o1. Ring
"I just can't believe that the great forensic examiner Naomi Kimishima was frightened by a horror movie," Little Guy says chuckling as she glares at him ('I wasn't frightened, just startled!').
o2. Hero
He had left her once, to save his own neck, when she was still Nozomi Weaver, the disgraced doctor and he was still a cold fanatic extremist; this time he was staying with her until the end.
o3. Memory
The second coming of their relationship was tense; old memories had surfaced and neither of them were ready to face their pasts.
o4. Box
It gave Navel a twisted sense of satisfaction to see the box containing all the remnants of his time in Delphi smolder in the fire.
o5. Run
Looking back, Naomi realized she had spent the better of the last four years, running, running, running away from everything.
o6. Hurricane
They didn't have hurricanes in Portland (unless Naomi was annoyed in which the difference between her temper and a natural disaster didn't really matter).
o7. Wings
A little orange blur crossed their path and they both laughed after realizing they had seized up from seeing a monarch butterfly.
o8. Cold
Because fighting off a dormant caterpillar-shaped virus lodged in your heart doesn't mean the common cold can't get you; Little Guy brings her soup and she thanks him, embarrassed but appreciative.
o9. Red
He hates that damn necklace she wears not because it's particularly offensive but because it's bright red and lies right there.
1o. Drink
"He's just a co-worker," Naomi insists indignantly, turning as red as her wine; Gabe just sips his beer and snickers.
11. Midnight
There were times when she would work him past midnight; he could never say no to her (nor to coffee).
12. Temptation
There were times when they were just close enough for him to kiss her but Little Guy never tries to (he doubts he has the courage to and it kills hims).
13. View
Alyssa peeks through the peephole and approves thoroughly of the scene on the doorstep.
14. Music
When she first sees him play his guitar, an emotion stirs inside her and makes her blush; she realizes it's a suppressed fangirl attraction to rockstars and it shames her to no end.
15. Silk
"It's very difficult to get bloodstains out of silk," is just regular workplace conversation for them.
16. Cover
"Well, I don't know your given name and Navel certainly isn't your real surname."
17. Promise
Alyssa holds out her pinky and says with a determined tone, "Promise me you'll ask Naomi out on a date one day, okay Little Guy?"; how could he say no to that face?
18. Dream
When she mentions that she doesn't dream, he mutters something about polysomnography, and she rolls her eyes and chuckles.
19. Candle
Naomi is impressively determined; when the lights flicker out, she just lights a candle.
20. Talent
She feared the day that her talents would not be enough for the FBI and her reprieve would finally fall through; little did she know, he'd never allow it to happen.
21. Silence
Silence, for them, is bad; silence means that one of them is stumped and too proud to ask for help.
22. Journey
She was done with journeys, done with running away; her final journey was staying.
23. Fire
To think it was a fire starting in the apartment of some drug dealer that brought them together again.
24. Strength
He had admitted to himself, to her aloud, that he was ready to give up and meet his end but Naomi was strong enough to keep searching and Little Guy meant it when he said he would follow her to the end.
25. Mask
When they meet again, he sees that her hair is styled, her make-up is heavier; she's hiding from her past (she has witness protection, he had to forge his own way and yet neither is quite content).
26. Ice
It's hard for her to keep her ice queen exterior when she has an adorable eight year old trailing behind her and an overprotective FBI agent with pretty boy looks hovering around her.
27. Fall
She trips one day, innocently enough, and he's by her side so quickly Naomi can't help but shake her head and smile softly.
28. Forgotten
It's difficult to remember your anniversary date when the pretenses of your first meeting involved the higher ups of an evil medical terrorism organization and their dastardly plans to reinvent the world.
29. Dance
When she mentions that she was a dancer in her youth, he can't stop himself and says, "But you're so stiff!"
3o. Body
"I thought we went through this; the corpse is in a bag, again."
31. Sacred
Through their line of work they've learned that nothing is sacred, anything can be used as a weapon; Naomi had retrieved a small pink object from a corpse's eye socket only for Little Guy to discover it is in fact, the shoe of a Barbie doll, in other words, a regular Wednesday for them.
32. Farewells
He jokes that they are terrible at goodbyes and she agrees; they always seem to find each other again.
