Rant a friend – Tag to 3.03

Steve's thoughts on being a danger magnet.

Disclaimer: I took a really close look, but it seems that they are still not mine.

Summary: When I saw our two boys sitting handcuffed on the coast guard boat and Danny ranting about how everything was Steve's fault, and that he would tell Gracie never go fishing with Steve. Well, I think for the very first time Steve did look annoyed, even a little pissed off, and I think he was a little hurt by the words. Of course I couldn't leave that alone for long.

That is by the way one of my favorite scenes of the episode, next to them in the dingy after the shark, and Cath picks up the boys on the pier. "I was so worried." Yeah, right, not his girlfriend at all.

Thank you: This little story is actually for Cokie, who patiently listens to me ranting on and on about what Danny did wrong now. Who doesn't get tired of pointing out that Steve loves him (No, not that way, don't get your hopes up, not gonna write it.) and so we have to as well.

Thank you, my friend for all your great input, for your creativity and for not just making my stories better, but my days as well.

"Rant a friend"

"So."

"So." Steve looked at Catherine, wondering what was on her mind. They had just left Kamekona's after their lunch with the team. He must admit Danny's 'tuney-fishy' had been delicious. Kamekona had created a great Poke. One of the best he had in a long time.

"What's bugging you, I mean beside the mess with your mom?"

"What do you mean? Nothin', I'm fine."

"Steve." Catherine shakes her head at her friend.

"Cath."

"How long have we known each other, Steve? Tell me what's eating you." He had opened the passenger door to his truck to help her in, but Cath had grabbed Steve's arm to keep him from escaping around the truck to the driver's side. She turned and pushed him a little so that he was half sitting, half leaning against the passenger seat and then squeezed herself between his legs.

Over his shoulder she could see that his friends, still sitting at the table, were looking over to them. Probably wondering if they would get a show here in public. As if that would ever happen with the rather shy Steve. At least Steve was shy in regards of showing too much affection in public; he was not the touchy feely guy. Not one to show his tender side for everyone to see. At home they would see a totally different Steve. But that is another story.

Cath leaned in for a kiss and coaxed him a little more, "come on, tell me."

Steve looked at Cath and wondered not for the first time when it actually happened that she had figured him out so completely. He sighed deeply which elicited a knowing smile from Cath. Steve pushed himself up a little so that he was now sitting sideways on the passenger seat facing Cath. He wondered for a second what his friends back at the table were thinking about this strange display, but didn't turn around to take a look at them. "Do you think I'm a danger magnet?"

"What? What do you mean?" Cath had leaned back a little and was gently rubbing little circles on the side of Steve's left hip. She perfectly fit between his knees and gave comfort by just touching him on his hip and right thigh.

"Danny. I'm talking about Danny. When we were in that dingy, Danny started ranting and complaining like a lunatic about how it was all my fault. I know it's his way of coping, and I'm fine with it," Steve told Cath with a smile on his face. "Hell, I even often provoke him so he will start ranting. It's good for him, and I 'really' don't mind. I know Danny cares, and it's his twisted way of showing that."

"He does have a way with words," Cath said with a laugh, thinking about some of the more creative words Danny uses frequently.

"Yeah, you could say that," Steve had to agree. "You know I tried everything to make it as easy as possible on Danny. I let him rant and I gave him something to do. And I really tried everything to get us out of there… I even hauled the dingy for an hour until the shark came." Steve thought back to the moment he realized that he could end up as man-sushi; that was kind of scary. "And then we got on that yacht with the dead guy on it. And even maybe that was my fault. I got a little pissed at Danny while I tried to repair the engine which was a lost cause from the beginning."

"But then the coast guard came and 'saved' you."

"Yeah, but not before they arrested us. Of course which was apparently also my fault."

Cath had to laugh now, she could just imagine how Danny was blaming Steve in good fun for everything that went wrong from the moment he got out of bed that morning.

