The Salt in the Sea

The water danced around him, making him sway with the rhythm of the waves as his mind unraveled like the sand being kicked up from the ocean floor. Fully submerged in the therapeutic sea, he let his aching bones defy gravity as he remained still and motionless like the lungs beneath his beaten and bruised ribs, not even worrying about coming up from air.

For a fleeting second, he could feel rope encircle his neck, but despite the notion of keeping him in the benediction that the ocean had always offered him, he jerked painfully because he feared that Wo Fat had somehow discovered his isolation. The salt water stung his eyes for the moment he had to open them to make sure that the rope was nothing more than seaweed ghosting beside his neck and not the restraint of a man who wanted to break his already weary soul.

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to let the ocean lull him into a state of tranquility again, but the sudden burst of anxiety still hammered out a miserable rhythm within his chest causing his lungs to beg his mind for air.

He felt his muscles protest as he swam to the surface and broke out of the short lived journey to paradise. He slung the water from his hair and rubbed his eyes, before cracking them open, mindful of the sun beating down around him. He could almost hear his bones crack like the sound of old hardwood floors creaking under someone's weight as the sun seeped into him, and he wanted nothing more than to let the waves carry him beneath the warmth for the remainder of his days. However, he could see a figure, short and determined, standing on the shoreline like a lone sandcastle being threatened by the tide.

Any other day, he would feel like aggravating the man, as if he could stop the tide before it destroyed the sandcastle, but he knew he had no such strength, no such desire, on that day. Instead, he swam slowly towards shore, drawing on the power of the ocean waves to push him to land.

He felt the sand scrape his knees as he rolled into shallow water before he could stand but didn't even wince at the sting of salt water in the small scratches compared to the deep ache everywhere else. He twisted the muscles around his mouth into what he could only hope was a grin, or at least a shadow of it, when he stood from the water and walked onto dry sand, but the expression of his partner's face might have as well been a mirror, because he knew his attempt didn't yield successful results.

"Alright, Aquaman. Are you really that good at hiding your gills or are you trying to drown yourself?" Danny's voice was a bit flat, missing that little tone of friendly banter because concern was taking its place.

"I wasn't under that long and since when did you become a lifeguard?" Steve asked while running a hand down his face. "Better yet, why are you even here? It's Sunday."

"Oh, thank you. I wasn't aware that it was the weekend and that I am supposed to be enjoying it with my daughter, because my partner has this irritating habit of not answering his phone all day." Danny replied, hands moving swifter than the waves in the ocean.

Steve looked back to the water longingly and sighed. "Well, I am sorry if people in New Jersey aren't accustomed to the 'if I don't answer, leave me alone' response of a phone call, but here on this island if you can't get a hold of someone, that usually means they don't want you to."

"Oh." Danny shot back, head whipping around slightly. "Oh! I get that! What I'm not accustomed to is the 'hey, I've recently been kidnapped and tortured by a man that wants me dead, who by the way, is still out there, but I'm not going to answer my phone' response that no one in the entire world except people on this God forsaken, overabundant pineapple hell hole would even consider!"

Steve had half a mind to just jump back into the water, but instead the desire to defend the landmass he grew up on had him taking a step closer to his partner. "If you were trying to get ahold of me just to tell me how much you hate everything about Hawaii, then let me give you a piece of advice, you can do that from New Jersey."

"And believe me, if it weren't for the reason of my existence, that being my daughter, and this irrational belief that you've somehow managed to go from someone I absolutely hated to someone I don't, I would happily take your advice to heart, but seeing as how I not only have an obligation to my daughter, but to my partner that has no sense of human decency whatsoever, it looks like I'm here to stay."

Whatever anger Steve had felt before, slowly drifted away like sand through nimble fingers. "Well, this island could use more connection to the mainland, I suppose, though I have to give my support to the tourists because at least they don't wear ties."

Danny laughed a little deliriously, before his voice started to raise back to its usual tone, "You mean you would actually prefer me to wear something that looks like the spawn of the ugliest shirt and the color wheel with a palm tree pattern on it rather than a tie?"

"If it would prevent you from having a heatstroke, yeah sure," Steve replied with an easier, more fitted, grin. He watched Danny shake his head, before nodding his own in a single movement. "What is it you wanted, Danno?"

