Fic: Merry Christmas, Babe (H50, G, Steve/Danny)

[melissas_corner]

Title: Merry Christmas, Babe
Author: logans_girl2001
Fandom: Hawaii Five-0
Pairing: Steve/Danny
Rating: G
Category: Slash
Status: Complete
Archive: My website
Feedback: Yes, please.
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters.
Author's Notes: Written for squidgiepdx's stocking over on fandom_stocking. You have the special honor of being only the fourth person I've ever written a story in just a few hours for. Merry Christmas. Hope you enjoy it.
Sequel/Series: None
Summary: Steve accompanies Grace and Danny to New Jersey for Christmas.
Warnings: Christmas clichés and fluff.
Spoilers: All aired episodes are fair game.
Beta: I am currently without a beta and accepting applications. If interested, please let me know.

Danny's POV:

I can't help the chuckle that escapes at Steve shivering despite being all wrapped up in a parka, hat and scarf. "You've spent too much time in warm climates, Babe." I reach up and brush some snow off his shoulder where it fell off a nearby tree branch.

"Have not." I'm sure he meant that to be more convincing than it was.

"You did spend four years at Annapolis, right?" He nods. "And yet you're still freezing. You do know that Maryland isn't that far away, yes?"

Another nod. "But that was several years ago, D."

"Exactly! You've spent too many years in warm climates. Not to mention that you were born in Hawai'i. Why don't you just go inside and get warm?"

"You coming?" He blinks his eyes in a manner that's just shy of being able to be called batting his eyelashes.

"No. I promised Grace I'd build a snowman with her." No sooner do the words leave my mouth than a snowball explodes against the back of Steve's head. I bite my lip to keep from laughing because I saw it coming but chose to not warn him.

"Alright!" Steve spins gracefully on his heel proving he spent many years doing so in snow. "Who threw that?" The only person around is Grace but she shakes her head.

"Not me!" Her giggles give lie to her words.

"I'm gonna get you!" And with that as her only warning, Steve takes off after her while trying to make a snowball.

Watching the man I love playing with my daughter in the snow makes my heart warm and I find myself laughing so much that my cheeks start to hurt. Eventually they turn their sights on me and soon all three of us are chasing each other through the snow. Several hours later, I manage to tackle Grace into a pile of snow and notice just how wind burned her cheeks are getting.

"Alright, enough for today." I pull her to her feet and ignore both her and Steve's protests as I usher them inside. "Upstairs, Grace. Take a shower and get ready for bed."

"But, Danno!" She stomps a foot and pouts at me.

"No buts. Tomorrow's Christmas. Santa doesn't come if you're awake."

She huffs and tilts her head. "I don't believe in Santa anymore, Danno. You know that."

I bite back a sigh at this further proof that my little girl is growing up. "Yes, but he still believes in you." I bop her on the tip of her nose. "Now, do as you're told."

"Okay, Danno." She leans over and kisses my cheek. I frown after her retreating back because all too soon she'll have to lean down to kiss my cheek.

"It'll be okay, Danno." Steve wraps his arms around me from behind. "She'll always be your little girl; no matter how big she gets."

Turning in his arms, I pull his head down for a chaste kiss. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No, I guess not." Pulling out of my arms, he walks into the kitchen. "Shall I make us some hot cocoa?" Best thing my mother ever did was teach Steve how to make her hot cocoa.

"Sure." We sit at the kitchen table and sip the warm drink while waiting our turns in the shower. Until I met Steve I didn't like silences; but he has taught me that there's intimacy in silence too.

When we hear the shower turn off, I send Steve up for his; he's not used to the cold like I am. Sure I could have joined him but I know that if I had we'd have used up all the hot water. As it is, once it's my turn there's very little hot water left. In fact, the hot water runs out just as I'm finishing rinsing off. I step from the tub with my teeth chattering slightly.

Making quick work of getting dressed, I dry my hair but chose to not style it. I mean, we're in for the rest of the night so it doesn't matter.

As I jog down the stairs I can hear Steve and my mother talking in the kitchen. I know it's wrong to eavesdrop but I can't help it. Stopping just out of sight I listen to them talk.

"Are you sure?" Ma's voice is soft like whenever one of us would disappoint her.

"Yeah. He very specifically told my mother that he does not want to ever marry again."

"Oh, Steve. Surely you misunderstood. Or maybe he just meant right then. Or maybe-"

"No, Clara." Steve interrupts her. "He meant he refuses to ever marry again." I can hear anger beginning to edge into Steve's voice.

My heart breaks when it becomes obvious that he wants to make us legal and official. But he's right. I did tell Doris that I don't want to ever marry again. But my mother is also right. I couldn't answer truthfully (that I want to marry Steve) because it was not legal for us to do so at that time and I wasn't sure if Doris was supportive of her son's sexuality. I have since been made aware that she doesn't care just so long as the person treats him right and makes him happy.

And now I know exactly what to get Steve for Christmas. My decision made, I head back upstairs to put on my shoes and come back down making a lot of noise. "Hey, there you are." I step into the kitchen and kiss Steve's cheek. "I gotta run out for a last minute gift. You good?"

"Danny?" Ma's brows lower in a frown. "It's Christmas Eve."

"I know. Hence the term 'last minute gift'. It shouldn't take me long." I turn and head for the door.

"Want me to come along?" Steve takes my coat and assists me into it.

"Naw. You stay here where it's nice and warm. It really will be a quick trip."

He nods but I can tell he's concerned. "The mall's bound to be crazy."

"Not going to the mall." I pull on my gloves and fish my keys out of my pocket.

"Danny…" He really wants to continue to argue with me but doesn't know what to say.

"It'll be fine, okay? Just stay here and have some more eggnog. I'll be back before you know it." I kiss him one last time, then slip out the door into the frigid night.

