Really, Jack was starting to wonder if he should do all his fishing shirtless. There'd been Harkness a couple days ago and now McGarrett and he was just starting to look bad wearing a Hawaiian print shirt and cargo shorts.
Then again, he had his kid with him, so he probably earned wearing a shirt. William was quiet, as usual, but he squeezed Jack's hand every once in a while and his heart kind of melted.
"Taking the little guy fishing, just the usual. Don't do it shirtless, though."
"Colonel," Steve murmurs, addressing him by title first in something of a tongue-in-cheek gesture, his seriousness only betrayed by the smile he has on his face when Jack heads nearer with blonde-haired boy in tow.
"It's not for everyone," he adds lightly, peering down at the kid standing with them. "Who's this you've got with you?"
Jack hadn’t seen McGarrett since Daniel and Vala disappeared and taking on a kid and learning the ropes of caring for a two year old on a daily basis had kind of eaten all of his time. He’d just now gotten the swing of it enough to call it a routine instead of a time invasion.
“Buddy, say hi to Steve,” Jack coaxed, but he didn’t know if William would talk. He was kinda quiet, which was weird in a house with Jack O’Neill, but it was what it was.
[[Feel free to mod him talking or not, up to you :)]]
The term of ward is what gets Steve. As far as he's aware, that kind of word only seems to be thrown around in the wake of a disappearance here, usually after the parents have gone and unfortunately, only the children have been left behind. Steve doesn't know if that's what applies here, but if Jack has taken on the responsibility of caring for someone whose parents have gone, he earns all the more respect just by committing to it.
"Hey, buddy," he says to William, crouching down in order to put himself on his level and offering a hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you." He doesn't earn much more than a shy smile in return, but it's better than nothing. "He's living with you and Colonel Carter now?"
"Yup. Uncle Jack and Aunt Sam," Jack said, ruffling William's hair and getting a little grin in return. He was a happy kid, for all he was quiet, and seemed to be adjusting okay to life without his mom.
"Changes everything, you know? Having to toddler-proof your place. I'm pretty sure I could be on one of those nanny shows now, showing 'em how it's done."
"You'll probably have to come over and help us if we decide to add another to the family," Steve admits, with something of a frown. He can think of at least five things Danny would flip out over if he knew they had been placed in different spots around the hut - and they're definitely not baby-proof, to boot.
"There's probably a laundry list of ways our house isn't kid-safe."
"You know, I'm almost sure Danny would love that, in his own way. Even if he did raise a girl instead of a boy," Steve replies, grinning slightly.
"How many pets did you wind up with, anyway? We've only got the one, though I'm not sure our house could handle any more than that. The puppy's still a handful, and we're hoping he grows out of the teething stage soon."
"Some turtles, a cat, a dog and a direwolf," Jack said, ticking them off one by one. "There was a monkey that Vala left behind but I think he went back into the jungle and I'm pretty sure Harkness or someone came and got Daniel's dog."
At the mention of the monkey and his mother, William piped up for a moment and Jack stroked his hair. "No, William, she's not here. Sorry, I didn't mean to say that."
Steve frowns sympathetically, his gaze briefly turned towards the boy. He can identify with the situation all too well, but at least he hadn't lost both his parents at such a young age. Still, the age at which a person loses anyone is always pretty irrelevant, and it never really has an effect on any of the hut experienced.
"Well, no one can say you don't have your hands full," he replies, putting on a smile for both their sakes.
"Hey, if you're looking for a pet, I've got the whole store," Jack said, trying to make light of it. It was the least he could do, try to laugh, because otherwise the island would break him down too easily.
"But I guess you and Danny are busy with just the one dog, huh?"
"I think the one dog is enough pet for us for right now," Steve admits, although it's not like he would turn away another animal if one happened to show up. Danny, on the other hand, he envisions him marching whatever stray it is down to the Compound and setting up a sign advertising a free pet.
"I can't even imagine how much more hectic things are going to get when we decide to add to the number in our place."
"More or less hectic than the perils of wedding planning?" Steve asks, with a half-smile.
"We've basically done little else besides choose some time in December, and now it's starting to creep up on both of us, I think. So I might be snagging you for those beers sooner rather than later."
"And I'm happy to oblige. My anniversary is in December, actually. December 13th."
It had been a gorgeous wedding even if Sam hadn't felt her best and it had just felt right to get married even if they were stuck on a screwy tropical island.
"You know, if you're reaching for things to do that don't involve wedding plans, I was going to have a get-together for my birthday. Last year they sprung a surprise party on me and I figured I would beat them at their own game this year."
"Really?" Steve says, silently marveling at the likelihood. "Well, in a place like this, it's rare that weather is going to get in the way, or anything resembling seasons."
He glances over at mention of the party, nodding thoughtfully. "Planning your own get-together seems like the way to do it. When's it going down?"
Then again, he had his kid with him, so he probably earned wearing a shirt. William was quiet, as usual, but he squeezed Jack's hand every once in a while and his heart kind of melted.
"Taking the little guy fishing, just the usual. Don't do it shirtless, though."
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"It's not for everyone," he adds lightly, peering down at the kid standing with them. "Who's this you've got with you?"
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Jack hadn’t seen McGarrett since Daniel and Vala disappeared and taking on a kid and learning the ropes of caring for a two year old on a daily basis had kind of eaten all of his time. He’d just now gotten the swing of it enough to call it a routine instead of a time invasion.
“Buddy, say hi to Steve,” Jack coaxed, but he didn’t know if William would talk. He was kinda quiet, which was weird in a house with Jack O’Neill, but it was what it was.
[[Feel free to mod him talking or not, up to you :)]]
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"Hey, buddy," he says to William, crouching down in order to put himself on his level and offering a hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you." He doesn't earn much more than a shy smile in return, but it's better than nothing. "He's living with you and Colonel Carter now?"
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"Changes everything, you know? Having to toddler-proof your place. I'm pretty sure I could be on one of those nanny shows now, showing 'em how it's done."
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"There's probably a laundry list of ways our house isn't kid-safe."
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Jack had the sense that Danny would burst a blood vessel at that but it would be amusing in the short term. The very short term.
"Luckily, William's not that bad. And we already had the place animal proof. When everyone started disappearing, I inherited a zoo."
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"How many pets did you wind up with, anyway? We've only got the one, though I'm not sure our house could handle any more than that. The puppy's still a handful, and we're hoping he grows out of the teething stage soon."
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At the mention of the monkey and his mother, William piped up for a moment and Jack stroked his hair. "No, William, she's not here. Sorry, I didn't mean to say that."
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"Well, no one can say you don't have your hands full," he replies, putting on a smile for both their sakes.
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"But I guess you and Danny are busy with just the one dog, huh?"
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"I can't even imagine how much more hectic things are going to get when we decide to add to the number in our place."
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Still, if he had to lose his hair, he'd rather do it over having two little kids than any of the other stressful shit the island could offer him.
"Might have to come snag you and Danny for beers if it gets too bad. The perils of parenthood, huh?"
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"We've basically done little else besides choose some time in December, and now it's starting to creep up on both of us, I think. So I might be snagging you for those beers sooner rather than later."
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It had been a gorgeous wedding even if Sam hadn't felt her best and it had just felt right to get married even if they were stuck on a screwy tropical island.
"You know, if you're reaching for things to do that don't involve wedding plans, I was going to have a get-together for my birthday. Last year they sprung a surprise party on me and I figured I would beat them at their own game this year."
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He glances over at mention of the party, nodding thoughtfully. "Planning your own get-together seems like the way to do it. When's it going down?"
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