AN: I originally marked this as complete after chapter 1, but I decided it was not quite finished. I really wanted to see more of Grace's reaction to Danny and Steve getting together. That led wanting to see to the reactions of the rest of the ohana as well. I hope you enjoy it.
Grace walked past Danny and Steve where they were sleeping tangled up together on the couch. When she entered the kitchen, she flipped on the coffee maker and poured herself a glass of water. Glass in hand, she returned to the living room and stood staring down at the still sleeping men, waiting patiently to be noticed. It wasn't long before Danny stirred, his paternal sense instinctively telling him one of his children was awake and nearby. As soon as one blue eye opened, Grace spoke, using what Danny silently thought of as her exasperated teenager voice. "You know, Dad, there is a perfectly good bed in your room. You and Uncle Steve could have just slept there. The couch isn't good for your back." As she continued to stand there, Grace raised her glass to her lips and took a sip.
It took a moment for his daughter's words to register, but as soon as they did Danny realized he had been caught by his fifteen-year-old daughter sleeping practically on top of his partner, legs entwined and arms wrapped around one another. Even though they were fully clothed, it was still a very intimate position. He and Steve must have fallen asleep after their discussion the night before, a discussion that culminated in them declaring their feelings for each other. He still couldn't believe it was Steve, Mr. Feelings-Are-For-Chumps, who had initiated the conversation and laid his heart on the line. The unexpected shift in their relationship was so new he had not had time to fully process it. He certainly hadn't had time to think about Grace's reaction to him dating a man, much less her Uncle Steve. At Grace's rebuke about sleeping on the couch, Danny immediately pushed himself up to a sitting position without thought to where he placed his hands for leverage. If Steve's grunt was anything to go by, he probably should have been a bit more careful.
Steve's eyes snapped open. "Danny, what the hell? That hurt. Watch what you're doing, will you?" Steve then tried to pull him back down while Danny slapped his hands away. He was sure they looked ridiculous. "Stay here," Steve pleaded. "I like to cuddle."
"Get up, you schmuck. Grace is awake."
That must have been her cue, because Grace immediately said, "Uncle Steve, Danno spent too many years having to sleep on the couch; from now on when you sleep over I expect it to be in his bed."
Steve, who despite his years of military training was not fully awake, just looked confused. He glanced at Danny and then back at Grace. "Uh, okay?"
"Good," Grace replied. "Now, I had a very traumatic experience last night, so I think I deserve French toast and bacon for breakfast. Are one of you going to cook it or should we go out?" Grace stood tapping one foot, obviously waiting to have her demand for French toast to be met.
"Out, I guess, we don't have any bacon in the house," Danny answered. Steve, who had finally managed to sit up on the couch next to Danny, started to say something, but was interrupted by the very determined teenager.
"That's fine. I'm going to go get dressed." Grace turned to leave, but stopped and looked down at the two men, both of whom, Danny was sure, looked like deer caught in a car's headlights. "Now that the two of you have apparently stopped being idiots," she paused and looked at both men for confirmation of their still questionable intelligence. "You have stopped being idiots, right?" Grace must have been satisfied with the feeble nods both men gave because she continued, "I just want to say that when the time comes I'd prefer we live at Uncle Steve's house. It's on the water and his backyard is great for parties. My friends will love it." With that she lean down and kissed both men on the cheek. "The coffee's ready," she told them as she then turned and left the room.
The partners continued to sit silently for several minutes until Danny finally spoke, "I think Grace is fine with the change in our relationship."
"She really didn't seem surprised, did she?" Steve asked.
"No, not surprised at all. If anything, I'd say she was a little condescending. It appears she thinks we were a tad slow in getting together. "
"Apparently, at least if that dressing down she just gave us is anything to go by. I felt properly chastised. She'll be a great mom someday … or, maybe an admiral." Steve thought for a minute then continued, "It's probably because her generation is so much more open to non-traditional relationships. I'm no homophobe, but it honestly never occurred to me until a few months ago that you and I could ever be more than friends. "
"I think you're right. It's a different world than when we were kids. Grace and her friends have grown up in a time where non-heterosexual identities and lifestyles are so much more widely accepted than ever before. I really don't think anybody else will be quite so blasé about it."
