Work Text:
Someone had bought Five-0 a coffee machine. Not just a simple one that made coffee, but a fancy version that probably could make cappuccino if you just knew which buttons to push. Steve thought the buyer might've been Chin or Kono. Possibly both. Maybe even Danny. Steve decided that finding out who brought it into Five-0's headquarters required a strategic operation.
Steve decided that Danny couldn't be the buyer though when his partner walked into the office with a paper coffee cup in hand. The cup was closed with a white plastic lid and Steve couldn't identify the logo, as he barely could see the side of the cup while Danny's hand was around it. When those cups showed up again several times in the next week, Steve made sure he stayed a bit longer in the office one evening.
Just like any strategic operation, this one required information, which was why Steve fetched the most recent empty cup out of Danny's wastepaper basket.
Steve had never seen the logo before and he thought he knew almost every good coffee shop in the city. Sniffing at it, he was convinced there'd never been any coffee in that cup. The rings inside the paper cup pointed more towards the direction of tea. Content with the result, Steve smiled and decided to let the matter rest for now.
A few days later, there was a hot water cooker standing next to the coffee machine. Upon inspection, which Steve achieved by casually getting himself a coffee, he concluded that the cooker must have been recently bought. Watching out for who was using it would tell him who'd bought it. The only difficulty was watching covertly without his possible suspect realizing it.
Steve noticed Danny walking towards the cooker some time before lunch, cup in his hand. There was a teabag label hanging down from the side of the cup. Danny waited a few seconds, then poured steaming water into the cup and walked back into his office.
Figuring out which tea Danny loved ended up being complicated, as the empty bags in Danny's wastepaper basket were rather nondescript, which meant Steve would have to ask Danny directly and that wasn't conducive to surprising someone with a gift. Besides, he knew how Danny would react: he'd demand to know why and how Steve had noticed and what gave him the idea of noticing it in the first place. While Steve was comfortable admitting thta he wanted to surprise Danny with something that might put a smile on his partner's face, his strategic research of Danny's tea drinking habits might not go over that well.
The operation “Find Danny's Tea” got much easier to accomplish during the 'Heihei' case when Steve went for that cup of tea the former Mrs. Williams had offered him. He casually dropped into the conversation that he'd wondered if Danny had picked his liking of tea from her, but Rachel explained that during the first months of her pregnancy with Grace, her doctor had only allowed her to drink tea but no coffee. Danny had hunted down several packets of English tea to give her the blend she preferred. Sympathizing with her, Danny had changed his habits and never drank a cup of coffee at home during those nine months. At the end of their chat, Steve managed to get the address of the particular store where she'd found good imports.
Two weeks later, after yet another exhausting case, Steve managed to make the time to actually go the address and returned with a small package. He left it on Danny's desk very early the next morning, before everyone else had shown up. Trying to avoid being seen, he left the bullpen again to get breakfast at a small local restaurant nearby.
Returning to Five-0 headquarters at his usual time, Danny was waiting in Steve's office, pacing the floor. He turned when he noticed Steve approaching.
“You!” Within seconds, Danny was in Steve's personal space, pointing a finger at his chest. “You could've warned me before I was making an ass out of myself! There I was, thinking that Rachel of all people sent me English tea and it turns out she hadn't. No, she explained to me that you of all people asked her what kind of tea I like. But instead of leaving matters lie, what do you do, you...” Danny threw his hands in the air. “You go and buy fucking expensive English tea! For me! Why? Are you trying to woo me?”
Not quite sure if Danny had meant that last part seriously or jokingly, Steve didn't know if he should answer truthfully. “Uhm...” he began, looking away for a moment as his heartbeat quickened.
Danny eyed him closely and as Steve finally met his gaze, his partner grew very, very still. His eyes widened, then suddenly, Danny turned around and left Steve's office.
Steve debated following Danny to clear the air, but just as he had reached a decision, the door of his office opened once more. Not saying a thing, Danny walked in, turned the blinds, and then locked the door from the inside.
“What...?” Steve asked.
“Sit your ass down on that couch, McGarrett,” Danny interrupted, a tone of command in his voice as he turned at looked at Steve. When his partner complied, he continued, pacing the floor. “You're infuriating, you know that? Whenever I want to throw something at you, you just end up doing something nice for me, and I can't do anything else but actually like you.” Danny stopped in front of Steve and looked at him, “First,” he raised the thumb of his right hand, “you ask the Governor to intervene on my behalf, so I can keep my visitation rights. Second,” the forefinger stretched out, “you end up learning procedure...”
Steve wanted to remark something to the contrary, but Danny suddenly added, “I wasn't finished yet, McGarrett!” Danny breathed deeply and added, “Yes, you jerk, I did notice what you did with the Golderman case.”
Steve shrugged visibly, since he wasn't supposed to say anything.
“Oh, now you admit you actually listen to me?” Danny growled, dropping his hand and advanced on Steve. Within seconds, he sat down on the couch and straddled his partner, so that their thighs were touching.
“Danno?” Steve asked.
Danny put his fingers on Steve's mouth. Steve shut up immediately. “I'm going to kiss you now if you don't mind.”
Steve didn't mind at all.
(end)