Fiction - "Somewhere a Clock is Ticking"
Title: "Somewhere a Clock is Ticking"
Author: workerbee32
Fandom: Hawaii Five-0
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Steve/Kono
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: 1x12 Hana 'a'a Makehewa (Desperate Measures)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of it. It belongs to other people and I borrow them occasionally. No infringement intended!
Author's Notes: Title taken from a Snow Patrol song.
Summary: After Chin's close call with the bomb, Kono has to deal with what she might regret if it had been her instead.
Somewhere a Clock is Ticking
Steve left Danny’s apartment and drove around aimlessly for a while. It was Christmas and, while it was fun to watch Danny play Santa for Grace, there was still a dull ache in his chest. He was used to being alone; it was how he liked it most of the time. After he got sent back to the mainland by his dad, he finished raising himself and where he fell short, the Seals took over. But the holidays were different. The usual calm and peace that came with being a ‘lone wolf’ (as Danny had called him once) was harder to handle.
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he retrieved it. Kono. He tapped ‘Answer’ and put the phone to his ear. “Hey.” He greeted, more than slightly curious as to why she was calling. Last he saw her, she was laughing herself breathless at Kamekona’s attempt to sit on Santa’s lap to make his list known.
“Hey Steve.” She returned, he took note of the lack of background noise. She wasn’t at Danny’s anymore.
“Everything ok?”
“Yeah, I was just-“ She paused and he heard an exhale before she spoke again. “I was wondering if you wanted to come over for a beer or something.” She said in a tone he could tell was supposed to be casual, but failed. “It’s just, It’s Christmas and I’m gonna be alone at my place and I thought you might be alone at your place so we might as well be alone together, ya know?”
Steve smirked, she was mumbling. It was cute. “But if you’ve got plans or something, I mean, I didn’t mean to assume or anything. But-“ Steve grinned at her nervous ramble and cut her off.
“I’ll be there in ten, ok?”
“Ok.” She said quickly and then backtracked. “Yeah, I mean, ten sounds good. See ya then.”
* * * * *
Steve knocked on the door, a six pack of Longboards in his hand. It opened and Kono let him in. He had been to her place once before with Danny to pick her up, but he hadn’t retained any of the details of her small apartment. But, now that he looked at it, it was smaller than Danny’s. But it was better decorated, which didn’t surprise him. The only reason Danny had all the things he had in his place was because Grace had said something to Rachel about it and Rachel told Danny he needed to make more of an effort to make it a home. So he did, for Grace.
But Kono’s place was comfy, warm in a way Steve knew his place would never be. The touch of a woman, he noted, made all the difference. Her apartment had one common room that served as a living room, bedroom and dining room. Off to one side was her little kitchen and the other side was her bathroom. The walls were covered in art work, prints of paintings of the ocean. The walls were a pale blue, but didn’t feel cold. Instead, he felt enveloped in the calm of the space. She took the six pack from his hand and pointed him towards the small couch against the wall under a large abstract print of a faceless surfer curled into a wave.
“I like the decor.” Steve said loud enough for her to hear in her kitchen as she put the beer in the fridge and brought back two bottles.
“Thanks.” She smiled and handed him one of the beers. “If I can’t be out there every day, this is a decent replacement I guess.” She sat down beside him and took a sip from her bottle.
Steve took a long swig, leaning back against the couch, stretching his arm across the back of the cushion. Kono was sitting forward, her elbows on her knees. “Something on your mind?” He asked and watched her start to speak twice before she finally found what she wanted to say.
“Chin had a bomb around his neck.” She said, her eyes glassy with the promise of tears. “He almost died.”
“But he didn’t.” Steve pointed out, but it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. She turned in her seat and looked at him.
“That could’ve been any one of us.” She said, taking a big pull off her beer and looking to Steve as though he should have answers. He didn’t. “He just happened to be closest. I just-“ She looked away from him and blinked a few times rapidly. “It was scary.” She said softly.
Steve sat up, turning towards her and putting his beer on the coffee table. “Kono.” He spoke her name to get her to look at him. It didn’t work. “Hey. Look here.” He instructed and she followed orders. She always followed his orders. “What Chin went through, I’m not gonna lie, it was horrible. But I wasn’t going to let anything happen to him. I wouldn’t let anything happen to any of you. No matter which one of us would’ve been in the collar, it would have ended the same way. We’re family. We take care of each other, right?”
