(A/N) Hi all! Thanks for clicking on the final chapter of this three-shot! I received some excellent feedback from my last chapter that I felt I should publicly address.
Q: How long is this story?
A: Just three chapters... super sorry! I meant for it to be a one-shot but it kind of filtered on into a three-shot, haha.
Q: Why did Catherine overreact?
A: Overly suspicious cray cray is overly suspicious. hahaha ;)
Q: Mary is really mean!
A: Yeah, I can totally see that. But what I was going for more was like a good-intentioned type thing; she wanted to make up for her mistakes by making Steve happy with Kono. And being tricked into hanging out with Kono is definitely not a bad time ;)
Special thank yous go out to: amblue36, Froggie2, Pop'n'Pop23, x0rejects0x, infinitedreamsonly, Sparrowhawk1952, Sweetpea2100, francis2, A Sliver of Silver, SpnH50Sg, rice117, and chril1! You guys are awesome and really keep me going! Kono/Steve shippers unite, whoop whoop. :D
Onwards! This chapter is gonna have hella Steve/Kono action, haha - our favorite. Teehee.
"Feeling better?"
Steve turned to Kono, who was bobbing in the waves with a smile and salty hair.
He smiled back, treading the water. "Yeah. Love the water here. You can't get this in LA." And it was true. Although LA had its own share of sunny beaches – swimming or surfing was a slight impossibility at night; water temperatures dipped down into the 40's or 50's. But Oahu was an amazing anomaly; no matter how late it got, the Waikiki waters always remained as lukewarm and comfortable as a bath.
Kono grinned and dove headfirst, like a swan diving for food, under the wave that had just rolled by. Steve missed it, and was slapped in the face with a mouthful of salt. When the wave passed, he roughly wiped his face with his hand and laughed.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were small kine haole, shoots," Kono laughed, splashing Steve playfully.
"Shut up," he smirked, splashing her back. "You're forgetting I was a SEAL. I live for the water."
"Oh, I feel you, brah."
They chuckled in appreciation, as they bobbed in rhythm with the swelling waves, up and down, less than a foot away from each other. Steve glanced at the water; he could see the outline of Kono's legs, kicking in close proximity to his own. He was suddenly uncomfortably aware of the fact that, in one move, he could wrap a leg around hers and an arm around the curve of her waist…
Immediately, like an unwanted pest, Mary's face popped into Steve's head – along with her voice, "I'm in your head..."
This is all Mary's fault.
A pro at reading Steve's facial expressions by now, Kono frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm fine."
Kono gave him a knowing sidelong glance. "Really? Because you were cursing at Mary under your breath."
"I was?"
"Yeah."
"Oh."
Kono looked like she wanted to say something, but she stopped. Steve almost wished that she would've just spoken. It would've made it easier.
Instead, she did what she always did in uncomfortable situations and only laughed, as she plunged underwater and disappeared from view.
Steve rolled his eyes and grinned when he felt a tug on his ankle. One quick glance downward at the dark mass hovering by his foot told him that Kono was floating around near him. He chuckled and dove under, kicking after her.
Under the water, sound was muffled – and since Steve didn't want to completely open his eyes to the burning sensation of salt – sight was practically nonexistent. It was a different world – yet he felt right at home. Steve moved around blindly, grinning when his arms made contact with bare skin.
Kono yelped in surprised laughter, as Steve grabbed her by the waist and swung her around so that her head broke the surface of the water. She wriggled around fruitlessly in his arms, but she was held tight. Steve pretended to growl menacingly and, almost effortlessly, flung her light body as far as he could. Kono laughed and landed with a splash a few feet away.
"Ho brah!" she giggled, rising to the surface to catch her breath. "What was that – the Loch Ness monster?"
Steve pretended to look offended. "Nessie?" he called over, as Kono started swimming freestyle back towards him. "I hope you realize Nessie is a girl sea monster. I'd prefer something a little manlier." He gave her a lopsided grin. "Like the Kraken or something."
Kono reached him. "What's Kraken?" she joked, grinning playfully.
Steve caught on. "Nothing, what's Kraken with you?"
They laughed.
"So I assume that means Nessie's available for me." Dimples erupted on Kono's face as she giggled and launched herself onto Steve's broad back, wrapping her arms around his neck in a chokehold and her legs around his waist, in prime roughhousing position.
Kono felt Steve stiffen and inhale a sharp intake of breath. Concerned, she let her grip loosen against him. She flattened her palms against his chest.
"What's up?"
Steve didn't answer, but only kept a hand on her arms as he twisted his body around so that he faced her.
Kono swallowed imperceptibly, trying to avoid Steve's gaze. She wasn't sure if she liked what she thought was about to happen. The sun was fast disappearing below the horizon, casting dark red streaks up into the sky behind Steve's face and bare torso. Her arms were still locked at the wrists behind Steve's neck, her legs falling slack against his back. Even though she had not meant for it to be anything else besides playful, Kono suddenly felt very inappropriate.
Steve's heavily lidded eyes raked over Kono's face, and without thinking, one of his hands reached lightly brushed through the sea-soaked tangled strands of her hair and came to rest at the base of her neck.
"Steve," Kono warned quietly, eyes blazing with stern determination. "Don't. It wouldn't be right."
He shook his head in response. "I know," he muttered under his breath, sounding pained. All the while, his fingers traced the smooth curve of her waist, then up her toned thighs, then wrapped around the loose strings of her bikini – ready to pull them at her slightest assent.
"Don't," Kono repeated, very seriously. Subconsciously, she realized that even though she was saying this out loud, she couldn't quite bring herself to break away from his sturdy embrace. As if trying to talk herself out of this paradox, she repeated again, "Don't."
