Tuna, Steve/Danny, 1/1, PG-13
In which Steve disappears, only not really. He just turns into a cat. A few words of silliness, I was enabled by sirona_gs and the beta work was done by stjarna1984. It is all because of this. (also, can be considered dedicated to my silly evil cat, Pebbles, who will be 1 next Thursday)
So it all starts when Steve disappears, and Danny freaks the fuck out. He doesn't show up for work on Monday morning, his phone goes unanswered, his house empty, but the truck is still parked in front of it, and Danny goes through all possible, awful scenarios, and maybe Steve's dead in a ditch somewhere and Danny doesn't even know and fuck, fuck. He gets Chin and Kono and the Governor and half of HPD on the case, because Steve isn't anywhere and it's just not. On. Not possible.
Danny hasn't realized how much he needs Steve until he starts missing him.
--
Danny finds the cat sitting on Steve's kitchen table, and, okay, when did McGarrett get a cat? They gauge each other for about ten seconds before Danny holds a hand out and the cat leans into it, starts purring like an Aston Martin, and Danny blinks. Not that he's surprised that Steve's cat would be so fucking easy. Danny slides his fingers down the cat's side, through the soft fur, and the cat looks at him through heavy lids, its little pink nose, dotted with black, pressing cold and wet against the inside of Danny's forearm. Danny finds himself smiling.
"Where d'you come from, huh?"
Danny can't do much else than gather the cat in his arms, the satisfied purring making him raise an eyebrow, and bring it back to his own apartment. He's not going to let the poor thing starve because Steve is where, where, Danny has no idea.
--
Next thing Danny does is enrol Catherine in the search. She freaks out for half a second before slipping back behind the military walls her mind puts up, just like Steve, Danny can't help but think a little bitterly, and promises she'll do everything she can, and will let him know if she hears anything. Danny doesn't even have it in himself to feel guilty, he'd rope in the whole world to help find Steve if he could. Because Steve is not leaving just a cat behind, after all.
--
Danny decides to call the cat Tuna because first of all, it seems to be all that he deigns to eat, and just because he can, and fuck it, it's just temporary, and Danny can't bring himself to call it Steve. So Tuna it is.
Tuna is an exceedingly cuddly cat. Danny's never had one before, because Williamses are dog lovers and they've only ever had dogs, but it doesn't mean that he doesn't know cats are not usually this kind of needy. And it's just weird that a cat owned by Steve McGarrett wouldn't go all out and kill mice by the dozen with ninja moves and death stares. But no, Tuna is content for his food to arrive already dead and possibly in very large amounts, and Tuna is content curling up on Danny's chest at every possible opportunity he gets, and purring so loudly Danny can feel it reverberate around his ribcage.
Tuna is a weird cat, but Danny can't help but fall for him in a matter of days. Kinda like he fell for Steve.
--
The third day of searching for Steve leads Danny to lose it and almost beat Sang Min to a pulp, but there are no answers in the end and fuck, what if Steve was attacked by a shark and is now somewhere dead floating in the water? All the what ifs and possibilities and lack of plausible evidence and answers is driving Danny absolutely crazy, batshit fucking nuts, losing his mind and his self-control. Chin forces him out of HQ when he has enough of the abuse, and so Danny goes and gets drunk in the middle of the afternoon.
--
"Heyyyy Tunaaaa, whaddup cat?"
Danny is definitely drunk - he can hear his own accent slipping heavier on his words, and how the last drink he had is still burning through his insides. He needs to eat something, he's conscious of that, he doesn't need the alcohol to burn a hole through his stomach thank you very fucking much, but when he looks inside his fridge, all he can find is a tuna steak he's supposed to give Tuna. Oh, well.
"Share, buddy?"
Tuna is sitting on top of the kitchen counter, his tail wagging slowly and his eyes judging Danny. He lets out a soft sound, a sound that is almost worried, and Danny snorts, grabbing the steak and opening the plastic wrapper, his feet shuffling. He almost loses his balance but regains it by gripping the table, closing his eyes for a second as dizziness overwhelms him. Once he feels steady once again, Danny cooks the steak - just like Steve taught him. A broken sob leaves his throat as he thinks about Steve, nowhere to be found, probably dead, and how much he misses him, as if someone ripped his fucking heart out of his chest once again.
