Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing! This is the first story i've ever done for so feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.
Barney Ross laid back in his chair as he guided the plane through the sky. Everything was quiet and peaceful, he smiled as he pulled out his cell phone.
Lee Christmas dropped into his pilots chair next to Barney Ross, "Who ya texting?" he asked as he noticed the older man quickly hiding his phone.
"No one, just checking stuff."
Lee just smiled as he checked the controls. "So you look happy."
Barney straightened up, "Ofcoarse i'm happy. We finished a job, we're gonna get paid, and no one died."
"Yeah but we kinda got roughed up and it wasn't easy. Usually you're just serious, but lately you seem quite," he hesitated looking for the right word, "well chipper I guess."
Barney lowered his aviators and looked at Christmas in the eye, "Chipper?"
Christmas laughed, "For lack of a better word."
Just as Barney was about to respond he felt his phone chirped. Christmas chuckled, "A message?"
Barney turned and checked the phone's screen, the little text icon was in the corner. He would check it when he landed, "Yeah a message."
"Sooo? Are you going to tell me what's got you so happy lately. Whatever it is I promise I won't make fun of you."
It was Barney's turn to laugh, "Yeah right. There's nothing to tell anyway, nothing new going on. Can't a guy just be a little happy?"
Christmas nodded his head, "Sure yeah, I guess." he flicked the switch for the landing gear, "Hey guys buckle up we're landing soon." he called back.
He was met with cheers, Barney smiled. His guys were all in one piece, some were a little worse for wear but they were alive and all going home. "You looking forward to your time off?" he asked Lee.
Lee was beaming, "Me and Lacey are going away for two weeks, up to the mountains a nice little cabin."
"That's great man." Barney couldn't help but grin, Lee was a good man and a good friend and deserved some happiness.
"Just make sure you be safe, don't need no little Christmas' running around no time soon." Cesar laughed as he made his way up to them.
"That would not be a good thing." said Toll Road.
Christmas shot them all a glare, "Shut up." he turned back to the controls as the plane began its descent.
Barney Ross pulled his bike into the garage of his home, and tried to control the rush of emotions that went through him when he saw that already parked in his garage was a very expensive and very familiar sports car.
He took off his jacket and hung it on the hook, and grabbed his duffel off the bike's rack. He opened the side door and walked in through the kitchen, he smiled when he saw her looking through his fridge. Her body was framed by the yellow glow of the fridge's light and it was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
She straightened up and turned to look at him, "Why is your fridge always empty?" she smiled.
"Well, I always forget to go grocery shopping." he replied. It's strange that he waits for so long just to see her face, to see her smile, to hear her voice. Barney Ross can't recall a time he's ever felt like this about someone, and this woman, well she's special.
She closes the fridge and walks across to him she stands in front of him for a second, almost as if she were waiting for permission to embrace him. They're so much alike in so many ways, because for a few seconds he doesn't know what he should do either. When they're apart he wants to see her, to hug her, kiss, her and spend hours alone with her. But when she's in front of him, he's always at a loss.
Then, her hand reaches up to cup his face, "Rough job?" He notices the worried look that comes across her face and his stomach does a little flip. He nods, just enjoying the feeling of her hand. "Can't leave you alone for two seconds, you always end up getting hurt." she laughs as she turns around and leads him to a chair.
She knows her way around the kitchen by now, she's been to his house plenty of times. She pulls out the first aid kit and starts cleaning him up. He sit's still as she cleaning up the cuts and he realizes that it's the first time someone other than a team member is concerned about him. He's starting to get a funny feeling in his chest and decides to squash it down, he focuses instead on the fact that her chest is right in front of him and hes only an inch away as she's cleaning the gash on his head.
"Stare any harder and you might hurt yourself." she says with a smile. This is what they do, they meet up from time to time flirt, stare and fuck each other's brains out. Or atleast that's how they started, and then things changed. This night was a prime example of that, here he was hurt and bleeding and she wasn't leaving. She was patching him up, and he didn't know how to react to everything.