She nodded and wiped the one rogue tear that started to fall down her cheek. He knew that his message got through, but he could also tell that there was still something gnawing at her. “Keep going.” He urged, grabbing his beer back off the table and taking a drink.
“Huh?”
“There’s obviously something else you want to say.” He set his beer back down. “Go for it.” He watched her shift in her seat for a moment and set her own beer down. She traded fiddling with the beer label to picking at her fingernails. A tiny jolt of panic went through him, what if she was too scared to do this? What if being in Five-O was too much for her? Nah, he shook his head to himself, because he hadn’t met another woman who could handle herself quite as well as Kono. At times, she could give Steve a very real run for his money. Five-O was where she belonged.
“I stood there and watched Chin with the bomb around his neck and all I could think was that I have so much I haven’t said or done. If that had been me-“
“If that had been you, just like Chin, you would still have time to do and say those things. We would’ve gotten you out of it too, Kono.” Steve cut her off and put his hand on her knee as he reassured her. Again, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“You’ve got to stop that.” She shook her head. “Stop talking to me like I’m the mom of a kidnapped kid. Stop with the reassurances and platitudes.”
Steve raised his hands in silent surrender and motioned for her to carry on. Kono stood up and started pacing in front of the coffee table, one hand on her hip and the other worrying her bottom lip. “Here’s the thing.” She started to say, staying in motion with her eyes off of him. “The reason I’m here, the reason I’m still on this team is because-“ She cut herself off and shook her head. “Okay, this is ridiculous.” She walked over to him and stood staring down at him. “Please stand up.” She requested and he did.
They stood face to face for a moment, and just as he opened his mouth to say something, she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Steve stiffened for a moment, confused, but loosened in her hold as he put his hands on her waist. It wasn’t how he had envisioned it happened, but he was okay with that. Steve wasn’t really a plan-things-out kinda guy.
When the kiss broke, she took a step back and locked her eyes on his. She was reading him, gauging his features to see if she should laugh or cry. He suddenly became very aware of every tick and movement of his face. “Kono-“ He said softly, but she cut him off.
“That was wildly inappropriate and I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to be on my knees with a bomb around my neck thinking of how I wished I would’ve told you. We can chalk it up to hero worship or PTSD from watching my cousin nearly blown up.” She was pacing now, her head down and her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not.” Steve told her, causing her to stop and look to him. “And there probably is a little shock there as motivation, but-“ He stepped toward her and held her face in his hands, “that felt pretty real to me.” He rubbed softly on her cheek with his thumb and smiled. They looked at each other, smiling, for a moment before Steve tilted his head down to kiss her again. This time it was slow, precise. Steve was running the show, moving his hands from her face down to her hips. She draped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him.
* * * * *
Steve woke up before she did and immediately remembered what had transpired the night before. He was in Kono’s bed and she was lying on her stomach stretched out on the other half of the bed, her arm pressed against his. He gently rolled to his side and watched her for a moment before he pressed his lips to her bare shoulder. She stirred, but didn’t wake. He knew he should let her sleep, but there was an urge that made him start running his hand over her back in an effort to wake her up. He needed to see her, to look into her eyes and know that this was for real. He learned the hard way that feelings from the night before aren’t necessarily the same in the light of the next day. A very real panic set into him that Kono would wake up and regret the entire thing.
Kono turned her head to face the person gently rubbing her bare back and smiled. “Good morning.” She immediately read the worry on his face and her smile fell. “Is it good?” She asked, shifting to her side to face him.
Steve let the worry fall away and smiled. “Very good. Great, in fact.” Her eyes told him everything he needed to know. She was there and she wanted to be. And, best of all, she wanted him to be there too. “Merry Christmas.” He whispered, pressing his lips to hers.
“Christmas was yesterday.” She pointed out, curling against him.
He pulled her body close to his and laced his fingers into her hair. “Yeah, well, it feels like Christmas morning to me.” He punctuated the sentence with a kiss to her forehead.
The End
+ Feedback is encouraged and appreciated!
+ Feel free to point out grammar/spelling mistakes if you spot them, seeing as I usually don't get my stuff beta read before posting.
+ Please don't take and pass this off as your own.