"I'm sure you know where he is," Danny says, waving his fork around and then stopping it in front of Tuna's little black face, not even minding when Tuna licks and bites at the food on the end of the fork, "I wish you could tell me where he is."
--
Danny wakes up when someone knocks loudly on his door. Tuna's curled around his head, his paw playing with Danny's hair as if it's yarn, or just the most amazing thing ever because he's got some in his mouth and he looks so delighted, if he could smile he probably would be. The pounding on the door matches the pounding in Danny's head, and when he manages to extract himself from Tuna and his bedsheets, forcing himself to ignore Tuna's pitiful little whine of discontent, he sees Kono on the other side.
She takes one long look at him before walking in, leaving coffee and what Danny guesses is malasadas on the kitchen counter, and wrapping him in a hug.
"We'll find him, Danny. We will."
Danny buries his nose in the crook of her neck, nods, because that's all he can do.
"Yeah."
--
Tuna purrs delightedly when Danny sits on the fold-out sofa, jumping on Danny's towel-covered lap and curling up there, looking up at Danny with those eyes that still feel so fucking familiar to Danny. Danny tuts, pushing off the cat, but it just comes back, purring and purring, its head pressed into Danny's bare stomach. Danny can't help it, he leans back on one elbow and runs one finger from the tip of Tuna's nose all the way down to the tip of its tail, grinning when said tail curls around his hip, the cat basically latching onto him. He likes the feeling of being needed, wanted, something he hasn't felt this strongly since Grace was a tiny little baby, crying in his arms.
So, okay, no, he's not comparing Steve's cat to Grace, no, that's not the point. He just likes the feeling, he likes when Tuna purrs into him, crawling under his skin and smoothing out crinkles of worry and pain. He's stupidly soothing, that cat, like he knows everything Danny needs, and Danny is immensely grateful.
Tuna climbs over Danny's chest and looks into his eyes for a moment, so Danny smiles, a little helplessly, and bumps his nose against Tuna's. The cat’s got small patches of grey fur on both sides of its head, Danny suddenly realizes.
"Thanks, buddy."
--
They checked all flights from Honolulu in the past 5 days; they checked boats and cruises and anything that could be used to leave the island to try and find McGarrett, some hint or trace of McGarrett. But when Danny goes back to Steve’s house to try and maybe find some actual cat food for Tuna - poor cat will become obese in a month at the rhythm Danny is feeding him tuna steaks - he finds Steve's wallet, Steve's gun. He went nowhere.
--
Danny rubs Tuna's belly as they both watch TV, lazy, unfocused eyes looking at some random cop show that Danny doesn't even like. What he likes is the soft, long fur adorning Tuna's belly, and how it's streaked white in parts. Tuna wraps himself around his hand and then, with his back paws digging into Danny's wrist, he starts purring again, his gaze - dare Danny say it? - adoringly staring up at Danny, purring contently, rumbling up Danny's body. Danny still wonders when did Steve get a cat, really, it makes no sense.
--
For the first time in, well, forever, Danny doesn’t mind not having Grace this weekend. Because if he did, well, he’d have to explain Tuna and try to make her understand that, no, they can’t keep him, he’s not theirs, he’s Steve’s, and once Steve is back - if he ever is, that asshole - he’ll get Tuna back.
So yeah, Danny is sort of glad, for terribly selfish reasons.
--
When Danny wakes up on Sunday morning, he blinks once, twice, before his heart stops. Then it starts again, and starts beating faster than ever before, harder than on his wedding day and harder than when Grace fell down the stairs when she was three.
Because - because he fell asleep with his hand curled around Tuna’s little belly and now, now his fingers are tucked under Steve’s hipbone. Steve. Hipbone. Danny takes his hand away, as if Steve’s skin burned his own, and then he blinks again, because maybe, just maybe, he’s dreaming this.
