had died down, and he really wanted to get back to stripping them both naked.
“Okay,” Steve said, nodding. “Okay, yeah. But, Danny…I’m serious about this, I don’t want you going along with stuff just to spare my feelings or whatever. If I give you an order that makes you uncomfortable, tell me.”
The last two words carried weight, but that didn’t matter, Danny already knew he would listen to them if the need arose. He nodded.
Steve smiled, and then said in a tentative tone, “Kiss me.”
Danny was all too happy to comply, more than ready at this point to get back to doing things. He sighed into Steve’s mouth, and Steve made a contented noise as he gripped Danny’s biceps and shifted them so Danny was the one on the bed. He was still being cautious, though, and Danny wanted more.
Steve pulled back for a moment. “Touch yourself,” he said. The order was mild, and Danny could see the implied question in Steve’s eyes.
Danny quirked an amused eyebrow, and brought a hand to his face to touch his nose. “I appreciate you wanting to be careful, but I am not a delicate flower, Steven,” he said, baiting.
That did it. Steve’s eyes took on a dangerous edge, pupils going dark and wide. Danny felt his pulse quicken in anticipation.
“Put your hand on your cock, Danny,” Steve all but growled.
Yes. Danny’s body ached as his curse responded to the command, thrumming with need and desire and want to comply. It felt like all his blood had gone immediately south, and he reached to where his trousers and boxers has been shoved down, giving his cock a long, slow pull.
Danny didn’t know if it was because Steve had ordered him to, and he was obeying, or if it was just the effect of having Steve’s eyes on him while he touched himself, but it had never felt so good. Danny groaned, letting his head fall back on the bed as he thrust up into his fist.
“Look at me,” Steve said, voice sounding hoarse. Danny angled his head up until his eyes met Steve’s again. Steve looked as wrecked as Danny felt, as he drank in the sight of Danny. Danny’s hips stuttered under the intensity of that gaze, his cock leaking precome, the movement of his hand eased by the slickness.
“God, Danny, you’re amazing…trusting me like this,” Steve breathed.
And Danny did, he realized. He trusted Steve, not just with his safety, his well-being, with his secret, but with his life.
“Wanted…this,” Danny gasped, “Thought about it…all the time.”
Steve arched an eyebrow. “Oh? What did you think about? Tell me, Danny.”
Danny groaned, hips arcing off the bed as he gripped his cock tighter. “Fuck, I-” He hesitated. There was a twinge at the back of his mind, his curse compelling him to continue. “I thought about you…telling me to fuck you. Telling me to go harder, faster…Thought about you telling me to suck you off.”
Steve let out a breath. He pressed the heel of his palm hard to his own erection, still mostly trapped by the confines of his cargo pants. And then he was moving, crawling onto the bed and up Danny’s body. He lightly smacked Danny’s hand away from his cock with a murmured, “stop,” and then he was gripping both of Danny’s wrists and pressing them above his head on the bed as he kissed Danny thoroughly. Danny gave back as good as he got, nipping at Steve’s lower lip as he bucked his hips upwards, seeking friction.
Steve pulled back after a moment, lifting his head just out of reach and looking down at Danny with a mixture of desire, awe, and something inexplicably Steve. “Stay,” he said, squeezing Danny’s wrists for emphasis.
Danny shivered, both at the order and at the way Steve was now traveling down his body, nipping and sucking at skin as he went. He bypassed Danny’s cock entirely, instead focusing on the remainder of Danny’s clothes, tugging at the pants and boxers until they were off. He disappeared for a moment, and Danny angled his head slightly until he could see Steve shucking his cargo pants. Then he was back, and Danny reveled at the feel of naked skin on skin. Steve’s cock dragged along his leg, leaving a slick trail there.
It was the strangest sensation. Danny knew, on a distant level, that he could try to move his arms, knew that excruciating pain would follow if he tried. That knowledge didn’t upset him in the slightest, the way it would in any other situation, and in fact the compulsion to remain where he was held him in place more effectively than any bondage could do. The awareness that he was doing this, doing this because Steve ordered it, filled him with a strange sort of pleasure that he’d never gotten from his curse before. The closest he’d ever come to this was that one night-had it only been a couple months ago?-when Steve had told him to relax. That was what this felt like, giving himself over completely, embracing this part of him and trusting in Steve to see him through.
Being told to look at Steve meant that Danny didn’t miss any of what was going on in Steve’s head. He had always been easy to read, and never more so than now, the look on his face one of fierce protectiveness as his eyes traveled down Danny’s body.
Steve nudged at Danny’s hips, encouraging them wider, before settling himself between them. He gripped at Danny’s cock, giving it an experimental tug. At Danny’s encouraging noise, Steve continued, sliding his lips over the head as he stroked Danny further.
“Oh, fuck,” Danny uttered. He made small thrusting motions with his hips, apparently within the bounds of the “stay” directive, as there was no retaliatory discomfort that came when he tried to disobey. Danny was on edge; he had never been this keyed up before from the simple tease of a blowjob-he didn’t think he would last long.
As if sensing this, Steve pulled back. His lips were indecent-looking, and his tongue darted out to chase the slickness there. “Don’t come yet,” he said, warned.
Danny whined low in his throat, brought back from the edge by that simple command. All the same, he couldn’t bring himself to be truly upset. There was a buzz building under his skin, the orgasm denied to him and his curse responding to the multiple orders he’d been given. Steve gave him a once-over, as if to assess that they were still on the same page, even though Steve’s tell-me-if-I-give-you-and-order-that-makes-you-uncomfortable thing was still in effect. Danny gave Steve a reassuring nod.
Steve’s free hand, which had been occupied elsewhere on the bed, worked between Danny’s outstretched legs. His fingers were slick with lube, and they glided along Danny’s perineum, teasing at his opening. Danny let out a sigh as Steve slid one finger inside.
“Can’t believe you,” Steve murmured. “Can’t believe you’re letting me do this…that you trust me with this.”
Danny wasn’t sure whether “this” referred to what Steve was doing now with his finger, sex in general, or this entire situation with them. He found he didn’t care, and in all situations there was only one possible response. “Yes,” he breathed.
Steve shifted his other hand so that it was no longer on Danny’s cock, instead splayed out on Danny’s belly. The fingers tangled with the coarse blond hair there, grounding him, steadying him with a gentle pressure. With his other hand, Steve began working a second finger inside. Danny’s breath hitched.
“Relax, Danny.”
Danny was reminded again of the last time Steve had given him that order. He had resisted then, afraid of giving himself away, afraid of what it might lead to. As much as he had wanted to listen to Steve, he had held himself back. He had no such impediment now, as he allowed himself to give in to the command, body going boneless and languid as his muscles relaxed, easing the passage of Steve’s fingers.
Steve sucked in a sharp breath at seeing Danny’s reaction. “Is this…is this okay?”
Danny nodded. It was more than okay. He felt amazing, and if he didn’t feel so languorous he might be thrusting his hips into Steve’s fingers in encouragement. “M’good…really good.” He was cut off suddenly as Steve’s fingers massaged over his prostate. “Keep doing that.”
Steve grinned. “I thought I was the one giving the orders?”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll follow this one.”
“Oh, I intend to,” Steve said, voice full of promise, as he worked a third finger in.
Danny was already relaxed, so his body easily accommodated the intrusion, but he still let out a whine at his inability to move-into it, away from it, it didn’t matter. He was immobilized, and it was a testament to no much he trusted Steve that that knowledge still didn’t distress him any. He was more than willing to wait until Steve gave him leave to move again. It was just a distant part of him that also wanted to reciprocate.
While Steve worked his fingers deeper, he began mouthing at Danny’s hipbone, sucking and worrying at the skin, inching closer to where Danny really wanted his mouth to be. And then he was there, swallowing Danny’s cock down in one smooth motion. And Danny could do nothing but take it. The hand on his belly pressed down, but it wasn’t what was keeping him in place. Danny was close, so close, but he couldn’t…
“Steve,” Danny croaked.
Steve slid off, his mouth making an obscene sound as he lifted his head, eyes meeting Danny’s. The fingers inside Danny stilled. “What is it, Danny? What do you want?” he asked.
“Want to touch you,” Danny pleaded. “Want-c’mere.”
“Of course,” Steve said, pulling his fingers free and crawling up the bed until he was braced over Danny’s body. “Go ahead. You can move.”
Danny gripped at Steve’s arms, fingers digging into muscle as he grappled with Steve, fighting to get him closer, longing for more contact. Steve groaned into Danny’s mouth, and Danny chased the taste of himself on Steve’s tongue. There’s bodies pressed close, skin in contact with glorious skin. Steve’s cock slid into the groove of Danny’s hip, right up against the line of his own erection. Danny gasped, and Steve began rutting against him, fucking into the space between their bodies at a feverish pace.
