"So I'll meet you at The Penny at six?" Gail asked swinging her coat over her shoulders and put it on.
"Yup" she responded with a smile.
The blonde moved closer and she knew what was coming, knew she should bring it up again and set some rules if she wanted to still be alive by the next week, but she was selfish.
"Alright, see you then Lunchbox." Gail said casually with a smile that was only held for her and leaned in to seal it with a quick kiss.
Holly watched as the officer spun around, eyes still closed and smile intact, and swayed her hips right out the door with a wave and a 'don't work too hard' thrown over her shoulder.
She knew she was in trouble, she knew the first night they hung out, but that hadn't stopped her from continuing with the friendship. Holly had heard about straight girl crushes, held many friends hands through their own, and could imagine the hurt that went along with them. But this, actually going through it, was a lot worse than she thought.
The whole thing was bitter sweet. Gail Peck, known for her bitch exterior, ice glares and careless snark was nothing but sweet smiles and quick wit with her. She got to see the Gail no one ever got to, the one hidden in fear. And now the added physical closeness was starting confuse her. It would be one thing if it was just hugs, sitting a little too close, cuddling while watching tv, bit it wasn't. There was the hand on the small of her back, the gazes that lasted too long, and quick kisses in greeting and goodbyes and thank you's.
Gail knew she was being juvenile. She was taking advantage of a alcohol induced kiss that Holly had initiated and then brushed off the next day. So in the most Gail way possible, she started to kiss the brunette every chance she could hoping that Holly would get it. Well that had been going on for two weeks now. Every hello was met with a brush of lips, every goodbye, every thank you, and any other time it felt she could slip it in. She was the only one to initiate it, the pathologist just excepted them with pink cheeks and questioning eyes. How Holly hadn't caught on yet baffled Gail.
She knew she should just tell the brunette how she felt, but she couldn't find it in herself to stop. She loved the sound of Holly taking in an anticipated breath before their lips met, she loved how the brunette had grown to expect a kiss, she loved the dazed look, but she was also scared.
Gail was afraid of losing those moments. Because Holly might not feel the same way and once that's out there, the kisses would either become more than just a quick brush or have to stop. And she never wanted them to stop.
So the blonde decided as she opened the door to The Penny that tonight was the night. She would throw her all at Holly and if she still didn't pick up in it then she's spell it out to her. But no matter what happened, Holly would know how much she meant to her by the end of the night.
It didn't take long to find the woman of her desire and she smiled. Gail didn't know why but it made her extremely happy to see Holly laughing with her friends, to see that everyone she cared about most got along with ease. She walked over to the table where Chris, Ollie, Traci and her brother sat at a booth in the back with Holly. She got a round of greetings before each continued with their previous conversations, everyone but the brunette.
"Hey" Holly smiled up at the blonde.
"Hey" Gail smiled back and without hesitation she captured Holly's chin between her thumb and forefinger and leaned in, slowly closing her eyes. She didn't stay long but it was the longest of their kisses to date. Gail liked her lips as she pulled away, smiling at the familiar taste of Holly's chapstick.
Still a little lost in the moment she asked of the brunette needed a drink.
"Uh, y-yes please." Holly stumbled over her words.
"Beer?"
Holly hummed her agreement.
Gail stood up, straightening her back before looking to the rest of the table. To which she was met with four other sets of eyes, all a little widened in surprise.
"Anything for you guys?" She asked as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
After a few more seconds of gaping she got a few beer requests and with a nod and smile she spun around and headed to the bar.
Holly watched as the blonde walked away. She wasn't expecting the kiss this time, all of the other ones were just them.
"When did you guys get together?" Traci asked behind her last gulp of her drink.
Holly met her eyes and shook her head. "We haven't- I mean we aren't." she sighed. "We aren't together."
"Doesn't look like it." The detective smirked.
She opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't come up with a reply. It was true, they basically acted like a couple.
"I wasn't greeted like when we were together." Chris chimed in.
Holly's tummy fluttered and she couldn't help the smug smile that dawned her lips.
"This is Holly we're talkin' about, all Gail rules don't apply." Oliver chuckled and bumped shoulders with the pathologist playfully.
The group laughed along with nods.
Holly glanced at the blonde officer and noted the amount of glasses she was trying to gather to bring back to the table. She stood, "I'm going to go help her before she breaks something."
"Need some help Officer?"
Gail turned to find a lopsided smile directed her way and her heart melted. Who ever said nothing topped the puppy eye'd look had clearly never seen the power of a lopsided grin. The urge to feel that smile against her own was too much, and the brunette was due for a thank you kiss so she took the small step into Holly's space and met her eyes. Her heart rate picked up and she closed the last of their distance, placing her lips against the soft ones of the brunette. She was feeling a little brave as the shot of tequila kicked in and parted her lips enough to graze her teeth along Holly's bottom lip before pulling away.
"Thank you." Gail breathed and grabbed the few glasses and made her way back to the table, leaving a stunned Doctor at the bar.
Holly slowly picked up the glasses, going over the kiss again and again. Dov and Chloe had arrived, taking the last booth seats so Gail pulled up two chairs to the end for herself and Holly. Once settled Gail turned to the brunette next to her, completely ignoring the stares of her colleagues. "So how was your day, Lunchbox?"
Holly shrugged. "Same old, same old. You?"
"Desk" was all she had to say, the brunette knew how those days went.
"Do you guys want to play? We kinda need a sixth" Dov asked hopefully.
The women shared a look and Holly nodded, "I'll play."
Chloe cheered and high-fived the pathologist. Dov stated the rules as he shuffled the deck of trivia cards he seemed to bring everywhere with him. Gail watched on amusingly as the table became sober, everyone's competitive side slowly showing their faces, and wagers were made.
