Ohana 2 - John, 4/?
Title: The Incubator: Ohana 2 - John
Rating: NC17
Characters/Pairings: Steve/Danny, Kono, Chin, Kamekona, OC's
Summary: Danny wants another baby and soon Steve is Incubating again. But their relationhip has never been an easy one to always tread, the lines of Master and slave can often become blurred. But in the hardships ahead, they both learn lessons on how love and commitment can overcome obstacles if they try hard enough. And on the way, a new baby joins the family.
Warnings: AU/AR!Future, M-preg, slash, slave!fic
A/N: A continutation of the 'Incubator- verse' which began with 'The Incubator'.
Chapters - Chapters - One : : Two: Three:
Previously - But the strike doesn't come and I force myself to look at him again. He looks as if all the energy of his body has seeped out of him as he looks at me, pulls his hand back to him and looks down at it as if it isn't part of him.
He moves back towards the door, looking at me, anger simmering under the surface.
"You shouldn't have spoken to Chin," he says before leaving me.
~
He doesn't lock the door but I daren't leave the room to go after him. Instead I wait, wondering what will happen now. He's right, I shouldn't have spoken to Chin as I had. I would never have dared to any other free person but Chin is a friend and the lines blur at times with him. He doesn't treat me or any slave the way free people do and it lulls us into a false sense of security around him.
I should remember my place around him. I should remember my place. I've no right to complain about how Danny chooses to punish me and I am grateful he is a kind Master. Others wouldn't tolerate my behaviour so easily. I've known my fair share of cruel, abusive Masters and Danny is none of those things.
I frown and sit at the window, a twinge in my back makes me wince even more. I really don't want this stress, its been a hard few days and I want to put it behind us but I've only made the situation worse. Danny has been through a lot the last few months and I feel a pang of guilt at that. I hear a car outside and crane my neck to catch a glimpse of the car leaving the house.
I wonder whether to risk leaving our room. He hasn't officially lifted my lockdown even if he hasn't locked me in. I stay where I am until the twinge turns into a constant pain and I have to walk around. Usually I'd go sweet talk Danny into giving me a back rub, he's good at chasing away the pain. But the pain remains and walking in circles makes my feet swell, lying down doesn't work either and so I sit frustrated, worried and irritated.
He comes home hours later. I hear the car pull up on the drive, hear the front door close and wait impatiently, hoping he will come and talk. It's what we haven't done the last few days and its a big reason why we are now distant. Instead I hear the door to the nursery open and close and Grace suddenly chattering away to him. Her words are coming along quickly and her character is starting to emerge.
I stand and draw closer to the door to listen, she's currently obsessed with her toy kitchen and is telling Danny she's making eggs in her simple terms. 'Gooey' is her favourite way to describe them and I smile to myself as she repeats the phrase several times to Danny as they play.
Things go quiet for a few minutes and I jump slightly as the door bangs.
"Papi," Grace exclaims with a loud shout hopefully. I smile at my own surprise at the unexpected hollering. Grace proceeds to bash the door more firmly and I suspect she has something in her hand to create the noise. "Papi, Papi, Papi."
I hear Danny trying to calm her down, close to the door but she won't be appeased.
"Daddy, want to see Papi," she says matter of factly.
I hear fumbling at the latch and hurry back to the bed to save from being caught listening in. The door opens and Grace rushes inside to me, an unsteady run over to the bed as she smiles seeing me.
"Papi," she exclaims, throwing herself at me. I reach down and pick her up, placing her on the bed where she rolls into the middle content.
"What you up too baby girl?" I ask her, wincing as I shift, pain racing up my spine.
"Making gooey eggs for daddy," she tells me waving a plastic frying pan in my direction. "I'm Kame. You help me."
She stands, legs wobbling on the uneven surface and stumbles to me, arms around my neck. I grimace again but put a smile on my face.
"Careful Gracie," Danny warns gently, seeing my discomfort, but she doesn't realise the pain she's causing as she bounces on the bed playfully.
"Please," she coos to me.
"All right baby girl," I placate her.
"You carry me," she says, not letting go.
