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“Where’s Steven?”
“Saying goodbye to Catherine. Again. He does that a lot, you'd think they'd be experts at it by now,” Danny said as he watched Harry check his bag.
“You’re worried about him,” Harry deduced from the way Danny glanced over with a telltale concern on his face that he knew he wore all too often when Catherine’s presence popped back into Steve’s life, bringing up things that made the atmosphere awkward.
He shrugged as he turned back to Harry. “Tell me something,” he started. “Going undercover married. What was that for? It didn’t make any impact on the Op. Hell, would it not have made more sense for Catherine to be in there on her own trying to chat the guy up?”
Harry shook his head. “He’d have seen through the Mata Hari routine. But I’ll admit I thought the whole thing might liven things up a little. Give a push in the right direction.”
“You trying to set them up again or something?”
“No, certainly not,” Harry scoffed like it was a ludicrous suggestion. “I was talking about the two of you.”
“I’m sorry, what now? Two of who?”
“My dear Danny, from the moment I met you boys, you reeked of attachment. A bit of a shame how fast I clocked you, really. I’d have enjoyed taking our flirtations further.”
Danny’s eyes widened. “Flirtations? So you, uh-”
“Fancy the pants off you? Yes,” Harry replied with a cocksure grin, loving that Danny was blushing.
“I had no idea you were gay. I mean, you’re British and the suave thing just seems to be a default setting for you lot. Makes it harder to tell.”
“I’ll take the compliment,” Harry laughed. “In my line of work, it pays to be... flexible.”
“I still don’t get why making those two go undercover as a married couple would make a difference to me and Steve, which, by the way, is a non-starter kind of thing. We’ve never-”
“You were jealous when I commented on how good Steven looked in my tux like I was muscling in on your territory. And for his part, Steve was clearly uncomfortable putting on the act. It was like a glimpse into what it might be like if they were married like he once thought they could be and all he got out of it was a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Trust me. If anything, Steven has truly realized that she is not the person he wants on his arm.”
“You really think you can read us that well, huh?”
“Like I said. You reek,” Harry finished. “But if it doesn’t work out for you two, you have my number.” He put a hand to the back of Danny’s neck, supporting him as he pulled them closer. His other hand rested on Danny’s hip at the waistband of his jeans and he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Danny’s lips that grew into something that held potential passion, that lingered with unfulfilled promise.
“We could-” Danny began but Harry kissed him again before he could finish what he wanted to say; the suggestion clearly being politely declined for both of their sakes.
“I have been on the receiving end of Steve McGarrett’s right hook before. I have no desire for a repeat performance,” As Harry pulled back, his hand lingered on Danny’s waist. “And not when I’ve been working on giving you both nudges in the right direction.”
“You really think Steve and I should be... more than what we are?”
“What I think doesn’t matter,” Harry said, his eyes darting over Danny’s shoulders all too often. “It’s up to you and him.”
“Danny!” a call came from behind in Steve’s unmistakeable low register of impatience.
“Take care of each other,” Harry told him before taking Danny’s hand and giving a light squeeze. He walked backward as he left, keeping a distance between himself and an approaching Steve. “And might I say, low slung jeans and a tight-leather jacket are a wonderful look on you.”
“Danny,” Steve said his name again, frustration creeping into his voice. As he neared, he put a hand low on Danny’s back as they both watched Harry turn and hurry off. “You know that’s a bad idea, right?”
“What is?”
“Getting involved with someone who doesn’t stay.”
“Then it’s a good thing neither of us is doing that. Family comes first. The Government and all its agencies could take a flying leap for all I care. What matters is being there the whole time, good and bad. And sticking around for the fallout.” The hand on Danny’s back tightened in his clothing, the meaning of his words being taken to heart.
“I know you’re mad at me for wanting revenge and for shutting you out for a bit. I knew you'd hate what I was doing.”
“I’m not mad. You were grieving. Still are. Grief can make a person lose their moral compass for a while. I get it, I’ve been there. Everything with my brother, I lost it just as much. Which is why I also know that things aren’t over just because you... solved the case. Got the bad guy. There’s still a lot more for you to go through.”
Steve swallowed, a small amount of worry escaping his eyes. “But you’re going to stick by my side?”
“For the long haul, babe. You can't get rid of me that easily. I'll follow where you go.”
The two men turned and arm in arm walked to the back of the plane where they could see Junior waiting for them.
“You’re not going to kiss Harry again though, right?”
“For the record, he kissed me. And no, we won’t be doing that again. So long as someone else kisses me instead. You know you really did look good in that tux.”
“And you look good in low-slung jeans and a tight leather jacket,” Steve smiled as they walked up the ramp.