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“Are you excited for tomorrow, Danno?” Avery asked, bouncing excitedly in her seat at the dinner table.
Steve looked over at Danny, “Yeah, Danno, you excited?”
“What is with you two? I mean, seriously, what’s in your cereal in the morning that makes you think getting up at four-thirty in the morning would be exciting for anyone.” Danny may have sounded upset, but the bright smile on his face alerted his whole family to the sarcastic nature of his comment, or at least to the semi-sarcastic nature of the comment; he was most definitely not a morning person.
“We’re McGarretts,” Avery answered. “It is physically impossible for us to hate mornings.”
“That’s right, sweet pea.” Steve grinned as he continued to shovel food into his mouth.
“Well, the wake-up time might not be something I’m looking forward to, but your first day on the big kids swim team, that I’m definitely never going to miss, even if practice starts at such an ungodly hour.”
Avery laughed and the rest of the meal passed with little fanfare. Avery helped clear the table and load the dishwasher, her new chore now that she was ten years old (double-digits, Dads).
“Go on up and make sure everything is packed for tomorrow, Aves, bed early tonight,” Steve directed as he shooed her up the stairs by swatting her behind with a towel. Coming back with laughter reflected in his eyes, Danny couldn’t help but pull him down and kiss him.
“Mmm, any reason in particular for such a sultry kiss?” Steve asked suggestively, eyebrows wagging.
“God, control yourself, you Neanderthal.” Danny turned back to the last of the pans while Steve packed the leftovers into containers.
“So, really, Danno, how are you feeling about tomorrow?”
Danny shrugged. Honest answer, he wasn’t too thrilled; getting up at four-thirty in the morning, every morning for the unforeseeable future, or at least until Avery was sixteen, sounded like something akin to water-boarding. In fact, Danny thought, water-boarding might be preferable. “I’m excited to see her so happy.”
“But…”
“But, I’m not thrilled about the time.”
“But, Danno, just think about all the extra time we will have in the morning now.” Steve had sidled up next to him, hands coming to rest low on his hips. “I can think of a number of things that we could do to occupy that time, especially since the house will be empty.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re going to make it your personal mission to make me understand the beauty of early-rising, and yes, you are not above sexual bribery. I get it, but I am telling you now that it’s not technically necessary. Even without the sexual benefits, I would wake up every morning at the ungodly hour of four-thirty if it meant I got to see the smile on her face, you know that.”
Steve cupped Danny’s cheek, pulling his chin up so they were looking eye to eye. “Yeah I know.”
Steve’s eyes held something, but Danny couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Searching Steve’s face for more clues, Danny realized that this was a face he hadn’t named yet. Hmm, contemplative Steve-face? Nope, how about world-domination Steve-face? Nope, again. Danny wasn’t really sure what this face was, but he was going to find out.
“What’s up?” Okay, yeah, Danny probably could have come up with a better question, but whatever.
“I, um, I have something to show you.” Steve cleared his throat, rubbed the back of his neck as the red of a blush crept up into his cheeks.
“Is this thing you have to show me something embarrassing?”
“No, not really.”
“So, what’s with the blush reaction?”
“It’s just…I’m worried about your reaction.”
“Am I not going to like it?”
“No, I think you will.”
“Well, stop stalling and just get on with it, Super SEAL.”
“Okay, okay,” Steve laughed as he walked into the office, coming back moments later with an envelope in his hand. He handed it over to Danny, making an ‘open it’ motion.
Curious, Danny flipped open the flap and took out the contents. Scanning through the first few lines, Danny was stunned. He just read and re-read the same three lines at the top of the page, not able to comprehend anything past ‘Official Notification of Authorization of Parental Guardianship.’
“Danno…”
“What, huh, sorry, babe. I’m just speechless.”
“That’s a first.”
“Shut up.”
Steve promptly shut his mouth and waited for Danny to continue. “I just, I can’t believe that this is actually happening.”
Danny took a seat in the living room, Steve sitting down next to him, throwing an arm over his shoulders. “It really is, Danny. I couldn’t wait to show you when I got it, but it seemed like every moment there was someone else there, and I just wanted it to be the two of us.”
“She’s mine now.”
“Legally-speaking, but she’s been yours since she was five.”
“But, this just makes it seem so much more real. Wow, I just don’t know what to say.”
Danny looked up at Steve; the pure, unadulterated love shining back at him was enough to take his breath away. For many years Danny was sure he’d never get the family he’d always wanted. He’d tried so hard with Rachel to make it work, especially after Grace was born, but they were just two very different people and it was destined for disaster. And for a long time Danny was sure he’d never find anything like that again. A love so powerful it stopped your heart and enlightened your soul. He was positive that he was fated for bi-weekly visits with his daughter, crappy bug-infested apartments, and a job where he would always be an outsider until Grace moved away to college.
