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Language:
English
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Published:
2021-01-11
Completed:
2021-02-23
Words:
36,503
Chapters:
14/14
Comments:
82
Kudos:
100
Bookmarks:
10
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2,851

Heartbreak Down

Summary:

Another adventure, following the North Dakota craziness! Our intrepid couple brave a lot more than they thought they could.

Notes:

Just setting things up...,

Chapter 1: Tumbling Dice

Chapter Text

“My eyes adored you... though I never laid a hand on you my eyes adored you...”

Steve was holding him so tightly as they swayed around the dance floor. Danny hung on, face buried in Steve’s chest, the silky material of the lapels on Steve’s suit jacket soft on Danny’s forehead. Danny inhaled surreptitiously, enveloped in that scent that was uniquely Steve, and shifted his body closer so he was moving as one with Steve.
Steve was softly singing and although he was no Rick or Frankie he still did the song justice.
And Danny was enjoying himself even though he knew they must be a sight out on the tiled area serving as the reception and dance floor of their friends Julie and Sebastian Gardner.

The band segued into ‘Oh What A Night’ and Steve reluctantly released Danny and straightened his tie.
“Want something to drink?”
“Oh Babe,” Danny laughed. “I think we both have had enough! How about a bottle of water?”
“Water coming up,” Steve did a mock bow and walked off to the bar. Danny watched him go, breath catching in his throat as he saw those long legs powered by that muscular body. Steve McGarrett could wear a loin cloth and look good rocking it.
“Great party huh?”
Danny looked up and across the table at the adorable and very dangerous member of their H50 team, Kono Kalakaua. She was all smiles, deep dimples on either side of her pretty face.
“You know that Sebastian told me they’d toned it down a bit from what it had been originally,” Danny said.

“I cannot imagine!” She giggled.
Steve returned and placed a bottle of water in front of Danny and opened the one he had in his hand.
“Having fun?” Steve asked her.
“The best! Especially watching you two dudes cutting a rug, as my Great Auntie once said.”
“Danny’s a surprisingly good dancer. Only stepped on my foot once.” Steve winked at his blonde partner.
“Really? We’re doing this now?” Danny groused. His good mood had evaporated and right now all he wanted to do was to go home and sleep for about 24 hours. He felt a headache coming on from the whiskey he and Steve had been drinking.
“No we’re toasting ,” Kono said, grabbing Steve’s arm. “Wait here. I’m gonna get my cousin.”
“Her cousin... could be any number of people here,” Danny muttered but he knew instinctively who she’d meant, so when she came back with Chin Ho Kelly, neither Danny or Steve were surprised.
“Let’s toast! To the first six months of Hawaii Five O! May it never get boring!” Kono laughed and raised her glass.
“Boring? How about drinking to may it always be solveable!” Chin protested.
“Is that even a word?” Danny said. “How about may we always be safe!”
“And may we always fly to New Zealand when we need to go!” Steve added emphatically as he tipped his water bottle up and took a deep drink.
“Wait... what?” Danny stopped with his bottle in mid air.
“What’s that, Steve?” Chin asked also looking puzzled.
“Are you going to New Zealand?” Kono said, crowding closer. Her dark eyes were big and curious.
“No.” Danny said.
“Yes,” Steve said.

“Uh mind explaining?” Danny demanded. “Don’t tell me you’re running off for some stupid case! This has nothing to do with Hess does it?”
Steve looked guilty.
Danny’s eyes narrowed as he pinned Steve with his gaze. “What are you talking about?”
“Well it has to do with new evidence on the Jacobson case,” Steve began, alluding to the complex case they been working on since the beginning of the year. There was a hacker, a hooker and a serial killer but the end result of 5 corpses did not an amusing case make.
“We need to meet with officials there and check out a lead that the man who is responsible for the deaths of these 5 people is in New Zealand occupying a sailboat in Auckland’s main harbor.”
“So why can’t New Zealand authorities arrest him? What’s that got to do with us?” Danny protested. He was starting to rip the label off his water bottle but Chin reached over and flattened Danny’s hand with his own.
“The governor wants him brought back here. She isn’t keen on the New Zealand guys handling this. He did kill 5 people on our Island, Danny.” Steve finished his bottle of water.

“You know...” Danny began but stopped.
“Do you want me and Kono to go get him back here?” Chin asked. He’d seen the looks that had passed between Danny and Steve and he thought he’d try to keep the peace.
“I’d love that but unfortunately no. She wants Danny and me,” Steve said.
“Oh. My. GOD!” Danny stood up, half aware that he was causing a scene. “Did you even once consider to tell me this before the party?” He yelled, though the music in the next room was loud enough that his voice was drowned out.
“No because I knew how you’d react. Just like this.” Steve pulled Danny closer to him. “Look, I’ll explain in the car—“
“There is no explanation! The last time I did a favor for the Governor I almost froze to death! And I have no desire to repeat that, with you or without you!”
“Danny, we aren’t going to freeze. It’s warm there,” Steve explained.

“You know what?” Danny set his water bottle down on the bar. “I’m going home. See you Monday unless we catch a case at which time I will acquiesce to speak to you. Until then, I’m out.” Danny sauntered away towards the main doors of the reception hall, walking past Sebastian who glanced over at Steve as if to ask him what was happening. Steve just shrugged.
“That went well,” Chin said.
“And here I thought you guys were getting all snuggly from what I saw on the dance floor,” Kono sighed.
“Short lived,” Steve murmured.