+ Feel free to friend for future fic updates!.
Author: workerbee32
Fandom: Hawaii Five-0
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Steve/Kono
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: 1x12 Hana 'a'a Makehewa (Desperate Measures)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of it. It belongs to other people and I borrow them occasionally. No infringement intended!
Author's Notes: Title taken from a Snow Patrol song.
Summary: After Chin's close call with the bomb, Kono has to deal with what she might regret if it had been her instead.
Somewhere a Clock is Ticking
Steve left Danny’s apartment and drove around aimlessly for a while. It was Christmas and, while it was fun to watch Danny play Santa for Grace, there was still a dull ache in his chest. He was used to being alone; it was how he liked it most of the time. After he got sent back to the mainland by his dad, he finished raising himself and where he fell short, the Seals took over. But the holidays were different. The usual calm and peace that came with being a ‘lone wolf’ (as Danny had called him once) was harder to handle.
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he retrieved it. Kono. He tapped ‘Answer’ and put the phone to his ear. “Hey.” He greeted, more than slightly curious as to why she was calling. Last he saw her, she was laughing herself breathless at Kamekona’s attempt to sit on Santa’s lap to make his list known.
“Hey Steve.” She returned, he took note of the lack of background noise. She wasn’t at Danny’s anymore.
“Everything ok?”
“Yeah, I was just-“ She paused and he heard an exhale before she spoke again. “I was wondering if you wanted to come over for a beer or something.” She said in a tone he could tell was supposed to be casual, but failed. “It’s just, It’s Christmas and I’m gonna be alone at my place and I thought you might be alone at your place so we might as well be alone together, ya know?”
Steve smirked, she was mumbling. It was cute. “But if you’ve got plans or something, I mean, I didn’t mean to assume or anything. But-“ Steve grinned at her nervous ramble and cut her off.
“I’ll be there in ten, ok?”
“Ok.” She said quickly and then backtracked. “Yeah, I mean, ten sounds good. See ya then.”
* * * * *
Steve knocked on the door, a six pack of Longboards in his hand. It opened and Kono let him in. He had been to her place once before with Danny to pick her up, but he hadn’t retained any of the details of her small apartment. But, now that he looked at it, it was smaller than Danny’s. But it was better decorated, which didn’t surprise him. The only reason Danny had all the things he had in his place was because Grace had said something to Rachel about it and Rachel told Danny he needed to make more of an effort to make it a home. So he did, for Grace.
But Kono’s place was comfy, warm in a way Steve knew his place would never be. The touch of a woman, he noted, made all the difference. Her apartment had one common room that served as a living room, bedroom and dining room. Off to one side was her little kitchen and the other side was her bathroom. The walls were covered in art work, prints of paintings of the ocean. The walls were a pale blue, but didn’t feel cold. Instead, he felt enveloped in the calm of the space. She took the six pack from his hand and pointed him towards the small couch against the wall under a large abstract print of a faceless surfer curled into a wave.
“I like the decor.” Steve said loud enough for her to hear in her kitchen as she put the beer in the fridge and brought back two bottles.
“Thanks.” She smiled and handed him one of the beers. “If I can’t be out there every day, this is a decent replacement I guess.” She sat down beside him and took a sip from her bottle.
Steve took a long swig, leaning back against the couch, stretching his arm across the back of the cushion. Kono was sitting forward, her elbows on her knees. “Something on your mind?” He asked and watched her start to speak twice before she finally found what she wanted to say.
“Chin had a bomb around his neck.” She said, her eyes glassy with the promise of tears. “He almost died.”
“But he didn’t.” Steve pointed out, but it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. She turned in her seat and looked at him.
“That could’ve been any one of us.” She said, taking a big pull off her beer and looking to Steve as though he should have answers. He didn’t. “He just happened to be closest. I just-“ She looked away from him and blinked a few times rapidly. “It was scary.” She said softly.
Steve sat up, turning towards her and putting his beer on the coffee table. “Kono.” He spoke her name to get her to look at him. It didn’t work. “Hey. Look here.” He instructed and she followed orders. She always followed his orders. “What Chin went through, I’m not gonna lie, it was horrible. But I wasn’t going to let anything happen to him. I wouldn’t let anything happen to any of you. No matter which one of us would’ve been in the collar, it would have ended the same way. We’re family. We take care of each other, right?”