“Fuck, yes…Steve.”
The rhythm was a little off; Danny kept trying to lift his hips to counter Steve’s, and it didn’t quite match up, but they made it work. Danny was close, had been for some time, but he wasn’t there yet.
“C’mon, Danny,” Steve murmured into Danny’s neck, breath hot behind the shell of his ear. “Come for me.”
And that was it. Danny was done, spilling between them with a wracked groan as he just gave in and let go. Steve followed a couple seconds later. He gave a full body shudder before allowing his arms to give out, collapsing half on top of Danny. It was fitting, Danny thought, that his first orgasm with Steve felt like a punch to the gut. Everything about Steve, since they’d met, had left Danny feeling off-kilter, out of breath, like he was constantly recovering from a chokehold. And yet…Steve was always there, helping him up, pulling him back, until the next time Danny felt thoroughly out of his depth.
That was how Danny felt now, with Steve sprawled partly on top of him, head pillowed on Danny’s shoulder. Steve trailed a hand through the mess on their bellies. And really, as out of his depth as Danny felt, he knew a thing or two about Steve. He knew that Steve, for all of his ability to launch himself headlong into dangerous situations, had a difficult time expressing his emotions verbally. It wasn’t that Steve couldn’t express himself emotionally, just that his methods usually involved turning the radio to bad 80s power ballads or inviting Danny out for a joy ride in his Mercury Marquis-before it broke down. And right now, Steve’s movements were tentative, almost nervous. His fingers tapped out hesitation on Danny’s hipbone.
“Hey,” Danny said, “I’m not freaking out. You shouldn’t either.”
“That was okay?” Steve asked.
“Babe, it was better than okay. Now, stop asking, or I’ll think you’re fishing for compliments.”
“Not fishing,” Steve said, smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Just…adjusting.”
“Hey.” Danny smacked Steve’s arm lightly. “This changes nothing. I’m the same person, have been this whole time since we met.”
“Except, you know…now I can bribe you with sex.” Steve began nuzzling at the spot on Danny’s neck right below his ear. And really, he’d just come, Danny should not have found it that much of a turn-on.
“Not fair.” Danny squirmed until Steve was out of reach of his sensitive spots. “Get us cleaned up and I’ll consider it.”
“Demanding, aren’t you? I should have guessed something was up just from the times you throw orders about.”
“What can I say, babe? It’s my one area of overcompensation,” Danny said, all the while thinking, Don’t you dare say a word about my height.
Steve grinned, and Danny could tell he was thinking it, the bastard. Danny couldn’t find it in him to be mad, though, not when Steve looked so damn fond, in over his head and no longer afraid.
Yeah, they could make this work.
--
Danny should have known by now that once Steve got an idea in his head, it was difficult to sway him. He kept trying to be cautious, assigning duties based on the level of potential risk, until Danny finally cornered him and told him to stop trying to hold his hand through all this. If he persisted it was going to be difficult for Danny to resist beating his head in.
And then there were the guilty looks Steve would flash him if he ever accidentally let an order slip. The first time was almost endearing, but after the third Danny confronted him.
“Not that I don’t appreciate your sudden effort to undo years’ worth of bad manners,” Danny said, “but if we’re on a case, drop it. You never give orders on cases without good reason, and I’d rather just follow them than have you waste potentially precious seconds apologizing and taking it back.”
“But, Danny-”
“I will stab you in the face, Steven, no lie. And then I will make you eat deep fried food-from Jersey-until you admit you like it.”
Steve shuddered at the prospect. Danny had seen what Steve kept stocked in his kitchen, knew that there were lean, frozen pizzas in the freezer.
Kono, who had been following their argument with no small amount of amusement, let out a laugh at Danny’s threat. Chin was pretending to do something important on the computer table, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. Danny gave them both a look that was meant to be imposing.
“What? Oh, yes, I’m sure you’re both very amused by this. Happy I told him? I’ll have you know, though, that if the productivity of this task force starts to suffer from a loss of professionalism, you have only yourselves to blame.”
They settled back into the groove of working on cases. It was a little different, but Danny had to admit it was better, knowing each of his teammates knew his secret, and he trusted them with it. It was extra security, as well, in the event Danny found himself in an awkward situation.
Then had been the superhero convention where Alex Baker had been murdered, and the string of misunderstandings and mistaken identities that had led them to Richard Davis and his wife. Steve was also caught up in his own investigation with Jenna Kaye over his father’s missing case files and the whereabouts of Wo Fat. Danny could tell Steve had far more on his mind than he was showing, but didn’t know whether he ought to press for information or not.
So when it turned out Anne Davis had been responsible, indirectly, for Alex Baker’s death, Danny did nothing more than tighten his lips when Steve said softly, “Book her, Danno.”
Whatever was going on with Wo Fat and John McGarrett’s murder, Danny only hoped Steve might be willing to talk about it after his meeting tonight with Jenna Kaye.
Danny was just finalizing his paperwork when his phone rang. He looked up-whoa, when had it gotten dark?-and answered.
“Danny, you still at the office?”
Something was wrong, seriously wrong. Steve’s voice sounded manic, and Danny’s mind immediately began conjuring all sorts of worst-case scenarios.
“Yeah, I am. But back up, what’s happened? I know that tone, you sound like you’re about to chase someone over a cliff.”
“I can’t-I don’t-it’s Wo Fat, he’s-and Jenna-”
Worry surged up. “Whoa, slow down,” Danny said, forcing his voice to emanate calmness, “Deep breaths and full sentences, please. Is Agent Kaye all right?”
“Not a field agent,” Steve said, letting out a huff of laughter that bordered on hysterical. “She’s-she’s fine. Was supposed to meet me, but then-Wo Fat showed up.”
“Wait, at the meeting place?”
“Yes, Danny, that’s what I’m trying to say. He just sat down, and I couldn’t do a damn thing, because he knew where Kaye was. He knew where she was, and I couldn’t-”
Danny swallowed against the lump in his throat. “Yeah, I understand. Are you-?”
“I’m fine,” Steve said automatically. He sounded anything but. “I’m on my way there now.”
When Steve arrived, it was everything Danny could do to just stand back and let him work. He moved with an agitated sense of purpose, all full of frenzied energy, and it was clear he was in no mindset to be calmed down. Eventually, Kaye joined them, and the two of them worked on setting up a proper Five-0 file for Wo Fat, examining possible leads to follow next. Danny wished there was more he could do to help, but he felt like he would only get in the way. He settled himself on the couch in Steve’s office.
He didn’t realize he had started dozing until Steve looked at him some time later, guilt written across his features. “Hey, Danny…I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be keeping you here. You should go and get some real rest.”
Danny had to admit, he did want to sleep, but he also didn’t want to leave Steve when he was clearly still distressed. “Make me,” he said, forgetting for a moment that Kaye was still there.
Steve glanced over at her, but she was typing away at her computer, not paying attention to their exchange. “Nah, I don’t think so. But you really should try to sleep. I’ll call you in a few hours, okay?”
Danny nodded. Steve seemed more collected, at any rate. He could at least go knowing that Steve wouldn’t do anything completely reckless without letting him know.
Danny drove to his apartment. Whatever he and Steve had now, Danny wasn’t sure yet if it was at the point where he should sleep at Steve’s without Steve being there. Danny told himself that his logic was flawed; he went into Steve’s house uninvited all the time. Still, he didn’t want to push things too fast, and anyway, he would need to get clean clothes from his own apartment.
The key stuck in the lock for a moment-aftermath of Steve’s little break-in with the six-pack. Danny was caught up in his thoughts as he went inside his apartment.
“Don’t move, Detective Williams.”
Danny halted where he stood. Fear gripped him like an icy vise. His first instinct was fight against the confines of his curse, but the exertion from doing so would give him away to his intruder. It was entirely possible they didn’t know, had just thrown out the words as an intended threat, not realizing Danny was bound to follow orders. Possible, but not probable.
“Who’s there?”
A figure stepped from the shadows. Danny had been seeing pictures of that face for the last couple hours. It was Wo Fat.
He knew. Danny didn’t know how he’d found out, but he knew. One look at the man’s face told Danny everything he feared. And Danny was stuck here, unable to run, attack, anything. That didn’t, however, prevent him from calling out for help.
Wo Fat must have seen the intention on his face, because he spoke up, “Ah, none of that. Do not scream, yell, or otherwise draw attention to yourself. I merely want us to have the chance to speak with one another. Now close the door behind you, and sit down. Make no aggressive movements.” He gestured at the couch.
Danny’s breath huffed out, the shout he’d built up aborted. His mind was moving at rapid speeds, trying to think of a way out of this. His hand itched to reach for his sidearm, but as that was pretty clearly an “aggressive movement”, he was unable. Pain began building at his temples, the longer he went without shutting the door.