"Papi can't," Danny tells her nearing the bed. "Come on."
"No I want Papi," Grace says, arms tightening round my neck.
"Let Daddy carry you Gracie," I say gently. "Papi's back hurts."
"I can make it better," she decides, placing a kiss on my neck. Kisses make everything better in Grace's world. "See Danno."
I look up at Danny with an amused look. He smiles and gives a shake of his head as he sits down beside us. Reaching out to her he gives her a soft poke in the side making her giggle and twist away.
"Come on little miss," he tells her, pulling her to him. "Kisses aren't quite strong enough to make Papi's back better."
"But they help," I assure her.
"Danno make it better?" Grace asks, settling between us.
Neither of us have any idea where this new name has sprung from but its cute and we don't correct her.
"I'm sure he will try," I tell her. "Now, how's about those gooey eggs?"
"Danno make Papi better," Grace orders looking up in earnest at him. Like he could cure every ailment with a touch.
Danny smiles at her and pinches her cheek before he leans over and kisses me gently on the mouth.
"All better," he whispers with a smile.
-
We talk later that night as he gives me a back massage. I apologise, he apologises. We've both had a hard time the last few months and like the natural order of things eventually it all came to a head.
Danny is still healing from losing Laka as well as having to sell on Kono. The business is expanding but he's worried about its future. He's fiercely proud and protective of his work and is uneasy about recent decisions he's made. There's only so much he can discuss at home when none of us understand the details.
"I'm sorry I told Chin," I sigh. "I had no right to."
"Chin was concerned for both of us," Danny replies, hands working their magic on my back ache. "He's our doctor. I'd be concerned if he wasn't wondering what was going on. I have been hard on you these last few days. It's not like you need the added stress. I took out my frustrations on you and that's wrong. I'm sorry too."
He rests for a moment, hands stilling and instead leans forward and kisses the back of my neck.
"I know I can be difficult sometimes," he tells me. "It frustrates me when you aren't yourself."
"I know," I nod understanding. "Frustrates me too. Chin said that when I'm Incubating I'm actually my most natural self. Imagine if I were like this all the time?"
I give a small laugh at the joke but Danny puts his arms around me suddenly and holds me.
"I guess he's right, I've never thought about it that way before," He replies in thought. "I suppose because I've gotten to know you when and when you aren't Incubating that I see the pregnancies as changing you, when really, well they don't define you, but its what makes you unique and you."
I give a small shrug in reply. I don't care how Danny sees me as long as he sees me.
"I am sorry I spoiled the party," I apologise. I know I crossed a line no matter my personal circumstances.
"Remember the woman you brushed off?" Danny asks me. "Rachel?"
"Yes."
"She's a good friend," Danny explains to me. "At one point in my life I thought maybe I'd marry her."
I'm surprised and turn my head to look at him. The look on his face seems wistful, as if he's remembering happy times. I don't particularly wish to know the intimate details of their relationship but I'm curious about his past before he settled for me.
"Why didn't you?" I ask him.
He doesn't reply immediately, thinking on the question. "I think we both realised we were better as friends than lovers. We were together a long time but things changed between us, we found ourselves expecting too much from one another. So we broke up, didn't see each other for some time and then started speaking again, found the friendship was still there. She hasn't been married to Stan long."
"Is she the only person you ever considered marrying?" I ask him. He's never spoken of marriage before, or the past lovers of his life.
"There were only two people I ever thought I'd settle down with, Rachel and before her, Jules," Danny admits after a pause. He doesn't move from holding me but the wistful look is back, deeper this time as he mentions this 'Jules'. "Jules was the first person I ever fell in love with. We dated through the end of highschool and went to college together before he moved to New York. I used to think, had things been different, we'd have stayed together, gotten married and had a family. It's something we tend to joke about now, we're still close, I'm trying to persuade him to move back to Hawaii. I want him to meet you, he knows all about you. Probably one of the few people who understands how I feel about you, understands our relationship. I trust him enough to understand and accept it, he knows everything."
