#H50 early days

[elirandom]

If you post wip’s on AO3, have you already finished the fic or are just that sure you're going to finish it in a timely manner? Or are you just a chaos entity and throw yourself out there?

Because it's going slow for me, like I wrote 2000 words today but it's been weeks since last time because work and ill parents steal so much energy from me.

But I've a draft on AO3 that will be automatically deleted on August 2nd for my first few chapters ~ 10k words, and now I'm wondering if I dare post it before it's complete. It's unbetaed and unread by anyone by me and I haven't written a fic this long in like 10 plus years so you tend to worry about extra about the quality you know. And I'm not sure if comments will be 👍 or 👎. And if a bad comment will impact my wish to finish it. I write for myself because I've just had the urge to write, but since the want to write hasn't been around in so many years shit feels fragile, you know.

The draft is ofc saved on my GDrive and locally as well, I'm not a complete daredevil and only having it in my drafts .

[cowandcalf]

tags by @mcdannowave❤️

Mele Kalikimaka  - McDanno One-Shot

Mele Kalikimaka to all of you! May this festive season sparkle and shine, may all your wishes and dreams come true, and may you feel this happiness all year round. Merry Christmas!

_____________________________________________________________

Steve laughs with the cheerful shouts from his ohana when Danny holds his thermos coffee cup to go in his hands. Danny shoots him a questioning look with an elevated eyebrow. “What –? You’re kidding, right? A coffee cup? I have enough coffee cups, Steve! It’s a great one, though. The color is nice. Blue. Of course, Aquaman is driven by instincts and buys stuff with an ocean-related meaning.” Danny wiggles the cup in his hand and makes a face before he finally grins at Steve.

That joke earns him some more laughter before everyone turns their concentration back on the buffet and on Junior’s present for Tani.

The color matches your eyes, Danny. Steve adds silently while his heart nourishes on Danny’s smile. He sips at his eggnog. Hell, this stuff is strong this year. “You always complain about cold coffee. This is an intelligent present and besides, you don’t have one of those.” Steve underlines his logical explanation with his arms, waving his eggnog through the air. “It marks the doom for all the cold cups of coffee you were forced to drink on my watch. But no more. I don’t carry that guilt any longer.” Steve feels extremely talkative after he’s almost through with his second glass of this brew. “From now on you’ll drink hot coffee and you’ll thank me every time for having such a smart partner.” The words roll easily from Steve’s tongue.

Keep reading on AO3…

[shakapuffin]

New Scott vid from H50 Early Days

via peterlenkov on insta stories!

i have nothing else to say except HIS HAIR IS FLAWLESS.

Early h50 days are the best

[hearteyesmcgarrett]

I think my h50 rewatch might be official. had a real shit day at work so I came home and watched eps 3&4 (watched 1&2 the other day) and immediately felt better. I'm also having a blast seeing all these iconic early moments that I've forgotten about

[redgoldblue]

hellooo. for the fic asks: 8, 16 (to be mean back, affectionately), 20, 38!

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Well, okay, I was originally thinking of a bit in I Would Break Into Your House (the dialogue immediately around the kiss in v. including "This is an intervention for your brain, not my dick.", or possibly the bit after Danny finds the grenade in iv.), but I reread the first part of the almost-finished Muncle wip today. and as stated on a previous reblog i miss Napoleon and Illya. and the major reason I like this part is that I do think it really sounds like both of them, and despite having written so much of them for last year's advent calendar, I'm still having to work to make sure I capture their voices exactly right. But I think I got them here, including Illya's understated yet campy dry snark and Napoleon's equally campy chronic unbotheredness.

(Jeanne is another agent Napoleon slept with the night before)

“Not up to your standards, my friend?�� Illya asks, dropping his bag onto the nearest of the single beds. “Oh, my standards aren’t that high. Just thinking it wouldn’t be up to Jeanne’s.” “Ah, no. I can imagine many things wouldn’t be.” The look Napoleon gives him is definitely amused, a wry dart from under his eyelashes. “Didn’t take a liking to our Agent Voix?” “Am I not allowed my little foibles?” “You’re allowed as large a foible as you’d like,” Napoleon tells him, patting him on the shoulder as he passes. Sitting on his own bed, he adds, “I certainly have enough.” “We are discussing one of them,” Illya agrees.