True to his stubborn nature, Steve widely ignored her and pulled her in, leaving a lingering kiss on the very corner of Kono's lips – making her close her eyes and weaken involuntarily.
This act, in turn, sent a low rumble through Steve's chest, and almost instinctively, his hands moved to her thighs. Unfortunately, being half-submerged in water meant that he couldn't exactly execute everything nature was currently telling him to – leaving Steve slightly frustrated.
"Beach," he murmured huskily, mouth pressed against Kono's ear.
Half melted under his spell already, Kono pried her eyes open slightly. She gasped slightly at a sudden well-placed touch, then she pushed herself out of his arms. "Race you," she grinned, turning around with a splash and allowing the incoming wave to give her the head start.
Steve and Kono landed on the sand, crashing together as heavily and intimately as the waves that crashed against the shore.
Kono's heart was beating so fast that she was surprised that Steve couldn't hear it. Granted, he was a little preoccupied at the moment – fumbling with the slightly confusing design of her bikini top. "God, who designed this?" he grumbled. "The Rubik's cube guy?"
Kono laughed, but then stopped as she felt Steve's fingers freeze in their work.
"What is it?" She looked up to see his eyes trained on something behind them. Kono readjusted herself and lifted her chin to follow his gaze. She almost laughed aloud when she saw two little boys around ten, sitting halfway up the beach, staring at them with open mouths.
Steve placed an elbow down to balance himself over Kono's body, and raised the other one to the boys. "Hey, go home," he shooed them. "It's late, get going."
They didn't move.
Kono laughed, in spite of herself. Steve was good with guns, cars, and even a football – but one thing he wasn't good with was children.
With surprising skill, Kono grabbed Steve by the shoulders and rolled him over so that she was sitting on top of him. Ignoring Steve's surprised but impressed smirk, Kono laughed and faced the boys. "Don't worry about me, guys," she called out, waving. "We're just playing around. I won't let him win, I promise, okay?"
The boys nodded simultaneously, solemn looks on their little faces.
"Now you guys should probably get going; your parents are probably cooking up some onolicious grinds, eh? Roast beef Saturdays?"
They smiled at this, gave each other a look, then scrambled to their feet and ran off.
Kono smiled and then grinned down at Steve, who was still pinned under her and running his fingers up her bare legs. "Roast beef Saturdays?" he asked, curiously.
"You won't believe this, but they're my cousins. They live on the mauka-side of the big tourist hotels."
Steve let out a loud laugh. "What, is everyone on the island related to you and Chin?"
Kono laughed at that. "Not going to argue with that." She smiled down at him, and not breaking eye contact, leaned over him. Eliciting an appreciative groan from Steve, she placed her mouth on the center of his chest, then traced lightly down to his ribs, then his chiseled abs, then suddenly – stopped at the top of his soaked cargo pants. She pushed her up into a sitting position.
Steve threw his hands up in frustration. "You have got to be shitting me," he exhaled to himself under his breath.
Kono sighed and propped herself on her elbows, resting on Steve's chest. "We shouldn't," she said, running her hands through her hair.
"Why not?"
Kono climbed off of him and rolled onto her back, staring up at the sky next to him. She sighed, picking her words carefully. "I don't think you want to."
"What are you talking about?" Steve wrapped his right leg around hers.
"Things would get messy."
Steve buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I would hope so," he joked, smirking.
Kono giggled. "Stop it." Then she was serious again. "Really, think about it. We work together. We're all like family. You're going through a rough patch with Catherine. You had a whole bottle of Pinot..." Her voice trailed off. "I just – don't want you to have regrets because of me."
Steve lay in silence next to her, body rigid as he mulled over her words for what seemed like a year. He thought about Catherine, remembering her sharp scent and their good times. Then he thought about Kono, how she made him laugh and how her spontaneity constantly kept him on his feet, and what it'd be like to be with her. Not today.
Finally, he exhaled. "You're right." He gave her a small smile and climbed to his feet.
When the morning arrived, Mary Ann climbed out of bed, one heavy leg at a time. She wrapped a sweater around her bare shoulders and tank top, then sleepily walked towards her childhood bathroom.
She swung open her door and stopped short.
"Oh!"
Standing in the doorway was a surprised woman, with pretty bed-tousled hair and swollen lips. She was dressed in one of Steve's big t-shirts and nothing else.
Mary folded her arms and stared at her for a second – then broke into a wide, knowing grin. "Ko-no!" she scoffed with a smirk, placing extra emphasis on the second syllable. "Right on, girlfriend. Good night last night?"
Kono flushed, folding her arms and chewed on her right thumbnail. "Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't keep you up, did I?"
"No." Mary smirked. "Although from the sound of things last night, you kept something else up."
Kono's eyes narrowed playfully at Mary. She shoved her lightly and muttered, "Oh my God! You are so bad."
"Yeah, I know." Mary gave her a big grin. "That's okay, though. I just broke up with my boyfriend, so I'll be bringing a lot of guys around here soon."
Kono only shook her head and laughed softly to herself. Mary took the opportunity to shoot her a smirk and slide past her in the doorway into the restroom.
Right as she was about to pass Kono, Mary paused and held up a hand.
Kono rolled her eyes good-naturedly and high fived her.
(A/N) How was it? I hope you liked it. Let me know what you thought! As for the last part, I'll leave it up to the readers' interpretations - you can have it take place that day (with Steve being all 'fuck the consequences, I need Kono now' type thing), or you can have it take place a few weeks later (maybe after talking through things and ending it with Catherine). I originally meant for it to be the latter, but I realized the former would be pretty dang cute too. Hehe. :) Anyway, just wanted to thank all of you guys for reading and my wonderful reviewers for reviewing. You guys sure made me smile! Thanks again!