Maintaining the Distance, Part 3/9
Title: Maintaining the Distance 3/9
Characters: Steve McGarrett/Adam Noshimuri, Kono Kalakaua/Adam Noshimuri; also featuring Danny Williams and Chin Ho Kelly.
Rating: M
Beta: The always generous siluria, who probably doesn't know how much she helps me! Thanks, babe!
Word Count:This part: 1,354 words of 16,162 for the total fic.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, haven't a hope in hell of any of this story being canon.
Warnings: Angst by the bucketload, an emotionally challenged Steve, and a little unable-to-resist-each-other cheating in one chapter, so if that kind of thing isn't to your taste, you may not want to read any further. Also be aware that there is no real Happy Ever After here, although my muses tell me a third instalment should be written. It has been started but is not progressing very quickly.
Summary: Adam is back in town, and Steve finds out that Kono and Adam are now together. He's not sure how he feels about that considering what Adam and Steve were to each other last time Adam was in town.
Author's Notes: This is the very late sequel to Blinking Against the Distance, about a short-lived relationship between Steve and Adam that happened around the time Adam's father was missing, presumed dead.
In this chapter: Danny gets suspicious, and Kono makes Steve doubt Adam.
Previous Parts: One | Two
Can also be found here on AO3
A knock on the door woke Steve, and then he heard Danny's voice calling his name. Remembering last night as he sat up, Steve also remembered that he'd never gone back downstairs to either lock the door or to pick up his discarded clothing, which was still on the floor where he and Adam had strewn it, apart from the sweatpants he'd pulled on before Adam left. "Shit."
Leaping out of bed, Steve found a clean pair of pants and shimmied into them, and then pulled a clean t-shirt over his head before heading downstairs. Thank God he'd managed to shower last night before collapsing emotionally exhausted into bed. And he'd fallen asleep quickly by pushing all thought from his head and focusing on ocean waves - a trick he'd taught himself during his active service days when the need to sleep was often limited to short bursts of available time - something that still worked admirably well, thankfully.
"Danny," Steve called out as he thudded down the stairs. "What brings you here?"
Danny was standing in the living room, eyes narrowed suspiciously as he lifted his eyes away from a tie crumpled by the sofa - a tie that didn't belong to Steve - and across to Steve's t-shirt half-draped over the arm of a chair, before meeting Steve's eyes. "Was there a hurricane I didn't hear about?"
Trying not to let his face warm, Steve grabbed for the t-shirt and scooped up the tie and the pair of shorts under the sofa next to it that hopefully Danny hadn't spotted, and bundled them together in his hands, forcing a smile as he straightened. "Nah, just got hot after a run. Tossed the t-shirt and headed upstairs to shower."
Danny's eyebrows shot up. "You wear a tie when you're jogging now?"
"Uh… no. That was… look, never mind that. You obviously came here for something? You want coffee?" He stalked towards the kitchen, tossing the clothes into the laundry on his way past.
"Coffee would be good. Excuse me if I don't get side-tracked away from you and your extremely suspicious behaviour."
"What suspicious behaviour? Do we have a case or something? Why didn't you call?"
"I did. There was no reply, so I thought I'd better come around. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Of course I am," Steve managed, his back to Danny as he filled the coffee maker. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Adam Noshimuri got out of jail yesterday."
Steve paused in the action of getting cups from the cupboard and turned his head slightly. He could see the two cups he and Adam had used last night, still sitting on the table and his eyes widened. He'd completely forgotten them with all that had happened after they'd left the room. Lowering his hands, he turned his body to match where his head was looking and noticed Danny staring at the cups too.
Taking a breath, Steve moved to the table, picking up the half-empty mugs and continuing to the kitchen sink where he emptied them and placed them in the dishwasher before returning to the cupboard to find clean cups for Danny and himself.
"Steve? Who was here last night?"
The two cups would take some explaining, but Steve wasn't ready to confess about last night to Danny just yet.