"Do you think if things were different for us, we'd be-," I start before trailing off. It's a silly train of thought and not one I want to muse on. Danny presses his mouth to the back of my neck and hums gently, tongue teasing my skin.
"Jules was my first love. Rachel is one of my closest friends. But you," he says softly against the spot he's just kissed. "You're my last love, my best friend, father of our children. Society won't ever recognise you for what you are but we don't need it to. I don't need a ceremony or certificate, a piece of paper, to be able to call you my husband."
"Don't you ever wish for it to be easier though?" I ask him, touched by the words and honesty.
"I wish it was easier for you," he admits quietly. "I know what Russ said at the party was hurtful. I'm sorry you had to sit there and hear someone say it so blatantly. I should have said something, I didn't and I'm sorry I didn't. Friend or not, next time, I won't let anyone speak about you like that again. They may not understand our relationship, but that doesn't give them the right to disrespect it, especially if they are offending me as well as you when they do it. I hold enough rights for the both of us in that regard."
~
A few weeks later Danny seems to be up to another surprise. It's not like him to be secretive so when he is, the household are generally curious about what's going on. Kame seems to be in on the secret because he keeps giving me a wide grin and humming as he potters around the kitchen, Hal is polishing up the silver and crystal ware though she hasn't been told why. Maui and I wonder if we're in for another visit, though we know Danny would have told us if it were John coming. We know it's useless asking, even when Max brings in some cuttings from the garden for Kame's approval as a table arrangement.
I get my chores done in the morning and have to lie down and take it easy, Chin's orders, on the afternoon. I fall asleep for a few hours and wake up to Danny entering the bedroom, home early and looking happy with himself.
"Hey," he smiles, pulling at his tie as the door closes behind him. "You okay?"
"Fine," I reply, sitting up. "You?"
"Great," he nods with a grin. "I'm taking a shower. Want to join me?"
He drops his tie on the dresser and pulls off his jacket as he asks, looking hopeful.
"You're in a very cheery mood today," I say as I get up off the bed. Little man is starting to get heavy and I don't move all that fast. I unbutton my shirt as Danny kicks off his shoes.
"I'm not allowed to be cheery?" he asks, too innocently.
I eye him closely as I shirk my shirt off my shoulders. He draws near with a glint in his eye, hands roaming over the swell of my belly as he leans up to kiss me.
"You're up to something," I accuse lightly before our mouths connect. HIs hands trail down to unbutton my trousers as we kiss lazily. I add in a teasing "Sir" when he breaks the kiss.
"Come shower with me," he invites again as he pulls away, hand in mine leading me towards the bathroom once I'm naked.
We wash each other down slowly, indulging in the closeness and there isn't any rush to do anything more but enjoy each others nakedness. Danny is overly attentive as we get out of the shower and he starts towelling me dry gently as we go back into the bedroom. Opening the wardrobe he pulls out his favourite shirt, tie, dress pants and I eye him curiously. Definitely we're expecting visitors, perhaps this Jules he mentioned those few weeks back. He even gets my clothes out, a role reversal if ever there was one, laying out an outfit I'd usually wear for special occasions.
"You forget how to put clothes back on?" he asks cheekily, giving my ass a pinch as I hover close but make no move to dress.
"You going to tell me what's going on?" I ask hopefully.
"A surprise," he grins, pulling on his pants. "Get dressed baby."
He dresses quicker than I do, baby bump not helping as I manouvere myself into my clothes. He fastens his tie, preens into the mirror for a few seconds before looking over at me.
"Stay here until someone comes to get you," he says quickly, leaning over to kiss me as I slide on my shoes.
I'm left dressed in my best outfit wondering what the hell is going on. I begin to get impatient after ten minutes and am about to go stir crazy when there's a tap at the door and Halia opens it slightly, putting her head in.
"Danny said he'll see you on the lanai," she smiles before dissappearing.
She's gone too quickly for me to ask questions so I go to the door, open it again and make my way to the kitchen. Everyone seems to have dissappeared save for Kame and Maui who is helping with the food. They avoid my look and grin at each other before Kame ushers me, brandishing a wooden spoon, towards the lanai. Danny is standing waiting with a smile. Out on the back porch a table is set, candles, flowers Max had picked that morning, the best silver and crystal ware. Set only for two. Danny approaches me and takes my hand pulling me out further towards the table.