--
Turns out Steve sleeps through Danny getting himself a coffee, observing him from his vantage point, elbows planted on the kitchen counter. Steve, this is Steve, definitely, his long, lean - naked - body too big for Danny’s fold out bed, drooling on the mattress. This is Steve, and where the fuck is Tuna? Danny can’t even bring himself to wake Steve up to ask him all the questions in the world, he looks too happy as he is, relaxed, in a way Danny’s not sure he’s ever seen Steve look.
--
Danny calls Kono, calls Chin, calls the Governor, calls Catherine. He tells them all that he found Steve, that Steve appeared on his doorstep, even if he didn’t, not really. And he begs them to wait a few hours before coming, Steve needs to rest. He doesn’t tell them that he just wants a few hours for himself with Steve.
--
Danny is sitting cross-legged on the bed when Steve wakes up, blinks the sleep out of his eyes, and then stretches - like a cat, Danny can’t help but think.
“Hey, Tuna.”
Steve blinks a few more times, and then brings his hand to his eyes, a smile spreading over his face as he realizes that, what, he’s not a cat anymore. It is the only plausible explanation for all this, even if it doesn’t make any sense.
“I - Danny.”
Steve turns his eyes to Danny, who can’t take it anymore. He springs forward, his body unfolding as he wraps himself around Steve, clinging to him as he takes in his smell and his solid form and his heartbeat and just how human he is right now. Steve doesn’t hesitate in wrapping his arms around Danny, holding on just as tight as he breathes a sigh of relief into Danny’s hair.
--
Steve only leaves the bed long enough to put on some of Danny’s boxers.
“I think, I think it happened because of my last swim, on Sunday.”
“What happened?”
“I got bit by something.”
Danny can’t help his smirk when Steve turns back to him, sits on the edge of the bed before Danny pulls him closer again. He simply cannot stop touching Steve, something he’s never really done before and right now he doesn’t understand why.
“Let me guess, it was a catfish?”
“You’re funny, I didn’t see that one coming from a mile away at all.”
Danny just grins, big and bright, because he feels so fucking happy he could explode in a shower of rainbows and kittens. Steve is warm and solid under his fingertips, biceps bunching up when Danny slides his hand over them.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
Danny leans in and kisses over the lotus flower etched over Steve’s skin. Steve’s sharp intake of breath tells Danny everything he needs to know, so he trails his mouth up and up and up along the curve of Steve’s shoulder, his neck, his jaw, his chin, his lips. And the amount of sense it makes, makes Danny dizzy when he digs his fingers in under Steve’s ear.
--
”We’ll be on our way in a minute, Danny.”
“Chin, hey, could you wait a bit longer? Steve’s still sleeping.”
Danny feels bad for lying, honest to God feels bad, but really, no. He and Steve are still in bed, naked all over again, sweaty and sticky and disgusting and everything aches in the most beautiful way, so they’re not ready for visitors, really, really not. Chin sighs.
”Okay. He’s fine, though, right?”
“He’s fine. He’s good.”
Steve smirks, his eyes closed, and Danny has to bite back a chuckle.
”Okay then, we’ll see you in a bit, yeah?”
“Yeah. I’ll call you when he wakes up.”
Danny hangs up, throws the phone down the bed, and resumes his rubbing of Steve’s stomach, listening to the little noises coming out of Steve’s throat. Steve, is, well, purring. It makes Danny inexplicably happy.
--
“So, um, what’s with the fixation with my hair, huh? Every morning, Steve, every morning I woke up with my hair in your dirty little paws, you know how wrong that is, huh? Do you know how long it took me every fucking morning to untangle the mess you’d created?”
Steve, Danny’s not even joking, Steve honest to God blushes a little, the big badass SEAL that has seen everything and fought the entire world, he’s blushing because Danny is gently poking his rib.
“It’s nice. Soft. Smells good.”
Danny doesn’t even have an answer for that.
“You. And what about the belly rubs?”