The detective's glance bounced between Steve and the ocean as he said, "Well now that I know you're at least okay in the sense of being alive, are you good otherwise, I mean aside from your usual psychosis?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking," Steve shot back, and he could tell Danny caught the way it sounded exactly like the time he escaped prison after being shived. "I bet people in New Jersey miss your selflessness."

"Oh, they do. So, you shouldn't take it for granted."

"It's the last thing I want to do, bud." Steve's reply was light and weary, and his expression was almost the same, but Danny knew he was being earnest.

The detective nodded. "So what is it you want to do," he asked, because he knew the 'I'm fine' from earlier was just as misleading as the one he mimicked.

Steve stared at him a moment. He had expected the simple question, the show of loyalty and friendship as dependable as the salt in the sea. He knew he didn't need to say anything, so he eased himself down into the sand, stretching his legs out into the tip of the tide.

"Of course. I figured as much," Danny replied, his tone disappointed, but still rolling up the legs of his pants and plopping down next to Steve.

Silence tried to squeeze awkwardly between them, but the sound of the vibrant ocean and the unspoken bond of brotherhood let them sit peacefully in noiselessness conversation. The rays of the sun glistened on the water, but illuminated the bruises on Steve's exposed skin and somewhere between the calm of the ocean and the reassurance that his friend was alive, anger started to tighten his jaw.

Steve still looked out into the water, seemingly lost in thought, until his voice carried over the crashing water. "There's nothing to be mad about."

Danny did a double take at him while propping his elbow up on his bent knee and motioning vaguely with his hand. "Really? Really," he asked with more emphasis on the second one.

Steve nodded, briefly taking his eyes from the water to look down mindlessly at the sand, before looking back out at the ocean. "Really."

"I know I am going to regret asking this, but how? How is there nothing to be mad about when you look worse than a rotten pineapple?"

Steve smirked and Danny fisted his hand as more anger swelled. "He hasn't won."

The detective didn't miss the fact that Steve chose 'hasn't' instead of 'didn't', but felt that it wasn't the time to bring it up. "That's a great attitude to have but, for those of us not in line with the 'island' air of peacefulness in all situations, I can't help but feel the need to kick someone's ass."

"I have no doubt that when that time comes you'll be right there beside me doing so." Steve replied, voice not even wavering from its content tone.

"And until then?" Danny pushed after a moment.

"I don't let Wo Fat take any more of my life than he already has, and you let Hawaii grow on you, because when you come to the conclusion that you don't have an obligation to me, I'd hate for Hawaii to lose its worst dressed detective to the even worse dressed shore of New Jersey." Steve gently shrugged his shoulders, never taking his eyes off the water.

"Like I said, no human decency. You know you could say something like, 'hey, man, stay in Hawaii' or anything equivalent that didn't insult me."

"I thought it was a compliment." Steve shook his head, finally looking over at Danny.

"And you obviously think I don't have an obligation to you as a partner and friend and that getting shot at is fun, so you can see how I might not see things the same as you."

"I also think the moon landing was real, too."

"Would you stop trying to be a comedian and promise me that you won't deal with Wo Fat on your own anymore?"

It took longer than Danny had wanted, but eventually Steve looked at him with a battered, weary face. and gave him as close to assurance as possible, "Sure."

"Good. Now, can we please end this little 'zen' moment you got going on and go grab a beer or something?"

"Do I have a choice?" Steve asked even though he started to stand up.

"Absolutely not, but you see, that's an example of human decency, babe. Don't worry, though, eventually you'll catch on." Danny countered while lightly patting Steve's shoulder as they walked back up to the house.

"And you'll catch on to loving Hawaii, Danno."

Danny stopped and let Steve walk up the steps to the house first and even with the evidence of just how crazy his partner was and just how far he will go to help the people he cares about displayed in black and blue bruises all over his body, the detective knew it was also the evidence of the reason why they were friends.

"I already have, brother," Danny replied although he doubted Steve heard him, but he knew he wouldn't need to, because after all brothers are like the salt in the sea. They're always going to be there, but they have a way of surprising you, too.

AN: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think! :)