Even his team were beginning to notice the change in his demeanor. They cracked jokes about it, and he just told them that he was just trying to be happier instead of serious all the time. But deep down he knew, she was doing this to him. It wasn't just the sex, though that was amazing, it was the companionship, the late night talks and the support of knowing that when he gets home from a job, someone would be waiting to hear from him.
"There all done." she said to him as she cleared the mess.
He looked down and saw the bandage on his chest, on his arm and hand, he noticed the bruising beginning to show on his ribs. "Someone did quite a number on you." she smiled at him.
He chuckled, "Actually it was an explosion and I kinda hit a wall." He saw the look on her face when he said explosion. She seemed scared for a moment.
"How do you kinda hit a wall?" she said trying to smile.
He shrugged his shoulders, and tried reading her face. Her eyes were looking anywhere but him, and he could see she was having problems keeping up her emotionally void facade. He placed his hands on her hips and brought her towards him. She kept her arms at her sides and after a moment, she finally looked up at him. "You ok?" he asked quietly.
She smiled slightly, "Am I ok? Seriously? I'm fine you're," she moved her hand up to one of the bandages on his shoulder, her other one went to his ribs, "the one who's banged up."
He put his hand over hers and held it gently, "I'm fine Isabelle." He smiled as her eyes met his, the look of annoyance plain in her gaze.
She smiled back at him, "You won't be if you call me that again."
"It's a beautiful name, I don't know why you don't like it." he was met with her stare again, "I'll stop, I just wanted to get your attention."
He was still holding her hand, they were both silent for a few moments. He wanted answers, he had questions, but he just didn't know how to ask, or how to talk when he was around her. So he just held her in his arms for a few moments, and was content with just having her near him. "Maybe you should take some time off and heal up before you do any more jobs, I mean you work enough as it is and one day you might not be so lucky." she said pulling away from his arms.
He knew then that he wasn't the only one whose feelings were involved now. He decided to risk it all, "Well actually I was thinking of taking the next two weeks off."
"Really, well that's good." she said with her back turned to him.
He moved closer to her, "And I was thinking that maybe i'd travel or go somewhere because all my guys have their two weeks planned." He waited to see if she'd turn around, she didn't. "A few of them are going fishing, one's going on a cruise, and one is disappearing the entire time with his girlfriend."
"That's really nice," she said with her back still turned, "and fishing is very relaxing, maybe you should go with them."
He moved a little closer, she was still turned, "I was actually thinking of asking someone to go with me, just off grid for a few days. Nice and quiet peaceful vacation away from the guns, explosions, you know away from our jobs."
He could see her entire body tense slightly, he didn't know if it was a good sign or bad. But he continued, he was standing right behind her now, "I wanted to know if you'd wanna come with me." he said, barely above a whisper.
She turned very slowly and looked directly at him, she was at a loss for words. A few moments went by and his shoulders fell and he hung his head, "I guess that's a no." he turned around and started going to his room. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't hurt right now, that his chest didn't feel like he'd just been stabbed. He didn't know what he'd been thinking asking her on a two week trip. That was something couples did, something relationships did. And they were not those kind of people, but he took the chance and it was one less regret he'd have later on in life. He was surprised when he felt her hand on his arm, "I never said no. I was just a little shocked."
He can't help but smile, "So you'll come?"
"Well that depends, where are you taking me?"
His smile widens, "I was hoping that it would kinda be a surprise."
His chest starts getting that funny feeling again when he sees her whole face light up with her smile. "A surprise? Well I love surprises." She moves closer to him, her arms going around his neck, mindful of the various bruises.
"Well then first thing tomorrow morning we leave. If that's ok with you?" he adds as his arms go around her waist.
She bites her lip for a moment while she thinks, "Hmm, well i'd have to stop by home and pack a bag ofcoarse."
He leans down and kisses her, it's something he's wanted to do all evening. Her lips are soft and warm and she responds eagerly. For a few moments theyre lost to their feelings, they break apart because their need for air overwhelmes them.
"How about we leave in the afternoon so you can have time to pack your stuff tomorrow morning?" he grins.
"Hmm, I guess thats fine." she leans forward and kisses him again.
I know that Barney may seem out of character, but again i'm new to this writing thing so I need practice. Also, i have a few ideas about how they met and what happens after, but I am stuck on 'em so I just posted this.