16. If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

I mean... I think I have the same answer as you actually. it is mean bc I write for so goddamn many pairings, and I love writing for all of them both separately and for the internal variety. But in the end I think I'd have to pick Steve/Danny, on historical evidence alone (the 22 in brackets after Hawaii Five-0 on my AO3 dashboard, 7 more than the next fandom down, which is one I've been writing in for... four years longer. only four years longer? god H50's been with me for a long time.)

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

Ooh. there's a few elements - music, moving vehicles, rain, liminal spaces/times, a certain state of tiredness where I've just gotten the perfect ability to like, zone into hyperfocus without actively getting sleepy, which is usually associated with having woken up early but not having had to do anything particularly mentally strenuous. They all came to a head in my ideal writing condition one (1) time in my life, which was getting the train from Melbourne to Sydney (a 12-hr ride) by myself, which meant leaving at 7-something am, after a brief vacation and a friend's wedding. Unfortunately I actually had to also be studying for an exam at the time, but I did get some writing in. I'm contemplating whether I can work things so I can repeat it in the opposite direction next month when this term ends (post-exams this time).

38. Talk about a review that made your day.

There is one I still have screenshotted on my desktop from two years ago, so I have to mention it. It's Starsky & Hutch fandom, which is relevant a) bc of course it is, it's the nicest most supportive most receptive fandom on earth and b) bc it's such an old fandom that comments from people you know have been in it for decades always have that extra sheen to them, y'know? And I'm sure I probably actually know who she is but I haven't managed to match username to real person but it's such a nice comment. Self-confessedly gushing about how much she loved it, which is the best type of comment. Also it was on Come Take The Wheel, one of those >10k fics I wrote entirely without deadlines, a fact that always seems vaguely miraculous to me.

fic writer asks!

[happilylovingchaos]

Post-ep Thoughts: This is gonna be out of order— my 1x05 thoughts will be on the last combo post. But since

Owen and Billy are 2 sides of the same male archetype (inflatable egos with hearts in the right places), but one naturally exudes charisma and another works at developing charisma. And now Judd deals with 2 of them. (Joy.)

That said, I like this rival dynamic to an extent. Except the point where they start competing and thinking with what’s between their legs/ misunderstanding each other later. But that’s an issue for later seasons (*coughs in “9-1-1: LS’s song of fire and ice” from seasons 2-3*).

In another life, I feel like Rob Lowe and Billy (Burke) could def play a chaotic bro pair (a la H50-reboot!Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams). Judd (maybe would share w/ TK and Paul) would be the unofficial third member and only sane third wheel.

Tina and Taylor. T and T… I’m not gonna say it. (This is low-key sad foreshadowing.) But that’s a hell of a way to reunite after high school days.

TSP: Well. After that 4-month bombshell and a mild questioning of my life choice I decided to just stick with this TSP. Since Tumblr only lets me save drafts a few times, this is from the last post (1x05, late April to early May 2019):

Ryders: Grace and Colleen talk —> failed roast seduction (1-3 days) —> bull factory call —> successful osso bucco dinner

Strands: bar call —> Owen’s chemo session (+ TK) —> oncologist apptmt —> Zoe and failed sex (1-3 days) —> bull factory call (1-2 days)—> deleted Tarlos date, Owen and Zoe try again —> bar hang w/ Paul (1 day)

Paul: bar call + meeting Josie —> bull factory call (1-3 days) —> bowling date/ breakup —> Josie apologizes —> bar hangout (1 day).

In 1x06 (May 2019):

T&T call —> Texas Hold’em game (1 night) —> golf game and dinner (probably 1 week later) —> Owen vs. Billy (6-7 days later).

Episode 1x06 Friends Like These Discussion Thread

Please feel free to use the comment thread and tags of this post throughout the week as a place to liveblog while watching the episode, discuss with friends, post your metas and thoughts etc. Anything you’d like to discuss while watching the episode is welcome!!

Please reblog this post for visibility!! 

[h50europe]

Alex & Scott - 2011 H50 Photoshoot on the set of H50 by Alex O'Loughlin Photo Gallery 

[vacantwatchers]

Whuddup I’m Taylah, I’m 23, and I’m rewatching the beginning of Hawaii five o for the 8th time this year

[ilikemcdanno]

Here’s a link to a fic I posted today! nervous sweats

Summary: "Hanahaki Disease is a disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love."