"I wanted to do something special," he explains, still smiling, hand squeezing mine.
"What's the occasion?" I ask hesitantly. This is the first time Danny has ever done anything so extravagant for just the two of us, I'm touched and a little awed by the idea.
"No occasion, just," he shrugs and gives a shake of his head before looking at me with deep affection. "I wanted to spoil you."
He gets me to sit down before sitting opposite me, hand still in mine as he watches me for my reactions.
"It's beautiful Danny," I tell him. "Really, thank you."
Sometimes it's difficult to go along with Danny's different way of doing things. He sees things through the eyes of a free man, a completely different window to those of a slave. So such extravagance, whilst romantic and touching, is also overwhelming for someone like me. As a slave in a household of several, I feel guilt at times that Danny singles me out, though none of my fellow slaves hold grudges. They accept our relationship is more than a Master and a slave who keeps his bed warm and is used to provide him children. But I feel guilty when he keeps me up for company past the slave curfew, never mind them being banished away early tonight whilst he wines and dines me on the lanai. It's just the way I was raised, trained and taught to think, no free man could understand. I brush aside my slight guilt and awe as he sits by me, hand over mine, smile reaching his eyes, unaware of my feelings.
Kame brings out the first course, looking pleased with himself and I'm not sure if it's because of the exceptional food or the fact he's been in on the planning of this. He catches my eye, wiggles his eyebrows, gives another smile and leaves humming out of tune. I spy Maui in the doorway who shakes his head at Kame before dissappearing back inside, a smile on his own face too. However guilty I may feel about being singled out in some ways to the other slaves, they never show any grudges towards my status in Danny's life. They accept and support our relationship goes deeper than merely a Master and his slave. We treat each other no differently and I fall under the slave hierarchy like everybody else. Kame is the head slave of the Household and that would only ever change under Danny's authority.
I cast aside the discomfort that niggles at me and accept this night Danny is giving me, whatever the celebration.
Rating: NC17
Characters/Pairings: Steve/Danny, Kono, Chin, Kamekona, OC's
Summary: Danny wants another baby and soon Steve is Incubating again. But their relationhip has never been an easy one to always tread, the lines of Master and slave can often become blurred. But in the hardships ahead, they both learn lessons on how love and commitment can overcome obstacles if they try hard enough. And on the way, a new baby joins the family.
Warnings: AU/AR!Future, M-preg, slash, slave!fic
A/N: A continutation of the 'Incubator- verse' which began with 'The Incubator'.
Chapters - Chapters - One : : Two: Three:
Previously - But the strike doesn't come and I force myself to look at him again. He looks as if all the energy of his body has seeped out of him as he looks at me, pulls his hand back to him and looks down at it as if it isn't part of him.
He moves back towards the door, looking at me, anger simmering under the surface.
"You shouldn't have spoken to Chin," he says before leaving me.
~
He doesn't lock the door but I daren't leave the room to go after him. Instead I wait, wondering what will happen now. He's right, I shouldn't have spoken to Chin as I had. I would never have dared to any other free person but Chin is a friend and the lines blur at times with him. He doesn't treat me or any slave the way free people do and it lulls us into a false sense of security around him.
I should remember my place around him. I should remember my place. I've no right to complain about how Danny chooses to punish me and I am grateful he is a kind Master. Others wouldn't tolerate my behaviour so easily. I've known my fair share of cruel, abusive Masters and Danny is none of those things.
I frown and sit at the window, a twinge in my back makes me wince even more. I really don't want this stress, its been a hard few days and I want to put it behind us but I've only made the situation worse. Danny has been through a lot the last few months and I feel a pang of guilt at that. I hear a car outside and crane my neck to catch a glimpse of the car leaving the house.
I wonder whether to risk leaving our room. He hasn't officially lifted my lockdown even if he hasn't locked me in. I stay where I am until the twinge turns into a constant pain and I have to walk around. Usually I'd go sweet talk Danny into giving me a back rub, he's good at chasing away the pain. But the pain remains and walking in circles makes my feet swell, lying down doesn't work either and so I sit frustrated, worried and irritated.
