MCA #0, Way Too Early Monday Morning

[hatesparadise]

Well, that had certainly been a weekend. Grace being there had been great as per usual, while Doris had been... Doris.

Which was why Danny hasn't just fallen back asleep with a grumpy huff when Steve had gotten up for his usual level of exercise. Instead, he padded on out to make coffee, but found it already started by Steve. The good stuff again too.

That was what led Danny to taking his coffee to sit on the lanai to do something so cliché as to watch the sunrise as he waited for Steve to join him there.

[for that SEAL]

Comments

[grenadesandohana]

Steve was gone a lot longer than usual this morning--he had a lot of frustration to work through--but he was still back before the bakery in town was open, so he couldn't bring pastries.

He walked onto the lanai from outside, drying himself off with the towel he left there. "The air's getting cold again," he said, making a small face as he came in, closed the door and let his fingers slip along the door jamb, searching for listening devices.

He came from a very normal family who may or may not leave listening devices behind after visits.

[hatesparadise]

Totally normal family, yep.

"Fall's comin' pretty fast now," Danny replied, shooting him a confused look at the doorway groping there.

[grenadesandohana]

Well, he hadn't found one yet, so they had that going for them?

"Listening device," he mouthed.

"We should go back to O'ahu soon and soak up some sunshine before it gets too cold here," he declared.

[hatesparadise]

Of course. Danny sighed quietly and nodded. "Sounds good to me. Before you need to break out that ridiculous puffy jacket."

[grenadesandohana]

"You wish you had a jacket that cool," Steve said with a grin, moving around the room carefully, checking under lamps and tables and the door leading into the main apartment.

Nothing.

"Okay, we're clear out here," he said, flopping down next to Danny.

[hatesparadise]

Danny immediately leaned into him. "How you holdin' up?"

[grenadesandohana]

He'd just checked the lanai for bugs his mom might have left behind, so.

"Eh," he said. "I've had worse weekends."

Where he'd been shot at or tortured. Stuff like that.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to spend more time with Gracie."

[hatesparadise]

That good, huh?

"She understood," Danny replied. "Left you a note."

Which was basically her being as nice as she could about his mom and letting him know that her training was going well.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve's entire face softened. "She did?" he asked, smiling.

[hatesparadise]

"Course she did," Danny said with a little nudge with his elbow.

[grenadesandohana]

God, Steve loved that kid.

He smiled at the ground. "That was sweet of her."

[hatesparadise]

"You could use a little sweet this week." Which was positively diplomatic of Danny to say!

[grenadesandohana]

Steve draped his arm around Danny, pulling him in closer. "So could you. I know how you get when Grace leaves."

[hatesparadise]

Was that what Steve was going with then?

Danny nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "She likes it here at least."

[grenadesandohana]

Deflection and repression: the McGarrett way!

"I'm glad," Steve said quietly. "She took our news okay, huh."

It would've shriveled him up if she hadn't.

[hatesparadise]

"She did," Danny agreed with a very relieved sigh. "But she was definitely right about how Rachel will handle it."

Though it was probably more the Steve thing than the bi thing that would set her off.

[grenadesandohana]

"Will she challenge custody?" Steve asked, biting his lip.

[hatesparadise]

"In New Jersey it might fly, but less so in Hawaii," Danny replied, making a face like he couldn't say for sure. "And Grace is almost at an age where they'll ask her opinion."

[grenadesandohana]

"Shit," Steve murmured.

[hatesparadise]

"I wouldn't have said she'd react that poorly before the divorce either, but a lot of things surprised me then "

From both her and himself.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, though."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve reached out and squeezed Danny's hand. "Let me know if there's something I can do to help."

[hatesparadise]

Danny threaded their fingers together and nodded as he looked out at the island. "How bad was dinner? Really."

[grenadesandohana]

"Bad," Steve said shortly. "She's sniffing something out, but I don't know what."

[hatesparadise]

Danny's mouth pulled into a tight, unhappy line.

"I just... hate how she swans on back into your life and then out again."

[grenadesandohana]

"I know you do," Steve said. "She's not your biggest fan, either."