So when Steve finds himself throwing up flowers, what is he supposed to do?

[five-wow]

Every Single Darn Time The L-Word Is Applied To Steve And Danny 💖

2x17 - That time Steve sees right through Danny

[cowandcalf]

100 to 1000 Prompt Challenge!

Canon death didn’t happen AU.

Thank you, @goneahead, for the amazing inspiration and for creating the H50 community. Since that day, Tumblr has become one of my favorite places again. You rock!

Meet Freddie

"Who's that?" Danny turns around and points with elevated eyebrows at the photo pinned to the fridge.

Steve peeks over his shoulder before he sticks his head into the lower cupboard again. He's still trying to get his heart rate under control. Fuck. Danny Williams is in his kitchen, wearing loafers, slacks, a blue button-down that makes his eyes shine, and a fucking sexy tie. Steve knows the flush has reached his chest by now. He can't get up. Danny would want to know why he was so stupid to catch a sunburn when every sane human knows to wear a shirt in the damn ocean while swimming a fuck-ton of stupid miles. This guy can't say anything in a friendly tone. For a long time, no one has managed to set loose that sensation inside him where he wants to climb walls to work off this stupid heat in his veins.

"Swallowed your tongue or something?"

Steve hears a clutter followed by rustling papers. "What are you doing?" he asks, pretending he is searching for the flour. "I told you we could eat pancakes at that fancy new restaurant. They have the best pancakes in town. My kitchen isn't well equipped."

"No kidding."

Steve's senses drown in that Jersey drawl. Danny is laid-back, and Steve can't figure out why this guy has nothing better to do on a Friday morning than barge way too early into his kitchen and cause trouble in Steve's accurate, organized routine.

"Yeah, no fucking kidding. Buying flour to make pancakes isn't a priority on my list."

"Excuse me, but you can't know about the best pancakes in town until you've tasted my pancakes. Hands down, those are the best in town, and they're homemade. When was the last time you ate something homemade, Steve, huh?"

"What?" Steve can't remember ever storing a single ounce of flour in his adult life.

"Are you always that slow in the morning? I thought the Army – "

Steve exhales loudly through his nose. He hates that fucking joke.

"Sorry, Steve, the Navy – I thought the Navy put your ass on fire to get you guys going in the morning. Isn't that a standard morning routine in your boot camps?"

Steve's head jerks around. This guy, seriously, he can't with this guy. "If you shut up for one second, I'd answer your damn question. That's Freddie in the picture. To one you're holding. Why are you holding the picture anyway? Put it back. You're not supposed to take it away." Steve's head disappears again in the cupboard. He pushes canned pineapple out of the way. He's still mildly astonished that he follows Danny's orders to look for flour. "No flour, sorry, buddy, I told you. No pancakes. I need to buy groceries over the weekend." Steve hopes Danny will suggest making homemade pancakes for him over the weekend.

"This handsome dude is Freddie? Who's Freddie?" Danny's legs come into view, and his face appears next to Steve. He crouches down to be at eye level with Steve. "You have several pictures pinned to that old, sorry piece of metal you call a fridge over there, but you knew what picture I was holding. Impressive."

"What are you doing? What about Freddie? Why are we talking about Freddie?" Steve rocks back onto his heels, eyes wide open because Danny's amused grin doesn't help his blush to disappear. His eyes get drawn to the toothpick in the corner of Danny's mouth. The pink tip of the tongue is highly distracting. Danny is so close that he even smells the scent of his aftershave. "It's just a picture."

Danny still has a look of amusement on his face, but a flicker of sadness catches Steve's attention. "Freddie, huh? You look happy, but it's a funny way to do it. I don't know . . . didn't you have one where you were in the picture together? But honestly, you look like lovers."

Steve snorts, yanks the picture from Danny's hand, and shoots up. "Lovers? That's . . . shit, no. He's my brother. We served together for a long time. We were mostly on the same teams, the same ops. He always had my six." Steve furrows his brows. "He sent me this. He made it. I sent him my pic after the first week on the task force. I liked it. Looks nice, don't you think?" He asks Danny.

"Yeah, you both look good."

"You think I look good?"

"Seriously, Steve? You're so starved for compliments it's not even funny. You're a piece of work."