"A friend stopped by," Steve found himself saying as he sat the cups down and moved to the fridge to find the cream. "Do you want something to eat?"
Danny shook his head. "I've had breakfast, thank you. Which friend?"
Steve drew his brows together and went to find the muesli. "You don't know him. The case isn't urgent, then?"
Danny continued to look at him suspiciously, but he didn't comment. "Not a case as such, but Governor Denning wants to see you today. Something about some senator visiting next week. He wants us to cover security."
"Okay, I'll have breakfast and we'll head over there, if you're not in a rush to go anywhere else. Thanks for coming to tell me."
"When you weren't answering your phone, I got worried." Danny still seemed wary, but he didn't ask the question that Steve could see in his eyes.
"Sorry, I must have left it downstairs. I was tired."
Danny nodded thoughtfully as Steve turned to pour the now-brewed coffee and handed him a cup. Sitting down at the table as Steve tipped muesli into a bowl and added milk, Danny seemed very quiet, but Steve was afraid to say anything for fear it would make him ask more about last night. He grabbed a spoon and moved into a chair opposite Danny's, digging into the muesli with one hand as he dragged his coffee cup nearer with the other.
Danny just watched for a moment, shaking his head.
"What?" Steve asked around a mouthful.
"Did your mother not teach you manners?"
Steve rolled his eyes and kept eating.
Danny took a gulp of coffee and then put his cup down. "Have you heard from Adam?"
Almost choking on his food, Steve gulped air desperately around his mouthful. He managed to cough it down and then reached for his coffee. "Why would he get in touch with me?"
Danny narrowed his eyes. "True. He's probably with Kono as we speak."
Steve nodded, finishing the last mouthful of muesli and tipping more coffee down his throat. He needed to get the subject off Adam before Danny realised his last words were a deflection; it was too hard to lie to him. "I'm done. Let me clean my teeth and put on proper clothing and we can go."
"While you do that, I'll finish my coffee with slightly more decorum than you just showed," Danny smiled.
Steve snorted nervously, and left the room at speed.
~//~
By halfway through the day, Steve and Danny both had enough to think of with security arrangements for the upcoming senator's visit that the subject of Adam hadn't entered the conversation again.
Entering Five-0 HQ, Steve came face to face with Kono and stopped dead, guilt rising along with a warmth in his face that said he was probably colouring as well. "Kono… uh, hi."
"You okay, boss?" Kono had an expression of worry on her face, but there was nothing to indicate Adam had spoken to her about him yet. Steve was sure she wouldn't be looking at him this way if Adam had told her about last night.
"Yeah, I’m good. Everything okay with you?" He couldn't say Adam's name for fear of letting the cat out of the bag.
Kono nodded, a cautious smile coming onto her face. "And I know you don't think I should be with Adam, but he's doing everything he can to legitimise his father's business; it'll just take some time."
Steve swallowed hard, pain spreading through him at her words. He drew her towards his office, glancing past her to make sure Danny wasn't in earshot. "Have you spoken to him today?"
"We had breakfast together. He's a bit shaken over what happened, but he's good."
"Over what happened?" Steve asked stupidly, last night's activities on his living room floor rerunning through his brain.
"Everything with Wo Fat… he realizes he nearly ruined his life by threatening to shoot him, but I swear Adam's a good guy, Steve."
Steve didn't know what to say. He wanted to believe Kono was right, but if Adam hadn't spoken to her about last night - about Steve - yet, then maybe he wasn't the man Steve was hoping he was.
"Honestly, Steve, please give him a chance? It was hard enough convincing Chin about him, but I need you to believe in him too, or it won't be right."
Just staring at Kono, Steve knew he probably looked as if he disapproved of Adam, but there was no way he could tell her what Adam had promised; not if he hadn't told her himself.
"I'll do my best," was all he could get out as he left her standing there on his way out of the office.
"Steve?" he heard behind him, but he couldn't go back right now.
