This is my first Fanfic. I am a huge Five-0 fan. I started this, intending it to be the start of a longer story. My goal is to write one in between each episode leaving the major plotlines alone and focusing mostly on team dynamics so that I can pretend my stories really happen when we are all not looking! This one is meant to come after the Halloween episode and before the most recent one.

Steve could not believe it had come to this. After all of his effort, all of the mental energy he had expended on it he was now reduced to this.

Reduced to hitting on Lori just to throw them off the track. He just couldn't think of what else to do. Lately, things had sort of snowballed. He had raised eyebrows a few weeks back when Catherine came in and he and she were clearly over. But still he brushed questions aside and redirected his team to focus on case after case. No one seemed too suspicious.

But there were times. Chin Ho would look at him with that wary glare. Danny would raise his eyebrows at moments when Steve had just been staring or at least fantasizing. And Kono. Kono was so quietly insightful. It was one of the first things he noticed about her and now he greatly feared she was bringing her skills to bear on the secret he was hiding. And so that brought him to his shameless flirting. It was so not his style. And of course really not fair to her. Just in case she read anything into it. That would be just his luck to lead one team member in to a crush on him in his asinine effort to hide his crush on another team member. It just seemed like the redirecting, the ignoring and the pretending weren't working and of course didn't they always say the best defense is a good offense and so this was his attempt at an offensive drive to keep his team away from his true feelings. Just as Steve had talked himself out of concern for his latest activities the subject of said activities knocked on his office door.

"Steve?" Lori said waiting for his permission to enter. He nodded and she came in, carefully closing the door behind her. Steve knew that look and if she had not been there he may have literally kicked himself for his own stupidity. "I was wondering if you wanted to grab a beer?" She asked him with a smile.

He had to make a choice - brutal honesty or diversionary tactics. He was brave enough the rest of the time he decided. Right now it was okay to take the coward's way out.

'Absolutely." He intoned rising from his seat. Steve brushed by a beaming Lori as he saw Danny and Chin heading out. He stepped just outside his door and called out. "Guys. Beers?" It was neither a complete sentence nor a question and he of course could not expect Danny to let that go.

"Steven," he began. "How many times must we discuss the rules of civilized society?"

"What did I do now?" Steve asked momentarily forgetting his Lori-problem in light of an opportunity to provoke his partner.

"Your lessons have been greatly improving my ability to interact with all you higher mammals." Steve told him. "I was attempting to put all of your wisdom to work at a social gathering involving libations and perhaps food."

"Yes, but calling out two nouns at people does not an invitation make." Danny offered.

"Daniel, Chin Ho Lori has suggested a short excursion to a local establishment to partake in some fellowship and sustenance. Are you amenable?" Steve asked with his hands spread in submission. Chin Ho laughed, but Danny looked like he still might refuse. Steve panicked a little at the thought of "a date" with Lori given what his behavior over the past few weeks might have led her to believe. Danny caught Steve's look.

"I would greatly enjoy that, Steven." Danny said.

"Me too, boss." Chin concurred. Lori had come out from Steve's office and stood behind him. She smiled at this development, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Where's the party?" Kono asked as she walked in while the others were making their way out the door.

"It's a Five-0 excursion for drinks to celebrate . . ." Danny informed her pausing. "What are we celebrating Steven?"

"Another case solved." Steve said with a moderate amount of conviction. Silently adding the real purpose – to stop me from reaping the consequence of my moronic actions.

"I'm in." Kono said. "I just need to log in some notes from the vic I just debriefed."

"Sure," Chin said. "Meet us at Edge when you're done."

"Which Vic?" Danny asked.

"Darla Roberts." She said making her way to her office. "I just had to get some final details to connect Malcolm to her. I know we have him with the forensic evidence, but I thought we could strengthen the connection with some information from our victim."

"Steve, didn't you get a call today from a banker on that case?" Danny asked.

"Yes," Steve said surprised that Danny was even listening to him when he relayed that innocuous detail over lunch. "He faxed over some account statements that show deposits linking Malcolm to the bookie that put the hit out on Darla. I hadn't matched them up with the file yet."

"I can do that, Boss." Kono offered remerging from her office. "I'll just update everything at once."

Steve was about to go in to his office to retrieve the faxes to give to Kono, focusing on not looking at her at all, when Danny offered a suggestion.

"That will just make Kono more late meeting us." He reasoned. "Why don't you stay too and between the two of you the file gets updated twice as fast and you meet us in time to buy the second round.

Steve was suspicious of his partner's motives in arranging his schedule but in no way opposed to his suggestion. Lori, however, was not a fan.

"Considering this group outing started out with just me and Steve I don't think him having to bail for work is fair. . . ." before she could present her arguments in support of this Kono interrupted."

"You and Steve?" Kono asked with a smirk at Steve and, he noted, absolutely no jealousy at all. "Then by all means you two go and Danny and Chin can help me wrap up the paperwork."

Great. She was actually arranging his date with another woman. Did he need any more proof that his feelings were completely unreciprocated? Steve thought back to a few weeks ago and remembered how angry he was when Chin mentioned Kono having a date with that lab guy Charlie. Miraculously Five-0 had needed some evidence processed that very night and somehow Charlie was moved to the top of the on call list. As far as he knew the date was never rescheduled. Fortunately Danny was arguing against Kono's attempts to get him and Lori alone while Steve was lost in thought.

"Hey, I in no way volunteered for paperwork." Danny said. "I did my fair share today and besides I have blood sugar issues that require me to get a beer within the next twenty minutes. They won't be long, Lori and you will find that despite what some people think" this was said with an eyebrow raised at Steve, "I am a fantastic date."

"It's true." Chin agreed handing Lori her purse which he had picked up from the chair outside Steve's office.

"Fine, but you guys are buying the first round." Lori said as Danny "escorted her" out the front door.

"Did that seem at all strange to you?" Kono asked still holding the case file.

"No," Steve lied avoiding eye contact. "Your office or mine?" He asked with a smile.