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The first time Grace called Steve daddy, it was a school night.
Danny had Grace for the week and she was settling herself into her room. The soft pink walls beckon to the little girl, calling her back home. Her mother refused to let her paint her walls the color she wanted, telling her that one day she wouldn't like the color. Grace insisted that they could just repaint them, but her mother reneged this idea as well.
Danny normally would have climbed the stairs to put his daughter to sleep but today he was especially exhausted. Steve had led him on a wild goose chase all over the island in pursuit of a criminal that was already in Chin and Kono's custody.
The blond man laid unhappily on the couch, making Steve do Danny's chores in retaliation. Danny wouldn't call putting his daughter to bed a chore, but it was something that Steve had started doing more and more when Danny was asleep after a long day. It seemed to make the two happy so Danny sometimes fakes being asleep to encourage the interaction.
Today, he doesn't have to pretend. Steve climbs up the wooden stairs without encouragement to put Gracie down.
By the time Steve makes it up the stairs, Grace is dressed in pink hello kitty pajamas and is snuggled under her garish pink comforter. Upon seeing her honorary 'uncle', Grace holds out Goodnight Moon, one of her favorite bedtime stories. This one is Steve's special book, and she only lets him read it to her. It is their special tradition.
Steve settles down next to her child-sized canopy bed on his knees. One arm stretches across the pink pillow and around Gracie's shoulders. Her small brunette head rests gently on his forearm.
The Navy SEAL starts reading the book, letting Gracie read every other line so that they are reading it together.
"Goodnight stars," he whispers.
"Goodnight air," Gracie reads.
"Goodnight noises everywhere," Steve finishes.
With a gentle thump, he closes the book and places it on the bookshelf near her bed.
Steve kisses Grace's forehead lovingly and retrieves his arm, swiping some hair out of her face and behind her ear.
"Night, Gracie. I love you," he whispers, thinking that the girl is asleep.
"Night, daddy. I love you too," he hears as he flips the light off.
Steve freezes. He waits a moment, two. Did he really hear that?
Slowly, he closes the door with pink lettering that reads "Gracie's Room!" to ajar.
Steve silently slips down the stairs, intent on asking Danny about this situation. He didn't want to make the other man uncomfortable with his daughter calling him daddy.
Danny is up watching an old football game on tv when Steve makes it down the stairs. The SEAL pads over to the other man and Danny lifts his head to allow his partner to sit down.
Steve teases Danny's blond locks with his thick fingers.
"Don't freak out," he begins, "Gracie called me daddy," Steve finishes, his hand frozen in Danny's hair.
Steve's body tenses as if he is expecting an attack.
Instead, Danny laughs.
"Does it bother you?" Steve pushes again.
"No, you goof. She asked me to make sure I was okay with it," Danny answers, gazing up into his parner's sharp green eyes, "does it bother you?"
"Of course not!" Steve exclaims, "I love her like my own."
"I know, that's what I told her," Danny smiles adoringly.
Steve smiles back.
"I love you and Gracie."
"We love you too," Danny replies.