"It's not funny, Cath. I mean it was, in the beginning. I even had quite a bit of fun being in that dingy. I know Danny hated every minute of it, and I'm sorry he had to go through it, but in hindsight, it was kind of fun." Steve had to grin at Cath.

"Oh, I can just see how you loved to be in that dingy and swimming with the sharks."

"Well, that was not so funny actually. Anyway, when we were sitting and waiting for our identity to be confirmed, Danny started another tirade. I told him to relax, but that didn't go over so well. I tried to tell him that he at least had a good story to tell Gracie at some point. But it seems that the only thing he would want to tell Grace is to never go fishing with me. Since I'm a trouble magnet and everything was my fault." Steve looked sad for a moment before he continued. "He said it like he meant it," Steve added softly.

"I'm sure he didn't…"

"He said it again at lunch. That he is done fishing with me. Never again, ever."

Cath couldn't help herself; Steve looked so sad when he said it, that she hugged him and stroked his back like you would to soothe a child. To her amazement he let her. He even leaned into her like he wanted to soak up every little bit of comfort he could get.

"Cath, I don't understand why Danny thinks that any of that was my fault? I really didn't do anything wrong. Okay, maybe I should have tried harder to get the gun out of the guy's hand. A cop and a SEAL getting boarded and forced off the boat by an amateur was not our finest hour. But really how was all the rest my fault?" Steve was still hugging her tightly.

"It wasn't," Cath told him as she wormed her way out of his tight embrace. She leaned back a bit so she could look him in the eyes. "And Danny doesn't think so either, Steve. Danny doesn't blame you for any of it. You know that he doesn't. If you decided to go fishing next week, I bet he would be right beside you. No question about it."

"You think?"

"I know so. Steve, he is your best friend. He knows that it was not your fault. I don't know why he says some of the things he says. But I DO know that he never means to hurt you. When he blames you he is not serious."

"I know that. Most of the times at least. But sometimes it gets a bit too much to handle. With the shit with my mom, and Malia's death, and Kono falling for a crime boss… I just… I don't know."

"It's okay, you are only human, and sometimes it can be a bit too much. And you hear something that is not really there. You know, when Danny will tell this story to Gracie he will brag about the SuperSEAL that fought with the sharks and hauled them to safety." Cath had to smile at the sight of pure joy and glee in Steve's eyes.

"You think?"

"Sure, who else has a best friend who thinks being stranded in a tiny little boat in the middle of the ocean, and swimming with sharks is fun? He will tell Gracie all about how his SEAL friend helped him overcome his fear and worry, how he was there for him. Let him rant in his usual fashion and didn't say a word about it," Danny explains, grinning at his best friend who he had sneaked up on.

"Danny!" If Steve would not have been sitting on the car seat he would have probably jumped away from Cath… who could barely hold in her laughter at Steve's reaction.

"Relax, Steve." Danny looked at his friend, and tried to see if his stupid ranting on the boat did any damage he was not aware of. He never meant for Steve to take any of it seriously. Maybe he should think about dialing it back from time to time. He knows that Steve is a bit more fragile than normal at the moment because of his 'returned-from-the-dead-mom'. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Danny. Thank you."

"Anytime, my friend. You know me," Danny told his friend and looked him straight in the eye.

"Yeah, I do," Steve says with a huge smile on his face.

"Good, then carry on." He motioned for them to go back to what they were doing. "See you tomorrow. Bye, Cath," he finished as he gently pat her on the shoulder as he walked away.

And as silently and as fast as he appeared he left them alone again.

Steve and Cath watched their friend leave, and were quiet for a moment, until Steve found his voice again.

"Spend the night? We don't even have to…" Steve realized that he really meant it. He just didn't want to spend the night alone, and if nothing more than cuddling would happen he would be fine with that too.

"Oh, believe me, we have to." Cath interrupted his thoughts. She smiled at him and leaned in for another sweet kiss.

"Or we could do that." Steve laughed at her forceful objection of his idea of not doing 'it'. Seemed to him that she had been missing him just as much as he had missed her. His not-girlfriend.

H50 – H50 – H50