A/N: I blame my insomnia and tumblr for this

Disclaimer: I don't own RB, the characters, or Taylor Swift's songs...no matter how much I wish I did


"Technically it's only fair. I was your plus one and now it's time to return the favor, Officer Peck."

Gail couldn't have said no even if she wanted to. Ever since Holly had returned from San Francisco they had decided to be friends. Well, first they had tried the avoidance thing, but there were too many opportunities to run into each other. So one night at the Penny after a particularly grueling case they had decided that it would be easier to be friends.

They had been friends first. Before the kissing in the interrogation room, and the hair cutting incident, and the relationship, and the whole seeing each other naked thing, they had been friends. They had been good at being friends. So they decided they could do it again. And they had.

There were movie nights, and nights at the Penny with all the other coppers, and texts about silly things that reminded them of one another, and coffee breaks, and lunch drop offs. But there was no kissing, no hand holding, no "real" dates, and definitely no sex. A line had been drawn in the sand and no matter how many times Gail had hovered near it, had toyed with it, maybe even dipped a toe over it, she had been too scared to cross it. Holly wanted to be friends and Gail wanted Holly in her life. So they were friends.

Being friends was how Gail found herself invited to a wedding as Holly's plus one. They were plus-ones-forever and now they were friends again. So Gail couldn't say no when Holly told her that she needed a friend to go with her. Gail hated weddings, but she loved Holly, so saying no was never an option.

That was the real problem. She loved Holly. And not in the friendly way. She loved Holly in the "I can't stop thinking about you" way and the "I never stopped loving you" way and the "I really want to see you naked again" way and even the "I want to marry you and have your beautiful tan babies" way.

That was why she had bought the dress. One look at it in the store had stopped Gail in her tracks. She knew it when she saw it that that was the dress she needed. Traci had agreed. When Gail had gone to her desperately needing advice about how to survive a night as Holly's plus one, Traci told her that she needed to just tell Holly how she felt. But Gail had never been good at talking about her feelings. So Traci suggested showing Holly instead, which led to shopping, and to the dress.

Even Traci's jaw had dropped when she tried it on. Her friend demanded that she buy it, told her she'd be crazy not to. That if Holly didn't fall for her in that dress then she deserved to have her lesbian card revoked. When Gail wavered, Traci reminded her that everyone deserved to be happy. Even her. And no one had ever made Gail nearly as happy as Holly.

Gail bought the dress.

When Holly arrived to pick her up there had been a solid minute after Gail opened the door before Holly had been able to speak. But then Holly's brain caught up to her and after telling Gail that she looked beautiful, she had held out her arm to escort her to the car.

Gail hadn't wanted to let go even when Holly moved to open the car door for her. Traci was right. She couldn't keep going as friends. So that night was the night she got her girl back.

Now she was standing in a crowded room, filled with people that she didn't know who were milling around and laughing and caring. But Gail only had eyes for Holly. Which was how she knew that Holly couldn't keep her eyes off of her either, carefully but repeatedly roaming over her body.

She had been patient. She sat silently throughout the ceremony, even as her heart thundered in her chest. Feeling the warmth of Holly's body, the press of her thigh against her own, the brush of Holly's arm every time she shifted had nearly been her undoing. Gail's hands shook as she kept them clasped in her own lap. All she wanted was to reach out and touch Holly but she couldn't yet.

Dinner went by in a blur. There had been speeches and food and drinks but Gail didn't pay attention to any of it. Her whole world had been narrowed down to Holly. To the way she laughed, full and free, to the way she spoke, voice warm and soothing, to the way she smiled just slightly crookedly everytime she caught Gail's eye. She was glad that everyone else was oblivious to the way she was pining.

When the newlyweds finally took the dancefloor, the anticipation was killing her. Holly was right beside her, watching the couple with a small smile. Gail wondered what she was thinking about. She hoped she was thinking the same thing as her. Hoped that she was remembering everything they had had between them. How this could have been them. How it still could be.