Play into it, for now. You don’t have a choice, he told himself.
No choice. No choice. Danny turned, his movements jerky as he fought against them, and closed the door. Then he turned until Wo Fat was in his sights again, a satisfied smile on his features. Danny began moving towards the couch, but then changed his course, sitting on the edge of his desk instead. Wo Fat’s order had only stipulated “sit down,” he hadn’t specified where. It was a small measure of defiance, but it was better than nothing. Danny folded his arms across his chest.
Wo Fat raised an amused eyebrow. Danny wanted to punch it clean off his face. And, somehow, get a message to Steve, but there was no way of doing that.
“Do you know who I am, Detective Williams?”
“Wo Fat,” Danny said, voice curt. He wouldn’t give him satisfaction of drawing this out.
Wo Fat gave a formal nod. “I had the pleasure earlier this evening of meeting your partner.” Was that an inflection Danny detected on the word partner? He couldn’t tell, and didn’t want to give himself away any more than he already had.
“So I heard.”
“Then you have heard, no doubt, about my desire to know the man who wants to know me. That includes knowing about the people closest to him.” He paused, and Danny fought to keep his features even, though he was furious inside. Wo Fat continued, his voice casual, “McGarrett really ought to keep a closer eye on those under his care. First Chin Ho Kelly, then his sister. Then tonight, Agent Kaye.”
Now me. “What do you want from me?” It came out snappier than he’d intended, but Danny didn’t really think he could be blamed for that, under the circumstances.
“Simply to confirm a…theory. One that has thus far proven true, though I would still like to test its limits further.”
The way he said it, with that detached calculation, filled Danny with a terrible dread. For one brief moment he let his composure slip, and tried fighting his curse, struggling to reach for his gun. It was no use, the pain mounted in his head and his limbs would not obey him, and he stopped.
“Interesting,” was all Wo Fat said.
“Fuck you,” Danny spat, finally letting his anger show. He asked the question that had been plaguing him, “How did you find out?”
“Observation, Detective Williams. Observation, and accounts from those who work under me. One account, in particular, from Sang Min. You become more guarded around criminals, did you realize that? Criminals who are already imprisoned and are, logically, no longer a threat to you. You become quickly angered when you issue directives that are not followed, but are strangely compliant when one is issued to you.”
Danny felt sick to his stomach hearing it. His worst fears realized, because he’d given himself away by being too careful. Wo Fat continued, “From there, my curiosity piqued, it was a matter of accessing your files. Easily done. Your superiors always had the most positive things to say about you. ‘Follows orders to the letter.’ ‘Learns quickly from mistakes.’ I observed your movements and actions, and then I had only to test my theory.”
Danny’s jaw was clenched as he resisted the urge to say the first thing that leapt to his mind. Instead, he was frantically thinking of a way to get out, an escape from this, but nothing presented itself. Terrifying as it was, it made sense, how Wo Fat had found out. It was the same way Mick had found out, the same way Kono and Chin had found out. They just had the benefit of spending actual time with him, instead of hacking his personal file.
Danny couldn’t recall his curse ever trapping him in a situation so hopeless. The only thing that came close was what Matty had done, but this was so far from that it wasn’t even comparable. And worse yet was Wo Fat’s sinister promise that he still wanted to test the limits of the curse.
I won’t have it used against anyone I care about, Danny thought adamantly, even though he knew such determination was empty. He couldn’t fight the curse for Matty’s sake, what made him think he could do it now?
“Draw your sidearm, Detective Williams, but do not fire it.”
Danny held off until the pain behind his eyes felt like a migraine, and he was blinking back tears. All the while, Wo Fat just waited, observing. Finally, unable to resist any longer, Danny unholstered his gun. It was a Heckler & Koch P30, and the weight of it was familiar in his hand.
“Good,” Wo Fat said, and Danny hated him. Hated him for what he was doing, hated him for whatever he was planning to do. Hated him for the smug expression on his face. “Turn off the safety, now.”
The extra emphasis made it unable to hold that order off like he’d done previously. Danny flipped the safety off. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, and a litany of curses rolled through his head, all the things he would love to hurl at Wo Fat right now, if there wasn’t the danger of provoking him.
“Chamber a round. Do nothing more.”
Danny had been tempted to try firing a shot off before Wo Fat could get another order out. The earlier order not to fire had been an addendum to drawing his weapon, and that was enough of a loophole that the curse may have allowed him to work around it. He no longer had that option. He checked the gun, trepidation filling him at what Wo Fat had planned.
“Now, raise the gun to your head. Press the barrel against your temple.”
Panic gripped Danny. Wo Fat was going to make him kill himself, and there was nothing Danny could do to stop it. Even worse, it wouldn’t be pinned on Wo Fat, because all forensics evidence would make it look like a suicide. Danny’s hand began lifting of its own accord, compelled by the curse, and he fought to keep it down.
“Do it now.”
Danny drew a shaky breath as the cool metal of the barrel pressed against his temple. He gritted his teeth; he couldn’t lose it, couldn’t give Wo Fat that satisfaction. Danny didn’t know what would happen. A wild part of him reasoned that maybe he could fight it off, maybe he could break his curse. After all, he had never been forced into a situation so directly in conflict with his own safety; surely, his own sense of self-preservation would protect him.
Wo Fat only smiled, and Danny braced himself to hear the order he was dreading. He would do everything in his power to fight it, he knew, but he just didn’t know if it would be enough. It had to be enough. For Grace. Unbidden, tears welled up at the corners of his eyes, and Danny blinked them back.
“Engage the safety and reholster your weapon, Detective Williams,” Wo Fat said calmly.
Danny’s eyes flew open, and he let out a startled breath. He wasted no time in moving the gun away from his head. There was a tang in his nostrils from where his sweat had mixed with the smell of gun metal. Danny flipped the safety back on and holstered the gun, watching Wo Fat the whole time with a wary eye.
“But-” Danny began haltingly. He didn’t want to provoke Wo Fat, but he needed to understand. “Why?”
“Why didn’t I go through with it? That was never my intention. As I said, I was merely testing a theory. Creating some assurances for the future. Plans within plans.” The offhand way in which he said it chilled Danny to his core and made him livid.
“You son of a bitch.” The words were out before he could stop them. He struggled to rise from where he was seated.
“Stay where you are.” The words came out quick, though Wo Fat’s face didn’t alter at Danny’s outburst. It only served to make him more angry at the man. “Now, now, Detective Williams, is that necessary?”
“Why are you even telling me all of this?”
“Because,” Wo Fat said simply, “You won’t remember it.”
Danny felt as though something was constricting tightly in his chest. He took an unsteady breath, filled with apprehension at whatever was coming next.
“Do not tell anyone of this encounter,” Wo Fat said slowly, words dripping with weight and intent. In the corner of Danny’s mind, he felt the curse reverberate. “Do not give any indication that this encounter took place. Do not even think about it. When I leave, forget I was here.”
Danny’s throat was dry as he frantically tried to consider his options. In a minute, Wo Fat would be gone, and then Danny would be trapped, trapped without even realizing it. He needed to find a way to leave a message for himself, something that would clue Steve in…but even as he tried to formulate an idea his thoughts slipped away, driven by Wo Fat’s “do not even think about it” .
Wo Fat smiled again, cold and calculating. “When I am gone, you may move again. Not before.”
Danny was already struggling against his curse, straining to get up, to find some paper and a pen, anything. The pain in his head mounted as he tried to disobey.
Then, suddenly, the pressure in his head lifted. Danny overbalanced, collapsing forward onto the floor. He was on his feet in an instant, looking around. He felt disoriented, and he didn’t know why. His entire body was tense, like a coiled spring about to pop. There was sweat across his brow.
It had been a noise which had startled him, hadn’t it? Danny looked around, but there was no one in his apartment.
Something niggled at the back of Danny’s mind. He tried to focus in on what it was, but it was like trying to hold the details of a dream upon waking. It slipped from him. There was a low throb of pain in his head, the beginnings of a headache. Danny considered that for a moment; he couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten.
There was something else, too, but Danny couldn’t place it. Perhaps Steve was right about Danny needing rest. Steve…
Steve. Danny needed to talk to Steve. There was something he needed to tell Steve. Something important. Danny grabbed his keys and headed out to the car.
Steve’s house was dark when he arrived, and then Danny remembered. Steve was probably still at HPD with Jenna Kaye. There had been that situation earlier in the evening with Wo Fat, and they were probably still researching possible leads.
Danny’s headache flared, and he grimaced. He let himself into the house, raided some aspirin, and stripped down to his shorts before collapsing on Steve’s bed. There was a lingering sense of urgency in the back of Danny’s mind, but until Steve got back he might as well take Steve’s advice and rest.
next
Fandom: Hawaii Five-0
Pairing: Steve/Danny
Word Count: 30,000
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Hawaii Five-0/Ella Enchanted fusion. Danny is cursed with obedience. He must obey any order given to him.
