Danny bit his tongue, and held a hand over his mouth in an attempt to make himself as quiet as, if not quieter than, a mouse. He held his breath, and closed his eyes, even though he knew that closing his eyes would not make him any less visible if his hiding place was found.

Heart thundering in his chest, Danny chanced opening an eye, and peeking around the corner of the couch that he was hiding behind. He quickly drew his head back, and ducked down closer toward the floor. It wasn't the most ideal place to hide, but it was the only place he could find in the short amount of time that he'd had. If he'd had more time, he'd have found a better place to hide, like the closet, or the laundry room. It was snug, but he could still fit behind the washer and dryer.

Danny silently counted to ten, and willed his pounding heart to slow down. He concentrated on taking deep, calming breaths, like Auntie Kono had taught him when she'd come over to show Danny how to surf. If he was too anxious, then he'd be found, because he'd give his position away, and Danny really did not want to be found.

Danny tensed when he heard one of the floorboards nearest the couch creak. It was a loose board, and Danny had learned to avoid it whenever he was trying especially hard to be quiet when Uncle Steve was working.

"Shit." Though the word was whispered, it felt to Danny like it was echoing loudly in his head, and he tried to flatten himself to the floor.

Danny hoped that his seeker would not come any closer to his hiding place, that he wouldn't look over the back of the couch and find Danny lying on the floor, wedged between the couch and the wall. He counted to ten, breathing as quietly as he could -- in and out through his nose, which was just a little stuffy on account of he'd just gotten over a cold -- and listened, just like Uncle Steve had taught him to.

Though his seeker was also being as quiet as possible, Danny could hear footsteps, and breathed out a sigh of relief that they were leaving the living room. If he was really quick, and quiet, he knew that he could make it to the laundry room, or hide in the linen closet in the hallway.

When Danny could no longer hear the footsteps, he rose up onto his knees, and inched toward the end of the couch, heart in his throat, and barely breathing. His palms were sweaty, and his hands shook as he peeked around the arm of the couch.

The living room was clear, and a quick look toward the kitchen confirmed that his stalker was searching for him there, crouching to open one of the cupboards, and peering inside of it.

Taking a deep breath, and throwing caution to the wind, Danny stood, and darted out from behind the couch. He dashed toward the laundry room, careful to avoid the loose board, and thankful that he was wearing socks because he'd just returned home from school. They muffled the sound of his footsteps, giving him extra protection from being detected.

Danny slid into the laundry room, and threw himself behind the washer and dryer just as he heard the cupboard door clacking shut, and heavy footsteps entering the living room again.

His breathing was ragged and loud in his own ears, and he closed his eyes, picturing Auntie Kono as he went through the breathing exercises that she'd taught him. She'd said that he was making good progress, and that Danny was a quick learner, which had made him very proud. He'd hoped that it would make Uncle Steve proud of him, too, but he'd not said anything to Danny about it, though he had ruffled Danny's hair and smiled at him.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." The words rang throughout the house, and Danny's heart raced. This was it. He just had to stay hidden for a little while longer, just until Uncle Steve declared Danny the winner of this round of hide-and-seek, and it would be Danny's turn to count to twenty, and Uncle Steve's turn to hide.

He quivered with suppressed excitement, thrilled that, for once, he'd managed to find a hiding place that was good enough to fool the man who was an expert at the game. Uncle Steve had found Danny every other time, but this time Danny knew that he had won the game when Uncle Steve walked right past the laundry room, not even bothering to glance inside of it as he passed by (Danny watched him through the crack between the dryer and the washer).

"All right," Uncle Steve said in a defeated voice. "I give up. You can come out now, Danny."

Pumping his hand in the air in triumph, and smiling, Danny clambered out from behind the dryer, making as little noise as possible, because he wanted to sneak up on Uncle Steve, and take him by surprise, like he'd done to Danny countless times.

Danny approached his Uncle Steve on tiptoes, creeping up behind the man, and biting down on his lips to keep himself from making too much noise. Uncle Steve was standing in the hallway, back to Danny, one hand on his hip, and the other raking through his hair.

"Danny?" Uncle Steve took a few steps. There was worry in his voice, and Danny rushed forward, not wanting to make the man that he secretly thought of as his new Daddy too worried about him, and wrapped his arms around Steve's legs, nearly toppling the both of them with the force of the hug.

"Wha--" Uncle Steve's hand flew to the top of Danny's head, and he braced himself against the wall with his other hand.

"IdiditDa...UncleSteve," Danny muttered against the back of Uncle Steve's legs. His words were muffled by the fabric of the man's cargo pants because he'd buried his face there as a sudden fear of losing the man hit him, and made it a little hard to breathe, like Jimmy's (a boy from school) sucker punch from the other day had. Becoming friends with Kento had made things a little better at school, but it was far from perfect. Danny was still picked on, and he still answered threats and boasts with his fists instead of words. Jimmy did, too.

"You sure did, buddy," Uncle Steve said, his voice filled with something that Danny didn't recognize.

Still holding Uncle Steve's legs tight, Danny tilted his head back, and peered up at Uncle Steve through his bangs. The man was smiling down on him, his blue-green eyes shining with something that made Danny's heart swell.

Uncle Steve ran his fingers through Danny's hair. "I'm proud of you for being such a good hider, Danny," Uncle Steve said, and, embarrassed, Danny buried his face against the back of the man's knees.

"You did good, Danny," Uncle Steve praised, voice soft and filled with love and pride and everything that Danny missed about his father.

Danny blinked back tears, and sucked in a shaky breath as he pulled back from Uncle Steve's legs, releasing his hold on the man, and giggling when Uncle Steve seemed to wobble in place for a few seconds before righting himself.

Uncle Steve turned and knelt down in front of Danny. Opening his arms wide, he said, "C'mere," and Danny flung himself into the open arms, breathing in the scent of the ocean, and strange spices, and other scents that made this man Uncle Steve, Danny's new Daddy (sometimes he missed his real Daddy so much that it was hard to breathe), and home.