"I agree." The grin that appeared on Steve's face had Danny slightly worried. "It ought to be fun watching everybody's reactions when they find out though." The look in Steve's eyes indicated he was already planning the big reveal and that it was going to be over the top. Danny could just imagine Steve sweeping him up in his arms, An Officer and a Gentleman-style, right in the middle of the Iolani Palace and declaring his undying love, just to see what the rest of the team would do.
"You Neanderthal, this isn't a game, this is our relationship and I for one care very much that our family is accepting of us being together." It was all so new that Danny had barely had time to wrap his own mind around the fact that he now had a boyfriend. A boyfriend, who had almost gotten Danny, not to mention himself, killed a dozen times over. He wouldn't be surprised if the overwhelming reaction of most people to them being together was to try and have them both committed.
Steve leaned in and gave Danny a quick kiss. "See that's the difference between you and me, Danny. I already know they'll be accepting once the shock wears off, so why not enjoy their surprise when they find out?"
Danny looked at the smile on Steve's face and the affection in his eyes and found himself returning the big goof's smile. "Okay, I guess you're right, but let's hold off on the whole reveal for a little while yet. I think we need to take some time to get our footing before we have to deal with Kono grilling us about our sex life."
Steve leaned in for another quick kiss. "Deal. We'll wait until we have a story that will blow even her very creative mind."
Three months later . . .
Tonight was the night. Steve and Danny were having the whole family over for a cook-out and they planned to finally let everyone know they were now partners in every sense of the word. Steve had never been happier. He felt a contentment he hadn't felt since he was a kid and his happy family life had been blown to bits with a single car bomb. Since then something had always been missing. He never knew quite what it was, but whenever he let himself think about it he knew there should be something more. All that changed three months ago when he and Danny admitted that neither could imagine loving anyone, man or woman, as much as they loved each other. They decided they owed it to themselves and to each other to be together. It hadn't been easy. Nothing about Danny was ever easy and he was sure Danny would say the same about him, but it had sure as hell been a whole lot of fun.
They'd kept the change in their relationship quiet except from Grace, Charlie, and as a consequence, Rachel. Now though, the lease on Danny's house was up, so he and the kids were officially moving into Steve's the following weekend. Charlie was excited that he was going to be living, at least part-time, with his favorite playmate, better known as Uncle Steve. Grace was already planning her first beach party. He and Danny had decided now was the perfect time to let everyone know they were together. The fact that they couldn't very well ask their friends to help with the move without letting them know the truth didn't play into the timing at all. Really it didn't.
Steve, for one, was looking forward to the big announcement. Sure people had been making jokes about him and Danny being married for almost as long as they'd known each other, but that was just good-natured teasing. He knew no one was ever really serious. Tonight's announcement was going to come as quite a shock and he was looking forward to witnessing everyone's surprised reactions. Danny, of course, was a little anxious. He knew none of their friends were homophobic, but he was still worried that some of them might be uncomfortable with the change in their relationship. Steve had tried to reassure him, but Danny was a worrier by nature, so until he saw for himself that their friends and family fully accepted their relationship, he was going to worry and there was nothing Steve could do about that.
He finished setting up the table and chairs on the lanai and after making sure the grill was ready to go, he headed for the kitchen. As he entered, he saw Danny sliding vegetables onto skewers to be grilled. Steve walked over and threw an arm around the other man's shoulders as he took in the mounds of food set out on the counters. "Danny, we're not feeding the entire Pacific fleet, it's just our ohana."
"What are you talking about, Steven? Kamekona and Flippa alone could eat this much." At Steve's look, Danny sighed. "I just want everything to be perfect. This is the first time we've had everyone over since we got together. Besides, if they've been properly feed they are bound to be more accepting when we make our announcement."
"Danny, they are going to be accepting regardless." He wished he'd done a better job at reassuring Danny, but at least it wouldn't be much longer. They would make the announcement tonight and Danny would see how happy everyone was for them, at least once they realized he and Danny were serious and not pulling some elaborate prank.
"I know," Danny said. "Really, I know it will be okay, but I still want everything to be perfect."
Steve turned Danny towards him and bent down for a kiss. Before it could get out of hand, he leaned back just far enough to look Danny in the eye. "Everything is perfect and tonight is going to be fun, so just relax a little, alright?"
"I'll try. I promise," Danny said. Just then a car pulled up and Steve went to meet their guests.