Warnings: Due to the particulars of Danny's curse, certain situations he is placed in are dub-con or non-con in nature. This does not pertain to any experiences/situations/scenes of a sexual nature - any sex in the story is consensual.
Spoilers: Story goes AU after episode 1x22. Episode-specific spoilers throughout season 1, episode-heavy spoilers for 1x08, 1x16, and 1x18
Notes: This story ATE MY LIFE. Huge thanks to my beta, sirona_gs, for being brutally honest and telling me what needed work. This story wouldn’t be what it is without her help. Also, thank you to annundriel and popkin16 for being hugely supportive during the entire writing process, and being willing to bounce ideas with me at odd times of the day. And to everyone else on my twitter who contributed something at any point, thank you! *smishes*
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 at my journal | AO3 | Soundtrack
--
How he got there without speeding, Danny didn’t know. The house was completely dark when he arrived. A glance at the LED clock revealed it was 4 am. Any normal person would be asleep. Steve too, apparently, though he was far from normal.
Danny entered the security code Steve had given him several weeks back. The house wasn’t just quiet, it was empty; Steve wasn’t here. Danny allowed himself ten seconds to panic and wonder who might have gotten to Steve, before calming himself. Steve had probably just gone back to their headquarters, and had lost track of how late it was. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Danny pulled out his cell phone and pressed the first speed dial. It took a while, but Steve finally picked up, sounding sleepy.
“Danny? Where are you?”
“I’m at your house, you goof,” Danny said, unable to stop the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth at the thought of groggy Steve. “You know, where you ought to be right now. Where are you?”
There were sounds of fumbling over the line. “I’ll be there soon,” Steve said, “Wait for me?”
And then he hung up. It was one of the gray areas of the curse, when a sentence was phrased like an order but the question mark was clearly implied. Of course, Danny had no intention of leaving, so it didn’t matter either way. He kicked off his shoes and settled down to wait.
When Steve arrived, Danny had already begun to doze off on the couch. He started awake at the sound of the door opening, in time to see Steve, looking as exhausted as Danny felt, setting down an unopened six-pack of beer.
Suddenly, it clicked for Danny, where Steve had been. His own words echoing back in his mind, ”My brother, every single night, he would come over with a six-pack of beer and all the time in the world.”
“Really?” Danny asked, gesturing at the beer. It wasn’t accusatory, more bemusement at Steve’s behavior. “How long were you waiting for me?”
“Uh…four hours or so? I lost track of time.” Steve looked defensive. “I…uh, might’ve picked your lock. By the way, the security at your apartment could use some work, anyone could break in.”
“No one would want to break in except for crazy ex-SEALs who don’t know how to drop a call before visiting,” Danny pointed out.
“Technically, I did call,” Steve said, “You just didn’t pick up. And then you texted me.”
Danny wanted to ask Steve why. Why he would wait four hours with beer in Danny’s rundown apartment. Why he didn’t question the fact that Danny was at his house now. But, it occurred to Danny, he already knew the answer. The answer was in everything Steve did, from his offer to drive Danny and Matt to the airport, to his lying to the Feds.
It was this thing between them, somewhat strained since Danny had left Steve’s house those weeks ago, out of fear and something else he hadn’t been ready to admit. He was tired of running from it.
Steve was still standing by the door, looking somewhat sheepish and just the slightest bit uncomfortable, as if he wasn’t prepared to deal with the reality of Danny being in his house again. And that was a shame, Danny didn’t want to be the cause of that, which was the only reason he could explain for why he crossed the room in as few strides as he could manage, until he was right up in Steve’s personal space.
“Danny, wha-?” Steve said, startled, as Danny reached hands toward his wrists, gripping the pulse points there.
“I’m sorry…about what happened last time I was here. I didn’t-” Danny hesitated, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. It isn’t what I wanted, but I couldn’t tell you why at the time.”
If Steve looked uneasy before, he was even more so now. He went rigid, tense with indecision, as if he was contemplating turning and running. Danny couldn’t have that. He remembered the way Steve had looked at him then, the way he had seemed betrayed, and Danny felt awful for this secrecy. He wanted to put it to rights, now.
“This is about your secret, isn’t it?” Steve asked slowly. “The thing you’ve been keeping from everyone?”
Danny could only gape for several long moments. “You know?” he finally managed to stammer out.
“I know there’s something you haven’t been telling me, Danny,” Steve said, and there was a trace of hurt in his tone. “I’m your partner, it’s my job to know what’s going on with you. But I figured you would tell me on your own time.”
Danny threw his hands up. “Okay, first of all? This was not an entirely intentional thing. But clearly, I need to start at the beginning. Which I am not going to do right here by your door. So grab those beers, put them on ice, and let us move someplace we can talk.”
Part of what helped Danny deal with his curse was whenever he gave direction to others, he expected compliance, or at least adopted a tone that suggested as much. It worked, a surprising amount of the time, as Steve moved towards the kitchen with the six-pack. He returned a moment later with a pair of chilled beers from the fridge, and gestured towards the couch. It was as good a place as any, and Danny sat down.
“So, the beginning?” Steve prompted, as he twisted the tops off the beers and offered one to Danny.
“Yeah,” Danny said, and why did he have fucking butterflies, now that he was finally able to talk about it? The beginning, he realized, might not be the best approach, seeing as he’d only just learned it-what?-two hours ago? Best to start with what was easiest, what he knew.
“Okay, first of all,” Danny began, “You say you’ve suspected I wasn’t telling you something. How much have you guessed?”
Steve shrugged. “I know you don’t like it when I give you orders. At first, I thought it was because you didn’t like me, but you get irritable when other people do the same thing. I mean…I’ve been trying lately, not to do it as much.”
Danny nodded. “You’re on the right track. I’m cursed.”
Steve’s brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”
“I’m cursed. With obedience. Any order, any command, that isn’t phrased as a request or question, I have to carry it out. I am incapable of disobeying.”
Through his confession, Danny watched Steve’s face carefully. Steve seemed intent-wary, perhaps-on what Danny was saying. There was no small amount of skepticism there, though not outright disbelief. That was something.
“I don’t know, Danny,” Steve said slowly. “That seems…”
“I know how it seems. But look at me, Steve, trust me. Think back, all the orders you give me, have I ever once disobeyed any of them?”
Steve looked thoughtful, features drawn together in concentration as he presumably looked back on all their cases, the time spent together off jobs, the first time they met. “But…you always bitch and complain.”
“Yeah, I do, because nine times out of ten, I’m being forced to do something I don’t want to. The curse only requires that I be obedient, it doesn’t make me subservient.”
Steve stood suddenly, paced a moment, before sitting back down. His beer rested forgotten on the table. Danny took a drink of his own bottle.
“Okay, that’s-” Steve began, “I’m not saying I fully understand, or that I believe it.” His tone spoke otherwise, Danny could tell. Steve’s gut had already accepted the truth, even if his brain was taking some time in catching up. “But if what you’re saying is true, then you should have told me, Danny. This is…you could have been hurt.”
“Okay, back up there,” Danny said, getting a bit angry now, “Did you miss the part where I said I wanted to tell you, but that I couldn’t? And, for the record, where do you get off telling me what I should or shouldn’t have done? I’ve lived with this my entire life, and the times it’s most difficult are the times when people try telling me what to do about it.”
Steve held out a placating hand. “Danny, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…I give you orders all the time. How can you not…hate me for it?”
And, god, that’s what had Steve so upset? The idea that Danny could be compartmentalizing this hatred towards him over the orders thing?
“You’re an idiot sometimes, you know that? You didn’t know,” Danny said, giving Steve’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
“But, Danny, I…what if I had made you do something you didn’t want? You said yourself, you were forced.”
Danny winced. Okay, maybe that hadn’t been the best choice of words in reference to the orders Steve gave.
“Steven, stop it right now with the self-loathing. You never used my curse against me. You want to know how Matt got away?”
Steve looked confused at the sudden change of subject. “You said you lost him.”
“Yeah, I did. Want to know how? Matt knew about the curse; he’s my brother, how could he not? When I tracked him to the airfield, you know what he did? He said ‘shoot me or say goodbye.’ I had to pick one, the curse wouldn’t let me do otherwise, and Matt knew that. He knew it, and he forced me to choose.”
Steve’s breath hitched. “You didn’t…?”
“Shoot him? No. I couldn’t. But my point is, Steve, that my brother took advantage of my curse, he used it against me. And I know…I know you would never do that.”
Steve was silent for a moment, taking that all in. Finally, he spoke, “You said…about that day, that you wanted to tell me about your curse, but you couldn’t…why?”