Steve just grins, a little wicked and a lot fond, as if Danny just went off on one of his rants. Danny pokes him in the ribs again, for good measure.
--
Catherine calls Danny to tell him she’ll be in Hawaii in three days. Danny’s happy to tell her she’ll be able to call Steve, then, because he’ll be totally fine by then. He doesn’t even feel a little bit jealous.
--
Steve stretches again, all long limbs uncurling and burning gold in the morning sun and Danny’s fingers are itching to touch. He’s back, finally, 6 days of pure agony, even with the reassuring presence of Tuna, which meant much more than Danny’s quite ready to think of right about now. Steve rolls over to face Danny, his eyes closing and opening slowly. He’s so fucking gorgeous Danny dry-swallows, fingers reaching out, tracing shadows over Steve’s cheekbones.
“I’m glad I’m back, too.”
--
“I’ll miss Tuna.”
“Nah, you won’t. I’ll make sure of it.”
They’ve managed to put some clothes on, but it’s not saying much, because they’re still lying on that stupid, uncomfortable at best, fold-out sofa. Steve is comfortable, though, the softness of his skin contrasting with the hard muscles underneath. They’re so tangled in each other it could be a mind-breaker to try and take them apart, but Danny is quite happy not moving, ever again.
“We can get a cat if you want.”
“Don’t want to. See, Tuna was special. He loved me. And my tuna steaks.”
Steve grins, his eyes planted on Danny’s face, his gaze a little stupid, terribly endearing if you’re Danny, not that he’ll ever admit that he kinda sorta possibly loves his partner a whole lot, and is absolutely, 100% goofy for him.
“He still does.”
--
When finally Danny allows Chin and Kono to come round, they arrive within a crazily short time, and they’ve got beer and pizza and hugs a plenty. They don’t really get an explanation - Steve puts it on account of something he had to do for the Navy and they all think it’s okay, it’s classified information. Danny just thinks it’s convenient for Steve.
Steve falls asleep with his head on Danny’s lap, but Chin and Kono apparently decide not to say anything about it. And Danny runs his fingers through Steve’s hair, because he can’t help himself, it’s instinct, only to think Steve’s right, he won’t really miss Tuna that much.He’s got something just as good.
So it all starts when Steve disappears, and Danny freaks the fuck out. He doesn't show up for work on Monday morning, his phone goes unanswered, his house empty, but the truck is still parked in front of it, and Danny goes through all possible, awful scenarios, and maybe Steve's dead in a ditch somewhere and Danny doesn't even know and fuck, fuck. He gets Chin and Kono and the Governor and half of HPD on the case, because Steve isn't anywhere and it's just not. On. Not possible.
Danny hasn't realized how much he needs Steve until he starts missing him.
--
Danny finds the cat sitting on Steve's kitchen table, and, okay, when did McGarrett get a cat? They gauge each other for about ten seconds before Danny holds a hand out and the cat leans into it, starts purring like an Aston Martin, and Danny blinks. Not that he's surprised that Steve's cat would be so fucking easy. Danny slides his fingers down the cat's side, through the soft fur, and the cat looks at him through heavy lids, its little pink nose, dotted with black, pressing cold and wet against the inside of Danny's forearm. Danny finds himself smiling.
"Where d'you come from, huh?"
Danny can't do much else than gather the cat in his arms, the satisfied purring making him raise an eyebrow, and bring it back to his own apartment. He's not going to let the poor thing starve because Steve is where, where, Danny has no idea.
--
Next thing Danny does is enrol Catherine in the search. She freaks out for half a second before slipping back behind the military walls her mind puts up, just like Steve, Danny can't help but think a little bitterly, and promises she'll do everything she can, and will let him know if she hears anything. Danny doesn't even have it in himself to feel guilty, he'd rope in the whole world to help find Steve if he could. Because Steve is not leaving just a cat behind, after all.
--
Danny decides to call the cat Tuna because first of all, it seems to be all that he deigns to eat, and just because he can, and fuck it, it's just temporary, and Danny can't bring himself to call it Steve. So Tuna it is.
