Later that day, McGarrett returned to Five-O headquarters from a meeting with the Governor. Danny stopped him in the outer office with a report.

“I’ve got the Takahashi file completed. You wanna check it with me?” Danny asked.

“Yeah, come on in, Danno,” McGarrett said, ushering Danny towards his office.

He was stopped by May, with a slip of paper and a worried expression. “Boss....”

He read the message. “When did the call come through?”

“About a half hour ago. You want me to get her?”

“No, I’ll put it through myself. Give me a couple of minutes, Danno.”

“Sure.” Danny looked after Steve as he closed his office door.

“His sister?” he asked May.

“Yes.”

It’s been a couple of months since Steve went to Los Angeles to try to get his sister away from that faith healer who promised to cure her son’s cancer. I’m afraid this means the worst has happened. I wish there were something I could do to help....

Danny knocked on Steve’s office door. Night had fallen, and everyone else had gone home. No answer.

He knocked again.

“Come in,” Steve called, his voice hoarse.

Danny opened the door. The lights were off, the room lit only by a wash of moonlight from the windows. Steve sat with his back to the door, looking out at the night.

“Long two minutes,” Danny said.

“Yeah.”

Danny stood inside the door. I feel so helpless.

“The baby went into a deep coma this morning. Three months, to the day. Doctor said it was a matter of months, maybe two-three at the most.” Steve took a deep breath. “How right can you be, Danno?” His voice was raw.

“Is there anything I can do to help, Steve?”

Steve shook his head, unable to speak. He was sobbing, shoulders heaving, his clasped hands pressed to his mouth, trying to suppress his grief.

It’s shocking to see Steve break down. He’s always so strong, whatever happens. I can’t bear to see him like this, Danny thought.

“She cried so hard...she choked on her own tears.” He let out a strangled sob. “She said...she said she’d gone to Dr. Fremont. That there was still time. The good doctor promised her...promised her that she’d heal Tommy if I’d stop persecuting her. If I’d stop...if I promised I wouldn’t go to the trial next week...wouldn’t testify.”

I can’t take this any more, Danny thought. If I can’t help, at least I can show him he’s not alone. Ground rules or not. He locked the door behind himself, then stood beside Steve’s chair and reached to put his arms around him.

Steve buried his face in Danny’s shirt front, holding him desperately, despite the awkwardness of the chair arm between them, as he sobbed.

“She begged, Danno. My own sister begged.”

Danny found himself crying, too. The anguish in his voice.... “Steve....” They clung together, giving and seeking comfort in human contact.

Finally, Steve took a deep breath and stood up, suddenly angry. “I have had it. I have had it, right up to here! Who the hell made me big daddy to the world? What do I care if the great snowed American public want to blow a billion dollars a year on phony quacks and cures?” he demanded bitterly.

You know the answer to that. Because you’re Steve McGarrett, and you’ll always do the right thing, no matter the cost. I wish I could take that burden from you, but if you weren’t this way, you wouldn’t be the man I fell for, Danny thought.

“And what’s the big deal, anyway? Why should we get so steamed up when all I can prosecute on is one lousy count, interstate sale of mislabeled or misrepresented merchandise?” he demanded. “Maximum penalty one thousand dollar fine or one year in jail or both.”

“For this one it oughta be murder! On a hundred counts.” Steve said, turning away to look outside.

When he had his emotions back under control he turned to Danny, putting his hands on his shoulders. “Thanks, Danno,” he said, his voice still rough.

Danny reached up to wipe a tear from Steve’s face. “Steve...I wish there were something I could do.”

“Mind the store while I’m gone. And take a rain check on dinner.” Steve tried to smile. “Here.” He turned to open a desk drawer and take out a pair of keys on a ring. “I want you to have keys to my place. So...so you can come over and water my plants while I’m gone.”

“Steve, you don’t have any plants,” Danny said, giving him a half smile.

“I suppose I should get some.”

“Like fishing?” Danny asked.

“Same principle. Since you can’t see me off at the airport....” He leaned down and gave Danny a quick kiss goodbye. “Just this once.”

Danny sidled carefully through the narrow aisles of the small nursery. A potted palm for the lanai, that’s easy. And this rubber tree would look nice in the living room. But I’d like to get him something else....

He passed shelves of showy orchids, coral-colored begonias, and bright geraniums. I’m glad the orchid Steve gave me in the hospital is still alive. How very Steve of him to just set it down without a word. None of these is quite what I’m looking for, though.

He paused in front of a row of small plants with deep purple flowers and thick, furry leaves. The girl running the shop came over. “African violets? They seem shy, but if you give them lots of loving care they’ll really bloom for you.” She gently stroked one of the leaves with her finger. “A present for someone special?”

