[AU - Hospital]

[haolehothead]

Danny has possibly strangled his hair in the time he's been waiting by Steve's bedside. He can't strangle the nurses and maybe the doctors are gonna mind if he strangles the IV tubing, so instead he takes his hands to his own hair and turned it into a genuine mess. "Holy crap," he exhales, "Steven, you are so dead when you wake up."

They've pumped him full of drugs and Danny had to wait twelve hours. They called his sister, but Danny, who is actually there had to wait twelve hours outside before the nurses let him in, and only because he flashed his Five-O badge, he's pretty sure.

His leg is jittery and he's getting a little tired of just watching Steve breathe. "You know, if you wanted to dump me, there are better ways of getting out of this besides dying," he says mildly, like that's bound to do anything.

Comments

[newkindofcop]

"Sleep," Steve coaxes, giving him a look that's meant to be reassuring.

"You can't be around to worry if you're not rested first."

[haolehothead]

"Yeah, well, I don't trust you to not leave. So when Kono handcuffs you to the bed, babe, you just smile and nod, got it?" Danny lets out a weary sigh and leans in to press his lips to Steve's forehead. "Sleep well, you goof."

[newkindofcop]

"Mmhmm," Steve sighs, attempting verbal agreement and only making it as far as a small sound.

"She can try," he's quick to add, as Danny leans over him.

[haolehothead]

"You are hilariously endearing, given that the morphine in your system is probably making it so you don't even know you have legs," Danny says with a broad smirk on his lips. "Really. Seriously." He presses a last smack of a kiss to Steve's forehead and then he's gone.

He stays gone for almost twenty-six hours, sixteen of which he spent sleeping, four of which he spent at work, and the remaining six reassuring Grace that Steve was all right. He's even got flowers by the time he gets back.

"Steven," Danny calls out loudly while he's still approaching in the hallway. "I come bearing get-well-gifts."

[newkindofcop]

Steve's already feeling better, if the way he's sitting up in bed is any indication - and he knows the only reason Danny is probably cheery at this point is because he hasn't heard about Steve starting to refuse his daily doses of morphine. He's not about to stay in a loopy place - he wants to be all mentally there by the time Danny gets back and Mary arrives for the first time.

"Should I be worried?" he quips, idly scratching at the place where the IV needle has been taped into the back of his hand.

[haolehothead]

There is a distinct lack of loopy-Steve going on and Danny narrows his eyes at the man for a long moment, not sure that it's the right condition, but he lets it go for now. "I dunno, have you ever been in a relationship before? Do you not know that you're supposed to bring gifts when there's harm involved?" Danny quips right back. "Is this why you're so shitty at human-to-human? You never got the guidebook?"

He arranges the flowers on the nearby table, bringing over a small koala bear. "From Grace," he explains, tucking it snugly into Steve's elbow. "She, ah, she didn't want you to be lonely." And Danny hasn't told her yet about the whole dating part.

[newkindofcop]

"Could be," Steve admits, although if he really were forced to admit it, it would be a bigger truth than even he realizes, his lacking in the whole personal relationships department. He smiles briefly, though - he's learned how to do it without pulling at his stitches - when Danny tucks the koala bear into his arm, the soft faux fur nestled against his skin.

"Tell her thanks very much from me. Does koala have a name?"

[haolehothead]

"She gracefully," he puns with a smirk on his lips, "left the naming to you, but gave me full veto power over anything terrible," Danny says, a bright grin on his lips until he realizes that there's no drip except saline in the IV bag.

Which means Steve isn't on any pain meds.

He presses his lips together tightly and tries to bury the incoming rant.

[newkindofcop]

"I don't know," Steve admits, looking at the koala a minute more. "I'll have to think on it for a while."

He's kidding, but when he glances up to Danny's face, he can already sense something coming on, so he tries to deflect.

"Thanks for the flowers."

[haolehothead]

"We'll talk about the flowers later," Danny says, tersely, reaching for the chart and seeing in printed letters the confirmation of what he expected. "Okay!" he shouts, already in full reaction mode. "What the hell do you think you're doing? I mean, besides being an idiot? Do you wanna be here in the hospital forever? Is that it? Do you not ever want to have sex with me again?"

[newkindofcop]

"Danny," Steve hisses - one, because Danny's already at volume level ten, and two, because the news that the two of them are having sex is not exactly public knowledge yet.

"The drugs they gave me were too strong. I didn't - I didn't like being out of it. They've still got me on meds, just a different kind." He clears his throat. "Smaller dose."

[haolehothead]

Danny's eyes are as wide as bug's, you might say, and if Steve weren't injured, Danny might be shoving at him slightly. "What was so wrong with the morphine, huh? You get a little loopy, but it keeps you sedated and you get better faster, you get out of this place faster," he gets out, shoving the chart back to its holder.

"I swear to god, Steve, if our positions were reversed, I would be high as a kite to try and get out of here. But hey, I'm sure the way you operate, it's only a matter of time before it's me in the bed, huh?"

[newkindofcop]

"If I had it my way you'd never have to be in this position, Danny," Steve responds firmly, giving him a long look.

"I'm resting. I am. I just - want to be all here while I am."

[haolehothead]

Danny rolls his eyes and sits back in the visitor's chair, which practically has a mold of his ass already. "No one would think less of you if you weren't. In fact, I'd probably find it pretty damn adorable," Danny points out, lifting his leg in order to give Steve's good arm a shove with his sole.

[newkindofcop]

"Of course. Why do I have the feeling you'd take advantage of me in my drugged-up state?" Steve replies, raising an eyebrow at him and curling the koala in a little tighter.

[haolehothead]

"Well, I wouldn't exactly be sitting here and giving you blowjobs," Danny says logically, like that's the first thing that comes to mind on the subject of taking advantage. "But maybe I would take a picture and use it as leverage." He drags the chair closer and tweaks the koala bear's ears. "Careful, McGarrett, I'm gonna get jealous of you cuddling something else."

[newkindofcop]

"How jealous, exactly?" Steve asks, studying him with a moderately furrowed brow and a look that's meant to come off as innocent, but probably has its fair share of mischief in it.

[haolehothead]

"On a scale of one to punching some dude out? Maybe a four," Danny categorizes, giving Steve a suspicious look. "Are you deliberately trying to make me jealous in revenge for that bar trick? Because I'm sorry for that, really, I am."

[newkindofcop]

"The thought did cross my mind," Steve confesses, shrugging and then wincing as he forgets about his bad arm.

"Maybe I'll let you make it up to me."

[haolehothead]

"Oh, and how will I be making it up to you given I'm still furious at you for getting injured in the first place, not to mention this new little pain-switch. You don't realize it yet, but when you get out of here, I'm renting a motel room because you do not deserve positive reinforcement."

[newkindofcop]

"Okay, Danny," Steve mutters, leaning back against his pillows.

Even if he has a feeling his partner will end up using the key he's given him - and he's trying to disguise his own smirk at the thought of Danny struggling with frustration over pride about whether or not to use it.

[haolehothead]

Danny eyes Steve suspiciously and leans in to adjust the koala. "I heard a funny rumor from Chin that maybe your sister was flying in from the mainland today."

[newkindofcop]

"Really?" His expression visibly brightens and tenses simultaneously with concern over Mary seeing him like this.

[haolehothead]

"Yeah, I'm picking her up later on and I'll drop her off. You two can have McGarrett bonding time while she babysits you." Danny wants to be here, he does, but not when Mary is around. There are some levels he's not ready to be on yet.

[newkindofcop]

"You don't want to stay?" Steve frowns.

"I mean, I know Mary can be kind of a handful, but she's not all that bad."