Title: The Loss of Love
Fandom: Hawaii Five-0
Characters: Danny "Danno" Williams, Rachel Edwards
Pairing: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams, Danny "Danno" Williams/Rachel Edwards
Rating: Teen
Beta: KaitouYahiko
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.
Summary: Danny awakens from a dream realizing he wants to spend the rest of his life with Steve, but something goes terribly wrong.

Chapter 1

The bright and warm sun tickled his face. Danny began to awaken from his deep slumber; he’d just been rudely interrupted from this wonderful dream he had – he and Steve were back in New Jersey for their honeymoon. He desperately wanted to return to this dream, so he curled closer to the warm body next to him.

“Not today, babe. Let’s take today off,” he said groggily. They had just solved an intense case, so they all deserved some downtime, and he planned to ask Steve the big question today and was even more ready after that dream. Being married to Steve McGarrett was sounding like the perfect future, and he wanted to reach out and claim this, but first, he needed to get some more shut-eye. That way, he’s well-rested and can dash for this desired future today. However, the response to his suggestion was interrupted in the most unusual way.

“Danny, what the hell?!”

The voice that responded was familiar, yet not the one he expected. In fact, this was the last voice he expected to hear from beside him in the morning. He jolted awake to find himself naked and with Rachel instead of Steve.

“Fuck!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “What the hell, Rachel?! What happened?” Danny was desperate to know what had happened. His head was pounding, and he was getting more confused and scared with each passing second. Why was he sleeping with his ex-wife, and not his loving and devoted partner? Suddenly, in a flash, the events of the previous evening began to come back to him. He remembered lots of yelling – a fight – and then he stormed out. Where had he gone? Judging by the headache and the sensitivity to the light around him, he suspected he was at a bar, but why did he decide to go to Rachel’s instead of back home?

He dashed out of the room, only stalling to put his discarded clothes back on in case Grace left her room for any reason. He needed to get out of here and get home. He needed to see Steve. His mad dash quickly halted when he saw the lone piece of paper on the table – a single note in Steve’s handwriting.

Danny,
Took Gracie to school.
Take the day off.
Enjoy yourself some more.
Steve

Danny reread the note multiple times. Steve had been here. He had seen him with Rachel. Suddenly his stomach retched and he felt extremely ill. There was nothing in his stomach, and yet he could feel the bile rising in his throat. Steve was avoiding him. He was sick with himself – he deserved every bit of punishment that Steve would give him and more. He had just cheated on Steve with the one person Steve forces himself to act respectfully towards. Danny knew, with one night, he had ruined the only thing that was right in his life. He and Steve were through; there was no more relationship. Tears began to fall from his eyes; he didn’t realize this until he saw the note he still held begin to dampen. The guilt he felt was unbearable, but he deserved it. This was the price of his infidelity.