delicatale

Write it.

From:

stellarmeadow.livejournal.com

I wish. I have about five other things I'm committed to writing, and I am not good at researching AUs like that.

From:

crossmymind.livejournal.com

Yes, let's buy one! I could throw in maybe $50? That's good for a few grains of sand, right? A shell or two. It is something, at least!

I feel you on the feeling horrendous, although they are probably for different reasons. Still, sympathies. :(

From:

I could probably get a few hundreds out of my ass. If we have a few millions of us we can manage! I'd like to smell the ocean, right now, that'd be nice.

:(

From:

crossmymind.livejournal.com

If I had a job, I could totally contribute more. But there should be enough of us that we could definitely come up with enough to buy the whole island! Funny enough, I live 5 minutes away from the beach? You can come use my ocean in the meantime, if you'd like.

From:

willow-fae-20.livejournal.com

I'm on it bb. Thanks for the prompt! I hope you get to feeling better soon.

From:

I wasn't expecting anyone to actually write anything XD. Or maybe a drabble where Steve fans Danny with a palm tree leaf.

From:

stephaniejane2.livejournal.com

Asfkfjakshakad Steve the cabana boy. Shirtless and handing out drinks & towels. Yes Please & Thank You!

From:

I sympathise, so here, have some spontaneous fic.

"So, basically," Danny says, "this island belongs to this millionaire guy whom you once saved from kidnappers with nefarious purposes, and now he's letting you borrow it as a favour?"

Steve stretches out in the warm sand and nods.

Danny looks at the deserted beach, the shallow waves crashing not far from his feet, and the endless sunshine glaring down on them. "Babe--"

Steve cracks open one eye. "If you say something negative right now, I swear, Danny, I will pick you up and dump you in the sea, so help me god."

"Who says I was going to say something negative? How do you know what I was going to say, huh, Steven? Maybe, just maybe--" Danny stabs a finger in Steve's direction to emphasise his point "--I was going to make a minor observation about how sandy this place is. Maybe. But you don't know that, so what--"

"How I know? This is how I know, Danny; you just did." Steve pushes up on his elbows. "Is it too much to ask you shut up and enjoy yourself for once?"

"Who says I'm not enjoying myself?"

"All right, that's it." Steve gets up, lunges for him, and Danny scoots out of his way, getting to his feet.

"Are you serious, Steve? What are we, like twelve? You're gonna make me enjoy myself now?"

"Danny--"

Danny tilts his head, raises one hand to block out the sun so he can study Steve's face. "Babe, you do realise I'm kidding, right?"

Steve's shoulders relax incrementally, but Danny's eyes are sharp. "Yeah, sure," Steve says too casually.

"So if I come and take a swim with you, will you, a, stop pulling that face at me, and, b, stop threatening to try and drown me?"

"I wasn't--" Steve starts, and Danny gives him a look until Steve closes his mouth and stops talking. "Okay," he says petulantly. "Fine."

"God," Danny says with a sigh, "you are the worst, I swear."

"Shut up, Danny."

Danny follows him to the shoreline, can't help smiling as the warm water tickles his toes. "Okay, so maybe I should have led with, 'this is not such a bad place, for a beach.' How about that, Steven?"

Steve is looking at him, already into the sea up to his waist, and Danny wades over, reaches out to put a hand on Steve's hip and tug him closer, in spite of Steve's resistance. Danny kisses him carefully, and feels Steve smile against his lips.

"Yeah, Danny, you should have led with that."

Danny laughs softly. "All right." He gestures at the blue water and golden sand, and adds, "This is not such a bad place, for a beach."

Steve's smile widens.

"Plus," Danny adds, "I just realised, there's no one else here. Which means, my friend, that we can get up to as many nefarious things as we like."

"Nefarious, Danny?"

"Oh yes," Danny replies. "What else are honeymoons for?"

Steve doesn't reply, but pulls him back in and kisses him.

From:

:333 YESSSS. Oh, I feel warmer now!

From:

Mission accomplished :D.

From:

eumelia.livejournal.com

So awesome, bb.