Steve smiles. "I love that pic because we're in civvies, with no armor or gear. Just us looking like normal guys." Steve thumbs at the picture, instantly lost in memories. His stomach twists in knots whenever he looks at Freddie's smiling face. He almost lost him on the last mission. It's still hard to breathe through the memories. They made it out alive. He jerks back to the here and now. "Sorry, shit, sorry, Danny. Here, put it back. It's Freddie. I told you he's in town. We're going to meet him tonight. I want you to meet my brother."

"You haven't confirmed or denied if you were lovers." Danny takes the picture but stares at Steve, and Steve can't look at those blue orbs without starting to drool. He leans into Danny's closeness and drops his eyes to hide his feelings. "Why is this so important to you?" Steve bites back the grin.

"You got a thing going?" Danny asks with a crack in his voice.

"With Freddie? A thing? What kind of a thing? Are you always like this in the morning?"

"Do you love him? That is what I'm asking." Danny takes the picture and walks back to the fridge. Steve longs for Danny's attention. Jesus fuck.

"Yeah, I love him."

"I mean, do you love love him?" Danny turns around, toothpick in the corner of his mouth and a specific weight in his gaze.

"What kind of a funny question is that? Why are you asking?" Steve wants Danny to say it. He watches Danny leave the kitchen. His shoulder line is too straight.

"Why are you leaving? Where are you going? Danny, why is that important? He's not my lover!"

Danny keeps walking, but he shouts back. "Because of the way you smile when you talk about him. He must love your smile."

"It's . . . where you're going?"

"I'm waiting outside for you; hurry up. I'm hungry."

"I'm not smiling at him if you have noticed; it's not the same picture." Steve won't run after Danny. He curls his toes to keep his feet from moving.

The front door opens. "Who are you smiling at then?"

"Are you seriously walking right outside? Why can't you . . . Danny! I hate shouting through the house. Are you jealous?"

"Of course not!" Danny shouts back." But you look handsome in that picture. You can tell me more about it over pancakes and coffee. I'm leaving in five, by the way."

"Fuck you, Jersey boy." Steve storms up the stairs and jumps under the shower with a soft smile. "I smiled at you, stupid. I love your ass in those slacks, you arrogant idiot." Steve whispers to himself while the shower drowns out everything else. "Freddie is going to grill me about this new guy on my team." Steve holds his face into the water spray. He counts the seconds in his head and knows Danny will leave without him if he's not dressed and down in four minutes and ten seconds. Is Danny jealous of Freddie? He grins and ignores the way his heart skips beats. Danny is something else. Life is not as bad and dull as he imagined. Freddie's going to have a blast with his team tonight.

[shakapuffin]

Old/New Video of Scotty Surfing from Early H50 Days

[h50europe]

Can we go back please and appreciate Danny as the bad as Jersey-cop he was depicted in the early seasons? I miss it soo much. 

[hawaiifiveoh]

recompense | steve mcgarrett

masterlist

Your car insurance doesn’t cover damage due to H50 gunfights. You make sure to tell them. Except the flirting from a certain Lt. Commander is ruining your plan.

steve mcgarrett x reader

Author’s note:  Fluff. The energy in this seemed like early seasons SEAL. Featuring an amused Daniel and a cool old lady OC.

3,428 words | ♫ Playlist:  romeo - chairlift

____________________________

In one swift angered motion, you clipped the visitor pass onto your shirt’s hem, collecting your nerves as you arrived at Iolani Palace. You took long model-like steps, the glossy black and white ‘special investigations’ emblem passing beneath your feet, the rehearsed speech in your head, fresh, as was the aggravation from being on the phone for 2 hours and the useless end result, on top of the blatant disregard for others personal property and safety. All of it fueled your pace, shoulders back, shoes stomping across the floor. Did this 5-0 team ever think about the damage they caused the other people, outside the case’s focus, what they were left with, to pick up the pieces of, to fix? No, because ‘Oh, it’s 5-0!’ and they weren’t the ones being directly saved anyway. So, it didn’t seem to really matter then. You scowled to yourself, it’s not like you didn't respect their value to O'ahu or appreciate how they put their lives at stake– no you weren’t arguing that. It just so happened that they wrecked your new car– the one you finally saved up for– and almost severely harmed your neighbour and friend– all because they were overeager for a lead and it ended up being a shoot-out with some suspect, who they failed to apprehend, at your apartment complex. Therefore, you were a bit pissed.

