[Hawaii Five-0] Mele Kalikimaka
Title: Mele Kalikimaka
Rating: PG
Pairing: Pre-slash, Danny/Steve
Word Count: 2,193
Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form do these characters belong to me.
Summary: "This is what being kidnapped must feel like," Danny says, knowing he should be more concerned about it than he is. "Or, no. No, this has to be more like some kind of delayed Stockholm Syndrome thing."
Notes: A fill for prompts from
leupagus' Yuletide promptfest here and here. Major handwaving and whatnot along with actual research. Title taken from the song by the same name as I am still terrible at titling my fic. Many, many thanks to
scorpionvoices for being awesome and letting me babble at her and being brilliant with the hot cocoa idea.
"This is what being kidnapped must feel like," Danny says, knowing he should be more concerned about it than he is. "Or, no. No, this has to be more like some kind of delayed Stockholm Syndrome thing."
He ignores Steve's snort of amusement and grits his teeth because even if his brain is well aware of the statistics that say flying is safer than driving, his brain is also reminding him of all the disaster movies he's seen in his life, not to mention all the news reports he's seen on television in vivid color.
Small fingers tug on his sleeve and he makes an effort to look calm and collected, or as close to it as he can get when he looks down at Grace. She has the window seat, of course, because it's the best seat on the plane and also, if Danny's being kidnapped against his will there is no way he's getting stuck with the aisle seat.
"Danno, look!" Grace is all excitement and happiness and thrilled about their "surprise adventure". Danny is doing his level best not to ruin it because he tries to be a good dad, and good dads don't ruin things like that for their little girls if they can help it. Even if said adventure was planned by a total, raving lunatic.
He's still not sure how Steve managed to get them out of Danny's apartment and onto a privately chartered plane headed to destinations unknown. (And, seriously, the less Danny knows about how Steve wrangled a privately chartered plane the better, even though he's almost certain it involves the blatant misuse power on Steve's part.)
Grace is staring out the window, entranced by crystal clear water and postcard perfect scenery. She's been in Hawaii longer than he has, and the fact that the natural beauty of the place hasn't lost its wonder for her makes him smile.
Out of the corner of his eye he can just see Steve's stupid face and the stupid smile he's got, and, okay, maybe this whole thing might not be so horrible after all.
====
====
"What."
Steve rolls his eyes and shoves a bag at Danny. "Just take it, will you? We're going to be late."
Late for what, Danny doesn't even want to know. There's a big black SUV sitting in the parking lot and Steve is shoving luggage that Danny didn't even know they had into the back of it.
Grace is all but bouncing with excitement as she looks up at him, and just like that Danny caves. "Fine, whatever," he mutters, taking the bag. He shoots Steve a warning glare when the jerk has the gall to look smug, as though he could resist Grace, SEAL training or not. She's a tiny force of nature, and God help anyone who gets in her way when she fully grows into it.
"Shut it," he says, pointing a finger at Steve. "You don't even know the half of it."
Steve laughs, actually laughs, and, oh, Danny is going to laugh himself sick when Grace stops being polite around him and shows him what she's made of.
====
====
The thing is, Danny actually thought he'd done a good job of not showing how much not having a white Christmas was bothering him. Sure, he bitched about Hawaii and it's many, many unnatural ways, because really? He shouldn't have to explain the thing about pineapple on pizza more than once.
But there were some things that were real, honest to God tradition. Christmas without snow was wrong on so many levels he knows he'll never be able to properly articulate it, but he'd been trying to get over that for Grace's sake. As well as Grace has taken to life in Hawaii, how much she loves it here, she misses Jersey. Screw what people have to say about kids being resilient, it doesn't change the fact that she had a life back in Jersey as much as he ever did.
"What. How?"
Kono and Chin are smiling at them, big, fucking smiles and maybe if he weren't so surprised by it, he'd smile back. As it is, Grace more than makes up for it by darting forward and hugging them for all she's worth.
Kono laughs and takes her hand, saying something to her about picking out rooms and exploring the facilities.
"Yeah," Steve says, coming up beside him. "Turns out we actually do know what snow looks like in Hawaii."
Danny slides a look at him, but instead of a smirk, Steve's smiling. He looks like a doof, but it's Steve. It's sort of his default.
"She usually doesn't get snow this early in the season," Chin says, indicating the summit of the mountain they're on. "Just good luck this year."
Danny raises an eyebrow at that, but can't help smiling because, hey, snow.
"We'll head up in the morning," Steve says, sounding apologetic.
When Danny gives him a questioning look, Steve shrugs and looks away.