Danno loves this :)

From:

Why, thank you, hon!

From:

crossmymind.livejournal.com

Eeeeeeee, happiness! ♥

From:

Glad you like!

From:

finduilas-clln.livejournal.com

\o/ AWESOME.

From:

Thank you!

From:

Ahh, lovely :)

From:

\o/!

From:

citrinesunset.livejournal.com

I liked this! It's a fun scene. You're so good at getting their voices and banter down.

From:

Late, but thank you!!

From:

kristen999.livejournal.com

Awww. This was so fun and warm. Yes, nefarious things indeed!

From:

eumelia.livejournal.com

It just so happens that I'm reading "My Family and Other Animals" by Gerrald Durrel.

It's on a Greek island and is funny. I rec it, for I have no money to contribute!

From:

We can't buy an island with books!

From:

eumelia.livejournal.com

We can try!!!!!!!!!!

From:

Oh, I adore that book so much! I must try and find my old copy - probably in a box somewhere - and re-read it. I imagine I'll take quite different things from it as an adult than I did as a kid.

From:

I made you a thing? (http://pics.livejournal.com/theeverdream/pic/00122r49.png) Feel better soon!

From:

XDDDD Oh, his face, that is perfect XD.

From:

It's such an awesome face, haha. Glad you liked it :)

From:

LOL, brilliant!

From:

I must admit that putting that sillyalexface pic on other pics is not an original idea :)

From:

Oh, I know, I'd seen it go around! It's still hilarious, though :).

From:

Yeah, it's such a memeable face :D:D

From:

gunslingaaahhh.livejournal.com

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF hahahahha

From:

finduilas-clln.livejournal.com

I'll totally pitch in!

From:

So, this started off as a little thing and then developed backstory and...damn, I am completely unable to write drabbles. Hope you enjoy?

Danny's been in Hawaii for three years now; he and Steve have been living together for almost two years, and sleeping together for eighteen months. In that time, Steve has watched his partner gradually relax into island life. He gave up on those ridiculous ties long ago, though he still insists on wearing button-downs instead of T-shirts. He even wears slippas around the house, but nothing will convince him to stop calling them 'flip-flops'.

He no longer has to be dragged kicking and screaming to the beach, and can surf well enough to get by. He'd originally learned because Grace wanted to, but she'd left him in the shallows long ago. She's eleven now, and a total daredevil out on the waves. Danny blames Kono and Steve - "such bad fucking influences...I wish I'd never introduced her to you lunatics, swear to God" - but offers Grace nothing but positive encouragement when she makes it back to shore.

For all that, there's still a lot of stuff Danny's never done here in Hawaii. When he first arrived, back in 2010, he was too cash-strapped and too fucking angry about his new situation to do anything touristy. Then Steve poached him for Five-0, and they were busy for weeks and months on end.

But things have settled down. They're on a pretty even keel under the replacement Governor, and Steve has adjusted to the compromise: more rules, yeah, but Danny yells at him less often. Five-0 has succeeded in shutting down most of Oahu's organised crime, and their spreading reputation has apparently put some outsiders off setting up shop here.

So Steve now has the time, and an increasing ability to switch himself off 'duty' mode, to take Danny to some of his favourite places. Not every weekend, mind, since Danny still worries about money and balks at the prices of some tourist attractions. They'd come to a compromise once Danny moved in: he pays Steve half the rent he paid at his old apartment, and puts the rest into Gracie's college fund (Stan could put her through school up to PhD level, and never miss the money, but Danny is too proud to let that happen).

Steve didn't actually need Danny's rent money, because Dad paid the mortgage off years ago, and would happily treat Danny to nice meals and trips to other islands and other expensive outings. But Danny point-blank refuses to let Steve pay for everything: "we are partners, Steve, and I will not be your kept woman...man...whatever". Steve's learned, by now, when Danny is implacable and when he can be swayed. This, apparently, is non-negotiable. So Steve picks and chooses the places he takes Danny, and shamelessly uses his connections to get discounts and deals and favors.

