"So what are you doing tonight?" Harry asked Nikki as noncommittally as possible as they stood in the layout room, Nikki leaning over the table looking at picture evidence and Harry standing with his back to the bench looking at the interactive screens.
"Tonight?" Nikki asked quietly without taking her eyes of the pictures "What's so special about tonight?"
"What's the date today Nikki?" Harry enquired incredulously as he turned to look at her, leaning his hands on the table.
"Fourteenth of Feb.." Nikki stopped and rolled her eyes "Oh"
"So you don't have an unsuitable boyfriend that's going to take you out for dinner and then back to his house?" Harry smirked, deep down hoping that it was true.
"No" came Nikki's simple reply and Harry was very pleased by that fact. At least now he wouldn't have to sit at home, alone, with a bottle of strong drink, trying not to imagine what the woman who held his affections was up to with another man.
"We could go out for drinks" Harry suggested "I mean as friends of course"
"Of course" Nikki nodded and Harry could have sworn he heard a hint of disappointment in her voice "But I'd rather not sit in a pub surrounded by all those loved up couples"
"So you're going to go home and sit and be miserable all evening"
"Yes" Nikki nodded and she smirked as she looked up at him "Just like you're going to do"
"Well" Harry drew the word out as he glanced up at the ceiling then back at Nikki "How about we go to mine tonight and sit and be miserable together?"
Nikki smiled at him and Harry's heart jumped to his mouth. The things that smile could do to him.
"I'd like that" Nikki told him with a small nod of her head, her curled hair falling to frame her face making Harry want to reach over and push it behind her ears. This however, he knew he couldn't do and that disappointed him.
"Come to mine at about six?" he suggested after a short silence in which each observed the other one as discreetly as possible, trying not to let the other one see their short glances. "I have DVD's"
"No you don't" Nikki giggled loudly, a noise which made a shot of desire run through Harry "I'll bring DVD's"
"No you won't" Harry countered, as he glared playfully at her "You're not torturing me with an entire evening of chick flicks"
"and you're not torturing me with an entire evening of your war films" Nikki shot back with a grin "Chick flicks it is"
"No it's not. War films it is"
"I don't think so" Nikki laughed "Chick flicks are..."
"Not getting your case sorted"
Both young pathologists jumped as they heard Leo's voice in the doorway and they both shot him guilty looks.
"Anything I need to know?" their friend asked, looking from one guilty face to the other "about you two?"
"No" Harry and Nikki replied together and glanced at each other, laughing as they did so and Leo couldn't help but roll his eyes at them. "What do you mean?"
"You're spending Valentine's night together" Leo stated and inwardly congratulated himself when he got a blush from not just Nikki but Harry as well, something normally unseen.
"Well you and Janet are spending it together" Harry shot back and Nikki raised an eyebrow at him as Leo smirked.
"Harry. Janet and I are married"
"Yes..well...don't you have work to do?" Harry asked the older man who laughed and turned to walk about of the room. Stopping when he thought of something else, he turned back to them and they both looked up at him when he coughed.
"You will use protection won't you?"
He missed the horrified looks his friend's had on their faces, and the way they avoided looking at each other.
---
"So what are we watching?" Harry asked as he walked into the room carrying two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine, handing one glass to Nikki as he seated himself on the sofa next to her.
"Phantom of the Opera" Nikki replied as she held her glass out for Harry to fill with wine "It's not a war film, and it's not a chick flick"
"Oh great" Harry snorted as Nikki pressed the play button "I film about unrequited love and jealously, on Valentine's day"
"Shut up and watch the film" Nikki told him quietly as the film started.
Halfway through the film, Nikki had somehow managed to snuggle up to Harry so she had her head was on his chest, his arm around her shoulder, their other hands entwined on Harry's lap. To both of them it felt like the most natural thing in the world and Harry couldn't help the smile that spread over his face as he looked down at Nikki.
"Who do you think Christine should go with?" Nikki asked suddenly and Harry frowned and shrugged.
"It doesn't matter what I think, it doesn't change the story does it?"
"Harry" Nikki whined as she looked up at him, moving so their faces were eye level "Come on"
"Fine" Harry sighed dramatically and stole a glance at the film which was showing a fight in a graveyard. "The phantom"
"Mmm" Nikki nodded as she agreed "Definitely, I mean Gerard Butler" she grinned "I would"
"Nikki" Harry poked her in the side "I thought you were being serious"
"I am" Nikki sobered up slightly and reached for her glass of wine, sipping it slightly before putting it back on the table, suddenly very aware that Harry's hand had dropped from her shoulder and was now resting on her hip. "I think Christine is too oblivious to see that the phantom is in love with her and because he is different from everyone else no-one understands him because to them he's a monster and a freak. She goes with Raoul because she thinks she's in love with him and she thinks he's in love with her. But he isn't in love with her, not like the Phantom is anyway.
She turned away from the film and looked Harry in the eyes, swallowing heavily when she saw how close their faces were. She saw Harry's eyes flicker to her lips and she licked them nervously.
"You've given this a lot of thought haven't you?" Harry chuckled quietly and Nikki nodded, her heart beating so fast she thought it would jump out of her chest.
"Ever since I first saw it" she whispered and Harry smiled kindly at her and brought the hand that wasn't stroking her hip gently, to her cheek. He searched Nikki's face for any sign that she wanted him to stop, but when he found none he leant forward and gently pressed his lips to hers in a soft, hesitant kiss. Nikki didn't protest as she brought her hand to the back of his neck and Harry wrapped his arm around her even tighter, pulling her closer to him. Neither of them deepened the kiss and they just sat kissing softly for a few more minutes before Harry pulled away.
"Do you want this?" he asked Nikki quietly, motioning from himself to her "I don't want this to be a onetime thing"
"I want this" Nikki nodded in confirmation and Harry kissed her again, more passionately this time, Nikki letting him deepen the kiss, their tongues battling for dominance as Harry ran his hand up the back of her blouse, Nikki running hers through his hair, pulling him closer to her. All the pent up passion that they had denied each other for the best part of six years came out and they kissed each other hungrily, like their lives depended on it. Nikki ran her hands down Harry's chest and began to unbutton his shirt with shaking hands.
"Wait" Harry breathed as he broke the kiss and brought his hands to Nikki's stopping her for a few seconds "Are you one hundred percent sure?"
"One hundred and ten" Nikki giggled and Harry grinned as he kissed her again, neither of them paying any more attention to the DVD playing in the background.
Had to do a Valentine's day fic. Happy Valentine's Day to all my reviewers :D
I'm doing an extended smut version of this which I will post either on here or on my Lj very soon ;)
xxx