"Altitude sickness," Chin says, turning to follow Kono and Grace. "We'll need to acclimatize before we reach the summit."
Danny should probably be worried about that too, but he's watching Chin cross the parking lot. Aside from a few four-wheel drives with official markings, the only vehicles in the parking lot are their SUVs and Danny didn't didn't make detective for nothing. He knows, now, without a doubt that Steve's been busy wielding the power the governor granted him by pulling all the strings he could in order to give Danny a white Christmas with his daughter.
"I'm still thinking Stockholm's," he says, because Steve is doing his best to look like this is nothing, like this is something he does whenever and not. Not like it's something.
Steve laughs, startled, and Danny thumps his shoulder when he walks past.
====
====
If he were a better man, Danny would have warned Steve. As it is, it's all he can do to keep from laughing in Steve's face the first time Grace and her team of highly trained commandos completely and totally kick his ass.
Steve may have years of experience and military training on his side, but Grace is take-no-prisoners ruthless when it comes to this kind of thing.
"Shut the hell up," Steve grumbles, brushing snow out of his face and glaring at Danny. "They're still out there."
Danny should have known Grace was up to something the moment she tagged Kono and Chin for her team, but he's used to their no-holds barred snowball fights. He's the one who taught her a Williams always goes for the kill, never shows mercy, and never, ever gives up the advantage when they have it.
Clearly, she listened when he told her the highly edited stories of what it was like working with Steve and the others and schemed accordingly.
"Still thinking you're going to 'take it easy on her because she's a kid'?" Danny can't help but ask, most of his words lost to laughter.
Steve's glare intensifies. "If I thought your daughter knew the meaning of the word mercy, I might have."
Danny knows their odds of winning the on-going battle are grim, but Steve's got his serious face on, which means he's thinking strategy and tactics. Sure, said tactics usually involve utter insanity and some kind of explosive, but he's reasonably sure Steve's not the kind of guy to bring C4 to a snowball fight.
"You do realize we are not actually at war with her, right?" Danny asks, because being reasonably sure isn't the same thing as being absolutely certain, and he doesn't trust whatever goes on in Steve's mind when he gets like this.
Steve grins at him, slightly manic, teeth bared, and oh, God, Danny knows that look. "No, Steve. No, no, no." He hopes the repetition will get through to Steve, but really? He knows better.
Steve holds out a hand and despite his better judgment, Danny grabs it and helps Steve up. "I can't believe I need to say this again, but we are not actually at war with Grace," Danny says, worried at the look Steve gives him.
"McGarrett?" He's tempted to sit this one out, knowing it can only end badly, but. He's on Steve's team, he's his partner. He can't just let the poor bastard go off on his own to be slaughtered by his daughter and her hench-people. "Please. Just tell me you didn't actually bring explosives with you, okay? Lie to me if you have to, it'll make me feel better."
Steve rolls his eyes like Danny's being overly dramatic and not at all as though that's something he might actually do. "No, Danno, I didn't bring explosives with me on vacation."
Danny squints at him. "You make it sound like you'd do something like that when you're not on vacation, you know that, right?"
"Your face," Steve mutters, showing he has the maturity of a twelve year-old.
"No, yours," Danny retorts.
Instead of coming up with a comeback, Steve breaks out the hand signals and put his game face on, dropping low to the ground as he makes his way towards a stand of trees.
Danny sighs and follows, wondering how the hell this ever became his life.
====
====
Steve's fucking with him, he has to be.
"Aren't you going to at least try it?"
Chin is a master at looking. Well, not innocent, but. He's not the kind of guy you'd pin as being a jackass, is the thing.
"There's pineapple."
Chin raises an eyebrow. "We're in Hawaii."
Danny's eyes narrow. "Pineapple," he says, adding emphasis, because seriously. He's come to terms with the abnormal combination of pizza and pineapple, even though deep in his heart he knows it's wrong. He'd kept his bitching about all the ways it was unnatural and wrong to put a Hawaiian shirt and lei on a snowman to a minimum, but this. This is an abomination the likes of which he'd never thought possible. "Pineapple in my hot cocoa."
"It's traditional," Kono pipes up, giving him a sweet smile he doesn't buy for a second.
Grace is frowning up at him. "Steve worked really hard to make it for you, Danno," she says, and that pretty much seals his fate.
He throws a look at Steve who's watching him with ridiculously huge eyes and, just. Seriously, Danny hates him so much sometimes.