From:

Dad's old Navy buddy Tom runs glass-bottom boat trips for tourists. It's the off-season, as much as that exists in Hawaii, and Tom's closed his business for a much-needed week's break. When Steve asks, though, Tom gives him the boat keys and threatens him with grim death if he crashes her: "I may not have been a SEAL, boyo, but I still know plenty of ways to kill a man". Steve nods, and hands Tom a bottle of his favourite scotch in thanks.

He gets Danny out of bed early, over loud objections: "it's Saturday, Steve, for the love of God - is a decent sleep-in too much to ask?". Seeing as Steve already went for a swim, showered and went to get breakfast, his sympathy is somewhat limited. But he's learned to be patient with Danny in the mornings, so he gives him a quick kiss, leaves a cup of coffee on the bedside table, and goes back downstairs to make a picnic lunch.

They make it to Tom's place in good time. It's a beautiful day, not too hot, and blessedly calm - here in the lagoon there's not a ripple on the surface. Steve steers the boat away from the dock and anchors it out in the deeper water. Despite himself, Danny is transfixed by the view through the clear hull: "Jesus, there's so many fish down there!"

Steve nods, smiling, and sits beside Danny. He points out the different kinds of fish, the brightly colored ones darting about and the camoflaged ones hiding on the sandy floor or lurking among the rocks. A small ray glides by close to the boat's hull, and Danny recoils in distaste, but he leans closer with a grin when he sees a sea turtle paddling past.

It's not Danny's usual weekend with Grace, but he negotiated an exception for this: "she'll get to see tropical fish and coral and stuff up close, without being surrounded by tourists, and we'll have much longer on the boat than normal". Rachel relented, but insisted that Grace still go to her usual Saturday morning piano lesson. So they'll be picking her up from the dock at eleven.

Until then, Steve has Danny all to himself. It's not that he minds spending time with Grace; God, he loves that kid like she's his own. But he has a plan for today.

From:

Danny looks up from the mesmerizing aquatic scene and catches Steve staring at him. He tilts his head to the side, studying Steve's face, then says, "Whatever it is, let me hear it."

And Steve could play dumb, could pretend that he wasn't rehearsing the words in his head, but there's no point. Danny already knows that he needs some time to work up to important conversations, and no doubt he's noticed Steve being a little distracted lately.

Steve can't say it straight out, though, so he starts by laying the groundwork. "Do you like living with me, Danny?"

To his credit, Danny just blinks. "Yeah, sure. I mean, you kick like a mule in your sleep, you're obsessed with making me eat healthy food, and you're far too neat. But I think we've made it work. Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I like having you there," Steve says. "I know it was only meant to be temporary, while you found someplace else, but I don't want you to leave."

Danny spreads his hands wide. "Who said anything about leaving? The temporary thing was only while you were still too damn closeted to admit how you felt, and I was convinced you were straight as an arrow. Once we got that sorted, moving out made no sense. So unless you're fumbling your way towards breaking up with me, I've got no plans to be anywhere else."

"No, no," Steve says hastily - how is it that Danny can derail his careful conversational plans so quickly? "That's not what I'm saying at all. It's the opposite, actually."

"The...opposite," Danny repeats, eyes wide. "Okay, babe, you've got my attention. Keep talking."

He doesn't seem freaked out or anything, but this is still so hard for Steve to ask. "Can you see yourself with me, long term?"

Danny leans back a little, and stares out across the water. He's quiet for what feels like forever, though it's probably a matter of seconds.

Then he looks Steve in the eye and says, "Yeah, I think I can. You're too honourable to ever cheat on me, you're too good-hearted to ever hurt me deliberately, and I can't imagine ever getting bored while you're around. I had my doubts at the start that we could survive working and living and sleeping together. But it's been eighteen months and somehow I'm still crazy about you, so..." Danny shrugs. "Yeah, I figure I'm in this for the long haul."

Though Steve had been pretty sure of Danny's answer, it's a relief to hear it out loud. Now it's his turn to lay it on the line. He takes a deep breath, and says the words that have been churning in his head for a while.

