Randomly

Chapter 18

Steve was awakened by the early morning sun; he wasn't yet sure what to do about his mother and his desire to live with Charlie. However, he knew he would be there for Chin, and he was certain Charlie, who had gotten along well with the couple, would want to be there too. He wasn't ready to talk to his lover or anyone else, so he sent Charlie a message.

"Malia was killed yesterday."

Just writing it made him sick; he regretted not being there that night. He wasn't sure if it would have changed anything, but still.

"Oh no, what happened? Is Chin holding up? When are the funeral arrangements?"

This message brought a small smile to Steve's face. Charlie always worried about him, just as much as he did for his loved ones.

"I'll keep you posted," he replied before putting on a pair of swim shorts.

Swimming and then running helped him feel better and cleared his mind. He struggled to keep his thoughts at bay as he showered and got dressed. He drove to pick up Danny, and they stopped to buy coffee before heading to Chin's place. Kono was already there. They spent the day helping him erase the traces of the tragedy that had occurred in the kitchen. They were there for him when he received the coroner's permission for Malia's funeral. Steve assisted him with the arrangements, a process he had unfortunately gone through two years earlier. The religious ceremony and cremation were scheduled for the following evening, and the Hawaiian ceremony for the day after at dawn.

Steve sent the information to Charlie via message and spent the evening with his team, offering as much support as they could to Chin.

Steve didn't return home until late at night and found his wizard sitting on the beach, beer in hand.

"Hey," Steve whispered as he sat down beside him.
"Hey," Charlie replied, kissing his temple.
"Have you been here long?"
"It doesn't matter," Charlie said, without turning to look at him.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the ocean.

"Is there something else bothering you?" Charlie finally asked.

Steve hesitated; he didn't really want to talk about it, but he realized that the longer he avoided the conversation, the harder it would be to bring up the subject. So, he talked. He summarized the recent events to the dragon caretaker – Malia's death, the reunion with his mother, and then the separation again due to Wo Fat's escape. He confessed his doubts about what she had told him and his uncertainty about how to proceed. As he expected, Charlie told him he would support him, no matter the situation, and didn't press further. Not that he didn't want to – Steve knew he would have liked more details, but he respected his lover's reserve.

The next day was difficult for everyone, and the couple found themselves among a large group of people dressed in black to honor Malia. Her family, friends, some of her patients, Chin's friends, and even Catherine, who had gotten along well with the deceased, were there. The Five-0 team and Charlie then gathered at the widower's house to support him and later retired to rest a few hours before dawn.

The couple put on their beach attire as the first rays of sun woke up the island and headed to the beach to join the close circle of Malia's friends. They each took a surfboard and a flower lei as the sun appeared on the horizon and Kamekona blew into a conch shell. They swam, lying on their surfboards, for a good hundred meters before forming a circle. Holding hands, they created a large circle around the canoes where Chin and the master of ceremonies stood. Together, they scattered Malia's ashes into the ocean, and then, one by one, beginning with Chin, they placed their flower laid onto the water.

They remained in a circle, watching the flower leis for a while. Then, one by one, the canoes, with Chin's being the last, returned to the shore. Charlie and Steve went to change clothes at the car. They didn't talk, and Steve watched Chin with concern. On the beach, Chin stared at the ocean; his eyes weren't teary, but his whole demeanor showed his deep sorrow.

Steve turned to Charlie. He had thought a lot over the past few days, and there was something he needed to do, even if it meant upsetting his lover.

"I need to go see Catherine," he said as he put on his t-shirt.
"Excuse me?"

The jealousy in Charlie's voice didn't go unnoticed by Steve, but he couldn't avoid it.

"I need her help to find my mother. I know my mother lied to me, and Catherine is the only one with access to the resources needed to find her."

Charlie remained silent for a moment, his blue eyes fixed on the ocean, his shoulders tense. Without turning toward Steve, he responded with a melancholic voice, "Do what you think is best."

Steve regretted making his man suffer like this, because yes, seeing or even just knowing he was with the beautiful brunette always brought back memories of that night when he felt like his heart was being ripped out. He squeezed Charlie's hand for less than a second before walking away toward Catherine, who was also getting dressed. She protested, saying that nobody should know where Doris was for her safety, but when he explained that his mother had an opportunity to kill Wo Fat and didn't take it, Catherine agreed.

Steve's phone rang as he was heading back to his car; he had a case to handle. However, Charlie had planned to leave an hour later, and he couldn't let him fly to Romania in this state without comforting him first. He answered the call and assured his team that he would be there as soon as possible.

Charlie was already seated in the car, reading, and he didn't turn his head when Steve got in. His attitude didn't change during the drive, and he went to take a shower without a word when they arrived home.

Steve sent a message to Danny, "I need to sort something out with Charlie before he leaves. I'll be there asap." Then he undressed and got into the shower, pulling Charlie close to him.

"Even when I'm at the reserve, it's tough to reason with myself, to tell myself that no, you won't go see her. But now... Now, you're going to see her when she's not even dressed, she's flirting with you right in front of me, and I have to act like it doesn't bother me, like we're not together..."
"I'm sorry, Cha. I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't important..."
"There's always something important that makes you go see her," the wizard growled, though he didn't push away the body pressing against his.
"I promise you she means nothing to me, and I want more than anything to come and live with you in Romania."
"But now your mother is back, and it postpones this plan."
"Don't leave angry," Steve whispered as he took the soap to wash his lover's body.

They didn't have any sexual tension at that moment, just tenderness and resignation.

"You have a case, right?"
"Yes, but I can't let you leave like this."

Charlie sighed, turned around in Steve's arms, and kissed him gently.

"I love you," Steve whispered between kisses.
"Me too. Alright, go to work," Charlie replied, giving Steve a playful pat on the butt.
"You're not mad anymore?" Steve asked, a hopeful smile on his face, as the freckled arms wrapped around his waist.
"Go to work."

Steve left the shower, dried off, and got dressed quickly. He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote on it, "Everything will be okay, I love you," before slipping it between Charlie's clothes.

He went back to the bathroom and kissed his lover, who was still drying himself.

"When will you be back?"
"In a few weeks."
"I can't wait," Steve murmured.

He stole one last kiss and left to join the Five-0 team at the crime scene. The day flew by as they worked to find a missing young woman. The entire team gathered at the end of the day to eat together and continue supporting Chin. During that evening, Catherine took Steve aside to reveal that his mother was in Hawaii. She had turned the plane around and returned to the island. Steve was hurt to learn that, in addition to lying to him when they were together, his mother was now hiding from him.

Weeks went by, investigations piled up, and Steve couldn't help but stew over his questions about his mother. He hadn't spoken to Catherine again since she had told him about his mother's presence in Hawaii and managed to reassure Charlie despite the distance between them. The Five-0 team had spent many evenings together, but that evening, Steve had other plans. He had prepared another beach picnic for him and his sorcerer. Everything was ready; all that was missing was Charlie.

Steve sat on the beach, drinking a beer and looking at the sea. Finally, he heard the characteristic crack of apparition. A smile formed on his face as he got up to embrace his man. They spent a wonderful evening together, sitting in the sand, and ended it in the most beautiful way in the Hawaiian's bedroom.