Tuna is an exceedingly cuddly cat. Danny's never had one before, because Williamses are dog lovers and they've only ever had dogs, but it doesn't mean that he doesn't know cats are not usually this kind of needy. And it's just weird that a cat owned by Steve McGarrett wouldn't go all out and kill mice by the dozen with ninja moves and death stares. But no, Tuna is content for his food to arrive already dead and possibly in very large amounts, and Tuna is content curling up on Danny's chest at every possible opportunity he gets, and purring so loudly Danny can feel it reverberate around his ribcage.
Tuna is a weird cat, but Danny can't help but fall for him in a matter of days. Kinda like he fell for Steve.
--
The third day of searching for Steve leads Danny to lose it and almost beat Sang Min to a pulp, but there are no answers in the end and fuck, what if Steve was attacked by a shark and is now somewhere dead floating in the water? All the what ifs and possibilities and lack of plausible evidence and answers is driving Danny absolutely crazy, batshit fucking nuts, losing his mind and his self-control. Chin forces him out of HQ when he has enough of the abuse, and so Danny goes and gets drunk in the middle of the afternoon.
--
"Heyyyy Tunaaaa, whaddup cat?"
Danny is definitely drunk - he can hear his own accent slipping heavier on his words, and how the last drink he had is still burning through his insides. He needs to eat something, he's conscious of that, he doesn't need the alcohol to burn a hole through his stomach thank you very fucking much, but when he looks inside his fridge, all he can find is a tuna steak he's supposed to give Tuna. Oh, well.
"Share, buddy?"
Tuna is sitting on top of the kitchen counter, his tail wagging slowly and his eyes judging Danny. He lets out a soft sound, a sound that is almost worried, and Danny snorts, grabbing the steak and opening the plastic wrapper, his feet shuffling. He almost loses his balance but regains it by gripping the table, closing his eyes for a second as dizziness overwhelms him. Once he feels steady once again, Danny cooks the steak - just like Steve taught him. A broken sob leaves his throat as he thinks about Steve, nowhere to be found, probably dead, and how much he misses him, as if someone ripped his fucking heart out of his chest once again.
"I'm sure you know where he is," Danny says, waving his fork around and then stopping it in front of Tuna's little black face, not even minding when Tuna licks and bites at the food on the end of the fork, "I wish you could tell me where he is."
--
Danny wakes up when someone knocks loudly on his door. Tuna's curled around his head, his paw playing with Danny's hair as if it's yarn, or just the most amazing thing ever because he's got some in his mouth and he looks so delighted, if he could smile he probably would be. The pounding on the door matches the pounding in Danny's head, and when he manages to extract himself from Tuna and his bedsheets, forcing himself to ignore Tuna's pitiful little whine of discontent, he sees Kono on the other side.
She takes one long look at him before walking in, leaving coffee and what Danny guesses is malasadas on the kitchen counter, and wrapping him in a hug.
"We'll find him, Danny. We will."
Danny buries his nose in the crook of her neck, nods, because that's all he can do.
"Yeah."
--
Tuna purrs delightedly when Danny sits on the fold-out sofa, jumping on Danny's towel-covered lap and curling up there, looking up at Danny with those eyes that still feel so fucking familiar to Danny. Danny tuts, pushing off the cat, but it just comes back, purring and purring, its head pressed into Danny's bare stomach. Danny can't help it, he leans back on one elbow and runs one finger from the tip of Tuna's nose all the way down to the tip of its tail, grinning when said tail curls around his hip, the cat basically latching onto him. He likes the feeling of being needed, wanted, something he hasn't felt this strongly since Grace was a tiny little baby, crying in his arms.
So, okay, no, he's not comparing Steve's cat to Grace, no, that's not the point. He just likes the feeling, he likes when Tuna purrs into him, crawling under his skin and smoothing out crinkles of worry and pain. He's stupidly soothing, that cat, like he knows everything Danny needs, and Danny is immensely grateful.
