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Danny let out a small groan as he stretched, his eyes fluttering open squinting at the light that shone in through the curtains.
The feeling of Steve’s lips leaving a trail of gentle kisses on his skin had him smiling softly arching his neck in response before he looked down carding his fingers through his partner's hair, meeting him for a kiss.
“Morning.” Steve mumbled against his lips, sealing his mouth over Danny’s again before he had a chance to respond, the hand that wasn’t cupping Danny’s cheek had migrated to his hip caressing the soft skin there.
“Morning to you.” Danny hummed contentedly as Steve focused his attention on his shoulders nipping playfully and letting out a deep chuckle when Danny hissed and swatted at him.
“Animal.” Danny grumbled unable to stop the smile that played around his lips.
“You love me.” Steve whispered in his ear dropping his head into the crook of Danny’s neck breathing him in and pressing soft kisses into his skin.
“I do.” Danny whispered back lazily trailing his hands down Steve’s broad back. “Mmm what time is it?”
“A little after 7.” Steve replied cushioning his head on Danny’s chest.
“Kids should be up soon.” Danny said absentmindedly tracing the tattoos on Steve’s arms. “Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”
“Couldn’t bring myself to.” Steve shrugged, chuckling when Danny playfully slapped the hand that was trailing dangerously low under the sheets. “Meant to wake you when I came back from my swim but you looked so peaceful I just couldn't do it.”
“You big fucking sap.”
“What can I say.” Steve grinned lifting his head to press his lips to Danny’s. “It’s what you do to me Danny Williams.”
“Danny McGarrett-Williams.” Danny corrected threading his hand through Steve’s hair. “Don’t blame me. I think you were a big softie before you even met me.”
“I vehemently deny that.” Steve said, pressing a feather light kiss to the finger that Danny’s wedding band sat on before intertwining their hands, raising them so that their wedding bands shone in the sun. “But whatever helps you sleep at night babe.”
“Yeah yeah yeah, you were the big bad SEAL how could I forget.” Danny rolled his eyes with a smirk. “So you met me and what, my sunny disposition turned you into a big softie?”
Danny glanced down at his husband when he didn't get an answer and was met with a look he couldn’t decipher, one he saw too often on Steve, it made him slightly breathless for reasons he couldn’t explain.
“What?” He questioned with a small smile that only widened when Steve looked away quickly clearing his throat.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t nothing me what was that look.”
“I love you.” Steve finally got out fixing Danny with that look again. “And It’s just-It’s hard for me to believe sometimes, that I get to have this, that I get to have you, Gracie, Charlie, Nahele, our family, don’t know what I did to deserve it.”
“Babe…” Danny trailed off as he brought Steve’s forehead down to his rubbing his thumbs soothingly across Steve’s cheeks. “Believe it, I’m here, okay I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, we’re not going anywhere.”
“I know Danno.” Steve whispered between the kisses Danny was peppering his face with. “It just hits me sometimes and it’s a little overwhelming.”
“I get that.” Danny sighed rubbing his thumb against the shell of Steve’s ear as he looked at him. “You think I don’t get that? Nine years ago my miserable ass got dragged to this rock so that I could be with my daughter, the only thing that mattered to me and I somehow stumbled into meeting the love of my life and a whole new family, people that matter so much to me and now here I am calling this rock my home, so if anyone should be in disbelief it’s me.”
“Deciding to be your partner all those years ago, letting you insert yourself into every aspect of my life was the best decision I ever made, you have me Steve, all of me, okay?”
“Always?” Steve asked in a whisper.
“Always.” Danny confirmed gently placing a kiss to his left cheek, then the right, then his nose, his chin stopping as his lips ghosted over Steve’s. “Till death do us part.”
Danny barely had time to get out that last bit before Steve crushed their lips together moving so that he was straddling Danny.
They traded lazy kisses, content to do just that, tangled up together as they listened to the gentle crash of the waves.
“Could stay like this forever, you’re pretty comfy.” Steve whispered, smiling when he felt Danny shake beneath him with a laugh.
“Yeah well you’re pretty heavy so don’t count on it.” Danny whispered playing with the hair at the nape of Steve's neck. “And as much as I love you and would love to stay here forever, we better get up before the kids barge in here asking where breakfast is.”
With one last peck to Steve’s lips Danny was up, tugging on the first pair of boxers he saw on the floor before padding over to the washroom.
“I’m sure Nahele could start on breakfast without us.” Steve threw over his shoulder as he pulled on a pair of boxers himself before rummaging around for a clean pair of pants.
“He’s the one I’m worried about.” Danny laughed, voice sounding from somewhere in the bathroom. “That boy eats more than you and me combined.”