Making hot cocoa shouldn't be an undertaking or involve as much clanging and clattering of pots and pans as it apparently does for Steve, but whatever. The point is, Steve spent time and effort - and seriously, how hard is it to make hot cocoa? - to make this for Danny, and if he doesn't drink it he'll look like the jackass he knows Steve is, and it's just easier all around to give in. "Thank you, Steve," he says, trying to sound as though he really means it as he takes a drink.
When Chin disappears into the kitchen to bring out a tray bearing five mugs of perfectly normal hot cocoa without a hint of pineapple to be found not five minutes later, grinning like a bastard? Danny realizes that while Chin may not look like kind of guy you'd pin as being a jackass? He most certainly is one.
====
====
Later, when Grace drags Kono off so they can have 'girl time' together and Chin goes to sleep, Danny finds himself outside watching the stars. He's still trying to wrap his mind around just what Steve's given him by arranging everything like this.
"Hey."
He's not surprised Steve followed him out to the parking lot. "You're an asshole," Danny says, because it needs to be said. Messing around with a man's hot cocoa is not something people do.
Steve just smiles.
Danny hates the fucker so much. "Really, though. You're an asshole."
Steve shrugs, like he's made peace with that aspect of his personality, and honestly, that makes so much sense, all things considered.
"So, not so terrible?" Steve asks, sounding oddly unsure of himself.
Danny looks at him. Steve gave Grace and Danny a white Christmas, and he has to ask? Still, it's Steve, and Danny's not about to let him off that easily. "Are we talking about the multiple kidnappings, or the attempted poisoning by pineapple?"
Steve groans and covers his face with his hands, which makes Danny laugh.
"Danny - "
"You're such an asshole," Danny says again. It's something that bears repeating. "But, no, not so terrible." He smiles and bumps his arm into Steve's. "You did good, McGarrett."
Steve smiles and ducks his head, and Danny. God. Danny really, seriously hates the bastard so much sometimes. "Thank you," he says quietly, actually meaning it this time.
Steve doesn't answer, just bumps his arm into Danny's. Danny watches him for a moment, not sure what to say, but then Steve's picking out stars and constellations, eyes turns to the night sky. Danny shakes his head and looks up to see where he's pointing, letting him have the out this time.
It's not the Christmas he was expecting, but it's definitely one he's never going to forget.
Posted at http://kitsune-tsuki.dreamwidth.org/325750.html. | You can reply here or there. |
Rating: PG
Pairing: Pre-slash, Danny/Steve
Word Count: 2,193
Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form do these characters belong to me.
Summary: "This is what being kidnapped must feel like," Danny says, knowing he should be more concerned about it than he is. "Or, no. No, this has to be more like some kind of delayed Stockholm Syndrome thing."
Notes: A fill for prompts from
leupagus' Yuletide promptfest here and here. Major handwaving and whatnot along with actual research. Title taken from the song by the same name as I am still terrible at titling my fic. Many, many thanks to
scorpionvoices for being awesome and letting me babble at her and being brilliant with the hot cocoa idea.
"This is what being kidnapped must feel like," Danny says, knowing he should be more concerned about it than he is. "Or, no. No, this has to be more like some kind of delayed Stockholm Syndrome thing."
He ignores Steve's snort of amusement and grits his teeth because even if his brain is well aware of the statistics that say flying is safer than driving, his brain is also reminding him of all the disaster movies he's seen in his life, not to mention all the news reports he's seen on television in vivid color.
Small fingers tug on his sleeve and he makes an effort to look calm and collected, or as close to it as he can get when he looks down at Grace. She has the window seat, of course, because it's the best seat on the plane and also, if Danny's being kidnapped against his will there is no way he's getting stuck with the aisle seat.
"Danno, look!" Grace is all excitement and happiness and thrilled about their "surprise adventure". Danny is doing his level best not to ruin it because he tries to be a good dad, and good dads don't ruin things like that for their little girls if they can help it. Even if said adventure was planned by a total, raving lunatic.
He's still not sure how Steve managed to get them out of Danny's apartment and onto a privately chartered plane headed to destinations unknown. (And, seriously, the less Danny knows about how Steve wrangled a privately chartered plane the better, even though he's almost certain it involves the blatant misuse power on Steve's part.)
Grace is staring out the window, entranced by crystal clear water and postcard perfect scenery. She's been in Hawaii longer than he has, and the fact that the natural beauty of the place hasn't lost its wonder for her makes him smile.
Out of the corner of his eye he can just see Steve's stupid face and the stupid smile he's got, and, okay, maybe this whole thing might not be so horrible after all.
====
====
"What."