“Yeah,” Danny said, smiling.

Steve’s flight was half an hour late. He drove home through a steady rain. The prosecution of Dr. Fremont had succeeded, and his sister had forgiven him, but he felt drained and weary. Arriving home, he unlocked his door and was startled to find the lights on. An odd smell hung in the air, and there were noises coming from the kitchen. Someone seemed to be cursing.

“Danny?”

Danny emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron. His face was flushed and he looked flustered.

“Welcome back, Steve. I’m sorry about dinner.”

“That sounds bad,” Steve said, unable to repress a grin. He wiped a smudge of flour from Danny’s cheek and leaned over to kiss him.

Steve walked into the kitchen. The table had been carefully set. There were even candles. On the stove, however, there was a pot containing a sort of chunky dark brown sludge with flakes of black material mixed in.

“I wanted to make beef stroganoff, but the meat sort of stuck and burned, and then I think I cooked it too long....”

Steve dipped a spoon into the pot.

“Steve, don’t eat that!” Danny tried to grab his arm.

“Hmm, I think I had something like this when I was in the Navy. After they served it, the crew mutinied.”

“I’m really sorry. I’ll go fetch some take-out.”

“Wait, let’s see what we’ve got,” Steve said, poking around. “The noodles are ready to go in, and you’ve made a salad—now what’s in the fridge?”

A short time later, Steve set two plates on the table. “Voilà! Noodles alla carbonara.” He lit the candles and turned off the kitchen light.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cook when you must be tired,” Danny said.

“I’ll leave the dishes for you.” Steve smiled at him. You have no idea how good it feels to come home to a burnt dinner instead of an empty house.

“I see you got me some plants.” He reached to touch the African violet sitting in the center of the table.

“The girl at the shop said it requires a lot of care, so you definitely need someone to have your keys,” Danny said with a smile.

Steve reached across the table and took Danny’s hand. “Thanks, Danny. For everything.”

“For what, burning dinner in your kitchen?” Danny said lightly.

“For giving me something to come home to.”

After dinner Danny did the dishes as promised, somewhat hampered by Steve’s arms around him.

Steve leaned down to lick Danny’s ear, nipping at the lobe with his teeth.

“Steve!” Danny exclaimed. “Stop that, you’re going to make me drop something.”

“I’ve never really liked those plates, anyway.” Steve started unbuttoning Danny’s shirt.

Danny tried to concentrate on washing silverware as Steve slipped his hands inside his shirt.

“Ah!” He dropped a fork into the sink with a clatter as Steve’s strong fingers found one of his nipples and started playing with it.

“Mm, Danny.” Steve said, kissing the side of his neck down to his shoulder. “Did you wear this suit on purpose because you know I like it?” Steve slid one hand down to Danny’s pants, enjoying the feel of his firm buttock through the smooth greenish brown material.

“I...I didn’t know that,” Danny said, trying to remember what he was supposed to be doing with the spatula in his hands.

“The color suits you, but what I really like is that these pants don’t leave much to the imagination.” He slid his hand around to the front and ran his fingers lightly over Danny’s rapidly swelling bulge.

“Ah!” Danny bit his lip. Just the pot to wash now. I hope that stuff isn’t burned on, because I can’t take much more of this.

Steve continued to stroke Danny through his clothing, his cock straining against the tight material.

“Crap, this isn’t coming off,” Danny said, scrubbing.

“Put your back into it,” Steve said laughingly, pulling Danny’s zipper down and slipping a hand into his briefs.

“Steve!” Danny cried, as the hand closed over his throbbing shaft. He could feel Steve’s own arousal pressing stiffly against his buttocks.

“Leave the pan to soak,” Steve ordered, turning Danny to face him. He pressed him back against the sink, kissing him with passionate urgency.

Steve stepped back for a second, breathing hard. “Hmm, what would be easiest on my knees?” he said to himself, glancing around. Steve relocated the African violet from the table to the kitchen window ledge.

“Steve?” Danny asked, trying to gather his thoughts.

Steve covered Danny’s mouth with his own again, turning them so that Danny leaned against the table edge. He worked Danny’s pants and briefs off, his thick cock springing free. “Here, sit on the edge of the table,” he said into Danny’s ear.

“Steve...what....” Danny asked, doing as instructed.

Steve stood in front of him, between his parted knees, leaning forward to kiss him. Danny took the opportunity to unbutton Steve’s shirt, slipping it off him, and clutching his broad shoulders as Steve moved his mouth down, separating the sides of Danny’s shirt and running his tongue over his muscular chest, then lower, over his taut stomach. He gently kissed the scar left by Auston’s bullet, then delved his tongue into Danny’s navel, eliciting a noise of pleasure.

