Trooper Station, Monday, November 28, 2022

[grenadesandohana]

Steve was back--tanned and relaxed--from Thanksgiving in Hawai'i.

He'd even brought kona coffee and chocolate-covered macadamia nuts for the office to share.

The Troopers were looking at the gifts suspiciously.

"I promise it's not poisoned," Steve said, pouring himself a mug of the coffee. "If you don't get to it before Danny comes in, that's entirely on you."

The Trooper Station was open and smelled fantastic.

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[pocketpretzels]

“McGarrett,” Watts greeted, as he deposited his hat on a helmet left on one of the Trooper’s desks.

[grenadesandohana]

"Watts," Steve said, blinking at the weird hat placement. "How was your weekend?"

[pocketpretzels]

Pfft, that was nothing. Watts had, at least once, let his hat rest on a corpse.

“Quiet,” he shared. “What with the exodus of the majority of the island’s American population for the holiday. Yours?”

[grenadesandohana]

"Not quiet," Steve said with a laugh. "Danny and I went back to Honolulu and had a weekend with his kids, our co-workers, my sister, and Danny's ex-wife."

[pocketpretzels]

“No, that doesn’t sound quiet at all,” Watts agreed. “But- you had a good time?”

[grenadesandohana]

Steve nodded. "It was nice to be back for a non-case reason. And my team won the annual football game."

[pocketpretzels]

“American-style football, I presume?” Watts checked.

[grenadesandohana]

"To go with our American-style holiday," Steve agreed. "Touch football. No tackling."

He frowned. "Well, if you don't count just picking people up and tossing them over your shoulder as tackling."

Danny's daughter had not loved that move, but she was short and portable.

[pocketpretzels]

“Obeying the letter of the law, if perhaps not the spirit,” Watts said, with a hint of a smile.

[grenadesandohana]

"I could move faster than she could and she had the ball," Steve said, nodding.

That had been a hotly contested touchdown.

[pocketpretzels]

"I see," Watts nodded. Sport really wasn't his strong suit, beyond the bit of running he did. "Is that coffee I smell?" he asked. To be fair the Trooper Station often smelled of coffee, but it was typically terrible coffee.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve nodded. "I brought it back from Honolulu. It's really good."

[pocketpretzels]

Well, if Steve was going to share with the Troopers, Watts was going to help himself to a cup as well. "Cheers," he said, after fixing himself a cup and going to take a sip. "Oh, you were not wrong."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve beamed. "It's local to Hawai'i."

[pocketpretzels]

“It was kind of you to bring some back to share with the rest of us,” Watts said sincerely.

[grenadesandohana]

"Even if they won't try it," Steve said with a little grin over at the Troopers. "Their loss. For some reason, they don't trust it when I'm being nice."

[pocketpretzels]

“A little bit of healthy suspicion is a good thing,” Watts said. “However, when it begins to tilt towards paranoia…” he shook his head.

[grenadesandohana]

The Troopers mumbled something that sounded a lot like "Burpees," "laps," and "kriffing rock climbing," while shuffling in their chairs and not getting coffee.

"It's very sad," Steve said, trying not to smirk.

[pocketpretzels]

“Indeed,” Watts nodded. “It’s actually- you could say a similar reason brought me in to speak to you today.” A beat. “Food, I mean. Not paranoia.”

[grenadesandohana]

"Because otherwise I'd have to ask who was saying I'm paranoid," Steve said.

Steve had a terrible sense of humor.

"What about food?"

[pocketpretzels]

“Steven and I are hosting a party for Hanukkah on the 19th,” Watts informed him. “Nothing religious in nature; food, on the other hand, is- something of a focus. I wanted to- extend an invitation to you. If that’s something you would care to attend.”

[grenadesandohana]

Steve glanced over at his desk calendar and nodded. "I don't think we're heading back for Christmas until later that week," he said, "and it's hard to turn down a good latke. Danny does 'em sometimes using his mom's recipe but then the apartment smells like oil for a week." He grinned. "Thanks for the invite!"

[pocketpretzels]

“I’ll be inviting Detective Williams as well,” Watts added. It was probably obvious but he did feel the need to mention it regardless. “Though I suspect you will see him before I do.”

[grenadesandohana]

Steve chuckled. "I see him a few times a day, yeah."

[pocketpretzels]

A flash of- something- jealousy, perhaps, flickered across Watts’s expression for just a moment.

“Yes, well,” he nodded. “I do hope to see you both there.”

[grenadesandohana]

"I don't have Danny's schedule memorized--" mostly a lie, but Steve was trying not to look like a stalker, "--but I'll check with him if you don't get to him first."