Steve rolls his eyes and shoves a bag at Danny. "Just take it, will you? We're going to be late."
Late for what, Danny doesn't even want to know. There's a big black SUV sitting in the parking lot and Steve is shoving luggage that Danny didn't even know they had into the back of it.
Grace is all but bouncing with excitement as she looks up at him, and just like that Danny caves. "Fine, whatever," he mutters, taking the bag. He shoots Steve a warning glare when the jerk has the gall to look smug, as though he could resist Grace, SEAL training or not. She's a tiny force of nature, and God help anyone who gets in her way when she fully grows into it.
"Shut it," he says, pointing a finger at Steve. "You don't even know the half of it."
Steve laughs, actually laughs, and, oh, Danny is going to laugh himself sick when Grace stops being polite around him and shows him what she's made of.
====
====
The thing is, Danny actually thought he'd done a good job of not showing how much not having a white Christmas was bothering him. Sure, he bitched about Hawaii and it's many, many unnatural ways, because really? He shouldn't have to explain the thing about pineapple on pizza more than once.
But there were some things that were real, honest to God tradition. Christmas without snow was wrong on so many levels he knows he'll never be able to properly articulate it, but he'd been trying to get over that for Grace's sake. As well as Grace has taken to life in Hawaii, how much she loves it here, she misses Jersey. Screw what people have to say about kids being resilient, it doesn't change the fact that she had a life back in Jersey as much as he ever did.
"What. How?"
Kono and Chin are smiling at them, big, fucking smiles and maybe if he weren't so surprised by it, he'd smile back. As it is, Grace more than makes up for it by darting forward and hugging them for all she's worth.
Kono laughs and takes her hand, saying something to her about picking out rooms and exploring the facilities.
"Yeah," Steve says, coming up beside him. "Turns out we actually do know what snow looks like in Hawaii."
Danny slides a look at him, but instead of a smirk, Steve's smiling. He looks like a doof, but it's Steve. It's sort of his default.
"She usually doesn't get snow this early in the season," Chin says, indicating the summit of the mountain they're on. "Just good luck this year."
Danny raises an eyebrow at that, but can't help smiling because, hey, snow.
"We'll head up in the morning," Steve says, sounding apologetic.
When Danny gives him a questioning look, Steve shrugs and looks away.
"Altitude sickness," Chin says, turning to follow Kono and Grace. "We'll need to acclimatize before we reach the summit."
Danny should probably be worried about that too, but he's watching Chin cross the parking lot. Aside from a few four-wheel drives with official markings, the only vehicles in the parking lot are their SUVs and Danny didn't didn't make detective for nothing. He knows, now, without a doubt that Steve's been busy wielding the power the governor granted him by pulling all the strings he could in order to give Danny a white Christmas with his daughter.
"I'm still thinking Stockholm's," he says, because Steve is doing his best to look like this is nothing, like this is something he does whenever and not. Not like it's something.
Steve laughs, startled, and Danny thumps his shoulder when he walks past.
====
====
If he were a better man, Danny would have warned Steve. As it is, it's all he can do to keep from laughing in Steve's face the first time Grace and her team of highly trained commandos completely and totally kick his ass.
Steve may have years of experience and military training on his side, but Grace is take-no-prisoners ruthless when it comes to this kind of thing.
"Shut the hell up," Steve grumbles, brushing snow out of his face and glaring at Danny. "They're still out there."
Danny should have known Grace was up to something the moment she tagged Kono and Chin for her team, but he's used to their no-holds barred snowball fights. He's the one who taught her a Williams always goes for the kill, never shows mercy, and never, ever gives up the advantage when they have it.
Clearly, she listened when he told her the highly edited stories of what it was like working with Steve and the others and schemed accordingly.
"Still thinking you're going to 'take it easy on her because she's a kid'?" Danny can't help but ask, most of his words lost to laughter.
Steve's glare intensifies. "If I thought your daughter knew the meaning of the word mercy, I might have."
Danny knows their odds of winning the on-going battle are grim, but Steve's got his serious face on, which means he's thinking strategy and tactics. Sure, said tactics usually involve utter insanity and some kind of explosive, but he's reasonably sure Steve's not the kind of guy to bring C4 to a snowball fight.
"You do realize we are not actually at war with her, right?" Danny asks, because being reasonably sure isn't the same thing as being absolutely certain, and he doesn't trust whatever goes on in Steve's mind when he gets like this.
Steve grins at him, slightly manic, teeth bared, and oh, God, Danny knows that look. "No, Steve. No, no, no." He hopes the repetition will get through to Steve, but really? He knows better.
