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It's been such a slow week that Danny thinks the criminal element of Hawaii must be on vacation. Not that he's unhappy with the situation, because most of his attention has been on the ring he bought Monday and promptly stashed in his desk drawer.
It's nearing 2pm when he spots Steve walking towards his office. He covertly checks the desk drawer, making doubly (triply) sure it's locked.
Steve opens the door and leans against the frame, giving Danny plenty of time to look him over as he hikes a thumb toward the exit and says, "I've got a couple things to take care of so I'm gonna get outta here early."
"Yeah, okay. See you later?"
Steve nods and turns to leave, halting at Danny's stammered, "Hey, uhh..."
"You okay, Danno?" Steve asks as he comes back and sits on the edge of the desk. He raises Danny's chin and searches his expression before putting a steadying hand on Danny's shoulder.
Danny isn't okay – he's as nervous as hell. He's only been this nervous once before - when he'd asked Rachel... Shaking his head, Danny decides not to think about that. "Yeah, 'm fine." After another worried look from Steve, he manages to ask, "How 'bout we get dinner tonight?"
Steve says, "Sure. What sounds good?"
Danny lets out the breath he's been holding, a little calmer now that the first hurdle's behind him. "I got it," he says. "And wear something nice. I made reservations at Morimoto's." Danny doesn't let on that he'd had to call the celebrity chef himself to get the table.
"Morimoto's Waikiki? What's the occasion?"
"Nothin'," Danny lies, locking his neck muscles to keep from glancing at a certain desk drawer. To deflect Steve's obvious suspicion, he adds, "Don't get me wrong - I love grabbing greasy takeout and eating in front of your tv-"
"Or in bed," Steve interjects with a twitch of his eyebrows.
Danny gets distracted when Steve leans down for a quick kiss.
"Or in bed," Danny concedes. "But I thought we could be civilized for once. Like actual grownups."
"That's cool," Steve allows.
Danny repeats, "Cool. I'll pick you up at 7."
----
Danny heads out soon after Steve does, and drives straight to his apartment. It's way too early to get ready for his – no - their night, so he paces his apartment until he's nearly worn a path in the carpet. He's really too antsy to sit down and watch television but makes himself do it anyway. When the clock finally grinds around to 5:30pm, he allows himself to get up and take a shower.
Showered, shaved, and dressed (and dressed again, and then one last time before he's happy with his attire), Danny stands at the kitchen counter holding the velvet box. He opens it for the umpteenth time, making sure the ring's still there and staring at it 'til he's dizzy, before sitting down to glare at the clock. He checks the ring three more times, thoughts of the night ahead playing havoc with his blood pressure.
After what feels like an eternity, he pockets the ring, grabs his keys, and starts for the door. When his cellphone rings, it so unnerves him that it almost goes to voicemail before he can answer. "Hello?"
A sneeze blasts across the line before a congested voice asks, "Daniel?"
"Rachel? You sound awful."
"I'm sorry-" Rachel starts, breaking off into a coughing jag. "I'm so sorry to do this, but could you possibly take Grace for the night?" After another fit of coughs, she adds, "The baby and I have a cold and I'm hoping to keep her from catching it."
"Rach," he starts.
"I know it's short notice, Daniel, but it would be a lot of help."
Danny imagines tonight's festivities with Grace beside him, and grins. "Yeah, okay," he says. "Actually, it's fine. I'm doing something tonight, and this works out great."
"I'm sorry - you have plans?"
"Yeah, I'm taking McGarrett out to dinner. Hey, can you put Gracie in something nice? We have reservations at Morimoto's."
"Morimoto's? Daniel, why are you going-" She cuts herself off and blurts, "Daniel Walter Williams! Do you have a ring in your pocket?"
Danny licks his dry lips and laughs nervously.
"You know, Daniel," Rachel offers, "I can keep Grace here-"
"No, no, no," Danny butts in.
"-at least until after dinner," Rachel concludes. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. This affects her, too - she should be there." Danny sticks his key in the lock and says, "I'll be there in twenty minutes."
~*~*~
Steve paces between the stairs and back door until he's startled out of his thoughts by Danny's ringtone. "McGarrett," he barks.
"Hey, babe. I'm gonna be about fifteen minutes late." He explains about Rachel and the baby, and that Grace will be joining them for dinner. "I hope that's okay."
"No, no. That's fine." Steve thinks about how important Grace is to Danny - and to him - and how her presence can only make the evening better. "Besides, the game went into overtime, so that'll give me a few extra minutes to get ready," he says, suppressing a laugh.
"Get ready?! ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT YOU AREN'T DRESSED YET?" Danny roars. "You're wearing a smelly tee shirt and your grimy fucking workout shorts, aren't you?"
Steve looks down at the black dress shoes, charcoal slacks, dark green shirt and matching tie that Cath assured him complements his eyes, and lies through his (freshly brushed) teeth. "Yeah, so?"
"I told you that we're going someplace nice, Steven. Go get dressed. Right now!" Danny commands. "Or we'll be even later. Grace and I will be there in twenty minutes."
Steve swears he can hear the vein in Danny's head throbbing through the phone. "I promise I'll be ready when you get here," he says with mock contrition.
"You'd better be," Danny growls before the line goes dead.
Steve slides his phone into the pocket already holding a small velvet box and resumes pacing. Checking his watch, he calculates that by the time Danny gets here he'll have been pacing for 45 minutes.
~*~*~
Dinner is a lighthearted affair, with a bubbly Grace contributing stories of school and her latest field trip. Danny's thrown when she talks about a boy in her math class who's been teasing her, reluctantly admitting to himself that his little girl is growing up. He makes a mental note to buy a shotgun before he lets her start dating. Or, hell, he'll just use the one that Steve surely has stashed somewhere at the house.
His musing is interrupted when Steve says, "I'll be right back." He gets up and tidily sets his napkin next to his plate before heading to the bathroom. Danny smirks - he's been playing it cool and he's certain that Steve has no clue...he probably thinks it's just another, slightly fancier, night out.
Once Steve is out of earshot, Grace asks, "Are you gonna do it now, Danno?"
"Yes, Gracie," Danny says. "As soon as he gets back."
Grace leans in to give him whispered pointers on what he should say, making him smile even wider than when he confided his plan to her on the drive to Steve's. They're still conspiring when Steve reappears.
"What'd I miss?"
Grace giggles and Danny offers a straight-faced, "Nothing." At Steve's disbelieving look, he adds, "Just a father/daughter thing."
Danny sees a waiter approaching behind Steve and gives him a look that's half glare and half silent plea for privacy. The waiter nods and veers off, but not before Steve turns around to see what Danny's making faces at.
While Steve's distracted, Danny pulls the ring out of his pocket and goes down on one knee in front of him.
"Steve, I have something to ask you." Danny pauses at the curious expression on Steve's face, and his eyes widen in outrage as Steve stands up. "Wait, wait, wait," Danny expostulates. "This isn't- This is not how this is supposed to work, Steven."
Steve dips a hand into his pocket before mirroring Danny's one-kneed stance. "I think I have the same question for you, Danno," he says with a smile, opening a velvet box to reveal a simple gold wedding band.
Before either man can respond, Grace squeals, "Yes!" and jumps up to throw her arms around their necks and squeeze them with all her might.