Steve pulled a chair in front of Danny, sitting in it to face him.

Wait...is he really going to.... Danny thought.

Steve had leaned forward, and was gently licking Danny’s cock. Danny groaned, then cried out as Steve’s mouth closed over him.

Steve moved up and down Danny’s shaft, pleasuring him with his mouth, hand, and tongue.

God, that feels good! I’ve had blowjobs before, of course, but it was never so...just the idea of Steve doing this to me...I hardly dared make him do it in my fantasies.... He looked down at Steve’s dark head positioned over his crotch, and had to look away to keep from losing control so soon. He leaned back with his hands propped against the table, biting his lip.

Steve reached his free hand down to cradle Danny’s testicles, stroking them.

“Steve!” Danny gasped. “Steve, I can’t...I’m going to....”

Steve stood up, kissing Danny’s mouth, his tongue probing, his hand moving on Danny’s shaft.

Danny clung to Steve’s shoulders, lost in his building climax, until he came over Steve’s hand in hot, sticky spurts. Afterwards he collapsed, gasping, with his head resting against Steve’s shoulder.

“You OK, there, Danny?” Steve asked, smiling.

“Steve...that was....” he managed.

Steve kissed him gently, then turned to the sink to wash his hands. He cleaned Danny up with a wet dishcloth, then said, “C’mon, let’s go to bed. We still have to do something about this,” he said, gesturing to the erection straining painfully at the pants he still wore. He helped Danny, a bit unsteady on his feet, down off the table.

In the bedroom, Steve slid Danny’s shirt off while Danny undid Steve’s pants and pushed them and his underwear down.

“My turn,” Danny said, guiding Steve to sit on the edge of the bed. “But I’ve never done this before, so I’m afraid I won’t be very good at it.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you everything you need to know,” Steve promised with a smile.

Danny knelt in front of the bed. Before I met Steve this would have been unthinkable, but I’ve imagined doing this to him often enough in the past few months. Usually under his desk....

Danny reached for Steve’s cock. He leaned down, pressing his lips against the head, flicking out his tongue to taste the moisture there.

Steve made a noise in his throat somewhere between pleasure and pain.

Danny looked up to see Steve watching him, the deep blue eyes piercing. He lowered his head to take the end of Steve’s penis into his mouth, stroking it with his tongue. Steve groaned.

He closed his hand over Steve’s shaft, then lowered his mouth over it, adjusting to the feeling. He started to move up and down, awkwardly at first, trying not to scrape Steve with his teeth.

“You’re doing great,” Steve said, breathing hard, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Danny tried to take Steve’s whole length in his mouth, but ended up gagging.

“Easy, Danny, just do what’s comfortable for now until you get used to it.”

He went back to using his hand and mouth together, his saliva lubricating Steve’s shaft as he established a rhythm.

I’m sucking Steve’s cock, he thought. Probably not very well, but, God, just thinking about it is making me hard again.

“Ah, that’s good,” Steve groaned.

Danny moistened his hand with saliva, and reached down to stroke his own shaft in unison with his motions on Steve’s. He moved faster, occasionally knocking himself in the mouth with his hand or pinching his lip against his teeth, but mainly managing a steady rhythm.

Being connected to Steve this way...feeling him react when I touch him with my tongue, or change the position of my hand...it’s amazing. I hope he’s enjoying it as much as I am....

Danny took a quick look up at Steve. He had his eyes closed, his lashes dark fans against his tanned cheeks. His teeth were set in his lower lip. Danny moved more vigorously, sliding his hand from the nest of dark curls at the base of Steve’s shaft nearly to the tip, then plunging back down, his mouth following in its wake.

“Come here,” Steve said, his voice uneven, as he pulled Danny to his feet, kissing him and reaching to stroke his cock as Danny continued the motions of his hand on Steve’s.

Steve only managed to hold out for a few more strokes before he came, shooting jets of sticky liquid over both of them. Danny soon followed, and they held each other tightly as they slowly returned to earth.

In bed, after cleaning up, they lay together, Danny’s head pillowed on Steve’s shoulder. “Steve...that was amazing,” Danny said.. “Was it...was it OK for you, too?” he asked, tilting his head up to look at Steve.

“Much more than OK,” Steve said with a grin. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want to do this.”

“I enjoyed it,” Danny admitted, blushing.

“It’s the best welcome home I’ve ever had,” Steve said, holding him close. Danny, I didn’t realize I was lonely until you came along and filled the empty space in my life with your warmth. Now I’m in trouble, because I can’t bear to ever let you go....