“I’m sure a few more minutes won’t hurt anyone.” Steve whispered a mischievous hint to his tone as he came up behind Danny wrapping his arms around his waist playing with the hem of his boxers.
“You know I’d love to babe.” Danny hummed hands wrapping around Steve’s and halting his movements. “But I’d rather we didn’t scar our children.”
“You hear that?”
“No.” Danny rolled his eyes knowing where this was going, unable to hide the smile playing around his lips as he looked at Steve through the mirror.
“Exactly.” Steve grinned spinning Danny around and pulling him flush against him. “House is quiet, kids are probably still sleeping.”
Steve had just barely attached his lips to Danny’s when there was a soft but persistent knock on their bedroom door.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He grumbled when Danny freed himself from his grasp with a laugh making his way to the door, as he followed close behind.
“Danno, Uncle Steve?” Gracie’s voice filtered through.
“What is it Monkey?” Danny called back.
“Nahele’s making pancakes.”
“I’m sorry Nahele is doing what ?” Danny asked, taking a deep breath when he felt his husband's hands on his shoulders, a calming gesture.
“We’ll be down in a little bit Gracie.” Steve replied, unable to hide the amusement in his voice. “Hey maybe try a pancake while you’re down there hon, let us know how they taste.”
“You will do no such thing.” Danny objected with a huff before turning to Steve. “You’re really gonna subject our daughter to that.”
“For all we know he could make amazing pancakes.”
“Seeing how you taught him to cook I highly doubt that.” Danny scoffed rolling his eyes at Steve’s pout. “Not that you aren’t a great cook babe but pancakes are more in my wheelhouse.”
“We better go help him then.” Steve smirked playfully smacking Danny's ass.
“You’re the worst.” Danny knew that would probably sound more believable if he weren’t so damn fond.
“Love you too.”
When they made their way down to the kitchen the sight that greeted them pulled at Steve’s heart and spread warmth through his chest.
Nahele was in front of the stove holding a giggling Charlie in one arm and a ladle full of pancake batter that looked like it was going just about everywhere but the pan it was intended to in the other.
Gracie was sitting at the table, a fond smile on her lips as she threw chocolate chips at the back of her brothers heads laughing when Charlie caught one and shoved it in his mouth sending himself into a fit of giggles.
“Charlie stay still or the pancakes aren’t gonna be perfect circles like you like em to be.” Nahele scolded though there was no real heat behind it evident by the smile that he sent his little brother's way and the kiss he pressed to his cheek as a sorry.
Steve chanced a glance at Danny and knew immediately by the glossy tint to his eyes that any objection he had about Nahele cooking had died on his lips.
“Charlie, are you listening to your brother?” Steve asked with a quirked brow as he pressed a kiss to Gracies head before stealing a chocolate chip from her ignoring the glare she directed at him.
“Yes sir!” Charlie replied with a mock salute immediately squirming to be let down making a beeline for Steve giggling when Steve spun him around before resting him on his hip.
“Grace.” Nahele turned to glare at her. “I told you I wanted to surprise them.”
“Hey, hey eyes on the pancakes.” Danny snapped his fingers as he made his way over to the stove fussing over the way Nahele was laddling the pancakes onto the pan, the fond tone in his voice unmistakable.
“Surprise them? More like kill them.” She muttered before turning to Danny. “Danno can you please take over so we can actually eat?”
“Hey!” Nahele protested. “I can make pancakes, are you forgetting I work for kamekona.”
“Yeah you work on a truck.” Grace scoffed ducking one of the stray chocolate chips Nahele found and tossed at her. “A shrimp truck and you don’t even cook!”
“Dad!” Nahele groaned turning to Steve for support.
“Gracie say sorry to your brother.”
“Sorry that I’m actually looking out for the wellbeing of our parents and little brother.” Grace countered sticking her tongue out.
“Remind your sister what is it I always say?” Steve asked Charlie.
“You get what you get and you don’t get upset!” He said proudly.
“Right on!” Steve high fived Charlie before setting him down. “Hey buddy why don’t you go on and watch some cartoons while we finish getting breakfast ready.”
“Can I sit in front of the TV instead of on the couch, please?”
“Sure.” Steve said ruffling his hair before whispering. “Just don’t tell Danno.”
“I heard that.” Danny called from his spot at the stove beside Nahele as Charlie raced to the living room.
“Heard what?” Steve asked innocently leaning in to peck Danny on the cheek moving to get some much needed coffee started for them.
Danny turned to Steve for a proper kiss before pulling away cradling his face with a fond look that still sent his heart soaring. “You’re lucky you're cute.”