“What I said before, about people telling me what to do about my curse? When I was a kid, my dad gave me an order to never tell anyone about it,” Danny explained. “Tonight, I talked to him on the phone, and he took it back.”
“But that didn’t stop people from finding out?”
“Some people did, yeah,” Danny said, not wanting to make an issue of it. “Rachel did, when I was married to her.”
A beat, then Steve asked, “Do Kono and Chin know?”
Danny hesitated before answering, “Yes, they do.”
“I should have guessed, too,” Steve said, sullen. “I mean, I suppose part of me did guess-I noticed you always obeyed orders, and that you didn’t seem to like it when I gave them-but I never put it together.”
“Look, Steve, I don’t blame you for not knowing. It’s not any fault of yours,” Danny said quickly. Steve was already blaming himself for every order he had ever given Danny, apparently; he didn’t need to blame himself for this as well. Danny continued, “You’re military, you’re a SEAL, you’re used to giving orders, and you’re used to them being obeyed. There is nothing wrong with that. I am not blaming you.”
Steve didn’t say anything, and Danny added, “Besides, I asked them not to tell you.”
Steve looked up suddenly, hurt flashing in his eyes. “Why not?”
“Because, at the time, I was worried you might…consider me a liability. On cases.”
“Had I known, I might have taken extra safety measures,” Steve said.
“That’s just the thing, though - much as I appreciate the gesture, I don’t want to be treated differently. I never wanted that. And I didn’t want Five-0 taken from me.”
“I wouldn’t let that happen,” Steve said, defensive. “You’re my partner, and you’re a part of this team. Things wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“Good to know I’m irreplaceable,” Danny said, smiling.
Neither of them said anything for a moment. It was a companionable, if somewhat awkward, silence.
“Danny,” Steve said hesitantly, “I’m-”
“Steven J. McGarrett, if you apologize again, so help me, I will punch you in the face.”
Steve’s mouth snapped shut. He held a hand up. “Okay, okay…not apologizing. But I have a question. That night, when we…when we kissed. You backed off, said it was a mistake. Can I ask what you meant by that?”
Danny tensed at the reminder. “Think about my curse, Steve, think about what it means,” Danny said, voice quiet, “I wasn’t worried about you turning it against me, but rather, if someone else were to use it against me to get to you, or to get to Five-0, or Grace.”
Steve nodded, expression guarded and somber. Danny could tell he was thinking about Hesse, about his father’s murder. About Chin, with that bomb strapped to his neck. Steve understood what that was like, better than most.
“But, Danny,” Steve said, hesitant. “I’m not saying I disagree with you or your reasons. But…you say you’ve lived with this your whole life? If someone were to use it against you, would you and I-” he gestured between them, “Would that, would us-make a difference?”
Danny considered it. In truth, anyone in theory could use his closeness with Grace or Five-0 to their advantage. It would be the last thing they ever did, but it was a possibility. A relationship with Steve wouldn’t change that either way. Plus, he reasoned with himself, was it fair to deny himself this out of fear, all because of a possibility that something bad might happen?
“No, it wouldn’t,” Danny said.
“Okay…so,” Steve began slowly, “Just checking…it wasn’t the actual kiss you were objecting to, was it?”
Danny’s pulse quickened, and he shook his head. It was too much to hope…
Steve gave a careful smile, leaning close until Danny could feel the heat radiating off his body.
“Can I?” was all he said.
“Oh, god, yes,” Danny groaned, gripping at Steve’s shoulders and pulling him close until they met in a hungry clash of lips and teeth, noses and jawlines and stubble.
The past few weeks were a blur in Danny’s mind. They were making up for lost time now. Danny tried not to think about the missed time or opportunities, focusing instead on the feel of Steve’s mouth against his. On all the things he wanted to do with Steve.
Danny pulled back, breathless. “Let’s move this upstairs, babe, yeah?”
Steve’s response was a growl of affirmation, and then he was tugging Danny, pulling him up from the couch and manhandling him towards the stairs. Danny offered no resistance, though their progress was briefly halted halfway up the stairs when he ground the heel of his palm against Steve’s hard-on through his cargo pants.
Finally, they made it to the bedroom. Danny’s tie was loosened, though it still hung around his neck. About half of the buttons on his shirt were undone, and he was working on tugging at Steve’s shirt.
“Wait-Danny,” Steve gasped.
Danny froze, hands halted in their movement. Steve stiffened, his face mortified.
“Shit, Danny, I’m sorry. I meant-could you wait a sec?”
Danny nodded. He was used to slip ups, and he wasn’t upset, partly because Steve had corrected himself immediately, and because Danny had stopped being annoyed by Steve’s orders ages ago.
“I can’t-I don’t want-” Steve said haltingly. Danny’s heart hammered in his chest. Had Steve changed his mind? Steve tried again, “I don’t want to fuck this up. I don’t want to make mistakes, and I will, I’m sure I will.”
Steve looked so worried, clearly shaken by his gaffe and seeing Danny’s curse “in action” for the first time. Well, the first time when he actually had knowledge of it. Danny reached out to reassure him, and Steve’s eyes settled on the hollow of his throat.
“Would you gag me?” Steve asked suddenly.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m serious,” Steve said, voice fervent, as he pulled the loop of the tie over Danny’s head and held it out. “If you gag me, I won’t be able to accidentally order you. I wouldn’t make you-” He trailed off. “You would be in charge.”
That wasn’t entirely true, Danny mused. Steve still had his training that gave him the upper hand against most. Still, the proposition was an intriguing one, and it would certainly level the playing field a bit.
“You really want that?” Danny asked.
Steve nodded, and Danny kissed him, swift and deep. The gag would soon make that impossible. Steve looked the tie so it rested across his mouth, pressing on his tongue. Danny helped make sure it was secure, and that Steve wasn’t in any danger of choking himself.
“You’re something else, you know that?” Danny said, needing to fill the voice with words, even if Steve couldn’t respond. His tone wasn’t mocking, more of amazement. “Ever since the moment I met you, you’ve been infuriating, impossible at times to deal with, but I’ve never wanted anyone more.”
Steve let out an unintelligible, muffled noise through the gag, his eyes wide and dark from arousal. It was a heady feeling, having the weight of Steve’s gaze on him, as Danny made quick work of his remaining shirt buttons. Steve made things easier by removing his own shirt in the meantime.
Something wasn’t quite right. Danny felt as though something was going against the grain in his mind, and he tried to tell himself it had nothing to do with the way Steve couldn’t say anything. This was good. This evened out the imbalance between them; it gave Danny the advantage. He should be happy about that. Danny distracted himself with the sight of Steve’s tattoos spread out before him. He traced one of the shoulder tattoos, then pressed a hand to the hair on Steve’s chest, pushing him back until he was seated on the bed.
“Can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted this,” Danny murmured, mostly to fill the silence as Steve fumbled with the button and zipper on Danny’s pants. “Probably couldn’t tell you why either, even if you told me to.”
Something flickered in Steve’s eyes, but it was gone too quickly for Danny to identify. That was another thing about the gag, it made it harder to identify Steve’s faces.
“You’re just so…god, I don’t even know,” Danny said, as Steve began slowly jacking Danny’s cock in his callused palm. Danny groaned, fumbling to reciprocate and getting caught up in Steve’s cargo pants. He wanted…he wanted…
“Wait, Steve, stop,” Danny said suddenly. Steve did. “I can’t do this. Not-not like this.”
He pulled at the gag, fingers slipping where the material was soaked through with sweat and spit. Steve looked confused and concerned, but he assisted until the tie was loose once more.
“What is it?” Steve asked, voice hoarse.
“It’s not the same. I want to hear you.”
Steve’s brows furrowed, tight with worry. “But, Danny,” he protested, “What if I…I mess this up?”
“Haven’t you been paying attention?” Danny breathed, running light fingertips across Steve’s jaw. “It’s you I want. You, as you are. I stopped being annoyed by your orders a long time ago.”
“But…how could you…?”
“Oh, you really are a moron sometimes, aren’t you? Do I need to put it in more explicit terms? You can give me orders sometimes, it’s okay. And-” Danny swallowed. This next bit was more difficult to admit. “I might even…like that.”
There, he’d said it. While part of him felt like he ought to be ashamed, he was past the point of caring. Besides, hadn’t this night been all about honesty? Steve watched him with a careful wariness, but he didn’t seem disgusted by the admission, and that was something.
“What if I ordered something you didn’t want to do?”
Danny sighed. “Then I would tell you I didn’t want to do it, and you would take it back. I am allowed to voice my objections. It isn’t an automatic thing, I do have time to resist. You just need to get it out of your head that you’re going to accidentally, I don’t know, tell me to cut off my own head or something. Now, think we can do this?” His erection had died down, and he really wanted to get back to stripping them both naked.
