newkindofcop | (no subject)

The day before the wedding dawns about the same as it always has on the island - quiet and unassuming. Steve knows not to rule out the possibility of an otherworldly wrench being thrown into the mix, but for now, he's going to dismiss all of those thoughts from his mind, choosing to use the time he has to himself to spend it doing one of the things he loves most. He doesn't expect Danny to tag along with him - his partner needs the space as much as he does, in a healthy sense - but he's also not expecting that anything about the next few days is going to fall under the category of 'traditional'.

The board he uses is Danny's, technically - it had arrived with Danny, at least, which means it's about a head too short for Steve, but he knows how to shift his footing to compensate for a shorter board once he gets out on the waves. He catches a few until the sun shifts its position in the sky, and then he settles into a straddle on the board, sitting out on the water and letting the waves move him, unrushed and unhurried, the sun beating down on his shoulders and the back of his neck.

Right now, he feels more peaceful than he's ever been - and he knows that while tomorrow is the next big step, he also knows it's the right move. He hadn't expected to fall in love with a loud-mouthed cop from Jersey, but at the end of the day, it's exactly like what he told Danny back at home: he's in this, whether he'd planned for it or not.

And he's ready.

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It's the day before the big day and Kate's excited for them. Just because she's not really into weddings or fuss and she would've never thought of herself as the marrying type before she heard about her and Will in that weird world doesn't mean she doesn't get it. It's a big deal for Danny, especially, because of Rachel and Grace. A way of trying to make it stick, even though she's pretty sure he doesn't have anything to worry about in that department.

Hell. She's sure anyone who knows Steve even a little knows Danny's got nothing to worry about. But that's never stopped anyone from waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Steve's probably not the nervous type, even if she can hear Danny freaking out from the other side of the island the minute she wakes up. She'll check in on him later, she figures. Maybe bring him some booze or offer to spar or something if he's not living it up. But Steve's different and she wants to spend a little time with him today.

And she knows just where to find him. Luckily, he's been teaching her to surf enough that she can paddle out to join him on the water without making an ass of herself.

"Hey," she calls across to him, stretching into the warm sun on her back. "This wave taken?" It's a dumb joke, but it makes her smile anyway.

He's not going to point out the intelligence of the joke either way, but it does bring a smile to his lips - first as she paddles out to join him and then as she flips over to stretch out, looking more relaxed than he feels. He's trying to push aside the nerves, find ways to relax that have served him well in the past, and nothing really does the trick better than catching a few waves in the early afternoon.

"How's it going?" he asks, absently splashing his arms with water when he starts to get a little warm. It's not enough to wash off the sunblock he's slathered his ink with, but the sun's hot enough to dry anyone off fairly quickly out here.

"I'm supposed to be asking you that," she points out, crossing her arms and resting her chin on them. Her balance is pretty good and the waves are just rolling out here, so it's kinda comfortable. If she stops talking, she might fall asleep. Her nightmares are starting to kick her ass.

"You're not trying to surf to China or anything, right?"

"I don't think it's possible here," Steve replies, mock-seriously.

"Somehow you'd just find yourself paddling right back towards the island again. Not that I'm considering trying it. I think, between the two of us, I'm the only one not considering a flight attempt." He's still teasing, of course. He knows Danny isn't the type to leave him at the altar, proverbially speaking, but there is a part of him that wonders exactly how worried his partner is about all of this.

"Trust me," Kate says in a tone of smug authority. "It's not possible. The only way I haven't tried to get myself off this island is shooting myself into space and I heard they tried that, too."

She's not kidding and he probably knows it. The first month, she and Declan explored every cave, every hill, swam as far as they could, everything.

"Pretty sure Danny's not going anywhere, even if he wanted to. Magnus would kill him. I would kill him. And that would only be if you and the rest of his friends didn't get to him first."

"He misses home," Steve replies, knowing full well that's a reality that isn't going to change any time soon, and it's a truth he's willing to accept about Danny.

"He misses home, and Grace, and his family. I don't want to try to replace that for him, and at the same time - it's always possible that we could be here a long time."

We all miss home, Kate starts to say, but bites her tongue, quieting down to hear what Steve's really saying. He doesn't open up much, even though he's always honest with her. If he's saying this, it means something.

She chews at her bottom lip, lets her arm drag through the water. "Yeah," Kate says, a little more than just space-filler, but not much. "But even if you went home tomorrow, you'd still love him. Right? Wouldn't he still love you?"

"That's a good question," he replies, bracing his hands on his thighs as another wave rolls in, drawing them toward the shoreline before pulling them back out in a small drift.

"We never know what happens to people after they leave here - if they remember everything, if they pick up right where they leave off. I think it might've taken us a little longer to reach the same place if we'd been home, but we would've made it there eventually."

The roll of the waves still makes Kate a little uneasy. She doesn't know the patterns well enough to feel completely in control. So she watches Steve, watches his body, when it tenses and when it releases and rides the swell by muscle mimicry.

"Then it probably doesn't matter much that he misses home. Because if he was home and he remembered this, he'd miss you, too. The only difference is--" She flashes him a little grin. "--at home, I'd be kicking some hyper-conservative asses for getting their protest on at your wedding."

Steve grimaces slightly, but the truth is that he knows it would be a little more difficult for them were they to pursue a relationship back home. The island is fairly more accepting, on the whole - and he's heard about certain laws being repealed, thanks to the papers that occasionally trickle in to appear on the bookshelf.

"And hopefully do it just in time to join the rest of us," he replies, grinning loose. "Not that I wouldn't appreciate the back-up - or Danny, for that matter. He thinks I'm allergic to the concept."

"Aren't you?" Kate teases, splashing water at him with the cup of her hand. "You SEAL types like working alone." You SEAL types is hilarious coming from the original girl solo and she knows it. That's why she's grinning at him when she says it.

She softens just a little to add, "You know I'd never miss you getting hitched--" Unless it would stress Danny out, but he's the one who invited her and they're getting along well enough now. "I'll even wear a skirt." Her mouth quirks. "One that more than covers my ass."

"Well, we're not exactly used to the same police procedural concepts," Steve admits, idly scratching the back of his neck. "Most of the time, there is no back-up. It's something I had to get used to when I started working in Five-O."

He's still smiling, a low chuckle working its way past his lips. "Hey, you wear whatever you want to wear. Far be it from me to judge. I think Danny's just glad I didn't insist on wearing sandals with my tux."

"It'll be worth it--" Wearing a skirt. "For Declan's reaction and to give Danny one less thing to scowl about."

She grins and pushes herself up onto the board on her feet. "So come on. I know you came out here to surf, not gossip, and I'm overdue for my next lesson."

Steve flashes her a similar grin and then nods, rolling over onto his stomach on the board and pushing up slowly.

"Got a good one coming in soon," he replies, glancing back behind them. "You ready?"

Kate puts on her gameface, ready or not. She's getting better at this and sometimes, like today, she actually likes it.

She gives him a nod that's loose and focused. "You bet."