Andy approached the table and took a look around, there wasn't any room left for her to sit so she stood behind Gail and Holly. Gail let this happen until the officer laid an arm across the back of Holly's chair.
She stood abruptly and turn to face Andy, "I can't stand you breathing down my neck. Sit." she scowled and point to the chair she had been sitting in. Before stepping away she moved the chair further from the pathologist, not wanting anyone sitting that close to Holly.
Gail walked to the back of the chairs pursing her lips. Should she do it? Yes, she answered her thought. She didn't want to think any further into it so she pulled Holly's chair out a bit -ignored the looks- rounded the seat, moved the brunette's arms out of her way and sat in the doctor's lap.
Holly's eyes were wide. "What're you doing?"
Gail snaked an arm around her neck, "I'm sitting in your lap. Is that a problem?" she started to get up when Holly placed a firm hand on her thighs, keeping her in place.
"No. It's okay."
Gail smirked. "You sure?"
"Yeah." Holly breathed.
Ollie suddenly stood, "well I'm gonna get going. I didn't sign up for trivia night and Celery is making my favourite."
Dov and Chloe slid out of the booth to let the T.O out.
"Night Ollie, tell Celery I say hi." Gail smiled when he winked at her.
"Will do kiddo." he turned to the rest of the table. "I've got twenty on the Doc."
The game continued, she wasn't sure who was winning but if the sweat on Dov's brow had any say she'd guess it was Holly. Gail was honestly impressed with the brunette's wide spread knowledge, and made sure to tell her with a quick kiss when she got a particularly hard one right. She took delight in being able to look at Holly's features so up close. To be able to see every crease in her victory smile, to see every fleck of colour in her gorgeous brown eyes, to absentmindedly play with the waves of her hair. Gail had been wanting to run her hands through the silky curls for months now.
The long curious stares also continued. Most of them were from her brother, who had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire night. It was judgy or anything of the sorts, just curious and fill with questions of which he seemed to be trying to answer by watching. Everyone seemed to except the odd displays of affection and not pay much attention after the first hour of initial shock. Holly relaxed and started to draw into Gail's jean clad thigh. The sensation made a shiver run down Gail's spine, making Holly smirk.
Gail pulled Holly out to the car the second the brunette had won the game. She'd stuck her tongue out to the group with a 'in your faces' and told them they were leaving without any explanation -not even to Holly.
Holly surprised Gail by lacing their fingers together as they walked to her townhouse. Neither saying a word. Gail was nervous, she wasn't sure if the brunette had picked up on what she was trying to show her, she knew that Holly was horrible at catching hints but hoped she wasn't that clueless. So while they walked -hand in hand, shoulders occasionally brushing- she thought about how to bring it up, how she was going to express her feelings. But she didn't get long before Holly stopped walking and was looking at her expectantly.
"Hmm?"
Holly laughed, "I asked if you were coming in."
"Oh. Um, I can't."
Her heart dropped at the flash of disappointment in the deep brown eyes. Holly let go of her hand and turned to fully face her and opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shout her mouth and turned to the door instead. She fished her keys out on her pocket and unlocked the door.
"No goodnight?"
Holly spun around, "sorry. Um, goodnight Gail, text me when you get home."
"Will do. Goodnight Hols." she smiled and started down the small porch. Yes she had promised herself that Holly would know, yes she was chickening out -again. Gail just couldn't find it in her after yet another brush off. She tried to show the brunette, to tell her without using words -words had never worked in her favour in the past- and it didn't work. Or maybe it did and that's why Holly was being weird, she weirded her out. Gail closed her eyes and sighed, stupid stupid Peck, you fuck it up. The one thing you had going for you and you had to make it weird.
"No kiss?"
She froze mid step. "What?"
"You're not going to kiss me? After all that at The Penny, you aren't going to kiss me goodnight?" Holly asked in disbelief.
Gail slowly turned until she was met with the expectant gaze. "I didn't think you'd want me to."
"Do you?"
She nodded.
Holly took a step toward her. "Then get up here."
Gail timidly walked back up the steps, her heart started to beat faster and palms became clammy. She stopped a step away. "Now what?"
Holly smiled at the suddenly shy officer. "Now you wrap your arms around me."
She did as instructed, looping both arms around the brunette's waist. "And now?" she whispered.
"Now you pull me in closer." Holly was going through the same motions. Placing her arms around Gail's neck, heart racing and all thought process gone out the window.
They were now breathing the same air, the same heated breath. "Now?"
"Now you kiss me. Properly, none of that teasing, quick stuff."
Gail nuzzled her nose against Holly's and closed her eyes, taking in everything she could. Then she tested the waters with an unsure brush of her lips and Holly groaned.
"I said no teasing." the brunette reprimanded.
She chuckled. "Sorry. I'm nervous."
"You've been kissing me for the past two weeks and now your going shy?"
Gail sighed. "Those were different, this-this means something and I don't want to mess up."
"You're adorable, you know that right?"
"Am not"
Holly gave a breathy laugh, "oh but you are. I get it though ok, but I really need you to kiss me now because if you don't I think I'm going to explode from all the teasing."
Gail thought about replying but decided taking her off guard would be much better. So she wasted no time and brought their lips together. It took a moment before Holly joined in the dance, the two moved in unison, starting slow and exploring. Gail moved a hand up to tangle in Holly's hair, earning a soft moan when she gave a handful a tug. Holly trailed her tongue along Gail's top lip, asking for entrance which the blonde gladly gave. The exploration continued with curious tongues and hands, and moans started to grow from deeper within. A car went by, it's bright headlights bringing realization to where they were and Holly pulled back. They placed their foreheads together, trying to catch their breaths.
"Wow." Gail smiled.
Holly returned the smile. "Wow."