“Okay,” Steve said, nodding. “Okay, yeah. But, Danny…I’m serious about this, I don’t want you going along with stuff just to spare my feelings or whatever. If I give you an order that makes you uncomfortable, tell me.”
The last two words carried weight, but that didn’t matter, Danny already knew he would listen to them if the need arose. He nodded.
Steve smiled, and then said in a tentative tone, “Kiss me.”
Danny was all too happy to comply, more than ready at this point to get back to doing things. He sighed into Steve’s mouth, and Steve made a contented noise as he gripped Danny’s biceps and shifted them so Danny was the one on the bed. He was still being cautious, though, and Danny wanted more.
Steve pulled back for a moment. “Touch yourself,” he said. The order was mild, and Danny could see the implied question in Steve’s eyes.
Danny quirked an amused eyebrow, and brought a hand to his face to touch his nose. “I appreciate you wanting to be careful, but I am not a delicate flower, Steven,” he said, baiting.
That did it. Steve’s eyes took on a dangerous edge, pupils going dark and wide. Danny felt his pulse quicken in anticipation.
“Put your hand on your cock, Danny,” Steve all but growled.
Yes. Danny’s body ached as his curse responded to the command, thrumming with need and desire and want to comply. It felt like all his blood had gone immediately south, and he reached to where his trousers and boxers has been shoved down, giving his cock a long, slow pull.
Danny didn’t know if it was because Steve had ordered him to, and he was obeying, or if it was just the effect of having Steve’s eyes on him while he touched himself, but it had never felt so good. Danny groaned, letting his head fall back on the bed as he thrust up into his fist.
“Look at me,” Steve said, voice sounding hoarse. Danny angled his head up until his eyes met Steve’s again. Steve looked as wrecked as Danny felt, as he drank in the sight of Danny. Danny’s hips stuttered under the intensity of that gaze, his cock leaking precome, the movement of his hand eased by the slickness.
“God, Danny, you’re amazing…trusting me like this,” Steve breathed.
And Danny did, he realized. He trusted Steve, not just with his safety, his well-being, with his secret, but with his life.
“Wanted…this,” Danny gasped, “Thought about it…all the time.”
Steve arched an eyebrow. “Oh? What did you think about? Tell me, Danny.”
Danny groaned, hips arcing off the bed as he gripped his cock tighter. “Fuck, I-” He hesitated. There was a twinge at the back of his mind, his curse compelling him to continue. “I thought about you…telling me to fuck you. Telling me to go harder, faster…Thought about you telling me to suck you off.”
Steve let out a breath. He pressed the heel of his palm hard to his own erection, still mostly trapped by the confines of his cargo pants. And then he was moving, crawling onto the bed and up Danny’s body. He lightly smacked Danny’s hand away from his cock with a murmured, “stop,” and then he was gripping both of Danny’s wrists and pressing them above his head on the bed as he kissed Danny thoroughly. Danny gave back as good as he got, nipping at Steve’s lower lip as he bucked his hips upwards, seeking friction.
Steve pulled back after a moment, lifting his head just out of reach and looking down at Danny with a mixture of desire, awe, and something inexplicably Steve. “Stay,” he said, squeezing Danny’s wrists for emphasis.
Danny shivered, both at the order and at the way Steve was now traveling down his body, nipping and sucking at skin as he went. He bypassed Danny’s cock entirely, instead focusing on the remainder of Danny’s clothes, tugging at the pants and boxers until they were off. He disappeared for a moment, and Danny angled his head slightly until he could see Steve shucking his cargo pants. Then he was back, and Danny reveled at the feel of naked skin on skin. Steve’s cock dragged along his leg, leaving a slick trail there.
It was the strangest sensation. Danny knew, on a distant level, that he could try to move his arms, knew that excruciating pain would follow if he tried. That knowledge didn’t upset him in the slightest, the way it would in any other situation, and in fact the compulsion to remain where he was held him in place more effectively than any bondage could do. The awareness that he was doing this, doing this because Steve ordered it, filled him with a strange sort of pleasure that he’d never gotten from his curse before. The closest he’d ever come to this was that one night-had it only been a couple months ago?-when Steve had told him to relax. That was what this felt like, giving himself over completely, embracing this part of him and trusting in Steve to see him through.
Being told to look at Steve meant that Danny didn’t miss any of what was going on in Steve’s head. He had always been easy to read, and never more so than now, the look on his face one of fierce protectiveness as his eyes traveled down Danny’s body.
Steve nudged at Danny’s hips, encouraging them wider, before settling himself between them. He gripped at Danny’s cock, giving it an experimental tug. At Danny’s encouraging noise, Steve continued, sliding his lips over the head as he stroked Danny further.
“Oh, fuck,” Danny uttered. He made small thrusting motions with his hips, apparently within the bounds of the “stay” directive, as there was no retaliatory discomfort that came when he tried to disobey. Danny was on edge; he had never been this keyed up before from the simple tease of a blowjob-he didn’t think he would last long.
As if sensing this, Steve pulled back. His lips were indecent-looking, and his tongue darted out to chase the slickness there. “Don’t come yet,” he said, warned.
Danny whined low in his throat, brought back from the edge by that simple command. All the same, he couldn’t bring himself to be truly upset. There was a buzz building under his skin, the orgasm denied to him and his curse responding to the multiple orders he’d been given. Steve gave him a once-over, as if to assess that they were still on the same page, even though Steve’s tell-me-if-I-give-you-and-order-that-makes-you-uncomfortable thing was still in effect. Danny gave Steve a reassuring nod.
Steve’s free hand, which had been occupied elsewhere on the bed, worked between Danny’s outstretched legs. His fingers were slick with lube, and they glided along Danny’s perineum, teasing at his opening. Danny let out a sigh as Steve slid one finger inside.
“Can’t believe you,” Steve murmured. “Can’t believe you’re letting me do this…that you trust me with this.”
Danny wasn’t sure whether “this” referred to what Steve was doing now with his finger, sex in general, or this entire situation with them. He found he didn’t care, and in all situations there was only one possible response. “Yes,” he breathed.
Steve shifted his other hand so that it was no longer on Danny’s cock, instead splayed out on Danny’s belly. The fingers tangled with the coarse blond hair there, grounding him, steadying him with a gentle pressure. With his other hand, Steve began working a second finger inside. Danny’s breath hitched.
“Relax, Danny.”
Danny was reminded again of the last time Steve had given him that order. He had resisted then, afraid of giving himself away, afraid of what it might lead to. As much as he had wanted to listen to Steve, he had held himself back. He had no such impediment now, as he allowed himself to give in to the command, body going boneless and languid as his muscles relaxed, easing the passage of Steve’s fingers.
Steve sucked in a sharp breath at seeing Danny’s reaction. “Is this…is this okay?”
Danny nodded. It was more than okay. He felt amazing, and if he didn’t feel so languorous he might be thrusting his hips into Steve’s fingers in encouragement. “M’good…really good.” He was cut off suddenly as Steve’s fingers massaged over his prostate. “Keep doing that.”
Steve grinned. “I thought I was the one giving the orders?”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll follow this one.”
“Oh, I intend to,” Steve said, voice full of promise, as he worked a third finger in.
Danny was already relaxed, so his body easily accommodated the intrusion, but he still let out a whine at his inability to move-into it, away from it, it didn’t matter. He was immobilized, and it was a testament to no much he trusted Steve that that knowledge still didn’t distress him any. He was more than willing to wait until Steve gave him leave to move again. It was just a distant part of him that also wanted to reciprocate.
While Steve worked his fingers deeper, he began mouthing at Danny’s hipbone, sucking and worrying at the skin, inching closer to where Danny really wanted his mouth to be. And then he was there, swallowing Danny’s cock down in one smooth motion. And Danny could do nothing but take it. The hand on his belly pressed down, but it wasn’t what was keeping him in place. Danny was close, so close, but he couldn’t…
“Steve,” Danny croaked.
Steve slid off, his mouth making an obscene sound as he lifted his head, eyes meeting Danny’s. The fingers inside Danny stilled. “What is it, Danny? What do you want?” he asked.
“Want to touch you,” Danny pleaded. “Want-c’mere.”
“Of course,” Steve said, pulling his fingers free and crawling up the bed until he was braced over Danny’s body. “Go ahead. You can move.”
Danny gripped at Steve’s arms, fingers digging into muscle as he grappled with Steve, fighting to get him closer, longing for more contact. Steve groaned into Danny’s mouth, and Danny chased the taste of himself on Steve’s tongue. There’s bodies pressed close, skin in contact with glorious skin. Steve’s cock slid into the groove of Danny’s hip, right up against the line of his own erection. Danny gasped, and Steve began rutting against him, fucking into the space between their bodies at a feverish pace.