Despite it being nearly 6pm on Christmas Eve, the store I chose is empty of customers. And judging by how the clerk's face lights up when I enter, it has probably been empty most of the day.

"Good evening, Sir! How may I assist you?"

"Well, I'm looking for an engagement ring."

"Oh!" The clerk, whose nametag says her name is Irene, clasps her hands beneath her chin. "How romantic! Will this be for a man or a woman?"

I can feel a flush heating up my neck because I haven't had many opportunities to admit that I'm in love with a man. "A man."

Her smile widens. "Awesome. Our men's engagement and wedding rings are right over here." She walks to the counter on her left.

The selection is not as big as for women, for obvious reasons, but it is still larger than I expected. And there are several that come in matching pairs.

Knowing Steve, and the nature of our jobs, I pick a pair that is simple yet elegant: gold bands with inlaid diamonds. "That pair, please."

"Excellent choice." Irene takes the box out and hands it to me. I pick up one of the rings and look at the size on the little tag. "This one will fit my boyfriend but I'm a size smaller."

"Oh, not to worry. This one is very popular so we have it in several different sizes." She takes the ring and box back before crouching down behind the counter. When she stands back up she's holding two smaller ring boxes. "For your boyfriend." She lifts the ring box in her right hand. "And for you." She does the same with her left.

"Perfect." My cheeks are killing me from smiling so much. "If you'll put the one in a gift bag, please?"

"Absolutely."

After I finish paying, and apologizing for coming in so close to her closing time (which she brushes off by saying it had been really slow all day), I get back in the car and head back to Ma's house. The whole way there I flip-flop between proposing to Steve privately, with just Grace present, or in front of my whole family. And, of course, I have not made my decision by the time I arrive.

Dinner is a simple affair with just Ma, Pop, Grace, Steve and myself. And since Ma will be cooking a large traditional meal in the morning, we make do with sandwiches.

Later, everyone drifts off to bed and I send Steve up alone. He gives me a questioning look but I just shake my head and shoo him away.

Sitting in the living room, lit only by the lights on the tree and the dying fire, I try and figure out just how to propose to Steve. Traditional and sappy just isn't us but I'm worried that the words just won't come when I open my mouth.

I've just about decided to give up for the night and head up to bed when Steve lifts the blanket and slides onto the floor next to me. "Everything alright, Danno?" His voice is tinged with worry at how quiet I've been all evening.

"Everything's great, Babe. No worries." I twist around to press a kiss to his lips. "I was just about to head up."

"Danny, I've been wanting to ask-" I can't let him finish that sentence. Even if it's not headed where I think it is, I can't take the risk.

"Please don't, Steve. Not tonight and definitely not here."

"Fine." And now I've pissed him off. He stands and marches from the room.

Since I know my reception will be at least extremely cool, if not downright cold, should I even attempt to sleep in my bed with him, I decide to just sleep on the couch. And that's where Grace finds me the next morning.

"Danno. Hey, Danno!" she shakes me so roughly I'm in danger of falling off the couch.

"Huh, wha-?" I blink my eyes open and find my parents and Steve waiting for me to get up.

"Everyone else will be here soon, Daniel. Time to get up." Ma turns on her heel and heads to the kitchen to get breakfast started.

"Why ya sleeping on the couch, Danno?" Grace plops down on the couch once I sit up.

"Oh, I was just sitting down here enjoying the fire and must have fallen asleep." I press a kiss to her temple. "C'mon, let's help Grandma with breakfast."

Over the next two hours the rest of the family arrive and the noise level in the house increases. But that's one of the best things about the holidays: being surrounded by family.

After breakfast we open presents. The kids go first. Then Ma and Pop. And then in reverse birth order so my youngest sister gets her presents first. To make this part last longer, everyone opens their presents as they're given so we can all watch them being opened.

Finally, everyone has received their gifts and Steve is still being very closed off and not really ignoring me but still not really receptive to me either. And that's when I realize it's the perfect time. Even if he thinks I'm doing it now to get him to stop pouting; here, now, with my family present is the perfect time to propose.

I make my way over to my coat where I pull the tiny gift bag from my pocket and make my way back through the mess of paper and ribbons to where he's sitting on the hearth.

Getting down on one knee, I take his left hand in mine. "Steve, I love you more than I ever thought possible. Especially with the way you got under my skin when we first met. But now I cannot imagine my life without you in it. Will you marry me?" I hold up the little gift bag.

It takes him a very long moment, a moment during which my heart moves from my chest into my throat, to reach out for the little bag and pull out the ring box. He stares at it for a few seconds, then opens it. My sisters are sitting on either side of him and they both lean over to catch a glimpse of the ring inside. Their twin gasps of surprise tell me I picked the right ring.

Bridget, sitting on Steve's left, nudges him. "Well? Go on. Answer him." Stacey on his right nods in agreement.

"Uncle Steve?" Grace comes to kneel at my left. "Will you marry us?"

Steve looks at me, then at Grace. When he focuses back on me I can see the tears in his eyes. "Is this why you wouldn't let me finish that sentence last night?"

I nod. "Yeah. I don't care if you weren't going to ask, I didn't want to risk it. Forgive me?"

He licks his lips and hands the ring back. My heart drops to my feet. I start to say that I understand when he thrusts his left hand in my face. "Well? Aren't you supposed to put it on my finger?"

I look up and meet his eyes. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

He scratches his forehead. And then I see when he figures it out. "Yes, I'll marry you."

The relief I feel is indescribable. We reach for each other at the same time and share a brief kiss. Pulling back, I slip the ring on his finger and use my grip on his hand to pull him into my lap. "I love you, you animal."

"Love you, too."

We cuddle with each other and Grace while my mother begins planning our wedding for next Christmas.