Title: Lesson Learned

Summary: Looking up into the clear, blue sky, Danny realizes he's learned his lesson.

Disclaimer: Hawaii Five-0 is not mine. I'm just borrowing the concepts and characters for a little while.

Spoilers: None.

A/N: Thanks to cate's corner who inadvertently gave me the idea for this one. Who knew a conversation about watches could lead to this…

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Looking up into the clear, blue sky, Danny considers the idea of getting a watch. Ultimately it's not practical since he's one of those people who can only wear a watch for a few days or a week before it simply stops working for no apparent reason.

That's how he got in the habit of keeping time via his cell phone. Somehow his screwy body doesn't affect cell phones. He doesn't understand why, but instead is thankful and just goes with the flow.

When he's with family and is too lazy to get his phone out of his pocket, he'll just grab the nearest family member's wrist and check their watch for the current time.

Over the months he's lived in Hawaii, he's gotten comfortable with his team to the point where he sometimes takes liberties with them that he only would take with close friends and family. He knows he already considers his partner, one Steven J. McGarrett, the best friend he's had in a long time so he definitely takes more liberties with him than anyone else except Grace.

Today without thinking, he walks up to Steve's left side and grabs his wrist so he can check the time on his partner's watch and give his 'benevolent dictator' boss a more accurate time frame for when the CSU guys and gals will arrive to process the scene.

That was the last thought he had before he's staring up at the clear, blue sky and before the concerned, guilt-laced, and remorseful face of his partner mostly blocks his view of a couple of birds flying overhead.

"Danno! Are you OK? I'm so sorry! I just— You— Someone grabbed me and I reacted without thinking…" Steve helps him up off the ground and tries to check Danny for injuries.

"Ease off, you Neanderthal! I'm fine," he says backing up a step and raising his hands to ward off further attempts to check him for injuries. "Only my pride is injured."

"You should know better than to grab me on my blind side, Danny."

Danny flails a hand around just because he can do it. "I know. I forgot who I was grabbing."

Steve quirks an eyebrow and smirks.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, McGarrett. What I meant was; I grabbed your wrist to check the time so that I could tell you…" Danny points at Steve's watch and wonder of wonders his partner moves his arm so he can see the time. "…that CSU should be here in around seven minutes."

"Why didn't you use your cell like usual?"

Danny smiles a little at how well his partner knows his habits and replies, "Too lazy. Wasn't thinking. Neither. Both. I don't know…" He pauses to flex a sore muscle in his arm and then closes his eyes as he fully stretches his back muscles while saying; "Usually I only do the grab-the-wristwatch thing with my family."

When he opens his eyes again, he sees this happy-goofy look on his friend's face.

"What's with the face, Steven?"

Steve immediately schools his features and the happy-goofy face disappears only to be replaced with his 'I don't have a face' face. Knowing needling his friend right now would only cause him to retreat further behind his usual walls; he drops the subject and continues with the previous one.

"Anyway, lesson learned. I won't ever be doing that again."

"No!" Steve exclaims looking almost panicked for a split second before instantly calming, "It's OK to do it as long as you don't do it when I can't see it's you grabbing my wrist." He pauses and guilt flickers over his face. "You sure you're OK?"

"Yes! I'm fine. I swear. But, you know what would make things even better?"

Steve quietly and with some hesitation replies, "What?"

"You buying me a couple of beers as a form of restitution for the sore back I'll be waking up to tomorrow."

So much guilt and remorse returns to Steve's face that Danny can barely stand the sight of it so he grabs his partner's shoulder and squeezes, giving him one of his best 'gotcha' smiles. The look on Steve's face instantly melts away and is replaced with a genuine smile.

It's something he needs to keep in mind from now on: never make a grab for a SEAL's wrist (or any other body part) on his blind side unless you want to end up on your back staring up at a beautiful, blue Hawaiian sky.

Lesson learned.

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The end.

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A/N: My 50th story on this site… It's kind of appropriate that it's one for the Hawaii Five-0 fandom, don't you think? ;0]

Mahalo nui loa to all those who have read, reviewed, alerted or favorited my stories!