She nodded and wiped the one rogue tear that started to fall down her cheek. He knew that his message got through, but he could also tell that there was still something gnawing at her. “Keep going.” He urged, grabbing his beer back off the table and taking a drink.
“Huh?”
“There’s obviously something else you want to say.” He set his beer back down. “Go for it.” He watched her shift in her seat for a moment and set her own beer down. She traded fiddling with the beer label to picking at her fingernails. A tiny jolt of panic went through him, what if she was too scared to do this? What if being in Five-O was too much for her? Nah, he shook his head to himself, because he hadn’t met another woman who could handle herself quite as well as Kono. At times, she could give Steve a very real run for his money. Five-O was where she belonged.
“I stood there and watched Chin with the bomb around his neck and all I could think was that I have so much I haven’t said or done. If that had been me-“
“If that had been you, just like Chin, you would still have time to do and say those things. We would’ve gotten you out of it too, Kono.” Steve cut her off and put his hand on her knee as he reassured her. Again, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“You’ve got to stop that.” She shook her head. “Stop talking to me like I’m the mom of a kidnapped kid. Stop with the reassurances and platitudes.”
Steve raised his hands in silent surrender and motioned for her to carry on. Kono stood up and started pacing in front of the coffee table, one hand on her hip and the other worrying her bottom lip. “Here’s the thing.” She started to say, staying in motion with her eyes off of him. “The reason I’m here, the reason I’m still on this team is because-“ She cut herself off and shook her head. “Okay, this is ridiculous.” She walked over to him and stood staring down at him. “Please stand up.” She requested and he did.
They stood face to face for a moment, and just as he opened his mouth to say something, she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Steve stiffened for a moment, confused, but loosened in her hold as he put his hands on her waist. It wasn’t how he had envisioned it happened, but he was okay with that. Steve wasn’t really a plan-things-out kinda guy.
When the kiss broke, she took a step back and locked her eyes on his. She was reading him, gauging his features to see if she should laugh or cry. He suddenly became very aware of every tick and movement of his face. “Kono-“ He said softly, but she cut him off.
“That was wildly inappropriate and I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to be on my knees with a bomb around my neck thinking of how I wished I would’ve told you. We can chalk it up to hero worship or PTSD from watching my cousin nearly blown up.” She was pacing now, her head down and her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not.” Steve told her, causing her to stop and look to him. “And there probably is a little shock there as motivation, but-“ He stepped toward her and held her face in his hands, “that felt pretty real to me.” He rubbed softly on her cheek with his thumb and smiled. They looked at each other, smiling, for a moment before Steve tilted his head down to kiss her again. This time it was slow, precise. Steve was running the show, moving his hands from her face down to her hips. She draped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him.
* * * * *
Steve woke up before she did and immediately remembered what had transpired the night before. He was in Kono’s bed and she was lying on her stomach stretched out on the other half of the bed, her arm pressed against his. He gently rolled to his side and watched her for a moment before he pressed his lips to her bare shoulder. She stirred, but didn’t wake. He knew he should let her sleep, but there was an urge that made him start running his hand over her back in an effort to wake her up. He needed to see her, to look into her eyes and know that this was for real. He learned the hard way that feelings from the night before aren’t necessarily the same in the light of the next day. A very real panic set into him that Kono would wake up and regret the entire thing.
Kono turned her head to face the person gently rubbing her bare back and smiled. “Good morning.” She immediately read the worry on his face and her smile fell. “Is it good?” She asked, shifting to her side to face him.
Steve let the worry fall away and smiled. “Very good. Great, in fact.” Her eyes told him everything he needed to know. She was there and she wanted to be. And, best of all, she wanted him to be there too. “Merry Christmas.” He whispered, pressing his lips to hers.
“Christmas was yesterday.” She pointed out, curling against him.
He pulled her body close to his and laced his fingers into her hair. “Yeah, well, it feels like Christmas morning to me.” He punctuated the sentence with a kiss to her forehead.
The End
+ Feedback is encouraged and appreciated!
+ Feel free to point out grammar/spelling mistakes if you spot them, seeing as I usually don't get my stuff beta read before posting.
+ Please don't take and pass this off as your own.
+ Feel free to friend for future fic updates!.