Tuna climbs over Danny's chest and looks into his eyes for a moment, so Danny smiles, a little helplessly, and bumps his nose against Tuna's. The cat’s got small patches of grey fur on both sides of its head, Danny suddenly realizes.
"Thanks, buddy."
--
They checked all flights from Honolulu in the past 5 days; they checked boats and cruises and anything that could be used to leave the island to try and find McGarrett, some hint or trace of McGarrett. But when Danny goes back to Steve’s house to try and maybe find some actual cat food for Tuna - poor cat will become obese in a month at the rhythm Danny is feeding him tuna steaks - he finds Steve's wallet, Steve's gun. He went nowhere.
--
Danny rubs Tuna's belly as they both watch TV, lazy, unfocused eyes looking at some random cop show that Danny doesn't even like. What he likes is the soft, long fur adorning Tuna's belly, and how it's streaked white in parts. Tuna wraps himself around his hand and then, with his back paws digging into Danny's wrist, he starts purring again, his gaze - dare Danny say it? - adoringly staring up at Danny, purring contently, rumbling up Danny's body. Danny still wonders when did Steve get a cat, really, it makes no sense.
--
For the first time in, well, forever, Danny doesn’t mind not having Grace this weekend. Because if he did, well, he’d have to explain Tuna and try to make her understand that, no, they can’t keep him, he’s not theirs, he’s Steve’s, and once Steve is back - if he ever is, that asshole - he’ll get Tuna back.
So yeah, Danny is sort of glad, for terribly selfish reasons.
--
When Danny wakes up on Sunday morning, he blinks once, twice, before his heart stops. Then it starts again, and starts beating faster than ever before, harder than on his wedding day and harder than when Grace fell down the stairs when she was three.
Because - because he fell asleep with his hand curled around Tuna’s little belly and now, now his fingers are tucked under Steve’s hipbone. Steve. Hipbone. Danny takes his hand away, as if Steve’s skin burned his own, and then he blinks again, because maybe, just maybe, he’s dreaming this.
--
Turns out Steve sleeps through Danny getting himself a coffee, observing him from his vantage point, elbows planted on the kitchen counter. Steve, this is Steve, definitely, his long, lean - naked - body too big for Danny’s fold out bed, drooling on the mattress. This is Steve, and where the fuck is Tuna? Danny can’t even bring himself to wake Steve up to ask him all the questions in the world, he looks too happy as he is, relaxed, in a way Danny’s not sure he’s ever seen Steve look.
--
Danny calls Kono, calls Chin, calls the Governor, calls Catherine. He tells them all that he found Steve, that Steve appeared on his doorstep, even if he didn’t, not really. And he begs them to wait a few hours before coming, Steve needs to rest. He doesn’t tell them that he just wants a few hours for himself with Steve.
--
Danny is sitting cross-legged on the bed when Steve wakes up, blinks the sleep out of his eyes, and then stretches - like a cat, Danny can’t help but think.
“Hey, Tuna.”
Steve blinks a few more times, and then brings his hand to his eyes, a smile spreading over his face as he realizes that, what, he’s not a cat anymore. It is the only plausible explanation for all this, even if it doesn’t make any sense.
“I - Danny.”
Steve turns his eyes to Danny, who can’t take it anymore. He springs forward, his body unfolding as he wraps himself around Steve, clinging to him as he takes in his smell and his solid form and his heartbeat and just how human he is right now. Steve doesn’t hesitate in wrapping his arms around Danny, holding on just as tight as he breathes a sigh of relief into Danny’s hair.
--
Steve only leaves the bed long enough to put on some of Danny’s boxers.
“I think, I think it happened because of my last swim, on Sunday.”
“What happened?”
“I got bit by something.”
Danny can’t help his smirk when Steve turns back to him, sits on the edge of the bed before Danny pulls him closer again. He simply cannot stop touching Steve, something he’s never really done before and right now he doesn’t understand why.
“Let me guess, it was a catfish?”
“You’re funny, I didn’t see that one coming from a mile away at all.”
