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“No! No, no, no, no, absolutely not! This is not happening!”
Danny paced in agitated circles, arms waving wildly, and glared at the tall Neanderthal leaning in the corner of the Governor’s office smirking at him. He doesn’t have to look at the man to know he is laughing silently at Danny’s rant. Danny can feel his amusement—a ripple of warmth at the back if his mind.
“Now, Detective Williams…” Governor Jameson begins soothingly.
Danny whirls on her in a flash and jabs a finger at her. Dammit, she thinks its funny too, and is actually biting her lip to keep from laughing out loud.
“No! How many times do I have to say it! I am NOT partnering with this maniac! He got me shot this morning! He leaps tall building in a single bound! He drives police cars onto ships! I refuse! I’m staying with HPD! I did not sign up for the Special Cases and Paranormal Unit when I moved to this pineapple infested hellhole!”
He throws his hands straight up in the air, winces at the sharp twinge of pain in his grazed bicep and whirls to scowl at McGarrett when he feels the man send a soothing thought his way and points angrily at him with both index fingers.
“Stop that!”
McGarrett says nothing, just shrugs and makes innocent, puppy eyes at him under raised brows and raises his hands, palms out to placate Danny.
You are not as cute as you think you are, buddy! Danny sends the thought viciously, and knows Steve ‘heard’ him because the man just smirks back at him.
Danny turned back to the Governor, mind made up.
“No. My final answer is no! Capital N-O. This idiot will get me killed. I refuse your very generous offer to join your Paranormal Special Task Force. I have a baby girl to raise.” Danny takes a deep breath to calm himself and runs a hand over his ruffled hair. He shoots McGarrett the stink-eye when the image of an agitated Banty rooster pops into his head accompanied by a wicked surge of amusement.
“You! Stay out of my head!” He jabs a finger at the crazy man one last time, nods his thanks to the Governor, who still looks like she is about to burst out laughing and marches to the door, ignoring the quickly masked surge of dismay from the corner. He has his hand on the doorknob and is almost home free, when Jameson’s next words freeze him in his tracks.
“Detective Williams, you are aware of the upcoming budget cuts HPD is about to make, are you not? And the fact that there will undoubtedly be…layoffs?” Her voice is smugly sugar sweet.
Danny groans and bangs his forehead against the door. Goddammit. He was so close to escape. He can barely afford the rent of the seedy rathole he lives in now and the special formula Grace needs. Fuckfuckfuck he thinks silently, stoically ignoring the triumphant, Anytime you want Danno, beamed from the corner behind him.
He raises beseeching eyes heavenward, but God has apparently decided to fuck him over today and partner him with a telepathic, maniac SEAL. He grits his teeth and turns to glare at his ‘partner’, stormy blue eyes meeting calm hazel. Okay, asshole. You win this round, but I am NOT bonding with you! McGarrett just smirks at him and Danny’s heart sinks as he realizes from the sharp surge of interest, that Steve regards that as a challenge.
He is so fucked.