He comes home hours later. I hear the car pull up on the drive, hear the front door close and wait impatiently, hoping he will come and talk. It's what we haven't done the last few days and its a big reason why we are now distant. Instead I hear the door to the nursery open and close and Grace suddenly chattering away to him. Her words are coming along quickly and her character is starting to emerge.
I stand and draw closer to the door to listen, she's currently obsessed with her toy kitchen and is telling Danny she's making eggs in her simple terms. 'Gooey' is her favourite way to describe them and I smile to myself as she repeats the phrase several times to Danny as they play.
Things go quiet for a few minutes and I jump slightly as the door bangs.
"Papi," Grace exclaims with a loud shout hopefully. I smile at my own surprise at the unexpected hollering. Grace proceeds to bash the door more firmly and I suspect she has something in her hand to create the noise. "Papi, Papi, Papi."
I hear Danny trying to calm her down, close to the door but she won't be appeased.
"Daddy, want to see Papi," she says matter of factly.
I hear fumbling at the latch and hurry back to the bed to save from being caught listening in. The door opens and Grace rushes inside to me, an unsteady run over to the bed as she smiles seeing me.
"Papi," she exclaims, throwing herself at me. I reach down and pick her up, placing her on the bed where she rolls into the middle content.
"What you up too baby girl?" I ask her, wincing as I shift, pain racing up my spine.
"Making gooey eggs for daddy," she tells me waving a plastic frying pan in my direction. "I'm Kame. You help me."
She stands, legs wobbling on the uneven surface and stumbles to me, arms around my neck. I grimace again but put a smile on my face.
"Careful Gracie," Danny warns gently, seeing my discomfort, but she doesn't realise the pain she's causing as she bounces on the bed playfully.
"Please," she coos to me.
"All right baby girl," I placate her.
"You carry me," she says, not letting go.
"Papi can't," Danny tells her nearing the bed. "Come on."
"No I want Papi," Grace says, arms tightening round my neck.
"Let Daddy carry you Gracie," I say gently. "Papi's back hurts."
"I can make it better," she decides, placing a kiss on my neck. Kisses make everything better in Grace's world. "See Danno."
I look up at Danny with an amused look. He smiles and gives a shake of his head as he sits down beside us. Reaching out to her he gives her a soft poke in the side making her giggle and twist away.
"Come on little miss," he tells her, pulling her to him. "Kisses aren't quite strong enough to make Papi's back better."
"But they help," I assure her.
"Danno make it better?" Grace asks, settling between us.
Neither of us have any idea where this new name has sprung from but its cute and we don't correct her.
"I'm sure he will try," I tell her. "Now, how's about those gooey eggs?"
"Danno make Papi better," Grace orders looking up in earnest at him. Like he could cure every ailment with a touch.
Danny smiles at her and pinches her cheek before he leans over and kisses me gently on the mouth.
"All better," he whispers with a smile.
-
We talk later that night as he gives me a back massage. I apologise, he apologises. We've both had a hard time the last few months and like the natural order of things eventually it all came to a head.
Danny is still healing from losing Laka as well as having to sell on Kono. The business is expanding but he's worried about its future. He's fiercely proud and protective of his work and is uneasy about recent decisions he's made. There's only so much he can discuss at home when none of us understand the details.
"I'm sorry I told Chin," I sigh. "I had no right to."
"Chin was concerned for both of us," Danny replies, hands working their magic on my back ache. "He's our doctor. I'd be concerned if he wasn't wondering what was going on. I have been hard on you these last few days. It's not like you need the added stress. I took out my frustrations on you and that's wrong. I'm sorry too."
He rests for a moment, hands stilling and instead leans forward and kisses the back of my neck.
"I know I can be difficult sometimes," he tells me. "It frustrates me when you aren't yourself."
"I know," I nod understanding. "Frustrates me too. Chin said that when I'm Incubating I'm actually my most natural self. Imagine if I were like this all the time?"