“Fuck, yes…Steve.”
The rhythm was a little off; Danny kept trying to lift his hips to counter Steve’s, and it didn’t quite match up, but they made it work. Danny was close, had been for some time, but he wasn’t there yet.
“C’mon, Danny,” Steve murmured into Danny’s neck, breath hot behind the shell of his ear. “Come for me.”
And that was it. Danny was done, spilling between them with a wracked groan as he just gave in and let go. Steve followed a couple seconds later. He gave a full body shudder before allowing his arms to give out, collapsing half on top of Danny. It was fitting, Danny thought, that his first orgasm with Steve felt like a punch to the gut. Everything about Steve, since they’d met, had left Danny feeling off-kilter, out of breath, like he was constantly recovering from a chokehold. And yet…Steve was always there, helping him up, pulling him back, until the next time Danny felt thoroughly out of his depth.
That was how Danny felt now, with Steve sprawled partly on top of him, head pillowed on Danny’s shoulder. Steve trailed a hand through the mess on their bellies. And really, as out of his depth as Danny felt, he knew a thing or two about Steve. He knew that Steve, for all of his ability to launch himself headlong into dangerous situations, had a difficult time expressing his emotions verbally. It wasn’t that Steve couldn’t express himself emotionally, just that his methods usually involved turning the radio to bad 80s power ballads or inviting Danny out for a joy ride in his Mercury Marquis-before it broke down. And right now, Steve’s movements were tentative, almost nervous. His fingers tapped out hesitation on Danny’s hipbone.
“Hey,” Danny said, “I’m not freaking out. You shouldn’t either.”
“That was okay?” Steve asked.
“Babe, it was better than okay. Now, stop asking, or I’ll think you’re fishing for compliments.”
“Not fishing,” Steve said, smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Just…adjusting.”
“Hey.” Danny smacked Steve’s arm lightly. “This changes nothing. I’m the same person, have been this whole time since we met.”
“Except, you know…now I can bribe you with sex.” Steve began nuzzling at the spot on Danny’s neck right below his ear. And really, he’d just come, Danny should not have found it that much of a turn-on.
“Not fair.” Danny squirmed until Steve was out of reach of his sensitive spots. “Get us cleaned up and I’ll consider it.”
“Demanding, aren’t you? I should have guessed something was up just from the times you throw orders about.”
“What can I say, babe? It’s my one area of overcompensation,” Danny said, all the while thinking, Don’t you dare say a word about my height.
Steve grinned, and Danny could tell he was thinking it, the bastard. Danny couldn’t find it in him to be mad, though, not when Steve looked so damn fond, in over his head and no longer afraid.
Yeah, they could make this work.
--
Danny should have known by now that once Steve got an idea in his head, it was difficult to sway him. He kept trying to be cautious, assigning duties based on the level of potential risk, until Danny finally cornered him and told him to stop trying to hold his hand through all this. If he persisted it was going to be difficult for Danny to resist beating his head in.
And then there were the guilty looks Steve would flash him if he ever accidentally let an order slip. The first time was almost endearing, but after the third Danny confronted him.
“Not that I don’t appreciate your sudden effort to undo years’ worth of bad manners,” Danny said, “but if we’re on a case, drop it. You never give orders on cases without good reason, and I’d rather just follow them than have you waste potentially precious seconds apologizing and taking it back.”
“But, Danny-”
“I will stab you in the face, Steven, no lie. And then I will make you eat deep fried food-from Jersey-until you admit you like it.”
Steve shuddered at the prospect. Danny had seen what Steve kept stocked in his kitchen, knew that there were lean, frozen pizzas in the freezer.
Kono, who had been following their argument with no small amount of amusement, let out a laugh at Danny’s threat. Chin was pretending to do something important on the computer table, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. Danny gave them both a look that was meant to be imposing.
“What? Oh, yes, I’m sure you’re both very amused by this. Happy I told him? I’ll have you know, though, that if the productivity of this task force starts to suffer from a loss of professionalism, you have only yourselves to blame.”
They settled back into the groove of working on cases. It was a little different, but Danny had to admit it was better, knowing each of his teammates knew his secret, and he trusted them with it. It was extra security, as well, in the event Danny found himself in an awkward situation.
Then had been the superhero convention where Alex Baker had been murdered, and the string of misunderstandings and mistaken identities that had led them to Richard Davis and his wife. Steve was also caught up in his own investigation with Jenna Kaye over his father’s missing case files and the whereabouts of Wo Fat. Danny could tell Steve had far more on his mind than he was showing, but didn’t know whether he ought to press for information or not.
So when it turned out Anne Davis had been responsible, indirectly, for Alex Baker’s death, Danny did nothing more than tighten his lips when Steve said softly, “Book her, Danno.”
Whatever was going on with Wo Fat and John McGarrett’s murder, Danny only hoped Steve might be willing to talk about it after his meeting tonight with Jenna Kaye.
Danny was just finalizing his paperwork when his phone rang. He looked up-whoa, when had it gotten dark?-and answered.
“Danny, you still at the office?”
Something was wrong, seriously wrong. Steve’s voice sounded manic, and Danny’s mind immediately began conjuring all sorts of worst-case scenarios.
“Yeah, I am. But back up, what’s happened? I know that tone, you sound like you’re about to chase someone over a cliff.”
“I can’t-I don’t-it’s Wo Fat, he’s-and Jenna-”
Worry surged up. “Whoa, slow down,” Danny said, forcing his voice to emanate calmness, “Deep breaths and full sentences, please. Is Agent Kaye all right?”
“Not a field agent,” Steve said, letting out a huff of laughter that bordered on hysterical. “She’s-she’s fine. Was supposed to meet me, but then-Wo Fat showed up.”
“Wait, at the meeting place?”
“Yes, Danny, that’s what I’m trying to say. He just sat down, and I couldn’t do a damn thing, because he knew where Kaye was. He knew where she was, and I couldn’t-”
Danny swallowed against the lump in his throat. “Yeah, I understand. Are you-?”
“I’m fine,” Steve said automatically. He sounded anything but. “I’m on my way there now.”
When Steve arrived, it was everything Danny could do to just stand back and let him work. He moved with an agitated sense of purpose, all full of frenzied energy, and it was clear he was in no mindset to be calmed down. Eventually, Kaye joined them, and the two of them worked on setting up a proper Five-0 file for Wo Fat, examining possible leads to follow next. Danny wished there was more he could do to help, but he felt like he would only get in the way. He settled himself on the couch in Steve’s office.
He didn’t realize he had started dozing until Steve looked at him some time later, guilt written across his features. “Hey, Danny…I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be keeping you here. You should go and get some real rest.”
Danny had to admit, he did want to sleep, but he also didn’t want to leave Steve when he was clearly still distressed. “Make me,” he said, forgetting for a moment that Kaye was still there.
Steve glanced over at her, but she was typing away at her computer, not paying attention to their exchange. “Nah, I don’t think so. But you really should try to sleep. I’ll call you in a few hours, okay?”
Danny nodded. Steve seemed more collected, at any rate. He could at least go knowing that Steve wouldn’t do anything completely reckless without letting him know.
Danny drove to his apartment. Whatever he and Steve had now, Danny wasn’t sure yet if it was at the point where he should sleep at Steve’s without Steve being there. Danny told himself that his logic was flawed; he went into Steve’s house uninvited all the time. Still, he didn’t want to push things too fast, and anyway, he would need to get clean clothes from his own apartment.
The key stuck in the lock for a moment-aftermath of Steve’s little break-in with the six-pack. Danny was caught up in his thoughts as he went inside his apartment.
“Don’t move, Detective Williams.”
Danny halted where he stood. Fear gripped him like an icy vise. His first instinct was fight against the confines of his curse, but the exertion from doing so would give him away to his intruder. It was entirely possible they didn’t know, had just thrown out the words as an intended threat, not realizing Danny was bound to follow orders. Possible, but not probable.
“Who’s there?”
A figure stepped from the shadows. Danny had been seeing pictures of that face for the last couple hours. It was Wo Fat.
He knew. Danny didn’t know how he’d found out, but he knew. One look at the man’s face told Danny everything he feared. And Danny was stuck here, unable to run, attack, anything. That didn’t, however, prevent him from calling out for help.
Wo Fat must have seen the intention on his face, because he spoke up, “Ah, none of that. Do not scream, yell, or otherwise draw attention to yourself. I merely want us to have the chance to speak with one another. Now close the door behind you, and sit down. Make no aggressive movements.” He gestured at the couch.
Danny’s breath huffed out, the shout he’d built up aborted. His mind was moving at rapid speeds, trying to think of a way out of this. His hand itched to reach for his sidearm, but as that was pretty clearly an “aggressive movement”, he was unable. Pain began building at his temples, the longer he went without shutting the door.