Just as Steve predicted, the dinner was perfect. Once everyone was enjoying Danny's homemade cannoli, Steve looked over and gave him a nod. They both rose from their chairs and stood next to each other. Without thought, Steve laid his left arm across Danny's shoulders and pulled him into his side, just as Danny's right arm came up to wrap around his waist. "Danny and I have an announcement and we know all of you, our ohana, will be supportive."
"You're not retiring and opening a restaurant together, are you?" Kono joked. "Because you know you'll end up killing each other if the restaurant doesn't go under first."
"No, we are not retiring and we are not opening a restaurant," Danny told her. "Although, now that you mention it, retiring from 5-0 and opening a nice little Italian restaurant sounds pretty nice. Great food and nobody shooting at us. Yeah, that sounds really good."
Before Danny could gather too much steam, Chin spoke. "So, you're finally getting around to letting us know you two are a couple." It was a statement, not a question.
"What? How did you know?" Steve asked, shocked.
"I've known you two were together since shortly after the incident at Grace's school dance." Chin told them.
"That's right." Abby said. "He told me not long after that, but he said you guys must want to keep a secret."
"Well damn," Steve said.
"Aww," Kono said. "That's much better than retirement. Congratulations. And, might I say, it sure took you long enough. I've been shipping McDanno from the start."
"Shipping McDanno? What does that even mean?" Danny asked.
"It's your shipper name, you know, like McGarrett and Danno, McDanno." Jerry told him. "Kono and I came up with that name years ago when we decided you two should be together."
"That's true," Adam interjected. "Kono's been calling you guys McDanno behind your back the whole time I've known her."
Danny just shook his head. "I cannot believe this."
"Hey, brah, why the big announcement?" Kamekono asked Steve. "Haven't you and Jersey been together on the down-low this whole time? Are you two finally coming out of the closet or something?" Flippa just crossed his arms over his chest and nodded his agreement with his cousin.
"Nah, they haven't been together all this time," Grover told them. "Although, about a week after meeting you both, I did ask Chin and Kono if you guys were secretly married."
Steve was stunned by their friends' nonchalant reactions to the very major shift in his and Danny's relationship. "None of you are surprised? But we're both straight, or were, or whatever. We had girlfriends up until a few months ago. How could all of you have known our feelings when we didn't?"
"That's probably why," Chin told him. "You guys believed you were both straight, so being together was never something you considered. But the rest of us came to the conclusion that your feelings were more than just partners and friends simply by observing you. Now whether those feelings were romantic and if so, whether they would actually lead anywhere … well, that was up in the air, but it was always a possibility in our minds."
Steve looked at Danny who just shrugged.
"Well damn it, why didn't anybody tell us? Do you know how many years we wasted?"
Danny shook his head and smiled. "Face it, babe, when it comes to personal introspection and getting in touch with your feelings, you're a rank amateur."
"Well, what about you? You're all about feelings. How come it took you so long to realize how you felt about me?"
"Me? I was just in denial." Danny told him.
"But we finally figured it out." Steve smiled sweetly.
"Thanks to you."
"That's right. It was me." Steve gloated. "I was the one who figured things out first and laid my heart bare."
"And you're never going to let me forget it, are you?"
"Nope. Never." Steve grinned and leaned down to kiss Danny.
"Ahhh," Kono and Abby said together.
"Come on now, we don't need to see that," Grover groaned as his wife punched him in the arm. "Just kidding," he quickly told her. "I'm happy for you guys, really."
After breaking the kiss, the two smiled at each other and Steve could see the emotion in Danny's eyes. They turned back to their friends and Danny spoke. "Steve and I just want to let all of you know how much your support and acceptance mean to us. I have to say, I was a little worried that this change in our relationship might make some of you uncomfortable. I clearly underestimated you and I apologize. The big guy here though is disappointed in your reactions. He was really looking forward to shocking all of you with our big announcement."
Everyone laughed at the fake pout on Steve's face. "The only thing we were shocked by is how long it took you two to realize what the rest of us have known all along." Kono told them.
"Yeah, well, you can make up for my disappointment, and for keeping us in the dark about our feelings for so long, by helping us move everything from Danny's house to my house next weekend." Steve grinned at the collective groan and pulled Danny tighter to his side. He really did love his life.
End