But then Steve barged into his life making no apologies as he destroyed every wall, broke every rule, and otherwise wormed his way right into the darkest depths of Danny’s soul and pulled him out. And in the blink of an eye Danny found himself head over heels for an insane-Navy SEAL with a precious daughter just as mischievous as her father.
And that’s how Danny found himself here, with a family born of unfortunate circumstances but having developed into a loving, caring unit anyway. There was nothing, absolutely nothing Danny wouldn’t do for the man sitting next to him or the girl upstairs. This, along with Grace, was his family. And even though they never needed a piece of paper to tell them they were a family, seeing the official notice made the bond that much more real.
To them and to everyone else, they were a family. And through good times and bad, they would stick together.
“You don’t have to say anything, babe,” Steve whispered, pulling the paper out of Danny’s hand as he leaned forward and captured the blonde’s lips with his. Steve kissed him with passion, fire. The clear happiness he felt from knowing that Avery would always have a parent to love her should anything happen to him, radiated through Steve’s lips and into Danny’s heart.
Danny would be there for his Super SEAL and their little girls, always.
*H50*
The next morning dawned too early for Danny’s liking, especially when his wake-up call was not the pleasant song he had chosen as his alarm, but rather a bubbly ten-year old that landed belly-first on top of him, yelling “Danno! Dad! Wake-up, it’s swim time!”
“Avery Lynne, get out of this bed,” Steve said, pushing the covers to the side and getting out of bed, picking up the flailing girl as he went, “You are not five anymore. You are a big girl who gets to swim with the other big kids, so could you give your old dads a break with the jumping.”
Shuffling her feet, her own trademark McGarrett blush flushing her face, “Okay, Daddy. But can you make pancakes?”
“Good to see that talk went well,” Danny commented from his prone position still under the covers, he had ten more minutes, dammit.
Steve flung a fallen pillow in the direction of Danny’s head before pushing Avery towards the door, whispering, “Let’s get out of here before cranky Danno monster tells us we can’t have pancakes when we get home from swimming.”
“No pancakes for Dad, Avery’s safe though,” Danny fake-whispered back as the rest of his family made their way out of the room. After a few more minutes, he decided sleep wasn’t going to happen and trudged his way towards the shower, the warm spray feeling great on his sleep-riddled body.
Danny came downstairs, slicking back his hair with the excess water dripping from it, to see Avery pouting at the breakfast bar, her stare rivaling Steve’s own.
“What’s going on?” Danny prodded, grabbing the cup of coffee Steve had made for him.
“He won’t let me have pancakes.” Avery’s face was scrunched in anger, small arms crossed in front of her chest.
“Avery, I told you we can have pancakes when you get home. They are too heavy to eat before swimming; they will make you get a stomachache.”
“I don’t care. I want pancakes.”
“Nice to know I’m not the only person cranky in the morning,” Danny smirked causing Steve to just glare in his direction.
“Avery Lynne, you are ten years old, and like you remind us daily, you are a big girl so check the whining at the door and eat your toast. Pancakes are for after swimming, end of discussion.”
Danny watched his “new” daughter and husband continue in their battle of wills, Steve staring Avery down until she swallowed every last bit of toast on her plate. Satisfied that she had eaten enough until after practice, he directed her towards the bathroom, pulled Danny in for his own good morning kiss, and the two of them waited by the door for Avery to emerge with her swim bag slung over her shoulder.
Avery’s mood seemed to lighten up as they got closer to the pool; the excitement of joining the most competitive team at the Y overtaking any sourness from this morning. She exited the car excitedly, only slowing down to a walk when the woman at the front desk reminded her that running was not allowed.
Steve grabbed Danny’s hand and led him over to the bleachers. They had already discussed their new morning routine; usually they wouldn’t stay and watch her practice, but since it was her first day, they made an exception.
“You okay with not getting your swim in this morning?” Danny asked Steve, nudging his side to get his attention. Steve had been riveted to Avery, watching her smile and laugh along with her teammates every time they took a break between sets.
“Yeah, this is much better.”
Danny agreed. “It doesn’t really get much better does it?”
Steve looked over at Danny and smiled. He wrapped an arm around Danny’s waist, pulling him closer, “Thank you for helping me give my daughter the family she deserves.”
“Thank you for giving me the family I never thought I’d get.”
They were usually very cautious in public, but this moment called for a kiss and damn if Danny wasn’t going to kiss his husband, on-lookers be damned.
This man, that little girl, and Grace were his and would always be his.
Their family might not be traditional, and the way they became one may have been unconventional, but the love Danny felt from Steve or their girls made every single sacrifice and every missed minute of sleep infinitely worth it.
“I love you, Steve.”
“I love you too, Danno.”