You saw two guys and heard the vague ambient sounds of nonsensical squabbling. By their casual stances, and lack of intent, they didn’t seem to be in the middle of anything crucial.

You called out to them, “Excuse me, are either of you the one in charge here?”

“I am, yes,” the taller brunette one replied, turning around fully to the voice, suddenly standing up a little straighter at the sight of you, clearing his throat.

“Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett, what can I do for you?,” he stated officially, offering his hand to shake.

You obliged, introducing yourself, in the most curt form as possible, despite his apparent pleasantries. You were on a mission, no distractions. You handed him a folded piece of stapled papers.

“What’s this?” McGarrett casually asked, opening it to read.

“A detailed description of the damage your team caused at the White Pearl on Tuesday.”

“The apartment complex?” 

“Yes, you managed to completely wreck the driver’s side of my week-old vehicle with stray bullets. It’s unsafe to drive. In addition, you endangered the life of an elderly woman on the first floor, Norma, and also managed to ruin her grandson’s ceramic artwork that he made for her 80th birthday present. All the way from the mainland, it made the trip unbroken, until you guys showed up.”

“You have to understand, none of that was intentional. It was merely an effect of the actions we had to take, considering the suspect was in fact, shooting at us.”

“I know it wasn’t intentional. But, you should be aware and accept the consequences of the risk you took. Not place your accountability onto someone else, correct?”

The blonde one raised his eyebrows in expressive understanding, “She does have a point.”

“Listen, existing in the world, on this island, in your daily life– all of it has unforeseen consequences to every choice, conscious or not. One could argue that you picked the wrong parking spot that day,” Steve countered, crossing his arms, his face somewhat intrigued at this whole exchange.

“Oh my god, seriously?,” you blurted out, irritation taking over, “Why don’t you admit you don’t have good aim or any time for self-reflection, Rambo, instead of diverting the valid point,” you spat out, taking a brief pause. 

You thought you heard a snicker from the shorter one, before you continued, “You’re perfectly content with other people cleaning up your mess, and accepting that it’s owed to you and your job, even though we had nothing to do with it. It still affects people, it can still harm people.”

The Commander leaned back slightly on his heels, thinking. You were ready and waiting to fire back with another rebuttal, but there was only an exhale from him, and the man with the coiffed-hair’s face eagerly laced with anticipation.

Steve uncrossed his arms, “That’s not true. I don’t think that. But, honestly, there isn’t anything we can do. We can’t go and reimburse everyone for every complaint and tackle that as its own case on top of everything else.”

“How many complaints do you actually get from bystanders on cases? And ones with documentation.” You added, pointing at the papers still in his hand, “I’m sure you can do something about this.”

“Alright,” Steve said, trying to hand them back to you, “How about dinner, on us?”

You didn’t get a chance to mock that absurd random suggestion because someone already had, “Dinner on us? What is that? And, by the way, it was your round that hit her car, Steven,” the shorter one immediately snapped back.

McGarrett turned towards him, the papers shifting closer to his chest again, “You can’t know that, Danny. There was a commotion, you had little to no visual.”

“No visual? It was clear enough for me to know where I was shooting, which wasn’t at this woman’s new car or into an apartment.”

“You can’t say that with 100% certainty, days after the fact, and with no witnesses.”

“You want me to call CSU to pull a bullet from the floor mat or somewhere else in her car and run ballistics on it?”

McGarrett sighed loudly as the man now known as Danny continued, hands still making pointed gestures in the surrounding air, “You know what they’re gonna say? The bullet was from your gun.” 

“Daniel–”

“I guess dinner would come with a show,” you interrupted, the sarcasm suddenly causing the two men to remember where they were. They both turned back to you.

“Just dinner with me then?,” Steve spoke up, assertively, “Might be preferred that way.”

Was he– was he smirking at you? You narrowed your eyes, on purpose, and made a face to stop whatever they were apparently revealing, cursing some idiotic part of yourself. Your voice remained unimpressed and unaffected, a locked gate,

“If you read the cost estimate for the car, alone, you’d see it’s over $500. That’s not even considering all punitive damages.” 

“Well, it might take more than one date, but it can still be arranged,” Steve replied with another lopsided smile.

The Commander’s confidence was killing you right now, like using this sort of method to try and get out of this was going to magically fix the problem. Pfft. No. No, no, no– not gonna work no matter how many times he batted his pretty eyelashes at you.

“Just write me the check,” you said.

Danny let out an uncontrollable giggle. McGarrett immediately shot him a look.

Then you turned on your heel, trying your best to ignore the attention, yet hoping their eyes were on you as you left, feeding off the sudden power in turning the tables. You walked out, as you confidently added over your shoulder,  “All my information’s there for payment. You have 2 weeks. Good day, gentlemen.”

You knew getting the money was a long shot. You didn’t want to actually have to get a lawyer and seek damages or whatever. That’d cost more than the repairs itself. It was just the principle of it all. You felt bad for Norma and her loss too, and wanted to stand up for her. When you walked down the palace’s steps, the hot tropical air floating around you again, you were flustered with the anger still running through your veins like a bullet train. And, you hated that your mind kept wandering back to if McGarrett’s date idea was just some ploy to get out of paying, or if it actually… wasn’t.

______________________

You stopped by Norma’s to give her the update, and see if her window had been repaired as it was supposed to be completed by now. It had been fixed, no memory of the randomized chaos ten feet away here any more (well besides your car). At least something worked out. You knocked, and after a few moments, the window’s louvres cracked open a tad.

“Hey Norma,” you greeted kindly, peering between the cracks.

“Hi honey, see they fixed it!”

“They did.”

The window closed and she shifted towards the door, opening it. Apparently, lime green was the shirt colour of the week.

“Come in, dear. I got about an hour before I gotta go kick some ass at the Moanalua course.”

“Who are you playing golf with?”

“Some clown from my art class who said I couldn’t ever get an eagle.”

“Is it a date?”

She howled out a laugh, as she scooted into the kitchenette to get some drinks.

“I just wanted to say I tried to get some justice for you and your lost artwork at the 5-0 headquarters, as well as for my car. But, I doubt anything will happen.”

“Well, you tried, Y/N. You stood up for me, and yourself. So, be proud you did. Maybe, you knocked some sense into them.”

“I don’t know,” you shook your head, “The guy in charge seems stubborn, and thickheaded, not totally, but enough. Also question: who the hell asks you out to dinner as a substitute for reimbursement?”

Norma’s antique bracelets on her wrist jingled as she slapped her hand against the countertop, holding back another amused yelp of a laugh, “He did what?”

“Yeah, I know. He thinks I’m stupid or something.” You commented, sitting down at the teal and white retro dinette set. She slid a glass of iced tea towards you on the table.

“Honey, no, I don’t think so. I think it’s the opposite.”

You gave a look to her that said ‘please explain’ as she sat down across from you. Norma continued, “From what I’ve seen of that team of people and what they solve on the news. I think they’re caring genuine folks. So, if that guy asked you out. He meant it,” she starting softly sing-songing the last part, through a smile, “Because he’s attracted to you.”

Norma had lived way longer, so you couldn’t totally disregard her sagacious yet romantic judgment call, but you weren’t sold on it, even if your heart staggered at the thought. She took another sip of her drink with a knowing expression, before adding, “Was he a dreamboat or what? Your rosy cheeks are saying yes.”

You embarrassingly placed an elbow on the table, putting your forehead into your palm, scoffing out some sound of an attempt at a denial, but mostly failing in the process. You looked back to dear sweet Norma, who still had a faint smile on her lips,

“You couldn’t ever play poker, dear. You got an honest heart, and too much of it shows.”

______________________

About a week later, you came home to find a letter in the mail, with the state of Hawai’i seal on its envelope. You didn’t know what to expect, pessimism the most used option, which worked out well, considering it was merely a typed note saying payment was not authorized as signed by the Governor’s Office, despite 5-0’s request. A business card fell out of the envelope too. It was embossed with a name you recognized, for any further questions. You rolled your eyes, tossing the envelope on your desk. You didn’t call. You didn’t think anything of it, well not much. You had mentioned the apology letter to Norma. She asked if you were going to call Steve, and you just shrugged, forgetting about it. Or trying to, except every time you glanced at your now-fixed car you had a mixed-up mess of emotions, instead of the usual subtle rage. 

When there was a knock outside your apartment, you thought it was Norma. But when you quickly glanced to look through the door, you were wrong as soon as you saw the brown hair, broad chest, and rolled up shirtsleeves. You unlocked the door.

“What are you doing here, Commander McGarrett?” You greeted, “Another perp nearby you managed to lose. Or are we seeking some self-reflection?”

“Aha, yeah,” he laughed out sarcastically with a smile, eyeing you, “You think you’re funny, don’t you?” 

His eyes squinted at the sun’s golden rays that were lowering in the distance, making his tan skin an even warmer shade. You casually crossed your arms, waiting for him to state the reason he was actually here. His frame was in an ‘at ease’ stance, hands behind his back. (This guy was ex-military, like you couldn’t guess before.) You realized that giving your personal info directly to him and 5-0, was likely now a bad idea in hindsight. They probably ran background on you already.

“You didn’t call me,” Steve noted frankly.

“There wasn’t a reason to.”

“Actually there was. The letter stated the Governor’s Office wouldn’t issue payment in the form of a check,” McGarrett explained as he pulled an envelope out of his cargo pants’ pocket, “Here.”

“What’s this?”

“What I would’ve told you over the phone if you had ever called.”

You peeked inside, seeing four hundred dollar bills lined up, along with something else, a gift certificate for a pottery studio.

“The team did our best to compromise,” Steve said as his hand fidgeted slightly, scratching the stubble on his chin once as he put the rest of the words together, your own eyes softening as he spoke, “It’s most of your repair bill. And that’s a nice place up in Wahiawa, where she and her grandson can go. Make something new. I would hope he’d be visiting her again sometime soon, considering she lives in Hawai’i, of all places,” he noted, another smile tugging at one corner of his mouth, as he watched your reaction.  

You didn’t expect this, you really didn’t. So, you didn’t know what to say, besides, your most genuine, “Thank you,” clasping the envelope in one hand, while the other tucked a strand of your hair back behind your ear. Norma’s words echoed in your mind, wondering if your honest heart was showing too much again. 

“You’re welcome,” Steve replied, nodding his head for emphasis and maybe a bit of pride too.

He pointed towards wherever his car was parked on the street below, taking a step back, “Well, that’s all. Take care.”

“Wait,” you called out, and he turned back around in a split-second, a piece of hope still in his chest, ready for the pin to be pulled and burst like a grenade.

“I think you should give the gift certificate to Norma, it’d mean more than way. Hold on a second,” you ordered, going back inside to slip on your sandals and grab your keys by the door. So, you could walk down with him.

McGarrett actually waited and didn’t protest against the idea. He matched your stride as you headed downstairs, the breeze through the nearby palms the only noise. You suddenly missed the banter, you only knew briefly, “So,” you breathed out, “How’s your current case going?”

“It went fine, just wrapped up. Why?”

“Just making conversation,” you answered, and you made it to the second set of stairs before you felt the need to speak up again, “What branch did you serve in?”

“Navy,” Steve answered, feet hitting the ground floor, sort of surprised yet delighted at the question, “Navy SEALs, actually,” he corrected, subliminally enjoying the fact he could willingly bring that up into the conversation. McGarrett glanced at you briefly, waiting for a response, but you didn’t say anything else. You continued your pace along the sidewalk, until you found Norma’s apartment.

You knocked on the door, and it opened after a moment. Today’s shirt colour of the week was coral, like a slice of the gradient sunset sky. Norma called out your name sweetly, “How nice to see you, but who’s this?”

“Hello ma'am, Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-0.” He said perfectly and professionally, and never failing to be so with his demeanor, offering the lady his hand, “Pleasure to meet you.”

Norma took it, her bracelets jinling during the handshake, glinting in the sun’s rays, her eyes twinkling too with a sudden sparkle as she glanced at you after the introduction,

“So, this is the fella you were talking about?”

You immediately scoffed, “I wasn’t talking about him, Norma. I mentioned him. Once, or twice. Because of the damages and invoice thing,” you corrected, feeling a blush creeping back onto your face.

“Mmmhmm, well, he seems polite enough to be let inside.”

“Thank you,” Steve replied, a newfound smirk on his features, something else in his eyes now too, bright with some new form of amusement, as he briefly turned to you, raising his eyebrows quickly in self-assurance, before stepping through the doorstep. You followed behind.