~//~
Part Four
Characters: Steve McGarrett/Adam Noshimuri, Kono Kalakaua/Adam Noshimuri; also featuring Danny Williams and Chin Ho Kelly.
Rating: M
Beta: The always generous siluria, who probably doesn't know how much she helps me! Thanks, babe!
Word Count:This part: 1,354 words of 16,162 for the total fic.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, haven't a hope in hell of any of this story being canon.
Warnings: Angst by the bucketload, an emotionally challenged Steve, and a little unable-to-resist-each-other cheating in one chapter, so if that kind of thing isn't to your taste, you may not want to read any further. Also be aware that there is no real Happy Ever After here, although my muses tell me a third instalment should be written. It has been started but is not progressing very quickly.
Summary: Adam is back in town, and Steve finds out that Kono and Adam are now together. He's not sure how he feels about that considering what Adam and Steve were to each other last time Adam was in town.
Author's Notes: This is the very late sequel to Blinking Against the Distance, about a short-lived relationship between Steve and Adam that happened around the time Adam's father was missing, presumed dead.
In this chapter: Danny gets suspicious, and Kono makes Steve doubt Adam.
Previous Parts: One | Two
Can also be found here on AO3
A knock on the door woke Steve, and then he heard Danny's voice calling his name. Remembering last night as he sat up, Steve also remembered that he'd never gone back downstairs to either lock the door or to pick up his discarded clothing, which was still on the floor where he and Adam had strewn it, apart from the sweatpants he'd pulled on before Adam left. "Shit."
Leaping out of bed, Steve found a clean pair of pants and shimmied into them, and then pulled a clean t-shirt over his head before heading downstairs. Thank God he'd managed to shower last night before collapsing emotionally exhausted into bed. And he'd fallen asleep quickly by pushing all thought from his head and focusing on ocean waves - a trick he'd taught himself during his active service days when the need to sleep was often limited to short bursts of available time - something that still worked admirably well, thankfully.
"Danny," Steve called out as he thudded down the stairs. "What brings you here?"
Danny was standing in the living room, eyes narrowed suspiciously as he lifted his eyes away from a tie crumpled by the sofa - a tie that didn't belong to Steve - and across to Steve's t-shirt half-draped over the arm of a chair, before meeting Steve's eyes. "Was there a hurricane I didn't hear about?"
Trying not to let his face warm, Steve grabbed for the t-shirt and scooped up the tie and the pair of shorts under the sofa next to it that hopefully Danny hadn't spotted, and bundled them together in his hands, forcing a smile as he straightened. "Nah, just got hot after a run. Tossed the t-shirt and headed upstairs to shower."
Danny's eyebrows shot up. "You wear a tie when you're jogging now?"
"Uh… no. That was… look, never mind that. You obviously came here for something? You want coffee?" He stalked towards the kitchen, tossing the clothes into the laundry on his way past.
"Coffee would be good. Excuse me if I don't get side-tracked away from you and your extremely suspicious behaviour."
"What suspicious behaviour? Do we have a case or something? Why didn't you call?"
"I did. There was no reply, so I thought I'd better come around. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Of course I am," Steve managed, his back to Danny as he filled the coffee maker. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Adam Noshimuri got out of jail yesterday."
Steve paused in the action of getting cups from the cupboard and turned his head slightly. He could see the two cups he and Adam had used last night, still sitting on the table and his eyes widened. He'd completely forgotten them with all that had happened after they'd left the room. Lowering his hands, he turned his body to match where his head was looking and noticed Danny staring at the cups too.
Taking a breath, Steve moved to the table, picking up the half-empty mugs and continuing to the kitchen sink where he emptied them and placed them in the dishwasher before returning to the cupboard to find clean cups for Danny and himself.
"Steve? Who was here last night?"
The two cups would take some explaining, but Steve wasn't ready to confess about last night to Danny just yet.