I give a small laugh at the joke but Danny puts his arms around me suddenly and holds me.
"I guess he's right, I've never thought about it that way before," He replies in thought. "I suppose because I've gotten to know you when and when you aren't Incubating that I see the pregnancies as changing you, when really, well they don't define you, but its what makes you unique and you."
I give a small shrug in reply. I don't care how Danny sees me as long as he sees me.
"I am sorry I spoiled the party," I apologise. I know I crossed a line no matter my personal circumstances.
"Remember the woman you brushed off?" Danny asks me. "Rachel?"
"Yes."
"She's a good friend," Danny explains to me. "At one point in my life I thought maybe I'd marry her."
I'm surprised and turn my head to look at him. The look on his face seems wistful, as if he's remembering happy times. I don't particularly wish to know the intimate details of their relationship but I'm curious about his past before he settled for me.
"Why didn't you?" I ask him.
He doesn't reply immediately, thinking on the question. "I think we both realised we were better as friends than lovers. We were together a long time but things changed between us, we found ourselves expecting too much from one another. So we broke up, didn't see each other for some time and then started speaking again, found the friendship was still there. She hasn't been married to Stan long."
"Is she the only person you ever considered marrying?" I ask him. He's never spoken of marriage before, or the past lovers of his life.
"There were only two people I ever thought I'd settle down with, Rachel and before her, Jules," Danny admits after a pause. He doesn't move from holding me but the wistful look is back, deeper this time as he mentions this 'Jules'. "Jules was the first person I ever fell in love with. We dated through the end of highschool and went to college together before he moved to New York. I used to think, had things been different, we'd have stayed together, gotten married and had a family. It's something we tend to joke about now, we're still close, I'm trying to persuade him to move back to Hawaii. I want him to meet you, he knows all about you. Probably one of the few people who understands how I feel about you, understands our relationship. I trust him enough to understand and accept it, he knows everything."
"Do you think if things were different for us, we'd be-," I start before trailing off. It's a silly train of thought and not one I want to muse on. Danny presses his mouth to the back of my neck and hums gently, tongue teasing my skin.
"Jules was my first love. Rachel is one of my closest friends. But you," he says softly against the spot he's just kissed. "You're my last love, my best friend, father of our children. Society won't ever recognise you for what you are but we don't need it to. I don't need a ceremony or certificate, a piece of paper, to be able to call you my husband."
"Don't you ever wish for it to be easier though?" I ask him, touched by the words and honesty.
"I wish it was easier for you," he admits quietly. "I know what Russ said at the party was hurtful. I'm sorry you had to sit there and hear someone say it so blatantly. I should have said something, I didn't and I'm sorry I didn't. Friend or not, next time, I won't let anyone speak about you like that again. They may not understand our relationship, but that doesn't give them the right to disrespect it, especially if they are offending me as well as you when they do it. I hold enough rights for the both of us in that regard."
~
A few weeks later Danny seems to be up to another surprise. It's not like him to be secretive so when he is, the household are generally curious about what's going on. Kame seems to be in on the secret because he keeps giving me a wide grin and humming as he potters around the kitchen, Hal is polishing up the silver and crystal ware though she hasn't been told why. Maui and I wonder if we're in for another visit, though we know Danny would have told us if it were John coming. We know it's useless asking, even when Max brings in some cuttings from the garden for Kame's approval as a table arrangement.
I get my chores done in the morning and have to lie down and take it easy, Chin's orders, on the afternoon. I fall asleep for a few hours and wake up to Danny entering the bedroom, home early and looking happy with himself.
"Hey," he smiles, pulling at his tie as the door closes behind him. "You okay?"
"Fine," I reply, sitting up. "You?"
"Great," he nods with a grin. "I'm taking a shower. Want to join me?"
He drops his tie on the dresser and pulls off his jacket as he asks, looking hopeful.
"You're in a very cheery mood today," I say as I get up off the bed. Little man is starting to get heavy and I don't move all that fast. I unbutton my shirt as Danny kicks off his shoes.
"I'm not allowed to be cheery?" he asks, too innocently.