After saying his goodbyes and some apologies for his partner’s abrupt exit, Steve slid behind the wheel of his truck. The evening had been full of promise. In fact, ever since he and Danny had returned from North Dakota they’d been... good. As promised, Gracie had had her weekend at the Hilton with Steve and Danny, all of them eating too much junk food and sleeping late only to get up and swim all afternoon in one of several heated pools at the complex. Danny had been loose, happy, goofy even tossing the ‘babes’ Steve’s way and being unusually touchy. Not that Steve complained. He’d felt wanted, a part of a little family. It had been a blast!

And there had been weekends when Danny just came over to Steve’s to hang out, watch tv, drink beers, watch Steve swim. There had been a mellow middle ground that was missing before and Steve realized he craved that like a drug.
And now? Had he completely torn away the foundation that they had built for several months? God, he hoped not.
Truth be told, Steve was not keen on going to NZ and extraditing a criminal back to Hawaii. So many things could go wrong and he’d had a nibbling feeling in his gut that smooth sailing ahead was just a well worn phrase and not anything that applied to this trip.

He knew he should have told Danny. Leveled with him. Explained that they had to go get this serial killer and bring him back for justice. But then the wedding happened and they had both made plans to come together and enjoy the festivities.
Steve closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest. If he concentrated he could still feel Danny in his arms, holding the smaller man around his back and waist, reliving the sensation of that hard muscled body against his. Danny’s hair smelled like lavender and rosemary, and he’d had a subtle cologne on. Steve lifted his coat lapels to his nose and inhaled. Oh yes there it was! Something spicy, rich, layered.
Just like Danny himself.
Steve sighed and turned on his truck. With a heavy heart he put it into gear and cruised out of the driveway, heading for home.

Monday morning was always tough no matter how restful the day before had been. Danny walked into the cache of offices and nodded at Chin who was noodling around with the big board. Danny glanced up to see a mug shot and a name. Roy Hollis. Huh.
He continued to his office, turned on his light and with a well practiced kick of his foot pulled out his desk chair. He saw that Steve wasn’t in the office yet and wondered if he had gone on alone to New fucking Zealand. Now that would definitely make Danny’s day if that had happened.

“Danny! This is the guy you and Steve are going after! “ Chin half turned towards Danny and nodded to the screen. Danny sighed and got up then walked over to stand beside Chin.
“Roy Hollis? Nice tats.”
“Yeah you’d think if you wanted to blend in you wouldn’t have head and face tattoos.”
They stared at the image and Danny shook his head.
“So not only do we have to find him, we have to arrest him and then bring him back here.”
“That’s right, Danny.”
Both Chin and Danny turned around to see Steve had arrived. He was carrying a bag from a bakery, and a tray of coffee cups.
“Bribing me is not gonna work, Steven,” Danny harrumphed and spun back on his heels to look at the screen.
“Well, Daniel, you have no choice. The Governor wants you to accompany me. We leave tonight.” Steve placed a cup in front of Chin and one in front of Danny. “Double double dark. Extra sugar.” He also placed the malasados next to Danny. “Enjoy.”

“Why me? Why not Chin?” Danny grumbled although he did take a sip of his coffee. Oh God that was good! Damn Steve and his bribing ways!
“I don’t know, Danny,” Steve admitted. “I just know that you and me have a date with a plane. I’ll pick you up tonight at 7 pm.”
“Fuck,” Danny said. He took a bite of one of the sugary pastries and made a face.
“Don’t worry, Danny! What can possibly say happen on a routine flight to Kiwi Country?”

As promised, Steve was there at Danny’s apartment to pick him up around 7 pm for their 11:45 pm departure flight to LAX. They had a long layover so Steve had asked the booking agent to get them a room for the day where they could relax until their plane departed to Wellington that evening. He thought that Danny might like that, and he would try to do all he could to keep his partner happy.
Steve wasn’t really looking forward to going on a manhunt in a strange country, catching a serial killer who had wreaked havoc on their island with 5 dead and 1 critically injured. But it was that one person who had bravely identified his assailant and the description had matched Roy Hollis, a man suspected of the same kinds of crimes in his native NZ. Steve only hoped that they could and would make an arrest and drag his ass back to face a trial and imprisonment.

Danny slipped out of his apartment door, locking it behind him. He had a small duffel bag and a backpack, the same one he’d carried when they had gone to North Dakota.
As always, Steve had to swallow hard at the sight of the blonde. Danny just did something to him.
“Hey.” Danny got in the truck and threw his bag in the back. “Let’s go.”
“You ready, partner?”
“No. But that doesn’t matter,” Danny sighed.
The 2 men were quiet except for some small talk on the way to Honolulu Airport. Steve parked in Short Term and they walked up to the terminal, went through security and by midnight, they were on the plane soaring above the city and headed towards LAX.

As always when they flew, Danny had claimed the window seat. He sat and watched as the lights faded in the distance then leaned back in his seat and tried to rest. He felt for Steve’s hand and found it, warm and open, and slid his hand into a loose grasp. Steve seemed surprised; Danny would bet that if he opened his eyes he’d see Steve looking at him. But they held hands and it felt good, comforting, grounded.
Their flight would take 5 hours. Danny relaxed and let himself go to sleep.