Danny just grins, big and bright, because he feels so fucking happy he could explode in a shower of rainbows and kittens. Steve is warm and solid under his fingertips, biceps bunching up when Danny slides his hand over them.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
Danny leans in and kisses over the lotus flower etched over Steve’s skin. Steve’s sharp intake of breath tells Danny everything he needs to know, so he trails his mouth up and up and up along the curve of Steve’s shoulder, his neck, his jaw, his chin, his lips. And the amount of sense it makes, makes Danny dizzy when he digs his fingers in under Steve’s ear.
--
”We’ll be on our way in a minute, Danny.”
“Chin, hey, could you wait a bit longer? Steve’s still sleeping.”
Danny feels bad for lying, honest to God feels bad, but really, no. He and Steve are still in bed, naked all over again, sweaty and sticky and disgusting and everything aches in the most beautiful way, so they’re not ready for visitors, really, really not. Chin sighs.
”Okay. He’s fine, though, right?”
“He’s fine. He’s good.”
Steve smirks, his eyes closed, and Danny has to bite back a chuckle.
”Okay then, we’ll see you in a bit, yeah?”
“Yeah. I’ll call you when he wakes up.”
Danny hangs up, throws the phone down the bed, and resumes his rubbing of Steve’s stomach, listening to the little noises coming out of Steve’s throat. Steve, is, well, purring. It makes Danny inexplicably happy.
--
“So, um, what’s with the fixation with my hair, huh? Every morning, Steve, every morning I woke up with my hair in your dirty little paws, you know how wrong that is, huh? Do you know how long it took me every fucking morning to untangle the mess you’d created?”
Steve, Danny’s not even joking, Steve honest to God blushes a little, the big badass SEAL that has seen everything and fought the entire world, he’s blushing because Danny is gently poking his rib.
“It’s nice. Soft. Smells good.”
Danny doesn’t even have an answer for that.
“You. And what about the belly rubs?”
Steve just grins, a little wicked and a lot fond, as if Danny just went off on one of his rants. Danny pokes him in the ribs again, for good measure.
--
Catherine calls Danny to tell him she’ll be in Hawaii in three days. Danny’s happy to tell her she’ll be able to call Steve, then, because he’ll be totally fine by then. He doesn’t even feel a little bit jealous.
--
Steve stretches again, all long limbs uncurling and burning gold in the morning sun and Danny’s fingers are itching to touch. He’s back, finally, 6 days of pure agony, even with the reassuring presence of Tuna, which meant much more than Danny’s quite ready to think of right about now. Steve rolls over to face Danny, his eyes closing and opening slowly. He’s so fucking gorgeous Danny dry-swallows, fingers reaching out, tracing shadows over Steve’s cheekbones.
“I’m glad I’m back, too.”
--
“I’ll miss Tuna.”
“Nah, you won’t. I’ll make sure of it.”
They’ve managed to put some clothes on, but it’s not saying much, because they’re still lying on that stupid, uncomfortable at best, fold-out sofa. Steve is comfortable, though, the softness of his skin contrasting with the hard muscles underneath. They’re so tangled in each other it could be a mind-breaker to try and take them apart, but Danny is quite happy not moving, ever again.
“We can get a cat if you want.”
“Don’t want to. See, Tuna was special. He loved me. And my tuna steaks.”
Steve grins, his eyes planted on Danny’s face, his gaze a little stupid, terribly endearing if you’re Danny, not that he’ll ever admit that he kinda sorta possibly loves his partner a whole lot, and is absolutely, 100% goofy for him.
“He still does.”
--
When finally Danny allows Chin and Kono to come round, they arrive within a crazily short time, and they’ve got beer and pizza and hugs a plenty. They don’t really get an explanation - Steve puts it on account of something he had to do for the Navy and they all think it’s okay, it’s classified information. Danny just thinks it’s convenient for Steve.
Steve falls asleep with his head on Danny’s lap, but Chin and Kono apparently decide not to say anything about it. And Danny runs his fingers through Steve’s hair, because he can’t help himself, it’s instinct, only to think Steve’s right, he won’t really miss Tuna that much.He’s got something just as good.