“It’s why you married me right.” Steve smirked wrapping the smaller man up in his arms.
“Among other things.”
“Uh Grace could you help me out here?” Nahele ushered her over. “I stack em, you butter the pancakes okay?”
“Got it.” She nodded getting a plate and the butter out of the fridge before making her way back. “Hey those actually don’t look half bad.”
“I told you I knew how to make pancakes.” His smirk only grew when she playfully shoved at him. “I used to work at a diner.”
"Really?" Grace questioned, laughing when Nahele swatted at her for stealing a bit of a pancake. "When?"
“Uh after my mom died and I ran away from the foster home I’d been on the streets for a while and there was this diner in Waikiki that I used to go to, at first I’d just go there to stay out of trouble or out of the rain but after a while one of the waitresses, Alani saw how often I was around and she sat down with me one day and I thought she was gonna tell me to get lost but she just set a stack of pancakes down in front of me. She told me I didn’t have to pay for em and then she just sat there with me while I ate. She did that for a while before eventually I started talking, everytime I came around she’d find time to sit and talk with me and if we didn’t talk we’d just sit in silence, I didn’t mind. I liked having the company regardless.”
“She sounds nice.” Grace smiled softly at Nahele as they worked in tandem.
“She was.” Nahele nodded. “Anyways after a couple weeks she’d found out I had no family, no home, no job so she offered to let me help around the diner you know clean, throw out the garbage, do the dishes things like that. Sometimes when it wasn’t too busy she’d let me help her out in kitchen, making the basics, eggs, bacon, grilled cheese, pancakes I mean she basically taught me how to cook before you did Dad and I know it sounds kinda stupid that any of that stuck with me-"
“It doesn’t sound stupid.” Grace protested resting a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. “She cared about you, of course it stuck with you.”
“Well the diner closed a couple months after I started working there so it was basically back to the streets for me.” He smiled sadly. “You know she was the only person that ever cared about me, cared what happened to me.”
“Until now.” Grace murmured wrapping him up in a hug and by the tone of her voice it was clear she was in tears. “Because now you have us and we love you.”
“I love you guys too.” Nahele whispered, returning the embrace, clinging to his sister.
Steve tried to blink away the tears he could feel welling up as he thought about Nahele's life before he'd met them, and as he watched with that warmth spreading in his chest again as his kids clung together.
“Did you know about all that?” Danny asked, coming up beside Steve who’d made his way to the kitchen entrance leaning against the wall, handing him a cup of coffee before fitting himself under Steve’s arm.
“No.” Steve shook his head taking a sip watching Grace and Nahele laugh as Nahele stacked a pancake a bit too high, saving the plate from falling but in turn getting pancake batter all over himself. “That kids been through so much, we probably don’t even know the half of it.”
“He’ll open up to us when he’s ready.” Danny stated. "You can't rush something like that."
Steve took in a deep breath before he spoke again, a vulnerable hint to his tone as he turned to his husband. “Do you think we’ve given him enough?”
"Babe are you serious right now?" Danny turned so that he and Steve were eye to eye. “Steve you took him in, you could have turned him over to the system but you took him in and you cared for him, you brought him into your life, into our lives, you gave Gracie and Charlie a brother, you gave me another son, and most importantly you gave Nahele a family, so don’t you for a second think that you’ve given that boy anything less than your all. Okay, we’re his parents, it isn’t our job to fix him or to make him open up to us all we can do is love him, unconditionally, no matter what, make sure he never forgets that, and just be there to listen to him when he needs us.”
“Sometimes I can’t help but think that If I’d just-” Steve began before Danny interrupted him.
“Don’t.” Danny spoke in a hushed tone.“Don’t do that.”
Steve sighed looking down at Danny. “Do what?”
“Doubt yourself.” Danny whispered , running his hands up and down Steve’s back. “You’re a good dad, you know.”
“Even when I let Charlie sit too close to the TV?”
“I do it too.” Danny grumbled into his mug. “That kid’s puppy dog eyes are unrelenting, he should probably go into acting.”
“Noted.” Steve smiled lazily tugging Danny closer. “If I am a good dad it’s because I learned from you.”
“We learn from each other.” He pressed a kiss to Steve’s shoulder before meeting his eyes. “That’s what this is all about right, growing together.”
“Right.” Steve smiled down meeting Danny halfway for a kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Danny hummed about to lean in again when he saw an egg fly past him and hit the wall. “Was that-”
The high pitched screech that came from the kitchen followed by the cloud of flour that settled near them all but confirmed their suspicions.
Danny sighed thumping his head against Steve’s chest as Steve laughed. “Let’s go save our kitchen from our kids.”