The moment the song ended, Gail turned to Holly ready to ask her if she wanted to dance. She hated dancing, but Gail would sell whatever soul she had left for a chance to be close to Holly, to be able to touch her, she was willing to take any excuse she could get. But Gail missed her chance.

"Drink? Do you want a drink? I think we could use some drinks." Holly walked away even before Gail could say a word.

When Holly returned, champagne glasses in hand, Gail reached forward, purposefully brushing her hand over Holly's as she accepted her glass. She saw the way Holly's breath caught before the brunette down the glass she still held. Gail couldn't draw her eyes away as Holly licked her lips.

"I'm going to get another. Do you want?"

Gail held up her still full glass. She smirked at the lovely blush that seeped into Holly's cheeks but then Holly was gone again. She let out a sigh and took a sip from the glass in her hand. The bubbles burned along her tongue. The champagne was good, but it was absolutely nothing compared to what she really craved.

She felt a hand on her lower back and a warm body beside her. A familiar voice was softly speaking, "Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?"

Gail turned and she immediately missed the contact as Holly's hand dropped away from her. "I believe you used the word beautiful."

"You're that too. You look absolutely stunning. Thank you for coming with me."

"Well you must've been pretty desperate to invite me."

"I mean it, Gail. There's no one else I'd rather spend the night with."

Gail felt time stop. There was something in Holly's voice. In the way she said her name. She was pretty sure that whatever she was feeling, Holly was feeling it too.

The silence between them was deafening. Neither woman knew what to say next. They were standing right on the edge of the line, just at the precipice, and they both knew it. But one of them needed to make a move to send them tumbling over.

Gail cleared her throat, "I have a confession to make."

"You do?"

"Mmhmm." Gail leaned forward, one hand gently pushing long dark hair out of her way. Her lips brushed against Holly's ear as she whispered, "I only bought this dress so you could take it off."

Holly pulled away. She didn't say a word as her eyes searched Gail's for something. Gail looked back just as intently, letting Holly know just how serious she was, but waiting to see what happened next.

"Give me one minute."

For the second time that night, Holly left before Gail could get a word in. But this time when she came back she was holding their coats and holding out her hand.

"Ready to go?"

Holly took her hand and led her out to the waiting car. The only words said were to give the driver Holly's address. But this time she stayed close, sitting without a sliver of space between them. They were silent the entire way to Holly's new house, through the door, and all the way to Holly's room.

Holly moved close, hands finding Gail's hips, thumbs rubbing circles against the silky fabric. "Did you really buy this dress for me?"

Gail nodded. Her eyes moving from Holly's to her lips and back up again. She opened her mouth. Ready to confess it all. That she didn't want her as a best friend, she wanted more. She wanted to tell Holly that she was her everything. Her lifeline. Holly had made her mark on her a long time ago, back when she had been able to see the best in her even at her worst. She needed to tell her that she wanted to try again.

But the words never had a chance of being heard as Holly's lips crashed into hers. The shock burned its way through Gail's entire body and sent her into action. Hands pushed and pulled, desperately searching for skin, discarding clothes in their wake as lips moved against one another.

They tumbled to the bed, finally separating long enough to move up and settle more comfortably. Every inch of her felt electrified as Holly's lips travelled along her skin, getting reacquainted with the parts of her that ached for Holly's touch. Every gasp and every moan that was pulled from her just seemed to spur the brunette on more, until her tongue and fingers were moving relentlessly, building her up until Gail was crying out as her orgasm crashed through her.

Holly moved back up, lips finding hers briefly. "It's a really nice dress."

Gail laughed before pulling Holly back down and flipping their positions. She poured everything she was feeling into kissing Holly, determined to show her just how much more they could be.

When she woke up, hours later, sun streaming into Holly's window, she smiled to herself. Holly was wrapped around her, warm skin against warm skin. For the first time in years she was completely content. Gail settled further, ready to let sleep take hold once more but something caught her eye.

The dress looked even better on the floor of Holly's bedroom.


A/N: What do you think, dear readers? Leave a review or come yell at me on tumblr snarkysarcasm