"Danny, I want to spend my life with you. I want my house to be our home, and Grace's too. But if Rachel decided to move again, to take Grace away, then I'd follow you: to Jersey, to England, wherever. I'd leave the Reserves and become a civilian, if that's what it took for us to stay together. Because I love you more than I love Hawaii, and more than I love the Navy - more than anything or anyone else in the world."

From:

"Wow," Danny says faintly, blinking at him. "That's...that's more than I ever thought I'd hear from you on the subject of your emotions."

"I know I'm not good at saying this stuff," Steve admits. "But I wanted to tell you how I feel, because I want to tell everyone how I feel."

Danny frowns. "What, you mean officially coming out in an interview or something? Most of Oahu knows about us already, babe, so I think that horse has bolted."

Steve often loses control of his conversations with Danny, but this is so much more frustrating than usual. His instinct is just to blurt it out, but he has to do this right. So he takes a deep breath, then slides off his seat onto one knee and clasps Danny's hands in his.

"Danny, I want to stand up in front of everyone we care about, and declare my love for you, and have our relationship legally recognized. Will you enter into a civil union with me?"

Rarely has he seen Danny so still, so shocked. Danny has become scarily good at reading him - it feels like telepathy, at times. But somehow Steve's just blindsided him.

"I'd ask you to marry me, if I could," Steve adds in a rush, when Danny continues to just stare at him. "Governor Denning told me he plans to push the State Legislature for same-sex marriage, but there's no guarantee it'll pass. So a civil union is the best I can offer right now - unless you want to travel to another state to get married, I guess. Maybe we could go to New York, since that'd make it easier for your family to be present."

"You...really want to marry me," Danny says flatly.

"Yeah, Danny, I do." Steve's not quite sure where he lost Danny along this conversational path, but he suppresses his nervous impatience and stays calm.

"My last attempt was a disaster," Danny points out. "What makes you think we'd do better?"

Steve shrugs. "Rachel couldn't stand waiting to see if you'd come home, every night; I'm right there beside you, every day. You two had that whirlwind romance, but we'd already seen each other at our worst long before we even kissed. I know you, Danny, inside out, and you know me better than anyone."

Danny's face softens, listening to this, and he lifts one hand to touch Steve's cheek.

"The day my divorce came through, I swore I'd never get married again," he says slowly. Just as Steve's bracing for rejection, though, Danny starts to smile. "But I didn't rule out a civil union. So...yes, Steve. Yes, I will enter into a civil union with you."

From:

Steve grins, so relieved and pleased that he can't even speak. Still on his knees, he leans forward and kisses his partner - his fiancé - who cups Steve's face with both hands and kisses back. It's slow, and gentle, and so good.

Danny's eyes are shiny when he pulls back at last, but Steve's vision is a little blurry right now so he can't really judge.

"So where's my ring, huh?" Danny says, voice a little hoarse, and Steve laughs.

"Remember the part where I said I knew you really, really well? I wouldn't dare pick out jewelry for you, Danny. I wasn't even sure if you'd want a ring, this time around - but if you do, you get to choose or design it."

"Sounds fair," Danny says. His phone beeps, then, and he pulls it out. "Hey, it's time to pick Gracie up."

Steve nods, and goes to haul up the anchor and restart the engine. Danny stands beside him at the wheel, arm draped around his waist.

"Shit, how am I going to tell her? 'Hey monkey, Danno's getting...'" He stops, and makes a frustrated gesture. "There's not even a verb for this. 'Unionized' is what happens at workplaces, and 'civilly unionized' just sounds stupid!"

"I was reading about it online," Steve offers. "Apparently, 'getting civilized' is a popular term. Couples are using it on their invitations."

Danny laughs. "I like that, yeah. I always thought you needed civilizing, anyhow."

"You know, I kinda got that impression," Steve says, guiding the boat closer to the dock. "You calling me a 'Neanderthal animal' was a big clue, there. Plus there was that whole speech about jackals and hyenas, way back on our first day together."

"Wow...it's like it was meant to be," Danny replies, and they both crack up.

From: