I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: Uh yeah, so about that one shot? Sooooooo ... ummm ... yeah. I lied? The muse wanted Steve's POV and then quite literally wrote 90% of it in my head whilst driving back. It could not resist Steve in a Santa Suit. Regardless, I think that Jlopie has invested in a whole new bulk shipment of cattle prods.

And ... also? Still kinda pre-slashy.

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O

It was all too much. Steve sat down on the floor, cross-legged, facing Danny who was now sound asleep on the sofa. Steve studied his friend from stem to stern, taking in the way Danny's hand flopped over at the wrist, his fingers gently tented open over the healing bullet wound. Steve cringed because for a moment those horrific memories of Danny nearly dying right in front of him flashed through his mind in vivid, blood-red color. He couldn't go there; he wouldn't.

Nevertheless, Steve studied him. He catalogued everything from the dry creases around Danny's eyes, to the subtle tension of his jaw even in sleep. The way his breathing still seemed far too shallow, even uncomfortable. It was all too much because it was all too fresh. After Adam called, Steve realized that he never should have left Danny alone after being discharged from the hospital. What had he been thinking? Guiltily, Steve reached out as if to touch Danny's arm or his cheek and then thought the better of it. Danny was alive. He was right there in front of him. Safe and whole.

Steve sighed deeply as he hung his head, eyes closing with his own rush of fatigue, his chin practically touching his chest. He'd almost lost his entire team within the same week. He'd almost lost Danny though, twice. There wouldn't be a third time. Ever.

Head still bowed, eyes still tightly shut, Steve did reach out then. Blindly finding the warmth of Danny's arm behind the darkness of his lids. He wondered how Danny had managed to rally though all of it to wind up right where he was at that very moment: with Charlie, ready to celebrate Christmas, then the New Year, in a fully decorated home. The homey smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies wafting lazily in the air.

"Son of a gun, you baked, too?" Steve hissed softly under his breath when he realized he could really smell the enticing scent lingering throughout the house. "Cookies, Danno? Seriously?"

He blinked his eyes open, his thumb running a gentle circle on his partner's forearm. He paused when Danny shifted and murmured something in his sleep. Steve automatically shushed him and then waited for Danny to settle again, but he was completely astonished as he really looked around and took in the entire room. A fully decorated Christmas tree, stockings hung ... all the lights ... even outside? A glass of milk and home-baked cookies plated by the side table just waiting for Santa's arrival. Danny had not only thought of everything, he'd done everything. Steve shook his head, amazed and not just a small bit guilty.

Adam had been right to call him, but he'd called a bit too late in Steve's opinion. But maybe it was Steve's own fault because he should have known better. He didn't need anyone to tell him what his partner would be up to this time of year. Come hell or high water, and damn if they didn't have both such labeled disasters to deal with that very same week, Danny would have found a way.

So if Steve had had his head out of his proverbial ass, he'd been well ahead of the curve and not needed a phone call from a well-meaning friend that Danny was doing too much. Baking. Decorating. Making Christmas just right for his kids. Instead, Steve had been utterly distracted and he'd practically gone rogue on Danny's case. Chasing down a vacuum of nothingness after finding that photo of Danny with its terrifying message.

He deserved to die.

Steve's insides twisted tightly again and his breath caught in his throat. No. No, definitely not Danny Williams; he didn't deserve to die. Not this man.

"I'm going to figure this out," Steve promised softly as he watched Danny sleep. But his insides were knotted as if a black fist had taken up a permanent residence. Since seeing that photo with its dire note, Steve had been obsessed with investigating this weird, obscure monster who'd nearly ruined their lives. He needed to find out everything because there was no way to really know yet if the mysterious man - this monster - had been working alone.

Misty-eyed and distracted by his emotions, Steve gazed at the stockings hanging on the mantle and then marveled again at the soft texture of the holiday lights. The home was quiet, peaceful and ... perfectly beautiful. Danny had barely made it home from the hospital and yet, he'd managed ... Christmas. For Charlie. For Grace. Even for the both of them based on the presence of Steve's own stocking, nearly front and center.

"How the heck did you do all this?" Steve muttered. He knew how though. He even knew when because the window of time was excruciatingly narrow and yet, Danny had pulled it all off. The tired lines around Danny's eyes partly explained the story. The way Steve was lucky enough to time his arrival to find Danny in the throes of a painful coughing spasm explained the remainder. He'd obviously been on his feet too much, not resting as prescribed by his doctors. Driven to make Christmas the perfect holiday which Danny demanded it be from year to year for his family.

Steve didn't doubt that a pile of toys and colorfully wrapped packages were hidden somewhere in a closet or spare room. Things which needed to be placed under the tree well before Charlie woke the next morning. And Steve knew without needing to guess how early that might be for an excited little boy. And quite frankly, though he would do his damndest, this little boy's father wouldn't really be up to it.

The idea came almost from out of nowhere a second later and Steve got to his feet, eyes wide. He looked over at the side table again: a glass of milk and home-baked cookies plated ... right there ... almost too benignly waiting for Santa's arrival.

Santa. Of course.

Steve looked down as Danny slept on, his expression more than fond. It made perfect sense and Steve was sure that he'd find it in the house ... somewhere. Danny was a romantic at heart and a lover of tradition. Hell, Danny might have it right at his fingertips to use that very next morning. Steve's smile grew. He had a plan.

H5O* H5O

Steve heard the first stirrings just shy of three o'clock in the morning and smiled. He'd guessed right that Christmas Eve would be far too tempting for a little boy to sleep a full night without at least one peek outside his bedroom. Steve sat up straighter at the kitchen table, the soft yellow light from the candle just barely illuminating his bearded profile. He'd experimented with how to sit, where to sit, and what lighting to use more than a few times in anticipation of Charlie's waking.

He sensed their arrival just a few moments later and grinned under the thick, faux beard. With a diligent focus, he ignored the two figures standing stock-still in the doorway, but he knew they were hand in hand and that the smaller of the two had suddenly opted to hide behind the taller. With utmost care, he took a small, studious bite of a cookie whilst humming softly under his breath. The black-gloved fingers of his free hand curved almost elegantly around the glass of milk.

"Danno ... it's him." Steve heard the awe in Charlie's whisper and desperately wanted to look their way, almost ruining the tableau by laughing out right when he heard his partner's rather stunned and very ineloquent 'uh huh' in response. Likely still half-asleep, brain buzzing from pain meds, he was sure that Danny had no idea what was going on and was as likely as snookered as Charlie.

"Danno ... what do we do?" The question nearly unraveled Steve's plans in the desperation of its tone. To spare them both, and to end the sweet sham before it lost its magic, Steve turned in the chair, calmly and slowly. Charlie's gasp was audible as was Danny's startled grunt as his son ducked behind his legs, his fingers buried in the waistline of his father's sleep pants.

Ever so slowly, Steve turned. His gaze slipped gently over Danny's face and he smiled at the expression he found there, before settling purposefully on Charlie's eyes.

"Shhh," Steve murmured while he raised his gloved fingers to his lips. It was a simple gesture demanding that Charlie stay quiet or keep this special visit a complete secret. Either way, it didn't matter because when Steve nudged the large red bag he'd found near the Santa costume which was now partly stuffed full with the gifts Danny had already wrapped, he got the reaction he wanted. Compounding the message with that nudge while pointing almost imperiously over the boy's head, back towards Charlie's bedroom. Well, that was all it took.

Steve caught one final glimpse of blue eyes as large as saucer plates before Charlie bolted. In a flash, the boy was gone, bare feet pounding down the hallway back to his bedroom on the heels of a startled, excited yelp. He breathed out a soft laugh when he heard the bedroom door snick closed and got up from the chair because Danny had never budged from the doorway. Smiling broadly, Steve removed the pillow out from under the front of the red coat, then shrugged as he pulled the long white beard down so it hung just below his chin.

"I'd say that went well, but this damn thing itches, Danno," Steve whispered quietly as he walked over to stand in front of his still rather stunned partner. "And by the way, why you gotta hold out on me with these cookies? Why wouldn't you tell me about these? These are shockingly good."

"Dunno." Danny shook his head, left to right. His eyes were shining in the darkness, the half-light from the candles was just enough for them to see each other. However, Steve couldn't quite read the expression which was glued to Danny's face. "I don't know why that's shocking," Danny finally breathed out next, completely unable to take his eyes from Steve's. "I'm a fantastic baker."

"Yeah, yeah I guess you are at that," Steve murmured. He gestured aimlessly to the Santa suit he was wearing, wondering if he'd just monumentally screwed up since Danny had yet to say more. Danny just kept staring at him. The costume fell a bit short in the leg and Steve grinned apologetically since his socks peeked through. Charlie hadn't noticed because his lower body had been hidden by the table and dim lighting.

"So about all this? I know it's not perfect; it doesn't really fit me. But I hope you don't mind ... I thought ... for Charlie ... you know ... he seemed happy. Surprised." His voice trailed off then. Danny's mouth was opening and closing a bit like a gaffed fish. "I screwed up didn't I?" Steve whispered worriedly. "I mean, I didn't want to overstep things ... but, I thought ...Geez, Danno, I'm sorry. Did I mess up?"

"No, no you didn't mess up at all. It's just that you looked very ... convincing. Very. Actually," Danny murmured. His eyes glistened dark blue and the gruffness of his tone meant that he was near tears. He reached out to take Steve's hand, chuffing a bewildered noise in his throat when he found out that Santa's black gloved fingers were really part of Steve's own tac-issued items. "It was perfect ... you're perfect and so, yeah ..." He paused again and shook his head, squeezing Steve's hand. "You're ... you ... I love you, you know."

"Yeah?" Steve grinned happily. "I love you, too ... and Charlie. And well, I know you're not up-to-speed and I wanted to do something special ..."

"You know, you always did look good in uniform," Danny interrupted quietly, surprising Steve with the comment. "I think ... I think we might just have started a new family tradition."

"Yeah? This is more costume than uniform Danno, plus it's only good for once a year," Steve remarked, his smile now knowing no bounds as Danny pulled him into a hug. Content and more than pleased with the outcome, he traced a warm pattern lightly over Danny's thin t-shirt with his fingertips. "But I'm all in for new traditions."

"Good, because those are just details ... and we can make another new tradition. Starting this Christmas ... starting now," Danny whispered into his chest, his voice quiet and virtually muffled by their hug as his arms wended comfortably around Steve's back. "You know, Charlie is never forget this Christmas Eve. He won't forget ... and neither will I."

~ End. ~