Steve McGarrett was hanging around the park when he first spotted the blonde haired man walking hand in hand with a dark haired little girl. She looked to be around four or six Steve wasn't really sure he wasn't that good with guessing the ages of kids he had not been around children enough to know much about them but he found himself now drawn to the happy smile of the little girl and more so he found himself attracted to the man who was putting that happy smile on her face.

And Steve realized he was staring at them for far too long and it was becoming very obvious, but if he was being so blatant the two looked too caught up in their own private happiness to pay much attention to his lingering looks. A dark haired woman appeared, her hair was much like the little girl's but that was where the comparison ended, the woman looked annoyed every movement in her body screamed of it. Her smile as she appeared looking at the girl was forced and she held her hand out to the little girl, who first turned to the man who had bent down to give the little girl a hug. The hug lingered long as though it was the last and the brunette woman said something to the girl who finally let go of the embrace and her earlier happiness looked to be shattered as she waved goodbye to the man and left with the woman.

Steve felt sad until he realized the man was looking right at him and was starting to walk in his direction. Crap. Shit. Shit. Shit. Not so stealthy as you thought you were Steve he lectured to himself. He thought of walking away and then subtlety start running but figured that was the crazy antics of a mad man not like the long looks he had been giving the two had won him any points in the stable category.

"Do you have a problem?" The man demanded . He was short and had wavy blonde hair and blue eyes that was really pissed off right now and Steve found himself smiling. Dammit not the time to be smiling. He wiped the smile off his face and looked serious, well he tried to look serious.

"Yeah. I do have a problem." Steve cleared his throat. So many problems I have so many I never thought stalking would become one of them. But now his biggest problem was standing right in front of him dressed in a shirt and tie and who the hell wore a shirt in Hawaii in this heat? "I, have…lost…my…" Steve looked around and thought, mind. I have lost my mind and instead he spotted a dog and said. "Dog!" He shook his head miserably he was so incredibly, ridiculously stupid. Dog? He didn't even like dogs. But now he had a dog a big old imaginary lie of a dog and he was stuck with it.

"Oh?" The man said looking less angry now, his blue eyes softened and he looked sorry about his earlier outburst. "What happened?"

"He was on his leash and just you know broke free. He does that sometimes." Steve said choosing his words very carefully, one by one.

"I can help you look for him." The man offered.

"Really? Thanks I really appreciate it."

"Which way did he go?" Steve looked around standing with his hands on his hips and he sighed. Where did his imaginary dog go?

"I think he went that way." Steve said which was actually the way back to the food truck where he ate almost every day since he had come back home.
"Then we should go that way." The man said and Steve couldn't agree anymore.

"I'm Steve by the way." He said holding out his hand.
"Danny." They shook hands and Steve realized they were holding on a little bit too long not that he minded, he liked the touch and feel of Danny's hand in his own and Danny seemed to come to the same conclusion as well that they were holding on to long and he pulled his hand out of Steve's looking slightly embarrassed. He is blushing Steve thought with a smug smile on his face.

"Is Danny short for Daniel?" He asked unable to hide the smile that was on his face and now he was unable to look Danny in the face.
"Yeah, and is Steve short for Steven?"

"Yes but no one calls me that unless I've done something wrong."
"Must happen a lot Steven." The smile that was on Steve's face imploded into a laugh. This was going great. This was the most fun he had been having in days and he was genuinely smiling.
"You lost your dog again Steven."

"My what?" He asked
"You're dog. That we are looking for that is missing." Danny reminded him and it was Steve's turn to blush crimson.
"Yes my dog." My very imaginary nonexistent dog that is missing.

"What kind of dog is he?" Danny asked.
"A big one." Steve replied quickly.

"A big one?" Danny asked skeptically, and Steve knew it his lousy cover was blown but he wouldn't give up.
"Yeah, you know big, black, furry." Steve hurried along, with his vague description that could have been a dog or a bear or big foot.
"I meant what breed is it." Steve faked a laugh. Damn it why did he lose his dog.

"Oh breed, of course sorry it's a mix breed I got him at the animal shelter, poor little guy."
"I thought you said he was big?"

"When I got him he was a puppy and just a little guy." Steve said sounding way too proud of his lies that were coming more easier.
"I had a dog before I came to this freaking rock, it died in the quarantine process which just gave me another reason to hate this place." Steve felt bad he was making a dog lover look for his dog. A dog lover who had lost his dog really in the most permanent usage of the word lost.
"I'm just guessing now but you're not from here." Steve said trying to lighten the mood and Danny looked up at him with a smile.

"I'm from New Jersey."
"That is so, so, so much better than Hawaii."
"Screw you. At least we have weather and no one puts pineapple on pizza."
"Pineapple and pizza is a great combination." Steve told him.

"I'm going to pretend for the sake of finding your dog that you didn't just say that."

"So why did you come to this hell hole then?" And the smile that had been on Danny's face slowly disappeared and his eyes looked sad and Steve wished he had not asked that question. He wanted the twinkle in Danny's blue eyes back.

"My wonderful ex wife brought our daughter out here." That was who the little girl had been that Danny had playing with and the woman who had taken her away must have been the ex wife and Steve said the only thing he could offer.

"I'm sorry."

"I appreciate that, but it's not your fault." Danny cleared his throat and forced a smile. "So what is your dog's name?" Danny sounded like he needed the conversation to change and he needed to talk about something else urgently. Anything to get his mind off from the mess that his life has turned into.

"My dog's name." Steve whispered reflectively and he couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't keep up with this ridiculous lie and the longer it was going to play out the worse the train wreck was going to be.

"Well." Steve said and then he found himself blushing and laughing. He ran a hand over his face and couldn't meet Danny's eyes. Time for the moment of truth McGarrett.

"You don't have a dog do you." Danny said it first.
"You knew the whole time?" Danny nodded and now Steve was truly embarrassed. "What are you a detective or something?" Steve stuttered along just to be saying something.

"Actually. I am a cop. And you're a terrible liar."
"So why help me look for my dog?"

"You are starting to believe your own lie .Because newsflash you don't have a dog!" Danny's hands was waving all over the places and Steve grinned because it was the damn cutest thing he'd ever seen.

"You're diverting."
"Oh am I?"

"Yes you are pal. Why would you help me look for a dog you knew didn't exist?"
Danny shook his head and smiled.

"I hate you." He whispered and Steve was thinking the opposite of it. This was crazy and he felt like a love struck teenager. It was too soon. Way too soon. But this was love.

"How about I buy you a pineapple pizza for helping me look for my dog?" Smooth McGarrett very smooth.

"That's low." Danny said.

"Fine, how about coffee. Is our coffee okay Daniel, does it meet your high standards?"
"It's okay."

"Just okay?"

"Yeah okayish."

"Would present company improve the coffee?" Steve asked boldly.
"We'll see." Danny said.

"We'll see?" Steve mused. "So that's a yes. That's you agreeing to have coffee with me."
"Yes it's a yes."
"There's a place I know close to here, you'll like it." Danny followed Steve and a big, furry, black dog ran across their path. Danny looked at it with amusement.

"Hey look we found your dog."
"Shut up."

A/N Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed that! Take care!