The McGarrett Home, O'ahu, HI - Thursday Evening

[hatesparadise]

The return to Hawaii had happened smoothly with the holiday somehow lining up both there and in Fandom. But Danny wasn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth since he got the whole holiday with Grace.

And somewhere between a case involving a presidential visit and a hitman running around their island, and meeting Steve's aunt Deb, things sort of settled into normal. Ish.

Normal-ish.

"Hey," Danny said, hunting Steve down once Mary had left him alone outside. He brought beer. Guy needed to decompress after the news he'd received this week.

[for the SEAL]

Comments

[grenadesandohana]

Steve flashed him a tiny smile and then went back to brooding over his beer.

[hatesparadise]

And, having known Steve for four years now, Danny was content to let him come up with something to say on his own. For maybe ten minutes. He was giving Steve ten minutes here.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve strung it out for nine and a half minutes before saying, "So I had to pick Aunt Deb out of lock-up today."

[hatesparadise]

Of course he did.

"Yeah?"

[grenadesandohana]

"They picked her up on possession," Steve said, sighing heavily.

His family, Danny.

[hatesparadise]

"This is the aunt that raised Mary, right?" Because that tracked.

[grenadesandohana]

"Yeah," Steve said, sighing again. "She tried to tell me it was cataracts. It's not cataracts."

[hatesparadise]

Danny sighed and sprawled a little into Steve's direction to allow him to take some physical comfort there. "Yeah?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Brain tumor," Steve said very, very quietly. "Inoperable."

[hatesparadise]

"I'm sorry, Steve."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve's shoulders hunched up around his ears. "Yeah."

[hatesparadise]

"C'mere," Danny demanded, putting his beer aside to pull him in for a hug.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve folded into him, hanging on tightly.

[hatesparadise]

Danny sighed, holding onto him as much as he needed to be right now. "Your sister know?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Yeah, that's why she was out here," Steve said.

And why she was back inside with the drinks now.

[hatesparadise]

Of course she was.

"You get a time frame?"

[grenadesandohana]

Steve shook his head. "Short enough that she flew to Hawai'i without telling me to spend Thanksgiving with us?"

[hatesparadise]

Life couldn't give the McGarretts anything without taking something away, could it?

"Then you take some time with her while you have it," Danny replied, putting his hand on Steve's arm to ground him a little.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve nodded, biting his lip. "This sucks," he said finally.

[hatesparadise]

"Yeah," he agreed quietly. "It does. But you're all here now. Deb got to meet the family you built here, got to meet Joan."

[grenadesandohana]

Have an awkward moment with Cath...Steve was ignoring that part.

"She's going back to California soon, and Mary says she and Joan are going to be stopping in more often. It's Mary, so I'll believe that when I see it happening, but it's a good thought."

[hatesparadise]

Cath probably was too, honestly.

"You can also visit her," Danny pointed out. "Maybe call her more often than when you're in the hospital?"

[grenadesandohana]

Steve ducked his head, embarrassed. "Yeah, maybe."

Steve McGarrett: objectively terrible at human connection.

[hatesparadise]

"We'll make a real boy outta you yet," he joked.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve shoved against Danny's shoulder and then kinda just...stayed there.

"I'm a real boy."