Play into it, for now. You don’t have a choice, he told himself.
No choice. No choice. Danny turned, his movements jerky as he fought against them, and closed the door. Then he turned until Wo Fat was in his sights again, a satisfied smile on his features. Danny began moving towards the couch, but then changed his course, sitting on the edge of his desk instead. Wo Fat’s order had only stipulated “sit down,” he hadn’t specified where. It was a small measure of defiance, but it was better than nothing. Danny folded his arms across his chest.
Wo Fat raised an amused eyebrow. Danny wanted to punch it clean off his face. And, somehow, get a message to Steve, but there was no way of doing that.
“Do you know who I am, Detective Williams?”
“Wo Fat,” Danny said, voice curt. He wouldn’t give him satisfaction of drawing this out.
Wo Fat gave a formal nod. “I had the pleasure earlier this evening of meeting your partner.” Was that an inflection Danny detected on the word partner? He couldn’t tell, and didn’t want to give himself away any more than he already had.
“So I heard.”
“Then you have heard, no doubt, about my desire to know the man who wants to know me. That includes knowing about the people closest to him.” He paused, and Danny fought to keep his features even, though he was furious inside. Wo Fat continued, his voice casual, “McGarrett really ought to keep a closer eye on those under his care. First Chin Ho Kelly, then his sister. Then tonight, Agent Kaye.”
Now me. “What do you want from me?” It came out snappier than he’d intended, but Danny didn’t really think he could be blamed for that, under the circumstances.
“Simply to confirm a…theory. One that has thus far proven true, though I would still like to test its limits further.”
The way he said it, with that detached calculation, filled Danny with a terrible dread. For one brief moment he let his composure slip, and tried fighting his curse, struggling to reach for his gun. It was no use, the pain mounted in his head and his limbs would not obey him, and he stopped.
“Interesting,” was all Wo Fat said.
“Fuck you,” Danny spat, finally letting his anger show. He asked the question that had been plaguing him, “How did you find out?”
“Observation, Detective Williams. Observation, and accounts from those who work under me. One account, in particular, from Sang Min. You become more guarded around criminals, did you realize that? Criminals who are already imprisoned and are, logically, no longer a threat to you. You become quickly angered when you issue directives that are not followed, but are strangely compliant when one is issued to you.”
Danny felt sick to his stomach hearing it. His worst fears realized, because he’d given himself away by being too careful. Wo Fat continued, “From there, my curiosity piqued, it was a matter of accessing your files. Easily done. Your superiors always had the most positive things to say about you. ‘Follows orders to the letter.’ ‘Learns quickly from mistakes.’ I observed your movements and actions, and then I had only to test my theory.”
Danny’s jaw was clenched as he resisted the urge to say the first thing that leapt to his mind. Instead, he was frantically thinking of a way to get out, an escape from this, but nothing presented itself. Terrifying as it was, it made sense, how Wo Fat had found out. It was the same way Mick had found out, the same way Kono and Chin had found out. They just had the benefit of spending actual time with him, instead of hacking his personal file.
Danny couldn’t recall his curse ever trapping him in a situation so hopeless. The only thing that came close was what Matty had done, but this was so far from that it wasn’t even comparable. And worse yet was Wo Fat’s sinister promise that he still wanted to test the limits of the curse.
I won’t have it used against anyone I care about, Danny thought adamantly, even though he knew such determination was empty. He couldn’t fight the curse for Matty’s sake, what made him think he could do it now?
“Draw your sidearm, Detective Williams, but do not fire it.”
Danny held off until the pain behind his eyes felt like a migraine, and he was blinking back tears. All the while, Wo Fat just waited, observing. Finally, unable to resist any longer, Danny unholstered his gun. It was a Heckler & Koch P30, and the weight of it was familiar in his hand.
“Good,” Wo Fat said, and Danny hated him. Hated him for what he was doing, hated him for whatever he was planning to do. Hated him for the smug expression on his face. “Turn off the safety, now.”
The extra emphasis made it unable to hold that order off like he’d done previously. Danny flipped the safety off. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, and a litany of curses rolled through his head, all the things he would love to hurl at Wo Fat right now, if there wasn’t the danger of provoking him.
“Chamber a round. Do nothing more.”
Danny had been tempted to try firing a shot off before Wo Fat could get another order out. The earlier order not to fire had been an addendum to drawing his weapon, and that was enough of a loophole that the curse may have allowed him to work around it. He no longer had that option. He checked the gun, trepidation filling him at what Wo Fat had planned.
“Now, raise the gun to your head. Press the barrel against your temple.”
Panic gripped Danny. Wo Fat was going to make him kill himself, and there was nothing Danny could do to stop it. Even worse, it wouldn’t be pinned on Wo Fat, because all forensics evidence would make it look like a suicide. Danny’s hand began lifting of its own accord, compelled by the curse, and he fought to keep it down.
“Do it now.”
Danny drew a shaky breath as the cool metal of the barrel pressed against his temple. He gritted his teeth; he couldn’t lose it, couldn’t give Wo Fat that satisfaction. Danny didn’t know what would happen. A wild part of him reasoned that maybe he could fight it off, maybe he could break his curse. After all, he had never been forced into a situation so directly in conflict with his own safety; surely, his own sense of self-preservation would protect him.
Wo Fat only smiled, and Danny braced himself to hear the order he was dreading. He would do everything in his power to fight it, he knew, but he just didn’t know if it would be enough. It had to be enough. For Grace. Unbidden, tears welled up at the corners of his eyes, and Danny blinked them back.
“Engage the safety and reholster your weapon, Detective Williams,” Wo Fat said calmly.
Danny’s eyes flew open, and he let out a startled breath. He wasted no time in moving the gun away from his head. There was a tang in his nostrils from where his sweat had mixed with the smell of gun metal. Danny flipped the safety back on and holstered the gun, watching Wo Fat the whole time with a wary eye.
“But-” Danny began haltingly. He didn’t want to provoke Wo Fat, but he needed to understand. “Why?”
“Why didn’t I go through with it? That was never my intention. As I said, I was merely testing a theory. Creating some assurances for the future. Plans within plans.” The offhand way in which he said it chilled Danny to his core and made him livid.
“You son of a bitch.” The words were out before he could stop them. He struggled to rise from where he was seated.
“Stay where you are.” The words came out quick, though Wo Fat’s face didn’t alter at Danny’s outburst. It only served to make him more angry at the man. “Now, now, Detective Williams, is that necessary?”
“Why are you even telling me all of this?”
“Because,” Wo Fat said simply, “You won’t remember it.”
Danny felt as though something was constricting tightly in his chest. He took an unsteady breath, filled with apprehension at whatever was coming next.
“Do not tell anyone of this encounter,” Wo Fat said slowly, words dripping with weight and intent. In the corner of Danny’s mind, he felt the curse reverberate. “Do not give any indication that this encounter took place. Do not even think about it. When I leave, forget I was here.”
Danny’s throat was dry as he frantically tried to consider his options. In a minute, Wo Fat would be gone, and then Danny would be trapped, trapped without even realizing it. He needed to find a way to leave a message for himself, something that would clue Steve in…but even as he tried to formulate an idea his thoughts slipped away, driven by Wo Fat’s “do not even think about it” .
Wo Fat smiled again, cold and calculating. “When I am gone, you may move again. Not before.”
Danny was already struggling against his curse, straining to get up, to find some paper and a pen, anything. The pain in his head mounted as he tried to disobey.
Then, suddenly, the pressure in his head lifted. Danny overbalanced, collapsing forward onto the floor. He was on his feet in an instant, looking around. He felt disoriented, and he didn’t know why. His entire body was tense, like a coiled spring about to pop. There was sweat across his brow.
It had been a noise which had startled him, hadn’t it? Danny looked around, but there was no one in his apartment.
Something niggled at the back of Danny’s mind. He tried to focus in on what it was, but it was like trying to hold the details of a dream upon waking. It slipped from him. There was a low throb of pain in his head, the beginnings of a headache. Danny considered that for a moment; he couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten.
There was something else, too, but Danny couldn’t place it. Perhaps Steve was right about Danny needing rest. Steve…
Steve. Danny needed to talk to Steve. There was something he needed to tell Steve. Something important. Danny grabbed his keys and headed out to the car.
Steve’s house was dark when he arrived, and then Danny remembered. Steve was probably still at HPD with Jenna Kaye. There had been that situation earlier in the evening with Wo Fat, and they were probably still researching possible leads.
Danny’s headache flared, and he grimaced. He let himself into the house, raided some aspirin, and stripped down to his shorts before collapsing on Steve’s bed. There was a lingering sense of urgency in the back of Danny’s mind, but until Steve got back he might as well take Steve’s advice and rest.
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