33. World
Naomi had touched down on every single continent but she found herself most content at home with him.
34. Formal
She was always Dr. Kimishima to him; any time, any place.
35. Fever
A butterfly lands outside his window and Little Guy can only wonder how a such a small creature could have a carried a disease that could shatter his entire world.
36. Laugh
He's made his personal mission to hear her laughter and to be the cause of it (he might as be diving for treasure in a pond, but he tries all the same).
37. Lies
"The dead can tell no lies, Little Guy."
38. Forever
For once they're both scared not because their future is uncertain but because it's forever.
39. Overwhelmed
On occasion, he'd grumble about the workload she'd set for him, but her annoyed glances seemed to bypass their computer communication and hit him face-on; he could only sigh and get working.
4o. Whisper
They weren't the kind of soft romantic couple that enjoyed whispering sweet-nothings to each other; it would be awkward if they were.
41. Wait
She pulls him closer (by his tie, of course), kisses him, and leaves him to his confusion, walking away to continue her day's work; she was tired of waiting and his dumbfounded expression satisfies her.
42. Talk
"You could have made a move sooner," she says with smile but then he kisses her again and all conversation is halted.
43. Search
Little Guy's a notorious worrier and he can't help but fear for her safety when she insists on dashing to the crime scene to search for clues by herself.
44. Hope
Everything hits her at once and suddenly she's afraid for herself and for Alyssa; his reassurance, his smile changes everything and the tiniest flicker of hope lights inside of her.
45. Eclipse
She's always been a star, only shadowed by misfortune; luckily for her, an eclipse doesn't, can't last.
46. Gravity
Naomi's always been comforted by science and reason but she enjoys knowing that a relationship doesn't have to follow the laws of gravity.
47. Highway
There were times when Navel was reminded of the pursuit on the mountain highway when he had dropped his guard and said something just to see her grin in the tense moment.
48. Unknown
Stiles calls and tells her he's unsure about what will happen next; Navel eavesdrops and assures himself strongly that she would alright, that she would pull through in the end, like always.
49. Lock
She had to keep him calm or else he'd break down any locked door to find her and then they'd both be in trouble.
5o. Breathe
Naomi and Little Guy both felt as they could breathe again; the horrible, messy prologue of their new lives was over, this is where their story could finally begin.
This is dedicated to all the people who reviewed 'Chord Progression'. Thanks guys!
You say you want author's notes for the story? Ask and you shall receive! Here's some explanation.
1: Everyone always uses this theme in relation to wedding rings. I thought I'd go in a different route. I haven't actually seen The Ring, I'm not a horror flick kinda girl (and I'd be terrified to).
9: This is about her weird red necklace/tie thingy. It's worn so that it kinda drapes down awkwardly, I guess. Use your imagination and keep Little Guy in mind.
13: I can imagine Alyssa being babysat by Tomoe (your child is always safe with a ninja!) or someone, and she's just waiting for Naomi to return on her date with Little Guy and she's looking through the peephole like a concerned parent. And then they kiss and of course Alyssa's happy for them, 'cause who wouldn't be? :)
14: Admit it. You giggled at his guitar rant.
18: Polysomnography is the study of sleep.
20: Here's a theory: Naomi could only hear the dead since she was so close to death herself and now that she's healed, she loses her ability. Hm? Hm? Nah, just me, I'm crazy? Sigh, maybe.
15 & 31: These are partially inspired by Bones, another show featuring a crazy smart forensics expert and her heroic FBI partner. Some crazy thing is always used to kill the victim of the week. And blood gets everywhere!
25: Her new design has grown on me but I didn't recognize her at first. Thought, I'd incorporate the idea.
47: I liked how in Second Opinion when Little Guy (then just unnamed Delphi agent!) said his dirty joke in mission Z-3 Pursuit, Naomi totally smiled instead of looking disapproving. I thought it was a sweet moment between the two, even back then.
Basically, there's three arcs in this story (yes three arcs, in an under two-thousand word story, bite me). Both characters confrontations with their pasts, meeting again and re-establishing their new relationship, and finally getting together somewhere in the mess of things. Everything is just blissfully out of order. :) You can probably tell when each event happens.
Good night now! Please rate and review, if there's anything you still don't understand, drop a line about it in the review and I'll reply. Much love - MSND