Chapter Text
“This is a damn joke, right?”
Danny stood in the doorway of the hotel room, arms crossed, staring at the one bed.
One. Single. Bed.
Steve, of course completely unfazed, dropped his bag and gave the room a quick glance. “Looks cozy.”
Danny slowly turned toward him, eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. “Cozy? Steven, that is a bed. Singular. One. Not two, not separate, just one. Are you telling me that a hotel in this price range can’t even spring for two beds?”
They were on the mainland for a couple of days, supposed to testify in a trial.
Steve shrugged. “What can I say, Danno? It was the only room left.”
“I’m pretty sure you did this on purpose.”
“Oh yeah, absolutely. I personally bribed the hotel manager so we’d end up in a room with just one bed. Because that’s exactly the master plan I’ve been working on.”
Danny blinked. “I hate how that actually sounds plausible.”
Steve grinned, pulled out a T-shirt and tossed it onto the bed. “Relax, Danno. It’s just a few nights. I can always sleep on the floor if you’re afraid I’ll harass you in your sleep.”
Danny raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, McGarrett, I’m much more concerned you’ll accidentally strangle me in your sleep.”
“That’s never happened.”
“You kicked me once in your sleep!”
“You were snoring.”
Danny just stared at him. Steve only grinned wider.
“I hate you so much.”
“Of course you do.”
“Come on, Danno. Don’t be dramatic. It’s not the first time we’ve shared a bed.”
“And that,” Danny snapped, “is the damn problem.” But he knew there was nothing he could do about it tonight. Maybe tomorrow he could ask the front desk for a second room. Or at least one with two separate beds. For now, he’d have to put up with the Neanderthal.
By the time Danny came out of the bathroom, Steve had already spread out across one half of the bed.
“Okay,” Danny said, drawing an imaginary line across the mattress with his arm. “This is my side. That’s your side. No crossing.”
Steve suppressed a laugh. “Yes, Danno. I’ll respect the invisible border.”
“I’m serious!” Danny flopped onto the bed, rolling onto his side with his back to Steve. “You’ve got those SEAL sleeping habits. I swear, if you move even an inch over to my side, I’ll wake you with an elbow to the ribs.”
“You’re a real cuddle monster, you know that?”
“McGarrett, I swear—”
Steve just laughed, rolled onto his back, and pulled the blanket over himself.
******
Danny woke because it was hot. Way too hot.
Blinking, it took him a moment to realize he definitely wasn’t on his side of the bed anymore. Steve was close. Too close. Really close.
Danny’s face was pressed against Steve’s shoulder, his arm draped loosely over Steve’s waist. And before full-on panic could kick in, he realized he’d broken his own damn rule. Worse. He’d actually cuddled up to him.
Danny froze. Okay. No reason to panic. This was just … an unfortunate sleeping position. Yeah. Exactly.
He tried moving slowly, carefully, without sudden motion. But right at that moment, he heard a deep, satisfied hum. Steve was holding him tight. How the hell could someone still have that much strength while unconscious, Danny wondered.
“Steve,” Danny hissed in a deadly whisper.
“Hmm…?”
“Let me go.”
“Nah…”
Steve, still half-asleep, actually pulled him closer. That was it. Danny yanked himself free and sat up abruptly. “Okay! That’s enough! You’re a boundary-violating cuddler, McGarrett!”
Steve blinked up at him, groggy, as if he had no idea what was going on.
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?! I woke up and we were cuddling! You were holding onto me like your life depended on it!”
Steve yawned and stretched. “Guess you rolled over in your sleep, huh?”
Danny pointed a finger at him. “You were hugging me.”
Steve shrugged. “Maybe. But you didn’t seem to mind.”
Danny gasped. “I was asleep, Steven! I can’t fight off your SEAL cuddle attack while I’m unconscious!”
Steve grinned lazily. “Not my fault you’re comfortable, Danno.”
Danny just stared at him. Then he threw a pillow at his face.
Steve laughed.
“You know what?” Danny finally muttered, lying back down again—this time with a careful thirty-centimeter gap between them. “I don’t wanna talk about this anymore. Ever. This never happened.”
“Sure thing, Danno.”
“Shut up, McGarrett.”