"A friend stopped by," Steve found himself saying as he sat the cups down and moved to the fridge to find the cream. "Do you want something to eat?"
Danny shook his head. "I've had breakfast, thank you. Which friend?"
Steve drew his brows together and went to find the muesli. "You don't know him. The case isn't urgent, then?"
Danny continued to look at him suspiciously, but he didn't comment. "Not a case as such, but Governor Denning wants to see you today. Something about some senator visiting next week. He wants us to cover security."
"Okay, I'll have breakfast and we'll head over there, if you're not in a rush to go anywhere else. Thanks for coming to tell me."
"When you weren't answering your phone, I got worried." Danny still seemed wary, but he didn't ask the question that Steve could see in his eyes.
"Sorry, I must have left it downstairs. I was tired."
Danny nodded thoughtfully as Steve turned to pour the now-brewed coffee and handed him a cup. Sitting down at the table as Steve tipped muesli into a bowl and added milk, Danny seemed very quiet, but Steve was afraid to say anything for fear it would make him ask more about last night. He grabbed a spoon and moved into a chair opposite Danny's, digging into the muesli with one hand as he dragged his coffee cup nearer with the other.
Danny just watched for a moment, shaking his head.
"What?" Steve asked around a mouthful.
"Did your mother not teach you manners?"
Steve rolled his eyes and kept eating.
Danny took a gulp of coffee and then put his cup down. "Have you heard from Adam?"
Almost choking on his food, Steve gulped air desperately around his mouthful. He managed to cough it down and then reached for his coffee. "Why would he get in touch with me?"
Danny narrowed his eyes. "True. He's probably with Kono as we speak."
Steve nodded, finishing the last mouthful of muesli and tipping more coffee down his throat. He needed to get the subject off Adam before Danny realised his last words were a deflection; it was too hard to lie to him. "I'm done. Let me clean my teeth and put on proper clothing and we can go."
"While you do that, I'll finish my coffee with slightly more decorum than you just showed," Danny smiled.
Steve snorted nervously, and left the room at speed.
~//~
By halfway through the day, Steve and Danny both had enough to think of with security arrangements for the upcoming senator's visit that the subject of Adam hadn't entered the conversation again.
Entering Five-0 HQ, Steve came face to face with Kono and stopped dead, guilt rising along with a warmth in his face that said he was probably colouring as well. "Kono… uh, hi."
"You okay, boss?" Kono had an expression of worry on her face, but there was nothing to indicate Adam had spoken to her about him yet. Steve was sure she wouldn't be looking at him this way if Adam had told her about last night.
"Yeah, I’m good. Everything okay with you?" He couldn't say Adam's name for fear of letting the cat out of the bag.
Kono nodded, a cautious smile coming onto her face. "And I know you don't think I should be with Adam, but he's doing everything he can to legitimise his father's business; it'll just take some time."
Steve swallowed hard, pain spreading through him at her words. He drew her towards his office, glancing past her to make sure Danny wasn't in earshot. "Have you spoken to him today?"
"We had breakfast together. He's a bit shaken over what happened, but he's good."
"Over what happened?" Steve asked stupidly, last night's activities on his living room floor rerunning through his brain.
"Everything with Wo Fat… he realizes he nearly ruined his life by threatening to shoot him, but I swear Adam's a good guy, Steve."
Steve didn't know what to say. He wanted to believe Kono was right, but if Adam hadn't spoken to her about last night - about Steve - yet, then maybe he wasn't the man Steve was hoping he was.
"Honestly, Steve, please give him a chance? It was hard enough convincing Chin about him, but I need you to believe in him too, or it won't be right."
Just staring at Kono, Steve knew he probably looked as if he disapproved of Adam, but there was no way he could tell her what Adam had promised; not if he hadn't told her himself.
"I'll do my best," was all he could get out as he left her standing there on his way out of the office.
"Steve?" he heard behind him, but he couldn't go back right now.
~//~
Part Four