“You sit down, and I’ll go get something for you two to drink.”

“That really won’t be necessary, ma’am, I just--”

She snapped her fingers, and pointed, “Sit down. It’ll only be a minute.”

Norma, despite her kind nature and petite frame, had a presence about her when needed. You knew better than to try and argue with her. The SEAL apparently didn’t want to bother either, sighing to himself. You both silently sat down on the tiny loveseat that could barely fit in the room. Steve’s physicality of being was constant, not caring or aware of the fact his limbs and presence were unintentionally and intentionally bigger than most, his broadness enduring with stretched out legs, even with the confined cushions. You felt your knees touch as you shifted your weight. You didn’t think he noticed, his stare fixated on the starburst wall clock like it was bomb going to be detonated. Then you remembered, there was a bullet hole still in that wall, inches below it. He didn’t look at you, holding the small rectangle of paper delicately in his larger hands. You observed him, that subtle feeling you felt when you first met, redeeming itself. You wondered what it would be like to try and get to know this guy, what blessings and burdens he was hiding in those heavy ribs and deep ocean eyes, like the reasons as to why he ever taunted an idea that could tie you two together.

Norma’s reemergence, and the sound of a tray with two full cups of iced tea hitting the coffee table, disrupted your thoughts. Steve thanked her and took control of the conversation, sizing up Norma to be a heavy talker, which was a good read. She was–  granted, she did have a lot of fun and interesting stories to tell. Norma was touched by the genuine self-awareness and apology, as well as the kind gesture of the gift certificate for her and her grandson.

“Stand up, Commander McGarrett, so I can give you a proper hug.” 

“Norma, you can call me Steve,” he assured, getting up, gently leaning his head down over the elderly woman’s aging and fragile shoulders, the man suddenly recollecting the memories and long gaps of time away since last seeing his Aunt Deb.

“Thanks again, honey,” Norma said again and stepped back, “And thank you, Y/N. You’re always looking out for me. Without you, none of this would’ve happened.”

You just sheepishly nodded your head, making your way to give her a quick hug goodbye, “You’re welcome, Norma.”

“Alrighty then, you two get outta here,” she gestured theatrically, voice like a safeguarding grandmother, her eyes aligning with yours, silently stating her approval and offer to live a little.

“Have fun on your date,” she cooed, strategically, as you and Steve just stepped outside, grinning at both of your confused faces, shutting the door before either of you could say a word to convince her otherwise. You both turned to face each other, knowing what was said, but deciding to drop it mid-air where it still was.

“So, you were talking about me, huh?” McGarrett crossed his arms, proud of himself, as he walked beside you down the sidewalk again, “Good or bad?”

Your heart was still beating slightly faster, the words quick on your tongue, rushing out despite not sounding so, “Neither, but I’d rather talk to you over dinner then I'll know for sure.”

He stopped walking to turn to you, processing the information, “Really?” 

“Really.”

“Done. Are you free right now? Norma seemed to think so,” Steve noted, unable to hold back a grin. 

You couldn't either, as you answered with a yes.

[h50europe]

H50 200th episode tribute to the early days

Lenkov revisits the beginning of #H50 on his IG account and provides the fans with some background info from the pilot. It shows the unique chemistry, this one in a million bond between Alex and Scott that was there from day one.

[frosen-in-time]

Harbinger of Spring

It was the early days of summer on the tropical island of Okinawa, Japan, when I captured this image of a white eyed bird in a cherry blossom tree. The air was already humid and the wisps of ocean breeze a blessing. I remember sitting for hours by these sakura watching the birds flit from branch to branch, trying to catch the perfect moment. But just as the cherry blossoms only bloom for a fleeting moment, these birds rarely sit still. Despite the challenge, I enjoyed every peaceful moment under these trees.

I've been a professional photographer for many years now. I've been fortunate enough to travel to over 30 countries, straying off the well beaten paths for the unknown adventures hidden within the depths of each destination. Photography is my passion and a dream I can't seem to leave behind me. Yet throughout the years and as my skills have improved and my experiences grown, I keep coming back to this moment under the sakura watching the birds hop from branch to branch, feeling the caress of an ocean breeze brush my hair away from my face.

Equipment: Sony DSC-H50

Focal Length: 78mm

Aperture: F/5

Shutter Speed: 1/500