I eye him closely as I shirk my shirt off my shoulders. He draws near with a glint in his eye, hands roaming over the swell of my belly as he leans up to kiss me.
"You're up to something," I accuse lightly before our mouths connect. HIs hands trail down to unbutton my trousers as we kiss lazily. I add in a teasing "Sir" when he breaks the kiss.
"Come shower with me," he invites again as he pulls away, hand in mine leading me towards the bathroom once I'm naked.
We wash each other down slowly, indulging in the closeness and there isn't any rush to do anything more but enjoy each others nakedness. Danny is overly attentive as we get out of the shower and he starts towelling me dry gently as we go back into the bedroom. Opening the wardrobe he pulls out his favourite shirt, tie, dress pants and I eye him curiously. Definitely we're expecting visitors, perhaps this Jules he mentioned those few weeks back. He even gets my clothes out, a role reversal if ever there was one, laying out an outfit I'd usually wear for special occasions.
"You forget how to put clothes back on?" he asks cheekily, giving my ass a pinch as I hover close but make no move to dress.
"You going to tell me what's going on?" I ask hopefully.
"A surprise," he grins, pulling on his pants. "Get dressed baby."
He dresses quicker than I do, baby bump not helping as I manouvere myself into my clothes. He fastens his tie, preens into the mirror for a few seconds before looking over at me.
"Stay here until someone comes to get you," he says quickly, leaning over to kiss me as I slide on my shoes.
I'm left dressed in my best outfit wondering what the hell is going on. I begin to get impatient after ten minutes and am about to go stir crazy when there's a tap at the door and Halia opens it slightly, putting her head in.
"Danny said he'll see you on the lanai," she smiles before dissappearing.
She's gone too quickly for me to ask questions so I go to the door, open it again and make my way to the kitchen. Everyone seems to have dissappeared save for Kame and Maui who is helping with the food. They avoid my look and grin at each other before Kame ushers me, brandishing a wooden spoon, towards the lanai. Danny is standing waiting with a smile. Out on the back porch a table is set, candles, flowers Max had picked that morning, the best silver and crystal ware. Set only for two. Danny approaches me and takes my hand pulling me out further towards the table.
"I wanted to do something special," he explains, still smiling, hand squeezing mine.
"What's the occasion?" I ask hesitantly. This is the first time Danny has ever done anything so extravagant for just the two of us, I'm touched and a little awed by the idea.
"No occasion, just," he shrugs and gives a shake of his head before looking at me with deep affection. "I wanted to spoil you."
He gets me to sit down before sitting opposite me, hand still in mine as he watches me for my reactions.
"It's beautiful Danny," I tell him. "Really, thank you."
Sometimes it's difficult to go along with Danny's different way of doing things. He sees things through the eyes of a free man, a completely different window to those of a slave. So such extravagance, whilst romantic and touching, is also overwhelming for someone like me. As a slave in a household of several, I feel guilt at times that Danny singles me out, though none of my fellow slaves hold grudges. They accept our relationship is more than a Master and a slave who keeps his bed warm and is used to provide him children. But I feel guilty when he keeps me up for company past the slave curfew, never mind them being banished away early tonight whilst he wines and dines me on the lanai. It's just the way I was raised, trained and taught to think, no free man could understand. I brush aside my slight guilt and awe as he sits by me, hand over mine, smile reaching his eyes, unaware of my feelings.
Kame brings out the first course, looking pleased with himself and I'm not sure if it's because of the exceptional food or the fact he's been in on the planning of this. He catches my eye, wiggles his eyebrows, gives another smile and leaves humming out of tune. I spy Maui in the doorway who shakes his head at Kame before dissappearing back inside, a smile on his own face too. However guilty I may feel about being singled out in some ways to the other slaves, they never show any grudges towards my status in Danny's life. They accept and support our relationship goes deeper than merely a Master and his slave. We treat each other no differently and I fall under the slave hierarchy like everybody else. Kame is the head slave of the Household and that would only ever change under Danny's authority.
I cast aside the discomfort that niggles at me and accept this night Danny is giving me, whatever the celebration.