Steve holds out a hand and despite his better judgment, Danny grabs it and helps Steve up. "I can't believe I need to say this again, but we are not actually at war with Grace," Danny says, worried at the look Steve gives him.
"McGarrett?" He's tempted to sit this one out, knowing it can only end badly, but. He's on Steve's team, he's his partner. He can't just let the poor bastard go off on his own to be slaughtered by his daughter and her hench-people. "Please. Just tell me you didn't actually bring explosives with you, okay? Lie to me if you have to, it'll make me feel better."
Steve rolls his eyes like Danny's being overly dramatic and not at all as though that's something he might actually do. "No, Danno, I didn't bring explosives with me on vacation."
Danny squints at him. "You make it sound like you'd do something like that when you're not on vacation, you know that, right?"
"Your face," Steve mutters, showing he has the maturity of a twelve year-old.
"No, yours," Danny retorts.
Instead of coming up with a comeback, Steve breaks out the hand signals and put his game face on, dropping low to the ground as he makes his way towards a stand of trees.
Danny sighs and follows, wondering how the hell this ever became his life.
====
====
Steve's fucking with him, he has to be.
"Aren't you going to at least try it?"
Chin is a master at looking. Well, not innocent, but. He's not the kind of guy you'd pin as being a jackass, is the thing.
"There's pineapple."
Chin raises an eyebrow. "We're in Hawaii."
Danny's eyes narrow. "Pineapple," he says, adding emphasis, because seriously. He's come to terms with the abnormal combination of pizza and pineapple, even though deep in his heart he knows it's wrong. He'd kept his bitching about all the ways it was unnatural and wrong to put a Hawaiian shirt and lei on a snowman to a minimum, but this. This is an abomination the likes of which he'd never thought possible. "Pineapple in my hot cocoa."
"It's traditional," Kono pipes up, giving him a sweet smile he doesn't buy for a second.
Grace is frowning up at him. "Steve worked really hard to make it for you, Danno," she says, and that pretty much seals his fate.
He throws a look at Steve who's watching him with ridiculously huge eyes and, just. Seriously, Danny hates him so much sometimes.
Making hot cocoa shouldn't be an undertaking or involve as much clanging and clattering of pots and pans as it apparently does for Steve, but whatever. The point is, Steve spent time and effort - and seriously, how hard is it to make hot cocoa? - to make this for Danny, and if he doesn't drink it he'll look like the jackass he knows Steve is, and it's just easier all around to give in. "Thank you, Steve," he says, trying to sound as though he really means it as he takes a drink.
When Chin disappears into the kitchen to bring out a tray bearing five mugs of perfectly normal hot cocoa without a hint of pineapple to be found not five minutes later, grinning like a bastard? Danny realizes that while Chin may not look like kind of guy you'd pin as being a jackass? He most certainly is one.
====
====
Later, when Grace drags Kono off so they can have 'girl time' together and Chin goes to sleep, Danny finds himself outside watching the stars. He's still trying to wrap his mind around just what Steve's given him by arranging everything like this.
"Hey."
He's not surprised Steve followed him out to the parking lot. "You're an asshole," Danny says, because it needs to be said. Messing around with a man's hot cocoa is not something people do.
Steve just smiles.
Danny hates the fucker so much. "Really, though. You're an asshole."
Steve shrugs, like he's made peace with that aspect of his personality, and honestly, that makes so much sense, all things considered.
"So, not so terrible?" Steve asks, sounding oddly unsure of himself.
Danny looks at him. Steve gave Grace and Danny a white Christmas, and he has to ask? Still, it's Steve, and Danny's not about to let him off that easily. "Are we talking about the multiple kidnappings, or the attempted poisoning by pineapple?"
Steve groans and covers his face with his hands, which makes Danny laugh.
"Danny - "
"You're such an asshole," Danny says again. It's something that bears repeating. "But, no, not so terrible." He smiles and bumps his arm into Steve's. "You did good, McGarrett."
Steve smiles and ducks his head, and Danny. God. Danny really, seriously hates the bastard so much sometimes. "Thank you," he says quietly, actually meaning it this time.
Steve doesn't answer, just bumps his arm into Danny's. Danny watches him for a moment, not sure what to say, but then Steve's picking out stars and constellations, eyes turns to the night sky. Danny shakes his head and looks up to see where he's pointing, letting him have the out this time.
It's not the Christmas he was expecting, but it's definitely one he's never going to forget.
Posted at http://kitsune-tsuki.dreamwidth.org/325750.html. | You can reply here or there. |