silkendreammaid

Title: Colour
Author: silkendreammaid

Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Hawaii 5-0 or the characters within.
Rating/ Warnings: G. Pre-slash
Characters: Danny Williams, Steve McGarrett

Note: Part of an AU idea that has been bugging me lately where Danny is a policeman but didn’t work with the HPD and has a secret and shady past…
This is my first foray into writing these characters… I haven’t seen enough of the show to know how in character they are, so I’m hoping they’re not too wrong …

Author’s Note: there is probably something wrong with stopping and writing this when i have several half-finished fics and the Advent challenge in a couple of weeks but i really couldn't talk myself out of it and its probably better out than in...

Summary: Steve notices something new about Danny.

Colour

Danny Williams pulled himself out of the water and onto the pier with a highly offended expression and glared at Steve.

“This is all your fault,” he literally snarled at the tall lean man and got a happy grin in reply.

“I was going to jump in,” Steve began.

“But you wanted to stop and take your shirt off first,” Danny finished for him sarcastically and squelched noisily past his grinning partner.

“Hey!” Steve McGarrett protested mildly, turning to watch Danny’s wet progress. The blond hair hung wetly, a far cry from its usual styled height. His tie was reduced to a dripping string and water ran from his shoes. The white shirt and beige trousers were plastered to Danny’s muscled frame. Steve swallowed. Danny’s shoulders suddenly looked twice as wide. Danny’s arms waved about, water spraying around him and Steve blinked. The world abruptly narrowed down to a single point on Danny’s back and the sudden colour beneath wet cotton.

It flared a muted red and then disappeared as Danny turned, hands settling at his waist and looking impatiently at Steve.

“Well, McGarrett? You coming or what? You need to take off your shirt anyway? Just to impress the HPDs who might have missed it the last time? Or can we get on and do the job we actually get paid for? Chin’s going to want to this laptop as soon as, and I don’t think your Army skills will save you if he thinks you delayed getting it to him,” Danny told him, holding up the dripping bag and part of the reason he had taken his impromptu swim.

“Navy,” Steve responded automatically. “And I was a bit busy taking care of the guys who were trying to shoot you.”

“They wouldn’t have been shooting at us if you hadn’t shot at them first. And you left me with the idiot who took ‘protect unto death’ literally and wanted to share it with me,” Danny groused with another wave of his hands.

Steve grinned again, shooting a quick glance to the end of the pier where several covered bodies lay. He looked at Danny.

“He probably thought you couldn’t swim,” Steve replied casually. “I mean everyone knows you hate the beach. Even the criminals. The whole island knows,” Steve exaggerated.

“Well, they know otherwise now,” Danny snorted. “Which, hopefully, will mean that everyone – and you - will quit bugging me about it!” He turned and stomped up the pier to the car and Steve caught another glimpse of colour through the wet almost see-through white shirt.

Did Danny have ink? There had been no mention of a tattoo in his file but there was nothing else it could be. There could only be skin under that thin cotton. Coloured, inked skin. Steve hurried after his partner staying a few steps behind to stare at Danny’s back. Red, a hint of blue, possibly gold. Whatever it was, the colours were hinting brightly on one shoulder and Steve’s fingers itched to remove that shirt and know more. Did it cover his whole back or track down the contour of his spine? Did it widen at the waist, or did it continue down further to cover firm buttock and thigh? Steve was beyond curious.

“You done spacing out yet?” Danny’s voice broke through and Steve barely managed to avoid flushing although he could feel the tips of ears burn as he met the amused blue eyes. Danny stood next to the trunk of the car. “There’s a towel in here that I’d like to utilize, but I can’t get to it while you’re just standing and staring into some kind of nothingness. No doubt there’s an answer to some absolutely necessary burning life question there or maybe your sharp Air Force eyes…” “Navy!” “… can actually see the evaporating ocean that’s saturated my shirt. I’d like you to focus on the fact that I would like to have that towel to remove the rest and not stain my car’s seat.”

Danny talked over his interruption as Steve pulled out the keys and opened the trunk to retrieve the towel. He threw it at Danny and was disappointed when the shorter man pressed it against his shirt and tie before patting down his trousers. Danny gave the laptop bag a quick wipe too before getting into the car.

“Thank God I have a change of clothes waiting at Headquarters,” he murmured as he pulled at the towel under him. He watched Steve get in the car. “Come on, or I’ll tell Chin you held us up,” he said.

“You’re going to tell him that anyway,” Steve pointed out as he started the car.

“Yes,” Danny agreed, leaning back and preparing himself for Steve’s idea of driving and his own form of verbal protesting.

Steve grumbled under his breath as he floored the accelerator and spat gravel behind them as Danny began to spit words. Soon, he promised himself silently as he listened with half an ear. Soon he was going to find out just what was on his partner’s back. He wondered if he could think of a legitimate excuse to walk in on Danny in the locker room. He mentally shrugged. He had until they got back to think of one. Maybe he should drive a bit slower to give himself more time.